The remaining men in black heard their leader cry out "Ah!" and heard the sound of a crossbow bolt piercing flesh. They knew what had happened; they were very familiar with that sound!

Those cowards immediately knelt down and begged for mercy. Without a leader, these scoundrels could amount to nothing.

"Grandma, we were blind to your greatness! Please have mercy and spare us!"

"We were forced to go up the mountain, we'll never dare to do it again..."

...

"Stop doing these petty thefts. If you run into me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Qin Sanniang pulled out the crossbow bolts. These were all made of fine steel; they couldn't be wasted!

"Understood, Grandma!"

"I'll never do it again! Thank you, Grandma!"

...

Unable to bear listening to their cries any longer, Qin San Niang thought, "If only I had known this would happen!" She got up and hurried after the group that had already gone far away!

The villagers of Lujia Village ran incredibly fast; even the elderly were running with remarkable agility.

The women of the Sima family were in the same situation, except that the Dowager Lady, being older, had already been invited into the carriage by Lady Liu, which would save some time.

The waiter was the first to see his mother following behind, and quickly called for Fatty Sister to stop.

Seeing that there were no more bandits behind them, Liu told Fatty and Gu Qingshan to pull over to the side of the road, otherwise her eldest daughter would be exhausted and out of breath.

Not far ahead is a fork in the road; one road leads to Suizhou and then to the southern border, while the other road leads to Dingzhou and then to Jiangnan.

Considering that the women of the Sima family were going to the southern border, they must have taken a different route.

When Qin San Niang arrived, the old lady and the others were already waiting for her leisurely.

The women followed the matriarch in performing a grand salute.

"This old woman is grateful for your rescue, madam. We are women from the Sima family in the capital. If fate allows, we hope to meet you again. The descendants of the Sima family will remember Madam Qin's kindness for generations to come!"

Qin San Niang quickly helped the old lady up; she had only done it on a whim and it wasn't worth it.

Ran Niang, who was standing nearby, also smiled, thanking Qin San Niang.

"We will likely part ways with Madam Qin soon, as we will be traveling through Suizhou to the southern border. If you are going to Jiangzhou Prefecture and need any assistance, you can seek out my maternal elder brother, Madam Meili Wang, who will help you."

As she spoke, Ran Niang took out a wooden hairpin.

This wooden hairpin is exquisite, ebony in color, and clearly a valuable item.

"No, Madam, I cannot accept such a valuable gift! Do you have any message for your brother? If possible, I will do my best to deliver it for you!"

Seeing that the other party could tell that the wooden hairpin was an expensive item, Ran Niang was even more surprised!

This wooden hairpin was made of fragrant wood that her brother had painstakingly found. It emitted a fragrance without needing to be burned, and the scent would last a long time. It was her gift for passing the imperial examination. The officials didn't recognize its value and didn't take it even when they searched her house, which is why she was able to keep it.

Ran Niang was initially reluctant to give it away, but now she feels it was worth it!

She forcefully stuffed the wooden hairpin into Qin San Niang's hand, saying, "If you can see my brother, please tell him that I am well and that he need not worry."

Qin San Niang agreed to all of them.

They must have a way to get south, and without the constables, their journey might be even more comfortable. Considering the long road ahead, I figured I should see them off to the end, especially since I'd taken their jade pendant and wooden hairpin! Those were very valuable!

With a slight movement, Qin San Niang took out more than thirty pairs of shoes of various sizes from her spatial storage. Of course, they were all thick cloth cotton shoes, but the soles were definitely much better than those of today, as they were all made of rubber and were wear-resistant!

All the people saw was her taking a bundle out of her basket and handing it to the old lady.

"Madam, it's fate that we've met. I don't have much to give you, but here are a few pairs of shoes. Please take them and have a safe journey!"

Ran Niang took the bundle from her mother-in-law's hand with slightly trembling hands, her heart churning with turmoil.

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow!

After bidding farewell to Qin San Niang and her group, the astonishment Ran Niang and her companions felt upon seeing the shoes was beyond words! While the craftsmanship wasn't exquisite, the shoes were sturdy and neatly made, with meticulous stitching suggesting they were made by a single person. The soles were also thick, likely preventing them from wearing out even after traveling to the Southern Border. They were soft to wear, making walking much easier! And there were even five gold leaves inside!

Normally, these gold leaves wouldn't be anything surprising, but now they were something that could save their lives!

The younger generation of the Sima family were once again given a serious lecture, reminding them to always remember Madam Qin's great kindness.

After arriving in the Southern Territory, they preserved Qin San Niang's portrait from memory, and the fact that they would kowtow and express their gratitude during festivals is another story!

Back to Qin Sanniang, she quickly set off on the road to Dingzhou.

The road was muddy after the rain, and the group walked slowly. Fortunately, there was no shortage of water now, and everyone had food on hand, so the journey was relatively safe.

However, new troubles arose. After October, the weather grew colder day by day, and finding a place to camp at night became a problem.

The sun was setting early by now; it was already getting dark around 5 p.m.

The eldest child, with his sharp eyes, spotted a village with firelight in the distance.

"Grandma, Grandma, Auntie, look! Isn't that a village ahead?"

If there were a village, that would be wonderful!

In most villages, there are vacant, dilapidated houses. People at that time are simple and honest, and they are willing to lend a helping hand to passersby. In addition, one can also pay a few coins to stay at a villager's house, and most families are willing to do so.

Therefore, everyone was quite excited when they heard that there was a village ahead.

It's great news that we don't have to sleep outdoors anymore!

"Brother Qingshan, let's go take a look first."

Gu Qingshan nodded and drove the mule cart toward the village. He felt uneasy, however, as he remembered there weren't many inhabited villages in this area; due to years of war, many villages were now deserted.

However, due to the passage of time, he couldn't remember many things.

Standing on the donkey cart, Lu Dingtian addressed the villagers, saying that there was a village ahead and if they were lucky, they could stay for the night. However, as always, they were not allowed to steal chickens or dogs, lest they offend the host family and be handed over to the authorities, which would be beyond his control.

This is also a precaution. Most of the people in this village are good, but no one can say what they might do under the influence of hunger.

As the clan chief, he has a duty to ensure that orders are obeyed. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch; this cannot be allowed to happen to the Lu clan!

Upon closer inspection, the village appeared utterly dilapidated. Only a dozen or so houses still had their lights on.

The group entered the village, making quite a commotion. Dogs from the households that kept them began barking.

Their voices rose and fell in harmony with Xiaobai's, creating a wonderful symphony!

Ahead stood a house with couplets pasted on its door; though dilapidated, they must have been newly put up this year. The courtyard wall was fairly tidy, and inside stood a persimmon tree, its high branches laden with a few persimmons—even Qin San Niang was a little tempted!