Feng Zongping and his group braved the cold wind and set off. Yin Huo did not leave; his health was frail, so he openly asked to stay longer and wait for warr weather before departing.
The imperial guards who ca with them certainly did not rush him and even left two to care for and protect him.
The news from the capital did not reach Xiazhou until after the New Year. The emperor summoned Yang Heshu and Governor Niu to Beijing for inquiries.
Moreover, the entire Imperial Hospital and its staff were also summoned back to the capital, with officials from the Ministry of Justice and Punishnts personally requesting them.
In Xiazhou City, one of the last smallpox patients died, while the others were cured and discharged. The villas were thoroughly cleaned and returned to their original owners.
But everyone knew that these three villas would probably not be inhabited for several years.
For this, Yang Heshu personally visited to thank the owners of the three villas. Initially, their willingness to offer their hos to Yang Heshu for sheltering patients was a great kindness.
The morials of Yang Heshu, Governor Niu, Manbao, and Imperial Doctor Lu went to the capital with Feng Zongping and his group, even arriving two days earlier than them, as the officials delivering morials wouldn’t travel as slowly as they did.
This ti, Yang Heshu did not take Ms.Cui and his son with him to the capital; he only brought Wantian, leaving most of the staff to her. He also gave her a jade ring, smiling, "Father’s dispatched people are arranged at the official fields outside the city. After I leave, you should take the child to live on the manor, tightly closing the doors until I return."
Ms.Cui accepted the ring and nodded earnestly. She vaguely knew that those people were not ordinary guards but rather the troops that the Yang Family had raised in the past. However, as the world settled, so had been enlisted into the army, while others stayed ho as guards.
Ms.Cui felt a little downhearted, but in her hands were still quite a few usable troops, not to ntion the Yang Family.
With them close, she and the child could be safe.
Ms.Cui grasped his hand and spoke softly, "Husband, I will wait for you in Xiazhou."
Yang Heshu responded softly, saying quietly, "After this epidemic, Xiazhou is much weakened. Leaving just like this, I feel unwilling."
He had worked hard for two years to establish himself, bringing so prosperity to Shuofang County. Leaving now to start over elsewhere indeed felt regretful.
Moreover...
He glanced at Ms.Cui; though his wife was unhard, she had indeed been close to losing her life. His inability to find evidence did not an he could do nothing.
So actions require evidence to proceed, but others do not; following one’s heart is enough.
Yang Heshu patted her hand and turned to the guest courtyard.
In the guest courtyard, Zhou Man and others were bustling with packing. Manbao was the fastest since she had a niece and niece-in-law helping her. Once packed, she ran to find Bai Shan and the others, "Third Mrs.Gong invited for a last al of lamb spine hotpot and baked flatbread. Are you joining?"
Bai Dalang had already gone back with Feng Zongping. Yin Huo, who had moved next door to Bai Shan and them, laughed, "Didn’t we just have so the day before? Why are we eating it again?"
"The day before, we had deer tendons," Manbao swallowed, "But honestly, the deer in Xiazhou are so delicious, much better than those in the capital."
Not only the deer tendons were delicious, but the venison as well.
Bai Shan nodded in agreent, "And cheaper, too."
The two exchanged a glance, unable to suppress a chuckle.
The day before yesterday, Third Mrs.Gong treated them to deer tendons, so Bai Shan took the opportunity to inquire about live deer. Indeed, unlike in the capital, buying live deer in Xiazhou was much easier.
Because here, there were both wild and captive-bred deer.
A piece of grassland at the racetrack could raise deer, and when autumn and winter ca, they were released onto the grounds for the noble sons and daughters to hunt, making more money than selling venison alone.
Moreover, many of the deer here descended from wild ones, and after generations in captivity, they tasted even better than wild deer.
Bai Shan bought two fawns of different breeds, then rode with Manbao to the prairie to offer them to his little father-in-law.
Upon returning, he used the excuse of poor archery to explain that the deer had escaped.
Except for Bai Erlang and Yin Huo, no one else suspected a thing. Well, that was just Gong San and Third Mrs.Gong, who knew he had bought deer.
Not wanting to upset them, today they were invited for lamb spine hotpot instead of venison. Thinking they liked hunting, Third Mrs.Gong suggested, "Sheep are easier to hunt than deer. If you want to hunt, I’ll have so sheep driven onto the prairie for you to practice?"
By then, she would have about a hundred sheep driven in, confident they couldn’t miss any.
Manbao quickly said, "Never mind, we were just a little interested that day, generally not keen on hunting."
Third Mrs.Gong nodded, although secretly regretting it. Had they ntioned their interest in hunting earlier, she would have taken them to the grasslands, paying the entrance fee to roam a few rounds, whether they hit a target or not, it would have been for fun.
To have purchased deer just to shoot them on the prairie, which wasn’t anybody’s land, leaving them nowhere to search if they ran off, was a waste of two fawns.
Nowadays, Xiazhou City had already regained its worldly atmosphere, with many shops reopened, so Third Mrs.Gong directly invited them to her favorite lamb restaurant.
She said, "Though this place is small, the lamb spine hotpot it serves is authentic, and the baked flatbread is particularly delicious, being both soft and chewy. The taste at my ho was nothing compared to this. Ah, you’re leaving tomorrow; otherwise, I could have brought you here several more tis."
Manbao had already caught a whiff of the fragrance, nodding repeatedly.
They looked out the window, saying with a smile, "There are a lot more people on the streets now."
"That’s hardly a crowd," Third Mrs.Gong glanced out as well, "Before the epidemic, this would be bustling. Back then, travelers from the north, those heading east, going west, and coming up from the south all passed through Xiazhou City. rchants gathered like clouds, especially in recent years as County Magistrate Yang eased taxes on goods entering and exiting the city. rchants from all directions preferred to conduct business in Xiazhou City, making it even more lively. Now, there are far fewer people."
Not only did many people in Xiazhou City die, but quite a few passing rchants also succumbed to illness, turning Xiazhou City into a place of sorrow. Losing such a number of rchants in the short term, coupled with people’s fear of the pox, ant few wanted to co back.
She sighed as the owner brought out a large iron pot, placed it on the table’s center after pulling out the wooden plank, and then started a fire underneath it by pulling out another slab from below.
This was different from the lamb spine hotpot they had at Third Mrs.Gong’s ho, where it was served ready in a basin. The restaurant’s version seed like it would be cooked on-site?
Cooking on the spot was not possible; the lamb spine had already been stewing in the back kitchen for so ti. By the ti it was served, it was nearly ready to be eaten.
As he lifted the lid, steam rose, and the aroma of at wafted through the air, even enticing Yin Huo to take a deep breath, feeling the hunger in his stomach.
The owner took out a basin, imdiately kneaded so dough, and spread it along the edge of the iron pot...
Slling the slowly releasing scent of wheat mixed with the at’s aroma, everyone couldn’t help but swallow.
This lamb spine hotpot seed really delicious.
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