LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 132
Liu Yizhu noticed that she wasn't stepping on his feet anymore and had fallen silent, wearing a sullen expression. He gently stroked her back and whispered, "Don't be angry. I'll be back in a few days."
Li Mingwei nodded. "I know."
However, for some reason, she felt a sense of unease. It was only now that Liu Yizhu mentioned the difficulties of traveling in the snow-covered roads. What if the roads were blocked due to heavy snow? What would she do if she had an emergency? While she couldn't say she distrusted the doctor in town, she also couldn't say she fully trusted him. There were more doctors in the county town, and if one didn't work out, she could always find another.
She wasn't sure if her body was genuinely fine or if she had just been lucky, but she didn't want to take any risks with this child.
And then there was the news from the capital. Although Lord Tang had always assured her that everything was fine at home, she couldn't guarantee that nothing would go wrong in the next month or two. Especially with the uncertainty surrounding Imperial Physician Liu, she didn't want to endure the same agony as she did last year.
"Liu Yizhu."
"Yes?" Liu Yizhu looked at her with a somewhat serious expression, his smile fading.
"I want you to find a house in the county today. I think I should temporarily move there in case the roads get blocked by heavy snow..."
Li Mingwei's hand gently caressed her belly, conveying her unspoken intention.
"Alright." He had been genuinely worried about her, even though he tried to hide it. Since she had brought it up, he naturally had to agree.
He let go of Li Mingwei's hand. "Wait for me. I'll go back and get some money."
"Let's go together."
Li Mingwei wasn't quite sure about the housing prices in the county town, so she decided to give him some money. After all, she needed a comfortable place to stay during her pregnancy. If it weren't for her concerns...
She could just go and live in Lord Tang's yard.
She reminded him softly, "You don't know much about this. It's better to bring your classmate along. That Tang Jue is Lord Tang's son, so no one should dare to deceive him."
"That's true. I'll call him and ask him to come along."
Li Mingwei nodded in satisfaction. If Tang Jue knew, then Lord Tang would probably know as well.
Liu Yizhu returned to the room and took out his small box from beside the bed, while Li Mingwei rummaged through her suitcase for her small belt. They each went about their tasks, with Liu Yizhu's actions being straightforward. He quickly had the money in his hand.
Seeing that Li Mingwei was still busy with the scissors, he hurriedly went over to help.
A moment later, he looked at the silver bills he had picked out from the belt, his expression turning solemn.
Li Mingwei put the rest back, used needle and thread to sew it up, and then hid it away. She gestured to him, "Keep it hidden and let's go. It's getting late."
"Mingwei, you seem to have quite a lot of secret money."
"It's not much." She had already given one to Wang Chunhua and one to Yun Sister. There wasn't much left. She patted the suitcase. "This can't be touched anymore. Take it out when you go to the capital."
Liu Yizhu didn't expect her to have planned everything, and he felt a bit uneasy for some reason.
"I..."
"What's the matter?" Li Mingwei saw through his thoughts with just one glance. "You don't want to use my money?"
"You're silly. If someone gives you money, you should spend it. With that little box of yours, if you had told me earlier, I would have spent it all for you."
Liu Yizhu couldn't believe her. She just wanted to ease his worries.
He pushed the money back into her arms and held her face, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We're only renting a house for a few months. I have enough money on me, so you can keep your money for now."
Li Mingwei was about to say something, but her mouth was sealed by a kiss. She bit Liu Yizhu's lip, forcing him to let go. "You..."
"Alright," Liu Yizhu rubbed against her and stopped her from speaking, saying softly, "Let's spend all this loose change of mine first before making any decisions."
Li Mingwei lifted her foot and stepped on the one he hadn't been stepped on today. "Do as you wish. Enough already."
Men and their pride!
As soon as Liu Yizhu arrived in the county in the afternoon, he went to a dental clinic to check the rental prices. After confirming that he had enough money, he went to the bookstore to pay for his books and picked up some odd jobs along the way.
When he returned to the dormitory, Tang Jue was nowhere to be found, so he asked, "Did Tang Jue go back today?"
Tang Jue pushed the door open and walked in. "No, I went next door for a bit. Do you need something?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking of renting a house, but I'm not sure about the prices."
"Oh?" Tang Jue and Yang Jingyuan exchanged mischievous glances and crowded around him, squeezing him in the middle. "It's getting cold. Finally, you can't bear the loneliness of the night and want to bring your sister-in-law over to live with you?"
"Then we won't be able to see you at night anymore. How heartbroken he must be!"
"Not just at night, I guess you won't even see each other after class."
"That's really miserable!" Yang Jingyuan reached out to Zhong Liangyu and said generously, "Don't worry, I'm here for you. In this long winter, my broad chest belongs to you!"
Zhong Liangyu threw a book at his broad chest, grinding her teeth. "You guys are truly sick!"
Liu Yizhu also felt a headache coming on. "The road from the county to our town becomes impassable when it snows heavily. You both know that she's pregnant. If anything happens, it's better to have the county doctor nearby."
"Oh, right, that makes sense. Last month, my sister-in-law came to see the doctor. Moving to the county would be more secure."
Tang Jue stopped joking and asked about Liu Yizhu's requirements. The next day, he sent a message through a servant to inquire about it at home.
When Tang Shan heard about it, he immediately instructed the staff to clean up the courtyard that Li Mingwei had mentioned before and had the steward lead them to see it.
The steward bowed and said, "Young Master, how about this courtyard?"
"Isn't it a bit too big?" Tang Jue looked around but didn't recognize it as his own house. The family's properties were managed by his father and the accountant, so he wasn't very familiar with them.
The steward cautiously said, "It's not considered big. This house belonged to one of Master's old friends. After they moved out, it has been taken care of by the family. It has been empty most of the time. Master said that since you're his classmate and will only stay for a few months, there's no need to collect rent."
Liu Yizhu declined, "That won't do."
This house was not small, and its location was good. Renting it would definitely not be cheap.
"I think it's fine!" Tang Jue made the final decision, clapping his hands. "We'll live here. Prepare another courtyard for me too. I'll join in the fun later."
Liu Yizhu wanted to give him a couple of punches. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, what kind of excitement are you looking for?"
"Well, can't I join in the fun?" Tang Jue shrugged. "When I moved here, my mother had to send me maidservants and cooks. With someone accompanying and taking care of my sister-in-law, what if something happens when you're at school and she's alone at home?"
"With such a big courtyard, it's impossible to rely on the heavens or the earth. There must be someone to take care of things."
The steward silently gave a thumbs up in his mind to his young master. The master wanted to send some people over but didn't dare to until now. This time, the reasons were justified.
He was afraid that Liu Yizhu would refuse, so he quickly nodded and agreed, "I'll make the arrangements right away."
Then he slipped away as if he had oil on the soles of his feet.
Liu Yizhu called after him a few times from behind, but he pretended not to hear.
Liu Yizhu frowned slightly, feeling hesitant. This old steward had poor hearing, but he was quite agile on his feet.