Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 544 - 478: The Hu Kingdom Invades

The Gao family has lost face once and doesn’t want to lose it a second time. She steeled herself and said, "To be honest, I’ve been thinking these few days about returning to Canghe Village and asking for half of the money back. The doctor said I have a heart illness and will need expensive herbs from now on.

You and my brother teamed up to steal my silver; why didn’t you hide it properly?

Now great, everyone’s become poor; it’s okay, we can start all over again. From now on, no one needs to worry about anyone else. I’ll never go back to that home in Canghe Village again."

Old Man Gao shot up from the ground and slapped Gao in the face, "You unfilial girl, are you trying to cut ties with us? You jinx! If it weren’t for you flaunting big heaps of silver, would our family have attracted thieves? The thief was led by you!"

Gao, covering half her face, spoke with grievances, "Yes, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have returned. With over two hundred taels, I could live well anywhere. Why did I go back to Canghe Village? I’m so cheap..."

As Gao spoke, she started to slap herself.

Sun Mansheng grabbed his mother’s arm, stopping her from inflicting more harm on herself.

"Sister Xiaolian, please have them driven out quickly. I’m afraid my mother will have another heart attack." Recently, Sun Mansheng didn’t even dare to mention the Gao family in front of his mother, fearing her condition might worsen.

Yu Xiaolian had seen enough of the drama and felt it was time to end it. Just as she was about to ask someone to ’escort’ the Gao family grandfather and grandson out, Old Man Gao turned around, suddenly kneeling before her.

"Granddaughter, we’re family, aren’t we? Please lend us a hand, and we’ll forever remember your kindness."

"Heh..." Yu Xiaolian let out a cold laugh.

"Who are you calling granddaughter? Don’t mistake kinship. I don’t have bloodsucking relatives like you.

Do you even know that half of the silver you stole was the money allocated by the Sun Family elder for splitting the family? It included money for Mansheng’s wedding and Manyue’s dowry. The elder of the Sun Family didn’t say to give a single cent to your old Gao family.

If you’d just asked for ten or twenty taels, it would’ve been a happy occasion; but you got too greedy."

Yu Xiaolian didn’t want to waste any more words with the Gao family grandfather and grandson. "Cao Gen, send them out."

Old Man Gao, when he saw Cao Gen walk over, quickly said, "Well... my Da Cheng is seventeen, just the right age for the county government’s hiring recruitment. Isn’t there a cement factory looking for workers? Considering we’re relatives, let him work in the cement factory?"

If he remembered correctly, a laborer at the cement factory earned fifteen wen a day, five more than the women at the Red Sausage Factory!

Gao Dacheng couldn’t believe it, "Grandfather, you want me to chisel stone?"

"What’s wrong with chiseling stone? They provide food there, two meals a day. If you go, there’ll be an extra income for the family and one less mouth to feed!" Old Man Gao looked at Yu Xiaolian hopefully.

Yu Xiaolian glanced at Gao, seeing Gao silent and seemingly willing to let Yu Xiaolian decide, she said, "Do you remember the chili seeds I gave you? Go home and cultivate them. When the time comes, growing chilies should be a decent income.

Chili planting requires transplanting; you need more hands. Take Gao Dacheng back!"

Even though Old Man Gao was unwilling, he was afraid Yu Xiaolian wouldn’t buy their chilies in the future, so he didn’t dare say anything more, sullenly leading Gao Dacheng away.

Yu Xiaolian glanced at Gao, "Auntie Wu, how about I have someone send you back to Taohua Village?"

Sun Manyue had already made up her mind to stay with Yu Xiaolian, and Yu Xiaolian also wanted someone around to chat and ease her mind, so she thought she’d let Sun Manyue stay with her for now.

Gao shook her head, "I’m not going back; I’m staying here!"

How could she face going back to the Sun family? Her in-laws, elder brother-in-law, and sister-in-law would all laugh at her.

When she left back then, she gave her eldest daughter ten taels, her second son fifty taels. The bulk was in her own hands. Now, returning penniless and shamefully, she couldn’t bear the embarrassment.

Yu Xiaolian looked at Sun Mansheng, "Take good care of your mother, if something’s missing or lacking, tell Steward Liu. If she’s sick, take the medicine she needs, don’t skimp on money."

Sun Mansheng hesitated and asked, "Does my third sister know about my mother’s illness?"

"She doesn’t want to see you all, for now!" Yu Xiaolian replied.

Sun Manyue knew about her mother’s illness, but she wasn’t someone who easily forgot past grievances. Stubborn as she was, Sun Manyue was still angry!

"My third sister is too quick-tempered!" Sun Mansheng muttered.

"Mansheng, don’t blame your third sister; it’s all because of me!" After what happened just now, Gao realized that as long as she had a penny, her father would find a way to squeeze her dry.

A vampire, truly a vampire—Gao felt disgusted by having such parents.

"Recover your health before going to work, no rush!" Yu Xiaolian said as she walked away.

Yu Xiaolian didn’t dare mention a pay raise to Gao just yet; she was afraid Gao would forget the lesson learned. Some matters were not urgent; it was better to let her remember first before discussing it.

As Yu Xiaolian’s carriage just entered the city gate, she saw a horse galloping through, rushing wildly in the bustling street, the rider whipping the horse’s flanks while shouting to clear the way.

"He’s one of the Linzhou Prince’s men. I saw him last time when they searched the County Magistrate Qian’s household!" Cao Gen said to Yu Xiaolian.

Yu Xiaolian couldn’t bother with anything else, "Hurry back!"

A bad premonition arose in her heart; she felt something major was about to happen.

The fact proved Yu Xiaolian’s sixth sense was very accurate: turmoil had erupted again at the Northern Border; the Hu Kingdom had dispatched armies to attack Linzhou.

Since Jun Tingye ascended the throne, fearing rebellion from the Vassal Kings, he had long weakened the troops in the hands of each Vassal King, with only a small number of troops stationed at the southern and northern borders.

Jun Tingye believed that as long as he held the troops in his own hands, his throne would be the safest.

Now, the Hu Kingdom had mobilized the entire country’s forces to suddenly attack the sparsely stationed Northern Border, sweeping through with unstoppable force.

In just three days, several county magistrates north of Linzhou had all fallen. At this moment, Jun Mobai was commanding the remaining ’beaten and battered’ troops defending Linzhou City. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Lord Su, the Prince asks you to prepare, should Linzhou City not hold, they will retreat to Yangcheng."

After conveying Jun Mobai’s message, Fu Tong clasped his hands to Su Jingchen, "I must head to Jinzhou for reinforcements, so I’ll take my leave now."

After Fu Qing left, Li Wenyuan immediately asked Su Jingchen, "Whose fief is Jinzhou? How many troops are there?"

"Great General Li Guangpu is stationed in Jinzhou." Su Jingchen’s face showed worry.

Whenever war breaks out, it is the common people who suffer the most.

Although Jinzhou isn’t far from Linzhou, given Jun Tingye’s cautious personality, Li Guangpu probably doesn’t have many troops under his command either.

Su Jingchen quickly took out a defense map of Yangcheng and began discussing defense strategies with Li Wenyuan.