Chapter 51: A thousand-mile journey will make you talk to death.
Zhao Yan got goosebumps from being called that. "Hiss, are you talking like me? Who's your baby?"
"You." Yong Shaolan continued to peck Zhao Yan's face a few more times. "When you came that day, you said we were a pair of wild mandarin ducks eloping. Call me husband, please?"
“…”
"Stop it," Zhao Yan said, leaning against the bed, turning his head away from Yong Shaolan, and muttering, "Get up, get up! You're not fully recovered yet. Get some rest!"
"How shameless!"
"Hmm," Yong Shaolan said, still feeling unwell. Now that the important matter had been settled, he felt relieved. "Then you can help me sleep."
"..." Zhao Yan rolled his eyes at Yong Shaolan: "You're already so old, and you still need someone to coax you to sleep. I really can't do anything with you!"
Zhao Yan said he disliked it, but he moved quickly, lifted the quilt, and patted the place beside him: "Sleep."
“Come, come, come!”
The next day, Yong Shaolan's fever finally subsided. When Zhao Yan woke up, Yong Shaolan had already gotten up, prepared his own medicine, and walked in with breakfast and the medicine in one hand.
Zhao Yan rubbed his eyelids, got up from the bed, looked out the window at the sky, and quickly got up: "It's almost noon, right? Why didn't you call me?"
After saying that, he immediately got out of bed and took the things from Yong Shaolan's hand: "Are you feeling better?"
Yong Shaolan said calmly, "Much better."
The room was cramped, with only a small, homemade table in front of the bed. Yong Shaolan moved the table outward and pulled a stool over for the boy. "Eat something."
"Yeah," Zhao Yan sat down obediently, looked at Yong Shaolan standing beside him, and asked, "Where's that Big Brother Wang? Did he go to town?"
When Yong Shaolan got up in the morning, Wang Dayong had already returned from hunting in the mountains. After dinner, he handed the letter to him and inquired about the situation in Baicheng. Then he asked Wang Dayong to take Wang Jiaoyu and Jin Yezi to the city.
"Yes, I went with Teacher Wang."
"That's good," Zhao Yan said. "We are so lucky to have met Brother Wang and Teacher Wang. I hope everything goes well."
Zhao Yan finished his rice porridge, cleared the dishes, picked up the medicine on the low table, and tested its temperature. "It's almost done. Take your medicine now. I'll go clear the dishes first and then go check the cellar in the vegetable garden."
Yong Shaolan: “…Okay.”
…
At that time, in Zhinan County, Wang Dayong, accompanied by Wang Jiaoyu, was riding an oxcart, preparing to head to the city's escort agency to deliver goods. Baicheng was located near the sea, with the Haihe River dividing Dayan into north and south. The livelihoods of the two regions differed significantly. In the north, Yujing was the capital, frequented by politicians. In the south, south of Jinling, the abundant water resources brought abundant goods and numerous merchants. Baicheng, however, was neither north nor south, falling under the unified jurisdiction of Yujing and attracting numerous merchants. Therefore, the city was considered prosperous in the north.
Zhinan County is a small border town, and it is also very prosperous. There is an endless stream of merchant caravans coming and going in the downtown area. Due to the recent turmoil in the imperial court, there are also many officers and soldiers patrolling during the day. The hawking sounds mixed with the clatter of horses' hooves are very noisy.
Teacher Wang, wearing a straw hat, was about to arrive at the escort agency when he asked Wang Dayong, "That gold button has drooped for you. Are you being obedient?"
The items used in the palace are all rare. Even a few exquisitely crafted gold buttons can be easily recognized. The metal is soft and will be deformed after a few hammers. Although the price is greatly discounted, it can save the nobles from unnecessary trouble.
"Okay, okay, this way you won't be easily discovered."
Wang Dayong was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Will it bring trouble to our village?"
In fact, Wang Dayong had been reluctant to help the young man that night. Although he didn't understand much, he knew that getting involved with the imperial court would lead to bad consequences. But he also felt sorry for the two men, one weak and the other sick. Now that he had taken the risk, he regretted it.
Teacher Wang noticed Wang Dayong's worry, snorted, and hit him on the head with his fan: "I am very good at judging people. Don't forget, if it weren't for the noble man repairing the school, you and the girl in Old Man Liu's family would have no say."
"Well," Wang Dayong said, and he made up his mind after hearing this: "Then I should repay you."
Wang Dayong was an orphan who made his living by hunting and chopping wood. A few months earlier, a large number of soldiers and officers from the imperial court had suddenly arrived in Zhinan County, offering to repair schools in the townships under its jurisdiction. Ten cents a day was offered, and many young men from the village went to work. After the school was completed, they needed firewood to feed the children from the neighboring town. The villagers of Xiaowangzhai, feeling sorry for Wang Dayong, an orphan with no wife, gave him the job.
It was at this time that Wang Dayong met Miss Liu, who was teaching at the school.
When Teacher Wang mentioned this, he saw that Wang Dayong's face was a little bad, so he cleared his throat and said, "This money should be more than you can spend. Go back and ask the noble for the rest. Maybe he will give it to you as a reward. With the money, are you still worried about your marriage not going through?"
"They gave me some money before," Wang Dayong shook his head. "I can't earn this kind of money in the long run. What will I do if I spend it all? Miss Liu is from a wealthy family. I shouldn't have delayed her."
"...Then why are you still so mean and sending firewood to other people's homes every day?"
"Forget it, forget it. No one can control your stubbornness."
Teacher Wang stroked his beard and said, "I hope your Excellency will remember your kindness and offer you a military officer position in the future. By then, there will be many Miss Lius waiting for you to choose."
Wang Dayong didn't say anything. He thought to himself that he didn't care about any rich lady.
…
After Zhao Yan cleaned up his dinner dishes, he ran to the vegetable garden in the backyard of Wang Dayong's house, found the cellar that was covered with firewood, opened the cellar, and found that Wang Dayong had prepared a wooden ladder for them. He climbed down and found that the place was not small.
The cellar was relatively clean, with some sweet potatoes and potatoes in it, nothing else.
Zhao Yan finished his inspection and was about to climb up the ladder when he heard the rustling of footsteps outside. The footsteps were quick and heavy, not like a single person. Just as Zhao Yan felt a chill on his back, a sharp curse sounded.
"Fuck you, you fool Wang!"
"Why don't you go take a piss and look for yourself, you wild bastard without a father or a mother, how dare you think about my young lady!"
"If my master finds out again, I'll burn your shabby house down!"
The shouting and cursing lasted for more than ten minutes. They were spoken in the local dialect of Zhinan County. Zhao Yan could not understand it very well, but he roughly knew that it was cursing.
Maybe someone found out that Wang Dayong was not at home, cursed a few times, threw something away, and then there was no more movement.
Zhao Yan didn't dare to go out. He waited for a long time, and finally saw Yong Shaolan standing on the cellar. "Let's go."
Wang Dayong's home was at the edge of Xiaowangzhai, not far from the river. Even at night, the noise of the waterwheels could still be heard, so it was relatively quiet. However, Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan were still fugitives, and seeing Yong Shaolan come out frightened him so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.
"Why did you come out?" Zhao Yan said, and quickly climbed up the ladder, pulling Yong Shaolan towards the wing room. As a result, he saw that one of the fence doors of Wang Dayong's house was broken, and the yard was full of firewood he had chopped yesterday afternoon.
Zhao Yan didn't bother to clean up, he took a quick look and pulled Yong Shaolan into the wing room. After entering the room and closing the door, Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Oh my god, I was scared to death just now. I thought it was someone from the government."
Yong Shaolan raised his eyes, glanced at Zhao Yan, and handed him a handkerchief: "Maybe I overestimated them."
"ah?"
"who?"
"Zhao Cheng," Yong Shaolan walked over to the low table and poured Zhao Yan a glass of boiled water. "It's been three or five days. You should have come over earlier."
"Perhaps, something unexpected happened outside."
After hearing what Yong Shaolan said, Zhao Yan felt relieved. He stopped guarding the door and drank the water in the big bowl. "I hope so. It's really too scary to hide like this every day."
Zhao Yan: "I wonder when Brother Wang will be back."
Zhao Yan: "From the sound of the noise, those people outside seem to be from Xiaowangzhai. What kind of grudge do they have against Big Brother Wang? The curses they just said were really harsh."
Yong Shaolan: "It's just a little quarrel between neighbors. There's no need for you to worry about it. Now that you finally have some time to breathe, calm down and rest for a few days."
"The hard times will only begin when the people from Jinling actually arrive."
Zhao Yan sat on a small stool and looked solemnly at Yong Shaolan who was standing beside him. "I don't think this is a trivial quarrel. Brother Wang is such a kind person, he shouldn't have a grudge with others. Besides, I just heard about this girl..."
"They cursed so fast that I couldn't hear clearly."
"Did you hear that?"
"Could you analyze it for me?"
Yong Shaolan: “…”
Yong Shaolan's eyes suddenly lowered a little. Zhao Yan looked at him and felt something was wrong. He said angrily, "What did I do to you?"
Zhao Yan: "Are you impatient already?"
Yong Shaolan lowered his crow feathers slightly and said lightly, "No."
"If you have it, then you have it!" Zhao Yan frowned. Yong Shaolan was talking to him about their affairs just now, and he changed the subject. It was obvious that Yong Shaolan was not happy with him meddling in other people's business!
"If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. I'll ask Brother Wang later," Zhao Yan said. Yong Shaolan's face darkened a little, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little low. Zhao Yan was also emotional for a moment. After all, who wants their boyfriend to look at them with an impatient attitude?
"Never mind. I was just being petty." Zhao Yan felt uncomfortable lying on the low table, so he got on the bed and lay down with his arms and legs spread out. "You're right. It's so hard to find a place to rest."
"Let's lie down together," Zhao Yan said, wanting to move on from the matter. Yong Shaolan walked over, his eyes darkening as he glanced at him and said, "I'm sorry."
"..." Yong Shaolan's words made Zhao Yan feel a little embarrassed. "Hey, why are you apologizing? I was prejudiced and shouldn't have been so harsh on you."
"I was really unhappy just now."
"It's not your first impression."
After saying that, Yong Shaolan did not lie down, "I'm not sleepy, you rest."
Zhao Yan: “…”
Dude, you're really killing the conversation.
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The author has something to say: It’s coming!!!
Thanks to ppinin baby for the landmine! And the nutrient solution sent by the babies!!! Thank you!
Good night, babies! [shy][shy]
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