considering Xu Fengze's careful and cautious nature, it's rather surprising that he would hide something in such an obvious place within the manor. Perhaps there's some possibility that it's hidden wi...The ripples carried Song Dachuan straight to the street he had walked down before. There, ordinary people were setting up stalls, forming a well-established morning market where many people came to buy food.

Song Dachuan and Lian Yi came prepared, sweeping the stall selling steamed buns, mantou, and scallion pancakes clean. Then they saw a stand selling meat soup wontons, the broth was already boiling with a milky white hue, just looking at it made one's appetite whet.

"Sir, would you like two bowls of wontons They cost ten coins a bowl, and the meat broth is very fresh. The wontons are all filled with meat. After one bowl, you'll definitely want a second."

Seeing the father and daughter stop, the boss immediately called out to them.

The ripples were also getting hungry. Mainly, after leaving Haoyun City, they would have to speed up their pace and definitely wouldn't have time to stop and cook over a fire. Water was also a concern.

Liàn yī directly addressed the boss:

"Boss, let's have a bowl of wontons each for me and my dad. We'll take all the remaining wontons you have!"

"But we're in a hurry. You boil the dumplings until they're almost cooked, then take them out and rinse them with cold water. Then find a clay pot to put them in for us, and get us a covered wooden barrel for the meat broth. We'll take both of them. The cost of the clay pot and the barrel is on us."

After Ripple finished speaking, before the boss could even show his delight, she tossed him half a tael of silver.

"Alright! Please have a seat, sir/madam. I'll take good care of everything for you!"

The boss pocketed the silver, gave a word to the woman who was making wontons, and then ran home. By the time ripples and Song Dachao had finished their delicious meat wontons, the man had returned with a wooden bucket and a clay pot.

Then, cooperating with her own wife, she began to cook wontons according to Lian Yi's instructions. In a short while, all the wrapped wontons were cooked, and the meat soup was poured entirely into the wooden barrel, allowing Lian Yi to take a look before covering it with a lid.

Song Dachuan and Lian Yi had already eaten all the dumplings, instantly feeling a warmth in their stomachs. They even burped with the taste of meat. Then they wiped their mouths and left the street with their food.

Song Dachuan carried a clay pot in his arms, with a bag of grain on his back. Lianyi effortlessly held a wooden bucket in one hand, and a cloth bag hung from her other shoulder. They walked quickly ahead, soon seeing the entrance to the mule and horse market and catching a whiff of its distinctive smell of manure.

"Big River, ripples, this way!"

This time, it was Zhang Cheng waiting at the market entrance with his eldest son, Zhang Fengrui. Upon seeing the two familiar figures, he immediately waved and shouted loudly.

Song Dachuan and Lian Yi walked two steps closer together, meeting up with Zhang Cheng.

"Ah Cheng, is the oxcart bought"

"Dad has seen it, the cows and carts are separated. Two cows have been chosen and are being harnessed to the cart right now! Both cows are just over a year old, they look strong and healthy, but they cost an arm and a leg!"

“Dad said it’s best to take the red deed, that way it'll be considered our family property and things will be clearer if there are any issues.”

"Dad was very thoughtful. What if we met someone who claimed the ox as theirs We wouldn't even have any proof, would we That would be a loss!"

Song Dachuan strongly agreed, after all, they had experienced the hardships of escaping and seen the wickedness of human nature along the way. They felt that their father was right to do what he did.

"Well, father agrees with that. However, this whole process took time and cost eighteen taels of silver because we had to rush it."

Zhang Cheng spoke in a low voice.

"

It was worth the money.

"

As soon as the four people entered the market, they saw Zhang Zhong and Zhang Jun each driving a cart-drawn oxcart heading out. Finally, the whole family was reunited.

Song Dachuan put all the grain he bought on the oxcart, and directly handed the jars to Lao Zhangshi:

"Mother, this is the cooked wontons that I and Lianyi bought. The meat soup is afraid of spilling so Lianyi is carrying it! We'll eat it after we leave the city. They are meat-filled wontons, a treat for the children."

"Well, you two are kind. Let's not waste time and get on the road."

Old Zhang smiled and said.

She was very satisfied with this son-in-law, except for that troublesome in-law. Luckily, the son-in-law stood his ground and separated from the family, allowing her daughter to live a more relaxed life. Her granddaughter, Lian Yi, was also capable and had almost become the backbone of the family throughout this journey. She was very pleased, and if only her granddaughter's face wound could heal, it would be even better.

Song Dachuan sent gifts and then went to the second carriage. After seeing his wife and son, he led a young ox at the front and left Haoyuan City without stopping.

Not until they were three miles away from Haoyuan City did Lao Zhang order the carriage to stop. Then, his family heated up the bone soup and each person had a bowl of fresh wontons. The children ate so much that their heads didn't even lift, not even leaving a drop of meat broth behind.

After a good meal and drink, the Zhang family at the fork in the road chose the path leading to Huangzhou. They continued their journey with raised whips, for they had left Liangzhou completely, bought a bullock cart, and, thanks to a bowl of meat wontons, everyone's spirits were lifted. They set off again, cheerful and full of high spirits.

On the night that a line of ripples left Haoyuan City, the refugees used their pooled silver to knock on the small door. Then, they unexpectedly stabbed the guard soldiers and took the opportunity to open the gate. The refugees gathered at the city gate immediately surged into the city.

When the starving refugees stormed the city, they started looting and pillaging. They would take anything edible. Some even coerced young men to attack the county government office.

The county magistrate was at that moment embracing his concubine in pleasure when he was discovered by the frenzied refugees, who immediately smashed him to death with a stool. The entire city of Haoyuan plunged into chaos.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the inn, Yu Junyu stood by the window, watching the chaotic scene below. His brows were furrowed tightly. He had expected such a result, so he had his driver take his seal to gather nearby soldiers. They should be here by now.

After the disaster victims had ransacked and looted for half an hour, the sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the city. The relief troops finally arrived. Some disaster victims, hearing the sound of hooves, finally calmed down. They discovered that the county magistrate had been killed by them. They turned and ran out of the city, knowing that if they didn't run, they would be dead.

When dawn broke, the vast city of Haoyun finally fell silent. Armored soldiers patrolled the main street, and Yu Junyu, who had replaced the county magistrate killed by disaster victims, began to clean up the mess left by the calamity in Liangzhou.

After shivering through a night of terror, people finally dared to venture onto the streets. Looking at the shattered shops and bloodstains everywhere, they were grateful they had escaped in time. The worst-hit areas were the county office and the mansions of wealthy families in town.

But if they had set up a soup kitchen outside the city, they wouldn't have provoked so many angry refugees.

Liàn Yī was now holding Hǔ Zǐ, sitting in the ox cart, swaying back and forth, listening to Shí Jiù tell them about what had happened after they left Hào Yuán Chéng.

It seems Yu Junyu is quite capable.

"Well! He's always been capable, and it's precisely because he's capable that people are trying to undermine him."

His confidant took a large sum of money and planned to assassinate Yu Junyu, but you saved him. Otherwise, the script they had arranged for Yu Junyu would have been that he was startled by a horse, rushed into the crowd, and ultimately met with a tragic end—car crash and death.f four first went to book a lodging. At the Hongfu Inn, they got a medium-sized room, enough for their family of four. After putting down their belongings, they headed straight to Puji Hall with Huzi...