In the flash of lightning, Yan Xuehuai recognized these two people.

Zeng and Yan Xueping!

Yan Xuehuai saw the basket thrown next to him, and several steamed buns fell out of the basket and rolled to the ground.

Yan Xuehuai saw Yan Xueping shouting loudly: "Let's go, we won't sell it here, but you have to give us the basket."

Yan Xuehuai understood that this was a wharf, and the only people who could drive people away from the wharf were the Cao Gang.

"Pearl, go over and ask what's going on."

Yan Xuehuai turned around and entered the cabin. Pearl came back soon and said, "I asked clearly, what's going on?"

Pearl secretly monitored the people of the Yan family, but the one who was most familiar with was Master Yan Er. He did not recognize Zeng and Yan Xueping immediately. It was not until Yan Xuehuai asked him to ask that he felt that these two women looked familiar, and then he remembered who they were.

Pearl said, "I asked, the two women went to the dock to sell food and were driven away by the brothers of the Cao Gang. This is not the first time they have come. They often come over without paying attention and sell food to the people on the boat. In the past, they would drive them away every time, but this time they started to curse people, and the brothers threw away their baskets."

Yan Xuehuai asked, "Are you not allowed to sell things at the Hongxian wharf?"

The wharf belongs to the imperial court, but most of them are handed over to the Caobang to manage. Each wharf is not strict in managing small vendors. It only charges two or three copper plates a day, and can sell them on the wharf all day.

But Yan Xuehuai thought about it carefully and seemed that he didn't really see a hawker on the Hongxian wharf just now.

Pearl explained: "I asked the brothers of the Cao Gang that they could be sold at the pier in the past. Five days ago, the third day after the new magistrate took office, a boat was moored here. The people on the boat bought buns and cakes from the pier and brought them to the boat to eat. They all fell asleep and fell asleep. After waking up, the gold, silver and wealth he brought was robbed. The thieves have not been caught yet. For safety reasons, no food is allowed to be sold on the pier, and there has been a notice in the yamen."

Yan Xuehuai nodded: "So that's it. There is a notice in the yamen, and the brothers are not doing too much."

But Pearl didn't leave and was still standing there. Yan Xuehuai asked, "Do you have something to do?"

Pearl hesitated and asked, "Young master, do I want to follow me and take a look?"

Before leaving the capital, Chai Yan once told Pearl that if the Yan family was entangled with Yan Xuehuai, he would not be ruthless.

Yan Xuehuai smiled and said, "Don't worry, I hope they can support themselves and recognize their situation."

Hong County is indeed an uneasy place, so it is not advisable to stay here for too long. At this time, the people who went to buy charcoal fire came back, and the boat stopped staying and drove towards the next pier overnight.

Yan Xueping helped Zeng, who was sitting on the ground, complaining: "Don't use this trick next time, they won't be lenient. They can throw you into the river even if they pretend to die."

Zeng got up from the ground cursingly and spat in the direction where the men left: "If the thief cannot catch him, he will bully the common people."

"Mom, stop talking, let's hear it, we can't afford to offend."

After Yan Xueping said that, he walked forward and Zeng grabbed her: "Why are you going back? You want them to bombard it again."

Yan Xueping shook Zeng's hand and said impatiently: "I'll go and get the basket back."

Zeng then remembered the two baskets and urged: "Yes, yes, go and find them quickly, and pick up the steamed buns that fall to the ground."

Yan Xueping ignored Zeng and trotted back. The boat was still parked in its original place, but the person standing on the deck was replaced by a man.

Yan Xueping rubbed her eyes. Her eyes were very good and she would not read it wrong. The person standing there just now was Yan Xuehuai!

"Why are you back? Let's go, don't sell things on the dock, go quickly!"

A big man shouted loudly.

Yan Xueping said: "Brother, look at how can I sell things? I just want to get my own basket back. Life is difficult, and I can't do anything about it."

Although Yan Xueping was not beautiful, she was a young girl after all. The big man's attitude was a little better and said, "If you find a basket, go quickly. If you sell it elsewhere in the future, don't come to the dock again."

Yan Xueping pointed to the two boats in front and asked, "Brother, is that red flag hanging on that boat? Is that an official boat?"

The big man said, "That's not an official ship, it's our Cao Gang's ship."

Yan Xueping was surprised. Why was Yan Xuehuai on the Cao Gang's ship?

The last time I saw Yan Xuehuai was at the gate of Pingcheng, Yan Xuehuai was with the nobleman, and even the city gate officials were respectful.

That's why she guessed that the two ships with red flags were from the official family, but she didn't expect that they were from the Cao Gang.

In the past, Yan Xueping didn't know what the Cao Gang was, but now she sells food at the dock and sees the people from the Cao Gang every day, but she doesn't know whether she wants to.

Yan Xueping wanted to ask again, but the man waved his hand impatiently and asked her to leave quickly. She looked at the boat again, but she still didn't see Yan Xuehuai, so Yan Xueping had to turn around and leave.

"Mom, guess who did I just saw?"

It was very far away from the dock, and Yan Xueping told Zeng about what had just happened.

Zeng was incredible: "You said you saw Erya? She was on the Cao Gang's ship?"

"Yes, Yan Xuehuai could see us just now, and she is now with the Cao Gang people." Yan Xueping said.

Zeng's head buzzed, and she remembered Yan Xuehuai, who had just recovered from a serious illness, kicked Yan Jinglong out.

"Daughter, do you think Erya wants to take revenge on us and chase us all the way to Hongxian?"

Yan Xueping felt that her mother was thinking a little too much, so she said, "Our family has never offended her. You forgot that the grandmother and the eldest uncle were sentenced in the yamen."

Zeng would not think so. She also went to Li Shiji with Sun to make trouble. Besides, over the years, she has arranged Li Qiniang in front of Old Lady Guo, and even the matter of throwing Li Qiniang and her daughter on the way was also a contribution to her.

"You forgot that you and Erya have been in conflict since childhood and they will fight when they meet." Zeng said.

Yan Xueping thought about it and asked, "What should I do? Can she still ask the Cao Gang people to come and cause trouble for us?"

Zeng subconsciously looked around and said, "Er Yatou is the most vengeful person. Have you forgotten? Anyway, Hong County can't live anymore. Go home quickly and call your father and your brother. Let's go so that Er Yatou will come to us."

The reason why their family came to Hongxian was because on the way, they heard a group of refugees saying that there was no magistrate in Hongxian and no one went to check their household registration, but they were guarding the dock and could make a living by doing some small business.

After arriving in Hong County, Yan Xueping said she wanted to sell food on the dock. Yan Zhaolin felt embarrassed and refused to go. Yan Xueping called Zeng. She felt that no matter when, she would be fine to sell food. The best example is Li Qiniang and her daughter.

Zeng also cooked himself when he was in the countryside. Although his skills were not good, he could still take advantage of steaming buns and baking pancakes. The business on the dock was indeed easy to do. Soon he took back the cost of buying white flour and firewood. It took only one month. In addition to paying the rent and eating for the family of five, he also saved five taels of silver.

Yan Zhaolin had no worries about food and drink, so he became addicted to gambling again. Not only did he lose all the five taels of silver that Yan Xueping and Zeng had saved from getting up early and working late, but he also owed five taels.

Originally, Yan Xueping thought that as long as she controlled Yan Zhaolin, she and her mother would be able to pay the gambling debts even if they did more. Unfortunately, they were not lucky. People died on the dock and were not allowed to sell anything anymore.

Seeing that the debt collectors were about to come to the door again, Yan Xuehuai was still coming to take revenge on them. Zeng and Yan Xueping returned to their rented home, carried their flour pockets, called Yan Zhaolin and Yan Jinglong, and fled from Hong County in a hurry.

After a few more days of travel, the boat arrived at Zhangwan Wharf. The group abandoned the boat and landed on the shore. They changed into mule carts. Zhou Hong came to say goodbye to Li Qiniang and Yan Xuehuai. He wanted to take his brothers back to Qingyunling first.

"Brother, I gave you my address in Pingcheng early in the morning. When did you come to find us?" Li Qiniang asked.

Zhou Hongdao; "I have dealt with the matter in the village and it's over."

Li Qiniang asked: "Brother, are you going back to break up this time, or are you going to settle down before going back?"

"There are so many brothers on the mountain, so how can they just go? They always have to eat." Zhou Hong said.

Li Qiniang was helpless. She hoped that Zhou Hong could be completely broken with Qingyunling and to go to the capital to do business safely like Mr. Lu.

But according to Zhou Hong's meaning, it cannot be stopped for a while.

Li Qiniang looked worried and asked again: "Can you catch up with the time to go back to the capital with us?"

"Yes, sure, I must carry my girl into the sedan chair myself." Zhou Hong said.

Li Qiniang's face turned red. She was married for the second time. A woman with a second time was not precious, so she didn't have to let her brothers carry her in a sedan chair.

But she couldn't say it. She knew that the eldest brother really wanted to carry her into the sedan chair and send her out of the house.

"Okay, I believe you, come to Pingcheng as soon as possible to find us."

Zhou Hong grinned: "Brother wants to give you a dowry."

After seeing off Zhou Hong, Li Qiniang and Yan Xuehuai also got on the mule cart. In the evening, the group arrived at Pingcheng.

Yan Xuehuai looked outside through the car window and said to Li Qiniang: "Mom, Pingcheng has changed a lot, not as lively as before."

Li Qiniang sighed: "It used to be Xinjing, but now it is just Pingcheng, and it is no longer the capital."

The unprecedented prosperity of Pingcheng at that time mainly came from officials going north and people who fled. Now the world is peaceful and everyone who can go back has gone back. As for those who can't go back, they are really poor, so poor that they have no money and can only stay.

Of course, there are also some who can’t even get back even if they have money, such as the Empress Dowager.

Yan Xuehuai remembered someone and said, "I don't know if Qi Ying is still in Pingcheng."

Li Qiniang thought of Qi Ying, and felt sorry for Qi and comforted her. She said quietly: "Where is Chai Shu, he is there. A good child is gone."

Yan Xuehuai leaned her head on Li Qiniang's shoulder: "I think the Duke treats Xiaoman better than his own son."

"Yes, Xiaoman also likes the Duke of the People." Li Qiniang remembered Xiaoman's voice on the night of the Lantern Festival.

"Xiaoman is so pitiful. His father has long been gone." Li Qiniang felt that Xiaoman not only lacks maternal love, but also lacks fatherly love. He has always admired and comforted each other, so he should be very eager to have a father like comforted each other.

Yan Xuehuai complained in his heart, and comforted that he was foolish. Not to mention being a son, he would be willing to ask him to offer Xiaoman up.

As for Xiaoman's little devil, forget it, Yan Xuehuai deeply doubted that Xiaoman had more scrupulousness than hers.

Fusheng wrote a letter early in the morning. Li Qiniang and Yan Xuehuai arrived at the Shizi Hutong. Pearl knocked on the door. Wu Jie was the one who came to open the door. Wu Jie exclaimed: "Oh, Aunt Li, you have finally arrived. Aunt Mo Yu is chanting every day."

Pearl helped Wu Jie and Wu Rui unload the luggage in the car. Li Qiniang took Yan Xuehuai into the gate. As soon as she reached the second gate, she ran into Mo Yu who rushed over after hearing the news.

"You guys have calculated that the old lady has been waiting for it for many days. Come in quickly. You're tired on the way."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a majestic voice: "What were you saying?"

Mrs. Ye stood in the corridor with a cane.

Li Qiniang and Yan Xue came forward to salute. Old Mrs. Ye looked behind them with a stern face: "Where is Xiaoman?"

Li Qiniang hurriedly said, "Xiaoman has entered the academy. The school starts on the third day of the second month. It is a college run by Mr. Lu Er. The opportunity is rare, so I did not ask him to ask for leave. He asked me to pay his respects to the old lady for him. He also brought him a new article. Please ask the old lady to comment. I will find it out of the box and show it to you."

The corners of Mrs. Ye's mouth curled up a curl and said no, then looked at Li Qiniang: "I look good."
To be continued...