"Since Grandmother needs to rest well, then I shall take my leave!" Yun Jinnian said slowly as he walked towards the small hall. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned his head to the old Madame Yun, and said, "Eldest cousin will be getting married in November, Grandmother must take good care of herself and not..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he covered his lips, "Look at me talking nonsense, Grandmother is strong and is sure to live a long and healthy life!"
"Grandmother, please rest well. I will take my leave!"
Yun Jinnian gave a faint smile at the sight of Ming Liu kneeling in the yard and left Cixin Academy.
This feeling of unrestraint was simply too good.
In the future, she would no longer be timid or hesitant. She decided to live as she desired.
Yun Jinnian went to see Mrs. He and mentioned that she would be visiting Huguo Temple the next day. Naturally, Mrs. He wouldn’t object, especially with She Hong’s issue weighing on her mind.
"Do you need me to prepare a carriage for you?"
"No need, I’ll just take Hemei and Henuan with me. Uncle Cheng will drive the carriage. Thank you, aunty He!"
Mrs. He nodded, "When will you return then?"
"I’m not sure. Once at Huguo Temple, I will stay for two or three days to pray and bless the family. But, I will make sure to come back by the fifteenth at the latest!"
October fifteenth was Yun Musi’s eleventh birthday.
Yun Jinnian remembered it!
Mrs. He started to smile, "Alright then, take care on your way. Bring a couple more maids who know martial arts; after all, Capital City has been somewhat restless recently!"
In the eighteenth year of Yuanhe, on the sixth day of October
Early in the morning, Yun Jinnian set out with Hemei and Henuan towards Huguo Temple.
One purpose was to pray and see Abbot Wuxin, and the other was to check on Mrs. Han and to also let her own feelings die.
Uncle Cheng drove the carriage out of the city towards the direction of Huguo Temple with a steady trot.
Yun Jinnian leaned inside the carriage, closing her eyes to rest.
The weather in October was a bit cool, but not too cold. The autumn breeze was refreshing, though some leaves had already turned yellow.
The Huguo Temple was quite far. Having set off in the morning, they would only arrive by evening. Uncle Cheng drove the carriage a bit faster.
The bumpy ride made Yun Jinnian’s head hurt. "Uncle Cheng, we’re not in a hurry; we can take it slow!"
"Are you not in a hurry, Miss?" Uncle Cheng asked in return.
"Not at all. Take your time, Uncle Cheng. If it really doesn’t work out, we can just spend the night at a farmhouse and set off early tomorrow!"
She indeed wasn’t in a rush to confirm anything; it was like a snail’s pace to her.
Upon receiving Yun Jinnian’s instructions, Uncle Cheng indeed slowed down the carriage.
The slower ride allowed Yun Jinnian to sit more comfortably. She took out a book to read but could not concentrate on a single word.
Thinking about it, she hadn’t seen Chu Yu for quite some days now. What was he doing?
Did he know she had been ill?
"Miss, what are you thinking about?" Hemei asked.
Around noon, the carriage stopped at a teahouse.
Yun Jinnian slowly disembarked the carriage, with Uncle Cheng having already taken care of everything.
"Uncle Cheng is really efficient. Miss, we should always take Uncle Cheng with us when we go out!" Hemei said.
The teahouse was very clean, and Uncle Cheng had already prepared meals and a pot of hot tea.
Yun Jinnian remembered, it was there she had encountered Chu Yu that year, his pretentious demeanor seemed so long ago, yet it was etched in her memory.
Yet it also seemed a bit blurred, as if she could not recall the past disputes.
Sitting down, Yun Jinnian was about to pick up her chopsticks when a loud shout came from outside, "Is there anyone in this teahouse who knows medical skills?"
The voice was thunderous, causing a headache with its resonance.
The room seemed to shake too, giving a sensation of being on the verge of collapse...