Chapter 4 Chang'an Sickness Sigh, time to go to work. Sigh, the Shence Army. ...
Zhu Qing stayed at home for two days. On the third day, just as dawn was breaking, she heard soft, rustling sounds coming from outside. It seemed that her brothers and Nie Zhen were getting up.
Zhu Qing rubbed her sleepy eyes, remembering that she had to go to the shogunate for her shift today.
She sat up in bed, still half asleep, staring at the dim sunlight outside the window, her heart completely dead.
Sigh, time to go to work. Sigh, time to go to work.
Zhu Qing lifted the thin quilt and got out of bed when she saw Nie Zhen lift the heavy curtain and come in. She personally went to the wardrobe and took out a snow-white jacket and trousers. For the sake of convenience when on duty, Zhu Qing almost never wore skirts.
Nie Zhen handed the clothes to Zhu Qing and said, "Your elder brother has already prepared breakfast, and Uncle Yu has also warmed up the medicine you need to drink today. Come out after you've put on your clothes. I've prepared plenty of water for you to wash up. You can use it as soon as you go out. Come and eat after you've washed up."
Zhu Qing's groggy mind suddenly cleared up. She was used to struggling alone, and suddenly having so many people around her to take care of her was really not her usual way of life.
My niece is only seven years old, why does she need to fetch water for herself to wash up?
Zhu Qing felt somewhat ashamed, but she didn't blame her. She was originally weak and sickly, but she was better now. A few years ago, she was truly frail and weak. She would be out of breath and pale after taking just a few steps, and a strong wind could blow her away.
According to her second brother, Zhu Yubo, it was because their mother wanted a daughter so badly that she became pregnant with her at an advanced age, and it happened to be during a time of hardship when they sometimes couldn't even afford to eat, which led to Zhu Qing's extremely weak constitution.
Her family took care of her daily needs from a young age.
Even now, things are considered good. Before Zhu Qing came of age, her family even helped her dress.
It was so meticulously crafted that it felt like holding a delicate and perfect piece of porcelain, which would break at the slightest carelessness.
Gradually, it became a habit, and even though the original owner had recovered a lot under Zhu Yubo's medical treatment, they still did not change these habits.
But Zhu Qing isn't used to it now.
She had never felt any kindness from her family since she was a child. Whenever someone was nice to her, it felt as if a million ants were crawling and gnawing at her heart, making her restless and always thinking about what she should give back. If she couldn't think of anything to give back, she would feel extremely uncomfortable and even unable to sleep.
She had to tell her brothers that this wasn't necessary anymore. As she thought this, Zhu Qing dressed herself, tied her long, smooth hair up simply with a wooden hairpin, and then lifted the curtain to go out of the room.
She arrived in the courtyard, where the well was located between two large jujube trees. Manman, dressed in a gray jacket and white skirt, with two pigtails sticking up, squatted by the water basin and waved to her.
Zhu Qing stepped forward, squatted down, scooped up water to wash her face and rinse her mouth, then poured the water into the vegetable garden before leading Manman into the main room.
Her hands were small and soft, like cotton candy when held in the palm of your hand.
The two, one big and one small, sat down at the square table. Everyone was there except for the third brother, Zhu Feichuan. Zhu Qing picked up his chopsticks, afraid of giving himself away, and didn't dare to look at his eldest brother, Zhu Zhengyang. He just kept shoveling porridge into his mouth and said, "Big brother, I'm much better now. You don't need to take such good care of me anymore."
Zhu Zhengyang frowned, and Zhu Qing quickly interjected, "The main reason is that I'm sixteen now, all grown up. We can't go on like this forever. There are differences between men and women. It's inconvenient for the brothers, and the sister-in-law also has to take care of Manman."
Nie Zhen was a little nervous and quickly said, "It's alright! I can take care of it."
Zhu Zhengyang also echoed Nie Zhen.
Zhu Qing said, "What will happen if I can't take care of myself in the future?"
Nie Zhen said, "What's there to be afraid of? We can take care of you forever!"
"..."
Zhu Qing was a little speechless. If it were up to her to argue and insult others, she would definitely be number one. But when faced with someone who had absolutely good intentions towards her, she didn't know how to refuse, or even how to speak.
At this moment, Zhu Zhengyang said, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say. In this family, whatever you say goes."
Zhu Zhengyang nodded, "But duty is unavoidable. The world is unstable now, and you need someone to protect you along the way."
Nie Zhen heard her husband agree and said nothing more.
Zhu Qing didn't refute it anymore. In the chaotic Five Dynasties period, it was naturally good that someone was sending her to work.
She picked up the medicine handed to her by her second brother, Zhu Yubo. It was a dark, full bowl, and the bitter taste hit her.
Zhu Qing frowned, pinched her nose, and drank it all in one gulp.
She put down the bowl and saw Manman beside her holding out her hand, with a bright green plum in her fair palm.
Zhu Qingxiao asked, "For me?"
Manman nodded and pointed to the well outside the house, meaning that it had already been washed.
Zhu Qing smiled and thanked him, then took the plum and ate it. The sweet and sour taste diluted the bitter medicine in her mouth.
"Thank you, Manman," Zhu Qing rubbed Manman's head, the little braid sticking up in the air tickling her palm.
Manman hugged Zhu Qing's arm and rubbed against it like a kitten, her bright eyes filled with affection for Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing felt a little disappointed. Manman was very cute, with almond-shaped eyes and pouty lips, but she was born unable to speak.
Manman inherited Nie Zhen's personality; she was quiet and gentle. Because she couldn't speak, all her thoughts and words were kept inside her heart, giving her a natural composure that made her seem unlike a seven-year-old child.
She often stayed by Zhu Yubo's side, helping him dry herbs and pound them into juice. Like Zhu Yubo, she had acquired a faint, bitter medicinal smell, which could be detected as soon as you got close.
"Feichuan still isn't up?" Zhu Zhengyang glanced at the room next door and suddenly said, "That brat, what time is it? Why isn't he taking Qingqing to her shift?"
Zhu Yubo said softly, "When does he not sleep until the sun is high in the sky?"
Nie Zhen picked up an egg, peeled it, and placed it in front of her daughter. "Yesterday I heard him say that he made an appointment with Mu Zao, and Mu Zao will take Qingqing to work today."
Zhu Zhengyang slurped down a bowl of porridge, snorted, and said, "He's always like this. No matter how close Mu Zao is, he's still a man. How can he be so close to Qingqing all the time?"
Nie Zhen said, "Forget it, we've watched Mu Zao grow up, and we know her well enough to know what kind of person she is. There's no need to say anything more."
Zhu Zhengyang said, "That's not what I meant. I just heard that Huang Chao is about to capture Luoyang soon. I need to send Feichuan out with me to find another way, otherwise, if he really takes Chang'an, how will our family survive? And here he is, still sleeping!"
With Chang'an about to fall, we must find a way out in advance.
The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became heavy, and no one spoke.
Zhu Qingxin also slowly sank down. Her perspective was different from her brothers'. Her brothers were afraid of the war and wanted to find a way out. They still had hope. But Zhu Qingxin had seen the Five Dynasties conflict in history.
Corpses littered the fields, famine was frequent, and the worst fate was being captured and made into military pay. The so-called "husband and wife lung slices" were actually real husband and wife.
Zhu Qing had a deeper understanding than everyone present: once Huang Chao occupied Chang'an, the brutal Five Dynasties period would officially begin. In such an era, even Emperor Xizong of Tang could not escape being killed, so people like them from the lower classes would have no way out.
Zhu Qing didn't know what to do either. If she could change history and save the Tang Dynasty, she wouldn't be Zhu Qing, but a deity.
Her past life must have been so tiring. Even in a peaceful era, she died so tragically. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, when no one survived, what did she have to rely on to fight?
Lying down, dying when it's time to die, not fighting or competing, living a Buddhist-like life—that's the easiest option she can think of.
As for the Zhu family... Zhu Qing glanced around the harmonious family members at the dinner table with mixed feelings. They were indeed very good to her, at least compared to her previous life, they were impeccable.
But Zhu Qing is an adult, and it's hard for adults to develop feelings. It's even harder for an adult like her who lives in a fast-paced metropolis. She's not a little girl who can be easily won over with a few words. So she has to admit that no matter how good they are, they are just familiar strangers to her right now.
In her previous life, Zhu Qing struggled and fought her whole life, but all she gained was drowning and a disheartened heart that was neither alive nor dead.
Therefore, life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by fate. Zhu Qing will no longer strive, nor does she have the ability to fight in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period where there are no winners.
If that day ever comes, let's all just go our separate ways.
Zhu Qing thought to herself, then looked away from her family. Even though she had already chosen this way of life, for some reason, she still felt a lump in her throat.
Sometimes I feel that God is really cruel. He made her suffer so much in her past life, and then gave her a chance to live again and experience a loving family. Why did he have to give her to live in such a cruel era?
Zhu Qing ate her meal with a heavy heart, and she really lost her appetite. She quickly put down her chopsticks. Zhu Zhengyang glanced at her and handed her the naan bread he had wrapped earlier: "Take this with you and eat it on the way."
Zhu Qing obediently accepted it, saying, "Thank you, brother."
Zhu Zhengyang clicked his tongue, frowned, and looked at Zhu Qing.
Zhu Zhengyang spends many years hunting in the mountains, which has tanned his skin and given him a muscular physique. He has thick eyebrows, a stern face, and a large, square face. The way he frowns and doesn't speak is quite intimidating!
After Zhu Qing'an finished speaking, the original owner of this body never thanked her family.
However, Zhu Qing couldn't shake this habit. She had lacked love in her past life, so whenever someone gave her something, her first reaction was to thank them.
Fearing he would be exposed, Zhu Qing hurriedly said, "I meant the matter of studying. Although I don't plan to study anymore, I'm still very grateful that you agreed to my request, brother."
Zhu Zhengyang hummed in agreement and said, "The medicine has been packed for you. Tell Mu Zao to be careful not to spill it. Since you are weak, you must take your medicine on time. You should eat more at the Mufu. I put some coins in your pocket. If you see any snacks you want to eat, just buy them."
"Also, the inkstone has already been bought. Since you're no longer pursuing your studies, you can take it and use it."
Zhu Qing didn't find him too talkative; on the contrary, she felt a warmth in her heart and nodded obediently.
Zhu Zhengyang said solemnly at the end, "Even if Huang Chao really marches into Chang'an, we brothers will protect you and Manman. Don't worry or fret, don't let it aggravate your old illness. If you feel bad, we will feel even worse."
"Okay. Big brother, second brother, and sister-in-law, I'll go now."
"Wait, take this inkstone." Nie Zhen put down her bowl and chopsticks and went back into the house. She quickly came out with a small cloth bag and carefully handed it to Zhu Qing as if afraid of dropping it.
Zhu Qing opened her mouth to say thank you again, but quickly realized what she was saying and swallowed the words back before hugging the inkstone and walking out the door.
Zhu Zhengyang watched her pale and frail figure walk away, and asked with some curiosity, "Is it just my imagination? Qingqing seems a little different."
Zhu Zhengyang sensed that she was trying very hard to hide something; her gaze seemed unfocused, and she appeared quite uncomfortable.
Could it be that you're feeling unwell again, but you're keeping it a secret?
He protected his younger siblings for many years; if he hadn't been more vigilant, the family would have fallen apart long ago.
Nie Zhen shook her head: "Are you too tired? Are you overthinking things? Qingqing is doing fine."
Zhu Yubo glanced at his elder brother, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it." Zhu Zhengyang put down his bowl and said, "I'll go beat that kid up!"
Zhu Zhengyang picked up a stick from the corner of the wall and went into Zhu Feichuan's room.
-
Zhu Qing let out a heavy sigh of relief once he was seated in Mu Zao's oxcart.
Luckily, they didn't give themselves away.
She wasn't afraid of being exposed, but after two days together, she found herself increasingly reluctant to leave this warm and friendly family.
She felt a little apprehensive. If they knew she wasn't their real Qingqing, would they still continue to treat her well?
Zhu Qing held the inkstone and sighed.
She is now very worried that she might become more and more trapped in this warm family, unwilling to lie down anymore, and follow the old path of her previous life, desperately fighting and struggling against this cruel and dark era, and then... dying even more tragically than in her previous life.
Hearing her sigh, Mu Zao, who was driving in front, chuckled and said, "Qingqing, is something on your mind?"
"Oh, no."
After two days, Zhu Qing had become familiar with Mu Zao.
The original owner of this body and Mu Zao grew up together, practically naked.
Everyone assumed that the two would get married when they grew up, and even the original owner of this body thought so in her memories.
But Zhu Qing looked at the young man in front of her, dressed in a gray-white Hu-style robe. He had delicate features, bright eyes, and two deep dimples on his cheeks when he smiled.
There's not much of a hormonal feeling about him; looking at him is no different from looking at my older brothers.
“It’s too late now,” Zhu Qing said. “After I get off work, no, after I finish my shift, could you take me to sell this inkstone?” She wasn’t familiar with the local market and was afraid of being ripped off.
“This inkstone is of the highest quality,” Mu Zao turned around and asked, “You don’t want it?”
"Um."
She already had one in the shogunate's secretariat. She was originally poor, so she wasn't picky about these things; as long as they worked, that was fine.
Zhu Qing planned to sell the item and use the money to buy a set of writing brushes and ink for Manman, and then teach Manman to read and write.
Mu Zao readily agreed with a smile: "Okay, I'll take you! I was just thinking of buying something too."
Zhu Qing asked, "What do you want to buy?"
Mu Zao said happily, "Rouge."
He had visited a cosmetics shop in the West Market early in the morning and found a color that particularly suited her.
He had already thought it through. Giving the rouge to Zhu Qing would be a way of expressing his feelings. If Chang'an could hold on, he would ask his parents to propose marriage.
If not, and war breaks out, then he will go to the battlefield. Even if he dies in battle, it will not delay Qingqing.
Zhu Qing, unaware of his thoughts, watched him from the side. Amidst the creaking of the oxcart, the sunlight streamed down, casting a hazy golden halo around the two of them.
Zhu Qing saw that Mu Zao's eyes and brows were full of joy. His eyes were clear and bright, and he held his chest up straight, showing the fearlessness of youth when the world might collapse. He was full of vigor and was very young and spirited.
Zhu Qing's stagnant and disheartened spirit seemed to be ignited at this moment.
She suddenly realized that no matter what happened in her past life, she was only sixteen now!
Like Mu Zao in front of her, she is still young!
What does youth mean? It means endless possibilities!
Even if Chang'an falls, even if she is thrown into this chaotic era, she may still have infinite possibilities.
When Zhu Qing smiled, her perpetually pale face was adorned with a warm and peaceful smile, like an ice flower blooming on a snow-white winter ground.
The oxcart had been traveling for a long time when it finally reached the gates of the shogunate. Zhu Qing gathered his belongings and jumped off the carriage when a powerful and authoritative voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Get out of the way immediately, the Shence Army is on a case!"
Zhu Qing looked up in surprise and saw a troop of soldiers galloping towards them. The soldiers held curved swords and looked fierce, and their warhorses kicked up clouds of dust.
Zhu Qing reacted instantly, holding the things in one hand and shoving Mu Zao hard with the other: "Run!"
After saying that, Zhu Qing took off running towards the shogunate. Just as she was about to dodge the Shence Army's warhorses, a man suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was extremely fast and had even greater strength, and Zhu Qing was knocked to the ground.
'Clang—'
The medicine pot in her hand shattered with a bang. Zhu Qing felt a piercing pain in her palm. She cried out in pain, and when she looked up again, the Shence Army's warhorses were already upon her.
Zhu Qing hurriedly scrambled to her feet, but before she could even steady herself, someone grabbed her tightly from behind, their waist wrapped around her arm. Mu Zao's urgent voice rang out from behind her: "Qingqing, I'm sorry!"
Mu Zao scooped Zhu Qing up from the ground, hugged her, and quickly slipped to a pillar in front of the Mufu gate.
Zhu Qing's back slammed heavily against the pillar, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. She looked up through the pain and saw rows of majestic warhorses galloping past the gate, kicking up clouds of dust that rushed towards her.
Zhu Qing covered her mouth and nose and coughed. Only after the sounds of warhorses and armor on the road gradually faded away and everything quieted down did she look down at her palm.
A deep, bloody gash, still bleeding, stinging with pain.
"Such a deep wound, let me take you to get it bandaged." Mu Zao worriedly grabbed Zhu Qing's hand and was about to leave.
"Wait," Zhu Qing said, pulling away from him and enduring the pain in her palm as she opened the cloth bag containing the inkstone from her bosom.
The incident happened so suddenly that Zhu Qing abandoned the medicine and the naan bread, and held onto this thing tightly.
There's no way around it, it's just the instinct of a poor person!
Upon opening the cloth bag, Zhu Qing saw the inkstone, which had been broken into several pieces.
She immediately felt the pain in her bleeding hand intensify, a pain that went straight to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she cried out, "My money is gone!"
She was already very poor, and with the inkstone broken like this, how could she sell it? This was originally a top-grade inkstone, which should have sold for at least one or two taels of silver!
This was truly an unexpected disaster; the more Zhu Qing thought about it, the more her nose stung with tears.
Seeing her like this, Mu Zao felt heartbroken and at a loss for what to do. He quickly said, "Don't be sad. When we get back, I'll use my own money to make up for it. Consider it as me buying this inkstone, okay? Now, let me take you to get your wound bandaged. It's not good for you to bleed too much."
Zhu Qing wiped her eyes. "No need."
That's what I said, but it's really sad. I was planning to buy Manman some early childhood education books and paper and pens, and save the rest to stock up on more food.
She was very poor, and the more money she lost, the more upset she became, even more so than if she had a cut on her palm.
It's all the fault of the Shence Army. Ever since the eunuchs took power and Tian Lingzi controlled the Shence Army, this mighty force has become increasingly lawless, even riding horses recklessly in the streets.
Even though it was a pity, Zhu Qing didn't get too caught up in it. She sniffed, composed herself, and looked up, only to find that a carriage had stopped outside the shogunate at some point.
The carriage curtain was lifted by a slender, pale hand, revealing a gap. Before Zhu Qing could see the person behind the curtain, the pale purple curtain was lowered.
Immediately afterward, someone stepped out of the carriage. Zhu Qing stared intently and saw Feng Huaihe, the renowned strategist from the original owner's mind.
The sun hung high behind him, and he stood with his back to the light, the halo obscuring his face. Zhu Qing could only see his tall and straight figure, like a green bamboo or pine tree, standing there with aloofness and coldness.
"What are you doing?" Feng Huaihe asked calmly, his voice devoid of any inflection, as pale as the cold moon in the sky.
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