Chapter 288: Taking People to Gufeng

While his daughter was counting money, Yan Lao’er slipped into Heng’er’s room.

Yan Xiangheng quickly got up to welcome him.

“Uncle.”

“Don’t mind me, you keep tidying up. I just came to say a few words.” Yan Lao’er sat down on the edge of the heated bed, casually folding one leg up.

He glanced around his eldest nephew’s room.

Aside from the main hall, every room in the house was more or less the same, with a large heated bed taking up half the space.

On Yan Xiangheng’s bed sat a sizable square table, with books, brushes, and ink laid out on top. There was also a bamboo tube they’d used during their time fleeing from famine, now repurposed as a water container. Since the kitchen always had hot water during the day, they could refill it anytime, making teapots and cups unnecessary.

He didn’t have many clothes. With no chest or wardrobe, they were stacked neatly beside the bed, covered with a cloth to keep off dust. The cloth was a bit small, though, and several pieces peeked out from underneath.

Among them were the cotton jackets Granny Rong had tailored for each member of the Yan family.

They had bought thick, high-quality cotton coats back at Platform Mall. One coat could be taken apart to make two or three smaller ones.

Granny Rong had separated the cotton and fabric, then tailored a jacket for each person. They fit perfectly, with reinforced sleeves and joints, no longer bulky and awkward like before.

Even the quilts had been split in two. Since the heated bed was only fired up for a short while at night, the entire room stayed warm, so they didn’t need the quilts yet. Eldest Nephew had stacked them neatly to the side, also covered with cloth.

Yan Lao’er took it all in and made a mental note.

They needed to prioritize getting a proper heated bed built.

The kid had nowhere to put his things.

A bookshelf would be good too, and maybe a towel rack. It wasn’t ideal to leave wet towels spread out on the bed to dry. It didn’t look nice.

Yan Xiangheng had finished tidying himself up and climbed onto the bed to sit.

“Uncle, go ahead, what’s up?”

“Everyone from our village got a good haul at the Grand Market today, especially in terms of food. The village chief just came to talk to me about making a trip to Gufeng. I’ve been thinking we should head out tomorrow. The sooner we go, the sooner we’re back, and we won’t miss the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth.”

This market trip had left the people of Xiao’an Village in high spirits.

It wasn’t just about earning money or trading for food. What made them happiest was the feeling that they were slowly becoming part of this corner of Guanzhou.

The locals hadn’t rejected them. They’d accepted the sudden appearance of a new village without resistance.

The people here were kind and down-to-earth.

It gave them a sense of belonging.

“Uncle, you just got back. Why don’t I go instead? There’s only one river path. If you draw me a map, I’ll be able to find it.”

The young man wanted to shoulder more responsibilities. Second Uncle had been working too hard.

“I’m planning to take you, but we’ll go together,” Yan Lao’er explained. “Remember the group of constables from Yongning City who came to our village last time? I want to introduce you to them, get you familiar with their faces.

You don’t know this, but they’ve got another duty. The exam compound in the prefectural city is managed by them. When the exams start, they might be assigned shifts to guard the inner and outer areas.

If we go together, they can give you a rundown of what to expect inside. Things to watch out for. If you really make it into the exam hall, we won’t need them to pull any strings, but if they can lend a hand within their duties, even just a little, it’ll help.

Like making sure your exam room is cleaner, or that the supplies they hand out aren’t shoddy. I heard there’s a room near the latrines that reeks. If you’re unlucky enough to get that one, maybe they can check in more often, keep it clean so you don’t get overwhelmed by the stench…”

Yan Xiangheng was deeply moved.

“Uncle, thank you for thinking of all this.”

“What’s there to thank me for? Just happened to know the right people. You’ll be relying on your own abilities when it comes to the exam, but if things can go a little smoother, you’ll feel more at ease, right?

A good mood leads to a good performance.”

This was Yan Lao’er’s own method for helping test-takers relax.

After leaving his eldest nephew’s room, he headed down to the riverbank.

Right now, the ferry crossing had more than just their family’s raft. Five or six similar rafts floated on the water.

Qi Wu and the others were still tying logs together…

“Hey, how many rafts are you guys planning to make? Have you even decided how many people are going?”

From the looks of it, it seemed like quite a crowd was going.

Luo San walked over, wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve.

“Yan Lao’er, not that many people are going. It’s just that we’re bringing a lot of stuff—food, supplies. Everyone’s worried about shortchanging their relatives. Plus, a few families are bringing kids. I really don’t think that’s a good idea. You should talk to them. Why insist on joining the crowd at a time like this? There are so many sick people over there. It’s just not right.”

Yan Lao’er: …

“This won’t do. It’s reckless!”

Luo San chuckled. “Just make sure to talk to them.”

He didn’t want to say more. Why were these people being reckless? Wasn’t it because Yan Lao’er had taken Yan Xiao’er there?

Yan Lao’er quickly gathered the families who had decided to go.

“Think carefully about why we’re making this trip. The elderly and children should not be going.

Aside from food, drink, and medicine, bring axes and sickles. If there’s time, help them build better shelters. If you’ve got extra pots or pans at home, bring those too. We’re giving them grain, they can cook for themselves. Bring plenty of masks, gloves, and protective clothing. As for the rest, don’t bring useless junk.

Also, let me be clear—take care of yourselves. Don’t end up needing help yourselves because you didn’t watch out.

If I’m taking you there, you’d better listen. If you won’t, then don’t come and make trouble.”

Yan Lao’er and Yan Yu had made it back from Gufeng in one piece because they were cautious and took self-protection seriously.

Bringing these people along made him anxious.

“Don’t worry, Yan Lao’er. We’ll listen to you. Whatever you say, we’ll do.”

“Exactly! Let my wife stay home and keep the kids from tagging along to join the excitement. Haha, with your word, I’ve got something to say now!”

Yan Lao’er shot him a glare. Useless fool, not even a little ashamed.

“Yan Lao’er, let me come with you this time,” Qi Si ran over, looking at him with eager eyes.

“Alright. Bring Qi Wu too. Let the guy take a break. Watching him chop wood every day makes me tired just looking at him. No matter how much work there is, we can’t let people wear themselves out!

And Qi Da, too. Let’s all go together.”

Qi Da had just arrived and broke into a wide grin when he heard that.

…

The next day at the Grand Market, over half the households from Xiao’an Village came to the riverside to see them off.

Eight wooden rafts, all about the same size, were lined up across the river in an impressive display.

Yan Lao’er waved to his family with a carefree air, while his brothers handled the poles for him.

Qi Da, on his own, easily pushed the pole into the water. With just a bit of strength, the raft shot forward like an arrow.

Qi Wu called out excitedly to his mother, “Ma, you should head back now! Don’t catch a chill in the wind!”

Old Mother Qi turned toward the sound, her eyes unfocused but her face full of comfort. She shouted back loudly, “Alright! Ma’s going home!”

Qi Si was on a different raft, riding with Physician Cui.

Madam Cui had been persuaded by Yan Lao’er, but only on the condition that Physician Cui went along.

As a proper son-in-law, Physician Cui had stepped up with unwavering determination.

After giving it some thought, Yan Lao’er decided to bring him along.

(End of Chapter)