allonlinenovel Chapter 345 Farewell
Chapter 345 Farewell
Lanterns hung from the eaves on both sides of the street, their warm yellow light illuminating the dark street and casting a soft glow on the bluestone slabs paved with the ground.
The thick layer of snow that had accumulated on the ground was shoveled and piled up on both sides of the street. The people stood beside the snow, their smiles simple and warm in the cold night.
Shen Qingtan stared in astonishment at this scene. Since the plague ravaged Yuncheng, no one had lit lanterns at their doorsteps anymore.
Moreover, at night, you can't see a single pedestrian on the street.
Now that they are about to leave Yuncheng, the people have come to see them off by lighting lanterns.
Each person held a shovel and a broom, clearly having cleared a smooth path specifically for them.
Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi exchanged a glance, lowered the carriage curtain, and got off the carriage together.
At this moment, an elderly man walked out of the crowd, trembling.
“My lord, my family of six contracted the plague. When we went to the clinic, no one cared for us. The doctor kicked us out and told us to go back and prepare for our deaths. It was you who arranged for the prefect to take us to a shed and invited the imperial physician to treat us, saving my family of six.”
As the old man spoke of his sorrows, his cloudy eyes slowly welled up with tears.
“My great-granddaughter can only call me great-grandfather now. I thought I would never hear her call me that again in my life. But our family met a good official like you who saved us. I can hear her call me great-grandfather every day. This morning, she even shared her eggs with me.”
At this point, the old man smiled, tears welling in his eyes. Filled with gratitude, he put down his cane, knelt down, and kowtowed to Zhao Yi.
"And me, my whole family got sick, and the government officials dragged us to live in a shed. We were still cooking, and the fire on the stove hadn't even gone out when the house burned down. When the officials found out, they took out some money and sent people to build a new house for my family."
“And me, and me too. My two sons were the first to get the disease. They left me, their mother, before the adults arrived. Only my youngest son was left. My legs are weak, and my youngest son had to do corvée labor. There was no one to take care of me. After the adults found out the truth, they exempted my son from corvée labor and also exempted my family from taxes. We won’t go hungry this winter.”
"The magistrate not only exempted your family, but also exempted our Yuncheng and Panshicheng from taxes. Families with only one male member are exempt from corvée labor."
The people, one after another, spoke of Zhao Yi's contributions to them, and all knelt down to kowtow to him.
"Sir, you are a living bodhisattva. You saved our lives and gave us a livelihood. We will never forget your great kindness."
Seeing the people kneeling in a mass of kneeling people, Zhao Yi quickly helped the elderly man at the head of the group to his feet.
“As the local official, these are things I should do. The ground is cold, and you have just recovered from a serious illness. Get up quickly and don’t catch a cold.”
Upon hearing Zhao Yi's words, the people quickly stood up, afraid of causing trouble for Zhao Yi and the divine doctor again.
They handed a bundle to Zhao Yi, saying, "Several of us strong men went into the mountains to hunt animals and skinned them to make a cloak for you, Madam. This is a small token of our appreciation; please accept it."
Looking at the honest smiles on the faces of the people, Zhao Yi remained silent for a moment before accepting the bundle: "You've been very kind."
Seeing that Zhao Yi accepted the money, the people's smiles grew even brighter. They stepped back to the roadside and said, "We won't delay your journey. The roads are wet and slippery in this snowy weather, so please be careful."
Zhao Yi was touched by their enthusiasm and smiled, "Okay."
The people watched Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan leave in their carriage until it was out of sight, then they prepared to disperse and go home.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and presented a bag of silver: "The master left us a bag of silver."
The crowd stared at the bulging bag of silver, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. This official truly cared for ordinary people like them and was unwilling to take even a needle or thread from them for nothing.
-
Inside the carriage, Shen Qingtan unwrapped the bundle, revealing a snow-white fur, without a single blemish, demonstrating the people's heartfelt gratitude in preparing this gift.
"The people here are very simple and honest. They give what they consider to be the best to their benefactors." Shen Qingtan gently stroked the soft fur with her fingers, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly: "Fortunately, they are the people of your fiefdom, so you can take better care of them."
Zhao Yi's gaze fell on the snow-white fur, her fair and delicate fingers almost blending into the fur.
He gently took her fingers in his hands: "You are absolutely right, madam."
Shen Qingtan glanced at him.
At this moment, the coachman spoke up: "Your Highness, Your Highness, we have arrived at the city gate."
The carriage slowly came to a stop. Shen Qingtan quickly lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. She saw Gu Changsheng standing at the city gate, dressed in a plain cloak, holding a swaddled baby in his arms.
“Brother Changsheng.” Shen Qingtan stepped down from the carriage and walked quickly to him. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” She looked at the sleeping baby in the swaddling clothes, the baby’s little face flushed. “This child…”
“This child is destined for me, so I will keep him by my side.” Gu Changsheng gently pulled up the fur coat to shield the baby from the wind and snow: “Manman, the situation in the capital of Northern Qi is changing rapidly, so take good care of yourself. Next Mid-Autumn Festival, I will prepare wine and food and wait for you and your brother-in-law to return.”
"Okay." A pang of sadness welled up in Shen Qingtan's heart as she smiled and said, "I want almond milk."
Gu Changsheng nodded slightly and said to Zhao Yi, "Take care."
Zhao Yi replied, "Take care."
Before leaving, Shen Qingtan took off a jade pendant from her neck and gently placed it in the swaddling clothes: "This is my gift to the child."
Gu Changsheng did not refuse and accepted her gift.
Shen Qingtan stared at Gu Changsheng for a moment before getting into the carriage with Zhao Yi.
She lifted the carriage curtain and saw Gu Changsheng standing there. She waved and said, "Brother, it's cold at night. You should go back quickly."
Gu Changsheng responded softly, "Okay."
The carriage carrying Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi slowly drove away. Gu Changsheng turned around, and they slowly passed each other.
Outside the city, the world was covered in ice and snow. Sitting in the carriage, Shen Qingtan pulled the blanket covering her legs tighter. The carriage bumped along as it headed towards the capital, leaving behind two deep tracks left by the carriage wheels in the snow.
Meanwhile, within the city walls, the lingering chill seemed to dissipate with the people's excitement and cheers, and stoves were relit and shops reopened.
Holding the tiny swaddled baby, Gu Changsheng stepped into the bustling city.