The night was quiet, with only the sound of the night wind blowing through the treetops. Mingyu stood under the window sill, and could hear Xu Changqian's sobbing clearly. Mingyu felt a little sad, and just as she was about to knock on the door, she heard her father speak again: "Whenever I think of Mingyu, who was only twelve years old, fleeing all the way from Tianshui and suffering like a little beggar, I feel so sad that I want to stab myself..."
As she spoke, there was a series of "bang bang" noises from the room, which seemed to be the sound of fists hitting a bench, followed by Mrs. Xu's scream, "What are you doing! Your hands are bleeding!"
Mingyu was stunned outside for a moment, and her hand that was knocking on the door hesitated and slowly put it down. It seemed inappropriate to go in at this time.
Madam Xu cried out, "How can I really blame you? There's nothing you can do. Didn't Mingye just say that the second son of the Marquis's Mansion is a good-for-nothing playboy? Even if Mingyu doesn't come back now, he will bring his sister home in the future. Everyone in the capital praises the eldest son of the Marquis's Mansion, but who would have thought that the second son would be like this?"
Xu Changqian sighed and whispered, "In the final analysis, it's me who is useless. I have been just a small official for more than ten years, and I have made you and your daughter suffer."
"Pooh! What nonsense are you talking about? I never despised you for being a small-time official. If you were like those insignificant officials, who were only interested in money, I would have looked down on you from the beginning..." Mrs. Xu's voice rang out.
Mingyu wiped her wet eyes and turned back quietly. To the Marquis's mansion, Xu Changqian was just an insignificant seventh-rank official. He was not even qualified to enter the house to congratulate the old lady when she held a birthday banquet. He was a low-level bureaucrat. But to Mingyu's family, he was the pillar of the family and the head of the family. If he was not extremely sad and regretful, how could he cry in front of his wife at night.
When she pushed the door open and entered the house, Lixiang had already washed the clothes and hung them one by one on the rope in the house. She was a little surprised to see Mingyu coming in empty-handed.
Mingyu met Lixiang's gaze calmly and said with a smile, "I saw that the lights in my father and mother's room were off. I thought they had gone to bed. It would be a shame to wake them up. Anyway, these are just outer clothes. We can unpack them tomorrow."
When Lixiang heard this, she did not suspect anything.
The two of them blew out the lights and lay down to sleep. Mingyu lay on the bed, listening to the sound of the night wind blowing through the window lattice, feeling peaceful in her heart. This was her home, with parents and brothers who loved her. She no longer had to live in fear, afraid of being bullied or scolded if she wasn't careful.
Li Xiang, who was lying next to her, turned over and saw Ming Yu's eyes were still open in the starlight. She couldn't help but ask, "Miss, you said that the Second Master didn't see you in the capital. Will he come to look for you?"
The room was quiet, with only the sound of two people's even breathing. After a long while, Mingyu said, "No, don't worry."
If Master Bao arrived in the capital, Miao would probably hurry up and find him a suitable marriage. Who would waste time looking for a woman who was very likely to die on the battlefield? Even if Mingyu survived by chance, who would believe that a weak woman was not violated on the way to escape
Moreover, the Marquis and the eldest son are gone. If the Marquis wants to revive the Marquis's Mansion, the best and most convenient option is for Second Master Bao to marry a woman with a strong family background. I think this time the Madam will personally check and will definitely choose a wife that she is satisfied with for her beloved youngest son. But it is better to be more selective so as not to choose another Luo Lingxiu.
Thinking of the handsome young man, Mingyu sighed quietly. She didn't know if he was safe, whether Lu Hao had met him in Gaoping, and whether he had successfully persuaded him to leave. Although Mingyu didn't say it, she was very grateful to Master Bao in her heart. If he hadn't stepped forward in the critical moment and continued to defend the city with the few remaining soldiers to delay time, I'm afraid Mingyu would not have been able to escape from Tianshui City.
But thinking of the three concubines of Master Bao, as well as Luo Lingxiu Yingrong and other troubles, Mingyu felt as if her mind was filled with a mess, which was complicated and she couldn't get out of it. He was a kind-hearted young man, but unfortunately he couldn't give her the life she wanted. As long as Mingyu stayed in Jiangnan safely for the rest of her life, the two of them would be separated from each other from now on, and there was basically no possibility of meeting again.
Everything that happened before should be treated as a dream. When you wake up, you will start a new life.
Mingyu got home and stayed in bed happily for the whole day. On the third morning, Xu Mingye woke her up early in the morning and asked her to go to the market.
It was only slightly light in the sky at this time, and the sky in the east was just beginning to turn pale. Mingyu opened her sleepy eyes and reluctantly got up and put on her clothes.
Yesterday Xu Mingye asked her to get up and eat. Mingyu had been traveling for several days and finally had a good night's sleep. There was a charcoal brazier in the room, which was warm, but it was cold outside. Mingyu was reluctant to get up. She shrank her neck and covered her head, pretending not to hear her brother's call, thinking she could continue sleeping. Who knew that the evil Xu Mingye would put his hand, which had just been washed in cold water, on Mingyu's hot cheek while she was sleeping!
That feeling is really awakening!
Looking at Xu Mingye's tall back walking in front of her, wearing a blue cotton gown and with long black hair neatly tied up on top of his head, he looked like a handsome and kind scholar. Mingyu smacked her lips in disbelief. How could she have been so wrong in the first place, thinking that this guy loved her? He was clearly a bad boy who loved to bully his sister but pretended to be serious!
Xu Mingye's servant Dong Yuan went back to his hometown in the countryside yesterday. He came to report early this morning and followed behind Xu Mingye. He shouted to Mingyu and Lixiang behind him: "Miss, please walk faster. If you wait any longer, there will be more people at the market!"
Looking back, he saw that his sister and Lixiang were already a few steps behind. Xu Mingye slowed down his pace and waited for Mingyu and Lixiang to catch up. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, just walk over slowly."
There are two rivers passing through Lu'an County. After crossing two bridges, the group arrived at the market of Lu'an County. The street was filled with stalls from the beginning to the end. Many stalls even had no space and were set up in the alleys on the street.
Four yamen runners in official uniforms were standing on the street chatting. Two of them were the two people Mingyu met at the yamen gate on the day she returned home. When they saw Mingyu and Xu Mingye, the four of them hurried forward to greet them.
After the greetings, the four of them returned to their original positions. Xu Mingye said to Mingyu, "Dad is afraid that someone will bully people at the market, so every time there is a market, he asks the county yamen runners to stand here."
It turned out to be the gate gods! Mingyu looked back at the four people. His father was really a careful and good official.
The market stalls were crowded with people selling snacks, vegetables, cloth and groceries. The flow of people was so hustle and bustle that it was almost impossible to squeeze into a stall with good business. Judging from their clothes, most of them were farmers from the countryside, many of them pushing wheelbarrows, and couples with children came to the market.
Xu Mingye held Mingyu's hand tightly and told Lixiang to follow them to eat tofu pudding at Lao Wangtou's stall on the other side of the street. Lixiang looked at the crowd in front of her and couldn't see the road ahead at all. She smiled and said, "I haven't seen so many people in the market before. We have been walking for a few months. There has been a big change!"
Dong Yuan said, "Of course. Now people from other counties come to Lu'an to do business. I guess we have to get up in the middle of the night to travel, otherwise we won't be able to get a good position."
"Aren't there markets in other counties? No need to skip a word. Mingyu asked in confusion. This era is not the era where you can drive a small truck to set up stalls all over the world to do business. When the urban management comes, you can just close the baffle and drive the car away. Go into the alley, wait for the urban management to leave, then drive out and continue the business. Bringing things from other counties to sell is not an easy job.
Dong Yuan couldn't help laughing, "Miss, you are so funny. We have a market in Lu'an, so they must have one too!"
"Then why come here?" Mingyu was puzzled. Is it because the feng shui here is good and the business is also going smoothly
Xu Mingye secretly stepped on Dongyuan who dared to laugh at Mingyu. He ignored Dongyuan's weird grin and pulled Mingyu to continue walking forward. He smiled gently and said, "Of course there are markets in other counties, but the taxes collected by the county officials there are too high. They work hard all day and still can't pay enough taxes to the government. There are also ruffians and gangsters who extort money from them."
So that's how it is. Mingyu looked up and asked, "How much tax does Dad collect from them?"
Xu Mingye lowered his head and pinched Mingyu's nose, saying, "Dad won't collect taxes from them, as long as they do business honestly. If they dare to cheat, they will be fined double the money."
"Ah?" Mingyu's eyes widened. There was actually such a considerate county magistrate. He smiled and said, "Then Dad is a good official!"
Xu Mingye glanced at the bustling and crowded market. No one noticed them. He sighed and said, "What's the use of being a good official? If your performance is not good, the higher-ups won't even look at you." Dad had been in Lu'an for more than ten years and was only a county magistrate. He had never been promoted.
Li Xiang glanced at the prosperous market and asked in confusion: "Isn't this considered a good political achievement?"
Xu Mingye laughed, shook his head and said nothing more. Mingyu and Lixiang were just two young girls who knew nothing about the world. It was good for them to live happily. Why bother them with all these worries
The officials above don't care whether the people under your jurisdiction live and work in peace and contentment. They only care about how much tax silver you can extort from the people and how much you can give to them in a year. The more tax silver you pay, the better your performance. Ever since he could remember, the officialdom has been like this.
A few years ago, he and his classmates in the academy had also protested indignantly many times, but in the end, they were just scholars, and the petition was like a drop in the ocean, and there was no news. Now that he is getting older, he has lost the innocence and naivety of his youth. Looking back on the passion and enthusiasm at that time, he feels that it is just like something from his previous life. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe to Qidian Mobile Network () and give me a reward. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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