The group, upon successfully entering the city, was stunned by the prosperity they witnessed.
Zhen Zhen was a true "country bumpkin" in the city.
However, the villagers of Shana Village still remembered to thank Cheng Hao. Fearing they would disrupt the procession if they pushed through the crowd, they asked Gao Dashan to convey their gratitude on their behalf.
Cheng Hao assured them it was nothing.
He then gestured for everyone to follow his convoy towards their new residence.
The entire group was excited.
They marveled at the bustling marketplace, remarking that they had never seen such a spectacle before.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi were particularly wide-eyed.
They were mostly in the same carriage, making it convenient to look after the children.
They also had company.
Cheng Fengtai and Cheng Kaichun shared another carriage, finding it spacious and quiet.
They were free from the children's disturbances.
They could also talk and discuss their insights on the current situation.
With the men gone,
Cai Shi and Xi Shi felt more at ease.
"Good heavens, it's so lively out there! They sell everything! This is more bustling than Fengcheng! Good sister-in-law, look outside, isn't it?"
Xi Shi had truly never seen such a lively and prosperous scene. The surrounding buildings were beautiful and spacious, and the structures were at least two stories high.
She was truly astonished.
Cai Shi also found everything novel. She nodded excitedly, "Yes, of course. It's much larger than the market in our Fengcheng, and they sell so many things. And it's still so busy at this hour?"
Cheng Xiaotian and the other children were already extremely excited, shouting repeatedly.
"Quick, quick, look over there! Someone is performing acrobatics! Wow, that's amazing!"
"Brother, look! Someone is selling sugar figurines over there!"
"What is that? Is that a kite? It's so big!"
"Mom! Mom, look! The lanterns over there are so, so big!"
The children were also thrilled. This was their first time venturing so far from home, and after seeing so much monotonous mountain scenery, they finally saw something new.
The sight of such prosperity left them deeply impressed.
They never imagined that people could live such lives.
Cheng Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a little sad, saying to Cai Shi, "Mother, there's no dirt on the ground here, it's all stone slabs..."
After all, their home, though in Fengcheng, still had a dirt floor indoors.
Seeing her son's eyes redden.
Cai Shi understood his sentiment. If they had never seen such a scene before, it would have been fine. But now, witnessing this firsthand, they realized that although everyone was human, their lives were vastly different, which deeply moved them.
She reached out and stroked her eldest son's head, then sighed.
Xi Shi, though simple-minded, understood why the child was suddenly upset. However, having experienced so much, she was much more open-minded now than before, understood many things, and her personality had completely changed.
She was almost like a different person.
But she liked who she was now.
Later, if Cheng Kaichun caused trouble for her, she dared to talk back and even used Cheng Hao to intimidate him, simply by saying, "Young Master Cheng Hao dotes on his wife so much, and he specifically instructed the convoy members to protect women and children. If the news of you bullying me reaches his ears..."
Before Cheng Kaichun could even finish, he was so enraged he was about to explode.
But he truly didn't dare to touch Xi Shi again.
Therefore, the two of them silently chose to avoid each other, not spending much time together.
To avoid mutual annoyance.
Xi Shi saw Cheng Xiaotian's sadness and said with a smile, "Hey, aren't we fortunate? How difficult it is for those fleeing disaster! But we fled disaster without suffering too much, and we even entered the city to enjoy ourselves!"