Chapter 141 Subsidies
As soon as the bundle was opened, Xie Wanniang saw the neatly folded rabbit fur cloak inside. The inner layer of the cloak was made of soft, thick but not very valuable rabbit skin and fur, while the outer layer was made of a light blue fine cloth that was equally unremarkable at first glance.
A cloak made of fine blue cloth with a rabbit fur lining is both warm and presentable without being too conspicuous, making it the most suitable for Xie Wanniang's daily wear.
This thoughtful gesture warmed Xie Wanniang's heart. She subconsciously reached out to touch the cloak, only to find it hard and stiff to the touch.
Suddenly, Xie Wanniang remembered what Xie Daoheng had said: her adoptive mother had prepared gold and silver valuables for her. She carefully unfolded the cloak and, sure enough, found a flat, rectangular box inside.
When the box was opened, Xie Wanniang saw four heavy gold bracelets.
Xie Wanniang: ......
She recognized the thing because it was something her family had specially commissioned to make during the war years, just in case.
A solid gold bangle without any patterns is not aesthetically pleasing because it is wide and thick. If you were to actually wear it, it would probably just feel heavy.
But these things weren't originally for decoration; they were the Xie family's most portable life-saving money, prepared for a possible life of wandering and displacement.
Wear it on your arm and cover it with your sleeve, and even if the money in your bundle is stolen or robbed, you won't have to worry about being penniless and unable to move an inch.
When they needed the gold, they would either sell it whole for silver or copper coins, or cut it into pieces and use the fragments to exchange for food, medicine, and other life-saving items.
Besides the most valuable large gold bracelet, they also prepared small gold rings that could be strung together with a rope and worn around the neck or waist.
Although those gold rings were light and small, they were more convenient to take out and use directly as money.
As Xie Wanniang was thinking, her gaze fell upon about a dozen gold rings that were being held down by the large gold bracelet.
Xie Wanniang: ......
She was both touched and amused. She was touched because her adoptive mother had indeed treated her well and prepared things that were convenient for her to use at the moment. She was amused because her adoptive mother had actually equated her current awkward situation of not being able to go home with "a life of wandering and fleeing".
Although she was grateful for Xie Wanniang's compassion, Xie Wanniang still wanted to say objectively that she had never lived such a miserable and precarious life.
Although it is inevitable to suffer some hardships when starting from scratch, these hardships are physical rather than mental.
For her, life is now happier, more joyful, and more relaxed.
After putting everything away, Xie Wanniang smiled and shook her head slightly.
Indeed, there is a kind of suffering that makes those who are watching feel the suffering for you.
With a smile on her lips, she lay down in bed. The little girl, Haitang, who had been carefully observing Xie Wanniang's expression, breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that Xie Wanniang was not unhappy.
The little girl's life has become difficult ever since she went missing.
Although Xie Daoheng and his wife were discerning and did not blame or punish her, others had a lot of opinions about her.
Especially Xie Wan Niang's birth mother, Xie Jing Shu. Although Xie Wan Niang's disappearance was caused by her and her ex-husband working together, it did not stop her from finding other people to blame.
Haitang, who had abandoned her post and sought help from Xie Daoheng, was the main person she blamed.
In addition, the old woman who was in charge of guarding the gate, as well as other members of the Xie clan in the village, were also among those she blamed.
If Xie Daoheng and his wife hadn't been sensible people, and if Xie Jingshu hadn't lived in a Taoist temple and had little say in her family or clan, she might have caused a huge commotion.
Scolded by Xie Jingshu, condemned by other members of the Xie clan and servants who were unaware of the truth, and with Haitang herself feeling remorseful for not staying by her young lady's side at all times, the girl quickly became thin, haggard, and depressed in a short period of time.
It was Xie Daoheng who secretly told Haitang that Xie Wanniang was still alive and doing well, which helped Haitang to cheer up again.
She asked Xie Daoheng to send her to Xie Wanniang's side and secretly vowed never to let Xie Wanniang encounter similar danger again.
It should be noted that although Haitang was only a teenager under fifteen, she came from a family with a long tradition of martial arts and had been practicing martial arts since childhood. After arriving at the Xie family, Xie Daoheng saw that she had a good foundation, so he sent her to the old bodyguard who taught the Xie clan members martial arts.
Xie Wanniang wanted to take the opportunity to learn martial arts as well, but her adoptive mother and birth mother both firmly forbade her to learn martial arts.
Helpless, she could only watch as Haitang diligently studied and practiced every day, constantly growing stronger, while she could only learn skills befitting a well-bred young lady, such as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, cooking, and managing accounts.
Fortunately, she had a solid foundation in medical theory, and with Xie Daoheng's secret support, she was able to secretly study on her own. Otherwise, she couldn't imagine how restricted she would have been during her childhood.
Unaware that her daughter was filled with emotion, Xiao Haitang happily turned off the light, groped her way to lie down next to her daughter, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
On the contrary, Xie Wanniang, because she recalled her past in the Xie family, did not fall asleep immediately.
The night passed peacefully without any unexpected incidents. Early the next morning, Jiang Yuan went to the inn's kitchen to order a large bag of leavened flatbread, a large bag of brown sugar packets, and a large bag of steamed buns made from a mixture of flour and water.
Incidentally, he also ordered a large, lavish breakfast for their group.
Millet porridge, bone broth, soy milk, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, stuffed pancakes, braised noodles, dried radish, stir-fried pickled cabbage... a generous spread was laid out in front of everyone.
Everyone ate their fill of whatever they liked, then packed up the remaining fried dough sticks and steamed buns before finally packing up their things, settling the bill, and leaving the inn.
Xie Wanniang and her companions didn't need to worry about the drivers' lodging and meals. When they rented the carriage, they had already paid for the drivers' lodging and meals in advance, as required by the carriage company.
After traveling for most of the day by horse-drawn carriage, the group finally arrived in Yi County as the sun began to set and the evening glow began to appear on the horizon.
To Xie Wanniang's surprise, Chang Yao actually sent his personal guards to wait for them at the city gate of Yi County.
Jiang Yuan got off the carriage and paid the city entry fee. The others also got off the carriage and were inspected. The two guards who were waiting anxiously at the city gate were Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan, whom they had just identified.
The moment they passed through the checkpoint and entered the city, the two men attracted the attention of Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan with their loud voices.
Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu recognized them and hurried over to greet them.
Although Hao Yu had some suspicions, she still asked cautiously, "What are you doing here?"
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