An Dashan came back from Uncle Liu's house next door and went straight to the main hall. Gao and An Ning were coaxing the children in the main hall. When they saw An Dashan coming back, Gao asked hurriedly, "How is it? Has Uncle Liu's family received the medicine?"
An Dashan nodded and said, "Second Uncle Liu refused to accept it at first, but I persuaded him to accept it. He also said that we are now even and should not take it seriously."
Gao said, "Second Uncle Liu's family is not the kind of people who would seek to repay a favor."
An Dashan also agreed and said, "Yes!"
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was spring, and An Dashan had arranged everything he needed to do and was ready to go.
Gao wanted to go back to her parents' home before leaving, and An Dashan naturally had no objection. They packed up their things, took their gifts, and went to Gao's parents' home.
Grandma Wang was particularly happy to see the An family coming, and she prepared a sumptuous lunch for them. Although the dinner table was very lively, An Ning could still keenly sense that Grandma Wang was reluctant to let them go. In fact, An Ning could understand that Grandma Wang was already old, and people in ancient times had a short lifespan. She didn't know how many times she could see her daughter again.
After dinner, Gao was pulled into her own room by Wang, and they exchanged some heartfelt words between mother and daughter.
Gao took out a silver note of 100 taels from her bosom and handed it to Wang, saying, "We don't know how long it will take for us to come back, so I'll leave this money to you. Think of it as retirement money. Eat whatever you want and buy whatever you want in the future. Don't let yourself suffer."
Wang did not refuse and took the banknote from Gao's hand, saying, "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll take good care of myself and live a few more years so that I can see you more often."
When Gao heard what Wang said, she burst into tears and lay in Wang's arms, saying, "Mother, I am unfilial and cannot be with you any longer."
Wang gently stroked Gao's back and said, "Silly child, why are you crying? You are going to enjoy yourself. As a mother, I am so happy to see my daughter enjoying herself!"
Wang persuaded Gao for a long time before Gao gradually stopped crying and said, "Why don't you come with us to the capital? Dashan and I will take care of you in your old age."
Wang shook her head and said, "I'm not going anywhere. Your father is here, and I'll stay here with him."
Gao knew that her parents had a deep affection for each other, so she did not try to persuade them any further. The mother and daughter talked for a while, and then Gao went home with An Dashan and the others.
The next day, An Dashan and his family said goodbye to their fellow villagers and left Huaishu Village. Before leaving, Uncle An patted An Dashan on the shoulder and said, "Dashan, be good in the capital from now on. Don't offend the rich and powerful, and be careful on the road."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will be fine. I will come back often to worship our ancestors in the future."
Uncle An nodded and said, "Okay, let's go quickly and be careful on the road."
After An Dashan said goodbye to An Dabo, the group left in a mighty procession. At the front and back of the team were the guards sent by Duke of England Gu Qingxuan to pick up An Dashan and his group. These guards came on horseback.
In the middle were five horse-drawn carriages and a mule-drawn carriage, all of which were newly purchased by An Dashan. Three of the carriages were loaded with belongings that An Dashan and Gao Shi were reluctant to leave behind, one carriage was occupied by An Dashan's family, and the other carriages and mule-drawn carriage were occupied by more than a dozen servants of the An family.
In fact, these carriages were used to conceal the identity of the An family. The important belongings of the An family and the furniture that An Dashan bought for An Ning were all placed in An Ning's space.
The group enjoyed the mountains and rivers along the way and were in no hurry to travel. Whenever they saw somewhere interesting along the way, An Ning would suggest staying for a day.
Since An Dashan and his group were large in number, and the guards sent by Gu Qingxuan had all fought in the battlefield and were full of murderous aura, there were no blind villains who would come to provoke them.
After more than a month, they finally arrived in the capital. Gu Qingxuan had received the news long ago, so he came to the city gate to greet them early in the morning. He found a tea stall at the city gate and sat down. He waited until almost noon before he saw a group of people coming to the city gate.
Gu Qingxuan quickly stood up and went to greet the team. An Dashan was sitting at the shaft of the carriage at this time. He saw Gu Qingxuan coming to greet them from a distance. He said to the people in the carriage, "Yingniang, Ningning, look, Qingxuan is here to pick us up."
Gao and An Ning heard the voice and opened the car curtains. They saw Gu Qingxuan walking towards them. An Ning waved and called out, "Brother Gu."
When Gu Qingxuan heard An Ning's shout, he waved to An Ning, quickened his pace towards this side, and soon arrived in front of the car.
The driver stopped the carriage, and An Dashan jumped off the carriage and said, "Qingxuan, have you been waiting for a long time?"
Gu Qingxuan shook his head and said, "It just so happens that I have nothing to do today. I was afraid of missing you entering the city, so I waited for a while at the gate."
Gao and An Ning did not get off the carriage. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they entered the city gate together. Gu Qingxuan rode beside An Ning's carriage and said as he walked into the city, "I have already sent people to repair the house that the emperor gave you. If you are still not satisfied with it, you can come to me. I have many craftsmen I know who can redecorate it for you."
An Dashan said with a smile: "Qingxuan, it's really thanks to you, otherwise we would have to clean up the house again after we came here."
Gu Qingxuan smiled and said, "This is not a big deal. It was all done by the servants in the mansion. I just gave them the order." He thought for a moment and said, "By the way, when the emperor gave you the mansion, he also gave you more than ten servants. These servants are all official slaves. If you find any inconvenience in using them, you can report it to the government. The government will then make new arrangements for you."
An Ning thought to herself that the emperor was quite generous. He not only gave her a house, but also gave her servants. She just wondered if the emperor also paid for the servants' monthly salary. But An Ning was too embarrassed to ask this question out loud. She decided to ask the person in charge of the palace when the time comes.
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