Chapter 64
Upon learning that Zhan Shunan and others had returned, Jiang Wanning couldn't wait even a moment longer.
She clung to Lu Shang's arm tightly, and when she opened her mouth she found her throat was hoarse and she couldn't utter a single word.
Lu Shang patted her hand soothingly and said immediately, "Don't worry, they're going back to Tang Town. I'll ask someone to prepare the car and we'll be back soon. Aning, please wait a little longer. We'll be back soon."
After saying that, he took her hand and strode out the door. At the door, he met the maid who worked in the house. He asked her to tell Grandma Lu that they had to go out for something and if they couldn't come back today, they would come back tomorrow morning.
"As for Madam's private school, if we can't get back tonight, you can ask Master Pang to go and tell everyone that the start of school will be postponed for a day. We can discuss everything after we get back."
"Okay, okay, I've got it all down."
After leaving the house, the two went straight to the carriage and horse shop in the back street.
Lu Shang has also purchased some carriages and horses over the years, but he has not bought a carriage for his own use. He usually rents one temporarily from a carriage and horse shop when he goes out. Since he has signed a long-term contract with them, the price is quite affordable.
Jiang Wanning didn't say a word all the way from Lu's house to the carriage and horse shop, but her palms kept sweating. Soon her hands were sweaty, and her already nervous face became even colder. She pursed her thin lips and her pace became faster.
Lu Shang did not say anything, but quietly quickened his pace. When he arrived at the carriage shop, he did not even exchange a word of greeting. He asked for the fastest carriage and a driver.
Even on the way back to Tang Town from the provincial capital, Jiang Wanning spoke very rarely. Only when Lu Shang asked her a serious question would she look up blankly and respond dully, but she actually didn't hear much.
In the end, Lu Shang said nothing more. He just sat beside her, put his arm around her back, and rubbed her hair. "Don't worry, An Ning. Once we find out, we can decide what to do next. If we are sure that the young general in the barracks is my brother, I will go there myself."
"I--" Jiang Wanning raised her head and looked back at him steadily.
On one side are the long-lost relatives, and on the other side is the husband who loves each other. Neither side can be separated.
At this time, she could no longer say that she couldn't let Lu Shang go. After hesitating for a long time, she slowly lowered her head. Her voice was barely audible, but Lu Shang still caught it sharply: "Then I'll go too..."
Lu Shang's face froze and he was about to refuse, but considering Jiang Wanning's feelings, he didn't dare to deny it on the spot.
Just after noon, the carriage arrived at the farmhands' dormitory near the city gate of Tangzhen.
People like Zhan Shunan who often travel long distances to transport goods have always lived here. The original three houses have been expanded to six, and each house still houses about thirty people. Except for the one they live in, the people in the other houses often change.
Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning came too hastily and without prior notice, so when they arrived, Zhan Shunan and the others were still taking a shower in the backyard, making so much noise that they couldn't go in and interrupt.
Lu Shang turned to look at Jiang Wanning, but she had calmed down when she arrived: "Then wait."
The two men went to the main room and sat in the main seats, one on the left and one on the right. The woman in charge of cleaning served them tea. Not long after, the first person who had finished showering came over. When he entered the room, he was startled and rubbed his eyes hard before he realized that he was not seeing things.
Lu Shang waved at him. "Dahui, right? You're here just in time. Come and tell us about your experiences in the North. And what did you learn about the young general in the barracks?"
Dahui wiped the water from his forehead and took two steps forward. He said without hesitation, "Hello, Boss, hello, Madam. If you want to know anything about the Northland, you should talk to Boss Zhan. We've been following you, but we don't know much about the young general."
"It should be written in the letter from Zhan Touer. We entered the Northland at the beginning of the year. For the first two months, we wandered around in various wastelands. We didn't see any people, not even cattle, sheep, or horses. The dry food we brought with us was gone in just half a month. We relied on a pack of hungry wolves that came across us. We killed the wolves and only had food to eat. After that, we wandered around for more than a month before we ran into a shepherd."
"We followed the herders to their tribe's settlement and lived there for about half a month. We learned that the northern land often sees criminals exiled from the imperial court. Most of them are driven to the hinterland before being released. After that, whether they can fend for themselves in the north or join another tribe depends on their own luck. But our tribe never accepts criminals. About four or five years ago, a family came to us. They were two men and one woman. They looked a little haggard, and their ages were hard to tell. Chief Amohan gave them a bag of naan and drove them away."
"Later, we followed Chief Amohan's memories and headed northwest to search. Unfortunately, the three tribes we encountered didn't meet the person you asked us to find. They had never seen anyone like him before. Then, we encountered a nomadic tribe from the north. Although it was just a small test, we were still scattered. Boss Zhan joined the militia by mistake, and we were scattered among the various tribes, hiding from the people."
Lu Shang asked: "What are the characteristics of the two men and one woman we first inquired about?"
"Distinctive features..." Dahui scratched his head. "All three of them are quite thin, but I heard that those exiled here are all skinny, so this isn't particularly unique."
"Is there anyone with mobility issues among these three people?" Jiang Wanning asked.
Dahui bowed to her and then said, "Madam, Chief Amohan said that one of the three was lying on a wooden board and was being dragged along by the other two. He might have had some kind of leg problem, but since I haven't seen him get down, I don't know for sure."
Even though she knew it was not easy to find the three people in the vast north, Jiang Wanning still couldn't hide her disappointment.
Lu Shang squeezed her hand and asked Dahui, "You said the nomads are invading. What's going on? Are there any casualties among our people?"
"It was still cold just after the New Year. It's said that the northern nomads are short of food and fodder, so they always invade in small groups every autumn and winter, mostly to steal food. But in addition to the border troops, the northerners also have militias spontaneously formed by the people, so they can usually stop them. According to the scattered tribes, foreign invasions are very common, and you get used to it after living in the north for a long time."
"There were no casualties. Not only did we not suffer any, but even those scattered settlements we were in also suffered very few. Boss Zhan accidentally scraped his arm while fighting the foreign enemy. The wound wasn't deep and healed in just half a month. It wasn't a serious matter."
Hearing this, Lu Shang felt relieved: "I'm glad you're not hurt."
As they were talking, they heard a commotion coming from the door, and the next moment, seven or eight big men, led by Zhan Shunan, walked in shirtless.
Jiang Wanning was stunned, and after coming to her senses, she quickly avoided his sight.
When Zhan Shunan and the others saw what was happening in the hall, they hurriedly turned their backs. After being yelled at by Zhan Shunan, they pushed and shoved their way out. The last person even shouted, "Madam, wait a moment, we'll be right back!"
In just half a cup of tea, the group of men came back. They were in a hurry and only put on a short shirt with the top button not fastened. Fortunately, their breasts were not exposed. There was no need to worry about other details.
Lu Shang held his forehead helplessly and waved his hand: "Brother Zhan, please stay for a while. The rest of you can go back and rest. I'll have someone pay you your wages in the next two days. After that, you can go home and take a vacation. It's the same as before, and it will be half a month's vacation."
This team of people are veterans who have worked with Lu Shang for five or six years. From delivering goods to restaurants in the beginning to traveling all over the country later, they are usually asked to do all the new and difficult things in the logistics team for the first time. Everyone is indispensable in the entire Lu Logistics.
Their wages have been increasing over the years, and they have gone from being initially fearful to calmly accepting it, and their relationship with Lu Shang has become closer.
After hearing this, these people just cheered and shouted: "Thank you, boss! Thank you, ma'am! Then we will rest first!" They knew that the boss and Mr. Zhan had something to say, so they didn't stay any longer. They bowed and retreated arm in arm.
In the end, only Zhan Shunan, Lu Shang and three others were left in the main hall. Compared with the others, Zhan Shunan had a clearer idea of the purpose of this trip.
He looked at Jiang Wanning and immediately told her everything he had seen and heard along the way. The first half was not much different from what Dahui had said, but the turning point came after he joined the militia.
Zhan Shunan said: "When we were fighting the northern nomads, we fought all the way to the northwest. In the end, we were only a few dozen miles away from the northwest camp. We encountered their patrols and spent another night with them."
"I heard about that young general during dinner tonight. I heard that the general picked him up from the Frost Stone Forest three years ago. Both of his legs were injured, and his face was cut several times. Although the general called in a military doctor to treat him, his leg injury had lasted too long and he couldn't recover to his former state. The general felt that keeping him in the army was useless, so he decided to send him away once he was fully recovered."
"Who would have thought that during a nomadic invasion, the general was away, and the enemy broke into the northwest camp. The thief headed straight for the granary. Just as he was about to set the straw on fire, the man shot him through the wrist with a bow from a hundred meters away, averting a disaster. When the general returned, he heard the whole story and was deeply impressed. He promoted him to junior general and kept him in the camp as an aide."
Jiang Wanning's heart twisted as she heard this, and her emotions were aroused by this turbulent experience: "Then he——"
Zhan Shunan continued, "We don't know the rest. The patrolmen just told it as a curiosity. They stopped talking about anything deeper, perhaps because it would involve camp secrets. It wasn't until we parted ways that I overheard someone say that the young general seemed to have passed the military examination."
After these words were spoken, Jiang Wanning stood up in a daze.
…He had difficulty walking, was an excellent archer, and was a successful candidate in the military examination.
Each one matched her impression of her brother.
She opened her mouth, but before she could utter half a word, she felt a chill on her face. She raised her hand and touched it, and found that it was already covered in tears.
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