An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

Dalang and the others watched Heizi's every move silently. Even Xiaotuanzi watched without saying a word. Instead, he leaned against his aunt's legs without saying a word, but his eyes were fixed on Heizi.

Instead, Silang was a little impatient and kept saying, "Why did you leave? Didn't you say you would go to Yamen with us?" He couldn't accept that both of them broke their promise.

At first, he hated Tao Jin, and later he also disliked Tao Jin's constant presence in front of his cousin Xi, and even Hei Zi disliked him. But when it was time to leave, he felt an inexplicable feeling of parting, and suddenly felt a little reluctant to leave.

Tao Jin said, "See you later."

Heizi had picked up his package again, his eyes swept over Xiaotuanzi but he didn't say anything.

Tao Jin suddenly turned to Jing Chunxi, who had been following him silently, and said softly, "See you in Beijing."

After saying that, the two men left. One got on the horse prepared for him by the soldiers in front, and the other got on the carriage opposite. He didn't even want the chestnut horse he had brought from the capital.

Tao Jin said a few words and then walked away, leaving behind a group of lonely people. Apart from the horse, there was no trace of his existence.

They didn't even know who he was or where he had gone.

When Jing Yongcheng got back on the carriage, he said to Jing Changning, "Lingnan is the fiefdom of the King of Yan. Only the King of Yan can raise private soldiers."

Jing Changning had already guessed it, but he was a little confused: "I wonder who this guy is to King Yan?"

They couldn't guess Tao Jin's identity. The royal surname was Xu, but his was Tao, so they thought he might be related to the King of Yan.

After these two people left, the atmosphere along the way became much more depressing.

The family's excitement, which had finally built up upon learning that Jing Changjiang was not dead and that they were about to arrive at Yamen Village, was suppressed again.

Even the two little kids stopped fighting and playing because of Heizi's departure. Instead, they just stayed quietly in their mother's arms. Even the little squirrel stopped playing.

The further we went, the fewer people we saw. Even after walking for half a day, we still didn't see a village. It turned out that the exile area was indeed desolate and sparsely populated.

I occasionally saw a few passers-by, all of them had dark skin and were short in stature. I wondered if the people here could have enough food and clothing.

At this time of year, the roadside is either filled with mountains and forests or abandoned land. In some places, there are more stones than soil. Everyone's heart is chilled. Life must be difficult due to the barren land.

After walking for two more days, they entered Jiangmen, crossed two mountains, and walked for another day and a half before reaching the Jiangmen County Government Office.

This is a very small county. There is only one main street of several dozen meters long in the entire county that is paved with bluestone slabs. The other three or four streets and alleys are paved with gravel. However, due to the humid climate, there is not much dust, and it is still clean and tidy.

The houses along the street are short, and there is not a single two-story building. Apart from the main street, which is still somewhat presentable, there are few decent shops to be seen. The word "poor" is revealed everywhere.

They had known for a long time that they were coming to a remote and barren mountain area, so they were not surprised. However, the children were in a bad mood and even more depressed.

Only the officials who were about to return were excited.

"We'll hand you over to the government office today, and tomorrow we'll take you to Yamen Village. After you get back and rest for a night, we'll head back home."

Scarface seemed very excited when he came over to greet them. Even the officers escorting them had smiles on their faces when facing the prisoners. They had finally arrived at their destination and would be able to go home soon, and their mood was also very happy.

They were no better off than exiled prisoners along the way. As long as they had a smooth journey without any major problems, they would be able to receive an extra thirty taels of official silver after completing the mission.

But after this business trip, I can rest for ten days when I get home and be with my wife and children.

"I still have half a side of pork at home, let's cook it all tonight. You've been taken care of by Master Liu and Brother Qi along the way, so tonight we can drink and eat meat together, which can also be considered a farewell dinner."

This time it was Jing Yongcheng who spoke personally. It was Jing Yongning and Dalang who negotiated with the officials along the way. Now that they are here, they should be thanked.

"Okay, it's fate that we've been together for over two months. We haven't had a single drink along the way. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again. I hope everyone is doing well."

After hearing this, Master Liu agreed readily. He still had deep respect for the old general and felt deeply honored to be able to have a drink with him once in his life.

Jing Yongcheng brought his son and grandson to personally greet County Magistrate Yan and Captain Cao. They all agreed very readily, especially Captain Cao, whose originally stern face now relaxed and looked a lot younger.

After receiving the order, Zhuang called on all the female relatives among the prisoners to take action. She also bribed the kitchen maids and waiters with a few pieces of silver, borrowed their people and kitchen utensils, and cooked all the remaining rice. The big men also rushed to knead the dough and roll the noodles. In order to have a big meal tonight, no one was willing to rest.

There were so many people that half a pig alone was definitely not enough to eat. The old lady generously took out her own banknotes and asked the waiter to help buy chickens. She also listened to the waiter's suggestion, saying that in Lingnan area, people usually kill dogs, sprinkle dog blood, and eat dog meat to get rid of evil spirits and change luck. The old lady did not ask the men in the family for their opinions, and without saying a word, asked the waiter to help buy two dogs.

Dalang and his brothers went to buy some wine. There was a winery not far from the post station. The wine was made by an elderly couple who brought back all five large jars of wine they had.

As soon as they returned to the yard, Grandpa Xiaobei opened the wine jar, filled two bowls, and placed one in front of Jing Yongcheng: "Old General, drink a few bowls tonight. You will feel refreshed after drinking."

Jing Yongcheng smelled the faint aroma of wine and felt his mouth water when he took a breath. But he couldn't help but glance at his wife.

The old lady pretended not to see it at first, but after seeing him finish a large bowl of wine in one breath, she couldn't help but say, "Don't drink on an empty stomach!" Her heart was full of concern, but her tone was full of blame.

Erlang quickly and tactfully handed a piece of cake to his grandfather. Jing Yongcheng chewed it twice and swallowed it in two bites.

Then he said cheerfully: "Good wine!"

He smacked his lips, savoring the taste. But after a pause, he said to Xiaobei with a hint of regret, "The knife-scorched rice in the north is still more exciting."

This caused everyone to burst into laughter, as they complained that the drink was too weak.

The old lady knew what he meant. He must be trying to use the wine as an excuse to drink a few more bowls tonight. She didn't hesitate to say: "You can only drink three bowls tonight. We have to travel tomorrow. When we get to Yamen Village, you can drink as much as you want."

Dalang ran over with a smile and said, "I've asked around. It's not too far from here to Yamen Village, only about forty miles. Even if I leave home a little later tomorrow, I can still get there before dinner."