Shunzi, Qiu Shi and others returned quickly, saying that there was a high possibility that one or two fish would slip through the net.
"I'm glad you two are okay," Wan Xueying said. "Don't worry too much. They're just a few small fry. They won't amount to anything."
This battle could be said to be the most difficult battle Qiu Shi and his men had ever fought since they started protecting Wan Xueying. After checking the guards, she found that only three of them were slightly injured, and she felt relieved.
Qiu Shi was given some medicine and asked to treat the wounded first, and then go to find the village chiefs of the three villages to discuss the aftermath.
"What should we do with the corpses and horses of these horse thieves?" The village chiefs of the three villages gathered together and asked Wan Xueying. After all, it was her guards who mainly helped kill these horse thieves, and she was definitely the one who made the greatest contribution.
Wan Xueying thought for a moment and replied: "We will report the horse thieves' bodies to the government and let them deal with them." Eliminating the horse thieves can bring in a lot of political achievements, so anyone would be willing to take on this job.
"As for the horses..." she said, "I want ten. I hope you all have no objection?" She had always wanted to get a horse for each of the ten people including Qiu Shi. This time, the ten of them had fought hard for it, so of course she would not miss it.
Several village heads said repeatedly: "No objection, no objection."
"I suggest giving the remaining horse to Liu Laolai and his son. If they hadn't tipped us off, we wouldn't have been able to prepare in advance, let alone come to Yangshu Village to help. Otherwise, who knows how many people would have died." They were lucky enough not to lose anyone this time, and only a few people were slightly injured. Liu Laolai and his son made an indelible contribution.
Liu Laolai pointed at himself in surprise and asked, "Is it a reward for us?" The father and son were right next to them. When they heard Wan Xueying say this, they looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.
"That's right," Wan Xueying nodded, "it is indeed a reward for you." She was a person who clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments, and would never erase their merits just because they had offended her.
"Thank you, Miss Wan! Thank you!" Liu Laolai hurriedly thanked her. This was the greatest reward he had ever received in his life, and of course, the only one.
Wan Xueying waved her hand and said, "Don't thank me yet. We still need to see what the village chiefs think."
"Miss Xueying is right," the head of Elm Village was the first to agree. "The reason our villages were able to survive was truly thanks to the tip-off from Liu Laolai and his son."
The head of Yangshu Village followed up, "I also agree to reward them both with a horse."
"I have no objection." The village chief of Liushu Village also expressed his opinion.
"Then it's settled." The head of Yushu Village made the final decision.
"Thank you, Miss Wan! Thank you, the three village heads!" Liu Laolai happily pulled Liu Ergou to thank Wan Xueying and the three village heads.
"Now that you have the horse, you and your son must reclaim the wasteland and farm the land well in the future." The head of Yushu Village also encouraged the father and his son.
"We must reclaim the wasteland and cultivate the land well."
The head of Yushu Village then turned to Wan Xueying and asked, "Xueying girl, do you think anyone else needs a reward?"
Wan Xueying looked at the man who had stopped her from leaving and led the villagers to kill the horse thieves she had knocked unconscious and asked, "What's his name?"
"Him," replied the head of Yangshu Village, "his name is Zheng Quan."
"He did a great job," Wan Xueying praised. "If he hadn't persuaded the other villagers to help us, we wouldn't have been able to kill all the horse thieves so easily. So, he deserves a reward, too."
"Can the younger one also be rewarded with a horse?" When Zheng Quan was called over to tell him about this, his eyes widened no smaller than those of Liu Laolai and his son.
"That's right," Wan Xueying nodded, "Your actions deserve to be rewarded." Having said that, she looked at the other people who participated in the battle, "Those who participated also deserve to be rewarded."
"But there are not so many horses anymore?" the head of Yangshu Village asked casually.
"We can sell the remaining horses and buy some food or seeds as a reward for them!"
"Do you mean to sell the remaining horses?" asked the head of Yangshu Village.
"That's right." Wan Xueying nodded. "Why not exchange the horses for food or seeds and distribute them to everyone? Also, I think it would be better to buy a few cows and have them owned by each village. That way, when next spring comes, the villagers can borrow cows from the village to plow the fields."
"Xueying, this is a good idea!" The village chief of Yushu Village clapped his thigh and was the first to agree.
"I think this is a good idea too," agreed the head of Yangshu Village.
"I think it's a good idea too." The head of Liushu Village also agreed.
"Then let the three of you village chiefs discuss this. Several of my guards are injured, and I need to take them back to heal them first."
"All right," said the head of Elm Village, "take them back to heal their wounds. We are so lucky to have you here today."
Wan Xueying had originally wanted to give the bandit's knife to Shen Yu, so she could use it to craft better weapons for the reserve soldiers. But then she thought, weapons are strictly controlled by the imperial court, and when the officials came to deal with the bandit's corpses, they would undoubtedly ask about the weapons. It would be better to avoid any further complications.
Besides, ten horses were enough for her today, so she gave up the idea and left with her men and the horses.
On the winter solstice, a heavy snowfall occurred, marking the first rainfall in northern Xinjiang since the beginning of summer. The people were overjoyed, many standing in the snow, laughing heartily. It felt as if northern Xinjiang, long destitute, had finally come alive.
Today is also a special day. It is a traditional ancestor worship festival comparable to the New Year, and every household eats dumplings.
Today is even more special for Wan Xueying because today is not only her birthday, but also her coming-of-age day.
"We've really wronged you today. We can only gather together to celebrate for you." Aunt Chen felt sorry for Wan Xueying as she combed her hair. "If we were in the capital, we would have a big banquet today, a grand ceremony, and ask a respected woman to put the hairpin in your hair."
"Aunt Lian," Wan Xueying retorted, "Not to mention that I've severed ties with the Wan family and my uncle's mansion has been confiscated. Even if none of that had happened, with Wan Qingling around, the coming-of-age ceremony would only make me more embarrassed. So let's not talk about that. It's fine as long as it's normal."
"You're right, but why is there still no news about Shen Yu?"
"Why did Aunt Lian mention him?" Although Wan Xueying had always been worried about Shen Yu and hoped that he could be by her side on this special day, she still asked the question with a false meaning.
"Why mention him? Today is your coming-of-age day, and as your fiancé, he should give you a gift." It would be best if it was a hairpin, which represents the man's attention to the woman.
"It's not important that I come of age. What's important is that he is fine and that the problem of food and grass can be solved smoothly." This is Wan Xueying's biggest hope at the moment.
"That's right," Aunt Chen nodded repeatedly, "as long as he's fine."
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