Chapter 243 Show off
Dust blurred his vision. When the city wall disappeared from his sight, Sui Yu withdrew his gaze and no longer tried to turn his head to look back.
The desert east of Dunhuang was deserted, and the further east one went, the fewer villages and dwellings there were. After two days of walking, there were no houses on the road at all, though every thirty miles there was a post station on the roadside.
At sunset, the evening breeze becomes increasingly cold, and the wind howls across the desert. The rock piles standing on the Gobi Desert have become strange shapes due to the endless weathering all year round. The wind passes through the holes, and the humming sound it makes is like the howling of a wolf.
At the end of the western sky, the orange-red sunset slowly fell at a speed visible to the naked eye. The last ray of light disappeared on the earth, and the sky quickly darkened.
A loud gong sound came through the complicated sounds of camel bells, and then another gong sounded. Zhang Shun leaned over, picked up a small wooden hammer and struck the gong. The speed of the three caravans slowed down.
Before leaving the inn, Sui Yu had already agreed with the heads of the first two caravans that the three families would travel together on the way to Chang'an, and they would ring a gong to notify each other when they set off or stopped.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhao moved their old legs down from the hunchback. The old couple were dressed warmly, so they were not cold, but the wolfskin mattress they were wrapped in was heavy and made them feel very tired.
The slaves dispersed and acted separately. The maids were responsible for digging holes, burying pots, and collecting firewood for cooking. The male servants were responsible for unloading goods, moving stones, and setting up tents. Thirty to fifty people each did their best. Within an incense stick's time, the wilderness was filled with the smell of life, with fires, houses, and people. The desolate wilderness seemed to have come to life.
The water for cooking noodles boiled, and Sui Yu scooped two bowls of water and brought them to her parents-in-law, saying, "Drink something hot, it will make you feel better."
Mother Zhao held the bowl in her hands. She looked at her daughter-in-law in the darkness and said, "You should drink more hot water too."
"Well, how are you two feeling? Can you handle it?" Sui Yu asked with concern. "The caravan is traveling at a fast pace. If the camels don't rest, neither will the people. If you can't handle it, please don't endure it. We can go at a slower pace."
"It's okay, it's okay. Just follow the caravan." Mother Zhao waved her hand quickly. "Your father and I don't have to walk, so we can handle it. If you're tired, just go back and rest for a few days and you'll recover. Don't delay your business."
Father Zhao also echoed in a hoarse voice.
"Sister Yu, the soup noodles are cooked." Song Xian came over and called, "Aunt, Uncle, let's go over and eat first."
"Okay." Mother Zhao stood up.
Song Xian was fully prepared this time. Not only did she prepare dry food, she also brought an iron pot. Now she uses two iron pots to cook together. After the first group of people scoop out the noodles, she can add two more buckets of water to cook two more pots of dry noodles without delaying the second group of people from eating.
When leaving Dunhuang, Sui Yu took two cans of meat sauce and four cans of soybean paste. The meat sauce did not last long, so she asked people to eat the meat sauce first.
Mix the noodle soup with a spoonful of meat sauce and give each person a braised egg. This dinner is not much different from what we have at home.
After eating, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao sat by the fire to warm themselves. After the food in their stomachs was digested, they went into the tent to sleep.
Sui Yu and Song Xian each arranged three people to patrol at night, and then went to rest.
Song Xian brought thirty servants with her on this trip and prepared three camel-skin tents. The six tents were placed in a circle, one next to the other, so that even snoring and farting could be heard clearly. Although it was a bit disgusting, these noises made people feel at ease in this desolate night.
Four days later, three large caravans arrived at the gate of Jiuquan County.
The caravan in front was about to enter the city, and the city guard was checking the "pass" documents. Sui Yu estimated the time and drove her camel back to look for her parents-in-law.
"Dad, Mom, the caravan can stay in the city for about two hours. Mr. Song will be responsible for replenishing dry food in the city. I will take two people to send you back and then rush back." Sui Yu said.
"Why don't you stay the night before you leave? I pickled two large jars of pickled cabbage last year. You can take one for the journey." Zhao's mother said anxiously, "We have food at home. I even told your father to fry a few pots of noodles and bake some pancakes for you when we get home. You don't have to pay for things you have at home."
Sui Yu looked at her seriously. Seeing that her mother-in-law was not being polite, she smiled and said, "It's okay. We can go to the city and buy it. It won't be tiring. I won't go back to spend the night. I'm in a hurry to get on the road. If I delay for another month, the weather will get hotter, the snow on the mountains will melt, and the big river below Hongchiling will be flooded. It will be difficult to cross the river."
Zhao's father and mother still remember crossing the river on a sheepskin raft. It was indeed quite scary.
"If we're not going back to spend the night, you don't have to send us back." Father Zhao said, "Your mother and I will go back by ourselves. It's not like we don't know the way. You can go into the city and rest."
Sui Yu couldn't help but be surprised at the old couple's attitude at this moment. They acted like elders.
"Let's go." Father Zhao led his camel away from the camel caravan. "Be careful on the road, think more about the children, and don't try to be too stubborn. Just accept the loss."
Sui Yu responded.
"Um..." Zhao's mother turned around and asked with a little hesitation, "When will you come back this year? Come to our house and have a visit when you come back."
Sui Yu understood her mother-in-law's meaning almost instantly. She smiled and said, "I can't say when I'll be back. I'd like to come back early, preferably to Dunhuang before October, but I can't guarantee that. If I can come back before October, I'll pass by Jiuquan and pick you up to go to Dunhuang for the New Year. If you haven't seen me by the end of October, ask your eldest or second brother to take you there. Don't let the two of you go alone."
"Okay, okay." Mother Zhao was happy. "Then come back early."
"Your parents-in-law are interesting too. They don't have weird tempers." Song Xian drove the camel over.
Sui Yu retracted his gaze and said calmly: "It's okay, we are all human beings, some are good and some are bad, but none of us are as stubborn as Niu Xin and Zuo Xing."
The caravan in front entered the city, and the caravans in the middle moved forward. Sui Yu and Song Xian's caravans also followed slowly to avoid being cut in line.
Half a cup of tea later, it was the turn of Sui Yu and Song Xian's caravan to enter the city. Sui Yu and Song Xian each brought two servants holding money boxes. They first submitted the household registration to verify the number of people entering the city, and then submitted the "pass" documents and the registration documents for the types and quantities of goods. After everything was correct, they submitted the money for entering the city, and the caravan was allowed to enter.
Father Zhao stopped and the old couple looked back at the caravan walking into the city gate step by step. After the last camel went in, the two old men turned around and continued walking.
"The third son's wife is a very capable person," said Zhao's mother.
Father Zhao didn't say anything, but he admitted it in his heart.
The old couple thought about the first time the third son brought Sui Yu back home, and Xiaomi said that the third son was getting an advantage by marrying this daughter-in-law. Now they think that what he said was not wrong.
"She holds a grudge. When she first came to our house, we disliked her, and she hasn't returned for all these years." Father Zhao snorted coldly, "The eldest and second families didn't treat her well back then, and she doesn't care about them now."
Who doesn't hold a grudge? Mother Zhao thought to herself that even a fool would hate someone who bullied him. Fortunately, Sui Yu also remembered the favor. Xiaomi had spoken up for her, kept her company, and helped her. She was sincere to that girl now.
More than an hour later, the caravan that entered the city replenished its dry food and vegetables and left the city again.
Zhao's father and mother also led their camels into the village. When they heard the camel bells, the woman who was digging the vegetable field stood up, and the man who was carrying manure on the road stopped, all of them curiously looking to see who had entered the village.
"Sixth Aunt, are you back from my three brothers' house?" the woman in the vegetable garden asked loudly.
"Oh, that's right. My old bones are about to fall apart. It's been so tiring walking all the way. The weight I gained with great effort has gone down again." Mother Zhao patted the sheepskin coat that she had unbuttoned in advance, revealing the dark red thick coat underneath.
Father Zhao pulled the reins to stop the camel from moving. He spoke to the man carrying dung: "Ping boy, are you busy fertilizing the land again? You are a hardworking man. Your father is very lucky."
"He can't compare to your comforts. Look at what you and my Sixth Grandma are wearing. Even the landlords' masters and mistresses can't compare to you. There are three big bundles hanging on the camel. What good things did my Third Uncle bring back for you?"
"Some bacon. His family has a guesthouse with lots of slop. They raised more than 40 pigs, and they haven't slaughtered all the pigs since the snow last year and the beginning of spring this year." Father Zhao's face was about to break with laughter.
Those who heard the sound sucked their teeth in envy.
"No wonder Sixth Aunt has gained weight. Aunt, you look better when you're fatter." The woman from the vegetable garden came closer. She saw the dark red thick coat underneath Zhao's sheepskin coat and flattered her, "That coat looks great. Did my third brother's wife buy it for you?"
"She bought it. Xiaomi also made two coats for me. The colors are not as bright as this one, so I didn't wear them." Mother Zhao showed off secretly.
"By the way, how did you two come back?" Someone couldn't stand it any longer and asked, "The third and third elder brothers are so filial, why didn't they send you back? Or maybe they thought the roads back home were dirty, so they just sent you back outside the village and left."
"I don't even want to talk to you," Mother Zhao said with a tut-tut sound. "You're being so sour. It's not that my children are unfilial. My third daughter-in-law is busy making money doing business. She brought fifty or sixty people and hundreds of camels into the city to sell goods in Chang'an. At the city gate, she said she would take us back. I felt sorry for her going back and forth, so I said we would come back on our own and let her go into the city to rest."
"When she comes back from Chang'an, she will take us to the west to celebrate the New Year." Zhao's father continued.
The old couple sang in unison, and within half a day, everyone in the village, young and old, cats and dogs, knew that Zhao Xiping and Sui Yu were not only wealthy but also filial to the elderly. Everyone envied the Zhao couple for their good fortune.
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