At ho, a thousand things go well; once you leave, everything becos difficult.
Su Jin, suffering from morning sickness, abandoned her horse to take a boat, but even taking a boat wasn’t that easy.
Now, the court is in a heated battle with Nanliang at the border. To ensure the border’s grain and grass supplies are sufficient, so the soldiers can fight without concerns, the court needs to deliver the supplies to the military camp within the stipulated ti.
The court requisitioned many rchant ships for transporting grain, leaving only one ship available for civilian passage.
The cost of taking the boat has skyrocketed; those who pay more board first.
Su Jin arrived at an inconvenient ti, as the boat had departed just half an hour earlier.
And with a round trip of the boat taking at least three days.
Even if the boat returned, sitting on it with so many people waiting wouldn’t be any more comfortable than sitting in a carriage.
Poor Su Jin, clutching several tens of thousands of silver notes, planned to charter a boat, but nearly ended up with no place to stay in an inn.
Seeing the crowded dock, Xingxing looked at Su Jin, "Miss, why don’t we take the carriage back?"
Su Jin, "...."
Su Jin felt like dying.
To save ti by taking a shortcut, only to find this shortcut was, in fact, the real delay.
But since the court was transporting grain to the border, she couldn’t even complain.
"Let’s find an inn to stay in first," Su Jin said wearily.
However, so many passengers waiting for the boat had cramd the inns full.
Inns were bustling with business.
Walking all the way, whenever entering an inn, the young servants greeted them with smiles.
But when the inn’s business was good, they walked in with indifference.
The shopkeeper was talking to a man.
Xingxing hurried to the counter and said urgently, "Shopkeeper, we need two adjoining upper rooms."
The shopkeeper glanced at Xingxing and said, "I’m sorry, the inn is full."
"Isn’t there even one room you can spare?" Xingxing struggled.
"None, even the woodshed is full of people."
"...."
Su Jin felt dizzy from the carriage ride.
The inn was crowded and noisy, and the sll of alcohol filled the air.
Su Jin just felt her stomach churning, unable to suppress the urge to vomit.
She held back and asked the young servant, "Where’s the latrine?"
The servant pointed back, "Over there."
Su Jin headed quickly to the backyard.
In a hurry, as soon as she entered the backyard, she collided with soone at a corner.
She bumped into the person, but it was she who staggered back, her arm hit the wall to steady herself, but she sprained her ankle instead.
Su Jin hissed in pain.
The man saw this and hurriedly asked, "Are you alright?"
Su Jin rubbed her shoulder, unable to suppress the urge to vomit any longer, and leaned against the railing to retch.
It was said to be vomiting, but it was really just sour water, yet the feeling was unpleasant.
The young man was about eighteen or nineteen, handso, and seeing Su Jin in such a state, he hesitated to leave, instructing the servant, "Go get so tea."
The servant obediently brought a cup of tea.
Su Jin sipped the tea to rinse her mouth, looked at the young man, and said, "I’m sorry for earlier."
"It was I who caused you to sprain your ankle," the young man said politely.
Su Jin tried to walk, feeling genuine pain.
Previously feigning a sprain, now she actually sprained it.
Su Jin could walk, but her foot hurt a lot, and as the young man reached to support her, Su Jin quickly said, "No need, I can walk."
The servant was a bit disdainful of Su Jin.
Here his young master kindly offered to help, and yet she wasn’t grateful.
Su Jin took a few steps forward. Xingxing ran over and said, "Young master, why did you run over here, you scared half to death."
Xingxing’s eyes were red with anxiety.
After trying to get a room from the shopkeeper, she turned around and couldn’t find her mistress.
She searched the entire tavern, almost bursting into tears.
Seeing Su Jin leaning against the wall with one foot off the ground, Xingxing quickly asked, "What happened to your foot?"
"It’s nothing, just accidentally twisted it," Su Jin replied.
Xingxing quickly supported Su Jin forward, saying, "The inn has no rooms left, where will we stay tonight?"
Su Jin also had a headache.
The young man looked at Su Jin and said, "Most of the inns in Tongzhou Prefecture are full. If you don’t mind, you can share a room with ."
Su Jin, "...."
Xingxing, "...."
Xingxing didn’t know Su Jin accidentally bumped into the young man.
She was stunned by his words.
Letting her mistress share a room with him?
Did he not want to live?
Although the young man ant well, Su Jin felt a bit overwheld by his kindness.
"No need," Su Jin quickly declined.
The servant was more displeased.
Never seen soone so ungrateful, his young master offered to give up half the room to soone he didn’t know, despite his own reminders to be cautious when traveling.
And yet they were refused?
"Good intentions mistaken for a donkey’s liver and lungs!" the servant cursed in disdain.
Xingxing, fuming, was about to retaliate when Su Jin stopped her, "Let’s keep looking."
Xingxing felt the possibility of finding a place to stay was slim, wondering if they’d end up sleeping on the street.
She could handle sleeping on the street, as it wasn’t unfamiliar before going to Qingyun Mountain, but her mistress was a princess, how could she sleep on the street?
However, sleeping on the street was better than sharing a room with another man.
Otherwise, if word reached the Capital City, people might think her mistress fancied the young man’s looks and took him for herself.
Xingxing glanced back at the young man, who was decent-looking, but far from her master-in-law’s looks.
Xingxing helped Su Jin hobble forward.
Su Jin asked Xingxing, "Where’s the coachman?"
"I asked the young master to have the coachman check if there are any inns with vacancies," Xingxing replied.
The young man looked at Su Jin and said, "I can give my room to you."
Su Jin turned back to look at him, and the man’s servant responded first, "Then where will we stay?"
The young man said, "I was planning to visit Brother Qian anyway and stay at his place for the night."
"But Young Master Qian..."
The young man gestured for his servant not to speak further.
The servant glared at Xingxing but said nothing more.
The young man offered his room to Su Jin, and she didn’t refuse, replying, "May I know where your residence is? Such generosity from a chance encounter, I must repay the favor one day."
The young man smiled and said, "It’s a small favor, you’re too kind."
He led the way, his luggage still upstairs.
The servant seed sowhat displeased, but was well-mannered.
The young man led in front, Xingxing supported Su Jin from behind, and he followed last.
After fetching his belongings, the young man bid farewell to Su Jin, who persistently asked for his na, but he didn’t disclose it.
Xingxing saw him out as the servant began complaining, "Why would young master give his room to soone he doesn’t even know?"
"Treating others with kindness while traveling will bring kindness to oneself," the young master replied.
"It may be convenient for them, but not necessarily for us," the servant retorted.
"Young master may have had correspondence with Young Master Qian due to past studies, but now two years have passed without contact, and he’s a Magistrate’s son now. If refused lodging, wouldn’t we end up holess?"
They only had one room, giving it up to soone else was one thing, but sharing half, only to be unappreciated!
Sharing a room with their young master would have been a privilege for anyone!
Xingxing smirked before turning away, "The young master is decent, but his entourage isn’t great."
Su Jin chuckled.
Feeling dizzy, she rubbed her ankle, "We’ve benefited from his kindness, yet I couldn’t even get his na."
Xingxing tilted her head proudly, "When you visit to thank him later, you’ll surely terrify that servant."
Then, a knock on the door; the young servant said, "Sir, your al is here."
Xingxing blinked. They hadn’t ordered any food.
She opened the door, and the young servant brought in four dishes and a soup. Su Jin asked, "What’s this...?"
The young servant smiled, "The young master who stayed here earlier settled the bill, and ordered so dishes for you."
"Also, a doctor is on the way for your sprained ankle."
Su Jin, "...."
Xingxing, "...."
"That young master is a good man; surely good things will happen to him," Xingxing said with eyes full of mirth.
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