Chapter 50

I really don't know what to say, the computer system had an issue out of nowhere, and then the system restoration also had problems, so the system had to be reinstalled. The most troublesome part is that Office also needs to be reinstalled!

Today, I can only manage one chapter! Sigh~~ Poor me, the movies and TV shows on my 500G hard drive!

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"Hmph, okay, Qiuyang, you dare to laugh at me! Sir, I won't sing anymore, I won't sing anymore! Qiuyang is jealous, Sir, I think Qiuyang must have a man, hmpf, tell me, who is your man, I beg you, just give me a chance!"

Xiaoyang retaliated without backing down, then reached out to tickle Qiuyang. This was only possible because they were favored by Zhu Lingwu, allowing them to be so bold.

"Alright, alright, you are all my women, I won't let you go! Xiaoyang, stop bullying Qiuyang, don't press on my little Daji!"

Zhu Lingwu watched them play and didn't get angry. If they were all well-behaved and lost their youthful nature, he would find it boring.

"Sir, do you really understand what they are saying? I think you will definitely be a playboy in the future, thinking about such things now!"

Chuyang couldn't help but look at Zhu Lingwu strangely. For an eight-year-old to say such things, his thoughts were indeed too mature.

Although girls like them mature early and can marry at thirteen, it was still surprising for Zhu Lingwu to say they were all his women.

Xiaoyang and Qiuyang also stopped their playful fight, turning to look at Zhu Lingwu with surprise, slightly stunned. Xiaoyang said with a hint of resentment, "I'm afraid that when Sir becomes a playboy, he won't look at us old women anymore!"

"What playboy? Didn't you say you wanted to serve others? No way, I can't do without you. I like the sweet fruits Chuyang pickles, I like the little songs Xiaoyang sings, and I like Qiuyang helping me with my affairs! I really don't know what you are talking about!"

Zhu Lingwu realized he had spoken out of turn and tried to cover it up, but it only made things more obvious.

Chuyang, Xiaoyang, and Qiuyang all gave Zhu Lingwu a dirty look, clearly not believing him.

But this little boy had already thought about such things, and they couldn't help but recall the times Zhu Lingwu had taken advantage of them.

Perhaps thinking of something, the three girls' faces turned a light pink, and they changed the topic without a word.

Then, Xiaoyang took out her small zither, put on the zither ring, and began to play and sing in the carriage, her voice soft and clear.

The song spread out of the carriage, like a small hand caressing the ears of the servants, slaves, and private soldiers around, making many of them turn to look at Zhu Lingwu's carriage.

At this moment, Zhu Lingwu's convoy joined the other large merchant caravans waiting at the eastern gate of Tongshan County, heading towards Chong'an Inner Prefecture.

For a moment, a grand caravan of five to six thousand people set off, the wheels making a "gululu" sound, raising dust.

The journey was uneventful as the caravan gradually left the area of Tongshan County and entered the surrounding wilderness.

The mountains around undulated, the highest not exceeding a few hundred meters, covered with dark green forests. It was winter, so the tops of some mountains were still white with snow.

On both sides of the road, there were scattered patches of wild forests, not large or dense, with occasional streams flowing through them, and many herbivorous animals could be seen, startled by the caravan, scurrying in all directions.

There were also some unpleasant sights along the road, such as the remains of caravans attacked by wild beasts or bandits, broken carts, scattered debris, and even some white bones left on the roadside.

But the merchants traveling outside were used to this. Many kind-hearted ones would gather the bones and bury them, giving them a proper burial.

On the mountains and in the forests along the road, there were many eyes watching the large caravan, some belonging to animals, others to humans.

"Walk a thousand miles, hey oh, through wind and frost, hey oh, merchants travel to the border, hey oh, a year of hard work, return home, hey oh!"

A series of melodious merchant songs spontaneously rose from the mouths of the hired hands and guards, though their voices were rough, the hundreds or thousands singing together created a unique atmosphere.

"Mountain paths are rugged, hey oh, not too hard, hey oh, wild beasts in the mountains, hurry up, hey oh, friends on the road, don't be tempted, hey oh, merchants work hard for money, hey oh, family elders wait for their return, hey oh!"

The large caravan, consisting of thousands of people, naturally didn't move too fast. There were various types of vehicles, but the most common were the small single-wheeled carts pushed by hand.

They sang such songs to alleviate the boredom of the journey and reduce physical fatigue.

Such a large group also had the advantage of safety. The eyes in the mountains and forests, whether of wild beasts or bandits, naturally dared not easily attack such a large group, even demons would have to consider the strength of these humans.

Many solo adventurers would also come out from the surroundings to chat, hoping to join the large group for safety. Some would follow behind, hoping to benefit from the group's protection, and of course, some might just be following to probe the situation.

At this time, the sky was gradually darkening, and it was already evening.

In the caravan, many horse-riding guards were running back and forth, mostly sent by the merchants to ask Liu Ping where they would camp for the night. After all, more wild beasts would be active in the mountains at night, and some demons would come out to hunt.

During the day, they could stop to rest, eat some dry food, and drink some water, but at night, they couldn't be so casual. They had to set up a simple camp to prevent attacks by wild beasts, bandits, or even demons.

Under Liu Ping's arrangement, the merchant guards who joined the Zhu family's convoy were divided into several groups of two to three hundred people, guarding the front, back, and sides of the caravan.

However, the two hundred private soldiers directly under the Zhu family were not split up but were still arranged to guard around Zhu Lingwu's carriage. For Liu Ping, the safety of Zhu Lingwu was the most important part of this escort mission.

Zhu Lingwu's carriage was also placed in the center of the caravan, slightly forward, so that in case of danger, it could be quickly protected by the Zhu family's private soldiers under Liu Ping's command.

According to the original plan, the caravan would stay at an official station about two hundred miles from Tongshan County. However, at the current speed of the caravan, it would probably be very dark by the time they reached the station...