Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

Guo Daming was overjoyed, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Rest assured, little brother, whatever I understand, I will certainly not cause you trouble. Thank you!"

He followed Zhang Yan and entered the Lei Family’s Manor.

The Lei Family’s Manor was large, and the courtyards within the manor were much better than those in Old Guzhuang, being compound courtyards, with each large courtyard nested with three smaller ones: the front, main, and rear yards, resembling a small estate.

Beside the large courtyard, there were two rows of dense houses meant for servants, which could now house the families of soldiers.

Gu Jinli and Qin San Lang were guests of the Lei Family and stayed in the main courtyard.

Kunzi said, "Master Wu instructed that you should stay in the main rooms."

But Qin San Lang and Gu Jinli did not stay there; instead, they chose to stay in the left wing room.

After all, they were guests; staying in the main rooms was inappropriate. The left wing room consisted of three rooms, was spacious, and provided comfortable accommodation.

Kunzi saw they did not comply but didn’t insist, feeling reassured in his heart, thinking San Lang and Gu Family’s daughter knew etiquette.

"Uncle Kunzi, here are some dried pine mushrooms, pickled green plums, steamed clear wine, and ham that we brought from home. Three portions for Master Wu’s home, yours, and Ah Chuan’s. Please send them over." Gu Jinli instructed Erqing.

Erqing and Xiao Ji brought over the prepared gifts.

Uncle Kunzi smiled, "Young Master is thoughtful, Master Wu and Ah Chuan will enjoy the clear wine and ham. Seeing these items will surely make them happy."

Kunzi did not stand on ceremony and had the gifts taken away.

Once in the outer room of the main house for guests, he pointed at Gu Jinli’s face and asked, "Really nothing wrong?"

Not to mention the stench emanating from him; that smell was unbearable.

Gu Jinli grinned and said, "No problem, just a means to protect myself."

Kunzi nodded, "The method is good; it’s safer this way."

Gu Family’s daughter was pretty as a child, and now she had grown, her features increasingly exquisite. The chaos in the Northwest made disguising herself safer... though that smell was indeed hard to endure.

Gu Jinli asked Kunzi, "Uncle Kunzi, is your injury alright?"

The Lei Family’s Trading Team had a shop in Longshan Prefecture, but after Longshan Prefecture was breached, the people from the Lei Family’s Trading Team could only retreat, and Uncle Kunzi was injured during the retreat.

This time seeing Uncle Kunzi, Gu Jinli noticed his weak breath and pale face, evidently a sign of lost vitality.

Kunzi smiled, "I’ve been recovering for a few months, it’s not a big deal, just can’t move as agilely as before, can’t travel far distances. Nowadays, Ah Chuan mainly handles the tasks crossing Longshan Mountain."

Qin San Lang listened, got up, closed the door of the main house, sat down and asked, "Uncle Kunzi, is Master Wu not in Great Chu?"

Kunzi nodded, lowered his voice and said, "Left before New Year to gather intelligence over at the Longshan Mountain area, half of the Trading Team scattered around Longshan Prefecture for information."

Kunzi glanced at Qin San Lang, sighed, "The situation is not good... The Rong people seem determined to settle in Longshan Prefecture, grabbed several batches of people knowledgeable in farming to teach the Rong people how to cultivate."

But the Rong people have never farmed, have short tempers, and in their frustration at failing to learn, they killed many farmers.

He continued, "The Rong people captured many who know iron forging, forcing them to teach mining, iron forging, and weapon making."

Qin San Lang was shocked, his complexion darkening, saying, "Learning farming, iron forging, they indeed plan to take root in Great Chu... Long’an Prefecture and Xing’an Prefecture are in grave danger."

Xing’an Prefecture has iron mines, the Rong people captured those skilled in iron forging, evidently targeting Xing’an Prefecture with iron resources, and to seize Xing’an Prefecture, one must first conquer Long’an Prefecture.

Now both prefecture cities are in peril.

Kunzi nodded, "San Lang is right. Master Wu foresaw the Rong people’s intentions, hence the urgency, taking risks to scout around Longshan Mountain area at this time."

"Is it just intelligence gathering? Does Master Wu have other plans?" Gu Jinli asked, given Lei Wu’s character, it seemed unlikely he’d be content with just gathering intel.

Kunzi was silent for a moment, then his eyes reddened as he said, "Master Wu has made arrangements; if there’s a chance, he won’t give up."

His words were cryptic, but Gu Jinli and Qin San Lang understood Lei Wu was resolved to lay down his life to thwart the Rong people’s invasion.

Everyone’s mood grew heavy.

Uncle Kunzi smiled and said, "You need not be like this. Master Wu has many men in the Longshan Mountain area, and Master Wu is highly skilled; nothing will happen... Master Wu said he has lived a full life, and if his time comes, it’ll be worth it if he can do what he wishes, honoring his ancestors."

He continued, "Just wait; I’ll be right back."

Uncle Kunzi stood up, left the courtyard, and returned after 30 minutes with three maps: one is of the Northwest, one of Longshan Mountain range, and one of Da Rong. These were personally drawn by Master Wu over decades, containing locations unknown to others.

These three maps carry Master Wu’s lifetime of effort, crafted through years of traveling back and forth between Da Rong and Great Chu.

Qin San Lang and Gu Jinli were astounded, standing up to examine the three maps, especially the Longshan Mountain range map, which could be considered a treasure.

Longshan Mountain range is like a celestial barrier separating Great Chu and Da Rong, containing countless peaks, old forests, wild animals, rivers, trails, cliffs, and sinkholes. An unfamiliar person venturing in would undoubtedly meet their demise.

But with this detailed map, one could not only take shortcuts between Great Chu and Da Rong but also avoid many traps, beast nests, and poisonous mist-filled old forests.

Qin San Lang had also traversed Longshan Mountain range, yet some locations marked on the map were unknown even to him.

Qin San Lang put away the map, solemnly saluted Kunzi, saying, "Tell Master Wu, this young man thanks him."

"I will certainly convey your thanks." Kunzi smiled while helping him up, then handed him a box, saying, "Inside is the distribution map of Lei Family’s Trading Team’s shops and a roster of shopkeepers. Take them; when you reach Long’an Prefecture, if you need anything, you can contact the people listed."

Qin San Lang accepted it.

Gu Jinli inquired about Ah Ji’s situation, "Isn’t Uncle Ah Ji in the Northwest? Can we go to him if we encounter difficulties?"

Those words were sweetly spoken, but Gu Jinli disliked Ah Ji, just as Ah Ji didn’t like her, both guarded against each other.

Kunzi said, "Ah Ji is no longer in the Northwest, has gone to the Northeast, saying the business losses in Da Rong area were too great, needing to run the Dongqing route."

To the Northeast?

Gu Jinli further asked, "When did Uncle Ah Ji go to the Northeast? Why hadn’t we heard about it before?"

Gu Family and Lei Family’s Trading Team had conducted business for several years, Kunzi had watched Gu Jinli grow up, and thinking she was concerned about Ah Ji as an elder, answered, "Since the year we started trading with your family, he began running the Northeast route, though went infrequently back then, later more frequently, and from last year started staying in Northeast without returning to the Northwest."