CHAPTER 224: CHAPTER 224: WHO OWES YOU ANYTHING?

Sun Daji’s wife looked down on Madam Duan and Ning Chuyu, as did Sun Sanji’s wife. In fact, none of them thought highly of the mother and daughter.

Even though they didn’t kick them out for Su Jingchen’s sake, these people were always glaring at Madam Duan and her daughter.

To say Madam Duan and her daughter’s skin was thick would be an understatement; so many people sneered at them whenever they got the chance, and sometimes even spat at them, yet the mother and daughter acted as if they hadn’t seen a thing.

They didn’t look like women who had just lost their husband and father; there wasn’t a hint of sorrow in them.

After everyone learned what had happened in bits and pieces, Yu Xiaolian was thoroughly disgusted by Madam Duan and her daughter.

What kind of people are these? When you ask for help, you should at least act like you’re asking, right?

Who owes you anything anyway?

Yu Xiaolian thought to herself that she would have to have a chat with Su Jingchen later.

After all, she definitely didn’t want Madam Duan and her daughter tagging along with them.

When the people who went out to fetch water returned, Yu Xiaolian handed them steamed buns; right then the pot of rice porridge was boiling, so Grandpa Sun had everyone take a bowl of rice soup to drink.

Everyone sipped the rice soup slowly; after drinking the steaming hot rice soup, their bodies felt significantly warmer.

Yu Xiaolian held her warm rice soup and sat down beside Su Jingchen, "I plan to find an inn to stay in for the night so they can rest well, and we’ll continue the journey tomorrow."

Su Jingchen took a bite of a steamed bun and drank some rice soup, "They won’t agree to you spending money on lodging."

Having a decrepit temple to cover themselves was much better than sleeping in the open, so they surely wouldn’t agree to let Yu Xiaolian waste money on staying at an inn.

Besides, is it really not even midday yet, and we’re not going to continue?

Originally, he only planned to rest for a bit in the temple, to let everyone replenish some food and water, not to spend the night. If they continued now, they could still cover over fifty miles before dark.

"We aren’t leaving today!" That’s something Yu Xiaolian had already firmly decided.

She had money and decided to buy two more carts, so the elderly and children could ride, and as for the young and strong, they’d have to walk.

Having just bought two houses, there wasn’t much money left in her pocket space.

The purchase of the houses amounted to 16,000 taels, largely thanks to Jun Mobai’s big head for placing orders without thinking.

Otherwise, how could she have made over ten thousand taels in just half a year?

Jun Mobai himself contributed to more than half of it.

Alas, people like Jun Mobai, who have money, they’re hard to deal with.

Su Jingchen reminded Yu Xiaolian, "If we don’t leave today, we have to set out early tomorrow morning. Sun Family doesn’t have a road permit, and the government officers won’t allow migrants like them to linger in the city for too long; if they stay too long, they’ll send people to drive them out."

Yu Xiaolian acknowledged with a nod, signaling understanding, "Then, why don’t you come with me to buy the carts later?"

Su Jingchen nodded, finished his steamed bun in a few bites, downed the rice soup, and got up to leave.

Yu Xiaolian greeted Grandpa Sun, saying she was going out to buy carts, and pulled Sun Daji along with them.

Yu Xiaolian came from Luocheng, spending over twenty days on horseback and cart before reaching Weicheng.

Now, taking Sun Family back with her, it might take over forty days.

When the cart shop asked Yu Xiaolian whether she wanted flatbed carts or ones with compartments, she decisively chose the latter.

It’s late autumn and very cold; having compartments would be warmer.

After buying two large carts with compartments, Su Jingchen and Sun Daji divided the three horses, having each pull a cart.

The three of them each drove a cart back to the decrepit temple, and Yu Xiaolian called everyone at the temple entrance to pack up and head to the inn.

Seeing everybody packing up, Grandpa Sun shouted angrily, "Don’t go! Isn’t having the temple much better? Put your bedrolls down, put them down."

Seeing this, Yu Xiaolian had no choice but to hand her reins to Su Jingchen and went into the temple herself to persuade Grandpa Sun.

"Grandpa Sun, since you left home, you surely haven’t had a good night’s sleep even once.

I just want everyone to rest well for a night, so they have the energy to continue the journey tomorrow."

Yu Xiaolian shook Grandpa Sun’s arm.

Grandpa Sun sat there unmoving, his eyes fixed on those carrying bedrolls, "This place shields from the wind and rain, where else can we go?

We’ve got so many people; how many rooms will it take to house us all? Do you know how much Silver Coin that’ll cost?"

Grandpa Sun said as he pulled off Yu Xiaolian’s hand on his arm and said sternly, "I said we’re not going, so we’re not going, don’t sway me!"

Grandpa Sun nodded at him; seeing him like this, he immediately agreed with him, telling Yu Xiaolian, "We’ve got so many people, staying at an inn isn’t worth it, why spend that money?

With that money, we could buy some food to take with us on the road, we still have a long way to walk to Luocheng!"

Once finished, he turned around to his children and grandchildren, "Put down your luggage rolls, we’ll sleep here tonight. Those who complained about sleeplessness yesterday, those who complained about leg pain today, just lay out the bedding and lie down to rest!"

Initially, those who carried their luggage rolls out of the temple returned, untied the ropes binding the bedding, and spread their bedding on the temple’s floor.

The bedding was already in tatters, with cotton stuffing spilling out, and it was pitch-black, no longer showing its original color, and radiating a heavy stench of sweat.

Grandpa Sun was very satisfied with the younger generation following his orders, showing a smile.

Yu Xiaolian still tried to persuade him, "Grandpa Sun, we don’t have to stay in fancy rooms, can’t we stay in a big dormitory room instead? At least let everyone take a hot bath to relax a bit..."

Grandpa Sun waved his hand, "No need for that, stop talking, I say we’re not going."

Yu Xiaolian sighed; this old man was stubbornly unyielding.

Grandpa Sun called Sun Dalin and Sun Erlin, "Did you see the carts? Watch them closely! You two switch shifts to sleep tonight and keep an eye on those carts."

Sun Dalin and Sun Erlin nodded in agreement, "Dad, don’t worry, there are four of us brothers; those carts definitely won’t get lost."

With four brothers...

Grandpa Sun became sad; he had five sons!

The youngest, his fifth son, was taken as a conscript, who knows if he’ll come back alive.

Why did it have to be his youngest when the draw was made?

This mentioning made Grandpa Sun very sorrowful.

The fifth son was his most beloved, also the most literate one in the family.

Grandpa Sun and Grandpa Sun were close brothers, Madam Sun’s father, Yu Xiaolian’s deceased maternal grandfather, was their first cousin.

In their youth, Grandpa Sun and Grandpa Sun had a particularly good relationship, so good that Grandpa Sun couldn’t intervene.

Among them, Grandpa Sun was the first to establish a family, so Grandpa Sun and Grandpa Sun had no great-grandchildren yet, while Grandpa Sun already had several.

As for Grandpa Sun and Grandpa San, they were brothers, they moved south with their parents in their childhood, long having lost contact.

For decades, they wouldn’t recognize each other even if they met face to face now.

Granpa Sun had the idea to leave Upper River Bay and wanted to bring his fourth brother along.

When Grandpa Sun consulted with Grandpa Sun, it was just early May on the lunar calendar, and Grandpa Sun insisted that Heaven would bring rain, refusing to leave no matter what.

Leaving would mean being far from home, who knows when they’d return. Moreover, Grandpa Sun wanted to go to Yu State, and that made Grandpa Sun even more reluctant.

Yu State was too far, he was such an old age already, he wouldn’t live many more years, and people always yearn to return to their roots. Why drag old bones so far? Better to die at home than away!