Free Web NovelChapter 294: Chapter 294: Visitors Arrive
Bai Suihe sat down as well, "Have they found that person?"
Gu Kaiyuan shook his head, "We walked all the way there without a trace to be found; even if there were any, they were all buried under the snow.
Originally, we planned to venture deeper into the mountains this morning, but we encountered two wolves. It took quite an effort to deal with them, and it left us in a rather sorry state, so we had no choice but to return.
As for the two wolves we hunted, since their pelts were badly damaged, we just let those two villagers take them back."
"You’ve all done your best," Bai Suihe didn’t care about these small matters, but also didn’t want Gu Kaiyuan to risk returning to the mountains, "In such cold weather, it’s likely they’ve already met a grim fate. Even if, by some miracle, they survived, it wouldn’t be easy for just a few of you to find them in the deep mountains."
"I know all of this. Those two men came back with tears, and they must have given up inside.
And after coming down the mountain, they kept thanking us, not mentioning anything about going back."
Hearing this, Bai Suihe felt a bit heavy-hearted. The lives of ordinary people are even harder than imagined.
"When spring arrives, let’s first tidy up the nearby mountains. I’ve heard there are a lot of snakes in this area. For the safety of our family living here in the future, we should clean it thoroughly."
Gu Kaiyuan, "When spring comes, I’ll lead a group up the mountain."
"Those two households, they shouldn’t have just one son, right?"
In ancient times, productivity was quite high, often resulting in many children in a family.
"They all have a few sons," Gu Kaiyuan chatted with them along the way, "But the younger children are still so small, and it’s hard to raise them. Losing a child is a big loss since each son represents a strong labor force for the family."
Bai Suihe pursed her lips, "When it’s time to work again, we should still reach out to them.
Let’s hope for a miracle in the days to come."
Even though such hope is slim, it is hope nonetheless.
Last night, Gu Kaiyuan spent the whole night running in the mountains and was so exhausted that he couldn’t hold on any longer. After having a meal, he leaned against the warm kang and fell asleep instantly.
Bai Suihe helped cover him with a quilt and then headed out, supporting her belly.
In the following two days, there wasn’t a hint of a miracle, and both Tian Laogen’s families tacitly assumed their two sons had perished and erected a symbolic tomb in the mountains.
The snowfall here wasn’t heavy, but it continued on and off for several days, almost reaching knee height. At this time, everyone mostly stayed indoors, quietly resting and conserving grain.
As dusk approached, signaling another day gone by, the sound of knocking came from outside.
Bai Suihe thought it was just another villager and didn’t give it much thought.
Soon after, she saw Zhuang Datou standing in the courtyard, full of joy, loudly sharing the good news with Bai Suihe, "Miss, the people sent by the madam have arrived."
Bai Suihe, who was leaning on the kang, immediately wanted to stand up, but only realized after feeling a little protest from the little one in her belly that she had pulled her stomach in the process.
Bai Suihe gently touched her belly with a hint of guilt, "Mommy wasn’t careful."
The baby softly reminded, "Mommy, it’s a bit cramped in here now; you have to be careful. If you bump into me, it hurts too."
Bai Suihe immediately showed a worried expression, "It’s all Mommy’s fault; I’ll be careful next time."
The mother and daughter didn’t chat for long before Gu Kaiyuan personally led the people inside.
Bai Suihe stood in the corridor and saw quite a few people had come, about twenty or so in total.
Goodness, isn’t this a bit exaggerated? When she married into the Gu Mansion, she didn’t have so many attendants, and due to the lack of space, some attendants had to be arranged at the manor.
"Servant greets the Miss... and the Master."
"Maid greets the Miss... and the Master."
Bai Suihe, "You all have worked hard on this journey. Let’s discuss everything later. Settle in and rest for now.
Dongmei, please take them to rest."
Luckily, the courtyard prepared beforehand was large enough, with over ten rooms in the front yard, enough to accommodate them.
The Miss was so courteous, but they couldn’t accept it too easily. The leading old nanny stepped forward, "Miss, it’s alright. On the way, we traveled with the escort agency and didn’t suffer much, and we had a good rest at an inn yesterday.
Now, let this old servant introduce everyone to you."
Bai Suihe let them be since they insisted, but still sent Chunxiang to quickly brew some ginger tea to warm them up.
"This old servant is Madam’s dowry maid. I’ve been managing the estate for years and rarely returned to the mansion, so the Miss hasn’t met this old servant.
This old servant’s surname is Pang; everyone calls me Nanny Pang."
Saying this, Nanny Pang seemed prepared and produced a notebook from her bosom, "This records all the people who came this time, along with their contracts of indenture."
Chunxiang handed it over to Bai Suihe, and she opened it. Everything was quite clearly listed, including everyone’s age and skills.
Nanny Pang began introducing them, "This is Li Dazhuang. He has a lot of strength, and is good at farming. This time, his whole family came along; this is his wife, Mrs. Li Huang, followed by his three sons, Li Dao, Li Jian, Li Fu."
Hearing these names, Bai Suihe couldn’t help but take another look. Apart from Mrs. Li Huang, the rest of the family were all robust men, seemingly young and unmarried.
One might wonder why Li Dazhuang chose to undertake such a long journey, but he had his own calculations.
With these three sons having large appetites, any silver the family had went into feeding them, and it wasn’t even enough to satisfy their hunger, let alone marry wives.
Serving under the Madam offered great benefits, but aside from filling their stomachs, there was little left over.
Upon hearing that following the Miss here not only doubled the monthly silver but also awarded a large bonus, he decided to come.
With this silver, he could marry wives for his three sons, so they wouldn’t be bachelors when they grow older.
"This is Wu Dayuan’s family, his wife Mrs. Wu Zhang, his eldest son Wu Lian, daughter-in-law Mrs. Wu Lin, daughter Wu Xiaocui, and younger son Wu Liquan."
"This is Song He, his wife Mrs. Song Liu, daughters Song Laidi, Song PanDi, and son Song Yaozu."
Bai Suihe glanced at those two girls standing timidly aside, clearly not much valued at home.
"This is Zhou Xingshun, his eldest son Zhou Youjin, his wife Mrs. Zhou He, and their son Zhou Pingan, younger son Zhou Youyin, his wife Mrs. Xiao He, and their son Zhou Pingkang, along with two daughters Zhou Lanlan and Zhou Yuanyuan."
Nanny Pang introduced everyone in one breath. If it weren’t for the list in Bai Suihe’s hand, she might not have been able to match all the names.
