Chapter 181: Su Zhenzhen Returns to Shan County
The pincer attack from the north and south is a foregone conclusion; these matters will be handled by professionals.
Since Hensheng has already chosen to stand in front of others, he must have already planned out the path ahead.
Su Zhenzhen didn't bother with that. After persuading the people of Chuanbei City to relocate to the border prefecture, she went to Shan County before Hensheng.
The army that marched south was led by Qingshan, while Chunzhi remained stationed in Yangcheng.
Hensheng will most likely return to Yangcheng first, but Su Zhenzhen wants to see Old Man Bai.
After all, being sent to this unfamiliar era, the first person they met was Old Man Bai, so they would inevitably have some feelings of being a fledgling.
Furthermore, Old Man Bai is an honest and kind person, without many hidden agendas.
Su Zhenzhen and Jiang Sijin's news were completely out of sync, and Su Zhenzhen was unaware that Jiang Sijin had mysteriously disappeared in Bianzhou and had not been seen since.
Therefore, they temporarily escaped disaster.
Mountainous areas are not suitable for large-scale planting, but fortunately there are many forests, and the people have found other ways to make a living.
Charcoal burning.
The biting cold of winter in the North is something not everyone has, like Old Man Bai, who has Su Zhenzhen buying him high-tech thermal underwear.
Burning firewood for warmth can easily cause people to smell the smoke, and besides, people have always lived in constant uncertainty, so who would bother to burn charcoal specifically? Before winter, they would go up the mountain to cut enough firewood to get through the winter, and the long winter would pass by.
Now that they have enough to eat and there is no longer any threat of war for a long time, they naturally begin to pursue a higher quality of life.
Never underestimate the wisdom of the working people. They figured out the method of charcoal making little by little. The resulting charcoal is incredibly black, and looks brighter than charcoal made from firewood. It also burns for a longer time and doesn't produce any pungent smoke.
Therefore, winters in Yamagata are not particularly difficult.
The charcoal produced was first transported to the border states, where poor people couldn't afford it. There was no connection to the capital, but nearby Huzhou could serve as a market.
The generals in Huzhou who held military power were all at odds with each other, maintaining an eerie peace.
There were no restrictions on the people entering and leaving the territory, but not everyone could afford gravel coal.
However, bartering is also an option, such as salt, for example, there are salt mountains in Huzhou.
When Su Zhenzhen arrived in Shanxian, Old Man Bai was helping the villagers burn charcoal. The old man was very familiar with the area; anyone who didn't know better would think he was a relative of these people who had drifted to Shanxian.
The mountainous area was poorly ventilated, and the surrounding mountains posed a risk of wildfires in winter. Therefore, charcoal burning was carried out in batches and at different locations along the official road, with the main goal of collecting flowing water to form rivers.
Su Zhenzhen came on horseback. How interesting! On her trip south, she not only learned many secrets, but also learned how to ride a horse.
The girl still wore the same plain white robe she never wore before, and her hair was tied up in a Taoist nun's style. In the winter, she was like a moving little sun, and her cheerful shouts could be heard from afar.
"Old man Bai, I'm back!"
The old man, who was putting wood into the charcoal pit, faintly heard someone calling him. He looked up in the direction of the voice and saw someone he hadn't seen for almost half a year waving to him.
Startled, he immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed forward, saying, "Miss Su."
Old Bai called out eagerly, but when he couldn't see Hensheng behind him, his mood instantly plummeted.
"Miss Su, where's Hensheng? Isn't he with you?"
Su Zhenzhen dismounted, her tone as usual, "War is about to break out in the south, and Hensheng is too busy to leave. Don't worry, he's thinking of you."
“The children are grown up and have their own things to do. How can they cling to their parents all the time?” Old Man Bai wiped his eyes awkwardly.
Hensheng had previously said he wanted to marry Miss Su. Although he didn't understand the details, as her father, he certainly wanted to help make this a grand occasion.
Who knew that on their wedding day, Hensheng was kidnapped by bandits. Later, Chunzhi mobilized troops, fought all the way, and finally found Hensheng in Yangcheng. Although a letter of safety was sent back, Old Man Bai's heart was still filled with anxiety.
Later I heard they ran south. What kind of good place is that? Old Man Bai fled from the south. That place is like it's been cursed. There are disasters every few days. The local people are also quite bandit-like. Otherwise, they wouldn't have formed a rebel army when they fled north more than 20 years ago.
Now that he saw Su Zhenzhen, Old Man Bai finally felt relieved. With Miss Su's extraordinary abilities, she would never let that child lose his life.
Su Zhenzhen, unaware of what Old Man Bai was thinking, rubbed her somewhat empty stomach, her face flushed with embarrassment, and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"
We ate dry rations the whole way, and our mouths were practically tasteless.
"Yes." Old Man Bai immediately perked up, greeted his companion, and then helped Su Zhenzhen lead her horse into the city.
Old Man Bai still lives in the coffin shop. The shop has been tidied up, and two small beds have been set up side by side, which are only about 1.2 meters wide.
Jiang Sijin's extravagant pink gauze bed was still there, not a speck of dust on it, indicating that it was regularly maintained.
Su Zhenzhen raised her chin. "Why don't you put this bed away? It's so in the way."
The mansion where Hu Wenshang from Yangcheng made offerings was much more spacious and bright than this coffin shop. Someone as self-respecting as Jiang Sijin would definitely not come back to sleep on this small bed.
Old Man Bai had already washed his hands and was preparing to start cooking. There was a small kitchen behind the coffin shop, as well as a small vegetable garden that had been cultivated back then.
Old Bai saved seeds when he harvested the fruit, and planted them again this winter.
"She's so childish. We shouldn't make a fuss over such a small thing." Old Man Bai had already set up the firewood, his eyes focused intently on his work. "Besides, you're back now, aren't you? You can stay here now."
Su Zhenzhen glanced at the coffin shop. Jiang Sijin's pink gauze bed was on the left, and in the middle was a coffin made by Hensheng, a messy pile that directly divided the shop in two.
The other two small beds were right next to the right corner. Originally, apart from Jiang Sijin, everyone else used the floor as their bed.
Even so, a curtain was still hung in the middle. During the day, the curtain could be drawn back, taking up little space, and at night, it could be opened directly to the door, without affecting either side.
It must be said that, in some ways, Old Man Bai is indeed a very principled person, no wonder he raised Hen Sheng to be such a gentleman.
While Su Zhenzhen was pondering, Old Man Bai had already put the vegetables into the pot and was constantly stirring them with a wooden spatula.
The old man muttered to himself, "Girls are pampered guests. She has a high status, so it's inevitable that she'll have a bit of a temper. Besides, no one has taught her, so she just does whatever she wants."
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