bookcurios Chapter 140 The Person I Least Want to See
Chapter 140 The Person I Least Want to See
It's grass after all, and it's very resilient. One mu (unit of land area) can yield about ten to fifteen shi (unit of dry measure). Yu Man planted it on both mu of land.
Let's see if Wei Yu will still buy this kind of grass when he goes to the capital this time. Even if he lowers the price to a few dozen coins per kilogram, he will still make a killing.
Yu Man was unsure of himself and repeatedly urged Yu Wanran to negotiate well with Boss Wei. Yu Wanran patiently agreed to each request.
She understood her father's feelings perfectly.
Despite facing criticism and condemnation from the entire village, Yu Man planted grass on the two acres of land that the villagers cherished as their lives.
If he hadn't known the inside story, he would have thought he was going crazy.
Yu Man quickly sliced a large plate of cured pork. She then used the broth from cooking the cured pork to make a pot of white radish chunks. As for the staple food, the family wasn't short of grain, so they cooked a pot of sweet potato and mixed grain rice.
Although it's a bit harsh on the throat, this is the best thing ever in Qingping Village. Even Chen Lizheng's family might not have such good food!
There were only two people in the house, the father and daughter, who made do with eating at a wooden table in the kitchen to avoid having to move the food into the main room.
During the meal, Yu Wanran asked if her uncle's family grew red grass. Yu Man's face turned pale, and he subconsciously touched his face.
Not only did they refuse to plant it, but because he did, they came and berated him, accusing him of wasting fertile land. The two brothers almost got into another fight over it!
Yu Man had completely given up on the eldest son's side. He wouldn't eat even when food was practically offered to him; what could he do? It could only be said that his elder brother had absolutely no trust in him!
Yu Man planned to give the two acres of land and the old house to the eldest son's family after planting this batch of red velvet grass, as a final act of assistance. Then he would move to Huangshan County and never return to the old house.
He is currently registered in Huangshan County. There are too many people gossiping in Qingping Village, so staying here would be pointless.
Yu Wanran nodded in agreement when she heard her father's plans. It was wise to keep a respectful distance from relatives who had already become estranged.
Aside from those who truly love you, no one wants you to be better off than them!
Yu Wanran stayed at home for two days. On the third day, after paying respects to Granny Yu, leaving behind the box of silver ingots, she packed her belongings, took the dry food cakes made by Yu Man herself, and headed to Tongcheng to meet up with the escort team and the people from the Duke's mansion.
Before setting off, he sent a message to Huangshan County, informing Zhong Yeliu that the life-or-death crisis had been successfully resolved.
Because the mission was to escort the Duke's family, Wu Jian personally led the escort this time.
Upon seeing Yu Wanran, he showed no surprise, indicating that he had likely communicated with the Duke's mansion. The two exchanged pleasantries in tacit agreement, recounting recent interesting anecdotes from Tongcheng.
Zhenyuan Escort Agency sent a total of ten escorts, plus Wu Jian and Yu Wanran, making a total of twelve riders.
However, when the Duke's mansion finally marched out of the city in a grand procession, Yu Wanran realized that they might just be there as an extra.
Zheng Peipei, Xiao Yao, Xiao Baichen, and Wei Baifeng were accompanied by a large group of maids and nannies. The Duchess and her daughter rode in the same carriage, while Xiao Baichen's carriage carried two beautiful concubines.
The only one who seemed normal was Wei Baifeng, who only brought one page.
Yu Wanran's face turned green.
The people she least wanted to see were gathered in one group!
As the son of Prefect Wei, he was not qualified to enter the palace to offer birthday greetings to the emperor.
So, is Wei Baifeng planning to stay in the capital for a while and visit the great Confucian scholar? Or is he preparing to attend the poetry gathering in March? Or perhaps, simply because of Xiao Yao, he's preparing to act as her protector?
Without time to think it through, he followed Wu Jian and stepped forward to pay his respects to the Duchess and her entourage.
Even Wei Baifeng, one of the镖主 (bodyguards/escorts), had a status and position that a commoner like her could not aspire to.
Xiao Baichen lifted the carriage curtain, holding Meiji in his arms, looking languid, and glanced at Yu Wanran with a half-smile.
"Oh, isn't this my younger sister, who is both scholarly and martial, and who is always praised by my father and mother? How come she has fallen into such a poor and shabby state after leaving the Duke's mansion for only a year!"
Two beautiful women sat in his arms, laughing mockingly.
Xiao Baichen tilted his head.
"I heard you took on this escort mission? You'd better serve me well along the way. If you do a good job, I'll reward you handsomely!"
Having said that, he threw down the curtain and went off to enjoy himself with the beauty.
Hearing the various unpleasant noises coming from the carriage, Yu Wanran's lips twitched. She really shouldn't have let the rats get away last time; she should have caught a basket of snakes beforehand and dumped them on the other person's bed!
However, the information Tang Manman gave was not very accurate. Wasn't it said that this guy had psychological trauma?
"Ran Ran!"
Cheng Pei-pei was in another car, waving and calling out.
Yu Wanran immediately put on a happy expression, her eyes shining, and strode towards the Duchess's carriage.
Xiao Yao sat side by side with Zheng Peipei. Although she seemed to have been sternly warned to pay attention to her status and demeanor in public, her eyes, fixed on Yu Wanran, seemed to be filled with venom.
Yu Wanran pretended not to see the other person. Her attention was focused on Zheng Peipei, and she asked her about her well-being in great detail.
Cheng Pei-pei was very satisfied and happy with her adopted daughter's attitude.
Ignoring Xiao Yao's sullen face throughout, he greeted Yu Wanran with a smile, reminding her to be careful during her trip. Only after the convoy set off did he contentedly lower the curtain, ending their lively conversation.
Even Wu Jian, an outsider, could tell from the sidelines that the Duke's family was a turbulent place!
Wei Baifeng and his pageboy sat in the last carriage, not showing themselves.
However, his page knew perfectly well that his young master had been listening intently to everything happening outside the whole time.
As the carriage rumbled to life, the young master's gaze followed the tall, slender figure outside through the gap in the curtain until she disappeared from sight.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
That woman must hate her young master to the core! But she doesn't know that her young master... was also forced into this situation! He had to make a choice for the sake of the family's rise and fall.
He would also experience a sudden blackout.
It's hard for anyone to accept that their childhood sweetheart and gentle fiancée, who was once devoted to them, has been replaced by an arrogant, domineering, and violent stranger!
Yu Wanran returned to Wu Jian's side and took a roster, flipping through it on horseback.
This is the list of people traveling this time, including the servants of the Duke's mansion. As a bodyguard, she must ensure that none of these people are wicked individuals with malicious intentions.
Otherwise, if anything were to happen to Zheng Peipei and the others, she and Wu Jian would not be able to bear the responsibility.
She skimmed through the text, her gaze suddenly locking onto a name—
Granny Fan?
This name sounds so familiar!
The next moment, she remembered in shock, quickly looked up, and scanned the several carriages carrying maids and nannies.
Isn't Granny Fan the one Wangyou told the Duke to kill his family? Not only did she incite Wangyou to assassinate him, but she almost dragged her down with her!
Regardless of this person's motives, their intentions are despicable!
Yu Wanran calmly withdrew her gaze and returned the roster to Wu Jian. The journey to the capital was long, and whether they would arrive safely was uncertain.
Because the Duke's family was slow to set off, they unsurprisingly missed their lodging on the first day of their journey and had to spend the night in the wilderness.
Fortunately, with their large numbers, they easily erected tents and lit campfires. This was the location of numerous bodyguards, guards from the Duke's mansion, and the Duchess from the sanitation center. Security was tight, resembling the discipline of an army on a journey.
Zheng Peipei also had a small tent set up for Yu Wanran, right next to the main tent where she and her two children lived.
When Yu Wanran went to express her gratitude to the Duchess, she saw Xiao Yao, dressed in gorgeous attire, walking in with a retinue of attendants, resembling a display stand showcasing various jewelry and ornaments.