The chill of winter had not yet faded, but the two peach trees at the entrance of the academy were already in full bloom with pink blossoms. Ah Hao saw them as soon as she got off the carriage, and her mood improved immediately. When Du Yuqing saw Ah Hao arrive, he didn't stand on ceremony. After asking a few questions, he began to explain the day's matters.
Since it was the first day after the New Year festival, new children would be sent to the academy to study, and Du Yuqing had also taken in several new orphans. Therefore, there was no rush to start classes on this first day; instead, the new students needed to be settled first, and appropriate records needed to be kept for each person entering the academy.
Having explained to Song Shuhao what to do and seeing that she had tried it a few times without any problems, Du Yuqing was relieved. Du Yuqing had taken in three orphans, two girls and one boy, all around seven or eight years old, and all dark-skinned and thin.
All three had lost their parents in an accident, and none of them had any relatives willing to take them in. It was possible that they had been sold but no one wanted to buy them, which led to their abandonment. Song Shu looked at them timidly, their clear, innocent eyes staring at her from the desk, without uttering a word.
After patiently asking several times, Song Shuhao finally learned their names from them, but they were just nicknames; if she pressed them for their surnames, they couldn't answer. The two girls, one with a beauty mark under her eye, were named Dongdong, and the other was named Ling'er; the boy was named Dacheng.
Song Shuhao made notes for each of them, and then Du Yuqing took them elsewhere to stay with the other children. After that, adults came one after another with children aged seven or eight, and this continued until noon, when there were almost no more people.
Du Yuqing brewed some hot tea and handed a cup to Song Shuhao. "Take a break. Usually, no one will come after noon." Song Shuhao rubbed her cold hands, took the teacup, thanked Du Yuqing, and stood up with a smile. "I guess it's because they want to get things done early, or they don't like to procrastinate."
The two went outside and found children of similar age playing in small groups in the courtyard. They seemed unfazed by the cold, or perhaps their jumping and hopping had warmed them up. Even Dongdong, Ling'er, and Dacheng, who had been unusually timid around Song Shuhao, were now playing with the others.
Children might be wary of adults, but they don't have as many ulterior motives towards their peers, making them not only closer but also more at ease. Song Shuhao sipped her tea, watching them all looking happy and carefree, and a smile curved her lips as well.
“Because they are all still young, even if they encounter some bad things, the damage won’t continue to deepen, and they will mostly recover. However, there are too many children like them, and there is very little I can do. Besides, I’m not doing anything selfless or great; I’m just doing this for my own happiness.” Du Yuqing, like Song Shuhao, looked at the children of all ages in the yard and said with a touch of emotion.
Having spoken with Song Shuhao several times, Du Yuqing was very interested in her idea of opening more academies so that more girls could study there. This was the most important reason why she was willing to be close to Song Shuhao. On the day Song Shuhao first came to the academy, she actually witnessed an old lady asking her to talk elsewhere.
Although Du Yuqing couldn't discern Song Shuhao's identity, she could tell from the old lady's attire that she belonged to a prominent noble family in Lin'an. Even more remarkable was the old lady's attitude towards Song Shuhao; she dared not be forceful in speaking to her, and even displayed a degree of respect.
The news that the court wanted to allow women to serve as officials had already spread like wildfire when a young woman was granted the title of marquis. Du Yuqing had heard about it to some extent, but what Song Shuhao said to her was quite unusual, so it was hard for her not to have any suspicions or thoughts.
She certainly didn't seem like the person to be granted a title, but it was hard to say whether she was involved in what happened afterward. Even though Song Shuhao acted friendly, Du Yuqing didn't think she would do anything bad, but she still kept her guard up. What if she was of high status and accidentally offended her? It was always difficult to say what would happen.
"Whatever the reason, what you're doing now is out of genuine concern for them, and that's enough." Song Shuhao admired Du Yuqing's ability to take action and do these things, unaware of the turmoil in Du Yuqing's mind, and simply smiled as she spoke.
Author's Note: Thank you all for your comments and concern, so I secretly took a break yesterday...
Then I realized I really couldn't be lazy; it took me a whole day to write those 7,000 words _(:зゝ∠)_
Last month, I worked hard to update 9,000 words a day, which completely exhausted me. This month, I can only focus on updating 6,000 words a day, with 3,000 words as a supplement. (* /ω＼*)
The extra time is used to prepare for new projects.
I originally wanted to write about childhood sweethearts, but the ideas weren't going smoothly, so I switched to a completely different style...
My new novel, "The General Sees Me as Sick," will likely be released on August 22nd. Here's the synopsis first.
An ancient version of a fangirl and her crush story, expected to have a cute and sweet art style. Feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested (づ￣3￣)づ╭
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Copywriting:
Following love at first sight and falling in love at second sight,
The seventh young lady of the Shen family became General Han's number one "fangirl".
He always expresses his love in a very subtle way.
Chenluo: General Han, you might not believe it, but my future husband looks exactly like you. (⊙v⊙)
Han Xuan: ...
Chapter 98 Sunrise
As Zhang Yu had learned, his mother, Jiang, was among the people who had accompanied Ji Heng to Lin'an, and Ji Heng had come to Lin'an specifically to seek medical treatment for Jiang. Jiang was indeed suffering from an illness, so severe that she was practically unable to show her face in public. This was because there was a fleshy lump the size of a fist on her neck.
Since the onset of the growth, Jiang had taken many medicinal soups and seen many doctors, but the growth had not subsided; instead, it had grown larger and larger. Now, it was quite frightening, and at the same time, Jiang's health had deteriorated, and she had been unable to speak for a long time.
Ji Heng settled down in Lin'an City. Considering the many benefits he had gained from Dayuan, and adhering to the friendly principle of peaceful coexistence, Zhang Yu dispatched numerous imperial physicians and doctors to treat his mother, Lady Jiang. The imperial physicians and doctors all did their best, but none of them returned empty-handed.
Ling Xiao also heard about Jiang's situation. Her methods were rarely effective, though they had worked before... After hearing about Jiang's ailment, he didn't find it troublesome. However, even though he was somewhat eager to help, he couldn't take the initiative to cure Jiang's illness.
When Prince Ning asked her if she could cure him, she nodded, but aside from the unwanted kiss and praise from Prince Ning, she said nothing more. Coupled with being overwhelmed with other matters, Ling Xiao naturally put this matter aside for the time being.
One day, Ling Xiao returned to the manor exhausted. After she had washed and bathed, Prince Ning, who had returned late, dragged her directly into her boudoir, attentively helping her lie down and massaging her shoulders and back. This behavior perfectly exemplified the saying, "Offering unsolicited kindness."
Although this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, Ling Xiao sensed something different today. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed it. Ling Xiao, legs crossed, savored the Prince of Ning's "flattery," and casually reached out to hook his chin, carefully examining his face from left to right. He murmured, "My beauty is so obedient and sensible; I am truly delighted."
Prince Ning patted her hand and laughed, "And then? According to the plot of the story, shouldn't Lord Ling do something to me at this time?" As he spoke, he pulled Ling Xiao's hand and hooked it around his waist, his hints and seduction couldn't be clearer.
Seeing Prince Ning's wanton and unsatisfied appearance, eager for intercourse and pleasure, Ling Xiao chuckled. He tried to withdraw his hand but couldn't. He shifted his body and said lazily, "Tired, no energy."
Prince Ning then squeezed onto the small couch, put his arm around Ling Xiao's waist, and gently massaged her, breathing into her ear, "I'll do it, you just need to..." Ling Xiao turned her head, looked at him sincerely, and asked, "Does this little vixen really want to drain me dry?"
"No, I want to be drained dry by you."
"..."
Ling Xiao didn't want to argue with him about who was draining whom. She paused for a moment, then created some distance between them and asked seriously, "What's up?"
"Last night, Madam Jiang fell seriously ill and was nearly dead. Today, Ji Heng approached Sixth Brother and offered you a condition: to treat Madam Jiang..."
Prince Ning played with Ling Xiao's hair and said slowly, "He didn't know it was you, but he was sure there was such a person. He saw the wounds you left when you treated other people, and the medicine bag you gave A-Hao for self-defense."
Ling Xiao understood immediately. When Ahao was abducted by Prosecutor Zhao, all her belongings had been taken away, so it was understandable that she would be curious about new things. Ahao had mentioned it to her later, but it wasn't a big deal, and she had forgotten about it after telling her not to worry.
She hadn't expected to be targeted by Ji Heng. Luckily, he didn't know her... But judging from what Prince Ning said, he must have offered some good terms. Ling Xiao remained calm. Even the King of Dayuan was only being overly solicitous for no reason... But these were none of her concerns.
"It's all arranged, just let me know the time."
"Aren't you going to ask about the reward after it's done?"
"How can someone as selfless and upright as me be the same as someone who only does things for personal gain?" Ling Xiao retorted expressionlessly.