Wang Niangzi's elder brother, Yun Zhongshu, also didn't believe what Wang Niangzi said. "That's a bit unlikely, isn't it? With their family background?"
Lady Wang was delighted.
"As expected, Yun Fengqiao is your own daughter; you're both just as short-sighted. Today, I, Yun Zhonghua, have truly been a villain in vain."
To tell you the truth, the Zhao family has made contributions to the country.
The Zhao family has already been on the list, so why is it impossible for Miss Zhao to enter the palace?
"Alright, I'm too lazy to argue with you anymore. Don't try to use my name to cause trouble in the future, or I won't be responsible."
After saying that, Madam Wang got into her carriage and left.
Back home, Wang Niangzi paid even more attention to her children's education, determined not to let her children be as brainless as her niece.
The atmosphere was even better at the Zhao family's wedding banquet without Wang Niangzi's family.
Madam Qiu no longer put on airs as the county magistrate's wife and ate with great relish.
There's no dish she doesn't love, whether it's chicken, fish, or pork knuckle. If the Zhao family girl is delicious, then she is too.
Anyone who doesn't like delicious food is a fool; so what if you get a little chubby?
It's really uncomfortable to just sit there with a table full of delicious food without touching it.
The Zhao family realized that Madam Qiu must not have eaten her fill when they invited her to the banquet.
Hmm, it's still more satisfying to watch people eat meat in big bites like this.
In her excitement, Mrs. Huang even took out a bottle of her family's treasured wine.
A pound of wine, a large table full of women, except for the youngest Daya and Qinghe, each took a sip and it was all gone.
They poured extra for Madam Qiu, on purpose.
"Grapes, fine wine, and a luminous cup—haha, this is truly excellent wine! Thanks to you, I won't stand on ceremony."
As she spoke, Madam Qiu downed the wine in her glass in one gulp.
The women of the Zhao family, well, they'll just have to stay cooped up too, so that Madam Qiu won't be envious.
The wine, which should have been savored slowly, was gulped down in one go.
If Magistrate Qiu at the next table knew that his wife had downed the wine, worth a thousand gold pieces, he would be heartbroken.
After the guests left the Zhao family's banquet, life went on as usual.
The men continued to strive for the imperial examinations, while the women did what they needed to do: embroider, study food, and practice martial arts.
Zhao Qingyan was the one who naturally practiced martial arts.
Zhao Qingyan recently picked a batch of fruit in her space and made a batch of fruit wine.
However, since these wines couldn't ferment in the space, Zhao Qingyan had no choice but to put all the wine jars into the warehouse of Qingshan Xiaozhu.
Only Huang and Zhao Qingyan had the key to the warehouse, so they weren't worried about anyone discovering anything unusual.
Wang Huaijing and his group finally reached the northwest region, still three hundred li away from Mogao County.
This journey has really not been easy.
They were robbed four times, surrounded by refugees twice, encountered wild boars three times, and met a pack of wolves once.
If it weren't for the large number of escorts from the security company,
There are also various medicinal powders they carry with them, so Wang Huaijing and his group may not be able to escape smoothly.
It was extremely dangerous.
There are still 300 li left. Let's try our best and try to get there in three days.
Once you reach the Northwest, the food changes significantly.
Instead of elaborate plating, the dishes are mainly hearty grilled meats, skewers, braised chicken, and baked flatbreads.
I want to eat some leafy greens, but the price is comparable to gold.
This suited Zhao Qingyi's taste perfectly.
Zhao's snack shop already had grilled skewers. Eating these Northwestern-style grilled skewers and meats had a unique flavor.
Aside from the lack of chili peppers, the cumin made up for the lack of flavor.
It was just a childhood eating habit; after eating barbecue for a few days, Zhao Qingyi felt a bit hot and started brewing herbal tea.
Luckily, I brought a lot of dried vegetables with me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to cook six pounds of rice.
We stopped to rest at a teahouse that day. "May I ask how far it is from here to Mogao County?"
Chang Shier habitually asked the tea shop owner for information.
"Oh, are you going to Mogao County, sir? That place is not very safe."
The tea shop owner shook his head and said.
"Boss, what makes you say that? What's wrong with things?" Chang Ershi became interested.
"Oh dear, sir, don't you know? The magistrate of Mogao County was killed by wild wolves."
In reality, the person who truly holds power in Mogao County is not the county magistrate, but the county clerk.
The government office remains, but the county magistrates come and go; the county clerks are always stationed.
"Haven't you heard of it, sir?"
The tea shop owner said casually, glancing back and forth at Wang Huaijing and his group.
"I don't really know much about things here, that's why I asked the boss."
Chang Twenty continued.
"Well, I'm not a resident of Mogao County anyway, so it doesn't hurt to say anything. I heard that the county magistrate of Mogao County has been in office for 20 years."
Over the years, the county magistrate has made the decisions on all matters, big and small, in the county.
Even constables and yamen runners only answer to the county magistrate.
The county magistrates who served were merely figureheads.
A little inquiry reveals that none of the previous magistrates left Mogao County alive; all met tragic ends.
The last one was killed by a wild wolf, so the position of county magistrate has been vacant until now.
The one before that, I heard, died in a horse-riding accident; the one before that, I heard, died from diarrhea…
The tea shop owner, amidst all the rambling, described Mogao County as a den of dragons and tigers.
The taxes in Mogao County were much heavier than those in other cities, so people with any ability tried to leave.
Those who are unable to leave will have an even harder time.
Especially about 30 miles outside Mogao County, there is a place called Moyaoting (Moyao Pavilion).
What was originally a place for passersby to rest has now become a place that passersby avoid at all costs.
They would rather stay in Mogao County and be exploited than stop in Mogao to seek a living.
A gang of bandits was lying in wait here.
Anyone who wants to pass through here must leave behind toll money. Those who obey may be spared, while those who disobey will go straight to the King of Hell.
After inquiring about the matter, Chang Ershi gave him extra money as a token of his gratitude.
When he got back, he told Wang Huaijing about the news he had just found out.
Whether it's true or not is unknown, and the tea shop owner's purpose in saying that is unclear.
In short, there are indeed problems with Mogao County.
After resting and recuperating, the group set off again.
We'll be passing by that place tomorrow, so don't stop.
Why were the group inexplicably excited?
Perhaps it was because they encountered robbers before and managed to rob them instead. Encountering robbers is like receiving money; who wouldn't be happy about that?
"In all my years of escorting goods, this is the first time I've ever known that you could turn the tables and rob someone of their goods."
The magistrate's wife is a woman who is just as capable as any man.
This is a statement of reflection from the head of the security escort agency.
When the group was robbed for the first time, Zhao Qingyi threw the child to Wang Huaijing, grabbed a machete, and got out of the car.
Upon seeing the pretty young woman, the robbers unleashed a torrent of vulgarities.
Zhao Qingyi didn't give the other party a chance at all; she was going crazy from being cooped up in the carriage all these days.
He raised his knife and slashed at the shoulder of the man spewing filth.
With a wail, the guy's arm holding the weapon was ripped off.
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