Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Magical Five-Colored Cloud Robe
Chen Qing didn't take out the Five-Colored Cloud Robe immediately. After all, the carriage was only so big, and there were other people around. She could only wait until she was alone at night to do so.
After a whole day of rushing, the group had only covered fifty li of Lu before finally finding a village before nightfall.
"Sister Qing! There are people living in the village ahead! Let's ask them for lodging!"
Pei Xuan was very happy to see the village, finally allowing Sister Qing to get some rest.
Chen Qing's spirits lifted. This was the first inhabited village they had encountered on their journey. She quickly sent Wang Zhong into the village to inquire and find a place to stay.
Wang Zhong accepted the order and left, returning shortly afterward.
"Young lady, the village chief has agreed to let us stay overnight. Let's go into the village."
The village is called Dahe Village, which is backed by a river. The village is mainly inhabited by people with the surname Ding, and has about a hundred households, most of whom are young and strong men.
This year's weather is unusual. It started snowing in September, and the crops in the fields could not be harvested in time. The imperial court also levied grain taxes. Ordinary villages could not withstand the multiple pressures. People had no food and could not bear the cold in the snow, so they fled to the city for help.
In some villages, the people did not flee, but they were attacked by refugees and became dilapidated.
When Chen Qing entered Dahe Village, his first impression was one of strictness.
There were many young and middle-aged men patrolling the road, carrying weapons such as forks, sickles, and axes. They would be on high alert if they spotted any outsiders.
The carriage arrived at the gate of a traditional courtyard house made of blue bricks; this was the home of Ding Dayong in Dahe Village.
Chen Qing and his group were dressed in very expensive clothes. They were able to travel in such weather, so they must have someone protecting them.
Ding Dayong warmly welcomed Chen Qing and arranged accommodations for them.
The house, made of blue bricks and tiles, may not be luxurious, but it is clean and cozy, and its charm lies in its strong sense of daily life.
Wang Zhong gave Ding Dayong one hundred taels of silver as a token of appreciation for their hospitality.
Normally, a dozen or twenty taels would be enough, but this was a winter with continuous heavy snow. Providing them with shelter and food was tantamount to saving their lives.
Chen Qing wasn't reluctant to spend the money; after taking out the hundred taels, Ding Dayong became noticeably more enthusiastic.
Ding Dayong asked his wife to kill a chicken, and they ate hot chicken soup for dinner. They also stir-fried cured meat with garlic sprouts they grew themselves, making it feel like Chinese New Year.
Ding Dayong's two sons are both married, and there are four or five children in the family. Seeing such a sumptuous meal, they all happily shouted that it was New Year's Day.
When it was time to eat, Ding Dayong insisted on separate tables: Chen Qing and her group at one table, and his family at another.
Unlike the sumptuous meal in front of Chen Qing, their family's table only had wild vegetables and cornbread, which was quite meager.
"What are you looking at? Eat your food!" Ding Dayong's daughter-in-law scolded the child who kept peeking at the food on Chen Qing's table in a low voice, and gave her an apologetic smile.
Chen Qing smiled and said to Ding Dayong, "Father-in-law, you're too kind. We can't possibly finish all this delicious meat and vegetables. Why don't we eat together?"
As he spoke, Chen Qing asked Pei Xuan to bring the chicken soup to Ding Dayong's table.
"No, you are guests, how can this be?"
Since they were unwilling to accept the chicken soup, Chen Qing asked Wang Zhong to bring them their dry rations: a whole braised duck and some steamed buns.
"Old man, please don't talk about being a host or a guest. It's fate that we met. Let's have a meal together. I still have some things I want to ask you."
The children in the family watched longingly, and Ding Dayong couldn't bear it, so he could only say, "Alright, thank you for your kindness, Miss."
There's a fire pit inside the house where you can put firewood to boil water and cook rice. Even when you're not cooking, the firewood keeps the house quite warm.
Chen Qing was very curious as to why Dahe Village could still live a peaceful life.
Ding Dayong sighed and said that life in the village was not peaceful either.
He served in the army as a battalion commander, but later lost a leg in battle and retired from the army to return to his village to farm.
Unlike ordinary people, Ding Dayong has a strong sense of crisis. A few years ago, when the weather was good, he reminded everyone in the village to stockpile grain.
Ding Dayong was a warm-hearted and helpful man. Most families in the village had received his kindness. After the old village chief retired, Ding Dayong was elected as the new village chief, and everyone in the village was willing to listen to him.
The weather has been bad this year, and the people have had almost no harvest, which has been evident since the first half of the year.
Ding Dayong, mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace, ordered the villagers to dig wells and store grain. Sure enough, in September, heavy snow fell and lasted for more than two months. The crops in the fields all died, and the livestock almost froze to death as well.
However, thanks to Ding Dayong's prior warning, almost every household in Dahe Village had enough food on hand.
Even after the food crisis was resolved, they still faced the constant threat of migrants raiding their villages.
Ding Dayong began training the young and strong men in the village, dividing them into several teams to patrol continuously every day. If they found any suspicious outsiders trying to enter the village, they would go up and question them.
Therefore, although life was difficult, they were able to find a place to stay in the village and did not have to worry about fleeing for the time being.
Chen Qing was extremely impressed and praised Ding Dayong, saying, "You are truly wise and brave. Thanks to you, the villagers can live in peace. I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."
Although Ding Dayong is old, he is truly a talent in this environment.
Chen Qing admires this kind of person the most.
Ding Dayong felt a little embarrassed by Chen Qing's praise and quickly raised his glass.
He asked curiously, "Honored guests, where do you come from? And where are you going? This weather is not good for traveling."
Chen Qing smiled slightly and explained his background.
She said she was the daughter of the Chen family in Qingzhou City. She went to do business with her father, but they were trapped by heavy snow. Not long ago, they decided to return to Qingzhou, but there were snow disasters and refugees everywhere along the way, and she also got separated from her family.
"The Chen family?"
Upon hearing Chen Qing's words, Ding Dayong's face showed surprise and uncertainty, and even the rest of his family members' expressions changed.
“Yesterday, a family surnamed Chen came to the village to stay,” Ding Dayong’s son said through gritted teeth, “Could they be your family members?”
"Shut up! Even if they have a connection with our distinguished guest, they are who they are. How can you blame the distinguished guest?"
Chen Qing asked, "Were the owners of those people a man and a woman, and were they accompanied by a woman who was about my age?"
"Exactly!"
"You have no idea how outrageous they are!"
Ding Dayong's son looked indignant, and even though Ding Dayong tried to stop him from speaking, he kept complaining like a machine gun.
It turns out that Chen Jiao and her group stayed in Dahe Village yesterday, and Ding Dayong warmly welcomed them, only to be met with Chen Jiao's rudeness in return.
The Zhang family and their daughter Chen Jiao looked down on the Ding family for being too poor, treating them like servants. During the meal, Chen Jiao even finished the chicken that they had kindly prepared. When she saw that Ding Dayong's grandson was craving meat, she deliberately threw the leftover bones on the ground, causing the children to fight over the food like dogs.
She burst into laughter, mocking him relentlessly.
Finally, Ding Dayong couldn't hold back any longer. He asked them for enough money and then led the villagers to drive them out.
It was the middle of the night, and it was snowing!
After hearing this, Chen Qing shook his head helplessly and smiled, "I think you must have encountered my family. They are always rude and have caused you trouble."
"No trouble at all. They are them, and you are you. How can you lump them together?"
Ding Dayong was very wise.
He has an extremely accurate eye for people and rarely makes a mistake.
When we hosted Chen Zhenyan and his group for the night yesterday, we didn't want them to come into the village at all, if we weren't worried they would freeze to death in the snow.
But I couldn't resist.
But upon seeing Chen Qing, Ding Dayong immediately sensed that this woman was no ordinary person.
Just by looking at the people around her, you can tell that Wang Zhong knew how to conduct himself properly, making sure that her family was polite when cooking and giving them enough money in advance.
Xiao Wu got along well with the children in the family, showing no disdain whatsoever, and even took out some snacks to share with them.
Although Chen Qing was plump and did not appear delicate, her skin was like jade, her eyes were bright and clear, and her demeanor exuded an air of nobility.
Not to mention the two men standing behind her.
Didn't you see how all the women in his house couldn't help but look?
The younger one, probably only fifteen or sixteen, was a dashing young man, full of youthful vigor, almost bursting through the roof.
The older one was like a drawn sword, cold all over, and looked like a fairy descended from heaven, her gender indistinguishable.
These are the people who, at a glance, all revolve around Chen Qing, showing him utmost respect and trust.
How could Chen Zhenyan and his group compare?
Those people yesterday were truly neither masters nor servants; the masters treated the servants harshly and severely, while the servants secretly ate the masters' food behind their backs...
Ding Dayong even doubted whether they could successfully return to Qingzhou.
After the meal, both host and guests enjoyed themselves.
Learning that Chen Zhenyan and his group were not doing well was a pleasant surprise for Chen Qing.
After dinner, Chen Qing went to her room to rest. Tonight, she could finally sleep alone.
Ding Dayong's house has many rooms, enough for them to rest.
Chen Qing didn't eat much for dinner. Pei Xuan was overjoyed at the thought of Chen Jiao's misfortune. "Sister Qing, I'll go get you some water to wash up!"
Xiao Wu was too young to do tasks like carrying water to wash feet, so Pei Xuan took the initiative to do it.
In winter, it's inconvenient to take a bath when you're out, so Chen Qing washes her body and cleans her hands and feet with water every day.
"good."
Ding Dayong's family was very frugal; they didn't even use oil lamps themselves, but they prepared one for Chen Qing's room.
A short while later, Pei Xuan brought over hot water.
Hot water was placed beside Chen Qing's feet, and Pei Xuan naturally squatted down to remove Chen Qing's shoes and socks.
With her fair skin exposed, Pei Xuan touched Chen Qing's feet and found them cold. Without any hesitation, he pulled her legs into his arms and asked, "Sister Qing, are you cold?"
Chen Qing shook her head: "It's not cold."
"It's so cold, let me warm you up."
The sincere young man seemed to have encountered some kind of world problem, hugging Chen Qing's feet and breathing on them to warm them up.
Chen Qing couldn't help but laugh, and pointed a finger at Pei Xuan's forehead, almost making him stumble.
"Idiot, wouldn't it warm up faster if you put it in water?"
The candlelight flickered, and Chen Qing smiled with captivating charm.
Pei Xuan was stunned. He squatted down in front of Chen Qing, looking up at the woman who had left an imprint on his heart from the very first time they met.
Others might say Chen Qing is too fat and not pretty, but in Pei Xuan's eyes, Chen Qing is the most beautiful woman in the world.
Perhaps from the very first glance, when Chen Qing was pinned to the ground in a disheveled state and met his gaze, her eyes were unusually calm. Later, the way she killed was both terrifying and captivating.
"What are you looking at?" Chen Qinghong's lips parted slightly, her eyebrows twitching slightly.
"Sister Qing, you are so beautiful." Pei Xuan praised sincerely.
Chen Qing had a discerning eye; at this moment, she was certain that the boy was sincere.
"fool."
"The water is getting cold."
Chen Qing kindly reminded him.
Pei Xuan grinned, then quickly lowered his head and gently massaged Chen Qing's feet. "Sister Qing, what I said is true."
"Okay, okay, I understand."
After finally washing her feet and kicking Pei Xuan out, Chen Qing was about to lower the bed curtains when she heard a knock at the door.
"Why are you back again?" Chen Qing asked.
"It's me." Outside the door was the Milky Way.
Chen Qingwei frowned almost imperceptibly. "It's already very late. Is there anything else you need?"
There was no answer from outside the door, and not even any sound could be heard. Chen Qing initially thought that the person outside had left.
She was a little annoyed. "Hey, are you still here?"
"exist."
"Did you need something? If not, go back to sleep."
"good."
There was no sound outside the door; it seemed that Yinhe had already left.
Chen Qing lay on the bed in frustration and muttered, "What a strange person."
After blowing out the candle, Chen Qing stopped thinking about Yinhe. Anyway, Li Yi would be back in a few days, and that strange man would be leaving.
Why not try on the Five-Colored Cloud Robe now!
Chen Qing hadn't forgotten his new clothes. He took out the luminous pearl and placed it by the bedside for lighting, then took out the Five-Colored Cloud Robe from the system space.
The material of the Five-Colored Cloud Robe is exceptionally soft; it feels very light in your hands, like flowing water.
Chen Qing couldn't wait to change into the colorful dress, and then she was pleasantly surprised to find that the eight thousand points were well spent!
If the Five-Colored Cloud Robe is worn close to the body, it is equivalent to a shaping garment, which can gently wrap her whole body without causing stuffiness or sweating, and is very breathable!
Weighing over 200 pounds, she still managed to accentuate her curves perfectly. Even the best shaping clothes from her past life couldn't compare to the effect of the Five-Colored Cloud Robe!
The Five-Colored Cloud Robe can also change its form. When worn as an outer garment, it can transform into any style of clothing depending on the effect Chen Qing desires.
Is this something produced by the system? This is practically divine clothing!
Just like playing a dress-up game, Chen Qing tirelessly tried to change and change the styles.
In the end, Chen Qing chose a warm robe made of brocade, with silver fox fur trimmed on the collar and sleeve edges. The robe was a deep, rich purplish-brown, with gold thread embroidering auspicious cloud patterns.
This outfit is both warm and elegant, and it doesn't make Chen Qing look bulky at all.
This is the one!
The thought that such beautiful clothes could also be impervious to swords and spears made Chen Qing want to laugh.
She's determined to save up her weight loss points so she can buy everything good in the online store!
Wearing a close-fitting, colorful robe, the bed wasn't so cold anymore.
Chen Qingmei was fast asleep.
Going to bed early and waking up early, maintaining a regular lifestyle, is the key to healthy weight loss!
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