Yang Liuer bowed to them to thank them for their kindness, but still refused.
"I'll go to the inn; the money I received is enough for my expenses these days."
If it weren't for the money, Yang Liuer might have accepted their help, but since she could live on her own, why should she bother others?
"If that's the case, then we'll advise you to come find us anytime if you need anything. It's the Jiang residence in the west of the city."
Yang Liuer nodded, "If needed, I will definitely come to find you, Miss."
"My name is Yang Liuer. May I ask how you should address me, young lady?"
"Just call me Qingqing. This is Sister Ahua. We'll be colleagues from now on, so you don't need to be so polite."
Yang Liuer smiled and agreed. Her smile was faint, unlike Ahua's. Her smile contained more of a sense of vicissitude and composure after sorrow.
On the other side.
Qi Nuan asked, "Are you really going to form an all-female army?"
Jiang Yu nodded.
"Didn't Lord Song say anything?"
Jiang Yu looked at Qi Nuan, as if Qi Nuan had a problem with her understanding of the world. He said, "Women can also go out and work. Did you see the people in the market?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Nuan looked around and saw that there were indeed many women setting up stalls in the market, selling their own goods.
But she still thought...
Seeing Qi Nuan's thoughtful expression, Jiang Yu continued, "Look, whether it's you or Ahua and the others, has anyone said anything about what you've done?"
Yes, no one said anything; even Song Jingning and Lord Fu seemed to take it all in stride.
Perhaps this era is far more open than she imagined, and not so harsh on women.
Therefore, in the original story, the female protagonist's female army did not encounter much opposition.
"Of course, women generally don't join the army because the country needs people, and war will cause a large loss of people, while women need to stay behind to raise children. If all the women went to the battlefield, then if the country lost the war, it would mean that the country would truly perish."
Qi Nuan nodded. In fact, her thinking had always been influenced by modern novels and TV dramas.
In her subconscious, women in ancient times were confined to their homes and rarely left their residences. Even when she saw these women or herself enjoying relative freedom, she believed it was because they were born into the lowest social classes.
The female lead's special status is due to her being the female lead.
It turns out that's not the case. Her perception has always been flawed; perhaps, she has never truly understood or recognized society.
Perhaps she should change her mindset.
But she was still very curious as to why the woman named Yang Liuer would join the army. She could tell, of course, that Yang Liuer's decision was not driven by interest or passion, unlike Qingqing's.
She must have had no other choice but to join the army.
Well, everyone has their own difficulties. Even in the best society, there are people who don't live their lives as ideally as they'd like.
In short, it was all due to the pressures of life.
When Qi Nuan and the others returned to the prefectural government, they saw Jiang Qi and his group.
They were clearly waiting for them here on purpose.
"Little girl, we're leaving now. We'll definitely take you to Luoyang sometime. Remember to help me find someone!"
Jiang Yu listened, her brows furrowing slightly. When did they become so familiar?
After Jiang Qi finished speaking, he turned to Jiang Yu, but the smile on his face had disappeared. "This is a token of the Jiang family. If you ever need anything, you can use it to exchange for a promise from the Jiang family, no matter what it is."
Jiang Yu turned away, her expression indifferent. "I have no relation to the Jiang family. I appreciate your kindness, but I will politely decline the gift."
The young man in white looked at Jiang Yu with a hint of mockery in his eyes, and took two steps forward. "You'll need it."
As he spoke, he glanced at Qi Nuan and said in a very low voice, "Speaking of which, this little girl is someone you brought from Yuyang, right? She looks somewhat like an old friend of mine!"
Without waiting for Jiang Yu's reply, he threw the things into Jiang Ming's arms.
He glanced at the old man who was still staring at Jiang Yu, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but his voice carried a hint of pleasure, "Let's go, Uncle Song."
Jiang Yu left, his eyes extremely cold. Did he think he could threaten me? Although he couldn't, he was still really annoying!
Jiang Ming held the item in his hand as if it were a hot potato, unsure whether to throw it away or keep it. Fortunately, Jiang Yu didn't make things difficult for him.
He took it, but his eyes showed extreme disgust.
How arrogant! What's the point of making useless promises?
Song Jingning stood above, having witnessed the entire scene. There was some worry in his eyes, but he ultimately said nothing.
The group then dined at the prefectural government office.
Only Song Jingning, Qi Nuan, and Jiang Yu were at the table.
Where is Brother Jiang Ming?
He went to eat elsewhere.
Qi Nuan nodded, and soon all the dishes were served: four dishes and a soup, not too many, but not too few either. Qi Nuan actually realized something was wrong.
However, she has always been an idealist, though she herself has not realized it.
She always thought Wang Er was too soft-hearted and always strived for perfection, but in fact she was even worse than Wang Er.
Everything has a traceable pattern.
They are still themselves, yet they are no longer themselves. Jiang Yu is not just Jiang Yu; he is still their young master. Their attitude had already changed when they changed their address, but Qi Nuan had not noticed it until now.
Or perhaps she was pretending not to know.
Is Jiang Yu doing this today because of Jiang Qi and others?
Was it because of her or because of Jiang Ming?
Jiang Yu's care for her was always subtle and understated.
The three finished their meal in silence. Song Jingning and Jiang Yu still had things to discuss, so Jiang Yu asked Jiang Ming to take Qi Nuan back.
Inside the carriage, Qi Nuan asked Jiang Ming, "Brother Jiang Ming, are you a member of the Jiang family?"
Upon hearing her words, Jiang Ming paused in the hand holding the riding whip.
He nodded silently.
"I remember that Brother Jiang Ming used to talk a lot, but after coming to Shangjun, he doesn't talk much anymore."
The girl's words carried a hint of loss and nostalgia. Jiang Ming's throat moved, and after a long while, he said, "It's the same now as before, only I'm more mature."
He smiled and said, "Don't overthink it, Nuan. We treat you the same as before."
"Yes, I know."
The girl's voice had a slight nasal tone.
"I just haven't changed yet."
Actually, after she came to this era, apart from the first few months when she went hungry, she lived a good life for the rest of the time.
She lived under Jiang Yu's wing, and her thoughts had never changed; they remained the same as in the modern era.
She thought she was very mature, but she wasn't, and she only realized this today.
She thought she was living a happy life, but in reality, someone was always accommodating her.
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