Chapter 121 The summer heat is scorching, let's have some cold lotus root salad...
The June sun was scorching hot, as if it wanted to bake the entire earth dry.
On the driver's seat of the carriage, the woman, under the blazing sun, wiped the beads of sweat that kept dripping from her face.
Her eyes narrowed to slits from the stinging light. "It's only late morning, how can it be this hot already?"
The woman's throat was parched, and she took off her water bag and tried to drink, but only a single drop of water came out. Furious, she spat on the ground, "This blind, wicked heaven only targets us poor people!"
There was still some water left from the water bag that had been filled this morning, so Zhang Ting took the water bag and handed it to the woman in the cart.
"I have some left, you can take it and drink it."
The woman in the carriage quickly refused, saying, "Oh! How can this be? The lady and your husband are not enough for us."
Zhang Ting had prepared in advance, carrying several extra water bags, so making it easy for her to reach the next post station.
He just smiled when he heard her words, and stuffed the pouch into the woman's hand, saying, "Take it."
"This, this..." The woman in the carriage felt embarrassed for taking advantage of others, but in this terrible weather, if she didn't replenish her water while traveling, she might collapse.
She scratched her head and grinned sheepishly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhang Ting didn't take it seriously. "It's nothing. We've been walking for quite a while now. Master, please stop under the shade of the tree ahead. We'll rest there and have lunch."
The woman nodded, but a strange feeling welled up inside her, and her eyes stung. Considering that she was feeling weak from the heat, she asked them to stop and rest.
She's such a good person.
The coachwoman looked up, suppressing the stinging in her eyes, and drove the carriage to the shade of the trees ahead as usual.
Zhang Tingcai peeked out of the carriage for a short while, and when he went back in, he was covered in sweat.
However, the interior of the carriage was no better. Lifting the curtain would occasionally let in a breeze to cool things down, but the air was still sweltering, so this was just a drop in the ocean.
Zhang Ting wiped the sweat from her face and lay down on the small couch with Zong Suyi. A cool mat was placed underneath to slightly relieve the heat.
If they continued on their journey, they would truly be roasted alive.
She sat up with her legs bent and lifted the corner of her clothes to fan herself and Zong Suyi.
"It's so hot..." Zong Suyi muttered to herself, her eyes vacant. Suddenly, she placed her hand on her abdomen and pulled down her lips in distress. "The baby is about to melt from the heat."
Zhang Ting glanced at him, thinking he was getting sillier and sillier. How could it be so serious? But it wasn't right to keep the pregnant man in the heat.
He increased the force of the fan, saying, "Once we leave Jeju Prefecture, we'll be able to use ice. Please bear with it, my lord."
Although they had some savings, they still had to keep a low profile after their property was confiscated and they were demoted. To put it bluntly, they told others that the carriage they hired this time was bought by pawning their clothes.
However, things will get better once we leave the prefectures near Kyoto.
Zong Suyi nodded slowly, stunned, and then stroked her belly, saying, "Baby, you must hold on."
Zhang Ting covered half her face, unable to bear looking at it; it was just too silly.
She woke up with a start and sat up straight.
Wait, will Big Fool give birth to a Little Fool?
Zong Suyi was still chatting unilaterally with the unborn fetus in his belly, rambling on and on about all sorts of things, useful and useless. Zhang Ting suddenly felt that her genes were probably no match for his, and looked at the roof of the car with a feeling of utter helplessness.
Although she wasn't exceptionally intelligent, she was still a top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. If her descendants were too dull-witted, wouldn't that make her lose face in front of her colleagues?
Zhang Ting turned her head slightly to look at Zong Suyi with a worried expression. He had a faint smile on his lips, gently poked his stomach, and chuckled. He looked extremely gentle and romantic.
She also felt that she was, after all, a top scholar who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations. Even if the little boy was a bit slow-witted, she could still raise him to be intelligent if she tried her best to teach him.
After a while, the carriage stopped under the shade of the trees.
Zhang Ting helped her husband down to rest, saying, "Be careful, be careful, you must watch where you're going."
Zong Suyi had just done some light exercise and was sweating from the heat, but she was full of energy. Hearing this, she pouted and slapped her angrily, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Zhang Ting: "..." Aren't you stupid?
Zong Suyi instantly understood the meaning behind her words, glared at her fiercely, and walked away haughtily with her chin raised.
Zhang Ting stood there and suddenly chuckled.
The coachwoman behind her had just tied up the horse when she heard the voice and turned her head to say, "Your Majesty and your husband have such a good relationship. I have driven many clients, but I have never seen such a loving couple."
He couldn't help but admire her; she was so tolerant and considerate towards a man with a bad temper. The employer must have a truly good nature.
Zhang Ting waved his hand, the smile still lingering in his eyes, and asked her when they would arrive at the post station.
The woman lowered her head and silently calculated before replying, "An hour and a half should be enough to travel at full speed."
Zhang Ting looked up at the sky. The sun was relentlessly pouring out its scorching heat, as if afraid it wouldn't be able to bake people alive. Turning his gaze to the ground, he saw waves of heat rising up. He feared that even horses running on the scorching ground for too long would not be able to withstand it, and if they were damaged, it would cost even more money.
Fortunately, it's cool under the shade of the trees, so let's rest and recharge here for now, and continue our journey when the temperature drops a bit.
"Take a good rest here. You should also rest. We'll continue our journey once the sun goes down a bit."
The woman was deeply moved by these words. This employer was truly compassionate and cared for the poor like her.
With tears in his eyes, he nodded and was about to turn around to prepare fodder for the horse when he suddenly remembered that Zhangzhou Prefecture had been quite turbulent for the past two years, and he couldn't help but worry about Zhang Ting.
"I am but a humble man, and I dare to ask, what brings Your Majesty to Zhangzhou Prefecture?"
Zhang Ting's eyes darted around, wondering what would be a good lunch.
After hearing what the woman in the carriage said, he turned to look at her, smiled faintly, and said frankly, "I am a newly appointed Jinshi this year, and I am going to Zhangzhou Prefecture to take up my post."
The woman was shocked; she had actually encountered an official!
Looking at Zhang Ting, her figure suddenly seemed much taller, like a towering mountain that was difficult to look up to.
The woman's knees buckled, and she trembled as she tried to kneel before her, saying, "My lord, my lord, I, Tang Dahua, pay my respects to you, my lord."
Zhang Ting reached out and stopped her from kneeling, saying, "When we're out and about, we shouldn't be so formal."
Tang Dahua was lifted up by her, her heart filled with countless emotions. This noble person in front of her was not only gentle and considerate, but also extremely kind to a lowly commoner like her. If she were to become an official, she would surely be a good one!
Furthermore, since you, sir, are determined to go to the difficult and arduous Zhangzhou Prefecture, you must be filled with the courage to burn your boats and be determined to govern that place properly, right?
This is truly rare and remarkable!
"Thank you, Lord Xie..." She looked up at Zhang Ting, her pupils trembling slightly, then lowered her head in disappointment. If only the Lord Xie could serve as an official in her hometown.
Zhang Ting didn't notice the woman's mood. She had just noticed a pond of lotus flowers nearby. It was June, the perfect time to eat lotus root shoots. She was thinking of digging some up to make a side dish to eat with her dry rations.
He helped her up, then rolled up his trousers and set off.
Zong Suyi saw her running into the woods and quickly stood up. "Where are you going? It's so hot outside."
"I'm going to dig some lotus roots. I'll be right back. You just wait here."
Lotus root shoots? What are those?
Zong Suyi followed in a daze, clutching her stomach. She took a few steps out of the shade of the tree, then hopped back in, feeling burning hot!
The cloth shoes on his feet offered no protection from the heat, so he could only stand there and say to his child with a sense of loss, "Son, your mother has gone to find you something to eat. She'll be back soon, don't worry."
For as long as Zhang Ting was touching the lotus root in the pond, Zong Suyi watched her from afar.
After Zhang Ting washed the lotus root thoroughly and cleaned her legs before getting ashore, he followed her, looking aggrieved, not minding the heat.
He pressed himself against her, and the first thing he said was to complain: "The sun is so annoying, it almost burned me and the baby to death just now."
Zhang Ting suppressed a laugh; although she was already used to his expression, she couldn't help but chuckle.
She carried the lotus root in one hand and put her arm around his shoulder with the other as they walked back.
"Then I'll make you some cold lotus root salad for lunch to comfort you and the children and cool you down in the summer heat."
Zong Suyi's furrowed brows relaxed, and he stared at her intently, his gaze like melting honey, thick and sweet, even the corners of his downturned mouth unconsciously turned up.
My dear child, your mother is definitely the gentlest, most considerate, and best mother in the world!
A blush crept onto his face as he silently added in his mind: She is also the best wife in the world.
There were still some lotus roots left over from the harvest, and Zhang Ting shared some with Tang Dahua.
The other party was flattered and overwhelmed, accepting the lotus root strip bestowed by the official with both hands with trepidation, and couldn't help but turn away and cry.
In all her decades of life, she had never met such an approachable, gentle, and kind person.
Why can't such a high-ranking official go to her hometown?
Zhang Ting turned around and found a place to cook. The lotus root she dug up was clean and tender. She simply sliced it thinly, blanched it in water, took it out, and mixed it with wild mountain peppers and various seasonings. A refreshing and cooling lotus root salad was ready.
Wild chili peppers were at their peak of freshness and spiciness, but she used only a small amount to suit Zong Suyi's taste.
Tang Dahua fed the horse and was about to come over to help cook for the nobleman when she found that the nobleman had already finished cooking, and it looked quite good.
She gazed in awe at the tall, imposing woman before her. What a magnanimous woman she was! To be able to set aside her pride and cook for her husband was something she could never achieve, even if she were reincarnated tens of thousands of times.
As they spent more time together, her understanding of this official deepened.
She was kind-hearted, magnanimous, polite, and well-mannered, like a daughter of a noble family. She was also exceptionally talented. Although her academic ranking was unknown, passing the imperial examination was something that poor people like her would never dare to dream of.
This Lord Zhang is truly a perfect man!
Zhang Ting picked up some chopsticks and brought them to Zong Suyi's lips, "Is this level of spiciness alright?"
Zong Suyi took a big bite. The lotus root was sweet and crisp, coated with a layer of seasoning, making it sour and spicy. He ate it until his eyes narrowed.
He held his wife's hand and rubbed it against hers, his eyes shining like a thousand stars. "My wife, you are amazing. You are skilled in both literature and martial arts, and you are also a master chef." He had never heard of any woman willingly washing her hands and cooking for her husband.
"It's just a simple side dish, what's the big deal?" Zhang Ting's lips curled slightly, and she looked away, coughing lightly. "You flatter me."
Zong Suyi rested his head on her shoulder, deeply moved, and decided to repay his wife: "I will prepare dinner tonight." He would then use all his skills to prepare an excellent feast for his wife, so that she would be deeply moved and applaud in admiration!
Zhang Ting's smile froze for a moment, then she turned his head away, gently pressing down his overconfident head, her smile forced, "What's the point of going to the inn tonight if there's nothing there?"
Zong Suyi tilted her head and thought for a long time, "It seems so."
Zhang Ting affectionately ruffled his fluffy hair, comforting herself: It's okay, it's okay, having a baby will make you smarter.
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