After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

Chapter 225 Looking back suddenly, the lights are dim

Shangguan Shu got the address and went back to the shabby house. He happened to meet Heng Lin who came to beg for food. As soon as he saw him, Shangguan Shu knew that another three days had passed.

Heng Lin looked like he would fall down if the wind blew.

Shangguan Shu invited him in, and this time not only kept him for dinner, but also asked him to look after the yard and feed the cows for him, on the condition that he could eat as much rice as he wanted.

Henglin agreed.

Shangguan Shu calculated the time. There were still seven days until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It would take him one day to go back and forth, and he could work for six days once he got there. Together with the silver he had saved by living frugally in the past few days, he would have exactly ten taels of silver.

Shangguan Shu ate two more bowls of rice and hurried on his way.

Day and night.

When I arrived at the dock, the soles of my feet were already covered with blisters.

He squeezed the blisters with his hands, but there was no medicine powder to apply. He endured the pain and signed up at the dock to carry rice bags. The bags weighed 100 kilograms each. He looked over and saw that the workers had piled up seven or eight bags and could not even straighten their backs.

The shopkeeper was skeptical about his delicate skin and tender flesh, but seeing that he was relatively strong, he let him try first.

Shangguan Shu felt more at ease.

As soon as he put the rice bag on his back, he felt a sharp pain in his back, as if it was going to break. The worker next to him saw him grimacing and was a little scared, "Are you okay? If you can't do it, forget it."

Shangguan Shu gritted his teeth and shook his head at him, "It's okay, I can do it!"

With his last breath of strength and the determination to see his wife and children, Shangguan Shu persevered.

The more I did it, the more I became familiar with it. Even though I was sweating profusely, I no longer felt any pain.

I'm just really tired...

It’s not that he hasn’t suffered or been tired, it’s just that it’s different.

At the age of three, he became the prince's companion. From then on, he read and practiced calligraphy before dawn, never stopping regardless of the cold or heat. At the age of sixteen, he won the top three places in the imperial examinations.

Being the top scholar in the imperial examination is the least noteworthy item in his brilliant life resume.

Thirteen years of hard study is exhausting.

Later, Huai'an was married to the Xiongnu. He dropped his pen, picked up a spear, joined the army and fought, and changed from a staff officer in the barracks to a general who could go into battle. Although he had some basic skills, in order to stand out, he had to make unimaginable efforts and suffered extraordinary hardships.

This kind of pain and tiredness is a kind of growth.

The hard work at this time was just a waste of time. Apart from money, it could not bring him any sense of accomplishment.

For lunch, there were steamed buns with yellow flour and cabbage.

It tasted like chewing wax and was hard in the throat, but a group of men were eating it with great enthusiasm, including Shangguan Shu.

Hungry, tired...

I was so hungry and tired that I couldn't think of anything else but my instinct.

Six days passed quickly.

For the past six days, he worked during the day and slept in the warehouse at night to save some money, using the quilt he used to cover the goods to barely block out the cold wind.

However, on the sixth day, he fell ill again.

I felt dizzy, weak all over, and it felt like a knife was cutting my throat. Even drinking water hurt.

With the belief that he could see Zhao Ying, he gritted his teeth and finished his last day's work. When he was paid, the shopkeeper deducted fifty cents from him on the pretext of something, saying that he was living in his warehouse for free every day.

Shangguan Shu was ill and his mind was cloudy, so he did not want to argue with him.

Taking five taels and fifty cents, he started his journey back.

It was another day and night journey. The closer they got, the more sober Shangguan Shu became.

He is going to meet Zhao Ying.

Yinger...

Yinger...

When he returned to Wogua Town, it was already daybreak. The streets, which were quiet when he left, were now bustling with activity. The emperor's carriage had come.

It should be in the hot spring now.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Shu became more and more excited, and his hands were shaking as he took out the silver.

With nine taels and fifty cents, he bought the lamb he had always wanted to give to Yue'er, the small lantern for Wan'er, and gifts for Bai Lin, Cheng Jing, Qi You... and a silver hairpin for Zhao Ying.

It was not exquisite, not expensive, and completely different from the ones he had given her in the past, but those things could not compare to the meaning behind this silver hairpin.

In the past, he owed her his sincerity, and from now on, he will make it up to her little by little...

After Shangguan Shu came out of the jewelry shop, he didn't notice someone was staring at him on the street corner.

The man went back to report.

Wei Fu sneered, "I was wondering where he was hiding, but... hehe..."

"Shangguan Shu is indeed very scheming!"

Wei Fu soaked in the warm spring pool and sipped his tea. "But, his efforts are doomed to be in vain."

……

At night, the streets are bustling.

A group of people went out incognito, including Emperor Jianxi, Wu Yonggui, Zhao Ying, Wei Fu, Shangguan Zhu and several court officials, Shangguan one, two, three, four, five...

Emperor Jianxi couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the prosperous world in front of him, "I didn't expect that the capital city a hundred miles away would be so prosperous. Although the houses are a bit run-down, the people are pure and prosperous, and there is a unique charm. Wei Qing, your suggestion is very good, and I will reward you handsomely later!"

Wei Fu replied modestly with a faint smile.

A group of people visited the lantern festival and guessed lantern riddles. It was very lively.

Shangguan Qingyue's eyes were brighter than stars. He kept pointing at things and asked Zhao Ying, "Mother, what is this?"

Shangguan Bailin made full use of his talents and won a lantern for each of his brothers and sisters.

The group strolled around for a long time until they were tired, and then they found a teahouse with colorful flowers and lanterns to sit down. The surrounding area was full of lanterns and passers-by, with shadows everywhere.

Emperor Jianxi sat at one table with several court officials. Zhao Ying, Wei Fu, and Shangguan 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 sat at another table.

Shangguan Qingyue suddenly ran towards Wei Fu, "Uncle, you said you would give Yue'er a Lantern Festival gift, where is the gift?"

The little girl stretched out her chubby hand seriously.

The children laughed loudly when they saw this. Shangguan Qingwan laughed and scolded, "Yue'er is such a money-grubber!"

Wei Fu pinched Shangguan Qingyue's bun and said lovingly, "Uncle knows Yue'er likes to eat lamb legs. Uncle, can you give Yue'er a piece of pasture?"

"This way, Yue'er will have countless lambs to eat!"

Shangguan Qingyue's eyes lit up, "That's great! Uncle, why are you so kind? Yue'er likes you so much!"

"Yue'er wants to give you a kiss!"

You know, Shangguan Qingyue's kiss is the highest etiquette in external social interaction.

Wei Fu smiled and stretched out his face, letting the little guy kiss him.

Then, Wei Fu gave gifts to several other children, which made them all happy.

Seeing this, Zhao Ying pretended to be angry and said, "Cousin, how come they all have them, but where is mine?"

Wei Fu's smile faded, and he looked at Zhao Ying with deep affection, and said softly, "Of course there is yours."

Zhao Ying was stunned and began to regret why he joked with Wei Fu.

However, it was too late to regret. Wei Fu took out a hairpin from his bosom. It was exquisite and luxurious. As soon as he took it out, the children exclaimed, "Wow... so beautiful..."

"Sister Ying, this is for you..."

Shangguan Qingyue said crisply: "Mother, please accept it!"

[When my mother dies, the hairpin will be mine...]

Zhao Ying: ...

Shangguan 1234: ...

There is no problem in accepting it, but... Zhao Ying looked at Wei Fu's eyes and suddenly didn't dare to accept it.

Originally, when a man gives a woman a hairpin, it is a very ambiguous gift.

Zhao Ying thought about it briefly and felt that if she refuted Wei Fu in public, he would definitely look bad. So she accepted it first, and then returned it to Wei Fu when there was no one around, and explained it to him clearly.

After thinking about it, Zhao Ying forced a smile and took the hairpin from Wei Fu, "Thank you, cousin..."

A hint of surprise flashed across Wei Fu's eyes.

At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from behind.

Zhao Ying turned her head and looked over...

Everyone heard the sound and looked over...

In the sight, a tall and thin figure turned around and ran away in panic, accidentally bumping into the lantern stand, and then fell to the ground with the lantern.

"You have no eyes, can't you see such a bright light?"

The fat woman put her hands on her hips and pointed at the person on the ground and cursed loudly.

But the man said nothing.

He was wearing a patched linen shirt and lying on a wooden frame, looking extremely miserable.