Amidst a riot of blooming flowers, standing proudly on branches, falling petals scattered on Feng Yun’s pogranate skirt...
She climbed the tree, plucked a branch swaying gently in the breeze, suddenly lost her footing, and fell. Her basket of flowers overturned in midair, scattering branches and petals in a floral whirlwind...
"Ah!"
She plumted straight down, landing in soone’s arms.
Then she took a closer look.
Clad in white with a flute in hand, he was the picture of elegance and nobility, as if a nobleman had stepped out of a painting.
Xiao San?
Feng Yun was startled so violently that she woke from her dream with a start, only to find her back drenched with sweat.
On a December day, she was sweating profusely.
Her room had an underfloor heating system burning her family’s coal; it was so warm that she had slept until broad daylight without realizing it.
Such blissful sleep, feeling like spring had arrived overnight, with trees bursting into exuberant blossom, and yet she had dread of Xiao San...
It had been a long ti since Feng Yun had thought of him.
The dream cooled her mood, and she felt sowhat disgruntled after her morning al.
Ge Yi had just co back from the city and couldn’t wait to report to Feng Yun.
"Madam, the new bride is arriving in Andu today. On my way back, many people were leaving the city for the posthouse, saying they wanted to see the bride’s dowry..."
The daughter of Mahe Tribe’s chief was coming from the distant Cangyan Mountain to Andu, reportedly with one hundred and sixty-six dowries in tow, showing the chief’s treasured view of his daughter and the importance he placed on the marital alliance with the Ao Family.
But before the wedding, the bride could only stay at the posthouse, waiting for her groom’s family to co and receive her.
The posthouse had been ready for many days to welco the Mahe Tribe’s wedding delegation. Feng Yun had seen it herself; apart from the inconveniences of being in a foreign land, she believed the bride would not be treated poorly.
The extravagant wedding had already caused quite a stir in Andu City; the bride’s identity as a tribal chieftain’s daughter ignited the townspeople’s curiosity, with everyone keen to catch a glimpse of her. Hence, the best rooms in the teahouses at the city gate were booked early at high prices...
There were no seats at the Ao Residence’s wedding banquet, so people had to secure a good vantage point along the welcoming route...
Feng Yun wasn’t very interested in all of that.
After all, the bride would be her sister-in-law soon enough; she’d have plenty of opportunities to see her.
She was busy with many things and did not plan to go to Andu City that day.
After eating, she changed into new clothes and first visited Wen Xingsu’s house, which was under construction, then took a walk around the fields. Only after that did she brave the desolation of the December winter and set out in a carriage toward Little Jieqiu.
About two miles from the Coal Ball Workshop, the carriage stopped.
Here, a foundation was being laid, and a building was to be erected.
The villagers had thought that the Coal Ball Workshop was expanding. Seeing Feng Yun, so made jokes.
"Madam, after the expansion, will you hire more workers?"
Working in the Coal Ball Workshop was not as food intensive as in the mines, but it was less dangerous and the pay was better than other jobs; it was the top choice for the village’s able-bodied n.
During this slack farming season, apart from those working on the river, everyone wanted to find so work to earn a few coins...
Little did they expect Feng Yun to approach with a smile.
"This building under construction is not the Coal Ball Workshop."
The crowd was surprised, "Then what is it?"
Feng Yun said, "As spring arrives, another workshop will open here. I’m planning to start a different business."
The people were even more astounded.
"Madam, what business are you planning to enter?"
Feng Yun grinned, "That’s a secret for now. But rest assured, it’s as important as the coal balls..."
The crowd’s eyes widened, their curiosity thoroughly piqued by her.
"Will the new workshop hire people?"
"Yes, it will," Feng Yun said.
"Madam, just give the word, and I’ll sign my dad up..."
"And , and my son. He’s sixteen this year, just the right age to work..."
Feng Yun agreed one by one, alighting from the carriage with Xiaoman’s help, and walked over to Cong Wentian amid the buzzing discussions of the villagers.
"Uncle Wentian, you’ve worked hard," she greeted.
Cong Wentian, who was busy working, looked up with a smile upon hearing her voice and said, "Madam, you flatter . It’s a well-worn path; there’s no hardship at all."
Feng Yun gave a slight, amused smile, "Co to the manor for a al when you’ve finished work."
Working with her for so long, Cong Wentian was well-acquainted and, hearing the invitation, promptly replied without formality, "I was planning to visit the manor later today to see you, Madam... It’s a coincidence that you’ve co. Let take this mont to inform you."
Feng Yun smiled lightly, "You don’t need to be so courteous, Uncle Wentian. If there’s sothing you need to say, feel free."
Cong Wentian said, "General Ao’s grand wedding is coming up, and the Fort’s master and Lady Tu will be attending. Lady Tu said she wants to co a day early to visit you at Huaxi Village. I wonder if that would be convenient... "
So it was a ssage on behalf of Lady Tu.
Pei Yao had once taken her two children to seek refuge at the Tu Family Fort, and now that her son was getting married, it was only proper to invite them to join the wedding celebration...
"Lady Tu is being too formal," Feng Yun chuckled. "It’s been a long ti since we’ve seen each other, and I’ve missed her too. Her wish to visit is more than welco – what talk of inconvenience could there be?"
Cong Wentian smiled and said, "Then I’ll send word back to Lady Tu."
Feng Yun replied, "There’s no hurry. Uncle Wentian, when you co over for the al, I’ll write a letter. You can deliver it to the Tu Family Fort then."
Cong Wentian readily agreed.
When Feng Yun returned to the manor, she imdiately asked the maids to prepare ink and paper.
Given the kindness that the Tu Family Fort had shown her, how could she let Lady Tu be the one to bring up a visit? The right approach was for her to extend a warm invitation herself.
After writing the letter, she ward her hands over the red clay stove and suddenly looked out the window.
"Is that... snowing?"
Xiaoman quickly propped open the window to check.
A snowflake fell on the window sill, instantly lting away.
She exclaid excitedly, "Yes, it’s snowing. Madam, it’s snowing."
Before her voice died down, several distinct and loud shouts of excitent ca from the village.
"It’s snowing!"
"It’s snowing!"
For those who fard, snow in the twelfth lunar month was a treasure. Without snow in the twelfth month, the oxen would rest, but with snow falling, they could look forward to the coming spring...
Xiaoman, who previously knew nothing about farming, had learned a lot from Feng Yun and Aunt Xu after spending ti in Huaxi Village.
However, her happiness was cut short as she rembered last year’s long snowy days, the avalanches, and the locust disaster that followed, making her smile awkwardly retract to her lips.
"This year shouldn’t be like last year, right?"
Last year, not to ntion coal balls, many families didn’t even have enough firewood, suffering through so tough tis just thinking about it sends shivers down one’s spine.
Feng Yun didn’t speak, trying hard to piece together in her mind the winter of that year in her previous life.
But other than those three years of disaster and famine that tornted the common folk, she couldn’t rember any other details. For instance, whether the snow was heavy...
She watched the snowflakes swirling in the sky.
"A tily snow promises a good harvest."
She had said the sa thing last year.
Xiaoman pursed her lips and said with a smile, "Perhaps this snowfall is to welco the new bride? General Ao’s new wife has just arrived in Andu, and now she’s greeted with the first snow of the winter."
Feng Yun gave a soft hum of laughter.
Thinking of Ao Qi, a sudden pang of sympathy flashed through her heart.
Today was already the third day of the twelfth lunar month.
With only five days left until the wedding ceremony, he was still in the Red Armor Army’s camp, with no plans to return to Andu... If he had to wait until the wedding day to arrive, the bride, new to this place, would probably feel snubbed.
As the mistress and servant were huddled at the window watching the snow, Alou ran over, gasping for breath.
"Madam, sothing terrible has happened—the Feng Family has co!"
The Feng Family has co, what’s so terrible about that?
Feng Yun looked at Alou without a word.
Ever since Alou beca the head steward, it was rare for him to be so unsettled.
In Feng Yun’s calm gaze, he slowly composed himself and bowed:
"It’s Lady Chen, with your younger siblings and about a dozen strong servants, striding mightily towards the village..."
Feng Yun snorted, curling her lips.
No wonder Alou was so anxious.
Lady Chen’s forr majesty in the residence cast a shadow over Alou.
"If she’s coming, it’s certainly not for anything good."
Feng Yun hesitated for a mont, then instructed Alou.
"Inform the Village Guard to stop them at the road junction, without my permission, no one is allowed in."
Ever since the canal excavation, Feng Yun had Yang Shizhang pick out a guard team from the villagers. Without governnt provisions, each household would send one person to rotate and maintain order in the village.
At first, many thought it was unnecessary, but with the increasing traffic through Huaxi Village—people of all stripes and characters, and several incidents of fights and petty thefts—the villagers ca to see it as indispensable.
-
As Lady Chen’s carriage drove up, she almost didn’t recognize the place when she saw the three big characters "Huaxi Village" on the gatehouse it was so different. In the past, she managed the household at the Feng Residence and Feng Jingteng was soone who took his grain and cared not for affairs, so she frequented Huaxi Village more than he did...
But no matter how she looked, this was not the Huaxi Village she rembered; it had completely changed. If not for those three large characters reminding her, she would have thought she had arrived at so market town...
Before coming, she only knew that Shi’er Niang’s business was doing well and that Huaxi Village was developing rapidly due to the dock construction. The prices for fields, land, and houses were doubling...
Houses were hard to find, and land was hard to buy...
But she never expected the developnt to be so swift.
Storefronts lined the road, so under construction, so doing business, bustling with people.
Even the "Huaxi Village" sign at the entrance was cast in iron...
So rich.
This trip wasn’t made in vain,
Lady Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up as she leaned over and grabbed the box from the wooden table, placing it on her lap and gently caressing it, her heart pounding with excitent.
She was going to make a fortune...
Inside the box were deeds and docunts for land and properties in Huaxi Village, including fields, forests, as well as businesses such as Yutangchun.
Her estate, her fields, and her tavern...
With the deeds and docunts in hand, did Shi’er Niang think she could monopolize everything? No way!
"Halt!"
A stern shout disrupted the silence, and the carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.
Lady Chen, nearly tumbling forward, steadied herself and imdiately changed her expression.
"What’s all this disturbance?"
The servant replied, "My lady, it’s a group of villagers dressed in coarse clothes..."
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