Chapter 397
The April sky was exceptionally clear, though the temperature remained low. However, the people outside Suzhou City had long since shed their thick cotton-padded clothes for lined jackets, busy sowing in the fields.
"Daniu, what are you running around for!" the old farmer who spoke pulled up his grandson, who had fallen in the middle of the road, then apologized with a look of panic, "The child is ignorant and almost startled the horses. Please forgive him, and hurry up and apologize to the noble."
Though called a child, this one looked about seven or eight years old. Farming families were poor and couldn't afford private tutors, so while the family members tilled the fields, the half-grown boys who had nothing to do would run around by the roadside.
The carriage was not moving fast, and by the time Daniu ran over, He Sheng had already reined in the horses.
"Old man, there's no need to mind. It's normal for children to be mischievous," He Sheng said in a deep voice. But looking at the half-grown boy covered in mud, with rough, dark skin, and then thinking of his own young lady, who was as delicate as a jade carving, inside the carriage, he thought how truly incomparable people were.
"Thank you, noble sir." The old farmer's worried heart finally settled.
Their two mu of land were outside the city, and there were many carriages passing by on the official road. Last month, the grandson of the Huang family had collided with a noble's carriage and was whipped twice. Fortunately, it wasn't on his face, or he would have been disfigured.
As the old farmer forcibly pulled Daniu towards the fields not far away, his face, like dried bark, revealed grief and helplessness. "Daniu, don't be foolish. Grandpa and your father will earn the money for your mother's medicine. Think about Tie Zhu Zi; the scar on his neck hasn't even faded yet."
"Grandpa, I..." Daniu's eyes immediately welled up. Thinking of his mother lying in bed, coughing all day, and then thinking of his little sister, who was so thin she was just skin and bones from lack of milk, tears rolled down his cheeks.
But thinking of the scar on Tie Zhu Zi's neck, Daniu raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face. "I was just thinking that if the noble happened to give a few taels of silver, my mother would have money to buy medicine."
He Sheng and He Nuan were both skilled in martial arts. Even though the grandfather and grandson spoke in low voices, they could still hear everything clearly.
Inside the carriage, Zhan Feiyu saw the grandfather and grandson heading into the fields through the carriage window. "That child just now saw our carriage and horses and ran over on purpose, didn't he?"
She had initially thought they were trying to stage an accident to extort money, as the saying goes, "Poor mountains and harsh waters breed wicked people." But the grandfather and grandson looked simple and honest.
He Nuan withdrew her gaze and recounted the conversation between the grandfather and grandson. "He was planning to let the carriage hit him to get money to see a doctor."
Stunned for a moment, Zhan Feiyu remembered herself in Jinlin Village that day. To be able to attend a private school, she had tried every means possible. A penny could stump a hero.
Outside the official road were vast stretches of fields. No green could be seen yet, and farmers were busy working in the fields.
The Longyou Road had little rain and much sand and wind. Even if crops were planted, the yield was limited. After a year of hard work, it was a blessing to be able to fill their stomachs. If they encountered natural disasters or man-made calamities, the whole family could only tighten their belts.
"Miss?" He Nuan was not a compassionate person, and moreover, there were too many such people in the Great Qing Dynasty. Even if she wanted to help, she couldn't help them all.
"Go down and walk around," Zhan Feiyu grinned. "A Sheng, park the carriage by the side of the road."
"Yes." He Sheng responded and drove the carriage to the dirt road on the side. The second carriage, carrying their luggage, also pulled over.
After getting out of the carriage, a gentle breeze blew. Although it was still a bit chilly, the sun was bright, so it didn't feel cold.
"Miss, put on your cloak. The wind is strong in the fields," said He Nuan, who got out of the carriage a step behind.