Reincarnation and Rebirth

The morning air was fresh and pleasant. Su Wan'er decided to explore the town first. Since she was now very close to Qingzhou, she wasn't in a hurry to travel. With money and leisure, she was ready to start a new life.

As soon as Su Wan'er stepped out of the restaurant, she saw a group of soldiers pushing a small cart full of steamed buns and other food. She recognized the leader; he was a former villager from Su Family Village. He had later joined Xiao Yunting's army and become a member of the Thunder Army. His presence here—could it be that Xiao Yunting had come? Or had Zi Xingchen sent him to capture her?

Su Wan'er instantly understood that Zi Xingchen must have already suspected Xiao Yunting.

After thinking it over, I decided to stick to the original plan to avoid causing trouble for Xiao Yunting.

Given Zi Xingchen's personality, Lei Tingjun might already have spies planted in him. Her recognition of Xiao Yunting at this moment is undoubtedly handing Zi Xingchen a handle to use against him.

Meanwhile, when Xiao Yunting heard the steward's report, his brow furrowed. Ziyun Kingdom was in dire need of reconstruction, and the emperor had ordered stricter control over grain. Could it be Su Wan'er who could produce so much grain all at once?

During their escape, Su Wan'er didn't tell Xiao Yunting her secret, but Xiao Yunting wasn't stupid. He knew that Zi Xingchen was able to solve the army's food problem in a short time, and Su Wan'er must have helped them. From the beginning, Su Wan'er's family was different from other villagers on their escape journey, which was one of the reasons why the Empress Dowager and the others planned to have Su Wan'er rescued. After all, at that time, being able to eat and stay warm was the most important thing.

"Butler, you're responsible for helping Manager Li handle the aftermath. Remember, you mustn't leave any clues, including the young man who sold the grain. He must keep his mouth shut."

The steward bowed respectfully and said, "General, rest assured, our people will absolutely not reveal a single word to anyone."

Xiao Yunting could no longer sit still. He was eager to go outside and see if he could run into Su Wan'er. He told himself that he would just take a look, as long as he knew she was safe, that would be enough.

"Yun Ting, are you leaving already?" At the entrance of the main hall, an elderly woman with a full head of white hair was being supported by her maid. She stretched out her hands in front of her, feeling around as she spoke anxiously.

Xiao Yunting walked up to the old lady in a few steps. "Mother, the army is still outside the city. I can't stay with you."

"Yunting, can't you stay one more day?" the old lady said reluctantly.

“Mother, the Emperor has ordered that we arrive in Qingzhou in ten days. Now, there are only three days left. I will come to see you again next time. Please take care of yourself.”

“Hey, don’t worry about your mother. Your sister-in-law is taking good care of her. Yunting, you’re not young anymore. After the New Year, you’ll be in your early twenties. If you meet a suitable girl, remember to bring her back for your sister-in-law and me to see.”

A beautiful image suddenly flashed into Xiao Yunting's mind, and he said with a wry smile, "Mother, I understand. Sister-in-law, I'm sorry to trouble you with things at home."

Xiao Yunting respectfully addressed Madam Gao, who was standing beside the old lady, saying, "It is said that the eldest brother is like a father and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. Over the years, the family has been fortunate to have my sister-in-law. I have seen everything, so my respect for her is no less than that for my mother."

Madam Gao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle, I'll take good care of things at home. You take good care of yourself while you're away. I just instructed the servants to prepare some of your favorite foods and everyday clothes, and the servants have already packed them up. Remember to take them with you."

Xiao Yunting bowed again to Madam Gao, moved. "Thank you, sister-in-law. Mother, I'll be leaving now."

"Okay, okay, remember to write back whenever you have time."

After leaving the General's Mansion, Xiao Yunting did not ride a horse, but wandered aimlessly down the street. His personal servant, Mu Chun, scratched the back of his head and asked, "General, where are we going?" Bayi Town was not large. After Xiao Yunting led the servant around twice, Mu Chun finally couldn't help but ask. If they continued to wander around, they would not have enough time to catch up.

Xiao Yunting scoffed at himself, wondering what he was thinking. Even if she really was in Bayi Town, she must have hidden herself and wouldn't be easy for him to find. Besides, it had been a while since she sold the grain; she might have already gone to Qingzhou.

Thinking this, Xiao Yunting flipped himself onto his horse and said, "Let's go."

The army had already assembled and was just waiting for the general to set off. The soldiers in the crowd glanced at the soldiers behind Xiao Yunting, and when they saw him shake his head, they all looked away.

To reach Qingzhou, Qingshan Town was the only way. Due to Xiao Yunting's delay in the morning, the army arrived at Qingshan Town after dark, and the city gates were closed, so they had to set up camp again.

When the magistrate of Qingshan Town learned that General Xiao had arrived, he hurriedly went out of the city to greet him. "General, I have prepared a guest room. If you do not mind, please come into the city with me to rest."

"No need. I will camp here with the soldiers tonight."

"This general is of noble status..."

"When I was fighting, I slept on the muddy ground. It was already a blessing to have a roof over my head. Please go back, sir."

"Well, then, this humble servant will bring the general some hot food."

Xiao Yunting did not refuse; if he didn't eat, the soldiers who followed him could eat.

Upon seeing that General Xiao had agreed, the county magistrate was so happy that his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head. He went back and ordered his family cook to prepare a large table of dishes and send them over.

The next morning, the city gates were wide open, and Xiao Yunting led the Thunder Army to continue their journey.

Thinking that if they moved quickly, they should be able to reach Qingzhou tonight, Xiao Yunting didn't want his soldiers to spend the night outdoors again, so he ordered the men behind him to speed up.

“Deputy General Lei…” Xiao Yunting’s words came to an abrupt halt, his eyes fixed on a jewelry shop in front of him. He would never forget that figure for the rest of his life.

Su Wan'er was admiring the exquisite ancient handcrafted jewelry in the shop when the shopkeeper saw her attire and felt disdain. It was only early in the morning, and such a poor, shabby person had already come in.

"The jewelry here is all crafted by renowned artisans. If you're looking to buy jewelry for your family, why not take a look over there?"

Su Wan'er followed his finger and looked down. Hmm, was she being looked down upon? Sure enough, there are always people who look down on others in every era.

Pointing to a beautifully crafted hairpin on the counter, she asked with a rather nouveau riche air, "How much is this?"

The waiter didn't even lift his eyelids. "Five hundred taels."

What? This piece of junk costs two or five hundred taels? Even if it's made of gold, it shouldn't be worth that much.

The shopkeeper sneered, "This is the most popular style in the capital right now. The Empress wears a gold hairpin like this. However, since the Empress is of noble status, the material used is naturally the finest pearls from the East China Sea. But the pearls inlaid on ours come from Minghu Lake, which are also rare and precious."

Alright, alright, Su Wan'er touched her nose. Her attempt to show off had failed. She couldn't possibly spend half her fortune on something so impractical.

"I can tell you're from an ordinary family. These silver and gilded hairpins are reasonably priced and would be perfect gifts for your sweetheart."

Tch, this waiter clearly looks down on me, yet he still wants to do business with me. Am I really such a scoundrel?

Thinking this through, Su Wan'er decided not to buy any jewelry. As for jewelry, she had brought it from the palace and had brought it with her. If it weren't for the inconvenience, she would definitely dazzle the shopkeeper's eyes.

"Waiter, wrap this hairpin up for me." After saying that, five hundred-tael silver notes appeared on the counter.

A familiar and pleasant voice rang out, and Su Wan'er looked up in a daze.