CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: MISS HER?

EDITOR: ATLAS STUDIOS

Long Yue felt her words carried some ambiguity, and quickly added, "You men always never take care of yourselves when you’re out, it’s truly worrisome!"

"Pfft!"

Li Qingmu couldn’t help but laugh, feeling once again the care his little wife had for him. After some coaxing, she finally felt a bit relieved.

"Alright, my lady, you can send me off up to here!"

Sending a friend a thousand miles eventually ends with a farewell; Long Yue understood this well. Though reluctant, she could only agree.

"Yue’er, go back!"

"No, I’ll go back once I can’t see you anymore."

Li Qingmu was helpless, turned back to glance at her one last time, and rode away on horseback.

The horse was rented from the post station; not far past Qingtian County in front lies a small town, and once he reached his destination, the horse would naturally return.

Originally, Li Qingmu didn’t plan to rent a horse, as it cost twenty cents each time, a bit pricey, but Long Yue insisted. This way, the journey was faster, and he could reach the destination before nightfall, find an inn to rest early, which was much better?

The morning dew was quite heavy; watching the man’s figure gradually receding, her tears suddenly streamed down silently and unnoticed.

In my past life, I couldn’t follow you to see the world’s beautiful scenery. In this life, I will follow you, to tread through every corner of this world!

She reached out, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, and didn’t turn to leave until that figure had completely shrunk to a dot and disappeared.

Not long after she left, another horse appeared at the city gate under the guidance of a man, along with a woman.

"Qian Yi, this time when you go for the exam, you need not be too tense, just relax. Whether you pass or not, a position has been arranged for you there. In addition, your main purpose this time is to keep a close watch on Li Qingmu. If he fails, tread his dignity into the dirt so he never thinks about exams again. If he passes... well, kill him!"

Zhou Zhiqin’s eyes were filled with venom, speaking through gritted teeth.

Qian Yi nodded repeatedly, smiling obsequiously, "Miss Zhou, rest assured, that guy, I will keep a close eye on. It’s just... well, pardon my frankness, given the dignitary’s status in the Capital City, wouldn’t it be easy to mess with a poor scholar like him? Why not just tamper with the exam process..."

"Shut up!" Zhou Zhiqin glared coldly at him, and said, "The current Emperor places the greatest importance on the exams, no one dares to tamper with them, otherwise, if found, severe punishment follows. What is Li Qingmu to warrant risking that? Besides, whether or not he can pass is still uncertain!"

"Yes, Miss Zhou is right!"

Qian Yi intended to remind her that Li Qingmu was always the best scholar in the school, if he couldn’t pass, no one in that school could, but he thought better of it and stayed silent.

As she said, whether he passes or not, once on the way back, just kill him and be done with it!

With this thought, his smile grew even wider.

"Alright, get on the road quickly. Once you reach the provincial capital, find this person!"

Zhou Zhiqin seemed a bit impatient, shoving a piece of paper at Qian Yi, then urging him to quickly get on his way.

Qian Yi chuckled, took his leave, and left.

...

Long Yue returned home, feeling unsettled since she parted from Li Qingmu.

She remembered how the man returned so miserably in his past life, almost unrecognizable due to illness, and her heart sank in pain.

Back then, he only took five taels on the road; now it’s fifteen taels, perhaps he won’t repeat the same mistakes?

She thought of her man as very clever, and on the way, reminded him extensively, not to travel at night, to add layers when it’s cold, not to venture into dense forests, to avoid crowded places in the city for fear of pickpockets...

After such education, surely he wouldn’t encounter the same misfortune of being robbed of his travel money and return home in poverty again?

Thinking this way, Long Yue felt a bit more at ease.

Afterward, she went to the two-acre field, satisfied to see her elder and second brothers each managing a plot, working diligently.

Their temperaments might not be good, but at least they were hardworking and took their work seriously, otherwise, she would have been clamoring to split the family and work independently if stuck with a bunch of loafers.

"I say, little sister-in-law, how long will these seeds take to mature? We can’t fuss all year and not see a Copper Coin, can we?"

"Brother, don’t worry! Some of these herbs take half a year, some a year, and some even longer, but the ones I’ve brought out now will be harvested in half a year or a year. This ox knee and Isatis root take half a year, while this Platycodon grandiflorus takes a year to harvest. Honeysuckle can be harvested from May to October next year... Brothers, rest assured, these herbs will show results in about half a year, ensuring you won’t be working for nothing!"

"Ahem, little sister-in-law, that’s not what I meant..."

"Hmm, hmm, I understand, I understand!"

Long Yue had said enough, beyond which discussing money would be excessive, so they both fell silent. However, Zhang Meihua, on the side, piped up, "I say, little sister-in-law, we can’t survive on Northwest wind for half a year waiting for results, can we?"

"Second sister-in-law, you’re joking. During this half-year, my embroidery can easily sustain everyone, isn’t that right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meihua fell silent, unable to say more.

With Li Qingmu gone, Long Yue felt life was incredibly tedious, her only companion being embroidery. The patterns she embroidered varied, each one fitting the scene with a line of small text in the corner, some being her interpretations, others being verses or songs.

The embroidery with a hint of literary flair was favored among young ladies in the boudoir, with some exquisite pieces even being highly sought after.

"Golden wind and jade dew meet once, surpassing countless encounters in the world... Tsk, this line is wonderful, so exquisite, who is the clever one that could embroider such a verse on a handkerchief? Ah? Hahaha!"

In a dim alley, a man with disheveled hair and a face full of grime squatted inside a cramped, narrow room, constantly marveling at the handkerchief in his hand, not forgetting to lean in to sniff it, as if a woman’s fragrance wafted from it.

This man was a son of a wealthy family. Due to his addiction to gambling and the plotting of villains, he not only lost all the family’s savings but also angered his parents to death, leading to a ruined family. Now, he could only hole up in such a dilapidated, filthy place, living in a daze.

By rights, he should have come to his senses, but he still continued his ways, even secretly stealing money to gamble, utterly incorrigible.

A few days ago, he stumbled upon this embroidered handkerchief, and was instantly entranced by the small verse on it, itching to find the person involved and spend a romantic night together...

"Do you miss her?"

Suddenly, a light voice came from behind, the young man shivered, immediately nodding, "Miss her, miss her so much, just can’t wait to see her!"

"Hehe, she’s right here, go find her yourself!"

Saying that, a small note was tossed his way, and the voice disappeared.

"Qingshui Village, the Li family?"

The man picked up the note, glanced at it, gradually narrowed his eyes, revealing a sordid look, and laughed twice to himself...