Lingxi went to a fitting room to try on clothes, while the female customers in the store chatted noisily.
"I heard we have a new county magistrate in Donglin."
"Yes, I know about that. My father went to help renovate the county office and saw him. They say he's very handsome, a young official."
"I heard from Constable Feng that he's a student from our Wenhua Academy, who entered officialdom through the imperial examinations three years ago."
"Don't you all know yet? He was expelled from Wenhua Academy three years ago."
This statement drew gasps from around: "Ah? How could that be?"
"His father, for some unknown offense, was imprisoned. He's the son of a criminal, how could the academy keep him?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Then how could he have participated in the imperial examinations and become a county magistrate?"
"Isn't it because he later married the daughter of a tutor from the academy? His in-laws must have spent money to recommend him again!"
Ah, so he was already married.
That means this county magistrate is quite cunning, able to use his in-laws to make a comeback.
"Our previous two county magistrates in Donglin were very good. I wonder how this one will be?"
The one who knew a bit more inside information suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Let me tell you, his original wife was already divorced and sent home. It seems he divorced her right after the imperial examinations."
"Ah? Burning bridges after crossing them?"
"Ungrateful!"
"His character is questionable!"
"If such a person becomes an official, won't our Donglin suffer?"
The door to the fitting room behind them suddenly burst open, and Lingxi's eyebrows shot up.
"Nonsense! You gossipy women, slandering a court official, how many heads do you have to lose!"
After all, she was a princess. With her imposing aura, she was enough to intimidate a few ignorant women.
"Who are you, really..."
"Let's go, quickly, let's go!"
The women's eyes darted away, their faces not looking good, and they hastily put down the cloth in their hands and left.
"This, this... don't..."
The proprietress wanted to stop them, but the women ran too fast. She couldn't help but sigh.
Meanwhile, Lingxi's face remained angry. She looked at Xue Niang, who showed no change, and asked in confusion, "Sister, why aren't you angry when they talk such nonsense?"
Xue Niang waved her hands: "They aren't talking about your brother-in-law, why should I be angry? I'm asking you, why such a big reaction?"
Lingxi had been very dispirited since arriving here. This was the first time she had shown any emotion.
Liu Donghuai?
"They, they spoke so nastily, and it's clearly not true... I just got angry listening to it."
"Alright, you've scared away the customers. Proprietress, please wrap up all these sets of clothes."
For eight sets of clothes, the proprietress lost all her unhappiness. With a beaming smile, she wrapped the clothes, gave them a piece of cloth, and saw them out the door.
"I wonder which noble family Madam Xiao comes from. Her upbringing and temperament are truly incomparable to ordinary young ladies."
Just looking at the two maids following behind her, they were all very dignified.
After leaving the store, Xue Niang said to Lingxi again, "What's the use of you getting angry? Liu Donghuai has the ability. If he achieves something, people will naturally look up to him and dare not question him. If you argue with people now, it will only make things worse and implicate yourself."
True, they were just ignorant women. What was there to argue with them about?
Lingxi's anger subsided.
As if summoned, a carriage stopped beside them, and Liu Donghuai jumped down from it.
"Madam Xiao, Miss Lingxi."
He was wearing a white casual outfit, making him appear especially refined. His complexion was fair and his features were gentle, like a scholar still studying.
But Lingxi knew that when he got angry, he could be quite terrifying.
Xue Niang asked, "Where were you going?"
"Lord Chu was leaving the city today, so I went to see him off."
Without Lord Chu's recommendation, he wouldn't have been able to participate in the imperial examinations. Although it was arranged by Brother Xiao, Lord Chu had also helped him greatly, considering him a mentor. Moreover, he had deliberately delayed his departure for a few days to wait for him to smoothly hand over matters.
He was a senior he respected, and it was only right to see him off with the respect of a student.
Liu Donghuai specifically looked at Lingxi. Her complexion had improved a lot, and the listlessness in her eyes was gone. She should be recovering.
In a while, he would send her back to the capital.
"Liu Donghuai, you must achieve something in Donglin, so that all the common people will praise you as a good official," Lingxi blurted out.
Liu Donghuai was taken aback, then smiled, "Yes, I will do my best."
Xue Niang looked back and forth between the two of them, not noticing anything unusual.
After bidding farewell to Liu Donghuai, they went to the pharmacy to buy some health tonics, and replenished their supplies of rice, flour, fruits, and vegetables. Then, the three of them returned to the village.
Lingxi felt that living in the countryside was quite good.
However, at night, she seemed to overhear something she shouldn't have.
She couldn't sleep and had come out to sit for a while. It seemed her Imperial Sister and brother-in-law were arguing.
Were they talking about her?
It was indeed not good for her to intrude on someone else's home.
Shifting her body bit by bit, she moved closer and strained her ears to listen.
Xue Niang sneered at Xiao Shan: "Weren't you being stubborn just now? You wouldn't admit it without evidence, hmm? Let me tell you the truth, there's no lip rouge mark on the back of your neck. I didn't wear any lip rouge today."
Ah? She was tricked?
"It's not summer yet, and the mountain water is cold. If you don't cherish your body and go into the water, that's your business, and I can't control it! But you can't take the children with you! Speak, did the children go into the water?"
"Third Brother transferred some yang energy to them, saying they wouldn't fear the cold. I taught Beiyue to swim, but Beishang didn't let him go in; he played on the shore."
Xue Niang was very angry and said she wouldn't care about him anymore. Xiao Shan hung his head, not daring to hide anything further.
He just didn't expect Xue Niang to be so angry. In fact, it was fine after transferring yang energy. Like him, his body was very warm, but theirs could only last for a while before quickly depleting.
"You are not allowed on the kang tonight!"
No, not like this! Xiao Shan knelt on the ground with bent knees.
"Get up!" Xue Niang glared.
"If you don't let me on the kang, I won't get up. I won't sleep on the couch either. I'll just kneel here all night."
"You this..." Xue Niang looked at him acting shamelessly, both angry and helpless.
He lowered his head, looking as if he intended to truly kneel all night.
This fellow, did he know that the health tonic soup he drank every day needed to be kept warm and avoid the cold?
Xue Niang glared at him for a long time, then bent down and pulled off the hairpin from his head. His hair fell loose, and she fiddled with it. The silver-white in it seemed to have lessened.
Yu Shan said that restoring black hair was a slow process and required consistent care.
Xiao Shan felt her actions and his heart stirred. He grabbed her legs.
"Wife, I absolutely won't go into the water again. Don't ignore me, I'll be obedient."
After that, the voices became somewhat strange. Lingxi frowned, listened for a while, then her eyes widened. She scrambled up and ran back to her room.
So, what was written in the storybooks was true.
Brother-in-law was often punished by kneeling.
She also deeply realized her impropriety.
No wonder the children weren't sleeping here. Imperial Sister and brother-in-law had such good feelings, they were originally inseparable, loving each other dearly. Suddenly having her move in.
It was truly, superfluous.