They were very satisfied with their current lives, and it would be even better if they could stay in their master's house for a long time.

Diao Xi was older and knew that although the mistress was a widow, she was not an ordinary person. However, the mistress respected the children's opinions very much. Although they usually followed the young masters, as long as they served the young masters well and the young masters knew how good they were, the mistress would never kick them out.

The eldest and second eldest brothers were quite satisfied with the three Diao brothers. Although the eldest brother had Lu Song by his side, he still lacked someone to run errands, so he entrusted many things to the mature and steady Diao Xi.

As for the second brother, Diao Qing, he was usually not very talkative, but he was meticulous and very reliable in his work, earning him consistent praise from everyone in the distillery. The third brother, Diao Le, was only fourteen years old this year. He was a very clever young boy and had even learned the Thousand Character Classic, but that was about it. However, that was enough. Qin San Niang planned to assign him to work as a page for the waiter, so that he would have a companion when he went out to take exams in the future.

Qin Sanniang also gave the employees of several workshops and two shops a holiday, and distributed New Year's Eve bonuses of two catties of cured meat and a bag of rice. She didn't forget about the charity hall either. Most of them were already employees of the bottling plant, and some elderly, weak, women and children were also not idle. They could help with the work and take care of the employees' families. Qin Sanniang was not stingy, and distributed things to them accordingly.

Unexpectedly, there was even a perk on the Little New Year. Everyone was very happy and carried the meat home with beaming smiles.

After noon, smoke rose from every household in Shiligou as everyone prepared for the Lunar New Year's Eve dinner.

Many playful boys set off firecrackers on the village road. These firecrackers were not the kind with gunpowder added in later times, but were made from dried bamboo sections. When lit, they made a "crackling" sound, which was very fitting for their name.

When Qin San Niang heard that her children were going to set off firecrackers, she was initially very worried and told them to be careful. Later, she realized that these things really had no harmful effect at all, and that the children should have fun if they wanted to.

Gazing at the drifting clouds on the horizon, Qin Sanniang sighed, wondering where Brother Zhou and his wife were. Had they made it safely? Would they have made it out of Dingzhou? Even if they had, heading north, they might very well encounter bandits…

Sigh, I wonder how long these peaceful days in He County will last...

Before long, when Dong Hao stood in front of her, Qin San Niang cursed herself inwardly, "What a jinx!"

It turns out that the members of the Little Beggars' Gang went begging for food today and overheard some big news. In order to eavesdrop on the conversation, Xiao Dingdang was injured and almost had his leg broken. He managed to escape by pretending to be stupid.

"How's Xiaodingdang? You kids are really something! Didn't I tell you? No matter what, your safety comes first!" Qin Sanniang was also a little annoyed, and her tone unconsciously became heavier. She spontaneously put herself in the role of the boss from her previous life. Xiaodingdang and the others were her employees, working for her, so she was also responsible for their safety. Besides, employing child labor was somewhat wrong in itself.

This was the first time Dong Hao had seen her so anxious. He knew she was worried about Xiao Dingdang's safety, so he refrained from arguing with her and quickly said, "Don't worry, boss. Xiao Dingdang has already been taken to Doctor Cao. He said it's just a superficial injury and she'll be fine after a few days of rest."

Hearing this, Qin San Niang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she ask what had happened.

Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn. According to rumors, the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Longxi have rebelled! It is said that they will soon be able to reach Lin'an, and Jiangzhou, being located on the outskirts of Lin'an, is also in grave danger!

"Is this news accurate? Where did you get it from?" Qin San Niang wondered. From Jingzhou to Jiangzhou, even if tens of thousands of troops traveled at their fastest speed, it would take at least half a month. Even the vanguard, which rode at full speed, would take seven or eight days. How could the news spread so quickly?

"Boss, this news came from Manager Chen's shop. Little Dingdang has been keeping watch over there, and coincidentally, their back door wasn't locked today, so he took it upon himself to sneak in..."

Qin San Niang was both angry and helpless. She was telling them to pay attention to Chen Yushan, but there was no need to take such a risk! However, this made the information much more accurate.

"However, how did Xiao Dingdang escape?" If Chen Yushan had discovered that he was eavesdropping, let alone a little beggar, even a normal citizen would have been wiped out.

"After eavesdropping, Dingdang realized the seriousness of the matter. Luckily, a cat happened to pass by and saved his life. He turned around and hid back in the kitchen, still holding the food he had stolen. The cook caught him, dragged him into the kitchen, and beat him up. He almost lost his life, but luckily, the cat saved him."

Qin San Niang finally understood. It turned out that the child had turned misfortune into blessing, and there really was a meddlesome stray cat in the alley where the Chen family lived.

What are you planning to do?

Speaking of this, even a self-important young leader of the Beggars' Sect like Dong Hao felt a little anxious.

Their county is closest to Jiangzhou, but it doesn't have the same strong guards as Jiangzhou. It's not impossible that those rebels would turn back and come here.

After a moment's thought, as if she had made up her mind, Qin San Niang said, "What else can we do? We have to run away!"

The Prince of Zhennan had visited He County before, and it's quite possible he would choose to camp here first. With the strength of the county government, they could withstand some of the attacks, but those villages outside the county town would not be spared no matter what.

“We have the mountains behind us, so if things get really bad, we can just hide in the mountains. What about the little kids in your gang? Do you want to come hide with me?” Qin San Niang invited them warmly. Those kids were all young and already pitiful enough, having lost both their parents.

Dong Hao pondered for a moment and said, "There's no need for that for now. Let's see how things go. If things really don't work out, we can still get out smoothly. You don't need to worry."

Their small beggar gang had just bought a house with their savings. Although they were still begging, they were no longer starving or freezing, and they were unwilling to give up their newly acquired house. Even if He County were to be captured, it wouldn't matter. He knew there was a dog hole near the south gate; crawling out would lead to the mountains and forests, from which they could retreat.

Dong Hao believed from the bottom of his heart that He County was relatively stable. While it wasn't uncommon for Hu people to invade from the south, they had never managed to breach the city walls. Firstly, the walls were extremely sturdy and solid. Secondly, He County's armed forces were quite strong; the soldiers in the county government office, along with the local militia, formed a force not to be underestimated. Even so, He County's population density was relatively high, with several thousand able-bodied men.

However, Chen Yushan is a menace, and we must get rid of him sooner or later.