"yes."
Cheng Ying responded and immediately sent two people over.
The two men, named Cheng Ke and Cheng Yang, went straight to the Lu family and asked, "Are you going into the city? Madam sent us to escort you."
This was an unexpected delight for the Lu family, and the other families also hurriedly squeezed forward, as it was safer for everyone to be closer together.
"Thank you for your kindness, madam, but we are not going into the city for the time being. Someone in our family has gotten lost and we need to wait here to search for them. Would it be convenient for you two to do so?"
He Jiuniang remembered that Sun Shi had always been concerned about her daughter's family. If she didn't look for them now, she might miss her chance.
The two hesitated, and Cheng Ke, unable to make the decision, asked Jiang Ruoya. Jiang Ruoya said, "In that case, we'll go ahead first. You two escort their family out of Ganzhou City safely, and then come find me."
The Lu family thus gained two free bodyguards, which instantly put them at ease. Even though they planned to spend the night outside the city, they were no longer so panicked.
The Lu family occupied a shady spot under the tree, where the women and children rested. The eldest and second eldest Lu brothers decided to go find their sister's family.
The other families also left their children with the Lu family while the adults went to find their own families.
Ganzhou City was their last hope; if they couldn't find it, they would never see it again in this lifetime.
With Cheng Ke and Cheng Yang protecting the Lu family, they were relatively safe. He Jiu Niang took this opportunity to meet Jiang Ruo Ya.
To be honest, even though they've known each other for many days, He Jiuniang hasn't been able to speak to Jiang Ruoya, or even have a chance to get close to her.
Jiang Ruoya and her group were ready to enter the city. When He Jiuniang arrived, Ling Yue was paying the city entrance fee.
Yes, you had to pay silver to enter the city: three taels for adults and two taels for children. That's why so many people outside the city couldn't get in, and some even openly engaged in cannibalism.
"Miss Lingyue, may I speak with your mistress for a few minutes?"
He Jiuniang stepped forward with a smile. Ling Yue didn't know what she had to say to her mistress and was about to refuse when Jiang Ruoya spoke up, "Let her in."
Ling Yue was immediately displeased, feeling that this woman had ill intentions, but she couldn't find any evidence, so she could only accompany He Jiu Niang onto the carriage.
As soon as He Jiuniang entered the carriage, she immediately understood what the gap between the rich and the poor truly meant.
The carriage was spacious, almost like a miniature luxury room. The incense burner was filled with the fragrance of incense smoke, and there were several exquisite tea snacks on the tea table. There was even a small bookshelf with a few books scattered on it.
Behind the coffee table was a soft cushion covered with white fur, which looked fluffy and soft.
There were also gauze curtains around the cushions, probably to keep out mosquitoes at night. Now the gauze curtains have been lifted up and tied up so that He Jiuniang can see the whole thing.
Jiang Ruoya lay half-reclined on the soft cushion, while another maid named Ling Xue knelt beside her, fanning her. She was the epitome of a noblewoman.
He Jiuniang's gaze swept over Jiang Ruoya's face. The young woman, around thirty years old, had very fair skin and beautiful features. Even without makeup, she still gave people a stunning feeling.
Is it pretty?
Jiang Ruoya's cheerful voice rang out, and He Jiuniang finally snapped out of her country bumpkin mentality. She wasn't ashamed at being caught spying and nodded generously: "Madam is very beautiful. I think I've seen her in a dream."
It felt really familiar, He Jiuniang thought, perhaps the original owner had seen it somewhere before.
"Hehehe, you have a very sweet tongue, girl. What do you want to say to me?"
Jiang Ruoya smiled faintly, her lips pursed, making her appear even more gentle and graceful.
Whether it was just her imagination or not, Jiang Ruoya felt much better these past few days eating with the Lu family, and she had more energy. This was a good sign, so she was in a good mood.
"It's nothing special, I just wanted to say thank you for the care you've given me along the way."
Jiang Ruoya pursed her lips: "It was nothing, don't worry about it."
He Jiuniang continued, "That may be true, but without the help of you and Madam, our family would not have been able to come to Ganzhou so smoothly. I will remember your kindness and repay you when the opportunity arises."
She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect like a martial arts master, looking rather cute. Jiang Ruoya was immediately amused by her. Thinking that she would no longer be able to eat their family's food, she felt a little regretful and took the initiative to ask, "So where do you all plan to settle down?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Anzhou. I heard that they recruit refugees there and there is no drought. We are just farmers, and we just want to go to a place with mountains and water."
With mountains and water, no one will starve.
At least that's what He Jiuniang thought.
Jiang Ruoya nodded, agreeing with what she said, but reluctantly asked, "Have you ever thought about going to Jingzhou? Jingzhou is more prosperous than Anzhou and is not troubled by drought. Perhaps there will be better opportunities there."
He Jiuniang shook her head: "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. I am just a humble woman and cannot be the head of the household. However, if I have the opportunity, I will definitely go to Jingzhou to broaden my horizons."
As far as He Jiuniang knew, although both Jingzhou and Anzhou were close to the capital, Jingzhou was indeed more prosperous, and many merchants preferred to do business in Jingzhou. If it were He Jiuniang alone, she would still prefer to go to Jingzhou. However, she was not alone now, so she had to respect Old Man Lu's decision.
Most importantly, only Anju is currently willing to accept refugees, while Gyeongju is not so sure.
"Very well, then we shall meet again someday."
Jiang Ruoya sighed with some disappointment, took a jade pendant from her waist and handed it to her, saying, "If you go to Jingzhou, you can use this jade pendant to find me at Anlanfang, the largest teahouse in Jingzhou."
"Thank you, Madam."
He Jiuniang accepted it without ceremony. No matter what era, having more connections makes life easier.
Jiang Ruoya smiled faintly: "No need to be so polite. Your family has taken good care of me. Speaking of which, you and my daughter who has been separated for many years are quite destined, as her name also contains the character 'Jiu'... Never mind, let's not talk about this. We'll take our leave now. Take care, everyone."
The soldiers guarding the city gate were already urging them on, so He Jiuniang didn't delay any longer and seized the opportunity to say her last words: "Madam, everything is predestined. I hope you can take care of yourself and relax. I imagine your daughter also hopes that you can be healthy and live a long life. The cinnabar calming pills I gave you last time were very effective, but too much cinnabar can cause poisoning, so it's best to use them sparingly. Madam, until we meet again."
She finished speaking in one breath, got off the carriage, and left quickly without waiting for Jiang Ruoya to say anything more.
Jiang Ruoya was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. This child was really smart. If her Jiu'er were still alive, she would be about the same age as this child.
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