kingnovel Chapter 77 East Street Horse Ranch
Chapter 77 East Street Horse Ranch
The owner of the East Market Horse Ranch was a kind old woman surnamed Zhou.
When Chu left, she was feeding the horses.
Chu Ci walked over to Zhou Wu and helped her feed the horses.
"Aunt Zhou, you feed the fodder yourself? Didn't you find someone to help you?"
Zhou Wu smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes appearing as her smile broadened, making her seem incredibly approachable: "Anyway, I don't have anything to do, and I'm just idling around anyway, so I might as well come here and do some work. By the way, what are you doing here today? Are you going to start practicing riding and archery?"
Chu Ci nodded, "I found a master. He's a very nice person, but he doesn't talk much."
Zhou Wu nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes: "It's good that you don't talk much. People like that are often the ones who get things done."
Chu Ci raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile: "As expected of Aunt Zhou, your insight is unique, I have learned a lot."
Zhou Wu glanced at Chu Ci and chuckled, "You're good at saying nice things. You're just afraid I won't lend you my horse, aren't you?"
Chu Ci's little scheme was discovered, but he didn't hide it and said frankly, "Hehe, you really understand me, Auntie. The horses here in Lotus Town are the best. I don't want to go to other places. Auntie, please lend me two. I'll ride them for two hours every afternoon."
After feeding the horse, Zhou Wu clapped her hands lightly and said, "Alright, as long as you pay the money properly, I'll agree to let you practice."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ci immediately smiled, "Don't worry, money is definitely not a problem!"
Zhou Wu looked at her, still somewhat skeptical. "My horse ranch is an entertainment venue specifically for wealthy people. It costs a full ten taels of silver a month. Do you really have that much money?"
Chu Ci nodded confidently, indicating that he could afford the fee.
Zhou Wu frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "I heard from others that you are just an ordinary hunter. Where did you get the money? I don't want shady money."
Chu Ci hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell the other party the truth: "Actually... I am a ghostwriter for the imperial court."
Upon hearing this answer, Zhou Wu couldn't help but laugh and joked, "How could you possibly catch anything valuable here? There aren't any major cases happening here."
Chu Ci stretched out his fingers and counted his recent gains, saying seriously, "I have caught a wanted criminal worth one hundred taels, a mountain bandit worth seventy taels, a flower thief worth twenty taels, and a master thief worth twenty taels."
Zhou Wu's eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "So many?"
"Yeah, it seems like Kyoto is cracking down on organized crime, so some people have fled to the vicinity of Lotus Town. I'm pretty lucky."
Zhou Wu was a little curious, "That one hundred taels is..." This old lady rarely inquired about outside affairs and had no idea about Zhao Qing.
Chu Ci gave a brief explanation: "Oh, she was just a desperate fugitive. He ran into her while climbing the mountain, they got into a fight, and he killed her."
"Killed her?" Zhou Wu was startled upon hearing this. "You killed someone?"
Chu Ci hummed in agreement, "I always use human heads to cover my tracks."
She didn't see anything wrong with what she said, but it startled the old lady.
"Oh my, your wife looks so refined, I never expected her to be such a ruthless person."
Chu Ci was amused by her expression. "I'm just a hunter, how could I be so refined?"
The old lady sighed, "Oh, your appearance is so deceptive, like a scholar with red lips and white teeth."
Chu Ci raised an eyebrow, not really caring. "I'll take that as a compliment. I'll come over tomorrow afternoon at Shenshi (3-5 PM), and the money will come too. Don't worry, Aunt Zhou."
Zhou Wu waved her hand at her, "I know, how could I dare to refuse you now? I'll make time for you."
Chu Ci smiled brightly, "Thanks, Aunt Zhou, I'll be going now."
"let's go."
When we arrived at the clinic, it was already lunchtime.
Li Jiang, the owner of the clinic, was also there. When he saw Chu Ci arrive, he greeted her with a smile: "Madam Chu, you've come to greet your husband!"
Chu Ci nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, I'll just mooch a meal while I'm at it."
Li Jiang quickly and enthusiastically replied, "Great! Welcome!"
Li Jiang had a very good impression of Chu Ci. Last time, when someone came to cause trouble at a medical facility to scam money, it was Chu Ci who helped resolve the issue.
Chu Ci smelled a delicious aroma and asked curiously, "What's for dinner today?"
Li Jiang shook his head and said helplessly, "I don't know either. It depends on our head chef's mood. Let's go and see for ourselves."
Chu Ci readily agreed, "Okay."
The head chef at the clinic is Chen Shuang, Li Jiang's husband. With Song He and Shi An helping him today, he plans to make dumplings for dinner.
When Chu Ci and Li Jiang arrived in the kitchen, Chen Shuang was skillfully wrapping dumplings, while Song He was rolling out the dough with quick and precise movements. Shi An was in charge of cooking the dumplings; the water in the pot was boiling, steaming hot.
The three of them worked together seamlessly, forming a highly efficient production line.
Chu Ci walked to Shi An's side, wanting to hug him, but with so many people present, she felt a little embarrassed and withdrew her outstretched hand.
Shi An keenly noticed Chu Ci's actions, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he softly said, "Let my wife carry me when we get home."
Hearing this, Chu Ci smiled, "Good girl~"
She reached out and gently stroked Shi An's hair, then looked around but didn't see He Baobao.
So she asked softly, "Where is the great physician He?"
Amidst her busy schedule, Song He took a moment to reply, "She's out on a medical mission and hasn't returned yet."
Chu Ci nodded thoughtfully and couldn't help but sigh, "It must have been really hard work."
Song He stopped what she was doing and chimed in, "That's right, I'm so busy all day long, I never even see her."
Chu Ci smiled slightly, as if she understood something, but she didn't say anything more.
At this moment, Chen Shuang, who was standing to the side, teased him with a smile: "You've already missed Dr. He after only a short time apart?"
Upon hearing this, Song He's face instantly turned bright red, and she stammered in response, "No...no, I was just worried that she was too busy and that it might affect her health."
Chen Shuang responded with an "oh," and stopped teasing, focusing instead on making dumplings.
He knew Song He was easily embarrassed, and if he continued to tease her, she would probably run away.
Li Jiang pulled Chu Ci out of the kitchen, and the two sat down at the dining table, waiting for the meal to be served.
Li Jiang spoke first: "Madam Chu, the New Year is almost here, have you prepared all your New Year's goods?"
Chu Ci shook his head and replied, "Not yet."
After saying that, she looked at Shi An in the kitchen, thinking that she could take him to pick out some New Year's goods tomorrow.
Upon hearing this, Li Jiang clapped his hands and said, "That's perfect! I'll recommend a store to you. My family has always bought our New Year's goods there; the quality is excellent."
Chu Ci readily accepted and asked, "Oh? Which shop?"
Li Jiang replied with great interest, "It's Apu Food Shop on North Street. I heard they even have a branch in Kyoto."
"Wow, impressive! They've even expanded their business to the capital."
Li Jiang continued enthusiastically, "This shop not only has dried fruit and nuts, but also various kinds of dried meats. They all taste great, and I'm sure you'll like them."
Chu Ci immediately became interested upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Okay, then I've decided to go take a look tomorrow."
Before long, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen as Chen Shuang and Song He brought steaming dumplings to the table.
Everyone sat together and happily enjoyed the sumptuous dinner.
Chu Ci ate until her cheeks were bulging, like a little hamster. She finished a plate in no time and then started eating the next one.
In contrast, Shi An ate very slowly, savoring the taste of the food with great care.
When Chu Ci had eaten his fiftieth or so, Shi An had only just finished his fifth, a stark contrast.
After a hearty meal, Chu Ci returned home and went straight to his study, making the most of every minute to finish his homework.
Despite her best efforts to improve efficiency, by the time she finished her homework, Shi An was already fast asleep in her bed.
Chu Ci gently tidied the desk, then carefully picked up Shi An and carried him back to the bedroom.
At this time, the weather outside was unusually cold, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice.
Chu Ci was afraid that Shi An would catch a cold, so she specially wrapped his small body tightly in a thick cloak.
Back in her bedroom, she quickly lit a charcoal fire to warm the room.
Shi An's body is prone to getting cold, so Chu Ci always pays extra attention to keeping warm.
Even at the Master's house, she would let Shi An hold a hand warmer to keep warm.
After turning off the lights, Chu Ci climbed into bed and gently pulled Shi An into her arms.
Shi An seemed to feel the warmth around her and unconsciously snuggled closer to Chu Ci, looking just like a cute little puppy.
Chu Ci smiled and kissed him, hugged him tightly, and then closed her eyes.
The next afternoon, after waking up from their nap, the two went together to Apu Food Shop on North Street.
They did indeed have a lot of new New Year's goods, with all sorts of snacks on display, dazzling the eye.
Shi An's eyes lit up as he looked at the new things, and he excitedly picked up a cloth bag to start choosing his favorite food.
Each snack looked so tempting that he couldn't resist trying them.
Shi An also bought couplets and red lanterns, intending to decorate his home and add to the festive atmosphere.
Halfway through my shopping trip, someone opened the door and entered the shop.
He Mian's face lit up with surprise when she saw Chu Ci there.
"Chu Ci, are you here to buy New Year's goods too?" He Mian asked with a smile.
Chu Ci turned her head, saw that it was He Mian, nodded slightly, and greeted her.
Upon hearing the sound, Shi An immediately went to Chu Ci's side and held her hand tightly.
"Young Master He, it's been a long time." Shi An greeted He Mian politely.
He Mian responded indifferently, seemingly not very enthusiastic about him.
Standing behind He Mian, Nong Mo stared at Shi An with disdain, thinking to himself: This man is really cunning.
Chu Ci picked out some more festive ornaments, and Shi An, seeing that they were almost done, decided to take her away.
However, just as she reached the door, He Mian blocked her way, saying, "Chu Ci, my mother often mentions you at home."
Chu Ci was about to respond when Shi An gently tugged at her arm.
Shi An smiled politely at He Mian and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. He. However, we still have some things to take care of, so we'll take our leave now. We wish you a pleasant shopping experience."
After saying that, he prepared to pull Chu Ci away.
Upon hearing Shi An's words, Nongmo frowned, looked at him unhappily, and said loudly, "My master is talking to your wife, what are you doing interrupting?"
These words instantly turned Chu Ci's eyes cold. She stared at Nong Mo and said icily, "When the master is speaking, what right do servants have to interrupt!"
Nongmo was frightened by Chu Ci's fierce gaze and dared not utter another sound.
Seeing that He Mian and Nong Mo's expressions were not very good, Shi An slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
He hid behind Chu Ci and said to her in a wronged tone, "My lady, I want to go home."
Chu Ci felt extremely distressed and, knowing he didn't want to stay any longer, immediately nodded in agreement.
"Okay, let's go home." With that, he took Shi An and left without looking back.
He Mian watched Chu Ci's departing figure, his heart filled with anger. He slammed the bracelet in his hand to the ground.
"Play with ink!" he roared.
Upon hearing this, Nongmo immediately knelt on the ground, his face filled with terror, and said, "Master, I was wrong, please forgive me."
He Mian said coldly, without any expression, "You should be more careful with your words in the future."
"Yes, I understand," Nongmo nodded quickly in response.
After a moment, He Mian waved to signal Nongmo to get up.
Nongmo stood up from the ground with a sigh of relief, but still stood trembling beside He Mian.
Despite the cold weather, his forehead was covered in sweat.
On his way home, Shi An was feeling down and muttered to himself, "The wife is really popular with everyone."
"Hmm?" Chu Ci asked, puzzled. "What's popular?"
Shi An shook his head and did not answer.
However, he secretly made up his mind that no matter what, his wife could only belong to him alone.
Chu Ci seemed to sense Shi An's emotional change. She gently put her arm around Shi An's shoulder, tenderly kissed his cheek, and comforted him, "Don't worry, I will always be by your side."
Shi An was a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently nudged Chu Ci: "We're still outside."
Chu Ci's lips curled up slightly, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and she said softly, "It's alright, there's no one on the street. Don't worry, I won't kiss you if there are people around."
Shi An's heart raced involuntarily. She nodded slightly and whispered, "Someone...can also...kiss."
Chu Ci was slightly taken aback, then pinned Shi An against the corner wall.
Because of the trees providing cover, their figures were not particularly noticeable.
Chu Ci lowered her head, stared at Shi An, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Is this okay for me?"
This was the first time in Shi An's life that he had been so intimate with the Chu Ci outdoors, and his body couldn't help but stiffen a little.
He called out shyly, "Wife... Mistress~"
Hearing his soft call, Chu Ci's heart softened like a pool of water, and she couldn't help but quickly peck Shi An's lips lightly.
"Okay, I won't tease you anymore. Let's kiss again when we get home." After saying that, she gently patted Shi An's head and led him home.