The place wasn't actually that far from the city. Qin Jian and the others had just returned after seeing Lu Baichuan's family off when they received a signal from Lu Baichuan. Thinking that something had happened to Lu Baichuan and his family, they immediately dispatched people to go and provide support.
When they arrived, they didn't see Lu Baichuan's family, but instead saw a group of people fleeing in panic with knives. Qin Jian immediately understood what Lu Baichuan meant. There were robbers on this road, but there were signs of a fight on the snowy road, which meant that the Lu family had already taught them a lesson.
As for why they didn't deal with it directly, Qin Jian guessed it was because the Lu family was in a hurry to go home for dinner...
Thinking of this, Qin Jian was overcome with grief. He also wanted to go to the Lu family's house for a free meal!
However, we need to focus on the important matters first. Knowing that there are bandits on this road who could harm the people, he naturally needs to send people to guard the area and prevent them from committing crimes. As for the bandits themselves, he will ask Lu Baichuan for his opinion after the New Year, so as not to alert them.
Lu Baichuan didn't deal with it on the spot, he must have a backup plan. He can just wait and see.
After a short delay on the road, the coachmen sped the carriage up, and Sun clung tightly to the seat to avoid being thrown. Even so, she did not call for a stop, letting the coachmen drive the carriage at breakneck speed.
If they were any later, they would miss dinner. In this weather, it would get even colder after dark. They had a heater in the carriage, but the three people driving the carriage were not having an easy time. They were all people who had parents to raise them, and they could not be treated unfairly.
We finally arrived at Anping Village before dark. It got dark early these days, so it looked late, but it wasn't. The female workers had just returned from the Lu family workshop, and every household was just getting ready for dinner. It was a lively time.
Upon hearing the sound of a horse-drawn carriage entering the village, everyone was no longer curious. It must be the Lu family, since they were the only ones in the village with horse-drawn carriages, and more than one at that.
Nevertheless, everyone still brought their rice bowls and came out to join the fun. A few days ago, the Lu family's son-in-law returned. It was said that he had gone to the grasslands before, and when he came back, he was like a different person. He looked shabby, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. It was said that he made a fortune on that trip.
However, how exactly they made their fortune remains unknown.
From afar, they could hear the voices of a group of children. Everyone knew that the children of the Lu family who had gone to develop their careers in the prefectural city had returned. This meant that the Lu family elders and the third son's family had also returned to celebrate the New Year.
Sure enough, no matter how well you do outside, you still have to go home for the Chinese New Year. Only when you come back can you feel the festive spirit!
"Oh my, you brought back so much stuff! The Lu family is really getting better and better!"
"That's right! The third master of the Lu family is a high-ranking official in the prefectural city, so he must have a lot of good stuff!"
"I never thought we'd benefit from this too. Now that people outside know that Third Master Lu is from our village, they don't dare to bully us anymore!"
"Haha, yeah, yeah..."
The villagers are all like this. Even if they are a little jealous of the Lu family's good life, they won't show it. Everyone is not stupid. The vast majority of people in the village have achieved their good life because of the Lu family. Moreover, the Lu family are officials, and they are ordinary people. They don't dare to do anything reckless.
The Lu family members also came out to greet them upon hearing the commotion. Since they already knew the Lu family would be returning tonight, both Lu Guilan's and Lu Guilan's families came over for dinner and planned to celebrate the New Year together as well, as it would be more lively with more people.
Apart from Qin, who was in confinement after childbirth, and Yu, who was cooking, the rest of the family came out. They greeted them warmly, and the group entered the courtyard in a lively atmosphere. Servants arranged the carriages and horses, and the New Year's goods they brought were unloaded and placed in front of the masters, to be distributed in a little while.
"After being separated for so long, our family is finally reunited!"
The eldest brother patted Lu Baichuan on the shoulder; his third brother had become even more outstanding since they last met.
My third sister-in-law's medical skills are indeed superb. My third brother's injuries have healed so well that there is not a trace of them. He even looks more handsome than when he left home.
Looking at his third brother, and thinking of his two brothers-in-law who had returned a few days ago...
He glanced at it furtively, then quickly looked away; it was just too much to bear.
Although he had been back for several days and had taken a good shower, shaved, and combed his hair, his weathered face was still not a sight to behold.
His cheeks were covered in dry, cracked, and sunburnt skin, which looked painful to look at. His skin was several shades darker, and there were many more lines on his face, making him look more weathered and older than the others.
He Jiuniang also saw the two Zhang brothers. It was getting dark, and everyone was carrying lanterns, but even so, it was easy to miss the two brothers if you weren't careful.
His face was so dark it blended into the night.
Fortunately, once inside the house, the lighting was brighter, and I was finally able to see the Zhang brothers clearly. Both of them had smiles on their faces, which were so dark that you could not see their faces, but you could see their white teeth.
"Brothers-in-law, I heard you had a very fruitful trip to the grasslands. How was it?"
He Jiuniang did not mock their appearance. They were brave enough to venture out and provide a good life for their wives and children, which deserved respect.
"It was really dangerous. If it weren't for the people Third Brother sent to protect us, we might not have made it back. But there were also a lot of ways to make money!"
Zhang Song spoke somewhat excitedly, saying that there were some things they hadn't discussed since returning, and felt it would be pointless to talk about them, so they were waiting for He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan to come back before discussing them.
“We brought back a lot of gems and spices, which were very cheap there, but the guards who went with us said that those things were very popular in Jingzhou and the country, and the women there liked them a lot, so we brought a lot back!”
So they brought back not only cattle, but also a lot of gems and spices, hoping to make money from them.
This proved to be true. On the way back, people learned that they came from the grasslands and bought a lot of gems and spices from them. Because they were new to the business and didn't know much about the market, they asked for what the people thought was a high price, but the people thought it was a good deal and bought it without hesitation.
That's when he realized this stuff was really profitable. It was just a pity that he had used up all the money he brought with him, otherwise he could have stocked up on some more.
"Great, great! Let me see it in a bit. If I like it, I'll buy some from you too!"
He Jiuniang genuinely wanted to buy some of these things, thinking that she would need them in the future and that it was better to have some in advance.
"Third sister-in-law, what are you saying? Take it if you like! However, we've prepared the best for the family members; the rest aren't as good as what we left at home!"
Zhang Song readily agreed. If He Jiuniang liked it, he was truly willing to offer it up with both hands. After all, without Lu Baichuan sending people to protect them along the way, they would never have been able to return. Moreover, they had learned some tricks of the trade on this trip, making future trips much easier, and the amount of stuff they received would only increase.
"Even between brothers, accounts must be kept clear. I still have to pay for it. It's too late today, you can show it to me tomorrow!"
He Jiuniang responded with a smile, saying that since they had opened up the market on the grasslands, she would definitely get involved too. Who would complain about having too much money?
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