It’s not that she was unwilling or stingy.
She had to plan for the future of two people.
If he couldn’t even earn ten taels of silver, marrying him wouldn’t lead to a good life.
After all, if he couldn’t even earn the most basic betrothal gift, what about the future? Would he feel that, since the person was already in his home, already his wife, nothing else mattered?
She might have been timid, but Dongmei thought through many things very clearly.
Moreover, with a betrothal gift, her parents would provide a dowry, and the dowry would only be more, not less.
After all, her parents adored her!
"Alright!"
Dong Dage walked Dongmei home.
On the way, he still wore a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, holding an umbrella over Dongmei, carefully protecting her. After escorting her to the back door of Dongmei’s house, he smiled slightly, "You go in!"
Dongmei nodded and couldn’t help but remind him again, "Remember what I said!"
"I have remembered!"
Dong Dage took one deep look at Dongmei before turning to go home.
He had two pigs, more than a dozen chickens, and fieldwork to do; he was truly very busy.
Dongmei waited until he was far away, out of sight, before closing the door...
On the way back to the county town.
Because Duobao had purchased a piece of oilcloth, the entire carriage was wrapped up so that the rain wouldn’t soak it.
Sitting inside the carriage, Xie Zhinuan felt somewhat stuffy, so she lifted the curtain of the carriage.
The cool breeze carried rain, making the air quite damp, brushing against her face. Xie Zhinuan leaned on a cushion and asked Duobao, "Duobao, why were you captured?"
"..." Duobao’s heart tightened, and he gripped the reins more firmly.
It was a while before he said, "Outmatched in skills."
"Just that?" Xie Zhinuan asked.
"..." Duobao pursed his lips, letting the carriage continue to move forward.
He didn’t know why Xie Zhinuan was asking him this question.
Even the master hadn’t asked.
What right did she have to ask... but, he himself also felt a loss of face.
A Guard mander, yet captured by someone, and even had the medicine pill taken away.
"What about the medicine pill? Was it taken away? Who took it? Was it consumed by someone?" Xie Zhinuan asked several more questions.
"It was taken away, and consumed, right before my eyes..." Duobao said, still not catching the emphasis in Xie Zhinuan’s words.
"Tell me about the person who consumed the medicine pill, what were some of their characteristics?"
"..."
Duobao fell silent for a moment.
Then he continued, "A guard to Rong’s Crown Prince, tall and strong, full of brawn and vigor!"
"Oh, when we get back, draw me a portrait of him!"
The medicine pills she sent out always had a destination, but this guard at Rong’s Crown Prince’s side was an accident.
She needed to know what he looked like, so she wouldn’t fail to recognize him if they ever met in the future.
"Yes!"
Duobao responded indifferently.
He felt quite disheartened.
Not being able to defeat the Guard mander beside Fubino was already a disgrace in his life, and now he couldn’t even win against a female... not just Xie Zhinuan, he couldn’t beat the silly girl or the guards who were once inferior to him in martial arts.
What kind of fortunes had these people e across? How had their martial arts improved so fast?
While driving the carriage, Duobao thought about this, and then suddenly remembered Yuanbao, who had repeatedly urged him to eat the meals Xie Zhinuan prepared and to drink water or soup during their time in Xiaohe Village, insisting that he must obey Xie Zhinuan’s mands. Could the secret lie with Xie Zhinuan?
He glanced back at Xie Zhinuan who was leaning on the cushion, toying with her sword, and then looked at the translucent cherries in the basket beside her.
He felt he couldn’t quite understand this beautiful woman anymore.
Not her own flesh and blood, yet she treated them so well.
Despite being a master at both the literary and martial arts, she seemed utterly unmoved by him...
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