But that figure flashed by too quickly, and she hadn’t confirmed it before it disappeared.

Gu Yundong lowered the curtain, letting the carriage driver follow the child to the village chief’s house.

Yongfu Village was a village with various surnames, with many ancestors having fled there during famines, and after settling down for a long time, it gradually developed into its current size.

The village chief’s surname was Chen, and he lived in the center of the village. The condition of their house was decent, being the only blue-brick house in the village.

When the carriage stopped at their door, quite a few people had gathered behind it.

Gu Yundong was startled when she got down, especially by the children who were staring at her eagerly, as if they were saying, “Do you have any questions for me?” It was as if they could earn candy just by speaking up.

Gu Yundong smirked, and when Yang Shi came down carrying the bundle, she turned to pick up Gu Yunshu and Gu Yunko.

She instructed the carriage driver to wait outside for a while and then knocked on the door of the village chief’s house.

With such a commotion outside, the people inside naturally heard it, so as soon as Gu Yundong raised her hand, a young woman dressed in a simple manner came out and asked, “Whom are you looking for?”

Glancing at the large carriage behind them, before Gu Yundong could respond, a child shouted from behind, “They’re looking for the village chief!”

Before the words had even finished, a deep voice came from inside the house, “Let them in first.”

The woman stepped aside, smiling, and let Gu Yundong in. As soon as the door closed, the villagers outside couldn’t see what was happening inside anymore.

The village chief’s name was Chen Liang, probably in his forties or fifties, thin and lean, but he seemed easygoing.

Gu Yundong handed over the household registration documents, and Chen Liang squinted at them for a while, nodding as he said, “Lizheng informed me earlier that three families are going to settle here in our village, and the other two families arrived a few days ago. I thought it was about time for your arrival too.”

He raised his head to look at Gu Yundong and the two behind her, Yang Shi and her children. He found it somewhat strange that a thirteen-year-old girl was taking charge. However, when he lowered his head again to look at the documents, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “The head of the household is Gu Dajiang?”

“Yes, the head of the household is my father, but we got separated during the famine.”

“If someone goes missing like this, the authorities usually…” Chen Liang stopped halfway through his sentence. It was common for people to go missing on the road during a famine, and there were rules about such matters in the government office. However, the document still stated Gu Dajiang, indicating that this girl had already cleared the path with the government office.

Since that was the case, he just needed to follow the document.

“Alright, I understand.” Chen Liang closed the document and then started discussing the main matters, “Now that you’re settling in our village, you’re one of us from now on. Since you were placed here by the court, you don’t need to buy a homestead. According to the number of people, you can get an acre of land. If you find it small, you can buy more.”

This was a special treatment for the refugees by the new emperor.

“But you can’t choose the location of the homestead; there are only three available spots. Also, since you arrived last, the other two families have already chosen. Later, you can go and see if you find the location unfavorable and want to buy again. If you’re satisfied, then hurry to build a house. Winter is approaching soon, and if you don’t secure the land quickly, it will be difficult to deal with the freezing weather. Also, before the house is built, you can stay in the villagers’ houses, but you’ll have to pay some rent.”

“Understood,” Gu Yundong had already considered all of this.