restart
After their conversation yesterday, the relationship between the two has improved considerably.
As soon as Fu Zhiqiao stepped out of the room, she ran to the deck. The scenery on both sides of the river gradually receded, the clouds in the sky were reflected on the river, and the boats left ripples as they passed by.
Once she was free, she could see the ship in its entirety. The entire Fujian-style ship was high at the bow and stern, with protective panels on both sides. It was fully equipped with two captains, six or seven shipwrights, two maids, and two servants.
The lower deck served as both a cargo hold and the servants' quarters. The first floor housed the Imperial Guards' quarters, while the second floor was her and Xie Zhuo's room.
Fu Zhi Qiao made a request: "Where's Yin Xing? I need her to take care of me." She had been suddenly taken away by Xie Zhuo and didn't know what was going on with Yu Rou Lan alone at home.
"Don't worry, your Ginkgo will arrive in two days." Xie Zhuo felt a little guilty under her gaze, and coughed twice before speaking: "I had Ginkgo tell Madam before she left, so don't worry."
He arranged for someone to pick up Yinxing when they boarded the ship. Land travel is slower than water travel, so he specifically instructed the ship to sail slowly. He guessed that Yinxing was already waiting for them at the next dock.
Knowing that Xie Zhuo had informed Yu Roulan beforehand, Fu Zhiqiao's expression finally softened.
Two days later, the Fujian ship docked.
Perhaps because the ship was flying the flag of the Imperial Guard, they did not encounter any river bandits along the way, and passing merchant ships would consciously keep their distance when they saw the Imperial Guard insignia.
Supplies on board were limited. Besides basic rice and flour, they ate mostly fish and shrimp. To get fresh vegetables and meat, they would stop at the shore every two or three days to replenish their supplies.
The next stop is Anqing County, where, according to Xie Zhuo, the ginkgo trees should already be waiting.
As soon as the ship docked, Xie Zhuo arranged for several Imperial Guards to go down and purchase supplies.
Anqing County is the last major port before entering Beijing. Cargo ships and merchant ships are docked everywhere, and the port is bustling with people.
Fu Zhi Qiao also wanted to get off the boat for some fresh air. Meeting her eager gaze, Xie Zhuo couldn't bring himself to refuse and could only agree to let her take a walk around the area.
Xie Zhuo took a plain gauze hat from the maid and personally put it on her head, covering her face.
Back on the ground, Fu Zhiqiao was in a great mood; the feeling of being grounded was the most comfortable.
The dock was full of workers unloading goods. A hundred meters away, there were some small vendors. Fu Zhiqiao took a look and saw that the stalls didn't have many different kinds of food. Most of them sold rice, noodles and pancakes.
The area around the dock was filled with manual laborers, and the vendors sold large, filling meals. Fu Zhi Qiao wasn't interested in rice or noodles, but since she was already there, she bought several dozen egg pancakes, planning to take them back to the ship and make her own wraps.
After wandering around for a while and returning to the dock, Fu Zhiqiao asked, "Where's Ginkgo Man?"
Xie Zhuo glanced at her, wondering why he hadn't noticed before that she was an impatient person.
Even if Yinxing arrived in Anqing County first, she wouldn't wait at the dock all the time. Naturally, she would stay in an inn in the county town and wait for the Imperial Guards who were going to the county to purchase supplies to notify them.
"It's on its way."
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhiqiao had no choice but to return to the ship. About half an incense stick's time later, Yinxing appeared on the dock. Upon seeing Fu Zhiqiao, she excitedly jumped up and waved.
Fu Zhi Qiao was also overjoyed and immediately ran off the boat to pick her up.
Watching the two people running towards each other, Xie Zhuo touched his nose, feeling lost and wondering if he was even inferior to a maidservant by her side.
After replenishing their food and water supplies, and receiving Ginkgo, the group continued their journey to the capital.
Before Yinxing arrived, there were two maids on the ship. One was assigned to take care of her, and the other was assigned to cook in the kitchen. Now that Yinxing has taken over Fu Zhiqiao's daily life, both maids have been assigned to the kitchen. During this period, all the food on the ship has been prepared by the two maids at Fu Zhiqiao's request.
Because of the hot weather, the ingredients bought could not be stored for long, so most of the food on the ship consisted of fish and shrimp. Based on her memory of the taste, Fu Zhi Qiao asked the maid to recreate the dishes: scallion oil eel, tofu and cuttlefish slices, white fish egg custard, fried crispy fish, and golden phoenix tail shrimp...
Since she had nothing to do all day, she simply focused her attention on researching recipes. Under her guidance, the maids' cooking skills improved dramatically, which in turn improved the overall food conditions on the ship.
Although Xie Zhuo didn't say anything, the faint smile in his eyes showed that he was in a good mood.
Judging from the speed at which he picked up food while eating, he was quite satisfied with the food. He calmly put a piece of food into his mouth and chewed it slowly. Although his movements were fast, his dining etiquette was not disordered at all, and he remained calm and elegant.
*
Life on the ship was both leisurely and incredibly boring.
Fu Zhiqiao was so bored that she read through several books of strange tales and unofficial histories in Xie Zhuo's room until they were all curled up.
Seeing her listless expression, Yinxing said obediently, "Miss, I secretly went to the cabin and asked the boatman. He said that the wind is favorable today, and the boat is going faster than usual. At this speed, we should be able to reach the capital in two more days."
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhiqiao looked out the window and saw that there were indeed more boats coming and going on the river.
Perhaps because they were about to disembark, Xie Zhuo had been unusually clingy these past two days.
It could be said that he was inseparable from her at all times. He had to eat with her, read in her room, and even write letters and handle affairs with her by his side. Fu Zhi Qiao had complained, but Xie Zhuo did not intend to change. In his words, it was "to prevent her from having the opportunity to contact other men."
Fu Zhi Qiao was speechless; this jealousy was just too much.
More than ten days have passed, and the smell of vinegar has not dissipated.
From that moment on, Xie Zhuo's noble and aloof image in her heart was completely shattered. At this moment, Fu Zhi Qiao only hoped to get off the ship as soon as possible and get rid of this clingy person.
Unlike Fu Zhi Qiao, who felt depressed, Xie Zhuo was very content and cherished the time they spent together.
Sure enough, he came looking for me again after I hadn't seen him for just a short while, right after we finished dinner.
The sun hadn't completely set yet, and the afterglow of the sunset filled the sky. Fu Zhi Qiao held a book of unofficial history, intending to read it again to pass the time. Xie Zhuo opened his arms and gently embraced her from behind, resting his chin on the crook of her neck, inhaling the fragrance of her hair, and couldn't help but smile.
His breath tickled her ear, making her feel both itchy and hot. Fu Zhi Qiao used one hand to push his head away, but he didn't expect his actions to become even more excessive. Xie Zhuo grabbed her hand and kissed her earlobe.
Fu Zhi Qiao shuddered, put down her book, and said, "What are you doing? I told you..."
Xie Zhuo interrupted her, his voice languid: "I know I shouldn't cross the line, but I couldn't help myself..."
Xie Zhuo deliberately put on a wronged expression, leaving Fu Zhi Qiao speechless. This person really knew how to take advantage of his own strengths. She told herself in her heart that she must stand firm in her position and never be swayed by beauty.
"I'll count to three, then you must let go immediately."
Xie Zhuo joked around, using gestures like covering her mouth and scratching her to stop her from counting.
"Let's talk this out, no physical violence allowed." Fu Zhi Qiao struggled to back away, with Xie Zhuo following closely behind.
The two people's hair was tangled together.
Finally, Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't help but sigh that men can be very fickle. When they first boarded the ship, Xie Zhuo had a gloomy face and ignored her, but now he was all tender and affectionate, unable to leave her.
Little did she know that Xie Zhuo had been observing her these past few days. During the time he was preventing her from arranging a marriage with Zhou Lizhang, he had not seen any signs of pain or sorrow in her. Could this mean that she did not have feelings for Zhou Lizhang?
After confirming that Fu Zhi Qiao had no feelings for Zhou Li Zhang, Xie Zhuo felt a secret sense of joy, his eyes sparkling. He was convinced that Zhou Li Zhang was just someone Fu Zhi Qiao had brought to annoy him, and all the unpleasantness of the past ten days vanished with it.
Fu Zhi Qiao pushed Xie Zhuo away forcefully and took two steps back.
He was pushed away without warning, but Xie Zhuo didn't mind. He slowly moved closer again and gently held both of her hands in his palms.
A pair of dark eyes gazed intently at her.
Fu Zhi Qiao's beauty is undeniable. Her eyebrows and eyes are delicate, and her fair skin is now covered with a layer of pink. Especially when she smiles, even the curve of her lips is etched into his heart.
She intentionally or unintentionally distanced herself from Xie Zhuo, but Xie Zhuo was like a shadow, following her wherever she went. He was strong and she couldn't shake him off. Even if she shook him off, he would come back to her the next second, making Fu Zhi Qiao's face turn red and white with anger.
"Ah Qiao, shall we start over?" Xie Zhuo said sincerely, "After I break off the engagement with the Yu family, I will propose to Madam."
Xie Zhuo was afraid she wouldn't believe him, so he kept repeating in her ear, serious and earnest: "I promise you, I swear, Xie Zhuo will marry no one but Fu Zhi Qiao in this life, A Qiao, you believe me!"
Fu Zhi Qiao had developed an impenetrable defense; ordinary sweet talk couldn't penetrate her heart. She dodged the question, saying, "We'll see."
She was perfectly clear-headed; some things, no matter how many times they were said, would never come true.
Her relationship with Xie Zhuo has improved, but the real problems between them have not been resolved. Since Xie Zhuo wants to cover things up, she is happy to cooperate.
As night fell, Fu Zhiqiao nestled in her blankets, thinking about what Xie Zhuo had said during the day. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. If she remembered correctly, Xie Zhuo and Yu Yadan's wedding was set for the end of October. In just over two months, he would become a married man.
Fu Zhi Qiao felt very uncomfortable. Xie Zhuo was still someone else's fiancé at the moment. Although she was the one who "came first", it was the one who "arrived later" who had the right to the title.
She didn't want to take her anger out on Xie Zhuo, who was also caught up in the marriage. Since it had already happened, she couldn't pretend it didn't exist.
She wouldn't soften her stance until Xie Zhuo fulfilled his promise.
Fu Zhiqiao buried her head in the pillow, banishing all distracting thoughts, took a deep breath, and fell into a deep sleep.
After drifting on the ship for about ten days, Fu Zhiqiao had nothing to do, so she simply started researching the business of Taibai Tower.
The provincial examinations had already begun in August, and by the time they disembarked, the examinations would likely have already ended.
The provincial examination was held once every three years, a rare opportunity that all scholars across the land awaited. Those who passed would surely celebrate wildly.
Celebrating naturally involves hosting a banquet. Fu Zhi Qiao leaned against the window, her mind racing with ideas on how to get Tai Bai Tower to participate in this celebration. A banquet for the top scholar? Wine for the top scholar?
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