He admitted that he did admire a woman like Jiang Qinyu, but he knew very well that she was someone else's wife, and the wife of the great general he respected so much. Therefore, no matter what, he would not have any improper thoughts about Jiang Qinyu.
But when Lu Wanqing pointed this out, Xiao Rui suddenly began to doubt whether he could really control his own heart.
Especially today, when he asked her how to ensure the people could get through the winter safely, the method she gave him only increased his appreciation and affection for her by several levels.
Jiang Qinyu said that in order to solve this problem, in addition to ensuring the basic food and clothing needs of the people, we need to start from two aspects.
One is warm clothing, and the other is fuel.
As for warm clothing, the border troops had connections and could obtain cotton, which was an extremely warm material. Clothes or quilts with cotton linings were much warmer than what they used to have.
For fuel, we need to find the stone ash mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It is a very durable fuel that produces a high temperature and, importantly, takes up less space than firewood.
There is a stone ore deposit on Yunshan Mountain behind Dingshui Village.
If we want to ensure that all the people of Yukang Prefecture can get through this winter, relying solely on the stone ore on Yunshan Mountain is definitely not enough, but Jiang Qinyu has a way to quickly find stone ore deposits throughout Yukang Prefecture.
The problem that had been troubling him for a long time was instantly solved by Jiang Qinyu.
Whenever Xiao Rui thought about these things, the regret in his heart grew even heavier.
I regret not meeting you before I was married...
“But cousin, what about that lady…” Although Lu Wanqing was startled by Xiao Rui’s cold face, thinking of her future and Xiao Rui’s reputation, she still mustered up her courage and continued, “I saw it all! Cousin, look at the way you looked at her…”
"My cousin came along today just to see who I was meeting?" Xiao Rui snapped out of his daze, his expression returning to normal, his tone flat as he changed the subject.
When Lu Wanqing was asked this, she suddenly remembered her original intention, and her pretty face flushed red. "I...I did it because..."
Because I love you! I want to marry you! I don't want you to have anything to do with other women!
Lu Wanqing desperately wanted to shout these words out, but years of upbringing held her back. In the end, she didn't say them, but lowered her head and whispered, "Cousin, can't you feel my feelings for you..."
Xiao Rui isn't made of wood; of course he can sense it.
He knew that Lu Wanqing liked him, but he also knew that the Lu family would not agree to Lu Wanqing marrying him, after all, Lu Wanqing was Lu Qingsheng's only daughter and would be married into the family in the future.
His identity made it impossible for him to marry into the Lu family, even though he was now considered dead by outsiders.
He was willing to let Lu Wanqing come along this time to reassure the Lu family that he had no ulterior motives towards Lu Wanqing.
"Cousin, you should be careful what you say. Not everything can be said," Xiao Rui said.
Lu Wanqing suddenly looked up at him, "Cousin, what do you mean by this?"
Xiao Rui sighed softly, "I have something to do, cousin, you should go back first."
After saying that, he shouted into the air, "Eleven, arrange for someone to send Miss Biao back."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Eleven suddenly appeared in the study, knelt on one knee, and bowed in response.
Lu Wanqing stared blankly at the scene until Eleven called her, bringing her back to her senses.
"No! I don't want to go back!" Lu Wanqing shook her head repeatedly. "Cousin, please don't send me away! I promise I'll never follow you again..."
"Eleven," Xiao Rui called out simply.
The next moment, Eleven said apologetically to Lu Wanqing, "Miss, I'm sorry."
After saying that, he chopped Lu Wanqing off with his hand, and she fainted. Eleven quickly caught her and then disappeared out of the study with her in his arms.
Xiao Rui put down his book, walked to the bedside, looked at the sky outside the window, and after a long while, sighed softly.
...
After Xiao Rui left, Chen Xiuer inquired about his situation in various ways.
Jiang Qinyu looked at her with a half-smile, "Why are you asking about this, cousin?"
She hadn't realized this girl was so proud; she probably heard her address Xiao Rui as "Your Highness" at the beginning.
Tsk tsk, it's clear that Lu Yanzheng's face isn't as attractive as Xiao Rui's status. Look, even Cousin Xiu'er is already wavering.
"Sister-in-law, don't overthink it. I just saw that he had an extraordinary demeanor and wanted to see what kind of person he was," Chen Xiuer said, her voice lacking confidence.
Who doesn't want a good life? As it stands, although she lives in the Lu family home, she rarely sees Lu Yanzheng, and even when they do meet, he never takes the initiative to say a word to her.
Now that everyone has disappeared, what hope does she have left?
But this young master Rui, didn't he say before he left that he would come back in a few days?
If she's well-prepared and stands out, she'll surely catch his attention, right?
It's no exaggeration to say that even becoming a concubine for that young master Rui would be better than living under the roof of the Lu family.
Jiang Qinyu didn't know what she was thinking, but she could guess a bit of it, and said meaningfully, "It's best if my cousin doesn't inquire about his identity, lest she get into trouble."
Chen Xiuer frowned and glanced at Jiang Qinyu several times, but she didn't say anything more and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Hmph! In her opinion, Jiang Qinyu is clearly jealous of her! Jealous that she can behave openly in front of Young Master Rui, jealous that she might marry into Young Master Rui's family!
That must be it, otherwise why wouldn't she tell her about Young Master Rui's background? She even tried to scare her; if she believed Jiang Qinyu, she'd be a complete fool!
Chen Xiuer planned to ask around among other people. Judging from how familiar Young Master Rui seemed with the place, the people of Dingshui Village might know his background.
Meanwhile, Lu Yancai and Lu Tianbao returned home in the evening and found the kitchen completely empty, which immediately made the father and son furious.
"You wretched woman! Are you dead? Don't you know how to boil water and cook at home?"
"Mom! Your son is dying of thirst and hunger, why didn't you cook anything?"
The two ran towards the main house, dissatisfied.
Ma had just finished eating the last bit of dry food left in the house when Lu Yan and his son came in; she hadn't even wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth yet.
Lu Yancai was furious when he saw this, so he grabbed a broom from the corner and rushed over.
"Lu Yancai, how dare you!" Madam Ma jumped three feet high, dodging as she shouted, "If you hit me again, I'll tell everyone that you're not the Lu family's biological son!"
Lu Yan stopped abruptly upon hearing this, staring at her with eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and asked through gritted teeth, "What did you say?"
Madam Ma put her hands on her hips, straightened her back, and snorted, "Don't think I don't know, your mother can't have children, and neither you nor Lu Yanzheng are children of the Lu family!"
"How did you know?" Lu Yancai was practically going crazy!
How did that shrew know?
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