Under the scorching June sun, Liao Xiaodie's wrist, adorned with a dazzling golden bracelet and dangling red jade earrings, was a scene of jewels. She ordered, "It's noon, let's set the table."
"Yes." Several maids knelt down and carried food boxes into the house to start working.
In a blink of an eye, the old square table in the simple prison yard was filled with delicacies from land and sea, which were so colorful, fragrant and delicious that they made those who had not eaten meat for a long time very hungry.
"Madam, please take a seat." Liao Xiaodie warmly took Wang's hand and personally took the chopsticks to serve soup, urging her, "Everyone, please take a seat and talk slowly. Why is my cousin's wife not here?"
Wang sighed and replied helplessly, "The journey north was arduous. Qiaozhen has been spoiled since childhood and can't endure any hardship. As soon as we arrived in Xicang, she collapsed from exhaustion. She is now recuperating from fatigue and exhaustion."
Ha, wait, your hard times have just begun Liao Xiaodie felt extremely relieved and said sympathetically, "I'll go see her later."
"Oh, it smells so good!" Guo Yu exclaimed in delight. The skinny kid stared at the dishes and clapped his hands, saying happily, "Finally, I don't have to eat steamed buns anymore. I hate steamed buns, they're so unpalatable."
Children speak without restraint, and it makes the elders feel uncomfortable to hear them.
Wang's brows were gloomy, and she said with pity, "Poor Yu'er, he is only three years old, but he has to suffer so much with his family."
"The hard times will pass, please take care of yourself, there will always be a time when hardship will end and happiness will come." Liao Xiaodie was respectful and virtuous. She served soup to the old man and peeled shrimp for the child. She asked with a smile, "Yu'er, would you like to have some shrimp?"
Guo Yu sat obediently and couldn't wait to answer "OK"
While arranging her brother-in-law to sit down, Jiang Yushu glanced at the table. In addition to chicken, duck, fish, and mutton, there were also rare fresh shrimps from the frontier, fried, stir-fried, stewed, braised, and other dishes.
Although the food was delicious, it was too mixed and greasy. She was cautious by nature and couldn't help but think that during her exile, her dry food was extremely light. Would her body be able to withstand the sudden feast of fish and meat?
Thinking of this, Jiang Yushu whispered a few words to her husband with concern.
Guo Honglei, who was concentrating on the issue of being exiled to farming, came back to his senses. Without hesitation, he quickly picked up his little nephew who had just opened his mouth to eat shrimp and stuffed him into the wet nurse's arms.
"Second, second uncle" Guo Yu was stunned.
The others also looked on in surprise. Guo Honglei patted his nephew's head and said loudly, "I asked someone to buy you some delicious food this morning. It's in the next room. Go and try it."
"Ah" Guo Yu swallowed his saliva, wanting to taste the delicacies in front of him, but he didn't dare to disobey his uncle who had the final say. He hesitated and asked, "Is this really what it is?"
Guo Honglei replied seriously, "You'll know once you see it. Go ahead."
The wet nurse nodded, held the child in her arms, coaxed him softly, and left happily.
Oh no, did he notice something? Liao Xiaodie's face froze, and she asked in surprise, "Honglei, what do you mean?"
Jiang Yushu lowered her brows and glanced at him. Her fourth brother understood and put down his chopsticks. Guo Honglei remained calm and composed, explaining, "We've come all the way from the capital to Xicang, exhausted and unfamiliar with the place. We're very grateful for the welcome banquet, cousin. But we're new here, and everyone in the family is having some trouble acclimatizing. We need to eat a light diet for a while to avoid getting sick."
Liao Xiaodie instantly put on an apologetic face and said with regret, "Alas, I was so busy arranging everything that I forgot that you might not be able to adapt to the local climate. How foolish of me."
Wang, deeply worried, seemed to wake up from a dream and said kindly, "Why blame yourself? We all know that you are warm and kind, Xiaodie. Please sit down quickly. The most urgent thing is to discuss the military farming matters."
Liao Xiaodie frowned as she sat down and said solemnly, "Right now, the situation is not good."
"Oh," Wang asked nervously, her heart hanging high. "What happened? Is it that Yipeng can't assign us to the suburbs?"
Liao Xiaodie bit her lip and answered in annoyance, "You don't know. Yipeng is the prefect. The prefect above him is named Wan. Mr. Wan's eldest son was the county magistrate in Yongzhou. When the Northern Qi broke through Yongzhou last year, his eldest son and his entire family were massacred. It was a horrible sight. So..." She paused as if embarrassed.
Jiang Yushu naturally speculated that "the prefect was angry with the Guo family."
"The pain of losing a son, the pain of seeing a young man die, is unimaginable." Liao Xiaodie smiled bitterly, slapped her forehead in frustration, and revealed, "To be honest, the old prefect not only blames the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion, but also dislikes Yipeng. He has been making things difficult for him, both openly and covertly, and has kept Yipeng busy."
Jiang Yushu didn't know anything about Xicang Prefecture, and asked anxiously, "Then, what are the attitudes of the other prefects? Do they all hate us?"
Liao Xiaodie turned her head and asked vaguely, "What do you think? The people on the frontier are tough and loyal. If the military and civilians are embezzled, they will not easily forgive."
"That's outrageous! That prefect surnamed Wan is really going too far." Wang's face turned pale, and she was terrified. She said in a trembling voice, "The Marquis and Yao'er have passed away, and we have suffered so much. What else do these people on the border want? They won't be satisfied unless we are beheaded."
"Mother, calm down." Guo Hongxuan comforted her softly, "There is always a way out. Let's think about it and come up with a good plan."
After careful consideration, Guo Honglei stated solemnly, "The prison warden has said the prisoners will be relocated by mid-June. There are only five or six days left, so time is running out. I wonder if my cousin-in-law has any firm instructions. If we truly can't help, that's fine. We understand his difficulties and will find another way."
"That's right." Jiang Yushu said bluntly, reminding him, "There are only five or six days left. If we wait any longer, I'm afraid we'll just have to let the government handle it."
Guo Honglei nodded heavily.
In fact, Jiang Yushu had already made plans, and tentatively said, "It would be best to stay in the suburbs of Xicang City to cultivate the land, but I'm afraid of being obstructed. In fact, as long as it's not too far north, it's also..."
"What do you know?" Wang interrupted unhappily, and said fearfully, "The further north we go, the more uneasy it becomes. There's chaos and war. Let alone farming, it's hard to even survive. We have to stay here."
Guo Honglei was about to speak, but Jiang Yushu held him back. She thought hard and said casually, "Yes. The old lady is right."
Seeing this, Liao Xiaodie solemnly said, "Don't worry! Ever since receiving the letter from the capital, Yipeng has been mediating within the government office. I have repeatedly requested to see the prefect's wife, asking her to be lenient and flexible. After sending her a generous birthday gift yesterday, Madam Wan has relented a bit and is no longer so resistant. I will continue to make arrangements and do my best to keep the old lady in a safe place."
"Really? You've worked so hard." Wang was deeply moved and said with relief, "In this critical moment, I'm lucky you and Yipeng helped me so much. I love you like my own daughter."
Bah, you shameless old hag
If you really treated me as your daughter, how could you force me to marry a poor scholar and how could you hastily find a small official position on the frontier for Yipeng?
Old hatreds surged like huge waves, and Liao Xiaodie almost sneered, but she gritted her teeth and endured it, saying gratefully, "Xiaodie is able to be where she is today, all thanks to the kindness and care of the Marquis' Mansion. I am deeply grateful. Yipeng and I will do our best to see if we can quickly distribute the Guo family's farming roster to the farms outside the city so that we can reunite."
"Okay, okay." Wang was delighted and immediately turned around and ordered, "Bring me two thousand taels of silver."
"Yes." The trusted maid took the order and left, and soon presented the silver note.
"Oh, old lady, you are doing this, oh, you can't do this," Liao Xiaodie hurriedly refused.
Wang was worried that she would be assigned to the northern part to cultivate land, so she said lovingly, "With your and Yipeng's family wealth, how much can you afford to take care of Xiaodie? Just take her and use her as you wish when you return. Well, just think of it as the Guo family's funeral gift to Magistrate Wan. I've also experienced the pain of losing a son, and it's really, really hard to bear." Thinking of her eldest son, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
"Mother's condolences, I've cried so hard that my eyes hurt."
"Old lady, think more positively."
Everyone was trying to comfort the old man. Liao Xiaodie held the banknote and said, "Since that's the case, Xiaodie will accept it. Without further delay, I will go to the government office to discuss it with Yipeng to avoid any more trouble."
Wang said, "Come on, we'll see you off."
"I dare not ask you to rest."
"Let's go and talk some more."
The entire Guo family saw the guests off together. Guo Honglei politely said, "We've caused you and your cousin-in-law a lot of trouble. We'd like to thank you in advance. We'll repay you someday when we have the chance."
"Honglei, your words are too distant." Liao Xiaodie said angrily, her jewelry rings jingling. "After my family was destroyed, I was lucky that the Marquis of Jingyang took me in. I lived a peaceful life with no worries about food and clothing for several years. Now that the Guo family is in trouble, I am willing to do my best to help."
Guo Honglei still said politely, "Thank you."
After a while, the Guo family watched Liao Xiaodie and her servant leave, and each walked back with their own thoughts.
The wheels rumbled, the horses' hooves clattered, and the interior of the car was spacious and comfortable.
"Hahahaha!" Liao Xiaodie shook the banknotes and said proudly in a low voice, "As I expected, even if the Marquis's Mansion was raided, the Guo family will not be short of money. Friends and relatives will definitely give money for the trip."
The trusted maid flattered her, "Madam, you are as wise as a god, and you will surely get your revenge as you wish."
"We'll see." Liao Xiaodie leaned back against the cushions, admiring the banknotes. She lamented, "I'm quite surprised they didn't try the dishes I brought today, even though they were greedy. Humph, it's a shame we didn't get to see the convict get upset from eating meat. It's a shame we missed out on a joke."
"Yes." After agreeing, the maid respectfully asked, "Madam, are we going to visit the prefect or the yamen to see the master now?"
"Neither of us are going." Liao Xiaodie yawned and said lazily, "Let's go home. Tsk, it's too hot, I'm getting sunburned. I want to stay home and rest for a few days."
"yes"
at the same time
Jiang Yushu and others slowly walked to the door, only to see Wang Qiaozhen enjoying the dishes brought by Liao Xiaodie and feeding her son sweet and sour fish.
"Qiaozhen, oh my! Children have weak stomachs, so it's not suitable for them to eat these for now. Don't eat too much, or you'll get a stomachache." Wang was startled. She loved her grandson so much that she shouted, "Take Yu'er somewhere else to play right now."
"yes."
Guo Yu pouted, feeling wronged and about to cry, but was stunned by his second uncle's indifferent glance. He looked pitiful and was taken away by the wet nurse again.
Wang Qiaozhen slept until the afternoon and was very hungry. She said nonchalantly, "Why are you afraid? Yu'er only tasted two bites. I didn't have breakfast and I'm very hungry. I heard that Liao Xiaodie was here and asked which farm our family was assigned to on the outskirts of the city."
"It's not confirmed yet." Wang was so worried that she lost her appetite.
Wang Qiaozhen curled her lips and said, "Why are you dragging your feet? Maybe she and Gong Yipeng don't care."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Wang scolded angrily. "The Guo family has no relatives in Xicang. It's rare for Xiaodie and Yipeng to help us. If we don't rely on them now, who else can we rely on? If we want to stay in this suburb, who can we rely on?"
Wang Qiaozhen was speechless and indignant, and ate with relish.
Jiang Yushu hesitated to speak, and finally discussed it carefully with her husband in secret.
The next day was the tenth day of June, and Liao Xiaodie and his wife did not come to visit.
Wang Qiaozhen vomited and had diarrhea after eating too much meat, and her face turned pale. She was scolded by her mother-in-law and became angry and humiliated. She cursed behind her mother-in-law's back, "You bitch, you're harming me." Fortunately, Guo Yu only tasted a little and was fine.
On June 11, Liao Xiaodie and his wife still had not shown up. The Guo family asked someone to inquire about them, but there was no response.
On the morning of the 12th, Wang was restless and anxious. She paced back and forth anxiously, looking at the door from time to time.
Jiang Yushu had prepared her speech carefully in advance. As soon as she stepped into the door, she heard her mother-in-law ask her
"Are Xiaodie and Yipeng here?"
"No." Jiang Yushu shook her head. Guo Honglei then stepped through the threshold and said solemnly, "Mother, it seems the situation is really not good. We must make other plans."
Wang was in a state of confusion and irritability, "Ah, what can you do?"
Guo Honglei firmly replied, "The whole family will go to Changping County and seek refuge with Uncle Mu. The males will join the army, and the rest of us will cultivate the land and take care of each other."
"What Chang, Changping County?" Wang was dumbfounded. Without thinking, she flatly refused. "No, the north is in chaos. Once the war spreads, the whole family will be waiting to die. The Guo family must not be extinct."
Jiang Yushu stepped forward and patiently persuaded her, "Don't be anxious, old lady. Please listen to me first."
"Shut up!" Wang's face darkened, she gasped for breath, her eyes sharp as a torch, and she asked sternly, "Are you instigating Hong Lei again? The mother-in-law is still alive, and you, the daughter-in-law, dare to make your own decisions. You are simply a troublemaker!"
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