Before Luo Ge and the others could wonder, a large crowd of people came out from the alley behind, each of them leading a little boy by their side.
"We thank the benefactors for finding our children," the group said, bowing in unison before Luo Ge and the others, without waiting for them to speak.
The earlier incident of missing children had been resolved. The local magistrate had posted a notice listing the names of those who had contributed to the effort, and rewarded them openly.
Gu Jinchen had cleverly apprehended the culprits and obtained the key clues, rescuing the young master. Afterwards, he had assisted The Prince of Nanyang in recovering the children, making him the primary contributor. Thus, his name was written first on the notice.
These commoners had seen the notice and came to express their gratitude and offer gifts to the benefactors.
Their intention was simply to see the benefactors in person and express their thanks.
They also wanted their children to witness the benefactors, so that they would never forget this kindness.
For all those whose names were listed on the notice, and who had helped them find their children, they did the same.
When Luo Ge and the others realized what was happening, they quickly went forward and helped the elderly man who was leading the group to his feet.
"There is no need for this, everyone. We are all from the same province. What I did was a small effort, and Gu does not deserve such heavy gratitude. Please, take these gifts back with you," said Gu Jinchen, frowning as he looked at the gifts on the ground.
Accepting thanks was one thing, but accepting gifts was another. Although these gifts were insignificant to Luo Ge and the others now, they represented the best that these ordinary commoners could offer.
However, upon hearing Gu Jinchen's words, the elderly man shook his head firmly and looked towards him.
"The benefactor's words carry weight, but this is only a small token of our gratitude. Please accept it," he said.
"Our children are our lifelines. By saving our children, you have saved us. If you refuse, we will be uneasy for the rest of our lives."
"Please accept these gifts." The others echoed his words after he finished speaking.
Seeing this, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen exchanged a glance. These words sounded all too familiar, just like what Wang Sister-In-Law and the others had said before.
No matter how they tried to persuade them, these commoners refused to take the gifts back.
And before Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen could say anything else, they began to bid farewell one by one, as if afraid that their gifts would be returned.
Watching their retreating figures, as if fleeing, the young couple sighed as they turned to look at the gifts.
There was no way to return them, so they had no choice but to accept them.
...In contrast to the helplessness of Luo Ge and the others, some people were envious.
Such a large crowd entering the village, how could the villagers not notice?
As early as when those commoners came to the Gu family, some curious onlookers had followed them.
Now, seeing the gifts at the Gu family's doorstep, they were drooling with envy.
"Gu Family Second Son, so many things here. Will you be able to use them all?" a bold voice spoke up, not bothering to conceal his intentions.
The others might not have spoken, but their intense gazes fixed on the gifts expressed everything.
"In a couple of days, our family will be holding an event. These gifts will come in handy. We invite all the uncles and aunties to come and join the celebration," Luo Ge responded with a smile.
In other words, there was no chance of getting anything for free. However, when they hold their celebration, they will distribute some of these gifts, so the onlookers could come and partake in the festivities.
Hearing this, the person's eyes lit up. "Great, it's a deal then."
"Of course, it's only natural."
It was customary to distribute pastries, fruits, and other treats during a celebration to share the joy with everyone. Although Luo Ge did not give them anything for free, he allowed them to get a share of the treats.
They would not miss out, and there would be no room for gossip or criticism.
After receiving Luo Ge's affirmative response, the onlookers did not linger any further, and they dispersed to attend to their own matters.
Luo Ge and the others also shared a portion of the gifts with their closer, familiar acquaintances after returning home.
The entire village had witnessed them receiving so many gifts. Although these were gifts given to them by others, and they could decide how to handle them, those who had a good relationship with them might not mind whether they shared or not.
However, maintaining relationships between people requires reciprocal gestures, so they had to distribute some of the gifts as well.
