Hearing news about Xu Dakui, Yang Ruqing suddenly felt excited.

“Where is he?” she asked.

The woman said, “He ran to the county town. He spent all his money and was kicked out of the brothel by the madam. He wandered the streets of the county for half a day, and then quietly returned to the village last night. Now he’s hiding at home.”

“His wife, Lu Shi, hid him in the firewood shed in the back yard and locked the door.”

"Even going to the toilet was done in that firewood shed, it was terrible. The youngest son Xu Zhuang didn't know about it, but Lu Shi and her daughter Xu Cai Ling, who is full of tricks, knew." The woman spoke quickly, like a string of firecrackers, she was probably a sharp-witted person in the village too.

Yang Ruqing was happy, "You dare to sneak back, you have guts!"

"That's right, if he hadn't run out of money, he probably wouldn't have been willing to come back!" the woman added.

Yang Ruqing's gaze fell on the couple again. She didn't need to ask to know why they knew so much detail. They must have spent all their time researching this matter since dropping out of school.

“Thank you both for the clues you provided, but since you two came to report, no one is watching Xu Da Kui anymore. Could he have run somewhere else during this time?” Yang Ruqing asked again.

The woman patted her chest and said, "Rest assured, Madam Luo. When we came to report to you and the General, I left my in-laws there watching over everything. They won't leave for a step."

>

Yang Ruqing nodded. "Alright, you guys go back to Xujia Village first and keep an eye on him so he doesn't escape. I'll make arrangements here, and we'll go over tomorrow morning."

"It's not until tomorrow morning, is it?" the woman asked in surprise.

"Mrs. Luo, if you and the General are too busy, we could tie up Xu Dakui and bring him to you. What do you think?"

Yang Ruqing smiled and shook her head, "No need for you to tie me up, I like to go there myself."

“But I'm afraid he might run away, Xu Da Kui is such a sly person...” the woman said.

Yang Ruqing nodded: "That's why I let you keep watching, don't startle the snake, as long as he doesn't leave your sight."

"I still have some family matters to attend to this month, you understand."

The woman nodded repeatedly.

"The young women understand, you are a distinguished person, and distinguished people are busy. Then we'll go back and watch Xu Dakui carefully so he doesn't get away!" the woman said.

>

Yang Ruqing smiled with satisfaction.

The woman looked at Yang Ruqing again and again, wanting to speak but hesitating.

What's going on in her mind, Yang Ruoqing wouldn't understand?

"You wait here for a moment, I'll arrange a carriage to send you back first." she said.

And taking out two taels of silver, he gave it to the woman. "Take this, two taels of silver, and buy some food on the way to eat something to fill your stomach. When I see Xu Da Kui tomorrow, there will be a reward!"

The woman clutched the two ounces of warm silver in her hand, her heart pounding with excitement.

With these two taels of silver, the family would have enough food for two months in the spring.

Luo's wife also said that she would see Xu Dakui tomorrow and be rewarded. Oh my, the woman felt that she wasn't cold at all. All the tiredness from her long journey this morning had vanished.

"Very well, very well. We'll wait here. Thank you for the carriage, Madam Luo." The woman bowed to Yang Ruqing.

The man behind also nodded and bowed, his face full of gratitude.

Yang Ruqing turned around and entered the courtyard, telling Luo Fengtang about it.

Luo Fengtang then went to find the man who had come with the pine tree that day and asked him to send the couple to Qingshui Town in a carriage. After arriving in Qingshui Town, he would help them hire another carriage to take them back to Xujia Village.

Of course, Yang Ruqing also took two bags of snacks from the kitchen and asked Luofengtang to send them to the other two people outside. They had walked for so long, they must be hungry.

Again, it's the first day of the new year. It's also customary to send them some food as gifts.

As night fell, Ri Song had already returned to his village by carriage from town.

He sent the carriage back to Luó's courtyard and told Yang Ruòqíng and Luó Fēngtáng, "Send those two people to the carriage shop in town and hire a carriage for them. When they left, they were extremely grateful, saying that the general and his wife are truly kind people..."

Yang Ruqing poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Nari Song: "You are also a good person, sending them to town on such a cold day. Come on, good person, have a cup of hot tea to warm your hands."

That day, Song accepted the tea and expressed his thanks.

Here's the translation of your text, keeping HTML tags intact: Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

“Those two must have been so excited by those two taels of silver. They kept whispering to each other in the carriage all the way.” That day, Song laughed and said.

"They thought that with the carriage moving, the rumble of the wheels and the sound of the wind, they wouldn't be able to hear me. But little did they know I was a master! My hearing was extraordinary. Everything they said, I heard it all!" he added.

"Oh? What did they say?" Yang Ruohua also asked curiously.

"Are you thinking about what to buy with these two taels of silver? Or are you guessing how much silver I'll reward them tomorrow when I meet Xu Dakui?" she asked.

That day Song Dao said, “You’re right, you guessed everything correctly.”

"This household is in the village, I guess life must be very difficult for them. I eavesdropped on their conversation, they probably didn't spend the New Year at home. The couple brought some dry food and water bottles with them and are looking for Xu Dakui outside."

“Otherwise, it would be impossible to find Xu Dakui’s whereabouts at the Goulouyuan in the county town, and even follow back to Xujia Village. Haha, you really put in the effort!” he said.

Yang Ruqing nodded, "Where there's a reward, there's a brave man. It's possible that people from Xujia Village are just like this couple, putting aside the New Year to go out and find Xu Dakui in order to earn the reward!"

That day, Song snapped his fingers. "You guessed it again. From their conversation, I learned that in Xu Jia Village, which has over twenty households, an estimated ten or so households have sent people out to secretly look for Xu Da Kui."

“On the surface, they are still hiding it from each other. Everyone is trying not to let others know that they are looking for someone, hahaha! This Xu Dakui has actually become so worrying for everyone in the whole village!”

Yang Ruqing also smiled: "The whole village is mobilized to find Xu Dakui."

Xiao An has arrived outside.

"Sister, brother-in-law, Mom and Dad sent me to call you guys over for dinner!" Xia An said as soon as she entered the room.

Luo Fengtang nodded to Xiao An and said, "Okay, let's go now."

Xiao An saw that Ri Song was there, so he smiled and invited, "Ri Song Big Brother, come over for a drink with us too!"

That day, Song smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, but I don't need it."

Luofengtang also reached out and patted Song Ri's shoulder: "Let's go together, it's not like we're outsiders!"

That day, Song Dao said: "My Xiao Yaxue should have cooked dinner at home."

Yang Ruqing said, "Then invite her over too. Tell her that her godson is returning to the East Sea tomorrow and ask her to come over with her child for a meal together. My mother especially asked me to invite you both!"

That day, Song was a happy fellow. Upon hearing this, he nodded: "Alright, I'll go call her and her son right now."

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