After seeing Dong Hao off, Qin San Niang's good mood was dampened for the rest of the time.

Seeing Liu and the others looking so happy, she was reluctant to break the peace. But what was coming was bound to happen. In order to prepare in advance, she told Liu and Wu Chunhua about it after the meal. The children and servants in the house were also there, so they heard everything clearly.

Upon hearing the news, people were not as shocked as she had imagined; they merely sighed a few times and cursed the damned world.

"Third Sister, what do you think we should do this time?" Wu Chunhua was no longer the timid woman she once was. She knew that when faced with a problem, one had to confront it, and that avoidance was not the solution. Listening to Third Sister would surely be the right thing to do.

The children and their mother were all staring intently at her, looking as if they would follow her every word.

"Let me think about it some more. If all else fails, we can go deep into the mountains and find a suitable place to rest and recuperate. That's much better than encountering rebels," Qin Sanniang said slowly.

The eldest son said, "Mother is right. These rebels are different from bandits. They are regular troops with stronger fighting capabilities. If they really run out of food and clothing, who knows if they will massacre the entire village!"

“Bo Jin is right. The reason why the princes are rebelling is largely due to the corruption of the court and the lack of military supplies. They must have taken advantage of this to get their soldiers to turn against the royal court. Soldiers are more dangerous than ordinary bandits,” Qin San Niang agreed.

Liu sighed, saying that people were never allowed to live a good life. Granny Song quickly comforted her, saying that as long as the employer was there, everything would be alright. But as she said this, Granny Song felt a pang of sorrow herself; this damned world truly made it impossible for anyone to live a comfortable life!

The Zhang family father and son, as well as the Diao brothers, were also worried, but seeing that the young masters and young ladies of the master's household were very calm, and that the master's household was already trying to find a solution, they figured they just had to follow the master's household no matter what.

She needs to inform the shop owner. If there are many employees remaining, they can continue operating to distract Chen's business. If there aren't many employees, it's better to close it down for renovations. She also needs to inform the charity. As for the workshops in the village, that's easier to handle; she can notify them in a few days.

As a result, there are many more things that need to be done.

Resigned to her fate, Qin San Niang began to worry about the matter. She instructed Wu Chunhua to temporarily reduce the quantity of preserved fruit and fruit wine. All the prepared preserved fruit and fruit wine were stored in the cellar, and any excess was sent to the charity. The weather was cold now, and the stored fresh fruit was almost used up, so the reasons were readily available. The fermentation time for the fruit wine was also gradually lengthening, so reducing production was also necessary for the season.

The pottery workshop had shut down a few days ago, firstly because the winter temperatures were too low, making production quite laborious, and secondly because they had already stored enough white porcelain for their needs. The potters were a little disappointed when they found out, but hearing that the kiln would reopen the following spring, they considered it a time to go home and hibernate. Besides, they had earned quite a bit in the previous months, so they happily went home to prepare for the New Year.

Of course, Qin San Niang didn't forget those who had gone home to rest. Chen Jincai still delivered their New Year's Eve bonus as usual, making everyone envious! Look how good the benefits are at the kiln! They get cured meat and rice for free without working. Next year, I'll definitely try my luck and see if I can get hired…

When Chen Sheng, the village head, saw Qin Sanniang walk in, he felt a surge of joy. This year had been truly comfortable. In previous years, he dared not wander around the village around the time of the Lunar New Year, as he was surrounded by people crying and complaining about having nothing to eat or drink, and even their grain seeds were almost gone! Every household was filled with the sound of children crying, and the adults were all sighing and lamenting. They had no time to pay attention to the crying children, and besides, how could they not cry when they were hungry? But the grain jars at home were already empty!

This year, wherever he went, there was peace and tranquility. Children played with insects and leaves in the yard, while adults were busy preparing late-night snacks at home. The air was filled with the aroma of food, which calmed his mind considerably.

"Big Baby's mother, come in quickly. What brings you here?"

Qin San Niang paused, feeling that every time she came, she brought bad news, but she still had to say what needed to be said.

“Uncle Village Head, I’ve come to discuss something with you.”

"No rush, sit down quickly. Your aunt is busy making rice cakes, she'll take some back for the kids later. Honey, hurry up and bring some water, Da Wa's mom is here." He handed her a small stool and called out to the kitchen.

Hearing that Da Wa's mother had arrived, Wang Shi quickly agreed. A moment later, she came out wiping her hands, saying, "Oh dear, Da Wa's mother is here! Wait a moment, Auntie will make you some honey water!"

Da Wa's family may have all sorts of good things, but this honey was found by his eldest son on the mountain a few days ago, and it's a truly good thing.

Qin San Niang quickly stood up and stopped her, "Auntie, don't bother. I have something important to say. I need to go to the city later."

The village head and his wife exchanged a glance. What's going on now? But they weren't afraid. They'd even caught bandits before, so what were they afraid of?

After hearing what Qin San Niang had to say, the couple almost collapsed to the ground again!

"Big Brother's mother, what did you say? The rebels are going to attack our area?"

"The rebels are indeed on their way south, but we are only two days away from Lin'an City. I'm afraid we might be affected."

If she were to explain further, the rebels might not necessarily come. But for them, it was simply a matter of whether it happened or not.

After the incident with the bandits, Chen Sheng now had complete faith in Da Wa's mother, and immediately asked her what she planned to do.

Qin San Niang didn't beat around the bush and told him directly about her family's decision to retreat to the deep mountains.

Chen Sheng lowered his head in thought. There was no shortage of food in the deep mountains. There were wild vegetables and fruits in the old forest, and even in winter, they could gather nuts and the like. However, their ancestors were very secretive about the old forest, saying that there were man-eating wild animals, poisonous flowers and plants, and even walking trees inside. In short, almost no one had ever come out of there alive.

Thinking of this, he hesitated. But if the rebels massacred the village, they would die instantly. If he went with Da Wa's mother to try and survive, they might have a chance to live.

Knowing this was a serious matter, Qin Sanniang wasn't in a hurry. However, it wouldn't be right for her to leave without a word. These villagers were all good people, and she couldn't just watch them perish in the war. But everyone is different, and she couldn't just drag them into the old forest.

Chen Sheng said, "Big Brother's mother, when will the rebels arrive? Uncle should be prepared."

"I don't know either, but I estimate it will take at least seven or eight days." This was just a preliminary estimate. In fact, Qin San Niang thought it might take longer, since tens of thousands of troops carrying heavy loads wouldn't move very fast. But it's hard to say; they might send an advance force first.