Li Lao Er also comforted him from the side, "Don't worry, Lao Si. This matter has been handed over to the Ministry of War for investigation. The truth will definitely come out eventually."
"It's just that you were unlucky. The soldier died suddenly at that time, and it just so happened that you were leading the training."
"You can stay home and relax. I'll take care of things in the city. I'm too busy with household and village matters to deal with them right now, so please help me out while I'm at home."
"It's almost Chinese New Year, so I'll help my mother and siblings out with the cooking."
Li Laosi nodded and quickly said, "Okay, Second Brother, just go ahead and do your work. I'll take care of things at home."
"Ah, that's right!" Old Mrs. Li was very pleased to see her sons united.
She patted her youngest son on the shoulder and instructed him, "Listen to your second brother and rest well at home. You'll be going to war again next spring, so just stay home and enjoy the New Year this time."
Tao Hongying had just felt sorry for her husband and her eyes were red, but now she quickly composed herself and said, "Mother, is there anyone to do the chores at home for the fourth son? Let's soak some more sticky rice tomorrow."
"The sticky rice cakes and fried rice cakes we steamed last time were mostly given away; there wasn't enough for the family."
Jiayin joined in the fun, running over to hug her father's waist and shouting, "Dad, take me to catch sparrows tomorrow, okay? My brothers aren't home, so no one's going to burn sparrows for me!"
"Okay!" Old Li ruffled his daughter's hair and replied with a smile, "Dad will find a big winnowing basket, scoop out ten or eight at a time, and then skewer them together and grill them for you!"
Grandma Li laughed and scolded, "We can't even finish the fat chickens at home, yet you insist on eating that roasted sparrow that's all bones. You two are really too idle!"
"Go ahead and have fun if you want, just be careful not to set the woodpile on fire!"
The family chatted and laughed, quickly dispelling their little bit of frustration.
At this moment, the village chief, Uncle Zhao, and Chief Escort Liu, among others, heard the news and rushed over.
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si kept them company while Tao Hongying prepared dinner, inviting the old men to have something nice to eat.
The lamb legs that the Marquis's mansion brought back earlier have been marinating for half a day, and now they're being roasted in the oven.
Then stew a small chicken with mushrooms, a dried green bean, potato and pork belly, stir-fry two simple side dishes, steam a large pot of snow-white rice, heat up a steamer of steamed buns, and dinner will be ready.
Thinking of the two pregnant women, Tao Hongying used an earthenware pot to boil chicken soup and cook small wontons, along with some minced meat and stir-fried salted cucumbers, which were the favorites of Madam Wen and Wenjuan.
Sure enough, when it was completely dark, Mr. Wen and Mrs. Wen arrived.
Following behind, Sister Qiong carried a basket of eggs, about two hundred in total, and took them directly into the kitchen.
Grandma Li asked, "Are there still chickens laying eggs at this time of year?"
Madam Wen glanced at Mr. Wen, her face slightly flushed, and said softly, "My due date is after the New Year, and the chickens won't be laying eggs yet. My senior brother was worried that I wouldn't have any eggs to eat during my postpartum period, so he put all the chickens on the farm into the greenhouse."
"Perhaps it's not cold, the chicks are still laying eggs. I've saved six hundred, enough for Wenjuan and me during my postpartum period. I'll bring these over for the family's daily use."
Hearing this, Old Lady Li didn't stand on ceremony. Instead, she smiled and said, "Mr. Wen really dotes on his wife. He even considered such a small matter."
"He always said that Jia Huan doted on his wife, but now it seems that he doesn't even reach half of Mr. Wen's level."
Tao Hongying laughed and said, "It's the end of the year, and the restaurant is too busy. Otherwise, Jia Huan would probably want to stay home with Wen Juan all day long."
Everyone laughed.
Madam Wen asked, "Have you found a suitable shop for Hongying's pickles?"
Tao Hongying was busy with her hands, but she shook her head and replied, "Not yet. I've looked at two, but they don't suit my taste."
Madam Wen said, "The other day when I went out for a social engagement, I ran into Madam Jia the Second. She said that she has a good friend who wants to sell a general store in a very good location."
"How about we go to the city for a walk sometime when we have some free time at home?"
“Great!” Tao Hongying said with a smile, “If it works out, Madam Jia will be a great help. I’ll cook two nice dishes to thank her next time she comes over.”
Just as they were chatting and laughing, Zheng He ran in from outside and went straight to the main room.
Everyone was puzzled. After a while, Li Laosi came out and walked to the kitchen door, saying, "Fu Niu'er, Lao Hei and the others are back."
"Perhaps they were worried that this trip was to retrieve bones and that the yin energy was too heavy, so they didn't come over to pay their respects. They just reported the news at the village entrance and went back."
Jiayin quickly said, "Dad, are you going over there? Please tell Uncle Lao Hei and the others to rest well for a day, and we can talk about it tomorrow."
"Also, please tell Aunt Xiaocui to prepare a good meal and drinks for Uncle Laohei and the others, so that they can eat and drink well."
"Okay, I'll go over there. You don't need to wait for me to eat." Li Laosi waved his hand and left.
The Second Village was also bustling with activity because of Lao Hei and the others' return.
They were all brothers who had fought on the battlefield, and none of them hadn't taken a few lives, so no one was afraid of any kind of yin energy.
So, Lao Hei and his group's row of houses were now packed with people.
After washing away the dust of their journey, Lao Hei and his companions sat on the warm kang (heated brick bed) and chatted with their old comrades.
They even showed off the wolf and mink pelts they had hunted in the mountains, which made everyone envious.
Xiao Cui led several women, all of whom were quick and efficient.
When Li Laosi arrived, the food had already been served.
Everyone quickly got off the ground to pay their respects to Li Laosi. Li Laosi took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), inviting Lao Hei and the others to sit together. While eating, he asked about the situation in the north.
Seeing him like this, everyone relaxed and started saying whatever came to mind.
Especially after drinking a few bowls of wine, the room became even more lively.
Although Guo Wenhao is young, he has endured a lot of hardship and has been learning from Mr. Wen for so long, so he is very thoughtful in his actions.
This time, when they went north to retrieve the remains, venturing deep into the mountains and forests, Lao Hei and the others did their best, and he was also very generous.
In the afternoon, the remains were transported to Guojiazhuangzi, and Guo Wenhao settled the commission directly, doubling the amount.
Old Hei and the others each earned twenty taels of silver. Combined with what they had earned in Yunzhou Prefecture, almost everyone now had a fortune of fifty or sixty taels of silver.
Don't underestimate this little bit of money.
That's enough for a family of three to live on for five or six years, or for them to get married in style.
When everyone was half-drunk, they joked about introducing wives to Lao Hei and the others.
Old Hei and the others were used to their freedom and didn't want to be tied down by their wives and children for the time being, so they quickly waved their hands in refusal.
Although everyone was just teasing them and it was all in jest, they naturally wouldn't force them.
But some people just couldn't read the room and actually started to have designs on it.
This person was none other than the young woman who dried clothes in the workshop, the one who complained about the meager reward from the Li family when she first moved in.
Her husband's surname is Kong, and his name is Kong Qinghe. Everyone calls her Sister-in-law Kong.
This Sister Kong has a younger sister who is mean-spirited and arrogant. She is eighteen years old this year and still hasn't found a husband.
Although Lao Hei and the others are all close to thirty, they earn a lot of money and are still highly valued by the princess!
Sister-in-law Kong thought to herself, if she could find a man to be her sister's husband, not only would her sister's life be better, but she would also benefit from it...?
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