Shen Hao ignored his elder brother's complaints, as he was used to it. He continued to make fire for Shen Jia, ate some dumplings, and then had lunch with everyone else.
It seems that his appetite has increased a lot after joining the army. Old Madam Shen asked someone to serve Shen Haosheng some food with concern.
Because the Shen family didn't have many relatives or friends here, and not many people came to visit on New Year's Day, the family just got together and had some fun.
Originally, Shen Jia was gathered in front of the charcoal fire, warming herself, eating snacks, and listening to everyone chatting, until she felt someone pulling at her sleeve.
She turned around and saw that it was her third uncle Shen Hao, who was winking at her as if he had something important to say.
She then said to the people in the room, "I suddenly remembered that there are some things in the workshop that I need to take care of in advance. I'll go back to my room to deal with them. Please forgive me."
Before anyone else could say anything, Shen Hao stood up and said, "I feel like I haven't rested enough, so I'll replay it first."
Seeing her son showing signs of fatigue, Madam Shen temporarily ignored what Shen Jia had just said and nodded repeatedly, "Then you two should leave first. We don't need you two to keep us company here. Go take care of your own things first, and you can rest first."
When the elders in the family spoke, others certainly had no chance to refute or raise questions, especially Father Shen, who had just seen his third brother lively in the kitchen.
The two of them looked at each other after leaving the room, and Shen Jia asked curiously, "What did Third Uncle want to say just now?"
When he said this, Shen Hao became a little nervous and at a loss. He stretched his head to look around, then pulled Shen Jia quickly to the kitchen. There was fire but no one was there, making it a perfect place for a secret conversation.
After entering the kitchen, he observed the surrounding environment again. Seeing him so suspicious, Shen Jia was even more curious about what he wanted to say.
He asked again, "Uncle San, why are you so nervous? Don't worry, the servants in our house are all very well behaved and trustworthy. Don't make me nervous like this."
Shen Hao finally felt relieved after a round of inspection. When he heard Shen Jia's words, he quickly suppressed the nervousness that had just arisen in him.
He lowered his voice, suppressed the trembling of his voice, and said with his eyes wide open: "Do you remember the man we rescued on the way back from Guanghe County to get something?"
Hearing this, Shen Jia nodded, "Of course I remember. We also got a jade pendant that could be exchanged for silver. Speaking of which, when I went to the prefectural capital before, I saw the Duobao Pavilion there. I had already returned the jade pendant and exchanged it for 100 taels of silver. Why did Third Uncle suddenly mention him?"
Hearing Shen Jia's words, Shen Hao became even more nervous. "Don't you know who we rescued? I met him in the military camp. He turned out to be the famous General Yan in the entire northern border - Yan Xu.
After I made meritorious service at the pass, I was transferred to General Xuanwu Wei Yuan's side. Later, I had the honor of meeting General Yan. At first glance, I recognized him as the man who was almost crushed under the wheels of my car that day.
I wonder if they still remember me? If I think back to what I did before, do you think I can still survive in the military camp?"
Upon hearing the news, Shen Jia's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly returned to normal.
"Uncle San, don't you remember? We are his saviors now. If he still remembers what happened that day, with his current power, it would be as easy as stepping on an ant to kill us.
And you, Third Uncle, were able to recognize him. How could he, a military commander with great military achievements, not have noticed your presence?
So, you should relax now. He is not a petty or vindictive person."
After hearing Shen Jia's words, Shen Hao also felt that he might be overthinking it. It was just that Yan Xu's martial power and prestige were too strong in the military camp. He didn't dare to make any mistakes. It would be bad if his thoughts were self-deception.
Thinking of this, he asked again: "He shouldn't have discovered our secret that day, right? I don't know why, but I always feel a little uneasy."
When Shen Jia heard Shen Hao's question, he remembered another thing. According to him, he is now a guard of a fourth-rank general and has the opportunity to meet Yan Xu.
The entire northern border is well aware of who Yan Xu is. Even though this is not his fiefdom, the entire northern border is influenced by him. Many officials are also secretly on his side and are willing to obey his orders.
Perhaps this is also the reason why the emperor is worried. There are still rumors circulating in the northern border about the war ten years ago, saying that someone tipped off the enemy, which led to the death and injury of the Yan family in the war, leaving only one child.
The places that have been guarded by the Yan family army for decades are of course more influenced by them, which is unacceptable to the superiors, but the emperor's solution is too rough. If it were not for the Yan family's true loyalty, it is still unknown whether the northern border will be out of the control of the Dasheng Dynasty.
It was also this kind of person that piqued Shen Jia's interest. She was now looking for a partner who could completely protect the coal mine. Judging from this situation, Yan Xu was the best partner.
According to the concerns of the Emperor of the Dasheng Dynasty, she didn't believe that after the last war, he would still be willing to allocate funds for training for the Yan Family Army.
The Duobao Pavilion I went to last time should be Yan Xu's industry. As we all know, military is the most expensive thing in the world, especially when the garrison is in a place with harsh climatic conditions like the North.
If there are sufficient benefits, the other party will definitely be willing to cooperate with him, but before making this decision, Shen Jia still has other things he wants to know.
"Uncle San, don't worry. How could someone like him take such a small matter so seriously? I want to ask, are the Yan family's troops mainly concentrated in the rear?"
When Shen Hao heard Shen Jia asking about the troop deployment, his nerves suddenly tensed up. He asked nervously, "Why are you asking this? I can't tell you anything about military deployment."
Shen Jia really didn't know what was going on in his head every day, and he really wanted to roll his eyes.
"Uncle San, even if I knew, what could I do? I'm simply asking if you're all concentrating in the north. Chen Yuan, the man who saved our family earlier, often goes west for trade without any problems. I'm wondering if it's because the west is safer."
Shen Hao, realizing his misunderstanding, apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've just been in the military camp for so long that I'm a little sensitive.
"But you're not wrong. We're primarily targeting the ambitious Xiongnu, so we're primarily stationed in the north. Of course, we can't let our guard down in the west either. If anyone colludes with the Xiongnu, we'll be attacked from both sides."
"Our Ning'an Town is already in the south of the northern border, and it's unbearably cold every year. So, it must be even worse in your barracks. Are you wearing warm clothes? Or are you heating your homes with firewood?"
Shen Hao felt very relieved after hearing Shen Jia's concern. He sighed and said:
"What else can we do? We just have to endure it. The amount of subsidies from the imperial court has been decreasing over the past few years. Everyone knows why. Besides, most of the land in the north is grassland, and even dead branches have to be snatched up."
Although General Yan often uses his own money to supplement the expenses, it still can't make up for the huge expenditure, and everyone has gotten used to it. I also learned a lot of moves from everyone that can warm up the body and strengthen the body.
Hearing Shen Hao say this, Shen Jia felt even more confident. It seemed that the situation Yan Xu was facing now was even more serious than he had imagined.
Then the possibility of successful cooperation would be greatly increased, so he looked at Shen Hao who admired Yan Xu very much and said:
"In that case, Uncle San, do you want to resolve this dilemma as soon as possible?"
"How to solve it?"
"I have a plan, but it's difficult to accomplish on my own. Why don't you, Third Uncle, introduce me to General Yan when you return to the barracks? It will not only keep you warm in the winter, but also help him solve his military funding problem."
When he heard it suddenly, Shen Hao thought Shen Jia was bragging and couldn't stop smiling.
After he laughed, he looked at Shen Jia's eyes and realized that she might be serious. He immediately became serious and said:
"Jia Niang, I know you're showing off your outstanding business talent, but the money you earn now is a drop in the bucket compared to the military budget. No one will even consider it, and no one will take money from a commoner like you.
Third Uncle advises you to give up this thought as soon as possible. Besides, it’s good that I’m not hiding from General Yan now. You’re going to find him directly. Are you dissatisfied with the King of Hell not looking for me? "
Shen Jia didn't feel uncomfortable with Shen Hao's suspicion. She did seem to lack some capital at the moment, but she still had a secret weapon.
"Don't you think Third Uncle trusts me?"
"This, this isn't..."
"With just a few dozen taels of silver, I grew my small shop into a complex of 11 shops and five workshops. This year's revenue is expected to reach 10,000 taels. Aren't all my achievements enough to earn Third Uncle's trust?
Moreover, Uncle San sees his comrades getting frostbite due to the cold and struggling to get through every winter. Doesn’t he want to help them?
You also know that I am not the kind of person who talks big. Since I have said it, I naturally have real ability. I only need Uncle San to bring me a message and a letter. As for whether General Yan believes it or not, that is a matter for the future. "
Shen Hao was also somewhat touched by Shen Jia's emotional appeal, thinking about his comrades who were almost frozen into ice sculptures on the observation deck.
He hardened his heart and said seriously, "Then what should I do? Uncle San has risked everything this time, so I'll do as you say."
"When will Third Uncle leave? I'll go write the letter first. As for the rest, you just need to meet Yan Xu and give him the letter."
Shen Hao's vacation this time was not long, and he spent a long time on the road. He should have left almost tomorrow, otherwise he would not be able to meet the leave deadline. However, when he looked at his mother's expression, he did not have the heart to say it out loud.
Now that Shen Jia had asked him, he had nothing to hide. He said guiltily, "I have to leave almost tomorrow. Don't tell your grandmother about this yet. I want to tell her in person."
After hearing this, Shen Jia also understood that this was all due to transportation. It must have taken a lot of time to go back and forth from the north to the south. It was estimated that Shen Hao had to rush back non-stop and could only rest at home for two days.
So she nodded and said, "I understand. I'll go write now. Uncle San, you should go and have a rest too."
After a friendly exchange, the two quickly separated. As for Shen Hao, he did not go back to his room to rest, but continued to come to the room where everyone was to entertain his parents.
But parting is inevitable, and on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Hao set out on his return journey, and Shen Jia also had to start dealing with matters related to a possible future meeting with Yan Xu.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, just like in modern times, everyone in the workshop began to work diligently. Shen Jia called An Yun over and said to him:
"Brother An, do you still remember the mountain we bought in Yanhe Town, Guanghe County last time? I need you to go into the mountain and dig something for me now."
"I still remember, but I wonder what I need to dig?"
"Dig a big hole in a hidden place between several mountains until you dig out a dark brown lump with a strange smell. Once you've dug out more than ten pounds, bring it to me. Remember to fill the hole so no one finds it."
"yes."
Although An Yun didn't know what Shen Jia was going to do, the grace of saving his life made him choose to obey all her instructions.
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