Chapter 235: Here Comes the Money

Huo Jiang found the military tent stuffy and hot, so during the day he ordered someone to lift the door curtain to both sides, keeping it open all the time.

At this moment, a summer night breeze blew past, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and silver light covered the ground.

Mu Nan Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, facing the night of the camp, saying, "It is to protect one person, and also to protect everyone."

"It is related to her, but not solely for her."

Huo Jiang frowned, "How you say this makes it sound even harder to understand than a monk meditating on Zen."

Mu Nan Zhao turned toward the tent, looking at Huo Jiang, "She has wished for a peaceful life and also has her own future to pursue, so she looks forward to an era of peace and prosperity."

"And what is called an era of peace and prosperity is nothing more than daily tranquility, with the people having something to rely on, living in peace and working happily."

"So whether I ultimately wish to protect all the people or just her is originally impossible to separate, right?"

Huo Jiang fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he drew a sudden breath, "Hiss… it really is like that."

"Boss Gu always calls herself a farmer; she is indeed just one of the people of the world."

"You are indeed doing it for one person, but saying you are doing it for all the people also makes perfect sense."

Huo Jiang was still immersed in the Zen mechanism.

Mu Nan Zhao, however, reminded him in a cool tone to return to reality, "The warhorses in the army have already been fed fresh fodder, and the grain you requested has all been stored away."

"They have fulfilled the work they promised you; the Grand General should promptly pay the reward so that cooperation can continue next."

Huo Jiang angrily exhaled heavily, "Can't you stop always talking about money, money, money!"

"Even Boss Gu herself hasn't urged me yet; what are you rushing for!"

Mu Nan Zhao scoffed, "Do you want to take another look at the end of that military report?"

Huo Jiang picked up the military report and examined the end again carefully, his face gradually becoming awkward.

When reading earlier, he only focused on the key points, not savoring the nuances of human relations within.

That passage, filled with extravagant praise, lauded Gu Xixi, saying she not only completed the work on schedule but also handed over the method for making oats, as well as how to maintain the fields thereafter.

The point is, the usually taciturn General Liu specifically named her, having already told Boss Gu that he would immediately report in detail to the Grand General and request instructions.

General Liu also said that Boss Gu seemed quite pleased upon hearing it.

Why was General Liu behaving so unusually? Because the reward for this stage had not been paid in full, and General Liu, stationed in the rear to oversee land reclamation, would thereafter be embarrassed to ask Boss Gu to continue handling matters.

Why was Boss Gu pleased? Naturally because she knew the reward was about to arrive.

Huo Jiang rubbed his forehead in a headache, "Alright, I'll get the money now and send it out with the military report overnight later."

"Now you should be satisfied, right?"

Mu Nan Zhao sat down beside him, saying leisurely, "You also said this is Boss Gu's own affair; what does it have to do with me?"

Huachi Du Cun.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan went into the city again the next morning to sell grain.

They still exchanged everything for silver, then used the copper coins they brought to shop at the market.

Even though they knew they might be kidnapped, even with someone protecting them nearby, they still could not be careless.

So this time they bought more items, and upon returning to the village they tried to minimize going out.

This time Gu Xixi bought a lot at the pastry shop.

Pine nut pepper salt baked bun, sugar oil small pastry, crispy milk residue dumpling, peanut brittle sugar……

All are high in sugar and oil with little moisture, able to be stored for nearly a month even in midsummer.

He Jinglan puzzled, "You don't love jujube paste cake, so why didn't you buy any?"

"And aren't you buying too much of these? The whole family would have to eat them as meals to finish them."

Gu Xixi paid the money, had the clerk pack it up and bring it out to help her load it directly onto the cart.

Facing the major customer Gu, the clerks naturally were happy to provide attentive service, immediately agreeing in unison.

Gu Xixi walked out of the pastry shop, then told He Jinglan the reason for doing so.

"Recently things have been unsettled; if something happens, it happens."

"When there's no time to cook, or when one lacks the mood to cook, one should have some ready-to-eat reserve food."

"Besides, if Master Liu and the others cannot hold out, we must rely on ourselves."

"I have already plotted the route; each person will grab a few pastries, tuck them into their clothing, and flee to the mountains."

"While hiding in the mountains, if we unfortunately get separated, the rear mountain has no shortage of water, and with the calories from these pastries, eating sparingly can sustain us for three to five days without problem."

Gu Xixi finished speaking, and in an instant noticed He Jinglan staring at her wide-eyed.

He Jinglan admiringly clapped a few times, "No wonder it's you; you even prepared the plan for when we're trapped in the deep mountains and about to starve to death."

Gu Xixi said, "Don't rush to tease me first."

"If we really reach that point, the few of us, including my master, can all find food from what's at hand."

"Only you, however, can eat pastries."

He Jinglan optimistically said, "Now it's summer; there are plenty of wild fruits in the mountains, and I can also pick them myself to eat."

"I can also make a fire, gather wild vegetables and mushrooms, and roast them to eat."

Gu Xixi sighed with a headache, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of!"

"You must remember, as long as it's a wild vegetable or fruit you've never eaten before, you absolutely must not eat it; even if you roughly recognize it but cannot be certain it's exactly the same, you cannot eat it, not even touch it!"

"Especially wild mushrooms— all wild mushrooms are strictly forbidden to eat!"

He Jinglan saw Gu Xixi so serious, and it was rare for her to say so much in one breath.

She understood, "Eating it could possibly cause death?"

"Yes, it will die." Gu Xixi nodded solemnly, "According to your odds, it's about seventy or eighty percent."

"If you're unlucky enough, encountering a poisonous one on the first try would make it a hundred percent."

The assistants had already placed several large packages of pastries onto the cart.

When He Jinglan got on the cart, she silently sat down beside the pastries; these life-saving provisions must be well protected.

Afterward, they also stocked up on oil, salt and other seasonings, as well as daily necessities that were lacking at home.

At noon, they again made an appointment to eat at a restaurant with Meng Dangni zi, who treated them.

On the way back in the afternoon, passing through the East Main Street Market, they happened to see Zhou Dangsao packing up her stall.

"Xixi! Miss He! You've also come to the city."

She saw that half of the cart's board was already filled, and she laughed, "You bought so much stuff!"

"I see... Xixi, your mood seems pretty good today."

Gu Xixi didn't notice a hint of strange worry in Zhou Dangsao's smile, and she said, "Yeah, there are many people at home, so since we're making a trip to town, we might as well buy more."

She glanced at the stall; several jars of pickled vegetables had already been emptied, leaving only watery broth.

She then invited, "Sister-in-law, if you're done with the stall and have nothing else to do, why not ride back with us?"

Zhou Dangsao was delighted, repeatedly thanking while hurriedly packing up.

Other people at home had to change shifts for patrol, so they really couldn't leave.

When they came in the morning, she had her husband Lao Zhou move everything to the side of the official road, then hail a passing cart, giving the driver a few copper coins to go to the county town.

On the way back, having an extra person to chat with made it not so boring.

Halfway along, Zhou Dangsao looked ahead at Gu Xixi's back of the head, hesitated several times, then said:

"Xixi, if you're feeling upset inside, just say it out."

"Or... since no one on the road knows us right now, you can yell at whoever you want to scold; venting might make you feel better."