Chapter 564: Big Brother Isn't Good Enough

At the same time, Ye Pozi mentioned that they had made a lot of fermented bean paste and pickled radishes and string beans for Chu Heng to take back.

Chu Heng accepted them without hesitation because these were all Ye Muyu's favorite foods.

At the same time, he woke up Ye Dejiang, who was sleeping and gave him five taels of silver, asking him to help make pickled vegetables at home on weekdays, so that Ye Pozi would have time to visit Ye Muyu.

Ye Dejiang was still groggy from sleep, and only woke up when he felt the coolness of the silver in his hand, instantly feeling as if he had unexpectedly received a windfall.

"Five taels? That's a lot, right? It's not easy to earn, I can't accept it." Although Ye Dejiang was lazy, he didn't like eating food that was given to him for free. Of course it was because he didn't like to hear gossip. After all, he preferred to eat less and avoid owing favors to others, rather than listening to others nagging.

Chu Heng remained calm and composed. "It's not hard to earn. mother also has requirements. You just need to make pickled vegetables when mother wants to come to my house. It's only four or five days a month, which is much more profitable than making pottery."

"Is this my reward?" Ye Dejiang was indeed tempted, but his desire wasn't very strong, after all, he was a true lazy person without any ambitions.

"Yes."

"But, eldest son said that earning money is quite difficult." Ye Dejiang wondered why Ye Zhao, a seventh-rank official, couldn't earn as much as Chu Heng, a scholar.

Just as he was puzzled, he heard Chu Heng shamelessly say, "It's okay. I do business and earning money isn't difficult. But Big Brother only receives a salary from the court, so naturally it's not much."

"Eldest son isn't good enough, huh? Even as a seventh-rank official, he can't compare to you, a scholar." Ye Dejiang muttered.

Chu Heng didn't respond directly but tacitly agreed with his statement.

"Alright, I'll accept it. I'll definitely take care of the things you entrusted to me." Ye Dejiang rarely agreed to do something for someone else. After all, compared to earning money, he preferred to devote himself to sleeping. Life is short, so he naturally wanted to spend all his time doing what he liked!

"I trust you, Father-in-law. I'll take my leave now." Without waiting for Ye Dejiang's response, Chu Heng turned and left.

In the afternoon, when Ye Muyu woke up from her rest.

Chu Heng was sitting by the bed, holding a book of 'The Great Learning' and reading it with great concentration, looking very serious.

From time to time, he furrowed his brows as if encountering some difficult problem.

Ye Muyu sat up, moved closer to take a look, and asked, "Are you facing a difficult problem?"

"Yeah." Chu Heng nodded.

Ye Muyu looked at the sky outside and got off the bed, putting on her outer garment. "What time is it now?"

"It's almost time for the afternoon."

"I slept too long, I'm sorry." Hearing that it was almost three in the afternoon, Ye Muyu felt a little guilty and quickly apologized.

Chu Heng reached out and pinched her cheek, full of affection for her pleasing expression. He smiled, "It's okay, it's not too late to be with you, no matter how long it takes."

Ye Muyu blushed slightly, straightened up, and Chu Heng couldn't pinch her cheek anymore. He cleared his throat and said, "You still need to go back to study, so let's go say goodbye to Mother."

"Okay." Chu Heng achieved his goal and quickly put away the book.

When Ye Pozi heard that Ye Muyu's family was about to leave, she wanted to keep them.

Ye Muyu smiled lightly, "Mother, you must have a lot of things to do, and besides, Big Brother can only stay for half a month. You should all get along well. Our house is close by, so you can come anytime in the future."

"Okay, then...I won't keep you." Ye Pozi was reluctant to part with her daughter, but she also knew she couldn't keep them, so she quickly went into the kitchen and called Ye Dejiang and Ye Zhaoming for help.

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 563: I Believe in You

Ye Zhao's face sank as soon as he heard this. "It's my fault for letting them down."

"Go on, don't stand here." Ye Pozi sent him away.

Ye Zhao was consumed by guilt and had no energy to care about Ye Muyu's affairs. He went into the house and talked to Han Shi and the two children.

Inside the room.

Chu Heng led Ye Muyu in.

He turned his head to look at the two children. "If you don't want to sleep, go find Luchuan to play with you."

"Okay!" Chu Jin was the first to run off.

Chu Ziluo realized that her parents had something to say, so she went to the kitchen to talk to Ye Pozi.

Soon, only the two of them were left in the room.

Ye Muyu sat on the edge of the bed, looking a bit uneasy as she glanced at him. "How long were you standing at the door earlier?"

"Not long."

Hmm, that meant it was a long time.

"Did you hear everything?" Ye Muyu asked again.

Chu Heng replied, "Yeah."

Ye Muyu had a feeling that this was the case but she wasn't surprised. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Do you have something to say?"

She felt that her answer was reasonable, and Chu Heng shouldn't be angry.

In fact, Chu Heng didn't seem angry now, but he just didn't speak and she didn't know what he meant.

"Actually, what your big brother said is not wrong."

"No matter what happens, I won't let you be in a difficult position." Chu Heng hugged her and gently rubbed his chin against her cheek.

Ye Muyu, feeling reassured, smiled lightly and tentatively reached out to poke his palm. "See, it's like this. This matter is just some ordinary trivial matters. We'll find a way to solve it when the time comes."

"Yeah, don't worry. Even if such a situation really arises, I won't let you be in a difficult position." Chu Heng hugged her for a while before letting go.

"The bed hasn't been made yet but the quilt has been brought over by Mother-in-law. I'll make the bed for you." Chu Heng stood up, took the quilt from the bed, and tidied it up without letting Ye Muyu intervene.

"You go to sleep." Chu Heng said.

Ye Muyu looked outside and said, "Shall I call Ziluo to come and sleep for a while? Do you want to lie down for a while?"

"Mother-in-law will take care of Ziluo." Chu Heng pulled her to sit down at the edge of the bed. "You go to sleep first, I'll come back soon."

"Oh..." Ye Muyu thought of her mother's temperament and Chu Heng guessed right. In addition, the bed was very small, and sleeping with her and Chu Heng was already crowded enough. Her mother should consider this issue and take care of Ziluo, so she didn't delay any longer, yawned, lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Chu Heng didn't sleep. Instead, he went to explain some things to Ye Pozi, such as his upcoming trip to the capital for the imperial examination, which might be delayed for a month. He hoped that Ye Pozi could take care of Ye Muyu more often. If she needed help, he hoped she could take care of her more.

Then he gave Ye Pozi five taels of silver.

Ye Pozi smiled broadly, patting her chest to assure him that she would definitely visit Ye Muyu frequently.

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 Chapter 1062: Visiting the Hundred Mu Land

After trying to sleep, Shu Yu found it impossible to fall back asleep. She rubbed her forehead and fanned herself with a fan, feeling restless in the hot weather.

Why would she have such a dream? It felt ominous. But wait, the dream was all in reverse, so Meng Yunzheng should be fine.

As she tried to convince herself, she thought about the original text and realized that Meng Yun Zheng's name was never mentioned from start to finish. Could it be because he didn't continue helping the Fifth Prince in the court? Or was it because something happened to him after his return to the capital? Maybe mentioning him had no significance?

Shuyu couldn't sleep, so she decided to light an oil lamp and record some important events from the original book. However, most of the significant events revolved around the main characters, and Meng Yunzheng had little to no connection with them.

As dawn approached, Shuyu finally put down her pen and rubbed her neck, letting out a sigh.

Ah Ning ran over and woke her up for breakfast. Shu Yu responded and changed her clothes before coming out to eat.

After breakfast, she originally wanted to take a nap, but her restless mind prevented her from falling asleep. Coincidentally, Da Niu and Zhou Qiao were about to return to the estate, so Shu Yu decided to join them on the journey.

She needed something to distract her thoughts, so she decided to visit the sunflower field and see how the sunflowers were doing.

Originally, Li Shi also wanted to see the so-called estate and the hundred mu of land. She hadn't had the chance before, but now she finally had it. However, when she learned that Shu Yu was going, she didn't dare to speak up. Perhaps she should visit next time?

On the other hand, Lu Dasong didn't have any ulterior motives. He was excited and immediately said, "I'll go take a look too."

Li Shi was stunned and silently stood beside Lu Dasong.

So, the group packed up and set off. Da Niu and Zhou Qiao led one mule cart with Lu Dasong and his wife, while Shu Yu and Ying Xi were on another.

The estate was a bit far from the county, and when they arrived, it was almost noon.

Zhou Qiao led the group into the estate and quickly fetched them some water to drink.

Lu Dasong gulped down the water and urged Da Niu to take him to see the hundred mu of land.

Da Niu reluctantly agreed and saw that Shuyu also wanted to see, so the three of them went together.

Zhou Qiao noticed that only she and Li Shi were left in the estate and thought it wasn't good, so she immediately went into the house to fetch some straw hats and paper umbrellas before following them to the field.

"Dad, Shu Yu, it's sunny outside. You should take these with you," she said as she caught up to them in the field.

Li Shi was left sitting alone in place, feeling frustrated.

The hundred mu of land consisted of twenty mu of sunflowers and the rest was planted with alfalfa. The alfalfa had all sprouted by now, and as they walked, they saw a vast expanse of lush greenery, full of vitality.

Lu Dasong squatted down to take a look and sighed, "It's a bit of a pity. If we planted all of it with crops, we would have had so much wealth from eighty mu of crops."

Shu Yu and Da Niu exchanged glances and smiled.

Da Niu said, "Dad, this land isn't suitable for crops. The yield wouldn't be high, but growing alfalfa is very promising."

Shu Yu nodded in agreement, "Yes, Uncle, the alfalfa has already found a buyer. When it's time to harvest, they will send people to transport it."

"So it's already sold even before it has grown?" Lu Dasong exclaimed in surprise.

Shu Yu nodded, and Lu Dasong was reassured.

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Chapter 290: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (4)

Once the lowlands and terraces produced grains, they would stock them as second-grade products. By then, the prices would be slightly cheaper than the grains from her space but a bit higher than those from other sources, making it affordable for ordinary people.

"Big sister, what are you doing? Are we going to cook our own lunch in the shop?" Xin'er asked curiously as she saw Mo Yan carrying a wooden basin of rice into the kitchen.

Mo Yan scooped water from the wooden barrel into the basin while asking, "Do you think the rice we eat at home smells good?"

"It smells great!" Xin'er nodded without hesitation. "Even without any side dishes, I can eat two bowls of plain rice! But sister, I've asked you many times, and you never tell me where you buy this rice."

"Why didn't sister tell you? Didn't I say it's conjured by sister's magical powers?" Mo Yan half-jokingly said as she washed the rice grains in the basin.

"You don't want to tell, so you don't have to. You keep using that excuse to fool me. I'm not a three-year-old child; how could I fall for it!" Xin'er rolled her eyes, grumbling discontentedly. She didn't believe her sister's words at all.

Mo Yan was speechless. Nowadays, no one believed the truth.

After washing the rice twice and cleaning it, Mo Yan poured it into the wooden steamer for rice. She instructed Xin'er, "Let dad and Uncle Li carry the big stove to the entrance and set it up with some water to heat. The rice is ready to steam."

Xin'er was a bit puzzled but didn't have time to ask more questions before running out.

Mo Qingze and Li Zhong carried the big stove to the entrance, under the eaves, against the wall, so it wouldn't block the way. They placed the large iron pot on it, added water, covered it, and started the fire.

The Mo family's actions attracted many people's attention. It was clear they were opening a shop to sell grains, yet they were acting like street vendors selling dumplings.

Mo Yan didn't care about what these people thought. When the water in the pot boiled, she directly placed the covered wooden steamer on top. Listening to the bubbling sound inside the pot, she estimated that the fragrant aroma of the rice would waft out in less than a quarter of an hour.

The official opening was scheduled for six marks of the hour, and it was now four marks. They only needed the Liu family, Shopkeeper Xing and Shopkeeper Mu to arrive before unveiling the sign.

Before long, the Liu family arrived first, led by Madam Liu and Liu Tinglan. After exchanging pleasantries, Mo Yan accepted the gift they brought, welcomed the mother and daughter to the separate small room set up at the back of the shop, and served them tea and snacks.

This small room was originally meant for Li Zhong to rest in but was now temporarily used for entertaining guests.

Shortly after, shopkeeper Xing and shopkeeper Mu arrived with their gifts. By this time, the aroma of the rice from the pot had filled the air and was spreading out with the breeze, attracting quite a few passersby to inquire.

"What a clever move! You can tell the rice is delicious just by smelling it! But where does your rice come from? It's so fragrant!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, shopkeeper Xing regretted it. The origin of this rice could be considered confidential, and asking so rashly could easily cause misunderstandings. Although he also knew that if a restaurant used this rice, it could attract many customers.

Unaware of the shopkeeper's discomfort, Mo Yan replied, "It's collected from the countryside. Perhaps it's because of the good soil and water there, so this rice is especially fragrant. Next year, we plan to grow this kind of rice ourselves. If shopkeeper needs it, feel free to come and get some."

"Haha, that's great! But, you have to give me a good price," shopkeeper Xing laughed heartily, relieved that Mo Yan didn't take offense.

"We're old acquaintances; the price can be negotiated."

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At this moment, Suisui looked like a newborn fawn, gazing at people with her wet yet clean eyes, her expression cautious with a hint of slight nervousness. 

Qi Wangfei found her heart inexplicably melting.

Originally, she had a few feelings of pity for Suisui due to gratitude and sympathy.

Now, these feelings seemed to have intensified.

Just how intense are these feelings?

Qi Wangfei herself didn't know.

She only knew that she gently tightened her embrace around Suisui and softly pressed the little girl's tender cheek: “Suisui, Mother is here.”

Qi Wangfei's response slowly calmed Suisui's anxious heart.

She thought, how wonderful.

She now has a mother!

Doesn't this mean she finally has a mother? She is a child with a mother now!

This realization made Suisui’s eyes curve into joyful crescents.

Her eyes were already pretty, and now, with their crescent shape, they looked even more delicate and cute.

Qi Wangfei looked at the little girl for a long while and then gently patted her head: “When Suisui’s hair grows out, she will definitely be a beautiful young lady!”

Feng Xuanrui agreed heavily, nodding: “Definitely, my sister, the cutest in the capital!”

Feng Xuanbin, fearing being left out, quickly jumped in: “Yes, my sister, the cutest in the entire capital!”

Children’s words may not be taken seriously, but they can make people happy, so Qi Wangfei didn't stop them.

After all, it's in their own home; what does it matter if others hear? Can they come knocking on the door?

And do they dare?

Even though the Prince might be a bit unreliable, he still cares about the children in the household.

If someone dared to bully them, would he just let it happen?

After holding Suisui for a while, Qi Wangfei felt her arm getting sore and set her down.

Just then, Aunt Qiu said the red date milk soup was ready, so Qi Wangfei quickly had it brought in.

Although she set Suisui down, she still held the child's hand.

Now, Qi Wangfei took the three children to the side hall, talking to Suisui as they walked: “Since it’s already late today, we’ll have a tailor come by tomorrow to take your measurements for new dresses. I have many pieces of jewelry; we can pick some out for you then.”

Looking at Suisui’s little bald head, the Princess of Qi expressed some concern: “Your hair…”

She didn’t know when it would grow back.

She glanced anxiously at Physician Liu nearby.

Physician Liu was on standby.

Seeing him, Qi Wangfei understood his meaning and slightly lowered her head: “It will grow back soon. We’ve applied the ointment.”

That was a relief.

Qi Wangfei wasn’t bothered by the fact that the little girl was bald.

Her main concern was that the child might be teased by other children for being bald, and she worried about how the little girl would feel if that happened. Thinking of Suisui’s pitiful look made her heart ache.

Qi Wangfei had the three children drink milk.

Watching Suisui skillfully use a spoon, Qi Wangfei felt a bit regretful.

She had hoped she could feed her herself.

Though she hadn’t fed many children before.

But that didn’t stop Qi Wangfei from being overly confident.

Did she really need to learn how? Hadn't she done it before?

Wasn’t it just about having hands?

Unfortunately, it seemed Suisui didn’t need that.

After drinking the milk, the children should have been put down for a nap.

After all, they had traveled most of the day, and their energy was limited.

However, Feng Xuanrui had run away from home after causing trouble.

Now that he was back, although he was spared punishment, he had suffered enough on the way back.

However, he still needed to make an apology.

So, after they had eaten, Qi Wangfei called Feng Xuanrui over: “Before you left the capital, you beat up Little Five. Now, you need to go and apologize with a gift.”

Qi Wangfei didn’t force the child to go directly; she first tried to reason with Feng Xuanrui.

Children fighting isn’t a matter of life and death, and the beating wasn’t too severe.

The real fear was when Little Five’s face was covered in blood, which scared Feng Xuanrui. Hearing that Uncle Qing was heading south, he became curious and quietly ran away.

Now, thinking back, Feng Xuanrui felt a bit embarrassed.

Hearing his mother’s arrangement, Feng Xuanrui obediently nodded and then asked anxiously: “Mother, Little Five… he isn’t, um, silly now, is he?”

Feng Xuanrui wondered if he had to take care of his foolish older brother for the rest of his life.

Just thinking about it made Feng Xuanrui shiver.

It wasn’t about not being able to afford it, but Little Five was so annoying!

Hearing this, Qi Wangfei sighed helplessly and lightly tapped Feng Xuanrui’s head: “You should call him fifth big brother. You’re the older brother now, and you should set a good example for your younger siblings. Isn’t this the most basic etiquette? Should I hire a tutor to teach you again?”

Being lightly scolded by his mother didn’t bother Feng Xuanrui; he grinned: “Okay, fifth big brother, fifth big brother.”

Thinking to himself, Little Five, that little troublemaker, fifth big brother indeed!

Qi Wangfei knew her son well.

She shook her head helplessly and had the gifts brought over and handed to Qing Shan, then looked at Feng Xuanrui: “There are some things I prepared, and some snacks you brought back. Go to the South Courtyard and see Little Five. He just moved back there a few days ago.”

Afraid the two children might start arguing again, Qi Wangfei quickly added: “Set a good example for your younger siblings.”

She emphasized “younger siblings” with a clear reminder.

To this, Feng Xuanrui responded confidently: “Of course, I’m the best older brother in the capital.”

Feng Xuanbin, feeling dissatisfied, puffed out his round little belly and shouted: “You’re the best, so what about me?”

Feng Xuanrui ignored him and led Suisui out.

Feng Xuanbin saw this and realized he was being left behind. That couldn’t do!

And he hadn’t had any of the snacks from the south yet!

He had to go and get some from Big Brother!

Children’s issues are naturally resolved by children.

Qi Wangfei didn’t follow; worried that the boys might not take care of the little girl properly, she sent her trusted maid Haitang along.

The Qi residence was large, and with many people, it was divided into several areas.

The main courtyard was for the Prince and Prince’s consorts, the Southeast Courtyard was for the young masters, and the Southwest Courtyard was originally reserved for the young ladies.

But, since the Qi residence had no young ladies,

It was later turned into guest quarters by the angry Prince Qi.

Prince Qi’s idea was, since he didn’t have a daughter, he could invite friends with daughters to stay, hoping to bring some good fortune for having a daughter to himself.

Next Chapter▶▶

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 116: Overnight Transformation

"Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of trees and pear blossoms bloom."

When everyone woke up, they saw a vast expanse of white around them. The ground and the treetops were all covered in white snow.

"Sneeze!"

"So cold!"

"I'm freezing to death!"

Everyone huddled together under the trees, waking up in the middle of the night from the cold. They quickly added more firewood, or else they would have frozen to death long ago.

They couldn't imagine that winter would come overnight without any warning.

"Help! Someone help!"

Suddenly, a woman cried out in distress.

Everyone turned to look and saw a woman holding an elderly man in her arms. The man lay motionless on the ground, obviously frozen stiff.

Upon hearing the commotion, Xu Tian hurried over and shouted to the crowd, "Clear the way, let's move him closer to the fire!"

Feeling the icy coldness of the old man's body and the lack of pulse, Xu Tian's face turned grim.

"Let me take a look!"

With his medical kit on his back, Doctor Yang hurried over. Chen Yuan had instructed him to assist in case anyone froze to death when it snowed. The medical kit was bought by Chen Yuan in the county, with one set for Doctor Yang and one for his daughter Yang Xiaohua.

Knowing that Doctor Yang was close to Chen Yuan, Xu Tian quickly made way for him, and Doctor Yang knelt beside the old man.

After checking, he sighed, "It's too late, he already..."

The old man's body was already weak, and coupled with poor nutrition and the exhaustion from walking long distances every day, he couldn't withstand the sudden heavy snowfall last night.

Upon hearing this, the woman holding the old man's body burst into tears. "Dad, don't leave me alone... Dad... why..."

Xu Tian stood up silently and looked around. He could hear cries of anguish all around, indicating that more than one person had frozen to death.

"Make the fire bigger and gather everyone around," Xu Tian quickly ordered the other bailiffs.

"In addition, boil some hot water and cook some food quickly to fill everyone's stomachs."

After everyone gathered together, Xu Tian also took stock of the casualties. Only two people froze to death, one elderly man and one baby.

Luckily, the snow didn't fall last night; it must have fallen in the morning. By then, everyone was almost awake and had gathered together to keep warm and light fires.

Otherwise, the casualties would have been much worse.

As Xu Tian sighed, feeling both fortunate and troubled, he couldn't help but wonder how many of these people would be able to endure until they reached the Southern Barbarians, which was still a long journey away.

Shaking his head, he pushed aside these thoughts and saw Chen Yuan and others cooking food. He walked over to join them.

He saw Chen Yuan and the others cooking ginger soup and letting the children, elderly, and women drink it first.

"Why should they get to drink first!"

Some people grumbled, "Why should they drink while we can't!"

"Just because we brought these things!" Chen Xue said coldly, "How we handle our belongings is our business!"

"You..."

The man who questioned Chen Xue didn't know how to respond to her directness for a moment.

At this moment, Chen Yuan also came out and looked at the crowd. "You all have elders, wives, and children. This ginger soup is limited. Do you want your wives and children to drink it, or do you want to drink it yourselves? Think carefully."

With Chen Yuan's words, the crowd naturally chose to give the soup to their wives, children, and elders, as they were weaker.

Of course, there were also selfish people who chose to drink it themselves instead of giving it to their wives and children. Such people were immediately blacklisted by Chen Yuan.

This sudden snowfall caught everyone off guard. Chen Yuan had previously dealt with sudden snow disasters while serving in the Ministry of Households, so he was well aware of the consequences. Without his intervention, these people would not have lasted until the next day.

Although he was no longer the Minister of Households now, he still had the ability to help. How could he stand by and watch these people die in front of him?

Even though some of these people deserved their fate, many were innocent.

And he didn't have to pay too high a price. With just a small sacrifice, he could save a group of people. With Chen Yuan's character, how could he not do it?

So, he sought the opinion of his wife and daughter. After getting their consent, he made ginger soup with the ginger that Chen Xue had bought as seeds and seasoning.

After all, ginger soup was known for its warming properties.

However, the ginger was limited, so the ginger soup they made was also limited. Chen Yuan was not a saint; he couldn't ensure that everyone got an equal share.

Unless they diluted the soup with more water, but then it would lose its effectiveness and taste like plain water.

Therefore, he chose to give the soup to the elderly, children, and women, who were more susceptible to the cold. If there was any leftover, they could give it to others.

The bailiffs maintained order, allowing the women, children, and elderly to come forward to receive the soup. They were required to drink it on the spot before leaving.

The man who had spoken up earlier sneered, "It's just a bowl of ginger soup. What's so great about it? We've all had it before."

Others didn't bother with him and looked enviously at those who were receiving the soup. Some of them didn't have wives or children, so they were considering whether to try to get a bowl.

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

A family of three suddenly came forward and knelt in front of Chen Yuan.

"Please get up!"

Chen Yuan was a little puzzled and quickly helped them up. Only then did he recognize them as Wu Zhang, who had explained how to build a bamboo house to them yesterday.

"If it weren't for Master Chen, our family would probably..." Wu Zhang was extremely grateful to the Chen family. Yesterday, the Chen family gave them a few cotton jackets, so that their family wouldn't be frostbitten when the temperature suddenly dropped.

It could be said that the Chen family saved their lives.

"If Chen Yuan doesn't mind, we are willing to serve you."

After discussing with his wife, Wu Zhang decided to join Chen Yuan. After all, following them would prevent them from being bullied.

"This..."

Although Chen Yuan had considered recruiting Wu Zhang before, he hadn't figured out how to approach him yet. Unexpectedly, they...

Seeing that Chen Yuan didn't speak, Wu Zhang seemed worried about being misunderstood and quickly explained, "Master Chen, we are not here for food. We just want a shelter. We will find a way to get food. If Master Chen gives us orders, we will definitely not refuse."

Chen Yuan was not worried about food, but he hadn't assessed Wu Zhang's character, so he hesitated.

"Dad, please agree!" Chen Xue suddenly spoke up, whispering in Chen Daren's ear, "Didn't we agree earlier to recruit these prisoners as our own?"

That's right, they had discussed earlier about recruiting all the bailiffs first. As a result, Captain Sun and others had an accident, but the outcome was still the same as they had hoped.

Most of the bailiffs listened to them, and now that they could control the prisoners, their journey of exile could truly be turned into a journey of travel.

In the future, they could do whatever they wanted, and these prisoners would be theirs, and they wouldn't leak any secrets.

Next Chapter▶▶

Chapter 289: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (3)

Near the entrance, a wooden shelf was used as a divider. The left side allowed customers to enter and shop, while the right side housed the counter where customers could weigh and pay for their purchases.

"Wow, big sister, is this really our shop?" Zhen'er looked at the new and spacious room with shining eyes, finding it hard to believe it belonged to his family.

Mo Yan patted his head and laughed, "Could it be fake?"

"Sister, I can't believe it either!" Xin'er was in a daze as she grabbed the crystal-clear rice from the bucket, feeling like everything was a dream.

Not only had their family moved into a big house, but they also managed to buy such a large shop in the capital. These were things she never dared to imagine before.

"Yan'er, it's really wonderful, even better than I imagined," Mo Qingze said.

It was Mo Qingze's first time here, and the clean walls and floors, along with the neatly arranged grains, filled him with pride. When he looked at Mo Yan, his eyes were full of deep love and a strong sense of guilt.

His eldest daughter was exceptionally capable, much more than him. Without her, their family's life would likely be worse than it had been in Mo Village. They wouldn't be living in a big house, owning so much land, or having such a large shop in the capital.

As a father, he hadn't helped at all and instead relied on his daughter to comfortably study at the academy. He owed his eldest daughter so much!

He felt especially pained when he heard from Ziyun that the family knew nothing about the hardships. It was his incompetence that forced his daughter to grow up too quickly. He must have accumulated a lot of good karma in his past life to have such a good daughter.

Li Xiu and her niece were also filled with joy. For them, the Mo family was both benefactor and master. The better the Mo family did, the happier they were.

Yun Zhao, holding his sister's hand, was the calmest of all. To him, this rice shop wasn't a big deal, but seeing the Mo family so happy made him feel happy too.

Mo Yan picked up a cloth and started wiping the counter and the wooden barrels of grains. The shop had just been renovated, and some white dust from the walls would fall, so they needed to wipe it down every day for now.

Seeing this, the others grabbed cloths from the corners and began cleaning. Before long, the counter, chairs, and barrels were spotless.

When Li Zhong returned after parking the carriage, he brought a stack of wooden price tags he had prepared earlier and placed them on the piles of rice, clearly marking the prices.

Li Zhong held a sign with the promotional activities Mo Yan had instructed him to write and asked her, "Yan'er, should we place this at the entrance?"

"Yes!" Mo Yan looked at the bustling crowd outside and continued, "Our shop is new, and although our grain quality is better than other rice shops, we lack their reputation and our prices are 20% higher. By offering a discount during the promotional period, we can attract customers. Once they taste the difference, they'll return even if the prices are higher."

All the grains and eggs were produced in her space, with superior quality and taste. Long-term consumption had evident health benefits. Her family and the Li family had been eating these products, and they rarely even sneezed. It was natural for the prices to be higher.

Moreover, setting high prices avoided disputes and kept customer flow manageable. The space's produce could sustain the demand since she was the only one working there. She couldn't handle too large a volume.

Thus, Mo Yan positioned the shop as mid-to-high-end. This not only avoided competition but also ensured a steady customer flow. If they undercut other rice shops, it would only invite trouble.

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Feng Xuanbin’s crying had actually dissipated half of the somber atmosphere.

 Qi Wangfei reined in her emotions, gently wiped her tears, and tenderly released the three children.

Just as Feng Xuanbin squeezed in, tears streaming down his face, he realized he was being let go.

He looked around blankly, first at his sixth brother and sister, then at his mother, and foolishly asked, “Mother, are you not crying anymore?”

Suisui was equally puzzled, looking around helplessly before moving closer to Feng Xuanrui.

Feng Xuanbin was curious whether he should continue crying or not. Seeing his sister avoiding him, he sadly cried out, “Sister, don’t avoid Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother has candy!”

 Qi Wangfei’s sadness was completely interrupted by the three children’s antics.

She thought to herself, it’s just good that the children are back!

After tidying herself up a bit, Qi Wangfei first looked at Feng Xuanrui.

After more than a month apart, not only had the young boy not lost weight, but he had also gained a few pounds.

And his face…

It had become even rounder.

Remembering Feng Xuanrui’s previous injury, Qi Wangfei asked with concern, “Does your foot still hurt?”

When Qi Wangfei asked, Feng Xuanrui was initially quite puzzled.

Foot?

Which foot?

Where does it hurt?

Children tend to forget the pain once they heal.

He didn’t even recall his previous injury.

When his mother asked, he thought about it carefully and finally replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore, it hasn’t hurt for a long time.”

How long has it been since then?

It wasn’t a big issue that it would still hurt now.

Hearing that it didn’t hurt, Qi Wangfei felt somewhat relieved and turned to Physician Liu to ask, “Could there be any lingering effects?”

After Physician Liu reassured her that there were no issues and that he regularly checked on the Sixth Young Master, Qi Wangfei felt at ease.

Considering the hardships and exhaustion the children had endured, Qi Wangfei couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

At least, the children had returned.

Thinking about this, Qi Wangfei turned her gaze to Suisui.

She noticed the little girl casting a timid and nervous glance at her before quickly looking away, not daring to look again. Qi Wangfei’s feelings were complex.

When she first learned that the girl was the daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, Qi Wangfei had reservations.

Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes give birth to phoenixes.

The children of rats know how to dig holes.

 Qi Wangfei was truly afraid that from a whole bunch of bad bamboo, no good shoots would come.

But hearing about the experiences of Qings and their party later on…

Suisui’s appearance, first saving the young Sixth Master from falling off a cliff and then unintentionally alerting them to avoid a terrible calamity due to her fever…

 Qi Wangfei believed that it was a small blessing from heaven.

She thought that maybe Suisui was a little lucky star sent by heaven.

The Marquis of Jinyang’s family just wasn’t lucky enough, and they happened to benefit from it.

Moreover, since the Marquis of Jinyang’s family had already acknowledged her cousin, even if they found out they made a mistake, they would probably have to grit their teeth and accept it.

After all, acknowledging the wrong child…

Isn’t exactly something to be proud of.

Additionally, Suisui’s household registration had already been canceled, so she was now an unregistered resident.

She could be known as Chen Suisui or Feng Sui Sui.

Who can say for sure?

And who would dare to cause trouble at Qi residence?

The more Qi Wangfei thought about it, the more confident she became.

Perhaps it was Suisui’s life-saving grace to Feng Xuanrui that made her feel compassionate.

She was also a pitiful child!

Thinking of this, Qi Wangfei waved to Suisui, “Suisui, come here, let Mother take a look at you.”

 Qi Wangfei thought that she had always hoped for a daughter over the years. Now, she didn’t have to go through childbirth herself, and she had a gentle, soft, and fortunate daughter. Isn’t that wonderful?

The child had a connection with the Sixth Master. Perhaps, it was destined for her to be her daughter.

 Qi Wangfei spoke softly and looked at Suisui with affection.

Suisui glanced at Qi Wangfei and then at her brothers.

Feng Xuanrui encouraged Suisui by patting her shoulder, “Go ahead, Sister, that’s our mother. She’s really nice.”

Feng Xuanbin didn’t fully understand the situation but still followed his sixth brother’s lead and encouraged his sister, “Yes, yes, Sister, go over there quickly. Mother is really nice!”

With both brothers encouraging her and Qi Wangfei’s loving gaze, Suisui took a deep breath and took small steps toward her.

What greeted her was the warm embrace of Qi Wangfei, “Suisui, you’ve suffered.”

After the embrace, Qi Wangfei gently lifted the child.

Since Feng Xuanrui had grown up, Qi Wangfei had rarely held children.

Even when Feng Xuanrui was small, she seldom held him.

With so many maids and servants around, there was no need for her to personally hold a child.

During affectionate moments, a simple hug would suffice.

Not having held a child for a long time, Qi Wangfei worried that she might not be able to lift her. She thought that if she couldn’t, she would squat down and hold her for a bit.

In the end, she easily lifted Suisui.

Suisui’s frail and slender form was beyond her expectations.

Thinking about the child’s difficult past and feeling the delicate little bones, Qi Wangfei couldn’t help but have red eyes.

She gently rested her head on Suisui’s shoulder and softly rubbed the little girl’s cheek, “Suisui, just settle down in the palace. From now on, you have Mother and your brothers.”

Thinking of the impracticality of the Prince, Qi Wangfei didn’t mention the father’s role.

The Prince Qi…

Whether he is present or not doesn’t really matter, right?

Qi Wangfei was grateful that although the Prince was straightforward, he understood the situation and wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Otherwise, if someone with a less flexible mind had asked, “What is Prince Qi doing at the villa?” Qi Wangfei wouldn’t even know how to answer.

Saying that the Prince went to the villa to find a master to select a good time and place and then took a concubine to give birth to a daughter?

That would be embarrassing to say!

Qi Wangfei felt that although she also wanted a daughter, she wasn’t as obsessive as the Prince.

He doesn’t just want a daughter, does he?

Isn’t he just fulfilling his own obsession?

 Qi Wangfei couldn’t care less and was too lazy to interfere.

As long as it doesn’t affect her and the child’s status and normal life.

As for the Prince…

He can do whatever he wants.

Suisui, nestled in the beautiful aunt’s embrace, inhaled the fragrant scent, feeling as if she were in a dream.

She could hardly believe that this scene was real.

The mother of her brother is so gentle!

Is this the tenderness of a mother?

Suisui didn’t understand.

But she was very fond of this embrace.

And, if the beautiful aunt said she was the mother, did that mean she could also call her mother?

Suisui wasn’t sure. She tentatively tugged at Qi Wangfei’s clothing corner and, with a small, hesitant voice full of disbelief, said, “...Mother?”

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  Chapter 115: Building a New Home

"I see, I used to be a craftsman!"

Although Wu Zhang didn't understand Chen Xue's meaning, he still answered honestly.

"I'll buy your stuff, clothes and food can be given to you."

"But..."

Wu Zhang was initially overjoyed, but after hearing the last sentence, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"But, we also want to ask you some questions. We won't take the answers for free, we'll pay you for them."

"No problem."

Wu Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was nothing much, just a few questions. Compared to his life, these questions were indeed too simple.

Later on, as expected, Chen Xue bought all the items brought by the man, and the man only needed clothes or food, not money at all.

Chen Xue naturally didn't mind, on the contrary, it saved her money.

After receiving the items, Wu Zhang respectfully bowed to Chen Xue, intending to take the items back first and then come back.

Chen Xue agreed, and when the man left, she entered the carriage and returned to the space, bringing out his parents.

"Dad, there will be someone later who can build a bamboo house. We can ask him about the problems we encountered."

Chen Yuan nodded. If they wanted to build a bamboo house in the space, they could only rely on themselves. They couldn't trust others, as the space was her daughter's biggest secret, and they couldn't let outsiders know.

Even the doctor Yang Xiaohua, whom Chen Xue had brought in, wasn't kept close by Chen Xue, as she still didn't fully trust her.

However, Xiaodian was different; she had gone through tests and was accepted.

In short, the secret of the space couldn't be revealed to more people for now, so they had to rely on themselves for many things.

"Later, Xiao Xue will pretend to be curious about the structure of the bamboo house because she saw it before, so she wants to understand it. This excuse should be able to fool them temporarily."

"Alright."

The few of them then discussed what questions to ask.

On the other hand, Wu Zhang returned happily to his wife and daughter.

"What's this?"

"Wow, it's meat!"

The little girl curiously rummaged through the things Wu Zhang brought back and saw a piece of meat, exclaiming happily.

Wu Zhang and his wife were also drawn over. He hadn't checked at the time because he knew his things weren't worth so much. He had already received two sets of clothes and some food.

So, he was worried that the Chen family might change their minds and didn't dare to inspect it in front of them. After all, two sets of clothes were already worth more than his items.

Unexpectedly, there was meat wrapped inside, which was wrapped in oiled paper, so he didn't notice it at the time.

"No, this is too precious!"

Without hesitation, Wu Shi said, but Wu Zhang hesitated a bit. According to reason, he should return it, but when he thought about his wife and daughter, he hesitated.

Now that the weather was getting colder, if they didn't have enough food, they could easily get sick, especially his wife and daughter, who were so frail. How could they hold on until they reached the southern barbarians?

Especially when he saw the hungry look in his daughter's eyes as she looked at the meat, his heart ached.

Seeing her husband's expression, Wu Shi immediately understood his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, but we got a piece of meat, but we set a bad example for our daughter. How can we expect her to..."

"Although we've been exiled now, our daughter is still young, with a future and opportunities ahead of her... "

Wu Shi's voice became a bit emotional, and Wu Zhang quickly comforted her, "I understand, I just lost my mind for a moment. I'll return the meat right away."

His wife was right. He should set an example for his daughter, not lead her astray.

Wu Zhang then returned the meat to the Chen family. When they saw this, they didn't accept it, nor did they say anything like "It's for you". Instead, Chen Xue directly said, "Consider it payment for helping us with our questions!"

Wu Zhang fell silent, then shook his head. "Just a few questions, it's naturally not worth as much as the meat."

After a few refusals, Chen Xue stopped persuading him and directly began to ask about the problems encountered in building the bamboo house.

Of course, the excuse was what they had discussed before.

Although Wu Zhang was puzzled, he didn't ask much, but told them everything he knew.

Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief. In ancient times, knowledge about technology was generally kept secret, and they thought Wu Zhang wouldn't tell them. They didn't expect him to cooperate so well.

Moreover, Chen Xue asked one more thing, and Wu Zhang, in gratitude, directly explained how to build a bamboo house.

Seeing this, Chen Xue secretly took out a recording pen and recorded Wu Zhang's words, then asked about some key points and things to avoid.

Wu Zhang spoke until his throat was dry before stopping.

Finally, when he left, Chen Xue handed him the meat, intending to give other food as payment, but Wu Zhang refused, only taking the meat before leaving.

"This person is not bad!"

Seeing this, Chen Yuan nodded. If there was an opportunity, they could consider recruiting this person.

After all, when they arrived in the southern barbarians, everything would have to start from scratch. If they were provided with houses, it would be fine, but if not, having someone who could build houses would be useful, and they would have a place to live by then.

But now, he was afraid of forgetting what Wu Zhang had said, so he hurriedly asked Chen Xue to take him back to the space, and he quickly went to build the bamboo house.

Chen Xue naturally went in to help, and because Wu Zhang's explanation was very detailed, starting from laying the foundation, every detail was covered.

What's more, Chen Xue had already recorded it with the recording pen, so they played it back while building.

It was like having someone guiding them by their side, and all they had to do was follow along.

Sure enough, it was easier to have someone guide them than to explore on their own. They quickly built a three-room house.

There were exactly four people, one room for each person.

With the house built, they didn't need to worry about beds, tables, and chairs; they could use the ones they already had.

Then Chen Xue hung up curtains, arranged the tables and chairs and wardrobes, and a delicate room soon emerged.

The rooms were arranged side by side. The first room on the left after entering was Xiao Die's, the middle one was Chen Xue's, and the innermost one was for Chen Yuan and his wife. The middle part was the living room and dining area.

On the right were the kitchen and storage area.

With everyone's efforts, a home was quickly established in the space.

"Now it feels like home."

Chen Xue lay on the bed, unable to help but sigh. The space had already changed drastically.

It was like living in the countryside, surrounded by fields, vegetable gardens, and lakes, with little houses emitting smoke, like a peaceful painting.

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 Chapter 1061: A Nightmare

Li Shi opened her mouth, wanting to say that Cui Hua's brain had rusted after being taught by the old lady, and she didn't know how to think properly.

However, when she looked at the expressions of the others, they all seemed to disagree with her. She felt somewhat annoyed, "Alright, alright, if you want to rent a house, then rent it. It's your business, and I won't interfere, okay?"

Unexpectedly, Cui Hua still responded with an "Hmm."

Li Shi almost exploded with anger. None of her four children were easy to deal with, and none of them appreciated her good intentions.

She was tempted to leave, "Since you two have decided, then why bother telling us anything?"

Cui Hua said, "I haven't finished talking, and the matter of renting a house is not just about us."

"What do you mean?" Lu Dasong asked.

Cui Hua looked at Lan Hua and Er Niu, "During the day, I heard Lan Hua say that she wants to learn skills with Shu You... Shu Yuo, so she can work at the 'Yiren Pavilion'? And Er Niu, he has already met Master Wen and will go to the academy to study in a few days, right?"

Both of them nodded.

Cui Hua continued, "Since you will all be in the county in the future, why not live together for mutual support?"

Lan Hua and Er Niu were taken aback, and then their eyes lit up in unison, "Big sister means, we will rent a house together?"

"Yes."

Lu Dasong nodded decisively, "I think it's a good idea. Let's do that. I'll pay for Lan Hua and Er Niu's rent."

After all, the eldest daughter had already married and lived a tight and not very affluent life. If it were just her family of three living together, they could easily rent a small and cheap house. Now, with Lan Hua and Er Niu joining, they would need at least two more rooms. He couldn't ask Cui Hua to pay for it.

This time, Li Shi didn't say anything. She did want to take advantage of others, but she hadn't thought about exploiting her eldest daughter.

Lan Hua shook her head, "I don't need that. I can pay for myself. Big sister Shu You said that although I'm learning the skills from her, I can still earn at least three to four hundred wen a month by helping out with work. If I learn quickly and can start doing makeup for people in a few months, my wages will increase."

Er Niu stammered, "I, I..."

He seemed to be unable to, as he was still studying and his tuition had to be paid by his parents.

With the matter settled, Cui Hua would go and find a house tomorrow, and Lai Jin Hai would follow Lu Erbai to repair the house. As for the children, they could only trouble the old lady to look after them for a day. After all, Lu Sanzhu's family needed to repair the house, and Lu Sanzhu had to go to work, so only Liang Shi could go there to look after them. Therefore, Bao Ya would have to stay here and let the old lady take care of her for a few days.

Fortunately, the Lu family had servants, and the old lady had Hua Xian to help her. In addition, Lu Sixing was still here during the day. She wasn't too burdened.

After discussing the matter, Cui Hua returned to her room with her child in her arms to rest.

The Lu family finally quieted down. Everyone sank into their dreams, except for... Shu Yu.

Not long after Shuyu fell asleep, she started having nightmares.

In her dream, she repeatedly saw scenes of bidding farewell to Meng Yunzheng.

Then, a huge fire broke out, and sometimes she saw Meng Yunzheng at the age of ten, and other times she saw him as he was now, both trapped in the flames and unable to escape.

Shu Yu slept restlessly, and in the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up, gasping for breath as she looked at the pitch-black night, her mind hazy and disoriented. It took a while before she could gather her thoughts.

After a while, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and got up to pour herself a glass of water to drink.

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