The first time in history

The capital Shangqiu and Lin'an are more than 1,500 miles apart, and it takes at least 20 days to travel by carriage. Qian Mingduo originally did not want to ask Li Shishi to go with him, firstly because he was afraid that she would inevitably feel nostalgic when she returned to her hometown. Secondly, he was worried about the long journey and could not bear to let her suffer the fatigue of the journey.

But when Qian Mingduo discussed it with Li Shishi, she was very determined and insisted on going with Qian Mingduo. But two days before the departure, Li Shishi suddenly caught a cold and her old dizziness problem recurred.

Qian Mingduo immediately made a decision not to go to Yingtian Prefecture to take the imperial examination. He wanted to stay and take good care of Li Shishi.

A few days ago, in order to take better care of Li Shishi on the road, Qian Mingduo went to find Er Xiaoer and Yang Miao. He asked them to help find a girl. It happened that Er Xiaoer's aunt's daughter was fifteen this year. In order to marry his brother and collect enough money for the bride price, he was thinking of selling his daughter for money.

Qian Mingduo discussed with Li Shishi for a long time before spending eight taels of silver to buy the girl named Xiao Cui. After putting his handprint on the contract, Qian Mingduo took Xiao Cui back home.

The west room happened to be empty, so after a little tidying it up, Xiao Cui was allowed to sit down.

Xiao Cui was fair and pretty, with the typical tenderness and charm of a girl from the south of the Yangtze River. Li Shishi originally did not want to buy another maid because she had once let her personal maid betray her. She had always had a shadow in her heart.

But Xiao Cui seemed sensible and polite. After spending a few days with Li Shishi, Li Shishi gradually fell in love with her.

Qian Mingduo fed Li Shishi the medicine and handed the medicine bowl to Xiaocui. Li Shishi lay in Qian Mingduo's arms.

"You should go!" Li Shishi put Qian Mingduo's hand on her face, "Scholars study hard just to get a good reputation, don't they?"

"We have already agreed that I won't go." Qian Mingduo kissed Li Shishi's neck, "I won't go anywhere. I will just stay at home with you."

Li Shishi shook her head slowly. "Xiao Cui is a good child. She will take care of me. You should go!"

"I'm not a scholar," Qian Mingduo hugged Li Shishi tightly, "I'm your little enemy. As long as I can be with you, fame, wealth and honor are all nonsense. I only want you."

Li Shishi let out a soft moan, turned sideways and hugged Qian Mingduo's waist tightly. "I know what you're thinking, and I know you don't care about fame. But for our future, if you can pass the exam and get a degree, try your best."

"Don't talk about what we agreed on." Qian Mingduo touched Li Shishi's feet. "Your feet are so cold when you are sick."

"Yes!" Li Shishi nodded, "Even in the summer, when I get sick, my feet feel as cold as if I were walking on ice."

Qian Mingduo let Li Shishi lean on the quilt while he leaned against the kang cabinet. He lifted up his shirt and put Li Shishi's cold feet on his belly, and covered her feet with his shirt.

"It's so cold!" Li Shishi wanted to pull her legs back, "I'm afraid your stomach will catch a cold."

"It's okay." Qian Mingduo hugged his feet tightly, "This way your feet won't be cold, and we'll all be warm in a while."

Li Shishi looked at Qian Mingduo and blinked slowly. "I know how good you are to me, and I know you love me." As she spoke, Li Shishi's tears flowed. "I had a bad fate in the first half of my life, but I met you in the second half... I am very satisfied!"

Qian Mingduo lowered his head and looked at Li Shishi's toes exposed outside her shirt. They were as smooth as jade, and he couldn't help but kiss them gently. "How lucky I am to be able to keep a beauty like you."

"Aren't you afraid of my feet smelling?" Li Shishi blushed, "You always want to chew my feet."

Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "Who said it doesn't stink? It stinks unbearably."

"You're talking nonsense!" Li Shishi said shyly, "Since it stinks... why do you keep thinking about chewing it?"

Qian Mingduo looked at Li Shishi, his eyes full of tenderness, "I like you. I like everything about you."

Li Shishi threw herself into Qian Mingduo's arms and said, "My little enemy, why do I like you so much?"

"Don't get excited. You have a cold and feel dizzy." Qian Mingduo said jokingly, "It will be more uncomfortable if you move around."

"Promise me one thing." Li Shishi said softly.

"Just tell me, I'll promise you anything."

"You are going to Beijing to take the exam," Li Shishi covered Qian Mingduo's mouth, "Don't talk first, listen to me first." Seeing Qian Mingduo nodded, "I haven't been feeling well these days, I know you feel sorry for me, so you can stay with me for a few more days, and when I feel better, you can buy a horse. You can ride there in ten days."

Qian Mingduo sighed softly, "It seems that you have made up your mind to let me take the exam?"

"Ok!"

"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll stay with you for a few more days, and then I'll ride to the capital. But...if you're still not feeling well, then I won't go anywhere?"

"I know!" Li Shishi raised her head and kissed Qian Mingduo. Although her hands and feet were cold, her lips were hot.

Two or three days later, Li Shishi was no longer seriously ill, but she was still very weak. Qian Mingduo had already bought a horse and had it fostered at the mule and horse shop in Nanshi.

Everything was packed up, Qian Mingduo carefully instructed Xiao Cui, and reluctantly parted with Li Shishi, and then rushed to the capital.

On the official road more than 200 miles away from the capital, Qian Mingduo actually saw Feng Yixuan riding a tall horse in front, followed by a light carriage.

"It seems that this old man Feng has come to Beijing with his family." Qian Mingduo believed it and rode forward, "Brother Feng, how are you?"

"Lu Jieyuan!" Feng Yixuan's eyes lit up. "This is such a blessing!" He turned around and looked. "Wasn't Jieyuan going to Beijing with his family? Why is he here alone?"

Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "Originally I was going to go with my family, but a few days before I went to Beijing, my wife caught a cold and felt weak. So she stayed at home, and I went to Beijing alone to take the exam."

He pointed at the sedan chair and said, "It seems that Brother Feng is going with his family?"

Feng Yixuan made a face, "Brother, do you remember the night we had a drink at Kuiyuan Building? Weren't there two girls there?" He raised his chin towards the sedan chair, "This is one of them, ha, ha, ha..."

"Brother Feng is a gentleman. He is able to enjoy life even when he goes to Beijing to take the imperial examination. I, however, feel inferior to him!" Qian Mingduo bowed and said with a smile.

Feng Yixuan glanced at the carriage and said, "I guess Jie Yuan must have been alone and sleepless these days. Why not ask this girl to accompany you tonight?"

"Brother Feng, you are joking," Qian Mingduo smiled crookedly, "How dare I steal someone's beauty! Brother Feng, just hold the beauty in your arms and fall asleep smelling her body fragrance!"