Chapter 42
Since the establishment of the Luoyang Jin Dynasty, the Great Zhou Dynasty has paid great attention to water transportation
Hundreds of thousands of civil servants were called to dig rivers and channels to build water transportation
By the end of the dynasty, the waterways were well connected and extremely convenient
Compared to the pain of horse and carriage, the boat is faster and more comfortable
A hundred miles a day, and can enjoy the scenery along the way
Therefore, most people choose to travel by boat
Ordinary civilians mostly take passenger boats, most of the merchants have their own merchant ships, the officials above the seventh grade travel, you can take the free official ship
Depending on the rank and status, the grade of the official ship also varies
Master Ling was a fourth rank official, and according to the usual practice, he was traveling on a superior official ship
This official ship had three floors, the bottom floor was where the crew and servants lived
The second floor is where the maids and servants and the guards live
Master Ling and his family lived on the third floor
The third floor has a total of eight cabins, the ship’s area is limited, the cabins are not big, but the arrangement is very exquisite
Each cabin had a window, and sitting by the window, one could look out over the river
Ling Jingshu and Ling Xiao stayed in adjacent cabins, making it convenient to take care of Ling Xiao at any time
It was Ling Xiao’s first time traveling by boat, and at first he was so excited that he couldn’t hold himself in, always letting Ling Jingshu describe the scenery to him one by one
After a few days, the novelty of the boat ride gradually went away, and he felt that staying in the cabin all day was too boring, and couldn’t help but mumble, “It’s already been five days on the boat, how much longer do we have to sit there before we get to the capital”
Ling Jingshu was dumbfounded, “This is less than a third of the way, and we still have to walk for more than a dozen days!
As the saying goes, it’s better to read ten thousand books than to travel ten thousand miles, haven’t you always wanted to get out of Dingzhou City to see it?”
Ling Xiao was indeed still childish and didn’t have much patience
Ling Xiao was teased by Ling Jingshu and blushed a bit, “I just feel a bit bored being on the ship every day and not being able to go out and walk around
It’s just that I’d rather read a book to pass the time”
Ling Xiao’s “reading books” means having someone read to him
Ling Jingshu smiled, “I have nothing to do, so I’ll read to you”
Saying this, she instructed Bai Yu to go and find a book of miscellaneous travelogues and read it to Ling Xiao
The warm and bright sunlight shines through the window, illuminating the small cabin brightly
Ling Jingshu’s warm and soft voice resounds in the cabin, Ling Xiao sits beside Ling Jingshu in a soft and obedient manner, listening intently
Jingyu serves tea on the side, and Baiyu has nothing to do and does needlework
The atmosphere was quiet and tranquil
A small maid’s report broke this tranquility, “Enlighten Miss Young Master, Mistress’s side has already prepared lunch, please Miss Young Master go over to have lunch together”
Ling Jingshu answers with a smile, puts down the books in her hands and pulls Ling Xiao’s hand to go out of the cabin to the dining hall
Living on the ship, the three meals a day, morning and evening are eaten separately in their rooms, the only time is at noon when everyone eats together
Sun specially brought two cooks from the mansion, these two cooks are quite skillful, every day lunch dishes are not much, but very exquisite and delicious
When Ling Jingshu and her siblings arrived, Master Ling and the others were already seated around the dining table
They had to greet each other before they were seated
Speaking of which, the population of the eldest house was not too complicated
Master Ling has two daughters and two sons, the eldest daughter Ling Jinghao married a few years ago, now with her husband in Tongzhou
The eldest son, Ling Ji, is now a supervisor of the Imperial College, married his wife, Jiang, four years ago, and has yet to have an heir
The second son died at a young age, and there is a daughter Ling Jingyan
Sitting in front of the table is the Ling master Sun, Mr and Mrs Ling Ji and Ling Jingyan
Plus Ling Jingshu siblings, there are only seven people
The round pearwood table was more than enough
Ling grand master in front of the younger generation of serious temperament, do not smile
He practiced the practice of eating without speaking and sleeping without speaking
The crowd finished lunch in silence, and it was not until Grand Master Ling got up and went back to the cabin that the atmosphere was relaxed
There was no need to order, there was an eloquent maid who served hot refreshments
The journey was long, and staying on the ship all day, small talk was an excellent pastime
Ling Jingyan smiled and chatted with Ling Jingshu about Dr Wei’s practice: “Dr Wei founded Hui Chun Tang before he reached sixteen and took in patients
At first, the patients saw that Dr Wei was too young and didn’t trust him at all
Dr Wei not only didn’t charge consultation fees, but also gave away free medicines, which made those poor patients who couldn’t even afford medicines to stay ” “Now that Dr Wei is famous in the capital, on the first day and fifteenth day of every month, the patients waiting outside Hui Chun Hall can line up two streets”
The young young woman sitting on Ling Jingyan’s side also interjected with a smile
This young woman is about twenty years old, born of outstanding appearance is more than moving, it is Ling Ji’s wife Jiang
Jiang’s serious family of origin
His father is the nephew of the late Duke of England, now the Duke of England is Jiang’s cousin uncle
The two houses are of the same clan, and they are closely related to each other
The Duke of England’s residence was the most prominent residence of the Great Zhou Dynasty
When the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded, the Duke of England was the founding father of the dynasty
Nowadays, the Great Zhou Dynasty has been passed down for more than two hundred years, and the Duke of England’s House has also survived for two hundred years
The late Empress Jiang was the youngest daughter of the late Duke of England and the first aunt of the current Duke of England
The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is a first cousin to the Duke of England
Jiang was only a concubine, but her talent and appearance were outstanding
When Jiang was not yet out of the court, I do not know how many people came to the door to ask for marriage
The first is the first to be able to get the money to pay for it, and the second is the first to be able to get it to pay for it
He was not impressed by the fact that the emperor favored his young son, King Yan, and was determined to stand under the crown prince, so he spent a lot of effort in order to conclude this marriage with the Jiang family
As a result, when Jiang just passed through the door, her husband respected her, and her in-laws were quite kind to her as a daughter-in-law
Just good times don’t last long
Jiang married the door has been four years, has been no output
Sun’s heart has long been dissatisfied, in the way of the Jiang family’s prestige, inconvenient for Ling Ji concubines
Speaking on weekdays, but can’t help but nitpick: “This time back to the capital, A Shu accompanied A Xiao to seek medical advice, Jiang’s you also accompany together
It’s just right to ask Eunuch Wei to prescribe a prescription for you to regulate your body, so you might be able to conceive a child soon”
Jiang’s smile froze, answered and hung her head
There are three unfilialities, and having no descendants is the greatest
What could one do if one had a high birth, talent, and good looks?
Not being able to conceive an heir had become Jiang’s greatest hidden pain
When Sun opened her mouth, she poked Jiang’s sore spot
Ling Jingshu was quite fond of this funny and humorous cousin’s wife, and couldn’t bear to see her embarrassed, so she smiled to help her out: “The matter of a child depends on God’s gift and destiny, and can’t be rushed
Cousin’s wife is so young, as long as she nourishes her body well, she may soon be pregnant”
Jiang’s heart warmed as she listened, and she gratefully glanced at Ling Jingshu
Ling Ji and his wife Jiang were quite fond of each other, so he said, “It’s my fault that I spend most of the month in the State Scholarship, and I have very little time to return to the house
From time to time, I let my wife stay alone”
Without time for husband and wife to get together, how could there be children?
Her husband defending himself like this warmed Jiang’s heart
There was no need to take mother-in-law Sun’s ramblings to heart
As Ling Jingshu and Ling Ji defended Jiang one after another, Sun couldn’t say anything more lest she reveal her mean face in front of everyone, and quickly changed the subject, “When the boat arrives at the pier tomorrow, the cooks will have to go and buy some ingredients, and the boatmen will have to go down to the pier to rest for half a day
If you guys want to take the opportunity to get off the boat and get some fresh air, there is no harm”
The moment these words came out, the crowd was bursting with excitement
Ling Xiao, in particular, immediately tugged at Ling Jingshu’s sleeve and shook it, “Ah Shu, let’s get off the boat and take a walk too!”
Ling Jingshu was also quite excited and answered with a smile