Chapter 283 Chasing Us Away
Lu Qingqing finally received Ji Ruyan's letter.
This was the first letter she had received from him, and she couldn't help but wonder what it might contain.
I should answer her question about whether or not to supply medicine to our southern allies, and secondly...
Secondly, that should be all.
The letter is thin, just one or two sheets of paper, what can you possibly write on it!
Lu Qingqing opened the letter. There were two pages: one was a list of medicines, and the other contained the contents of the letter.
The label reads that an agreement has been reached with the south, and medicine can be supplied.
They also said they had sent two cartloads of goods, which would arrive soon.
That's all. There's nothing else, except for the word "念" (nian, meaning to recite or think) written in the corner of the last piece of paper.
What should I read?
Lu Qingqing stared at the words for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, before finally putting the letter away.
He started thinking again about the two truckloads of things he had sent him.
Isn't it said that the North is short of food and cold? It probably produces the most slaves.
He couldn't possibly send her two cartloads of servants.
Two days later, the two truckloads of goods arrived.
The guards came disguised as a merchant caravan.
Those two cartloads of goods turned out to be a cartload of charcoal and a cartload of cotton!
These two items are incredibly precious anywhere, let alone in the coldest and most barren North!
Especially charcoal!
Take Ming'an County for example. Although cotton-padded clothes and quilts are scarce, they can still be bought at high prices, but charcoal is nowhere to be found.
Nowadays, most people burn charcoal, which has high production and transportation costs and limited output. It is monopolized by the government and the wealthy, while ordinary people burn firewood, cow dung, and crop stalks.
The charcoal for the Lu family this year was delivered by someone sent by Magistrate Xu.
This was the first time the Lu family had been able to afford to burn something so precious.
Old Man Lu and Feng Xiaowan were reluctant to burn the offerings, wanting to wait until the Great Cold to do so.
However, what Ji Ruyan delivered was not charcoal, but a cartload of coal!
Currently, coal mining technology is not mature, resulting in even lower output. Moreover, only two coal mines have been discovered so far, and the coal produced is used to smelt iron ore.
The rarity and value of the coal in this shipment are self-evident.
The guards who came to deliver the goods said they had stolen supplies that the imperial court was sending to the Qin family army.
Lu Qingqing then inquired about the situation in the northern border.
They learned that the current ceasefire is temporary, but the danger is far from over.
Small-scale ambushes and assassinations by the imperial court were commonplace; beneath the calm surface lay undercurrents, glints of swords, and breathtaking events.
A feeling of worry and heartache welled up in Lu Qingqing's heart.
"Is there anything else they need over there?" she asked.
The guards looked young, but their eyes were weathered and hardened, clearly showing they had been through a lot.
He pondered for a moment, then said, "Miss Lu, the army has never been well-off; it's always been like this. Things will be better next spring."
It means we're lacking everything!
But if you just hang in there, it will pass.
"Okay, I understand."
Lu Qingqing became even more worried.
But this year is definitely different from previous years. Ji Canglin will not allow the former crown prince to come back to life. He will not let the Northern Territory survive this winter so easily.
The guards brought letters from Xiao Zhang, Mu Daye, and Lu Feng.
Lu Qingqing also sent a letter back to Ji Ruyan.
They told him not to send anything more, that they had everything they needed, and then packed two more boxes of medicine with a prescription attached.
There was also a single character written in the bottom right corner of the letter.
install.
She packed a lot of food for the guards to eat on the road, and after sending them off, she left only a small portion of the coal and cotton. Then she called Mo Lang and asked him to transport it all to the mountains.
The thousand people in the mountains need these warm clothes even more than they do.
Then he sent Sixi to deliver a letter to Li Meng and Liu'er, and to bring cotton along as well.
She didn't deliver coal to either of them; one was pregnant, and the other was raising a child. If they used it improperly, they could get poisoned.
A waft of meaty aroma wafted over, whetting Lu Qingqing's appetite.
This is Chaolu stewing chicken soup in the kitchen.
Actually, the Lu family hasn't had stewed meat for a long time now.
Things have been tough lately, and Lu Qingqing, afraid of tempting others, has stopped letting Mo Lang forage for wild game in the mountains.
She once bought thirty catties of pork and sausage casings from outside, made sausages, dried them, steamed them, and hung them on the roof beam with thin thread.
Then when you eat, just take a few pieces and cut them up, so you can't smell the odor outside.
She just packed ten pounds of sausages for the guards.
Now that Lin Ye is recovering from his injury, Feng Xiaowan specially bought five chickens from the village, cooking one every two days.
After the chicken soup was ready, Lu Qingqing brought it inside.
Lin Ye sat on the bed in a daze.
Upon seeing that it was another inspirational quote, she immediately opened her mouth to speak.
Lu Qingqing cut him off first: "Don't talk, eat!"
"Qingqing, really, I think I should go back. I've already eaten two chickens in these three days."
I'm not a bodhisattva on an altar, why should I be offered chicken every meal?
She used to enjoy eating dry steamed buns every day!
"Hahaha, I told you, this is just the Lu family's everyday meal. In this life, eating and drinking are the two things. We work hard every day to earn money, isn't it all for the sake of having a mouth to feed?"
You're already part of my family, where else would you go!
"Come on, take off your clothes, I'll put some medicine on you. These bruises have to be removed on our wedding day!"
Lin Ye didn't want to take off her clothes because Lu Qingqing kept pinching her, saying things like, "You're a little fatter here," or "You're a little fuller there." She added that Lu Yun was lucky, and that he'd even developed abs, though she didn't know how many...
At first, she didn't understand and even asked what abs were...
Ugh, how embarrassing...
The nights were also tough, as Qiaoxiu and Lu Qingqing would talk about everything.
They were actually talking about medical skills, but she blushed as she listened.
The physical structures of women and men, how pregnancy occurs, a large follicle meeting a small tadpole...
Sigh, Qiaoxiu is really different from before; she dares to say anything now.
However, she also learned quite a bit, at least what would happen in the bridal chamber...
Lu Qingqing still tore off Lin Ye's clothes.
Suddenly a figure stood in front of the window.
"Little sister, I brought back a big black fish and put it in the water tank. I'll give it to Xiaoye tonight to nourish her."
Lin Ye was so frightened that she hugged her pillow, afraid that Lu Yun would suddenly open the window.
Fortunately, Lu Yun left as soon as he finished speaking, still humming to himself.
"Look how handsome my brother is."
"Come on, put some more moisturizing oil on your face. I guarantee you'll seduce him to death on your wedding night!"
But you have to make him watch helplessly, not consummate the marriage until he's fully healed. You have to wait at least ten days to two weeks, until you've hooked him completely.
"Qingqing, stop talking..."
...
This winter has been tough, and the condiment business has been bad. With the cold weather, Chen Cuihua has stopped going out, which has given Feng Xiaowan some free time.
The two of them made wedding quilts for Lu Yun and Lin Ye on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Feng Xiaowan invited Chen Cuihua to sleep at her place that night, as her thatched hut was too cold.
"No, no, I'll come. I have a new cotton-padded coat and a new quilt. It's much warmer than the dilapidated house I used to live in."
"Then let's build a new house next year and let Qiaoxiu live with you. She's a young lady now, and she can't always sleep with Qingqing."
ah?
Why did you chase Qiaoxiu away?
Feng Xiaowan got off the kang (a heated brick bed), took out a money box from the cabinet, opened it, and took out three silver notes.
"This is your interest for two months, three hundred taels. Next spring, you can build a spacious new house, install a large kang (heated brick bed), and live a good life."
"No, what they said back then was... just let me have a meal." Chen Cuihua was shocked.
"Are they going to stop me from working? Are they going to kick us out?"
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