At Shen Danru's insistence, everyone got into the carriage. It was crowded, but that was all they could do for the time being.
Shen Danru sat in front of Qingtan and drove the carriage.
When Shen Cheng and Zhou Shi saw that their daughter had brought so many people back, they asked in surprise, "Ru'er, what's this?"
Shen Danru explained the situation to the two of them, and they also agreed with their daughter's actions.
When the hot food was served, the refugees were quite surprised to see that there was meat, chicken, and fish on the table.
Although they were starving, they didn't rush to grab it; instead, they all looked at Shen Danru.
"Eat quickly, we can talk after you've eaten your fill."
Upon hearing Shen Danru's words, the group couldn't resist and began to wolf down their food.
Nevertheless, they were considerate of each other. One of the women had a five-year-old child, and they let the child eat first. When there was not much left, no one touched their chopsticks.
Leave what little is left for the children.
Shen Danru was very satisfied.
After the meal, they all knelt on the ground and said in unison:
“Young lady, we are willing to sign the contract.”
These days, there are still people who provide them with plenty of white rice, meat, and fish. Even if they die, it's worth it.
Along the way, they saw too many of their fellow villagers fall down and be unable to get up, and they became afraid.
While the refugees were eating, Shen Danru had already prepared employment contracts, all they had to do was sign their names and put their fingerprints on them.
Without further hesitation, the group signed the contract.
The next day, Manager Chen from the Qinglong Escort Agency came to the door.
Shen Danru was somewhat puzzled as to why the Azure Dragon Escort Agency wanted to see her.
“Miss Chen, I’ve come to deliver a letter.”
Chen Li explained his purpose.
"letter?"
Chen Li handed over the letter, which Shen Danru took, and only then did she realize that it was a letter from her second brother, Shen Yutang.
Shen Danru quickly called her parents over and read the contents of the letter to everyone.
The letter was very simple, saying that he was doing well and that his parents should not worry. He also sent ten taels of silver, which was his salary money saved up over the years.
He also brought good news: the enemy had retreated and they planned to return to the capital to receive their titles.
Shen Yuyan said, "Father, Mother, Second Sister, and Second Brother are returning to the capital, does that mean Grandfather will also be returning to the capital?"
Shen Danru nodded.
"That's wonderful, I'll go write a letter to my second brother."
Now that he can read and write, he can write a letter. If he doesn't recognize a word, he can ask his second sister.
Just as Shen Yuyan was about to run away, Shen Danru stopped him.
"My second brother and the others are planning to return to Beijing. Will he receive your letter?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuyan immediately wilted.
Zhou said, "He thinks he can write and wants to show off to his second brother."
Shen Yuyan blushed immediately, her secret thoughts exposed.
He just wanted to show off to his second brother, since his second brother had always looked down on him before.
Laughter filled the room.
Tan had a habit of taking a walk around the village every day after meals.
As usual, after eating, she walked to the entrance of the village alley and chatted with a few women.
The women in the village all liked to get together and gossip, and Tan was no exception.
Although Tan was not from this village, the villagers respected her greatly.
Firstly, she was Shen Cheng's mother-in-law; secondly, Madam Tan was a very likable person. She was warm and welcoming, and even though she worked as a servant in the Shen family, she never put on airs.
Several old women greeted Tan Shi.
Just then, a few people came from ahead.
Grandma Zhang said, "Isn't that Matchmaker Qian up ahead? What's she doing leading a woman?"
Grandma Cheng glanced at it and said, "Matchmaker Qian must be here to arrange a marriage for someone. She's come to meet the families."
"In our village, there are indeed a few men whose wives have died, and a few who are too old to marry. Guess who the matchmaker arranged the marriage with?"
"I guess it's Old Li's family on East Street. Because they're poor, Old Li's son is already in his thirties and still hasn't found a wife."
"I bet it's Zhang Erlv. Zhang Erlv's wife died several years ago. He was worried that his child would suffer, but now that the child is grown up, it's time for him to find a wife."
Grandma Cheng said mysteriously, "You've all guessed wrong, none of it is correct. I bet the matchmaker Qian spoke to the eldest son of the Shen family. I've seen the matchmaker Qian going in and out of his house several times."
"How is that possible? Although Niu Shi is insane, she is not dead yet. The Shen family was already being very unfair by kicking Niu Shi out. How could they marry her so quickly?"
"Why not? They probably want to have a child. After all, Shen Dazhuang is over forty years old. Wouldn't it be difficult to have a child in a few years?"
The old women all nodded in agreement. It was indeed possible; the Shen family was really capable of doing such a thing.
Upon hearing this, Ms. Tan became interested.
While the old women were talking, she didn't respond, but she secretly plotted how she would sabotage their conversation.
As the matchmaker approached, everyone got a clear look at the woman. She was in her thirties, of average appearance, but clearly a capable person.
"Aunt Qian, you're here."
Although the group greeted the matchmaker, their eyes were all fixed on the woman.
The woman wasn't one to be coy. Besides, she was a widow who had married into this family with three daughters. For the sake of her children, she wanted to find a respectable family.
The matchmaker's words were incredibly persuasive, but she was already a little apprehensive. These aunties should know about the Shen family, so she might as well ask them about it.
With that thought in mind, she spoke.
"Ladies, it's nice and cool here."
Seeing that the woman had spoken first, the old women quickly replied, "Yes, young lady, whose house are you going to?"
"It's the old Shen family on East Street, Shen Dazhuang."
It really was Shen Dazhuang.
Seeing that the woman seemed interested in asking questions, the old women all shut their mouths. They didn't want to offend anyone, especially someone like Chen, whom they really couldn't afford to mess with.
But Tan was different; she was looking for an excuse to settle scores with Chen, and sure enough, she ran into her.
“Girl, listen to your aunt’s advice, don’t go to the Shen family’s house.”
Upon hearing this, the matchmaker, Qian, realized something was wrong. She tried to pull the woman away, but the woman showed no intention of leaving.
"Auntie, what do you mean by that? Does he have a wife at home?"
Madam Tan sighed, feigning concern for her daughter: "Daughter, I'm telling you this because I'm afraid you'll fall into a pit of fire, even at the risk of offending people. Shen Dazhuang does have a wife, but she's gone mad. The Shen family kicked her out, and nobody knows where she is now."
Upon hearing this, the woman realized that the man had gone mad.
But she didn't care.
As long as there's no wife in the house, as long as this man can give her and the children food, that's enough.
Seeing that the woman didn't take it to heart, Madam Tan asked, "Actually, you can also marry into this family, but you can't bring a girl with you."
The woman was puzzled and quickly asked, "Why?"
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