allonlinenovel Chapter 262 Lingquan Town
Chapter 262 Lingquan Town
early morning.
sunny.
Birds sing and flowers bloom, and streams murmur.
The main force returned to the official road.
When Jiang Miaomiao woke up, she was already in the car.
Because she heard the rumbling of axle wheels and the sound of horses' hooves.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her mother smiling at her. "Miaomiao is awake. Did you sleep well?"
Jiang Miaomiao nodded, "Okay."
Lu Qingyao looked at her little girl's messy hair and couldn't help but ruffle it.
The little guy looks even more adorable with his dazed expression.
They returned around four in the morning and found their little girl and Xi'er nestled in the hay, fast asleep and snoring softly.
That's the good thing about having a small child; they can adapt to any situation.
She loves bird's nest and shark fin, and she also enjoys wild vegetable buns.
I can sleep soundly on a large bed with soft, golden pillows, on a bumpy carriage, or even in a mountain cave or a grassy hut.
She's not spoiled at all; she was born to be the daughter of the Lu family.
But it is also very particular.
No matter how expensive the ingredients are, she won't eat a single bite if the food isn't to her liking.
She loves cleanliness and bathing, and changes her clothes every day, even if they aren't dirty. She's willing to rotate her clothes.
In contrast, Jiang Ziyan shares the same hobby with her.
The days of traveling had made him lose a little weight.
My sleep isn't very good either.
When Lu Qingyao returned to the cave, almost everyone except the guards was fast asleep, except for her son who hadn't closed his eyes.
Even though he had lit mosquito-repelling herbs, he still used a palm-leaf fan to shoo away mosquitoes for his sister.
I finally fell asleep peacefully just before dawn.
He is a sensitive and thoughtful child, which is somewhat like his father.
It's just that this child is too well-behaved and sensible, which makes people feel sorry for him.
Such precocity is half due to innate talent and half due to acquired experiences.
At this age, other young masters are either buried in their studies preparing for exams or engaging in horse racing and cockfighting.
But her Yan'er was researching how to kill people without them even realizing it.
Lu Qingyao secretly flipped through the books her son had been reading recently; he was either reading military books or medical texts.
He wasn't looking into medicine books because he wanted to get involved in medicine.
He drew and recorded every poisonous plant mentioned in the books, making it seem to outsiders that he was about to abandon literature for medicine.
Besides, he didn't read that military treatise for himself.
Feng'er doesn't like reading. She easily falls asleep as soon as she starts reading, and even hanging herself by her hair or pricking herself with an awl is no use.
Yan'er then read it and explained it to her brother, taking it out to discuss with him. During the discussion, the two often argued until their faces turned red, and in this way, the effect was quite good.
With both literary and martial skills, there's no need to worry about Feng'er being bullied in the military camp.
As a mother, Lu Qingyao was constantly worried about her son.
The eldest son is simple-minded, and I worry that he might be easily deceived.
The second child is thoughtful and sensitive, and I worry that he might become ill from worry.
As for the smaller one, it's not clear yet, that's the only thing I'm worried about.
It's that greedy mouth.
Illness enters through the mouth.
Jiang Miaomiao stared blankly at the car roof for a while before sitting up, stretching and yawning, and looking at her mother sleepily, "Mom, I'm hungry, is there anything to eat?"
Lu Qingyao: ...
How can you not be hungry when you're sleeping this late?
This is what happened on the way; if we were at home, we would have been dragged away long ago.
Seeing that her mother had dark circles under her eyes, she asked again, "Mother, didn't you sleep at all and traveled all night?"
She felt like she hadn't slept enough and woke up hungry.
Sleeping in the car is never as good as at home. Even if you lie down and sleep from morning till night, you're still tired and get hungry easily.
It's like taking a long-distance bus; you're sleeping the whole time, but you still feel tired and like you haven't slept enough.
She missed the big bed at Jiangzhou's house.
I wonder if there are any mansions in Beijing where I can live and sleep in a big bed.
After thinking about it, since they had been kicked out, it wasn't realistic for them to go back to the Jiang family mansion.
She should have been living with her maternal grandmother.
While she was lost in thought, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and her aunt rode in on horseback, pinching the little girl's cheek. "It's almost noon now. Miaomiao must be sleepy. Just bear with it, we'll stop for lunch soon."
Is it already noon?
Xiao Miaomiao lifted the curtain, and the sun was already so high in the sky.
No wonder she felt like she had slept for a century; the back of her head was numb from sleeping so much.
As her mother combed her hair, she said, "We left when it was light. We didn't wake you because you were sleeping like a little pig."
Jiang Miaomiao: ...Little pig!
My mother actually said she sleeps like a little pig, how annoying!
Is this implying that she's greedy for food and sleep?
The little girl pouted.
"Girl, here are some chestnut pastries. Have some to tide you over."
Xi'er put the pastry to the little master's mouth, but she avoided it.
Didn't you say you were hungry? Why aren't you eating?
Jiang Miaomiao grinned at her, revealing her small white teeth, "I haven't washed my face or rinsed my mouth yet."
It might be inconvenient on the road, but at least I should have a cup of tea to rinse my mouth.
Upon hearing this, Xi'er put the pastry back into the box, saying, "I'll eat it after I wash up."
I almost forgot, girls don't eat anything if they don't wash up after getting up.
But it's not very convenient right now, so we'll just have to bear with it.
Jiang Miaomiao: ……
You should at least give me some saliva.
The convoy stopped shortly after setting off to have lunch.
Since the next stop was a town where they could eat and drink well, everyone kept their lunch simple.
Eating steamed buns and bread.
Several large pots of wild vegetable soup were cooked, with a few specks of oil floating on top.
Jiang Miaomiao was the only one who got special treatment; her aunt cooked her egg noodles.
The little guy deliberately circled around in front of the Xu sisters with his bowl in hand.
The two of them were really tempted, but they were too embarrassed to compete with the child for food; it would be too shameful.
So they barely managed to eat a few bites of steamed buns, and didn't drink a single drop of the wild vegetable soup. What rich young lady would eat wild vegetables?
dislike!
Therefore, the two sisters went hungry or full every day along the way.
Aside from a slight lapse in decorum the night they ate roast lamb, the two ladies maintained a composed demeanor throughout.
They were sitting in the shade of a tree, enjoying the cool air, their eyes fixed on Xiuxiu. They were fanning themselves vigorously with a round fan, but they didn't seem to be very hot.
Jiang Miaomiao thought, "Maybe you can get full just by drinking the wind."
Xiuxiu didn't tolerate them. She distributed all the food to the guards and scraped the bottom of the pot cleaner than her face.
If there were no grudges or hatred between them, it would be fine, but to dare to push Qiao'er into the water and still want to eat good food, what a load of crap.
If it weren't for Sun Erlang protecting them, they wouldn't even have had steamed buns.
Her brother and sister-in-law can eat it, so why can't she?
Sun Erlang had no choice but to pick some fruit along the way to feed them.
The cakes and pastries he brought from home had long been devoured by his wife and Xu Sanmei, and after last night, he dared not ask Xiuxiu's wife to help him make food.
If you see her with a gloomy face, it's best to stay as far away as possible.
It's all because my wife was foolish and offended my third brother's wife.
It's not appropriate for a grown man like him to get involved in the squabbles between women.
He knows nothing and will go as far away as possible.
Even after everyone had finished eating, the Xu sisters didn't get a single bite of noodles and got into the carriage, waving their handkerchiefs.
Jiang Miaomiao made a surprising discovery: Sun Ersao had nowhere to act coquettishly anymore.
Sun Erge's attitude towards his mother, Aunt Xiuxiu, and his brothers underwent a complete 180-degree turn.
Extremely respectful.
He would also chat with his older brother whenever he had nothing to do.
After lunch, we continued our journey.
After passing through winding hills and forests, the view gradually opened up.
They originally intended to continue along the official road, but it would take another seven days to reach the post station, and their provisions were running low, so they detoured to resupply.
Passing through a farm, Sun Erlang asked a farmer for directions, "Grandpa, is there a town ahead? How much further?"
"There is a Lingquan Town, about five miles ahead. Are you here with your wife to pray for a child?"
"Seeking a son?" Sun Erlang was completely bewildered.
I only found out after asking.
The town is called Lingquan Town because there is a Shuiyue Temple on the mountain, and behind the temple is a well with a spiritual spring.
It can cure infertility and is very effective.
They all came seeking the sacred spring.
Lingquan Town is not large, and Shuiyue Temple is not large either, but there are still many pilgrims who come here because of its reputation.
The convoy had traveled less than five miles when a small town came into view.
The town was indeed small, not even as big as Qing Shi Town.
Jiang Miaomiao leaned against the car window, looking around.
Look at the passersby, the street food, and the houses.
Strangely, this small town is hidden in a mountain valley, built against the mountain and by the water. Almost all the houses are brand new, and there are very few old buildings.
It seems that it was overthrown and rebuilt.
There were also passersby, almost all of whom were worshippers at Shuiyue Temple. Most of them were women, surrounded by servants.
Of course, there were also young couples traveling together.
It's immediately obvious that Lingquan Town became prosperous because of Shuiyue Nunnery.
A well has revitalized a small town.
Sun Erlang rode his horse around the town, looking for several inns, and finally chose the largest one.
It's not that big, at least not compared to the big inns in Jiangzhou.
But it was big enough to accommodate all of them.
The inn's exterior was ordinary, no different from any other inn.
But as soon as they entered the inn, everyone was stunned.
Don't be fooled by the fact that this inn is hidden in the mountains; it may look ordinary on the outside, but it's incredibly luxurious inside.
The glass lamps on the roof shimmered with light.
The floor was paved with jade, making people hesitant to step on it.
The back garden is filled with artificial hills and strange rocks, and various precious peonies are in full bloom.
Several peacocks strolled among the flowers, lazily basking in the sun.
There seems to be a hot spring in the backyard of the backyard.
Because it's steaming hot, you can see it from outside the park.
The old woman leading the way said that this was the women's hot spring bath, and the men also had a garden in the opposite direction.
Jiang Miaomiao thought this was definitely a luxurious resort.
Wow! In the middle of nowhere, there's actually a place like this. It's incredible. I imagine the other inns aren't much different.
Lu Qingyao led her little girl around the area for a while, then went back before finally settling on a room.
When I asked, it was indeed expensive. The top-class room cost 500 taels a night, and even the connecting room cost 200 wen a bed.
This is not a place that ordinary people can afford to live in.
Sister-in-law Xu said this was comparable to the best inns in the capital, and the interior decoration was indeed luxurious.
However, even here, it's still ridiculously expensive.
But strangely enough, guests kept checking in.
"Sister, this might be a shady business," Xiuxiu whispered to Lu Qingyao as she pulled her aside.
Lu Qingyao felt that if this was a shady shop, then probably all the shops in Lingquan Town were shady shops.
If it's truly a shady establishment, it's best not to alert them, since you've already entered their den.
She planned to settle things down first before investigating.
After some discussion, we decided to book a few rooms with floor-level ratings and also book many shared sleeping areas.
The rooms in the "Earth" tier are relatively more reasonable, not as outrageously expensive as the others.
The shopkeeper's eyes were clear and bright; he didn't seem like a wicked person.
Xiuxiu asked curiously, "Shopkeeper, I heard there's a magic spring well in your town. Is it true that drinking from it can help you have a baby?"
Jiang Miaomiao absolutely refused to believe that drinking water could lead to conceiving.
It's probably just a case of misinformation spreading, which then became incredibly exaggerated.
She decided to let Xiaobai and Qiuqiu go out and explore.
The shopkeeper laughed and said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. After drinking the spiritual spring, the woman still needs to stay in the nunnery for a month or so, and have Master Shuiyue take care of her so that the effect will be twice as good. My wife gave birth to a son because she drank the spiritual spring and was treated by Master Shuiyue."
The shopkeeper himself was a beneficiary, so he believed it without a doubt.
"Do you charge a consultation fee?" Lu Qingyao asked.
"No consultation fee is charged, but room and board will be provided."
The innkeeper looked at the group of people in front of him, and it was clear that there were two couples among them. He asked, "If I may ask, are you all here at Shuiyue Nunnery seeking children?"
Sun Dalang and his wife exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement.
Madam Xu waved her hands repeatedly, giving an awkward smile, "No... it's my elder brother and sister-in-law..."
She didn't want to admit it in front of so many people, even though she was also very eager. She had been married to her husband for three years, and they only spent a few days together each year. It was rare for her to spend so much time with her husband this time. If she could get pregnant with a child or a daughter...
Her status in her husband's family rose accordingly, and she no longer had to see her sister-in-law's icy face every day.
She glanced at her husband, and Sun Erlang immediately understood.
Back in the house, he pulled his wife aside and said, "Wan, don't you dare touch that spiritual spring. There's something wrong with the water. Just stay here and rest for the night before we leave."
Based on his years of experience, the town seemed strange in every way.
He was away from the capital for most of the year and longed for a child or two to keep his wife company and provide her with comfort.
Less than a month after their marriage, he went to war with his wife, leaving her alone in the empty house. Sun Erlang felt that he owed his wife a great deal.
It was precisely because of this that her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law all tried their best to indulge and pamper A-Wan, which made her even more spoiled.
Even if he desperately wants a child, he won't resort to any drastic measure.
A spring that can give birth is unheard of.
Xu Wan was unwilling to give up. She had just noticed that many people were going up the back mountain, and most of them were women. There were people coming and going, and she didn't see any problems.
"Husband, my elder brother and sister-in-law both said they want to have a child, so they'll probably go too. Why don't you come with me to see them?" Xu Shi nestled sweetly in her husband's arms, acting coquettishly.
Her husband usually grants her every request, but this time it seems that his efforts are not working.
"Ah Wan, your brother and sister-in-law have sons and daughters. They were just talking casually. They wouldn't believe in any so-called spiritual spring. I've had someone fetch water for you. After you've bathed, rest well. I'll take you out for a stroll later."
Sun Erlang comforted his wife and then left.
He couldn't indulge in the pleasures of the world at this moment; he needed to consult with the Lu family mother and son about countermeasures.
He didn't believe his family could live in peace.
……