"That's wonderful! I thank you on behalf of the people of the village, Xiao Xi." Song Yuan nodded. He really didn't have enough money to settle these people, and Li Xi's help was undoubtedly a timely help.
When Song Yuan told the villagers about this, everyone's eyes welled up with tears.
They finally have a stable place to live and can earn money with their own hands.
They had always known that the head of the village had a hard time, but they couldn't help much. They could only grow some fruits and grains in the village to barely make ends meet.
"Thank you, Young Master Li." Everyone thanked Li Xi, filled with hope for the future.
Everyone got busy, as they would be setting off tomorrow. Everyone went home to pack their belongings, and ate everything that couldn't be stored for tonight. The head of the household planned to host a feast tonight.
Li Xi wrote letters to Meng Zhelan and Chairman Wang respectively, explaining the situation here, and also asked Chairman Wang to prepare some accommodations on the estate. There are a total of forty-five people in the village.
She packed the letter and handed it to Xiao Ge, who stood there dumbfounded, looking at Li Xi with a puzzled expression.
"Young Master Xiao, please take this letter to Elder Sun and have him arrange for it to be sent to the capital immediately." This man still doesn't have the awareness of being a subordinate.
After sending Xiao Ge away, Li Xi went to find Song Yuan.
He was seen talking to Changsheng in the courtyard.
"Cough cough cough, Brother Song, Brother Changsheng."
“You’re here, Xiaoxi. Changsheng and I were talking about going to the capital. He came with us too. Speaking of which, Changsheng also came from the capital,” Song Yuan said.
"That's great, it'll be good to have more people to help each other." Li Xi nodded to Changsheng.
"Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Li." Changsheng looked at Li Xi with a gentle expression.
"Brother Changsheng, have we met before?" Li Xi felt a sense of familiarity with him, but couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
"No, I didn't. I saw you in the village too." He did know Li Xi, but his identity couldn't be revealed yet.
"Alright then, Brother Song, I came to tell you that I need to go back to the city first to arrange transportation. We also need to be on guard against Magistrate Lu. I'll send someone up the mountain to inform you tomorrow."
Li Xi feared that Magistrate Lu would resort to desperate measures and ambush them on the way.
"I'll go with you. I also have some things to take care of back in the city." Changsheng and Li Xi went down the mountain together.
The two walked side by side on the mountain path. Changsheng was half a head taller than her, probably over 1.9 meters.
In her past life, she would never have walked side by side with someone taller than 1.9 meters, as it would make her look like a real little potato.
The silence between the two conveyed a subtle understanding.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a dappled glow on Changsheng's face, making his otherwise ordinary features appear somewhat handsome. His deep eyes held emotions that Li Xi couldn't decipher.
"Brother Changsheng, what brings you to the city this time?" Li Xi finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her.
"Oh, it's just some personal matters to attend to." Changsheng smiled slightly, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of seriousness.
Private matters? Li Xi felt a pang of doubt, but she didn't ask any further questions.
She turned her head, her gaze fixed on the distant mountains, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.
The two traveled in silence. Li Xi was lost in her own thoughts, while Chang Sheng kept observing her profile.
Her clear eyes shone with a determined light, revealing a courage that was not afraid of difficulties. It was as if being by her side would make one feel at ease.
When they returned to the base, it was noon (1-3 pm). Chu Ran saw Li Xi and said with surprise, "Xiao Xi, you're finally back! I didn't see you when I came this morning."
"Sister Chu, I've missed you so much." Ever since Elder Sun took Li Xi on his travels, Chu Ran has stayed in Kyoto to handle all the affairs of the sect.
"When are you going back to Kyoto? Your girlfriends keep coming to ask me if I have any letters from you. I happened to be here on business, so I brought along the things they brought." Chu Ran took out a large package.
Looking at the heavy weight of love in front of her, Li Xi said, "Oh dear, we're all planning to go back to Beijing, and they're really worried that I'll starve here."
Besides the letters, the contents included dried meat, pastries, chili sauce, and other similar items.
"Come on, let's go find Master together. I have something to tell you." Li Xi put her arm around Chu Ran and walked towards Old Master Sun's courtyard.
So this is what it feels like to embrace a petite woman. Isn't this exactly the "little bird nestled against the tree" posture described in books?
"Master, let me tell you something..." After chatting for half an hour, Old Sun and the others started packing their luggage.
Li Xi took Chen Quan to the carriage shop. Upon hearing that they wanted to buy more than a dozen carriages, the shopkeeper was overjoyed and respectfully stood by the side the whole time.
"Young master, our carriage shop is the largest in Luzhou. If you need more than a dozen carriages, we have them ready. And the price can be even more affordable."
"Alright, I need twelve carriages. I'll have someone come and drive them away tomorrow." Li Xi instructed the Hidden Sect members to drive the carriages.
The shopkeeper quickly calculated on his abacus, "Young master, the total is one thousand two hundred and thirty-four taels."
Li Xi felt a little heartbroken, but fortunately it wasn't money she had worked hard to earn, so she could spend it with a clear conscience.
They went to the grain and oil shop and bought two hundred catties of rice and flour. "Chen Quan, you take the brothers to the cart and horse shop at dawn tomorrow to load the grain here and set off directly for Jiuliu Mountain."
Li Xi gave him one hundred taels of silver, saying, "Buy some gifts for your sister-in-law and the children."
"Yes! Thank you, young master." Chen Quan excitedly took the silver and went to browse the market.
He'd been away for several months; his wife and kids back home must be missing him. His bag was filled with gifts for his wife and children. Since working for Li Xi, he'd had much more money.
Li Xi rode alone to the north of the city. She needed to find something for Magistrate Lu to do in case he sent someone to intercept her the next day.
She crept into a courtyard where only two or three people were sweeping and cleaning.
She avoided these people and went to the kitchen, where she poured some medicinal powder into the water vat. Then she went to the well in the backyard, poured in a large bag of medicinal powder, and finally returned home satisfied.
"Xiao Xi, come quick, dinner's ready! Where have you been causing trouble?" Chu Ran said with a mischievous grin.
She really liked Li Xi; he was not only capable but also had a lot of clever ideas.
"It's nothing. I gave Magistrate Lu a big gift before I left, and I'm a little reluctant to part with him." Li Xi sat down and waited for Elder Sun and the others to start eating before she picked up her chopsticks to eat.
"Xiaoxi, is everything arranged?" Old Sun asked her while eating.
"Don't worry, Master, I have experience in this area. Get some rest early tonight, and we'll set off early tomorrow morning." After putting down her chopsticks, Li Xi went back to her work. She remembered that Lan'er had brought her some medicinal powder.
After Changsheng and Li Xi separated, they sneaked into Magistrate Lu's storeroom. After searching around, they found a hidden compartment containing some rosters.
He was also present when Li Xi took Magistrate Lu hostage that night. Fortunately, she caused this commotion, which led him to discover that the items were hidden here.
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