sjar Chapter 250
Chapter 250
The north wind howled, and the ground was covered in white.
After traveling for half a month, Liu Qingxu was forced to rest due to physical exhaustion. He found an inn to rest for the night and continued his journey the next day.
Liu Qingxu's health had deteriorated due to long-term exposure to the elements and malnutrition. Nalan Jingwen invited a doctor to treat her, but it was not a matter of a day or two and required long-term care. Ignoring Liu Qingxu's grateful gaze, Nalan Jingwen left her room.
Wherever she went, a shadow followed her. Since the last incident, Jingchi had become increasingly taciturn, dressed in black with a deathly aura. His handsome face was covered with a black cloth, leaving only his bright blue eyes exposed, moving in sync with Nalan Jingwen's figure.
But every time Nalan Jingwen turned around, there was nothing behind him, just emptiness. If he couldn't sense Nalan Jingwen's presence, he would think it was an illusion.
They only appear when necessary; otherwise, they are nowhere to be seen.
Nalan Jingwen ignored the tail following her, waved away the servants who wanted to accompany her, and strolled around the streets alone. Perhaps the local customs were simple and the people were very friendly. They would smile and greet Nalan Jingwen, a stranger. Some bold men even threw sachets into her arms. The people here were very friendly, and Nalan Jingwen did not intend to embarrass them. She took the sachets and intended to return them, but they ran away after throwing them, leaving her alone on the street.
A woman who had been watching the commotion came over and teased, "Young lady, are you new here? This is how it is here. A man gives his embroidered sachet to whoever he likes. It seems you're quite popular, young lady."
As he spoke, everyone burst into laughter, their eyes filled with suggestive glances. Nalan Jingwen shook his head helplessly and handed the sachet in his hand to them, saying, "I am truly unworthy of such a gift. I already have a family. Thank you for your kindness, but please return the sachet to the gentlemen."
The woman next to her nudged her with her shoulder and clicked her tongue twice, saying, "There's no reason to return something once it's been given away. If you ask me, why don't you just pick whichever one you like and try taking it back? These days, a woman can have as many husbands as she wants, so she can decide for herself."
After he finished speaking, the crowd started to make a fuss again. Nalan Jingwen smiled and silently dismissed the people hiding in the shadows. He placed the sachet on the table and shook his head.
"I am truly not worthy of such a treat."
Seeing her repeatedly decline, the others stopped teasing her. They put their arms around Nalan Jingwen's shoulder and walked towards the restaurant by the roadside. "I didn't expect you to be such a devoted person. I crossed the line. I apologize to you. Everyone likes you. Come in and have a drink with us!"
The woman had dark skin and a wild, unrestrained personality. Her eyes were incredibly bright, shining like stars in the sky. She pushed Nalan Jingwen through the crowd and ordered several more jars of wine from the shopkeeper. She casually handed one to Nalan Jingwen, saying, "Can you drink this, sister? It's just this one jar, not much. Consider it my apology to you!"
As she spoke, she grabbed a wine jar from the side and started chugging it down her throat. A group of women nearby, seeing this, whispered to Nalan Jingwen, "Don't mind her, girl. She just thinks you're pretty and wants to be your friend. We rarely see someone like you around here..."
She paused as she spoke, unsure how to describe it without offending Nalan Jingwen. Nalan Jingwen pursed her red lips, nodded, understanding what she meant, and didn't mind.
"It's alright, I understand."
Previously, because of her appearance and figure, many people looked down on her, thinking that she was like a man, unable to lift heavy objects or carry heavy loads, and that she lacked the temperament of a strong woman. They all looked down on her, but dared not say anything because of her status. However, these voices have decreased in number since then.
There is no discrimination against her here. The locals are simple and honest, friendly to everyone, and extremely tolerant. You can tell this just by observing them as you walk down the street.
After finishing a jar of wine, the woman deliberately handed it to Nalan Jingwen to show her. Her eyes were bright and hard to ignore. "Sister, it's okay if you can't drink it all, at worst..."
Nalan Jingwen simply smiled faintly, picked up the jar of wine, brought it to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.
With the strong liquor down my throat, all worries cease, and I have no desires left in this mundane world.
The crowd fell silent, staring blankly as Nalan Jingwen finished the entire jar of wine, not a drop left.
Nalan Jingwen placed the wine jar on the table with a soft sound, and soon a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd, who began to jeer again.
"I never imagined that someone with such delicate skin could drink so much."
Nalan Jingwen glanced at her and slowly said:
"You can't tell a person by his appearance."
The woman was taken aback, then burst into laughter, slapping Nalan Jingwen on the shoulder. "We were the ones who were too rigid! It's our fault! Come on, everyone, let's drink!"
After several rounds of drinking, Nalan Jingwen asked some questions and was then pulled into a hand-to-hand combat game, which ended with Nalan Jingwen's overwhelming victory. Everyone was incredulous, no one expected her to be so strong. However, the woman who had initially pulled Nalan Jingwen to drink was the first to react. She didn't feel ashamed of losing, and put her arm around Nalan Jingwen's shoulder, wanting to become sworn sisters with her, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Nalan Jingwen did not refuse. After the prayers were finished, everyone started drinking again. One by one, people collapsed. Only when the last person collapsed did Nalan Jingwen put down the wine jar and settle the bill.
"Please trouble the shopkeeper to send them all back."
As she spoke, she left behind another gold ingot. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he saw the gold, and he fawned over her, saying, "Don't worry, Miss, they're all old acquaintances. I'll make sure they get back safely!"
Nalan Jingwen nodded, left the restaurant, reeking of alcohol, and walked slowly down the road. From behind, he looked like he was drunk, but if you ignored his clear eyes...
Nalan Jingwen was halfway there when a man suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bumped into her. Nalan Jingwen did not dodge, but simply held onto the man's arm to steady him.
The man looked up, his delicate and pretty face flushed. He gazed at Nalan Jingwen, his eyes seemingly filled with tears, which was quite beautiful. He murmured something, then lowered his head and took something out of his pocket, nervously handing it to Nalan Jingwen.
Nalan Jing took a sniff and chuckled; it was yet another sachet.
She shook her head and whispered to the nervous and bewildered man, "I'm sorry, I'm already married."
She looked down at him, very close, her gaze focused and earnest. From a distance, it seemed as if she had already accepted the man's affections and was whispering to him, in a very ambiguous way.
Not far away, the person hiding in the shadows forcibly retracted their foot, deliberately ignoring the intense bitterness in their heart, and disappeared into the shadows once more.
Upon hearing Nalan Jingwen's words, the man dejectedly withdrew his hand. Although the number of husbands one could have was ultimately just a matter of a woman's word, he had no intention of ruining someone else's happiness. As a fellow man, he could understand.
Although he felt disappointed and sad, he quickly composed himself and took out two sachets from his pocket again, handing them to Nalan Jingwen under her puzzled gaze.
His voice was clear and melodious, carrying the romanticism that a man of his age should have: "These two sachets are a pair, wishing you and your husband to hold hands and grow old together."
Nalan Jingwen was taken aback and took the sachet.
"Thank you."
Seeing that Nalan Jingwen had accepted the sachet, the man smiled, waved, and ran away. Nalan Jingwen stood there and watched him leave until he was out of sight before putting the sachet into his pocket.