After immersing himself for a while, he was filled with rage, gnashing his teeth and saying fiercely, "Very well, you've really brought me honor!"
Thinking about it carefully, it had been many years since they had disciplined these bastards, and it was time to take action!
After the two of them sold the deer in Hexinzhou, Fan Zehao handed all these matters over to the special commissioner!
"Investigate what needs to be investigated, confiscate what needs to be confiscated, arrest who needs to be arrested, kill who needs to be killed. If any common people come to seek justice during this period, be sure to thoroughly investigate the ins and outs of the matter, collect evidence, and I, this king, will personally handle the case!"
He didn't believe in this evil spirit. With his ability to kill a bull with one punch, he couldn't kill a person with one punch. This time, he would make drastic reforms and deal with them properly.
Although they had made money this time, Fan Zehao was truly unhappy. On the way back to the village, he bought some pastries, cotton, and cloth.
At the cooked food shop, he bought another two catties of cooked food and some dry rations, preparing them for the road. Seeing the meat but no wine, Zhao Jiaqi pursed her dry lips and nudged him, "Buy another jar of wine to drink when it's cold on the road, it will warm you up!"
He was already over thirty, and even with good health, he couldn't withstand the cold. It wouldn't show when he was young, but after a few years, he would suffer from rheumatism and other ailments.
These caring words immediately made him happy, and he no longer wore a somber face. He grinned and said, "Okay, then get a jar of daughter red. This wine isn't strong, and you can still drive after drinking it!"
Zhao Jiaqi gave the simpleton a playful glare, then got into the carriage. Fan Zehao paid the bill, picked up the five-catty wine jar, and placed it in the carriage.
The two of them took advantage of the good weather and immediately headed back.
It was fine when they left, but halfway through, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, becoming denser and denser. Fan Zehao reached out and caught a snowflake petal flying towards him. He found that it was quite large, and he had a rough idea of what was happening.
He shouted to his wife in the carriage behind him, "My lady, we probably won't be able to travel tonight. We'll have to find a household to stay with!"
Hearing that they had to stay overnight, Zhao Jiaqi lifted the curtain and looked at the swirling snow. This time, she didn't need to ask to understand what was happening.
"Then let's find a village nearby and stay for the night, and see what the situation is like tomorrow!"
After Zhao Jiaqi shouted, she looked up at the sky again. It seemed that the snow wouldn't stop, and tomorrow might bring a heavy snowfall that would block the mountain passes.
If that were the case, it would be even more difficult to travel.
Fan Zehao said, "You get into the carriage. We'll reach the jurisdiction of Songling Prefecture in another half an hour. We'll find an inn then and stay for the night!"
He figured that in half an hour, the snow wouldn't be too deep, and it would be much more convenient once they reached the town. Even if the mountain passes were blocked by heavy snow, or the town was blocked, it would be better than being in a village.
When they reached Songcun Town, the snow on the ground was already half a foot deep. Fan Zehao carried Zhao Jiaqi down from the carriage and placed her directly on the steps of the inn. "Hurry into the house, don't get cold. I'll take the carriage to the backyard first!"
When Zhao Jiaqi was being carried by him, she touched his hand, which was ice-cold. Yet, he was worried about her getting cold first and said he wasn't a simpleton!
She turned and entered the house, found the waiter, and asked for a superior room. "Prepare a basin of white snow for me, and a pot of the best white wine, along with some specialty dishes, and send them to the room!"
The waiter, holding the small piece of silver, immediately replied happily, "Okay, guest, I'll prepare it for you right away. But what do you want white snow for on such a cold day?"
Naturally, it was for rubbing his simpleton's hands! Did she want to use it to cool down?
But she didn't explain this to the waiter, eager to go upstairs and warm herself by the fire. "Just do as I instructed!"
Seeing that the person didn't want to say more, the waiter wisely didn't ask. He hadn't taken two steps before Zhao Jiaqi called him back.
"Also, our carriage is in the backyard. Remember to feed the horse well. You can keep the change; it's a tip for you!"
The waiter was smarter this time. After she finished speaking and watched her go upstairs, he left. Staring at the tael of silver in his hand, he calculated how much he could keep after serving the dishes, buying the wine, and deducting the room fee.
His little calculations went "pitter-patter." In the end, he saw that he only had a dozen copper coins left. The waiter gritted his teeth and skimped on the ingredients, replacing the braised pork trotters with a basin of pork and vermicelli stew. This way, he could keep more than thirty copper coins for himself!
After Fan Zehao finished his work and went upstairs, the waiter also followed, carrying a large basin of white snow. He watched the snow enter the room, and his wife, upon seeing the snow, directly pulled him over.
"Come here, put your hands in and rub!"
Fan Zehao's mouth fell open. "Ah? My lady, even if you don't like me, you shouldn't abuse me like this!"
Saying that, he showed her his red and slightly stiff fingers. "Look, I'm so frozen, why don't you let me soak them in hot water?"
Zhao Jiaqi glared at him. "Even if I wanted to become a widow, I'd at least have to get the money from your purse!"
He was so speechless that he couldn't utter a word.
Being the clumsy person he was, Zhao Jiaqi directly grabbed his hand and put it into the snow basin, starting to rub his hands together.
"Rub your hands with snow first. When they get warm, take a break and then soak them in hot water. This way, you won't get frostbite!"
Fan Zehao had never heard of this method before.
He asked, "What's the logic behind this? How can snow, such a cold thing, warm your hands? My lady, you're not..."
As he was getting excited, he saw that his wife's face had changed color. He immediately corrected himself, "I know, my lady would never lie to me. I'll rub them hard right now!"
After speaking, he took his wife's small hands away and began to rub them earnestly himself. Whether it was right or wrong, as long as his wife was happy, he didn't mind being cold for a while longer.
As for why, Zhao Jiaqi didn't know how to answer, as this method was a true legacy from her grandmother.
Just as she was lost in reminiscing about the past, a cry suddenly came from beside her. "Wife, wife, you're amazing! My hands are actually warm!"
Zhao Jiaqi glanced at the happy person. He was so easily startled that she couldn't be bothered to respond. She sat by the brazier and beckoned him over to join her.
"Take off your shoes and warm them by the fire. After eating, we'll drink some wine and go to bed. It's so cold today, get some rest early!"
Fan Zehao just grinned foolishly at her, as happy as a child. If Zhao Jiaqi didn't know what she looked like, just by the way he looked at her, she would really think she looked like a celestial being.
After two cups of tea, the dishes were served. The waiter was very eloquent and said with a smile, "It's snowing heavily outside right now, and there's nothing much to buy. Our inn is small, and there are very few guests. So we've prepared four dishes for you: pork and vermicelli, tofu with scallions, braised fish, and slaughtered pig's offal stew. Please make do with these, and enjoy!"
With four dishes on the table and a pot of warmed wine, Fan Zehao's stomach immediately started to rumble.