Zheng Wuji has been coughing for the past two days. He often goes to people's homes recently and rushes around morning and evening. It is inevitable that he will be affected by the wind and frost.
Xu Chunjun advised him to take a break and steamed Sichuan clam pears himself, which can clear the lungs.
Zheng Wuji was soaking his feet and eating pear soup, and said with a smile: "I have something good to give you, but I forgot to take it out."
"What is it?" Xu Chunjun put down the needle and thread in his hand and asked.
"In the village I went to today, a family had a baby and gave me two wedding eggs." Zheng Wuji said, "That was their family's fourth child, a girl. But the couple said they would definitely
Raised this child."
“The most fundamental reason why people don’t raise children is because their lives are not good enough.
As the saying goes, people who live in a stable house know etiquette, and people who have enough food and clothing know honor and disgrace. As long as every family can live a comfortable life, who would do such inhuman things?" Xu Chunjun stood up, picked up Zheng Wuji's robe from the chair beside him, and took it out
I picked up the two wedding eggs dyed bright red.
"You're right, because the people's life has been a little better this year, they are all grateful to the court." Zheng Wuji sighed, "An eighty-year-old man took my hand and asked me to touch his new cotton robe.
He said he hadn't worn new clothes in seven or eight years.
It’s not that the children are unfilial, it’s that every family’s life is too tight, and they can only live in Hukou even after exhausting work.”
It was only when Zheng Wuji went to the countryside that he truly saw the suffering of people's livelihood. After all, he was born in a declining noble family, and even though he was down and out, his family situation was much better than that of the common people here.
He had never known before that boiled vegetable leaves were considered a delicacy, and the girl's family, who was fifteen or sixteen years old, didn't even have any clothes on her head.
There are also those who are sick but look down on them and can only stay close to them.
There are also those who are willing to sell their children and daughters, or even take their wives out in order to survive.
This is not the worst, because there is no famine yet.
Once there is a famine, you will not be able to get enough even if you eat bark, grass, roots.
"Chun Jun, you are really a man of great wisdom. Ever since we came here, you have told me that you want to dig canals and build water conservancy projects.
People here say that there is always a major disaster, either drought or flood, almost every ten years.
But now that the river channel has been dug, these two disasters will definitely be reduced a lot.
The common people can use this to transport water and make long-term profits. It can be said that they achieve many things with one stone."
"The work-for-relief method you came up with is also very good. There is still a lot of work to be done next year. Trees must be planted on both sides of the river embankments to stabilize the water and soil." Xu Chunjun said, "The river network will be connected next year.
, these merchants and landlords also benefit, and there are fewer complaints."
"The half of the wages allocated by the imperial court will be paid out in the next two days. The people can have a good year." Zheng Wuji wiped his feet, and a little girl came in and brought out the foot washing water.
Xu Chunjun saw him sitting next to the candlelight, and his eyes were even brighter than the candlelight.
The expression on his face was joyful yet resolute, completely different from that of the libertine at the beginning.
"What's wrong? Look at me like this." Zheng Wuji walked over, opened his arms and hugged Xu Chunjun tightly, "I've been busy with business these days, and I've really neglected you."
He was sincerely sorry. Xu Chunjun was now four or five months pregnant and her movements were gradually becoming inconvenient.
And I am busy from morning to night every day, and only for a moment before going to bed at night can the two of us talk a few words.
"I think it's great that you are like this. I didn't dare to have such extravagant expectations before." Xu Chunjun raised his head in Zheng Wuji's arms, "I have never told you, but in fact I have never told anyone, including An Nuan and the imperial concubine.
When Aunt Lu's family asked me to marry you, I felt as uncomfortable as a sinking ship.
I have no confidence that I can make you turn around. That feeling is like jumping into a pit of fire with your eyes open, but you have to clench your teeth and not be able to cry out the pain, let alone ask for help."
Zheng Wuji held Xu Chunjun's face in distress. Of course, he also understood why women are afraid of marrying the wrong man.
"I was such a bastard back then, and even now I don't dare to think about how you survived the nearly one year after you got married." Zheng Wuji sighed. At that time, he was hanging out with Aunt Liu all day long.
After leaving the gambling house and entering the restaurant, it was a waste of money.
Letting creditors block the door of her house to ask for their debt from Xu Chunjun made her a joke throughout the capital.
"Chun Jun, I have owed you too much." Zheng Wuji's heart throbbed with regret, "I really don't know how to atone for my sins."
"You have changed, which is a great blessing to me." Xu Chunjun said, "Now you are a decent man, an official and loves the people. You also take good care of me, what more can I ask for?"
"But I always feel that I'm not good enough to you, and I want to be better." When facing Xu Chunjun, Zheng Wuji's heart would always soften to the core.
"Then we will live longer." Xu Chunjun said, "You are still so kind to me when you are seventy or eighty years old."
"I always feel that one life is not enough. No matter how long I live, it is too short, even if I live to be a hundred years old." Zheng Wuji became particularly fragile every time he thought about this. "It would be great if there was an afterlife. We met early, were childhood sweethearts, and grew old together."
Xu Chunjun suddenly laughed, a little bit evilly.
"Why are you laughing?" Zheng Wuji asked her, "Don't you think so?"
"If there really is an afterlife, what if I am a man?" Xu Chunjun asked.
"Then I'll be a woman." Zheng Wuji didn't mind at all, "As long as I'm with you."
"Then how about I become a prodigal son too!" Xu Chunjun's eyes flashed with mischief, "I have lived a very serious life."
"What's so good about being a prodigal?" Zheng Wuji shook his head, "When I look back, the feeling of regret and self-blame is too painful."
Before dawn the next day, Zheng Wuji got up and went to the countryside again.
He went to the homes of people in different situations to see what they ate, wore, and how they lived.
Xu Chunjun got up relatively late. It was already late in the morning, and she was really tired and easily sleepy.
After she got up, washed up, and had breakfast, Yao Ruowei came.
Behind her was Mama Shi, carrying a bundle.
"My Lord, please come in quickly. It's really cold outside today." Zi Ling opened the curtain and said with a smile.
"It's time to get cold now." Yao Ruowei said as she walked in, "How has your girl been doing these past two days? The bird's nest I asked someone to bring me a while ago is the most nourishing and non-irritating, and it's also good for children.
You have to eat it often.”
"Thank you, Lord County, for remembering me. I just had a bowl." Xu Chunjun stood up with a smile to greet him, "I was thinking yesterday that you would be coming in the next few days."
"You are really a smart person," Yao Ruowei said, "You keep everything in your mind."
Yao Ruowei sat down and drank a bowl of tea before saying: "You don't know it's not easy to get a pair of shoes that my father wears, so you had to take advantage of him to go out for something, so you asked the waiter to secretly take out a pair.
"
Yao Ruowei said and asked Mother Shi to hand over the baggage, which contained the shoes of King Huaiyang.
