Settling In

"We'll find a large cart inn and rest for a night first. Then, instead of returning to the military camp, we'll go to Small Pao Town. You can settle your younger siblings there before returning to camp." Mo Dao rode beside the carriage and arranged everything in a deep voice.

After leaving the Liu residence, they had ultimately eaten lunch at County Commandant Li's home after his enthusiastic invitation. Only then did County Commandant Li let them leave.

"I'll do as Fourth Brother says." Chen Mo naturally had no objections. They had already discussed this matter beforehand.

As a woman, Zhao Yu obviously could not enter the military camp. They could only settle her in a town near the camp.

After explaining everything, Mo Dao rode ahead to lead the way, also leaving Chen Mo and Zhao Yu some private space.

"There are some pastries in the bundle. If you're still hungry, eat some more. There's also a set of clean clothes of mine. If you're cold, wrap yourself in them for now." Chen Mo spoke softly toward the carriage.

After hearing a response from inside the carriage, he did not say anything else and carefully urged the horse onward.

This large cart inn was not the one they had stayed at before, but as long as it was an inn along the official road, there was not much difference between them.

After ordering the waiter to feed the horses and making do with a simple dinner, they all went inside to rest.

"What are your plans from here?" Chen Mo took a sip of tea and quietly asked Zhao Yu, who was sitting beside him.

The two of them were husband and wife, so naturally they should sleep in the same room. There was no need to waste money on another one.

Zhao Yu fell silent. Before this, she had only thought about escaping her status as a slave. She had never given much thought to what came afterward.

She and Chen Mo appeared to be husband and wife, but in truth they were not. He had already fulfilled their old agreement by redeeming her. She could not shamelessly cling to him any longer.

She would have to find a way to live the days ahead on her own.

"I should still have some relatives in Ningye Prefecture. I want to seek refuge with them." After pondering for a long time, she finally spoke.

"Ningye Prefecture is at least a thousand or two thousand li from here. Besides, there's no telling whether you'll even find them once you get there."

Chen Mo shook his head slightly. He did not know where Ningye Prefecture was, but he knew that none of the neighboring prefectures around Xingyuan Prefecture was called Ningye Prefecture.

That meant Ningye Prefecture was very far from here. Given Zhao Yu's current condition, whether she could reach the place alive was already a problem, and even if she got there, she might not find anyone.

"Redeeming you wasn't something I accomplished through my efforts alone. I asked my foster father, General Sun, the garrison commander of Xingyuan Prefecture, to help.

"I told him that you were my first wife, and that was why he lent me a hand. Although you're free now, I still can't tell him the truth about our relationship directly.

"With your current condition, you can't go to Ningye Prefecture either. Why don't you settle down first? Once you've recovered after some time, if you stay, I can help you establish a home and livelihood. If you leave, I can help you travel far to search for your relatives and friends."

Chen Mo had redeemed Zhao Yu by asking his foster father for help. He could not redeem her one moment and then immediately send her away, claiming that she was not his first wife.

Besides, given Zhao Yu's current condition, sending her alone to Ningye Prefecture would be no different from sending her to her death.

Chen Mo had gone to such lengths to redeem her not so she could die, but so she could live a better life.

"I'll do as you say." Zhao Yu was remarkably compliant. She had no other choice now.

"I'll first take you to settle down in Small Pao Town beside the military camp. We can think about everything else slowly after you're settled."

This was something they had agreed on earlier, and Chen Mo brought it up again now.

Zhao Yu nodded, without the slightest objection.

Nothing happened that night. They set out early the next morning and reached Small Pao Town shortly before noon.

Small Pao Town had only several thousand residents, but because it was near the official road, its prosperity and commercial activity were no worse than those of a smaller county town.

With the Guard Camp stationed nearby, some of the town's industries had flourished even more.

Even so, there were few houses for rent in town. If they wanted to settle down, they could only buy a house first.

Chen Mo first took Zhao Yu to change her registration and establish her household, changing her status from slave to commoner and registering her under his household as his wife.

This would not ordinarily have been easy, but he was General Sun's foster son, so the matter became simple.

Mo Dao, meanwhile, helped find a broker and bought a thatched house with its own courtyard in the eastern part of town, along with a small patch of empty land in front.

The entire courtyard was not expensive—only three taels of silver.

After all, this was merely a small town, and the house was only a reasonably sturdy thatched cottage, not a timber-and-stone house with gray tiles and blue bricks.

"You settle down here with your younger siblings-in-law first. I'll leave the carriage with you as well. Don't forget to return to camp after you're done." Mo Dao reminded Chen Mo of this before riding away.

"Get yourself settled first. I'll go buy you some things."

The house already had basic furniture, and even the stove had been built. They only needed to buy necessities such as rice, flour, pots, bowls, and chopsticks before they could move in.

After saying this, Chen Mo hitched up the carriage and headed for the market in town. After making roughly one round, he had bought everything.

Fifteen jin of white flour and fifteen jin of cornmeal, pots, bowls, ladles, spoons, and other household odds and ends, a bed, quilts, and bedding, along with five jin of pork and some radishes and cabbages.

When Chen Mo returned to the thatched courtyard, Zhao Yu was busy tidying up.

Though this house was small, it had everything it needed. There was a main hall, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a thatched shed.

Not far from the thatched cottage stood a well that the nearby households all used for water. Drawing water was fairly easy as well.

Chen Mo unloaded all the heavy items from the carriage and filled the kitchen's water jar.

Zhao Yu sorted the odds and ends into place, then carried the meat and vegetables into the kitchen to work.

It was already afternoon by the time the two of them finally sat down to eat this meal.

"Keep this money safe. If there's anything you need to add to the household, go buy it. I'll come see you when I'm off duty in a few days."

After eating, Chen Mo took out a little more than five qian in loose silver and copper coins.

"It's too much. I won't be able to use it all." Zhao Yu shook her head and refused.

Chen Mo had already helped her so much. She felt embarrassed to take his money too.

"Take it. It's always better to be prepared." Chen Mo placed the money on the table and rose to leave.

He had to hurry. If he delayed any longer, curfew would begin by the time he returned to camp.

"Take care on the road," Zhao Yu reminded him.

By the time he drove the carriage back to the military camp, the sun was already sinking in the west.

He first returned the carriage to the stable, then took the more than twenty taels of silver he had left and hurried straight to the study.

"Foster father." Chen Mo entered the study and bowed.

Sun Shouren was slightly surprised to see him. "They say a brief separation is better than a newlywed night. Why did you come back so early, boy?"

"This is the money left over." Chen Mo did not answer in detail. He took the remaining silver from his robes.

Sun Shouren did not look closely. From the beginning, he had known that this money would not all be spent.

When he wanted to redeem someone, even a local rich man from a county, no matter how bold he was, would never dare demand the full ransom from him.

However, he had not expected that this local rich man would be so worldly-wise, hurrying over earlier to present him with gold, silver, land, and deeds in hopes of using the opportunity to build a connection with him.

Sun Shouren naturally would not refuse. He spent a great deal of money training troops, and with the Guard Camp continuing to expand, he needed even more funds.

Relying solely on what the imperial court provided would never be enough. He could only find his own solutions.

"There's no reason for me to take back money I've already given you. Keep it and spend it." Sun Shouren waved his hand.

When Chen Mo remained unmoved, Sun Shouren slightly furrowed his brow and urged him, "Put it away. What, do you want me to hand it to you personally?"

"Thank you, Foster Father." Chen Mo could no longer refuse and had no choice but to accept the silver.

He bowed once more in salute, then finally left the study.

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