leonardwarren Chapter 42 Departure
Chapter 42 Departure
Actually, Qiu Tong had inquired for him beforehand, and there was no one named Li Shouyi among the county soldiers who returned this time.
So his father... either died on the battlefield or was captured by the rebels, and his fate is unknown.
But fearing that Wang Xiulan would be heartbroken, he kept the news a secret.
"Don't worry, Mother. I left several letters at home. If Father comes back, he will definitely see them."
"Will this work...?"
......
The next day.
Suddenly, a sound that shouldn't have been heard came from Aunt Liu's house.
It immediately became the talk of the town in Liushufang.
"Old Chen, is this true?"
Looking at Aunt Liu's house, Aunt Chen could hardly believe it. Although Aunt Liu wasn't a very good person, she had always been a law-abiding citizen.
What...? Not long after Old Liu left, there was a man's voice in the house.
"snort!"
"Old Liu must be blind to have married such a slut."
He, who is usually so composed, rarely gets angry.
He and Uncle Liu grew up together, and now that this has happened, he naturally can't stand by and watch.
"Why!"
"Old Liu..."
...
There are rumors circulating outside.
Aunt Liu was completely disoriented at home, and Liu Lao Er had suddenly lost weight and was always in pain.
Even after taking the medicine she brought back from another clinic, it had no effect whatsoever.
"Second brother, what's wrong with you?"
Liu Lao Er looked pained, but he forced himself to get out of bed, then knelt down with a devout look in his eyes, and the next moment he began to chant something like a ghost story.
What gods... immortals... please bless me...
Aunt Liu was completely bewildered, but no matter how much she called out, Liu Lao Er did not respond at all.
"Second brother, what's wrong?"
She finally broke down and burst into tears.
But no one cared about her at that moment.
A carriage arrived at Liushufang and stopped in front of Li Yuan's house.
"Brother Yuan."
Qiu Tong got off the carriage and hurried inside.
"Brother Qiu..."
When Li Yuan saw his anxious expression, he immediately realized something was wrong. After a moment's thought, he said, "Brother Qiu, it's the rebels..."
"Yes, the county soldiers are leaving tonight. Hurry up and put your things in the carriage. The ferry crossing is already packed with people."
Li Yuan was shocked. They were abandoning the outer city so quickly? "Fine!"
The matter was urgent, and he dared not waste any time.
So they loaded the packed items onto the carriage one by one, the most important of which was the box containing gold.
During this time, many people from Liushufang came out and looked at this place with curiosity.
"Ah Yuan, are you leaving?"
Uncle Chen walked over at that moment.
"Um!"
Li Yuan put the box into the carriage. "We're going to the inner city."
"What?"
"Is he going to the inner city?"
"I heard a pass costs a lot of money?"
"Where did the Li family get so much money?"
.....
A commotion erupted in the crowd in the distance, with people starting to speak.
"Let's go to the inner city..."
Uncle Chen looked at the child he had watched grow up and nodded. "That's good. Things are too chaotic now. It'll be safer to go to the inner city."
"Don't worry, I'll look after the house for you."
"If Lao Li comes back, I'll tell him, so don't worry."
She didn't say anything superfluous, but always thought of him.
"Old Chen... thank you then."
Wang Xiulan led Li Jun out of the house, her eyes slightly red. She had just been unable to hold back her tears, and her heart was filled with reluctance to leave this home she had lived in for decades.
But for the sake of her two sons, she had to give up this reluctant decision.
"This is a joyous occasion, why are you crying? Countless people envy your family for living in the inner city, I'm envious too."
Uncle Chen deliberately interrupted.
"Mother, take Ah Jun and get on the carriage first."
Li Yuan urged him on.
Time is money now, and we can't waste it.
"well."
Wang Xiulan nodded repeatedly and led Li Jun into the carriage, while Qiu Tong sat outside, ready to catch the train.
As for Li Yuan, he casually took a burlap sack from the carriage and handed it to Uncle Chen, saying, "This contains several dozen kilograms of cornmeal and some meat."
"No, no... I can't have it."
Although Uncle Chen was shocked, he wanted the several dozen kilograms of meat, but he still refused.
We can't accept it!
"Take this, Uncle Chen, as a thank you for looking after this place for me." He then stuffed it into the man's hand and sat down on the other side of the carriage. "Brother Qiu, let's go."
The wheels rolled slowly.
Uncle Chen waved his hand, "A-Yuan, be careful when you go to the inner city, and listen to me."
"Okay, Uncle Chen, my family is counting on you now. Go back."
Li Yuan waved his hand, and the carriage started speeding away, quickly disappearing from Uncle Chen's sight.
"Okay, let's go to the inner city; it'll be safer there."
Uncle Chen sighed, then picked up his sack and walked home amidst the envy of the crowd.
.....
The horse-drawn carriage raced through the narrow streets.
Looking at the familiar little house outside, Wang Xiulan felt a deep sense of reluctance.
Little Li Jun, on the other hand, was filled with excitement. It was his first time riding in a carriage. "Mom, it's so fast!"
"Um!"
Wang Xiulan wiped away her tears and nodded.
Outside!
Qiu Tong drove the carriage at breakneck speed toward the ferry crossing.
"Brother Qiu, why so suddenly? Didn't you say yesterday that it would take a few more days?"
Li Yuan then voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"I don't know. These are decisions made by higher-ups. I'm just a lowly constable; how could I possibly know?"
Qiu Tong chuckled self-deprecatingly, but his eyes also revealed his displeasure.
To be honest, he was also puzzled, since delaying for a few days would have allowed him to earn more silver, and the passes alone would have been a large sum.
Who would have thought that the county government would suddenly issue an order that all county soldiers would withdraw from the outer city that night?
This also caused him to lose a lot of money.
This is also why he's unhappy.
You know, in the past few days, those people have been giving him a lot of money so that he can get the pass as soon as possible. He's earned so much that he could lie down for seven or eight years without any problem.
This proves that his initial decision was correct.
He spent all his money to smooth things over, and even had to borrow from He Qiu Shi to finally get the job as a constable.
Not only did we break even, we also made a huge profit.
More than half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the ferry.
While not exactly a sea of people, there were three long queues.
They were all traveling with their families, carrying loads of luggage, and anxiously waiting for the ship to head to the inner city.
He looked at the river.
At this moment, the three small boats slowly sailed towards the opposite side.
But looking at this boat... it's really small, it can only hold a maximum of a dozen or so people at a time, plus all of them are carrying so many bags.
A single ship can have a maximum of two owners.
"Brother Qiu, are there only three boats? Do we have to wait in line?"
Li Yuan asked.
If we have to wait in line, how long will it take?
"You're insulting me!"
Qiu Tong couldn't help but chuckle.
He's a constable, why should he wait in line? What's the difference between that and insulting him?
As for the boatmen... they were all destroyed on the orders of the county magistrate.
"Forehead--"
"I was wrong, Brother Qiu!"
Li Yuan quickly apologized.
The carriage slowly made its way toward the ferry. Passersby saw Qiu Tong sitting inside, dressed in official robes, and even if they were dissatisfied, they dared not utter a word.
"It's definitely better to be an official."
"Power still trumps money."
Li Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.