frightfiction Chapter 213 Returning Home
Chapter 213 Returning Home
The carriage traveled swiftly for a month and a half before finally arriving at Yunshui Town. It was now the golden autumn of October, and the osmanthus blossoms along the roadside emitted a rich and refreshing fragrance.
"Madam, we've arrived at Yunshui Town," Zhou Dayong said to the carriage, looking at the familiar place.
"Alright, let's go to the food stalls to find out what's going on." Song Jiaojiao's voice came from inside the carriage. It had been a month and a half since she last received the letter, and she didn't know what the situation was like at home. She thought it best to go to the food stalls to ask first.
The carriage arrived at the food stall. It was noon, and the food stall was still very popular. The waiters were still the same people. As soon as Song Jiaojiao got out of the carriage, she was spotted by the sharp-eyed waiter.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating, until he was sure it was real before he hurriedly stepped forward.
"Master, you're back!"
"Hmm, who's here today!" Song Jiaojiao looked at the bustling business in the shop, and noticed that several new dishes had been added to the counter, which she assumed were created by Meng An and his group.
"Chef Meng An has arrived today and is currently in the backyard. Should I go and call him out?"
"No, you go ahead and do your work. I'll go find him myself."
When Song Jiaojiao arrived at the kitchen, she saw Meng An teaching a newcomer how to grill skewers.
"When grilling meat, controlling the heat is very important; it's a key reason why the meat won't be dry..."
Song Jiaojiao was spotted by Meng Qi as soon as she entered.
"Madam, you're back!" Meng Qi stood up abruptly and exclaimed loudly.
Meng An turned around when he heard the noise and saw Song Jiaojiao standing behind him with a smile on her face.
Meng An nodded to Song Jiaojiao, then turned and instructed, "That's all for today. Familiarize yourselves with what we've covered today, and ask Meng Qi if you have any questions."
After saying that, he turned and left with Song Jiaojiao.
Upon entering the private room, Meng An finally spoke, "Madam, you're finally back."
"What's wrong? Are you all alright at home? How is Mu Qing? I came back as soon as I received Mu Qing's letter in Quanzhou County. What's the situation at home now?" Song Jiaojiao had many questions, especially about Wang Chi and his identity.
“Since you left, Miss has managed the household very well. The new dishes at the food stalls were all developed by Miss. Sifanglou has sent many people over to learn barbecue techniques, and quite a few shops have opened in the past few months.” Meng An shared what he knew.
"Yes, you've done a great job. I can travel far away with peace of mind because of you. The letter said that my husband, who died in battle, has returned. What's going on?" Song Jiaojiao is now more concerned about the original owner's husband, Wang Chi.
"I'm not too sure about that. More than two months ago, a group of soldiers suddenly came to the village. It was only when the village chief came out that he realized the general leading them was the wife's husband."
According to the villagers, they went to Old Wang's house first, and then came to the workshop. That day, the young lady had gone to the county town, and only Manager Xu Fang was at home, so they weren't allowed in. Old Mrs. Wang said a lot of bad things about you at the door, but she was silenced by the third patriarch who rushed over after hearing the news.
Meng An recounted the events of that time, which he learned later from the villagers.
"Later, that old woman Wang kept making a fuss about moving into the new courtyard, but Manager Xu Fang never agreed. Later, for some reason, that old woman Wang stopped making a fuss, and the leader, Wang Chi, also moved into the old courtyard next to the new courtyard, where he has lived ever since."
Oh, by the way, the eldest young master is back too; he came back with General Wang.
"Where is Mu Qing now?"
"After hearing that General Wang had returned, the young lady came back once, but she didn't stay for more than two days before going to the county town again. She hasn't returned since, so she's probably still in the county town."
After hearing Meng An's words, Song Jiaojiao understood that Mu Qing probably didn't know how to handle the matter, so she went out to find some peace and quiet.
In the first two years after Wang Chi went to serve in the military, his wife treated them no differently from the other two wives. However, as time went on and there were always bad rumors circulating outside, she gradually became more and more biased. All the dirty and hard work was done by Song Jiaojiao's family, and they often got to eat there. When she heard the bad news about Wang Chi, she kicked them out of the house.
They had endured the hardest and most difficult days, and their lives were finally getting better. But then, someone who had died suddenly came back to life and changed identities. In her previous life, Mu Qing was just a high school student, and she really didn't know how to face it.
"There's one more thing. I wonder if Madam still remembers Sunjiagou?"
“Sunjiagou? That’s the village where we went to buy winnowing baskets. What’s wrong?” Song Jiaojiao thought of the old man she met when she needed a winnowing basket. He happened to live in Sunjiagou. Meng An had mentioned that there were some problems with the village.
"Yes, that's Sunjiagou. When the general came back this time, he arrested everyone in the village and put them in jail. It turns out that this village is really a village of kidnappers. No matter who they are, young or old, once they enter the village, they are drugged and sold to other places. The pretty girls are sold to brothels and other filthy places."
Meng An said with lingering fear that it was just him and his wife at the time, and thankfully they hadn't drunk the water the old man had prepared, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Logically speaking, their village's blatant behavior should have led to an investigation by the authorities long ago. Why was it only investigated after Wang Chi returned?"
"Madam, you are unaware of this. It's all because of the previous town mayor. What appears to be village profits is actually the previous town mayor's way of accumulating wealth. No one has reported it for so long because the town mayor has suppressed it. If it weren't for the general uncovering them this time, who knows how many more innocent people would have been sold off cheaply."
Meng An explained that although the general's sudden return made everyone uneasy, it was indeed a very good thing.
"That's right. This kind of village and these scum should never exist in the world."
Song Jiaojiao has gotten most of the information she wanted; it's time to go home and see her resurrected husband!
"Zhou Dayong, go to the county town and bring Miss back," Song Jiaojiao instructed after getting into the carriage. It's always better for the whole family to be together.
……
"Manager, I think I saw Madam Song return," said the waiter at Sifanglou Restaurant, who was soliciting customers outside the door.
"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?" Manager Wang suddenly stood up from behind the counter. Since Wang Chi returned, he had learned that Madam Song was actually the wife of the General's lost eldest son. Fortunately, he had been quite respectful to Madam Song before.
"It should be him. I've seen that driver with Madam Song before," the waiter said, pointing to Zhang Li sitting by the carriage outside the food stall.
When Manager Wang heard what the waiter said, he quickly came out and happened to see Zhang Li turn around.
"Quickly, send someone to Qingshui Village to inform General Changsheng!"
Wang Chi made great contributions on the frontier this time and was awarded the title of the third-rank Ever-Victorious General. With two generals in one prefecture, the Wang family gained great prestige in the capital. The rumors that the General Who Guards the North had no successor were naturally dispelled.