With this good news, the difficulty of traveling in the snow was somewhat alleviated.
Even the misty snow couldn't stop the setting sun. As evening approached, they finally arrived at their destination.
"Madam Qin, Brother He, there's a mountain god temple ahead. Let's rest here tonight," Gu Qingshan said loudly, pulling on the reins to stop the horse.
Although the temple ahead was dilapidated, it could at least provide shelter from the wind and snow. They all had children with them and couldn't afford to get cold at night. If they felt cold, they could make the fire burn brighter or crawl into the tent to sleep.
He Yingyuan was driving, but the snowy road was difficult to travel, and he wasn't a strong man, so he was already on the verge of collapse. As for Qin Sanniang, she had been sitting on the cart for a while, not feeling comfortable letting the fat girl drive alone; it was almost like exploiting a child laborer.
Hearing that they could finally rest, everyone was naturally happy, especially since at this point, having a roof over their heads was already a blessing! This dilapidated temple was quite nice!
Liu and the others quickly got out of the car and took out brooms they had prepared to sweep the ground. There was no need to sweep too much space; just enough for them to sleep in was sufficient.
The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) from Changfeng镖局 (Changfeng Escort Agency) followed behind. Seeing that they had already set up camp, they also began to look for a suitable place to rest.
"Manager Liu, where shall we rest tonight?" the lead镖师 asked from outside the carriage.
"There's a cave not far ahead. Tell the brothers to give it their all!" Liu Changfeng coughed and said in a hoarse voice.
He knew this road very well; it was no exaggeration to say that he could find his way down the mountain even with his eyes closed.
Although the mountain god temple was a good place, it was too small, and unfortunately, it was already occupied. He wouldn't have the audacity to ask someone to move it again. Besides, if those young men from the Xie family were to cause trouble at night, injuring someone and drawing blood would be a minor matter, but ruining the escort agency's business would be a major problem. Although he no longer cared about matters of the martial world, this escort agency represented his hard work, and his sons still relied on it for their livelihood! Therefore, even if it meant braving the wind and snow to travel a few more miles, he was willing to do so.
Better safe than sorry!
On the other hand, he felt there was definitely something fishy about the matter. It wasn't as Fei Peng had told him. If the woman wanted to do something to them, she wouldn't have found a place to rest beforehand. She would have waited until the rest of the group was settled before making her own arrangements. Moreover, the happy expressions on the children's faces when he saw them earlier were genuine. And the old woman was indeed from an honest farming family.
Don't ask him how he knows. It's life experience! You can easily tell from his face and demeanor.
As the group of people passed by, Qin San Niang, who appeared indifferent, had already taken in everyone's expressions.
The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) in front were fine, their expressions showing no abnormality, but the Xie family guards behind them were not so natural. Some of them even couldn't hold back, staring at them fiercely, and when they saw the child, they glared at him with ill intent. Qin San Niang wouldn't tolerate them, and with a glare, those ignorant ones quickly turned their heads away.
What a joke! Anyone can test their eyesight! Look again! I'll gouge your eyes out!
Aside from being afraid of Qin San Niang's glare, Gu Qingshan stood at the temple gate like a majestic and powerful guardian beast! Even these self-important guards dared not act rashly.
Fei Peng glanced over here. This was the first time he had seen Gu Qingshan up close. When he saw Gu Qingshan, he seemed to be stunned for a moment.
Although it was only for a moment, it was enough for Qin San Niang to catch it!
Her original job required her to be bold and meticulous, and since transmigrating, her five senses have become even more acute.
However, Gu Qingshan didn't recognize him at all and didn't even give him a friendly look. Qin Sanniang shook her head; thinking about it was pointless.
“Mother, we don’t have much firewood left. I’ll go out and gather some with Fatty.” Da Wa volunteered. Grandma said he was the man of the house now and should take on the responsibility.
However, his mother clearly didn't see it that way. Upon hearing that he was going to gather firewood, especially with a child like Fatty, Qin San Niang couldn't bear it and insisted on going with him. The snow on the mountain was heavy; one slip and you'd fall into a snowdrift—wouldn't that be fatal?!
She did have firewood! Back in Luochuan, she was worried that the roads would be difficult to navigate after the snowfall, and finding firewood would be even harder. Even if she did find some, the damp firewood would take a long time to light. So she found a firewood vendor and bought a few bundles. Nowadays, firewood is expensive; a bundle costs five copper coins! Luckily, she's not short of money now.
Now, it's just an excuse to go out and find firewood, a way to get the firewood out.
However, Fatty and Big Brother didn't give her that chance. Fatty simply used her round, sturdy arms to chop the dead branches off the tree!
Qin San Niang could only exclaim, "What strength!"
Hearing her aunt praise her, Fatty grinned, revealing a set of white teeth! Her crescent-shaped eyes were almost invisible.
Not to be outdone, Da Wa climbed up the tree while Qin San Niang wasn't looking and quickly cut down many branches. These branches were all dry, perfect for keeping warm.
However, the older child's small frame was still a bit frail up in the tree. Just as I was about to call out, "Come down quickly, son!", I heard the older child say something...
"Mother, look, those people have settled in the cave!"
That group of people naturally refers to the Xie family.
Because they hurt Xiao Er, Da Wa spoke with a resentful tone!
Although Qin San Niang has been practicing martial arts these past few days and has become much more agile, she still can't leap up into the air, but climbing trees is no problem for her.
Following the direction Da Wa pointed, Qin San Niang saw the banner of Changfeng Escort Agency planted outside the cave. It seemed that the agency had a prestigious reputation, and that a single banner was enough to scare away bandits! Usually, bandits and escort agencies had a relationship and their own code of conduct, so bandits would not easily attempt to rob a caravan.
Firstly, the镖局's镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) are all top-notch in martial arts, so they might not be able to gain the upper hand; secondly, if they offend a large镖局, the head of the镖局 has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and can wipe them out in no time!
Thinking about it this way, Qin San Niang became a little worried. Could there be bandits lurking on the mountain? In any case, she had to be on high alert tonight! Xie Yuyan's little tricks were nothing to worry about, but if bandits caused trouble, it would be a tough battle!
"Alright, Da Wa and Pang Ya are both very capable. This firewood is enough for us to burn all night. Let's go back!"
Qin San Niang took the opportunity to add some dry firewood. Although the firewood was good, it was still snowing, and the smoke was very pungent when lit.
During the first half of the night, He Yingyuan and Pang Ya took turns keeping watch. During the second half, Qin San Niang and Gu Qingshan took turns keeping watch. Although no one said it, everyone knew that tonight might not be peaceful.
Qin San Niang was not one to let things go easily; she hadn't yet received the five hundred taels of silver in compensation or the apology from Miss Xie!
He Yingyuan snorted inwardly. The Xie family had really kicked a hornet's nest without realizing it. How stupid!
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