webnovelfull Chapter 903 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 13
Chapter 903 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 13
"Why don't we move some things out of the carriage and buy a stove to put inside, so you can stay warmer?"
Li Gui felt that she should be even more afraid of the cold since she was injured, so lighting a stove would be more suitable.
Xiao Yun shook her head, "No need, it's not good to cover myself with a quilt if the stove is lit. I'll be warmer with a hot water bottle under the quilt."
Li Gui thought about it and agreed, so she nodded and went to the grocery store to buy things.
She soon returned carrying a short pottery jar and a large basket of charcoal. She had brought her own fur cloak, so she didn't need to buy one.
The original owner of this body didn't bring any; she brought a thick cotton coat. But Xiao Yun had plenty of furs, so she just took out an inconspicuous one and stuffed it into her bundle.
The three people over there finished their own tasks and came over to help. In no time, they had secured the stove and then went to the lobby to check out of the room.
By this time, the sun was already high in the sky. Xiao calculated the time and it should be around eight o'clock. It was time for them to set off.
There's no need to worry about finding accommodation later on. As you travel all the way to the capital, there are villages and towns along the official road. After all, the closer you get to the capital, the closer you get to the center of the country, and the population will only become more and more dense.
It's good enough to find a piece of wasteland, especially one by a river. With more villages and towns, there are also more county towns and prefectural cities. The area is smaller and the population is larger, so it's naturally much more convenient to find accommodation and buy things.
The only downside was that it got colder the further north we went. By the time we got close to the capital, we were all wearing a cotton-padded coat underneath a cloak, hats, scarves, and our hands were all covered up. We also had hot water bottles in our hands.
Xiao Yun was alright; he was wearing a fire spirit stone and was dressed in many layers, but he only did it as a formality when he came out. Li Gui, on the other hand, was fully armed and had to hold a hot water bottle next to the stove, otherwise the northwest wind would have really chilled him to the bone.
She also told Xiao Yun that this year was colder than in previous years. She comes here every three years, usually around this time of year, but it's never this cold.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun reviewed the timeline of the plot. This should be two years before the female lead arrived. The plot did mention that there was a snow disaster in the spring two years ago, and many candidates missed the spring examination because of road closures and illness. Then the emperor ordered an additional examination to be held two months later.
...Could it be that she just happened to be there? Wouldn't it be a bit unnecessary for her to hurt herself like that?
No, it's not superfluous. Others won't know about this in advance, and the Xiao family clan even less so. She can easily move the plan forward, or if that doesn't work, she can just find a way to miss it. Otherwise, if she doesn't separate herself from the clan and can benefit as long as she passes the exam, it would go against the original owner's wishes.
"Yun, let me change the water in your hot water bottle. Is it no longer hot?" Li Gui said through the curtain.
"It's still hot. Sister Li, you should change into your own. Mine will cool down slowly when I put it under the covers."
"Okay, let me know when it gets cool. There's still water in the kettle. It's so dry and cold today. Luckily, I listened to you and left the stove lit, or I would have frozen to death."
I don't see any snow here, I don't know why it's so cold. Luckily, we'll be in the capital in another day.
"By the way, Yun, are you renting a courtyard or staying in a guesthouse? Given your leg condition, renting a place would be even more inconvenient."
After the previous wild boar incident, the two became much closer, and in the past few days, the way they addressed each other changed from "Master Xiao" to "Sister Yun".
With their journey to the capital imminent and Xiao Yun's leg in this state, she couldn't help but worry.
Xiao Yun was just waiting for her to ask this question. "As soon as we arrive in the capital, we'll go to the brokerage firm, rent a courtyard, and buy a servant with a life contract. Then we'll have someone to take care of us. I'll also need to trouble you, elder sister, to send a message home for me. My husband will also arrange for someone to come over."
Li Gui felt relieved upon hearing this. "It's good that you have a plan. I can stay for two days to run errands for you. I'll leave after you've settled in. Don't worry, I'll go to your house as soon as I get back to Huilan and deliver the letter to your husband immediately."
As the two talked, it gradually got dark, and they needed to find a place to rest. The county town was not far ahead, which was the place they had planned to rest.
The two cars entered the county town one after the other and found that the town was very different. Even though it was almost dark, there were still many stalls set up.
Although there is no curfew here, people don't wander around outside at night in the dead of winter. Even during the day, they try not to go out unless it's for a living. In ancient times, it was even more difficult to afford to get sick.
They didn't get out of the car, but went directly to the inn closest to the city gate and drove the car into the backyard.
Xiao Yun put on her cloak and shuffled to the outside of the carriage. Li Gui had already taken out her crutches and was helping her. Xiao Yun shuffled to the side of the carriage shaft by herself, and as she landed on one leg, she tucked the crutches under her arm.
Li Gui helped her tidy up her cloak and wrapped it around her walking stick so that her hands wouldn't get cold.
Don't think that Beijing is in the north. It is still in the Central Plains. It just has four distinct seasons. Although the winter is cold, it is not too cold. The temperature is still much higher than that of the pure north.
However, in winter, people here basically don't sleep on wooden beds anymore; they all sleep on heated brick beds. Some of the better ones even have heated walls, so it's much more comfortable to stay overnight, and you won't be choked by the charcoal smoke from the brazier.
Stepping into the inn's lobby, one finds it bustling with activity. It's dinnertime, and the aroma of food mingles with the sounds of conversation and laughter.
With the help of Li Gui, Xiao Yun, leaning on crutches, found an empty seat and sat down with the three members of the Chen family.
The waiter hurried over and greeted them warmly, "Gentlemen, are you here for a stay or just for a meal?"
Li Gui and Chen Chunmei both requested two medium-sized rooms, and ordered several hot dishes and a pot of hot wine, as drinking some wine in this weather would warm them up and help them get a good night's sleep.
It's that kind of rice wine, with a low alcohol content and a sweet taste, making it more suitable for women.
While eating, Xiao Yun noticed a conversation at the next table. "Have you heard? The capital is currently repairing the roads, and they're saying they'll use some kind of mud. They're turning perfectly good brick and stone pavements into mud. I don't know what they were thinking."
"You misheard. It's cement. It's said that using this cement to repair the road surface makes it smooth and durable, and it doesn't raise dust when you walk on it. It's just a bit troublesome to install, as you have to wait for it to dry before you can walk on it."
Xiao Yun raised an eyebrow. Cement? Could it be that the female lead transmigrated here beforehand?
That doesn't make sense either. Even if the female lead came, she should have dealt with the enemy and seized power first. She wouldn't have done this first. In the plot, the recipes for cement, glass, and soap were only introduced after she ascended the throne. They were mainly for replenishing the national treasury, not for the convenience of the people.
I was thinking of waiting until I got to the capital to investigate properly, but I didn't expect to hear the answer so soon.
At the next table, someone continued, "To be honest, our Crown Princess is truly devoted to the country and its people. I don't know where she got this cement formula, but she personally supervised the repair of the roads in the capital. She even said that if it works well, it should be promoted throughout the country. If the dikes in the south are reinforced with this, they certainly won't break easily."
“That cement is so powerful! The Yu River floods every year during the flood season, causing great suffering to the people on both banks. If this cement can solve the problem, it will be a great achievement for the present and a benefit for future generations.”
"The news has already spread, so it must have been verified that it is possible."
"Your Highness is so wise and virtuous, he will surely bring prosperity and strength to our dynasty in the future..."
Hearing this, Xiao Yun became even more puzzled. It was actually the Crown Princess? How did the plot deviate so drastically? Had his arrival influenced the world's course? Or had other unknown factors been introduced?
It seems that once I get to the capital, I'll have to find an opportunity to enter the palace and investigate the Crown Princess's situation.
Seeing that she seemed lost in thought, Li Gui asked with concern, "Yun, what's wrong? The food is here, eat it while it's hot."
Xiao Yun snapped out of her reverie, smiled, and whispered, "It's nothing, I was just curious about what this cement they were talking about is."
Li Gui and the others certainly heard what those people were saying; they were speaking so loudly that it was hard not to hear them.
They were quite curious, but it wouldn't interfere with their meal; they'd see it when they arrived in the capital tomorrow anyway.
After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms to rest, so they could get up early the next day and continue their journey to the capital.
Xiao Yun then instructed Jia Duo Bao to contact Tian Dao to see if they could find out what was going on in advance.
As a result, Jia Duo Bao told her that the Heavenly Dao of this world was not in the Outer Heaven, but must have personally intervened.
"What does this mean? The Heavenly Dao has entered the mortal world? Could that Crown Princess be possessed by the Heavenly Dao?"
Jia Duo Bao shook his head, "No, I haven't detected the aura of the Heavenly Dao yet, but I'm certain that the Crown Princess isn't one. The dragon energy in the direction of the capital is already very thin, and this dynasty may be doomed."
Xiao Yun was even more puzzled. "Isn't this a novel world? Most of the plot takes place in the Phoenix Cry Kingdom's palace. How can the story continue after the dynasty ends? Could that crown princess be a variable who then gets rid of the female lead with a butterfly?"