"Right now, my sister is injured, my father is frail, and my brothers have been searching for my second sister-in-law every day. They have run out of options, which is why they came to General Sun and... General Zhou. They beg..."
So that's how it is!
Sun Quan then took over the conversation.
"If it's because of this matter, we shouldn't have troubled you to ask, Miss. We would certainly take good care of you. It's just that we've been very busy these past few days. Please don't worry, Miss. Come with Lü Meng for a cup of hot tea and some snacks. Later, I'll have Lü Meng escort you back to your residence and send some food there. How does that sound?"
oh!
There is food.
Qiao Manman was very pleased to hear Sun Quan say this.
She smiled and thanked Sun Ce, then thanked Zhou Yu and Sun Quan.
“In a few days, once my sister’s injuries have healed, my father will definitely come to our door to express his gratitude in person.”
This may be a matter of etiquette.
However, compared to the special circumstances that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu encountered in the past few days, it seems that Qiao Manman was expressing a different meaning.
For example, he offered himself to repay the general's great kindness.
Even Sun Yi raised his eyebrows this time. He winked at his second brother, finding the eldest and youngest daughters of the Qiao family quite interesting.
Qiao Manman left quickly.
The boy who escorted her home was the same one standing at the door, named Lü Meng. He was not yet fifteen years old, but he was incredibly strong. He carried two sacks of grain and walked ten times faster than Qiao Manman.
Here, everyone seems to have just had their rhythm disrupted by Qiao Manman.
Everyone has their own ideas.
Sun Quan then came up with another strategy: to cast a long line to catch a big fish.
Zhou Yu met the gentle and beautiful girl from the Qiao family again and learned that her family was in dire straits and her father and brothers were not well-off.
I wonder who Sun Ce was thinking about at that moment?
But why did Zhang Zhao have to be so direct?
"Hey! The Qiao family again! Bo Fu, you and the Qiao family girl are really inseparable, aren't you? There are plenty of families in this city who are starving, and quite a few who are well-fed. I, Zhang Zhao, don't believe that they can't find anyone else to help them besides you, can they? Hey, who is this? It's here!"
Zhang Zhao said this, but for some reason, Sun Ce felt a sense of joy.
The person who was hard to find in her family was none other than him.
Zhou Yu rarely spoke about trivial matters; as the son of a prominent aristocratic family, he was extremely cultured.
But Zhang Zhao's criticism of the Qiao family seemed biased to him.
“Zibu, why are you so sharp-tongued? We broke into the city not to trample on its inhabitants, but they will inevitably be affected by the war.”
"If this Miss Qiao hadn't been desperate, she wouldn't have come here to plead so desperately."
"Bo Fu has just arrived here and has been judged based on his martial arts skills. He should now focus on doing more benevolent and righteous deeds. What do you think, Zi Bu?"
This was originally a very proper discussion by Zhou Yu.
As a result, Sun Yi couldn't help but laugh again.
"Haha, Zibu, Zhou Gongjin said you're sharp-tongued and mean! Haha."
Zhang Zhao was indeed stunned, staring at Sun Laosan.
Sun Yi, however, was still able to defend himself: "Zibu, do you understand? You are good to others, and you are also good to us brothers. But you are really a bit harsh and mean to that Qiao family girl, especially the eldest daughter."
“I’m telling you, we’re all men, real men, so let’s speak our minds straight. Why bother arguing with that little girl? If our brother likes any woman, there are ten or eight of them. In Lujiang City, there are plenty of fair and tender ones, right, brother? But if our brother only loves this one, only this one, then Zibu, you can’t keep being so sarcastic!”
A string of sharp and sarcastic remarks left Zhang Zhao speechless, unable to open his mouth properly, unable to close it.
Sun Ce only glanced back at his third brother.
"You talked too much today, so I'm punishing you by making you search the south and north of the city tonight, and then patrol the east and west of the city."
Sun Yi accepted his elder brother's punishment willingly and happily agreed.
Before he set off, he asked his second brother, "Do you think I should take a good look around the south of the city, like Peach Blossom Lane?"
Sun Quan patted his third brother on the back.
"Peach Blossom Lane in the south of the city. Yes, it should be well taken care of. The reason is, you know."
Sun Yi went happily.
That night, Qiao Jingjing had no idea that the rice in her house was borrowed from Brother Sun by Qiao Manman, who had shamelessly asked him for it, and that it was delivered back by a young man named Lü Meng.
Qiao Manman only said that she was out of rice at home and had borrowed some from someone.
Qiao Jingjing was still planning that once her face healed, she would go to the pond to see if there were any duck eggs she had missed and take them home. She would then hatch a brood of ducklings and raise them in the fishpond in the spring.
She continued to diligently tend the fishpond, manage the mulberry grove, and raise chickens and ducks.
When the new mulberry leaves grow, they fatten the silkworms, which then spin silk and form cocoons to weave silk. The little ducks grow into big ducks.
She repaid the debts of grain and favors that were owed, doubly so.
I don't owe any of my neighbors anything.
Qiao Jingjing's mind was filled with these thoughts: self-reliance.
Little did she know that Qiao Manman was smarter than her, and had something better and faster.
Lu Meng was incredibly diligent. He escorted Qiao Manman back to the Qiao family home, and while he was at it, he also gathered a thorough understanding of the Qiao family's situation over the past two days. Then, he quickly returned to report to his direct superior.
Lü Meng first sought out his sworn brother, Sun Zhongmou.
"...Miss Qiao rarely leaves her home. It's said her injuries are quite serious; I wonder if she'll be left with scars. Miss Qiao said that given the current situation in the city, everyone is on edge and it's impossible to find a doctor..."
Sun Quan listened and pondered for a moment.
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