Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Husband
"... ...It's not good to always let the Marquis spend money."
At the teahouse where they were resting, Du Lingjing instructed Ruan Gong to pay for the tea. After saying this, she secretly glanced at the marquis standing beside her.
The entire teahouse fell silent. The owner's abacus beads could not be moved. Ruan Gong was unable to take the step to pay the bill. Everything around him seemed to be frozen.
Du Lingjing blinked lightly and looked at the man.
When the man heard her words, he took a deep breath to suppress the tightness in his chest. He just turned his head and immediately caught her gaze.
"Did Madam do this on purpose?"
He suddenly asked, and Du Ling paused for a moment.
On the one hand, I thought to myself that he was very quick-witted, and on the other hand, I thought that his silence had finally ended and he started talking.
But her expression remained unchanged. Her voice was calm, just like usual, "What is the Marquis talking about? I don't understand."
She asked this and looked at him very naturally.
Lu Shenru couldn't tell for a moment whether her question was true or false.
He couldn't help but look closely at her expression.
On her fair face, under her long eyebrows, her eyes were normal, her feathery eyelashes fluttered gently like a fan, and her soft lips were slightly pursed under her beautiful nose. She looked serious and didn't seem to be doing anything intentional.
But she clearly stole a glance at him just now.
Lu Shenru never thought that there would be a day when he would not be able to read her thoughts, and he frowned and looked at her.
Fortunately, Chongping paid for the tea before Ruan Gong.
Once the bill was settled, Du Lingjing could no longer be "polite".
The man was still unsure of her intention, but he calmed down a little and stood up with a light hum.
Du Lingjing followed behind him, heard his hum just now, and saw his cold face. Even his steps brought up a chill of displeasure.
How strange. Du Lingjing watched him climb onto the horse. He was obviously still angry, and he hit the horse harder, causing the horse to run forward in pain.
Is he really angry just because others are polite to him?
Of course, it shouldn't be all the others, but her...
Du Lingjing got on the carriage only after she saw that he was almost running far away.
The road was slow, so Ruan Gong drove again, but Chongping was left by his side to serve him.
The carriage swayed forward, and Du Lingjing followed the carriage in the carriage, her thoughts also swaying.
She couldn't help but think of what had happened since she married him.
First, he wanted to give her Guilin Tower, and insisted that she accept it no matter what, and opened a building for her to store books. Once he called, a hundred people responded, and the event was so grand that everyone knew about it;
After that, she nodded her head and agreed to complete the Zhougong ceremony with him, but he turned around and walked out the door, asking the maid to bring her new clothes from time to time, and asked the chief steward of the clan to personally invite her to the Shuseki Pavilion to attend his banquet;
This time, she didn’t want to conflict with him, so she left a letter and left. He actually went to Baoding in person, but he got angry and didn’t talk to her. But she was so generous, and he forgave him when she served him tea. But she just didn’t tell him about her illness, and he got even angrier this time, as angry as a frog in a summer pond... ...
He is the Marquis of Yongding, and in the eyes of others he is powerful and awe-inspiring, so why does he act so strangely and funny?
Du Lingjing thought about these things, lifted the car curtain and looked out the window.
He had already run away, leaving Chongping alone to walk slowly with her, but it seemed that someone had sent a message back saying that they were going to take the fork in the road on the other side.
Du Lingjing looked out of the car window and saw Qiu Lin secretly looking at his girl in the car.
She saw that although there was still a sick look on her face, her long brows were relaxed and her eyes were like spring water flowing out from under the ice. Although the weather was cold, her eyes were like spring water reflecting the sunlight, revealing a little warmth.
She was smiling, her lips slightly raised in a shallow arc, and she seemed to be thinking of something, and then she shook her head gently.
Qiulin was stunned. The last time she saw the girl with such an expression as today was when the master was still alive.
At that time, the girl was immersed in the sea of books, carefree...
Perhaps influenced by her happiness, Qiu Lin also relaxed his expression, "Miss, don't keep the window open all the time. You are not fully recovered yet."
She said as she covered her with the blanket again.
Du Lingjing didn't feel cold. She saw that the carriage had indeed turned to the other side according to someone's instructions. After about a quarter of an hour, it passed a small town.
The town is not big, but there are stalls on both sides of the road.
Ruan Gong said to her outside, "Madam, the town is selling spring water from nearby mountains. Do you want to get off the car and take a look?"
Hearing that there was a spring, Du Lingjing naturally got out of the car, and Chongping personally helped her out.
Those who knew him thought Chongping was the chief guard of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion, while those who didn't know him might have thought he was her chambermaid.
Someone actually stopped here. He was dressed in a black robe and strolled in front with his hands behind his back.
Du Lingjing ignored him for a while and walked around to the other side. Then he heard that there was warm spring water in the nearby mountains that did not freeze even in winter. The villagers always went up the mountain to fetch several jars of water before dawn and then came down the mountain to sell it.
They said that the places where hot springs used to be had been bought by wealthy families and their houses had been built. These were the new springs that had appeared this year and no one had occupied them yet. They were clear and sweet.
Du Lingjing tasted a little and saw that it was not easy for several elderly people to go up the mountain to draw spring water, so she prepared to buy a few more jars.
But before she asked Ruan Gong to sell it, she heard someone speak behind her.
"Madam, do you have to pay for it yourself this time?"
Du Lingjing didn't know when he came over. When she heard the words, she realized that he was standing behind her, almost touching her waist and back.
There was something unusual in his tone, and Du Lingjing thought to herself that he was up to no good again.
She didn't look back at him, but just said, "Of course. I still have some dowry, so I won't bother you, sir."
When the man heard this, he hummed in her hair and then called Chong'an.
"It's cold, don't let these vendors suffer from the cold. Go tell everyone that I want all the spring water on this street."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chong'an immediately did as he was told.
When all the vendors on the street saw that a wealthy customer had come, they bought all the spring water for everyone. They were all overjoyed and thanked him profusely.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but look back at him. She saw that he looked tolerant and didn't take it seriously as everyone else did.
"This spring is very clear and sweet. Since you have sold it to me, you can go home early."
It was getting late, and everyone wanted to go home after earning money. The guards of the marquis's mansion borrowed a cart, and people on the street moved the spring water onto the cart.
Even if Du Lingjing wanted to pay, who could she buy it from?
He lowered his head and looked at her, "My lady, since you want to buy the spring with your own money, how much do you want? Just give me the money."
Lu Shenru said that he wanted to see if she really wanted to settle the accounts with him.
He lowered his head to look into her eyes. It seemed as if two butterflies had landed on her pupils, and her thick eyelashes fluttered.
He wanted to see what else she had to say, but she suddenly raised her eyes and met his gaze.
"My Lord, I'm not really planning to buy it. I'm just looking at it."
She refused to buy it, but he bought all the fountains on the street to go against her.
The man was actually tricked by his own wife and he laughed out loud in anger.
A vendor who had been surprised to see him buy everything before, thought he had changed his mind when he heard him laugh like that, and couldn't help but ask nervously.
"You don't want this spring water, do you?"
"How could that be?" The man turned around and glanced at the person beside him. "After all, it is spring water. I must take it."
The spring water in jars was moved onto the car one after another. The sound was like clear mountain water flowing over the stones on the roadside and falling down.
Du Ling calmed down and inexplicably followed the spring water and jumped to the edge of the stone. She didn't say anything, but just blinked and glanced at the man twice.
But he called Qiulin, "Bring another cloak for Madam."
Qiulin soon came back.
He wrapped the cloak around her, covering her with two pieces inside and outside. Du Lingjing didn't know what he was going to do, but he suddenly carried her into his Xuanbo.
Xuanbo was very high, and even though Du Lingjing had ridden on it once before, she was still startled when she suddenly got on it.
He turned over and sat behind her, then rode away with her.
There was no need for Chongping this time, he took her with him personally.
He ran out, and Qiu Lin, Ruan Gong and the carriage soon disappeared behind him.
Du Lingjing didn't feel cold even though she was wrapped in layers of cloaks. On the contrary, compared to the stuffiness inside the car, the wind outside was free and unrestrained.
He held her in his arms, and she wondered if this man was no longer angry.
But then I heard him say something else.
"Ruan Gong and the others are not here. Quan Quan has no money to pay, right?"
Du Lingjing: "..."
Why is he so calculating? Still thinking about it?
Did she meet the most calculating person in the world? But he just didn't want her to "calculate and make things clear" with him.
She wanted to say that she didn't have any money with her, but the hairpin on her hair could still be used as money.
But then he thought again, he didn't know since when, everything about her, from head to toe, whether it was her clothes, embroidered shoes, or hairpins and sachets, all belonged to him.
Even the small close-fitting bag she put on yesterday was embroidered for her by the needlework maids in the Marquis's mansion.
She was stunned for a moment, and then she didn't say anything else if she thought that she could pay with a hairpin.
But the man seemed to have guessed her thoughts and laughed softly in her ear.
About a quarter of an hour later, he stopped at a pretty good inn before dark.
As soon as the two walked in, they saw an old lady selling self-embroidered pendant bags in the inn coming over.
She had almost sold out all of her pendant purses, with only two left that had been picked out by others. She didn't have time to sell them or not.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the tall, handsome and heroic man in front of her.
The man nodded to her, and the mother-in-law came forward to greet him. Then, behind the man, there slowly followed a lady with a graceful and elegant appearance.
The mother-in-law couldn't help but laugh and said, "This must be the noble lady's wife, right? No wonder she bought a whole box of hairpins and flowers as a gift."
The man didn't say anything, but Du Lingjing paused slightly.
"Hairpin flowers?"
She didn't see any hairpin flowers, so she turned to look at the marquis and said to the mother-in-law.
"I think mother-in-law made a mistake. The box of hairpins should have been given to another woman."
The old lady with the hairpin was shocked when she heard that. Then she saw that the lady only had two strings of pearls on her head. She was so shocked that her face turned pale.
This... ...did I let it slip?
She looked at the man beside her in surprise.
Lu Shenru didn't want to scare the old man, so he glanced at the person beside him.
"Other women? Oh, a Tatar princess, a singing girl in a restaurant, a noble lady from a rich family, a nun in a temple, or a pretty widow..."
He had no intention of frightening the old lady, but the old woman selling flowers almost popped her eyes out.
So many women?
Du Lingjing pursed her lips tightly to avoid laughing. She heard him talking to the mother-in-law and pointing his eyes at her.
"It would be great if there really was one, then I wouldn't have to endure her anger."
Granny Zanhua's shocked heart finally calmed down.
But Du Lingjing was stunned and looked at him.
Who is being mad at whom?
Their eyes met and hung in mid-air.
Instead, the mother-in-law looked at the two of them and chuckled softly.
"Your Excellency and my lady, you are truly in love."
Love.
Du Lingjing was deaf for a moment.
Seeing that she was silent, Lu Shenru thought about what had happened in the past few days.
"Love is undeserved."
She now treated him as an outsider.
His voice was a little low and muffled, but he didn't want to involve the mother-in-law who was buying a hairpin. He nodded to her and walked past her inside.
The mother-in-law couldn't stay any longer, so she bowed to Du Lingjing and took the remaining sachets to the teahouse nearby to sell them.
Du Lingjing saw that he was obviously much better just now, but now he was sulking again. He walked forward and ignored everyone.
She stood behind him and looked at him silently for a while.
It took Qiulin, Ruan Gong and the others a while to catch up. Chong'an booked the entire top floor of the inn.
After dinner, Du Lingjing returned to the inn, and the fatigue all over her body came back.
Qiu Lin touched her forehead and asked, "Madam, do you seem to be feeling a little hot?"
Du Lingjing thought that he was probably tired from the journey. She was just about to ask him to take a rest, but Qiu Lin turned around and reported to the Marquis.
The man strode over immediately, and seeing that she was still standing under the bed, he immediately carried her to the bed and asked someone to find a doctor.
He touched her forehead repeatedly and frowned, "It's a little hot."
Fortunately, there was a doctor in the inn. The doctor took Du Lingjing's pulse, asked questions, and carefully looked at her condition. He said there was nothing wrong.
"It's because the remaining evil in the body has not been cleared. The disease comes like a mountain falling, and goes away like a thread being pulled out. It will take several days to recover completely."
When he said this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Shenru also calmed down and said to her.
"Go to sleep for a while. If you feel uncomfortable again, call me."
As he spoke, he thought of something and told her seriously, "Be sure to call me."
He looked a little serious, but he was not angry and ignored her as before. Du Lingjing couldn't help but look at him for a few more breaths.
The candlelight made his eyes shine like torches, and only her shadow was reflected in the room.
The things that had made him angry in the past few days inexplicably reappeared in her mind.
And Tingjun's voice also quietly rang in my ears.
"Think carefully, why is he angry?"
She responded to him, "I'll make a note of that."
He still seemed a little unconvinced, so she could only repeat it again.
"If I feel uncomfortable, I will tell you."
Only then did he blow out the lamp beside her bed for her so that she could go to bed early.
He still had a few letters to reply, so he sat down at the table under the window.
Chongping took the letter, but he couldn't read it.
His eyes fell on his wife sleeping in the tent, and he suddenly smiled.
What on earth was he arguing with her about?
The man stood up and opened the window a little. The night was dark, with only a few lights in the distant mountains.
Her father passed away in the mountains that year.
When he heard the news, he rode for five days and five nights and arrived at the mountains where the accident happened. It was still raining there.
Chongping said that she had found her father's body, but she was still staying in the mountains and was reluctant to leave.
He didn't dare to imagine what she was feeling, so he hurried up the mountain until he arrived at the villa where she was temporarily staying.
It was already dark, and it was still raining in the middle of the night, so he had no hope of seeing her.
But as I got closer, I saw a man holding a lantern, standing alone in the middle of the mountains outside the villa.
She seemed unwilling, or she didn't know why her father came to this mountain. She walked back and forth with the lamp in her hand, looking at the mountains.
She was only wearing a thin white dress. The mountains were so tall and insurmountable that she looked as small as a grain of sand in the mountains.
But she just refused to leave. She had no one to accompany her and couldn't sleep, so she walked out of the yard.
She holds a lantern and asks questions to the mountains at night.
Lu Shenru felt as if someone had grabbed her. He loosened the reins, dismounted, and strode towards her.
At first she turned her back and didn't see him, only looking up at the dark mountains. It wasn't until he came closer that she asked and turned around.
It was hard to see clearly at night, but she saw that he was alone, his horse still stopped on the road below, and he seemed to be passing by, walking towards her, so she asked.
"Did you pass by here?" She pointed ahead. "From here, we can go down the mountain in another three quarters of an hour."
Her voice was so hoarse that it pierced his ears as she said, "But be careful, there will be flash floods in the mountains."
Hearing this, his heart trembled.
He was about to say something when someone came out from the house.
The man saw her lamp from a distance and called her over.
"Quanquan?"
It’s Jiang Zhuxiu.
She heard it and said to him, a passerby, "My fiancé is here to look for me. Please go down the mountain quickly and don't stay. I have to go."
As she spoke, tears began to fall.
Every drop of it made his heart ache.
He wanted to tell her "don't cry", he wanted to hold her in his arms, but she cried more and more, kept wiping her tears, and turned to walk towards Jiang Zhuxiu.
The lamp she was holding was suddenly extinguished by raindrops.
"Quanquan!" Jiang Zhuxiu called her and walked towards her quickly with a lantern in hand.
She suddenly dropped the extinguished light, cried softly, and suddenly ran towards Jiang Zhuxiu.
"Saburo!"
She couldn't hold back her tears and she threw herself into Jiang Zhuxiu's arms.
Jiang Zhuxiu's lamp flickered when he was knocked by her, and she hugged him tightly, burying her tears in his arms.
"Sanlang, you must live well, and we must live together till old age!"
... ...
The mountains were silent. Lu Shenru withdrew his gaze and looked at the person sleeping in the tent.
He knew that she couldn't possibly forget that man. How could she forget the person she swore to grow old with?
That person must be the husband in her heart.
At that time, the rain kept falling in the mountains all night long. But now it was not raining in the mountains, and the weather in Gyeonggi was so dry that there was not even a drop of rain.
Times have changed, why should he still care about these things?
She is used to being polite to him, so she should just be polite, it doesn't matter if they are even.
She will always be his, Lu Shenru's wife, and no one can change that.
She didn't care if he wasn't her husband.
Even if she treated him as an outsider all her life, what would that matter?
The man pulled the window back, blocking the distant mountain view outside the window.
Just then there was a movement in the tent. She sat up.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable and can't sleep?" he asked.
She lifted the curtain and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm a little thirsty."
The man immediately poured her a glass of warm water and handed it to her.
He reached out and touched her forehead, "It's still a little hot."
She said it was okay, lowered her head and drank the whole glass of water. He took the glass and heard her say, "Thank you..."
Thanks again.
Lu Shenru was gloomy and told herself not to care about it. She pursed her lips and prepared to pour her another glass.
Before I could turn around, she suddenly said another sentence, following the previous one.
Thank you, she called him in a very soft voice.
"...Husband."
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