Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

Chapter 1308: Let’s Go Together!

The families happily enjoyed their meal, and after finishing, they roasted pine nuts together as a snack.

The adults gathered to chat, but all tacitly avoided mentioning Great Chu’s great defeat and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

This year has already been difficult enough, only a fool would talk about dispiriting matters during a festival.

However, Qin San Lang and Elder Qin consistently kept an eye on the snow situation. By the time the families were about to disperse, the courtyard outside already had a thick layer of snow.

Qin San Lang went outside and measured the snow thickness with his fingers; it surprisingly surpassed the second joint of his index finger... nearly two inches of snow had fallen in just over an hour.

Qin San Lang felt a sinking feeling, but didn’t show it on his face, instead reminding the families preparing to leave, "The snow is thick, nearly two inches. When you get back, quickly light a fire. Get up early to clear the snow tomorrow to prevent the roof from collapsing."

Gu Damu exclaimed in surprise, "It’s gotten this thick? We’d better hurry back and light a fire, otherwise we’ll be up half the night before we can sleep."

Ms.Yan said, "You go ahead and prepare, I’ll help finish dividing the food and bring the kids back."

"Alright," Gu Damu agreed, heading back first with Gu Qingliang while Gu Qingtian stayed to carry Old Mrs. Yan home later.

The other men from the families also left quickly.

The women rapidly divided the dishes and headed home with the children.

Third Grandma brought out her lambskin coat for Old Mrs. Yan, "It’s too cold, dear sister-in-law, you mustn’t catch a chill."

If she gets sick, it would trouble the children.

Old Mrs. Yan, bundled up like a ball, was carried home by Gu Qingtian.

After the families left, Gu Dashan and Gu Jin’an were busy lighting fires. Gu Jin’an pulled Brother Cheng over to help, "You’re grown up now, need to learn what men should do."

Teaching him while working about the essentials of indoor heating and snow clearing.

Mrs. Cui and Gu Jinxiu brought out quilts that had been prepared early. Now, having money, they made a ten-pound quilt, with Gu Jinli having three exclusively to herself, which nearly suffocated her despite her resilience.

...

At the Qin family, Qin San Lang and Elder Qin measured the snow thickness again at dawn, finding it had accumulated past their wrists.

Elder Qin was deeply worried, "It’s best if the Emperor doesn’t attack the Rong again; if he recruits troops to attack Rong, it’s likely another major defeat will follow."

New soldiers, particularly from the South, inexperienced, and not yet trained for battle, unable to withstand the cold, hastily sent to the battlefield—it’s just sending them to their deaths!

However...

"That’s impossible," Qin San Lang watched the falling snow, saying, "The Emperor is very prideful, and with tens of thousands of soldiers dead, if he doesn’t send troops to avenge, his reign on the throne will soon end."

Elder Qin understood Emperor Jingyuan better than Qin San Lang did; knowing Emperor Jingyuan’s temperament, he would definitely recruit extensively and re-strike the Rong.

Tears welled in his old eyes. This time, the men of Great Chu may all become fodder on the battlefield against the Rong.

"It shouldn’t have been this way. If he hadn’t rushed to invade the Rong, this wouldn’t have happened!" Elder Qin, having helped Old Duke Wei and Emperor Jingwu conquer the country, remained loyal to Great Chu despite the calamities, choking back tears, "How did he become like this? He was clearly the most like Emperor Jingwu..."

Clearly capable of establishing a flourishing era, how did he turn into this?

Elder Qin couldn’t figure it out, nor could many old ministers.

Qin San Lang had met Emperor Jingyuan as a child and heard much about him from his father. Almost everyone said Emperor Jingyuan was very much like Emperor Jingwu, a rare talented and martial figure, and upon ascending the throne would undoubtedly bring good fortune to Great Chu.

But now...

Yet, in the elders’ conversations, he identified a common point: "Grandfather, what exactly did Emperor Jingyuan experience before he turned eighteen?"

Elder Qin paused and replied, "What could he have experienced? At that time, Great Chu was stable, and those imperial grandsons grew up privileged and high-spirited, especially him. Resembling Emperor Jingwu, he was favored by Emperor Jingwu from a young age, demonstrating talent as he grew, and was Emperor Jingwu’s chosen heir, most enviable."

After thinking again, he added, "If there’s any ordeal, it’d be his eagerness for merit leading to his disappearance in Rong Territory. But the old master and the Princely Heir explained clearly that he merely vanished, begged among the Rong commoners for months without suffering significant wrongs... perhaps he was just too spoiled to tolerate the indignity of begging."

Qin San Lang frowned, feeling the matter wasn’t simple; even a normal person enduring a few months of begging shouldn’t completely change their personality into that of a madman!

But Grandfather seemingly only knew up to this point, asking further wouldn’t help... perhaps the Old Duke Wei and his son knew the truth, but unfortunately, they were already dead.

"If he attacks Rong again, aside from large-scale recruitment, he’ll likely mobilize people from the Southern Military Office, you being a Company Commander might need to get on the battlefield, think about how to arrange Xiao Yu then." Elder Qin reminded before returning to his room to sleep.

Qin San Lang remained awake through the night, and when he finally slept as dawn broke, he had nightmares.

Dreaming of reluctance for Xiao Yu to suffer, leaving her in the South, but not returning for 20 years. When he did, Xiao Yu had moved on, remarried, having five children, the oldest even about to marry.

Additionally, dreaming of reluctance for Xiao Yu, taking her to the Northwest, but due to danger, they couldn’t defend the city, Rong people breached it, Xiao Yu and their children perished.

Qin San Lang was deeply saddened, midst grief, suddenly a slap woke him.

Opening his eyes, he saw Xiao Yu glaring angrily, questioning, "How dare you curse me and our child! Tell me, did you marry a small wife in your dream, eager for me and our child to die?!"

Qin San Lang was stunned, embracing her, laughing, "So, it was just a dream. Xiao Yu, I’m so relieved."

"Relieved for what, how can you be relieved when me and the child died?" Gu Jinli was angry, pushed him away, crossing her arms, sneered, "Tell me, how did that small wife enchant you, making you abandon wife and child?"

Qin San Lang was bewildered, then laughed, "Nonsense again, what small wife, it didn’t happen, not even in dreams."

Gu Jinli knew he hadn’t dreamed of such a Chen Shimei scenario, she merely teased, wanting him to lighten up.

"Good then, I warn you, if you dare abandon me, I’ll marry another man, bear him ten or eight children, and flaunt it before you, make you cry to death!"

After hearing this, Qin San Lang imagined the scenario, his heart painfully saddened, "No, you can’t!"

Gu Jinli scoffed, "If that’s not what you want, then don’t abandon me, right?"

Boy, I’ve been here for quite some time, I heard all your dream mumblings clearly, still thinking of leaving me, running off to the Northwest yourself, can’t we go together?!