After A'ruan finished cooking, he didn't eat but put the meal on the table. He sat there and watched in a trance. After a while, he suddenly remembered that he had not finished mending the clothes he brought yesterday. After coming to his senses, he went into the inner room to find the sewing basket.
The two had no relatives in the capital, and the money that Aruan brought with him had long been used up. This month's expenses were barely covered by him mending clothes for the neighbors and Wei Min selling calligraphy.
The fabric of the clothes in his hand was something A Ruan had never seen before, but it was very soft and comfortable to the touch, and the style was also the most popular in Beijing.
A Ruan thought, his wife is tall and slender, and this dress will definitely look very good on her.
Touching the robe in his hands, A Ruan could almost imagine what his wife would look like wearing it. When he thought of Wei Min, tears unconsciously blurred his eyes.
If the wife can wear fine clothes, eat delicious food, and live a peaceful life... Actually, that's pretty good.
A Ruan raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, then lowered her head to mend her clothes while crying silently.
It seemed as if the tears in my eyes could never be wiped away, and my eyelids were soon covered with a layer of mist. A Ruan was distracted and didn't see clearly, so the needle poked his fingertips and he pulled his hand back in pain.
Blood beads immediately rolled out from the round pink fingertips. Ah Ruan looked at the bleeding fingers and no longer took it lightly as before. Instead, she just started crying for no apparent reason.
Even when he cried, there was no sound. Only tears flowed slowly down his cheeks. He sobbed on his thin shoulders, feeling aggrieved like a child who was not loved by anyone.
When Wei Min pushed open the door of the courtyard and came in, she was still wondering why A'ruan was not waiting for her outside today, and she couldn't help but called out in confusion, "A'ruan?"
When Wei Min stepped into the yard, she saw A'ruan sitting sideways in the main room with his head down. He seemed not to have heard her voice, and the meal was already placed on the table next to him facing the door.
"A Ruan," Wei Min called him when he entered the room, glanced at the food on the table that was no longer steaming, and asked, "Have you eaten?"
Ah Ruan was startled when she heard the voice, and looked up at Wei Min abruptly, moving her lips in disbelief, with surprise and joy in her eyes. She looked at her face like an idiot, not willing to look away even a little.
"Aruan?" Wei Min just noticed the tears on his husband's face. His heart tightened. He quickly knelt on one knee at Aruan's feet, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, looked him up and down, and asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Why are you crying like this?"
Wei Min raised his hand and wiped away the tears on A Ruan's face with the heel of his palm. Looking at the red corners of his eyes, he said distressedly: "Tell me if you have anything to say. Don't cry by yourself. My wife is here. She will support you in everything."
A Ruan looked at Wei Min's gentle and worried eyes without blinking, a few broken sounds came out of her throat. She bent down aggrievedly, hugged Wei Min's neck, and buried her face in her neck.
Wei Min felt the person in his arms sobbing and couldn't help but become even more worried. He gently stroked A Ruan's thin back with his hand while his eyes glanced around the room calmly.
Everything was the same as usual, and there was no sign that outsiders had been there. So why did Ah Ruan suddenly cry like this?
"Aruan, tell me what happened?" Wei Min rubbed Aruan's hair with his cheek, feeling more and more worried. "Are you feeling unwell?"
As he was talking about pulling the person in his arms out for a closer examination, A Ruan stubbornly held Wei Min and refused to let go.
Wei Min suddenly remembered the marriage proposal in the imperial study today, and his eyes darkened. However, his tone when talking to A'ruan was not strange at all, and he asked him softly, "Did anyone gossip about you today?"
A Ruan shook her head slightly and rubbed her forehead against Wei Min's neck affectionately.
Wei Min gradually realized something from A'ruan's cuddly appearance, and slowly put his heart back into his stomach. He stroked his back gently, looked sideways at him, and asked with a tentative smile: "Why are you so clingy today? Are you worried that your wife will go to the palace and not come back?"
Ah Ruan was so frightened by her words that he buried his face in her neck in shame without looking up.
Wei Min shook his head and chuckled. He slid his palm along the protruding spine of his back to his buttocks and raised his hand to pat it. "Is your wife the kind of person who would abandon her husband for fame and fortune? You are such a heartless person. You don't even believe me. Do you think I should beat you?"
The slap with neither too much nor too little force did not feel like a punishment, nor did it hurt. Instead, it felt more like a flirtation.
Ah Ruan shivered when she slapped him, and couldn't help biting her lower lip, but she didn't dare to say a word.
He lay on Wei Min's shoulder with red ears, thinking that as long as his wife came back, he would be happy to receive such a mild slap.
A Ruan withdrew from Wei Min's arms, and with a coquettish and flattering look, stretched out her bleeding finger in front of her.
Wei Min smiled, held A Ruan's finger, and asked him, "Does it hurt?"
Ah Ruan blinked away the tears from her eyelashes, pursed her lips and nodded.
Wei Min lowered his eyes, and as if to coax Wei Luo, he leaned forward and breathed gently on the fingertips that were pierced and bleeding, "Then my wife will blow for you."
The slightly cool air blowing on the fingertips was more like brushing across the lake of the heart, stirring up ripples and rippling A'ruan's heart.
Ah Ruan pulled his hand back embarrassedly, and half of his face slowly turned red.
——No, it doesn’t hurt anymore.
The food on the table had been prepared a long time ago, but now it was not very warm. Ah Ruan now seemed like nothing had happened. He put up the clothes on his legs, held a bowl in one hand and went to the stove to heat up the food. There was no sign of him breaking down and crying with his finger raised just now.
Wei Min walked slowly beside him, and she stood beside Ah Ruan as she sat on a low stool.
A Ruan always felt that Wei Min seemed to have something to say to him, but she hadn't figured out how to start, so he pretended not to know.
It was not until dinner time that Wei Min said calmly, "Aruan, we will go to Zhucheng in two days. I have been appointed as the magistrate of Zhucheng County by the emperor."
Ah Ruan paused holding the chopsticks, nodded slowly, then put down the chopsticks and gestured:
——Then I will mend the clothes and send them to them in the next two days, and then pack up my things and be able to leave at any time.
Wei Min smiled bitterly, put a piece of food into A Ruan's bowl with his chopsticks, and said, "You didn't even ask me if I passed the exam and became the top scholar? Where is Zhucheng?"
Ah Ruan smiled, her eyes and eyebrows were gentle:
——In Aruan’s heart, my wife will always be the top one.
——It doesn’t matter where Zhucheng is, as long as my wife goes there, A’ruan will follow.
When he raised his hand and touched his chest with a smile on his face, Wei Min felt extremely uncomfortable.
Wei Min looked at him and said nothing for a long time.
Ah Ruan raised his hand and patted the back of her hand, then raised his hand again and said:
——No matter where, as long as two people are together, even the most unfamiliar place will become home.
Wei Min opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
When the emperor demoted her to Zhucheng, Wei Min didn't think it was such a big blow, nor did she feel how hard life in Zhucheng was. But now, looking at A Ruan, her heart ached when she thought that he might have to accompany her on another long and bumpy journey.
"I promised you that I would let you enjoy life after you pass the exam..." Wei Min lowered his eyes, staring at the rice porridge being stirred by chopsticks in the bowl, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Aruan, you have suffered a lot."
It seemed as if Wei Min only gave himself this moment of weakness and frustration. When he looked up again, he was the head of the family who stood in front of A Ruan as usual. He smiled and said, "Believe in my wife. No matter how hard the future is, it will not be hard for you."
No matter how small a county magistrate's position is, he is still a local official, just like the meat on a mosquito's leg, no matter how small it is, it is still meat. No matter what, his life will not be more difficult than before.
After the meal, A'ruan delivered the mended clothes to the people one by one, while Wei Min went to the Ministry of Personnel to receive the official seal, official uniform and documents required for his appointment.
During this period, Jiang Wuque and Feng Yu came to visit the two once.
Two or three days later, the landlord of the house that Wei Min rented had not returned yet, so she left a letter of thanks to her neighbor.
As soon as it was light the next day, Wei Min went to the market to rent a carriage and helped A Ruan onto it.
The two of them were preparing to leave Beijing early and go to Zhucheng to take up their posts.
After leaving the city gate, the sky was just getting light.
Wei Min drew aside the curtain and saw from afar Jiang Wuque, Feng Yu and others at the Ten-Li Long Pavilion outside the capital where people came to see off each other, so he had the car stopped and got out with A'ruan and walked over.
"Zhucheng is a dangerous place, you must be careful," Jiang Wuque had already said what he needed to say, and now he was concise and to the point. Without saying a word, he picked up the small bag on his lap and handed it to Wei Min, "I'll give you something practical."
Wei Min raised his eyebrows and opened the bundle in front of the three people. Inside was nothing but silver.
Wei Min handed it to A'ruan and then raised his hand and said, "Thank you, Eighth Prince."
Jiang Wuque smiled and said, "It will be returned sooner or later."
Wei Min pretended not to hear her words, looked up at the sky, frowned and said, "It's getting late, we should leave, otherwise we may not be able to catch up with the post station in the evening."
Jiang Wuque chuckled and shook his head. He looked at Wei Min's receding back and said in a loud voice, "I have sent people to protect you on the road. Please cherish your life and remember our promise. I will wait for you to come back in three years."
Wei Min waved his hand without even turning his head.
Feng Yu watched the carriage gradually go away and finally disappear from his sight. He couldn't help but worry: "She is just a civil official. Zhucheng is full of wolves and tigers. Is it possible for her to return safely?"
Jiang Wuque lazily leaned on the soft back of the chair, looking at the red sun gradually rising in the east, tapping the polished handle of the wheelchair with his fingertips, squinting his eyes slightly, smiling, and said casually: "If Wei Min can't return safely from Zhucheng, then just consider it as my mistake."
Feng Yu lowered his eyes and glanced at her, thinking to himself that since you have sent secret guards to follow me, how could I be willing to make the mistake?
…
On the way, Wei Min had the money given by Jiang Wuque, and he spent it without any thriftiness. He tried to use the best food, clothing, housing and transportation, just to let A'ruan suffer less.
With the help of carriages and horses, the two reached the border of Zhucheng about two months later.
As it was getting dark and they still hadn't found a place to stay, Wei Min decided to walk a little further. Now we are outside Zhucheng. If I am not mistaken, there should be a post station here.
Sure enough, after more than an hour, they finally arrived at a small-looking post station, standing alone with no houses around.
Now it was night and the lights were on. Two bright red lanterns were hung high in front of the post station.
A Ruan drew aside the curtain and looked out, gazing at the red lantern in the distance in the darkness. He felt that it was so strange that it looked like a pair of eyes of a goblin in a storybook, and it looked particularly scary.
Ah Ruan quickly lowered the curtains, moved her butt, and leaned closer to Wei Min.
Wei Min leaned back in the carriage with his eyes closed, and when he sensed something was wrong with Ah Ruan, he reached out and held the back of his hand, patting it soothingly, "Don't be afraid, you'll know if it's a ghost or a human when you see it."
The postmaster of the post station had been waiting at the door. When he saw the carriage stop, he immediately came over and saluted, saying loudly to the carriage: "I am the postmaster here, and I am here to greet the county magistrate."
Ah Ruan, who had not yet gotten off the car, was startled. She pursed her lips slightly, looked at Wei Min anxiously, and asked silently:
——How did she know you were coming today?
Wei Min opened his eyes and frowned slightly. He jumped off the carriage first, then turned around and picked up A Ruan from the carriage.
When the postmaster saw Wei Min taking his family to take up his post, there was no surprise in his eyes, as if he had known the news for a long time. He smiled and made a gesture of invitation to Wei Min, "Your Excellency is in a hurry to travel. I am afraid you must be tired from the bumpy journey. I have prepared a little wine to welcome you in advance."
Wei Min followed the Postmaster's eyes closely and asked directly, "How did the Postmaster know that I would arrive today?"
The postmaster frankly let her look at him, but he smiled and said nothing, "This is the mystery of Zhucheng. If you want to know more, please come inside and talk."
Wei Min looked at the postmaster steadily, then smiled, raised his hand and said, "Thank you very much."
The author has something to say: Small theater
Postmaster: Guys, clean the pot and light the fire. Elder Wei is here. Put the pot in a moment!
Wei Min: Haha, do you think I have fair skin and tender flesh? →_→
Yicheng: (Looking) I think the girl next to you is pretty delicate ⊙v⊙
Wei Min: Haha, you said that because you must have never seen my forty-meter-long sword! （▼へ▼メ）
A Ruan: =v=
(This is just a short drama and has nothing to do with the main text!)
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