The two brothers exchanged a few glances and then went out to run their errands in silence.
Zhu Yuan had already led his men back to camp. They had come at full speed, but the journey back was longer because they had brought a large amount of food and were suppressing bandits and rebels.
After traveling for an hour and a half, they had only reached halfway. Zhu Yuan rode at the very front, and the army of over a thousand men was so quiet that the only sound was the creaking of the cart shafts.
In quiet environments, people tend to reflect on things. Suddenly, Zhu Yuan paused in his horseback riding, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
It was her!
"Does the strategist have any instructions?"
Zhu Yuan regained his usual expression and said calmly, "Let's quicken our pace and continue on our way."
"yes."
Zhen Wanwan and the others had already packed their things. Every villager had a smile on their face and stood up straight, full of energy.
Zhen Wanwan held one child in each arm and waited quietly for Grandma Li to lay out the cushions.
"Mother, it's not winter yet."
The only soft quilt in the house was taken out of the trunk by Old Lady Li. She shook the quilt vigorously, took out a stick from the corner, and skillfully patted the quilt surface.
Grandma Li quickly and skillfully padded the inside of the donkey cart with soft padding, and then checked whether the oilcloth on the cart frame was properly secured.
I must say, her older brother's craftsmanship is quite good. Although the homemade carriage is drafty, it can still block out the sun and sand without any problem.
Grandma Li was very satisfied and said with a smile, "Although this donkey cart is a bit simple, it is indeed our family's first cart! Those old ladies are so envious and they say sour things to me all the time."
On the surface, she was complaining, but in reality, she was secretly delighted. Now she had no worries about food and had livestock, so everything was going smoothly!
Zhen Wanwan understood her mother's little scheme of showing off, and continued to flatter her, saying, "Mother, your good fortune is yet to come! Once we've settled down, I'll buy you a big house, hire a few maids to serve you, and let you eat and drink the finest food every day..."
"Hahaha, you're so glib, always knowing how to make people happy." Old Mrs. Li laughed from ear to ear, and took the baby in her hand.
As the gong sounded, the bodyguard called out loudly, "Let's set off!"
Even with their heavy belongings, the villagers were still full of energy. Each household had at least five or six bags of grain piled on their carts, with Zhen's family having the most.
The only difference was that the amount of grain exposed was the same as the amount of grain in the village. As for the rest of the grain, the Zhen family disguised it as bedding to confuse the villagers. Their donkey cart and three handcarts were also inconspicuous.
Grandpa Zhen continued to lead the donkey cart slowly, with two twins beside him. Ever since the beating they received, the two hadn't dared to cause trouble. At this moment, they were obediently following the adults as they fled the famine, with candy that Zhen Wanwan had secretly given them in their mouths.
Zhen Fugui was injured and not fit to exert himself, so Wang Cuihua, Hu Zi, and Da Ni helped their father push the cart, while Zhen Fugui pushed one by himself. It was just his usual clean clothes, and it wasn't heavy.
The other vehicle was purchased with a fee paid to the Zhou brothers for their help. Zhou Dashan originally didn't want the money and even had an argument with Zhen Fuyou about it, but was eventually forced to accept it.
Among the group, Zhen Wanwan and Grandma Li were the most relaxed. The two of them sat on either side of the donkey cart, each holding their child. Erni was too small and had caught a cold a couple of days ago, so Grandma Li carried her onto the cart as well.
As Zhen Wanwan gazed at the energetic villagers, she felt much more at peace. Too many terrible things had happened recently, and she had always faced all sorts of difficulties.
Not only did she have to fend off Li Zhenzhen's attempts to harm her, but she also had to consider the food and drink for Zhen's family. Before giving birth, she was constantly worried about whether she could have a smooth delivery, and whether the child would have any health problems after birth, etc...
The fact that she doesn't have depression is already a testament to her incredible inner strength.
Watching her sweet little baby sleeping peacefully with her lips pouting, she felt a surge of satisfaction and a renewed sense of anticipation for the future.
Zhen Wanwan couldn't resist nuzzling Tianbao's face, which made Tianbao whimper a couple of times. Old Mrs. Li glared at her in annoyance: "You're a mother now and you don't even know how to be serious."
Seeing this, Zhen Wanwan put on an innocent face. Looking at her childish daughter, Old Lady Li lowered her voice and chuckled and scolded her a couple of times.
On the other side, Zhu Yuan quickened his pace, and after safely delivering the grain to the military camp, he went to face General Xiao, said something to him, and then came out quickly.
The soldiers who had been guarding outside the tent saw him come out and hurriedly caught up with him, saying, "Strategist, what should we do with the prisoners we brought back?"
Zhu Yuan continued walking, casually saying, "Break their arms and legs first, and wait for me to come back. Remember, don't kill them."
"Understood."
Watching Zhu Yuan's receding figure, the soldiers who remained behind trembled involuntarily.
Is the strategist going to personally interrogate prisoners again? He silently mourned for those prisoners. Everyone in the army knew that the strategist had a knack for interrogating prisoners, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as worse than death.
After leading his horse out of the military camp, Zhu Yuan galloped towards the cave where Zhen Wanwan and the others were staying, leaving only a cloud of dust falling on the gatekeeper's face.
Did I see it wrong?
The other goalkeeper replied affirmatively, "You're not blind, I saw it too!"
The two exchanged a glance, their faces filled with shock. This strategist usually spent his days either marching and fighting or training soldiers in the barracks. Even when he went out, he would only take his subordinates with him on business.
Why is he so flustered today? Is this still their aloof and ruthless strategist?
Zhu Yuan was focused on getting on his way, unaware that his actions were seen as such a significant information by others.
It was nearly dusk, and by the time Zhu Yuan finally arrived at his destination after a hurried journey, it was completely dark.
He stared silently at the empty cave, where he could vaguely make out the abandoned tables, chairs, and benches by the moonlight.
There were still traces of firewood left on the ground from when the villagers cooked, but the smoke had long since dissipated.
Suppressing his restless heart, Zhu Yuan left the scene without a word and went to a more secluded mountain forest.
"Strategist, why are you back?"
The soldiers who had been left behind by Zhu Yuan looked like they had seen a ghost. Seeing his pale face, they thought they had done something wrong.
He said, trembling with fear, "We haven't dared to relax for a moment. The villagers left safely two hours ago, and now we're just waiting for your arrangements..."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work."
Zhu Yuan regained his cold expression, inspected the traps set by the soldiers, and seeing that they were flawless, he generously praised, "Well done! You will be rewarded according to your merits after the mission is accomplished!"
The soldiers present were overjoyed. The strategist rarely praised anyone, but it seemed that his efforts had been noticed by him, and promotions and titles would be a given in the future.
The soldiers watched Zhu Yuan leave, then worked even harder as whistles, striving to be the first to take a life.
Zhu Yuan spurred his horse and galloped back to the military camp. The gatekeeper respectfully bowed and said, "The strategist has returned."
"Hmm." Zhu Yuan stopped after taking two steps, adding almost as if possessed, "This time I'm going to inspect the traps over there..."
Both goalkeepers were taken aback for a moment, then bowed in unison and said, "Understood!"
Seeing that the two hadn't misunderstood anything, Zhu Yuan walked back to his own tent.
"Old Gong, did you ask where the strategist went?"
The other person replied, puzzled, "No? Did you ask?"
"I don't know, is it possible that I've had another episode?"
The opposing goalkeeper agreed, saying, "You might really be having a relapse."
Why would their high-ranking strategist report their itinerary to the two of them for no reason?
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