The 9th day of the first lunar month in the 34th year of Jiasheng
Ningguta.
Chenjiatun.
Today is the day that Chen Qingxuan sets out for the capital. The journey from Ningguta to the capital is long, and the road is blocked by cold weather and heavy snow, so he will have to spend at least two months on the road. The spring examination will be held in early March, so he has to set off right after the New Year.
When Mei Ya and Zhong Mingwei came to see Chen Qingxuan off, they happened to see a donkey cart parked in front of the door, and then Gu Qingtong got off the donkey cart. Mei Ya was startled, then hurried over and said in surprise and joy: "Miss Gu, why are you here?"
"Madam, I plan to go to the capital with my cousin." Gu Qingtong curled his lips slightly and said to Meiya.
"You are going... to the capital?" Mei Ya was stunned for a moment. Only then did she notice that Gu Qingtong was carrying a large bag in her hand. It seemed that she was indeed going on a long journey. Even though Mei Ya had guessed early on that Gu Qingtong was planning to leave Ningguta, she did not expect that she was in such a hurry to leave, and even wanted to go with Chen Qingxuan.
"Yes, my cousin will probably stay in the capital for more than half a year this time. Grandma must be worried. I can take care of my cousin's food, clothing, housing and transportation, and grandma can rest assured," Gu Qingtong said. After a pause, she lowered her head and looked at the dirty snow on the ground, then exhaled deeply, raised her head and smiled at Meiya, "Besides, I also want to go out and travel. I have never left Ningguta since I was a child. The farthest place I have been to is my grandmother's house. I want to go out and see the world while I am still young."
"That's great. I can accompany Mr. Chen and go out for a walk," Meiya nodded in agreement, but her eyes got a little wet as she spoke. She sniffed and patted Gu Qingtong's hand, saying, "If you stay outside for too long and get tired, then come back."
"I'm afraid... I can never come back." Gu Qingtong lowered her head and murmured, while reaching out to hug Mei Ya in her arms. She tried her best not to cry, but the tears still slid silently down the corners of her eyes.
"If you don't want to come back, then don't come back. When you miss us, write us a letter and I will bring grandma to see you then." Mei Ya couldn't help it and tears fell down her face. She really felt sorry for Gu Qingtong. Such a good girl, at the age of being as beautiful as a flower, had to go through such torture and endure such pain.
"Okay," Gu Qingtong pursed her lips tightly to prevent herself from crying. She hugged Meiya tightly. This girl was younger than her, but she always cared for her like an older sister. Gu Qingtong really couldn't bear to let her go. "Meiya, thank you."
…
Chen Qingxuan stood in front of the door, silently looking at the two girls hugging each other tightly. He felt really bad in his heart and was afraid that he would lose his composure. He was about to turn around and go back to the courtyard, but was grabbed by Zhong Mingwei and dragged all the way to the alley behind the earth wall.
"Master, what do you want me to do?" Chen Qingxuan asked hurriedly, thinking that Zhong Mingwei wanted to talk to him about something.
"Take this," Zhong Mingwei took out two envelopes from his arms and handed them to Chen Qingxuan. Seeing Chen Qingxuan's puzzled expression, he explained, "Miss Gu has just arrived in the capital and is unfamiliar with the place. She must be bored at home all day, but... I think she should not want to be bored all the time. But if a girl like her finds a job outside, it will make people worry, and she is a foreigner. I have a medicine shop in the capital. The shop was used to cover up people's tracks. After I left Beijing, I started to do medicine shop business seriously. It is not far from the house I told you about. When the time comes, you can take my handwritten letter and go directly to the owner of the medicine shop. The owner of the medicine shop will naturally take you to the house to settle down. In the future, you can work hard at home, and Miss Gu can stay in the shop to work," said Zhong Mingwei. After a pause, he added, "That place is reliable and solid, you can rest assured."
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