Chapter 86086 Deyang Township Lord
In front of the government office, Du Qingtang took the imperial edict with both hands.
His figure was as straight as a pine tree, and his brows revealed a cold and noble demeanor, showing the style of a third-rank minister.
Furui's godson, Yu Jue, had a smile on his face and was amazed in his heart.
Before leaving Beijing, his godfather, who was the chief steward in the imperial court, repeatedly reminded him to be respectful to Lord Du and not to neglect him.
In fact, even if his godfather didn’t tell him, Yu Jue knew what to do.
There are not many assistant ministers in their twenties, and they are as rare as unicorn feathers and unicorn horns.
The person in front of him was not even twenty years old yet, had made outstanding contributions, and was at the peak of his career. He must not be offended.
Yu Jue's mind raced as he stepped forward to support him: "Master Du, please get up quickly."
Du Qingtang held the imperial edict in his hands and stood up, "Thank you, eunuch."
"Your Excellency is too kind." Yu Jue withdrew his hand, flicked his whisk lightly, and said with a smile, "His Majesty, after reading your urgent report, immediately ordered the head of the Lan Court to verify it. When I left the capital, the people had already begun vaccination."
Du Qingtang was not surprised by this.
Emperor Qingyuan has always been a man of action, but he was troubled by Cao Yuan's great power. He was often restricted and unable to do what he wanted to do, let alone realize his political ambitions.
"Just as the effects of the cowpox and chrysanthemum drink were confirmed, His Majesty personally drafted an imperial edict and had this servant deliver it to you."
Du Qingtang recalled the imperial edict that promoted her to Tongzhi last time. The handwriting was so sharp and elegant that she could tell at a glance that it was written by Emperor Qingyuan himself.
I didn't expect it to be the same this time.
Du Qingtang raised his lips slightly and said respectfully, "It is truly an honor for me to be able to share your Majesty's worries."
Yu Jue's smile deepened, and he was very satisfied with Du Qingtang's attitude.
Godfather is Your Majesty's loyal servant, and he, Yu Jue, is naturally also Your Majesty's loyal servant.
When one suffers, all suffer; when one prospers, all prosper.
Your Majesty, he is a talented servant.
Yu Jue didn't want Lord Du, who was so capable, to defect and join Cao's camp.
He had to make Lord Du understand how much His Majesty valued her.
Thinking of the Cao party's frequent actions in recent days to force His Majesty to appoint a crown prince, a trace of disdain flashed across Yu Jue's eyes.
As the saying goes, things will decline as they prosper. The Cao Party will eventually decline, and the world will eventually belong to the Xia family.
"Besides, your sister's contribution of medicine has saved the people, and the Emperor is deeply pleased. I have specially appointed your sister as the head of Deyang Township and awarded her one hundred taels of gold."
Yu Jue said this, and took out another imperial edict, but did not read it out loud: "May I ask, Lord Du, is your sister at home?"
Du Qingtang replied, "My sister is practicing medicine at Jishengtang."
Yu Jue raised his eyebrows slightly. A woman practicing medicine?
The head of Deyang Township is indeed an extraordinary woman.
"In that case, I will go to Jisheng Hall to announce the decree." Yu Jue bowed, "My lords, please stay. I will take my leave first."
Yu Jue boarded the carriage and led a group of eunuchs and guards to Jishengtang.
The huge group of people went away, and there was silence in front of the government office. Hundreds of eyes fell on Du Tongzhi who was holding the imperial edict... Oh no, she should be called Du Shilang now.
Magistrate Meng looked dazed. He habitually raised his hand to twirl his beard and accidentally pulled out two hairs. The pain stung him. He took a deep breath and looked at Du Qingtang with complicated eyes.
He is not a saint, and cannot be free from jealousy and be magnanimous.
Du Qingtang was promoted to the third rank before he was twenty, while he was promoted to the fourth rank after he was over forty. One can imagine how he felt.
But in life, people always judge by deeds rather than their hearts.
Magistrate Meng suppressed his strange emotions, stepped forward, and bowed to congratulate him: "Congratulations, Lord Du, on your promotion."
The sound was like cold water falling into a hot oil pan, causing an uproar outside the government office.
"A third-rank minister? He sounds like a high-ranking official!"
"So Master Du is leaving Runing Mansion? I don't want Master Du to leave!"
"Lord Du has done countless good things for us ordinary people. I am reluctant to let her go, but I hope she will get better and better and become a higher official. With good officials like Lord Du, Daxia will get better and better."
The people around nodded their heads in agreement with what this man said.
"Congratulations, Master Du."
Xie Tongpan also had complicated feelings.
Who could have imagined that Du Tongpan, who had just entered the officialdom eight months ago and was bullied by him to the point that he dared not speak too loudly, would overthrow Feng Shu, who was all-powerful in Runing Prefecture, in the blink of an eye and become a third-rank minister?
Pan Xie felt lucky for the umpteenth time. He had changed sides at the last minute and stood on Du Qingtang's side, earning a chance to live by redeeming his crime through meritorious service.
Otherwise, the grass on his grave would be three feet high by now.
"Congratulations to Master Du. We've only been working together for a few days, and he's already been promoted."
"When does Lord Du plan to return to Beijing?"
The other two Tongzhi and Tongpan looked at Du Qingtang as if he had drunk three barrels of aged vinegar. They felt so sour inside that they were about to smoke, but they had to force themselves to smile.
It's really true that people have different fates.
They were all from farming families and officials in Runing Prefecture, but Du Qingtang was the only one who was lucky. He was promoted three levels in eight months and became a third-rank minister, whose power was second only to that of a minister.
They couldn't help but wonder that if they had been fully responsible when smallpox broke out in Lin'an County, perhaps they would be the ones being promoted and given positions now.
Du Qingtang pretended not to see the jealousy blazing in their eyes, stroking the dragon pattern woven from silk with his fingertips. "Wait until the new deputy governor arrives and the handover is complete before leaving."
Magistrate Meng agreed deeply: "This is a good thing, so that the next person won't be completely in the dark when he comes."
Du Qingtang spoke a few more words to his colleagues, then returned to the duty room holding the imperial edict.
When I opened the imperial edict, I saw familiar handwriting.
Du Qingtang smiled, his heart surging with ambition, like a raging fire, burning in his blood.
This is just the first step.
She will climb up step by step.
Second rank.
First rank.
Holding power, he is second only to the emperor and above everyone else.
Only by standing high can we realize our ambitions and ideals.
......
On the other side, Yu Jue appeared at the door of Jishengtang with eunuchs and guards.
People who came to watch the fun followed along the street. Such a big scene attracted passers-by to stop and watch, and people in Jishengtang also looked around.
"Who are they?"
"There's even a knife hanging around his waist!"
"You're obviously an important person. I guess you're here to see a doctor."
Ever since the news spread that the female doctor at Jishengtang had developed a prescription for smallpox, many people came here and specifically asked Du Qingju to treat them.
There are men and women.
Not long ago, a noble lady wearing a veil and whose face could not be seen was sent away, so everyone had a preconceived notion that Yu Jue, who got off the carriage, was also here to see a doctor.
But the next moment——
Yu Jue cleared his throat and said loudly, "Du Qingju, accept the order."
Receive the order?
Doctor Yang had sharp ears, and when he heard these two words, he was so shocked that he dropped the medicine sieve.
He didn't even bother to pick up the herbs. He turned around and shouted inside, his voice trembling, unable to hide his joy: "Ju girl, go out and receive the order!"
Even though she was well prepared and knew that the court would send rewards, Du Qingju was still shocked when she saw the imperial edict in Yu Jue's hand.
What will His Majesty reward her?
Medicinal herbs?
Medical book?
Or make an exception and summon her to the Imperial Medical Bureau to become a female imperial physician?
Du Qingju felt like there was a little deer in her chest, jumping and kicking her, making her heart pound.
If she could become a female imperial physician, she would have no regrets in her life!
Du Qingju was thinking in a daze, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she knelt on the ground: "I, the humble daughter Du Qingju, accept the order."
Yu Jue opened the imperial edict and read aloud, "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that Du Qingju has rendered meritorious service in offering medicine, possessing both talent and virtue. He is hereby appointed the Lord of Deyang Township and granted an additional 100 taels of gold. He is requested to remember his original aspiration, strive to fulfill his duties, and set an example for the world. This is my decree!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
"Your Majesty actually appointed Doctor Du as the village chief!"
"What is a village chief?"
"Second only to the princess of a county and a princess of a county, they are of noble status. If they are the daughters of a prince or a meritorious official, they usually enjoy a fief. Doctor Du comes from a humble family, so I don't think he has any fief."
"It's already very good. Others want it but it's not available yet."
The people's chattering could be heard all at once. Du Qingju took the imperial edict with both hands, raised it high to express her gratitude, feeling mixed emotions.
Admittedly, being conferred the title of village lord is a great joy, representing the supreme grace of His Majesty, but this is not what she wants most.
She worked tirelessly for days, risking her life to prepare and decoct medicines, and rushed to the front line of treatment, just to gain recognition from the world and realize her ambitions.
Du Qingju thought that with such achievements, she would be lucky enough to be summoned to work in the Imperial Hospital.
She was willing to accept even the lowest ninth-grade or even a female doctor without any rank, but she never expected...
Yu Jue had been in the palace and had seen a lot of intrigues. He could see through Du Qingju's deep-seated disappointment at a glance. He guessed the reason with a little thought and sighed silently.
The village chief of Deyang is an excellent doctor, but unfortunately she is a woman.
If she were a man, His Majesty would have summoned her to the Imperial Hospital long ago.
"Congratulations, my lord." Yu Jue suppressed his regret and flicked his whisk. "This time, I came to Runing Prefecture to announce the emperor's decree. Now that I have completed my mission, it is time to return to the capital to report."
Du Qingju pursed her lips: "I'll take my father-in-law..."
Yu Jue quickly raised his hand to stop him: "Master, please stay. I can leave on my own."
Du Qingju stopped insisting and watched Yu Jue and his group leave.
As soon as he turned around, he was surrounded by the people.
"Congratulations, Dr. Du!"
"Now you shouldn't call me Doctor Du, you should call me Village Master!"
Everyone laughed.
Du Qingju clenched her hands holding the imperial edict, not knowing how to get out. Doctor Yang came over and said, "Go away, don't crowd in here. Jishengtang still needs business!"
After saying that, he pulled Du Qingju away without saying anything.
Entering Jishengtang, there was another round of congratulations.
Du Qingju forced herself to respond. After the crowd dispersed, Doctor Yang whispered, "Don't be discouraged. At least the people all over the world know that it was the Lord of Deyang who saved them from dying of smallpox."
Du Qingju faced the medicine cabinet, her forced smile falling, her disappointment evident in her words: "I only have the title of village chief in vain. Instead of rewarding me with gold, it would be more practical to reward me with a few medical books."
"Pfft! What the hell are you talking about!" Doctor Yang was horrified. He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one was paying attention. He patted Du Qingju's shoulder and said, "Ju girl, you are so brave! You are not afraid of being heard and losing your head!"
Du Qingju realized that she had said something wrong and quickly admitted her mistake and begged for forgiveness.
Doctor Yang knew his nephew's caution and that his previous slip of the tongue was due to dashed hopes. After a few words of admonition, he changed the subject: "There's still a lot of time to come. With your talent, you'll definitely have a chance to shine."
Du Qingju took a deep breath and nodded gently: "I understand."
Doctor Yang stopped talking and pointed behind her: "Go, everyone is waiting for you."
Du Qingju suppressed her emotions, ignored the heaviness in her heart, smiled on her beautiful face, sat back at the long desk, and continued to take the patient's pulse.
......
In the evening, Du Qingtang returned home from work.
At the gate of Tongzhifu, she met Du Qingju by chance.
"Eighth sister."
"Tang'er."
Du Qingtang was so perceptive that he could see at a glance that Du Qingju was trying to stay strong. Thinking of the reward given to her by Emperor Qingyuan, he immediately understood the reason.
The two sisters entered in silence.
When they reached the Chuihua Gate, Du Qingtang was about to say something to comfort her, but Du Qingju spoke before her.
"Tang Ge'er, I know what you want to say. I just don't understand. Is gender really that important?"
Du Qingju frowned, puzzled.
"I have clearly solved a problem that countless medical experts have been unable to solve. My prescription can save thousands of people from suffering and dying from smallpox."
"Just because I'm a woman, the court gave me the title of a village lord without any fiefdom. If a man had achieved such great achievements, he would have been hailed as a miracle doctor and invited to join the Imperial Hospital."
"Tang Ge'er, I won't give up." Du Qingju pursed her lips tightly, her eyes burning with anger. She stared straight ahead and spoke in a sonorous and powerful tone, "One day, I will make them regret looking down on me today!"
Du Qingzhu listened to the whole process and felt very uncomfortable.
After her fifth and sixth sisters got married, she and her eighth sister were inseparable, and she knew best how hard her eighth sister worked to study medicine.
It was common for her to temporarily lose her sense of taste when tasting herbs in order to determine their efficacy. Once, she was in a coma for several hours, which almost scared her to death.
In order to practice acupuncture and suturing, she poked countless holes in her fingers. It hurt so much that she couldn't even hold chopsticks, but she still practiced over and over again.
How unfair is the heaven, why does the eighth sister’s efforts not get the corresponding rewards?
Du Qingzhu raised her hand to stroke her hair, wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes without leaving a trace, walked forward to hug Du Qingju, and patted her back gently: "Seventh sister believes you can do it."
Du Qingju sniffed and buried her face in Seventh Sister's shoulder.
Du Qingtang stood aside and said nothing.
Under feudal ethics, people generally believed that women were inferior to men and were subordinate to men.
Even the emperor, princes and officials were not immune to this.
Du Qingju made such great contributions that the court named her the Lord of Deyang Township. This was probably the result of Emperor Qingyuan overcoming many objections and arguing for his point.
After all, throughout history, no commoner woman has ever been named a village leader.
Du Qingtang knew the officials in the court too well. They were arrogant and domineering. How could they tolerate being on the same level with a woman?
If this is the case in the Imperial Medical Bureau, let alone the imperial court.
It is really a long and difficult road for women to take the imperial examination and become officials.
Du Qingju leaned on Du Qingzhu's shoulder and cried bitterly. After dinner, she went to the pharmacy again.
Du Qingzhu was worried: "How about I go over and accompany her?"
Du Qingtang finished the last mouthful of soup, put down the spoon, took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid and wiped her mouth: "No need, Eighth Sister is not as fragile as you think."
Du Qingju looks weak, but she actually has a strong heart, otherwise she would not have been able to develop the prescription amid the doctors' belittlement and ridicule.
Just like Tianju Drink, Du Qingju may also need an opportunity.
An opportunity to shine and gain world recognition.
Du Qingzhu smacked his lips and sighed, "Tang'er, I can't imagine what would happen to us now if you hadn't held me back and taught us to read and write."
She thought of that horrific nightmare and shuddered. "It's not easy to enter a large mansion. I might die in there."
Not really.
You died in the Du family's old house.
"My fifth, sixth, and eighth sisters will all get married. After getting married, they will take care of their husbands, children, and parents-in-law, and focus on their small piece of land, the stove..."
No.
The fifth sister was beaten to death, the sixth sister committed suicide by jumping into the river, and the eighth sister also committed suicide by jumping into the river.
At this point, Du Qingzhu sighed and said with emotion: "Du Qiya and Du Qingzhu really have completely different lives."
"Although discrimination against women still exists in this world, since I learned to read and write, my horizons have broadened, I have ideals and goals, and my life has become more hopeful."
Instead of just marrying someone and being trapped in that small village for the rest of your life, living a mediocre life.
"I believe that my eighth sister will definitely become a female imperial physician, and I will also become the famous female owner of the Food Fragrance Pavilion!" Du Qingzhu touched the tip of his nose and laughed, "Although there is not even a shadow of the Food Fragrance Pavilion now."
Du Qingtang glanced at her and turned to look outside the door.
From here, you can see a figure swaying in the pharmacy. It is Du Qingju who is busy.
"There will be female imperial physicians, and there will also be food incense pavilions."
Everything is not as bad as imagined.
......
In the following days, the promotion of the Tongzhi and the appointment of Doctor Du as the Lord of Deyang Township were topics of discussion among the people in the city.
Du Qingtang did not boast of his achievements. He went to work at 11:00 AM and left work at 12:00 PM as usual. Occasionally, he would have dinner with his colleagues. If he came across some exquisite and delicious pastries, he would bring two portions back home for his sisters.
There's nothing we can do about it, Du Qingzhu loves sweets so much.
If Du Qingtang doesn't feed him regularly, Du Qingzhu will definitely eat it secretly behind her back.
However, Du Qingzhu has no time to make her own desserts recently as she is busy recruiting new members.
Because of the heroic deeds of the Qiong Ying Society during the smallpox epidemic, the people of Lin'an County and even the entire city completely changed their views of the members of the Qiong Ying Society.
People no longer think that they are heretical and immoral, but instead think that they are brave and fearless, far superior to most men.
As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together." Many people encourage the girls in their families to join the Qiong English Society, learn to read and write, and become outstanding girls like them.
In just one month, the Qiong Ying English Society welcomed hundreds of members, including wealthy ladies as well as women from ordinary or poor families.
These days, Du Qingzhu is busy teaching new members to read. Except for sleeping, she spends the rest of her time in the Qiong English Club. Du Qingtang only occasionally sees her at the dinner table.
Du Qingju is also very busy.
Because she was the only female doctor in Runing Prefecture, many women with unspeakable problems came to her for medical treatment, and some even paid a large sum of money to hire her to see patients at home.
In addition to sitting in the clinic and seeing patients, Du Qingju also reads medical books, practices acupuncture and suturing in her spare time. It is hard work but very fulfilling.
At the end of the month, news came from the provincial capital.
The verdict of the Lin'an County Magistrate and the County Magistrate has been announced.
The two of them neglected their duties and disregarded human lives, resulting in dozens of civilians dying in the fire.
The Governor of Henan Province sent people to investigate and found that they were suspected of multiple crimes including corruption, bribery, and reselling official property during their tenure. According to the laws of Daxia, they were directly sentenced to death by being torn apart by chariots.
On the fifth day of July, the former magistrate and county magistrate of Lin'an County were executed.
The current county magistrate is supervising the execution under the order of the governor, which can be regarded as a warning.
On the eighth day of July, the new Tongzhi took office.
That night, Magistrate Meng held a banquet to welcome him.
Du Qingtang spent two days handing over affairs to the new Tongzhi.
On July 11th, the morning light was just beginning to brighten.
Du Qingtang and his group took a carriage and quietly left Runing Mansion without disturbing anyone.
-
It is scorching hot in July and the heat wave is oppressive.
Du Qingtang and Zhu Ju sat in the carriage, feeling as if they were sitting on an oven. They were sweating profusely, their cheeks hot and red.
Du Qingzhu sat cross-legged and meditated with his eyes closed.
"As the saying goes, a calm mind naturally cools down..." Du Qingzhu opened his eyes, wiped the large beads of sweat from his forehead, took a bite of the cool melon, leaned against the carriage with a look of enjoyment on his face, and shook his head happily, "It's great! Just pretend I didn't say that just now!"
It was such a hot day. Even with an ice basin and an ice jar, even if she calmed down, she still felt very hot.
Du Qingju chuckled, beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, and her eyes were bright and lively.
She had just been reciting a medical book, but she stopped when she couldn't stand the heat anymore. She picked up a piece of cantaloupe and took small bites of it.
Seeing Du Qingzhu eating heartily, Du Qingju reminded him: "Eat less, or you will have a stomachache next month, and I won't take care of you."
Du Qingzhu snorted twice and puffed up her cheeks to express her dissatisfaction, but still obediently put down the refreshing melon.
Du Qingtang leaned against the carriage, motionless. After a while, he lifted the curtain and instructed, "Look out for places to stay along the way. It's too hot today. Let's set off earlier tomorrow."
Du Yi was riding a horse, his face tanned red, and he responded respectfully when he heard the words.
Less than half an hour later, Du Yi knocked on the carriage and said, "Sir, there's a village ahead. Why don't we stay there tonight?"
Du Qingtang put down the herbal tea: "Okay."
If it is spring or autumn, you can also stay outdoors.
There are mosquitoes everywhere right now, so you can't expect to have a good sleep in the wild.
It's also okay to stay at a villager's house, just pay enough money.
"Great!" Du Qingzhu cheered, "Finally, I don't have to stay in this steamer anymore. I feel like I'm almost being steamed to death."
Seeing her blushing face, Du Qingju teased her deliberately: "Is it cooked? Then let me take a bite."
As he said this, he opened his mouth wide and pretended to bite.
Du Qingzhu screamed and dodged, and the two sisters started a fight.
Du Qingtang: “…”
So childish, not even bothered by the heat.
The group soon arrived at the village ahead.
There is a stone slab at an angle at the entrance of the village, with the words "Xiaohe Village" written on it.
The carriages and guards quickly attracted the attention of the villagers in Xiaohe Village.
"Who are you?" The man with wrinkles on his face was carrying a shovel and looking at Du Yi and others vigilantly.
Or in other words, the swords worn by Du Yi and others at their waists.
Du smiled with his eyes narrowed, his dark face was honest and simple, which made his brothers giggle.
"My young master is here on business. Seeing that it's getting late and there's no inn nearby, he asked me to come and ask if we can stay here for the night."
Du Er added: "We will pay, we won't eat or drink for free."
The man kept a straight face, as if on guard against bad guys: "No..."
Just at this moment, crisp laughter was heard in the carriage.
The man was stunned for a moment, then coughed lightly and said, "It's not that I can't, but there's a wedding banquet being held in the village tonight, and I'm afraid it might disturb your young master's rest."
Du Yi was a little hesitant. They had been traveling all day and needed a good rest. A wedding banquet would definitely make a lot of noise, with the mixture of voices and suona sounds, and it would probably last until midnight.
Just as he was hesitating, he saw his master's face show up: "It's okay, just stay away from him."
As Du Qingtang spoke, the curtain of the car was half lifted, revealing the two people opposite.
Although I couldn't see the face clearly, I could hear the silver bell-like laughter and see the goose yellow and light blue dresses.
The man's eyes moved slightly, and a flash of emotion flashed across his face: "In that case, please follow me into the village."
It was evening, but the village was quiet, with no sign of the excitement of a wedding banquet.
Du Qingtang held the car curtain with one hand and looked around the environment of Xiaohe Village casually.
Along the way, there are brick and tile houses as well as yellow mud houses.
Almost every household had their doors closed, and there were only a few men carrying farm tools on the road.
On the other side, Du Qingzhu leaned against the car window, looking out boredly. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Grandpa, are all the men in your village working in the fields?"
The man named Li Tai was talking to Du Yi about local marriage customs. He was stunned again when he heard this and nodded slowly.
"Yes, the men in Xiaohe Village love their wives dearly and don't want them to work in the fields. Usually, the men do all the work in the fields, and the wives just do the work at home."
Du Qingzhu was amazed: "In our hometown, both men and women have to work in the fields. Even in the hottest summer, women can't be lazy and hide at home."
Li Tai laughed and stared at Du Qingzhu for a few seconds. Before the latter felt offended, he looked away and continued talking to Du Yi.
A few men came towards us and greeted the man leading the way.
"Back from the fields?"
"When are we going to have dinner?"
Someone noticed that the people in the carriage, especially Zhu Ju and Ju, had their mouths open and their eyes were not moving.
Du Qingzhu was originally admiring the rice fields in the distance, when he suddenly felt several gazes stuck to his face, as if he was entangled by a cold reptile, winding up along his skin, and a feeling of discomfort arose spontaneously.
She frowned and shrank into the carriage, no longer showing her head.
The car curtain swung twice, isolating the beautiful girl inside.
The goateed man smacked his lips regretfully and suddenly met a pair of dark and cold eyes.
Goatbeard felt as if he was being stared at by a large beast and was about to be swallowed whole, skin and bones. He felt a chill on his back and his calves trembled uncontrollably.
He took a few steps back and stammered, "I, I'll go back first, take a shower and change clothes, and then go to the banquet later."
Li Tai didn't notice the brief exchange between this man and Du Qingtang, and waved his hand cheerfully: "Go ahead, there's a feast tonight, and probably tomorrow night too."
Goatbeard was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something, his mouth grinning from ear to ear: "Then I'll wait!"
After saying that, he took a deep look at the carriage and ran away.
Du Qingtang tapped the carriage lightly with his fingers and asked nonchalantly, "Is your village going to have a wedding banquet tomorrow night?"
Li Tai nodded: "Yes."
Du Qingtang asked again, "Why do you say we can probably have a feast? I guess... the marriage hasn't been finalized yet?"
Li Tai shook his head: "Not really. Wedding banquets here are very simple. We just put on a red veil, cook a few dishes, and invite the villagers to eat. The marriage is done."
"It's settled today, and you never know, we might even be able to have a banquet tomorrow. It's not like in the city, with sedan chairs and matchmakers. That's not the norm in our village."
Du Qingtang hummed lightly and stopped asking.
Li Tai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the group continued to move forward.
Passing by a house, the courtyard door was wide open, a piece of red silk was hanging above the door, and several women were busy coming in and out.
Li Tai pointed at this family and said to Du Yi, "That's their wedding banquet. There's going to be music and singing tonight, it's going to be really lively."
Du Qingtang supported his chin with one hand and looked at the woman carrying a pot of food towards the well from a distance.
Perhaps it was because the area around the well was covered with moss, or perhaps it was for some other reason, but she took every step very carefully, taking very small steps, as if she was afraid that if she took too big a step she would fall.
The woman almost moved to the side of the well and squatted down to wash the vegetables.
An old lady with gray hair and wrinkled face stood at the door, with her hands on her hips, muttering to herself, staring at the woman without blinking.
The carriage passed by this house and soon arrived at Li Tai's house.
Li Tai put down his farm tools, opened the door, and said with a smile, "My family is small, and there happen to be four empty rooms, which are perfect for you to live in."
Du Qingtang stepped onto a small stool to get off the carriage and turned his head to look at the family holding the wedding banquet.
The woman had finished washing the vegetables and was walking back slowly.
"Stop dawdling! Come in now!"
As soon as the old lady spoke, the woman shuddered, quickened her pace, but unfortunately fell flat on her face.
The person fell down and the freshly washed vegetables were scattered all over the floor.
The gorgeous sunset shone on the woman's body, her face was pale, and a dark color seemed to flash on her right ankle which was exposed from the hem of her skirt.
Du Qingtang narrowed his eyes.
"Young Master?"
Du Yi saw her son stop in his tracks and gave her a puzzled look.
Du Qingtang shook his head, stepped over the threshold and walked into the Li family.
The Li family's house is a brick and tile house with more than a dozen rooms.
What's strange is that except for the main room, the east room and the kitchen, all the other rooms are locked from the outside.
Du Qingtang looked around and found that no one was there except him. He asked casually, "Are you the only one in your family?"
Li Tai was lowering his head to unlock the door. Upon hearing this, he turned around and smiled, looking like a simple and honest old farmer. "Yes, my wife and daughter-in-law have returned to their parents' home. My sons are working in town and don't come back often."
Li Tai opened the four rooms and said with a silly smile: "There is some dust in the room, please clean it up."
Du Yi said it was no problem.
Li Tai gave a few more instructions and went to the east room to change his clothes, saying that he was going to the banquet.
Du Qingtang nodded: "Go ahead."
After Li Tai left, the maids and servants went to clean the house.
Du Qingtang stood in the yard. Du Qingju walked up to her and said in a low voice, "Tang'er, there's something wrong with this village."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly and hummed without comment.
Du Qingzhu walked around the yard. "Why don't these houses have any windows? Even the cracks in the doors are sealed tightly. Is this also a local custom?"
Du Qingtang looked at Du Qingzhu.
The rosy glow of the sky fell on her, making her face look rosy, and she looked like a healthy girl.
On the other hand, the woman just now had no trace of blood on her face. She didn't look sick, but more like—
Being locked up in the house, never seeing the sun all year round, pale.
At this moment, Li Tai returned and said, "The village chief just learned that we have guests coming to my house, so he asked me to invite you all to a feast. It's a happy occasion, and more people will make it more lively."
Zhu and Ju looked at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang smiled faintly and said, "Then I'd better obey your command."
Let me see what tricks you are playing.
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