Chapter 012 Sick

Ji Fulai's face twisted slightly. He knew that his brother was always heartless, but he was still so angry that he almost couldn't breathe. He didn't know how to react for a moment.

Yuan Ming pulled away the stool in front of Ji Qingyue, motioned for him to sit down, and casually said: "Qingqing is really magnanimous. Madam Liang occupied your yard, but not only did you not blame her, you even worried that she wouldn't have enough to eat."

Ji Qingyue's eyelids drooped: "After all, we are a family. Besides, Madam did it for Jinbao. If it was my mother..."

"If it was my mother-in-law, she would definitely not do this." Yuan Ming held his hand, his eyes gentle and firm: "Although I have never seen her, I have heard her name from many people. She is so kind and polite, and respects others. Even for her own children, she would never occupy someone else's yard without saying a word, and she was knowing that the yard was of great significance to others."

Ji Qingyue was slightly stunned, raised her head and looked at Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming smiled and tidied his hair: "Qingqing is the person who knows mother-in-law best in this world. You said that just now not because you doubt her, but because you miss her, right?"

Ji Qingyue's mouth curled down, hugged Yuan Ming's waist, and whispered: "Seeing that Madam Jinbao is so good, I thought it would be great if my mother was here."

"She will always be with you, but you can't see it." Yuan Ming whispered.

Ji Fulai sat quietly, without interrupting, nor did he stop them because of their overly intimate behavior. Instead, he fell into deep memories because of Yuan Ming's words.

After a while, Ji Qingyue calmed down, loosened the hand holding Yuan Ming, and said to Ji Fulai a little awkwardly: "I'm sorry to embarrass you, I couldn't help it just now..."

Although Ji Qingyue is willful and a little bit spoiled, he really respects his father. It can even be said that he respects and fears him.

After his mother passed away, the father and son had very few opportunities to spend time together, and Ji Qingyue was always trembling with fear every time. Because of Yuan Ming, he lost his composure in front of him for the first time.

Ji Fulai was not angry, and even his expression did not change. He waved his hand and said lightly: "Eat, the food will get cold soon."

After dinner, Ji Fulai said he was tired and wanted to go back to rest. Ji Qingyue and Yuan Ming returned to the courtyard.

Xiaoju left, and there was no servant in the courtyard for the time being. It was quiet. Ji Qingyue took Yuan Ming into the house and showed him around.

Only then did Yuan Ming realize that every blade of grass, every tree, every flower, and every stone here carried memories and emotions that he never wanted to forget. No wonder Ji Qingyue's reaction was so strong before.

When he went to bed at night, Yuan Ming held Ji Qingyue in his arms and patiently listened to him talk about his childhood, which included his mother and brother. He stopped talking until he was nine years old, staring at the bed curtain with lifeless eyes.

Yuan Ming knew that it was that year that he lost his mother forever.

"Go to sleep. You've been tired all day."

Ji Qingyue blinked, turned around, buried her face in Yuan Ming's neck, and said in a very soft voice: "When I was a child, I thought my mother would always be with me. She passed away not long after. But I still had a brother at that time, but later, my brother also left. It has been six years since he left, and there has been no news of him."

Yuan Ming's heart tightened, and he hugged him even tighter.

"Xiao Ju..." Ji Qingyue paused: "She is a house-born child. Her mother used to be a laundry woman in my mother's yard. She was ambitious but incompetent, and was bent on climbing up the social ladder through crooked means. Later, she was driven out. Xiao Ju said that what she hated most was people like her mother. She just wanted to work quietly, save enough money and get a contract to sell her body, and then leave here, marry someone in the village and live a dull life."

"When she got married, I wanted to let her go, but she said she wanted to leave here by herself. But in the blink of an eye, things became like this." Ji Qingyue rubbed her body in his arms, her voice slightly hoarse: "Sure enough, everyone around me will eventually leave me..."

At the end, his voice became lower and lower, almost inaudible.

Yuan Ming lowered his head and saw that he had closed his eyes, with two crystal tears hanging on the eyelashes at the end of his eyes.

The next day, when Ji Qingyue woke up, it was already mid-morning, and Yuan Ming was not in bed.

His body was a little sore, and he felt dizzy when he moved a little, so he had to go back to sleep.

There was a little movement at the door, and after a burst of very light footsteps, a maid said, "Second Young Master, are you going to get up?"

Ji Qingyue opened the bed curtain and saw a strange face. He didn't think it was strange, and asked, "Where is Yuan Ming?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, he found that his throat was very hoarse and dry and painful, and he soon coughed.

"My aunt has gone to the study. Do you want me to go find her?"

"No, I'll get up first."

After washing up with the help of the maid, Ji Qingyue endured the pain in her throat and drank half a bowl of porridge. Just as she was about to stand up and lie down again, her eyes went dark and she fell straight down.

"My lord!" A clear voice rang at the door.

Ji Qingyue lay down again, looking at the person standing by the bed, without saying a word.

Xiaoju rubbed her handkerchief, her eyes red: "My lord, Xiaohui has gone to ask for a doctor, please bear with it for a while."

Ji Qingyue didn't say anything, but looked at her steadily.

Xiaoju seemed to be burned by his eyes, and slowly closed her mouth, and the cold silence spread in the small room.

"My lord, you suddenly fell ill today, but is it because of what happened yesterday?"

Ji Qingyue snorted and closed his eyes.

Xiaoju bit her lip and knelt in front of the bed in a panic. She put her hands on Ji Qingyue's arms and quickly withdrew them, tucking the quilt for him.

"I was wrong. I broke my promise to you and wasted your kindness..."

Ji Qingyue opened his eyes suddenly: "What you said yesterday about volunteering, is that true?"

"No!" Xiaoju shook her head anxiously: "My mother owed money outside, and in order to get money from the lady, she sent me to the young master's bed."

Ji Qingyue was startled and grabbed the bed sheet tightly with one hand.

"Why don't you come to me if you have trouble?"

Xiaoju cried and laughed: "Of course I know that the master will try to save me, but you just got married, and the fact that you decided your own marriage without authorization has already displeased the old man. If you are asked to go home because of such a small matter, the old man will be even more unhappy. I don't want the master to be punished because of me."

Ji Qingyue felt an itch in his throat, and he had to lie down on the bed and cough hard.

Xiaoju was surprised and said: "Master!"

After calming down, Ji Qingyue asked: "Then why are you willing to say it today?"

"This morning, my aunt came to me and asked me about the whole story, and also..." As she spoke, she took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, which turned out to be her own indenture.

She knelt on the ground and bowed deeply: "I have completely severed my relationship with Mrs. Cui. From now on, I am willing to follow you, my lord, and work like a slave. I will never betray you. If I break the law, I will die a miserable death!"

The Mrs. Cui she mentioned was her biological mother.

Ji Qingyue was dizzy, and many things still couldn't be turned around after he had passed through his mind. Only when he mentioned Yuan Ming, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Why did Yuan Ming do this?

To him, Xiaoju was just an insignificant stranger.

"I feel so uncomfortable." Ji Qingyue felt sore all over, holding the quilt tightly, whimpering, "Go call my husband over."

Xiaoju responded and ran out quickly.

After walking out of the courtyard for a few steps, she saw Yuan Ming coming towards her. Before she could say anything, Yuan Ming quickly turned around and walked towards the courtyard at a very fast pace.

Soon, the doctor also came. After examining her, he said that the patient's mood fluctuated too much, and his blood and qi attacked his heart, coupled with heatstroke from rushing on the road, that's why he got sick.

Yuan Ming thanked the doctor, asked Xiaoju to follow the doctor to get the medicine, sat on the bed, helped the weak Ji Qingyue up, and let him lean on him.

"Husband, thank you." Ji Qingyue looked at him tenderly.

Yuan Ming frowned, "You were wronged by marrying me. If Shangguan Village was not too far from Chengxian, you would not have suffered from heat stroke and such a serious illness."

Ji Qingyue didn't care, and laughed, as if he was not the one lying on the bed groaning in the last lesson.

"I know what you are talking about," Yuan Ming said, "Xiaoju's matter is not my own credit. I am only responsible for finding out the truth. It was your father who went to Madam Liang to ask for the indenture."

Ji Qingyue was stunned, "How is it possible? My father is so busy every day, how could he care about the affairs of a little girl in the backyard?"

Yuan Ming didn't say anything, just looked at him.

Ji Qingyue's expression froze slightly, and he pointed at himself suspiciously: "Could it be for me?"

Yuan Ming did not answer directly, but said: "My father-in-law sent someone to ask me to play chess this morning. During the game, he only talked to me about you. From childhood to adulthood, although you are not close, I can feel that he still cares about you. In the end, he just told me to prepare well for the imperial examinations, and if I encounter any difficulties, I can come to him."

He did not mean to restore Ji Fulai's image in Ji Qingyue's heart. What he said was based on objective facts. In his previous life, he and Ji Fulai had a very shallow relationship. Now he is a little curious about what happened that led this father and son to a situation where they will never see each other again.

"Maybe." Ji Qingyue closed his eyes, obviously not wanting to talk about this topic any more.

Because Ji Qingyue suddenly fell ill, they stayed at Ji's house for two more days. They ate and moved around in the courtyard during these two days and did not see anyone else. In order to prevent Ji Qingyue from getting a heat stroke again when she took the carriage back, they planned to leave in the morning and used Ji's carriage.

Ji Fulai was busy with official duties, so he had breakfast with them and went to the government office.

Yuan Ming and Ji Qingyue packed their things, but before they walked out of the courtyard, they saw Xiaoju running over in a hurry, carrying a bag on her back.

Xiaoju knelt down in front of them and said earnestly: "Please take me away, young master and aunt. I am willing to work like a cow and a horse to repay your kindness."

"You don't have to do this." Although the misunderstanding had been resolved, she still broke her promise. Ji Qingyue was indifferent to her with her naked eyes: "My husband lives in the village and does not need servants at home. You are free now and can go wherever you want. We don't need you to repay us."

Xiaoju knew that he was still angry. Two lines of tears fell down. She opened her mouth, but she could no longer speak the words to ask him to take her away.