Chapter 82 I'm afraid it won't go so smoothly
"Aunt." Shi Jianli's eyes showed a hint of shyness, and she changed her words with a smile.
"Hey." Yuan Yuhe looked at her with a smile. Ever since she started treating this child as her daughter-in-law, she liked her more and more. "We've been traveling all day. Although the carriage is spacious, it's not very comfortable. Did you get a good rest last night?"
"I've had a good rest and I feel refreshed today."
"That's good. You don't travel far often, and I'm worried you won't be able to adapt. The weather in Chaozhou is much drier than in Beijing, and I'm not sure if you can get used to it."
"There's a court doctor with us, it's nothing serious."
Doctor Chu was old and could not come along for fear that his bones would fall apart. So, Doctor Chu’s son, Doctor Little Chu, and two medicine boys accompanied him.
Although the old lady is old, she will not be able to go back many times in her lifetime for such an important matter as ancestor worship. As long as she is still in good health, she has to go back to Chaozhou.
Ming Yuelin hugged Qiao Ruoying's arm and said in a pretentious manner, "Oh, it's so sad. Mother forgot about me as soon as she saw Sister Li. Aunt, will you recognize me as your daughter?"
As she spoke, she blinked at Qiao Ruoying.
Qiao Ruoying patted her shoulder and agreed with a smile: "Okay, Lin'er will be my daughter from now on. Let Li'er be intimate with your mother."
"You're such a grown-up, but you're still jealous and acting like a spoiled brat." Yuan Yuhe looked at her daughter helplessly and said, "Sister-in-law, you're also teasing her."
Qiao Ruoying smiled. "I was hoping Li'er would act like Lin'er and act like a spoiled brat in front of me. This child is too quiet. She only answers whatever you ask. But this is not bad either. If there's anything you can't tell your son, just tell her everything. I'll make sure no one leaks it out."
"Li'er is so considerate."
Shi Jianli poured cold tea for the two elders, listened to their conversation, and responded from time to time.
If you ask what is the most interesting thing to talk about, it must be gossip. When the two sisters-in-law get together, the topic goes off track and they start talking about gossip about various families in the capital.
Shi Jianli and Mingyuelin listened with great interest.
They walked for about twenty days, stopping every three to five days to stay in a village or a small town in the county to rest for a day and freshen up before continuing on their journey.
When we arrived at Luzhou, next to Chaozhou, we had already played all the recreational toys we brought with us, including the storybook, Liubo chess, and Go.
Luzhou is a mountainous area with dense forests on both sides of the official road. The carriage was traveling on the narrow official road. Apart from the rumbling sound of wheels and the sound of horses' hooves escorting in front and behind, the sound of birds singing could be heard from time to time.
Shi Jianli was riding a horse in front, observing the woods on both sides, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
When she was twelve years old, she was traveling from the ferry to the capital and met a merchant caravan on the way. The merchant leader was kind and was willing to take them with him, but they were robbed by bandits on the way. Fortunately, the government sent troops to rescue them from the bandits' lair.
The official road we took at that time was very similar to this one.
Shi Jianli rode his horse to the side of the captain of the palace guards and called out, "Uncle Liu."
Liu Yu was once a subordinate of Anguo Gong Ming Weisu. He retreated with a limp on the battlefield, but his strength should not be underestimated. Later, he went to the palace to serve as the commander of the palace guards.
Liu Yu was observing his surroundings at the moment, his expression alert. When he heard Li calling him, he turned around and asked, "Miss Li, do you have anything to say?"
Shi Jianli said, "It feels a little too quiet around here."
"Are you worried about an ambush from bandits?" Liu Yu asked with a smile. "Don't worry, Miss Li. We've brought quite a few people with us, all veterans of the battlefield. With the Duke's Mansion's banner hanging, even if there are bandits, they won't dare to touch us."
"I feel relieved when you say that. I was robbed before and I was a little worried." Shi Jianli felt somewhat relieved when she heard that.
Liu Yu was curious: "This kind of terrain is indeed prone to ambushes. Has Miss Li ever been on a long journey before?"
"Yes, when I was coming to Beijing from the ferry, I encountered bandits on the way. In the end, the bandits were eliminated by the county government."
Shi Jianli touched his wrist, urged his horse to lag behind a little, and ran parallel with Mingyuelin.
After walking for an hour, we finally walked out of the narrow official road. The view in front of us was clear and the fields were flat.
When Fusang fell to the west, it arrived at a village with smoke rising from chimneys and surrounded by mountains.
"Madam, please stay in this village tonight. This is the border between Luzhou and Chaozhou. It will take another two days to reach Li Guang County." Liu Yu bowed to Yuan Yuhe.
"Okay, Commander Liu will make the arrangements."
After being on the road for more than ten days, Yuan Yuhe and Qiao Ruoying were feeling a little down.
Shi Jianli and Mingyuelin went to help the old lady down, and the old lady was even more tired.
Liu Yu went to negotiate with the village chief, and then the village rented out two larger farmyards for everyone to rest.
The old lady's two illegitimate daughters-in-law came with their children to pay their respects and then went to a smaller courtyard not far away.
Yuan Yuhe arranged for the old lady and the children to rest, and sat on a chair while the maid massaged her shoulders. "Fortunately, this ancestor worship ceremony only takes place every five years. If we had to go back every year, it would be very tiring."
Yuye came in with two medicine bags and said, "Madam, Miss Li asked Lanxing to bring these. She said she asked the doctor at the Chu Mansion to prescribe some herbs. Soaking in the tub will help relieve fatigue."
Yuan Yuhe nodded, "Li'er is thoughtful."
Liu Yu came over and said respectfully, "Madam, I just had a few words with the village chief. It turns out that the official road we took this morning is often robbed by bandits, and merchants are frequently robbed of their goods."
"The old man was quite surprised to see us come here safely."
Yuan Yuhe was shocked. "Five years ago, the master was away and hadn't returned to Chaozhou for a long time. Ten years ago, he was safe and sound. How could there be bandits in these years?"
"I heard that this bandit problem has only appeared in the past two years, and the local county magistrate can't do anything about it."
Yuan Yuhe frowned, "If that's the case, then does the Luzhou prefect know about the bandits?"
"I don't know about that."
"Is the county seat far away?"
"Not far. This village is close to the county. It's only thirty miles away."
"Be careful. If the prefect can't handle it in a short time, wait for the lord and the others to come and solve this bandit problem." My husband and the others should have walked halfway and could reach the ancestral home at the same time as them.
"Yes, ma'am."
Yuan Yuhe thought of Ming Zhoushi who had come with her, and said to Jinzhi, "Jinzhi, go and call the Fourth Young Master over."
At the age of seventeen or eighteen, you should be able to take on some responsibilities.
"yes."
After more than half a cup of tea, Ming Zhou came over and bowed, "Aunt, are you calling me nephew?"
"Tomorrow morning, take a few guards to the local county government to inquire about how the bandit problem is being dealt with and whether it has been reported to the provincial government. They should ask the provincial government to formulate regulations as soon as possible. We will have to take this route back. We will wait for you in this village for half a day."
"Yes, aunt, I will definitely see to it." Ming Zhoushi responded respectfully.
When he went out, Ming Zhou saw Li Zheng coming over with her maid.
"Cousin Li." He looked at her obscurely.
Shi Jianli nodded lightly at him and walked past him.
After entering the house, Shi Jianli greeted Yuan Yuhe, and then looked at the old lady who had gone to bed because she was really tired.
With a vague sense of worry in her heart, Shi Jianli felt that this trip to Chaozhou to worship her ancestors might not be so smooth.
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