"Are we just going to leave it at that?" Ye Zi’an asked.
Yang Chuxia gave him a glance, "What else can we do? They won’t starve anyway. These two kids aren’t picky eaters now; they’ll eat rice soup just the sa." As she spoke, Yang Chuxia pulled him along, "Let’s go out for a walk, see how the old demon is doing. We haven’t seen it for a long ti."
"Since that’s the case, I’ll go back and get so food," he replied, "Wait here for ."
He also hadn’t seen the old demon for a long ti, and this ti Baili Yan’s illness was much relieved thanks to its pearls.
So, he went to the kitchen and under everyone’s surprised gaze, quickly took two plates of roasted chicken and duck and carried them away in a food box.
"What did you take?" Seeing him with the food box, Yang Chuxia asked with a laugh.
"A plate of chicken, a plate of duck," he answered.
With one hand holding the food box, Ye Zi’an wrapped his other hand around Yang Chuxia.
"Xiaxia!"
"Hmm?" Yang Chuxia looked at him, "What do you want to say?"
"Do you prefer Capital City or the countryside?" Ye Zi’an asked her.
Yang Chuxia wondered why he was asking her this question. After thinking for a mont, she said, "I heard that the top three scholars of each examination have to stay in Capital City. So, you’ll have to stay in Capital City too? As for , I’m fine anywhere. After all, I’ll go wherever you go."
Hearing her answer, Ye Zi’an smiled and held her a bit tighter, "Initially, I was supposed to stay in Capital City. The Emperor wanted to join the Ministry of Revenue, but I declined. I wanted to be assigned elsewhere, and in the end, the Emperor has assigned to Mianyang in Jiangsu."
"Ah?" Yang Chuxia was shocked, "Why did you want to be assigned elsewhere?"
"What’s so good about staying in Capital City? It’s too restrictive. Soone like in Capital City would be at the lowest rung of power, having to bow and scrape to everyone. Would you like to live like that?" Ye Zi’an countered.
Yang Chuxia instinctively shook her head; she really didn’t like that. She had always been used to a carefree lifestyle, and Capital City wasn’t the place for her.
"What kind of place is Mianyang?" Yang Chuxia then asked, "When are you taking office?"
"Mianyang, it’s not so great—lots of flooding. I want to go there and manage the area, strengthen the dykes so that the annual floods decrease, and prevent the people from being displaced, but it’s going to be difficult. I might not be able to leave there for three to five years," Ye Zi’an spoke somberly, "My predecessor spent ten years there and was finally dismissed from his position. As for when I’m leaving, the Emperor has ordered to reach Mianyang by September."
Yang Chuxia calculated that it would take about a month to travel from their place to Mianyang. It was now mid-June, aning Brother An could still stay at ho for a little over a month. Brother An had just returned, and suddenly, Yang Chuxia felt ti was passing too quickly.
Seeing her silent, Ye Zi’an said, "The children are still young and not suited for long journeys. I’m also afraid they won’t adapt to Mianyang, so I don’t plan on taking you and the children with ."
After he finished speaking, and seeing Yang Chuxia’s eyes suddenly turn red, he put down the food box and embraced her fiercely, "Xiaxia, I’m sorry, don’t cry, there, there! Once the children are a bit older, I’ll co back to take you there. Is it ok to leave the children with our mother for now?"
"Why not take the children with you?" Yang Chuxia’s voice was thick with emotion.
Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, he explained, "Mianyang is prone to flooding, and even Mianyang County might not be safe. Plus, managing the situation won’t happen overnight. If a disaster were to occur, wouldn’t it be making them suffer to have them with us? It’s different for the two of us, we’re adults."
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