PFC Chapter 462 The Plague Re-emerges
Chapter 462 The Plague Re-emerges
Qin Miaoxi's face darkened further. A brothel?
Good, good, good. That scoundrel was still pestering me a few days ago, and now he's already indulging in brothels. You really can't trust a man's words.
Ziyan lowered her head, trying to minimize her presence. She wondered if her mistress had noticed that her aura was growing stronger, especially when dealing with the young marquis.
"Wife! I've come to find you."
! !
Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.
Ziyan wiped away a tear for her son-in-law, for he had traveled a thousand miles to be killed—this was the epitome of such a tragedy.
Qin Miaoxi squinted at the "flower butterfly" running towards her. Her dark blue brocade dress made her look quite presentable, no wonder she was favored by the courtesan.
When Lu Qingchen arrived in front of her, he found that she had a rare smile on her face, and he felt flattered.
"Honey, did you wait here for me especially for this?"
"Yes! I've been waiting for you!"
Qin Miaoxi's knuckles turned white from gripping her fists so tightly that they made a cracking sound.
Whether she's a wife or not is no longer important; today she's going to teach that scoundrel what it means to cherish what you have.
"Ahhh! Wife...wife, let go, my ear is going to fall off!" Lu Qingchen screamed like a pig being slaughtered, tilting his head as if he wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy.
Qin Miaoxi tightened her grip on his ear, angrily saying, "Let go? If you treat your ears like decorations, then you don't need them."
"No, no, I want to. I will be obedient and only listen to my wife."
"Really? You think I'd believe that?"
"Waaah! Honey, let's talk this out. What did I do wrong?"
"You have the nerve to say that? Tell me where you've been these past few days?"
"They went to Yanchunlou!"
Qin Miaoxi laughed at his self-righteousness, while Lu Qingchen cried out in pain as his face turned red.
"You have the nerve to say you went to a brothel? I'll teach you to be shameless."
Slaps landed heavily on his back, making him howl in pain, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"Wife, you've misunderstood. I went there on important business, I absolutely did not steal anything."
Qin Miaoxi's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Yes! Going to a brothel isn't just for business, is it? Do you expect me to praise you?"
Lu Qingchen hurriedly grabbed Qin Miaoxi's hand and kissed it hard on his lips.
This time, it was Qin Miaoxi's turn to scream. She quickly pulled her hand back and glared at him angrily, "You pervert!"
Lu Qingchen rubbed his swollen ear, wincing, and immediately pulled out a food box from behind him and handed it over. "Wife, this is the important business I've been handling."
"Take it away, I think it's dirty."
"Look, it smells so good." The moment Lu Qingchen opened the food box, a rich aroma of meat wafted out, instantly filling the entire courtyard.
Roasted lamb leg?
Qin Miaoxi blinked, puzzled. What did that mean?
Lu Qingchen pouted, looking aggrieved. "I went to Yanchunlou to learn how to make roasted lamb leg. My wife, you've been working too hard lately, so I thought I'd make something delicious to cheer you up."
"I..." A wave of guilt washed over me, and my reason gradually returned. "I don't know."
With red eyes, he accused, "Wife, the authorities need evidence to handle cases! How could you convict me without knowing that?"
Qin Miaoxi: "..."
These words sound so familiar; the boomerang of the past has pierced me once again.
Qin Miaoxi turned to look at Ziyan, who shrugged innocently. How could she have known that her son-in-law had so many shady dealings, actually going to a brothel to hone his cooking skills?
Lu Qingchen excitedly held the lamb leg up to her, "Wife, try it while it's hot, this is my first time making it."
A roasted lamb leg as thick as a thigh stood right in front of her, and Qin Miaoxi felt her head was about to explode.
Ziyan suppressed a laugh, but couldn't help but say, "Young master, this is so big, how is Miss supposed to eat it?"
Lu Qingchen suddenly realized, "Right, right, let's go inside to eat."
The two walked hand in hand into the house. Ziyan followed behind with a smile in her eyes. The young lady was still not telling the truth. She clearly cared about the young master, but she just wouldn't admit it. Didn't you see how her face turned green when she heard that the young master had gone to the brothel?
Inside the room, Lu Qingchen thoughtfully cut the roasted lamb leg into pieces and placed them in front of Qin Miaoxi, the aroma of the meat whetting her appetite.
She savored the food, while his incessant chatter filled her ears.
"Honey, you don't know how good the chef at Yanchunlou is. He can even make spicy dishes. I'll learn how to cook them and make them for you when I get back, okay?"
Her expectant eyes sparkled, but Qin Miaoxi froze as she ate the meat, coughing awkwardly twice. "No need. You should avoid going to such shady places in the future; it's too tiring."
I knew it; my wife cares about me.
Hearing his silly thoughts, she nodded in satisfaction. Yes! She was just worried that he was too tired.
"Don't worry, my dear wife. This Yan Chun Lou is something else. Since the plague started, they've been providing vegetables and porridge every day, and there's meat with every meal. They run a legitimate business, and the people there are artists, not prostitutes."
This was unexpected. Even wealthy merchants might not have been able to lend a helping hand to the people at that time. I never expected that a brothel would be so righteous.
"That's interesting. We should go and see." At this crucial moment, having such a leader set an example for the wealthy gentry in the city can save the government a lot of trouble.
A dark glint flashed in Lu Qingchen's eyes, and he volunteered, "Wife, I'll go with you."
When they arrived, a long queue had already formed outside Yanchunlou, with ragged people eating heartily from bowls full of food, their faces beaming with smiles.
"It smells good."
Qin Miaoxi took a deep breath. The aroma was rich and comparable to that of dishes from restaurants. No wonder Lu Qingchen came here to learn the secrets.
"Who is the owner of Yanchun Pavilion?"
Ziyan reported on the things she had investigated, saying, "It's a shop owned by Master Wu. He is currently acting as the prefect, serving as the assistant prefect. The girls in Yanchun Tower are all from poor families. Madam Wu teaches them arts and crafts so they can support themselves. Therefore, no one dares to force those girls to sell themselves."
In an instant, Qin Miaoxi's opinion of Yan Chunlou changed; this was truly a case of teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish.
Qin Miaoxi instructed, "Very well, host a banquet in the mansion today to invite the officials from Jiangnan to discuss relief and compensation measures after the plague, so as to reassure the people."
Just as Ziyan received the order to make preparations, a yamen runner from the government office rushed over, panting and looking nervous.
"My lord, there is another plague in the city."
Qin Miaoxi's expression turned solemn. "Let's go."
Those infected with the plague were sent out of the city for quarantine as soon as they were discovered. The dilapidated courtyards were heavily guarded, and unauthorized personnel were not allowed to enter.
Qin Miaoxi was shocked to discover that there were not just one infected person, but a total of thirteen.
"That area has been brought under control, so how can there still be infected people? Where did the source come from?"
The general shook his head helplessly; they were still investigating the source of the infection.
"Check where they've been or what similar items they've used during this period?"
"Yes."
Half an hour later, the general led the troops back to camp to report.
"The adults found out that they recently went to Lincheng to look for work, and may have been infected again from outside."
"Lincheng? Have you sent anyone to check on the situation there?"
"Everything is normal in Lincheng. No infected people have been found so far, but... people in the city are in a state of panic. I heard that many people have gone missing during the plague."