The carriage moved quickly, and the group of five arrived at the gate of Qingshui County just before the end of the day.
There are two entrances outside the city gate: one for vehicles and one for pedestrians.
There were three or four carriages queuing in front of the Su family's carriage, waiting to pay the city entrance fee. The other pedestrian path was completely empty, while several circles of people were gathered around the city wall next to the entrance, their chattering noise even more enthusiastic than the usual morning market.
A-Zheng lifted the carriage curtain, stuck half her head out the window, and her beautiful eyes blazed with gossip. "What big thing is happening outside? Why are all the men, women, and children so excited? They look even redder than the ducklings the old village chief brought today!"
Su Hua's brow twitched upon hearing this. A-Zheng had only been down the mountain for two days at most, and although she hadn't learned anything else, she had mastered the village's local dialect perfectly.
No wonder, when we first met, he spoke the official language of Yu the Great and was indistinguishable from the people of Yu the Great.
Now, wearing sheepskin boots and the new dress she gave her, you really can't tell that she's a Western Rong girl at heart.
Because of her fondness for A-Zheng, Su Baishi, and her fondness for A-Zheng's straightforward personality, couldn't help but lean forward and listen for a while as she spoke.
"Huh, what do I hear? They're talking about a bandit's den..."
Just then, a carriage entered the city ahead, and the Su brothers drove their carriage a little closer, making the discussions below the city wall even clearer.
"Oh dear, that damned bandit den has finally been destroyed! Over the years, they've harmed countless people. Every time I passed that road, I was terrified, afraid that a bandit would rush out and capture me!"
"That's right. A few years ago, a girl from our village came to the county to sell eggs, but she was kidnapped by those bandits. Poor parents, she was their only daughter. They haven't found her all these years, and the two old people have cried themselves blind."
"Oh, don't even mention it. Four years ago, five girls from our two villages came to the county together to sell embroidered handkerchiefs. They even asked their brothers to come with them. But the bandits from Black Wind Village killed all five brothers on the road and kidnapped all the girls. Reporting to the authorities was useless. The county magistrate sent his constables to search for them, but they couldn't even find any trace of the bandits."
"Our Magistrate Qin is truly capable! He wiped out the Black Wind Stronghold bandits without making a sound. And the heroine mentioned above who single-handedly entered the bandit's den and intercepted the bandits is a role model for all the women in our county!"
"That's right. One person can hold off 738 bandits. No human being can do that. When the people in our town heard about it, they all said they would raise money to build a temple for the heroine, to offer incense from all directions, and to have a thousand people kneel and worship her."
"Our village has the same idea, but we don't know the heroine's name, what she looks like, or what the statue in the temple should look like!"
“We’ve never met the heroine, but we have met the magistrate. Why don’t we just go ask him?”
The Su family knew about the commendation that Magistrate Qin had sent today, and they had seen the official document and the reward money, but hearing the voices of the people still brought tears to their eyes.
If they had a choice, they wouldn't want any reward money or honors, nor would they expect Hua'er to be a heroine. They would rather Hua'er had never joined the bandit's den.
Especially Su Baishi, whose tears fell like broken threads, and she held Su Hua's hand tightly, not daring to let go.
Su Hua felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. For the past two nights, Su Baishi had been waking up from nightmares, calling out her name and searching for her. She only felt better when she was busy during the day. Now, hearing the discussions outside, she was probably remembering all the things from her nightmares again.
Fortunately, it was soon the Su family's turn to enter the city. After paying the entrance fee, Su Dahu drove the carriage away from the city gate at high speed, leaving all the noise behind.
Seeing the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly become dull, A-Zheng leaned close to Su Hua and giggled, "In our Western Rong, anyone who can build a temple and erect a statue and enjoy incense offerings will live a long and prosperous life. Little Hua, you are a heroine, I can reserve you in advance. You have to save a golden thigh for me in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Su Bai immediately forgot to wipe away her tears, "A-Zheng, is what you say true? Can building temples and erecting statues to enjoy incense really lead to a long life?"
Azheng nodded, "Of course it's real, more real than real gold. These are the exact words of the Western Rong witch doctor."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Madam Su Bai instantly went from tears to laughter. "We can earn wealth and status ourselves, but living a long and healthy life is something even wealthy families can hardly attain. How wonderful..."
Su Hua's lips twitched as she heard this, and she raised her hand to tap A Zheng's forehead. "You are a great hero, and your own legs are made of solid gold. Why do you need to cling to my legs?"
Ah Zheng waved her hand seriously, "I'm not stupid, why would I complain about having too many powerful backers!"
Seeing her carefree demeanor, Su Hua couldn't help but smile. She divided the three hundred taels given by Magistrate Qin into three parts, giving one hundred taels to A Zheng and Xiao Jinhan respectively.
After all, if Ah Zheng hadn't used illusion magic to subdue Master Xu, she wouldn't have been able to deal with those bandits so easily. And since Xiao Jinhan handled all the follow-up matters of the bandit den, she should also get a share.
But the two of them seemed to have agreed beforehand that she should keep it safe for them.
She also manages most of the family's money. There are already four or five boxes in the space where the silver is stored, and she feels that if this continues, it will become a private money exchange.
This interruption dispelled the previously dull atmosphere, and the group finally arrived at Tongxin Alley amidst the clatter of horses' hooves.
As soon as the car stopped, a loud male voice rang out.
"The master has arrived! Please dismount slowly, let me fetch your horse for you..."
It was none other than Wang Ergou, who was holding an unfinished rice bowl in his hands.
"You've worked hard." Su Dahu and his group got out of the car and handed the reins to the man. The other two tigers were still not very happy with Wang Ergou, so they just nodded slightly and didn't say anything.
Wang Ergou's smile remained unchanged. Holding a bowl in one hand and leading the horse with the other, he asked, "Has the master had dinner yet? If not, I'll have the kitchen cook a few more dishes."
"No need, we've already eaten at home." Su Dahu waved his hand and pointed to the carriage. "Today is the day of the house's roof-raising ceremony. Hua'er thought that you couldn't go back to Qingshui County for the banquet, so she brought you a portion of the dishes from the ceremony. You can ask the restaurant staff to try them later."
"Oh, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, sir. We're in for a treat tonight!" Wang Ergou grinned from ear to ear upon hearing this.
He had heard the rumors in the village that the Su family's food was the best, and he was tired of hearing them. Occasionally, when he passed by the Su family's house, the aroma of their dishes could be so enticing that it would steal his soul.
Now that I can finally eat it, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Just then, the restaurant staff came out after hearing the commotion, all beaming with joy. "The boss is here! Thank you for remembering us..."
They were all from Shanghe Village and had been looking forward to the feast since they learned about the upcoming house-raising ceremony at the Su family's house. They thought they wouldn't get to eat it since they came to the restaurant.
Unexpectedly, the boss even brought a portion over. In an instant, all the workers felt warm inside. The boss truly cared about them.
Su Hua waved her hand, signaling them to unload the food from the carriage, while she went to the restaurant with Su Bai and the others.
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