Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1173 Sending Warmth

Rainwater streamed down Liu Yumin's raincoat, and Xin Ji thought to himself that proctoring exams was no easy task.

Although this cell is small, it can at least shelter him from the wind and rain, unlike Liu Yumin, who has to come out to patrol even in strong winds and heavy rain.

"This examinee," Liu Yumin adjusted his straw raincoat, his gaze towards Xin Ji carrying a businesslike distance, "did you bring bedding?"

Xin Ji glanced down at his penniless bugle and was about to say, "How could you not know whether I brought it or not?" But when he saw the buglers watching him intently, he swallowed his words and imitated Liu Yumin's voice, saying, "Reporting to the officer, I did not bring any bedding. I only brought this outfit."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yumin nodded slightly, took half a step back, and waved to the other end of the passageway.

Xin Ji was taken aback upon seeing this, leaned forward slightly, and asked Liu Yumin in a low voice, "Sir, are you... here to deliver something to me on orders?"

Liu Yumin gave him a cryptic look and nodded.

Xin Ji chuckled, crossed her legs, and sat on the board. "Sigh, you know, my dad is really... He says he doesn't care about me, but behind my back..."

As he spoke, he winked at Liu Yumin.

"..." Liu Yumin took another half step back, standing completely in the rain, and said in a firm voice, "This examinee, don't say such nonsensical things."

What nonsensical words?

Xin Ji immediately gave an "I understand" look: "Yes, sir! How can I obtain the bedding that belongs to me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of wheels came from the passageway, and a cart covered with a tarpaulin was slowly pushed over by the bugler.

Xin Ji was stunned when she saw the cart, which was almost as wide as the passageway.

It's just sending a quilt, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?

Just then, the cart stopped in front of the cell. The cellman lifted the tarpaulin, took out one from among many large oil paper packages, and handed it to Liu Yumin.

Liu Yumin checked the oil paper package over and over again, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with it, he handed the oil paper package into the cell.

Xin Ji was still a little dazed. He subconsciously took the oil paper package and then heard Liu Yumin say, "Xin Ji, the examinee, although you are not a formal candidate, Lord Shen specifically instructed that your treatment in the Examination Hall is no different from that of a formal candidate. This quilt is borrowed from the Examination Hall for your use. You cannot take it with you after the exam tomorrow. Just leave it in your cell. Do you understand?"

"The treatment for official candidates?" Xin Ji stared blankly at the oil paper package in his arms, and asked tentatively, "This bedding... is it provided for all candidates?"

So it wasn't his father who brought him warmth, but Shen Zheng who did?

“Of course, all candidates will receive one.” Liu Yumin knew what he was thinking and deliberately patted the cart: “This was prepared by Lord Shen beforehand, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances, understand?”

At this moment, Xin Ji understood completely.

I used to think I was the exception, but now I've become just another ordinary person...

“I understand…” he said.

"Good that you understand." Liu Yumin lifted his leg and walked towards the next cell. After taking two steps, he turned back and said, "There will be warming ginger soup to be distributed later. If you need it, don't turn off your lights. The soldiers will bring it to you one by one."

"There's ginger soup too?" Xin Ji watched Liu Yumin's departing figure, opening the oil paper package that was slightly damp, and muttered, "Aren't you afraid that those people will get sick from eating it and blame you for doing all this thankless work?"

The oil paper package was opened, and a faint aroma of oil wafted into the nostrils.

Xin Ji froze, her fingers instinctively gripping the quilt insert, and exclaimed in surprise, "A cotton quilt?!"

No, has Liuyang Prefecture become this wealthy now?

He thought the Examination Yuan would at most provide a tattered quilt, but he never expected that they would provide him with a cotton quilt that he had just started sleeping on this year!

Feeling that familiar touch, Xin Ji buried her head deep in the quilt and took a deep breath—

Fragrant and soft.

"Tuk-tuk-tuk-"

Just as he was enjoying the comfort of the quilt, the cell wall next door was knocked on again.

Xin Ji slowly raised his head, walked to the cell door and glanced inside. When he saw that Hao Jun and Liu Yumin had already walked to the cell after that, he asked in a low voice, "Fatty, what are you doing now?"

“I’m not called Fatty…” The voice next door was even lower: “I just wanted to tell you that when Lady Shen was distributing ginger soup to everyone, it wasn’t a thankless task. You can’t say that about her.”

Xin Ji choked: "You could hear me even when I was speaking so softly?"

Having said that, he didn't give the person next door a chance to speak, and continued, "How is this not a thankless task? What if someone isn't confident about this exam and deliberately fakes being poisoned? Who will be responsible then? You?"

This time, the neighbors were silent for a long time.

Just as Xin Ji thought he had convinced the other party, the voice came again: "Do you think Doctor Li from Tong'an County is someone to be trifled with? Besides, since the government dared to send him, they must have made ample preparations and aren't afraid of anyone playing any tricks..."

The voice paused, then continued, "Besides, how can this be considered 'laborious but thankless'? It's so cold tonight, and many people will surely catch a chill. A sip of ginger soup will warm their hearts and stomachs, and they'll wake up tomorrow full of energy. What's wrong with that?"

Hearing the seemingly reasonable explanation from next door, Xin Ji stubbornly insisted, "It's just not good, I'm not drinking it!"

"Rolling, rolling—"

The cart turned back again.

Xin Ji and Fang Ziyan both shut their mouths.

Two quarters of an hour later, the small cart carrying wooden buckets came rolling back again.

The bugler said, "Ginger soup."

Xin Ji, wrapped in a quilt, said, "I want it."

As the hot ginger soup gurgled down his stomach, Xin Ji let out a satisfied "ha!"

He thought to himself, as the son of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, if anyone dared to cause trouble for the government office, he would step forward and say, "I also drank the ginger soup, and I'm perfectly fine!"

In this way, Shen Zheng would definitely thank him for his "righteous words," and might even give him two more glass mirrors.

......

The rain continued until the end of the Chou hour (1-3 AM).

Before dawn, the guards had already begun patrolling the examination site.

Xin Ji vaguely heard some noises, as if they were saying "someone is sick".

He jumped up with a start and pounded on the cell wall, shouting, "Fatty, Fatty, what I said came true! Someone really did try to extort money from the government office!"

There was a rustling sound coming from next door, but it quickly stopped.

Xin Ji listened to the wall for a while, then banged on the wall: "Fatty, Fatty, did you hear that? Did you drink ginger soup last night too? Get up quickly, let's go say a few words on behalf of the government!"

After he finished speaking, he waited for a long time without receiving a response.

Just as Xin Ji raised his hand to bang on the wall again, the bugler who had heard the noise came over and scolded in a low voice: "Observer, if you disturb the other candidates again, pack up and leave early!"

Xin Ji felt greatly wronged.

I spoke up for you, but you kicked me out.