"Who is this, speaking so venomously?"
Kong Xingzhuo glared indignantly. He saw Old Ma, carrying heavy luggage in both hands, looking meaningfully at him and Han Chijiao...
"Youngsters, you can date, but don't be flirting in this freezing weather. What if you catch a bad cold?" Old Ma chuckled.
This time, before Kong Xingzhuo could retort, Han Chijiao lost her temper. "Are you saying, Uncle, that you saw us flirting? We're enemies, you know..."
Honestly, did he have eyes just for breathing?
"That's right, enemies!~" Kong Xingzhuo was also fuming. He let go of his hands, tossing Han Chijiao into the snow.
"Thump!"
"Ouch, Kong, you... you'll die a terrible death, you're truly wicked!" Han Chijiao rolled like a ball in the snow before angrily getting up.
Seeing this, Old Ma shrugged. "You two have fun. I need to find my young master. Farewell!~"
With that, Old Ma tied Chu Jiangtun's luggage onto his shoulder, mounted his horse, and quickly disappeared into the vast snowy night...
"So annoying!" Kong Xingzhuo glanced at Han Chijiao dismissively and snorted, "Who's calling us a couple? Fat chance, humph!~"
Han Chijiao: "..."
Does this person have any shame?
I am the princess of the Northern Barbarian tribe. Those who like me could stretch from the great grasslands to the East Sea. Who do you think you are?
You really think you're something special...
"Kong, don't be ungrateful. If you don't serve this princess well, I'll bash my head into this snowdrift. Then, let's see how you explain it to the master!~" Han Chijiao said, hands on her hips, threatening loudly.
Kong Xingzhuo was stunned. "Are all you barbarians this crude?"
Either biting your tongue to death or smashing your head, why not just buy some arsenic and force it down your throat...
Han Chijiao curled her lips and glanced at Kong Xingzhuo. "If we weren't crude, how could we fight you Central Plains people so hard? My father said that after the Central Plains celebrate the New Year, he will launch a full-scale attack. By then, your bustling and prosperous capital and your magnificent palace will be ours!~"
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
Such ambition. Did you think the Daliang Kingdom was a weak, skinny dog that your barbarian tribe could bully at will?
However, thinking about it carefully, Marquis Gu's strategy of 'capturing the ringleader first' was indeed effective. Although Yun Laosi didn't capture Khan Han Chier, his daughter was more important than Han Chier's life...
If she were used as a bargaining chip, forcing the barbarians to stop the war and retreat, Daliang could take this opportunity to recuperate and strengthen its military. When the time was right, they could launch a surprise attack on the barbarians.
As the saying goes, there is no home without a country. If Daliang cannot even defend its own territory, how can there be peace and prosperity?
The fallen Chen Kingdom was a living example...
"Princess Han, aren't you cold? The inn is right in front of you. Aren't you going in to warm up?" Kong Xingzhuo said indifferently.
Hmph, I'll send her back to Dashui Village before dawn tomorrow. I hope Marquis Gu will teach her a good lesson.
Han Chijiao pouted and brushed the snow off her clothes. "I want a superior room. You guard the door and prepare a basin of foot-washing water for me!~"
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
Foot-washing water?
Dream on!~
That night, they slept in the same room. Kong Xingzhuo slept on the floor, while Han Chijiao occupied the bed.
Exhausted from days of travel, they both fell asleep as soon as they hit their pillows, too tired to even argue...
The next morning, at the Old Yun family.
Old Man Yun had drunk a lot the previous night and fell asleep as soon as he got home.
Chu Jiangtun, on the other hand, had vomited profusely, feeling as if his stomach was about to come out.
Helplessly, Madam Gu had to wake up Guan Zhongbo to get some anti-vomiting medicine and personally brewed a hangover soup for him...
After a night of tossing and turning, Madam Gu returned to the kang to rest just before dawn.
"Daddy, breakfast is ready. Why isn't Mommy awake yet?" Little Xi Tian stood at the door, lifting the curtain to peek at the kang.
"Shush, shush, shush, daughter, don't make noise. Let your mother sleep a little longer, okay!~" Old Man Yun quickly closed the door and led his daughter out. "Your mother took care of your Jiangtun brother all night and only fell asleep at dawn. Ask Huaihua to save some food for your mother. Don't wake her up for now..."
Thinking of his wife treating Jiangtun like her own son, Old Man Yun's heart felt warm.
Little Xi Tian smiled and nodded, "Got it, Daddy!~"
With an extra person in the family, not only was it warm and harmonious, but they also got along very well...
The only downside was that after returning last night, Big Brother Da Man and Sister-in-law Guihua had a fight. The couple smashed cups and shouted, disturbing everyone's sleep.
Jin Huaihua prepared breakfast. Seeing only a group of half-grown boys eating at the table, with only Old Man Yun and Old Man Sun among the adults, she knew that these people had drunk too much last night and were all suffering from hangovers...
Yao Jinsheng picked up a steamed bun filled with pickled cabbage and took a big bite. "Uncle Yun, Brother Jiangtun is clearly a filial person and extremely generous with his money. I like making friends with people like him. When we return to the capital, I'll introduce Brother Jiangtun to my father, and he can also invest in opening inns and banks!~"
Far away in the capital, Master Yao suddenly shivered, cursing inwardly. Who was thinking of him? Why did he feel cold and warm intermittently lately, as if possessed by an evil spirit...
"If you have money, you can do whatever you want. Besides, your father is a shrewd businessman with a flexible mind and wide connections. It's good to introduce him to Jiangtun!~" Old Man Yun said with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the door...
A moment later, Old Ma and Second Ma, supporting Chu Jiangtun, rushed into the main hall.
Upon seeing Old Man Yun, Chu Jiangtun knelt on the ground without a word, his face full of guilt. "Father, I woke up late and didn't greet you and Mother promptly. I beg for your forgiveness, Father!~"
Old Man Yun: "..."
His home wasn't a noble mansion, nor was it a royal palace. There was no need to greet him every morning upon waking up.
When his son and daughter-in-law first got married, there was such a custom, but over time, the elders no longer bothered with such formalities...
Seeing Chu Jiangtun with messy hair, disheveled clothes, and a haggard face, Old Man Yun felt heartbroken. He quickly stepped forward to help him up. "Oh, why are you being so polite to Father? What's this about greetings? We don't do that here. Come, eat quickly!~"
Hearing this, Chu Jiangtun was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He wiped his tears. "Thank you, Father, for your forgiveness..."
It's so good to have an understanding father.
Just then, Yun Sanman entered from the outer room, carrying a bundle.