Boss Mu had no relatives who were kidnapped; he stayed here solely out of a sense of duty.
Because he ran a shop in Broken Gold Town, which was robbed of everything that time, along with the two shop assistants who were guarding the shop, he stayed there like a demon, saying that he had let down the parents of the shop and that he had to wait for them to come back.
Song Liyun sighed.
Everyone knows that those who take the grasslands are unlikely to return.
On the vast grasslands, with its various tribes moving about, even finding a missing person is difficult, let alone escaping.
She still has family members who care about her.
Many more, like Han Ming, came here alone with unknown identities, probably without even leaving a name, and their families far away knew nothing about them.
As the two were talking, the courtyard gate was knocked open again.
Aunt Ma came out to greet them and quickly went inside, saying, "Third daughter-in-law, this is your third trip. Do you want to lose your hands?"
As the voices were heard, Aunt Ma led the person in. Song Liyun looked up and saw a thin woman carrying a large cloth bag.
Her thin, light pink padded jacket had faded from washing, and she wore patched single-layer shoes. Her headscarf was loose, revealing her hair, which, though withered and yellow, was still neatly tied up.
When the woman saw Song Liyun, she was slightly taken aback. She instinctively bent her knees slightly and forced a smile, saying, "Hello, Miss Song!"
Song Liyun smiled and said, "Auntie Sanchong!"
Upon hearing Song Liyun's address, the woman's face darkened, and she lowered her head to hand the cloth bag she was carrying to Aunt Ma: "Sister Ma, these are five pieces of clothing. I have already mended the parts that needed mending."
Unlike other women who handed over their clothes, Aunt Ma didn't open the bundle to look at it; she simply placed it aside.
After rummaging through the cabinet for a while, he took out a small seashell, only slightly larger than his thumb, and placed it in the woman's hand: "These are the clam shells I used to burn, and I used the best roe deer oil. There's still a little left."
"Take it home and soak your hands in hot water first, then apply oil. Ugh! It'll spoil if it stays frozen any longer."
The woman pulled her swollen, festering hands back into her sleeves, still refusing to accept them.
Aunt Ma said angrily, "You still keep saying you're waiting for Little Stone to come back. How many more winters can you endure like this? Here, take it! There's really only a little left."
As she spoke, Aunt Ma opened the clam shell, and sure enough, there was only a thin layer of oil left inside.
The woman then accepted the clothes, took a few more pieces, and left.
Aunt Ma lost her appetite for conversation and focused solely on cutting cloth. Song Liyun then put the box of frostbite balm that had slipped from her hand back into her spatial storage.
That "Auntie Sanchong" almost refused to accept even the ointment stuck to the clam shell, so she definitely wouldn't want the one I bought from Qili County.
"Aunt Ma, who was that aunt just now...?" Song Liyun was about to go back, but she stood up and asked again.
Han Ming rescued the woman from the snow not long ago. He only said that she was Jin Sanzhong's wife, and then hesitated and said he didn't know anything else.
Aunt Ma should know more.
Aunt Ma smoothed the stitches on her arm and sighed, "They're all unfortunate people. Jin Sanzhong saved her, but he didn't take good care of her."
This woman has been the sole caregiver at home all these years.
Now, even in the dead of winter, I can't bear to use hot water when washing clothes; my hands are completely frostbitten.
No firewood?
Song Liyun thought of the woman lying in the snow that day, with a small bundle of thin branches beside her, and her eyes gradually narrowed: If she had killed Jin Sanchong back then, would this woman have been better off?
Judging from the woman's unwillingness to accept help from others, she must be a strong-willed person who has her own ideas about life.
Xue Zhuang, who went out to sell vegetables, returned in the evening. As soon as he got back to town, he went straight to Baolinju and knocked loudly on the gate.
Han Ming opened the door a crack, peeked out and saw it was him, and asked, "Military Commander Xue, what's the matter?" He asked the question but didn't open the door.
He had already received instructions from the Song siblings that no unauthorized persons were allowed to enter Baolin Residence, and Zhou Xiaoqi and his group could only stay in the front yard at most.
The backyard was a key protected area, and apart from his own family, even Han Ming himself rarely went there.
Now, Xue Zhuanglai can't even get through the outermost gate of Baolin Residence.
Seeing that he wouldn't move aside, Xue Zhuang glared at him and scolded, "Who taught you such manners? You don't even know to invite guests in!"
Han Ming chuckled sheepishly: "Neither of the two big bosses are here. The young master is playing in the mud in the yard. Even though Xue Junhu insisted on coming in, only the young master is here to have tea with you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Xue Zhuang heard him talking about the big boss and the little boss, and the little boss was playing in the mud and making a big mess.
Unable to contain his impatience, he blurted out angrily, "You mean Song Zhenping and Song Liyun aren't here?"
Han Ming nodded: "Yes, they're all gone."
"Where are they?" Xue Zhuang had no intention of entering the courtyard; he just wanted to find the Song siblings.
"I don't know!" Han Ming added, "I'm a servant, I can't inquire about my master's whereabouts!"
"Hmph! Then tell them to prepare plenty of vegetables tomorrow morning, at least a hundred catties, and send them to the garrison early. Why are you sleeping in so late at such a young age?" Xue Zhuang stepped back.
Han Ming nodded, said okay, and immediately closed the door, his movements so quick that it seemed as if someone would sneak in if he hesitated any longer.
Xue Zhuang watched as the crooked wooden door slammed shut in front of him. He was so angry that he almost kicked it, but he held back and obediently turned around and went back to town.
He can't run wild here.
Although he was turned away at Baolinju, it did not dampen his spirits. On the way back to town, Xue Zhuang was extremely excited.
Today he delivered two baskets of vegetables to Qili County, but instead of going to Tianxianglou immediately, he placed them on the street first.
The others who went with him split up and went to check out the prices at several other well-known restaurants in Qili County.
I was shocked to find out that grain prices have gone up again these past few days.
The price of wheat flour rose to fifteen coins per pound, and people lined up to buy grain on every street.
Many people looked at the fresh vegetables he displayed, praising their quality, but no one dared to inquire about the price.
Those who went to the restaurants to inquire about prices also received answers: the first restaurant offered thirty coins, and the second restaurant offered fifty coins.
In the end, Tianxianglou acquired it for eighty coins.
When others asked if it came from Suijin Town, they demanded exclusive sales rights.
Xue Zhuang was very satisfied with the price. The profits from the garrison and his share were split 70/30, with the garrison receiving 70% and him 30%.
This trip yielded 50 catties of vegetables and sold for four taels of silver. After dividing the proceeds with the garrison, he still had one tael and two mace left.
After deducting the travel expenses to the city, he would give the errand boy one or two hundred coins, and in the end, eight hundred coins would still end up in his pocket.
Running a restaurant or tavern in Suijin Town, busy and noisy all day, only earns a little over a hundred coins. But now, it's eight hundred coins a day.
If the Song family could produce more vegetables and sell a hundred catties a day, he would earn two taels of silver... Just thinking about it made Xue Zhuang's heart leap out of his chest.
When he got home, his wife Xu Yan'er was already waiting anxiously.
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