Qin Shi: I only work eight hours

Xu Lin was used to this kind of physical contact.

Nongyu didn't mind. Firstly, Xu Lin wasn't taking advantage of her on purpose. Secondly, Xu Lin was her sworn brother, and she trusted his character.

Nongyu, with her long hair tied up high, liked to swing her arms as she walked, so every few breaths, her hand would bump into Xu Lin's hand.

Before long, they arrived outside the West Gate.

The moonlight was dim, and visibility was poor.

Even so, Xu Lin also saw countless ordinary people huddled on tattered quilts.

The road stretches out to the horizon on both sides.

"How could this be?"

Nongyu's beautiful eyes widened, and she thought to herself.

Jicheng was the capital of the Yan Kingdom, and it was only a few dozen miles away from the Yan King's palace. Why was no one in charge of it?
People say that the Qin state was tyrannical, but was there such a situation near Xianyang, the capital of Qin?
"Looks like we didn't buy enough."

Xu Lin spoke.

Then Nongyu gave the soup and rice to several dying old men.

"How long have you been here?"

Nongyu squatted down and asked in a gentle voice.

She was a kind-hearted person, and many of the people were around the same age as her mother.
She would be heartbroken if her mother were reduced to begging for a living.

"It's been almost half a year."

The old woman answered, wrapped in a blanket.

She only gets to eat once every two days, so she speaks weakly and listlessly.

"Don't the government care about you?"

Nongyu pressed for an answer.

Although she was not from Yan, she felt sorry for these commoners of Yan.

Xu Lin once said that the people of Yan, Han, and Qin were all originally from the Zhou dynasty.

"Tube."

“Every day before dawn, they would drive us away with sticks.”

The old man beside the old woman could not hide his anger.

He joined the army when he was young and was seriously wounded in the war against Zhao. After he survived, the government not only did not compensate him, but also gave his credit to his superior.

Although Qin law was strict, at least it included the awarding of titles based on military merit, and the system of rewards and punishments was clear.

In contrast, even if you made contributions on the battlefield, the credit for the Yan state would most likely not go to you.

Moreover, you can't sue the officials, because officials protect each other, and if you dare to sue them, your life will be in danger.

A few years ago, when Yan Dan was still a hostage in Handan, the capital of Zhao, a soldier complained to the official that he had beheaded the enemy soldiers and that it had nothing to do with his superiors. The official replied, "Who in the court is accusing my sworn brother?"

Since then, those who filed complaints with the authorities have disappeared, their fates unknown, though most are believed to be dead.

Seeing that Nongyu was kind-hearted, the old man told her many stories, hoping that she could spread them so that the world would know that there were no good people in the Yan Kingdom, from top to bottom.

Xu Lin, who had lived two lives, was not surprised to hear this. Many things were still the same in later generations, let alone now.
Seeing that many people were on the verge of death, Xu Lin bought several more cartloads of soup and rice.

"May I ask who you are, madam?"

"The lady and gentleman are a perfect match, and their future seems limitless."

After eating until he burped, the old man offered a compliment.

Nongyu wanted to refute, saying that she was not Xu Lin's wife, but Xu Lin stopped her.

There's no need to explain this to the other party.

Looking at Xu Lin's hand resting on her right shoulder, Nongyu nodded slightly.

"We are people of Qin."

Xu Lin answered on behalf of Nongyu.

He came here today not only to save people, but also to help Qin.

These two things are not contradictory!
The old man was startled upon hearing this. He had guessed that Xu Lin and Nongyu were not from Yan, but he did not expect them to be from Qin.

Isn't it said that the Qin people were as ruthless as wolves?

Why are Xu Lin and Nongyu so kind?
Has the king been deceiving us all these years?
"It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish."

"If you want to live, you can go to Qin to make a living."

"Although the Qin laws were harsh, at least they were fair in terms of rewards and punishments, and treated the common people as human beings."

Xu Lin said solemnly.

Nongyu then stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and nodded in agreement with Xu Lin's words.

"Enter Qin?"

"We'll try!"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, and then said...

Qin and Yan do not border each other; they are separated by the state of Zhao. It is not easy to travel from the vicinity of Ji City to Qin.

But they were willing to try in order to survive.

...After an incense stick has burned.

Xu Lin and Nongyu left.

"My sworn brother."

"We can't afford to waste money anymore."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out until Li Tingwei arrives."

Nongyu looked at the increasingly empty money pouch, pursed her thin lips, and spoke.

Although Xu Lin is the Grand Preceptor and is not short of money, this is not the Qin Kingdom, so he has to be careful with his money.

"Am I your sworn brother, or are you my sworn mother?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Xu Lin teased him while offering words of comfort.

Wearing a retro long dress, Nongyu seemed about to speak but hesitated.

What kind of stepmother is this!
My sworn brother always makes fun of me!
I'm afraid I'll have strange dreams again tonight!

Thinking of this, Nongyu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but cough twice.

Xu Lin didn't pay any attention to this, because he was tired and needed to go back to sleep.

……

The next day.

Xu Lin slept until noon.

He likes to sleep until he naturally wakes up.

After a quick wash and some food, he and Nongyu left the inn together.

Nongyu hasn't bought any new clothes in a long time; she should buy two new outfits.

"My sworn brother."

"Actually, it's not necessary."

"In my opinion, clothes, like people, are not about quantity but quality. Don't you agree, brother?"

Seeing that Xu Lin was walking very fast, Nongyu hurried to catch up and urged him on.

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Lin interrupted her.

"No."

As the saying goes, new clothes are worse than old ones, but old friends are worse than new ones.

"If you are already married and have children, then it's fine."

"You're still a young girl, how can you keep wearing old clothes?"

Xu Lin disagreed.

Upon hearing this, Nongyu, with her delicate features, felt a surge of joy.

In other words, Xu Lin, if it were anyone else, including her mother and Sister Zi Nu, would never have called her a little girl.

Because in that era, most girls got married before they were fifteen. Girls as old as Nongyu, unless they were royalty, were already married, and some even had children who could boil water.

Only in Xu Lin's eyes was she still a little girl.

In fact, Nongyu herself was not ready to get married and become a mother.

She also felt that she was still a little girl, at least psychologically.

"Then let's buy the cheaper one."

"I practice swordplay frequently, and even the best clothes I wear will wear out in three months at most."

After a moment's hesitation, Nongyu parted her thin lips slightly.

Although she was not short of money, she disliked extravagance.

Perhaps this personality trait is related to her tragic childhood experiences.

Xu Lin remained silent and led Nongyu to the nearby cloth shop.

Considering that he would be returning to Xianyang soon, he picked out two outfits for Nongyu.

She wore a pale yellow, wide-sleeved long dress of excellent quality, which perfectly complemented Nongyu's fair complexion.

She wore a milky white silk nightgown that felt wonderful to the touch. It was both figure-hugging and cozy, giving off a very soothing vibe.

Nongyu liked both outfits very much, but upon learning that she would need a gold ingot, she immediately put the clothes back where they were.

Then he shook his head frantically, indicating that he didn't like it at all.

Seeing this, Xu Lin smiled, took out a gold ingot from his storage space and gave it to the shopkeeper. Then he asked the shopkeeper to pack up the clothes, and then he left with Nongyu.

Nongyu tried to feign anger, implying that she really disliked the two outfits, but no matter how much she put her hands on her waist, Xu Lin remained silent.

Seeing that Xu Lin was determined, Nongyu sighed helplessly.

Her sworn brother treated her so well that she felt a lot of pressure.

In her view, one should reciprocate kindness and give a peach in return for a plum; this applies not only to sworn siblings but also to biological siblings and spouses! (End of Chapter)