Chapter 475 - 180: Rotten Peach Blossoms (Part 2)
Chapter 475: Chapter 180: Rotten Peach Blossoms (Part 2)
They don’t just rob cargo and women. They kill all the men and throw their bodies in the river to feed the fish.
Boatmen and travelers have suffered terribly at their hands. In just over a month, a hundred or so people have been killed.
The Lord Prefect was furious. He has already issued orders to every county under Xinghuai Prefecture’s jurisdiction, demanding that they draft able-bodied men and constables for a joint operation to suppress the bandits.
"I have a feeling Dad will definitely be chosen for this."
Chen Song had a good reputation among the people and had even been a constable for a few years. If Qingshui County was looking for a leader, who else could they possibly choose but him?
’But this business of suppressing bandits... it’s just too dangerous.’
’Years ago, Meng Jintang had nearly lost his life when he encountered river bandits while traveling by water to take the exams.’
’These river bandits are utterly vicious. They burn, kill, and plunder, stopping at nothing. They’re also familiar with the waterways, so confronting them head-on would be no easy feat.’
"I know this bandit suppression campaign is necessary, but it’s just so dangerous. The weather is still cold. If someone gets injured and falls into the water, they’d have a slim chance of survival."
As Chen Wanqing finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. A short while later, De’an spoke up. "How could something so major be happening without us hearing about it?"
"Bandits have always been burning, killing, and robbing. It’s just that they’re nomadic, and the previous murders happened rather far from the Prefecture. The situation only escalated in the last couple of days. The notice for the joint suppression campaign was just posted this afternoon. It’s normal that you didn’t get the news at the academy."
De’an grew very anxious upon hearing this explanation.
He stood up and paced back and forth around the room several times.
"Then what should we do? Dad will certainly be the one leading the men from Qingshui County. Taking on a job like this in the dead of winter... one careless mistake, and he could lose his life."
"I’ve already sent a letter home. I... I asked Mom to try and stop him, but you know how Dad is. He’s easygoing most of the time, but when it comes to certain things, he’s incredibly stubborn."
Chen Song was generous and righteous, a trait De’an had inherited completely.
Chen Song’s generosity and sense of justice weren’t an act; it was his true nature. He wasn’t the type to back down from a fight. If he were the kind of man to hide from trouble, he wouldn’t be the Chen Song they knew today. Therefore, it was highly likely that Chen Song would have to face this danger.
That night, as she lay in bed, Chen Wanqing tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
There was a brazier in the room, but snow had begun to fall outside. It was bitterly cold, and the wind, like an unseen serpent, kept slithering in drafts into her bedding.
’If she keeps this up, she’ll catch a cold.’
Zhao Jing turned onto his side and easily pulled Chen Wanqing into his arms.
"Jing, you’re still awake? Did I wake you?"
"No. It’s just... my body’s all stirred up, making it hard to sleep."
Chen Wanqing gave him a light slap. "Don’t fool around. I’m really worried right now."
"I’m feeling pretty restless myself. If you don’t believe me, feel for yourself."
One touch led to another, and soon their clothes were off.
After two rounds, drenched in sweat, Chen Wanqing fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, with no room left in her mind to worry about suppressing bandits.
Seeing this, Zhao Jing chuckled softly. ’If I’d known this would work so well, I wouldn’t have held back earlier.’
But unexpectedly, Chen Wanqing jolted awake in the middle of the night.
She was drenched in sweat, and her nightclothes were soaked through as she sat up in bed.
To keep her from catching a chill, Zhao Jing quickly fetched a clean nightgown for her to change into, then pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I dreamed that Dad fell into the water. He caught a terrible chill that wouldn’t go away, and he lost... his..."
Chen Wanqing couldn’t bring herself to say the last word. She could only bury her head in Zhao Jing’s chest and say with lingering fear, "It was terrifying."
"Dreams are the opposite of reality. Besides, Dad is strong and healthy. How could a simple chill be a problem for him? If you’re really that worried about him, why don’t we find a good doctor in the Prefecture tomorrow, get some medicinal pills, and have someone deliver them to him?"
"Okay..."
「The night eventually passed.」
Early the next morning, Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing went out together.
When Mrs. Zhao heard they were going to the apothecary, she lowered her gaze to Chen Wanqing’s belly.
’She assumed that since the young couple still didn’t have a child, they were starting to get anxious about it.’
Mrs. Zhao was anxious too. She longed to be a grandmother, but Wanqing still hadn’t gotten pregnant.
A vicious mother-in-law would have already started pushing all sorts of folk remedies on her two months after the wedding when there was still no news. But Mrs. Zhao had forcefully suppressed such thoughts, not daring to bring it up.
Now, seeing them taking the initiative to see a doctor, Mrs. Zhao said excitedly, "Go on, hurry. I’m not busy, would you like me to go with you? Oh, Qing’er, don’t you worry. If there’s really a problem, we can treat it slowly with medicine. And if there’s no problem, it just means fate hasn’t aligned for us yet, so we have even less reason to rush... Oh, and Jing, you should have the doctor check your pulse as well..."