Full House Spring

Chapter 82 Difficulty Traveling

The sky was clear and the long convoy slowly drove away. The wheels and the ancient road raised clouds of dust, like a gradually fading ink-splashed landscape painting.

As the sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, it seemed to take away a period of time in Xia Li and also took away Lu Lingchuan's best memories.

Lu Qinghe looked up and saw tears in her brother's eyes. She pursed her lips and sighed, "Brother, mother is still waiting at home. We should go back."

Lu Lingchuan came back to his senses. He gently patted the top of Lu Qinghe's head with his thick palm and said with relief: "Go back. She and I are not destined to be together. I will not be wishful thinking about her anymore. I will plan your lifelong event carefully."

Lu Lingchuan left very decisively, and Lu Qinghe smiled with satisfaction. As for her lifelong event, she no longer had any expectations. As long as the other party could bring real benefits to the Lu family, even if she became a stepmother, she would still marry, so she had to marry for what was worth it...

On the other side, Xia Li showed some sadness after getting on the carriage. Fang Tangli waited for her to calm down before speaking frankly:
"I see that there's something complicated going on between you and Uncle Cheng En. Could it be that you've been attracted to him?"

Xia Li's heart was as clear as a mirror, nothing could disturb it. She smiled calmly and said in a brisk voice, "Sister, you are wrong. When I was in the mansion, I was the head maid in front of the old lady, and he was the high and mighty prince. How could I be so frivolous as to have feelings for him?"

Fang Tangli heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this, and said jokingly with a smile:
"That's not true. Many noble families have maids with whom they are very attached before they get married. It's just that my sister is too proud to do that."

Xia Li chuckled and said, "I can't do things like being humble and fawning. Even if I want to marry someone, I have to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. No matter how well Lu Lingchuan treats me, he always looks down on me from a high position. Such an unequal relationship will only destroy me in the end. Why should I belittle myself?"

The resolute look in Xia Li's eyes made Fang Tangli stand in awe. She restrained her expression and said with emotion:
"The character of the Fang family will not change no matter what situation they are in. If you are short-sighted and weak-kneed, you will be in a dilemma. Even if your uncle can make you the legitimate wife, you will be criticized for the rest of your life. If you give birth to a daughter in the future, people will point fingers at you and make up stories about you. This is really a wrong step, and all the steps are wrong."

Xia Li had never thought about this. It was useless to think too much about something that was impossible. She lifted the curtain and looked out, then changed the subject: "How long will it take us to get to Laizhou?"

Fang Tangli followed her gaze and saw Kuang Chengrui riding by. She chuckled and said, "It depends on whether there will be any delays on the way. If everything goes well, we will arrive in about a month. Just stay in the carriage and don't worry about anything else."

In ancient times, traveling far away was really uncomfortable. Xia Li felt sore all over after sitting in the carriage for a while. She said helplessly, "Do we have to stay in the carriage? This is too boring."

Fang Tangli's eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles. She said in a relaxed tone: "There is no need to be so rigid. When the car reaches a sparsely populated area, we can go out for a ride. But we need someone to lead us. Your brother-in-law and I will share a horse, and you can find your eldest brother."

Xia Li had taken a few horse riding lessons, but it was so long ago that she had forgotten the essentials. She had not had the chance to ride a horse since she traveled through time. When her sister said this, she suddenly became interested.

Xia Li looked outside again and saw other convoys passing by on the official road. She asked curiously, "We have been out of the city for a while. When will we be able to reach a sparsely populated area?"

Fang Tangli took a piece of dessert to fill her stomach, and smiled when she heard this: "It's still early, why don't you take a nap first? I'm a little sleepy after getting up early."

As she spoke, she began to yawn, and her lazy and charming energy became even stronger. Although Fang Tangli was born charming, she did not look vulgar, probably because she was well-read and elegant. Anyway, Cao's brother-in-law loved her very much, and his eyes would follow her whenever she was around.

Being away from home is different from being at home, Xia Li didn't have so many demands. When she had nothing to do, she simply accompanied her sister to sleep. There was a thick mattress on the carriage, which was comfortable for sitting or lying. The two sisters fell asleep in a short while.

Kuang Chengrui followed the carriage not too far away. He had sharp eyes and ears and could vaguely hear some of the conversation inside the carriage. Knowing that the two people had rested, he looked straight ahead and continued riding his horse with an expressionless face.

The carriage swayed forward until Nanny Zhou's voice came from outside, "Miss, it's time to get off the carriage and eat some dry food. Are you awake?"

Xia Li then opened her eyes in confusion. She stretched herself and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm awake. I'll be right out."

As she talked, she tidied herself up. Fang Tangli also woke up. The two sisters got off the carriage soon. Fang Zongru saw his daughter and smiled and asked, "Are you feeling tired?"

Xia Li walked to his father and said softly, "I'm not tired. My sister and I went to catch up on our sleep. I opened my eyes and I'm already here."

Fang Zongru handed a sesame cake to his daughter and said lovingly, "On the road, it's different from home. The food is simple. Just fill your stomach. Eat this cake quickly. We have to find a place to stay before dark. I'm afraid we won't be able to find an inn today."

Xia Li took a bite of the dry cake and said without any squeamishness:

"It's okay to sleep outdoors. We can take turns sleeping in the carriage. But can Dad hold out? If you feel too tired, just slow down the journey."

Fang Zongru waved his hand and said cheerfully, "I'm not tired. It's okay to go back to Laizhou and rest. I'm in good health."

Fang Qizheng brought some hot water over, handed it to the father and daughter, and said softly, "I heard from Ah Li that you want to ride a horse, why don't you ride with me? I'm a decent rider."

Xia Li's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he raised his voice and asked, "Dad, is this really possible?"

Fang Zongru was not a pedantic person. He nodded slightly and said, "Don't run too fast. Just be careful. The wind is strong when riding a horse. You need to wear a cloak."

Xia Li nodded in agreement hurriedly. Before she could say anything, Shi Mi came over from her carriage with a cloak. After she had eaten and drunk well, she carefully put the cloak on her. Fang Qizheng also came over with a horse, and everyone was ready to go.

Although Xia Li hadn't ridden a horse for a long time, she had not forgotten the simple steps to get on a horse. After she had swiftly mounted the horse, Fang Qizheng also climbed on the horse, then raised the whip and galloped away.

Kuang Chengrui followed closely, holding the reins. Except for Fang Zongru who said a few polite words to him, no one else spoke much to him. He did not feel embarrassed as he did what he wanted.

When Fang Tangli and his wife saw Xia Li riding his horse to the front, they hurried to chase him. Kuang Chengrui did not make any big movements, but he was always able to maintain a proper distance from the horse in front.

Xia Li was very happy throughout the whole riding process, until it got dark and she felt uncomfortable with the friction on her thighs, then she got back on the carriage. Xia Li couldn't always stay with Fang Tangli, after all, she was married, and they had to leave some space for the couple to be alone together, so she returned to her own carriage. Shi Mi and Qiao He were both there, one was busy serving her tea and water, and the other was massaging her sore thighs.

Qiao He also knew about the engagement. She lowered her voice while massaging and said, "Miss, when we were riding just now, didn't Captain Kuang come forward to show his courtesy to you?"

Xia Li grimaced due to the sore muscles. Hearing this, he said with a smile: "He has been following me to protect my safety. Isn't this considered being courteous?"

Qiao He blinked and tilted her head, saying, "He didn't show it very clearly, so how can this be considered as showing courtesy? He should have taken you with him."

Shi Mi took the teacup that Xia Li had drunk and said in a calm voice: "Although our girl is engaged to Captain Kuang, they are not familiar with each other. If he rashly goes up to take the girl to ride with him, don't you think it is presumptuous?" Qiao He said blankly: "Isn't it written like this in the storybook? Captain Kuang also knows martial arts. If he throws a stone on the horse's back, making the horse crazy in pain, he will take the opportunity to save the beauty and ride away with the girl..."

Xia Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry when hearing this, and said unhappily, "You should read less storybooks. My brother and I are not stupid, and Kuang Chengrui wouldn't do such a rude thing."

In fact, Kuang Chengrui's approach to Xia Li was subtle and measured, and he often hung around Xia Li but never took the initiative to provoke her, like a patient hunter.

Xia Li pretended not to know and never talked to him out of curiosity. The best strategy is to remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances.

Until it was completely dark, they still hadn't found a suitable place to camp. Raindrops began to fall from the night sky. Fang Qizheng said with a serious face:

"Dad, I vaguely remember there is a dilapidated temple ahead, why don't we go there to take shelter from the wind and rain."

Fang Zongru was a little hesitant. After all, there was no one living in this desolate mountain and wilderness, and who knew who was in the ruined temple? He subconsciously looked at Kuang Chengrui. He didn't need to say anything. Kuang Chengrui pulled the reins and walked forward and said:

"Uncle, wait a moment. I'm going to go ahead and investigate. You guys should follow slowly."

After saying that, he squeezed his horse's belly and galloped away. Fang Qizheng waved to the guards and shouted, "Standing there is nothing to do. Four men, follow us!"

Regardless of whether he thought highly of Kuang Chengrui or not, he would not let him take the risk alone. Fang Zongru did not say much, and it was obvious that he agreed with his son's behavior. The remaining guards spontaneously surrounded the carriage carrying the women in the middle, and then moved forward in the rain.

After Kuang Chengrui went to the meeting, he asked the guards who followed him to come back and deliver the message that there was no one else in the ruined temple, so the convoy sped up.

When they arrived in front of the ruined temple, a fire had already been lit inside. Kuang Chengrui, with broad shoulders and long legs, walked out from inside and said in a deep voice:
"Uncle, there are no people or animals in the temple. Come in and take shelter from the rain."

Fang Zongru nodded and told the guards, "Look after the women. It's getting dark and the road is slippery, so watch your step."

Xia Li was considered a brave girl. She got off the carriage and looked at the eerie scene outside. Her heart skipped a beat. Shi Mi and Qiao He supported her on both sides. Kuang Chengrui came to her and said in a low voice, "Girl, follow me. There are many dead trees and rocks here. Be careful not to trip."

I have to admit that his behavior makes people feel safe. Xia Li's expression could not be seen in the darkness. She said in a gentle voice, "Thank you, Captain Kuang."

Kuang Chengrui seemed to look at her steadily, but Xia Li couldn't see clearly. He didn't say anything else and just walked forward. Fang Tangli wanted to throw herself into Cao Shixiang's arms. It was obvious that she was also very scared.

When she stepped into the threshold of the dilapidated temple and saw the flickering flames, Xia Li felt relieved. She looked around the environment inside the dilapidated temple. The collapsed and damaged Buddha statue in the center could no longer be seen, and the window frames were gone. When she looked up, she saw that some of the beams of the towering roof had collapsed.

Xia Li listened to the sound of rain outside getting heavier and heavier, and was a little worried that the dilapidated building would collapse. Kuang Chengrui raised his eyes to look at her and said in a steady voice: "I have just checked carefully. This dilapidated temple will not collapse for the time being. You can stay here safely."

Xia Li was a little surprised, not understanding how he could see through his thoughts. Fang Qizheng saw the two interacting, walked up with a dark face, took Xia Li's hand and said, "Stay with me and my father at night, don't stay with irrelevant people."

Xia Li smiled and obediently let him lead the way. She only glanced at Kuang Chengrui before leaving. After everyone settled down in the ruined temple, Fang Zongru said:

"Now that we have lit the fire, let's cook some dry food and dry our wet coats to avoid catching a cold."

Xia Li pulled his father's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, I asked the girl to prepare some bread, which is easier to cook."

Fang Zongru didn't care about these little things, nodded and said, "Just ask Madam Zhou to take people to do it."

Without Xia Li's instructions, Qiao He immediately took the box of dough and went to prepare. Fang Tangli's wide sleeves were wet, and Cao Shixiang was drying them for her. She waved to Xia Li and said with a smile:

"Sister, are you afraid to sit with me and stay here?"

Xia Li nodded frankly. There should be no girl who would not be afraid of the green tent in the wilderness. Fang Tangli glanced at the statue and whispered, "I'm really afraid that there are mountain spirits and ghosts in this place. If we encounter them, we can't escape."

Xia Li didn't expect that she would be afraid of ghosts. He said with some amusement, "That's all lies. No one has ever really seen one. In my opinion, humans are the scariest."

Fang Tangli shrank back and said in a resentful tone:

"There can't be any bad guys hiding in this place, right? Could it be that the desperate criminal is waiting here every day? This living environment is too harsh."

Xia Li raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "It's important to be on guard against others, but my sister has her brother-in-law to protect her, so I don't think you need to worry too much."

Although Fang Tangli was dissatisfied with her mother-in-law, she was very satisfied with Cao Shixiang. She lowered her voice and said, "Don't let your brother-in-law hear this. It would be bad if he became proud and complacent."

Xia Li pursed her lips and smiled softly, looking lively and lovely. Kuang Chengrui glanced at her unintentionally and was touched somewhere in his heart.

The wind and rain outside were too strong and the roof of the dilapidated temple was leaking again. In order to feel more secure at night, Kuang Chengrui planned to go up to the roof and get tiles to cover it again.

He was obviously a military commander with a legitimate official position, but he never relied on his status. He was active and had strong mobility. Fang Zongru was worried that the roof was slippery, so he said in a deep voice: "Be careful, I will send a guard to go up with you."

Kuang Chengrui put on his raincoat and hat, and said calmly, "I can go up alone. The roof can't bear the weight of two people."

After saying that, he walked out swiftly, and Fang Qizheng followed behind him with an umbrella.

　I have a terrible cold, and I feel dizzy...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)