Xiao Qi, Wait! Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Official, Too Warmhearted
 
Official Song was very exhausted. It has only been one day since they’ve last seen each other, but Xiao Qi felt that he was much more haggard. For no reason at all, Xiao Qi was a bit afraid as she looked at the carriage that stopped outside the city.
 
Lu Liu was very excited when she saw Xiao Qi and ran over, noisily shouting: “Miss, how did you know Lu Liu was coming back?”
 
Xiao Qi looked at Song Liang Zhuo and Meng Yun Fei and swallowed before asking: “What’s going on outside?”
 
The smile on Lu Liu’s face suddenly disappeared, she pouted and didn’t utter a word anymore.
 
Xiao Qi looked towards Meng Yun Fei and fished out a safety talisman. Handing it over, she said: “Second Big Sister had me bring it to Brother-in-Law.”
 
Meng Yun Fei took it and nodded towards Song Liang Zhuo. Leading Xiao Shan Zi, he directly returned to Qian fu.
 
Xiao Qi looked at Song Liang Zhuo, only to see that he was looking at her with his brows slightly knitted and she nervously made a fist. Xiao Qi bite her lips and pulled him to one side. Lowering her head, she said: “You, why did you only arrive now? I’ve waited for you an entire day.”
 
Song Liang Zhuo rubbed Xiao Qi’s ear and warmly said: “I can’t keep you company for the next few days. If you get extremely bored then just go back to the fu to visit Ha Pi. Don’t run around.”
 
Xiao Qi recalled that Ha Pi that was carried to Song fu by her and not really looked after, wrinkled her nose and smiled: “Almost forgot about him.”
 
Xiao Qi lifted her head to look at Song Liang Zhuo, her brows knitted: “You’re still not coming back yet?”
 
Song Liang Zhuo didn’t say he was coming back, nor did he say he wasn’t coming back. He seemed to be very interested in Xiao Qi’s soft ears and gently rubbed them for a long time. Xiao Qi squeezed her neck. Song Liang Zhuo returned to his sense and hooked the corners of his mouth: “Wait for me, once I come back, why don’t we get married?”
 
“Didn’t we, already……” Xiao Qi lifted her head to glance at Song Liang Zhuo and spoke haltingly with a red face.
 
Xiao Qi seemed to hear Song Liang Zhuo give a soft sigh. Her heart tightened and she grabbed his hand and rubbed it on her face.
 
Xiao Qi raised her head and laughed ‘heehee’: “I bought things for you.”
 
Xiao Qi pulled Song Liang Zhuo to the carriage and said with a smile: “This is herbal medicine that I found. If you still need other ones just send someone to me with a letter, I’ll look for them for you. Oh, and I won’t run around. You don’t have to worry.”
 
The night gradually deepened. There were already no more pedestrians in front of the city gates. Song Liang Zhuo lifted his head to look at the night sky and softly said: “Xiao Qi should return.”
 
“What about you?”
 
Song Liang Zhuo lowered his head to look at Xiao Qi. In the dim light of night, those pure black eyes that revealed strong worry and dependence made him feel especially warm.
 
Song Liang Zhuo thought, Xiao Qi was previously angry at him, but she still hasn’t truly gotten angry before. It was just when her heart hurted too much she’d throw a small tantrum. For some unknown reason, Song Liang Zhuo recalled another pair of eyes. Those pair of eyes also once looked at him this way, filled with friends.h.i.+p. How long has it been since he had not thought of those eyes? Even he did not believe, that the love that once flaunted itself unchanging even until death would be diluted by time.
 
His heart had already long since been entered and garrisoned by this silly foolish lady that did not really dare to speak with him, yet was persistent in bringing him breakfast day after day. She’s simply a small gra.s.s sprouting, without much strength, yet she could trace by trace, inch by inch, break into his tightly locked heart.
 
Song Liang Zhuo recalled the hundreds of victims outside the city again, his face unconsciously showed exhaustion and concern.
 
Xiao Qi lifted her small hand and stroked his cheek, saying gently: “What’s wrong, Official Song? Official Song, don’t worry. Xiao Qi will help you.”
 
Song Liang Zhuo beamed with joy and nodded, rubbing Xiao Qi’s ears.
 
Xiao Qi tilted her head and said softly: “You won’t come home to stay for a night? Or?”
 
“I have to go back.”
 
“Is it really……”
 
Song Liang Zhuo lifted his hand to press on Xiao Qi’s lips, shaking his head: “It’s nothing. You can’t say things randomly.”
 
Xiao Qi lowered her head and lightly kicked at the ground. After a long while, she nodded: “You should return. You have to sleep properly, only if you sleep well will your body be healthy. You, can you come back to visit me everyday? I’ll wait here for you.”
 
“Ok.”
 
Xiao Qi lifted her head in surprise. She grinned and hugged his waist, after lightly swaying for a moment she slowly moved away.
 
“I’ll bring you food. What do you like to eat? Oh, and it can’t be too greasy either. I’ll go back and think about myself after all.”
 
Xiao Qi looked at the carriage and said with a smile: “Should I have him send the herbs over?”
 
“No need.”
 
Song Liang Zhuo rubbed Xiao Qi’s ears again then walked over to take the offered reins: “Go send your master back, be careful on the road.”
 
Lu Liu pulled Xiao Qi’s arm and smiled: “Miss, don’t worry, I’ll help Miss look after guye.”
 
“You’re not coming back either?” Xiao Qi was surprised.
 
Lu Liu nodded: “I’m going to help. If something happens it would also be easier for me to send Miss a letter ah.”
 
Xiao Qi saw that Song Liang Zhuo didn’t seem to have any intent of objecting and thought Lu Liu probably discussed it with him already. Xiao Qi really envied Lu Liu as she stood there.
 
Lu Liu jumped on the carriage and waved towards Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi followed for a couple steps and worriedly exhorted: “Lu Liu, you shouldn’t run too far in front, you have to take care of yourself.”
 
“I know, I’ll definitely hide far far away. Miss should hurry and head back.”
 
Xiao Qi looked towards Song Liang Zhuo again. After thinking about it, she said: “If you’re really tired then you shouldn’t come. I, I don’t have any pressing matters anyways.”
 
Song Liang Zhuo nodded, looking at Xiao Qi, he didn’t move.
 
Xiao Qi blinked and smiled: “Then I’m going la!”
 
Xiao Qi waved her hand towards Song Liang Zhuo, paused for another while before turning and leaving. Song Liang Zhuo stood there and waited until he could no longer see the figure that merged into the night before leading the horse out of the city gates.
 
The city gates have been sealed.
 
The next day, Xiao Qi took advantage of the time before the prices rose to gather another bunch of medicinal herbs. Seeing the tightly closed city gates, she suddenly became a bit scared.
 
Xiao Qi climbed up the city walls and extended her head to look at the closed refreshment stores outside the city gates. After staring blankly for a long time she finally went down, grabbed a gauze hat from the carriage and went up the city walls again.
 
Xiao Qi waited for another period of time, at the side was Chen Zi Gong who had at some unknown time, swayed his way over again.
 
The noise at the city gate entrance was a bit loud, Xiao Qi pouted, a bit hurt and sad. She guessed that the fact that Song Liang Zhuo ordered for the city gates to be sealed must mean that the epidemic situation outside was very serious. He wouldn’t hinder their way of living without reason, this action is definitely also for the sake of the common people inside the city. But by the looks of it, no one feels grateful!
 
“Hey, what kind of world is this. If he says we can’t leave the city we won’t be allowed to leave the city? You have to at least give an explanation!”
 
“That’s right, I’m still in a hurry to go out to deliver goods!”
 
“Where did Official Song go? Just then I heard people say he’s not at the government office!”
 
“Who knows? I haven’t really seen him around lately……”
 
“Is he outside the city dealing with the victims’ situation? Seriously, ignoring us citizens of the city and running out to look after outsiders.”
 
“Hey, what are you saying, aren’t you also a victim? If it weren’t for Official Song allocating you guys into different households ahead of time, right now, the ones staying outside would be you guys.”
 
“Not permitting exits or entries, what in the world does it mean?”
 
“Without Official da ren‘s notice, these city gates cannot be opened.”
 
“Hey, looking for a beating……”
 
Xiao Qi poked out her head to see that a small group of people had also gathered outside the city, she just didn’t know if they had come from that victims area.
 
The noise within the city walls became louder and louder. Xiao Qi knitted her brows and stared at the people outside the city, wanting to see if she could identify anyone from the victims area. Suddenly seeing a middle-aged man sway and then fall down, Xiao Qi could even see that muscular man’s entire body start to tremble.
 
The people outside the city were also startled, they immediately avoided that fallen person. After seeming to have discussed some things, a few people found a thick wooden log and started to ram it against the city gates. Xiao Qi worriedly shouted: “What are you guys doing? Hurry and go back, there are medicinal herbs there!”
 
Those dozen people didn’t seem to have heard and continuously rammed the city gates one time after another, causing a continuous wave of sounds. Xiao Qi shouted: “Did you guys secretly sneak out? Where’s Official Song? You guys should hurry and go back, there’s medicine there, there’s plenty for you guys to eat and drink, it won’t delay your treatment! If you guys break the city gates you guys will have to go to prison!”
 
Xiao Qi’s voice was concealed by a frenetic clamor within the city. Xiao Qi anxiously ran down the city gate tower and squeezed her way into the entrance of the city gates, shouting loudly: “Stop causing a disturbance, you guys. There’s an epidemic outside the city, if you go out you’ll get infected!”
 
The moment Xiao Qi’s words left, the crowd uniformly took a couple steps back. Xiao Qi wiped off her sweat and knitted her brows: “Official Song definitely closed the city gates only because he had no other choice, you guys…….”
 
“Oh, my son ah~~~”
 
Xiao Qi hadn’t even finished her sentence before it was drowned out by a long wail. An old married women swayed on her bound feet and threw herself over, lifting the round wood that was blocking the city gates and was just about to lift it away when she was pulled away by the sharp-eyed and swift-limbed city guards.
 
It seems there were some people that had family outside the city. The old woman cried heartbrokenly and several other people also rushed up, determined to exit the city. Xiao Qi extended her arms and blocked the city gates, worriedly shedding tears.
 
Xiao Qi cried: “If you guys go out you’ll be causing Official Song trouble. I’m also worried about him, but I’m being obedient and staying inside. If you guys are worried then look for herbal medicines and clothes to send outside the city. Acting like this, if you guys caused the epidemic to spread into the city, then what will happen to all those lives?!”
 
Chen Zi Gong stood at the outer area, his brows slowly knitted as he watched Xiao Qi who was wearing a gauze hat and crying to the point snot was even flowing out.
 
Xiao Qi wiped her tears and said: “The book telling mister said it all before. If there’s an epidemic, we must first isolate it. If you guys want to go out it’s ok, but you can’t enter again.”
 
“But you guys have to think it over carefully. If you guys stay inside the city you can still search for medicine and clothes for your relatives, but if you go out, there’s nothing you can help with. Official Song is also outside, and there’s also Advisor Lu and Lu Liu. They’ll definitely figure out some way to help them. You guys, hic, you guys, hic, you guys are bullying people!”
 
Xiao Qi covered her mouth as she sobbed. The people that were anxious to leave the city all quieted down.
 
“Which family’s lady is this?” An aged voice questioned.
 
“It’s probably the Qian family’s Third Miss. Previously I’d always see her wait outside the governmental office.”
 
“Eh? Isn’t that the Official’s wife?”
 
Everyone sighed endlessly. Seeing Xiao Qi crying sadly, someone went up to console her: “Madam, don’t cry anymore. Official da ren‘s fortune is big, his life is big, he’ll definitely be fine!”
 
Xiao Qi choked back her sobs as she nodded, then she shook her head and said: “There’s no way anything will happen to him! You guys, hic, you guys shouldn’t go out. I’ll think of some way to send food and necessities outside the city. And, there’s no way anything will happen to them, they’ll definitely be fine.”
 
Those people outside the city should be citizens of the city that had just returned, as for the one that fell down ill, that’s hard to tell. Xiao Qi had the gate guards open up a small window.
 
Looking over, she wanted to speak but was surprised by the wooden log that was rammed over and jumped a few steps back.
 
Xiao Qi looked at the group of people outside the city with red eyes, sniffled and said: “Can’t let them in, within them there’s already a person that fell sick.”
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A man advanced forward and pushed the wooden log out hard. The man fastened up the small window and turned around to say: “Everyone listen to the Official’s wife! Official da ren, for the sake of the citizen’s of Tongxu, had bore a lot of hards.h.i.+ps. These couple years everyone has had light taxes and were not oppressed by local tyrants, weren’t all these due to Official da ren‘s hard work? No matter what Official da ren does, he does it for the sake of everyone’s well-being.”
 
A bailiff ran over with quick steps, without taking the time to catch their breaths they posted the announcement onto the city wall.
 
The bailiff panted as he said: “Da ren sent it over in the middle of the night. We had, had just finished transcribing. Sorry for causing citizens to worry. Everyone, rest a.s.sured. Official da ren said that the epidemic is not uncontrollable. Everyone can be at ease, da ren will be there for everything. What have we not experienced these hundred or so years? And right now there’s even da ren to support us, everyone only needs to set your minds at rest and wait for the epidemic to pa.s.s.”
 
What was written on the notice was simple yet genuine. It roughly introduced the situation of the victims outside the city, then talked about the epidemic situation. The most conveyed was appeas.e.m.e.nt towards the citizens as well as earnest hope.
 
The people that were previously still anxious to leave the city, learning about the epidemic situation, started to express comprehension. Everyone knew the danger of accidentally spreading an epidemic and those people with family outside no longer dared to make a racket anymore.
 
After considering the situation for a while, they still followed Xiao Qi up the city gate tower and began to explain and try to soothe those people that were ramming the gates.
 
Xiao Qi wiped off her tears and leaned on the city walls again. Looking at the road that led far away, she couldn’t hold back and tears fell again. Chen Zi Gong that had followed Xiao Qi up the city gate towers, upon seeing Xiao Qi, something more faintly appeared in his eyes.
 
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