After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 905 Returning Home
During the years that Hai Xiya was in Chang'an, although his living conditions were much better than those in the border town, he was often on business trips due to his duties, and he often went to remote areas. He had little time to enjoy a life of luxury, so he looked thin. The journey of more than 2,000 miles to Beijing had accumulated a lot of fatigue for him, making him look even thinner.

When he returned home after ten days of fasting at the Ministry of Revenue, he was two times thinner than when he first came to Beijing, his eye sockets were sunken, and his complexion was even paler. Fortunately, his spirit was still good, and he did not look weak when he walked or talked, but he looked a little haggard.

Ma and Haitang couldn't help but feel distressed when they saw his appearance. Ma held her husband's hand and just said two words: "Master..." Tears fell from her eyes, and she choked and couldn't speak anymore.

Haitang hurriedly pulled Grandpa's wrist and felt his pulse carefully. She felt that he was indeed a little weak, but not seriously. If he took medicine carefully, he would recover in ten days or half a month. However, it was a national mourning period, and their family was in the center of the capital. It was not easy to get nutritious food such as meat, eggs and milk in private. I was afraid that they would have to spend some time to take care of Grandpa.

Seeing his wife crying and his granddaughter worried, Hai Xiya tried to comfort them, "I'm fine, I just look haggard. Everyone in the government is like this, and some people faint from time to time. If I look too energetic, I won't fit in. I'm already doing well, thanks to the tonic pills you sent me."

Hai Xiya's health was not very good on weekdays, and he still had some old problems with his bones, spleen and stomach. He had just finished a long and arduous journey, and before he could catch his breath, he had to enter a long-term fasting life. Therefore, Ma and Haitang were worried, so they specially prepared a lot of pills for him. The remaining medicines brought from Chang'an were all stuffed into his bag. Relying on these pills, Hai Xiya successfully passed the difficult ten days in the government office. He had medicine to take when his old illnesses came back, and tonics for malnutrition. Even though he looked much thinner on the outside, his foundation was not affected, and it was easy to recuperate afterwards.

After hearing what her husband said, Ma was afraid that he was only reporting good news and not bad news, so she turned around to look at her granddaughter. Seeing her granddaughter nod and say, "Grandpa is in good health, he will be fine after a few days of rest." She was relieved and said hurriedly, "Now that the master is back, we must quickly replenish our energy and make up for the loss!"

Hai Xiya smiled and said, "I can only come back to rest for one day. I have to go back tomorrow. Now, the people in our Ministry of Revenue have arranged their shifts privately, and a group of people are sent home every day. This kind of shift will not affect official business or the mourning. It also gives everyone a chance to go home and rest, so they don't have to be trapped in the government office and suffer. My family doesn't know anything and is worried. I am lucky. I came back today. The next time I go back, it will be ten days later."

Ma couldn't help but complain: "What can you do in one day?! You don't eat or sleep well in the government office, can't you take a good rest for two days after you come back?!"

Xie Wenzai, who was standing nearby, could not help but speak up: "Cousin, this is the rule. Everyone in the Ministry of Revenue does this. My cousin has just arrived, so it is not easy for him to disobey the order. He has been working hard for so many days, and now he has finally returned home. You should let him come in and sit down before talking."

Ma finally realized that they were still in the front yard of their house. She hurriedly pulled her husband towards the upper house in the main yard. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she was very embarrassed: "Oh, I forgot, the master is still tired."

Hai Xiya and everyone else just smiled. Ma was just too concerned, so who would bother with her?
Hai Xiya entered the house, and Ma personally helped him wash and dress, changed into clean home clothes, and sat down on the kang. Although it was not yet snowy, Haitang had ordered people to heat the kang early. It must be very cold in the Ministry of Revenue. I don't know how much my grandfather has suffered these days. Wouldn't it be more comfortable for him to sit on the kang and talk and eat in the warmth after returning home? Even if there is cold and gloomy air in the body and rheumatism occurs, it can be used to drive away the cold.

Hai Xiya sat on the kang, and her whole body felt warm, her bones softened, and she sighed in comfort: "Home is still the best!"

Haitang personally brought his grandfather a bowl of steaming hot mushroom noodle soup, along with a few side dishes and a bowl of ginseng soup: "You can't buy meat, eggs or other meat on the street nowadays, so I can only make these for you. Please eat them, they are all made according to your taste." Haixiya didn't dislike it, it was already very good. During the days he was in the Ministry of Revenue, he had porridge with pickles or steamed buns in rice soup almost every day. The taste was not bad, but it was not very good either. How could it compare with the delicious noodle soup made carefully at home? Even the side dishes made at home were more exquisite than those in the canteen of the government office, and more to his taste.

He ate a bowl of noodle soup and felt six-tenths full, so he asked for another bowl. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he complained to everyone about the food in the government office and praised Haitang for preparing a small noodle cake for him.

Those white flour cakes and cornmeal cakes were made of good materials and were made with great care. Although they were all vegetarian, the bean paste and jujube paste fillings were already a rare delicacy in those days when the food was bland. The first batch of cakes didn't last for two days before they were all divided up by his colleagues, so he had to eat porridge and pickles with everyone else. Fortunately, after the martial law ended, his family could send food in again. Three batches of small cakes in a row made him quickly become the most popular person among the doctors of the Qingli Division. The subordinates didn't dare to ask him for more, and they looked at him eagerly, and their attitude towards him became a little more attentive.

Ma felt distressed when she heard this and said hurriedly, "I'll ask the kitchen to continue making pancakes and make a few more packs. When the master returns to the government office tomorrow, he can bring some back so that everyone can have a taste. If the master has good relationships with people, it will be much easier for him to work in the Ministry of Revenue in the future. When you're done eating, the master can send someone back to tell them and I'll make new ones for them."

Hai Xiya smiled and said, "That's not necessary. This is the first time for everyone to experience this kind of thing, so we are not well prepared. Now that everyone has taken turns to go home for vacation, when they go back to work, they will definitely prepare food. What's so special about a few small pancakes? Who can't make this? Why do you have to snatch the ones I take back every time?"

Ma sneered, "How can they be the same?! Our small noodle cakes are made with top-quality flour, fresh flour brought from Chang'an, which is much more fragrant than the flour sold in the capital! How can their homemade cakes compare with ours? They may not have as good a craftsmanship as Tangtang!"

Haitang coughed and changed the subject: "Grandpa, you have been in the government office these days. Have you heard any news from the palace? I wonder how my second uncle and brother are doing?"

Speaking of her children and grandchildren, Ma immediately put aside the gossip about eating and drinking and paid attention to her husband's answer.

Hai Xiya replied, "Chang'an should be guarding the Wumen area. I have seen him from a distance twice, but I didn't dare to go up to greet him. He bowed to me from a distance, so I think he saw me. Baoshun is in the Jinyiwei, and the yamen is far from the Ministry of Revenue. He is on duty in the palace, and I have never seen him once. In the first few days, I heard that there was a commotion in the palace, and I was worried that he might get into trouble. But later I heard that it was the imperial guards who were in trouble, and Yingchuan Hou led his troops into the palace and quickly suppressed it. There were few casualties, and it was not the Jinyiwei and the Qishouwei, so I was relieved. General Zhou Si was patrolling on Tianjie a few days ago, and when he saw me, he came over to say hello and reassured me that the children at home were safe and sound, and even Zhou Shigong was fine. Thanks to him, now people in the yamen are more polite to me even if they have no friendship with Wumen Gusheng."

Haitang believed that the courtesy of the people in the Ministry of Revenue might be more due to the current changes in the situation. The Zhou family had once again become the most powerful family in the Great Chu by virtue of their support for the throne. Officials close to the Zhou family would naturally also rise in status.

But this is not the point. The point is...

Haitang lowered her voice and asked, "What's going on with the chaos in the palace?"