Wang Jiu wrapped the remaining cakes in a handkerchief and put them into his satchel. Wu Luoluo couldn't help but whisper to Huiniang, "Master, what are we going to do in the capital?"
Huiniang sighed and said, "I'm afraid this year won't be peaceful! I heard that the cavalry from the northwest is heading straight for Jiangcheng and intends to attack Xiliang. Once the two countries go to war, Jiangcheng will surely be devastated!"
The small town at the foot of the mountain was neither too far nor too close to Jiangcheng. If there was a fierce battle, Wu's Pharmacy would surely be affected. Huiniang had rushed back last night in a hurry, intending to take her two apprentices to seek refuge with their relatives in the capital. She planned to leave for a while and come back after the war was over and things returned to normal.
Hearing this, Wu Luoluo felt a bit anxious. The mountain road to the capital was winding and they could only travel on foot. It would take at least ten days to get there. The snowstorm was heavy, and even if they wrapped the young master up warmly, he would inevitably catch a cold on the way. Moreover, what about his daily medicinal bath? Wu Luoluo's face turned pale. After thinking for a long time, she gritted her teeth and said to Huiniang, "Master, you and senior brother go to take refuge! I won't go."
Huiniang was extremely shocked when she heard this. She said speechlessly, "You're so stupid! This is a matter of life and death! When the war breaks out and it's in chaos, how can you, a young girl, stay here in the mountains alone? You might starve to death, freeze to death, or be robbed and killed, and there won't even be anyone to bury you!"
Wu Luoluo knew that although her master didn't say nice things, she really had her best interests at heart. She replied obediently, telling a lie, "Master! Uncle-master told me a few days ago that he would come back after the New Year and told me not to go too far. I can't go against his will." Wu Luoluo knew that if she brought up Uncle-master, her master would surely not say much. It wasn't that her master respected the elders and loved the young. It was just that her master had always disliked the slovenly Uncle-master and got annoyed just seeing him.
Sure enough, when Huiniang heard her mention Uncle-master, she immediately rolled her eyes and snorted, "You just blindly believe whatever that crazy old man says. Do you really think he's a decent person?"
Wu Luoluo remained silent. She used to dislike Uncle-master for stealing her private stash of medicinal herbs, but later she found that apart from his many quirks, he actually had a kind heart.
Seeing that Wu Luoluo was determined to stay, Huiniang waved her hand impatiently and said, "Fine! Do as you please. You have to be careful. Don't be sold by that crazy old man and still count the money for him!"
Wu Luoluo nodded repeatedly in agreement. She led over the only donkey in the pharmacy, loaded all of her master's luggage onto it, and saw them off.
Even after Huiniang walked out of the yard, she still didn't forget to remind Wu Luoluo, "You have to be vigilant at home on a daily basis. If the enemy soldiers come, you should go to the cellar in the backyard to hide in advance and come out after the army has left."
Wu Luoluo nodded continuously.
Huiniang stuffed a small money bag into her hand and sighed, "After all, I've raised you and watched you grow up. I really can't bear to see you wandering on the streets and starving. But since you're not willing to go with me now! Take this silver. If you really have nowhere to go, it should be enough for you to travel to the capital to find us."
"Thank you, Master!" Wu Luoluo took the money bag and bowed deeply to Huiniang, sighing silently in her heart. Uncle-master had said that the young master couldn't catch a cold, and she couldn't leave him alone. Although there weren't many medicinal herbs in the warehouse, it was still better to stay in the mountains than to travel all the way in the snowstorm. As for the consequences of the war between the two countries, Wu Luoluo was also extremely worried.
Wang Jiu glanced at Wu Luoluo, his eyes filled with hatred. Thanks to her, his right hand would probably never be able to be raised again. He hoped that Wu Luoluo would be carried away by wolves or tigers in the mountains! He never wanted to see her again.
Wu Luoluo felt Wang Jiu's hostility but didn't say much. She stood at the gate of the yard and watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance. Looking at Jiangcheng in the far distance, she felt a bit uneasy. If the war broke out, she didn't know if it was right or wrong to insist on staying in the mountains. She just hoped that she wouldn't harm the young master.
The two hours in the medicinal bath every day were the most difficult for Shangguan Yun. He could only lower his head and read medical books with Wu Luoluo sitting beside him. Those ancient books were obscure and boring, making him feel extremely bored. Wu Luoluo, however, read them with great interest. But there were some complex characters that she couldn't recognize, so she had a hard time reading. Shangguan Yun would occasionally explain a sentence or two to her, and she would be overjoyed for a long time. Looking at him with admiration, she would continuously praise, "Young master is so amazing. You know so much!" Shangguan Yun would turn his face away embarrassedly.
At night, Wu Luoluo carried two soft and fluffy quilts from her master's room and made a new bed for Shangguan Yun. Nodding with a smile, she said, "Master's new quilts are so thick. You definitely won't be cold at night." Anyway, her master wouldn't be back for a while, so she might as well use them first. She would wash them clean and return them before her master came back.
Shangguan Yun didn't think much of it. The new quilts were really soft and warm, and it was very comfortable to lie on them. But he didn't expect that after Wu Luoluo took his pulse and turned off the lamp at night, she actually got up and left! She even reminded him to go to bed early.
Shangguan Yun waited and waited in bed but didn't see her come back. He felt very unaccustomed and a bit uncomfortable in his heart. What was wrong with this girl? Why didn't she come in? Did she go somewhere else to sleep?
When her senior brother and master were at home, she had never avoided suspicion and had slept in the same quilt with him to warm his feet. Now that the two of them had left, Wu Luoluo actually started to avoid suspicion and went somewhere else to sleep?
The more Shangguan Yun thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. The newly delivered quilts were indeed much warmer than before, but how could they compare to Wu Luoluo's embrace? Moreover, how could she just go somewhere else to sleep without even saying a word?
We've already slept together. You should at least be responsible to the end! I'm a patient! I can't catch a cold!
The more Shangguan Yun thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He put on the thin cotton-padded jacket that Wu Luoluo had found for him, got out of bed barefoot, and walked out, calling, "Miss Wu! Miss Wu!"
He didn't hear any movement for a long time. Maybe that girl had fallen asleep in some corner! Shangguan Yun's face darkened. He stepped on the snow and walked towards the main hall. He called out several more times and finally heard Wu Luoluo's drowsy response from an empty room. He groped in the direction of the sound and knocked on the wooden door of the room.
Wu Luoluo opened the door sleepily and asked with a heavy nasal voice if he was thirsty and wanted to drink water. Shangguan Yun saw that she would rather huddle in a thin quilt than sleep with him. There was a faint chill in his heart. He called out aggrievedly, "Miss Wu, I'm cold. Without you by my side, my feet can't get warm no matter how I sleep."
Only then did Wu Luoluo notice that he was actually barefoot. She exclaimed anxiously, "Why did you come out barefoot? Go back quickly!" Saying that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the wood shed.