The reputation of Madam Zhao, Qin Junyao, among these refugees was unprecedentedly good. Previously, she had provided work for the refugees, and later, she had taken in the elderly and children. Now, General Zhao was supplying hot water and firewood.
When the northwest city was captured by Zhao Liangcai, these people would return. By then, the reputation of Madam Zhao, Qin Junyao, as a great benefactor would be firmly established.
By the end of October, the last batch of cotton-padded clothes from the Zhao family was completed. Dengzuitui sent people to escort them. In addition to the cotton-padded clothes, there were also hundreds of pairs of shoes.
"Yan Song, do you need to send some fabric and cotton?" Qin Junyao asked Dengzuitui, who was counting the cotton-padded clothes.
Dengzuitui touched the thick cotton-padded clothes. "Madam, this is enough. Judging from the dispatches, the northwest city will be breached in a while. We'll have whatever we want then."
"Is Zhao Liangcai going to steal?" Qin Junyao mused. Having whatever one wants usually meant stealing from the common people.
Dengzuitui's hand paused on the cotton-padded clothes. "Madam, the General doesn't need to steal. The northwest camp is very wealthy. Shao Yong's general's mansion has many good things, which are spoils of war."
Qin Junyao nodded repeatedly. She had overlooked this. Shao Yong could open grain stores in various counties, so he must be wealthy.
"Yan Song, if Shao Yong is defeated, what will happen to his grain stores? Will they be confiscated?"
"It's hard to say. If Shao Yong surrenders, the shops will remain his. If he dies, the deeds to the land and property will first go to his descendants. Only if they all die will they be confiscated."
"However."
Qin Junyao quickly asked, "However, what?"
"However, the current situation is a bit complicated. The prefectural office of the northwest city might be empty. So, if the General can find the deeds to Shao Yong's property and land, they can temporarily become ours."
"If no one claims them for a long time, they will all become ours."
Qin Junyao's eyes lit up. "Then have the escorts relay a message to your General, to make sure they find the property deeds, the deeds to those grain stores."
Dengzuitui nodded in agreement. In fact, the General would look for them even without the message.
They were raising more and more soldiers and desperately needed money.
If a potted plant in Shao Yong's general's mansion could be sold, the General would cherish it rather than smash it.
Just as the convoy escorting the cotton-padded clothes departed, Bai Qing and Qin Sen's carriage returned to the village.
Bai Qing went home first to rest, while Qin Sen headed straight to the Zhao family to find Grandma Qin.
"Third Uncle, you're finally willing to come back," Qin Junyao, hearing the servant's report, rushed to the entrance to greet him.
"You're about to give birth, aren't you? Why isn't your belly big?" Qin Sen looked at Qin Junyao and his first glance was at her belly.
Unlike her two sisters-in-law who looked like they had an iron pot strapped to their bellies when pregnant, Qin Junyao's belly was only slightly larger than a basin now.
"The baby is small, so the belly is small. Third Uncle, why did you go for so long?"
Qin Sen looked at Qin Junyao's belly, wondering how small the baby would be. Would such a small baby be able to survive? Or had the baby already...
"Third Uncle?" Qin Junyao waved her hand in front of Qin Sen.
"Ah, Niece, all things depend on fate. Don't force it."
"Let's go, take me to your grandmother."
Qin Junyao looked at Qin Sen suspiciously. He must have learned Buddhist teachings during his trip. Had he considered becoming a monk after being rejected by the Zisang family?
The uncle and niece, close in age, had not seen each other for a long time and did not think of each other's well-being.
Qin Junyao brought Qin Sen to Grandma Qin's room, after which she became insignificant and was driven away by mother and son to do whatever she needed to do.