Chapter 36
A gentle breeze stirred, carrying a hint of chill. Reddish leaves drifted down onto the mud, where they were trampled by passersby. Qingyun's loosely styled hair curled and brushed against her face.
[Damn, autumn is supposed to be the most comfortable season! Why is it practically winter here?]
System: [At least it's not hot anymore.]
Qingyun: I'd rather it be hot...
The main problem was that she didn't have any warm clothes; she only had thin clothes. The money Song Chaoyun gave her last time was used to buy fabric for summer wear. She was thinking of buying a few more kilograms of cotton to make a cotton-padded jacket with the extra fabric, but she never expected it would cost her her life.
No wonder people in ancient times could pawn even a tattered cotton-padded coat; it was something that ordinary people couldn't afford.
Her wound, which hadn't fully healed, throbbed with pain. Qingyun walked along the roadside. She always walked to the Commander's Mansion, whether it was on the sand dunes or at her home in the village outside the city. Now, facing the wind, she could only hunch her shoulders and tuck her hands inside, as if that would keep her warm.
The wheels creaked and groaned behind her. Hearing this, Qingyun moved closer to the side to avoid those fools running too fast and splashing mud on her. She had gotten a mud bath last time.
"Miss Qing!" Only when the shout rang out did she stop her rapid pace forward.
Before Qingyun could react, a carriage stopped in front of him. It looked very impressive. He didn't recognize the person who called him, and he guessed a lot of people, even thinking of that boy from the Qin family. However, since the host hadn't shown up and the procession was so grand, he didn't care about anything else and just paid his respects.
"Where are you planning to go?" A large, well-defined hand lifted the thick curtain.
Before seeing the person, one could hear their voice, but Qingyun already knew who it was.
She bowed and smiled, "Lord Song."
Song Junwu poked his head out of the carriage. "Just came from the command post?"
Qingyun nodded, "I discussed some matters with Her Highness the Princess, and I'm on my way back now."
"Don't walk in the cold wind, come on up, I'll take you home." Song Junwu said with a smile, then reached out to pull the other person up, but then seemed to remember something and withdrew his hand, keeping the curtain raised as if he wouldn't let go until the other person came up.
Qingyun was naturally overjoyed to hear this. Would she be a fool to have a car readily available? She stepped on the pedals and jumped onto the vehicle. But as they say, the body can't keep up with the brain. Only after getting on the vehicle did she realize that the movement had aggravated her injury.
In the small space, the two were speechless for a moment. The scent of incense wafted through the air, and the air conditioning occasionally seeped in through the cracks in the window. Song Junwu coughed a few times and took the initiative to ask in a clear voice, "You..." but he stopped halfway through his sentence.
"Hmm?" Qingyun turned to look at him, and seeing the expression on his face, he suddenly looked enlightened and asked with a smile, "Are you curious about what Her Highness the Princess and I talked about?"
Upon hearing this, Song Junwu was about to explain when Qingyun immediately said, "I told her I wanted to grow a certain type of grain."
Seeing that he had piqued the other party's interest, Qingyun told Song Junwu about his plan and asked him if he had any ideas. After all, he was the commander and had been deeply involved in this place for many years, so he must understand the intricacies of the situation.
After listening to the entire plan, Song Junwu pictured a certain person in his mind, but he didn't say it aloud. Instead, he used the same words as Song Chaoyun, telling Qingyun to wait another day.
Are the people here so incapable of accepting new things? They obey even the orders of a local tyrant, but no one trusts a proper official.
System: [Host, you know how tough the people are here. Even if they can grow crops, someone has to guarantee them a good harvest. Are we really that confident we'll have a big crop?]
Qingyun: [Even the director of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences wouldn't be entirely confident here.]
System: [So you expect them to believe you?]
Qingyun chuckled, "Then what's the point of having this system? I'd rather have the director of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences work with me."
system:【……】
As Qingyun thought to himself, “If the people here don’t trust officials this much, then my eyes unconsciously drift towards Song Junwu.”
Suddenly, a feeling of being looked down upon swept over Song Junwu. She looked up at the other person, only to see Qingyun immediately look away as if she had done something wrong.
Song Junwu: "..."
Could it be that this guy is actually exploiting the people? Qingyun brainstormed.
Today, Song Junwu seemed to be going to meet a guest. He wasn't wearing armor, but had changed into a sky-blue, silver-embroidered round-necked robe with several sachets tied around his waist. He looked very noble, and with his handsome face, he was indeed pleasing to the eye.
As they approached home, Qingyun saw Mu Helian standing at the door waiting for her. Upon seeing this, she said she would get off here immediately. After thanking Song Junwu, she quickly walked towards her, saying, "Why don't you go in? My door really isn't locked."
As she spoke, she took the wooden stick off the doorknob. She didn't have anything valuable here; even if a thief broke into her house, he would have to leave a few coins before leaving.
Mu Helian rubbed her hands together and sighed. "I noticed you didn't go to work today, so I came to check on you." She followed Qingyun into the room. "Since no one was home, I guessed you must have gone to the Commander's Mansion."
The smell inside the house was stronger than outside, indicating that she had lit the stove before leaving, putting in several large pieces of dry firewood. Qingyun scooped the hot water into a bowl and handed it to Mu Helian, then sat down and shoveled the charcoal out of the pot and put it in the fire pit. She picked up two pieces of rags, pinched the two handles on the edge of the plate, and carried it under the table.
Only then did he feel at ease and sit down with Mu Helian, taking off his shoes and putting them on the fire to dry.
"It's really strange, this autumn feels like winter." Qingyun touched the scalding hot bowl, and only felt a little better when the heat from the bowl transferred to her palm.
Mu Helian: "Not all places are like this. It's normal that you're not used to it since it's your first time here."
After she finished speaking, she noticed that Qingyun's socks were very different. They had intricate patterns and were fluffy, making them look very warm.
Noticing the other person's gaze, Qingyun chuckled twice, took her feet out from under the table and raised them slightly so the other person could see them clearly. They were cashmere socks she had exchanged for with points from the system; otherwise, who could have survived this day? She had intended to exchange them for a sweater or thermal underwear, but the price was outrageously high, requiring points she could never repay in eight lifetimes.
Mu Helian touched it, feeling its exquisite texture. "The tailors in Kyoto are now able to make items of this quality. Just crocheting this pattern must take a lot of time, right? Is this wool?"
Qingyun nodded. Mu Helian found it incredible. She didn't know anyone in the whole country could make wool with such a delicate texture. "It's really amazing. I didn't even know that such craftsmanship existed nowadays."
Upon hearing this, Qingyun realized that the processing of wool in ancient times was not as advanced as modern industry, so it could not be done like this. Seeing this, she took out another pair and gave them to Mu Helian, saying, "These are my extras, and they've never been worn. Take them back and try them on; they're warm."
Mu Helian didn't stand on ceremony with her, after all, she had never seen such a thing before. "Perfect," she said, taking out the bundle she had been carrying and pulling out a few clothes from it. They looked like long-sleeved shirts. "I thought it was getting cold, and since you came in a hurry, you probably didn't bring many things. I just happened to make some extra a few days ago."
Qingyun is truly grateful for the kindness shown to her right now. When she's tired, someone offers her a pillow; when she's thirsty, someone gives her water. Although it's not a big gift, she knows the sentiment behind it.
After exchanging pleasantries, Mu Helian had other matters to attend to and left. However, no sooner had she left than she heard the neighing of a horse outside. When she went out to check, she saw Song Junwu dismounting and handing his riding whip to his subordinate as he walked over.
Qingyun remembered that this guy should never have been to her house, but then she thought, with his connections, wouldn't it be easy to find out?
"Does Lord Song have something urgent to attend to?"
Song Junwu stood at the door, his gaze sweeping lightly inside. Looking at the rather bare-walled house, he fell silent.
After a few seconds, he carefully spoke, “If you are really in trouble, you may come to me. With your achievements, it is not a big deal to reward you with a house and a few acres of fertile land.”
Upon hearing this, Qingyun thought to himself, "Why don't they just promote her and give her a higher rank? It turns out they're sympathizing with me here!"
Song Junwu had indeed come to discuss something with Qingyun. When he heard the other party mention it earlier, he thought of an old man in Muyun City who was highly respected among the people and skilled in grain cultivation. If Qingyun could find this man to vouch for him, even if he were to grow gold, he would have people following him. Although there was an element of exaggeration in Song Junwu's words, the meaning he conveyed to Qingyun was that this man was no ordinary person.
In modern terms, this person is like an expert in a research institute?
"Why doesn't Lord Song just go and invite someone over?" With someone having such an overpowered ability, why bother asking her? Why not just have someone urge everyone to plant it?
The two stood in the cold wind, but even so, Qingyun showed no intention of inviting the other person in to sit down. It was unclear whether she was too excited about the presence of this person or simply didn't want the other person to give her that "I pity you" look again.
Song Junwu: "I can't get him."
Seeing his blunt manner, Qingyun really wanted to shake him on the shoulder and ask him, "Aren't you the local bigwig? Aren't you the boss here? Why can't you even ask someone to come out?"
Qingyun made no attempt to conceal his expression, and Song Junwu saw it and smiled, "I certainly don't know as much about potatoes as you do. If I were to act as an intermediary, I might fail. You are more suitable than me."
Qingyun: I'm not an expert in this field either, how could I possibly make such a fuss about potatoes?
"If you go, I certainly won't let you make a wasted trip. I'll give you whatever you want."
Upon hearing this, the person excitedly pointed at the other person, "This, this, this! You said it yourself, you've remembered it, haven't you?" As she spoke, she turned to look at the two people following the other person, indicating that they should also testify.
Seeing this, Song Junwu lowered his eyes and smiled helplessly, then sent someone to lead the way for Qingyun.
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