Chapter 308: Chapter 125: Prefectural Examination (3)
Chen Wanqing nodded hesitantly. "I dreamt that the roof of Jing’s examination cell was leaking. He got sick and couldn’t even finish his paper before the constables took it away."
Xu Suying poked her daughter with a finger. "You’re just letting your worrying get the best of you. Don’t you forget, when Jing and the others left for the Prefecture, they took oilcloth with them. Jing is always so thorough. The first thing he would have done after the exam started was fasten the oilcloth in place. And even if he was unlucky enough to catch a cold and get a fever, there’s nothing to fear. Didn’t you prepare all sorts of medicinal pills for him? Those were specially made by a doctor with strong doses. If Jing really can’t hold on, he just has to take one of those pills. I guarantee he’ll be able to finish the exam without a problem."
She continued, "I’m not worried about Jing. That boy has always been reliable; he’s the last person you need to worry about. It’s De’an. He’s so careless and scatterbrained. If you don’t watch him for a second, he’ll lose something. To be honest, I’ve been so worried about him these past few days I haven’t been sleeping well either."
Then she started complaining about Chen Song. "And your father, he doesn’t have a care in the world. The moment he lies down, his snores are loud enough to shake the heavens, not a bit of worry for his son. He’s made me so mad several times, I’ve wanted to just kick him out of bed."
The mother and daughter chatted about this and that for a while longer before Chen Wanqing tentatively asked, "Mother, we delivered the goods yesterday. Once the rain stops, Mr. Wang will definitely be escorting this batch of Moonlight Fragrance to the Prefecture. Mother, what do you think about me going along to take a look?"
Before Xu Suying could respond, Chen Wanqing immediately shook her head, rejecting her own idea. ’I’d better not go. By the time I get to the Prefecture, Jing and the others will have already finished the provincial exam. Once the results are posted, they’ll be home in a few days. What would be the point of me going? I might arrive in the Prefecture one minute and have to turn right back around the next. It’s just not worth the trouble.’
But Xu Suying grabbed her daughter’s hand. "Go! If you want to go to the Prefecture, then you should go."
"But... but..."
"Let me tell you," Xu Suying said, "if Yao’an’s school holiday wasn’t in a few days, I’d have to stay home to look after him. Otherwise, I’d go to the Prefecture with you. All these years, I’ve just been stuck here in the countryside. I’ve almost forgotten what the dazzling world out there even looks like. I’m tied down and can’t get away, but you’re different. You’re still young, and you don’t have any children tying you down right now. If you want to go out, you can just go. Once you have children, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to."
After speaking, she frowned and leaned closer to her daughter. "After Jing left, have you had your monthly period?"
Xu Suying had, of course, noticed that her daughter and Jing had consummated their marriage.
She wasn’t oblivious. The day her daughter came to the county seat to see Jing off, the dark circles under her eyes were even worse than they were today.
Besides, the looks a young couple shared after consummating their marriage were so lingering they seemed to spin threads between them, and even their movements became noticeably more intimate.
She had seen it right away and had been happy about it. She just worried her daughter was too thin-skinned to handle the question, so she hadn’t brought it up.
But just because she didn’t ask didn’t mean she wasn’t concerned.
She was quite concerned for her daughter, afraid that her inexperience might lead to trouble if she got pregnant.
But things had been so busy lately. First, there was that near-disaster with the incense ingredients, and then they were rushing to make the incense day and night. She had completely forgotten about the matter until just now.
When Chen Wanqing heard her mother ask if she’d had her "monthly period," she knew her mother had guessed something. Her pretty face flushed uncontrollably, and she quickly turned away so her mother couldn’t see.
Seeing this, Xu Suying couldn’t help but give her daughter a little nudge. "I’m your mother; what is there to be embarrassed about in front of me? I’m asking if you’ve had your period because I’m worried you might be pregnant..."
"I did," Chen Wanqing said, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. After the word left her lips, she realized her voice was so soft her mother surely hadn’t heard. Swallowing her embarrassment, she repeated, "My period came on the twenty-fifth of last month. I’m not pregnant."
"Not being pregnant is even better; I won’t have to worry about you traveling. Here’s the plan: first, you go find Mr. Wang and ask if you can travel with him. Once you get a definite answer, come back and tell me, and I’ll pack your luggage for you. Then you’ll need to make a trip back to the Zhao Village and tell your mother-in-law about this. It would be best if someone from the Zhao Family could go with you. But if no one can, don’t worry. At worst, I’ll have your father watch Yao’an, and I’ll personally accompany you to the Prefecture."
Chen Wanqing hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. "That’s so much trouble. Maybe I shouldn’t go after all? I was just saying it casually; there’s no reason I absolutely have to go."
"Go! Why wouldn’t you? You’re young; you should be out and about, seeing more of the world. Besides, you’ll never get the full picture of how well Moonlight Fragrance is selling in the Prefecture just by listening to Mr. Wang. If you go see for yourself, you’ll have a much better idea of the situation, and that will put you in a better position to negotiate with the owner of Moxiang Pavilion later on."
