"Song Jingyang, look what they're doing!"
The setting sun lingered on the mountaintop, barely clinging to life, while the north wind howled and the river surface shimmered.
The boats were all moored to the side, bobbing up and down on the riverbank with the wind.
It was clearly very cold, yet a group of people had gathered by the river, pointing and whispering among themselves as they looked at the water. The scene was quite incongruous.
Song Jingyang leaned closer and muttered, "Why do I get the feeling those people are eager to try?"
"What are you so eager to try?" Xiu'er asked. "In this freezing weather, no one would want to go down into the river. Unless they can pan for gold, I think anyone who goes into the water is crazy."
Song Jingyang knew she loved gossip, so he said, "I'll have someone go and find out."
"Hurry up and go!"
Xiu'er has turned eating melons into a career.
I can't sleep at night if I don't eat the right melon.
Just then, a maid from the inn came to bring tea and snacks after the meal.
Xiu'er asked curiously, pointing out the window and jokingly, "Do you know what's going on with them? If it's gold panning, I'd like to try it too."
Seeing that Xiu'er was amiable, the maidservant became less reserved and said with a smile, "Madam, you were right, they really are planning to go gold panning."
"Um?"
"Regarding what happened during the day," the maid said, "Before you arrived, a boat capsized this morning. Apparently, it was a nouveau riche moving house, so a lot of silver fell into the water. Those people are all plotting to get rich now! If only I were a girl, I would have gone too! Several of the innkeepers have taken leave; they must have gone as well."
Xiu'er said, "I'm not going. What if I lose my life trying to pull chestnuts out of the fire?"
The maidservant smiled and said, "We are lowly servants, unlike you, Madam, who is of noble birth. So, for the sake of money, we are willing to give it a try."
"If you save your life, you'll have a chance to be rich and powerful in the future," Xiu'er said, and had someone reward her with a string of coins.
The maid received the copper coins, thanked her happily, and then left.
Xiu'er went to the window again, looking at the men on the shore who were already rolling up their sleeves and taking off their clothes, and said, "Please don't let anything happen to them, these are all the pillars of their families."
If a family is missing a breadwinner, life is truly unbearable.
Xiu'er suffered greatly from it, so she felt it deeply.
"If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job. Those who can't swim naturally won't go down there." Song Jingyang took her fox fur coat and draped it over her shoulders.
"Those who can swim will drown," Xiu'er muttered, then struggled for a moment before saying, "I'm hot, I won't wear it. I'm not looking anymore, close the window."
Song Jingyang didn't force her and closed the window again.
Just then, Wu Yu and Guagua arrived, and the room instantly became lively. Xiu'er was giving instructions and scolding others, and she forgot about what was happening outside.
However, the next morning, Xiu'er heard crying outside.
It turns out that six people died yesterday while trying to retrieve the gold and silver.
"Just what I feared has come to pass." Xiu'er felt the mutton soup no longer tasted good, and put down her spoon, sighing, "How will these six families survive in the future? Especially those with wives and children, left behind as orphans and widows, alas."
Why are people so obsessed with windfall gains?
Why can't we just work hard and get rich?
Seeing her frown, Song Jingyang quickly said, "If we haven't encountered them, then so be it. But if we have, we'll help if we can. I'll have someone send some silver to each family. How much do you think is appropriate?"
The money isn't important; the most important thing is that Xiu'er must be happy.
After thinking for a moment, Xiu'er said, "Give each family twenty taels, that's enough for one or two years' expenses. Giving too much might tempt others, and we might not be able to keep the orphans and widows. Let someone deliver it discreetly."
Although she knew that some people wouldn't keep quiet even after receiving benefits, Xiu'er considered it as spending money to accumulate good fortune for the child in her womb.
Isn't this more cost-effective than spending money at a temple?
Besides, they're just passing through and won't stay long, so there shouldn't be any trouble.
Just as they were about to set off, Wuji suddenly developed a high fever without any warning.
Xiu'er remained calm and said, "Wuji hasn't had a rash before, let's observe further."
She used the method Tang Zhuyun had taught her to lower Wuji's fever, and gave him the medicine Tang Zhuyun had prepared beforehand.
Children are not like adults; they are physically weaker and cannot express themselves. If they encounter an incompetent doctor, the doctor may prescribe strong medicine, which may do more harm than good.
Song Jingyang was in a complete mess.
He was worried that Xiu'er would get tired, so he had the wet nurse and maid carry Wuji.
But the Wuji, unwell man only sought out Xiu'er.
Song Jingyang was very worried about Xiu'er's health.
"I'm fine. Before I knew I was pregnant, nothing was delayed, was it?"
Even so, Xiu'er was still quite cautious, sitting on the couch, gently rocking Wuji in her arms.
If you fall ill Wuji, your trip will naturally be delayed.
Nanny Jing said, "We've been traveling with several children, so it's normal for one of them to get a headache or fever. Children recover quickly, so a few more days won't make a difference."
She advised her son and daughter-in-law not to get upset.
Yes, mainly it's my son.
The first few days passed without incident, but after two days of fever Wuji, a rash indeed appeared.
Xiu'er felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders.
Unexpectedly, after staying for two more days, they were approached by someone.
"Madam, you are a compassionate person, please take this child in and let her be your maid. We simply cannot afford to raise her any more."
Looking at the woman in front of her, dressed in mourning clothes and with her eyes as red as peach pits from crying, Xiu'er felt rather helpless.
She just wanted to do a good deed on a whim; she didn't intend to buy or sell people.
Looking around the woman, a little girl of about six or seven years old was kneeling, looking around with fear in her eyes, her hand still tightly clutching the woman's sleeve.
"How can you bear to be separated from your own flesh and blood?" Xiu'er couldn't help but ask.
"Madam, we simply can't afford to raise her. I have two sons, and we desperately wanted a daughter, so we adopted her from someone else. But without a husband, we're facing starvation..."
So, she was actually an adopted daughter?
Xiu'er doesn't just take people in casually—no one knows if there's some sinister scheme hidden behind the tragedy.
She herself was alright, but as someone close to the Empress, she couldn't bring danger to her.
Therefore, it's impossible for us to recruit people.
She had someone give the woman another fifty taels of silver, saying, "That's enough to raise your daughter. Go on, go on."
The woman was extremely grateful and kowtowed repeatedly. She then nudged the little girl beside her and said, "Baoxuan, why aren't you kowtowing to Madam! Madam is truly the most compassionate person in the world."
Xiu'er waved her hand, signaling someone to see them out, then said to Song Jingyang, "Baoxuan is such a beautiful name, yet it's been given away again and again. From now on, let's give the child a humble name, so she'll be easier to raise."
"Didn't you say your name was Yangyang? We can't possibly change Guagua's name too."
Xiu'er: "Hmm, let's leave it at that. These two names are nice!"
She is so talented.
With Wuji reported, the group quickly continued their journey back to Beijing.