Mi primer marido después de la transmigración

Capítulo 8

“Yes,” I nodded, “I haven’t said goodbye to my brother yet.”

He released me, looked me over carefully, and asked with concern, "Silly girl, why were you so impulsive in the torture chamber? I was so worried about you."

"It's no use talking about this now. The situation was completely out of control back then. It's all Madam Ji's fault. If she hadn't caused trouble, we would still be in class right now." Thinking about not being able to attend classes and play ball with them anymore, I couldn't help but tear up and desperately held back my tears.

Mu Shaoting reached out and covered my eyes, laughing, "Go ahead and cry, I can't see you." I was so angry that I hit him, but it was my hand that hurt.

"What's that in your arms? It's rock hard!" I yelled, shaking my hand.

Mu Shaoting quickly pulled a small leather bag from his pocket and handed it to me. "You went out without taking anything with you, and you even threw away your only jewelry in a fit of pique. You must be broke, right? I don't have any silver either, so I picked out a few valuable items for you. You can sell them to get some silver. They're all quite valuable, so don't be silly and get scammed by selling them for too low a price."

My nose tingled, and tears finally streamed down my face. I hugged him again and said, "Brother, I regret it. I don't want to leave you."

"Now you know?" Mu Shaoting wiped away my tears, pretended to be angry and tapped my nose, then comforted me, "Don't worry, I will plead with Father. Maybe he will come back to you after he calms down. It was Madam Ji who started this whole thing, and so many people have suffered because of it."

After regaining my composure, I whispered, "There's no going back. This day was bound to come sooner or later. My mother is dead. This day was bound to come sooner or later."

"Huai'en, can you write to me after you leave? Let me know if you're doing well, and let me know where to find you in the future," Mu Shaoting looked at me earnestly.

I nodded firmly: "Brother, you must also be happy. Remember to balance your studies with rest. Don't let yourself become bookish and stupid by the time I see you again." Mu Shaoting chuckled and took out an exquisite dagger, placing it in my hand. He said, "This was given to me by a very distinguished guest on my seventh birthday. It even has the character 'Ting' on it. I'm giving it to you starting today. It's not safe outside, so take it for self-defense." I was moved to tears once again.

"Are you regretting teasing your brother too much and not treating him better in the past?" Mu Shaoting tried to lighten the mood, but I hadn't cried for years and suddenly burst into tears today. He could only coax me, "Don't cry, I'm going back. I'm sneaking out, otherwise I'll get caught and Tianqi will be punished."

Hearing this, I wiped away my tears, forced a smile, and said to him, "Brother, remember Huai En is smiling, and you're still waiting for me." Mu Shaoting hugged me again and instructed, "Remember to write to me." Then he hurriedly left.

Watching his retreating figure, I was filled with both gratitude and guilt. I had approached him so calculatingly, using a fishing rod, a simple drawing, and some sweet talk to earn his countless acts of genuine affection over the past two years. After gaining his favor, I became arrogant and frequently teased him. I was truly arrogant and shameless. Now, as I was being kicked out, he risked punishment to see me off and gave me so many treasures. Just as I had flattered him before, Mu Shaoting was truly the sun shining brightly in the Qiyun Marquis's mansion.

But if I had known that this parting would almost be our last, would we still have been able to say goodbye with such smiles?

The story of the Marquis of Qiyun's mansion ended so quickly, and the three of us started a new life.

The fiefdom of Marquis Qiyun was located in the southwest of the Youjing Dynasty, bordering the Golden Sparrow Kingdom. After discussion (actually, it was just my idea; what advice could my aunt and Zinuo possibly have?), we decided to head north to the Holy City (i.e., the capital). My aunt told me that my mother was originally from the Holy City, and my maternal grandfather was once a famous merchant there, but he was convicted of selling contraband, which implicated his entire family. All the women were sold into slavery, and Marquis Qiyun happened to be there and bought both my mother and aunt.

Mu Shaoting did give me some really good treasures. I still remember how my aunt's eyes lit up when she opened the little leather bag.

"Auntie, can't you stop being so greedy? It's ruining your image," I said, displeased.

The aunt carefully put the bag away and said with a sigh, "It's not that I love these things, it's just that the young master treats you much better than I imagined, so I'm a little surprised."

"Zinuo will treat his sister even better from now on!" Zinuo shouted from the side, afraid that we would ignore him.

“If we sell these things, it’ll be enough for the three of us to live on until we’re old, if we’re frugal,” Auntie added.

I didn't say anything, and then I thought of my brother, who was as warm as the sun, and felt a little stifled. He was also very thoughtful; he thought of so much in such a short time, and even managed to pack it all up and sneak out to give it to me. He was quite efficient.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I took out the contents of the small leather bag and chose a piece of lustrous, warm-looking Qilin jade to wear around Zinuo's neck. I also put on a finely crafted gold-inlaid jade butterfly pendant for myself. I then asked my aunt to choose two more pieces she liked to wear, but she insisted on refusing.

I patiently explained to her, "Auntie, you should wear it first. Even if we have to sell it, we'll sell the ones we haven't chosen yet. Wearing it will spread out our valuables, so if something gets stolen or something else happens, we won't be left with nothing." Zinuo nodded in agreement, and only then did Auntie agree. Unfortunately, my brother is a boy, and in the rush, he didn't give me any pretty jewelry. The ones he gave me before were left in the punishment hall, and thinking about this made my heart ache again.

We found a fairly well-known pawnshop on the street and pawned a jade ruyi for eighty taels of silver. With the silver, things got easier. We first went to a clothing store and bought a few sets of clothes, then found an inn to eat at. After eating, we asked for a room to rest and asked the waiter to help us hire a carriage. Only then did the three of us wash up and lie down.

The next morning, my aunt dragged Zinuo and me out of bed early, saying that the carriages to the Holy City were about to depart. After hurriedly getting ready, we went outside the inn and saw that there were actually six carriages.

Seeing my puzzled expression, my aunt smiled and said, "Those who are traveling by carriage usually travel in groups so that they can look out for each other on the road."

I walked around and jumped onto one of the vehicles, asking, "Can we sit in any of them?" My aunt smiled and picked Zinuo up, saying, "If no one's here, you can sit." We sat in the vehicle, munching on steamed buns while waiting. The owners of the other two vehicles hadn't arrived yet. There will always be people who are late, wasting other people's time, no matter when or where.

Just as I was feeling comfortable and sleepy after a satisfying meal, the convoy finally set off. The bumpy ride made me even more drowsy. This outdated mode of transportation was truly unbearable, but my aunt and Zinuo seemed quite happy and didn't appear to be uncomfortable at all.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Zinuo crawled over and grabbed my hand to ask when she saw that I had kept my eyes closed and didn't say anything.

My aunt touched my forehead and said, "Don't disturb your sister, she's probably carsick." It's no wonder she gets carsick in such a bumpy ride.

Without answering them, I kept my eyes closed, silently contemplating my future. My aunt was a typical woman from ancient times, lacking any sense of independence; I couldn't expect her to shoulder the burden of raising me and Zinuo to adulthood. Zinuo was still so young; we were the ones who had to support him. Although I could guarantee I could support myself, I was still just a six-year-old girl, and my age and gender were not acceptable to others… My brother had made thorough preparations, but no one could predict what would happen to the three of us—a widow and her child—out there, and eventually, we would run out of money. It was truly a headache; I frowned sadly.

"Huai'en, if you're feeling really carsick, would you like to sit outside?" My aunt's concerned voice rang in my ears. It's not entirely because of carsickness! I thought to myself, but I still opened my eyes, nodded, and climbed over to sit next to the driver.

Let's think about the future when we get to the Holy City; we don't know what the environment there will be like.

So I put aside that troublesome problem and focused on appreciating the scenery around me.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 008

Chapter word count: 3560 Update time: 09-07-25 11:04

It was autumn, and everywhere along the way was filled with the joy of harvest. Farmers often praised the current emperor, saying how good the weather had been for the past few years. But what does good weather have to do with whether the emperor is good or not? Is he some kind of dragon king?

The coachman, surnamed Liu, would occasionally chat with us to ease the boredom of the journey. However, he mostly talked to my aunt, which made Zinuo and I constantly watch him warily, afraid he might have some designs on my delicate aunt. When traveling, one should not harbor malicious intentions, but one must be wary of others. The classics passed down for thousands of years are summaries of many bloody lessons learned by our ancestors, and I firmly believe in the correctness of their theories.

"What urgent matter brings this young lady on her long journey from Pingcheng to the Holy City?" Coachman Liu asked the concubine, waving his whip. I had kept the carriage curtain open the whole time to allow for air circulation.

My aunt replied politely, "My husband passed away last month, and now that I have no one to rely on, I have no choice but to return to my parents' home in the city." Zinuo and I covered our mouths and chuckled behind her back, and my aunt gave us a sideways look.

The coachman, Liu, asked with concern, "Madam is so young, why not find a better family in Pingcheng?"

"Alas, with children to support, what family would want me?" The aunt's voice was sorrowful; it turned out she had a talent for acting.

"Once you return to the Holy City, will your wife's family definitely take you in? Aren't married daughters like water spilled from a cup?" the coachman Liu asked again. How dare you ask such a question? Does he think your concubine will remarry you? I cursed inwardly, seething with resentment.

Auntie sighed and said, "We'll only know after we try. After all, my parents loved me very much before I got married."

The coachman, Liu, chatted with his aunt about other things.

Whether out of sympathy or for some other reason, the driver, Liu, was very kind to my aunt and us along the way. Under our close surveillance, Zinuo and I didn't do anything out of line. In any case, I would never admit to being cynical; I firmly believe he simply had no opportunity because Zinuo and I were watching him.

After a bumpy ten-day journey, we finally arrived at the capital of the Youjing Dynasty—the Holy City. Located in the north-central part of the dynasty, the distance to the Holy City is roughly the same regardless of which direction you come from. Compared to the delicate and charming Pingcheng, the Holy City appears magnificent and opulent, truly befitting a capital city—perhaps this was the design concept of its original builders.