Chapter 1624: Rest Assured (1)
Qi Jingyi's lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing, merely instructing his men to take the person away.
The crowd secretly gave Gu Qiao a thumbs-up.
Gu Qiao remained expressionless, yet the faintly upturned corners of his mouth were noticeable. That woman was indeed better off unconscious, a sentiment everyone clearly shared.
Since they had already reached the edge of the desert, the ground wouldn't collapse anymore. Therefore, everyone mounted their horses and swiftly rushed forward.
Amazingly, those wild horses still had the energy to run.
Yang Ruxin had been on edge these days. Though she trusted Gu Qingheng's abilities and believed he wouldn't be in trouble, the battlefield is unpredictable—especially in this era of cold weapons, where anything could happen. So merely trusting wasn't enough; she sent Xiaohei's whole family to assist him.
But it ended up being a four-day wait.
Fortunately, just as Yang Ruxin was considering heading to the border again, Xiaohei's family returned.
After reading Gu Qingheng's letter, the weight on her heart finally lifted, and her interest in preparing New Year's food returned.
This year marked the second New Year since arriving in this time period, and conditions had improved significantly. With more hands to help, the principle of eating well and fully had to be upheld.
While no one in the family asked, they all noticed Yang Ruxin's earlier heavy mood, so they did their best to tread lightly and avoid causing her trouble. After Xiaohei's return, the atmosphere noticeably shifted.
Seeing a smile finally appear on Yang Ruxin's face, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Big Sister, was there a danger before with Brother-in-law?" Erni, who had been the most anxious—especially since Gu Yao was also at the border—finally dared to ask, fearing unwelcome news.
"Yes." Yang Ruxin didn't hide it. "Previously, General Peng's granddaughter was captured by the Yuan people. Gu Qingheng led a team to the Royal Court of Yuan Country. The person has now been rescued... But don't worry, Ayao didn't go. He's been working on rebuilding Jin City all along."
"And Brother-in-law?"
"He completed the mission safely," Yang Ruxin smiled. "I think this war will soon be over; he's certain to earn merit." As for the rewards, that will depend on the Emperor.
"That's wonderful—they might even come back for New Year," Erni exhaled in relief.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Yang Ruxin sighed. "But as long as they're safe, there will be plenty of time to be together in the future."
"Yes." Erni nodded. "I understand—I was just saying it casually..."
As New Year approached, the weather grew colder.
Construction at the hot springs had already begun. There were two spring outlets there with relatively high temperatures, so the warm spring water was piped out using copper pipes to create a massive greenhouse. Inside, wooden frames were arranged, topped with wooden troughs filled with soil, stacked layer by layer for growing various vegetables, melons, fruits, and even flowers.
A two-entry courtyard was also being built nearby for the family to live in. Beside the bedroom, a separate bathing pool was being constructed to channel in hot spring water, making soaking in the springs exceptionally convenient.
Meanwhile, work was underway to flatten the small hill villagers had to cross to enter and leave the village.
Since it was a slow farming season and the pay was generous, it wasn't hard to find workers.