Chapter 186 - 178: Braving the Rain
Chapter 186: Chapter 178: Braving the Rain
When Zhao Lan woke up, it was already broad daylight. She saw her daughter sitting by the bed sewing something and quickly asked, "What are you sewing?" She leaned closer, and the sight of the crooked stitches was simply awful.
"How did your needlework get this bad? Weren’t you quite good at it before?"
Bai Zhi gave a strained laugh. "It was dark in the room earlier, so I couldn’t see very well."
Zhao Lan let out an "Oh," and took the half-sewn cloth bag from her daughter’s hands. "I’ll do it. You go and wash up."
Bai Zhi was completely clueless when it came to needlework; sewing this bag had been a nightmare. She couldn’t have been happier that Zhao Lan was willing to help. Bai Zhi quickly explained what she needed before cheerfully heading off to wash up. The rain outside hadn’t stopped. After washing, she grabbed an umbrella and went to the front of the house to make breakfast, asking Hu Feng to hitch the horse-drawn carriage along the way.
Hearing she was going out, Uncle Hu hurried to ask, "Where are you going in such heavy rain? Can’t you wait for it to stop?"
Bai Zhi said, "I have to go to the government office to treat Brother Meng. His injuries can’t be left for too long. The sooner I treat him, the better his recovery will be."
Understanding dawned on Uncle Hu. "Oh, so that’s why. You must be careful on the road, then. It’s easy for the carriage to get stuck in the mud or slip on a rainy day. There’s also a stretch of mountain road, so you can’t be careless."
Bai Zhi nodded quickly. "Don’t you worry. You trust Hu Feng, don’t you? He’s calm and collected, never rash. What’s there to worry about?"
Uncle Hu chuckled. ’That’s true,’ he thought. ’You really can’t find a single fault with that boy, Hu Feng. If you had to pick one, it’s that he doesn’t talk much.’
She quickly ate a few mouthfuls of congee and rushed with an umbrella to get Zhao Lan. By this time, Zhao Lan had already finished sewing the bag. The stitches were far more beautiful than her own, looking just like a store-bought one.
She urged Zhao Lan to go eat breakfast while she closed the door to her room and packed everything from her first-aid kit into the cloth bag. ’I originally planned to bring only what I needed, but on second thought, I don’t feel right leaving the rest here. It’s safer to keep it all with me.’
The carriage raced through the rain. Even sitting inside, Bai Zhi couldn’t avoid her clothes getting damp, to say nothing of Hu Feng, who was driving outside.
"Are you okay?" Bai Zhi moved to the carriage door, lifting the curtain to ask Hu Feng.
Seeing her lift the curtain, Hu Feng frowned and shifted his position, using his broad frame to shield her from the driving wind and rain. "I’m fine. Get back inside."
Looking at his drenched back, she was momentarily speechless. She simply retreated into the carriage in silence.
It was as if the heavens were playing a joke on them. The moment the carriage stopped in front of the government office, the torrential downpour began to subside. A rainbow arched high in the distance over Qingshan Pass, and the sunlight was dazzlingly brilliant.
The government official at the entrance saw their sorry state and, without a word, quickly led them to Meng Nan’s courtyard.
The Jin guard came out when he heard them arrive. Seeing the soaked Hu Feng and the half-damp Bai Zhi, his jaw dropped. "You came through all that rain?" That downpour had been no small thing.
Hu Feng took off his outer shirt and stood under the eaves to wring it out. He glanced sideways at Bai Zhi before saying to the Jin guard, "If it’s convenient, please find a change of clothes for her. We don’t want her catching a cold; I’m afraid it would make it difficult for her to treat your young master."
The Jin guard quickly replied, "I’ll have someone go to the rear courtyard and borrow a set of women’s clothes right now. Please, come inside first."
Meng Nan also came out. Seeing their condition, he hurriedly urged the Jin guard, "What are you waiting for? Go yourself." ’The servants in this residence are unbelievably lazy,’ he thought. ’Anything that can be done in the time it takes one incense stick to burn, they will invariably take two.’