The fifth day of the Lunar New Year was sunny and clear; it was the day the market reopened!

Early in the morning, the sound of firecrackers filled the air, symbolizing a prosperous start to the year, and the weather was getting warmer day by day.

As the weather warmed up after the New Year, sales of gloves and earmuffs indeed declined day by day, just as Qin Sanniang had predicted! However, this forehead band, which can be worn in all seasons, still sold quite well!

Wu Chunhua and Liao Hongying both knew that the person who bought their headbands was an old acquaintance of Qin Sanniang. It was probably because of Qin Sanniang's influence that he was treating them so well. Anyone could make these headbands, so why did he have to make them? Aren't the embroiderers' skills better than theirs?

In the past month or so, even He Xing and Wang Guixiang, who were helping out, have earned nearly five or six taels of silver! The two of them earned even more, at least several dozen taels of silver.

Everyone was very satisfied. Even if the business of selling forehead ribbons was no longer available, they would at most feel disappointed, but they were not greedy! Besides, they would start planting and building houses in the spring!

Qin San Niang comforted them, telling them not to worry. She said that Jinxiu Pavilion had also said that their embroidery was very good, and that in addition to headbands, they also accepted embroidered handkerchiefs, nets, and the like.

Thinking back to her experience of being followed in He County, Qin Sanniang felt that she could no longer appear in He County in the near future, at least not by carriage.

After thinking about it carefully, I realized that those people didn't see my face and my eldest child clearly, but they should be able to recognize the style of the carriage.

However, he couldn't forget the new pastries he had promised Manager Si, so after thinking about it, he changed his clothes and went to He County with Gu Qingshan. Yesterday, he had hunted some pheasants and rabbits, keeping two for his own family to enjoy, and naturally, he would sell the rest.

"Madam Qin, why are you dressed like this? Has something happened?"

Qin San Niang dressed in men's clothing, wearing a coarse cloth long gown and cotton robe, with men's earmuffs and gloves on her head. This men's cotton robe was altered by Liu Shi and Wu Chunhua overnight.

I heard that the eldest daughter wanted to go to the county town to discuss business, and it would be inconvenient to wear women's clothing.

After a moment's thought, Liu regretted not having thought of it sooner. Even though her eldest daughter was now the head of the family, she was still a woman. If those with bad intentions were to harbor evil thoughts, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wu Chunhua naturally thought of this as well. Even though Third Sister was no ordinary woman and had high martial arts skills, she was still no match for four hands. She should be tolerant when necessary and avoid trouble.

Gu Qingshan was clearly thinking a bit deeper. In his eyes, Qin Sanniang had always been a formidable character, both in terms of intelligence and skill. Her disguise was undoubtedly to avoid being recognized. And today she was going to Si Ji to discuss business; Fatty Ya had said the manager of Si Ji was quite good. So, was someone else eyeing her?

Just as she was hesitating whether to ask, Qin San Niang said in a relaxed tone, "Qingshan, you don't need to worry. Last time, Da Wa'er and I were followed at the entrance of Si Ji. It was probably done by Si Ji's rivals or competitors. Anyway, it's always better to be careful."

"So, that's why we didn't use a carriage this time?" Gu Qingshan asked, having figured out the key point.

"They must have been staking out the area around Si Ji, so they probably didn't see me. But I have to go to Si Ji today, so I have to disguise myself to get there."

You don't need to worry about my safety; I don't even consider those petty scoundrels a threat. However, we've only just begun to enjoy a few days of peace, and we absolutely cannot afford to provoke such villains over something so trivial. That's Manager Si's responsibility!"

If discovered, Qin Sanniang planned to go all the way and eliminate those people once and for all. No one understands the meaning of stability better than those who survived the ordeal of fleeing.

Gu Qingshan nodded, indicating that he understood what Qin Sanniang meant. He just reminded her to be careful, and that he would wait for her at the city gate.

Now, they have gone from being comrades-in-arms who fled together to being trusted partners. Qin San Niang is a few years older than him, so she naturally treats him like a younger brother.

Gu Qingshan also regarded Qin Sanniang as his elder and guide, and it seemed that by her side, he could never stray from the right path. Unlike before, when he was always feeling his way across the river, not knowing what lay ahead, he still had his own principles and beliefs. To this day, he didn't feel he had done anything wrong, except that he felt sorry for his mother, wife, and daughter. If there were an afterlife, he would definitely protect them well and prevent them from being harmed again.

Thinking about all this, Gu Qingshan gradually felt at peace.

In this life, everyone has desires.

It's not about faith, it's not about power or wealth!

All he sought was a sliver of his own obsession: to end the bloodshed and bring peace to the world.

The two remained silent the entire way and soon arrived in He County.

As Qin San Niang had predicted, there were many unfamiliar faces when they entered the city. Many people were squatting around the city gate, including several thugs who had been following them for the past few days. However, those people were chatting on the side!

Seeing this, Qin Sanniang's face darkened. She couldn't believe that someone in such a small county as He could possibly try to control everything! Her hands clenched involuntarily, and a voice inside her screamed, "Get them!"

However, Qin San Niang was very patient and quickly calmed her inner turmoil. She stopped the carriage, jumped down from it, and told Gu Qingshan to go first.

"Where are you from? What brings you into the city?" The city guards, carrying spears, questioned each person entering the city in turn. If they encountered refugees, they had to pay a head fee!

Qin San Niang is from Shili Gou, but she doesn't have her household registration with her anymore. It contains detailed records of her name, gender, and facial features. Wouldn't it give her away if someone saw it?!

But this didn't stump her; she could just forge another one next time.

"Brother, I'm from Shiligou. My brother-in-law is Chief Escort Huang of the Ping'an Escort Agency. He's going out on a mission this time, and my mother is worried about him, so she asked me to bring him some food. That's why I have to come to the city! Could you please make an exception? I really didn't know that the inspection was so strict this time. It's too late to go back and get my household registration!"

As she spoke, Qin Sanniang stuffed a piece of silver into the yamen runner's hand, "Here, sir, take this and have some wine. It's so cold outside, it's really tough on you!"

The city guard weighed the loose silver in his hand, his serious expression turning into a beaming smile.

It's fucking cold today. I don't know what crazy thing the higher-ups have done, tormenting them like this before the Lunar New Year is even over.

Actually, when Qin Sanniang mentioned Huang the镖头 (bodyguard), the yamen runner was already 80% convinced. Huang the镖头 was indeed from the Ping'an镖局 (Ping'an Escort Agency), and was usually very generous; they had some acquaintance, and it wasn't a secret that his wife's younger brother was in Shili Gou. He just hadn't met him before!