Chapter 202 - 202 Lodging
202 Lodging
The brown horse affectionately rubbed against Mo Ruyue’s body, then lowered its head to drink water.
When it was at home, as long as it got a little closer to Mo Ruyue, it would immediately attract the big black horse’s demonstration of kicking and biting. If it wasn’t for the thick board between them, it didn’t know how it would have been bitten by the big black horse.
Even so, when it had the opportunity to be close to Mo Ruyue, the brown horse would still act intimately.
The world of animals was this simple, so Mo Ruyue realized that after being in contact with animals for a long time, she would hate people even more.
After a short rest, Mo Ruyue continued on her journey. This time, she felt that the brown horse seemed to be much lighter and faster than before.
After riding for an entire day, Mo Ruyue finally saw the city walls of Ping City in the distance.
As the largest transportation hub within a hundred miles, the city walls of Ping City were more than twice the height of the city walls of the county. They snaked across the plains, like a giant beast lying dormant on the horizon.
This was the entrance and exit of Ping City by land. At the southern wall of the city, there was a large dock, where merchants and travelers from the south and north gathered. It was bustling with activity all day long.
Mo Ruyue was not in a hurry to enter the city. Instead, she found a house in a small village some distance away from Ping City and stayed there for the night.
When she entered the city at this time, the inns and restaurants in the city were already full. She didn’t want to have to travel around the streets in order to find a place to stay after riding a horse for a day.
Perhaps because it was close to a bustling city, the village looked clean and tidy, but also very rich.
Every house had a courtyard surrounded by a green brick and white tile wall. Although one couldn’t see what was inside, one could clearly hear the roosters and dogs barking from inside, as well as the villagers’ laughter and conversations.
The house that Mo Ruyue had found, although the yard was not big, was very clean. The owners were an old couple who looked kind and kind, which was why she had chosen this house.
“Miss, come here. We villagers don’t eat as sumptuously as those in the city. We only eat the grains and vegetables we grow at home. Just now, your Uncle Liu said that you gave him too much money, so he killed a chicken. See, the soup is ready. Come and have a sip while it’s hot.”
The old woman was holding a bowl in her hand. Inside was a bowl of chicken soup that had been stewed to a glistening yellow. There was also a full bowl of chicken. The two chicken legs were in mo Rufei’s bowl.
“Auntie, you were the one who fed the chicken to lay the eggs. How can you kill it for me to eat?”
Mo Ruyue shook her head, but still took the bowl of chicken soup. She had already killed it, so Mo Ruyue couldn’t waste it.
“We don’t need one more. It’s rare for us to go to the city to buy some meat. It’s too expensive. We usually kill two chickens for a meal. Today, we’re in your good books.”
The old couple’s clothes were simple and plain. Although their blue coarse clothes had many patches, they were washed very clean. One look and one could tell that they were from a poor but hardworking family.
After a bowl of chicken soup, her body felt warm, and the fatigue from the journey seemed to have been swept away.
Dinner was a simple millet rice with stir-fried vegetables. The only meat dish was the pot of chicken soup. Mo Ruyue did not deliberately leave the chicken soup and chicken for the old couple, but ate whatever she wanted.
The room she was staying in used to be the room where the husband and wife’s son and daughter-in-law had stayed. Now that the two of them had gone to the city to work and would only come back during the new year and other festivals, the room was empty.
Because someone had been cleaning the place all this time, it was very clean and tidy even though no one had lived in it for a long time. There was also no strange smell.
Mo Ruyue was not a person who was very picky about the environment, but being able to stay in such a clean house, her mood would also become very good.
The night passed uneventfully. When it was close to morning, Mo Ruyue got up and said goodbye to the old couple. After receiving a packet of vegetable buns with great hospitality, she set foot on the road to the city.
After she left, the old woman went to her son and daughter-in-law’s room to clean up. She saw that the bed had been tidied up as if no one had slept in it. Then, she took out a bulging money bag from under the pillow.
She opened the bag in surprise. There were about three taels of silver and a note with a few words written on it.
The old couple was illiterate, so they could only go to the village’s private school teacher to help them read.
“This is the money for the chicken soup.”
The private tutor read out the words on the note, and the old couple was instantly stunned.
Who would have thought that the bowl of chicken soup they made last night would be exchanged for such a reward?
The cost of a night’s stay was only five wens, but the family had left three taels of silver for the bowl of chicken soup. This was a huge sum of money for the old couple.
They held the bag of broken silver and couldn’t help but sigh when they thought of Mo Ruyue who had just left. They also silently prayed for such a girl who valued friendship to have a safe and smooth life in the future.
At this moment, Mo Ruyue had successfully entered the city and was standing at the entrance of a small courtyard.
This courtyard was located in a relatively secluded place in the city. It was surrounded by ordinary people’s houses and looked like an ordinary courtyard.
This was the meeting address that the magistrate had given her, and it was not eye-catching at all.
Mo Ruyue knocked on the door twice and immediately heard a woman’s voice from inside.
“Who is it?”
The voice was a little hesitant and surprised. The footsteps that followed stopped at the door, but there was no action of opening it.
“It was Mr. Duanmu who asked me to come. We have an important matter to discuss here.”
Mo Ruyue’s voice had just fallen when she heard the courtyard door open with a creak. A middle-aged woman with her hair tied up in a high bun stood at the door and was looking at her with vigilance.
“Who are you?”
The middle-aged woman only opened the door a little, as if she was prepared to close the door if she found something wrong.
Mo Ruyue didn’t say anything. She just waved the letter with the magistrate’s personal seal in front of the middle-aged woman.
After the middle-aged woman saw the personal seal, she sized Mo Ruyue up again. Then, she opened the door a little wider and motioned for her to quickly enter.
After Mo Ruyue entered, the middle-aged woman stuck her head out and looked around for a while. After making sure that no one was following her, she returned to the courtyard and bolted the door.
This set of operations showed that she was extremely vigilant. However, in Mo Ruyue’s view, there were too many loopholes and he simply couldn’t ridicule them.
“The grand master hasn’t arrived yet. Come with me to the side room and wait. The grand master will naturally summon you when he arrives.”
That middle-aged woman’s tone and expression were indifferent, with the arrogance unique to a large family. She thought that Mo Ruyue had somehow managed to climb up to the high branches of the old master. She was a woman, and she said that she was an invited doctor, but who knew what she was actually planning in her heart?
It wasn’t that Mo Ruyue didn’t see the contempt in her eyes, but for her, if she had to lower herself to the same level as this kind of servant who was full of schemes at all times, it would really be tiring.