"What I want you to do for me is very simple."
Lin Qixia said to Lin Xiao with a serious expression, "Big brother, I need you to go to Beiling Mountain Village to assist Yun Zhi in training his team, and also keep an eye on him for me."
"During this time, write to me any unusual aspects of his daily behavior that you find strange." Her older brother, Lin Xiao, was also literate, which was why she entrusted this task to him.
"I understand." Lin Xiao was slightly surprised by Lin Qixia's request, but quickly agreed.
He also felt that his second sister was indeed very meticulous. Since the group of people on the mountain had already come under her command, they could not be left unattended.
The fact that she could think of a way to manage them was already quite clever.
"Sister-in-law." At this moment, Lin Qixia grasped He Zhilan's hand again and said to her, "My shop in the county is opening tomorrow, and I need your help."
“Okay.” He Zhilan agreed without hesitation.
"Let's go to Lichong County together tomorrow. I'll show you around our family's shops." Lin Qixia said with a smile at the end.
She has even greater aspirations for what she will do next in Lichong County.
He Zhilan was infected by her emotions and nodded excitedly in agreement.
"Go to Lichong County? I want to go too!" Lin Jiudong volunteered.
Lin Qixia turned to her with a meaningful look in her eyes and said, "Okay, my shop will be very busy then, so you're naturally welcome to come and help me out."
Lin Jiudong: "..."
She had a very bad feeling about it.
"Look, the moon is so beautiful!" Lin Yi's voice suddenly rang out, instantly pulling everyone out of their serious discussion.
Everyone quieted down and looked up at the moon. A full moon hung high in the night sky.
"It really is a beautiful moon," Lin Qixia murmured softly.
The courtyard was quiet and peaceful, and everyone had a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival night.
"It's wonderful. Because of you, Xia'er, our Lin family's life has really improved this year. It's like a dream come true," He Zhilan said softly.
Lin Qixia was taken aback by He Zhilan's wistful voice.
She then turned to He Zhilan and said, "It's not a dream, and things will only get better from here on out."
Upon hearing this, He Zhilan's previously sorrowful face softened into a warm smile, tinged with relief.
...
As the morning sun rose, the Lin family's night passed, and a new day began.
"Good morning." Lin Qixia got up early and ran into Huo Yanqing while stretching at the door.
Huo Yanqing was carrying a bucket to the well to fetch water when he greeted her, "Good morning, Xia'er."
Their eyes met, and the next second Lin Jiudong suddenly walked over and stood between them.
She casually interrupted their eye contact, saying, "Good morning, everyone!"
Huo Yanqing, "..."
"Okay." Lin Qixia cleared her throat and reminded her, "Hurry up and get ready, we'll leave at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
She left after saying those words.
"Okay!" Lin Jiudong replied, then turned to meet Huo Yanqing's chilling gaze, which startled her.
He immediately ran away, muttering under his breath, "You're crazy! I didn't offend you, why are you scaring me like that!"
After breakfast, the whole family got ready and set off.
Even Lin Yi got into the carriage with them, since the whole family had to leave, and it wouldn't be safe for her to be left alone at home.
"Let's go to the county town! Yi'er has never been to the county town before!" Lin Yi cheered with joy.
Lin Jiudong chimed in sarcastically from the side, "Tch, you really haven't seen the world!"
Lin Yi turned to look at her, "Didn't Second Aunt also never go to the county town? Aren't you just as unsophisticated as Yi'er?"
Despite her seemingly innocent and naive demeanor, her words were laced with sarcasm.
"Lin Yi!" Lin Jiudong glared at her, about to explode.
The next second, three pairs of eyes locked onto her, carrying a warning.
Lin Jiudong's angry expression froze, and she looked up at her older brother, sister-in-law, and Lin Qixia with a frustrated expression.
She pouted helplessly, "Fine, I guess I'm just naive."
The carriage continued its journey, with Huo Yanqing driving it along the mountain road.
The carriage stopped at a fork in the road.
"We're here," he said, turning back to remind Lin Qixia.
Lin Qixia responded and got off the carriage with Lin Xiao.
"Go ahead and give this to Yunzhi." She instructed Lin Xiao, and handed him a booklet as well. "I've written down the training plan for the next month in this booklet."
"And what you need to do, elder brother, is to supervise him to make sure he doesn't make any mistakes and to report to me from time to time." As she spoke, she took something from the carriage and handed it to him—a cage containing carrier pigeons.
After listening to Lin Qixia's explanation, Lin Xiao nodded, "I understand."
"Also, I need to recruit a few people to come down the mountain to my shop in Lichong County to help me. Post this notice in the village, and those who want to come can go down the mountain to the address of my shop in Lichong County to find me."
As Lin Qixia spoke, she handed Lin Xiao another rolled-up notice.
The script of the Great Yin Dynasty and modern simplified Chinese characters have many similarities, but there are also differences. Lin Qixia had the system convert the modern characters into their font and wrote it out accordingly, so anyone who can read should have no problem reading it.
"Okay." Lin Xiao took the package and packed it up. "Then I'll head up the mountain. Be careful on your way to the county. I'll come see you when I have time."
Lin Qixia smiled and agreed, then said goodbye to Lin Xiao.
Afterwards, she boarded the carriage and watched Lin Xiao head towards the road leading up the mountain until his figure gradually disappeared into the forest.
"Your older brother will definitely handle things well, Xia'er, don't worry," He Zhilan said softly to Lin Qixia, afraid that she would worry.
Lin Qixia withdrew her gaze, sat down in the carriage, and said, "I know! I know my elder brother's strength."
She didn't intend to hide this from Yun Zhi; she was openly letting Lin Xiao keep an eye on him. If he was smart and wanted to gain her trust and be valued, he wouldn't obstruct Lin Xiao.
Before Lin Xiao was crippled in an accident while performing corvée labor, he was a retired soldier from the Great Yin Dynasty army.
She was very capable to begin with, and in the original story, even after her body was crippled, she recovered almost completely thanks to her strong will.
Furthermore, he wielded power in a chaotic era, making him a force to be reckoned with even by the most powerful and influential.
This is also why Lin Qixia chose to send him to the mountain to train the team with Yun Zhi. He is a talented general and is destined not to waste his potential in this small mountain village.
What I've been doing all along is bringing forward his destined rise, until he becomes an asset to me.
As for Yun Zhi, he will always be under her surveillance until he gains her trust and is given important responsibilities.
"Yanqing, make the horses run faster. We should get to the county before dark." Lin Qixia turned her head and urged Huo Yanqing outside.
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