Chapter 369 "Whatever benefits I receive, I will never forget my brothers!"
(Thanks to reader 20221016113855147 for casting a monthly vote.)
Li Shiyue received a letter written by Liu Tan from Xie Mingyue. The contents were indeed as Xie Mingyue had said: Liu Tan had indeed asked Li Shiyue to take Xie Mingyue with him on a journey to the Turkic Khaganate.
The pretext was that the Xie family also wanted to do some business with the Turks, but Li Shiyue had no idea what Xie Mingyue really wanted to do.
But Liu Tan wrote a letter, and the seal on it wasn't fake. What could Li Shiyue do?
She naturally had no choice but to obey.
Therefore, at this moment, Li Shiyue arranged for Wang Datou to incorporate the Xie family's caravan into their own caravan for protection.
However, even after they reached the grasslands and it was past lunchtime, no one from Xie Mingyue's side came to ask why.
In Li Shiyue's view, Xie Mingyue, this pampered girl from Guanzhong, was quite sensible.
Otherwise, if she were a pampered girl who couldn't stand hard work or endure suffering, then this would really be a headache.
They walked until late afternoon, until they reached the place Li Shiyue had decided on, and then their group stopped.
Following Li Shiyue's instructions, Wang Datou and Gao Jin started to attack the people.
The carriages were linked together and arranged in order, leaving a space in the middle where the snow was cleared and a huge fire was lit with the firewood they brought.
This fire serves three purposes: first, to provide warmth; second, to start a fire to boil water; and third, to deter wolves.
We don't need to be picky about drinking water; we just take some relatively clean snow from the surrounding area, put it in a pot, and boil it.
At this moment, Li Shiyue sent Shitou to inform Zhou Yiran, leaving Li Qiutian in the camp, and then she called Wang Datou to ride off in a different direction.
After Li Shiyue and Wang Datou returned from their patrol of the surrounding area, Li Qiutian had already started serving the ginger soup he had prepared to everyone.
Those who remained in the carriage, including Xie Mingyue, each received about half a bowl of ginger soup.
Ginger is pungent and warm in nature, and can relieve exterior syndromes and dispel cold.
This ginger isn't exactly cheap these days.
Xie Mingyue took a sip of the piping hot ginger soup. The fiery spiciness rushed into her nasal cavity, but afterwards she also felt a slight sweetness.
After finishing a bowl, I felt warmth spread throughout my body.
Seeing that Xie Mingyue had not only finished the ginger soup but also picked up and chewed the two slices of ginger in the bowl, the maid quickly took out a jar containing tamarind from the hidden compartment in the carriage.
"My wife, please have one."
Xie Mingyue shook her head at the maid, indicating that she did not want to eat.
Outside the carriage, around the two huge campfires, people were now sitting.
Li Shiyue only instructed someone to send ginger soup to Xie Mingyue and the others because she knew that the Xie family would definitely have their own food and would not mingle with them.
For dinner tonight, Li Shiyue and his group ate meat-filled pancakes that they had brought from Lijiatun.
Each adult had three meat patties sandwiched between two palm-sized pieces.
Even if it's cold, it doesn't matter. Just find a twig, or even just skewer it with your sword and put it on the fire. It will be warm in no time.
Everyone was enjoying their meal immensely. Wang Datou, being a talkative person, ate his pancakes with gusto while simultaneously chatting with Li Shiyue.
"Captain, this is so delicious!"
Who would have thought that coming out here would lead to such a good meal!
I've been thinking about that pork ball I had for breakfast in your village all this way!
I was thinking to myself, "We're probably going to have to eat those dried-out biscuits tonight!"
Li Shiyue was just waiting for Wang Datou, that talkative guy, to speak.
As soon as she heard what Wang Datou said, she immediately slapped her thigh and said, "Let's save the dried biscuits for now. We can eat them later after we finish the food we brought from the village on the way."
"Big Head, I'm sure you've all heard about my background."
At this moment, Li Shiyue waved to Wang Datou, stopping him from saying what he was about to say.
She continued looking at Wang Datou, and was actually speaking to the others around the fire: "Our Lijiatun village has taken root and survived at the foot of Daheishan Mountain. We have paper mills and charcoal yards in the village, and we also guard this important road in and out of the grassland."
In recent years, thanks to the trade market, I opened an inn and started a business, and I've managed to save up some money.
Don't worry, this time the brothers are with me on this mission. Just focus on the task at hand. Whatever I eat, the brothers will eat too!
"If I succeed in my mission to the Turks, I'll make sure my brothers benefit from it!"
As soon as Li Shiyue finished speaking, he raised an eyebrow at Wang Datou, the meaning of which was clear: "Listen to me, do a good job! The benefits will be huge!"
Wang Datou didn't know what the future benefits would be, but he was certainly enjoying the benefits right in front of him, and he was enjoying them immensely!
That night, Li Shiyue didn't sleep for the first half of the night, and stood guard for half the night at their campsite.
Because when she and Wang Datou went out on horseback to patrol earlier, in the last glimmer of light before dark, she saw a pack of about ten wolves staring at her from not far away.
That's why she didn't sleep, guarding against a nighttime wolf attack.
Who knows, the pack of wolves either had eaten their fill elsewhere or thought that they might not be able to take them down because of their numbers, because they made no move at all during the first half of the night.
Later, Li Qiutian told Li Shiyue to go rest, and she took Li Shiyue's place and stayed up for the rest of the night.
In the latter half of the night, they did hear a few wolf howls, but the wolves did not attack them.
Nothing happened overnight. Before dawn, many people were awakened by the cold.
The campfire had burned all night, but only a few embers remained, no longer providing warmth for the group.
However, it's good that you're awake; it's time for you to wake up anyway.
Xie Mingyue was awakened by the noise of tidying up outside the carriage. Before she was fully awake, she saw a maid bring in a bowl of fragrant soup.
When the maidservant brought the bowl closer, Xie Mingyue realized that it was a soup made from boiled noodles.
But when you taste it, you realize that it's not a flatbread at all, but just a soup made by tearing dried flatbread into small pieces, throwing it into water, adding oil, salt, and dried vegetables.
But having hot food with soup is always better than eating dry, hard bread.
After having breakfast, the convoy lined up again and headed towards the Turkic region.
They had been traveling for two hours, past lunchtime, and the convoy still hadn't stopped.
Suddenly, Li Shiyue, who was riding on horseback, shouted to Wang Datou and then pulled on the reins, quickly riding forward with Li Qiutian and Shitou.
Li Shiyue had a feeling that something was wrong from the beginning, and the further she went, the more obvious this discomfort became.
So she called Li Qiutian and Shi Tou to ride forward and chase after the scouts.
What lies ahead?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
