Chapter 355: Malicious Intentions of the Zhang Family Arson (2)

Ever since moving into the front yard of the Mo family, the Wang family had been discussing how to apologize to the Mo family and resolve their past grievances. This way, they could also establish a good relationship for future favors.

As the saying goes, you can't eat someone's mouth short. If they were sincere about apologizing, they should have brought something to show their sincerity. The Wang family did have some valuable items, at least they raised some chickens, which they themselves were reluctant to eat. How could they bear to give them to the Mo family?

Now, just as they were about to come over, they saw the Liu family sending fried dough. Wang Dali's wife immediately had a twisted idea to curry favor with Mo Yan. As a result, not only was she embarrassed, but her scheming was also exposed on the spot, which was even more shameful than being embarrassed.

No matter how resentful Wang Dali's wife was towards Mo Yan for not giving her face, she didn't dare to confront her directly at this moment. Instead, she had to muster the courage to continue, "Auntie sincerely apologizes to you, Yan Yan. If Yan Yan feels our sincerity is lacking, should Auntie kneel to you?"

After saying that, she really softened her knees, ready to kneel down.

Li Xiu, quick-witted, stepped forward and grabbed her, speaking sternly, "Aunt Wang, what are you doing? As an elder, kneeling to a younger like Yan Yan is not showing respect, but rather mocking her!"

Wang Dali's wife looked panic-stricken at Mo Yan, shaking her head repeatedly, "Yan Yan, please don't misunderstand. Auntie really came here sincerely to apologize to you. Auntie is just a fool and doesn't know how to speak. Please don't take offense!"

Mo Yan didn't want to argue with her any longer and waved her hand dismissively, "How could I, a junior, take offense at Auntie? Auntie, just go back peacefully."

Wang Dali's wife's face lit up upon hearing this, and she asked presumptuously, "Does Yan Yan forgive Auntie and her husband for the mistakes they made before?"

Mo Yan twitched her eyes and ambiguously replied, "The past is the past. Auntie doesn't need to worry about it."

"That's good, that's good! Yan Yan is really a generous girl." Wang Dali's wife thought that Mo Yan had let go of the past issues, so she happily started flattering Mo Yan.

However, her flattery was quite superficial and uncomfortable for those listening.

Mo Yan couldn't be bothered to argue with her further and dismissed her with a few words.

"This Aunt Wang is really interesting!" Watching Wang Dali's wife's departing figure, Li Xiu remarked ambiguously.

Mo Yan smiled indifferently, "Such greedy and petty people should be avoided if possible, to avoid trouble."

Li Xiu nodded in agreement.

As soon as she turned around, Wang Dali's wife's face fell. She returned to her residence in a fit of anger, only to see Wang Dali lying motionless on the bed. Feeling more and more frustrated, she angrily lifted the blanket covering him and delivered a heavy punch to his back. This made Wang Dali jump up from the bed, shouting loudly, "Are you crazy?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dali's wife became even angrier, "Yes, I'm crazy! That's why I went to apologize to that stinky girl!"

"You... keep your voice down." Wang Dali quickly jumped off the bed and covered her mouth, cautiously looking outside the door. Seeing no one noticed, he let go and said fiercely, "Why are you yelling so loudly? You're afraid she won't hear you? If you provoke that girl, our whole family will freeze to death outside!"

Wang Dali's wife was about to explode, but when she heard the latter part of his sentence, she didn't say another word. She glared at the tightly sealed house with envy and extreme jealousy. How could such a good house not belong to her?

Wang Dali didn't care what she was thinking. He asked anxiously, "Didn't you go to apologize? What happened?"

The moment he mentioned it, Wang Dali's wife's anger surged again, "What happened? What do you think happened? I went to apologize with my tail between my legs, humiliating myself, and offering my face on a platter. What do you think happened?"

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  Chapter 354: Malicious Intentions of the Zhang Family Arson (1)

At this moment, a malicious voice interjected, "Oh my, the Liu family is really something. Their whole family can't even have a proper meal, yet they still spare no effort to fry dough and show gratitude. We really can't compare!"

The owner of the voice was none other than Wang Dali's wife, who had previous dealings with the Mo family.

The young girl, who had been anxious because Mo Yan refused the fried dough, blushed deeply upon hearing these words. She tightened her grip on the sieve containing the fried dough and looked at Wang's wife angrily.

"Auntie Wang, what do you mean by that? My parents asked me to bring the fried dough over just to thank sister Yan Yan for her hospitality. What's wrong with that?"

Wang Dali's wife looked covetously at the fried dough in the sieve, smacked her lips, and chuckled like an old hen in response to the girl's questioning, "Auntie doesn't mean anything. Isn't it just saying that your parents are generous and gracious? What's wrong with that? Can't even say these nice words?"

"You... you clearly meant something else." The girl was furious, knowing full well that this woman was not speaking kindly, but she didn't know how to refute her.

"What's wrong? Are you trying to pick a fight?" Wang Dali's wife looked disdainfully at her, pointing at the fried dough in the sieve, "Yan Yatou has tasted all sorts of delicacies, why would she care about your shabby stuff? You better take it back and eat it yourself, so you won't embarrass yourself!"

With that, she turned to Mo Yan with a flattering smile and said, "Yan Yatou, am I right?"

The young girl stared at Wang Dali's wife with red eyes, feeling both angry and ashamed. She thought Mo Yan didn't want to accept it because she looked down on the fried dough. But this was the best food her family could offer, and her mother had asked her to bring it over without taking any for themselves.

Mo Yan looked expressionlessly at Wang Dali's wife until she lowered her head in embarrassment. Then she smiled at the almost crying young girl and said, "Fried dough is a good snack. I really like it. Please thank your mother for me."

With that, she reached out and took the sieve, picking up a piece and gently biting into it. It was thin, fragrant, and crispy, prompting her to praise, "Your mother's cooking is really good. I can't make it taste this delicious."

"Yan... Sister Yan Yan..." The young girl looked somewhat excited, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to find the right words. Seeing Mo Yan inviting others to come and taste the fried dough, a warm feeling welled up inside her.

Others also wanted to save face, so they came forward one after another to taste the fried dough. After trying it, they all praised how delicious it was and complimented the girl's mother for her skill.

The young girl, perhaps too excited or for some other reason, suddenly turned and ran off without even taking back the sieve.

Wang Dali's wife, who had been embarrassed on the spot, alternated between turning red and pale. Standing there, she rubbed her hands together repeatedly, as if this could alleviate the awkwardness of being slapped in the face.

Mo Yan continued to eat several pieces of fried dough in a row until she felt a bit tired of it. Seeing Wang Dali's wife still standing there, she asked with some confusion, "Aunt Wang, is there something you need?"

"Huh?" Wang Dali's wife seemed not to have recovered from being humiliated on the spot. She was stunned for a moment before quickly putting on a smile and saying, "Auntie is here to apologize to you! Because of some trivial matters before, our two families had a little dispute. Thanks to Miss Yan's generosity, she didn't take it to heart and even let our whole family move in. Thank you so much!"

"Apologize, huh?" Mo Yan looked at her teasingly, drawing out the word "huh" for a long time, and then she chewed on a piece of fried dough with a loud crunch. She said something irrelevant: "Although this fried dough is not a precious delicacy, it's the thought that counts. It's comforting to eat!"

Wang Dali's wife was initially stunned, somewhat puzzled. After chewing on these words for a while, her face turned red, looking embarrassed but actually extremely angry!

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 Chapter 353: Sudden Heavy Snowfall and Collapsed House (4)

Mo Yan politely exchanged a few words and noticed two familiar faces among the forty-two people. Wasn't the couple standing at the back, avoiding eye contact with her, none other than Wang Dali and his wife, who had caused trouble before?

Mo Yan didn't have a good impression of these two. She had previously made it clear that she didn't welcome them inside her home. However, since they also had family members to care for, it wouldn't be right to drive them out and let them suffer in the cold. So, she pretended not to notice and allocated rooms to each family, leaving them to arrange the rest themselves.

Seeing that Mo Yan didn't drive them away, Wang Dali and his wife, who were burying their heads in shame, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to raise their heads.

The others expressed their gratitude again and left the elderly and children behind, while the young and strong ones went back to pack their things. Besides the necessary beds and bedding, they also brought pots, bowls, and other utensils. They planned to wait until the weather cleared up before going back up the mountain to cut wood and repair their houses.

Yang Bao called some people from the village to help them move their belongings. When these people learned that the Mo family was providing shelter for those whose houses had collapsed, they felt even more convinced that the Mo family was truly benevolent.

After several trips back and forth, almost all the belongings were moved over, and the more than ten rooms were barely enough. Since there was some distance between the front and back courtyards, the arrival of these people didn't affect the Mo family's daily life much. Seeing that everything was fine, Mo Yan returned to the back and reminded the three beasts not to go to the front.

After a day of heavy snow, it started snowing again in the evening. Not to mention the people in the front yard who were worried, even Mo Yan was anxious, silently praying that there wouldn't be a snow disaster, otherwise, many people would suffer.

After dinner, Mao Mao, who hadn't been seen for nearly two days, flew back trembling all over, with a thin layer of white snow on its body and a letter from Xiao Ruiyuan to Mo Yan.

Mo Yan quickly gave it several pieces of fresh chicken and a small bowl of Spirit Spring water. After it ate and drank enough to warm up, she opened the envelope with some anticipation and took out the letter inside.

Fortunately, this time the letter was very normal. Although it was very short, with only a few words, it didn't repeat itself over and over again. It was really not easy!

The content of the letter was also simple and clear. In addition to expressing satisfaction with her reply, he hoped that she could write a letter the next day without worrying about tiring Mao Mao to death. He also advised her to feed it less meat to avoid it becoming too fat and affecting its flying speed...

Mo Yan twitched at the corner of her eye and locked the letter in the drawer. Looking at Mao Mao playing with Xiao Hua and Mao Tuan in the hall, she silently lit a candle for it.

Encountering such a strict master, it was really tough for Mao Mao!

Since the letter was very short, Mo Yan didn't need to rack her brains to reply. She took out her pen and ink and quickly wrote about the heavy snow here, inquired about the weather there, and expressed her concern about the difficulties of traveling. Altogether, it was only five or six sentences, which were quickly written.

Mo Yan still felt sorry for Mao Mao and didn't want it to fly back and forth every day like an "airborne bird." So she decided to let it deliver the letter again tomorrow afternoon. This way, she wouldn't have to write letters so frequently every other day. She praised her own intelligence for this decision!

However, to her surprise, Mao Mao disagreed and kept circling above Mo Yan's head, making urgent noises, apparently urging her to quickly put the letter in the mailbox so it could be sent off immediately.

Mo Yan was speechless at its actions. After explaining several times to no avail, she had no choice but to stuff the letter into it.

Under the eaves, watching the goose feather-like snow outside, Mao Mao shed a few bitter tears for itself. If it dared to delay, it wouldn't be as simple as plucking feathers once it fell into the master's hands. Finally, it glanced at Mo Yan and flew towards the distant north with a determined posture.

The heavy snow continued for another two days before finally clearing up and revealing the sun. As the ice and snow began to melt, the weather became even colder. Except for going to the outhouse, everyone stayed indoors and dared not go out. When the sun was strong at noon, Mo Yan moved a chair to the corner of the wall to bask in the sun and took out needle and thread to embroider a purse to pass the time.

Others had been cooped up at home for too long and soon brought chairs to sit beside her. Some read books, some embroidered, while Li Yan played the Nine Links game with Yun Song. The warm sunshine felt very cozy, and they felt drowsy.

At this moment, a girl in her early teens walked over with a sieve, looking a bit shy and expectant. "Sister Yan Yan, this is the fried dough made by my mother. She asked me to bring it over for you to taste."

Mo Yan looked and saw that the sieve was filled with golden fried dough. She quickly stood up and declined, "Your mother is too kind. Such delicious food should be kept for your own family to enjoy. Please take it back."

The girl was anxious when she heard that Mo Yan didn't want it. She stamped her feet and said, "Sister Yan Yan, you've lent us your house, so this little thing is nothing. You must accept it!"

Mo Yan shook her head repeatedly, refusing to accept it.

Fried dough was a kind of deep-fried pastry made by adding a proper amount of salt, eggs, and green onions to flour, mixing them with water, rolling them into large dough slightly thicker than dumpling skins, cutting them into palm-sized pieces, and frying them in hot oil. After they were fried and cooled, they could be eaten.

This kind of pastry was not difficult to make, and the ingredients were simple. When made well, it tasted very good. To the Mo family, this snack might seem ordinary, but to villagers who often only have just enough to eat, both eggs and flour are precious commodities. They typically only make this treat during holidays to give the children a rare delight.

Now, this little girl had brought over a full sieve of them, showing that her family genuinely wanted to repay Mo Yan for the kindness of lending them the house. However, Mo Yan felt uncomfortable accepting it.

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  Chapter 352: Sudden Heavy Snowfall and Collapsed House (3)

The children didn't care about these matters at all. After the snow stopped, the accumulated snow became their best toy. Xin'er, dressed in thick clothes, teamed up with Yun Song, who was also bundled up, to build snowmen, while Zhen'er wasn't interested in making snowmen and started a snowball fight with Yun Zhao in the yard.

Li Yan couldn't resist and joined in, occasionally forming snowballs and throwing them at Zhen'er and Yun Zhao, filling the entire yard with their innocent laughter.

The three beasts were also wild with excitement, running around the yard. Maotuan was the smallest and when it charged into the snow, the thick snow buried it, leaving only its continuous struggles visible under the snow, like a chubby earthworm crawling in its burrow, which amused everyone into hearty laughter.

By noon, the sun still hadn't appeared and the accumulated snow had only diminished slightly. It was then that the bells outside the courtyard began to ring, and faint knocking sounds were heard.

Li Yan hurriedly threw down the snowball in her hand and ran to open the door, her feet deep and shallow in the snow. Mo Yan quickly asked Da Bai and Mao Tuan to return to the house to avoid causing trouble if they were seen by others.

In a short while, Li Yan returned with Yang Bao, whose legs were covered in snow.

Mo Yan quickly invited Yang Bao into the house, but he waved his hand in refusal, with a look of embarrassment on his face. "Yan Yatou, there's something quite difficult for this uncle. If you're free, please help out. If not, it's fine. Just pretend this uncle never said anything."

Mo Yan smiled and said, "It's okay, Uncle Yang Bao. Just tell me what it is. If I can help, I'll definitely help!"

With this weather, he wouldn't come just to visit, and she had already prepared in her heart, but she couldn't guess what exactly was going on.

Seeing her enthusiastic response, Yang Bao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and explained his purpose.

It turned out that several families in the village had originally built thatched cottages that were not sturdy enough. As a result, this heavy snow had collapsed the thatched roofs, making it impossible for them to continue living there. Moreover, with so much accumulated snow, they couldn't go up the mountain to cut wood and repair their houses. So they had gathered at the village head's house, hoping the village head could help find a solution.

Most of the other families in the village had fled here and were not wealthy. The thatched cottages they had built were only enough for their own families, and it was inconvenient to accommodate outsiders.

However, these households with collapsed roofs all had elderly people and children who couldn't bear the cold. As the village head, Yang Bao couldn't ignore the situation and had to come to the Mo family, which had the largest house, hoping that Mo Yan could temporarily accommodate these people.

Mo Yan didn't feel troubled when she heard this. No one would want such a thing to happen. They were all fellow villagers, so she agreed to help out.

She said to the somewhat uneasy Yang Bao, "It's not a big deal. There are several empty rooms in the house that can be cleared out. They'll have to bring their own beds and bedding, and they can cook for themselves. I will specially allocate one room."

Yang Bao was overjoyed at once and quickly said, "That's natural, that's natural! It wouldn't make sense for your family to give up its rooms and then have them filled in by others. This uncle will go back and tell them to get ready."

With that, he thanked Mo Yan on behalf of those households and hurriedly went to inform them.

Watching Yang Bao's hurried figure, Mo Yan smiled and then went to the front yard with Li Xiu to tidy up the house.

There were indeed quite a few empty rooms in the Mo family, with about ten in the row along the front yard wall originally intended for future use, which should be enough to accommodate the seven or eight families.

Before long, Yang Bao brought those people over. Altogether, there were forty-two people, which was quite a number. These people came in one after another, thanking Mo Yan continuously for taking them in.

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  Chapter 351: Sudden Heavy Snowfall and Collapsed House (2)

Mo Yan naturally didn't refuse. Since moving to the new house, the three siblings had never slept together.

Mao Tuan was almost falling asleep. Mo Yan originally wanted it to sleep with Xiao Hua tonight, but this guy tightly hugged her waist with its front legs and refused to get off the bed. Afraid it would disturb everyone again at night, Mo Yan had to let it stay. Fortunately, the bed was spacious enough for four adults to sleep comfortably without crowding, even with three humans and a beast.

Zhen'er was delighted. He had long wanted to sleep cuddled up with the furry Mao Tuan, and he finally got the chance. Although Mao Tuan was reluctant, it had to grit its teeth and bear with it.

The two younger ones hadn't slept with their older sister for a long time and were so excited that they couldn't fall asleep, pulling Mo Yan into a conversation. Even though Mo Yan was exhausted, she could only chat with them for a while.

During this chat, somehow they got onto the topic of the accident earlier that morning. Zhen'er tugged at Mo Yan's arm from under the blanket and curiously asked, "Big sister, why does that lady look so much like Second Sister and also like you?"

This question instantly dispelled all of Mo Yan's drowsiness. For a moment, she didn't know how to answer him. Zhen'er was still young and couldn't think that the woman was actually Du Shi, but a little older and she couldn't guarantee it.

Seeming to sense her hesitation, Xin'er, who was sleeping closest to the inside, asked in confusion, "Sister, do you know that lady?" She also felt that the gorgeously dressed lady looked very familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.

"Yeah, we had a disagreement over a small matter before," Mo Yan did not deny it, and then spared no effort to "blacken" that mother and daughter, "You saw it too. They hit our carriage and then falsely accused us of hitting them, demanding that I kowtow and apologize. Such shameless people are definitely not good. In the future, when you encounter them, stay far away. Who knows if they will hold a grudge and do something harmful to you."

Although she always accompanied the two little guys whenever they entered the city, unexpected things always happened, so she had to be cautious and make them believe that the mother and daughter were up to no good.

If it were like her previous life, she definitely wouldn't have done this, after all, familial ties could not be cut off, but here, hiding was the best way to protect them. After all, the woman had remarried and was perhaps still at a low status,

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Chapter 645 Autumn Arrival

"Sister-in-law, then I'll go back first. We've accumulated quite a few Zhuge Suo at home this time. I'll send them to the town to give to Manager Luo tomorrow. After that, I'll focus on harvesting the rice in the fields for the next half month."

"Alright." Ye Muyu nodded with a faint smile.

Chu Xing happily went back.

Chu Lin had something on his mind, but after Ye Muyu accepted the watermelons, his steps also lightened up a bit.

Chu Xing couldn't help but add, "Brother Lin, uh, you should still keep an eye on Qingxiang. Although she's your daughter, very clever people are prone to going astray."

"You haven't been to the county town and don't know how arrogant the Wang family is. Even the county magistrate's neck was slashed. Sister-in-law and Xiao Jin almost got abducted by thugs at the county office. That Wang family is really terrifying."

"If it weren't for General Shen Xiao and Brother Ye Zhao bringing many soldiers over, there would have been a big problem in the county."

"The Wang family is really ruthless. The guards are all bandits and I heard that some of the remnants of the bandits haven't been caught yet. Each one of them licks blood from their wounds and kills without hesitation."

"I understand." Chu Lin's expression became even more somber.

"Ah..." Chu Xing didn't want to say more, seeing that Chu Lin's mood wasn't too good, but he could see that Chu Lin would still listen to him, which was good enough.

He just hoped that this matter would end soon, Chu Xing thought to himself.

At Chu Heng's house.

Ziluo and Xiao Jin knew there were watermelons and ran out, clinging to Ye Muyu's legs and acting cute.

Ye Muyu couldn't resist, "Alright, both of you can have a piece."

"Mom, the leftover watermelons should be put in the well, so they don't go bad. We want to keep them for a few more days."

"Sure, don't worry, there's enough for you to eat." Ye Muyu smiled.

Ziluo also happily ate and then said, "Mom, let's find some time to visit Brother Chongjin at Deming Temple and bring him some watermelons. He'll be leaving soon."

"Yes, Mom, I'll finish copying the Buddhist scriptures soon, and we can go then." Chu Jin also chimed in.

Ye Muyu thought for a moment and agreed.

Consider it repaying Master Lin's favor of protecting Xiao Jin.

In the afternoon, Ye Muyu fried the mountain walnuts with syrup and made them into snacks, giving a little to the two children every day.

In the days that followed.

The village was busy harvesting rice.

By the time most of it was harvested, it was already autumn and the weather was gradually getting cooler.

It took Ye Muyu a month to plant various fruit trees on Chai mountain and surround them with fences. Chickens and ducks were raised inside, eating under the trees during the day and sleeping in the chicken coop built nearby at night.

They bought a total of five.

To accommodate them, a few more houses had to be built at the foot of Chai mountain.

By the time the houses were ready to be lived in, it was a month and a half later.

At this time, Ye Muyu had already changed into autumn clothes.

The restaurant she cooperated with Mrs. Xie, she had already finalized the menu and signed the contract. She didn't need to manage it anymore, which was convenient.

"Madam, Miss Qingxiang is getting married at the old house today. Are you really not going?"

"I'm not going. You should go. It's not good to break your promise since you promised before. It's a matter of courtesy. You can help me deliver the gifts."

Ye Muyu's prepared gifts were simple, just some ordinary items, to be given to Chu Lin's couple hosting the banquet, not to adorn Qingxiang.

"Alright, Madam, then I'll go." Hu Shi didn't delay, took the gifts, and quickly went to the old house.

The sun was still early.

After Hu Shi left, Ye Muyu got up to make breakfast for the two children.

She tried making some fried dough sticks, and the preserved eggs she had marinated some days ago were ready to eat. In the morning, she made lean pork congee with preserved eggs.

She also stir-fried some greens.

There weren't many tender greens left to eat at this season but there were still cabbage and radishes.

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 646 Qingxiang's Wedding

Ye Muyu liked to eat stir-fried greens, and there was almost a plate of them every day.

In addition to that, she also steamed a bowl of shrimp and egg custard.

The shrimp was sent by the Xie family, and Ye Muyu was considering whether to try buying some rice fields and experiment with raising shrimp in ponds. She wondered if it would work.

"Ziluo, Xiao Jin, it's time to get up and have breakfast." Ye Muyu called out to the two.

Chu Jin could already dress himself now and didn't need Ye Muyu's help. He learned from Zhang Cong. Ye Muyu thought that at his age, it was the time to learn from others and having someone to compare with would help him learn quickly.

"Mom, preserved eggs can also be used to cook porridge?" Ziluo eat a mouthful of lean pork congee with preserved eggs and closed her eyes in satisfaction.

"Yeah, is it delicious? It's a new variety." Ye Muyu reached out and brushed the little girl's hair away from her cheek.

Looking at the table full of food, she couldn't help but think about when Chu Heng would come back.

"Mom, the fried dough sticks are delicious too. I've never had them before. Why didn't you make them before?" Chu Jin asked curiously.

"Because it requires a lot of oil, and it has to be vegetable oil, so I didn't make them."

"Then can we fry them once in a while? There are so many delicious things at home now." Chu Jin, a foodie, wasn't picky about food. As long as it was made by Mom, he liked it. He thought it was better to save and eat more delicious food, so he decisively chose to save.

"Okay." Ye Muyu didn't want her children to develop a wasteful nature, so she was quite satisfied with this.

After they leisurely finished breakfast.

Chu Jin went to school with Zhang Cong.

Now, there were two teachers in the school, and Master Lin would be leaving soon.

And Lin Chong Jin had returned from the temple.

Once Master Lin left, it also meant that Chu Heng would come back.

Ye Muyu didn't let Chu Ziluo go out, even though today was Qingxiang's wedding.

Ziluo was very obedient and didn't ask much. She studied at home with Nenya.

Ye Muyu also sat in the study reading, but the study door was open.

Meanwhile, at the old house.

Many relatives and villagers had already arrived, making it very lively.

Most people brought gifts, and for a moment, the room that used to be a warehouse at the old house was almost filled with them.

Early in the morning, Chu Liushi tidied up and sat in the main hall entertaining guests.

Wang and Hu Shi, together, were busy as bees, running around.

Zhang entertained guests, while Chu Lin had the eldest son, Chu Sheng, write down the list of gifts.

Yesterday, the Song family brought the betrothal gifts over, and inside the house, Qingxiang wore a red wedding dress, and Quanfu people came to perform the ceremony for her.

Some familiar relatives also came to help with her makeup.

The Chu family had many people.

Everyone from each branch came.

As Qingxiang's maternal family, the Zhang family also came.

What came was Qingxiang's married cousin, Zhang Ru.

Even Chu Yun came back with her child.

"Cousin, you look so beautiful today. When Master Lu arrives later, he'll definitely be captivated." Zhang Ru chuckled and whispered.

Others in the room also joined in teasing her.

Qingxiang was in a very good mood. Thinking of marrying Song Lu, she couldn't help but feel excited.

At this moment, Chu Yun walked in.

Her husband's family was average, with just over ten mu of thin land. They could barely make ends meet. However, when she came back today, she found that her natal family had changed and the conditions had become extremely good.

Just looking at the clothes and silver hairpins worn by Zhang and Wang, they were much better than they were half a year ago.

She wanted to talk to her mother, Chu Liushi, but there were too many guests today and she couldn't find an opportunity.

Instead, she learned the general news from the mouths of fellow villagers.

It turned out that it was Ye's idea to make money!

She was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out, and she couldn't believe it at all.

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Chapter 208: The Candidate

“It’s getting late, Miss Bai. You should head back soon and watch your step.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wen. I’ll head back now.”

With that, Bai Sihan curtsied and ran towards where her mother, Shen Shi, was waiting.

Seeing her daughter’s flushed face, Shen Shi was delighted. “Did it go well?”

“Yes.” Bai Sihan confirmed.

Hearing her daughter’s affirmative answer, Shen Shi was so happy she almost jumped for joy. Now she just had to wait for Wen Mengsheng to pass the exams and come to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. Her long-awaited dream of settling in the capital seemed finally within reach.

Thinking about this, she felt the trip had been worthwhile!

After mother and daughter left, Wen Mengsheng glanced at the red string and mocked their overestimation of themselves. He then casually discarded it by the roadside, where it would be buried by the elements.

On the other hand, Feng Jinlin, holding the package, looked at the red strings in the box appreciatively. There were three strings, clearly meant for them all. He handed one to Yin Canwen and kept the remaining two for Feng Yunhe.

“Canwen, this may seem superstitious, but it’s Ah Yao’s kind gesture. Wear it for good luck.”

Yin Canwen, receiving something from Feng Jinyao for the first time, treasured it greatly.

Pretending to be calm, he said, “Don’t worry, Feng. I’ll wear it well.”

Little did he know, this unremarkable red string would change his life.

In the decades that followed, he never married or had children. When he died, his nephews and nieces buried him with this now faded and broken red string in the pouch on his chest.

Meanwhile, back in the city, the Changle Palace was bustling.

Consort Liu had brought gifts to see the Crown Prince’s firstborn. Coincidentally, the Emperor was also there, and the Emperor and Empress were holding their grandchild, playing with him. Suddenly, the Emperor exclaimed.

“Empress, did you see that? Yong Cong smiled at me!”

“I saw it. Yong Cong must like you. You visit him every day, and he remembers.”

“Hahaha, he’s truly my good grandson. Only a few days old, and he already remembers me. We’ll be close in the future.”

Hearing this, the Empress was even more delighted.

It was at this moment that Consort Liu entered, hurriedly paying her respects to both of them.

“Your Majesty, long live. Your Majesty, long live.”

“Consort Liu, you’re here? Come and see Yong Cong. He’s just smiled at the Emperor,” the Empress said warmly, as they had been close for over twenty years. The Empress liked Liu for her unambitious nature and was not on guard around her.

Consort Liu, however, was cautious, not daring to touch the child, fearing any mishap would be blamed on her. She stood half a step away and said, “The Crown Prince’s firstborn truly resembles the Emperor. He must be smiling because he thinks he’s looking in a mirror.”

Her humorous remark made everyone present laugh.

Yong Cong seemed to sense the joy and smiled again, making the Emperor and Empress even happier.

After playing for a while, the couple grew tired and called the wet nurse to feed and put the baby to sleep.

The Empress then remembered something and spoke up.

“Since the Emperor is here today, I have some good news involving Consort Liu.”

“Oh? What good news?”

The Emperor was curious, while Consort Liu was puzzled. The Empress smiled and said, “Your Majesty, Consort Liu is so unassuming that she isn’t even concerned about her son’s marriage. Sixth Prince is not young anymore, yet his marriage isn’t settled. The other day, Sister Fulin mentioned a match for him, suggesting the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Xu. What do you think, Your Majesty and Consort Liu?”

The Emperor thought deeply.

Grand Secretary Xu’s granddaughter was a good match for Sixth Prince, but rushing into a new engagement so soon after the previous one might not be appropriate. He said slowly, “The candidate is good, but after the last broken engagement, Xu has stated that his granddaughter’s marriage will be her decision alone. He even said that not even the Emperor could force it. Issuing a decree might not be wise now.”

Consort Liu remained calm.

“I don’t understand these matters. I’ll follow the decisions of Your Majesty and the Empress.”

“You’re quite lax, unlike Noble Consort Wei, who’s already chosen a match for her son. She told me she’s chosen Lady Qianling for Ninth Prince, waiting for him to return to finalize the engagement. Your Majesty, you must be fair. If Ninth Prince’s marriage is set, Sixth Prince’s shouldn’t be delayed. Otherwise, the younger brother marrying before the elder would be improper.”

The Empress, feigning casualness, mentioned Noble Consort Wei’s plans. As expected, the Emperor’s expression darkened.

Pretending to be unaware, the Empress continued chatting with Consort Liu.

Moments later, the Emperor rose and said, “Empress, I must return to handle state affairs. Continue your conversation with Consort Liu.”

The Empress graciously responded, “Your Majesty, we wish you well.”

“We wish Your Majesty well.” echoed Consort Liu, following the Empress’ lead.

Returning to his study, the Emperor immediately ordered an investigation into the Empress’s claim.

His dark expression frightened even the nearby Eunuch Wang.

Lady Qianling’s background was unique. After her father, Prince Yi, passed, she took over Zhongzhou and managed it well for years, showcasing her abilities. Such a person was already slightly intimidating as a subject. If she became a daughter-in-law, the Emperor feared she might influence his son against him.

Such a situation was unacceptable. If the Wei family harbored such thoughts, the Western campaign might face unrest.

Sitting on the throne required a cold heart. Sensing danger, the Emperor wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate threats, whether brothers or sons.

Unaware of the peril her words had brought, Noble Consort Wei was happily preparing gifts for Wei Lanxuan’s wedding.

Amid these turbulent undercurrents, the engagement between the Wei and Liang families began.

Before dawn, Wei Lanxuan was awakened by the household servants. Due to her pregnancy, Yue Jian had to avoid the bride, so she managed things from outside while Beitang, Nanhua, and four maidservants, along with two fortune-tellers, attended to Wei Lanxuan inside.