Chapter 20 If she needed it, he... could reluctantly...
"Of course, it's okay if you have somewhere you want to go."
Ning Lu held the ingredients and thought for a while: "We can discuss it and divide up our money to use for travel expenses. When you're desperate, you should save money."
Ji Ming's tense body gradually relaxed as she spoke. Before the sarcasm in his eyes could fully spread, he heard Ning Lu say, "However, if you don't have anywhere you absolutely have to go, it's better to come together. With your frail body, I'm really afraid something might happen to you on the way."
Ning Lu.
A faint sound of clenched teeth drifted over, and Ning Lu ran out of the room: "You should really think it over!"
consider.
Ji Ming gradually loosened his grip on the teacup, causing the tea to spill out.
He turned his hand upwards, and a ring of teacup marks was clearly visible on his palm.
Outside the window, tree branches snapped and crackled as they burned in the flames.
In the front yard, a couple was arguing, children were crying, and the barking of dogs and howling of wolves could be heard incessantly.
The night wind howled, the door creaked, and Ning Lu's mutterings drifted in through the crack.
Everything that was once noisy suddenly became harmonious and peaceful.
He tightened his clothes and habitually rubbed the rough fabric.
That was when she received her first bit of spare money, and she excitedly brought back the clothes. From initial disdain to current acceptance, a long time has passed.
The dry grass on the roof rustled, and a sudden twitch appeared on Ji Ming's pale fingertips. The tenderness in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by indifference.
The road ahead is long, and where he goes can never be determined solely by his own desires.
Ji Ming had not yet indicated where they were going next, so Ning Lu had no choice but to make her own plans first.
One afternoon, the courtyard was unusually quiet, with no one else around.
She then took out all the money she had earned during this period, and counted the meat and grain that the villagers had given her, and put them away in an orderly manner.
Ji Ming watched as she fairly divided the money and food into two portions, then held a brush and scribbled on the rice paper.
Unable to resist his curiosity about the contents of her paper, he took advantage of her going to the yard to look for something and pulled the paper in front of him.
The ink stains piled up one after another, forming a filthy mess that could only be described as—utterly unsightly.
Ning Lu came in from outside, carrying several tree branches about the thickness of an index finger.
Seeing that he was holding the Xuan paper, she snatched it back with her hand: "Wait until I finish calculating before you look at it."
She dipped a twig in ink and scribbled something on the rice paper. The paper was soft, and perhaps wrinkled or torn, but the characters she wrote were indeed much neater than those written with a brush.
"Let me tell you, it's like a pie fell from the sky." She counted the money on the table again, beaming with joy: "I was doing the accounts a couple of days ago and found that there were two extra strings of cash. No matter how I checked, I couldn't figure out where the extra money came from."
"Um?"
"Yes!!" Ning Lu nodded vigorously, pulling two strings of cash from her bosom. "This is it. It fell out of my clothes. I should remember such a large sum of money..."
"I wonder if the God of Wealth descended to earth, saw how cute I am, and bestowed a blessing upon me."
Ning Lu chuckled to herself as her eyes darted around.
Upon hearing this, the man merely curled his lip, looked away in disgust, and pointed to the two slips of paper on the table.
"Even with these two strings of cash, it's only four taels and seventy-five coins. If you give it to me, you won't be able to redeem the jade pendant."
His fingertips moved across the table like a zither, his gaze languidly sideways, lost in thought.
"I know. I'll figure out the jade pendant myself." Ning Lu straightened up and checked the list again, putting her index finger to her lips. "Wait a minute, don't bother me yet."
If it were just addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, it would be fine. But converting grain into silver based on prices was more complicated for her than exchanging foreign currency abroad.
Seeing that the Xuan paper had been torn again by the tree branch, Ning Lu was so anxious that she could only scratch her head and had no time to look up and pay attention to Ji Ming.
The man, on the contrary, stared at her openly, resting his chin on his hand, and said with a mischievous and leisurely tone, "Most of this money is your hard-earned money."
"Some of the villagers gave it to you."
Ning Lu gave a perfunctory response whenever she had a spare moment.
"If you divide it into two portions, and one portion is to be sent to Yu Niang, how much will you have left?"
"Then what should I do? If I don't give it to you, will you starve to death?" Ning Lu looked up impatiently and rolled her eyes at him without any politeness.
As he bent down to recalculate with his fingers, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and pointed the 'pen' in his hand directly at Ji Ming's nose.
How did you know I was going to deliver something to Yu Niang's family?
Ink splattered everywhere. Ji Ming pinched the trembling wooden branch between his fingertips and dodged to the side.
Ji Ming pursed his lips, glanced at the palm-sized piece of cured meat on the window frame, and at the same time pressed down on a line of numbers on the Xuan paper, giving an innocent, slight smile.
"I am not very talented, but I have a little knowledge of calculation."
Ning Lu's chest heaved a few times, she held her breath and pulled her hand back from the branch, too lazy to pay him any attention.
"It's still unknown how much of the jade pendant was pawned. Why bother with all this?"
"You're acting very strangely today, talking a lot." Ning Lu was furious and snapped back.
He pulled the list back into his hand and scanned it from top to bottom: "You said I have half of this money."
"Giving it to someone else would also harm me."
"Ji Amin!"
Sometimes she really felt he was very abstract…
The good is not obvious, and the bad is not thorough.
He usually keeps a low profile and doesn't care about worldly affairs, but now he's calculating how much money he has with her?
“You’re not at a loss, I’ve calculated it.” Ning Lu took two deep breaths and suppressed the urge to splash ink on his face as she explained, “Even so, what you get is more than the fees the villagers give you.”
“No matter what, we’re staying here, and Yu Niang has helped us when you were sick.”
Ning Lu sat back down on the other side of the table and buried herself in taking notes.
This is the kind of education she received from childhood: don't owe others too much, do your best, and repay evil with good.
Even though she harbored resentment towards Yu Niang's family, she couldn't overcome the deep-seated ingrained flaws in her character from years of moral education.
On several sleepless nights, she would occasionally scold herself for being too saintly, but after thinking it over, she realized that even if there was no affection between them and they were just renting the place, she should still pay back some money.
One thing at a time.
Noticing the change in her emotions, Ji Ming fell silent and quietly watched her.
Noticing his gaze, Ning Lu looked up, her bright eyes filled with grievance, which then turned into resentment as she glared at him fiercely.
"I……"
Ji Ming, unusually guilty, stammered and was quickly silenced by Ning Lu.
"Sometimes I really envy your selfishness."
She jumped up, snorted heavily, grabbed the wrapped silver coins and cured meat, and rushed out the door.
The half-open wooden door swayed awkwardly, letting in a chilly wind, and her voice still echoed inside.
Watching her stormy back, Ji Ming's mischievous teasing expression gradually froze.
His fingertips trembled as he hooked a teacup beside him, flicked it a couple of times in front of him, splashing warm water onto the back of his hand, his eyes dark and brooding.
Ning Lu rushed into the yard, but regretted it after only a few steps.
"And you, why are you arguing with a patient? He's been having a bad temper for a long time."
"Yeah, he has a sharp tongue. It's no big deal if you say something to him. It's just karma, nothing serious."
"Ning Lulu, if there's a next life, maybe you should lower your standards a bit."
"Ning girl?"
Yu Niang came out of the kitchen carrying a child in one arm and a bowl of medicine in the other. She saw Ning Lu wandering alone on the path, muttering to herself, and called out to her softly.
"Ah? Oh, Yu Niang."
Ning Lu was startled and jumped up on the spot, blurting out for help. Then she awkwardly rubbed her hands together.
Since that incident, the two have tacitly avoided each other, often sitting side by side in crowds and rarely speaking alone.
She never called Yu Niang "Sister" again.
Seeing the shock and disappointment on Yu Niang's face, Ning Lu could only smile awkwardly and take the scalding bowl of medicine from her: "Let me get it for you. Is the baby feeling better?"
"Much better."
Yu Niang led her into the house, but after looking around, she couldn't find a four-legged wooden stool. Ning Lu quickly replied, "No need, I'll just stand here for a while and then leave."
This was her first time entering his house. It wasn't much more spacious than their small house; the walls were peeling, and the things on the shelves were all broken and dilapidated.
Ning Lu felt a little awkward and hurriedly took out the loose silver from her sleeve and put it on the table.
"I brought you this."
"This is……"
"Not much, about one or two taels of silver." Ning Lu saw that the child in Yu Niang's arms was staring at the cured meat in her hand, so she quickly handed over the meat as well: "And this too."
“We’ve lived here for so long, and we promised to give you money to help with your household expenses from the beginning. We’re not well-off, so we’ve been putting it off until now.”
"I already told you, we don't use that room often, so maybe we can..."
"Take it. You're not exactly well-off either." Ning Lu bit her lip. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
"Ning girl." Yu Niang still chased after her, stuffing the silver and cured meat into her hands: "I can't take yours. Although you're staying at our house, you and Young Master Ji have helped us a lot. I don't want it, you take it."
Ning Lu's hands were pressed down hard by her, and she turned her head to look at the child behind the door.
The toddler, barely taller than a person's leg, hid behind the door frame, staring intently at the half-piece of cured meat, sucking his fingers and swallowing hard.
“You don’t have to eat, but the child will. Don’t argue with me. It’s too much trouble.” Ning Lu pushed it back: “We’re going somewhere else soon. If you accept it, I won’t owe you anything.”
"Ning, my sister." Yu Niang glanced at the expectant child, loosened her grip on her hand, and looked at the half-piece of cured meat.
"Then I'll accept it?"
"Look at what you're saying, it was originally for you." Ning Lu nodded, shook the cured meat at the child, and teased him with a raised eyebrow.
Seeing the child smile, Yu Niang rubbed her hands together and looked at Ning Lu meaningfully.
When are you leaving?
"It's not decided yet. I'm waiting for Young Master Ji's arrangements."
The child ran over in a few moments, hugged Ning Lu's leg, and giggled.
Ning Lu immediately squatted down in response and handed the money into the child's hand.
Yu Niang pursed her lips, stamped her foot, and whispered, "Then wait for me."
He rummaged through drawers and cabinets for a long time, his back view showing hesitation as he paced back and forth.
Ning Lu was too lazy to urge them, and she was really bored while waiting, so she simply held the child and clapped her hands on the steps, which made the child smile from ear to ear.
Yu Niang turned around and saw the child rushing into Ning Lu's arms, calling her "sister".
She was lively and a good storyteller, and all the children in the village liked her. The children in their family were weak from a young age, and would easily have severe seizures, so neither adults nor children dared to play with them.
Only Ning Lu and Ji Ming treated him like a normal person.
Yu Niang stood inside the house, holding what she was holding, staring blankly for a long time before reluctantly stepping out of the house.
"Here, take this."
A neatly folded handkerchief was handed to her. Ning Lu gently pinched the child's nose before leisurely turning around: "What is this?"
"Open it and take a look."
Two pawn tickets.
The first one is a pawned Ji Ming flint and steel.
Ning Lu struggled to find the pawn amount from the faded traditional Chinese characters; it clearly stated five taels of silver.
At that time, Ji Ming was seriously ill and in a coma. She was new to the place and knew nothing. She believed whatever they said and never doubted them.
After all, it's already worth it to be able to exchange a flint for so much money.
No wonder, when I told Ji Ming about it, he always just sneered and remained silent.
His fingertips trembled, and he held his breath, suddenly looking up at Yu Niang.
The man immediately pulled the child behind him to shield her, glancing away and avoiding her gaze.
Ning Lu quickly flipped to the second page and skillfully found the capitalized number: Twelve taels.
"What do you mean?" she stood up and asked Yu Niang.
“I found this a few days ago when I was washing Dacheng’s clothes.” Yu Niang hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth: “When you came to me for it, I didn’t give it to you. I really didn’t know.”
"You don't know?" Ning Lu found it amusing, then glanced at the two pawn tickets: "Which one don't you know?"
At first, she only thought they had lied to her about the jade pendant, but now she realized they had been hiding something from the very beginning.
“I know Da Cheng is a bastard… but the child is sick, and the family really can’t afford it. I have no other choice.”
“But as long as you tell me you’re having a hard time, I won’t refuse to give it to you.” Ning Lu emphasized.
“Young Master Ji was seriously ill at that time. You had to brew the medicine three times for each dose of that little money. How could you possibly have spare money for us!” Yu Niang also raised her voice. Seeing Ning Lu’s incredulous expression, she lowered her head helplessly. “I didn’t know about the money from the first time. It was only a few days ago when I was washing up and found it in Da Cheng’s clothes… When you asked me that day, I really didn’t mean to hide it from you.”
"Do you know what you're saying?" Ning Lu was furious.
He took two deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and carefully examined the pawn ticket: "Is this pawn ticket real?"
"Da Cheng always keeps it close to his body, so it can't be fake."
"You've kept this from him for so long, why are you suddenly telling me?"
“Young Master Ji warned me long ago… but I dared not…” Yu Niang stroked the child’s hair, her voice choked with emotion: “A few days ago, I wanted to go to you, and I heard you say that you wanted to redeem the jade pendant. I know that this is important to you.”
Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Ning Lu also felt her own eyes burning. Not wanting to get entangled with her any longer, she turned and left.
“Ning girl, you say I lied to you, but didn’t you lie to us? Your relationship with that Young Master Ji is probably not what you say.”
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not just me, everyone can see it.” Yu Niang took two steps forward and lowered her voice: “When you first gave me that flint, I felt like I’d seen it somewhere before. A few days ago, it rained, and officials from the government and an official from the capital came to the village chief’s house to deliver a message. I happened to be there at the time.”
Ning Lu immediately thought of that Lord Wei.
Yu Niang continued, "I noticed that the pattern on the waist pendant worn by the people from the capital was the same as the pattern on Young Master Ji's flint. Then I remembered that on the day you came down the mountain, a group of soldiers came to the village looking for people, and the leader was also wearing the same waist pendant. I didn't know your identities, but I didn't sell you off. I've done more than enough."
A few shouts came from afar, and Da Cheng gradually approached from the end of the path, dragging his cart.
Ning Lu frowned, a sense of panic rising within her. She stuffed the pawn ticket into her sleeve and turned to leave.
"Go back quickly, and don't let him know about the pawn ticket."
Yu Niang wiped her face, picked up the child, and went to meet her. In the instant they passed each other, she couldn't help but urge Ning Lu, "The city has been unstable these past few days. If you're going to leave, you should leave sooner rather than later."
Ning Lu hastily agreed, gathered her strength, and glided backward, nimbly slipping into a corner of the wall to hide in the backyard.
As soon as they entered the inner courtyard, they heard the sounds of Da Cheng and Yu Niang arguing and shoving behind them.
She stood in the corner with her head down until water droplets left marks on the sand. In a daze, she raised her elbow and wiped her face haphazardly.
Looking up again, she saw Ji Ming standing in the courtyard, leaning against the door, coldly watching her.
"You heard everything?"
The man didn't say anything, but instead looked behind her.
Da Cheng, drenched in sweat, rushed over from the front yard. When he saw Ning Lu, he forced a smile and said, "Miss Ning, why are you hiding? I just saw Yu Niang hand you something, and I was wondering if she gave you the wrong thing, so I came to ask you."
"She didn't give me anything."
"I saw you tuck it into your sleeve just now."
Da Cheng continued to smile as he approached step by step, while Ning Lu frowned and retreated with her hands behind her back.
The other party spread his arms and lunged forward, as if to pull her away, but then his wide sleeves fluttered and a shadow stood steadily in front of Ning Lu.
His cold fingertips gripped her wrist and gently pulled her back, separating her from Da Cheng.
Their eyes met. Ji Ming frowned and stared intently, his imposing aura spreading out. Da Cheng stammered a few words, pointed behind him, and said with a forced smile, "Oh! Young Master Ji, I was just thinking that Yu Niang had misunderstood something. I'll explain it to Miss Ning."
"Telling me is the same."
Ji Ming glanced at Ning Lu, who was still in shock, behind him. His eyes were like cold stars, and his voice was even colder.
His imposing manner was too overwhelming; even Da Cheng, who had put on a shameless act, was no match for him.
Da Cheng glanced at Ning Lu standing behind him and reluctantly clicked his tongue: "It's nothing."
Despite saying this, he still took a step forward, seemingly testing the waters.
In the blink of an eye, a shadow flashed, and Da Cheng clutched his leg, groaning in pain, and retreated repeatedly.
With a thud, the pebble fell to the ground, and the linen fabric of his trousers tore open.
"Ouch—"
Ning Lu tugged at his clothes around his waist, revealing half an eye to observe the battle situation.
Ji Ming moved so quickly that she didn't even see when he made his move...
“Young Master Ji, I’m not trying to be mean, but we’ve taken you two in during this time. We can’t let it end up with you becoming enemies instead of friends.”
Just as Ji Ming was about to speak, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve from behind.
In the tense moment, Yu Niang rushed over from the front yard, nodded apologetically to the two of them, and then grabbed Da Cheng by the ear and dragged him backward.
Da Cheng was initially unwilling, but after a long silence, the couple looked at Ji Ming and were reluctantly dragged back.
Only after their figures disappeared around the corner did the upright figure standing in front of Ning Lu tremble slightly.
He staggered back half a step before regaining his balance and preventing himself from falling.
Are you alright?
Ning Lu braced herself against his back with one hand and held onto him with the other, but the man pulled his hand away and brushed it back.
petty and narrow-minded.
I followed him slowly for two steps and saw that his face was pale and cold sweat was seeping from his temples.
Seeing that his pale purple lips were pressed into a stiff line and his breathing was becoming increasingly labored, Ning Lu sighed, nimbly slipped under his arm and hoisted him onto her shoulder.
They still had the strength to struggle?
She secretly tightened her grip on his waist, and pulled him back into the house.
Ning Lu.
She was not allowed to act recklessly, and had already acted recklessly too many times.
Under the play of light and shadow, Ji Ming's breathing was shallow and rapid. His slender fingers unconsciously pressed against his chest as he lowered his head and frowned.
Noticing his discomfort, Ning Lu stopped arguing with him and poured him a cup of hot tea.
Ji Ming, still sulking, kept his eyes down and didn't take it.
After a long standoff, Ning Lu grabbed his wrist, pried open his fingers one by one, and put the cup inside.
"You're so weak, don't push yourself too hard."
His pale face grew even more somber, and he turned away from her, turning his back to her.
The first time in my life I did a good deed, I learned what it meant to be a dog biting Lü Dongbin.
"Are you really angry?" she poked his shoulder, asking tentatively.
No one answered, so Ning Lu walked around to his front.
Ji Ming's face was covered in cold sweat. He closed his eyes and leaned against his chest, his knuckles turning slightly white.
It seemed to be in extreme pain, yet it didn't utter a single sound.
Startled, she turned and ran, and the fire reheated the medicine that had just been boiled.
When a bowl of medicine was brought back, Ji Ming leaned against the bedside, his forehead resting on the curtain, swaying precariously.
Disregarding all social norms, Ning Lu pulled him into her arms and fed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful.
Seeing him frowning and breathing heavily, she hesitated for a long time before tentatively saying, "Okay, I misspoke. I apologize."
"You did it to help me, thank you." She sat on the edge of the bed and gently poked his shoulder with her index finger. "I take back what I just said... You're not selfish... You're very perceptive. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
The man's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he let out a cold snort.
Seeing that he had a reaction, Ning Lu was secretly delighted and quickly presented the remaining medicine to him.
"Young Master Ji, please do me the honor of drinking the rest of the medicine. It was my fault for being ignorant and I deserve to be punished. It would be a waste for you to get sick from anger."
She could easily recite lines she'd learned from TV dramas. Ji Ming listened to her witty remarks, stunned for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face. He took the drink with trembling hands and slowly sipped it.
Even after taking the medicine, the cold sweat on his face showed no sign of subsiding. He lowered his eyes and breathed heavily, seemingly enduring some kind of pain.
Ning Lu rested her hands on her knees, tilted her head to look at him, and her mind wandered.
Traditional Chinese medicine is not as fast-acting as Western medicine. If we were in modern times, taking medicine would probably make us feel much better.
The saying "beautiful women often have tragic fates, and those who are exceptionally intelligent are destined to die young" is mostly a summary of the experiences of scholars and literati.
Just now, Ji Ming stood there in the courtyard, and he alone had the aura of a thousand troops. He was really impressive.
I wonder what kind of family could raise such descendants.
This person usually pretends to be sick or weak at the slightest disturbance, but when he's really in pain, he doesn't utter a sound.
After a stick of incense had burned, Ji Ming snapped out of his reverie, glancing at the corner of the pawn ticket peeking out from her sleeve, and raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment.
"So, it can be considered a worthwhile outcome?"
"Hmm?" Ning Lu followed his gaze and took out the two crumpled pieces of paper from her sleeve, unfolding them one by one.
Seeing that he was still weak, she hesitated for a moment and did not hand it to him immediately.
Ji Ming slowly sat up straight, palms facing up.
It's written in black and white, simple and clear; you can understand it at a glance.
That flint was made of meteorite iron and was an item from the palace; it couldn't have been worth only three taels.
However, if her jade pendant is truly as she claims, with its clear white jade and unique patterns... it wouldn't be worth only this price.
Ji Ming twirled the paper in his hand and smelled the ink.
"Yu Niang said she found this pawn ticket in Da Cheng's clothes, so it should be genuine."
The man pondered for a moment, then nodded.
He paused, then spoke again leisurely: "Twelve taels, that's all you need to redeem it."
"Brother, all our money combined doesn't even amount to twelve taels."
Ji Ming stared at the name of the pawnshop for a few more seconds; it seemed to be owned by an official.
No rush.
Since he was willing to speak to her, he must have lost his temper. Ning Lu also felt that this person was easy to coax, her eyebrows relaxed, and she moved a little closer to him.
“Ji Amin, is it possible that you could suddenly become a wealthy and powerful official, and with a wave of your hand, you could give me twelve taels of cash?”
Ji Ming smirked: "Give me half of what you earn. I'm incredibly wealthy, and you only want twelve taels?"
He had just recovered from his illness, and his voice was hoarse and weak, but his soft tone revealed a hint of helplessness and doting in Ning Lu's ears.
She immediately perked up, smiling broadly as she began to daydream: "If you're willing to give me more money to repay my life-saving grace, I'd be happy to do so."
He glanced at her intently, signaling her to continue.
"If you give me more money, I won't have to worry about making a living, and I won't be in such a hurry to go home. I can then enjoy myself like a tourist, and see all the delicious food and fun things I can't eat at home. Can you ride a horse? I've never ridden a horse before. When the time comes, I'll ride a horse and travel the world with a sword."
"that's all?"
What else can be done?
Since we're dreaming, let's dream big.
Ning Lu put her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky: "If I had enough money, I would build myself a stage and tell jokes on stage every day. I would pay people to listen to me, and everyone would not only have to listen, but also applaud and write press releases praising me all over the country."
"Oh, and if you could give me some gold to take home, that would be even better. Gold is very expensive right now."
She beamed with delight, as if she had truly received a large sum of money.
The gloom in Ji Ming's eyes gradually dissipated, and he softly replied, "Okay."
"Okay?" Ning Lu turned her head to look him over.
In the time it took to say a few words, his weariness resurfaced, and the tips of his fingers, which were gripping the pawn ticket, glowed with a faint purple hue.
Ning Lu was pulled back to reality. She stroked his chest a few times with her small hands and said regretfully, "Let's not, Comrade Ji Ming. With your physique, you can only be pampered. You can't take a lot of work. If you were to carry a huge fortune, you would definitely be exhausted."
"I think you shouldn't have too much money; just enough to live a peaceful life is fine."
Ji Ming smiled bitterly, turned his head and coughed weakly, his body trembling violently.
"Are you tired? Go and rest for a while."
Without saying a word, Ning Lu helped him lie down and tucked him into the blanket.
The person struggled for a moment, but their eyelids still couldn't stay open and stuck together.
Half-asleep, her sighs and murmurs reached my ears again.
He heard her say, "With your build, can you really walk alone? Don't let a wolf carry you off halfway."
For the first time ever, he wanted to say a few more words, to comfort her, that he had traveled a long way alone, and that this was nothing. Besides, he still had some money.
If she needs it, he... can reluctantly go with her.
Unfortunately, her lips moved but no sound came out; she could only let her thoughts rise and her body sink, the two forces separating.
When I woke up again, it was already dark.
Looking up blankly, I saw Ning Lu sitting on the edge of the bed.
The candlelight flickered on the table not far away, casting her shadow on him, like warm winter silk, gently resting on his shoulder.
Ji Ming stared blankly at her swaying hair until a loud 'crack' sounded as porcelain shattered, startling him so much that his breathing quickened, and he lowered his brows and coughed softly.
"You're awake?"
Ning Lu came to her senses, reached out to help him get up, and gently patted his back.
"What's wrong?"
"Dacheng and Yu Niang are arguing again."
Couples were arguing and yelling, pushing and shoving, and children were crying. Although it was the usual scene, the noise was a few degrees louder than usual.
Yu Niang said she had never enjoyed a single day of happiness while following Da Cheng, and Da Cheng said that everything he did was for the sake of her and her son.
They'd heard Che Gulu say that a hundred times in the backyard; it wasn't surprising to them anymore.
“This afternoon, I had my second uncle come to see you. He said you’ve been working too hard these past few days. You still need to rest.” Her voice was soft as her fingertips twirled around the ends of Ji Ming’s hair. “I was originally going to ask if you wanted to come with me, so we could at least look after each other. But it seems you need to rest for a while longer to fully recover…”
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have made you my star performer and pushed you out to make money."
"Cough cough..."
His knuckles turned white, and Ji Ming's breathing faltered. He gritted his teeth, but the itch in his throat was unbearable.
Forget it, if he goes with her, he'll be driven crazy by her sooner or later.
"I'll go into town as soon as it's light, check out the pawnshop for the jade pendant, and then make a decision."
"I'm really worried about leaving you here alone."
Ning Lu scratched her head and looked at Ji Ming with a mournful expression.
Suddenly I understand why HR wants stable staff. It's really upsetting to suddenly break up a team you've worked so hard to build rapport with.
The morning dew was thick, and Ning Lu tightened her thin clothes and squeezed out of the room.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw through the crack in the door that she hadn't woken the person, and casually picked up a broom to sweep the fallen thatch by the window aside.
Perhaps because we recently stored some meat at home, the neighbor's cat likes to run onto the roof every few days, and each time it knocks something down.
The medicine on the stove was kept warm over a low flame. After a while, Ji Ming woke up and the medicine was just ready to drink. This was a tacit understanding they had developed over the past two months.
With everything packed and ready, Ning Lu checked the pawn ticket in her pocket and set off for the city.
The sky was clear and bright, and autumn leaves were scattered on the path, crunching underfoot in a striking way.
Ning Lu looked up and gazed around.
"I got up too early today. There wasn't even a bird chirping. It was eerily quiet."
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