CH 44

The women of the Great Zhou dynasty were bound by the three rules and five regulations. It was not uncommon to have divorced women, but their lives were very difficult, and they would be pointed at on the road. Zhou Liangyu felt so sorry for Zhou Qing. How could she be willing to suffer such grievances?

“Have you really thought about it? After the divorce, you can go home and live, but the child is Luo Yu’s blood. How can you easily give up?”

Hearing this, a trace of sarcasm flashed across Zhou Qing’s eyes. Luo Yu was impotent. Fearing that the matter would be discovered, he brought Xie Chong back home, which gave birth to Zheng’er. If he had treated the child well, Zhou Qing would not have been so resentful. But he was so vicious and cold-blooded that he let Mother Luo kill her child. How could such a person deserve to be called father by the child?

“I’ve thought it over and want a divorce.” The apricot eyes displayed a determined look. Initially, she had been so obsessed with her revenge that she forgot what kind of virtue the Luo family possessed. The trip to the Puji Temple nearly cost her her life. Fortunately, she gained a few points of clarity and realized that if she continued to stay in the Luo household, she and her child would be in danger.

Zhou Liangyu could not help but sigh, “Forget it. You just need to know it in your heart. After a while, when your brother participates in the examination, I will definitely get into the rankings. At that time, if the Luo family wants to cause trouble, they will have to weigh it carefully.”

Zhou Qing’s eyes became hot, almost close to shedding tears. In this world, only blood relatives would care about her and love her so much. Earlier, she was blinded by hatred and neglected everything, forgetting the most important people, which really should not be.

“When is Qing’er going to see Luo Yu?” Zhou Liangyu asked.

“There is no hurry, just wait for him to come to me.” After a pause, Zhou Qing remembered the smoked balls made earlier and couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, do you think we can make more smoked balls and sell them in our store?”

Zhou Liangyu thought carefully and said, “The most troubling parts of the smoke balls are the ring and the hinge, which must be carefully measured. Any slight deviation and the herbal ash in the small pellet will spill out. I fear that an average craftsman is not capable of doing it. How about you wait for me to get free from this busy period, and I will make another batch afterward?”

Slowly standing up, the woman’s eyes were filled with smiles, and she said with a light smile, “Then thank you, brother.”

Walking out of the study, she raised her eyes and looked at the sky. She changed her clothes, and not long after, Xie Yi drove the carriage to their door.

Zhou Qing smiled at him, put the tranquilizing herb into the wooden box, hesitated for a moment, and took some more before walking out of the Herbal Store.

When she arrived in front of Xie Chong’s study, she was about to push the door open when the man in Xuan clothes opened the door. The coldness in his black eyes subsided as he said, “Miss Zhou is early today.”

Zhou Qing was dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say back. Xie Yi had already arrived at the front of the Herbal Store. How could she still delay?

Sitting on her knees on the futon, she asked, “Is Lord currently suffering from any headache?”

Xie Chong shook his head, “I carried a smoked ball during the day, so it doesn’t really hurt.”

“In that case, this lady will burn herbs first. This herb is not expensive, but it can get rid of evil spirits. The Lord stayed in the Imperial prison all day, which is harmful to the body.”

Saying this, Zhou Qing felt uneasy. The reason Xie Chong asked her to prepare An Shen herb was because of the dulling pain in the marrow sea. But the disease in the marrow sea did not form overnight. The man was subjected to the influence of blood and evil qi all year round. If this evil qi was not slowly dispelled, the stubborn disease could only ever be relieved, not cured.

“Thank you for your concern, Miss Zhou. This official… is very grateful.” Xie Chong’s voice was slightly muffled. Zhou Qing’s fingertips trembled a little. She lit the herbal cake and placed it into the furnace, igniting the herbs step-by-step.

In all fairness, the fragrance of the herb was not pleasant. Nevertheless, Xie Chong did not mind. He sat on a wooden chair with his eyes partially closed. Wondering if his head was hurting again, his originally stretched eyebrows slightly tightened.

Carefully measuring the man’s features, Zhou Qing had to admit that the man was good-looking, with his sharp eyebrows, brilliant eyes, and extraordinary aura. In her previous life, Zheng’er was only four years old when he died. Just looking at his facial features, he was exactly the same as Xie Chong. If he was older, he might have been carved out from the same mold.

It was a good thing that Luo Yu’s evil deeds did not spread out. Xie Chong would never know that Zheng’er was his son.

When the herbs in the furnace burned out, Zhou Qing pushed the window pane of the study open, waiting until the smell dissipated, before asking, “What does the Commander think? Are the herbs useful?”

Xie Chong fixed his gaze on the woman in front of him and said in a light voice, “At first, there was some pain in the sea of marrow, but it was bearable. Later, I felt a bit of relief in my chest. I do not know if it is the work of the aromatic herb.”

Zhou Qing could not help but smile, “If the aromatic herb did not work. We can try the chestnut herb or sandalwood another day. There is always a way.”

Glancing at the woman’s bright almond eyes, Xie Chong’s eyes darkened, and his breathing became rapid. He felt a bit of itchiness on his palm, wanting to touch the white jade-like small face. After settling his mind, he could not understand why he was having such sinful thoughts. Zhou Qing was married and pregnant. If she learned of his depraved thoughts, she too would feel disgusted, right?