The old man lowered his head and pondered for a moment before speaking:
“Don’t worry, my eldest grandson will be back from town soon. I’ll ask him. He goes to town often and is very knowledgeable. Maybe he can provide you with some clues.”
"What does your grandson do? When will he be back?"
The old man's face lit up with pride when he talked about his grandson.
“My eldest grandson is only thirteen years old this year. My son-in-law was a local government official who died three years ago while on duty. Since then, my daughter has been raising her three children and living with me.”
That year, my eldest grandson was only ten years old. At such a young age, he supported the family. He was very smart and knew which places in the mountains had medicinal herbs and which herbs were valuable.
So every time he went to town, the medicinal herbs he brought could be sold for a good price, and even some of the local veteran herbalists didn't have his ability.
He took the medicinal herbs to town early this morning and won't be back until lunchtime.
So that's how it is. Logically speaking, once a woman gets married, she should stay at her husband's family home. But she was living with her elderly father and several children. It turned out that her husband had died.
At this moment, Zhao Xian remembered something else and asked:
"A few years ago, the body-collecting team crossed the valley and came into contact with our villagers. When they tried to communicate, they couldn't understand what the body-collecting team was saying at all. Fortunately, one of them could understand what they were saying, otherwise they would have been unable to communicate."
Upon hearing this, the old man said, "There are many immigrants from Jindian, and the languages spoken here are varied. The most widely used language is still the language of Jindian."
Most people in our area are descendants of the Northern Dynasty and are accustomed to using their mother tongue, so we can have normal conversations with each other.
If you leave here and go somewhere else, you might not be able to understand the people there.
Zhao Xian nodded. It seemed that his group would have some difficulty communicating in the Golden Kingdom due to the language barrier, but this was not a big problem. If needed, they could find someone to help with translation.
Just as they were talking, the aroma of meat wafted into the room, and the old man seemed a little restless, looking up at the outside every now and then.
Zhao Xian knew that several soldiers had set up a cooking station outside and prepared a lot of good dishes today, including fish, meat, chicken, and duck. In this village, it was probably difficult for the villagers to afford meat.
Their family must be in a similar situation, struggling to make ends meet. Although they raise a pig, the money from selling it is only used to supplement their household income, and they can't bear to eat meat themselves.
"Old man, let's go outside and take a look. The chefs cooking outside are from the army. They can cook for thousands of people at the same time, so their cooking skills are definitely excellent."
"Okay, let's go out and see what it's like, let me see it too."
Several earthen stoves were lined up outside, and large pots on them were steaming hot. Soldiers were stirring the food in the pots with large shovels. The aroma of fish and meat had spread throughout the village, and the dishes in the pots were almost ready.
Zhao Xian counted them, and wow, there were four large pots cooking and a steamer steaming rice. This steamer of rice was enough to feed quite a few people.
We only brought two pots, and they weren't that big, so these big pots must have been borrowed from the villagers.
Although a lot of food was prepared, it was not enough for all the villagers to come and eat. Many children stood by, their mouths watering at the sight of the delicious food.
The children in the village don't usually have much to eat, and fish is a rare treat. This time, we must make sure the children have fish to eat, no matter what.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xian walked over, looked at the children in front of him, and said:
"Children, it's almost time to eat. There aren't many bowls here, so hurry home and each of you bring a bowl to eat here."
Upon hearing this, the village children were taken aback, exchanged glances, and then ran home.
Zhao Xian asked the woman to bring several bowls and scoop out a bowl of the dishes from each of the large pots. These were the old man's lunch snacks, so they had to be prepared in advance.
The old man looked at the several bowls of good food on the table and was very happy; his voice even trembled slightly as he spoke.
"During the Chinese New Year, we rarely get to eat meat. Today, we have so many delicious dishes. I'm waiting for my eldest grandson to come back so we can eat together."
At this moment, the village children took bowls and chopsticks from their homes and ran back in a flash.
The soldiers lined up the children and then served them food. The adults stood by and watched. There were too many people, and they knew they wouldn't get to eat. They were content as long as their children could have plenty of meat and fish.
The children held large bowls of food, some eagerly eating, but many more were reluctant to eat.
They held their rice bowls, sniffing greedily, then hurried home so their families could also taste the food.
After serving all the children's food, there wasn't much left in the pot, just enough for the children themselves.
At this moment, Zhao Xian noticed that there were still many elderly people nearby, staring at the remaining food in the pot, unwilling to leave.
Zhao Xian instructed his men to distribute the remaining food to the elderly, while he and his men, who had no food to eat, continued to cook.
The soldiers immediately complied and began serving rice and dishes to the elderly. They were very careful, even removing fish bones to ensure the elderly wouldn't get pricked.
The elderly people immediately gathered around, reached out their trembling hands to take the bowls of rice, and began to eat heartily.
Li Xue was deeply moved by what she saw. She saw the future of the Great Northern Dynasty. Li Guang's succession to the throne was a foregone conclusion. With someone like Zhao Xian assisting him, how could the Great Northern Dynasty not prosper? The lives of the common people would also get better and better.
The remaining food was only enough for the elderly. After finishing these tasks, the soldiers continued to cook.
The old man and his family hadn't eaten yet. The woman stood at the door, staring in the direction of the village entrance, waiting for her eldest son to come home.
The elderly villagers quickly finished the delicious meal and left, expressing their gratitude profusely.
After the soldiers cooked another pot of rice and prepared several dishes, the woman's son finally returned from town.
The boy was tall and slender, and very energetic. He went to town to buy medicinal herbs in the morning, and he took his younger sister with him. His sister was eleven years old and quite pretty.
Seeing so many people at their doorstep, cooking on the ground and having a great time, the two children were stunned.
The woman quickly stepped forward and explained the situation to the two children. The two children soon understood that these people were from their great-grandfather's hometown.
As the saying goes, when fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears. Although the boy is not very old, perhaps influenced by his grandparents, he has had a strong sense of hometown affection since childhood. He felt very close to the people in front of him.
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