She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

After Lu Huan's reminder, the clan leader's expression also became serious: "That's right."

Gao Yan also began to carefully recall the past few years, and indeed, as Lu Huan said, the annual Lower Yuan Festival sacrifices did not seem as cold as they were now.

A mule cart was not far behind, and Lu Huan deliberately did not lower her voice. Her words spread across the empty official road and reached the ears of the guards of the Prince's mansion.

The city of Yanjing is surrounded by towering city walls on all sides. While inside the city, the difference is not so obvious; but once you leave the city, you can immediately feel the temperature difference between inside and outside. It is much colder outside the city than inside.

The morning mist condensed into a thin layer of fog, and from a distance, the city of Yanjing at the end of the official road seemed to float above the clouds, appearing and disappearing like a fairyland.

However, none of them were in the mood to chat or appreciate the scenery, and they all fell silent.

It is said that having connections in the imperial court makes things easier.

With the help of the prince's guards, they were allowed to enter the city without much inspection.

As soon as the clan chief entered the city, he hurriedly bid farewell to Lu Huan and the others.

Gao Yan wanted to arrange a time to return to the village together with the clan chief, but the clan chief was preoccupied with the unusual weather Lu Huan had mentioned and planned to return to the village immediately to discuss the matter with the clan elders as soon as he finished what he was doing. How could he wait until Lu Huan and the others finished shopping?

"I can go back to the village by myself. There are plenty of oxcarts at the city gate, so don't worry about me!" The clan chief disappeared in a few steps.

Gao Yan wanted to chase after him, but Lu Huan stopped him: "Let him go. If you want to thank him, go to the cloth shop later and pick out a piece of cloth to give him. I think the clan chief's grandson's clothes are a bit old. If you give him this, he definitely won't refuse."

Gao Yan scratched the back of his head: "My wife is so thoughtful."

The group first went to the Prince of Yan's residence, not only to escort the guards back to the residence, but also to deliver a formal invitation.

The Prince of Yan's residence has done Lu Huan such a great favor, so he should definitely come back to express his gratitude. Whether the Princess of Yan wants to see him or not is another matter, but the attitude of gratitude must be shown, even if it is obtained through a promise.

They waited outside the side gate of the Prince's mansion. The golden glazed tiles on the courtyard wall brought Gao Chengyi back to reality.

Looking at Lu Huan waiting by the side gate, he couldn't help but feel admiration. He leaned closer to Gao Yan and whispered, "Brother Yan, your wife is really amazing! She's not afraid at all when talking to people from the Prince's mansion!"

Gao Yan glanced at him: "I saw that you were chatting quite happily with the two guards after you entered the city."

"That's different!" Gao Chengyi smiled sheepishly. "The one who was talking to my sister-in-law just now was a maidservant of the Princess! They say that even a seventh-rank official is important in front of the Prime Minister's door, so a maidservant of the Princess should be about the same! Wasn't that old nanny who went to your house yesterday a sixth-rank female official?"

"Don't go around spreading this nonsense!" Gao Yan looked around and, seeing that there were no other pedestrians, repeated Lu Huan's explanation from yesterday, "In the Prince's mansion, apart from that old nanny, none of the maids and servants have any official rank."

Gao Chengyi still looked shaken: "Even if they weren't of official rank, they were still far superior to us commoners! The guard even made plans to drink with me sometime, but I know it was just polite talk, only because of my wife. Otherwise, who would bother with a commoner like me!"

Gao Yan understood this principle as well. Looking at Lu Huan's back, he suddenly felt that the gap between them was quite large.

"A good man should have ambitions beyond his hometown! If he can't study, he can still practice martial arts and join the army!" Gao Yan said this, but it was unclear whether he was speaking to Gao Chengyi or to himself.

However, Gao Chengyi took it seriously: "Brother Ayan, do you also think joining the militia is a good idea?"

"What?" Gao Yan frowned slightly. "You can't do anything reckless! Otherwise, your fourth aunt will definitely beat you up!"

After receiving confirmation from the maid, Lu Huan took her leave and happened to hear Gao Yan's words.

"What nonsense?"

Gao Yan's face was full of disapproval: "Cheng Yi wants to enlist in the army."

Upon hearing this, Lu Huan couldn't help but frown. Leaving aside the fact that weapons are indiscriminate, a cold wave was just two months away, and by then, even preparing firewood and quilts for winter would be a bit rushed, let alone enlisting in the army.

She had an idea: "Why don't we go and participate in the militia training?"

"Oh dear! How could I have forgotten about this great place!" Gao Chengyi was still hesitant, but after hearing Lu Huan's suggestion, he became eager to try it out.

He patted Gao Yan on the shoulder: "How could I forget about this! Brother Yan went there before."

"You actually participated in militia training!" This was the first time Lu Huan had ever heard of this in either his past or present life.

Her eyes were so clear, filled with a faint joy, that Gao Yan felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"Yes, I only heard about it by chance from the clan chief. I thought I would go and learn some skills so that I wouldn't come back empty-handed from the mountain."

Now Lu Huan understood why Gao Yan had gone out hunting and foraging for food during their escape.

Gao Chengyi wanted Gao Yan to explain in more detail, but Gao Yan pushed him away, saying, "Your sister-in-law has things to do. Let's go to the bank first."

"Yes, yes, yes! My sister-in-law's matter is the most important!"

Baofeng Money Shop, the largest money shop in Yanjing (Beijing), is not far from the Prince of Yan's residence and its origins can be traced back to the previous dynasty. Legend has it that after Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he took Baofeng Money Shop under royal ownership, but whether this is true or not remains unknown.

But it was true that Baofeng Money Shop had royal connections—no matter how small the county, you could find Baofeng Money Shop's signboard near the government office. Ordinary people dared not act recklessly there.

Gao Chengyi had never been to a money exchange before. After helping Lu Huan and his wife unload the wooden boxes, he slipped away.

Gao Yan was planning to discuss the militia training with him in detail, but who knew that he had already driven off in a mule cart and disappeared.

Lu Huan turned around again, and only Gao Yan's figure remained at the entrance of the money exchange: "Where is my cousin Cheng Yi?"

Gao Yan shook his head helplessly: "That kid has already slipped away."

"Why didn't you try to stop him? He had no money, where could he go? We couldn't just leave him standing in the cold wind at the city gate!"

Gao Yan held Lu Huan's small hand and explained in a low voice, "He's a grown man, why are you worried about him! That kid is quick-witted, he's probably gone to the city gate to recruit people!"

Although his large hands were rough, they were very warm, and Lu Huan's palms became a little sweaty from being covered.

She struggled free and argued, "Cheng Yi only took the bus to accompany us because of you. How can we just focus on shopping and having fun and leave him all alone!"

Gao Yan chuckled twice: "What's the big deal? You're his sister-in-law. When we get back, buy him four big meat buns, and he'll be all smiles."

Lu Huan glared at him, then turned and followed the bank clerk into the main hall. Gao Yan handed the mule cart to the clerk and sat down in a corner, waiting for Lu Huan to come out.

Inside the back hall of the money exchange.

Manager Ding looked at the boxes piled up on the floor and asked with a smile, "Madam, would you like to store them by the goods, or would you like to rent a warehouse for storage?"

"What's the difference?" Lu Huan hadn't expected that there would be such a saying in the money exchange.