"I told you when I first saved you that I am a healer, and saving lives is my duty. I never sought repayment from you, nor do I need you to be eternally grateful. I only wish for you all to live well from now on, so that my efforts in saving you are not in vain. That is enough for me."
"Madam, you are the savior of our entire Yingzhong County. You must give us a chance to repay you."
From a young age, her father had warned her that people must know how to repay kindness, and to always remember the favors received, to find an opportunity to repay them in the future.
"Yunyun, I have already stated that I do not need your repayment. Live well from now on, and always take your father as an example. Help more people who need help; that will be the best repayment to me."
"Madam, I have noted it all down. I will definitely help more people in the future." Yunyun nodded in agreement, her bright eyes filled with kindness and a yearning for a better future.
A smile played on Feng Jin's lips, and she couldn't help but be infected by Yunyun's optimistic spirit. How beautiful the world would be if everyone harbored a little kindness and a little love in their hearts.
Alas, the world is inherently polarized. Just as there are people with the purest hearts like Yunyun, there are also those with malicious intentions.
In the end, unable to resist the insistence of the people of Yingzhong County, they accepted some gifts before being allowed to depart.
Feng Jin and Cai Qing were crammed into a corner, moving with extreme caution. Their carriage was completely filled with items, all gifts from the people of Yingzhong County.
If the carriage hadn't been full, they would have continued to stuff more inside.
Feng Jin shifted her slightly stiff arm and accidentally leaned against a basket. She was nearly crushed by the steamed buns inside.
"Young madam, be careful. If one thing moves, everything will tumble down, and there will truly be no space left for us."
It was only after leaving Yingzhong County and tidying up for a while, even eating something, that they had managed to carve out a small space for the two of them to sit.
Cai Qing was truly worried that if Feng Jin moved again, everything would fall, leaving them with no standing room.
At Cai Qing's words, Feng Jin no longer dared to move carelessly. She hunched her body and stayed put in the corner, looking quite pitiful.
Upon arriving at the post station, Feng Jin finally had the chance to stretch her limbs. The carriage ride had been incredibly cramped.
"Go and instruct someone to find us another carriage," Feng Jin instructed Ling Mohan. She had no desire to ride in that suffocating carriage again.
"Alright, I'll have someone do it right away. You've had a long day, so go back to your room and rest." Ling Mohan helped Feng Jin into the room.
Behind them, Gu Beichen was breathing heavily, his waist hurting. He couldn't see how Feng Jin could have been tired all day.
In comparison, he was the one who was tired. His carriage had been commandeered to carry goods, and what was worse, they hadn't even left him a horse. He had no choice but to resign himself to being a coachman, especially since the horse was so uncooperative.
Halfway through, it started kicking and lying on the ground. No matter how much he hit or scolded it, it wouldn't budge. In the end, he had to push the carriage himself all the way, with no one to help him.
"Young Lord Gu, aren't you returning to your room? Do you plan to spend the night here?"
Chu Chenyi walked up to Gu Beichen and provocatively asked.
"This young lord is merely resting here for a moment to admire the moonlight, and then I shall return to my room!"
Upon seeing Chu Chenyi, Gu Beichen's previously dejected and dispirited demeanor vanished. He immediately straightened his back. Even in his most disheveled state, he would never let Chu Chenyi see him make a fool of himself.
Chu Chenyi looked up at the sky. "Tonight the clouds are heavy, and there is no moon. Young Lord Gu, what moonlight are you admiring? Could it be... could it be that you've been so worn out from driving the carriage today that you've gone foolish?"
"This young lord simply enjoys admiring the moonlight in this manner. Is it any of your business!" Gu Beichen said angrily and turned to walk into the room.
After being rebuffed, Chu Chenyi reached up and touched his nose, completely unfazed by the awkward atmosphere.
...
After returning to her room, Feng Jin collapsed onto the bed. At five months pregnant, her abdomen was already quite prominent when she lay down.
"Soak your feet before sleeping!" Ling Mohan brought a basin of hot water, placed it by the bed, and helped Feng Jin up.
"I'll do it myself." Feng Jin stopped Ling Mohan from taking off her shoes and socks. She quickly removed them and was about to place her feet into the hot water. Her fatigue was instantly relieved. Feng Jin closed her eyes in comfort.
"From now on, soak your feet daily before sleeping."
He had heard that pregnant women feel heavy and their feet tend to swell, and soaking their feet in hot water daily could provide relief.
As Ling Mohan finished speaking, there was no response. He looked up and saw that Feng Jin was leaning against the bedside, her eyes already closed, her breathing even.
Ling Mohan sighed, gently helped Feng Jin lie down on the bed, and removed her hairpins.
She was so exhausted that she had fallen asleep while soaking her feet. Ling Mohan covered Feng Jin with a quilt. He then washed up briefly and fell into a deep sleep, holding Feng Jin.
To save time on the road, the group departed early the next morning when it was still dimly lit.
Feng Jin drowsily got into the carriage, only aware that the journey was incredibly bumpy, leaving her body aching. She just wished the carriage would stop soon.
"Young madam, please bear with it for a while. I heard from Guard Lu that we need to hurry to reach the capital, which is why they chose this smaller path. Although it's more difficult, it shortens the journey by half. We'll reach the capital in another two days."
Cai Qing was also badly jostled and tightly gripped the carriage's beams, afraid of being thrown out.
"I'll be dizzy sooner or later." Feng Jin's head was already a little fuzzy. Fortunately, she hadn't eaten anything that morning, or she would have vomited it all out.
Feng Jin took two black pills from her purse and handed one to Cai Qing. "Take this, and you won't feel dizzy. Your head will feel better."
Cai Qing took the pill and quickly put it into her mouth. After a while, she felt a bit better.
On this journey, Feng Jin had relied entirely on medicine to get by. She never wanted to travel on such an uneven, bumpy path again.
Upon reaching the territory of the capital, they finally traveled on a smooth road.
Feng Jin felt much more comfortable sitting inside the carriage. This was how a carriage ride should be. Compared to before, it felt like being in prison.
"Young madam, try this apple. I just bought it. It's very sweet."
During a rest break, Cai Qing had specifically gone to the market town to buy it.