It approached winter and the sky got dark earlier and earlier. Just after five o'clock, it was dim outside.
To the end of this day, Mo Qianxue was exhausted. She held Ning Shaoqing's hand sitting by him to take care of him, but gradually she fell asleep on the bedside.
Ning Shaoqing woke up from the dizziness, and the moment he opened his eyes, he saw the girl lying on the bedside. Momentarily, tears swelled up to his eyes.
He had thought that he couldn't wake up anymore.
He had thought that he would never see her again.
Look at Mo Qianxue's frowning eyebrows in sleep, Ning Shaoqing gently pulled out his hand from that of hers to smooth the slight furrow between her eyebrows.
It wasn't until he felt the softness of the little face that he was sure this wasn't his illusion.
He tried his best to fight back the emotion leaping within his heart to prevent it from turning rampant, but his trembling fingers gave him away and also woke up Mo Qianxue.
Mo Qianxue opened her eyes suddenly and found Ning Shaoqing was awake. She looked up in extreme delight, hands directly reaching out and wrapping the hand in midair, "Sir, you wake up?"
In the face of the undisguised eagerness and expectation from Mo Qianxue's eyes, Ning Shaoqing's eyes turned red.
He had believed that the world was full of falsity and hypocrisy and that there wouldn't be anyone who cared about him…
However, to his surprise, the woman who married him as a so-called lucky wife when he was dying and penniless should treat him with such sincerity.
Every day, she cooked various of dishes just for him to eat more and worked hard day and night from early morning to late at night without any complaining, even though he had been treating her with indifference and cold. She had always given him her care and earnest…
How sad and pathetic was him that somehow he had been betrayed by the ones that he had been dearest to and trusted most.
And how lucky was him that there was a girl who gave him love and care at the bottom of his life.
Seeing that Ning Shaoqing didn't speak and his eyes red, hand shaking, Mo Qianxue thought he felt uncomfortable, so she asked with fluster, "Sir, what's wrong, are you feeling bad?"
"Nothing. Just stomach. I'm hungry. I miss your nutrient porridge."
Ning Shaoqing sounded crying and looked away, but it made Mo Qianxue guilty, apologizing, "You didn't eat for a whole day. You must be hungry. Wait, I'm making porridge for you."
Mo Qianxue stood up to go but the hand holding her was firm and didn't show any intention to let her go. She turned back with confusion, and Ning Shaoqing hurriedly released her, coughing in disguise, "Add more sugar!"
"Umm? Oh, yes."
Although still in doubt, Mo Qianxue nodded but she remembered the porridge was salty. If sugar was added…alas, whatever, if he wanted it sweet, then she would just make it sweet.
Staring at the sylphlike figure gently closed the door behind her and looking around at the empty bed, Ning Shaoqing sensed some kind of loss.
In fact, what he had wanted to say was sorry!
In fact, he didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay with him for some more time.
With a weary smile, he shook his head, wondering where the eloquent carefree first young lord Ning was and why whenever in front of her, he always spoke with his tongue in his cheek.
*
At Baiyunju in the Tianxiang city
"You mean someone acted indecency to Miss. Ning?" The seventh young lord thumped on the table after hearing Azhao's report, "Why didn't you erase the bastard on the site?"
Azhao at once bowed with one hand cupping the other seeing his master got angry, "I'm going right now." Actually, he had wanted to kill that bastard immediately afterwards, but he didn't want to find troubles for his young lord so that he showed some mercy.
Azhao turned to leave instantly but the seventh young lord added, "Come back! You may retreat. Take a rest. Tomorrow you have to drive the carriage."
Azhao couldn't think straight why young lord changed his mind so fast, but he was used to taking orders without asking why like a soldier, "Thanks for your care. I leave now."
Bowing and turning away, Azhao retreated respectfully.
Unfolding the fan in his hand, the seventh young lord smiled, muttering, "The girl is eloquent and articulate. She won't easily forgive that bastard. Now since his leg is broken, he can't make more troubles. The day in countryside is long and dull. Just let her have fun!"
"Have fun?" Alu stood behind him, asking, puzzled.
"Lord, this Miss Ning is just a village girl. Is it worthwhile that you found her a famous doctor and let Azhao investigate her background, and…used family card to invite old Xue? Old Xue is a retired imperial doctor of all doctors. He agreed merely because of old madam, but you should send him to a village woman…"
Alu moaned there but the seventh young lord ignored him. Turning around in a chic poise, he sat on the chair and blew his tea. All accomplished in a series of coherent movements like flowing water.
He took a sip of the tea, smiling, "Alu, you have no idea! This Miss Ning has a kind of unusual temperament. So unique. At least more interesting than those superficial hypocritic women in the capital."
"What's the difference? Doesn't she just know how to cook?" A mere cook! Interesting? How beautiful and sexy the ladies in the capital were! Alu moaned. Of course the last sentence could only said to himself in secrecy.
"..."
*
In the house of elder Fang.
Taoer lied on the bed, shivering and holding aunt Fang, "Mom, didn't you say that the herb is absolutely not poisonous? Why didn't it take effect and why did it kill people…"
"Stupid girl. Don't be loud. The wall has ears! I also know it from your grandma. I never used it."
"Never used it? Why you gave it to me? Mom, you got me into a big trouble! Will Mr. Ning die? I'm done. If known to others, I'm be thrown into prison and killed." The person in the quilt instantly shook again.
"Relax. I don't think it's serious. Later I'll go to Fang Datang's place and have a look…"
*
At the house of elder Li.
Elder Li saw his son taken back by the workers at the dock and began to shout as soon as they left.
"What's wrong with you? I just let you get the secret recipe. Why did you end up in the mountain and breaking your leg?! What a useless one…"
Aunt Li had always spoiled this son that she gave birth to at an old age. Elder Li's attitude made her immediately begin to curse.
"You dead man! You son almost died! The thing you care is the secret recipe? Why didn't you do this kind of stupid asshole-like thing by yourself?"
"Mom, is my leg broken?"
"…"
*
Mo Qianxue was cooking porridge in the kitchen when sister Zhao came by again with two steamed buns as hard as stone.
"Mrs. Ning, does Mr. Ning get well? When could he wake up? I worry that you didn't cook, so I come here to give you these two buns. They'll keep you from hunger!"
Dear heaven! Here she came again! From hunger!
Mo Qianxue almost hit the ceiling simply at the sight of those two buns and wished to hit her with them to let her have of taste of how hard the buns were! She wondered what she wanted to trade with these two buns this time.
