Switching abruptly from playful banter to dead seriousness, Xiao Huan touched her hair self-consciously, pulled Gu Qingyun over to a corner, and after a moment of hesitation, gritted her teeth and asked:
“Do you still have any more of those talismans from last time?” There was a hint of urgency in her tone.
Seeing Gu Qingyun nod, she let out an immediate sigh of relief and quickly held out a hand.
“Hurry, give them to me. Give me a few more this time. Is one tael of silver enough?”
Gu Qingyun retrieved several talismans and handed them over.
“How could I take your money, Sister Xiao Huan? That would be treating each other like strangers. Just take them.”
Amused by her reaction, Xiao Huan chuckled and shoved the silver into her hand.
“Come on, as if I don't know you. This money was given to me by the madam, so just take it. Look at you—winter is almost here, yet you’re still wearing such thin clothes. Wait here a moment.”
Before long, Xiao Huan emerged holding an ink-colored padded jacket.
“Take this. I made this specially for you. Put it on and try it out.”
Gu Qingyun pursed her lips and offered the one tael of silver back to her.
“Take it. If you won't take this, I won't take the jacket either.”
Xiao Huan hesitated, but seeing Gu Qingyun's stubborn expression, she had no choice but to take the silver back.
“All right, happy now? Hurry and try it on.”
Gu Qingyun promptly slipped off her outer robe and put on the lined jacket. The moment it enveloped her, a wave of warmth surged through. Though she didn't fear the cold, wearing new clothes still brought her immense joy.
“Sister Xiao Huan, how does it look?”
“It looks great! My craftsmanship is quite good, if I do say so myself. It fits you perfectly. Mm, truly a treat for the eyes.”
Gu Qingyun nodded with a beaming smile and made to leave after bidding her farewell, but Xiao Huan hesitated once more before blurting out:
“Qingyun, over the next few days, after you finish your night patrol, could you drop by here more often? Sometimes I get really scared.”
“What on earth happened?” Gu Qingyun couldn't help asking.
“I don't know how to explain it. I feel like Miss is acting strange. At night, she mutters to herself as if talking to someone. But we can't see anyone there. Right now, the four of us—Xiao Ye, Xiao Hua, and the rest of us—are staying by Miss's side around the clock, but we're still worried.”
Having said that, she glanced at Gu Qingyun, finding the next part hard to voice.
“And Miss's eyes seem to have gone bad. Two days ago, Miss woke up at the fifth watch and ran into the night soil collector. She actually thought he was an ideal match, that he looked handsome! What’s more, she won't even let us speak ill of him, insisting he’s the finest man in the world.”
“What? The night soil collector? Is it that man around thirty years old with triangular eyes?” Gu Qingyun asked hastily, recalling the man she had just encountered.
Seeing her nod, the shock in Gu Qingyun's heart was nothing short of an erupting volcano. This was utterly preposterous.
This was the County Magistrate's eldest daughter. Back in her past life, she would have been the daughter of a county mayor, completely out of reach for ordinary men. She was not only beautiful, but also accomplished in the guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
In an era where most people were illiterate, she was, in modern terms, the quintessential fair, wealthy, and beautiful young lady. With a background like hers, she was destined for an advantageous match with someone of equal standing.
Moreover, based on her understanding of Yu Wanqing, she would never say something like that.
Though the two of them got along well, Yu Wanqing still occasionally gave off an aloof, superior vibe—a habit nurtured over many years that couldn't be shaken off overnight.
To claim she could fancy a night soil collector wasn't just poor eyesight; it was losing her mind.
Thinking this over, Gu Qingyun frowned.
“Don't panic. Keep a close watch over the next few days. When I patrol at night, I'll make a few extra rounds toward the rear courtyard. Once that old woman who collects the night soil returns in a few days, there shouldn't be any issues. For now, try your best not to let her leave the rear courtyard.”
With this weighing on her mind, Gu Qingyun was in no mood to chat further. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Yu Wanqing. While Wanqing was a bit delicate and willful at times, she bore no ill intentions.
Besides, she was only sixteen or seventeen, at an age of youthful innocence. If anything untoward happened to her in this era, she wouldn't be able to survive it.
Furthermore, if anything happened to her, it would affect the County Magistrate, and life wouldn't be easy for subordinates like them either. Whether out of duty or personal regard, Gu Qingyun couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
With that in mind, Gu Qingyun resolved to pay close attention to this matter.
...
“Sister Yun, how about we have some plain noodles this morning?”
Bai Fan rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his head. His stomach had been acting up all night, leaving his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, but he was finally feeling much better.
Gu Qingyun replied, “Mm, anything is fine.”
Seeming to detect a trace of preoccupation in her voice, Bai Fan leaned in close.
“Sister Yun, something on your mind? You seem a bit distracted.”
Gu Qingyun unobtrusively shifted two steps to the side and shook her head.
“Nothing, just some personal matters. Nothing important. All right, let's go sign out first, then change into civilian clothes before heading out.”
...
In a wing room of a residence along Guihua Street in Yangguang Town, a heavy thud echoed as something crashed to the floor.
“Aiyo, are you trying to scald me to death? The water is boiling hot—are you trying to ruin my face? Go and draw a new basin!”
A woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, thick-waisted, broad-shouldered, and her face laden with fierce flesh, glared coldly at a man.
At her feet lay an overturned wooden basin, the ground around it soaked into a messy puddle.
“Wife, please don't be angry; don't upset yourself. I'll go fetch more right away. Wife, just wait here. Have some of the pastries I bought first—I'll be right back.”
The man scolded by the woman gently picked up the wooden basin from the floor, pushed open the door, and stepped outside.
Dressed in a green long robe and a headscarf, the man was tall and slender. Appearing to be in his early twenties, he possessed striking features that anyone would praise as handsome.
Watching her hardworking, submissive husband, Liu Jincui wore an expression of unabashed smugness. She thought to herself that tomorrow she really must return to the Marriage Tree to offer thanks once more.
It was truly too miraculous—it had actually known the desires of her heart and granted her such a wonderful husband.
A year ago, Liu Jincui was already twenty-seven years old. The matchmakers in the county had presented candidates to her father who were either widowers in their forties or fifties, or men with physical deformities.
Aside from those two categories, there were ordinary men as well, but Liu Jincui had been dissatisfied with them, always finding them far too ugly. She already had someone else in mind.
It happened one morning when she was carrying a basket to buy groceries. Approaching her was a young man around the age of capping, standing out distinctly from the crowd.
He had a pair of peach-blossom eyes, a high-bridged nose, and an aloof demeanor. Most importantly, judging by his attire, he was a scholar.
Liu Jincui had fallen for him at first glance. Regrettably, he merely passed by her, without sparing her so much as a single look.
Ever since that glance, Liu Jincui couldn't get him out of her mind. She asked around and only then learned that the man's surname was Lin and his name was Xueqian. Even his name sounded so pleasant.
Upon learning that he was already married and the father of three children, Liu Jincui was utterly dejected.
During those days, she was in low spirits, wandering aimlessly through the streets all day long. Before she knew it, she had arrived beneath the Marriage Tree. Kneeling at its base, she knocked her head firmly against the ground three times and murmured:
“I beg the Divine Tree to find me a husband like Lin Xueqian. As long as I can find a husband like that, you can have whatever you want.”
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