A gentle breeze swept away Yan Xiuping's murmurs.
The woman, who had run far ahead, found that her husband, who had been chasing her away, hadn't followed. Puzzled, she turned back and impatiently urged him:
“Husband, why are you still standing here? If we don't hurry along, we'll miss the next post station!”
“It doesn't matter if we miss it. The temperature is still pleasant at night, and it's been a long time since you and I had an intimate moment outdoors. The last time was during our spring outing. As the saying goes, the best time to do something is now. Your husband believes that in this wild desolate place, it will surely have a unique charm~”
“Charm your sister!”
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately bristled. “Yan Xiuping, I'm telling you, if you utter another word of nonsense, I'll whip you!”
Understanding that too much of a good thing can be bad, Yan Xiuping stopped teasing his wife and subtly changed the subject. “Wife, don't you miss Hao'er? You've always been talking about wanting to see where Hao'er is assigned to? Then let's head towards Fengtian Prefecture, shall we?”
Mentioning their son, the woman became even more indignant. “Ever since his engagement was broken off, although Hao'er doesn't show it on the surface, he often sits alone in a corner, lost in thought. I originally wanted Hao'er to go out and clear his head, but I never expected you to send him all the way to Fengtian Prefecture!”
Believing that his son's daze was not due to this matter, but rather a lifelong habit, Yan Xiuping did not defend himself. Instead, he shifted the blame. “Wife, we ourselves have suffered from the arrangements of parents and the words of matchmakers. Why must we arrange Hao'er's marriage so early?”
“Did I arrange it? Wasn't it your father-in-law, my father, who settled it for Hao'er?”
Speaking of this, the woman grew even angrier, her voice rising considerably. “If my father hadn't praised that girl as a celestial being, unmatched in the world, I wouldn't have agreed to this marriage for Hao'er! What’s most infuriating is that after they were married for several years, their family finally remembered to send a letter to dissolve the engagement with Mo'er. It's simply looking down on me! You rascal! If you're going to make up an excuse, at least make it credible. They claimed it was a casual remark between elders, and since their elders passed away early, no one mentioned it, and it was gradually forgotten. If they hadn't been sorting through old belongings and found Hao'er's birth date, they would have forgotten about it! Bah! If it weren't for the fact that the borderlands and the capital are thousands of miles apart, I would have drawn my sword and flattened their entire household in an instant!”
“Don't be angry, wife. If we calculate the time, Hao'er should have already arrived at his post.”
Thinking of her son leaving home for the first time to strive on his own, the woman forgot her anger and said with a face full of worry, “Hao'er's personality is rather straightforward. I don't know if he can get along well with others. What if Hao'er is deliberately hindered or ostracized by others?”
“Rest assured, wife. Your husband investigated this earlier. The new county magistrate of Changzhou, Lin Jingxing, is the third-place scholar this year. Not only is he highly talented, but he is also upright and humble. If Hao'er works under him, he definitely won't be mistreated. Furthermore, Changzhou County was in a state of near stagnation due to the vacant position of county magistrate. There were only two nominal constables in the yamen who were of little use. Once Hao'er arrives, he will certainly be highly valued, and there is no possibility of being ostracized by colleagues.”
Hearing Yan Xiuping say this, the woman still frowned slightly. “However, people's hearts are unpredictable. To prevent those people from knowing your and my identities and deliberately trying to curry favor with Hao'er, we must be as low-key as possible on our trip to Changzhou County! But what identities should we use?”
Yan Xiuping's eyes flickered, and he leaned over to whisper something in his wife's ear. A blush spread across the woman's face, and she glared at him reproachfully.
Meanwhile.
After several days of obsessive research, Murong Bai and Elder Xu finally found the prescription to treat the current plague. Two days later, the condition of the villagers and refugees infected with the plague gradually improved. Because they were living so comfortably, the refugees who were not infected with the plague spontaneously resumed their previous tasks, with some building houses and others clearing land. The entire epidemic area was a scene of bustling activity.
Lin Qingge, greatly pleased by this, went to the vicinity of the wooden stakes during her leisure time. She chatted with Er Niu, who was guarding there, while waiting for Leng Ningyue to bring the food box. From Er Niu, Lin Qingge learned that in addition to Changzhou County, several nearby counties had also discovered people infected with the plague. Fortunately, they were discovered in time, and the plague had not spread. For villages that were not cooperative, the Prefect, who was her cheap brother's teacher, Xu Changling, directly dispatched guards from the prefectural office. Upon seeing the officials, the villagers immediately became as obedient as mice seeing a cat. Now, with the prescription for treating the plague researched by Murong Bai and Elder Xu, it was believed that the plague in Fengtian Prefecture would be completely cured within a few days.
While Lin Qingge was talking with Er Niu, she saw Lu Mingxuan walking from a distance, carrying a food box alone. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, “Why is it you? Where is Madam?” Due to a shortage of personnel, Lin Qingge had asked the eloquent Lu Mingxuan to help Leng Ningyue at the academy. Although Lu Mingxuan had delivered things for Leng Ningyue to her a few times, Leng Ningyue…
“Reporting to sir, Madam is feeling unwell, so I am delivering the food box on her behalf.”
“Feeling unwell?”
“When Madam got up this morning, she felt dizzy. Young Master Lin invited a doctor for her, who said it was caused by overwork and qi and blood deficiency. It should be that time of the month for her.” Lu Mingxuan said this and gave Lin Qingge a knowing wink.
However, Lin Qingge's attention was not on this. She frowned and retorted, “Young Master Lin? Lin Moyuan?”
“Yes.” Lu Mingxuan nodded. “Although that Young Master Lin appears a bit cold, giving people a sense of aloofness, he is actually a rare warm-hearted person. Not only did he personally fund a large amount of supplies, but he has also stayed at the academy day and night, helping Madam with all the chores. By the way, Sir, you also have the surname Lin. Could that Young Master Lin be your cousin?”
Believing that the other party's intentions were not pure, Lin Qingge snorted coldly and said sarcastically, “Hmph, my family has been common folk for generations. I, a mere official, cannot possibly associate with a wealthy young master like Young Master Lin.” With that, Lin Qingge left with the food box. Although it was said that to live a smooth life, one must wear a green hat, and Lin Qingge was not a true man, she still found it somewhat difficult to let go.
Seeing the white figure waiting by the large rock, she couldn't help but inquire, “Coroner Murong, you and that Lin Moyuan are quite familiar with each other. What do you think of him as a person? Is he someone worth entrusting one's life to?”
Abruptly asked, Murong Bai was slightly taken aback. He took a deep glance at Lin Qingge. This time, he didn't say anything like he didn't know the other person. Instead, he said softly, “Young Master Lin has an attractive appearance, an extraordinary family background, and maintains his purity, never frequenting places of ill repute. However, if I remember correctly, he is already married.”
“What? He’s already married?!!!”