Chapter 692 Hush Money
Seeing Lin Yuesha's surprised expression, Xiangye added, "You are acquainted with my cousin, and the young master might have mentioned her leaving home to you."
Never.
Lin Yuesha knew perfectly well what was going on, but had to pretend to be confused and said, "That day, Aunt Zhuang's mood was not quite right, so I thought I wouldn't stay at the manor and bother her. Before I left, I heard that the maids and servants were looking for Wan Jun, but I didn't expect that she had already left."
Xiangye lowered her head. The lady's words were too harsh, and Miss Xiangye, being an unmarried young lady, naturally couldn't bear them.
"Family scandals shouldn't be discussed in public," Xiangye stepped forward and whispered, "Miss Biao has misunderstood Madam's meaning, therefore..."
"Wanjun is not a willful person."
Lin Yuesha shook her head. After stealing that day, she had been pretending to be asleep to avoid suspicion, so Zhuang Wanjun did not come looking for her, but left the mansion quietly.
As for where the person went, Lin Yuesha had no idea. She wanted to ask Xiangye about Zhuang's situation, but Xiangye was tight-lipped and brushed her off with a few words.
After Xiangye left, Granny Fang opened the small box and said with a smile, "This old servant noticed just now that this box is light and flimsy; it turns out it contains silver notes."
"The Left Censor-in-Chief is very generous; he actually sent over a thousand taels of silver."
Bai Cha was a money-grubber. She ran to Granny Fang's side to check the silver notes, and said excitedly.
"You think Xiangye's gift was just a simple apology?"
Lin Yuesha put the silver notes into her purse before slowly saying, "It's hush money for me."
No official is a fool; they are all shrewd and perceptive. That day, Lin Yuesha heard rumors at home, including that Zhuang Shi had suddenly gone mad. The Left Censor-in-Chief sent someone with silver notes and told her directly not to spread them.
Otherwise, it would be better to just send some food to a maid or servant. After all, Zhuang Shi is an elder, so even if Lin Yuesha suffers injustice, she can only swallow her anger.
“Miss, I am not stupid. It’s just that you are too smart, which is why you have outshone me.”
Granny Fang gave Bai Cha a wink, and Bai Cha immediately stepped forward to flatter her.
Because the pockmarked man suddenly showed up and made a request, catching his young mistress off guard, she has been in a very bad mood ever since.
Bai Cha was very annoyed. As a maid, one cannot be too straightforward; one must speak according to the mistress's mood. But she had spoken the truth anyway.
"Yeah?"
Lin Yuesha took a deep breath and decided to stop thinking about the unpleasant things about her pockmarked face, which improved her mood slightly.
“This servant never tells a lie.”
Bai Cha patted his chest, pointed upwards, and almost swore an oath to show his loyalty.
Seeing this, Granny Fang was worried that Bai Cha would embarrass herself, so she quickly interjected, "This old servant heard that Madam Xu and Lord Xu will be leaving the capital in five days. Isn't that too rushed?"
With a topic to draw attention, Lin Yuesha immediately shifted her focus and was also extremely shocked to receive this news.
Without any prior warning, they just left.
"The journey to the Northwest is extremely dangerous. Not only that, the Northwest is filled with yellow sand and the climate is harsh. I heard that the soldiers eat something that is comparable to pig swill."
When you're on the march or fighting a war, you eat communal meals, which are nothing like what you'd eat at home. You're lucky if the food is even cooked properly.
Granny Fang clicked her tongue twice, but she was worried about her master.
"So I need to think about what food to prepare."
Lin Yuesha asked Bai Cha to bring her paper and pen; she wanted to make a list.
The proceeds from the auction of jewelry and the silver donated by the lady and young lady will be used to purchase items to be sent to the Northwest. At that time, Lin Yuesha can prepare a whole cartload of food to send there.
At present, Madam Xu and Xu Da are in a hurry to get on their way, so they can only bring some light and easy-to-carry food.
"Miss, please don't do too much."
Granny Fang reminded Lin Yuesha, "This old servant has seen soldiers travel with only two or three sets of clothes to change into. If they are in a hurry, they often go hungry for two or three days and then get supplies at the post station."
When traveling on horseback, the soldiers were reluctant to let the horses carry too much luggage. When Granny Fang saw that the young lady wanted to bring several cartloads of food, she quickly stopped her.
“Granny Fang, it’s almost the tenth month of the lunar calendar. The cold wind is biting when you travel to the northwest, especially when riding a horse. You should at least bring a teapot and teacups.”
There were tree branches everywhere along the official road that could be used for firewood, especially for Madam Xu. If she was on a bad day, how could she survive without a sip of hot water?
"Miss, there is no distinction between men and women on the battlefield; everyone goes through the same thing."
Granny Fang sighed repeatedly, thinking that her young lady was still too naive. Who had the leisure to appreciate teapots and teacups? Given Madam Xu's personality, she would at most bring two sets of clothes, and drink water by hand when thirsty, thus reducing the weight on the horses and traveling light.
Lin Yuesha crossed out teapots and teacups, and asked Granny Fang, "How about bringing a small pot?"
It comes with a small pot that doesn't take up much space or weigh much. You can use it to drink water, cook porridge, and make soup. If you have any minor ailments, you can even use it to brew medicine.
"You don't need to prepare this. Madam Xu is experienced."
Granny Fang crossed out several impractical items, picked and chose, and finally left two items: the dried meat and meat sauce that Lin Yuesha was going to make.
"No, this is too little."
This trip will last for a month. The further northwest we go, the more remote it becomes. That's where serious criminals are exiled. What if there isn't even a teahouse along the way? We'll go hungry.
Normally, if one takes the official road and passes through the post station, there is no need to worry about supplies. However, Madam Xu is determined to take shortcuts to save time, which introduces many uncertainties.
"How about I make some instant noodles and bring them over?"
Instant noodles are not heavy and can be stored for a long time. Lin Yuesha recently made some to be delivered to Zhang Qing'er, who lives far away in the south. They can be stored for more than a month.
"That's good. You can just soak it in hot water and eat it. It's simple, and the dried vegetables you made will taste even better when soaked in it."
Granny Fang pursed her lips, finding it strange that although the food at the Lin residence was good, she would occasionally crave fried noodles made by her young mistress and miss the taste of instant noodles.
"Instant noodles alone are not enough, so let's make some hot and sour rice noodles too."
Hot and sour rice noodles with crispy fried soybeans, peanuts, and chili peppers can also keep you warm in cold weather.
"Just prepare some food. Madam Xu and Lord Xu will take care of the clothes themselves, so you don't need to worry about it."
As soon as Granny Fang finished speaking, Lin Yuesha immediately patted her head and said, "Granny Fang, you reminded me."
Clothing must be prepared, given the climate in the capital, which is chilly in the mornings and evenings, especially when riding a horse with the wind blowing, so you must wear windproof clothing that is also light and thin.
Make a cotton-padded coat with sheepskin as the lining and wear it to keep warm.
Lin Yuesha was not very good at needlework, so she decided to entrust Fang Mama with an important task.
"It's long enough to cover the legs, has a hood at the back, and a drawstring at the neckline."
Lin Yuesha drew a diagram and explained it to Granny Fang and Bai Cha, adding a drawstring to the waist to prevent the wind from blowing around while riding a horse.
“Miss, this old servant can make it, but such a long cotton coat must weigh at least several pounds, and it would be too heavy to wear.”
Those who practice martial arts prefer agility and lightness. For example, even in the northern winter, the Lord would not wear heavy cotton-padded clothes; two or three single-layer garments would be enough to keep warm.
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