Chapter 124: Eating Roasted Taro, the Final Decision...
Zhang Ting tilted her head slightly, her eyelids drooping and her eyelashes fluttering. She subconsciously raised her hand, which froze in mid-air for a moment before finally landing on Zong Suyi's trembling back. She didn't say anything, but her movements were as light as a feather, as if she were afraid of breaking him.
Looking up ahead, one sees a father and daughter reunited—what a touching scene!
Zhang Ting glanced at it indifferently, said nothing, and turned around with her husband, preparing to go home.
The child has been brought back. The sun isn't as scorching as it was a few days ago, so we should take advantage of the slightly lower temperature to continue our journey.
Furthermore, this place is close to Qishan County. Zhang Ting touched the long sword hanging at her waist. She really didn't like this place and only planned to pass through quickly.
"Honorable guest! Honorable guest, please wait here."
She paused, then turned around.
The man was disheveled and dressed in tattered clothes. His sallow, sorrowful face was streaked with tears. He held his daughter tightly in his arms. "Thank you so much for bringing Nannan back. Without this child, I don't know how I would survive." He put the child down and made her kneel before Zhang Ting.
"Nannan, quickly thank your benefactor."
Nan Nan had just finished crying, her eyes still wet with tears. She looked up at the strange aunt and stared blankly for a while before obediently kneeling down and kowtowing.
"Nannan, thank you so much, Auntie, for saving my life."
The other pale and thin women present also bowed to her.
Zhang Ting nodded silently, but just as she was about to turn around, Zong Suyi grabbed her clothes with a force that was neither too strong nor too weak. She looked back in surprise.
His eyes were slightly red and faintly bloodshot. He gave her a weak and pale smile. "My lady, I heard that they have taro. It is very delicious. Why don't we exchange some money or grain for it?" Deep in his eyes was a plea.
Zhang Ting's gaze lingered for a moment, then she exhaled softly through her nose, "Okay."
It's just distributing money to help ordinary people; it's nothing serious.
I bought a whole sack of taro for Zong Suyi. There are so many small taro of different sizes, enough for him to eat until the end of the year.
Clutching the gleaming silver in their hands, the refugees felt as if they were still immersed in an unbelievable illusion. They...they had money? Staring blankly at the silver in their hands, not much, but enough to last until they could rent a house in another state and find a new way to make a living.
These women, who were usually strong and resilient, all had tears in their eyes at this moment. Wiping away the tears that welled up in their eyes with one hand, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed to their benefactor, completely convinced of their benefactor's sincerity.
"We will never forget your help, and if... if we ever achieve success in the future, we will repay you with our life's gratitude," the woman said, her voice choked with emotion.
"I will never forget your great kindness!"
Zhang Ting said, "I don't need you to do anything, and I don't know what happened to you, but if you can get this money and start a new life with your heads held high, that would be the best way to repay me."
The woman in the lead stepped forward, her eyes red with admiration as she looked at her. "You are so kind and righteous, benefactor. If it weren't for your help," she said, glancing back at the other women who were with her. "We still have families to support, and we really don't know what we would do in the future."
The crowd behind her echoed her sentiments, saying they would definitely repay her in the future.
Zhang Ting shook her head, unconcerned. Just as she was about to say goodbye, her clothes were tugged at. Glancing down, she saw a pair of fleshy, dark hands clawing at her clothes, and bright, round, grape-like eyes.
Little Cotton grinned, beaming with joy. "Good auntie, how about Nan Nan treats you to roasted taro? Daddy's roasted taro is really, really delicious." She then looked at Zong Suyi beside her, covering her mouth and giggling, "And handsome brother too."
Although the meat has been eaten up, Father can still be healthy with money, because, because the adults say, money makes the world go round! So, wouldn't Father's recovery be a piece of cake?
Zong Suyi frowned, bent down slightly, and poked her forehead, correcting her, "Call me Uncle."
"Hehe, he's clearly the older brother."
"Call me uncle!" Zong Suyi stood with her hands on her hips, her eyebrows furrowed with anger, wishing she could pick up the child and give him a good beating.
Zhang Ting opened her mouth slightly, turned her head and saw that everyone else was looking at her sincerely.
Her slightly parted lips closed, but ultimately remained.
On the way, Zong Suyi walked ahead and bickered with Xiao Heiwa, arguing quite happily.
Zhang Ting and the others walked behind, chatting idly. Despite the peace in the country, a large number of refugees had appeared, and the conversation inevitably turned to the reasons for their exile.
Only then did they learn that they were ordinary people from Qishan County, Yinzhou Prefecture, who had been forced to leave their homes by officials and local gentry, and that many other prefectures and counties had been persecuted to the point of losing their families and lives.
Zhang Ting expressed her deep regret and offered a few words of comfort.
She thought to herself: Has Magistrate Hu become incredibly wealthy after all that extortion? Three years have passed, and he's really impressed her.
The refugees were just beginning their exile; their clothes were tattered, but they were still relatively clean.
Zhang Ting threw a few taro roots into the pit, set it on fire, and buried it. A little while later, Nan Nan's mother came out of the mountain. After learning what had happened, she was terrified and rushed over to thank her.
The taro was small and cooked quickly. As Zhang Ting scooped out a few and placed them in front of Zong Suyi, he replied casually, "It was nothing, nothing to mention."
Zong Suyi stared at the pitch-black taro, then at her own clean, fair hands, and froze, unsure of where to begin.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he turned his head to her, clutching his stomach, and said, "My lady, the baby is hungry and wants to eat taro." As he spoke, he licked his lips and swallowed hard, smelling the aroma of roasted taro.
Its big eyes blinked pitifully, like a cat wagging its tail and begging for mercy, making people feel sorry for it.
Zhang Ting sighed softly, then pulled the taro out in front of her and resignedly peeled it for him to eat.
He's a pregnant man.
Seeing that the two seemed to love taro, they wrapped their own roasted taro in banana leaves and brought it over, saying, "My benefactors, this is worthless. Take it if you like."
Zong Suyi was happily munching on a roasted taro when she heard this, and her eyes lit up immediately. "Great! Great!"
Zhang Ting glanced at him expressionlessly and politely declined.
Taro is easy to cause indigestion, so how can he eat too much of it?
The man could only regretfully take back what he was holding and leave sheepishly.
Zong Suyi pouted and continued to gnaw on the taro, but this time she gnawed with extra force, as if she wanted to chew someone up and swallow them.
Zhang Ting poked at the fire helplessly, thinking, "What a fool."
Let him run wild for a few months.
Nan Nan stayed close to them, intently eating taro, so delicious that she almost wanted to swallow her tongue.
The rabbit at noon was delicious, and the taro in my hand was delicious too. When Nannan grows up, she wants to eat it every day, at every meal.
I love my weird aunt and handsome brother so much. I'm so lucky today!
"Where did Auntie go?" She had a lot of taro stuck to her face as she ate and asked, "Do you want to wander around with Nan Nan?" Her tone was full of anticipation.
With my auntie around, we can eat meat and taro every day, hehe.
The child's little thoughts couldn't escape Zhang Ting's discerning eye. She raised an eyebrow and refused decisively: "I'm not going."
Nan Nan's bright eyes instantly dimmed. She held the taro and pouted, the meat that was about to be eaten flying away.
Zong Suyi watched the commotion from the sidelines, covering her mouth and laughing.
Nan Nan was not giving up. She ran over with her short legs and sat next to Zhang Ting, her words laced with flattery, "Where is Auntie going? Tell Nan Nan."
"We're going to a very, very far place, so far that even if her little coal legs break, she still won't get there," Zhang Ting threatened, pointing at her short legs.
Nan Nan was so frightened that she quickly hugged her legs, her face full of horror. "Nan Nan won't go. Nan Nan's legs are still used for walking. They can't be broken."
The child's innocent words made Zhang Ting smile quietly.
Looking back at Zong Suyi, the tenderness in her eyes almost overflowed. The two, one big and one small, really looked alike.
The women around laughed when they heard this, but they were more concerned about where Zhang Ting had gone.
Her benefactor was kind and generous; surely the place she went to must be quite good as well?
They gathered together and discussed it carefully before the woman in the lead reluctantly came over to inquire about her benefactor's whereabouts.
At this time of year, without any holidays or festivals, they are running around with their families under the scorching sun. I suppose their benefactor is also seeking refuge.
"Are you going to follow me?" Zhang Ting also ate two taro, wiped his mouth, and used dirt to extinguish the fire, so as to prevent it from starting a wildfire later.
The others, fearing that going alone would make them seem insincere, also knelt down and begged, "Please take us with you, our benefactor. We can take care of our own food and lodging along the way, and we certainly won't trouble you."
"Yes, yes, once we're settled in, we'll be there to repay you."
Zhang Ting dusted herself off and stood up, hands on her hips. "I'm going to take up a post in Fengxian County, Zhangzhou Prefecture. You—" She paused to think, "Zhangzhou Prefecture is located in a remote border region and has just experienced a drought, making farming difficult and the economy underdeveloped. If you come with me to Fengxian County, it will be far worse for you than if you go elsewhere to make a living."
They wept bitterly, kowtowing to their benefactor once more, desperately grasping at the last straw, pleading, "Benefactor, please, let us go with you! As long as we're with you, we're not afraid of any hardship or toil!"
Aren't they all being sucked dry by corrupt officials everywhere? Some even go so far as to drain them of their very bones and flesh and still not feel satisfied.
People as kind and benevolent as our benefactor are few and far between. If we miss this opportunity, we'll never have another chance. Not to mention that she's going to take up a post in Fengxian County. If we follow her, we'll have a powerful backer and won't have to worry about being exploited to death.
They must seize this excellent opportunity.
"My benefactor, please!"
"Please accept us; we won't cause you any trouble."
"I'm good at finding food, so please take care of all your food needs along the way, my benefactor!"
"I'm strong, so I'll fetch water for my benefactor and wash his horse!"
"I have no special skills, but I know a little about sewing. If your clothes are torn, please give them to me."
“My benefactor! My cooking skills are somewhat renowned in the village, and I am also very good at saving oil and salt. If you don’t mind, please let me do the cooking!”
Dozens of people stared expectantly at Zhang Ting, their hearts pounding in their throats as they watched her every move.
Nan Nan nestled in her father's arms, a sense of hope welling up in her heart.
A struggle flashed across Zong Suyi's eyes, her brows were almost furrowed, and she turned her face away with her lips half-pursed.
These refugees claim they are very useful to the mistress, but in reality, they still rely on her for large sums of money and her influence to survive. Meanwhile, the mistress can hire many cheap and useful servants with just a small amount of money. So who is really benefiting more?
But putting aside the fact that bandits are in power, these refugees have no money, no power, and no land. No matter where they flee, they will only face certain death.
Zong Suyi composed himself, turned his head to gaze intently at Zhang Ting, his heart tightened, and his hands involuntarily clenched together. He couldn't explain what he wanted, and simply waited quietly for the final result.
Will the wife refuse?
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