Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

The waiter seemed familiar with such words. He curled his lips and left without taking them seriously.

Ning Yunxiao and Jiang Lige looked at each other, and both saw the word "trick" in each other's eyes.

The two of them closed the door and made sure that no one was watching before they started talking in low voices.

Jiang Lige: "It seems that this inn is run by the county magistrate."

Ning Yunxiao also nodded. "They say they're doing a favor for the guests, but the money they're accepting is quite high. It seems like a way to make money."

"Fengle Village is located in a remote area and the villagers are poor. It doesn't seem reasonable to use this to make money."

"It's unreasonable that Fengle Village is so poor," Ning Yunxiao said. "Fengle Village is used to resettle the relatives of deceased soldiers. The imperial court attaches great importance to it and allocates a large amount of money every year to ensure they have a good life. Moreover, the surrounding towns all know where Fengle Village is and have shown great support for it. From small acts like giving out porridge to large acts like donating money, there are countless such acts of kindness. Logically, this place should be a prosperous one."

"Besides, we came here to distribute porridge as a charity, so we shouldn't be scrutinized so strictly. Furthermore, they even sent people to follow us, which is completely unreasonable."

Ning Yunxiao thought for a moment and lowered his voice, "Let's go out and explore tonight."

Jiang Lige nodded, "Okay."

……

At night, the "couple" who lived in the upper room ordered a table full of dishes, called their personal servants and maids to serve them, and after the meal, they sent the servants away to play chess in the room.

The person watching outside yawned in boredom. "The life of a rich family is so boring. If I were so rich, I would definitely go to Yihongyuan to play with the courtesan."

At that time, he didn't know that the boring "couple" he mentioned were now wearing ordinary linen clothes and knocking on the door of a farmer's house.

The simply dressed lady opened the door with a wary look on her face.

"Who are you looking for?"

Jiang Lige smiled harmlessly, "Auntie, my brother and I got lost when we entered the city. I wonder if I could ask you for a drink of water."

"You..." The old lady half poked her head out, looked at the two of them, and then asked, "Are you also family members?"

Jiang Lige readily replied, "That's right. Our eldest brother died on the border a month ago, and the officials then notified my brother and me to come to Fengle Village to be registered."

"Your brother..." The old lady glanced at Ning Yunxiao suspiciously, "Looks like he's almost coming of age, right?"

The families of soldiers living in Fengle Village are mainly the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled who have no one to take care of them. Generally, those who can still support themselves will not be taken in by the government.

Jiang Lige was stunned for a moment by the old lady's question. Just when Ning Yunxiao was thinking about whether to try a different approach, he saw Jiang Lige scratching his head with an awkward smile.

"To be honest, Auntie, my brother..." Jiang Lige pointed to his head, "This part of his head isn't very bright."

Ning Yunxiao: “…”

Jiang Lige quietly reached out and poked Ning Yunxiao. Ning Yunxiao glared at Jiang Lige speechlessly. Jiang Lige took advantage of the old lady's inattention, put his hands together and winked at Ning Yunxiao.

Seeing the lively expression on Ning Yunxiao's face, he felt he had nowhere to vent his anger. So he squatted down on the ground unwillingly and said angrily, "Drink some water!"

aunt:"……"

Jiang Lige: "..."

The old lady was stunned for a long time before she accepted the fact that the tall and handsome young man in front of her was not mentally ill. She sighed and opened the door to make way.

"It's not easy either. Come in first. I'll get you some water."

Jiang Lige hurriedly pulled Ning Yunxiao up and thanked the old lady, "Thank you very much, Auntie."

The farmer's wife enthusiastically brought them two bowls of water. Seeing the two of them take the water and drink it down in one gulp, her eyes showed a bit more compassion.

"The court is closed today. If you want to handle the paperwork, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Thank you for the reminder, Auntie. You're such a good person!" Jiang Lige said, and took Ning Yunxiao's hand with great satisfaction. "Second brother, you see, there are still many good people out there, right? The official who notified us to come said that once the paperwork is completed and registered, we will receive pension money, and there will be extra rice and rations distributed every month. Our lives will get better and better in the future."

Ning Yunxiao also nodded in agreement, and said with a silly look on his face: "Eat, get paid, and live a good life!"

"..."

Ning Yunxiao's performance almost made Jiang Lige lose control of his laughter. He immediately turned his head away and dared not look at Ning Yunxiao anymore. Then he pinched his thigh hard, and only then did he stop laughing.

"If your health hadn't cost so much money year-round, you wouldn't have marched so far to the border and ended up like this. Although we can live a good life now, you can never come back."

Maybe it was because he pinched her too hard, but Jiang Lige's eyes turned red in an instant when he said this, which made the old lady feel sad.

Is there any family in Fengle Village that doesn’t have a soldier who died in battle?

Talking about these things can resonate with people. Looking at the down-and-out girl in front of her who is full of hope for the future, the old lady hesitated for a while before speaking.

"Although the village can earn some money, there are few good doctors and the expenses are not low. If you still want to treat your brother's illness, it is better to go outside and get it cured first."

Ning Yunxiao, who was squatting quietly on the ground drawing circles, paused for a moment when he heard this. He turned sideways to block the old lady's sight and wrote the words "relief silver".

Jiang Lige understood and said happily, "After we are registered and receive the compensation money, I will take my second brother out of the city to seek medical treatment."

The old lady looked at Jiang Lige, as if she wanted to advise her but didn't know how to start. She thought for a long time before she considered it.

"You're young, and you can earn some money even with your own strength, right? Why worry about this little bit of pension money?"

"I can earn money myself, but this pension was earned by my brother with his life, so why not take it?

Seeing that Jiang Lige was so stubborn, the old lady couldn't find a suitable excuse for a moment, and she got angry when she was at a loss for words.

"The village is remote, and there are many places where money is needed. Even if we get the relief money, it won't take long to spend it."

Ning Yunxiao and Jiang Lige, who were playing in the mud on the ground, were both startled by the old lady's sudden outburst. At this point, Ning Yunxiao didn't feel the need to continue pretending. He suddenly stood up, stared at the old lady, and asked her a direct question.

"Fengle Village was built under the orders of the Emperor, who stated, 'The families of those who died in battle can settle down here.' Soldiers' families here not only receive pensions, but also receive additional rice every month. Based on the amount distributed, even a family of five would have a surplus. Why is it that here, Auntie, it's so tight on money?"

After such questioning, even the dumb old lady could sense that something was wrong. She immediately stepped back cautiously and shouted:

"You are not the families of the dead in battle, so who are you?"