Chapter 304: The garrison and the officials came to clear the way
Qi Shuyan immediately wrote two letters and handed them to Qi Yanzhou.
"When the snow stops, have Hai Dongqing deliver letters, one to the garrison leader, K'erhan, and one to the prefect, Xiao He. Give the food to K'erhan, and I'll give the benefits to Xiao He."
Qi Yanzhou accepted the letter and nodded.
"Okay, it's decided. Everyone has been busy traveling these days and it's very tiring. Let's go and rest first."
After everyone got up and left, Ye Chutang said to Qi Yanzhou, "I have booked a room for one day. Go down and talk to the shopkeeper and book it for five days first."
Even if the snow stops in three days, the garrison and the government will not clear the road immediately, it will take two or three days at least.
"Okay, I'll go down and talk to you later. Atang, do you want any snacks? I'll go out and buy them for you."
Ye Chutang looked at the blue marks under Qi Yanzhou's eyes and the cracks on his face caused by the cold wind, and a look of distress appeared in his eyes.
She raised her hand and touched the man's rough face.
"Don't rush. Wait until you have rested enough before buying."
Qi Yanzhou put his hand on the back of Ye Chutang's hand and asked with a smile: "Am I ugly now?"
Ye Chutang felt the rough texture on the back of her hand and raised her eyebrows slightly.
“Very manly.”
After saying that, she raised her hand and fanned it, teasing, "It also smells like sweat."
Qi Yanzhou stood up immediately and said, "I'm going downstairs to book a room and I want some hot water for a shower."
Ye Chutang looked at Qi Yanzhou's back as he hurriedly left and chuckled.
"Azhou, I was just teasing you."
Although he had been traveling for a whole day, he would only feel cold but not sweat by sitting in the front of the carriage and being blown by the cold wind.
But Qi Yanzhou hadn't taken a shower for several days, so he went downstairs and asked for a bucket of hot water to take a bath.
Soaking in the warm tub, he was so tired that he almost fell asleep.
Or maybe Ye Chutang hadn't heard any noise for a long time, so he called him.
"Azhou."
Qi Yanzhou woke up suddenly and found that the water in the bathtub was almost cold.
He looked at his wrinkled skin, immediately stood up and put on his underwear.
And use internal force to steam dry the hair.
Ye Chutang leaned against the head of the bed and waved at Qi Yanzhou.
"Come and rest."
Qi Yanzhou walked forward yawning.
As soon as he sat on the bed, Ye Chutang smeared a white milky substance on his face.
Cool and fragrant.
"This is for facial care. Apply it for a few days and your skin will be as soft as a baby's."
Qi Yanzhou didn’t understand Ye Chutang’s advertising slogan, so he smiled and said, “Your skin is delicate, so you don’t need to protect it from the cold.”
Ye Chutang applied a thick layer of high-end facial cream on his face and hands.
She has tried it herself and the results are excellent.
"It takes time to develop baby muscles. I'll take good care of them when we get to Tianshan County."
After saying that, she wiped the remaining cream off her hands.
Then he pulled Qi Yanzhou to lie down and rest.
"It's already past 3 p.m., so I don't need to get up to eat. I can sleep until dawn."
She hadn't slept well due to the tossing and turning of the car along the way and was very sleepy.
The couple fell asleep quickly.
Qi Yanzhou woke up once at night, added some charcoal, and continued to sleep.
The two slept until noon the next day.
Ye Chutang woke up first.
As soon as she moved, Qi Yanzhou opened his eyes.
Seeing that it was getting light, he immediately sat up.
"Atang, you must be hungry after sleeping for so long, right?"
He spoke anxiously as he got up and dressed.
Ye Chutang didn't feel that hungry at first, but when he heard this, his stomach started to growl.
After hearing this, Qi Yanzhou showed remorse on his face.
He originally wanted to get up early and ask the store to make a light breakfast, but he ended up oversleeping.
"Ah Tang, I'll go downstairs and ask the shopkeeper if there's any breakfast left."
"There's no rush. Wash up first."
"Okay, I'll ask the waiter to bring some water up."
The inn charges extra for bathing water, but not for washing water.
After all, washing doesn’t take much water.
Qi Yanzhou came back quickly with a basin of warm water in his hand.
"Ah Tang, the store's kitchen still has steamed buns and spicy soup. I ordered two servings. Eat some first to fill your stomach, and then have lunch and dinner later."
Ye Chutang had already gotten up and was combing her hair.
Since she didn't need to go out, she didn't wear her hair in a bun, but tied her long hair behind her with a silk ribbon.
Looks casual and refreshing.
"Okay, big brother, are they up yet?"
Qi Yanzhou placed the wooden basin on the shelf.
"I didn't hear any movement. They should still be resting."
After traveling for a day and a night, even an iron man would be tired.
After Ye Chutang washed up, the waiter brought him breakfast.
She ate with Qi Yanzhou.
The spicy and spicy soup from the north is a bit numbing in the mouth, so she put down the spoon after eating half a bowl.
I ate three buns.
Qi Yanzhou ate all the spicy soup that Ye Chutang hadn't finished.
"Ah Tang, I'm going out for a while. If you want to eat something, I'll buy it for you."
"Give us some preserved fruits, cakes and dried fruits, and let's share them together."
"Okay, if you don't want to rest, go to the backyard of the inn. There is a wintersweet tree in full bloom. I'll be back soon."
After Qi Yanzhou finished speaking, he took the plate and left.
Seeing that there was not much silver charcoal left in the charcoal basin, Ye Chutang added two more pieces.
She went to the window and pushed open the window that was blocked by snow.
The outside was covered in snow, and everything was white.
The snow on the roof was already as high as my forearm and was still slowly piling up.
She was a little worried that the snow was too heavy and would collapse the roof.
You know, snow disasters are much more serious than droughts and floods. If the roof collapses and there is nowhere to stand, many people will freeze to death!
The blizzard continued and the north wind was howling.
Although the intensity is smaller than yesterday, it is still heavy snow falling.
And judging from the situation, it won’t stop any time soon.
The cold wind blew in through the window, and Ye Chutang's hands became cold, so he immediately closed the window.
She was bored in her room and went downstairs to the backyard of the inn.
It was exactly as Qi Yanzhou said.
There is a wintersweet in the backyard.
The trees were huge and covered with snow, with scattered yellow flowers scattered about, the air filled with fragrance.
The shopkeeper saw Ye Chutang admiring the wintersweet and said, "If you like it, you can pick one and put it in your room. If you feed it with water, it will smell fragrant for several days!"
Ye Chutang didn't like the strong smell in the room, so after thanking him, he picked a few flowers.
She didn't want to take the wintersweet back to use as incense, but to make wintersweet tea.
When I returned to the front lobby, Xia Shu and Qi Shuyan were already seated.
"Brother, Miss Xia, have you had breakfast?"
The two shook their heads.
Qi Shuyan glanced at the hourglass in the corner and said, "It's almost noon, so just eat more lunch later."
After that, he asked, "When did your sister-in-law and Azhou get up? Have they had breakfast? It's okay for us to be hungry for a while, but you're pregnant, you can't go hungry."
Ye Chutang sat down at the table where they were sitting and threw the wintersweets soaked in snow water into the kettle.
"Don't worry, bro. Ah Zhou and I have already eaten."
"Sister-in-law, why are you alone? Where's Azhou?"
"Azhou went out to buy food and will be back soon."
Qi Shuyan looked at the heavy curtain at the door, his brows slightly furrowed.
"It's snowing so heavily, the roads haven't been cleared of snow, and few shops are open. What can he buy?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Shu nudged Qi Shuyan with her elbow.
"Buy whatever you can, as long as it's what Miss Ye likes to eat."
Only then did Qi Shuyan realize that he had said the wrong thing.
"Sister-in-law, I'm a quick-witted person and I don't think before I speak. Please don't mind me."
He still hasn't adapted to the fact that his younger brother is married and he puts his younger brother's wife first in everything.
Ye Chutang smiled indifferently.
"Brother, you don't have to apologize. This weather is really not suitable for going out."
After saying that, she asked Xia Shu who was drinking wintersweet tea.
"Miss Xia, will this snowstorm stop the day after tomorrow? Will there be a snowstorm?"
Hearing this, Xia Shu's eyes were filled with worry.
"If the blizzard continues for another day with its current intensity, there will definitely be a snowstorm."
"You know what the locals know, why don't they clean the snow off their roofs in time?"
Qi Shuyan answered for Xia Shu.
"The wind and snow are too strong. People will lose temperature if they stay outside for too long. Besides, the adobe roof here is slanted. In winter, it will freeze due to burning charcoal for heating. It will become extremely slippery and people will not be able to stand."
After Ye Chutang entered Wuchuan County, he realized that the houses here were built on high platforms.
The interior is built from poplar trees, and then a thick layer of walls is made using mud, wood fiber and rice paste.
The windows are small to allow for insulation and warmth.
The common people’s activity space is generally the inner courtyard and the roof.
Normally, the roof should be flat so that it can be used to dry clothes and chat in winter.
But the roof here has been changed to a slope, but the slope is not very large.
In winter, charcoal is burned to keep warm. The heat rises, penetrates the poplar trees and the soil, and melts the frost that falls every night.
But because the temperature outside was too low, the water vapor condensed into ice before it could evaporate.
As time goes by, the ice becomes thicker.
Although the slope was not steep, the ice was too slippery to go up to the roof to shovel snow.
After all, there were no crampons or telescopic snow shovels to shovel snow off roofs in ancient times.
After Ye Chutang understood the situation, he asked the shopkeeper for two pieces of paper and drew two pictures with charcoal.
Crampons and snow shovel.
She used crampons and drew in more detail.
She had only seen a snow shovel on TV, so she could only draw a rough sketch based on her impression.
She explained the functions of the two tools.
"This crampon is easy to make, but a snow shovel is not. Let's ask a blacksmith to try."
Xia Shu looked at the two pictures on the table and her eyes widened.
"Miss Ye is really amazing, is there anything you can't do?"
Qi Shuyan also wanted to ask this question.
How can someone know everything!
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "My master is amazing and taught me a lot."
Qi Shuyan asked curiously, "Can I ask my sister-in-law who your master is?"
"The hermit is a great man, and cannot be spoken of."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Yanzhou pushed open the thick curtain at the door and walked in covered in snow.
Ye Chutang immediately stood up and brushed the snow off his body to prevent it from melting and getting his clothes wet.
Qi Yanzhou quickly dodged.
"Liang, don't touch me, I can do it myself."
He put the things he bought on the table, went out to clear the snow, and then came back.
Qi Shuyan never thought that his brother, who was only good at wielding swords and guns, would become so considerate and tender after getting married.
He raised his eyebrows and said teasingly, "Steel tempered a hundred times becomes soft as silk, so this is what it means."
Qi Yanzhou raised his eyebrows, "Brother, stop laughing at others when you are only 50 steps away!"
After saying that, he opened a bag of preserved fruits and handed it to Ye Chutang.
"These are the dried apricots you like."
Then he pointed to the things on the table and introduced them one by one.
"Miss Xia, take whatever you like. You're welcome."
Just as Xia Shu was about to decline, Qi Shuyan took out a bag of cashews and handed it to her.
"Eat it, and I'll buy more after you finish eating."
After Qi Shuyan finished speaking, he stood up with two drawings in his hand.
"Azhou, come with me to the blacksmith shop and we'll be back before lunch."
Qi Yanzhou had already seen the drawings on the table, and he had deliberately avoided them when he put things there before.
"What are these two things drawn on the paper?"
"We'll talk as we walk."
Not long after the two brothers left, Qi Qingyu and Qi Jingyao came downstairs carrying the child.
Ye Chutang asked quickly, "Eldest sister, Xiu'er and Zhi'er were exposed to the cold wind yesterday. They didn't have a fever at night, right?"
"No, the National Defense Army protected them very well, and there was not a single cold wind blowing at all."
Qi Qingyu said this and sat down at the table holding the child.
"It's just that the carriage was running too fast yesterday, and it was shaking violently. The two children vomited a lot, and they don't have much energy today."
Ye Chutang picked up an apple from the table and called the waiter.
"Take this and steam it in a pot. After it's cooked, put it in a bowl with a spoon."
The waiter took the apple with a confused look on his face and nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
After the waiter left, Ye Chutang explained to Qi Qingyu: "Steamed apples are soft, sour and sweet, and are very suitable for children's appetite."
Qi Qingyu's face showed surprise, "I didn't expect there is such a way to eat apples."
It was also the first time for Xia Shu to know that cooked apples could be eaten in this way.
She smiled and said, "I also steam apples in my hometown, but we don't eat them directly. We slice them and make preserved fruits."
Several women were chatting.
After a while, the waiter came with steamed apples.
It didn’t look good, but the two children loved it and ate one bite after another.
After eating the steamed apples, they also drank some porridge.
Seeing that the children were in high spirits, Qi Qingyu took them to the backyard to play in the snow.
When lunch was ready, the two brothers of the Qi family came back on time.
Qi Yanzhou sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
Holding the teacup in my palm, I feel warmth.
"The owner of the blacksmith shop said that crampons can be made, but the snow shovel can only be made with the best of one's ability."
In fact, as long as you have crampons, you can reduce the risk of snow disasters.
The temperature outside is low, so just let a few people take turns shoveling snow.
That afternoon.
The owner of the blacksmith shop started selling crampons.
He doesn't do it for the money, the prices are affordable, and every household comes to buy from him.
When Ye Chutang woke up from his lunch break, he saw people shoveling snow on many roofs.
Although the snowstorm is still fierce, every bit of snow shoveled away provides more protection for the roof.
And her merit points slowly increased as the people shoveled snow.
Two days later.
The blizzard turned into fine snowflakes.
The blacksmith shop also successfully made a snow shovel, but due to its high cost, not many people bought it.
Qi Yanzhou immediately called over the Saker Falcon and asked it to deliver a message to the garrison commander of Tianshan County, Khar Khan, and the prefect Xiao He.
Haidongqing was fast and he received replies from the two people in more than three hours.
"As long as there is no more snowstorm, we will be able to set off from Wuchuan County in about three days."
The garrisons are generally stationed in four directions: east, west, south and north.
But the further northwest you go, the larger the states and counties become.
The garrisons were divided into eight locations.
After receiving the letter, Khal Khan and Xiao He would immediately send pigeons to the garrisons and government offices in various places.
Clear the road along Wuchuan County towards Tianshan County.
The roads are slippery due to the snow, and the carriage cannot move fast, so it will probably be delayed on the road for some time.
But it will take at most half a month to reach Tianshan County!
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