Da Tang Si Zi: My Six Super Rich Little Nuggets!

Chapter 218 Double Blow: Heartbreak and Unemployment

On the banks of the Songhua River in late autumn, a cold mist shrouded the angelica and astragalus plants in the medicinal herb fields, and Qiu Rongmu's straw raincoat was covered with frost.

Xiao Si's tenth letter lay on the desk, the wax dripping onto the sealing wax like the traces of her tears from last night.

The sound of post horses pounding through the ice at the post station always startled her heart in the twilight, but those urgent documents stamped with military seals eventually became dust falling like crumbs from a grinding stone.

Xiao Si believed she had deep feelings for Brother Mu Tou and never stopped thinking about him, but little did she know that Qiu Rong Mu was a heartless element in the Five Elements.

In a courtyard with the words "How Much Spring Is There?", when Qiu Rongmu was giving acupuncture to a calf, she would specially warm her hands with mugwort... Why is that?

The icicles under the eaves of the Jiang family's daughter's house reflected the morning light, turning the cowshed into a crystal palace, and the old yellow ox's cloudy pupils floated with a light gentler than the Songhua River.

As Qiu Rongmu's silver needle pierced the ox ear vein, the osmanthus blossoms in the hair of Miss Zhixu from the Jiang family always trembled gently, like her unspoken eyelashes...

Qiu Rongmu's life was filled with trivial matters. Every day she had to take care of medicinal herbs, treat livestock, and deal with all sorts of requests from neighbors and villagers.

Gradually, he distanced himself from Xiao Si in the capital, and the letters that had been sent to him were casually placed in a sandalwood box in the west wing, left to erode with time.

On the letter paper held down by the golden nanmu wood paperweight, the four characters "Seeing this letter is like meeting you in person" have yellowed, the ink bleeding, resembling the shape of the first snow in the north, blurred and desolate. Each letter lies quietly in the box, silently telling of the longing from afar.

"Autumn's beauty fades with time, and seeing this letter feels like seeing you in person. The northeast winds and frosts are rising, and I wonder how you are doing there? Whenever I think of you guarding the border, I can't help but feel a pang of longing. The lonely moon over the frontier, the setting sun over the long river, I imagine you facing the autumn wind alone, and I feel the same way."

Another letter:

"Recently, court affairs have been numerous and complicated, but whenever I review memorials, I cannot help but think of your loyalty, courage, and strategic wisdom. The Northeast, though thousands of miles away, is the bulwark of the nation. You have protected the peace of this region with your own strength, which greatly pleases me. The other day, an urgent report came from the border, saying that there was unusual activity in the north. I know that you must have already taken some measures. However, I am still worried about your safety, so I specially ordered someone to send you warm clothing and medicine with this letter. I hope you will take good care of yourself and not worry about me."

Another letter:

"Brother Wood, I often recall the days when we discussed state affairs together. Your insights were unique and your words were sharp, always leaving me in awe. Now you are far away in the Northeast, and although I live deep in the palace, I often feel that I lack a confidant by my side. Autumn is deep and the dew is heavy. If you have some free time, you may write me a letter to tell me about the scenery on the frontier, or perhaps share your thoughts. Although I am the Empress, I am willing to be your friend and listen to your joys and sorrows."

Another letter:

"This letter was written on a late autumn night, the candlelight flickering red. I held the pen for a long time, but finally felt that the paper was insufficient to express my feelings. I wish you well and look forward to your reply!!"

These letters, each word filled with heartfelt emotion, were forgotten in a corner due to Qiu Rongmu's busy schedule. Until this day, Jiang Zhixu came to his house, bringing him newly made clothes. She inadvertently glanced at the letters in the sandalwood box, curiously picked one up, and examined it closely.

"This is truly top-quality Xuan paper, with gold lines outlining the edges." She exclaimed softly, but her gaze was drawn to the faintly visible dragon pattern on the paper. Startled, she held her breath.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Rongmu hurriedly snatched the letter away, a flicker of panic crossing her face. The envelope was wrapped in dark blue silk, sealed with vermilion wax bearing the Empress's phoenix emblem. The front of the envelope was neatly inscribed: "To General Qiu Rongmu, Northeast Frontier."

Jiang Zhixu stood frozen in place, looking at Qiu Rongmu with a complex expression, hesitant to speak. Qiu Rongmu, on the other hand, stared down at the letter in his hand, a surge of indescribable emotions welling up inside him. Those neglected concerns resurfaced at this moment, yet they did not make him feel the slightest bit guilty.

Outside the window, the autumn wind was bleak, swirling up a few withered leaves as a silent reminder that some feelings should not be buried by time.

The letter also included a small jade pendant engraved with the words "Wu Yang" (meaning "Peace and Prosperity"). This pendant was a precious item specially selected from the national treasury by Empress Xiao Si, symbolizing peace and good fortune.

The blue phoenix that Xiao Si had carefully embroidered in the corner of the letter faded instantly in the dampness, just like the silhouette in her memory of searching for plum blossoms in the snow—it turned out that he hadn't been walking in the snow, but had simply followed the scent of osmanthus and turned into the fenced yard of the neighboring village...

As the young lady from the Jiang family poured him ginseng tea with her frostbitten, red fingers, Qiu Rongmu was preparing the last ingredient: snow frog. The medicinal herbs in the earthenware pot curled up into a grayish-brown secret in the gentle heat, like the layers of expectation wrapped in those unopened letters.

Outside the window, the honeysuckle vines that Xiao Si planted last year have already climbed all over the east wall, but at this moment he is gazing at the newly formed spider webs on the beams and pillars of the Zhi Jiang family's cowshed, with dew dripping down the silver threads onto the earthenware pot used for brewing medicine.

As the cold dew soaked through the faded brocade, the heartbroken Xiao Si knelt in the mire of court intrigue, picking up rotten acorns. Her fingers, once adorned with gold and silver threads, were now inlaid with black ink and red brocade. Her palms, once embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, were now marked with scarlet grooves from the rough hemp rope. Xiao Si endured the agonizing pain of the other party's ruthlessness, biting her lip, yet tears still streamed down her face. Little did she know that Qiu Rongmu, this blockhead, was actually a humble and refined young master!

In the future, Xiao Si, a history graduate, recently suffered a double blow: not only did she lose her job, but she was also dumped by her boyfriend Qiu Rongmu!

The recently popular DeepSeek analysis indicated that Qiu Rongmu's birth chart had a strong Earth element, which should have given people a sense of reliability and dependability, but the reality was quite the opposite.

Xiao Si's classmate, Xiao Ke, had a keen insight into this: "Many men with strong Earth element appear to be stable on the surface, but in reality, they are stubborn, selfish, and tough, with dark hearts, especially when their Bazi lacks the Fire element and Fire is an unfavorable element. They are good at creating a reliable persona, but in reality, they are ruthless and heartless."

As Xiao Ke said, selfish people will find it difficult to maintain happiness even if they get married.

Now, even making ends meet is a problem, let alone this country bumpkin. Xiao Si's job is also in trouble. With the declining birth rate and severe overstaffing in the teaching profession, she was forced to sign a leave-of-absence and entrepreneurship contract. Nominally, she retained her position, but in reality, she was unemployed and had lost the district's funding.

Nowadays, many companies hire a large number of interns to reduce costs, without paying high salaries or contributing to social security and housing fund. Xiao Si never imagined that after years of hard work, she would end up tutoring children with their homework in after-school programs, and to make matters worse, her salary had been three months in arrears.

"Parents are all buying on credit now," the tutoring center owner said helplessly. "If you can't hold on, just quit. If I don't take these students, there won't even be any debts... Sigh, it's tough for everyone. Those who can hold on, just get through it..." Faced with this reality, Xiao Si felt extremely lost. How should she go about her future?

At night, she time-traveled again.

The banquet hosted by the Jiang family for Qiu Rongmu was extremely lavish. The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, clinking glasses and making merry. As the drinking reached its climax, Miss Zhixu gracefully entered the stage. As the lead dancer, her figure was elegant and her beauty exceptional, drawing frequent glances from everyone. However, strangely, whether offering wine or adjusting her hair, she never extended a hand, as if intentionally avoiding it. Although the crowd found this odd, they dared not say anything.

During the meal, a drunken guest lost his composure and, emboldened by the alcohol, quipped in a low voice, "Could it be that Miss Jiang has grown six fingers and is ashamed to show her face?" Although it was meant as a joke, it drew whispers from those around them. Upon hearing this, Qiu Rongmu frowned slightly, displeased, and stood up to walk to Zhi Xu's side, intending to take her hand to prove her innocence.

To everyone's surprise, the moment he touched Zhixu's wrist, before he could even apply any force, Zhixu's body fell to the ground as lightly as a withered leaf. Everyone stared in horror—the once beautiful and charming Zhixu had transformed into a skeleton resembling a tiger! The room fell instantly silent, a chill creeping over them.

Qiu Rongmu stood frozen in place, utterly terrified. Before he could react, he felt a chilling aura wash over him. Only then did he realize that he had unwittingly provoked something ominous.

Xiao Si used her own blood essence to refine Zhi Xu, who was not a girl, for their Qiu Xiao Yin. She originally intended to use it to strengthen her son's bones, but she never expected it to end like this. There was no way to cover it up. From then on, Qiu Rong Mu's love affairs came one after another...