Uncle Tai San walked around the village holding his pipe, shouting at the top of his voice from time to time.
"Shuanzhu'er's mother, put down the jar of soy sauce quickly! How are you going to carry such a big thing up the mountain? You're going to tire your man out! You can take the soy sauce with you, but you don't have to take it all. Half a jar will be enough. It's just a precaution. It's not like you're really going to live in the mountains for years. Why are you so anxious?"
Everyone in the village was used to being scolded, so instead of being annoyed, they were very happy to hear this.
If the clan leader is still in the mood to scold people, it means that the matter is not serious. Otherwise, the village chief would not say much and would directly drive the person out of the village!
Soon, the noise was heard in Liujia Village and Zhangjia Village, and the village chiefs came over to chat with Master Tai Sanye.
But after sitting down for a while, Village Chief Zhang said, "Brother Tai San, we live in two villages, and when there's something going on, our village, young and old, has never been lagging behind. Look, if there's anything happening outside, why don't you tell us too?"
"Yes, Third Uncle Tai." The head of Liujia Village also echoed, apologizing with a look of panic on his face. "I was young and ignorant before, and I made many mistakes. But Third Uncle, I have been very kind to everyone in the past six months. If anything goes wrong, Third Uncle will definitely give me some advice, right?"
Mr. Tai San knew that they were coming and was already prepared to deal with them.
He tapped his pipe and replied, "You heard the news that our village has gone into the mountains to find a place to stay, right?"
Village Chief Liu and Village Chief Zhang both looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer.
Girls from both villages married into Taijia Village. This time, the elders did not issue a gag order, and the women missed their parents' home, so they couldn't help but say a few words when they went back.
But it's hard to say this. If I'm not careful, it will make Mr. Tai San tired of the girls in their village, which will really cause trouble for others.
Fortunately, Master Tai San had no intention of seeking revenge. After a moment's thought, he said, "Actually, you don't have to be afraid. We haven't received any news, and the border is strong, and the border troops are brave and skilled in fighting. The reason we wanted to seek shelter in the mountains was because we saw the wealthy families in the city sending their families south, and we became panicked for a while."
"I discussed it with Lao Liu. Since we have nothing to do in winter, we decided to go into the mountains to have a look. If a war really breaks out at the border, we will take the elderly and children and live in the mountains for two months to prepare for any unexpected events."
Village Chief Liu and Village Chief Zhang looked at each other and felt slightly relieved.
Given the temperament of the Tai family, although they may not be open-hearted with them, they will definitely not lie to others.
I guess the war is not that urgent, but it is still necessary to find and arrange a retreat.
The two of them thought about what had happened before, and it seemed that they had never suffered any loss since following the Tai family.
Of course, we can’t fall behind this time!
"Uncle San is right. We should be prepared for any eventuality. When I get back, I'll take people into the mountains to look for a good place. If we can't find one in your village, or if we find a better one, we can live together. It will be more lively with more people." Village chief Liu responded actively as soon as he opened his mouth, and even hinted at the idea of gathering together for warmth.
Village chief Zhang regretted it so much. It was really bad to be so stupid. He was at a disadvantage a little later.
He quickly made amends, "It's easier to get into the mountains behind our village. I remember there's a valley to the south over three mountains. It's sheltered from the wind and flat. Let me go take a look first, and then we can meet up to discuss it."
Mr. Tai Sanye smiled and nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Village chiefs Liu and Zhang were anxious, so they quickly said goodbye and started discussing the matter of going into the mountains.
Mr. Tai Sanye thought about it, asked the family to arrange a carriage, and then went to Sancha River.
The village chief was very happy and pulled Master Tai San to drink.
Didn't Mr. Tai San have a drink? After explaining the matter, he smiled and said, "Originally, our village was just prepared for any eventuality. It always helps to have a way out. I didn't expect that Zhangjia Village and Liujia Village would also be involved in this!"
"I thought, our four villages have always been closely connected, and I wouldn't want to leave you behind. So, I came over to tell you.
"You villagers should discuss this. If you're not afraid of trouble and are worried about the border situation, then quickly figure out a way to retreat. Of course, if you're not afraid and don't want to leave the village, just treat my words as a joke."
Village chief Dong felt a little confused and hesitant after hearing this.
In fact, just from the names of the villages, you can tell that everyone in Zhangjia Village has the surname Zhang, everyone in Liujia Village has the surname Liu, not to mention Taijia Village. Not only do they all have the surname Tai, but they are also united as one.
Only their Sancha River is a gathering place of various surnames, and there are occasional quarrels and fights on weekdays, which makes the head of the village chief buzz and he wishes he had more white hair.
Now he has to find a way out, or even give up the village. He definitely cannot decide such a big thing alone. He can only hold a meeting in the village and discuss it with everyone.
As for when the discussion would end and what the final conclusion would be, he really couldn't guarantee...
Mr. Tai San also knew his difficulties, so he chatted with him for a few more minutes and then said goodbye.
Living next door to each other, he had fulfilled his obligation by informing the other party. As for the other party's decision, he had no need to interfere...
Not to mention how panicked the people in Tai'an County were, nor how Yong'an and the Sixth Prince were happily killing the enemies outside the border, Chen Zhao, Tai Jiye and others who went deep into the grassland had no idea that the situation had changed so drastically not long after they left!
The caravan rushed all the way to the royal court of the grassland. When they encountered a tribe where they could stay for the night, they exchanged most of the supplies. As for the cashmere and medicinal materials they exchanged for, they temporarily left them in the hands of the herdsmen and would load them up when they returned.
Some people may worry about what to do if the herders go back on their word and refuse to pay their debts.
The answer is no. The grassland is vast and sparsely populated, and the herders rely heavily on the tea bricks and salt provided by the caravans. If they break their promise once, the caravan will not come again next time, and may even tell each other that all caravans will not come again.
This means that the herders no longer have supplies, and they either have to endure it or buy from other herders at several times the price.
It's not worth it!
Chen Zhao and others led the caravan, traveling light and in the snow. Although it was hard, they had a safe journey. The closer they got to the royal court, the more people they encountered.
Tai Yonglu, Tai Yongyue and Chen Ruiyang were not hiding in the car. They were wrapped in thick fur coats, with masks on their faces and fur hats on their heads, as if they wanted to leave only their eyes exposed to stare at the road ahead.
Chen Zhao couldn't help but praise Tai Jiye, "These three guys are really good. They didn't complain at all during the whole journey. Let's not talk about Yonglu and Yongyue. Just look at Ruiyang. He was so spoiled when he was at home. Who would have thought that he would come to the grassland with me in winter?"
Tai Jiye nodded and said, "My father always said that boys need to be beaten more in order to understand things, but in the end, elders are rarely so cruel. If Yonglu and Yongyue hadn't been in danger before, my father would not have been willing to let them suffer."
Chen Zhao thought of his deceased sister and sighed inwardly.
At this time, a group of people and horses ran in vaguely in the wind and snow in front. They looked very aggressive, which made everyone subconsciously grab their sabers.
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