The loud sound of the gong echoed from afar, and the villagers eating inside the house suddenly put down their bowls and chopsticks and began to count carefully.
There are rules regarding the number of gong sounds. The fewer and more urgent the sounds, the more serious the matter. This is because in an emergency, there may not be enough time to strike the gong many times, so starting with fewer sounds indicates a more serious situation.
The various sounds can be quite varied, such as someone returning from the village or a guest arriving, but none of them are urgent.
The villagers, relieved, quickly shoveled the last bits of food from their bowls into their stomachs and strode towards the village entrance.
I didn't count the number of gong sounds, but I still had to go and see what it was.
It's human nature to love watching a spectacle, and Shui Qing was no exception. Surrounded by a large group of women, she marched in a grand procession toward the village entrance.
Wang Guifen leaned closer to Shui Qing and asked, puzzled, "Ling Ran and the others only set off yesterday morning, they can't be back this early, can they?"
That's probably impossible, since it would take three or four days to deliver potatoes to Nanning Prefecture and back.
"It couldn't have been the yamen runners, otherwise there wouldn't have been so much noise," Aunt Zhang said curiously.
"But today is already the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is the New Year. Who would come at this time?" someone asked.
Then, as if realizing something, everyone looked at Bai Ziqian.
Bai Ziqian was also among the onlookers, laughing carefree. Only when all eyes were on him did he belatedly realize what was happening.
He asked excitedly and joyfully, "Auntie, could it be my parents who have come?"
Then I realized that it must be his parents who came. Who else would come at this time?
Moreover, his parents hadn't visited him for a very long time. After the flood, his father sent Hong Daniu and his group over, but never came again, and his mother hadn't even seen him before the flood.
Thinking of this, Bai Ziqian quickened his pace, almost jogging behind.
Jiang Hehu was also happy that Uncle Bai had come, and he followed Bai Ziqian excitedly forward.
Although Shui Qing felt that Bai Manshan and Li Huyu's arrival on the 29th was a bit rushed, she thought there might be a reason for it. After all, the situation in Nandu was not optimistic either, and it might even be worse than in Guangning Prefecture. It was not easy for them to come and pick up Bai Ziqian before the New Year.
Then she thought that she might not make it back to Nandu in time, so should she stay with her for the New Year? If so, she would have to prepare more New Year's dishes...
“Yes, the sound of the gong means visitors are coming. Let’s go see Master Bai and Madam Bai.” Wang Guifen said with a cheerful smile.
"Walk!"
They remember how good Master Bai was to their village.
When they arrived at the village entrance, seeing the tightly closed gate, Aunt Zhang frowned and scolded, "Fan Xiaoliu is usually so clever, but today we're so clueless about social etiquette. We didn't even open the gate when Master Bai arrived."
Wang Guifen was also puzzled. It shouldn't be like this, especially since Xiao Liu had also delivered potatoes to Master Bai. Others might not trust him, but Master Bai would definitely let him in first.
She smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "I was probably frightened the night before last, and I felt I should wait for Shuiqing to come and ask me before I dared to make a decision on my own."
"Yes, yes, it's not his fault. Master Bai should be able to understand."
Shui Qing didn't think about whether to forgive or not, because she felt that the person outside wasn't Bai Manshan.
Fan Xiaoliu is not only clever, but also extremely particular about etiquette. If it were Bai Manshan outside, he would never have locked him out!
Yes, it was scary the night before last, but those were bandits. Bai Manshan was a friend, someone who was good to them. How could they lock their friend and someone who was good to them out?
Bai Ziqian had already run to the gate, looked up at Fan Xiaoliu and asked happily, "Brother Xiaoliu, have the Bai family members arrived?"
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