Chapter 9 The draft through the room, the warm fingertips pressed against each other without any obstruction...
The wooden door was slightly ajar, and the dark figure outside flashed downwards and disappeared from sight.
Ji Ming moved his hand, which was resting at his side, upwards, struggling to suppress the pain in his stomach. The organs beneath his palm throbbed silently; he had no choice but to close his eyes and endure it.
Her body, which was leaning against the edge of the bed, kept sliding down, and her lips were pursed until they turned white.
There was a rustling sound of footsteps under the window, followed by a series of careful slurping sounds.
His eyelids, which were barely closed, trembled, and a silent smile bloomed on his lips as his consciousness drifted and he drifted into a stupor.
When Ning Lu returned from outside, she saw Ji Ming sleeping soundly with his head resting on her shoulder. His sleeping posture, which was extremely unconventional, was presented with a noble and elegant air.
"They don't even drool. Nuwa was so biased when she created humans."
Ning Lu moved the kerosene lamp to the center, its light illuminating his pale, purplish face. Feeling sorry for him, she half-supported, half-carried him to lie down on the pillow.
Their bodies touched, and the muscles in their palms tensed silently. Ning Lu also subconsciously held her breath, and only when she saw that he didn't struggle did she feel relieved and continue her actions.
She's in such poor health and has a lot of tricks up her sleeve; she's really hard to deal with.
I thought he would leave after he woke up, but he hasn't mentioned going home for so long.
This also fulfilled Ning Lu's wish, as she just didn't want to face this complicated world alone.
After settling him in, she checked the wound on his chest. Seeing that he hadn't woken up despite all the commotion, she was finally relieved.
Thankfully, he was fast asleep. Otherwise, she would have had to discuss sharing a bed with him.
I can't even imagine how much trouble it will cause.
After turning off the lights, she took off her coat, which was covered in mud, and lay back down on the bed.
In the darkness, faint snoring could be heard intermittently.
Ji Ming silently opened her eyes and turned her head, seeing a shadowy figure on the inside of her body, limbs outstretched, brazenly expanding its territory on the bed. It was exactly the same behavior she displayed during the day.
For many years, he considered himself insightful and adept at understanding people's hearts, but after several encounters, he still couldn't figure out her tricks.
Peeping at a woman's sleeping face is already impolite, let alone in such a pitiful state.
He raised his hand to cover his eyes and turned his head to look outside.
The next day, Ning Lu first walked around the village to solicit business, then bought some simple food before returning to brew medicine for Ji Ming. Once everything was arranged, it was already noon when she started packing to leave.
“This village is a bit far today, so it’ll probably be a little later than yesterday. If you’re hungry… just bear with it for now.” Ning Lu lowered her head and pulled up the rope around her waist to cover the torn fabric.
"When the money from the pawnshop comes back, I'll give Yu Niang some silver so she can cook a meal for you, so you won't always be hungry while waiting for me."
During this period, she lived entirely on the expectation of that sum of money, feeling as if she had returned to the days of anxiously waiting for her living expenses at the end of the month.
"I'm leaving. Be good at home by yourself."
Ning Lu tossed the bundle on the table over her shoulder, tied it neatly, waved to Ji Ming, and walked out. She was startled by Yu Niang standing at the door.
"Sis? What brings you here?"
As Ning Lu led the person into the room, she quickly looked up and met Ji Ming's gaze.
Yu Niang sighed as soon as she sat down, unlike her usual straightforward manner.
Seeing that she remained silent, Ning Lu took off her bundle and placed it on the table.
"What happened? Are you having any difficulties?"
A little uneasy, she quickly asked, "This house..."
"No, no, I already said we don't use this room often, you can stay here as you like."
Yu Niang waved her hand and said, "It's something else."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few taels of silver, which she placed on the table.
Ning Lu glanced at it briefly, unable to estimate the amount, and quietly waited for Yu Niang to explain.
“Yesterday, I was planning to ask my third brother to help me inquire when he went to town to buy supplements for my sister-in-law, so that I could exchange the money as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Dacheng saw us and robbed me of it.”
Hearing this, Ning Lu felt even more flustered. Almost every time she saw Da Cheng, he would subtly bring up the matter of money in his words.
After spending a long time with Yu Niang, she realized that Da Cheng was unreliable at home, so she gave the jade pendant directly to Yu Niang.
“When I woke up this morning, Da Cheng was not there. He came back at noon and said that he had already pawned it. He said he went to several pawnshops, and the owners all said that although the craftsmanship was good, it was just ordinary stone material and was only worth eight taels of silver.”
"Eight ounces?"
Confused, Ning Lu raised her voice.
After walking around the streets and alleys for the past two days, she has gained some understanding of prices.
The jade was quite large and clear. She thought she could get at least several dozen taels of silver, or at the very least, a dozen taels.
Eight taels of silver probably wouldn't even cover the doctor's medicine and consultation fees.
Hearing her exclamation, Ji Ming, who had been leaning against the headboard, suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over their fingertips before settling on Yu Niang's tightly clasped hands.
“But that jade pendant, I always keep it close to my body, it must be something precious.”
"Yes, I saw it too, and I know what you said is true."
“Ning girl, Dacheng asked several pawnshop owners and they all said that at first glance it looks excellent, but those who know about these things know that it is a trendy imitation.”
"I'm telling you... there are people in Changzhou City who specialize in this."
As Yu Niang made more and more subtle moves, Ji Ming's amusement became more and more obvious, and his gaze fell on Ning Lu.
"Eight ounces...that's too little."
The little girl bit her lip and muttered something in frustration.
She really didn't have much experience in judging jade, but there was no reason for the original owner of such a complicated identity to hide a fake jade so well.
However, Da Cheng is someone who can't distinguish between truth and falsehood in his speech...
Ning Lu wanted to ask more, but noticing Yu Niang's restlessness, she assumed she had made things difficult for her. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly took Yu Niang's hand to comfort her.
It's not that I don't believe you.
"I know."
Yu Niang licked her lips: "I heard... that pattern is special, people in small towns have never seen it before, and they dare not accept it. Da Cheng pleaded with them..."
When her eyes met Ji Ming's, she paused for a moment, then forced herself to say, "It's already quite an achievement to be able to negotiate down eight taels... Although my husband is shameless, you know he always asks for money directly."
Ning Lu nodded slightly upon hearing this. Seeing her hesitation, Yu Niang immediately stood up and said, "The fire is still burning in the stove at home. I'll go back first."
As the man met Ji Ming's gaze, his face gradually flushed red, and his movements became flustered. He got up and took a step, knocking over the bench.
"elder sister?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing. The child is sick and hasn't slept well for a few days, so he's a bit groggy."
As he turned around and Ning Lu pushed and pulled him twice, Ji Ming keenly noticed the silvery white thing wrapped in the handkerchief at her waist.
His gaze fell on the scattered silver coins on the table. He lowered his eyes, chuckled, and released his fingers from the edge of the bed, lying back down on the bed.
"Yu Niang is acting strangely today. I wonder if she's encountered some difficulties."
"It's getting late."
Seeing that she had not yet suspected Yu Niang, Ji Ming did not respond to her words, but instead looked outside.
"Huh? Really! Oh no." Ning Lu slapped her forehead, didn't even bother to collect the money on the table, grabbed her bundle and ran outside.
By the time she returned, it was past 7 PM.
The door opened, and Ning Lu met Ji Ming's gaze as he sat on the edge of the bed, his face pale.
Her gaze first fell on the crimson stain on his chest, then moved downwards, landing on his dusty boots. Without thinking, Ning Lu shouted, "What are you doing!"
"Didn't I tell you? Your wound hasn't healed yet, you can't get out of bed!"
"Cough cough..." Ji Ming's heart ached from her loud shout. He pressed his chest and whispered, "It's much better now."
"Will it bleed again even when it's much better?"
"Brother, I beg you, please take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, we'll have to call a doctor again!"
Ning Lu threw the things in her arms on the ground, washed her hands, and was about to lift his clothes to check.
"I...I said I'm fine..."
His icy body temperature seeped through the fabric to his wrists, and Ning Lu frowned even more deeply, then picked up the outer robe at the foot of the bed and draped it over his shoulders.
"It's not up to you. Don't move."
Ji Ming tried to struggle, but her right hand was already pinned down by her.
The autumn wind was fierce, bursting open the rickety door and barging straight in.
The girl's hair swept across her chest.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, his Adam's apple trembling.
After a long pause, Ji Ming spoke in a hoarse voice: "I'll do it myself..."
"The wound has reopened. It must hurt terribly. Don't try to be brave."
The faint resistance vanished amidst her endless muttering.
Blood gushed from the wound, and Ning Lu was both scared and nervous. When she got nervous, she started muttering to herself.
"What could be so important that it's more important than recovering from an injury?"
"Now all our efforts have been wasted."
"I'm not trying to be mean, but you've seen the situation. We only have this much money. If something happens to you..."
The warm fingertips pressed against his skin without any obstruction. Ji Ming's mind went blank, and he opened his mouth.
"To use the toilet."
A dry voice cut off her rambling, her small hand froze in mid-air, and she forgot what she was doing in her astonishment.
"ah?"
Both his groundbreaking explanation and the reasons he blurted out were very impactful.
“I said I needed to use the restroom.”
Ji Ming looked away, his stiff voice repeating itself, his flat and straightforward tone carrying a tragic air of facing death.
Ning Lu looked up at him, her face flushed red, and immediately nodded to indicate that she understood.
I ducked to avoid it, and then my head suddenly bumped into his shoulder.
"Hmm—"
Ji Ming groaned in pain, and Ning Luman withdrew.
Seeing the man raise his hand to his chest, his brows furrowed in annoyance, she pursed her lips and lowered her eyes again.
"Let me apply the medicine for you first."
He bent down and rummaged through the medicine bottle, his voice trembling and his fingertips trembling as he spoke.
Ji Ming stared down at her trembling shoulders, almost gritting his teeth: "Ning Lu!"
Finally, the barely suppressed laughter gradually grew louder.
The little one huddled at his feet, apologizing and giggling.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Give me some time..."
She wasn't mocking his predicament; it was just that she had never seen such a rich array of expressions on Ji Ming's face before, and it was simply too interesting.
He appeared calm, but in reality, he seemed at his wit's end, mirroring her recent mental state.
Ji Ming was about to explode when he caught a glimpse of her wiping away her tears.
As the laughter subsided, she lowered her eyes and head, tears silently sliding down her cheeks before being gently wiped away.
He opened his mouth, but only pulled the strip of cloth from her hand and bent down to bandage it.
Someone gently poked my knee.
"explain."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Ning Lu steadied her voice and looked at him. "I wasn't mocking you, I just thought you were cute just now."
"It was my fault. Next time I go out, I will make arrangements in advance."
Ji Ming froze in place, his hand still holding the cloth strip, as if he didn't understand what she meant.
Her eyelashes fluttered, her lips were half-open, and it was unclear whether she was truly contemplating what she meant by 'arrangement' or 'cuteness'.
Before he noticed his distraction, Ning Lu had already changed the subject.
"On my way back, I went to the doctor to get the bill. The eight taels of silver were just enough to settle his debts, and the medicine at home could last for two more days. However, if it was all used to settle the debts, I'm afraid there wouldn't be any left for Yu Niang. When I asked her to pawn the property, I was hoping to get some of the money as a thank you for the house we were renting."
Ning Lu changed her posture, sat up straight cross-legged, and looked out the window: "Fortunately, more and more neighbors have been asking me to do things lately. Anyway, you still have some time to recover from your injury. I might as well do odd jobs to earn some money first, and then I can help them with their household expenses and save some travel expenses for the journey."
Upon hearing her mention her plan to give money to Dacheng's family, Ji Ming's eyes flashed with surprise. Just as he was about to speak, he heard her bring up something she was more interested in, and he changed the subject.
"Where will you get your travel expenses?"
"I don't know." Ning Lu shrugged, unsuspecting, and answered casually, "No matter where I go, I want to redeem the jade pendant first."
Regardless of how much the jade pendant was actually worth, it was something the original owner cherished.
Ji Ming's lowered profile was subtly tense, and his gaze toward her seemed thoughtful.
Her face, which wasn't exactly stunning, glowed with the glistening tear tracks, and her tightly pursed lips revealed a stubbornness.
"If the jade pendant is so important to you, why did you pawn it?"
"No matter how important it is, it's still just an object. You can pawn it and redeem it, but you only have one human life."
Ning Lu shrugged and asked him in return, "What about you? Where are you planning to go after you recover?"
The flickering light of the oil lamp illuminated his handsome features, making them appear even more striking.
Ning Lu waited with unblinking eyes, and heard him reply casually, "I don't know yet..."
"Don't you understand what this means? Aren't you going home? Or aren't you going to look for Liu Yunying?"
She still remembered that night when Ji Ming mistook her for Liu Yunying.
Another gust of wind swept through, making the door creak.
Ji Ming couldn't stand the cold and coughed softly.
She immediately jumped up and slammed the wooden door shut, then used a bench to prop it up.
"I have no home. That person... isn't in a hurry..."
The voice behind her seemed somewhat ethereal and vague. Ning Lu paused in her action of leaning against the door, then turned around to look at him with feigned ease.
After a bout of heart-wrenching coughing, he swayed precariously, clinging to the edge of the bed, his voice hoarse.
Noticing the cold sweat on his temples, Ning Lu sighed and quickly helped him lean back into the blankets.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your privacy."
Ji Ming ignored her apology and instead asked the question that concerned him more.
"And what about you? Aren't you Liu Yunying, and don't you know Liu Yunying?"
After going around in circles and returning to their initial conversation, Ning Lu ignored him, tucked him into the blankets and covered him up tightly, then raised her hand to swear.
"Let me say it one last time, I don't know what happened before, but now, I am Ning Lu, and I don't know Liu Yunying."
Even though he struggled to hold onto the corner of the blanket and stared intently, he couldn't find a single flaw in her face.
She still wore that same completely open and unashamed expression, letting everyone scrutinize her.
It felt as if dozens of silver needles were being twisted in his chest at the same time, and his breathing became increasingly heavy. Ji Ming no longer had the strength to continue entangled with her, and he closed his eyes heavily.
His consciousness was hazy, in a state between dreaming and not dreaming, he vaguely heard himself say something indistinctly:
"To redeem the jade pendant, we need to find the receipt first..."
A note from the author:
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