Chapter 703 The Crying Dewdrop
"...More and more people are entering the city, almost like last year's Emperor's birthday celebration. The line of cattle, horses, and mules outside the city gate stretches for miles."
People need to eat, and so do the animals, especially those precious horses. They need to be well-fed at night; if they get thin from hunger, it would break my heart.
Li San Niang nodded at the right moment, and then added a word of praise: "Sister-in-law knows so much."
Indeed, if a horse isn't fed properly at night, it will really get thin.
Li Sanniang stood beside the carriage shaft and lightly patted the rump of her horse twice, causing the horse to sneeze twice on its head.
Qiu Xiang, who had been standing next to Li San Niang, couldn't help but roll her eyes. She thought to herself, "San Niang is the most mischievous. She can talk all she wants, but she always has to try to flatter me."
Li San Niang was well-versed in the secrets of this conversation and asked the woman with great curiosity, "Hasn't the official done anything about it?"
"These people are numerous and talkative, and they're blocking the main road; they're causing a lot of trouble."
The woman, her expression one of great excitement, twirled the basket and clapped her hands together, saying, "Isn't that exactly what you mean, sir?"
At first, the government took charge, and the Imperial Guards at the city gate rode on horseback, carrying long swords, to drive people away.
At that time, I didn't dare to start this snack business.
The woman was very eloquent, speaking with great intonation, and even the usually indifferent Lao Shi, sitting on the other side of the carriage shaft holding the reins, listened very attentively.
Before the woman could finish speaking, an old man driving a donkey cart behind Li San Niang's carriage, who was looking at the vegetables still covered in dew, took over the conversation.
"Then we have to thank Master Xu. He personally came to the city gate to direct the people and arrange the way. This old man has benefited from it for the past month or so."
The old man pointed to the empty baskets on the cart: "Look, I haven't even entered the city yet, and I've already sold more than half of this stuff."
Li San Niang, separated by a horse and a donkey, cupped her hands in greeting to the old man who was speaking not far away, and received a cupped-back greeting from the old man.
At this moment, Li San Niang had a premonition that the Xu surname official mentioned by the old man might be Xu Jingzhen.
After all, Xu Jingzhen, who was in charge of the Ministry of War's Assistant Department, was indeed able to manage the actions of the Imperial Guards at the city gate.
Li San Niang chatted with the woman for a few more minutes, and seeing that her own carriage had already started to move forward, she cupped her hands in greeting to the woman and watched as the woman, carrying her basket, left the winding procession heading into the city.
After Li San Niang re-entered the carriage, she didn't see Lao Shi on the carriage shaft looking hesitant. Lao Shi was indeed a pure and innocent person.
It wasn't until the carriage was almost inside the street where the Li family lived that Lao Shi finally managed to say something. He turned his back, coughed lightly, and then said to the horse's rump, "Third Lady, Xu Sanlangjun is indeed in charge of the defenses at the city gate of Chang'an."
Inside the carriage, while Li San Niang was discussing with Qiu Xiang how to avoid causing her mother too much worry after entering the house, she suddenly heard Lao Shi outside say something like this.
Not only was Li San Niang stunned for a moment, but Qiu Xiang was also taken aback. Qiu Xiang lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Tenth Brother, do you have any intentions? How much time has passed already!"
"So now you've remembered to tell us about this!"
"Haha, haha," Li Sanniang laughed as she got out of the carriage and plopped down on the side of the carriage shaft. She looked at Lao Shi, whose cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, and said, "Lao Shi, your reaction time is really slow. It will take us at least half an hour to get from the city gate to our doorstep."
"And you, you only remembered to tell us about this when you were almost inside the house!"
Just then, the carriage turned onto the street where the Li family's medical clinic was located. Li San Niang looked at the clinic, which was only a few steps away, and suddenly felt a sense of trepidation as she approached home.
After Lao Shi parked the car, Li San Niang waited patiently for him to set up the steps. After getting out of the car, she looked at the wide-open storefront and found herself unable to move her feet.
"Tell me, it's only been a little over a month since I left home, so why am I hesitant to go in now that I'm at the door?"
"Third Sister?"
Is it Li San Niangzi?
Is Li San Niangzi back?
"It's Li San Niangzi back!"
Hearing the voice calling her, Li San Niang turned around and saw that it was Qiu Niangzi (as mentioned earlier, the woman who helped Li San Niang make surgical gowns)!
As Qiu Niangzi, carrying a basket, jogged closer, people also ran out of the Li family's medical clinic.
"Third Sister!"
Li San Niang turned around to look again, and it was Li Er Xiong!
"Second brother!"
Before Li San Niang could speak to Li Er Xiong and Qiu Niangzi, two voices calling out to Li San Niang at the same time made people turn their heads to look.
The people who came out of the Li family clinic again were Li's father and mother, while the person who called out from the street was Song Dalang (the father of Song Fuling, a disciple of Li San Niang).
"master!"
After seeing off Song Dalang, who was driving off to work, Li's mother took the basket handed over by Qiu Niangzi. Only then did Li San Niang, holding Li's mother's hand and leading Song Fuling, follow Li's father and Li's second brother into the house.
Upon entering the courtyard, Little Yellow, whom they hadn't seen for over a month, still wagged its tail and came to greet them, circling around Li San Niang's feet. Little Yellow's cubs had also grown quite a bit, no longer resembling cubs, and followed behind Little Yellow.
Li San Niang reached out and patted Song Fuling's head, praised Xiao Huang twice as a "good dog," and then looked around for her own dewdrop.
Just as they were looking from the kitchen into the main hall, Sister-in-law Li came out of the main hall carrying Lu Zhu'er.
"My precious darling!"
Dewdrop had just woken up, her little head still fuzzy. In a daze, she thought she seemed to hear Li San Niang's voice, but then she thought it was just her imagination. She looked at Li Da Sao and said, "Aunt, I think I heard my mother calling me."
When is Mother coming back?
Pearl misses her mother.
"Mother's dewdrops, Mother's precious treasures!"
With a touch of sadness, Li San Niang raised her voice and ran towards Li Da Sao's direction. Only then did Lu Zhu Er realize that it wasn't her imagination. She turned her head and saw Li San Niang rushing towards her.
"Mother?"
Mother!
Mother is back!
Without even washing her hands or changing her clothes, Li San Niang took her precious baby from Li Da Sao's arms and kissed Lu Zhu'er's head with tender kisses, murmuring, "My precious baby, my darling, I've missed you so much."
"Such lovely dewdrops, let Mother kiss them."
Dewdrop was in Li Sanniang's arms for only a moment. Once she confirmed that Li Sanniang was indeed her own mother, she tightly hugged Li Sanniang's neck with her little hands, as if she was afraid that Li Sanniang would disappear.
The kisses that landed on her forehead, head, and hair gave Dewdrop a tangible feeling. With a "Wow!", the usually well-behaved Dewdrop finally found an opportunity to vent the grievances and anxieties she had been holding in.
When she started wailing, Li San Niang couldn't bear it, so she stood at the entrance of the main hall, hugged Lu Zhu'er, and cried along with her.
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