"Third Aunt, did you have another argument with someone?" Song He'er asked with a smile.
“If your third aunt doesn’t fight with someone, the matter won’t be resolved.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu'e assumed that Song Xiaoqi was mocking him again, so she retorted irritably, "If you're so capable, then don't make this old woman worry about you! What are you saying here?"
"Yes, yes, even if I were to handle this matter, I wouldn't be as decisive as you, my wife. Is that alright now?"
"Hmph, you should have said that earlier."
As Qin Xiaoniang laughed, she put the remaining bowls and chopsticks into the basin to wash them.
Ruizhen, who was usually quiet, stepped forward, as if she had something to say.
Song He'er knew that she was kind-hearted and shy, and always liked to keep things to herself, preferring to suffer losses herself rather than tell others.
“Aunt Ruizhen, please speak your mind. Now that I’m officially calling you Mother, there’s no need to be so polite.”
Upon hearing this, Ruizhen quickly waved her hand, "No, no, no, how could I be the legal mother of the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion? I am already extremely fortunate to have your protection, and I dare not hope for anything more. I just think that going to Nanzhao is already very troublesome. Why don't my daughter and I stay in Xinzhou? Firstly, it will save you some trouble, and secondly, if you have any business to do, you can give me some, so that I can earn some money and not worry about food and clothing."
Song He'er understood Ruizhen's meaning. She simply didn't want to go to Nanzhao. With her personality, she was content with a peaceful life. Going to Nanzhao was complicated, and she wasn't someone who could handle things, so she was afraid of causing trouble for others.
“But the adoption document clearly states that my younger brother Huan’er and I are already your children. How can a mother not follow her children if they go elsewhere?”
“Miss Song, please don’t say that. I am just an imposter and have no debt of gratitude to you. Qin Xiaoniang is your biological mother. You should be filial to her.”
Song He'er smiled and said, "Of course I will take care of my birth mother, but we won't abandon you either. In the end, you have helped us without us knowing, so you can be considered a benefactor. Your going to Nanzhao won't be a burden. Many hands make light work, and it will be easier for us to work together as a team."
Despite Song He'er's patient explanation, Ruizhen remained unmoved and simply became anxious.
"You too, we've come this far, why not take one more step forward? You said that staying here wouldn't do us any good. We originally planned to stage a clever escape, so that we would all leave and no one here would know our plans or whereabouts. But you insist on staying, and we're still worried about you!"
Although these words were harsh, they hit the nail on the head; they were exactly what Song He'er wanted to say but had never dared to.
Ruizhen is definitely leaving. Her personality is somewhat similar to that of Suyu's wife back then, and there's no guarantee that she won't betray them under some unavoidable circumstances.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Qin Xiaoniang tried to ease it by saying, "Zhang Niangzi's words were a bit inappropriate. Actually, she didn't mean it that way. She just wanted what was best for all of us. Sister Ruizhen, it's fine for you to stay, but it will be tough on the children. Xinzhou is a wild and desolate place with extremely cold winters. You should be feeling it now. It's not even the winter solstice yet, and the north wind is already howling and the snow is falling heavily. It will probably be even harder to endure in the future."
Ruizhen wasn't stupid; she could understand Zhang Xiue's words even if she couldn't understand others, so she could only nod in agreement.
It was indeed freezing cold at night, but fortunately Song Xiaoqi had bought some charcoal beforehand. He put a charcoal brazier in the cave and lit it, which made it quite warm.
"Yesterday's goods have been sold, and this is the money we've saved. Let Madam Qin keep it safe." Song Xiaoqi handed the silver in his pocket to Madam Qin.
“I have to take care of my children every day, so it’s inconvenient for me to carry this money with me. It would be better to let Madam Zhang and Madam Tian keep it.”
Li Qiang's wife initially declined, saying, "I still have to take care of two children. Besides, I can do some rough work, but I can't do these meticulous tasks."
Seeing that no one wanted to handle the money, Zhang Xiu'e had no choice but to take it on herself. "Then I'll take it. But let me make it clear, I'm a bit careless. If I make a mistake in any of the accounts, don't blame me."
Song He'er laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if the calculation is wrong, the problem is that Third Aunt will secretly eat the good stuff herself without letting us know."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu'e quickly picked up a bamboo stick from the ground and gently tapped Song He'er's head. "You little rascal, you're making fun of me again!"
"Alright, everyone go back to your places and get some sleep. We still have work to do tomorrow!"
"Um."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
The next morning, a series of noisy sounds suddenly came from outside, like the footsteps of a crowd passing by, mixed with the clanging of hoes and weapons.
"Everyone, get up! Let's go fishing in the Suhe River!"
"Fishing?"
Li Qiang, panting, ran into the cave from outside and said through the tent flap, "That's it! The sluice gates upstream of the Su River were opened sometime ago, and the current is so strong that some live fish suddenly appeared, and they're edible! People haven't had any meat in a long time, so they all rushed to grab them!"
Zhang Xiue quickly dressed, picked up her fish basket, and headed outside...
"Whatever tools you need, we have them!"
"I noticed they don't have any convenient fishing gear; most of them use sickles. Using a sickle to spear fish is definitely strenuous; our nets are much better!"
Hearing this, Zhang Xiue said smugly, "Hmph, that's all thanks to my skillful hands, otherwise, where would you have gotten nets?"
"Yes, yes, Madam Zhang, you are the most skillful person in the world, we all admire you!"
Li Qiang spoke as he walked out.
Song He'er couldn't wait any longer and followed them to the shore.
The banks of the Su River were packed with people. It was the first time Song He'er had ever seen such a large number of refugees. She had only known that there were many prisoners here before, but now, looking around, the riverbank was completely surrounded by a chaotic crowd.
Moreover, most serious offenders are still wearing handcuffs and shackles, unlike them who are so free. Only some prisoners with family connections can move freely without being restrained by chains.
"Third Aunt, I'm afraid we... won't be able to squeeze in, will we?"
"If you can't squeeze in, then just force your way in!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a figure bumped into Song He'er hard. The person was acting suspiciously and walking quickly, not like someone going fishing, but rather someone looking around to do something else. The person was very unruly and looked around suspiciously.
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