"Madam, I've just made a pair of these golden walnuts. I'll give this one to Little Sweet Treasure!"
Madam Chu, who genuinely adored Sweet Treasure, looked at her with a mother's tenderness.
Gu Shi, already indebted to her, couldn't possibly accept something so valuable.
"Madam Chu, I appreciate your kindness, but please keep the golden walnuts for your young master!" Gu Shi forced a dry smile.
Madam Chu, however, had already pressed the golden walnuts into Gu Shi's hand. "These are for Sweet Treasure. Don't refuse!"
Gu Shi sighed and quietly accepted them.
The next morning.
A large crowd of refugees surrounded the carriages, begging the owners for food, or even just a ride.
Madam Chu had Nanny Gao leave two sacks of grain.
But in an instant, they were snatched up by the desperate refugees.
Not even scraps of the sacks were left.
Madam Chu's convoy continued on its journey, their pace significantly slowed.
They were escorting a milk cow, stopping to rest as they went.
A month passed in a slow, swaying rhythm.
During this time, Yun Daman and Yun Erman had contributed significantly to the convoy.
The brothers repaired carriages, chopped wood, and started fires, their work honest and diligent.
Old Man Yun had befriended the guards.
He spent his days puffing on his pipe, recounting strange tales he'd read in storybooks, which piqued the guards' interest.
Old Man Yun's storytelling was vivid, making it feel as if one were truly there, making it impossible to pull away.
Madam Chu was attended only by Nanny Gao, so Zhao Guihua took on the tasks of laundry and cooking.
Her cooking was excellent, and she was kind and gentle, even Nanny Gao enjoyed chatting with her.
When Jinshan and Jinhe had free time, they would play with the dogs, catch grasshoppers, dig for wild vegetables, and pick wild fruits.
They fed the hens and ducks until they were plump and fat.
These four fowls had been attracted by their sister, and they planned to take them to Dashui Village to continue raising them.
Liu Cuirong remained as lazy and gluttonous as ever.
Since getting into the carriage, she had done nothing but sleep and eat. After a month, she had even gained weight.
She didn't look like a refugee at all.
One afternoon, the convoy arrived at a county town closest to the capital.
The Yun family was heading to Dashui Village, located northwest of the capital, so they didn't need to enter the city.
Here, they would part ways with Madam Chu.
"Madam, thank you for your care along the way. I hope we meet again!" Gu Shi bid farewell to Madam Chu.
The little boy was reluctant to let Xi Tian leave and held her small hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Wuwu, wah!~" He burst into tears, his little face filled with sorrow.
Little Xi Tian twitched her lips.
Oh dear, brother, it's not a permanent separation. Why are you crying!
Perhaps if I come to the capital later, we can still meet!
Madam Chu sighed softly and looked at Gu Shi. "Madam, your family is honest and responsible in your work. If you don't mind, you can come to my manor and do some odd jobs.
While it may not lead to great wealth, it will ensure you don't go hungry or suffer hardship, and Little Sweet Treasure can grow up safe and happy!"
"Really? That's wonderful!" Liu Cuirong exclaimed with delight, turning to climb back onto the carriage. "No more hunger from now on!"
Madam Chu: "......"
The entire Yun family: "......"
Yun Erman's face turned red with anger. He grabbed Liu Cuirong by the collar and cursed, "You disgraceful thing, get down!"
Liu Cuirong stumbled as she was pulled, nearly falling to the ground.
Yun Jinshan couldn't bear to look at his mother and turned his face away, feeling extremely dejected.
Gu Shi shot Zhao Cuirong a glare, suppressed her anger, and said to Madam Chu, "Madam, we are going to Dashui Village to join my husband's uncle.
Although the capital is prosperous, it is not suitable for poor families like ours. Thank you for your kind offer!"
Gu Shi politely refused Madam Chu.
It wasn't that she disliked the hustle and bustle of the capital, but if they followed Madam Chu into the manor, the Yun family would have to live under someone else's roof and become servants.
Her grandson was destined to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom.
How could he lower himself and grovel?
Old Man Yun stood by, silently giving his wife a thumbs-up.
Madam Chu understood Gu Shi's concerns and didn't press the matter. She then looked at the milk cow.
"Madam, this milk cow has been a great help on this journey, feeding Feng'er and Sweet Treasure until they were plump and fair.
Now that the child is a month old and can be nourished with soup and porridge, would you be willing to sell me this milk cow?"
Madam Chu genuinely wanted to buy it.
Gu Shi lowered her gaze and looked at Little Xi Tian in her arms.
This cow had been attracted by her daughter, and she had no right to decide its fate.
Little Xi Tian waved her little hands and nodded her head, revealing a mouth full of pink gums as she smiled.
She had agreed.
The whole family had fled from their homes with barely any money.
Even if they went to their second uncle's house, they would need money for expenses.
They couldn't just show up empty-handed and expect to eat and live for free!
Selling the milk cow would provide them with some financial relief.
"Alright, I'll sell it to you, Madam!" Gu Shi looked up, her eyes misting over.
She couldn't imagine where they would be without Sweet Treasure; they might not have even reached the capital.
Madam Chu didn't haggle over the price with Gu Shi. She directly instructed Nanny Gao to take out forty taels of silver notes and hand them to Gu Shi.
"This... this is too much." Gu Shi dared not accept.
Madam Chu smiled faintly. "Madam, when traveling, one needs money for everything. You have a family to support; you can't be penniless!"
With that, Madam Chu placed the silver notes into Little Xi Tian's swaddling clothes.
Gu Shi bit her lip. "Thank you, Madam."
Before she was married, forty taels of silver was considered a significant sum.
Forty taels of silver was equivalent to forty thousand copper coins, enough to fill two sacks.
Liu Cuirong was so excited she almost fainted.
She suddenly felt that fleeing from disaster wasn't so bad; not only did they have food and drink, but they could also earn money.
Madam Chu boarded her carriage, lifted the curtain, and instructed, "Madam, if you ever come to the capital, you can find me at the Jing'an Marquis's Manor. Farewell!"
The convoy drove away, and the Yun family stood frozen in place, only coming to their senses after a while.
"Did she, did she just say... Marquis's Manor?" Yun Daman stammered.
Yun Jinhe blinked. "Father, you heard correctly. It was the Marquis's Manor."
"So, that Madam Chu is the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an?" Old Man Yun's face was filled with shock.
It turned out that Madam Chu, who had traveled with them for over a month, possessed such noble status.
Gu Shi's expression remained calm as she kissed her little daughter in her arms.
"Father, it's still early. Shall we continue our journey?" Yun Erman asked in a low voice.
Old Man Yun tapped his pipe, emptying the ashes.
Then, he unhooked his tobacco pouch from his waist, pinched a wisp of tobacco, stuffed it in, lit it, and took a puff.
"Let's rest for a night. We're still quite a distance from your second uncle's house," Old Man Yun exhaled a smoke ring.
They no longer had the cow cart, and they had too much luggage, including chickens and ducks. They would need to hire a horse-drawn carriage.
This county town wasn't large, and there weren't many local residents.
However, a large number of refugees had gathered here, making it crowded and noisy.
The streets were thronged with people, and carriages and horses shuttled back and forth.
Merchants and pedestrians were endless, and restaurants and inns lined the streets, creating a lively scene.
Yun Jinshan and Yun Jinhe looked around, finding everything novel.
Gu Shi bought each of them a candied hawthorn, which delighted the two boys.
"Little Auntie, you eat too!" Yun Jinshan offered the candied hawthorn to Little Xi Tian.
The little baby's mouth watered.
However, she had no teeth and couldn't eat it, so she could only lick the syrup off the top.
That evening, the family stayed in an inn.
The next morning, Yun Daman spent a hundred copper coins to hire a cart for transporting goods.
After loading their luggage, the family got in.
"Oh, Father, Mother, isn't this county town quite nice? Why do we have to go to that Dashui Village?"
Liu Cuirong complained in a shrill voice.
She didn't want to venture into a poor mountain village anymore.
Old Man Yun frowned. "No one is stopping you from staying. If you don't want to go, get off the carriage. Don't waste everyone's time!"
Fathers-in-law rarely scolded their daughters-in-law.
But this second son's wife was truly detestable.
She was no different from a troublemaker.
Little Xi Tian gave Liu Cuirong a disdainful look. She truly felt that this second sister-in-law was a wasteful wretch.
Who knew what kind of trouble she would cause in the future.
"I, I was just saying. No one's actually staying!" Liu Cuirong said sheepishly.
She sat down next to her elder sister-in-law, deliberately squeezing Zhao Guihua, as if afraid she wouldn't be comfortable.
The coachman was a local, and the carriage drove smoothly.
The moment the carriage drove out of the county town, Old Man Yun glanced into the crowd and his expression suddenly froze.
"Stop, stop the carriage, quickly!" Old Man Yun dropped his pipe and jumped out.
"What's wrong, old man?" the coachman asked, bewildered.
Old Man Yun didn't answer. Instead, he rushed into the crowd and grabbed a young man's sleeve.