When she woke up the next morning, Lu Youqing had already recovered, but Qin Ke still wouldn't let her touch anything cold. As usual, he brewed her a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea and only left the house after watching her drink it all.
Li Nanqiao stared at Lu Youqing for a long while before murmuring in surprise, "Madam, the scar on your face seems much lighter. I see you every day, yet I didn't even notice."
Lu Youqing's hand paused as she was fixing her hair. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Ever since her face had been disfigured, although she had accepted the reality, she had grown reluctant to look at her reflection.
The image in the bronze mirror was blurry. She tilted her face slightly and unconsciously reached up to touch the scar.
Compared to before, the scar had indeed faded considerably, and even its size had grown smaller. Qin Ke hadn't been wrong—her scar truly could disappear. But how was that possible? How could an ordinary man from a small village obtain an ointment so miraculous that even the imperial family didn't possess?
The secrets surrounding him were growing more numerous, and he was becoming less and less inclined to hide them from her.
One day, he would tell her everything, she thought quietly, lowering her gaze.
After leaving the house, Qin Ke first went to find Aunt Li in the village. After thinking it through, he decided that rabbit fur was the softest and easiest animal hide to obtain. There was no need to go hunting—Aunt Li's family raised more than a dozen rabbits.
Thanks to the house-building, the villagers no longer rejected Qin Ke as much. Once he explained his purpose, Aunt Li readily sold him two rabbits.
However, as he held the lively, kicking rabbits in his hands, Qin Ke hesitated. He could handle killing fish at most—slaughtering rabbits and skinning them was beyond him.
Seeing him frown at the rabbits, Li Nanqiao stepped forward and asked, "Master, what are you planning to do?"
Qin Ke looked up, as if spotting a savior. "Can you kill rabbits?"
Li Nanqiao fell silent for a moment. She hadn't expected the tall, sturdy-looking Qin Ke to be afraid of killing rabbits.
"Um… be careful when skinning them," Qin Ke reminded her, watching her walk away with the rabbits.
Li Nanqiao took the rabbits to the woods at the foot of the mountain to slaughter them. She buried the offal in the soil. Understanding that Qin Ke wanted the rabbit skins, she even washed them clean by the river before bringing them back.
Qin Ke asked Li Nanqiao to stew the rabbit meat for dinner, while he took the cleaned skins. He first cured them with salt, then removed the surface fur, soaked them in lime powder, scraped off the remaining fat, dried them in the courtyard, and finally tanned them.
Lu Youqing stepped forward and said softly, "Let me do it. Should I sew it according to the pattern you drew?"
She knew exactly why Qin Ke was processing the rabbit skins. That part wasn't something she could help with—but she certainly couldn't let him sew menstrual cloths himself.
The pattern Qin Ke had drawn resembled a modern leak-proof sanitary pad, covered with a thick layer of gauze.
Following his instructions, Lu Youqing threaded the needle. Her stitches were tight and even, firmly sewing the rabbit skin to the gauze edges.
"Next time, just tell me and I'll do it. If word gets out, it won't be good for your reputation."
Qin Ke nodded obediently. He understood her concern, even though deep down he didn't think it mattered much.
Once that task was finished, Qin Ke began preparing to buy a servant. Having no experience with such matters, he asked Lu Youqing to accompany him.
She never refused his requests. Just as she had told him that night, the past couple of years had been hard—no one at court cared about governance anymore. Officials were busy forming factions and fighting for power, turning the entire court into a cesspool.
The ruler cared only about balancing factions, not about what they actually did. In their scramble for power, all sides extracted wealth relentlessly, and the ones who suffered were the common people.
At the slave trader's place, there were indeed many people—men in their thirties, and children as young as five or six who hadn't yet come of age.
Their one common trait was that they were all ragged and emaciated.
After some thought, Lu Youqing selected a boy of about fifteen or sixteen. He was thinner than the others, but his eyes were the clearest and most gentle.
Loyalty was the most important quality in a servant. Skill could be taught, but loyalty was indispensable.
"Oh, Madam has a sharp eye!" the trader said with a grin. "This one came from the south—quick with his hands, healthy, and strong teeth."
"The south—Pingjiang?" Lu Youqing asked.
"That's right! Madam is truly well-informed," the trader exclaimed, praising lavishly. "The fighting there was so fierce that the city emptied out. He fled from there—his entire family was killed, leaving only him. He couldn't survive, so he willingly sold himself."
Lu Youqing frowned. Before she left the capital, the border regions had already fallen into war, and the court still hadn't dispatched troops. Now, it seemed the fighting was ongoing. She wondered who had been sent to lead the campaign.
Qin Ke paid the money, collected the boy's indenture contract, and casually asked whether the trader had anyone skilled in carpentry.
As expected, the trader shook his head. Qin Ke could only ask him to notify him if such a person became available.
The boy stepped forward with his head lowered. Qin Ke noticed that he didn't even have a proper pair of shoes—his bare feet touched the ground.
"Alright, let's go."
Qin Ke led Lu Youqing ahead, while the boy followed closely behind them.
Afterward, Lu Youqing planned to stop by the bookshop to return the books she had finished copying and to pick up new ones.
Qin Ke asked the boy to stay by the donkey cart, while he himself intended to buy a book on laws—he still hadn't had the chance to properly understand the legal system of this era.
On the way back, Qin Ke drove the cart as usual. Lu Youqing sat inside, while the boy rode outside with him.
"What's your name? How old are you?" Qin Ke finally had time to ask.
"Han Qi. I'm fifteen."
Qin Ke felt a flicker of guilt at the thought of employing a child, but then remembered that in ancient times people matured early—many married at fifteen or sixteen. He couldn't judge by modern standards.
"I'm a few years older. I'll call you Xiao Qi. The one inside is my wife. Our household is small, with no complicated matters. You don't need to be nervous."
Qin Ke casually asked about his background. Han Qi was originally from Pingjiang, a border city between Dayan and the Xiongnu. Chaos broke out early last year, and not long after, the enemy invaded.
His parents, elder brother, and second sister were all killed while helping him escape. Alone, he fled the city, surviving on wild plants and rainwater until he reached this place.
Qin Ke felt deeply moved. Having lived his entire life in times of peace, he could hardly imagine how difficult life must be for civilians trapped in war.
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Currently at chapter 130 for advance chapters
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