Sulou County
Yu Boyan didn't make a fuss in the end. As Xiaoya's father got better, Xiaoya returned to Yu Tongxin and no longer had to stay at home to help.
"Are there any other discomforts in your body?"
Xiaoya's father sat leaning on the pillow, his face still a little pale, and his hands were covered with small red dots, all traces left by the blood drawn by the Ming fish.
Xiaoya's father shook his head.
"Then I just need to slowly recuperate my body."
Xiaoya's father said weakly, "Thank you so much! I heard from her mother that you even helped Xiaoya learn to read. We really don't know how to thank you enough."
Mingyu was helpless. Is this family's lineage passed down from generation to generation?
"Xiaoya's mother has also helped me a lot, you don't have to be polite."
"I had hoped to take on some work before the New Year so that our family could have a good New Year." Xiaoya's father muttered to himself, his eyes a little lost, and he was lost in self-blame. "I didn't expect that I would end up getting the child's mother into trouble."
Mingyu said comfortingly, "Then treat her well from now on."
"Yes." Xiaoya's father nodded.
While Xiaoya's father was still in good spirits, Mingyu took the opportunity to ask, "I heard you went to the Wuzhu Pavilion to repair it?"
"Yes. The snow was so heavy that the stone mining was suspended. I should have come straight back, but someone came to our place to recruit workers, saying that the palace was hiring. I thought the salary was good and it was a short-term job, so I went."
"How does the Wuzhu Hall look like? Is it magnificent? Have you seen the Lord Wuzhu?" Mingyu pretended to be curious and asked tentatively.
"Oh, how can a laborer like me see such a big shot?" Xiaoya's father recalled the situation in the witch hall.
"Although the Wuzhu Hall is a bit old, it's quite large. There's a large platform inside, I wonder if it's where the Wuzhu Master prays. There's also a two-story building on the left, but we weren't allowed to go near it. We just followed the eunuchs in the palace and worked, helping with things like repainting the walls."
"Do you know who else went?"
Xiaoya's father shook his head, indicating that he didn't know: "I'm the only one from my village who signed up. The others are all in a hurry to go home for the New Year."
"Are your meals and food provided by the palace?"
"Yes."
"Master, is there something wrong?" Xiaoya's father was a little nervous, his Adam's apple moving up and down. "Could it be..."
"No." Mingyu smiled gently, "I'm just a little curious. Not many people can go to the palace."
Xiaoya's father said "yes, yes", but his eyes were a little hesitant. The quarry was a place he was used to working in, and there had never been any problems until this time when he went to the witch doctor's house.
Did he do something wrong and offend the gods?
"Don't worry, you will recover if you take good care of yourself." Mingyu reminded them that it was a good thing to be wary of the Wuzhu Hall, as they didn't know what plans they had in mind.
"yes."
The witch doctor's house was exactly what Xiaoya's father described. But they had to recruit people from outside the palace just to repair the walls?
There is no special recruitment of designated people. Anyone can go as long as they sign up. Those who go to the Wuzhu Hall are all ordinary people. What is the purpose?
The only thing Mingyu could think of was to test the poison, but in the end he did not force Xiaoya's father and the others to stay to observe. Now that there was no one to observe, what was the point of testing the poison?
…
Back in the room, two piles of clothes were placed on the table.
"Miss, you're back." Xueliu went forward to greet Mingyu. Seeing Mingyu looking at the clothes on the table, she explained, "These are the clothes sent by the young master. He said they are for you, young lady."
"The young master also sent someone to make some for me and Mu Mian." Xueliu's eyes were bright and her eyebrows were curved. She was very happy that she had new clothes.
Mingyu, however, found it an eyesore and told Xueliu, "Put it away first."
"Girl, don't you want to take a look? Although it's still early in spring and there's no need to rush to look, there are still winter clothes inside, which can be worn as new clothes on New Year's Eve."
"Forget it." Mingyu ignored the pile of clothes and sat down to write in his diary.
"After today's examination, Xiaoya's father is now fine. He was confirmed to be working at the Wuzhu Hall, but his purpose within the palace is unclear. Yu Tongan sent some clothes. Although it was all part of his plan, he was very unhappy. Mu Mian kept asking about the various effects of the prescriptions while helping."
Mingyu hesitated before writing down his speculation.
Xueliu has already put the clothes away.
Not paying attention to the color and style of clothes became Mingyu’s first biggest regret of the new year.
…
Everyone was free on New Year's Eve, even Muqian came back to the small yard.
Mingyu was holding the stove in the yard to keep warm and enjoy the snow, with food and hot tea prepared by Muqian beside him.
New Year's Eve is the day to drive away evil spirits and prepare for the new year. There is no need to communicate with the heavens, so the Ming fish are happy to have some free time.
Just worship like ordinary people tomorrow.
The snow fell lightly, and the plum blossoms were half-hidden behind the snow, shyly hiding.
"Miss, do you want to eat?" Xueliu sat next to her, peeled a roasted orange and held it up to ask Mingyu if she wanted to eat it.
"I don't want to eat it, you eat it." Mingyu curled up in the chair, unwilling to move.
"You just finished eating roasted sweet potatoes, and you haven't stopped talking yet." Muman said to Xueliu coquettishly.
"That's called putting on weight for the winter." Xueliu didn't care and retorted while eating her orange.
"Let her do it. She's still growing." Mingyu helped.
"That's right."
Before Muqian could say anything, the yard was suddenly opened.
"Master!" Before he could even see the person's face clearly, Yu Tongxin's voice pierced Mingyu's eardrums, "Have you put on the gift I gave you?"
Yu Tongxin was wearing bright pink and a red pearl flower on her head, looking very festive. Although Xiaoya beside her was not as festive as Yu Tongxin, she also wore new clothes and had a red ribbon tied on her head.
"Miss, please keep your voice down." Cuizhu couldn't help but remind herself that the young lady should be careful with her words and actions.
Yu Tongxin completely ignored him and ran to Mingyu excitedly. But when she saw Mingyu was still wearing old clothes, her face immediately fell.
"Why is this happening?" Yu Tongxin looked as if the sky had fallen. "Master, don't you like it? I spent a long time choosing this pattern."
"I like it, I like it." Mingyu coaxed hurriedly.
"Then why didn't the teacher wear it?" Yu Tongxin put her hands on her hips. She was almost seven years old and was not someone who could be fooled easily!
Mingyu hesitated for a second and thought of an excuse: "I haven't showered yet. I have to shower before I wear new clothes."
"Oh, that's right." Yu Tongxin remembered that she was in a hurry to change clothes and urged the nanny to give her a bath. It was normal that the teacher had not taken a bath yet.
Yu Tongxin perked up again: "You will wear it later, right?"
"Yes, for sure."
Yu Tongxin let her go and told Mumian and Xueliu, "Then please help the Master change into something else."
Muqian smiled and said yes, and Xueliu nodded quickly with the orange in her mouth.
"Then Master, I'll come find you after dinner."
As soon as Yu Tongxin finished speaking, she turned around, grabbed Xiaoya and ran away. Cuizhu could only hurriedly say goodbye to Mingyu and catch up with Yu Tongan who had not run far.
It wasn't too early anymore, so Mumian clapped his hands and stood up: "Then I'll ask someone to bring some water."
"good."
…
There are no major problems with the color selection and workmanship of the clothes. It is a light blue color that Mingyu rarely wears.
"This color looks great on you, girl." Mu Mian helped tidy up the clothes and took a step back, her eyes full of admiration. "You usually only wear plain colors."
The emphasis of shamans is on integration with heaven and earth, which causes Mingyu to unconsciously prefer simpler styles.
The light blue color made Mingyu feel a little uncomfortable.
But fortunately, there is a cloak, which is not very obvious once it is put on.
Mingyu had just taken up his old cloak when he was stopped by Mumian.
"The lady also gave me a cloak." Mu Man smiled happily for a rare time, which made Ming Yu have a bad premonition.
Xueliu came over with a cloak, and Mingyu could see the pattern on the clothes clearly.
It was a pink cloak with a pattern of kittens on it, and the shapes of the cats were outlined with thin lines.
It's very cute and would suit Yu Tongxin very well, but it's not a pattern suitable for adults.
Mingyu hesitated to speak, but finally asked, "Can I not wear it?"
"But the girl has promised the young lady." Mu Mian was a little embarrassed, but she still couldn't stop smiling.
Okay, just wear it. You won’t be leaving this house tonight anyway. You can change it after showing it to Yu Tongxin.
…
Staying at home is Mingyu's delusion. For little Yu Tongxin, staying up all night is boring, so visiting the night market is the theme of New Year's Eve.
"I didn't expect you to wear it." Yu Tongan smiled, "It suits you very well."
Yu Tongxin dragged Xiaoya around, and Mumian and Wu Pi followed. They stayed in a less crowded area waiting for Yu Tongxin to play.
Mingyu sighed slightly, feeling somewhat frustrated: "I didn't expect that either."
"I tried to dissuade her, but failed." Yu Tong'an originally thought that it would be okay if he failed, so he even ordered two more sets to avoid embarrassing Mingyu, but he didn't expect it to be like this.
Mingyu understood that it might be her brother's dissuasion that caused Yu Tongxin to come and see if she was wearing it in the first place, fearing that she would not like it.
Everything was just right, leading to his embarrassing situation, and passers-by took a second look at him.
Forget it, I’m wearing a veil and no one can recognize me.
"Want to take a walk?"
"Um?"
"New Year's Eve, great luck." Yu Tongan tilted his head, a few strands of hair hanging down naturally. Under the light not far away, he looked gentle and kind. "Would you like to go?"
"Let's go." Don't stay here and embarrass yourself.
The two walked along the edge of the night market, on the edge of light and shadow.
"You haven't told me why you want to go to Sulou County." Looking at the hawking stall from afar, Mingyu spoke first.
Last time, Yu Boyan suddenly intercepted him, so Mingyu didn't have time to ask.
Yu Tongan expected Mingyu to ask this question, so he didn't rush to answer. Instead, he asked Mingyu, "Do you know what Princess Sulou gave birth to?"
Sulou County is just a small place. Mingyu recalled for a moment and hesitated: "It seems to be medicinal herbs."
"Yes, to be exact, it's Panax notoginseng." Yu Tongan's expression was a little serious. "Last year, there was no disaster, but Sulou County has been buying up Panax notoginseng recently."
"Is that all?" Panax notoginseng is very common, and it is even included in the medicine prescribed by Mingyu for Xiaoya's father.
"Later, someone told me that the local area was also buying Atractylodes lancea, which caught my attention."
Mingyu frowned. Atractylodes is often used by the people to prevent and treat plague. The large-scale purchase may be due to the epidemic problem.
Epidemics often occur after major disasters or in early spring, so it is indeed strange that it is winter now.
"So I asked someone to investigate. The emperor ascended the throne and issued a general amnesty, so a prisoner returned to Sulou County." Yu Tongan's face turned cold. "I calculated that if Tian Qianhua is used as an example, the voodoo disease lasted for about a month and a half until death. The prisoner returned to Sulou County just in time for the disease to spread."
“So when I confirmed that Tian Qianhua was voodoo, I suspected that the so-called plague in Sulou County might be voodoo.”
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