Blutbefleckter Tod

Kapitel 16

When the shopkeeper saw that she had bloodshot eyes and a murderous aura, he shuddered in fright and said nothing more. He finished the transaction as quickly as possible, took the money, and then respectfully saw her out, barely glancing at her the whole time.

Song Xiaohua ran quite a distance before realizing that the boss hadn't addressed her as "Mrs. Song" once, perhaps because he couldn't bring himself to call her that because of her appearance? But did he really need to act like he didn't know her? Strange…

Just as Song Xiaohua was wondering what was going on as she ran home, two people dressed in official robes were standing next to a pine tree in the backyard of the county government office.

After listening to the report and remaining silent for a moment, Lu Ziqi smiled at the sturdy man with thick eyebrows and big eyes in front of him and said, "Officer Xing, thank you for your trouble."

"What are you saying, sir? It's like you don't consider me, Old Xing, one of your own!" He patted his chest, then hesitated, "Sir, should I go find that kid...?"

"No need," Lu Ziqi said calmly. "This is not a big deal. If I wasn't worried that Yuan Hao might be suspicious, I wouldn't have bothered you."

"Sir, look, they're here again!"

"I admit I misspoke."

"Don't worry, sir, I'll keep a close eye on that boy. But sir, your wife is truly remarkable; she's even a literate female tutor. I, Old Xing, am truly impressed!"

Lu Ziqi was taken aback, then smiled and remained silent.

After Constable Xing left, Lu Ziqi paced slowly alone in the courtyard. Several shallow puddles remained on the ground, reflecting the blood-red setting sun.

She went to see that person again, dressed in men's clothing, and they chatted happily. The scene must have been quite harmonious.

He naturally had ways to keep the clothing shop owner quiet, and he trusted that Officer Xing was careful and discreet. He initially thought it was just a one-off thing, but unexpectedly…

Even if Yuan Hao is indeed just an ordinary traveler, and even if he truly treats her as a man, this cannot continue any longer.

If these words, spoken in broad daylight, were to spread, how would one handle the situation?

However, does the fact that such open and frank gossip is being used in broad daylight necessarily indicate an open and honest attitude? Was it intentional, or unintentional? ...

And besides, she can actually read. So, did she come to the study last night to find a book to read?

Lu Ziqi paced around and returned to the starting point. He raised his hand and touched the pine needles, feeling a slight stinging sensation on his fingertips. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

This girl is really something else...

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Song Xiaohua furtively and nervously closed the courtyard gate before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

If a strange young man were discovered coming and going here while the county magistrate was away, she would definitely be arrested and... uh... drowned in a pig cage. This was the only ancient punishment she knew of used to deal with unchaste and impure women.

Unfaithful and impure...

No way, she was just chatting with other men. But what's normal a thousand years later would seem outrageous and reprehensible now, wouldn't it? And why is she so guilty? It's like she's really cheated on her husband...

Pshaw! I'm upright and have nothing to hide!

"Mother~"

The soft, sweet voice almost scared Song Xiaohua out of her wits.

Lu Ling was still squatting on the porch practicing calligraphy, just like yesterday, but this time she replaced the wooden stick with a clod of earth.

Her pitiful little face was filled with the grievance of being 'abandoned,' silently accusing Song Xiaohua of 'abuse'.

"Ling'er, look! I bought you some delicious food!" Song Xiaohua waved two strings of candied hawthorns, her smile utterly cunning.

Sure enough, the little boy, his eyes lighting up, immediately ran over cheering and, as usual, tripped and tumbled Song Wuque over...

Seeing Lu Ling so happy, as if he had received some incredible treasure, licking the sugar coating with great satisfaction, Song Xiaohua shook her head with pity.

Children in this era are truly pitiful; they have neither toys nor snacks.

She used to scoff at scenes of people eating candied hawthorns in period dramas on TV, thinking it was incredibly tacky. Didn't they have anything else to eat? But after arriving, she realized that indeed, they didn't…

"Ling'er, do you still remember our secret?"

With a large hawthorn berry stuffed in his mouth, Lu Ling's speech was unclear, so he nodded heavily.

Song Xiaohua gave him a satisfied kiss, then hurriedly went back to her room to change her clothes. When she came out, she saw Lu Ling eating with relish, and couldn't resist getting a craving herself. Using the excuse that eating too much would hurt a child's teeth, she righteously snatched a skewer...

So, this is what Lu Ziqi saw when he returned—

Two people, one big and one small, with a dog between them, sat side by side, eating fruit...

"Father!"

Lu Ling lunged at him with the remaining half of the gourd skewer, while Song Xiaohua waved the other half as a greeting. The dog lay on the ground, intently licking a small piece of candy, completely ignoring him...

Lu Ziqi took a symbolic bite of the candied hawthorn his son handed him, but it turned out to be sour, and his face immediately contorted in disgust.

Although the courtyard was simple, it was clean and filled with laughter, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere. Even the cool evening breeze seemed to carry a touch of warmth.

After dinner, Lu Ziqi locked himself in his study again. He had been busy with many things these past two days, but because he was thinking about the two people at home... well, the two people and the dog's dinner plans, he had to come back early and bring the unfinished business home to continue dealing with it.

A moment later, I heard a soft knock on the door. I put down my pen, got up, and opened the door.

All that could be seen was a bowl of steaming hot, medicinal-smelling tea, behind which was a large, smiling face blurred by the steam.

"This is?"

"your."

"Is this for me to drink? I'm not sick."

"Does it only become an illness after it flares up? This is a chronic illness, and prevention is key. It requires daily maintenance and care, do you understand?"

Lu Ziqi was stunned for a moment before he realized: "You mean last night..."

“Yes! This is a medicinal tea to soothe the stomach. You should drink a bowl every day from now on.” Song Xiaohua’s expression was full of schadenfreude, which made Lu Ziqi feel wary.

Why are you making that face? I wouldn't hurt you!

Seeing the wary look on his face, Song Xiaohua immediately became serious. However, Lu Ziqi felt even more uneasy and couldn't help but take a small step back.

Seeing this, Song Xiaohua simply grabbed his sleeve and started walking out: "Be good, be good! Come with me first, I still have something to give you!"

Lu Ziqi was helplessly dragged into the front hall by her, and then helplessly drank the bowl of medicinal tea under her wolfish gaze.

So...bitter...

Song Xiaohua couldn't help but burst into laughter, then quickly covered her mouth and continued to chuckle. Ling'er had just fallen asleep; she didn't want to wake her.

"I just took a small sip to try the taste...hehehe..."

"You..." Lu Ziqi suddenly felt like he had been tricked. He drank the whole cup of tea on the table, which slightly relieved the bitterness in his mouth.

"Good medicine tastes bitter! Isn't that what you always say?"

"...How many more days do we need to drink this?"

"Since it's a gradual treatment, then of course you should drink it year-round!"

Lu Ziqi's face darkened.

A thought suddenly popped into Song Xiaohua's mind: if she didn't know that Yuan Hao was unaware of her relationship with Lu Ziqi, she might have really thought that this was a deliberate attempt to mess with him...

Shaking his head to dismiss the absurd idea, he opened the two packages on the table: "This one is for you to return to the person; I chose the most durable and sturdy fabric. You can keep this one for yourself!"

With its moon-white trim, exquisite workmanship, and understated yet luxurious appearance, it comes at a hefty price.

Yesterday, when I was extremely frustrated, I still thought about what it would look like if Lu Ziqi wore this long robe. So, even though I was very distressed about the money that had been depleted, I bought another set today instead of exchanging it.

Lu Ziqi understood at a glance, and his heart warmed. She remembered him in everything, and he couldn't bear to refuse her kindness. Although such clothes weren't very practical and a bit wasteful right now, he figured he'd wear them someday…

Having removed his faded old clothes and put on new ones, Lu Ziqi stood tall and elegant, his figure surprisingly complementing the new attire. It was as if he was born to be dressed in fine clothes, holding a folding fan, lingering in the most bustling and prosperous places.

A handsome young man in a turbid world...

Song Xiaohua's heart skipped a beat, and for some reason, she remembered that sour remark.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Ziqi had already changed his clothes and folded them neatly: "Put them away for now, and wear them again on some important occasion in the future."

“Oh…” Song Xiaohua obediently took it.

On such an important day, does this mean he values the gift he gave him?

After exchanging a few more casual words, Lu Ziqi went back to his study to work, while Song Xiaohua washed up and returned to her room.

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The night was deep and the moon was high when the door opened softly.

Lu Ziqi stepped out, stretched his limbs, and breathed in the chilly air, which slightly lessened his fatigue.

Turning around, I noticed that Song Xiaohua's bedroom was still lit. I walked to the door and knocked a few times, but there was no answer. I applied a little force, and the door opened. After a slight hesitation, I finally pushed the door open and went inside.

The small room was clean and tidy, with a single lamp illuminating Song Wuque, who was fast asleep in his little nest, and another figure sleeping on the desk.

Thinking that sleeping like this was very uncomfortable, Song Xiaohua's delicate eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and her profile was covered with a soft light under the lamp, completely lacking the lively and carefree demeanor she had during the day.

The autumn night was chilly, yet she wore only an outer coat and went barefoot, falling into a deep sleep. Her body wasn't fully recovered; what if she caught a cold? This girl, how could she be so inconsiderate of herself?

Shaking his head and sighing, Lu Ziqi bent down and carefully picked her up, as light as he had expected.