As they traveled north from the capital towards Hexi, the weather grew increasingly cold. When they were still more than 200 li away from Hexi, Granny Lu had already found her thick cotton-padded coat and put it on.
The Li family's youngest son is named Li Yanliang, their daughter is named Li Yanxia, and their eldest grandson is named Li Jialiang. According to what Granny Lu heard from them, the people living on the estate that the old lady brought with her dowry were mostly former retainers of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and their descendants. They all had taken the surname Li along with the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. When the old lady dismissed the people from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, it was these people who couldn't forget the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and were reluctant to leave that the old lady settled them on her estate.
The names of these people were chosen according to their generation. Old Li's next generation all belonged to the "Yan" generation, and the generation after that belonged to the "Jia" generation. This was decided by an advisor from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
Granny Lu originally thought that Li Jialiang was just a child, so she let him sit in the carriage with her. However, Li Jialiang was not very willing and secretly told Granny Lu that if he sat in the carriage with her to go to Hexi, people would look down on him. He was a man, and he should either walk like others or ride a horse. He could not travel by carriage.
When Granny Lu heard this, she found it amusing. After all, she loved this child dearly and took good care of him, preparing his three meals a day perfectly.
The fur caravan hired a security escort to help with the journey. Since they were merchants, not officials, they were not allowed to rest at post stations. So, they usually rested at inns whenever they came across one. If they missed an inn, they would just spend the night in the wilderness. They were men, and all in their prime, so it was no problem for them. But it wouldn't do for Granny Lu. The weather was getting colder and colder. If she spent the night in the wilderness and didn't eat or sleep well, she could really get sick.
Granny Lu had several quilts in her carriage, and she didn't care about spending money. When passing through small towns and counties, she would buy a lot of food. It was fine if she stayed at an inn, as the innkeeper would prepare hot soup and hot meals for her. But if she stayed in the wilderness, she would definitely cook some hot food herself.
After traveling for more than ten days, we finally saw the city gate of Hexi.
Granny Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Di was already waiting at the city gate. When he saw Granny Lu return, he quickly went to greet her.
Looking at Xu Di, Granny Lu said happily, "Di-ge'er, how did you know I was coming today?"
Xu Di smiled and said, "I've already spoken with the people at the fur trade. They'll let me know as soon as they receive the letter. I heard from them that you'll arrive today, so I came to wait for you. Granny, you must be tired from your journey."
Granny Lu smiled broadly and said, "I've been traveling by carriage the whole way, it wasn't tiring at all. Is everything alright at home? How is your mother?"
Xu Di smiled and said, "Granny, everything is fine at home. Don't worry about home for now. You must be tired from your journey. Let's go home first, sit down and rest properly before we talk, okay?"
Granny Lu said, "Then allow me to go and say a few words to Manager Li of the fur shop."
Xu Di smiled and said, "With me here, how could I trouble you? You can just sit comfortably in the car, and I'll go and thank Manager Li right away."
With Xu Di's intervention, Manager Li naturally gave him more face, and they met at the city gate. After exchanging a few words, they bowed and said goodbye.
Granny Lu had already written a letter to the Xu family about the Li family's situation. She asked someone from the Li family's business to deliver the letter in advance. When Xu Di saw the Li siblings and the Li family's grandson, he knew who they were. After saying a few simple words, he led his men into the city.
Currently, only the east and west gates of Hexi are open, while the north and south gates are closed and guarded day and night. Entering the city requires not only checking your travel permit but also a thorough inspection of your luggage for any prohibited items. As the temperature drops, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense.
Looking out the carriage window, Granny Lu saw that the streets were much more desolate than when the weather was warmer, and she knew that the situation was becoming increasingly serious.
Zhang Zhaoci, already holding her pregnant belly, was waiting at the gate with her children. When she saw Granny Lu's carriage arrive, she quickly went to greet it.
Seeing Zhang Zhaoci walking briskly, Granny Lu quickly stopped her and said, "My dear Third Grandmother, you must be careful at this time. Walk slowly, walk slowly."
Zhang Zhaoci said with a smile, "I haven't seen Granny Lu for quite some time, and I've been missing her terribly. Granny, you must have had a long and tiring journey."
Granny Lu said, "It's not hard work, it's not hard work."
Xu Zhi and the two young ladies from the Li family came over to pay their respects to Granny Lu. Granny Lu quickly pulled them aside and said, "I see that our three girls have all grown taller and are getting more and more beautiful."
Zhang Zhaoci pulled Granny Lu towards the courtyard and said, "Granny, let's go home first. I've prepared rooms for the Li siblings and the little hero of the Li family. Let them put their luggage away and freshen up first, then we can sit down, eat and drink, and talk. What do you think?"
Li Yanliang was assigned to stay with two guards from the Marquis's residence. Li Yanxia shared a room with Qingmiao and Qingsui, while Li Jialiang stayed with Xu Di in the east wing of the backyard. Xu Di built a kang (heated brick bed) outside his own room and had Li Jialiang sleep on it. Xu Di was really not used to sleeping on the same kang with others, especially a boy.
After the three members of the Li family greeted Zhang Zhaoci, Zhang Zhaoci said, "This is the current situation at home. There isn't enough space, so we'll have to squeeze in for now. Once we move to a bigger house, I promise you'll each have your own room."
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