Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1725 - 1724: Defense and Garrison Farming

General Liang let out a breath of relief. "We finally found it."

The Insect Attractant was issued in fixed daily portions. There were six portions here in total, which should be the amount the Rong bandit spies and Shu Rou had saved up over three days.

To scrimp and save that much medicine, they really were staking their lives.

"Search. Turn this mountain inside out, leave nothing unchecked. If the Insect Attractant flows from our Xing’an Prefecture over to the Rong bandits, we’re all dead!" General Liang gave a death order, led the soldiers deep into the mountains to search, and soon found what was left of Shu Rou’s remains.

Only half a skull, a skeleton, and a set of torn clothes remained. The clothes were embroidered with the words "Gui Ning No.130."

Because Ms. Gao Lei pitied these women slaves ravaged by the Rong bandits, when she embroidered numbers for registration, she added the two characters Gui Ning in front of the numbers, counting it as these women slaves returning to their mother’s homes.

Yet unexpectedly, this Shu Rou betrayed them.

"Send two people back to the city and bring the women slaves who are familiar with Shu Rou to identify the body." For safety’s sake, General Liang still sent soldiers back to bring people from the Female Slave Camp to identify the corpse.

"Yes." The personal soldier beside him immediately went to make arrangements.

After General Liang left a Section Leader with his troops to guard the spot, he himself led soldiers to search the mountain. They searched continuously for three days and nights, turning the whole mountain over, and only found two dens of messenger wolf corpses.

The Deputy General who had led troops in pursuit along the official road also returned, saying that no suspicious persons or messenger wolves had been discovered.

"Good. It seems there were only these two spies left in our Xing’an Prefecture." General Liang felt relieved, but because of the matter of Qing Lang and Shu Rou, the Female Slave Camp in Long’an Prefecture was also implicated.

All the rescued women slaves and Immortal Lords had to be thoroughly examined and kept under guard, to ensure that no Rong bandit spies had slipped in among them.

When Ms. Gao Lei heard this news, she sighed. "Originally I was thinking of asking General Liang and Magistrate Hao to submit a memorial to the court, to keep these women slaves for making Insect Attractant, give them a place to live, so that they wouldn’t be rootless and get treated like livestock by Evil Men outside."

But now that this has happened, that proposal likely won’t work. Everyone in the Female Slave Camp will be guarded against as spies.

Gu Jinli said, "If Granny Lei truly wants to help them, I actually..."

After hearing her out, Ms. Gao Lei glared at her and scolded, "This is none of your business. They look pitiful, but all kinds of rotten matters are mixed in there. It’s not something you’re able to handle!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong, I absolutely won’t meddle, I never even thought of meddling." Gu Jinli wasn’t stupid; she knew the Female Slave Camp wasn’t a place you could touch lightly. There were good and bad people inside, and they had all suffered great calamities; their temperaments must have changed, and who knows what they might do in the future.

Gu Jinli only wanted to live her own small life well, and didn’t intend to poke her nose into extra troubles.

Besides, the Female Slave Camp had the court or those nobles’ Old Madams who wanted to do good works to manage it.

"Good that you know what matters." Ms. Gao Lei nodded in satisfaction, then, catching sight of Ji Zhenniang coming in, glared at her and said, "Same goes for you. Don’t meddle in the Female Slave Camp’s affairs. Don’t go playing hero to save them just because you pity them, or you’ll be inviting trouble onto yourself!"

Ji Zhenniang was a little dazed. "Why are you scolding me again? I haven’t done anything wrong today."

Hearing Ms. Gao Lei mention the Female Slave Camp, she thought for a moment, then chuckled. "I heard the women in that camp are all very pretty. Since they can’t go back home, they urgently need a man to rely on. If I meddle in their affairs and they take a fancy to my Xie Cheng, and scheme their way onto his bed, what then? I’m not that foolish!"

She had seen these tricks several times: the Ji Family’s Maids had used them, and some had gone from Maids to concubines because of it. Having seen that, how could she still be soft-hearted?

Ms. Gao Lei: "On this point, you’re actually quite sharp."

Ji Zhenniang raised her chin and said proudly, "Of course. There are so many pretty widows here. If I’m not sharp, am I supposed to wait for my spot to be snatched away?"

Seeing her too pleased with herself, Ms. Gao Lei was displeased and asked, "What are you here for? Have you finished today’s tasks? It’s hot now; you need to keep a closer eye, so the children traveling with us don’t get heatstroke and die."

"The heat-relief medicine has already been distributed and will be decocted for everyone to drink. I’m here to find Gu Xiaoyu." Ji Zhenniang looked at Gu Jinli and said, "A big crowd has come to the front gate delivering chicken, duck, and goose feathers. Hurry and send people to collect them; they’re blocking the gate."

Gu Jinli would never fully trust her. "With Aunt Xiong and Xiong Da there, plus Feng Jin and the others, how would people delivering chicken, duck, and goose feathers block the gate? Don’t come running to make trouble every time you see something trivial."

Aunt Xiong and Feng Jin were very capable; they had never made mistakes in general affairs.

Glared at, Ji Zhenniang felt a bit guilty and didn’t retort. Instead she came over to ask, "Gu Xiaoyu, we already made so many goose-down quilts last year. Why are you still collecting chicken, duck, and goose feathers this year? We’ve earned merit, and the court is sending us supplies. You’re making so many goose-down quilts—who’s going to use them all? Isn’t that a waste of Silver?"

She had sent Nanny Xie to inquire, and learned that Gu Xiaoyu was paying Silver for the chicken, duck, and goose feathers. For this stingy fish to spend money on collecting feathers, she must have some plan, and Ji Zhenniang was curious.

Looking at her whirling eyes, Gu Jinli only fobbed her off. "It’s cold here. Make more and be prepared just in case."

Ji Zhenniang was displeased. "Gu Xiaoyu, with the way we get along, you’re actually guarding against me. Tell me, are you planning to make quilts to sell?"

But those quilts had a strong stench of chicken, duck, and goose feathers. How could they be sold?

No, last year, apparently Gu Jinli had goose-down quilts without any strange smell.

Ji Zhenniang voiced this suspicion, grabbed Gu Jinli, and said, "Let’s make them together. Then we’ll sell them to Madam Guis. We’re sure to make money!"

Hearing this, Ms. Gao Lei was quite happy; this useless girl Ji Zhenniang had finally thought about making money.

Gu Jinli pulled her hand back and slanted a look at her. "You haven’t spent a single coin, and you want to freeload off my secret recipe for removing the smell from chicken, duck, and goose feathers? Keep dreaming."

She added, "Move aside, don’t bother me. I’m very busy."

Gu Jinli shoved Ji Zhenniang away and went to the pharmacy courtyard to continue making medicine.

Ji Zhenniang was furious and wanted to curse Gu Jinli, but she was afraid of angering her, and didn’t dare.

Ms. Gao Lei said, "If you want to go into partnership with San Lang’s Wife, you have to show some sincerity. San Lang’s Wife has no obligation to lead you to make a fortune."

By now, their teaching of Ji Zhenniang had reached the stage of not only making her do exhausting menial work, but also making her use her brain to solve problems.

Ji Zhenniang took it to heart, thinking about how to cling to Gu Jinli and force her to compromise.

But she was very busy over the next few days. Gu Jinli handed the work of Ghost Festival offerings to the fallen soldiers over to her.

Ji Zhenniang had never done this kind of thing before and was so busy she almost cried.

Bumping and stumbling along, by the time the Ghost Festival arrived, she finally managed to get the offerings done.

Because of the great war and the poisonous insect disease, many people had died in the Northwest. On Ghost Festival day, it was almost citywide mourning. Many families set up roadside offerings, and some put up spirit sheds to burn paper and cry for the souls of the dead.

The Daoists in the city came out of their temples, carrying their ritual implements, and held a water-and-land ritual for the dead within the city.

Far away in the main camp at Daokou Gully, Great General Xu likewise set up an incense table, had the soldiers tie white cloth, and together they offered sacrifices to the fallen soldiers.

The main camp was steeped in grief for the entire day, and on this very day, Great General Xu wrote a memorial and sent it to the Capital by eight-hundred-li express courier.

In addition to reporting on the frontier war, the memorial earnestly urged the Emperor to temporarily cease fighting, and especially raised the major matter of stationing troops to engage in military farming.