Old Man Qiao also came in and lit three incense sticks.
Grandma Qiao rolled her eyes at him: "Go away, what are you doing here? Don't say those unpleasant things in front of our ancestors."
"You're allowed to pray for them, but I'm not allowed to do it." Old Man Qiao nudged Old Woman Qiao, also chanting incantations while holding incense.
"The Qiao family children are only going out to train and improve their skills this time, all for the sake of this family, to make this family better and better. Ancestors, grant their wishes."
Grandma Qiao, who had been on guard, breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Grandpa Qiao say that, and moved a little space over to him.
Grandma Qiao asked for extra dishes to be made for dinner, and no one knew whether the men would be able to come back tonight.
The sun gradually slid down the western mountains, and the world was bathed in a warm orange glow. The evening breeze began to pick up.
The Qiao family members took turns looking out the door, comforting each other and telling each other not to worry.
"The eldest and second eldest brothers haven't returned yet?" A villager passing by asked, seeing only the women in the Qiao family courtyard.
I heard that this time, Boss Qiao and his men are escorting goods. The distance is not far; it's just to the border crossing, and they can make a round trip in a day.
Two days have passed, and there's still no sign of them.
This afternoon, people started talking about it in the village.
"Come back tonight if you're in a hurry, or tomorrow if you're not. We just went on a delivery mission today. We're at home, and we don't know when we'll leave."
As soon as Grandma Qiao saw the villagers, her face regained its composure.
"Aunt Qiao, don't worry. They're all worried about their families. As long as they can come back, they'll rush back to let you know they're safe, even if it's at night." The villagers said that people from the same village understand each other very well.
But Grandma Qiao understood the underlying meaning: if they could come back, they definitely would, just in case—
"I can come back," she said firmly.
The thin veil of night descended, deepening with each layer of darkness, and the food on the table began to cool.
"Eat up," said Grandma Qiao. "They can always reheat it when they get back later."
Everyone then picked up their chopsticks, but none of them ate with any relish.
A round trip of 100 li would still take about ten hours. Even if the men, who are tall and have long legs, were faster, it would still take them eight hours. By the time they returned, it would be very late.
Everyone is worried.
At this time, the Song family was also having their meal.
"I heard the men of the Qiao family are going to die out there." Madam Shen laughed. "Escorting goods? Is that something ordinary people can do? They're just recklessly showing off. They're willing to risk their lives for money. It's been two days and they still haven't seen them. I heard they were sent to the border. How can it take that long? Something must have happened to them."
Old Master Song said, "Mother, all the men in the Qiao family are dead, and only the women are left. We usually use the excuse of helping them to seize their property. They must have at least a hundred taels of silver on them."
"Hehe, what's this called? This is called eating the spoils of a childless family." Old Song chuckled sinisterly, already itching to try it out.
Song Ruier was also thinking that since his mother and sister were both in the Qiao family, it would be best for him to take the lead. He couldn't wait to show his skills.
The Qiao family was worried, the Song family was scheming, and the villagers were talking about it.
The night was dark, the stars and moon were vast, and the road was faintly visible.
It was already midnight. In the distance, two horse-drawn carriages drove into Datian Village from the direction of Yongguan County.
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