readytorunbook Chapter 786 Old Classmates
Chapter 786 Old Classmates
Huo Lin was brave and resourceful in battle.
If he stays in the military, he will surely have a bright future.
It would be a waste of his talent to have him remain in Qingzhou as a military officer responsible for the safety of the prefecture.
Sheng Yunruo knew all of this.
She just selfishly wanted to keep him, to keep the stable life she had worked so hard for.
"Husband, I'm sorry..." Sheng Yunruo murmured softly.
Huo Lin understood what she meant, but shook his head. "Coming to Qingzhou was my decision."
He was willing to stay in Qingzhou so that Sheng Yunruo could stay.
When Sheng Junyao agreed to marry Sheng Yunruo, he gave her two choices: one was to go to Qingzhou to live a peaceful life, and the other was to take Sheng Yunruo to the border.
Huo Lin knew better than anyone how tough life was at the border. Sheng Yunruo was in poor health, and if he took her to the border, she probably wouldn't be able to endure it.
Having already made a promise, how could he insist on doing so knowing that she couldn't bear it?
So after careful consideration, he decided to bring her to Qingzhou.
Huo Lin never regretted his choice. Seeing Sheng Yunruo's health gradually improve, he was glad that he had brought her to Qingzhou.
Coming to Qingzhou was his decision, and leaving would also be his decision. He would not impose his choice on his wife. A real man should bear the responsibility of whether he is to make a name for himself or to stay at home.
Huo Lin used to tell Sheng Yunruo about things happening outside, but if she didn't like it, he wouldn't mention it again. In recent years, he had been paying attention to the developments in the capital and often corresponded with Sheng Junyao. Originally, he knew that Sheng Yunruo didn't like these things, so he rarely told her.
But now that Sheng Yunruo brought it up, he patiently explained to her: "The situation in the capital has changed drastically in recent years, and the border has also changed a lot. My elder brother is doing very well in the trade in the Northwest. I asked Miss Lu on the way, and the Northwest is now completely different from what it used to be. I couldn't take you to the Northwest before because I was worried that your body couldn't handle it. But if there are any arrangements in the future, I will discuss them with you. Whatever decision I make, I will tell you first."
He pulled Sheng Yunruo into his arms, gently stroking her face with his fingers, and lowered his head to kiss her eyebrows and eyes. "Ruoruo, we are family. My efforts are far less than what you have done for me by managing the household and raising our children. So don't blame yourself. I am the one who should blame myself. I knew you had something on your mind, but I never truly opened my heart to you. I almost caused your death. I didn't do enough."
Sheng Yunruo grasped his hand and gently shook her head. "My husband has done so much for me. If it weren't for these peaceful years, even if I knew about Sheng Yunzhu's fate, I wouldn't have had the courage to face the past. So, my husband, thank you. Thank you for your understanding and tolerance. It is you and Hao'er who finally gave me the courage to face everything in the past. I also want to walk with you. Let's work together as a family."
She had experienced misfortune, which she could not bear to think about, could not forget, and could not get over.
But now she has a lover, a family, and a kind and understanding younger sister, which makes her go from being content to being dissatisfied. She wants to have more, so she has to become a better version of herself.
Huo Lin's fingertips slipped between her fingers, interlocking tightly, and he responded in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
From that moment on, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.
...
Lu Yangyang stayed in Qingzhou for a few more days. She removed Sheng Yunruo's stitches and prescribed medicine to help the two newborn girls recover. Seeing that they were becoming more and more fair and their condition was stable, she bid farewell to Sheng Yunruo with reluctance and left Qingzhou.
By the time she set off to return to Beijing, it was already early September.
Sheng Junyi had other matters to attend to, and after staying in Qingzhou for two or three days, he hurriedly left.
When Lu Yangyang and Hongyu arrived outside the capital, it was already evening, and the city gates were about to close.
"Miss, can we still go in tonight?" Hongyu asked softly.
Lu Yangyang sighed.
That's pretty unlucky.
They encountered a downpour on the way and were soaked to the bone. When they finally arrived at the post station and started packing, they discovered that their travel permit, which they hadn't put away, was soaked and the writing was illegible. It was impossible for them to enter the city openly now.
The original plan was to arrive before dark, and if we were lucky, we might be able to sneak in.
However, due to a landslide on Guandaoshan Road outside Beijing caused by the heavy rain the day before, I had to take a detour, and unfortunately it was already dark by then.
Holding two tattered travel permits, Lu Yangyang knew she couldn't sneak in. Helplessly, she said, "I remember there's a dilapidated temple nearby. Let's make do there for the night. Tomorrow, we'll send a message to the merchant guild, and someone will come to pick us up and take us into the city."
Hongyu replied, "Luckily it didn't rain today, and we've almost finished our rations. I'll go to the nearby woods later to see if we can catch a couple of wild rabbits."
For some reason, there's been an unusually heavy rain lately. In the few days they've been traveling, it's rained several times, and both of them have developed fevers from being soaked in the rain. Fortunately, Lu Yangyang's medicine is locked in her medicine box, which is specially made, waterproof...
If they had anticipated this, they would have put the travel guide in the medicine box.
It's a pity that you can't buy foresight.
Following the direction in her memory, Lu Yangyang led Hongyu toward the nearby dilapidated temple.
However, things don't last forever. The two had only been riding for less than half an hour when a sudden downpour drenched them.
It was pitch black all around. Lu Yangyang called out through the rain, "It's just ahead. Let's get out of the rain first."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he faintly heard the neighing of horses ahead.
Hongyu exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, there seems to be someone ahead!"
“They’re probably going to take shelter from the rain too. Let’s go check it out,” Lu Yangyang replied.
Not far along, they indeed saw a carriage and several servants. The carriage seemed to be stuck in a mud pit, and the servants were struggling to push it out. However, the horses were frightened by the heavy rain and were pacing back and forth restlessly.
Lu Yangyang rode over on horseback, and the other party heard the noise and hurriedly looked over.
A maid holding an umbrella looked up. Lu Yangyang and Hongyu were both dressed in men's clothing. The maid excitedly called out to the two of them, "Young masters, could you please help us? Our master has a high fever that won't go down, and we must get into the city as soon as possible. Don't worry, we will definitely reward you handsomely if you help us."
Seeing the troubled expressions on their faces, and knowing that the horse was startled, Lu Yangyang realized that if they didn't control it soon, it might run away, making it even harder for them to get back to the city.
She dismounted, walked over to the coachman who was being thrown off balance, pressed him down, took the reins from his hand, and gave them a sharp tug. The horse struggled for a moment, then immediately calmed down.
Lu Yangyang handed the reins to the coachman, then went to the back of the carriage and gave it a push, easily pushing the carriage out of the mud pit.
The maid exclaimed in disbelief, "Young master, you have such great strength!"
As she spoke, she hurriedly extended her umbrella, wanting to shield Lu Yangyang from the rain.
"Young master has helped us a great deal. Please wait a moment, I will go and get the silver for you," the maid said loudly.
Lu Yangyang waved her hand: "No need for silver. If you have any extra umbrellas, just give me two."
She didn't try to hide her voice; her clear, crisp voice immediately revealed her to be that of a young woman.
The maid was so surprised she gasped, "You're a girl?"
Lu Yangyang smiled and said, "Yes, I am also a doctor. I just heard you say that your master has a persistent high fever. Do you need me to take a look?"
"Ah, thank you for your kindness, Miss. Please wait a moment, I'll go ask my master." The maid hurriedly handed her umbrella to Lu Yangyang, then raised her hand to shield her head and ran to the carriage, sticking her head out to say a few words to the person inside.
The carriage door opened, and a nanny poked her head out, holding an umbrella. "Please come in, young lady."
Lu Yangyang jumped onto the carriage with her umbrella, handed it to Hongyu who had followed her, and then climbed into the carriage.
The carriage was lit, and a very beautiful girl with a pale face leaned on her maid's shoulder, her eyes closed and her brows furrowed, clearly feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Lu Yangyang looked at that face, but her eyelids twitched.
It was both a coincidence and an exceptionally bad coincidence.
She unexpectedly encountered Xue Wanyue outside the city gate on her way back to the capital.
Her former classmate, now Consort Duan, Xue Wanyue.