Chapter 370 Staying at a Farmhouse
The child pointed at Min Qiao and her companion, and said to the peasant woman in a clear and logical manner, "Mother, it's them. They said they would give me money if I answered their questions."
The peasant woman looked at the two men warily, and after sizing them up for a while, she cautiously asked, "You're not from Da'an, are you? What are you doing in our village? If you're up to no good, I'll report you to the authorities and have you arrested!"
By the end, the peasant woman's words carried a hint of warning.
Madam Min smiled and said gently, "Don't be nervous. We are merchants who came to Da'an to do business. We encountered bandits on the way and got separated from the caravan. We stumbled upon this place by chance."
"You're lying! How can someone your age still be out here trading?"
The peasant woman was clearly not so easily fooled. She looked at Min Qiaoshi with suspicion. "Besides, look at your attire, you're even more impressive than our county magistrate's mother! You don't look like a merchant at all!"
"Let me tell you, my father-in-law is the village chief, and our family is related to the county magistrate! Don't try to fool me!"
Madam Min Qiao wasn't angry, but explained with a troubled expression, "I'm definitely not out here to trade. It's my son who's out trading."
"I was just too curious about the local customs and culture of Da'an, so I used filial piety to pressure my son and forced him to take me with him when he went on business trips."
"But who would have thought we'd run into robbers on the way!"
"Besides, look at us, an old woman and a young child. If something hadn't happened, why would we be here in your village all alone?"
"You're afraid we're bad people, but we're more afraid of being bullied by you!"
"If we hadn't been completely desperate, we wouldn't have come to the village to ask for help."
As she spoke, Madam Min began to wipe away her tears.
The person standing to the side had a blank expression; anyone who didn't know better would think she was scared out of her wits.
Min Qiao continued, "My son has been a merchant in Da'e for many years and has always told me that the people of Da'e are simple and honest, very hospitable, and compassionate towards the weak and poor. That's why I've been longing to visit Da'e."
"Who would have thought that something like this would happen?"
"But I thought my son would never lie to me. That's why I took my granddaughter and ran into the village for help. I never expected that you would treat us like bad guys!"
In the end, Min Qiaoshi wore a pained expression, as if she had been deceived. This made the peasant woman feel extremely guilty.
As the two were talking, a crowd had already gathered around. The farmer's wife's father-in-law, the village chief, had also arrived.
Upon hearing Min Qiao's words, the village chief waved his hand and led the person to his home.
Many people instinctively hid when they first saw that Min Qiao and his companion were dressed differently from the Da Lu people.
Seeing that Min Qiaoshi and her companion didn't seem like bad people, their curiosity was piqued again, and they all wanted to follow the village chief to join in the fun.
"Nothing else to do? Those who should be working in the fields, go to the fields; those who should be doing other jobs, go to work. No one is allowed to follow along anymore!"
At the village chief's command, the crowd reluctantly dispersed.
After the village chief brought Min Qiaoshi and her husband home, he asked his wife and daughter-in-law to prepare some food for them.
Seeing this, Madam Min Qiao quickly stuffed the silver earring she was holding into the peasant woman's hand, saying, "Please also prepare two clean sets of clothes for us."
The peasant woman glanced at the clothes worn by Min Qiaoshi and Zhen Huan, then looked at her own clothes. "We don't have any nice clothes."
Madam Min Qiao quickly said, "It's alright, it's alright, as long as it's clean. We've already suffered so much, these clothes would just be a burden to us."
"Besides, we've separated from the main force now, and we don't know when we'll be able to find my son."
Madam Min sighed and said sadly, "None of us, grandfather and grandson, have any money on us. We'll have to take off our clothes and jewelry and sell them for money."
The peasant woman had lowered her guard by now, and upon hearing Min Qiao's words, she couldn't help but feel some sympathy.
"Why don't you take these silver earrings back? Anyway, the two old clothes aren't worth much."
Madam Min glared and said, "One thing at a time. We merchants value fairness the most. We can't just eat and wear your clothes for free. Everyone has their own difficulties."
“If you pity us, why not let my grandson and I rest here for a couple of days, so I can also find out about my son?”
The peasant woman didn't dare to make the decision herself, so she looked to the village chief standing to the side.
The village chief nodded and instructed the peasant woman, "Go and tidy up Da Wa's room so that the two guests can stay. Let Da Wa stay with us, the old couple, for the next couple of days."
"Okay, Dad. I'll go get ready right away." The peasant woman happily took the silver earrings and left.
Min Qiaoshi repeated her previous explanation to the village chief, who offered her words of comfort with a sigh. Only then did he get up and say he was going to the fields.
But after he left with his hoe, the village chief told his youngest son to take their oxcart to the county town to find out some information.
Let's see if any caravans from Dayan have recently passed through this area.
Secondly, they also wanted to see if they could find out the true origins of Min Qiao and her companion.
The two people, dressed like this and with such an air of nonchalance, didn't look like they came from merchant families at all.
Especially that old lady, her whole demeanor was impressive, she was clearly not an ordinary person!
He didn't believe a word of her story.
Moreover, the situation on the border is unstable, and war could break out at any time. While others may not know about these important matters, he, the village head who is related to the county magistrate, knows a little about them.
The village chief's wife, Granny Liu, smiled and placed several steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat, vegetables, and eggs on the dining table, inviting Min Qiaoshi and Zhen Huan to come and eat.
"Please don't be offended, we farmers don't have much to offer."
Just now, her daughter-in-law, Li, gave her all the silver earrings.
I originally thought I'd be lucky to get a few copper coins, but these two are giving me silver instead, so I have to serve them well.
Min Qiaoshi and Zhen Huan had been on the run all night and were indeed hungry. Without any hesitation, they picked up the steamed buns and started eating.
However, after taking only one bite, both of them showed an embarrassed expression.
Ugh, I can't swallow this!
They had eaten steamed buns made from a mixture of flour, wheat, and water before, but they had never eaten such awful steamed buns made from this mixture.
It's obvious without even looking that the coarse grains used to make steamed buns haven't even been properly ground, let alone hulled, sieved, or finely ground.
Yeah, it's rough and hurts your throat.
The two awkwardly put down their steamed buns, picked up their chopsticks, and took a bite of stir-fried vegetables and eggs...
The dignity of nobility compelled the two not to spit out the food in their mouths, but instead to swallow the bite with twisted smiles.
Min Qiao put down her chopsticks and said gratefully, "I'm full."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhen Huan.
He readily nodded, "I'm full too."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stared at the two men in disbelief. A bite of steamed bun and a bite of vegetables, and they were full?
Before the two could think further, Madam Min Qiao smiled and stood up, saying, "Please take us to wash up and change our clothes."
"Oh, okay, okay." The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law agreed, one going to fetch hot water and the other to find clothes, busying themselves like rough housewives.
After a quick wash, the two changed into two sets of old clothes that Liu's wife had found.
Once only the two of them were left in the room, he quietly asked, "Madam..."
"Call me Grandmother, don't give it away." Madam Min Qiao lowered her voice and reminded her, "Don't feel uncomfortable, I am the godmother you kowtowed to and served tea to. Calling me Old Madam would be too formal."
"Yes, Grandmother." Zhen Huan obediently changed her address, and said with concern, "Grandmother, I want to go out and find out some news in a while. But I'm worried about leaving you here alone."
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