Yi Xin as a concubine

Chapter 221: Snowstorm

The compromise of the aristocratic family finally solved Chu Xingchen's dilemma, and spring planting could finally proceed normally.

While spring plowing and planting were in full swing in the north, Xin Baoer and her party had not yet left the country.

After leaving Dingbei Palace on New Year's Day, Xin Baoer and her group of four headed straight to the northwest, preparing to head south from the northwest. Their final destination was set in Nanzhao Kingdom, where the four seasons are like spring.

The reason why she chose that place as the first stop was, firstly, because it was warm there; secondly, Wei Yu and Zhao Xian were both from Lanzhou Prefecture in the northwest, and this time she wanted to visit their families; thirdly, the people of Nanzhao were open-minded and more receptive to new things, which meant more opportunities for her as an outsider.

But they never expected that they would be unable to go any further as soon as they entered the territory of Lanzhou Prefecture.

The reason was simple. They had just entered a small, shabby county town under the jurisdiction of Lanzhou Prefecture. They wanted to go into the city to replenish supplies and leave. However, they entered the city a little late. There were few people selling things in this world, so they usually had to get up early to buy something. They could only find an inn to stay in and plan to buy things and leave the next day.

As a result, the weather, which was originally dry and cold, suddenly changed at night. It became windy and snowy. It lasted the whole night. The next day, the door was blocked by snow and could not be opened at all.

In this situation, let alone traveling, if you stand outside for a while, you might freeze to death.

In this way, the four of them were forced to live in this small county town called Laishui County.

For three days in a row, there were intermittent snowstorms and the weather was getting colder and colder. The food reserves in a small inn in a county town were not much to begin with. I couldn't go out for three days and the people who delivered vegetables and meat couldn't come. The food was running out.

The old shopkeeper looked at Xin Baoer and the other four who were the only group staying in the store with embarrassment, and sighed and said, "My dear guests, you see our store is small, and we don't have much food in stock. The weather is like this now, alas! I'm afraid there is no food to supply you. Do you want to go to other places to have a look, alas!"

The old shopkeeper sighed repeatedly, his weather-beaten face wrinkled like a bitter gourd. If he hadn't had no other choice, he wouldn't have wanted to push out the customers he had welcomed with great difficulty.

Their county town is too small, and usually there are few outsiders coming in, let alone the nobles who can afford to stay in the hotel.

Xin Baoer and the others looked at each other. Where else could they go in this weather? They had checked the day they entered the city. There were two inns in the county town, and neither was as good as this one. If they left here, they might have to sleep on the streets.

"Well, boss, how about this? We can solve the food problem ourselves, and we will continue to live in the store. You just need to provide us with a kitchen and hot water, is that okay?" Xin Baoer thought for a while and discussed.

"This..." The old shopkeeper hesitated. It was not that he did not want to keep people, but the money he collected included the cost of meals. Wouldn't it be inappropriate not to give them meals? Besides, these outsiders were all girls. Where could they find food in this cold weather?

The old shopkeeper was full of concerns.

"We'll pay the store bill. Look at the weather. We girls would probably freeze to death if we leave your place." Zhao Xian said pitifully.

"Ah! I, the old man, don't want to chase you away. I'm just afraid that there will be no food to neglect you nobles. Alas! Well, there is still some coarse grain at home. If you don't mind, you can eat with us. It's not easy to go out."

After saying this, the old man walked away shaking his head, and his back seemed filled with deep helplessness.

"Lanzhou should be the territory of the King of the Northwest now. It's not far from the northern border, so why can't we even see a garrison?" Qin Chu looked out the window and asked casually.

"They are too poor and have no money. Taking them would be a burden. It is better to let them fend for themselves." Wei Yu snorted coldly and said disdainfully.

A Yu, you and A Chu go out and see if you can find some food to eat. There should be farmers raising livestock nearby. Some of them might be frozen to death today. Spend some extra money to buy some, so at least they won't starve.

"I'll go alone. This is a strange place. Let Miss Chu stay behind to protect you." Wei Yu said.

"Who else would go out in this weather? Don't worry, the weather outside is bad. If you two weren't good at martial arts, I wouldn't dare let you go out. You two can have someone to take care of you." Xin Baoer disagreed and persuaded.

"But..." Wei Yu was still a little hesitant.

"It's okay, we'll just go and come back quickly." Qin Chu understood Xin Baoer and knew that she had an inexplicable persistence at certain times.

"Yes, and I also have the means to protect myself." Xin Baoer winked playfully and shook the big purse on her waist.

Seeing this, Wei Yu had no choice but to compromise, thinking that at worst they could just go faster.

They were said to go and come back quickly, but Xin Baoer didn't expect that half an hour had passed and there was no sign of the two people. She suddenly felt a little scared. Could something have happened to these two people?

The sky was getting darker and darker, and the next snowstorm was about to come. Xin Baoer and Zhao Xian were extremely anxious. They walked to the door of the store and looked into the distance again and again. Their hands and feet were so cold that they hurt, but they didn't see the two people coming back.

"Wow, wow, if I had known I wouldn't have cried out that I was hungry. Baoer, did something happen to them? Wow, wow..."

Zhao Xian was so anxious that she started crying. Xin Baoer was also worried, but she still tried to comfort him, "It's okay. They are both very skilled and nothing will happen to them easily. They must have been delayed by something. Let's wait a little longer..."

Xin Baoer's words seemed to be persuading Zhao Xian, but they were actually persuading herself. The more uneasy she felt in her heart, the more determined she looked. They would be fine.

Just when the two were about to freeze into ice, two little white guys came in the snow and wind, holding something in their hands.

"Bao...Baoer, look, look over there, is that A...Ayu and the others?" Zhao Xian's mouth was so frozen that it didn't work at all, and he said tremblingly.

Xin Baoer was looking in the opposite direction. Upon hearing this, she turned her head sharply and rubbed her eyes vigorously because the wind and snow were too strong.

During this time, the two people were getting closer and closer, and Xin Baoer and Zhao Xian finally saw them clearly.

"It's them, it's them, go in quickly and make the brazier burn more vigorously." After saying that, the two of them hurriedly ran back, confusing the two people who were almost at the door. Why did they run back after they had picked up the people?

Both of them were skilled in kung fu and were in a hurry to get back, so apart from feeling a little chilly, it wasn't actually that cold.

Wei Yu and Qin Chu threw the two sheep in their hands into the hall, brushed off the snow on their bodies at the door, and saw two people who had just run in. One of them was holding a brazier and walking towards them hurriedly. Upon closer inspection, one could see that both of them were still shivering.

"We are not cold, but what's wrong with you two? How long have you been standing outside?" Qin Chu took the brazier and pulled Xin Baoer's hand. It was so cold that it was freezing, so he quickly pulled her and put her on the brazier to warm her.

"Why did you take so long to go out? Did something happen to you?" Xin Baoer's mouth wasn't very good either, so she could only speak very slowly, almost word by word.

"Look how cold you are. Go back to the house first. I'll get some hot water for you two to soak your hands and feet. Don't get sick." Qin Chu said with concern when he saw how she was frozen.

Xin Baoer was indeed very cold, so she went back to the house obediently. Wei Yu called the old shopkeeper and said coldly, "Please help the shopkeeper to deal with these two beasts. I will give you half of them as a reward."

The old shopkeeper felt a little scared when he heard the cold voice. When he saw the sword on her waist, he didn't dare to say anything. Not to mention that she promised to give them half of it, even if she didn't give them anything and made them work for nothing, he wouldn't dare to say anything.

Seeing that the old shopkeeper was frightened, he probably didn't dare to hide their food, so he followed the three people back to the house.

Originally, four people lived in two rooms. It was cold today, the quilt was thin, and there was no kang, so the four people discussed and decided to move into one room. They put two braziers together, covered themselves with one quilt, and then put three beds on top. They squeezed together and could barely fall asleep at night.

After returning to the house, Wei Yu and Qin Chu were not in a hurry to talk about what happened during the day outside. Instead, they went out to get hot water for the two to warm their hands and feet, and asked the store owner to boil some ginger sugar water. After serving the two until they were no longer shivering, they felt at ease to talk about what they saw and heard outside that day.