"Then come in quickly, I'll go inform them."
Xiao Peng hurried into the house.
Da Peng, however, enthusiastically led them to the main hall, and soon hot dishes were served.
Seeing his experienced demeanor, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but smile, "Are you staying with the Yin family?"
Da Peng quickly replied, "Because we saved Mr. Yin, he let us stay at his place for the time being. We had nothing else to do, so we volunteered to help guard his house. Of course, our main goal was to find out where you were so we could look for you. I never expected that after all our searching, we'd find you so easily."
Gu Qingcheng wasn't surprised that he couldn't find out about Phoenix Village. In those days, information was scarce; news didn't travel even ten li apart, let alone from Phoenix Village, which was three hundred li away. They were only conspicuous in Wangchun City. The local folks knew about Phoenix Village and could give a general direction, but it was difficult for people in Lian Tang Village, three hundred li away, to know about Phoenix Village. It was like when they were in Phoenix Village, they hadn't encountered Lian Tang Village and didn't know where it was. Therefore, it was perfectly normal that Da Peng and Xiao Peng hadn't found them.
"Haha, effort pays off. Look, we found you, didn't we?" Gu Chaobei chuckled. Meeting old acquaintances in a foreign place was always a comforting experience.
As they were talking, a middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face appeared in the main hall. Upon seeing him, Gu Chaobei recognized him as Yin Zhiping. He had seen him several times at Prince Xia's mansion, so he quickly rose to greet him, "Minister Yin, I didn't expect to see you again today."
Yin Zhiping, recognizing Gu Chaobei, also greeted him warmly, "It's Physician Gu, long time no see. How have you been?"
After some pleasantries, Gu Chaobei proposed a private conversation. Yin Zhiping then led Gu Chaobei to a side hall. Gu Chaobei and Yin Zhiping spent a long time in the side hall, making Gu Qingcheng and Hu Lanfang a little anxious. Could it be that Yin Zhiping was stubborn and unwilling to cooperate? Or perhaps Yin Zhiping hadn't brought out the materials? Various guesses flashed through the minds of the mother and daughter. If this trip proved fruitless, the matter of the zombie antidote would face many twists and turns.
Finally, Gu Chaobei emerged. He had a joyful expression and was carrying a box. The box looked heavy and was exquisitely crafted, bearing the distinctive dragon emblem of the prince's mansion. As Yin Zhiping saw them out, he said, "Physician Gu, this is all I can do to help."
Gu Chaobei smiled, "Minister Yin, your help is extremely important. The salvation of the common people in the future will be inseparable from your meticulousness."
Gu Qingcheng and Hu Lanfang exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from their conversation, it seemed they had achieved their objective. Gu Chaobei handed the heavy box to Gu Qingcheng. Gu Qingcheng took the box, understanding that her father wanted her to find an opportunity to put it in her storage cabinet. This item was so important that Gu Chaobei wouldn't feel at ease leaving it anywhere else. Only in his daughter's storage cabinet would it be completely secure.
Seeing them chatting, Gu Chaobei showed signs of wanting to leave. Da Peng quickly seized the opportunity and said to Gu Qingcheng, "Young Master Gu, we'd like to go to Phoenix Village with you."
"Then, have you made any agreement with Minister Yin? Do you need his permission to leave?"
"We are Minister Yin's saviors, and we shouldn't really be guarding his house. We are just restless and insisted on doing so. Minister Yin, fearing we might be uneasy staying alone, agreed. We are just helping out and haven't signed any contract with him. We are free to leave anytime," Da Lin quickly added.
"Alright, I'll speak with Minister Yin."
Gu Qingcheng then informed Yin Zhiping about Da Peng and Xiao Peng's wish to leave with them. Although Yin Zhiping found Da Peng and Xiao Peng useful for guarding his house, they were not his servants, and there was no reason to force them to stay. Seeing that they were leaving, Yin Zhiping gave each of them twenty taels of silver as a reward for their services. Of course, this was more than what was due, and it was also a token of gratitude for saving his life. Da Peng and Xiao Peng, after being unable to refuse, accepted the silver. The two brothers then left the Yin residence with the Gu family.
In a secluded spot, Gu Qingcheng put the brocade box into her storage cabinet. As she was carrying her luggage, anyone who didn't pay close attention would have thought she had put it in her luggage.
As the Gu family prepared to leave, Liao Qing quickly said, "It's getting late. You should rest tonight and travel tomorrow. It's unsafe at night, and it would be too dangerous if you encounter zombies."
Gu Chaobei considered his words. Indeed, the yacht couldn't be operated at night, and whether to bring Da Peng and Xiao Peng onto the yacht still needed discussion. It was a good opportunity to stay overnight and discuss it with his family. Da Peng and Xiao Peng were not family, so it was not appropriate to reveal too many secrets in front of them. Thus, Gu Chaobei gladly accepted Liao Qing's invitation to stay. Since Zui Shi Restaurant was owned by the Liao family, Liao Qing hosted a banquet for them there.
Gu Qingcheng excused herself for a moment and later secretly told Gu Chaobei that she had released another cargo ship, which they had acquired in Jinsha Mountain, at a secluded waterside. Gu Chaobei understood. This was done to avoid arousing suspicion from Da Peng and Xiao Peng, as they were not part of the family, and some matters needed to be kept private. This way, using ordinary cargo ships to take them back to the village wouldn't arouse their suspicion. With this transportation problem solved and the secret kept safe, Gu Chaobei could finally drink heartily with Liao Qing. Both were from the countryside and had no excessive formalities. To add to the lively atmosphere, Liao Qing arranged a table and everyone sat down to drink. Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo, of course, did not drink. Liao Qing had plum juice prepared for them as a beverage. It was brewed with Chinese dried plums and rock sugar, then chilled with ice, making it a refreshing, sweet, and sour drink.
During the meal, Gu Chaobei commented, "Your village is nestled by mountains and water, with beautiful scenery. It must be a place rich in aquatic resources."
Liao Qing proudly replied, "That's right. Our villagers catch fish from this river, so we don't need to buy any. Many villagers are engaged in both fishing and farming."
Upon hearing this, the Gu family's expressions suddenly changed, but they quickly regained their composure. The change in expression lasted only a second or two, so Liao Qing didn't notice. The Gu family was inwardly startled, feeling fortunate that they hadn't yet tasted the fish soup that had just been served. Ever since they saw the zombie horde on the water, they had vowed not to eat freshwater fish from this area for at least ten years. In any case, Gu Qingcheng had plenty of seafood and fish in stock, so they wouldn't be without aquatic products.
"To our benefactors, this is the local specialty, the 'Qiao Zui' fish. Its flesh is tender and delicious, and the soup is particularly sweet," Liao Qing said. Seeing them appearing reserved and not touching the delicious fish soup, Liao Qing enthusiastically offered to serve Gu Chaobei.