Chapter 198 [VIP]
Not long after Chen Qingyun returned home, she came over with her two sons and Liu Changyi.
This was the first time Wang Ying and the others had seen these two twin nephews. They looked exactly alike, and if they didn't look closely, they wouldn't be able to tell who was the older brother and who was the younger brother.
The older brother's name is Pingping, and his real name is Liu Jin. The younger brother's name is An'an, and his real name is Liu Rui.
Wang Ying took out the gifts she had prepared in advance, which were two identical gold locks. "I couldn't come back for the full moon celebration, so I've been saving them for you."
"Oh dear, sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble again. Please thank your uncle."
"Thank you, Uncle." The two children answered in unison, like a duet, which made Wang Ying laugh out loud.
Before long, Chen Rong and Lin Qiu arrived with their two children. Chen Rong looked noticeably older after three years; her hair had turned quite gray, and her posture had become somewhat hunched.
She happily took Wang Ying's hand and said, "Why did you suddenly come back? Your mother didn't mention it at all yesterday."
"I missed you, so I came back to visit."
Chen Rong laughed and slapped him on the back, "You're just teasing me, an old woman. You're all so busy, yet you still find time to come and see this wretched old woman."
Wang Ying chuckled and said, "I really missed you all, but I did have something else to do. Qingyan was transferred to Shanzhou as a sub-prefect, and he'll be gone for several years, so I went back to Jizhou to see everyone first."
"You're going so far away, you must take good care of yourselves."
"Don't worry, once we get to Jizhou, we'll be closer to Sui Di, and maybe we'll have a chance to meet again."
Chen Rong's eyes lit up when she heard this. "Really? Then, I'll make him two pieces of clothing and you can send them to him for me. If I can see him, I'll give them to him; if not, then forget it."
Wang Ying nodded in agreement, "We'll be staying at home for four or five days, no rush, please take your time."
"good!"
Lin Sui has been at the border for three years now. Although he has written back every year, everyone still worries about him, fearing that he will not be able to adapt to the climate there, or that the Marquis will not treat him well... This child has suffered so much, he deserves to enjoy some happiness.
After a while, Chen Qingsong returned, but he wasn't alone; he brought a young man with him.
This young man was about the same height as his brother, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was quite handsome. He wasn't wearing a young man's robe, but rather a short, cross-collared robe for men, and his hair was tied up high, making him look very energetic.
Liu Changyi introduced, "This is my cousin Qin Xiao'er, who is also Qingsong's fiancé."
Wang Ying took the initiative to step forward and greet him, "This must be Uncle Qin's younger brother. He's really handsome."
Qin Xiao'er grinned, "I recognize you. I used to buy iced drinks from your shop with my mother."
Wang Ying smiled. That was four or five years ago. He was only eleven or twelve years old then, which was indeed the age to eat iced drinks.
The Qin family's youngest son and Bai Shi were completely opposite. Bai Shi was introverted, shy, and didn't like to talk, while Qin Xiao'er was a chatterbox who couldn't stop talking once she started. When they were young, Liu Changyi even gave him a nickname: "Chatty Yellow Croaker".
However, Chen Qingsong liked it very much. The two of them would huddle together and whisper to each other, acting more like two children than a married couple, which made Wang Ying laugh.
The couple's wedding is set for December next year, but it's a real shame they won't be able to come back then.
Cao Kun arrived last. Business at the porter's shop had been very busy lately, and he was so tired that he hadn't even had time to change his clothes before arriving, looking all dusty and dirty. Lin Qiu quickly fetched water for him to wash his hands and face, and the whole family was finally reunited.
When everyone talked about their trip to Shanzhou, Cao Kun, who runs a business there, said, "The roads to Shanzhou are easier to travel in this season, but they will become difficult when it gets colder. It starts snowing there in October, and it snows heavily. If you're not careful, the roads will be buried and you won't be able to tell which way to go."
In ancient times, without navigation, it was very dangerous to be blocked by heavy snow. If you took the wrong road and wandered into the mountains or encountered bandits, you would lose your life.
"However, we have a few experienced porters who are used to traveling this route to Shanzhou. We happen to have some goods to deliver there in a few days, so it would be safer to travel with them."
Chen Qingyan raised his glass, "Then I'll have to trouble you, brother-in-law."
Cao Kun quickly picked up his cup, "Brother, you're too kind. I can't help with anything else, I can only offer a small favor."
In recent years, thanks to the success of his cousins' businesses, he has accumulated several thousand strings of cash, something he never dared to dream of before. He's not one for empty words; he can only repay his family through his actions.
The meal lasted until late afternoon. The children were all sleepy, and Wang Ying was exhausted, having barely slept after traveling all that way.
In the east courtyard, Madam Li had already ordered people to clean up and heat up the kang (heated brick bed). After seeing off the guests, the two of them couldn't wait to take a bath and went to bed early to rest.
The next day, after waking up, he started socializing again. Chen Qingyan's classmates from the prefectural school knew that he had returned and came to visit him one after another.
Wang Ying took some time to visit Madam Qin and brought her some local specialties from Kyoto.
Qin Furong was still all smiles. When she saw Wang Ying, she enthusiastically pulled him into the house to try the perilla leaf cakes she had steamed.
Suye cake is a traditional delicacy of Jizhou Prefecture. It is a cake made of glutinous rice flour and filled with red beans. To prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom of the pot, a suye leaf is pasted underneath, hence the name Suye cake.
Wang Ying hadn't eaten this in a long time. She picked one up and tasted it. "Delicious! It tastes really good!"
"Lan'er, go get a food box and pick out everything from this pot so we can take it home to eat when we leave."
"I couldn't possibly accept that."
"It's alright, I prepared a lot this year, and we can't possibly finish it all at home. In previous years, we would send some to each other's homes. Yesterday, I heard from Changyi that you were going to Shanzhou?"
Wang Ying nodded, "Yes, we'll be setting off in a few days."
Madam Qin hesitated for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, Feng Zhi'en, the governor of Shanzhou, is an old friend of my elder brother. I will go back tomorrow and ask him to write a letter to you so that he can help you in any way he can."
"This, this is really too much trouble for you!"
Qin Furong didn't think there was anything wrong with it. "We're family, so it's only natural to help each other out when we're out and about."
Wang Ying was extremely grateful; she owed this person a great debt of gratitude.
The next day, Qin Furong went back to her parents' home and asked her elder brother about it. Her elder brother was a straightforward person, and he immediately wrote a letter to his old friend, instructing him to take good care of his nephew.
*
The time spent together always seems too short, and before they knew it, it was time to leave. Everyone was truly reluctant to go, and on the day of departure, Yuanbao hugged Li Shi and cried so hard he almost passed out.
This was the first time the child had cried like this since he grew up, and it brought tears to the eyes of everyone around him.
Fearing that the child would cry himself sick, Madam Li suppressed her sorrow at parting and said, "Good child, when you get to Shanzhou, write back to your grandmother, and your grandmother will write back to you. Then your grandmother will see if your handwriting has improved, okay?"
Yuanbao nodded, sobbing, "Okay, then Grandmother, please don't forget."
"I won't forget, good child, don't cry, your eyes are all red from crying."
Chen Rong took the package from her hand and handed it to Wang Ying. "These past few days, Qiu'er and I have been working hard to make several outfits. Two of them are for Sui'er, one is for Qing'er, and the last one is for you."
"Why did you make me another one? I have enough clothes."
Chen Rong patted Wang Ying's hand, "Third Aunt doesn't have much to offer, but her needlework is passable. Please don't mind."
"Look at what you're saying."
Chen Rong wiped her eyes and said, "Take it easy on the road and don't rush. Write back to us when you get there so that everyone can rest assured."
Wang Ying nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "Okay, I understand."
Chen Qingyan then pulled her younger brother aside and instructed him, "While I'm away, the family will rely on you. You're not a child anymore, so don't let your mother worry too much. If there's anything you can't decide, discuss it with your brother-in-law and brother-in-law."
"Yes, I saved it."
"Then we'll be going."
Chen Qingsong's nose tingled, and he forced a smile, waving his hand, "Have a safe trip!"
The three boarded the carriage, and the wheels rolled forward. Wang Ying watched as his relatives, who had been standing there, grew further and further away until they disappeared from sight after turning a corner in the alley. Overwhelmed with sadness, he hugged his son tightly. Chen Qingyan embraced the father and son, patting them on the shoulder to comfort them.
Once the carriage had gone far away, Li could no longer hold back her tears. Fearing that she would fall ill from crying, the others quickly helped her into the house.
This time, instead of two horse-drawn carriages, they traveled with a caravan of porters from Jizhou. Along with Chen Ju and Chen Zhandong, there were also two young men from the Huang family.
In just a few years, they had grown from children into tall young men and had even learned some martial arts. This time, Wang Ying specifically asked Er Shun to call the two of them over and ask if they wanted to come with them to Shanzhou.
The two immediately knelt down and kowtowed in agreement. Their employer had saved their lives, and now it was time to repay him. They bid farewell to their martial arts godfather, Huang Baiguan, who left him all the money he and his brother had saved, and then set off with Wang Ying and the others.
The journey from Jizhou to Shanzhou is about 1,800 li (approximately 600 kilometers). In addition to land routes, there are also water routes. If there are no delays on the road, it will take about a month and a half to arrive.
However, such a long journey will inevitably cause a few days' delay, so it would be good if it could arrive by the end of October.
On the way, Wang Ying was worried that Yuanbao would feel uncomfortable, so she took him to the experimental field early. The father and son were quietly reading a book, while the other recorded the cultivation data and wrote a book.
During a rest stop at an inn, Chen Qingyan took his son to look around. The terrain in the northwest was different from that in Jizhou; after crossing the plains, this place was all continuous mountains. It was autumn, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the leaves on the mountains were colorful and beautiful as the weather changed. It was truly a scene of autumn winds rising and white clouds flying, grass and trees turning yellow and falling, and wild geese flying south.
Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; that's the essence of it.
Yuanbao gradually forgot his sadness and developed a strong longing for Shanzhou, where he was about to go.
The old man in charge of leading the way in the convoy had been to Shanzhou several times, so he took his snacks and went to ask the old man to tell him about Shanzhou.
The old man had a good temper; he accepted the salted meat jerky with a smile and began to tell his story.
"Speaking of Shanzhou, there's a lot to say. I heard from the locals that it used to be inhabited by the Qiang and Rong people. Later, the Han emperor conquered it and it became our Han territory. Even now, there are still many villages that speak the barbarian language and don't intermarry with us Han people."
Do the Qiang people look the same as us?
"They're quite different. The people there have rugged features, curly hair, and the men have a lot of facial hair. When you get to Longxi, you can even encounter the blond-haired, blue-eyed Yuezhi people, who look like little devils..."
Yuanbao listened intently, his chin propped up on his hand. He had never seen people from other ethnic groups before, and he was increasingly looking forward to going to Shanzhou.
A note from the author:
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