Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The Best Reward
Yu Li stayed in Yuqing County for a few more days.
She stayed in the other courtyard for the first three days, teaching the girls physical training.
Although it is only the basic entry-level physical technique, it is not easy to practice every step up to the standard. After all, this physical technique is designed for new humans and meets the physical fitness requirements of new humans.
The people in this world just have ordinary physiques, and it is really difficult to train well.
The more correct the posture, the more painful it will be for them.
It feels like twisting all the muscles and bones in the body. Only a person with great willpower would be unable to endure such hardship, bear such pain, and even persist.
The girls couldn't help crying.
But they all practiced while crying, and no one said they wanted to give up.
Although they still had injuries on their bodies, none of them cared about them. None of them was willing to rest. They would rather be in excruciating pain than stay in the house and think about random things.
After this incident, these girls can no longer be autistic and numb. They only think about how to practice physical skills every day, and then have a good cry during the practice.
By the third day, their mental states seemed to be much better. They were no longer empty, numb, and lifeless.
When Xuan Huaiqing and Boss Tu came over, they were also very surprised to see their current appearance.
They had rescued some girls in distress from bandit camps before, but without exception, they had to go through a long period of suffering before they could get out of it. Some of them even couldn't get out of it and chose to commit suicide when no one was paying attention.
This is very sad, it is not their fault that they encounter these things.
But even if someone told them this, they still couldn't get out of it.
Xuan Huaiqing and Tu Lao Da were also worried about the dozen girls who were rescued this time. Fearing that this would cause them to dislike them, the two tried not to appear in the villa and asked the guards to stay in the front yard only and not to hang around them.
When Xuan Huaiqing, Boss Tu, and County Magistrate Shen arrived, the girls had just finished their practice.
They were covered in sweat, and their faces had traces of bruises and swelling, but the expressions on their faces were no longer numb, but had a strange look on them, as if they finally had expectations for their future life.
Several people stood at a distance and watched, not approaching rashly.
It was Yu Li who discovered them. He turned around and said something to the girls. Then they discussed it and followed Yu Li to thank him for his help.
Although it was Yu Li who rescued them from the bandit camp, if County Magistrate Shen had not asked her to suppress the bandits, they would not have been able to escape from there so easily. He even allocated this villa for them to temporarily reside and recuperate, so she still had to accept this favor.
Seeing them bowing and thanking him respectfully, County Magistrate Shen felt a little uncomfortable.
He quickly said, "You don't have to be polite. I didn't do anything." Then he added, "You can stay here for the time being. When your injuries are healed, you can..."
He looked at the girls, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Xuan Huaiqing knew at a glance that this person was not good at this kind of thing, so he pushed him aside and said to them: "Miss Yu has already told us about your family situation. You can go home or stay in the future. If you want to stay, I have a manor over there, just over the city. There are many girls in the manor. You can go there to work and keep them company..."
Although he did not say anything explicitly, just the sentence "There are quite a few girls in the village" made Shanniang and the others understand that the experiences of those girls should be similar to theirs.
They are all poor people who cannot go home.
They couldn't help but look at Yu Li.
Yu Li blinked and said, "I have rescued a few girls in the gambling house before. They didn't want to go home, so they went to Master Xuan's manor." After thinking for a while, he added, "I will go to see them when I have time in the future."
It just so happens that the provincial examination is in April, and she is going to send Fu Wenxiao to the provincial capital, so she can go over and take a look.
With Yu Li's words, the girls immediately felt relieved.
It’s not that they don’t trust Xuan Huaiqing, but they have experienced too much pain and are too wary of this world. They can no longer easily give their trust, except for Yu Li.
Xuan Huaiqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was a good decision to ask Yu Li to suppress the bandits.
Not only could she easily wipe out an entire bandit camp by herself, she could also comfort these suffering girls, making her particularly worry-free.
County Magistrate Shen also felt relieved.
Throughout history, the most difficult part in suppressing bandits is actually to relocate the victims. He is also afraid that these girls might become depressed and do something stupid when no one is paying attention, which would be really heartbreaking.
It seems that they won't do anything stupid now, and everything will be fine in the future.
County Magistrate Shen came here today, not only to check on the girls, but also to give Yu Li a reward.
The agreed five hundred taels was not a penny less. He said gratefully, "Miss Yu, this time thanks to you, we have interrogated the bandits in Yanzi Mountain and found that none of them escaped, nor did we let them go out to inform others. This time the suppression of bandits was very successful."
Silver mines are of great importance, and the fewer people who know about them, the better.
If they followed the normal procedures to suppress the bandits, they would not be able to catch all of them. There would definitely be some who slipped through the net, especially since there was a secret passage in the bandit camp. As long as the bandits felt something was wrong, they would go straight into the secret passage. By the time they found out and chased after them, they would have already run away.
Hearing this, Xuan Huaiqing and Boss Tu couldn't help but look at Yu Li.
The bandits didn't dare to run away at the time, for fear that they might be frightened out of the house by the landslide, and then be killed before they could react.
The trick is not new, as long as it works. As long as the bandits live in the mountains, there will be more and more such incidents in the future.
In the dead of night, who could tell whether the landslide was a natural disaster or a man-made one? When they heard the noise, they would quickly run out of the house and would not dare to run around.
Yu Li received a reward of 500 taels of silver, which was issued in the form of five silver notes, each worth 100 taels.
"You're welcome." At this moment, she looked at County Magistrate Shen with a friendly look and said, "If there is such a thing again in the future, you can always call me."
As long as the reward is in place, it's fine.
County Magistrate Shen didn't understand what she meant, and was very moved and said, "Miss Yu, you are a righteous man with the world in your heart. I have reported this matter to the governor."
Yu Li said "oh" and didn't take it seriously.
Xuan Huaiqing and Boss Tu were very happy. The last time they suppressed the bandits in Qingya Mountain, it happened too suddenly and the government had no reaction at all. In addition, they did not want to expose Yu Li's existence to avoid bringing danger to Yu Li's family and friends. So when they reported to the governor, they blurred her identity and only said that she was a righteous woman.
For this bandit suppression campaign, the government specially invited her here, and she had made sufficient preparations. She could explain the matter in more detail to the Lord of the Mansion, and after two meritorious deeds in suppressing bandits, the Lord of the Mansion would definitely give her some expression.
County Magistrate Shen was busy with other things and left soon.
Yu Li called Xuan Huaiqing and Tu Lao Da, took out a hundred taels of silver and gave them to them, saying, "Master Xuan, divide this hundred taels among the guards."
Originally, Xuan Huaiqing led people to suppress the bandits. According to normal procedures, the reward money was divided among everyone.
Although they didn't do anything in the end, they did help run errands. Yu Li felt that he couldn't just do nothing in return, so he decided to give them some of the 100 taels.
After understanding what she meant, Xuan Huaiqing was a little amused and pushed the banknote back, "Miss Yu, there is no need to be like this. They came here and naturally received a reward. I will not treat them unfairly."
Boss Tu also said: "Master Xuan is right, you should keep the money yourself, Li Niang."
Yu Li looked at them, and seeing that they didn't accept it, he didn't insist.
When she returned to the backyard and saw the girls, she took out three hundred taels and gave them to Shanniang, saying, "Shanniang, keep this money and use it to settle down."
Shan Niang was a little stunned and pushed it back subconsciously, "No need..."
"Keep it." Yu Li would not allow any refusal. "After you recover from your injuries, whether you go home or stay, you will need the money."
If you have money in your hands, you won’t be in a hurry to do things.
It was not their fault that they encountered these things. Yu Li gave them money to settle down, hoping that they would have some money in their hands so that they would feel more confident.
Although she didn't say it, it doesn't mean that she didn't know the many restrictions that this world imposes on women.
Especially for women who have experienced such things, their reputation is damaged in the eyes of the world. Some people even think that it is better for them to die than to live. They are afraid that some pedantic people will force them to die for the so-called reputation.
In Yu Li's eyes, nothing matters more than life and death, and human life is the most precious. She doesn't want them to encounter those things, so she always has to leave them a way out, and money is the way out for them.
Shan Niang looked at her in a daze, and finally accepted the money.
"Thank you..." she choked up, "We really don't know how to repay you..."
Yu Li patted her shoulder and said, "You're welcome. Living well is the best reward for me."
Shanniang was speechless.
The other girls stood at the door, looking at her silently, with tears in their eyes.
They have experienced those unbearable things, and in the eyes of the world, they are already broken flowers and withered willows, and it is a shame for them to live.
But now someone told them that their being alive was the best reward for her, and she didn't need their gratitude, as long as they lived well.
Then Yu Li told them that she would leave the day after tomorrow.
"Where...are you going?" Shan Niang asked hesitantly.
Yu Li smiled and said, "I'm from Shanping County. Someone is waiting for me at home. I've been out for several days. I have to go back, otherwise they will be worried."
Shan Niang felt a little reluctant, but she also understood that she had to go home eventually and couldn't stay with them forever.
The other girls came in and bowed to Yu Li silently.
They didn't know how to repay her or thank her. They had nothing now, so it was all empty talk to repay her. They could only do as she said, and try their best to survive and practice the physical skills she taught them, hoping to help her in the future.
**
Xuan Huaiqing and the others soon found out that Yu Li gave three hundred taels of the reward money to those girls.
He was stunned for a long time, then turned to Boss Tu and said, "Uncle Tu, didn't Shen Jiaxue give too little reward? If something like this happens next time, we need to ask them to give more reward."
Boss Tu laughed and said, "Master Xuan is right! But the reward money was paid out of County Magistrate Shen's own pocket, not from the government's public account. Generally, the reward money for suppressing bandits is not that much."
Unless the imperial court orders the army to suppress the bandits, a portion of the proceeds obtained from the suppression will be tacitly used to reward the soldiers under them.
There were a lot of things found in the Yanzishan bandit camp this time, but because it involved the silver mine, all the seized property had to be packed in boxes and sent to the city for review by the governor.
It's impossible to steal something from it.
Xuan Huaiqing thought about it and felt that it was true, and couldn't help but sigh.
He suddenly felt that he had asked Yu Li to suppress the bandits, and the agreed five hundred taels were given to her, but in the end she only got two hundred taels. He felt inexplicably guilty.
If he gave her another three hundred taels, he felt that she might not accept it, and it would be awkward.
County Magistrate Shen made time to look for Xuan Huaiqing. Upon hearing this, he interrupted and said, "This Miss Yu is a very principled person." Then he asked, "General Xuan, where did you find such a talented person? She seems much more reliable than the imperial teacher in the capital."
I heard that the national teacher at that time was also a talented person. He was invited out of seclusion by the saint and then named as the national teacher.
These young people didn't have any feelings towards the National Master. Over the years, the National Master had been living in seclusion. He said he wanted to refine elixirs for the saint, but no one knew whether he had really succeeded.
Xuan Huaiqing sneered, "National Master? How can he compare to Miss Yu?"
This sounded extremely treasonous. It showed not the slightest respect for the Imperial Master, but rather contempt.
County Magistrate Shen hurriedly said, "My little general, don't say this outside!" He whispered, "You left the capital when you were ten years old, but you didn't know how powerful the imperial teacher is. Although he rarely shows up, if he shows some favor to any prince, it would be a big deal..."
Thinking of something, he narrowed his eyes slightly, "Do you still remember Master Fu of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion? Fu Xiao was such a brilliant man, but in the end, he still..."
Xuan Huaiqing's face suddenly darkened, and he took a deep breath, "I'm far away in the South, am I afraid that he will hear me? If the Imperial Master really has such a profound ability and can hear what I say from far away in the South, then I have nothing to say."
The expression on County Magistrate Shen's face faded a little, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Anyone who pays close attention can realize that the current situation in the capital is very bad. Since the news of the death of the Prince of Zhenguo was announced four years ago, it seems that many things have changed.
He came to Yuqing County to serve as the county magistrate, and was specially sent here by his family.
No matter what, the South is far away from the capital, so even if there is any turmoil in the capital, it will not affect this side.
**
The day before returning, Yu Li went to Yuqing County specifically to buy some things to bring back.
It's a rare opportunity to come here, so you must have a good meal, walk around and have a look.
It took Yu Li most of the day to finish touring Yuqing County.
She discovered that Yuqing County was smaller than Shanping County, and even the dock was shabby, with not many merchant ships and cargo ships coming here. No wonder County Magistrate Shen wanted to rebuild the dock and attract some merchant ships and cargo ships to develop the economy of Yuqing County.
Yuqing County has some good specialties, for example, a kind of rice cake made in the county town is quite delicious. The rice is ground into powder and then made into cakes. This cake can be baked, fried, or cut into strips or pieces and made into soup noodles or something, and topped with toppings, which is particularly delicious.
Yu Li couldn't help but bought a big bag of rice cakes made in the store.
These rice cakes are baked dry and hard, and can be kept for two months without going bad. If you want to eat them, just soak them until softened, and then you can fry, boil, or deep-fry them.
Upon learning that Yu Li was about to leave, County Magistrate Shen asked his wife to send a note to Yu Li, inviting her to be his guest.
Yu Li was not very interested in this kind of banquet, but he went there for the sake of the 500 taels of silver reward from County Magistrate Shen.
When Xuan Huaiqing learned about it, he also came along.
Magistrate Shen’s wife was from the capital, the daughter of a wealthy family.
She and her husband grew up together as childhood sweethearts and had a very good relationship. She did not want to be separated from her husband, so she followed him to the south to take up his post.
Along the way, she had suffered a lot and seen many suffering people. She used to have the temper of a rich lady, but now she has become much more stable.
Ever since she heard from her husband about what Yu Li had done, she couldn't help but feel curious.
But she didn't expect that not only Yu Li came, but also General Xuan came.
Looking at General Xuan's expression, those who didn't know the truth might think that he was afraid that the county magistrate's wife would do something to the heroes who were suppressing the bandits, so he came here specially to calm the situation.
Xuan Huaiqing was not shy at all and said to Madam Shen, "I heard that Madam Shen's cook was brought from the capital and can cook very well. Do you mind if I come and have a meal with you?"
Mrs. Shen covered her mouth and smiled, showing the dignified demeanor of a lady from a noble family.
"Don't mind. It's my honor that the young general has come to my office." Then he turned to Yu Li and said, "Miss Yu, please don't be shy."
Yu Li was indeed not at all restrained. When he heard Xuan Huaiqing say that the Shen family's chef was from the capital, he suddenly became full of anticipation for the meal.
Madam Shen entertained Yu Li while secretly observing her.
This was a girl she had never met before. She was not like the rich ladies in the capital, whose every move was in accordance with rules and etiquette; nor was she like the ordinary women in the market who were struggling to make a living. It was really hard to describe what she was like.
But there is no doubt that this girl is very beautiful. When she doesn't smile, she is cold and lonely, and it seems difficult to get close to her. But when you talk to her, she is unexpectedly well-behaved and easy to like.
Today's banquet is a private banquet. In addition, Xuan Huaiqing has a personal relationship with the Shen family, so there is no distinction between men's and women's seats. Everyone sits down to eat together.
At the banquet, County Magistrate Shen toasted Yu Li, thanking her for her help, and drank it in one gulp.
When Yu Li was about to offer a glass of wine in return, Xuan Huaiqing quickly said, "Miss Yu, you can't drink!"
When he came here earlier, Uncle Tu specifically reminded him not to let her drink alcohol, so as to avoid the same incident as last year's Mid-Autumn Festival. It would be bad if she didn't know where to run off after getting drunk.
Yu Li said "oh" and put down the wine obediently, drinking tea instead.
County Magistrate Shen and his wife looked at Yu Li, then at Xuan Huaiqing, and they were shocked. They remembered that Xuan Huaiqing was still unmarried...
Xuan Huaiqing saw their eyes and his heart skipped a beat. He then said, "I heard that Miss Yu's husband is the top scorer in the county exam in Shanping County this year. He is very talented. He will go to the prefectural city to take part in the prefectural exam next month. Miss Yu will also go to the prefectural city with him... Shen Jiaxue, if you also go to the prefectural city, maybe we can meet again."
County Magistrate Shen and his wife were really surprised when they heard this.
She's actually married? When they saw Xuan Huaiqing coming over, they thought he was...
The couple put aside their unnecessary thoughts and entertained Yu Li with all their heart.
The meal was a great success for both the host and the guests, and Yu Li was also very satisfied. He was indeed a chef from the capital, and the food he cooked had a unique flavor.
Yu Li was very happy to have some delicious food again, even though he was not full yet.
The next day, when Yu Li was about to leave, she didn't expect the Shen family to send someone to deliver some local specialties from Yuqing County for her to take back.
Hearing that it was just some food and not something expensive, Yu Li did not refuse.
She said to the servant of the Shen family who was delivering the gifts, "Please thank Magistrate Shen and Madam Shen for me, and I will accept these."
Boss Tu also went back with Yu Li this time.
The bandit suppression in Yuqing County went smoothly, and County Magistrate Shen was in charge of the aftermath, so he was not needed. Therefore, he had nothing to do and returned to Shanping County with Yu Li.
On the way back, Yu Li asked Boss Tu, "Uncle Tu, you have been staying in Shanping County. Is there anything here that needs your attention?"
Otherwise, he should have followed Xuan Huaiqing.
These days, she has figured out the relationship between Boss Tu and Xuan Huaiqing. Boss Tu works for the General's Mansion privately.
Boss Tu said in a deep voice: "Shanping County is too close to the Yi people's settlements. The other side of the mountain is also close to Nanzhao, Annan and other places. There are often spies sneaking in to investigate Daqing's situation. We have to be on guard."
Last year, Xuan Huaiqing almost got trapped in the mountains while trying to track down those spies.
Yu Li said "oh" and didn't think much about these things. As long as they didn't dance in front of her or make trouble in front of her, she wouldn't pay much attention to them.
They set out in the morning, and because they were not in a hurry, the passenger ship was not moving fast.
It was already late at night when we returned to Shanping County.
The two got off the boat and saw Yu Li carrying the things that the Shen family gave her, as well as things she bought herself. Boss Tu asked, "Mother Li, do you want me to give you a gift?"
"No need." Yu Li waved his hand, "Uncle Tu, go back and rest. I won't see you off."
Boss Tu: “…”
Well, sometimes he would always forget that she had the fighting power to wipe out even the bandits. Just looking at her appearance, such a pretty and slim girl, walking outside alone in the middle of the night, he would always be a little worried.
However, there are no gambling houses in Shanping County now, and there are fewer idle people hanging around outside at night, so it is not that dangerous.
After saying goodbye to Master Tu, Yu Li carried his things back to Shuying Lane.
When she returned to the house in Shuying Lane, she climbed over the wall without knocking.
After entering the house, she put her things in the hall in the front yard, then went to the back yard, preparing to go back to her room to find clothes to wash.
When she opened the door and entered the room, a vigilant voice sounded in the room, "Who is it?"
"It's me." Yu Li said.
"Li Niang?!" Fu Wenxiao exclaimed in surprise, quickly got up from the bed and went to light the oil lamp.
When he found out that she had really come back, he couldn't help but excitedly walked forward and hugged her.
Yu Li: “…”
Yu Li restrained herself from pushing him away, but just turned her face away. She could still smell his scent, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.
Recently, the fat beads used for washing at home have the scent of osmanthus, and everyone is smelling of osmanthus.
It’s just that the scent of osmanthus on this person is quite lingering, and I don’t know if his clothes are also permeated with this scent.
Fu Wenxiao just hugged her for a moment, then restrained himself and let go, smiling and saying, "Li Niang, I'm glad you're back." Then he pulled her to check, "Are you hurt?"
Yu Li said: "No."
She stood there patiently, waiting for him to finish checking, and then said, "Okay, I'm going to wash up, you can let me go."
If it weren't for the fact that he was still fragile and it was difficult to use force, I would have pushed him away when he hugged me.
Fu Wenxiao lowered his eyes to look at her, his dark jade eyes flashing with a gentle smile under the light.
He was a little embarrassed. "I'm just glad you're back."
Yu Li was calm and said, "Yeah, I know."
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