Lord Lin looked at the villagers gratefully and let them help him up.
"Thank you all for today. I, Lin, will repay you all handsomely another day," Lord Lin said, expressing his gratitude to everyone.
Uncle Dazhu helped Lord Lin up and shook his head, saying, "These are nothing, there's no need to thank me."
Everyone agreed that it was a trivial matter.
Lord Lin remained silent, simply memorizing each of their simple, honest faces.
Everyone carried torches and walked towards the village.
After climbing the mountain for so long, and not having eaten dinner, plus all the work they had done before, everyone was really tired, hungry, and thirsty.
Fortunately, after working so hard for so long, the result was good.
Although the person was injured, they were eventually found.
As they approached Gu Lili's house, a delicious aroma of meat wafted from her courtyard.
Gu Huanhuan and the other children were already waiting for everyone at the door.
Upon seeing the large group, several children ran towards the crowd.
"Grandma was right, everyone will return safely!" Gu Huanhuan said with a smile.
Because although everyone's faces showed signs of fatigue, they were all smiling, which meant that everyone was alright.
Gu Lili patted Huanhuan's head and asked with a smile, "Grandma, what delicious food are you making? It smells so good."
Gu Lili couldn't help but swallow her saliva just smelling it.
"Grandma used the wild boar meat that my second uncle brought down to make a stir-fry, and also rolled out noodles. She was just waiting for everyone to come down the mountain before she would cook the noodles," Gu Huanhuan replied crisply.
Grandma said that Miss Lin and Lord Lin must be a couple with a free-spirited destiny.
Their safe return is only a matter of time.
Just then, Li Ershu brought the wild boar back, and Grandma called Zhang Dahua and Gu Yunchu, and the three of them worked together to butcher the wild boar meat.
They cut it into pieces and simmered it into a fragrant braised pork sauce. They also boiled several pots of water, waiting for everyone to return.
Gu Lili and An'an agreed with her grandmother's approach, while turning to look at the villagers.
"Since Grandma has already prepared noodles, everyone please have some food at home before you go back."
The animals' stomachs had already started rumbling as soon as they smelled the aroma of meat.
Huanhuan said that Grandma Li made noodles, and if so many people don't eat them, the noodles will go bad.
So, no one refused, and they followed Gu Lili inside.
"Lili, could you lend me your oxcart? I'm still worried about Yao'er and want to go to town to check on her," Lord Lin said to Gu Lili.
Although Gu Lili had just told him that Lin Xiyao had only twisted her ankle, Lord Lin was still worried.
Gu Lili glanced at the sky and helplessly advised, "Lord Lin, you are still weak. If you insist on going, please have some food first."
Lord Lin is a court official; if he wants to enter the city, he should be able to do so by bringing the warrant.
Seeing Lord Lin's unsteady state, Gu Lili was truly worried that he might faint again halfway there.
Hearing his stomach rumbling, Lord Lin thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Grandma Li and Zhang Dahua had heard the commotion outside and quickly added firewood to the stove to bring the water to a boil.
Fortunately, Gu Lili's family had an iron pot for rendering lard; otherwise, they really wouldn't have been able to cook so much food.
The villagers who still had some strength quickly washed their hands and helped Grandma Li and Aunt Zhang cook noodles.
With many hands making light work, the noodles were cooked in no time.
Because of the restaurant, the restaurant was short of bowls and plates, so Gu Lili asked Gu Yun Chu to take some home to use, along with the bowls from Aunt Zhang's house.
Although they come in various sizes, they are enough to meet our needs.
Once the noodles are cooked, they are served bowl by bowl, and Zhang Dahua pours a spoonful of pork sauce on top.
Everyone took their food out in an orderly fashion. They were all starving, so they casually found a place to squat down and started munching away.
The pork, with its perfect balance of lean and fat, was incredibly fragrant, and it finally relieved the fatigue of the day.
Gu Lili was helping to serve the last bowl of noodles when she heard a noise outside the courtyard.
Gu Lili quickly put down her chopsticks and rushed outside.
Sure enough, Chang'an and Li Ershu returned.
Lord Lin, who was eating noodles in the kitchen, heard the commotion and quickly ran out as well.
"Has Yao'er returned?" Lord Lin asked in a hoarse voice.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Lord Lin was filled with disappointment. Only Cuizhu and Tiedan's mother got off the carriage.
Lord Lin stepped forward anxiously and asked, "Cuizhu, why did Miss follow us back with such a look in her eyes? Is her injury too serious?"
Cuizhu's hands had been bandaged, but her body was covered in blood, which made Lord Lin quite alarmed.
He thought Gu Lili was just trying to comfort him, but in reality, Lin Xiyao's injuries were probably quite serious.
When Cuizhu saw her master, tears welled up in her eyes, which greatly worried Master Lin.
I almost lost my balance.
While crying, Cuizhu knelt down and cried, "Master, it's all my fault. I insisted on urging Miss to go up the mountain, which led to this disaster. Please punish me, sir."
Seeing that Lord Lin's face was gradually turning pale, Gu Lili quickly stepped forward and asked.
"Cuizhu, is Yaoyao alright?"
This girl is something else; she doesn't know how to get to the point when she speaks. Her vague and ambiguous way of speaking makes Gu Lili really afraid that Lord Lin will overthink things and won't be able to handle it.
When Gu Lili asked, Cuizhu quickly replied, "The doctor said that Miss's leg is fine for the time being, but it's a pity for Young Master Han, whose hand wound needs to be stitched up."
Upon hearing this, Lord Lin breathed a long sigh of relief, relieved that Yao'er was alright.
Immediately, Lord Lin became anxious again, "Has Young Master Han's wound been stitched up?"
Just now, Gu Lili told him that today, thanks to the young master of the Han family, it was they who first discovered Lin Xiyao.
The injuries on his body were from protecting Lin Xiyao.
“Young Master Han’s wound has been stitched up,” Cuizhu said in a low voice. “However, he took the medicine given by the county princess and is now in a deep sleep. Miss…Miss said she will stay with Young Master Han until he wakes up.”
Young Master Han and his servant were their saviors, so it was only right and proper for them to do so.
However, since men and women are different, this matter is not something to be discussed openly.
Cuizhu was originally supposed to stay at the clinic, but Lin Xiyao sent her back.
She asked Cuizhu to come back and check on things. If her father returned, she suggested that Gu Lili set off some fireworks to put her mind at ease.
Perfect timing! Cuizhu can come back and get some clothes for Lin Xiyao to change into.
Lord Lin nodded in agreement, saying that repaying kindness is indeed the right thing to do.
The doctor in the clinic had a young apprentice, and Han Mingyue's pageboy was also there. So it wasn't a case of a man and a woman alone together, and Lord Lin didn't find anything wrong with it.
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