Huang Manjing finally caught up, panting heavily as she took in the sight of Ji Taoyu unharmed and Huo Shu standing tall behind him.
"Old man, you couldn’t even wait for me."
"Mother."
Ji Taoyu's eyes were red as he choked out a call. Huang Manjing, heart aching, grabbed her ger's hand and couldn't help but look him over, her own nose tingling with emotion:
"Your little face has gotten so much thinner, and you’ve tanned quite a bit."
"The northern frontier has harsh winds and sand, I just got a little sun."
"What matters is that you’ve returned safe and sound."
Huang Manjing pulled Ji Taoyu into a tight embrace, her voice trembling with tears: "You’ve worried your mother half to death."
As the family reunited, the relatives of others in the caravan also arrived one after another.
Parents, brothers, wives, and children—some crying, some laughing—soon completely blocked the path with their joyous clamor.
Fortunately, the families from Hongli Village hadn’t come, or there wouldn’t have been enough space to stand.
Though it was a rare and happy reunion after a long separation, blocking the road indefinitely wasn’t an option.
Ji Yangzong composed himself and took charge: "Everyone’s safe return is a joyous occasion, and it’s only natural for folks to celebrate. But let’s first allow them to settle their belongings before heading home for a proper reunion. They must be exhausted from the journey!"
"Go home and prepare hot water for baths, cook meals—they’ll be back soon. Our neighbors from other villages also need to reunite with their families, so let’s not delay them further."
"Right, right."
At Ji Yangzong’s urging, the crowd reluctantly dispersed, though with great reluctance, and the caravan moved toward the Ji household.
Ji Yangzong climbed onto the cart he was driving and glanced sideways at the sturdy horses, his eyes nearly glazing over at the sight.
Yet, he maintained a composed demeanor in public, pretending as though everything were perfectly ordinary.
The villagers, still buzzing with excitement, lingered even if their own men weren’t in the caravan, following the procession for a long stretch, chatting and speculating eagerly.
They marveled at the spirited horses and wondered whether the trip had been profitable.
Just the sight of those horses suggested they’d made some money, though how much remained a mystery.
The village remained in an uproar for a while, so much so that some even delayed their noon meals to stay and watch.
Those from Hongli Village, seeing the others reunite with their families, were already eager to return home.
Once the caravan entered the Ji family’s courtyard, they swiftly unloaded the cargo boxes.
Ji Taoyu, understanding their eagerness to return home, fetched the account book and had them open the boxes.
"Settling the accounts will take some time. Let’s meet again in a couple of days to divide the earnings. For now, take the goods you’ve purchased back with you, no one should go home empty-handed. How does that sound?"
"Good, good! No rush."
Everyone agreed readily. After surviving life-and-death situations together, who would doubt their honesty now?
Seeing no objections, Ji Taoyu said no more and instructed Uncle Fan and the others to quickly distribute the goods.
The boxes they’d brought back weren’t packed with merchandise—just their travel funds, tents, fodder, and the items everyone had bought for their families along the way.
Vinegar, fermented rice wine, furs, pastries, dried fruits…
Food, daily necessities, all sorts of odds and ends.
Ji Taoyu checked off each item as it was handed out, first distributing goods to the Hongli Village group before moving on to their own villagers.
Some items were bulky, and those who’d bought too much couldn’t even carry them all.
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manqing thoughtfully lent out their own baskets and carrying poles to the neighbors to help transport the goods.
Those gathered outside the Ji household watched as the Hongli villagers emerged one after another, their bundles tightly wrapped, obscuring the contents.
Still, the sheer volume of goods they carried back was enough to spark envy.
Those from other villages hesitated to ask what rare items they’d brought, but when their own villagers emerged, they couldn’t resist crowding around.
"Just some novelties from other prefectures, nothing particularly valuable."
"You must’ve made quite a profit on this trip, eh?"
"Accounts haven’t been settled yet, no idea if we’ve earned anything."
The commotion lasted a good while before the goods were fully distributed.
Most of the caravan members had already left. Ji Yangzong saw them off and urged the remaining onlookers to return home for their midday meals.
The Ji household finally quieted down. Aside from the family, only the six men from the northern frontier remained in the courtyard.
Huo Shu spoke up: "They’re my fellow northerners. Our village is gone now, so they’ll be working with me from here on out."
He gestured to the young man beside him and said to Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing, "This is my younger brother, Huo Shou."
Huo Shou promptly greeted them: "Uncle, Aunt."
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing were surprised, they hadn’t known Huo Shu had a brother.
But they were happy for him, now that he’d reunited with family.
Still, the couple couldn’t help but note that the two didn’t resemble each other much in appearance.
Their builds, however, were similarly tall and sturdy—clearly men of martial bearing.
"What a fine young man. Since you’ve come south with Huo-lang, consider this your home from now on."
"Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."
Huo Shou noticed traces of Ji Taoyu’s features in the couple. After all the banter on the road, meeting his brother’s in-laws didn’t feel as awkward as he’d expected.
Uncle Fan and the others also greeted Ji Yangzong and his wife in turn.
Afterward, they quickly settled the horses. With over forty horses, plus oxen, donkeys, and mules, the Ji family’s livestock pens were far too small.
They could only stable the few animals they’d taken to Tongzhou, leaving the rest to graze in the open space behind the house after scattering plenty of fodder.
They’d have to keep a close watch to prevent the horses from trampling the villagers’ crops.
Tongzhou was pleasant, but it lacked the vast grasslands of the north where horses could roam freely.
Daniu was tasked with keeping an eye on them—a mix of joy at owning so many horses and worry over managing them.
"We didn’t know you’d arrive today, so we’re unprepared. Let’s have a simple meal for now to fill your stomachs and rest. In the afternoon, I’ll send Daniu to buy meat and vegetables for a proper feast."
Once everything was settled, Ji Yangzong led the group inside.
"We’ll prepare two rooms for you to share for now. The other rooms are too cluttered, it’ll take time to clear them out."
Uncle Fan replied politely, "We’re grateful, Village Head Ji. Even one room to shelter us from the wind and rain would be more than enough."
"You’ve followed my son-in-law through thick and thin. Now that you’re in the south, you shouldn’t have to rough it. You’ll eat and rest properly here!"
As the group moved from the main courtyard to the inner house, they marveled at the southern-style architecture with its central skylight—their astonishment far exceeding Huo Shu’s first reaction months ago.
Stepping into the courtyard, they saw multiple floors, a spacious kitchen, and inner courtyards—the house was impressively large.
Huo Shou gazed around in amazement—everything here felt fresh and unfamiliar to him. No wonder his brother-in-law was so delicately raised—with such a home and doting parents, it’d be hard not to grow up pampered.
Back on the road, hearing his brother lived with his in-laws had been hard to digest.
But now, seeing the place firsthand—not just Huo Shou, but all of them—was eye-opening.
If this was what being a live-in son-in-law meant, even if Huo Shu refused, they’d gladly volunteer themselves.
Once everyone was properly settled, Ji Taoyu finally couldn’t resist darting into the room he hadn’t entered in four months.
Thank you for the update!!!!
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