Liu Ming'an stepped aside, fully exposing Jiang Ning to Third Great-Aunt and Third Great-Uncle.
The elderly couple listened as Liu Ming'an spoke, "Third Great-Uncle, Third Great-Aunt, don't you remember? She's the girl I brought back from the street. It was you, Third Great-Uncle, who brought her from town in your ox cart. And Third Great-Aunt, you helped clean her up. Have you forgotten?"
Liu Ming'an finished speaking and turned back, giving Jiang Ning a meaningful look.
Understanding his cue, Jiang Ning stepped forward and thanked the elderly couple, "Third Great-Uncle, Third Great-Aunt, thank you for your care."
The two elders looked at each other, stunned into silence.
"Child, aren't you... aren't you..." Third Great-Aunt, having regained her composure, hesitated, wanting to ask something but ultimately unable to voice it.
Liu Ming'an, of course, knew what Third Great-Aunt wanted to ask. Without beating around the bush, he said directly, "Third Great-Uncle, Third Great-Aunt, her name is Jiang Ning. Actually, her limbs weren't broken, it was just flesh wounds. They looked so severe that people thought her limbs were broken. Now the external injuries have mostly healed, and she's fine."
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Third Great-Uncle suddenly understood.
Third Great-Aunt said nothing, eyeing Jiang Ning with a suspicious look. She had helped clean Jiang Ning's body and clearly remembered that Jiang Ning's limbs looked oddly shaped, as if broken. Could it really have been just external injuries?
But Third Great-Aunt reconsidered. Wasn't the girl standing right there, perfectly fine? What reason would Liu Ming'an have to lie?
Third Great-Aunt stopped dwelling on it and smiled, nodding at Jiang Ning, "Jiang, dear, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."
Jiang Ning nodded slightly to the old woman in gratitude.
Third Great-Uncle laughed heartily and said, "Ming'an, I need to hurry and deliver firewood to Fusheng Restaurant. I won't chat with you today. I'm off!"
Third Great-Aunt looked at Liu Ming'an, wanting to say something, but hesitated due to Jiang Ning's presence. In the end, she swallowed her words and just called out, "Ming'an, Jiang dear, we're leaving now."
Having achieved his goal, Liu Ming'an smiled at the elderly couple and said, "Take care, Third Great-Uncle, Third Great-Aunt."
"Yo!" Third Great-Uncle called out once more, and the ox cart slowly rolled forward, leaving Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning behind in no time.
After the elderly couple had gone far enough, Liu Ming'an turned to Jiang Ning and said, "Let's go too." His voice was clear and mellow, carrying an obvious hint of amusement.
Afterwards, they encountered several more villagers heading to the market. Liu Ming'an employed the same tactic, proactively greeting them and then casually repeating the explanation about Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning understood that in ancient villages like this, where families had lived for generations, there were hardly any secrets. Although Liu Ming'an had only revealed her situation to four or five people, within two days, everyone in Lotus Flower Village would know that she was a person with fully functional limbs.
Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning left the village, following a straight main road. They passed through a cluster of mountains, traversed a large bamboo forest, and crossed a stone bridge over a small river. They walked from dusk until broad daylight, finally seeing the words "Lingshan Town" inscribed on a stone archway.
"Phew~ We've arrived."
Liu Ming'an let out a long breath. After walking for two hours, he was indeed a bit tired. He raised his sleeve to wipe a thin layer of sweat from his forehead. Looking to his side, he saw that Jiang Ning wasn't flushed or out of breath at all. She showed no signs of fatigue, as if nothing had happened.
"Jiang Ning, aren't you tired at all?" Liu Ming'an asked, puzzled.
Jiang Ning had been eagerly observing the passersby - people carrying loads on shoulder poles, others with baskets on their backs, men and women, young and old. It perfectly embodied the phrase "bent figures carrying burdens, coming and going without end."
Hearing Liu Ming'an's question, Jiang Ning withdrew her gaze and replied flatly, "Not tired." A mere four-hour walk was nothing worth mentioning.
"Do you feel tired?" Jiang Ning asked in return.
"A little," Liu Ming'an answered honestly.
Then, Liu Ming'an heard Jiang Ning say seriously, "That's because you're too weak."
Liu Ming'an: "..."
Such bluntness was rather embarrassing.
"Do you want to rest a while before we continue?" Jiang Ning asked again.
"No need," Liu Ming'an firmly refused, striding forward. "I'm not tired at all. I was just joking earlier."
Jiang Ning followed Liu Ming'an with some skepticism, joining the flow of people entering Lingshan Town.
Past the town boundary marker, the street was no longer a muddy dirt road. It was entirely paved with stone slabs, their edges worn smooth by years of foot and cart traffic, bearing the marks of time and weather.
The street grew wider as they walked, with small vendor stalls crowding both sides. Shouts of hawkers and the sounds of bargaining filled the air, giving the impression of a bustling and prosperous small town.
However, at a certain point, all the vendors suddenly disappeared. Passersby hurried their steps, and even those talking lowered their voices, as if a stretch of the noisy river had been cut off by a knife.
Jiang Ning followed Liu Ming'an down the suddenly quiet street, puzzled, until she saw a large mansion with a vermilion plaque that read "Baoji County Government" in bold, square characters. Then she understood.
This was the government office. The yamen demanded solemnity and didn't allow for noise. In this era, commoners feared officials. To ordinary people, officials belonged to a privileged class, so naturally, they kept their distance.
Two armed constables stood guard outside the yamen, one on each side. A large drum was placed at the entrance. Jiang Ning only glanced at it before averting her gaze, following Liu Ming'an out of this stretch of road and back into the noisy marketplace.
"Isn't this Lingshan Town? Why is the Baoji County government office located here?" Jiang Ning voiced her confusion.
"Baoji County governs six towns, namely Lingshan, Lingshui, Lingyun, Lingfeng, Lingxing, and Lingyue. According to the current dynasty's laws, the county government office cannot be fixed in one place. It rotates among the towns, staying in each for five years. It's currently our Lingshan Town's turn, and in two years, it will move to Lingshui Town."
Jiang Ning understood. This system existed in modern times too, designed to prevent officials from staying in one place too long and forming their own power base, ensuring that the common people knew the county magistrate but not forgetting the emperor.
"So, is the market day on the 5th only held in the town where the government office is located?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Not at all. The market day tradition has been passed down for generations. The people you see now aren't all from Lingshan Town," Liu Ming'an patiently explained, seeing Jiang Ning's confused expression. "The towns in Baoji County aren't far apart, and some merchants travel between them. To facilitate trade and avoid time conflicts, each town has its market day on a different date. The six towns have their markets on the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively. Our Lingshan Town's is on the 5th."
Jiang Ning was about to ask a couple more questions when Liu Ming'an stopped and pointed to a fluttering blue flag, saying, "Jiang Ning, we've reached Fusheng Restaurant."