Old blacksmith Li had one son and two daughters.
The eldest daughter, Li Chang, had been married to Deng Youze for three years but had not conceived. It wasn't until the end of last year that she finally became pregnant.
Because pregnancy is difficult and they were worried about something going wrong on the way, the husband's family thought it over and over again, but ultimately decided not to run away.
Although she eventually stayed, Li Chang's husband's family had to live in fear every now and then.
As Li Chang's due date approached, these concerns intensified.
Deng Youze is often caught in a dilemma. One moment he regrets not making a decision sooner to move away with his wife and stay in the city, which has led to his current predicament.
If Puzhou dies just before delivery, the risk is greater than if she had left earlier.
Then I realized his decision was right.
Besides Deng Youze's internal conflicts and anxieties, Li Chang's family members were also frequently worried about their eldest daughter's health.
After hearing this, Jiang Tangtang suddenly had an idea.
She said, "Auntie, if there were a relatively safe place that we wouldn't have to move too far from, would you be willing to go there?"
Aunt Li sighed, "Where can I find such a good place?"
Jiang Tangtang smiled and asked, "Does Auntie know where I live?"
Aunt Li was slightly taken aback.
She really didn't know where Jiang Tangtang lived.
All I know is that Jiang Tangtang used to come to the shop often to make farm tools.
But after the ironware was finished, Jiang Tangtang didn't come to the shop for a long time.
This seemed to be the first time she had seen her since then. She hadn't thought much of it before; could there be some secret about where she lived?
With that thought in mind, Aunt Li asked the question.
Jiang Tangtang said, "Auntie isn't an outsider, so I won't hide it from you. To be honest, we were originally from an entire village, fleeing famine..."
Besides the drought, Dawan Village is also located in a special geographical location. Although it is not on the border between Xirong and Dazhou, it is not too far away either.
Even before the Great Zhou Dynasty went to war with the Western Rong, the Western Rong's bandits and border soldiers would often sneak over to rob the people.
The local officials colluded with the Xirong people, and nobody cared about the matter.
The lives of ordinary people are simply unbearable.
Later, when they encountered a drought, they gritted their teeth and decided to flee with their entire families.
Jiang Tangtang recounted to Aunt Li the reasons why the village had fled during the war, and how they had accidentally discovered the valley and settled there. She then added, "If you trust me, Aunt, you can bring your daughter and move to our valley. However, we've only been there a short time, and the house isn't built yet. There are still many inconveniences in the valley. But there's a river and land in the valley, so we won't have to worry about food and clothing once we settle down. Moreover, the terrain is secluded, so we'll feel more at ease living there."
Although she wanted the Li family to move to the valley, she didn't overly romanticize it. Instead, she told Aunt Li about the actual situation in the valley.
As for the Li family's livelihood in the valley, since mining hasn't started yet, she couldn't reveal anything. She only said that they could move the blacksmith's tools to the valley and continue blacksmithing.
“Miss Jiang, you are truly a great benefactor to our family. I really don’t know how to thank you enough.” Aunt Li stood up excitedly. “I’ll go find my daughter and son-in-law right now.”
She took two steps, then turned back and said, "Miss Jiang, don't worry, I will make sure to tell my daughter and son-in-law not to tell anyone about what happened in the valley."
After saying that, Aunt Li hurriedly ran to the Deng family's house.
The Deng family was small; the elderly couple had only one son, Deng Youze. Deng Youze and Li Chang were childhood sweethearts and had a very good relationship.
Although the Deng and Li families lived far apart, they maintained frequent contact because Deng Youze's father and Li the blacksmith were old friends. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Deng's parents practically watched Li Chang grow up.
For these reasons, the elderly couple were very concerned about Li Chang's health and supported their son's decision not to move away.
The more polite the elderly couple were, the more Aunt Li felt she had let them down.
Now that there's a valley to hide in, it couldn't be better. So, when she arrived at the Deng family's house, she excitedly began to speak.
Now, the Western Rong may attack Puzhou at any time. Although Puzhou has recruited a lot of soldiers, most of them are new recruits and they are not even fully equipped.
Many people encouraged themselves, saying that Puzhou had been defended for so long, and this time it would definitely be able to hold on as well.
But everyone knew the truth.
How could such an army possibly defeat the Western Rong?
The Deng family had been extremely worried these past few days, but after hearing Aunt Li's words, they decided without hesitation to move to the valley.
After discussing it, the Li family also decided to move to the valley. With both families together, they could look after each other.
And so the matter of the Li and Deng families moving was settled.
“Auntie, if you have any belongings to move to the valley, pack them out and I’ll have my husband find someone to help you transport them there.”
Jiang Tangtang decided to use her spatial secrets to help the Li family, as she had found a practical technical talent for them.
Of course, she wasn't being overly kind.
The main reason is that the Li family needs a lot of tools to forge iron in the valley, and her help can enable the Li family to quickly build a blacksmith's furnace in the valley.
Aunt Li said embarrassedly, "How could I possibly accept that?"
That's a high-ranking officer, I heard even Lord Zhang listens to him. And at such a crucial time, she's asking him to help them move? Isn't that reckless? If her husband and son find out, they'll definitely scold her.
"It's alright, he's strong, moving these things won't be a big deal for him. Besides, he has so many subordinates! One person can help carry one thing, and the move will be over."
Jiang Tangtang said in a serious tone, "Auntie, you just need to pick out the things you need to move. Don't worry, we'll be able to move everything in one night."
Li Shen thought about what Jiang Tangtang had said: in order to keep the valley from being discovered by outsiders, they should be as careful as possible.
So he had no choice but to swallow his pride and thank Jiang Tangtang.
The Li family was packing their things in a flurry of activity, and Jiang Tangtang turned to look for Lu Shiyan.
After Lu Shiyan became the Commandant of Puzhou, Zhang Kui gave him a house. Jiang Tangtang ran straight to the study upon returning home, excitedly asking, "Husband, guess what amazing thing I did today?"
Lu Shiyan was listening to Liu Chengfeng's report when Jiang Tangtang barged in. Liu Chengfeng was talking about Prince Rui and Prince Duan.
Seeing Liu Chengfeng and what he was holding, Jiang Tangtang finally realized that she had been so excited that she had forgotten to check if anyone was in the study.
She suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Liu Chengfeng had witnessed this lady's arrogance and willfulness, and knew how much his master valued her, so he immediately said tactfully, "Sir, perhaps I should go down first..."
"It's alright, just say it." Lu Shiyan said, pulling out a chair for Jiang Tangtang and gesturing for her to sit and wait.
Liu Chengfeng secretly rejoiced, thankful that he hadn't made a mistake before, letting Jiang Tangtang listen to even military matters.
It is clear that this lady held a much higher position in the man's heart than he thought.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com