her, banging their heads against the ground in greeting to everyone. ""Wuwuwu, thank you all for saving me! Gousheng, quickly kowtow to your uncles and elders! Your life, our family's life, was saved...The villagers didn't expect that after the village head and the county princess had talked for so long, they would come to this conclusion. Finally, they gave up all hope.
Although they were still a little confused, years of habit had made them trust the village head and Li immensely.
At this point, obedience is the only option.
Then, everyone turned their heads and ran home.
But Zhao Shu and his companions not only didn't leave, but instead found a place to sit down.
Jia Yin sighed. It was unnecessary to say anything; they had made up their minds to stay and guard the house.
She gritted her teeth and was about to persuade him, but Uncle Zhao waved his hand first and smiled, "Your Highness, don't say any more. It's hot weather, drink some water, and don't waste your effort on us."
“This old life of mine, we should have met our end at the foot of the mountain when we were fleeing. But everyone looked out for us, and they put in a lot of effort to bring us to Suijin Beach.”
"For so many years, we have eaten and drunk well, never missing out on the good things in life."
"We should have gone to see the King of Hell long ago, but we've been given an extra ten years of life. We're content with that."
"This time, everyone is going south for business. We don't want to hold anyone back. So we'll stay here to guard the house and keep watch over Suijin Beach.
"Who in their right mind thinks our old lives are worth taking We're not afraid. There will always be these young men from our village to avenge us, won't there"
"That's right, these kids just fool around all day. It takes a little family grudge to get them to understand things sooner." Wei Shu also laughed, as if paving the way for the boys with his sword was a happy thing.
The village head squinted his eyes and scolded with a chuckle, “Don't you know how to speak kindly What are you trying to scare the county princess for! If you want to stay, you can stay, no one cares. Every household is busy right now, go patrol if you have to, just be careful someone sneaks in and takes advantage.”
Uncle Zhao stood up first, joking, "Look, we are busy people, we can't even sit for a while. Come on, let's go on patrol!"
After saying that, several elderly gentlemen called for Dahei and Erhei to go out.
Jia Yin looked at their stumbling backs, her nose stinging with sadness.
Then Mu Xu, who had been silently watching all of this, stepped forward, half-turned to shield her, and gently took her hand.
He understands this feeling better than anyone else, after all, he has also experienced the death of loved ones...
He whispered softly, "You've done your best. Don't blame yourself. Everything will be alright."
Jia Yin silently returned his handshake, "Come, let's go invite Mr. Jiang."
"No, you stay here and rest for a while. I'll go myself." Mu Xu didn't want Jia Yin to move around. He settled her down and turned to leave.
The village head called for a literate young servant to fetch paper and ink, and set up a table, intending to record the names of those who were staying and leaving.
Soon, villagers who had packed their belongings began to gather again.
As expected, most families sent away their children and young couples. Every elder intended to stay.
It's true what they say, "Home is where the heart is."
Back then, as they journeyed south from Jiangbei, they endured countless hardships and risked their lives time and again. These elders cherished their current life deeply and were reluctant to leave Suijin Beach, this homeland that held all their hopes and dreams.
They are like trees that have grown for many years and no longer have the strength to uproot all their roots and move again.
As for the children and young couples, they haven't yet put down deep roots. Moving south allows them to start fresh and even have better prospects.
The village head sighed again, and said persuasively, "We don't need so many people to stay in the village. Don't worry about your homes, just follow them if you should leave. After all, no matter how sensible the children are, they still need guidance from their elders when they go south."
A man in his forties, with a kind smile, replied, "Village head, we've thought it over. The fruit orchards in the village are about to be harvested, and the fields need watering every day right now. We just can't bear to leave."
Although the children are small, they have a grandmaster taking care of them in the south. We can rest assured.
Another old woman also interjected, "In fact, in the village, children's schooling and clothing are all taken care of by their families. We haven't interfered much."
A woman, hugging her son, chimed in, “Besides, wouldn’t Old Madam and the Fourth Madam, along with the County Princess, all be staying too We stay, we can lend a hand. When things get tough, someone has to step up, right”
She pushed her son away harshly, signaling him to stand with his companions.
All forty or so boys and girls in the entire village, along with more than thirty young couples, totaling around eighty people, all had swollen eyes, clearly showing their reluctance. However, at this moment, not a single person shed a tear.
The village head, struggling to hold back tears, nodded repeatedly.
"Good, good job! This is what our people from Suijin Beach are like, they have backbone!"
At this time, the people from Ercun also came over.
Similarly, those carrying luggage are also children.
All the old soldiers, wounded soldiers, elderly people, and even young women stayed behind.
"Regardless of what the village head and Jia Yin say, Xiao Cui stepped forward to speak as their representative. 'Our men are still fighting in the north,' she declared. 'We absolutely must wait for them to return. They've been away from home for several months, risking their lives every day. How can we let them come back without even a warm meal We won't leave!' "
The elders also nodded, "Yes, we don't believe it. Those officials in the court are all heartless and cruel! Our sons fought the barbarians for Tianwu, and the court didn't care if we were well-fed or clothed, let alone supporting us. Now they want to chop off our heads! Even as ghosts, we would support our sons returning to kill their way back to Jiangnan!"
The veterans and wounded soldiers listened with blood boiling, all laughing heartily.
"Yeah, the old man's right. When the time comes, we'll charge in with our blades drawn. Maybe we can even cooperate and take Xin Du directly!"
Don't underestimate me just because I'm missing a hand. Against those cowardly guards manning the gate, I could kill ten of them with ease!
After a few jesting exchanges, an old soldier finally spoke seriously.
"Thanks to Lord Hou's kindness and your family's benevolence, we were able to find shelter in Suijin Beach and live a happy life. Suijin Beach is our home now. No matter what happens, we cannot leave."
Moreover, with the Lord now away, we must guard Suijin Beach even more diligently. Otherwise, how can we ever face him in the future! We have never run from battle, yet now we would shame ourselves No, no!
"Kids, go ahead and leave. Don't worry about home, we old killers will take care of it!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
In the courtyard, for a moment, the air seemed to solidify.
Everyone's heart is filled with heroism, gratitude, and the courage to stand united!
Only without fear and retreat!
"Rest assured, everyone. With me here, the children will certainly be safe and sound!" Mr. Chiang replied loudly, accompanied by Mu Xu, and strode out of the courtyard.
Everyone immediately buzzed with activity, bowing and scrambling to express their gratitude. Yet, it felt like words couldn't adequately capture their feelings.
Two updates today~~le misfortune. Today's commotion ruined the Four Seas Inn's reputation, and it will certainly never be able to reopen.Now that I've spent so much, almost 20,000 taels have gone in at once.Worse still,...