Chapter 35: When the old people's sandstorm came, the dowry population was almost at a loss...
When the sandstorm came, the dowry population was almost at a loss.
Many of them were born in the south and had never seen such dark yellow sand.
It was only when the soldiers in front shouted that I realized what was going on and there was a panic.
The wind blew the sand and hit my face painfully. I followed the team to the leeward side of the sand dune in panic. A timid person cried, "Why do I have to encounter all the difficulties?"
Although in name they were dowry population, or in a nicer way called "baoyi", in essence they were slaves, so they were naturally placed in the outer circle at this time.
Deputy Manager Zeng Qiuhua was almost blown down by the wind. Thinking about Niuniu with an injured leg, he squinted his eyes to look for her, but they were too far away and he finally saw her trace.
Niu Niu couldn't walk fast because of her injury, so Zeng Qiuhua let a mule carry her from time to time. But at this time, a sandstorm suddenly arose. The mule was frightened and screamed and tried to escape. Niu Niu on the mule's back was so scared that her face turned pale. Her father was busy pulling her mother who had fallen, so he didn't see it for a while.
Zeng Qiuhua, who was far away, saw this and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
If he fell, or was carried by a mule into the depths of the desert, he would be dead!
In a flash, a woman rushed out, her body was strong and strong, and she could not be blown away by such a strong wind. She grabbed the reins of the mule with one hand, and tore Niuniu off the mule's back with her other hand. Niuniu was still in shock, and she tightly grasped the woman's coarse cloth collar, and her tears were mixed with sand as soon as they came out of her eyes.
"There's no use crying, tighten the rope." The woman scolded and pulled over a thick rope that was used to tie up the princess's dowry box.
The next moment, she pulled Niuniu's father and mother to the rope with one hand each, and said with disdain: "I'm really impressed. Normally, they eat two more bowls of rice, but now they are blown away by the wind!"
Zeng Qiuhua also reacted quickly and immediately asked her husband to tie the boxes together with ropes. She shouted to all around, "Everyone, pull the ropes tight. The wind and sand are strong. If they are tied together, they won't be blown apart easily!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs, but the wind and sand were too strong to make her voice clear. Her husband also shouted along. As more people shouted, everyone could vaguely hear her and started to move. Those who were far away and couldn't hear clearly saw what the people around them were doing and followed suit, holding the ropes tightly in their hands and moving closer to each other.
They just endured it like this, and when they left the desert and set up camp, the camel driver came over and heard the terrifying story that everyone had just told. He exclaimed: "You are really smart, you should do this."
Zeng Qiuhua smiled and looked back, her eyes fell on the woman who had helped out righteously: "It's her credit. She has always been smart."
She walked towards the woman with a bowl of rice in her hand. When traveling, the meals were simple, fried rice with milk tea, steamed buns and pickles.
To be honest, this kind of food is hard to eat in their hometown, but the woman still ate it with big mouthfuls.
"Yunqi, can you still eat another bun?"
The woman named Zheng Yunqi looked up at her and raised the bowl: "Give it here."
Zeng Qiuhua sat down beside her and sighed, "I thought you really didn't plan to take charge of things anymore."
"We have to bury the dead, it takes a lot of time." Zheng Yunqi munched on a steamed bun and said, "The princess seems to be very distressed. Didn't she send people to ask about it? If it's lost, they have to look for it."
The two of them can be said to have known each other for half their lives, and their fates have many similarities. Although they seldom interact with each other, Zeng Qiuhua has always paid attention to Zheng Yunqi.
Zeng Qiuhua said: "In fact, I think the princess is a very good person. If you are willing, maybe you can put your talents to good use."
Zheng Yunqi sneered, finished the steamed bun in a few bites, and stood up.
"Zeng Qiuhua, it's been seventeen years. You've been through so much shit, and yet you're still dreaming of meeting a wise master."
"Isn't it good to dream?" Zeng Qiuhua smiled, "How can we get through the days without some hope?"
Zheng Yunqi was standing and she was sitting, looking at each other. Their eyes met and they were like thorns.
At this moment, a faint commotion was heard in the distance.
"The princess is here." someone said happily.
"She came in person?"
"yes!"
A man exclaimed with delight: "She also brought meat!"
…
Mu Xue asked someone to bring a large basket of beef jerky.
Because she heard that there were no post stations or decent towns ahead, Mu Xue specially asked people to do a lot of emergency work in Guihua City.
The beef jerky these days is still relatively primitive, with salt added as seasoning at most. The ones made by Mu Xue are more unique in taste. The five-spice beef jerky is bright brown and red, marinated with chili and exudes a fragrance. The leftover beef is not wasted, and it is fried until crispy, crispy and delicious.
"Whatever flavor you want to eat, pick it yourself." Mu Xue saw Niuniu, rubbed her hair, and said lovingly, "You must be scared."
"A little bit," Niu Niu smiled and picked up a piece of spiced one, chewing it and her mouth was filled with fragrance.
The people around looked at it and swallowed their saliva.
After a fright, a delicious meal can always bring some comfort.
Such delicious beef jerky made people who had already eaten eat more.
"It is a blessing in disguise that we have such a master..." A man sighed while holding the rice bowl. Although his voice was soft, it attracted the approval of the people around him.
I hope the princess can live a long life. They really don't want to go through any more setbacks.
Muxue walked slowly along the way, chatting about family matters or asking about cooking skills. She clearly felt that the attitude of these dowry households towards her was becoming more respectful and gentle.
But when I passed by the deputy steward Zeng Qiuhua, I heard a woman next to her sneer and mutter in a low voice: "What a good way to win people's hearts."
The words were spoken very softly, and only Zeng Qiuhua, who was beside her, and Mu Xue, who was passing by her, heard them.
Mu Xue turned around in astonishment, her eyes falling on the woman. She was old, but still had a majestic aura, but it was easy to overlook this because of her coarse clothes and messy hair.
This person must have some background.
What was your idea? Did you choose this perfect moment to tell her this? Did you want to irritate her?
Mu Xue took a step forward and said with a smile: "You seem to have something to say?"
Zeng Qiuhua tried to pull Zheng Yunqi's sleeve, but Zheng Yunqi shook it off and continued to speak softly, "The princess is stepping into a lowly place, just to take advantage of the opportunity to gain a good reputation and make these people loyal to you, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu and Aunt Zhao, who were accompanying Mu Xue, immediately changed their expressions.
Aunt Wu pointed at her nose and said, "What are you talking about, you crazy woman?"
Zeng Qiuhua knelt down with a plop and pleaded for Zheng Yunqi: "Princess, she is really frightened. Please don't bother with her."
"No problem."
Mu Xue calmed down. If she really got furious and beat this guy up, it would be her fault.
She said slowly, "Since you have doubts, I will tell you. As the saying goes, we judge by deeds, not by heart. If we judge by heart, there are few perfect people in the world. What you eat today is real. If what I do is beneficial to the people, it is a good deed. As for my heart, you are not me, so how can you know my intention? Only this action can be experienced by everyone."
"Judging from the deeds but not from the heart? This sentence is quite interesting." Zheng Yunqi said, "But what if I insist that you are a hypocrite?"
"That's your business," Mu Xue said calmly. "I do what I want to do. These things can bring some welfare to the people, which is a benefit. As for what you think, I don't care. If you say this is hypocrisy, I would rather more people do this hypocritical act so that the people can benefit."
Zheng Yunqi had folded her arms, looking very careless. Hearing this, she put her hands down and stood up straighter. Lang Sheng said, "The princess has a broad mind, and I, a foolish woman, will learn from her."
As he said this, he leaned over and bowed slightly.
Mu Xue nodded: "No problem."
Then he led the people forward.
Seeing that the princess and her group had gone far away, Zeng Qiuhua pulled Zheng Yunqi to a secluded place and had a rare outburst of anger:
"Are you looking for a way to kill yourself?" Zeng Qiuhua was so angry that he blurted out his curse in his hometown dialect.
"Well, you dare to tease him? What if he is really narrow-minded and throws you into the sand without even getting his hands bloody? Then you'll be dead!"
Zheng Yunqi looked at her and laughed: "I haven't heard you for many years? Your accent has changed when you speak like this."
Zeng Qiuhua held her forehead with her hand and took a few deep breaths before returning to normal: "I really don't want to talk to you."
"Isn't this the wise leader you mentioned? I'm just testing her. I'll be happy if I die. Anyway, I've lived a lot longer." Zheng Yunqi didn't care. "Besides, didn't I give her a good reputation in the end? She won't bother with me."
That is to say, they are all women, and the historians will not record them. Otherwise, if they were released, it would also be a good story of "the lord is tolerant and makes the arrogant and conceited people surrender."
Zeng Qiuhua looked at Zheng Yunqi and realized something: "You actually don't reject her, right?"
"Mama, it's alright."
She nodded, turned around and left. Zheng Yunqi shouted, "Where are you going?"
"Go and complain to the princess, and ask her to sentence you to death, and we'll all be happy!"
Zheng Yunqi looked at her back and smiled again.
This girl? Ah, how on earth can she still maintain a tiny bit of hope in this kind of world?
Late at night, the princess returned to her tent.
Zeng Qiuhua, who had been waiting for a long time, finally got the chance to meet the princess.
She moved and followed Mother Zhao into the tent.
As soon as he saw the princess, Zeng Qiuhua knelt down and kowtowed honestly.
"Thank you, Princess, for not getting mad at Yunqi."
"Her name is Yunqi? It's a nice name." Mu Xue said, raising her hand to let the others go out, and talking to Zeng Qiuhua alone. "There's no one else here, just say whatever you want to say."
Zeng Qiuhua hesitated for a moment and said, "Her unruly nature is definitely related to her background."
She bowed her head again, her forehead pressed against the blue wool carpet with Ruyi pattern.
"Perhaps the princess doesn't know that many of us who came with the dowry are from the Three Feudatories."
"Like me and Yunqi, we were once the old officials under the command of Shang Zhixin, the Prince of Pingnan. After the imperial court pacified the Three Feudatories, we were confiscated and became slaves in the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
There was silence for a while.
Zeng Qiuhua was worried. How would the princess view them? Would she think they were unlucky? Unworthy of the princess's service? Or would she rebuke them for being traitors?
But maybe there was still a little hope. She would value their experience and be willing to use them.
Although this hope is slim.
She forgot about it. It would be a pity if Zheng Yunqi's talent and scheming were buried.
After a long time, Mu Xue finally spoke.
She murmured, and the first sentence was: "Good fellow, I have brought you from Lingnan to Mobei."
The second sentence is: "How difficult it must have been for you these years."
Zeng Qiuhua was blinded by tears for a moment.
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