novelaction Chapter 258: Rigorous
Chapter 258: Rigorous
Chapter 258: Rigorous
To make Ji Meiqing more comfortable, Lu Yu placed a piece of clothing under her head, held her in his arms, and whispered to the coachman outside, "Master, we don't need to go so fast now. Just try to keep the carriage steady."
The coachman, puzzled, said, "Young Master Lu, if we do as you say, our speed will decrease, and we won't be able to arrive on time."
Lu Yu understood the driver's concerns and said, "Don't worry, I didn't tell you to keep this speed. It's just that my wife is asleep now, and I want her to sleep peacefully. After all, we're not traveling by water this time, and we'll be traveling by carriage the whole time, so sleep is very important."
Upon hearing the reason, the driver indeed slowed down and became much more composed. The entire caravan also slowed down, but no one paid any attention.
When Ji Meiqing woke up after a good night's sleep, she noticed that the carriage was moving very slowly and asked the driver, "Master, is there something wrong with our carriage?"
The driver replied, "Madam Lu, there's nothing wrong with our carriage. It was Young Master Lu who saw you sleeping and asked us to slow down. Young Master Lu truly loves you very much." Ji Meiqing looked at Lu Yu, thanked him, and then told the driver to resume normal speed.
Ji Meiqing thought for a moment and then spoke up, "Brother Lu, please don't make special arrangements for me in the future. Actually, even if it's very bumpy, I'm fine. If the whole convoy slows down because of me, how much time will that waste? Isn't it time-consuming for us to set off so early?"
Lu Yu said "Okay".
At noon, everyone stopped to rest and eat. Ji Meiqing leaned against a tree, waiting for Lu Yu to bring over some dry rations. As they ate together, they suddenly heard some movement in the bushes. Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu preferred quiet, so they were a little distance away from the main group.
Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu cautiously approached the bushes, initially thinking they might encounter assassins. However, upon parting the bushes, they discovered a boy who appeared to be about six or seven years old. The boy emerged from the bushes, looking longingly at the dry rations Lu Yu and Ji Meiqing had placed under a tree. However, perhaps out of good manners, even though the child looked extremely hungry, they did not try to snatch them.
Ji Meiqing placed the dry rations in front of him and said, "Here, eat." The boy said, "Thank you, sister," and then took them and ate heartily. After the boy had finished eating, Ji Meiqing asked, "Where are your parents? You looked like a child from a wealthy family, how did you end up like this?"
The boy said in a childish voice, "My name is Yan Jin. My family is in business. Although we're not a wealthy family, we're very happy. I have an older brother named Yan Shen, who is two years older than me. One day, my brother and I were playing outside when we were kidnapped by a group of bad guys. They wanted money from my parents. My parents were killed by those guys when they tried to save us. My brother and I escaped, but because we were too young, we were caught. My brother led them away to protect me. Since I don't know any of this place and have nowhere to go, I've been staying here. I haven't eaten for two days."
After listening to Yan Jin recount his ordeal in one breath, Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu were impressed by his expressive ability, which was unlike that of a child. Ji Meiqing said, "Your parenting is really good. He's so young, yet his expressive ability is so strong! And you were so polite even though you were clearly very hungry. Your parents must be very wise."
Yan Jin said, "Yes, my mother taught my brother and me the necessary knowledge from a young age, and she also taught us the principles of being a good person, but now she and my father..." He choked up as he spoke.
Ji Meiqing stepped forward and coaxed, "Alright, alright, don't cry. You weren't crying just now." Then they heard someone call out, "Young Master Lu, Madam Lu, we should go." Lu Yu replied, "I know, wait a little longer." Then, looking at Ji Meiqing, he said knowingly, "If you want to take him with you, then take him."
Upon hearing this, Ji Meiqing exclaimed with delight, "Really?" Lu Yu replied, "Anyway, this little guy is so polite and well-behaved, he shouldn't cause us any trouble."
Ji Meiqing quickly instructed Yan Jin beside her, "Hurry up and thank your uncle." "Thank you, uncle." After saying that, she was pulled into the carriage, leaving Lu Yu alone, bewildered in the wind. He smiled helplessly and also got into the carriage. Seeing Ji Meiqing and Yan Jin playing happily together, he suddenly had an urge to have a child, but it was just a thought.
Yan Jin opened his big eyes and asked, "Uncle, where are we going?" Lu Yu knew he was asking a question, so he deliberately didn't answer him and instead said, "Don't call me uncle anymore, call me brother, okay?"
Ji Meiqing covered her mouth and laughed, not expecting him to take this so seriously.
"Oh, brother, where are we going?" Yan Jin corrected his form of address and asked again. This time, Lu Yu answered him, "We're going to the capital. I'll settle you in there."
Upon hearing the word "capital," Yan Jin said, "I've been to the capital before, but that was with my family of four." He then lowered his head. Ji Meiqing knew he was very sad, so she said, "Don't be sad. Don't you have an older brother? He must still be alive. Your brother and sister will help you find him."
Yan Jin perked up upon hearing this, but seeing him constantly yawning, Ji Meiqing said to him, "Yan Jin, why don't you take a nap? Just lie in your sister's arms." Before Yan Jin could speak, Lu Yu interrupted him, saying, "How can that be? He's a boy." Ji Meiqing said nonchalantly, "So what if he's a boy? He's still a child. You wouldn't be jealous of a child, would you?"
"Who...who's jealous? I was just worried you'd be uncomfortable. If you don't care, then so be it," Lu Yu said, denying that he was jealous.
Yan Jin fell asleep quickly, clearly exhausted. After all, he was just a child, and it was only natural that he hadn't slept well during the two days she had been away. Once Yan Jin was asleep, Ji Meiqing leaned close to Lu Yu's ear and whispered, "Actually, I really like this child. It's not just because he's sensible and polite, but also because he's very strong. Didn't you notice the restraint he showed when he talked about his parents' deaths? It's not something a child should be able to do. I think I certainly couldn't have said it like that; I would have cried."
Lu Yu agreed with her point of view and shushed her to stop talking. Lu Yu also needed to rest, after all, he had a lot of responsibility along the way.
Fortunately, the convoy encountered no difficulties along the way, and the group arrived at their destination as expected. Ji Meiqing took Yan Jin to the small house, while Lu Yu led the convoy to a restaurant.
As soon as Ji Meiqing entered the door, she called out, "Grandma Liu, are you home?" Grandma Liu came out when she heard the call.