At this moment, those eyes that had once been full of sharpness fell on his face, their emptiness mixed with a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation.
She didn't speak, but wrote on the paper, stroke by stroke: "I'm fine, I hope you won't tell anyone."
The handwriting was so forceful it almost pierced the back of the paper, yet the period at the end trembled slightly.
Xu Shi Nong took the paper, pressed his fingertip on the line of words, and felt as if something was squeezing his heart so hard that he could hardly breathe.
“Silly child,” his voice was hoarse, “do you want to spend your whole life stuck in this countryside?”
Xu Zhuohua nodded slowly, her gaze drifting back to the withered branches outside the window.
The wind here is clear, the water is clean, the old locust tree is covered in white flowers, and when neighbors meet, they only ask, "Have you eaten today?" No one knows that she is the eldest daughter of the Xu family, the young marshal's wife of Cheng Muyun, and no one mentions the open and covert attacks and sordid dealings in Xinhai City.
These days, though a bit dull, at least allowed her to catch her breath.
Xu Shinong fell silent.
He recalled the current chaos in Xinhai City—how many spies Xu Jixin had planted along the southern route of the East, how many shady schemes those people in the Chamber of Commerce harbored, and what kind of wolves and tigers surrounded Cheng Muyun…
Indeed, it might be safer here.
He paused, then softened his tone: "But this house is old and dilapidated, leaking wind and rain. I'll get you a house with a yard in the next town, it'll be quieter and more convenient."
Xu Zhuohua shook her head, picked up her pencil again, and wrote on the paper: "It's chaotic outside, and there are too many people talking nonsense."
Xu Shinong looked at the line of text and instantly understood her concerns.
The eastern and southern routes were in Xu Jixin's hands, and the caravan members were all shrewd and quick to spread the news.
Once she leaves this remote village and enters a populated area, Xu Jixin will surely hear the news within three days.
It's alright if Xu Jixin finds out, but what about Cheng Muyun?
That name is like a fine needle; a gentle touch could shatter the seemingly calm shell before you.
Looking at her daughter's downcast eyes, Xu Shi Nong finally understood—it wasn't that she didn't want to leave, but that she was afraid to leave.
She feared that she wasn't ready, and that the storm stirred up by that name would once again drag her into an abyss of no return.
Xu Shinong changed his approach, "Should I send you news about the Eastbound South Line and Eastbound North Line regularly? After all, the efficiency of both lines has improved a lot since you reformed the system, and that's all thanks to you."
Xu Shih-nong thought that Xu Zhuohua's personality was such that if he wasn't going to do something, he wouldn't do it at all, but if he was going to do it, he would do it to the best of his ability. He must have a deep affection for the roads he had built.
She couldn't stay idle like this forever; she had to find something to do. Xu Shinong was afraid that Xu Zhuohua would go crazy if she kept looking at Cheng Muyun's photos every day.
Xu Zhuohua frowned slightly, and Xu Shi Nong immediately explained, "You don't need to worry about it. I just wanted to let you know the situation. Didn't you say that you would rely on the Xu family to save Cheng Muyun in the future? The Dongxing South Line is definitely the first choice."
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