Chapter 140 Staying in the hotel
He pointed at Haitang, who was clinging to Xie Wanniang's arm, and said, "Take this girl to Yi County; she wants to come with you."
Xie Wanniang patted the begonia that was looking at her expectantly, "Okay."
Haitang cheered.
Xie Daoheng shook his head. "Then take care of yourself. If anything happens, remember to have someone send me a message."
Xie Wei and Xie Bao also spoke one after the other, giving Xie Wanniang some advice.
Xie Wanniang answered each question, and finally said, "Father, Brother Wei, Uncle Bao, please take good care of yourselves. I will go back to visit you openly and honestly when I am able to protect myself."
Xie Daoheng nodded, then handed the bundle he was carrying to Xie Wanniang, "This is the gold and silver valuables your mother secretly prepared for you. Take it with you to Yi County to use."
Xie Wanniang was taken aback, then she waved her hand forcefully, "I have money, I don't need my mother to give me any more of her private savings."
Without saying a word, Xie Daoheng shoved the bundle into her hands, saying, "Just take it."
Although his wife couldn't treat her niece like her own daughter, she always did her best for Xie Wanniang, putting her heart and soul into everything from food and clothing to education and discipline.
This is why Xie Wanniang always held her adoptive mother in high esteem. Of the rewards she received from the Lady of the Marquis, a small portion were given to her adoptive mother.
"Then please thank my mother for me." Xie Wanniang, carrying the small bundle, smiled slightly at Xie Daoheng. "Tell her that as soon as I can appear in public, I will definitely go back to visit her."
Xie Daoheng nodded, "Go ahead. It's getting late, don't keep the others waiting for you."
Xie Wanniang nodded, "Alright. Father, Brother Wei, and Uncle Bao should also go home early."
Xie Daoheng hummed in agreement, then turned his gaze to Jiang Yuan, who had been silently following behind Xie Wan Niang, and said, "I'm leaving Wan Niang in your care."
Jiang Yuan nodded solemnly, "Uncle Xie, rest assured, I will definitely protect her."
She boarded the carriage with Jiang Yuan and Haitang, glancing back every few steps. Xie Wanniang leaned out of the carriage window and waved vigorously at her father, "Go back now. I'll write back once I'm settled."
Xie Daoheng nodded, but didn't move an inch. It wasn't until Xie Wanniang and her moving convoy had driven far away and out of Xie Daoheng's sight that Xie Daoheng, persuaded by Xie Wei and Xie Bao, got into the carriage and returned to the academy.
Inside the carriage, Xie Wanniang was also unable to recover from the sorrow of parting for a long time.
Seeing her like that, Jiang Yuan, Haitang, Xiaoyang, and Xiaomei all tacitly remained silent and did not disturb her.
It wasn't until the carriage had traveled about three or four miles that Xie Wanniang took a deep breath and regained her composure.
She put the small bundle Xie Daoheng had given her into a small box under her seat. That box was where she stored her gold, silver, and valuables, and she planned to keep it close to her at all times.
"Let's buy a horse-drawn carriage when we get to Yi County."
Now that Xie Wanniang has money, she no longer needs to suppress her shopping desires.
Jiang Yuan nodded. "Okay."
Xie Wanniang smiled.
Ever since she met Jiang Yuan, he has always been like this. No matter what she wants to do, eat, or buy, Jiang Yuan will only say "okay" and "okay".
She asked Jiang Yuan, "Will Lord Chang prepare military horses for you?"
Jiang Yuan nodded, "Yes."
He was going to serve as Chang Yao's bodyguard, and his treatment was much better than that of ordinary newly enlisted soldiers.
Xie Wanniang then asked, "Can I buy military horses that have been phased out by the army?"
Jiang Yuan nodded again, "Yes."
In border towns, it is relatively easier for individuals to buy horses because retired military horses are available for sale.
Of course, this so-called "individual" does not include ordinary people who have no connection with the military camp.
Even if some military horses leave the military camp because they no longer meet the standards, only a small group of people who are rich and powerful, or have some connections in the military camp, can buy military horses that are still superior to ordinary horses even if they are eliminated.
Jiang Yuan dared to give Xie Wanniang a guarantee because he knew Chang Yao, the garrison commander of Zijing Pass. Given their relationship, he could easily obtain horses from Chang Yao.
He looked at Xie Wanniang with a smile, "Once we buy it, I'll teach you how to ride a horse."
Xie Wanniang was immediately delighted to hear this. Horse riding was an essential survival skill that she had never had the chance to learn before.
"I also want to learn how to drive a carriage, a horse-drawn carriage."
The reason I'm emphasizing this is because she has already learned how to drive an oxcart.
Jiang Yuan nodded, "Okay, I'll teach you all at once."
Xie Wanniang beamed with joy, her anticipation for her upcoming life in Yi County growing ever stronger.
That evening, the group arrived at the inn, and Hao Yu immediately asked for a small courtyard large enough to fit all the carriages.
Xie Wanniang and the others took the valuables off the carriage and put them in the room, while the rest of the items remained on the carriage in the courtyard, where Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu took turns looking after them.
The coachmen who slept in the communal sleeping area took away the horses. They were not responsible for looking after the employer's belongings, but only for the horses belonging to their own coaching company.
After a day of travel, Xie Wanniang and the others felt like they were about to fall apart from the bumpy ride, and naturally lost their desire to go out and find delicious food.
Jiang Yuan had the waiter bring them a table of food from the inn's kitchen: braised pork belly with sauerkraut, braised pork ribs with soybeans, braised chicken with mushrooms, stir-fried eggs with wood ear mushrooms and onions, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, spicy and sour radish slices, dried vegetable and pork bone soup, and steamed buns, twisted rolls, and millet cakes for the staple food.
The dishes were all home-cooked and the taste was far less amazing than what Xie Wanniang made. However, after traveling all day and only having a simple bite to eat at noon, Xie Wanniang and the others were now eating with gusto, their heads down and their chopsticks flying.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and even Atai's dog had a hot and satisfying meal, the innkeeper cleared away the clean tableware, which was almost completely empty, before Xie Wanniang and the others returned to their rooms.
Although there are eight habitable rooms in the courtyard, for safety reasons, everyone chose to share a room in pairs.
The final allocation results were: Xie Wanniang and Haitang shared a room, Xiaoyang and Xiaomei shared a room, Jiang Yuan and Atai shared a room, and Haoyu and Chen shared a room.
Because of the cold weather, the dog was also assigned an empty room without bedding or furniture, which looked like a storage room or temporary warehouse, to keep out the cold wind.
Since the valuables had already been moved inside, Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan no longer needed to stay in the courtyard in the freezing cold just to guard the luggage on the carriage.
They only need to stay in their respective rooms, one on duty for the first half of the night and the other for the second half.
After washing up, Xie Wanniang did not lie down to rest immediately.
She opened the box and took out the small bundle that Xie Daoheng had given her.
The bundle was tied very securely, and Xie Wanniang had to use some force to open it.
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