In his previous life, he did not stop in Luochuan. To his shame, he was penniless and could not even pay the entrance fee to enter the city. He could only bypass Luochuan and head south to Dingyuan. In his memory, there was indeed a heavy snowfall during that time. The heavy snow made the roads difficult to travel, and many refugees did not starve to death, but froze to death outside Dingzhou Pass.
In order to survive, He Yingyuan had to bow to worldly conventions. It was also because of good luck that he was able to work as a temporary accountant for a merchant caravan, thanks to his status as a scholar. This allowed him to get through the ordeal without any major incidents.
This time, although they stayed in Luochuan City for a day, they traveled much faster by carriage. If they sped up their journey, they should be able to pass Dingzhou before the heavy snow blocked the roads.
At noon, the families ate together in one place to save manpower and resources!
He Yingyuan didn't hesitate and gave all of his family's food to Qin Sanniang as a contribution fee. Liu Shi didn't refuse either; Liao Hongying was capable, and the women worked together to cook quickly and well. Besides, they had no relatives on the journey and needed to stick together for warmth. Eating together would bring them closer, making the escort team feel more like a family.
Liu scooped half a gourd ladle of rice into the iron pot. It was too cold, so she drank some hot porridge to warm herself up.
The iron pot heated up quickly, much better than the earthenware pots they used before. However, ironware couldn't be used indiscriminately; it was strictly controlled in this era. What if someone hoarded it and used it to make weapons? That could lead to rebellion!
However, there are always exceptions. Money makes the world go round, a truth that remains unchanged throughout history! This iron pot was purchased by Qin San Niang at a high price in Luochuan City!
The previous earthenware pot was too small, and when we were outside Huozhou City, it was smashed and chipped badly while we were trying to escape bandits, so it was no longer usable.
Wu Chunhua and Liao Hongying picked a lot of wild vegetables by the roadside. Although it was already very cold, perhaps because of the southern climate, they were able to find some wild vegetables if they searched carefully. In addition, after passing Luochuan, the number of refugees on the road had decreased significantly. The situation was no longer one of too many monks and too little porridge. As long as they were diligent, they could make a living and not starve to death.
Even Liu sighed, "The further south we go, the more hopeful we become!"
In comparison, Wu Chunhua, who had been instructed in cooking by Qin San Niang, was more skilled at making dishes. Seeing that the wild vegetables were still tender, she blanched them in hot water, added salt, minced garlic and cooked Sichuan peppercorn oil, and stirred them to make a delicious mixed wild vegetable dish.
Liao Hongying was immediately impressed after taking a bite.
"Sister-in-law, your cooking is really good. These wild vegetables are not bitter and don't have an earthy taste."
Wu Chunhua smiled憨厚ly and said that it was nothing, just using ginger and scallions to remove the fishy smell, and blanching it in advance could also remove the bitter taste.
Faced with praise from Liao Hongying, a refined and elegant young woman, Wu Chunhua was still somewhat reserved.
Nowadays, let alone a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, even a student who has passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations is rare in a village, and they are all highly respected. As for a woman who can marry a scholar, she is the object of respect for all the village women. Who knows, one day she might transform into an official's wife, whom you can only dream of.
Looking at the children cutting grass not far away, Qin San Niang suddenly remembered the matter of giving the eldest child his first education, so she strolled over to He Xiucai's side. The two men were discussing their next plan, and seeing her coming over, they didn't need to go looking for her.
Unconsciously, Qin San Niang has already been treated like a man. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is hard to say!
Seeing that Gu Qingshan was about to get up, Qin Sanniang quickly waved her hand to signal him to sit down, and then casually found a rock opposite them to sit down.
"Madam Qin, Dingyuan Pass is just a hundred miles away. Once we pass Dingyuan, we'll enter the southern territory, where we'll be much safer, at least free from the troubles of bandits. Do you have any plans to go anywhere?"
He Yingyuan asked indifferently without raising his eyebrows.
Twenty years later, Lin'an will become a new prosperous city, but it will also experience several small-scale battles, and even a plague broke out in Lin'an two years later. If He Yingyuan had to choose, he would definitely choose Jiangzhou. It is not far from Lin'an, and because it is sparsely populated, its resettlement policy for refugees is also good. Although it is not as good as Lin'an at present, it is safe and low-key, making it the best choice for someone like him who intends to lie low.
Having witnessed Qin San Niang's abilities, he conceived the idea of settling down with them; banding together for mutual support is always the best policy. Currently, he was merely a scholar, powerless and without influence, and establishing himself anew in a new place would undoubtedly be difficult. Although with his intelligence, he believed he could handle any situation, having his wife and children with him would inevitably restrict his actions. With Qin San Niang and Gu Qingshan, things would be different; at least the security issue would be perfectly resolved.
He had mentioned this to Gu Qingshan earlier, but the other party seemed to have some concerns and did not give him a clear answer.
Qin Sanniang thought to herself, "He Xiucai is a cunning fellow. He brought up this topic now because he probably has something on his mind. It's exhausting talking to this kind of person. Isn't it better to be straightforward?"
"Brother He, our previous plan was to go to Jiangzhou or Lin'an, but we haven't decided yet. We'll ask around after we get to Dingyuan and then make a decision!"
No matter where you settle down, you need to feel a connection—a connection with the environment and the people. This wasn't just an excuse from Qin San Niang; she genuinely intended to see which place had a more simple and honest folk culture, and which had a more tranquil environment. She didn't have grand ambitions; she simply wanted to be a contented, modestly wealthy farmer.
This coincided with his own thoughts; after all, the world was unpredictable, and caution was always wise. He Yingyuan nodded, "Let's get past Dingyuan first. The weather is unpredictable; there might be heavy snow, so we need to speed up our journey." Recalling their previous experience at Qingyun Temple, he casually inquired, "Madam Qin has quite a wide circle of friends; she even knows the nuns at Qingyun Temple. I noticed that young nun Huiyuan has a rather striking appearance; she must not be from an ordinary family, right?"
If Qin San Niang hadn't known that this Scholar He was truly a refugee from the north, she would have thought he knew Sima Yao.
"My encounter with Master Huiyuan was purely by chance. We met once before, and then I happened to run into her again in Luochuan City. As for whose family she is, I really don't know. But judging from her demeanor, she might indeed be the daughter of a wealthy family!"
Seeing the slyness in her eyes, He Yingyuan knew she wasn't telling the truth. But it didn't matter. In his previous life, Sima Yao was the late emperor's most beloved concubine. How could He Yingyuan not investigate her?
As far as he knew, this Consort Yao was brought back from the Southern Border by the late emperor. After the Sima family was exiled to the Southern Border, for some unknown reason, Sima Taigong, who had originally remained neutral, turned around and pledged allegiance to the then inconspicuous Fourth Prince, and relied on his family's power to help him clear obstacles.
After the fourth prince ascended the throne, to express his gratitude to the Sima family for their support in establishing him, he brought the eldest daughter of the Sima family into the harem and showered her with affection. However, there were also rumors that this Consort Yao disliked entering the palace and had already married someone else outside the palace, implying that the late emperor had stolen someone else's love!
However, these are all just rumors and not to be believed! Sima Yao had once done him a favor, and based on the principle of repaying kindness and settling scores, He Yingyuan didn't mind putting in some effort to give him some pointers.
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