The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 67

Chapter 67: Awkwardness

Lin Shuang didn’t sleep well. She regretted her impulsive actions toward Jiang Huaizhen.

If she hadn’t broken through that window, she could have been sleeping peacefully in her arms right now.

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t like women, but she didn’t dislike the friendship between sisters or friends. Perhaps she could have used that as a cover to stay by her side forever, enjoying her gentleness and consideration.

But Lin Shuang knew she was not willing.

People were never satisfied. Once you had feelings for someone, you would want to get closer, to possess her, and to do things with her that were beyond what friends and sisters could do.

So what if she stayed by her side in the name of a sister, if she couldn’t kiss her, couldn’t be intimate with her…

But now that it was out in the open, it had become this mess.

Sadness mixed with regret, and a hint of unwillingness. Several emotions were intertwined, and in the quiet night, they were infinitely magnified, secreting what seemed to be an endless stream of tears.

She knew that she couldn’t force someone to love her, but she couldn’t help but feel wronged, wronged that Jiang Huaizhen couldn’t love her.

She didn’t want Jiang Huaizhen to hear her cry, so she could only turn her back and cry silently.

She was so sad that she finally fell asleep in the latter half of the night.

When she woke up, she opened her eyes and found that Jiang Huaizhen was sitting up in bed, her dark eyes staring at her.

Seeing her open her eyes, she quickly looked away and turned to get out of bed.

Only then did Lin Shuang’s muddled head realize what had happened last night. The sadness that had been temporarily suppressed rushed up again, and her eyes turned red in an instant.

Afraid that Jiang Huaizhen would find out, she quickly lowered her head and asked in a low voice, “When did you wake up?”

They couldn’t be lovers, but they still had to live together.

Her greatest wish in this life was Jiang Huaizhen. This person had saved her several times and had even taken good care of her in her daily life. Her character was also impeccable. She couldn’t abandon her just because she didn’t love her.

She couldn’t bear to.

She could only temporarily suppress her emotions and get through the days ahead.

But when Jiang Huaizhen turned her head, she had already taken in her expression. She replied softly, “I woke up when the rooster crowed.”

“Why did you wake up so early? You’re still injured. You need to sleep more.” Even at this time, she couldn’t help but care about her.

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t speak and just stared at her red and swollen eyes. It was a long time before she looked away.

Lin Shuang looked at the dark circles under her eyes and, suppressing the sadness in her heart, said, “Are you not feeling well anywhere? Tell me the symptoms, and I’ll ask Doctor Xue when I go to the city later.”

Jiang Huaizhen shook her head.

“Are you really not feeling unwell?” Lin Shuang asked.

Jiang Huaizhen hummed in agreement.

Seeing her being vague, Lin Shuang couldn’t guess her mood for a moment. Suppressing her own emotions, she sat up from the bed, got up, changed her clothes, and went to wash up.

It wasn’t until she was about to leave that Jiang Huaizhen, contrary to her usual behavior, followed her out. Seeing that Lin Shuang was about to get on the horse, she suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of her sleeve.

This action stunned both of them.

The latter, as if scalded, immediately let go of her hand, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “When will you be back…”

Lin Shuang was stunned by her action, but before she could react, Hu Guiying rushed in, carrying large and small bags of supplements.

“Oh, what are you doing, pulling and tugging at the door so early in the morning?”

Lin Shuang forced a smile. “I’m going to the city later to deliver medicine to the Everlasting Peace Apothecary. She’s seeing me off.”

Hu Guiying hissed. “No way. It’s just a trip to the city, and you’re seeing each other off. It’s not like you’re a newlywed couple.”

As soon as these words were spoken, both of them blushed.

If it were true, Lin Shuang wouldn’t have minded being teased by her. But it wasn’t, and she felt a little sad. Her eyes couldn’t help but get hot. She turned her face away and changed the subject, her voice dry. “Why are you here so early? Don’t you have to be on duty today?”

“Why not? I got up early this morning, so I came to see her. I’ll go to the yamen later. Hey, let me tell you, I heard from the people in the Household Department that the county magistrate has submitted a report, saying that this flood has killed three hundred and fifty people and destroyed twenty thousand mu of farmland, and he’s requesting the court to allocate funds for disaster relief.”

Hearing this news, Lin Shuang was finally pulled from her emotions and was stunned for a moment.

“Isn’t he afraid that the court will hold him accountable for his ineffective flood control and investigate him afterward?”

Hu Guiying shook her head. “This year’s flood is a once-in-a-century disaster. It’s a natural disaster. He’ll just be reprimanded a few times, but when the court’s disaster relief funds come down, that’s real silver.”

“Think about it. In the fifty-first year of Ruiqing, there was a drought in Jingbei, and over 5 million taels were allocated. In the sixth year of Jiayou, there was a disaster in Huzhou, and 2.76 million shi of rice were distributed, which is about 1.3 million taels of silver. After the earthquake in Mangxi in the eleventh year of Hongxi, 200,000 taels of silver were allocated to hire disaster victims to repair the city walls. Do you know how much of this silver actually reaches the common people? For the 200,000 taels for the earthquake alone, the officials in charge embezzled 100,000 taels.”

“They’re taking a risk. Once the disaster relief silver comes down, that’s money they can’t earn in a lifetime in that position.”

Lin Shuang was shocked. “No wonder the yamen didn’t put in all their effort to save people during the flood. It turns out they were waiting to report the number of deaths to get disaster relief funds. We risked our lives to save people, but we were just blocking their path to wealth.”

She felt extremely sad. Thinking that she had even spent money to hire the strong young men of the village to save people, it was a joke.

Hu Guiying shook her head. “We have a clear conscience. We don’t have to care how others operate. If the heavens approve of letting such people run rampant in the world and be the parents of the common people, then there’s nothing to say.”

Lin Shuang sighed. “Forget it. Let’s not think about these troublesome things. In this world, sometimes the more you know, the more miserable you are.”

Hu Guiying stood up. “Alright. I have to go back to the yamen to be on duty.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Lin Shuang deliberately did not look at the silent figure in the corner and got on the horse directly.

There was no rush. The two of them talked and laughed all the way, and Lin Shuang’s mood, which had been down from being rejected, finally improved a little.

Hu Guiying had received over two hundred taels of silver last time. She had given a hundred to her family and had kept one hundred and fifty for herself. She had bought a jujube-red horse for thirty taels, a two-courtyard house in the city for sixty taels, and still had some left over. She was living a good life.

And all of this was thanks to Lin Shuang. She now respected and loved Lin Shuang and wished she could worship her like a bodhisattva and offer her three sticks of incense every day.

“What’s wrong with Sister Huaizhen? She looks strange.”

“What’s strange?” Lin Shuang’s heart skipped a beat.

“I don’t know. She always speaks in half-sentences and is so awkward.”

“She must have hit her head when she was saving people,” Hu Guiying shrugged and then hissed. “Such a beautiful woman. I hope she doesn’t become a fool. It would be a pity if no one wants her then.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “It’s good if she becomes a fool. I’ll take her.”

Hu Guiying laughed until she was bent over. “Oh my, do you really think you’re her little wife? Are you both fools? Hahahaha.”

Lin Shuang couldn’t help but smile too.

A foolish Jiang Huaizhen would definitely be cuter than the current one.

But no matter which Jiang Huaizhen, she did not belong to her.

She didn’t love her.

This thought was like a fine needle that unexpectedly pierced her heart. She abruptly kicked the horse’s belly, and Jing Lei neighed in pain, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The two of them separated after entering the city.

Just as Lin Shuang reached the vicinity of the Everlasting Peace Apothecary, a thick smell of medicine rushed to her face. She saw a large pot set up outside the side door, and an apprentice, with a cloth covering his face, was brewing a soup to prevent the epidemic. Dozens of raggedly dressed commoners were lined up in a long queue, holding old bowls in their hands, eagerly waiting for the medicine to be distributed.

She quickly covered her mouth and nose with the cloth she had prepared in advance and rode her horse toward the clinic.

The shop was crowded with people, and the sound of coughing rose and fell. A few apprentices were running around, sweating, and there was almost no place to stand.

Doctor Xue had indeed been sent to the epidemic prevention shed, and Doctor Yang, who was left at the clinic, was already going crazy.

Shopkeeper He was anxiously checking the prescription list. He looked up and saw Lin Shuang arrive. As if seeing a savior, he quickly squeezed through the crowd to greet her. When he saw the medicinal herbs she had brought, his eyes instantly lit up.

“Quick! Weigh it quickly!” Shopkeeper He shouted at the apprentice, then turned to Lin Shuang. “Miss Lin, you’re a real lifesaver!”

Lin Shuang waved her hand. “No hurry. You can get busy first. It’s not too late to settle the accounts later.”

The mohele business last time, after deducting the ten taels of gold that the old woman had taken, she had four hundred taels of silver in her hand. The main reason she had gone up the mountain to gather these medicinal herbs was to save lives and also to help the Everlasting Peace Apothecary. It was really not for the money.

But Shopkeeper He insisted, “No, no. The medicinal herbs must be counted in person. Besides, these herbs are needed later. We can’t delay!”

Lin Shuang said no more and let the apprentices nimbly weigh and register them.

As soon as the medicinal herbs were counted, the young apprentice took the list and hurried to find Doctor Yang.

Shopkeeper He rubbed his hands and said with some hesitation, “Miss Lin, the master said that you are skilled in honey-roasting… The honey-roasted medicinal herbs are out of stock now, and Doctor Yang is really too busy. Do you see…”

Lin Shuang smiled. “I was just thinking of trying my hand today. Take me to the roasting room. When Doctor Yang has time, you can ask him to come and take a look. If it’s alright, I’ll stay and help for a few days.”

Shopkeeper He was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly, quickly having the apprentice lead the way.

Honey-roasting was a processing method that mainly used honey as an auxiliary material to heat the medicinal herbs. The purpose was to enhance the effects of the medicinal herbs, such as moistening the lungs and stopping coughs, and tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, through the sweet and gentle nature of honey, or to moderate the bitter and cold, or dry and fierce nature of the drugs, making them milder.

The art of honey-roasting was all about “observing the color, testing the viscosity with your hands, and smelling the honey fragrance.” It was all based on experience, and there was no room for shortcuts.

It could be said that in the entire process of preparing medicinal herbs, honey-roasting was the most difficult.

There were only a few people in Changping County who had mastered this skill, and at the Everlasting Peace Apothecary, there were only Doctor Xue and Doctor Yang.

Now that Doctor Xue had been sent to the epidemic prevention shed, and the remaining Doctor Yang was so busy, there was no one to handle this matter.

Shopkeeper He was actually not confident. Lin Shuang was only in her teens. No matter how capable she was, how much could she master? But the master had personally instructed it, so it was not without reason.

And in the back courtyard of the apothecary, as the apprentice pushed open the door of the roasting room, a rich honey fragrance mixed with the smell of medicine rushed to their faces.

To Lin Shuang,

a familiar feeling suddenly returned.