Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Oh, my childhood sweetheart is here
Yin Shuang continued, "Master Jing is at the restaurant in the city. Do you want to go see him?"
Jiang Ci stood on the city wall and looked at the theater in the distance illuminated by the sunset. Some places in Ningling were still flooded after the rain.
She was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, "I originally thought that after we parted that day, I'd never see Zichuan again in this lifetime."
Yin Shuang hesitated for a moment: "Miss...should we tell the governor?"
Jiang Ci glanced at her slightly, and after a while he said, "Tell him. But don't mention that Xie Guijing and I were almost engaged. I don't want to cause any more trouble."
"Yes." Yin Shuang nodded in agreement.
Jiang Ci and Yin Shuang came together to Yichun Tower, the largest building in Ningling County.
The restaurant's third floor boasted wide wooden windows, offering a panoramic view of the entire street from those seated by them. Xie Guijing sat leaning against the window, dressed in a turquoise robe, fiddling with a wine cup, his demeanor still that of a refined gentleman.
His eyebrows and eyes were clear, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, as if he was smiling and waiting for someone.
Until he saw Jiang Ci——
She was wearing a moon-light apricot-colored dress with a curved skirt, her black hair hung down to her waist, and she had thin tassels tied around her body. She walked calmly and slowly approached with the crowd.
The light in Xie Guijing's eyes suddenly looked like stars falling in the sky. He stood up unconsciously, and the smile on the corner of his lips became more genuine.
Jiang Ci stepped forward and greeted him with a smile, "Master Jing."
Xie Guijing's mouth froze, as if he had been lightly struck by these three words. He smiled helplessly, "Aci no longer calls me Jinglang? It makes me seem like an outsider."
Jiang Ci said calmly, "Now that I'm married, I should always remember my status. You should do the same."
Xie Guijing lowered his eyes, as if he didn't want to hear what was said. He avoided the topic and said, "Please sit inside. Tell me what delicious food there is in Ningling. I really want to try it today."
Jiang Ci nodded: "Okay."
Everyone took their seats together. The window seats were already prepared, the table neatly arranged, the tea warmed even before the dishes were served.
Jiang Ci glanced at Yin Shuang and said, "Go and tell the governor that I'm meeting an old friend from Liangzhou at Yichun Tower."
Yinshuang understood, bowed and left.
Xie Guijing smiled bitterly: "I didn't expect that I would become what you call an 'old friend'."
Jiang Ci didn't respond, but raised his hand to pour him a glass of wine and raised his glass: "This glass, I toast you."
Xie Guijing took it, lowered his eyes, and drank. He looked at Jiang Ci before him—his expression remained unchanged, though much calmer. The youthful clarity between his eyebrows had faded, replaced by a calmness and measuredness.
"You've lost weight," he said. "But did you suffer in Dongyang? Did he... give you any trouble?"
Jiang Ci shook his head and smiled. "We get along well, and he's never been harsh on me. You know, he and I are just married, and relationships... ultimately take time."
"But fortunately, he is a good man. He is responsible and sensible, and he is a trustworthy person."
Xie Guijing was stunned for a moment.
Every word she said was sincere, but each one felt like a stitch sewn into his chest. After a long while, he finally spoke softly, "That's...good."
Jiang Ci asked again: "Why did you come to Ningling?"
"It's the Governor," Xie Guijing replied. "He said you sent a letter a while ago about the constant flooding in Ningling. He's worried about you, so he asked me to see if you need any support. If so, Liangzhou can dispatch personnel to help."
"It's indeed needed," Jiang Ci said. "A dam collapsed last night, and the low-lying areas south of the city have been washed away by water, leaving many people homeless. Rebuilding is a major undertaking, and the Dongyang Army is also under pressure right now. If you can bring some people with you, the people of Ningling will be grateful to you."
Xie Guijing listened to her sincerity and drank from her glass. "You haven't changed at all. You're always like this. You don't care about where you came from or who you are. You only care about right and wrong, and you only care about people's hearts."
Jiang Ci whispered, "I just thought, if one day you and I were in trouble, I hope someone would lend a hand."
Xie Guijing looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness, yet also a hint of unconcealed sadness. He suddenly smiled and asked softly, "Do you remember the promise we made under the old locust tree in the old temple outside Zichuan City when we were little?"
Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment, then smiled back: "I remember. But we are no longer under that tree."
As soon as the words were spoken, the wind blew the window screen on the table slightly, like a breeze in the spring of that year, landing on the fingertips, gently, and then dissipated.
Xie Guijing didn't say anything else. He knew that she was no longer the girl who chased him and called him "Jinglang".
The sun was setting in the west, and the setting sun fell on the front eaves of the tent, shining on the sand, casting a mottled light and shadow.
Ji Yang was reading a post-disaster survey report. When he heard that the repair progress of the East Dike had slowed down, he ordered someone to transfer a batch of dry materials and straw piles for overnight reinforcement.
At this moment, a burst of brisk footsteps passed through the corridor. Yin Shuang walked over carefully and stopped a few steps away from him.
"Commander-in-Chief."
Ji Yang raised his eyes from the paper and said calmly, "What's the matter?"
Yin Shuang lowered her head and said, "The young lady asked me to tell you that she went to Yichun Tower to meet an old friend from Liangzhou."
“…A man?”
Yin Shuang was startled, not expecting him to ask so directly. She nodded and said, "Yes, a young master named Xie."
Ji Yang didn't say anything, as if he was listening, but his eyes were fixed on something.
Yin Shuang couldn't tell his mood, so she couldn't help but add, "The lady said it was just a reunion between old friends after a long separation. They just wanted to have a meal and probably wouldn't stay long."
"……Um."
He responded softly, without any emotion.
Yin Shuang originally thought that he would ask a few more questions, or at least have some doubts, but Ji Yang just lowered his eyes, turned the page in his hand, and started writing again, as if this matter did not bother him.
After she left, the only sound left in the tent was the scratching of the pen on the paper.
Ji Yang didn't look up, but he didn't write that line of words after all.
The pen stopped on the paper, and when the ink ran out, he suddenly realized that he couldn't remember which line he had just read.
An old friend from Liangzhou.
Last name: Xie.
She went there in person.
He shouldn't have thought about these things. She didn't avoid him and even sent someone to inform him beforehand. She was thorough and proper, and there was nothing to complain about.
But a certain string in my heart was still quietly tense.
He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and stared blankly.
Yichun Tower is just at the other end of Southwest Street. It is the largest restaurant in Ningling City. It takes about an incense stick of time to walk there.
He closed his eyes, as if he was just thinking about something trivial.
The wind was howling outside the tent, dusk was approaching, and a ray of sunset on the horizon was obscured by dark clouds, casting a cold golden hue.
After Ji Yang finished reviewing the last document, he raised his hand to close it and stood up.
He walked to a nearby clothes rack, took down the dark-colored cloak, and brushed his fingers over the collar. The edges of the cloak still retained traces of mud from yesterday's run to the dam, but he paid no attention to it, picking it up and draping it over his shoulders.
As soon as he lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent, his gaze suddenly stopped.
Not far away, under the shade of a tree, Yin Shuang and Lu Linchuan were talking in low voices. Yin Shuang's expression was cold, a look he had never seen before. Lu Linchuan, on the other hand, was smiling frivolously, half leaning against the tree trunk, a playful smile on his lips.
Ji Yang's eyes darkened slightly, and he looked away after just one glance.
He jumped on his horse and rode away without saying a word.
In front of Yichun Tower, Ji Yang just reined in his horse and was about to dismount when he suddenly saw a scene before his eyes—
He saw Jiang Ci walking out of the restaurant side by side with a man in green clothes.
The man's brows were gentle, his eyes soft. He leaned over to hold the curtain for her, his steps neither hurried nor slow, always keeping a half-step distance from her. Jiang Ci seemed to say something, and the man smiled softly, his eyes full of familiarity and pity.
Suddenly, a drop of water fell from the eaves, and was about to hit Jiang Ci's head, but the man raised his hand to stop it as if he had predicted it, and his fingertips paused on her temples. But she didn't notice it, she just raised her eyes and looked towards the street corner.
She saw Ji Yang.
"That," she paused, her tone natural and frank, raising her hand to point at the man sitting high on his horse on the street, "is my husband, Ji Yang."
Xie Guijing went over as she wished.
Then he saw Ji Yang, clad in black armor, sitting upright on horseback, his expression stern and his brows sharp as a knife. The light reflected on his face, revealing only a few outlines, but revealing an overwhelming aura.
Xie Guijing's heart trembled slightly.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that what he had thought was a match made in heaven might have been quietly rewritten by fate at the time of their separation.
But he still had a gentle smile on his face. He stepped forward and bowed, saying:
"I am Xie Guijing, the assistant in charge of the civil engineering works. I have found some time to come here to visit old friends. It is a pleasure to meet you, the Governor."
"Thank you, Master." Ji Yang spoke calmly, his voice neither hurried nor slow, his emotion undetectable. He did not dismount immediately, but simply looked down at Xie Guijing, his usual calm and sharp demeanor.
After a moment, he turned over and dismounted, landed steadily on the ground, and walked towards Jiang Ci with steady steps.
Jiang Ci stood under the archway, his hair slightly wet and the corners of his eyes lingering with the night breeze.
Ji Yang walked up to her, without saying a word, he just reached out, took off his cloak and put it on her.
The cloak was warm, and she was startled, but she didn't refuse.
He then turned to look at Xie Guijing and said simply, "Nice to meet you."
Xie Guijing smiled without saying anything, but his heart was full of waves.
Jiang Ci asked, "Why are you here?"
"On the way." Ji Yang only answered with two words.
Xie Guijing lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Jiang Ci thought for a moment and asked Xie Guijing, "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"
"I live upstairs." Xie Guijing replied with a smile, "It's getting late, so I won't keep you two here any longer."
After saying that, he bowed to Ji Yang again with a calm look.
Ji Yang nodded.
Jiang Ci didn't say much, just followed him and said "see you another day", then Xie Guijing walked upstairs lightly, and his back gradually disappeared.
Ji Yang held the reins and walked slowly side by side with Jiang Ci, all the way to the county magistrate's mansion.
The wind blows through the corrugated roofs, and the streets gradually become quiet.
When he reached the gate of the county magistrate's mansion, Jiang Ci suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. His eyebrows were indifferent, but he seemed to be hiding something on his mind.
"Don't you have anything to ask?"
Her voice was gentle, not probing, just serious.
Ji Yang just lowered his eyes and looked at her for a moment, then shook his head.
As they were talking, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind them.
Before he could react, a figure fell to his knees at Jiang Ci's feet with a thud.
She was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a slender figure, thin cheeks, red and swollen eyes, and her clothes were stained by water and mud. Only her eyes, black and white, were bright and pleading.
She kowtowed to the ground, her voice trembling yet firm, "Madam, please take me in! You are a female bodhisattva, a kind person. I heard you are willing to save the people and the poor. I... I am homeless. My parents died in the flood, and I have no relatives. I am all alone and can't even get a hot meal..."
She raised her head, and her already pretty face looked even more pitiful due to the mixture of rain and tears.
"I am not picky about food or clothing, nor am I afraid of hard work. I am willing to serve you like an ox or a horse. I only ask that you let me follow you. I am also willing to be your slave."
Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment, then looked down at her, his eyes moving slightly.
The woman kowtowed again, her forehead a mixture of mud and broken grass, and her voice became even softer: "I really have nowhere else to go... Please help me."
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Passersby on the street stopped and looked at this scene. Some people whispered, and some showed pity on their faces.
Jiang Ci turned his head and looked at Ji Yang beside him.
The man stood beside her, his expression indifferent, without a trace of emotion between his eyebrows.
He only glanced at the woman and said in a cold voice, "Don't ask me. I don't need a maid, and I never have one. If you want to keep her, it's up to you."
There was no warmth in his tone, as if this matter had nothing to do with him at all.
Jiang Ci retracted his gaze and looked at the woman again. He saw that her face was still covered with tears, but she still raised her head stubbornly and said softly: "I eat little, don't cause trouble, and am really capable. Please, sister, take me in..."
Her voice was low but firm.
Jiang Ci looked at her and his gaze slowly narrowed.
The woman had a fresh face, clear eyes, and spoke softly. When I called her "sister", the word almost tickled my heart.
She pondered for a moment and then asked, "What's your name?"
The woman was stunned for a moment, then looked up and replied, "Sister, my name is Chu Yao."
Jiang Ci hummed softly, "In that case, follow me first. We'll arrange a place for you when we return to Fengdu."
Chu Yao kowtowed again, her voice trembling but extremely determined: "No, I just want to follow my sister. From now on, wherever my sister goes, I will go. As long as I have food to eat, I can do anything."
Jiang Ci did not respond immediately, but just frowned slightly.
But the words "I'll follow you wherever you go" left her speechless for a moment.
She took a deep breath and said in a soft but measured tone, "We'll talk about it later. Get up first, don't kneel anymore."
Chu Yao seemed to be relieved, her eyes became even redder, but she still tried hard not to cry. When she stood up, she staggered and was helped by Yin Shuang who had just returned.
Jiang Ci ordered: "It's just right, take her to the backyard to take a bath, change clothes, and have a hot meal."
"Yes." Yin Shuang nodded and took Chu Yao to the back of the mansion.
Chu Yao followed Yin Shuang through the winding corridor. She looked a little timid, but still looked at everything in the mansion. She clenched the corners of her clothes with both hands and walked a little fast. When she accidentally turned the corner of the corridor, her body swayed and she bumped into the arms of the person in front of her.
"ah--!"
She let out a low cry, her feet slipped, and her body tilted backwards.
At that moment, a hand quickly reached out, firmly grasped her arm, and pulled her back from mid-air.
Chu Yao looked carefully and saw the man in front of her was dressed in white, with a tall figure and handsome features.
He frowned slightly, obviously startled by the sudden collision.
The two of them were standing very close to each other at this moment, and Chu Yao's cheeks, which had just turned red due to panic, looked even more charming.
She subconsciously raised her eyes to look at Yue Bai, her eyes full of water, and said softly: "I am wrong to disturb you, sir."
The voice was so soft that Yue Bai was startled.
He quickly released his hand, lowered his eyes, and took a half step back, suppressing his heartbeat, which had just accelerated inadvertently. He said in a restrained tone, "...Nothing."
Chu Yao lowered her head, as if she was still feeling embarrassed and uneasy. At Yin Shuang's signal, she whispered "thank you" and turned around to follow Yin Shuang to the backyard.
Yue Bai suddenly came to his senses.
There was a hint of inexplicable hesitation between his brows. He moved his feet slightly and wanted to leave, but he couldn't help but look back and glance in the direction she left.
The lights in the house were dim.
Jiang Ci was sitting by the window reading a book when Yin Shuang walked in and asked in a low voice, "Miss, where did that girl named Chu Yao come from?"
Jiang Ci replied calmly, "She said her family had suffered a flood and she had nowhere to go."
Yin Shuang paused for a moment and asked, "Young lady, do you want to keep her?"
Jiang Ci closed the book and said, "I already have you and Wanniang by my side, so I don't need any more. People are living beings, and whether we can get along or not depends on time. I have never met her before, so when I return to Fengdu, I will see if there is a suitable place to settle her."
Yin Shuang smiled and said, "I still think she's a young lady and want to keep her by my side to serve her."
Jiang Ci shook his head slightly: "How could that be."
Her tone was calm, without any unnecessary emotion.
Outside the house, a slender figure stood at the door.
Chu Yao had just finished bathing, with the wet towel still in her hand. She wanted to go in and say thank you, but she happened to hear these words.
She stood by the door, not moving.
She gently pinched the handkerchief in her hand, and the light in her eyes, which were originally as bright as autumn water, suddenly dimmed.
But the next moment, as if she thought of something, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, as if she didn't take these words to heart.
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