The voice was very hoarse, and even when Su Yujin spoke, she felt some pain in her throat.

Su Yujin was both happy and worried about this.

What made her happy was that she was extremely tired from telling stories non-stop these days and she could take a break.

She was worried that she would no longer be able to tell stories and would no longer be able to ride in this spacious and comfortable carriage.

Just when Su Yujin was hesitating whether to shamelessly ask He Yanxiu for help, saying that she was not feeling well and wanted to ride the carriage a little longer, He Yanxiu suddenly asked Xing’an to prepare a horse for him alone.

“Why did you think of riding a horse?”

Xing’an selected the strongest and most docile horse from the accompanying horses and gave it to He Yanxiu.

“The weather is nice, so I thought I’d go out and get some fresh air. I’ve been riding in a carriage all day, and my bones are numb from the shaking. It’s really uncomfortable.” While He Yanxiu was speaking, he had already climbed onto the horse.

“That’s true.” Xing’an nodded.

Although the Second Master was a civil official and had been well-read since childhood, he had also learned martial arts since childhood because his mother was from a military general family. Even now, the Second Master preferred riding a horse rather than riding in a sedan chair or a luxury car.

Since He Yanxiu was traveling on horseback, Su Yujin naturally continued to stay in He Yanxiu’s carriage, and even brought Ai Cao with her to serve her.

With Ai Cao serving her and without He Yanxiu to interfere, Su Yujin was no longer restrained. Unlike usual, she did not lean or recline, but simply lay down and enjoyed the comfort of traveling in a “soft sleeper”.

At this time, He Yanxiu, who was riding a horse on the side of the carriage, also breathed a sigh of relief.

When he woke up in the morning, he saw Su Yujin making her own medicine soup to drink.

His carriage was spacious and comfortable, and Su Yujin obviously wanted to ride in it as well.

And when Su Yujin told stories, he let her ride with her. After her voice was damaged, he sent the person away, which was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

Therefore, He Yanxiu also wanted to let Su Yujin rest in this carriage for a few more days.

But if she drank the medicine and stopped telling stories to pass the time, she would inevitably feel sleepy and fall asleep frequently…

He Yanxiu didn’t want to be tickled again!

He simply gave the carriage to Su Yujin, letting her rest for two days, and he himself just hid for two days.

After all, the weather was sunny and warm, and traveling by horse was a unique experience.

He Yanxiu thought so and squeezed the horse’s belly tightly.

So, under this circumstance, Su Yujin completely took over He Yanxiu’s carriage.

A few days passed like this, and after some stops and starts, when Su Yujin’s voice was almost recovered, He Yanxiu and his party arrived at Hedong Prefecture.

He Yanxiu was sent here by the Emperor on official business and was also an imperial envoy. When he arrived at Hedong Prefecture, he was warmly welcomed by the prefect and his officials.

The group of people was accommodated in the backyard of the government office in Hedong Prefecture. Upon learning that He Yanxiu had brought his female relatives with him, the prefect of Hedong Prefecture, Qu Zhiwen, arranged for several maids from home to come over.

Su Yujin didn’t bring much with her, so she unpacked whatever little things she bought and settled down.

The maids sent by Qu Zhiwen were also second-class maids in the family. They were also quite perceptive. Seeing that Su Yujin had people serving her closely, they only did some housework such as sweeping and washing clothes. They would only come if there were any instructions. They did not bother Su Yujin too much, nor did they ask much about Su Yujin’s identity.

Seeing this, Su Yujin was also happy and relaxed and rested peacefully.

In the evening, He Yanxiu had to socialize with Qu Zhiwen and others, and Su Yujin’s meal was also delivered to the small kitchen.

There was a platter of cold dishes made from lǔzhūzhǒu qièchéng, steaming yángròu húbǔ, a large plate of dàpán jī, crispy and delicious bǎihé chǎoqín cài, the staple food was hóngzǎo huā mó, and the soup was a bowl of mìdùn xuělí.

These dishes all tasted good, especially the yángròu húbǔ. It was not mutton stewed with carrots, but mutton soup mixed with shredded pancakes. The mutton was tender, the soup was delicious, and the shredded pancakes were chewy and absorbed the soup. After eating a bowl of it, she felt warm all over.

Su Yujin was very satisfied with the meal.

After the meal, when the servants had cleared the dishes and replaced the tea and snacks, a guest came to Su Yujin’s courtyard.

She was the wife of Hedong prefect Qu Zhiwen, whose surname was Chen.

“Greetings, Madam.” Su Yujin bowed.

Chen Shi quickly reached out to support her, “Miss Su, you are too polite. There is no need for us to be polite to each other. Besides, Miss Su is someone close to Lord He, and I definitely cannot accept Miss Su’s courtesy.”

“Miss Su has come from afar. I should have come earlier, but I was worried that you must be tired from the journey, so I wanted to let you rest for a while, so I dared to disturb you now.”

The translation of the sentence into English is:

“Are you still accustomed to these dishes, Miss Su? And the maidservants sent to serve you, are they still to your satisfaction?”

“Thank you for your concern, Madam. The food is delicious and very appetizing. The maids are also smart and capable. Everything is fine.” Su Yujin said with a smile, “I will need to stay here for a while this time. I will inevitably bother Madam more in the future.”

“Miss Su, please don’t say such polite words. Since Miss Su has come to Hedong Prefecture, I will naturally fulfill my duties as a host and entertain her well.”

As Chen Shi spoke, she raised her hand and several maids came over with things.

“These are cakes made by the cook at home. They don’t look unusual, but they are delicious. I wonder if Miss Su likes them. These are some new tea leaves I got. They are not expensive, but they taste refreshing. I feel comfortable drinking two cups of them in my spare time.”

“There are also these hand warmers, spices, and other things that I use every day. Although this backyard is often cleaned, it is often empty, so it is easy to smell damp in the spring. Burning some lily incense will make it more comfortable when I sleep at night.”

“I am rough in my work and always fail to think things through. If there is anything that Miss Su wants or if there is anything that is not convenient for you, just send the maid to reply to me. You are welcome.”

“Thank you, Madam.” Su Yujin thanked her repeatedly.

The things sent by Chen Shi were all useful but not expensive items. They were typical backyard social activities and a way to build closer relationships.

This was a common practice in official circles, so Su Yujin did not refuse. She only asked Ai Cao to take all the things and then asked Qingkui to go into the house and take out a small porcelain jar.

“I know a little bit about medicine, and I also like to develop some pills. These are the whitening and beauty pills I made recently. Taking one pill a day can make your skin smooth and white. They are better than those sold in drugstores outside.”

No reward without merit, reciprocity was the way to go, Su Yujin understands this principle.

Especially since she was just He Yanxiu’s concubine and not his legal wife, she had to be more cautious in many things.

(End of this chapter)

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Definitely making it. Check the link in the image for detailed recipe.