Chapter 239: The Old Den of Jiangzhou
Chapter 239
The Jiang family members all upgraded their mounts.
Originally, Dwarf Horse Town was not a traditional town, but rather one that formed spontaneously due to trade. Therefore, the imperial court did not pay much attention to it, just as they wouldn't specially name or appoint officials to a roadside stall or confirm its administrative status. At most, they would treat it as an appendage of the nearby main town and supervise it.
The fact that Dwarf Horse Town had grown to such a large scale while still maintaining this status without an administrative level was initially a coincidence, but later became intentionally concealed by those with vested interests.
Profit moves people's hearts, and the emperor is far away from the high mountains.
In the end, it all served to pave the way for Commander Jiang.
Thunder-like methods + business tactics + brainwashing and bewitching people's hearts + severe punishments + promoting education and enlightening the people + taking in the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled + ...
A set of mature processes that had already been verified in Jingzhou was completely replicated in Yuezi Town.
Moreover, any gaps were identified and filled.
From then on, Commander Jiang became the actual controller of Yuezi Town, which also became a supply point outside of Jingzhou.
After accompanying his daughter through her postpartum confinement, Commander Jiang and his family obediently continued their journey towards the capital.
As they traveled further, things became more prosperous.
They were also getting closer to the capital.
The journey became much more peaceful and joyful.
Finally, they stopped to rest and recuperate in a big city.
Originally, the weather should have been colder.
But because they were traveling south, it seemed to get warmer as they went.
They arrived in Jiangzhou.
The Jiang family's ancestral home was in this place.
The Jiang family was also a well-known old aristocratic family, but with the downfall and exile of Grand Tutor Jiang, the century-old clan disintegrated, becoming a page of dust in history.
Upon reaching Jiangzhou, they found that the people's standard of living was much higher.
This was related to the topography; the land here was flat, with plains, developed water systems, pleasant climate, dense population, and both agriculture and commerce were well-developed. The architectural style also had more poetry and softness to it, indicating that people were generally well-fed.
Entering such a city, the Jiang family's attire actually appeared somewhat rustic.
They looked like they came from a harsh, cold place, not wearing silk but fur.
Travel-worn, with large hats covering their heads and masks on their faces, only their eyes were visible.
However, their mounts were too tall and beautiful. Even ordinary people who didn't know horses could see the glossy coats, the sturdy legs, the huge hindquarters, and hear the crisp sound the horses made when their hooves hit the ground.
The sound of ordinary small horses is clip-clop, clip-clop, like the sound of a small electric vehicle.
But the sound of Mianmian's group of horses was boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom, like the sound of a top-tier sports car engine.
The journey was far from boring.
In fact, it could be said to be too busy.
Mianmian was taking care of her two nephews.
Changing diapers, feeding, educating...
Very busy.
She had memories from her childhood, remembering that most of the time, it was Elder Sister who held her, carried her on her back, changed her diapers, washed her face and bottom.
She hadn't expected that in the blink of an eye, she would be holding Elder Sister's children.
It was simply miraculous.
Both children were very heavy.
They grew rapidly during the postpartum period, one weighing ten jin, the other eleven jin, totaling twenty-one jin together.
Like little calves.
Fortunately, the Jiang family members were all strongmen.
Holding a ten-jin baby was very easy for them.
But it didn't look easy to others.
Meng Shaoxia, having eaten the Jiang family's food for so many years, had also become much stronger.
In the Jiang family, he was at the bottom of the food chain. He didn't realize it himself, because he couldn't beat his brother-in-law, didn't dare to beat his father-in-law, but suspected he probably couldn't beat him either, definitely couldn't beat his mother-in-law whose fists were very heavy, and apparently couldn't beat his wife either - he hadn't tried, but he had been beaten.
The whole family, perhaps only his sister-in-law was somewhat more delicate.
But his sister-in-law had terrifying hobbies, she liked to cut up food or animals or people, so Meng Shaoxia was also a bit wary.
His wife was still the best.
Arriving in the new city, there was a hubbub of voices outside the carriage, extremely lively.
The big goose and little goose also seemed interested in the sounds outside. Although they couldn't roll over or turn their heads, staying in whatever position they were put in, they could already raise their hands and make "yi-ya-ya" sounds with their mouths.
The two were dressed thickly in the carriage, so Mianmian pulled open the curtain to look at the scenery outside.
Suddenly, it was as if they had traveled through time and space, back to a modern ancient town, with tourists everywhere, dressed in colorful, bright clothes.
There were some differences, of course.
In modern times, you wouldn't see people selling themselves to bury their fathers on the street - the city management wouldn't allow it.
As soon as the curtain was lifted, she saw a pitifully beautiful girl in a white robe kneeling by the roadside. She had a pretty face, with wisps of hair falling on her forehead, and her posture was also very graceful. There seemed to be a person lying beside her.
Coincidentally, at this moment, the girl was tugging at her brother-in-law's clothes, begging him to take her in.
Jiang Mianmian looked and indeed, her brother-in-law, who had accompanied Elder Sister for a month of postpartum confinement, had also gained weight, becoming wider and rounder, looking like the wealthiest person among the group.
This girl had a good eye, her brother was standing right there, but she didn't go to tug at his clothes.
Jiang Yu was also sitting in the carriage, curiously watching someone tugging at her husband's leg.
She was still enjoying the spectacle.
When Meng Shaoxia was young and traveled, he liked to play the hero and save many pitiful people.
Now that he was a father, he had matured a lot and was more down-to-earth in his father-in-law's house. He had come to his senses - of those women he had saved in the past, some might have truly needed saving, some might not, but it didn't matter, he had handed them all over to He Elder Brother.
Also, his aesthetic standards had changed. His father-in-law's face was otherworldly beautiful, his sister-in-law even more so, and of course his little Yu was the most beautiful. All others were just ordinary beauties; his aesthetic standards had risen by several levels.
Looking at the girl by the roadside, dressed all in white in broad daylight, with messy hair, a thin face, looking mean, not having said anything yet but already crying and wailing, Meng Shaoxia found it very inauspicious. If he got involved with this and it infected the children when he went back, that wouldn't do. He angrily said, "Don't come over here. If you come any closer, I'll really bury your father!"