Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 642 - 640

Chapter 642: Chapter 640

As Xiao’er’s carriage entered the city, they saw Liu Zhiwen and Liu Zhiwu waiting for them at the entrance.

After exchanging some pleasantries, the two brothers led them to their mansion.

In the busiest street of the town, Shen Jingwen was at a corner helping people write letters. He spotted a few carriages passing by, beautifully crafted yet simple and unpretentious, prompting him to take a second glance.

He had been running his stall in the town for a while and was familiar with the regular carriages. These particular ones must be from out of town, and their owners must be quite wealthy yet discreet, hence the choice of their carriages.

Suddenly, he saw Liu Zhiwen and Liu Zhiwu accompanying the first carriage. He quickly lowered his head in shock: could it be that they were back?

No wonder Liu Zhiwen and Liu Zhiwu had been lurking around the city gate these past few days. They must have been waiting for the third branch of the family to return.

Unable to stop his curiosity, Shen Jingwen lifted his head slightly and looked again. The curtain of the carriage lifted, and he saw a face that seemed familiar and yet so alien. His heart was filled with mixed emotions. So, they were really back! He thought they had abandoned their lineage and would never return!

When Xiao’er glanced in his direction, Shen Jingwen subtly shifted his body, opened a folding fan, and obscured his face.

Once the carriages had passed, Shen Jingwen removed the fan and looked back.

The sight of the carriages and the surrounding guards stirred envy and resentment in his eyes that he could hardly hide.

A woman approached him to write a letter. Pulling himself together, Shen Jingwen waved his hand, "Auntie, I’m closing the stall for today, please find someone else."

After packing up his things, he immediately ran towards the city gate leaving the woman muttering, "I’ve never seen anyone push away business like that."

With no time to spare for that one coin, Shen Jingwen had to rush home.

Xiao’er lifted the curtain of her carriage, looking around, she found the town’s streets remained largely the same after a few years. The reputable shops were still in place, while some small ones had changed, but that was normal. Only the shops with good reputation could stand the test of time.

Xiao’er’s eyes quickly passed over a stall where someone was writing letters. She paused for a second before shifting her focus.

The carriage soon stopped in front of a four-section mansion, a new acquisition of the Liu family in the county.

Liu Zhiwen quickly dismounted his horse and said to the gatekeeper, "Open the gate! My aunt and my younger cousin have returned!"

As soon as Xiao’er entered the town, Liu Zhiwen had sent a page boy to deliver the news.

Mrs. Tan and Liu Minhong were already waiting eagerly. Hearing her son’s voice, Mrs. Tan quickly ordered, "Quick! Open the gate! Let Xiao’er’s carriage go straight to the second entrance."

Liu Minhong added, "Zhiwen, spare your aunt and her family from exiting the carriage. The weather is cold and the north winds are harsh. Don’t let your young cousin catch a cold."

Understanding that they were guests, Xiao’er allowed Mrs. Liu to stay in the carriage. Xiao Jingzhe was still young, so it was important to protect him from the freezing weather.

The siblings got out of the carriage and greeted Liu Minhong and Mrs. Tan.

From inside the carriage, Mrs. Liu apologized to her older brother and sister-in-law, "Sorry, brother, sister-in-law, I won’t disembark right now. When Jingzhe is older, I’ll bring him over to greet you properly."

"You don’t need to apologize," Mrs. Tan playfully reprimanded, "If you dared to disembark, I would’ve chased you away!" She felt comforted with the siblings’ unchanged attitude towards her family despite their newfound wealth.

Everyone laughed at her quip.

"Let’s head inside. Grandpa and Grandma are anxious to see everyone." Liu Minhong suggested.

The two families went inside and naturally engaged in warm greetings.

After they dined together, Xiao’er’s family returned to the guest house arranged by Mrs. Tan to rest.

As Mrs. Liu Lin’s birthday was the following day, Xiao’er’s family didn’t rush back to the village. Instead, they stayed at Mrs. Liu’s parents’ house for the night. They still had plenty of time after New Years to return to the Imperial Capital.

At night, Xiao’er didn’t go to bed. She sat at her desk, holding a piece of paper, writing a letter to Shangguan Xuanyi and waiting for Zhao Yong to return.

The imperial court was currently at war with General Li’s army. While General Li had silver, he lacked provisions. It was possible that they’d transport food supplies to the northwest disguised as a merchant team.

The harvest of the past couple of years led to a surplus in many towns, resulting in low grain prices. As the common people did not lack food and the buyers reduced, the grain merchants’ income dropped significantly. So, they thought about selling grain in the northwest and Xiyue City areas.

Throughout Minze Country, it was only the northwest region that lacked food. Therefore, the emperor supported this arrangement.

However, the situation was different now. Selling food to the northwest region required strict supervision. Carelessness could result in feeding the enemy, thereby boosting their morale.

Normally, because there were toll checkpoints on the official road, detecting any abnormalities in the merchant team would have been easy.

But, in remote, loosely governed areas, it was hard to spot if someone, in their own self-interest, accepted bribes and let the enemy’s food supply team pass through...

Xiao’er ended up waiting until midnight.

Yang Mei led Zhao Yong in. Xiao’er gestured for Yang Mei to pour Zhao Yong a cup of hot tea and let him sip it before speaking.

Zhao Yong emptied the tea cup quickly and began to report. "There’s definitely something up with that caravan. I followed them all the way, and after they settled in at the inn for the night, I inspected the carriages. Underneath the grains, there are several wound-treatment materials! I also overheard them mentioning that several caravans have already departed. It seems like they can make a lot of silver with this trip."

Xiao’er remembered the weapons Li Mingjun had secretly manufactured and transported this way. "This can’t be delayed! Write a letter to Brother Shangguan at once so that he can make arrangements and stop the enemy. In the coming days, investigate behind the scenes and find out which merchants are buying large quantities of military necessities like medicinal materials and cotton and send the information to Brother Shangguan." By intercepting the enemy’s supplies, they could win half the battle.

Shangguan Xuanyi, Di Shaowei, and countless soldiers wouldn’t have to spend the New Year far away from their homes.

Zhao Yong nodded. He understood the importance of this matter.

"Go rest. If you need help, ask Feng Yang to lend a hand."

Zhao Yong nodded again and left the room.

Xiao’er went to bed after he left. However, she had barely closed her eyes when the day broke.

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