《The Lucky Heiress》 Chapter 1 - 1 Chapter 1 - Saving a Life_1 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Saving a Life_1 Translator: 549690339 Within the undulating hills, a narrow path meandered through the mountains. Wei Ruo was walking along this path with a bamboo basket on her back. It was early spring. The weather was just right, and the sunset glow was shining on her fair face. Though Yunping Mountain was far for her, the mountain was abundant in rare wild medicinal herbs, which made her early-morning journey worthwhile. Not long after she got out of the mountain trail and turned into the official road, she heard a noisy group of people, coming from not far away. A grand carriage was parked on the side of the road, surrounded by a group of followers. It was a large entourage. Wei Ruo stopped, thought for a moment, and then carried on, pretending not to notice them, adhering to her ¡®the less trouble, the better¡¯ mentality. However, they noticed her. A man dressed in exquisite clothing briskly walked over to her and blocked her path: ¡°Where is the nearest doctor¡¯s clinic?¡± His voice was frantic, and his expression was almost scaring. ¡°There isn¡¯t a doctor¡¯s clinic nearby. The nearest one is in the county town which is about seventy or eighty miles away,¡± Wei Ruo answered, keeping her head lowered. ¡°What about a midwife? Is there a village nearby with a midwife?¡± The man asked again. ¡°No.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s answer made the man¡¯s face increasingly gloomy. Seeing that the man didn¡¯t ask any more questions, Wei Ruo, not wanting to meddle in other¡¯s affairs, turned around to leave. She had hardly taken two steps when a woman¡¯s agonized scream echoed from the carriage, followed by the anxious voices of the maids: ¡°Madam, hold on. You will be fine. We will find a doctor soon.¡± ¡°Feet, I see feet! What do we do? It¡¯s feet! Someone is going to die!¡± ¡°Water, get hot water and ginseng tea quickly!¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but stop in her tracks, frowning. The woman in the carriage was evidently giving birth and in a very critical state. Should she help? It was better not to interfere, lest she invites trouble upon herself. The look of this group of people was not particularly pleasant. Just as she decided to carry on walking, another round of screams from the woman echoed out. How could she keep walking? This was a matter of life and death, and it involved a child! Wei Ruo glanced at her bamboo basket, pondered for two seconds, and then, unable to resist the urge, she turned back. As Wei Ruo approached the carriage, the followers immediately tried to stop her. ¡°I have some medical skills, and coincidentally, I have some fresh herbs in my basket. If you choose to trust me, let me get into the carriage now, or I will leave,¡± she succinctly presented the man with two choices. He should make up his mind quickly. If he refused her help, she would immediately leave. It would be simpler that way! The man was at a loss at these words. Upon hearing that the maids saw the foot of the baby, he knew that if a baby was born foot-first, it was as good as stepping into the Ghost Gate! Another bout of screams echoed from inside the carriage, each one landing like a heavy blow to his heart. The man didn¡¯t have time to ponder anymore: ¡°Give it a try. Save my wife and child, and I will ensure your future is filled with prosperity!¡± Upon receiving consent, Wei Ruo quickly climbed into the carriage. Inside the carriage, an elegantly dressed woman was moaning in pain, drenched in sweat, tightly clutching the hands of her maids. Wei Ruo looked down; the amniotic fluid had broken, and the fetus was in an abnormal position, making childbirth difficult. Thankfully, not all of the amniotic fluid had drained, and the baby¡¯s leg had not fully entered the birth canal. Wei Ruo fumbled through her bamboo basket and found a cloth bundle inside, which contained several needles for acupuncture and some essential drugs. She took out two pieces of dried ginseng for the woman to hold in her mouth, and told the maids to prepare some sweetened water or soup for the woman. Wei Ruo tried to calm the woman: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t shout, save your energy. I am going to use acupuncture to relieve your pain, then I will help correct the fetal position. Don¡¯t be nervous, try to relax as much as possible.¡± What? Correct the fetal position? At such a time? And needles too? The maids looked at each other, their faces pale. This was a task even the most experienced midwives in the capital city dared not attempt! Correcting the fetal position at this point was far too risky! Wei Ruo said nothing more. She quickly washed her hands with the available hot water, opened her acupuncture kit, and started inserting the long silver needles into specific points on the woman¡¯s body. Within moments, the woman¡¯s body was pierced by more than ten silver needles, which noticeably eased her labor pains. Then, much to the disbelief of the maids, she pushed the protruding baby¡¯s foot back into the womb! The maids looked on in horror, almost screaming out in shock. Next, Wei Ruo placed her hands on the woman¡¯s belly and slowly maneuvered the child within, as if performing tai chi. The maids inside the carriage were once again left speechless by this spectacle; the child within was truly moving! As time passed agonizingly slowly, the waiting crowd outside the carriage grew increasingly anxious, feeling as if they were being roasted on a grill. Could that girl from earlier do it? She could, right? But what if she couldn¡¯t¡­ What then? ¡°May the Gods bless us, may the Buddha protect us!¡± An hour later, the sound of a baby¡¯s first cry pierced through the gloom hanging over the crowd¡¯s heads. Everyone looked towards the carriage in surprise and joy, soon erupting into cheer. With the cheering crowd outside, Wei Ruo inside the carriage managed to tend to the baby¡¯s umbilical cord and stop the woman¡¯s bleeding. Wiping off the sweat from her forehead, Wei Ruo sighed in relief and climbed down from the carriage, her body weary. As soon as she said that they could now see the woman, the elegantly dressed man eagerly climbed into the carriage to see his wife. After a while, urged by his wife, the man disembarked from the carriage to find Wei Ruo and give her a generous reward in thanks. Instead, he found that the woman who had just saved his wife had disappeared without a trace¡­ He had promised prosperity to the woman. Why had she left without a word? On the way home, Wei Ruo began feeling regret. The ginseng pieces she offered the woman and the hemostatic herbs she used weren¡¯t exactly cheap! Wei Ruo thought to herself, if there was a next time, she had to ask for some sort of compensation! Carrying her basket on her back, Wei Ruo headed towards home. Normally, it would take slightly over an hour to reach home, but her rescue operation had drained her energy, making it hard to continue walking. Three hours later, Wei Ruo arrived at a small isolated courtyard. This was where she had been living for the past ten years: bleary roof tiles, white walls, green bricks, conveying a sense of decay. Chapter 2 - 2 Chapter 2: Identity_1 2 Chapter 2: Identity_1 Translator: 549690339 Maid Xiumei stood at the door resembling a wife-waiting stone, peering into the distance. Spotting Wei Ruo, she trotted over and seeing the basket of herbs on Wei Ruo¡¯s back, she said with a tone that carried both worry and a mild reproach: ¡°Miss, why did you run up to the mountain alone again? It¡¯s so dangerous!¡± As she spoke, Xiumei had already efficiently taken the basket from Wei Ruo and transferred it onto her own back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Meimei, I didn¡¯t venture towards dangerous cliffs, really! The mountain is filled with rare herbs worth a lot of money. Not picking them would be a waste!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! You aren¡¯t as sturdy as me! Even if you have to go, you should bring me along! I should utilize the martial arts skills taught by the master you hired for me!¡± ¡°If I bring you with me, who will cook for me? My tummy, my Wuzang Temple, depends on you!¡± Wei Ruo teased. Today¡¯s trip had left her utterly exhausted, collecting herbs from a long distance had already used up all her energy. Plus, she had been called for a live birth delivery, which had practically drained her. ¡°If you want food, I can cook for you when I return! You running off to the mountains alone has me scared out of my wits at home. I can¡¯t even distinguish between salt and sugar!¡± Xiumei stomped her foot. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Wei Ruo looked up at Xiumei with a longing gaze. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re changing the subject again.¡± Xiumei felt helpless. ¡°Don¡¯t starve me, see, I¡¯ve become so thin.¡± Wei Ruo rubbed her belly, her point was pretty self-explanatory. During the emergency situation when she was rescuing patients, she was unperturbed, but now she was acting coquettish with her maid just to get a meal, like a totally different person. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ve already cooked the meal, it¡¯s warm and ready in the stove, I¡¯ll get it for you right away.¡± Though Xiumei had a sharp tongue, she had a soft heart. Muttering to herself, she turned back and went into the kitchen. What can she do? When her mistress gives her that look of longing for food, it¡¯s irresistible! The courtyard where Wei Ruo stayed was filled with various plants, some for aesthetic appeal, some medical, and some were crops. The only space left was for a stone table. On good weather days, Wei Ruo liked eating, drinking tea, and basking in the sun at that table. This place was one of the secondary residences of the He Family, and only two people lived here: Wei Ruo and her maid Xiumei. Wei Ruo was a transmigrator, transmigrated into the body of a minor female character in a book. In the original work, she was the daughter of the Wei Family, who are bureaucrats, but was accidentally taken away by the He Family, who are merchants. When she was raised by the He Family till the age of three, a fortune teller predicted that she would bring disaster to her parents, so she was sent to live here at this subsidiary residence. The only people who came along with her were Wei Ruo¡¯s wet nurse and Maid Xiumei. From then on, the He Family would send five taels of silver each month, and they no longer intervened. Even during festivals, Wei Ruo has not seen them at all. Now Wei Ruo was thirteen, she has been living in this village for ten years. To Wei Ruo, she loved life in the village, she enjoyed interacting with the villagers. She neither wanted to go back to the He Family nor her biological parents¡¯ home because in the original work, she experienced a hard life whether she was in the He Family or her biological parents¡¯ home. The next morning, after breakfast, Wei Ruo and Xiumei left the house together. Wei Ruo¡¯s residence was backed by a hill, stepping out there were vast fields. It was the busy farming season, and the villagers were busy planting rice in the fields. As Wei Ruo passed by, the villagers greeted her one by one. ¡°Ruoruo, my husband hunted a rabbit on the mountain today, I saved a leg for you, remember to let Xiumei take it home later!¡± ¡°Miss Ruoruo, I picked some water celery today and have set aside a portion for you. Remember to let Xiumei take it.¡± ¡°Miss Ruoruo, the medicine you gave us last time worked wonders, my son Tiger got better as soon as he took it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wei Ruo greeted them back and headed towards her own field. Like everyone else, she took off her shoes, stepped barefooted into the mud-filled paddy field and started planting rice. Xiumei attempted to persuade Wei Ruo to rest a few times, offering to do the work instead, but Wei Ruo insisted on doing it herself. Because she had a reason to plant it personally. Wei Ruo had a space, which appeared when she transmigrated. The entrance to the space was in the palm of her left hand ¨C it was a red dot, like a cinnabar mole. In that space, there was a simple thatched cottage. Initially, the thatched cottage was empty. Outside the cottage was a vast void, enveloped in a thick white fog. Later, Wei Ruo started decorating the thatched cottage. Over the years, she furnished the cottage, made arrangements, and stored items. As Wei Ruo developed the interior of the cottage, the fog outside receded a bit, revealing a patch of land about two meters by two meters, and rice was already growing on it when it emerged. So Wei Ruo began to plant rice, and when the rice was ripe and harvested, she received Experience Points. After a few rounds of planting, the Experience Points maxed out, the space was upgraded, the fog retreated further, and a new piece of land of similar size emerged. This time, sweet potatoes were growing there. At this point, Wei Ruo understood that her space could be upgraded, and the experience required for upgrading was obtained through her planting. Once the experience was maxed out, it could be upgraded, and after upgrading, new land and new seeds would appear. This was very similar to a popular online game called ¡°Happy Farm¡± she played years ago. Plant to gain experience points, level up when the experience points are maxed to gain new land and seeds to plant. Later, Wei Ruo planted the rice seeds from the space outside, and after harvesting, she also gained experience, but she had to plant it herself. The portion given to the villagers to plant could not earn experience points. So whether it¡¯s in the space or outside, she needs to plant them herself. While the mistress and maid were busy with their work, suddenly two maids appeared with a group of people on the path beside Wei Ruo¡¯s field. Seeing Wei Ruo standing barefoot in the mud, her face stained with dirt, both maids simultaneously displayed an expression of disgust on their faces. What kind of appearance is that? Even the maids in our house are better-looking! ¡°We are servants of the Military Prefecture, sent by the Lord and Madam to take the young miss back to the mansion,¡± one of the maids stated their purpose. Military Prefecture? A look of surprise came over Xiumei, and she asked: ¡°You must be mistaken. My mistress¡¯s family lives in the county town. She doesn¡¯t know any Colonel.¡± ¡°She did before, but not anymore,¡± one of the maids stated, ¡°Our master has already investigated fully. Initially, at Haining Prefecture, the He Family and our Colonel¡¯s wife gave birth at the same time at the Guanyin Temple. There was an intrusion by bandits into the mountains and in the confusion, the babies got swapped.¡± The other maid added, ¡°Your foster parents, the He Family who run a business in the county town, have already agreed to let us take you.¡± Hearing this Xiumei was so astonished that she could only gape. Chapter 3 - 3 Chapter 3 The Biological Parents are coming to Pick Up_1 3 Chapter 3 The Biological Parents are coming to Pick Up_1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo stared at the two maids for a while, not moving at all. Just when the two attending maids perceived Wei Ruo¡¯s silence as an overwhelming surprise, she voiced out rather calmly, ¡°I understood.¡± The shocking news that she is not a child abandoned by a business family but the cherished daughter of the Military Prefecture, which elevated her social status instantly, only made her this calm? The two maids exchanged puzzled views with each other. ¡°Miss, please hear us clear. We are from the Military Prefecture, and the ancestral Wei Family where we belong has been meritorious. You will be an esteemed young lady in an official¡¯s household after returning back with us,¡± the maids stressed, they believed her peaceful demeanor was due to a lack of understanding about the significance of the Military Prefecture. ¡°Hmm, I have heard,¡± Wei Ruo responded, her face was still tranquil. The reason behind Wei Ruo¡¯s composure was that she knew such a day would come. How would her reaction be even if she wasn¡¯t calm? The He Family, who sent her to the branch yard for survival, had no feelings for her at all and they would take any opportunity to connect with the Military Prefecture by means of this complicated relationship. As for the Wei Family, being an administration¡¯s household, they would naturally not let their biological daughter stray around and become subject gossip once they find out the misidentification. Wei Ruo herself, naturally, did not want to go to the Wei family, but in this society with a strict class hierarchy, it wouldn¡¯t do any good for Wei Ruo to not want to leave. ¡°Then, Miss, you should come with us. We will take you back to the Military Prefecture to meet your biological parents. You don¡¯t have to go to the He family anymore. Our lord has already talked to them, and they have no objections to you coming back to the Military Prefecture with us,¡± urged the maid, noting that Wei Ruo had already heard clearly. This countryside is full of pests, filthy and poor¡ª not a place for people to stay. Wei Ruo well understood that the He Family had no objection to this matter. They had no feelings for her, and they just wanted to curry favor with the Military Prefecture. Naturally, they would do whatever the Military Prefecture decided upon. ¡°I need to go back and pack my things first.¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t need to bring anything here; the Military Prefecture has everything.¡± What good things could she have here? It would be better to throw them away and use new ones at the Military Prefecture. ¡°I¡¯m used to my things.¡± The two maids had opinions in their hearts, but it was unsuitable to express dissatisfaction in front of the future owner of their family, so they could only comply with her decision. After Wei Ruo finished planting the paddy in her hands, she came up from the rice field, tidied it up, and led Xiumei back to the house to pack. Contrary to the dilapidated exterior wall, the furnishings in the house were much more exquisite. After packing, taking all the valuable items, including those jars in the warehouse, and the dried herbs had to be taken away. Finally, she entrusted the newly planted rice field to the elder couple at the entrance of the village and left a letter for her nursemaid, to be given by Old Li. Looking at the luggage packed by Wei Ruo, the two maids showed displeased expressions, especially with those few dull black and worn jars. Indeed, grown up in the countryside, her understanding was limited to this extent¡ª even a few broken jars was considered good by her. Even though they wanted to persuade Wei Ruo not to take these things which were of no use to the Military Prefecture, they thought that their words might not necessarily be understood by Wei Ruo, a girl with no worldly wisdom. It would be a waste of energy and doesn¡¯t make for a good impression, hence they decided to drop the topic and let her do as she pleases. So under the arrangement of two maids, Wei Ruo¡¯s luggage was loaded onto the cart, Wei Ruo and Xiumei got on the horse carriage and set off for the Military Prefecture. It took three days to travel. After three days, Wei Ruo had traveled from the small mountain village in Huaibei Town, where she had lived for ten years, to Xingshan County in Taizhou Prefecture. Wei Ruo¡¯s biological father, Wei Mingting, held the position of colonel here. The Wei ancestors were military generals; they were conferred as the Earl of Loyalty. But by the time of Wei Ruo¡¯s grandfather the family lineage was on the decline¡ªif the younger generation of the Wei family did not make any contributions then the title of Earl would be withdrawn. And the Wei family, in Wei¡¯s father¡¯s generation, had three sons. The eldest son, Wei Minghong, only achieved a Scholar¡¯s degree and has failed to advance, occupying an idle Eighth-rank minor official post in the capital until now. The second son, Wei Mingyong, is a commoner who helps manage family property, but the business has been losing money year after year. Wei Ruo¡¯s father, Wei Mingting, was the third son, who pursued a military career early on. He is now the Magistrate of Xingshan County, holding the Sixth-rank merit-laden title of Colonel, and is the most accomplished of his brothers. Wei Ruo was ushered through the side door by two maidservants. They crossed the Flower Gate, walked along the porch, and finally arrived at the courtyard where Wei Ruo¡¯s mother, Lady Yun, lived. No sooner had Wei Ruo set foot over the threshold than Lady Yun rushed over and hugged her tightly. Wei Ruo¡¯s body froze, her limbs unable to move, as if injected with lead. Lady Yun said nothing, she just wept and touched Wei Ruo¡¯s face, her eyes rimmed with red. Feeling the warmth of tears soaking her neck, Wei Ruo was taken aback. Was she crying? Even though she has mentally prepared herself, the impact of Lady Yun¡¯s genuine tears conjured an unexpected swell of emotion in Wei Ruo¡¯s heart. Maybe it was the influence of the original host¡¯s memories, or perhaps memories of her own deceased mother from her previous life. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be distressed. My sister¡¯s return is a happy thing, isn¡¯t it? We should rejoice,¡± The eldest son, Wei Yichen, stepped forward to comfort Lady Yun, trying to fend off her overwhelming sadness. The knowledge that their child had been switched ten days ago caused their mother to shed countless tears. Normally, their mother seldom cries. But this time, she had wept again and again. After much cajoling by her eldest son, Lady Yun gradually regained composure. She carefully took a good look at Wei Ruo. Seeing her dressed in coarse hemp clothes, looking thin and frail, Lady Yun said mournfully, ¡°You must have suffered greatly these past years! I promise to make it up to you!¡± At this moment, Wei Qingwan ventured forth, knelt down in front of Wei Ruo. Before anyone could react, she had kowtowed. Seeing this, Lady Yun hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Wanwan, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t stop me. This is my debt to my sister. I know no matter how long I kneel, it can never undo the fact that I have been living her life of privilege for all these years, but at least¡­ I should do something¡­¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears, her words sincere. Seeing her like this, Lady Yun was heartbroken. What guilt lies with the children in all this? Both are innocent! The blame lies with fate, or else it¡¯s on us, their parents! Wei Yichen looked upset as well. He reached out to help Wei Qingwan up but withdrew his hand. Wei Ruo looked at Wei Qingwan kneeling before her. From her actions and conversation, she recognized her as the frail female lead of the original story. The book depicted her as delicate, shy yet captivating, tender and soft, a sight for men to behold, stirring in them a sense of compassion. Wei Ruo remembers that the original host¡¯s first time coming home, there was also a scene of Wei Qingwan kneeling, but the original host was not as composed. She angrily accused Wei Qingwan of taking her identity, her family. Then Wei Qingwan broke down even more, having been screamed at, yet bearing the humiliation saying she deserved it. This moved Lady Yun who was initially sympathetic to her newly returned biological daughter, to feel pity for Wei Qingwan who had been berated. Chapter 4 - 4 Chapter 4 Family Members_1 4 Chapter 4 Family Members_1 Translator: 549690339 In fact, Wei Ruo felt that although the original host had acted recklessly, she wasn¡¯t wrong. The ten years she was abandoned by the He Family in the countryside were very bitter ¡ª no money, no food to satiate her hunger, no warm clothes to wear. There was no one to educate or accompany her; the pain and resentment she felt were things others could not understand. Also, seeing someone else taking her place and living a good life, wouldn¡¯t her anger be justified? However, Wei Ruo¡¯s current thinking was that, as long as the female lead didn¡¯t provoke her, she wouldn¡¯t purposely go to find trouble with her. One of the survival codes for a female support character: Don¡¯t compete with the female lead for the male lead, or for affection. As a result, Wei Ruo said to Wei Qingwan, who was kneeling before her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to kneel to me. I¡¯m not a deity in a temple who needs others to kneel! It does me no good when you kneel ¡ª nor does it do you any good. I can¡¯t fulfil your wishes. When we hold temple fairs in the countryside, everyone hurries to kneel and make wishes to the deities.¡± ¡°But I owe you, sister. Although I can¡¯t change the past, at least it can lessen the feelings of guilt in my heart.¡± ¡°If you think you owe me something, then. Shouldn¡¯t you repay me instead of trying to reduce your feelings of guilt?¡± Wei Ruo rebutted. At these words, Wei Qingwan was taken aback. Madame Yun and Wei Yichen were also surprised; indeed, what Qingwan was doing did not provide any real help to Wei Ruo. Although both Madame Yun and Wei Yichen believed that Qingwan didn¡¯t need to blame herself and feel sad, from Wei Ruo¡¯s perspective, Qingwan¡¯s actions were indeed troubling her. Wei Qingwan, after pondering for a while, asked Wei Ruo, ¡°So what do you want me to do to make amends? As long as you ask, I am willing to do it.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°First of all, stand up. If people didn¡¯t know, they¡¯d think I was bullying you.¡± Wei Ruo wanted to clear herself first. Kneeling was something Wei Qingwan did on her own. If Qingwan felt wronged later on, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to bear the blame and lose out! Wei Yichen then stepped forward to help Wei Qingwan up. Wei Qingwan slowly got up, gently lifted her head, looked at Wei Ruo, and asked softly, ¡°What else do you want to instruct, sister?¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Don¡¯t rush; there¡¯s plenty of time. I just got here, and I am still not familiar with everything. You started calling me ¡®sister¡¯ right away, but I don¡¯t even know who you are, and what you owe me.¡± At these words, Wei Qingwan was taken aback again. ¡°Right, right. Let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Madame Yun wiped her tears, adjusted her emotions, and said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo, let me introduce you to your brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°Your father isn¡¯t here today. He also really wants to see you, but currently, the Japanese Pirates are rampant and constantly causing issues outside of the city, so your father is really tied up.¡± Xingshan County is near the sea, and there have been frequent invasions by Japanese Pirates recently. As the martial officer here, Wei Mingting has been very busy. This matters more than other affairs because it concerns the safety of the people in the city. Wei Mingting should lead by example, sacrificing his personal matters for the greater good. Even if his biological daughter has just arrived home, he cannot take leave. Then Madame Yun introduced: ¡°This is your eldest brother, Wei Yichen. In the Capital City, he is ranked third in the family; while we are here, you call him ¡®big brother.¡¯ The man beside her, warm and gentle like jade, showed Wei Ruo a warm smile: ¡°Little sister, if you have any issues in the future, you can share them with me.¡± Wei Ruo nodded. Then Madame Yun turned toward the boy sitting on a chair beside her: ¡°This is your younger brother, named Yilin, who is seven years old this year. In the house in the Capital City, he is the youngest and holds the eighth rank.¡± The named Wei Yilin pouted slightly, with a cold face, appearing to be not very willing to greet Wei Ruo. Only when Madame Yun glared at him sternly did he reluctantly call out to Wei Ruo: ¡°Sister.¡± Right after he called her, he immediately turned his head to one side and stopped looking at Wei Ruo. Madame Yun continued: ¡°You have another elder brother named Jinyi, who was born from a concubine. He doesn¡¯t go out much and is currently in his own courtyard.¡± Madame Yun didn¡¯t very much like to mention this child born out of wedlock. She had always had a good relationship with her husband, Wei Mingting. During their years of marriage, he never took another concubine. However, this particular son was a thorn in Madame Yun¡¯s side. Then, Madame Yun turned to look at Wei Qingwan. At this moment, she hesitated for a moment. If she ignored Qingwan and did not introduce her formally, Qingwan would definitely feel upset. After all, she had once said that even though Qingwan wasn¡¯t her biological child, she still considered her as a daughter of the Wei Family. As a daughter of the Wei Family, there should not be any reason not to introduce her, right? Yet, if she were to introduce Qingwan, thereby implying that Qingwan would continue staying in the Wei family, she was afraid that Wei Ruo, who had just arrived home, might feel uncomfortable. After much hesitation, Madame Yun chose to say to Wei Ruo: ¡°This is Qingwan, she is¡­ the one who switched identities with you¡­ your maids Zhang and Li probably told you about it during the journey here. I have discussed this with the He Family, from now on you both will remain here with me, you both are the young misses of our Wei Family.¡± At this point, Madame Yun looked at Wei Ruo with a worried expression. ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Wei Ruo said, her response lackluster. Perhaps it was too lackluster, it raised a few eyebrows among the crowd. Wei Yichen immediately said: ¡°Mother, my sister has been traveling on the road for three days, she must be tired. We should let her rest first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s show her to her room to rest,¡± Madame Yun quickly agreed. Then she took Wei Ruo by the hand and led her towards her courtyard. The Military Prefecture was not very large; there were only six courtyards in total in the backyard. Normally, five of the courtyards were occupied, and only the smallest and most secluded one was left vacant. Wei Yichen had offered his own courtyard to Wei Ruo voluntarily and decided to move to the secluded courtyard himself since he liked the quiet for studying. So Wei Ruo was shown to the courtyard that was previously Wei Yichen¡¯s. The sign at the entrance of the courtyard reads ¡°Tingsong Garden¡±. It was named by Wei Yichen, and the sign had not been replaced yet. The courtyard was bright and spacious, with cypress trees going along with Wei Yichen¡¯s preferences, exuding a refined elegance. Madame Yun led Wei Ruo into the room. Even though the time had been short, the room had been arranged according to a girl¡¯s preferences. Several new dresses had been placed in the wardrobe. Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan had similar body types, as neither had fully grown at thirteen years old. A few of the dresses had been grabbed and kept there for Wei Ruo¡¯s use. Madame Yun gave Wei Ruo several instructions before leaving the room, asking her to rest first, and promising to fetch her at dinnertime. After Madame Yun left, Xiumei moved Wei Ruo¡¯s personal items into the room. The rest of Wei Ruo¡¯s belongings had been brought into Tingsong Garden by the servants and would be hung up and put away the next day. Looking at the furnishings in the room, Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but sigh: ¡°If the young lady hadn¡¯t been switched at birth, she would have been living in such an environment her whole life.¡± Comparing the Military Prefecture with the He Family¡¯s remote estate, it was a difference as vast as heaven and earth. Furthermore, comparing the attitudes of the He Family¡¯s parents and Madame Yun towards Wei Ruo, Xiumei felt a sense of injustice for Wei Ruo. With no one else around, Wei Ruo immediately sprawled across the bed and quickly fell asleep, no regard for appearances. Out in public, Wei Ruo was poised and elegant. But at home, she preferred to be relaxed and unbothered. Chapter 5 - 5 Chapter 5: Dismounting Prestige_1 5 Chapter 5: Dismounting Prestige_1 Translator: 549690339 Xiumei brought over a glass of water for Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, I think the Military Prefecture is quite nice. Madam and your brother are both nice to you. Maybe you should stop thinking about leaving. With them supporting you, your life will be a bit easier.¡± ¡°Ah, they treat me well, provided that I do not have any conflicts with the protagonist.¡± ¡°Protagonist? Miss, who are you talking about?¡± ¡°No one in particular, I¡¯m just rambling. Mei Zi, help me tidy up the things. Let¡¯s keep hiding anything that attracts attention.¡± instructed Wei Ruo. ¡°Alright, Miss, you should also take a rest.¡± said Xiumei. Wei Ruo agreed that she should rest and regain her strength so that she could deal with what was coming in the evening. Just as she was about to fall asleep, one of the two maids who had gone to Huaibei Town to fetch Wei Ruo, Maid Li, arrived. Xiumei tried to persuade her to leave, but Maid Li ignored her and entered Wei Ruo¡¯s bedroom directly. ¡°Why is the young mistress sleeping at this hour?¡± Maid Li stood by Wei Ruo¡¯s bed, looking solemn. Wei Ruo got up, stretched her waist, ¡°Does the maid need something?¡± ¡°Madam sent me to help you familiarize yourself with the affairs of the house. Please get ready and follow me to the courtyard.¡± After speaking, Maid Li walked off towards the courtyard to wait for Wei Ruo, not giving her an opportunity to think or refuse. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiumei furrowed her brows, ¡°Why is the Madam¡­ you¡¯ve just arrived, why won¡¯t they let you rest for a bit?¡± She had just praised the Madam for her treatment of their Miss when this happened, contradicting her earlier praises. ¡°It is probably Mother¡¯s intention to have the maid teach me some manners. However, doing so this quickly may not be Mother¡¯s idea. Maid Li has her own motives.¡± Maid Li is a maid that comes from the Loyal and Righteous Duke Duke Residence. Her status is higher than the ordinary servants in the house. Because of this relationship, she sees herself as above the other servants. At the same time, she follows more rules and had already expressed her dissatisfaction at Wei Ruo¡¯s lax habits during their journey. Moreover, Maid Li was the maid who raised Wei Qingwan. Her daughter, Cuihe, is a headmaid serving by Wei Qingwan¡¯s side. All of these facts were clear to Wei Ruo who had read the original novel. ¡°What do you plan to do, Miss?¡± Xiumei asked anxiously. ¡°No worries, I know what she wants.¡± Wei Ruo got up and walked to the courtyard. Upon arriving at the courtyard, Maid Li started to direct Wei Ruo on her etiquette. ¡°Miss Ruo Ruo, now that you are in the Military Prefecture, you can¡¯t be as carefree as before. Your every action and word must be considered. Otherwise, you will make a fool of yourself. The embarrassment will not only fall upon you, but also the Military Prefecture and the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in Capital City. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not used to it.¡± Wei Ruo retorted bluntly. ¡°What do you mean by saying that, Miss Ruo Ruo?¡± Maid Li¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°Aren¡¯t I the daughter of the Military Prefecture? Why should I care about what other people think of me?¡± Wei Ruo was audacious, arrogant and dismissive of others. ¡°Miss Ruo Ruo, you must not speak like this in public. People will laugh at you!¡± ¡°So what if they laugh at me? What can they do to me? Isn¡¯t my grandfather the Loyal and Righteous Duke? Isn¡¯t he very powerful? What do I have to fear?¡± Maid Li¡¯s gaze turned dark and obscure, then she slowly said, ¡°Regardless, from now on, Miss, you have to follow my instructions to learn the rules. Remember the lessons I teach you and try to act like a lady.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Ruo seemed impatient. ¡°Then let me begin with some basic etiquette today, so you won¡¯t be rude when you meet your father tonight. The rest can be taught later.¡± Maid Li rambled on to Wei Ruo for quite some time. Wei Ruo, however, was not really listening, her eyes wandering around. ¡°Alright, it seems that Miss Ruo Ruo has no interest in continuing the lesson. We¡¯ll stop here for now.¡± After finishing her lecture, Maid Li reminded Xiumei to take care of Wei Ruo, not to let her run around, and then left Tingsong Garden. After Maid Li left, Xiumei asked Wei Ruo in confusion, ¡°Miss, why did Maid Li seem to stop teaching you after you deliberately acted ignorant and naive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t want me to excel! Her visit today was a show of force, a test, and then a lesson. Teaching me wasn¡¯t her main goal.¡± Wei Ruo replied with a smile. In the original story, Maid Li had also been tasked with teaching Wei Ruo manners. She did teach, but she had never sincerely tried to correct Wei Ruo¡¯s bad habits. Maid Li never punished Wei Ruo even when she performed poorly. At first glance, it seemed as if Maid Li was being generous to the protagonist. However, deep down she did not want the protagonist to outshine Wei Qingwan. As long as she fulfilled her obligation and instructed Wei Ruo in all the manners, whether Wei Ruo was a good student was Wei Ruo¡¯s business. It was not her problem as a seasoned maid. The masters would only think that it was Wei Ruo who was so inferior that she was beyond teaching. After wasting an hour with Maid Li, Wei Ruo went back to her room to rest for a while. When she woke up again, it was already evening, and Madam Yun came in person to lead Wei Ruo to the dining hall. On the way, Madam Yun held Ruo Ruo¡¯s hand and repeatedly asked if she was comfortable and whether there was anything unsatisfactory about her room. Upon entering the dining hall, Wei Ruo saw Wei Mingting, who she had not met during the day. With his tall stature, distinctive facial features, and profound eyebrows, he was just as described in the original novel ¨C an authoritative father. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, emotions stirred in Wei Mingting. He subconsciously walked a couple of steps forward, but quickly stopped. It seemed as if he felt his reaction was too excited for the manner of a family head. ¡°Ruo Ruo, this is your father.¡± Madam Yun led Wei Ruo to Wei Mingting¡¯s side. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Ruo greeted him. ¡°Hm.¡± Wei Mingting responded. His voice was deep, as if he was suppressing some emotions. His gaze lingered on Wei Ruo for a while. Wei Ruo thought he was about to say something to her, but he didn¡¯t. His response was much colder compared to Madam Yun¡¯s. ¡°Take your seats.¡± Wei Mingting invited everyone to sit down. Since they were not in Capital City, and there was only their family present, many formalities were skipped. There was no need for them to sit at separate tables for men and women, and everyone sat at the same table. Yun held Wei Ruo¡¯s hand and had her sit next to herself. When everyone had taken their seats, they noticed that Wei Qingwan was still standing to the side. Wei Mingting and Madam Yun both looked stunned, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward. At this moment, Wei Yilin jumped off his chair, ran over to Wei Qingwan, and pulled her towards the table, ¡°Sis, let¡¯s eat!¡± ¡°Yilin, I¡­ I¡¯d rather not go to the table¡­¡± Wei Qingwan answered softly. ¡°Why not? You are my sister! We are a family!¡± Wei Yilin declared confidently. Chapter 6 - 6 Chapter 6 Who is the Eldest Daughter and Who is the Second Daughter_1 6 Chapter 6 Who is the Eldest Daughter and Who is the Second Daughter_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°But¡­¡± Wei Qingwan cautiously looked up at Wei Mingting. ¡°Sit down, don¡¯t think about anything else. Your mother and I have made it clear that regardless of blood relation, you are our daughter of the Wei family,¡± Wei Mingting explicitly expressed. ¡°That¡¯s right, what your father said is correct. Don¡¯t think too much, nobody can undermine your status as Miss Wei,¡± Madam Yun also stated. Persuaded by everyone, Wei Qingwan finally went to the dining table and sat down. Then Madam Yun glanced at Wei Ruo beside her, seeing her face appear calm, she breathed a sigh of relief. The meal was very quiet. Several times, they looked at Wei Ruo, worrying that she, who has been raised in a merchant¡¯s house for thirteen years, would be unruly. Unexpectedly, her dining manners were slow and deliberate, perfectly in line with the behavior of a well-bred young lady. After dinner, everyone sat down together to have tea once again and to discuss a somewhat urgent matter. Seeing the atmosphere was good, Wei Mingting spoke to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo, you¡¯ve worked hard these past years. The news about the mix-up with the children has already reached your grandfather in the Capital City and your two uncles. Your name will be added to the family tree before long.¡± Yesterday, Wei Mingting had already received a letter from the Capital City. He needs to reply in the next two days, so he had no choice but to bring it up now. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo replied, not showing any sign of expected joy and anticipation. Wei Mingting, looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s slightly furrowed eyebrows, pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°We¡¯ve decided to place your name after Qingwan¡¯s, so from then on, you¡¯ll be the second Miss of the Wei family. Is that alright?¡± At these words, Wei Ruo lifted her head, meeting Wei Mingting¡¯s gaze. Her eyes were clear and bright, showing no sadness or joy. Being a military general, Wei Mingting was always imposing, even at home, his presence was stronger than ordinary people¡¯s. The children at home were somewhat afraid of him from a young age. Even Wei Qingwan, who was deeply favored by him, did not dare to stare into his eyes when he had a stern face. Before Wei Ruo could react, Wei Qingwan suddenly stood up and knelt down in front of Wei Mingting and Madam Yun: ¡°Father, Mother, I implore you to let Sister Ruo be the oldest daughter in the family!¡± ¡°Wanwan, what are you doing?¡± Madam Yun looked on with eyes full of heartache. ¡°Father, Mother, for these years being able to grow up in the Wei family, being your daughter, being blessed, and your willingness to keep me by your side, I am already very content. I dare not keep the identity of the eldest daughter any longer. Even if I have to become a servant, I¡¯m willing to accept it.¡± Wei Mingting and Madam Yun looked worried, their eyes were filled with heartache and difficulty. Wei Qingwan made another deep bow, ¡°Father, Mother, please fulfill my wish.¡± The sound of her bow was very loud and crisp. Madam Yun rushed up, stopping Wei Qingwan from continuing to harm herself, ¡°Enough dear, your father and I understand your intentions. ¡± ¡°I feel so guilty for the love you have given me¡­¡± ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t say such foolish things! You should not say you¡¯re guilty or not, you¡¯re our daughter and we are a family; this will never change.¡± Madam Yun hugged Wei Qingwan in her arms, her heart aching. Wei Yilin also jumped from his seat and ran up to hug Wei Qingwan and Madam Yun together. ¡°Sister, you will always be my sister, don¡¯t ever speak that way again!¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s lips were pursed and his eyes red with tears. Seeing this, Wei Mingting¡¯s face tightened, his face enveloped in a cloud of gloom. Wei Yichen was also touched by this scene, but he didn¡¯t step forward to express his feelings, instead glancing at Wei Ruo a couple of times, worried about how she would react to the scene. After a while, Madam Yun released Wei Qingwan, asked the two children to return to their seats, and sit properly. Wei Qingwan stood up with Wei Yilin¡¯s assistance. Whether it was because she had knelt for too long or because of her frailty, her body swayed, almost falling back down, but Wei Yilin supported her. Madam Yun then returned to Wei Mingting¡¯s side. When everyone had sat down again, Wei Mingting and Madam Yun¡¯s gaze fell back onto Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo had a slight smile on her face, her crisp voice breaking the silence in the room. She asked Wei Mingting, ¡°Father, Mother, did you make this decision because I was born a little later?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± As he replied, Wei Mingting¡¯s voice was rare wavering. According to the time of childbirth of the two women, Lady Wei should have given birth slightly earlier than Lady He. Therefore, Wei Ruo, as Lady Wei¡¯s biological daughter, should have been born slightly earlier than Wei Qingwan. ¡°Then why?¡± Wei Ruo continued to ask, her clear and bright eyes fixed on Wei Mingting. Perhaps it was because those eyes were too clear, or for some other reason, Wei Mingting fell silent. Madam Yun quickly explained on behalf of her husband, ¡°The thing is, Qingwan has already been added to the family tree. To avoid hassle, we plan to add your name directly after hers so that no other changes are needed.¡± Wei Yilin interrupted, ¡°My sister is the oldest sister, the oldest daughter in the family. You came later, of course you can¡¯t steal my sister¡¯s position!¡± Neither the main branch nor the second branch of the Wei family had any daughters. Before Wei Ruo arrived, Wei Qingwan was the only girl in the family, and hence the eldest daughter. Although not the eldest child, the designation of the first born girl was not without its weight, especially in the Capital City where one¡¯s birth status is held in high esteem. ¡°Yilin! What are you talking about!¡± Madam Yun scolded, stopping her young son from continuing his irreverent speech. Wei Yilin, who was scolded, pursed his lips, feeling aggrieved yet stubborn. Madam Yun turned to Wei Ruo and explained, ¡°It¡¯s not about being the oldest or youngest daughter, it¡¯s just that everyone here and in the Capital City are used to calling Wanwan as the eldest. We were afraid that a sudden change would be hard for everyone to adjust to.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± Wei Ruo asked again. With a stern expression, Wei Mingting said, ¡°This decision was made after thorough discussion and consideration with your mother.¡± Everyone looked at Wei Ruo, waiting for her response. Just as everyone thought Wei Ruo was going to say something to fight for her position as the oldest daughter, Wei Ruo gave everyone an unexpected answer. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be the second Miss.¡± At her words, everyone looked at Wei Ruo in astonishment. Wei Ruo¡¯s previous questions made people feel that she was very dissatisfied with being the junior, but now she unexpectedly agreed on the spot? ¡°Are you sure you really don¡¯t mind, Ruo?¡± Madam Yun hastily asks. ¡°Whatever is more convenient, it¡¯s quite troublesome to make all these changes. Father has also been very busy recently, and should not be bothered with these trivial matters. Or, are you saying, if I did have objections, would Father and Mother reconsider?¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s question had a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, her gaze bearing a cunning glint. Chapter 7 - 7 Chapter 7 Both the Eldest and Second Daughter are the Same_1 7 Chapter 7 Both the Eldest and Second Daughter are the Same_1 Translator: 549690339 This question flashed a trace of unease in the eyes of both Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun ¡°Since it¡¯s useless to care, I might as well not. It can¡¯t be helped, the thirteen years I¡¯ve missed with my parents can¡¯t be undone. We can only blame fate for being capricious,¡± Wei Ruo spoke lightly, as if she truly understood the difficulties the Wei Family was facing. Everyone in the room fell silent, especially Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun who were already worried about Wei Qingwan. Now, they felt even more sympathy for Wei Ruo¡¯s unruffled manner. Moved, Mrs. Yun told Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, you are our biological child, and we share the same blood. Now that you¡¯re back, whether you are the eldest daughter or the second daughter, you hold a very important place in our hearts. We will make up for the lost thirteen years of affection.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo agreed cheerfully, but she had her own plans in mind. Wei Mingting spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s settle this matter. You siblings should get along well. Yichen, Wanwan, Ruoruo has just returned and she¡¯s unfamiliar with many things, so you should guide her.¡± ¡°Father, rest assured.¡± Wei Yichen replied. ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Qingwan replied softly with her head lowered. As the matter was settled for the time being, Wei Mingting planned to reply to the letter from the Capital City and explain the situation after returning to his study. After finishing her tea and ending the conversation, Wei Ruo was once again personally escorted back to Tingsong Garden by Mrs. Yun. Not knowing whether it was the guilt for making Wei Ruo take on the identity of the second daughter, Mrs. Yun kept talking about the things she wanted to prepare for Wei Ruo all the way back, ranging from clothes, head accessories, maids, to other essentials. Wei Residence could not exactly be considered to be rich. The small family fortune left by their ancestors had long been depleted, and Wei Mingting as a colonel did not have a substantial salary. However, Wei Qingwan already had some of these items, and Mrs. Yun did not feel it was appropriate to offer more to one than the other. Wei Ruo accepted all the offers of money and items, unwilling to reject any, but subtly declined the offer of additional servants, expressing that for the time being, Xiumei, her maid, was enough and that she didn¡¯t like other people entering her room. Mrs. Yun respected her decision and did not insist on this, only saying if Wei Ruo ever needs anything, to let her know so she can arrange it. Upon returning to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo closed the door to her room, and her composed demeanor gave way the moment she was alone. Drinking that tea was so laborious! In the same amount of time, a whole crop of wheat could have been reaped! For some reason, Wei Ruo found that working hard to earn money, while also tiring, was fulfilling. However, the kind of exhaustion that came from handling such situations felt suffocating, as if her chest was filled with stagnant air. Having known the plot, Wei Ruo was well aware of what Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun were going to tell her today. The original host had caused a fuss with Wei Mingting over this matter. The original host felt that what was originally hers was taken by Wei Qingwan, who had enjoyed her identity, status, and familial love for thirteen years, so why should Wei Qingwan continue to hold the identity of the eldest daughter? In the end, the original host succeeded in securing the identity of the eldest daughter, making everyone pity Wei Qingwan who had been wronged in this matter, and harboring resentment towards the original host in return. But what the original host fought for and wanted was not just the status of the eldest daughter. What she truly sought was the attention and care of her biological parents. It was just that her method of expressing it was a bit clumsy. From her past experience, Wei Ruo felt that it¡¯s better to earn the status and position by hard work rather than relying on others. Not placing your bets on someone else, not having high expectations of them, especially those who don¡¯t care much about you, makes life much more bearable. Even so, given the chance, Wei Ruo would like to leave the Wei family to start a life of her own. As for today¡¯s matter of the eldest and second daughter, it¡¯s not necessarily up to Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun. The actual decision-maker is their grandfather in the Capital City. The grandfather in the original story placed great emphasis on the bloodline. After learning that Wei Qingwan was not a direct descendant, he became very cold towards her and might not agree to have Wei Qingwan, who had no blood relation to him, as his eldest granddaughter. So, instead of arguing with Wei Mingting and Yun Shi here, it would be better to throw the problem to the old earl and let Wei Mingting and his wife contend with the old earl. ### Wei Ruo had a relatively peaceful time for the next three days, and she had a general understanding of the situation in the residence. The Wei Family¡¯s financial situation was not very good, and the wealth of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence had been squandered almost, now they are just maintaining appearances. In Xingshan County, her father Wei Mingting, was just a colonel of the sixth rank, with limited salary and had to support a big family. I heard that because the anti-Japanese matters are not progressing smoothly, the Emperor is very dissatisfied with the officials of Taizhou prefecture. Wei Mingting is lucky if he is not demoted, let alone promoted. Of course, a thin camel is bigger than a horse, which is much stronger than her foster parents the He family. Yun Shi would visit Wei Ruo every day and bring her some supplies. Wei Mingting was very busy and hadn¡¯t returned home for several days. Not to mention Wei Ruo, even Yun Shi hadn¡¯t seen him. Her eldest brother, Wei Yichen, was rather busy with his studies and didn¡¯t come often, but every time he came, he would bring back some local snacks from Xingshan County and tell Wei Ruo about the local customs of Xingshan County. Wei Yilin didn¡¯t come by. Once, he passed by Wei Ruo¡¯s door, glanced at Wei Ruo from a distance, turned his head in a haughty manner, and walked away quickly. Wei Qingwan came a few times, and every time she brought gifts, but she always came in a teary state, and Wei Ruo would urge her to return home. The rest of the time, the one Wei Ruo saw most was Nanny Li, who had been instructed to teach her manners. But she wasn¡¯t really teaching with sincerity. If Wei Ruo appeared lazy, she didn¡¯t care much, and allowed it to dismiss. On the fourth day, Wei Ruo was free for the day and didn¡¯t have to learn manners with Nanny Li. After having breakfast in her own room, Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to find her a hoe. She aimed at a piece of empty land on the west side of the courtyard, intending to use it for growing vegetables. She had no choice, as her space required her to plant in order to gain experience, and if she only planted on the land inside her space, the experience gained from upgrading would be too slow. After leaving Mo Jiazha, she didn¡¯t know if the land she had planted there had matured and could be counted as hers, and if she could get the experience points. Either way, there is no such thing as too many experience points, so she needs to plant what she needs to plant. Tingsong Garden was rather large, so she didn¡¯t want to ruin everything, just plant a little in the corner on the west side, which shouldn¡¯t affect the overall aesthetics much. Wei Ruo turned over the soil bit by bit, her movements strong and rhythmic. In a short while, a two-square-meter piece of land was reclaimed by Wei Ruo. Then she and Xiumei chopped up a bunch of bamboos and set up a rack against the wall, ready to grow loofah, pumpkin, and gourd here. Wei Ruo stopped for a break and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard for a drink of water. A boy came running to knock on the door, and Xiumei went to answer it. Wei Ruo paused as she overheard the boy and Xiumei¡¯s conversation. The boy mentioned that the chopping noise from their side was disturbing the second young master next door who was reading and requested them to keep the noise down. Chapter 8 - 8 Chapter 8: The Second Young Master Living Next Door_1 8 Chapter 8: The Second Young Master Living Next Door_1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Jinyi, the second young master, the most unique person in the family apart from her. In the original work, this person was not described much, he was like an invisible person in the entire Military Prefecture. It was only known that, when Wei Mingting was alive, Wei Jinyi lived quite well in the Wei Family, he has everything that a legitimate young master has. Wei Mingting even allowed him not to dine with the others in the family. He set up a small kitchen in his own yard. Although to some extent it was to prevent his wife Yun to be inconvenient, it also showed his extreme love for Wei Jinyi. After Wei Mingting was killed in battle, the Wei Family fell to the bottom. Until the male protagonist appeared, it was utterly depressed. It is estimated that Wei Jinyi¡¯s life would not be good during that period either. In the original work, there are no scenes between Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi. One of them is invisible in the family, and the other is a cannon fodder supporting female with ups and downs. The main task of the supporting female is to make the protagonist inconvenient, so naturally there is no need to write about her interaction with other irrelevant supporting characters. Thinking of this, Wei Ruo had some thoughts in her heart. She got up and returned to the room. While Xiumei was still chatting with the little servant, she went back to the room and brought out a jar that she had brought from Mo Jiazha. Then she came to the door and said to Wei Jinyi¡¯s little servant, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I just disturbed my second brother¡¯s rest. I¡¯ll go and apologize to him now.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The little servant looked at Wei Ruo in surprise, and then waved his hand, ¡°No need, it¡¯s not that bad. The second young master just asked me to remind you, Miss. You just need to lower your voice!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just an apology. I just returned to the mansion and hadn¡¯t seen the second brother yet. It¡¯s natural for me, as a sister, to go and see him.¡± Wei Ruo had made up her mind. She took the jar and walked out of the door, and the servant couldn¡¯t stop her. The Tingsong Garden where Wei Ruo lives now and the Yingzhu Garden where Wei Jinyi lives are next to each other, separated by a wall. Wei Ruo walked a few steps out of the gate and arrived at the entrance of the Yingzhu Garden. Tingsong Garden is fresh and elegant, while Yingzhu Garden is more plain and simple than Tingsong Garden. The place is less decorated and seems cold, even a little shabby. The only thing that looked good was the small bamboo grove in the yard, luxuriant and lovely. Next to the bamboo grove is an Octagonal Pavilion. Wei Ruo saw Wei Jinyi, who was sitting in the pavilion reading, at a glance. He was wearing plain clothes, made of ordinary material. Before Wei Ruo came in, he was quietly reading. He raised his head at the sound, and his gaze met Wei Ruo¡¯s. Those eyes were overbearingly cold, with a shade of fog between his brows, and his skin was a little too pale for a man. But his features were extremely handsome, each appearing like a carefully carved artwork. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the magnificent creation; a man could be made so good-looking. After recognizing the visitor, Wei Jinyi¡¯s eyebrows frowned and showed strong rejection. ¡°Xiaobei.¡± Wei Jinyi called over the servant. ¡°Second Young Master, the miss said she wanted to apologize to you, I¡­I couldn¡¯t stop her¡­¡± Xiaobei looked sorry. Wei Ruo took the initiative and quickly stated her intent, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. I won¡¯t bother you too much. I am here to express my apologies. The noise from splitting bamboos today was indeed too loud, I didn¡¯t consider well. I¡¯m here to apologize specially.¡± She then offered the jar she was holding as an apology gift. This move by Wei Ruo left the master and servant in front of her somewhat dumbfounded. The second young master was a child of a concubine. His mother was unknown and his mother disliked him. He practically had no presence in the mansion, even the servants would take the opportunity to give him a hard time. Although Wei Ruo had just been taken back home, she was the legitimate young miss. Why would she be so polite and respectful to the second master? Could it be that she hadn¡¯t figured out the situation yet? ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, and I don¡¯t drink. You can go back.¡± Wei Jinyi only glanced at Wei Ruo, then his cold gaze returned to the book in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s not wine.¡± ¡°Take it back, whatever it is. I¡¯m not upset, I just asked Xiaobei to give you a reminder. You don¡¯t need to prepare an apology gift specially.¡± ¡°It¡¯s soy sauce, not anything valuable. If you don¡¯t need me to apologize then consider it a meeting gift from me.¡± What? Soy sauce? Wei Ruo saw the question in Wei Jinyi¡¯s eyebrows and explained, ¡°I learned to brew this soy sauce from an old woman in the countryside when I was there. The taste is not bad. The most important thing is that some tonics were added during the brewing process. It¡¯s good for the body.¡± She learned to brew soy sauce from the old woman in the countryside? And it¡¯s good for the body? Why does that sound so mystical? Good brewing methods for soy sauce are family secrets, which will not be easily taught to others. And the ones with additional medicinal value are even rarer. Most people have never even heard of such things. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t want to entangle with Wei Ruo any more, so he didn¡¯t ask any further. ¡°Alright, I got it, I¡¯ll take your apology gift. You can go back now.¡± Wei Jinyi just wanted to send Wei Ruo away quickly, so he let Xiaobei take the dark jar from Wei Ruo¡¯s hand. ¡°Ok, good. Remember to use this soy sauce. It¡¯s also delicious with seafood.¡± Taizhou prefecture is by the sea, before the Japanese Pirates caused trouble, there were many fishermen fishing at sea, and a lot of fresh seafood was sold at the docks. Nearby residents could hardly be without seafood. After speaking, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t stay to bother any longer and turned and left. Xiaobei stood with the jar at a loss, ¡°Young master, what to do with this jar?¡± ¡°Just put it anywhere.¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t want to waste time on such meaningless things. Xiaobei saw that his young master¡¯s attention was already on the book in his hand, and could do nothing but figure it out himself. He finally chose to put it in a corner of the small kitchen in the Yingzhu Garden. As for the act of sending soy sauce, Xiaobei found it very novel. When other people give gifts, they usually send some elegant items, such as flowers or fragrances, or fine wines, but this young lady is quite unique. She gifted a jar of soy sauce, how rare. But considering the young miss had been farming in the countryside for the past few years, it was understandable that she was a bit different from the other ladies. Chapter 9 - 9 Chapter 9 She is a Village Woman_1 9 Chapter 9 She is a Village Woman_1 Translator: 549690339 Upon learning of Wei Ruo¡¯s alterations to the yard, Mrs. Yun felt a bit uneasy, but she refrained from commenting. After all, her daughter had grown up in the countryside and her struggle to adjust was expected, she could always teach her slowly in the future. However, Wei Yilin was quite unhappy about this and went to his elder brother Wei Yichen to complain. ¡°Big brother, that Wei Ruo has turned your courtyard into a mess! You kindly lent her the yard and now she¡¯s ruined the elegance it originally had.¡± ¡°What did she turn it into?¡± Wei Yichen inquired, he had been preoccupied with his studies for the last few days and not very familiar with Wei Ruo¡¯s situation. ¡°She planted vegetables in your yard! It¡¯s simply too vulgar! No well-bred young lady would do such a thing! It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡± Wei Yilin complained, growing increasingly agitated. ¡°Planting vegetables? That may not be particularly refined, but it¡¯s not a big deal and there¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed by it.¡± Wei Yichen replied, smiling. ¡°How is that not embarrassing? I¡¯ve heard the servants talking about it. They say that we¡¯ve brought back a disgraceful country bumpkin! She doesn¡¯t behave like a well-bred lady at all!¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s expression turned serious: ¡°Who¡¯s been gossiping behind the scenes? How dare these servants talk behind their master¡¯s back? Yilin, if you encounter such a situation again, you should stand up and reprimand them.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t stand up for her! She is an embarrassment!¡± Wei Yilin sulked, seeing that he was not in the wrong, ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you angry that she made a mess of your yard?¡± ¡°That place is now her dwelling and how she wishes to change it is her business, I should not interfere. And as for you, Yilin, I understand your fondness and desire to protect Wanwan. I feel the same way, I hold Wanwan dear to my heart too. But Ruoruo is also your sister, she has done no wrong, and you must not treat her this way.¡± Wei Yichen instructed. ¡°I don¡¯t want her as my sister! I just need Wanwan as my sister. Ever since she arrived, she made Sister cry multiple times! Sister went to her voluntarily, brought her gifts, but she completely ignored Sister. She let Sister walk away after only a few words, which hurt Sister¡¯s feelings!¡± ¡°Yilin, this is the end of this conversation. Regardless of what you may think in your heart, you must never say these words again. Not in front of me, nor our parents, and especially not in front of your eldest sister! If you ignore this again, I will take you to Father and have him punish you.¡± With Wei Yichen being this stern, Wei Yilin, however unwilling, could only pout and give in. ¡°Alright¡­ I won¡¯t say it.¡± Wei Yilin obediently sat beside Wei Yichen, skimming through the Analects. Wei Yilin was generally restless and he only made efforts to behave when he was with Wei Yichen. About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea later, Wei Qingwan¡¯s personal maid, Cuihe arrived, carrying a small plate of refreshments. ¡°Eldest young master, third young master, Miss has made some osmanthus cakes. She asked me to bring them to you, young masters, and give you a message, she asks you to rest well, and not tire yourself out only reading.¡± On the white porcelain plate, milk-white osmanthus cakes were neatly arranged, adorned with golden osmanthus. This was made using the osmanthus honey that Wei Qingwan had prepared herself last year when the osmanthus flowers bloomed. A joyful expression spread on Wei Yilin¡¯s face: ¡°Eldest Sister is really good to us, we¡¯ve got delicious osmanthus cakes to eat!¡± As he spoke, Wei Yilin took a piece and took a bite, a satisfied look on his face. ¡°Hmm, so fragrant~so sweet~¡± Wei Yichen did not move. ¡°Big Brother, why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t you love the osmanthus cakes that Big Sister makes?¡± ¡°Yilin, take these osmanthus cakes to Ruo at Tingsong Garden.¡± Wei Yichen ordered. ¡°Why? These were hand-made by Big Sister!¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s face instantly fell. ¡°Ruo has been home for several days now, and you haven¡¯t spent quality time with her.¡± Wei Yichen spoke solemnly. ¡°But why should I give her the food that Big Sister made?¡± And why should he even interact well with that country woman? Wei Yilin did not dare say this in Wei Yichen¡¯s presence. ¡°Exactly because it is the food that Wanwan made, you should take it and share it with Ruo. Not only would this fulfil your intention, but it would also fulfil Wanwan¡¯s.¡± said Wei Yichen. ¡°But¡­ ¡± ¡°Obey.¡± The expression on Wei Yichen¡¯s face was particularly serious. ¡°Fine.¡± Although Wei Yilin was extremely reluctant, he dared not disobey Wei Yichen. So, with full resentment, he brought the osmanthus cake to Tingsong Garden. As soon as he entered the garden gate, he noticed Wei Ruo climbing onto a ladder, which immediately sparked his resentment against her. ¡°Why are you up so high, you¡¯ll surely be ridiculed if anyone sees you like this!¡± Weiruo glanced down on hearing the voice and saw Wei Yilin standing next to the ladder, glaring at her indignantly. ¡°What¡¯s so ungraceful about climbing a ladder?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s ungraceful. No other lady behaves like you, hopping up and down!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it, look away. Turn right at the door. Bye. Not holding the door open for you.¡± Wei Ruo responded straightforwardly. This brat had made it clear from the start that he disliked her; she saw no need to waste her time on him. ¡°You! You think I want to look at you!¡± Wei Yilin exclaimed angrily. ¡°Why are you still here if you don¡¯t want to see me? If you don¡¯t want to watch, then don¡¯t. Why bother?¡± Wei Ruo retorted. Wei Yilin had initially intended to leave right away. But once Wei Ruo insisted he leave, his rebellious streak surged, and he refused to budge. ¡°This is my house. I can come and go whenever I want.¡± Not only did Wei Yilin stay put, but he even sat down on the rattan chair in Wei Ruo¡¯s courtyard. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get rid of Wei Yilin for the time being, Wei Ruo climbed down from the ladder and walked over to him. Wei Yilin stared back at her defiantly. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Wei Yilin, it seemed pointless for an adult to squabble with an eight-year-old child. ¡°Wait a moment, I came here to bring you something.¡± Wei Yilin called out to Wei Ruo who was about to retreat into her house. Pulling out the osmanthus cake from the food box he had brought, he held it out for her to see. ¡°This is osmanthus cake. It¡¯s made using glutinous rice flour, clear flour, sugar, and oil to create this soft cake, paired with delicious sweet osmanthus honey, which gives it a sweet and soft taste.¡± Wei Yilin introduced the cake to Wei Ruo with a proud face. ¡°So, you think I¡¯ve never tasted osmanthus cake before?¡± Wei Ruo was somewhat amused. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯ve had it before. What I do know is you¡¯ve never tasted the osmanthus cake made by my elder sister. Her homemade osmanthus honey is unique, and her cake is in a league of its own. Whenever she cooks, our father, mother, and elder brother all vie to eat it!¡± ¡°What does her ability to make good osmanthus cake have to do with me?¡± ¡°The ability to make osmanthus cake is just one aspect. My elder sister excels in playing the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is an undisputed talented lady recognized by the local tutors!¡± ¡°So what? What are you trying to tell me?¡± ¡°I want to tell you that my elder sister excels in every aspect and outperforms you. Whether or not she¡¯s my blood sister, in the eyes of our parents, our elder brother, and me, she¡¯s the rightful first daughter of the Wei family. I hope that you will accept your status as the second daughter and not undertake any actions against her or make her angry. Can you promise not to compete with my elder sister?¡± Wei Ruo laughed out loud. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Wei Yilin frowned, puffing up his small face. Chapter 10 - 10 Chapter 10: Changes in the Eldest Daughters Affairs_1 10 Chapter 10: Changes in the Eldest Daughter¡¯s Affairs_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°I could call you annoying, but you¡¯re actually quite straightforward, always speaking your mind with me. I could also call you interesting, but what you say tends to be rather unreasonable,¡± Wei Ruo remarked. ¡°Where was I unreasonable?¡± Wei Yilin disagreed. ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± Wei Ruo genuinely no longer wanted to argue with Wei Yilin at this point, and turned to walk towards her room after finishing her sentence. Wei Yilin rushed to block Wei Ruo, ¡°Explain what you meant!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dislike seeing me? But now, you¡¯re stopping me from leaving, could it be¡­ You actually like your sister quite a bit? You just won¡¯t admit it? Silly boy, your words do not match your actions!¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes crinkled as she chuckled charmingly. ¡°What are you saying! Don¡¯t make things up!¡± Wei Yilin grew frantic. What did she mean by ¡®silly boy¡¯? He felt goosebumps just hearing it! ¡°No? Then why are you stopping me from leaving? Do you want to have a good chat and improve our relationship?¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Wei Yilin quickly shook his head to deny it. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, then obediently go find your beloved sister to play with. Otherwise, I might really think you are deliberately trying to act affectionate towards me!¡± Wei Yilin froze. Wei Ruo cheerfully turned and entered her room, leaving Wei Yilin to fume over her retreating figure. After quite a while, Wei Yilin ran to Wangmei Garden to complain about Wei Ruo to Wei Qingwan. ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t Wei Ruo just like a country bumpkin? Which lady of a wealthy family would plant vegetables in their own yard, then climb up a ladder onto the wall?¡± ¡°Yilin, darling, she might be a bit lacking, but as family, we shouldn¡¯t speak ill of her,¡± Wei Qingwan consoled. ¡°But she¡¯s so irritating!¡± Wei Yilin was reminded of Wei Ruo¡¯s audacious claims that he liked her and wanted to improve their relationship ¨C those words that made his skin crawl. The more he thought about it, the angrier and more frustrated he became. ¡°Yilin, don¡¯t be angry, you know her type of person, there¡¯s no need to get mad at her. If it makes you ill, your sister would be heartbroken.¡± Wei Qingwan gently stroked Wei Yilin¡¯s head, her soft voice soothing his heart. Wei Yilin instantly felt less angry: ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so kind! Born around the same time, yet the two of you are worlds apart, the difference is too great!¡± ¡°You!¡± Wei Qingwan lightly tapped Wei Yilin¡¯s forehead, ¡°From now on, don¡¯t be so rash and speak unsightly words. Your brother was right, such words cannot be said in front of outsiders. Once people hear, they will find fault with you. Your sister wouldn¡¯t want you to get punished for wrongdoing.¡± ¡°Understood, sister, I¡¯ll be more restrained next time.¡± ¡°Not just restrained, but don¡¯t go causing trouble for her either. Her wrongdoings will be corrected by our parents and older brother. You¡¯re her brother, you shouldn¡¯t speak to her like that, understand?¡± Wei Qingwan softly instructed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it brother who sent me to deliver the osmanthus cake to her. She didn¡¯t show any appreciation, so I couldn¡¯t help it! I swear when I went, I really intended to have a good chat with her!¡± ¡°Mmm, I know Yilin is a good boy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad mom and dad didn¡¯t let her be our family¡¯s eldest daughter. She¡¯s not nearly qualified enough to be our family¡¯s eldest daughter!¡± Wei Yilin rejoiced secretly. ¡°Actually, this position as eldest daughter should have been hers. The amount of love mom and dad gives us, I truly feel ashamed.¡± ¡°Not at all, I think mom and dad¡¯s decision is the most clear, sister, you should be the eldest daughter! Our entire family acknowledges you!¡± Wei Qingwan stroked Wei Yilin¡¯s head: ¡°Thank you, Yilin, for having such faith in me.¡± ¡°Of course, ever since I can remember, the person who has spent the most time with me, and taught me the most, is you, sister. If I don¡¯t trust you, who would I trust?¡± Not long after Wei Yilin was born, Wei Mingting was assigned to Xingshan County. With his public duties keeping him busy, and his wife also occupied with managing various household affairs, while Wei Yichen was busy with his studies, Wei Qingwan turned out to be the one who spent the most time with Wei Yilin, so their bond was the deepest. ### Wei Ruo¡¯s small courtyard renovation plan was going smoothly. Early this morning, she cut the sweet potato vine and planted it, along with the pumpkin, gourd, and loofah seedlings. The sweet potato seeds came from her space. Planting them would earn her experience points. The pumpkin, gourd, and loofah were merely planted because it was their growing season and Wei Ruo liked the look of them growing all over the trellis with their fruits hanging down. After a busy period, Wei Ruo had just sat down to have a sip of water. Right at this moment, Cuiping, the maid of Wei¡¯s mother, came over. She said that her mistress wished to speak with Wei Ruo about something in her room. Observing Cuiping¡¯s expression, Wei Ruo sensed that something was up. Once she arrived in her mother¡¯s room, she saw that Wei Qingwan was already there. Seeing her mother¡¯s grave expression, Wei Ruo was certain something had happened. Upon Wei Ruo¡¯s arrival, her mother gestured for her to come closer. Wei Ruo approached, but still kept a slight distance. ¡°Ruoruo, we received a letter from the capital. Your grandfather has added your name to the family lineage. From now on, your formal name is Wei Qingruo.¡± Her mother¡¯s furrowed brows and solemn expression suggested there was more than just this matter to discuss. ¡°Mother, are you alright? Is there something bothering you?¡± Wei Qingwan softly inquired. Her mother glanced at Wei Ruo then at Wei Qingwan, before finally starting to speak after a long pause. ¡°Wanwan, there¡¯s another thing I need to tell you, please don¡¯t take it too hard.¡± ¡°Mother, you can tell me, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Your grandfather wishes for Ruoruo to be the elder daughter, so your name will be written after hers.¡± Upon hearing this, Wei Ruo was a bit surprised. She thought her great-uncle might disagree with the arrangement, but did not expect him to make a decision so directly and without consulting her father and mother. Wei Qingwan froze, her face visibly paled, and tears began to well up in her eyes. ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± Seeing her daughter like this, her mother¡¯s mood grew even heavier. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Wei Qingwan buried her face into her mother¡¯s embrace, tears rolling down her face like beads on a broken necklace. Her mother¡¯s heart ached, she didn¡¯t know how to console her heartbroken daughter. Wei Ruo took the initiative to speak up: ¡°Actually, there¡¯s not much difference between being the eldest or the second daughter. Mom and dad love us just the same.¡± Her mother was taken aback for a moment before realizing that these were her own words to Wei Ruo a few days prior. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°Moreover, this is exactly what Qingwan herself asked for not too long ago. Now that it has come true, she should be happy.¡± These were Wei Qingwan¡¯s own words. Wei Qingwan lifted her head from her mother¡¯s embrace, staring at Wei Ruo like a hurt little bunny. ¡°Is that not the case?¡± Wei Ruo asked in return. Chapter 11 - 11 Chapter 11 Gifts from Grandfather_1 11 Chapter 11 Gifts from Grandfather_1 Translator: 549690339 The two of them were at a loss for a response. Wei Ruo continued to analyze the situation for them, her expression serious as she encouraged them to be open-minded: ¡°Always think on the bright side, change your way of thinking. Mother once said that we are equally important to her, so whether it is who is older or who is younger, it¡¯s all the same, and Qingwan has also realized your wish from that day. So you do not need to be upset anymore.¡± Yun Shi and Wei Qingwan were both taken aback, these were their own words, Wei Ruo was just repeating them. Wei Ruo then said to Wei Qingwan: ¡°Actually, the first time you saw me, you called me sister. I think you must have accepted me as your sister in your heart. So, I believe you must be looking forward to me being your sister.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­ sister is correct¡­¡± Wei Qingwan responded somewhat reluctantly. Once Wei Ruo had said all of these things, Wei Qingwan found herself with tears in her eyes, yet unable to let them fall. Then Wei Ruo handed a handkerchief to Wei Qingwan: ¡°Dry your tears.¡± Wei Qingwan took the handkerchief that Wei Ruo handed over, held it in her hand but dared not to use it. It was clean but somewhat coarse and had faded from washing, making it clear that it had been used many times. After Wei Ruo spoke as she did, both Yun Shi and Wei Qingwan stopped crying. Yun Shi then spoke with them for a while before bidding them go rest. After Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan left, the head maid, Cuiping, presented a gift list to Yun Shi. Along with the response letter from Wei Ruo¡¯s grandfather, there were also some gifts for Wei Ruo. The letter stated that they were to compensate Wei Ruo for her hardships over the years. Yun Shi, considering the gifts and thinking of the tearful Wei Qingwan, decided after a moment¡¯s thought to divide the gifts into two parts, one to be sent to Wei Ruo¡¯s Tingsong Garden and the other to Wei Qingwan¡¯s Wangmei Garden. She specifically instructed Cuiping to only mention that the gifts were from their grandfather, without explaining the reason. Cuiping did as instructed, and in no time, two large boxes full of gifts were received at both Wei Ruo¡¯s Tingsong Garden and Wei Qingwan¡¯s Wangmei Garden. Following Yun Shi¡¯s instructions, Cuiping only mentioned that the gifts were from their grandfather, nothing more. Soon, Wei Ruo received several large wooden boxes delivered by Yun Shi¡¯s servants. The boxes were quite large and heavy, but when opened, they were mostly filled with bronze wares, taking up space and weight, but not very valuable. Xiumei, following Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, placed all the delivered items into Wei Ruo¡¯s room to show respect to their grandfather. While arranging the items, Xiumei curiously asked, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t you say our family is very prestigious, a family of meritorious service, very influential, then why do these items appear to be inferior to the ones you have?¡± ¡°Because you can¡¯t just look at the surface. The Wei family is untouchable in the eyes of the He family, but only those who are actually in it know how rich they really are. The so-called family of merit cannot always be wealthy and prominent, no matter how substantial their assets are, they can eventually run out.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiumei nodded in agreement. ¡°So we need to take a long-term view, and not obsess over the limited resources and wealth in the house. There¡¯s a broader world outside with more wealth waiting for me,¡± enthused Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes! Miss is right!¡± Xiumei, who had been influenced by Wei Ruo¡¯s self-reliance over the years, readily accepted her ideas. At this point, Xiumei muttered, ¡°I wonder when Nurse Xu will arrive.¡± Nurse Xu was Wei Ruo¡¯s wet nurse, who was very kind to Wei Ruo. In the original story, she was the only one who protected Wei Ruo until the end, ultimately sacrificing her life for her. In this life, Wei Ruo had released her from her employment with the He family early on and encouraged her and her husband to do business, with Wei Ruo providing advice and strategies behind the scenes. Wei Ruo¡¯s initial intention was to repay Nurse Xu, to allow her and her husband to have a good life. But the couple insisted on leaving the properties to Wei Ruo, claiming that they were merely holding them on Wei Ruo¡¯s behalf. The couple handed all the money they earned to Wei Ruo and took only a small salary for themselves. When Wei Ruo decamped from Mo Jiazha, she left a letter at old Li family¡¯s place in the village. Calculating the time, if Nurse Xu had seen her letter, she should be on her way to Taizhou prefecture. ### Just like Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan also received several large wooden boxes. Upon opening them and seeing the not-so-valuable bronze wares, Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. After Old Lady Li, who was by Wei Qingwan¡¯s side, checked the items sent by Yun Shi, she frowned and said: ¡°Miss, the items sent from the Capital City seem to be inferior to those of previous years¡¯ celebrations. In the past, there were always fine silk and other good items, but this year we received not even a bolt of silk.¡± Wei Qingwan hung her head, her expression desolate, and murmured: ¡°After all, I am not the real granddaughter of the Wei family. That grandfather was willing to keep me in the genealogy already counts as a great favor. All those silk, pearls and jade should be sent to the legitimate Miss of the Wei family. There is no business of mine.¡± ¡°Miss, what are you talking about! The master, the madam, the elder young master, and the young master; who in this house doesn¡¯t acknowledge you as their legitimate Miss? You are not an outsider!¡± ¡°What good does that do? Grandfather¡¯s intention is clear, I am not worthy of being the eldest daughter of the Wei family¡­¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes turned red. The tears that she had held back in Yun Shi¡¯s room now flowed ceaselessly. Old Lady Li glanced around, seeing no one else present, moved closer to Wei Qingwan and whispered in her ear: ¡°Miss, you mustn¡¯t lose your spirit. Just look at the present situation, among the three old masters, it is our old master who is thriving. And among the young masters, it is our elder young master who is the most promising. At the age of twelve, he has become a scholar, and in a few years, if he becomes a higher-ranking scholar, his future will be limitless!¡± ¡°As the miss adored by our master and elder young master, your future will surely be enviable! Approval from your elderly grandfather is not that important to you!¡± Old Lady Li spoke eloquently and Wei Qingwan took some of it in, but she couldn¡¯t shake off her unease. Hanging her head, she murmured about her feelings of bereftness and helplessness over the past few days: ¡°But the affection of my parents and brother, which I now have, will be shared with my sister¡­ I am not unwilling for my sister to share in my parents¡¯ and brother¡¯s love for me, it¡¯s just that in the Military Prefecture, all I can rely on is my parents¡¯ and brother¡¯s love for me¡­¡± ¡°In these days, I have continuously reminded myself not to resent the unfairness of fate, not to resent others for my fall from grace. After Wei Qingruo entered the house, I often went to see her, expressing my goodwill and hoping that we could get along in the future.¡± ¡°But when I learned of grandfather¡¯s arrangement, thinking of how the grandfather who used to be kind and gentle to me, abruptly changed, I couldn¡¯t help feeling scared. If this position as the eldest daughter had been the result of Wei Qingruo¡¯s clamor and request, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so bad. But in fact, this position was given to her without her having asked for it, indicating how much grandfather values her.¡± Chapter 12 - 12 Chapter 12 Want to Go Out_1 12 Chapter 12 Want to Go Out_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°I fear that one day, father, mother, and brother will all abandon me like my grandfather did. The mere thought of that day coming makes my heart feel as if it¡¯s being scorched by fire.¡± Upon hearing this, Nurse Li quickly comforted, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things. Their affection for Miss Ruoruo is due to blood ties, but their affection towards you has been forged over the past decade or so, which is true and unerasable by anyone!¡± ¡°Miss Ruoruo has been living in the countryside for over a decade with no formal education and upbringing, she¡¯s been able to hide it well these few days since entering the manor, but it will eventually reveal itself. Right now, they are just newly reunited and owe her a sense of guilt, Madam and Young Master naturally tolerate her, but as time passes, this tolerance will be worn away.¡± Nurse Li analyzed the pros and cons for Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan shook her head, ¡°If she were rude and barbaric as you say, I wouldn¡¯t be as concerned, but I¡¯ve seen Wei Qingruo¡¯s demeanor at the dinner table and it doesn¡¯t resemble a typical countrywoman¡¯s crudeness, the situation you described may not happen¡­¡± Nurse Li showed a worried face, ¡°Miss, you must not always think in the worst direction, rest assured, I¡¯ve seen Miss Ruoruo¡¯s true colors when teaching her manners these few days, I¡¯m sure her docile appearance in front of Master and Madam is all pretend.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but flourish with joy. ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°Nurse, I know I shouldn¡¯t wish ill on my sister, but I¡¯m truly too frightened¡­ now I¡¯m like duckweed in the pond, the slightest incautious move, and I don¡¯t know where I will drift to¡­¡± ¡°I understand, Miss. You have a kind heart and wouldn¡¯t have such thoughts about others if you hadn¡¯t suffered so much recently. Rest assured, there are some things the old slave can handle for you, you don¡¯t have to worry or be upset.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Reassured by Nurse Li, Wei Qingwan felt somewhat better. She then went to sleep under the care of Nurse Li and Cuihe. ### Early the next morning, Wei Ruo went to find Madam Yun to talk about her intention of going outside. Just planting some crops in the courtyard was far from enough for Wei Ruo. Firstly, more experience was needed for her spatial upgrade; secondly, she needed to earn more capital for her own survival to ensure she could survive after leaving the Wei family. Therefore, Wei Ruo now needed to find ways to expand her own enterprises, and first, she had to go out. As a lady from a big family, she couldn¡¯t just go out casually, she must get permission from the person in charge of the family to go out. ¡°Where do you want to go, Ruoruo?¡± Madam Yun asked patiently instead of getting angry. ¡°I want to go around the county town and look at the villages and farmlands there, would that be convenient?¡± ¡°Visiting mountain villages nearby is no problem, but you can only go to the northwest. You can¡¯t go to the southeast of the city, and certainly not the seaside. Those damned Japanese pirates could show up at any time to stir up trouble. Here¡¯s an idea, our family owns a terraced hill in the north of the city, you can go and check it out.¡± Madam Yun explained. ¡°Alright, that suits me.¡± ¡°Shall I accompany you after checking the account book?¡± ¡°There is no need to bother, I can go there myself.¡± ¡°That is not appropriate, Ruoruo, you are a lady now, and you can no longer run around casually. Even though the inside of the city is not as dangerous as the outside, it is still not safe enough for a girl.¡± ¡°Then mother can find someone to accompany me, there is no need to trouble yourself to accompany me. Mother has a whole family to manage, I should not delay you further or make you tired.¡± To have Madam Yun accompany her would inconvenient her plans. Madam Yun: ¡°Ruoruo is really thoughtful, aware of what affects your mother.¡± Uh¡­ that¡¯s not what she meant. ¡°Mother, please let me go by myself.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Alright then, I know you are still not used to life inside the manor, so you can go and have a look, but you must not run around, you understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With Madam Yun¡¯s approval, Wei Ruo quickly prepared to go out. Madam Yun arranged a carriage for her, with a nurse and a guard accompanying Wei Ruo. The nurse was the other nurse who had been sent to pick up Wei Ruo, Nurse Zhang. Upon knowing that Wei Ruo was going to the countryside again, Nurse Zhang couldn¡¯t help but grumble. What¡¯s the matter with this Miss? Isn¡¯t she fed up with the countryside life after so many years? Now that she¡¯s back in the manor as the lady of an official family, why does she still think about the countryside? Isn¡¯t she afraid of making a fool of herself in Xingshan County, let alone when she goes to the Capital City later? Despite her reluctance, Nurse Zhang had to comply as it was Madam¡¯s order. When facing Wei Ruo, she still kept a smile on her face. Wei Ruo traveled by carriage out of the city. Out of the north gate, she could see rolling hills in the distance, almost all of them were terrace farmed. Xingshan County was located in the southeast near to the sea. The wasteland outside the city was mostly saline-alkali soil, which was not suitable for farming. Therefore, residents who lived there mostly made a living by fishing. Now with the rampant Japanese pirates, fishermen fled to the city. The northwest was hilly, with many hillocks and slopes and scarce farmland. Therefore, hardworking people developed terraces on the hills to grow rice. However, terracing required much more manpower than farming in flat fields and its cultivation was also more difficult. Even though a large number of terraces were developed, it still wasn¡¯t enough to meet the demand for food. The carriage stopped in front of a small hill. Xiumei helped Wei Ruo off the carriage. Nurse Zhang pointed to the hill in front of her and said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, this is Mantou Mountain, it is part of the Military Prefecture¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Does the whole mountain belong to us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do we have any other properties?¡± ¡°No, the Military Prefecture has spent only five years in Xingshan County, so our foundation here is a bit thin. But your grandfather is the Earl of Loyalty in the Capital City, making his wealth far more considerable than ours.¡± Nurse Zhang replied. Nurse Zhang was excited, but Wei Ruo clearly knew that the family¡¯s wealth in the Capital had been nearly exhausted and all that remained was an empty shell of Earl Residence. Wei Mingting was still somewhat capable, at least he had become a sixth-rank Colonel now. He was able to afford some property, unlike his two elder brothers, who only knew how to ruin the family belongings left by their ancestors. ¡°I¡¯m going to walk around.¡± After saying that, Wei Ruo started walking along the path at the foot of the hill. Nurse Zhang had no choice but to follow behind. After walking a distance, Nurse Zhang felt tired and she couldn¡¯t help but complain internally. Just what is she up to? When does it end? Oh her old bones! Noticing Nurse Zhang¡¯s struggle, Wei Ruo suggested letting her rest in the carriage first. But Nurse Zhang refused, she didn¡¯t trust Wei Ruo. She had no clue what this country girl would do, and didn¡¯t want to get herself into trouble later. After a while, Wei Ruo finally stopped in front of a hill that wasn¡¯t yet developed into farming land. Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Peoples Sufferings ! Chapter 13: Chapter 13: People¡¯s Sufferings ! Translator: 549690339 ¡°Xiumei, go find out to which village this mountain belongs,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Alright.¡± Xiumei trotted off toward where there were people. Most of those working in the nearby fields were locals. Asking them should get the answer Wei Ruo was seeking. Soon, Xiumei returned and informed Wei Ruo that the mountain was named Xiaoyang Mountain and belongs to a nearby village called Yueying Village. Due to the severe terrain making the cost of terracing too high, the area had been left to go wild. The locals got their firewood from this mountain. ¡°Did you ask if they would be willing to sell?¡± Wei Ruo queried. ¡°Of course I did.¡± Having been by Wei Ruo¡¯s side for so many years, Xiumei knew her intentions well. ¡°The one I asked isn¡¯t from Yueying Village, but he said as long as the price is right, the villagers would willingly sell. These years, due to the Japanese Pirates issue, the common folks in Xingshan County are having a hard time. Yueying Village is particularly suffering, while other villages still have a few fields to cultivate, Yueying Village only has barren mountains.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see,¡± Wei Ruo muttered, pondering. Madam Zhang, listening to the conversation between the master and the servant, could not help but chuckle. ¡°Miss, are you thinking about buying this Xiaoyang Mountain?¡± ¡°Just asking, getting acquainted with the situation,¡± said Wei Ruo casually. ¡°You can ask, but keep the idea of buying the mountain to yourself. Our Military Prefecture only bought Mantou Mountain three years after we arrived in Xingshan County. Even now, even though the people of Xingshan County are having a hard time, the cost of a mountain is still not going to be low. A price of fewer than a thousand taels of silver wouldn¡¯t be considered.¡± ¡°A thousand taels¡­ that is indeed a lot of silver,¡± Wei Ruo murmured thoughtfully. ¡°As long as you understand, Miss. If you miss the days in the countryside, you can visit Mantou Mountain and look at our fields. But don¡¯t physically work on them like before. The laborers will have a good laugh if they see it!¡± It¡¯s alright to do some gardening at home, only the people in their residence know about it. It¡¯s still embarrassing, but at least it¡¯s contained within the family. If she can¡¯t restrain herself from doing the same outside, then she would become the laughing stock of the entire Xingshan County. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t argue this time and decided to head back to Mantou Mountain. After wandering around near the foot of the mountain for a few rounds, she returned. ### Within the Colonel¡¯s residence, Wei Qingwan was supervising Wei Yilin copying ¡°Xue Er.¡± Wei Yilin was playful and active since young, not suited for studying. Today, he was sent home by his tutor for causing trouble at school. Upon hearing about it, Yun was very angry and punished him by making him copy ¡°Xue Er.¡± Wei Qingwan was tasked with supervising. Wei Yilin pouted, extremely unwilling, and his eyes darted around restlessly. ¡°Yilin, write quickly. If you don¡¯t finish before it gets dark, you won¡¯t get dinner and will have to go hungry,¡± Wei Qingwan said with a heartache. ¡°Three times is too much! Sister, dear sister, help me copy, you can imitate, you can imitate my handwriting, mother won¡¯t notice,¡± Wei Yilin pleaded with Wei Qingwan. ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Wei Qingwan wore a troubled expression. ¡°Sister! My lovely sister! You¡¯re my only lovely sister!¡± Hearing the word ¡°only,¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s heart stirred. In their house, only her little brother genuinely cared for her, and she did not want to lose his affection and trust. ¡°Well¡­ alright then,¡± Wei Qingwan said, ¡°but I¡¯ll only help you copy once, you have to do the other two copies yourself.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Wei Yilin immediately brightened, ¡°I knew it, sister loves me the most, she¡¯s nothing like the newcomer. I don¡¯t know what she does all day, today she even coaxed mother into letting her go out.¡± ¡°She went out? Where did she go?¡± Wei Qingwan asked in surprise. ¡°She went to the north of the city to look at farmland. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s strange? If she likes to farm so much, then why didn¡¯t she stay in the countryside? There¡¯s no need for her to come here,¡± Wei Yilin complained. ¡°Did mother accompany her?¡± Wei Qingwan followed up. ¡°She went by herself. Mother is busy, there are so many things in the house that need her attention, she doesn¡¯t have time to do such things!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Wei Qingwan mused thoughtfully, her expression slightly despondent. Seeing Wei Qingwan¡¯s sad expression, Wei Yilin quickly comforted her. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, even though Mother treats her very well, I am sure that in Mother¡¯s heart, like mine, she likes you much more than Wei Qingruo!¡± Wei Qingwan shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, she has suffered in the countryside for so many years, so it¡¯s right for father and mother to be nicer to her. I owe her so much, how can I ask my parents to treat me better than her?¡± ¡°Sister, you think too much and consider others too much,¡± Wei Yilin pouted, feeling helpless. ¡°We¡¯re one family, it¡¯s right for me to think about everyone. Yilin, you¡¯re not young anymore. You should also think about father and mother more and stop causing trouble.¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he mouthed the words without meaning them. ### On the way back from the north of the city, Wei Ruo watched the passing scenery through the carriage window. She saw many beggars begging along the streets, more than she had seen in any other place. The streets lacked the prosperity she imagined a county should have. It was not even as bustling as Huaibei Town. After asking Madam Zhang, she learned that many of the beggars were local fishermen. Due to Japanese Pirates¡¯ activities, they could not fish, lost their livelihood, and hence had to resort to begging. Besides, the recent years of unfavorable weather had greatly reduced rice production, leading to crop failure. Farmers with scarce resources had also been forced into begging. Having learned the reason, Wei Ruo looked again at the beggars in tattered clothes and skeletal figures. Her mood inevitably dropped. Especially when her gaze met with theirs ¨C a rich young lady in splendid clothes seated in a carriage with servants ¨C it felt like a shiver went through her modern soul. Their eyes lacked light. When they looked at Wei Ruo, their eyes were empty, numb, devoid of jealousy or hatred, as if they had accepted their sufferings in life. A little further on, Wei Ruo saw a vendor selling seafood. She learned that the catch was brought back by fishermen who risked being killed by Japanese Pirates by fishing at night. However, since everyone¡¯s living conditions were not good, business was slow, and a large basket of seafood was left unsold. Wei Ruo noticed the seafood was still very fresh, so she ordered Xiumei to buy the entire lot. Upon hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s decision to buy everything, Madam Zhang¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She then tried to explain as tactfully as possible to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, seafood is expensive. As the number of sellers has decreased, prices have increased. This basket requires at least two taels of silver!¡± Where would Wei Ruo get the money to buy so much? Taking things without being able to pay is bad for the reputation of the Military Prefecture. Otherwise, it might result in a tab being set up, resulting in the Military Prefecture having to pay for her reckless actions. ¡°Mmm, I know. I¡¯ll use my own private money,¡± Wei Ruo said, recognizing Madam Zhang¡¯s concerns. Private money? Where would she get private money from? Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Seafood Hot Pot i Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Seafood Hot Pot i Translator: 549690339 Nurse Zhang was skeptical, but she saw Xiumei get off the carriage and surprisingly gave two taels of broken silver to the old man selling seafood. Then, without waiting for the accompanying guard to help, Xiumei single-handedly moved the basket of seafood onto the carriage. After blanking out for a while, Nurse Zhang guessed in her heart that Wei Ruo probably got this money from the gift that the old man from the Capital City had given Wei Ruo a few days ago. Thinking to herself, even if the money came from the old man, it should not be spent like this. Wei Ruo simply did not know how to be thrifty. Once back at Tingsong Garden, Xiumei moved the basket of seafood into the garden. ¡°Meimei, how about¡­¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes were shining as she looked at the basket of seafood. ¡°Miss, you want to eat hot pot, don¡¯t you?¡± Xiumei at once saw through Wei Ruo¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Yes, yes, Meimei, you really understand me!¡± Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t even opened her mouth yet, but Meimei had guessed it all. ¡°Miss, your thoughts on other matters are hard to guess, but on this matter, as soon as you look at me, I immediately know what you want to do.¡± ¡°Very well, some of it will be used for a seafood hot pot, the rest will be processed and dried.¡± A spicy pot bottom and seafood as ingredients, just thinking about it, Wei Ruo¡¯s mouth was watering. ¡°But miss, you seem to have forgotten, we don¡¯t have a kitchen or a pot, we can¡¯t cook a hot pot.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the neighboring Yanzhu Court have a small kitchen? Perhaps, we could use it,¡± suggested Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes! The neighbors have a small kitchen!¡± Xiumei suddenly realized something after saying this. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t tell me you buttered up the Second Young Master with soy sauce just to get to use this kitchen?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I? Do you see me like that?¡± Wei Ruo looked guilty. Xiumei nodded wisely. Yes, you definitely are like that, Miss! ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is that we have a place to cook our hot pot. Meimei, get ready and gather the ingredients. We¡¯ll go to the neighbor¡¯s to cook.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the room to check and see how much of the spice mix you made earlier is left.¡± Xiumei turned and entered the storage room that Wei Ruo had been using. When she came back, she was holding a white cloth bag. During this era, there were no hot peppers, and many types of spices did not exist yet. Wei Ruo, whose taste buds had been nourished by various spices, occasionally missed those stimulating tastes. So she collected all types of aromatic spices that she could find in this era. Sichuan pepper, dogwood, pepper vine, cinnamon, mustard seed, blending these together after repeated trial and error, she found the perfect ratio to create a blend of spices that was to her satisfaction. After mixing them, Wei Ruo would package them separately into cloth bags, ready to be used anytime needed. ¡°There¡¯s only one spice bag left. If you want to eat more in the future, we¡¯ll have to figure out how to gather those spices again,¡± said Xiumei, bringing back the spice bag as well as some not-so-good news. Those spices were not easy to come by, and Wei Ruo had had to put in quite a bit of effort to gather them in the first place. Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°Once we¡¯re more settled, not only will I gather more spices, I¡¯ll also have to stock up on medicinal herbs.¡± With that, Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei to stay in the Tingsong Garden to prepare the ingredients, while she went to knock on the door of the Yanzhu Garden. The door opened, and Xiaobei, the servant boy, asked in surprise, ¡°Miss, what can I help you with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I could borrow your small kitchen. As a thank you, I¡¯ll treat you to a seafood hotpot! My Meimei¡¯s cooking is superb, I guarantee you won¡¯t lose out!¡± ¡°Miss, I¡­ I can¡¯t make that decision. I¡¯ll have to ask the young master.¡± ¡°Then go ask your young master.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go ask right now.¡± Xiaobei turned and went inside the courtyard. Wei Ruo peeked in. Just like last time she came, Wei Jinyi was still sitting in the Octagonal Pavilion reading. He seemed to really enjoy reading in the courtyard. From a distance, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t hear his conversation with Xiaobei, but she could see his expression darkening after Xiaobei spoke a few words. He then looked towards the entrance where his eyes met Wei Ruo¡¯s. Wei Ruo responded with a grin and gave Wei Jinyi a wave. However, her smile seemed to darken Wei Jinyi¡¯s expression even further. What happened? Was her smile not warm and friendly enough? She thought her smile was pretty decent, even Meimei had told her that her smile was beautiful! Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t hear what Wei Jinyi said to Xiaobei, but he looked uncomfortable when he walked over and said, ¡°Miss, the Young Master suggested that if you have something specific you want to eat, you should have the main kitchen prepare it. Our small kitchen doesn¡¯t have much space or any special ingredients. It¡¯s really not suitable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve brought my own ingredients and seasonings, and I don¡¯t need anything from you. I just need a place to cook. The main kitchen is inconvenient, and I¡¯ll be cooking for a long time.¡± Xiaobei looked troubled. ¡°But, Miss¡­¡± ¡°Please, please.¡± ¡°But the Young Master¡­¡± Xiaobei turned to look at Wei Jinyi. He was in such a difficult position ¨C the Young Master had asked him to refuse, but he didn¡¯t dare to offend the Miss. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to your Young Master myself!¡± Realizing the problem, Wei Ruo skirted around Xiaobei and headed straight for the Octagonal Pavilion. ¡°Second Brother!¡± At the sound of the phrase ¡°second brother¡±, Wei Jinyi quickly furrowed his brows. ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯m going to borrow your small kitchen for a bit. We¡¯re cooking seafood hot pot. You should have some too, I promise it¡¯ll taste great!¡± Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo. Her eyes were twinkling, full of expectation. After a moment, Wei Jinyi compromised. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± Wei Ruo happily thanked him and then ran back to Tingsong Garden. Xiaobei returned to Wei Jinyi¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Master, Miss is truly different from the others in the manor¡­¡± Others in the manor would avoid their Young Master at all costs. But the Miss, she came over the last time with soy sauce, and this time, she¡¯s here asking to use their small kitchen to cook hot pot¡­ ¡°Let her be. With the way she¡¯s behaving, it¡¯s difficult for you to get through to her.¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t like wasting words, and since Wei Ruo was new to the Wei family and didn¡¯t understand many things, attempting to reason with her would be futile. Not long after, Wei Jinyi saw Wei Ruo enter his courtyard with a maid. The mistress and maid carried a plethora of things into the small kitchen, in varying sizes and dishes. In the small kitchen, Xiumei was cooking, while Wei Ruo was helping stoke the fire. When the pot was ready, they put in lard. Once the milky-white lard melted, they poured in the spice mix that Wei Ruo had prepared. The strong aroma of the spices was dominant. When stirred in hot oil, it filled the entire small kitchen and wafted out into the courtyard. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s this smell? It smells really nice,¡± Xiaobei sniffed and sniffed, confirming that it was a smell he had never smelled before. ¡°Grinding ink.¡± Wei Jinyi answered with a poker face. Xiaobei quickly came back to his senses and continued to grind ink for Wei Jinyi. Wei Ruo dashed out of the small kitchen and ran over to Wei Jinyi to ask, ¡°Second Brother, the bamboo shoots in your yard look pretty good.. Would you mind if I break off a few to chop them up and put them in the hot pot?¡± Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15 The Situation is a Bit Awkward l Chapter 15: Chapter 15 The Situation is a Bit Awkward l Translator: 549690339 The first time Wei Ruo set foot inside the Bamboo Garden, she had noticed the bamboo there, which had not yet sprouted shoots. Today, when she returned, the bamboo shoots had grown as long as her arm. If not consumed soon, they would age. Wei Jinyi was compelled to cease his writing again, and looked up at Wei Ruo: ¡°Do as you please.¡± His expression was one of indifference and coldness; his agreement stemming from a desire to avoid further conversation with Wei Ruo. ¡°Alright, thank you, Second Brother. I will return to you shortly with a serving of aromatic bamboo shoots.¡± We Ruo thanked him, and ran to the bamboo shoots, plucking each one that had grown to the right size. She then rushed back into the kitchen. The small kitchen emitted a fragrant aroma, and Xiaobei, who lacked restraint, was grinding ink while swallowing his saliva. Alas, the Young Master¡¯s composure was indeed strong; the intoxicating aroma had no effect on him. His pen strokes remained steady. Unlike him, who wasn¡¯t even hungry to begin with, but the aroma made him feel as though his stomach, the Wuzang Temple, had surrendered first. After a while, Wei Ruo and Xiumei emerged. We Ruo carried a tray with a few dishes of unknown seasonings, while Xiumei carried a steaming pot from which the aroma wafted. Both of them entered the pavilion, and Xiaobei was perplexed: ¡°Miss, what are you up to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having hot pot with you! Clear the writing tools from the table.¡± Wei Ruo aimed for the only stone table inside the pavilion. The table was currently littered with Wei Jinyi¡¯s Four Treasures of writing supplies. ¡°You can keep it and enjoy it yourself. I don¡¯t need it.¡± Wei Jinyi coldly declined. ¡°No, I promised that there¡¯s a portion for you. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t I be taking advantage of you? I don¡¯t like exploiting others.¡± As the saying goes, borrowing and returning ensures future lending. She would need to use the Bamboo Garden¡¯s kitchen again in the future, so today¡¯s favor had to be returned to prevent difficulty later on. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve made servings for four. If you don¡¯t eat, the leftovers will be wasted! The seafood was caught by fishermen who risked their lives. We need to do them justice by eating it all.¡± Servings for four? Xiaobei was surprised, there was a portion for him too? But he was a servant¡­ Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo, contemplating something. It seemed as if he wanted to refute Wei Ruo but didn¡¯t speak out. After a while, he compromised, got up, and cleaned up the books, ink, paper, and inkstone from the table, making room on the stone table. Xiumei immediately put the pot on the table. Seeing the layer of bright red oil on it, Wei Jinyi knitted his brows. Then Wei Ruo placed the bowls and plates: ¡°This is my secret dipping sauce, Second Brother, you must try it.¡± The main ingredient of the dipping sauce was her secret soy sauce, mixed with a bit of spring onion and mashed garlic. It tasted deliciously sweet, perfect for dipping seafood. Staring at the little plate with unknown contents in front of him, Wei Jinyi frowned even more. Seeing Wei Jinyi not moving, Wei Ruo used clean chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and put it in the plate in front of Wei Jinyi, wrapped it with the sauce, and let Wei Jinyi taste it. ¡°Try it, Second Brother. It¡¯s really good. I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Under Wei Ruo¡¯s persistent urging, and the expectation in her eyes, Wei Jinyi reached out for his chopsticks to appease Wei Ruo. He picked up a small piece, put it in his mouth, and cautiously, slowly chewed a couple of times. After a moment, Wei Jinyi suddenly started coughing violently. Wei Ruo hurriedly poured water for him, ¡°Slow down, slow down, drink some water.¡± Wei Jinyi drank a cup of water, still coughing, and Wei Ruo helped him by patting his back. After a while, Wei Jinyi finally caught his breath. His face had turned red from coughing, two blushes settling on his fair skin, making him look more energetic. Wei Jinyi put down his chopsticks: ¡°You guys go ahead and eat.¡± Well¡­this was¡­awkward¡­ ¡°Or¡­, you can give it another try? It should be a coincidence that you choked. If you try it more times, you will discover its wonderful flavor.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Wei Jinyi firmly refused. This time, his attitude was very firm with no room for negotiation. The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t say much. He got up and returned to his room, leaving only Wei Ruo, Xiumei, and Xiaobei. With a look of embarrassment, Xiaobei explained to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t mind him. Our young master usually eats light food and can¡¯t eat a lot of dishes.¡± ¡°That was my lack of consideration. Next time, I will make something else that he enjoys.¡± Wei Ruo said. Wait, there¡¯s a next time? Xiaobei¡¯s eyes widened. In the end, Wei Ruo and Xiumei were left to finish most of the pot, leaving some behind as they just couldn¡¯t eat any more. Wei Ruo patted her stomach, leaving Xiumei to clean up after the meal. She herself returned to the Garden of Tingsong, brought a roll of paper and placed it amongst Wei Jinyi¡¯s pile of writing materials. After Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi re-emerged from his room. He arranged the books, ink, paper, and inkstone back on the stone table and resumed his reading and writing. After everything was placed back on the stone table, Wei Jinyi noticed a roll of paper that did not belong to him. Unrolled, the paper was cool, white, smooth, and delicate; distinctly different from the other papers on Wei Jinyi¡¯s desk. ¡°Where is this paper from?¡± ¡°Oh, it seems that Miss brought it. She said it was an apology gift for you.¡± ¡°This is paper from Four Treasure House.¡± Wei Jinyi¡¯s gaze became profound as he examined the paper. ¡°Four Treasure House? Isn¡¯t that the paper given to you by the Old Master before? I remember the Old Master saying that a colleague had gifted him a total of ten sheets of paper, and he gave you and the eldest young master five sheets each. I heard that after the eldest young master used it, he found the paper to be exceptionally good and wanted to have someone buy more. However, Four Treasure House is located in Huzhou Prefecture, which is too far away, so he couldn¡¯t buy it. How did Miss get this paper?¡± Xiaobei was astonished.. Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16 The Wet Nurse Arrives l Chapter 16: Chapter 16 The Wet Nurse Arrives l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Huaibei Town is in Huzhou Prefecture.¡± Wei Jinyi stated. ¡°Yes, the young miss is from Huaibei Town. No wonder she has that paper!¡± ¡°This paper is not cheap.¡± Wei Jinyi said in a heavy tone. Ordinary paper costs one coin for ten sheets, but paper from Four Treasure House costs five coins for a single sheet, which is fifty times the price of ordinary paper. The key point is, it¡¯s not easy to purchase paper from Four Treasure House. Even though it¡¯s expensive, because of its superior quality, it¡¯s highly sought after by many nobles. This leads to a daily sale limit, and when it¡¯s sold out, that¡¯s it. Wei Ruo casually handed him twenty sheets. Where did she get the money from? And why is she treating him so well? What was her actual intention? ### Back in Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo lazily sprawled herself on the bed. After a full meal, her blood went straight to her stomach, leaving her brain blank and the perfect time to daydream. ¡°Miss, why do I feel like you treat the second young master better than the Colonel, Madame, and eldest young master? I feel that the eldest young master treats you better than the second. He is so cold and aloof, not even willing to converse with you. But the elder brother is much gentler and more considerate. He even gave up his courtyard for you.¡± Xiumei curiously asked. ¡°Because I don¡¯t feel any pressure when I¡¯m with the second young master.¡± ¡°You feel pressure from the eldest young master?¡± ¡°Yes, if I am good to the eldest young master, others will suspect I am trying to fight for favor, but because the second young master himself is an invisible man, I don¡¯t feel any pressure to be nice or cold to him, I can behave as freely as I want to.¡± ¡°I see, even though I don¡¯t understand it all, I know whatever you decide will be the right decision.¡± Wei Ruo gave a light smile. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just about not wanting to compete for favor. She might have taken the original owner¡¯s memory, and because it was a transmigration from the womb, regardless of her willingness, she would inevitably hold some sentiments when dealing with her family who abandoned and hurt her in the past. This was something she couldn¡¯t simply control or suppress with rational thinking. She was also aware that the original owner¡¯s ultimate demise was tied to her own self-destruction, but the yearning that the owner had for her family, as well as their abandoning her at the end, had left a deep scar in Wei Ruo¡¯s heart. Therefore, even though Madam Yun and Wei Yichen were nice to her now, she couldn¡¯t face them with openness. On the other hand, Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t leave any marks in the original owner¡¯s memories and was irrelevant in the original story, so she had no grievances against him, and didn¡¯t need to worry about anything excessive. It was the same when dealing with her neighbours at Mo Jiazha. As long as they were not malicious towards her, she could interact with them genuinely and help them out where possible. This kind of ease and comfort was something that Madam Yun and Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t provide. Of course, it was also important that she liked his small kitchen! Being able to occasionally cook something delicious for herself was very important for someone with a craving for food, like her! ### The next day, Wei Ruo was busily picking out sweet potato vines for propagation. Xiumei came back from outside, her face filled with anxiety: ¡°Miss, it¡¯s Brother Xiaoyong! The person arguing with a guard from the Military Prefect¡¯s residence is Brother Zhengyong!¡± Brother Zhengyong, as Xiumei referred to him, was Xu Zhengyong, the son of Wei Ruo¡¯s wet nurse, Xu¡¯s mother. ¡°Why are they arguing?¡± ¡°I heard from inside the gate. Xu¡¯s mother was sending letters to the guards at the gate for the last two days, wanting to see Miss, but they kept stopping her and sending her away. Out of frustration, Brother Zhengyong came on her behalf today, and ended up arguing with the guards, claiming that they were submitting letters according to the rules of the Military Prefecture, so why weren¡¯t they being delivered.¡± Sweating profusely out of anxiety, Xiumei exclaimed, ¡°I knew it! According to the timings, Xu¡¯s mother should have arrived by now. It turns out her letters weren¡¯t even allowed in!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go to the gate and see.¡± Wei Ruo put down the sweet potato vine in her hand, tidied herself a little, and led Xiumei towards the gate. When they arrived, she saw Xu Zhengyong, as expected, arguing with a guard from the Military Prefecture. A fourteen-year-old boy, his skin had been bronzed by the sun, and he was dressed like a farmhand. Because of the argument, his face was blushing, extending to his neck. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, the downcast young boy¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He was about to call out to Wei Ruo, but remembered his mother¡¯s words. His mother had said that now, Miss Ruoruo was a lady of the Military Prefecture, and was increasingly different from before. She asked him to be more careful in his words and actions, and to not cause any trouble for the young lady. So Xu Zhengyong held back and didn¡¯t say anything. By the time Wei Ruo arrived, Wei Yichen was already at the gate. Seeing Wei Ruo coming over, Wei Yichen said, ¡°You stay here. When there¡¯s a commotion at home, caused by outsiders, you should not go out and watch.¡± ¡°He is my wet nurse¡¯s son.¡± Wei Ruo said. On hearing this, Wei Yichen furrowed his brows, and upon looking at the boy again at the gate, he understood. ¡°You can¡¯t see him, but if you want to see your wet nurse, I will help you arrange that.¡± ¡°Alright, then please try not to make it difficult for the guards.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright, I will.¡± With that, Wei Yichen turned and walked towards the gate. He exchanged a few words with the guards, and they let Xu Zhengyong go. Wei Yichen returned to the house and told Wei Ruo, ¡°I have spoken with him. His mother will come tomorrow. That boy is not young anymore, and he can¡¯t be frequenting the women¡¯s quarters of the backyard. Be careful when you meet him in the future.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°You should let Mother know about this. She won¡¯t stop you from seeing your wet nurse, but she should be informed about such matters in advance.¡± Wei Yichen spoke with heartfelt concern. ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Yichen looked at Wei Ruo¡¯s radiant face, and paused as if he wanted to say something more. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Wei Yichen thought for a moment and said, ¡°When you have some free time, spend it with Mother. Don¡¯t always stay in your own courtyard. She exempted you from the ritual greetings, but you can take the initiative to be closer with her. She would like it.¡± ¡°Well, it depends.¡± ¡°You should keep it in mind.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Ruo neither refuted nor agreed, and walked back to Tingsong Garden with Xiumei. ### The next day, when Xu¡¯s mother came to the Military Prefecture again, the guards didn¡¯t stop her. They led her straight to Tingsong Garden. ¡°Miss!¡± Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Xu¡¯s mother was greatly moved. She carefully looked at Wei Ruo and soon her eyes turned red. ¡°Nurse, why are you crying? Isn¡¯t seeing me something to be happy about?¡± Wei Ruo approached her and used a handkerchief to wipe her tears. ¡°I am happy, very happy! I knew those people of the He Family were callous all along, it turns out they aren¡¯t your real parents! Now it¡¯s great, you found your actual parents, not only is your father of noble status, but he also loves you! Miss, your hardships are finally over, I am happy!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re happy, then smile; there¡¯s no need to cry.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t cry, I won¡¯t cry.¡± Wei Ruo wiped Xu¡¯s mother¡¯s tears, helping her to calm down. ¡°Look at me, I was so preoccupied with crying that I forgot the actual matter!¡± Hurriedly, Xu¡¯s mother opened the bundle, took out a small wooden box, and when opened, neatly arranged small silver ingots could be seen.. Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Buying Land to Plant Sweet Potatoesl Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Buying Land to Plant Sweet Potatoesl Translator: 549690339 Five taels for a small silver ingot, arranged in a line, five to each line, two layers, a total of one hundred taels (sixteen taels to a pound, over six pounds). ¡°This is the profit from the past six months. As per the young lady¡¯s instructions, all the whole numbers have been made into silver ingots and the change is kept in the account.¡± Wei Ruo likes the hefty feel of silver, not the lightweight silver note, hence whenever the wet nurse brings in the shop¡¯s earnings, she always brings the weighty silver ingots. In addition to the silver, the wet nurse also brought the account book for the shop¡¯s recent half-year. There are also baskets of dried mushrooms that have been sun-dried. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong thought the young lady might not be used to the food here, so he specially brought some mushrooms that the young lady likes. They¡¯re all sun-dried, some of them were cooked in the way the young lady used to teach, all fried in oil and sealed in jars.¡± ¡°Wet nurse, thank you for your hard work, as well as Uncle Xu and Brother Xiaoyong, for making you travel such a long way with me.¡± ¡°Not at all, not at all!¡± exclaimed Xu¡¯s mother, ¡°I haven¡¯t had any hardship at all. I rode in a carriage all the way, not needing to travel on foot. I didn¡¯t even have to carry anything heavy, Dazhuang and Zhengyong did all the work.¡± A happy smile spread across Xu¡¯s mother¡¯s face. Xu¡¯s mother continued: ¡°Being able to help the young lady do things is the happiest thing. If it wasn¡¯t for helping the young lady, I don¡¯t know how Dazhuang, Zhengyong and I would spend our days! I never even dared to dream that I could live such a life!¡± ¡°Have you arranged everything in Huaibei Town?¡± ¡°Dear girl, don¡¯t worry. I handed over the estate there to Old Qian, he¡¯s been on the farm for many years, you can trust him to manage things well. There¡¯s also someone looking after the house.¡± ¡°Have you moved all the things I asked you to move here?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Everything has been moved here, exactly three carts of sweet potatoes!¡± ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll tell you the next arrangement. I¡¯ve set my eyes on the Xiaoyang Mountain in the north of the city, you and Uncle Xu go negotiate, if the price is right, buy it and plant sweet potatoes on it; there are many fishermen in the city who have lost their livelihood due to the Japanese pirates, and some farmers who have been forced to beg due to poor harvests. You and Uncle Xu should check it out and the ones with good character who are willing to work hard, hire them as permanent workers.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll take my husband to the north of the city for a good inspection.¡± ¡°Then settle yourselves, find a decent house in the city. When you¡¯ve settled, come back to the Military Prefecture and give me the address so that I can keep in touch with you.¡± ¡°Yes, I got it, I¡¯ll take care of it when I get back.¡± Xu¡¯s mother agreed repeatedly. Xu¡¯s mother stayed in the Tingsong Garden for over an hour before leaving. While leaving, she passed Wei Qingwan¡¯s Wangmei Garden, seeing the uncultured woman hurrying away, Li Granny happily said to Wei Qingwan: ¡°Miss, the woman who just passed by is Miss Wei Ruo¡¯s wet nurse. I heard that her son made a fuss at the entrance of our Military Prefecture yesterday. Fortunately, the eldest son stopped it, otherwise it might have ended in a laughable situation.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ As long as nothing happened¡­¡± Wei Qingwan murmured. ### After negotiating with the village chief and elders of Yueying Village, Xu¡¯s mother decided on a price of one thousand taels of silver. Then the wet nurse reported this result to Wei Ruo to make the decision. One thousand taels of silver was not a small sum for Wei Ruo. Several years ago, she was determined to start a business, but she was too young and had no way to do so, so she could only use her wits to earn some small amounts of money to improve her life in the countryside. It wasn¡¯t until she was ten that she officially started a business, but it was extremely difficult to start in such a society. Without connections or support, it was very hard work to stand firm. So far, she has only amassed just over two thousand taels of silver. One thousand taels of silver is equivalent to staking half of Wei Ruo¡¯s assets, if she fails, Wei Ruo¡¯s financial situation would have to be set back by two years. Wei Ruo felt there was no problem, she could take it directly, so the wet nurse and Uncle Xu took the initiative to buy Xiaoyang Mountain for one thousand taels of silver. This sum would be handed over to the village chief of Yueying Village for distribution according to the share of each family. Xu Zhengyong also wandered around the city for a few days, selecting a few unemployed fishermen that fit Wei Ruo¡¯s description, and hired them as permanent workers. The permanent workers hired were seeing sweet potatoes as a crop for the first time. After the explanation by the Xu father and son, they realized that this crop has been widely planted in Huaibei Town and has received a good harvest. About the origin of this crop, the father and son unanimously claim that it was brought back by a ship from Nanyang by chance, and its use was discovered after cultivation. Following this, the Xu father and son who have already had extensive experience in large-scale sweet potato cultivation in Huaibei Town, led the permanent workers to start planting. You have to first bury the sweet potato in the ground, wait for it to grow vines, then cut down the vines for insertion. The three carts of sweet potatoes they brought from Huaibei Town can produce enough vines for insertion. The permanent workers quickly grasped the key to planting and got busy. The cost to maintain sweet potatoes on the hillside is much lower than the cost to maintain rice in terraced fields. The permanent workers couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They originally thought that the employer hired just a few of them to manage a whole mountain of rice, just thinking about it was exhausting. Meanwhile, Xu¡¯s mother also found a suitable house for resettlement, not too far from the Military Prefecture, convenient for commuting. After settling these, Xu¡¯s mother ran another trip to the Military Prefecture, handing over the contracts signed with the permanent workers and the deed to the house she bought to Wei Ruo. No matter what Wei Ruo said, the wet nurse held that these properties all belonged to Wei Ruo. They were just helping Wei Ruo with her work, and would be satisfied with some wages, not wanting a single penny more. Wei Ruo also gave a task to Xu¡¯s mother. ¡°Wet nurse, can you inquire about the wasteland south of the city for me? I heard that the Japanese pirates are mainly lurking around the eastern part of the city, the south should still be considered safe.¡± The wasteland to the south of the city? Isn¡¯t that a very poor piece of land? The land by the sea can¡¯t grow crops. Whatever you plant there, dies.¡± ¡°Yes, it should be like that. If the land wasn¡¯t poor, it wouldn¡¯t become a wasteland.¡± This was within Wei Ruo¡¯s expectations. ¡°Why is the young lady asking about that piece of wasteland?¡± Xu¡¯s mother asked curiously. ¡°First, you help me inquire. I might have a way to turn waste into treasure. If we can plant crops on saline-alkali land, we can save the cost of buying normal crops for me, hire more permanent workers, and the crops we grow can solve the problem of Xingshan County¡¯s lack of grain that needs to be purchased from other places in large quantities. That way, more people can have enough to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask as soon as I get back.¡± Although Xu¡¯s mother also felt that the idea of planting crops on saline-alkali land was a bit farfetched, she believed unconditionally in Wei Ruo. Over the years, the young lady has repeatedly broken their preconceptions, making many things they originally thought impossible become possible.. Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Must Leave 1 Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Must Leave 1 Translator: 549690339 I Unsure if it was due to Wei Ruo¡¯s frequent interactions with her wet nurse Mrs Yun called her over and said, ¡°Ruo Ruo, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re close with your wet nurse, but you must pay attention to propriety. It is not good for your reputation to be seen interacting so often.¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t argue, she predicted that something like this would occur. As the daughter of an official family, it was inappropriate for her to maintain a close relationship with her former wet nurse. Fortunately, the messenger pigeons had already been arranged. From now on, most matters could be communicated via the pigeons, and the wet nurse wouldn¡¯t need to run errands to the Military Prefecture all the time. Mrs. Yun nodded with satisfaction and continued, ¡°Ruo Ruo, due to the current tension of the war, the Magistrate¡¯s wife is organising a group prayer at Huafa Temple for the soldiers on the battlefield tomorrow. You will accompany me there.¡± ¡°Do I have to? Can I not go?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Ruo Ruo, don¡¯t you like to travel? Why don¡¯t you want to go?¡± ¡°I do like traveling, but I dislike social activities, and I¡¯m not good at them ¡± Wei Ruo confessed. The thought of mingling with a large group of Madams and their daughters was draining. Mrs. Yun¡¯s voice grew heavier, ¡°Ruo Ruo, you¡¯re not the girl you used to be these social activities are inevitable. More importantly, I have been talking with the Magistrate¡¯s wife, hoping that you and Wanwan can go to study at the magistrate¡¯s office together with the other girls. This time, it¡¯s good for you to go with me, to let the Magistrate¡¯s wife get to know you and dispel any doubts they have about you.¡± Although Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t specify the doubts, Wei Ruo already assumed that it related to the fear of her being too crude to qualify to study together with the other young ladies. ¡°Mother, do you think I can dispel their doubts? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might not project myself properly?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Ruo Ruo, you¡¯ve been doing very well lately. Although you still need some improvement, I am already very satisfied. Just remember not to mention the switch with Wanwan to anyone. Simply say that you¡¯ve been staying in the countryside due to your frail health and only recently returned to your parents This would be for you and Wanwan¡¯s best interest.¡± Mrs. Yun advised. ¡°Do I really have to go?¡± ¡°Yes, you must,¡± Mrs. Yun insisted. ¡°Ruo Ruo, listen to me. You have to adapt to these things sooner or later.¡± Wei Ruo sighed, resigned herself to this arrangement, ¡°Alright.¡± In the original book, Mrs. Yun wasn¡¯t keen to take the original host initially but the original host insisted, and finally Mrs. Yun gave in to her nagging. ¡¯ Now, however, the situation was reversed. Wei Ruo was reluctant to go, while Mrs. Yun was determined to bring her along. Wei Ruo found it amusing. What happened? Why did things still end up as they did in the original plot? Wei Ruo remembered that in the original book, this prayer event was a major incident. Firstly, as the supporting actress, her inappropriate behaviour during the event became the laughing stock of all the Madams and their daughters, causing much embarrassment to Mrs. Yun. Second, the female lead, Wei Qingwan, met the male lead for the first time at Huafa Temple where the prayer was conducted. With these thoughts in mind, Wei Ruo returned to Tingsong Garden. ¡°Xiumei, check our belongings. See if we still have dried sweet potato and sweet potato chips.¡± Xiumei promptly found the dried sweet potato and the chips, and brought a small bag of each. ¡°Are you craving for them, miss?¡± ¡°No, I plan to bring some with me tomorrow when I accompany mother to visit Huafa Temple. Find me two satin brocade bags, the ones that can be closed with a drawstring.¡± ¡°Miss, are you afraid of getting hungry on the road?¡± Xiumei curiously asked. ¡°No, I have other plans.¡± Wei Ruo said with a sly smile. Since she could not avoid going out, then so be it. However, she shouldn¡¯t make the trip for nothing and must benefit from it somehow. ### Wei Qingwan of Wangmei Garden quickly heard the news that Wei Ruo would also be accompanying Mrs. Yun to Huafa Temple. ¡°Did mother voluntarily decide to take my sister?¡± Wei Qingwan asked Madam Li. ¡°Yes, Madam suggested it first, saying that it¡¯s time for Miss Wei Ruo to come out, and tomorrow would be a great opportunity.¡± ¡°So soon¡­¡± Wei Qingwan murmured, lowering her head. Miss, don t be upset, it was bound to happen sooner or later.¡± Madam Li consoled. ¡°I know it was bound to happen, I just didn¡¯t expect it to come so quickly¡­¡± Wei Qingwan looked disheartened. If Mother initiated it, which means she has accepted Wei Ruo, it indicates that Wei Ruo has met the standards of a well-bred young lady. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. This may not necessarily be a good thing for Miss Wei Ruo She could become the laughing stock of the entire Xingshan County if she makes a mistake or an embarrassment in front of all the Madams and their daughters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish for my sister to become a laughing stock either, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Wei Qingwan mumbled. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, Miss, but whether Miss Wei Ruo would make a fool of herself is not for you to decide. It¡¯s up to her own upbringing. That s something she has no control over either.¡± ¡°If possible, I hope that she will handle herself well tomorrow and not make a fool of us or the Military Prefecture.¡± Wei Qingwan murmured. ¡°Miss, you are too kind.¡± Madam Li said helplessly. ¡°As long as Mother doesn¡¯t dislike me, I don¡¯t mind whatever my sister does.¡± ¡°No, Madam loves you the most.¡± After being comforted by Madam Li, Wei Qingwan felt much better. After drinking her calming tea, she went to bed. ### The next day, as per Mrs. Yun¡¯s request, Wei Ruo dressed up. She wore a pale yellow bodice, a mint green overskirt, and a dark green underskirt. Her hair was done in the currently fashionable style. Her look was fresh and lively. Since her time at the Wei Residence, this was Wei Ruo¡¯s first time dressing up properly. She felt more comfortable wearing her usual lightweight attire and doing up her hair in the practical style of a country woman to facilitate work. Several times, when Mrs. Yun wanted her to change into the clothes prepared for her, Wei Ruo politely declined on the grounds that her unrefined clothes were convenient for her activities. Looking at the dressed-up Wei Ruo, Mrs. Yun showed a satisfied smile, ¡°Ruo Ruo, you look really nice when you dress up.¡± Mrs.. Yun noticed the exquisite set of food boxes in Wei Ruo¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What are you carrying, Ruo Ruo?¡± Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 First Outing_l Chapter 19: Chapter 19 First Outing_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Pack some snacks, in case you get hungry,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Upon hearing this, Lady Yun raised her eyebrows slightly and explained to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, today we will have a vegetarian meal in the Huafa Temple after our prayers, so you will not go hungry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just snacks, it won¡¯t affect the main meal. In case any other ladies get hungry along the way, I can share with them.¡± Hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s explanation and seeing the delicately adorned food container that would not cause embarrassment if shown in public, Lady Yun refrained from saying anything else. She just requested the maid Cuiping to take care of the food container during the mountain trip. To control the number of people traveling together, besides the accompanying coachman and guards, only Lady Yun brought along maid Cuiping. Neither Wei Ruo nor Wei Qingwan brought their maids. Wei Qingwan also arrived at the entrance, immediately spotting the well-dressed Wei Ruo. Astonishment flashed in her eyes for a moment, however, she quickly turned her face away. Wei Ruo paid no attention to Wei Qingwan as her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of farming and making money. Distractedly following Lady Yun into the carriage, Wei Ruo looked out the carriage window, her mind far away. Lady Yun, seeing her half-awake demeanor, didn¡¯t say anything. Turning to Wei Qingwan, she said, ¡°Wanwan, climbing up the Huafa Temple mountain to pray today requires trekking by foot. I¡¯m worried your body might not be up to it.¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Whether I can complete it or not, I will try my best. Every step I take, it¡¯s all for praying blessings for father and the soldiers. I hope they can be victorious in every encounter with the Japanese pirates and return safely. I also hope that the Japanese pirates can be driven away soon, so that Xingshan County can return to peace.¡± ¡°Your father would be very happy knowing that you care like this,¡± Lady Yun said. ¡°Our father and soldiers are defending the country, fighting bravely, shedding blood and sweat. The least I can do is climb a hill to pray. It is not comparable to their sacrifices.¡± Watching Wei Qingwan¡¯s well-behaved and understanding manner, Lady Yun inevitably revealed a warm smile, her gaze exceedingly gentle. Her daughter was full of wisdom, gentle yet pleasant, displaying filial piety, and was simply impeccable. Thinking about the upcoming meeting with the other noble ladies, her mood became especially good. Wanwan was always the one receiving the most compliments on such occasions. Everyone has a sense of vanity, and Lady Yun was no exception. Having her daughter being praised was undoubtedly a joyous occasion for her. However, today¡¯s situation might be a bit different¡­ She looked at Wei Ruo, who was lost in thought by the window, and couldn t help feeling a little worried. She didn¡¯t expect Ruoruo to be as outstanding and praised as Wanwan, she just hoped she wouldn¡¯t cause any troubles. Although she had expressed her full confidence in Wei Ruo the day before when Wei Ruo asked her, she couldn¡¯t help worrying as soon as it was time to leave. The carriage set out from the Military Prefecture, heading north across the city. The first half of the journey followed the same path that Wei Ruo took during her previous inspection trip. After leaving the city, the carriage turned onto a country road, following the path to Fairy Mountain. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the carriage stopped. Lady Yun and Wei Qingwan disembarked from the carriage, followed by Wei Ruo leisurely stepping out. When they arrived, the wives of the magistrate, the county magistrate, the chief clerk, and the other young ladies of various families were already there. Everyone was waiting at the foot of the mountain. Upon their arrival, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to them, as rumors had spread that another daughter had joined the Wei household. Everyone was somewhat curious about Wei Ruo, who had just been brought back to the Wei family. As soon as Wei Ruo alighted from the carriage, she felt many eyes on her. Unfazed, Wei Ruo let them look at her without showing any signs of embarrassment or evasion, because she knew it was inevitable. These people were bound to satisfy their curiosity. The noble ladies and young girls found Wei Ruo different from what they had imagined. Her graceful figure and delicate skin were even more exquisite than those of the young noble girls who had been raised in relative seclusion. If the Wei family didn¡¯t mention it, they would never have thought that Wei Ruo had lived in the countryside before this. As Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan stood there, one was beautiful and graceful, the other was charming and cute. Speaking in terms of appearances, they indeed outshone the other noble girls present. Some were astonishing and some were disappointing. Those who were anticipating disgrace for the Wei family were disappointed. The wife of the Magistrate approached Lady Yun with her daughter Qian Caisang, and greeted her, ¡°Lady Wei, you are truly enviable. Your two daughters are both exceptional. Are you not giving the rest of us any chances?¡± Lady Yun laughed and replied, ¡°Lady Qian, you¡¯re too flattering. How could my two daughters compare to yours? I remember Wanwan telling me that your daughter¡¯s poetry has been highly praised by Master Fu. Master Fu rarely compliments anyone¡¯s poetry. This is unique for Miss Qian!¡± Master Fu was the most prestigious female scholar in Xingshan County, currently teaching a few noble ladies in the magistrate¡¯s office. Lady Qian¡¯s face was full of smiles, ¡°She just has a little bit of cleverness! Although she said that her daughter was just a little clever, the smile was genuinely heartfelt, it was apparent that Lady Yun¡¯s words had touched her. Following her was the wife of the County Magistrate and the wife of the Chief Clerk, both greeting Lady Yun. Seeing that all the familiar ladies were present, Lady Yun asked Lady Qian, who was in charge of today¡¯s activities, ¡°Lady Qian, who are we waiting for?¡± ¡°We are waiting for the wife and daughter of the Xie family from the north of the city,¡± answered Lady Qian. The Xie family was a reputable family in Taizhou prefecture, known for their commitment to farming and studying. The family had produced two scholars in the last twenty years. The father-in-law of Lady Xie was one of them. He currently held an office in the capital with a rank of fifth class. Rumor had it that he was highly regarded by the Emperor and was likely to be promoted to fourth class soon. Upon hearing that it was the Xie family they were waiting for, everyone refrained from voicing any objections. After a short while, the carriage from the Xie family arrived. Two individuals disembarked, they were indeed Lady Xie and her daughter Xie Ying. Unlike the other young ladies who descended from the carriage with the help of their maids, Xie Ying jumped straight out. This bold action was exceptional among the young ladies present. ¡°Be careful,¡± said the indulgent and helpless Lady Xie. Her daughter was excessively spoiled by her grandfather and her husband. Meanwhile, Xie Ying had already run forward. Lady Xie stepped forward and greeted Lady Yun and Lady Qian, ¡°I am sorry for making you all wait. My little Ying is somewhat frivolous. She was intrigued by a magician we encountered on the way, and refused to continue. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter at all. Children are always curious, it¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± Lady Qian answered with a smile. Lady Xie looked towards Wei Ruo. All the other faces were familiar to her as she had seen them many times before, but it was her first time meeting Wei Ruo. With a smile, Lady Xie said to her, ¡°Lady Wei¡¯s eldest daughter is so charming and beautiful, truly a worthy daughter of Lady Wei. She has indeed inherited the good attributes of both her parents..¡± Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Dried Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Potato Chipsi Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Dried Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Potato Chipsi Translator: 549690339 Madam Yun smilingly said, ¡°Thank you for your praise, Madam Xie. This child has suffered a lot over the years. I do not seek excellence for her. My hope is that she is able to live a stable and peaceful life in the future.¡± After exchanging formalities, they noticed that everyone had assembled. The Magistrate¡¯s wife announced they would start the journey. The order of the procession was considered carefully. At the very forefront was Madam Xie and Miss Xie, followed by Madam Yun, Wei Ruo, and Wei Qingwan. Next were Madam Qian and Miss Qian, trailing behind were the County Magistrate, the Principal Secretary, and other local, influential women of Xingshan County. Among the women, if reverence was based on the rank of their husbands, Madam Yun¡¯s would have been the highest. The magistrate held the seventh rank, Wei Mingting the sixth; as for Madam Xie¡¯s husband, he was only a scholar yet to receive a specific assignment. However, everyone knew about the present circumstances of Wei Mingting, and the Xie Family happened to be enjoying a phase of prosperity. Thus, in an unusual twist, Madam Xie led the processional. Today¡¯s journey was for the purpose of prayer, valuing a sincere heart. Thus, at the proposal of the Magistrate¡¯s wife, everyone climbed the mountain by foot, walking all 999 steps from the foot of the hill to the front of the temple. Wei Ruo followed behind Madam Yun at an unhurried pace. Whatever speed the others moved at, she matched. If they stopped to rest, she too would pause. She endeavored not to stand out or to provoke controversy. Leading the way was Xie Ying, striding ahead, creating a considerable distance of twenty or thirty steps between her and the others. Madam Xie was not able to recall her. The pace of the rest was not fast, they would walk awhile and stop to rest. Stop and go, after more than half an hour they finally arrived in front of the Huafa Temple. The chief monk, accompanied by his disciples, was already waiting to receive them at the entrance. After exchanging pleasantries with the chief monk, they entered the temple. Since the Magistrate¡¯s wife had already made arrangements with the temple master, Huafa Temple did not receive any other pilgrims today, only accepting this group of women relatives, so the interior was quite empty, undisturbed by others. Upon entering the main hall, they began to light incense and kneel in worship. Wei Ruo slipped between the crowd, lighting a set of incense sticks. Kneeling on mats, half the day passed while they listened to the scriptures. At noon, everyone planned to stay at the temple to partake in a vegetarian lunch. While waiting for the food, they sat in the dining hall, sipping tea provided by the temple. Having climbed the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps and exerting a great deal of physical strength, added to the fact that it was now noon, they all felt their bellies rumble with hunger. However, Huafa Temple was strict about meal timings. They would only serve food at noon. As everyone naturally didn¡¯t want to break the rules, they waited restlessly in the dining hall. At this time, Wei Ruo brought out the dried sweet potatoes she had prepared and shared with everyone to taste. Observing the object Wei Ruo produced, a group of women relatives exhibited curious and puzzled expressions because they had not seen the likes of this before. Conversely, upon sighting what Wei Ruo pulled out, Madam Yun grew anxious. She assumed that Wei Ruo had brought common pastries, and since everyone was indeed hungry at this moment, her gesture of distributing the pastries would have been harmless. Discovering that Wei Ruo produced something unfamiliar, she grew worried. At this moment, it was too late for Madam Yun to hinder Wei Ruo as the items had already reached the hands of every Madam and Miss present. Wei Qingwan glanced at Wei Ruo then at the food she had produced, sharing the same confusion as others. However, she refrained from speaking, sitting quietly beside Madam Yun, observing others¡¯ reactions. ¡°What is this, Miss Wei?¡± Madam Qian asked first. ¡°This is dried sweet potato, made from a plant called sweet potato,¡± Wei Ruo patiently explained. ¡°Sweet potato? What type of crop is it?¡± It¡¯s a new crop, accidentally brought by a merchant ship from Nanyang. It has already been planted extensively in Huzhou Prefecture, with many farmers starting to cultivate it.¡± ¡°Really? Is that so?¡± Madam Qian looked at the reddish-brown, shiny dried sweet potato in her hand while expressing astonished confusion. The other women were equally curious. Wei Ruo then took a piece of dried sweet potato and ate it in front of everyone. With Wei Ruo taking the lead, Madam Qian hesitantly had a taste. The dried sweet potato was transparent and jelly-like, soft and sweet, though simply prepared, it retained the unique flavor of sweet potatoes. Everyone else began to try the new ¡°pastry¡± Wei Ruo brought, upon observing this. The taste is great,¡± Madam Qian complimented. The other women started singing praises following suit. I have another kind of snack made from sweet potatoes, please try them as well.¡± Wei Ruo took out another brocade bag from her food box and undid the drawstring, allowing everyone to see clearly what was inside. It was sweet potato chips. The sweet potatoes were peeled, steamed, mashed into a puree, mixed with cooked sesame seeds, spread out into a thin layer on a mould, and then left under the sun for several days. After drying, they were cut into small pieces to form sweet potato chips, similar to potato chips in shape and texture. The former was soft and sweet, while the latter was exceptionally crispy, broke easily upon a light bite, but with a stronger flavor. ¡°Is this also made using the sweet potato you mentioned?¡± Madam Xie asked curiously. Yes, it is made of sweet potato, but the processing method is different,¡± Wei Ruo explained. After the introduction, Wei Ruo distributed the sweet potato chips for everyone to taste. Having experienced the dried sweet potato, everyone no longer hesitated and began to taste immediately upon receiving them. ¡°This also tastes pretty good,¡± Madam Qian commented. ¡°I like this more, it¡¯s crispy and fragrant,¡± The usually silent Xie Ying suddenly piped up, expressing her preference for the sweet potato chips. Madam Xie laughed, ¡°My Yingying rarely says she likes certain foods. Miss Wei¡¯s sweet potato chips seem to be exactly to my Yingying¡¯s taste.¡± With the words of Madam Qian and Madam Xie, other women of high birth also began to compliment Wei Ruo¡¯s sweet potato products in succession. Their approval was exactly the result Wei Ruo desired. Her sweet potatoes had already been planted, waiting to mature and for local sales to begin. To sell a type of food that hadn¡¯t been seen before in a place, it was essential to establish a foothold in the market and set a marketing strategy first. Today, Wei Ruo brought the dried sweet potato and sweet potato chips to share with everyone, for this very purpose. As long as these ladies representing the local upper class of Xingshan County accepted the food, she would not worry about her sweet potato sales in the future. Madam Yun¡¯s anxious heart fell with the praise of everyone. Wei Qing Wan had a strange feeling she couldn¡¯t describe, she just felt a lump in her chest, which made her feel a bit suffocated. While chatting and laughing, the monks of the temple served up the vegetarian meals. After having lunch together, the wives were going to the hall with the chief monk to recite prayers for blessings. Due to the tedious process of reciting the sutras, only the Madams were arranged to participate. The young girls had their time to wander and rest in the temple. After maintaining formality for half the day, they could finally relax and move around freely. Some of the familiar people formed groups to find places to play. Wei Ruo planned to find a corner by herself, but Wei Qing Wan followed her, ¡°Sister, where would you like to go?¡± Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Original Plot is Disrupted_l Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Original Plot is Disrupted_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother about me. Go and play with the other girls. Do what you have to do.¡± ¡°But, mother asked me to spend more time with you.¡± ¡°No need, no need. I can just find a corner and sit by myself.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts!¡± After Wei Ruo finished speaking, she didn¡¯t wait for Wei Qingwan to respond and ran away. Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t catch up with Wei Ruo, feeling dejected. She couldn¡¯t understand what Wei Ruo meant and vaguely sensed that Wei Ruo really doesn¡¯t like her, hence avoiding her. Wei Ruo was not in the mood to care about what Wei Qingwan was thinking, and after shaking her off, she started to find her way. Firstly, she absolutely must avoid the zen chambers at the back. The male lead was currently residing in the zen chambers behind Huafa Temple. To receive the female relatives today, the Huafa Temple did not receive any other pilgrims. However, the male lead, who was staying in the zen chambers behind the hill, was an exception. He had already moved in a few days ago, and because of his special identity, the temple didn¡¯t inform Madam Qian and the others in advance to maintain his secrecy. Under normal circumstances, the zen chamber was on the hill behind the temple and it was some distance away from the main building of the temple. The female visitors to the temple would be unlikely to encounter it. But what if the author wants the female lead and the male lead to meet? Then she, this cannon fodder female supporting character, would play her role in stirring up trouble. The original character was not well received, and she was embarrassed in public. Hearing others praise Wei Qingwan deepened her feelings of comparison and hurt. Moreover, the original character felt that what Wei Qingwan has now originally belonged to her, which intensified her anger. So the jealousy-filled and angry original character deliberately took Wei Qingwan to the back hill intending to find a quiet place to seek revenge on her. But then the male lead who was residing in the Zen dormitory of the back hill rescued her. The hero saved the beauty, scholars and beauties, and a wonderful story thus unfolded. This plot, how should I put it¡­ It could only be said that it was very appropriate for the cannon fodder female supporting character. Her methods of revenge were both clumsy and pale. And now, Wei Ruo has two things to do: First, to avoid Wei Qingwan, not to be with her. Wei Ruo will not intentionally hurt Wei Qingwan but in case the plot tries to stir up trouble, Wei Ruo has decided it would be better to not even see her. Second, to avoid the male lead, in the original novel, the original character died at the hands of the male lead in the end. Even though Wei Qingwan, as the innocent and pure-hearted female lead, always remained gracious and kind, the male lead is not the same. He would never be merciful towards a female supporting character who tried to hurt his beloved. After wandering around, Wei Ruo finally chose to sit under a ginkgo tree behind the Guanyin Hall. The trunk of the ginkgo tree was sturdy; even a few Wei Ruos together couldn¡¯t wrap their arms around it. In spring, the ginkgo tree was filled with green fan-shaped leaves. The small fans hanging from the branches of the tree looked attractive. Wei Ruo sat down leaning against the ginkgo tree trunk, closed her eyes to rest. The sunshine was just right, and the shade under the tree was cool. A gentle breeze blew, making it an ideal place for a nap. ¡°Why are you sitting here alone?¡± A voice suddenly appeared, interrupting Wei Ruo¡¯s daydreaming. ¡°Daydreaming.¡± Wei Ruo looked at Xie Ying and then closed her eyes again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to play with them?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to play. I¡¯m not interested in what they¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Then what are you interested in?¡± Xie Ying asked again. One question after another forced Wei Ruo to open her eyes and face Xie Ying directly. The little girl was about the same age as her current body, her face was delicate and plump, and there was a heroic spirit between her eyebrows. -Why is Miss Xie so curious about me?¡± Wei Ruo was puzzled. This Miss Xie should be quite popular, why did she not go and play with the others and instead run to her to ask questions? ¡°No, I¡¯m not interested in you. I¡¯m interested in the place where you¡¯re sitting now.¡± ¡°The place where I am sitting?¡± ¡°This ginkgo tree is my chosen place for some peace and quiet, which you¡¯ve occupied. If you are not particularly fond of this place, would you be able to give up this spot for me? I want to sit here alone for a while. Of course, if you promise not to disturb me, I can also allow you to stay here. Turns out they¡¯re birds of a feather! Wei Ruo smiled and said, ¡°I quite like sitting here too. I won¡¯t disturb you, we can each lie on one side. Look how thick the trunk of this ginkgo tree is, one person on each side can¡¯t even see the other. ¡°Sure then.¡± Xie Ying accepted Wei Ruo¡¯s proposal, went to the other side of the ginkgo tree and sat down. Separated by the trunk, on either side, neither disturbed the other. After an unknown period of time, a sudden noise drifted towards them, waking up the two lounging girls under the ginkgo tree. Wei Ruo and Xie Ying both lifted their heads and peeped out to look at each other. Their expressions were almost the same, containing a hint of grogginess from just waking up, and a trace of hesitation. Hesitant about whether they should go check it out. ¡°What do you think happened over there?¡± Xie Ying asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Do you think we should go over?¡± Wei Ruo asked Xie Ying. -Why don¡¯t we just lie down? Even if anything has happened, it probably has nothing to do with us,¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s lie down,¡± Wei Ruo agreed. The two were surprisingly in sync ¨C both wanting to loiter. And so, they both lay down again. Wei Ruo and Xie Ying rested peacefully leaning against the ginkgo tree, oblivious to the chaos that had erupted up ahead. The two people who were involved in the incident were Wei Qingwan and Magistrate¡¯s daughter Qian Zhilan. After being ditched by Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan found Qian Zhilan, who she got along with quite well. As the Magistrate¡¯s daughter, Qian Zhilan usually looked down upon other girls from Xingshan County. The assistants and county magistrates were all subordinate to her father, and only Wei Qingwan¡¯s family held a position similar to her father¡¯s. She admired Xie Ying, but Xie Ying didn¡¯t like her in return and didn¡¯t play with her. Wei Qingwan and Qian Zhilan walked around the temple admiring the scenery. At first, they just strolled around the temple, but the Huafa Temple in Xingshan County was not that large, so it didn¡¯t take them long to finish their tour. That was when Qian Zhilan spotted a quiet path through a small door on the west side of the temple and pulled Wei Qingwan along to check it out. After walking for a while, they discovered a zen chamber ahead, with blooming flowers and lush trees in front of it, creating a pleasant scene. The scene perfectly matched the verse from the poem: a winding path leading to a secluded, quiet spot, with a Zen room immersed in deep foliage. Qian Zhilan then pulled Wei Qingwan towards the zen chamber. When they approached, a man dressed as a servant scolded them and told them they were not allowed near it. Qian Zhilan revealed her identity and warned the man that they had exclusively booked the Huafa Temple for the day, and that the man, an idle person, was not allowed in, ordering him to leave at once. But the man ignored her, prompting Qian Zhilan to drag Wei Qingwan back to find her mother, and exaggeratedly described how they had found idlers near the zen chamber in the back. On hearing from her daughter that there was a suspicious-looking man, Madam Qian swiftly sent people to search the area around the zen chamber, causing a big stir. Upon hearing of Madam Qian¡¯s actions, the Abbot of the temple rushed over to stop them and revealed a shocking piece of news to everyone.. Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Why Didnt You Stay with Wanwanl Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Why Didn¡¯t You Stay with Wanwanl Translator: 549690339 The abbot revealed that a VIP was staying in the Zen room and Qian Zhilan and Wei Qingwan had run into his attendant. Although the man¡¯s identity was not directly stated, the abbot had mentioned the character ¡®Chu¡¯. ¡®Chu¡¯ was the surname of the current imperial family. With the conversation going this far, could anyone still not understand? Upon learning that her daughter had offended a highly placed relative of the emperor, Madame Qian and Madame Yun were both very nervous. Especially Madame Yun, whose husband was already facing the risk of being dismissed for ineffective fighting against pirates. If, during this critical moment, they would to offend a VIP, his official country hat would not be saved! After some consideration, Madame Qian sternly reprimanded her daughter in front of everyone, blaming her for being reckless. Qian Zhilan, usually spoiled at home, and who usually got whatever she wanted in front of others, felt both angry and aggrieved at being scolded by Madame Qian. In such a situation, she could only retract her neck and obediently take the rebuke. Now that Madame Qian had spoken, Madame Yun could not stay silent and followed in scolding Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan felt extremely wronged. All she did was walk with Qian Zhilan, how did that offend a VIP? Moreover, the person intending to visit the Zen room was Qian Zhilan, and the person who had a conflict with the VIP¡¯s attendant was also Qian Zhilan. She clearly did nothing! Wei Ruo and Xie Ying did not return to the dining hall until things had settled down. After hearing about what had happened from others, Wei Ruo was surprised. Unexpectedly, even without her, the secondary female character, playing a trick, Wei Qingwan still ended up going to the back-mountain Zen room. However, the person accompanying her was different, the incidents were different, and the results were different. In the original story, the person sent back by the male lead¡¯s attendant and chastised by Madame Yun was her. Wei Qingwan, on the other hand, was sent back by the male lead¡¯s servants without alarming anyone, and nobody knew about their meeting. Did the master staying in the Zen room not have feelings after seeing Wei Qingwan¡¯s beautiful and refreshing face? Or was it that, without her being bullied and appearing helpless and weak, this would not arouse the protection desire of the main male lead? These were all speculations that Wei Ruo had in a few short seconds, as for what the male lead in the Zen room was thinking, Wei Ruo did not know for now. Wei Ruo felt neither joy nor sorrow about Wei Qingwan being reprimanded. As long as it had nothing to do with her, she was happy. She refused to take responsibility for things she did not do. As for how the male and female leads would develop their love story, it had nothing to do with her anymore. Wei Qingwan stood behind Madame Yun with her head down, when she heard Wei Ruo¡¯s voice, she looked up for a moment, after seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s clear, cheerful, and lively appearance, she felt even more suffocated and depressed. Then she lowered her head again. Because of this unexpected incident, no one was in the mood to pray anymore. They hurriedly ended today¡¯s outing, everyone then descended the mountain, and returned to their respective homes. On the way back, Madame Yun looked at her two daughters in front of her, feeling mixed emotions. She had initially thought that the one who might be embarrassed today was Ruo, but it turned out to be the other way around. Wei Qingwan seemed to sense Madame Yun¡¯s disappointment in her, and tears that she had restrained for a long time fell from her eyes drop by drop. Seeing this, Madame Yun quickly comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. When you cry, my heart hurts like it¡¯s being cut by a knife.¡± ¡°Mother, I really didn¡¯t do anything or say anything¡­¡± Wei Qingwan defended herself with grievance. ¡°Mother knows, mother knows¡­ It¡¯s just that under such circumstances, I couldn¡¯t blame everything on Miss Qian.¡± ¡°I was originally going with sister today, but sister didn¡¯t want me to go with her. She ran away, I couldn¡¯t catch up. I met Zhilan when I was looking for sister, Zhilan said she wanted to go sightseeing around, so I went with her¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Madame Yun looked at Wei Ruo sitting in the corner of the carriage. ¡°Ruo, why didn¡¯t you want to go with Qingwan?¡± There was a hint of blame in her tone. After all, if Wei Ruo had gone with Wei Qingwan, there wouldn¡¯t have been subsequent events. Wei Qingwan wouldn¡¯t have suffered such an undeserved calamity. Wei Ruo: ¡°I am not familiar with these ladies, I can¡¯t read or write, and I can¡¯t participate in their games. I don¡¯t want to show my incompetence and disgrace the Wei family. But Wanwan is familiar with them, I can¡¯t be so selfish as to think only about myself and not let Wanwan play with them. As for why Wanwan encountered Miss Qian and why that incident happened, I had no idea.¡± Wei Ruo sighed, ¡°If I had known this would happen, I would have been better off not going today. Perhaps if I didn¡¯t go, Wanwan¡¯s playmate today wouldn¡¯t have been Miss Qian, right? It could have been someone else. I wonder who among them Wanwan gets along with the best?¡± Madame Yun was startled¡­ if Wei Ruo did not go, the person who gets along best with Wanwan would still be Miss Qian. In this way, putting the blame on Ruo for Wanwan¡¯s going to the back-mountain with Miss Qian seemed inappropriate. So, Madame Yun corrected herself: ¡°Mother is not blaming you. Mother is just afraid that for some reason you are unwilling to go with your sister.¡± ¡°Yes, I know mother cares for us.¡± Wei Ruo agreed. Wei Qingwan cried all the way, and it was only when they were almost home that she stopped crying. Upon returning to Wangmei Garden and hearing that Wei Qingwan had been wronged, both Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin came to visit her. Upon seeing Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin, Wei Qingwan¡¯s newly retracted tears started falling again. Upon hearing the ins and outs of the incident, Wei Yichen also thought Wei Qingwan was wronged. The person who caused the incident was Miss Qian. Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t speak a word, yet was implicated for no reason. Wei Yilin irritably asked, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t that Wei¡­ that older sister with you? If she was with you, wouldn¡¯t this have not happened?¡± Wei Qingwan just cried without saying a word. Wei Yichen said, ¡°Yilin, at this moment, Wanwan is innocent, but Ruo is also innocent. If she hadn¡¯t gone today, would the incident still not have happened? How can the incident be blamed on her?¡± ¡°But older sister herself sought her out to play. How could she just abandon older sister?¡± Wei Yilin countered. ¡°Ruo might still not be used to it. Today was her first time accompanying mother out, you can¡¯t demand so much of her.¡± Wei Yichen explained. Wei Yilin lowered his head and remained silent. Wei Yichen then spoke to Wei Qingwan, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t be sad. Mother knows you are innocent. The things she said about you in front of outsiders was only due to the presence of the Qian family. Don¡¯t take this matter to heart.¡± Wei Qingwan shook her head, ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s not because I have been wronged that makes me sad. I am worried because this incident has annoyed those important people and may harm Father¡­ My parents have treated me so well, if I caused them harm, I would never forgive myself.¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s heart ached, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen. If something does happen, it¡¯s not your fault, but the trick of fate.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Big Brother is right, sister, you must not blame yourself or feel sad over such things.¡± Wei Yilin concurred. Wei Qingwan sobbed for a long time before she could restrain herself. Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin stayed with Wei Qingwan for a while. When they saw that her mood had eased, they left.. Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Wasteland South of the Citv 1 Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Wasteland South of the Citv 1 Translator: 549690339 y¡ª The situation of the wasteland to the south of the city was explained in a letter by the wet nurse to Wei Ruo, indicating that land belonged to no one and was by law the property of the Government Office. If the common people wanted to cultivate it, they would require approval from the government. In the past, the magistrate of Xingshan County did not object to the reclamation of ordinary wastelands, and the wasteland to the south was even more unclaimed, given it was land that most people did not want. If someone had the guts to dare to till a barren piece of land where no crops would grow, they had no reason to disagree. However, the current situation is different due to the ravages of the Japanese Pirates. Although the southward direction of the city is less likely to be affected by the pirates due to its strategic geographical advantage, making it a hundred times safer than the east of the city, there are still risks involved, hence the Government Office is not very keen on allowing ordinary residents to exit the southern gate of the city. The common people can¡¯t get that land at all, as the Government Office won¡¯t permit it. If the Military Prefecture made a request, would this situation change? Although Wei Ruo did not want to have overt involvement with the Military Prefecture in such matters, the image of emaciated beggars she saw on the street plagued her mind from time to time. In addition, during these days, she was beginning to understand the plight of Xingshan County. While natural disasters and human suffering might not have affected the Military Prefecture significantly, it was the common people at the bottom of society who deeply felt the bitter effects. She knew that if the matter could be resolved, she would be able to help some people within her power. Although she could not assist everyone, every individual she could help meant a saved life! Moreover, she was indeed eager to experiment with improving saline-alkali soil. After much reflection, Wei Ruo decided to visit Yun, who lived in Cangyun Garden. Yun had just finished checking last month¡¯s account books with the shopkeeper. Just as the shopkeeper exited, Wei Ruo entered. ¡°Ruo, how come you¡¯re here today? Wait a moment, let your mom finish dealing with these account books,¡± Yun said without consciously avoiding Wei Ruo, not realizing that Wei Ruo might understand the content of the books. Wei Ruo was patient and stood by, scanning the contents of the account book Yun was handling. After browsing a few pages, she realized the shop was running at a loss. Unsurprisingly, the Wei Family had been falling on hard times for the past two years. Crop failure in the rural properties had led to corresponding losses in the shops. After a while, Yun finished going through the remaining account books, put them all away, and invited Wei Ruo to sit down next to her. ¡°Ruo, did you come to see me with a specific matter in mind?¡± Yun inquired. It had been over a month since Wei Ruo returned to the Wei Family, and this was only the second time she had sought Yun out. The first time, it was because she wanted to visit the rural property north of the city. Therefore, Yun was convinced that Wei Ruo must have some request this time too. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve heard that the yields from our family¡¯s rural properties have not been good these past two years. The crops produced aren¡¯t even sufficient for our own consumption,¡± Wei Ruo said. Upon hearing this, Yun¡¯s visibly paused; obviously, she had not expected Wei Ruo to say this. After a slight sigh, she responded, ¡°This is not something you need to worry about. I wonder which servant has been speaking out of turn. I need to correct them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the servants. When I went to the north of the city that time, I noticed it,¡± Wei Ruo explained. -Ah, right. You should understand these things,¡± Yun agreed. After all, she had grown up in the countryside and had been exposed to farming from a young age. It was only natural that she knew more than the typical lady shielded in the boudoir. Yun explained, ¡°The situation isn¡¯t unique to our family. The entire Xingshan County, even the whole Taizhou prefecture, has had poor harvests this past two years. Naturally, our properties in Xingshan County were not exempt.¡± ¡°However, Ruo, there is no need to worry too much. Our family situation isn¡¯t that dire. Thanks to your father¡¯s salary, we also have some savings. Life may be a little harder, but we won¡¯t be left destitute. The ones truly suffering are the common people. They already had a hard time dealing with the Japanese Pirates; these poor harvests only add insult to injury. Their lives grow harder each passing day.¡± Seeing that the conversation¡¯s atmosphere was suitable, Wei Ruo brought up the barren land to the south of the city. ¡°Mother, the barren land to the south is still vacant. If it could be cultivated, it might solve the food problem for many people,¡± she suggested. Yun shook her head with a smile, ¡°Ruo, it¡¯s a good thing that you are concerned about the family. But that wasteland is so barren that even weeds can barely grow there. It¡¯s just not suitable for farming.¡± ¡°Mother, when I was at Mo Jiazha, an old woman taught me a method to cultivate crops on barren land. Perhaps it could be applied to the barren land south of the city.¡± ¡°Different types of barren lands have different attributes. Xingshan County is near the sea, as everyone knows, and crops cannot grow on land near the sea. That¡¯s different from the land at Mo Jiazha.¡± ¡°What if that method works in this case too? Mother, if we were able to grow crops on barren land, that could feed many people. Furthermore, it would be a respectable achievement and could be hugely beneficial to father¡¯s political career.¡± Upon hearing Wei Ruo bring up Wei Mingting¡¯s political career, Yun¡¯s expression changed noticeably. However, after pondering over it a while, she still felt that the proposal was unrealistic. ¡°Ruo, your thought process is commendable, but the matter is really not as simple as you think¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, it is not simple. But, mother, even if we fail, there is no loss The public will know that we, the Wei Family, tried our best to ensure they had food to eat. This perception could be beneficial too,¡± Wei Ruo explained the pros and cons to Yun. Upon careful thought, Yun felt there was truth in Wei Ruo¡¯s argument. For the Wei family, reputation was of paramount importance. Gaining the respect and support of common people would potentially be very beneficial to her husband¡¯s promotion. Given the stagnant progress in resisting the Japanese pirates, the imperial court had already expressed its dissatisfaction with the soldiers of Xingshan County. Recently, there had even been rumours about removing all the soldiers from their posts in Xingshan County. This was also the reason why her husband had been absent of late, spending his days and nights trying to find a solution to the Japanese pirate situation. Yun felt slightly swayed. After deep thought, Yun said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Your mother can¡¯t make a decision on this matter. Let¡¯s wait until your father returns. I¡¯ll discuss it with him, and he can make the final call.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo was aware that if she wanted to push matters forward, Wei Mingting would have to take the initiative. ### At dinner that night, Wei Mingting was still absent. It had been ten days since he last dined with everyone. Counting the first day they met, Wei Ruo had only met him four times in total, and they barely spoke on each occasion. She initially thought she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to discuss the issue of the barren land south of the city with Wei Mingting that day. However, before Wei Ruo went to sleep, her maid Cuiping was called by Yun and asked to pass a message that her father wished to see her in Cangyun Garden. Wei Ruo got dressed again, went to Cangyun Garden, and saw Wei Mingting, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for quite some time. His stern and frosty demeanor was the same as always, but he seemed more weary compared to the last time they met. His arm was wrapped in a white bandage ¨C he must have been injured a few days ago. ¡°I just heard from your mother that you have a method of farming on the barren land to the south of the city, is that true?¡± asked Wei Mingting.. Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Fathers Trust_l Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Father¡¯s Trust_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s true, I wouldn¡¯t dare deceive about this matter. If you doubt me, father, I can experiment with a small plot of land first. If it succeeds, we can then move on to large-scale cultivation.¡± After answering, Wei Ruo looked at Wei Mingting, unsure of his attitude. Wei Mingting¡¯s expression was severe, his tone stern: ¡°Ruoruo, do you understand what it means being able to plant crops on salty land?¡± ¡°I understand. Father, I visited the north of the city a few days ago and saw many farmers and fishermen turned beggars. They were emaciated, starving. This is because Xingshan County has been facing a shortfall in grain production for years due to poor and limited arable land.¡± ¡°Father, although the task is significant, if it is successful it can benefit our family and the people. In addition to bringing profits to our family, it can also increase the farmland in Xingshan County, increase grain production, and sustain more people. I hope you will give me a chance. If I fail, I am willing to accept punishment.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s remarks left Wei Mingting looking surprised. He scrutinized Wei Ruo once more. Wei Ruo stood her ground, not blinking or backing down. She anticipated the situation unfolding like this when she first decided to ask Mrs. Yun about the abandoned land south of the city. ¡°Good, very good.¡± Wei Mingting, who was usually reserved, unexpectedly said ¡°good¡± twice. As a strict father, he rarely offered praise to his children. Even for Wei Yichen, who was an outstanding scholar, he hardly ever received such clear approval. This surprised Mrs. Yun, who was standing by. Wei Mingting told Ruo, ¡°The fact that you have this kind of vision is truly commendable. I will discuss this matter with the Magistrate. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, your willingness to try is commendable.¡± Wei Ruo looked up in surprise. She never expected Wei Mingting to agree so readily. She had prepared herself for further discussions with him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you have confidence?¡± Wei Mingting asked. ¡°No, I have confidence.¡± ¡°Then do your best. From what your mother tells me, you have been longing for the farming life. You¡¯ve also planted many vegetables in the courtyard.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Although farming is not refined, it is by no means shameful. Our dynasty has always valued farming. Cultivating the land and cultivating it well, for the country and for the people, is indeed a good deed.¡± Unexpectedly, Wei Mingting highly approved of Wei Ruo¡¯s actions. ¡°I understand, father.¡± ¡°It is getting late, you should go rest. When there¡¯s progress, I will send someone to inform you.¡± Wei Mingting looked exhausted and did not keep Wei Ruo for long. Once they were finished discussing, he dismissed her. On her way back, Wei Ruo recalled the conversation she had with Wei Mingting. In the original story, Wei Mingting didn¡¯t appear much due to his busy public affairs, reserved nature, and early death. Therefore, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know much about him. However, the conversation just now gave her a new understanding of Wei Mingting. After Wei Ruo left, Mrs. Yun helped Wei Mingting change his clothes and re-bandaged his arm. ¡°My lord, Ruo is still a girl after all. If she spends all day in the fields, I¡¯m afraid it might not be good for her future¡­¡± Mrs. Yun expressed her concern to Wei Mingting. ¡°Ruo has grown up in the countryside. It would be too hard for her if you expect her to be like Wanwan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect her to be as literate as Wanwan, but she can¡¯t also be like a farm woman.¡± Mrs. Yun voiced her concerns. ¡°Madam, over these years in Xingshan, you must have seen the suffering of the people. What does being refined or crude mean to the lower classes? People only care about being refined when they¡¯re well-fed. If they¡¯re struggling to survive, what¡¯s good or bad doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun had different views. After years in Xingshan, he had seen a lot of life and death, and a lot of poverty. He felt that in the face of these realities, the games played by the nobles in the capital were meaningless. ¡°What my lord says is true. For the common people, food and clothing are indeed the most important things.¡± Mrs. Yun hadn¡¯t expected Wei Ruo¡¯s thinking to coincide with her husband¡¯s. Although she had been married to him for many years, she often failed to understand his way of thinking. ¡°My lord, let¡¯s not think about these things right now. It¡¯s rare that you¡¯re home, so please get some rest. Look at your injury.¡± Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t want her husband to concern himself with such minor matters. Knowing that he must not have rested well in the barracks, hence his exhaustion and injury. The wound might not be deep but if not taken care of, it could leave a lasting ailment. Wei Mingting indeed needed some rest, as he had to return to the barracks the next morning. However, he was still concerned about the matter Wei Ruo had brought up. Before heading to the barracks the next day, he paid a visit to the Magistrate¡¯s Office to discuss the matter of the barren land south of the city. The magistrate was more than happy to grant the Wei family¡¯s request to attempt cultivation on the barren land. It wasn¡¯t that he was against others trying, but he was worried about security breaches, such as defectors or the risk of the county¡¯s defense map being leaked out, especially with non-Wei families. There were no such concerns with the Wei family, hence he readily agreed. Once it was decided, Wei Mingting sent a message home. With her husband being so committed to this matter, Mrs. Yun had nothing more to say. Mrs. Yun called Ruo over and shared the good news: ¡°Ruoruo, your father has sent word. You can start cultivating the wastelands on a small scale. If there¡¯s success, it will indeed be a significant achievement.¡± Even so, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t hold much hope for Ruo¡¯s success. ¡°Good.¡± Wei Ruo was delighted. She hadn¡¯t expected Wei Mingting to have handled the matter so promptly. ¡°Your father also said that you shouldn¡¯t feel too pressured, it doesn¡¯t matter if you are not successful there will not be great losses.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s attitude left Wei Ruo a little moved. Mrs. Yun then added, ¡°But Ruoruo, you¡¯re not young anymore, this is the time when you should be studying. I was planning to let you study with Mrs. Li once your etiquette is reasonable. I wanted you to go to the Magistrate¡¯s house to study with Wanwan and others, the Magistrate¡¯s wife has agreed too.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Magistrate¡¯s house to study. They and I are not the same kind of people. Forced studying will only make it harder. Let me do what I¡¯m good at.¡± Mrs. Yun: ¡°Ruoruo, you need to change your previous thinking. As a daughter of the Wei family, you should learn to be a lady who is knowledgeable, modest and wise. I understand the hardship you went through in the past few years in the country and won¡¯t be overly harsh. I don¡¯t expect you to be as scholarly profound as Wanwan.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°However, I may not be able to keep up with what Mr. Fu teaches at the Magistrate¡¯s house. If you really want me to study, I don¡¯t want to go to the Magistrate¡¯s house.¡± Not being able to keep up was Wei Ruo¡¯s excuse. The main goal was not to be with Wei Qingwan and Qian Zhilan.. Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Wei Jinyi Falls Ill i Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Wei Jinyi Falls Ill i Translator: 549690339 ¡°But if I send you to study with people younger than you, I worry that it will hurt your feelings,¡± Mrs. Yun explained. ¡°Can I find a tutor of my own?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°This¡­¡± Mrs. Yun revealed a troubled look, ¡°Ruo, inviting a female tutor is a complicated matter. Firstly, it¡¯s hard to invite one. An accomplished female tutor wouldn¡¯t easily agree to teach in an ordinary household. Secondly, paying a tutor is a considerable expense¡­¡± The Military Prefecture¡¯s expenditure was already tight, and they now had to arrange for their eldest son to have a tutor. There was no extra money to hire a special female tutor for Wei Ruo. ¡°What if I can find a female tutor who won¡¯t require pay?¡± Asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Ruo, don¡¯t be absurd,¡± Mrs. Yun frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around. I¡¯m serious. If I really can find a tutor who is willing to teach me without pay, will mother allow me to study alone and not with others?¡± ¡°Ruo, before discussing whether or not a tutor would be willing to teach you without pay, finding a female tutor is in itself a very difficult task. It¡¯s normal for you to not understand some things since you¡¯ve just returned home. But you must trust me, I am doing my best to make the best arrangements for you,¡± Mrs. Yun was clearly taken aback by the idea. Wei Ruo had to rely on her commitment to solve the food problem in Xingshan County as an excuse to stall going to study at the magistrate¡¯s office. ¡°At least I have that excuse,¡± she said. Mrs. Yun said: ¡°You can focus on the issues in the South City for the next few days, after which you should try to arrange for others in the Prefecture to do the work. You should prepare to study at the magistrate¡¯s office.¡± Wei Ruo replied: ¡°Understood.¡± ### Mrs. Yun assigned a maidservant named Zhang and two laborers to assist Wei Ruo. Zhang was reluctant to go to the desolate and potentially dangerous South City. Who would want to go there without good reason? Moreover, the young miss is eager to farm, an activity her old bones simply couldn¡¯t bear. But this was Mrs. Yun¡¯s order, so she had to obey it. Initially, Zhang assumed Wei Ruo would immediately lead the others to the South City. Surprisingly, her first instruction was for them to buy husks and straw, as well as collect leftovers from the kitchen. ¡°Young miss, didn¡¯t you promise the master to plant crops in the wasteland of the South City? What¡¯s with the straw and leftovers? Are you planning to raise pigs?¡± Zhang questioned. ¡°I do plan to farm. You just need to follow my instructions. I also need some well-sealed wooden barrels to store this stuff.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s plan left Zhang completely mystified, she had no idea what Wei Ruo intended to do. Seeing Zhang¡¯s confusion, Wei Ruo also noticed her lack of movement. ¡°Zhang, my mother sent you to assist me, not question me. If I can¡¯t complete this task, I will explain myself to my parents.¡± Wei Ruo said with a firm attitude, brooking no interruption. ¡°I understand,¡± Zhang suppressed her dissatisfaction and obediently agreed. What could she do? The master and madam had always been particularly tolerant of Wei Ruo. She didn¡¯t dare express her opinion! ### Inside the Wangmei Garden, Wei Qingwan learned about what Wei Ruo had been busy with and that their mother had postponed her arrangement to study at the magistrate¡¯s office. ¡°Mama, will it damage my sister¡¯s reputation if people find out she¡¯s spending so much time in the field?¡± Wei Qingwan asked Li, who was standing beside her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not good for her reputation. But you shouldn¡¯t worry too much, young miss. Wei Ruo has already adopted the habits of the countryside, it¡¯ll take time for her to learn proper manners, to not shame herself in front of others. She definitely can¡¯t be as well educated as you are.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. She has her strengths too. Her dried sweet potatoes and potato chips got everyone¡¯s approval last time.¡± Wei Qingwan muttered. ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be proud of. Those ladies complimented her only because they were hungry at the moment. She can¡¯t rely on sweet potatoes and potato chips for her reputation for the rest of her life.¡± Li appeared dismissive towards Wei Ruo¡¯s previous achievement. After hearing Li¡¯s evaluation of Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan¡¯s mood unsurprisingly improved greatly. ### For several days, Wei Ruo was very busy making preparations to improve the wasteland in the South City. She usually was so tired by the evening, that she immediately fell asleep until the next morning. One night, just like the others, Wei Ruo went to bed early and fell deep asleep. But a hurried knock on the door woke her from her dreams. She sat up and peeked into the outer room. Hearing the door open, she realized that Xiumei had gone out. After a while, Xiumei returned to the room. ¡°Miss, are you awake?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all that noise about?¡± ¡°Xiaobei from Yingzhu Garden came knocking. He said his young master has fallen sick.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s ill, he should see a doctor. What is he doing knocking on my door?¡± Wei Ruo was confused. ¡°Xiaobei says he tried to ask the people in the house to help look for a doctor, but no one paid any attention to him. He had no other choice but to come to us for help.¡± Yingzhu Garden was of low status within the Colonel¡¯s house, and the servants dared to ignore them. Although Wei Ruo had only recently returned to the Wei Family, her status within the house was clearly much higher than Wei Jinyi. No matter what the servants thought of her privately, they always treated her respectfully in person. Realizing this, Xiaobei thought that maybe Wei Ruo would be more successful in finding his young master help. ¡°Meimei, help me get dressed.¡± Wei Ruo got out of bed and as soon as she had dressed, she hurriedly headed towards the door. Xiaobei was still waiting at the entrance to Tingsong Garden. Seeing Wei Ruo come over, he immediately knelt down and pleaded, ¡°Young miss, I beg you, please save our young master. He is burning up and if this continues, things look grim! If you talk to the people in the house, they might agree to get a doctor for him.¡± Xiaobei had no other option. Asking for a doctor required the approval of a housekeeper, but he hadn¡¯t been able to meet with one. Considering the master has been away from home for several days due to work. He could only think of Wei Ruo, the young miss who had helped them twice, as the only possible person in the house who could help. ¡°Alright, I know. You get up first. Take me to your young master.¡± ¡°Good, good. Young miss, please follow me.¡± Xiaobei led Wei Ruo swiftly back to Yingzhu Garden. Upon entering the main room in the courtyard, Wei Ruo saw Wei Jinyi lying unconscious on the bed. Wei Jinyi, who was usually pale, now looked even paler, as if he were a sheet of paper. Wei Ruo reached out and touched Wei Jinyi¡¯s forehead, it was burning up. ¡°How long has your young master been sick?¡± Wei Ruo asked.. Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26 The Importance of Human Life_l Chapter 26: Chapter 26 The Importance of Human Life_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Yes it has been three days since the onset, but the symptoms weren¡¯t severe in the first two days. The young master said he was alright and would get better after some rest. However, his condition suddenly worsened last night, and he lost consciousness.¡± Xiaobei looked both anxious and worried. If only he had known this would happen, he should have asked the manager to find a doctor for the young master right away! ¡°Let¡¯s go, 1¡¯11 accompany you to find the manager,¡± Wei Ruo stood up and began to head outside. She and Wei Jinyi weren¡¯t very familiar with each other. Given the situation in the Wei Family, it would not be suitable for her to reveal too much about her medical skills. It is always better to delegate issues that can be addressed by familiar faces in the household themselves. The current manager of the Wei Residence¡¯s backyard was Stewardess Li, who usually lived in a room adjacent to Wangmei Garden. Xiaobei knocked on the door, but the residents of Wangmei Garden ignored his plea. When Wei Ruo knocked, they reluctantly opened it after some hesitation. ¡°Miss, what brings you here at this late hour?¡± Cuihe cautiously inquired Wei Ruo. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Wei Ruo asked Cuihe directly, seeking the whereabouts of stewardess Li. ¡°She¡¯S¡­ She¡¯s in the room on the west¡­¡± Cuihe nervously replied. The fact that a servant like Li was allowed to reside in such rooms shows her remarkable status within the Wei Family. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t bother to argue with Cuihe and instead headed straight for the west room. She knocked for quite some time before the door finally opened. A disgruntled Stewardess Li appeared, ¡°Miss, if you have anything to discuss, it can wait till morning. What¡¯s the proper decorum for raising a racket at this late hour?¡± ¡°This is a matter of life and death! You don¡¯t care if I am shouting or not! The second young master has slipped into unconsciousness, if he dies, would you be able to bear the consequences?¡± Wei Ruo questioned. -He was fine during the day, how did he become unconscious by night? The second young master always seemed healthy to me. Why would he faint all of a sudden7 Don¡¯t create unnecessary drama, it¡¯s not a serious illness, and it won t make any difference if the doctor was invited tomorrow morning. Where would I find a doctor in the dead of night?¡± ¡ö¡öOf course, you¡¯d go to the medical hall!¡± Wei Ruo pulled Stewardess Li out of the house. At this Li¡¯s anger flared, ¡°How dare you! You have no respect for elders! I came from the Earl Residence, even the Madam has to show me some respect. You dare to drag me like this!¡± -Even with seniority, you are but a stewardess! And regardless of how the second young master is disliked, he is still the master! I ask you to get a doctor for the master, and you throw tantrums! And you have the audacity to say you are a respected stewardess from the Earl Residence! I demand to know where your manners have gone?¡± Wei Ruo exclaimed. Normally, Wei Ruo would tolerate people putting up airs in front of her, but when it came to matters of life and death, her temper flared uncontrollably. ¡°HOW dare you! I will not fetch a doctor today! See what you can do about it!¡± Stewardess Li stood arrogantly with her chest puffed up. The noise was loud enough to wake Wei Qingwan. Seeing Wei Ruo dragging Li, Wei Qingwan rushed over anxiously and protested, ¡°Sister, what are you doing? The old lady is frail, you should not drag her like this, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± When nobody paid her any heed, she attempted to intervene and separate Wei Ruo and Li. At this moment, Li, who was extremely angry, felt someone tugging her and pushed without realizing that it was Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan was pushed onto the ground. Upon seeing Wei Qingwan fallen on the ground, Li quickly regained her senses and hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Miss, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Stewardess¡­ My foot¡­ My foot hurts a lot¡­¡± Wei Qingwan grimaced and looked at her injured foot, her face as pale as a sheet. Stewardess Li was distraught and immediately instructed her daughter, ¡°Cuihe, hurry! Find the Madam! Inform her that Miss has injured her leg! And tell the gatekeeper Xiaobei to get a doctor from Baohe Hall immediately!¡± Then with a hard glare at Wei Ruo, Stewardess Li hissed, ¡°See what trouble you¡¯ve caused, Miss!¡± Wei Ruo, face cold, shrugged and turned away. She knew there would be no easy resolution to the trouble caused tonight. But the patient at the Yingzhu Garden couldn¡¯t wait. If they waited until the morning to find a doctor, it would be too late. Wei Ruo returned to Yingzhu Garden, ordering Xiumei to bring her emergency medical kit. Xiumei hesitated for a moment, gripped Wei Ruo¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Miss, are you planning to help the second young master yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ö¡öBut Miss, if the second young master recovers, it will be even more difficult for you to justify what happened in Wangmei Garden tonight! Stewardess Li insists that there¡¯s nothing wrong with the second young master and accuses you of creating a ruckus. How are you going to explain this to the Madam. Xiumei too was aware that the incident tonight would not end well. Her missy was in trouble. ¡°Even so, I cannot sit by and let a life be lost. If he dies or gets injured, can my innocence be proven? However, if my innocence is proven by endangering a life, it would mean nothing,¡± Wei Ruo responded with determination. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s resolute attitude, Xiumei knew what she had to do. ¡°1 understand, I will follow your command!¡± she turned and rushed towards Tingsong Garden to get the medical kit for Wei Ruo. She knew her missy well. Even though she always uttered that she valued money the most and would not make a deal with a loss, when it came to matters of life and death, she would discard all profits to do what was right. Wei Ruo then ordered Xiaobei to fetch cold water and a towel. Xiaobei promptly fetched the water. ¡°Go and remove your master¡¯s blanket and clothes,¡± instructed Wei Ruo. ¡°Remove¡­ his clothes?¡± Xiaobei was taken aback. ¡°He¡¯s already burning up, if you keep him insulated are you not afraid of cooking him alive? Just do as I say, without any hesitation. Otherwise, your master¡¯s life is in danger!¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­ modesty between the sexes¡­¡± Xiaobei hesitated. ¡°in matters of life and death, do you think it matters? Besides, he is my brother!¡± Even if they share different mothers, siblings are siblings! Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Saving Wei Jinyi_l Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Saving Wei Jinyi_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Xiaobei rushed to do it. He exposed Wei Jinyi¡¯s chest by flipping open the blanket covering him and unbuttoning his upper clothes. Contrary to Wei Ruo¡¯s expectation, Wei Jinyi wasn¡¯t as frail as he appeared to be. Instead, his muscle blocks were firm without excessive bulkiness ¨C forceful but not overly muscular. At this moment, Xiumei came back with Wei Ruo¡¯s ¡°emergency medical kit¡±. ¡°Take out a single tablet from the bottle with the red label, mix it with a bowl of water, stir well and feed it to him.¡± Wei Ruo continued to instruct. Having spent many years by Wei Ruo¡¯s side, Xiumei was adept at assisting her. Quickly, she dissolved the pill and handed it over to Xiaobei. ¡°What are you standing there for? Hurry up and feed it to your young master!¡± Xiumei urged Xiaobei as she saw him stalling. ¡°Where¡­where did Miss get this medicine?¡± Xiaobei asked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Merely knowing that it can save your young master is enough! Do you think our Miss will harm your young master? Is it necessary to bother about harming him when his condition is already this bad?¡± ¡°Alright¡­alright¡­¡± Unable to think beyond this, Xiaobei moved to the bedside with the bowl of medicine. Carefully, he fed the medicine to Wei Jinyi using a spoon. Wei Ruo soaked a towel in cold water, wringed it dry, and then wiped Wei Jinyi¡¯s upper body with it. Subsequently, she opened the acupuncture kit, pulling out long and thin silver needles. Seeing the silver needles, Xiaobei turned pale and his hand trembled, causing the medicine to spill from the spoon. On the side, Xiumei reproached him with concern, ¡°Be careful, our Miss put a lot of effort into making this medicine!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted, just do your task. At this point, you have no choice but to trust me.¡± Wei Ruo stated sternly. ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­¡± With continual affirmations from Xiaobei, he forced himself to concentrate on his task. Swiftly and accurately, Wei Ruo performed acupuncture on Wei Jinyi, striking him with a dozen needles in no time. Just then, there was a big commotion outside the door. Someone was coming. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiumei looked at Wei Ruo with worry. ¡°You guard the door, I¡¯ll be done in a moment.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Yes.¡± Upon receiving the command, Xiumei went to the door. The visitors were Nurse Zhang and Maid Cuiping from Madam Yun¡¯s side. ¡°Is the young lady home?¡± Nurse Zhang asked Xiumei gravely. ¡°Yes,¡± Xiumei replied. ¡°Please fetch the young lady out. Madame is waiting for her in Wangmei Garden.¡± Nurse Zhang requested. ¡°Please wait a moment, Madam. Our young lady has something to deal with, and she will come out as soon as she¡¯s finished.¡± Xiumei didn¡¯t budge, using her body to block the door. ¡°What are we waiting for? Escaping doesn¡¯t solve anything. Had we known earlier, we should have been more restrained.¡± Nurse Zhang naturally assumed that Wei Ruo was avoiding punishment. ¡°Our young lady is not escaping.¡± ¡°Not escaping? Then what is she doing right now?¡± ¡°Our young lady just needs a bit more time, so could Madam please wait a while.¡± Xiumei repeated her sentence. Seeing this, Nurse Zhang sighed, ¡°It¡¯s good that you protect your young lady, but now that the Madame wants to see her, your blocking will invite the Madame¡¯s reproach. And I fear even the young lady can¡¯t save you then. You and I are both servants, it¡¯s better to do our duty and not to provoke the master.¡± Nurse Zhang gave some extra advice, seeing Xiumei was only about thirteen or fourteen. ¡°If Madam wants to punish me, I accept. But now, could Madam and Sister Cuiping please wait a while, my young lady will be out in a moment.¡± Xiumei was stubborn and only took Wei Ruo¡¯s words seriously. ¡°You have yet to learn your lesson! If you are always this stubborn, you will be at a great disadvantage! Never mind, I will not talk to you anymore.¡± Seeing that Xiumei wasn¡¯t persuaded, Nurse Zhang and Cuiping advanced together to forcefully break the door. Xiumei pressed her back tightly against the door. Without resisting Zhang and Cuiping¡¯s actions, she didn¡¯t budge an inch, blockading the door steadfastly. Inside, Wei Ruo heard the quarrel outside, but she was engrossed in completing the acupuncture for Wei Jinyi. After finishing, Wei Ruo quickly packed away the acupuncture kit to prevent anyone coming in from seeing it. ¡°He¡¯ll continue to be unconscious for a while, but if all goes well, he¡¯ll wake up by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Really¡­ is it true?¡± Xiaobei looked at Wei Ruo in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt, I don¡¯t joke around with people¡¯s lives. There are two more tablets in the bottle. Dilute one with a bowl of water as I instructed earlier. After your young master wakes up, feed him a bowl, and another bowl tomorrow night.¡± Wei Ruo further instructed. ¡°Alright, alright. I got it!¡± Xiaobei promptly agreed. Wei Ruo addressed Xiaobei, who wore a blank look, ¡°Do not disclose to anyone what I did for your young master today. Can you do it?¡± Xiaobei was stunned for a moment, then nodded blankly. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know whether he understood or not. Regardless, she had no other option now. Saving a life was her own choice, and she was ready to bear any consequence that came with it. Wei Ruo looked towards the door and guessed roughly why Madame Yun had sent for her. ¡°Look after your young master well. I have other troubles to deal with.¡± After instructing Xiaobei, Wei Ruo walked to the door and opened it. Nurse Zhang and Maid Cuiping outside the door looked embarrassed. Despite their struggles, they gained nothing from Xiumei. The two of them were panting from exertion due to all their effort but failed to pull away Xiumei blocking the door. Wei Ruo first looked carefully at Xiumei to ascertain that she wasn¡¯t hurt in the argument, then said to Nurse Zhang and Maid Cuiping, ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for my maid. I¡¯ll go with you now.¡± ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiumei looked anxiously at Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go back to Tingsong Garden first.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. Xiumei was still worried, but she chose to trust Wei Ruo. Adjusting her clothes, Nurse Zhang looked annoyed and helpless, ¡°If the young lady had come out earlier, nothing would have happened. Why make everyone go through so much trouble? Mind your demeanor when you meet the madam later.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. It is urgent, isn¡¯t it?¡± After saying this, she walked ahead of Nurse Zhang. Seeing this, Nurse Zhang and Maid Cuiping hurried behind her, as if they were afraid of Wei Ruo running off. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have any intentions of running. Within the Wei Residence, where could she possibly run to? Wei Ruo was taken to Wangmei Garden by Nurse Zhang and Maid Cuiping ¨C it was brightly lit. The already asleep Madam Yun was now sitting solemnly in the main room, properly dressed. Nurse Li was kneeling before her. Wei Ruo stood next to Nurse Li, calmly facing Madam Yun. Madam Yun stared at Wei Ruo, questioning angrily, ¡°What is the meaning of this, Ruoruo? Why did you create a scene in Wanwan¡¯s courtyard in the middle of the night? You even pushed Wanwan and caused her injury! Do you know, Wanwan bled a lot from her foot!¡± Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Face-to-Face Confrontation 1 Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Face-to-Face Confrontation 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Lady Yun was now doing her best to suppress her anger. I didn¡¯t make a fuss, I simply asked Granny Li to find a doctor for Yichen. Moreover, I didn¡¯t cause anyone to get hurt.¡± Wei Ruo replied, her voice steady and composed. Granny Li quickly explained, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to find a doctor for the Second Young Master, but 1 believed his illness was not serious, and planned to arrange for one tomorrow. I had informed the Second Young Master¡¯s attendant of this, and made it clear to Miss when she came to ask. I don¡¯t know why she stirred up a scene over it, and even caused the Second Miss to fall and get hurt.¡± ¡°You said Yichen¡¯s illness isn¡¯t serious? And that I pushed Wei Qingwan?¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze swept coldly over Granny Li. ¡°Everyone saw the Second Young Master today when he was perfectly fine. The servants can bear witness to that!¡± Granny Li knelt on the ground, defending herself. ¡°How ridiculous. Who told you that someone who is fine during the day won¡¯t be seriously ill at night? Haven¡¯t you heard of the saying ¡®illness strikes like a landslide¡¯? If you can so easily determine whether or not a person is severely ill, why haven¡¯t you become a doctor?¡± ¡°If Miss insists that this old servant deliberately neglected the Second Young Master¡¯s condition, could she clarify what I could possibly gain from doing so?¡± Granny Li asked Wei Ruo. ¡°All you think is that since the Second Young Master is not favored, you can bully your master with impunity!¡± Let¡¯s see if she still dares to act like this if Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin were watching! ¡°What nonsense is Miss speaking? When has the Second Young Master ever been unfavored? Madam is kind and generous, treating all the children in the house equally, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, young or old. They are all loved! Where would we servants dare to be neglectful?¡± Granny Li hurriedly said. Granny Li¡¯s words made Lady Yun¡¯s already grim face look even more displeased. Indeed, she didn¡¯t care much for Wei Jinyi, but she had never skimped on his expenses! Wei Ruo¡¯s words ¡°not favored¡± were like a slap in her face! Seeing Lady Yun¡¯s face becoming even darker, Granny Li knew her words were having an effect. Then, with a grieving expression on her face, Granny Li continued, ¡°Indeed, I made the decision to call the doctor tomorrow based on the fact that the Second Young Master didn¡¯t seem seriously ill! If Miss is dissatisfied with my judgement and handling of the matter, she should confront this old servant and not vent her anger on the Second Miss. She didn¡¯t do anything, yet inexplicably was pushed to the ground by you and bled a lot¡­¡± Granny Li started wiping away her tears, ¡°My poor Second Miss, even if Miss kills me today I will not resent it, but what about the beautiful, young Second Miss who has suffered such hardship¡­ if this accident results in any lingering ailments, what are we to do¡­¡± Granny Li started shifting the conversation, hinting in her words that Wei Ruo had intentionally harmed Wei Qingwan. Hearing this, Lady Yun was fuming, and hit the tea table with force, ¡°Ruoruo, you have gone too far! You caused trouble in Wangmei Garden without understanding the full context and pushed Wanwan to the ground, causing her to get hurt! What has Wanwan done to displease you for you to treat her like this?¡± Seeing Lady Yun¡¯s fury, Wei Ruo had to silently praise Granny Li¡¯s cunning. We Ruo responded, ¡°Firstly, I was seeking out Granny Li for Yichen¡¯s illness; secondly, I did not push Wei Qingwan. These are the two facts, if you choose to believe me, you can, if not, there is nothing I can do.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s voice was loud and confident, her gaze steady and unflinching. ¡°You say it wasn¡¯t you who pushed Wanwan?¡± Lady Yun asked again. Correct, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Wei Ruo affirmed confidently. Fine, I will take you to confront Wanwan now, and we¡¯ll see who is lying!¡± Lady Yun stood up in anger. She led the way, with Zhou Granny and Wei Ruo following behind. Upon entering the bedroom, Wei Ruo saw Wei Qingwan lying on the bed, looking pale. Her foot was bound in white cloth, obscuring the severity of the injury. ¡® Mother¡­¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes welled up with tears again when she saw Lady Yun. Right away, Lady Yun rushed to Wei Qingwan, holding her tightly in her arms, ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯ve suffered.¡± After comforting Wei Qingwan for a while, she finally stopped crying. Then, Lady Yun asked Wei Qingwan, ¡°Wanwan, can you tell me how you fell tonight?¡± Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan hesitated, looking anxiously at Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo was also watching Wei Qingwan, taking in every expression and movement. There was no bad blood between her and Wei Qingwan, not even in the original novel, where there was no instance of Wei Qingwan consciously harming her. Wei Ruo was curious about how the kind and gentle heroine of the original text would respond at this moment. Wei Qingwan felt intimidated under Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze, unsure if she should repeat what Granny Li had told her to say. Off to the side, she noticed Granny Li watching her. When Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t respond, Lady Yun told her, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t hesitate. Whoever pushed you, just say it. I will ensure justice is served.¡± ¡°It¡­it w-was¡­ Sister¡­¡± Wei Qingwan stuttered as she said the word ¡°sister¡±. Immediately, every gaze in the room returned to Wei Ruo. Stern, accusing, and angry. Yet, Wei Ruo found herself wanting to laugh. Who could have thought that the gentle and virtuous protagonist of the novel would lie and defame her? Lady Yun turned to Wei Ruo, ¡°What else do you have to say now?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°Indeed, I want to say that Wei Qingwan is framing me. I didn¡¯t push her, yet she accuses me of doing so.¡± Lady Yun laughed in exasperation, ¡°You¡¯re becoming more and more outrageous! I really misjudged you! I thought that although you grew up in the countryside, you wouldn¡¯t have taken on any bad habits. As it turns out, I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pick up any bad habits, there are no bad habits in the countryside for me to pick up, farming isn¡¯t a bad habit. The simple villagers don¡¯t have any either, the ones with bad habits are those who tell lies with their eyes wide open and slander others!¡± Wei Ruo said all this while staring fiercely at Wei Qingwan, who was lying on the bed. Whether it was from being startled by Wei Ruo¡¯s glare or guilt, Wei Qingwan lowered her head and began to wipe away her tears. Anger surged in Lady Yun¡¯s heart, ¡°You still won¡¯t admit your mistake? What are you looking at Wanwan for? What else do you want to do to her?¡± Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Locked in the Firewood Room 1 Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Locked in the Firewood Room 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ªX I will not admit to a mistake I did not make.¡± Wei Ruo insisted. Lady Yun was livid: ¡°Cuiping, Zhang Mama, take her to the firewood shed¡¯ Don¡¯t allow her any food! She¡¯s only allowed out once she admits her mistake!¡± Madam!¡± Zhang Mama and Cuiping were both shocked. This was the first time the Madam had been angered enough to order someone be confined to the firewood shed. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for!¡± Lady Yun ordered. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Cuiping and Zhang Mama approached Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss¡­¡± ¡°I can walk on my own.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t waste any words. She turned around and started to walk. Upon arriving at the firewood shed, Zhang Mama whispered to Wei Ruo ¡°Miss you should just apologize to the Madam. Admit your mistake, promise to correct yourself, and she will forgive you.¡± ¡°I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?¡± Zhang Mama sighed helplessly and could only lock the shed doors. The moment the firewood shed was locked, Wei Ruo was enveloped in total darkness. The air was filled with the mixed scent of dry firewood and dust. Wei Ruo found a heap of straw and sat down on it. The only source of light coming into the shed was from a small window near the top, divided by a few wooden sticks, splitting the moonlight into fragments. The Grain Rain had already passed, but maybe because these years had been particularly cold, the night was still slightly chilly. Wei Ruo involuntarily drew herself into a ball to minimize the loss of body heat. She barelly can remember the time when she had just been sent from the He Family to the Mo Jiazha¡¯s detached house. It was very cold at night then. Her nanny and Xiumei slept next to her, the three of them huddled together at night. Although the temperature on that day was even colder, her heart was warm. She didn¡¯t want to go back to the Wei Family, but she did. She didn¡¯t want to fight with Wei Qingwan, but she inexplicably ended up doing Even though she tried extremely hard to avoid any strife with her family, she somehow got pulled into it. Leaning against the mud wall of the firewood shed, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but recall her past life. In her past life, she had a drunken, abusive father and a compliant, submissive mother. Even though she got into a top university and learned much from her mentor through her own talent and hard work, she ultimately couldn¡¯t escape the rotting family she was born into. Her drunkard father came demanding living expenses from her just after she graduated. When she refused, her father started to beat her. Her mother tried to shield her, protecting her in her arms, but was beaten to death by her father who had lost all sense of reason. Then she picked up a pair of scissors from the table and stabbed her father to death. In this life, she worked hard to earn money. She was determined to build a life for herself through her own efforts, not relying on the pity of others. But she still couldn¡¯t change anything. As soon as she made the others in the house unhappy, she was punished. m her past life, she couldn¡¯t take control of her own fate through education. And in this life, she was also helpless. This feeling of helplessness enveloped her, leaving her breathless. ### The doctor that rushed to the Military Prefecture had diagnosed Wei Qingwan. After finishing, he went to write prescriptions and prepare her medicine. He left Li Mama and Cuihe to look after Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan wore an anxious expression, tentatively asking Granny Li, Granny, will my lies be discovered?¡± -No, Miss, rest assured, the heavens and the earth know, you and I know no one else will, as long as you don¡¯t show any signs of cowardice no one will know.¡± Granny Li comforted. ¡°But Granny, my heart is uneasy¡­ I know lying is wrong, but I can¡¯t bear to see you punished, you¡¯re my most cherished Granny¡­¡± ¡°This old servant knows, Miss is kind-hearted, you chose to lie this time for my sake, I am grateful for this favor!¡± Granny Li replied graciously. ¡°But seeing Sister being punished by Mother, I feel very guilty¡­ I didn¡¯t intend for things to become so serious, I thought with Mother¡¯s love for Sister she wouldn¡¯t punish her so harshly by locking her in the woodshed¡­¡± Wei Qingwan sobbed. ¡°The Miss being locked in the woodshed has her own part to play, Miss you also saw, she was making a fuss in front of Madam, disregarding respect for elders and younger ones.¡± ¡°Mother has always been kind-hearted, Brother has made errors multiple times, but Mother only ever made him copy books as punishment, never has she done anything as severe as locking him in the woodshed¡­ I thought Sister would at most be made to copy books¡­¡± ¡°Obviously, Madam is truly furious this time, this also shows Madam¡¯s concern for you, Miss. If it were someone else, Madam definitely wouldn¡¯t have gotten so angry, but you are the apple of Madam¡¯s eye, she can¡¯t tolerate any mishap, even if it is Wei Qingruo.¡± Granny Li explained to Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan was genuinely touched by her words, does her mother really regard her so highly? Is her place in mother¡¯s heart really that much higher than Wei Qingruo¡¯s? ¡°Granny, when it is dawn, take me to see Mother to plead in Sister¡¯s favor. Tell her my injuries are not serious, so that she wouldn¡¯t punish Sister anymore ¨C Wei Qingwan said. ¡°Of course, waiting for dawn, then we¡¯ll go. Miss, stop thinking about this for now, you should rest awhile.¡± Granny Li said. Granny Li warned again, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t speak of today¡¯s events from now on, let it rot in your belly, don¡¯t bring it up in the future.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip and nodded in agreement. ### Wei Jinyi opened his eyes, his head still throbbed, but his body felt significantly better. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Xiaobei was extremely excited. Hmm¡­¡± Wei Jinyi replied, his throat hurt a bit when he spoke. ¡°Miss did not lie to me, she indeed could cure you!¡± ¡°Miss? She was here?¡± Xiaobei hurriedly recounted the events to Wei Jinyi. ¡°You mean, I¡¯m awake because she saved me?¡± Xiaobei¡¯s words left Wei Jinyi greatly surprised. Wei Ruo had caused a commotion at Wangmei Garden for him, even defying the Madam¡­ ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°She was taken away by the people sent by the Madam. Those people were fierce, they probably wanted to punish her!¡± Wei Jinyi propped himself up with a weak hand, attempting to get up. ¡°What are you doing young master? You haven¡¯t recovered, Miss said you needed more rest!¡± ¡°Help me up.¡± Wei Jinyi was pale, but his words were final. Left with no choice, Xiaobei assisted Wei Jinyi off the bed. ¡°Get dressed, we¡¯re heading to Cangyun Garden.¡± ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Xiaobei was helpless, he got Wei Jinyi dressed as instructed. After a few steps, Wei Jinyi suddenly stopped. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± xiaobei was shocked. Wei Jinyi appeared to have thought of something, and he revised his instructions: ¡°Help me back to bed.¡± Xiaobei didn¡¯t know what caused his young master to change his mind, he only knew it was a good thing that the young master was willing to go back and rest, so he quickly helped Wei Jinyi back. After Wei Jinyi settled back on his bed, he told Xiaobei, ¡°Go and find Guard Jing Hu immediately, tell him that my illness worsened and I¡¯m unconscious, with my life hanging by a thread..¡± Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Wei Mingtings Rage 1 Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Wei Mingting¡¯s Rage 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ã ¡ª ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaobei was confused, somewhat unable to grasp the meaning of his young master¡¯s words. ¡°No matter who comes later, don¡¯t let them know that I¡¯ve awakened, and continue pretending that I am unconscious,¡± Wei Jinyi added. China was somewhat baffled as to why Wei Jinyi would arrange things in such a way, but as a servant who had been with Wei Jinyi for over ten years, he had complete trust in his young master¡¯s judgment. Thus, he immediately carried out the order, and relayed the young master¡¯s instructions to Guard Jing Hu. Shortly thereafter, Jing Hu quickly sprang into action, mounted his horse, and galloped out the gate. ### As the Dragon Boat Festival drew near, the dawn light broke exceptionally early, and while the moon had not yet disappeared, the eastern horizon was already gleaming white. A man clad in armor was riding a galloping horse. The horse came to a halt at the entrance of the Wei Residence, and as soon as it stopped, Wei Mingting jumped off. Not waiting for the servant at the gate to approach him, he swiftly entered the residence. The Wei Family had just returned to calm at that moment. As Wei Mingting walked briskly into the Cangyun Garden, everyone in the garden was taken aback. ¡°My Lord?¡± Lady Yun was surprised to see her husband return home so early. With a grim face, Wei Mingting asked, ¡°How is Jinyi now?¡± ¡°Jinyi?¡± Lady Yun was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m asking about Jinyi¡¯s current condition!¡± Wei Mingting spoke sharply. Lady Yun didn¡¯t know how to respond, and was at a loss for a moment. Just then, the doctor who had previously treated Wei Qingwan arrived. After examining Wei Qingwan last night, he confirmed that her condition was not serious and had merely applied some medicine. The remaining medicine was to be delivered this morning. Wei Mingting directly asked the doctor, ¡°What is my son¡¯s condition now?¡± Even the doctor was taken aback. ¡°Lord Wei¡­ has your son also fallen ill?¡± The color on Wei Mingting¡¯s face became even colder upon hearing this. With that, he immediately turned and left for Yingzhu Garden. Lady Yun was stunned. Over the years of their marriage, there were very few occasions when she had ever seen her husband looking so grim. She hurriedly followed after him, bringing along the doctor. They entered Yingzhu Garden. The courtyard was desolate and quiet, and there was not a single person at the entrance of the bedroom. Pushing open the bedroom door, Wei Mingting saw only Xiaobei standing guard in the room with Wei Jinyi lying down on the bed. Rushing over to the bedside, Wei Mingting, upon seeing Wei Jinyi pale and unconscious on the bed, was outraged. ¡°What happened?!¡± Xiaobei dropped to his knees, ¡°Young master felt a chill a few days ago and was feeling a bit unwell. I suggested we call a doctor, but the young master brushed it off as a minor ailment, thinking that he would be fine after drinking some ginger tea to dispel the cold. Who would have thought that late last night his condition worsened, and he has been unconscious since then¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find a doctor?!¡± ¡°I went to the manager¡¯s room to seek help to get a doctor, but the servants at Wangmei Garden wouldn¡¯t let me in. I was out of options and pleaded with the young mistress. She stormed into Wangmei Garden with me and we found manager Li. But manager Li said the young master¡¯s illness wasn¡¯t serious and refused to call a doctor¡­¡± Kneeling on the ground, Xiaobei nervously recounted the events of the previous night. Aside from the fact that Wei Jinyi had remained unconscious, everything else he said was true. With a swift turn of his head, Wei Mingting focused his gaze on the doorway. Upon seeing Wei Jinyi lying unconscious on the bed, Lady Yun had already turned pale. ¡°Given the state he¡¯s in, why didn¡¯t you call a doctor?¡± Wei Mingting interrogated Lady Yun. ¡°Yesterday Wanwan hurt her foot, and I was worried about her¡­ I didn¡¯t manage to¡­ I thought Jinyi was okay¡­¡± Lady Yun hurriedly explained. Wei Mingting turned to question the doctor, ¡°How serious is my daughter¡¯s injury?¡± The doctor, unaware of what had happened, replied honestly, ¡°The young lady¡¯s injuries are not serious, it¡¯s just some skin abrasions that have not injured the muscles and bones. There will be no lasting issues. Please rest assured, my lord.¡± After listening to the doctor, Wei Mingting was even angrier, ¡°Wanwan just has bruises, but Jinyi is on the verge of dying! You had the doctor come over, but only cared to have him look at Wanwan¡¯s foot! Are you trying to kill Jinyi¡¯?!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lady Yun was flustered. She truly did not know that Wei Jinyi was so seriously ill. She had taken the words of manager Li at face value, assuming that Wei Jinyi¡¯s severity was just an excuse made by Wei Ruo to gain access to Wangmei Garden! Now, seeing the critically ill Wei Jinyi and the furious Wei Mingting, Lady Yun had no rebuttal in her defense. Wei Mingting ordered the doctor, ¡°You must examine my son quickly!¡± ¡°Ye¡­ yes!¡± The doctor was intimidated by Wei Mingting¡¯s aura and, trembling, made his way to the bedside to examine Wei Jinyi. He started sweating profusely, ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Hurry up and spit it out!¡± ¡°The young lord¡¯s pulse is extremely faint¡­ This¡­ This is a terrible sign¡­¡± Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s words, even the always composed Wei Mingting panicked, ¡°Is there a remedy?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll write a prescription now, and you must send people to gather the herbs immediately. Once they arrive, make a decoction for the young lord to consume. Whether he can be saved will depend on his luck¡­ I have never treated such a severe case before. Perhaps if it was found earlier, the condition wouldn¡¯t be as severe¡­¡± The doctor explained, trembling. ¡°Jing Hu, follow the doctor. After he writes the prescription, hurry and get the herbs returned! You must oversee the whole process from obtaining the herbs to preparing the decoction, without wasting a single moment!¡± Wet Mingting immediately commanded the guard standing outside the door to handle this task. Yes, sir!¡± Jing Hu obeyed and quickly sprung into action. Usually, Wei Mingting would have entrusted these matters to Lady Yun but today he directly ordered the guards, clear evidence of how disappointed he was with Lady Yun over this incident. Wei Mingting then told Xiaobei to get up, ¡°You stay here and look after your young master. If anything like this happens again, contact me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Xiaobei consented. Wei Mingting then stood by the bedside, looking down at Wei Jinyi with a grave expression, causing everyone in the room to feel very unease. After a while, Wei Mingting turned and left. Lady Yun, cautiously, followed him. Back at Cangyun Garden, seeing Wei Mingting who radiated anger, Lady Yun knelt down. With anger filling his heart, Wei Mingting questioned the kneeling Lady Yun: ¡°I know you have always nursed resentments towards Jinyi. If you¡¯re angry, vent it on me! You should not act this way towards him! When I told you to look after him, is this how you do it? Had I arrived any later, he would be dead now!¡± ¡°I truly did not know that Jinyi was this sick! If I had known, I would never have jeopardized his life!¡± Lady Yun¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you know? You knew about Wanwan¡¯s injury at her foot, you did call for a doctor in the middle of the night. But when Jinyi falls ill, so much so that he¡¯s unconscious, why did you not know?! Jinyi¡¯s servant tried to look for a doctor without success. Even Ruo tried to help but still couldn¡¯t get a doctor.. Can you tell me what actually happened?¡± Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Do You Know About Sin_l Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Do You Know About Sin_l Translator: 549690339 After 20 years of marriage, it was Wei Mingting¡¯s first time to speak such harsh words to Mrs Yun. Mrs Yun¡¯s body trembled, her eyes full of tears, ¡°My Lord, after so many years of marriage, don¡¯t you know what kind of person I am? How could I plot to harm a concubine¡¯s son? I admit I can¡¯t treat him as my own, I can be magnanimous in other ways, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to be so with you¡±. Mrs Yun continued: ¡°But so many years have passed since then, even if I held a grudge it should have almost been resolved by now, how could I harbor any intention of harming him? My Lord, I was not planning to harm him, I was misled by my deceitful servants.¡± ¡°You¡­ You are really confused!¡± ¡°Your concubine knows¡­ I know I was wrong¡­¡± Mrs Yun trembled as she responded. Wei Mingting¡¯s anger subsided at the sound of Mrs Yun¡¯s sobbing. Looking at his wife, Wei Mingting sighed, ¡°I have considerable military affairs to deal with, and I still need your help with household management. You must take more care of Jinyi, nothing can happen to him.¡± Thinking of his busy military schedule and how the burdens of household chores fell onto his fragile wife, he knew that although his wife hadn¡¯t been the most affectionate to the concubine¡¯s son over the years, she had given Jinyi what he deserved. Wei Mingting thus refrained from reprimanding his wife any further. Mrs Yun sobbed and nodded. ¡°Let us leave today¡¯s matters at this. You tend to Jinyi for me, I have more matters to attend to in the military.¡± Wei Mingting rose to leave without waiting for Mrs Yun to regain her composure. He was indeed very busy. After receiving the letter from Jing Hu, he had asked a subordinate to stand in for him so he could rush home before the dawn. Even then, he had to return immediately. After Wei Mingting left, Mrs Yun regained her composure, and when she managed to calm herself, she called for Granny Li once again. At the same time, she sent Cuiping to bring Wei Ruo from the firewood house. Granny Li, not knowing what had happened, was alarmed when she saw Mrs Yun¡¯s angry face upon arriving at Cangyun Garden. Shortly after, Wei Ruo arrived. Seeing Granny Li being brought in, Mrs Yun spoke in a cold voice, ¡°Granny Li, you were an old servant from the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence. Whether in terms of experience or seniority, you are the highest-ranked in the Military Prefecture.¡± ¡°Madam, I dare not.¡± Granny Li hastily replied. ¡°You dare not? Where do you not dare? You have repeatedly told me that the young lord¡¯s illness was not severe, and that Ruoruo was making a fuss. But what was the result? The young lord is now barely alive!¡± Upon hearing this, Granny Li froze. What? Was the young lord really that ill? After being shocked, Granny Li knelt down and apologized, ¡°Madam, pardon me, I really didn¡¯t know that the young lord was so ill! I made a misjudgment, I should die!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Do you still have the nerve to say you didn¡¯t know? If you didn¡¯t know, how could you not call a doctor? If you did not know, why did you insist he was not ill? Who gave you the audacity to make decisions on your own?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Granny Li stammered, unable to find a good excuse for herself. Wei Ruo was also a bit surprised. Was Wei Jinyi¡¯s life in danger? It would be plausible if she did not treat him last night, but after last night¡¯s treatment, as long as he rested properly, he should have recovered this morning and it should not have been a critical situation. Mrs Yun¡¯s gaze shifted to Wei Ruo, becoming complex. ¡°Ruoruo, you were wrong about the incident last night. No matter how anxious you were, you shouldn¡¯t have pushed Wanwan.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve only eliminated one accusation, and you still think the other one is my fault?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Mrs Yun and laughed instead of getting angry. Mrs Yun frowned, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Wei Ruo snorted, ¡°I¡¯ve already said what I wanted to say. I¡¯m not guilty. The two crimes you accuse me of, I deny them all. Since you¡¯ve learned that my second brother¡¯s serious illness was true and that you were wronged by the deceitful servants, why don¡¯t you think about whether you¡¯ve also been misled and wronged me in another matter?¡± ¡°Is this the way you¡¯re supposed to talk to your mother? If you did nothing wrong, after Granny Li failed to help, you should have come to me, rather than causing a commotion in Wangmei Garden! If it wasn¡¯t for your rash actions, no one would have been injured, and your father wouldn¡¯t have been interrupted from his busy schedule to come here.¡± Mrs Yun felt very wronged today. This matter had angered her husband, she had been scolded by him, and he thought she had mistreated the concubine¡¯s son. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. The commotion at Wangmei Garden was not my fault, it was Granny Li¡¯s fault for not doing what she should have done. It was not my fault that my father had to rush here, it was Granny Li who delayed my second brother¡¯s illness, it was my mother who did not want to believe me.¡± Wei Ruo insisted she did nothing wrong, showing no intention of admitting defeat. ¡°You!¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s attitude stoked the flames of Mrs Yun¡¯s anger again. As Mrs Yun, fuming with anger, stared at Wei Ruo, the words of punishment were about to leave her mouth. ¡°Mother!¡± Wei Yichen rushed over. He lived in the most remote corner of Wei Residence, a quiet place for his studies but also left him oblivious to the commotion that happened last night. Upon hearing of the incident this morning, he hurriedly rushed over. After entering the door, Wei Yichen first glanced at Wei Ruo, who was standing stubbornly to the side, then quickly turned to Mrs Yun: ¡°Mother! There is nothing wrong with Ruoruo trying to find Granny Li to call a doctor for our second brother! If Granny Li had handled it well, there would have been no need to disturb mother. This has always been the rule in our house! If you want to blame someone, blame Granny Li for her negligence. She failed to handle her responsibilities and caused discord in our family!¡± ¡°Mother, Ruoruo has been home for just one month, it is highly commendable that she knows how to handle this situation this way! As for her accidentally hurting Wanwan, that happened in a moment of urgency, and it wasn¡¯t intentional. It is common for people to become anxious when it concerns someone¡¯s life, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The person deserving punishment is really Granny Li. As a servant, not timely reporting to the mistress when the master is seriously ill is a crime; slandering the master, and distorting facts is the second crime; failing to protect the master and causing him to fall and get injured is the third crime!¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s words turned Granny Li pale, and also helped Mrs Yun, who was fuming with anger to calm down significantly. Mrs Yun took it all in. She softened her expression and looked again at Wei Ruo, suddenly reminded of the sweet days she spent with her husband when she was pregnant with their daughter. At that time, her husband wasn¡¯t as busy, he had time to accompany her every day. The couple was very excited about their second child. Having had a son in the first pregnancy, her husband wished for a daughter this time, saying daughters were more caring and accompany their parents for a longer time. Mrs Yun turned to Granny Li: ¡°Did you admit to all the crimes the eldest master mentioned?¡± Granny Li knelt on the ground, trying to defend herself, but found no words to refute. ¡°Your silence means you admit it. As a family servant, you have committed several crimes. According to the rules you should be beaten to death, but in consideration of your years of service as a faithful old servant from the Duke¡¯s Residence and your many years of hard work for the Wei family, I will deduct three months of your pay and make you work as a labourer at the farmstead for three months.¡± Upon hearing this, Granny Li quickly pleaded, ¡°Madam, Madam, I¡¯m old, I can¡¯t take three months of hard labour in the farmstead!¡± Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 321 Will Keep Your Secret i Chapter 32: Chapter 321 Will Keep Your Secret i Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mother has already let you off lightly, you have no right to feel wronged.¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s cold voice interrupted Nurse Li¡¯s plea for mercy, then he ordered the outside guards in to drag away Nurse Li forcefully. ¡°Madam¡­madam¡­young master¡­¡± Nurse Li was dragged away, crying out continuously. Even after Nurse Li was taken away, the atmosphere in the room remained tense. Wei Ruo said nothing, her gaze coolly fixed on Yun¡¯s family. Wei Yichen said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve been busy all night and must be tired. Rest first. I¡¯ll take my sister back to Tingsong Garden.¡± Yun waved her hand, signaling that the two could leave. Wei Yichen went in front of Wei Ruo, took her hand, and said gently, ¡°Go home with big brother.¡± Wei Ruo glanced at Wei Yichen and offered no resistance. Following Wei Yichen out of the Cangyun Garden gate, they walked together into the gate of Tingsong Garden. Xiumei had stayed awake all night. Seeing Wei Ruo return, she was so touched that she was on the verge of tears. ¡°You¡¯re finally back, miss!¡± Xiumei lunged towards Wei Ruo and held her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Wei Ruo said. Ruo patted Xiumei¡¯s cheeks. Seeing her swollen eyes, she knew that this maid had been crying secretly all night. Wei Ruo turned to Wei Yichen who had walked her back and said, ¡°Thank you for speaking up for me, big brother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I genuinely believe you did nothing wrong. In such a life-and-death situation, anyone would panic. You just accidentally pushed Wanwan in your haste, you didn¡¯t do it deliberately,¡± Wei Yichen said. ¡°So big brother also thinks I was the one who pushed Wei Qingwan?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Yichen, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. ¡°I know it was accidental. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be so reckless.¡± The hope in Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes faded. She smiled calmly, ¡°Understood. Still, thank you, big brother.¡± ¡°Mm, you should go back to your room and rest now, get a good sleep.¡± After giving Wei Ruo a few pieces of advice, Wei Yichen left Tingsong Garden. After Wei Yichen left, instead of resting in her room as he had suggested, Wei Ruo went to the neighboring garden, Yingzhu, wanting to check on Wei Jinyi¡¯s condition. She had applied acupuncture and given him medicine last night. It wasn¡¯t logical for his condition to worsen by morning. When she arrived at Yingzhu Garden, she was met with guards at the gate and the scent of herbs emanating from the courtyard, where two maids were busily brewing medication. Wei Ruo headed straight to Wei Jinyi¡¯s bedroom. Upon seeing Wei Ruo enter, Xiaobei, who was standing by the bed, stood up with an excited look on her face, ¡°Young mistress, you¡¯re back? Are you okay?¡± Wei Ruo walked over to the bed, finding the person on it with his eyes tightly shut and reached out to take his pulse. She placed her slender fingers on Wei Jinyi¡¯s wrist and quickly furrowed her brow. What¡¯s going on? Why is his pulse so dangerous? She had already administered acupuncture and medicine to him yesterday, by rights even if Wei Jinyi wasn¡¯t completely recovered, his pulse should at least have stabilized by now. As Wei Ruo was wondering, Wei Jinyi opened his eyes. At the same time, he pulled back his wrist, ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± His voice was still somewhat weak, his face was pale, but his eyes were clear, clearly, he had recovered quite a bit. ¡°You were pretending?¡± Wei Ruo asked, surprised for a moment before realizing something. Wei Jinyi met her gaze. He didn¡¯t answer, but Wei Ruo knew the answer. ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°No need.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°How did you alter your pulse to make the person taking your pulse think it was dangerous?¡± Wei Ruo asked mockingly. In her years of practice, she had never encountered someone who could manipulate their pulse to deceive others. ¡°I learned it from medical books. The pulse can be influenced by pressure applied to certain points on the arm.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. His deep-set eyes gazed at Wei Ruo. After a pause, he asked, ¡°When did you learn medical skills?¡± ¡°I learned from an old man in the countryside,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Rest up now. Your body still needs a few more days to recover. Don¡¯t exert yourself too much. Stay in bed to avoid any complications.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t stay for long since Wei Jinyi was already okay. As she was about to leave, she heard Wei Jinyi¡¯s calm, steady, and convincing voice, ¡°I will keep your secret.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Ruo mumbled in agreement, then left the room. Back in Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo washed up and went straight to sleep. When she woke up, it was already evening. After a brief freshening up, she went to the dining hall. As soon as she walked in, she felt a strange atmosphere. Wei Qingwan wasn¡¯t there because of her injured foot. Only Yunshi, Wei Yichen, Wei Yilin, and Wei Ruo remained. Except for Wei Yichen, the others didn¡¯t look so good, especially Wei Yilin. As soon as he saw Wei Ruo, he glared at her with a look that could kill. Wei Ruo ignored him and calmly took her seat. ¡°Humph!¡± Wei Yilin made a scornful sound in a deliberate attempt to express his displeasure. ¡°Yilin, don¡¯t talk while eating or on the bed.¡± Wei Yichen reminded him sternly. Wei Yilin pouted, puffed up his cheeks, and started eating his food in silence. After dinner, Yunshi didn¡¯t hold the usual tea and chat session. She didn¡¯t even show any concern for Wei Ruo like before, but sent them all to rest. Wei Ruo left the dining room and had only walked a few steps when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Wei Yilin rushed up to her, blocked her path, and demanded, ¡°Why did you bully sister? Sister is so good! She always thinks of you and gives you the best things. She even told me to be nice to you, but you pushed her and cause her injury! You¡¯re so mean!¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to deal with Wei Yilin and continued walking after sidestepping him. Wei Yilin stubbornly followed her and once again blocked her path. ¡°You must clarify this today!¡± Wei Yilin said, mustering up an intimidating aura. ¡°What do you want me to say? That I bullied Wei Qingwan? That I ruthlessly pushed Wei Qingwan to the ground and caused her injury?¡± ¡°So you admit you¡¯re mindless?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about what I admit, but what you want me to admit. You¡¯ve already labeled me as a villain. What else is there to say?¡± Wei Ruo replied with a scornful laugh. Wei Yichen, who had caught up with them, pulled Wei Yilin away, ¡°Yilin! I have already explained to you that Suoruo pushing Wanwan was an accident!¡± ¡°But sister was bleeding! What if she gets a scar?¡± ¡°Suoruo was anxious because your second brother fell sick! It¡¯s understandable that she was impatient because it¡¯s a matter of life and death! Do you understand?¡± Wei Yichen instructed. ¡°But he¡¯s not my brother. He¡¯s not raised by my mother!¡± Wei Yilin didn¡¯t recognize Wei Jinyi. In his eyes, Wei Jinyi was an anomaly. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you accepting me as a sister born from the same mother either.¡± Wei Ruo hit back. ¡°You!¡± Wei Yilin wanted to retort, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to respond to Wei Ruo¡¯s rebuttal.. Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Clearly Divided_l Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Clearly Divided_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°In plain terms, you¡¯re acting on your own preferences, don¡¯t put on this grand show of excuses, it sounds absurd.¡± Wei Ruo assessed. Wei Yilin¡¯s face turned red under Wei Ruo¡¯s rebuke. Wei Yichen held Wei Yilin back, ¡°Apologize to Ruoruo.¡± Wei Yilin, with a stern expression, huffed, ¡°1 won¡¯t! Big brother, you¡¯re siding with her too now and not protecting Sister Wanwan. If I don¡¯t protect Sister Wanwan, she¡¯ll be bullied by others! She¡¯s my sister, the one who cares about me the most! I won¡¯t allow anyone to bully her!¡± Having said that, Wei Yilin broke free from Wei Yichen and quickly ran away with tears in his eyes. Wei Yichen slightly furrowed his eyebrows, helplessly explaining to Wei Ruo, ¡°Not long after Yilin was born, our father took a position in Xingshan County and became busy with official duties. Our mother also became particularly busy due to the relocation. Between my studies and neglect of Yilin, his personality developed as it did. Please don¡¯t take him to heart. I will properly guide him in the future.¡± ¡°What good would it do for me to hold it against him? What does big brother think I can do to him? If I were to do anything, who do you think would be punished in the end, him or me?¡± Wei Ruo retorted, a sarcastic look in her eyes. Wei Yichen looked serious, ¡°Ruoruo, I know that being locked in the firewood room by mother yesterday hurt you. Big brother is sorry for not finding out sooner and letting you suffer. I truly apologize.¡± ¡°Big brother says this now, but if a livelier conflict occurred in the future, it¡¯s not guaranteed that you would be on my side like you are now.¡± ¡°Ruoruo¡­¡± Wei Ruo interrupted Wei Yichen¡¯s words: ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, I have something for you. Wait for me at Tingsong Garden.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Wei Yichen looked at Wei Ruo in surprise. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Wee Ruo didn¡¯t say much, and when they reached the entrance to Tingsong Garden, she ran into the house and came out with a roll of something. ¡°This is for you.¡± Wei Ruo handed a roll of paper to Wei Yichen. ¡°Paper? From the Four Treasure House?¡± Wei Yichen recognized the paper from the Four Treasure House after a few glances. Looking at the paper, Wei Yichen¡¯s face involuntarily showed delight. Wei Ruo: ¡°Mm-hmm, I brought some back from Huzhou Prefecture. Wei Yichen: ¡°This kind of paper is not cheap, how much did it cost, let me pay you.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, consider it a thank-you gift for helping me out.¡± Wei Yichen: ¡°The words I spoke yesterday were something I should have said, you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°To me, that is something that requires gratitude. Regardless, big brother, please accept it.¡± Some things are better settled plainly. She did not like owing Wei Yichen any favors, not even a little bit. Wei Yichen looked at the paper in his hands, thought for a moment, ¡°Okay, then I will accept it, and I will bring you some delicious food next time.¡± Wei Yichen didn¡¯t want to calculate so precisely with Wei Ruo, and he also really liked this paper. The couple of sheets his father gave him last time were quickly used up, and he wanted to buy more, but it was only available in Huzhou Prefecture, which was too far away and too expensive, so he had to give up. Seeing that his younger sister had presented him with such a valuable gift, he definitely had to return the favor next time. ### The next day, Wei Ruo went to Yingzhu Garden to see Wei Jinyi again and to check his recovery. In the Wei residence, Wei Jinyi continued his act of being sick. He somehow managed to convince the doctors who were called in by the Wei family that his condition was critical. After Wei Ruo entered the room, he had Xiaobei stand guard at the door. If someone else entered, he would alert the people inside. Wei Jinyi got up from the bed and seeing Wei Ruo, his usual cold and aloof demeanor seemed to soften a bit. ¡°This is for you.¡± Wei Ruo took out a white porcelain bottle and placed it on the cabinet next to Wei Jinyi¡¯s bed. ¡°The medicine you made?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Mm-hmm. You have a physical deficiency, probably congenital. Taking this medicine regularly can help you build up strength. If you were in better health, you wouldn¡¯t have deteriorated so much after catching a cold.¡± Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t holding back now, since Wei Jinyi already knew about her medical skills. Wee Ruo didn¡¯t notice, when she said ¡°probably congenital,¡± Wei Jinyi¡¯s expression changed slightly. There was a brief chill in his detached eyes, but it quickly faded. After Wei Ruo finished speaking, Wei Jinyi picked up the medicine bottle, examined it carefully, opened the lid, and sniffed it closely. Wei Ruo pursed her lips, ¡°You better eat it properly, and don¡¯t waste it. This medicine took me a lot of effort, and many of the ingredients in it are hard to find.¡± If he dared to waste the medicinal pills she painstakingly prepared, she would kill him! Humph! Wei Jinyi stared at Wei Ruo, taking in all her little expressions and gestures. After a long while, he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± This was the first time he thanked Wei Ruo in all their time knowing each other. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yesterday that we shouldn¡¯t say thank you? How come you¡¯re saying it today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Wei Jinyi avoided her gaze and hid the medicine bottle under his pillow. Someone would be coming to his room later, and he couldn¡¯t let others see the medication. Then he picked up a book from the bedside cabinet and started reading. So, he was back to his old self ¨C head down and either reading or writing, apparently his two favorite activities in life. After Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi called Xiaobei over again and gave him an envelope. ¡°You take this letter to the Shi¡¯s Bakery in the East City. Upon hearing this, Xiaobei was shocked. That was not just an ordinary bakery! On the surface, it sold pastries, but in fact, it was a secret contact point¡­ ¡°Young Master, are you¡­?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t say much, he just needed Xiaobei to follow his orders. ¡°Okay, Young Master, you rest well in the meantime. I¡¯ll go now. Xiaobei vividly remembered that the young master had severed contact with those people a long time ago. He didn¡¯t understand why Wei Jinyi had suddenly decided to get in touch with them again today. Perhaps it was due to his recent illness. Xiaobei carried out his task, holding Wei Jinyi¡¯s letter as he left. Wei Jinyi was a man, so it was much easier for him and his valet to go in and out of the residence than the women of the family. More than an hour later, Xiaobei arrived back successfully, bringing back quite a few items. After looking over the items, Wei Jinyi took out a wooden box from among them and told Xiaobei to take it to Wei Ruo at Tingsong Garden next door. Upon seeing Xiaobei bringing some things over, saying that his young master had sent a thank-you gift. Wee Ruo, not one for formalities with Wei Jinyi, accepted it immediately. She opened it and was stunned. It was a piece of ginseng from the old mountain, it looked to be at least a hundred years old! Wei Ruo quickly closed the box and double checked there were no onlookers around before reopening it to take a closer look. After confirming it was a ginseng from the old mountain, Wei Ruo asked the messenger Xiaobei: ¡°Did your young master really send this to me? Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots 1 Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Yes, the young master gave it to the young lady,¡± Xiaobei replied. ¡°Where did your young master get this from?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Xiaobei was evasive. Is your young master in the courtyard?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go find him!¡± Since Wei Jinyi¡¯s answer couldn¡¯t be obtained from Xiaobei, she might as well ask Wei Jinyi herself. in the bedroom, the lower half of Wei Jinyi¡¯s body was covered by the quilt, and the upper half was propped up against the cushion, holding a book in his hand. He was wearing a white gown, and his face was still a bit pale, and he looked like an emaciated man who has just been drenched in the rain. Wei Ruo walked over and Wei Jinyi looked up at her. ¡°Are you giving me this valuable ginseng?¡± Wei Ruo asked, pointing at the box in her hand. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you get such a valuable thing?¡± Wei Ruo was curious. ¡°I saved an old man some years ago, it¡¯s a gift from him.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Xiaobei, who was listening on the side, was grumbling in his heart. The young master was lying without blushing! It was not from saving someone, the ginseng was clearly from¡­ ¡°Are you sure you want to give me this valuable ginseng? If sold, it can worth a lot of silver! There should be at least two hundred taels.¡± Wei Ruo reminded him. ¡°You saved my life, it worth more than the ginseng can offer.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. The medicine that Wei Ruo had given him was a rare item that could not be bought or found elsewhere. Although what he said was right nevertheless, from Wei Ruo¡¯s perspective Wei Jinyi¡¯s appearance suggested that the value of the ginseng probably exceeded all his possessions. He was so poor yet he could give her such a valuable item. Clearly, he was someone who knew how to be grateful. Her decision to risk exposing herself to save him that day wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll accept the ginseng. Next time, I¡¯ll use it to make some great replenishing pills and gift a few of them back to you,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Jinyi agreed, but he didn¡¯t really expect Wei Ruo to give him any great replenishing pills. ### Two days later, Wei Jinyi finally ¡°recovered¡± from his illness. He could eat, drink, get out of bed, and walk. Everyone in the Wei Residence breathed a sigh of relief, no longer having to fear of being punished by Wei Mingting. Wei Ruo came to visit Wei Jinyi again, and also to take some bamboo shoots from his courtyard. If she didn¡¯t eat these bamboo shoots soon, they would become old and unusable. Rather than wasting them, she decided to offer them to her ¡°Wuzang Temple¡± [tummy]. Just as Xiaobei was serving food to Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo entered the room. Looking at the dishes, Wei Ruo appeared surprised. The porridge was fine, recovering from a serious illness requires a bit of liquid to help with absorption in the stomach. The problem lay with the two plates of dishes: one plate of somewhat yellowish-green vegetables and another with similarly unappetizing, seriously suspected of being burnt, radishes. Even though it¡¯s true that a person who had just recovered from a severe illness should eat light, but what¡¯s with the yellowing and burnt dishes? ¡°Did the main kitchen send you wilted vegetables?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°No, the vegetables that the main kitchen sent are quite fresh,¡± Xiaobei explained. In the past, they might have been given unsavory vegetables, but now the servants at the residence wouldn¡¯t dare withhold their provision. ¡°So, did your own kitchen ruin the dishes?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Hearing this, Xiaobei scratched his head in embarrassment: ¡°Well¡­ Miss, the cook here is me¡­ and I¡¯m not very good at cooking¡­¡± Xiaobei quickly added, ¡°But, I usually do a bit better than this, I rarely burn food anymore. Today was an exception because I was cooking while worrying about young master¡¯s medication!¡± There were only two people in the Zhu Bamboo Residence, and although there was a small kitchen that could cook small meals, it didn¡¯t have a proper cook. Wei Ruo turned to Xiumei and gave her a look. Without needing Wei Ruo to say anything, Xiumei already understood her intent. ¡°Miss, shall I use these bamboo shoots to cook a dish of braised spring bamboo shoots?¡± Xiumei suggested. ¡°Go ahead, you peel the shoots first, and I¡¯ll go get some sweet potato starch for you.¡± Wei Ruo said. The mistress and maid began to act separately. Their enthusiasm made Xiaobei anxious. Thinking about the spicy dish that Wei Ruo made last time, Xiaobei didn¡¯t dare to hold any hopes for the upcoming meal. ¡°Young master, do you want me to stop them?¡± ¡°Let them be.¡± Unlike the previous rejection and impatience, Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t refuse this time. It wasn¡¯t long before Wei Ruo returned with Xiumei. Xiumei was holding a bowl of braised spring bamboo shoots steaming hot. Xiumei put the bowl on the bedside table of Wei Jinyi and said, ¡°Second young master, try these spring shoots. They¡¯re not going to be spicy this time, they won¡¯t make you choke.¡± Wei Jinyi looked at the tender yellow bamboo shoots covered with a thick brown sauce, shining with oily glitter, and topped with fresh green onions. Compared with the yellowish and burnt vegetables and radishes cooked by Xiaobei, these bamboo shoots were much more enticing. With an attitude of giving it a try, Wei Jinyi picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully. He did not choke or cough this time. His expressions were usually limited and would not show any extreme emotions, so it was hard to gauge his opinion on the braised spring bamboo shoots by his expression alone. ¡°The flavor is rich, fresh and tasty, it has the sweetness of the shoots and a complex taste of the sauce, what¡¯s that?¡± Wei Jinyi looked up at Wei Ruo. ¡°It¡¯s soy sauce. Didn¡¯t I give you a jar?¡± Indeed, she did give him one, but Wei Jinyi had never tasted it. He had asked Xiaobei to dispose of it and didn¡¯t know where Xiaobei had put it. Xiaobei guiltily lowered his head and looked at the floor, fearing that Wei Ruo would discover he had carelessly stored her gift. Little did he know that his mistress was indeed serious about her soy sauce. It was her secret recipe, and as it turned out, was indeed a valuable medicinal ingredient as she claimed. ¡°How is it? Better than those vegetables and radishes, right?¡± Wei Ruo asked smiling. ¡°Mmm.¡± Wei Jinyi replied in his low voice, his emotions hardly discernible. Wei Ruo watched as Wei Jinyi finished an entire bowl of porridge and a plate full of braised spring bamboo shoots, before leaving the residence with Xiumei a satisfied smile on her face. Once Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi asked Xiaobei where the jar of soy sauce had gone. ¡°I¡¯ll go find it!¡± Xiaobei hurriedly ran into the kitchen to search. He found the jar collecting dust in a corner. Even though the surface was dusty, the jar was well-sealed, so the content should be okay. Xiaobei returned to Wei Jinyi¡¯s bedroom, holding the jar of soy sauce excitedly. ¡°Young master, look, the jar is still here and it¡¯s been stored well.¡± ¡°Mmm, store it well.¡± Yes, my master! I¡¯ll keep it in the safest place!¡± No matter how tasty this soy sauce is, being a gift from Wei Ruo, they had to treat it with respect. The relationship between their young master and Wei Ruo had changed.. They had become ¡°friends through adversity!¡± Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Selling Sweet Potato Leaves 1 Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Selling Sweet Potato Leaves 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª In the following days, the Military Prefecture returned to its usual tranquility, Wei Ruo¡¯s relationship with her family had become even colder than when she had just arrived. This was particularly true with Yun, who used to be warm towards Wei Ruo. However, Wei Ruo¡¯s response was never enthusiastic and now that Yun was cold towards her, Wei Ruo became even more indifferent. Wei Yichen was somewhat worried about this but Wei Ruo didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t care about the attitudes of the others in her family towards her because she had several important matters at hand. Firstly, the sweet potatoes on Xiaoyang Mountain had already grown lush leaves. Sweet potato leaves are also a fine type of food, which can be picked for consumption as a green vegetable and provide additional benefits before the sweet potatoes ripen. What¡¯s more, the benefit of sweet potato leaves is that the more that can be sold, the more that can be harvested and what can¡¯t be sold can be left in the ground to provide nutrients for the sweet potatoes. For the first harvest of sweet potato leaves, the wet nurse was a little uncertain, so Wei Ruo sent Xiumei there because she had mobility issues After Xiumei and the wet nurse met, they directed the laborers to harvest a portion of the sweet potatoes. The harvested sweet potato leaves were strung together in bundles with rice straw and then loaded onto a readily-transportable oxcart after being placed in baskets. For the first harvest, aware that people might not be familiar with sweet potato leaves, Xiumei and the wet nurse picked only two baskets¡¯ worth according to Wei Ruo¡¯s instruction. Then, they transported the oxcart to the market for sale, priced at two coins per bunch. This price was set by Wei Ruo. It¡¯s not expensive, aiming for a high volume of sales with a small profit. Wei Ruo generally would not price agricultural products too high, aiming for quantity rather than high profits but on luxury items that only the rich and powerful could afford, Wei Ruo set the price as high as possible. Selling sweet potato leaves was also for the purpose of better promoting sweet potatoes as a crop, to prepare for the market for an even larger amount of sweet potatoes. On their way to the market, the wet nurse even went home and stir-fried a large plate of them to bring to the market. At the market, they made funneled shapes with small dumpling leaves to hold the cooked sweet potato leaves, each only containing enough for one bite. Then they had the laborers who were helping with the transportation cry out: ¡°Two coins per bunch, free samples.¡± Due to the scarcity of arable land in Xingshan County, vegetables were generally more expensive than in other regions. Plus, poor weather in recent years had lowered crop yields and combined with Japanese Pirates causing disruptions led to fewer merchant convoys, thus fewer vegetables being transported from other places. This resulted in the price of vegetables in Xingshan County being several times higher than other places. Fresh green vegetables sold for two coins a bunch were indeed quite appealing, attracting many onlookers. Although they hadn¡¯t seen this before, there were ready-to-eat samples available. The wet nurse very enthusiastically handed the dumpling leaves filled with stir-fried sweet potato leaves to the onlookers. Once they learned that this was a vegetable that could be eaten, tasted refreshing and delicious, and was also affordable, some began buying it to give it a try. In no time at all, all of the sweet potato leaves in the two baskets were sold out. After leaving the market, Xiumei followed the wet nurse back to their current residence. There is a shop in the front, and a small house in the back, not a big place, but the wet nurse and her family were very satisfied the place. Especially considering its location, which was rather good. It was close to the Military Prefecture and the shop at the front was in a busy area. Once they open for business, it should attract lots of customers. After having lunch with the three members of the Xu Family in the small house, Xiumei returned to the Military Prefecture. When she came back, she brought Wei Ruo sweet potato leaves and some other vegetable mushrooms. All of these were prepared by the wet nurse¡¯s family for Wei Ruo, as they were worried she might not be used to the food at the Military Prefecture. After that, Wei Ruo told Xiumei to stand guard outside her door and prevent anyone from entering. She then visited her dimensional space and harvested the sweet potatoes that she had planted on two pieces of land within the space. The speed at which plants grow in the dimensional space is not the same as outside. Whereas the sweet potatoes on Xiaoyang Mountain had just started to grow leaves, those in her dimensional space were ready to be harvested. She harvested a total of two basketfuls of sweet potatoes, and gained a significant increase in experience points, leaving her less than one hundred points away from the one thousand points needed to level up. Seeing level up on the horizon, Wei Ruo was increasingly looking forward to the new seeds that would be unlocked. Wei Ruo decided to keep the sweet potatoes she had harvested in her dimensional space. As having two baskets of sweet potatoes appeared out of nowhere might arouse suspicion. After Wei Ruo stored the sweet potatoes, as long as the environment in the space remained dry, they would not spoil in the short term. Since it was currently inconvenient to remove the sweet potatoes from her space for sale, she decided to keep them there as a reserve for food. Just in case she ever ran into trouble and ran out of food or water, the provisions stored in her dimensional space would at least ensure that she didn¡¯t starve to death. The next day, Wei Ruo went personally to the southern part of the city and used the document given to her by Wei Mingting to successfully persuade the guards at the south gate to let her through. In the southern city, Wei Ruo has selected a flat piece of land that was convenient for transportation and near a water source as her experimental field. She ordered the two laborers sent by Yun to weeding and tilling the land. After that, she asked them to transport water from a nearby river to irrigate the field every day. Even though nothing had been planted in the field yet, having to water it every day. This was perplexing to many. Furthermore, Wei Ruo wanted the laborers to shape the field into something suitable for rice seeding, even though it was nearing the Dragon Boat Festival and elsewhere, the rice stalks had already grown taller than people¡¯s knees. Wei Ruo¡¯s insistence on carving out a seedling field to grow rice now left some wondering whether she truly understood farming or not. Wet nurse Zhang and the two laborers were skeptical, and found Wei Ruo¡¯s actions peculiar. After two days of work, Wet nurse Zhang couldn¡¯t help but express her concerns to Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you switch to other crops to plant? Although I haven¡¯t tilled the fields for many years, I remember back in our hometown people used to say that there is a time and season for everything. Whether it¡¯s planting crops, gourds, vegetables, there¡¯s a specific time to do so. Once you miss that window, it won¡¯t grow very well!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. I guarantee you that once you¡¯ve prepared the land, there will still be plenty of time to plant rice.¡± Wei Ruo of course understood the importance of timing. It was almost June, and normally it would be too late to plant rice. However, the rice seeds in her space were a variety that could be planted as either early-season or late-season rice. The early-season rice would be flowering by next month, while the late-season rice wouldn¡¯t be planted until the sixth or seventh lunar month. She could still make it in time. By doing this, she could simultaneously conduct experiments on improving saline-alkali land and planting late-season rice. If successful, not only could the arable land of Xingshan County be significantly expanded, but they could also plant rice twice a year, and increase grain production both horizontally and vertically. ¡°What about all those fruits, vegetables, straw, and rice bran you asked us to collect before?¡± Wet nurse Zhang asked. ¡°Keep storing those. In a little while, when the time is right, I¡¯ll tell you how to use them.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wet nurse Zhang looked at Wei Ruo¡¯s confident face, wanted to say something, but swallowed her words. Let it be, saying anything wouldn¡¯t make a difference. The miss didn¡¯t seem like someone who would take advice easily. Moreover, the miss had also said that if the project failed, it would be her issue, and she would be the one who would be punished. It had nothing to do with her.. Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Dragon Boat Festival Trip_l Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Dragon Boat Festival Trip_l Translator: 549690339 , Meanwhile, in the Wangmei Gardens. Wei Qingwan, after a few days of rest, finally got out of bed. However, her complexion was not good, her face paler than Wei Jrnyi¡¯s at this time. These past few days, she had been confined to Wangmei Garden, listening to Cuiping telling her about Wei Ruo¡¯s activities. She knew that Wei Ruo had been busy all the time, running around every opportunity she got. Despite her maid¡¯s persuasion, Wei Qingwan went to the kitchen herself, made some osmanthus cakes, and personally delivered them to Wei Yichen. Wei Yichen had been engrossed in studying for days and rarely bothered with the world outside. Only when Wei Qingwan came to check on him would he relax a little. ¡°Wanwan, why are you here yourself today?¡± Seeing his sister, a tender and indulgent smile naturally appeared on his face. ¡°I came to check on you, my brother. I worry that you are working too hard and forgetting to eat because you¡¯re always reading. Whether you pass the scholar examination or not does not matter to me. All I want is a strong and healthy brother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I take good care of myself. I always eat well and would never starve myself. My dear sister, don¡¯t worry. ¡°So you won¡¯t eat the osmanthus cakes I made?¡± ¡°Of course, I will!¡± Wei Yichen quickly reached for the osmanthus cakes Wei Qingwan brought. ¡°My sister¡¯s cooking is much better than everyday food.¡± ¡°Brother, I heard sister has been frequently going out these days and even went to the wastelands in the south of the city. Is it true?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it difficult to cultivate crops on that land?¡± Wei Qingwan asked curiously. ¡°While it is indeed hard, it doesn¡¯t matter. Ruo has her methods. If she succeeds, it would be a great achievement. If not, we wouldn¡¯t lose much.¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s view was the same as Wei Mingting¡¯s. ¡°Sister is so lucky, free to go out and do what she wants.¡± Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t help sighing, a deep longing in her expression. Wei Yichen chuckled: ¡°So, my dear Wanwan, you want to go out as well? Do you want to learn from Ruo and farm? That won¡¯t do, you can¡¯t withstand the harsh weather.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me again, Brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you, but caring for you. Only because she likes and is used to doing these things, can I bear to see Ruo running around and working so hard,¡± said Wei Yichen with a smile. ¡°Yes¡­ farming is indeed very hard work¡­ I wonder how Old Lady Li is doing now¡­¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression became sorrowful. Seeing her like this, Wei Yichen reassured her, ¡°Wanwan, Old Lady Li did wrong and she needs to be punished. I understand your affection for her but if we are not strict with this, it would encourage disobedience.¡± ¡°I know, but given her age and the months she has been at the farm, I fear she may not be able to withstand it¡­¡± Wei Qingwan looked worried. When she mentioned that Old Lady Li might not resist, her eyes reddened involuntarily. Wei Yichen frowned: ¡°Wanwan, I understand your concern for Old Lady Li. I¡¯ll talk to the manager at the farm and ask him to help look after her and to give her less strenuous work.¡± Wei Qingwan pressed her lips together: ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡± ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t say that. I understand your feelings. You¡¯re the kindest soul, but we must punish when we must, excessive kindness may harm you,¡± said Wei Yichen. ¡°Ok,¡± Wei Qingwan agreed softly. ### Very soon, the Dragon Boat Festival arrived. The customs were simple in Xingshan County ¨C families would insert peach leaves and iris into their doors, and eat dumplings. The Colonel¡¯s residence was no exception. The most pleasing part was that Wei Mingting took a day off. Pairing his rare presence at home with children and Wei Ruo¡¯s first Dragon Boat Festival spent with the Wei Family, Wei Mingting decided to take them to the streets. Although there weren¡¯t any grand events in Xingshan County for the Dragon Boat Festival, it was livelier than usual. Wei Ruo was unusually excited, having got up early and asked Xiumei to help her dress up. ¡°Miss, you weren¡¯t this happy last time when you went to pray with Madam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different, today we¡¯re going to the streets.¡± Helpless, she was now in a deep palace, and going out was not as easy as before. Even though she had been put in charge of the wastelands in the south of the city, Mrs. Yun instructed her to have subordinates to do things for her whenever possible ¨C she should stay inside if possible and avoid manual labor. In short, there weren¡¯t many opportunities to go out! When she passed Jinyi¡¯s pavilion, Wei Ruo stopped, peered into the yard, and saw Wei Jinyi still sitting in the pavilion reading and writing. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to go out today. Didn¡¯t they say that Wei Mingting was kind to Wei Jinyi? Why did he end up leaving Wei Jinyi alone on this family holiday? Did Wei Mingting only pretend to care about his illegitimate son, as described in the original novel? Did he arrange the small kitchen and monthly allowance for Wei Jinyi just to save face but not really care about him? Wei Ruo didn¡¯t think much of it. It was useless anyway for her to mull it over. Just as she was about to leave, Wei Jinyi noticed her. ¡°If you want to come in, come on in,¡± Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo. ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. Father probably thinks you are just out of sickness and wants you to rest.¡± Having said this much, Wei Ruo comforted him. Otherwise, she would seem mean, announcing that she was going out when she clearly knew that Wei Jinyi couldn¡¯t go. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so concerned about me. I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s me who doesn¡¯t want to go out,¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°Oh, as long as you¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°Yeah, have fun.¡± Wei Jinyi advised. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± Wei Ruo waved goodbye and left. Wei Jinyi kept his gaze on the direction where Wei Ruo went. The thirteen-year-old girl was charming, lively, like a free bird, and also like a blossoming spring flower. He didn¡¯t shift his gaze until he completely lost sight of her. When Wei Ruo came to the entrance of their home, except for Wei Jinyi, the family had gathered. Wei Ruo was the last to arrive. For this outing, the household prepared a carriage and two horses. Wei Mingting and Wei Yichen rode horses, while women and young Wei Yilrn rode in the carriage. Comparatively speaking, the streets of Xingshan County were indeed much busier today. After a while, a large crowd appeared ahead and blocked the road. The Wei family carriage had to stop. Looking ahead, it was at the entrance of a shop with several tables placed outside and a group of people gathered around them. There were also a few bamboo frames with calligraphy works hanging on them. Mrs.. Yun lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening up front?¡± Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Original Male Lead l Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Original Male Lead l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mother, wait a moment, let me go and ask around,¡± Wei Yichen replied, swiftly dismounting from his horse and merging with the crowd. After a short while, Wei Yichen returned, visibly more excited than when he left. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s a newly opened shop holding a competition,¡± he said. ¡°What shop? What competition?¡± Madame Yun asked, intrigued by her son¡¯s enthusiasm. It was rare to see him this excited about anything. ¡°It¡¯s the Four Treasure House, they¡¯ve opened a branch in Xingshan County, they¡¯re holding a contest for calligraphy and essays, and the winner will receive a prized piece of calligraphy from the Tibetan layman.¡± ¡°The Four Treasure House? Didn¡¯t your father bring back some paper made by them last time?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same Four Treasure House indeed!¡± Wei Yichen said, his expression filled with eagerness. ¡°Ah! Is the Tibetan layman that renowned scholar from Huzhou Prefecture? Your father had mentioned him before, he writes excellent compositions, once served as an esteemed scholar at the Hanlin Academy, but he retired and settled down in Huzhou Prefecture. He planted a bamboo forest in front of his house, hence known as the Tibetan layman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Therefore, Wei Yichen¡¯s excitement became more evident. No matter whether it¡¯s the paper from the Four Treasure House or the artwork from the Tibetan layman, Wei Yichen was profoundly interested in both. Reading her son¡¯s thoughts, Madame Yun promptly said, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? When it comes to calligraphy and essays, my son is one of the very best in Xingshan County.¡± Hearing this, Wei Yichen consulted his father with a look. Wei Mingting agreed, saying, ¡°Go ahead, I too, would like to see the caliber of my son¡¯s writings.¡± ¡°Very well, I will participate.¡± Excited, Wei Yichen blended back into the crowd. Wei Mingting then addressed the family members in the carriage, ¡°You should also get off and stretch your legs.¡± Madame Yun let the three children step out of the carriage. She told Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo to put on their veils, reminding their maids to stay by their side. As for Wei Yilin, she watched him herself, afraid lest he wander off too far. Once out of the carriage, Wei Ruo, along with Xiumei, plunged into the crowd to look at the people competing for the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy. Both girls were excited. Although their enthusiasm was less pronounced than Wei Yichen¡¯s, they seemed to care much more about this than about anything else, especially Wei Ruo. The competition rules were simple. The participants had to write a short composition on the assigned topic on the spot, and the work would be judged on both content and penmanship. The shopkeeper of the Four Treasure House, a middle-aged man with a beard and a hearty smile, was overseeing the competition. He enthusiastically welcomed each student who had been drawn to the competition, explaining the rules and inviting them to participate. The materials, including ink, brush, paper, and inkstone, were provided by Four Treasure House. When Wei Yichen thronged into the crowd, the shopkeeper cheerfully shared the competition details with him. ¡°You just need to write your thoughts on the given topic. We do not consider the content of the work, but the quality of the calligraphy.¡± ¡°Alright, let me give it a shot. Could you please lend me a brush and paper?¡± In a hurry, the shopkeeper instructed a shopkeeper¡¯s assistant to prepare a new set of brush and paper for Wei Yichen. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Wei Yichen started to write, his bold and powerful strokes immediately attracted a round of applause from the crowd. After he finished, the shopkeeper did not comment on his work, but had another assistant carefully hang up Wei Yichen¡¯s piece. By now, many pieces were hung up on the shelf nearby, all were screenshots of today¡¯s competitions. They were displayed side by side for passer-by to appreciate and judge. A lavishly decorated carriage had been parked at distance for a while now with its occupants watching the activities here. ¡°Interested, brother Yuhong?¡± Chu Lan asked Lu Yuhong, who was engrossed in the spectacle. Lu Yuhong quickly shook his head, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t make fun of me. I can excel in martial competition, horse riding, archery, strategic warfare, but I am utterly incompetent at calligraphy or composition. I just find the shop interesting with its unique method of presenting a venue for a competition on its opening day. Furthermore, they offered the Tibetan layman¡¯s artwork as a prize, which I¡¯m curious to know whether it is genuine or not.¡± ¡°Certainly, they are somewhat more astute than most shops,¡± Chu Lan commented, his tone rather detached, show no keenness like Lu Yuhong¡¯s. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t those people on horses from the Noble and Principled Duke¡¯s residence in Capital City? They seem familiar,¡± asked Lu Yuhong. Following Lu Yuhong¡¯s line of sight, Chu Lan spotted Wei Mingting. ¡°Indeed, that is the third son of Noble and Principled Duke, Wei Mingting, who¡¯s currently serving as Sixth-rank Colonel.¡± ¡°Your Highness remember everyone clearly. I am not good at keeping track of these people, not even those residing in the Capital City, let alone those outside the capital.¡± ¡°The entire Noble and Principled Duke¡¯s residence, including the Noble and Principled Duke himself, are spineless. Wei Mingting is the only exception. It¡¯s a pity that he is only bold without flexibility; otherwise, he would have left this place long ago.¡± Chu Lan remarked. ¡°No wonder the Noble and Principled Duke residence is deteriorating in recent years. It seems like they lack competent successors. It¡¯s a pity. I once heard my father mentioning that their ancestors were meritorious generals at the founding of the kingdom!¡± said Lu Yuhong. Despite his scholarly background, he admired martial artists, especially those illustrious generals of the past. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chu Lan suddenly said, lifting the curtain of the carriage and standing up. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To the competition.¡± ¡°Eh? Have you taken an interest, Your Highness?¡±Lu Yuhong said in surprise, running after him. Chu Lan didn¡¯t reply and made his way directly into the crowd. The competition was still on, nearly everybody had participated, and their works were on display for everyone to see. Among all the works, Wei Yichen¡¯s piece was prominent and garnered the most attention. No doubt, Madame Yun was correct. When it comes to penmanship and composition, Wei Yichen is amongst the top notch in Xingshan County. His performance was superior to others and pushed others aside. We Qingwan couldn¡¯t have been more pleased for Wei Yichen. Suddenly, a man in brocade robes approached. ¡°I would like to try as well.¡± The crowd naturally parted to let the man through, knowing intuitively from the outfit and the entourage that he was no ordinary man. Wei Mingting took notice of the newcomer and was slightly taken aback. He wasn¡¯t sure of the man¡¯s identity, but he inferred something from the personal accessories the man¡¯s attendants were bearing. Wei Ruo recognised the man at a glance ¨C it¡¯s the seventh prince Chu Lan. The male protagonist of the original story and also the one who sentenced her to death in the original plot. Remembering this, Wei Ruo instinctively moved away from the crowd, creating a distance between herself and this perceived threat. Although she didn¡¯t know how much of a difference it would make, her instinct just drove her to stay away from the perceived danger. Wei Ruo glanced at Wei Qingwan, only to find her looking at Chu Lan. Chu Lan was meant to meet Wei Qingwan at the Huafa Temple in the original plot, but that encounter was missed because of her, a secondary character, not showing up. Could it be that this delayed encounter was happening now? Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Duel Results__1 Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Duel Results__1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Qingwan¡¯s gaze fell on Chu Lan through her veil, lingering upon him for a long time. The towering stature, the air of nobility, his striking appearance and commanding presence, making it difficult not to notice him. Wei Qingwan was certain that this man was not from Xingshan County. His attire was far from ordinary, if he were a local noble, they, the Wei Family, would have surely known about him. ¡°Young master, please.¡± The shopkeeper smiled and asked the shop assistant to lay out a fresh sheet of paper for him. Chu Lan stepped forward, and upon seeing the paper placed before him, a trace of surprise passed over his austere face. Running his fingers lightly over the surface of the paper, the surprise on his face intensified. This paper, unlike the kind he normally used, why would such good paper, not even found in the Capital City, be available in such a remote location? ¡°Where does this paper come from?¡± Chu Lan asked the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper chuckled and answered, ¡°This is exclusively sold by our Four Treasure House. If you like it, sir, you can buy some when our shop officially opens after today¡¯s contest. We¡¯re going to have our grand opening right after today¡¯s calligraphy competition.¡± Chu Lan lifted his gaze to see the shop behind the shopkeeper with a signboard that bore the three large characters, ¡°Four Treasure House¡±. Chu Lan responded with a ¡°How interesting¡±, then picked up the paper and brush and began to write. The topic given by the shopkeeper was ¡°The people regard food as their heaven¡±. Chu Lan also wrote around a hundred characters. His writing was vigorous and powerful with authoritative brush strokes, bridging large and small characters with ease. Onlookers immediately cheered, repeatedly praising his work. The shop assistant also hung up Chu Lan¡¯s writing, right next to Wei Yichen¡¯s. When the two works were placed side by side, the contrast was clear-Wei Yichen¡¯s script was far more temperate. The shopkeeper then asked the crowd if anyone else wanted to participate in the competition, and after asking three times to ensure there were no others, he handed out a wooden tablet to each person present. Each wooden tablet was simply carved with the three large characters ¡°Four Treasure House¡±, suspended by a red cord at the top. ¡°The judges for today¡¯s competition are all present here. Whomever you believe has the best writing, just hang your wooden tablet on the hook above that person¡¯s work. The person with the most number of votes at the end wins today¡¯s contest.¡± Lu Yuhong looked at the wooden tablet in his hand and laughed, whispering to Chu Lan, ¡°This is amusing. They¡¯re actually letting the spectators vote to determine the winner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a smart choice.¡± Chu Lan said. This method of judging allows the host of the competition to avoid offending anyone. And as a new shop, the last thing they would want is to offend anyone. Lu Yuhong used a teasing tone when he asked Chu Lan, ¡°If I don¡¯t vote for you, will I be able to return safely tonight?¡± Chu Lan: ¡°You should think it over carefully.¡± Lu Yuhong: ¡°Are you serious? I thought you were just playing around. Have you really developed a competitive spirit?¡± Chu Lan: ¡°It¡¯s definitely more interesting than I initially thought. Lu Yuhong: ¡°I told you this shop was interesting!¡± The voting began. The spectators who received wooden tablets voted one by one. Unsurprisingly, the works by Wei Yichen and Chu Lan received the most votes by a large margin, far surpassing the other works. Wei Qingwan also received a wooden tablet. She knew that she must vote for her older brother, but before placing the tablet, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the distinguished young man in the brocade robe. She couldn¡¯t tell who would win between this young gentleman and her older brother. Wei Ruo also received a tablet. She quickly hung her vote on the hook above Wei Yichen¡¯s work and eloped at lightning speed. When the voting concluded, the shopkeeper publicly counted all the wooden tablets. The other participants only received a meager count of three to five votes, attracting little attention in comparison to the highly anticipated outcome of Wei Yichen and Chu Lan¡¯s works. Tallying the votes, Chu Lan¡¯s work received twenty wooden tablets. Wei Yichen¡¯s work received twenty-one wooden tablets. By a narrow margin of one vote, Wei Yichen edged out a victory. The shopkeeper said to Chu Lan with a smile, ¡°Sir, I apologize. You fell short by one vote. I must declare you the loser. Do you have any objections?¡± ¡°None.¡± Chu Lan responded, ¡°Since I decided to participate in your competition, I should respect your rules. Your method has no faults. ¡°Very well, then I declare that today¡¯s victor is the young master in white.¡± The shopkeeper fixed his gaze on Wei Yichen with a smile. Wei Yichen stepped forward, extending a bow towards Chu Lan, ¡°Thankyou, sir. I managed a narrow victory today mainly because my two sisters also received a vote. If not for that, I believe victory would have been yours.¡± -A loss is a loss. I have a good friend here, just as you have sisters here. There¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± Chu Lan was not upset. In fact, he seemed to be in high spirits, with a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. There was something more interesting to him than the treasured calligraphy scroll from the Tibetan layman. Wei Yichen nodded but said nothing more. The shopkeeper placed the scroll with the Tibetan layman¡¯s drawing into a wooden box and handed it to Wei Yichen. He then announced, ¡°The paper you all used just now is available for sale in our shop. Those who need it can come in to buy it. Each person is limited to fifty sheets per day, and quantities are limited until sold out.¡± All the scholars who had just participated in the competition had already used the paper and brushes from the Four Treasure House. While the pens and ink were common, they did not differ much from those in other places. However, it was definitely not the case for the paper. Although the price was higher than other places, the quality was vastly superior. And the price was still acceptable for wealthy households. Upon hearing of the purchase limit and limited quantity, the crowds immediately rushed into the shop in fear of missing out. in no time, a long queue had formed outside the Four Treasure House, making for a bustling scene. This was a rare sight in Xingshan County where the economy was not particularly thriving. It seemed that those living challenging lives were mainly the lower-class citizens, while those families that could afford to finance a scholar could still afford good quality stationery. We Yichen also had a servant join the queue to buy more for him. In no time at all, the shopkeeper announced that the day¡¯s stock of paper was sold out, and those in need would have to wait until the next day to purchase. Upon hearing that the paper was sold out, those who were unable to secure any showed looks of disappointment. As the crowd dispersed, Wei Qingwan remained among the people, scanning her surroundings and subconsciously searching for the figure of the noble young gentleman. Wei Yichen pulled her, ¡°Wanwan, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°I¡­ I am looking for my sister¡­¡± Wei Yichen looked around, indeed failing to locate Wei Ruo. We Ruo had long slipped away shortly after the competition ended, wandering off to shop in nearby stores. Wei Yichen found Wei Ruo in a candied fruit stall on the street. Wei Ruo had just bought several large packs of candied fruit and was ready to return home. Looking at the amount of candied fruit Wei Ruo purchased, Wei Yichen felt it was a bit excessive, but he refrained from criticizing her. Instead, he said, ¡°So, my sister likes candied fruit. Next time, I¡¯ll bring some for you. You don¡¯t need to stock up so much at once; it will not be fresh if left for too long. Wei Yichen thought that since Wei Ruo seldom ventured out, and given today¡¯s rare opportunity, she bought so much possibly out of fear that she wouldn¡¯t have another chance in the future. Wei Ruo just smiled without either agreeing or rebutting and she followed Wei Yichen back to her family¡¯s side. Upon returning, Wei Yichen asked Wei Mingting, ¡°Father, that young master seems to be of extraordinary status.. Do you know who he is?¡± Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Boss Behind the Scenes_l Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Boss Behind the Scenes_l Translator: 549690339 Xingshan County is so small that it would be impossible for them not to know if such a person of status was present. ¡°It mustn¡¯t be someone from Xingshan County but I can¡¯t think of who it might be.¡± Wei Mingting also observed the unfamiliar gentleman earlier, yet he can¡¯t recall who he was. Madam Yun speculated, ¡°Could it be the noble man who is residing in Huafa Temple?¡± Very few influential people come to Xingshan County, it¡¯s unlikely that two would arrive at once. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Wei Mingting agreed. ¡°My Lord, could it be possible for the noble man to vent his anger on our family because of the previous incident and the fact that Yichen won the competition today?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s concern deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much, if he is enraged by such trivial matters, nothing can be said. Moreover, from his behaviour earlier, he doesn¡¯t seem to be narrow-minded.¡± Wei Mingting advised. He is upright and just. He admitted to his crime of failing to manage anti-Japanese samurai. However, if he was punished for such trivial matters, it would be a gross injustice. After failing to determine the identity of the gentleman clothed in brocade, Wei Yichen handed over the ink treasure of the Tibetan layman that he had won back to Wei Mingting. Wei Mingting refused it: ¡°You keep it. I know how much you admire the Tibetan layman, even considering him a potential mentor.¡± Wei Ruo, who was about to get in the carriage, overheard this conversation and glanced at Wei Yichen. She quickly turned back, climbed into the carriage and started munching on candied fruit. Gazing through the window slit on the opposite side sat Wei Qingwan, who was lost in thought. The face of the nobleman kept surfacing in her mind. She also remembered what her parents had said that the noble man was likely from Huafa Temple, worrying about the impression she had left on him that day. If it was indeed the nobleman from the Huafa Temple, he must be a member of the Royal Family. What would induce a royal family member to visit a small place like Xingshan county? ### After the competition, Chu Lan did not leave immediately. He let an attendant queue up and buy more paper. With the paper in hand, Chu Lan is certain that it¡¯s much better than what is sold in the capital city. Lu Yuhong also noticed that the paper Chu Lan bought was different from what they usually used, thicker, cleaner and smoother. ¡°It¡¯s surprising, this store truly is renowned. Not only do they come up with unique ways to attract customers, but the products they sell are superior to those in other places. This store should be located in the capital city! The business will surely be a hundred times better!¡± Lu Yuhong commented. ¡°Brother Yuhong, setting up shop in the capital isn¡¯t that easy,¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°Oh, you are right. Life in the capital is not like in these small places.¡± Lu Yuhong nodded. Lu Yuhong jokingly said to Chu Lan: ¡°Your Highness, since their paper is so good and beloved by scholars, what if I talk to their boss about it, see if he can supply me, and I can open a store for him in the capital city. This way I could also make some profit!¡± No one would mind having more money, not even someone like Lu Yuhong who is a gentleman from a well-established family. ¡°You can try, just don¡¯t act like a bully.¡± Chu Lang replied. ¡°Of course, do I look like a scoundrel? If I ever oppress the common people, my grandfather will be the first one to whip me to death!¡± ### With the competition ended and the day¡¯s stock of paper sold out, The shopkeeper Mr. Jia closed the store and went into the small courtyard at the back of the shop. A strong and honest-looking farmer stood in the courtyard. When Mr. Jia arrived, the farmer was chopping wood. Mr. Jia stood by the farmer and reported the day¡¯s competition and sales situation. Generally speaking, it was a huge success. Just with a piece of ink treasure from the Tibetan layman cubicle and a small competition, Four Treasure House was promoted in Xingshan County and successfully sold 7,200 pieces of paper. ¡°Good, good. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Xu Zhushan had a simple-minded smile on his face. Looking at Xu Zhushan, Mr. Jia, for the umpteenth time couldn¡¯t believe that an unsophisticated man like him could have so many bright ideas. Like the promotional method executed today was taught by Xu Zhushan; Mr. Jia, the shopkeeper, simply followed his instructions. Mr. Jia still couldn¡¯t determine if the boss was pretending or if he was an idiot savant. After a brief moment of reflection, Mr. Jia continued to tell Xu Zhushan, ¡°Moreover, a gentleman came to the store asking about your, the boss¡¯s, affairs. I responded as you instructed, saying that our boss doesn¡¯t see guests.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°The gentleman also said he came to cooperate with you. He wanted to get goods from you and open a store in the capital city. I remember that you once said that due to limited daily stocks, you would never cooperate with others or supply paper to other people. So I conveyed your thoughts to him.¡± ¡°Correct, just like that.¡± Xu Zhushan nodded. ¡°Boss, forgive my curiosity, we only sell so many sheets of paper every day. Is it because of a shortage of goods?¡± Mr. Jia couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Yes.¡± answered Xu Zhushan. Then Xu Zhushan thought of an important matter: ¡°Oh yes, starting tomorrow, we can¡¯t sell paper alone, we have to¡­ have to¡­¡± He broke off halfway and took a moment to think before he could continue, ¡°We should sell it along with the stationery in the store. I have a detailed plan for you!¡± Xu Zhushan ran back into the room and returned with a paper. It was filled with words, the handwriting wasn¡¯t good, it looked like the scribblings of a seven or eight-year-old. Mr. Jia took the paper and was amazed. It was ingenious! Among the four treasures of the study that their store sells, only their paper is unique. The other three are regular items that can be found in other places. This resulted in the paper being the best-selling product in the store while the other items rarely sold. Today, they sold out of paper, yet only four items among brushes, ink, and inkstones were sold. However, Xu Zhushan¡¯s paper detailed the purchasing rules for the shop in the future. There will be a ¡°bundling system¡±. You can only buy up to twenty sheets of paper directly, but if you purchase it with other items in the store, you can buy up to fifty, even eighty sheets of paper. After reading it, Mr. Jia still had doubts: ¡°Boss, if we sell this way, will people refuse to buy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sell it this way. We don¡¯t force anyone. Those who don¡¯t want it can still buy twenty sheets.¡± Xu Zhushan responded. Mr. Jia nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll sell it this way starting tomorrow. I will take my leave for today and come back tomorrow.¡± Mr. Jia bid Xu Zhushan goodbye. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Xu Zhushan nodded. After Xu Zhushan finished accounting, he prepared to go pick up his wife. She had been busy with mountain affairs during the past few days and had lost weight. He planned to kill a chicken for her tonight as a replenish. Xu Zhushan chuckled to himself as he picked up the basket in the yard. He can use the basket to carry things for his wife, and if there was pig grass by the road, he would also cut some to take home.. Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Father Teaches Horse Riding and Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Father Teaches Horse Riding and Archery__l Translator: 549690339 After wandering in the streets, Wei Mingting led the Wei Family to the military training ground. The training ground was where the soldiers trained. Usually, outsiders were not allowed in, even members of the military prefecture¡¯s family were not an exception. But recently, all the soldiers had been holding the front line. Their usual training spots had been moved to a place closer to the east city gate, so now the training ground was empty and only defended by a few guards at the entrance. Wei Mingting brought his children here, intending to take advantage of this rare day off to teach them horse-riding. Among the children, only the eldest son knew how to ride a horse, while the others hadn¡¯t been taught yet due to Wei Mingting¡¯s tight schedule. Wei Mingting planned to let his two daughters try riding. Conveniently , he and his eldest son could each teach one. Wei Mingting chose to instruct Wei Ruo, leaving Wei Qingwan¡¯s training to his eldest son. As for the younger son, Wei Yilin, he was supervised by their mother in learning to ride a small pony. Normally, Wei Yilin was as mischievous as a monkey at home, but with Wei Mingting present today, he became much more well-behaved, not daring to show any signs of his usual temper or stubbornness. Wei Mingting led his own mount, Scythe, to Wei Ruo and asked, ¡°Ruoruo, do you dare to try?¡± Wei Ruo nodded, expressing her excitement. She had been here for such a long time and hadn¡¯t ridden a horse yet! ¡°I¡¯ll teach you then. This is the stirrup where you place your feet, this is the saddle, and this is the reins¡­¡± Wei Mingting meticulously explained the essentials of horse riding to Wei Ruo. Wei RUO listened attentively. When Wei Mingting was finished and told her to try, she didn¡¯t hesitate. She quickly stepped on the stirrup and seated herself on the saddle in one swift motion. Her actions were neat and effortless, carrying out the entire process smoothly, without any hesitation or fear. Wei Mingting was still thinking whether to fetch a stool for his daughter to step on, but Wei Ruo was already on the horse. Reacting to the speed of her action, Wei Mingting laughed, ¡°Ruoruo, you are more decisive than your elder brother. I recall that your elder brother hesitated for quite a while when he first learned to ride a horse.¡± Wei Yichen who was instructing Wei Qingwan on the side laughed back in protest hearing his father making fun of him, ¡°Father, how could you tell Ruoruo about such things? What about my dignity as the elder brother?¡± Wei Mingting replied, ¡°Dignity must be earned by oneself, it¡¯s not something I cover up for you.¡± Wei Yichen quickly responded, ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s my negligence. Ruoruo is better! Our Ruoruo is a dashing heroine, extraordinary in comparison to men. Listening to Wei Yichen¡¯s flattering words, the praised Wei Ruo didn¡¯t feel anything. On the other hand, Wei Qingwan, who was by Wei Yichen¡¯s side, lowered her head in disappointment. Wei Yichen turned and saw the saddened look on Wei Qingwan. ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± he promptly asked her. ¡®¡öNothing¡­ I just feel a little too clumsy compared to sister, who is able to quickly grasp the essence of horse riding¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t think that way. You have your own strengths and abilities. There are many aspects in which you excel that Ruoruo doesn¡¯t. For instance, the pastries you make are remarkably delicious, your embroidery, calligraphy, and poetry are excellent. All of these are things that Ruoruo can¡¯t compete with. You don¡¯t need to be the best in everything. It¡¯s too tiring,¡± Wei Yichen comforted her. ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Qingwan softly replied. ¡°Alright, let big brother continue to teach you,¡± Wei Yichen said, patiently going back to explaining the intricacies of horse riding to Wei Qingwan. just as Wei Yichen had said a few sentences to Wei Qingwan, he saw Wei Ruo god galloping on the horse, running around in circles on the grass training ground. Wei Ruo laughed freely and boldly on horseback, displaying no signs of fear even though it was her first time riding. Watching his daughter¡¯s carefree behavior, Wei Mingting felt somewhat relieved and remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ruoruo to be the most like me. If she were a boy, she might even have joined me in the battlefield. Wei Yilin¡¯s mother also noticed the relieved expression on her husband¡¯s face when he looked at their daughter and couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. Ruoruo was indeed their biological daughter and had traces of her father in her. At this thought, her expression toward Wei Ruo softened considerably. Since the last incident, her attitude towards Wei Ruo had cooled a lot. However, today¡¯s event brought about a subtle change in her feelings. After a while of horse riding, Wei Mingting fetched a bow and arrow for Wei Ruo to try out. -Archery is different from horse riding, it¡¯s a bit harder. You can try and if you can¡¯t do it, there¡¯s no need to force yourself,¡± Wei Mingting offered upfront. initially, Wei Mingting only planned to teach his daughters horse riding today, not intending for them to try archery as it might be too challenging for girls. But Wei Ruo¡¯s impressive horse-riding performance prompted Wei Mingting to change his mind. Wei Mingting demonstrated to Wei Ruo how to nock an arrow, draw the bow, and shoot. Wei Mingting seemed to be a born warrior, a natural soldier. The moment he held a bow and arrow in his hands, his aura changed, emitting an indescribable gravitas rooted in power. His taut muscles seemed capable of exerting limitless strength. The arrows he shot confirmed this. Each one hit the bull¡¯s-eye. He handed the bow to Wei Ruo, saying, ¡°Ruoruo, you should also try.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo took the bow and, imitating Wei Mingting¡¯s earlier actions, she took an arrow from the quiver and nocked it onto the bow string. Wei Ruo caught on quickly, grasping the basics of archery and successfully shooting the arrow. But her precision and strength were limited. Strength-wise, while Wei Mingting could draw the bow into a ¡°full moon shape, Wei Ruo could only achieve a ¡°crescent¡±. As for precision, let alone hitting the bull¡¯s-eye, she was unable to hit the target at all. Of her ten arrows, only two landed on the target. Watching Wei Mingting shoot with great accuracy had made it seem easy, but only when she tried it herself did she realize that knocking an arrow and hitting a target accurately was not something anyone could easily achieve. Wei Ruo frowned at the bow and arrow in her hand, wondering why the blasted arrow wouldn¡¯t obey her. Wei Mingting saw his daughter¡¯s reaction and laughed, ¡°Ruoruo, don¡¯t worry. Take your time. Considering this is your first try, you have done extremely well.¡± Wei Mingting wasn¡¯t comforting Wei Ruo, he genuinely thought she did well. Not to mention girls, even boys on their first attempt wouldn¡¯t necessarily have Wei Ruo¡¯s learning speed. Not far from them, Wei Qingwan who was still learning to ride with Wei Yichen saw the tender expression on Wei Mingting¡¯s face when he looked at Wei Ruo. After thinking for a moment, Wei Qingwan turned to Wei Yichen and said, ¡°Big brother, I also want to try archery.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go,¡± replied Wei Yichen, taking her there without understanding her thoughts. The purpose of today was just to bring their siblings to play at the training ground after all. Whether they learned something new or not wasn¡¯t important, as long as they had fun. Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan arrived at Wei Mingting¡¯s side. After explaining the situation, Wei Mingting ordered his subordinates to bring another bow. After receiving the bow, Wei Qingwan, emulating what she had seen Wei Mingting demonstrating earlier, prepared to draw the bow.. Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Father Made You Suffer_l Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Father Made You Suffer_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Qingwan strained for a long time, but was only able to open the bow a small amount. The arrow she had placed on the bow fell to the ground due to her trembling hands. Wei Yichen picked up the fallen arrow for Wei Qingwan as he comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Wanwan. Archery is difficult, and father¡¯s bows are all quite hard, so it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t open them. Your first time trying looks very similar to eldest brother¡¯s first time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try again.¡± Wei Qingwan once again drew the bow. This time, she used even more strength, and then let out a light gasp. The bow and arrow in her hand fell to the ground again. ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Yichen hurriedly checked Wei Qingwan¡¯s hands. Wei Mingting, who was initially instructing Ruoruo, came to Wei Qingwan¡¯s side after he heard noise. He examined her condition and his eyes also revealed deep concern. ¡°I¡¯m alright, it¡¯s me who is useless. I couldn¡¯t draw the bow, and my hand got scratched by the bowstring,¡± Wei Qingwan reproached herself. Wei Yichen opened Wei Qingwan¡¯s hand and saw a deep red mark left by the bowstring on the finger she used to pull the string. Although the skin wasn¡¯t broken, the red mark stood out vividly against Wei Qingwan¡¯s fair, delicate skin. Wei Mingting¡¯s brows furrowed, then he said to Wei Yichen, ¡°Yichen, go get some medicine to apply on Wanwan¡¯s hand.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Wei Yichen hurriedly left to find the ointment. Mrs. Yun and Wei Yilin also rushed over. Seeing Wei Qingwan¡¯s injury made them both very concerned and anxious. ¡°Wanwan, let me see! How did you get yourself into this condition? Stop practicing archery, your hands aren¡¯t made for this,¡± Mrs. Yun quickly said. ¡°Yes, sister, can we do something else?¡± Wei Yilin suggested. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Wei Qingwan lowered her head, feeling ashamed. ¡°What are you talking about? What does this have to do with competency? Archery simply isn¡¯t something a girl should do,¡± Mrs. Yun said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister. When I master horse riding and archery, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Wei Yilin pounded his chest and declared. Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes reddened, ¡°Thank you, Yilin.¡± She immediately turned to Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father and mother. I¡¯m alright, please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been undutiful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal for parents to worry about their children. Where does the notion of being undutiful even come from?¡± Mrs. Yun said. Wei Mingting nodded in agreement with his wife¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, stop crying. Come and rest in the carriage with me,¡± Mrs. Yun said as she took Wei Qingwan away. Wei Yilin followed behind them, like a little bodyguard. When Wei Qingwan left, Wei Mingting returned to Ruoruo¡¯s side. Suddenly, he had a thought and looked at Ruoruo¡¯s right hand. He noticed that the fingers she used to draw the bow also had fresh red marks on them. What¡¯s more, because Ruoruo shot many more arrows than Qingwan did, her hand had more, more noticeable red marks. ¡°Ruoruo, stop practicing for now,¡± Wei Mingting immediately halted her. After Ruoruo put down her bow, Wei Mingting asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got many red marks on your hand, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ruoruo glanced at her own hand, and calmly answered, ¡°It hasn¡¯t broken the skin, it¡¯s not a real injury.¡± From her perspective, such minor injuries were nothing at all. Her words made Wei Mingting frown, deep in thought. To him, injuries of this level weren¡¯t much, but it was different for a girl. His daughters were gently cared for and raised, so they naturally couldn¡¯t compare to him. He had always thought that frail girls like Wanwan were how girls should normally be. Wei Mingting silently pondered for a while, then said, ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯ve made you suffer.¡± Ruoruo looked at Wei Mingting, then quickly averted her eyes and focused on a distant target. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to tell Wei Mingting that she didn¡¯t find life in the countryside difficult at all. Over there, she had family, friends, and her own life. But she held her tongue, because those words were ones that the Wei Family didn¡¯t like to hear. In their eyes, taking her back, making her a young lady of the official family, and treating her with care was the best option for her. To change the topic, Ruoruo asked Wei Mingting, ¡°Are all bows so hard to draw? Isn¡¯t there a lighter one that can be used by one hand, like a crossbow?¡± ¡°There are indeed some that don¡¯t require much strength to use, like the crossbow. It won¡¯t hurt the hand. Do you want to try, Ruoruo?¡± Wei Mingting asked. Ruoruo shook her head, ¡°No need. I was just curious why soldiers these days use bows more than crossbows.¡± ¡°Because the speed of using a crossbow is slow. In the same amount of time, a proficient archer could shoot three arrows, while a crossbowman can only shoot one. During a war, the intensity of firepower is very important,¡± Wei Mingting answered. ¡°I see,¡± Ruoruo murmured thoughtfully. Seeing that Ruoruo was interested in archery, in order to explain it more effectively, Wei Mingting had a servant fetch a crossbow. Wei Mingting handed the crossbow to Ruoruo, ¡°Look, Ruoruo, this crossbow can load one arrow at a time. After it¡¯s fired, loading the second one can be time ¨C consuming.¡± Ruoruo accepted it, shot an arrow towards the target, then loaded the second one under Wei Mingting¡¯s guidance. It was indeed slower. For a novice like her, the time it took to load a crossbow was similar to the time spent shooting an arrow with a bow. However, for someone as experienced in battle as Wei Mingting, retrieving and shooting arrows with a bow was much faster compared to loading a crossbow. Ruoruo held the crossbow in her hand, deep in thought. ¡°What are you thinking about, Ruoruo?¡± Wei Mingting was curious about his daughter¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I was thinking, it would be amazing if this crossbow could load many arrows at once,¡± Ruoruo casually said as she played with and observed the crossbow in her hands. ¡°Your thoughts are quite interesting,¡± Wei Mingting commented, then looked up at the sky, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, we should prepare to return home.¡± Seeing that it was getting late, Wei Mingting ended the day¡¯s activities and led his wife and child back home. Their journey back was peaceful, and the group safely returned to the Wei Residence. Upon entering the gate, Wei Mingting specifically told Ruoruo before they parted, ¡°Today was your first time riding and shooting arrows, you will inevitably feel discomfort tomorrow. Rest early after you return.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Not long after Ruoruo returned to Tingsong Garden, she received a medicinal bath packet delivered by Cuiping. Wei Mingting had told Mrs. Yun, who then instructed Cuiping to bring it. Wei Mingting had kept a variety of medicines at home due to his experiences in battle; this medicine bath packet was usually used by him. Ruoruo opened the medicinal bath packet and examined it carefully. She sniffed it and concluded that it was a formula for relaxing the muscles and promoting blood circulation. Although the formula had some shortcomings, it was useful. Originally, Ruoruo planned to prepare her own medicinal bath, but as Wei Mingting had it sent over, she didn¡¯t bother and used the one provided. That night, Ruoruo had a hot bath with the medicinal packet to relieve and relax herself. Ruoruo anticipated that she would feel sore and tired when she woke up the next day.. However, when the next day actually arrived, not only did she feel sore and tired, but she also felt pain in some unexpected places! Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Both Heartbreaking and Funny l Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Both Heartbreaking and Funny l Translator: 549690339 Places like my buttocks and inner thighs, that get rubbed when horse riding, are aching¡­ Compared to this, the slight ache in my arm, shoulder, and fingers from archery feels fine because Wei Ruo usually exercises her arms and shoulders by collecting herbs and doing farm work. But areas like the inner thighs can¡¯t be exercised while doing other things. Wei Ruo regretted a little at this moment, she shouldn¡¯t have been negligent last night! If she knew, she would have prepared her own medicinal bath pack! That would have relieved at least half of the soreness today! She wouldn¡¯t look so pitiful then! ¡°Miss¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better if you didn¡¯t get out of bed?¡± Xiumei looked at Wei Ruo leaning against the wall and found it both pitiful and funny. ¡°Meimei, are you laughing at me? Are you? You don¡¯t love me anymore, do you?¡± ¡°No no, really Miss, I¡¯m not laughing! I promise I pity you more than I mock you!¡± ¡°You just let it slip! You did laugh at me!¡± ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t want to laugh, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you walk this way, I couldn¡¯t help it. But believe me, I¡¯m not mocking you! I think the way you walk is cute!¡± ¡°Hmph, bad Meimei!¡± Wei Ruo mumbled, ¡°Laugh if you want, I¡¯ll let you get away with it, but I can¡¯t let others in this house see me like this, especially that stinky kid.¡± Wei Ruo could already imagine how Wei Yilin would tease her seeing her like this. It¡¯s fine to be a laughingstock for her own people, but she couldn¡¯t entertain those who wished her ill with her misfortune. Wei Ruo thought for a moment and said to Xiumei, ¡°I won¡¯t be eating in the dining hall this afternoon or evening. Can you go and tell mother for me, just say that I got hurt from horse riding yesterday and it¡¯s not convenient for me to move.¡± Whether Lady Yun believes it or not didn¡¯t matter, because going over to the dining hall is not possible anyway. ¡°Then Miss, where will you eat? Should we go to the small kitchen next door and cook something ourselves? Miss, you haven¡¯t tasted the dried mushrooms that Madam Xu sent over, and also the sweet potato leaves we brought back last time are still fresh.¡± Xiumei suggested. As Xiumei said this, Wei Ruo¡¯s cravings started to stir. She¡¯s not particularly picky, but compared to the food she and Xiumei usually eat, the food made in the Wei Family¡¯s main kitchen tastes rather bland. It¡¯s not that the cooks in the main kitchen have poor skills, but rather, they use far fewer condiments than they do. ¡°Let¡¯s go next door!¡± Wei Ruo decided, even if she had to limp, she would go to the neighboring kitchen for food! So Xiumei left for Cangyun Garden, informing Lady Yun about Wei Ruo¡¯s condition. Luckily, Wei Mingting had mentioned to her the night before that Wei Ruo, having tried horse riding and archery for the first time, had exerted herself a lot and would most likely be sore the next day, so she should take care of her more. So, Lady Yun not only agreed to Wei Ruo not eating in the dining hall but also instructed the main kitchen to prepare an extra meal to be sent to Tingsong Garden for Wei Ruo. After Xiumei returned to Tingsong Garden, she helped Wei Ruo get out of bed. When they were about to leave Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo had Xiumei check to confirm that nobody was around before they went out. And then, suffering the pain, Wei Ruo hopped her way to the doorway of the neighboring pavilion, called Yingzhu Pavilion. As soon as Xiaobei opened the door, Xiumei and Wei Ruo went in. Xiaobei didn¡¯t even have time to ask a question. ¡°Young Miss, what happened to you?¡± Xiaobei asked. ¡°I¡¯m wrecked.¡± Wei Ruo said and looked toward the Octagonal Pavilion in the courtyard, and sure enough, Wei Jinyi was sitting there, having fully recovered from his illness. Except for particularly windy days, he would sit inside the pavilion reading and writing. Wei Jinyi was also looking at Wei Ruo at that moment. Watching her hopping towards him, her posture was weird but somewhat cute. When she got up close, Wei Jinyi asked, ¡°What happened? Are you injured?¡± The slight furrowing of his brow and the solemnity in his eyes hinted at a touch of concern. ¡°I wasn¡¯t injured; I just rode a horse yesterday.¡± Wei Ruo responded, then exhaled with resentment, paused, and added somberly, ¡°For the first time.¡± Upon hearing this, it seemed as though Wei Jinyi came to comprehend something. Watching Wei Ruo huff and puff, a trace of a smile spread across his usually serious face. Perhaps because he seldom laughs in front of others, Wei Jinyi used his hand to conceal half of his face. ¡°Wei Jinyi, I¡¯m your lifesaver, your sister with whom you¡¯ve shared life and faced adversities together. How could you mock me at a time like this?¡± Wei Ruo vocalized her resentment, being upset enough to call out Wei Jinyi¡¯s full name. ¡°I¡¯m not mocking you.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. No mockery, just¡­ a slight upward curve of his lips. But he indeed had no intention of ridiculing her and found himself smiling at her huffy yet somewhat melancholy expression, not knowing why. Perhaps he hasn¡¯t interacted with people like her for quite a long time. Wei Ruo, watching Wei Jinyi, his lips bearing a shallow smile, couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡®He looks so good when he smiles! Indeed, those with good looks become even more beautiful when they smile!¡¯ This was the first time Wei Ruo saw Wei Jinyi smile. But why was his first smile because of her unfortunate circumstance? Wei Ruo sighed helplessly, ¡°You can laugh if you want, as long as you lend me your kitchen. Meimei wants to cook something delicious for me.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Wei Jinyi uttered. Though he still spoke little, she could feel that he wasn¡¯t as resistant as before. Wei Jinyi instructed Xiaobei, ¡°Go and help.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Xiaobei gloomily followed Xiumei into the small kitchen. Xiumei stir-fried young sweet potato leaves, fried some mushrooms, and used an old hen from the small kitchen to make a nutritious chicken soup with astragalus and wolfberries from Wei Ruo¡¯s medicinal herb cabinet. This old hen had been assigned to Wei Jinyi by the big kitchen after he had fallen ill, to help replenish his strength. Xiumei asked Xiaobei, and Xiaobei sought Wei Jinyi¡¯s permission; only after they were sure it was okay did Xiumei start cutting up the chicken. The chicken offal and blood that was taken out was not wasted by Xiumei, who went back to Tingsong Garden to get some herbs to go with. She had run out of hotpot condiments from her prepared mix, but she still had some bits of herbs remaining that were perfect for cooking with the chicken offal and blood. While Xiumei and Xiaobei were busy in the kitchen, Wei Ruo sat in the pavilion watching Wei Jinyi write. Normally, she certainly wouldn¡¯t have the leisure to do so, but that day, once she sat down, she didn¡¯t easily plan on changing her location. She had seen Wei Jinyi sitting in the pavilion reading and writing many times before, but she had never seen his work up close. She didn¡¯t know if it was a coincidence or if she just hadn¡¯t paid enough attention, but all she had ever seen of his work was the books he read; she had never seen any of his calligraphy or paintings. ¡°You have such beautiful handwriting!¡± Although Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know much about calligraphy (the most she could say about her own brushwork was that it was barely passable, having been honed out of necessity for dealing with shop matters), she knew what kind of writing looked nice and had artistic beauty. Wei Jinyi¡¯s script was exactly that. The saying ¡®the style is the man¡¯ wasn¡¯t the least bit wrong. His writing was filled with vigor and grace, possessing both a gentle side and a strong side. In short, it was very attractive. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t respond, not because he didn¡¯t want to interact, but because he didn¡¯t know how to respond to such a comment. ¡°With all the books you¡¯ve read and your beautiful handwriting, why don¡¯t you try to pass the exam for civil service like Big Brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked curiously.. Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 43:1 Can Help You_l Chapter 43: Chapter 43:1 Can Help You_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Jinyi is not even a student, let alone having taken the exams necessary to become a scholar, let alone a degree holder. He has not taken any exams. Though he is an unloved illegitimate son, if he wanted to take the exams, surely Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun would agree. After all, it would be an honor for the family if he were to succeed. ¡°In the past, I had no interest in it.¡± Wei Jinyi replies. ¡°In the past?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°There has been a slight change.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of taking the exams then?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Wei Jinyi is just sixteen now. It might be a bit later than his half-brother Yichen, but in an era where scholars took exams for life, it wasn¡¯t considered too late. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t respond to that. Instead, he asks about Wei Ruo¡¯s situation, ¡°I heard mother is arranging for you to take classes at the magistrate¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Yes, I hope she does it slowly.¡± Wei Ruo replies. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t want to go.¡± Wei Ruo frowned and sighed helplessly. ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to go to school or don¡¯t want to go to the magistrate¡¯s office?¡± Wei Jinyi asked again. ¡°While I don¡¯t particularly want to go to school, I despise the idea of studying with Wei Qingwan even more.¡± Wei Ruo responded. Possibly due to owing their lives to each other, Wei Ruo was not as guarded with Wei Jinyi. She shared things that she couldn¡¯t say to others in the Wei Family with him. Wei Jinyi knew about the situation last time as well. Wei Ruo says, ¡°In fact, I wanted to find a female tutor, but it was vetoed. I don¡¯t know how long I can delay with the excuse of the wasteland in the south of the city.¡± Wei Ruo could absolutely afford to hire a tutor. She could even find a decent one, but it would be troublesome to get the military prefecture¡¯s approval without exposing herself. As of now, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t figure out a suitable solution. Wei Jinyi stared at the frowning Wei Ruo and said, ¡°I can help you find a reputable female tutor.¡± ¡°You can find a reputable female tutor?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi skeptically. Renowned female tutors aren¡¯t easy to hire. It¡¯s not just about money. ¡°My biological mother hailed from a scholarly family and has some connections in this field. I maintain contact with my mother¡¯s side; I believe it¡¯s not too difficult to help you find a female tutor.¡± Wei Jinyi explained. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know much about Wei Jinyi¡¯s biological mother¡¯s situation. But looking at his serious expression, she realized he earnestly wanted to help her and felt confident about doing so. So, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°If you can find a good female teacher, maybe I can make it work and convince them to let me avoid studying with Wei Qingwan.¡± Suddenly, Wei Ruo had a plan. Wei Jinyi watched her curled perfect smile and the lively eyes sparkling with cunningness, somewhat expecting her arrangement in this matter. Wei Ruo, after chatting with Wei Jinyi for a while, Xiumei and Xiaobei carried the prepared dishes back. Three dishes and one soup, steaming hot with tantalizing aroma. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to sit down and eat with them, and Wei Jinyi called for Xiaobei as well. They were not stiff people. As there was no one else around that day, they didn¡¯t need to keep the clear distinction between master and servant. The stone table in the Octagonal Pavilion was occupied by four people. Of the four served dishes, three were not spicy. Wei Ruo had warned Wei Jinyi beforehand that the stir-fried chicken giblets would be as spicy as the earlier seafood hotpot. She advised him not to touch it and to drink more chicken soup. Initially, Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t touch the chicken giblets, but after tasting the other three dishes, he decided to try them. With the experience of the last choking episode, he took very small bites this time, chewing slowly. It seemed he wanted to figure out why such a spicy taste could attract Wei Ruo so much. When Wei Ruo saw that he tried again, she watched him curiously. Seeing that he didn¡¯t choke like last time, she asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s delicious, but it¡¯s not hard to swallow.¡± Wei Jinyi evaluated. ¡°If you have the chance to eat it a few more times, maybe you¡¯ll fall in love with this taste.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± As it was inconvenient for her to move around, Wei Ruo stayed in the pavilion of the bamboo grove the entire afternoon. Xiumei brought her some account books. She and Wei Jinyi each engrossed in their books. They read their own books without disturbing each other, keeping the silence. At some point, Wei Jinyi glanced at the words Wei Ruo had written. Her handwriting was very immature, like that of a newly learned child. Probably in the whole household, the only one with similar handwriting was the seven years old Wei Yilin. After having dinner together in the evening, Wei Ruo was again helped by Xiumei to limpingly return to Tingsong Garden. After Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi wrote a letter and gave it to Xiaobei to deliver it outside the residence. When Xiaobei came back, he brought back a reply saying that they would certainly handle the matter entrusted by the young master. ### After the Grain in Ear period, the temperature began to rise again. However, compared to previous years, it was still a bit cooler. Many old farmers were already worrying about this year¡¯s harvest. If this continued, this year¡¯s harvest would not be good, and it might even be worse than the past two years. After a few days of rest, Wei Ruo¡¯s body fully recovered. So, she once again went to the wasteland in the south of the city. The test field she had chosen had been cleared of weeds and had already received the first batch of sealed, fermented straw and humus fermentation residues. This material was acidic and could neutralize the alkalinity of saline-alkali land, making the soil suitable for growing common crops. Wei Ruo arranged for the long-term workers to bury the second batch of humus today. Both of the long-term workers and Mrs. Zhang didn¡¯t quite understand Wei Ruo¡¯s arrangement, but they completed their tasks very well. Today, Wei Ruo wanted to go down to the field and work for a while, but Mrs. Zhang persuaded her to stay in the carriage. If she needed anything done, she could just instruct them. So, Wei Ruo leaned against the carriage, directing the two workers and Mrs. Zhang. By noon, Wei Ruo sat down to rest under the camphor tree next to the experimental field. Xiumei was on her left, Mrs. Zhang on her right, and the two workers were by the small river further away. Xiumei took out the lunch that had been prepared before they left: braised pork over rice paired with boiled choy sum. Wei Ruo had also prepared the same lunch for Mrs. Zhang and the two workers. Each portion was packed in its own food box. After giving one box to Mrs. Zhang, Xiumei walks to the river bank to give the rest to Agui and Xiaoba. Both Mrs. Zhang and the two workers were stunned when they received the food boxes. The young lady had actually prepared a portion for all of them! ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and eat. It¡¯s already lunchtime. How can you work without eating first?¡± Wei Ruo said to the three of them. The three snapped back to their senses, quickly setting down their cornbread and opening the boxes Wei Ruo had given them. Meat! Big chunks of meat! Excitement twinkled in the eyes of Mrs. Zhang and the two workers.. Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Follow Me for a Feast_l Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Follow Me for a Feast_l Translator: 549690339 The three of them moved in unison, each eagerly taking a bite. Madam Zhang¡¯s demeanor was relatively more graceful. As one of the more respectable maids in the household, she often had the chance to eat meat. The two laborers, however, were not as fortunate. In previous years when the harvest was abundant, they had meat more often. However, in the last two years, they only got to taste meat during special occasions and holidays. They assumed that being able to eat meat was already a luxury. But when they tasted it, they were all astounded ¨C even Madam Zhang was no exception. It didn¡¯t taste like what they had eaten elsewhere! How could the meat be so delicious? The three of them dug into the rice that was mixed with fragrant meat broth. It was beyond delicious. They ate quickly at first, but towards the end, they slowed down considerably. The fast pace was because the food was too tempting, making them want to take one bite after another, whereas the slower pace was their attempt to truly savor the taste instead of finishing it off in a few bites. Having finished their meal, the two laborers didn¡¯t say anything. However, Madam Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, was this meat cooked by the kitchen staff? How did they manage to make it so delicious?¡± ¡°It was cooked by Xiumei,¡± replied Wei Ruo. ¡°Lady Xiumei is such an excellent cook!¡± Madam Zhang couldn¡¯t help but praise her. At the same time, her gaze towards Xiumei contained something different from before. Ever since the day she first met Xiumei, she looked down on her because she was a maid brought into the Wei Family by the He Family to attend to Wei Ruo. She always stayed at the countryside with Wei Ruo and lacked proper manners when compared to those who came from the Military Prefecture. But to her surprise, this girl had such remarkable skills! Not all those from the countryside were unruly and narrow-minded. Some of them did have their own amazing aspects! Feeling the astonishment in Madam Zhang¡¯s gaze, Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but smile. This was the first time she had seen the usually snobbish Madam Zhang look at her with such an expression! Wei Ruo addressed Madam Zhang and the two laborers: ¡°Providing you with a good meal is just one aspect. As long as you work hard for me and complete the tasks I assign to you, I promise I won¡¯t treat you unfairly.¡± At this point, one of the laborers, Agui, finally couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Miss, does this mean you would continue providing us with such delicious meals in the future?¡± ¡°Not only meals, but you can also expect other benefits,¡± promised Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss, rest assured, we will work hard for you!¡± Agui quickly reassured her. ¡°Count me in too!¡± chimed in the other laborer, Xiaoba. Though it was just a single meal, it was indeed very rare for them. Although they didn¡¯t know what other benefits Wei Ruo was referring to, it was already enough to motivate them to work even harder for her. Madam Zhang remained silent. Despite finding the meal are prepared by Wei Ruo delicious, she was not that gullible to easily change her opinion about Wei Ruo over a mere meal. While she was thinking about it, Xiumei came over and handed a small cloth bag to her. Xiumei also gave a similar bag to both Agui and Xiaoba. Each bag was of equal weight, and felt bulky to hold. Curious, Madam Zhang opened the bag, saw the food inside, and asked, ¡°Are these the same sweet potato chips that Miss Wei had brought for the other ladies before?¡± Madam Zhang had heard about this incident. Reportedly, they were unanimously appreciated by everyone, but she had never seen them in person. ¡°Yes, these are very easy to preserve and are also quite filling. You can snack on these when you are hungry, or take them home for your family to try,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Out of curiosity, both Agui and Xiaoba tasted a piece at once. Neither of them said anything, but their expressions indicated that they enjoyed eating the dried sweet potato. For them, sweets were a luxury, so their reactions were more pronounced than any ordinary person. Madam Zhang watched them for some time. The chips weren¡¯t particularly attractive, especially compared to the delicate cakes that she had seen before. Yet under the influence of her curiosity, she also took a bite. Although her reaction was not as extreme as the two laborers¡¯, she did actually like it. The very same Madam Zhang who had just decided not to change her opinion about Wei Ruo over a mere meal was now wavering once again, all thanks to a bag of dried sweet potatoes. It seems this Miss Wei really is quite generous towards those who work for her¡­ Each of them only ate a piece and didn¡¯t eat more. Firstly, they were full from the hearty lunch Wei Ruo had given them, and secondly, they wanted to take the rest back home for their families to try. After they finished lunch, everyone went back to work. This time, the two laborers worked even harder than before. They hadn¡¯t slacked off before, but now they had extra motivation to work wholeheartedly for Wei Ruo, and their spirits were obviously improved. ### Not too far away, another group of people, like Wei Ruo, had just left through the South Gate of the city. Chu Lan¡¯s gaze swept over the South district of the city, which was desolate and barren. He did not expect to see several figures working in the stark field. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Lan asked his attendant. ¡°Your Highness, these people belong to the Wei Family. They said they were trying to plant crops in barren lands. If successful, they could guide the city¡¯s citizens to farm here once the war situation improves. This was permitted by Qian Magistrate,¡± reported an attendant following behind Chu Lan. As Chu Lan¡¯s attendant, it was his duty to research the basic conditions of the places that Chu Lan planned to visit in advance. ¡°People from the Wei Family?¡± Chu Lan asked, visibly surprised. ¡°When did the Wei Family start doing such things? It doesn¡¯t sound like something they¡¯d typically do.¡± Lu Yuhong chuckled and said, ¡°Your Highness, it seems that the Wei Family is full of surprises. First, they impressed everyone with their calligraphy, and now they¡¯re trying their hand at farming.¡± Chu Lan didn¡¯t argue with Lu Yuhong¡¯s comment. His gaze remained fixed on the people from the Wei Family who were busy farming, and asked, ¡°Who is the person who is directing them over there?¡± The subordinate took a careful look and made a guess, ¡°It may be the young lady of the Wei Family who just returned home.¡± ¡°The young lady who just returned home?¡± Chu Lan asked with a trace of curiosity. ¡°The Wei Family claims that due to her poor health, she was raised in the countryside and had just been brought back,¡± the subordinate explained. ¡°Raised in the countryside, so she is proficient in farming, is it?¡± Chu Lan asked. ¡°It appears so,¡± was the reply. Lu Yuhong laughed and said, ¡°A county-raised, farming-skilled lady from an earl¡¯s family. That¡¯s quite novel.¡± ¡°Whether she is proficient or not remains to be seen. We have to wait and see what she can cultivate. Just because she can work in the fields doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s an expert,¡± Chu Lan said, appearing skeptical. ¡°That¡¯s true. It only counts if there are results. In comparision, that Four Treasure House shop is more interesting,¡± Lu Yuhong added. Despite being politely declined by the shopkeeper during their last visit, Lu Yuhong was still thinking about the Four Treasure House. He felt that it was a great opportunity to make money. After a brief pause, Chu Lan led the group towards Wangyue Mountain, without being too distracted by this small deviation.. Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Renowned Mrs._l Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Renowned Mrs._l Translator: 549690339 After completing soil improvement, Wei Ruo instructed Zhang Mama, Agui, and Xiaoba to level the land, then hold water. Once the land was prepared, Wei Ruo came to the southern wasteland again, this time bringing a large bag of rice seeds. When Wei Ruo handed over the bag of rice seeds to Zhang Mama, instructing her, Agui, and Xiaoba to sow them, Zhang Mama showed a hesitant expression, deliberating a while before trying to persuade Wei Ruo again: ¡°Miss, allow an old servant to speak out of turn. Is it really possible to plant rice at this time? Shouldn¡¯t we switch to other crops? As long as they can survive, other crops will suffice too.¡± ¡°We will plant this. Rest assured, these are late rice seeds that I brought back from Huzhou Prefecture. People over there have already planted them. Planting at this time is just right, they will grow,¡± Wei Ruo replied with conviction and confidence. ¡°Really? There¡¯s such a variety of grain?¡± Zhang Mama asked in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s true. However, for now, don¡¯t spread the news, just plant the seeds. Once the seedlings are well-grown, reporting it then will be more persuasive.¡± Had this happened in the past, Zhang Mama would certainly not have believed it. But the situation was different now. She had gained some amount of trust in Wei Ruo, although she still felt that their young miss¡¯s ideas were too fanciful. Even old farmers who¡¯d been planting for a lifetime wouldn¡¯t agree to her ideas. Agui and Xiaoba, on the other hand, didn¡¯t think too much about it. Agui said, ¡°If the young miss says it¡¯ll work, then it¡¯ll work. We listen to the young miss!¡± Xiaoba also chimed in, ¡°Yes, whatever the young miss tells us to plant, we¡¯ll plant!¡± Nothing else mattered as long as their young miss treated them well, provided them with delicious food, and ensured they and their families were well-fed. They thought it right to follow their young miss¡¯s orders! Wei Ruo instructed the two, ¡°You both should learn and remember well. After this piece of land becomes productive, there will be more wasteland to be developed. Many more laborers will need your guidance since you two will have had hands-on experience by then. Additionally, you will have to manage and lead them in their work.¡± Didn¡¯t that mean they would become foremen in the future? Agui and Xiaoba excitedly agreed, ¡°Young Miss, rest assured, we will work hard!¡± Both of them took the rice seeds and began working earnestly. The sowing process wasn¡¯t troublesome, but the task would be more demanding when the seeds grew into seedlings and needed transplanting. If the seeds could successfully grow into seedlings, it would mean that Wei Ruo¡¯s soil improvement project was more than half successful. So now, they just had to wait about half a month to see if Wei Ruo¡¯s soil improvement had worked. ### After Wei Ruo had been busy in the field for a few days, she had just gotten a day¡¯s rest when Lady Yun summoned her for a talk. The topic of discussion was still the same old stuff. Lady Yun urged Wei Ruo to delegate the wasteland project to her subordinates and focus on studying at the magistrate¡¯s office instead. Since Lady Yun had already prompted her once before, Wei Ruo found it harder to delay this time, especially after Lady Yun gave her no opportunity to do so. Lady Yun instructed her to prepare herself as she would be making arrangements in the next couple of days. Knowing it was impossible to procrastinate any further, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say much and agreed to Lady Yun¡¯s arrangement. By nightfall, Wei Ruo joined everyone in the dining hall for dinner. After dinner, everyone sat together as usual, enjoying tea and casual conversation. Wei Yichen, as per his custom, reported his daily progress in studies to his mother. Wei Yilin also shared with Lady Yun what had occurred at his school. Although Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t talk much usually, today she hesitantly brought up a topic, ¡°Mother, the Xie family has hired a female scholar, the widely-known Mr. Wang Caiwei.¡± Lady Yun¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is that true?¡± Both Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin displayed surprised expressions. Wang Caiwei was a famous talented woman from Jiangzhe region, born into a family of scholars and very well-educated, but unfortunately, her family had fallen into hard times. Even after losing her family¡¯s support, many well-born young men pursued Wang Caiwei, although they all aimed to make her their concubine instead of their official wife. Being proud, Wang Caiwei, of course, was unwilling to be a concubine, and eventually chose to marry a poor scholar. Due to their humble living conditions, Wang Caiwei began to teach wealthy families. Even though she had fallen on hard times, Wang Caiwei was famous and incredibly talented. There were numerous families who wished to hire her as a private tutor. Rumor had it that Ruan family from Qiantang, whose late patriarch used to be a chief minister, had been Wang Caiwei¡¯s previous employer! And now, the Xie family in the north of the city had managed to hire her! It seemed the rumors about the Xie family¡¯s rise weren¡¯t baseless, and different signs had started to emerge. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Zhilan told me,¡± Wei Qingwan answered firmly, ¡°Zhilan also said¡­¡± ¡°What else did she say?¡± ¡°Zhilan said, her mother now wants to send her to the Xie family to study with Miss Xie,¡± Wei Qingwan replied, lowering her head. ¡°If Lady Qian really has such an idea, and the Xie family has indeed hired Wang Caiwei, I should consider sending you there too!¡± Lady Yun said. The female scholar at Magistrate Qian¡¯s house now also had some talent but only relative to ordinary people. She was incomparable to the widely renowned Wang Caiwei. Being a student of Wang Caiwei, when they would return to the capital city, it would certainly make others envious! Upon hearing this, Wei Yilin hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, you should go talk to Lady Xie, let Qingwan go there! Qingwan is very talented and has great potential. Her teacher will definitely love teaching her!¡± Wei Qingwan also looked at Lady Yun expectantly, hoping that Lady Yun would help her negotiate with the Xie family so that she could attend Mr. Wang¡¯s lessons. ¡°I¡¯m just worried¡­ the Xie family will not agree¡­¡± Lady Yun muttered. Their relationship with the Xie family wasn¡¯t particularly deep. They had only met a few times during events like blessing ceremonies and boat trips. ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you help sister ask, or we can send more gifts to the Xie family?¡± Wei Yilin suggested innocently. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll ask. As for sending gifts, it¡¯s not that simple. The presents need to please them. They might not care for common items,¡± Lady Yun pondered. Four out of the five people in the room were racking their brains about how to persuade the Xie family to allow Wei Qingwan to attend classes at their house. Only Wei Ruo was sitting on the side, calmly sipping her tea. When she put down her teacup, Wei Yichen suddenly turned his head to look at her. Meeting her gaze, Wei Ruo detected an apology in Wei Yichen¡¯s eyes. An apology? What was he apologizing for? After tea, Wei Ruo left the dining hall and headed towards Tingsong Garden. Wei Yichen followed and apologized for the earlier matter, ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry for what?¡± ¡°We only brought up the matter of Qingwan attending classes under Mr. Wang¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Ruoruo, it¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t consider you, it¡¯s just that Mr. Wang¡¯s requirements for her students would definitely be higher than other scholars¡­¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m not qualified, right?¡± Wei Ruo finished his sentence for him.. Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Xie Family Agreed—1 Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Xie Family Agreed¡ª1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not qualified, it¡¯s just that, over the years, you indeed have not been studying, and your knowledge is thinner compared to Wanwan and the others.¡± Wei Yichen explained. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Wei Ruo calmly replied. ¡°Ruoruo, your mother will still do her utmost to arrange for you to have lessons at the magistrate¡¯s office.¡± Yichen added. Although Madam Qian and Madam Yun were both trying hard to send their daughters to the Xie Residence, the lady tutor at the magistrate¡¯s office should not resign so soon, especially since the daughters of the chief clerk¡¯s and county magistrate¡¯s families were still her students. Even if the Qian family no longer invites her in the future, the Wei Residence could logically invite the lady tutor to the house. In that way, Wei Ruo¡¯s studying would not be affected. ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Ruo remained calm and composed. There was not much else to say. ¡°Ruoruo¡­¡± Yichen felt uneasy seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s calm demeanor. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I shall return first.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to continue this topic with Yichen and left after speaking. After Wei Ruo left, Wei Yichen thought for a while, then went back to Cangyun Garden and shared his idea with Madam Yun, ¡°Mother, when you go to the Xie Residence again, could you ask Madam Xie if Ruoruo could also be arranged to go there?¡± Madam Yun hesitated, ¡°Yichen, if it were possible, I would desperately want my two daughters to become Mr. Wang Caiwei¡¯s students. But given Ruo¡¯s situation¡­ with her lacking proficient skills in musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, how am I to bring this up with Madam Xie?¡± Hearing these words, Wei Yichen didn¡¯t know what to say. He was aware of his younger sister Ruoruo¡¯s situation. She was not as skilled as Wanwan in musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, or painting. The magistrate¡¯s office agreed to let Ruoruo study there because their father was the loyal and illustrious Wei Mingting, and because they were from the Duke¡¯s Residence. The Xie family and Mr. Wang Caiwei were unlikely to favor them for these reasons. As a brother, he wished the best for both his sisters and didn¡¯t want either of them to be wronged. ¡°Mother, you could still give it a try. If the Xie family refuses, it¡¯s their choice. We should at least ask on Ruoruo¡¯s behalf.¡± Wei Yichen suggested. ¡°Yichen, we were already somewhat taking liberties when we asked Madam Xie to let Wanwan study there too. If we included Ruoruo, especially considering her situation, we may offend the Xie family, and then even Wanwan may not be allowed to go. What then?¡± Madam Yun was deeply worried. It¡¯s better to have one accepted than both being rejected, right? ¡°I understand, Mother.¡± Hearing Madam Yun¡¯s explanation, Wei Yichen reluctantly agreed to drop the idea. ### After mulling over her plan for three days, Madam Yun visited the Xie Residence bearing gifts. She didn¡¯t return until late in the evening. Upon arriving home, Madam Yun looked exhilarated. Wei Qingwan had been waiting at home for the whole day. She had her maid Cuihe keep watch at the door, and as soon as Madam Yun returned, she rushed to Cangyun Garden. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re here! Perfect timing. I have some good news to tell you!¡± ¡°Mother, what good news?¡± ¡°Silly girl, what else could it be? The good news is that the Xie family has agreed to let you and Miss Xie attend Mr. Wang Caiwei¡¯s lessons together!¡± ¡°Really? The Xie family has truly agreed?¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s face lit up with joy; she could hardly believe her own ears. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Wei Qingwan, overwhelmed with excitement, hugged Madam Yun. Madam Yun gently patted Qingwan¡¯s back,¡± Alright, alright. Things went smoothly. I can finally put my mind at ease.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother, for all your efforts on my behalf. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s a parent¡¯s duty to make efforts for their child. If you have a promising future, your mother will naturally feel happy.¡± That evening, Wei Mingting returned home. Madam Yun excitedly shared the news with him: ¡°Husband, the Xie family has agreed to let our daughter attend classes at their house!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely. Madam Xie personally agreed, and Mr. Wang Caiwei was also present at the time.¡± Madam Yun was gleeful. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± Wei Mingting was pleased; his daughter having Mr. Wang Caiwei as her tutor was naturally a good thing. After a pause, Wei Mingting added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about Ruoruo. You need to arrange a school for her quickly. If Ruoruo doesn¡¯t want to leam, that¡¯s her decision, but you still need to handle the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°Rest assured, husband. The magistrate¡¯s wife has already agreed. The only uncertainty is whether the Xie family will also let Miss Qian attend lessons. If they do, the magistrate¡¯s wife might not invite a tutor anymore.¡± ¡°If the magistrate¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t, then invite the tutor to our house. Not only for Ruoruo, but also for the daughters of other families. They all need to study,¡± Wei Mingting instructed. ¡°I understand.¡± Madam Yun had the same idea. While inviting a tutor to their house would incur extra expenses, Wanwan was already settled at the Xie Residence and it wouldn¡¯t do for Ruoruo to miss out too much. Additionally, by inviting the current Qian family¡¯s tutor to their house, they would get closer to the Chief Clerk and the County Magistrate¡¯s residences. Even though Wei Mingting was a martial officer and didn¡¯t have many public interactions with these two families, maintaining a good relationship always helped, especially in Xingshan County. ### After two days, word from the magistrate¡¯s office came that the Xie family had not allowed Qian Zhilan to study at their house. Madam Xie declined gracefully, since the Qian family had their own tutor. Madam Qian was frustrated, but there was nothing she could do. That evening, Madam Yun convened a meeting with Wei Ruo: ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯ve given you plenty of time for the vacant land on the south side of the city. Leave the rest for Granny Zhang to deal with. You should go study at the magistrate¡¯s office now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Unexpectedly, this time, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t negotiate with Madam Yun and accepted her instructions calmly. So Madam Yun continued, ¡°And then there is the issue of the carriage at home¡­¡± Madam Yun looked somewhat troubled. Previously, when Wei Qingwan was the only one studying at the magistrate¡¯s office, the carriage only needed to transport her once in the morning and once in the evening. According to the original plan, Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo were both supposed to go to the magistrate¡¯s office, which would only require the carriage to take one additional person, posing no problem at all. But now, the situation has grown complicated. Wei Qingwan is supposed to go to the Xie Residence in the north, and Wei Ruo is supposed to go to the magistrate¡¯s house. The two are not traveling the same route. Wei Ruo gave a scoffing sound. ¡°Mother, are you trying to tell me that because the Xie Residence in the north is farther from the Military Prefecture, you plan on giving the carriage to Wei Qingwan, who¡¯s going there, and since the magistrate¡¯s house is closer, please have me walk there?¡± ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t let you walk there. I¡¯ll buy another carriage. It will be a bit smaller than the one we currently have.. The family¡¯s resources aren¡¯t extensive at the moment, so when things get better, I¡¯ll get you a bigger one, ok?¡± Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 47:1 dont need __1 Chapter 47: Chapter 47:1 don¡¯t need __1 Translator: 549690339 | ¡°That¡¯s not bad at all. At least it¡¯s not a bullock cart,¡± Wei Ruo chuckled. Not being reduced to a bullock cart doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she is being overly adored by Yun Shi. It could be because Yunshi can¡¯t afford to lose face. ¡°Ruoruo, this is a necessary evil. The Xie Family is no ordinary family. Moreover, Qingwan is going to see the famous female scholar Wang Caiwei, Yun Shi said to Wei Ruo, furrowing her brow in thought. ¡°Hmm, you make a strong point. I totally agree,¡± Wei Ruo nodded in agreement. ¡°You agree?¡± Yun Shi looked at Wei Ruo in surprise, thinking she was being sarcastic, but her breezy demeanor didn¡¯t seem like she was. ¡°Absolutely. Whoever has to travel farther to the high-ranking Xie Family to learn from the more talented Mr. Wang gets to ride in the old, good carriage. The one who stays behind gets the new, but more shabby one. Makes perfect sense,¡± Wei Ruo said. Yun Shi furrowed her brow, not sure how to respond to Wei Ruo¡¯s words. Wei Ruo quickly added, ¡°Your decision isn¡¯t based on the fact that Wei Qingwan is going to the Xie Family and I¡¯m going to the magistrate¡¯s office, right? It¡¯s purely because the Xie Family is located farther away and their status is higher than ours, right?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the case,¡± Yun Shi immediately replied. ¡°Well then, I have no objections. My mother is considering the objective factors and treating us fairly; naturally, I won¡¯t object,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Ruo¡¯s words were reasonable and polite, though it made Mrs. Yun feel vague unease. ### ¡°Sister, I prepared a gift for you!¡± Yilin excitedly ran into Wangmei Garden. ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°Yes, to celebrate you going to the Xie family for classes and to study under the famous female scholar!¡± Yilin said with a full-faced smile. Yilin proudly introduced his gift, ¡°I bought you a set of brushes, ink, paper and inkstone, all from the newly opened Four Treasure House!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t their paper very expensive and hard to buy?¡± Qingwan looked surprised. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s okay, your little brother has some money stored away!¡± Yilin answered with a cheeky grin. ¡°Yilin, you are so good to me!¡± Qingwan murmured tenderly, overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°You¡¯re my sister, if I don¡¯t treat you well, who will I treat well?¡± Qingwan hesitated, ¡°But we also have elder sister who¡¯s going to study at the magistrate¡¯s office. I¡¯m not sure how well equipped she is.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t care about her. Her business has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°I should check on her. If she lacks anything, I can share with her some of mine. After all, she is our elder sister. She may not care about us, but we, as younger siblings, should care about her.¡¯ Saying this, Qingwan walked towards her room and came back with a handful of stationery. ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll accompany you! I¡¯m afraid she might bully you,¡± Yilin followed. ¡°Thank you, Yilin, I will be fine. Even in the residence, elder sister wouldn¡¯t dare to bully me.¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re kind to her doesn¡¯t mean she will be the same to you! We must not be too optimistic!¡± Yilin was firm. Anyway, today, if his sister wanted to visit Wei Qingruo, he would accompany her! ¡°Alright, in that case, you can come along. But once you see elder sister, don t say those things to her again. Big brother will be mad at you.¡± ¡°I know, as long as she doesn¡¯t harm you in any way, I definitely won¡¯t take the initiative to provoke her today,¡± Yilin promised Qingwan. Upon arriving at Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo was busy fertilizing the seedlings of sweet potato, loofah, pumpkin, and gourd that she had planted in the courtyard. The seedlings had already grown lush and green, climbing halfway up the wall. ¡°Sister,¡± Qingwan intruded, walking up to Wei Ruo, ¡°Sister, you¡¯ll be attending classes at the magistrate¡¯s office in a few days. I¡¯ve prepared some stationery for you, and I hope they¡¯ll come in useful.¡± Wei Ruo glanced at the items in Qingwan¡¯s hand, ¡°I don¡¯t need these things you¡¯ve prepared. Take them back and use them yourself. Qingwan was taken aback, and said, ¡°Sister, you can rest assured, these are all new items, never used.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them,¡± Wei Ruo turned her down again. Qingwan, feeling rejected, hung her head sadly. Seeing this, Yilin promptly said, ¡°My sister is offering you these things out of kindness. Why are you being so difficult?¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it wrong of me to ask her to take them back because I won¡¯t use them?¡± ¡°How could you not need what my sister offers you? It¡¯s clear you¡¯re just trying to embarrass my sister!¡± Yilin accused. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know if I need them or not, but you do?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to study soon! Stationery is a must-have!¡± Yilin said heatedly. ¡°So, what¡¯s your point then? What necessary connection does this have to what I said about not needing the items Qingwan intended to give me?¡± Wei Ruo retorted. ¡°You¡¯re deliberately pretending to be confused! You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Yilin snapped. Qingwan intervened, ¡°Yilin, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t choose the right gift. Don¡¯t be mad at sister.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Where did you go wrong? Clearly, it¡¯s her!¡± Seeing that Qingwan took all the blame on herself made Yilin angrier. His sister was always considerate towards Wei Qingruo, yet this bane of Wei Qingruo was continually dissing her and making things difficult for his sister! Whether it was because the commotion was too loud and a servant overheard and reported to Yun Shi, or Yun Shi by chance wanted to visit Wei Ruo, was unknown. The moment Yun Shi stepped into Tingsong Garden, she happened to hear the quarrel between Yilin and Wei Ruo, and Qingwan was trying to mediate. ¡°What a commotion you¡¯re making! This is a disgrace!¡± Yun Shi reprimanded sternly. At Yun Shi¡¯s appearance, the noise immediately stopped. Yun Shi looked at them and said, ¡°What happened? Why all this ruckus? ¡°Mother¡­¡± Yilin looked at Yun Shi with a pout, clearly wronged. Wei Ruo looked on calmly. ¡°Wanwan, you explain what happened.¡± Yun Shi directed Qingwan to explain. ¡°Mother, please calm down. It¡¯s my fault. I prepared some gifts for sister, thinking she could use them when she goes to the magistrate¡¯s office to study. But I didn¡¯t prepare carefully, and sister didn¡¯t like them. Yilin acted impulsively and started arguing with sister,¡± Qingwan explained. After listening to Qingwan, Yun Shi glanced at the stationery in Qingwan s hands. Then she asked Wei Ruo with a furrowed brow, ¡°You¡¯re going to study at the magistrate¡¯s office, what¡¯s the problem with Wanwan giving you stationery? Why aren¡¯t you satisfied with the gifts she prepared for you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was unsatisfied. What I did say was that I can¡¯t use the items, and asked my sister to keep them for her own use,¡± Wei Ruo slowly answered Yun Shi¡¯s question looking at Qingwan, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Sister Qingwan?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Qingwan nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not happy with the gifts she prepared for you when you told her to take them back,¡± Yilin quickly jumped in.. Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Apologize to Me Properly 1 Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Apologize to Me Properly 1 Translator: 549690339 | r 3¡ª Wei Ruo laughed lightly, ¡°It has two meanings. It would be a waste if I kept it since I wouldn¡¯t use it.¡± Wei Yilin retorted: ¡°That¡¯s just arguing for the sake of arguing. You¡¯re going to school, how could it be a waste? How could you not use them?¡± Wei Ruo smiled, then turned to call Xiumei: ¡°Xiumei, get some of my stationery.¡± Yes, miss!¡± Xiumei¡¯s voice came from inside the room. After a short while, Xiumei walked out with a big bamboo basket in her hands. Xiumei huffed and puffed as she carried the bamboo basket to everyone. Upon seeing the contents of the basket, Mrs. Yun, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin all changed expressions. A basket full of stationery! The most eye-catching were the sheets of paper, the color and texture immediately revealing their origin from Four Treasure House. It was not one or two sheets, nor ten or twenty, but a thick stack! The rest of the items included several inkstones, over a dozen brushes of various sizes, and more than ten sticks of ink. All these items seemed to be of higher quality than what Wei Qingwan had brought. ¡°Ruoruo, where did you get so much stationery from?¡± Mrs. Yun asked with surprise on her face. Even her eldest son didn¡¯t have this much! ¡°While at Mo Jiazha, I unintentionally helped an old woman who got lost in the mountains. Her son was in the stationery business, so she gave me a basket of these items as a token of gratitude. Although I haven¡¯t read many books, I know these items are not cheap, so I moved them all over when I came from Mo Jiazha.¡± When Wei Ruo moved to the Wei Family, it was well-known that she brought two carloads of belongings. However, everyone thought it was just cheap stuff, and no one had inquired about what Wei Ruo had brought back. Who would have thought that in her unsightly belongings from the countryside, she had hidden such treasures! Wei Ruo said: ¡°So, mother, is it alright for me to say I won¡¯t be needing Qingwan¡¯s gifts? I can¡¯t even use up what I have in this basket full of stationery. Accepting Qingwan¡¯s gifts would only have left them collecting dust in the house. I didn¡¯t want to squander Qingwan¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°Who would have thought that my words would be misconstrued by Qingwan and Yilin? I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but perhaps they initially believed I was the bad guy.¡± At her words, Wei Qingwan and Wei Yilin¡¯s faces took on an unpleasant look. Mrs. Yun then said: ¡°As long as it¡¯s cleared up, it¡¯s only a misunderstanding.¡± Wei Ruo nodded: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to clear it up. I initially thought since I had so much stationery, I should give some to Qingwan, but seeing that she had an extra set ready to give to me, she probably won¡¯t need it for quite some time, so I¡¯ll just not give her any for now.¡± ¡®As for Yilm, he just contradicted me and accused me of quibbling and having a poor attitude. Although as his elder sister, I shouldn¡¯t be petty with him considering his young age. But as his elder sister, I can¡¯t spoil him excessively either. If I were to ignore his brash and disrespectful behavior, I would be failing in my duty as his elder sister.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s words left the three before her at a loss for words. Mrs. Yun also realized that Wei Yilin¡¯s attitude towards Wei Ruo was problematic: ¡°Yilin, apologize to your elder sister! As the younger sibling, how can you talk to your elder sister like that?¡± ¡°But mother¡­¡± ¡°No ¡®buts¡¯!¡± Mrs. Yun said sternly. Wei Yilin was on the verge of exploding, but under Mrs. Yun¡¯s intent gaze, he had no choice but to bow his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong,¡± Wei Yilin apologized, but his face clearly showed his reluctance. Wei Ruo responded slowly: ¡°Little brother, when you apologize, sincerity is key. Today at home, your apology to me lacks sincerity. If I don¡¯t correct you on this, in the future when you are out in the world, you will find yourself at a disadvantage. As the legitimate young master of the Wei family, your words and actions represent the Wei family and the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence.¡± With those words, Wei Ruo elevated her brother¡¯s apology to the level of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence. Mrs. Yun agreed with Wei Ruo¡¯s points, thus further admonishing Wei Yilin- ¡°Yilin, give a sincere apology. Your sister is right, if you¡¯re going to apologize you need to show sincerity. Do you refuse to apologize to your mother and elder sister properly?¡± Mrs. Yun¡¯s stern expression unnerved Wei Yilin. His eyes turned a bit red as he bit his lip: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. I was reckless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, as I previously mentioned, you are still young, and as your elder sister, I wouldn¡¯t hold it against you. As long as you learn from your mistakes, think more, weigh your actions carefully in the future, it would make me very happy,¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. Wei Yilin felt even more gloomy, but he was powerless, all he could do was stare at Wei Ruo with his round, disgruntled eyes. With the matter resolved, Mrs. Yun left Tingsong Garden with Wei Qingwan and Wei Yilin. At the gate, they ran into Wei Jinyi. Their eyes met, and Wei Jinyi greeted ¡°Mother¡±. Mrs. Yun nodded in acknowledgment, and then left. Speaking politely, distanced appropriately. Wei Jinyi had come over on hearing the argument, and watched the scene from the doorway. He could have left before Mrs. Yun exited, but today he purposely lingered, exchanging just the barest of pleasantries with Mrs. Yun. After Mrs. Yun left, Wei Jinyi also planned to leave, but was stopped by Wei Ruo. ¡°Second brother, just in time. These are for you.¡± Wei Ruo picked a number of stationery items from the basket and handed them directly to Xiao Bei, who was following Wei Jinyi. With scrolls of paper, inkstones, a pile of brushes and ink sticks, Xiao Bei looked flustered as he tried to hold everything, almost dropping some. Wei Jinyi glanced at the items handed over by Wei Ruo, but did not refuse. He simply said, ¡°This is a bit too much.¡± ¡°Not at all, you¡¯ll need them sooner or later. As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted, and now that these items have been on display, they should be used up soon. Rather give them to someone who might deceive me later, I prefer to give them to someone I like,¡± Wei Ruo replied. At her words, Wei Jinyl¡¯s face turned red. He quickly turned around and left with Xiao Bei in a hurry. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know why Wei Jinyi left so hurriedly but attributed it to his always elusive nature so she didn¡¯t think much of it. ### The next day, the Xie family sent a calling card to the Military Prefecture. Mrs Xie wanted to bring her daughter Xie Ying to the Prefecture, saying that the two kids were going to attend school together in the future, so it was a good idea to let them get to know each other in advance. Upon receiving the card, Mrs. Yun started to get busy. Even though it was only the women of the Xie family who were coming, Mrs. Yun did not dare to be negligent. After two days of preparations, Mrs. Xie arrived with her daughter Xie Ying. ¡°Mrs. Wei, I hope we¡¯re not too much of a bother,¡± Mrs. Xie greeted with a smile. ¡°Not at all, both my daughter and I are delighted to have you,¡± Mrs. Yun replied with a face full of joy. Mrs. Xie glanced at Wei Qingwan standing at Mrs. Yun¡¯s side, then looked around the room, noticing no one else, she asked, ¡°Mrs.. Wei, where is the other daughter of the house?¡± Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Is it Ruoruo, not Wanwan?_l Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Is it Ruoruo, not Wanwan?_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Ruo Ruo is¡­ preparing for her lessons in her room. in reality, Wei Ruo was probably busy tending to the fruits and vegetables in her garden, but Yun was too embarrassed to tell others that her daughter was gardening. So, she falsely claimed that Ruo Ruo was preparing for her lessons. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to see what she¡¯s preparing.¡± Xie Ying said. Madam Xie turned to Yun and asked, ¡°Madam Wei, may I¡­?¡± Yun gave an awkward smile. But since Madam Xie had asked, she could hardly refuse and could only agree, ¡°Then I will have my Maid Cuiping lead Miss Xie there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± Xie Ying left without paying any attention to Wei Qingwan, who was smiling and watching her. Yun was right. At this moment, Wei Ruo was picking the tender tips of the zucchini vines in her courtyard. Her zucchini vines were growing very well. They climbed up half of the courtyard wall and had borne several fruits. It was the perfect time to pick these two things. Wei Ruo loved to eat tender zucchinis and zucchini tips. These two could be stir-fried together, offering a crisp and refreshing taste. When Xie Ying entered, she saw Wei Ruo standing on a ladder with a bamboo basket in her hand, intently picking something. Xie Ying walked over without saying a word and just watched. Hearing the footsteps, Wei Ruo knew someone had entered. She didn¡¯t bother about it at first, but when the other party remained silent for quite a while, she finally turned her head to look over. ¡°Miss Xie?¡± Wei Ruo was not too surprised at Xie Ying¡¯s arrival. She had heard about Madam Xie¡¯s plan to visit the Wei Family. However, she was curious why Xie Ying was watching her so intently. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Picking zucchini tips and baby zucchinis.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Oh, I know about that. I¡¯ve eaten it. It has no taste.¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°Well, that probably means the chef who made it wasn¡¯t very good. I¡¯ll let you try Meimei¡¯s cooking next time.¡± Wei Ruo said. Xie Ying did not counter, but her look told Wei Ruo that she didn¡¯t quite believe what Wei Ruo said. How good could zucchini tips taste? Xie Ying glanced around and asked, ¡°Is there anywhere here where 1 can hide and nap for a while? I¡¯ve been dragged around by my mother since early morning, and I haven¡¯t fully woken up yet.¡± Xie Ying didn¡¯t care why Wei Ruo planted vegetables in her courtyard or why she was not preparing for her lessons. All she wanted was to find a place to daydream and sleep. Wei Ruo pointed at her wicker chair in the courtyard and said, ¡°You can move it under my gourd trellis, where the sun can¡¯t reach. The sun would become quite hot later in the day and if one wanted to nap, a cooler spot was much better. Xie Ying nodded, then picked up Wei Ruo¡¯s chair and moved it over. The wicker chair was comfortable, and the gourd vine was lushly grown, making the area beneath the trellis shady and quiet, just the ideal space Xie Ying wanted for daydreaming and napping. Swinging on the chair for a while, Xie Ying turned to Wei Ruo and asked, ¡°Can you give me some seeds of this plant, I want to plant one at home. Also, where did you buy this wicker chair? I want one too.¡± Had she fallen for Wei Ruo¡¯s setup? ¡°I can give you the seeds, but it might be too late to plant them now. For the wicker chair, you should be able to find it outside. Have your servants inquire around for you.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°What kind of vine can I plant this season that will grow like yours? It has to be the type that survives without much care. I don¡¯t know how to take care of plants; everything I plant dies.¡± Xie Ying asked again. ¡°There might not be an ideal one¡­ Most vines grown in courtyards need some care like watering, fertilization, and pest prevention.¡± ¡°That¡¯s troublesome.¡± After murmuring to herself, Xie Ying stopped talking and closed her eyes for a nap. So, she didn¡¯t come to see Wei Ruo because she liked her. She simply found this place convenient for napping! Wei Ruo prided herself on being a person who liked to avoid social situations and enjoy peace, but compared with Xie Ying, she was clearly surpassed. Wei Ruo and Xie Ying mutually left each other alone for half an hour, until Yun and Madam Xie came looking for them, followed by Wei Qingwan. With Madam Xie¡¯s visit today, Wei Qingwan was there throughout. Her gentle and well-behaved demeanor earned her multiple praises from Madam Xie, and plenty of wishes that her own daughter could be as obedient and understanding as Wei Qingwan. This made Yun extremely proud. Her daughter was indeed very sensible. She guessed that it was because of this that Madam Xie readily agreed when she proposed that her daughter should study with the young miss from the Xie family. Madam Xie, who just entered Tingsong Garden, saw her daughter Xie Ying sleeping in the shade and didn¡¯t find it surprising at all. Her daughter had always been like this: dragged out to play, and she could run wild all day long. But when asked to act like a young lady at home, she¡¯d be as lazy as possible. If any other family had a child with this temperament, she would definitely be scolded. But her precious daughter was spoiled by everyone in the family, which resulted in this personality. No one could control her, and no one could do a good job ofeducating her. Madam Xie gave an apologetic smile, then turned to Wei Ruo and asked, ¡°Miss Wei, did Xiao Ying disturb you?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. We got along very well.¡± Actually, Wei Ruo quite liked Xie Ying s personality. It was stress-free and unburdening for her. ¡°Glad to hear that. Then, you two can also get along well when you study together in the future.¡± Madam Xie said with a smile. At her words, both Yun and Wei Qingwan were stunned. Yun questioned, ¡°Madam Xie, did you just say that Ruo Ruo will be studying with Miss Xie in the future?¡± Madam Xie looked a bit confused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m just surprised. I didn¡¯t expect Madam Xie to agree to have Ruo Ruo join the lessons at the Xie Family¡¯s home.¡± Yun cautiously replied. ¡°Join?¡± Madam Xie looked increasingly puzzled. ¡°Madam Wei, hold on a moment. I¡¯m finding it harder and harder to understand what you¡¯re saying. Yun was also baffled, ¡°Madam Xie, wasn¡¯t your previous remark implied that Ruo Ruo should also go to the Xie Family for lessons? Madam Xie looked at Madam Wei and said with a warm smile, ¡°Madam Wei, did we not agree in the beginning that Miss Wei would come to our home to study with my daughter?¡± ¡°Madam Xie, do you mean¡­ when you said Ruo Ruo, you weren¡¯t referring to Wanwan?¡± Yun looked shocked.. Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Unwilling to Make a Losing Deal_1 Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Unwilling to Make a Losing Deal_1 Translator: 549690339 | ¡°How can it be the second Miss? Isn¡¯t she always studying at the Magistrate¡¯s office? How could I snatch someone from the Magistrate¡¯s office? I had heard that the elder Miss was recently recovered and hadn¡¯t arranged her schooling yet, I thought Madam Wei was referring to the elder Miss undoubtedly,¡± Madam Xie answered. When Madam Yun went to the Xie Family, she only mentioned her daughter without specifying which one. Madam Xie naturally assumed it was Wei Ruo, who had not yet been arranged for her education, so she readily agreed. She even told Madam Yun that she believed her daughter was very good and would get along well with her daughter; she also mentioned that Mr. Wang had already mentioned to her about finding Miss Wei for simultaneous tutoring. Madam Yun was ecstatic and automatically assumed that it was Wei Qingwan. She had never thought of Wei Ruo at all. She didn¡¯t believe that Wei Ruo could catch the eye of the Xie Family, let alone Mr. Wang. Wei Qingwan was so shocked that she was at a loss for words; her face visibly turned paler. Wei Ruo felt the accusing gaze of Wei Qingwan, looking surprised and even baffled, and even directed her anger towards her. But how was this her fault? She didn¡¯t actively cause Wei Qingwan to lose face; this was a misunderstanding they created themselves. Seeing the astonished Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan in front of her, Madam Xie understood the situation. Knowing that her presence was no longer appropriate, Madam Xie called Xie Ying over and took leave from Madam Yun. Before leaving, Madam Xie said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Wei Missy, we shall see each other in two days. If you have any needs regarding your studies, feel free to tell me so I can prepare in advance.¡± ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± Wei Ruo thanked her. Collecting herself from the shock, Madam Yun forced a smile to bid Madam Xie and Xie Ying farewell. When she returned, she looked exhausted. After glancing at Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan and opening her mouth to speak but finding no words, she told them to rest, and then retired to Cangyun Garden herself. Looking at the departing figure of Madam Yun, Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She raised her head to look at Wei Ruo, her eyes filled with anger and disbelief. Wei Ruo ignored her and turned back to work on her pumpkin vines. After a while, she heard footsteps and knew that Wei Qingwan had left in a hurry. Returning to the Cangyun Garden, Madam Yun was lost in thought. The agreement from the Xie family to have Wei¡¯s daughter study there and become a student of Mr. Wang Caiwei should be a good thing. She should be happy regardless of which daughter it was. But with this mix-up, Madam Yun¡¯s mood became complicated. There was happiness because at least there was a daughter going to the Xie Family to study with Mr. Wang. There were also concerns, worries and a certain sense of unease. She was worried that Ruoruo might not perform well. She pitied Wanwan for the harm she suffered in this miscommunication. As for the unease, she couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint its source. ### Nearing dinner, Wei Ruo sent Xiumei to inform the people in Cangyun Garden that she was feeling unwell and would not be dining in the hall that evening. Weo Ruo knew that should she choose to dine in the hall tonight, she would inevitably face a room full of icy glares. It was better to not go. She assumed that the others in the family wouldn¡¯t care if she was absent during dinner or not. Then Wei Ruo ran to Yinzhuyuan, searching for Wei Jinyi¡¯s leftover food. In the name of gratitude for finding her a tutor, she invited her brother to enjoy a meal that they had prepared themselves. Wei Jinyi chose to accommodate Wei Ruo¡¯s request, understanding why she chose to dine with him instead. While Xiumei and Xiaobei were busy in the kitchen, Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi sat in the pavilion. ¡°In a good mood?¡± Seeing the playful smile on Wei Ruo¡¯s face, Wei Jinyi¡¯s face was also filled with joy. After this period of observation, Wei Jinyi discovered that Wei Ruo behaved differently in front of him than she does in front of others at home. With him, she was more lively, animated and loved to smile. ¡°Of course I¡¯m in a good mood. Despite the mix-up not being intentional, the outcome wasn¡¯t bad, so naturally, I¡¯m happy,¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t hide her initial intention of enjoying the show. ¡°You handled it well. Can you tell me why you chose the Xie Family?¡± asked Wei Jinyi. At first, he was unsure what Wei Ruo was planning, but when she asked him to recommend Mr. Wang to the Xie Family, he started to understand. Since the tutor was a prestigious female teacher, the Xie Family would be pleased, even eager, and able to help Wei Ruo cover her tuition. As long as Mr. Wang hints at including another Miss Wei among his students, Wei Ruo could naturally study at the Xie Family. Wei Ruo replied, ¡°There are two main reasons. Firstly, the Xie Family has the highest status in Xinghan County after the Military Prefecture and Qian Magistrate¡¯s house; they have the power to disregard the Wei Family¡¯s face. Secondly, I¡¯ve interacted with Xie Ying before. Although we don¡¯t have a bond, I like her personality. We can live without interfering with each other¡¯s lives. There¡¯s no need for extra complications, saving me the hassle. ¡°If later on, your mother requests the Xie Family to let Wei Qingwan study with you, would you agree?¡± ¡°Of course not! All these efforts were made to avoid her in the first place. If she goes too, wouldn¡¯t all my efforts go to waste? Besides, you pushed to find this tutor on my behalf; how could I let someone else take advantage of my benefits? If she had no grudge against me, that would be a different matter, but I still remember how she falsely accused me of pushing people the last time! Although I don¡¯t have any immediate opportunities for revenge, I can¡¯t let someone who has a grudge against me take advantage of me, right? That would be a loss for me. I don¡¯t want to make a losing deal!¡± ¡°What about me?¡± asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°You?¡± ¡°In your dealings with me, have you made a losing deal? ¡°Humph¡­¡± Seeing Wei Jinyi¡¯s serious face, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t suppress her laughter. Wei Jinyi continued to look at her seriously. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Wei Ruo cleared her throat and earnestly analysed the situation to Wei Jinyi: ¡°After careful calculation, that day when I saved you, I was locked in the firewood room, and it cost me a lot of herbs. However, you¡¯re a good person who returned my favor with ginseng, and helped me find a tutor. Thus, I believe that I haven¡¯t lost anything in this deal!¡± Wei Jinyi smiled, his smiles were always gentle and restrained, soothing and warm, like water and jade. ¡°Speaking of which, I have a question,¡± said Wei Ruo suddenly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You seem weak and feeble, spending most of the time at home either studying or writing. But why is it that when I took off your clothes that day, your body was quite sturdy? Your muscles and lines were quite good..¡± Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 In Others Shoes i Chapter 51: Chapter 51 In Others¡¯ Shoes i Translator: 549690339 ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Wei Jinyi started coughing violently, his cheeks quickly flushing crimson. The crimson hue spread all the way to the roots of his ears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Don¡¯t mention this anymore, not in front of me, and especially not in front of outsiders.¡± Wei Jinyi said sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I do know better than to say such things outside,¡± Wei Ruo giggled. She leaned closer and whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about my second brother¡¯s impressive physique.¡± ¡°Boom¡ª¡± Wei Jinyi¡¯s face turned completely red, like a boiled crab. Seeing his blush, Wei Ruo laughed heartily within. Ah, indeed my second brother is an interesting fellow. He is so shy, what would he do after getting married if he is so uncomfortable with her sister seeing his body? After laughing, Wei Ruo continued her previous question, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me yet, how do you maintain your muscles while spending all day reading and writing?¡± She hadn¡¯t forgotten to ask Wei Jinyi this question yet! ¡°I practice physical training techniques,¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°You¡¯re really disciplined. Even in this small courtyard, you never forget to stay in shape,¡± praised Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m a little different from the rest of you, I can¡¯t afford to be lax,¡± Wei Jinyi mumbled. These words seemed as if he was speaking to Wei Ruo, but also like he was talking to himself. ### Within her room, Wei Qingwan had been crying for a long time. Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin both came to comfort her in turn. Unlike previous times, this time Wei Qingwan could not stop crying for a long time. Then Wei Ruo came. When Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin came out of the room, their expressions turned peculiar at the sight of Wei Ruo. Unable to hide his emotions, Wei Yilin rushed forward and accused Wei Ruo, ¡°You devil! You took away my sister¡¯s opportunity to study at the Xie Family! You made her cry so miserably!¡± Wei Ruo calmly retorted to Wei Yichen, ¡°First, the Xie family initially chose me to accompany Miss Xie¡¯s studies. You misinterpreted it, so how did it turn into me being the culprit? Your logic seems flawed. You accused me unjustly.¡± ¡°Secondly, how did my coming to visit Qingwan turn into watching a spectacle? Did she suffer a great injustice? Can¡¯t she continue to study at the magistrate¡¯s office? That has been her routine for the past few years. Why is it all of sudden an issue when earlier it wasn¡¯t seen as a problem?¡± ¡°Before your misunderstanding regarding who was to study with the Xie family, didn¡¯t you arrange for me to study at the magistrate¡¯s office saying that the female tutor there is very talented? Why has it turned into an ordeal when it comes to Qingwan?¡± Wei Ruo refuted Wei Yilin¡¯s accusations leisurely, her smile radiant as she watched Wei Yilin. ¡°It¡¯s not the same! My sister is better than you, she should have gone to the Xie Family¡¯s!¡± Wei Yilin retorted. ¡°Oh, so you were all trying to fool me, right? Your promises of fair treatment to me and Qingwan, they were all deceit manoeuvres, right? In reality, you never saw us as equals, did you? Things that are seen as normal when they happen to me appear as grievances when they happen to Qingwan, right?¡± Wei Ruo spoke these heart-breaking words, but there was a slight smile on her lips. Her bright, clear eyes were like torches, seeming to penetrate and understand all the thoughts of her brothers. Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin were momentarily stunned. Especially Wei Yichen, who was feeling somewhat guilty and didn¡¯t dare to look into Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes. Wei Ruo smiled again, ¡°Don¡¯t feel embarrassed, I never asked you to treat us equally, just don¡¯t say one thing while doing another. Do whatever you want.¡± Speaking of which, Wei Ruo looked down at Wei Yilin, ¡°And you, don¡¯t be such a hypocrite, setting one standard for Wei Qingwan and another for me. If you don¡¯t recognize me, then just don¡¯t, why do you still want to apply your standards on me? I don¡¯t owe you anything!¡± Wei Yilin argued, ¡°Even if you are not to blame, why are you here now, coming to make fun of your sister? To purposely upset her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny? She¡¯s merely continuing to study at the magistrate¡¯s office, are you saying that studying in the magistrate¡¯s office is funny? Were you secretly laughing at me all along? When you and Wei Qingwan came to find me with ink and paper, were you actually making fun of me?¡± Wei Ruo counterattacked. ¡°You¡­ you!¡± Wei Yilin was left speechless by Wei Ruo¡¯s retort, his face instantly turning red. After some contemplation, Wei Yichen said in a serious tone to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo, you¡¯re right. On this matter, we have indeed been partial. There is also a problem with what Yilin said, I will educate him properly.¡± ¡°Hmm, I believe Big Brother is a fair and consistent man,¡± Wei Ruo remarked with a smile. ¡°Fair and consistent,¡± these words were like two sharp blades stabbing into Wei Yichen¡¯s heart. Wei Yichen realized that, although they always claim to treat both sisters equally, they seem to naturally lean towards Wanwan, always subconsciously affirming that Wanwan is better than Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault for not doing well enough¡± apologized Wei Yichen. Wei Ruo did not engage Wei Yichen further, glancing instead at Wei Qingwan¡¯s room, ¡°I came over today to ask Qingwan what to bring and what to pay attention to when going to classes. It seems I¡¯m not very welcome here. Nevermind then, I¡¯ll ask Second Brother.¡± Wei Yichen quickly stopped Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo, Big Brother can also teach you these things.¡± ¡°No need, Big Brother seems busy, I won¡¯t bother you,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Big Brother is free now. Why don¡¯t you come back with Big Brother and let him explain to you?¡± Wei Yichen looked at Wei Ruo expectantly. ¡°Still no need, I think Second Brother has more free time than Big Brother,¡± Wei Ruo declined again. ¡°Alright then,¡± Wei Yichen, feeling a bit despondent, found it inappropriate to insist any further. Wei Ruo was not concerned about what Wei Yichen was thinking and turned to leave Wangmei Garden. As she was leaving, she shot a quick glance at the room behind her, knowing that Wei Qingwan was listening inside. She had come today to return the favor from the day Wei Qingwan brought her a gift. Wei Qingwan had repeatedly stated that her visit and her gift were for Wei Ruo¡¯s own good, but why was it that the moment the tables turned, they immediately thought Wei Ruo came to show off and ridicule them? Although Wei Ruo had no interest in competing with Wei Qingwan for favor or a love interest, that didn¡¯t mean Wei Qingwan could bully her on her own terms, both openly and covertly. What needs to be returned must still be returned. ### Two days later, a large and a small carriage were parked at the entrance of the Military Prefecture. Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo almost came out of the house at the same time. Mrs. Yun came to see the two daughters off. Looking at Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan, Mrs. Yun had mixed feelings. Just as Wei Qingwan was about to get onto the larger carriage, Wei Ruo called out to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qingwan, Mom has said that since the Xie Family is farther from the Military Prefecture, the larger carriage will be used for those going to Xie Family..¡± Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 52 This is the Mothers Intention_l Chapter 52: Chapter 52 This is the Mother¡¯s Intention_l Translator: 549690339 Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan¡¯s steps faltered. She turned her head with a puzzled look towards Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo had a faint smile on her face: ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter to me which carriage I ride in. As the eldest sister, I shouldn¡¯t quibble over such small matters with my siblings. But what mother said makes a lot of sense, and I don¡¯t want to go against her wishes.¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Madam Yun again. Madam Yun didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. She indeed had said those words! However, they all thought that Wanwan was the one going to study at the Xie Family, and they didn¡¯t know that Wanwan would be wronged in this matter. If she had known that Wanwan would be wronged, she would not have suggested changing the carriages to ease Wanwan¡¯s feelings and to make up for the hurt she experienced! ¡°Mother, is¡­ is this your idea?¡± Wei Qingwan asked Madam Yun. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my idea.¡± Madam Yun said. Despite some misgivings, she couldn¡¯t deny what she had said. She then comforted Wei Qingwan: ¡°Wanwan, the Xie Family is prestigious. We should not let them think less of us. Let your elder sister ride the bigger carriage. Although the other one is slightly smaller, it is brand new. I deliberately had it prepared for you.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes were red and she slightly nodded her head: ¡°I understand, mother, you needn¡¯t worry¡­ I understand everything¡­¡± Her voice was shaking and it was clear that she was trying her best to hold back her feelings of hurt and sadness. Seeing her trying to stay strong in the face of this sorrow made Madam Yun¡¯s heart ache. Wei Ruo stepped forward: ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Qingwan is understanding. She wouldn¡¯t cry or be upset over a change in carriages. When I came back home, she even said she would give me everything she had.¡± ¡°Although I never thought about taking Qingwan¡¯s things, if Qingwan said so, it means that she had this intention. Now, the matter of giving me her carriage should not make her sad.¡± We Qingwan¡¯s tears were close to falling. After hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, she managed to hold them back. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°Actually, if mother hadn¡¯t analyzed the reasons objectively, I wouldn¡¯t mind sitting in the smaller carriage. After all, when I was in the countryside before, I didn¡¯t even have an ox cart, let alone a carriage. Whether it¡¯s big or small, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Upon hearing this, Madam Yun felt a twinge in her heart. Looking into Wei Ruo¡¯s clear and tranquil eyes, she suddenly felt an uncomfortable sense of guilt. Madam Yun quickly realized that her thoughts over the past few days were somewhat faulty. While Wanwan might have been wronged a bit, it wasn¡¯t that bad. After all these years, Wanwan had lived according to the standards of the Wei Family¡¯s young miss. Even if she was now riding in a smaller carriage, it was still better than Ruo Ruo¡¯s life in the past. Thinking like this, if she kept putting Wanwan¡¯s grievances in the open, that would be unnecessarily unfair. Having sorted out these thoughts, Madam Yun said to both Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan: ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. You need to get on your respective carriages and leave. Especially you, Ruo Ruo, since this is your first time going to the Xie Family, be careful about everything.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Wei Ruo answered before turning around gracefully and getting on the larger carriage. Wei Qingwan hesitated for a bit. After confirming that Madam Yun wouldn¡¯t change her mind, she got onto the noticeably smaller and less luxurious carriage with the help of Maid Cuihe. Once she was inside the carriage, Wei Qingwan began to sob. ¡°Miss, stop crying. Be careful not to hurt your eyes.¡± Cuihe quickly tried to comfort her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cry either but the tears won¡¯t stop flowing. My heart feels terrible¡­¡± Wei Qingwan said sadly, then looked around at the dilapidated carriage, ¡°Now it seems I am not even qualified to ride the family¡¯s carriage. I guess it won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m driven out of the house¡­¡± Cuihe hastily comforted her: ¡°Miss, don¡¯t think too much. Apart from not getting the chance to study, the Master, Madam, and the young masters still love you just like before.¡± As the daughter of Li, the Matron, Cuihe shared the same opinions as her mother. They firmly believed that the second miss, being the favorite of the family, would certainly live a better life than the eldest miss in the future. ¡°Who knows, my elder brother treats my sister just as well now¡­ My sister is more capable than I am. She has caught the attention of Mr. Wang and the Xie Family while I am nothing¡­¡± ¡°But Madam is already annoyed with the eldest miss. The eldest miss has repeatedly defied her, now Madam¡¯s compensatory guilt towards her is almost exhausted.¡± Cuihe continued. ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me anymore, I know the situation I¡¯m in now¡­¡± Unlike before, after experiencing this farcical incident, Wei Qingwan was much more pessimistic. She was no longer easily comforted by the words of Matron Li and Cuihe. ### At this moment, Wei Ruo was in the large carriage. When she left home, she took many packages with her, claiming to be stationary. Then she had snuck a few account books into those packages. She could read the account books during the commute, a good way to kill time. Upon arriving at the Xie Family, Wei Ruo was led to the schoolroom set up in their house. The Xie Family¡¯s mansion was much more spacious and magnificent than the Military Prefecture¡¯s. After being led around by the house matrons, Wei Ruo was almost dizzy. When they arrived, there were two tables set up, very spacious. Wang Caiwei and Xie Ying were both already present. The empty table on the left was reserved for Wei Ruo. On it, a brand new set of calligraphy tools had been arranged, likely prepared by the Xie Family in case she had forgotten or overlooked something. Wei Ruo took a glance at the items on the table. They were all from the Four Treasure House and were the same as the ones in front of Xie Ying. After Wei Ruo was seated, Wang Caiwei introduced herself to both of them. As a well-known talented woman, Wang Caiwei wasn¡¯t particularly good-looking, but her appearance was quite pleasant. She had a scholarly aura yet a feeling of tranquillity. Following this, Wang Caiwei asked Xie Ying and Wei Ruo to introduce themselves. After the introductions, she didn¡¯t immediately start the lessons but brought several books for the two to choose from. Among them were books like ¡°Women¡¯s Precepts,¡± ¡°Women¡¯s Instructions,¡± ¡°Confucian Analects for Women,¡± as well as ¡°Book of Poetry,¡± ¡°Book of Changes,¡± ¡°Spring and Autumn Annals,¡± and ¡°The Art of War by Sun Tzu.¡± Wei Ruo and Xie Ying scrutinized them for a moment and picked one each. Wei Ruo chose the ¡°Book of Changes.¡± It was rumored that if you understood it well, you could predict the future. Even though she was skeptical, it seemed more interesting compared to the other books. Xie Ying, on the other hand, chose ¡°The Art of War by Sun Tzu.¡± Well, Miss Xie was even tougher than her! Seeing their choices, Wang Caiwei smiled and nodded: ¡°I now have an idea of how to teach you. Please have a seat..¡± Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53 The Seedling Grows_l Chapter 53: Chapter 53 The Seedling Grows_l Translator: 549690339 | Unexpectedly, Wang Caiwei did not criticize the choices of Wei Ruo and Xie Ying, but instead invited them to sit down and began to lecture them. Wei Ruo originally held no hope for the lectures, but the teaching delivered by Wang Caiwei was far from the dullness she had imagined. Wang Caiwei would engage them with vivid discussions of the stories behind the written words and appropriately extend and connect the material. Xie Ying, who was typically reserved, seemed energized, staring intently and listening with great interest. Especially when Wang Caiwei spoke about large-scale wars in history, Wei Ruo felt as if Xie Ying was ready to jump up and join the fight. in the morning, they lectured together, and in the afternoon, Wang Caiwei arranged separate arts for the two of them to learn. The current trend was to master one of the four arts, which included burning incense and serving tea, and flower arrangement and hanging paintings. Wang Caiwei had Wei Ruo learn incense burning, while Xie Ying took up painting. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know whether Xie Ying was satisfied with Wang Caiwei¡¯s arrangements, but she herself was quite pleased with the course content chosen for her. By the end of the day, Wei Ruo felt pretty good and found it more interesting than she had expected. During the lessons, Mr. Wang also talked about certain etiquette. Compared to the rigid explanations of Madam Li, Mr. Wang¡¯s instruction was like a refreshing spring rain, easier for them to absorb. ### After a few days like this, there was a new development in South City, so Wei Ruo had to excuse herself from Mr. Wang¡¯s lessons to look after the matters there. After fifteen days of seedling cultivation, the paddies in the experimental fields of South City were a rich green. During this time, Madam Zhang would report the condition of the seedlings to Wei Ruo every other day. Seeing the vigorous growth of the seedlings, Madam Zhang, who was initially reluctant, had become much more enthusiastic. At first, she was reluctant because she thought Wei Ruo was fooling around. But when she saw the lush seedlings, Madam Zhang was enlightened and realized that this young lady from the countryside really knew her stuff! ¡°Young miss, I reckon it¡¯s about time to start transplanting the seedlings. But you¡¯ll have to take a look and decide,¡± Madam Zhang said, now not daring to make her own decisions without consulting Wei Ruo. ¡°You go and report this situation to mother,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Despite the rice grains not being harvested yet, the success of the seedlings was sufficient proof that Wei Ruo¡¯s method of treating chemically treated soil and growing crops could be effectively used. Wei Ruo needed to report this achievement to Wei Mingting, but she didn¡¯t feel the need to meet him directly right now, so she decided to report to Madam Yun first. Madam Zhang immediately complied, heading to Cangyun Garden to relay the good news. As Madam Zhang was reporting to Madam Yun, Wei Qingwan was also present in Cangyun Garden, casually chatting with Madam Yun. After listening to Madam Zhang¡¯s words, Madam Yun was visibly delighted: ¡°Really? It actually worked?¡± ¡°Absolutely, I have been watching over it for a month now. The seedlings, ah, have grown so well! They¡¯re flourishing and green, I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say the seedlings here are even better than the ones we grew on Mantou Mountain in North City!¡± ¡®¡öThat¡¯S great! I¡¯m going to send someone to inform your father right away!¡± Madam Yun promptly replied. She immediately summoned Guard Jing Hu and gave him the instructions. Noticing Madam Yun¡¯s excitement, the expression of Wei Qingwan nearby subtly changed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect sister to succeed, that¡¯s really fantastic.¡± Wei Qingwan said. ¡°Yes indeed. If it really works out, it would be a great help to your father and the entire Military Prefecture.¡± Madam Yun didn¡¯t notice her daughter¡¯s crestfallen face, she was too absorbed in her own excitement. She then addressed Madam Zhang: ¡°Madam Zhang, please call Ruo¡¯er over.¡± Madam Zhang quickly responded: ¡°Madam, besides informing you of the matter, the young miss also wished to seek your approval for her planned trip to South City. If the condition of the seedlings is suitable, she will start the transplanting process.¡± ¡°Ah right, the timing of rice transplanting is very critical, it should not be delayed. I shouldn¡¯t hold her up from her work then.¡± ¡°Exactly, Madam.¡± ¡°But before we proceed, we should let her father see the condition of the rice seedlings. Once the seedlings have been transplanted, we will not be able to prove if they were really grown on the treated wasteland, or simply transferred from elsewhere.¡± ¡°Then¡­what does Madam suggest we do?¡± ¡°Ask Ruo¡¯er to wait a bit. Once we receive a reply from her father and if he has the time, he should come to have a look as soon as possible, it would be best if he could also bring Magistrate Qian along. If he doesn¡¯t have the time, then Ruo¡¯er can proceed to transplant the seedlings according to the plan.¡± ¡°Alright, I will inform the young miss first.¡± ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡± On this issue, Madam Yun greatly respected Wei Ruo¡¯s decisions. In a short while, Madam Zhang returned, bearing Wei Ruo¡¯s response: ¡°The young miss says she will first go to South City to assess the condition of the seedlings. If there is news from the master, he can directly go to South City.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s proceed according to Ruo¡¯er¡¯s plan.¡± Madam Yun instructed. Having received approval from Madam Yun, Madam Zhang returned to deliver the response to Wei Ruo. Accompanied by Madam Zhang, Wei Ruo took a carriage out of the city. Upon seeing the excellent condition of the seedlings, Wei Ruo was quite satisfied. Agui and Xiaoba, who were responsible for plowing, were also incredibly pleased. The healthy growth of the seedlings indicated the potential for a good harvest, which was undeniably good news for Xingshan County, which had suffered from poor harvests for several years. ¡°Young miss, what should we do now? Should we start transplanting?¡± Agui asked. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit and see whether my father¡¯s going to come have a look. You guys can start tilling the other waste lands nearby. Now that this place has been successful, the cultivation of the other waste lands will soon follow,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Alright!¡± Filled with enthusiasm, Agui and Xiaoba immediately got to work. Wei Ruo then went to inspect the surrounding area. About an hour later, Wei Ruo saw a large group of people approaching. From a distance, Wei Ruo could see Wei Mingting at the front, riding a horse. He was still in his armor, implying he had come directly after receiving the news without having the time to change. Following Wei Mingting, she caught sight of Magistrate Qian and Chu Lan. We Ruo had anticipated Magistrate Qian¡¯s appearance; after all, the successful cultivation of barren land was also an achievement for him, he was bound to be interested. Chu Lan¡¯s appearance, however, was unexpected. Upon seeing him, Wei Ruo¡¯s brows furrowed instinctively ¨C she was averse to much contact with him. Soon, the entourage reached where Wei Ruo and company were waiting. Accompanied by Madam Zhang, Agui, and Xiaoba, Wei Ruo stepped forward to greet them. With a slight bow, she addressed them: ¡°Greetings, Father, greetings, Magistrate Qian.¡± With respect to Chu Lan, since he hadn¡¯t disclosed his identity, Wei Ruo did not feel the need to acknowledge him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal,¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s voice held a hint of excitement. He had noticed Wei Ruo¡¯s vibrant field of seedlings even from a distance while on his way here. The lush green patch stood out against the desolate surroundings, making a stark contrast. Those accompanying Wei Mingting also observed Wei Ruo¡¯s seedling field from up close.. Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Receiving Unanimous Praise_l Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Receiving Unanimous Praise_l Translator: 549690339 | Everyone¡¯s face lit up with joy after their observations, including the typically cold Chu Lan. The Qian Magistrate excitedly praised, ¡°Mr. Wei indeed has a wonderful daughter! She¡¯s actually able to grow crops on this barren land! In this way, the farmable land of Xingshan County will greatly increase! This really alleviates a pressing problem for the people of Xingshan County!¡± Lu Yuhong, who had come with Chu Lan, was even more effusive in his praise: ¡°This is incredible! While the surrounding area barely has any weeds, crops are growing here! And these seedlings look even healthier than those in other parts of Xingshan County!¡± Listening to the praise, Wei Mingting looked at his neatly dressed daughter with joy and pride in his heart: ¡°It¡¯s rather shameful to admit that these skills were attained by my daughter¡¯s own efforts. As a father, I didn¡¯t fulfill any responsibilities and didn¡¯t really teach her anything.¡± Wei Mingting didn¡¯t feel the need to be modest when complimenting his daughter, but when it came to teaching her well, he genuinely felt inadequate. Qian Magistrate replied: ¡°Mr. Wei, there¡¯s no need to be modest, you are simply busy with the safety of Xingshan County¡¯s people. Your daughter is now risking danger and enduring hardship to cultivate this land for the same reason. Your father-daughter pair clearly share the same love for the people.¡± Just then, Chu Lan took the opportunity to question Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss Wei, I have a question.¡± ¡°Please go ahead, sir.¡± Wei Ruo did not shy away. Chu Lan asked, ¡°Looking at this field, what¡¯s growing here are still seedlings, as opposed to regular rice which should be about to head out. Isn¡¯t it a bit late in the hybrid¡¯s life cycle for it to still be a seedling?¡± Everyone had been so caught up in the joy of successfully growing seedlings from the wasteland that they had momentarily forgotten this key point. Upon hearing Chu Lan¡¯s question, both Wei Mingting and the Qian Magistrate turned to Wei Ruo, their eyes filled with curiosity about this issue as well. Wei Ruo answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. The seeds I broadcasted in this paddy field are a new variety of rice brought over from Huzhou Prefecture. It¡¯s a bit different from regular rice and it¡¯s sown in the sixth or seventh lunar month. The growing period is about 160 days, so it will not be ready for harvest until November.¡± Upon hearing this, the faces of the three people in front of Wei Ruo again filled with surprise and joy. Whether it was the Qian Magistrate, who was officially responsible for the people¡¯s livelihood, Chu Lan from the royal family, or Wei Mingting the military official, they all knew clearly that being able to plant rice at different times was equivalent to artificially expanding the area of arable land. However, at this moment, they hadn¡¯t seen the mature rice yet and dare not easily believe Wei Ruo¡¯s words. Chu Lan said, ¡°Once the rice you are testing here matures, Miss Wei, and you can prove that you can help increase the cultivable area and increase grain production in Xingshan County, I will report this to the court.¡± Hearing these words, the Qian Magistrate was somewhat excited, because if it were to be reported, the majority of the credit would belong to the Wei Family, but he would also get a share as the magistrate. The reaction of Wei Mingting was more lukewarm, without much joy, but it was nonetheless noticeable that he was looking forward to this. Wei Ruo was not very excited. If it was someone else telling her these things, she might have been in a better mood, but with Chu Lan, she really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him. Qian Magistrate then proceeded to ask Chu Lan, ¡°Sir, do you think this wasteland in the south of the city can be handed over to the Government Office and the Military Prefecture for large-scale development?¡± Chu Lan had ordered that only they should know of his presence during this trip. His family must not know, so the Qian Magistrate immediately changed his form of address. With the successful trial planting by Miss Wei, Qian Magistrate wanted to expand the scope, whether for personal political gain or for the survival of the people. Chu Lan replied, ¡°Xingshan County is under the jurisdiction of Qian Magistrate. How to develop the wasteland is up to him to decide, there¡¯s no need to ask my opinion.¡± Qian Magistrate: ¡°Yes¡­ I understand.¡± After that, Qian Magistrate asked Wei Mingting and his daughter, ¡°Mr. Wei, Miss Wei, are you willing to be responsible for all these wastelands in the south of the city?¡± Wei Mingting didn¡¯t answer immediately, but looked at Wei Ruo. The matter of opening up the wasteland in the south of the city was proposed by his daughter, and she had invested her time and energy in it. If the area of land reclamation was to be expanded, the hard work would inevitably fall on his daughter, so the decision should be left to her. Wei Ruo answered, ¡°Father, I think that the wasteland in the south of the city covers a large area. If all of it is handed over to our Military Prefecture for reclamation, I am afraid we may not be able to cope. It would be better to give the wasteland to the people to reclaim. There are many people in the city who lack a means of livelihood, especially the fishermen who are unable to go out to sea because of the Japanese pirates. If we give some wasteland to them and teach them improved farming methods, I believe they will do their best.¡± The words of Wei Ruo struck a chord with Wei Mingting, who turned to the Qian Magistrate and said, ¡°Mr. Qian, my daughter is right. This vast wasteland cannot be reclaimed by just the County Government and the Military Prefecture. We should give it to the people and let them cultivate the land for their livelihood!¡± The Qian Magistrate reluctantly admitted, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to allocate it to the people, but we now have the threat of Japanese pirates. The south of the city is not safe. Though Wangyue Mountain separates the south and east of Xingshan County, we can never be sure if the Japanese will cross over. Allowing too many people to freely move in and out of this area may bring many hidden dangers¡­¡± This was indeed a problem, and it was also why Wei Ruo¡¯s request for the nanny to apply to the government office to open up the wasteland to the south of the city was refused initially. ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Chu Lan suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned to look at Chu Lan, and so did Wei Ruo. Chu Lan, his eyes deep, said, ¡°The court will soon send additional troops to Xingshan County. If we set up defenses at key points between Wangyue Mountain and the southern city, it will ensure the safety of the area and allow peasants to work their farms with peace of mind.¡± After listening to Chu Lan, both the Qian Magistrate and Wei Mingting had different looks on their faces. The fact that the court was willing to send more troops was obviously a good thing, but they didn¡¯t know whether the Wei Family, who had not performed well in the fight against the Japanese pirates, or the Qian Magistrate, who had failed to feed the people of Xingshan County, would be punished. Chu Lan then looked at Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss Wei, as you¡¯ll be expanding, you¡¯ll need more resources and manpower. I will send some people to assist Miss Wei. Please feel free to use them.¡± Wei Ruo quickly declined his offer, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, sir. However, as it is improper for a woman to interact too closely with a man, I must respectfully reject..¡± Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55 - Ruoruo is Really Sensible_l Chapter 55: Chapter 55 ¨C Ruoruo is Really Sensible_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Miss Wei need not worry about this. If I were to assign someone to assist you, I would naturally send a maid to handle matters with you, so you would not have to deal directly with me or any other men,¡± Chu Lan explained. Seeing that her excuse of the distinct roles of men and women did not dissuade Chu Lan, Wei Ruo looked up towards Wei Mingting, hoping he would support her refusal. Wei Mingting seemed to understand Wei Ruo¡¯s need for help and turned to look at Chu Lan, ¡°Your kindness towards the people is indeed a blessing. However, my daughter does not have much experience in managing large-scale personnel adjustments, perhaps it¡¯s better to let her learn it step by step¡­¡± Chu Lan interjected: ¡°There is no need for more words, Mr. Wei. Miss Wei is the most qualified for the task of improving the southern wasteland of Xingshan County City. If she claims that it can¡¯t be done, then I dare to say no one else could do it.¡± Wei Mingting had no choice but to concede, ¡°Since this is the young master¡¯s goodwill, Ruoruo, you should accept it. He is kind-hearted and hopes that the people of Xingshan County can have enough to eat.¡± ¡°Then I will humbly comply,¡± Wei Ruo reluctantly accepted. After conversing with Wei Mingting, Qian Magistrate, Chu Lan, and others, Wei Ruo ordered Agui and Xiaoba to start gathering rice seedlings, preparing for transplantation. During the seedling stage, sowing is relatively dense. When it¡¯s time to transplant, they are spaced out to ensure that each rice plant can fully receive sunlight and nourishment from the soil, so the spacing between the plants increases. Therefore, the seedlings gathered from these two acres of nursery field will be more than enough to transplant into the two acres of paddy fields. ¡°Father, did we lose some seedlings in the paddy fields on Mantou Mountain this year?¡± Wei Ruo asked Wei Mingting. The Wei Family, like other families in Xingshan County, planted early rice which had passed the transplanting period and grew higher than a child. However, Wei Ruo heard that, due to the weather, many families in Xingshan County had poor rice growth, with some even losing a large portion. ¡°Your mother indeed mentioned it to me.¡± During the brief periods when Wei Mingting was at home, Madam Yun rarely bothered him with mundane household affairs. But the issue of the rice plants dying concerned the family¡¯s autumn harvest; she couldn¡¯t hide it from him and informed him early to prepare. ¡°When we have extra seedlings from here, please arrange for someone to take them to Mantou Mountain in the north of the city to replace the ones that died,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. Wei Mingting was momentarily stunned, then joyously praised, ¡°Ruoruo is very thoughtful!¡± He felt a touch of admiration for his daughter¡¯s meticulousness and thoughtfulness towards their household matters. Wei Ruo thought to head to Xiaoyang Mountain when she set off to deliver the seedlings to the north of the city. As for the seedlings, if they weren¡¯t used in the Wei Family fields they would just be given to others. Other wastelands weren¡¯t cultivated in time for planting, and she wasn¡¯t familiar with the situation in other households. If the seedlings weren¡¯t planted on Mantou Mountain, it would be a waste. After all, these seedlings were carefully grown through their hard work, it would be a pity to discard them. Once all the seedlings were gathered, Wei Ruo instructed Agui and Xiaoba to plough the fields and prepare for transplantation. Meanwhile, Wei Ruo headed back first, along with a portion of the seedlings destined for planting at Mantou Mountain in the northern city. On the return journey, Wei Ruo leaned on the window of the carriage, observing the scenery along the way. Xiumei massaged Wei Ruo¡¯s shoulders and legs. ¡°Miss, should we select some trustworthy people and teach them the method of improving the soil, without letting others know?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°No need for that, I will make the method public, which is much more efficient,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°But what if the disciples starve the master once they learn it?¡± Xiumei asked. Here was different from Mo Jiazha. There, they had a good relationship with the villagers, and there were no reservations in teaching them. However, they were not familiar with the locals here and feared there might be some bad apples among them. ¡°Rest assured, even if they learned it, they only learn the surface part, not the underlying logic, so they won¡¯t quite grasp it. Besides, I have many talents, so sharing this one won¡¯t matter that much.¡± Some of Wei Ruo¡¯s skills were reserved for her own use, to earn money and make a living, but some technologies could be shared to help innocent people who were suffering. Take this method of improving land, for example. Retaining it didn¡¯t have any significant advantages. Not everywhere had poor soil in need of her improvement, and she wasn¡¯t likely to earn much silver from this method either. Moreover, she didn¡¯t entirely teach others how to improve wasteland. The method varied according to different conditions of barren land. Even in the case of saline-alkali land, the methods to render it fertile varied, with different mix ratios and usages, so only sharing the method for this specific piece of land might not work elsewhere. ### Soon, the developments in the southern city reached Madam Yun¡¯s ears, and she was immensely excited. From successfully cultivating crops on the improved land to acquiring a late-season rice variety, not only did these achievements earn praise from others, but also showed attention to the production issues on their terraced mountain. All the things Wei Ruo did profoundly touched Madam Yun¡¯s heart. With repeated praises for Wei Ruo, each compliment weakened Wei Qingwan¡¯s spirits. Madam Yun didn¡¯t notice Wei Qingwan¡¯s mood change; instead, she busied herself arranging manpower to go to Mantou Mountain, preparing to transplant the seedlings gathered by Wei Ruo. When Wei Ruo arrived at the Wei Residence, Madam Yun unusually went to the entrance to greet her. ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯ve worked hard these days!¡± Madam Yun was full of joy. ¡°I won¡¯t be going back to the mansion for now. I¡¯ll take these seedlings straight to Mantou Mountain. Have workers been arranged for planting the seedlings?¡± Wei Ruo inquired, her expression unchanged, maintaining her professionalism. ¡°It¡¯s all arranged. They left for Mantou Mountain a quarter of an hour ago, just waiting for the seedlings to arrive so they can start transplanting,¡± Madam Yun answered. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll go there too, taking the chance to look at the growth of the crops on Mantou Mountain,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but Ruoruo, do pay attention to your own health. Don¡¯t work yourself too hard,¡± Madam Yun said with concern. ¡°Mhm.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t continue to discuss family matters with Madam Yun. Having gained her approval, she immediately ordered Liu Bo to head to Mantou Mountain in the northern city. When facing Madam Yun, Wei Ruo said she was going to examine the growth on Mantou Mountain, but in reality, she intended to head to Xiaoyang Mountain under the pretense of this visit. Madam Yun was oblivious to Wei Ruo¡¯s true intentions, she simply thought her daughter was very sensible and considerate towards their family matters: using the surplus seedlings to replenish the family¡¯s rice fields and personally inspecting the condition of their terraced mountain. Madam Yun was deeply moved. Even though there were some minor disagreements in their family, in relation to the family¡¯s overall welfare, her daughter was certainly very aware of the bigger picture.. Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Helped a lot i Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Helped a lot i Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo¡¯s carriage headed north and, when it reached near Manton Mountain north of the city, the manager there had already received instruction from Madame Yun and was waiting. After arranging for full-time workers to replant seedlings in the vacant areas, Wei Ruo excused herself to take a neighborhood walk and consequently left in the company of Xiumei. Wei Ruo noticed that the paddy fields were relatively weak along the way, and there were large swaths of crops that were dead. Some paddy fields were even in worse shape than those of the Wei family. This was not a good sign; if this trend continued, the autumn harvest would be troubling. Her nurse had mentioned to her earlier about Xingshan County¡¯s grain conditions this year, but she only understood how severe the situation was after witnessing it herself. Wei Ruo then accompanied Xiumei to Xiaoyang Mountain. The majority of the previously uncultivated land had been planted with sweet potatoes, the lush green leaves were thriving. Even now, they would pick a batch of vine leaves to sell at the market every day. At the price of two coins per bundle, it¡¯s quite affordable for everyone, from well-off families to common folks. Consequently, a cartload a day is not sufficient. Although the price of two coins is not high, there is still some profit to be made. For ordinary fruits and vegetables, Wei Ruo preferred small profits and quick returns, while only leaning towards high prices for ¡°luxury goods¡± intended for the upper-class society. Wei Ruo randomly picked a plot of land, opened a corner, and checked how the sweet potatoes were growing inside. At this time, the sweet potatoes had not yet reached the ideal size and were still small, each being just a little bit larger than the size of a pinky, far from the standard harvest size. However, it was obvious that the current growth situation was good and there were no pests or diseases. The seeds in Wei Ruo¡¯s own fields were of excellent quality, showing superior performance in terms of disease resistance, drought tolerance and flooding tolerance. They also grew relatively faster than others. She guessed that in about a month, this batch of sweet potatoes could be fully grown. By then, she can start selling them gradually. Part of them will be stored in the warehouse. She plans to turn the rest into dried sweet potatoes for storage, with some of the dried sweet potatoes to be sold in the fruit preserves shop. During her trip out on the Dragon Boat Festival, Wei Ruo had taken the opportunity to inspect several fruit preserve shops, finally selecting one for cooperation intending to sell dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato chips in their shop. For Wei Ruo, this could save her the risk of setting up a separate shop, and at the same time, it could increase her own sales volume by leveraging the existing customer traffic of the fruit preserves shop. Wei Ruo stayed on Xiaoyang Mountain until the evening before returning to the Wei family¡¯s Mantou Mountain. The work of transplanting rice seedlings was nearly over. After briefly checking the situation, Wei Ruo returned home in her carriage. By the time Wei Ruo returned to the Wei Residence, it was already past the usual dinner time. The Wei family didn¡¯t have dinner without her. They waited until Wei Ruo came back, and then Madame Yun informed the kitchen to serve the dinner. After dinner, while they were sitting together drinking tea, Madame Yun asked Wei Ruo about the details of her day. ¡°The work you¡¯ve been doing to transform the barren land in the south of the city is truly impressive, Ruo¡¯er. I never expected that you could successfully cultivate crops there. I underestimated you before.¡± Madame Yun said with emotion. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Ruo made a low sound in response. ¡°Your decision to transplant seedlings onto Mantou Mountain has indeed greatly aided the family, Ruo¡¯er. This year, rice seedlings in everyone¡¯s fields have been dying off to varying degrees. Ours are actually better than most; the worst cases have lost nearly half their crops. Even though it¡¯s still not autumn, we can already foresee the grain outlook this year. The city¡¯s residents are filled with anxiety. The madams from a few familiar families, inclusive, can¡¯t help but worry about this issue.¡± Even for some well-off families in Xingshan County, several consecutive years of poor crop yields could be unbearable. With so many mouths to feed, if they were to buy grain every day, who knows how much silver they would have to spend. Besides, if everyone is short of grain, grain prices will inevitably rise. By then, even if they want to buy their own grain, it will become very difficult. Wei Ruo sipped her tea without responding. What she was thinking now was that if she had known earlier that everyone¡¯s seedlings were dying, she should have secretly sold the extra seedlings. She should have been able to make a lot of money. ¡°Tell me more about the incident at the south of the city today.¡± Madame Yun was keen on knowing more details from Wei Ruo. ¡°The seedlings are growing well. Both Father and Magistrate Qian approved. Also, a young master from the Capital City said he wanted to help, and will send someone over tomorrow.¡± Wei Ruo answered lightly, glossing over all the situations. She didn¡¯t have much choice in mentioning Chu Lan¡¯s offer to help. Since the messenger he¡¯s sending will report to the residence tomorrow, and given his status, Wei Mingting would certainly inform the family in advance. ¡°A distinguished person wants to help?¡± Madame Yun asked in surprise. Wei Qingwan also looked inquisitively at Wei Ruo. In Xingshan County nowadays, the only person whom the Wei family could potentially address as ¡°a distinguished person¡± was that gentleman of the Han, who had been seen fleetingly on the street. Although the distinguished person¡¯s identity has never been fully disclosed, the Wei family had mostly figured it out based on the information they have received from the Capital City. ¡°Yes, he seemed particularly concerned about the hardships experienced by the commoners.¡± Wei Ruo, somewhat irritated by this man, Chu Lan, didn¡¯t elaborate. Wei Ruo spoke casually, but to those who listened, it was a momentous revelation. ¡°Hmm, that indeed should be the case. Since the distinguished person wants to help, Ruo¡¯er, you need to be extra cautious.¡± Madame Yun immediately instructed Wei Ruo. ¡°In regards to farming, I¡¯m already doing the best I can.¡± Wei Ruo replied, this wasn¡¯t something she was doing to impress Chu Lan. Madame Yun commented somewhat nostalgically: ¡°I originally thought that after Wanwan and Miss Qian offended the distinguished person at Huafa Temple, it would annoy him. However, it seems that he didn¡¯t take it to heart. In contrast, Ruo¡¯er, your work in the south of the city has attracted his attention.¡± As Madame Yun spoke, Wei Qingwan, who was sitting beside her with her head slightly bowed, quivered. Her words felt like a slap across the face. Moreover, the subsequent comparison with Wei Ruo made Wei Qingwan feel like she was being crushed into the ground. However, Wei Ruo barely listened to Madame Yun¡¯s words. To her, this distinguished person was hardly distinguished at all. She¡¯d prefer to steer clear from him. Wei Yilin pouted and glanced at Wei Ruo several times. However much he looked, he simply couldn¡¯t believe that Wei Ruo could pull off such a feat. How was it possible that Wei Ruo, could accomplish something that even Sister Wanwan couldn¡¯t? Especially when Sister Wanwan was so much more capable than her! Throughout the whole meal, Wei Qingwan had been lost in her thoughts. With a heavy heart, she left Cangyun Garden. Upon seeing her, Wei Yichen caught up to her and asked, ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Big brother, am I really useless?¡± Wei Qingwan asked softly. ¡°Why would you ask that, Wanwan?¡± Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 57 You Should Not Have Such Chapter 57: Chapter 57 You Should Not Have Such Thoughts_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°I can¡¯t make a difference or achieve anything like my sister could. I can¡¯t bring honour to the Wei family and be favored by the people of high status. I¡¯m really useless¡­¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears. Wei Yichen furrowed his brow, ¡°Wanwan, why would you think like that?¡± ¡±I¡­ I just feel that I¡¯m inferior to my sister in everything, and I¡¯m sure everyone will not like me.¡±. After Wei Qingwan said this, she thought Wei Yichen would comfort her Instead, he stopped in his tracks, furrowed his eyebrows, and looked at her solemnly. ¡°Big brother?¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Wei Yichen in confusion. ¡°Wanwan, we should be happy for Ruoruo¡¯s success, not fearing that her excellence will make us lose favor. As family members, we embrace each other¡¯s virtues and shortcomings; as family members, why do we need to compare ourselves to each other?¡± Wei Yichen said with a serious tone. Wei Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized she had misspoken. ¡°Big brother, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I¡¯m naturally happy for my sister¡¯s excellence, but after seeing how capable she is, I suddenly realized I need to work even harder. Otherwise, with both my brother and sister being so outstanding, 111 be left behind. I also want to contribute to our family.¡± Wei Qingwan explained. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then it¡¯s fine.¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s facial expression softened, then he added, ¡°But don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself, nor think that Ruoruo¡¯s excellence will affect you in anyway. We should simply be happy for her accomplishment, and pay no mind to other thoughts.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Qingwan replied in a soft voice. Seeing this, Wei Yichen did not say anything else. He thought that Wanwan just had a slip of the tongue, she had always been very kind and gentle that she wouldn¡¯t truly harbor ill thoughts about Ruoruo. The two chatted for a while and then parted ways. Once she returned to Wangmei Garden, Wei Qingwan collapsed onto the bed and cried her heart out, ignoring Cuihe¡¯s attempts at soothing her. ¡°She was offered to study with the Xie family and won favor from the teacher, and she¡¯s the one who improved the barren land and grew crops. Compared to er, I¡¯m inferior in every way, sooner or later my parents will abandon me!¡± ¡°Miss, you mustn¡¯t think like that! If you harm your health by crying, the one Who¡¯d be happy is your older sister. You absolutely can¡¯t give up on yourself!¡± Cuihe was also worried. She feared that Wei Qingwan would give up. Once Wei Qingwan fell out of favor, her life as Wei Qingwan¡¯s personal maid would surely become difficult as well. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t give up, what can I do? I can¡¯t blame others. I am not my parents¡¯ biological child. There is no blood relation between us. Being neglected is only a matter of time¡­¡± The more Wei Qingwan thought about it, the more upset she became, and the more hopeless she felt for the future. ¡°Miss¡­¡± For a moment, Cuihe didn¡¯t know how to comfort Wei Qingwan She muttered, ¡°If only my mother was here, she might be able to suggest something for you, Miss.¡± ¡°But she can¡¯t come back now.¡± Wei Qingwan murmured. If the elderly maid was here, she would certainly help her. Unfortunately, due to last time¡¯s incident, the elderly maid was punished and sent to the countryside. ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you find an opportunity to plead with Madam? If you speak out, Madam will surely listen.¡± Cuihe suggested. I¡­ 111 try next time.¡± Wei Qingwan replied softly. ### Qian Magistrate¡¯s work efficiency was very high. After returning, he promptly posted the announcement and dispatched subordinates to spread the word. Whether they were farmers or fishermen, anyone who didn¡¯t own land could register at the government office. The office would orderly allocate the barren land in the south of the city to them and teach them how to cultivate and improve the barren land. Upon receiving the news, long lines formed outside the county government office. Before long, the people who officially received the government document granting them the right to cultivate the land let out cheers. For a time, the entire county was filled with the sounds of joy from the impoverished populace. Watching the lively scene from a teahouse in the distance, Lu Yuhong couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°The idea proposed by Miss Wei from the Wei family is really good. Look at those impoverished refugees who couldn¡¯t afford to eat without working in the fields, they are full of vigor. Letting them work on the land they own will certainly yield better results than hiring laborers.¡± Chu Lan looked at the street without commenting, but from his expression Lu Yuhong could tell Chu Lan agreed. ¡°Chu brother, who are you more interested in now, the boss of the Four Treasure House or Miss Wei from the Wei family?¡± Lu Yuhong¡¯s inexplicable curiosity acted up again. ¡°Yuhong, your curiosity is too strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been like this since I was a kid, and you¡¯ve known me for a day or two ¡± Lu Yuhong mumbled. ¡°Though the goods sold at the Four Treasure House are good, and their techniques are astute, they do everything for money; Miss Wei improved the barren land and grew crops for the people. Between the two, it¡¯s clear who is superior. However, neither of them piques my curiosity. My purpose here is the matter of defending against the Japanese pirates,¡± Chu Lan replied. Lu Yuhong said, ¡°The people of Xingshan County are really suffering, with the Japanese pirates invading from outside and disasters occurring year after year from within. I hope Miss Wei¡¯s method works and really produces food, and I also hope the reinforcements from the court arrive soon.¡± ¡°Even if reinforcements arrive, it still depends on the capability of the military general who commands them. If Wei Mingting can¡¯t achieve anything meaningful this time, he won¡¯t be able to keep his sixth-rank Colonel position, even if he has a daughter who can benefit the people.¡± ¡°Indeed, military generals must be able to win battles. However, from what I see, Wei Mingting seems capable, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold out for so long with such a small number of soldiers. It was only after I carefully observed in Xingshan County that I realized the soldier count of Xingshan County is really pitifully small,¡± Lu Yuhong sighed. ### After two busy days, Wei Ruo went to the Xie family to study with Xie Ying again. After arriving at the Xie family¡¯s school, Wei Ruo sat down at her seat. Master Wang hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and Xie Ying was organizing her drawings of war horses on the side. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Xie Ying, who usually didn¡¯t show much interest in her suddenly looked at her with a curious gaze. ¡°You really grew crops on the barren land south of the city?¡± The improvement of the barren land south of the city and the successful cultivation of crops had been the most discussed and most concerned topic in Xingshan County in the past two days. It was hard for Xie Ying not to know about it. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo nodded. Then you are really amazing.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°I rarely praise people, and you are the first one of the same age I have complimented.¡± Xie Ying emphasized. ¡°Then I am very honored.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about you being honored, but about you being truly amazing. You are much better than those women I¡¯ve met who only know how to be jealous and compete for beauty. When I see those women, they are always chirping and chattering, and I find it annoying to listen to them. I look down on those people and think they are uninteresting, but now I find you are quite different from them.¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She and Xie Ying had been studying together for a while, and Xie Ying had always been indifferent to her, rarely speaking so much to her. Unexpectedly, Xie Ying had developed a sense of admiration for her because of her accomplishments on the barren land south of the city. Could this be considered an unexpected gain? Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58 New Partner_l Chapter 58: Chapter 58 New Partner_l Translator: 549690339 1 ¡°I¡¯ve always admired those who can serve their country and people, I¡¯ve always dreamt of becoming a hero on the battlefield! When I was a little girl, my grandfather used to tell me about these heroic stories, at that time, I wished that I could go to war myself someday!¡¯1 Xie Ying began to share her dreams with Wei Ruo. Then Xie Ying pursed her lips and spoke with regret and helplessness: ¡°Unfortunately, I am a girl. I learned as I grew older that there are many things a girl cannot do. Let alone going to war, there are a bunch of rules we have to follow even for something as simple as stepping out of the house.¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This young miss from the Xie family was really interesting, genuinely different from ordinary boudoir ladies! ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°I¡¯m not mocking you, I¡¯m pleasantly surprised! I agree with you. For instance, I want to cultivate the land south of the city, but I can only do so with the approval of my parents. Even when they agree, I need to be chaperoned by my nanny every outing.¡± ¡°But you have achieved something, my mother told me that your success can benefit the city¡¯s people, and more people can have food. Your merit is as great as those soldiers defending our borders and safeguarding the nation!¡± Xie Ying admired such people the most! ¡°If you are interested, you could join it too,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Could I?¡± asked Xie Ying skeptically. ¡°Of course, there are still lots of vacant lands in the south of the city.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t the wastelands of the city¡¯s south mainly given to landless farmers to cultivate?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Most of the wastelands have been allocated to displaced farmers and jobless fishermen, but due to their limited farming costs, we have given them areas that are relatively good, close to official roads or water sources, or relatively flat. Places with complex terrains have not been assigned. ¡°Can we also grow crops in places with complex terrain?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡ö¡¯Yes, but it¡¯s not suitable to grow crops such as rice due to high human and maintenance costs. We can grow bamboo or mushrooms, various fruits and vegetables or even medicinal herbs.¡± Wei Ruo, looking at Xie Ying who was listening attentively, already had an idea in mind. Wei Ruo continued to say to Xie Ying, ¡°If you¡¯re really interested, we can collaborate.¡± ¡°Collaborate?¡± Xie Ying asked curiously. ¡°You may not be good at farming, I can handle that. Although I¡¯m good at it, I have a limited freedom and time back in Wei Family and also lack manpower. If we work together, we can complement each other. We can share the silver we earn according to the effort we put in. What do you think?¡± ¡°Although I am not fond of farming, I find it fascinating what you are proposing!¡± Xie Ying showed great interest. Xie Ying, who was pampered by her grandparents and parents since childhood, had never been short of money. But she was intrigued by the idea of earning silver on her own. Now, she has a different perspective on farming. ¡°So what should we grow?¡± asked Xie Ying. ¡°We could grow some medicinal herbs. Due to the war, the consumption of medicinal herbs is huge and the prices in the city remain high. After growing the herbs, we can sell them for a profit. If the army needs them, we can provide them at cost, ensuring that they are not without life-saving medicines.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°That¡¯s great! We can earn money while helping the soldiers!¡± Xie Ying became more interested and eager to give it a try. ¡°If you agree, you need to negotiate with the county government and arrange workers for the fieldwork. There will be a lot of busy work.¡± Wei Ruo reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s obvious? I¡¯m not playing games with you! I, Xie Ying, will do things in a big way! Just wait, I will talk to my mother about this! If she disagrees, I¡¯ll write a letter to my grandfather!¡± Xie Ying replied confidently. Xie Ying was serious. -I have another condition. If we collaborate, you must keep it a secret. You must not tell anyone outside, nor anyone in my family.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Why? Let¡¯s not tell outsiders, but why can¡¯t we tell people from your family? Xie Ying asked confusedly. ¡°What should I do if my sister wants to join after my family knows about it?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t like her. She¡¯s too troublesome, as if she¡¯ll fall with the slightest breeze. She always looks at me with such a weak gaze. I¡¯ve simply ignored her before, but she behaves as though I¡¯ve bullied her.¡± Xie Ying flatly refused. ¡°But once people know about it, if I am ordered to do so from my family, I will find it hard to refuse.¡± Wei Ruo continued to explain. -Then it¡¯s better to keep it a secret. After all, it¡¯s kind of intriguing. I¡¯ll remind my mother to keep it a secret for us when I talk to her later!¡± Xie Ying declared. ¡°Okay, you should first get consent from your family, then we can discuss how to proceed.¡± Wei Ruo said. For Wei Ruo, there were many benefits to collaborating with Xie Ying. Firstly, she enjoyed Xie Ying¡¯s personality; secondly, Xie Ying was influential and capable, meeting her criteria for a partner; and thirdly, the most critical point, she could bypass the Wei family. Previously, she had to contact the government through the Wei family to develop the wastelands south of the city because of the need for official backing. Now she can bypass the Wei family through Xie Ying and cultivate a piece of land for herself, which could also bring her additional income. Xie Ying might be lazy generally, but once she decided to do something she was interested in, she wouldn¡¯t procrastinate. She went to find her mother during the midday break to talk about her idea. Madam Xie thought it was a good idea. Everyone had seen what the young mistress of the Wei family had achieved. It would be beneficial and harmless for her daughter to do something meaningful with Wei Ruo. Moreover, this was not a big deal for the Xie family. She didn¡¯t even need to take silver from the family treasure. She could just use some from her dowry for her daughter to start off. Seeing that Madam Xie agreed, Xie Ying was delighted. ¡°Thanks, mom!¡± Xie Ying hugged Madam Xie and kissed her cheek. ¡°You little monkey, just remember, if you want to do this, you have to do it as earnestly as Wei Ruo. You need to achieve something. You can¡¯t quit halfway.¡± Madam Xie urged. Madam Xie didn¡¯t mind about silver, she just hoped that her daughter would develop good habits. ¡°Mother, rest assured, when have I ever quit halfway? I hate quitting the most!¡± ¡°So you say you¡¯ve never quit halfway. Last year in Capital City, I took you out to tour the flower boats, and just before we stepped out, you made an excuse and lied about stomach aches and refused to go.¡± Madam Xie pointed out. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s different¡­¡± ¡°Alright, this time I choose to trust you. Also, your brother will come to Xingshan County in a few days. You can also ask him to help you with this.¡± Madam Xie said with a smile.. Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Bringing Disgrace Upon Oneself l Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Bringing Disgrace Upon Oneself l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Eh? What is my brother doing here? Isn¡¯t he preparing for the imperial examination? Shouldn¡¯t he be busy attending classes in the college in the Capital City?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Your mother is not very clear about this, but as your grandfather and father have agreed to it, there must be some serious business for him to come here.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. No matter, I¡¯ll go and tell Wei Qingruo that my mother has agreed to our idea of setting up the medicinal fields. I¡¯ll get started right away!¡± Xie Ying dashed back to the college to find Wei Ruo, delivering the news to her. ¡°Wei Qingruo, my mother has agreed, when can we start working?¡± Xie Ying was eager to start. ¡°We can start immediately.¡± Wei Ruo appreciated this efficient and straightforward work style. ¡°Then please tell me, how do we arrange our work now, what items do we need to purchase, and how many people do we need?¡± Xie Ying sat down next to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo took out pen and paper, explaining to Xie Ying whilst noting down the key points on the paper. Xie Ying listened attentively, asked about what she didn¡¯t understand, showing the semblance of a diligent learner. After completing the discussion, Xie Ying brought the paper Wei Ruo had written on to ask for help from Madam Xie, officially starting the work with a high efficiency. ### Another one with high working efficiency was Chu Lan, who dispatched a nursemaid to the Military Prefecture to discuss the matters regarding the south city with Wei Ruo, only two days after the agreement. As a result, Wei Ruo specially asked Mr. Wang for leave and stayed at home to handle various matters. Mr. Wang had no objections to this, even telling Wei Ruo that what she was doing was part of the learning process. Upon seeing Chu Lan¡¯s nursemaid, Madam Yun was taken aback, intuitively sensing that the nursemaid was different from their usual nursemaids in terms of background. Moreover, her husband had reminded her the night before about the special identity of the distinguished person, urging her to mind her manners. Upon hearing that the person¡¯s surname was Chu, Madam Yun already had some idea. Anyone from the Royal Family, even if it¡¯s from the household of an unpopular prince, is not someone they could afford to offend. Madam Yun respectfully led Chu Lan¡¯s nursemaid to Tingsong Garden, then left after giving Wei Ruo a few words of caution, so as not to interfere with Wei Ruo and the nursemaid¡¯s discussion. ¡°Old servant pays respect to Miss Wei.¡± Qin, the nursemaid, greeted Wei Ruo. She was respectful in attitude, but maintained her imposing demeanor. Wei Ruo knew that Chu Lan¡¯s nursemaids were from the palace, and were different from ordinary nursemaids. Although Duke Residence was an earl¡¯s mansion, it could not be compared to the rules of the palace even at its peak, let alone now when it is in decline. ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°You are here to assist me under your master¡¯s orders. Please do not be too concerned with etiquette. Just convey my instructions to those below and have them complete the tasks effectively.¡± ¡°Rest assured, Miss Wei. The master has already told me to devote all my efforts to assisting Miss Wei. If Miss Wei has any matter that requires my services, as long as it¡¯s related to the development of the wasteland in the southern city, you can instruct me and I¡¯ll arrange for it to be completed.¡± Although Qin, the nursemaid, had strict etiquette, she didn¡¯t place herself above Wei Ruo or nit-pick her. She was well aware of her role. If her master highly regarded this person, then she definitely wouldn¡¯t pick faults with her. As Qin, the nursemaid, was discussing matters with Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan suddenly arrived at Tingsong Garden. ¡°Sister.¡± Wei Qingwan arrived in front of Wei Ruo and called out sweetly. Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at Wei Qingwan. The saying that no one visits a temple without a cause came to mind. After the incident of Xie family¡¯s studying blunder, Wei Qingwan hadn¡¯t visited Tingsong Garden. So what kind of wind brought her here today? ¡°Sister, I brought some osmanthus cakes for you.¡± Wei Qingwan was holding a delicate food box. Inside were the osmanthus cakes she was skilled at making. ¡°Wait for a while, I¡¯ll talk to you after I finish discussing with Qin.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know what tune Wei Qingwan was humming, she didn¡¯t want to interact with her too much, for fear that Wei Qingwan would say something displeasing and she would not be able to handle it in front of others. Wei Qingwan nodded slightly, but she didn¡¯t leave, and just waited on the side. At this moment Qin, the nursemaid, spoke up, scrutinizing Wei Qingwan: ¡°Is this the Second Miss of the house?¡± Upon being examined by Qin, Wei Qingwan blushed and responded in a soft voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Who would have thought that Qin would follow up with, ¡°May I ask the Second Miss to excuse us, I have important matters to discuss with the First Miss. It is not appropriate to have outsiders overhearing.¡± Wei Qingwan was stunned, but quickly corrected herself saying, ¡°I see, it seems I have come at an inconvenient time. I¡¯ll wait over there first.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Second Miss has come at an inconvenient time. I think it should be known to the house why I came here today. I wonder why the Second Miss has chosen to come now rather than earlier or later?¡± Qin¡¯s words were anything but subtle. What Qin had said was exactly what Wei Ruo was thinking. Wei Qingwan¡¯s behavior today was indeed strange. Because of Chu Lan¡¯s special status, his sending a nursemaid here had made everyone at the Military Prefecture treat it as a serious matter. Madam Yun had earlier instructed everyone in the house to be careful, even those in the Bamboo Garden received the news, and Wei Qingwan definitely would have known about it. Wei Qingwan was clearly aware, but still chose this moment to see Wei Ruo. To say that she had no other intentions would be hard for Wei Ruo to believe. If Wei Qingwan had other thoughts, wouldn¡¯t she be too naive? Although Qin, the nursemaid, was indeed from Chu Lan¡¯s side, no matter what, she was just a nursemaid. Was Wei Qingwan thinking that by behaving well in front of her, Qin would speak highly of her to Chu Lan when she went back? Did she treat Qin as a matchmaker? If it were about women gossiping in a village, it would be understandable. But Qin was a nursemaid from the palace. The nursemaids of the Royal Family were very disciplined and would not do such strange things. Wei Ruo remembered that in the original story, although Wei Qingwan was beautifully weak, she was not so foolish. Could it be that without her, the supporting character¡¯s off scene, or not being able to fall in love with Chu Lan at the predetermined time, had made her head stop functioning properly? She had only heard that ¡°love is blind¡±, not that not being in love can also blind people. After listening to Qin¡¯s words, Wei Qingwan turned pale and hurried to explain, ¡°Nursemaid, please don¡¯t be angry. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on my sister¡¯s conversation. I didn¡¯t know that the conversation between the nursemaid and my sister wasn¡¯t meant to be heard by others. I was merely worried that my sister may not be hospitable enough, so I specially brought some cakes that I made.¡± ¡°Forgive my bluntness, but when the Second Miss expresses her concern about the First Miss¡¯s hospitality in front of an outsider like me, what exactly is she trying to convey to others?¡± Qin, as someone who had come out from the palace, had an astute mind. She could hear the hidden meanings in Wei Qingwan¡¯s words. Wei Qingwan¡¯s face turned red due to humiliation and she hurriedly explained, ¡°Nursemaid Qin, you have misunderstood me. I had no other motives, it¡¯s that I used my words imprudently and caused misunderstanding..¡± Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Punishment of Wei Qingwan by Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Punishment of Wei Qingwan by Copying Family Rules _1 Translator: 549690339 Nanny Qin said, ¡°As a young lady of a prestigious family, you should always watch your words and tread cautiously in front of others. If Miss Second often makes such mistakes, then I think Miss Second needs to read more books and learn more etiquette.¡¯1 Wei Qingwan¡¯s face turned pale and green at Nanny Qin¡¯s words, but she couldn¡¯t refute them. She could only bow her head and bid Wei Ruo an awkward farewell: ¡°Then, I will not disturb Sister and Nanny any longer.¡± She left the osmanthus cake on the table and hurriedly left. After Wei Qingwan left, Wei Ruo started discussing work related to the southern city with Nanny Qin. The workload was big and involved many people. In order not to leave out any of Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, Nanny Qin requested a pen and paper to take notes. ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Agriculture can¡¯t be generalized. You have to make adjustments based on the local conditions and current situation. Future arrangements will constantly be changed according to the weather and the fields,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°I understand that. I was also raised in a farming family. In the future, whenever Miss has any orders, you can contact me at any time. If there are any problems or difficulties in the development of the southern city, I will report to Miss as soon as possible,¡± replied Nanny Qin. ¡°Good, thank you Nanny.¡± Although Wei Ruo didn¡¯t like Chu Lan¡¯s involvement in this matter, she appreciated the attitude Nanny Qin brought to their work. After Nanny Qin left, Wei Ruo paid a visit to Cangyun Garden. Upon entering, she saw Wei Qingwan with her head bowed, talking to Madam Yun. When Wei Qingwan saw Wei Ruo enter, she looked up at her, resentment in her eyes. Madam Yun, on the other hand, faced her with a smile, ¡°Ruo is here. How was your talk with Nanny?¡± Wei Ruo answered, ¡°Pretty decent.¡± Madam Yun was pleased: ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Keep in mind to never forget your manners.¡± Wei Ruo added, ¡°Speaking of manners, there¡¯s a matter I¡¯d like to discuss with Mother.¡± Madam Yun was puzzled: ¡°What is it?¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Today, while Nanny Qin and I were in a meeting, for some reason, Qingwan came to find me, disrupting our conversation.¡± Hearing this, Madam Yun looked inquisitively at Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan quickly explained, ¡°It was my mistake, I made some osmanthus cakes and wanted to bring some for Sister to try.¡± Wei Ruo laughed softly: ¡°If Qingwan wanted to bring me some osmanthus cakes, any time would be fine. Why did she specifically choose the time when Nanny Qin was present?¡± Wei Qingwan explained, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. I was so engrossed in making the osmanthus cakes. After I finished, I just wanted Sister to taste them as soon as possible. I accidentally forgot that you were meeting with Nanny Qin.¡± ¡°If you had forgotten, you should have seen Nanny Qin when you walked into Tingsong Garden. Why didn¡¯t you choose to leave and come back later, rather than rudely interrupting our conversation?¡± Wei Ruo questioned. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t think about it that much, I just wanted Nanny Qin to taste it too¡­¡± Wei Qingwan said resentfully. ¡°Qingwan, we may choose to believe your words, but if you were to say them in public, outsiders might think our Wei family doesn¡¯t observe the proper etiquette. Today, Nanny Qin was here to discuss formal business. Everyone in the mansion is aware of it. Mother specifically instructed about it. But you still popped up at such a time. Those who don¡¯t know might even think our Miss Wei lacks manners.¡± Wei Qingwan looked crestfallen as she heavily teared up. She looked at Madam Yun pleadingly, ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t¡­ I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Ruo, isn¡¯t it too serious? Since Wanwan knows her mistake, you shouldn¡¯t keep blaming her.¡± Madam Yun interceded on behalf of Wei Qingwan. ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know that today, due to Qingwan¡¯s reckless behavior, Nanny Qin was greatly upset,¡± Wei Ruo spoke. Hearing that Nanny Qin was upset, Madam Yun¡¯s expression changed. She looked at Wei Qingwan, and said gravely, ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re really thoughtless!¡± At this, Wei Qingwan could no longer hold back her tears, which dropped one by one. Wei Ruo went on, ¡°As Mother knows, the last time at Huafa Temple, Qingwan bumped into a noble person, and had a clash with Miss Qian. Finally, after much difficulty, that noble person started viewing our family differently due to the matters of the southern city. If that person gets a bad impression because of today¡¯s incident¡­I¡¯m worried¡­¡± Wei Ruo purposefully made it sound serious. Actually, Wei Ruo knew that Nanny Qin wouldn¡¯t likely report such a trivial matter to Chu Lan. But that didn¡¯t prevent her from using Chu Lan to scare Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan. Madam Yun, who originally intended to overstep the issue, felt serious after hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words. She straightened her face, and spoke to Wei Qingwan solemnly: ¡°Wanwan, you were indeed wrong in this matter. I¡¯ll punish you to copy the house rules ten times as a precaution!¡± Hearing these words, Wei Qingwan was completely stunned. From childhood, she had always been the most docile and sensible child in the eyes of her father and mother. She had never been punished before, it had always been her younger brother who was punished to copy texts. However, today it was suddenly her turn? ¡°Daughter understands¡­¡± Wei Qingwan bowed her head, her hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves. ### In Yizhu Garden, Xiaobei told Wei Jinyi, ¡°Young Master, the person sent by the Seventh Prince has left.¡± ¡°What did they discuss with Ruo?¡± Asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°Just about the wasteland in the southern city, they didn¡¯t discuss anything else,¡± Xiaobei reported. ¡°Hm.¡± Wei Jinyi paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Is Ruo very busy these days?¡± It had been some days since Wei Ruo last visited Yizhu Garden. ¡°Yes, Miss goes out early and returns late every day. There are a lot of things that need her to make decisions,¡± Xiaobei replied. ¡°Go next door and call Lady Xiumei. The kitchen has received some game, but you don¡¯t know how to cook it. Ask her for some help,¡± Wei Jinyi instructed. ¡°Yes, Young Master, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Xiaobei joyfully headed towards Tingsong Garden. On his way, Xiaobei realized that the pheasant and wild rabbit were sent to the Young Master from outside, and not provided by the mansion¡¯s main kitchen. The young master didn¡¯t use to be fond of game, but a couple of days ago he unexpectedly asked someone to bring some for him. And it¡¯s been two days since the game was delivered and the young master didn¡¯t let him touch it. Initially, he was puzzled, but now he understood. The young master was waiting for Lady Xiumei to have some time to cook it. Of course, Lady Xiumei does cook better than him and wouldn¡¯t waste the ingredients. When he reached the courtyard gate, Xiaobei relayed Wei Jinyi¡¯s request to Lady Xiumei. ¡°Then I must ask my Miss.¡± ¡°Lady Xiumei, you go and ask. I¡¯ll wait here at the gate.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lady Xiumei turned around and went back inside. After a short while, she returned. ¡°My miss has agreed. However, she did say that she had planned for me to prepare some snacks for her this afternoon. Now that Young Master has called me over, she won¡¯t have her snack. You should ask your Young Master what he plans to compensate my Miss with for her snack..¡± Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 61: So Be It _1 Chapter 61: Chapter 61: So Be It _1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ask our young master right now.¡± Xiaobei hurriedly turned around to go back, heading back to Garden of Welcoming Bamboo to find Wei Jinyi. After hearing Xiaobei¡¯s special request, Wei Jinyi said, ¡°You can invite her to eat the prepared mountain chicken and wild rabbit, as a compensation for her snack.¡± So, Xiaobei ran back to Tingsong Garden to report. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Xiumei agreed readily. She grabbed a bag of items and started walking towards the Garden of Welcoming Bamboo. Xiaobei wondered, ¡°Lady Xiumei, don¡¯t you need to ask your mistress again? What if your mistress doesn¡¯t like wild food?¡± Xiumei glanced at the clueless Xiaobei and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my mistress absolutely loves it.¡± Xiumei went to the small kitchen in the Garden of Welcoming Bamboo and began to get busy. The rabbit meat was braised, and to cater to Wei Jinyi¡¯s taste, no spicy ingredients were added. Otherwise, according to her mistress¡¯s taste, it would have to be made with a spicy flavor. The mountain chicken was made into a soup, with some nourishing astragalus and goji berries added. Also, she quickly stir-fried a dish of sweet potato leaves and pumpkin tips. The sweet potato leaves were brought by the wet nurse, while the pumpkin tips were freshly picked from Wei Ruo¡¯s yard. Four dishes¡ªtwo with meat and two vegetarian, and one soup-were prepared. Xiaobei served the dishes on the table, while Xiumei went next door to invite Wei Ruo. After Xiaobei placed the four dishes on the table, he remarked to Wei Jinyi, ¡°The mistress is so kind. We asked for their help in cooking the wild food, and they provided us with vegetables and ingredients, creating four well-rounded dishes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi responded. ¡°It would be great if the mistress could eat with us more often in the future.¡± Xiaobei muttered to himself. He knew this was impossible. The Master and Madam would certainly require the Mistress to eat with everyone in the dining hall. As they were talking, Wei Ruo entered the pavilion, beaming with joy. Wei Jinyi had already prepared a seat for her. Wei Ruo sat down and glanced at the three dishes and one soup on the table, a smile creeping up the corners of her mouth. Her beloved rabbit meat, it had been so long since she last had it! Wei Jinyi noticed Wei Ruo¡¯s excited expressions and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He took the initiative to pick up a piece of rabbit leg and put it in Wei Ruo¡¯s bowl. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that you didn¡¯t get to enjoy your snack. Consider this rabbit a way of making amends.¡± Wei Jinyi said. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Wei Ruo laughed at Wei Jinyi with her head tilted back, then proceeded to use her chopsticks without standing on ceremony. In reality, both of them were well aware. One wanted to invite the other for mountain chicken and wild rabbit and took special care to make the food. The other wanted to use the excuse of missed tea cake as compensation. Only Xiaobei wasn¡¯t aware of it. After having a hearty meal, Wei Ruo rested on the rattan chair by the side. ¡°Brother, since when has there been a rattan chair here? I didn¡¯t notice it before.¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I got it recently. I found it pretty good, so I bought it.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°It¡¯S great. You can lie down and rest when you¡¯re tired from reading.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi agreed. Seeing Wei Ruo swaying idly on the rattan chair, he knew it was a good purchase. ¡ö¡¯How¡¯s it going with your studies at Xie¡¯s house?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°It¡¯s going well. The female teacher you found is truly remarkable. I originally thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear studying, but her teaching style is quite interesting. She taught me some basics about incense making, which is similar to my medicinal crafting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Wei Jinyi responded, his face expressionless as always. ¡°How about you? Has your health improved a bit over recent days?¡± Wei Ruo asked casually. ¡°Yes, your medicine has been very helpful. I feel much better.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Wei Ruo repeated Wei Jinyi¡¯s words in a mimicking tone. Then she lounged on the rattan chair, enjoying herself. Most of the time, the two of them spent their time together in silence. Wei Jinyi wasn¡¯t a big talker. Sometimes Wei Ruo would chat with him, sometimes she wouldn¡¯t. She would just sit there peacefully and relax. ### After a few days of hard work, Wei Ruo successfully delegated most of the current stage work on the wasteland in the south of the city. Being free today, Wei Ruo planned to organize the loofah, pumpkin, and gourd in her courtyard. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have much time once she resumed her classes at Xie¡¯s house. While she was busy in the courtyard, Xiumei rushed in in a hurry. ¡°Miss, Miss¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Meimei?¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡­¡± Once Xiumei confirmed there was no one else in Tingsong Garden, she told Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, Brother Xiaoyong had a fight with Uncle Xu and Grandma. It was fierce!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It seems that Xiaoyong wants to become a soldier! Didn¡¯t the county post many conscription notices recently? And due to special circumstances, the conscription age has been lowered from fifteen to fourteen. Xiaoyong meets the requirements, so he said he also wants to go fight the Japanese Pirates!¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± Wei Ruo asked eagerly. ¡ö¡öUncle Xu tied him up at home! Uncle Xu doesn¡¯t mind, but Grandma disagreed. When she cried, Uncle Xu tied Xiaoyong up! ¡ö¡öLet¡¯s go. Go call Grandma Zhang.¡± Wei Ruo decided to go out immediately. Now that she has an excuse in the form of the south city, she can leave almost anytime she wants, but she needs to bring Grandma Zhang with her. Although Grandma Zhang initially did not approve of Wei Ruo, thinking she was a bit vulgar, her attitude towards Wei Ruo changed significantly after living together for a period. Once she acknowledged Wei Ruo¡¯s ability, she truly obeyed Wei Ruo¡¯s commands. Wei Ruo suddenly came looking for her. Without saying a word, Grandma Zhang prepared the carriage and took Wei Ruo out. Not long after the carriage left home, Wei Ruo asked the coachman to drive it to the street, and after parking at the intersection, Wei Ruo told Grandma Zhang she was going to Four Treasure House to buy some stationery. Now that Wei Ruo had started studying, buying stationery was a normal thing to do. Neither Grandma Zhang nor the coachman found anything strange. Wei Ruo put her veil on and got off the carriage. She bypassed the items in the store and directly headed to the backyard from a door in the store. In the yard, Zhengyong was sitting on the ground, completely bound with his hands behind his back. He said defiantly, ¡°Dad, a good man should be ambitious. Now that we are invaded by foreign enemies and people are suffering, I as a male, should fight on the front lines!¡± Xu Zhushan retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that! You upset your mother. That¡¯s unacceptable!¡± Xu Zhushan didn¡¯t necessarily object to his son joining the army, but he couldn¡¯t accept his wife¡¯s sadness. ¡°Dad, my mother is a woman, and that¡¯s her way of thinking. You are a man, and you should understand me!¡± Zhengyong hit back. ¡°No use! If you want to go, first figure out a way to keep your mother from worrying about you!¡± Xu Zhushan was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. The father and son were debating when Wei Ruo walked in. Seeing Wei Ruo, Zhengyong¡¯s eyes lit up, like he saw a lifesaver, ¡°Ruo Ruo!¡± Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Want to Protect the Sister 1 Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Want to Protect the Sister 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Upon hearing his son call out to Wei Ruo, Xu Zhushan turned around. Seeing Wei Ruo, he immediately put away his stern expression, ¡°Miss, how come you¡¯re here?¡± I heard you and Brother Xiaoyong were having an argument, so I came over to see.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s this rascal disobeying. A few lashes will straighten him out. It¡¯s not worth you making the trip, Miss.¡± Ridden with injustice, Xu Zhengyong could only protest with his eyes. Hearing the voices, Mother Xu came out from the house. Seeing Wei Ruo, her mood brightened, she walked over and embraced Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss.¡± Although they lived close by, Mother Xu hadn¡¯t seen Wei Ruo for quite a few days. She heard from Xiumei that Wei Ruo had even been locked in a firewood room at the Military Prefecture. Then she realized Wei Ruo¡¯s life there wasn¡¯t as good as she initially thought. So, she worried Wei Ruo was not eating or sleeping well in the Military Prefecture and often managed to send some things to her. However, she never got to see Wei Ruo in person and it always left her worried. Mother Xu carefully looked at Wei Ruo for a while before she finally heaved a sigh of relief, confirming that Wei Ruo had neither lost weight nor fallen ill. Mother, stop crying. Let¡¯s talk about Xiaoyong¡¯s matters slowly,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯ve got to help me speak to my mother. She listens to you the most!¡± Xu Zhengyong quickly said. ¡°Impudent! How many times have I told you, you mustn¡¯t address Miss in such away!¡± Mother Xu corrected her son¡¯s way of addressing Wei Ruo for the umpteenth time. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s the Miss of the He Family or the Miss of the Wei Family. Anyway, she is my sister! Ruoruo said it herself!¡± Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t care about the formalities. ¡°Yes, Brother Xiaoyong is right.¡± This address was requested by Wei Ruo. Xiaoyong was a year older than her. After his birth, Mother Xu had to take up work as a wet nurse in the He Family to supplement the family income. During the time they lived in Mo Jiazha, Mother Xu spent a majority of her time taking care of Wei Ruo, while her own son Xiaoyong was often left at home. Later, as Wei Ruo grew older, she intentionally asked Mother Xu to spend more time at home and also requested her to bring Xu Zhengyong to live with them more often, saying she was in need of playmates at the same age. At that time, both she and Xiaoyong were just infants, there was no distinction of gender, they played together in the house. Over time, Wei Ruo and Xu Zhengyong became familiar with each other, they kept calling each other brother and sister. No matter how many times Xu Zhushan and Mother Xu corrected them, they never altered the habit. ¡°Xiumei, please untie the rope on Brother Xiaoyong. We¡¯ll sit down and talk,¡± Wei Ruo swiftly motioned to Xiumei. Taking advantage of Xu Zhushan and Mother Xu¡¯s distraction, Xiumei quickly untied the rope on Zhengyong. ¡°Xiumei, thank you!¡± Xu Zhengyong thanked her while grinning sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me just yet!¡± Xiumei glared at Xu Zhengyong and said in annoyance. Once free, Xu Zhengyong sprang over to Wei Ruo, pleading, ¡°Ruoruo, you tell me, isn¡¯t a good guy supposed to be fearless, willing to fight on the battlefield, and make achievements?¡± ¡°What you mentioned indeed describes a good guy, but being a good guy can be achieved in other ways too. Didn¡¯t I ask you to study before?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I can¡¯t. Ruoruo, I¡¯m just not cut out for studying. Just recognizing a few characters is already a huge feat for me. You want me to write all that eloquent stuff, I simply can¡¯t do it,¡± Xu Zhengyong lamented bitterly. Actually, Wei Ruo was aware of his lively nature, and he indeed wasn¡¯t suited for studying. But education indeed constitutes the best approach for a commoner to move up in society during this era. ¡°You good-for-nothing brat, you want to be a soldier and fight? Those Japanese pirates are so fearsome, your mother would be worrying every day at home!¡± Xu Zhushan scolded. Mother, you¡¯re against Xiaoyong¡¯s idea because you¡¯re afraid he might get injured, is that so?¡± Wei Ruo asked Mother Xu. Mother Xu shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about him getting injured in battle. Our peace and prosperity are largely due to the soldiers guarding the city gate. If my son doesn¡¯t go, someone else¡¯s son will have to. If everyone¡¯s sons don¡¯t go, we all would be dead.¡± Mother Xu then sighed, ¡°If he really wants to fight and bleed for his people, I would accept it! But I¡¯m afraid of his temper. Once he joins the military and breaks the rules, they might punish him even before having to fight!¡± Xu Zhengyong¡¯s temper is hard. That day, when he went to the Military Prefecture looking for Wei Ruo, he started arguing with the guards over a single comment. With his temperament, joining the military would indeed leave Mother Xu worried. So that¡¯s it. Wei Ruo feels that it¡¯s not a completely unsolvable problem. Wei Ruo turned to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, as you heard, Mother is not completely against you joining the military, however, she has a condition. You need to control your temper and avoid conflicts.¡± As long as others don¡¯t provoke me, I won¡¯t easily start conflicts either. Mother, you¡¯re just overthinking,¡± Xu Zhengyong dismissed nonchalantly. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, even though I¡¯m not a very disciplined person myself, the military isn¡¯t like other places, it has the strictest rules which one must obey. You can¡¯t just say you won¡¯t, you must, definitely, and absolutely obey orders and management,¡± Wei Ruo said with a stern expression. Xu Zhengyong scratched his head, looking unsure. He was aware of his temper and knew it was rather easy for him to get into conflicts with others. Brother Xiaoyong, if you want to go, you must swear to me. Once you join the army, under the premise of ensuring your own safety, you should control your temper, avoid conflicts, and obey the military orders and personnel management. If not, may I be struck by lightning.¡± ¡°No way! How can I make you swear such a dangerous oath! I could swear such an oath on my life but I won¡¯t let you swear on yours!¡± Xu Zhengyong flatly refused. Then Xu Zhengyong said, ¡°If it¡¯s like this, I¡¯d rather not go. I¡¯ll live the rest of my life as a worthless man!¡± As he spoke, Xu Zhengyong¡¯s expression became more distressed, ¡°I want to join the military, not only for the sake of protecting the country but also to make a name for myself. I want to remove you from the Military Prefecture and let you live with us. I know we¡¯re just ordinary folks now, no matter how much money we make from our business, we can¡¯t compete with the officials and we can¡¯t bring you home. But if I make military achievements, become a higher-ranking official than the Wei Family, then I can bring you away from there and go on living with us.¡± Xu Zhengyong wiped tears from his eyes and looked reluctantly at a corner of the wall. ¡°You are my sister. I should be taking care of and protecting you, not helplessly staying in this small house. You told me to study; I did, but it¡¯s no use, I can¡¯t make it. But I have strength and you even asked a master to teach me martial arts, I think I¡¯ll be fine on the battlefield!¡± Upon hearing this, Xu Zhushan and Mother Xu fell silent. We Ruo¡¯s heart was struck hard as well, she didn¡¯t realize that Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s desire to be a soldier had something to do with her too.. Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Improving the Crossbow for Brother Xiaoyongi Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Improving the Crossbow for Brother Xiaoyongi Translator: 549690339 He wanted to protect her, just as he did when they were children. He helped her chase off the bully in the village, telling him that no one could pick on his sister. He helped her pick sour jujubes from the tree and told her that as her brother, he should be the one doing dangerous things. He quarreled with the village children for teasing her as an unwanted wild child, stating that she had a family and she was his sister. Mrs. Xu snapped out of her thoughts and suddenly told her son, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stop you anymore. You can join the army. As long as you remember that you must bring the young mistress back home in the future, I believe you won¡¯t behave recklessly and will follow the rules.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Xu Zhengyong spun around, staring at Mrs. Xu in surprise. Remember, you¡¯re not just joining the army to protect our country and seek fame and fortune; it¡¯s also for our family. You have a mother worrying about you and a sister waiting for you to bring her home after you¡¯ve accomplished something,¡± Mrs. Xu advised. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remember! I¡¯ll keep it all in mind!¡± Xu Zhengyong promised firmly. Then Xu Zhengyong turned to his father. Xu Zhushan didn¡¯t really mind. He¡¯d go along with whatever his wife decided. Besides, he thought his son¡¯s idea was a good one, and he supported it. Wei Ruo quietly looked away, not wanting her wet nurse and others to see her reddened eyes. Really, wasn¡¯t she the sort who hardly ever cried? And why were her eyes red now? She should be smiling happily at such a time, not teary-eyed! It was annoying, but she just couldn¡¯t help it¡­ After returning from Four Treasure House, Wei Ruo dragged Xiumei into her store-room. ¡°Miss, what are you looking for?¡± Xiumei wanted to help but didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what specific materials I need. I can only look for things that might be useful. Brother Xiaoyong is joining the army, so I need to prepare some defensive items for him,¡± Wei Ruo said. Although she openly supported Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s ambition, she was privately worried about his safety.¡± Therefore she wanted to prepare some useful things for Brother Xiaoyong before he joined the army.¡± That¡¯s right! Let me help you look for some hard materials!¡± Xiumei understood Wei Ruo¡¯s intention and immediately joined the search. Suddenly, Wei Ruo stopped. Xiumei asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°I thought of the crossbow.¡± ¡°Crossbow?¡± ¡°Brother Xiaoyong is joining the city guard against the Japanese pirates. If I could upgrade some of the weapons in the army, wouldn¡¯t that be indirectly protecting Brother Xiaoyong?¡± Xiumei said, ¡°Definitely.¡± You continue to search for any hard materials in the items I brought. I need to go back to my room,¡± Wei Ruo said. Back in her room, Wei Ruo brought out paper and a pen, and started attempting to draw blueprints. If she could design a detachable arrow container, similar to a bullet clip, to be mounted directly on a crossbow, then in theory, it would increase the crossbow¡¯s firing rate.¡± Xiumei failed to find anything useful in the store-room. When she returned to the room, she saw the blueprints that Wei Ruo was drawing. ¡°Miss, what is this? Is it a crossbow?¡± ¡°Yes, it is a crossbow. I held and tried it while visiting the training field last time. It wasn¡¯t that effective. I felt that if it could be improved, it would have greater power. But I wasn¡¯t interested in managing Wei Family¡¯s matters, so I took no action. Now that Brother Xiaoyong is joining the army, I thought of this. If I can¡¯t make effective armor for the time being, then I¡¯ll make some even more powerful weapons. Offense is the best defense.¡± That would be great; as long as we¡¯re strong enough, the enemy can¡¯t harm Brother Xiaoyong!¡± Xiumei said happily. ¡°Yes, and I plan to let Brother Xiaoyong take the final blueprint to earn merit.¡± Just joining the army, Brother Xiaoyong could only be an ordinary soldier. If he has some small credits, even if he can¡¯t be promoted, he would at least leave an impression on his superiors. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s a good idea, but at first glance, Brother Xiaoyong is not the sort of person who would be able to design such a sophisticated thing. If anyone asks, his cover will be blown.¡± Silly Meimei, I didn¡¯t ask him to say he designed it himself. He could just say that it was designed by a wise man and he obtained it from him. As for who the wise man is and where he comes from, there are tons of remote mountains and forests. If not, he can say it¡¯s a travelling old man without a fixed residence who disappeared after leaving behind the blueprint.¡± ¡°Miss is really clever!¡± ¡°Meimei, I need to find a skilled carpenter to help me put this into practice. I can¡¯t do everything just by drawing; it needs to be done alongside physical testing.¡± ¡°Uncle Xu may be able to help. I remember he used to be a carpenter,¡± Xiumei reminded. ¡°Okay, once I finish this draft, I¡¯ll ask Uncle Xu about it.¡± Wei Ruo was very serious about this. She shut herself in the room until Mrs. Yun sent someone to urge her to eat. Only then did she come out. After she came out, she handed the blueprint to Xiumei and asked her to send it to Four Treasure House for Uncle Xu immediately. The situation was urgent. Once Brother Xiaoyong registered to enlist, he could be drafted into the army at any time. She had no time to delay. When Xiumei returned, she brought back Xu Zhushan¡¯s response. Xu Zhushan had never attempted to make something similar before so he couldn¡¯t guarantee success, but he would try to follow Wei Ruo¡¯s blueprint overnight. Regardless of success or failure, he would respond to Wei Ruo via a carrier pigeon the next morning. The next morning, the carrier pigeon arrived as promised. Xu Zhushan had made a prototype according to Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, but he also proposed some improvements based on his carpentry experience. Wei Ruo, taking the improvements into account, began drawing the second version of the blueprint. After three days of back and forth adjustments, on the fourth day when she received Uncle Xu¡¯s reply, she finally got the perfect answer. The crossbow Wei Ruo wanted was made. Wei Ruo was satisfied with it. But she didn¡¯t stop there; she needed to quickly prepare medicine for Xu Zhengyong, who would be joining the army soon. Everyone around Wei Ruo could feel her busyness, including those in the Bamboo Courtyard. Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo who came to eat and drink at the Bamboo Courtyard today, ¡°You seem to be especially busy lately.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯m busy making medicine,¡± Wei Ruo half answered, half concealed. She had no choice, she still didn¡¯t want too many people to know about her wet nurse¡¯s affairs, not even Wei Jinyi. For now, it needed to remain a secret. ¡°By the way, Wei Jinyi, do you know any way to get me the herb Angelica dahurica in a short time?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Angelica dahurica is one of the ingredients for the golden sore medicine. Because of the ongoing warfare, Angelica dahurica has become extremely scarce in Xmgshan county. All the pharmacies in the city were short of this herb. Wei Jinyi asked, ¡°Is it urgent?¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°I¡¯m making a backup medicine for a friend who¡¯s leaving soon. It¡¯s pretty urgent.¡± Wei Jinyi asked, ¡°A friend?¡± For some reason, Wei Jinyi had the feeling that Wei Ruo¡¯s friend was a man. Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Dont Overwork Yourself i Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Don¡¯t Overwork Yourself i Translator: 549690339 ¡°Hmm, a very good friend,¡± Wei Ruo answered. The smile on Wei Ruo¡¯s face hinted at an unusual relationship between her and that person. ¡°I can ask around for you. If I find it, I¡¯ll have Xiaobei bring it to you,¡± said Wei Jinyi. ¡°Great, thanks Brother Second-¡± Wei Ruo could not hide her delight. Asking Wei Jinyi was a shot in the dark, she hadn¡¯t expected that he might have resources. Facing Wei Ruo, Wei Jinyi spoke slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard.¡± ¡°I know, brother, I do care about my health, I¡¯ll be careful!¡± Wei Ruo reached out to hold Wei Jinyi¡¯s hand. The moment she touched it, Wei Jinyi withdrew his hand quickly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Pulsing you. I have been giving you energizing pills for some time, haven¡¯t I? I want to see how they are working, seeing how I can refine the formula, I am making medicine now, so I made yours in the process,¡± Wei Ruo replied. After hearing her explanation, Wei Jinyi realized he had overreacted. Then he extended his hand again to Wei Ruo. With her fingers on Wei Jinyi¡¯s wrist, Wei Ruo evaluated after a short while, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s improving, I¡¯ll make you another twenty pills this time. Continue as before.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ### Capital City, Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence. After waiting for several days, news from Xingshan County finally arrived in the capital. Upon receiving the letter, the old earl excitedly exclaimed that it was good news. The old earl was sixty-eight this year, lean, with gray hair and a gray beard. Standing in front of him were his eldest son Wei Minghong and his younger son Wei Mingyong. Wei Minghong was plump and jovial with a distinct resemblance to his father. Wei Mingyong was a bit leaner and looked more shrewd. ¡°You both should read the letter that your younger brother has sent,¡± the old earl handed the letter to his two sons. Wei Minghong, the eldest son, took the letter, and Wei Mingyong moved closer to read along with him. Upon finishing, a smile of delight spread across both of their faces. ¡°Father, does this mean that our third brother¡¯s efforts in reforming the land have been recognized by the Seventh Prince?¡± Wei Minghong asked eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s not certain whether he¡¯ll be recognized by the Seventh Prince, but at the very least, he¡¯s caught his attention. That¡¯s always a good thing,¡± the old earl commented. ¡°That¡¯s really wonderful!¡± Wei Minghong exclaimed, ¡°Rumor has it that the Seventh Prince is the most likely heir to the throne. If he grants his favor to us, we will stand a chance to preserve our nobleman¡¯s rank!¡± At this moment, Wei Mingyong had a question: ¡°Father, in the letter, our third brother mentioned that this task was carried out by our niece Wei Qingruo, who we¡¯ve never met. She spent her entire childhood in the countryside, which might have given her a countryside complexion and make her not suitable for the higher echelons. How could she be this capable?¡± ¡°Humph! Why couldn¡¯t she be capable!? She is my legitimate granddaughter! The rightful heir of our Wei Family! Those brought up in the countryside will naturally learn farming skills! You two are too shallow! Now, you must see, those who grow up in the countryside do have their own virtues!¡± Back when they were deciding the rankings among granddaughters, he¡¯d asked for his sons¡¯ opinions. Both of them didn¡¯t have much to say, but they felt that the newly adopted girl might not have the refined manners, and were concerned she would embarrass the family if chosen as the first granddaughter. They suggested letting the fake granddaughter continue her role as it¡¯s less likely to cause embarrassment. He, however, overruled them, deciding that his own granddaughter would be the eldest, even though it was socially unacceptable to do so. But the thought of letting someone else¡¯s child hold the position of eldest granddaughter sat uneasily with him. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, Father, you are indeed wise,¡± Wei Minghong quickly flattered. ¡°Father, you¡¯re right,¡± Wei Mingyong also immediately affirmed. The old earl said with a solemn look: ¡°As it turns out, indeed, the descendants of our Wei Family are more promising than those from a family of merchants. They can never reach the top!¡± ¡°Father, you¡¯re absolutely right. The merchant class is indeed low; they are petty and can¡¯t be compared to us from the Earl Residence,¡± Wei Minghong hastily agreed. ¡°Father, since my elder brother and I are quite free recently, why not let us go to Xingshan County and help our third brother? Third brother is busy dealing with war matters and may not have time to manage the fields. Our niece, after all, is just a woman and may face many inconveniences,¡± proposed Wei Mingyong. ¡°Second brother, I was just thinking the same thing. This was also my intention,¡± Wei Minghong said. ¡°Since you have official duties here, elder brother, you can¡¯t leave the capital as freely as I can. Please allow me to go instead,¡± Wei Mingyong suggested. ¡°Stop arguing! Neither of you is going!¡± The old earl stopped the argument and rejected their suggestions. ¡°Father¡­¡± Wei Minghong and Wei Mingyong looked guiltily at the old earl. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to! You want to ¡®help¡¯ but really, you¡¯re looking to build a relationship with the Seventh Prince! You fools! If it were that easy to win the favor of the Seventh Prince, why would it be your turn? You should just stay at home, and none of you should get involved in your third brother¡¯s business!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Wei Minghong and Wei Mingyong could only cooly obey. The old earl looked at his two disappointing sons: ¡°Both of you should buck up a bit! Now that your younger brother has shown some achievement, you can¡¯t be left behind.¡± Wei Minghong and Wei Mingyong lowered their heads and said nothing, feeling guilty. Leaving the old earl¡¯s room, the two of them walked together each lost in their own thoughts. ¡°Big brother, even though you are the eldest, we might have to be submissive to our third brother in the future. He has a highly educated son and now a daughter who could earn achievements for the family. Certainly, he will rise above us,¡± Wei Mingyong said, his voice filled with irony. ¡°Second brother, you shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with me. Worry about your own problems. I heard that your wife has been arguing with you nonstop over the issue of concubinage.¡± ¡°Oh, big brother, your own house isn¡¯t so peaceful right now, is it? I heard that your eldest son seems to have been causing quite a lot of trouble lately.¡± ¡°Huh, what use is your sarcasm here, second brother? If you¡¯re capable, then you should go and compete with third brother¡¯s family!¡± Wei Minghong was a bit annoyed. He abruptly turned around and left without looking back. ¡°His weakness got hit!¡± Wei Mingyong sneered, then walked back to his own yard with his hands behind his back. ### In no time, it was the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month. It was also the day when Xu Zhengyong officially started his new job. Using the excuse of needing to go to the southern city to check on progress, Wei Ruo went out with Xiumei to Four Treasure House for a meal with the wet-nurse family there. They all had dishes piled high on the table, all of which were what Wei Ruo loved to eat. At the dinner table, everyone was chatting and laughing merrily. In the Wei residence, there was a rule that one should not speak while eating or resting. But there were not so many restrictions in the Xu family. After dinner, Xiumei pulled Xu Zhengyong aside and handed him a small purse. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Xu Zhengyong.. Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 65 The Contest Between Senior and Chapter 65: Chapter 65 The Contest Between Senior and Junior Disciples_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°A protective amulet,¡± Xiumei replied. ¡°Did you have it made especially for me?¡± Xu Zhengyong asked, chuckling. ¡°Yes, this is just a little show of sisterly concern for my junior apprentice brother,¡± Xiumei replied with a touch of pride. Since the person who taught Xiumei martial arts is the same one who taught Xu Zhengyong, indeed, they both hail from the same mentor. ¡°I am your senior apprentice brother, and you are my junior sister!¡± Xu Zhengyong rebutted. Their argument over seniority had persisted for years. Each one refuses to admit being junior to the other and each always striving to be perceived as the elder one. Xiumei: ¡°I pledged to our master first, while you did afterward, so naturally, I am your senior whilst you are my junior.¡± Xu Zhengyong: ¡°I was the first one to start learning from Master, and you are the later one, so obviously, I am your senior and you are my junior!¡± Xiumei: ¡°What good is it to be the first to follow if the succession can only be determined by the pledging ceremony! Following the master around doesn t count!¡± Xu Zhengyong: ¡°I am older than you! You are of the same age as Ruoruo, and since Ruoruo calls me Brother Xiaoyong, I am certainly your senior apprentice brother!¡± Wei Ruo and the Xu family couple were already used to their bickering over seniority. in the past, they used to quarrel almost monthly. Recently, due to fewer occasions for them to meet, they took a break from their lack of consideration. Everyone laughed it off. After a while, amazingly, Xiumei admitted defeat. ¡°All right, you are going to the army. If you manage to come back alive, I will admit you entered the mentorship before me, and I will address you as my senior. Upon hearing these words, Xu Zhengyong, who would have normally jumped for joy, fell silent. He shed his playful smile and turned unusually serious. ¡°Are you afraid, I won¡¯t make it back?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t return, you will forever be my junior brother!¡± Huffed Xiumei as she turned her head away before returning to Wei Ruo¡¯s side. Xu Zhengyong came back as well, a smile on his face, and the purse Xiumei had given him tucked in his clothes. ¡°Xiumei¡¯s gift has been given, now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Wei Ruo had also prepared a parting gift for Xu Zhengyong. Wei Ruo placed a small wooden box on the table. Inside were several small porcelain bottles. ¡°These all contain common medicines. Each is labeled, so take the corresponding one when needed,¡± Wei Ruo said. Xu Zhengyong glanced at the bottles and said, ¡°Ruoruo, your handwriting is still horrible, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got nerve to say that about me!¡± Wei Ruo retorted. Xu Zhengyong rubbed his nose, ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t. I dare not criticize you. Your handwriting, Ruoruo, has its charm. It¡¯s uniquely adorable in its ugliness!¡¯ ¡°One more word and you won¡¯t get them!¡± Threatened Wei Ruo as she closed the box, as if to take it away. Xu Zhengyong quickly stepped forward, grabbing the box. ¡°I¡¯ll take them! I¡¯ll take them! How could I not want a gift from Ruoruo? Even if I never use them, I¡¯ll carry them with me, hehe!¡± Xiumei rolled her eyes at Xu Zhengyong: ¡°You disgrace. Xu Zhengyong responded by sticking out his tongue at Xiumei. Then, Wei Ruo personally went to the kitchen to make everyone some yak milk tea. Wei Ruo rarely cooks, it is usually Xiumei, except during get-togethers with their wet nurse¡¯s family. Using this opportunity, the wet nurse handed Wei Ruo the revenue and account books from Four Treasure House for the past two months. The income used to be reported every three months or six months, but since Wei Ruo has stationed herself at the Military Prefecture, the wet nurse feels it better to supply Wei Ruo with more money in these tough times. Most of the savings Wei Ruo had were used up recently in buying Xiaoyang Mountain. ¡°Miss, these are 300 taels of silver, representing the past three months¡¯ revenue from the Four Treasure House in Huzhou Prefecture and the earnings of the newly opened Four Treasure House here in Xingshan during its two-month operation. It also includes the revenue from selling sweet potato vines and leaves and last year¡¯s stock of dried sweet potatoes,¡± the wet nurse handed Wei Ruo the silver. Income from two branches of Four Treasure House came in faster than from a single one. The revenue from the Four Treasure House in Xingshan County was slightly less than the one in Huzhou Prefecture since Xingshan is the poorer area. The income from the sale of sweet potato leaves and last year¡¯s dried sweet potato stock was much less in comparison to the first two sources. However, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t mind the small margin. She believes any earnings should be welcomed regardless of how minimal the profit. Besides, it also serves as preparation for the high yield of sweet potatoes later on. After that day, Xu Zhengyong reported to the army. For a time, he lost contact with both the Xu family and Wei Ruo. Throughout these days, aside from attending lessons at the Xie Family, Wei Ruo was busily planning her next money-making scheme. The work in the south of the city was going smoothly, and with the wet nurse in charge, developments on Xiaoyang Mountain also progressed as Wei Ruo had anticipated with no issues arising. Wei Ruo¡¯s medicinal herb field, which she operates with Xie Ying, was thriving with the help of Lady Xie. They successfully acquired an inexpensive and slightly inferior piece of land in the south of the city from the government office. Magistrate Qian, in order to uphold his fairness, gave away better pieces of land free to impoverished families that don¡¯t own land. On the other hand, land with worse conditions was available for purchase at low prices, far cheaper than cultivable lands to the north of the city. The plot which Xie Ying and Wei Ruo jointly purchased only costed them five taels of silver, yet it was all of ten acres. Therefore, the cost of the land was not significant. Labor costs and improvement costs are what ramp up the price but with the sturdy support of Lady Xie, they didn¡¯t need to worry about that aspect. Only after partnering with Xie Ying did Wei Ruo discover that Lady Xie¡¯s maiden home belongs to a wealthy merchant family. Lady Xie¡¯s dowry was a whopping 128 taels of silver plus several pieces of land and lots of property located in prosperous areas, all of which earn a handsome amount annually. Although Lady Xie comes from a merchant family, she commands great respect in her husband¡¯s family. Right after Lady Xie married into the Xie family, they were going through a tough financial time. Lady Xie used her dowry to support the household, helping the Xie family through their difficult days. Therefore, now that the Xie family is prospering, no one in the family had any reservations about Lady Xie¡¯s merchant origins, and her husband had never contemplated taking a concubine. Of course, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t let down the trust of the Xie mother and daughter. She meticulously arranged all aspects of cultivation, from seeding to maintenance, and prevention of pests and diseases, sharing every bit other knowledge. Xie Ying was highly enthusiastic about the project. Recently, every time she saw Wei Ruo, she wanted to discuss the herb field with her. This zeal made Wei Ruo somewhat miss the aloof Xie Ying of the past. You used to ignore me in the past but nowadays you seem to be glued to me. With the flourishing operation of the medicinal herb field, a lot of people became curious and some households even thought of following suit like the Xie family. After all, the land to the south is cheap, and the county government is promoting land improvement techniques. They could also jointly cultivate hke the Xie family. Who doesn¡¯t want more land and grain? Yun¡¯s family also harbored these thoughts. After all, this improvement technique was introduced by their Wei Ruo, it only made sense for them to benefit from it.. Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Academics Should Be Given Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Academics Should Be Given Priority_l Translator: 549690339 Given the widespread deficiency of grains, if we could acquire more properties, it would alleviate this pressure. So, during the casual talk after dinner, Mrs. Yun shared this idea with Wei Ruo. ¡°Ruoruo, I heard that the Xie Family purchased some farmland outside the city; perhaps our family should do the same.¡± Wei Ruo. sipped her tea calmly, replying, ¡°That¡¯s fine, if Mother wishes to purchase, she simply needs to register with the Dao County Government Office.¡± ¡°What I mean is, I hope you could take responsibility for improving the productivity. You¡¯re most skilled at this, and even the officials have learned techniques from you,¡± Mrs. Yun elaborated. ¡°Although I shouldn¡¯t refuse Mother¡¯s proposal, I have a lot of homework assigned by my teacher recently. The little leisure time I do have is typically spent discussing future work with the county officials and Madam Qin. I really don¡¯t have any spare time,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Before, it was Mrs. Yun who urged Wei Ruo to go to school and not worry about farming matters; now the situation was reversed¡ªshe wanted Wei Ruo to attend to farming matters, but Wei Ruo was busy attending class. Then Wei Ruo sighed, ¡°Studying is really mentally taxing, and the content the professor talks about is both extensive and profound. For someone like me who started halfway, keeping up the pace is very difficult. Now, most of my mental energy is spent on this. I would love to help alleviate Mother¡¯s worries, but I simply don¡¯t have the energy.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s earnest explanation seemed flawless and hard to refute. For a moment, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t know how to counter Wei Ruo¡¯s words. While Mrs. Yun was still contemplating, Wei Yichen spoke up first, ¡°Mother, Ruoruo should prioritize her studies. If you want to buy and improve the wasteland to the south of the city, you can hire people to do it. If there are any problems, you can ask the government officials for guidance.¡± With things said to this extent, Mrs. Yun could only nod and agree, ¡°Yichen is right, Ruoruo should indeed focus on her studies.¡± Then Mrs. Yun changed the subject and turned to Wei Yichen, ¡°Yichen, how are things going with your master selection?¡± This matter has been troubling the Wei family for more than half a year. A few years ago, Wei Yichen was studying in the county academy. But last year, his professor told him he had nothing left to teach him, suggesting that if he wanted to advance further before the imperial examination, he would need to find a better academy or a more esteemed teacher. Xingshan County is remote, to say the least, without any good academies close by. Prestigious academies are not accessible to just anyone; with only hereditary titles as their shining glory, the Wei family lacks both connections and funds. Therefore, it¡¯s extremely hard for them to get into a good academy. Compared to that, apprenticing under a great teacher might be relatively easier. If a discerning individual could recognize Wei Yichen¡¯s talent, the task would be more manageable. Having a celebrated teacher would also benefit Wei Yichen greatly during his examination in Beijing. With a furrowed brow, Wei Yichen apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mother, there hasn¡¯t been much progress yet.¡± ¡°Yichen, if you really cannot apprentice under the teacher you desire, you should perhaps lower your standards a little,¡± Mrs. Yun had no choice but to persuade. ¡°Time waits for no one; if this goes on, I¡¯m afraid it will hinder your studies.¡± ¡°Mother, this matter is not to be taken lightly. Once a teacher is selected, it¡¯s a lifelong commitment that cannot be revoked. I believe we should proceed more cautiously,¡± Wei Yichen answered. ¡°Fair enough. You can make your own choices; I¡¯m just a little worried,¡± Mrs. Yun said. While sipping her tea, Wei Ruo, who was listening to their conversation, suddenly realized that her second brother had been staying in her small courtyard for years, and had neither attended school nor selected a teacher. Her second brother mentioned that he also wanted to take the imperial examination. Should she start thinking about a solution for him? With the entire family preoccupied with her older brother¡¯s problems, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t need to intervene. But her second brother¡¯s issues fell solely on her shoulders. After leaving the Cangyun Garden, Wei Ruo asked Xiumei upon returning to the Tingsong Garden, ¡°Meimei, do you know which academy in Taizhou prefecture is the best?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about academies, Miss? Academies are where men study; I haven¡¯t heard about an academy that allows women to attend.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t for me, I¡¯m asking for my second brother.¡± ¡°Then Miss, wait a moment, I¡¯ll ask someone!¡± Where would Xiumei know this? It¡¯s not something she normally concerns herself with, but since Miss asked, she would surely find the answer. Certainly, someone within the Military Prefecture would know, considering they have a young master currently studying and are slightly influenced by his scholarly pursuits. Soon enough, Xiumei had found the answer for Wei Ruo. The three most famous academies in Taizhou prefecture are the Fangyan Academy, the Tongjiang Academy, and the Anzhou Academy. However, these three academies have two issues: they are far away and admission is prohibitive. Xingshan County is a remote small county, far away from the bustling areas of Taizhou prefecture. More dauntingly, all three academies have high admission standards, making it quite difficult for the average scholar to gain admission. ¡°Miss, these three academies are all good, but it is not about us choosing which one our young master should attend, but rather which one is willing to admit someone from our household,¡± Xiumei said. ¡°If the academies won¡¯t work out, there must be a way to find a teacher¡­¡± Weighing things carefully, Wei Ruo had an idea. ### June went by in a flash, and before they knew it, it was already July. The past few days in Xingshan County were peaceful. The reinforcement troops for the court passed through the city, heading east, prompting speculations among the citizens about the intensifying conflict along the East Coast. The land improvement in the southern part of the city was orderly. Because they own whatever they harvest, people worked hard, and many chose to sleep next to the land they were developing. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month was the Weaver¡¯s Festival(Qixi Festival). It was one of the few days in the year when young girls could go out without elder chaperones. Wei Ruo and Xie Ying agreed to celebrate the Weaver¡¯s Festival together. Before leaving, Xiumei made many delicacies for Wei Ruo, packed them in an exquisite food box, ready for Wei Ruo and Xie Ying to enjoy later. Just as she was about to leave, Wei Qingwan suddenly appeared. ¡°Sister, I heard you¡¯re going to celebrate the Weaver¡¯s Festival with Miss Xie. I would like to go with you, may I?¡± Wei Qingwan asked hesitantly. Wei Qingwan also wanted to join Wei Ruo. Therefore, she asked her when Wei Ruo was about to leave. ¡°No,¡± Wei Ruo refused flatly. ¡°Why? Are you still upset with me? I know I did something wrong, and I apologize. Please, sister, give me a chance to make it right,¡± Wei Qingwan asked, biting her lip.. Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The "Blind Box" of Four Treasure Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The ¡°Blind Box¡± of Four Treasure House_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to demonstrate your sincerity to change first when you ask me for an opportunity to change? Instead of asking others to take you out while also begging them for a chance to make amends. You want all the benefits, don¡¯t you?¡± There were no outsiders present, so Wei Ruo didn¡¯t need to worry about her image and simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts, keep your thoughts to yourself. If you need company, go find your close girlfriends. Hasn¡¯t the young miss from the Qian Family invited you out? If not, go by yourself and don¡¯t bother me. I¡¯m busy.¡± After saying this, Wei Ruo sidestepped Wei Qingwan. Not wanting to waste any more time, she quickened her pace towards the door, leaving Wei Qingwan behind with a decisive and carefree image. Wei Ruo arrived at the Four Treasure House where she had arranged to meet Xie Ying. The meeting place had been chosen by Xie Ying. It was slightly unconventional for women to arrange to meet in a stationery shop, rather than a lipstick or jewelry store. ¡°Are you here to buy something?¡± Wei Ruo enquired. ¡°Yes, I need to buy some paper. My brother will be returning soon. There are plenty of good things in the Capital City, so I don¡¯t need to bring anything special for him. But this kind of paper is not even available in the Capital City. I intend to buy it for him to broaden his horizons!¡± With these words, Xie Ying stepped confidently into the Four Treasure House. ¡°Shopkeeper, I want to buy a hundred sheets.¡± Xie Ying took out a piece of silver and placed it boldly on the counter. The shopkeeper explained apologetically: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. As our notice outside indicates, each person can only purchase fifty sheets per day. If you wish to buy more, you can purchase one of our sets. These sets also contain paper, but there is no limit to the amount.¡± ¡°What kind of rule is this? I have money, can¡¯t I just buy your paper?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Please calm down, miss. The issue is that our shop has a very limited daily supply of this paper. We fear that without a buying limit, some people might buy all the stock, leaving none for other customers,¡± the shopkeeper explained patiently. Xie Ying reluctantly accepted this explanation, but she was still unhappy. ¡°How can I give my brother such a small gift? Isn¡¯t it too petty?¡± ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯ll also take fifty sheets,¡± Wei Ruo stepped forward and said to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper immediately prepared fifty rolls of paper for Wei Ruo. Receiving the paper, Wei Ruo handed it directly to Xie Ying. ¡°For me?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony and I¡¯ll repay you later,¡± Xie Ying didn¡¯t hold back and accepted the paper readily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about repaying me, consider this my gift to you for the Qixi Festival.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Ying didn¡¯t say much more. Next, Xie Ying looked around at other items in the shop, planning to buy some brushes, inks, and ink stones to give to her brother along with the paper. Xie Ying noticed some identically sized and shaped wooden boxes on a shelf. Each box was tied up with silk ribbons and sealed tightly. Xie Ying asked: ¡°Shopkeeper, what¡¯s inside these wooden boxes?¡± ¡°These boxes contain our store products. They could be paper, ink stones, or a combination of a few items. Some are of better quality than others,¡± the shopkeeper explained. ¡°So each one is different?¡± Xie Ying looked puzzled. ¡°Yes, each one is different, but they are all sold at the same price. Each wooden box costs five taels of silver,¡± the shopkeeper answered. ¡°Can I open them and see?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°No, you can only find out what¡¯s inside after you purchase one.¡± ¡°So if the items are different but the price is the same, doesn¡¯t that mean some people will lose out while others gain?¡± Xie Ying enquired. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a matter of luck. One of the boxes contains a piece of calligraphy by Tibetan layman. Whoever buys that one will only need to pay five taels of silver,¡± the shopkeeper continued to explain. ¡°Again, with the Tibetan layman? I¡¯ve heard that on your opening day you gave away a piece of the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy. How do you have so many pieces by the Tibetan layman? I¡¯ve heard from my mother that the Tibetan layman doesn¡¯t like to distribute his calligraphy and paintings.¡± ¡°Please be assured, miss. The calligraphy from the Tibetan layman in our store is genuine. Our owner, Master Heyou, is an old friend of the Tibetan layman and has received numerous pieces of his work.¡± The shopkeeper only found out a few days ago that his boss was a gentleman named Heyou, not the naive and honest farmer who lived in the courtyard behind. With this information, everything seemed more reasonable. Otherwise, he would really begin to question his own judgment about people. ¡°What if I want to directly purchase a piece of the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy? How much would you charge?¡± Xie Ying asked. Her brother loved calligraphy and paintings, and she figured he would be thrilled if she presented him with a piece of Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy. ¡°The calligraphy is not available for direct purchase. It all depends on luck,¡± the shopkeeper explained. ¡®Tn addition, anyone who purchases this ¡®blind box¡¯ will be recorded in our system. In the future, our owner, Master Heyou, will select one lucky customer at random to write a recommendation letter to the Tibetan layman.¡± Xie Ying wasn¡¯t too interested in the recommendation letter, as her brother was studying at the academy in the Capital City and didn¡¯t need to find another teacher. However, Xie Ying knew that many students in Xingshan County would want this recommendation letter if the relationship between the shop owner and the Tibetan layman was as good as the shopkeeper claimed. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take all the boxes on that shelf!¡± Miss Xie Ying was quite lavish and took all the boxes without a second thought. The shopkeeper apologized with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. Each person can only buy a maximum of two ¡®blind boxes¡¯.¡± ¡°Why? Even if I want to buy more, I¡¯ll pay for it. Why won¡¯t you let me buy more?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°It¡¯s like this. If someone bought all the boxes, they would definitely receive the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy and also the promised recommendation letter from Master Heyou. In this case, the fairness of this game would be lost, and it would turn into whoever arrives first, whoever has money, will definitely get the rewards.¡± The shopkeeper had already given this explanation to several people these past few days. Xie Ying considered this and nodded, ¡°What you¡¯re saying makes sense. It really wouldn¡¯t be fun if that was the case.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you for your understanding, miss.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take two,¡± said Xie Ying. ¡°Alright, you can pick any two you want from the shelf,¡± the shopkeeper told her. Xie Ying went to the shelf and picked up one box to weigh it, then picked up another to examine it. Originally not too interested in the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy, the ¡°blind box¡± buying method stirred up her competitive spirit. If she can buy the box containing Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy with only two purchases, she would definitely have a good story to boast about to her brother later! After looking around, Xie Ying asked, ¡°Are these the only ones left? Are there any others? I want to see all of them.¡± ¡°These are all we have left. We started this promotion at the beginning of the month, and these are the only boxes left after selling up until today,¡± the shopkeeper answered.. Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 68 You Know So Much l Chapter 68: Chapter 68 You Know So Much l Translator: 549690339 ¡°If I¡¯d known, I would have come to pick earlier.¡± Xie Ying muttered, then still picked the heaviest and lightest from the remaining blind boxes. As for the principle, Xie Ying didn¡¯t know, it was all metaphysics. ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯ll buy one too.¡± Wei Ruo took out her silver, gave it to the shopkeeper, then picked up the nearest box. Seeing this, Xie Ying leaned into Wei Ruo¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Each of us can buy two, take one more to stand a better chance. If you don¡¯t have enough silver, I¡¯ll cover you, don¡¯t worry. Aren¡¯t we going to collaborate in herb farming? I will just cut from your earning.¡± Wei Ruo felt Xie Ying¡¯s goodwill. She specifically whispered to her, probably out of fear she would be embarrassed to accept. ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have enough money, but solely because I don¡¯t want to buy two.¡± Wei Ruo explained. Xie Ying: ¡°Really?¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Really!¡± Xie Ying: ¡°Well, okay then.¡± Wei Ruo and Xie Ying paid for the blind boxes, and the shopkeeper took out his register to record their names. Wei Ruo wrote down her elder brother Wei Jinyi¡¯s name while Xie Ying wrote her elder brother Xie Jue¡¯s name. After purchasing the items, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying headed west to the city, where there was a separate courtyard of the Xie Family. The yard was beautifully landscaped, with pavilions, towers, artificial hills and ponds. In Xingshan County, the Xie Family¡¯s compound was definitely among the top-ranked. The two of them first took a carriage ride for a distance. Upon nearing their destination, Xie Ying suggested that they take a walk to the courtyard, as the scenery along the way was quite good. Wei Ruo agreed, and she happened to see some Motherwort by the roadside that she planned to pick. Seeing Wei Ruo plucking while walking, Xie Ying asked what it was. ¡°This is Motherwort, it helps women a lot. Since they are not being picked here, presumably because they can¡¯t recognize it.¡± Wei Ruo explained. Most ordinary people had limited knowledge of herbs, and often overlooked them as ordinary grass. ¡°Motherwort? What is good for women?¡± Xie Ying asked further. ¡°It is¡­¡± Wei Ruo was a bit embarrassed, because they had two guards following them a few steps behind. She leaned into Xie Ying¡¯s ear, and whispered softly, ¡°It helps women with menstrual irregularities and menstrual pain.¡± Xie Ying¡¯s face turned red instantly. ¡°How¡­ How do you know about this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to grow herbs, so naturally, I need to know the uses and characteristics of each of them.¡± ¡°That makes sense. But how much do you know about that matter?¡± Xie Ying asked curiously. Xie Ying was the same age as Wei Ruo, both thirteen, and not far from the coming-of-age ceremony. Her mother had already mentioned some things to her, all vaguely, and she was still very confused. ¡°I probably¡­ know everything. I¡¯ve lived twice, plus studied medicine, it¡¯s hard not to know.¡± ¡°Is it very scary?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. As long as you take good care of your body, there won¡¯t be any problems. When the time comes, you just let me know, and I¡¯ll teach you how to make easy-to-use menstrual belts.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°You¡­ How could you say such a thing?¡± Mentioning menstrual belts, even the usually carefree Xie Ying couldn¡¯t help but to feel a little embarrassed. ¡°We are both girls, there¡¯s nothing wrong with discussing these matters. Moreover, it¡¯s a normal phenomenon that will happen sooner or later. It¡¯s better to clearly understand it, than spoiling your health because of too little understanding. People often fear things because they don¡¯t understand enough. We need to understand rationally and objectively, rather than avoiding it blindly.¡± Wei Ruo explained. Wei Ruo¡¯s remarks left Xie Ying stunned. ¡°Strange, you¡¯re the same age as me, but why does it sound like you¡¯re giving a lecture sometimes?¡± Xie Ying looked at her curiously, her expression also mixed with a bit of admiration. She had rarely admired peers, and Wei Ruo was the first. ¡°The books have a house of gold, the more you read, the more you learn.¡± Wei Ruo attributed the reason to reading. ¡°What kind of books do you read? The books in my house, except for the military ones, are all very boring. Even the military books are boring to read. It¡¯s only interesting when grandfather told me about them, and now the stories from Mr. Wang are also quite good, on par with my grandfather¡¯s.¡± As she spoke, Xie Ying also started to help Wei Ruo pick Motherwort. They chatted, laughed and had already picked a large bunch of Motherwort. At this time, Xiumei approached and whispered to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a shady figure lurking around in the woods over there, he¡¯s been following us for a long time, doesn¡¯t look like a good person.¡± The road to their villa adjoined a stream on one side and a mountain on the other, with shrubs and weeds flanking the two sides. Wei Ruo and her entourage were looking for Motherwort among the weeds. The suspicious person that Xiumei mentioned was in the nearby woods by the road. Xie Ying also looked in that direction, but the bushes blocked her view. She could vaguely see a figure moving, but couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face clearly. ¡°This guy chooses to walk in the woods instead of the road, which is definitely unusual! Moreover, further down this road, there¡¯s only my family¡¯s villa, there¡¯s no reason for meandering people to wander here!¡± Xie Ying was certain. If even Xie Ying said so, then this person was truly very suspicious. ¡°Meimei, are you confident?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Yes! Miss, don¡¯t worry, I will subdue him as soon as he gets close!¡± Xiumei replied confidently. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s then pretend to be unsuspecting.¡± Wei Ruo said. Therefore, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying pretended not to know and continued to pick Motherwort, while Xiumei found a good ambush location. Indeed, the shadowy person came down from the mountain and was about to pass through the wilderness. Xiumei seized the opportunity, sprang up quickly, and grasped the man with a holding technique. The man immediately resisted, waved his fist back at Xiumei, Xiumei dodged and swept the man to the ground with a sweeping kick. The man¡¯s face was down, his face intimately contacted the weeds on the ground. As he was about to lift his head, Ximei kneeled on the man¡¯s back, her hands grasped the man¡¯s hands from behind, subduing him completely. ¡°Meimei, give him a punch!¡± ordered Wei Ruo. Xiumei¡¯s fist then landed on the man¡¯s back. The man struggled to lift his head and cried out for mercy, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Xie Ying ran up to stop Xiumei, ¡°Ruoruo, he seems to be my elder brother!¡± ¡°Your¡­ your brother?¡± Wei Ruo blinked in surprise. The man subdued by Xiumei, Xie Jue, struggled to lift his head a little higher so that they could see his face, ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s me¡­ little sister, it¡¯s me¡­.¡± Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Giving You A Chance To Be My Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Giving You A Chance To Be My Good Sister_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°It indeed is my brother!¡± Xie Ying confirmed the ¡°mountain climber¡¯s¡± identity. Xiumei immediately released her grip. Xie Ying stepped forward to help Xie Jue up. A handsome face, open and bright eyes, but now, covered in a few blades of grass and mud marks, diminished and in a state of disarray. ¡°Brother, what¡­ what are you doing here?¡± Xie Ying exclaimed. -Didn¡¯t mother tell you that I would be here in a few days?¡± Xie Jue asked. -She did tell me, but she didn¡¯t say it¡¯d be today. Also, why didn¡¯t you go home first, why were you following us?¡± Xie Ying inquired. Xie Jue responded disheartedly, ¡°I did go home, but mother said you had left. I heard that there were not many people accompanying you, so I felt worried and decided to come over.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you take the regular mountain path and instead choose to cross over from the mountain top? ¡°I knew you were planning to visit the separate quarters, so I came in advance. You hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and I happened to see a beautiful yellow flower on the mountain. So I thought I¡¯d pick some for you. However, after picking and on my way back¡­.¡± Little did he expect his sister¡¯s maid to be so skilled and give him a surprise hit. Wei Ruo noticed several lily-like yellow flowers lying on the ground in front of Xie Jue. These seemed to be the ones Xie Jue had just picked for his sister. Judging by their appearance, they looked like dayhhes. If they were in abundance, they could be plucked, have their stamen dried, and used for stir-fried dishes or soup ¨C they would surely taste delicious! Xie Jue¡¯s gaze fell on Wei Ruo. Even though the one who physically struck him was her maid, the order had indeed come from Wei Ruo herself! Feeling Xie Jue¡¯s gaze, Wei Ruo explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Xie. I didn¡¯t know you were Xie Ying¡¯s brother. I thought you were a rogue who posed a threat to Ying¡¯er and me.¡± -So you must be the ¡®unique Lady Wei¡¯ my sister often mentions in her letters.¡± Although it was their first meeting, thanks to his sister, Xie Jue had long heard of Wei Ruo¡¯s name. Due to his sister¡¯s descriptions, Xie Jue had developed some curiosity for Lady Wei Ruo, who was different from typical ladies. Upon meeting her today, no distinct characteristics stood out except for the fact that she sure could handle a fight. ¡°Brother, today¡¯s situation was purely provoked by you. You can¡¯t blame anyone else,¡± Xie Ying interjected, thinking her brother was about to vent his anger on Wei Ruo. ¡°What kind of person do you take me for? Do you think I would be so petty as to take offense over such a trifle with ladies?¡± Xie Jue retorted. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®with ladies¡¯? It was your wrongdoing in the first place, why bring the fact that we are ladies into it?¡± Xie Ying countered, unhappy with his remarks. ¡°My mistake, I¡¯ve misspoken. Please don¡¯t be angry,¡± Xie Jue quickly apologized. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s more like it,¡± Xie Ying accepted Xie Jue¡¯s apology. Turning around, she took Wei Ruo¡¯s arm and walked towards the estate, leaving Xie Jue alone, trailing behind. ¡°Little sister, aren¡¯t you going to wait for me?¡± ¡°Dare not toy with the separation of men and women. I have a lady of beauty and grace here in my care that needs protecting. I can¡¯t let you rum her reputation.¡± By the time Xie Ying responded, she had already walked quite far with Wei Ruo. Xie Jue sighed helplessly; it seemed his status in his sister¡¯s eyes had been further reduced! Xie Ying and Wei Ruo were in the separate quarters¡¯ courtyard appreciating the beauty of the moon and making wishes to it. The moon was perfectly round and the sky was filled with sparse clouds. After finishing the moon festival rituals, they sat in the courtyard, eating pastries Wei Ruo had brought, and enjoying the bright full moon. ¡°These pastries of yours are quite delicious,¡± Xie Ying complimented. She then recalled the first time they met when she tasted dried sweet potatoes and potato chips made by Wei Ruo. Xie Ying asked Wei Ruo, ¡°You seem to be good at making snacks.¡¯ -Not just snacks, my Meimei is handy and can make all sorts of tasty food.¡± ¡°Bring more next time, for my brother to taste as well,¡± Xie Ying suggested. ¡°NO problem,¡± Wei Ruo agreed immediately. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡ö¡öHe¡¯s definitely waiting outside. As long as you¡¯re here, he wouldn¡¯t dare to rudely walk in. He¡¯s been rude once before, any more would be intolerable even for me, his sister.¡± Xie Ying replied. ¡°Then let someone take some of these pastries to him. This can serve as my way of apologizing for hitting him earlier.¡± Wei Ruo suggests. ¡°Alright, getting beaten and ending up with these delicious treats does seem like quite a gain for him,¡± Xie Ying said in agreement, while passing the bag of Wei Ruo pastries to the maid. ¡°You and your brother get along very well,¡± Wei Ruo remarked. Good relations between siblings often led to such teasing of each other. ¡°I have no choice; he is my brother. I wish I had a sister, but our mother didn¡¯t give me any sisters.¡± Xie Ying looked a bit downcast as she spoke. She quickly added, ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want a sister like yours; I find her irritating. Wei Ruo chuckled. Xie Ying studied Wei Ruo, then continued: ¡°If I did have a sister like you, intelligent and thoughtful, I might consider it.¡± ¡°I might consider it too because you¡¯re straightforward and open. You say what¡¯s on your mind without me having to guess,¡± Wei Ruo admitted, not hiding her fondness for Xie Ying. ¡°Exactly! I have never been one to behave hypocritically. I¡¯m candid about my feelings; if I like something, I admit it. If I dislike something, I state it outrightly. There¡¯s no point pretending,¡± Xie Ying declared proudly. After her short speech, Xie Ying turned to ask Wei Ruo: ¡°Apart from growing vegetables and flowers, what else do you enjoy doing?¡± ¡°I enjoy making money. Lots and lots of silver,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°What will you do with so much silver?¡± Xie Ying inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but who doesn¡¯t like silver? The same goes for grain; having more is always better. Just in case, I mean, if there¡¯s ever a famine, having enough grain ensures that we won¡¯t go hungry,¡± Wei Ruo expounded. ¡°Yes, my mother mentioned that this year¡¯s harvest in Xingshan County would likely be poor. Many households are already planning to buy grain from other places,¡± Xie Ying commented, with a touch of helplessness. ¡°The price of grain will inevitably be high, beyond the reach of the general populace,¡± Wei Ruo added. Ordinary people look forward to a good harvest after a year of hard work to secure enough grain for the next year. Any surplus is sold for silver, which is then used to buy other things. If the grain was insufficient, one won¡¯t have additional silver to buy goods. ¡°Ruo¡¯er, it¡¯s a good thing you opened up new lands in the southern part of the city. If the crops in that field can grow well, the situation will be much improved,¡± Xie Ying couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°The newly reclaimed land in the south of the city won¡¯t be ready in time for this year¡¯s late rice harvest. We can only plant some seasonal vegetables like rape and broad beans. We¡¯ll still need a lot more grain; you should tell your mother, when you go back, to send more grain to Xingshan County if possible,¡± Wei Ruo advised. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll mention it to my mother as soon as I return,¡± Xie Ying readily agreed. Wei Ruo noticed that Xie Ying was still looking at her, and asked, ¡°Why are you still staring at me?¡± ¡°I wonder, Wei Ruo, would you consider us good friends by now?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Perhaps.¡± -What do you mean ¡®perhaps¡¯? There is no ambiguity; whether we are or not? Come on, here¡¯s your opportunity to become good friends with me. Will you accept or decline?¡± Xie Ying asked with a serious expression and a domineering tone.. Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Be more polite to my sisters i Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Be more polite to my sisters i Translator: 549690339 ¡°If I refuse, will I be able to leave this courtyard today?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Obviously not! The place is filled with my people, and my brother is on guard. You won¡¯t be able to leave without my approval.¡± Xie Ying probably forgot how her brother was suppressed by Xiumei just a while ago. ¡°Ah,¡± Wei Ruo sighed mysteriously, ¡°If that¡¯s the way things are destined to be, one shouldn¡¯t fight against the will of heaven. So, alright, I agree.¡± ¡°You stinky Ruoruo, just agree if you want to agree. Why make it seem like you¡¯re reluctant about it?¡± Xie Ying punched Wei Ruo¡¯s shoulder playfully, acting tough have but not actually putting much strength into it, hardly any more than if she were tickling her. ¡°How can you blame me? Didn¡¯t you set up this scenario, making it seem like you were forcing an innocent girl into prostitution? I have to play along, don¡¯t I?¡± Wei Ruo said with a full-faced smile. ¡°Just you wait, you stinky Ruoruo. You throw around such wild accusations. Let me show you what it truly means to force an innocent girl into prostitution!¡± Xie Ying extended her claws, pretending to tickle Wei Ruo. Seeing the situation, Wei Ruo immediately ran. She was most afraid of being tickled. Her body was hyper ticklish! Xie Ying chased after her, shouting, ¡°Stinky Ruoruo, don¡¯t you run away! Stand still and let me teach you a good lesson!¡± ¡°Only a fool wouldn¡¯t run!¡± The courtyard was big enough for them to run a circle, past the fake mountains, pavilions, small bridges, and finally, they stopped in front of a flower bed, panting heavily. In the end, they sat back to back on the grass, laughing hysterically. After laughing, they lay on the grass and started discussing the herb field and buying food grains. Wei Ruo had ideas, Xie Ying wanted to help, not for Wei Ruo, but for the people of Xingshan County. They stayed until midday, and when Xie Ying sent Wei Ruo off and returned to the courtyard, she saw Xie Jue. Watching Wei Ruo¡¯s carriage gradually disappearing down the mountainside, Xie Jue turned to Xie Ying and said with a smile, ¡°Your classmate is quite adorable.¡± ¡°Of course, she has to be extraordinary to be my classmate.¡± Xie Ying replied proudly. ¡°Right, right. Otherwise, my sister wouldn¡¯t bother with her.¡± Xie Jue said with a smile. He knew his sister very well. Raised as the darling of their parents and grandfather, she did whatever she pleased. ¡°She is not just my classmate now, but also my best friend. You must be polite to her from now on.¡± Xie Ying added. ¡°When have I ever been impolite to her? As long as her grumpy maid does not act impolite towards me.¡± Xie Jue said. ¡°You have the nerve to say that. Our grandfather trained you well in martial arts, but why couldn¡¯t you beat even Ruoruo¡¯s maid?¡± Xie Ying looked at him contemptuously. ¡°I find it strange too, how can a maid have such good skills? Someday you must ask your good friend where her maid learned her martial arts skills from.¡± Xie Jue said. ¡°No problem. Just remember next time you go to the capital city, bring me some tasty snacks and interesting things. I want to send them to Ruoruo. She has given me gifts and treats so many times. I need to find an opportunity to return the favor, and things from the capital city would be perfect.¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°Sure, whatever you wish for, sister.¡± Xie Jue agreed promptly. In fact, every time he came back from Capital City, he brought his sister lots of snacks, even without her asking. ¡°By the way, Brother, what is your purpose for coming back this time? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy studying? Why have you come to Xingshan County?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you about this yet, in case you let it slip. Anyway, I¡¯ve come here this time on serious business.¡± Xie Jue¡¯s expression turned serious while saying this. Actually, he had received news of a big battle between Xingshan County and the Japanese Pirates on the East Coast. Worried about his mother and sister, he came to check on them. If Xingshan County were under threat, he would be able to evacuate his family in time. Now, without any definite news, he definitely could not make a rash move. His family, the Xie Family, was a respectable family in Xingshan. If they set a bad example by fleeing prematurely, they would be held accountable by the royal court. Knowing it was a serious matter, Xie Ying didn¡¯t ask any more questions. ¡°Just be careful, and don¡¯t make Mother and I worry about you.¡± ¡°Rest assured.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have a gift for you.¡± Xie Ying excitedly pulled Xie Jue towards the carriage. She then brought out the two wooden boxes she bought from Four Treasure House. She was barely able to see over top of the two stacked boxes. Seeing this, Xie Jue quickly took the boxes from her. ¡°What did you buy?¡± Xie Jue asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and find out? I¡¯m not entirely sure what¡¯s inside.¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°You¡¯re not sure? Didn¡¯t you buy it?¡± Xie Jue asked. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you? This thing is called a ¡®mystery box¡¯!¡± Xie Ying said proudly, explaining the origin of the two boxes to Xie Jue. After hearing Xie Ying¡¯s explanation, Xie Jue also became curious. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Tibetan layman. He was highly regarded by the emperor when he was in the Hanlin Academy. But after his retirement, he became a hermit. How did he become friends with a stationery salesman?¡± ¡°Never mind that now, just open the boxes and see what¡¯s inside.¡± Xie Ying urged. Xie Jue, fearing his sister¡¯s impending boxing assault, immediately opened both boxes. Inside were various types of stationery: brushes, ink sticks, paper, inkstones. The brushes and inkstones were nothing special, and could be found anywhere. The materials Xie Jue used were even better than these. Only the paper was special. Xie Jue couldn¡¯t help but pick it up and study it closely. ¡°This paper is smooth, white, and durable. It¡¯s very special.¡± He touched the paper with his fingertips and commented on it. ¡°How is it? Have you seen it before? Not in the capital city, right?¡± Xie Ying asked with a proud smile. ¡°Indeed, I haven¡¯t.¡± Xie Jue had to admit. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got an extra hundred sheets of this paper because I knew you¡¯d like it. But it¡¯s odd, the store wouldn¡¯t let me buy more. Each person can only buy fifty sheets a day. Half of these hundred sheets were actually given to me by Ruoruo,¡± said Xie Ying. ¡°Hahaha, thank you, Ying¡¯er. My little sister always knows what I like best,¡± laughed Xie Jue. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we didn¡¯t manage to get any of Tibetan layman¡¯s brushwork.¡± Xie Ying looked at the things in the two boxes, which were all ordinary stationery. ¡°I have my sister¡¯s thoughts and feelings. What use is a Tibetan layman¡¯s brushwork piece? As long as it¡¯s a gift from my sister, I absolutely love it.¡± Xie Jue said. ### The next morning, Wei Ruo took the box she had bought from Four Treasure House to Yingzhu Court. Seeing Wei Ruo carrying something heavy, Xiaobei immediately came to help. Wei Ruo passed the box to Xiaobei: ¡°This is for your young master.¡± ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so thoughtful.¡± Xiaobei cheerily carried the box into the Octagonal Pavilion. Wei Jinyi had already heard the conversation between Wei Ruo and Xiaobei, and glanced briefly at the box Wei Ruo had brought.. ¡°Is it the ¡®mystery box¡¯ from the Four Treasure House?¡± Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 71 She Really Cares About Him_l Chapter 71: Chapter 71 She Really Cares About Him_l Translator: 549690339 ¡® ¡°Second brother, have you heard about the mystery box?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°I have heard a bit,¡± replied Wei Jinyi. Xiaobei, who was standing nearby, chimed in: ¡°Miss, our Madam bought several boxes for the eldest son. Even in our information-limited corner, we have heard of the news.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. She had overheard Yun s conversation with Wei Yichen and knew of their interest in the Tibetan layman. ¡°Ruo, do you wish to draw the Tibetan Layman¡¯s ink treasure?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°The Tibetan layman¡¯s ink treasure isn¡¯t that important, the recommendation letter is what matters. With the letter, second brother can approach the Tibetan layman as a student,¡± Wei Ruo answered. -You want me to be a disciple of the Tibetan layman?¡± asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°Second Brother, haven¡¯t you recently decided to take the imperial examination? Taking a master won¡¯t necessarily mean you need to learn something, but it would be of help,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want a master?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo, seeing the expectation gleaming in her eyes along with her joyful and animated expression. ¡°We can consider it if appropriate, but no obligations. Ruo doesn¡¯t have to take it to heart. It¡¯s better not to raise hopes,¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°Then, Second Brother, let¡¯s open it. I¡¯m curious about my luck!¡± Wei Ruo curiously said, she really didn¡¯t know what was inside the randomly chosen mystery box. Once the boxes were assembled, there were no identifiers, even Wei Ruo, the one behind the idea, didn¡¯t know which box contained the Tibetan Layman¡¯s ink treasure. Under Wei Ruo¡¯s curious gaze, Wei Jinyi opened the box. It contained four treasures of the study from the Four Treasure House, each representing one of the four. Wei Ruo looked at it, ¡°Amazing, I¡¯m really lucky. We made a profit, having paper already, and this inkstone is also one of the high-priced kinds. It¡¯s quite good.¡± Xiaobei couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re happy with just having a piece of paper. If you had the Tibetan Layman¡¯s box, imagine how happy you would be! ¡°One must be content. In matters of luck, demanding too much might deplete it. Better to conserve it for future use,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°You make valid points,¡± Wei Jinyi said with a slight smile, ¡°These items are quite good too.¡± ¡°Well, I have registered your name. Maybe they¡¯ll have their eyes on it,¡± Wei Ruo said with a giggly tone. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much thought into it. Even if we get that letter, it doesn t guarantee a successful apprenticeship. It might just be the shopkeeper s exaggerations.¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t want Wei Ruo to put too much hope in this matter lest she be disappointed if their hopes fall through. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I did some research, that shop is reliable. The Tibetan layman barely sells his works. Mostly, only his family and close friends possess his ink treasures, so the recommendation letter will likely be effective,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I shall anticipate it,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Hmm-hmm, that¡¯s right! You should anticipate it,¡± said Wei Ruo smiling. Wei Jinyi gave a faint smile, his eyes resting on Wei Ruo. She always seemed to consider his interests first, showing concerns and joy for him, lighting up his dull life with a little spark. ### Meanwhile, at another part of the Military Prefecture, someone else was also troubling over these boxes. In the Chrysanthemum Garden at the southwest corner of the Military Prefecture, Wei Yichen was sorting through the stationery in seven boxes. From the blind box sold by the Four Treasure House, he had bought seven boxes, not all under his name. He bought two boxes under his name, his mother and Wanwan each bought two, and the last one was a gift from his schoolmate. Now, all seven mystery boxes were open. None of them contained the Tibetan Layman¡¯s ink treasure, but the contents were not bad either. Some were worth more than five taels, others less. Overall, it was fairly reasonable. While there was some disappointment for not getting Tibetan Layman¡¯s ink treasure, it was bearable. What he wanted now was the recommendation letter from Master Heyou. Regrettably, regardless of how many boxes were bought, only one name could be registered. It was the same as other buyers. Wei Qingwan, along with her maid Cuihe, came to the Chrysanthemum Garden to see Wei Yichen. Seeing the boxes, she asked, ¡°Big brother, did you find the Tibetan Layman¡¯s ink treasure?¡± Wei Yichen shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Wei Qingwan comforted him quickly, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t be disheartened. The Tibetan Layman¡¯s calligraphy and ink treasures are likely promotional tools of the shopkeeper. It might not even have been placed in. There¡¯s a possibility that no one would get it.¡± Wei Yichen had a different thought, ¡°I think the shopkeeper had a plan. Last time, they used a genuine piece of Tibetan Layman¡¯s work, they wouldn¡¯t produce a fake one this time.¡± Wei Qingwan replied, ¡°I wonder who would be lucky enough to get this artwork.¡± Wei Yichen said, ¡°Rather than the ink treasure, I would prefer to study under the Tibetan layman himself directly. I have had this thought for a while now. However, with no connections, it was difficult before. Now with this recommendation letter, I surely must try. ¡°Big Brother is so excellent. If the Tibetan layman sees you, he will surely like you and admire you, even willing to take you as his disciple,¡± Wei Qingwan stated. Wei Yichen gave a bitter smile, ¡°That may not necessarily be the case. There¡¯s always someone better. For now, I only have an understanding about a corner of Taizhou prefecture. I have no clue what my standard is.¡± ¡°In my heart, Big Brother will always be the best. I also read books. Although there are no comparisons with others, there are comparisons with books. I believe that even if you left Taizhou prefecture, you wouldn¡¯t fall behind,¡± Wei Qingwan said. Wei Yichen smiled and didn¡¯t argue any further. In comparison to his family, he never took others seriously. ¡°By the way, has Ruo arrived yet?¡± asked Wei Yichen. ¡°She should have. I saw her maid while passing by the Tingsong Garden,¡± Wei Qingwan answered, then asked in a lower voice, ¡°Big Brother, do you need anything from sister?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly. After buying seven boxes in bulk, I got a handful of brushes, ink sticks, paper, and inkstones. I¡¯ll get some for Ruo. She can use them for her studies.¡± Wei Yichen was speaking while preparing two sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. He packed them in the emptied wooden boxes. ¡°This set is for you. I will give the other one to Ruo,¡± Wei Yichen said to Wei Qingwan. ¡°Thank, thank you, big brother,¡± said Wei Qingwan as she thanked him. She kept her eyes fixated on the set in Wei Yichen¡¯s hands, a peculiar discomfort welling up in her heart.. Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Master Heyou Doesnt See Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Master Heyou Doesn¡¯t See Outsiders_i Translator: 549690339 ei Yichen didn¡¯t notice these reactions, as he walked to Tingsong Garden with the item meant for Wei Ruo. He asked Xiumei about Wei Ruo, finding out she was not in Tingsong Garden; so he left the wooden box with Xiumei. On his way back, he passed by Yizhu Park and happened to see Wei Ruo come out with a smile on her radiant face, while chatting with someone inside. ¡°Brother, see you tomorrow. I¡¯ll come and bring you something delicious again. The pumpkins m my garden are ripe. I will have Meimei make pumpkin pancakes for you,¡± she said. Wei Ruo turned her head and saw Wei Yichen, who was curiously watching her. ¡°Big brother,¡± she said, her lively smile replaced by a more restrained expression. ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Wei Yichen asked curiously. ¡°I just had a delicious meal with my brother,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°I heard you promised to make pumpkin pancakes for Jinyi. Will I get some too?¡± Wei Yichen asked. ¡°Pumpkin pancakes are a kind of common food that country folk like. I¡¯m afraid it might not suit your taste, big brother.¡± ¡°I would like to try it.¡± ¡°Alright, the next time I make some, I¡¯ll bring some to you,¡± Wei Ruo said. Then I¡¯m looking forward to Ruo¡¯s pumpkin pancakes,¡± said Wei Yichen. ¡°Alright.¡± After chatting with Wei Yichen, Wei Ruo returned to Tingsong Garden and learned from Xiumei that Wei Yichen had come to give her a set of writing materials. Wei Ruo sighed as she gazed at the writing materials in front of her. Wei Yichen wasn¡¯t precisely bad to her, which was the attitude the original host ad held as well. Hence, she had poured much love and hope into her big brother. However, whenever it came to choosing between the original host and Wei Qingwan, Wei Yichen always chose Wei Qingwan¡¯s side, which cultivated the original host¡¯s jealousy beyond control. Wei Ruo had to admit she was also like that. Once she cared, it was hard for her to stay calm. That was why this Wei Ruo did not want to get too involved with Wei Yichen. Abstaining from emotional attachment was the best way to protect herself. ### Madam Yun was very concerned about the mystery boxes of Four Treasure House. She was closely monitoring the situation these days, frequently sending her maid Cuiping to gather information. Just like Wei Yichen, she didn¡¯t particularly care about calligraphy work of the Tibetan layman offered as a mystery prize. No matter how precious, it was just a piece of calligraphy, and her eldest son had won one last time. Madam Yun was more interested in whether Heyou, the young master, had a close bond with the Tibetan layman as claimed. She needed to verify whether the claim by Four Treasure House was true. She wouldn¡¯t rule out that they could be exaggerating the truth to attract customers. So, she sent people to make inquiries repeatedly. After much inquiry, she learned that both of the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy pieces were authentic, and the layman didn¡¯t sell his works openly. Most of the people who got his calligraphy were his close friends. It could be seen that Four Treasure House wasn¡¯t exaggerating-their owner, Heyou, was indeed a close friend of the Tibetan layman, and he could indeed write letters of recommendation. Due to this, Madam Yun personally sent someone to Four Treasure House trying to communicate with the shopkeeper there, hoping that he could help with the introduction. However, she was politely refused by the shopkeeper who said their boss did not meet anyone. After being politely refused, Madam Yun was somewhat unwilling to give up and decided to pay a visit herself. By now, all the mystery boxes in Four Treasure House had been sold out, and a notice had been posted at the entrance. The notice stated that Heyou would contact one registered person the following morning and hand over the letter of recommendation. At this time, the number of customers in the store was not many. Occasionally some would come in and ask the shopkeeper about the mystery boxes, but they were all told that the mystery boxes were sold out, and the result would be announced soon. Madam Yun, accompanied by her servants, entered the shop where the shopkeeper, named Jia, greeted them with a smile. Anyone with a little insight would know that a woman accompanied by several servants was someone not to be trifled with. ¡°Shopkeeper, I would like to meet your boss, Heyou,¡± Madam Yun got straight to the point. With an apologetic and familiar tone, shopkeeper Jia replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam. Heyou does not see visitors.¡± ¡°I am Wei from the Military Prefecture. I am here specifically to see Heyou,¡± Madam Yun revealed her identity. In the not-so-large Xingshan County, the Military Prefecture was one of the best families. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Madam Wei. Madam Qian also asked the same question a few days ago. But, our boss really does not meet guests,¡± shopkeeper Jia insisted. Even he, the shopkeeper, hadn¡¯t seen the boss, not even once. All information was passed through boss Xu. Hearing that Madam Qian had also visited, Madam Yun realized that many people had the same idea as her. Madam Yun frowned, thinking for a moment before she said, ¡°Shopkeeper Jia if Heyou could write an extra letter of recommendation for my son, I promise¡¯ to reward your shop generously.¡± All business owners wanted profits, as long as the price was right, the other party should agree. Shopkeeper Jia chuckled, ¡°Madam Wei, I¡¯m genuinely sorry. My boss has already instructed me that there will be only one letter of recommendation. If more are written, they would lose their value.¡± Shopkeeper Jia was smiling, but he thought to himself, it wasn¡¯t like a pumpkin leaf where another crop could be grown after one was picked. A letter of recommendation would have to be recognized by the Tibetan layman. No matter how close their friendship, sending over a bunch of letters of recommendation would, at the very least, annoy the Tibetan layman or even worse, they might end their relationship. Shopkeeper Jia continued, ¡°Madam Wei, rest assured. There will be a result tomorrow. Once the result is out, our shop will send the letter to the house If you do not receive the letter, it means you¡¯re not destined for it.¡± ¡°Thank you for your trouble,¡± Madam Yun, seeing the situation, had to give up. ### The next morning, someone from Four Treasure House came to deliver a letter to the Military Prefecture. When the guard heard that it was a letter from Four Treasure House, he hurriedly invited the messenger into the house. However, Shopkeeper Jia politely declined, saying that he was only there to deliver the letter. He left the letter with the guard and was on his way. The guard quickly brought the letter to the back courtyard and handed it to the head maid. Zhang, the head maid, presented the letter to Madam Yun in her Cangyun Garden. Seeing the letter, Madam Yun was delighted and immediately called for Wei Yichen. ¡°Yichen, come quickly and look. Four Treasure House sent a letter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wei Yichen asked, his face lighting up with joy. ¡°Stop guessing. Open it and see. This is good news. You should see it yourself,¡± Madam Yun urged Wei Yichen to open the letter. ¡°Alright.¡± But as Wei Yichen opened the letter, the joy on his face gradually faded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Madam Yun was puzzled.. What was going on with her son¡¯s expression? Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 73: It Turns Out to Be the Second Chapter 73: Chapter 73: It Turns Out to Be the Second Young Master¡¯s_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mother, the person who got the recommendation letter is not me¡­¡± ¡°Not you? If not you, then who?¡± Madam Yun stood up and approached Wei Yichen. Her gaze fell on the letter. When she saw the name ¡°Wei Jinyi¡±, her face turned pale. ¡°How could it be Jinyi?¡± Madam Yun was taken aback; she could hardly believe what she saw. Even though this matter was supposed to be about luck, who could have thought that when the letter from the Four Treasure House arrived at the Military Prefecture, the recipient would be the second son who has always held little concurrence. Madam Yun did not even know that Wei Jinyi bought the blind boxes from the Four Treasure House. For a moment, Madam Yun found it hard to accept. Just a moment ago, she was under the impression that her son was lucky to obtain the recommendation letter but then, she was told that it was a mistake! When the letter arrived at the Wei residence, she never thought of a second possibility! Wei Yichen looked at the name written on the letter, he also didn¡¯t know what to say, his heart was heavy as he shared his mother¡¯s dismay. After a while, Wei Yichen, who had calmed down a little, returned the letter to Madam Yun, ¡°Mother, give this letter to my second younger brother.¡± ¡°But Yichen¡­¡± Madam Yun hesitated. ¡°Mother, what should be given to the second brother should be given to him, I am also happy for him,¡± said Wei Yichen. Madam Yun was deeply conflicted, ¡°But this is the opportunity you have always dreamed of.¡± ¡°I know I do want this letter of recommendation very much. Perhaps with this letter, my longstanding wish to become a disciple of the Tibetan layman could be fulfilled. But if this opportunity is not meant for me, I should not wish for it anymore,¡± Wei Yichen said. ¡°But Yichen, this is just a matter of luck¡­¡± ¡°Even if it is luck, it only proves that second brother¡¯s luck is better than mine. His luck is his own.¡± ¡°But Yichen, it¡¯s just a recommendation letter. Without enough ability, the Tibetan layman might not accept the recommended person as a disciple. When compared with Jinyi, who has never been to school before, you are more likely to be accepted by the scholar, as many teachers have recognized your abilities,¡± Madam Yun said. Wei Yichen shook his head, ¡°Despite the fact second brother has never been to school, he also loves reading. Since his name was also left at the Four Treasure House, it shows that he also wants this opportunity. A gentleman does not take away others¡¯ interests, let alone from my brother.¡± ¡°Mother, you should stop thinking otherwise, just send the letter to second brother,¡± Wei Yichen insisted. Looking at Wei Yichen¡¯s unwavering face, Madam Yun had no choice but to extinguish the thought that had just sprung up in her heart. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I will think of other ways for you,¡± Madam Yun promised her son with a firm tone. After talking with her oldest son, Madam Yun gave the letter to Cuiping to deliver it to Wei Jinyi in the Bamboo Compound. Then, she returned to her room, lay down on the couch, her demeanor betraying her exhaustion. The ups and downs, the fluctuation of emotions, left her feeling drained. In the Bamboo Compound, Xiaobei handed over the letter that Cuiping just delivered to Wei Jinyi, who was writing at the Octagonal Pavilion. After reading the content of the letter, Wei Jinyi calmly said, ¡°Ruoruo was right after all.¡± ¡°Young Master, so does that mean the recommendation letter Miss Ruo mentioned has been arranged?¡± Xiaobei asked, his face full of surprise. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Young Master, what will you do? Will you really accept the nomination as his disciple?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ruoruo¡¯s sincerity and it might also be an opportunity for me,¡± Wei Jinyi said. ¡°But Young Master, that Tibetan layman is in Huzhou Prefecture, which is far away from here,¡± Xiaobei said worriedly. ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s time for me to leave the Wei residence,¡± Wei Jinyi murmured, his eyes shining with deep thoughts. ### Meanwhile, at Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo received a pigeon post. Upon opening it, she found that it was a note from the Tibetan layman. The note was delivered by someone from the Four Treasure House and then attached to their usual homing pigeon by a milkmaid for final delivery. The opening of the note was a displeased reproach, to which Wei Ruo was already accustomed. In the note, the Tibetan layman scolded Wei Ruo¡¯s shameless action of using his works to attract customers and increase sales, and finally, he accused her of forcing a ¡°disciple¡± on him. Despicable! Shameless! Wei Ruo thought to herself that she had no choice. If she knew more than one knowledgeable person, she would have considered them too. Although the first half was scolding, the tune changed in the second half of the note. Assuming that the person chosen was morally upright and academically competent, he begrudgingly accepted having a student and reminded Wei Ruo to take good care of herself and to visit him in Huzhou Prefecture when she had time. ¡°A tough exterior but a soft heart.¡± Looking at those words that showed concern for her, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but smile. The Tibetan layman, originally named Ruan Zheng, was a distinguished scholar and painter whose work was highly appreciated by the Emperor when he was an official in the capital. After decades in the officialdom, he spent twenty years in anonymity. It was not until he became an Imperial Scholar that he gained some recognition, but his outspokenness often led to offending people, forcing him to retire early. He and his wife retreated to the mountains and he started calling himself the ¡°Tiben layman.¡± Wei Ruo knew him because once Ruan¡¯s wife had a stroke and was seriously ill. Ruan Zheng went down the mountain to seek medical help. He came to the Mo Jiazha village, and upon the villagers¡¯ recommendation, found Wei Ruo who lived in the other yard. Wei Ruo treated Ruan¡¯s wife and saved her life. Ruan Zheng said he had no money to pay for the medical fees, and before Wei Ruo could say anything, he gave her a basket full of his calligraphy and paintings as payment. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know whether his calligraphy and paintings were valuable back then, so she just accepted them. As a result, Wei Ruo¡¯s small warehouse stored more than a dozen of the Tibetan layman¡¯s calligraphy and painting artworks. Whenever she had the opportunity, she would take out one piece to use for a promotion event, to enhance the fame of her shop and increase sales. Ruan¡¯s wife¡¯s stroke was caused by hypertension, which required long-term medication. Therefore, Wei Ruo would go into the woods every once in a while to treat Ruan¡¯s wife. Gradually, she became familiar with the couple. Sometimes, Wei Ruo would also bring some delicious food or calligraphy materials to them. Ruan Zheng disliked Wei Ruo¡¯s ugly handwriting and claimed that if Wei Ruo were a man, he would definitely accept her as his disciple. However, Ruan who was stubborn in certain aspects would never accept a woman as a disciple. This time, when Wei Ruo was thinking about finding a schoolmaster for Wei Jinyi, she thought of Ruan since he was knowledgeable and respectable and had many students when he was an Imperial Scholar in the capital. Being his disciple would be very beneficial for Wei Jinyi in the future. The reason why she made it so complicated and borrowed the name of the Four Treasure House to make Wei Jinyi a disciple was to avoid revealing too much about herself and causing unnecessary trouble. In addition to Wei Jinyi, whom Wei Ruo proposed to become a disciple because of their good relationship, had some of her own selfish motives. She was thinking if she could make the invisible character in the original book visible, wouldn¡¯t it mean she caused a significant change in the whole plot from a certain perspective? Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Wei Jinyi couldnt hold his Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Wei Jinyi couldn¡¯t hold his liquor_l Translator: 549690339 It had become a fact that she and Wei Qingwan did not get along, even though she still did not want to compete with her for affection or for the male lead. Since they were unavoidably enemies, she decided to do something else-stir up the whole situation. Diverting everything off course was a form of self-protection in some way. Of course, her actions also had some benefits for the Four Treasure House, by creating a fictitious figure-Attendant Heyou, who supposedly had a strong connection with the Tibetan layman ¨C which could lead people¡¯s imagination astray, causing them to doubt that behind the Four Treasure House was a person of some status and background. This would make people apprehensive. As long as they didn¡¯t encounter a person with very strong status and background who specifically came to investigate, they wouldn¡¯t be found out. But if they stumbled across someone with such strength who wanted to make trouble for the Four Treasure House, Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them with the circumstances she was in now. ### That afternoon, Xiaobei came to Tingsong Garden to invite Wei Ruo to eat at Yingzhu Garden together in the evening. ¡°Missy, my young master would like to thank you for helping him win this opportunity to learn from the Tibetan layman. He specially had me prepare some fresh meat and seafood, and would like to invite Missy for a little celebration. Of course, it would be even better if Lady Xiumei would be willing to help cook.¡± Xiaobei grinned from ear to ear. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll have Xiumei go right now.¡± Wei Ruo immediately agreed. As long as there were good ingredients, she and Xiumei were both very eager. After Xiaobei left, Wei Ruo went to her private small storehouse. She had brought many jars from the Mo Jiazha, which contained soy sauce and also alcohol. Wei Ruo did not particularly enjoy drinking, but she had brewed quite a bit, partly as an experiment, since she liked to try anything that could make money. It was also a gift, a respectable offering to give someone. If there was a happy occasion, they could also take a small sip to add to the joy. Weiruo chose a jar of plum wine and took it to Yingzhu Garden. While Xiaobei and Xiumei were busy in the kitchen, Wei Jinyi was sitting in the pavilion, not reading or writing as usual but airing out his books. Seeing Wei Ruo and the jar she was holding, Wei Jinyi said, ¡°We haven¡¯t finished the soy sauce from last time.¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°Even though the jars look similar, this one is not soy sauce, it¡¯s wine. Brother, look, I sealed the lid with putty; the soy sauce¡¯s isn¡¯t sealed.¡± Wei Jinyi asked, ¡°You know how to make wine? Wei Ruo: ¡°I¡¯m not particularly good at it; actually, I make soy sauce better. I originally wanted to make vinegar, but I¡¯ve been too busy. When winter comes and there¡¯s less farm work, I¡¯ll try making vinegar.¡± Wei Jinyi responded, ¡°You have a wide range of skills. Wei Ruo smiled and said, ¡°I always want to learn more and make myself more capable. If no one is willing to love me, at least I should love myself and make myself have a good life.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know if she was talking about herself from a previous life or this one, or perhaps both. Wei Jinyi¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as if he wanted to say something. After a short while, Xiaobei and Xiumei returned from the kitchen with an assortment of delicious dishes. Braised wild boar, rib and yam soup, green onion prawns, stir-fried octopus with snow vegetables, and stir-fried pumpkin tennels-every corner of the table was filled. Wei Ruo poured wine into Wei Jinyi¡¯s cup but he stopped her. ¡°I can¡¯t hold my liquor.¡± Wei Jinyi explained. ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother. This wine is not strong. It¡¯s plum wine and it¡¯s mildly sweet, more like juice.¡± Wei Ruo explained. Seeing the earnest look in Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes, Wei Jinyi withdrew his hand and allowed Wei Ruo to pour him wine. Wei Ruo had a sip first, then looked at Wei Jinyi. Under Wei Ruo¡¯s watchful eyes, Wei Jinyi took a small sip of the wine. Indeed, as Wei Ruo had described, the plum wine was mildly sweet, like savoring a ripe plum. Wei Jinyi couldn¡¯t help but take a few more sips. ¡°See, brother, wasn¡¯t 1 right? This wine is not strong at all, right?¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile, then raised her glass to Wei Jinyi, ¡°Here, brother, I toast to you. May your future path in learning be smooth and continuously move upwards.¡± Wei Jinyi nodded slightly and drank the remaining plum wine in his cup. ¡°Brother, once the recommendation letter got responded, when do you plan to go to Huzhou Prefecture?¡± After asking the question, she found that Wei Jinyi only stared blankly at her, without saying a word. ¡°Brother?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi uncertainly, and seeing that he still had not responded, she waved her hand in front of his face. ¡°Ruoruo, don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll see a lot of hands.¡± Wei Jinyi finally spoke, but the tone of his voice was completely different from his usual cool and calm demeanor. ¡°Brother, are you okay?¡± Wei Ruo asked, instinctively placing the back of her hand on his forehead. ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m perfect.¡± Wei Jinyi answered with a very innocent and cute expression. This expression, reaction, and word choice didn¡¯t match up with the Wei Jinyi she knew! ¡°Are you¡­drunk?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t answer Wei Ruo¡¯s question, he just looked at her blankly, his eyes unblinking. When he was clearheaded, he would never dare look at Wei Ruo like this, it wasn¡¯t proper for a person who understood politeness, even if the other person was his sister. But now, he gazed at her this way with an intensely focused expression. And his fair, overly handsome face had turned a little red, spreading all the way to behind his ears. Wei Ruo could now confirm that Wei Jinyi was indeed drunk. Earlier Wei Jinyi had said he didn¡¯t hold his liquor well, she thought this was just a common excuse, under the impression that someone with low alcohol tolerance wouldn¡¯t be unable to handle a small cup of plum wine. But now it seems she was wrong, when he said he didn¡¯t hold his liquor well, it meant he really couldn¡¯t. Looking at the dazed Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo considered what to do. ¡°Brother, eat some food and drink some soup to sober up. Wei Ruo served food to Wei Jinyi, and filled his soup bowl with rib and yam soup, hoping that eating more could help to clear his head. Wei Jinyi obediently opened his mouth, waiting for Wei Ruo to feed him. Wei Ruo was stunned. Is this the same as her cold and aloof brother? Xiaobei also widened his eyes, and for a long time couldn¡¯t find his words. As the attendant who had taken care of the young master since he was a child, Xiaobei knew about Wei Jinyi¡¯s poor tolerance of liquor. But the last time this happened was when the young master had just turned ten, he drank a small cup of ¡°tee girl red¡± and then became obedient and somewhat talkative. But he was only ten then, and not yet as cold and aloof as he is now, so such a situation was not that hard to accept. Since then, the young master never touched alcohol again, and Xiaobei never had the chance to see his young master¡¯s drunken antics again. ¡°Could you eat by yourself?¡± Wei Ruo asked.. Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Drunk and Disorderly 1 Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Drunk and Disorderly 1 Translator: 549690339 7 ¡ª ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Jinyi obediently agreed, then picked up the bowl full of soup and drained it with a gulp. Then he handed the empty bowl over to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo glanced at the empty bowl and then at Wei Jinyi. She vaguely felt as if Wei Jinyi was seeking praise from her! ¡°Um¡­second brother, you¡¯re wonderful¡­ you actually finished drinking everything! Very obedient!¡± Wei Ruo tentatively complimented. Then Wei Jinyi, satisfied, put down the empty bowl. In that moment, Wei Ruo knew that her initial judgment was correct. Wei Jinyi had indeed brought the empty bowl to her for praises! As Wei Ruo was pondering on how to navigate this version of Wei Jinyi, he opened his mouth again: ¡°Ruoruo you are beautiful.¡± Wei Jinyi stared at Wei Ruo with sincere eyes, there was even a hint of childlike quality in his demeanor. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or be speechless and muttered: ¡°If you were not this good-looking and sincere, I¡¯d consider you as a stinky hooligan.¡± The distance between a refined gentleman and a fool is just a cup of alcohol, albeit a weak one with an alcohol percentage less than twenty. ¡°Ruoruo, can I perform a sword dance for you?¡± Wei Jinyi suddenly asked. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ruo was stupefied for a moment, not instantly reacting to what Wei Jinyi had said. Then Wei Jinyi stood up, walked out of the pavilion, and his intention became clear through his actions. He was going to perform a sword dance for her! Could he perform a sword dance? How would this man, elegant and refined, looking like a genteel scholar look dancing with a sword? Would it be outrageous? Would he stumble? Or make a fool of himself? Several imagined scenarios quickly drifted through Wei Ruo¡¯s mind: clumsy dancing, stumbles, slips, even self-spanking. Xiaobei looked anxious, contemplating whether to stop their young master. However, if the young master were empowered by liquor, his attempt to intervene might be futile. It could even lead to further complicated situations if they ended up clashing. After debating for a while and assessing several potential outcomes, Xiaobei finally decided to stand by and not intervene. When Wei Jinyi arrived next to a small cluster of bamboo, he lithely hooked up a bamboo branch lying on the ground with his foot and steadily caught it with his right hand. Wei Ruo looked surprised. Despite his inebriated state, Wei Jinyi¡¯s physical movements were remarkably deft. Then using the bamboo stalk as a sword, he began to dance. The sword and his body moved harmoniously, displaying a magnificent display of martial arts. Each move was swift and fluid, and carried a unique blend of strength and gentleness. It was Wei Ruo¡¯s first time seeing Wei Jinyi perform a sword dance. Although she herself didn¡¯t possess any martial arts skills, she had seen Xiumei and Xu Zhengyong practicing martial arts, so she knew Wei Jinyi¡¯s ¡°sword¡± was not a mere waving about. As a martial artist Xiumei whispered in Wei Ruo¡¯s ear, ¡°Miss, the young master¡¯s swordsmanship is superb!¡± ¡°No wonder he has such a good physique. So, when he mentioned exercising, he wasn¡¯t bluffing me. He¡¯s actually been working out,¡± Wei Ruo remarked. Next to them, Xiaobei held his forehead, perplexed. If this continued, their young master might reveal all his secrets to the young lady. Even though the young lady and they had gone through trials and tribulations together, it might not be that good if she knew certain things, should it? All Xiaobei could do was to fret internally, praying that their young master would sober up soon. After performing a series of swordplay, Wei Jinyi put down the bamboo stalk and returned to Wei Ruo¡¯s side, his deep eyes staring intently at Wei Ruo. ¡°Did I dance well?¡± Wei Jinyi asked, hope gleaming in his eyes like a child eager for praise after accomplishing a task. Hmm, excellent, very good, you did it the best!¡± Wei Ruo praised. Upon being satisfied, Wei Jinyi¡¯s face inevitably broke into a sunny, radiant smile. Usually, his smile was quiet and unnoticeable, always polite and mild. This kind of radiant smile was the first time Wei Ruo was seeing. Not just Wei Ruo, even Xiaobei who had served him for over a decade was seeing it for the first time. ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ve finished the sword dance. How about we go to the room for a nap?¡± Wei Ruo placated Wei Jinyi in a tone used when cooing to a small child. If this situation isn¡¯t going to get better anytime soon, might as well make him rest for a while in his room. ¡°Nope.¡± Wei Jinyi refused outright. Ok then, Wei Ruo retracted her earlier thought about Wei Jinyi behaving well after getting drunk. ¡°So, what do you feel like doing now, Brother Wei?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Wei Jinyi: ¡°Eat.¡± Wei Ruo: Such a leap in his train of thought! Wei Jinyi: ¡°Ruo¡¯s food is delicious. It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever had.¡± ¡°Oh, really, Brother Wei? Usually, I don¡¯t see you complimenting the dishes Meimei cooks. After getting drunk, you are finally being honest¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but grumble. ¡°Ruo, let¡¯s go eat!¡± Wei Jinyi said. ¡°Ok ok ok, let¡¯s go eat. There¡¯s food already prepared, we can¡¯t waste it.¡± Wei Ruo led Wei Jinyi back to the dining table. Wei Jinyi sat back down at the table and started to eat, his demeanor, and every movement very good-natured, he enjoyed every bite. Gone was his usual restraint and formality, his actions were carefree but not impolite. He felt more like a normal person. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei and Xiaobei to join them for the meal. They had cooked a lot today, and it would be a waste not to eat. It¡¯s always better to have more people celebrating, even if today¡¯s host of the celebration was already drunk. After the meal, Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi and asked, ¡°Brother Wei, how do you feel now?¡± ¡°Delicious.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Great, he¡¯s still not sober! ¡°How about we go back to the room for a rest? We can leave it to Xiumei and Xiaobei to clean up.¡± ¡°Ok¡± Wei Jinyi agreed obediently. Then he turned around and obediently walked towards the room, pausing as he stepped over the threshold and looking back at Wei Ruo. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ruo going to sleep?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. I am going back to Tingsong Garden for sleep.¡± Wei Ruo quickly replied. Wei Jinyi pondered for a moment, then nodded in acceptance. Finally, he entered the room, Xiaobei quickly followed him in. Seeing that the young master actually took off his outer garment and obediently lay down, Xiaobei wiped the sweat off his forehead. ### When Wei Jinyi woke up, he looked around the room, slightly confused. What happened? He completely lost his memory after dining with Wei Ruo yesterday, he had no idea how he ended up in his room. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re awake? Have some ginseng tea to help clear your mind.¡± Xiaobei handed him the ginseng tea. ¡°What happened? When did I return to the room? When did Miss leave?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. Xiaobei looked troubled. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Young master, you got drunk in the afternoon and made quite a fuss. Miss had a hard time finally coaxing you to sleep in your room.¡± Xiaobei explained carefully. After Xiaobei finished answering, noticing his young master hadn¡¯t moved, said, ¡°Young master, don¡¯t worry, apart from letting Miss know you have martial arts skills because of your sword dance, you haven¡¯t revealed anything else.¡± ¡°I sword danced?¡± Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Tense Situation_l Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Tense Situation_l Translator: 549690339 I ¡°Um¡­you danced¡­.¡± Xiaobei answered softly. Wei Jinyi felt a sudden throbbing in his temples. ¡°What else did I say?¡± ¡°Young Master didn¡¯t say much more, just many things you don¡¯t normally say to Miss. You complimented Miss and Xiumei on their looks, praised how good their cooking was, and ¡± Xiaobei chose his words as modestly as possible to cushion the blow for his young master. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Also¡­ you were waiting for Miss to compliment you¡­¡± Xiaobei bowed his head low, not daring to glance at his young master¡¯s expression. Wei Jinyi had another bout of headache. After the accident at the age of ten, he had stopped drinking. He disliked the feeling of losing control over himself and regretted his rash actions when drunk. He drank the plum wine yesterday, thinking that its sweetness would not result in intoxication. ### For several days, there was a tense atmosphere throughout Xingshan County. Several times, people had seen troops moving through the city, along with transports of supplies and equipment. Before long, rumors were flying that war might break out outside the city walls. Until now, there had only been minor skirmishes, but this time it looked like a full-scale war was imminent. With the looming danger, the city¡¯s inhabitants were fretful. If the city were to fall, none could escape the wrath of the Japanese pirates. However, all city gates were now strictly monitored. Even if the inhabitants wanted to flee, it was already too late. The Wei Family was also enveloped in a cloud of anxiety. Whether the rumors were true or not, even the Wei Family couldn¡¯t find out at this point. The government offices and the army had not made a public announcement yet. Meanwhile, Wei Mingting hadn¡¯t been home for ten days, leaving the Wei Family with no chance to ask him about the situation. Mrs. Yun was so worried she could hardly eat. She was concerned that her husband could be injured in battle against the ruthless Japanese pirates. While being anxious, she also had to continue managing the household in case the Wei Family needed to evacuate immediately in the event of defeat. With Mrs. Yun bustling about to take care of the household matters while worrying for her husband, it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s worn out from it all. Noticing this, Wei Qingwan went to Cangyun Garden every day to accompany Mrs. Yun and help her with some miscellaneous tasks. Having grown up in the Wei Family, Wei Qingwan was well versed in matters of housekeeping, so she was able to effectively assist and advise Mrs. Yun. After a period of working together in Mrs. Yun¡¯s study, Mrs. Yun paused for a brief rest. Looking up to see Wei Qingwan busily helping with the home management and budgeting, Mrs. Yun felt deeply touched and couldn¡¯t help but express her thanks: ¡°I¡¯m so grateful for your help these past few days, Wanwan.¡± ¡°Mother, what are you saying? It¡¯s my blessing as a daughter to help you share the burden,¡± Wei Qingwan replied. Wei Qingwan then put down her work, went behind Mrs. Yun, and gave her a shoulder massage. As she massaged, she sincerely said to Mrs. Yun, ¡°Mother, you work too hard. You have to deal with all the assorted chores around the house, and now you¡¯re also worrying about father being on the front line. Please take good care of yourself. I don¡¯t care about our household¡¯s wealth, I just want my parents to be healthy and live a long life so that I can serve you both till old age.¡± ¡°Ah, I know you have a filial heart,¡± Mrs. Yun patted Wei Qingwan¡¯s hand, looking reassured. Then she sighed and said, ¡°With your help, I can at least lighten my load a bit. However, we are short-staffed. If something really happens and we need to flee to the Capital City, we will need more people.¡± Mrs. Yun¡¯s brows furrowed, feeling heavy-hearted. Her husband had entrusted this household to her. She must manage it well so that her husband would have no concerns. Witnessing Mrs. Yun¡¯s anxiety, Wei Qingwan said ever so gently, ¡°Mother, since the household work has been so overwhelming recently, why not bring back Mother Li? I don¡¯t wish to see you working so hard. If Mother Li returns, she may help you somewhat.¡± ¡°Mother Li made a mistake. Punishing her for three months by sending her to the farmhouse was already a light punishment. Letting her come back prematurely will give the servants the wrong idea that the Wei Family is lax in discipline,¡± Mrs. Yun said with some helplessness. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re right, but¡­¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip, trying to say something but swallowing her words instead. Seeing this, Mrs. Yun said, ¡°Wanwan, you can say whatever you need to. We mother and daughter don¡¯t need to hide anything from each other.¡± Wei Qingwan then hesitated before continuing, ¡°I just think that in these extraordinary times, there should be some extraordinary forms of punishment. We are in need of manpower, and Mother Li is very adept at managing household matters. If she comes back, she will surely be able to alleviate your burdens.¡± ¡°What you said also makes sense, but I can¡¯t easily change the three-month punishment period,¡± Mrs. Yun said, somewhat swayed by Wei Qingwan¡¯s argument. ¡°Punishment doesn¡¯t necessarily mean going to the farmhouse. She can also be punished when she¡¯s back in the mansion, such as continuing to withhold her salary and making her do more arduous work,¡± Wei Qingwan suggested. Mrs. Yun seriously contemplated Wei Qingwan¡¯s words. Indeed, right now, their household was understaffed. Keeping Mother Li at the farmhouse wouldn¡¯t help matters, and bringing her home would be of greater benefit. ¡°Wanwan, tell me truthfully, are you missing Mother Li?¡± Mrs. Yun asked. Wei Qingwan bit her lip, her eyes glistening, and silently lowered her head. Mrs. Yun sighed; she naturally understood. Mother Li had been in the household for a long time, brought Wei Qingwan up from a child; of course, their bond would be deeper than that with others. ¡°What you just said does make sense. I am really short-handed right now. Let¡¯s have Mother Li come home, but she will be penalized another three months of salary. Also, the chief maid will still be Mother Zhang,¡± Mrs. Yun said. This was the additional punishment for Mother Li. ¡°I¡¯ll follow whatever Mother decides,¡± Wei Qingwan replied, her face lighting up with joy. In any case, Mother Li would now be allowed to return home. Mrs. Yun noticed Wei Qingwan¡¯s happiness and said, ¡°I know you have a close bond with Mother Li. Sending her to the farmhouse must¡¯ve upset you. But remember, she is ultimately a servant in our household. If she¡¯s not duly punished for her overconfidence and lack of discipline, who knows how much she may trespass against us in the future.¡± ¡°Even when she returns, don¡¯t pamper her too much. She needs to understand her place,¡± Mrs. Yun continued. ¡°I understand, Mother. Please rest assured, I will admonish Mother Li properly so that she won¡¯t make the same mistake again,¡± Wei Qingwan quickly assured Mrs. Yun. After discussing with Wei Qingwan about Mother Li, Mrs.. Yun breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°I wonder what Ruoruo has been busy with these past few days?¡± Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Second Brother is Indeed Awesome 1 Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Second Brother is Indeed Awesome 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Sister must still be busy studying these days¡­ I¡¯m not exactly sure about the specifics. Sister usually spends a lot of time in Yingzhu Garden talking with our second brother while she¡¯s in the residence. I¡¯ve tried to look for her a few times but she wasn¡¯t around, so I¡¯m not entirely sure¡­¡± Wei Qingwan replied. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yun couldn¡¯t help but frown: ¡°Ruoruo is already thirteen, Jinyi is almost sixteen, they should avoid being alone together.¡± The fact that her daughter was closer to her half-brother than her own siblings, somewhat displeased Mrs. Yun. ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no need to worry about sister. She¡¯s been very cautious these days. Plus, didn¡¯t our second brother receive that recommendation letter? Soon, once the Huzhou Prefecture replies, our second brother will head to Huzhou Prefecture.¡± Wei Qingwan said. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t look pleased but rather her expression became even more solemn. She only later found out that the box Wei Jinyi received was bought by Wei Ruo, and it was Wei Ruo who filled in the name. Although there was nothing wrong with that, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t like the fact that her daughter was closer to her half-brother, yet distant from her own brother. When Mrs. Yun looked at Wei Qingwan, who was striving to alleviate her worries, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh yet again. ### Inside the Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo had heard all the rumors and speculations. Compared to the situation in the Wei Residence, Wei Ruo was more worried about Xu Zhengyong¡¯s situation. Usually, new recruits go through a period of training before they go to the battlefield. However, the current situation is urgent and his abrupt enlistment is probably due to a lack of manpower. There¡¯s not likely to be much time for training and adaptation. She wondered if Brother Xiaoyong had handed over the crossbow mechanism and if it was accepted. If it was accepted, it should help Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s status in the military, boost our forces, and make Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s situation relatively safer. In the original story, Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t come to Xingshan County or participate in the war, so Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t foresee his outcome. A bit bored, Wei Ruo went to Yingzhu Garden to find Wei Jinyi. Upon entering, she saw Wei Jinyi playing chess with himself. Wei Ruo sat down next to him. She had no talent for chess, especially Go, which required a lot of thinking. She could only understand the basics, but had no idea how to actually play the game. ¡°Would you like to try?¡± Wei Jinyi stopped and asked. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s too brain-draining. I¡¯m not suited for this,¡± Wei Ruo hastily waved her hands in refusal. ¡°Farming also requires brain work. Different crops need different methods of planting and care, yet you can remember them all distinctly.¡± ¡°Specialization in different fields calls for different use of the brain. Anyway, I¡¯m bad at playing chess.¡± Wei Ruo rested her chin on her hand, contemplating the chessboard in front of her. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that she wasn¡¯t really focusing on the game, but pondering about something else. ¡°Something on your mind?¡± Wei Jinyi perceptively noticed the uneasy look on Wei Ruo¡¯s face today. ¡°Did second brother hear about the upcoming war?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Yes, I heard. It was bound to happen sooner or later,¡± Wei Jinyi answered calmly. ¡°Does second brother think we can win this war?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°There¡¯s an 80% chance we¡¯ll win.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Why 8o%?¡± ¡°Our father accounts for 30%, the nobleman who recently visited Xingshan County contributes 10%, the addition of troops from the court makes up 20%, and a good news from the military today adds another 20%,¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°Why does second brother think that the nobleman who recently came to Xingshan County can account for 10%?¡± Wei Ruo asked curiously. The greatest contribution Chu Lan has made in this war is undoubtedly his request for the court to send additional troops to Xingshan County. But why does he individually account for 10%? ¡°He¡¯s no simple rich young master. He¡¯s intelligent, familiar with military strategies, and good at using people,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi even more curiously. She was aware of what Wei Jinyi just said about Chu Lan because that was how Chu Lan was portrayed in the original story. However, she was surprised how accurate Wei Jinyi¡¯s evaluation was, considering he seldom left the mansion. Noticing Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze, Wei Jinyi calmly explained, ¡°I like to read and hear about rumors. Even though I¡¯m confined in this mansion, I have enough understanding of the outside world.¡± ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re really impressive. If you were to take the imperial examination, your chances of success would be quite high,¡± Wei Ruo said, increasingly confident in Wei Jinyi. Resting her chin on both her hands, her face was filled with admiration. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with little stars. Wei Jinyi smiled, then his right hand involuntarily reached out to Wei Ruo¡¯s head. Just when he was about to pat her head, he abruptly stopped. ¡°Second brother, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Wei Jinyi quickly withdrew his hand, then came up with a lame excuse, ¡°There was a dry leaf on your head.¡± ¡°But even if we win this war, it doesn¡¯t guarantee that my friend will survive.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s worry didn¡¯t lessen. Winning the war doesn¡¯t mean that everyone on the winning side will live to return. ¡°Is it the friend you mentioned last time?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. The previous time, Wei Ruo had also mentioned a friend. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him. He¡¯s joined the military. The golden sore medicine I was rushing to make last time was for him,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Joining the military, that means he¡¯s a man. And for Wei Ruo to worry about him this much, their relationship must be out of the ordinary. ¡°Did your friend come to Xingshan County because of you?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. Wei Ruo only arrived in Xingshan County a few months ago and since then, hardly interacted with outsiders. So this friend is likely someone Wei Ruo knew from her time in Huzhou Prefecture. ¡°Sort of,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Since the nanny and Uncle Xu both came, Brother Xiaoyong would certainly have come along too. Lowering his head, Wei Jinyi rearranged his chess pieces. ### For two consecutive days, residents living in the eastern part of the city could hear a loud noise from the east and could sometimes even see flames reaching towards the sky. The already thick cloud of dread hanging over Xingshan County grew even denser. Over the past few days, both the Qian Residence and Xie Residence had stopped their lessons. Both Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo stayed at home and didn¡¯t go out anymore. Inside Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo was looking over the accounts. The ¡°blind box¡± had earned Four Treasure House a total of 122 taels of silver. Xiumei hurried into the room: ¡°Miss, Nurse Li¡­ Nurse Li has been brought back to the residence!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be three months before she comes back?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I heard that the second young miss pleaded on her behalf and as a result, Nurse Li has been allowed to serve her punishment here in the residence. Her monthly wages have been docked for an additional three months as a penalty.¡± Wei Ruo snorted softly: ¡°What a schemer.¡± ¡°Miss, Nurse Li is currently at the door of our courtyard, she says she wants to kowtow and apologize to you,¡± Xiumei reported, her face showing an expression of annoyance. She had come back, sure, but why did she have to find trouble? ¡°Let¡¯s go see her. In fact, I¡¯ve been feeling frustrated these past few days! I need a place to vent the worry I have for Brother Xiaoyong!¡± Wei Ruo said.. Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Teaching Madam Li 1 Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Teaching Madam Li 1 Translator: 549690339 Upon reaching the entrance of the courtyard, Wei Ruo indeed saw the long-absent Li Momo, who looked darker and thinner than she had two months ago. She knelt on the ground, and upon seeing Wei Ruo, she bowed and apologized. This scene attracted several servants of the residence to pause and spectate at the entrance of Tingsong Garden. Xiumei watched with furrowed brows, pulling Wei Ruo aside and voicing her worries softly, ¡°Miss, what should we do? Li Momo is doing this deliberately, isn¡¯t she? With such a commotion and so many people watching, what¡¯s her aim?¡± ¡°I know what she¡¯s trying to do, she wants to tarnish your ladyship¡¯s reputation,¡± Wei Ruo was fully aware. When Wei Ruo first entered the residence, Li Momo was the one responsible for teaching manners to Wei Ruo. In a sense, she was also considered as Wei Ruo¡¯s half teacher. And being the old servant from the Earl¡¯s Residence, her kneeling and prostrating in apology in front of Wei Ruo created a rather unsightly situation. Based on how Wei Ruo and Li Momo had previously locked horns, and their conflicting bitterness, it was likely that Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t appreciate Li Momo¡¯s apology, but would possibly ridicule her again instead. If that were to happen, Wei Ruo would engage herself in the ungrateful act of complicating the situation with the old Li Momo, leaving a bad impression on the other servants of the residence. ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Xiumei asked anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me,¡± Wei Ruo softly patted Xiumei¡¯s hand. Then she approached Li Momo: ¡°Li Momo, this is rather inappropriate!¡± ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t forgive this old servant today, I will kneel here indefinitely!¡± Li Momo said mournfully. ¡°Li Momo, what do you mean by this? When have I ever blamed you? Please get up. You are an old servant of the residence and you had already suffered at the farm, there¡¯s no need for you to kneel like this!¡± As Wei Ruo was about to help Li Momo up, Li Momo looked at her surprisingly. In Li Momo¡¯s memory, Wei Ruo used to be arrogant, vulgar, and stubborn. She never paid proper attention to the rules and regulations that Li Momo taught her, but to the contrary, behaved with self-righteousness. Even during their dispute, Wei Ruo had headlong opposed her. Based on her understanding of Wei Ruo, she didn¡¯t expect such a reaction from Wei Ruo! ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t blame me?¡± Li Momo asked. ¡°Our dispute that day was because you did something wrong. Lives were at stake, and I was naturally anxious. Now that it¡¯s all over, and my second brother has fully recovered, you have already been punished too. Why would I still hold any grudge against you, unless¡­ Li Momo, do you intend to continue wronging me and create more troubles?¡± Wei Ruo said, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her mouth. ¡°No, no. This old servant has already repented and will not offend again!¡± Li Momo hurriedly responded. As she said this, she attempted to knock her head again. ¡°Li Momo, what are you doing? I have already forgiven you, why are you still knocking your head?¡± ¡°This old servant feels guilty and fears that you don¡¯t genuinely forgive me.¡± ¡®We can¡¯t do this. Li Momo, you are old, and if you ruin your health by falling down at my doorstep, what are we going to do? Xiumei, quickly help Li Momo up.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± Xiumei advanced swiftly. ¡°Li Momo, get up.¡± Xiumei didn¡¯t give Li Momo time to react; she slipped her hands under Li Momo¡¯s arms and lifted her up abruptly. Before Li Momo could recover from her surprise, she heard Wei Ruo continuing her instructions: ¡°Then check her knees and see if she¡¯s injured.¡± Upon hearing these words, Li Momo panicked, trying to stop them, ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯m not injured!¡± But how could her reaction speed match Xiumei¡¯s? Xiumei swiftly reached to Li Momo¡¯s knees. What her hand felt was not the hard bone of the knee, but something soft. Xiumei understood immediately, she quickly reached under Li Momo¡¯s skirt and pulled out the kneepads that she had tied on her knees. When the kneepads appeared in front of everyone, they universally displayed a look of disbelief, then disdain. Wei Ruo casually said, ¡°Li Momo, you indeed pay great attention to your health, not forgetting to protect your knees even when you are here to apologize.¡± Zhang Momo was on her way to look for Wei Ruo for some matters, and coincidentally arrived at the entrance of Tingsong Garden and witnessed this situation. Unable to hold back, she chuckled. Once Zhang Momo started laughing, the other servants who were watching the spectacle joined in. Hearing everyone¡¯s laughter, Li Momo couldn¡¯t contain her shame and anger, snatching the kneepads from Xiumei¡¯s hands, she turned around and ran. Xiumei smiled and walked back to Wei Ruo¡¯s side, ¡°Miss, how did you know she was wearing kneepads?¡± The paved blue-stone slabs here are rough and uneven. If she really kneeled onto it, even someone young would find it unbearable, let alone someone of Li Momo¡¯s age. Since she isn¡¯t here to truly apologize to me, naturally she wouldn¡¯t bear such suffering.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°I see, Miss is indeed smart!¡± ¡°And my Meimei is extremely quick-witted!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I am suitable to stay by Miss¡¯s side forever!¡± Xiumei said with a laugh. With their laughter echoing in the courtyard, the rest of the spectators disbanded. Li Momo ran back to Wangmei Garden in a panic. Seeing the discomposed Li Momo, Wei Qingwan was concerned and approached to inquire, ¡°Momo, what happened?¡± ¡°Miss, what¡¯s going on? I was away for only two months in the countryside. How has her ladyship¡¯s personality changed so much during this time?¡± Even now, Li Momo found it hard to believe. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never understood my sister.¡± Wei Qingwan lowered her head, whispering, ¡°Momo, you¡¯ve always described my sister as vulgar and arrogant, and the image she maintained in front of parents and brothers as hypocritical. But all this while, I¡¯ve never seen my sister reprimanded for being vulgar or arrogant. Instead, it¡¯s me who she often suppresses with rules and regulations.¡± Wei Qingwan continued, ¡°Earlier, when you proposed to challenge my sister, I tried to stop you precisely for this reason.¡± Li Momo¡¯s brows furrowed into the shape of a river, seemingly irritated, ¡°It seems that I have underestimated Wei Qingruo! Miss, don¡¯t worry. I was¡¯rash this time; now that I¡¯m back, there¡¯s plenty of time to slow down and confront her!¡± ¡°Momo, isn¡¯t it wrong¡­ if¡­¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. This is all my own doing. If anything happens later, I will take full responsibility and won¡¯t drag you into it!¡± Li Momo reassured Wei Qingwan. ¡°How can this be? Momo, you do all these things for me! How can I not be involved?¡± ¡°The punishment I received was all because of Wei Qingruo. I had a grudge with her in the first place. This time, you pleaded me and allowed me to return home a month early. I¡¯m indebted to you, there¡¯s no reason to disobey you. Miss, please don¡¯t persuade me.¡± Li Momo had made up her mind. ### Two nights later, while everyone in Wei Residence was having tea after dinner, Wei Mingtmg, who had not returned home for seven days, suddenly came back. Clad in armour, his robe untaken off, his face smeared with dirt, and his hair disheveled.. Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Winning the Battle 1 Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Winning the Battle 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Everyone in the house immediately stood up to greet him. ¡°Husband!¡± Seeing her husband unharmed in front of her, Mrs. Yun was extremely excited, her face full of joy. ¡°Father!¡± Wei Yichen, Wei Qingwan, and the others all surrounded Wei Mingting, scrutinizing him closely. ¡°Great victory! We¡¯ve driven those Japanese at sea to a dissolute flight! Now there is not a single ship of theirs visible at sea!¡± Wei Mingting said gleefully. He was usually busy with public affairs, and when preparations for this large-scale battle began, he no longer returned home, putting his whole heart and soul into preparing for it day and night, sharing the same fortunes with his soldiers. Now that the war had been won, he returned home without delay to share this good news with his family, and assure them he was safe. ¡°A great victory? Really?¡± Mrs. Yun was thrilled. Everyone in the room showed an expression of immense joy, Wei Ruo was no exception. At this moment, the dark clouds that had been shrouding the Military Prefecture for days were finally dispersed, clearing the way for moonlight to shine through! Then, everyone joined Wei Mingting as he took his place at the table. The maids quickly brought out tea and snacks. After having a few short words with his children, Wei Mingting allowed them to leave for the day since it was already late, and he had just finished a grueling battle that lasted several days and needed to rest. Everyone gradually left. The next morning, Wei Yichen, Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin arrived early and waited in Cangyun Garden. Normally, breakfast in their home was eaten separately, but today was different, everyone wanted to know more about the battle. After a while, Cuiping invited everyone to come inside. Once inside, they saw that Wei Mingting had already gotten up. He was dressed casually and looked refreshed. Wei Mingting asked everyone to sit down and have breakfast together. On the large round table in front of them, there was white porridge, fried dough sticks, pickles, and soup dumplings, all of which were common breakfast for the people in Taizhou prefecture. After breakfast, the servants! cleared the leftovers from the table. Everyone sat to the side, and Wei Mingting, knowing that the children had come early out of concern for him and also wanting to know what had transpired over the past few days, began to speak. ¡°We have to thank two people for this great victory.¡± Wei Mingting, who was usually quiet, spoke more today. ¡°Who are you referring to, my husband?¡± Mrs. Yun asked hurriedly. Everyone too was watching him with curiosity. ¡°One is a young man, the reinforcements sent by the court are closely related to him. It was he who arranged this ambush, which circled around Wangyue Mountain and struck directly at the belly of the Japanese Pirates Army, disrupting their formation.¡± Everyone knew about this, so they were not surprised. ¡°And the second?¡± asked Mrs. Yun. ¡°The second is something none of us expected. Some days ago, the city was drafting soldiers, and a new recruit brought us an amazing weapon This weapon is a crossbow, but not an ordinary one, it can hold ten arrows at once and can be quickly reloaded once fired, making it highly efficient. Using this greatly increased our firepower,¡± ¡°Before the battle began, we summoned all the craftsmen in the city to work day and night to produce a large number of these crossbows in time for the fight.¡± -This is a great fortune for my husband and the people of Xingshan County! Is that new recruit some sort of master craftsman? He was able to create such a powerful weapon,¡± Mrs. Yun asked curiously. ¡°Eve already asked him, and it turns out that it wasn¡¯t him who created the weapon, but he got it from a wandering craftsman. Nevertheless, he deserves credit for it. Moreover, this man performed exceptionally in this battle, with unprecedented courage. After this matter is over, I intend to ask for a promotion for him to the General Flag (equivalent to a platoon leader).¡± ¡°He is truly a godsend to help my husband and the people of Xingshan County1¡± exclaimed Mrs. Yun. As she listened from the side, Wei Ruo knew that Wei Mingting was talking about Brother Xiaoyong, and the smile on her face was even brighter. Xiaoyong was safe and had even earned military merits. That was great. ¡°Father, what about you?¡± Wei Yichen asked. If their father had won the battle, wouldn¡¯t he be promoted by the court as well? ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about my situation.¡± Wei Mingting knew in his heart that his fate depended on the Seventh Prince¡¯s attitude. The Seventh Prince and the Master of the Lu Family were both involved in this battle and they were most aware of the situation. In the end, it would all depend on how the Seventh Prince reported it to the court. ¡°My daddy is so brave, once this is reported to the court, they will surely promote daddy¡¯s position!¡± Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that for now. Whether I get promoted or not is not something I can control. As long as we can win this war and bring the people of Xingshan County temporary peace, that is the most gratifying thing,¡± said Wei Mingting. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t really listen to what Wei Mingting said afterward, her mind focused solely on sharing this good news with her wet nurse and Uncle Xu. This conversation lasted nearly an hour before Mrs. Yun finally let the children leave so that her husband could rest a little more. Coming out of the dining hall, Wei Ruo spotted Wei Mingting¡¯s guard, Jing Hu, and specifically asked him for the name of the soldier that Wei Mingting had ¡¯ praised today. & Jing Hu gave a clear answer: Xu Zhengyong. Once she confirmed it was Brother Xiaoyong, Wei Ruo went back to her Tingsong Garden gleefully. ¡°Miss, why are you so happy?¡± Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s different stride, as if she was treading on clouds, Xiumei knew something good must have happened. ¡°I¡¯m going to write a letter to my wet nurse, and tell her about Xiaoyong¡¯s news,¡± said Wei Ruo as she walked toward the house. ¡°What¡¯s Xiaoyong been up to?¡± Xiumei hurriedly asked, her tone filled with excitement and curiosity. They hadn¡¯t heard any news about Xiaoyong since he joined the army. ¡°He has earned military merits.¡± -Really?¡± xiumei was filled with joy, but after a moment, she hid her joy and huffed, ¡°That stinky boy, I knew he was capable! Worthy of being my fellow disciple!¡± She then asked, ¡°When can Xiaoyong come home for a visit?¡± ¡°It should be in a few days. From what I understand, this battle has pushed back all the Japanese pirates in Xingshan County. We should have a period of peace for some time now. If that¡¯s the case, the barracks should arrange for the soldiers to go home for visits in batches,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°That¡¯s great! Miss, can I go find some supplements for Xiaoyong to take with him?¡± ¡°Go ahead, I was thinking the same thing. You and I are on the same page.¡± Xiumei turned around and ran off to the small storeroom with a bounce in her step. ### After waiting for two days, Xu Zhengyong finally came back. The wet nurse immediately sent a letter to Wei Ruo. Given that the two homes were close, the pigeon arrived at Wei Ruo¡¯s courtyard in no time. Upon receiving the letter, Wei Ruo and Xiumei used an excuse they¡¯d prepared in advance to go out. Now that Nurse Zhang was on Wei Ruo¡¯s side, even if Wei Ruo ran around after going out, she would turn a blind eye. When they neared the back courtyard of the Four Treasure House, they saw the wet nurse tearfully talking to Xu Zhengyong.. Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Xu Zhengyongs Promotion l Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Xu Zhengyong¡¯s Promotion l Translator: 549690339 Hearing the sound of footsteps and seeing Wei Ruo arrive, the wet nurse quickly wiped away her tears. ¡°Ruoruo!¡± Xu Zhengyong greeted with a radiant smile. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t reply, instead she gave him a careful once-over from head to toe. ¡°Stop worrying, Ruoruo, I¡¯m fine, I haven¡¯t been injured. I¡¯m pretty tough, all the fights I had growing up weren¡¯t for nothing, nor was the martial arts training from our master. And the crossbow you gave me, it¡¯s incredibly powerful!¡± ¡°Our crossbowmen rained down arrows on them. Before they could even get close, a good number of them had already perished. When the melee started, they were already weakened. Plus, I was so fierce, those short and stubby Japanese couldn¡¯t even touch a hair on my head!¡± To prove to Wei Ruo that he was perfectly fine, Xu Zhengyong demonstrated a few moves on the spot and even did a backflip. ¡°Alright, alright, stop flipping around, lest you get injured at home instead of on the battlefield while showing off!¡± Xiumei interrupted Xu Zhengyong a little impatiently. ¡°Hehe¡­Meimei, you¡¯ll have to call me senior brother in the future, right?¡± Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t forget about this. ¡°In your dreams! You¡¯ve just fought one battle! Don¡¯t you know you need to stay injury-free for at least three to five years to prove your worth?¡± Xiumei retorted promptly. ¡°Three to five years? Isn¡¯t that too long?¡± Xu Zhengyong pouted. ¡°Too long? You think being a soldier is a two-day affair? When you chose this path, you should have known that this is almost a lifelong commitment, being safe for three to five years is probably even considered a lesser requirement!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t fuss with you about it. Three to five years it is. Sooner or later, you will willingly call me ¡®senior brother¡¯!¡± Xu Zhengyong responded confidently. Then he began boastfully sharing his thoughts and experiences with Wei Ruo as if he were showing off a trophy. ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯m about to get promoted!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, The Seventh Prince promised it personally!¡± Xu Zhengyong said then whispered, ¡°They don¡¯t let it be known that he is the Seventh Prince. I am telling you guys secretly, don¡¯t let it go further!¡± On hearing this, both Wei Ruo and Xiumei rolled their eyes. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, don¡¯t share such secrets with us in the future. If it¡¯s not supposed to be known, then don¡¯t say it,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°But you guys aren¡¯t outsiders! One of you is my sister and the other my junior sister. I don¡¯t have anything I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t take it seriously. ¡°No, it¡¯s not appropriate. The army is not like anywhere else. The rules that should be observed must be observed. Military orders are as unyielding as mountains, even if it involves parents, siblings, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Wei Ruo said with a stern expression. ¡°That¡¯s right, the young lady is correct, you better listen to her!¡± The wet nurse echoed. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± Xu Zhengyong repeatedly agreed. Even his mother had spoken up. If he didn¡¯t agree, his dad¡¯s fist might land on him. ¡°What position has the Seventh Prince promised you?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me not to say, Ruoruo?¡± ¡°The secret to keep is the identity of the Seventh Prince, not what he promised you, right? You¡¯ve already said the most confidential part, what are you holding back the rest for?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± After thinking for a moment, Xu Zhengyong conceded that she had a point and continued, ¡°He said he would promote me to Deputy General!¡± A General is equivalent to a company commander, and a Deputy General is a deputy company commander. From what Wei Mingting had implied last time, he planned to promote Brother Xiaoyong to a General Flag (platoon leader). Unexpectedly, Chu Lan directly promised Xiaoyong a higher position as Deputy General. Usually, a solider would first be promoted to a small flag (squad leader), then to a General Flag (platoon leader), and then to a Deputy General. Xu Zhengyong had just been promoted three ranks in one go. Although Xu Zhengyong would still be far from Wei Mingting after his promotion, Xu Zhengyong is just a new recruit. Being able to go directly from ordinary soldier to Deputy General in such a short time is already quite impressive. ¡°Really? Are you going to be a Deputy General?¡± Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but cheer. ¡°Hehe, the prince promised me this. Whether it will come true, I still don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°With the prince¡¯s promise, it will definitely happen. For the prince to want someone to be a Deputy General, it¡¯s simply a matter of a spoken word. Besides, Brother Xiaoyong, you really have contributed a lot this time, your promotion is well-deserved, there will be no problem!¡± Xiumei said, her face full of joy. ¡°Meimei is right.¡± Wei Ruo agreed. If it were only Wei Mingting intending to promote and reward Xu Zhengyong, Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t be so sure. But now that Chu Lan had made the promise, the odds of success were almost 100%. Even though she didn¡¯t like Chu Lan, she could confirm he was a man of his word. The wet nurse said to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank the young lady fast? If she hadn¡¯t helped you make the crossbow, where would you have gotten your promotion?¡± The wet nurse knew very well that her son¡¯s big promotion relied on the crossbow given by the young lady. If it were only for the brave performance on the battlefield, he would at most have been promoted to a small flag. How could he be promoted three ranks all at once? ¡°Yes indeed!¡± Xu Zhengyong suddenly became serious, straightened his clothes, and bowed respectfully to Wei Ruo. ¡°Thank you, Ruoruo.¡± He was quite serious at first, but unfortunately, his mischievous and teasing smile gave him away at the end. ¡°The crossbow I provided is one aspect, but Brother Xiaoyong has also won praise with his own strength. I heard that Brother Xiaoyong is very good at fighting, he can take on several men at once. When the two armies clashed up close, he was at the lead.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°That¡¯s because of the good master the young lady found for him. It¡¯s all thanks to the young lady¡¯s foresight in finding a master to teach them early on. Otherwise, Xiaoyong wouldn¡¯t have his current ability.¡± The wet nurse agreed. ¡°Exactly, what my mother said is right. Ruoruo is the best to me! She is so forward-thinking!¡± Xu Zhengyong laughed merrily. As he was laughing, Xu Zhengyong suddenly remembered something, ¡°Oh, right, Ruoruo, I¡¯ve used up the golden sore medicine you gave me. Do you have any more?¡± ¡°Where did you get hurt?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°No, not at all, it¡¯s not me.¡± Xu Zhengyong hurriedly explained, ¡°It¡¯s not that I got hurt, but my comrades were injured. Medicine is scarce in the barracks. The medicine we do have is given to those who are seriously injured. My two comrades were not severely injured, so they didn¡¯t receive any medicine. So, I gave them your golden sore medicine.¡± The wet Nurse slapped Xu Zhengyong, ¡°You stinker, don¡¯t you know the young lady¡¯s medicine is very expensive? It¡¯s supposed to be saved for your sake!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, wet nurse, I can afford it. It was valuable that it was used on comrades. I¡¯ll make more golden sore medicine for Brother Xiaoyong in the next few days. If this happens again, Brother Xiaoyong, just use it without holding back.¡± Wei Ruo said.. Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Wei Mingting also got promoted l Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Wei Mingting also got promoted l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo continued speaking to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the medicine. If you need anything, just write a letter to me. I will prepare everything.¡± ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯ve been so kind to me! Having you as a sister makes my life worthwhile!¡± Xu Zhengyong was deeply moved. ¡°Above all else, guarantee your safety,¡± Wei Ruo reminded him once more. Brother Xiaoyong sometimes acts impulsively without considering the consequences, so she had to nag him a bit. ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t worry, Ruoruo. I have everything under control,¡± Xu Zhengyong reassured her with a smile. ¡°Oh, right. Meimei brought quite a few things for you too.¡± Wei Ruo said pulling Xiumei forward. Xiumei looked a little shy, hesitated for a moment, then abruptly shoved the bundle she was carrying into Xu Zhengyong¡¯s arms. ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to hit me?¡± Xu Zhengyong asked. The force with which she tossed the bundle nearly matched the strength of a punch. ¡°I¡¯m not hitting you! These are all good things to nourish your health,¡± Xiumei explained. Upon learning that the bundle was full of health supplements, Xu Zhengyong could not help but grin: ¡°Meimei, you¡¯re so good to me! You could be my wife in future even if you don¡¯t want to be my junior apprentice sister!¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Xiumei immediately raised her fist and went after Xu Zhengyong, who scurried away, tightly clutching the bundle and not letting it go. ¡°Xu Zhengyong, stop right there!¡± Xiumei yelled. Xu Zhengyong ran faster, shouting in response, ¡°I won¡¯t stop! If I do, you¡¯ll beat me to death! I survived the battlefield only to be crippled by you at home. How do I explain this to my comrades when I go back?¡± Wei Ruo and their maid could only shake their heads in resignation, accustomed to the playful banter between these two. They knew that, after all, no serious harm would come of it. Wei Ruo and Xiumei stayed at Xu Family¡¯s house until dusk. It was getting late and they had to leave, said goodbye to the Xu family, hopped onto the carriage and returned to Military Prefecture. ### After two days, good news arrived at Wei Residence. Xu Zhengyong¡¯s promotion to Deputy General was finalised. Wei Ruo had Xiumei deliver the packed medicine to him. She initially planned to prepare more, but time simply did not allow for further delay as Xu Zhengyong might soon return to the barracks. Simultaneously, the Wei family received good news¡ªthat Wei Mingting also received a promotion. He was promoted from Deputy Battalion Commander to Battalion Commander. His honorary rank of Sixth-rank Colonel was also upgraded to regular status. The Military Prefecture erupted in celebrating the happy news. Wei Mingting had held the position of Deputy Battalion Commander for a long time without receiving a promotion. They had previously feared the possibility of his demotion or dismissal. Now, the dark clouds had lifted and everyone was jubilant. ¡°Quick, write a letter to the Capital City to inform the Duke Residence of this good news!¡± Madam Yun instructed her eldest son Wei Yichen to write a letter to the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the Capital City, reporting this joyous news. Even though the Residence will probably hear the news before they do, it was the family¡¯s duty to keep them informed. She also ordered to prepare a celebration feast for her husband. Even though it was just a family meal and not a full-fledged party¡ªas instructed by Wei Mingting to avoid extravagance. Given the bad crop yield in Xingshan County and the cold weather earlier than usual, there were signs that this year would be challenging. Under such circumstances, it was not wise to waste extravagantly. By nightfall, the Wei family had gathered. Wei Jinyi, who rarely appeared at the dining hall, had surprisingly turned up today. Seeing Wei Jinyi, Madam Yun paused momentarily. ¡°Mother,¡± Wei Jinyi greeted Madam Yun. ¡°Hmm.¡± Mrs. Yun responded with a hum, not saying anything. Thinking more carefully about the unusual circumstances of the day, it was understandable that he was willing to come and join them for dinner. Her surprise was because he hadn¡¯t come to the dining hall to have dinner with everyone for such a long time, making her momentarily taken aback. Wei Yichen took the initiative to greet Wei Jinyi: ¡°Second brother, are you doing well recently?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Wei Jinyi¡¯s answer was as lackluster as always, being consistent with his demeanor. ¡°When will you be going to Huzhou Prefecture?¡± Wei Yichen inquired further. ¡°That will still need some more time.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, just let your big brother know.¡± Wei Yichen stated. Wei Jinyi gave a slight nod in response. Wei Qingwan¡¯s gaze landed on Wei Ruo. Today, Wei Ruo was dressed in a light green satin dress with a simple bun, making her appear lively and bright. With their father being promoted, the eldest legitimate daughter of the family has gained greater importance. Wei Qingwan understood fully that the more prestigious a family was, the more it values respect for elders and the social ranking of siblings. In the future, when it came to marriage negotiations, the eldest legitimate daughter would enjoy an advantage. Thinking of this, Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression became somewhat gloomier. We Ruo didn¡¯t pay attention to the expressions of the other people. As she stood in a corner of the dining hall, her mind was occupied with other matters. She had many concerns recently, apart from the sweet potatoes in the north of the city, the wasteland improvement in the south, and the herbal fields with the Xie family, she was also considering using the recently saved 500 taels of silver to buy food and coal from other places. While Wei Ruo was daydreaming, Wei Mingting, dressed casually, appeared in the dining hall. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Yichen stepped forward to greet. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Mingting hummed in response, his gaze then falling onto Wei Jinyi who was behind Wei Yichen. ¡°You¡¯ve decided to venture outside today?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi responded in his characteristically neutral tone. It seemed no matter who stood in front of him, he would react in the same way. ¡°That¡¯s very good. You should get out more and shouldn¡¯t always stay cooped up in your courtyard.¡± Wei Mingting expressed his relief. Then, Wei Mingting turned his attention to Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Qingwan obediently called out. Wei Ruo, who was lost in thought, responded much slower. It was only when she noticed Wei Mingting looking at her that she hurriedly called out: ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Mingting answered. ¡°Let¡¯s all take our seats.¡± At Wei Mingting¡¯s command, everyone took their seat in order. Presently, in Xingshan County, the rules were somewhat relaxed. If this had been the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the Capital City, considering the ages of the children in the household, the boys and girls would have been seated at different tables. The large round table was filled with various dishes. The dishes for tonight¡¯s dinner were especially abundant: home-cooked large yellow croaker, wheat shrimp, salt-roasted pig liver, steam crabs, dough wraps, tofu balls, boiled chicken¡­ It was clear that there were many more seafood dishes. This was after the victory, and some fishermen managed to go out to sea and catch it. They took the initiative to deliver the seafood to the Military Prefecture to express their gratitude to Wei Mingting for defeating the Japanese Pirates. Wei Mingting looked at the spread in front of him with joy, not only because of the good food in front of him, but also because it meant that the townspeople could go back to their fishing livelihood. For an agriculturally poor county like Xingshan, this was excellent news. At this moment, Wei Jinyi had Xiaobei bring in a pot. ¡°Jinyi, what good things have you brought?¡± Wei Mingting curiously asked.. Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 82 - Ruoruo Surprisingly Knows How to Brew Wine_l Chapter 82: Chapter 82 ¨C Ruoruo Surprisingly Knows How to Brew Wine_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯S plum wine, brewed by our eldest sister herself, I¡¯m just the one delivering it,¡± Wei Jinyi explained. Everyone looked in surprise at Wei Ruo, who calmly kept her gaze on the dishes in front of her. The second brother had consulted her before proceeding with this. She had originally not planned on presenting this gesture to Wei Mingting, but the jar of wine had been opened previously and if left for too long, it would lose its taste. The jar was nearly full, having been left untouched after the second brother¡¯s drunken episode, only a couple of cups had been consumed. And since Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t particularly fond of alcohol, she wouldn¡¯t drink it on a normal day, so it would be a waste to let it sit. The second brother said that father loved wine, but wasn¡¯t addicted to it, letting him taste it would be putting it to good use. And since the second brother had already consulted her, she didn¡¯t want to contradict him, so she remained silent. ¡°Ruo can make wine?¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s gaze landed on Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes, it was a casual attempt,¡± Wei Ruo casually answered. ¡°Well, your father must taste it properly,¡± Wei Mingting declared. Happiness elevates the spirit, the weight of the Japanese Pirates issue temporarily lifted, and Wei Mingting¡¯s longing for wine emerged. Upon hearing this, Mother Yun promptly poured Wei Mingting a cup, then filled a cup for everyone present except for the young Wei Yilin. Toasting is a refined activity, so on this celebratory occasion, Mother Yun allowed their older children to drink. Wei Mingting tasted it first, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face, ¡°Ruo, did you really make this wine?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Ruo responded indifferently. ¡°The wine is truly excellent. It¡¯s clear, sweet and light, with a strong aroma of wine and fruit,¡± Wei Mingting commented. Upon hearing Wei Mingting¡¯s praise, Mother Yun and Wei Yichen also took a sip. Both showed expressions of surprise. ¡°Ruo made a good wine. It¡¯s purer and sweeter than what¡¯s sold at the taverns in town,¡± Wei Yichen said. The purity and sweetness probably came from the distillation method Wei Ruo used, resulting in a pure and clear wine, transparent like water. In this era, many wines, especially those brewed in small workshops, were somewhat crude, resulting in a more cloudy product. Mother Yun also couldn¡¯t help but praised, ¡°Ruo is really skillful. This is the first time I¡¯ve tasted a wine that is so warming yet mellow.¡± Listening to everyone praising Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan looked down at the cup of wine in front of her, and then tentatively took a sip. She didn¡¯t drink much and didn¡¯t have much opportunity to drink. So she didn¡¯t know as much about wine as her parents and brothers. But Wei Qingwan could tell that the wine was indeed good. The clear, sweet and refreshing taste could be discerned. Suddenly, she felt a bitter taste in her heart. She looked up at Wei Ruo with a smile on her face, and praised along with everyone else, ¡°Sister is really amazing. It seems that nothing can stump you. Compared to you, I am really useless. ¡°How could Wanwan be useless? Wanwan is good at her own things,¡± Mother Yun reassured quickly. ¡°Exactly, making wine is not a work for a dijinguish young lady, isn¡¯t that the job for sweaty brewmasters in those small workshops outside?¡± Wei Yilin added hurriedly. ¡°Yilin, what are you talking about?¡± Wei Mingting looked serious. Wei Yilin was afraid of Wei Mingting. As soon as Wei Mingting looked serious, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to make a sound. Usually when Wei Mingting was not at home, he would sometimes make similar disparaging remarks about Wei Ruo. No one in the family got angry, so he took it for granted. ¡°If these were unintentional words, then let them slide. But if you deliberately disrespect your eldest sister, you can skip today¡¯s meal and go stand in the yard!¡± Wei Mingting said coldly. Hearing this, Mother Yun quickly pleaded for her youngest son, ¡°Yilin must have misspoke unintentionally. Husband, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Wei Yilin lowered his head very low and nodded lightly. Seeing this, Wei Mingting did not pursue the matter further. Wei Yichen explained to Wei Yilin, ¡°Yilin, brewing is not as crude as you think. Good brewing recipes are usually family secrets passed down from generation to generation. Plus, there¡¯s an official winery in the palace, where the brewmasters hold official positions.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Wei Yilin responded softly. Actually, he knew all that his big brother said. He just spoke like that because he didn¡¯t want Sister Wanwan to feel inferior to Wei Qingruo. As for the remaining Wei Jinyi, he pretended to take a sip, but in reality not a drop entered his mouth. Wei Ruo noticed this. After what happened last time, he wouldn¡¯t dare to touch any alcohol, even this mild fruit wine. The meal ended, and the jar of wine was finished, most of which was consumed by Wei Mingting. The rest of them just took a few sips. As for Wei Mingting¡¯s tolerance, this fruit wine wouldn¡¯t make him drunk, not even seven or eight jars would. He loved wine, but he abstained when he had official duties. Today, they were celebrating a great victory at home. It was a rare opportunity to drink in these past few years. Having a jar of good wine made him ecstatic. When the banquet ended, Wei Mingting unexpectedly asked Wei Ruo for more wine, ¡°Ruo, if you make more wine in the future, let your father taste it, alright?¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t refuse, so she said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember to make some for father next time.¡± She didn¡¯t know when the next batch of wine would be ready, and the wine just brewed couldn¡¯t be drunk immediately, it had to be left for a long time. So Wei Mingting might not get to taste her next batch of wine until who knows when. As for the few jars still stored in her warehouse, Wei Mingting only asked for the next batch, not those already brewed, so naturally she didn¡¯t need to bring them out. Wei Mingting said, ¡°Good, your father will be looking forward to Ruo¡¯s next fine wine.¡± After the banquet, everyone left the dining hall one after another. As soon as Wei Ruo stepped out of the door, Wei Qingwan walked towards her. Wei Qingwan took the initiative to talk to Wei Ruo and handed her a sachet that she had embroidered herself: ¡°Sister, I embroidered this sachet for you. I¡¯m not as capable as my sister. I can only do some embroidery work. I hope sister will not dislike it.¡± Wei Ruo turned her head to look at Wei Qingwan but did not take it. Seeing that Wei Ruo didn¡¯t react, Wei Qingwan explained, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve kept in mind what you taught me on Qixi Festival. But at the moment, I can¡¯t think of a better way to express my sincerity to sister. So I embroidered a sachet to show my intentions.¡± Wei Ruo examined Wei Qingwan intently. Wei Qingwan, perhaps feeling guilty or uncomfortable, lowered her head to avoid direct eye contact with Wei Ruo. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll accept it.¡± Wei Ruo suddenly reached out to take the sachet. Immediately after, Wei Ruo saw Wei Yichen coming out of the dining hall and passed the sachet to him. ¡°Ruo, what is this?¡± Wei Yichen looked at Wei Ruo in confusion.. Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Early Planning_l Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Early Planning_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Elder brother has given me Tingsong Garden, and I¡¯ve wanted to send him an embroidered silk pouch for a while now. But, alas, my hands are clumsy, and I don¡¯t know how to embroider. Just by chance, sister Qingwan gave me one, so I will present that to my brother in a gesture of turning flowers into a Buddha offering,¡± said Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo grinned widely, then turned on her heel and walked away. She didn¡¯t care whether it was okay to re-gift things given to her. Either way, she¡¯s a country lass, surely they¡¯ll understand that she doesn¡¯t know every custom, right? In any case, she dared not accept anything from Wei Qingwan. Who knew if this was just a trap? Although for the time being she couldn¡¯t fathom what schemes Wei Qingwan could spin around a simple silk pouch, if she didn t give her an inch, her plans would remain futile. After all, how could something as frivolous as a silk pouch make up for the grudge of slandering and wronging her? By the time Wei Yichen figured out what he was holding in his hand and tried to call out to Wei Ruo, she had already left. ¡°Wanwan, was this the pouch you were planning to give Ruoruo?¡± Wei Yichen asked Wei Qingwan. ¡°Yes, perhaps she did not like it because I didn¡¯t make it well enough, whispered Qingwan. ¡°Ruoruo is just like that, brusque in her actions but not ill-intentioned. She has been at the residence for some time now, so don¡¯t think too much of it, Wanwan,¡± said Wei Yichen, dismissing the slight incident. Both his sisters are good girls with different temperaments, two pearls of the Wei family. ¡°Yes¡­ I understand¡­¡± replied Qingwan, her low-dropped face wearing an awful expression. ¡°I will keep the pouch. Thank you, Wanwan.¡± Although he didn¡¯t necessarily need an embroidered silk pouch, it represented the good intentions of his two sisters, which he cherished. ### Capital City, the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence. News of Wei Mingting¡¯s promotion quickly reached the Capital. The news came directly from the Capital, ahead of the letter sent from Xingshan County. The news plunged the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence into a sea of joy. ¡°Good job, third son! This is a celebration, a great celebration. It is a joyous occasion for the entire Duke Residence!¡± The old Duke was delighted and his face beamed with a joy not seen in a long time. It had been three whole years, and finally, his third son had received another promotion! The worry that had been gnawing at him could finally be put to rest! Both Wei Minghong and Wei Mingyong couldn¡¯t contain their smiles. ¡°Father, this is truly a joyous occasion. Now we do not have to worry about our little brother being demoted,¡± Wei Mingyong said with a smile. ¡°Father, given this great occasion, shouldn¡¯t we make a trip to Xingshan County to personally congratulate him?¡± Wei Minghong suggested. The old Duke objected: ¡°There¡¯s no need for a personal visit. Even though you¡¯re only doing routine tasks at the moment, you still hold an official position. Can you afford to run around so recklessly? Are you trying to give others something to hold over you?¡± The old Duke continued: ¡°If you two as his elder brothers truly care for your younger brother, show your sincerity. You should prepare some congratulatory gifts for him. Xingshan County is rather impoverished, and I heard that this year¡¯s yield is not looking good. The situation even before the fall harvest suggests a potential food shortage. You two as his elder brothers should consider his plight.¡± Seeing their plan to visit Xingshan County thwarted and their father urging them to dip into their wealth, the expressions on Wei Minghong and Wei Mingyong¡¯s faces became awkward. After some hesitation, Wei Mingyong was the first to speak: ¡°Father is right, I will go back and arrange a suitable gift. We cannot let our little brother s promotion go uncelebrated.¡± Once Wei Mingyong had spoken, Wei Minghong couldn¡¯t be left out. Despite his reluctance, he said: ¡°Father, rest assured. Even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have arranged this matter in due course.¡± Despite their reluctance, the brothers didn¡¯t dare to gloss over their father¡¯s suggestion. They returned home and prepared some items which were then taken to the old Duke. After the old Duke had sorted through them, they were sent off to Xingshan County. ### At the end of July, Wei Ruo received a response from Mo Jiazha. The village leader wrote on behalf of the villagers promising that they would store enough grain for the next year and then sell any surplus to Wei Ruo at the local market rate after the harvest. Their village had been planting the rice seeds that Wei Ruo had given them and using the farming knowledge she had taught them, which had considerably increased their rice yield for several consecutive years, far surpassing the surrounding villages. This also significantly improved the living conditions of Mo Jiazha, which was originally a poor village. They could now feed themselves, and also sell the surplus grains for money. The villagers remembered this favor, so regardless of how the price of grain changed in the future, they would sell it to Wei Ruo at the usual price. The coal had also been taken care of. They had already ordered a batch from Huzhou Prefecture, which would arrive soon. Both the current situation and the memory of the original host told Wei Ruo that this year wouldn¡¯t be easy. The looming challenges for Xingshan County were food shortage and cold. Wei Ruo knew she had to plan for these issues early. ¡°Miss, are we really spending so much silver on grain and coal? That would be almost all of the liquid assets you have,¡± Xiumei voiced her worries. Wei Ruo had already spent most of her savings on the purchase of Xiaoyang Mountain. Now she was about to spend another five hundred taels of silver on grains and coal, which would almost deplete her savings. ¡°Running water doesn¡¯t rot, and money begets money. Silver itself is just a cold lump of metal. It only becomes meaningful when I can use it to get what I want,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°As long as you have a plan, Miss. If anything comes up, don¡¯t bear it alone. Nanny, Uncle Xu, and I can help share the burden,¡± Xiumei said. -Don¡¯t worry, my dear Mei Zi. Your Miss has always been savvy when it comes to making money,¡± Wei Ruo replied with a smile, then touched her stomach, ¡°although working my brain so much makes me hungry. ¡°Alright, alright, I got it. I¡¯ll make you some snacks. The seafood we bought last time has all been dried. How about I roast some dried squid for you?¡± ¡°Sounds great, make some extra and send it to second brother as well. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get right to it!¡± Xiumei took out the dried squid they had dried a while ago and went over to Yingzhu Garden next door to roast it on their kitchen stove. After roasting, she divided it into two portions. She left one portion at Yingzhu Garden for Xiaobei to deliver to Wei Jinyi, and brought the second portion back for Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo happily noshed on a piece of the crispy roasted squid and busied herself in her room for the whole afternoon. On the other hand, Wei Jinyi, who had received the roasted squid from Wei Ruo, savor it delicately. Xiaobei remarked from the side, ¡°Young master, Miss Ruo really cares about you, always thinking of you when she has something nice! Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The First Batch of Sweet Potatoes Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The First Batch of Sweet Potatoes Ripple_l Translator: 549690339 Although Wei Jinyi did not respond, she agreed with Xiaobei¡¯s view in her heart. She really liked this brother, and if one day she learned the truth¡­ she didn¡¯t know if she would be heartbroken. Xiaobei couldn¡¯t resist asking again: ¡°Young Master, are we really going to Huzhou Prefecture? If we go there, we won¡¯t see the young lady again.¡± ¡°Yes, we have to go.¡± Wei Jinyi had made up her mind. There were some things that were inconvenient to do in Wei Residence. Only by going out could he get the freedom to act. Seeing Wei Jinyi¡¯s changes, Xiaobei was happy but also worried. The young master had always been avoiding people all these years. Now he had changed his mind, he didn¡¯t know if this was a good or bad thing. ### A few days later, they received a return letter from Huzhou Prefecture. The recommendation letter from Heyou was very effective, and the Tibetan layman planned to meet Wei Jinyi in person. So, Wei Jinyi prepared to set off for Huzhou Prefecture. Wei Mingting personally ordered Yunshi to prepare Wei Jinyi¡¯s luggage, carriage and horses to ensure a smooth journey for Wei Jinyi. Yunshi did not dare to neglect his order, but she felt a bit lost. Her second son who had always been insignificant in the Residence got the chance to become a disciple of the Tibetan layman, while her elder son who had been praised by the teacher¡¯s classmates had to stay in Xingshan County, desperately seeking the next opportunity. When Wei Jinyi left, Wei Ruo did not see him off. She just prepared a box of farewell gifts for Wei Jinyi and gave it to Xiaobei the day before. After Wei Jinyi left, Wei Ruo sat in the yard, propping her chin with one hand and sighed unconsciously. ¡°I suddenly feel that my decision is not very wise. There¡¯s no one to talk to at home. With the departure, it feels even more desolate. Xiumei said, ¡°Miss, I have no way to influence this. You made this decision. If you feel bored, then I must suffer a bit and accompany you more to talk.¡± ¡°Good Mei mei, don¡¯t be jealous of my brother. You are the most important, you are the person who talks to me the most. I can bear to lose anyone, but not you,¡± Wei Ruo explained hastily. Xiumei was made to giggle by Wei Ruo, ¡°Alright, alright, Miss, are you hungry again and want me to make you something delicious?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s all from my heart, no tactics,¡± Wei Ruo said with a chuckle. ### Time flashed to the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and the weather turned cool. On the first day of the eighth month, it was overcast, and the mood of the people was also like the weather. The reason was nothing more than the poor growth of this year¡¯s rice. The rice ears had fewer grains and were not full. Many of them were empty, and it was foreseeable that the grain situation would be poor this year. At the same time, the sweet potatoes on Xiaoyang Mountain were also harvested. Compared with the sorrow of other farming estates¡¯ workers, Xiaoyang Mountain was filled with joy of the harvest. The hired farmhands turned the earth, dug up sweet potatoes, and then carried them down the mountain in loads. The long-term and short-term farmhands in the nearby estates craned their necks to watch. In fact, they were curious when Xiaoyang Mountain began to grow sweet potatoes. Later, they sold some vine leaves, and everyone knew vaguely that this was a new crop that could be eaten. But if they only sold some leaves, planting a whole mountain seemed not worthwhile. Today, when they saw the farmhands on the mountain carrying loads of sweet potatoes down, they realized that the main part of these plants to be eaten was the tubers in the ground. They were not sure if these red pieces were tasty or not. The majority of the first batch of sweet potatoes that were dug up were sent to the warehouse, and only a small part was sent to the market for sale. Looking at this year¡¯s situation, it was more important to store grain than silver. Of course, Wei Ruo still needed to sell some sweet potatoes to obtain some liquid capital, but this was not in a rush. She needed to wait until all the sweet potatoes were dug up, evaluate the total output, and then decide how much to sell. For now, only a small amount was sold, more like a promotional campaign for this new type of crop, paving the way for future large-scale sales. At the market, a charcoal fire rack was set up next to the small stall selling sweet potatoes, and the sweet potatoes were roasted on it. Soon, the baked sweet potatoes exuded a tempting food smell and attracted many people to stop and ask. Having tasted the sweet potato leaves and dried sweet potatoes before, everyone had some understanding of this crop and knew it was edible with a nice flavor. The price of roasted sweet potatoes was neither expensive nor cheap, five coins each. But this year, everyone could foresee that the grain would be in short supply, and the price of grain in the rice shops was already rising. Considering this, the price of sweet potatoes was reasonable. After the first customer bought a roasted potato, tasted it, and said it was delicious, the subsequent sales were fast, and the sweet potatoes were quickly sold out. Many people wanted to buy more, but the stall selling baked sweet potatoes had already closed down. Those who wanted more could only come back another day. ### In Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo was in a very good mood. Xiumei was also happy. Every time a crop was harvested, the young lady¡¯s mood was exceedingly good. If crops matured every day, the young lady would probably be as happy every day. What Xiumei did not know was that Wei Ruo was not only happy about the abundant harvest of sweet potatoes on Xiaoyang Mountain, but also because the sweet potatoes she herself had planted in the yard had matured too. Though quantitatively they couldn¡¯t be compared with those on Xiaoyang Mountain, these were sweet potatoes that Wei Ruo had planted herself and she could gain experience points from them. There were initially only a hundred experience points required to upgrade to the third level of the space. With this harvest, she directly gained two hundred experience points, which successfully upgraded the space to the third level. Not only did the available space for cultivation in the space increase, but she could also unlock a new kind of space plant ¨C Shiitake Mycelium. After the space was upgraded, Wei Ruo immediately planted Shiitake Mycelium in the space¡¯s land. The land in the space could support any plants and didn¡¯t require her to make additional adjustments to the soil and environment. Even though the environmental factors required for growing mushrooms differed greatly from common plants, in the land of the space, all could be realized. Besides, Wei Ruo planned to cultivate mushrooms in the outside world, which would be a lot more complicated, requiring appropriate cultivation materials and environment. At the moment, there are several advantages to growing mushrooms in Xingshan County: first, their growth cycle is very short. Under suitable temperature and humidity, they can mature in a week. Second, they do not need to be planted in the ground and do not occupy land resources. In Xingshan County, land resources are extremely limited. Even with the addition of the wasteland in the south of the city, the per capita cultivated land area is still not abundant. Lastly, and what pleased Wei Ruo most, was that there were many hills in Xingshan County, many of which had caves. When she visited the Xie Residence, she had discovered many natural caves in the nearby hills. If the humidity and temperature inside the caves were suitable, they could become natural mushroom cultivation rooms.. Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Encounter with Xie Family Siblingsi Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Encounter with Xie Family Siblingsi Translator: 549690339 ¡°Meimei, contact the nanny, I have something I need her to help me buy.¡± Wei Ruo said enthusiastically. Firstly, Wei Ruo needs to prepare all the necessary materials, which are sawdust, wood shavings, rice bran or wheat bran. These are the main components of the mushroom cultivation bundle. Among them, sawdust and wood shavings form the major part, each constituting about forty percent. Both of these can be purchased at a low price from the carpenters in town. The remaining rice bran and wheat bran are also not difficult to obtain, and their prices are not expensive. The initial purchase doesn¡¯t have to be in large quantity, wait until the practice has proven successful and feasible, before considering expansion. The purchasing tasks should be given to the nanny, while Wei Ruo herself needs to investigate the caves in Xingshan County to see if there are any suitable for her requirements in terms of temperature and humidity. Wei Ruo put her plan into action once she had it set. For this trip, Wei Ruo still brought Zhang¡¯s nanny along. Being with Wei Ruo, Zhang¡¯s nanny has not only increased her status, but also received many good things from Wei Ruo, especially food, benefitting greatly as a result. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t involve Zhang¡¯s nanny in the other things she was doing, but she would have Zhang¡¯s nanny help with cover, facilitating her access to the Military Prefecture. Zhang¡¯s nanny is quite generous, not saying much about taking advantage from Wei Ruo. She was naturally afraid of trouble, as long as Wei Ruo didn¡¯t create any problems, she would be too lazy to reveal Wei Ruo¡¯s secrets to Madam Yun. The mountains in the west area are desolate and precipitous. If the mountains to the north of the city still have the potential to be cultivated into terraced fields, then these mountains to the west are out of the question. They are barren, precipitous and full of stones; only suitable as firewood hills, and only nearby firewood gatherers and huntsmen would visit. The carriage couldn¡¯t go up the mountain, so it had to stop on the nearby path. Seeing that Wei Ruo was planning to head up the mountain, Zhang¡¯s nanny anxiously advised, ¡°Miss, I suggest you not climb this mountain. There¡¯s nothing valuable on it, it¡¯s really not worth it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just take a stroll. This mountain is rugged, who knows, there may be a lot of valuable medicinal herbs. This trip won¡¯t be wasted,¡± assured Wei Ruo. The nearby villagers didn¡¯t recognize medicinal herbs, so Wei Ruo thought that her chances of finding medicinal herbs on these rugged mountains were quite high. Of course, her main goal was to personally see the number, size of the caves on these mountains, and whether the temperature and humidity inside really made them natural incubators for mushroom cultivation. Seeing this, Zhang¡¯s nanny didn¡¯t continue to dissuade her, she just wasn¡¯t willing to climb the mountain herself: ¡°Then Miss, I will wait for you down here with the carriage. This mountain is too dangerous and I can¡¯t handle it with my old legs.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay, you just wait for me down there. If you¡¯re tired, you can take a nap in the carriage.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t plan to take Zhang¡¯s nanny with her up the mountain anyway, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t know how to explain when she found the caves. Wei Ruo and Xiumei went up the mountain together, an activity they had done many times before. For Xiumei, as long as her young miss didn¡¯t secretly climb the mountain alone, she was grateful. What she was most afraid of was her young miss sneaking into the deep mountain forest alone. This always worried her to death. Just as the two were about to climb the mountain, a group of people approached from another trail. Wei Ruo recognized them from a distance and confirmed who they were as they approached. It was the Xie siblings. Xie Ying also recognized Wei Ruo and accelerated her pace, jogging towards Wei Ruo. ¡°Ruoruo!¡± ¡°Slow down, be careful not to fall.¡± Wei Ruo cautioned. Xie Jue, who was following close behind Xie Ying, echoed the same, ¡°Yingying, did you hear? Miss Wei also said you should be careful. The path here is full of weeds, dead branches, and broken stones. It would be dangerous if you fell!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, you guys don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Xie Ying didn¡¯t think she would fall ¨C she was agile! Next, Xie Ying asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to collect herbs from the nearby mountain.¡± Wei Ruo replied, choosing not to mention her mushroom cultivation plan to the Xie siblings yet. Hearing this, Xie Ying¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°The herbal remedy you gave me last time, I gave it to my mom, and she said it worked!¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s helpful.¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. ¡°So, I¡¯ll come and pick the herbs with you this time! Once I find it, you can tell me how to use it!¡± Having had a successful experience the last time, Xie Ying was fully energised this time. Hearing this, Xie Jue was confused and asked, ¡°Little sister, what kind of medicine did you give to our mother? Is mother sick? Why does she need medicine?¡± ¡°This is a women¡¯s issue, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Xie Ying pulled Wei Ruo aside to prevent Xie Jue from hearing their conversation. Xie Jue was exasperated, ¡°Little sister, our mother is my mother too, can I not be concerned about her health?¡± ¡°No!¡± Xie Ying refused. Seeing that Xie Ying couldn¡¯t be persuaded, Xie Jue turned to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss Wei, please tell me, is there anything wrong with my mother¡¯s health?¡± ¡°Your mother is fine, Mr. Xie, please rest assured.¡± answered Wei Ruo. Xie Ying said with a triumphant look at Xie Jue, ¡°Brother, you might as well give up. Ruoruo and I are on the same boat.¡± Xie Jue sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright then.¡± Xie Ying, holding Wei Ruo¡¯s hand, started to walk up the mountain, chatting idly along the way. Wei Ruo asked Xie Ying, ¡°What brought you here, by the way?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, we have a second house nearby. Brother and I just dropped by after visiting there and decided to stroll around the neighborhood.¡± Xie Ying is restless by nature and she always feels bored staying at home. Now that she had Xie Jue with her, she would seize every opportunity to let him bring her out. After a short walk, Wei Ruo found some Paris Polyphylla, also known as Polygonatum. Wei Ruo carefully picked them up like treasures. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xie Ying curiously inquired. ¡°This is called Paris Polyphylla, also known as Polygonatum, it¡¯s good for treating snakebites. It¡¯s easy to recognize ¨C usually a stalk has seven leaves, but some have six. It¡¯s actually quite hard to find, I didn¡¯t expect to be so lucky today to find it on the mountain.¡± explained Wei Ruo. Xie Ying diligently took note while Xie Jue listened with interest. Xie Ying then spotted the same plant nearby and quickly called for Wei Ruo to identify it. ¡°Yes, this is Paris Polyphylla.¡± Upon receiving Wei Ruo¡¯s confirmation, Xie Ying carefully began to dig it up. Once she successfully dug up the whole plant, she proudly showed it off to Xie Jue, ¡°Brother, see how well I dug it up.¡± ¡°Yes, my sister¡¯s plant is the most beautiful.¡± Xie Jue gave his unprincipled compliment. Anything his sister did was naturally the best, there was no doubt about it. Even if it was just simply digging up a plant, it must be more beautiful than what others have dug up. After digging up the Polygonatum, Xie Ying ran over to examine the dry weed that Wei Ruo was picking up from the ground. ¡°What¡¯s this Ruoruo? Isn¡¯t this just some dried up wild grass? Why are you picking it?¡± Xie Ying asked.. Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Exploring the Cave 1 Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Exploring the Cave 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª This one is called Sophora Japonica; it¡¯s just the right season to pick it.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°Sophora Japonica? What¡¯s it used for?¡± ¡°Sophora Japonica is remarkably effective in treating scrofula, a disease with a high mortality rate, hence it¡¯s quite valuable. However, it is overlooked by many due to its similarity to common weeds. It gets its name because its flowers resemble dried grass in summer.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡¯I didn¡¯t expect such a common-looking plant to be so useful.¡± Xie Ying bent down to help Wei Ruo pick it. ¡°Moreover, Sophora Japonica can be used to make herbal tea. It makes a tasty drink when boiled with lotus leaves and Phyllostachys extract.¡± Wei Ruo added. Ruo Ruo, you know how to make herbal tea too?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Making herbal tea is quite simple. You just put the ingredients in water and boil them together. There¡¯s not much technique required. I can also make herbal jelly and turtle jelly ¨C those are a bit complicated but they¡¯re great for cooling down in the summer.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Ruo Ruo, you¡¯re like a treasure! I want to take you home and hide you away!¡± Xiumei, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but interject: ¡°Miss Xie, kidnapping is illegal. If you¡¯re thinking about taking our young miss home, I¡¯ll report you to the authorities!¡± Xie Ying pouted, ¡°Do you think I could kidnap your young miss with you around? Why don¡¯t I give you some silver, and you tie her up for me?¡± Xiumei immediately asked Wei Ruo for advice, ¡°Miss, Miss Xie offered me silver. If she offers a lot, can I consider it?¡± Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°You can consider it. If the offer is substantial, I might even cooperate and let you tie me up, then share the spoils with you.¡± Xiumei agreed, ¡°Uh-huh, yeah! After we get the silver, I can go to the Xie Residence to rescue our young miss!¡± Xie Ying was taken aback: ¡°How dare you two plot to steal my silver right in front of me!¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand, pretending to throw the freshly picked Sophora Japonica at Wei Ruo. But after a glance, she couldn¡¯t bear to do it, instead, she changed direction and threw it forcefully into Wei Ruo¡¯s medicine basket. Xie Jue, standing five steps away, couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he watched the interactions of the three girls. Miss Wei was indeed a lively and attractive character, no doubt capable of taming his headstrong sister. After a while, Wei Ruo spotted a cave. Wei Ruo curiously headed towards the cave, Xie Jue hurriedly intercepted, ¡°Miss Wei, don¡¯t go there, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± Wei Ruo looked back at Xie Jue with puzzled eyes. ¡°The caves around Xingshan County are large and deep. The internal structures are complicated, I¡¯m afraid of the possible presence of wild beasts or snakes, rats, insects, ants, etc.¡± Xie Jue explained. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Sir Xie, but I¡¯m still keen to take a look. Rest assured, my maid is extremely capable. We also have experience dealing with snakes, rats, insects and ants, so we have the strength to handle any issues.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Convinced by the resolve in Wei Ruo¡¯s words, and for safety¡¯s sake, Xie Jue decided to accompany them into the cave. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind you, in case of danger, I can help,¡± said Xie Jue. ¡°Then I¡¯m going too.¡± Xie Ying swiftly stepped forward. Xie Jue quickly grabbed her arm, ¡°Yingying, why are you going?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go if you all are? I¡¯m very capable too.¡± Xie Ying claimed. Although she had no martial arts training, her skills in horse-riding and archery were not to be underestimated, making her more capable compared to the average lady. ¡°But there might be snakes, rats, insects, ants in the cave, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Xie Jue asked. ¡°If Ruo Ruo isn¡¯t scared, why should I be?¡± Xie Ying retorted fearlessly. ¡°If Yingying wants to go, I have an insect repellent ointment here.¡± Wei Ruo promptly took out a ceramic container from the bag she brought with her. Upon opening the container, there was a light yellow wax-like substance inside. Wei Ruo lightly rubbed the ointment on her fingertip, then applied it to Xie Ying¡¯s wrists and behind her ears. Xie Ying sniffed her wrist, ¡°It smells wonderful, like a delicate fruit scent, sweet and very pleasant.¡± ¡°Yes, I prepared this scent deliberately. I recently learned perfumery and applied it in this ointment. The original ointment had an undesirable medicinal smell.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°You¡¯re applying what you¡¯ve learned, Ruo Ruo. You¡¯re amazing!¡± Xie Ying couldn¡¯t help but praise Wei Ruo again. Xie Jue behind sight was also amazed. The young Miss Wei was really interesting, like an inexhaustible treasure, continuously surprising people. Xie Jue looked at Wei Ruo, his eyes filled with admiration and approval, and unconsciously a smile appeared on his face. Xie Ying asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo Ruo, can you put some of this ointment on my brother as well? I dont want him to be bitten by ants either.¡± Wei Ruo handed the entire box to Xie Ying, ¡°Here, you can have it.¡± ¡°If you give it to me, what about you?¡± Xie Ying asked. I still have some, I made several boxes at once.¡± Wei Ruo answered. All right, then!¡± Xie Ying didn¡¯t hold back, she took Wei Ruo¡¯s ointment and turned around to hand it to Xie Jue. ¡°Just smear a little bit, use it sparingly. After you¡¯re done, you have to give it back.¡± Yes, yes, I know.¡± Xie Jue answered with a smile. After everyone applied the insect repellent ointment, they entered the cave together. Xie Jue took the lead, protecting the three girls behind. The cave was somewhat narrow and the route complex. After a while, Wei Ruo suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get out. This isn¡¯t the cave I¡¯m looking for. The path is narrow and diverges further in, it¡¯s dangerous to continue.¡± Although Xie Jue and Xie Ying didn¡¯t know the reason, listening to Wei Ruo¡¯s reasoning, they decided to leave without lingering. They turned their direction and exited the cave. After exiting, Xie Jue asked Wei Ruo, ¡°What kind of cave are you looking for Miss Wei? When I was a child, I used to play around here a lot and am familiar with the surroundings. Perhaps I can help.¡± Looking at Xie Jue¡¯s earnest face, Wei Ruo pondered for a while then shared her thoughts: ¡°I want to find a spacious cave that is temperate, warm in winter and cool in summer.¡± A large space that¡¯s warm in winter and cool in summer¡­¡± Xie Jue thought earnestly, ¡°Along this trail, halfway up the mountain, there seems to be a cave that fits your requirements.¡± ¡°Do you remember the way, Sir Xie?¡± Wei Ruo hurriedly asked. ¡°Yes, I remember. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Xie Jue replied. Thank you, Sir Xie!¡± Wei Ruo expressed her gratitude. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me.¡± Xie Jue looked at Wei Ruo, his smile gentle. After the pleasantries, Xie Jue took the lead, guiding Wei Ruo, Xiumei, and his sister towards the mountainside. After bypassing a few large rocks, they reached the broad entrance of a cave. Still, Xie Jue led the way, with the three girls following behind him¡­. Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Prescription for Xie Yins 1 Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Prescription for Xie Yins 1 Translator: 549690339 &¡ª This time, the cave was quite spacious from the entrance onwards, with enough room for everyone to walk inside standing straight, even the tallest, Xie Jue, didn¡¯t need to bend over. After taking around seven or eight steps, the interior space became even large It was a vast, irregular, unbroken space with no branches or forks. One glance was all it took to take in the whole cave. The cave wasn¡¯t deep, and its entrance was both wide and high, allowing the outside light to shine in, making it possible for those inside to clearly see the entire cave. The cave was mainly surrounded by rock walls, with some areas being earth walls covered with vines, indicating that the cave was very stable and unlikely to collapse under normal circumstances. Wei Ruo could even see water flowing down the right stone wall, suggesting the cave¡¯s humidity level was not low. As for the temperature, it was quite comfortable inside the cave at this time. Wei Ruo walked around along the stone wall, inspecting the entire cave. In some comers, she found some wild mushrooms, slim and greyish white in color, which were of an inedible variety. However, this indirectly evidenced that the cave¡¯s environment was suitable for the growth of mushrooms. ¡°What do you think, Sister Wei? Does it meet what you had in mind?¡± Xie Jue asked after Wei Ruo completed her round. Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°Yes, this place perfectly matches the cave I have been searching for.¡± Xie Jue revealed a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Considerately, he didn¡¯t further question Wei Ruo as to why she was looking for such a cave. If Wei Ruo had chosen not to reveal her motives at the beginning of the day, then it was not appropriate for him to press too much. If Sister Wei wanted to share, she would do so naturally. Having more or less finished inspecting the cave, Wei Ruo said to the Xie siblings, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done. This cave is pretty good. But we can discuss what to do with it next time. Let¡¯s go out for now.¡± ¡°Shall we continue to gather herbs?¡± asked Xie Ying. ¡°If you are willing, we can continue to move further up the mountain to get some more herbs.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡®Let¡¯s go. I want to personally pick some useful herbs and take them back to boost my mother¡¯s health.¡± said Xie Ying. She had money, but that was given by her mother. Using the money given by her mother to buy herbs for her mother didn¡¯t mean she had any skill. If she picked the herbs herself, the meaning would be different. Seeing his enthusiastic sister, Xie Jue turned to Wei Ruo and reluctantly said, ¡°My sister is not yet satisfied. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to trouble you, Sister Wei,¡¯to continue leading us to find some herbs.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± agreed Wei Ruo. Exiting the cave, the group headed deeper into the forest. The deeper they went into the mountains, the higher the chance of finding valuable medicinal herbs became. It wasn¡¯t until dusk that the four of them descended from the mountain. Upon returning, Xiu Mei and Xie Jue each carried a bamboo basket, both filled to the brim. Wei Ruo had wrapped a bundle in cloth, and Xie Ying, having no cloth, used her brother¡¯s robe to wrap the rest of the herbs. Most of these herbs were not very valuable. Even collectively, they were probably less valuable than Xie Jue¡¯s cloud brocade robe. But what could he do? His sister wanted to use it, how could Xie Jue refuse? Once they had reached the foot of the mountain, Xie Ying wanted to give most of the herbs to Wei Ruo, keeping only a few to prepare a herbal tea for her mother. Wei Ruo refused, ¡°What you picked is naturally yours.¡± Xie Ying said, ¡°No need. I just want some Sophora Japonica to make a herbal tea for my mother.¡± Wei Ruo insisted, ¡°What you picked is yours.¡± But Xie Ying argued, ¡°But without you telling and teaching me, I wouldn¡¯t know them at all, let alone take them home.¡± Wei Ruo responded, ¡°Teaching and picking are separate. The knowledge you gain is yours. The fruits of your labor also belong to you.¡± After thinking for a while, Xie Ying agreed, ¡°Okay then.¡± Xie Ying turned back to Xie Jue and said, ¡°Brother, make sure you take good care of these herbs. Don¡¯t lose any of them. We can¡¯t afford to lose even a single one!¡± & Xie Jue, smiling, repeatedly assured, ¡°Alright, alright. I got it. I will take good care of them.¡± With a slight laugh, Wei Ruo then asked, ¡°Do you have any paper and pen?¡± ¡°What do you need paper and pen for?¡± Xie Jue asked. ¡°The herbs we gathered today can be used to make a nourishing soup with mild medicinal properties, which is very suitable for women to consume. I will write it down. Once you get back home, you can process the herbs according to my instructions and then cook them in the right proportions,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Xie Ying had mentioned that she wanted to gather herbs to nourish her mother¡¯s health. Now that they have gathered the herbs, Wei Ruo naturally felt obliged to provide the prescription as well so that Xie Ying could fulfill her wish. Ruo Ruo, you will also give me the prescription?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Yes, although herbal tea is simple, it doesn¡¯t have much nourishing effect. Additionally, as the weather has started to cool down, herbal tea is not suitable for frequent consumption.¡± said Wei Ruo. Xie Ying was overjoyed and went up to hug Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo Ruo, you¡¯re so nice!¡± Xie Jue didn¡¯t have any paper and pen on him, so he quickly sent a servant who had been trailing them from a distance since they left to fetch some from his residence. Whenever he and his sister left the house, the servants would undoubtedly follow them. While they were on the mountains earlier, these servants were also around, maintaining a certain distance to ensure that the siblings and Wei Ruo could play freely. When the Xie family¡¯s servant returned with the paper and pen, Wei Ruo found a relatively flat rock and wrote down the prescription. Xie Jue, who had been watching on the sidelines, couldn¡¯t help laughing at Wei Ruo¡¯s sloppy calligraphy. It wasn¡¯t that he was mocking her, he just found it somewhat endearing. It seemed that not everything was Sister Wei¡¯s forte. He was then mercilessly pinched in the arm by his sister. Xie Ying glared at Xie Jue, warning him with her eyes not to ridicule her best friend¡¯s handwriting, even though it was indeed ugly. Only then did Xie Jue supress his laughter. Wei Ruo wrote very meticulously, comprehensively detailing the processing methods for each of the herbs they had gathered today. After she finished, she handed the prescription to Xie Ying, and after that, said goodbye to the two. Having parted ways with the Xie siblings, Wei Ruo and Xiu Mei took the same route back to their waiting carriage by the roadside. Seeing Wei Ruo returning so late, Nanny Zhang said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Miss, you just about scared me to death. If you had not returned any later I would have gone back to fetch help! I can cover for you, but you mustn¡¯t get yourself into any trouble. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to handle the repercussions!¡± I understand, next time I will try to come back earlier,¡± Wei Ruo replied. She too knew that she had returned a bit late today. But there was no helping it under the circumstances; Xie Ying was not willing to leave, and she couldn¡¯t really force her to leave. Nanny Zhang sighed, ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re safe.¡± Wei Ruo and Xiu Mei mounted the carriage. On the way back, Wei Ruo began to contemplate her next arrangements. She had found the suitable cave. For now, it was enough. If the experiments proved successful, Wei Ruo thought of considering to scale up later.. Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Planting Success, Fast Profits i Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Planting Success, Fast Profits i Translator: 549690339 j ¡ª Wei Ruo will have to negotiate with the village chief of the nearby village to use this cave for mushroom cultivation. Although the mountain is barren and anyone can cut wood and collect herbs from it, a long-term lease agreement for the cave would require the agreement of the villagers. She¡¯ll assess how to proceed after investigating all the details. ### Xie Jue and Xie Ying returned to the Xie Family¡¯s separate property first. Xie Jue had the collected herbs taken care of ¨C those that needed to be dried were dried, and those that needed cleaning were cleaned. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t mess up these herbs,¡± Xie Ying warned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister. I¡¯ll take good care of them since you collected them yourself,¡± Xie Jue said with a smile. And give me back that ointment from earlier, don¡¯t think about hoarding it.¡± Xie Ying stretched out her palm, demanding the ointment from Xie Jue. This time, Xie Jue did not readily give it to her, but began to plead with Xie Ying. ¡°Yingying, leave the ointment to me.¡± ¡°Brother, what do you want it for?¡± Xie Ying asked curiously. Nothing much, I just like its scent and want to keep it for the fragrance. Besides, when it¡¯s hot at night, I¡¯m often bothered by mosquitoes while reading. Applying this ointment might help me avoid this annoyance.¡± ¡°You can have it if you need it.¡± Xie Ying was always generous to her own family. As long as Xie Jue had a legitimate reason, she would not be stingy towards him. Then Xie Ying added, ¡°But don¡¯t forget, you need to return a gift to Ruoruo. Last time, I asked you to bring something nice from the capital, you haven¡¯t done that yet, leaving me without a gift to give.¡± Xie Jue cried injustice, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re wronging me! I haven¡¯t stepped out of Xmgshan County since last time, let alone going to the capital. How could I bring something back for you?¡± ¡°Then what are you doing lazing around Xingshan County all this time? Haven¡¯t you finished what you need to be busy with?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Some of it is done, but there are still some things that need to be dealt with,¡± Xie Jue replied. The war has temporarily ceased and he should indeed return, but due to affairs related to the Seventh Prince, his grandfather has ordered him to stay in Xingshan County for a few more days. ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll be going to Taizhou prefecture in a couple of days. The Seventh Prince is currently in the government city; I need to take care of some matters there. I¡¯ll spare some time to buy some interesting things for you and Miss Wei of the Wei Family,¡± said Xie Jue after pondering for a while. ¡°Alright, but you need to make good choices. My gift isn¡¯t important, but she¡¯s given me gifts several times, and my return gift needs to be appropriate so as not to bring disgrace,¡± Xie Ying instructed. ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let you lose face,¡± Xie Jue assured laughingly. The siblings joked and laughed for a while, then left the separate property with their harvest from the day and returned to their main Xie Family estate. ### Upon receiving Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, the wet nurse immediately took action; she instructed her husband to purchase what Wei Ruo needed, while she represented Wei Ruo to discuss matters with the village near West Mountain. The negotiation process was surprisingly smooth; as soon as the wet nurse mentioned hiring people from the village and offering a monthly wage of 150 coins, the village chief immediately agreed. To respect the village chief, the wet nurse, according to Wei Ruo¡¯s intentions, gave him the right to nominate suitable and capable young people from the ¡¯ village. At first, the village chief tried to refuse, but after hearing that if they succeeded and needed to expand in the future, requiring more people to be hired, he readily agreed. Because selecting just one or two people would be difficult for the village chief. But, if there could be job opportunities for a dozen or twenty people, he would have an easier time arranging that, and would not worry about the villagers complaining about his arrangements. For their little poor mountain village located west of Xingshan County, this was good news. They had no special skills and only had few acres of thin farmland. Even if they had good weather, their harvest was not enough for their livelihood, let alone in recent years. Having a job to do and earning two hundred coins per month would be enough to fill a family¡¯s belly. After the materials were collected, they were prepared according to Wei Ruo¡¯s given proportions. They prepared many cylindrical culture media, like dry pieces of wood. Then, they carried them into the cave, and the subsequent work was assigned to the hired villagers, Li Erniu and Hen Dong. The job was not complicated; they were mainly responsible for overseeing that no wild animals or people would enter the cave and cause destruction. They also had to observe the growth of the mushrooms and report regularly. Seven days later. The first batch of shiitake mushrooms grew. The wet nurse personally ran over and after setting a standard for picking, she let Li Erniu and Hen Dong, who were in charge, pick all the mushrooms that met the standard size criteria. Then, she sent people from her shop to transport them down the mountain. Then, the wet nurse sent some mushrooms to the Wei Residence for Wei Ruo. Seeing the first batch of externally cultivated shiitake mushrooms, Wei Ruo was overjoyed. Having a harvest after a mere seven days, shiitake mushrooms certainly have a much shorter growth cycle compared to other crops! Miss, how should we deal with these mushrooms?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°Take them to the market for sale immediately,¡± Wei Ruo instructed, ¡°then tell Uncle Xu to look for more caves like the one we found, in the same area, to increase our planting scale.¡± ¡°Miss, shiitake mushrooms aren¡¯t a staple, and they won¡¯t keep for long. If we plant too many and can¡¯t sell them, we¡¯ll be stuck with them,¡± Xiumei worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we expand the scale, I don¡¯t plan to sell them all. The mushrooms we can¡¯t sell, we¡¯ll dry into dried shiitake or make them into shiitake sauce. These methods can greatly prolong the shelf life of the mushrooms.¡± Wei Ruo already had countermeasures. Dried shiitake and shiitake sauce? I¡¯ve never tasted those before, looking forward to it!¡± Xiumei was intrigued. ¡°When they are ready, you¡¯ll be the first one to taste them!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who tastes them first. As long as the Miss can grow more crops and earn more silver, that will be great!¡¯ As Wei Ruo and Xiumei were happily discussing about shiitake mushrooms someone from the front yard came by to notify them that Miss Xie had sent¡¯a gift and was waiting for Wei Ruo to personally sign for it. Before they left, they specifically mentioned that Miss Xie sent quite a few items, suggesting Wei Ruo bring more people to help with the pick-up. Xie Ying has been clamoring to give Wei Ruo a return gift for quite some time now, so Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t very surprised when she heard about this. However, she wondered what gift Xie Ying had prepared for her. When Wei Ruo arrived in the front yard, there were already many people standing there. Even Yunshi and Wei Qingwan were there. ¡°Miss Wei,¡± a kindly-looking elderly man came forward, saying with a beaming smile, ¡±1 am the butler of the Xie Residence. I have been ordered to deliver a return gift to you by our young master and his sister.¡± Wei Ruo looked at the horse cart loaded with goods behind the Xie Residence¡¯s butler, and asked, ¡°Is this all?¡± Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 89: A Generous Gift from the Xie Chapter 89: Chapter 89: A Generous Gift from the Xie Family_i Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yes,¡± the butler gave a affirmative answer, then held out the gift list with both hands, ¡°This is the gift list, please take a look, Miss Wei. Looking at the densely written characters on the gift list, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment. Weren¡¯t Xie Jue and Xie Ying, the brother and sister, a bit too generous? A full cart, even when the Military Prefecture sent New Year¡¯s gifts to the manor in the Capital City, it wasn¡¯t that much, was it? Madam Yun stepped forward, glanced at the gift list in Wei Ruo¡¯s hand, and her face immediately changed. Just the Yun brocade alone was quite intimidating. Currently, only Madam Yun in the Military Prefecture had any left, and that was from old garments made in the past. As the decline of the Loyal and Righteous Duke¡¯s Residence became apparent, there hadn¡¯t been any Yun brocade in the house for many years, so no new clothes had been made from such materials. There were also many ornamental pieces and medicinal materials, none of which were commonly-seen cheap items. Madam Yun hurriedly said to the butler of the Xie Residence, ¡°Butler Xie, isn¡¯t the gift from Master Xie and Miss Xie a bit too valuable?¡± The butler smiled, ¡°Not at all, not at all, Miss Wei has been very kind to our young master, Miss Xie and the madam. These gifts are nothing.¡± The remedy that Wei Ruo gave to Xie Ying, which Xie Ying prepared for herself, not only moved Xie Ying¡¯s mother greatly as she personally picked and boiled herbs but also turned out to be very effective. Although Madam Xie had no serious ailments, as a woman, she had some symptoms of physical weakness and blood deficiency. After taking the medicine, Madam Xie¡¯s problem of night sweats, nightmares, and restlessness had improved significantly, and her spirits had improved as well. just for this alone, drawing on this reciprocal gift from the Xie family was hardly considered too generous. Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t see what was included in the gift list, but from Madam Yun¡¯s reaction, she guessed it must be very valuable. An entire cart of valuable gifts, and the Xie family simply gave them away. And Wei Ruo had this opportunity simply because she and Xie Ying had become classmates and had gradually gotten to know each other. If it had been her who had been given the chance to study at the Xie Family, then what about now¡­ Wei Ruo also felt that this return gift was a bit too valuable. But since the Xie Family had already brought the gift to her doorstep, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to send it back. ¡°Could the butler please tell your young master and your young lady for me that I have received their gifts, and I am very pleased with them? I would like to invite them for tea and pastries next time.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Of course, I will relay Miss Wei¡¯s words without omission to the young master and the young lady,¡± said the butler, smiling. Then Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei, ¡°Xiumei, move everything into my courtyard.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± Xiumei came forward to start moving. ¡°Sister, shall I let Cuihe help you move too?¡± Wei Qingwan approached and asked softly. ¡°No need, your maid isn¡¯t as strong as Xiumei. These boxes are quite heavy; it¡¯s not good if they get too tired,¡± Wei Ruo resolutely refused. Wei Qingwan intended to counter, but seeing Xiumei, a girl, lift up the large wooden box, she could only swallow the words of her rebuttal. Seeing this, Madam Yun instructed Guard Jing Hu to help. Jing Hu was strong and powerful, and one of him was able to do the work of two people. Jing Hu and Xiumei moved swiftly. In a few trips, they relocated all the items on the cart back to Tingsong Garden. When the items on the cart were all empty, the butler from Xie Residence bid the Wei Family farewell and drove the empty cart back to the Xie Residence. As Wei Ruo was walking back, she said to Madam Yun, who she had passed by, ¡°Mother, I have some things to do. I¡¯ll be going back to Tingsong Garden first.¡± Madam Yun looked at Wei Ruo, wanting to say something, but chose not to say anything at last. She simply nodded and said, ¡°Alright, go ahead. After Wei Ruo left, Madam Yun saw Wei Qingwan, her head bowed and her expression not very good. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Wanwan?¡± Madam Yun approached and asked concernedly. Wei Qingwan bit her lip and shook her head. ¡°If you have anything on your mind, just tell mom. Don¡¯t keep it bottled up. If something goes wrong, mom will be very upset. Did something happen to make you unhappy?¡± Madam Yun asked. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯m very happy for sister getting along so well with Miss Xie. I can¡¯t be unhappy.¡± Wei Qingwan answered. ¡ö¡öYes, mother knows you are definitely happy too. Ruo behaved quite well these days¡¯, she is not only very tactful in dealing with matters but also made friends with her peers.¡± Madam Yun said. -Yes, sister is really amazing. I was just thinking about accompanying mother to the Government City to attend the Magistrate¡¯s wife¡¯s garden party in a few days, and I was a little preoccupied.¡± Wei Qingwan explained. Wei Mingting won this battle, not only was he promoted, but also the reputation of the Military Prefecture was enhanced. The magistrate¡¯s wife has been holding a garden party for the past few years, but the Wei Family, who lived far away in Xingshan County, was never invited. After receiving the invitation from the Government City, Madam Yun began to prepare. She planned to take both her daughters with her. Wei Ruo was quite busy and didn¡¯t spend much time with her during the day, so she hadn¡¯t told Wei Ruo about it yet. But Wei Qingwan often came to Cangyun Garden to help her manage household affairs, she told Wei Qingwan early to prepare her mentally. ¡ö¡¯Wanwan, are you worried about not performing well at that time?¡± asked Madam Yun. Wei Qingwan nodded gently: ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t met the ladies and missies in the Government City yet, I¡¯m afraid I might not be familiar with all the etiquette, and it would be embarrassing.¡± ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t think too much. With your knowledge and cultivation, there will definitely be no problem.¡± Madam Yun reassured. Wei Qingwan bowed her head and didn¡¯t reply. ¡°You remind me, though. I should be preparing some more presentable clothes for you to wear at the party.¡± Madam Yun said. Hearing Madam Yun¡¯s words, Wei Qingwan¡¯s heart lit up. With that in mind, Yunshi turned and walked into the house. Before leaving, she reminded Wei Qingwan to go back and rest early and not overwork herself. When Madam Yun arrived at Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo was in the courtyard organizing the items that the Xie Family had sent. Xiumei was carrying a few pieces of Yun brocade into the house, and Wei Ruo was checking the list and categorizing the items for storage in her storeroom. Some valuable items would be placed in her space later. As for those medicinal materials, they¡¯re rare to find in the town of Xingshan County. With these in her possession, she could formulate more medicines. Once she had arranged everything, Wei Ruo planned to make good use of these medicines, keeping some for herself and preparing others for Xu Zhengyong. Looking at Wei Ruo, Madam Yun hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Ruoruo, the magistrate¡¯s wife has sent an invitation to us, inviting us to attend the garden party next month.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Wei Ruo, her head not lifted, her eyes still focused on the box in front of her. ¡°Mother is thinking of making some attractive dresses for you to wear to the party,¡± said Madam Yun. Wei Ruo¡¯s hand movement paused for a moment, Madam Yun said ¡°you both¡±, which is to include Wei Qingwan as well.. Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Yuns Shame l Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Yun¡¯s Shame l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo laughed inwardly, then lifted her head, pretending not to understand the underlying implication of Madam Yun¡¯s words, and smilingly said: ¡°Mother wants to make clothes for me? Since I returned home, this is the first time you will be making clothes for me. What kind of outfit are you planning to do? Winter is approaching, the clothes should be somewhat thick, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± Wei Ruo asked several questions in a row. Madam Yun, looking into her clear and bright eyes, found herself a bit tongue-tied with the prepared words. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°When I returned home, although those clothes were new, they were likely designed based on Sister Qingwan¡¯s measurements. I assume Mother didn¡¯t know my size, so you could only use Qingwan¡¯s. This time when making clothes, it¡¯s crucial to let the tailor measure me well.¡± Upon hearing these words, Madam Yun felt slightly ashamed. She indeed didn¡¯t know the size of her own daughter who had been living so far away in Huzhou Prefecture, hence couldn¡¯t decide on the clothes. So, she had the unused new clothes, originally intended for Wanwan, sent to Tingsong Garden for Ruoruo. But after seeing Ruoruo wearing those clothes gracefully and elegantly, there looked to be no ill-fitting parts, she thought there wasn¡¯t a problem. Usually, clothes were made twice a year, but this year there was a war during the mid-year, and she had to worry about her husband on the front line and manage the home affairs. She didn¡¯t think about it, and no new clothes were arranged. As a result, it happened that no clothes had been made based on her measurements since Ruoruo returned home. Madam Yun said with an apologetic tone: ¡°That is indeed the case, it will certainly be measured properly.¡± Then she looked at the Yun brocade in front of Wei Ruo again, her expression somewhat hesitant. But after pondering for a while, she decided to speak out: ¡°Ruoruo, these two pieces of Yun brocade are of fine quality. Why not make your new clothes from them? This fabric is valuable and has a good pattern. It would seem more presentable for both of you to wear clothes made out of it when you go to Government City. Once we have fine fabrics in the house, I will make it up to you.¡± ¡°Mother means, if Miss Xie hadn¡¯t coincidentally gifted me this Yun brocade, we wouldn¡¯t have the means to attend the garden party in Government City next month?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I doesn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that since we do have it, it naturally makes things better.¡± Madam Yun said. ¡°If we are using the Yun brocade to make clothes, it will only be for me.¡± Wei Ruo said. Madam Yun frowned, ¡°Ruoruo, you and Qingwan are sisters. Qingwan has always cared about you a lot, always thinking of you. You should show your grace as the elder sister. We got so many gifts from the Xie Family, and I¡¯m not asking much from you, just these two pieces of different-patterned Yun brocade, one piece made into a dress for both of you. Besides, this is just borrowing from you, once we have good fabric, I¡¯ll surely return it to you.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade from her face as she explained slowly: ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know, the reason why Miss Xie chose to gift me these two pieces of Yun brocade is because, she saw that the quality of the clothes I usually wear is inferior compared to her own, and those were not a perfect fit. She purposefully sent this, wishing that I could wear clothes made from the fabric she gifted, isn¡¯t that so?¡± Upon hearing this, Madam Yun felt a tightness in her heart. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°One piece of Yun brocade, although ample for a single outfit, wouldn¡¯t suffice for two. And these two different styles of fabric were handpicked by Yingying for me, surely she wants to see me wearing both.¡± With Wei Ruo¡¯s statement, Madam Yun couldn¡¯t impose Wei Qingwan to share the Yun brocade for the clothes. In addition to Wei Ruo¡¯s previous remark that she has not had any clothes custom-made for her upon returning home, it made Madam Yun feel guilty, and she completely abandoned the idea of having a new set of clothes made for Wei Qingwan too from the Yun brocade. However, Madam Yun thought, if Ruoruo has new clothes made of Yun brocade and Wanwan doesn¡¯t, Wanwan will inevitably feel hurt. Therefore, she glanced at the items in front of Wei Ruo, pondered for a moment then said: ¡°If the Yun brocade is not okay, Ruoruo, you can pick out some stuff that you don¡¯t need for Wanwan to soothe her. That way, you two will have different appearances when you go to Government City, and she won¡¯t feel bitter about it.¡± The corners of Wei Ruo¡¯s mouth still held a faint smile: ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know, now that I am friends with Miss Xie, I must, of course, respect the gifts she gave me. I will certainly give her a return gift. Otherwise, if I just keep accepting her gifts without reciprocating, it¡¯s not just my reputation at stake, but that of the entire Military Prefecture. Does Mother really want to hear people saying that the Wei family doesn¡¯t know manners and only benefits off others?¡± ¡°Even if outsiders don¡¯t criticize, if I always accept benefits from the Xie family without showing appreciation or reciprocating, sooner or later, I¡¯ll be looked down upon by the Xie family and they wouldn¡¯t want to be friends with me. Isn¡¯t that so, Mother?¡± Madam Yun was speechless. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°If giving a gift, quite some silver is naturally required, not less than what Miss Xie bestowed upon me. But I only receive so much as monthly allowance, which is inadequate for reciprocating gifts to the Xie family. The gifts I received, those which I won¡¯t use and those that are common and unlikely to be recognized, I will choose among them in the future. Those suitable for resale will be sold for silver, and then I can give a return gift to Miss Xie.¡± Xiumei came back in after shifting the items once, and discovered that her young lady was currently stretching the truth. The young lady wouldn¡¯t possibly sell the gifts she received from others, she must be planning to get the money in another way. Madam Yun said: ¡°But this method of selling other people¡¯s gifts for silver isn¡¯t good. If people found out, they would laugh.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°So where does Mother think I should get the silver from?¡± Madam Yun was once again left speechless. Wei Ruo said: ¡°I hope Mother can understand my difficulties. I returned to the family not long ago. I neither have a foundation nor savings. When dealing with a great family¡¯s young lady, I must send some items, and should also have some savings suitable for myself.¡± Madam Yun felt uncomfortable upon hearing these words from Wei Ruo. It hasn¡¯t been many months since Ruoruo returned home, and these matters were indeed difficult for her. Achieving what she has so far was already very impressive. The daughter is in a difficult situation, and the Military Prefecture is also currently lacking silver, making it impossible to spare much silver to let her daughter buy things to gift to people like Miss Xie did so generously. ¡°I understand. This matter shall be as if I never mentioned it, you can handle these gifts yourself.¡± Madam Yun said. Having said that, she thought of something else, pondered for a while and then continued: ¡°Speaking of which, Ruoruo, being the eldest daughter of the family, your monthly allowance should be increased.¡± ¡°Is that appropriate? If my allowance is increased, what about Sister Qingwan?¡± Wei Ruo asked.. Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Underestimated Wei Qingruo_l Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Underestimated Wei Qingruo_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°AS the eldest daughter, you should usually receive more monthly allowance than your younger brothers and sisters. This is the rule in every household. Qinqwan is a sensible girl and won¡¯t object to it,¡± said Madam Yun. Madam Yun firmly believed that Wei Qingwan would not quibble over such matters. ¡°Exactly, my dear sister Qingwan is too kind to fuss over such things, Wei Ruo said with a smile. ¡°Hmm,¡± Madam Yun nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. I will return to Cangyun Garden.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Ruo smiled and escorted Madam Yun out. After Madam Yun left, Xiumei couldn¡¯t resist laughing: ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve noticed your bluffs are increasingly impressive!¡± Wei Ruo sighed, ¡°What choice do I have? I was forced to adapt. Since I became the mistress of the Military Prefecture, I¡¯ve had to think carefully about what to say in order to reason with others. It¡¯s not the same as before.¡± ¡°If I admit outright that 1 don¡¯t like Wei Qingwan and I don¡¯t want to share my things with her, I would certainly be berated-for lacking sisterly love, or for lacking the grace of an elder sister.¡± ¡°But if I raise the matter in terms of propriety and face, I can persuade others. I¡¯ve had to invent a lot of things, saying they were said by Yingying, but I think she would support me in this, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have deliberately arranged for the butler to deliver the gift to me personally.¡± The claims about Xie Ying noticing that her clothes fit poorly and felt low quality were purely inventions of Wei Ruo. She did this to distract Madam Yun and prevent her from asking for things again. -But Miss, what if the Madam had still insisted on taking your things for Miss Qingwan?¡± Xiumei asked. -Then I would have burned my possessions. No one can force me to give things to people I don¡¯t like!¡± Wei Ruo answered. Xiumei burst into laughter and then asked, ¡°Miss, do we still need to prepare a returning gift for the Xie Family? ¡°Not for the time being. Their gift was valuable, but what I reciprocated isn¡¯t ordinary either, so they didn¡¯t end up at a loss. Besides, this was already a returning gift on their part. There¡¯s no end to it if we go back and forth. It¡¯s more important to acknowledge their sentiment, appreciate the good in them, and treat each other sincerely. It doesn¡¯t have to be precise in terms of gam and loss,¡± replied Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes, you are right, Miss.¡± ### After leaving Tingsong Garden, Madam Yun instructed for an increase in Wei Ruo¡¯s monthly allowance and invited tailors from Brocade Clothing Workshop to measure Wei Ruo for new clothes. The news quickly spread to Wangmei Garden. Wei Qingwan¡¯s face turned pale. Not only did her mother refrain from asking Wei Ruo for the Yun Brocade to make her new clothes, but she also increased Wei Ruo¡¯s monthly allowance. What on earth was going on? If Wei Ruo had refused to give her the Yun Brocade for her new outfit, her mother should have reprimanded Wei Ruo for her lack of understanding. But why was she rewarded instead of being punished? ¡°Nanny, what¡¯s going on? Why did mother suddenly increase sister¡¯s monthly stipend? Is it because she¡¯s getting along well with Miss Xie?¡± Wei Qingwan asked Nanny Li. Nanny Li didn¡¯t know the answer either. Ever since that incident, Madam had distanced herself and often sought Nanny Zhang for important tasks. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely underestimated Wei Qingruo, she does have some capabilities,¡± Nanny Li said through gritted teeth. Apologizing intentionally in front of Wei Qingruo¡¯s courtyard door did not have the expected effect. Wei Qingruo also refused the purse Nanny Li purposely made for her. This Wei Qingruo was more troublesome than she expected! ¡°Nanny, what am I to do now? Will mother send me back to the He Family? Nanny, I don¡¯t want to go back there. The He Family is a mere merchant family with a low status that isn¡¯t welcomed by others. Regardless of their wealth, there are many things that money cannot buy,¡± Wei Qingwan asked worriedly. Looking at Wei Qingwan in this way, Nanny Li felt both distressed and worried. She knew her and her daughter¡¯s fates were tied to Wei Qingwan. If Wei Qingwan were to be sent to the He Family, her daughter would also have to go there. They wouldn¡¯t see each other for the rest of their lives. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry for now. All of these are not a big deal. Even if Miss Wei manages to win Madam¡¯s favor, it doesn¡¯t mean that Madam has diminished her affection for you,¡± Nanny Li comforted Wei Qingwan. ¡°Nanny, worrying is all I can do now,¡± Wei Qingwan murmured. -Miss don¡¯t worry. Things will get better. You can broaden your horizons and make some new friends in Government City during the upcoming garden tour next month. You can find families much more distinguished than the Xie Family there,¡± Nanny Li¡¯s words did not console Wei Qingwan as she knew that the prominent families in Government City wouldn¡¯t take notice of her so easily. Even if they did take a liking to her, she doubted they would treat her like the Xie Family did Wei Qingruo. Such favoritism from the Xie Family was rare, she couldn¡¯t understand what they found in Wei Qingruo. ### Around the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month, during the days of rest, both Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan had a break from their classes. Wei Ruo stayed at home and worked on the expansion of the mushroom business, which had grown three times its original size. This resulted in greater material procurement and bookkeeping. Moreover, the process of preparing dried mushrooms and mushroom sauce also needed to be arranged. Mushrooms do not last long after being picked, so the processing needed to be done promptly. Therefore, she had to organize the subsequent work before a large number of mushrooms were harvested. Xiumei was helping Wei Ruo chop mushrooms in the courtyard, which they would cook in the small kitchen next door. Wei Jinyi and Xiaobei were not at home, but before leaving, Wei Jinyi mentioned that they leave the door open. This meant that Wei Ruo could use the small kitchen next door whenever needed. When it was almost lunchtime, the servant responsible for Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t find him and went to Wangmei Garden for inquiries. ¡°Yilin?¡± Upon hearing the voice, Wei Qingwan walked to the door, interrupting the conversation between the servant and the maid. ¡°Yilin didn¡¯t come here today. Is something wrong? Isn¡¯t he in his own courtyard? ¡ö¡¯It¡¯s nothing serious, but it¡¯s almost time for lunch and Young Master Yilin isn¡¯t in Yuyu Garden. Since he¡¯s not here, I¡¯ll go look elsewhere,¡± the servant explained to Wei Qingwan, then hastily left to continue his search for Wei Yilin. Wei Qingwan sensed that something was wrong, ¡°Cuihe, let¡¯s go find him too.¡± The servant inquired about Wei Yilin¡¯s whereabouts at Chrysanthemum Garden as well, but he wasn¡¯t there either. Upon hearing that Wei Yilin had disappeared, Wei Yichen immediately put down his book and set out to search for him alongside Wei Yilin¡¯s servant.. Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Stumble Into by Accident_l Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Stumble Into by Accident_l Translator: 549690339 I The entire Wei Residence was searched, even Tingsong Garden and Yingzhu Garden, where Wei Yilin would hardly go. However, Wei Yilin was nowhere to be found. It was now clear that Wei Yilin was not in the residence. Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan hurriedly reported the matter to Madam Yun. Madam Yun immediately mobilized everyone in the residence to search. In Tingsong Garden, after Wei Ruo had sent away the people who came to inquire about Wei Yilin, she lazily fell back into bed. It was a rare break, why not have a nap? Napping is such a happy thing to do. ¡°Miss, should you also go out to help search? The servants from Wangmei Garden have already dashed out to join the search. They are quite busy.¡± Xiumei asked anxiously, frowning. ¡°With so many people already out looking, my absence won¡¯t make much difference; moreover, I don¡¯t like the brat Wei Yilin and he doesn¡¯t like me either, I¡¯m pretty sure he doesn¡¯t want to be found by me, his older sister in-name.¡± Wei Ruo stretched out lazily. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m just worried that if young master really has had an accident, when Madam Yun asks about it and finds out that you, the eldest miss, were unconcernedly napping at home, you will be scolded¡­¡± Xiumei lowered her head and murmured. At her words, Wei Ruo opened her eyes; becoming significantly more alert. What Xiumei said was true; it wasn¡¯t just about suffering Madam Yun¡¯s punishment, if someone else gossiped it, the accusations of the eldest sister¡¯s indifference might become more intense. After all, her little brother was missing, and she did not seem to care. After a moment, Wei Ruo rolled over, propping up her upper body. ¡°Get the clothes, Xiumei, I am destined to work hard. There is simply no time for rest!¡± Reluctantly, Wei Ruo got up and dressed, then went out with Xiumei. The servants from the residence who were out searching spread out in a carpet pattern; everyone went out on foot, except for Wei Qingwan, who took a carriage. As a result, the carriage which Wei Ruo regularly took was available. Although she walked out of the door, Wei Ruo did not have a specific direction, so she randomly decided to go to the south of the city. Even if she didn¡¯t find anyone, at least she could take a look at the situation there. After leaving the residence and reaching the south of the city, Wei Ruo got off the carriage and wandered around. Xiumei was helpless: her lady was actually making an inspection of the land reclamation in the south of the city under the guise of searching for someone. Wei Ruo walked around and observed; most of the people reclaiming the wasteland were poor folks without land. What she saw along the way were nothing but skinny elders or thin children. They were all waiting for crops to grow on this piece of land. Their eyes were filled with light when they looked at the newly reclaimed fields. There was a little boy, thin and yellow-skinned, dressed in thin, shabby clothes, nestled in the arms of his grandfather. When Wei Ruo passed by, his eyes were full of curiosity as he stared at her. Then his grandfather hastily hugged him a little tighter and whispered, ¡°Behave yourself, that¡¯s the daughter of an official.¡± Obviously, the grandfather was afraid his grandchild might offend Wei Ruo, and their difference in status was evident from Wei Ruo¡¯s clothing. The little boy was immediately frightened and quickly withdrew his gaze, daring not to look directly at Wei Ruo anymore. Wei Ruo stopped, turned around and asked Xiumei, ¡°Meimei, I¡¯m a bit hungry, do you have any food?¡± Xiumei knew very well that her mistress was not hungry herself, but wanted to give some food to these elders and children. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s some in the carriage. I¡¯ll go and get it.¡± Xiumei said. ¡°Hmm, bring more¡­no, bring all the food from the carriage.¡± Wei Ruo ordered. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring all of it, leaving a portion for Miss, and distribute the rest to the old people and children nearby, okay? They all look pitiful.¡± Xiumei offered. She completed her young mistress¡¯s previously unspoken suggestion, saving her from the embarrassment of making the request herself. ¡°Yes, go on. ¡°Alright!¡± Xiumei turned around and ran back to their carriage parked on the official road. As Xiumei took out a bag of dried sweet potatoes from the carriage, she noticed a large number of people from the Military Prefecture. Xiumei was surprised, so she grabbed an acquaintance, Nurse Zhang, to find out what was happening. ¡°Nurse Zhang, what¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t we searching for the young master? Why is everyone here in the south of the city?¡± Nurse Zhang, looking quite anxious, replied, ¡°Madam Xiumei, you and young mistress are indeed prescient! Young master likely sneaked to the south of the city! This morning, two servants from our residence drove a cart of straw to the south of the city. The young master probably hid in the cart then. The guards who were searching found the young master¡¯s ornament on the cart.¡± Did her young mistress unexpectedly come to the right place? Xiumei was at a loss for words for a moment and didn¡¯t know what to say. Then Nurse Zhang said, ¡°We don¡¯t know how our young master is doing now, but I heard that there are remnants of the Japanese pirates in the nearby mountains. It¡¯s very dangerous for the young master, a small child.¡± ¡°What? There are remnants of the Japanese pirates nearby? How come? Weren¡¯t the Japanese pirates defeated the last time?¡± Xiumei started to feel anxious. ¡°Yes, most of them were killed, but a few remnants of the Japanese pirates escaped. They¡¯ve been hiding around Wangyue Mountain. I heard they¡¯ve been quite tenacious, surviving on grass roots and tree bark, occasionally stealing food from the people who are reclaiming land in the south of the city. They were spotted by people while stealing food. The government office was just reported this morning, and no officials have been sent to handle this yet.¡± Nurse Zhang explained. Upon reflecting on the fact that Wei Ruo was currently strolling outside, Xiumei felt worried. She immediately abandoned Wei Ruo¡¯s task and ran back to the place where they split up earlier. While waiting for Xiumei to return, Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t been idle; she walked down the ridge of the newly reclaimed field while observing it. The near field has changed a lot, the original weeds have been removed, and the land has been divided into plots, neat and with clear borders. Most of the areas have been reclaimed well and would probably be ready for planting later this month. Wei Ruo continued to walk towards the mountains, intending to check the progress of the medicinal field she and the Xie Family were jointly running. As she neared the mountains, the terrain became complicated, and there were fewer people. In the distance, she could see a handful of people re-claiming the wasteland. As for these places, only those families in the county town with some wealth were buying them for cultivating. However, the number of households that bought these places for reclamation was less, so they were sparsely distributed. One could only spot a few people from a long distance away. Wei Ruo continued walking and maneuvered around a large piece of rock. In front of her, two short-statured men appeared. Both men had their heads covered with headscarves, dressed like ordinary commoners. A boy stood between the two men; he had a face that Wei Ruo recognized¡­ Wei Yilin! The object of the whole residence¡¯s search, this little rascal, simply showed up unexpectedly in front of her? Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 93: You are completely stupid_l Chapter 93: Chapter 93: You are completely stupid_l Translator: 549690339 The moment Wei Ruo spotted the three men, the two men and Wei Yilin also saw Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo quickly regained her composure, casting her indifferent gaze elsewhere, pretending not to recognize Wei Yilin. She acted as a passerby who hadn¡¯t recognized Wei Yilin nor the two men with him as kidnappers, and nonchalantly walked away. The two men watched Wei Ruo warily, but seeing her demeanor unaltered, and assuming she hadn¡¯t recognized them, they gradually relaxed. As long as they weren¡¯t discovered, they would stick to the principle of avoiding trouble, and not unnecessarily harm passersby. Wei Ruo naturally turned around and started walking back. Meanwhile, in her mind, she was praying ¨C Don¡¯t make a sound, Yilin. Don¡¯t call my name, pretend you don¡¯t see me! If you stay silent, I can return with help to rescue you! If you call out, we¡¯re done for! Wei Yilin, who had never sincerely called Wei Ruo ¡°older sister,¡± saw her clearly notice him and then turn to leave. He yelled out, ¡°Older sister!¡± We Ruo froze, feeling a chill running down her spine. Internally cursing Wei Yilin for his recklessness, she started running. But she hadn¡¯t run far when one of the men caught her. ¡°Don¡¯t be rough. I¡¯ll come willingly!¡± Wei Ruo, fearing their brutality, quickly begged for mercy. The area was deserted and barren; the chances of her cries for help being heard were slim. If no one could come to save her in time, her resistance could trigger their violent treatment, and she might even be killed on the spot. Hoping to survive and avoid physical harm as much as possible, Wei Ruo surrendered willingly. Wei Ruo was taken next to Wei Yilin, and they were tied up together. Then the two men began communicating in a language Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t understand. Wei Ruo had a rough idea that the two men were speaking Japanese. Upon first sight of them, she had guessed their identities as Japanese pirates. Although they had used headscarves to hide their distinctive hairstyles, their physique and appearance greatly differed from the emaciated locals who were cultivating the land on the city outskirts. After a brief discussion, the two Japanese men led Wei Ruo and Wei Yilin up the mountain. The pirates found a cave, which was deep enough to barely accommodate two adults, and then threw Wei Ruo and Wei Yilin in like mere objects. Once locked in the cave, Wei Ruo looked at Wei Yilin and laughed, ¡°Well, now we can die together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of your cold-heartedness. You saw me in danger, but you turned and walked away,¡± Wei Yilin retorted without a hint of remorse, even feeling slightly satisfied. We Ruo just laughed upon hearing this. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Wei Yilin asked in discontent. In such a dire situation, how could she still laugh? ¡°I thought you were just a bit silly, but now I realize you¡¯re complete fool.¡± ¡°Who are you calling a fool?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the fool? How was I supposed to rescue you single-handedly from two skilled Japanese fighters? Do I look like an immortal to you? If I pretended not to recognize you, they wouldn¡¯t have thought that I knew they were kidnappers, they¡¯d let me go, and I could have gone to find help. Do you think I stood a better chance of saving you alone, or bringing the Wei family guards and the government officers?¡± Wei Yilin fell silent, dumbfounded by Wei Ruo¡¯s argument. He¡¯d initially believed that Wei Ruo had cold-heartedly abandoned him, convinced that his Sister Wanwan wouldn¡¯t have done so. However, he hadn¡¯t considered Wei Ruo¡¯s approach to the situation. Upon reflection, Wei Ruo¡¯s strategy was indeed more practical. Neither Wei Ruo nor Sister Wanwan had the ability to save him from the ruthless Japanese pirates. In such a situation, it would have been more effective to summon help. Understanding his rashness, Wei Yilin, however, refused to admit his mistake to Wei Ruo: ¡°Even so, how would we know if you¡¯d have really gone to get help? Now, we¡¯re both captured, and if I die, you can accompany me. That would be a fitting vengeance for my Wanwan!¡± ¡°Ha, if you want to die Wei Yilin, be my guest. I won¡¯t be joining you,¡± Wei Ruo sneered. ¡°Keep bragging. These men are not from Xingshan County, they¡¯re Japanese pirates who kill without blinking. You think you can survive them? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Wei Yilin taunted back. Wei Ruo smirked, choosing not to converse further with Wei Yilin. She leaned against the stone wall of the cave and took a short rest. She had a rough understanding of the situation ¨C the two pirates were likely survivors of a war. To survive, they imposed upon themselves the danger of crossing the Wangyue Mountain and hid on the city outskirts, waiting for an opportunity to escape. Regarding Wei Yilin, he must¡¯ve been off his rocker to end up in the city outskirts, consequently getting captured by the disguised pirates and used as a hostage as a precaution against discovery. Her current goal was to buy time, to create an opportunity to survive. If something were to give them away, they¡¯d undoubtedly choose the manageable Wei Yilin as the hostage, not her. Moreover, these pirates were ruthlessly brutal ¨C as a thirteen-year-old girl, who knew what atrocities they could commit against her. A swift death would be a mercy. Hearing a pirate coming in, Wei Ruo opened her eyes. She immediately spoke, ¡°Honorable warriors of Great Japan, I have a solution to redeem your honor.¡± Earlier, Wei Ruo had picked up on some Chinese words from the pirates¡¯ conversation and surmised that they had learned some Chinese after spending some time in the East Coast area. We Ruo¡¯s proposal left Wei Yilin bewildered. He looked at her with contempt. Could she really aid the pirates in redeeming their honor? The pirate in front of them, however, stopped and asked Wei Ruo in heavily accented Chinese, ¡°You, what mean?¡± ¡°You lost the war. Although some of you narrowly escaped death and weren¡¯t captured, according to your Japanese customs, you should commit suicide to apologize to your Emperor for your failure,¡± Wei Ruo calmly expressed. ¡°You know, us?¡± The pirate appeared extremely surprised. Wei Yilin was also shocked, looking at Wei Ruo with disbelief. How did Wei Qingruo know so much? ¡°I know a little.¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°I just said I could help you redeem your honor. You understand what that idiom means, right? It means you can return without facing punishment and even be commended for your accomplishments..¡± Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 94: There are Differences Among Hostages _1 Chapter 94: Chapter 94: There are Differences Among Hostages _1 Translator: 549690339 The Japanese pirates regarded Wei Ruo with a surprised look, appearing to seriously consider the feasibility of her proposition. After some thinking, the pirate continued in his broken Chinese asking, ¡®What can you, offer?¡± ¡°I am an expert in agriculture. I have many farming techniques at my command, capable of altering soil properties and increasing food production.¡± Wei Ruo knew about the conditions in Japan. It was an island nation with extremely scarce land resources, where agriculture was not very developed and arable land was severely limited. She also knew some Japanese customs and knew how to hit their pain points. ¡°Can you grow more, food?¡± ¡°Yes, I can grow more food, whether it¡¯s barren land, coastal saline-alkali land or steep mountain terrain. Once successful, it can feed more people in your country.¡± Wei Ruo knew she was predominantly exaggerating. The improvements that could be made to the land were limited, and some places didn¡¯t warrant renovation due to high costs of renovation or subsequent maintenance. ¡°How do I know, you are not lying?¡± the pirate asked. ¡°The method of improving the land in the southern city area that you have seen was devised by me. You have been lingering on the East Coast for a long time. You should know that this place was a wasteland before. If I could improve it here, I can also help you improve it in Japan.¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°Wei Qingruo, what are you doing? Why are you talking to these two Japanese pirates? Are you going to help them grow food so they can eat and drink well to fight us? They are pirates, robbers, ruthless murderers!¡± Wei Yilin cursed. Wei Ruo gave Wei Yilin a glance; did he think she was not aware of what he was saying? She also hated these pirates, but they had to first look at their current situation, didn¡¯t they? Vengeance is a dish best-served cold! She needed to save her life first before she could think of a way to deal with these people. If she didn¡¯t have her life, everything else was gibberish. Now, the Wei Family was searching for her throughout the city. With Meimei nearby, she had a chance to escape. What she needed to do was to protect herself as much as possible before they found her. Ignoring Wei Yilin, Wei Ruo turned to the pirate with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, this kid, he¡¯s not clear-headed.¡± ¡°He says he is, the son of Colonel Wei, he calls you, sister, you are also, the daughter of Colonel Wei.¡± While the pirate was not fluent in Chinese, he was very clear-headed. ¡°Yes, I am the daughter of Colonel Wei. But I am in your hands now, I want to hve, so I am willing to provide my value, to achieve a win-win situation for both of us. This has nothing to do with who I am.¡± Wei Ruo persuaded. After hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, the pirate did not immediately respond. Instead, he withdrew to the outside of the cave to discuss with the other pirate. While the two pirates were whispering and discussing something, Wei Yilin asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Wei Qingruo, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°What? Survival, can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re doing is very shameful!¡± Wei Yilin, can you distinguish between disgracing and foolishness?¡± You¡¯re betraying your country, betraying countless frontier soldiers you¡­you¡¯re ungrateful!¡± Wei Yilin thought for a while before using the word ¡°ungrateful¡± to scold Wei Ruo. ¡°Who did I betray, who did I kill? It¡¯s you, who runs around and gets me involved in your misfortune. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to get me killed!¡± ¡°You!¡± Wei Yilin was once again at a loss for words. ¡°If you have something to say; just keep scolding, I¡¯ll take it as a lullaby.¡± Wei Ruo replied calmly. Being tied up by two pirates and held in a cave is a daunting experience. Having someone else¡¯s voice muttering could alleviate the tense atmosphere. After a while, that pirate returned. ¡°If you can do what you say, we will not hurt you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Wei Ruo agreed gladly. ¡°However, we will not let your brother go, and we might kill him.¡± the pirate added. Letting Wei Yilin go would expose their location. They kept Wei Yilin as a hostage, if anything went wrong, they might need to kill him for their safety. ¡°He and I don¡¯t get along well. He just wants me dead. Look, if he really cared for me, he would not have called me his sister, and given me away. To truly love someone is to hope that they live well instead of dragging them down. Do as you please.¡± responded Wei Ruo. Wei Yilin, who was at her side, couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He wanted to object, but realized that he had no words to refute. ¡®That¡¯s good.¡± Pirate naturally did not want Wei Ruo to present extra conditions. Since we have already reached a consensus, then you should also treat me a little better, don¡¯t torment and disable me before I get to Japan with you.¡± Wei Ruo continued. ¡°You, would like, how?¡± the pirate asked. ¡°You can loosen me a little, so I¡¯ll be more comfortable, and my hands won¡¯t suffer long-term blood circulation problems. Rest assured, this cave has no other exits. With you guarding at the entrance, I can¡¯t escape. I also don¡¯t have any martial arts skills, I can¡¯t beat you.¡± Said Wei Ruo. The pirate hesitated a bit, looked at Wei Ruo for a while, and then recalled the scene of how they captured her earlier. If she had any martial arts skills, she wouldn¡¯t have been caught so easily. He eventually agreed. The pirate untied Wei Ruo. After doing all this, the two pirates returned outside the cave. These two seemed to be plotting something. Although she couldn¡¯t understand their words, Wei Ruo guessed they probably were discussing how to escape from the pursuit of the soldiers of Xingshan County and successfully return to Japan. Freed now, Wei Ruo lounged back against the stone wall, her posture relaxed Comparatively, Wei Yichen across from her was in an uncomfortable position, with his hands tied behind his back, irregularly slanting and twisted on the ground. Not only was his posture uncomfortable, but his mind was also extremely uncomfortable. He had heard the words spoken by the pirate, they had stated they would not let him go and could kill him if a situation arose. He didn¡¯t want to die; he wanted to live! Although he spoke with great righteousness when arguing with Wei Ruo just now, when the fear of death hit him, he began to envy Wei Ruo again. At least the pirates said they would not kill her! Wei Yilin was endlessly annoyed, but faced with Wei Ruo, he did not want to admit that his choices were not as smart as hers. Wei Ruo did not care about the look Wei Yilin gave her and had no interest in knowing what he was thinking. She pulled out a small silk pouch from her bosom, took out a dried sweet potato, and began to munch on it. It was Wei Ruo¡¯s habit to bring small snacks with her when she went out. So earlier when she told Xiumei to return to the carriage to get food, it was indeed an excuse. She wanted to distribute those foods to the poor. Leaning back and enjoying her sweet potato, Wei Ruo looked relaxed and satisfying, causing Wei Yilin to gape in disbelief.. Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Counter Kill i Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Counter Kill i Translator: 549690339 He had snuck into the ox cart going south from the mansion in the morning, only to be captured by two Japanese pirates. It was already afternoon and he hadn¡¯t had a drop of water or a morsel of food. ¡°Gurgle¡­¡± His stomach embarrassingly grumbled. Wei Yilin was frustrated, agitated, and annoyed. Wei Ruo pretended not to hear and continued to eat her meal. Wei Yilin had never experienced such hardship in all his life, and the more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt. ¡°Wei Qingruo!¡± Wei Yilin called out. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Wei Yilin looked at Wei Ruo, wanting to say something but was unable to articulate his thoughts. ¡°You want to eat, but you¡¯re too bashful to ask, is that it, huh?¡± Wei Ruo finished on behalf of Wei Yilin. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Wei Yilin promptly denied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯ve thought about it or not, I would never give my carefully prepared food to someone who secretly wishes for my death.¡± ¡°You!¡± Wei Yilin was once again infuriated by Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo responded with a gentle smile, leisurely savoring her sweet, dried sweet potatoes. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t give it to me! Who cares?¡± Wei Yilin retorted. An hour later¡­ ¡°Gurgle¡­gurgle¡­¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s stomach was now crying out with even more intensity. Never having gone hungry before, this was his first time experiencing such prolonged hunger. It significantly curbed his typically haughty demeanor. Looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s calm and collected demeanor, Wei Yilin started to realize that there might be some truth to her words. At least, like Wei Ruo, he could lead a slightly more tolerable life before being rescued. ¡°Wei Qingruo, if they were to kill me, you wouldn¡¯t really abandon me, would you?¡± Wei Yilin asked. ¡°At the first sight of you today, I would have saved you. But after you called me ¡®sister¡¯ with no sincerity, knowing full well you¡¯ve never genuinely said it before, I couldn¡¯t care less about your well-being.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal her true thoughts. Wei Yilin¡¯s face fell, as a wave of shame washed over him. He glanced at Wei Ruo, wanting to say something but swallowed his words back down. After all, if he apologized to Wei Ruo, it would be a blow to his pride. Furthermore, it would be a betrayal to Sister Wanwan. He had promised Sister Wanwan that he would only recognize her as his sister. A man of integrity must be true to his words. ¡°Can you at least give me something to eat, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t bring himself to apologize, his stomach was truly empty. Grudgingly, he asked Wei Ruo for food. ¡°No.¡± Wei Ruo refused without a second thought. While putting on a show for Wei Yilin, she kept an eye on the entrance of the cave. When she confirmed that no one outside was looking, she carefully took out a small bottle from her clothes, and poured the powder inside onto the remaining dried sweet potatoes in her bag. She mixed the bag around so that the powder was evenly distributed. Wei Yilin didn¡¯t see what Wei Ruo did. He thought she was just savoring her food while watching him go hungry. After a while, Wei Ruo shouted towards the cave entrance, ¡°Hey, good fellows outside, I have some food in here. Do you want some?¡± ¡°Wei Qingruo, what are you doing? You didn¡¯t give the food to me, and now you want to feed those bloodthirsty Japanese pirates? Are you even human?¡± Wei Yilin accused. ¡°Wei Qingruo, did you hear me? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t give the food to me, but you can¡¯t give it to them. They¡¯re ruthless!¡± Wei Ruo ignored him, her eyes continuously fixed on the entrance. As expected, one of the Japanese pirates came in. Wei Ruo actively handed over a bag of dried sweet potatoes, ¡°These are dried sweet potatoes, they¡¯re really delicious.¡± She even held a piece in her own hand, and took a couple bites to demonstrate. The pirate hesitated for a moment, then hastily took the bag of dried sweet potatoes from Wei Ruo. They were hungry, very hungry. For the past few days, they hadn¡¯t had any decent food. He ran out to the entrance with Wei Ruo¡¯s bag, sharing the hard-earned food with the other pirate. Inside the cave, Wei Yilin continued to curse at Wei Ruo, ¡°Wei Qingruo, do you think you can face the countless soldiers? Do you think you can face the suffering people of Xingshan County?¡± ¡°Wei Qingruo, you¡¯re heartless! You¡¯re a traitor! How could our family have someone like you! I will never acknowledge you as my sister in this life!¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have the mood to deal with Wei Yilin. All her attention was outside the cave, and her ears were alert for any sounds. After a while, Wei Ruo finally heard the thud of a heavy object falling to the ground. Wei Ruo, unbound by ropes, tiptoed over to the cave entrance. Outside the cave, the two Japanese pirates who had eaten the hallucinogen-laced dried sweet potatoes had already collapsed on the ground. Wei Ruo clenched her fists, her heart skipping a beat. All the previous steps, from submission, negotiation, delay, to requesting untie, and voluntarily offering the dried sweet potatoes, were all for this moment. Fighting with Wei Yilin and acting nonchalant were part of her pretense. This was also her first time in such a situation, and her fear and anxiety were not in the least bit diminished. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she allowed her fear to show. But she still couldn¡¯t completely relax. She had unfinished business. She must kill these two men! She only had hallucinogenic powder, not poison. If she didn¡¯t finish them off, these two would wake up after a while. Wei Ruo squatted down and took the knife from one of the pirates. Her hand trembled slightly as she gripped the knife. She knew how to use a knife to save lives, but using it to kill¡­ The memory of her only previous killing flashed across her mind, causing a tremor in her heart. She was afraid, afraid to kill. Wei Ruo told herself: ¡°Wei Ruo, today you MUST kill these two men. They are Japanese pirates, brutal thieves who robbed our people of their lives and property. Their hands are stained with innocent blood and lives!¡± Moreover, if you don¡¯t kill them and your imprisonment gets exposed, you only have one outcome ¨C death! Whether or not you were actually violated by them, if you were kidnapped or captured, outsiders will assume you were disgraced, and then there¡¯s no way out for you. After wrestling with her thoughts, Wei Ruo tightly gripped the knife with both hands and thrust it forcefully, ending the life of one of the pirates. Then the second one. Blood flowed, soaking the clothes of the two pirates. Normally, Wei Ruo isn¡¯t scared of blood. But at this moment, looking at the blood, she keenly felt the reality of her action. She had just killed. She was scared, but she had no regrets. ¡°Wei Qingruo, you killed them¡­¡± Suddenly, the cave entrance echoed with Wei Yilin¡¯s shocked voice. After Wei Ruo had left, Wei Yilin, who was still tied up, was eager to know what was happening outside. He managed to muster up some strength and, wriggling like a worm, he reached the entrance of the cave. Then he witnessed the scene of Wei Ruo killing two Japanese pirates. His eyes were full of shock, and his face was filled with disbelief.. Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Did He Experience an Illusion 1 Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Did He Experience an Illusion 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª While Wei Yilin was digesting all this, Wei Ruo poured the drug from the bottle onto a handkerchief, briskly moved forward, and covered Wei Yilin¡¯s mouth and nose with it. Wei Yilin¡¯s hands and feet were still tied up, leaving him no way to resist. He stared wide-eyed at Wei Ruo, disbelief rising within him as he lost consciousness. After he passed out, Wei Ruo untied him; keeping him bound for too long might have hampered blood circulation, potentially damaging his limbs. Then Wei Ruo turned her head and cautiously checked the pulses of the two Japanese Pirates, confirming that they were indeed dead. She then cleaned up the scene, taking away the leftover dried sweet potatoes and bags on the ground. Finally, she staggered and escaped from the scene. She avoided the crowd searching for Wei Yilin; she couldn¡¯t let anyone see her in such a disarrayed state. ¡°Miss! Miss!¡± Hearing Xiumei calling her, Wei Ruo¡¯s heart was filled with relief. Seeing no one else by Xiumei¡¯s side, Wei Ruo quickly ran to her. ¡°Meimei, I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Miss!¡± Seeing Wei Ruo looking so panicked, Xiumei was deeply worried, ¡°Miss, what happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, take me back to the carriage. I need to clean myself up quickly. Then, I¡¯ll tell you where Wei Yilin is, and you can send someone to find him.¡± Xiumei didn¡¯t understand why Wei Ruo wanted to do this, but her many years of knowing Wei Ruo made her realize that she needed to act quickly and follow Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions in this urgent situation. With the help of Xiumei, Wei Ruo successfully avoided the others and returned to the carriage. While Wei Ruo was resetting herself, Xiumei followed the address given by Wei Ruo to locate Wei Yilin. On the way, she ran into Lady Zhang and specially called her over. Lady Zhang looked worried: ¡°What if something happened to the young master?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Zhang, let¡¯s keep searching, maybe we¡¯ll find him.¡± Xiumei reassured her while following the direction Wei Ruo had given. ¡°Lady Zhang, look over there. Does it look like someone has fallen down over there?¡± Xiumei asked, pointing to a spot halfway up the mountain. ¡°Wait a minute, my eyesight isn¡¯t too good, I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t squint, let¡¯s just go for a closer look!¡± Without uttering another word, Xiumei grabbed Lady Zhang and headed up the hill. As they approached, Lady Zhang was scared out of her wits. ¡°Dead bodies! Dead bodies!¡± Lady Zhang, who rarely encountered such scenes in her secluded life in the grand mansion, was immediately pale with fright. ¡°Lady Zhang, the young master is there!¡± Xiumei pointed to Wei Yilin beside the corpses. ¡°Ah? The young master? Is he okay?¡± Lady Zhang was simultaneously eager and apprehensive. Xiumei went up to Wei Yilin and picked him up: ¡°The young master is fine, he just passed out.¡± She then instructed Lady Zhang to call for help: ¡°Lady Zhang, quickly go and let the others know! I¡¯ll stay here and watch!¡± After hesitating for a moment, Lady Zhang finally reacted: ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going.¡± Lady Zhang staggered down the mountain, calling out for help as she went. While Lady Zhang was away, Xiumei warily looked around again to ensure there was no evidence of her young miss¡¯s presence. ### ¡°Yilin! Yilin!¡± Wei Yilin was awakened by the noise, he opened his eyes and saw Lady Yun. Wei Yilin was held by Lady Yun, and in front of him were Wei Qingwan, who was sobbing with red eyes, and Wei Yichen with a worried expression on his face. The crowd that had come to the South City to find Wei Yilin was also present almost everyone from the Military Prefecture was there, except for Wei Ruo. ¡¯ After freezing for a moment, Wei Yilin suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Mother! Mother!¡± Lady Yun held Wei Yilin in her arms, distressed. Wei Qingwan also crowded in, ¡°Yilin, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°Sister¡­ Sister¡­¡± Hearing Wei Qingwan¡¯s voice, Wei Yilin cried even harder. After crying for a bit, Wei Yilin glanced around and asked, ¡°Mother, where¡¯s Wei Qingruo? Where is she?¡± ¡°Yilin, do you want to see your eldest sister?¡± Wei Qingwan asked, surprised and confused. Why would Yilin want to see Wei Qingruo at such a time? ¡°Yes, where is she? Where is she?¡± Wei Yilin pursued. ¡°Yilin, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you suddenly want to see your big sister?¡± Lady Yun was also puzzled. ¡°I saw her¡­ she¡­¡± Wei Yilin remembered the last thing he saw. His mind was a mess. How was it possible that Wei Qingruo, who was begging for mercy from the Japanese Pirates a moment ago, would kill the two Japanese Pirates the next moment? ¡°Mother, where are the two Japanese Pirates? Where are they?¡± Wei Yilin asked anxiously. ¡°Yihn, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s okay, those two Japanese Pirates are dead.¡± Lady Yun quickly tried to calm him down. ¡°Who killed them? Did you see?¡± Wei Yilin asked again. He wanted to confirm whether what he had seen was true. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. When we found you, they were already dead,¡± Lady Yun replied. They didn¡¯t have an answer to this question. It seemed someone found them first, killed the two Japanese Pirates, and then saved her son. But they didn¡¯t know why that person didn¡¯t show up. ¡°It was Wei Qingruo. It must have been her. She killed the Japanese Pirates!¡± Wei Yilin became more convinced that what he had seen was real. ¡°Yihn, what are you talking about? If your big sister had been the one to rescue you, there¡¯s no reason for her to have left without telling us.¡± Wei Qingwan was quick to say. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that, she was with me when¡­¡± Before Wei Yihn could finish, Wei Ruo appeared: ¡°Are you looking for me Yilin?¡± Wei Ruo pushed through the crowd and entered Wei Yilin¡¯s line of sight. The complexion on Wei Ruo was bright; the only sign of distress on her was a bit of dirt on her clothes. But walking in the fields of the South City and getting dirt on oneself wasn¡¯t abnormal. Wei Yilin stared wide-eyed at Wei Ruo, his expression complex. Wei Qingwan noticed that Wei Yilin was staring hard at Wei Ruo. She clenched her fists and was quick to say: ¡°Yilin, you must be mistaken. Your sister just got here. There¡¯s no way she killed the two Japanese Pirates.¡± Unbeknownst to her, the answer Wei Ruo wanted was exactly that. A thirteen-year-old girl getting tied up by pirates for over an hour was much more terrifying than her saving Wei Yilin. ¡°It¡¯s impossible, I clearly saw it!¡± Wei Yilin shook his head, the image was far too real in his mind. ¡°Yilin, you were frightened today and fainted. You must be hallucinating,¡± Lady Yun speculated. ¡°1¡­¡± As he heard Lady Yun and Wei Qingwan persuading him, Wei Yilin was no longer so sure. Does it mean he was really hallucinating? Were his recent memories about Wei Ruo all fake? Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Punishing Wei Yilin_l Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Punishing Wei Yilin_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Yilin stubbornly asked Wei Ruo: ¡°Where¡¯s your dried sweet potato? Didn¡¯t you feed the dried sweet potatoes to those two Japanese Pirates? ¡°I as Xiumei to give my dried sweet potatoes to the people who were opening up wasteland nearby. If you want to eat, I will find some when we get back to the mansion,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°No way, I saw it clearly. Didn¡¯t you use the dried sweet potatoes to drug the two pirates and kill them?¡± Wei Yilin interrogated again. Before Wei Ruo could speak, Wei Qingwan beat her to it: ¡°Little brother, your sister just arrived here. All the dried sweet potatoes were given to the locals. You must have dreamt all this. Although we haven¡¯t found the person who saved you, rest assured that we will continue to ask around. I believe we will find answers soon.¡± Wei Yilin looked at Wei Qingwan. Why would his most trusted Sister Wanwan also say it was fake¡­ Could it really be fake? Wei Yilin fell silent. ¡°Alright Yilin, you must have been scared today too. Go home first, and we will discuss what happened today later,¡± said Wei Yichen. Standing around here wasn¡¯t solving anything. The most important thing was that everyone was safe. Then Wei Yichen arranged for everyone to return to the mansion. Not long after they returned to the Military Prefecture, Wei Mingting came back. Given his military obligations, he couldn¡¯t come and go as he pleased. Besides, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t send him any message at first. By the time he found out about the situation, the Wei family had already found Wei Yilin. ¡°Bring Yilin to me,¡± ordered Wei Mingting. ¡°My lord, Yilin has been shocked and is currently resting¡­¡± Mrs. Yun explained. ¡°Resting? What rest does he need? His mischiefs got him into this trouble. It¡¯s all his own fault!¡± Wei Mingting responded seriously, his gaze stern. ¡°But lord, Yilin is only seven years old¡­¡± ¡°Seven years old is old enough to be a man! Seeing her husband¡¯s firm attitude, Mrs. Yun no longer tried to dissuade him and let the servant go to Yuyu Garden to bring Wei Yilin over. Knowing his father was looking for him, Wei Yilin became anxious on his way. When he entered the room and saw his father¡¯s serious face, Wei Yilin panicked completely. ¡°Dad¡­ I¡­ I know I was wrong¡­¡± Wei Yilin apologized in fear. ¡°Go and squat in the courtyard,¡± Wei Mingting ordered without a shred of sympathy. ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± Wei Yilin trembled, then quickly turned around and moved to the courtyard, assuming the horse stance position as required by Wei Mingting. Wei Mingting then came out, had someone bring an incense burner, lit incense in it, and placed it under Wei Yilin¡¯s crotch. Then he had someone bring a bowl of water and place it on top of Wei Yilin¡¯s head. Seeing this, Mrs. Yun couldn¡¯t stand it again: ¡°My lord, isn¡¯t this a bit too harsh for Yilin? He is only seven years old¡­¡± ¡°Harsh? If he wasn¡¯t so lucky to be saved today, he would probably be dead in the hands of the Japanese Pirates now! For someone who was willing to risk his life, what¡¯s so unbearable about some suffering? Mrs. Yun was dumbfounded. Indeed, compared to losing his life, suffering a bit now was indeed lighter. At first, Wei Yilin was able to hold on, but after a quarter of the incense burned, his legs began to shake uncontrollably, and the bowl on his head was swaying heavily. When a third of the incense burned, he stumbled and fell to the ground, the bowl on his head dropped. ¡°Get up and continue. Light the incense again,¡± Wei Mingting said expressionlessly. Wei Yilin was in agony, his legs trembling, but he had to do as Wei Mingting asked. This time, he couldn¡¯t last long. He fell down shortly after the incense was lit. But Wei Mingting was still relentless, still demanding Wei Yilin to continue without a change in his expression. Mrs. Yun¡¯s heart ached, so she chose to turn around and leave, pretending not to know. After an unknown period, Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t stand up anymore. Only then did Wei Mingting allow him to leave. ### After Wei Ruo returned to the Wei family, she went back to her room. Xiumei made Calming Tea for Wei Ruo. Although her mistress had seen a lot of death and blood, it was her first time killing someone, and Xiumei was worried that she might not sleep well at night. In the first half of the night, Wei Ruo was indeed restless, dreaming about the bloody scenes of killing. It was not until the latter half of the night that she had a somewhat sound sleep. After a night¡¯s rest, Wei Ruo got up early the next morning. Hearing that Wei Mingting was in the mansion, she prepared to see her father. ¡°What are you planning to do, miss?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°To exact revenge on Wei Yilin,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Ruo strode out of the Tingsong Garden and headed for Cangyun Garden. As she entered the courtyard, she saw Wei Mingting standing there with Wei Qingwan and Wei Yilin in front of him. Wei Yilin was trembling, showing that he had been severely punished yesterday. Today, Wei Mingting seemed to be planning to continue the punishment, but Wei Qingwan, who had learned about the situation, specifically came to plead with Wei Mingting on Wei Yilin¡¯s behalf. Wei Ruo happened to walk in on a tender moment between sister and brother. Upon seeing Wei Ruo enter, the conversation was interrupted, and Wei Mingting looked at Wei Ruo and asked, ¡°Why are you up so early today, Ruoruo?¡± -I have something to discuss with father. Would it be convenient now?¡± Wei Ruo replied without hesitation. ¡°Just say whatever you have to say,¡± said Wei Mingting. ¡°It is about my younger brother, Yilin. I believe the way you are currently punishing him is inappropriate,¡± said Wei Ruo. Hearing this, Wei Yilin looked up at Wei Ruo in surprise. It was certainly expected that Sister Wanwan would plead for him, but why would Wei Qingruo also plead for him? ¡°Ruoruo, do you also think, like Wanwan, that your father shouldn¡¯t continue punishing Yilin today?¡± Wei Mingting asked. just before this, Wei Qingwan had been speaking to Wei Mingting about the same matter. Given that Yilin was still a child and yesterday¡¯s punishment had rendered him unable to walk today, she hoped that Wei Mingting would postpone today¡¯s punishment on account of Yilin¡¯s young age. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t mean this. I think that disciplining Yilin shouldn¡¯t just be for a day or two. You are usually busy with public affairs and spend limited time at home Only disciplining for a day or two whenever you are home, and then stop right after you return to the military camp, is not effective in my opinion,¡± Wei Ruo analyzed. Upon hearing this, Wei Yilin was dumbfounded. This woman wasn¡¯t here to plead for him. She was here to make things worse for him! But when Wei Mingting heard Wei Ruo¡¯s words, he thought they made a lot of sense, so he continued to ask, ¡°Then Rouro, what do you think is a better way.¡± ¡°I think, first of all, we should separate Yilin and sister Qingwan,¡± Wei Ruo replied. The faces of Wei Qingwan and Wei Yilin turned pale simultaneously. If it were any other day, Wei Yilin would have been openly hostile towards Wei Ruo at this point. But today, he dared only to glare at Wei Ruo in disbelief. Wei Qingwan lowered her head, bit her lip, and asked in a grieved tone, ¡°Sister, do you think I have led Yilin astray?¡± Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 98: What Ruoruo Said is indeed Chapter 98: Chapter 98: What Ruoruo Said is indeed True_l Translator: 549690339 She looked like she was on the verge of tears, which made her pitiful, but Wei Ruo only gave her a faint smile and patiently explained. ¡°Sister Qingwan, you needn¡¯t think like that. Qingwan, as the eldest daughter of a noble family, your nature is wonderful: gentle, endearing, kind, considerate and understanding. But just because you are kind-hearted doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you are the right person to instruct your brother. Yilin is stubborn and teaching him properly requires strict discipline, not endless coddling and indulgence.¡± Then, turning to Wei Mingting, Wei Ruo continued, ¡°Father, you are often occupied with official business and mother is too busy with household affairs to spare time, so the one who spends the most time with Yilin is Qingwan. But father, as you can see, Yilin¡¯s character doesn¡¯t reflect well on this. It¡¯s not that Qingwan is doing a poor job. She simply isn¡¯t fit to instruct Yilin. Wei Qingwan¡¯s hand, concealed in her sleeve, clenched into a fist and her face visibly paled. No longer able to contain himself, Wei Yilin blurted out, ¡°Sister Wanwan has done nothing wrong. She is not failing in her duties!¡± ¡°Silent!¡± Wei Mingting interrupted Wei Yilin with a cold rebuke. It was not his place to talk at this moment. Wei Yilin¡¯s tantrums and his reliance on Wei Qingwan only proved Wei Mingting¡¯s eldest daughter¡¯s concerns to be valid. Being descendants of a military general, how could we have a son who was arrogant and unruly, without high aspirations, excessively reliant on his sisters, and who could neither excel in academics nor martial arts? Wei Qjngwan¡¯s heart shivered. With her fingers gripping her skirt, she longed to speak up, but lacked the courage to do so. Instead, she clenched her lips tightly. After silencing Wei Yilin, Wei Mingting scrutinized his eldest daughter. After a moment, he looked at Wei Ruo. ¡°Continue,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s my belief that we should find a martial arts teacher for Yilin, someone who can strictly instruct him. Being a son of the Wei family, if he can¡¯t succeed via academics, then he should take up the route of martial arts, like father. He mustn¡¯t squander his time ending up incompetent with both academics and martial arts,¡± Wei Ruo said pointedly and logically. After considering her words, Wei Mingting nodded. ¡°Ruo, your words are reasonable. I have failed to pay attention to some things. You, however, are clear-sighted. From today, Yilin is forbidden to enter Wangmei Garden. He is not allowed to run about the Wei residence in his free time. Wanwan too should not secretly visit Yilin in Yuyu Garden. As for finding a martial arts teacher, I will look into it as soon as possible.¡± Wei Mingting had made his decision. Yilin, already unstable on his trembling legs, stumbled and fell. Wei Qingwan rushed over to support him, looking at him with concern. Wei Yilin, feeling wronged, buried his face in Wei Qingwan¡¯s embrace and wept. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. I don¡¯t want to learn martial arts, sister¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, little brother. Father is doing this for your own good,¡± Wei Qingwan comforted him immediately, her expression a mix of sympathy and worry. Wei Mingting stood aside, silent. Originally, he hadn¡¯t noticed this issue, but now, after his eldest daughter had spoken, and seeing his second daughter¡¯s overindulgence and affection toward their little brother, he furrowed his brows. His strict expectations of his youngest son at home never seemed to work. As Yilin grew older, he became increasingly disobedient. Perhaps this was the root cause. ¡öWanwan, return to Wangmei Garden first,¡± Wei Mingting said, wearing a serious expression. Wei Qingwan¡¯s body stiffened, and she felt a sensation of blood rushing back in her veins. She forced herself to steady her body and slowly straightened. ¡°Yes, Daughter will¡­take your leave¡­¡± Wei Qingwan stepped away from Cangyun Garden slowly. At the entrance, she looked back several times. It felt that she was leaving more than just the Cangyun Garden behind, but her home. Seeing the three people within the courtyard, Wei Qingwan felt like an outsider for the first time¡­ Wei Mingting¡¯s reason for having Wei Qingwan leave was just because he thought Qingwan was too soft-hearted. The moment her little brother suffered a little hardship, she would be there to comfort him softly, which wouldn¡¯t help with his instruction. So after sending Wei Qingwan away, Wei Mingting sent Wei Yilin to chop firewood as a way to expose him to the hardships of ordinary people¡¯s daily life. Yilin was still shaky from the punishment he suffered the day before, but his hands were fine, not affecting him from chopping firewood. ¡°Ruo, you may watch over Yilin for a while in my stead. I need to talk to your mother,¡± Wei Mingting said to Wei Ruo. ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Ruo agreed. Then from an angle unseen by Wei Mingting, Wei Ruo shot a playful smile at Wei Yilin. Wei Yilin still had tears staining his cheeks. His red, swollen eyes stared at Wei Ruo. He didn¡¯t know what to say. Afterwards, Wei Mingting returned to his chambers to discuss with Yun about finding a martial arts teacher for Wei Yilin. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to send Yilin to study martial arts?¡± Yun asked. ¡°It was Ruo who reminded me. Yilin has been spoiled due to his current temperament. He doesn¡¯t take his studies seriously and acts presumptuously. Today, he went out of the residence on his own without respect for his elders. Who knows what outrageous feats he might commit tomorrow? We must discipline him strictly now, or he could bring disaster to the Wei Residence. Studying martial arts is indeed an excellent method of discipline. ¡°You¡¯re right, my husband. This is also my responsibility. I failed to discipline the child,¡± Yun lowers her head in shame. ¡°It is not entirely your fault. After we arrived in Xingshan County, you have been overloaded with all the affairs of the residence. Now I think about it, Wanwan, after all, is a bit too weak. As the saying goes, a doting mother will spoil her son. She, as the sister playing the role of a mother, overly indulges him, with the same effect.¡± ¡°I will talk to Wanwan about this later, so she can correct this flaw. As for Yilin, she should be stricter,¡± Yun quickly said. ¡°There is no need. I have already ordered them not to have much private contact for the time being. If necessary, let Ruo take her place. Compared to Wanwan¡¯s gentleness, Ruo¡¯s nature is better suited to instructing Yilin,¡± said Wei Mingting. Upon hearing this, Yun was taken aback. She never expected her husband to directly prohibit Wanwan from having private interactions with Yilin. After all, the person closest to Yilin was Wanwan, even closer than herself, his mother. ¡°Won¡¯t this¡­ hurt both Yilin and Wanwan?¡± Yun was a bit worried. ¡°In Yilin¡¯s case, he needs to suffer a bit in order to realize what can be done and what cannot. If we still consider his feelings, how can we teach him well? As for Wanwan, she is sensible. I have explained the cause and effect to her, so she definitely understands why and won¡¯t overthink it,¡± said Wei Mingting. ¡°Yes, my husband, you¡¯re right.¡± With that, Yun had no more objections. Wei Mingting couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°In the past, when we talked about letting Wanwan be the eldest daughter of the family, it was solely because we were worrying that Ruo couldn¡¯t follow the rules and couldn¡¯t handle the responsibility. It was only at father¡¯s request that we let Ruo be the eldest. However, looking at it now, father was indeed foresighted, Ruo is indeed more suitable to be the eldest. She is decisive and calm in handling matters, and knows how to manage the overall situation..¡± Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 99 Supervising Wei Yilins Chapter 99: Chapter 99 Supervising Wei Yilin¡¯s Punishment__l Translator: 549690339 Madam Yun had not expected her husband to validate their eldest daughter s abilities so wholly. But indeed, Ruoruo¡¯s recent accomplishments did bring luster to the Wei Residence. Her behavior was impeccable both within and outside their home, exuding the demeanor of an elder sister¡ªa performance far exceeding her earliest expectations. Madam Yun agreed saying, ¡°You¡¯re right, my Lord. Ruoruo is indeed better suited to be the eldest daughter. But our Wanwan isn¡¯t bad either: she¡¯s gentle, considerate, obedient, and sensible. Every time I see her, my heart fills with joy¡± In acknowledging their eldest daughter, she also took special care to appreciate their second daughter¡¯s excellence. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Mingting couldn¡¯t deny this. His daughters both excelled in their ways. ¡®¡öThe matter of finding a martial arts master for Yilin is settled. You should strictly enforce the rules I laid down today, even when I am not at home. You mustn¡¯t be soft-hearted.¡± Wei Mingting further cautioned his wife, who was prone to being lenient with their children. Knowing that his wife had a soft heart, he took special care to admonish her. ¡°Rest assured, my Lord, I will definitely fulfill your expectations.¡± Madam Yun promised. Although she loved her young son and didn¡¯t want him to suffer, she would definitely adhere to the arrangements made by her husband. ### While Wei Mingting and Madam Yun were in discussion, Wei Ruo was supervising Wei Yilin¡¯s wood chopping in the yard. The seven-year-old¡¯s small arms strained hard against the hefty ax, visibly struggling. With each swing, the ax barely made a dent in the wood, far from splitting the logs. Worn out after merely a few swings, he wanted to stop, but Wei Ruo¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°If you don¡¯t chop five bundles of wood today, you¡¯ll continue tomorrow, starting anew with five bundles. If you don¡¯t finish tomorrow, then the day after, and so on until you can chop five bundles in a single day. ¡°Wei Qingruo, this is really unfair!¡± Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, his round eyes glared at Wei Ruo, fuming with anger. ¡°Unfair? Really?¡± Wei Ruo asked lazily, a smug smile on her face. ¡°I know you¡¯re getting back at me for betraying you yesterday, right? I thought about it last night, everything was too real to be just a dream-it must have actually happened!¡± Wei Yilin asserted with confidence. Wei Ruo simply answered with silence and a grin. Wei Yilin carried on, ¡°Wei Qingruo, I admit my actions yesterday were wrong. Even if I recall yesterday¡¯s events, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Because I realize it would reflect badly on you if others knew you were kidnapped. Even if I don¡¯t like you, you¡¯re a woman of our Wei Family. I won¡¯t ruin your reputation.¡± Wei Yilin puffed out his cheeks with an angry yet serious expression on his face. Wei Ruo remained silent. What if he remembered? As long as she didn¡¯t confirm it, nobody would believe what he said. She didn¡¯t care whether he remembered or not. ¡°Also, I think it was quite impressive that you killed those two Japanese pirates. So, you shouldn¡¯t retaliate this way. Go to father and ask him to rescind his orders. I can learn martial arts, but don¡¯t separate me from Sister Wanwan and especially don¡¯t let you be in charge. I don¡¯t like you!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Wei Ruo asked with a smile. ¡°Wei Qingruo, I¡¯ve already said so much, what else do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. As the eldest sister, it¡¯s my responsibility to teach my younger brother, so I must supervise you, even if you may not like it.¡± Wei Ruo was cautious with her words, ensuring no eavesdropper could accuse her of wrongdoing. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, you¡¯re not sincere about teaching me at all! You¡¯re just intentionally targeting me! Furthermore, I don¡¯t acknowledge you as my elder sister, my only elder sister is Sister Wanwan!¡± ¡°Stop talking and continue chopping the wood. Laziness is not acceptable.¡± Wei Ruo was completely at ease. ¡°Wei Qingruo!¡± Wei Yilin was incredibly frustrated with Wei Ruo¡¯s indifference. ¡°You must address me as ¡®elder sister.¡¯ If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll have a serious talk with father.¡± Wei Ruo was calm and collected. Wei Yilin was so exasperated with Wei Ruo that he was at a loss for words. His gaze returned to the wood in front of him. He lifted the ax high and brought it down heavily, as if treating the logs before him as Wei Ruo, channelling all his resentment and discontent into each swing. By the time Wei Mingting emerged, Wei Yilin had already chopped almost half a bundle of wood. Wei Mingting knew he had set an unachievable task for his son. He did this intentionally, hoping it would temper his son and make him truly realize his mistakes. Seeing that under Wei Ruo¡¯s supervision, Wei Yilin had adopted a steadfast approach to chopping wood, no longer showing the earlier signs of weakness and delicacy, Wei Mingting was even more convinced that his eldest daughter was the right choice to tutor the youngest. ¡°Ruoruo, you should go back today. On the days when I¡¯m not at home, I will need you to take care of Yilin. If he doesn¡¯t obey, you have my permission to enforce our family values.¡± Wei Mingting instructed. Wei Yilin was seething inside. Looking at his father¡¯s stern face, he felt both anger and injustice. ¡°I understand, father.¡±, Wei Ruo replied. Then Wei Ruo left the Cangyun Garden. Before leaving, Wei Ruo looked back at Wei Yilin who was glaring at her with bellicose eyes. ### By mid-August of the lunar calendar, it was time to harvest the rice grains in Xingshan County. Instead of joy over the harvest, the people of Xingshan County felt more worry and tension. This was because of a poor harvest. The grain that was collected was barely enough to feed many households for the upcoming year. The Wei Family was in a similar situation. Looking at the account books delivered by the manager of the farm, Madam Yun was filled with worry. The manager said that currently, the best growth on the farm was from the seedlings Wei Ruo had taken to the farm to be replanted. The other rice that was being harvested was approximately one-third the yield of last year, and one-fifth of what it was five years ago. Even though the replanted rice hadn¡¯t matured yet, judging by the number of grain-filled stalks, there was much more than the other rice crops. However, the seedlings Wei Ruo took only covered a small part. The Wei Family¡¯s grain yield was still much less than previous years. Apart from Wei Mingting¡¯s official salary, the farm was a significant source of income for the Wei Family. The poor harvest meant that the Wei Family did not have much income, making the financial budget for the next year a problem. Wei Qingwan came to the Cangyun Garden to help Madam Yun with household affairs after finishing her lessons at the magistrate¡¯s office. Seeing Madam Yun worry about the grain, she comforted her saying, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Everything will straighten out in the end. Didn¡¯t father win the war, get promoted, and receive a reward for meritorious service from the court?¡± Madam Yun shook her head: ¡°It¡¯s true he got a reward, but most of the court rewards are for honor and cannot be easily converted into silver coins.¡± Moreover, Wei Mingting just temporarily repelled the Japanese pirates off the coast of Xingshan County, without completely defeating all the pirates plaguing the southeast coastlines. Therefore, the rewards were not that plentiful. She sighed, ¡°If I¡¯d known earlier that the rice variety Ruoruo provided was so useful, we should¡¯ve planted all fields with it. We wouldn¡¯t be in such a predicament right now..¡± Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Grand Opening of the New Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Grand Opening of the New Store_l Translator: 549690339 Upon Mrs. Yun¡¯s praise of Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan¡¯s fists clenched involuntarily. Now it seems that both her father and mother think her sister is better than she is. Taking Mrs. Yun¡¯s words, Wei Qingwan said casually, ¡°Yes, it would have been better if my sister had told us sooner.¡± At these words, Mrs. Yun¡¯s expression faltered slightly. She didn¡¯t know about her eldest daughter¡¯s superior rice seeds, but her eldest daughter should have known. However, this thought only lingered in Mrs. Yun¡¯s mind for a moment. She quickly remembered that when they had brought their eldest daughter home, they had already begun planting the early rice seedlings. ¡°We can¡¯t blame Ruoruo for this, I remember when she came back, we had already started planting the seedlings in the field. If she had suggested changing the rice variety then, I probably wouldn¡¯t have believed her right away,¡± Mrs. Yun said. She remembered this clearly. At first, when her daughter wanted to improve the land in the southern city, she had opposed it, not really believing her eldest daughter could accomplish it. ¡°Right¡­ right, I almost forgot. My sister only came back then, I must have misremembered,¡± Wei Qingwan readily concurred, her face hurriedly agreeing. Just when Mrs. Yun was worried about the grain supply, the goods from Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the Capital City arrived. They were gifts from her Grandfather Duke and her husband¡¯s two older brothers, sent to celebrate Wei Mingting¡¯s promotion. Among the gifts were several wagonloads of rice grains. They arrived today because they were delayed by the slower land route after passing Hangzhou Prefecture, despite the initial faster water route. Upon seeing wagon after wagon of goods, Mrs. Yun was overjoyed. Although Mrs. Yun knew that the Grandfather Duke and her two brothers-in-law were so enthusiastic mainly due to her husband¡¯s promotion. He was now the only one in the Loyal and Righteous Duke¡¯s Residence with an official position, almost supporting the entire family. Yet, she could not deny that this grain supply had alleviated her immediate concerns. In addition to the grains, the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence sent also some fabrics and jewelry, which were gifts from the Grandfather Duke and Madam Duke. ¡°Madam, these were given by the old Duke and Madam to Miss,¡± the one who brought the gifts specifically explained. ¡°Good,¡± Mrs. Yun agreed, her gaze went to Wei Qingwan, and her eyes revealed concern. Wei Qingwan was rather pale, but she still managed to force a smile, even though it made Mrs. Yun just want to take care of her even more. Before Mrs. Yun could bring up the matter, Wei Qingwan preempted her: ¡°Mother, I am fine. My sister just returned to the residence, so it¡¯s normal for my grandparents to be mainly concerned about her.¡± Hearing her daughter¡¯s sensible words made Mrs. Yun feel even more depressed. Mrs. Yun glanced at the fabrics and jewelry in front of her, hesitated for a while, and then said, ¡°Wanwan, when we have more money in the residence, I will buy some more for you.¡± In her heart, Mrs. Yun really wanted to give some to Wei Qingwan, but the rational part of her recognized that these fabrics and jewelry were not like those bronze decorations. These items had to be worn and shown in public. In the future, they would have to return to Capital City, and if her grandparents-in-law discovered that she had privately passed on these gifts that they had specifically asked to be given to her eldest daughter to Wei Qingwan, they would certainly be displeased. However much Mrs. Yun wanted to take care of Wei Qingwan, she did not dare to offend her in-laws. Upon hearing Mrs. Yun¡¯s words, Wei Qingwan was taken aback and stared at Mrs. Yun in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Wanwan?¡± Mrs. Yun asked, puzzled. ¡°Nothing, mother¡­ I am fine¡­¡± Wei Qingwan quickly recovered herself and emphasized that she was fine. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re fine,¡± Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t think much more of it. She knew her daughter. Naturally, it would be inevitable that she would feel a bit upset by her grandparents¡¯ attitudes, but she was sure that Wei Qingwan would not harbor any malice. After a pause, Mrs. Yun said again, ¡°I have a set of pearls for you that I originally wanted to give you when you come of age. Since you will be going to the Government City, wear it then.¡± Mrs. Yun considered this not only because of today¡¯s event, but also because of the Yun Brocade. She didn¡¯t want Wanwan to feel too aggrieved, and she didn¡¯t want Wanwan¡¯s attire to be inferior to her eldest sister when they went to the Government City. ¡°No need, mother, I won¡¯t need them. I still have some jewelry, you should keep yours,¡± Wei Qingwan hurriedly declined. ¡°You do need them. You¡¯re my daughter, and everything that is mine will eventually be yours and Ruoruo¡¯s,¡± Mrs. Yun reassured. ¡°Then¡­ thank you, mother,¡± With a shy and grateful expression, Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t decline any further. ¡°Silly girl, why are you thanking your mother? Come on, let¡¯s go to my room,¡± Mrs. Yun held Wei Qingwan¡¯s hand and led her towards her own room, intending to give her the set of pearl jewelry right away. ### The items that the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence specifically sent for Wei Ruo were delivered to Tingsong Garden. The box wasn¡¯t large this time, but the contents were far more valuable than the copper ornaments sent earlier. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a set of gold jewelry! And some jade jewelry, they all look very valuable!¡± Xiumei exclaimed with delight. Wei Ruo was also surprised, she hadn¡¯t expected that the Loyal and Righteous Duke would actually send her such valuable jewelry. Although the fabrics weren¡¯t as expensive as Yun Brocade, the entire box of satin fabrics was not cheap either. ¡°Indeed, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. No matter how much the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence has declined, they still have some assets,¡± Wei Ruo muttered to herself. What puzzled Wei Ruo was why the old Duke and Madam would give her such valuable things, which had never happened in the original work. After some thought, the difference between the present and the original work lay in the achievements she made in the southern city, which brought benefits to the Wei Family. So, the two old people didn¡¯t regard her, a granddaughter they had never met, with complete affection. Their actions were largely based on considerations of family interests. But that was good too. They had paid in cash, which was a form of reward Wei Ruo particularly liked. ### For several days in a row, the laborers on Xiaoyang Mountain were busy harvesting sweet potatoes, and several warehouses that had been purchased in advance were filled to the brim. The production of dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato slices was also put on the agenda. As per Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, the wet nurse carefully selected women from poor families to learn how to produce dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato slices, and then handed over the bulk of the dried sweet potato production to them. Each woman was paid five coins for a day¡¯s work and a large sweet potato in addition. This income was not high, but for the women of the village who had difficulty getting enough food, it was a very good job. At least it kept them from going hungry, and the work intensity was not high, so it was something they could handle. Meanwhile, next to the Four Treasure House, a grain shop named Xu¡¯s Grain Shop opened with much excitement. The shop mainly sold grains¡ªrice and sweet potatoes¡ªand also fresh mushrooms and dried mushrooms on the side. Dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato slices were also sold, at the same price as in the candied fruit store.. Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 101 Mushroom Sauce l Chapter 101: Chapter 101 Mushroom Sauce l Translator: 549690339 The store was now selling raw sweet potatoes, unlike the roasted ones previously sold, and they were not as evenly sized as the roasted ones. Hence, the selling method had changed, they were sold by weight now, three coins per catty. In this way, raw sweet potatoes were somewhat cheaper than roasted ones, making them affordable for the general public. The price of rice, however, was relatively higher. One peck was priced at one hundred coins, significantly more expensive than the sixty coins per peck priced in other rice shops in the county. Yet, the store employees explained that their variety of rice was different and superior to common rice, being more fragrant and chewy. The general public would not buy this kind of rice, as their priority was to keep hunger at bay, seeking value for money rather than taste. The different pricing strategies were decided by Wei Ruo. The sweet potatoes were mainly targeted at ordinary people, and were therefore priced lower for affordability. They would also give some for free to those who were visibly starving. The target market for the rice, however, was wealthy officials with a taste for quality. Firstly, the rice that she had purchased from Huzhou Prefecture was indeed of this quality and worth the price. Secondly, Wei Ruo had to consider the purchase and transportation cost of this rice, which naturally raised its price too. As for the mushroom sauce, it was personally made by Wei Ruo. She and Xiumei had made a big pot of it in the small kitchen at the Bamboo Yard, then packed it into twenty small pottery jars. Since it was their first time making it in small quantities, Wei Ruo did not plan to sell it in the store but to use it herself or give it as presents. The next day when Wei Ruo went to the Xie Residence for her class, she gave two jars to Mr. Wang and another two jars to Xie Ying. Xie Ying held the two little clay jars that Wei Ruo gave her and asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is mushroom sauce.¡± ¡°Mushroom sauce? Made from mushrooms?¡± ¡°Yes, you put some lard into the pot, add minced meat and stir-fry until it¡¯s fragrant, then pour in onions, ginger, garlic, and diced mushroom, followed by salt, cooking wine, pepper powder, and white sugar. Stir fry it evenly, then add some soy sauce at the end.¡± Wei Ruo explained. Xie Ying blinked in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but it seems quite impressive. Can this sauce be eaten directly? I don¡¯t know how to cook, but I can eat. Once I taste it, I can tell whether it¡¯s good or not.¡± ¡°You usually mix it with rice, vegetables, or noodles. Eating it directly may be a bit salty, but you can certainly eat it.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°That¡¯s fine then.¡± Xie Ying couldn¡¯t wait to have a maid hand her a pair of chopsticks. She then opened one of the jars and dipped the tip of the chopstick into the sauce, tasting it. Her eyes immediately brightened, ¡°Wow, this is really fragrant, and so delicious!¡± Xie Ying truly found the sauce tasty, she loved the rich flavors of the sauce that came from the meat and the mushrooms, as well as the added depth from the soy sauce. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. Once you finish it, I can get you more. This needs to be fresh to be good, waiting too long might affect the quality. I¡¯ll make some more for you in a few days.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Although it was cooked with soy sauce and covered with cooked oil, stored in clay jars, and could be preserved for some time, modern preservatives and vacuum packing methods couldn¡¯t be used to lengthen its shelf life. ¡°Okay. In that case, I¡¯ll give some to my brother. With only two jars, I wouldn¡¯t be willing to share, but if there¡¯s more, I can afford to be a little nicer to him!¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The unique interactions between the siblings of the Xie family were very adorable to her. ### After the sweet potatoes were all harvested, Wei Ruo prepared to plant new crops. Land resources were limited, so they couldn¡¯t be left idle. At this time, crops suitable for mountainous terrain like rapeseed, radish, and broad beans were excellent choices. However, considering cost-effectiveness, it was best to grow wheat this time. This way, you could harvest it from the fourth to the sixth lunar month of the next year. However, the terrain of Xiaoyang Mountain was unsuitable for wheat cultivation. The reason why sweet potatoes were chosen initially was that they didn¡¯t require much land treatment on sloping terrain. In comparison, the terrain in the south of the city was much more suitable for wheat cultivation. When large areas of the south were cleared for cultivation initially, apart from buying a piece of medicinal field with Xie Ying, Wei Ruo also had her wet-nurse buy a lot of land. Although the geographical location of the land bought by her wet-nurse was not as favorable as the land provided for free by the Government Office to the poor, it was much better compared to the mountainous areas of the north. The price was affordable too, fifty taels of silver got them a hundred acres of flat land. After this period of improvement, the land was now suitable for crop cultivation. Wei Ruo was planning to plant wheat on that land. Timing was perfect as after harvesting the wheat next year, it would be time to plant Wei Ruo¡¯s late rice varieties. It wasn¡¯t just the land bought by her wet-nurse that Wei Ruo planned to plant wheat on, she also intended to encourage other people in the southern city to do the same. Planting rice was out of the question at this time, but planting regular vegetables was not very cost-effective for the poor who hadn¡¯t yet solved their hunger problem. Although people in Jiangzhe preferred rice over wheat, under the prevailing circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t mind, as long as they could have enough food. To push this forward with the people from the south, Wei Ruo needed the assistance of the Government Office. So, Wei Ruo called for Madam Qin and shared her idea with her. She knew that Chu Lan had something to gain from this, so she didn¡¯t need to beat around the bush or feel embarrassed while asking for his help. ¡°Miss Wei, you are indeed kind-hearted. Planting wheat at this time is indeed the best choice.¡± Madam Qin agreed wholeheartedly with Wei Ruo¡¯s opinion. ¡°If possible, I would like Madam Qin¡¯s help to transport wheat seeds from the north. There isn¡¯t much wheat cultivation in Taizhou Prefecture, so there aren¡¯t enough seeds. The area for cultivation in the south is vast and requires a large amount of wheat seeds. The poor cannot afford them, and it would be difficult for them to secure seeds on their own.¡± ¡°Rest assured, Miss Wei, Master Chu will help you with this.¡± Madam Qin could affirmatively answer without having to consult Chu Lan. Given how invested Prince Qi was in the land reclamation in the south, it was clear that he aspired to make significant achievements. Thus, it would only make sense to ensure that the issue with wheat seeds was resolved. Hearing Madam Qin¡¯s affirmative response, Wei Ruo knew she had made the right choice by finding her. It was highly beneficial to have Chu Lan involved. Tasks that would be challenging for ordinary people could be easily done by him. ¡°I would like to thank Master Chu and Madam Qin on behalf of the people who are reclaiming land in the south.¡± Wei Ruo thanked. ¡°Miss Wei, there¡¯s no need for formalities. The people involved in the land reclamation should be the ones thanking you.¡± Madam Qin said.. Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Meeting Chu Lan and Others in Government City _1 Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Meeting Chu Lan and Others in Government City _1 Translator: 549690339 On the tenth of September, Madam Yun took Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan out to the Government City. In addition to the coachman and the guards, the attendants CuiPing, CuiHe, XiuMei, and Madam Zhang accompanied them. The invitation of the Magistrate¡¯s wife was for the fifteenth of September, but since it would take a day to travel, Madam Yun, worried about unexpected occurrences, decided to depart four days earlier. Xingshan County was in a remote location; they set out in the morning and only arrived at Government City in the evening. The streets of Government City should have quieted down by evening, shops closing and pedestrians heading home. However, when the Wei Family¡¯s carriage was halfway there, they saw a crowd of people fighting ahead, with the flash and clash of weapons terrifyingly dazzling. The coachman wanted to immediately turn back, but the road was not wide enough to make the turn, so they were forced to stop at the side of the road, at a loss of what to do. In the carriage, Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan were tense. Wei Ruo was also startled. Who could be so audacious as to fight and brawl on an important street in the Government City? Wei Ruo carefully lifted the corner of the curtain. Through the gap, Wei Ruo saw a familiar figure in the middle of the melee-Lu Yuhong. If Lu Yuhong was here, wasn¡¯t Chu Lan involved too? Sure enough, when Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze swept across the street, she saw Chu Lan in a corner, surrounded by a few guards. He didn¡¯t move, the minions in front of him weren¡¯t worthy of him personally taking action. Wei Ruo saw Chu Lan at the same time as Wei Qingwan, who was sitting across from her. On her face was both the surprise and panic of witnessing this chaotic scene, and a hint of uncontainable glee. About an hour later, the commotion outside subsided. After a while, Lu Yuhong came towards Wei Family¡¯s carriage. ¡°I apologize for disturbing you, the situation is now under control, you may proceed.¡± To avoid any suspicion, Madam Yun didn¡¯t lift the curtain, but replied through it: ¡°No harm done. All is well now, thanks for your hard work.¡± Madam Yun had already recognized Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong, and knowing their status, she naturally didn¡¯t dare object. After a short conversation, Lu Yuhong was supposed to allow the Wei Family¡¯s carriage to leave. However, suddenly, whether recognizing the Wei Family¡¯s carriage, or the Wei Family¡¯s servants along for the journey, he asked: ¡°Is Miss Wei in the carriage?¡± Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan looked at Wei Ruo in surprise. Wei Ruo thought for a moment, and replied: ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± Lu Yuhong said: ¡°Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you still have any of the sauce you gifted Miss Xie?¡± Sauce? Mushroom sauce? Wei Ruo remembered, she gifted two jars of mushroom sauce to Xie Ying, at the time Xie Ying said she would share a jar with her brother. Wei Ruo knew that Xie Jue was also in the Government City recently. He should be with Chu Lan and the others. Listening to Lu Yuhong, it seemed that he had tasted the mushroom sauce at Xie Jue¡¯s place. After pondering for a while, Wei Ruo replied: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lu, but I did not bring it with me while traveling.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to give any to Lu Yuhong, though it wasn¡¯t a valuable item, but she didn¡¯t like Chu Lan very much, thus she didn¡¯t have a good impression of Lu Yuhong either. But she couldn¡¯t outright refuse, nor could she daringly lie that she didn¡¯t have any left. But she genuinely didn¡¯t have any with her. Wei Ruo said so, any ordinary polite visitor would have dropped the subject, wouldn¡¯t normally continue asking for a jar of mushroom sauce. However, Lu Yuhong was apparently not a traditional gentleman, and he straightforwardly said: ¡°Then, when I visit Xingshan County in a few days, could Miss Wei gift me a jar?¡± Wei Ruo had never encountered someone asking her so directly for something. She barely knew this Lu Yuhong! While she was thinking about how to respond, Chu Lan¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Brother Yu, you are being too forward.¡± Lu Yuhong scratched his head in embarrassment: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother Chu. My mind was only thinking about getting the mushroom sauce to eat, who knew that Xie Jue would be so stingy, saying his sister gave it and only allowed me to take a scoop for mixing noodles. He wouldn¡¯t give me anymore no matter what, since this sauce is not found elsewhere, and I finally meet the original creator, I lost my manners because of my desire!¡¯ Lu Yuhong was a bit thick-skinned, and his actions tended to be lacking in etiquette. After being reminded by Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong realized that it was highly inappropriate to ask an unfamiliar young lady for mushroom sauce on the street. So, he apologized: ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Wei, I was absent-minded, I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± With that, Lu Yuhong moved out of the way. Madam Yun ordered the coachman to continue onwards. After passing by Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong, Wei Qingwan carefully lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and sneaked a peek at the two men behind them. Meanwhile, Madam Yun asked Wei Ruo: ¡°Ruoruo, what was that sauce they were talking about?¡± Wei Ruo calmly answered:¡±It¡¯s a sauce I made from minced meat and mushrooms when I had nothing else to do, and gifted two jars to Xie Ying. It seems like Xie Ying gave some to her brother, who is now in Government City. He probably befriended the gentleman we just met and happened to try some together.¡± Wei Ruo had given it to Xie Ying in the first place. It was perfectly reasonable, so she did not need to worry about being held accountable by Madam Yun. -I see.¡± Madam Yun nodded, then said, ¡°If that young gentleman asks you for the sauce next time, just order the servants to give him some. If you give it openly and honestly, you don¡¯t need to hide it.¡± Giving out some food was harmless as long as it wasn¡¯t a young woman¡¯s personal possessions being exchanged privately. Wei RUO didn¡¯t pick up the conversation, but Wei Qingwan curiously asked Wei Ruo: ¡°Sister, do you know how to make sauce? Sitting against the wall of the carriage, Wei Ruo replied casually: ¡°Many women in rural areas make a lot of their own food, I learned from them.¡± ¡°Sis, next time can you teach me as well, I want to learn too.¡± Wei Qingwan expressed her desire to learn. ¡°Little sister, what you should learn is how to be a good young lady and future family matriarch. The skills of making sauce can wait until later. But if you have a genuine curiosity, you can go discuss this with the kitchen maids in the house, as they probably know how to make it.¡± Wei Ruo responded. Did she bring up her desire to make mushroom sauce in front of Madam Yun to pressure Wei Ruo into teaching her how to make it? What was she thinking. ¡°The chefs in our house are definitely not as skilled as you, sis. Just now, that gentleman from the Capital who has undoubtedly tasted many delicacies, praised you so much, it means the sauce you made must be special.¡± Wei Qingwan remarked. Wei Ruo replied in no hurry:¡±Please forgive me, little sister. I¡¯ve been occupied with many things recently, and don¡¯t have the time to teach you such things. Actually, the methods for making sauces are not that different, it¡¯s the same who you learn from. If that gentleman finds favor with my sauce, perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s used to eating fine food on a daily basis, and the taste of this rural sauce is new to him..¡± Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Check-in_l Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Check-in_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo¡¯s response was watertight and boss-proof. Wei Qingwan could do nothing to her and turned her head to look at Lady Yun. Lady Yun also felt that her elder daughter had said nothing wrong: ¡°Wanwan, if you want to learn, after returning to Wei Residence, I will have the chef teach you. Given your cooking skills, you should be able to learn very quickly. ¡°Hmm.¡± Now that Lady Yun had spoken, Wei Qingwan had to let it go. However, her heart was still fixated on Master Chu whom she had only managed to get a fleeting glimpse of. ### After the carriage of the Wei Family left, Lu Yuhong was still thinking about his mushroom sauce. He turned his head to Chu Lan and said, ¡°Brother Chu, haven¡¯t you been in frequent contact with Miss Wei recently? Could you please help me obtain a jar next time?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? People who don¡¯t know the facts might think that I have some secret affair with Miss Wei.¡± ¡°No, no, I mean, didn¡¯t you send Madam Qin to help Miss Wei deal with the matter of reclaiming the wasteland in the south of the city? You two are in close contact. If you ask for it, getting a jar of mushroom sauce shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± ¡°When will your gluttonous habit change, Brother Yuhong?¡± Chu Lan asked in a teasing tone. ¡°That¡¯s probably never going to happen in this lifetime. I have two great passions in life, fighting and food. I wouldn¡¯t survive without either of them,¡± Lu Yuhong answered. Chu Lan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He actually quite liked Lu Yuhong¡¯s disposition. In addition to Lu Yuhong¡¯s identity, his personality was also a big reason for their close relationship. He was straightforward and easy to understand. ¡°Brother Chu, you ate it last time too. Don¡¯t you think that mushroom sauce was very special and delicious? Anyway, I¡¯ve never eaten mushroom sauce hke that in the Capital City,¡± Lu Yuhong asked curiously. -It is indeed special and indeed delicious, but not as much as Brother Yuhong speaks of,¡± Chu Lan answered. He would certainly enjoy good food, but he wouldn¡¯t long for it as much as Lu Yuhong does. If it¡¯s there, he would eat it; if not, it would be no problem. He wouldn¡¯t take it so seriously and wouldn¡¯t bother asking people for a sauce specifically. ¡°Anyway, I really like it. Will you let your Madam Qin help me get a jar next time? I won¡¯t take it for free, I¡¯ll exchange it with something else,¡± Lu Yuhong said. ¡°Alright, I will let Madam Qin ask for you next time,¡± Chu Lan agreed. ¡°Great, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± Lu Yuhong was very happy, his smile was pure and direct. His simplicity was rare in the mixed circles of the Capital City. And Chu Lan, who is part of the royal mud pit and has seen many cunning and conniving people, naturally enjoyed becoming friends with someone hke Lu Yuhong. ### After a while, the horse-drawn carriage of the Wei Family reached a villa. The villa belonged to the Xie Family, and it was Madam Xie who took the initiative to offer it to Lady Yun to accommodate the mother and daughters of the Wei Family for a few days. This act of Madam Xie solved a big problem for Lady Yun. Originally, it was not appropriate for her as a woman with two daughters to stay in an inn. The Wei family had not bought any residence in Government City, and they were worrying about how to settle down when Madam Xie extended a helping hand in their hour of need. Madam Xie owns several shops in Government City and has also bought several houses there, making it convenient for her children and herself to have places to stay when they go to the city. The villa that the Wei Family is now going to live in is just one of them. Lady Yun was very grateful for this. The Wei Family and the Xie Family did not have much interaction. But at this time, Madam Xie could take the initiative to lend her villa to them for temporary residence, which really moved her. The housekeeper of the Xie Family¡¯s villa came out to greet them. She first politely greeted Lady Yun, then turned her eyes to Wei Ruo. The housekeeper smiled at Wei Ruo and said, ¡°Miss Wei, our young lady asked this old servant to prepare food and drinks from the most famous Zuixian Residence in the city for you, including Zuixian Residence¡¯s osmanthus wine. The young mistress wants you to eat well and drink well. ¡°Thankyou, Madam. You have worked hard,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Oh no, Miss Wei is a friend of our young mistress, and an honored guest of our house. It is our duty as servants to take care of the honored guests,¡± said the housekeeper with a smile all over her face. Under the guidance of the housekeeper, Wei Ruo, Lady Yun, and Wei Qingwan, who had been on the road all day, entered the dining hall of the villa. Surely enough, the dining hall had been filled with a banquet of sumptuous dishes. According to the housekeeper, they should have just been brought back from Zuixian Residence, still fresh and hot. in fact, this meal was not arranged by Xie Ying, but by Xie Jue. However, to avoid inviting criticism, he specifically instructed the old lady to say that it was arranged by Xie Ying. Lady Yun looked at the banquet table and sighed once again in her heart about the generous hospitality of the Xie Family. Of course, Lady Yun was very clear in her heart that the Xie Family¡¯s warm hospitality at this time all came from the friendship between her eldest daughter and Miss Xie. Wei Qingwan felt uncomfortable, as if all the preferential treatment they were receiving now was gifted by Wei Ruo, which made her feel oppressed. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t think that much. Since these fine dishes were prepared by Xie Ying, she would make an effort to enjoy them while they were hot. She also wanted to know what kind of skill level the chef of the best restaurant in Government City had. After tasting them, she was slightly disappointed. To be honest, the chef¡¯s skills were certainly very good, and many of the dishes were well done, but some were a bit subpar, not because of the cooking skills, but due to the seasoning and spices. Some of the big braised dishes were lacking in excellent seasoning and spices, and naturally, the taste would be a little bland. This discovery gave Wei Ruo a thought, and then she laughed. If she had enough time and the chance this time, she would go to Zuixian Residence. Wei Ruo thought the taste was ordinary, but Lady Yun and Wei Qingwan found the dishes brought from Zuixian Residence to be very delicious. The cooking skills surpassed the cook of the Colonel¡¯s family by far. Lady Yun even complimented that the cooking of Zuixian Residence was on par with the big restaurants in the Capital City. Wei Qingwan agreed and told Wei Ruo that she would take her to taste the food of the Capital City¡¯s restaurants once they arrived there. Wei Ruo just smiled, according to their words, Wei Ruo felt that even the restaurants in the Capital City couldn¡¯t compete with the cooking skills of her family¡¯s Meimei, so there was nothing to look forward to. After dinner, Wei Ruo went to rest in the room prepared for her. The physical effort lost on the road needed to be replenished by sleeping. Although Wei Qingwan appeared to be much weaker than Wei Ruo on a daily basis, she didn¡¯t immediately rest after a day of carriage riding. Instead, she had her maid inquire about the whereabouts of Young Master Xie Jue of the Xie Family. Cuihe quickly came back, ¡°Young Miss, Young Master Xie is not in this villa. Madam Xie arranged for us to stay in a different villa from Young Master Xie for our convenience.¡± Wei Qingwan was a little disappointed to hear this. She then had Cuihe help her bathe and then retire to bed. ### The next day, Lady Yun went out with Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan. Since there were still a few days till the garden tour, Lady Yun decided to take her two daughters around Government City first, which was a rare opportunity in ordinary days.. Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Xie Yings Insider News 1 Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Xie Ying¡¯s Insider News 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have much interest in the activities of the ladies and their daughters, but she was very interested in wandering the streets of Government City. So promptly after dressing lightly, she joyfully followed Madame Yun out. However, Madame Yun insisted that Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan try to stay in the carriage as much as possible. If they were to enter a shop, they had to wear their veiled hats and not take them off lightly, with their maids following closely behind them. Naturally, Wei Ruo could not stay put and as soon as she reached a bustling area, she left the carriage and began to browse the various shops and stalls. After a short while, she ran into Xie Ying. ¡°Ruoruo!¡± Xie Ying noticed Wei Ruo first, and she started hopping towards her with glee. Unlike Wei Ruo who wore a veiled hat, Xie Ying was unobstructed and relaxed. ¡°Ruoruo, why are you dressed like this? It¡¯s inconvenient. If it weren¡¯t for recognizing the material that I personally chose, I wouldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± said Xie Ying. Wei Ruo was indeed wearing an outfit that used the Yun brocade silk that Xie Ying had given her as a gift. Wei Ruo could only say that the Xie Family really spoiled Xie Ying, as they always indulged her whims. ¡°Wait, why are you here in Government City? I didn¡¯t hear you mention that you were coming here.¡± Wei Ruo asked Xie Ying. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t come to Government City because of the Magistrate¡¯s wife¡¯s invitation. Although my grandfather has been promoted to the fourth rank, my father is just a small official. Also, because my mother is of merchant background, some old-fashioned people look down on us. Of course, my mother also doesn¡¯t bother with them and hence is happy to not attend.¡± Xie Ying explained. ¡°Then why did you come here?¡± Wei Ruo curiously asked. ¡°I came to play, my brother¡¯s here. You were not around these few days, so I asked my mother to let our tutor have a few days off, and she agreed.¡± Xie Ying said proudly. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Ruoruo, my brother has booked a pleasure boat on East Lake, come and play with me!¡± Xie Ying invited Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo turned and looked towards the carriage behind her; Madame Yun was still in the carriage. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s hesitation, Xie Ying said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have my nanny go explain the situation. I won¡¯t mention my brother, just that it¡¯s the two of us, and with so many of our house servers following us, your mom has no reason to refuse.¡± After she finished saying that, Xie Ying passed along the situation to the nanny behind her. The nanny then walked over to the Wei¡¯s carriage and had a quick chat with Madame Yun. Shortly, the nanny returned and told Wei Ruo and Xie Ying that Madam Wei had agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Ying took Wei Ruo¡¯s hand, and they both boarded the Xie Family¡¯s carriage, heading towards East Lake. Upon boarding, Xie Ying promptly removed the veil that she found obstructing from Wei Ruo¡¯s hat. On the way to East Lake, Wei Ruo asked Xie Ying, ¡°Is your brother in Government City these days because of that nobility?¡± ¡°I guess so. He didn¡¯t go into detail, but I suspect it¡¯s because of the seventh Prince.¡± Xie Ying responded. Immediately after she said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Actually, your Wei Family knows that he¡¯s the seventh Prince, right? You have people in Capital City; you couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware.¡± Wei Ruo nodded, then said, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why he¡¯d stay in Taizhou prefecture for so long. If it¡¯s about the Japanese Pirates, they¡¯ve already won a battle. It would be reasonable for him to return to the capital and report. As for the matter of the wasteland south of my city, he could have left a subordinate here. There¡¯s no need for him to stick around for such a small matter.¡± ¡°About that, I¡¯ve heard a rumor.¡± Xie Ying chimed in. ¡°A rumor?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else what I¡¯m about to tell you, okay?¡± Xie Ying whispered. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I heard that the seventh Prince may be looking for the Prince born by the former Empress.¡± Didn¡¯t the Prince born by the former Empress die as soon as he was born?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, but it¡¯s said that he may have actually survived back then, and the old allies of the former Empress¡¯s maternal family, Duke Xu, secretly took him to Jiangnan. But there have also been reports that ¡¯ someone caught in an old ally of Duke Xu has been frequently in contact with the Jiangnan region, suspecting that the Prince did not die back then.¡± Xie Ying relayed some of the rumors she heard. Whether or not they were true, no one could tell. ¡°It¡¯s probably a misunderstanding.¡± Wei Ruo muttered. Because in the original story, that Prince who died early on had never appeared, even when the male lead Chu Lan took the throne, he hadn¡¯t shown up. It should be safe to say he no longer existed. ¡°I also think it¡¯s more likely to be a misunderstanding. If he¡¯s still alive, things will be chaotic.¡± Xie Ying murmured, and didn¡¯t add anything more. Some things should only be brought up out of curiosity and then let go. Delving deeper could bring trouble to oneself and their family. Shortly, their carriage reached the lake shore. With the support of the maids, Xie Ying and Wei Ruo stepped down from the carriage. On the shore, Xie Jue was waiting for his sister¡¯s arrival. Unbeknownst to him, not only was his mischievous sister arriving but also Wei Ruo. The moment he saw Wei Ruo, the smile on Xie Jue¡¯s face broadened. He stared intently at Wei Ruo, who was dressed in a light blue satin blouse and skirt, and her hair was styled in a simple yet playful bun. Wei Ruo walked up to Xie Jue, gave a slight bow: ¡°Nice to see you, Young Master Xie.¡± ¡°No need to be formal.¡± Xie Jue responded, his right hand clutching the fan seemed unsure where to rest. Xiumei, who stood behind Wei Ruo, was a bit amused, thinking that Young Master Xie must have felt uneasy after being beaten by her last time, and that¡¯s why he was so nervous seeing the two of them. ¡°Enough dilly-dallying, let¡¯s get on the boat.¡± Xie Ying was an impatient one and didn¡¯t like dilly-dallying. She didn¡¯t wait for her brother to react, and pulled Wei Ruo onto the boat. Xie Jue quickly followed and gave orders to set sail. The pleasure boat slowly moved away from the shore and headed towards the center of East Lake. Wei Ruo and Xie Ying sat in the tearoom on the boat, watching the lake scenery through the raised curtain. The cool breeze brushed their faces, and the surface of the water rippled gently. Looking at the teapot in front of her, Wei Ruo took out two paper wrapped packages from the embroidered pouch she carried with her, giving one to Xie Ying, and keeping one for herself. Upon opening the package, she poured its content into the teacup, then added the hot water that was available on the boat to brew it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xie Ying asked with curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s herbal tea.¡± Wei Ruo answered, ¡°It¡¯s made of dried honeysuckle, dried jasmine, and a few herbs that are known for their qi-regulating and blood-nourishing properties. It tastes sweet and not astringent, give it a try.¡± Hearing this, Xie Ying immediately brewed hers as well. Before they had a chance to taste it, Xie Jue entered, teasing, ¡°Miss Wei, I¡¯d also like a cup of this herbal tea.¡± Xie Ying looked at Xie Jue and said, ¡°Brother, why do you always want things from Ruoruo?¡± ¡°Miss Wei¡¯s things are good, you can¡¯t find them anywhere else. If I don¡¯t take this chance to request for it, won¡¯t I be losing out?¡± Xie Jue spoke honestly. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Xie Ying agreed. Wei Ruo laughed lightly, then took all the remaining tea packets from her pouch and gave them to Xie Jue: ¡°If Young Master Xie likes them, I¡¯ll give all of them to you..¡± Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Encountering Chu Lan Again_l Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Encountering Chu Lan Again_l Translator: 549690339 | Xie Jue was beaming with delight as he looked at the packet of tea Wei Ruo placed on the table. He hadn¡¯t tasted it yet, but he was certain it must be incredibly sweet and delicious. After the tea had cooled down slightly, Xie Ying took a sip, then praised, ¡°Ruoruo, you are really a treasure trove!¡± Xie Jue also chuckled while sipping his tea. The three of them sat in the tea room, enjoying their tea and some snacks. Soon, another pleasure boat approached their vessel. Alert, Xie Jue ordered the servant to let down the gauze curtains, and he moved to the bow of the boat. He recognized the two familiar faces standing on the approaching boat ¨C Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong. ¡°Brother Chu, Brother Lu.¡± Xie Jue greeted, bowing his fist towards the two men. ¡°Xie Jue, you¡¯re not playing fair, sneaking out to have fun without us! If Brother Chu and I hadn¡¯t decided to go boating, we wouldn¡¯t have known that you¡¯ve gone off to East Lake by yourself!¡± Lu Yuhong crossed his arms, clearly discontented. This was a lingering grudge from the incident on the mushroom sauce! ¡°Forgive me, Brother Lu, I was accompanying my sister today, which is why I didn¡¯t notify you two.¡± Xie Jue quickly explained. ¡°From what I can see, you¡¯re not out with your sister, but entertaining a damsel.¡± Chu Lan¡¯s sharp eyes spotted the two female figures the moment Xie Jue had the curtains lowered. Xie Jue has only one sister, so if one of them is his sister, the other must be another young lady. Upon hearing this, Xie Jue¡¯s face stiffened, and he pleaded with a slight degree of embarrassment, ¡°Brother Chu, spare me, this cannot be disclosed, lest we ruin the reputation of the young lady.¡± Lu Yuhong instantly became interested, ¡°Xie Jue, you can seal our mouths, but it comes at a price.¡± Hurriedly, Xie Jue replied, ¡°I will invite Brother Lu to a feast at the Zuixian Residence on another day¡­¡± Lu Yuhong interrupted Xie Jue, ¡°The Zuixian Residence is nothing special. We can go there anytime we want if we crave something. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford it.¡± In a leisurely manner, Chu Lan unveiled his guess, ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, I think the young lady on your boat is from the Wei Family.¡± This was not a difficult guess to make. Xie Jue¡¯s sister has only a handful of friends, and just the day before, they saw the Wei family¡¯s carriage entering the Government City. It was safe to assume that the person accompanying the Xie siblings was Miss Wei. Xie Jue paused : ¡°Brother Chu, I beg you not to guess any further so as not to tarnish her reputation.¡± Laughing, Lu Yuhong asked: ¡°Is it the Miss Wei who knows how to farm and make mushroom sauce?¡± Xie Jue neither confirms nor denies it, afraid to lie to Chu Lan, nor can he even think about revealing the truth. Seeing his reaction, it was clear the answer was affirmative. Lu Yuhong continued, ¡°You underestimate us, Xie Jue. We are not gossipers. No one would dare to bring this up, not to mention, aren¡¯t there a bunch of servants around? With broad daylight, what have you got to hide if you are innocent?¡± Chu Lan added, ¡°Indeed, there is no need for such vigilance. I am acquainted with Miss Wei. I admire her deeds in the south of the city and I assure you my men won¡¯t say a thing. You can rest assured as can Miss Wei and your sister in your cabin.¡± Wei Ruo, in the cabin, had heard their conversation and was reluctant to meet Chu Lan. However, knowing that they had recognized her, there was no point in hiding. She muttered to herself: ¡°What¡¯s going on with Chu Lan? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be busy? How does he keep showing up wherever I am? How can he be a good Crown Prince if he isn¡¯t attending to his duties?¡± Xie Ying came out of the cabin first. Realizing that the seventh Prince was on the other boat, she dared not be flippant. Respectfully, she greeted, ¡°Greetings to Princes Lu and Chu.¡± Seeing this, Wei Ruo had no choice but to follow suit, coming out of the cabin and greeting the princes. Throughout, Wei Ruo kept her head down, avoiding direct eye contact with Chu Lan. ¡°It seems like Miss Wei is not particularly pleased to see me.¡± Chu Lan perceptively sensed something. Wei Ruo quickly denied, ¡°Prince Chu is compassionate toward the people. I admire the good deeds you¡¯ve done for the people in Xingshan County, and I have absolute respect and gratitude for you. It¡¯s absolutely not that I am unwilling to see you.¡± Thinking to herself, ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t want to see you. In your previous life, you ordered my execution. Am I supposed to be grateful to you?¡± The scene fell into an awkward silence. Xie Ying, acknowledging the awkwardness, tried to change the topic for respite, ¡°Brother, I want to go fishing. I¡¯ve heard that East Lake is full of delicious fish. I want to see if I can catch some.¡± As soon as he heard about the delicious fish, Lu Yuhong was eager: ¡°Really? I also want to give it a try. Maybe I can catch a hilsa!¡± ¡°Lu Yuhong, hilsa usually lives in large rivers, not in just any lake. I doubt East Lake has any,¡± Xie Jue explained. ¡°So what kind of fish DOES this lake have?¡± Lu Yuhong asked quickly. ¡°Silver carp, bighead carp, crucian carp, grass carp, and commonly seen fish like this are no doubt here. There should also be black fish and bass. I¡¯m unsure about Mandarin fish with excellent meat quality. But I believe yellow perch wouldn¡¯t be a bad catch also,¡± Xie Jue explained. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll focus on catching a Mandarin fish,¡± Lu Yuhong proclaimed as he immediately went to prepare the fishing rods and other fishing gear. Hearing Xie Jue talk about the variety of fishes in the lake, Wei Ruo, who hadn¡¯t eaten grilled fish for quite a while, was feeling peckish. Just as well, she had brought a few bottles of seasoning. Initially thinking she might get a chance to market her seasoning to the people from Zuixian Residence, she was hoping to sell it at a good price. ¡°You guys fish then, I¡¯ll grill whatever fish you catch,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll catch the fish, Ruoruo, wait for me. I¡¯ll catch a fat one for you to grill!¡± Xie Ying enthusiastically declared. Having heard about the grilled fish, Lu Yuhong¡¯s gluttony got the best of him. ¡°That sounds nice. I¡¯d love to try Miss Wei¡¯s grilled fish if possible.¡± The person who could make delicious mushroom sauce definitely couldn¡¯t go wrong with grilling a fish right? Seeing the circumstances, all Xie Jue could do was look at Chu Lan for his approval. If Chu Lan disagreed, everyone else¡¯s enthusiasm would be for naught. ¡°I¡¯d like to give it a try, too.¡± Chu Lan expressed interest as well. Since the seventh Prince had spoken, there was nothing much left to say. Xie Jue immediately ordered his men to start preparations and then turned to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss Wei, if you need anything else for the preparation, let me know, and I¡¯ll have them arrange it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo quickly wrote a detailed list and went back to her cabin. The grill and charcoal for grilling fish were already on the boat, so there was no need for extra arrangements. What they needed to procure were some side ingredients and a pot. In no time, a servant brought over the fishing equipment. Xie Jue waited until the two boats were close to each other before boarding Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong¡¯s boat. With men on one boat and women on another, and a safe distance between them, it did not provide fodder for any gossip even if they were spotted by others.. Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Grilled Fish 1 Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Grilled Fish 1 Translator: 549690339 I Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong, and Xie Jue were on the opposite boat, while Xie Ying was on this side, each occupying a spot, grabbing their fishing rods, picking their bait, and beginning to fish. The tools Wei Ruo needed arrived a bit late, but it didn¡¯t matter because the four fishermen had not caught anything yet. After a while, Chu Lan¡¯s fishing rod showed the first movement. Following some tugs, he pulled up a black fish, weighing roughly two taels. Though it wasn¡¯t as flavorful as a mandarin fish, its flesh was quite good perfect for grilling. Chu Lan sent his servant to take the fish to the boat where Wei Ruo was. After receiving the fish, so as not to let the smell of processing the fish dampen the mood, Xiumei took the fish to the tail of the boat and smoothly dealt with it. Scaling, gutting, removing gills, her movements were swift and smooth. In no time, a fish that was still alive and kicking was made clean and white. Then, she made diagonal cuts on the fish belly and rubbed coarse salt over it for marination. While Xiumei was processing the fish, the Xie family servant arrived in a small boat with the ingredients that Wei Ruo had requested. Garlic, scallions, lettuce, bean sprouts, tofu skin ¨C these were the ingredients she could buy at the moment. And a small iron pot. To speed up the process, Wei Ruo and Xiumei divided the work. Xiumei was responsible for preparing the ingredients, and Wei Ruo took charge of the cooking. Wei Ruo seldom cooked for herself anymore, generally letting Xiumei handle it when time permitted. Wei Ruo moved the two stoves on the boat, used for boiling water, to the front of the boat, lit the fire, and placed the iron rack on top. While Wei Ruo and Xiumei were getting ready, Xie Jue caught a grass carp weighing more than four taels. Seeing that both his brothers have caught their fish, Lu Yuhong became a little anxious. Even though the other two didn¡¯t intend to compete, Yuhong was keen on winning. Xie Ying was also somewhat anxious. She had confidently promised to catch a big fish for Wei Ruo to roast, but there were still no signs of a catch. How vexing! Subconsciously, Xie Ying glanced at Lu Yuhong across the water, thinking to herself that she couldn¡¯t be the last one and that she needed to catch a big fish faster than young master Lu. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t pan out as she had hoped. Before Xie Ying had any luck, Lu Yuhong had a fish on his hook. He excitedly pulled up the rod, only to find a tiny crucian carp at the end. Though the crucian carp was flavorful, due to its numerous bones and small size, it was unsuitable for grilling. A little disappointed, Lu Yuhong was interrupted by Xie Ying¡¯s excited voice from the opposite boat. ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯ve got a fish on the hook, come help me pull it in! It¡¯s so strong!¡± Xie Ying¡¯s voice shook with excitement. Wei Ruo hurried up to help Xie Ying hold the rod and prevent it from being pulled into the water by the fish. -What do I do, Ruoruo? I can¡¯t pull it in!¡± Xie Ying was a little anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s loosen the line a bit, then tighten it again. We¡¯ll tire it out and when it doesn¡¯t have much strength, reel it in,¡± Wei Ruo said calmly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Wei Ruo and Xie Ying collaborated, they didn¡¯t rush to pull the fish up but adopted the technique of loosening and tightening the line, pulling back and forth. The three people on the opposite boat initially wanted to send help, but they noticed that the two girls were methodical and calm. With this, Xie Jue felt relieved. If the fish had escaped, given his sister¡¯s uptight temperament, he estimated she would have been upset for at least half a month. Lu Yuhong¡¯s heart was still in suspense, he was curious about what kind of fish Miss Xie had caught. Chu Lan watched the two struggling with the fishing pole with interest. Wei Ruo¡¯s calm reaction and the words she had spoken earlier had given him a new respect for her. After struggling for the length of an incense stick burning, the fish in the water lost its strength. Wei Ruo told Xie Ying, ¡°Now we pull it up strongly.¡± Xie Ying nodded, ¡°Okay!¡± With a joint tug on the fishing rod, they managed to pull the fish out of the water. The moment the fish emerged, Xie Ying exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Ruoruo, look at what kind of fish this is, a big one!¡± Xie Ying¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. ¡°This is a catfish, also known as a bighead carp. Its head is big and its flesh is fresh,¡± Wei Ruo identified the fish. Catfish are a kind of fish that can grow very big. The one Xie Ying had caught weighed probably seven or eight pounds, but that was not the limit for this kind of fish. Surely in East Lake, there were bigger ones. ¡°RuoRuo, you can roast ours, it¡¯ll be delicious!¡± Xie Ying happily suggested. ¡®This fish is too big, roasting it whole might not cook it thoroughly. I will cut off the head and keep it to make fish head soup later, use the belly part for grilling, and the tail for stir-frying later,¡± Wei Ruo proposed. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, you choose how to cook it.¡± Xie Ying nodded continuously. Matters of cooking were best left in RuoRuo¡¯s hands, so she could continue fishing! Lu Yuhong, watching from the opposing boat, gazed at Xie Ying¡¯s bighead carp and then at the small crucian carp he had caught himself, promptly dampening his mood. No way, he, Lu Yuhong, could not lose to a girl! Lu Yuhong called upon his servant to bring an extra fishing rod. He planned to set out several rods, casting both left and right! After Wei Ruo had helped Xie Ying land the fish, she began working on grilling the fish. & 6 The charcoal fire was just right, and the first blackfish that they had caught was marinated just enough. Wei Ruo brushed some vegetable oil on the fish and then started grilling it on the fire. While grilling the fish, Wei Ruo started stir-frying the spices in another burner with a pan she had purchased, adding her own soy sauce, salt, five-spice powder (a mix of ground amomum, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise), cooking wine, green onion, and ginger. Shortly after stir-frying, the fragrance spread out, enveloping the lake surface. Lu Yuhong, as a renowned food lover, had his eyes lighten up at the smell. He stood up, looking over in Wei Ruo¡¯s direction. After the sauce was stir-fried, it was set aside, waiting for the fish on the side to get grilled. When the blackfish was golden brown on both sides, Wei Ruo moved it to a pot. The bottom of the pot was already spread with cut seasoning vegetables. The fish went on top of them, and the pot was filled with boiling water to start the cook. Wei Ruo then took out a jar from her bag, ladling out black beans from inside, spreading them on top of the fish. As the water was brought to a boil, an appetizing scent filled the air with the aroma of the spices seeping into the fish. The smell made Lu Yuhong, who had just been bragging about catching a matching big fish, lose all his interest in fishing. His eyes drifting towards Wei Ruo every so often, lest he miss anything. Xie Ying was also getting hungry. She was eager to taste the grilled fish prepared by Wei Ruo. Seeing that the food was nearly ready, Wei Ruo instructed a servant to bring a soup bowl. She divided half of the fish and side dishes into a large bowl, and then ordered the Xie Family¡¯s servant to take the rest of the fish and the pot to the opposing boat. The servants took the iron pot from Wei Ruo and paddled their boat towards Chu Lan¡¯s.. Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Chapter 107 Delicious_l Chapter 107: Chapter 107 Delicious_l Translator: 549690339 | Lu Yuhong stood on the boat and warned the Xie family servants who were delivering the fish: ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t spill it! The servants from the Xie family, who were initially relaxed, became somewhat nervous after Lu Yuhong¡¯s warning, causing their hands holding the pot to tremble slightly. When the small boat approached, Lu Yuhong personally took over the pot. Xie Jue came over, laughing and teasing: ¡°Brother Lu, you¡¯re not planning on keeping it all to yourself, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as stingy as you, let¡¯s go inside and eat. Then we¡¯ll continue fishing,¡± Lu Yuhong said as he placed the pot on a table inside the cabin. Chu Lan then entered the cabin as well. The servants on the boat prepared cutlery for the three of them, and they began tasting the food. Only at the first bite, Lu Yuhong showed a joyful expression: ¡°This fish is too delicious! The meat is tender and fragrant.¡± He then dropped all pretenses and enjoyed the food heartily. He again praised: ¡°The side dishes underneath are very flavourful too, and what are these black beans? They¡¯re savoury and fragrant!¡± Compared to him, Chu Lan and Xie Jue¡¯s reactions were much more subdued. It wasn¡¯t that the food wasn¡¯t good, but their well-bred manners didn¡¯t allow them to lose their dignity over delicious food. Especially Chu Lan, no matter how good the food was, he wouldn¡¯t behave like Lu Yuhong. Food didn¡¯t hold such a weight in his heart. Yet he also couldn¡¯t deny, Wei Ruo¡¯s prepared fish was exceptionally delicious and the method of grilling and boiling the fish along with a bunch of side dishes was very unique. The fish was cut in half, and a fish of more than two catties didn¡¯t yield much after getting halved, coupled with the side dishes they only had a half-filled pot. It didn¡¯t take long for the three of them to finish. Lu Yuhong still wanted more. Looking at the bottom of the pot, which was completely emptied, including the soup, was not enough for him. He then urged Chu Lan and Xie Jue to continue fishing: ¡°Don¡¯t rest after eating, hurry back and fish more.¡± Xie Jue helplessly said, ¡°Brother Lu, at least let Miss Wei, who¡¯s in charge of grilling the fish, take a rest.¡± ¡ö¡öThen I have to fish more for backup. What if Miss Wei wants to grill more? We can¡¯t not have fish for her to grill, right?¡± Having said that, Lu Yuhong led Xie Jue and Chu Lan towards the bow of the boat. Xie Jue glanced at Chu Lan and seeing that there was no unusual expression on his face, he felt relieved and followed them to the bow. Among all the people of his generation that he knew, it seemed that only Lu Yuhong dared to drag the seventh prince around like this, and the seventh prince was especially tolerant of Lu Yuhong. in addition to Lu Yuhong¡¯s special status, the two had grown up together also played a part in this relationship. By the time the three of them returned to the bow of the boat to continue fishing, Wei Ruo, Xie Ying, and Xiumei had also finished their half of the fish. Xie Ying asked Wei Ruo: ¡°Ruoruo, what are these black beans, they¡¯re salty and taste pretty good.¡± -This is fermented black bean, made from fermented soybeans, it can enhance the flavour.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, you said soy sauce is also made from soybeans last time, how can one soybean create so many different things.¡± Xie Ying marvelled. ¡°The use of soybeans is vast. If I get the chance, I¡¯ll make some soy milk and tofu for you, they¡¯re delicious.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Xie Ying had eaten soy milk and tofu before, but she was especially looking forward to what Wei Ruo would make. Right after, Xie Ying lamented: ¡°Ruoruo, if I were a man, I¡¯d come to your house to propose and marry you!¡± ¡°If you were a man, I wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t that quality of friendship in a husband and wife relationship. Sincere men are rare in this world, most are faithless and heartless hke Chen Shimei.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case, I think my parents are quite good. My mother doesn¡¯t mind my father¡¯s low official rank and my father doesn¡¯t mind my mother¡¯s merchant family background. They respect and care for each other.¡± Xie Ying said. ¡°Your parents are rare cases. Just look around Taizhou prefecture, how many families are there that don¡¯t have concubines?¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Indeed, not many. I only know that the Magistrate does not have any concubines. He probably doesn¡¯t dare to, as Madam Magistrate was a Commandery Princess of the Wang Resident. If he did, the Wang Residence wouldn¡¯t spare the Yuan Family.¡± ¡°So you¡¯d better remain my good friend, I won¡¯t forget about you when I have good food, but my future husband may not be so lucky!¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s be good friends!¡± Xie Ying looked delighted. After whispering for a while, Xie Ying returned to fishing. Seeing that Lu Yuhong on the opposite side was cheating by using two fishing rods, Xie Ying also refused to be outdone and asked for an extra rod. After that, whoever caught a fish, the other would stare wide-eyed, fearing that the other party¡¯s catch was bigger than theirs. Lu Yuhong blurted out: ¡°I can¡¯t lose to a girl.¡± Xie Ying retorted: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with girls? Girls are not necessarily weaker than boys!¡± Lu Yuhong: ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were weak, just that I shouldn¡¯t be weaker than you.¡± Xie Ying: ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®should¡¯ or ¡®shouldn¡¯t.¡¯ Let¡¯s talk with facts, I¡¯ve caught more fish than you!¡± Lu Yuhong: ¡°It¡¯s too early to draw conclusions, the game isn¡¯t over yet! Xie Ying: ¡°I¡¯m going to catch even more! I¡¯m better than you!¡± Lu Yuhong: ¡°Then let¡¯s compete!¡± Having said this, the two glared at each other for several moments. Xie Ying and Lu Yuhong seemed to be stubbornly opposing each other, both refusing to back down. Xie Jue felt a headache. His sister had always been competitive since childhood and hated it when people said that girls were not good enough. As for Lu Yuhong, he had always been straight-forward and highly competitive. When his competitive spirit comes, he doesn¡¯t think about anything else. He thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems as they were on separate boats. Who would have thought that the two could still compete from afar. Fortunately, while they were in competition, they didn¡¯t really bicker, they just threatened each other across the water. While Xie Ying and Lu Yuhong were competing, Wei Ruo grilled the second fish, using the belly of a blunt-snout bream that Xie Ying had caught. She followed the same method: grilling until both sides are golden, then boiling it with prepared aromatic spices and side dishes. In the end, Wei Ruo added black beans to the fish. This time, Wei Ruo prepared two portions of grilled fish. She kept one portion for herself, Xie Ying, and Xiumei, and sent the other to the three men on the other boat. After finishing these two portions, everyone was mostly full. The remaining fresh fish were kept in wooden barrels. Lu Yuhong originally wanted to give them to Wei Ruo, but she politely declined as it would not be convenient for her since she was away from home. In the end, all the fish were given to Xie Jue. As for the results of Xie Ying and Lu Yuhong¡¯s competition, it ended without a clear winner, as the types, sizes, and numbers of fish they caught varied. In the end, Chu Lan played the mediator: ¡°Each has its own merits, there¡¯s no winner.¡± Since Chu Lan had spoken, Xie Ying and Lu Yuhong naturally had no objections. Afterwards, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying separated from the three men. They left on Chu Lan¡¯s boat and returned to the shore. Still on the boat, Chu Lan asked Lu Yuhong: ¡°Are you satisfied with this trip, Brother Yuhong?¡± Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Magistrates Madam_l Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Magistrate¡¯s Madam_l Translator: 549690339 | Lu Yuhong said, ¡°I¡¯m only a third full. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it would be impolite to exhaust Miss Wei, I¡¯d ask her to make a few more fish.¡± Then, Lu Yuhong sighed, ¡°If I could exchange fish for money, it would be easy, but this really as difficult. I do want to offer money, but she is a young lady from a distinguished family, giving her silver would belittle her. And it would be inappropriate to give her something else. She¡¯s a young girl and I¡¯m a rough man, to give her gifts may bother her, and worse, if someone hears it, it could ruin her reputation.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so considerate now,¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t tease me. I may be a bit rough, but I still understand the basic rules,¡± defended Lu Yuhong, for he, too, came from an aristocratic family. Then, Lu Yuhong sighed again, ¡°When will I be able to enjoy Miss Wei¡¯s cooking again? Perhaps I should think of a way to gift her a sizable present. She may continue to make delicious meals for me out of gratitude. But how can I rightfully give a gift to an unmarried lady?¡­¡± Lu Yuhong kept talking to himself. Seeing him mutter like this, both Chu Lan and Xie Jue were helpless and shook their heads. They ignored him. Once a foodie¡¯s head was full of delicious food, it was hard for them to think about anything else. They let him worry about it. He would figure it out when the time came. ### By the time Wei Ruo and Xiumei returned to the temporary residence of Xie¡¯s Family, Yun Shi and Wei Qingwan had already returned. Seeing Wei Ruo returning, Yun Shi asked, ¡°Ruoruo, where did you and Miss Xie go today?¡± ¡°We took a boat ride on East Lake,¡± Wei Ruo answered, not planning to mention anything about meeting Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong, or Xie Jue to Yun Shi. ¡°Hmm, since we are staying at Xie¡¯s family¡¯s residence this time, next time you go to Xie¡¯s family, take some gifts from me to show our gratitude,¡± Yun Shi said. ¡°Understood.¡± Wei Ruo turned and left, and Wei Qingwan followed her out. Outside the house, Wei Qingwan asked, ¡°Sister, when you went out with Miss Xie today, did she mention anything about her brother? Wei Ruo stopped, turned her head, and looked at Wei Qingwan with interest. ¡°Why are you asking about Master Xie?¡± ¡ö¡¯Sister, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not asking about Master Xie. I just heard that Master Xie is staying in Taizhou prefecture because of Master Chu.¡± Wei Ruo showed a knowing expression, ¡°So, you are trying to learn about Master Chu?¡± ¡°Sister, you misunderstand. Master Chu is of special status. If our Wei Family could win Master Chu¡¯s favor, it would be extremely beneficial for father and our family. I¡¯m asking not for myself, but for the Wei Family.¡± ¡°So, your idea of winning Master Chu¡¯s favor is to offer yourself?¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t belittle me. I have absolutely no such thoughts.¡± Wei Qingwan immediately denied. ¡°Whether you do or not, only you know it well. Suppose I find out about Master Chu, what can you do? Have father ingratiate himself with Master Chu?¡± Wei Ruo asked with a smile. Wei Qingwan calmly responded, ¡°Sister, I didn¡¯t mean that. I just thought that if you had the chance, you might extract Master Chu¡¯s preferences from Master Xie. The more we understand, the better it is to plan our actions. If we have the chance, that¡¯s the best; if not, then we drop it.¡± ¡°Well, you should work hard for the future of the Wei family.¡± Wei Ruo gave a bright smile and then turned and left. She thought to herself, if Wei Qingwan had the skills, she would investigate it on her own. Wei Ruo was not going to say anything. Watching Wei Ruo leave, Wei Qingwan was secretly angry. If she could get the information easily, would she go to Wei Ruo? If it weren¡¯t for lack of alternatives, she wouldn¡¯t want to see Wei Ruo¡¯s face! ### During the days in Government City, Wei Ruo had no opportunity to visit Zuixian Residence, let alone discuss what she wanted to bring up, so the matter was put on hold. Three days later, early in the morning of the garden tour, Yun Shi took Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan out. Wei Qingwan had dressed up specially. Her hair was twisted into the most popular ¡°flying fairy bun¡± for an unmarried girl. She put on a white cheongsam, covered with a pale pink double-breasted vest, and adorned with the pearl headwear given by Yun Shi. In comparison, except for the fact that Wei Ruo¡¯s clothes of cloud brocade were a bit more eye-catching than Wei Qingwan¡¯s, her other outfits were much simpler. Her hairstyle was casual, and only a little velvet flower accessory was attached to her head. Yun Shi asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, why didn¡¯t you wear the gold jewelry your grandmother gave you?¡± ¡°I forgot to bring it,¡± Wei Ruo casually responded. She actually did bring it, it¡¯s just in her spatial storage. She was just too lazy to take it out, let alone wear it. She liked gold, but she didn¡¯t like to wear it on her head. Plus, every guest invited by the Magistrate¡¯s wife comes from a famous family. Even if she wore it, it would not necessarily garner any favor. Everyone knew what was going on with the Wei family; no change could be made by dressing up. Moreover, she had no interest in vying for such favors. Bruised by Wei Ruo¡¯s answer, Yun Shi was disappointed, but she could do nothing about it. On the way, Yun Shi repeatedly warned Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan, ¡°The residence we are going to today is specially built by Prince Huai for his beloved daughter, Commandery Princess Jingmin, also known as Madam Yuan. The rules there are much stricter than ordinary residences. When we get there, stick close to me, don¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t run around,¡± Wei Qingwan obediently agreed. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo answered, but she sounded more perfunctory. -Ruoruo, you should be careful later. Don¡¯t forget your manners,¡± Yun Shi specifically alerted Wei Ruo. Since Wei Ruo had been living in the countryside before and had never been to such a mansion, she had probably never confronted such grandeur. Yun Shi was worried that Wei Ruo might be disconcerted. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo responded, still somewhat indifferent. Wei Qingwan then asked Yun Shi, ¡°Mother, what are we going to do at the garden tour today?¡± ¡°Actually, this garden tour is primarily a tool for Madam Yuan to pave the way for Magistrate Yuan and also an opportunity for the wives and daughters of various families to interact and get to know each other. Some may even seize this opportunity to look for potential daughters-in-law. So, apart from ordinary garden tours, tea tasting, and flower viewing, there will also be games like composing poetry on the fly. All you need to do is not to make any mistakes.¡± Even for Wei Qingwan, Yun Shi had no great confidence, let alone Wei Ruo, so she just hoped that the two daughters wouldn¡¯t make any major mistakes. ¡°Mother, I know, you can rest assured,¡± Wei Qingwan assured Yun Shi. Yun Shi added, ¡°Besides, Madam Yuan gave birth half a year ago, her body is still quite weak. Don¡¯t be reckless around her.¡± -Didn¡¯t she have her delivery on the road back to Taizhou prefecture?¡± Wei Qingwan asked.. Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Jealousy_1 Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Jealousy_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°To my knowledge, Madame Yuan had accompanied Minister Yuan to the capital to report to the emperor and to visit her father, Prince Huai. They should¡¯ve had ample time to return for her childbirth, but an unexpected event delayed them for over a month on their way back. The child was born prematurely, which forced her to give birth on the road. Fortunately, some benefactor appeared to ensure the safety of both mother and child.¡± said Madame Yun. Then, she continued, ¡°However, all of these details are not important. We should remember that Madame Yuan is still frail and susceptible to cold and shock. We need to be cautious in our actions.¡± ¡°Understood, mother,¡± Wei Qingwan replied. She is usually gentle and soft-spoken, which puts Madame Yun at ease. Wei Ruo, on the other hand, tends to be a bit impulsive and carefree, which makes one worry that she may behave inappropriately. But at this point, there was nothing much Madame Yun could do besides waiting to see how things turn out. An hour later, the three women from the Yun family arrived at Tianqin Garden on time. This auxiliary residence of the Prefect is a garden built by the command of Prince Huai for his daughter, Princess Jingmin. Therefore, it¡¯s more expansive and luxurious than the chief magistrate¡¯s main residence. The Wei family, hailing from the residence of the Loyal and Righteous Duke, was not overwhelmed by the opulence. Madame Yun took a quick glance at Wei Ruo following behind her. Seeing her keeping her composure and showing no sign of fear, she felt slightly relieved. Wei Qingwan also instinctively glanced at Wei Ruo. Upon seeing that Wei Ruo showed no sign of fear, Wei Qingwan felt a pang of disappointment. Wei Ruo, though simply dressed, appeared remarkably stunning that day. Regardless of how well she was dressed, if she appeared rattled, it would be of no avail. But with her calm composure and burgeoning confidence, she overshadowed Wei Qingwan. Upon entering the garden, lush foliage and sprawling flowerbeds greeted them -the lotus pond, in particular, offered a special aura. Even without blossoming lotus flowers at this season, the swaying dried lotus seeds in the wind nonetheless represented a different kind of charm. Several pairs of mandarin ducks frolicked in the water, accompanied by goldfish of various colors like red, gold, and black. The osmanthus and chrysanthemum bushes, now in full bloom, were definitely the garden¡¯s most attractive sight. The density of osmanthus trees and the sweet aroma permeating the air suggested the Prefect¡¯s wife¡¯s fondness for osmanthus flowers. The decision to host the garden party during this time of the year was likely due to this fondness. When Wei Ruo entered the garden, there were already many people there. These people seemed to know each other and were mainly from the Government City. They were chatting leisurely. The Yun family, being new arrivals, were left standing awkwardly to one side, unattended. Both Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan appeared a bit uneasy, only Wei Ruo seemed at ease, admiring the flowers and paying no attention to others¡¯ conversations. The garden was filled with a variety of flowers, many of which were rare. Just on her right, there were several precious camellia plants. Alas, it was not the season for appreciating camellias, otherwise, this corner would be an explosion of colors. Toward the front were a patch of roses. Single-season roses usually bloom in spring and summer, while multiple-season roses bloom in autumn as well. Yet this year¡¯s lower temperatures probably prevented them from blossoming, thus only green leaves were visible without any buds. As Wei Ruo casually strolled along, admiring the scenery, she found herself standing by the Lotus Pond. Looking at the pond, Wei Ruo mused, ¡°There must be quite a few lotus roots underneath. In one or two months, they will ripen. If one stuffed them with corn and then boiled them, they would smell divine.¡± At that moment, one of the noble ladies approached Madame Yun: ¡°Madame Wei.¡± Madame Yun responded with a smile, ¡°May I know your name, madam?¡± Though Madame Yun didn¡¯t know who this lady was, the latter¡¯s eloquent speech and lavish attire hinted at her exceptional status. ¡°My husband, Mr. Xu, is the current chief of the prefecture of LmHai,¡± the woman introduced herself. A Chief of a Prefecture. A Fifth-rank official. Madam Xu then inquired, ¡°Is the lady in the light-blue dress by the lotus pond your daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, she is my eldest daughter.¡± Madam Yun confirmed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about how your eldest daughter rehabilitated barren lands, paving the way for communal prosperity,¡± said Madam Xu. ¡°You flatter me, madam. The farmlands have yet to be harvested, so we don¡¯t know if they will truly benefit the local community,¡± Madam Yun replied modestly. ¡°Madam Wei, you¡¯re too modest. Miss Wei¡¯s achievements in Taizhou Prefecture are unrivaled. Moreover, your daughter is not only virtuous and beautiful but also uniquely outstanding among the daughters of distinguished families that I¡¯ve seen in recent years.¡± Upon hearing the praise, joy filled Madame Yun¡¯s heart. She never thought that the work her daughter had done in the southern part of Xingshan County City would grant her such recognition and praise in the prefecture city. Wei Qingwan, standing behind Madam Yun, grew increasingly uncomfortable with each compliment Madam Xu lavished upon Wei Ruo. Wei Qingwan was right there, yet Madam Xu didn¡¯t think of asking her even a single question. It was as if there was only one heiress in the Wei family. Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t help feeling resentful. Why should she be overshadowed by Wei Ruo¡¯s achievements in the south of the city, or even her looks. Wei Qingwan looked from a distance at Wei Ruo, who stood by the pond. Wei Ruo was plainly dressed with minimal accessories, yet for some reason, she looked extraordinarily stunning. Shifting her gaze down to her own attire, Wei Qingwan felt a pang of dissatisfaction. She had put great effort into her outfit, from her hair ornaments to her clothes, which were the best she could afford. But Wei Ruo, even with her simple attire, looked far better than she did. If only she had been wearing a dress made from the same Yun brocade as Wei Ruo¡¯s, she would have looked no less outstanding. The difference in their appearance was definitely something Wei Ruo had intentionally created. Had Wei Ruo shared the Yun brocade with her, Wei Qingwan wouldn¡¯t find herself in this predicament! At that moment, Wei Qingwan felt a surge of resentment towards Wei Ruo. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. If Wei Ruo took one more step forward, she would step into the pond. Her skirt would be soiled by the muddy water. All she needed was that one step. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have to fall into the water ¨C she just wanted to spoil Wei Ruo¡¯s dress a little, so she wouldn¡¯t appear so superior. With this thought, Wei Qingwan started approaching Wei Ruo. At that moment, Wei Ruo was leaning over, picking a withered lotus seed pod near the pondshore. Hearing the footsteps from behind, Wei Ruo turned to look back. Wei Qingwan feigned tripping and stumbled forward a few steps, then gently bumped into Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo Stepped forward, and her right foot sunk into the shallow mud beside the pond. In order to stabilize herself, Wei Ruo swiftly grabbed a bush¡¯s branch and, using it for leverage, flung herself back to solid ground. However, she used a little too much force and ended up vaulting a few steps forward. When she managed to stop, she was just inches away from colliding with a dignified and lavish lady. Seeing this incident, Madame Yun¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. She quickly stepped forward and apologized, ¡°I am sorry, Madame Yuan. My daughter was being careless and nearly bumped into you.¡± Instead of responding to Madame Yun, Madame Yuan stared at Wei Ruo¡­. Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Harm others but instead inviting disaster_l Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Harm others but instead inviting disaster_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo was also looking at Madam Yuan, whom she recognized as the woman she had assisted during childbirth in the outskirts on a certain day! Wei Ruo composed herself quickly and spoke before Madam Yuan: ¡°Madam, it¡¯s our first meeting and I¡¯m greatly sorry for causing any inconvenience.¡± Madam Yuan was looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s lucid eyes. She was puzzled only for a moment before she realized what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you didn¡¯t disturb me at all.¡± Madam Yuan smiled and said. Wei Ruo looked bright and seemed like she had something to say. Surely, she must have recognized Madam Yuan. Her words of ¡®first meeting¡¯ was an attempt to hide something. Unaware of what she was trying to hide, Madam Yuan played along. ¡°How should I address you?¡± Madam Yuan asked affectionately, holding Wei Ruo¡¯s hand. ¡°My father, Wei Mingting, led the Xingshan County¡¯s resistance against the Japanese invasion. I am his daughter, Qingruo.¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Wei.¡± Madam Yuan said softly, ¡°I feel that Miss Wei and I have a deep connection as though we¡¯ve met many times before. It made me feel delighted.¡± Madam Yun came forward to apologize on Wei Ruo¡¯s behalf, ¡°Madam Yuan, my daughter was reckless and bumped into you. Please forgive us.¡± While saying this, Madam Yun gave a stern look to Wei Ruo, signaling her to apologize quickly. Before Wei Ruo could say a word, Madam Yuan intervened, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Such a small incident won¡¯t affect me at all! I¡¯m not made of porcelain. Moreover, Miss Wei must have had a reason. Did something dangerous happen to you?¡± Madam Yuan looked warmly and affectionately at Wei Ruo. Madam Yuan¡¯s attitude surprised everyone. They had assumed that even if she didn¡¯t blame Wei Ruo for bumping into her, she wouldn¡¯t be particularly friendly towards her. Contrarily, Madam Yuan appeared to have developed a fondness for Wei Qingruo, which surprised everyone, including Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan. Before responding to Madam Yuan¡¯s question, Wei Ruo looked at Wei Qingwan amidst the crowd. Wei Qingwan trembled, lowering her head in fear, her eyes avoiding Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze. Then, Wei Ruo replied to Madam Yuan: ¡°I was admiring the LOTUS POND, when suddenly someone bumped into me from behind. I was pushed towards the pond and my foot stepped into the water. In order to save myself from falling in, I had to grab a bush on the bank and I might have used some extra force.¡± After Wei Ruo¡¯s explanation, the expression on Madam Yuan¡¯s face changed slightly, turning somewhat stern. She further asked, ¡°Who bumped into Miss Wei just now? Who dared to harm my guests in my residence?!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces changed at Madam Yuan¡¯s words. Wei Qingwan trembled, visibly fearful. After the silence, one person stood up and pointed out, ¡°I saw it. The one who bumped into Miss Wei was wearing a pink dress.¡± The speaker didn¡¯t know who Wei Qingwan was, but she could recognize her outfit. Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan and everyone else¡¯s gaze fell on Wei Qingwan. Madam Yun looked at Wei Qingwan in shock. Was it Wanwan who pushed Ruoruo? Wei Qingwan was frightened and immediately explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bump into my sister. I tripped over something as I approached her, lost my balance, and ended up knocking her. It was completely unintentional!¡± Wei Qingwan had already thought of this explanation, but she didn¡¯t expect Madam Yuan to pursue the matter, which made her extremely nervous. Madam Yuan sternly asked the third daughter of the Zhang family, who had accused Wei Qingwan, ¡°Miss Zhang, is what Miss Wei just said true?¡± Miss Zhang pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°It should be true. It seemed to me that she got tripped and then fell onto Miss Wei.¡± Wei Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief. Upon hearing this, Madam Yun also quickly said, ¡°So it was a misunderstanding. Wanwan, quickly apologize to your sister and Madam Yuan.¡± Wei Qingwan quickly said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault that you got hurt.¡± Then she turned to Madam Yuan and apologized, ¡°Madam Yuan, it was my fault. I disturbed you and disrupted your garden party.¡± Madam Yuan¡¯s attitude towards Qingwan wasn¡¯t as good: ¡°If it was your fault, why didn¡¯t you explain it firsthand? Why did you wait for someone else to expose the truth?¡± Wei Qingwan quickly explained, ¡°Today is my first time attending an occasion like this. I was stunned by the incident and forgot to explain. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Madam Yuan¡¯s face was still stern, ¡°Miss Wei, as the daughter of the Wei family and the granddaughter of the Loyal and Righteous Duke, you panicked at a slight incident. Seeing your elder sister being shocked and blamed, yet you said nothing, isn¡¯t that too disgraceful?¡± Madam Yuan¡¯s words were harsh, further establishing Wei Qingwan¡¯s inferior image among the high-ranking ladies of the city who were seeing her for the first time. With Madam Yuan being so critical, who in the capital city would look favorably upon second Miss Wei? Wei Qingwan was pale and felt a chill throughout her body. Madam Yun¡¯s face also turned pale. These may have been harsh words, but they were delivered by Madam Yuan. Even in the Capital City, Madam Yuan¡¯s words carry weight! Her daughter is now thirteen. With such a reputation, how will she have a decent future? Madam Yun wanted to say something in Wei Qingwan¡¯s defense, but looking at Madam Yuan¡¯s stern face, she feared she might provoke her further so she swallowed her words. After reprimanding Wei Qingwan, Madam Yuan saw that Wei Ruo¡¯s dress had been dirtied. She said, ¡°Miss Wei, your dress has gotten dirty. Come with me to the house and we¡¯ll change your clothes.¡± ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± Wei Ruo thanked her. Madam Yuan said to the ladies, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to take Miss Wei to change her clothes. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Everyone watched Madam Yuan and Wei Ruo depart, increasingly puzzled. Madam Yuan¡¯s favor towards Miss Wei was too excessive. Instead of sending a maid to help her change her clothes, Madam Yuan personally accompanied her. Why? Wei Ruo was led into the room by Madam Yuan. Once inside, Madam Yuan changed the way she addressed Wei Ruo, ¡°Dear benefactor, you¡¯ve made me search desperately!¡± Wei Ruo replied somewhat sheepishly, ¡°That day I had to rush back. I have a young maid at home who would have been anxiously waiting for me if I got home late.¡± Madam Yuan responded, ¡°After that day, my husband sent out people several times to investigate and search for you around that area, but they always came back with no information. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into you today.¡± Then Madam Yuan asked, ¡°You and I met in Huzhou Prefecture that day, how come you¡¯re now the legitimate daughter of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence house?¡± Madam Yuan had heard about Miss Wei¡¯s story. Since the seventh prince had also participated in the reclamation of the wasteland in the southern part of the city, she and her husband paid more attention to this matter. However, she could never imagine that this Miss Wei was the Divine Doctor who saved her and her child that day.. Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter ill Wei Ruo angrily confronts Yun Chapter 111: Chapter ill Wei Ruo angrily confronts Yun Family_i Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s a long story. But in simple terms, I was mistakenly raised elsewhere and just recently got switched back,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°No wonder the Wei Family suddenly had another legitimate daughter raised in the countryside. It turns out she was mistakenly switched. Poor little thing. You must¡¯ve had a hard time in the countryside,¡± she commented. The matter of the Wei Family having an additional legitimate daughter was something Madam Yuan had heard about before. She heard it from others after the major defeat of the Japanese Pirates in Xingshan County. ¡°Yes, but I would rather they not know about my medical skills or about our relationship. That¡¯s why I had to say such abrupt things when we first met,¡± explained Wei Ruo. ¡°There¡¯S nothing abrupt about that. If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to talk about, I will try my best to hide it for you,¡± responded Madam Yuan. ¡°Just tell me anything else you¡¯d like me to be aware of.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Madam, you just need to treat me as someone you have just met today in front of others,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Madam Yuan replied. While they were talking, Xiaozhao, Madam Yuan¡¯s maid, had already found a change of clothes for Wei Ruo. Madam Yuan asked Wei Ruo to go change, dressed in the safflower smoke Lushan with a loomed gold butterfly skirt. The skirt was made with a fabric more valuable than Yun Jin silk called Floating Light Silk, while the top was made with a lighter floral lampas. The clothes fit perfectly, emphasising Wei Ruo¡¯s figure. After Wei Ruo got changed, Madam Yuan was delighted to see her. ¡°Back then, I was in too much pain during childbirth to care much about anything else. It occurred to me afterwards how good-looking the person who saved me was. Now I see it¡¯s true. You are as captivating as a hibiscus flower in full bloom. If I were a man, I would¡¯ve fallen for you.¡± A thirteen-year-old girl, a flower yet to bloom, is in her most charming stage. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Madam,¡± replied Wei Ruo, feeling somewhat embarrassed by her high praise. ¡°Come, follow me out to greet the guests. After today, you¡¯ll stay a few more days in the government city with me and we can catch up then,¡± said Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan took the initiative to hold Wei Ruo¡¯s hand and led her back out into the garden. Upon their return, everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to Madam Yuan and Wei Ruo. It¡¯s true that clothes make the man; Wei Ruo looked even more conspicuous after changing clothes. Once she mingled among the group, Madam Yuan chatted with the other madams and let Wei Ruo look around on her own. Because of Madam Yuan¡¯s attitude just now, people who had previously not spoken much with Wei Ruo changed theirs¡ªmany approached her to start conversations. Wei Qingwan stood in a corner, watching from a distance as Wei Ruo was surrounded by others. Her face was pale. Soon after, several girls began to play the game ¡°Fly Blossom Order¡± in the garden. This was originally something Wei Qingwan thought of so she could show off. But now, no one invited her to join, as if she was non-existent. Although Wei Ruo was invited, she did not participate, preferring to savour her cakes and nuts by the side. ### After the garden party ended, Madam Yun led both Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan away. On the way back, Madam Yun¡¯s face was grim and she didn¡¯t say a word. When they returned to their temporary residence in the Xie Family Annex, Madam Yun called both of them into a room. ¡°Wanwan, do you realize what you¡¯ve done wrong?¡± Madam Yun asked Wei Qingwan. With a ¡®plop¡¯, Wei Qingwan knelt down.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡öWanwan, you used to be the most well-behaved and knew your place. Why were you so reckless today, bumping into your sister then not saying a word when Madam Yuan questioned you? Do you know how much impact her words can have on you? Madam Yuan is not just anyone; she is the most favored daughter of Prince Huai. Not to mention here in Taizhou prefecture, even in Capital City, her words carry weight,¡± expressed a disappointed Madam Yun. Weeping incessantly, Wei Qingwan responded, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t know anything like that would happen. My foot just tripped, and I didn¡¯t expect it to bump into my sister. I just slightly bumped into her, how was I to know she would bump into Madam Yuan?¡± Wei Qingwan wept bitterly, with sunken reddened eyes and pale cheeks. Her body twitched and she was on the verge of blacking out as if all the neglect and cold glares she had received in Tianqin Garden were released through her tears. Seeing her adopted daughter of thirteen years crying so heartbrokenly, Madam Yun¡¯s heart ached. Then, turning to Wei Ruo, she reprimanded, ¡°And you, why did you have to go towards Madam Yuan? You got praised by her now, but your sister¡¯s life is ruined by you!¡± Wei Ruo scoffed, ¡°Do you mean to say I should have fallen into the pond, got myself soaking wet and be the laughing stock of Taizhou Prefecture? Wei Ruo acknowledged that the force Wei Qingwan exerted might not have been enough to push her entirely into the pond. But who could foresee what would happen next? People¡¯s instinctive reaction during emergencies would be to choose the safest option. This is an instinct, an action faster than thought. Madam Yun defended herself, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you to fall in. But if you didn¡¯t rush to Madam Yuan, this situation wouldn¡¯t have happened! Your sister s future may be ruined because of what you did today! ¡°Really? So, it was unavoidable for Wei Qingwan to stumble, but I could have avoided going to Madam Yuan? It¡¯s fine for you to be biased, but please don¡¯t be too unreasonable,¡± Wei Ruo retorted. ¡°What did you say?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s face went dark when Wei Ruo accused her of being biased and unreasonable. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Even when Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t step forward to admit her own mistakes, you still think it¡¯s justifiable, blaming it on shock. But you don¡¯t think that my response during crisis is justifiable. What happened to your promise of being fair and just?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡öIs that how you talk to your mother?¡± Madam Yun retorted angrily, slamming her hand onto the table and glaring at Wei Ruo. ¡°Is that how you, as a mother, should question your daughter?¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°Wei Qingruo, you¡¯re defiant!¡± Madam Yun commanded, furiously crying out to the maid waiting outside the door, ¡°Zheng Mama, take the eldest miss to her room and lock her up! She is not to go out or eat anything without my command!¡± Zheng Mama stood at the entrance, looking at Wei Ruo in perplexity and did not move. Calmly, Wei Ruo said, ¡°In a couple of days, the rice in the experimental fields I first cultivated south of the city will be ripe. All arrangements will need to be overseen by me. If you dare to lock me up and punish me today, I can assure you that there will be problems at the experimental fields. Think about how the Wei Family is going to explain to Magistrate Qian and the Seventh Prince then?¡± Madam Yun was startled upon hearing this, watching Wei Ruo with disbelief in her eyes.. Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Fight Poison with Poison_l Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Fight Poison with Poison_l Translator: 549690339 Xiumei clenched her fist, ¡°I really want to go out and punch her a few times! Now she comes running to apologize, where was she earlier!¡± ¡°Meimei, do you know what it means to fight poison with poison?¡± Wei Ruo smiled cunningly. ¡°The mistress uses it when making medicine because some herbs are poisonous. Another herb with different toxicity can be used to neutralize it.¡± Xiumei answered. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll let you see another kind of fighting poison with poison.¡± Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei, ¡°You go out and say that I¡¯m sick. My chest and head hurt, especially when I hear a loud noise, I need a doctor. Otherwise, I may not be able to meet Lady Yuan tomorrow.¡± Xiumei immediately obeyed, opened the door, ignored Wei Qingwan kneeling at the door, and directly went to find Lady Zhang to tell her about Wei Ruo¡¯s condition. Of course, Lady Zhang had to go and ask Madame Yun first. Upon hearing that Wei Ruo was ill, Madame Yun was a bit skeptical, ¡°She was fine when she was angry with me just now, how can she get sick by just saying it?¡± Lady Zhang could only reply, ¡°The old servant doesn¡¯t know either. But I heard that if someone gets angry suddenly, they can get sick suddenly. I don¡¯t know if Miss is in such a situation.¡± Madame Yun frowned, ¡°Then hurry up and call a doctor for the young lady, we can¡¯t delay if she¡¯s really sick.¡± ¡öYes!¡± Lady Zhang went out, and soon the doctor was brought back. When Wei Qingwan learned that a doctor had been called for Wei Ruo, she no longer knelt at Wei Ruo¡¯s door and instead went to Madame Yun, looking a bit doubtful, ¡°Mother, is sister really sick?¡± Madame Yun said, ¡°We will know once the doctor diagnoses.¡± After a while, the doctor had completed the examination of Wei Ruo¡¯s pulse and went to report to Madame Yun: ¡°Madam, the young lady has been stricken with an attack of pent-up anger, which has led to an internal attack of liver heat caused by an unsmooth flow of heart qi. I¡¯ll give the young lady a prescription. She should take the medicine twice daily for five days. It is critical that she rest and not aggravate her liver during this time, otherwise the illness will worsen.¡± Hearing this, Wei Qingwan felt instinctively that Wei Ruo was lying, and said, ¡°Is this really what my sister said? She has always been in good health, how could she¡­¡± The doctor¡¯s expression became even more strict upon hearing this, ¡°Young lady, I have been practicing medicine for many years, and I have never misdiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed a patient. My Baoshan Hall¡¯s reputation in Taizhou prefecture is outstanding! If you doubt my words, then I have nothing to say! Please find someone else!¡± Unexpectedly, the doctor was such a hot-tempered person, Madame Yun quickly said, ¡°Doctor, please do not get angry. My daughter is just a bit surprised, she did not mean to challenge your medical skills.¡± The doctor said, ¡°Madam, in any case, the young lady¡¯s illness is not a lie. If it is not handled correctly, the young lady¡¯s condition may worsen, making it difficult for her to leave the house.¡± Hearing this, Madame Yun quickly let Lady Zhang follow the doctor to get the medicine to give to Wei Ruo. Then her maid, Cuiping, was called to take Wei Qingwan out. ¡°You should avoid visiting your sister for a few days. She needs rest as she is ill. Any issues can be discussed after she recovers. The words of Madame Yun left Wei Qingwan utterly surprised. Had Wei Ruo actually fallen ill? Now what can she possibly do? She can¡¯t apologize to Wei Ruo for the time being and can¡¯t depend on Wei Ruo to plead to Lady Yuan on her behalf, so what about her reputation¡­ Wei Qingwan was not willing to accept this, but looking at Madame Yun¡¯s expression, she knew there was no room for reversal. Wei Ruo is very important to the Wei family right now. Not only does she have an appointment with Lady Yuan tomorrow, but she also needs to report on the farming issues in the barren land to the Seventh Prince and Magistrate Qian in a few days. If she falls ill, it would be detrimental for the Wei family. All the lines of apology that Wei Qingwan had prepared for Wei Ruo to speak on her behalf hadn¡¯t had a chance to be spoken, and she had to swallow everything back. Wei Qingwan originally thought that she could no longer proceed as planned. At this moment, Lady Zhang came over to pass a message to Madame Yun for Wei Ruo, ¡°Madam, the young lady said that thinking about today¡¯s situation makes her feel frustrated. Why do you confine her if you think she is wrong, but when the second miss commits such a big mistake, there is no punishment at all? She can¡¯t understand it, and the more she thinks about it, the more her head hurts.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression stiffened, and she was more convinced in her heart: Wei Ruo must be doing this on purpose, all the talk about headaches and heartaches were tricks she came up with to harm her! But now she didn¡¯t know how Wei Ruo was able to make the doctor from Baoshan Hall lie for her. Madame Yun frowned, looking at the Wei Qingwan in front of her. She was also angry with Wanwan today, but then Ruo¡¯s fuss completely upset her. Thinking of her older daughter¡¯s current burden, if something were to happen to her, the Wei family would be unable to explain it to others. ¡öWanwan, today in Tianqin Park, you made several mistakes. For the next two days while we stay in Government City, you are not allowed to take half a step out of your room. Stay in the room and write your reflections!¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Madame Yun in disbelief. This was the first time her mother had punished her with confinement. Madame Yun did not give Wei Qingwan more time to think and react, fearing that she would be unable to bear her daughter¡¯s tears and regret it, and immediately ordered Lady Zhang and Cuiping to take Wei Qingwan back to her room. ### Early the next morning, Lady Yuan¡¯s carriage, which came to pick up Wei Ruo, appeared on time in front of Xie¡¯s villa. Madame Yun watched nervously as Wei Ruo got into the carriage and left. In the morning, after some inquiries, it was said that after taking the medicine and resting for a while last night, her heart was much smoother, and her symptoms were much better today. Wei Qingwan, who was confined in her room and couldn¡¯t go out, could only hear the movement outside and knew that Wei Ruo was going out. She knew Wei Ruo was pretending! Otherwise, how could she complain of various pains yesterday and still comfortably step out today? But Wei Qingwan was absolutely helpless about Wei Ruo. Now that her mother believed that Wei Ruo was indeed sick due to anger, she would only arouse her mother¡¯s suspicion if she said anymore. What made Wei Qingwan even more uncomfortable was that Wei Ruo was going to meet Lady Yuan today, and she didn¡¯t know what Wei Ruo would say to Lady Yuan. Yesterday¡¯s single comment from Lady Yuan has plunged her into the abyss, she was truly afraid that Wei Ruo would say something that would leave her totally helpless! Wei Ruo rode in the carriage to the prefecture governor¡¯s mansion. Lady Yuan was not in Tianqin Garden today, but at the prefecture mansion. The prefecture mansion is allocated by the court. It is not as grand and lavish as Tianqin Garden, but it is much larger than the Military Prefecture. Under the guidance of the maid, Wei Ruo walked through the veranda garden and entered Lady Yuan¡¯s courtyard. Stepping into the room, aside from Lady Yuan, there was also the silk-clad man whom Wei Ruo had seen before, who was also the prefect, Yuan Da, present. They seemed to be waiting specifically for Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss Wei!¡± Prefect Yuan stood up, clasped his hands together in salute, bowing deeply to Wei Ruo. ¡°Prefect Yuan, such a grand gesture, only a common woman like me cannot accept!¡± Wei Ruo hastily objected. He is the prefect, and she is just a common woman, such salutations indeed seemed too grand.. Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Thank-you Gift from the Yuan Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Thank-you Gift from the Yuan Family Couple_l Translator: 549690339 1 ¡°A life-saving favor is greater than the heavens, Miss Wei can take it.¡± Yuan Zhengqin said. Madam Yuan laughed and said, ¡°Miss Wei, don¡¯t be nervous. If you don¡¯t accept this gift from my husband, he won¡¯t feel at ease. Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t sure what else she could say. Following that, Madam Yuan had a wet nurse bring over a one-and-a-half-year-old child. The plump little face and the round big eyes, all filled with curiosity, stared at Wei Ruo. He couldn¡¯t talk, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of strangers, and grinned at Wei Ruo. ¡°Brother Sheng recognizes his benefactor, hence he smiles when he sees you.¡± Madam Yuan laughed. She then asked Wei Ruo to hold the child, ¡°His name is Fu Sheng. He owes his life entirely to your blessing.¡± Wei Ruo took the child in her arms. The little guy kept laughing, his small hands waving happily. It seemed like he really remembered Wei Ruo and was delighted to see her again. Wei Ruo was infected by Brother Sheng¡¯s laughter, and a smile naturally spread across her face. After playing with Brother Sheng for a while, Wei Ruo returned the child to Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan had the wet nurse take the child back to be nursed. Looking at Madam Yuan, Wei Ruo offered, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Madam, allow me to take your pulse.¡± Madam Yuan looked surprised. ¡°I heard Madam has been feeling weak since the childbirth.¡± Wei Ruo said. Hearing this, Yuan Zhengqin quickly added, ¡°Yes, my wife often breaks out in cold sweats at night. She cannot touch anything cold; she easily feels weak, gets headaches and backaches. We have consulted numerous doctors and she has taken a lot of medication over the past six months, but none have helped.¡¯ If it¡¯s Miss Wei, perhaps there¡¯s a way to improve my wife¡¯s condition! Yuan Zhengqin looked earnest, expressing his deep concern for Madam Yuan¡¯s health. His ability to pinpoint Madam Yuan¡¯s symptoms showed his genuine concern for her. ¡°First, let me take Madam¡¯s pulse.¡± Wei Ruo sat beside Madam Yuan and placed her hand on Madam Yuan¡¯s wrist to feel her pulse. Yuan Zhengqin and Madam Yuan held their breath and didn¡¯t dare make a sound to disturb Wei Ruo. After a while, Wei Ruo put her hand back and said, ¡°I will write a prescription for Madam. There are a few precious herbs in it. If you can find them all, brew them with the method of reducing eight bowls of water to one for Madam to take, once every night before sleep, and continue for one month at first.¡± ¡ö¡öGood! Miss Wei, feel free to write and no matter how rare the herbs are, I will find a way to get them!¡± Yuan Zhengqin promised. Wei Ruo wrote down the prescription and handed it to Yuan Zhengqin. Yuan Zhengqin carefully took the prescription, excused himself to Wei Ruo, and then took the prescription to his study, prepared to make a copy immediately and then send someone to purchase the required herbs. After Yuan Zhengqin left, Madam Yuan said, ¡°Miss Wei, I really don¡¯t know how to thankyou. You not only saved my and Brother Sheng¡¯s lives, but nowyou are also helping me restore my health.¡± Madam Yuan, you¡¯re too polite, especially since you¡¯ve been helping me these two days.¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°That was merely a minor effort.¡± Madam Yuan didn¡¯t think that yesterday¡¯s incident was a great favour. Wei Ruo shook her head: ¡°What is a minor effort for Madam, is of great help to me.¡± Madam Yuan laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ve prepared another gift for you, and you must accept it.¡± Wei Ruo looked curiously at Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan took out a box, opened it, and inside were a deed to a field and a house deed. ¡°These are the deeds for a thousand acres of good farmland and a house outside Taizhou prefecture.¡± The land in Taizhou prefecture is far more expensive than that in Xingshan County. This thousand acres of fertile farmland in Taizhou prefecture is worth at least a few thousand taels of silver, if not more. Moreover, Taizhou prefecture city has many dignitaries and few fertile lands. Sometimes, even if one has money, it may not necessarily be able to buy good farmland. Madam Yuan explained, ¡°I know these things are a bit worldly, but I can¡¯t think of a better idea right now. It was my husband who reminded me that since you¡¯ve been teaching people how to cultivate wasteland and farm in Xingshan County, you must have done some research on this. So why not give you some fertile land, that you can not only keep for yourself, but also make productive use of it.¡± Last night, Madam Yuan and Yuan Zhengqin discussed at length what kind of gift to give today. The gratitude for saving their lives was not something that could be forgotten with a simple thank you. Even if Wei Ruo had walked away at the time without asking for any reward, they, the beneficiaries, couldn¡¯t just let things pass. But if they wanted to express their gratitude, they had to find the right way, and the gifts they gave must be appropriate. Because Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want others to know that she was a healer, the Yuan Family couldn¡¯t just send a pile of gold and silver utensils to the Wei¡¯s openly. They had to give her something that was easy to carry and hide. Therefore, they decided to give property and real estate gifts. It must be said, the gifts from Yuan Zhengqin and Madam Yuan really touched Wei Ruo¡¯s heart. Wei Ruo did not stand on ceremony with Madam Yuan and directly expressed her affection, ¡°I really like Madam¡¯s gift. Madam Yuan was also very pleased to hear this: ¡°The best thing is that you like it. Later, I will have someone register these lands under your name at the government office. Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it discreetly and won¡¯t let the outside know.¡± Madam Yuan knew that since Wei Ruo wanted to hide her medical skills from the Wei family, she certainly wouldn¡¯t want her properties to be known by the other members of the Wei Family. ¡°Thank you very much, Madam!¡± Wei Ruo was truly grateful. ¡°What is there to thank for, these are what my husband and I should do to express our gratitude, why should you thank us.¡± said Madam Yuan. ¡°I still want to thank Madam for considering for me and saving me from a lot of trouble.¡± said Wei Ruo. Madam Yuan gently said, ¡°This is what I should do. When you saved me that day, you were also extremely considerate. When I was in extreme pain and despair, your voice was like the sound of paradise, pulling me back from the Ghost Gate.¡± Wei Ruo smiled. Then Madam Yuan started to chat with Wei Ruo, ¡°I have to tell you, actually, this garden party, I specifically invited the Wei Family from Xingshan County. I really wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°Is it because of the cultivation of the wasteland south of Xingshan County City?¡± asked Wei Ruo. Madam Yuan nodded, ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but this year not only Xingshan County had a poor grain harvest, but the entire Taizhou prefecture had the same problem.¡± The entire Taizhou prefecture had a poor grain harvest. This was a big headache for Yuan Zhengqin, who was the Magistrate. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard something about that.¡± Wei Ruo already had some knowledge about it. ¡°Before I knew you were the one who saved me, I wanted to see you and ask your opinion on increasing the grain yield in Taizhou prefecture. That¡¯s why I specifically invited the Wei Family to the garden party.¡± Madam Yuan revealed the reason. Because Wei Mingting was a Martial Officer and Yuan Zhengqin was a civil servant, although he ranked higher than Wei Mingting, he couldn¡¯t directly summon Wei Mingting. Therefore, Madam Yuan used the opportunity of the garden party to send an invitation to the Military Prefecture.. Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chapter 115: A Pleasant Conversation with Madam Yuan_l Chapter 115: Chapter 115: A Pleasant Conversation with Madam Yuan_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Are there un-cultivable lands in the governmental city too?¡± Wei Ruo inquired. ¡°Well, unlike Xingshan County by the sea, there are no completely infertile lands here, but a majority of the land is barren and the soil is compacted, so crop yield is cause for worry,¡± Madam Yuan answered. From that, one can see the enormity of the gift Madam Yuan had bestowed upon Wei Ruo: a thousand acres of rare and valuable arable land. ¡°That can be managed. Once you¡¯ve taken me for a field inspection, I should, in theory, be able to come up with a solution for enriching the soil. After improving the land, we can then proceed with planting, which should yield some increase in grain production,¡± said Wei Ruo. Improving barren soil is much easier than saline-alkaline soils. It takes less time and is not that challenging as long as the right remedy is applied in addressing the root cause. Madam Yuan¡¯s face brightened: ¡°That would be wonderful!¡± ¡°Moreover, I have noticed during my time around the town that not many mountainsides have been turned into terraced fields. I assume it¡¯s because the cost of development is too high,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°In that case, I would suggest planting sweet potatoes, which are currently grown in Huzhou Prefecture,¡± suggested Wei Ruo. ¡°Sweet potatoes?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a new type of crop introduced by merchant ships from the Southern Ocean. They are already being grown in some Xingshan households and have yielded a good harvest this year.¡± ¡°That indeed sounds like a good idea. I just wonder if those who are already growing sweet potatoes would be willing to share seeds with us,¡± Madam Yuan expressed her concern. ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need to worry about that. I know the family growing sweet potatoes in Xingshan. I can ask them to provide vine cuttings for the Government Office for free, which can then be allocated to the town¡¯s people,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°If that is true, both you and the family with the vine cuttings would be regarded as noble exemplars of understanding morality and generous selflessness,¡± Madam Yuan couldn¡¯t help but praise. ¡°Actually, hiding the sweet potato cuttings is impossible. They propagate through vine cuttings grown from the sweet potato tuber. As long as there is one vine cutting, it can propagate. Moreover, many crops yield higher the more they are planted, so there is no need to hide and not let others plant,¡± Wei Ruo explained. For crops like sweet potatoes that consume tubers, those that do not require pollination are generally better. Crops needing pollination would certainly show better yield when everyone sows high-quality varieties, resulting in quality fruits. ¡°Splendid!¡± said Madam Yuan, her heart cheered despite her lack of knowledge about agriculture. ¡°Can sweet potatoes be planted immediately?¡± Madam Yuan asked. Wei Ruo shook her head: ¡°Everything has a season, for sweet potatoes we will have to wait until next spring.¡± ¡°Do you have any quicker measures? I fear the people won¡¯t be able to wait that long,¡± Madam Yuan asked. ¡°There is, indeed, the method I¡¯m currently implementing in Xingshan county. We can start planting wheat right now, and after the wheat is harvested next year, we will plant rice. For circumstances where weather patterns cannot be changed, multi-seasonal farming is a good method, albeit it makes the farmers¡¯ work more laborious,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Though it¡¯s laborious, if they could have enough to eat, the joy would outweigh the hardship for them,¡± said Madam Yuan. ¡°Also, I know a cold-resistant variety of rice. Planting this rice variety next year could improve the grain reduction problem caused by adverse weather to some extent,¡± Wei Ruo added. Thus, with Wei Ruo¡¯s comprehensive approach, multiple measures could be implemented to increase production in Taizhou prefecture. Madam Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°If this could be achieved, I will definitely let my husband report your merit to the court. Let everyone know that even a woman of high-born status can save the world and seek blessings for the people.¡± Wei Ruo had a very pleasant conversation with Madam Yuan. Afterwards, they had lunch together and admired the various flowers planted in Madam Yuan¡¯s courtyard. Madam Yuan then personally sent Wei Ruo to the door, agreeing to inspect the barren lands around the governmental city together the following day. Before leaving, Madam Yuan had her servants prepare some dried seafood for Wei Ruo, including scallops and abalone, along with two priceless pots of chrysanthemums: one Yao Tai Jade Phoenix, and one Dian Jiang Chun. The gifts Wei Ruo took home were sure to be seen by the Wei family, hence they could not be overly valuable. The dried seafood and flowers were relatively reasonable, more like rewards for a first-time acquaintance. ### After finalizing plans with Madam Yuan, Wei Ruo returned to the Xie Family villa. When she got off the carriage, Xiumei supported her the entire time. Wei Ruo¡¯s apparent weakness made it seem as though the day¡¯s journeying had exacerbated her illness. Upon seeing the bags of seafood and precious flowers Wei Ruo brought back, Yunshi guessed that Wei Ruo had performed well in Madam Yuan¡¯s presence and had thus received these rewards. As Yunshi stepped forward to ask Wei Ruo for the day¡¯s details, she was cut off by Wei Ruo. ¡°Meimei, I have a headache. Help me back to my room to rest,¡± said Wei Ruo. Given last night¡¯s argument was still fresh in her mind, Wei Ruo had no inclination to engage with Yunshi. So, she repeated her maneuver. Yunshi, seeing this, thought it inappropriate to question further, and watched as the servant girls helped Wei Ruo into her room. After Xiumei closed the door, shutting out the scrutinizing gaze from outside, she laughed: ¡°This trick of Missy¡¯s works really well!¡± ¡°Tonight let¡¯s dine in our room again, and keep away from their rabble. No matter what they say, I want some peace before we return to Xingshan,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Alright, what would Missy like for dinner? I¡¯ll cook specifically for you,¡± Xiumei offered. ¡°Then use the seafood we got to make a seafood congee for me. Since they said I¡¯m sick, eating congee would make sense,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯ll start soaking the seafood now.¡± Upon learning that Wei Ruo would once again dine in her room, Yunshi felt she had no room to argue. Meanwhile, Wei Qingwan was locked in her room, not even able to step out of her door, let alone go outside. Her dinner was brought in to her by Cuihe, and known only to Yunshi, she was served bland porridge and pickles. Wei Qingwan then asked Cuihe: ¡°What did Sister eat tonight?¡± With an awkward expression, Cuihe stuttered for a while before finally saying: ¡°Seafood porridge. When Missy came back in the afternoon, she brought home a lot of dried seafood. It seems that Madam Yuan gifted them.¡± They were both eating porridge, but there was a world of difference. While she ate bland porridge with pickles, Wei Ruo was having seafood porridge! Wei Qingwan looked at the bland porridge and pickles in front of her, and a feeling of aggrieved anger surged in her heart. ¡°Take this away, I don¡¯t want to eat,¡± Wei Qingwan pushed these things aside. ¡°Miss, please eat something, don¡¯t starve yourself,¡± Cuihe persuaded. ¡°I won¡¯t eat it. Take it away! If my mother asks, you tell her the truth,¡± demanded Wei Qingwan. She wanted her mother to know that she didn¡¯t eat anything for dinner.. Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Harvest from the Experimental Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Harvest from the Experimental Fieldi Translator: 549690339 Cuihe had no choice but to do as instructed, taking the uneaten porridge and pickles back out again. Cuihe wanted to report this to Madam Yun, but since she was in the room, she chose to inform Cuiping, who was serving Madam Yun, hoping that Cuiping would report it to her. ¡°Sister Cuiping, the second young lady didn¡¯t eat anything for dinner. I brought back all the white porridge and pickles untouched. The second young lady was frail to start with, I¡¯m a little worried that she might fail ill if this continues.¡± Cuihe said. I understand.¡± Cuiping responded succinctly and didn¡¯t go in to report to Madam Yun. With the eldest young lady¡¯s condition already burdening the matron, adding the predicament of the second lady not eating would be like adding fuel to the fire, wouldn¡¯t it? Moreover, one is officially ill diagnosed by a doctor, and the other is deliberately refusing to eat. Clearly, one is more serious than the other. Cuiping therefore decided not to relay the message. Wei Qingwan waited for Madam Yun in her room for a long time, but to no avail. In the end, she threw herself on the bed and cried her heart out. ### The next day, Wei Ruo was taken away by Madam Yuan again. Madam Yun did not know why. Without Wei Ruo telling her, she had no way of knowing. This time, Wei Ruo was gone for even longer, so much so that it was dusk by the time she came back. Madam Yun invited Wei Ruo to have dinner together, but Wei Ruo responded that she had already dined with Madam Yuan. She also told Madam Yun that everything was taken care of, and that Madam Yuan would not be visiting her again in the next few days. They could return to Xingshan County anytime. Thus, Madam Yun ordered the servants to prepare for the journey, and they set off for Xingshan County early the next morning. In the same horse carriage, Wei Ruo leaned against the corner on the inner side, covered with a thin blanket ¨C the blanket veiling her entire face, hiding her expression from everyone¡¯s view. Wei Qingwan was seated near the curtain, looking pale. She thought her mother would ask her something, but Madam Yun never broached the subject. Wei Qingwan felt like she had hit rock bottom, her place in her mother¡¯s heart was completely taken by Wei Qingruo now¡­ Madam Yun noticed that Wei Qingwan looked a bit pale. However, with Wei Ruo lying next to her, looking frail as the doctor had diagnosed, Madam Yun felt she should prioritize Wei Ruo more. It took them a full day to travel from Government City to Xingshan County, and by the time Madam Yun and her two daughters returned to Xingshan County, it was already evening. Once back in Xingshan County, Madam Yun grounded Wei Qingwan for three days, then took gifts to pay a visit to the Xie family, thanking them for loaning the side mansion. Wei Ruo spent two peaceful days in her own courtyard, albeit not in leisure. She had to accept the estate Madam Yuan gave her, familiarize herself with the related account books, and the personnel arrangements in the estate. Amid the bustle, Wei Ruo received a letter from Wei Jinyi, sent back home. There were two letters in total. The one openly sent was for Wei Mingting, while the one for Wei Ruo was secretly tucked in. Wei Ruo burst into laughter after opening and reading through the packed Page. The rarely talkative second brother was suddenly so verbose, Wei Ruo thought this page would cover half a month¡¯s worth of his usual conversations. Of course, excluding when he was drunk, when he did tend to be rather talkative. ¡°Miss, what did second young master say in the letter that made you so happy?¡± On entering and seeing Wei Ruo laughing with the letter from Wei Jinyi, Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity. The content isn¡¯t particularly amusing, it¡¯s just that the image of second brother babbling out this whole page of words amuses me.¡± ¡°What did the second young master say? Any idea when he¡¯s coming back? The house feels quite empty without them.¡± Xiumei remarked. ¡°Second brother said he would be back early next month, but didn¡¯t specify the date.¡± Wei Ruo replied. That¡¯s soon then. This month is already more than half over. In half a month it will be early next month. It¡¯s just not clear how long second young master ¡¯ would stay this time he comes back.¡± said Xiumei. Prepare some food for him in these few days, to take with him when he leaves.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Alright, leave that to me.¡± Xiumei eagerly accepted the task. Two days later, Agui came to the Military Prefecture to report on the situation in the experimental fields in the south of the city. Upon receiving the news, Nurse Zhang personally made a trip to the southern city to confirm. Only after confirming did she come back and ask Wei Ruo to judge whether the rice was ready for harvest. According to Nurse Zhang, Agui, and Xiaoba¡¯s experience, this rice was certainly ripe. However, as this experimental field was not like others, they didn¡¯t dare to make the decision by themselves. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t immediately order the harvest after inspection, but instructed Nurse Zhang to report back to the government. This experimental field was no longer merely Wei Ruo¡¯s. The County Government and Chu Lan were continuously paying attention to it too. They were waiting for a harvest report to be sent to the court. Undoubtedly, after the report was sent, not only did Wei Mingting and Qian Magistrate come, but Chu Lan was also present. When she saw Chu Lan, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help wondering: What was he up to? Why did he cling around like a haunting spirit? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to send Nurse Qin for this sort of work? Wei Ruo preferred interacting with Nurse Qin much more so than with Chu Lan. Although she didn¡¯t like him much, upon meeting, Wei Ruo still greeted each one: ¡°Father, Qian Magistrate, Young Master Chu, greetings.¡± ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Qian Magistrate replied, immediately shifting his gaze to the golden crop next to him. Since the early rice from Xingshan County had already been harvested, Qian Magistrate had an idea about the yield per acre. Looking at the late rice on Wei Ruo¡¯s field, he didn¡¯t need to wait for the actual weighing after harvest. Merely looking at them was enough to appreciate their robust growth. This variety of rice was truly remarkable! Of course, the improvements to the paddy field were excellent as well! ¡°Wei, I firmly believe in your daughter¡¯s talent in upgrading these paddy fields! The sight of these heavy ears of rice fills me with regret that I didn¡¯t discover your daughter¡¯s talent sooner. Perhaps then, the people of Xingshan County would not have to face a food shortage this year.¡± Qian Magistrate lamented. Wei Mingting¡¯s face was full of joy and excitement at that moment too. He turned to Wei Ruo, seeming to have a lot to say. But eventually, only one sentence came out, ¡°Ruo¡¯er, both your father and the people of Xingshan County owe you thanks!¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t respond, quietly waiting for the final and the most important person, Chu Lan, to express his opinion. Wei Mingting and Qian Magistrate also turned their eyes towards Chu Lan. Chu Lan didn¡¯t immediately express his views. Instead, he took another close look at Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo knew he was looking at her, so she deliberately avoided meeting his eyes. After a while, Chu Lan said, ¡°This field is enough to prove that Miss Wei¡¯s previous claims are not false. Both Miss Wei¡¯s ability to improve fields and the new rice are outstanding.¡± ¡°Thank you for your praise, Young Master Chu.¡± Wei Ruo replied calmly, without raising her head to Chu Lan¡¯s compliment. ¡°Has Miss Wei thought of any reward she wants?¡± Chu Lan asked.. Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Fathers Promise 1 Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Father¡¯s Promise 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Wei Ruo thought to herself: Why is he asking me this, what does he want to reward me for? Can¡¯t he just say it outright? Why does he insist on me speaking up about it? Who knows what kind of hole she might dig for herself after she made a request. The minds of the royal family were complex, brimming with twists and turns, who knows if she might accidentally step into some kind of taboo territory? Wei Ruo said, ¡°This humble girl dare not ask for any reward.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve asked, you should answer. You need not worry,¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°The effort to cultivate the barren land in the south of the city was on behalf of the country and the people. Being able to provide food for them is my fortunate attribute. Since my father serves in the court, living off the king¡¯s income and bearing his worries, as his daughter, I should also understand this principle and share his concerns,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Although it was for the country and the people, as a prince, wouldn¡¯t it be reasonable for Chu Lan to reward me something too? I don¡¯t need anything else, just some silver would suffice. Wei Ruo could only stash these words in her heart, she didn¡¯t dare to say it, fearing Chu Lan would seize upon it. Wei Ruo¡¯s words moved Wei Mingting deeply, causing him to feel both touched and ashamed. Because of a mix-up, his daughter was subjected to many hardships living in the countryside for many years, he as a father was not able to offer her the parental love and protection she deserved. Even now that she is back home he IS too preoccupied with the matter of the Japanese pirates to take care of her. And yet, his daughter is so understanding and wise beyond her years. Chu Lan looked at Wei Ruo and said, ¡°Since Miss Wei asks for nothing then I can only present you with some gold and silver. I hope, Miss Wei, you will not find it vulgar.¡± Hearing this, Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes lit up ¨C a reward of money? That¡¯s fantastic! From this perspective, the original protagonist isn¡¯t completely useless. At least, he knows to reward someone in silver when something is accomplished. Chu Lan continued, ¡°Additionally, I¡¯d like to ask Miss Wei to compile a detailed report on the whole process of land improvement, fertilization, cultivation, and harvesting, from beginning to end, for my use.¡± Wei Ruo knew that Chu Lan intended to report this experimental work to the court. She could provide a detailed record and it would be Chu Lan¡¯s responsibility to report it. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping detailed records, which I can easily tidy up for you,¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Ruo had anticipated that this data might be useful, and because she had a habit of keeping records during the experimental stage, so after each inspection in the town¡¯s southern fields, she would take notes. If she was too busy to go there herself, she would have Zhang Manor¡¯s reporting the situation to herself. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have Qin Manor come to your residence and get these crucial records. I¡¯m very satisfied with your response,¡± said Chu Lan. He liked dealing with clear-headed, organized, and efficient people. After praising Wei Ruo, she let Agui and Xiaoba start harvesting the rice. During the harvest, Chu Lan and Qian Magistrate stood by and watched, occasionally picking up a rice stalk to examine it. They would ship off the harvested rice soon after it was harvested. As midday approached, Qian Magistrate invited Chu Lan and Wei Mingting to his residence for lunch. However, Chu Lan proposed to visit the Wei family instead. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Xie Jue¡¯s sister that Miss Wei¡¯s maid is a marvelous cook. I wonder if there¡¯s a chance we could try her food?¡± ¡°Oh? Miss Wei¡¯s personal maid is a great cook? I¡¯d also like to give that a try,¡± said Qian Magistrate, his interest piqued. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± said Wei Mingting, turning to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo thought to herself that while it was quite audacious of Chu Lan to invite himself over to their place for a meal, at least he didn¡¯t specify that she herself was a good cook or that she had to cook for them. ¡°If Prince Chu and Magistrate Qian do not mind, I shall oblige,¡± said Wei Ruo. Turning to her father, Wei Ruo said, ¡°Father, I shall head back home first to instruct the kitchen and my maid.¡± ¡°I will accompany you home. The town¡¯s southern fields are not entirely safe ¡± said Wei Mingting. The last time his son had an incident at the southern fields, he felt it was lucky enough that it happened to his son. If something were to happen to his daughter, he would not know what to do. Wei Mingting then asked for Chu Lan¡¯s and Magistrate Qian¡¯s permission ¡°Prince Chu, Magistrate Qian, would you allow me to return home first with my daughter to prepare?¡± ¡°Miss Wei¡¯s safety is paramount. You can go without worry, Mr. Wei¡± Chu Lan said. Subsequently, Wei Ruo got back into the carriage, with Wei Mingting riding ahead as her escort. After they had been on the road for a while, Wei Mingting deliberately slowed down to speak to Wei Ruo through the carriage window: ¡°Ruoruo.¡± Having heard him, Wei Ruo lifted the curtain of the carriage window ¡°Yes father?¡± ¡°No matter who offers you their grace in future, do not speak of your relation to me. If there s something you want, ask for yourself,¡± Wei Mingting admonished. ¡°Why would you say that, father?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Firstly, I am a military general. A general¡¯s merits should be earned through their own schemes and martial prowess to command respect. Secondly I have¡­¡± J ¡¯ Wei Mingting paused, his voice lowering, ¡°I have not helped you in any way. You¡¯ve managed to accomplish what you have now without any of my assistance. How could I possibly bask in your glory?¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know how to respond. Wei Mingting continued, ¡°Ruoruo, the lost decade-plus years can¡¯t be made up or, and I can¡¯t compensate for it no matter what. For the future, I can¡¯t make any other promises either. The only thing I can promise you is this: no matter what you want to do in the future; whether that¡¯s farming, gardening, or even doing something unconventional, I will support you.¡± This is the only promise and safeguard Wei Mingting, as a father, currently feels he can offer his daughter. Wei Ruo was somewhat moved. After a moment of silence, she said ¡°Thank you, father.¡± After their conversation, Wei Mingting returned to the front of the carriage. Wei Ruo lowered the curtain of the carriage window, her mood somewhat changed as she sat in the carriage. When she returned to the Wei residence, she immediately found Xiumei, who had been left at home to prepare the pastries for Wei Jinyi a few days later She told her about Chu Lan and Magistrate Qian coming to the Wei residence for lunch. Xiumei said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with preparing a meal. But if the seventh prince is really going to reward you with a bunch of gold and silver, and truthfully report your accomplishments in the south of the city to the court, it wouldn¡¯t matter if we made a meal for him every day for a month!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bear a month, I can¡¯t bear to see my Meimei get so tired! And besides if we feed him all that, what am I going to eat?¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ll just have to bear it. This is all for the sake of us living a comfortable and wealthy life in the future,¡± Xiumei said. ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll listen to Meimei. Let¡¯s go to the main kitchen, they¡¯re probably prepping the food by now,¡± said Wei Ruo. While Wei Ruo was talking to Xiumei, Wei Mingting was also discussing the matter with his wife, Yun. Upon hearing that Chu Lan had specifically requested that Wei Ruo¡¯s maid, Xiumei, cook, Yun said worriedly, ¡°Does that girl even know how to cook? ¡¯ Could it be that Miss Xie casually mentioned it, which Xie Jue exaggerated and somehow misled the seventh prince?¡± Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Chu Lan visits the Wei Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Chu Lan visits the Wei Residence_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°I am also not clear about this matter, but since the Seventh Prince insists, we have no reason to refuse.¡± Wei Mingting said. The Seventh Prince¡ªwhoever he wanted to dine with was an enormous blessing and honor, and who could refuse such an opportunity? Wei Mingting was well aware he dared not. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let the cook in the mansion prepare the meal? Although her cooking skills are average, she¡¯s been with us for many years and she is steady. At least she won¡¯t make mistakes.¡± Lady Yun suggested. ¡°No.¡± Wei Mingting rejected Lady Yun¡¯s proposal, ¡°If Xiumei s cooking is unsatisfactory and the Seventh Prince is not satisfied, he cannot hold the Wei Family accountable as it was his request. However, if we rashly switch cooks, that would be equivalent to deception, and a serious mistake on our part.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lady Yun still seemed a bit worried and thought for a while before proposing, ¡°Why not let Wanwan help? Her pastries are fantastic, as we all know. That could serve as some sort of safety measure.¡± ¡°Even if her pastries are good, they cannot be served at the luncheon table. It would be a joke if we do so. There is no need to think of anything else, let¡¯s just do as the Seventh Prince requested.¡± Wei Mingting concluded, not giving Lady Yun more time to think. Lady Yun subsequently passed on the news of the important guests¡¯ arrival and instructed the entire mansion to make careful preparations, ensuring no mistakes were made. In Wangmei Garden, Cuihe informed Wei Qingwan that Chu Lan was coming to the Wei Residence for lunch. ¡°Really? The Seventh Prince is coming to our house?¡± Wei Qingwan could hardly believe it. That was the Seventh Prince! And he was coming to their house for lunch. This was an enormous honor! -It is true. The instructions came from Madam, and fresh ingredients have already been procured from the market. The whole mansion has been alerted to be extra careful. There is no mistake.¡± Cuihe said with certainty. Nurse Li came in and saw the excitement and anticipation in Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t help shaking her head and saying, ¡°Miss, even though the Seventh Prince is coming, you can¡¯t actually meet him. Once boys and girls in a large family reach a certain age, they do not dine at the same table. The young masters and young misses in the mansion dine together only because our household is small and informal, but with the Seventh Prince visiting, we must adhere to the proper etiquette.¡± Nurse Li¡¯s words served as a cold splash of reality for Wei Qingwan, extinguishing her anticipation and bringing her back to reality. ¡°Nurse Li¡­¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Nurse Li, filled with trepidation. Nurse Li sighed: ¡°Miss, you must not act so recklessly in the future. My absence left room for you to make a mistake on our trip to the Government City. Wei Qingruo managed to exploit it. From now on, you must consult me before deciding anything. I¡¯ll help you keep everything in check so that if anyone must bear responsibility, it will be me and not you.¡± ¡°Nurse Li, I know I made a mistake, and from now on I will always consult you on any matter.¡± Wei Qingwan said. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Nurse Li said. ¡°But Nurse Li, can I really not do anything about today¡¯s event?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. ¡°Not necessarily. Although you can¡¯t see the Seventh Prince, you could prepare a few of your specialty pastries. Afterward, we could have them sent over with your meal. This is fair by all accounts, and it also presents you with an opportunity to showcase your exceptional culinary skills.¡± Nurse Li analyzed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare osmanthus cakes in the main kitchen right now, and also speak with the cook to have my cakes served with the lunch.¡± As Wei Qingwan started to rise, Cuihe stopped her, ¡°Miss, the one preparing the meal in the kitchen today is not Cook Yu, but Miss Wei Ruo¡¯s maid, Xiumei. ¡°Xiumei? Why is it her?¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Cuihe in confusion. Nurse Li, who had just learned this news, also wore a look of puzzlement on her face, ¡°He, what on earth is going on?¡± ¡°Slave does not exactly know all the details, but the Madam instructed it so. Just now when I passed by the kitchen, I heard Cook Yu complaining.¡± Cuihe replied. Nurse Li gritted her teeth and said, ¡°This Wei Qingruo really has brilliant tactics! She doesn¡¯t forget to seize the opportunity to show off even at such times!¡± ¡°Nurse Li, what should we do?¡± Wei Qingwan asked worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although we might have lost our first move, it does not necessarily mean there is not an opportunity. As long as your cakes outshine others, no matter how many dishes Wei Qingruo asks her maid to prepare, they will fall short.¡± Nurse Li said. Wei Qingwan¡¯s skill in making cakes was well-known. It had been praised not only by the ladies of Xingshan County but also by many in the capital city. Their elderly grandmother, who had lived a luxurious life from her youth up and was particularly picky about food, rarely praised any dish. However, she had spoken highly of the osmanthus cake made by the second young miss. This only served to highlight exceptional Wei Qingwan¡¯s cake-making skills. Wei Qingwan nodded, but then came across another problem. She was still grounded by her mother, unable to leave Wangmei Garden, let alone go to the kitchen. Nurse Li told Wei Qingwan not to worry: ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to go to the main kitchen to make cakes. I can fetch all the necessary items for you and you can prepare them here in the yard. After the cakes are done, I will have Cook Yu arrange for someone to deliver them to the front courtyard. Although Nurse Li¡¯s position in the mansion was not as prominent as before, she still maintained good relationships with several key staff members. She was certainly capable of taking care of this matter for Wei Qingwan. Having agreed on this, Wei Qingwan and Nurse Li began their preparations. Meanwhile, in the main kitchen, Wei Ruo had asked everyone else to leave, leaving just her and Xiumei. Wei Ruo was not familiar with the others. They had no rapport, and she was worried they might inadvertently make things worse. Moreover, when the cook left, she didn¡¯t look too happy ¨C Wei Ruo had noted that. It was better to be careful given the cook¡¯s resentment. Although today¡¯s meal was at Chu Lan¡¯s insistence, she had had no choice in the matter. Since she had agreed to it, she needed to do a good job and avoid any mistakes. Hence, Wei Ruo decided it would be just her and Xiumei. As long as they didn¡¯t disclose her involvement in preparing the meal, everything would be okay. Although there were only the two of them, Wei Ruo and Xiumei worked perfectly in sync, their skilled culinary abilities guiding them effortlessly. The stew and soup base were set to cook first. They resolved to only start stir-frying the dishes once they received word that Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong and the county magistrate had taken their seats in the main hall. This way, all the dishes would be served hot. Dish after dish was served from the kitchen. In the dining hall, four individuals were seated¡ªWei Mingting, Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong, and the County Magistrate. LU Yuhong, who had not gone to check on the rice fields in the morning, was the first one to run over when Chu Lan told him they were going to the Wei Residence for lunch. County Magistrate Qian repeatedly praised, ¡°Such excellent cooking skills, truly! Mr. Wei, your luck with food is truly something..¡± Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Chu Lans Reward_l Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Chu Lan¡¯s Reward_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Indeed. My daughter meant no harm, she was merely worried that the food in the mansion might not suit the distinguished guest. Therefore, she wanted to add a couple of dishes to the menu. She specifically gave the cakes to the kitchen maid and reminded her not to mention to anyone that were made by her.¡± Wei Qingwan explained in a gentle voice, undisturbed. She had foreseen that Madam Yun would question her beforehand, thus, she¡¯d prepared her words carefully. Madam Yun let out a sigh, ¡°Next time you have such considerations, you should discuss it with your mother first. Doing this privately is somewhat inappropriate.¡± ¡°It was naive of me,¡± Qingwan admitted, ¡°I thought it was merely an extra two dishes, and outsiders would think they were simply prepared by our kitchen staff. I didn¡¯t give it further thought.¡± Wei Qigwan¡¯s explanation was almost identical to Madam Yun¡¯s conjecture. Indeed, her daughter was simply considering what¡¯s best for the family. After all, before this, no one knew that Ruoruo¡¯s maid was such a good cook; having an extra backup plan wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Nevermind, nothing serious happened. However, your father doesn¡¯t completely agree with what you did. Don¡¯t do it again next time,¡± Madam Yun advised. ¡°Is¡­ Father¡­ angry?¡± Wei Qingwan was taken aback. ¡°He¡¯s not mad at you, he just thinks that what you did was improper,¡± said Madam Yun. Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan lowered her head, a tear lingering in her eyes. Madam Yun added, ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t blame you, he is just worried that you might have hidden motives. I¡¯ve explained to him already, he too, hopes he¡¯s overthinking. I will explain it to him again later.¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip, ¡°Mother, please believe that I have no other intentions. I¡¯ve deeply reflected on my mistakes during these days of confinement. I¡¯ve been just thinking about how to make for it. I wouldn¡¯t dare to have any other thoughts.¡± ¡°Your mother grounded you to help you reflect. It¡¯s comforting to see that you have realized your mistakes and have a better manner of handling such situations next time.¡± ¡°I understand, mother. I bear no resentments against you.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m glad you think that way,¡± Madam Yun nodded with relief. ¡°Kartha, how did the distinguished guests rate today¡¯s food?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. ¡°They were extremely pleased, very satisfied,¡± Madam Yun replied. ¡°Really? That¡¯s excellent news.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s face beamed with joy. ¡°However, the guests did not eat the two cakes you made,¡± said Madam Yun. ¡°Did not eat?¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s joy momentarily froze. ¡°The guests were full from the rest of the feast and had no appetite left by the time the cakes were served. I heard that Master Lu took a bite, but it wasn¡¯t to his liking,¡± Madam Yun explained. Madam Yun was also very surprised by this. Her daughter¡¯s osmanthus and almond cakes were excellent, yet they were overshadowed by the cooking of her older daughter¡¯s maid. Wei Qingwan¡¯s smile strained, but she still continued to praise, ¡°Then, the dishes prepared by sister¡¯s maid must have been very delicious.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t tasted it before, but it seems that the Xie siblings weren¡¯t just speaking without knowledge,¡± Madam Yun sighed. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Qingwan gave a low response, her smile still forced. After chatting with Wei Qingwan for a while, Madam Yun left. After Madam Yun left, the smile completely faded from Wei Qingwan¡¯s face. Why did things turn out this way? She had no intentions to play any tricks using the two dishes, but in her plan, she could have at least earned some merit for her family. But now, the outcome was completely the opposite. The harsh contrast left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. ### In the afternoon, Wei Ruo and Xiumei were resting in the courtyard when news came from the front yard that Qin Mama had arrived, bringing lots of gifts. When Wei Ruo and Xiumei arrived at the front yard, several boxes were already piled up in the courtyard, and people were constantly moving more into the mansion. When Wei Ruo saw Chu Lan¡¯s subordinate carrying a plate of gold, she instantly felt that the meal she made for Chu Lan at noon was quite plain. Under such a massive reward, she should have put more effort into her cooking to impress him! Qin Mama came up to Wei Ruo and handed over the list of gifts, ¡°Miss Wei, I am here on behalf of Master Chu to present these items to you.¡± Since she didn¡¯t explicitly mention Chu Lan¡¯s status, she could only say they were gifts, rather than rewards. ¡°Please pass my gratitude to Master Chu,¡± Wei Ruo said. Shortly after, Qin Mama said, ¡°Additionally, Master also instructed me to take back the cultivation records of the paddy fields south of the city.¡± ¡°It has been prepared. Meimei, go get it,¡± Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei to fetch the cultivation records. ¡°Thank you, Miss Wei,¡± said Qin Mama. With this, Madam Yun came over and thanked Qin Mama, ¡°Thank you for your efforts today.¡± Qin Mama politely replied, ¡°I am merely doing my duty, helping to lessen the burden for my master is part of my job.¡± Xiumei brought the cultivation records that Wei Ruo had prepared in advance and placed them in a brocade box. After Qin Mama checked them on the spot and confirmed that there were no issues, she took them with her. After Qin Mama and the others left, Madam Yun looked at the yard filled with gifts, thought for a moment, and ordered the servants to move them all to Tingsong Garden. ¡°You organize everything and see if there¡¯s enough space in Tingsong Garden. If not, move them to the storage warehouse. Give me the list and I will keep it for you,¡± said Madam Yun. Wei Ruo nodded and had everything moved to Tingsong Garden. Although the space she used for storage in Tingsong Garden was limited, she still had another storage space of her own, so there was absolutely no issue with it being too small. However, in order to avoid suspicion, Wei Ruo would still take some of the boxes to the manor¡¯s main storage warehouse. The last time when the Xie family sent over a pile of gifts, it had already filled up Wei Ruo¡¯s storage room. Now there was another pile of gifts, and if she really stuffed them all in, it would be suspicious if others didn¡¯t have any doubts. Therefore, she must take out some things that were taking up too much space. Of course, the boxes that were taken to the manor¡¯s main storage warehouse wouldn¡¯t contain any valuable items. Wei Ruo still preferred to keep valuables by her side. After all the items were moved back to Tingsong Garden, Xiumei did a check, and the first thing she counted was the impressive plate of gold. ¡°Miss, there must be a hundred taels of gold here!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s written on the list that it¡¯s a hundred taels of gold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Miss! Now you have the money to purchase more land!¡± Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but express joy. ¡°Yes, to buy even more fields! More houses!¡± She was currently short of funds, with a lot of money invested. This was just the time she needed money. Chu Lan was quite decent to her, he really sent her valuables. One could say he somewhat lessened the resentment she had towards him, even though it was only slight, it wouldn¡¯t disappear completely.. Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Only One Without Wei Qingwans Share_i Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Only One Without Wei Qingwan¡¯s Share_i Translator: 549690339 | In addition to gold, there were also numerous rewards of cloth, porcelain, tea, pearls, and spices¡­ All of these are commonly used items of royal reward. As a favoured prince, these things were ordinary to Chu Lan. But for ordinary people, these items could not be bought even with an abundance of wealth. Take this tea, for example, it was likely a tribute from different regions, and this porcelain was probably made in an official kiln. It was a pity that these things could not be sold for money. The only thing Wei Ruo could use as money was this one hundred taels of gold. Wei Ruo looked at these items with a slightly furrowed brow. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°I need to pick some items that I won¡¯t use but still look presentable to give to the others in the family. I must do what needs to be done to avoid them finding any fault with me.¡± said Wei Ruo. What Chu Lan gifted her this time was different from what the Xie Family gave her previously. Gifts from others needed to be returned eventually, so there was a justification for not sharing them with others. But this time, having received so many royal rewards, it would be inappropriate not to share some with the family. Xiumei thought for a moment and said, ¡°Miss, I just noticed that some of the cloth is meant for men and we can¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°Sort them out.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Xiumei separated the material. About half or eight pieces were meant for men. ¡°Out of these eight, keep four for the second brother and give the other four to father and elder brother. Remember, only mention two for the second brother when asked.¡± said Wei Ruo. Xiumei: ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Are there not three boxes of pearls?¡± Xiumei: ¡°Yes, three boxes, and the pearls are quite large.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Take out a box and send it to Cangyun Garden.¡± Although unwilling, she knew that she needed to maintain decorum or it would give her trouble later on. ¡°Also, take out a few pieces of the tea pot and porcelain to give to my grandparents in the Capital City. We will send them when we have something to deliver to the Capital City.¡± Although she has not met her grandparents yet, they have sent gifts twice already. She naturally wanted to reciprocate their kindness now that she had received the rewards. Moreover, the gifts for them should be more valuable than those for the other people in the family, so Wei Ruo picked a few more items. With this, she had arranged gifts for her parents, elder brother, and grandparents. Only Wei Qingwan and Wei Yilin were left. ¡°No need to prepare for Wei Qingwan. She just offended me and everyone in the Government City knows about it. She¡¯s at fault and is still being punished. I can openly withhold her gift under the guise of her punishment.¡± That was something Wei Ruo already prepared for. Thankfully, Wei Qingwan was herself at fault, creating such a fuss in the Government City, providing Wei Ruo an excuse to ¡°punish¡± her publicly. ¡°As for Wei Yilin, he also made a mistake, but I have already penalized him, so it wouldn¡¯t be proper to overdo it. I see there¡¯s a whip listed, I will give it to him to practice.¡± said Wei Ruo. Of course, the whip gifted by Chu Lan was undoubtedly a luxurious item. It was completely appropriate and dignified to gift it to Wei Yilin who was currently learning martial arts. However, Wei Yilin, who was only seven years old, would likely tire his arm for a long time swinging that whip. Xiumei followed Wei Ruo¡¯s orders by selecting these items and keeping them aside. ¡°Also, pick out some more items to send to my nurse and her family. Whatever can be given, should be given to them.¡± Wei Ruo looked at the items in front of her and considered which ones could be given to the Xu Family. The cloth wouldn¡¯t work because ordinary families couldn¡¯t wear the fabric gifted by Chu Lan. Likewise, the porcelain figurines were also unsuitable, not fit for commoners. There was also a dagger studded with jewels that Wei Ruo really wanted to give to Xu Zhengyong, but the decoration was too obvious. If Xu Zhengyong were to receive it, who knows what trouble would ensue if others found out. Upon closer inspection, the items that could be safely given to her nurse¡¯s family were very limited. ¡°Give the remaining two boxes of pearls to my nurse, split the tea leaves and give half of them to Uncle Xu, he enjoys drinking tea. The tea, despite being expensive, can still be bought in the market, it won¡¯t cause any trouble even if people came to know about it.¡± ¡°Also, take some of my silver and find a blacksmith. Order a good quality dagger and a few pieces of armory.¡± If the directly gifted items were unsuitable, then she would pay for them separately. She owed that much to her nurse and her family. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange for it once I¡¯m done packing!¡± Xiumei answered enthusiastically. Then Wei Ruo and Xiumei packed up the gifted items together, separated those that needed to be given away and those that needed to be stored, arranging everything neatly. Afterwards, they organized a pile of less valuable items from the storage rooms to make some space. Most of the collected items were from the first batch of gifts sent by the uncle from the Capital City when Wei Ruo first came to the Military Prefecture, which were not very valuable brasswares. For the five boxes of sorted items, Wei Ruo called some servants to carry them to the main storage room of the Prefecture. Following this, Wei Ruo took the gifts meant for the family to Cangyun Garden. ¡°Mother, I intend to give these items to the family members.¡± said Wei Ruo. Speaking, Wei Ruo handed over a box of pearls to Madam Yun, ¡°This box of pearls is for mother.¡± When the box was opened, the pearls were large and round, their lustrous shine indicating high quality. Even if one had the money, it would be difficult to buy such quality pearls. ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯re so thoughtful.¡± Madam Yun closed the box, expressing satisfaction and delight. ¡°I selected several bales of cloth, two for father, elder brother, and second brother each, for them to make new clothes. I also picked a few pieces of porcelain and a set of purple sand tea pots, which may be sent to grandparents in the Capital City when there¡¯s a suitable opportunity.¡± Wei Ruo added. Madam Yun nodded, highly satisfied with Wei Ruo¡¯s arrangements. Then Wei Ruo took out a whip: ¡°I¡¯m not versed in the use of whips, but since it was a gift from the Seventh Prince, it must be a valuable one. It should be just right for my younger brother who is learning martial arts.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought this through very carefully.¡± Madam Yun approved. After waiting for a while, when Wei Ruo didn¡¯t speak, Madam Yun asked, ¡°What about Qingwan?¡± Wei Ruo answered, ¡°Mother, have you forgotten what just happened? Miss Qingwan made a mistake and is currently being punished. If she is to be punished, she must show that she is being punished. How can she be punished and rewarded at the same time?¡± Despite being unable to resist, Madam Yun spoke in favour of Wei Qingwan, ¡°Your sister already knows her mistake and has also received the appropriate punishment. As the elder sister, you should be more forgiving. You and your sister will need to support each other in the future, you shouldn¡¯t let such a small matter ruin the bond between you.¡± ¡°Knowing the mistakes confirms that the punishment is effective. Then, shouldn¡¯t we stop midway? If the mistake was made first, the realization and correction of the mistake are things she should naturally do. These are ways of making amends, not meritorious acts. How can rewards be given simply because she has realized her mistake?¡± Wei Ruo counter-questioned.. Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Shes Actually So Nice to Him?_l Chapter 122: Chapter 122: She¡¯s Actually So Nice to Him?_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo¡¯s question left Mrs. Yun unsure of how to respond. Reluctant as she was, she had to concede that Wei Ruo had a point. After a considerable silence, Mrs. Yun reluctantly replied, ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided, do as you say.¡± ¡°I will return then.¡± ¡°Uhrn.¡± Mrs. Yun nodded, then remembered her husband¡¯s words, ¡°Take the whip to Yilin yourself. Your father wants you to discipline Yilin more. Take this opportunity to check on his recent studies as well. If there are any areas where he is lacking, you can encourage him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo agreed and then left Cangyun Garden, heading for the Chrysanthemum Garden. Today was a rare day off for Wei Yilin. Even so, he remained in his courtyard, not going anywhere, burrowed in bed for a long sleep. Hearing movement, Wei Yilin raised his head. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, he grimaced and went back to sleep. He wasn¡¯t really asleep, just too exhausted to move. Wei Ruo walked over to the bed and looked at Wei Yilin sulking under the covers, commenting: ¡°It seems your master is teaching you well recently.¡± Only with sufficient training would he stay in bed even on his day off. Wei Yilin poked his head out from under the blanket, huffed and said, ¡°Are you here to make fun of me?¡± ¡°Do you have any fun in you to be made fun of?¡± ¡°No! If you want to see me give up and cry out, you¡¯ll be disappointed. Martial training may be hard, but I enjoy learning! I want to be a great hero like my dad in the future!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Yilin with some surprise. ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Wei Yilin said with a stern face. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I question you?¡± Wei Ruo asked back. ¡°Hmph!¡± Wei Yilin huffed indignantly and turned his face toward the inside of the bed. He was actually aware that Wei Ruo¡¯s doubt was based on some grounds. He would never have said such words before. His desire to become a man like his father now stemmed from many realizations during his martial art lessons. On his first day of martial training, he was admired by his peers, because he was his father¡¯s son, and his father had defended Xingshan County. But this admiration disappeared after two days of training, replaced by disdain and contempt. His martial brothers realized that this hero¡¯s son was not impressive at all and couldn¡¯t bear any hardship. Wei Yilin had a strong desire to save face. He couldn¡¯t accept this decline. He didn¡¯t want to be looked down upon by others, nor did he want to disgrace his father. Therefore, no matter how hard and tiring the training, Wei Yilin never missed a session and endured it all. His perseverance gradually earned him recognition from others. This acceptance was not because of whose son he was, but because of his own hard work. Wei Yilin felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and pride in that moment. It was from that moment that he made up his mind to work even harder, to become a hero like his father, recognized by everyone. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t be bothered to guess what Wei Yilin was thinking, and she threw the whip on the bed. Feeling something hit him, Wei Yilin was about to get angry when he saw a brand-new whip lying on the blanket. Wei Yilin picked up the whip from the blanket, took a good look, and his eyes filled with joy, ¡°This is a fine leather whip!¡± ¡°You sure know good stuff.¡± ¡°How did you get such a good whip?¡± Wei Yilin asked. It seems he has indeed been too absorbed in martial arts recently and has no idea what¡¯s been happening in the household. ¡°Found it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± He wasn¡¯t stupid. How could one find such a whip? ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter where I got it, I gave it to you anyway.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wei Yilin was somewhat incredulous. Was Wei Qingruo really so good to him? ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it. I had to.¡± Even if she didn¡¯t use it, it was still valuable! If she has a choice, who would want to give it to this annoying fellow? But Wei Yilin thought Wei Ruo was playing hard to get. ¡°Given is given. No need to say you had to.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be bothered to explain to you.¡± Wei Ruo got up to leave, having completed her mission, there was no need for her to waste any more time with Wei Yilin. Wei Yilin huffed at Wei Ruo¡¯s retreating back, then picked up the whip Wei Ruo had given him, cherishing it and playing with it in his hands. The master had taught him how to use a whip some days ago. As he was just starting to learn, he had not mastered it yet, and could only watch a few senior brothers who had learned earlier. He had been envious then. After some time, when his foundational skills were more solid, the master would teach him again, and then he could try with this whip! Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know what Wei Yilin was thinking. After returning to Tingsong Garden, she got started on her work. The planting time for the thousand acres of fertile land in the Government City couldn¡¯t be wasted. The original rice had already been harvested, and she was taking over empty fields, so she needed to immediately arrange for the wheat to be sown. She had been worried about the initial investment for this part, but now, with these hundred taels of gold, she could cover the early-stage investment of the farm. ### As the lunar calendar approached late September, the temperature plunged. Usually, it would just be a bit chilly around this time of the year, but the temperature in the past few days had gotten so cold that people had started wearing their winter clothes in advance. Families who hadn¡¯t been able to buy their winter supplies in time were now busily shopping. What was worse, the rain has been pouring for several days, making it wet and cold. The lake level had also risen. This situation was unusual. Normally, such heavy rainfall would only occur in the summer, but now it was almost lunar October. Wei Mingting had not returned home since the previous day. He had taken some soldiers to patrol the lakeside and started dredging the river channels, attempting to alleviate the water pressure. However, this method was only temporary. If the rain didn¡¯t stop, the lake water would overflow, and it was only a matter of time before houses and fields were flooded. Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin were all off from lessons due to weather and were resting at home. Looking at the pouring rain outside, Xiumei sighed, ¡°Miss, the people of Xingshan County are really having a tough time. They finally got past the Japanese Pirates, and could finally have a few days of peace, and now the weather is causing trouble.¡± Wei Ruo was also watching the relentless rain. The vegetables she planted in her yard were already ruined. She didn¡¯t mind, but those farmers who relied on crops for a living were going to have a hard time. ¡°Meimei, accompany me out later. We have to evacuate those laborers who opened the wasteland to the south of the city. They are living in temporary huts. If this rain continues, their houses will be in danger. Even if the houses don¡¯t collapse in the rain, it would be unbearable to stay in the leaky rooms in this cold weather,¡± said Wei Ruo.. Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Arranging Transfer_l Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Arranging Transfer_l Translator: 549690339 I Furthermore, Wei Ruo feared that the upcoming rain would be even heavier, and the temperature would continue to drop. ¡°Alright, miss, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll follow wherever you go!¡± Xiumei replied without hesitation. ¡°I also remember the batch of charcoal I purchased in Huzhou Prefecture. At that time, in addition to coal and high-quality charcoal, I also bought a batch of poor-quality black charcoal at a low price.¡± Coal is suitable for heating kang beds or stoves, and southern households generally use charcoal for daily heating. Both silver charcoal and black charcoal are types of charcoal, but they produce different amounts of smoke when burned and their prices vary greatly. Wealthy households generally use silver charcoal, while most ordinary people use black charcoal. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ask the wet nurse to set aside this portion of charcoal. I plan to give it free to poor families in need. We didn¡¯t spend much when we purchased it, but given the current situation, even this inferior charcoal would be too expensive for many families to afford.¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss, I heard that the Madam is urgently purchasing charcoal. The cold wave arrived early this year, and it seems our household, like many others, have not had time to procure enough.¡± ¡°Set them aside for now. No matter what, the Wei Family will certainly fare better than anyone in Xingshan County. For us, life is just a bit harder, and finances are a bit tighter, but for many commoners, it is a matter of life and death.¡± said Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo and Xiumei quickly prepared to go out. Before leaving, Xiumei made Wei Ruo wear several more layers of clothing. Fortunately, they brought back thick clothing from Mo Jiazha. Although simple in style, these clothes provided good warmth. Wei Ruo arrived at the County Government Office. Because of the situation in the southern part of the city, most officials knew Wei Ruo and invited her in, then went to notify Qian Magistrate. Qian Magistrate had been quite busy these past few days, but upon hearing Wei Ruo was requesting to see him, he put aside his pressing tasks to meet her. ¡°What can I do for you, Miss Wei?¡± Qian Magistrate got straight to the point without any formalities. He figured that Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t have ventured out in such heavy rain unless it was truly urgent. ¡°My concern lies with the common people who are reclaiming fields in the south of the city. They currently live close to their fields, and their thatch and grass huts are too rudimentary. The huts leak rain, let in wind, and are prone to flooding or collapsing. I hope you can arrange for these people to be moved to a safer location as soon as possible.¡± Wei Ruo said. Qian Magistrate slapped his forehead: ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot all about them!¡± Recently, the Magistrate was overwhelmed by various problems: an overflow of the lake, collapsed bridges, among other numerous issues. He had completely forgotten about the people living in the south of the city. All those lives! ¡°I will send someone to relocate them to the office immediately! We have a warehouse in the government complex that can accommodate some people!¡± Saying this, Qian Magistrate called for his personal assistant and instructed him to send people out immediately to relocate the residents of the southern city. ¡°I want to go too.¡± stated Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss Wei, that¡¯s not a good idea. Due to days of rain, the southern city is extremely muddy. And with the heavy rain and cold weather, you might get chilled. It would be inadvisable.¡± Qian Magistrate tried to dissuade her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m well-clothed and warm, and certainly in a better condition than the commoners. Please allow me to accompany you. I fear they may be too concerned about their new wheat crops to willingly leave. My persuasion might prove more effective.¡± She did have a point. ¡°Alright then. I will ensure that our officials protect your safety.¡± Qian Magistrate then gave orders to the attending officials to guarantee Wei Ruo¡¯s safety. We cannot allow any harm to come to Wei Ruo, who is indeed valued by the Prince himself. Once they reached the southern city in horse-drawn carriages, the personal assistant ordered Wei Ruo to stay in the carriage while he went to persuade the commoners to leave. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t listen and went directly to the residents, dressing in a rain cloak similar to everyone else. ¡°Master Chen, take charge of me later. Let¡¯s hurry to get everyone out of here before it gets darker and more difficult. I fear the rain will get much heavier tonight and the temperature will drop further.¡± After hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, Master Chen didn¡¯t dare delay any longer and immediately took action with his officials. Beyond the official roads in the south, the other paths were just recently trodden. The paths became incredibly muddy following the rainfall. When Wei Ruo entered the first residence, it was a bamboo house made of Mao bamboo. The room was very basic, with a bamboo bed bunk on the left side as soon as one stepped inside. Just above the bunk was the only part of the roof that was reinforced to prevent leaks, but the rain was infiltrating from everywhere else, with water dripping onto the floor. In the house, a family of three, a grandfather, grandmother and their grandchild, were huddled on the bunk under a stiff cotton quilt, with the grandparents keeping the grandchild snugly in the middle. At this moment, Wei Ruo regretted her lateness. Had she known, she would have come as soon as it started raining two days ago. When it had just started to rain, she couldn¡¯t have known the rainfall would be so heavy or cause so many problems. According to the original host¡¯s memory, Wei Ruo only knew that the winter came early this year and there was a bout of rain, but she was unaware of how the poorest people survived that year. At that time, the original host was preoccupied with going against her family and didn¡¯t go out or pay much attention to the rain, so she knew nothing of these specifics. Weo Ruo urged the family: ¡°Come with us. The Magistrate has arranged a temporary shelter for you.¡± The old man shook his head: ¡°We can¡¯t. We just sowed our cropland, it needs watching. What if the rain floods all the seedlings?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if it gets flooded, I can get you new ones for planting.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be too late then? The timing will be off.¡± the old man said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I will provide you with late-sowing wheat varieties and there will be follow-up help to improve the planting. I can assure you yield will be fine!¡± Wei Ruo reassured the old man. The old man looked at Wei Ruo, wavering in his decision. Wei Ruo continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me? Don¡¯t you already see the effects on your rice field? It was harvested later than other farms, but wasn¡¯t the yield higher?¡± ¡°For your wife and your grandson, if not for yourself, think about them. If you get cold and face difficulty, of what significance would it be for the harvest of your crops?¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s persuasion proved effective. The old man hastily got up from the bunk, pulling up his wife with one hand and picking up his grandson with the other. They put on their straw shoes, but the ground was full of rainwater, their feet were soaking in the cold water. Wei Ruo and Xiumei stepped forward to help, picking up the grandson and helping the old grandmother. After handing over the family to the officials, they hurried towards the next house without delay.. Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Second Brother Came Back Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Second Brother Came Back Early_i Translator: 549690339 Some of these families were relatively easy to persuade, while others proved more difficult, but they would all heed Wei Ruo¡¯s advice to some degree. They recognized that it was Wei Ruo who had advocated for the division of the land, which allowed them to cultivate new land and receive relief grains from the government office every day, giving them hope for survival. Hence, Wei Ruo¡¯s words held substantial influence over them. An hour later, the majority of the peasants had been persuaded to leave, leaving only the most remote family. Seeing the rainfall intensify, Wei Ruo directed the town clerk to proceed ahead with the remaining men: ¡°Mr. Chen, lead these government officials to escort the people into the city first. I will seek out the last family. We have a carriage so once we manage to bring them along, we can catch up with the carriage.¡± ¡°No, I cannot just leave Wei Miss behind, as explicitly advised by the superior!¡± Chen was unwilling to leave Wei Ruo behind. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time; the rain is getting heavier, and the weather is growing colder. Those who are weak will not be able to withstand much longer. You go first. If you¡¯re really worried, leave a government official with me.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. After some hesitation, Chen the clerk finally agreed with Wei Ruo¡¯s proposal, ¡°Alright, I will leave a government official with you.¡± Then, Chen led the people towards the city. Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei and a government official, walked towards the furthest part. The three, clad in raincoats, treaded on the muddy ridge of the field. The water in the rice fields had already reached its capacity, yet the rain showed no signs of stopping. ¡°Miss, let me carry you,¡± Xiumei offered sympathetically. ¡°No need, I may not have martial arts skills, but my constitution is not that frail. A little path won¡¯t hinder me,¡± Wei Ruo refused. Although she lacked martial arts skills, living in rural areas, working in fields, and gathering medicine on mountains had granted Wei Ruo better physical health than the typical sheltered young miss. The last family was situated behind a small hill. There was a flat piece of land behind it, where the soil was in better condition than other places, making it easier to work on. However, surrounded by mountains on three sides and being quite a distance away, it posed certain challenges. On ordinary days, however, there were no serious issues, as the government office would send people to deliver rice seedlings and fertilizers. But today seemed to be more inconvenient than usual. On arriving at the last household, Wei Ruo found a dilapidated thatched cabin swaying violently in the storm. Inside, a woman cradled a three or four-year-old child. The sight of Wei Ruo seemed to bring a glimmer of hope into her eyes, and she pleaded, ¡°Please save my child, save my child!¡± We Ruo approached, placing a hand on the forehead of the child in her arms. His temperature was scorching. She felt for a beaded pouch she carried with her, extracting a white bottle from it. She poured out a medicinal pill and began looking around for a bowl and water. The only available was an imperfect bowl, but no hot water. Left with no other choice, Wei Ruo gave the pill to the child¡¯s mother, ¡°Chew this pill and feed it to your child.¡± The woman hurriedly did as instructed. Immediately after, Wei Ruo asserted, ¡°We need to leave this place first. When we reach a safe location, we can fully treat the illness.¡± This place was both cold and damp, putting it far from conducive for treatment or recuperation. The best Wei Ruo could do was to administer medicine to temporarily alleviate the child¡¯s symptoms. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The woman nodded repeatedly. ¡°Give me the child,¡± Xiumei moved forward to lighten the woman¡¯s burden. She opened her raincoat and sheltered the child within. Wei Ruo, seeing this, removed her own raincoat and draped it over the woman. The nearby government official quickly offered his own raincoat to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss Wei, you mustn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Enough talk, we need to move now. If the water rises any further, we won¡¯t be able to escape,¡± Wei Ruo cut him off, starting back the way she had come. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s determination, the official quickly removed his own raincoat and thrust it into Wei Ruo¡¯s hands, taking care not to touch her directly. Wei Ruo accepted the hood of the raincoat, ¡°You wear the coat. I¡¯m small, this hood is enough to shield me from most of the rain. No more idle chatter, it will cause delays.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t afford the official any chance to protest further. Putting on the hood, she hurried off. Just as they left the house, the pathway they had taken was already completely submerged, resembling a swamp. The soil in the rice field was originally muddy; one could easily sink in upon stepping foot in it. Only the ridges of the field offered some respite. We Ruo warned everyone to be extremely cautious. The individuals struggled against the harsh conditions, moving slowly and watching helplessly as the water levels continued to rise¡­ At this time, two distant figures appeared. Clad in raincoats, it was hard to discern their identities. Wei Ruo peered at the figures, finding them vaguely familiar. At that point, one of them came directly towards her, lifted his hat, and revealed his face. ¡°Second Brother?¡± It was Wei Jinyi and Xiaobei, who she hadn¡¯t seen for quite some time. Wei Jinyi did not respond verbally, instead lowering his gaze to Wei Ruo¡¯s feet. The icy rainwater had already submerged her ankles. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Without waiting for Wei Ruo¡¯s response, Wei Jinyi gathered her into his arms. ¡°Second Brother, there¡¯s really no need, I can walk by myself. I¡¯m not so weak.¡± Wei Jinyi did not respond to Wei Ruo, merely commanding the rest, ¡°Move quickly.¡± Xiaobei, who had arrived with Wei Jinyi, wordlessly hoisted up the woman. At this juncture, there was no concern for gender propriety as survival was the priority. Wei Jinyi¡¯s pace was significantly faster than Wei Ruo¡¯s. His steps were firm and unhindered even in the muddy fields. We Ruo found herself somewhat disoriented. This was the first time she¡¯d been carried like this. She looked up, only to see the underside of Wei Jinyi¡¯s chin and neck. Even from this angle, she found him exceedingly handsome, albeit his facial expression was cold, as if it screamed: ¡®No Trespassing¡¯. Shortly after, Wei Jinyi had carried Wei Ruo to their carriage, parked on the main road. Xiaobei, Xiumei, and the government official also arrived. We Ruo, Xiumei, the woman, and the little girl all boarded the carriage, while Xiaobei and the official took the driver¡¯s seat, and Wei Jinyi rode a horse. In the carriage, while taking care of the little girl, Wei Ruo learned about her and her mother¡¯s situation through the mother¡¯s narrative. The woman¡¯s husband had been a soldier fighting against the Japanese Pirates, unfortunately losing his life in battle. As there was no man left in the family, their relatives drove them out and seized the land that rightfully belonged to them. The woman had to resort to begging on the streets with her daughter. It was because of Wei Ruo¡¯s proposal that they could follow other homeless people to settle in the south of the city. When they were distributing the land initially, others, out of consideration for her situation, gave her a piece of land that was less saline and alkaline, making cultivation relatively easier. Although isolated, kindhearted individuals would bring them necessities every day. But they didn¡¯t expect a situation like today¡¯s, leading the mother and daughter to be the last ones to leave. The carriage rushed back to the city, arriving at the county government. The woman and the little girl were settled in a warehouse, cleared by the government office. The warehouse wasn¡¯t very large, with beds lined on both ends. Everyone who was brought here was arranged to stay in this place. Small families could fit into one bed, while larger ones took up two beds.. Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Joint Rescue of the People_l Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Joint Rescue of the People_l Translator: 549690339 | The middle of the warehouse main entrance was left with a passage over a meter wide. The people in the government office boiled hot water, Wei Ruo asked them to prepare some extra ginger tea to warm all up. She then wrote a prescription for the little girl who had a fever, together with the money for medicine, handed it over to Hong Ping, the government official who had just followed her, and asked him to help get the medicine prepared. Wei Ruo specially gave some extra silver taels, asking Hong Ping to prepare some extra and reserve it. These days have been windy and rainy, it was likely not only the little girl would catch a cold. Xiumei rushed to find the wet nurse, asking her to transport some goods here. They were short of blankets, food, and charcoal for fire. Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei to change into clean clothes after she had arrived at the wet nurse¡¯s, then come back together with her. Xiumei said with concern, ¡°What about you, miss?¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll see to it later.¡± Xiumei: ¡°But¡­¡± Wei Ruo interrupted: ¡°Go now and return quickly. Xiumei had no choice but to comply: ¡°Alright. After attending to these matters, Wei Ruo finally found some time to ask Wei jinyi: ¡°Second Brother, how come you came back early? ¡°It¡¯s been raining for several days, and I had a feeling that something might happen in Xingshan County.¡± said Wei Jinyi. The area affected by this rain was vast, Huzhou Prefecture was also within it, but the situation there was a lot better than in Xingshan County. Wei Jinyi must have guessed that Xingshan County was also affected by the rain, and due to insufficient natural protections, the situation would turn worse. And so it was, when he arrived in Xingshan County, he found the situation was very bad. Initially he wanted to go to the Military Prefecture first, but on the way, he ran into a servant from Wei Residence who was out buying supplies, and learned that Wei Ruo was not at home. He then guessed that Wei Ruo might have gone to the southern part of the city, and sure enough, on his way out of the city, he met the team of the county government escorting citizens from the south into the city. Upon enquiry, it turned out that Wei Ruo was still in the southern part of city, so he hastened to join her there. Looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s soaked clothes, Wei Jinyi said: ¡°Come with me. Wei Ruo was somewhat confused, but was already pulled by Wei Jinyi into a nearby room. This room was a storage room full of miscellaneous items, but a clean chair had been placed in it, and on top of the chair were some clothes. Wei Jinyi took Wei Ruo into the room and then returned to the door, shutting it behind him. Through the door, he said to Wei Ruo inside: ¡°Change your shoes first.¡± Wei Ruo looked inside the room to see a pair of newly bought socks and shoes, as well as a dry towel. Wei Ruo¡¯s shoes had soaked through when she was in the southern fields, but she had been too busy caring for the little girl and organizing the people, and hadn¡¯t had time for anything else. Wei Ruo¡¯s feet had soaked in water, leaving them like that, even if she didn¡¯t catch a cold, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her feet either. Wei Ruo sat down and while changing her socks and shoes, she asked Wei Jinyi outside the door: ¡°Second Brother, when did you arrange for these clean socks and shoes?¡± ¡°Xiaobei bought them.¡± Wei Jinyi, leaning against the door, avoided her gaze. ¡°So how did you know what size shoe I wear?¡± Wei Ruo asked again. Shoes for ladies from large households are usually all custom made by someone who comes to the house, so most people wouldn¡¯t know her shoe size. ¡°When you returned from the southern fields, there was mud on the soles of your feet, leaving footprints on the ground.¡± ¡°Second Brother, you are so attentive!¡± Wei Ruo praised. Wei Jinyi outside the door did not respond, but instructed her instead: ¡°Once you¡¯re done changing, if there¡¯s nothing else left to do here, start heading back to the residence. You need to take a hot bath and change into dry clothes.¡± ¡°If I have to go back anyway, why go to the trouble of changing my shoes first?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°The sooner they get changed, the better.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. -Are you worried that my feet will freeze, Second Brother?¡± Wei Ruo said, laughing. A moment of silence ensued. Well, the answer was obvious, but Second Brother did not want to admit it himself. After changing into the new shoes, Wei Ruo packed the used shoes and socks with a cloth bag that had been prepared in advance. Even this detail was taken into consideration. Second Brother was truly thoughtful. As they were leaving, Wei Ruo turned to Wei Jinyi: ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s return home. Not just me, but you should also take a hot bath and change clothes. One¡¯s health is fundamental. If you want to save others, you need to take care of yourself first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you still have things to do?¡± ¡ö¡öThe supplies will only be delivered a while later, and the medicines will be prepared later as well. There¡¯s nothing I can do but wait here. It would be better to take the opportunity to clean myself up first.¡± Wei Jinyi nodded. As long as Wei Ruo had no concerns, he himself had no objections. And so Wei Jinyi escorted Wei Ruo back to the Military Prefecture. Wei Jinyi left Wei Ruo at the entrance of Tingsong Garden. Although Wei Ruo had often run into his yard, even into his bedroom, Wei Jinyi always upheld his manners and did not casually enter her courtyard. Watching Wei Ruo enter her building from the yard¡¯s gate, Wei Jinyi returned to his own yard and changed his clothes and shoes. inside the Tingsong Garden house, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have time to prepare ample hot water for bath. To save time, she washed herself with the hot water, then changed into a set of clean clothes. She then opened her medical kit that she always kept around and selected a few medicines from a bunch of bottles and jars to carry with her. Today, not only that little girl among the people moved to the government office warehouse might fall ill, others might also be at risk of catching a cold or of getting other diseases. She had brought these commonly used medicines with her just in case. After getting ready, Wei Ruo once again joined with Wei Jinyi, preparing to head out. Just as the two were about to leave, Yun along with the maid Cuiping came to the entrance of Tingsong Garden, stopping the outward-bound Wei Ruo. ¡°Ruoruo, you cannot go out again.¡± Yun wore a stern expression. ¡°I have important matters to attend to.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°No matter how important it is, you can¡¯t be running around outside every day. Your Second Brother is a man, he can go everywhere, but not you.¡± Wei Ruo explained: ¡°I didn¡¯t go out aimlessly, I took care of the relocation of the citizens from the south of the city, with the current weather, if the citizens in the south are ignored, they will starve or freeze to death. ¡°The government officers can manage the southern citizens. As a maiden from a prominent family, you being always mingled with these people is not good for your reputation.¡± Yun persuaded. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel I was doing something wrong. I conducted myself appropriately, even outside. Social etiquette rules apply in normal situations, but in this special period, countless citizens are suffering. In the face of a natural disaster, any etiquette should make way.¡± Wei Ruo articulated her position firmly. ¡°Even if you think so, it doesn¡¯t mean others do. When the weather clears, your current actions will be regarded as a breach of etiquette and invite speculation.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t regret it when the time comes.¡± With a determined look in her eyes, Wei Ruo was unyielding. Yun frowned: ¡°Why are you, a child, not listening to advice? Your mother is doing this for your own good, worrying about you, and afraid that any slight mistake might impact you¡­¡± It was then that Wei Jinyi interjected: ¡°I believe our father, who is currently out rescuing the people, would highly approve of Big Sister¡¯s actions..¡± Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 126: The People Showing Gratitude to Wei Ruo_1 Chapter 126: Chapter 126: The People Showing Gratitude to Wei Ruo_1 Translator: 549690339 Mrs. Yun froze, and then an image of her husband and some of his words about their eldest daughter¡¯s education popped up in her mind. Wei Jinyi continued to say, ¡°When older sister wanted to reclaim the wasteland south of the city, mother also thought her behavior was unreasonable, not something a young lady should do. However, it has now been proven that there is nothing wrong with big sister¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°If mother still thinks it¡¯s not appropriate, I¡¯ll have Guard Jing consult father. But, this will certainly take some time and delay the rescue work. ¡°If what eldest sister chooses today influences her negatively in the future, I am willing to take full responsibility.¡± This was the first time Wei Jinyi had said so much to Mrs. Yun. After listening to Wei Jinyi¡¯s statement, Mrs. Yun¡¯s frown deepened. After a long while, she said to Wei Ruo, ¡°I can¡¯t control you anymore, do what you want. Any consequences will be on your head.¡± With that, Mrs. Yun left. Wei Ruo turned to exchange a glance with Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen.¡± Wei Ruo shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m just happy that you stood by me instead of lecturing me.¡± Wei Jinyi responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve done anything wrong, so why should I reprimand you?¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Hehe, big brother, I find myself liking you more and more.¡± At her words, Wei Jinyi¡¯s cheeks turned faintly red and he turned his head aside, saying in a low voice, ¡°We should go back to the government office.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo responded, and then, along with Wei Jinyi, set off for the government office again. When they returned to the government office warehouse, Xiumei had already arrived with the wet nurses, bringing with them two full carts of supplies. ¡°Miss, there aren¡¯t many quilts. We didn¡¯t anticipate this situation so we didn¡¯t stock up. We can only prioritize giving them to the elderly, children, and women.¡± Xiumei explained to Wei Ruo. Previously, Wei Ruo had only ordered them to stock up on food and coal and hadn¡¯t specifically instructed them to stock up on quilts and cotton. ¡°Hmm, has the rice, sweet potatoes and charcoal arrived?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°The charcoal was transported over, and some rice and sweet potatoes were brought too. We also cooked a large pot of porridge and baked a batch of sweet potatoes. I brought some of the cooked ones over. Some are still being baked, and once done, Uncle Xu will bring them over.¡± The sweet potatoes were baked in batches because they didn¡¯t want the first batch to cool down, and they didn¡¯t want the people here to wait too long, so Xiumei brought a portion over first. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s distribute these to everyone.¡± Wei Ruo personally helped to serve the porridge and distribute the sweet potatoes. Wei Jinyi and Xiaobei also helped distribute the quilts. There weren¡¯t enough people in the government office now, so they did what they could. Everyone received a bowl of hot white porridge and a sweet potato. The crowd ate with tears in their eyes. An old man fell to his knees and bowed in gratitude to Wei Ruo and the others, ¡°Miss Wei, we can¡¯t repay you for your immense kindness! Other voices joined amidst the choruses, ¡°Miss Wei, you¡¯re truly our savior! Our whole family owes you our lives.¡± ¡°Miss Wei, you¡¯ve bestowed us with fertile land, built us new homes, you¡¯ve already given us more than we could ask for. Now you are braving the rain to save us again, providing us food and clothing, we really don¡¯t know how to repay you!¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to repay me in any way. Just live well, farm well, take good care of yourselves and your family, and be a good person. That¡¯s enough.¡± The crowd unanimously agreed: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss, we will!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let your painstaking effort go in vain!¡± ¡°Miss, we will remember your words!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to thank me for, you should rest first.¡± Wei Ruo comforted the crowd. Magistrate Qian came to visit the relocated people, and just happened to hear the crowd expressing their gratitude to Wei Ruo, which made him sigh inwardly. Miss Wei was certainly not an ordinary young lady. In the whole Xingshan County, she was the only young lady from a prominent family who could command such respect from the people. Magistrate Qian originally worried that the people temporarily sheltering in the government warehouse would become restless, so as the parent-official, he specially came to reassure them and put their minds at ease. But it seemed there was no need now. So, Magistrate Qian didn¡¯t interrupt, and instructed Secretary Chen to assist Miss Wei well. He had other things to do. As for the people in the south of the city, he could rest assured leaving them to Wei Ruo s care. Afterwards, Wei Ruo distributed the white porridge and sweet potatoes to Secretary Chen and the other government officials. Everyone worked hard for half a day without even having time for a meal. Drinking the hot porridge and eating the fragrant baked sweet potatoes now, they felt a warmth spreading from their mouths to their chests. Wei Ruo also served a bowl for Wei Jinyi: ¡°Have a taste, big brother.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi took the porridge and sweet potato. ¡°And this, for you.¡± Wei Ruo secretly handed Wei Jinyi a strip of dried squid, ¡°Only you have this. Eat it secretly.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Wei Ruo was stingy, but that there were only a few pieces of dried squid, not enough to be shared with everyone. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi hid the dried squid given by Wei Ruo in his sleeve. Actually, he wasn¡¯t that greedy, but Wei Ruo¡¯s words ¡°Only you have this,¡± made the dried squid seem especially precious and special. Afterwards, Wei Ruo also began to eat her own. There were no proper tables and chairs there, so like everyone else, Wei Ruo and her group sat on the ground. While Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi were eating their porridge, more bad news reached the government office. A landslide occurred in a mountain village to the west of the city, burying an entire village under mud and rocks. Magistrate Qian gathered all the officials and decided on a plan. After a little while, Wei Ruo caught Hong Ping returning from seeing the Magistrate and asked him, ¡°What is the situation with the casualties?¡± Hong Ping shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not clear, the road to the village is blocked by the landslide, we have no idea what the situation inside is. ¡°Has anyone gone there yet?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Just now, while we were discussing, someone reported that your father, Miss Wei, has already led people there for the rescue, so Magistrate Qian let us return.¡± At the moment, the government office doesn¡¯t have enough personnel, and has to rely on the force of the military. Wei Ruo nodded, knowing that the army has already been notified and would be involved in the rescue, she didn¡¯t think there should be a problem. Rescuing landslides was not something Wei Ruo could really help with, and she decided not to add to the military¡¯s troubles by heading over there herself. She would do what she could here. After replenishing their energy by eating the porridge and baked sweet potatoes, Wei Ruo checked on each of the people sheltering in the warehouse, making sure to prescribe medicine for those who felt unwell or had caught a cold. Xiumei and Xiaobei were instructed to brew the medicine. Later, Wei Ruo reminded the officials and Hong Ping, ¡°If anyone feels unwell during the night, administer the medicine immediately ¡ª do not delay.. Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong Disappear _1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Alright, Miss Wei, rest assured, we will take turns to watch over here tonight and handle any situations immediately,¡± Hong Ping said. ¡°You all have worked hard,¡± Wei Ruo expressed her gratitude. ¡°We are servants at the government office, receiving imperial salary. Protecting the people is our duty. In contrast, Miss Wei, you took the lead in ensuring the welfare of the people for a matter that initially did not concern you. We truly admire you for that.¡± ¡°You flatter me, I¡¯m just doing what I can.¡± Wei Ruo replied, turning her head after speaking to look at the common people in the warehouse. Although the warehouse was not a good place, it at least provided shelter from wind and rain. A few braziers made the room much warmer, ensuring that their lives were out of danger. By the time Wei Ruo finished her tasks, it was already late at night. Wei Jinyi and Wei Ruo, seeing that there was temporarily nothing else to do, returned to the Wei Residence. The rain at night really became heavier, and the temperature dropped further. Returning to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo had a quick wash before heading to bed. Early the next day, Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi went out again. Firstly, they were concerned about the people in the government office warehouse, fearing that some may have deteriorating health conditions. Wei Ruo felt more at ease seeing it with her own eyes. Secondly, Wei Ruo wanted to know how the situation of the landslide in West Mountain Village was progressing. After a night of rain, it finally stopped, but the temperature dropped even more. Without a thermometer, Wei Ruo estimated that the temperature was probably below five degrees. There was no frost, but the humidity was high, giving a chilling sensation. Wei Ruo wore a thick cotton jacket, but still felt her hands a little cold. As soon as Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi stepped into the government office, they were summoned by Qian Magistrate. Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi were taken to the courtroom, where Qian Magistrate usually presided over cases. Now, he was using this place to orchestrate the rescue efforts. Qian Magistrate looked at the siblings in front of him, hesitating to speak, his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Mr. Qian, you can speak freely,¡± said Wei Jinyi. After thinking for a while, Qian Magistrate said to the siblings: ¡°Your father¡­ has had an accident.¡± ¡°What kind of accident?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Your father led a team to rescue the people in West Mountain Village. However, during the process, another landslide occurred. His life is now in the balance,¡± Qian Magistrate said with a heavy heart. Wei Ruo looked at Qian Magistrate in shock, her mind filled with complex emotions. Her father had an accident? Wei Ruo knew that in the original story, Wei Mingting died early, but in the original host¡¯s memory, her father died in battle. It was indeed about this time, but this time, due to some factors, the Japanese pirates had temporarily been driven away. At this time in the original, Wei Mingting was still fighting with the Japanese pirates and couldn¡¯t take care of the affairs in the city. So, although Wei Ruo knew that Wei Mingting probably died in battle around this time, since the fighting had temporarily ceased, she assumed that things were different now and didn¡¯t give it much thought. After a while, Wei Ruo came back to her senses and asked Qian Magistrate: ¡°Besides my father, how many people went to West Mountain Village?¡± ¡°There were about a hundred. Your father didn¡¯t dare to mobilize too many soldiers due to the uncertainty of another Japanese pirate attack. Only about a hundred off-duty soldiers were mobilized for the rescue effort. Among them was a new recruit who was promoted to Deputy General after demonstrating his bravery in the previous battle against the Japanese pirates,¡± said Qian Magistrate. The recruit¡¯s excellent performance last time and the special promotion by the seventh prince had left a deep impression on Qian Magistrate. It¡¯s Brother Xiaoyong! Wei Ruo¡¯s heart tightened again and she fell silent. She knew she couldn¡¯t just do nothing, she had to find a way to rescue them. But the more urgent the situation, the less she could act impulsively! She needed to calm down and think about the most effective way to conduct the rescue. Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo¡¯s serious expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you to the rescue.¡± ¡°Second brother?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Wei Jinyi did not provide Wei Ruo with much explanation. Seeing him walk out, Wei Ruo quickly followed. ¡°How does second brother plan to rescue them?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Rest assured, I have some help.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. His expression and tone inspired trust. Although she didn¡¯t know who Wei Jinyi was referring to when he mentioned help, Wei Ruo still chose to believe him. Wei Jinyi and Wei Ruo left the government office. As they were leaving, Wei Jinyi instructed Xiaobei to do something. Xiaobei then quickly left. To make the journey to the mountain easier, Wei Ruo chose to ride a horse. She untied the ropes used to pull the carriage from the horse, took out the saddle from the back of the carriage, put it on the horse and then climbed up to ride. But Wei Ruo¡¯s horse riding experience was limited, she had only ridden once in the training ground. Wei Jinyi stayed close behind Wei Ruo and seeing that her riding was becoming more and more skilled and had no problems, he rode ahead. When they reached the original path to West Mountain Village, the path no longer existed. Mud and rocks completely covered it. From their perspective, they couldn¡¯t see how much damage the landslide had caused. Perhaps the entire village had been buried. When Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi arrived, there were already government officials clearing the path. Wei Ruo dismounted and looked at the situation in front of her, once again feeling how tiny humans were in the face of nature. The collapsed mud and rock piled up like an insurmountable wall in front of them. Soon after Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi arrived, Xiaobei also came with a group of men in coarsely woven short clothes, about twenty people. They were carrying shovels and started digging as soon as they arrived. Xiaobei said these men were porters. They were paid to come and help. Wei Jinyi said, ¡°Leave half of them here, the rest come with me.¡± Xiaobei passed on Wei Jinyi¡¯s instructions and explained some things to the men, then they quickly divided into two groups. One group continued to help the government officials to clear the path, while the others followed with their tools. Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo, ¡°We¡¯ll take a detour from the other side, if the entire village isn¡¯t buried, we might find another way in.¡± There was only one road into West Mountain Village. To enter from another way meant they had to cross the mountain. Crossing the mountain had certain risks. Although the rain had stopped, the soil was completely soaked. The risk of another landslide or collapse was still there. But Wei Ruo didn¡¯t hesitate. She chose to trust Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi¡¯s choice was very cautious. He observed the vegetation on the mountain, choosing to walk through a bamboo forest. The root system of bamboo is very developed. Compared to general vegetation, bamboo can firmly grasp the ground, protecting the surface of the mountain, reducing the likelihood of a landslide. After about an hour of detour, they finally reached the back of West Mountain Village. Before they went down the mountain, Wei Ruo stood on a high point and looked at West Mountain Village¡­. Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Found The Person l Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Found The Person l Translator: 549690339 The area primarily affected by the landslide was the front half of West Mountain Village and the road leading into the village, with the back half untouched; the village houses and roads in the back remained intact. Due to the complex geography of West Mountain Village, the residents live scattered about, making it impossible to determine the extent of the casualties from a bird¡¯s-eye view. Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi entered the village with their men and saw people wearing soldier¡¯s armor digging. At the same time, the villagers were also busy digging with their own hoes, spades, and anything they could use. We Ruo caught hold of a soldier and asked about the situation; ¡°What¡¯s the current situation? How many people were buried? Who are they?¡± ¡°Well¡­ apart from General Qian and Deputy General Xu, everyone else is here. When the second landslide happened, General Qian sensed something wrong and ordered us to evacuate to the back village. Therefore, everybody is basically safe.¡± The soldier answered Wei Ruo¡¯s questions. Wei Mingting and Wei Jinyi had made the same judgement, as the area in the back village where the bamboo plants were cultivated was unlikely to be prone to landslides, making it relatively safe. We Ruo continued asking: ¡°Where are General Qian and Deputy General Xu?¡± ¡°Before the second landslide, some locals told us that there were still two families in the valley, General Qian, aware of the danger, chose to go rescue them. Deputy General Xu, worried, followed along. Then the landslide happened, and as of now¡­ we have not found them yet¡­¡± Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong had both gone missing¡­ ¡°Where exactly in the valley?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°It¡¯s roughly that area over there. We have a few brothers who have gone over to investigate. However, since we are uncertain about the exact location General Qian and Deputy General Xu were at the time, we could only search the area blindly,¡± the soldier answered. Wei Mingting, who led a rescue team of a hundred people yesterday, has left half of the squad to help the villagers clear the road while the other half had gone to search the valley. We Ruo turned her head to Wei Jinyi, ¡°Second brother.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wei Jinyi responded without much ado, turning to lead the group of porters he had brought along to the direction of the valley. ### Meanwhile, the news of the accident involving Wei Mingting reached the Military Prefecture. Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Yun almost fainted. Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan, realizing the gravity of the situation, rushed to Cangyun Garden. Wei Qingwan cared for Mrs. Yun, while Wei Yichen took charge of the situation. The first thing Mrs. Yun did when she woke up was ask about Wei Mingting¡¯s condition: ¡°Yichen, where is your father?¡± Wei Yichen¡¯s face turned grave, ¡°Mother, calm down, the Prefecture has already sent out people to West Mountain Village for a search. The Government Office has also sent help. We should receive some news soon.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯ve not found him yet?¡± Whether he is dead or alive, they still don¡¯t know! Mrs. Yun¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Landslides are extremely dangerous. If someone gets buried underneath, it¡¯s incredibly difficult to survive!¡± Wei Yichen didn¡¯t know how to respond. For he himself didn¡¯t know how to comfort his mother, he too felt incredibly heavy-hearted at that moment. Wei Qingwan consoled Mrs. Yun: ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. They say misfortune never strikes in one place where a man¡¯s heart is. Even the brutal Japanese pirates were unable to harm father; he will not be struck down so easily!¡± Mrs. Yun shook her head. Wei Qingwan¡¯s words didn¡¯t bring her any comfort. She knew very well, the brutality of the Japanese pirates and the horrors of nature disasters were completely different. ¡°Yichen, gather all the male servants in the Mansion to go looking, all of them! None is to stay in the Mansion,¡± Mrs. Yun instructed. She could not consider anything else, she only wished for her husband to return safely! ¡°Mother, I understand your feelings, but I¡¯ve already sent out anyone I could. Those left in the mansion are all old, as well as the women,¡± Wei Yichen explained. ¡°What should we do then? Yichen, tell me, what should we do now?¡± Mrs. Yun¡¯s eyes turned red with panic. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll be paying the County Government a visit and talk to Magistrate Qian, to see if we can get more people sent to West Mountain Village. Without father¡¯s presence, it would require the Deputy General¡¯s command to mobilize the stationed soldiers. However, the current Deputy General is new and I am not familiar with him, hence I would need Magistrate Qian¡¯s assistance.¡± Wei Yichen, though worried and anxious, retained his composure. ¡°Okay, okay, just do as you suggested, quickly go!¡± Mrs. Yun urged him. Having lost all initiative, she could only follow her son¡¯s arrangement. Wei Yichen was about to leave but not before he reminded Wei Qingwan to take care of their mother: ¡°Wanwan, mother is upset; you should keep her company, try and console her.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Qingwan nodded, then immediately asked, ¡°Big brother, will father be able to return safely?¡± Wei Qingwan understood that her father was the backbone of the family. If something were to happen to their father, the Military Prefecture would collapse. Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t imagine their life and her life, without her father. Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t answer her question: ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I can do now is to put in all our efforts to rescue father. Before that, I cannot afford to think about this question.¡± After giving Wei Qingwan a few instructions, Wei Yichen headed towards the Government Office. ### In the valley of West Mountain Village, about seventy to eighty people were spread out, conducting a carpet search for the whereabouts of Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong. Wei Jinyi kept close to Wei Ruo, maintaining a certain distance from her. The valley had complex terrain and on top of that, it had experienced a landslide, so any place was subject to possible collapse. Indeed, danger lurked around every corner. After walking for a while, Wei Ruo stopped. After projecting her father¡¯s habits, she knew, as he had sensed the possibility of another landslide and had judged the back part of the village planted with bamboo to be relatively safe, he must also have taken a comparatively safe route when going in and out of the valley. Wei Ruo looked around, putting herself in Wei Mingting¡¯s shoes. If she were Wei Mingting, how would she have gotten in and out of the valley, how would she have reached the two households needing assistance and how would she have retreated? Wei Jinyi stood behind Wei Ruo, refraining from disturbing her. After a while, Wei Ruo suddenly sprang to her feet, running towards one direction. Wei Jinyi followed closely behind. Wei Ruo went in the direction of the western mountains. After approximately an hour¡¯s journey, she suddenly stopped. She noticed something among a pile of rocks and mud. Immediately, she ran to inspect it. ¡°This is Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s dagger!¡± At first glance, Wei Ruo saw a hilt. But after digging it out, it was a complete dagger. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Positive, this is the dagger I had custom made for Brother Xiaoyong!¡± Wei Ruo responded with certainty. ¡°I will call some people over.¡± Wei Jinyi summoned a few porters over. The men were very deferential towards Wei Jinyi. At his command, they began working quickly and efficiently. Wei Ruo stood on the side, her mind in turmoil. They had been buried for some time now. It was very possible that even if they were dug out, they would be dead¡­. Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Saved i Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Saved i Translator: 549690339 Inside the pitch-black cave, Xu Zhengyong was trying to dig out the mud and rocks that blocked the entrance. These mud and rocks, though soft, seemed to be infinite. The more he dug out, the more seemed to accumulate. Due to the lack of oxygen and the chill, Xu Zhengyong was gradually losing strength. Wei Mingting said to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, take a rest. If you continue like this, your body won¡¯t be able to keep up.¡± Wei Mingting sat next to him, sounding exhausted while speaking. They had been trapped in this cave for four hours, the air inside was growing ever thinner, and the damp and frigid conditions were taking a toll on their bodies. Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, despite being martial artists and slightly better off, were also suffering. The three villagers who were with them huddled together, and the weakest among them, a nine-year-old boy, was semi-conscious. In this state, they couldn¡¯t last much longer. Seeing the three villagers weakly lying on the ground, Wei Mingting felt a sense of guilt. Even though he had come to rescue them, he hadn¡¯t made it in time, and on their way back they encountered a landslide. While they managed to find shelter in the cave just in time to avoid being buried on the spot, it felt like they were only delaying the inevitable. After trying and failing once more, Xu Zhengyong eventually gave up and sat next to Wei Mingting. The ground was damp, which made sitting uncomfortable. However, when he felt dizzy, sitting down was the only thing that provided some relief. I don t want to die yet¡­¡± Xu Zhengyong said in frustration. Xu Zhengyong was dejected. He didn¡¯t want to die. He hadn¡¯t fulfilled his promise to Ruoruo, he hadn¡¯t filially piety to his parents properly, and he hadn¡¯t heard Xiumei call him ¡®brother¡¯ yet. Was he going to die here today? ¡°I understand how you feel. I don¡¯t want to die either. I¡¯m not afraid for myself but I worry about my family¡­¡± Wei Mingting said. Wei Mingting was also in distress. If he were to die, what would happen to the Wei family? What about his wife, son, and daughter? Xu Zhengyong glanced at Wei Mingting. He had always respected Wei Mingting as a military general, for his tactical skills, martial arts skills, and his compassion towards people. However, he felt that Wei Mingting was not a good father, as he had allowed Ruoruo to be bullied. Thinking of Ruoruo, Xu Zhengyong said, ¡°I still have an unfulfilled promise¡­¡± The couple from the village huddled together, sensing their hope of survival was dwindling, soft sobs could be heard. Just when everyone inside the cave had given up hope, a small light suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave. Was it an illusion? Why was there light? Had the envoy of the underworld come to take them away? Having never experienced death, they were unsure how the ghost envoy would appear. At that moment, voices could be heard from outside the cave. ¡°Can anyone inside hear us? General Wei, Deputy General Xu!¡± Hearing the voices, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong quickly stood up. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Wei Mingting replied with all the energy he could muster. ¡°Hang in there, General Wei. We are going to start digging to get you out!¡± Came the response from outside, followed by the sounds of shovels and pickaxes. Soon, a third of the blockage at the entrance was removed, revealing a gap large enough for a burly man to squeeze through. Save those people first!¡± Wei Mingting said to the man who had entered. The man nodded, then hoisted the unconscious boy out through the gap. He was carefully received by the rescuers above and successfully rescued. Next came the boy¡¯s parents, and finally, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong. Once they were outside, they found out that their rescuers were Wei Jinyi and Ruo. Both Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were filled with surprise and joy. The words ¡°Sister Ruoruo¡± were on the tip of Xu Zhengyong¡¯s tongue, but he swallowed them back. Usually, regardless of how his parents corrected him, Xu Zhengyong shamelessly called Ruoruo ¡°Sister Ruoruo¡±. But at this moment, on the verge of life and death, he refrained from calling out. Upon catching sight of Ruoruo, his instinct was to rush over and talk to her. He knew, however, that he couldn¡¯t do so with outsiders present. To do so would only risk damaging Ruoruo¡¯s reputation. Ruoruo¡¯s gaze was also on Xu Zhengyong. Seeing his excited expression and his mouth opening then closing without making a sound, she guessed his intentions. She was somewhat relieved. Brother Xiaoyong had grown up, he wouldn¡¯t act recklessly without considering the consequences anymore. Although Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t say a word to each other, their connection was evident in their eyes, which did not escape the notice of Wei Jinyi, who was standing next to Ruoruo. ¡°Jinyi, Ruoruo! How did you know we were here?¡± Wei Mingting exclaimed in surprise, but also in relief. Your sister heard of your peril and she insisted we come to find you. It was she who discovered you were buried at this location,¡± explained Wei Jinyi. ¡°Ruoruo, how did you know we were here?¡± Wei Mingting asked his daughter. Ruoruo explained, ¡°I thought about the situation from your perspective. If you knew there was danger, you would choose a safer path to enter and leave the valley. After observing the surroundings, I thought that you might have chosen to follow a small path on the western side.¡± ¡°After following that path, I found a dagger, which was brand new and unlike anything the villagers would have. This led me to guess that we were at the place where you were buried.¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s face instantly lit up. He didn¡¯t say a word, but his smile revealed his feelings. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first and regroup back at the village,¡± Wei Jinyi ordered. Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, regardless of their daily martial arts training, were exhausted. After being trapped overnight, their bodies weakened. They needed immediate medical attention. Leaving the valley they borrowed a villager¡¯s house and Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were able to take hot baths and change their clothes. The access roads to the village were blocked, and given their physical condition, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong couldn¡¯t risk taking a rough journey, especially crossing over the mountains. So they decided to stay at the villager¡¯s house until the roads were cleared. While Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were bathing and changing clothes, Ruoruo took the pulses of the frail family of three. All three had suffered from the chilling weather and were running hot temperatures. The lack of oxygen had also disrupted their bodies¡¯ functions. Although they were unable to get medicine from outside at this time, luckily, Ruoruo had brought a large quantity of medicine with her, which could stabilise the three people¡¯s condition temporarily. Afterward, Ruoruo went outside where she saw Wei Jinyi sitting at a small table. She sat down next to him and started preparing medicine from the bottles she brought. Wei Jinyi quietly watched Ruoruo working on the medicines in her hands.. Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Temporary Stay at a Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Temporary Stay at a Farmhouse_l Translator: 549690339 Xu Zhengyong changed his clothes, then emerged cleanly and refreshed. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Wei!¡± Xu Zhengyong, who was about to call out ¡°Ruoruo¡±, caught sight of Wei Jinyi also in the court and quickly corrected himself. With a smile tugging at the corner of Xu Zhengyong¡¯s mouth, he looked energetic and spirited, showing no signs of being recently rescued after being buried for several hours. ¡°Deputy General Xu, don¡¯t move around. You have just been exposed to the cold wind all night,¡± Wei Ruo cast him a side glance, warning him not to be too cocky. Xu Zhengyong shrank his neck a little and took a seat opposite Wei Ruo, laughing and not daring to move again. ¡°Miss Wei, don¡¯t worry too much, I am strong and healthy, a little wind chill won¡¯t bring me down!¡± Xu Zhengyong said with a pleased expression. Although he couldn¡¯t move arbitrarily, he could still joke around a bit. ¡°Deputy General Xu, you only get one body. If you ruin it, you can¡¯t replace it. It¡¯s better to be more careful. Like the old saying goes, caution is the parent of safety.¡± Wei Ruo said with a ¡°smile¡±. ¡°Miss Wei, you might not know, I have a nagging sister at home. Since childhood, she enjoys feeding me various tonic foods. Whenever she acquires anything good, she gives it to me. I eat so well that I am strong as an ox, it is hard for me to get sick!¡± Said Xu Zhengyong, proudly. ¡°Deputy General Xu, speak less and finish your medicine, then go back to sleep.¡± Wei Ruo put a bottle of medicine in front of Xu Zhengyong, letting him take it himself. Without protest, Xu Zhengyong picked up the medicine bottle, skillfully poured two pills into his hand and washed them down with a bowl of water. At the side, all of Wei Jinyi¡¯s attention was absorbed by these seemingly unfamiliar but actually intimate interactions between the two. Soon after, Wei Mingting also came out. Xu Zhengyong immediately stood up and walked over to play with the chickens kept in the yard by the farmers. Wei Mingting was also in good condition, after all, with years of martial arts training and combat experience, his physical condition was much better than that of ordinary people. Wei Mingting sat down opposite Wei Ruo and sincerely expressed his gratitude: ¡°Ruoruo, although to say thank you seems to add a distance between us, I still want to express my gratitude. If it were not for you today, Deputy General Xu and I might not be alive. The lives of all of us were saved by you.¡± ¡°Father, there¡¯s no need to be overly polite with me. It¡¯s something I should do.¡± Even if Wei Mingting was not her biological father, and she was only a commoner from Xingshan County, at such a time there was no reason not to help them. Wei Mingting gently shook his head: ¡°There is nothing that you should do. On such a cold day, it is very dangerous. It is truly commendable that you and Jinyi disregarded your own safety to come and search for us.¡± Wei Ruo just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Wei Mingting¡¯s gaze softened as he watched Wei Ruo tinker with something, and asked, ¡°Ruoruo, what are you working on?¡± ¡°These are some medicines I brought along, thinking they might be of use. However, to maintain their efficacy some medicines were separated when made. They need to be mixed together before usage.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°Ruoruo, you really are meticulous.¡± Wei Mingting praised. ¡°Father, you should have caught a cold yesterday. Wait for me to mix the medicine, then take a bowl of it.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Mingting replied with a smile. Watching his daughter prepare medicine for his cold, Wei Mingting felt a warmth in his heart. After preparing the medicine, Wei Ruo mixed it with boiling water. Although this method was not as effective as boiling the medicine in water, it was simple and practical. After adjusting the medicine, Wei Ruo divided it into five portions. Each person who was trapped yesterday gets a share, and Xu Zhengyong couldn¡¯t escape from taking it. Xu Zhengyong tried to pretend that he was feeding chickens and didn¡¯t hear Wei Ruo¡¯s voice in order to avoid taking the medicine, but Wei Ruo called him once again: ¡°Deputy General Xu, you¡¯ve also caught a cold. Just in case, please also drink a bowl of this. After all, you still have to defend Xingshan County.¡± With no choice left, Xu Zhengyong walked over to the table and drank a bowl of medicine with a frown. After finishing, Xu Zhengyong hurriedly drank a few cups of water. So bitter! Ruoruo¡¯s medicine was as bitter as ever! Wei Mingting, on the other hand, was very calm as he drank the medicine. Even though the medicine was bitter, it was completely within his tolerance. After drinking the medicine, Wei Mingting looked at Wei Ruo and instructed, ¡°Ruoruo, you should take good care of yourself as well. The weather has been cold these past few days, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo replied simply. Then Wei Mingting turned his gaze to Wei Jinyi: ¡°When did Jinyi come back?¡± ¡°Yesterday. I was worried about the family due to the recent bad weather and returned ahead of schedule.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°That was thoughtful of you.¡± Wei Mingting remarked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to elder sister. When I arrived home yesterday, she had already gone to the southern part of the city to save people.¡± Wei Jinyi mentioned to Wei Mingting. The things that Wei Ruo didn¡¯t mention herself, Wei Jinyi helped her to bring up. ¡°Oh? Ruoruo also went to the southern city to save people?¡± Wei Mingting turned to look at Wei Ruo again. ¡°The common people at the southern part of the city are mostly poor. The houses they live in are hastily constructed and can¡¯t withstand wind and rain. With the cold weather and the flooded homes. If they were not relocated, their lives would have been in danger.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Ruoruo¡¯s consideration is thorough indeed, it is indeed so.¡± Wei Mingting said in agreement, looking at Wei Ruo with an expression of satisfaction. Wei Mingting felt deeply moved. His daughter¡¯s deeds, though different from the ordinary girls, were no less noble than those noble girls in the capital. If she were a boy, she would certainly achieve great things! ¡°Father, you are still weak. Don¡¯t stay outside in the wind. It¡¯s better to go back to your room and rest first.¡± Wei Ruo, who wasn¡¯t used to being praised by Wei Mingting, suggested he go back to his room and rest. Immediately following that, Wei Ruo gave Xu Zhengyong a side-glance again. Even though she didn¡¯t say anything, Xu Zhengyong obediently went into the house. Since the road was not yet open, the group needed to stay over at a farmhouse for the night. The villagers from nearby sent over various food materials. Wei Ruo did not take much food from the villagers. She only took four pieces of tofu, a handful of small rapeseed, three eggs, and some rice. Wei Ruo knew that it had been a tough couple of years for the villagers, and all these supplies were offered after much reduction in their own consumption. With Xiumei not being around, Wei Ruo had to be the one to cook. Although the available ingredients were limited, and she could only make a few simple dishes, Wei Ruo used various seasonings generously and skillfully managed to make four classic dishes using the three types of ingredients: red-braised tofu, spring onion and soy sauce mix with tofu, stir-fried rapeseed, and egg custard. Ordinary dishes became extraordinary in both color and taste under her culinary expertise. Wei Mingting ate up three bowls of rice just with these dishes. One, because he was actually hungry. Two, because these homemade dishes were exactly to his taste. ¡°Ruoruo, it turns out that you are the best cook in our house. Your father has never known this.¡± Wei Mingting said with a sigh. Previously he only noticed Xiumei¡¯s cooking skills, but now he knew that Wei Ruo was just as good and wasn¡¯t any inferior to Xiumei at all. Wei Jinyi was also somewhat surprised. He had never seen Wei Ruo cook before. ¡°These are just some common dishes.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°It¡¯s the most common dishes that show the true skills.¡± Wei Mingting said.. Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Safe Return _1 Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Safe Return _1 Translator: 549690339 Xu Zhengyong was eating quietly, and although he didn¡¯t verbally praise the food, his hearty appetite spoke volumes. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Wei Ruo¡¯s cooking skills, as he was eating more than anyone else at the table. Back in the day, he used to kindle the fire for Ruoruo and Apprentice Sister Xiumei, even getting punched by Xiumei for not mastering the fire well enough! It was at that time that he decided to diligently practice martial arts to surpass Xiumei, and make her willingly call him Senior Brother. He chuckled to himself at the memory. After preparing the meal for Wei Mingting and others, Wei Ruo got back to work, cooking for the soldiers and villagers who were digging the tunnel. Since the required amount of food was large, each family¡¯s large pot could only be used to cook one dish. To save time and keep the food warm, Wei Ruo collaborated with the village women. Some cooked radish and pork stew, some stir-fried vegetables, some made rice, while some made steamed corn bread. Wei Ruo prepared a large pot of radish and pork stew. The pork was given by the villagers, but she couldn¡¯t bear to use it for their own meals, so she used it entirely for the stew. Despite the dish being more radish than meat, the radishes, infused with the savory taste of the meat, were equally delicious. Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi then led others in delivering the freshly cooked food to the soldiers and civilians who were digging the tunnel. Around the same time, women from other households also brought over their large pots filled with steaming food. Whether it was due to exhaustion from work, or if the food was simply irresistible, everyone seemed to indulge in the meal. Even though their dining conditions were poor, everyone seemed cheerful. The villagers were thankful for the soldiers, and the soldiers were equally touched by the villagers¡¯ warmth. In this small, cold, and damp village, a warm current was overflowing, resonating in everyone¡¯s hearts. After the meal, Wei Ruo and her companions stayed overnight at a farmhouse. Due to the limited space, the three men shared a room for rest, while Wei Ruo got a room of her own. None of them were softies. Just having a shelter from the elements was more than enough for them. After a full day of work, Wei Ruo fell asleep early and slept soundly till dawn. Early the next day, as soon as they woke up, one of the lieutenants came to report: ¡°Commander, the path has been cleared! A footpath is open now, and the people outside have already come in.¡± The early completion of the road can be attributed to everyone¡¯s joint effort. Last night, besides Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, who were trapped for most of the night and were asked to sleep through it, other soldiers took turns to dig throughout the night. Even the local villagers voluntarily took turns to work the whole night. Meanwhile, the people from the Government Office outside and the porters brought by Wei Jinyi also worked non-stop all night long, allowing for the speedy excavation of the passage. ¡°Well, well, you¡¯ve all worked hard!¡± Wei Mingting was elated. He then quickly ordered, ¡°Let the villagers who have a need to pass through first. We are not in a hurry.¡± Following Wei Mingting¡¯s orders, his subordinates waited for a while, allowing the villagers who wanted to leave to exit first before leaving with his team. When Wei Ruo was about to set off, she realized that Wei Jinyi wasn¡¯t in the farmhouse courtyard. Upon inquiry, she learned that Wei Jinyi had not rested in his room last night, but had gone to join the others in digging the tunnel. When he returned, Wei Ruo saw that he was wearing a coarse linen blouse borrowed from a villager. This wasn¡¯t because he was concerned about damaging his own clothes, but because his robe was too long and the sleeves were too wide, making it inconvenient for work. Despite his rudimentary attire, his elegance remained evident. We Jinyi went back to his room, changed back into his own clothes, and left two taels of silver on his bed as a token of payment for the lodging and borrowed clothes. Afterward, they all left West Mountain Village. After leaving the village, Wei Mingting instructed his soldiers to return first for rest. Those who lived in Xingshan County were to go home, while those who didn¡¯t were to return to their camps for rest, and they were all exempt from duties for a few days. After entering the city, Xu Zhengyong parted ways with Wei Ruo and the others. He needed to go home and reassure his parents of his safety since they must have been worried sick during his absence. in the end, Wei Mingting returned to the Wei Residence with Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi. Upon their return, Wei Ruo, under the guise of changing her clothes, did not accompany Wei Mingting to Cangyun Garden, but went straight to Tingsong Garden. We Jinyi also didn¡¯t go to Cangyun Garden, but walked towards the rear yard with Wei Ruo. Along the way, Wei Ruo noticed that Wei Jinyi looked somewhat tired, thus refrained from initiating any conversation with him all the way until her arrival at Tingsong Garden, where they remained silent. ### On reaching Cangyun Garden, Wei Mingting was met by his anxious wife who broke down in tears when she saw him safe and sound. Knowing that he made his wife worry, Wei Mingting was unsure of how to console her and could only hold her in comfort. Soon, Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan also hurried over. ¡°Father, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe!¡± Wei Qingwan rushed over, tears streaming down her face just like her mother¡¯s. Wei Yichen looked at his father, his heart full of exhilaration, but he was at a loss for words. After a while, the emotional storm of his mother, Yunshi, and Wei Qingwan subsided, and their crying ceased. ¡°Your safe return is a blessing from the ancestors and the heavens!¡± Yunshi exclaimed with deep emotion. Wei Mingting shook his head: ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t the heavens that saved me, but Jinyi and Ruoruo. They disregarded their own safety to look for me. If not for Ruoruo¡¯s ingenuity, I may have been walking the path to the netherworld at this moment.¡± Yunshi looked at Wei Mingting in astonishment:¡± Ruoruo and Jinyi went in search of you?¡± Wei Mingting nodded, ¡°Those two kind-hearted kids not only saved the people of the South City but they also saved me.¡± Hearing Wei Mingting¡¯s words, Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan also revealed expressions of astonishment. After his surprise, Wei Yichen looked delighted and respectful, ¡°Big sister is more capable and braver than I.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression, however, was somewhat rigid. ### Later, Xiaobei came to Tingsong Garden, bringing with him a box full of items for Wei Ruo. ¡ö¡öThese are some of the novel objects the Young Master came across outside. He bought them for the Young Mistress.¡± The box was full of various items, including cosmetic powders for women, hairpins, flower hair ornaments, and other accessories, as well as many intriguing items. After accepting the gifts, Wei Ruo personally went to Yingzhu Garden to thank Wei Jinyi. Upon pushing open the door of Yingzhu Garden, Wei Ruo saw a familiar figure in a familiar place. Wei Ruo walked into the pavilion and took a seat next to him. She watched as Wei Jinyi wrote something on a piece of paper. ¡°Thank you, second brother, for the gifts.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°1 also have something for you.¡± Wei Ruo took out a dagger from her bosom and handed it to Wei Jinyi. This dagger was crafted by the same craftsman who made the one for Xu Zhengyong. Wei Jinyi took a glance at the dagger, asking, ¡°Is it the same as the one you gave to Deputy General Xu?¡± ¡°Not entirely. The blade itself is similar, but the scabbard and hilt are slightly different,¡± responded Wei Ruo. ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Jinyi, remaining expressionless, shifted his gaze back to the calligraphy in his hand.. Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Serving Porridge l Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Serving Porridge l Translator: 549690339 I Wei Ruo continued: ¡°Deputy General Xu is the friend I mentioned to you before.¡± ¡°Hmm, I guessed so.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Perhaps because he hadn¡¯t slept the night before and was feeling very exhausted, Wei Ruo found Wei Jinyi¡¯s demeanor somewhat cold, even somewhat displeased. As the conversation had reached the subject of Xu Zhengyong, Wei Ruo continued: ¡°In fact, he¡¯s not just my friend, he¡¯s also my wet nurse¡¯s son. We grew up together. Though he¡¯s the son of my wet nurse, in my heart, he has always been my elder brother.¡± ¡°I know that in these major families, the master is the master, and the servant is the servant, and there are clear distinctions. If I am close to the son of my wet nurse, not only would people not think of us as siblings, they may even have some vulgar speculations.¡± ¡°But in my heart, my wet nurse has cared for me better than my two biological mothers, and Brother Xiaoyong is like my real brother. Our affection is very pure. Even without blood ties, I believe our relationship is no less than real siblings.¡± Wei Ruo never explicitly told Wei Jinyi about this before, as she felt that their relationship was not close enough. She worried that after telling him, Wei Jinyi might make her keep distance with Xu¡¯s family to avoid scandal. Therefore, Wei Ruo just mentioned him as a friend. Wei Jinyi turned his head to look at Wei Ruo, his gaze deep: ¡°But you told me.¡± Wei Ruo replied: ¡°Because through my observation of you recently, I believe you won¡¯t think like that about me. You won¡¯t demand that I keep my distance from my wet nurse¡¯s family like outsiders and understand my feelings.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi affirmed. ¡°Oh yes, you didn¡¯t sleep last night, so you should go and rest now. Don¡¯t wear yourself out.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi agreed, then put down the pen in his hand and returned to his room. After he retired to his room, Xiaobei with a delighted face told Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss, our master listens to you the most. I tried to persuade him to rest earlier but it was no use. Once you spoke, the master went to rest immediately.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t find any issue with it, and told Xiaobei: ¡°Take good care of your master. If he feels unwell, remember to inform me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss. I¡¯ve learned my lesson. If the master feels uncomfortable, I will definitely come to find you!¡± Xiaobei assured. Afterwards, Wei Ruo returned to the Tingsong Garden. She had many things to take care of. Although the rain had stopped, the damage caused by the sudden change in weather was not over yet. At this time, Xie Ying came looking for Wei Ruo at the Military Prefecture. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to bring Xie Ying directly to the Tingsong Garden. As soon as Xie Ying entered the door, she rushed to Wei Ruo, carefully examining her up and down to confirm her arms and legs were intact and she had no injuries. Then she asked Wei Ruo: ¡°Ruoruo, I heard you went to the southern city to save people and then rushed to West Mountain Village to help?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Wei Ruo asked in surprise. ¡°Are you kidding, who am I? I am Xie Ying. How can I not know about such a big issue?¡± Wei Ruo suspiciously looked at Xie Ying. Xie Ying laughed: ¡°My brother told me. He rushed back from Government City to help last night, went to the government office first, and heard about your activities from Qian Magistrate. So he told me as soon as he got home this morning.¡± While speaking, Xie Ying frowned: ¡°Ruoruo, why didn¡¯t you bring me along? I also want to help!¡± Seeing Xie Ying wasn¡¯t pleased, Wei Ruo quickly said: ¡°I was planning to have you assist with the following activities.¡± ¡°What are we going to do next? Aren¡¯t the people of the southern city and West Mountain Village already rescued?¡± Xie Ying asked in confusion. ¡°There are many things to do next. This sudden extreme weather has caused many people¡¯s vegetables to rot in the field before they could harvest them. Many people¡¯s houses have been destroyed, and some of their food supplies have been soaked. They might have to endure hunger and cold.¡± ¡°How can I help them?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°We will serve porridge, first let those who are about to starve eat a full meal. Then we will figure out a way to gather some cotton clothes and quilts.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go now!¡± Xie Ying took Wei Ruo¡¯s hand and was about to take her out the door. Seeing her lady being dragged away, Xiumei hurried after them. Yesterday, she stayed at the county government and did not follow her lady, causing her to worry all day. Today, she can¡¯t let her lady run around recklessly again. In the afternoon, a porridge stand was set up at the west city gate, serving porridge to those passing by. The fresh sweet potatoes and porridge boiled into a pot of sweet potato porridge had an inviting sweet aroma, attracting nearby villagers to line up for porridge. Wei Ruo, Xie Ying, Xiumei, along with a few maids and servants from the Xie Family, were busy at the porridge stand. Boiling porridge, washing dishes, serving porridge ¡ª both Wei Ruo and Xie Ying were hands-on. The three of them worked until dinnertime and had served ten large pots of sweet potato porridge. In the end, there was a little left in the pot. Xie Ying, who was already very hungry, served herself. ¡°Ruoruo, this sweet potato porridge is so sweet and delicious! I feel that the delicacies of the mountains and seas can¡¯t compare to it!¡± For the first time, Xie Ying found such simple food so delicious. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°You¡¯re hungry, that¡¯s why you find it delicious.¡± Xie Ying admitted: ¡°It seems so. I believe I understood what my grandfather said. Over the years, he has tasted countless delicacies, but he still thinks the most delicious food is the cornbread with pickles my grandmother made for him after he finished planting the fields when he was young.¡± Wei Ruo laughed and said: ¡°Your grandfather is right.¡± ¡°Ruoruo, can we continue this tomorrow?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°As long as your family doesn¡¯t object, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°My family naturally has no objections. When they find out I am serving porridge, my mother and brother will be very supportive and I am sure that my grandfather in the Capital City would be very pleased as well.¡± Xie Ying replied confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll come back tomorrow then.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ### By evening, news of Xie Ying and Wei Ruo serving porridge at the west city gate had reached the Military Prefecture. Although Lady Yun did not approve of Wei Ruo personally rushing to the southern city to rescue people, she was entirely supportive of the porridge serving initiative. During disasters, the custom of noble women serving porridge has been a tradition since the Holy Sage Empress ¡ª it is always regarded as a benevolent and virtuous act. As for Wei Ruo going to the southern city to save people, getting dirty and staying with villagers, Lady Yun has changed her mind after Wei Ruo rescued Wei Mingting. Perhaps her husband was right, she shouldn¡¯t impose the standards of traditional ladies in the Capital City on their eldest daughter. The only thing that Lady Yun was not entirely satisfied was that the porridge stand was set up under the name of the Xie family. Although Wei Ruo had contributed money and effort and was leading the initiative, those who weren¡¯t in the know might think it was the Xie family¡¯s undertaking and Wei Ruo was simply helping.. Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 133 We Dont Have to Argue with Chapter 133: Chapter 133 We Don¡¯t Have to Argue with Them_l Translator: 549690339 At dinner time, Wei Ruo made her appearance in the dining hall. Mrs. Yun praised, ¡°Ruoruo has been doing quite well these past few days. Today, when I was out, I ran into Madam Qian. She was full of praise for you, commending you over and over.¡± Wei Ruo merely nodded at this, not saying anything. It was not surprising that Madam Qian praised Wei Ruo. After all, what Wei Ruo had done had, to some extent, helped the Qian Magistrate. Mrs. Yun continued, ¡°However, Ruoruo, although the Military Prefecture isn¡¯t the home of the uber-rich and exceptionally wealthy, we can still afford the silver required for porridge distribution. Tomorrow, when you go to distribute porridge again, use our own people and resources. There¡¯s no need to go along with the Xie Family.¡± Before Wei Ruo could respond, Mrs. Yun immediately added, ¡°Also, bring Wanwan with you. Let her learn from you.¡± With the eldest daughter receiving praise outside for her benevolent acts of porridge distribution, Wanwan would inevitably appear inferior in comparison. Moreover, Wanwan had previously been openly criticized by Madam Yuan in the Government City. There had to be a way to rectify this situation. Soon after, Wei Qingwan walked over and slightly bowed towards Wei Ruo. ¡°Sister, your recent deeds have earned admiration from both our father and the town villagers. I am greatly in awe of you. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll join you in distributing porridge. Whatever tasks you instruct me to do, I¡¯ll do without any reluctance.¡± Wei Ruo smirked. ¡°Dear sister Qingwan, are you more interested in learning how to save people as I do, or in the praise I have received?¡± ¡°Of course I want to learn from you on how to help others. Father is safe thanks to your efforts. Our family has been overjoyed due to father¡¯s well-being. I believe that the people you saved are the dear parents, children, or families of others, they must be very grateful too.¡± Wei Qingwan stated. ¡°If you truly think so, that¡¯s great. However, if you have such thoughts, you might as well do it alone. There¡¯s no need to follow me.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Afterward, Wei Ruo turned her head to Mrs. Yun. ¡°Mother, since I arranged with Miss Xie to distribute porridge together, it would be improper to break our agreement. If the Military Prefecture wishes to continue this charitable act, my little sister Qingwan can do it. This will not only maintain the good reputation of the Military Prefecture but also build a positive reputation for Qingwan.¡± After Wei Ruo finished speaking, the expressions of Mrs. Yun and Wei Qingwan became somewhat unnatural. ¡°Mother, do you disagree with what I said? Sending Qingwan to another location to distribute porridge is a perfect solution. It satisfies your and my sister¡¯s desire to help others, and it also won¡¯t place me in a difficult situation. Moreover, since it¡¯s for the welfare of the people, the more porridge distribution, the better.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s words rang true, leaving Mrs. Yun hard-pressed to refute. Wei Qingwan felt somewhat anxious inside. She was more keen to accompany Wei Ruo in distributing the porridge. Currently within the Military Prefecture, no one was better off than Wei Ruo. The seventh Prince had just rewarded her with a hundred taels of gold, which was a huge sum. With this money, Wei Ruo would naturally be able to help the victimized villagers as she wished. She could distribute porridge and give out cotton clothes without having to worry about money. However, it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as it sounds for the Prefecture to afford such expenses. Wei Qingwan, who had seen the accounts of the Military Prefecture, was aware that there was a problem with this year¡¯s revenue and expenditure; they did not have much of a surplus. Mrs. Yun and Wei Qingwan seemed to want to say something more to Wei Ruo, but Wei Ruo didn¡¯t give them the opportunity. She saw her father, Wei Mingting, and walked straight towards him. ¡°Father.¡± Seeing Wei Ruo, the stern expression on Wei Mingting¡¯s face softened considerably. ¡°Ruoruo, you must rest well these days. Saving people is important, but you must also take care of your own health.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. The same goes for you, Father. You¡¯ve been very busy these past few days. You need to rest as well.¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Mingting kindly nodded his head. In the eyes of Wei Yichen and his siblings, Wei Mingting had always been a strict and serious father. However, when it came to Wei Ruo, his demeanor was much more affectionate. Perhaps it¡¯s because this daughter reminded him much of himself, making him feel closer to her, or maybe he felt a sense of guilt and remorse towards her. Seeing this, Mrs. Yun and Wei Qingwan chose not to resume the previous topic. The family sat down for a quiet dinner together. After dinner, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t stay for tea. She used her workload as an excuse and went straight back to the Tingsong Garden. Wei Mingting did not linger long either. He was rather busy; being able to return home for dinner with his family was already pretty good for him. He had to go to his study to handle some matters first. Meanwhile, the bookish Wei Yichen and the currently martial arts-obsessed Wei Yilin both took their leave one after the other. Wei Qingwan, who was still behind, asked Mrs. Yun when they were alone, ¡°Mother, about the distribution of porridge¡­¡± Mrs. Yun furrowed her brows, ¡°You can proceed with confidence. As for the money for the porridge, I¡¯ll take some from my dowry and give it to you.¡± Hearing this, a smile struggled to surface on Wei Qingwan¡¯s face. ¡°But Mother, that¡¯s your dowry. I cannot use it¡­¡± Wei Qingwan said in embarrassment. ¡°My dowry would eventually be for you and Ruoruo anyway. Money should be used where it¡¯s needed most. Feel free to use it.¡± Mrs. Yun stated. As she said this, Mrs. Yun took Wei Qingwan¡¯s hand and gently patted the back of it, ¡°Wanwan, do your best. Regardless of how it affects your reputation, you must do your part for the people of Xingshan County. These are people that your father and his soldiers protect with their lives.¡± Wei Qingwan nodded her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I will do my best.¡± ### The next day, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying went on as usual to distribute porridge at the west city gate. Today, they specifically prepared a bit more salted vegetables to eat with the porridge, making it even more appetizing. Xie Ying whispered into Wei Ruo¡¯s ear, ¡°Ruoruo, I heard that Wei Qingwan and Qian Zhilan have set up a stall at the North city gate. They are copying us and distributing porridge!¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°No matter what their motivations are for doing it, the fact remains that the porridge is distributed and the disaster-stricken people are fed. It¡¯s a good thing.¡± Xie Ying thought for a second and then replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re not doing it for fame so we don¡¯t need to compete with them. As long as the outcome can save people and help more of them get through this difficult time, then it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Wei Ruo smiled and continued with their task alongside Xie Ying. After a whole morning of work and having distributed all the porridge, Xie Jue arrived with several carts of goods. ¡°Little sister, Wei Family¡¯s little sister,¡± Xie Jue called out to Xie Ying and Wei Ruo with a beaming smile. ¡°Brother, why are you so late?¡± Xie Ying complained. ¡°My dear sister, this is the fastest I could manage. You should know how in-demand cotton clothes and quilts are nowadays. Fortunately, Mother has some in her estate and stores. If not, I wouldn¡¯t know where to buy them even if I had the money!¡± Xie Jue explained with an innocent face. The sudden change in weather had affected more than just Xingshan County. Disasters were everywhere, food was scarce, and cotton clothes and quilts were in high demand. ¡°Alright, alright, wait for us to clean this place up. Then we¡¯ll go house to house, check their conditions, and deliver the necessities to those who need them,¡± Xie Ying stated. ¡°Hold on for a second, I still have a few more things to wait for,¡± Wei Ruo said.. Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Chapter 134 My Second Brother Lives a Reclusive Lifel Chapter 134: Chapter 134 My Second Brother Lives a Reclusive Lifel Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Does Ruoruo have anything else?¡± Xie Ying asked. ¡°Some charcoal.¡± Wei Ruo replied. -Where did Ruoruo get the charcoal? When I asked my mother, she said it¡¯s getting cold quickly this year, and charcoal isn¡¯t easy to buy.¡± ¡°I purchased it early, which of course would be more difficult these days. I remember telling you about this before. ¡°You did mention, but my mother thought it was too early, afraid that the charcoal would get damp if bought too soon, and when we wanted to buy more these days, it was already too late.¡± -Don¡¯t worry, I have plenty left, even silver-charcoal. If your manor is short, I can lend some to you,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Xie Jue took over, ¡°My father has already ordered a batch from the Capital City, which will be shipped here by river in a few days. Our manor won¡¯t run out of charcoal. It¡¯s just that we can¡¯t provide the disaster-stricken commoners with charcoal now. -Alright then,¡± said Wei Ruo, ending the discussion on that matter. After their conversation, Wei Jinyi arrived on horseback, with a cart full of charcoal behind him. Seeing Wei Jinyi, Xie Ying asked curiously, ¡°Ruoruo, who is this?¡± ¡°This is my second brother,¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Your second brother? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡± Xie Ying asked. Hearing this, Xie Jue couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t it normal that you haven¡¯t seen men from other families? It would be more strange if you have met them all.¡± Which girl meets men from other families every day? Ordinarily, the opportunities to meet men from other families are very limited. Like now, it¡¯s a special occasion under special circumstances. ¡°That¡¯s true, I indeed haven¡¯t met many,¡± Xie Ying considered seriously before saying. Then Xie Jue scrutinized Wei Jinyi, ¡°However, I¡¯ve never met the second brother of Miss Wei¡¯s family either. It was normal that Xie Ying hadn¡¯t met him, but it was strange that even Xie Jue hadn¡¯t. Wei Mingting had been working in Xingshan County for some time, and Wei Jinyi seemed to be about the same age as him. Logically, they should have met several times. He had often seen the eldest son of the Wei Family, Wei Yichen, but he had never seen this second young master before. Curiosity and scrutiny shone in Xie Jue¡¯s eyes as he looked at Wei Jinyi. Although he had never met him in person, he had heard a little about Wei Jinyi. It was said that he was a melancholic, introverted, and timid person. But the man standing in front of him was a graceful young master, with bright eyes and white teeth, elegant manners. There wasn¡¯t a trace of melancholy or timidity. -My second brother likes to keep to himself and usually stays at home, that¡¯s why Big Brother Xie never met him,¡± Wei Ruo explained for Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi took the initiative to greet Xie Jue, ¡°Wei Jinyi has met Young Master Xie.¡± Xie Jue immediately returned the greeting and asked, ¡°Xie Jue has met the Second Young Master Wei. Where are you studying now? Generally, men of his age from nobility were either studying or practicing martial arts. Seeing Wei Jinyi¡¯s gentle temperament, and not like those rash men who are adept at wielding weapons, he guessed that Wei Jinyi must be studying. ¡°I¡¯m learning from the Tibetan layman and haven¡¯t attended any private school.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Xie Jue was surprised, ¡°Are you the one favored by the Tibetan layman?¡± Wei Jinyi made no attempt to deny it. Xie Jue couldn¡¯t help but take a closer look at Wei Jinyi again. The first time was because he didn¡¯t match the rumors, and the second time was because the Tibetan layman hadn¡¯t taken any disciples for many years. Now the rumor says that he has taken a new disciple, and it turns out to be the seemingly insignificant second young master of the Wei Family. Studying under the Tibetan layman was not a difficult task for Xie Jue, who spends his years in the Capital City, with more opportunities to meet erudite scholars. However, for most families in Xingshan County, it was something they could only dream about. Before Xie Jue finished observing, Xie Ying was already impatient and urged, ¡°Alright, Brother, stop stalling. Let¡¯s talk more on the way. Hurry to the village, or it will be dark!¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Xie Jue quickly withdrew his gaze from Wei Jinyi and ordered the Xie family¡¯s entourage to prepare for the journey. Wei Ruo, Wei Jinyi, Xiumei, and the Xie siblings, along with the Xie family¡¯s entourage, set off towards the west of the city. There are many small villages here, among which the landslide-stricken West Mountain Village is one of them, also the first stop for them. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, the villagers greeted them warmly. When they saw the supplies brought by Wei Ruo and his team, they were immediately overcome with gratitude. The slightly hunchbacked elderly village chief hobbled to the village entrance, expressing his gratitude to Wei Ruo and the others on behalf of the villagers, ¡°Young Master Wei, Miss Wei, we are already grateful that you came to rescue us, protecting our families, how can you still bring us so many good things, how are we supposed¡­¡± ¡°Village Chief, the rice, cotton clothes, and quilts are all brought by the young master and miss of the Xie Family,¡± Wei Ruo clarified. The porridge was supplied by Wei Ruo, and Xie Ying provided the manpower; The supplies sent to West Mountain Village were mainly from the Xie Family, and Wei Ruo had to make this clear. Hearing this, the village chief hurriedly led the others to thank Xie Jue and Xie Ying, to the point that he was about to kneel down. Xie Jue promptly stopped the village chief, ¡°Village Chief, please stand up, we can¡¯t accept this. In the face of this natural disaster, there¡¯s no distinction between us.¡± Xie Ying seconded, ¡°What my brother said is right, Village Chief, please don¡¯t be formal with us.¡± Hearing this, the village chief almost burst into tears. This year¡¯s crops were not good, and the sudden drop in temperature caused the vegetables grown by the villagers of West Mountain Village to rot in the fields. On top of that, the landslide destroyed many houses. Even though there were no casualties, this winter was going to be very tough. The arrival of Wei Ruo and his team to deliver supplies to West Mountain Village was more than a help in need, it was a matter of life and death for them! ¡°Village Chief, don¡¯t dwell on this right now, the priority is to help everyone get through this difficult time first,¡± Wei Ruo quickly interrupted the conversation. ¡°Alright alright,¡± the village chief repeatedly agreed, and then said, ¡°Regardless though, the kindness and debts of gratitude from Young Master Wei, Miss Wei, Miss Xie, and Young Master Xie, we, the villagers of the West Mountain Village will forever remember in our hearts, and will never forget.¡± The village chief also regained his composure, continuously expressing his gratitude. Then Wei Ruo instructed the others to start unloading the supplies, ¡°You guys, unload the supplies and distribute them house by house, don¡¯t miss any.¡± The Xie Family¡¯s attendants immediately sprang into action, and Wei Jinyi and Xie Jue also helped. Wei Jinyi appeared to be a scholar, but surprisingly, when he was lifting heavy objects, he didn¡¯t seem to be struggling. Seeing this, Xie Ying teased Xie Jue, ¡°Brother, look at him, and you still dare to say that you practice martial arts every day. Xie Jue was a bit gloomy, ¡°Sister, when you have time, ask Wei Ruo what kind of nourishment they provide to their Wei Family members, why are they all so strong.¡± That maid named Xiumei, even though she is a personal maid, her martial arts skills are commendable, her punches really hurt. Now, this second young master of Wei family is also like this. Xie Ying giggled, ¡°Brother, are you trying to ask something from Ruoruo again, using me as the middleman?¡± Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Demand for Prescription^ Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Demand for Prescription^ Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Sister, the way you talk, people might think that I have been coveting Wei Family¡¯s sister¡¯s stuff all the time.¡± Xie Jue said helplessly. ¡°You didn¡¯t? You have taken quite a few things from Ruoruo, that mosquito repellent balm, and that mushroom sauce, and¡­¡± Xie Jue interrupted her hurriedly, ¡°Sister, not long ago grandfather gave me a Treasury Sword, I¡¯ll give it to you later. ¡°Really?¡± Xie Ying¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Little girl, when did your brother ever lie to you?¡± ¡°Good brother, you are the bravest in my heart!¡± Xie Ying promptly changed her tune. At the moment, Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi were helping to repair the roof. Because most young men in the village had gone to dig out houses buried during a landslide. Previously, only a path had been dug out for moving in and out of the village, and many places were still buried. These past few days, the government office had still been sending people to help, but to regain normalcy as soon as possible, the men of the village, regardless of whether their houses were buried or not, had gone to help with the digging first. So, some damaged houses had been left aside, and the elderly, women, and children at home had to make do. Wei Ruo was standing below, helping pass things to Wei Jinyi who was on the roof. Looking up at Wei Jinyi who was busy on the roof, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really agile, walking so steadily on the roof.¡± We Jinyi did not respond to Wei Ruo¡¯s praise, instead he cautioned Wei Ruo, ¡°Be careful down there, some broken shards might drop at any time. Wei Jinyi was somewhat uneasy seeing Wei Ruo standing underneath. ¡°Mm, I will be careful. Brother, don¡¯t worry, I cherish my life.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Mm.¡± Whenever she looked at him, she would always show such a sweet and sincere smile. ¡°Brother, how long will you be staying in Xingshan County this time?¡± Wei Ruo asked at this moment when nothing was going on. ¡°It depends, there¡¯s no rush.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°Old¡­ Does that Tibetan layman not have any objections? ¡°That¡¯s his idea.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good.¡± That old man is thoughtful! After Wei Jinyi had repaired the roof, an old farmer brought two cups of water for them, ¡°Young Master Wei, Miss Wei, I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have good tea or wine, please accept some water.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Uncle, having a bowl of water is enough.¡± Wei Ruo took the bowl and passed it to Wei Jinyi first, then she took her own. Wei Jinyi saw that a strand of hair had fallen into Wei Ruo¡¯s bowl when she was drinking, so he reached out and helped her tuck the hair behind her ears. His long fingertips brushed against her ear, and Wei Ruo looked up, her eyes meeting Wei Jinyi¡¯s. At that moment, Wei Jinyi¡¯s hand was still behind Wei Ruo¡¯s ear. He was very focused, his gaze warm. His warmth made Wei Ruo a bit dazed, perhaps because no one had ever treated her like this before, or perhaps his eyes were so deep, like whirlpools. The two were gazing at each other when Xie Ying suddenly came over and patted Wei Ruo¡¯s shoulder. Wei Ruo was startled and quickly turned around. Wei Jinyi retracted his hand, looking thoughtfully at his own palm. In fact, he wasn¡¯t quite sure what had come over him in that moment. He just instinctively helped her with her hair and suddenly lost himself as he looked at her close-up face. ¡°RUO Ruo, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seeing that Wei Ruo was startled, Xie Ying quickly asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m okay, just lost in thought.¡± Wei Ruo quickly answered, and then asked Xie Ying, ¡°Did you want something?¡± ¡°Not really a big deal, just a question I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°What question?¡± Xie Ying leaned into Wei Ruo¡¯s ear, ¡°Ruo Ruo, what have you been feeding your family? Your brother and Meimei are in great health.¡± ¡°Well¡­ my brother¡¯s health has nothing to do with me, it¡¯s the result of his diligent practice. As for Meimei, exercise is the most important thing. She also bathes with medicinal herbs, and there are some daily supplements and body conditioning.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Ruo Ruo, you see my brother¡­ my grandfather wants him to be both a scholar and a martial artist. But look at him, he¡¯s been studying martial arts skills for a long time, but he¡¯s still mediocre. If you could, would you help him?¡± Though Xie Ying felt embarrassed asking for help, she disregarded it for her brother. -No problem at all.¡± Wei Ruo agreed very readily. ¡°Really?¡± Xie Ying looked at Wei Ruo in surprise. ¡°Are you kidding? Aren¡¯t we good friends? This is a small matter. Later, I will write down the recipe for the medicinal bath for you. As for the dietary supplement, it varies from person to person. Later, I will take a look at Young Master Xie and then decide what to supplement.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Ruo Ruo, you¡¯re so nice!¡± Xie Ying¡¯s face was full of joy and gratitude, ¡°Ruo Ruo, my brother is about to get the Treasury Sword from my grandfather. When he gets it, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to, I don¡¯t know martial arts, so it¡¯s no use to me. You like swords and sabres, so you can keep it for yourself.¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°No. I have to give you something in return since you gave me something good. I could never live with that guilt, I am Xie Ying, I never take advantage of others.¡± ¡°Then next time, give me a picture of a battle horse that you painted.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°My picture of a battle horse is nowhere near as good as Mr. Wang¡¯s. What do you need it for?¡± ¡°Exchange your handwriting for mine, it¡¯s an equivalent exchange. The important thing is not the value, but the sentiment. Your picture, painted stroke by stroke, must be very precious.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°All right, we¡¯ll do as you say!¡± Xie Ying happily agreed. Later, Wei Ruo found a room and wrote down the recipe for the medicinal bath for Xie Jue. Xie Ying, holding the recipe that Wei Ruo wrote, happily called out to Xie Jue who was working as a porter outside, ¡°Brother, come here quickly, Ruo Ruo has written a recipe for a medicinal bath for strengthening your body!¡± Xie jue was drawn by her voice, believing in the effectiveness of Wei Ruo¡¯s new medication since the previous recipe Wei Ruo gave to their mother was very effective. Xie jue did not make polite talk, and thanked Wei Ruo very sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Miss Wei!¡± ¡ö¡öNo need to be polite, this is exchanged for Yingying¡¯s precious ink. I¡¯m not being taken advantage of.¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°Ink? Sister, do you have any precious ink?¡± Xie Jue looked at Xie Ying in surprise. ¡°Of course, my drawings are quite good! Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Xie Ying retorted confidently. As the siblings bickered, Wei Ruo turned to Wei Jinyi and said, ¡°Brother, do you want some? If you do, I¡¯ll prepare it for you directly.¡± Wei Ruo thought to herself, although her brother was strong, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to bathe in the medicinal bath more frequently, especially since he was a martial arts practitioner and couldn¡¯t avoid physical strain from daily practice. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi nodded. Seeing Wei Ruo caring and looking out for him, Wei Jinyi felt a warmth spreading in his heart.. Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Discussing Merits and Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Discussing Merits and Rewards_l Translator: 549690339 Through the collective effort of Wei Ruo, Wei Jinyi, Xiumei, Xie Jue, and Xie Ying, along with several attendants of the Xie Family, three large carts full of goods were successfully delivered. Afterwards, they returned to the city, with Wei Ruo, Wei Jinyi and the Xie siblings saying their goodbyes on West Street. ¡°Ruoruo, let¡¯s continue tomorrow!¡± Xie Ying said cheerfully. Although she was exhausted from a day of work, the sight of the villagers smiles and the glow in their eyes when they received the goods filled Xie Ying with a sense of fulfillment. ¡°All right.¡± Wei Ruo had planned to do just that. ### For the next several days, Wei Ruo joined the Xie family in providing relief to the disaster-stricken villagers. Wei Qingwan persisted for three days but stopped for unknown reasons thereafter. Wei Ruo did not inquire further as she was not particularly interested. Time flew, and seven days passed in a blink. Thanks to the joint efforts of everyone in Xingshan County, the overall situation in the county remained manageable. Although everyone suffered losses and faced a difficult year ahead, at least everyone could survive without significant casualties. Good news came from the Capital City at this time. Emperor was very pleased with Chu Lan¡¯s report on land improvement in Xingshan County and decided to recognize and reward those responsible. In the afternoon, Wei Mingting was invited to the County Government. The Wei Residence was buzzing with excitement. Last time, Prince Seven bestowed Wei Ruo with many gifts. They wondered what the Emperor would bestow upon the Wei Family this time. In Cangyun Garden, Madame Yun was anxiously poring over the accounts, unable to concentrate. Wei Qingwan returned early from the Qian Residence and kept Madame Yun company in Cangyun Garden. Both of them hoped that Wei Mingting would be recognized in this round of rewards, and a promotion would be an even better outcome! Only after nightfall did Wei Mingting return home. Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan went to meet him. ¡°My lord, how did it go?¡± Madame Yun asked anxiously. Wei Mingting frowned slightly, his expression not very pleased. ¡°Things did not go as I expected.¡± Madame Yun¡¯s heart leapt. ¡°What happened?¡± Wei Qingwan curiously looked at Wei Mingting, eager to know what he meant by ¡®did not go as expected¡¯. Wei Mingting said, ¡°This time, the Emperor rewarded Prince Seven and Qian Magistrate but did not mention the Wei Residence at all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madame Yun could hardly believe it, ¡°Why was the Wei Residence not mentioned?¡± Wei Mingting shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s normal for the Emperor not to reward the Wei Residence, but why was Ruoruo also left out¡­¡± Wei Mingting had never expected to gain anything from Wei Ruo s achievements, but he believed that his Ruoruo must have contributed to the success, not just a little, but quite significantly. It was clearly Wei Ruo who had spearheaded the cultivation of new crops, but when it came to recognition and rewards, only Prince Seven and Qian Magistrate were mentioned. Wei Ruo¡¯s name did not appear at all. Madame Yun was taken aback. ¡°How could it be? That¡¯s not right. My lord, didn¡¯t you say that the Emperor especially values those who could share his burdens due to the insufficient grain supply in various areas in the past two years?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Wei Mingting had the same thought, hence his confusion about the outcome of the rewards. Madame Yun speculated, ¡°Could it be that Prince Seven deliberately withheld information?¡± Since Prince Seven was the one to report the matter, it was up to him what to report to the Emperor. If Prince Seven only mentioned himself and Qian Magistrate, then naturally it would have nothing to do with their Wei Family. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Only the Emperor knows what he truly thinks,¡± Wei Mingting sighed. Although he had been in officialdom for many years, he had only seen the Emperor a few times from afar and had never had the opportunity to discern the Emperor¡¯s thoughts, unlike the high officials in the court. As for Prince Seven, Wei Mingting had had minimal contact with him and didn¡¯t know his character and thoughts well. After a moment of contemplation, Wei Qingwan guessed, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because older sister is a woman. It¡¯s not appropriate for the Emperor to reward a woman for such an achievement.¡± Wei Mingting responded the same way as before, ¡°We don¡¯t know the actual situation at the moment.¡± Then, Wei Mingting cast a glance at Wei Qingwan, ¡°Wanwan, you should go back first.¡± Wei Mingting was now considering how to tell Wei Ruo about this, so he asked Wei Qingwan to leave first. Wei Qingwan obediently left Cangyun Garden. After leaving Cangyun Garden, Wei Qingwan thought about the situation all the way back. She was surprised by the outcome, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling happy.¡¯ Because she knew that the reason Wei Ruo could act so arrogantly in the residence, even daring to offend her mother, was that she relied on her achievements and her connection with Prince Seven. If Wei Ruo had been recognized and rewarded this time, she didn¡¯t know how much more arrogant Wei Ruo would become, nor how she would suppress her overtly and covertly. So, although it was regrettable that the Wei Residence didn¡¯t receive any rewards, for her personally, the joy outweighed the disappointment. Even though Wei Mingting didn¡¯t know how to break the news to Wei Ruo, understanding that the truth would eventually come out, he decided to summon Wei Ruo to Cangyun Garden after some consideration. He preferred to tell his daughter in person rather than having her find out through other channels. Upon Wei Ruo¡¯s arrival, Wei Mingting briefly explained the situation. He then looked at Wei Ruo and couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Such moments were rarely seen in him. Even when he was on the battlefield facing ruthless Japanese Pirates, he had never felt nervous. But now, he was feeling nervous because he was worried that his daughter might be upset and devastated by this piece of news. After pondering for a moment, Wei Ruo replied, ¡°I understand. Her face was calm, showing no signs of sorrow, pain or complaints. Seeing her reacting in such a way made Wei Mingting even more worried. ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯ll try to find out what happened¡­¡± Wei Mingting said. Although the Wei Family¡¯s power was limited and they might not have the channels to inquire, Wei Mingting still wanted to find out for his daughter. Wei Ruo shook her head, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry too much. Given the circumstances, finding out the reason won¡¯t change anything. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± Wei Mingting understood Wei Ruo¡¯s meaning that knowing the truth wouldn¡¯t change anything given their current circumstances. But it was precisely because of this that he was more worried for his daughter. He even thought that if Ruoruo could voice her grievances and cry like Wanwan did when she was wronged, he might not be so worried. ¡°Father, if there¡¯s nothing else, I will go back first,¡± said Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t in a good mood. She didn¡¯t show anger or sadness because she knew that it was pointless. However, that didn¡¯t mean that she was unaffected by the news. Wei Mingting frowned, as if he wanted to say something to Wei Ruo. However, being unskilled in comforting others, he spent a long time thinking about what to say. In the end, he simply nodded and let Wei Ruo return to Tingsong Garden. Upon her return to Tingsong Garden, just as she was about to enter, Wei Jinyi called out to her. ¡°Ruoruo.¡± Wei Ruo turned around to see Wei Jinyi looking at her with a concerned expression. Wei Ruo guessed he must have learned about the news her father had just told her. ¡°Second brother, I¡¯m not in a good mood..¡± Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Extremely Dislike Chu Lan 1 Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Extremely Dislike Chu Lan 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡® ¡ªX In front of Wei Mingting, Wei Ruo carefully concealed her negative emotions, but when facing Wei Jinyi, she did not hesitate to show her unhappiness. Saying that, Wei Ruo turned her head and walked towards Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo, her face was slightly downcast, something tugged at his heart uncomfortably. Observing Wei Ruo, Wei Jinyi was unsure how to comfort her. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the pavilion.¡± Wei Ruo followed Wei Jinyi into the pavilion. Wei Jinyi instructed Xiaobei to prepare a cup of honey grapefruit tea for her. ¡°Ruoruo¡­¡± Wei Jinyi opened his mouth, but he was tongue-tied, unsure how to console her. ¡°Why are you so nervous, Second Brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked, and seeing his expression, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Indeed, I am worried about you. These words were muted in Wei Jinyi¡¯s heart. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to console others. Could you tell me, what can I do to cheer you up?¡± Wei Jinyi asked earnestly. ¡°Just converse with me, that¡¯s all. Although I am a bit upset, it¡¯s not that serious,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Wei Jinyi furrowed his brows, attentively examining Wei Ruo¡¯s expression, as if trying to ascertain whether her claim was true. Wei Ruo rested her chin on her hand, and murmured, ¡°I initially set out to improve the barren land in the southern city not for the sake of achievements or accolades, I just happened to encounter the seventh prince along the way, which blew the situation out of proportion. Therefore, I am not particularly concerned about being rewarded and honored, and it doesn¡¯t distress me too much.¡± ¡°But I still feel bad because I hate when others take advantage of me, using my accomplishments as merit and setting me aside,¡± Wei Jinyi was still unsure what to say, resorting to being a silent listener instead. Wei Ruo continued to grumble, ¡°I have reason to suspect that Chu Lan deliberately concealed information, hoping to gain more credit, so as to highlight his importance as the seventh prince. I am aware, the princes are currently vying for power intensely, who wouldn¡¯t seize the opportunity to earn merits?¡± ¡°I hated that bastard from the beginning. Last time, he fulfilled his promise to reward me with one hundred taels of gold, which made me think he had a conscience and reduced my displeasure with him to nine out of ten, but now it¡¯s back to a ten.¡± The idea of Chu Lan becoming Emperor upset Wei Ruo tremendously. She wished the heavens would send someone to snatch his position, leaving him crying. However, Wei Ruo knew this was unlikely. According to the original storyline, Chu Lan would become the Crown Prince and eventually ascend the throne as Emperor. Even though Wei Qingwan¡¯s subplot had changed, it was highly unlikely to affect Chu Lan¡¯s storyline. Because the original storyline was primarily about the female protagonist and her struggles in the harem, and didn¡¯t delve too much into the male protagonist¡¯s political scheming. In the original story, Wei Qingwan and Chu Lan fell in love after they met in Xingshan County. Following a tragedy in the Wei family where Wei Mingting died in battle, Chu Lan took Wei Qingwan to the Capital City. Although Chu Lan was in love with Wei Qingwan, for political considerations, he married the daughter of the Minister of War as his official wife. Wei Qingwan, who initially followed him without a proper title, was just one of his concubines. Then began a story about love conquering all. Although Wei Qingwan was weak, she was kind-hearted and pure. Every time she was hurt, Chu Lan would come to comfort her, disliking his own Prince¡¯s wife even more in the process. Then Wei Qingwan rose from being a concubine, to becoming a favorite concubine of the Crown Prince, and eventually, she became the Empress after Chu Lan ascended the throne. In this process, Chu Lan was simply a tool, appearing whenever Wei Qingwan needed him. The changes in his status were only catalysts for the changes in status of his women. Thinking about the original plot, Wei Ruo let out a sigh. After sighing, she remembered that her second brother was looking at her with concern. ¡°Second brother, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just complaining a little bit. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to cry about things that I can¡¯t change at the moment. I¡¯m better off doing something more productive with this time.¡± ¡°Mm.¡° She had always been strong and knew clear about what she wanted, Wei Jinyi knew that. Perhaps it was her proactive approach that had influenced him, changing his initial ideas. It was also because of this, that he was considering competing for the position he initially decided not to strive for¡­ ¡°Alright, second brother. After venting out, I feel a lot better now. I¡¯m going back to get some actual work done,¡± said Wei Ruo as she got up from her seat. ¡°If you need anything, let me know anytime. Regardless of whether I am home or not. If I am not, just give the message to Jing Hu. He¡¯ll make sure the message gets to me,¡± Wei Jinyi said earnestly. ¡°Okay,¡± Wei Ruo agreed. Wei Ruo returned to Tingsong Garden. Rather than wasting her time worrying about the unpleasant things that had already happened, she had more important things to do. In the past few days, despite her being engrossed in relief efforts for the disaster-stricken people, she had not neglected the farming in her space. After the last harvest of sweet potatoes, her space levelled up to level three, and the experience points were at (100/1200). After earning Shiitake Mycelium, Wei Ruo began planting them relentlessly. To raise her experience points quickly, Wei Ruo was hands-on in the process of making Shiitake planting bags, especially the step of implanting the mycelium, nearly all of which was done by herself. After nearly two months of planting, along with Wei Ruo¡¯s cultivation in her space, the experience points soared quickly. Five days ago, her experience points were filled up again, leveling up to the fourth level, and unlocking a new type of seed. Upon seeing the new seeds, Wei Ruo was moved to tears. It was wheat, the very seed she needed right at the moment! The wheat seed wasn¡¯t scarce, but the wheat seed bestowed by her space was remarkable in every way. It was highly disease-resistant, had good drought tolerance, frost resistance, and was also flood-tolerant. Genetically speaking, it was superior. About a half month ago, Wei Ruo had made plans to cultivate wheat on a large scale to achieve a dual crop yield per year. However, sudden changes in weather conditions had made her dream a significant challenge. The wheat sprouts from the last sowing season had been ruined by the bouts of cold and heavy rain. Now, after much restoration, everyone was waiting for Wei Ruo to command them to plant the new wheat. Wei Ruo had been racking her brains on how to utilize limited resources to ensure the yield of wheat under severe weather conditions. Now, half of her problem was solved. Now she had to quickly sow the wheat in her space because the seeds given when she upgraded were limited. She could obtain more seeds by harvesting crops. It was too late to sow in reality, so Wei Ruo had no choice but to rely on the space where the growth cycle was short enough that it took only five days to grow wheat. Today was just the fifth day since she had sown the first batch of wheat. She needed to go back to harvest the wheat and then assume the wheat seeds for the farmers in City South to plant again.. Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Chapter 138: More Silver is Always Better _1 Chapter 138: Chapter 138: More Silver is Always Better _1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo first took Xiumei to the wet nurse¡¯s place, where they had already purchased a batch of wheat seeds for Wei Ruo. These were now stored in the warehouse previously used to store sweet potatoes. In recent days, due to the large shipment of sweet potatoes, a lot of space had been freed up in the warehouse. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to stand guard at the door, and took a long time inside the warehouse before she emerged. ¡°Meimei, you take Agui and Xiaoba to get these bags of rice seeds to the south side of the city and distribute some to each household. Be sure to tell them that these are high-quality seeds. The amount here might not be enough to plant all the rice fields, so the remaining fields can be filled with ordinary grain varieties from there.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. The amount of space rice seeds that Wei Ruo could acquire in such a short span of time was limited. She feared that if she waited any longer, the patience of the townsfolk would wear thin. Wei Ruo could very much empathize with their anxious feelings. If they miss this year¡¯s planting season, it would mean a year without any grain supplies for them. ¡°Alright.¡± Xiumei, on receiving Wei Ruo¡¯s command, ordered Agui and Xiaoba to help load up the cart with the grain seeds. Agui and Xiaoba were somewhat reluctant, especially the slightly older Agui. After moving things for a while, he spoke in frustration: ¡°Lady Xiumei, our miss has been working so diligently on matters regarding the south side of the city. But when it comes to rewards, our miss is left out. It¡¯s infuriating.¡± Apparently, both Agui and Xiaoba knew about the government¡¯s decision to distribute rewards based on the merits of developing the southern wasteland. Following Wei Ruo these days, they earned wages, got recognition, and enjoyed plenty of benefits. If Wei Ruo was wronged, they naturally would not be pleased. Xiumei sighed, ¡°We have to be fair. Miss initiated this work not to garner credit, but to enable the suffering populace to access abundant food. If people are unjust to our miss, should that affect the innocent people in the south side of the city?¡± Agui and Xiaoba shared a glance and were persuaded. Xiumei continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. As long as you¡¯re concerned for our miss, she would certainly be pleased. While others may not understand our miss or even ridicule her for her futile efforts, we, who belong to her, should understand and support her.¡± Agui replied, ¡°I understand. Xiaoba and I will serve our miss wholeheartedly.¡± With no further objections, the two efficiently loaded up the cart with all the rice seeds from the warehouse. The bullock cart holding the rice seeds left the city¡¯s southern gate in tandem with Wei Ruo¡¯s carriage. Outside the city gate, Qian Magistrate was also present. Seeing Wei Ruo, he was both surprised and awkward. After hesitating for a moment, Qian Magistrate still approached Wei Ruo¡¯s carriage. Through the carriage curtain, he asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss Wei, are you here to deliver rice seeds to the townsfolk?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°Not delivering, selling.¡± Although she originally intended to give them away, as Qian Magistrate asked, she instantly switched to selling them. ¡°Um¡­¡± Qian Magistrate¡¯s smile appeared somewhat stiff. ¡°I heard the honorable magistrate has received a good deal of rewards and that, once the harvest is bountiful next year, a promotion can be expected.¡± Wei Ruo seated herself in the carriage, speaking unhurriedly through the curtain. ¡°Thanks to Miss Wei¡¯s kindness.¡± Qian Magistrate was well aware that if it hadn¡¯t been for the young mistress of the Wei Family, his promotion wouldn¡¯t have come so quickly. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you do another favor for the townsfolk of Xingshan County? Why not buy these grains from me and distribute them among the townspeople who are developing the southern wasteland? What do you think?¡± After hesitating a moment, Qian Magistrate stoically replied, ¡°Yes, indeed. Tell me how much silver Miss Wei wants for the seeds, I will buy them without any negotiation.¡± Qian Magistrate felt guilty toward Wei Ruo. He benefitted from her actions; it was indeed unjust to have her spend money and effort to boost his accomplishments. Wei Ruo did not engage in further conversation with Qian Magistrate, giving a straight quote: ¡°Two hundred taels of silver.¡± ¡°Two hundred taels?¡± Qian Magistrate was clearly shocked by the price. Selling a few carts of wheat seeds for two hundred taels felt excessively expensive! ¡°If Magistrate Qian finds it expensive, you can choose not to buy. However, I would like to remind Magistrate Qian that the timing is past the window for normal wheat sowing. Given the cold weather setting in early, growing this batch of wheat won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± We Ruo left her words hanging for Qian Magistrate to finish in his own mind. Upon hearing her words, Qian Magistrate¡¯s heart dropped. If the wheat growth is successful, he can report to the higher officials by the middle of next year. Conversely, if the wheat does not grow, and the subsequent rice crop is affected as well, resulting in a failure to achieve a large-scale harvest, then his hopes of promotion may be dashed! Qian Magistrate quickly amended his reaction: ¡°Two hundred taels is not expensive; I will arrange for the silver to be brought immediately!¡± ¡°I trust that Magistrate Qian is a man of his word. So, on behalf of the people of the south side of the city, I thank Magistrate Qian. I will have these wheat seeds distributed immediately,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright, and thank you for your hard work, Miss Wei.¡± Qian Magistrate expressed his gratitude with a look of gratitude on his face. Of course, the Young Mistress of the Wei family need not worry about him going back on his word, as he is not merely buying the grain with two hundred taels but also Wei Ruo¡¯s expertise. After Wei Ruo left with her team, Qian Magistrate heaved a long sigh: sigh, it isn¡¯t appropriate to blame Miss Wei. If he were in her place, he would not be pleased either. However, he felt completely puzzled about the matter. He had no idea what actually transpired at the higher levels of the government. Wei Ruo, along with Xiumei, Agui, Xiaoba, and others, distributed the wheat seeds to the people of the south town. She instructed them on relevant agricultural matters and asked them to use the drilling method, use fertilizer intensively, and maintain consistent seeding depth. This method of seeding requires considerable labor but is beneficial in increasing yields. The townsfolk remembered Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions well and dared not slacken in any way. Their hopes of a plentiful harvest next year depended entirely on the Young Mistress of the Wei Family! Whatever directions she gave, they were sure to be accurate! Wei Ruo wrapped up her work and received the two hundred taels of silver delivered by Qian Magistrate. After managing matters concerning the south town, Wei Ruo returned to the main city. Finding some time on her hands, she first went to Four Treasure House. The wet nurse presented a new account book, bringing Wei Ruo some good news. Though Wei Ruo had used a great deal of supplies for relief work during this difficult period, overall, there were still profits. The commodities bought in advance expressly to sell to the privileged class fetched a good price, enabling Wei Ruo to make a considerable profit. ¡°Miss, this is the account book of Xu Ji Grain Shop. In these days, business in the grain shop has been much better than Four Treasure House, with rice and charcoal selling especially well. Other than the sweet potatoes that you, Miss, took for disaster relief and those you required to be reserved as the emergency provisions, the rest of the stock has been sold out.¡± Under the current circumstances, even the initially rich families started to economize. The practical products sold in Xu Ji Grain Shop were more popular than those in the Four Treasure House, leading to better business.. Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Wants Wei Jinyi to help with a recommendation 1 Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Wants Wei Jinyi to help with a recommendation 1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo flipped through the account books and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a joyful smile. She was very satisfied with the profits revealed within. Wei Ruo said to her nursemaid, ¡°I must thank you for your hard work.¡± The nursemaid quickly waved her off: ¡°I¡¯m not working hard at all. Nowadays, don¡¯t get to do much. Most of the work is done by hired hands.¡± She doesn¡¯t find any hardship in the tasks that occupy her days now. They had enough food, wore warm clothes, lived in comfortable houses, and even had coal to heat their homes during the winter. The warmth was incredibly comfortable. Comparing this to the hungry and cold commoners, she was overflowing with gratitude for her good fortune. All of this was thanks to Miss. If not for her, they would still be in their old home, battling hunger and cold, and fretting every day about their next meal. ¡°Nanny, take a few days off. Later on, I¡¯ll need you and Uncle Xu to make a trip to the Government City. The land over there needs preparing for wheat sowing. I¡¯m not familiar with the people there, and I¡¯m unsure of their capability to handle it, so I¡¯ll need you and Uncle Xu to oversee it for me.¡± ¡°Rest? I¡¯m starting for the Government City with Old Xu tomorrow. We can¡¯t delay sowing wheat. It¡¯s already time. If we don¡¯t plant it in time, what shall we do if it dies? Then, the fields will remain unused for half a year, what a waste!¡±.¡± ¡°No need for that. I have my calculations. Even if we plant a bit later, it will survive,¡± Wei Ruo had confidence in the seeds from her space. ¡°But we still have to go in advance. The field for sowing wheat needs to be fertilized first. This will ensure the wheat grows well later. What if the earth in that field is not so good, it takes more time to fertilize?¡± With that, the nursemaid encouraged Uncle Xu next to her: ¡°Old Xu, what are you standing around for? Pack your things.¡± ¡°Ah, alright, alright!¡± Xu Zhushan hastily agreed and turned to go back home. Nanny, you guys should rest for a few days, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Wei Ruo advised. ¡®There¡¯s nothing to rest for. We don¡¯t work very hard these days. Why do we need to specifically take a few days off? Compared to our past lives, our current lives already feel like a constant break!¡± In the end, Wei Ruo was not able to persuade the nursemaid and Uncle Xu to take a few days off. Early the next day, Xu Zhushan set off for Government City with two helpers. A few days later, after Wei Ruo was busy, a message arrived from Xie¡¯s family. Mr. Wang had resumed lessons. A few days ago, due to the disaster, Mr. Wang had approved leave for Wei Ruo and Xie Ying. Now that the disaster is over, they should resume classes. After class in the evening, Wei Ruo headed straight to the dining hall after returning home. Today, Wei Mingting did not come, but unexpectedly, Wei Jinyi, who seldom dines with everyone, came. Wei Ruo was curious and quietly asked Wei Jinyi, ¡°Why are you dining here today, second brother?¡± ¡°Mother sent someone to invite me,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Mrs. Yun actually sent someone specifically to invite Wei Jinyi to dine in the dining hall? Wei Ruo found it strange. Wei Jinyi had set up a small kitchen in his own courtyard and had separate meals with Wei Mingting¡¯s special permission. Mrs. Yun allowed this because she didn¡¯t like Wei Jinyi. Unusual actions often have ulterior motives, so Mrs. Yun¡¯s move today probably has a special purpose, not just to have a family meal together. Wei Mingting did not come home for dinner, so when Mrs. Yun arrived at the dining hall, she asked everyone to sit down and let the servants serve the dishes. During the meal, no one spoke due to the rule of not speaking while eating. But after the meal, when people were sitting around drinking tea, Mrs. Yun spoke, ¡°Jinyi, you have been studying with the Tibetan layman for quite some time now, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°All in all, three months,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. This time, the Tibetan layman let you come home and is even willing for you to stay here for a while longer. Presumably, he must be quite taken with you,¡± Mrs. Yun said. ¡°I am not sure what the layman¡¯s intention is,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Jinyi, your older brother will be taking the village test next year. His studies have been stagnant for quite some time now. If he could receive some guidance from a distinguished teacher, he may be able to surpass his level,¡± Mrs. Yun continued. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Jinyi responded non-committally. It seemed that he understood Mrs. Yun¡¯s hint but did not know how to respond. ¡°Since Jinyi managed to garner the praise of the Tibetan layman, he should contribute to the family if he has the ability,¡± Mrs. Yun added. ¡°When my studies are complete, I will definitely bring honor to our ancestors,¡± Wei Jinyi cleverly kept the conversation going. Mrs. Yun frowned. She didn¡¯t believe that Jinyi didn¡¯t understand what she was implying. At this time, Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t sit idle. ¡°Second Brother, what Mother is trying to ask you is, can you introduce me to the Tibetan layman?¡± Wei Yichen didn¡¯t like his mother¡¯s indirect way of asking. This method might be okay for outsiders, but for his own family, Wei Yichen felt there was no need for it. It would be better to communicate directly. The layman has no intention of accepting another disciple,¡± Wei Jinyi directly rejected the proposal. He didn¡¯t even bother to say he¡¯d go back and ask. Mrs. Yun¡¯s face darkened considerably at his words. Wei Yichen was disappointed but didn¡¯t know what to say. He couldn¡¯t blame anyone else, he could only blame his lack of talent. We Qingwan, observing Mrs. Yun and Wei Yichen¡¯s expressions, started to speak, ¡°Second Brother, perhaps the Tibetan layman didn¡¯t intend to take another disciple, but he may change his mind once he meets our elder brother. People used to say that the layman had retired to the forest and would not take any more students. But he still broke his rule and took you as his disciple. Since he could break the rule once, there should be a chance he could break it again.¡± Mrs. Yun immediately nodded in agreement with Wei Qingwan¡¯s statement: ¡°Wanwan is absolutely correct.¡± Wei Jinyi remained emotionless: ¡°Then you can ask him yourselves.¡± Mrs. Yun was stunned, ¡°Jinyi, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I think I made myself very clear,¡± Wei Jinyi remained nonchalant, seemingly immune to Mrs. Yun¡¯s fury. Mrs. Yun was aggravated, ¡°I am your nominal mother! Even if you happen to become a marquis or prime minister, I am still your mother. Now, you just have a famous teacher. How dare you talk to me like this?¡± Since it¡¯s just having a famous teacher, it¡¯s nothing much. So why make such a fuss over a trivial matter?¡± Wei Jinyi retorted calmly. ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Yun choked. For many years, she had almost nothing to do with this son, Wei Jinyi, she did not realize he could display such unruly, disrespectful behavior! ¡°Someone, take the second young master to the ancestral hall!¡± Mrs. Yun ordered. She is the mother, it is only natural for her to discipline her son. But after Mrs. Yun ordered so, there were no responses, only Jing Hu came in. But he only came in, didn¡¯t do anything. Jing Hu, I command you to take the second young master to the ancestral hall!¡± Mrs. Yun ordered again.. Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Chapter 140 This is the Masters Order_l Chapter 140: Chapter 140 This is the Master¡¯s Order_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Madam, we must have the master¡¯s command to deal with the second young master,¡± replied Jing Hu, highly respectful. Although his tone was reverent, he blatantly ignored Madam Yun¡¯s order. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I, as the lady of the house, can¡¯t even command you?¡± ¡°Madam, this is the master¡¯s order,¡± Jing Hu replied with the same demeanor and reason. Madam Yun¡¯s face darkened, her anger surged but she couldn¡¯t vent it. That was because Jing Hu was a guard of Wei Mingting. If he dared to say this, it must have been instructed by Wei Mingting. This was why Madam Yun could not vent her anger. She could vent her temper on anyone in the mansion, but never on her husband, Wei Mingting. But this was exactly what caused her the most pain and distress. She didn¡¯t understand why her husband instructed his subordinates to protect this illegitimate child to such an extent! Both Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan looked worriedly at Madam Yun. After all these years, it was the first time they had seen Madam Yun like this. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Wei Yichen looked at Madam Yun anxiously. After a while, Madam Yun stood up. She didn¡¯t speak but turned back to her room. Wei Jinyi also stood up and left, not caring about how others in the room might feel. Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan dared not leave. Fearing Madam Yun may need them, they followed her to Cangyun Garden. Only Wei Ruo was left. Seeing no one else, she quickly left. When she was about to reach Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo caught up with Wei Jinyi. As if he knew what Wei Ruo would say, Wei Jinyi said, ¡°Ruoruo, don¡¯t worry. Father won¡¯t blame me, and mother, even if she¡¯s angry, couldn¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Then Wei Jinyi explained to Wei Ruo, ¡°My mother has some special meaning to my father.¡± ¡°So, second brother already knew what I was wondering about,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes. So if you encounter any difficulties in the future, just tell me. If I¡¯m not at home, just ask Jing Hu to send me a message,¡± said Wei Jinyi. Although he couldn¡¯t protect her from the affairs at the court, he could still help her at home. ¡°Thank you, second brother,¡± said Wei Ruo, feeling a warmth in her heart. Although Wei Ruo has always held the style of being strong and independent, relying on oneself in all things, she would still be very happy when someone is willing to support her. ### That night, when Wei Mingting returned to the Military Prefecture, Madam Yun, as always, was waiting for him in the room. What was different today was that Madam Yun didn¡¯t welcome him with warmth. We Mingting noticed his wife¡¯s unusualness and asked, ¡°Madam, do you feel unwell? Should we send for the doctor?¡± Madam Yun looked at Wei Mingting, and after a long time, she asked, ¡°My lord, we have been husband and wife for so many years. Do you know what kind of person I am?¡± Wei Mingting picked up on his wife¡¯s abnormality and replied, ¡°Madam, you are gentle, kind, filial to the elders, nurturing to the children and manage the household thoroughly. You are my wise and virtuous wife.¡± Getting such an answer, Madam Yun¡¯s expression softened somewhat, and she began to talk about what happened today: ¡°My lord, today I was going to punish Jinyi, but no one in the guard was willing to do it. They all claimed that they needed your order to act upon Jinyi. Can you tell me why? Do you not trust me, or¡­¡± Madam Yun wanted to know the answer, but she was also afraid to know it. ¡°You wanted to punish Jinyi today?¡± Wei Mingting was surprised. Jinyi was always non-confrontational with anyone in the mansion, especially with his wife. ¡°Yes, today I indeed had the thought of punishing him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wanted Jinyi to help recommend Yichen to the Tibetan layman. They are brothers, and it is only right and natural to help each other. But not only did he sternly deny my request, he showed no respect to his mother, and was arrogant. That¡¯s why I wanted to punish him as a warning and make him kneel in the ancestral hall.¡± Madam Yun didn¡¯t think that she was in any way wrong about today¡¯s events. As a mother, asking her children to help each other is only right and natural. When a son disrespects his mother, it is also only natural that she disciplines him. After explaining all this, Madam Yun looked at her husband, who looked troubled, deeply lost in thought. ¡°My lord, do you think I was wrong?¡± asked Madam Yun, somewhat nervously. ¡°It¡¯s not that you were wrong, but¡­ you should let go of Jinyi¡¯s affairs. If there are things he is unwilling to do, you shouldn¡¯t require him to do them.¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s reply was unexpected for Madam Yun, she asked, pained, ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain it to you at the moment.¡± ¡°Is it because of Jinyi¡¯s mother?¡± Madam Yun guessed, unable to think of any other reason for her husband¡¯s actions. In an instant, tears filled Madam Yun¡¯s eyes. For many years now, she had deliberately avoided bringing up that woman; she forced herself not to be jealous. But when her husband showed an unusual degree of protection towards the illegitimate child, the frustration and hurt in her heart that lay buried deep within could not be suppressed again. Seeing his wife¡¯s tears, Wei Mingting said hurriedly, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t think too much about it, this matter doesn¡¯t have much to do with Jinyi¡¯s mother¡­¡± ¡°If it has nothing to do with her, why are you acting this way? Or do you think I was wrong in wanting Jinyi to help bring Yichen to the Tibetan layman?¡± countered Madam Yun. Madam Yun had always listened to her husband¡¯s words over the years. She did what he told her to without question, but today she wanted to find out the root of his unusual behavior. ¡°You were not wrong. It¡¯s just that, Jinyi¡­ is unique to me. So, I hope you won¡¯t treat him as the mistress of an ordinary family would treat an illegitimate child,¡± said Wei Mingting. His expression was somber, there was only so much he could explain to his wife. But to Madam Yun, Wei Mingting¡¯s words had another meaning. ¡°Unique¡­ how unique?¡± Madam Yun asked again. ¡°Madam, it truly isn¡¯t what you think,¡± Wei Mingting denied again, but could not provide more explanation. Despite her husband¡¯s repeated denials that it had anything to do with Jinyi¡¯s biological mother, his actions revealed his special affection for that woman. It was a kind of favoritism that she, as his wife, had never received. ¡°Can my lord now tell me who that woman is? Her surname, her name, her origin?¡± Madam Yun asked, unwilling to give up. About that woman, Madam Yun knew very little. Her husband had brought home a child after a year away. Her heart hurt terribly then, but she was unable to say anything. She forced herself not to question her husband about the child¡¯s mother, and made an effort not to think about what might have occurred in the past year between her husband and that woman.. Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 141: The War Resumes_l Chapter 141: Chapter 141: The War Resumes_l Translator: 549690339 | But deep down, there was still a void in her heart. Once touched, all those emotions would come rushing out. ¡°Madam, please stop asking about this.¡± Wei Mingting couldn¡¯t give his wife a satisfactory answer, so he abruptly ended the conversation. Upon seeing Wei Mingting head towards the study, Madam Yun slumped down into her chair, heartbroken. Madam Yun didn¡¯t understand why she had reopened those old wounds today, wounds which she had buried deep in her heart for many years. Perhaps it was because Jinyi had become more active lately, and his presence constantly reminded her of her husband¡¯s sweet past with another woman. ### This time, Wei Jinyi stayed at home for half a month. After accompanying Wei Ruo to finish the disaster relief work, it was time for him to leave again. Wei RUO went to bid him goodbye, and brought him a carriage full of things. Upon seeing the gifts Wei Ruo had given, Xiaobei couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Young Mistress, you¡¯re so good to our young master!¡¯ ¡°Take good care of your young master. Don¡¯t let him catch the cold and fall ill again. Even though his martial arts skills are highly sophisticated and he has a strong physique, he can¡¯t withstand the freezing cold.¡± Wei Ruo instructed Xiaobei. ¡®¡öYoung Mistress, rest assured, I will take good care of the young master.¡± Xiaobei responded confidently. The young master¡¯s previous illness was due to his negligence towards his own health. Now he took better care of himself. In addition, the young mistress had given them an ample supply of medicines for emergencies. If they caught a cold, they could take the medicine Wei Ruo had provided, recover quickly, and avoid major illnesses. So, Xiaobei was not worried at all. Wei Ruo went over to Wei Jinyi and advised him, ¡°Second brother, take care of yourself and do what you want to do. Write to me when you have time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Jinyi replied, ¡°Ruo, same goes for you. Do everything as I have taught you.¡± Wei Ruo nodded, then watched as Wei Jinyi mounted his horse. Weijinyi locked eyes with Wei Ruo for a while and then galloped away. The next time they meet should be during the New Year. ### Not long after Wei Jinyi left, disaster-stricken Xingshan County was invaded by Japanese Pirates again. It had only been two months since the last defeat of the Japanese Pirates, and they had regrouped and attacked so soon. Luckily Wei Mingting had remained vigilant and maintained the defenses, even during the disaster relief he only mobilized a small number of people, ensuring that the original defensive layout wasn¡¯t disrupted. So, the pirate¡¯s surprise attack didn¡¯t do too much damage to Xingshan County. But from this moment on, Wei Mingting, along with his soldiers, had to stay fully alert, ready to face a new round of war. Wei Mingting became very busy once again, staying in the camp for several consecutive days. With the war situation, Madam Yun no longer felt any jealousy or sorrow. She only wished for her husband to be safe and for peace in Xingshan County. With the household affairs being so hectic, she delegated the duty of supervising Wei Yilin¡¯s studies to Wei Ruo, asking her to spend some time every day understanding Wei Yilin¡¯s daily learning progress. Although Wei Ruo didn¡¯t like Wei Yilin, she still had to put up a facade and get the job done. Therefore, after returning from the Xie Residence today, Wei Ruo went to the Chrysanthemum Garden. Before she entered the courtyard, she heard clear whiplash sounds emerging from inside. Upon entering, she saw Wei Yilin practicing with the whip that she had given him. Wei Ruo stood at the sidelines for a while and found that the brat was quite good at using the whip. After whipping for a while, Wei Yilin saw Wei Ruo standing at the entrance of his courtyard as he turned around. He stopped, put away the whip, walked up to Wei Ruo with a stern face and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Haven¡¯t she already said that she does not like him and will ignore him? So, what was she doing on his turf? ¡°I¡¯m here following orders.¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Continue practicing your whip. I will leave once my time¡¯s up. We will not interfere with each other.¡± ¡°No, I want to talk to you!¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s rebellious nature surfaced; if Wei Ruo did not want him to bother her, he would do exactly that. ¡°If you are ill, get a doctor to check you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s ill! I¡¯m practicing martial arts everyday and my body is in great shape!¡± Saying that, Wei Yilin rolled up his sleeves to show Wei Ruo his arms. Indeed, his arms were a lot bigger than before, and the muscles were firm. Then, Wei Yilin added, ¡°Once I get even better at martial arts, I¡¯ll join my father on the battlefield to fight the enemy!¡± Wei Ruo remained silent, just giving him a cursory glance. Wei Yilin felt disregarded by Wei Ruo: ¡°Do you not believe in me?¡± ¡°Or what? You, who were once scared shitless by two Japanese pirates and acted completely brainless, now want to fight them?1 ¡°You! You are talking nonsense! Last time¡­ last time was an accident! And besides, I didn¡¯t know martial arts then! It¡¯s different now!¡± Wei Yilin considered his previous capture a disgrace. He didn¡¯t feel so humiliated before, but as he was learning martial arts under his master and spending time with his fellow students, he learned that a true warrior should fight to protect his family and country. This made him feel even more disgraced about having been kidnapped by two Japanese pirates. If only he had started learning martial arts earlier! Then he could have killed those two pirates and earned merit! Wei Yilin saw that Wei Ruo still had a mocking look on her face and clearly didn¡¯t believe that he could defeat the Japanese pirates. This infuriated him. Just as he was about to retort, he remembered some things he had heard recently. After some contemplation, Wei Yilin didn¡¯t say anything harsh and instead asked Wei Ruo, ¡°I heard that you have been helping the needy in Xingshan County recently.¡± ¡°Any problem with that?¡± Wei Yilin was frustrated by Wei Ruo¡¯s attitude. He wanted to retort but thinking of some things, he managed to hold back his anger. He changed his tone and said, ¡°Humph. Considering how you saved father and helped many disaster victims, I will allow you to scold me.¡± ¡°Are you starting to understand right from wrong?¡± Wei Ruo sneered. -What do you mean by that? When did I ever fail to distinguish between right and wrong? When you were doing wrong by bullying my dearest Sister Wanwan, of course I scolded you. Now that you¡¯re doing the right thing, I choose to ignore you for the time being. I¡¯m very clear about right and wrong!¡± ¡°The fact that you could say that I bullied Wei Qingwan and then brag about your clarity of right and wrong, Well, that¡¯s quite rich.¡± Wei Ruo responded contemptuously. ¡°How did you not bully Sister Wanwan? Right after your arrival, you tried to snatch her position as the eldest daughter of the Wei family. When she treated you well, you didn¡¯t even accept her gifts, and then you even took her spot at the Xie Residence to study!¡± Wei Yilin enumerated Wei Ruo¡¯s ¡°crimes¡±.. Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Urgent Shortage of Medicinal Materials 1 Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Urgent Shortage of Medicinal Materials 1 Translator: 549690339 | Are you saying that the things of Wei Qingwan¡¯s that I¡¯ve taken, were not originally mine?¡± Wei Ruo asked Wei Yilin back. ¡°How could they originally be yours¡­ that is¡­¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s voice faltered. ¡°How could they not be mine originally? If it weren¡¯t for the mix-up, wouldn¡¯t I have been the one living in the Military Prefecture these years? Wouldn¡¯t the status of the eldest legitimate daughter have always been mine from the start? At the moment I was born, didn¡¯t it belong to me?¡± ¡°The one originally supposed to go study at the Xie Family was also me from the start. It was your own misunderstanding, how could it be that after a single misunderstanding, you could claim it was originally Wei Qingwan¡¯s? How could such a principle exist in this world?¡± Wei Ruo challenged. Wei Yilin was left speechless by Wei Ruo¡¯s retort. He never thought so deeply about it before, he simply took Wanwan¡¯s side. Because life was good for Sister Wanwan originally, and it was only after Wei Qingruo arrived that various problems emerged. Every time he saw Sister Wanwan sad and upset, he would blame Wei Qingruo, wishing he could immediately drive Wei Qingruo out of their home to make Sister Wanwan happy again. And yet¡­ what Wei Qingruo said did not seem unreasonable¡­ Wei Ruo didn¡¯t care about Wei Yilin¡¯s thoughts, seeing that it was about time, she rose and left the Chrysanthemum Garden to return to her own courtyard¡¯to attend her own matters. After Wei Yilin finished his thoughts and noticed that Wei Ruo had already disappeared, he couldn¡¯t help stomping his feet in frustration. She left without a word! ### Once back at Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo busied herself with her own matters. Presently, she was always occupied with her own enterprise. After delivering seeds to the south of the city, she felt much more at ease as there were government officials overseeing the process. After providing the citizens of the city¡¯s south with new wheat seeds, she was much less worried. Wei Ruo and Xiumei discussed the ongoing cultivation situation at Xiaoyang Mountain. After enduring a period of cold weather, the oilseed rape, radishes, and mustard greens planted on Xiaoyang Mountain were somewhat affected, but they could still be salvaged. The weather warmed up slightly these past few days and the newly sown oilseed seedlings have already sprouted, and soon they would make up for the losses. Moreover, these crops have short growth cycles. As long as there is stable sunlight in the upcoming days, they will be able to be harvested in succession. Once the oilseed rape is harvested, they would be sold directly or preserved as pickled vegetables. The same went for the mustard greens, they would also be pickled to elongate their storage life. Soon, when the weather becomes colder, there won¡¯t be any crops that could grow. By then, pickled vegetables and meats will become an important source of food. When the new batch of shiitake mushrooms grows, Wei Ruo plans to make a large batch of shiitake sauce. The medicinal herbs that Wei Ruo and Xie Ying planted together were also chosen for their frost-resistance, as Wei Ruo had predicted that the cold weather would come early. Thankfully, they have survived the cold snap. A batch of medicinal herbs procured by Wei Ruo and Xie Ying recently was also ready to be sold, and with the recent scarcity of medicinal herbs in all pharmacies, selling the medical herbs to the pharmacy should bring in quite a sum of silver. In addition, Madam Yuan from the Government City sent a message saying that because of the sudden cold snap, the original planting plan was disrupted. Madam Yuan hoped that Wei Ruo would visit the Government City again to help the city¡¯s citizens plan for their upcoming planting. Madam Yuan sent the letter to Wei Ruo alone first, and would only send the letter to the Military Prefecture after receiving her consent in response. Madam Yuan did this because she was concerned about the possibility that the Military Prefecture would directly send Wei Ruo to the Government City, disregarding her own wishes, should they receive the letter first. Madam Yuan held sincere appreciation for Wei Ruo and did not wish to impose on her unwillingly. Wei Ruo was of course, willing. Hence, she wrote a reply to Madam Yuan, and had the messenger relay her response back to the Government City. She supposed that she needed only a few days, and then she would have to visit the Government City. This also provided her with an opportunity to check on her manor in the Government City. ### For a few consecutive days, there have been gunshots coming from the east of the city, causing a panic among the people in the city. At this moment, in a high-security military camp, Wei Mingting¡¯s tent. After hearing the military doctor¡¯s report, Wei Mingting looked rather concerned. The medical supplies had run out. This meant that many wounded soldiers were now lying in the medical tents without receiving effective treatment. Wei Mingting asked his subordinates, ¡°When will the medicine-delivery team sent by the court arrive?¡± The subordinate lowered his head, not daring to respond. Wei Mingting guessed the answer immediately, ¡°Is there still no news?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ because there was a lull in the fighting a while ago, and up to now, there still hasn¡¯t been any clear information. So, we really don¡¯t know when we can get the new supplies.¡± The medical supply request passed through various layers of bureaucracy, and they were not sure where it got stuck. But one could guess as much. As Xingshan County wasn¡¯t the only place affected by Japanese pirates along the southeast coast, once Xingshan County successfully drove away the invaders, the court let its guard down. There was no information forthcoming from the top, and they had no idea when the medical supplies would be resupplied. However, the injured soldiers couldn¡¯t afford to wait. After contemplating for a while, Wei Mingting commanded an aide, ¡°Can you help me deliver two letters back to the city? One is for Magistrate Qian, and the other is for the Military Prefecture.¡± Wei Mingting could only hope now that the Magistrate Qian could think of a solution and manage to purchase some urgently needed medicine from the pharmacies within the city. As for writing to the Military Prefecture, he did not hold much hope, but it was better than nothing. If his family could help find some medication, it would at least save some lives. Even though this might not solve the urgent medical shortage, for now, they could only pin their hopes on this. ### Wei Mingting¡¯s letters soon arrived in the hands of Madam. Upon learning of her husband¡¯s concern over the medical supply situation, Madam urgently wanted to help. But now, there was a shortage of medicinal herbs in the city¡¯s pharmacies; they couldn¡¯t buy any medicine at all. Even if the Military Prefecture had the money, there was no place to buy meds. Returning from Magistrate Qian¡¯s, Wei Qingwan went to visit her mother Madam. After learning about the situation, Wei Qingwan was unable to aid Madam in this crisis, and could only softly console Madam, ¡°Mother, you need not worry, this matter isn¡¯t the fault of the Military Prefecture. If anyone should be worried, it wouldn¡¯t be its turn to do so.¡± ¡°I know it is not the fault of the Military Prefecture, but your father is quite worried about it. If because of the shortage of medicinal herbs, those that could have been saved end up losing their chance of survival¡­¡± Madam was still filled with concern. Weiqing Qingwan, knowing she can¡¯t do anything to help, then said, ¡°Then let me lend a hand by helping mother manage the affairs of the Prefecture, to ease some of mother¡¯s worries.¡± Madam nodded, then called Nanny Zhang over, instructing her to find out if there were any channels available to buy a bulk batch of medicinal herbs. But after a half-day of efforts, they found nothing. As the pharmacies in the city were currently suffering from a shortage of medicinal herbs themselves, there was no surplus stock that could be supplied in large quantities. Even the medicinal herb merchants did not have any stock on hand; they reportedly mentioned that recently, the production of medicinal herbs hadn¡¯t been good. Disasters had struck in many places, and they all needed medicine.. Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Ill Listen to You 1 Chapter 143: Chapter 143: I¡¯ll Listen to You 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª The next day, as Wei Ruo prepared to step out, she encountered Nurse Li just outside the gates of Tingsong Garden. ¡°So, Missy is heading out again?¡± Nurse Li asked with a beaming smile. Wei Ruo found this smile to be anything but friendly. Do I need to report to you when I leave now?¡± Wei Ruo retorted. After the last episode, Nurse Li had laid low for a while, but Wei Ruo had no idea what emboldened her to stir trouble today. ¡°Of course, Missy need not report to a lowly servant like me when she goes out, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to inform the Madame.¡± Nurse Li reminded. ¡°Have I not left this many times before? Do I need lessons from you?¡± ¡°Now, Missy, don¡¯t get angry. This old servant is only looking out for you After all, things are different now. You used to have the support of nobles when you were busying with the affairs of the city¡¯s southern district, but everyone knows you have nothing to do with those matters anymore.¡± Nurse Li managed a smirk. Now, it dawned upon Wei Ruo why Nurse Li had chosen today of all days to stir trouble. It seemed that she thought Wei Ruo had lost a significant backing and wouldn¡¯t dare to act high and mighty at home anymore. Indeed, during her previous visit to the Government City, Wei Ruo had drawn upon the support for her farming project in the city¡¯s southern district to directly confront Madam Yun. Once Wei Ruo understood Nurse Li¡¯s intentions, she laughed dismissively, ¡°So, you¡¯re here on behalf of your Missy to mock me? The two of you did pick the ¡¯ perfect time, when my father is away.¡± A few days had passed since the incident and Nurse Li had held back until now to come and gloat, likely because her father and second brother had been at home. In these few days, the war had begun and her father barely came home, let alone worry about trivial family matters. ¡°What are you implying, Missy? Isn¡¯t it a bit unkind to assume that I, a humble servant, harbor sinister intentions about you? I merely wish for you to live by the rules, to respect your parents, and not flaunt your disregard for decorum. After all, it was I who taught you the rules when you first entered the house Naturally, I feel responsible for your behavior.¡± Nurse Li wore a proud smile. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to disappoint you,¡± Wei Ruo chuckled dismissively then turned to her maid Xiumei, ¡°Meimei, if any dogs block our way again, do shoo them away for me.¡± ¡°Of course, Missy, I¡¯ll handle it!¡± Xiumei made a fist with her right hand. Upon hearing this, Nurse Li snorted and stepped back, allowing Wei Ruo to pass. As she watched Wei Ruo walk past her, a sneer spread across Nurse Li¡¯s face. Right as Wei Ruo was about to step out of the gate, she ran into Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan. The timing couldn¡¯t have been more impeccable. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan looked surprised, ¡°Sister, you are heading out too? I thought your project in the city¡¯s southern district was finished?¡± Wei Ruo laughed, so this was it; Nurse Li¡¯s insistence on blocking her path was not just a ploy to irritate her, but also to ensure she would run into Madam Yun as she left. ¡°Is that so, Ruoruo? I thought you were done engaging with that project in the city¡¯s southern district?¡± Madam Yun chimed in. ¡°I have other matters to attend to.¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°What other matters?¡± Madam Yun looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s also about farming.¡± Wei Ruo replied. This made Madam Yun frown, ¡¯¡¯Ruoruo, your father supported your southern city project because it benefited the people. Now that you¡¯ve withdrawn from it, why do you still want to engage with farming?¡± Madam Yun was not entirely in agreement with her daughter¡¯s approach. ¡°Does my mother think it¡¯s inappropriate for her daughter to take an interest in agriculture?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°That¡¯s not the issue; I simply believe there are more suitable tasks for you to pursue.¡± said Madam Yun. She had initially hoped her eldest daughter¡¯s efforts would add to her reputation, but this hope proved futile. Regardless of whether it was the seventh prince¡¯s or the Emperor¡¯s intention none of them accepted the idea of a young woman from a noble family involving herself in agriculture. Therefore, Madam Yun hoped her daughter could shift her efforts elsewhere and behave more like a proper young lady. ¡°And if I am determined to proceed as I have?¡± Wei Ruo challenged. Madam Yun sighed, ¡°If you insist on this path, I cannot stop you. Your father approved of your decision, after all. But I hope you realise that I suggest this for your own good. You¡¯re going to turn fourteen soon, and potential suitors will start to make their assessments. Rather than marrying a farmer, I genuinely hope you¡¯ll find a husband from a respectable family.¡± Although Madam Yun disapproved of her daughter¡¯s decision internally, she didn¡¯t want to go against her husband¡¯s wishes and risk displeasing him. Wei Qingwan, standing next to them, tried to pacify Wei Ruo, ¡°Sister, mother is only worried about you. She¡¯s giving these advices for your own good. Don¡¯t break her heart, she¡¯s been exhausted and stressed out lately.¡± Madam Yun threw a loving glance at Wei Qingwan. Compared to Ruoruo Wanwan was far more understanding and empathetic. She understood the hardships her mother was going through and always offered to help her out. Wei Ruo replied with a faint smile, ¡°Is that so? Then, I will obey mother and not go out today.¡± Both Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan were surprised by Wei Ruo¡¯s sudden change in mindset. ¡°Are you willing to take your mother¡¯s advice, Ruoruo?¡± asked Madam Yun. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll heed mother¡¯s advice today and not engage in farming, an activity unbecoming of a well-bred girl,¡± Wei Ruo responded, ¡°But I¡¯ll need to trouble mother to explain this to the servants from the magistrate¡¯s household.¡± What does she mean? Servants from the Magistrate¡¯s household? Madam Yun was puzzled, and Wei Qingwan was equally confused. Was Wei Ruo¡¯s outing today related to the Magistrate¡¯s wife? But wasn¡¯t the Magistrate¡¯s wife in the Government City? Just then, a two-horse carriage approached the gates of the Military Prefecture. A well-dressed young woman alighted from the carriage. She wore expensive clothing typical of a maid, clearly indicating her service to a prominent household. Seeing Madam Yun and the others, she stepped forward to greet them. ¡°Greetings to Madame Wei, Miss Wei, and Little Miss Wei.¡± ¡°Who are you¡­¡± Madam Yun felt she looked familiar. ¡°We are servants from the prefecture¡¯s office, under Madam¡¯s orders to fetch Miss Wei,¡± the maid explained. Madam Yuan sent them to fetch Wei Ruo? Madam Yun could hardly conceal her astonishment. An examination confirmed that the girl was indeed the one she met at the garden party, a servant from Madam Yuan¡¯s household. While Madam Yun was still puzzled, Wei Ruo responded to Madam Yuan¡¯s personal maid, ¡°I apologize, but upon my mother¡¯s insistence, I can¡¯t continue with these ¡®farming matters¡¯ as often. Therefore, I won¡¯t be able to assist Madam. Please convey my apologies to her..¡± Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Its a Misunderstandings Chapter 144: Chapter 144: It¡¯s a Misunderstandings Translator: 549690339 | Upon hearing this, Madame Yun was startled. It then dawned on her that Wei Ruo had left the house today upon an invitation from Madam Yuan. Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression kept changing as she stared at Madam Yuan¡¯s maid, as if trying to gather evidence that the lady did not belong to the Yuan family. Qingyi, Madam Yuan¡¯s personal maid, clearly understood her mistress¡¯s attitude towards Wei Ruo. Upon hearing this, Qingyi said to Madame Yun, ¡°Madam Wei, my mistress is extremely fond of Miss Wei and greatly admires the work she has done for the people of Xingshan County. When my mistress came to Xingshan County this time, the first person she thought of was Miss Wei. I request Madam Wei¡¯s permission for Miss Wei to accompany my mistress.¡± Madame Yun, who had now gathered her thoughts, hastily replied, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Ruoruo misunderstood. I was simply reminding my daughter to be cautious, perhaps some poorly chosen words led her to believe that I am not fond of her work related to farming.¡± Qingyi then asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Is that so, Miss Wei?¡± Wei Ruo did not respond immediately, her gaze sweeping over Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan. The silence made both Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan grow anxious. It was only after a long while that Wei Ruo finally said slowly, ¡°Perhaps I misunderstood.¡± Greatly relieved, Madame Yun could not afford to offend Madam Yuan ¨C a person the Military Prefecture simply could not cross. Qingyi said, ¡°That¡¯s ideal. Miss Wei, may I request you to join me in the carriage? My mistress is waiting for you at the Yahe Mountain Residence.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo, with Xiumei in tow, climbed onto the horse. Before entering the carriage, Wei Ruo looked back at Wei Qingwan. Feeling Wei Ruo¡¯s gaze, Wei Qingwan for some unknown reason ¨C perhaps guilt ¨C lowered her head to avoid eye contact. The carriage of the Yuan Residence then left, leaving Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan still standing at the doorway. Madam Yun¡¯s feelings were somewhat complicated. Wei Qingwan pursed her lips, her expression gloomy. She didn¡¯t understand why Wei Qingruo was so lucky. After losing the favor of the prince, there came Madam Yuan. ### Wei Ruo was taken to the Yahe Mountain Residence by a servant of the Yuan family. This was a quiet teahouse in Xingshan County. The Yahe Mountain Residence was a rare and refined small shop in the remote and impoverished Xingshan County. Located at the foot of the mountain, it had a small courtyard with several tables. The shop offered refreshments and tea. Madam Yuan was currently waiting for Wei Ruo there. Because of her presence, the Yahe Mountain Residence was not taking in other customers, and there were guards stationed all around. When Wei Ruo saw Madam Yuan, Madam Yuan also saw her and smiled, waving her over. ¡°Why did madam make the trip personally this time?¡± Wei Ruo asked, voicing the doubts in her heart once seated. Wei Ruo was also somewhat surprised that Madam Yuan had come to Xingshan County. She had thought that after the exchange of letters last time, Madam Yuan would send someone to deliver a message to the Military Prefecture and then come to pick her up for the Government City. To her surprise, the lady had come personally. ¡°This is all thanks to you. Your medicine was indeed efficacious. After taking it for a while, my complexion has improved, and I feel more spirited. Over the past six months, I have hardly been active, so I wanted to move around a bit now that my health has improved. It also happened to be a good opportunity to come and pick you up myself and have a chat with you on the way, it gives me some company.¡± The complexion of Madam Yuan today was notably better than the last time they met, and she seemed more energetic. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that the medicine has had an effect on Madam. The prescription will last for about two more months, thereafter, I will provide Madam with a new one. If taken for three months, Madam should be fully recovered. Once fully recovered, the medicine should be discontinued as having too much energy can also be detrimental to the body,¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°Savior, I am at a loss for how to express my gratitude,¡± said Madam Yuan with a joyous and grateful expression. Madam, please don¡¯t call me savior. You can just call me by name,¡± Wei Ruo said, unaccustomed to the title of ¡®savior¡¯. ¡°In that case, I will call you Ruoruo from now on,¡± Madam Yuan decided after some consideration. Wei Ruo gave a slight nod. Madam Yuan then picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Wei Ruo. ¡°Since coming to Xingshan County, I have heard your name several times. You initiated the agricultural work in the south side of the city and have provided disaster relief. You are deeply loved by the people.¡± Having heard all this, Madam Yuan¡¯s fondness for Wei Ruo grew even more. Madam Yuan then expressed her regret, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you are a woman. If you were a man, with such a reputation, it would certainly help your future official career.¡± Wei Ruo smiled; she was well aware that it was much more difficult for women in this world. If she were a man, even if she didn¡¯t hold a significant position, she could still establish her own business openly and freely, even if as a merchant of low social status, she could lead a carefree life. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about your work in the south side of the city,¡± Madam Yuan added. ¡°Does Madam know the reason why?¡± Wei Ruo inquired. Madam Yuan shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure about the reason behind it. However you could view it positively. If your family disregarded your contributions because you are a woman, then once you marry, there will likely be rewards for you. If it was because someone hid your contributions, it¡¯s possible that they could be recognized later.¡± Madam Yuan said this partly to console Wei Ruo, as she didn¡¯t want Wei Ruo to feel disheartened or despondent due to this incident, given the favor Wei Ruo had done for her. Wei Ruo, however, didn¡¯t give it much thought, ¡°I don¡¯t plan on dwelling on it too much. Overthinking it will only exhaust me and waste my energy and time unnecessarily. When I¡¯m unable to influence the direction of things, it¡¯s best to put it out of my mind.¡± Madam Yuan praised, ¡°That¡¯s the best way to think about it, Ruoruo.¡± Wei Ruo then diverted the topic, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s discuss serious matters. You came here to deal with food issues for the people of the Government City, right?¡± Madam Yuan responded, ¡°Indeed, but you only need to provide suggestions. I will arrange for people to prepare what is needed. Don¡¯t tire yourself out. I haven¡¯t repaid your favor yet, and if I were to let you get exhausted, I would feel incredibly guilty.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with Madam Yuan about this matter. She had her own things to attend to. After going to the Government City, she also had to visit her own farm, so she was indeed too stretched. Wei Ruo and Madam Yuan spent most of the day in the Yahe Mountain Residence, thoroughly enjoying each other¡¯s company. Wei Ruo gave Madam Yuan some highly feasible suggestions, while Madam Yuan planned to support Wei Ruo¡¯s future development in the Government City. Afterward, Madam Yuan assigned Qingyi to escort Wei Ruo back to the Military Prefecture. As soon as Wei Ruo entered the gates of the Military Prefecture, she was asked by a person stationed by Madame Yun to go to Cangyun Garden. Wei Ruo gave a faint smile and followed the maid. In Cangyun Garden, Madame Yun had been waiting to ask Wei Ruo about her meeting. As soon as Wei Ruo walked in, Madame Yun pressed, ¡°Ruoruo, have you been in contact with Madam Yuan all this time? Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Chapter 145: To make Wei Qingwan uncomfortablel Chapter 145: Chapter 145: To make Wei Qingwan uncomfortablel Translator: 549690339 ¡°No, it¡¯s only recent contact.¡± Wei Ruo replied with a dull expression. ¡°What did Madam Yuan ask you about?¡± Madam Yun asked again. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell mother before I went out today? It was about farming matters.¡± ¡°Why would Madam Yuan be so concerned about farming matters?¡± Yun Madam asked again. ¡°Mother really doesn¡¯t know? Magistrate Yuan wishes to lead effectively and of course won¡¯t neglect the well-being of ordinary people, nurturing harmony between people and government.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Yun Madam had also thought of this point, but she was somewhat surprised that Madam Yuan would come to her daughter for this matter. Yun Madam looked at the Wei Ruo in front of her, with complicated thoughts in her heart. She sighed deeply and said, ¡°Ruoruo, I¡¯m glad to see you gaining more appreciation from Madam Yuan. But what I said to you this morning was genuine. I really feel that it¡¯s the right course to be a gentle girl and to marry into a good family someday.¡± The education and life experiences Yun Madam had gone through always led her to believe that securing a good marriage is the most decent achievement a woman should strive for. ¡°This is my chosen path, I will take responsibility for the consequences. Mother, please do not stop me.¡± Wei Ruo was firm in her response. Yun Madam was making another helpless sigh, ¡°You are very much like your father. And your father supports what you are doing too.¡± Sometimes Yun Madam could not understand her husband well. But as a wife, she knew she should support her husband wholeheartedly. Wei Ruo stated: ¡°So, Mother, please stop trying to dissuade me. I want to walk this path, and I will bear any consequences that come with it.¡± Yun Madam nodded: ¡°I can¡¯t stop you, and there¡¯s nothing I can do if you insist on your way and complain to your father.¡± Because of her husband¡¯s attitude, Yun Madam could only reason with Wei Ruo. If her reasoning failed, she would have to stop, she¡¯s unwilling to upset her husband. Given the present warfare situation, Yun Madam wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke any family conflicts that may distract her husband. Next, Madam Yun said, ¡°Since Madam Yuan has a high opinion of you, use your chance to say a few good words for your sister if you can.¡± On the previous occasion, Wei Qingwan had wanted Wei Ruo to speak well of her, but Wei Ruo had evaded it on the pretext of a headache. Now Madam Yuan appeared again, and Yun Madam saw the opportunity, so she brought it up. ¡°If I said I don¡¯t want to, would mother accuse me of being heartless again?¡± asked Wei Ruo. Yun Madam frowned and then speak in a grave tone, ¡°Indeed, it was Wanwan who was wrong that day; it was inappropriate for me to map the blame on you.¡± A few days after the event, Yun Madam was finally willing to admit she was wrong that day. Yun Madam then continued, ¡°But Ruoruo, we are a family; we share success and disgrace together. It does no good for you to see your sister¡¯s reputation damaged. You must understand this.¡± Wei Ruo remained silent, her face expressionless as she looked at Yun Madam. Yun Madam continued, ¡°After receiving punishment, your sister has learned her lesson. She has been confined to her room and her monthly allowance has been cut off. Her reputation in the government city isn¡¯t good either. Isn¡¯t all this enough for you to let your grudge go?¡± Had Wei Qingwan truly learned her lesson from this and stopped provoking troubles, Wei Ruo might have been willing to let go of her grudge. However, the fact was far from this, the drama she executed before she left this morning was the proof. ¡°I¡¯ll need to think about this.¡± Wei Ruo replied, neither assenting nor outright refusing. Yun Madam was not fully satisfied with this answer from Wei Ruo, but she knew better than to pressure Wei Ruo too much. After all, Wei Ruo was the one she had to ask favours of, and pressing Wei Ruo too hard would do nobody any good. ¡°Fine, go back to think about it. In the meantime, I need to think of a solution for your father¡¯s urgent need for medicinal supplies.¡± Yun Madam waved her hand, dismissing Wei Ruo. Seeing that Yun Madam had nothing more to say, Wei Ruo excused herself from the room under the pretext of work and returned to Tingsong Garden. As soon as she returned to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo started writing letters. Xiumei was pouring tea and grinding ink for Wei Ruo, she noticed He Family was mentioned in Wei Ruo¡¯s letter. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re having people send a letter to He Family? Why?¡± Xiumei asked in surprise. After leaving He Family at the age of three and being sent off to the countryside, apart from the monthly allowance, they haven¡¯t met anyone from He family. ¡°Invite them to Wei Residence.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°What? Miss, have you lost your senses? Why would you invite them to Wei Residence?¡± Although Xiumei hadn¡¯t encountered He Family much, she didn¡¯t hold them in high regard. They left their Miss in the countryside all these years, neglecting her entirely all because a fortuneteller said she would harm her biological parents, which ¡¯ was utterly absurd! ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I haven¡¯t lost my mind. I won¡¯t be at home for a while, so they won¡¯t disturb me if I invited them.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re not here, why would you invite them over?¡± Xiumei was still a bit confused. ¡°To give Wei Qingwan something to deal with. She insists on making my life miserable every day, so I shouldn¡¯t let her be too comfortable either.¡± Wei Ruo stated. Xiumei seemed to understand a little. ¡°Will these people from He Family bother the second Miss?¡± Xiumei asked curiously. Although Xiumei was initially bought by the He Family as a maid, she was only five when she was bought. She barely stayed in the He Family Residence and knew very little about them. Wei Ruo smiled brilliantly, ¡°Yes.¡± Xiumei thought for a while and had another question, ¡°But miss, the war is going on in Xingshan County now, everyone in the city is nervous, will they be willing to come?¡± ¡°Ordinarily, they wouldn¡¯t believe it if we say that the Wei Residence is inviting them. However, it is due to such circumstances that they might believe it. The reason I gave them was to bring in medicinal herbs, and also telling them that if they could supply the urgently needed herbs in Xingshan County, that would be a great merit.¡± Wei Ruo explained. He Family is in the business line. Although their main operation is not herbal trade, they dabbled a bit in it too. Asking them to deliver medicinal herbs was both an excuse and a genuine need for Xingshan County at present. Moreover, He Family¡¯s business had been underwhelming these years because they didn¡¯t have a strong political affiliation. As such, they had always been hoping to establish some relationships with government officials. Initially, they thought they could build some relationship with the Wei Family by taking in the wrong child. Unfortunately, the Wei Family only gave them some money when they found them, but had no intention of having further dealings with them. Now she had cast the bait, whether they would take the bait or not is up to the He Family themselves. Even if He Family didn¡¯t bite, there wouldn¡¯t be any loss for Wei Ruo, she just wrote a letter after all. Xiumei nodded understandingly, ¡°Miss, your plan is really good. If they really deliver the medicinal herbs it will tackle the urgent need in Xingshan County even if it cannot make the second Miss uncomfortable!¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Xiumei: ¡°Then I hope that He Family will receive the letter soon, find the herbs smoothly, and then rush to the Military Prefecture!¡± Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Wei Ruo Delivers Medicine 1 Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Wei Ruo Delivers Medicine 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª However, there were no accurate count of the medicines at the He family, and from Madame Yun¡¯s words, it seemed that the army urgently needed medical supplies. Wei Ruo decided to talk to Xie Ying early the next morning, the medicinal supplies they had previously purchased should now be put to use. ### TWO days had already passed, and the army camp was still not able to replenish its medical supplies. These two days they had barely managed to survive with some medical supplies forcibly collected from pharmacies. However, if they could not restock medical supplies by tomorrow, they would run out of resources. If the injured cannot be treated, not only will the lives of the wounded soldiers not be guaranteed, but it would greatly affect the morale of the entire army. If this battle could not be ended in a short time, it would be extremely disadvantageous for them. Wei Mingting was very worried, so he called all his subordinates to his tent to discuss the next plan. Gentlemen, I believe you all know our current situation well. The Japanese Pirates came prepared for this counterattack. We have already consumed most of our arrows and crossbows, and yet we have not been able to repel them. This situation is very disadvantageous for us. I would like to know what you all think?¡± Wei Mingting sought the opinions of Deputy General Qian and other generals and deputy generals. Everyone remained silent, creating a stifling atmosphere in the tent. Xu Zhengyong, standing in the third row, contemplated for a long while before he firmly stood forward. ¡°General, I believe that we cannot sit still and await death. We should switch from defense to offense!¡± ¡°Deputy General Xu, do you have any specific battle plans?¡± Wei Mingting asked. ¡°I am willing to personally lead a small troop, set out from the south of the city, cross over Wangyue Mountain in the southeast, and launch a surprise attack on the enemy¡¯s flank!¡± Hearing this, everyone looked at him in surprise. This was a risky move. If it went well, all would be well. But if it didn¡¯t, it would be a one-way trip for Xu Zhengyong. In fact, Wei Mingting had also considered this method, but it was too risky and required someone to stand out as the vanguard of this surprise attack. What he did not expect was that Xu Zhengyong not only thought about it, but was also willing to personally lead the team, risking himself. Wei Mingting said to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Wangyue Mountain is hazardous. It is very dangerous to cross over the mountain, especially in this cold weather Moreover, if you are discovered by the enemy, you will be in an isolated situation, and the situation will be extremely dangerous.¡± Xu Zhengyong responded, ¡°General, we¡¯re presently without supplies of medical equipment and additional reinforcements, while the Japanese Pirates are more fierce than ever. All these circumstances are disadvantageous to us¡¯ If we continue to defend like this, as the number of injured continues to increase, our morale will become increasingly weak, and our will to fight will gradually dissipate. By the time we want to counterattack, it will be too late! If I can create a chance of survival for everyone, I am willing to take the risk with my soldiers!¡± Xu Zhengyong was resolute, ready to face death. Hearing this, the whole tent fell silent. They all knew that what Xu Zhengyong said was true, if they continued to defend, their situation would indeed get worse! Of course, Wei Mingting knew Xu Zhengyong was right. After a long thought, he agreed to Xu Zhengyong¡¯s proposal: ¡°Deputy General Xu, I agree to your plan of leading your troops to launch a surprise attack on the enemy from the south of the city. I would please ask all of you to protect yourselves. I hope to see all of you return safely!¡± ¡°I will not fail my mission!¡± Xu Zhengyong knew the risks he was taking, but he was still determined. Wei Mingting was deeply moved, and other soldiers were also inspired by Xu Zhengyong¡¯s bravery, reigniting their fighting spirit. Wei Mingting then discussed the overall arrangement with everyone. The rest of the people needed to coordinate with Xu Zhengyong¡¯s surprise attack team for a large-scale counterattack. This process did not allow for any discrepancy. Otherwise, not only would Xu Zhengyong and his team be at risk, but others would be in danger. And once they failed, the Xingshan County behind them would be lost. Everyone negotiated from morning till afternoon before the plan was finalized. After the discussion ended, everyone dispersed. Wei Mingting rubbed his head, sighing inwardly. While the method proposed by Deputy General Xu was possibly a game-changer, the injured soldiers still could not be treated, and their will to fight was still dissipating. This battle, compared to two months ago, would have at least 30% less combat power. Back then, the prince was there, reinforcements were present, and they had new divine assistance. The morale was firm, and the atmosphere was high. Everything was in their favor. But now¡­ As Wei Mingting was perturbed, a soldier reported: ¡°Sir, your daughter is asking to see you outside the army camp.¡± Hearing this, Wei Mingting responded: ¡°The camp is a restricted area, idle people are not allowed to enter. Tell her to go home.¡± Wei Mingting didn¡¯t know which of his daughters had come to find him, but regardless, military rules were not to be trifled with. ¡°Sir, your daughter specifically said that she did not come for personal matters, but for the matter of medical supplies. She has even pulled two carts of goods, ¡¯ claiming that they are medical supplies,¡± the soldier replied. ¡°Medical supplies? Quickly, bring her in!¡± Wei Mingting hastily said. ¡°Yes!¡± The soldier led the orders to the front of the army camp and brought Wei Ruo, who was outside the camp, inside. The two carts of medical supplies Wei Ruo brought could not be allowed in yet. They were parked outside, guarded by soldiers, and would only be allowed into the camp after it was confirmed that there was no problem with them. Wei Ruo was led to Wei Mingting¡¯s tent in the middle of the camp. Seeing Wei Ruo, Wei Mingting had no mood to make small talk with his daughter. He straightforwardly inquired: ¡°Ruo, did you bring some medical supplies?¡± Wei Ruo nodded: ¡°When I heard about the shortage of medical supplies in the army, I brought some over for father.¡± ¡°Where did you get the medical supplies?¡± Wei Mingting asked in astonishment. How did she get the medical supplies that he and Magistrate Qian couldn¡¯t get after trying every method they could think of? Without wishing to conceal the truth, this was some time ago, when I, together with Miss Xie of the Xie family, stockpiled it,¡± answered Wei Ruo. ¡°You and Miss Xie?¡± Wei Mingting was even more surprised. ¡°Miss Xie and I had a sudden idea to do some business while studying in our free time in order to test the knowledge and principles that our teacher taught us, so I suggested stockpiling medical supplies. Hence, we leased some land south of the city, planted some medicinal herbs, and also bought a lot of medical supplies during the harvest season. We didn¡¯t expect that they would come in handy now,¡± answered Wei Ruo. When Wei Ruo and Xie Ying were stockpiling medical supplies, the weather was not cold, there were no weather disasters in various regions, and medical supplies were easy to buy and transport. ¡°How much did you stockpile?¡± asked Wei Mingting. ¡°Today I brought two cartloads here, which are outside of the camp. The supplies left in the warehouse should be enough to fill another two carts,¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Good, good, this is really good! I guess you inadvertently made the right move!¡± exclaimed Wei Mingting repeatedly, without hiding his delight. After saying these, Wei Mingting then looked carefully at his daughter before him¡­. Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Going to Government City for Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Going to Government City for Business__i Translator: 549690339 Her complexion was fair, her eyes bright and clear. In a daze, Wei Mingting¡¯s mind drifted uncontrollably to the memories of his daughter, vividly recalling her playful, adorable, and lively demeanor when she was a child. Before him, he seemed to see a sweet-smiling little girl running toward him, repeatedly shouting, ¡°Daddy!.¡± Wanwan was also sweet and adorable when she was little, but she was always timid around him, with a soft voice that trembled when calling him ¡°Daddy¡±. If it were Ruoruo, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of him and would boldly act spoiled in his presence. Regrettably, fate is cruel, and he had missed all of this. ¡°Father?¡± Wei Ruo noticed that Wei Mingting was lost in thought. Wei Mingting snapped back to reality, realizing his outburst of emotion. ¡°Ruoruo, I don¡¯t know how I can ever thank you,¡± Wei Mingting said, warmth filling his heart. ¡°Father, you don¡¯t need to thank me for this. Xie Ying and I didn¡¯t send these medicinal herbs solely for your sake, but also for the entire army and the people of Xingshan,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Whether it¡¯s for General Wei Mingting or someone else, as long as they weren¡¯t vile individuals, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying would still have delivered these medicinal herbs today. ¡°Regardless, the Anti-Japanese Army owes you and Miss Xie a favor. The injured soldiers owe you a favor, and I owe you a favor,¡± Wei Mingting said solemnly. ¡°Father, let¡¯s talk about these things after the war is over. I know you are busy so I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Xie Ying and I will bring the rest of the herbs ¡¯ after we finish preparing them,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Alright, be careful on your way back.¡± Wei Mingting advised, then reluctantly watched Wei Ruo leave his camp. ### After delivering the medicinal herbs to the Anti-Japanese Army, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t continue to oversee the affairs of Xingshan County, but instead set off for Government City with Madam Yuan. Upon arriving at Government City, Wei Ruo, under the arrangements of Madam Yuan, took up residence in Tianqin Garden. Once here, Wei Ruo felt relieved, no need to tread on eggshells like she had at Military Prefecture. The morning after settling in, Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei, went to the village. Wei Ruo met Xu Zhushan and the manager of the village estate. The manager was a man in his forties, with a surname, Yu. He had a rather gaunt physique, thin-faced, but he seemed to be an honest and decent sort of fellow. For the few days since Uncle Xu had arrived, Manager Yu, taking advantage of Uncle Xu¡¯s kindness, didn¡¯t withhold anything from him, assisting him with matters in a respectful manner. This behavior gave a glimpse of the manager¡¯s character. During this time, Xu Zhushan had already taken measure of the village and had matters in order. Wei Ruo called the two men over and inquired about the situation with the surrounding lands. She then instructed, ¡°That¡¯s how it is, you guys go find out for me. If there are lands for sale or mortgaged nearby, we will buy them.¡± ¡°Miss, are you planning to buy up large amounts of land?¡± Manager Yu asked somewhat taken aback. Yes, acquire land.¡± Wei Ruo responded firmly. ¡°But Miss, due to the recent unfavorable weather, the grain production in all areas has fallen short. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s¡­ not appropriate to acquire land under these circumstances,¡± Manager Yu reminded. ¡°No problem, as long as the price is right, we will buy it,¡± Wei Ruo said, fully aware of these concerns, but had already decided her course of action. At the moment when grain production is dropping, land prices will decrease. Wei Ruo plans to seize this opportunity to invest in more land to expand her assets. Wei Ruo had one hundred taels of gold at her disposal, providing her with adequate capital for her land acquisitions. As for the labor issue¡­ ¡°Miss, once the land is purchased, we¡¯ll undoubtedly need more labor,¡± Manager Yu asked again. Currently, they only had enough workers for their village. More land would mean they would have to hire more labor. ¡°Hire the impoverished peasants and refugees,¡± Wei Ruo commanded. ¡°Hire impoverished peasants and refugees?¡± The manager was taken aback. Hiring impoverished peasants could be reasonable, but hiring refugees seemed a bit unusual. Having taken a moment to consider, Manager Yu advised, ¡°Miss, the refugees are transient and it¡¯s hard to get a clear understanding of them. They can be difficult to manage and easily stir up trouble¡­¡± ¡°I know this move will require more effort and pose higher risks than only hiring local residents we¡¯re familiar with. But I¡¯m willing to give it a try,¡± Wei Ruo asserted. Of course, Wei Ruo had given this a lot of thought before deciding. She is willing to take on this challenge, even if managing it may prove to be more difficult and there might be some errors. She doesn¡¯t want to deny all the refugees because she fears trouble. Because such individuals are the most vulnerable and are in desperate need of livelihood. Alright then, I¡¯ll go and arrange everything right away,¡± Manager Yu immediately got to work. Together with Xiumei, Wei Ruo gave the village estate yet another inspection with Xu Zhushan. The soil in the lands that Madam Yuan had given to them was indeed better than averageland. The soil has been cultivated and was ready for planting the new wheat species that Wei Ruo had brought. However, many of the long-term workers on the farm had reservations about planting wheat at this time of the year, and felt that it likely wouldn¡¯t grow well. Despite their skepticism, they still dutifully complied with the instructions given by the supervisors and did their work. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t mind their doubts, understanding that it was indeed past the usual wheat planting season and it was natural for them to be concerned about the success of the crop. All she required was that they performed their assigned duties satisfactorily. Having handled everything that needed to be arranged at the village estate over the next two days, Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei, headed out for a stroll on the city streets. Although it seemed like a leisurely stroll, Wei Ruo was actually scouting for suitable shop spaces. Opening a store in Government City as an out-of-towner without any backing could be challenging, even if she had the money, but with Madam Yuan¡¯s support, she was relieved of this worry. Although they were remote from the seat of the emperor and beyond the observation of Military Prefecture, Wei Ruo wore her veil out of an abundance of caution. Wei Ruo, a woman of an ancestral family, showing interest in farming might be acceptable, yet taking the initiative to open a shop in the city would seem utterly out-of-place. After two days of scouting, Wei Ruo finally settled for two adjacent shops near the Zuixian Residence. The price of the shops was far from low. Still, Wei Ruo believed the location was perfect and justified the price. Wei Ruo loved money, but as long as a purchase was worthy she would spare no expense. To her, you can¡¯t make a fur coat without killing a few bears. Wei Ruo¡¯s intention was to open a branch of Four Treasure House in one of the shops. The Four Treasures of the Study were likely to sell better in areas where scholar-gentry and numerous students gathered. Therefore, Government City was sure to be a better choice compared to the county city. However, with this approach, she now had to think about how to expand her paper mill. The other three of the Four Treasures of the Study were not produced in her own factory but procured from other commercial businesses. There was ample stock of these; only paper was produced in her own mill, and the production was limited. So all along, paper was sold in limited quantities at the Four Treasure House, and it was usually bundled with other products, aiming to increase sales volume.. Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Braised Snacks Shop 1 Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Braised Snacks Shop 1 Translator: 549690339 | r¡ª As for the other shop, Wei Ruo planned to open a delicatessen focusing on braised dishes. Wei Ruo had observed that there were no good delicatessens nearby, and the people of the Government City had a certain interest in gourmet food. As long as the food tasted good, even if the prices were a bit high, it would sell well. Xiumei asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, for the delicatessen, are you planning to have me run it?¡± Then Xiumei murmured, ¡°Miss, I wouldn¡¯t mind being the boss, but if 1 have to run the shop, who is going to take care of you? I can¡¯t just leave you, Miss. What will happen if someone tries to take advantage of you when I¡¯m not around? I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bear to let you run the shop, but in the beginning, I do need your help Once we¡¯ve trained a good staff, we just need to master the recipe for the braised dishes, and then we can leave the work to the staff.¡± The key to a good braised dish lies in the braising sauce. Wei Ruo had good sauce, good seasoning, and good recipes for braised dishes. ¡°That¡¯s good then, being temporarily busy is fine, as long as you do not leave me alone in the shop!¡± Compared to being the boss, Xiumei preferred to stay by Wei Ruo¡¯s side and take care of her. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to let you go either! Unless you get married in the future, I won¡¯t allow you to go anywhere else!¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Who¡¯s getting married? I¡¯m not getting married! I will spend my entire life accompanying you, Miss!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, as long as you think that way, then well both remain unmarried for life.¡± Wei Ruo said with a laugh. Then Wei Ruo took Xiumei back to the carriage, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we are going to be busy.¡± The two returned to Tianqin Garden, and then Wei Ruo began making arrangements. Just like before, all the matters regarding buying the shop, preparing the shop for its opening, were handled by Xu Zhushan, as Wei Ruo did not personally intervene in them. Later, Wei Ruo and Xiumei borrowed the kitchen from the Tianqin Garden¡¯s chef. The chef of Tianqin Garden was initially reluctant to let Wei Ruo use their kitchen, not because they were worried she¡¯d ruin it, but because they were afraid of neglecting their duties towards their mistress¡¯ distinguished guest. If their mistress found out that her guests were preparing their own food, the kitchen staff would not be able to bear the responsibility if they were blamed for this. Only after Wei Ruo explained that they needed the kitchen for business purposes, and not for their own meals, did the kitchen staff agree. The kitchen in Tianqin Garden was pretty large, several times larger than the one in the Military Prefecture. It was better equipped with various kitchen utensils and seasonings. Wei Ruo and Xiumei were thrilled, as this saved them the trouble of purchasing various spices from outside. So the two of them immersed themselves in the kitchen, beginning their study of braised dishes. After two busy days, Wei Ruo and Xiumei finally created a braising sauce that satisfied them both. ¡°Miss, with this sauce, our braised dishes will definitely sell well!¡± Xiumei confidently said. ¡°Let¡¯s start by braising some pig¡¯s ears and tails.¡± said Wei Ruo. The locals in this area didn¡¯t consume much pork intestines or stomach, but they did eat pig¡¯s head, tail, and ears. These parts were relatively cheap, cost-effective, and once braised properly, their taste did not fall behind other parts. ¡°Alright!¡± Xiumei excitedly carried the clay pot filled with the prepared braising sauce into the kitchen. The key to making good braised dishes was to ensure that they simmered for a sufficient amount of time. If it was too short, it wouldn¡¯t work, so they decided to let it simmer overnight and serve it the next morning, ensuring the flavors were fully absorbed. The braised dishes prepared by Wei Ruo were first offered to the chef and maids of the kitchen, who had been observing them curiously for several days, wondering what they were up to. ¡°It smells so good! Miss Wei, what is this? How did you prepare such a delicious dish?¡± The taste buds of the chef, who had been cooking for her entire life, were immediately captured by these braised pig¡¯s ears. ¡°These are pig¡¯s ears.¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°Pig¡¯s ears? How can they be this delicious? They are aromatic and crispy full of meaty flavour yet none of the chewiness, the taste is rich and it keeps you wanting more.¡± the chef commented. In the chef¡¯s view, pig¡¯s ears were not any high-grade ingredients, and the dishes made from them were always mediocre. However, what she just tasted, was even more delicious than regular meat dishes. ¡°Here are some pig¡¯s tails too, have a taste.¡± Wei Ruo let everyone try the pig¡¯s tails as well, which also received unanimous praise. Afterwards, Wei Ruo packed some pig¡¯s ears and pig¡¯s tails into food containers and had Xiumei deliver them to Madam Yuan at the prefecture¡¯s office. An hour later, Xiumei returned with an excited look on her face, ¡°Miss, Madam Yuan praised our braised dishes as extremely delicious. She would like to request more to entertain her guests tomorrow.¡± ¡°In that case, prepare more. This is a good opportunity for promotion.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start preparing right away!¡± Xiumei was full of enthusiasm and excitement. This time, Xiumei added two more dishes to the menu, pig¡¯s trotters and pig¡¯s tongue. She personally delivered them to Madam Yuan at the prefecture¡¯s office early the next morning. That night, Madam Yuan sent a maid over with a message for Wei Ruo, saying that the two ladies she had invited for the banquet were very fond of their braised dishes. They even inquired about where they could purchase them. Madam Yuan immediately informed them about Xu¡¯s impending Braised Dish Shop opening in the city, and they expressed their interest in buying more once the shop opened. The delicatessen hadn¡¯t officially opened yet, but it already had customers. This was a good sign. ### While Wei Ruo was busy purchasing land, hiring staff and opening a shop, the He Family, who had received her letter, came to visit the Military Prefecture. Those who came were Wei Ruo¡¯s adoptive father He Zhang, her adoptive mother Madam He, and her younger sister He Miaomiao. Initially, the servants at the Military Prefecture did not intend to inform Madam Yun. However, upon hearing that the He family had brought two cartloads of medicinal herbs that were urgently needed in Xingshan County, the servants informed Madam Yun. Upon learning this, Madam Yun invited the He Family inside. Although Madam Yun did not wish to interact excessively with this family, they had brought two carts full of medicinal herbs. Out of courtesy, Madam Yun arranged for their stay in the house. Afterwards, Wei Qingwan was summoned to meet with the He family. Upon seeing the sycophantic smiles of the three members of the He family, Wei Qjngwan was extremely uncomfortable. She had been taught from a young age that business people were the most despicable and unrefined class of society. Deep down, she did not want to associate herself with such people. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m Miaomiao, your little sister!¡± He Miaomiao greeted Wei Qingwan proactively with a burning enthusiasm. Wei Qingwan took a couple of steps back trying to maintain a distance between her and He Miaomiao. However, He Miaomiao seemed oblivious to her repulsion and aloofness, and wore a warm and congenial smile, saying: ¡°Sister, I have wanted to see you since I found out that you are my elder sister. Now, I finally get to meet you in person.. You are even more beautiful than I imagined!¡± Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Hiring Staff for the Braised Food Shop 1 Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Hiring Staff for the Braised Food Shop 1 Translator: 549690339 ; Wei Qingwan smiled faintly, ¡°Miss He, we¡¯re not familiar with each other, let¡¯s not be so affectionate.¡± He Miaomiao, however, seemed oblivious to Wei Qingwan¡¯s explicit sense of estrangement and continued to flatter her. ¡°Sister, I know your situation. Rest assured, we will never mention the relationship between you and us in public. Right now, we are in the Residence, with no one around, and there¡¯s no need for you to be so cautious.¡± Madam He hurriedly agreed, ¡°Yes, yes, Wanwan. We¡¯re blood relatives, and Miaomiao is your full sister. We¡¯ll be careful in public, but there¡¯s no need to be so distant from each other at home.¡± Wei Qingwan retreated from the three of them and nervously walked behind Yunshi. ¡°Mother,¡± she said. Yunshi furrowed her eyebrows, saw her daughter¡¯s discomfort, and said to the He family, ¡°Mr. He and his family, please remember the promise you made to US.¡± Madam He hurriedly laughed, ¡°We remember, please rest assured, we will not tell anyone outside that Wanwan is our daughter. But aren¡¯t we all alone here right now? Madam Wei, please also try to understand our parental feelings.¡± Hearing Madam He¡¯s explanation, Yunshi couldn¡¯t blame the He family too harshly. She, too, was a mother and could understand their feelings. ¡°Wanwan, they are your biological parents. It¡¯s only natural for them to care about you. Spend some time chatting with them,¡± Yunshi said to Wei Qingwan. Since Yunshi had said so, Wei Qingwan had no choice but to nod in agreement. Then Yunshi left to deliver the medicine sent by the He family to the military camp and asked Wei Qingwan to entertain the He family on her behalf. Once Yunshi was gone, the He family began to show even greater affection towards Wei Qingwan. ¡°Wanwan, my Wanwan¡­ You look so much like your mother when she was younger.¡± Madam He gazed with love at Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan also noticed that she shared similar features with Madam He. However, this discovery did not make her feel any more comfortable around the He family; in fact, it made her feel uncomfortable. Sister, I heard that Mr. Wei got promoted again and his future is bright. Will your status rise with him?¡± He Miaomiao asked curiously. ¡°Why are you asking these questions?¡± Wei Qingwan disliked He Miaomiao¡¯s sycophantic demeanor. I m just curious because I haven¡¯t been as lucky as you to grow up in a noble family like the Earl¡¯s Residence.¡± He Miaomiao replied with an envious look. Wei Qingwan did not want a direct confrontation, so she responded, ¡°Being in an official¡¯s family comes with its own difficulties. Many aspects of life are not as carefree as they are for you, Miaomiao.¡± He Miaomiao wouldn¡¯t listen, ¡°Sister Wanwan, my parents and I will stay here for a few days. Can you show me around?¡± Wei Qingwan declined, ¡°I have to go to the magistrate¡¯s office for lessons every day and don¡¯t have the time to accompany you. And aren¡¯t you supposed to be more familiar with Sister Ruoruo? It would be better if you ask Sister Ruoruo for anything.¡± Wei Qingwan wanted to pass this nuisance to Wei Ruo. Unbeknownst to her, the relationship between the He family and Wei Ruo had been very indifferent, they haven¡¯t seen each other for many years. Now Wei Ruo could stand in front of them and they wouldn¡¯t recognize her. ¡°But I just overheard that Sister Ruoruo isn¡¯t in the Residence now and won¡¯t be back for a few days,¡± He Miaomiao hurriedly replied. Wei Qingwan also realized Wei Qingruo was either lucky or had tactfully managed to avoid the He family. ¡°Sister Wanwan, stop declining. Just take me around! I promise to behave while we¡¯re out and not to blabber!¡± He Miaomiao took the initiative, holding Wei Qingwan¡¯s arm, calling her ¡®sister¡¯ repeatedly. Wei Qingwan had no choice but to agree to take her around when she had spare time. ### When Wei Qingwan was getting annoyed by the He family, Wei Ruo was busy in the Government City. Because she was worried that her Uncle Xu couldn¡¯t handle everything alone, she brought Aunt Xu over as well. After all, the two shops in Xingshan County were running smoothly, and they didn¡¯t require the couple¡¯s constant supervision anymore. Wei Ruo needed to find suitable workers for both shops. Four Treasure House needed a shopkeeper, and the braised food shop needed someone who knew a bit about cooking, but was also disciplined and sensible. While Wei Ruo and Xiumei were discussing finding a skilled worker in the kitchen of Tianqin Garden, the Chef overheard and quickly recommended her niece to Wei Ruo. Upon Wei Ruo¡¯s inquiry, the Chef said her niece had learned some skills with her, but then had to quit to help her parents take care of her younger siblings. The girl was now fifteen years old. She was unmarried and wanted to find a job to help support her family. After finishing her story, the Chef sighed, ¡°If my niece could have continued to learn from me for a few more years she¡¯d be able to rely on her cooking skills to work for a noble family, like me. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and shelter. Even after getting married, she could rely on her cooking skills to maintain a respectable life. It¡¯s a pity that¡­¡± It was regrettable that girls from families like theirs didn¡¯t have the luxury of choice. Those like her who could work as a chef for a noble family, maintaining a decent life, were a minority. After listening to the Chef¡¯s story, Wei Ruo agreed to meet her niece. The Chef was thrilled and immediately arranged a meeting for Wei Ruo. The moment Wei Ruo met the young woman, she frowned. The girl was two years older than Wei Ruo, skinny and sallow ¨C clearly malnourished. It was already getting cold, yet the girl was wearing thin and shabby clothes ¨C clearly too small for her. ¡°Pleased to¡­ meet you, Miss¡­ my name is¡­ Chen Aqing,¡± the girl stammered, too nervous to look up at Wei Ruo. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous, I am hiring you to work in my friend¡¯s shop, not selling you,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± You first make a dish you¡¯re good at for us to taste.¡± Wei Ruo instructed Chen Aqing to make a dish for them in the kitchen of Tianqin Garden. Although the girl was timid, the dish she made was quite satisfying to Wei Ruo and Xiumei. They decided to have her follow Xiumei for a while to learn some skills and also to boost her confidence. Anyone who wanted to work in Wei Ruo¡¯s shop needed to develop self-confidence. Upon knowing that she was hired, Chen Aqing directly knelt down and gave Wei Ruo a kowtow, with tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Miss. Thank you, Miss Wei Ruo was confused as to why she was so emotional. The Chef explained, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not aware, but if she hadn¡¯t found a way to earn a living this time, her heartless older brother would most likely have sold her to the brothel!¡± So that¡¯s why. Wei Ruo looked at the skinny figure kneeling before her and said, ¡°As long as you maintain a proper attitude and work hard, with no distractions, you will not need to worry about going hungry in the future..¡± Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Marrying a Dying Man Later_l Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Marrying a Dying Man Later_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Thank you, miss! Thank you, miss!¡± Chen Aqing once again bowed to express her gratitude. The cook was also extremely pleased: ¡°Aqing has found a benefactor! ¡°Take her down for now, and have her look for Xiumei tomorrow,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The cook echoed in agreement. After speaking, the cook led Chen Aqing away, saying as they walked: ¡®Til take you to change your clothes; you¡¯re going to be working in Miss Wei¡¯s friend¡¯s shop, so you need to be presentable. You¡¯ll stay with me for now, don¡¯t go home yet lest your mother takes the new clothes I give you and alters them for your younger brother.¡± The cook did not know that the shop was actually owned by Wei Ruo, who claimed it was a friend¡¯s, and that she and Xiumei were just helping out, hiring people. Watching the two of them walk away, Xiumei was caught in memories she had long locked away. ¡°Miss, I remember I was sold to the He family because my mother had another son and couldn¡¯t afford to raise me,¡± she said. Xiumei was quite young when she was sold, so her memory of her biological family was vague. It was a sale that precipitated a total break; she had no contact with her past after that. When Wei Ruo was brought to the Wei family, Xiumei, as Wei Ruo¡¯s only personal maid, had her contract transferred as well. Despite just being a maid, the He family did not dare not hand her over. If they had returned their daughter without a single maid, the Wei family might have found out about the mistreatment their legitimate daughter received there. Even now, the Wei family had no idea what kind of life Wei Ruo led at the He family. The He family¡¯s explanation was that Wei Ruo was frail and was sent to live in the countryside to improve her health. Wei Ruo gave Xiumei a pat on the shoulder: ¡°Let¡¯s not mind them. If they don¡¯t want my Meimei, it¡¯s their loss.¡± Xiumei nodded emphatically: ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t need them. I¡¯m happy living with you, Miss, and nanny, and Uncle Xu!¡± ¡°just wait a little longer. When I¡¯m old enough to get married, I will find someone who is nearing death. I will then be able to set up my own household. We¡¯ll all be living together then,¡± Wei Ruo said to Xiumei. ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t there any other way? I don¡¯t want you to compromise by marrying someone who¡¯s about to die,¡± Xiumei mumbled reluctantly. ¡°in this society, a woman takes her father¡¯s behest at home and her husband¡¯s command after marriage. Given my current status, this is the simplest and most straightforward way for me to set up my own home. After all, what¡¯s wrong with marrying a dying man? If he could leave me a stepson, I would be even happier,¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. Wei Ruo really didn¡¯t see any problem with that. For someone who had lived two lives, she valued her independence and carefree life more than romantic love. The biggest issue might be finding such a man. It would be challenging to find a dying man who met all requirements and would be accepted by everyone. Xiumei grumbled, ¡°That might indeed be worse than being like Aqing. At least she can work for herself.¡± ¡°Everybody has their own difficulties. We can¡¯t choose our fate. We can only painstakingly choose the path we walk upon,¡± said Wei Ruo. ### Wei Ruo kept herself busy for almost half a month. One day, Madam Yuan came to Tianqin Garden to find Wei Ruo, bringing her good news. ¡°Ruoruo, great joy! Your father has once again led his troops to a great victory against the Japanese pirates!¡± said Madam Yuan excitedly. ¡°Really?¡± Wei Ruo broke into a surprised smile. ¡°Absolutely! The victory report was just delivered to the magistrate s government office. My husband sent me the news as soon as he heard. The news from Madam Yuan would certainly be accurate. ¡°Then¡­ were there any casualties?¡± Wei Ruo wanted to know how Xu Zhengyong was doing. ¡°Casualties are inevitable in a battle. Rest assured, your father is fine with only minor injuries,¡± Madam Yuan answered. ¡°Did any other officers get injured?¡± Wei Ruo asked further. ¡ö¡öI¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Madam Yuan answered. The news she had received wasn¡¯t that detailed. Wei Ruo felt somewhat disappointed, thinking of finding someone later to go to Xingshan County to find out more. Madam Yuan then told Wei Ruo, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a military officer surnamed Xu performed exceptionally well. He led a small troop over Wangyue Mountain and ambushed the enemy. He even captured the leader of the Japanese pirates who attacked us this time, making a significant contribution.¡± The military officer with the surname Xu¡­ could that be Brother Xiaoyong? ¡°Was he injured?¡± Wei Ruo hurriedly asked. -I don¡¯t think so. I only heard about his commendation, not about him being seriously injured. Even if he was injured, it should be a minor one,¡± Madam Yuan replied. Wei Ruo was overjoyed, ¡°That¡¯s good. That s really good. -Besides bringing you this good news, I came to ask if you want to send someone to bring you back to Xingshan County for a good celebration with your father,¡± Madam Yuan asked. ¡°No need for that. Knowing we won is enough; there¡¯s no need for a celebration. Not to mention, weren¡¯t there a lot of casualties? I don¡¯t think my father will want to celebrate lavishly,¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡ö¡öThat makes sense,¡± Madam Yuan agreed. ¡°Still, a victory is worth celebrating. Although fighting Japanese pirates has become the norm, people are always living with fear and worry. My husband has also been worrying about this for a long time. With a victory, we can all celebrate the New Year in peace.¡± Then Madam Yuan chatted with Wei Ruo for quite a while, during which time she tasted the fruit preserves, dried fruits, and braised meat that Wei Ruo prepared. It wasn¡¯t until someone from the prefecture¡¯s office came to inform her that her son, Sheng, had woken up from his nap and was looking everywhere for his mother that Madam Yuan left. Afterward, Wei Ruo quickly wrote a letter and sent someone to rush to Xingshan County to figure out Brother Xiaoyong¡¯s situation. Even though Madam Yuan had said that that person could be Brother Xiaoyong, Wei Ruo still wanted to ensure everything was okay. The reply came the very next day, but it wasn¡¯t a letter. It was Xu Zhengyong himself who came. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong!¡± An excited Xiumei rushed over and checked Xu Zhengyong¡¯s condition. She then noticed that one of Xu Zhengyong¡¯s hands was wrapped in white cloth and quickly asked, ¡°What happened? Did your hand get cut off? Let Miss check it quickly!¡± -It wasn¡¯t cut off, it¡¯s just a minor cut,¡± Xu Zhengyong hastily replied. ¡°What minor cut! Even minor cuts can become deadly if left untreated. Let Miss examine it, please!¡± Xiumei, holding onto the uninjured arm of Xu Zhengyong, started dragging him towards Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, and I¡¯ve already applied medicine to it,¡± Xu Zhengyong hurriedly assured her. Seeing how anxious Xiumei was about him, Xu Zhengyong grinned and said, ¡°Junior sister, seeing how concerned you are about me, are you planning to start calling me senior brother?¡± Upon hearing this, Xiumei immediately let go of Xu Zhengyong and glared at him grumpily, ¡°In your dreams! It¡¯s enough that I didn¡¯t hit you, and now you want me to call you senior brother? ¡°Why would you hit me? After all, I did make military contributions,¡± Xu Zhengyong replied innocently. ¡°You¡¯re still saying it! Why didn¡¯t you tell us in advance that you were going on a risky ambush mission? That was very dangerous! If the coordination with the main force had gone wrong, you could¡¯ve lost your life!¡± Xiumei continued to berate him.. Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Chapter 151A Happy Atmosphere i Chapter 151: Chapter 151A Happy Atmosphere i Translator: 549690339 ¡°My dear disciples, how can I discuss these things with you? Let alone not having the time to talk, even if I do have the time, I can¡¯t share them. They¡¯re military secrets!¡± Xiumei pouted, knowing that Xu Zhengyong was right, but she was still a bit unsatisfied. Xu Zhengyong quickly complained to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, see how Meimei¡¯s temper is growing bigger. If she continues like this, who will marry her?¡± Xiumei retorted, ¡°Who wants to get married! You can¡¯t utter a single good word!¡± ¡°Alright, you two stop bickering. It¡¯s enough that Brother Xiaoyong is back safe, I will unpack his bandage later and apply some medicine,¡± Wei Ruo promptly stepped in to mediate. Mother Xu said crossly, ¡°Xiaoyong, Meimei, you are both older than the young miss, but together you are not half as mature as her. How can you protect and serve the young miss in the future like this?¡± Xu Zhenyong and Xiumei instantly quieted down. Wei Ruo asked Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Brother Xiaoyong is it okay for you to be here in Government City?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, because of my injury, I got ten days of leave, being here allows me to be with you and to lend a hand,¡± Xu Zhengyong replied. Xiumei quickly said, ¡°In your condition what help can you offer? Just rest properly, so you don¡¯t end up crippled and have to call me ¡®senior sister¡¯.¡± Xu Zhengyong wanted to retort, but he shut up after seeing his mother¡¯s warning look. If he wanted to stay in Government City for a few more days, he better behave. If he upset his mother, his father would surely send him back to Xingshan County. ¡°Alright now, it¡¯s rare for us to be together as a family. Let¡¯s put all work aside and have a nice dinner tonight,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Great!¡± Xu Zhengyong was most excited. He could have dinner with Ruoruo and Meimei again! Just like when they were young! So that evening, they had dinner together on their estate. During the meal, Xu Zhengyong enthusiastically recounted his recent surprise attack on the Japanese pirates. In the end, Xu Zhengyong indignantly said, ¡°Do you know what these heartless bastards said when they were captured? They actually said that they also suffered from a natural disaster, had no food and had to come and rob us!¡± Xu Zhengyong was extremely angry, ¡°These bastards! If you¡¯re hungry, can¡¯t you find another way? Always thinking about stealing from others! Bastards, I will slash one each time I see one!¡± Mother Xu reminded him from the side, ¡°Xiaoyong, don¡¯t use foul language in front of the young miss!¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nanny. Those sons of bitches are not worth anything. Brother Xiaoyong did well by cursing them.¡± Xiumei agreed, ¡°The young miss is right, we should maintain our etiquette with others, but not with people like them!¡± Now that Wei Ruo had spoken, Mother Xu didn¡¯t say anymore. Then Xiumei asked Xu Zhengyong, ¡°Is there a chance for you to be promoted again for this merit?¡± Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t know, ¡°Mr. Wei said he would report it honestly. But how I will be promoted, he can¡¯t decide.¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s power was limited. Anything above the general needed to be approved by higher-ups, and Xu Zhengyong had just been promoted to deputy general, which was an exceptional promotion by the Prince. So it was indeed difficult to get another promotion in a short time. Wei Ruo encouraged him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother Xiaoyong. You have already done very well. Don¡¯t stress about it, what¡¯s yours won¡¯t run away!¡± Wei Ruo knew that Xu Zhengyong¡¯s eagerness to be promoted as quickly as possible was because of her, so she didn¡¯t want to put any pressure on him. Xu Zhengyong was also thinking positively, ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. I will just do my best and perform well. There will definitely be opportunities! And Ruoruo, you will come back and live with us eventually!¡± Wei Ruo felt warm in her heart. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, you must work hard. If you succeed, the young miss won¡¯t have to find a dying¡­¡± Xiumei¡¯s words were cut short as Wei Ruo pinched her arm. ¡°Find what?¡± Xu Zhengyong asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I look forward to when you bring the young miss back!¡± Xiumei hastily covered up. Xu Zhengyong didn¡¯t suspect anything and continued to tell stories about his exciting experiences in the army. The dinner table was filled with laughter. After dinner, Xu Zhengyong and his parents stayed at the estate, while Wei Ruo and Xiumei returned to Tianqin Garden. ### Unlike the joy and laughter on Wei Ruo¡¯s side, Wei Qingwan was irritated by the He family. Especially He Miaomiao, who was utterly oblivious to propriety, constantly running to Wangmei Garden even though they were assigned guest rooms. She also liked to bring worthless clutter to give her, under the guise of presents. When she heard her calling ¡°sister,¡± Wei Qingwan felt insulted. As a merchant¡¯s daughter, calling her this in public could lead to potential misunderstandings. But she was helpless against the He family. She was afraid that if she offended them, they would disclose her origins. Wei Qingwan wanted to persuade the family to go back early, but the He family, on the pretext of the war being temporarily over and wanting to spend more time in Xingshan County to get closer to their biological daughter, had the audacity to stay. At this time, Wei Qingwan was wishing Wei Ruo could come back from the Government City soon, so she wouldn¡¯t be the only one annoyed by the He family. ### However, Wei Ruo was really busy in the Government City and didn¡¯t want to return to Xingshan County at all. Thanks to everyone¡¯s efforts, The Four Treasure House opened first. The materials used were the same as before, and the supply source was also the same as before, as long as they temporarily controlled the sales volume of paper. The publicity methods for the new opening also continued to use previous methods, using the treasures produced by the Tibetan layman as a bonus, to invite scholars to trial their paper. After all, Wei Ruo still had several pieces of the Tibetan layman¡¯s treasures, which were more than enough! The opening of The Four Treasure House went smoother than Wei Ruo had imagined. The reason was that they had already laid a good foundation in Xingshan County. At that time, there were people from the Government City who traveled a long way to Xingshan County to make purchases. With a certain degree of popularity, the opening of The Four Treasure House became very easy. Moreover, the purchasing power of the elites in the Government City was obviously better than that in Xingshan County, and there were long queues at the door. Going by this situation, the revenue from The Four Treasure House in the Government City may surpass their previous two branches combined. Wei Ruo specifically took Xiumei to the front of the store to watch the bustling scene, Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Miss, we¡¯re going to make a lot of silver again!¡± This was a point where the two ladies were very similar, making money makes them happy, and it could make their day. Wei Ruo smiled, then pulled Xiumei back into the cart, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s continue pondering about the snack bar, and then make some trouble for Wei Qingwan and the He family back in Xingshan County.¡± ¡°Miss, what trouble are you going to cause for the second miss and the He family?¡± Xiumei was both curious and excited.. Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Chapter 152: The One Who Defied Her Parents is Wei Qingwan_l Chapter 152: Chapter 152: The One Who Defied Her Parents is Wei Qingwan_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°I¡¯m keeping you in suspense.¡± Wei Ruo gave a mysterious smile. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so wicked, stirring one¡¯s curiosity without satiating it!¡± Xiumei grumbled. ¡°Anyway, as long as it makes them uncomfortable, you¡¯ll find out when we return to the Military Prefecture next time.¡± Wei Ruo said playfully. Xiumei muttered: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait, then I¡¯ll have a good laugh later!¡± After thinking for a moment, Xiumei said, ¡°Miss, you seem to have been particularly keen to provoke the second Miss recently!¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Wei Ruo candidly admitted, ¡°What can I do when Wei Qingwan refuses to leave me alone? I¡¯ve tried to avoid her, but she keeps up her petty antics, treating me as her imaginary opponent. If she isn¡¯t content to be peaceful, I can¡¯t be courteous to her, either. It¡¯s better to give her more to do so she doesn¡¯t spend all day plotting against me.¡± ¡°Yes! Miss, you¡¯re right! We shouldn¡¯t go looking for trouble, but we also can¡¯t always be bullied!¡± Xiumei agreed wholeheartedly. ### Xingshan County, Military Prefecture. After many days, Wei Mingting finally came home. He returned two days later than everyone else, waiting until all the military affairs had been settled before going home. After bathing and changing into clean clothes, he washed away the grime and fatigue he¡¯d accumulated over this period of time. Lady Yun attended to Wei Mingting after his bath, dressing his wounds. The wounds weren¡¯t deep and had almost healed, but to be safe, Lady Yun applied more medicine to them. After applying the medicine, Lady Yun informed Wei Mingting about recent events in the household, including Wei Ruo being taken by Madam Yuan to the Government City for a short stay, and the He family¡¯s stay near the Wei residence. ¡°As they should, they are also parents.¡± remarked Wei Mingting. Lady Yun added, ¡°They¡¯ve been staying near the Military Prefecture these days, and the girl named Miaomiao often comes to see Wanwan.¡± ¡°From a familial perspective, they are full sisters. It¡¯s only natural for them to get to know each other.¡± Wei Mingting didn¡¯t see any problem with this. If they hoped that Ruoruo would get along well with Yichen and Yilin, then by the same logic, the He family must also hope that their two daughters get along well. While they were talking, Nurse Zhang came in and reported, ¡°The He family wishes to meet you.¡± The He family had been wanting to meet Wei Mingting, but he had been away at the military camp and they had to wait. Wei Mingting said, ¡°They¡¯ve done us a big favor, so we should meet them. Also, they helped take care of Ruoruo before, and I haven¡¯t thanked them in person yet.¡± Having said that, Wei Mingting asked Nurse Zhang to bring them in. Just at this moment, Jing Hu came in, bringing a letter. ¡°Master, this is a letter from the young master sent from the Huzhou Prefecture.¡± he said. ¡°Oh? Jinyi has sent a letter back.¡± Wei Mingting quickly picked up the letter and started to read. After reading it, his face immediately darkened. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lady Yun asked, puzzled. ¡°You take a look!¡± Wei Mingting angrily handed her the letter. Lady Yun took the letter and read it. After finishing, her face also grew very unpleasant. ¡°Could it be that Jinyi got it wrong?¡± Lady Yun asked. ¡°If Jinyi hadn¡¯t thoroughly investigated it, would he casually write a letter about it? Besides, the He couple are about to arrive, right? We¡¯ll ask them directly whether it¡¯s true or not!¡± Lady Yun frowned. If what their son had written in the letter was true, then this He family truly deserved death! In a little while, the He couple and their daughter, He Miaomiao, arrived before Wei Mingting. Wei Qingwan came with them, not that she wanted to hang around with them, but the He family always clung to her. On seeing Wei Mingting, Wei Qingwan quickly stepped forward, ¡°Daddy.¡± Wei Mingting, looking very unpleasant, glanced at the He family. He was not in the mood to pay any attention to Wei Qingwan at this moment. Wei Qingwan felt a sudden panic in her heart. She didn¡¯t understand what was going on and why her father was being so cold towards her. Was it because she had been spending too much time with the He family these days and had offended her father? The He family, who had arrived joyfully, were instantly stunned by the sight of Wei Mingting¡¯s face. They had long heard that Colonel Wei was a very stern man and seeing him in person today confirmed it! ¡°Colonel Wei, it¡¯s certainly true that seeing is believing¡ªwe finally have the opportunity to meet you today.¡± He Zhang approached Wei Mingting enthusiastically. However, Wei Mingting¡¯s face was still cold, leaving He Zhang unsure of what was happening. He Zhang¡¯s smile became awkward. He glanced helplessly at Wei Qingwan, hoping that his biological daughter would help ease the atmosphere at this moment. Wei Qingwan pretended not to see. She never wanted to be associated with the He family in the first place¡ªhow would she risk upsetting Wei Mingting for them? The three members of the He family started retracting awkwardly. At this time, Lady Yun spoke up and challenged the He couple: ¡°When we sent someone to find you, you told us that Ruoruo had been living well in your house these years, and she was sent to the countryside to recuperate because she was unwell. But now we know that this is not the truth!¡± Upon hearing this, He Zhang hurriedly explained, ¡°Where did Colonel Wei and his wife hear these words? Did Ruoruo vent her anger and speak without thinking? Ruoruo was very upset that we sent her to the countryside. She didn¡¯t understand our actions and good intentions, and wouldn¡¯t heed our explanations.¡± He Zhang continued: ¡°It¡¯s all misunderstanding! We really sent Ruoruo to the countryside for the sake of her health. Which parent wouldn¡¯t love their children? If there had been any other way, why would we send her to the countryside!¡± Wei Mingting said coldly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Ruoruo who said this. She hasn¡¯t complained about you to us at all since she returned. This information was obtained by my son through his investigation in Huzhou Prefecture.¡± Upon hearing this, He Zhang was choked into silence, the excuses he had prepared remaining unsaid. Wei Mingting interrogated them again, ¡°Based on the word of a fortune-teller, you abandoned a three-year-old Ruoruo in the countryside, letting her fend for herself?¡± His eyes were fierce, filled with the lethality unique to men who have experienced numerous battles over the years. He Zhang and his wife were frightened by Wei Mingting¡¯s fury and knelt down. Seeing this, He Miaomiao also quickly knelt down. Witnessing her parents being frightened into silence, she hurriedly helped explain, ¡°Colonel Wei, please don¡¯t be angry. The fortune-teller my parents consulted is a renowned living immortal in our area! He predicted that sister¡¯s destiny would curse her parents and by the time she reached eighteen, she would cause their death!¡± Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan¡¯s face also changed. The actual time of Wei Qingwan¡¯s birth was slightly off from Wei Qingruo¡¯s. It was precisely this slight difference that made Wei Qingruo the eldest daughter. At the time, the He family didn¡¯t know they had gotten the wrong baby, so when they had Wei Qingruo¡¯s fortune told, they used Wei Qingwan¡¯s birth time. Didn¡¯t that mean the person who was predicted to bring death to her parents before she turned eighteen was her? Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Chapter 153: The He Family and Wei Qingwan are both in trouble l Chapter 153: Chapter 153: The He Family and Wei Qingwan are both in trouble l Translator: 549690339 He Miaomiao had yet to comprehend the severity of the issue. Her sole concern was to quickly placate the Wei family¡¯s anger, so she continued to plead: ¡°Lord Wei, Madam Wei, it¡¯s not that we were fabricating things. If you don¡¯t believe us, you can send another trusted person to Huzhou Prefecture for verification. That fortune teller is still hale and hearty! My parents really didn¡¯t do this intentionally!¡± Lady He also hurriedly piggybacked on her daughter¡¯s explanation: ¡°Exactly, I mean, I didn¡¯t know that the baby got switched then. Who could bear to see their own flesh and blood suffer? We really had no other choice! Even though we sent her to the countryside at a very young age, we did not ill-treat her. We provided her with five taels of silver monthly allowance! Plus, she also had her nurse and a maid to take care of her. We¡¯re not an affluent family, so five taels of silver was substantial support for us!¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s face visibly paled. At this moment, she wished the He family would just shut up. But she was helpless, considering that anything she might say right now could make the situation worse. The more excuses the He family made, the worse the countenances of Wei Mingting and Lady Yun became. Wei Mingting rose abruptly, anger pulsating through him as he seized the sword hanging on the wall behind him. On seeing this, the He family was completely petrified. They had never witnessed such a scene before! Lord Wei had killed countless men during his military career! ¡°Lord Wei, please calm down! Lord Wei, please calm down¡± Each member of the He family was on their knees, begging for mercy. Wei Mingting, the thought of his daughter sent away to the countryside at the tender age of three, gripped his sword even tighter. Lady Yun still had her wits about her. She stepped forward to mediate: ¡°My Lord, do not¡­¡± Even though the He family was hateful, if her husband were to kill them right here, he could face the penalty of the government office. Even a commander-in-chief like him has no legal right to execute civilians within his home. Wei Mingting pointed his sword at the He couple: ¡°I do not want to ever set eyes upon you again! Leave this residence immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The He family of three swiftly picked themselves up. Stumblingly, they made a run for it, fearing that their lives would be lost if they delayed any further.¡¯ After the He family had left, Wei Mingting put his sword away. Lady Yun advanced, her expression filled with anxiety as she called to him, ¡°My Lord.¡± Wei Mingting spoke in a grave tone, ¡°To think of how much suffering and pain Ruoruo had to go through these years¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for Jinyi going to Huzhou Prefecture to study, we¡¯d still be kept in the dark by the He family.¡± Lady Yun was equally tormented. Their own flesh and blood had been treated so horridly by the He family, and they were deceived into oblivion about it. Lady Yun expressed her discomfort,¡±Why wouldn¡¯t Ruoruo tell us about any of this?¡± Wei Mingting responded with a tone of self-reproach, ¡°It must have been our inability to gain her trust, leading her to refrain from addressing the matter with us.¡± Lady Yun lowered her gaze. Something seemed lodged in her chest, making her feel breathless. Immediately, Lady Yun¡¯s gaze flickered towards Wei Qingwan on the side, and the words uttered by the He family earlier flooded her mind. If what the He family said was true, then their own Wanwan was the child that the fortune teller had predicted would bring death upon her parents! Upon realizing that Lady Yun was looking at her, Wei Qingwan nervously lifted her head: ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°You should return to Wangmei Garden now.¡± Lady Yun spoke to Wei Qingwan. Her mind was in a whirl right now and she didn¡¯t know what to say to Wanwan. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Wei Qingwan looked at Lady Yun reluctantly. ¡°Go now. Your father and I have a few things to discuss,¡± Lady Yun instructed. ¡°Yes, I will take my leave.¡± Wei Qingwan took heavy steps, her heart aching as she exited the room. Upon returning to Wangmei Garden, Wei Qingwan broke down into tears. Curse the He family! What on earth were they doing in Xingshan County? It was one thing to persistently torment her, but now they had started a rumor that she was an ominous omen to her parents¡¯ lives. What if her parents believed them and distanced themselves from her, or worse, expelled her from the family, fearing that her existence could lead to their deaths? ### Wei Ruo had received the news from the military prefecture even before her return to Xingshan County. Jing Hu was the one who brought her the news. Wei Ruo of course knew that he was doing this not for her sake but for her second brother. Her second brother had played a crucial role in the smooth execution of this plan. Not only did Wei Ruo use his name to reveal her story of being sent to the countryside at three by the He family, but she also used his name to convince the He family that the Wei family needed something from them, hence the invitation. After reading the letter, Xiumei threw her head back and roared with laughter: ¡°Hahaha, this will surely disconcert the He family and the second Miss! How I wish I could have seen their faces when they were being threatened by Master with his sword. It must have been hilarious!¡± After reveling in her joy for a while, Xiumei asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, how could the He patriarch and his lady be so audacious? Given their past mistreatment of you, how dare they step foot in the military prefecture? If it weren¡¯t for the law against murder, our Master would probably have cut them down on the spot!¡± Wei Ruo explained, ¡°At the start, when I was taken back by the Wei family, they were likely anxious, worrying that I might reveal their mistreatment to the Wei family. However, there was no way they could prevent it, since I was immediately taken away by the Wei family, leaving no chance for an encounter. As time passed, with no repercussions from the Wei family, plus the recent invitation to gather medicinal herbs, they probably felt that there was nothing to worry about.¡± In the original narrative, the original character, driven by her longing for familial affection, had begged for a meeting with the He family before being taken away by the Wei family. It was during that encounter that the He family, with their fraudulent expressions of familial affection, managed to deceive her into believing they cared for her. Convinced, she willingly aided them in concealing their deeds. Later on, the He family consistently schemed to profit from the original character by having her plead to Wei Mingting for assistance on their behalf. Their ploys succeeded, with the deceived original character fulfilling all their requests. This time though, Wei Ruo did not give them the opportunity to manipulate her. Instead, she directly exposed their manipulative nature to the Wei family, exacting a measure of revenge for the original character. While she initially planned to exact her revenge after gaining a more secure footing within the family, she thinks there¡¯s no harm in collecting a little ¡®interest¡¯ for now. Xiumei asked another question: ¡°Miss, do you think the Master and Madam will believe that ominous prediction?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°I have no way of knowing that. My father, I reckon, may not buy into such superstitions. As for my mother, I can¡¯t speak for her. Regardless, Wei Qingwan is probably not having an easy time right now. This ordeal should keep her preoccupied for a while.¡± This matter was never disclosed to the Wei family in the original book, so Wei Ruo had no idea what their attitudes toward it might be, whether they too, like the He family, would shun her like a deadly plague. Xiumei, brimming with joy, declared, ¡°I hope she has no time to bother you, Miss, from now on! Also, here¡¯s hoping the Master¡¯s heart aches for your past suffering, Miss, after this revelation!¡± Wei Ruo smiled softly. She wasn¡¯t holding out hope for that. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t let them bother us anymore; how are Aqing¡¯s practices going?¡± Inquired Wei Ruo.. Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Generous Early Investment-! Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Generous Early Investment-! Translator: 549690339 | These past few days, Chen Aqing has been following Xiumei, who, besides teaching her how to prepare braised meat and some basic store selling knowledge, has also been training her manners, expressions, and confidence. ¡°She¡¯s doing great, she learns pretty quickly and is diligent. I told her to take a break, but she kept mulling it over by herself. She seems very afraid of us not keeping her, so she¡¯s been especially diligent,¡± said Xiumei. Speaking of this, Xiumei couldn¡¯t help expressing her sympathy: ¡°She really has a hard life. Her parents favor boys over girls. She has to get up before dawn to cut pig grass, cook pig food, do laundry, make breakfast for the whole family, and then take care of her siblings. Only until late at night can she rest. In contrast, Xiumei felt very fortunate. She served Miss, who treated her well, and she even learned many skills for making a living, which made her life more comfortable and happier than most people. Wei Ruo said: ¡°Give her plenty to eat, let her get a good replenishment, and become plump and fair. I need her to have strength to work for me. Don¡¯t let her become incapable of working.¡± Xiumei replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Her complexion has visibly improved these past few days. Besides three meals a day, I give her whatever experimental products we made when I was teaching her how to cook braised food. I also give her a piece of fruit every day.¡± Fruits, as the kind of stuff that poor families consider as luxuries, especially now in winter when fruits are scarce, are not affordable for ordinary families. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo nodded. ¡°Miss, you should also take good care of your body. You¡¯ve been working so much these past few days. Don¡¯t wear yourself out. I¡¯m going to prepare a stewed bird¡¯s nest for you soon. You must be obedient and finish it,¡± Xiumei reminded her. ¡°I won¡¯t have any trouble. You don¡¯t need to worry unnecessarily. I have to go to the farmhouse later, so just skip the bird¡¯s nest,¡± Wei Ruo said. As soon as Wei Ruo finished her words, she saw the look of grievance on Xiumei¡¯s face and quickly corrected her speech: ¡°Ok, simmer it. I¡¯ll eat it when I get back.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Xiumei immediately put on a smile. Then the two of them went to the farmhouse together, where Manager Yu reported to Wei Ruo about the situation in the past few days. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve bought a total of 1212 acres of fields in the last few days, adopted thirty-seven refugees, and hired nineteen local poor people.¡± Manager Yu passed on the account book and roster, which detailed the price of every piece of land purchased and related transaction information. After carefully checking and confirming no issues, Wei Ruo asked Manager Yu, ¡°Have all the wheat seeds I gave you been planted?¡± Those wheat seeds were produced by her space. To wait for the maturity of the wheat seeds in Wei Ruo¡¯s space, they would be planted later than that batch in Xingshan County. Manager Yu replied: ¡°They have all been planted. The weather these days is not bad. The sun is good. The temperature has risen a lot compared with the time when the cold wave struck. The seeds have sprouted.¡± ¡ö¡öIs the newly reclaimed land relatively infertile?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Madam Yuan had talked with her about the issue of infertile land in Taizhou prefecture. ¡°Yes, it is. All the land can be cultivated, but it¡¯s rather barren and its output has always been low.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t hurry to plant crops on it. Take me to see the fields,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo followed Manager Yu to the fields. After inspecting the land, she confirmed that these pieces of land were more or less the same. Some of them were hardened, indicating that the content of organic matter in the soil was insufficient. Wei Ruo asked Manager Yu: ¡°Do local residents have the habit of taking away rice straw stubble after harvesting? Manager Yu answered: ¡°Of course, for common people, rice straw stubble is very important. It can be used for heating, cooking, and roofing.¡± Wei Ruo said: ¡°The solution is relatively easy. Add more organic fertilizers, that is, human and animal excrement. The stubble can also be returned to the field. Excessive stubble can be incompletely burned and turned into ashes and then mixed with the soil.¡± Manager Yu said: ¡°Miss, all these methods have some difficulties. What you said about adding organic fertilizers is known to everyone, but it is very limited, and if it is not enough, it needs to be purchased. The same goes for straw stubble. Now the straw in the field has been taken home. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Especially this year is colder than previous years, so everyone needs the rice straw stubble even more. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. As long as I¡¯m willing to pay, all these things can be had,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Miss, this will raise the cost of the land,¡± Manager Yu reminded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I need to invest some money in the early stage to have a better harvest later,¡± Wei Ruo answered. Hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s unhesitant answer, Manager Yu was somewhat surprised. After all, buying land and hiring people are huge expenses, and now she wants to invest more to improve the soil conditions. Even if she did so, it¡¯s still unknown whether she could have a good harvest in the future. If the weather isn¡¯t favorable, she might lose all her investments. Seeing Manager Yu¡¯s hesitation, Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Is there something wrong, Manager Yu?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried. The weather has not been good recently. Not long ago, a cold front hit, and the temperature is lower than at this time of the year. Nobody knows whether the crops planted now can be harvested. I¡¯m afraid that after Miss has put in so much effort, in the end, she might lose everything,¡± Manager Yu voiced his worries. ¡°Hmm, your worries are reasonable, but since I¡¯ve decided to do it, I want to do it in the best possible way and I can¡¯t be discouraged. I believe that the land is, fair. If you treat it well and follow its rules, it can give you a very good return.¡± With Wei Ruo saying this, Manager Yu had no objections. Wei Ruo continued: ¡°You do as I said. Use the fertilizer produced on the farm on the farm itself. Purchase the fertilizer for the newly reclaimed land from Uncle Xu with silver. I¡¯ll give you a detailed list of the standards of use later.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± Manager Yu noted. Then Wei Ruo went on to inspect the original 1000 acres of good farmland on which wheat had already been planted. After finishing her work, it was already late, so Wei Ruo returned to Tianqin Garden. ### At the magistrate¡¯s mansion. Yuan Zhengqin came back from the government office and, upon entering his wife¡¯s room, heard her laughing and playing with their son. The fatigue from his busy work schedule instantly faded and a smile spread across his face. ¡°Has our Sheng been good today?¡± Yuan asked as he took his son from his wife¡¯s arms. ¡°The way you put it, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s not well-behaved on other days,¡± Madam Yuan laughed. ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s behaving well. He gave you such a hard time when he was born, so he should be more considerate of you,¡± said Yuan Zhengqin. Speaking of the day of the childbirth, Madam Yuan thought of Wei Ruo: ¡°I really owe it to RuoRuo for that day.¡± Yuan Zhengqin said: ¡°I was just about to talk to you about Miss Wei.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Madam Yuan asked with concern.. Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Chapter 155 Father and Brothers Attitude_l Chapter 155: Chapter 155 Father and Brother¡¯s Attitude_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Miss Wei has bought quite a number of fields in the Government City these past few days and has employed many of these newly appeared starving people.¡± said Yuan Zhengqin. ¡°My sister Ruoruo mentioned this to me. Is there a problem?¡± asked Madam Yuan. ¡°There is no chaos that I¡¯ve heard of. From the point of view of a Magistrate, Miss Wei did a good deed. These starving people just appeared recently. Although they are not many, they are a form of instability. I was worried how to settle them, but they were all taken by Miss Wei. With fields to plough and rice to eat, they naturally settled down. This is much better than my using silver to arrange their stay.¡± The government¡¯s involvement in arranging housing and distributing food is all short-term and cannot solve the long-term problems. ¡°As long as there is no chaos, that is good. She saved my life, now she is helping me to treat my illness and also giving us ideas to increase productivity for the farmers. If she has any problems, you have to tell me, I need to help her.¡± Madam Yuan said to her husband. ¡°I know, I am also grateful to her. If any matters come up, I will assist her without you having to tell me.¡± saying this, Yuan Zhengqin sighed, ¡°Looking at the current trend, I am afraid that Miss Wei¡¯s family property will be more substantial than the entire Military Prefecture¡¯s, she may even catch up to the wealth at the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the Capital City.¡± Yuan Zhengqin was familiar with the situation at Wei Family. Apart from the old grandfather and grandmother who perhaps still had some unknown property from within the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence, there was really nothing else to show for it. ¡°That is my sister Ruoruo¡¯s own effort. The rewards for the improvements that she made on the barren lands were given to her by the seventh prince. The land I gave her was for saving my and brother Shen¡¯s lives. She has the ability, so she should have such property.¡± said Madam Yuan. Seeing his wife speak so favorably of Wei Ruo, Yuan Zhengqin couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°It seems the Madam really likes Miss Wei.¡± Madam Yuan said, ¡°Initially, it was mostly out of gratitude. I still remember clearly her resolute look and words when I was at my most painful and difficult time, in these times of friendship, I truly like her more. Her nature suits my taste and is unlike the average young lady.¡± ¡°AS long as Madam is happy, I am satisfied. Madam has found a close friend in this relatively cold place of Taizhou Prefecture. In these years for Madam to leave the Capital City to accompany me here, I have truly wronged Madam.¡± ¡°I have nothing to feel wronged about. As long as you are by my side, as long as you understand me, I am willing to go anywhere. Besides, I am living and eating well here, so why should I feel wronged?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Yuan Zhengqin gently held his wife in his arms. Having a wife like her, what more can a man ask for. ### Wei Ruo stayed in Government City until the opening of the braised meat shop before she returned. She did not want to go back. However, if she delayed any longer, even with Madam Yuan as an excuse, it would be unacceptable. After half a month, upon returning to the Military Prefecture, Wei Ruo first went to see Wei Mingting. Wei Mingting looked at Wei Ruo as if he had a lot to say. ¡°Ruo has worked hard.¡± said Wei Mingting. ¡°Your daughter has not suffered. Father has been fighting recent battles, fighting hard, and protecting our home and country are the real hardships.¡± Wei Ruo answered diplomatically. Wei Mingting stared at Wei Ruo for a long time. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but lift her head and look at him. Their eyes met. Wei Ruo felt a little hazy. She saw on Wei Mingting¡¯s face a look of an unfamiliar emotion. In her previous life, Wei Ruo never saw this from the drunk and abusive father. And in this life, up to now, it was the first time she saw someone show her such eyes. They were deep, they were thick, as if they contained many emotions. Wei Ruo lowered her head to avoid that unfamiliar gaze. After a while, Wei Mingting said to Wei Ruo, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard traveling back and forth. You should go back to rest first.¡± ¡°Your daughter will take her leave.¡± Wei Ruo quickly excused herself and headed to Tingsong Garden. When she was approaching Tingsong Garden, she was stopped by Wei Yichen. ¡°Big Brother?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Yichen with confusion, wondering why he was stopping her. ¡°Ruoruo¡­¡± Wei Yichen stared at Wei Ruo, appearing similar to Wei Mingting, with a hesitant look on his face. He came to look for her especially as he heard she had returned. ¡°Big brother, you can speak up if you have any matters.¡± said Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo was a little embarrassed to say this to Wei Mingting, but she had no reservations saying it to Wei Yichen. ¡°A few days ago, Second Brother sent a letter. He investigated some matters in Huzhou Prefecture¡­¡± Wei Yichen believed Wei Ruo did not know about this matter. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t continue the conversation and just looked at Wei Yichen, waiting for him to continue. It took Wei Yichen a while to continue, ¡°Ruoruo, you have suffered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s all in the past already.¡± answered Wei Ruo. During her days at Mo Jiazha, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t actually suffer. She didn¡¯t refute Wei Yichen¡¯s statement because the original owner of her body did truly suffer during those years. Being a person born and raised in this world to her age and with her experiences, her only source of income being cut off made her days truly difficult to endure. If it weren¡¯t for the nursemaid being with her all the time, supporting her with her own family¡¯s money, she might not have been able to wait for the day to be taken back by the Wei Family. Upon hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s lighthearted dismissal of ¡°it¡¯s all in the past¡¯, Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy-hearted. He promised Wei Ruo, ¡°Big Brother promises you that from now on, you will live a life of wealth. Father has said, he will not force you to become a well-bred young lady. You can do whatever you like, and even if you marry a farmer in the future, it doesn¡¯t matter. Father and I will support you.¡± Wei Yichen spoke sincerely, but Wei Ruo already had her own plans. She wanted to rely on herself, not on her father or brother. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Big Brother. Let¡¯s talk about the future when it comes. ¡°First, you go back and rest. Traveling around must be exhausting.¡± said Wei Yichen. Upon returning to Tingsong Garden, Nurse Zhang was waiting to report to her about the situation in the south of the city. Even though Wei Ruo didn¡¯t interfere much anymore, she still needed to grasp the general situation: firstly, she had received money from Qjan Magistrate, and secondly, out of compassion, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to see the people having done all their work for nothing. After Nurse Zhang finished reporting, Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t my mother stay in the house today?¡± Wei Ruo had not seen Lady Yun from the moment she returned, who should have been there to see her with her father if she had been home. ¡°Madam went to Huafa Temple early this morning,¡± replied Nurse Zhang. ¡°Today is not the first or fifteenth of the lunar month. What is she doing at Huafa Temple?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I am not exactly sure, but I would guess it has something to do with the incident a few days ago.¡± Nurse Zhang answered. ¡°What incident?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the letter that the second young master sent back. According to the letter, the current second young Miss of the house is the one who is destined to bring disaster to her parents. Madam seems to care about this matter quite a lot, so I guessed that Madam might have gone to Huafa Temple because of this issue.¡± Since there was no one else present, Nurse Zhang told Wei Ruo everything.. Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Wei Yilin Playing with a Whip_l Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Wei Yilin Playing with a Whip_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Does Huafa Temple have monks who can tell fortunes?¡± Wei Ruo asked Aunty Zhang. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The monks at Huafa Temple don¡¯t practice fortune-telling, but they do offer divination through drawing lots.¡± Aunty Zhang answered. Wei Ruo thought for a moment then asked again, ¡°Today, did Cuihe and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Li, leave the residence?¡± ¡°Mrs. Li went out not long after the Madam left and has yet to return.¡± Aunty Zhang replied. ¡°Understood.¡± Wei Ruo nodded in comprehension. ¡°You can go and attend to your own affairs.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± After Aunty Zhang left, Xiumei asked Wei Ruo in confusion, ¡°Miss, why did you ask about Mrs. Li and Cuihe? What could they have gone out to do? They aren¡¯t up to something detrimental to you again, are they?¡± ¡°I suspect they might¡¯ve gone out to check whether the Madam went to find someone to tell her fortune,¡± Wei Ruo hypothesized. ¡°Ah, so the Second Miss is worried that the Madam might seek a fortune-teller which would only solidify the rumor of her bringing bad luck to her parents, isn¡¯t she?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. Let them be. It¡¯s good if they are busy with other matters instead of creating more troubles for me.¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Xiumei agreed. ### Madam Yun returned home before dinner. Once she arrived at Cangyun Garden, Madam Yun told Wei Mingting about her visit to the Huafa Temple today. ¡°It¡¯S neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar month, why did you decide to go to Huafa Temple?¡± Wei Mingting asked. ¡°With everything that¡¯s happening at home of late, I wanted some peace of mind.¡± Madam Yun answered. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Mingting did not say much. It had been a tough period with so many battles to fight. If going to Huafa Temple to pray and seek solace brought his wife peace, it was all for the best. ¡°My Lord, while at the temple today, I drew a lot. The monk interpreted the lot saying that the fate of the Wei Family hangs in the balance and various matters are unpredictable. He said that we¡¯re at a crossroads, which could lead to a great fortune or a great catastrophe.¡± Madam Yun further added. ¡°Hmm.¡± The interpretation of the lot was ambiguous and neither good nor bad, so Wei Mingting had nothing much to say. Madam Yun was still anxious and said, ¡°My Lord, what if the things the He Family couple said are true?¡± Wei Mingting looked at Madam Yun upon hearing this. He realized that her visit to the Huafa Temple was due to this concern. ¡°Madam, do you believe in the saying about bringing bad luck to one¡¯s parents?¡± Wei Mingting asked. ¡°I have been contemplating for a few days, and I still feel uneasy. I want peace of mind, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of asking other people¡¯s opinions. Just in case it¡¯s true¡­¡± Madam Yun replied. ¡°What if the fortune teller¡¯s advice is the same as the one employed by the He Family? How would you handle it? Would you send her away?¡± Wei Mingting questioned. ¡°I¡­¡± Madam Yun was at a loss for words. She wasn¡¯t very sure how to deal with this. ¡°Madam, if we believe in the fortune teller¡¯s words and send our child away, how are we different from the He Family couple who also sent Ruoruo away?¡± Wei Mingting questioned his wife. Madam Yun didn¡¯t know how to respond. She despised the He Family couple¡¯s act of abandoning their own child in the countryside and certainly didn¡¯t want to do anything similar. Weiming Ting continued, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s not think about this issue anymore. Since we decided to keep both girls with us, we should treat them well. A Wei child only leaves home when they get married, or if they commit a grave mistake warranting dismissal. They shouldn¡¯t be dispatched due to a fortune teller¡¯s words.¡± Weiming Ting¡¯s stance was clear. ¡°I understand, I shouldn¡¯t have dabbled in this matter, please don¡¯t be angry, my Lord.¡± Thereafter, Madam Yun stopped dwelling on this matter. ### Early the next morning, just as Wei Ruo woke up, there was a knock at the gate of Tingsong Garden. Opening the door, Xiumei was surprised to find Wei Yihn standing there, decked out in black riding attire, his hair neatly bundled up, he looked quite formidable. ¡°Do you need anything, Young Master?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°Is we¡­ Is she in?¡± Wei Yilin caught himself just before uttering her name and decided to change his word. Yet, he found it hard to address her as ¡®Big Sister¡¯, so he chose to refer to her simply as ¡®she¡¯. ¡°My Miss is busy with her things.¡± Xiumei answered. Actually, Wei Ruo had just got up, but Xiumei didn¡¯t want Wei Yilin to disturb her. Wei Yilin craned his neck to look toward the yard but didn¡¯t spot Wei Ruo, his face falling into disappointment. Xiumei didn¡¯t know what the little boy was thinking and not wanting to be impolite to him, she decided to wait for him to leave on his own accord. ¡°Tell her that I am at father¡¯s place, ask her to come and see when she is free.¡± Wei Yilin told Xiumei. Xiumei didn¡¯t understand what Wei Yilin was planning but she still agreed, ¡°Alright, Young Master.¡± As soon as Wei Yilin left, Wei Ruo came out from the room. Xiumei gathered her by the door and told Wei Ruo about Wei Yilin¡¯s visit. ¡°That Young Master is odd, I wonder if he¡¯s up to no good again.¡± Xiumei expressed her concerns. Wei Yilin was known for his antics, making it hard for them to trust him. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t plan to entertain Wei Yilin. After keeping herself busy in the courtyard for a while, she intended to return to her room to check recent account books. With the opening of the two shops in the city and the acquisition of over a thousand acres of farmland in their estate, Wei Ruo had lots of work to catch up on. Just as she was about to return to her room, a messenger from Cangyun Garden arrived. It was an invitation from Wei Mingting for Wei Ruo to visit. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t refuse that. Approaching the entrance of Cangyun Garden, Wei Ruo could hear the crisp sound of a whip cracking. When she got closer, she saw Wei Yilin demonstrating his whip technique in front of Wei Mingting. With each strike followed by another, it appeared rather impressive. Upon catching sight of Wei Ruo, Wei Yilin seemed to put extra effort into his demonstration, the cracking whip growing louder and sharper. After concluding his demonstration, Wei Yilin put away the whip, ran over to Wei Mingting, and looked at him with expectant eyes. ¡°Very good, indeed. You have improved remarkably within a short period. Clearly, you have practiced assiduously.¡± Wei Mingting wasn¡¯t stingy with his praises, commending Wei Yilin¡¯s performance. Although he was stern, he was always ready to acknowledge the children¡¯s accomplishments. Wei Yilin¡¯s face was immediately lit up with joy and shyness. This was the first time his father had praised him! So, it seems, my father can praise me too! In the past, he had assumed that no matter what he did, his father would never recognize his efforts. Hence, he had given up. He used to value Sister Wanwan¡¯s praises and thought himself incredible; he had assumed that if his father despised him, he didn¡¯t need his approval. Now it¡¯s clear that getting a compliment from his father wasn¡¯t that difficult after all! Subsequently, Wei Yilin turned his gaze toward Wei Ruo. It was evident that he had seen her earlier. -How was that? I¡¯m good with the whip, aren¡¯t I?¡± Wei Yilin asked Wei Ruo.. Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Changing Views on Wei Ruo 1 Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Changing Views on Wei Ruo 1 Translator: 549690339 1 ¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t understand, so I¡¯m not commenting,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be an expert like father, just tell me whether you think it looks good or not.¡± Wei Yilin insisted, he wanted to hear what Wei Ruo thought. Feeling helpless, Wei Ruo gave an evasive reply, ¡°If father praised it, it must be excellent.¡± What¡¯s wrong with this naughty kid? Did he want her to compliment him? Is he doing this because he¡¯s too full? Wei Yilin pouted, his expression filled with dissatisfaction at Wei Ruo¡¯s response. Wei Mingting asked Wei Yilin, ¡°What made you want to learn the whip?¡± ¡°Because Wei¡­ Because big sister gave me this whip,¡± Wei Yilin answered truthfully. Wei Mingting glanced at the whip in Wei Yilin¡¯s hand, recognizing it as an expensive and high-quality whip. Wei Mingting said to Wei Yilin, ¡°This is a rare item, you should cherish it and practice well, to do justice to your sister¡¯s hard work.¡± Wei Yilin replied, ¡°Father, I know. I¡¯m very dedicated to my martial arts training now. Even my master praises me.¡± ¡°Hmm, this is very good, remember to stay humble and retain your learning attitude,¡± cautioned Wei Mingting. ¡°Father, rest assured, I will continue to strive and do even better. I want to become a hero, just like father!¡± Wei Yilin said to Wei Mingting. This remark took Wei Mingting by surprise. His younger son had always been a little unruly in the past, which had caused headaches for him and his wife. He had always been guilt-ridden for not guiding him due to his busy schedule. He didn¡¯t expect such a drastic change in his son. After a while, Wei Mingting reached out and gently patted Wei Yilin¡¯s head, ¡°Study hard.¡± Although it was just a simple three-word phrase, it communicated Wei Mingting¡¯s approval and encouragement for his youngest son¡¯s aspirations. Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t help but feel very happy and a little shy, his face even became slightly red. As he grew up, he had never been so acknowledged by his father before. Next, Wei Mingting turned to look at Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯ve made a great effort.¡± Wei Ruo hastened to explain, ¡°It¡¯s something the seventh prince gifted me before, I had no use for it and simply gave it to Yilin.¡± Wei Mingting responded with proud relief, ¡°Ruoruo, don¡¯t be so modest. It¡¯s not just about the gift, what¡¯s more important is the caring love you showed Yilin. You encouraged Yilin to learn martial arts and gifted him the whip. You understand Yilin far better than I, his father.¡± Encouraging Wei Yilin to practice martial arts and giving him the whip were Wei Ruo¡¯s ideas. Each action demonstrated Wei Ruo¡¯s heartfelt intentions. We have now seen that all Wei Ruo did was indeed correct. Wei Ruo:¡­ Actually, she simply didn¡¯t have anything to gift him. She only gave the whip to Wei Yilin because she had no use for it. She never had any expectations for Wei Yilin. Wei Ruo never expected Wei Yilin to change this way. Who would have known that he would endure the tough training, not only swallowing the bitterness, but also falling in love with martial arts. Listening to Wei Mingting¡¯s praise for Wei Ruo, Wei Yilin pondered. After a while, he also said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Thank you, big sister.¡± Although he still felt somewhat dissatisfied with Wei Ruo¡ªshe always had a cold face around him and was also quite sharp-tongued¡ªWei Yilin felt that he could understand what his father meant. He could see Wei Ruo¡¯s sisterly love for him, and she indeed helped him learn skills and gain his father¡¯s praise. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s all due to your own efforts,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Staying silent, she thought to herself: As long as you don¡¯t bother me in the future, that would be great! Wei Mingting, with a tender expression, watched the two siblings. The three of them stayed in the courtyard for a while and chatted. Wei Mingting then invited them to have tea and refreshments at Cangyun Garden. During the tea, Wei Mingting mentioned the West Mountain Village, where he and Wei Ruo had previously stayed. ¡°I went to visit them the other day. The village chief said that everyone missed you and remembered the delicious dishes you cooked for them.¡± Not to mention the villagers, even Wei Mingting and the soldiers who had also tasted Wei Ruo¡¯s dishes were remembering the delicious meals she cooked. Wei Yilin looked at Wei Ruo in surprise, ¡°You can cook?¡± Before Wei Ruo could answer, Wei Mingting responded on her behalf, ¡°Your big sister¡¯s cooking is the best I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡± Wei Yilin was stunned, ¡°It¡¯s even more delicious than Sister Wanwan¡¯s Osmanthus cake?¡± In Wei Yilin¡¯s heart, the Osmanthus cake made by his sister Wanwan was the most delicious cake he had ever eaten. ¡°On the matter of cooking skills, your second sister indeed falls short of your big sister,¡± Wei Mingting stated objectively. Wei Yilin found it hard to believe this, but he knew his father would not lie. How good could Wei Qingruo¡¯s cooking skills be? Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. Therefore, he spent a while looking at Wei Ruo with skeptical eyes. Wei Ruo ignored his probing gaze and continued to ask Wei Mingting, ¡°How is life for the villagers in West Mountain Village now? Can they make it through this year in peace?¡± Wei Mingting said, ¡°Life is certainly going to be tough. Not just for the villagers, but even some families in the county town that usually manage to get by, they are also not going to have an easy time this year.¡± Even the Wei family was significantly affected by the weather. They have been reliant on the support of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the capital city to maintain their daily expenses. ¡°As long as they can get through, that¡¯s good. After this year, they can work hard again and farm their lands, and times will get better,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I hope so,¡± responded Wei Mingting, hoping that the weather next year would be better to provide some respite for the people. Wei Mingting continued, ¡°Ruoruo, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. You have already done a lot to help them. In Xingshan County, countless people have benefitted from your kindness and are extremely grateful to you.¡± Wei Mingting had some free time recently and thus visited various places. Initially, he wanted to learn about the living conditions of the people after the disaster. However, he unexpectedly found that his daughter was more popular among the people. Many people referred to him as ¡°Miss Wei¡¯s father¡±, and there were also many who inquired about his daughter. At that time, Wei Mingting felt an unprecedented sense of pride in his heart¡ªthe pride of a father. For the first time in his life, he felt such pride as a father. However, he didn¡¯t want his daughter to feel too much pressure regarding this matter. She should just do her best. After all, she¡¯s a woman, how much can she truly change in these difficult times? ¡°I just did what I thought was right,¡± Wei Ruo answered. Sitting by their side and listening to their conversation, Wei Yilin slowly realized that Wei Ruo seemed much more formidable than he had imagined. After finishing their refreshments, Wei Ruo and Wei Yilin left Cangyun Garden together. Upon leaving the courtyard gate, Wei Ruo quickened her pace, intentionally trying to distance herself from Wei Yilin. However, Wei Yilin raced up, calling out to Wei Ruo, ¡°Wait for ¡°What do you want?¡± asked Wei Ruo, her tone impatient. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s expression, Wei Yilin felt frustrated. He puffed out his cheeks, confronting Wei Ruo, ¡°Why are you so impatient with me? You clearly care a lot about me.. Can¡¯t you show a little gentleness?¡± me.¡± Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Someone is causing trouble in the pickle shopl Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Someone is causing trouble in the pickle shopl Translator: 549690339 ¡°Gentleness? What kind of gentleness are you looking for?¡± Wei Ruo wanted to laugh. After some thought, Wei Yilin replied, ¡°Just like the gentleness of Sister Wanwan. You should learn from her. Her words are always soft and she¡¯s always very gentle, even her smile is sweet.¡± This time, Wei Ruo really laughed out loud and then responded with two words to Wei Yilin: ¡°Dream on.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said you are daydreaming. If you like Wei Qjngwan, you should just go to her. I don¡¯t want to bother with you, let alone be gentle with you.¡± Though when others were present, Wei Ruo would pretend around Wei Yilin. But with no one else around, Wei Ruo did not feel the need to be indirect with him. ¡°Wei Qjngruo, you¡­ you¡¯re too cruel! What kind of sister are you! You¡¯re nothing like a sister!¡± Wei Yilin stamped his foot angrily, his little face turning beet red, his eyes glaring wide.¡± Wei Ruo gave a cold snort and completely ignored Wei Yilin¡¯s dissatisfaction, striding back to her courtyard. The abandoned Wei Yilin could only stomp his foot in place angrily. ¡°Bastard, jerk, idiot!¡± Wei Yilin stamped ceaselessly on the ground as if the ground was Wei Ruo. Xiumei waited for Wei Ruo to return at the doorway and saw Wei Yilin stomping furiously from afar. ¡°Miss, what did you say that got the young master that angry?¡± Xiumei couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Nothing much, I just didn¡¯t want to be around him. Yet he wants me to be gentle with him like how Wei Qjngwan is, he¡¯s probably just spouting crap.¡± Wei Ruo replied. As soon as she has enough silver, she would find a short-lived ghost to marry. Like a cicada shedding its shell, he might not even be able to see her if he wished, let alone her being gentle with him. What gentleness, bloody hell! ### Two days later, Wei Ruo received a message from Government City. The preserved meat shop had encountered trouble. The shop itself was fine, business was good. Chen Aqing and another runner were efficient at work and the daily earnings were substantial. However, precisely because the shop was doing well, it had somehow aroused the jealousy of someone who sent men to cause trouble at the shop. The first attempt to stir up trouble was unsuccessful, but in the second attempt they brazenly brought people over to trash the shop. Chen Aqing defended the shop but was outnumbered and consequently injured. Upon receiving the news, Wei Ruo immediately rushed to Government City with Xiumei. Before leaving, she only told Wei Mingting that there was business to be attended to in Government City. Wei Mingting did not pry, only reminding Wei Ruo to bring more people for protection. Wei Ruo tactfully declined, using the excuse that Madame Yuan would send people to meet them. The matter she was dealing with in Government City could not be known to the Wei Family for now. Upon reaching Government City, Wei Ruo first went to Chen Aqing¡¯s residence to check the situation. Currently, Chen Aqing was living with her aunt in a small alley in the city. When Wei Ruo and Xiumei found Chen Aqing, she was lying on the bed recuperating. Seeing Wei Ruo, Chen Aqing tried to get up but Wei Ruo stopped her: ¡°Stay in bed, don¡¯t move around.¡± ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I failed to protect the shop¡­¡± Chen Aqing apologized regretfully. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. Next time when you encounter such a situation, and your enemy outnumbers you, just run. A trashed shop can be restored but not if something happens to you.¡± ¡°But miss, it¡¯s the shop you had such a hard time opening¡­¡± Chen Aqing¡¯s face showed both grief and guilt. ¡°It¡¯s fine, if something¡¯s resolved we can reopen the shop later. It¡¯s not a big deal. The most important thing is that you¡¯re okay.¡± Wei Ruo comforted Chen Aqing. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Stop thinking about all these, you just need to focus on resting. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± As Wei Ruo spoke, her hand reached out to touch Chen Aqing¡¯s wrist to check her injuries. There was an empty medicine bowl by Chen Aqing¡¯s bed, which Wei Ruo picked up to inspect. Seems like her aunt really cared about her. She had sought medical consultation for her, although the prescribed medication was not very effective, she had done her best. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to get some paper and a pen, and then she wrote a new prescription, asking Xiumei to fetch the medicine. Afterwhich, she also gave Chen Aqing some ointment. ¡°You stop taking the medication given by the physician for now. Use the medication Xiumei brings back instead. Then apply this ointment to your bruises, morning and night each day.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. Chen Aqing looked at Wei Ruo, puzzled. She had lived for so long and aside from her aunt, this was the first time someone had been so kind and concerned about her. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re too good to me.¡± Chen Aqing said, choking on her words. ¡°You were hurt because of my shop; it¡¯s only right that I do this.¡± Looking at Wei Ruo, Chen Aqing suddenly teared-up. She didn¡¯t cry when she was beaten up, but Wei Ruo¡¯s care and concern made her feel like crying. ¡°You¡¯re such a good person, Miss¡­¡± ¡°Alright, stop thinking about all that. Just focus on resting. I¡¯ll handle the issue.¡± After giving Chen Aqing a few instructions, Wei Ruo left. Now she needed to find out exactly what happened and who was causing trouble behind the scenes! When Wei Ruo and Xiumei returned to Xu¡¯s Preserved Meat Shop, the wet nurse was already waiting inside the shop. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t get back in time.¡± The wet nurse apologised. ¡°Wet Nurse, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself. You and Uncle Xu have a lot of responsibilities and can¡¯t always stay in the shop. Didn¡¯t I also fail to arrive in time?¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t give the wet nurse an opportunity to place all the blame on herself and she asked, ¡°Do you have any clues about the person causing the trouble?¡± ¡°The people who came claimed to be from the Zuixian Residence.¡± The wet nurse answered. The wet nurse wasn¡¯t sure why they had offended people from Zuixian Residence. Although both parties were restaurants, theoretically, there shouldn¡¯t be any conflicts between them. Xiumei asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, do we go to the Zuixian Residence to seek people out?¡± Xiumei had already rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight. ¡°We can¡¯t act recklessly, even if it really is people from Zuixian Residence. If the two of us recklessly confront them, we will definitely lose.¡± While Wei Ruo was answering Xiumei¡¯s question, she was also thinking of a plan. ¡°Like this, Meimei, let¡¯s return and dress ourselves up. We¡¯ll also prepare some preserved meats. Tomorrow we will set up a street stall in front of the shop.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. She planned to wait for the troublemakers. Since they were targeting her business, then she¡¯ll run it defiantly. ¡°Good!¡± Xiumei raised both hands in agreement. Upon hearing this, the wet nurse suggested, ¡°Miss, should I call Xiaoyong back? He just returned to Xingshan County a few days ago and hasn¡¯t reported to the military camp yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trouble Brother Xiaoyong, his injury has just healed and he has to return to the camp in a few days. Let him rest and refrain from travelling back and forth.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that there will be too many people causing trouble and Meimei won¡¯t be able to handle them all¡­¡± The wet nurse said worriedly. ¡°Hl borrow some people from Madame Yuan. This is a bustling area in Government City, if anyone causes trouble, the magistrate¡¯s office will have to handle it..¡± Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Confronting the Person from Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Confronting the Person from Zuixian Residence! Translator: 549690339 | Seeing that Wei Ruo had a plan, the wet nurse could only place her worries back into her stomach for now. Following this, Wei Ruo went to seek Madam Yuan. Upon hearing news that the shop had been vandalized and someone was injured, Madam Yuan offered to help Wei Ruo resolving the matter. ¡°Leave this all to me. There is no one in Taizhou prefecture I cannot control!¡± Wei Ruo shook her head, ¡°Madam, I should handle this myself. I must confront and manage these issues personally; I can¡¯t rely on you for everything. Madam Yuan smiled lightly. Seeing that Wei Ruo had her own thoughts, she didn¡¯t insist further. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll assign two of my personal guards to you. They¡¯re my men command excellent martial skills, and they¡¯ll be more convenient than the government office¡¯s guards. Just order them directly when you need something.¡± ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you being so formal for? You¡¯ve helped me so much, and I¡¯m happy to be able to assist you. Moreover, they were the ones causing trouble in Taizhou prefecture, which naturally entails responsibilities from the magistrate¡¯s office. Not to mention how much my lady friends and I enjoy the marinated delicacies from your shop. It will be a pity if it were to be ruined by those hoodlums.¡± ### The next day, Wei Ruo and Xiumei, dressed as men, applied some disguises on their faces. Wei Ruo put a large, black mole on the upper right corner of her mouth. She was planning to put more hair on it, but Xiumei stopped her. Xiumei: ¡°Miss, don¡¯t put more, it¡¯s disgusting!¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Disgusting? I find it quite good. Perhaps I could add a birthmark too.¡± Wei Ruo knew her facial features were feminine, so without some additional adornments, it would be obvious that she was a girl. Wei Ruo put the birthmark on her left cheek. With a mole on the right and a large birthmark on the left, barely anyone could see her actual face. Minimized by her youth, the absence of a masculine personality was not at all unusual. Wei Ruo: ¡°Great, then what should I put on you?¡± Xiumei: ¡°A scar, to make it look more fierce.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put one next to your eye, that¡¯ll definitely look ferocious. Playing cheerfully and making fun, they got their disguises ready and then brought the marinated goods they had prepared the night before to Xu¡¯s Marinated Delicacies shop to set up the stall. Xu¡¯s Marinated Delicacies reopened¡ªwhile the original shop hadn¡¯t been tidied up yet, a temporary stall was set up in front of it. Although it was just a small stall, business was still booming. Many regular customers came over to patronize their business. Selling for all morning, more than half of the prepared marinated delicacies were sold. They estimated they could sell out completely by the early afternoon. With a lull at noon, Wei Ruo and Xiumei intended to go inside and grab some food. Just as they turned around, several men appeared, blocking the disguised Wei Ruo and Xiumei¡¯s way. ¡°You two really have guts, daring to continue your business here!¡± A tall, thin man started with a sarcastic tone. Looking at this man and his gang behind him, they resembled hooligans. Wei Ruo looked at the man, not panicked at all, but rather delighted. They finally showed up; she had been worrying all morning that they wouldn¡¯t come at all! ¡°Why can¡¯t we continue our business here? Who are you? Are you from the Government Office or somewhere else?¡± Wei Ruo retorted. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you fools last time? I am a man from Zuixian Residence! Don¡¯t you know what that means when you do business here?¡± The man puffed. ¡°What did our business do to obstruct Zuixian Residence?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°How did you not? Our restaurant is for people to dine in, and you¡¯re selling food right in front of us. Isn¡¯t that considered competition?¡± ¡°So what, even if we open a restaurant just like yours, I don¡¯t think the Zuixian Residence has any right to stop us from doing so?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°You¡¯re looking for trouble!¡± The man¡¯s expression became grim, he turned and ordered his men, ¡°Brothers, bring it down for me! Let them know the consequences of messing with Zuixian Residence! Together with the leader, a total of six men attacked Wei Ruo and Xiumei. Wei Ruo stepped back, leaving the battlefield to Xiumei. At the same time, the two guards from Madam Yuan¡¯s party also stepped in. Initially aggressive, the six men were beaten up by Xiumei and the two guards in a few swift moves. ¡°Who are you? How dare you hit us! We¡¯ve already said we¡¯re from Zuixian Residence! You¡¯re making a mistake! Once our boss hears about this, he won t let you get away with it!¡± The tall, thin man was now sprawled on the floor, but he was still yelling. ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t I take you to meet the boss of Zuixian Residence then? I am curious about what kind of influential man he is! His words immediately changed the man¡¯s complexion to horror: ¡°You, you¡¯re taking me to see the boss of Zuixian Residence? No, I can¡¯t go see him!¡± Wei Ruo approached, ¡°Why not? Afraid your boss will punish you for failing his mission?¡± ¡°I, I¡­anyhow, I¡¯m not going! Let me go!¡± The man tried to crawl up and escape, but Xiumei noticed him, stepped forward, and kicked him back down. The man groaned in pain. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°My name is Li Biao and I won¡¯t change it¡­ ¡°Li Biao, huh? Good, I hope your boss is as brave as you are.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°You, what are you going to do?¡± Li Biao had barely finished asking when the two guards dispatched by Madam Yuan came forward, picked him up, and headed towards the Zuixian Residence. Li Biao panicked: ¡°What are you doing? Let me go! Do you know who I am?¡± No matter how much he shouted, Wei Ruo and the others showed no mercy. It was lunchtime, and Zuixian Residence was crowded with guests. The appearance of Wei Ruo and her party attracted the attention of many guests. At the same time, the waiter of the restaurant came out to inquire. ¡°May I know what¡¯s going on, sirs?¡± ¡°Is your boss in the restaurant?¡± Wei Ruo stepped up to ask. ¡°Young gentleman, may I know what business you have with our boss?¡± the waiter asked. ¡°We caught a few hooligans. They claimed to be instructed by your boss to cause trouble, so I came to speak with your boss about it.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Upon hearing this, both the waiter and the customers in the restaurant showed expressions of disbelief. Who was this young man, not very old yet daring. Did he think that the person capable of establishing a restaurant like Zuixian Residence in Taizhou prefecture would be simple? Everyone knew the boss of Zuixian Residence had significant backing. Poking his nose into this, wasn¡¯t he afraid of bringing trouble upon himself? Wei Ruo remained calm and composed: ¡°Is your boss in the restaurant now?¡± The waiter looked troubled. At that moment, the shopkeeper came over and spoke with a smile, ¡°Young gentleman, I¡¯m sorry, but our boss doesn¡¯t meet guests. As for the person you brought with you, our boss doesn¡¯t recognize him either. I think you may have mistaken something..¡± Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Chapter 16o: Boss Fan l Chapter 160: Chapter 16o: Boss Fan l Translator: 549690339 ¡°I also hope it¡¯s a mistake, but to be safe I¡¯d like to ask your boss directly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to take this person to the Government Office to file a complaint. Not to mention if the Government Office has to come and invite your boss, it may not paint a pretty picture,¡± said Wei Ruo. Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper looked even more awkward. Subconsciously, he glanced towards a certain spot on the second floor. Wei Ruo noticed his gaze, and following it, he saw a private room on the second floor with the words ¡°Crane Pavilion¡± written on it. ¡°If you¡¯ve done something wrong, don¡¯t be afraid of others knocking on your door. Is your Zuixian Residence number one in Taizhou prefecture built on such tricks?¡± he asked. After Wei Ruo finished speaking, there was a long silence both in and around the private room. The hall became eerily quiet. Just when Wei Ruo was about to turn around and head towards the Government Office, thinking he wouldn¡¯t get to meet anyone today, the door to the private room opened¡­ A young man stepped out. He had a handsome face, wore a traditional coronet, held a folding fan in his hand, and carried himself with an air of elegance. The crowd in the hall changed their expressions as soon as they saw the man. Particularly Li Biao, who Wei Ruo had brought in. His eyes widened in shock and horror. From the reactions of others, Wei Ruo could tell that there was a considerable degree of respect, even fear, towards this man. The man held a smile on his face as he looked down at Wei Ruo standing in the hall on the first floor. Wei Ruo met the man¡¯s gaze, unflinching. With a smirk, the man shifted his attention to Li Biao who had been brought in by Wei Ruo. ¡°I would also like to know who has been causing trouble under the guise of my Zuixian Residence,¡± he said. Upon the man¡¯s concentrated gaze, Li Biao looked increasingly troubled as he quickly averted his eyes. Panic washed over his being. The man on the second floor then instructed the attendant standing behind him, ¡°Go and find out who did this.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± responded the attendant, as he descended the stairs and walked towards Li Biao. As the attendant approached, Li Biao immediately started to panic. Before the attendant could even speak, Li Biao confessed, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t hit me. It was boss He from Heji who hired me! He told me to claim that I was working on the orders of Zuixian Residence, saying it would scare them off more easily! I was only doing what I was paid for!¡± Heji was a shop on the west side of the street selling braised dishes and some snacks like nuts and dried fruit. Then, Li Biao pleaded with the man on the second floor, ¡°Spare my life, sir. Spare my life, I won¡¯t dare to do it again!¡± The man on the second floor looked indifferent as he asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Young master, is there anything else you wish to say?¡± Everyone in the room was sweating for Wei Ruo. ¡°There¡¯s no issue now. If this person had spoken the truth earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to bother the boss,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Indeed, you came to me instead of directly reporting to the officials. That does show some respect,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, sir. I¡¯ll not trouble you any further, excuse me,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Intending to leave, Wei Ruo turned around. ¡°Wait,¡± the man from the second floor spoke again. His call made the hearts of everyone in the hall jump. This young man had offended the boss and intended to leave just like that. It seemed too simple. It looked like the young man was about to have some tough luck. Wei Ruo turned around and looked back towards the second floor, appearing unruffled. ¡°Are you the boss of Xuji Braised Food Shop?¡± the man on the second floor asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Ruo admitted. ¡°The braised food from your shop is quite good,¡± the man remarked. ¡°Thank you for your recognition, sir. Please do visit more often. As a token of gratitude for helping me uncover the truth, I would like to offer you a discount,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright,¡± the man on the second floor agreed, a faint smile on his face, inscrutable. Wei Ruo then left, and the boss returned to his private room. Leaving the people in the hall in a state of astonishment. It seemed that not only was the boss not angry with the young master, but he seemed to be quite interested in this young man! Moreover, the boss praised the braised food from Xuji Braised Food Shop. This meant that their food must be extraordinary! Upon leaving Zuixian Residence, Li Biao breathed a sigh of relief. He felt less scared about being taken to the Government Office by Wei Ruo than he did meeting the boss of Zuixian Residence just now. Wei Ruo asked Li Biao, ¡°It seems that you¡¯re quite afraid of the boss of Zuixian Residence.¡± Li Biao responded, ¡°No kidding! If the boss wanted to settle accounts with me, I¡¯d die a hundred times over!¡± Wei Ruo then asked, ¡°Why did you dare to harm others under his name then?¡± Li Biao replied, ¡°How was I supposed to know you¡¯d dare to go confront him directly! And who knew you¡¯d be so lucky today to have the boss at the restaurant and even meet you! The boss is a busy man, how was I supposed to know he¡¯d get involved in this!¡± ¡°Sounds like this boss is quite a formidable person,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°Of course he is! Didn¡¯t you even know what kind of person he is when you went to confront him?¡± replied Li Biao. Wei Ruo retorted, ¡°I went to him not to cause trouble, but to seek reason. If he¡¯s not the one responsible, I¡¯m also clearing his name. And if he is the one at fault, no matter how formidable he is, I will not cower.¡± Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t very clear about the boss¡¯s background before she went there, but she did hear a thing or two. Knowing that he is a formidable individual, she still chose to act. As Wei Ruo was about to take Li Biao to the Government Office, a short, plump man stepped in their way. ¡°Boss He!¡± Li Biao exclaimed with excitement as if he¡¯d seen his savior. At Li Biao¡¯s call, Wei Ruo knew the man blocking their way must be the one who had hired Li Biao to make trouble for them. ¡°You must be Boss He from Heji,¡± Wei Ruo assumed, scrutinizing this person with her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s me!¡± Boss He declared, lifting his head arrogantly. ¡°In that case, would you please accompany me to the Government Office?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Who are you to invite me to the Government Office?¡± Boss He responded with disdain. ¡°I¡¯m the owner of Xuji Braised Food Shop, which you¡¯ve vandalized.¡± Wei Ruo stated. ¡°Who vandalized your shop? You better not make baseless accusations. At such a young age, you¡¯re making such reckless statements. It¡¯s total nonsense!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s nonsense or not, you will find out once you go to the Government Office with me,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Who¡¯s going to the Government Office with you? Do you think I¡¯m as idle as you? I¡¯m busy!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so busy, Boss He, why are you blocking our way? To me, you don¡¯t seem all that busy,¡± Wei Ruo said, grinning. ¡°Why are you concerned about what I do!¡± Boss He retorted irritably. ¡°Then why are you interfering in my affairs?¡± Wei Ruo countered. ¡°I can¡¯t stand you bullying others. What are you all ganging up on Li Biao for? Let him go now or don¡¯t blame me if I get nasty,¡± Boss He warned arrogantly. With that, Boss He signaled for his men to come over ¨C seven or eight of them armed with brooms and shovels, brimming with hostility.. Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Want to Buy Wei Ruos Formulai Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Want to Buy Wei Ruo¡¯s Formulai Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo said with a faint smile, ¡°Mr. He, do you intend to seek public trouble and get thrown into jail?¡± ¡°Nonsense. I just want you to let the people go. What right do you have to detain people? I can file a charge against you for injuring them!¡± Mr. He pompously argued his point. ¡°You injured first. We intend to take the person to the Government Office. If you have anything against us, you can choose to take us to the Government Office as well. I can go there with you right now if you want. So, what¡¯s it going to be: will you go or not?¡± Wei Ruo retorted. Mr. He¡¯s face turned sour. He hadn¡¯t expected this young man with an ugly blue birthmark on his face to be so sharp-tongued. ¡°You little brat, you really are shameless!¡± Mr. He went into a rage out of embarrassment. ¡°I think the person acting shamelessly is you. You become envious because my business is good so you come to make trouble, and you don¡¯t even dare to use your own name, instead hiding behind others¡¯. I¡¯ve seen shameless people before, but never as shameless as you!¡± Wei Ruo shot back. ¡°Fine, you rude brat! You won¡¯t listen? Then I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, I don¡¯t take insults lightly!¡± Provoked by Wei Ruo¡¯s words, Mr. He ripped off his last shred of dignity, intending to resort to violence against Wei Ruo. Many people had gathered in the street to watch the commotion, but Mr. He was still unafraid to resort to violence. His years of impunity had conditioned him to do as he pleased, and the local residents were all too afraid of him to stand against him. The locals, who¡¯d suffered at the hands of Mr. He before, watched Wei Ruo stand up to him with a mix of worry and sympathy. At that moment, one of the guards pulled out his waist plate and showed it to Mr. He. Mr. He, once arrogant and cocky, quickly lost his color at the sight of the waist plate. ¡°The¡­.the princess¡­¡± These are Princess Jingmin¡¯s people! Seeing this, Mr. He¡¯s eyes bulged in shock, not knowing what to do. His own men, who¡¯d been following him, promptly dropped the ¡°weapons¡± in their hands. They were all mere common folks, how could they dare to offend royalty? Li Biao, who had initially hoped that Mr. He would save him, found his hopes dashed. ¡°Esteemed officers, I was short-sighted and didn¡¯t recognize you. I hope you can forgive this.¡± Mr. He quickly apologized. On any given day, no one would dare to offend these guards dressed in their official uniform. Today, in order to assist Wei Ruo, they had purposely dressed like common people. ¡°Mr. He, it would be best if you accompany us to the Government Office.¡± As the guard spoke, Mr. He¡¯s face turned a sickening shade of white, he tried to struggle: ¡°Esteemed officers, this is all a misunderstanding. I don¡¯t know this man named Li Biao. I merely mistook your actions for bullying the common folk, hence why I brought my shop¡¯s men to help.¡± Both guards remained silent, instead they looked at Wei Ruo. Mr. He got the hint that is the young man with the ugly face was the one calling the shots. ¡°Young master, it was all a misunderstanding.¡± Mr. He smiled weakly, a stark contrast to his earlier belligerence. ¡°Is that so? So getting Li Biao to bring his men to vandalize my shop was also a misunderstanding?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°No! I¡¯m not familiar with him! I did not send him to smash the shop!¡± Mr. He denied. ¡°Is that so? So, Li Biao was the mastermind? This was all his own doing? In that case, his offense would be much graver.¡± Wei Ruo turned to look at Li Biao. On hearing this, Li Biao became frantic and quickly pointed at Mr. He and said, ¡°Mr. He gave me the money, he was the one who instigated me!¡± He didn¡¯t want to take all the blame himself! Mr. He also panicked: ¡°You hoodlum! This is complete nonsense!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense, I took your five taels of silver to do your bidding! If I¡¯m lying may the heavens smite me!¡± Li Biao cried out loudly. ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. He frantically tried to signal Li Biao, hoping he would take full responsibility for everything. But Li Biao, in his panicked state, didn¡¯t catch the signals Mr. He was sending him and continuously confessed his dealings with Mr. He. ¡°Enough, save it for the Government Office.¡± Wei Ruo instructed the guards to take Mr. He and Li Biao to the Government Office, deciding not to go along herself. The main reason being that both their identities were fake, and if they went along and were questioned in detail at the Government Office, it could lead to complications. Once the guards had revealed their identities, Mr. He and Li Biao had no choice but to comply even if they had the physical strength to resist; they didn¡¯t have the courage to do so. Afterwards, Wei Ruo led Xiumei towards Xu¡¯s braised food shop. At a window on the second floor of the Zuixian Residence, boss Fan had watched everything unfold on the street below. Only after Wei Ruo and the others had left did Fan rise from his seat and return to his table. Then he asked the shopkeeper in the room: ¡°What do you know about this young master?¡± The shopkeeper who stood by, carefully replied: ¡°My apologies, sir. I¡¯m not sure either as I had only learned today that he¡¯s the boss of the new braised food shop. I haven¡¯t seen him before.¡± The shopkeeper quickly added: ¡°However, it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s a young master from some official family, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be able to employ Madam Yuan¡¯s guards.¡± ¡°Take some men over to the braised food shop later and offer a high price for their recipe.¡± Fan Chengxu ordered. They had tried to fathom the recipe for the braised food at the Zuixian Residence, but had failed. The Zuixian Residence, which he ran, claimed to be the best in the Taizhou prefecture. He never thought they would be outshined by a tiny braised food shop. If he can¡¯t figure it out himself, then he¡¯ll just buy it. As long as he offered enough money, there is nothing he couldn¡¯t buy. ¡°At once, sir.¡± The shopkeeper hurriedly set off to prepare. When the shopkeeper arrived at Xu¡¯s braised food shop, Wei Ruo and Xiumei were just about to leave. The shopkeeper walked up to them with a smile on his face: ¡°Greetings, young master. I am the shopkeeper of the Zuixian Residence, my surname is Shen. We met at the Zuixian Residence just now, I¡¯m not sure if you remember me.¡± ¡°I remember. Is there something you need, Mr. Shen?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Actually, my master wants to purchase your braised food recipe.¡± Wei Ruo lightly smiled and politely refused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this recipe is not for sale.¡± Mr. Shen was undeterred and continued, ¡°Young master, don¡¯t be so hasty in refusing, we can negotiate the price.¡± Wei Ruo shook his head, ¡°No matter the price, I won¡¯t sell.¡± Wei Ruo had no intention of running just one shop. If possible, she wanted to expand. And with that in mind, she would not sell the recipe easily. ¡°What if my master is willing to offer 500 taels?¡± Shen, the shopkeeper, made his offer. 500 taels for a recipe was an astronomical price. Wei Ruo shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The persistent shopkeeper raised the price further: ¡°600 taels.¡± Wei Ruo again shook her head. ¡°800 taels.¡± Wei Ruo was still shaking her head. ¡°1,000 taels!¡± Shen the shopkeeper raised the price to 1,000 taels.. Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Aim for Long-Term Business_l Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Aim for Long-Term Business_l Translator: 549690339 That¡¯s a thousand taels! How many years of marinated delicacies would this shop have to sell to make this sum! Wei Ruo smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not selling the recipe for the marinated dishes, but I think I can discuss another deal with Boss Fan, which will be more suitable for Zuixian Residence than this marinated dish recipe. Shopkeeper Shen looked puzzled, ¡°The young master has other business to discuss with our family¡¯s young master? ¡°Yes, please return and tell Boss Fan that if he is indeed interested, we could arrange a meeting to discuss further.¡± said Wei Ruo. Shopkeeper Shen looked at Wei Ruo, his surprise very evident. This young master surely is brave. This novice, who hasn¡¯t even made a household name for himself yet, dares to ask to deal directly with their master. Should he be called a young calf that is not afraid of the tiger, or should we commend him for his courage? After contemplating for a while, Shopkeeper Shen said: ¡°Alright, I will go now and ask our young master. Please wait here for a moment young master, I will be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo agreed. Shopkeeper Shen stood up and left, quickly returning to Zuixian Residence. On the second floor of the private box, Shopkeeper Shen repeated the pitch he just had. ¡°Oh? He wants to discuss business with me personally?¡± Fan Chengxu showed an interested smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Fan Chengxu pondered for a while, then said, ¡°Bring him over. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Due to the close proximity of the two shops, in less than a joss stick¡¯s burning time, Wei Ruo, led by Shopkeeper Shen, walked into the door of the Crane Pavilion on the second floor. This time, Fan Chengxu carefully looked at Wei Ruo at a close distance. He was young, small in stature, had a large area of blue birthmarks on his face and ugly black moles. His looks could be described as ugly. Only those pair of eyes were clear and clean, smart and spirited, it could be considered the only redeeming feature on his face. ¡°I heard from Shopkeeper Shen that you want to talk business with me?¡± Fan Chengxu looked at Wei Ruo with a half-smiling expression. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Fan Chengxu leisurely sipped his tea, waiting for the rest of the conversation. ¡°Zuixian Residence is the most famous restaurant in Taizhou prefecture. There are many kinds of dishes in the building. The marinated dishes are just one of the hundreds of dishes. It¡¯s not worth spending a lot of money to buy a marinated dish. But I have something more useful to Boss Fan that I want to supply to you in the long run. ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Fan Chengxu admitted that he was quite interested in what this young master was saying. Wei Ruo did not answer directly, but took out three porcelain bottles from the brocade bag he had brought. Wei Ruo placed the three bottles on the mahogany round table in front of him, lined up in a row. -These three bottles are all ingredients for seasoning. The spices used in my marinated dishes shop are these. Boss Fan, if you are interested, you may take a look.¡± said Wei Ruo. Fan Chengxu stared at the three porcelain bottles in front of Wei Ruo. After scrutinizing them for a while, he signaled to Shopkeeper Shen. Shopkeeper Shen immediately came forward and took all three porcelain bottles to Fan Chengxu. Fan Chengxu opened one bottle and sniffed it near his nose. There was a scent inside, the smell was rich and layered. The fragrance did indeed resemble the smell of the marinated dishes sold in Xu¡¯s marinated dishes shop. Wei Ruo explained, ¡°The smell might be a bit pungent if you sniff it directly, but if you cook it into food, the taste will definitely be better and it can effectively neutralize the fishy and mutton smell in meat and fish. Fan Chengxu poured out some of the powder in the bottle onto a plate. The dark brown powder seemed to be a mixture of many things. Just by looking at it, without any knowledge in this area, one would not be able to distinguish the specific ingredients. Then Fan Chengxu put down the first bottle and opened the second one. If smelled, the second bottle had a stronger aroma, and it was a liquid when shaken. So Fan Chengxu poured some into a small bowl. After seeing the black-brown liquid, Fan Chengxu dipped some with his chopsticks and prepared to put it in his mouth. ¡°Master!¡± Shopkeeper Shen was worried. ¡°This is soy sauce.¡± Fan Chengxu said as he put it in his mouth. It was indeed soy sauce, but the taste was much more delicious and richer than any soy sauce he had tasted before. Not only is there a divide in the quality of wines, but soy sauces are the same. Good soy sauce and bad soy sauce differ greatly. Without a doubt, the small bottle of soy sauce in front of him was the cream of the crop. Finally, Fan Chengxu opened the third bottle. This time it was not powder, nor was it a liquid with strong fluidity. He tipped the bottle over for a while before a bit of the viscous liquid flowed out. The color was a bit lighter than soy sauce, and it gleamed brightly. ¡°What is this?¡± Fan Chengxu asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Oyster sauce.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°Oyster sauce?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a sauce made from oysters. It has a delicious flavor and can be used for cooking many dishes. It can also be eaten as a dipping sauce.¡± Wei Ruo answered. She did not conceal the main ingredient of this sauce, which was oyster. After all, even if she told him the raw material was oyster, he might not be able to make the exact same oyster sauce. just like everyone knows that the raw material of soy sauce is soybeans, but to make delicious soy sauce, the craft is most important. After listening to Wei Ruo¡¯s description, Fan Chengxu again scrutinized the viscous substance. Just by looking at it, one could not see any connection between this substance and oysters. Fan Chengxu picked up his chopsticks again and dipped some into his mouth, tasting it carefully. The first response was freshness, a unique fresh and salty taste of seafood, without any fishy taste common to seafood. The taste was not as strong as soy sauce, but the texture was equally rich and tempting. He finished examining the three items. Except for the five-spice powder, Fan Chengxu had tasted both the soy sauce and the oyster sauce. After a while, Fan Chengxu raised his head, his sharp gaze once again fell on Wei Ruo: ¡°Are you trying to sell me the recipes for these spices? ¡°No, I am not selling recipes, I am selling spices. I want to provide spices to Zuixian Residence in the long run.¡± Wei Ruo answered, her eyes filled with confidence and determination. Wei Ruo¡¯s answer surprised Fan Chengxu, and he asked with interest: ¡°So how much stock do you have on hand now?¡± ¡°None.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°None? And you still have the audacity to say that you want to establish a long-term supply relationship with me.¡± Fan Chengxu asked. ¡°Once the deal is made, I can immediately set up a workshop for production.¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°So you have nothing right now, in other words you¡¯re trying to talk me into a business with no investment for high returns? -My capital is my art. I know how to make these condiments, I know how to conquer diners¡¯ taste buds. This is my capital and it is valuable. If they were worthless, Boss Fan would not have let Shopkeeper Shen come over to buy the marinade recipe from me today, would he?¡± Wei Ruo retorted.. Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Only such people are worthy of doing business with me_l Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Only such people are worthy of doing business with me_l Translator: 549690339 Upon hearing this, Fan Chengxu remained silent for a while. Wei Ruo was not in a hurry, she just looked at Fan Chengxu. After a while, Fan Chengxu asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Xu Heyou.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Mr. Xu,¡± After muttering to himself once, Fan Chengxu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, Xu Heyou, I¡¯ll do business with you. But I have one condition.¡± ¡°Please speak, Mr. Fan.¡± ¡°Since you want to do this business with me, you cannot sell these seasonings to others in the future.¡± Fan Chengxu asked. Wei Ruo shook her head: ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, Mr. Fan. I can only promise that within Taizhou prefecture, I will only sell this five-spice powder and oyster sauce to you at Zuixian Residence. If it¡¯s outside of Taizhou prefecture, that¡¯s another matter. And I will continue to use the five-spice powder and oyster sauce in my own deli.¡± It was not enough to only sell the three items to Zuixian Residence, even if it was outside Taizhou Prefecture. Shen, the shopkeeper, was a little angry, ¡°Mr. Xu, don¡¯t be too excessive.¡± He thought their young master was someone you could haggle with. Wei Ruo replied calmly, ¡°Business is about willing buyer and willing seller. Mr. Fan can raise his requirements, I can raise mine, if we agree, we¡¯ll talk, if not, we won¡¯t. There¡¯s nothing too excessive or not excessive.¡± Fan Chengxu chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Wei Ruo continued, ¡°In fact, just this five-spice powder is enough to make Zuixian Residence stand out among many restaurants, and the chefs of Zuixian Residence are inherently better than those of other restaurants. The seasonings will definitely be used to a level that other restaurant chefs cannot reach.¡± ¡°Furthermore, I can see that you, Mr. Fan, are an ambitious person. Your business empire will not be limited to Taizhou prefecture. If you plan to open restaurants in other places in the future, I can continue to supply you in these places.¡± Fan Chengxu looked at Wei Ruo with a half-smile. Feeling his sharp gaze, Wei Ruo remained calm and composed. ¡°Fine.¡± Fan Chengxu said, ¡°I accept your conditions. The five-spice powder and oyster sauce, apart from your own deli, can only be supplied to my restaurant. You are allowed to sell soy sauce to others. But you still need to teach my chefs how to use these seasonings.¡± ¡°Okay, no problem.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Then Wei Ruo and Fan Chengxu talked for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, discussing some aspects of future collaboration. During the discussion, Wei Ruo remained confident, courteous and not humble or arrogant. After the discussion, Wei Ruo left the Zuixian Residence. After Wei Ruo left, Shopkeeper Shen said to Fan Chengxu, ¡°Young Master, this Mr. Xu is somewhat disrespectful to you. It is already giving him face to be willing to do business with him and establish a long-term cooperation. Yet he still refuses this and that.¡± ¡°What did he do wrong?¡± Fan Chengxu asked in return. ¡°A nameless nobody like him, speaking to you in such a way¡­it¡¯s a bit too presumptuous¡­¡± Shopkeeper Shen replied cautiously. ¡°If he can be easily manipulated, then he is not worthy to do business with me.¡± Fan Chengxu said with a light smile. Anyone who could negotiate with him face to face must at least have equal wisdom and courage. Shopkeeper Shen was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect such an ugly young man like him to win their young master¡¯s approval. Upon returning to Xu¡¯s Deli, Wei Ruo shared the good news with Xiumei. ¡°That¡¯s great! Zuixian Residence is very successful. If we can supply them on a long-term basis, we can make a lot of silver! It¡¯s another step closer to Miss¡¯s goal!¡± Xiumei rejoiced. Wei Ruo¡¯s goal is to save enough silver and procure enough property for herself before finding the right person to marry. ¡°It¡¯s getting late today, close the shop and go to Tianqin Garden first, then drop by Aqing¡¯s place.¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Take those candied fruits we bought this morning with you.¡± ¡°I know, Miss, don¡¯t worry.¡± Wei Ruo and Xiumei tidied up, closed the shop, and went to see Chen Aqing. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Chen Aqing feeding chickens while leaning against the wall. ¡°You¡¯re not completely healed yet, why did you get up?¡± Xiumei hurriedly went forward to support her. When Chen Aqing first saw Xiumei and Wei Ruo, she was startled. It wasn¡¯t until Xiumei spoke that she reacted and realized that it was Xiumei and Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m much better after taking the medicine Miss gave me.¡± Chen Aqing said. ¡°Even if you¡¯re better, you can¡¯t start working. You need rest!¡± Xiumei retorted. ¡°Auntie has helped me a lot, I want to help her do some things¡­¡± Chen Aqing apologized. Wei Ruo came over, ¡°Your aunt would rather see you recover and be healthy, there will be plenty of opportunities to repay her when you are able to work properly.¡± Xiumei agreed, ¡°Right, Miss is correct. If you don¡¯t recover properly and get sick, how are you going to repay your Aunt in the future?¡± Chen Aqing listened, ¡°Then I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s more like it.¡± Xiumei, supporting Chen Aqing, said, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll help you back to your room.¡± After Chen Aqing lay back down on her bed, Wei Ruo told her about today¡¯s events: ¡°We found both the thugs who wrecked the shop and the instigator behind it. It was instigated by the owner of Heji, who deliberately used the name of Zuixian Residence to intimidate others. Now Mr. He and the thugs are in the government office, and you won¡¯t need to worry about them coming to bother you again once you¡¯re healed.¡± Chen Aqing nodded fervently, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, Miss, I¡¯m not afraid of them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about not being afraid, the next time something like this happens, run. You¡¯re my employee, if you get injured it¡¯s my loss. So to minimize my losses, you need to protect your own safety.¡± Chen Aqing, moved, nodded, ¡°I will do as Miss says.¡± Wei Ruo continued, ¡°Take a good rest and keep taking your medicine. The medicine will be a bit bitter, so I bought you some candied fruits to sweeten your mouth.¡± Xiumei took one and put it into Chen Aqing¡¯s mouth, ¡°Try it. It tastes good, though the ones that Miss and I make are even better. We¡¯ve been a bit busy recently, when we have time, I¡¯ll make some for you.¡± Chen Aqing had never experienced such luxuries as candied fruits in her life, barely even getting enough to eat. The sour and sweet taste of the candied fruit spread in her mouth, and tears unexpectedly flooded her eyes. She hadn¡¯t cried when she was hungry and cold, nor when she was beaten and scolded by her parents, but now, just because she had a bite of candied fruit, tears uncontrollably poured out. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Xiumei was a little anxious. ¡°Miss, Sister Xiumei, you¡¯re too kind to me.¡± Chen Aqing said, choked up with emotion. Xiumei quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped Chen Aqing¡¯s tears, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Miss and I came to see you, not to make you cry..¡± Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Father Gets Promoted Again 1 Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Father Gets Promoted Again 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡® ¡ã ¡ª After pacifying Chen Aqing, Wei Ruo and Xiumei returned to Tianqin Garden. Wei Ruo was in her room, noting down plans for her future work on a piece of paper. The consumption of seasonings in Zuixian Residence was larger than her marinated food shop, she needed more raw materials and a workshop that could produce seasonings steadily. Procuring raw materials, transportation, and establishing a workshop were not entirely unfamiliar territories for Wei Ruo. During those thirteen years, Wei Ruo had gained substantial experience in these areas, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to start the Four Treasure House shop. When procuring raw materials, under normal circumstances, considering the transportation costs, Wei Ruo would prioritize choosing materials produced closer by. However, at present, the use of these spices was not yet widespread, only a few households grew spices, and many of the spices were wild. Therefore, for now, Wei Ruo could only go to her previous procurement spot for a large purchase, which would drive up the costs a bit. But according to the price she had negotiated with Mr. Fan, this cost was not a problem. If the sales scale further expanded in the future, she would consider freeing up some land to grow raw materials like cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. Regarding transportation, she would wait a couple more days. Once Old Tao, who was responsible for land transport, arrived, she would give her list to him and let Old Tao make a trip. The raw materials she previously used for her five-spice powder and hot pot base were all bought by Old Tao. As for the production of oyster sauce, the ingredient, oyster, was relatively easy to source. Taizhou prefecture was a coastal area, so there wouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as the sea was open. However, currently, due to the issue of Japanese pirates, the supply of oysters might be unstable. Yet similar to the previous problem, if the sales volume increased, Wei Ruo would consider farming oysters herself. This would not only save costs but also ensure a steady supply. The premise was that there must be considerable sales volume to justify such actions, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial. Since soybeans were mainly grown in the north, Wei Ruo would ask Brother Daqiu, who ran boats there. Both Old Tao and Brother Daqiu were people Wei Ruo had known and cooperated with for a long time, and they were both trustworthy. Besides the problem of raw material supply, Wei Ruo needed to find a location. She had some vacant land on her estate in the government city, which could be transformed into a small workshop. Initially, the scale of the small workshop did not need to be large, but a few reliable and earnest workers must be selected. When she had time, she needed to visit the estate more often to observe, and if suitable, pick out people to work in the workshop. ### Wei Ruo stayed in the government city until Xuji Marinated Food Shop reopened, and then she returned to Xingshan County. Just when she got home, she heard the good news of the Wei family. The official document for Wei Mingting¡¯s promotion had arrived. He was promoted to Deputy Guard Commander and would assist the Guard Commander of Taizhou prefecture in overseeing the Anti-Japanese Army in the entire prefecture. His rank was also promoted from the sub-sixth rank Zhongxian Colonel to an official sixth-rank Zhaosin Colonel. He was promoted two ranks within just half a year! This honor was indeed rare, which showed that Wei Mingting¡¯s outstanding performance in the Anti-Japanese campaign was recognized. The whole Colonel residence was immersed in jubilation due to this good news. It felt like all the passing servants had delighted and excited expressions on their faces. Wei Ruo and Xiumei calmly walked through the crowd, returned to Wangmei Garden, and then carried on with their own matters. Winning the battle and receiving rewards was something they could have expected all along. Although the promotion was somewhat unexpected, as everyone previously thought that considering he had just been promoted half a year ago, another promotion might be inappropriate. But the fact proved that the court attached great importance to the Anti-Japanese campaign and was lacking talents in this area. Therefore, the court was not stingy with rewards and promotions for those generals who had performed meritoriously in the Anti-Japanese war. Currently, the biggest influence on Wei Ruo should be the problem of moving houses. She had just received the news that since Wei Mingting was promoted to the official sixth-rank, and his jurisdiction had changed from the Anti-Japanese Army in Xingshan County to the entire Anti-Japanese Army along the coast of Taizhou Prefecture, Wei Mingting¡¯s residence would move from Xingshan County to the government city. Now the entire residence was busy with this matter. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t get away from this chore because she had as many things as others. Not to mention the things she brought from Huzhou Prefecture, just during this more than half a year, she had collected quite a lot of goods. Her private small storage room was packed full, and her stuff couldn¡¯t fit into one cart. Wei Ruo was quite happy about the house move. Although she had many properties in Xingshan, these properties had been operating steadily. The government city was the place where she was needed more. Wei Residence moving to the government city would facilitate her next actions to a great extent. In the evening, after Wei Ruo and everyone had dinner in the dining hall, Mrs. Yun talked about the moving issue with everyone. Mrs. Yun specifically asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruo, you have been in the government city these past days and might not know about the situation at home. I¡¯ll tell you about it. The official document of your father¡¯s appointment has come, and he is going to be transferred to the government city. The transfer was quite urgent, so we need to pack up our things as soon as possible and move to a new place in the government city along with your father.¡± Because the Japanese pirates had been bothering Taizhou Prefecture for a long time, the transfer of martial officers was quite pressing. However, it was clear that Wei Mingting¡¯s capabilities had been recognized by the higher-ups, that¡¯s why he was urgently needed in the government city to assist the Guard Commander in commanding the entire Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou Prefecture. Yes, I will pack up my things as soon as possible,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Yes, it would be best if you could inform me in advance, so I could arrange the carts and horses,¡± Mrs. Yun said. ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Yun continued, ¡°Ruo, you are more familiar with the government city than your brothers and sisters. So when we move there, if there are any issues, Ruo, you¡¯ll have to help your siblings more.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Wei Ruo smiled and agreed. Wei Yilin raised a question, ¡°Mother, what about me? I am still training with my master! I can¡¯t stop halfway!¡± Mrs. Yun replied, ¡°Silly boy, there are martial arts teachers in the government city as well, and the teachers in the government city are even better than those in Xingshan County.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Of course, you can ask your father if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Wei Mingting nodded in agreement. Having gotten affirmation from Wei Mingting, a joyful and expectant look spread across Wei Yilin¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s great! Then I can become even stronger! By then, none of my senior brothers will be able to defeat me!¡± Wei Yilin had already started imagining what would happen in the future. ¡°You study hard, and I will hire the best martial arts teacher for you in the government city,¡± Wei Mingting said to Wei Yilin. ¡°Alright! Father, I will study hard!¡± Wei Yilin firmly replied. Watching his lively and cheerful character, Wei Mingting and Mrs. Yun couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. This child had really changed a lot in recent times. Wei Qingwan lowered her head silently as she saw Wei Yilin¡¯s joyous manner. Her brother leaving her hadn¡¯t saddened him as much as she thought it would. On the contrary, he seemed very happy and cheerful.. Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Moving to Government City_l Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Moving to Government City_l Translator: 549690339 At first, when they had separated, her brother had said that he would think of ways to convince their parents to let him return to her side. But now he seemed to have forgotten what he said, not mentioning it anymore, and even appearing quite satisfied with the arrangements Wei Ruo had made for him. Wei Qingwan bit her lip, feeling quite abandoned. She had feared something like this might happen when Wei Qingruo first returned home, and it turned out that her worries were not unfounded. At this moment, the gaze of Madam Yun fell on Wei Qingwan. She said to her: ¡°Wanwan, once we move to Government City, you should be more careful with your actions and avoid making mistakes like last time.¡± ¡°I understand, Mother¡­¡± Wei Qingwan replied softly with her head bowed down. Her hands, resting on her knees, clenched unconsciously. Her mother once again reminded her of the past incident, hitting her where it hurt the most. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand something, you can ask Ruoruo, learn more from her.¡± Madam Yun added. There was a time when Wei Ruo had just returned home, and Madam Yun had constantly urged her to learn from Wei Qingwan, asking her to consult Qingwan if she had doubts about anything. But not much time had passed since then, and their roles were reversed; now it was Wei Qingwan who was to learn from Wei Ruo. In the past, Madam Yun had believed that in terms of etiquette, conduct, and demeanor of a noble lady, her daughter Wanwan, who grew up by her side, would comprehend better. But after the last trip to Government City, Madam Yun realised that, although Wanwan was sensible, she was timid, excessively reserved, and lacked confidence when facing nobles like Madam Yuan, unlike her older daughter who showed more poise and grace. ¡°I understand, Mother. I will make effort to learn from my sister.¡± Wei Qingwan softly agreed. She raised her head, looking at Wei Ruo with a soft gaze. Wei Ruo, with a subtle smile on her lips, did not respond or refute. ¡°As for the classes for Ruoruo and Wanwan¡­ I haven¡¯t decided what to do yet. If you two have any ideas, you can share them with me.¡± The gaze of Madam Yun swept over Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Mother, whatever you decide for this matter will be fine with me.¡± Wei Qingwan knew that the Wei Family had no roots in Government City, so attending classes at others¡¯ homes would be somewhat difficult. And the Wei Family did not have the connections to invite a good female teacher either. Wei Ruoruo replied, ¡°Let¡¯s wait till I visit the Xie Residence tomorrow before deciding. Since I¡¯m about to leave Xingshan County, I should say goodbye to my teacher.¡± Compared to the confused Wei Qingwan, Wei Ruo seemed much more calm and composed. Although the difference was not huge, it still felt like something was amiss. Then Madam Yun turned to Wei Yichen, ¡°Yichen, once we reach Government City, don¡¯t always stay at home. Yes, preparing for the provincial exams is important, but mingling with other young noblemen will also benefit you.¡± Wei Yichen nodded, ¡°I understand, Mother.¡± Madam Yun then made arrangements for the move and reminded, ¡°In the next few days in Xingshan County, it will be the last time for all of us having meals together. After we reach Government City, some of the rules we ignored before must be observed. Since Yichen, Ruoruo, and Wanwan have grown-up, it¡¯s not appropriate to eat together anymore. We¡¯ll have to separate the sexes for meals in the future.¡± Everyone agreed. ### The next day, Wei Ruo went to the Xie Residence. Because of their move to Government City, Wei Ruo had taken a lot of leaves on the pretext of visiting Madam Yuan, thankfully without any admonishment from Teacher Wang. ¡°Ruoruo, I heard you¡¯re moving to Government City soon, is that right?¡± Xie Ying asked sadly. ¡°Yes, I am. But don¡¯t worry. The county and Government City are not too far apart. You can visit me anytime you miss me,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Xie Ying muttered, ¡°Actually, I will also have to leave Xingshan County soon.¡± ¡°Oh? Where are you going?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Capital City. My grandfather and father sent a letter asking us, my mother and me, to join them there,¡± Xie Ying stated with a hint of disappointment. It turned out that Xie Ying¡¯s departure was an expected event. Earlier this year, her father had left for the Capital City to join her grandfather. Xie Ying¡¯s brother, Xie Jue, had also been studying in the Capital City. So, sending for Xie Yin and her mother was bound to happen at some point. ¡°That¡¯s great news, you should be happy about it,¡± Wei Ruo reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m not that thrilled. After so much effort, I finally found a friend who I can really talk to, and now we have to separate. I¡¯ll miss our gatherings! Plus, the thought of leaving Teacher¡­ The teaching methods of Teacher Wang is the best I¡¯ve come across, my favourite,¡± Xie Ying said. Upon hearing her words, a kind smile spread across the face of Wang Caiwei who was standing nearby. Xie Ying once again turned to Wang Caiwei, ¡®Miss. Wang, are you really not willing to come with me to the Capital City?¡¯ Wang Caiwei shook her head, ¡®No, I prefer to stay in Jiangnan.¡¯ Wei Ruo turned to look at Wang Caiwei. If Xie Ying was leaving for the Capital City, what would happen to Teacher Wang? Teacher Wang was invited by her second brother to help her study. If Xie Ying was moving, could she take Teacher Wang to the Government City with her? With this thought in mind, Wei Ruo posed a question to Wang Caiwei, ¡°Miss. Wang, if you don¡¯t mind, you could come with me to Government City and continue to be my teacher.¡± Wang Caiwei nodded with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll follow your arrangement.¡± Her easy agreement made Wei Ruo suspect that from the beginning Wang Caiwei had planned to follow her. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll make the arrangements,¡± said Wei Ruo. Xie Ying voiced her worry, ¡°Ruoruo, are you going to invite Miss. Wang to your house? Aren¡¯t you going to share the class with that annoying sister of yours then?¡± Wei Ruo shook her head with a smile, ¡°I have a plan.¡± Of course, she wouldn¡¯t do something silly like inviting Wang Caiwei to the Wei Residence. She had a better place in the Government City in mind for the arrangements. ¡°What¡¯s your plan? What¡¯s your plan?¡± Xie Ying asked curiously, pulling Wei Ruo¡¯s sleeve. Wei Ruo whispered her plan to Xie Ying. After hearing it all, Xie Ying couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Your sister is going to be so mad!¡± ¡°Who cares? I won¡¯t let her take advantage of this situation anyway,¡± Wei Ruo laughed. ¡°Ruoruo, what to do? I just love you being so ¡®naughty¡¯!¡± giggled Xie Ying. Returning from the Xie Residence, Wei Ruo went to Cangyun Garden to meet Madam Yun to discuss the need for a few more carts for the move. When Wei Ruo arrived, Wei Qingwan was also there. It was not surprising. Wei Qingwan was always at Cangyun Garden quite frequently, and considering the recent ominous prediction about her parents¡¯ health, she was visiting even more frequently to regain her position in Madam Yun¡¯s heart. ¡°Ruoruo, you need five carts?¡± Madam Yun asked in surprise. She knew that Wei Ruo had a lot of stuff, but she didn¡¯t anticipate that it would amount to so much. After all, she herself only needed three carts for Cangyun Garden, and just one for Qingwan¡¯s things would suffice. Hearing that Wei Ruo requested five carts, Wei Qingwan couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip. She knew that not only did Wei Ruo require more carts, she also had far more valuable items to pack.. Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Chapter 166 Dispel Their Thoughts_l Chapter 166: Chapter 166 Dispel Their Thoughts_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Hmm, I need five large carriages, I have quite a lot of belongings and you¡¯re aware of it, Mother,¡± said Wei Ruo. Madam Yun nodded, ¡°I understand.¡± Then, Wei Ruo told Madam Yun about her visit to Xie Residence. ¡°I will continue studying with Mr. Wang in the future, so Mother does not need to worry about handling my studies anymore,¡± said Wei Ruo. Hearing this, Madam Yun looked surprised, ¡°What did you say? How can you continue studying with Mr. Wang after moving to the government city?¡± ¡°Madam Xie and Miss Xie are moving to the Capital city, Mr. Wang has no plans to go there,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Upon hearing this, both Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan looked at her with eager anticipation. ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Wang will stay?¡± Madam Yun hurriedly asked. Wei Qingwan also stared at Wei Ruo with excited eyes. Wei Ruo¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile as she answered calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, can we invite Mr. Wang to our house?¡± Madam Yun asked happily. Although hiring a tutor would increase expenses and cause inconvenience, the benefits were undoubtedly substantial. Without waiting for Wei Ruo¡¯s answer, Madam Yun began to speak to herself, ¡°If we could invite Mr. Wang to our house, Wanwan¡¯s problem of studying would be solved as well.¡± Wei Qingwan blushed and nodded shyly. ¡°Having Mr. Wang¡¯s guidance would be greatly beneficial for Wanwan¡¯s future,¡± Madam Yun couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Not to mention anything else, just the temperament and insight of her eldest daughter was inseparably linked to Mr. Wang¡¯s teachings. Even in the future, when arranging a marriage, being tutored by Mr. Wang Caiwei would certainly raise her credibility with the in-laws. Madam Yun added, ¡°Additionally, when we move to the government city, we will be unfamiliar with the families there. But having Mr. Wang would definitely attract many official¡¯s daughters to come to our house for studies. This would be an excellent opportunity to build relationships with families in the government city.¡± Madam Yun¡¯s plan was perfect, but she didn¡¯t expect Wei Ruo¡¯s next words to pour cold water on her plan. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible, Mr. Wang already has a new place to go,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°A new place? Where? Didn¡¯t you just say that you will continue studying with Mr. Wang?¡± asked Madam Yun, puzzled. ¡°Yes, Mr. Wang will go to the prefecture¡¯s office next, and both Mr. Wang and Madame Yuan have agreed that I can continue studying with Mr. Wang. Therefore, even after moving to the government city, I can still study under Mr. Wang,¡± explained Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo¡¯s answer froze the smiles on both Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan¡¯s faces. Especially Wei Qingwan, her expression clearly showed her disappointment. Madam Yun inquired, ¡°Mr. Wang was invited by Madam Yuan? But as far as I remember, there are no girls studying in Madam Yuan¡¯s house. Why would they invite Mr. Wang?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°It¡¯s for the Yuan Family¡¯s clan.¡± The Yuan Family is a family of scholars and officials, their family is filled with talents, and the women in their family are all dignified and beautiful daughters from a noble family. ¡°The Yuan Family, being such a large and noble family clan, shouldn¡¯t they have their own tutor?¡± questioned Madam Yun. ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case in Dongyang, but here in Taizhou prefecture it involves the Yuan Family¡¯s side branch, they might not have an appropriate female tutor,¡± explained Wei Ruo. In fact, Madam Yuan is not aware of Mr. Wang Caiwei¡¯s situation, Wei Ruo just got to know about this in Xie¡¯s Residence in the afternoon, it is impossible that she had worked it out with Madam Yuan by the evening. Wei Ruo used this explanation to sidestep and later she would arrange to bring Mr. Wang to her side, by then if people from the Wei Family ask, she would just say that the Yuan Family had made other arrangements with Mr. Wang. Madam Yun¡¯s voice displayed her disappointment, ¡°So, it¡¯s like that.¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip, she wanted Madam Yun to speak for her, asking Wei Ruo to speak to Yuan Family and allow her to study with Mr. Wang, too. Before, Xie Family didn¡¯t agree because she was already studying in the magistrate¡¯s office, Madam Xie didn¡¯t want to snatch people from the magistrate¡¯s office. Now, she is moving to the government city, that issue doesn¡¯t exist anymore. However, Wei Qingwan waited for a long time without hearing her mother say anything. This made Wei Qingwan feel depressed. If it were before, her mother would absolutely not ignore her, but now, her attitude towards her was far more than a little cold. Maybe it¡¯s because of Wei Qingruo, or maybe it¡¯s because of what He family said before. In any case, her position in her parents¡¯ heart was no longer as high as before. With this trend, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she might be driven out of the Wei Family, right? Wei Qingwan, after waiting a while, finally couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and spoke softly, ¡°Mother, Madam Yuan is generous, she might not have remembered the previous incident.¡± But before Madam Yun could respond, Wei Ruo directly intervened, ¡°Even Qingwan admits there¡¯s a ¡®might.¡¯ What if Madam Yuan does remember? Won¡¯t you be afraid to annoy Madam Yuan because of it? Can the Wei Family afford to offend either Duchess Huaiwang or Yuan Family?¡± Wei Qingwan wanted to argue, but she was interrupted by Madam Yun, ¡°Let¡¯s leave this matter for now. Your father¡¯s career is just taking off, we must be even more careful and cautious, not to drag him down.¡± Although Madam Yun loved Wei Qingwan, when compared with her husband¡¯s career, the latter was more important. Wei Qingwan was forced to swallow all her words back into her stomach. Wei Ruo returned to Tingsong Garden after discussing everything with Madam Yun. Soon after Wei Qingwan said farewell to Madam Yun, she returned to Wangmei Garden with a heavy and depressed heart. She thought about her own situation all the way, she was incapable of contending with Wei Qingruo with just her and nursemaid¡¯s power, they couldn¡¯t shake Wei Qingruo¡¯s status at home at all. No, she can¡¯t just sit and wait for her fate, she must find a solution, she absolutely doesn¡¯t want to go back to the He Family! After the New Year, she¡¯ll be fourteen, undergoing the ritual of hairpin for girls, now while she¡¯s still the daughter of the Loyal and Righteous Duke, she must take the opportunity to find a good marriage. So, even if her relationship with Wei Family weakens in future, having a good family-in-law will ensure she leads a good life. When she thought of marriage, Wei Qingwan looked sad and her mind involuntarily pictured the image of the seventh prince, whom she had only met a couple of times. She knew there was a vast difference between their statuses, but she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him¡­ ### The Wei Family began the moving process after a few days of preparation. With so many belongings, the carriage team had to go back and forth numerous times before even half of the items were moved. When half the items were moved, Wei Ruo set off with Madam Yun and the others. They departed in the morning and arrived at the new Colonel Residence in the government city by dusk. Looking at her new mansion, Madam Yun¡¯s face lit up with joy. Madam Yun still remembered the last time when she brought the two girls to the government city to attend Madam Yuan¡¯s garden tour, they could only temporarily stay in Xie Residence¡¯s guest house. In just over two months, their residence has moved to the government city. The new residence was much larger than the one in Xingshan County, not only were there more courtyards, each courtyard was also much bigger.. Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Dividing the Yard_l Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Dividing the Yard_l Translator: 549690339 Lady Yun has already allocated the courtyard. Apart from the main house, the rest of the back courtyards is divided into two halves by a wall, with a small door in the middle. The men and women of the house live on the east and west sides respectively. The female members live on the west side of the wall and the male members on the east side, conforming to the norms within a large family. Now that her husband has been promoted and moved to the government city, it is necessary to establish these rules. In the future, there will inevitably be ladies and girls invited to visit our house, and it is only right if we adhere to correct etiquette. The largest and most spacious room on the east side is given to Wei Yichen, and the largest and most spacious room on the west side is given to Wei Ruo. They, being the eldest son and eldest daughter of the main lineage, are entitled to better treatment than their siblings. Then there were the courtyards of Wei Yilin and Wei Qingwan. As for the only illegitimate son, Wei Jinyi, Lady Yun dare not make her own decision. She did not want to bear the blame of mistreating the illegitimate son after all the efforts, so she specifically asked Wei Mingting for his opinion. Wei Mingting took a look at the blueprint of the house and pointed to a room on the east side of the wall, saying, ¡°That room will do.¡± Wei Mingting didn¡¯t choose the largest courtyard for Wei Jinyi either, as it would be inappropriate for an illegitimate son to live in better conditions than the legitimate son. The first room on the west side of the wall is the one Lady Yun arranged for Wei Ruo. Although this allocation was unintentional, the residences of Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi ended up next to each other, now separated by two additional walls than before. Lady Yun agreed saying, ¡°Alright, that room is for Jinyi, and the names of the courtyards will remain the same as before, without any changes. Wei Mingting nodded, ¡°Madam can make these decisions. With her husband¡¯s approval, Lady Yun looked at the arrangements on the blueprint again, and felt very satisfied. The only thing that fell short was that Qingwan was assigned to the farthest southwest corner. She didn¡¯t arrange it deliberately. There are only three courtyards on the west side. Apart from the largest one occupied by the eldest daughter, the remaining two are not very good, and the one in the southwest corner is slightly larger, while the remaining one is even smaller. It was only after entering the courtyard that Wei Qingwan found out that she had been assigned the worst location in the entire house, located in the farthest corner of the southwest of the new Military Prefecture. The sudden change made Wei Qingwan feel immense pain in her heart. Didn¡¯t this arrangement imply that she held the lowest status in her parents¡¯ hearts? in the past, she was the only daughter of the family. Everything good from her parents was given to her first and when they first arrived in Xingshan County and chose the courtyards, her mother had allowed her to choose first. Wei Qingwan was so upset that she had trouble sleeping all night. ### Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have time to worry about whether her courtyard was good or not. It was already late on the day that she arrived, so after tidying up a little, she went to bed. The next morning when she got up, she and Xiumei were busy moving things from the carts and organizing them. The courtyard here is much larger, and there is even a room specifically for her to use as a warehouse. Xiumei joked, ¡°Miss, you now can accommodate even more rewards. Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Do you think these rewards are just given for the asking? You would be better off hoping that your mistress becomes a wealthy landlord soon!¡± Xiumei replied, ¡°My mistress is certain to become a big landlord, so there¡¯s no need to hope for that in particular.¡± Wei Ruo sighed, ¡°I must hurry things along. My father¡¯s promotion is good for the Wei family, but not necessarily for me. The higher his rank, the more restrictions on me.¡± ¡°Stop tidying up for now. Follow me to the estate.¡± said Wei Ruo. Anyway, the big boxes transported by the cart do not contain valuables. Wei Ruo has sequestered all valuable items into her space. As such, she wasn¡¯t worried about leaving them in the courtyard for now. ¡°Miss, is it alright for us to go out like this? Now that we are in the government city, won¡¯t it be more inconvenient than before?¡± Xiumei worriedly asked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll say that I¡¯m going to see Madam Yuan. Didn¡¯t I mention that Mr. Wang would be teaching at Madam Yuan¡¯s house afterwards? It¡¯s reasonable and justifiable for me to go out for studying purposes. After going to the estate, I also have to make a trip to Madam Yuan¡¯s.¡± Later, when Wei Ruo was stopped by servants while leaving the house, she followed standard protocol and visited Lady Yun to explain her reasons. After hearing her reasons, Lady Yun agreed to Wei Ruo going out without further thought, but warned her that the government city was different to the county town and told her to be careful. When she was in public places, she had to wear her veil and hood properly, keep her distance from strangers, and not talk to strange men, Wei Ruo made these promises and Lady Yun let her go. She then went to the estate and inspected the situation of the one thousand mu of fertile land where wheat seeds had already been sown. She also followed up on the progress of the improvement of the additional land purchased and the work situation of the new permanent hired laborers with Manager Yu. Indeed, occasional troubles had arisen, but they were all small disagreements and frictions that were resolved quickly without needing Manager Yu to intervene. During these times, being able to eat your fill and having prospects for the future were already the best choices for them. Most people were grateful and didn¡¯t resort to opportunism or deception. Afterwards, Wei Ruo went to the prefecture¡¯s office. The guards at the prefecture all recognized Wei Ruo and reported her presence immediately, with Madam Yuan¡¯s personal maid, Qianyi, personally welcoming her at the door. Upon seeing each other again, Madam Yuan was full of happiness, ¡°You girl are really lucky. When you left last time, I was thinking that I didn¡¯t know when I would be able to see you again. But here we are, you have moved to the prefecture within just ten days.¡± Wei Ruo also did not expect it to be this soon, if it had not been for the urgency of resisting the Japanese pirates that the Court had demanded her father to respond to so quickly, they would not have had to move in such a hurry. Madam Yuan continued, ¡°This is great, now that you are in the prefecture, my son, Sheng, and I can see you often, and I am most relieved when you are around to take care of me.¡± Madam Yuan¡¯s vitality had greatly improved since Wei Ruo first met her again, all thanks to the medical prescription Wei Ruo had given her. Wei Ruo then confessed the situation concerning Mr. Wang Caiwei to Madam Yuan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam Yuan, I took the liberty of using your name without your permission as I was in Xingshan County at the time.¡± Wei Ruo apologized. ¡°What could it be? You just used my name, it¡¯s not a big deal at all. It¡¯s not worth apologizing over. Didn¡¯t I tell you before when I let you stay at Tianqin Garden that if you need anything, come find me? In the future, if there¡¯s anything like this, feel free to use my name.¡± Madam Yuan laughed. Wei Ruo was conscientious in her actions, something Madam Yuan trusted her with. She knew Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t use her name to deceive others or do anything unreasonable. This kind of expedience was not a big deal, and it was okay to use it in any way. Additionally, even if Wei Ruo acted arrogant using her name in Taizhou Prefecture it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.. As the noble Commandery Princess Jingmin, what¡¯s wrong with her life-saving beneficence feigning power under her name? Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Chapter 168: How is Wei Jinyi Here? _1 Chapter 168: Chapter 168: How is Wei Jinyi Here? _1 Translator: 549690339 After spending some time with Madam Yuan, Wei Ruo left. Exiting from the magistrate¡¯s office, Wei Ruo got into a carriage, purposely choosing a route that would pass through Ronghua Street, for both Xu¡¯s cured meat shop and Four Treasure House¡¯s branch in Government City were located on this street. To get to Ronghua Street, the carriage passed through an alleyway. As they did, Wei Ruo glimpsed a familiar figure through the carriage¡¯s window¡­ A white brocade robe, with a jade crown in his hair. Just from seeing a silhouette, Wei Ruo identified the person as her elder brother, Wei Jinyi. But shouldn¡¯t elder brother be studying with old man Ruan in Huzhou Prefecture? Why was he here? Once the carriage left the alley, Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to stop. After stopping the carriage by the roadside, Wei Ruo got out. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Xiumei. ¡°I think I just saw elder brother.¡± ¡°The young master? Is that possible? He¡¯s supposed to be in Huzhou Prefecture. Why would he be in the Government City of Taizhou Prefecture?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I must have seen correctly.¡± We Ruo pulled Xiumei towards the alleyway and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go check.¡± The two of them walked back into the alley and reached the doorway of the house where Wei Ruo had glimpsed Wei Jinyi. This house was located in the alley. The door seemed old and weathered, the door¡¯s wood was worn and faded, showing traces of wear and tear. Just now, she had seen Wei Jinyi enter this house. ¡°Miss, what should we do? This place appears to be a private residence, how are we going to get in?¡± Xiumei asked. Wei Ruo whispered something into Xiumei¡¯s ear. Xiumei nodded and then walked towards the door. It was quite a while before the door opened, revealing a woman inside. She was graceful and seductive, with a few strands of hair hanging loose on her forehead. Her styling had a hint of a worldly sophistication and a certain geniality. When she saw the woman, Xiumei was obviously taken aback, and the words she had prepared were suddenly stuck in her throat. Could it be that the young master didn¡¯t go to Huzhou Prefecture to study but secretly started to keep a mistress without the family knowing? Xiumei¡¯s jaw dropped, numerous thoughts racing through her mind. At this moment, the woman inside the door spoke, ¡°Little girl, who are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡­ I am looking for my miss¡¯s cat, which ran out just now, and jumped over your yard¡¯s wall into your house,¡± Xiumei used the excuse Wei Ruo had given her. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any cat come in, maybe you got the wrong place.¡± The woman said. ¡°No, I saw it with my own eyes, Xiaohua definitely ran in here!¡± Xiumei declared confidently. As she spoke, she tried to look toward the backyard over the woman¡¯s shoulder, trying to find Wei Jinyi. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the backyard the whole time, and I¡¯m sure no cat came in,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Let me take a look inside!¡± Xiumei said, inching her body forward. The woman quickly tried to block her. But Xiumei, being a martial artist, was not just strong but also agile. The woman didn¡¯t expect Xiumei¡¯s unexpected strength and agility, and by the time she tried to stop her, Xiumei had already slipped in half way. In the confusion, Wei Ruo, who had been hiding nearby, darted through the gap- By the time the woman reacted and shouted for the people inside to stop her, Wei Ruo had already made it to the yard. At the same time, the door of the main room opened, and a few men came out. Wei Ruo locked eyes with Wei Jinyi in the crowd. Their eyes met and both of them looked surprised. Just then, a burly middle-aged man strode toward Wei Ruo angrily, ¡°Who are you? How dare you trespass private property?¡± ¡°Brother Ke, please halt, she¡¯s my younger sister.¡± Wei Jinyi interrupted the impulsive middle-aged man. ¡°Your sister?¡± Everyone in the house was taken aback. At this moment, Xiaobei also came out from the house and upon seeing Wei Ruo, he asked in surprise, ¡°Miss, why are you here?¡± The woman who had answered the door earlier said, ¡°They said they were looking for a cat.¡± A cat? Wei Ruo didn¡¯t own any cat. Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo made no effort to avoid his gaze, not only meeting it, but her eyes showing a hint of anger. If she lied, was he any better? Wei Jinyi addressed everyone present, ¡°All of you, please retreat inside.¡± The people nodded and quickly went inside, even Xiumei was pulled inside by the woman who had answered the door. Only Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi were left in the courtyard. Wei Jinyi walked over to Wei Ruo, lowered his head, and looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t have a cat, I haven¡¯t lost one, I just saw someone who shouldn¡¯t be here and used it as an excuse to get in,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I came back to Taizhou Prefecture without telling you.¡± His apology was sincere, but somehow it made Wei Ruo angrier. Squaring up to Wei Jinyi, she drew back her fist and landed two blows to his chest. Wei Jinyi neither retreated nor dodged, allowing Wei Ruo to take her frustrations out on his chest, saying only, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt your hand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about my hand?¡± Wei Ruo shot back. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi nodded, and then took out a bag of money from his waist and stuffed it into Wei Ruo¡¯s hands, ¡°Use this to hit, save your strength.¡± The money bag was filled with bit silver and copper coins, which were quite heavy. Looking at the bag in her hand, Wei Ruo¡¯s anger fizzled out. Who does this sort of thing? ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m not that angry.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be angry then.¡± ¡°So have you thought about how to explain to me why you are here?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi, waiting for his explanation. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t go to Huzhou Prefecture to study with old man Ruan, but I am here for legitimate reasons, not idling around.¡± Wei Jinyi explained. ¡°Legitimate reasons?¡± Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi with a questioning gaze. ¡°It has something to do with our late mother,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Upon hearing this reply, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t ask any further questions. Everyone has a secret. She was no exception. ¡°Okay then, as long as you are not here enjoying yourself while idling around.¡± Wei Ruo said. In fact, as soon as the door of the main room opened and she saw all the older men, she knew he wasn¡¯t here for pleasure. No one would keep a house full of old men if they were looking to enjoy themselves in secret. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not here for pleasure,¡± Wei Jinyi promised. ¡°How long have you been away from Huzhou Prefecture?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I have not returned to Huzhou Prefecture since the last time I saw you,¡± Wei Jinyi replied honestly. It¡¯s been that long? ¡°Has the Tibetan layman been covering for you all this while?¡± Wei Ruo asked, surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve wronged you by asking old man Ruan to hide this from you. I didn¡¯t want you to get involved in my troubles,¡± Wei Jinyi admitted his deception. He had chosen to hide the truth from Wei Ruo simply to prevent her from getting into any danger. Wei Ruo was immensely surprised.. So the old man Ruan had been helping her elder brother deceive her? Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Can I Visit Second Brother Often?! Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Can I Visit Second Brother Often?! Translator: 549690339 Although Wei Ruo was puzzled about why the old man helped Wei Jinyi to keep secrets from her, she did not press Wei Jinyi about it. ¡°Are all these people in there your friends?¡± Wei Ruo pointed to the main room and asked. Wei Jinyi nodded, ¡°They had some connections with my deceased mother and are helping me with her affairs.¡± Wei Ruo nodded in understanding. Then, Wei Jinyi turned his head towards the main room and said, ¡°You all can come out now.¡± The door opened, and the people from earlier all came out. There were nine of them, including Xiaobei. Except for one woman, they were all men, and they all looked serious and solemn. They were courteous towards Wei Ruo. The woman who had let Wei Ruo and the rest into the room earlier stepped forward to introduce herself. ¡°Miss, I am Lin Fang, the wife of this old man. Any rudeness in my manner earlier, I ask for your forbearance.¡± The woman was no longer flirtatious but serious and somewhat reverent. The man referred to as ¡°old man¡± by Lin Fang was a big, burly middle-aged man with a large beard who looked quite intimidating. That man also stepped forward and greeted Wei Ruo with a cupped fist, ¡°Please forgive my rudeness earlier, Miss. I might have been a bit rough, but I mean no harm!¡± His voice was loud and rough, quite scary to some. Wei Jinyi reassured Wei Ruo, ¡°Brother Ke is straightforward and speaks loudly. Don¡¯t be frightened.¡± Wei Ruo responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve seen many noble warriors like Brother Ke in the countryside. Their voices may be loud but they are kind-hearted and gentle. I am not easily scared.¡± Wei Ruo greeted Ke Chongshan and Lin Fang, ¡°Nice to meet you, Brother Ke and Sister-in-Law Ke. My apologies for the misunderstanding earlier. I saw my elder brother entering the courtyard and the thought crossed my mind that he might be up to something. So, I used the cat I¡¯m raising as an excuse to break in. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against me.¡± ¡°Not at all, Miss. As long as we didn¡¯t startle or hurt you, we¡¯re good,¡± Ke Chongshan and Lin Fang quickly stated, clearly not wanting to upset her. The other people also introduced themselves to Wei Ruo one by one, and she acknowledged each one. All these people seemed older than Wei Jinyi, mostly between forty to fifty years old, just like Ke Chongshan. They varied greatly in appearance. Not only were there rough and rugged men like Ke Chongshan, but also cultured men who appeared to be scholars, and even some lean men with small mustaches. Wei Ruo found a few of them to be somewhat mysterious, making them seem different from ordinary people. Yet these people with different temperaments all gathered together to discuss matters with her elder brother. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t pry too much. Whatever her elder brother did privately was his business. She didn¡¯t need to know or interfere too much. Then she turned to everyone, ¡°Thank you for taking care of my elder brother.¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s our duty,¡± they responded humbly. After Wei Ruo introduced herself to them, Wei Jinyi said to the group, ¡°You can return to your own tasks.¡± ¡°Ma¡­second young master, take care. We¡¯ll be on our way.¡± Once Ke Chongshan finished speaking, he immediately left with his wife, Lin Fang, and the rest. They rushed off, not even giving Wei Ruo a chance to ask more questions. With their departure, the premises, previously lively, was now silent except for Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo, Xiaobei and Xiumei. ¡°Are they in a hurry?¡± Wei Ruo noticed that their departure seemed somewhat hasty. ¡°They have matters to attend to,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Oh.¡± Then Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi, ¡°How about you, Brother? Are you busy too?¡± ¡°I am free temporarily. Did anyone in the household know about your outing?¡± Wei Jinyi asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes, they know. Don¡¯t worry, Brother. Every time I go out, I make sure to have a good excuse. They can¡¯t keep strict tabs on me at the house now,¡± Wei Ruo answered. First, she had Lady Yuan as an excellent excuse. Second, she had Madame Zhang as an ally to provide cover. Third, Wei Mingting indulged her and allowed her to do what she wanted, which made it difficult for Madam Yun to restrict her. With these circumstances, Wei Ruo had more freedom compared to when she first returned to the Military Prefecture. ¡°Good,¡± Wei Jinyi replied, his worry alleviated knowing she had her matters under control. Wei Ruo then surveyed the premises. It was just an ordinary courtyard, nothing special about it. Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Has Brother been staying here recently?¡± Wei Jinyi replied, ¡°Yes, for a few days now.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Do you know we¡¯re moving to Government City?¡± Wei Jinyi: ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Can I come visit you often then?¡± Wei Ruo did not ask if Wei Jinyi would return to the new Military Prefecture. She knew what Wei Jinyi was doing was supposed to be kept from the family. If they found out, they would need a lengthy explanation and it was unlikely that the others in the family would understand or agree. So even though they would live in the same city, Wei Jinyi would not return home. Wei Jinyi hesitated at Wei Ruo¡¯s question. Looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes full of anticipation, he didn¡¯t want to disappoint her by saying no. But if he agreed, he was afraid that what he was doing would involve her. After all, the current things he was planning could potentially endanger everyone involved. Seeing Wei Jinyi¡¯s hesitation, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t press further. ¡°I understand, Brother. Don¡¯t worry, I will keep everything I saw today a secret, and I won¡¯t come looking for you again,¡± Wei Ruo reassured him, getting ready to leave with Xiumei. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Wei Jinyi quickly caught up with her and grabbed her hand to stop her. His initial intention was to keep her from leaving, but he was stunned when he touched her hand and quickly let go after realizing his action. Although it was only for a brief moment, Wei Jinyi clearly remembered the soft touch of Wei Ruo¡¯s delicate hand. Wei Ruo turned around to look at Wei Jinyi. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to see you, it¡¯s just not safe here,¡± Wei Jinyi explained anxiously. ¡°Okay, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, Brother. I didn¡¯t take it personally. I could tell from your hesitation earlier that it¡¯s a complicated situation. I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Jinyi felt a ripple of emotion in his heart and after a moment of thought, he promised Wei Ruo, ¡°I will find a suitable opportunity to visit you.¡± Although it may not be the wisest decision, it was something he desired.. Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Must Not Tarnish Your Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Must Not Tarnish Your Reputation_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mm, good,¡± Wei Ruo agreed, a bright smile on her face. Looking at this smile, Wei Jinyi couldn¡¯t help but soften his gaze. Soon after, Wei Jinyi asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Can we return a bit later today?¡± Wei Ruo nodded. Seeing this, the sprightly Xiaobei hurriedly said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and prepare some food, our courtyard may be small, but our kitchen is not!¡± The few of them hadn¡¯t sat down for a meal together in a long time. Hearing this, Xiumei hurriedly said, ¡°Your cooking is so bad, even good ingredients are wasted by you. Let me do it instead.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Lady Xiumei is right,¡± Xiaobei said with a smile. The two of them then went into the kitchen together. Before Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi could mention having a meal together, Xiaobei and Xiumei had already started preparing. Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi looked at each other, Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°It seems that my Meimei wants to stay more than I do.¡± As Xiumei and Xiaobei were busy in the kitchen, Wei Ruo prepared to sit in the main room with Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi stopped her, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the table and chairs out.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Why?¡± Wei Jinyi, ¡°Men and women should act differently.¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°You still held my hand just now even though men and women should act differently?¡± Hearing this, Wei Jinyi was somewhat embarrassed and didn¡¯t know how to respond. Wei Ruo continued, ¡°We¡¯re siblings. We don¡¯t need to care so much about certain rules.¡± Wei Ruo, with a modern soul inside her, believed that men and women needed to maintain a certain distance. But it wasn¡¯t so strict that they couldn¡¯t be in the same room, especially when the other party was her own blood-related elder brother. ¡°I won¡¯t ruin your reputation.¡± After Wei Jinyi answered, he moved the tables and chairs to the courtyard. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he always avoided being under the same roof with her. Remembering his past habit of reading and painting in the pavilion and also dining there, she thought maybe it was not that he liked to do things in the pavilion, but to avoid sharing a room with her. Wei Jinyi insisted, so Wei Ruo did not say anything else. She then sat in the chair he brought and started to chat with him. They chatted like old times, as if nothing had changed despite the long time they had not seen each other. Lady Xiumei and Xiaobei then brought the prepared food. Xiumei expressed to Wei Ruo how the kitchen here was bigger and more convenient than the one in their old house. Xiaobei couldn¡¯t help but praise Xiumei¡¯s culinary skills: ¡°Lady Xiumei is amazing. We have the same ingredients, but what I cook is dull and uninteresting, while what you cook is mouthwatering and irresistible.¡± Xiumei laughed, ¡°Xiaobei, did you use all the idioms you learned from your young master on this?¡± Xiaobei embarrassedly laughed, scratching his head as he replied, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m not good at studying, so I can¡¯t compare to the young master. Don¡¯t tell others that I learned from him, I don¡¯t want to embarrass my young master.¡± Xiumei laughed, ¡°You better keep learning cooking from me, or be careful that your young master will fire you.¡± Xiaobei quickly agreed, ¡°I¡¯m doing it, I¡¯m doing it. As long as Lady Xiumei can spare the time to teach me, I guarantee that I¡¯ll study hard to master a skill as soon as possible, so I won¡¯t be sold by my young master!¡± Wei Ruo and Xiumei both burst into laughter at Xiaobei¡¯s words, and a warm smile silently appeared on Wei Jinyi¡¯s face. Afterward, the four of them had dinner together in this light-hearted and joyous atmosphere. After dinner, it was already late. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should go home now,¡± Wei Ruo sincerely intended to leave this time. ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Jinyi accompanied Wei Ruo to the door, and then watched her leave the alley. Wei Ruo returned to her carriage and headed back to the Military Prefecture. ¡°Miss, those people just now didn¡¯t seem simple. That woman named Lin Fang, she looks alluring but I feel she¡¯s trained too. When I first tried to squeeze into the door, she seemed a bit taken aback, but once she reacted, her strength and speed were impressive.¡± Even with the brief scuffle, Xiumei, being a martial artist, was keen enough to notice something unusual about the other party. ¡°Mm, I felt it too.¡± Although Wei Ruo was not a martial artist, she was still able to pick up on certain things. ¡°Miss, what is the second young master really doing now? It feels very complicated!¡± Xiumei said with some curiosity and worry. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. There are some things we can¡¯t control, and thinking about it is useless,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Ruo was not totally without suspicion, but her suspicions were also useless. The original story did not include these scenes, so even knowing the original plot, she couldn¡¯t guess what Wei Jinyi was doing. ¡°That¡¯s true, as long as the second young master treats you well and doesn¡¯t harm the second Miss, whatever he wants to do, I won¡¯t worry.¡± Xiumei said. ### After Wei Ruo and Xiumei left, a few figures jumped over the wall and came to Wei Jinyi¡¯s side. Among them were Ke Chongshan and Lin Fang, the couple that Wei Ruo had seen earlier. They were all there to protect Wei Jinyi, so naturally they wouldn¡¯t go too far away. They had just withdrawn to avoid Wei Ruo to give her and their master some privacy. ¡°My lord, the maid by the young lady¡¯s side is not ordinary. She is not like a maid from a regular family.¡± Lin Fang reported to Wei Jinyi. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t need to be suspicious of them.¡± Wei Jinyi said. Wei Jinyi¡¯s answer directly dissolved their suspicions about Wei Ruo and her maid. ¡°My lord, about our plan to infiltrate the Prefecture¡¯s Office¡­¡± ¡°Proceed as planned.¡± Wei Jinyi answered. The Prefecture¡¯s office had something very important to them, but it was also the most heavily guarded place in the whole of Taizhou Prefecture. The Yuan Family was an old and esteemed family, with many servants who had been trained from a young age and had impressive skills. Moreover, Madam Yuan was Princess Jingmin, who had always had skilled bodyguards from Wang Residence around her. To successfully retrieve the item from the Prefecture¡¯s office required careful planning. ¡°Understood.¡± The group responded. ### The next morning, Mrs. Yun called Wei Ruo to her room to discuss the official visit to Madam Yuan. ¡°Your father has been promoted to the sixth rank and transferred to the city. We should pay a visit to the wife of the Magistrate; moreover, Ruo, you have received much care from Madam Yuan in the city. As your mother, I should visit her to express our gratitude,¡± Mrs. Yun told Wei Ruo. ¡°Mother can make the decision on this matter,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Ruo knew that Mrs. Yun¡¯s proposal was reasonable, as long as she didn¡¯t have any other requests or motives. ¡°I have prepared some modest gifts. Ruo, take a look. If there are no problems, then follow me to the Prefecture¡¯s Office later,¡± Mrs. Yun said.. Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Chapter 171: She is not as good as Wei Qingruo in her mothers heart_l Chapter 171: Chapter 171: She is not as good as Wei Qingruo in her mother¡¯s heart_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Good.¡± Wei Ruo took the gift list and looked it over. The gifts prepared by Madam Yun were not expensive, but they were appropriate for their status. Too expensive would be inappropriate. Wei Mingting was a martial officer who had just been promoted a couple of years ago, and his salary was not large. The Wei family did not have many extra assets. If they gave too expensive gifts, they would cause others to question where the Wei Residence got its money. ¡°I think these are well prepared. The gifts for the prefecture¡¯s office should not be expensive, but appropriate and given with good intentions,¡± said Wei Ruo before giving the gift list back to Madam Yun. Madam Yun nodded in approval. This was also a kind of test for her elder daughter. She wanted to see Wei Ruo¡¯s handling and response capabilities in this aspect. Her daughter¡¯s response gave her great satisfaction. ¡°Ruoruo has a point. The gifts aren¡¯t expensive. They are just ordinary farm products and seafood. But I put a lot of thought into them. Even if the Military Prefecture went all out, they wouldn¡¯t have caught Madam Yuan¡¯s eye,¡± she said. Shortly afterwards, Wei Qingwan arrived. ¡°Mother, sister.¡± Wei Qingwan greeted Madam Yun and Wei Ruo upon entering the room, polite and docile in demeanor. Wei Ruo was not surprised to see Wei Qingwan. She guessed that Madam Yun would insist that Wei Qingwan should accompany them to the prefecture¡¯s office. After Wei Qingwan entered the room, Madam Yun glanced at Wei Ruo. It was only after seeing that Wei Ruo had no reaction that she felt relieved. Soon after, Madam Yun handed the gift list to Wei Qingwan for her opinion. ¡°Wanwan, help mother look at this gift list and see if there¡¯s anything else we need to add.¡± After meticulously looking at the list, Wei Qingwan raised her head to look at Madam Yun, but didn¡¯t speak. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here,¡± Madam Yun said. ¡°I think these gifts are a bit too ordinary¡­ I have some concerns¡­¡± Wei Qingwan said timidly. She didn¡¯t dare to say the whole sentence, for fear of making Madam Yun unhappy. Madam Yun¡¯s face fell. She then turned to look at Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo remained silent, pretending to have heard nothing. Whatever Wei Qingwan thought had nothing to do with her. She didn¡¯t want, or bother, to comment. Wei Qingwan turned uneasy at Madam Yun¡¯s gaze. ¡°Mother, did I say something wrong?¡± Wei Qingwan asked cautiously. ¡°Wanwan, there are certain things that you should learn from your sister. I thought that since you help me with household chores every day, you would understand more about giving gifts than your sister,¡± replied Madam Yun. Wei Qingwan had clearly disappointed Madam Yun. Madam Yun had assumed that Wei Ruo, who was always busy farming, would not be aware of such stuff and that Wei Qingwan would have learnt something since she spends much of her time with her. However, the result was quite the opposite. Wei Qingwan was startled, and then turned to look at Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo still remained silent, oblivious of the conversation between Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan. Madam Yun didn¡¯t say anything more, but it was clear from her expression that she was much more pleased with Wei Ruo today. Subsequently, Madam Yun left with both of them. On the way to the prefecture¡¯s office, she repeatedly reminded Wei Qingwan: ¡°At the Yuan residence, do not say anything unnecessary. Perform the greeting when asked to do so but don¡¯t say anything else.¡± ¡°When you meet Madam Yuan, do not speak excessively or display any trace of cowardice. I will not mention your past troubles today, nor do I expect Madam Yuan to change her impression of you. As long as you don¡¯t create more trouble, it will suffice.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re not sure what to do, just watch your sister and learn from her.¡± Madam Yun wished to change Wei Qingwan¡¯s image in Madam Yuan¡¯s mind, but she also dared not force Wei Qingwan to annoy Madam Yuan. Madam Yun¡¯s admonitions were like sharp thorns, stabbing into Wei Qingwan¡¯s heart. Wei Qingwan recalled that not too long ago, when the three of them went out for the first time after Wei Ruo¡¯s return, her mother¡¯s reminders in the carriage were all for Wei Qingwan. Now things have changed ¨C her mother¡¯s reminders were meant for her, indicating that she was the untrustworthy one in her mother¡¯s heart. She has fallen behind Wei Ruo in her mother¡¯s esteem. ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Wei Qingwan replied softly. As they had sent a visiting card in the morning, Madam Yun and her two daughters were immediately invited in upon their arrival at the Yuan Residence. Madam Yuan received the three of them in the flower hall. Wei Qingwan, mindful of Madam Yun¡¯s reminder, made an effort to hide her unease and, though she dared not speedily speak, she behaved obediently and sat quietly on one side. Wei Ruo sat comfortably, drinking tea. She had visited Madam Yuan¡¯s estate many times, so there was no need for her to be formal. She also did not interrupt or try to dominate the conversation, sitting quietly on the side, letting Madam Yun talk with Madam Yuan. Madam Yun was, after all, from the reputable Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in Capital City. Her speech was always appropriate; she was neither excessively attentive nor did she make the conversation awkward. Madam Yun brought up past events: ¡°I still remember the year I saw the Queen at the Duke¡¯s residence in Xu. I realized that there could be such an astonishingly talented and beautiful woman in this world.¡± Before marrying into the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence, Madam Yun was also a lady from an official family. She had been to the then-prosperous Duke of Xu¡¯s residence and had seen Madam Yuan¡¯s mother, the Queen. ¡°In her youth, my mother had such an undeserved reputation. Unfortunately, I did not inherit my mother¡¯s talents and beauty,¡± said Madam Yuan. Madam Yun hurriedly replied, ¡°What are you talking about, Madam Yuan? If you downplay your feats, where does it leave people like me?¡± Madam Yuan continued, ¡°As for being both talented and beautiful, my mother could not compare to the late Empress. However, the Empress was too young then. When the Empress came of age, she was declared the most beautiful woman in Capital City.¡± Madam Yun sighed lightly, ¡°What a pity that such a beautiful life ended early. The Empress passed away too soon.¡± Madam Yuan exhaled: ¡°If only nothing had happened to the Duke¡¯s residence and the Empress hadn¡¯t died. That would have been much better.¡± Madam Yun dared not respond to this. She feared that her words would invite trouble. Many years ago, the incident at the Duke¡¯s residence had implicated many families. Many people had been punished as a result. Therefore, even after all these years, everyone was afraid to bring it up. While the two of them were reminiscing about the past, a servant rushed in to report: The front courtyard is flooded. Madam Yuan ordered the servants to go deal with the flood in the front courtyard and excused herself to go attend to it, after briefly exchanging words with Madam Yun and her daughters. Left alone, Madam Yun turned to look at her two daughters. Both girls had been quiet and behaved appropriately while she was talking casually with Madam Yuan. She was pleased. Just as she was about to say something to her daughters, a disturbance was heard outside. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Wasn¡¯t there just a flood in the front yard? Why is there such a commotion now?¡± inquired Madam Yun. Just now, the Yuan family¡¯s servant had reported a flood in the front yard, which was quite a distance away. If it were simply a flood, the commotion real shouldn¡¯t have been this big. Wei Ruo also sensed that something was amiss. She faintly heard the sounds of a fight going on outside, which seemed quite nearby. That¡¯s not a sound of a flood, right? Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Two Old Items Have Been Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Two Old Items Have Been Stolen_l Translator: 549690339 | Wei Qingwan asked Mrs. Yun, ¡°Mother, should we go out and take a look now?¡± Wei Ruo gave Wei Qingwan a stern look: ¡°It sounds like thieves have broken in and are fighting with the people in the house. What do you plan to do by going out now? Don¡¯t add to the chaos.¡± Knowing something was not right, Wei Ruo was even less inclined to go outside and check what was happening. If someone was indeed fighting and killing, it would be inappropriate for her to go there. Wei Ruo¡¯s stopping of Wei Qingwan from going out was not due to concerns for Wei Qingwan¡¯s safety, but her worry that Wei Qingwan would cause trouble for her. ¡°Thieves have broken in?¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression immediately changed, and there was a hint of fear in her eyes. Although their father was a colonel and they lived very close to the scene of war, Wei Qingwan had never actually been close to bloodshed. If something really happened outside, Wei Qingwan wouldn¡¯t know how to react. Wei Qingwan further queried, ¡°Would we be in danger here?¡± From the sound of it, it seemed very close to them. Wei Ruo picked up her teacup and took a sip with a calm look on her face, then counter-questioned, ¡°Would you be safe if you went out? Or do you plan to hide in a cabinet?¡± The maids in the Yuan Residence were standing still in the room while she, a noble lady from the Duke Residence, couldn¡¯t stay mentally stable. What kind of image would that project? Wei Qingwan said her feelings were hurt, ¡°My sister shouldn¡¯t be angry, I am just concerned about the safety of you and mother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put on that pitiful face, we¡¯re not at the Wei Residence now. You¡¯re all weepy and clingy at home, which is just about enough, don¡¯t bring shame upon us outside.¡± Wei Ruo rebuked coldly. Her words were harsh; she did not fetch Wei Qingwan any face at all. Wei Qingwan bit her lip, feeling wronged, and then turned her eyes red looking at Mrs. Yun. She expected to see Mrs. Yun¡¯s sympathy for her and anger at Wei Qingruo, but all she saw was a stern face, not sympathetic at all, even cold. ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t mean to run away and discredit the Military Prefecture. I just wanted to ask if there was any danger.¡± Wei Qingwan said to Mrs. Yun, looking wronged. Mrs. Yun advised Wei Qingwan seriously, ¡°Wanwan, watch your manners, do not panic over minor incidents. Keep in mind that you are a young lady of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence, our ancestors were renowned founding generals.¡± Wei Qingwan felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on her from head to toe, her eyelids were spinning with tears, but she didn¡¯t let them fall out. However, right now, Mrs. Yun had no mood to pay attention to Wei Qingwan s feelings as the continuous sounds coming from outside had her worried. They could even hear the guards of the Yuan Residence shouting things like -Don¡¯t let them escape¡± and ¡°Don¡¯t let them hurt the commandery princess¡±. Thieves indeed had broken in, and they were particularly troublesome ones! But who could be so audacious to cause trouble in the magistrate¡¯s residence in broad daylight? They didn¡¯t know how long it had been when the noise outside subsided. After a while, Lady Yuan came back. ¡°Lady Wei, Miss Wei, please accept my apology for causing such a scare.¡± Madam Yuan apologized. ¡°We¡¯re fine, Madam Yuan, is everything alright in the front yard?¡± Mrs. Yun asked with concern. ¡°No one was injured, nothing serious happened, but the residence is in a bit of a mess today. For fear that our hospitality might be lacking, we won¡¯t be detaining Lady Wei and the two Misses Wei any longer.¡± Madam Yuan said. ¡°That¡¯s alright, take care of the affairs in your residence, be sure to take care of your own health.¡± Mrs. Yun, seeing that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to stay any longer, left with Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan after saying goodbye to Madam Yuan. Upon leaving the drawing room, Wei Ruo saw the servants in the residence hurrying about, all rushing toward the rear yard. It seemed it was not as simple as water leakage in the front yard. After Wei Ruo and others left, Master Yuan hurried back to the residence. He had gone out for an inspection early in the morning and it was already late when he received the news and rushed back. ¡°Madam, how are you?¡± The first thing Yuan Zhengqin did upon entering was to ask about his wife¡¯s condition. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and no one in the residence was injured.¡± Madam Yuan said. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good, I¡¯m going to send people to track down these thieves now.¡± Just as Yuan Zhengqin was about to call someone in, Madam Yuan stopped him, ¡°My lord, let¡¯s leave today¡¯s matter at that¡¯s. Do not publicize it. Instruct people to state¡¯that there was a leak in our front yard¡¯. Do not let the news about the thieves in the backyard spread out!¡± Madam Yuan¡¯s words left Yuan Zhengqin in surprise, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There was a leak at the residence today, and thieves broke in, and they just happened to choose a time when you were not at home. I can¡¯t help but feel that this was all planned.¡± Madam Yuan looked serious. ¡°Even more reason to track down these thieves and bring them to justice.¡± Yuan Zhengqin said. ¡°After the thieves broke in, they didn¡¯t hurt anyone, only two things were stolen from the storeroom.¡± ¡°What was stolen?¡± ¡°One is a picture called ¡®Proud Snow Plum Blossom¡¯; the other is a dagger named ¡¯Dragon Map¡¯.¡± Madam Yuan mentioned these two items with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s so special about these two items?¡± Yuan Zhengqin didn¡¯t have any special impression of these two items. The only thing he was sure of was that these weren¡¯t the two most valuable items in their storeroom. Why would the thieves go through so much trouble to break into their storeroom, but only steal two things that weren¡¯t worth much money? Was there something strange about this? ¡°Neither of the two items is particularly valuable, but they have the same origin. When Duke Xu¡¯s residence was searched, the items confiscated were all put into the national treasury, and in the following period, these items were gradually bestowed upon people by the emperor. My father also received some, and this ¡®Proud Snow Plum Blossom¡¯ picture and this dagger were amongst those which my father received from the items of Duke Xu¡¯s residence when I got married. Because there wasn¡¯t anything special about them, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to them until now when I was working to inventory the lost items.¡± After listening to his wife¡¯s explanation, Yuan Zhengqin was still confused, -Why would someone go to such lengths to steal these two items?¡± Madam Yuan shook her head, ¡°I have no idea either. It¡¯s been over ten years since Duke Xu and his son passed away. People related to the matter at that time were implicated, demoted, or went into retreat. Why would someone still be interested in the old items from that time? ¡°Given that they have connections to the old Duke Xu¡¯s residence, you don¡¯t want me to spread the news?¡± Yuan Zhengqin asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if they have any connections with the old Duke Xu¡¯s residence. However, their skills were extraordinary, they even got past my guards who have been with me for many years from the Wang Residence. Yet, they did not harm anyone in my residence. Therefore, I think they don¡¯t mean to harm us, they just want these two items. These two items are useless to me, so it¡¯s harmless to give them away.¡± Madam Yuan replied.. Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Wei Yichen Enters Anzhou Academy_l Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Wei Yichen Enters Anzhou Academy_l Translator: 549690339 This was a decision that Madam Yuan made after much thought before Yuan Zhengqin returned. After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Zhengqin chose to support his wife¡¯s decision: ¡°I trust my wife. Let¡¯s do as she suggests.¡± ### When she returned from the Yuan Residence, Wei Ruo specifically sent Xiumei out to inquire about the information from the Yuan Residence. If burglars really got in, the government office should have issued a warrant to chase after them. But after waiting for two days and receiving no related news, she only heard rumors that there had been a leak in the Magistrate¡¯s office, but the fire was quickly extinguished, causing no serious harm. It seemed like nothing significant had happened that day, and the sound of fighting she heard seemed to have been a misjudgment made by the people from the Wei Family. It seemed as if the incident had just passed. The Government City remained quiet over the next few days, without any reports of burglary. So Wei Ruo stopped paying attention to these things and dedicated all her energy to her business expansion plans. Whether it was the farms in the Government City or the deal she was discussing with Boss Fan, both were enough to keep her busy for a while. She took time out to visit the Four Treasure House and discussed business matters with her wet nurse and Uncle Xu. Lately, Wei Ruo¡¯s shops made a good profit, but she also spent a lot. After calculating the accounts, the expenditure was more than her income, and most of the hundred taels of gold she gained earlier were almost used up. However, Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t worried as her money hadn¡¯t disappeared¡ªit had merely converted into tangible fields and shops. As long as the fields were productive, and the shops could continue to operate, she wouldn¡¯t worry about not having silver taels. ¡°Miss, you should delegate some tasks to me and Zhu Shan. Don¡¯t carry everything on your shoulders alone. You have made yourself thin again,¡± her wet nurse advised each time she saw Wei Ruo, feeling that she had lost weight. ¡°Wet nurse, I¡¯m not thin, look at the flesh on my face. It¡¯s all real,¡± Wei Ruo disputed. ¡°You call this meat? When you were a baby, your face was so plump, like a big white bun. It was much more round than it is now!¡± her wet nurse exclaimed. ¡°Wet nurse, you are talking about my baby fat. I¡¯m almost old enough for the hair-pin ceremony, and if my face is still chubby, I won¡¯t be able to get married,¡± Wei Ruo laughed. ¡°Who says? Miss is so beautiful and capable, how could she not be married? Those who say Miss cannot get married must be jealous of her,¡± her wet nurse retorted. Wei Ruo quickly changed the topic with a laugh: ¡°Alright, wet nurse, I will eat more when I go back, and strive to gain more weight!¡± Xiumei chimed in from the side, ¡°Mother Xu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll prepare more delicious food for Miss when we go back. I¡¯ll let her eat anything that¡¯s nourishing, and even give her a bunch of snacks to carry around. She definitely won¡¯t go hungry!¡± The laughter from the lively conversation reassured the wet nurse and a smile crept onto her face. Weir Ruo left the Four Treasure House in the afternoon, feeling satisfied, with Xiumei by her side. The only regret from this trip was not being able to see Brother Xiaoyong. Brother Xiaoyong had also been promoted one rank during this round of merit-based rewards, moving up from Deputy General to General. However, before he even had time to go home and celebrate his promotion with his parents, he was already rushing to his new post. In the ensuing few days, the Wei family was settling into their new home in the Government City. Aside from Wei Mingting becoming even busier, nothing much had changed. Wei Yilin found a new martial arts master. Judging by his enthusiasm each day, the new master seemed to be very powerful, making Wei Yilin look up to him with admiration. The most noticeable change was that his height had started to grow noticeably. Yun had already started to plan for making new clothes for him. There was unexpectedly good news about Wei Yichen¡¯s studies too. When they first arrived in the Government City, Yun had reminded him to interact more with the sons of the city¡¯s wealthy families. Unexpectedly, this brought about a pleasant surprise. One time, when Wei Yichen was comparing poetry with other young nobles in a teahouse, he was spotted by the dean of Anzhou Academy, who invited him to attend their academy. Anzhou Academy is one of the top three academies in Taizhou prefecture, and all the young children of Taizhou prefecture wish to attend this academy. Originally, they had considered this academy, but they couldn¡¯t find a way in, resulting in the idea to have respected individuals as tutors. But to their surprise, what they had intentionally tried to cultivate did not bloom, while something unintentional bore fruit¡ªan unexpected encounter brought Wei Yichen this opportunity. Yun was happy, Wei Mingting was also happy, and Wei Yichen himself was equally happy. To celebrate, Yun specifically instructed the kitchen staff to prepare some good dishes, and the family had a small celebration. Wei Ruo gave Wei Yichen some paper and pens, and a jar of her own homemade fruit wine. Wei Yilin also used his own savings to buy a new ink stone for Wei Yichen. Then, Wei Yichen looked at Wei Qingwan with a smile and asked, ¡°What about Wanwan¡¯s gift?¡± Wei Qingwan gave a startled expression, not knowing how to respond due to her guilt. This was something Wei Qingwan should have been the most proactive about, but she had been so depressed recently that she had temporarily forgotten about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, big brother, I¡­I forgot to prepare a gift for you. Give me some time, and I will make it up to you soon!¡± Wei Qingwan hurriedly replied. Wei Yichen smiled good-naturedly: ¡°What are you talking about? I was only teasing you, Wanwan. Don¡¯t be nervous. As long as you¡¯re happy for me, that¡¯s enough. Gifts and the like are not necessary.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Wei Qingwan lowered her head slightly, a blush spreading across her face. Seeing her cautious and scrupulous manner, Wei Yichen felt a pang of heartache and said: ¡°Wanwan, you need not be like this. I will always be your big brother, and we shouldn¡¯t be distant, understand?¡± Wei Yilin also chimed in from the side: ¡°Yeah, yeah, Sister Wanwan, we¡¯re family. Why the need for formalities? If you didn¡¯t prepare anything, then that¡¯s fine. The happiest thing is just us being together!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Wei Qingwan nodded emphatically. By the time the three of them lifted their heads to look at Wei Ruo¡¯s previous position, they realized that she had already left without them noticing. The day after they celebrated at home, Wei Yichen packed his belongings and reported to the academy. Anzhou Academy is located at the foot of Lian Mountain outside of Government City. Although it falls within the jurisdiction of the Government City, it¡¯s still quite far away. The academy rules stipulate that all students must live and eat on campus. Therefore, Wei Yichen wouldn¡¯t be returning home until the next break day. After Wei Yichen left, the Military Prefecture began to prepare for the upcoming New Year. Yun summoned Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan to Cangyun Garden to discuss this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s gifts for the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence, and also to train the two daughters. Once the New Year was over, they would be of age and marriage negotiations would begin. Yun told Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan, ¡°This year is different from previous years. Your father has been promoted twice this year, so we must prepare a more generous New Year gift for your grandparents..¡± Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Chapter 174 Ruo Ruo is so thoughtful 1 Chapter 174: Chapter 174 Ruo Ruo is so thoughtful 1 Translator: 549690339 | ¡ã ¡ª After Madam Yun finished asking, Wei Ruo remained silent but Wei Qingwan was the first to reply. Wei Qingwan earnestly voiced many suggestions, based on her understanding of the old duke and Madam at the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence, she had a lot of her own opinions. ¡°We can provide more tea as Grandfather likes to drink tea, and the price of tea this year is cheaper than in previous years; should we also try to include a set of his favorite purple clay tea set?¡± Wei Qingwan made this suggestion because the family¡¯s situation this year was indeed different. Her father had been promoted to the sixth rank. If they were to offer gifts as they had in the past years that did not carry any significant value, they might seem out of touch. Wei Qingwan knows that the family¡¯s current financial situation is not abundant, but she also knows Madam Yun¡¯s intentions. As a daughter-in-law, she certainly should not be stingy at such a time. Madam Yun nodded: ¡°I intended to do exactly that.¡± Then Wei Qingwan followed: ¡°However, daughter knows that due to the poor crops on the manor this year, the family¡¯s income and expenditure are somewhat problematic. I would like to contribute my own silver coins to ensure our grandparents have suitable New Year gifts.¡± Upon hearing this, Madam Yun was somewhat surprised and moved: ¡°Wanwan, those are your private savings.¡± Wei Qingwan firmly responded: ¡°As their granddaughter, it is only right for me to prepare New Year gifts for our grandparents to fulfill my duty of filial piety. Moreover, without the Loyal and Righteous Duke, the Wei family wouldn¡¯t be where it is today. Everything that belongs to me is considered the property of the Wei family.¡± You are very considerate, Wanwan.¡± Madam Yun¡¯s face was filled with happiness and contentment. ¡°Mother, you give me too much credit. This is something I should be doing.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes sparkled brilliantly, her voice soft and sincere. Madam Yun was very satisfied with Wei Qingwan¡¯s answers, then she asked Wei Ruo again: ¡°Ruoruo, do you have any thoughts on this New Year gift list?¡± Wei Ruo lazily dodged the question, not wanting to think too much. She glanced at the list and said: ¡°Mother, whatever you decide will be fine. You are much more experienced in these matters than we are.¡± What Wei Ruo said is not wrong, but it seemed a little indifferent. Subsequently, Madam Yun said to Wei Ruo: ¡°Ruoruo, your grandparents love you very much. This year we still can¡¯t go back to Capital City for the New Year, so this gift will represent our hearts. Please think about it more carefully and ¡¯ help come up with some ideas.¡± Madam Yun did not expect her eldest daughter to contribute her own private savings for the grandparents¡¯ New Year gifts like Qingwan, but she wished that she could take things more seriously and help think about this issue. After all, when she gets married in the future, she will manage the family affairs herself. She will bear the responsibility of preparing gifts for relatives and friends during festivals. It¡¯s better if she becomes familiar with these matters as early as possible. Wei Ruo, however, was already well-prepared: ¡°Mother, when I received the gifts from the aristocrats last time, I have already reserved some gifts for our grandparents. But since they¡¯re all fragile and not easy to transport, I was planning to send them by water route next time our family sends goods to Capital City.¡± Having said that, she pulled out a list from her bosom and handed it to Madam Yun. Wei Qingwan looked at the list Wei Ruo handed over in surprise. She was well-prepared? Wei Ruo noted Wei Qingwan¡¯s reaction, which was a mix of surprise and indignation. She was not intentionally trying to compete with Wei Qingwan. The gifts she planned for the old duke and Madam were prepared when she had received the gifts from Chu Lan. She¡¯d planned to send them to Capital City when the goods were being transported from the Military Prefecture. Madam Yun took a look at the list from Wei Ruo. Aside from some porcelain tea ware gifted by Prince Seven, Wei Ruo also included dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato chips, mushroom sauce and other popular foods recently produced in Taizhou prefecture. Although these items were not expensive, they were special local products and presumably not yet widely available in Capital City. It was thoughtful and highlighted local characteristics, which made it most appropriate. Madam Yun was beaming, ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯ve truly thought this through.¡± If Wei Qingwan was willing to use her private savings to contribute to the New Year gifts and it brought satisfaction to Madam Yun, then Wei Ruo¡¯s gift list brought both astonishment and delight to Madam Yun. Wei Ruo casually remarked, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my grandparents have been exceptionally kind to me, rewarding me with such beautiful things several times, it¡¯s only right I reciprocate the favor.¡± The reason why Wei Ruo did this had nothing to do with Madam Yun. It was entirely because the old couple in the Capital City were rather good to her. No matter what their intentions were for being nice to her, they gave her the status of the eldest granddaughter and gave her several gifts, all of these actions were greatly appreciated. ¡°Ruoruo, your grandparents will be very happy to know about your filial piety.¡± Madam Yun said with a full-faced smile. Afterwards, Madam Yun, Wei Ruo, and Wei Qingwan discussed the details of the gift list and the details regarding provisions to prepare for the New Year at the residence. However, the smile had disappeared from Wei Qingwan¡¯s face and her expressions were a bit stiff when she responded a few times. ### The next day, Wei Ruo went out again. The small workshop she had built on the empty plot of land on her manor was complete, and she was going to inspect it today. On the road, Wei Ruo and Xiumei disguised themselves as they had when they went to see Fan Chengxu last time. Since she would be interacting with various outsiders during her inspection of the newly built workshop, Wei Ruo did not want to expose herself too much to avoid giving others leverage. Upon arriving at the manor, the two young ladies who got on the carriage had transformed into two ugly-looking young lords when they stepped off. Manager Yu had been waiting at the entrance of the manor as he knew Wei Ruo was coming. However, he was stunned when he saw the two young lords coming down from the carriage. ¡°Manager Yu,¡± Wei Ruo called out to Manager Yu. Upon hearing the familiar voice, Manager Yu then realized the young lord standing before him was actually the current owner. ¡°Young miss, why are you dressed like this?¡± Manager Yu asked. 111 be meeting many workers today, it¡¯s inconvenient for a girl. Later, when you introduce me to people, please call me Master Xu.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Yes, yes, Young miss ¡ª ah, no, young master is really thoughtful!¡± Then Manager Yu guided Wei Ruo and Xiumei to a place on the manor where Wei Ruo¡¯s small workshop was built. Five houses made from yellow mud mixed with rock and straw fragments covered the previously empty plot on the manor. This was the new workshop that Wei Ruo had constructed. ¡°Young miss, these houses were built according to your requirements and the design plan,¡± Manager Yu said. According to Wei Ruo¡¯s requirements, various special items were built in each room. There were large stoves, large shelves, walls made of clay and stones, and other oddly shaped items, which could serve different purposes at first glance Wei Ruo was very satisfied with her inspection. The construction of the houses was overseen by Uncle Xu, so she was assured of the quality of the buildings. Wei Ruo then asked Manager Yu, ¡°How did the selection of the people I asked you to choose go?¡± Last time she came, Wei Ruo asked Manager Yu to select a few reliable and hard-working men from the manor to work in her newly built small workshop.. Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Chapter 175= Unexpected Encounter with Wei Chapter 175: Chapter 175= Unexpected Encounter with Wei Jinyi_i Translator: 549690339 | -Once you¡¯ve made your selections, call them over so that your lordship can have a look,¡± said the manager. ¡°Good.¡± Manager Yu led the ten men selected in front of Wei Ruo. He introduced them, saying, ¡°These four here have worked long-term on our estate, while those six are chosen from the recent arrivals. Among them, there¡¯s one who has been an apprentice in a pharmacy.¡± This was something that Wei Ruo had requested since she would give priority to anyone who had experience as a pharmaceutical apprentice. Weiruo looked at them one by one. They were all young lads, strong and energetic, willing to work hard, and of good character, which was the selection criteria Weiruo had given to Manager Yu. The last criteria about their character couldn¡¯t be determined immediately, but the first three seemed to be fulfilled by these men. Weiruo said a few words to them, ¡°Because you have been selected to work here, your monthly wages will increase by ten coins, along with an extra bushel of rice.¡± ¡°Thankyou, owner!¡± They promptly expressed their gratitude. During this time of poor harvest, many households couldn¡¯t afford to eat, so a lot of places were cutting wages. Being offered an extra ten coins and a bushel of rice was a huge blessing for those in poverty. ¡°But in return, I expect more from you than I do from others. I¡¯m sure Manager Yu has already told you about this. We must follow the rules in the workshop and maintain secrecy about everything that happens in there, even from your family members,¡± she said. ¡°If any of you break these rules, you will be dismissed immediately and will not be rehired.¡± Weiruo spoke these last words very sternly. They all nodded vigorously promising that they would not betray her trust. Having a place to eat to their fill was not easy in these times, especially for the recently taken-in refugees who were living in poverty and uncertainty. Now they not only have food and a place to stay, but also wages. They would¡¯ve had to be kicked in the head by a mule not to grasp this opportunity. Then Wei Ruo assigned jobs to these ten men. There were five rooms. The first room was mainly for grinding, turning the transported materials into a powder which will be used as the raw material for five-spice powder. Aside from the five-spice powder ingredients, Wei Ruo would have them grind some medicinal materials as well. This was done not only because Wei Ruo needed these medicinal materials but also to distract outsiders. She assigned three people to this room and left the blending work to Xu Zhushan alone, since he was someone she trusted to handle the formula proportions. The second room was dedicated to preparing oysters, removing the shells and cleaning the fresh oysters bought from the market. Two people were assigned to this room. The third room was for cooking down the prepared oysters into oil. This was what the pre-made stove and large pot were for. Two people were assigned. The fourth and fifth rooms were set aside for the production of soy sauce. Moreover, a large open space was left in front of the fifth room, specifically for drying the soy sauce. However, because the production cycle of soy sauce is relatively long, Wei Ruo did not include it in her arrangement with Fan Chengxu. She had only agreed to supply him with five-spice powder and oyster sauce. Weiruo assigned three people to these two rooms for now, considering adding more hands once things were running smoothly. Weiruo preferred to progress step by step, ensuring not to overreach and bring unnecessary risks upon herself. Wei Ruo explained the work to each person. Once the first batch of raw materials arrived, which included spices for the five-spice powder, medicinal materials, and raw oysters and soybeans, she let them begin, overseeing their work with Xiumei and rectifying any errors. When everything was on track, it was already dark. Although she had been busy all day, Wei Ruo felt refreshed, indeed, doing something she enjoyed was far less draining than the scheming and bickering at the estate! Leaving the estate, Wei Ruo decided to go to the Zuixian Residence for dinner. ¡°Young Mistress, are we going to the the Zuixian Residence again?¡± Xiumei asked, sounding a little worried. ¡°The more we know about them, the easier to do business. Besides, we would be late for dinner at the Military Prefecture by now. Let¡¯s just eat out, especially given how we¡¯re dressed today,¡± Wei Ruo reasoned. ¡°Young Mistress, I¡¯m always worried that someone will recognize us! It was a necessity for us to venture out last time for your revenge but now venturing out of our estate, even if we are recognized, it won¡¯t be that big of a deal. But going to the Zuixian Residence now, I¡¯m really not at ease,¡± Xiumei fretted. ¡°If we¡¯re recognized, it might damage my reputation and affect a good marriage match, but that¡¯s not a big problem. I¡¯m not really looking to marry into a good family, so what¡¯s there to fear? As long as a noose isn¡¯t my end, there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Wei Ruo said calmly. While it would surely raise eyebrows if a well-bred young lady dressed as a man and ate in a restaurant, it wasn¡¯t anything life-threatening. Wei Ruo felt she could handle the fallout. ¡°Alright, but I will still protect you and will not easily let you get exposed!¡± Xiumei said firmly. Although Wei Ruo had her plan, Xiumei still hoped that other possibilities would emerge so that Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t have to marry a deceased man and become a widow. After all, there was still Brother Xiaoyong, wasn¡¯t there? If Xiaoyong successfully moved up the ranks, then Wei Ruo would have a reliable source of support in the future. Upon reaching the Zuixian Residence, Wei Ruo asked for a private room on the second floor. As she was about to enter the room, she saw Ke Chongshan and Lin Fang coming out of a room next door. If Ke Chongshan and Lin Fang were here, did that mean her second elder brother was present too? With a hint of curiosity, Wei Ruo walked up to peek inside the room next door when suddenly a hand reached out from inside and pulled her in. Noticing this, Xiumei quickly pushed the person away and stood protectively in front of Wei Ruo. However, upon a closer look, all the people in the room seemed familiar from their encounter at the mansion the other day. Wei Jinyi himself was also in the room, sitting right across the door. Xiumei, who had been ready to retaliate, relaxed her fists when she saw the people in the room. Then she turned to look at Wei Ruo. ¡°What were you two trying to do, lurking outside the door?¡± Zhang Yi looked at Wei Ruo and Xiumei suspiciously. Wei Ruo and Xiumei were dressed as men today and looked rather shabby, which made them appear suspicious. Wei Ruo knew that they had not been recognized. After a quick thought, she put on a smile and said apologetically, ¡°My apologies gentlemen, I was just passing by and did not mean anything by it. -Then why were you lingering so close to the door?¡± Zhang Yi was not so easily convinced.. Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Chapter 176 Teasing the Second Brother_l Chapter 176: Chapter 176 Teasing the Second Brother_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because I found that young man over there, clad in white ¨C so handsome and elegant ¨C to be quite extraordinary?¡± Wei Ruo boldly stared at Wei Jinyi, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. ¡°What does it matter to you whether my young master is good-looking or not?¡± Zhang Yi said angrily, increasingly suspicious of the two people before him. ¡°Because I know a bit of fortune-telling. I can tell that your young master is no ordinary man and wanted to give him a few words of advice,¡± answered Wei Ruo. ¡°You dare to claim to be a fortune-teller, even though you¡¯re short and seemingly young?¡± Zhang Yi certainly didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll give your young master a couple of words of advice. ¡®When the dragon is trapped in shallow waters, its time has not yet come; when the phoenix perches on the parasol tree, the storm comes.''¡± said Wei Ruo. At her words, everyone¡¯s expression in the room shifted, all except Wei Jinyi, who remained unperturbed. Seeing everyone remain silent, Wei Ruo started to walk towards Wei Jinyi, but was stopped after just one step. Wei Jinyi spoke. ¡°Let him come over.¡± ¡°Young master, this man¡¯s origins are unclear.¡± Zhang Yi advised. ¡°It¡¯s okay, let him come over,¡± said Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi sounded resolute, and the others couldn¡¯t find a reason to stop Wei Ruo any longer. With no one to obstruct her, Wei Ruo marched up to Wei Jinyi and sat contentedly next to him. She then asked, ¡°Young Master, may I look at your palm?¡± Wei Jinyi silently complied, placing his right hand on the table. His long palm was fair-skinned with distinct calluses at the centre and knuckles of his palm. Wei Ruo extended her hand, laid hers over Wei Jinyi¡¯s, and began to inspect it earnestly. ¡°Young Master, your palms indicate that you are a man of fortune. Even though there will be some hardships in the early stage, endless blessings await you afterwards. The purple air is coming from the east, and good fortune is upon you.¡± She spoke feigned fortuneteller¡¯s gibberish as she examined his hand. Of course, she knew nothing about fortune-telling or palm-reading. She merely wished to bless Wei Jinyi with a future of overflowing good fortune and smooth sailing. Wei Ruo chuckled to herself. Surely, her foolish second brother hadn¡¯t recognized her yet? Her disguise was really top-notch. Wei Jinyi watched as his hand was toyed with in Wei Ruo¡¯s grip, causing an embarrassing heat to spread from his palm. His heartbeats also grew louder with each passing second. Wei Ruo was oblivious to all of this. Wei Ruo then raised her head to study Wei Jinyi¡¯s face, ¡°You have a very auspicious face too, Young Master. A full forehead, bright eyes, and sharp eyebrows, everything denotes future prosperity! Let me be frank, with such a face, better days are waiting ahead for you!¡± As she was speaking, Wei Ruo reached out to touch Wei Jinyi¡¯s cheek. The moment Wei Ruo¡¯s palm came in contact with Wei Jinyi¡¯s face, he dodged it, avoiding her intrusive touch. Taken aback by the sudden evasion, Wei Ruo was about to ask Wei Jinyi what went wrong and why he dodged, when she noticed his flushed face, the blush reaching even his neck. Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Why is your face so red, young master?¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t answer her, only said: ¡°Stop messing around.¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t misunderstand me, young master. I wasn¡¯t messing around. I was just reading your face,¡± Wei Ruo continued to play her part seriously. ¡°RuoRuo, stop messing around. It¡¯s getting late, you shouldn¡¯t have come to the tavern alone in male attire,¡± Wei Jinyi said again. ¡°Ah? You¡­ recognized me?¡± Wei Ruo suddenly felt guilty. ¡°Only those unfamiliar with you would be fooled by your disguise,¡± Wei Jinyi pointed out. Though Wei Ruo used a beard and a blue birthmark to cover most of her face, for those who knew her well, identifying her wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Everything from her eyes, facial features, lip shape, body shape, to her hands that hadn¡¯t been disguised in any way, could give her away. Nearly the moment she entered the room, Wei Jinyi had recognized her. Of course, her disguise would fool those unfamiliar with her, which was why the others in the room hadn¡¯t recognized Wei Ruo just yet. They only had occasional dealings with Wei Ruo and weren¡¯t familiar with her. Furthermore, out of respect during their last encounter, as Wei Jinyi¡¯s sister, they hadn¡¯t dared to take a good look at her. Now that Wei Jinyi pointed it out, they were taken aback. So, this strangely dressed man, with a hideous birthmark on his face, was the Wei Family¡¯s young miss! Upon learning Wei Ruo¡¯s identity, all the individuals, previously tense, instantly relaxed. They had initially regarded her as a threat to their young master. They breathed a sigh of relief as they watched her approach their master and touch him up and down. Wei Ruo muttered to herself, ¡°So you just let me put on a show?¡± She was so annoyed. He should¡¯ve told her that he recognized her. Instead, he had let her secretly celebrate the success of her disguise. Wei Jinyi spoke helplessly, ¡°Your disguise is rather rough, you look like a youthful noble son but the beard makes you look like a fully grown man. Anyone familiar with disguises would see through it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not someone familiar with disguises, why would I think that much?¡± murmured Wei Ruo. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll ask Madame Ke to help you,¡± said Wei Jinyi. ¡°If you are angry at me, why would you still ask people to help me?¡± asked Wei Ruo. She had thought he was angry at her for cross-dressing. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, this could be dangerous if you attract unwanted attention. It¡¯d be better next time to do it earlier,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. What he meant was that he wasn¡¯t angry, but worried about her. A delighted smile spread across Wei Ruo¡¯s face, ¡°Okay, I knew my second brother cares about me. I was busy today and ran late. I thought I would have dinner outside and then head back. I won¡¯t be this late next time.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Immediately afterwards, Wei Jinyi shot a look at Zhang Yi and the others. Zhang Yi hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and hurry up the dishes.¡± He then left to find the waiter. As they were waiting for the dishes, Wei Ruo asked Wei Jinyi, ¡°By the way, second brother, why was your face so red just now?¡± Wei Jinyi avoided her gaze and said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit warm in here.¡± ¡°Warm?¡± Wei Ruo was a bit confused. It was November, and this year was colder than usual. She had already put on her cotton-lined clothes, even wore a fur collar. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m overdressed,¡± said Wei Jinyi. At his words, Wei Ruo instinctively reached out to touch Wei Jinyi¡¯s hand, which felt hot. Wei Jinyi quickly withdrew his hand, ¡°You can¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t I do?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Touching my hand and face.¡± Wei Jinyi stated. Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, second brother. I only did it because it¡¯s you. I certainly wouldn¡¯t do it if it¡¯s someone else.¡± Even if she was wild, she¡¯d never dare to touch the hand or face of a strange man. Her second brother, of course, was an exception. Then a thought struck her, and she asked, ¡°Second Brother, you were shy just now, weren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Randomly Made Up 1 Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Randomly Made Up 1 Translator: 549690339 | r¡ª Wei Ruo thought of Wei Jinyi¡¯s flushed face just now, and suddenly felt that her guess was very likely! Wei Ruo is watching Wei Jinyi¡¯s face, waiting for his response. At this moment, the door of the private room opened, and a waiter brought in the dishes. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. We should return to the residence soon, as it¡¯s getting dark,¡± Wei Jinyi said. The sky gets dark early in winter, the sun had already set at this point, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it would become dark. ¡°Second Brother, you have not answered my question yet,¡± Wei Ruo stared into Wei Jinyi¡¯s eyes. Let s eat,¡± Wei Jinyi said with a serious expression. Wei Ruo pouted her mouth, alright, alright, she wouldn¡¯t ask anymore. But her second brother¡¯s reaction already proved that he was indeed shy. Oh, Second Brother¡¯s face was too thin; he was blushing just from a casual touch on his hand by her. How was he going to handle his wedding night in the future? Wei Ruo did not rush to pick up her chopsticks, instead, she looked at the people in the room. The people didn¡¯t dare to move and looked at Wei Jinyi. ¡°You can all sit down,¡± Wei Jinyi said. Only then did the people take their seats. Halfway through the meal, Zhang Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask Wei Ruo a question- ¡°Miss, is your ability to tell fortunes real or fake?¡± ¡°Fake,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Fake? Then, Miss, what did you mean when you said that the Second Young Master¡¯s dragon is still sleeping in the shallow waters, and the phoenix awaits the storm?¡± Zhang Yi asked. ¡°I made it up on the spot. Isn¡¯t that how the fortune tellers at the temple market operate? Every prediction they make involves future riches and misfortune,¡± Wei Ruo replied. People hearing this were stunned, and then they all sighed in relief. -So I see, so I see, Miss is really smart. We almost got tricked, thinking that you really can tell fortunes. I was even hoping that you could tell me when I will be able to marry!¡± Zhang Yi said quickly. ¡°So Brother Zhang is longing to get married. You don¡¯t have to calculate fortunes for this, just save up enough silver taels and find a good matchmaker, ¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡®Hahaha, Miss, what you said is true!¡± Zhang Yi laughed. The others also laughed along. After finishing their meal, Wei Ruo and Xiumei left the Zuixian Residence. Before leaving, Wei Ruo reminded Wei Jinyi to take care of himself and keep warm, as the recent weather had been cold and he shouldn¡¯t catch a cold. Wei Jinyi replied with acknowledgment. Then, Ke Chongshan and his wife Lin Fang escorted Wei Ruo to the entrance of the military residence and watched from afar as she entered before departing themselves. ### By the time Wei Ruo returned to the military residence, it was already dark. The gatekeeper informed Yunshi about Wei Ruo¡¯s late return, which made Yunshi frown. However, after some consideration, she decided not to call for Wei Ruo. ¡°Make sure this doesn¡¯t get spread around the residence,¡± Yunshi instructed Cuiping. Yes, Madam, I understand,¡± Cuiping replied. ¡°Also, if this happens again in the future, tell the gatekeepers not to make a commotion out of it,¡± Yunshi reminded, nervously. ¡°Yes.¡± Although Cuiping didn¡¯t understand why Madam was being so lenient towards Miss this time, as the head maid serving Madam, she didn¡¯t question it and simply followed Madam¡¯s instructions. Then Yunshi sighed, ¡°Although she doesn¡¯t have the same closeness with me like Wanwan, she¡¯s still my flesh and blood. Thinking about how the He family treated her and how they made her grow up in the countryside, I can¡¯t set high expectations for her to be an accomplished and virtuous lady any more. Perhaps, as her father said, the way she is now isn¡¯t that bad. With her father¡¯s support, even if she marries a farmer, she will not be looked down upon.¡± ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t need to worry. Miss seems to have a fortune. And though she likes things related to farming, it¡¯s different from ordinary farmer¡¯s wives who only know about spring planting and autumn harvests. Her ideas and methods have been appreciated by several nobles; with a better chance in the future, she might have a life better than that of a lady who is learned and knowledgeable,¡± Cuiping consoled while following Yunshi¡¯s words. Let s hope so, I don¡¯t dare to have any more expectations,¡± Yunshi felt somewhat resigned. Wei Ruo was destined not to develop into a standard lady of a big family as Yunshi had hoped. As parents, all they could hope for was for their daughter to have a smooth life. ¡°Madam, you should take heart. Don¡¯t you still have Second Miss? Second Miss is gentle and virtuous and will likely fulfill your wishes,¡± Cuiping comforted her. ¡°Yes, Wanwan is considerate and kind-hearted, which is good. But after observing her closely for a while, she still lacks something when faced with big occasions. Although she originates from the duke¡¯s residence, she didn¡¯t spend much time growing up there. She traveled everywhere with me and her father most of the places being remote and obscure. It¡¯s natural for her to lack some ¡¯ worldly experience,¡± Yunshi lamented. ¡°Now that the Master has been promoted and received recognition, aren¡¯t the days ahead going to get better? Second Miss will surely get more chances to see the world. With Second Miss¡¯s intelligence, it will not take long for her to overcome these minor flaws,¡± Cuiping continued to comfort. Yunshi nodded, ¡±1 hope it¡¯s as you said. In the coming days, I will bring Wanwan with me to move around in the government city more often, not only to give her opportunities to gain experience but also to break the negative impression that others have of her.¡± ### Wangmei Garden. Wei Qingwan naturally also knew about Wei Ruo¡¯s late return. The Wei residence wasn¡¯t very big and everyone would¡¯ve known about any commotion. We Ruo had only just arrived in the government city, and she had already started disappearing again. This time was even more outrageous, she didn¡¯t return home until quite a while after dark. For an unmarried straight-laced lady, this was definitely an outrageous act. Therefore, Wei Qingwan instructed Cuihe to go to Cangyun Court to inquire wanting to see how Yunshi would deal with Wei Ruo after knowing about this issue. However, after waiting for a while, with an hour passing since Wei Ruo returned to the residence and the lights in Tingsong Garden being turned off, there was still no movement in Cangyun Court. So Wei Qingwan was forced to accept one fact ¨C Yunshi was not planning to punish Wei Ruo for coming home late. Wei Qingwan felt disappointed and somewhat stifled and uncomfortable, yet helpless. She finally had no choice but to crawl back into bed alone and fall asleep with all her unhappiness. ### The next day, when Wei Ruo woke up, she was somewhat surprised that Yunshi had not called her in for a talk about coming home late the night before. Once she made sure that no one was going to cause her any trouble, Wei Ruo once again left for the farm. The weather had turned cold in recent days, which was a critical time. She had to pay more attention to the situation on the farm to avoid any negative impacts on the newly sown wheat. As for the newly acquired land, it¡¯s still in the improvement stage and not yet ready for planting. The progress of the improvement work was a bit slower this time. Firstly, the weather had turned cold, and it was too late to plant anything in the rush¡¯. Secondly, Wei Ruo had allocated a large portion of time for the refugees who had been taken in to build houses.. Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Chapter 178: December_l Chapter 178: Chapter 178: December_l Translator: 549690339 The existing houses on the estate were not enough for the newly hired workers. Therefore, they first started living in temporary shacks, and later, some of them were assigned to build new houses. At the same time, Wei Ruo¡¯s five workshops were also constructed. The five workshops were now completed, but due to the large numbers, the living quarters were still under construction. Wei Ruo hoped to have everyone moved in before freezing temperatures hit. As soon as Wei Ruo arrived, Manager Yu took her on a tour of the new buildings: ¡°Madam, in a few days the roof beams will be in place, and by the end of this month, everything will be completed,¡± he said. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve all done a great job,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your kindness, Madam. Everyone knows that you¡¯re building these houses for them to live in, they¡¯re deeply grateful, and they work very hard,¡± Manager Yu said. With land so valuable, other landlords would certainly want to keep more farmland or build houses for themselves, but their Madam generously cleared a large area of land to build more houses to improve the living conditions for hired workers and their families. The quarters that the original workers on the estate lived in were much smaller than this. Usually, several workers would squeeze into one room. How could they ever dream of having a small room to sleep in comfortably? ¡°I want them to devote themselves fully to their work on the estate, to treat the estate like home, so naturally I should provide them with a place that can shelter them from wind and rain, with food to eat, clothes to wear,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Otherwise, what right do I have to ask them to take good care of the estate and treat it as their own home?¡± ¡°Madam has a kind heart!¡± Manager Yu exclaimed, impressed. He¡¯d been a worker here for twenty years before serving as the manager for the last ten years, and this was the first time he¡¯d encountered a landlady with such a mindset. ¡°Just do as I say, don¡¯t worry about the high expenditure on the estate. As long as the expenses are reasonable and appropriate, and the silver is actually used where it should be, I will not be stingy. Next year, with a higher yield from the land, all this will be paid off,¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Ruo had several businesses stably making profit, so there was no problem with the expenses. After her collaboration with Zuixian Residence started, there would be additional revenue. Moreover, Wei Ruo¡¯s ambition was not limited to Zuixian Residence. She also planned to penetrate the market for general households, as well as the restaurants in other places. All these were included in her future plans. ¡°Alright, Madam, rest assured, every expense on the estate will be precisely recorded. I¡¯ll ensure that every bit of money is spent transparently,¡± Manager Yu promised. Wei Ruo nodded, agreeing that the accounts should indeed be kept clear. Then she went to the workshop. Since it was still in its early stages, there might be minor issues. In the following days, Wei Ruo had to pay more attention and supervise the work, making corrections as problems were found. ### Time flew by and soon it was December. A heavy snow covered the entire Taizhou prefecture. The entire city was draped in white; thick snow lay on the roofs, on the trees, on the steps. The freezing cold was even more severe than previous years. These harsh conditions were particularly tough for the poverty-stricken common folks. Some families even started selling their daughters. The better off ones sold their daughters to wealthy families to become maids. Regardless of the contracts they signed, at least they could eat to their fill. If they performed well, there was even a chance for a better future. Those less fortunate weren¡¯t so lucky. They were sold as concubines, bought by human traffickers to be sent northward, or they were forced into prostitution. Although Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t seen these things with her own eyes, she knew they were really happening. The houses on Wei Ruo¡¯s estate were all completed before the heavy snows, and everyone had moved in. There was enough food on the estate too. In addition to the rice stored in the estate¡¯s warehouse, Wei Ruo had also received several carts of sweet potatoes from Xingshan County, along with a large amount of pickled vegetables (pickled radish, salted vegetables, mustard greens, etc.) made from the copious vegetables harvested in Xingshan¡¯s Xiaoyang Mountain after the rice was collected. These food reserves were enough for more than two hundred people on the estate to make it through the winter. After witnessing the plight of the poor outside in the bitter cold, many of the refugees harbored a deep sense of gratitude towards Wei Ruo. If they hadn¡¯t been taken in by Wei Ruo, they would have been either frozen to death or starved by now. Even the local residents who had been hired were also very grateful, as not every employer treated their workers so well. Given the harshness of this year¡¯s weather, their wages were not decreased. Instead, they were given additional winter clothes. Coal for heating was distributed to every courtyard in the Military Prefecture, and smokeless coal was used. It was better than ordinary black coal and wouldn¡¯t fill the rooms with black smoke. Every courtyard also received two new cotton quilts for the year. All of this was thanks to Wei Mingting¡¯s recent promotion. Not only had he received a reward from his superior, but his salary had also increased, significantly improving life at the Military Prefecture. Later, Mrs. Yun hired some tailors to make new clothes for the young masters and ladies called for the New Year. We Ruo had three sets made, while the others, including the eldest son Wei Yichen, only had two sets each. This was because Wei Ruo had fewer clothes. Now that she was in the Government City, she had to attend some events. As the eldest daughter of the prefecture, it was only natural that she shouldn¡¯t be seen wearing the same two or three outfits all the time. Mrs. Yun originally wanted to make an extra set for Wei Yichen. As Wei Yichen had just gone to the Anzhou Academy to study and would be meeting more people, he needed to dress more presentably. But when the tailor took his measurements, Wei Yichen declined. He told Mrs. Yun that he was at the Anzhou Academy to study, not to compete with others. He didn¡¯t need to care about these external things. Wei Yichen knew that the Military Prefecture wasn¡¯t wealthy. This year, with the food shortage and the unseasonably cold weather, there were more important things to spend money on. He had enough clothes from previous years so he could save some this year. Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan was saddened and upset for a while. But her sorrow and resentment couldn¡¯t change anything. Aside from her two loyal servants, no one in the prefecture knew about her emotions and thoughts. ### On the seventh day of December, the day before La Ba Festival, Wei Ruo and Xiumei cooked several large pots of La Ba porridge and distributed them to the people on the estate. Though the La Ba Festival was actually the next day, since Wei Ruo had other plans for the festival day, the porridge for the people on the estate was distributed a day earlier. The La Ba porridge that Wei Ruo and Xiumei made was full of ingredients, and the people on the estate started wolfing down the porridge as soon as they received it. In addition to the people on the estate, Wei Ruo also packed several barrels and took them back to the city, wrapped securely in cotton cloth. The portions for the wet nurse and Uncle Xu were a must. Also, there were the shopkeeper and shop assistants at the Four Treasure House, Chen Aqing and another young man from Xu¡¯s braised food shop. On the Xingshan County estate, Wei Ruo had also sent a letter a few days earlier, instructing the manager there to make and distribute La Ba porridge to everyone on the day of the La Ba Festival.. Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Chapter 179 Selling Laba Congee_1 Chapter 179: Chapter 179 Selling Laba Congee_1 Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo did not forget any of the workers who helped her. Inside Xu¡¯s Delicatessen shop, Chen Aqing quickly finished off a bowl of porridge. Seeing her eating so hurriedly, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The way you eat makes me wonder if I¡¯ve been withholding rations from you and not letting you eat enough.¡± ¡°No, Miss, this porridge is delicious! You and Sister Xiumei are great at cooking!¡± Chen Aqing explained. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily the cooking skill, but the ingredients. This bowl of porridge contains yellow rice, white rice, river rice, millet, water caltrop rice, chestnuts, red kidney beans, de-skinned jujube paste, it is boiled together with water, the topping is made by coloring almond, apricot kernel, sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnut, pine nuts, white sugar, brown sugar and small-size grapes.¡± Making porridge seems simple, but it is a deep art. However, this particular bowl of porridge, which was prepared with such a lavish amount of ingredients, might be hard to find anywhere else. ¡°So¡­so many ingredients? It must be expensive then¡­¡± Chen Aqing looked at her empty bowl blankly, regretting that she had eaten so fast. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can afford to treat you guys once in a while. Plus, I¡¯m not just making it for you, I¡¯m going to sell it too. Tomorrow is Laba Festival, an appropriate time to sell this porridge.¡± Wei Ruo then instructed Chen Aqing, ¡°Later on, make an eye-catching space in the shop to sell this porridge. A bowl costs one tael of silver.¡± ¡°One tael of silver?¡± Chen Aqing was startled, unable to believe her ears. ¡°Yes, one tael of silver,¡± Wei Ruo confirmed firmly. Chen Aqing swallowed hard, and looked again at her now empty bowl. Had she just gulped down a whole tael¡¯s worth of silver? Even though she felt the price was very high, she did not question it. She had unconditional faith in Wei Ruo, believing that she must have a good reason for setting such a price. Wei Ruo had decided when making the porridge that she would sell it at a high price, specifically targeting affluent families. Since the opening of Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop, Madam Yuan¡¯s promotion had attracted many wealthy patricians from the city to try the goods, thereby accumulating a group of wealthy and influential loyal customers for the shop. The previous incident with Zuixian Residence did cause some loss to the shop, but it also effectively promoted Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop in another way. Now the shop doesn¡¯t lack rich customers, and everyone recognizes the good taste of the food at the shop. Therefore, Wei Ruo was certain that if she put this Laba porridge in a conspicuous position in the shop, people would be willing to buy it at a high price. Sure enough, several portions of the Laba porridge had been sold by noon. By the afternoon, even more people were buying it. Some tasted it on the spot and then bought several bowls to take away. Wei Ruo had only prepared one bucket for sale, and by the afternoon (two to three o¡¯clock) it had sold out, a total of thirty servings, which amounted to thirty taels of silver. Even now, Chen Aqing could hardly believe that she had just sold thirty taels¡¯ worth of porridge. It was just like magic! While Wei Ruo was not surprised, she was still taken aback by the speed of sale. From the beginning, Wei Ruo knew that even if this porridge was priced at five coins, ordinary and poor families would not buy it. What they need are food and warmth, not some delicacy. But nobles and the rich are different, they pursue quality, and the more expensive things are, the more they feel they are worthy of their status. Relying on this rationale, Wei Ruo could price her porridge so high. Counting the thirty taels of silver in her hand, Xiumei couldn¡¯t be happier. ¡°Miss, this Laba porridge is so profitable! The profit we make here far exceeds that of selling vegetables, sweet potatoes, and our deli food!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too soon, we still have to prepare the ingredients tonight for sale tomorrow,¡± warned Wei Ruo. ¡°Earning so much silver, I don¡¯t mind not sleeping tonight!¡± Xiumei said excitedly. ¡°That won¡¯t do, your health is worth more than silver!¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re the one to talk, you often do the same! You always say you¡¯re tired when it comes to other tasks, but as long as it has anything to do with money, you can stay awake all night!¡± Xiumei refuted. In fact, Wei Ruo would also forget about sleep and food when it came to saving people. Uh¡­ can¡¯t argue with that. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Wei Ruo quickly changed the subject. ¡°Hurry up and get to work on the other things. There¡¯s a lot of ingredients to prepare. If we¡¯re slow, we might not catch the good fortune of the Laba Festival tomorrow.¡± Then Wei Ruo didn¡¯t give Xiumei a chance to nag further, she pulled her onto the carriage. ### Early the next morning, as soon as Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop opened, a small stall selling Laba porridge was set up at the entrance. Yesterday it was only placed inside the shop in a visible location, but today it was directly placed at the shop entrance. Next to it was a sign that read: ¡°Laba porridge, one tael per bowl.¡± At first, the passersby felt like the owner of Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop must have gone crazy for money, as he was daring enough to sell a bowl of ordinary porridge at such an exorbitant price. But soon, those who thought so found they were wrong. Not only was the expensive porridge being sold, but it was selling in considerable quantities! The high-ranking officials, rich merchants, and nobles in the city were the buyers of this expensive Laba porridge. On the same street, Zuixian Residence also started selling Laba porridge today, but clearly, its business was not as good as Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop. After sale for an hour, the shopkeeper from Zuixian Residence, Shen, came to Xu¡¯s Delicatessen Shop to find Wei Ruo. ¡°Is Mr. Xu available?¡± Shopkeeper Shen inquired from Chen Aqing, who was busy at the counter. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m too busy with business,¡± Chen Aqing replied. In fact, Wei Ruo was in the backyard of the shop, but Chen Aqing still said she didn¡¯t know because she wasn¡¯t sure if her mistress wanted others to know she was there. Xiumei had taught her to say she didn¡¯t know in such situations. At that moment, the curtain to the backyard was lifted, and Wei Ruo came out from the back. ¡°A pleasure to see you, Mr. Xu. My master would like to invite you to Zuixian Residence for a chat. Is it convenient for you now?¡± With a smile on his face, Shopkeeper Shen courteously inquired from Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m free, I can go with you now.¡± Wei Ruo responded straightforwardly. ¡°Very well, Mr. Xu, please follow me!¡± Shopkeeper Shen quickly led the way for Wei Ruo. Upon reaching Zuixian Residence, Shopkeeper Shen still took Wei Ruo to that same box in the comer, the one with the sign ¡°Crane Pavilion¡±. Just like last time, Fan Chengxu was sitting inside alone, with tea and some pastries in front of him. ¡°Mr. Fan, what brings me here today?¡± Wei Ruo asked directly, getting straight to the point. ¡°I wanted to ask you when you could start supplying me with the five spice powder and oyster sauce we agreed upon last time. You said you needed some time, and I think enough time has passed.¡± Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Making Plans with Second Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Making Plans with Second Brother at East Lake_1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mr. Fan, you seek me at just the right time. I won¡¯t be keeping this from you, I will be able to deliver the first batch of goods to you tomorrow morning,11 Wei Ruo replied. Fan Chengxu put down his teacup and smiled at Wei Ruo, ¡°What a coincidence. To be honest, I am looking forward to seeing your goods.1 ¡°Mr. Fan, rest assured, when the goods are delivered, you will have the opportunity to inspect them,¡± Wei Ruo added. ¡°From today¡¯s Laba Congee, I have great confidence in your five-spice powder and oyster sauce. I have every reason to believe that your products will not disappoint me,¡± Fan Chengxu noted. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fan for your trust. But doing business cannot rely solely on trust. It¡¯s always better to do things by the rules. You may inspect the goods upon arrival. If there are any issues, we can discuss them in person. If you are not satisfied, you can refuse ¨C I never force a sale.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright.¡± Fan Chengxu agreed with a smile, his eyes revealing his admiration for Wei Ruo. He enjoyed dealing with clever people, and this Mr. Xu, who was not very skilled at disguise, was just that. He was even beginning to wonder what Mr. Xu¡¯s original face looked like. From his hands, he could tell he was a young boy. Perhaps fearful that his original handsome face would not be persuasive enough, that¡¯s why he disguised himself in this way. The idea was good, but the disguise was somewhat crude. Thankfully, his skills in other areas were not so clumsy. Following this, Fan Chengxu said to Wei Ruo: ¡°If Mr. Xu is not in a hurry, please sit down and have a couple of tea cups with me. The shopkeeper next to him then made an inviting gesture to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo grinned lightly, ¡°I appreciate your kindness. After sitting down, Fan Chengxu poured a cup of tea for Wei Ruo, ¡°Mr. Xu, you don¡¯t seem to be of age yet?¡± ¡°Yes, not yet,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The corners of Fan Chengxu¡¯s mouth lifted into a smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief. In that moment, Wei Ruo probably knew what the other party was laughing at. But Wei Ruo was not flustered. They might have seen through her disguise, but with most of her face covered by a beard and a birthmark, they couldn¡¯t really see much. ¡°Mr. Xu, have you ever thought about working for me?¡± Fan Chengxu asked. ¡°I am flattered by Mr. Fan¡¯s appreciation, but I prefer to work on my own,¡± Wei Ruo politely declined. The shopkeeper at the side said: ¡°Mr. Xu, our young master is not an ordinary businessman. If you follow our young master, what you gain will not be just the monetary benefits of doing business. Wei Ruo smiled lightly: ¡°I am not interested in Mr. Fan¡¯s other identities, I just want to do some business, earn some silver and provide for the family. I apologize if my views are too short-sighted and have dampened Mr. Fan¡¯s interest. In place of wine, I will have this cup of tea as my penalty. Having said that, Wei Ruo drank up the tea in front of her. Fan Chengxu laughed, ¡°I suppose, then, I can only look forward to future cooperation with Mr. Xu.¡± ¡°I am looking forward to it as well,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Wei Ruo left the Zuixian Residence after a while. She initially thought Fan Chengxu would say something about the Laba Congee, but in the end, they only discussed business cooperation. After two encounters, Wei Ruo felt that Fan Chengxu was a rather difficult and formidable person. She hoped there would only be a business relationship between the two of them in the future. Having an extra adversary at the present would be quite challenging for her. After leaving the Zuixian Residence, Wei Ruo went back to Xu¡¯s Delicacy first. The shop was bustling with people coming to buy delicacies and Laba Congee. Chen Aqing and another waiter were quite busy, so Xiumei went up to help. Wei Ruo was about to lend a hand when a woman walked over and handed her a note. Wei Ruo looked up and saw that it was Lin Fang, so she pocketed the note. Once Lin Fang left, Wei Ruo went to the shop¡¯s backyard and unfolded the note. ¡°Noon, the western shore of East Lake, Autumn Pavilion. Wei Ruo was clear and as the rush for the porridge had passed, she went to East Lake with Xiumei. Upon arriving at the Autumn Pavilion on the western shore of East Lake, a boat was moored nearby. Lin Fang and her husband Ke Chongshan were in the pavilion, but when Wei Ruo descended from the carriage, Lin Fang stepped forward: ¡°My master is on the boat, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Wei Ruo followed Lin Fang onto the boat. Once she was on board, the boat started to slowly move toward the lake. In the tea room on the boat, Wei Ruo saw Wei Jinyi dressed in a moon-white silk robe. ¡°Brother,¡± Wei Ruo approached. ¡°Sit,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo sat down across from Wei Jinyi. A wide variety of dishes were already spread out on the table. ¡°Brother, how come you thought of seeing me today?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Today is Laba Festival,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Do you want to spend the festival with me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Jinyi answered. ¡°Also, as I mentioned before, I want Sister-in-Law Ke to help you learn some disguising techniques. If you have time today, you can learn from her on this boat.¡± Wei Ruo turned to Lin Fang: ¡°Then I would like to bother Sister-in-Law Ke.¡± ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s my honor to be able to help the young lady. Since it¡¯s noon, the young master and young lady must be hungry. Let¡¯s not mention other things for the moment. Let¡¯s eat first, and after the meal, I¡¯ll come to talk to you about these things.¡± After these words, Lin Fang bowed slightly to the two and left the tea room. After Lin Fang left, Wei Ruo removed the fake beard and birthmark from her face. Now that nobody else was around and Sister-in-law Ke had to disguise her again later, she removed it right away. Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. We have your favorite seafood here, fresh from this morning¡¯s fishing boat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I also brought Laba Congee for you,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to bring in the food box she had packed when she left Xu¡¯s Delicacy. Wei Ruo placed the porridge in front of Wei Jinyi, ¡°Brother, have a taste. It was made by me and Meimei.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Jinyi picked up a spoon and took a bite. He savoured it, then swallowed it down. ¡°Ruo¡¯s porridge is delicious.¡± Wei Jinyi noted. ¡°If you like it, I will save more for you next time,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Ok,¡± Wei Jinyi agreed. His gaze towards Wei Ruo was particularly soft. Over time, he had developed an unconscious harshness, but now some of that harshness had faded. The boat sailed slowly to the middle of the lake, Wei Ruo had been here before, that time was with Xie Jue and Xie Ying, when they went fishing together. Because Chu Lan was there at that time, Wei Ruo did not have the mood to appreciate the scenery of the lake. Now that the person sitting opposite was different, Wei Ruo had relaxed. ¡°Brother, after the New Year, I will start wearing hairpins,¡± Wei Ruo suddenly mentioned her upcoming coming-of-age ceremony. Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Chapter 181: What kind of son-in-law do you want to find?_l Chapter 181: Chapter 181: What kind of son-in-law do you want to find?_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Jinyi suddenly halted his hand that was holding the teacup, and once again looked up at the person in front of him. Without the fake beard and birthmark as a cover, her lovely little face was perfectly clear; her sprightly eyes clear as a pool, were staring right at him. ¡°Why bring up the Ji jie event so suddenly?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Because after Ji jie, my family will start seeking a marriage alliance for me. I now have a new concern, upon marriage, I will become family with another, then I may not have time to meet with second brother and dine together.¡± said Wei Ruo. Hence, such boating trips and the opportunities for idle chats over tea with second brother like the present would be fewer in the future. Upon her arrival at the Wei Family, the most comfortable place to be in the mansion was the small pavilion in Yingzhu Garden. Thinking of it, there was a pinch of reluctance in Wei Ruo regarding her departure from the Wei family. Of course, this slight clinging would definitely not alter her original intentions. Wei Jinyi observed Wei Ruo¡¯s thoughtful expression and asked, ¡°What type of husband does Ruoruo wish to find?¡± ¡°Anything goes.¡± said Wei Ruo. She had almost no demands for his character or appearance but only hoped for a simple family structure from his side, devoid of any troublesome elders. She did not yet have the courage to tell Wei Jinyi that she wanted to find a man on his deathbed because even second brother would likely not approve of her idea. Wei Jinyi¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. It seemed he had some objections to what Wei Ruo said, but after observing Wei Ruo for a while, he remained silent. ¡°Is second brother also close to the time of matchmaking?¡± suddenly Wei Ruo asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± ¡°Indeed, older brother must go first, and since older brother needs to take the imperial examination first, the family will naturally not rush to arrange for his marriage.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Jinyi did not explain further. Wei Ruo¡¯s recent words undoubtedly stirred up his thoughts. ¡°Then, second brother, what type of wife do you wish to find?¡± Wei Ruo asked with curiosity. Wei Jinyi did not reply immediately. Instead, he silently observed Wei Ruo for a while, then answered, ¡°Intelligent, kind-hearted, with her own thoughts, and compatible.¡± ¡°Then I wish second brother to find such a beautiful lady soon!¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Jinyi remained silent and shifted his gaze to the lake outside. Ripples formed on the lake surface, endlessly seeming to rise and then disperse. Some thoughts unknowingly slipped into his heart, and unknowingly took root and sprouted. ### Later, Wei Jinyi asked Lin Fang to bring Wei Ruo to the room next to the tea room. Lin Fang carefully examined Wei Ruo¡¯s facial features, then took out a wooden box, then a bowl, put in some powder, added water, mixed, and finally thickened it into a paste. ¡°Miss, you need not be afraid. The mixture I¡¯ve concocted will not harm your skin.¡± Lin Fang explained. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo nodded. ¡°I will dab this mixture sparingly on certain areas of your face. After it solidifies and is removed, a layer exactly conforming to your facial contour will be formed. This layer will then be able to assist in making small changes to your appearance in the future.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo agreed. She just had heard about the disguise techniques of these worldly people before, and today she had the opportunity to see it for the first time. Lin Fang did not apply much of the mixture to Wei Ruo¡¯s face. She focused on the chin and cheek areas to alter the lower contours of Wei Ruo¡¯s face. Wei Ruo looked at her transformed features in the mirror and appeared satisfied. Although this face still looked somewhat childish, it obviously looked more masculine now. As Lin Fang briskly worked, she explained to Wei Ruo, ¡°Since you¡¯ve shown yourself with your original appearance, and also as this mask might cause a bit of discomfort when worn, covering less of your face can reduce the discomfort. Hence, I only made adjustments to the area that was originally covered by the large beard.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Finally, when the mask was formed, Lin Fang removed half of the fake skin and handed it over to Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss, this is your exclusive disguise.¡± Wei Ruo held the half-piece of skin-like disguise in her hand. Its color and texture were very similar to that of human skin, and when applied to her face, it was indeed hard to distinguish between real and fake. Then, as Lin Fang was helping Wei Ruo clean her face, she said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re truly a natural beauty. Your skin is as delicate as peeled eggs and lychees. I¡¯m quite envious.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s complexion was not dark, nor was it very fair. At least compared to Wei Qingwan, she wasn¡¯t as pale. This was because Wei Ruo had been out in the sun all year round. But her skin was extremely delicate and smooth, free from pimples and spots, just like the delicate texture of peeled eggs and lychees. ¡°Sister Lin¡¯s skin isn¡¯t bad either.¡± Wei Ruo remarked. ¡°I used to thinkthat way as well, but having seen yours, my skin seems inferior.¡± Lin Fang laughed. ¡°Sister Lin, it¡¯s just some small spots, it¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯11 give you a few jars of my skin cream later. You can try it, it might improve your skin condition.¡± Wei Ruo proposed. ¡°How can I accept anything of yours, Miss.¡± Lin Fang hurriedly declined. ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about? You have all helped second brother, it¡¯s my duty to thank you guys. Besides, didn¡¯t Sister Lin help me out today?¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. Lin Fang also laughed, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll accept it without being modest.¡± After completing the makeup, Wei Ruo returned to the cabin. ¡°Second brother, do you think I look better now than with the big beard before?¡± Wei Ruo twirled around in front of Wei Jinyi to show her new appearance. Wei Jinyi softly gazed as Wei Ruo spun around in front of him, and responded with a ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi stayed on the tour boat till the third quarter of the afternoon. Before parting, Wei Ruo asked Wei Jinyi about his plans to return home for the New Year. No matter how busy second brother was, he should come home for the New Year. ¡°On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month.¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°Good, then I will prepare some extra dishes and we¡¯ll enjoy a hot pot meal in the new Yingzhu Garden!¡± said Wei Ruo. Then, when the boat reached the shore, Wei Ruo went back to the shore with Xiumei. Wei Jinyi did not disembark but remained on the boat watching Wei Ruo disappear into the distance. ### It wasn¡¯t until Wei Ruo returned to the Military Prefecture that she knew Wei Mingting had come home too, preparing to celebrate the Laba Festival with the family. Wei Mingting seemed to be busier after being promoted to Deputy Guard Commander. He had even fewer opportunities to come home. The last time Wei Ruo saw Wei Mingting was half a month ago. ¡°Father.¡± Wei Ruo greeted him. ¡°Mm, has Ruoruo gone to class today?¡± Wei Mingting asked. ¡°Mm.¡± Wei Ruo replied. Facing Wei Mingting¡¯s stern face, Wei Ruo was slightly unsettled. Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Chapter 182 Fine Wine and Delicacies_1 Chapter 182: Chapter 182 Fine Wine and Delicacies_1 Translator: 549690339 These days, she left the house under the pretext of attending classes in Tianqin Garden. Now, Mr. Wang Caiwei is teaching in Tianqin Garden. Madam Yuan indeed brought several daughters from the Yuan Family over to attend the class, just as Wei Ruo had previously told her family. Wei Ruo has been skipping classes more frequently than before. However, Mr. Wang did not chastise her for it, saying instead that there are certain things that books cannot teach as well as hands-on experience. Wei Mingting did not doubt Wei Ruo1 s response, and continued to speak to her, ¡°I received a message from my colleagues in Xingshan County these few days, declaring the peasants who were clearing up the deserted land in the south of the city are all safe. Magistrate Qian has taken good care of them, you do not have to worry.¡± Knowing that Wei Ruo was concerned about these hardworking and poor peasants, he made it a point to convey this message to her as the weather turned colder. ¡°Good, I am glad they are safe. I hope they all stay out of trouble,¡± Wei Ruo, too, felt pleased for those elders and children. Then, Wei Qingwan also arrived. She resumed her classes these days, going to the city magistrate¡¯s house. She was extremely diligent, leaving early and returning late. Whereas she used to arrive just in time for dinner, her return today was relatively early. Upon seeing Wei Mingting, Wei Qingwan bowed her head, greeting softly, ¡°Your daughter pays respect, Father. You must have been working hard recently.¡± ¡°I am not feeling overworked, Wanwan, you do not need to worry,¡± Wei Mingting responded. ¡°How many days can Father rest this time?¡± Wei Qingwan asked with concern. ¡°After dinner tomorrow, I will return to the barracks,¡± Wei Mingting, having been granted only a two-day leave, had decided not to cause delay at work by staying at home only for a night. Upon hearing his words, Wei Qingwan looked at him, her face filled with distress. Feeling the warmth in his heart from his daughter¡¯s concern, Wei Mingting smiled. Weilin arrived late, sweating profusely. ¡°Dad! Today, I learned a new knife technique! My teacher said that on the battlefield, the knife is handier than the sword. The sword is all flash and no substance, it¡¯s not as fierce as the knife!¡± Before Wei Mingting could even ask him about how he had been, Wei Yilin had already started explaining the progress of his recent education to him. ¡°Mmm, your teacher speaks the truth. On the battlefield, a knife is indeed more useful than a sword. After supper, let¡¯s go to the yard, and I will see if you have improved,¡± Wei Mingting replied, showing his approval. ¡°Sure!¡± Wei Yilin agreed with the confidence of someone who has everything under control. Subsequently, Madam Yun arrived and asked Wei Ruo and the others to first go freshen up before dinner, especially Wei Yilin, who was covered in sweat from his day of martial arts training. Today, only Wei Mingting, Madam Yun, Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin were celebrating the festival together at home. As Wei Yichen and Wei Jinyi had not returned home, Madam Yun¡¯s previous suggestion of separating men and women at dinner was put aside. After looking at Wei Mingting, Wei Ruo decided to return to the Tingsong Garden to bring back a jar of wine. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Father to return home, so let¡¯s enjoy some wine to relax a bit.¡± Wei Ruo knew her father, despite being a wine enthusiast, wouldn¡¯t drink in the army and would savor a glass or two only when he was at home. Yet, he had been more occupied than ever, having not had a chance to drink much throughout the year. Seeing the jar of wine Wei Ruo brought, a hint of joy was evident on Wei Mingting¡¯s face, ¡°Ruo understands me.1 Though the wine jar seemed rough and unremarkable, Wei Mingting knew his daughter¡¯s wine was exquisite and could not be found anywhere else. When he reached out to accept the wine jar from Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo retracted her hand and added, ¡°Father, you can drink, but not to the point of intoxication. Drink moderately for pleasure, to drink heavily is injurious to health.¡± ¡°Alright, I promise,¡± Wei Mingting couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Being lectured by his daughter was an intimate and novel experience. Only then did Wei Ruo handed Wei Mingting the jar of wine. Wei Mingting lifted the lid of the jar, and a strong fragrance of wine permeated the dining hall. ¡°Is this wine different from the one we had before, Ruo?¡± Asked Wei Mingting. The aroma of this wine was more potent. ¡°Yes, the last time everyone drank together, I brought a lighter fruit wine. This time, for Father, I¡¯ve brought a stronger variety. So, you must take your time ? consuming it, or else you might become drunk, and then you can¡¯t blame me, Wei Ruo added. The previous wine was a lower-alcohol fruit wine that had been soaked in distilled spirit. However, this time, it was the original high-spirit liquor. Upon hearing this, the underage Wei Yilin leaned in, trying to get a look at what was inside the wine jar. His efforts to get on tiptoe were in vain as he was too short to see inside. Fortunately, Wei Mingting had already poured some liquor into a wine glass. The liquid was clear and the aroma was strong and rich. Wei Mingting took a careful sip and savored it, then he looked at Wei Ruo with an astonished expression, ¡°Ruo, did you. brew this wine?¡± ¡°Yes, when I had nothing to do in the countryside, I would brew some wine. ? Sometimes, people also swapped it for silver in order to buy quilts and such,¡± replied Wei Ruo. ¡°Ruo, your brewing skills are worth their weight in gold!¡± Exclaimed Wei Mingting. Wei Ruo knew her father was not exaggerating when he said this. Most of the wine around now is fermented. Although the technology for distillation exists, it is only mastered by a few wineries. Ordinary fermented wine has a lower alcohol content and is somewhat cloudy and yellowish. Distilled wine, on the other hand, can greatly increase the alcohol content, and its aroma is strong, crystal clear as water. Therefore, distilled wine is much more expensive than ordinary grains fermented wine. Wei Mingting had enjoyed this distilled wine when he was in the Capital City. However, during his tenure in remote areas, he never again had the chance to drink this kind of wine. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t respond but just said, ¡°It¡¯s good if Father likes it.¡± Seeing her husband happy, Madam Yun¡¯s face also showed a smile. Then she ordered the dishes to be served. The foods served had a familiar taste for Wei Ruo-the stewed flavors of stewed pig¡¯s ears and pork. Wei Ruo could tell at a glance that they came from her shop. Madam Yun specifically introduced this stewed dish to Wei Mingting, ¡°Good wine needs to be paired with good food. Today¡¯s stewed pork ears and meat are just for you.¡± After a taste, Wei Mingting nodded in approval, ¡°Not only is the stewed dish ? flavorful, but it also tastes excellent. Our cookhas indeed improved recently.¡± Madam Yun explained, ¡°I bought it from a stewed shop in the city. That shop is very famous in the Government City. The gentry in the city are their regular customers. I heard it from the city magistrate¡¯s wife. So, I bought it today to try it since you came back.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s different from others and better than any stewed dish I¡¯ve had before,¡± Wei Mingting commented. Then, looking at the wine in his glass, Wei Mingting commented, ¡°Today, my wife and Ruo seemed to be in tune. One prepared the wine, and the other prepared the food to accompany the wine.¡± Madam Yun laughed, ¡°A mother and daughter share a connection. Ruo is our daughter, so it¡¯s not surprising that our thoughts align.¡± Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Leisurely Tea Talk_l Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Leisurely Tea Talk_l Translator: 549690339 1 Wei Mingting nodded, ¡°Madam is correct.¡± Wei Ruo looked on indifferently, her face expressionless. This so-called bond between mother and daughter was just a coincidence. After answering Wei Mingting¡¯s question, Lady Yun instinctively looked at Wei Ruo, but the latter had already turned her attention to the food early on. Even though she felt Lady Yun¡¯s gaze on her, Wei Ruo did not bother to turn her head. Wei Qingwan lowered her head, bit her lower lip, and simultaneously tightened her grip on her chopsticks. After finishing dinner, everyone sat together, sipping tea and chatting. Wei Mingting did not get drunk. He enjoyed drinking but was not greedy. Especially with his responsibilities, even on a day off, he would never allow himself to lose consciousness due to drunkenness. Wei Mingting brought up the Seventh Prince: ¡°In the near future, the Seventh Prince might visit Taizhou prefecture again. This time, he won¡¯t be traveling incognito but will come officially to assume his role as Military Governor of the Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou prefecture. Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan, who had her head lowered, lifted her gaze. ¡°The Seventh Prince is coming to Taizhou prefecture again? It s almost the New Year. Why would he come at this time?¡± Lady Yun asked, perplexed. ¡°While we celebrate the New Year, the Japanese pirates do not. The times when we are celebrating as a family are when we must be most alert, lest the Japanese should take advantage of any lapse in our defenses, disturb our people, and destroy our homes,¡± Wei Mingting explained. Hence, even during the New Year, Wei Mingting might not have much time to stay at home. A touch of sadness flashed in Lady Yun¡¯s eyes, but she quickly hid it. She knew that her husband¡¯s task was not easy and also understood the difficulties of the people. For the well-being and happiness of more people, they had to sacrifice their family time. Wei Mingting continued, ¡°I mention this to all of you so that you can be prepared. I am currently the Deputy Guard Commander of the Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou. Considering the Seventh Prince¡¯s frequency of contact with me, there¡¯s a chance he might visit our house again. Upon hearing this, Lady Yun replied, ¡°Rest assure, my Lord. If the Prince visits again, I will make proper arrangements. There will be no more mishaps.¡± Wei Qingwan remained silent, quietly taking note of Wei Mingting¡¯s words. Wei Mingting¡¯s gaze landed on Wei Ruo, as if he had something to say to her. Wei Ruo quickly grasped Wei Mingting¡¯s intention. Since she had been overlooked during the previous praise for meritorious deeds, she harbored some resentment against Chu Lan. Wei Mingting was likely worrying about this. Wei Ruo took the initiative to say, ¡°Father, rest assured, I recognize the Prince¡¯s status.¡± In essence, she was saying that she was still angry, but she would behave appropriately because her status demanded so. The truth was, Wei Ruo had an intense dislike for Chu Lan and one more incident wouldn¡¯t make much difference. So, if Chu Lan came this time, Wei Ruo would behave just as she did before. Wei Mingting said with a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruoruo. After a brief conversation, Wei Mingting called Wei Yilin to the courtyard to practice his knife technique. Lady Yun and Wei Ruo, along with Wei Qingwan, watched attentively. Wei Yilin usually practiced with wooden swords and knives, just as he was doing today. To match Wei Yilin¡¯s stature, his wooden knife was somewhat smaller than those used by adults. Even so, Wei Yilin wielded the knife skillfully and powerfully, exuding the aura of a future military general with each move. After observing a complete set of Wei Yilin¡¯s movements, Lady Yun looked pleased. She had never expected her playful younger son to have such a talent for martial arts, showing a similar skill and interest to his father¡¯s. Although Wei Mingting¡¯s facial expression was not as apparent as Lady Yun¡¯s, pride and satisfaction were clearly visible in his eyes. After performing a full set of knife techniques, Wei Yilin swiftly ran to Wei Mingting, looking expectantly at his father. ¡°Very good. Considering your age, this is quite impressive,¡± Wei Mingting acknowledged. ¡°Hehe.¡± Wei Yilin scratched his head shyly, feeling flattered by his father s praise. Lady Yun came forward and patted Wei Yilin¡¯s head, ¡°Yilin, you¡¯ve really grown up. You¡¯re more and more like your father.¡± -Of course! I am my father¡¯s son!¡± Wei Yilin declared proudly. -But remember to keep striving and maintain a humble heart. Listen to your Master¡¯s teachings carefully,¡± Wei Mingting admonished. He was relatively strict with his son, hoping that Yilin would not become arrogant and complacent even with small achievements. ¡°Yes, Father. You don¡¯t have to worry. I will study hard,¡± Wei Yilin promised. Wei Yilin then looked at Wei Ruo and asked her specifically, ¡°Elder Sister, do you think I¡¯m becoming more and more formidable?¡± Wei Ruo rolled her eyes internally. For some reason, Wei Yilin always felt the need to ask for her opinion. It was as if he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she had something good to say about him. While Wei Ruo grumbled internally, she maintained a smile on her face, ¡°You should be becoming more formidable.¡± ¡°Do you think I can become like Father in the future?¡± Wei Yilin asked again. ¡°As long as you work hard and put in enough effort, you should have a chance.¡± Can this brat finally stop? If he wants to hear such flattering words, couldn¡¯t he go ask his Sister Wanwan? As Wei Ruo thought this, Wei Qingwan, on the other hand, took the initiative to say to Wei Yilin, ¡°Brother Yilin has a lot of talent. As long as he studies well, he is bound to become as formidable as Father, and make great achievements for the country and the people.¡± With this one sentence, she had flattered both father and son. The smile on Wei Yilin¡¯s face intensified. Sister Wanwan always knew what to say! Why couldn¡¯t Wei Qingwan act a bit more like her? Really! Wei Ruo, oblivious to Wei Yilin¡¯s thoughts, stepped back to allow Wei Qingwan to come forward, providing space for the two. As for this pair of siblings, they could carry on with their sisterly kindness and brotherly filial respect. Just don¡¯t involve her, that¡¯s all she asked. ### After the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the farmwork was almost done, and there were hardly any crops left in the ground, except for some cold-resistant rapeseeds sometimes needing to be harvested. Even Wei Ruo¡¯s mushroom farming in Xingshan County had been temporarily put on hold, since even the relatively stable temperature of the caves couldn¡¯t provide the right conditions for mushroom growth at this time. After the seasoning supply for the Zuixian Residence was set on the right track, the production of Wei Ruo¡¯s workshop also stabilized. With the reduced workload, Wei Ruo started to consider her next step. She had mentioned before that when she had some downtime, she wanted to explore vinegar brewing, but after inquiring around, Wei Ruo discovered that brewing alcohol was more profitable than making vinegar. People didn¡¯t have very high standards for the quality of vinegar, but wine was different. The nobles were very particular about drinking wine, and they were willing to pay a high price for it. So Wei Ruo planned to use this period when there was no farmwork to improve her brewing methods and prepare for the establishment of her winery. Wei Ruo planned to choose a location for the winery near a water source, which would facilitate the production process. Moreover, the water source must be of good quality, because the quality of the water greatly influenced the quality of the wine.. Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Picking Up a Man Covered in Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Picking Up a Man Covered in Blood__l Translator: 549690339 For three days in a row, Wei Ruo attended classes with Mr. Wang Caiwei at Tianqin Garden in the morning, while in the afternoon, she, along with Xiumei, looked for suitable water sources around Government City. Today was the fourth day, and Wei Ruo had ventured to the Xianqi Mountain to the north of Government City. Wei Ruo¡¯s estate was located north of Government City, and she hoped her chosen site would be as close to her estate as possible, so in recent times she had been searching for suitable places nearby. ¡°Miss, this place isn¡¯t too far from our estate, however the path up the mountain is a bit difficult,¡± Xiumei said to Wei Ruo as they walked. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go over there and take a look, that area appears to be somewhat flat.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± The two of them followed a small stream until they reached an area that was somewhat flat, the only such place they had seen along their journey. The topography seemed to meet Wei Ruo¡¯s expectations, however, the path into the region was difficult, and if they were to establish a small brewing factory here, transportation would become a major issue. Wei Ruo went to the side of the creek that was overgrown with wild grass on both sides. Only where Wei Ruo and Xiumei stood had the wild grass been cleared away, likely by hunters or those chopping wood who needed access to water. Wei Ruo planned to taste the spring water first; if it was indeed suitable for brewing, then she could overlook other constraints. After all, she wanted to create high-quality wine to sell to the elites. Wei Ruo crouched by the stream, cupping water in her hands. The creek¡¯s water was exceptionally cold and felt like icy needles against her skin. But Wei Ruo paid it no mind, preparing to take a sip. However, she suddenly noticed a trace of red in the creek. A shallow red streak was dissolving in the water, completely diluted by the time it reached their location. From years of practicing medicine, Wei Ruo keenly noticed something was wrong. She sprung to her feet, parting the wild grass and thorn bushes before her, heading upstream. After climbing two metres, Wei Ruo found a man covered in blood, collapsed in the wild grass. The man¡¯s entire body, including his face, was slashed several times, as his thick winter clothing was soaked in blood. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Xiumei was frightened despite having already seen a lot by Wei Ruo¡¯s side. ¡°Meimei, come and help, he¡¯s still breathing,¡± Wei Ruo found the man was still alive after closer examination. ¡°Miss, let me do it. I¡¯m stronger.¡± Coming back to her senses, Xiumei immediately offered her strength and hoisted the wounded man onto her back. Utilizing her exceptional strength and stamina, Xiumei carried the man down the mountain. Their carriage was stationed at the roadside. After manhandling the man into the carriage, Xiumei took the reins, while Wei Ruo examined his injuries. The man had numerous knife wounds, but luckily he was wearing thick clothing, which reduced the severity of the wounds. None were critical, otherwise, he would already be dead. The injuries on his face were not from a knife but were bruises and scratches, likely from falling down the mountain and being cut by thorny bushes and sharp rocks, leaving him virtually unrecognizable. Wei Ruo noticed one thing; despite wearing a coarse linen jacket, the man¡¯s hands didn¡¯t look like those of one who did manual labor. In that moment, a trace of hesitation flashed across Wei Ruo¡¯s mind, but she quickly cast it aside; she simply couldn¡¯t stand by and let someone die. Besides, she was Xu Heyou now, not Wei Qingruo. If the man she saved turned out to be trouble, she could always throw him back up the mountain to feed the wild dogs once he was on the mend. Thinking this, Wei Ruo took out her Hemostatic Medicine. She first crudely sprinkled it onto the visible wounds the man had. He also had wounds on his back, but due to the narrow space in the carriage and the bumpy ride, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t dare to turn him over. This Hemostatic Medicine could help stop the man¡¯s bleeding and kill germs in a short period, significantly increasing his survival chances. When the carriage arrived at Wei Ruo¡¯s estate, she stayed in the vehicle with the wounded man while Xiumei left to find Manager Yu. When Manager Yu arrived, under his orchestration, Wei Ruo and Xiumei finally moved the wounded man from the carriage. ¡°Miss, there is a vacant old room on the eastern side of the estate,¡± Manager Yu said. ¡°No one else saw, did they?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Rest assured, Miss, only I did.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The three of them worked together to move the injured man to the vacant old house in the east. This house was originally used by the servants, but recently Wei Ruo had arranged new accommodations for all the workers on her estate, leaving this room vacant. After the man was put on the bed, Wei Ruo instructed Manager Yu to fetch some medicinal herbs. Wei Ruo was making medicinal powder in the newly built workshop, there were still some herbs on the estate that she could use. She then instructed Xiumei to heat some water and bring some charcoal. The hot water would be used to clean the man¡¯s wounds, and the charcoal was to warm the room, facilitating the upcoming treatment. After Manager Yu brought back the herbs, he saw Wei Ruo about to undress the man, and quickly offered, ¡°Miss, let me do it. I know you value saving lives over etiquette, but some things should still be avoided if possible; treating a man¡¯s wounds is something I can handle, just tell me what to do.¡± Manager Yu¡¯s words were sincere, his eyes filled with concern. Having spent some time together, Manager Yu had learned what kind of person his new employer was: she would help the homeless, and considerate of the laborers who worked on her estate. Therefore, it was not at all surprising to him that she would rescue someone; however, Manager Yu wished to protect her reputation as much as possible. Such a good lady deserved a good marriage. After contemplating for a moment, Wei Ruo said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you then. I have already prepared medicine in that over there basin of hot water, after soaking the clean gauze, wipe his wounds carefully everywhere on his body.¡± Wei Ruo went on, ¡°After cleaning, put the medicine powder labeled ¡®wound medicine¡¯ from this porcelain bottle on his knife wounds. If it¡¯s a surface scratch, apply the medicine powder I just mixed in the bowl. Since it¡¯s winter and the weather is cold, wrap him with gauze after applying the medicine. If the bandages aren¡¯t stable, just cover him with a clean quilt.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it. Miss, it¡¯s cold outside, you should wait in the next room. I will call you when it¡¯s done,¡± said Manager Yu. After Wei Ruo and Xiumei went out, they didn¡¯t rest but began brewing some medicinal decoction. The variety of medicinal materials on the estate was limited, so Wei Ruo had to make do with a simplified prescription.. Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Loquat Syrup_l Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Loquat Syrup_l Translator: 549690339 After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Manager Yu finished his tasks and asked Wei Ruo to come in. When Wei Ruo and Xiumei returned to the room, Manager Yu, though somewhat clumsy, had correctly prepared the medicine and applied the bandages according to Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions, and had even dressed the man. Xiumei brought in the brewed medicine, and together with Manager Yu, they fed it to the man. They said it was feeding, but it was more like forcing it down. The process was simple and rough, but at least it all went to his stomach. Immediately after, Wei Ruo checked the man¡¯s condition again. His life force was strong, but whether he would survive was still uncertain. -Miss, can this man survive?¡± Manager Yu asked with some worry. He only realized how severely the man was injured when he was applying the medicine. ¡°It depends on his fate. I¡¯ll go to the city to get some medicine in a while. Have Xiumei deliver it to you. Brew it at the time of Dog (11PM-1 AM), then let him drink it. Keep the charcoal fire in the room going. Check on him tomorrow morning. If he¡¯s still alive, it means he has made it through. If he¡¯s dead, it means he didn¡¯t survive,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll stay with him tonight,¡± Manager Yu took note of Wei Ruo¡¯s words. Because he didn¡¯t want too many people to know about it, Manager Yu decided to handle these tasks himself. When Wei Ruo looked at Manager Yu again, her eyes showed a hint of admiration. In their previous interactions, Wei Ruo only recognized Manager Yu¡¯s work skills and attitude. But his actions today gave Wei Ruo a new understanding of him. However, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say much today. Because of time constraints, Wei Ruo and Xiumei left the manor first. After returning to the Military Prefecture, Xiumei stepped out alone, took Wei Ruo¡¯s prescription to the pharmacy to obtain the medicine, rushed back to the manor to give the medicine to Manager Yu, and then hurried back to the Military Prefecture before nightfall. The next day, before going to Tianqin Garden, Wei Ruo made a trip to the manor. Manager Yu happily told Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss, he¡¯s still alive and breathing!¡± ¡°Well, then continue with yesterday¡¯s prescription, three times a day,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Okay,¡± Manager Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this will be hard on Manager Yu in the next few days,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m honored to assist Miss. I don¡¯t find it tiring,¡± Manager Yu replied. As Wei Ruo had to rush back to Tianqin Garden, she didn¡¯t have much time to chat with Manager Yu. Once she confirmed that the man had passed the critical period, she left in a hurry. Arriving at the classroom in Tianqin Garden, Mr. Wang Caiwei had already arrived, but he had been constantly coughing into his hand. ¡°Sir, have you caught a cold?¡± spotting this unusual circumstance, Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯s nothing serious. I¡¯ve taken medication already,¡± Wang Caiwei replied. ¡°It¡¯S been chilly lately. Sir should take care. I have a jar of Loquat Syrup here. Mix it with some water and it should soothe your throat and relieve your cough,¡± Wei Ruo said, pulling out a round porcelain jar out of nowhere. The jar wasn¡¯t large, it could be held in one hand, with a white base and blue flowers painted on it. ¡°Why are you carrying this around, Miss Wei?¡± queried Wang Caiwei curiously. ¡°There have been many cases of cold and flu lately. Several people in my house have also been coughing, so I prepared extra beforehand for emergency use,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°I see, Miss Wei, you are truly considerate,¡± Wang Caiwei praised. ¡°Sir, try some now. It will make your throat feel better,¡± Wei Ruo encouraged. Wang Caiwei nodded, and then got up to find a maid in Tianqin Garden to bring him some hot water. He spooned a thick, sticky scoop of the syrup into the water, stirred it until it was evenly mixed and then drank it. The taste was sweet and had a hint of medicinal flavor. It was not hard to swallow, much better than most medicines, though it wasn¡¯t as good as honey water. After drinking, Mr. Wang Caiwei could clearly feel its effect. His coughing noticeably reduced during the rest of the class. The three women from the Yuan Family, who were also in the classroom, clearly saw this change. When there was a break in the class, the three of them approached Wei Ruo with questions. ¡°Miss Wei, where did you buy that Loquat Syrup? Can you tell me where, I also want to buy some,¡± Yuan Qiniang asked. The two people next to her were Yuan Jiuniang and Yuan Shiniang. They were not full sisters, but members of the same clan, determined by their clan¡¯s ranking. These three were of a similar age and were the most outstanding of the Yuan Family¡¯s generation, so they had been selected to study with Mr. Wang Caiwei. As part of the peripheral Yuan Family, their own tutors¡¯ qualifications couldn¡¯t compare with Mr. Wang Caiwei¡¯s. Thus, when Madam Yuan decided to select some students from the clan to study with Mr. Wang Caiwei, all the women of the clan wanted to be picked. But in the end, Madam Yuan purposely picked these three girls who were about the same age as Wei Ruo. After being selected, these three treasured this opportunity and were very polite to Wei Ruo. They didn¡¯t bother Wei Ruo unless necessary. They didn¡¯t ask about Wei Ruo¡¯s affairs, and they didn¡¯t say a word when Wei Ruo was absent. Today, it was quite unusual for them to eagerly ask Wei Ruo about something. ¡°What do you need the Loquat Syrup for?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°To tell you the truth, Miss Wei, our grandmother has been coughing nonstop today. Although she has seen a doctor and taken medicine, it hasn¡¯t helped. I¡¯m quite worried. Just now, I noticed that the teacher¡¯s coughing significantly improved after taking the Loquat Syrup that Miss Wei gave, so I thought about buying some for my grandmother to try,¡± Yuan Qiniang explained. ¡°My mother has also been coughing lately. I wanted to buy a jar for her too, Yuan Jiuniang added. ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy it. I¡¯ll bring a jar for you when I go home,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°But we can¡¯t just take it from you. Why don¡¯t you tell us where you bought it from, and we will buy it ourselves,¡± Yuan Qiniang suggested. ¡°I actually made the Loquat Syrup myself. You can¡¯t buy it anywhere else,¡± Wei Ruo explained. -Miss Wei can make Loquat Syrup?¡± the three girls asked in surprise. -I used to live in the countryside. An old woman taught me how to make it,¡± Wei Ruo gave an offhand reply. After deliberating for a few moments, Yuan Qiniang proposed, ¡°In that case, we can¡¯t just take it without giving anything in return. How about we trade something for it?¡± Taking it for free was not appropriate. But directly buying it from Wei Ruo with silver would seem a bit crude. After much consideration, Yuan Qiniang thought exchanging the syrup would be the most appropriate. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re classmates. There¡¯s no need to be so formal. If I say it¡¯s a gift, then it¡¯s a gift,¡± Wei Ruo insisted. After saying this, she called Xiumei over and instructed her to retrieve three jars of Loquat Syrup from the carriage. Wei Ruo had prepared quite a few jars at once. She kept one jar on her, because carrying more would be too heavy. The rest, she kept in the carriage for emergencies. Xiumei went and came back quickly. In no time, she brought back three jars of Loquat Syrup, all identical white porcelain jars with blue flowers. Wei Ruo handed a jar to each of the three girls.. Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Chapter 186: The Seventh Prince is Missing_l Chapter 186: Chapter 186: The Seventh Prince is Missing_l Translator: 549690339 Upon seeing this, the three of them no longer resisted and accepted Wei Ruo¡¯s loquat syrup, expressing their gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Miss Wei. We will accept this loquat syrup. If there¡¯s anything we can help with in the future, please don¡¯t hesitate to approach us,¡± Yuan Qiniang said. Wei Ruo nodded with a smile. Before leaving Tianqin Garden, Wei Ruo saw Qingyi, who had come to fetch some things for Madame Yuan. She gave her two tins of the syrup and asked her to give it to Madame Yuan on her behalf. Qingyi looked joyous as if she had received a treasure. ¡°Miss Wei, your loquat syrup has come at the right time. Madame has had a sore throat for the past few days, and this servant has been worrying about what could be used for her. The loquat syrup from Miss Wei must be the best.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say much. Before they parted ways, Qingyi stopped Wei Ruo and reminded her solemnly: ¡°Miss Wei, it¡¯s not very safe out there these days. If you don¡¯t have any urgent business, try not to leave the city.¡± Qingyi¡¯s words sounded as if she knew something. ¡°What has happened?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Qingyi could only reply: ¡°Well, nothing. I just wanted to remind you, Miss Wei. Please keep in mind that I meant it for your own good.¡± After saying this, Qingyi walked away. After returning to the Military Prefecture, Wei Ruo specifically called over Nanny Zhang and asked her if anything significant had occurred in the city recently. Nanny Zhang firmly shook her head, ¡°Everything in the city has been very peaceful these past few days. This old servant has heard nothing about significant incidents.¡± Wei Ruo then asked, ¡°Has the city gate been more closely guarded?¡± Nanny Zhang denied. ¡°No, early this morning, this old servant went out of the city on behalf of Madam. It was just like usual. Yesterday, Old Zhang from our place also went to Xingshan County. He brought a cart of grain back this morning, and nothing happened.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Ruo dismissed Nanny Zhang. She believed that Qingyi¡¯s words were not said randomly, but she did not know the reason behind it at the moment. ### That night, Wei Mingting unexpectedly returned home. Madam Yun had already gone to sleep, but she got up with the assistance of her maids when she heard the noise. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you notify us before you came back, my lord?¡± While helping Wei Mingting to change clothes, Madam Yun asked with concern. Wei Mingting¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Something has happened. Don¡¯t make a fuss about my return, and don¡¯t tell the children either.¡± Hearing this, Madam Yun tensed up, realizing the severity of the situation. ¡°My Lord, have the Japanese Pirates invaded again?¡± Madam Yun asked tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s not about the Japanese Pirates, it¡¯s the Seventh Prince. He was ambushed while on his journey,¡± replied Wei Mingting. Madam Yun¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°The Seventh Prince was ambushed? How could this be? Who would dare to make an attempt on the life of a prince?¡± Wei Mingting¡¯s face was marked with worry, ¡°It¡¯s probably related to a struggle within the court. The position of crown prince has been vacant for a few years now, and the power struggle between several princes is well known to all.¡± Upon hearing this, Madam Yun¡¯s heart leaped into her throat. ¡°How is the Seventh Prince now?¡± Wei Mingting shook his head, ¡°His whereabouts are currently unknown, and his life or death is uncertain. The magistrate and the guard commander have dispatched government soldiers and some of the Anti-Japanese Army to conduct a search.¡± ¡°Will you be implicated, my lord? Your involvement in the Anti-Japanese Army should have nothing to do with the power struggles within the court. You wouldn¡¯t get caught in the crossfire, would you?¡± Madam Yun asked anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. It really depends on the Emperor¡¯s decision. If he decides to hold someone accountable, there could be consequences,¡± Wei Mingting revealed. Since the incident happened within his jurisdiction, and the prince involved was highly regarded by the Emperor, they couldn¡¯t escape responsibility if the Emperor was furious. ¡°But you are responsible for combating the Japanese Pirates, and the incident with the Seventh Prince occurred within the city. What does it have to do with you?¡± Madam Yun expressed her discontent on behalf of Wei Mingting and the other commanders of the Anti-Japanese Army. ¡°How can everything be judged fairly in the court matters?¡± Wei Mingting sighed slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s not think about it for now. The top priority is to find the Seventh Prince. If he¡¯s alive, we need to see him. If he¡¯s dead, we need to see his body.¡± Although Madam Yun was worried, she couldn¡¯t help with court matters. She only prayed silently, hoping that the Seventh Prince was fine, her husband was fine, and the Wei family was fine. ### In the following days, everything in the city remained calm. Most of the citizens were worried about how to get through the winter and celebrate the New Year. Apart from this, they hadn¡¯t heard any other news, and even the Japanese Pirates had been quiet these days. Every day, Wei Ruo would take some time to visit the manor to check on the status of the injured man. The man was in a coma for three days. On the fourth day, Wei Ruo discussed the follow-up medication with Manager Yu. ¡°In the following days, continue using the previous medication in the morning, afternoon, and evening. At noon, add a few more tonics to his medication to replenish his nutrition.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Understood.¡± Manager Yu agreed. While they were talking, Wei Ruo caught a glimpse of the man on the bed moving from the corner of her eye. After that, Wei Ruo quickly walked up to the bed. The man opened his mouth and with great difficulty, said, ¡°Water¡­¡± Hearing this, Manager Yu immediately got some tea that was still warm. Manager Yu supported him while Wei Ruo fed the water into the man¡¯s mouth. After drinking the water, the man laid back down. Following this, he looked around with a puzzled expression in his eyes, eventually settling on Wei Ruo. The Wei Ruo in the man¡¯s sight was a clear-faced and round-faced young man. Because the mask that Lin Fang had made for her was very convenient to wear, Wei Ruo had gotten into the habit of wearing it when she went out or went to the manor. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± The man still weak, let out a very hoarse and slow voice as if saying a single word had used up all his strength. ¡°This is my manor. We found you in the mountains nearby and brought you here for temporary shelter,¡± Wei Ruo answered. Whether the man responded slowly or not, he only said, ¡°Thank you,¡± after a while. Although he was still a bit weak, Wei Ruo was already eager to ask some questions: ¡°What¡¯s your surname and name? Where do you live? How did you get injured?¡± If the man¡¯s answers were problematic, Wei Ruo planned to send him back to where they found him and let him fend for himself. ¡°My surname is Zhu, my name is Zongyu, and I live in Taiyuan Prefecture. I¡¯m a businessman¡­¡± The man paused, taking a breather as it seemed to exert him quite a bit to speak that much just after waking up. After the pause, the man continued to explain in a slow voice: ¡°I was traveling south to deliver New Year¡¯s gifts to my maternal grandfather¡¯s family in Wenzhou Prefecture when I was attacked by bandits on the way. To save my life, the family servants and I changed clothes. He led the bandits away, and I took the opportunity to escape.¡± ¡°But I was still caught up with and was wounded by several slashes. I was badly injured and could not move. Fortunately, a trusted servant risked his life to save me. Protected by him, I managed to escape to a hidden spot, but the bandits were still searching the mountains. To protect me, the trusted servant chose to go out and draw the bandits away¡­.¡± Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Thanks to Miss Wei_l Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Thanks to Miss Wei_l Translator: 549690339 Zhu Zongyu¡¯s explanation cleared up Wei Ruo¡¯s previous doubts. His argument was reasonable and well-founded, devoid of any flaws. The details fit the logic and were consistent with what Wei Ruo had discovered. As Wei Ruo fell silent, Zhu Zongyu took the initiative and said, ¡°As the son saved my life, I will definitely provide a generous reward. I beg you to care for me until I am healed and, once I have contacted my family to arrange for their arrival, I will prepare lavish gifts.¡± Zhu Zongyu looked sincerely at Wei Ruo who said, ¡°A generous reward is unnecessary, a little medical expense money is enough, and don¡¯t bring any trouble for me.¡± ¡°Rest assured, my only desire is to live. Moreover, you are my benefactor, I am nowhere near expressing enough gratitude; I certainly won¡¯t deliberately cause any trouble for you,¡± Zhu Zongyu said. Wei Ruo looked at Zhu Zongyu for a while, then said, ¡°You should rest well. You are not allowed to leave your bed in the next few days. If you need anything, ask Manager Yu; he will take care of your daily life.¡± Zhu Zongyu¡¯s gaze shifted to the nearby Manager Yu, he thanked him, saying, ¡°I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace.¡± ¡°I merely lent a helping hand, I can¡¯t take credit for saving your life. Your savior is our young master,¡± Manager Yu quickly responded. After giving a few more instructions to Manager Yu, Wei Ruo left. Upon Wei Ruo¡¯s departure, Manager Yu looked at Zhu Zongyu on the bed and lamented, ¡°Master Zhu, you truly are lucky. With such severe injuries, most people wouldn¡¯t survive. It was fortunate that you encountered our young master, giving you a chance to reclaim your life.¡± ¡°Your young master is a doctor?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked. ¡°Our young master knows some medical skills, but he does not practice medicine outside. Once you recover and leave, please do not casually mention it to others,¡± Manager Yu warned. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Zhu Zongyu said. Speaking, Manager Yu could not help but mutter, ¡°Our young master is a truly good person, not just to Master Zhu, but also to those who are destitute and suffering, those who can¡¯t afford to eat at home, our young master always gives a helping hand whenever he can. Thanks to our master, everyone on the manor had a good year.¡± Listening to Manager Yu¡¯s stories, Zhu Zongyu was thoughtful. After finishing his lamentation, Manager Yu directed his attention back to Zhu Zongyu, ¡°Rest for now, Master Zhu. I will bring you some easily swallowed liquid food soon. Eat a little, as our young master said before he left. You have been kept alive by soup medication these days, your gastrointestinal system is weak and cannot handle too much food at once. You can only have some light porridge.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Zhu Zongyu replied. ### When Wei Ruo returned to the Tianqin Garden, she was enthusiastically surrounded by the three Yuan sisters. Each of them had prepared gifts for Wei Ruo. Yuan Qiuniang gifted Wei Ruo a brocade bag she had embroidered herself, as she noticed that Wei Ruo often used such bags to carry items and figured that she needed it. Yuan Jiuniang gifted Wei Ruo a box of rouge, stating that her elder brother had brought it from the Capital City, a place from where one could not buy it in Taizhou prefecture. Yuan Shiniang gifted Wei Ruo a velvety flower hairpin she made herself. It was evident that all three of them had carefully chosen their gifts as reciprocation for the loquat syrup, a gesture that should not be too generous, yet not too modest. ¡°Thank you, your gifts are lovely, I really like them,¡± Wei Ruo thanked them. ¡°We should thank Miss Wei. After using the loquat syrup you gave us, our grandmother¡¯s cough has significantly improved. She even sleeps peacefully at night and has been more energetic these past few days,¡± Yuan Qiuniang said. ¡°Yes, a few days ago our grandmother was coughing incessantly, a sight that terrified our elders,¡± Yuan Jiuniang added. Ailing elders especially fear illness, particularly during the chilly winter months. Even a cough, though seemingly mild, is life-threatening if it worsens. ¡°Thanks to the loquat syrup, our grandmother has significantly improved. Our father and uncle have praised us greatly for this, going so far as to reward us. This is all thanks to Miss Wei,¡± Yuan Qiuniang continued. Seeing all three sisters smiling joyfully, Wei Ruo felt happy. Thereafter, Yuan Qiuniang mentioned to Wei Ruo, ¡°Yesterday, Old Lady Xiu, our grandmother¡¯s close confidante, came to our house to see our grandmother. After seeing the improvement in her condition, she too wanted this loquat syrup. As such, our grandmother asked us where we got it from. Because we didn¡¯t talk to you in advance, we simply said it was from a good friend and isn¡¯t available anywhere else, but we would have to ask the friend first if we can give her more.¡± Yuan Qiuniang was insightful. She perceived from Old Lady Xiu¡¯s behavior yesterday that if she found out who gave them the loquat syrup, she would surely ask for it. In order to avoid putting Wei Ruo in a difficult position, she decided not to reveal this information. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can tell her what you just told me, I¡¯ll fetch another jar for you. Just give it directly to Old Lady Xiu,¡± Wei Ruo generously said. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Nihil, obcaecati! ¡°Wei Ruo, you are truly a wonderful person. We are really very thankful to you this time.¡± Yuan Qiuniang, representing the three sisters, thanked Wei Ruo again. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to be so polite. After all, we are classmates,¡± Wei Ruo said. For Wei Ruo, though there were no particular reasons to befriend the three Yuan sisters, she was delighted if they could live in harmony. ¡°Mmm, if Wei Ruo ever needs our help in the future, don¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Yuan Qiuniang said. The remaining two sisters nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay,¡± Wei Ruo responded with a smile. Thus, before class ended, Wei Ruo handed a new jar of loquat syrup to Yuan Qiuniang. After that, Wei Ruo returned to the Military Prefecture. During dinner, Wei Ruo noticed that Madam Yun seemed off, but she did not particularly want to inquire. At that moment, Wei Qingwan spoke up, ¡°Mother, are you not feeling well? Is there any discomfort in your body?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me,¡± Madam Yun denied. Even though she claimed there was nothing wrong, she did not seem to be doing well. ¡°Mother, if there¡¯s something wrong, please tell me. I am worried about you,¡± Wei Qingwan said with concern and heartache. ¡°There really is nothing wrong,¡± Madam Yun reemphasized. If it were anything else, she would investigate but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak about this particular matter. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m really worried about you,¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes were sparkling. This touched Madam Yun¡¯s heart and she instinctively looked toward Wei Ruo. She noted that Wei Ruo appeared calm, completely oblivious to her troubled expression. This made Madam Yun¡¯s spirit sink. She was bitterly disappointed with Wei Ruo. Madam Yun sighed and said, ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m just a bit tired. Once I finish the tasks at hand, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She then addressed Wei Ruo, saying, ¡°As for you, don¡¯t always think about running around outside. Start concerning yourself with matters at home. As the eldest legitimate daughter of the family, you should shoulder the responsibilities you ought to fulfill.¡± Wei Ruo responded in a nonchalant tone, as if she failed to notice the dissatisfaction in Madam Yun¡¯s tightly knitted brows.. Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Madam Xu visits 1 Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Madam Xu visits 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The first and fifteenth days of each month were rest days, so Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have to attend school today. Wei Ruo planned to stay on the estate for the day to arrange all the things needed before the Chinese New Year, because after the New Year, she might not have time. As Wei Ruo was about to go out, someone from her household came ¨C it was the old Madam Xu, the mother of Mr. Xu Tongzhi, and she specifically asked to see Wei Ruo. Yunshi looked puzzled. These days, her second daughter, Wanwan, has been attending classes at Tongzhi Prefecture, so she has had more opportunities to meet old Madam Xu. Her eldest daughter, Ruoruo, has had practically no interaction with the Xu family, so why would old Madam Xu visit and specifically ask to see Ruoruo? The Xu family is also a renowned and highly regarded family within Taizhou prefecture. Although they do not have the far-reaching influence of the Yuan Family, the influence of their entire family within the government is far greater than that of the Wei Family. Old Madam Xu is also an older generation within the family and is highly respected. Her abrupt visit as an eider to a younger generation has Yunshi quite puzzled. Curious, Yunshi asked old Madam Xu, ¡°How does Old Madam Xu know my daughter Ruoruo?¡± Old Madam Xu laughed and said, ¡°My old man has been suffering from a persistent cough, an old problem of his for years. He has taken many medicines but never seems to get better. This year, with the weather colder than usual, whenever a chilly wind blows down his throat, he coughs fiercely.¡± Yunshi looked puzzled, not understanding why Old Madam Xu was talking about her husband¡¯s cough and what it had to do with their family. Old Madam Xu continued to explain, ¡°A few days ago, I went to see the old lady of the third room of the Yuan family. She¡¯s been having a wind-cold that¡¯s causing a persistent cough. There, I saw a treasure, a loquat syrup given to her by her beloved granddaughters. After taking it for three days, her condition improved significantly. Her voice was resounding when speaking, and she rarely coughed.¡± Yunshi didn¡¯t interrupt but continued to listen patiently to Old Madam Xu¡¯s story. Old Madam Xu got to the crux of the matter, ¡°Later, my elder sister helped me to ask her three granddaughters. Only then did I discover that they got this precious item from their classmate, a good friend who personally prepared it and gave it to them. They got three jars in total, two of which were given to my old sister, and one given to the mother of the ninth Miss.¡± At this point, Yunshi began to catch on. There are three girls from the Yuan family of a similar age as her two daughters who regularly attend classes with her eldest daughter, Ruoruo, at the Tianqin Garden. So it is possible that the donator of the loquat syrup was her eldest daughter, Ruoruo. That¡¯s probably why Old Madam Xu is here today. Understanding the gist of the matter, Yunshi replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not certain of the details about this loquat syrup that Old Madam Xu is speaking about. Since it¡¯s a rest day today, Ruoruo is at home. I could send someone to fetch her and if she still has some, she can give you an extra jar.¡± Seeing Yunshi instructing her maid to summon someone, Old Madam Xu didn¡¯t stop her. After the maid was sent off, Yunshi said to Old Madam Xu, ¡°However, there¡¯s no guarantee that the loquat syrup would be of help to Old Master Xu¡¯s illness It would be best to have a doctor¡¯s consultation for treating illness.¡± Yunshi holds a skeptical attitude towards Wei Ruo¡¯s loquat syrup curing the cough, suspecting that the recovery of the Yuan family¡¯s old lady was purely a coincidence. If it turns out to be ineffective after Old Master Xu consumes it, Yunshi fears that the Xu family might be displeased, so she decided to speak her concerns up front. Once the maid exited the room, Old Madam Xu explained again, ¡°Actually, I have already obtained the loquat syrup. The maids from Yuan family helped me, this thick-skinned old lady, to ask for a jar. My old man has been taking it for a few days, his cough is slightly better, particularly just after consumption, he feels his throat is soothed, and breathes more comfortably.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Yunshi sighed in relief. Old Madam Xu said, ¡°So I came here today, firstly to learn about the loquat syrup from Miss Wei; secondly, I want to ask to purchase some more. My old man has had this chronic illness for many years, and it¡¯s likely not easy to root out completely. I¡¯m afraid the one jar won¡¯t be enough.¡± Meanwhile, Wei Ruo was brought in by Cuiping. This is Old Madam Xu.¡± Yunshi introduced to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo bowed to Old Madam Xu, ¡°I greet Old Madam Xu.¡± ¡°Oh, good girl, good girl.¡± Old Madam Xu looked at Wei Ruo¡¯s bright smile. After the greetings, under Yunshi¡¯s direction, Wei Ruo sat down in an empty spot nearby. Old Madam Xu then expressed her gratitude to Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss Wei, thank you for your loquat syrup, my old man¡¯s throat is feeling better.¡± ¡°Old Madam Xu, there¡¯s no need for formalities, if the loquat syrup benefits Old Master, then that¡¯s for the best,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Hmm, but there are still some questions that I want to ask you. Would you mind?¡± ¡°Old Madam Xu, please feel free to ask anything. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°Well, my husband has been dealing with this ailment for quite a few years now, and while the loquat syrup has helped him improve, it¡¯s not a complete cure. He felt a significant relief immediately after taking it, but the effect faded after a while, and he couldn¡¯t help but drink more. I didn¡¯t dare let him consume too much, so I wanted to ask you, how much loquat syrup can he consume per day at most?¡± ¡°Although loquat syrup is not as strictly controlled as other traditional Chinese medicines, it should not be consumed like regular tea or water either One should use a spoon to mix it with hot water for each dosage, and shouldn¡¯t exceed five spoons in a day¡± Wei Ruo responded. Upon hearing this, Old Madam Xu said, ¡°I will take note of this and tell my husband when I return home so we can set some limits.¡± Wei Ruo smiled lightly. Old Madam Xu then asked again, ¡°My husband has been suffering from this illness for a long time now. Is there any hope that he will completely recover after consuming these loquat syrups?¡± Wei Ruo answered, ¡°This is hard to say. Since this is a chronic disease, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be cured quickly. Different individuals also have different constitutions, leading to different rates of recovery, and I couldn¡¯t make a definitive claim without meeting the patient. However, the fact that there has been some improvement after consuming the syrup for the past several days suggests it wouldn¡¯t hurt to continue the treatment. Even if it¡¯s not completely cured, it should bring some relief.¡± Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t met Old Master Xu, and naturally, had not examined his pulse or assessed his health so she couldn¡¯t possibly know about the definitive result. Old Madam Xu agreed with Wei Ruo¡¯s assessment and went on to express her feelings, ¡°My husband and I, at our age, don¡¯t ask for much, just to live comfortably for the rest of our days. Unfortunately, his cough has been troubling him. Now that we have a method to alleviate it, even if it won¡¯t completely cure him, it can make his every day a bit easier, and that is enough for both of us.¡± Wei Ruo nodded empathetically. Then, with a troubled expression on her face, Old Madam Xu said, ¡°But if the loquat syrup needs to be taken long-term¡­.¡± Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Defiance_l Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Defiance_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo immediately understood what Madam Xiu meant, ¡°Madam, rest assured, I still have some Loquat Syrup. I will let my maid bring you a couple of jars.¡± Madam Xiu quickly stopped her, ¡°Miss Wei, I feel embarrassed even for accepting one jar from you, how can I ask for more for free? How about I buy them from you? You can name your price.¡± Madam Xiu was not a shameless person, she did not want to take advantage of Wei Ruo. Especially given that her husband would need to continue taking this Loquat Syrup long-term. It wouldn¡¯t be proper to keep asking for more every time, even she as an old woman would not do such a thing. Wei Ruo smiled lightly, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t want the money, but now she was Wei Ruo, not Xu Heyou. Especially in the presence of Madam Yun, if she were to name a price right now, it would be inappropriate. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s refusal, Madam Xiu straightforwardly said, ¡°How about this, ten taels of silver for each jar, is that acceptable?¡± Madam Xiu understood the difficulty of the situation. She was asking to buy something from a girl of a strong noble lineage. Although it might not sound so nice, she was indeed in need. Therefore, before she came, she had specifically asked a doctor from the Hundred Herb Hall to estimate the price of the Loquat Syrup. The doctor couldn¡¯t accurately estimate the price of the Loquat Syrup because he didn¡¯t know the ingredients. However, based on Madam Xiu¡¯s description, he understood that it was effective for treating Old Master Xiu and informed Madam Xiu that medicinal prices are not only high due to the cost of ingredients but sometimes the value lies in the formula. The fact that the renowned doctors in Taizhou Prefecture were unable to help Old Master Xiu demonstrated that this seemingly ordinary Loquat Syrup was indeed a precious item; thus, the price couldn¡¯t be too low. Convinced by the doctor¡¯s argument, Madam Xiu decided the price after some discussion with him. Hearing the price Madam Xiu offered, Madam Yun spoke before Wei Ruo, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s just some Loquat Syrup, it¡¯s not worth this much.¡± Just to give an idea, with ten taels of silver, one could fill the entire backyard with loquat leaves. Furthermore, Madam Yun didn¡¯t entirely trust the effectiveness of Wei Ruo¡¯s Loquat Syrup. What if Old Master Xiu¡¯s slight improvement after taking it was merely a coincidence? However, Madam Xiu insisted, ¡°Madam Wei may not understand how important this Loquat Syrup is for my husband. Its effectiveness can¡¯t be bought with money.¡± Then, she spoke to Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss Wei, if you feel the price is too low, we can negotiate further.¡± Upon witnessing Madam Xiu¡¯s determination, Wei Ruo naturally couldn¡¯t object. Even though the cost of her medicinal syrup did not amount to this price, it was the formula that was precious and this couldn¡¯t be bought elsewhere, therefore, she didn¡¯t feel like she was robbing them by selling it at this price. Wei Ruo agreed, ¡°Since Madam insists, I won¡¯t be decline. Let¡¯s follow your suggestion.¡± Madam Xiu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s best.¡± Then, Wei Ruo summoned Xiumei, ¡°Go and bring two jars of Loquat Syrup from Wangmei Garden.¡± Hearing this, Madam Xiu hurriedly said, ¡°Two jars won¡¯t be enough, ask for more. Six jars, or even eight.¡± Wei Ruo explained, ¡°Madam, storing the Loquat Syrup for a long time is not recommended. I will initially provide you with two jars. After a month, if you¡¯re about to run out, send someone to inform me, and I will make fresh ones for you.¡± Some things improve with age, such as dried tangerine peel or wine, but this Loquat Syrup was not the same. Hence, Wei Ruo would never make it in large quantities. Upon hearing this explanation, Madam Xiu understood, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. We¡¯ll take two jars for now, and come back to bother Miss Wei later.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Ruo agreed, and soon after Xiumei brought over two jars of Loquat Syrup. Madam Xiu let her lady-in-waiting take the jars of Loquat Syrup, and also gave Xiumei a bag containing twenty taels of silver. Afterward, Madam Xiu left the Military Prefecture looking satisfied. After Madam Xiu left, Madam Yun looked at Wei Ruo and frowned slightly, ¡°Ruoruo, where did you get this Loquat Syrup?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°When I was at Mo Jiazha, an old woman had a Loquat Syrup recipe that had been passed down from her ancestors. It had cured many villagers¡¯ coughs. She saw my sincerity and taught me the recipe.¡± Madam Yun still frowned, ¡°Ruoruo, you shouldn¡¯t have charged so much for this Loquat Syrup. What will you do if Old Master Xiu doesn¡¯t see any effects after using it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Madam Xiu just say that Old Master Xiu showed improvement after using it, that¡¯s why she came to buy it? Given that, why would I worry? Even if it doesn¡¯t work afterward, it won¡¯t be my fault,¡± Wei Ruo answered with a calm demeanor. Madam Yun seemed annoyed, ¡°You child, do you know who Madam Xiu is? The Xiu Family has deep roots in Taizhou Prefecture. If you offend her, our family might face difficulties in Taizhou Prefecture.¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°If we offend the Xiu family over such a minor matter, wouldn¡¯t it mean that we¡¯re already facing difficulties in Taizhou Prefecture? Every step we take, we would be worrying about offending someone, slightly anxious, and it would affect our future horrifyingly.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s rebuttal ignited a rage in Madam Yun¡¯s heart. Her mood was already sour because of the prince¡¯s disappearance, and the fact that her eldest daughter didn¡¯t seem as concerned for her as her younger one, and today she openly defied her once again! ¡°What kind of language is that? Is that how you disrespect your mother?¡± Madam Yun accused Wei Ruo, her face full of anger. ¡°If having a different opinion from you is considered disrespect, then I have nothing to say,¡± Wei Ruo responded, looking up without a hint of fear or hesitation. ¡°So now that your wings have hardened, and you have Madam Yuan as your backer, you can disregard your mother, is that it?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s anger flared even more. ¡°This has nothing to do with whether I have a backer. Regardless, my viewpoint remains the same. I don¡¯t see any problem with selling my Loquat Syrup for ten taels of silver, and I don¡¯t see any problem with the interaction I had with Madam Xiu today,¡± Wei Ruo responded confidently, without any hesitation. Madam Yun suddenly raised her hand, aiming to strike Wei Ruo¡¯s face. However, her hand did not manage to hit Wei Ruo¡¯s face. Wei Ruo reached out and grabbed Madam Yun¡¯s wrist. Madam Yun was startled, then she incredulously looked at her wrist that was held by Wei Ruo. ¡°Before you lay a hand on me, please think it through. As you said just a moment ago, I have Madam Yuan as my backer. Mother, if you hurt me, I don¡¯t know what I might out of frustration mention tomorrow when I go to visit Madam Yuan,¡± Wei Ruo calmly but sternly said. The calm expression on Wei Ruo¡¯s face and the tranquility of her tone were filled with a sharp threatening notion. Regardless of whether she had Madam Yuan backing her or not, Wei Ruo¡¯s opinions wouldn¡¯t change. The only difference was that with the backer, Wei Ruo would use it. If she could stand her ground, she wouldn¡¯t hide her strength and let herself be bullied.. Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Direct Confrontational Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Direct Confrontational Translator: 549690339 1 The colour of Madam Yun¡¯s face hardened even more, her incredulous and furious gaze fixed on Wei Ruo. ¡°How dare you say such words to your own mother! You think by using Madam Yuan to intimidate me, I would be powerless? It doesn¡¯t matter even if it were Madam Yuan or anyone else, a mother has the right to discipline her daughter!¡± -You may execute your rights, and I will do my things. I don¡¯t necessarily have to report your beatings, I have plenty of other things to do! If you¡¯re not afraid of losing face, if you¡¯re not afraid of causing the Wei family to struggle in Government City, then go ahead and hit me!¡± After completing her declaration, Wei Ruo suddenly loosened her grip, tilting her face upwards, and glaring at Madam Yun defiantly. Madam Yun¡¯s hand lingered in mid-air; her rage prompting her to strike down, but Wei Ruo¡¯s confrontational gaze somehow made her pause. At that moment, Jing Hu entered abruptly, ¡°Madam, a message from the military camp arrived, the colonel is coming home for dinner tonight.¡± Hearing that her husband was returning, Madam Yun calmed down and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she lowered her upraised hand. The impending slap never landed. Then, she coldly ordered as she looked at Wei Ruo, ¡°Get out. Don¡¯t leave the house for the next few days!¡± Without another look, Wei Ruo turned and left. After Wei Ruo¡¯s departure, Madam Yun glanced at Jing Hu standing beside her and gestured dismissively, ¡°You may go now.¡± After Jing Hu left, Madam Yun called for Cuiping and ordered her to prepare more dishes for the evening. Just as Cuiping left to relay the instructions to the kitchen, Wei Qingwan arrived. ¡°Mother, what happened? I heard from the nanny that you had an argument with sister.¡± Like Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan had been off duty that day. She was well-informed. Not long after the argument between Wei Ruo and Madam Yun begun, she received the news and rushed over. However, she arrived slightly too late, as the argument had been interrupted by Jing Hu¡¯s announcement of their father¡¯s impending return. Looking at Wei Qingwan¡¯s concerned and worried gaze, Madam Yun couldn t help but sigh, ¡°If only she were as thoughtful as you are, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my temper.¡± Wei Qingwan sat next to Madam Yun and held her hand, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t overthink it. Sister hasn¡¯t been home for a while and it¡¯s understandable that her relationship with you has cooled. It will improve with time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always defending her, yet she doesn¡¯t consider this household or you, her younger sister, at all.¡± Madam Yun couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Mother, what exactly happened?¡± Wei Qingwan only heard about the argument and nearly violent altercation, but she didn¡¯t know the cause of their dispute. ¡°Old Madame Xiu came today and asked Ruo for two jars of her home-made loquat syrup, she accepted twenty taels of silver from Old Madame Xiu.¡± Madam Yun finished her sentence with a sigh. ¡°This¡­ doing business is a lowly occupation suited for merchant families. We, born from a noble family, shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Wei Qingwan whispered. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s inappropriate. Especially considering that Old Madame Xiu is from the family of the teacher you¡¯re currently learning from, the Xiu family. I was considering sending a gift to the Xiu family to thank them not long ago. It¡¯s a good opportunity to show our gratitude by gifting them the loquat syrup that she liked. It wouldn¡¯t compromise our decorum.¡± Recounting the incident made Madam Yun feel resentful again. Madam Yun continued, ¡°The Wei family is new to Government City and unfamiliar with the local families. I went through great pains to find you a decent tutor. The Xiu family was one of the first noble families we mingled with in Government City. Given these circumstances, how can we possibly accept silver from Old Madame Xiu?¡± No matter how she looked at it, Madam Yun felt that they should not accept the silver. ¡°Mother, you shouldn¡¯t be so upset. Although what sister did was wrong, it¡¯s not a major issue.¡± Wei Qingwan comforted her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so angry, but your sister completely disregards me, her mother!¡± Madam Yun sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time. Even when her mother reprimanded her, she was audacious enough to retaliate, without acknowledging any wrongdoing on her part. Wei Qingwan comforted her saying, ¡°Mother, you should prioritize your health. You¡¯ve been busy with affairs at home and you must be tired. I worry that your health won¡¯t be able to withstand your anger.¡± Madam Yun sighed, ¡°If only she were as considerate as you.¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯m useless, I don¡¯t have the skills my sister has. I can¡¯t do anything but comfort you with words, I¡¯m not helpful in any other way.¡± Wei Qingwan whispered, lowering her head as she spoke. ¡°Oh, Wanwan, don¡¯t say such things. While it is true that there are some things you¡¯re not as good as Ruo in, I know you mean well. Ruo has some talents, yet her attitude towards me, her mother, is atrocious.¡± Madam Yun felt profoundly weary. Wei Qingwan said some comforting words, continuously reassured Madam Yun and refrained from speaking ill of Wei Ruo. As Madam Yun¡¯s mood gradually calmed down, her resentment towards Wei Ruo deepened. ### Wei Ruo did not adhere to Madam Yun¡¯s words. After leaving Cangyun Garden, she directly left the Colonel¡¯s Prefecture and headed straight to the village outskirts. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Xiumei, who was driving the carriage in front, was somewhat worried, and couldn¡¯t help but turn around to talk to Wei Ruo. ¡°I¡¯m fine, my mood has already improved. I had only lost my temper for a moment. After all, the silver I received is tangible.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s voice had once again returned to its relaxed and cheerful tone. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay. Miss, since the loquat syrup could be sold at such a high price, should we consider selling more medicine in the future? It seems more profitable than farming.¡± Xiumei couldn¡¯t resist suggesting. The cost of a jar of loquat syrup was less than a tael of silver, and it was sold at ten taels. The profit from this simply couldn¡¯t be compared with farming. No matter how abundant the yield from the field, it wouldn¡¯t provide such lucrative returns. ¡°Meimei, we must continue to farm. Grains are paramount.¡± Wei Ruo declared. ¡°Why? If we have money, can¡¯t we buy a lot of grains?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°If the weather¡¯s bad and the total yield isn¡¯t sufficient to feed everyone, it¡¯s inevitable that some people will starve. Having money to buy grains only allows you to go from being someone who can¡¯t fill their stomach to someone who can. However, the grains you buy with your money doesn¡¯t just appear out of thin air. Someone else will inevitably go without food. It doesn¡¯t change the overall situation.¡± ¡°Money determines the proportion of resources you can acquire within the society, the amount of society¡¯s resources that you can mobilize. It can¡¯t alter the total yield of grain or the objective fact that the yielded grains cannot sustain everyone.¡± Wei Ruo provided an elaborate explanation to Xiumei. ¡°Miss, you are again talking about something deep and difficult to understand. Although I don¡¯t fully grasp it, I know that what you¡¯re saying is right! Xiumei replied with a smile, offering her unconditional support to her miss. Upon their arrival at the manor, Wei Ruo first went to see the permanent workers on the estate.. Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Chapter 191:1 am definitely not a bad person_l Chapter 191: Chapter 191:1 am definitely not a bad person_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Greetings, master!¡± ¡°Master, this is some fresh pickled vegetables we¡¯ve just made. Take some home with you.¡± ¡°Master, these winter bamboo shoots were dug up by us this morning. Take them home and give them a try¡­¡± ¡°Master, I have a wild rabbit here, please accept it!¡± II II The people at the manor greeted Wei Ruo with great enthusiasm, each of them presenting gifts that represented their heartfelt thoughts. Recently, there wasn¡¯t much farming work to do at the manor, so Wei Ruo let them busy themselves with their own matters. Some were making straw sandals, some were pickling farm vegetables, and some were risking going to the nearby mountains to hunt. Although the gain wasn¡¯t much, they all didn¡¯t want to stay idle. And the things they had, they didn¡¯t dare to consume themselves, choosing instead to save them as gifts for Wei Ruo. Following that, Wei Ruo paid a visit to the workshop. It was operating smoothly with raw materials delivered daily to the manor and finished products shipped out. Apart from soy sauce, which had a long production process, nothing else had been sold yet. There were now more than twenty large pots piled up outside the soy sauce workshop. Wei Ruo checked each of the pots, ensuring that the fermentation progress and state of the soybeans met her expectations. The longer the production cycle, the higher the risk of problems, so Wei Ruo had to regularly control it. Afterwards, Wei Ruo found Manager Yu alone and discussed with him the location selection for the distillery. Previously, Wei Ruo had not planned to have Manager Yu in charge of the distillery, instead expecting Xu Zhushan to take on some extra work and make a few more trips. But now, Wei Ruo had changed her mind. She planned to focus on cultivating Manager Yu to handle all matters of the manor and its surroundings in the future. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll select a few people tomorrow to go to the location you¡¯ve chosen to start building the distillery.¡± Manager Yu answered. ¡°First, you bring some people to prepare the ground there. There are quite a few stones and weeds. As for building, wait until I draw up the blueprint.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Yes, I will follow the master¡¯s instructions.¡± Manager Yu replied. After discussing business with Manager Yu, Wei Ruo asked about Zhu Zongyu: ¡°Has there been any recent unusual behavior from Master Zhu?¡± Even though Zhu Zongyu¡¯s previous explanation did not appear suspicious, following the principle of caution, Wei Ruo still had Manager Yu keep a watchful eye on him, just in case. ¡°Nothing unusual. He only managed to get out of bed the day before yesterday. The weather outside is cold, so he just stays in his room. When he is bored, he reads a few books I gave him. Aside from that, he follows your instructions for medication and meals for recovery.¡± Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°Keep observing. If anything seems off, send someone to notify me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Manager Yu replied. After speaking with Manager Yu, Wei Ruo went to see Zhu Zongyu. He had been staying in the little house to the east and hadn¡¯t ventured out. The room was warm with a charcoal fire burning. Upon seeing Wei Ruo enter, Zhu Zongyu rose ¡°Master Xu.¡± ¡°I came to see how you are doing.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I am grateful for your concern, master. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have already departed for the netherworld. I will remember your kindness in this life.¡± Zhu Zongyu promised Wei Ruo. ¡°I can only hope that I didn¡¯t save the wrong person. I hope you are a good person, or at least an ordinary person, and not a villain.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Rest assured, Master Xu. I dare not claim to be virtuous, but I am not a criminal.¡± Zhu Zongyu promised Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t immediately respond to this. Then, Wei Ruo stepped forward, unwrapped the bandages on Zhu Zongyu¡¯s face. Under the bandages, the scars on his face were still visible. While it was not as bloody and terrifying as when they first met, it was impossible to discern what his original appearance was. After carefully examining his injuries, Wei Ruo sat down at a table nearby to write a new prescription. ¡°Master Xu, is there a chance for my face to recover?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked. Although he had not looked in a mirror in these few days, he was well aware that his face was severely injured to the point of being unrecognizable. ¡°Your face suffered from contusions, abrasions, punctures and lacerations. Although the area is large, fortunately, the wounds are not too deep. Therefore, there is a chance for recovery.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Can Master Xu help me recover?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked. ¡°Master Zhu, do you know that drug resources have become scarce in the Jiangzhe region these past two years due to the war, making it hard to purchase many medicinal ingredients?¡± Instead of directly answering Zhu Zongyu¡¯s question, Wei Ruo asked him a question. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Zhu Zongyu answered. ¡°The medicine I use to heal your face wounds does not risk your life and can currently be found by me. But to restore your appearance to its original state, the costs will be far greater than just healing the wounds, three times, five times, even ten times, a hundred times.¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°Master Xu, rest assured, money is not a problem. My family, being in business, might not have other things, but we definitely have enough silver coins. As long as Master Xu has a way, I am willing to pay any price.¡± Zhu Zongyu assured confidently. Wei Ruo looked at him without speaking right away. He said his family had money, but he didn¡¯t have any on him now. And even if Wei Ruo wanted to help him in advance, some expensive herbs couldn¡¯t be bought with just money. It seemed Zhu Zongyu guessed Wei Ruo¡¯s concerns. He then said, ¡°Master Xu, I have an old friend in Taizhou prefecture, the owner of the Zuixian Residence, whose last name is Fan. We had some dealings when I was in business, and we developed some friendship. If I write a letter to him, it¡¯s quite likely he would be willing to lend me money to help me out of my bind. However, it means you have to send someone to deliver the letter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Fan Chengxu, the owner of the Zuixian Residence?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Zongyu nodded. Of course, Wei Ruo knew Fan Chengxu and knew that although he was in business, he actually came from a distinguished family, and his identity could not be underestimated. If Zhu Zongyu knew Fan Chengxu and was on such good terms that Fan would be willing to lend him money, it considerably raised Zhu Zongyu¡¯s credibility. At the very least, it could prove to some extent that he wasn¡¯t a petty thief. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone take the letter,¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Ruo then let Zhu Zongyu sit down at the table and write the letter with his less injured right hand. Most of the cuts on Zhu Zongyu¡¯s body were concentrated on his chest and back. It seemed clear that his attackers had aimed to kill. Right in front of Wei Ruo, Zhu Zongyu wrote his letter to Fan Chengxu. The contents of the letter were nothing out of ordinary, explaining his current situation and requesting Fan Chengxu¡¯s assistance by lending him some silver coins. The address for Fan Chengxu at the beginning of the letter was Brother Qingyuan, likely Fan Chengxu¡¯s courtesy name. It was signed off at the end as, ¡°Your friend, Zongyu.¡± Wei Ruo then handed the letter to Manager Yu, instructing him to have someone deliver it to the Zuixian Residence. Communicating with the Zuixian Residence was already routine as the manor had been doing business with them, so delivering a letter posed no problem.. Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Boss Fan Delivers a Silver Note_l Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Boss Fan Delivers a Silver Note_l Translator: 549690339 In the garden of Zuixian Residence. Fan Chengxu was lying on a reclining chair, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his expression was not as casual as usual. He was also aware of the disappearance of the seventh prince, having been informed by his uncle. Whether it was the government city¡¯s office or the Anti-Japanese Army, they were all sending men to search for the prince in the past few days. However, seven to eight days had passed, and there was still no news. The longer the time, the lower the chance of finding the seventh prince alive. While basking in the sun, Fan Chengxu said, ¡°If there¡¯s no news from the seventh prince, people within Taizhou prefecture will start to suffer.¡± ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. The seventh prince is favoured by fortunes, he will turn ill luck into good,¡± the shopkeeper named Shen comforted him. Fan Chengxu said, ¡°He can¡¯t die in the city. If he¡¯s really dead within Taizhou, and not in the battlefield against the Japanese pirates, a lot of people will be implicated. Under the power of the emperor, piles of bones.¡± ¡°Sir, you are kind-hearted. You think for others and for the people,¡± said Shopkeeper Shen. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I¡¯m not kind-hearted. If there¡¯s chaos in Taizhou, I can¡¯t do my business. As a merchant, I naturally hope for profitable ventures everywhere,¡± Fan Chengxu said. At this moment, a servant came to deliver a message, saying that Xu Heyou had sent a letter, which was sent by an old acquaintance of Boss Fan. ¡°Bring it here.¡± Fan Chengxu extended his hand, and the servant cautiously handed the letter to him. After seeing the characters on the envelope, Fan Chengxu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Then he opened the letter, and instantaneously sat up straight. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir? Is there anything wrong with the content of the letter?¡± Seeing their master behaving so surprisingly, Shopkeeper Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Fan Chengxu did not reply. He stared at the letter in his hand for a while, then lay back down. ¡°Old Shen, go to the storehouse and take out eight hundred taels of silver notes. Accompany the messenger and ask Xu Heyou what medicinal herbs he wants. Report back to me once you¡¯re done,¡± Fan Chengxu instructed. Hearing that, Shopkeeper Shen couldn¡¯t believe it, eight hundred taels of silver? That was too much! Their business with Xu Heyou only involved a few taels of silver a month, or a few dozens a year. The eight hundred taels, would take Xu Heyou one or two decades of business to earn! Even for their Zuixian Residence, they couldn¡¯t make eight hundred taels of silver in a year! ¡°Is eight hundred taels too much, sir?¡± After much hesitation, Shopkeeper Shen voiced his question. ¡°You just do as I say, send the amount I told you,¡± Fan Chengxu stated firmly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go do it immediately!¡± Seeing the serious look on his master¡¯s face, Shopkeeper Shen didn¡¯t dare to question him anymore. He quickly did as his master ordered, took out the silver notes, and left along with the messenger sent by Xu Heyou for the suburban villa. While a note was being delivered to the Zuixian Residence, Wei Ruo took Zhu Zongyu for a stroll in the yard of the small hut where he resided. ¡°Your condition has improved a bit. If the weather is fine, you could come out and walk in the yard. Moderate exercise will aid your recovery,¡± Wei Ruo told Zhu Zongyu. ¡°Okay,¡± Zhu Zongyu replied. ¡°Though it¡¯s cold today, the sunlight is nice. You can bask in the sun in the yard when you get tired. As long as the movements aren¡¯t too big and won¡¯t pull your wound, it¡¯s beneficial for your body at the moment,¡± Wei Ruo added. ¡°Alright.¡± Then, Wei Ruo moved a wicker chair in the yard to a suitable location and sat down himself, but let Zhu Zongyu stand: ¡°If you still feel like walking, then walk around some more, just avoid pulling your wound.¡± Next, he signalled to Xiumei to sit next to him. ¡°Sir, with such nice weather, why don¡¯t we make some tea?¡± Xiumei suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s make winter gourd tea,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°How do you make winter gourd tea?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°You need to get some winter gourds from the cellar of the villa, clean them, remove the skin but keep the seeds, cut them into little pieces and put them in a pot, add some red sugar and stir them until they mix well, let it sit for about fifteen minutes, when the red sugar melts, and the winter gourd releases its juices, then add rock sugar and simmer it over low heat until the soup gets as sticky as honey and as deep as amber in color. Then, filter out the winter gourd seeds, store the brewed winter gourd tea in a jar and drink it by mixing it with warm water whenever you want,¡± he instructed. ¡°That sounds simple. I will try to make it right away!¡± Xiumei hurriedly got up to run to the cellar. ¡°Slow down! Don¡¯t trip!¡± Wei Ruo reminded her. ¡°I got it!¡± By the time Xiumei¡¯s voice reached Wei Ruo¡¯s ears, she was already out of sight. Zhu Zongyu was watching them talk and laugh from the side, feeling the contagious ease and cheerfulness they exhibited. After going through an ordeal between life and death, experiencing a lot of hardship and injuries all over his body, he felt a tranquillity and peace that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. In the last few days in this poor and shabby hut, he felt warmth and relaxation. This young master surnamed Xu was wary of him, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to save and help him. He knew that Xu¡¯s wariness was justifiable. He was kind but not foolish. It was a wise choice. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wei Ruo noticed Zhu Zongyu deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what really matters in life that one cannot let go of,¡± Zhu Zongyu answered. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking such a profound question?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Probably because I¡¯ve just experienced a life and death situation,¡± Zhu Zongyu answered. Zhu Zongyu glanced at Wei Ruo, and continued, ¡°I never had such thoughts, and I never contemplated whether what I was doing was right or wrong. Whether it was the people around me, or the circumstances, they all made me focus solely on what I was doing, and doing it well. ¡°But when I was being hunted down, lying in the wild grass, with the last person stepping away to save me, and the pain was numb on on my body, I could feel the blood flowing out of my body and feel my life slipping away.¡± ¡°At that moment, all was quiet in the world, except for the gurgling sound of water in the background, which was even fainter and barely audible. At that moment, I realized that my mind was completely blank, and there was no person or thing that I absolutely couldn¡¯t let go of. There was only a feeling of reluctance, but I didn¡¯t know what exactly I was reluctant about.¡± Wei Ruo responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think that much. I just simply do what I want to do, love who I want to love, and protect those I want to protect. Zhu, you were born to a wealthy family. You may not understand that for a lot of people in this world, simply living, making sure they and their families have enough to eat, can take all their strength..¡± Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Admiration Growth_l Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Admiration Growth_l Translator: 549690339 , Wei Ruo continued, ¡°What Master Zhu seeks is inner wealth, but what the common people seek is merely to live. The emptiness of one¡¯s inner world only arises when there is no material deprivation or severe illness or disaster. This might be why Master Zhu had such reflections after experiencing life and death, for this was a situation you had never faced before. Zhu Zongyu looked at Wei Ruo, somewhat surprised and pleased. Her words seemed to have cleared the fog in his heart. ¡ö¡öI didn¡¯t expect Master Xu to have such insights at a young age.¡± Zhu Zongyu looked at Wei Ruo, a smile in his eyes. -It¡¯s not about age, it¡¯s about experience. If you continue to understand the difficulties of survival, your thoughts might be different. Of course, it¡¯s always a good thing to live in abundance, which many people can¡¯t achieve. And your reflection after experiencing life and death could also be seen as an unexpected gain.¡± Wei Ruo explained to Zhu Zongyu. Zhu Zongyu looked at the person in front of him, feeling something exceedingly special. Despite being younger, his actions and thoughts evoked a sense of admiration in him. He never held such views towards anyone. Xu Heyou was the first. At this time, the person who went to Zuixian Residence to deliver the letter came back, bringing the shopkeeper, Shen, with him. Shopkeeper Shen, upon seeing Wei Ruo was taken aback at first because the Wei Ruo he had previously met had a big beard, whereas the one today did not. However, this only lasted for a moment. Shopkeeper Shen quickly realized that the young Master must have been worried about appearing too young and lacking authority when discussing business matters, hence he intentionally disguised himself with a false beard. He had previously thought that the young master looked a bit odd with so much beard at such a young age, and now it made sense. After regaining his composure, Shen, the shopkeeper handed over the silver note of eight hundred taels that Fan Chengxu had entrusted him with: ¡°Master Xu, this is what my Master asked me to hand over to you. Wei Ruo took the silver note and appeared visibly surprised when he saw the amount. An eight hundred taels of silver? Isn¡¯t this too much? Wei Ruo turned his head to look at Zhu Zongyu, whose face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only his eyes visible. And those eyes were unreadable at the moment. ¡°Are you very close to Master Fan?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Otherwise, how could a simple letter exchange for so much silver? ¡°Our relationship is not deep. Master Fan¡¯s act is most likely due to his trust in my credibility.¡± Zhu Zongyu explained. Wei Ruo half believed it and continued to ask shopkeeper Shen, ¡°Did your master say anything else?¡± Shopkeeper Shen replied, ¡°My master said, Master Xu can write down whatever medicinal materials he needs, and the master will instruct someone to purchase them.¡± Wei Ruo may not have the means or connections to obtain those precious and rare medicinal materials, but Fan Chengxu should have them. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll write it for you now.¡± Wei Ruo called Manager Yu over, got some paper and pen, and then had Manager Yu write as Wei Ruo dictated. Wei Ruo¡¯s handwriting was easily recognizable, so when dealing with outsiders in the guise of Xu Heyou, Wei Ruo would not personally write. After writing, Wei Ruo checked the list once more before handing it to shopkeeper Shen. Shopkeeper Shen carefully pocketed the list, and then politely asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Does Master Xu have any other instructions?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and report to my master.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Wei Ruo replied. After shopkeeper Shen left, Wei Ruo handed the silver note to Zhu Zongyu, ¡°This is the money you borrowed, you should take it. Zhu Zongyu did not accept, ¡°This is for Master Xu¡¯s medical expenses.¡± ¡°Calculate the medical expenses with Manager Yu later. He¡¯ll tell you how much silver is needed. Keep the rest of the money for now.¡± After Wei Ruo finished speaking, he directly put the silver note into Zhu Zongyu¡¯s hands. Zhu Zongyu looked at the silver note in his hand, his gaze becoming a bit solemn, and a peculiar feeling arose within him. At this moment, Xiumei came back with the melon tea she had made, holding a brown clay jar in her hand. ¡°Master, the melon tea is ready. Try it and see if it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Okay, get a bowl and some warm water.¡± Wei Ruo said. Then she looked at Zhu Zongyu, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough for today, sit down and have some melon tea.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhu Zongyu agreed. Then Wei Ruo made four bowls of dilute melon tea, one for herself, Xiumei, Manager Yu, and Zhu Zongyu. The four of them sat together, enjoying the sunshine and the melon tea. After they finished their tea, it was time for Wei Ruo to leave. Zhu Zongyu watched Wei Ruo and her servant leave, keeping his gaze on them until their figures completely disappeared, before withdrawing his gaze and slowly returning to the room. ### By the time Wei Ruo returned home, it was nearing dinner time, and Wei Mingting had already returned. Wei Ruo arrived at the dining hall just in time, Lady Yun saw Wei Ruo who had returned late, and her expression slightly darkened. But because Wei Mingting was present, she did not comment or mention the conflict that happened during the day. During dinner, Wei Ruo noticed Wei Mingting¡¯s somber and tired expression, and his lack of appetite. But she didn¡¯t think much of it, attributing it to the trouble caused by the Japanese Pirates, and she didn¡¯t specifically ask about it. She knew Wei Mingting was reluctant to share his public worries with his family. Even if she asked, it would have been in vain; furthermore, she couldn¡¯t help with the Japanese Pirates case. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to ask, but Wei Qingwan did. After dinner, Wei Qingwan asked, ¡°Father, do you have something troubling you? Your appearance has me worried.¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s face was full of worry, her eyes filled with concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wanwan. I¡¯m just a bit tired,¡± Wei Mingting replied. ¡°Father, you should take more rest. Your health is the most important thing, Wei Qingwan advised. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Mingting answered. Seeing the fatigue on her husband¡¯s face, Lady Yun ended the day¡¯s conversation early and asked everyone to return to their rooms. Wei Ruo left tactfully, while Wei Qingwan seemed reluctant to leave and kept looking back. Her concerned gaze was as if she was reluctant to leave the exhausted Wei Mingting. This scene filled Lady Yun¡¯s eyes and her heart with disappointment for her older daughter once again. ¡°Wanwan is really considerate, she knows how to care for her parents,¡± Lady Yun mumbled. Wei Mingting agreed, ¡°Yes, Wanwan is a good child. He added, ¡°But just because Ruoruo didn¡¯t speak doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t care about her parents. It¡¯s just her personality.¡± Lady Yun sighed inwardly, knowing that her elder daughter does not have such a personality. When arguing with her elders, she was able to speak well and make her points. But Lady Yun didn¡¯t speak her thoughts out loud, not wanting to trouble her husband with household matters. The disappearance of the Seventh Prince was already a big headache for him. Lady Yun changed the topic and asked Wei Mingting, ¡°Husband, has there been any news about the Seventh Prince? Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Chapter 194 More People Bought Loquat Chapter 194: Chapter 194 More People Bought Loquat Syrup¡ª1 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Born without sighting mankind, die without viewing the body.¡± Wei Mingting frowned deeply. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Mrs. Yun asked worriedly, highly concerned that her husband would be implicated. The Imperial Court is already aware of this matter and has sent a high-ranking minister to handle it. His dual task is to locate the seventh prince and to investigate the assassin,¡± Wei Mingting replied. But what if they still can¡¯t find anything¡­¡± Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t dare to contemplate. ¡°Madam, stop worrying. The situation has come to this point, and we can only do what we can and leave the rest to fate. If we are really implicated, I have nothing to say.¡± Despite his fatigue, Wei Mingting managed to think calmly. ¡°I understand.¡± Mrs. Yun still couldn¡¯t put her mind at ease. However, she reined in her worry in front of her husband, appearing considerate and understanding to lessen his concern. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve been working hard recently. With the approach of the new year there are more things to handle yet, and the kids also need your care,¡± said Wei Mingting. ¡°My Lord, don¡¯t worry. Everything at home is under control. You should rest early today,¡± Mrs. Yun responded. Mrs. Yun knew that Wei Mingting had matters to address very early the next day, so she tended to Wei Mingting to retire and rest for the night. ### Early the next morning, Wei Mingting rushed out of the house. In the following few days, the Colonel¡¯s mansion remained relatively peaceful. The relationship between Wei Ruo and Mrs. Yun was still cold. Wei Ruo turned a blind eye to Mrs. Yun¡¯s discontent. During dinner, Mrs. Yun kept her face cold, and Wei Ruo did not utter a single word, just focusing on eating. Not only that, with the very real examples of Old Master Xiu and the old Madam of the Yuan Family¡¯s third branch, many people learned about Wei Ruo¡¯s loquat syrup. Recent weather was exceptionally cold, and many people caught colds. Among those who displayed coughing symptoms, especially the elderly, were not in the minority. Therefore, they also came to Wei Ruo to purchase her loquat syrup, which she continued to sell at ten taels of silver per jar. Having sold a jar to Old Lady Xiu for ten taels of silver, she couldn¡¯t possibly sell to others at a different price. She either wouldn¡¯t sell or would sell it for ten taels of silver per jar. Mrs. Yun knew about this. The customers would often meet Mrs. Yun before they met Wei Ruo since they came specifically to find Wei Ruo to buy her product. Mrs. Yun was upset, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn¡¯t drive away those who came with smiling faces. She could only watch, with wide open eyes, as her precious eldest daughter was trading goods just like a merchant. But Mrs. Yun was somewhat misguided in her worries; those in the Government City that bought Wei Ruo¡¯s loquat syrup, and even those that didn¡¯t, held no contempt for Wei Ruo. Firstly, Wei Ruo was initially giving it out as gifts. The initial batches given to the old Madam of the Yuan Family¡¯s third branch and the Old Lady of the Xiu family were all gifts. Later on, the Old Lady Xiu forcefully paid money for them, hoping to maintain a long-term supply from Wei Ruo. This was something that Old Lady Xiu had openly admitted to others. Secondly, what Wei Ruo was selling was medicine that can cure illnesses Though merchants might be looked down upon, doctors would never be Great medicinal prescriptions and drugs are not just ordinary commodities. However, Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t know about this. Even those who came to buy medicine from Wei Ruo were full of smiles, complimenting Wei Ruo¡¯s capabilities; Mrs. Yun was still deeply unsatisfied with her eldest daughter¡¯s actions. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t concern herself with this and not only continued to sell her loquat syrup, but still regularly went to the manor. Manager Yu settled Zhu Zongyu¡¯s medical bills, the price came to twenty taels. Manager Yu added up the expenses Zhu Zongyu incurred during his stay at the manor including food, clothes, and medicinal materials, rounded it to an even figure of twenty taels of silver. This figure neither profited from nor short-changed Zhu Zongyu. Then, Zhu Zongyu paid Manager Yu one hundred twenty taels, the excess hundred taels being Wei Ruo¡¯s consultation fee. Wei Ruo had told Manager Yu in advance, when settling accounts with Zhu Zongyu, all expenses for meals and medicine should be clearly calculated to avoid a loss. If Zhu Zongyu wanted to give more, there was no need to refuse, he should just accept as is. Therefore, Manager Yu accepted the money and, after reporting to Wei Ruo, allocated it to the manor¡¯s daily expenditure. The actions from Fan Chengxu¡¯s side were also swift. Within three days, Fan Chengxu had some medicinal materials delivered to Wei Ruo, accompanied by a considerable amount of supplements. The medicinal materials listed by Wei Ruo were indeed rare and valuable. Fan Chengxu managed to find them all, but the quantity was far from what Wei Ruo requested. However, in order not to delay the treatment process, Fan Chengxu sent what was available first. Weit Ruo divided the delivered medicinal materials. One part was mixed with other medicinal materials to formulate a prescription, which Manager Yu boiled daily for Zhu Zongyu. Another part was used in her medicinal ointment for which she was preparing a specially made ointment to treat Zhu Zongyu¡¯s ¡¯ scars. The end product, an ointment worth dozens of taels of silver, was put in a container the size of a rouge box. Weit Ruo planned to apply it on Zhu Zongyu¡¯s face first. She could tell Zhu Zongyu wished more to restore his facial appearance first. Although the scars left from the knife wounds, as well as other abrasions and contusions on his body, were even more hideous and terrifying, at least no one would see them on a daily basis. As long as they healed well, they did not affect his daily life. This medicated ointment was so precious ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford it. On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. After another five days of rest, Zhu Zongyu¡¯s physical condition improved a lot more. He was more agile when walking, but did not venture out of the yard without Wei Ruo¡¯s permission. Today, Wei Ruo came to the manor to discuss some matters concerning the New Year celebration with Manager Yu. As usual, she was going to see Zhu Zongyu, taking his pulse, and thoroughly checking the wounds on his face and arms. Wei Ruo also asked Zhu Zongyu some usual questions: Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Prince Zhu, how has your mental condition and appetite been these two days?¡± Zhu Zongyu answered, ¡°Both are pretty good.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Have you increased your daily activity duration?¡± Zhu Zongyu replied, ¡°Yes, I have increased it slightly. I dare not move too much, fearing it might tear the wounds.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Are the healing areas itchy?¡± Zhu Zongyu answered, ¡°Very itchy. Manager Yu told me itching is a normal phenomenon of wound healing and it should not be touched.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Does the ointment applied on your face alleviate the itchiness?¡± Zhu Zongyu answered, ¡°The ointment has a cooling effect. Upon applying, it eased the itchiness.¡± There seemed to be no issues after inquiring. ¡°Your recovery is quite good. Keep it up, take your medicine on time daily, and move around a bit. Maintain a good mood,¡± Wei Ruo summarized in the end. Do I have a chance to fully recover?¡± asked Zhu Zongyu. ¡®For the injury on your face, as I have mentioned to you before, as long as you follow my instructions and have enough money and time, there is a chance However, your body scars might be too deep, I can¡¯t guarantee that they won¡¯t leave marks. But it shouldn¡¯t bother your day-to-day life, and if you exercise frequently, you can continue martial arts,¡± Wei Ruo answered. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Zhu Zongyu was very satisfied with Wei Ruo¡¯s response. After asking the questions, Wei Ruo said to Zhu Zongyu, ¡°I am going to the fields now, if you want to get some fresh air, you can come along and walk around nearby..¡± Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Chapter 195= I a? Just After Money_l Chapter 195: Chapter 195= I a? Just After Money_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Is my body condition okay?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked. ¡°Just tell me when you can¡¯t walk. As long as you act within your abilities and don¡¯t put on a strong front, it won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright.¡± Then Wei Ruo stood up, taking Zhu Zongyu toward the fields in the village. The path by the fields was fairly flat and Wei Ruo¡¯s pace was not fast. Zhu Zongyu could barely keep up with his current condition. Zhu Zongyu looked at the vast fields and the scattered figures working in them and then at the person walking ahead of him. For some reason, his mood was extraordinarily calm. Zhu Zongyu had seen farms and farmers working before, but in the past, his view was from a high angle, now with Wei Ruo, his viewing perspective was different. The people they met along the way greeted Wei Ruo very actively and warmly, cheerfully calling her ¡°Boss¡± with smiles on their faces. Simply from their talking voices, Zhu Zongyu could feel this ¡®boss¡¯s¡¯ status in their hearts. Among them, a woman was holding a child about two or three years old, sitting on the field ridge, with her husband busily working in the adjacent field. The man¡¯s hands were frozen red, his nose was also red, he was constantly exhaling white breath, but he had a smile on his face and he often looked back at his wife and child behind him. When Wei Ruo approached, the man stopped and bowed to her: Boss . The little boy in the woman¡¯s arms also smiled at Wei Ruo, shouting in a childish voice: ¡°Hello, Boss¡±. His voice was soft and sweet, the slightly flushed face was inexplicably adorable. Such a smile was infectious, not only to Wei Ruo, but Zhu Zongyu was also softened by this sight. Moreover, Zhu Zongyu discovered that the little boy and the couple didn¡¯t show any fear upon seeing his bandage-wrapped face. He knew that it was probably because he was with Wei Ruo, due to the trust in her, they naturally believed that this scary-looking stranger was not a bad person. Wei Ruo walked up to the little boy and gave him a piece of dried sweet potato. The little boy took the dried sweet potato but didn¡¯t eat it himself, instead, he stuffed it into his mother¡¯s mouth. The mother kindly stuffed the dried sweet potato back to the boy¡¯s mouth, smiled and said not to eat. Then the boy started to take small bites of it. Wei Ruo smiled, and she stuffed two more pieces of dried sweet potato into the boy¡¯s mother¡¯s hand, and then turned around and continued to walk. Zhu Zongyu looked at Wei Ruo¡¯s smile, feeling that her smile was even warmer than the boy¡¯s smile. Zhu Zongyu followed slowly: ¡°Manager Yu mentioned the other day that you¡¯ve protected them, allowed them to survive this especially cold winter, and what I saw today confirms this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that great. I¡¯m employing them, they are to work for me. If they¡¯re lazy, I¡¯ll show no mercy and drive them away. We both take what we need, I m not being charitable,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°But you have more ability than most and are more willing to help people in trouble. If one has only the idea but no ability, in my view, it¡¯s just self-disturbance; if one has ability, but lacks the will, they would be like Boss Fan. But you, Wei Ruo, have both,¡± Zhu Zongyu evaluated Wei Ruo. ¡°Mr. Zhu, you think too highly of me. I¡¯m just greedy for money, just thinking about how to maximize profits. I am the same as Boss Fan,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°If you were only after money, you wouldn¡¯t have saved me,¡± Zhu Zongyu was very certain about his judgment. ¡°Maybe, I was gambling. Gambling on you being a rich man¡¯s son, gambling that saving you could garner a nice reward. And reality proved that I gambled right,¡± Wei Ruo responded. ¡°Wei Ruo, why do you intentionally belittle yourself? You¡¯re not one who only pursues wealth,¡± Zhu Zongyu stated definitively. ¡°Think what you will.¡± No matter how this man saw her, as soon as his injury healed, their relationship would no longer concern each other. They walked for a while longer, and the smell wafted through the air wasn t particularly pleasant. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked. ¡°They¡¯re fertilizing the soil. Most of the farm work has stopped at this time, but they can do some things to improve the soil, so that they have a chance to reap a good harvest when planting in the spring,¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°What fertilizer?¡± ¡°Farmyard manure and a mixture of decayed melons, fruits, vegetables, and plant straws,¡± Wei Ruo explained, knowing that Zhu Zongyu was disturbed by the smell, and added, ¡°For them, these foul-smelling things are nevertheless, the hope of life, from decay to regeneration.¡± ¡°From decay to regeneration¡­¡± Zhu Zongyu mused. Wei Ruo smiled and continued to lead Zhu Zongyu for a while. Considering Zhu Zongyu¡¯s physical condition, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t walk for long and returned to their hut after a quarter of an hour. Then Manager Yu brought today¡¯s medicine. Smelling the bitter medicine, Zhu Zongyu looked at Wei Ruo, ¡°Wei Ruo, do you still have the thing you gave to the little boy just now?¡± ¡°You mean the dried sweet potato?¡± ¡°Yes, that should be sweet, I would like to taste it after drinking the medicine.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wei Ruo readily took out a piece of dried sweet potato from her bag and placed it beside Zhu Zongyu¡¯s medicine bowl. Zhu Zongyu then picked up the medicine bowl and drank it in small sips. It was not that the bitter taste made him drink slowly, but the injuries on his face limited his movements. After finishing the medicine, he put the dried sweet potato in his mouth and took a small bite. ¡°It¡¯s indeed very sweet,¡± Zhu Zongyu looked pleased. Seeing his satisfactory expression, Wei Ruo simply gave him two more pieces. Zhu Zongyu then took out one tael of broken silver and placed it on the table, ¡°Since Wei Ruo is after money, it¡¯s inappropriate to go against your principles.¡± Wei Ruo, of course, unreservedly pocketed the silver. You have to be a fool not to take money! ### After the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, classes were completely stopped, as Mr. Wang Caiwei had to set off early to return to his hometown for the New Year. The situation was the same in Xu Tongzhi¡¯s house; the school was on break and all the young ladies had some free time to help their families prepare for the New Year¡¯s rites. Young girls of twelve or thirteen started to learn from the head female in their families about the management of household chores, especially the chores during the New Year festival. However, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t have any plans to learn these things from Mrs. Yun, by all means, this was the time when his pickled meat shop was busiest, as many households were preparing New Year goods, preparing for New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, and would buy some pickled meats in advance. Wei Ruo also introduced pickled duck products based on the original products: pickled duck neck, pickled duck wing, pickled duck leg. Now the sales of pickled duck products were even better than the original pickled pork, selling twenty or thirty ducks a day. Therefore, the early morning shopping for ducks in the vegetable market was not stable enough. In order to find a suitable duck supply channel, Wei Ruo had been running around the rural areas near Government City these days. After a series of contacts and talks, he temporarily selected several places as duck suppliers.. Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Wei Yichens Persuasion^ Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Wei Yichen¡¯s Persuasion^ Translator: 549690339 | While Wei Ruo was running in the outdoors, Wei Qingwan was learning how to manage house affairs from Madame Yun. Madame Yun was well aware that Wei Ruo was running around outdoors, she did not ask her where she was going, nor did she restrict Ruo¡¯s movements because she didn¡¯t want to give it any further thought. She wanted the best for her eldest daughter, thinking about her reputation and future prospects, but the eldest daughter didn¡¯t appreciate her efforts and defied her at every turn. Instead of wasting her energy on her eldest daughter, Madame Yun believed she would better off teaching Qingwan, so that when Qingwan came of age the following year, she could find her a good match. On the twenty-fourth day of the last lunar month, it was the Little New Year¡¯s eve for the people of Taizhou Prefecture. Wei Mingting didn¡¯t return to the Wei Residence, but Wei Yichen did. When Wei Yichen returned, only Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan were home. Wei Ruo was still out as usual, Yilin¡¯s martial arts class was cancelled, but for him, who was addicted to martial arts, he would still go to the master¡¯s place in the morning to practice and ask for guidance. Upon seeing Wei Yichen, Madame Yun was overjoyed and simultaneously heartbroken, ¡°Yichen, you¡¯ve lost weight, you must have had a tough time. Wei Yichen looked at Madame Yun, concern evident in his eyes, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not tired, I haven¡¯t lost weight. Life at the academy is fulfilling, everyday I learn a lot of things. But mother, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so hard done by as long as you all are okay. My little bit of pain doesn¡¯t count for much. It¡¯s your father who¡¯s really suffering, he¡¯s barely resting these days, I¡¯m truly worried his body can¡¯t handle it.¡± Mentioning her husband, Madame Yun is filled with worry. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry about father. He has always been in robust good health. Moreover, the Japanese pirates have been relatively quiet these days, without initiating any conflicts, so father should have sufficient time to rest properly, Wei Yichen reassured her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Madame Yun didn¡¯t want to discuss these matters with her children. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Wei Qingwan stepped forward, her emotions apparent and tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°Qingwan,¡± Wei Yichen tenderly looked at Wei Qingwan. -Big Brother, you¡¯ve worked hard,¡± Wei Qingwan expressed her concern. ¡°I¡¯m okay, how have you been lately?¡± Wei Yichen returned the concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you for asking, Big Brother.¡± ¡°How about Ruoruo?¡± Wei Yichen asked. Hearing Wei Yichen¡¯s inquiry about Wei Ruo, Madame Yun¡¯s face darkened slightly, ¡°She¡¯s out and about again. She¡¯s become even more willful since our arrival in the government city, running around whenever she isn¡¯t attending class. We don¡¯t even know where she goes every day. It was understandable when we were in Xingshan County since she was busy with the affairs of the southern city, but now, what could she possibly have to take care of? Wei Yichen speculated, ¡°Perhaps Big Sister is helping the farmers with farming again, she loves doing that.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s inappropriate,¡± Madame Yun replied. Wei Yichen defended Wei Ruo, ¡°The grain yield has been poor throughout the country this year. Big Sister knows how to yield more crops from the lands, and she can save a lot of people.¡± ¡°Let her be,¡± Madame Yun sounded rather uninterested in discussing her eldest daughter any further. ¡°Mother, Big Sister has suffered a lot before, isn¡¯t it good that she¡¯s happy now? We brought her back not to make her upset, but to make up for the hardships she endured in the past, right?¡± Wei Yichen continued, he understood his mother and could see she was discontent. He didn¡¯t want his mother to harbor resentment towards his big sister. They were family, whether on the surface or in their hearts, they should be harmonious. ¡°Your big sister is just outrageous. These days in the city, she¡¯s been selling loquat syrup to other families¡¯ wives and daughters at ten taels of silver a jar. Now I do not know what people think about our Wei Family. Maybe they think us shameful and greedy. We hailed from the Earl¡¯s Residence, yet the eldest legitimate daughter is busy doing business and earning money,¡± Madame Yun continued. Wei Yichen was surprised, ¡°Mother, who told you this? My classmate, the son of the Wang Family, told me something different from what you just said. He told me our big sister is very remarkable, the loquat syrup cured his great aunt¡¯s cough, and he praised her greatly.¡± ¡°Is that true? Isn¡¯t he simply being polite because he didn¡¯t want to say anything unkind in front of you?¡± Madame Yun asked, skeptical. ¡°Mother, do you think I have so much influence that they would say falsehoods to flatter me?¡± Wei Yichen countered. Those who entered the Anzhou Academy usually came from powerful and influential backgrounds. Compared to them, the declining Wei family was simply not worth flattering. Madame Yun thought to herself that he had a point. ¡°Mother, according to the news I got from my classmate, Big Sister¡¯s loquat syrup wasn¡¯t something she actively sold, someone desired it and came to our residence to request it. The reason they gave silver was simply to preserve their own dignity, otherwise, with no kinship between us, they wouldn¡¯t know how to bring up the topic, don¡¯t you think?¡± Wei Yichen continued. Upon hearing Wei Yichen discuss the matter, Madame Yun felt the pent-up irritation of the past few days start to dissipate noticeably. ¡°You child, you sure know how to comfort people,¡± Madame Yun involuntarily conceded. -Mother, I¡¯m not pacifying you, I¡¯m telling the truth. Your worries are superfluous, we are upright people. We need not worry about such trifles. Big Sister made the loquat syrup with her own skills, it has drawn those suffering from a cough to seek her out for medicine. This not only doesn¡¯t shame us but indeed brightens the reputation of our Wei Family,¡± Wei Yichen reemphasized. ¡°Alright, alright, are you saying all this in an attempt to persuade me not to be angry with your big sister? I won¡¯t be angry then. But it¡¯s true that she¡¯s been running around outside these days, I can¡¯t control her,¡± Madame Yun admitted. ¡°Let me talk to Big Sister when she returns home tonight and I¡¯ll ask her to be more cautious, will that be alright?¡± Wei Yichen suggested. ¡°You talk to her, I¡¯m afraid we might start arguing just two sentences in,¡± Madame Yun replied unenthusiastically. ¡°Alright, I will discuss it with her, but promise me, Mother, when Big Sister comes home, don¡¯t give her the cold shoulder. Big Sister has not been home for even a year yet, our relationship hasn¡¯t become particularly deep. If you keep giving her the cold shoulder, it will only make our relationship even more estranged.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Madame Yun was quite touched by her eldest son¡¯s words. Wei Qingwan¡¯s smile slowly faded from her radiant countenance. Wei Yichen reassured Madame Yun and turned around to see the slightly upset Wei Qingwan. He quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Qingwan? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Nothing serious, I might have caught a chill, my head¡¯s a bit dizzy,¡± Qingwan quickly made an excuse. ¡°Be careful with this freezing weather, ask your maid to warm your hand warmer before you go out, dress warmly, and add a robe when you go outside.¡± -Yes, I understand, don¡¯t worry, big brother, I¡¯m okay,¡± Qingwan assured him. When it was dinner time, Wei Ruo returned to the Military Prefecture. Wei Yilin also arrived at the same time, the two siblings running into each other. ¡°What smells so good?¡± Wei Yilin sniffed the aroma of braised meat coming from Wei Ruo. -Something delicious,¡± Wei Ruo somewhat evasively replied. ¡°Is it the same braised meat our mother bought for Laba Festival last time?¡± Yilin asked.. Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Little New Year Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Little New Year1 s Eve_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Your nose sure is sharp,¡± Wei Ruo said. Wei Yilin looked at the food box that Wei Ruo was holding in her hand, and couldn¡¯t help swallowing some saliva. He had been training all day and was hungry, the smell of meat was so tempting for him. His family had only bought the braised meat from this shop once during the Laba Festival, and never bought it again. Their mother said that the braised meat sold by that shop was more expensive than others, and since they had their own kitchen, they would save more by buying ingredients and cooking themselves, so there was no need to buy food outside on usual days. But the cooking skills of their kitchen staff were just average, the braised meat they made could not compare with what was sold in that shop. ¡°You sure are rich!¡± Wei Yilin grumbled. Wei Yilin knew that the richest person in their family now is Wei Ruo, her savings alone were much more than the sum of their entire family¡¯s. ¡°Hmm, I am rich.¡± Wei Ruo answered, unabashedly. Her prideful look seemed to say, yes, 1 am rich, are you envious? Sorry, being envious is useless! If you have the ability, you should earn your own money too! ¡°You¡­¡± Wei Yilin suddenly felt suffocated, he wished Wei Ruo would share some with him, but Wei Ruo seemed to intentionally ignore his desire. While Wei Yilin was still sulking, Wei Ruo had already walked far away with her basket. It was too late for Wei Yilin to say anything. -So annoying! Why do I have such a big sister? If she was a little nicer to me wouldn¡¯t I call her big sister?¡± Wei Yilin mumbled. After Wei Ruo had disappeared out of sight, and it was clear that she had no intention of caring about her little brother at all, Wei Yilin muttered discontentedly. ¡°I clearly took the initiative to make peace, why couldn¡¯t she be a little nicer to me? Just that little bit and 1 would willingly call her sister, but she just wouldn¡¯t, so annoying!¡± Wei Yilin became more and more upset as he muttered, finally, he huffed and stomped back to Chrysanthemum Garden. in the evening, Wei Ruo came across Wei Yichen, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a while. Wei Yichen greeted Wei Ruo with a gentle smile: ¡°Sister Ruoruo, long time no see.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo responded, her reaction colder than that of Wei Qingwan s by a significant margin. As dinner was about to start shortly, Wei Yichen did not say more. Wei Ruo glanced at the people in the room, there was just one person more than usual, Wei Yichen. Wei Mingting and Wei Jinyi were not present. Weu Ruo felt a little disappointed, she had thought that her second brother would come back today. ¡°Ruoruo is here, everyone is here, let¡¯s sit down.¡± Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Yun encouraged her to join them. It was the first time Yun had initiated a conversation with her in a few days, and her mood seemed pretty good. Wei Ruo was somewhat suspicious, what had happened? Wei Ruo instinctively looked towards Wei Yichen, and Wei Yichen responded with a smile towards her. Wei Ruo then retracted her gaze, most likely Wei Yichen had said something to Yun. After sitting down for dinner, Wei Yilin scanned the food on the table and couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed. The feast of the ¡®Small New Year¡¯s Eve¡¯ was more abundant than usual, but it didn¡¯t have the stewed meat from Xu¡¯s shop he had been expecting. ¡°Yilin, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not pleased with tonight¡¯s dishes?¡± Yun asked. ¡°No,¡± Wei Yilin denied, then cast a glance at Wei Ruo, his eyes were full of resentment. Wei Ruo ignored him and ate her own food. Wei Ruo ate with dedication, but in reality, she only ate about third of her fill, she planned to spend the ¡®Small New Year¡¯s Eve¡¯ with Xiumei in the courtyard, the braised meat she bought was going to be used for that, and she had also prepared a jar of wine. After dinner, Yun asked a few people to stay and talk, hoping to have a more extensive conversation than usual. Yun first shared the contents of the reply letter from the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in the Capital City. ¡°Your grandfather said in the reply letter that he was very pleased and looked forward to the reunion in the Capital City, which he anticipated would happen soon.¡± Everyone responded with agreement. Aside from Wei Ruo, all the others naturally hoped to go to the Capital City as soon as possible, who would want to stay in such a remote place, so close to the Japanese Pirates, where they were always facing danger. Then Yun again spoke to Wei Yichen: ¡°Yichen, your grandfather particularly praised you, saying that among all of his grandsons, you are the most promising, he is so proud of you.¡± There were eight boys in this generation of the Wei family, and Wei Yichen was considered to have the highest potential among all of the eight. ¡°My grandfather is flattering me, I¡¯m not yet at a stage where I can make him feel proud,¡± Wei Yichen responded. Then Yun looked at Wei Ruo: ¡°Your grandfather also mentioned you in the letter, he wants you to study hard and learn well, and specifically told me not to hurry about your marriage issues. Yun probably understood the intention of the Capital City¡¯s side, which was to wait until Wei¡¯s father received his promotion and moved to the Capital City, then they would arrange a better marriage for Wei Ruo. ¡°Hmm,¡± Wei Ruo answered, her reaction was bland. On the other hand, Wei Qingwan¡¯s face turned a little ugly. She was looking at Yun, waiting for Yun to mention herself. But Yun did not mention her, not because Yun didn¡¯t want to mention her, but because the letter from the Capital City did not mention her at all. The grandparents of the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence prioritized blood relations, and they didn¡¯t feel the need to care about Wei Qingwan, who had no blood relationship with them and with whom they hadn¡¯t interacted much. ¡°Mother, did grandfather mention me in his letter?¡± Wei Yilin couldn¡¯t wait any longer and asked eagerly. Yun said: ¡°Your grandfather did mention you, when we sent New Year gifts to the Capital City last time, your father particularly reported on your recent progress in the letter, which delighted your grandfather. In his reply, he asked you to continue to work hard and carry on your father¡¯s mantle.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Wei Yilin answered confidently. After answering Wei Yilin¡¯s question, he suddenly remembered something and asked again: ¡°Mother, what about sister Wanwan? What did grandfather say?¡± Upon hearing this question, Yun¡¯s demeanor stiffened a little. Seeing Yun¡¯s reaction, everyone understood what was happening. Wei Qingwan lowered her head in distress, and Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin looked at her and tried to comfort her. ¡°Sister Wanwan, don¡¯t be sad, grandfather probably just forgot because he had so many things to handle!¡± Wei Yilin said. ¡°Grandfather would only mention someone specifically if there¡¯s something he wants that person to be aware of, the fact that he didn¡¯t mention sister Wanwan is probably because he trusts that she will continue to excel, as she always does,¡± Wei Yichen said. ¡°I¡¯m okay, big brother, Yilin, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Wei Qingwan lifted her head, revealing a strained smile. It was clearly a forced smile, she was only putting it on to ease their worries. Seeing her like this, Wei Yichen and Wei Yilin became even more worried. ¡ö¡öWanwan¡­¡± Yun was also distressed, but she had no control over the attitude of the Capital City side. Wei Ruo sat leisurely on the side sipping her tea, watching the changing expressions of everyone in the room, like a detached bystander.. Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Dont Bother Too Much for Me Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Don¡¯t Bother Too Much for Me ¡ª1 Translator: 549690339 | Then there was a silence in the back room, as if no one had anything to say. The excessive quietness made the atmosphere somewhat awkward, although Wei Ruo was not the one feeling awkward. After a pause, Wei Yichen found a topic and said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, your loquat syrup is quite extraordinary. I heard from my classmates that many people¡¯s coughing has been cured.¡± Wei Ruo lightly responded: ¡°Hmm.¡± She was not surprised at all about this. Her loquat syrup could heal or relieve any common cold-induced cough. For other complicated types of coughs, however, that was another story. And Wei Ruo had clearly stated this when she started selling the loquat syrup. ¡°Ruoruo is really amazing, she knows so much. If she were a boy, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to match her,¡± Wei Yichen added. ¡°Big brother, you flatter me,¡± Wei Ruo politely responded. Wei Yilin chimed in: ¡°Even as a girl, your big sister is just as impressive. She¡¯s now the richest person in our family, buying whatever she wants.¡± Wei Yilin looked at Wei Ruo, his expression somewhat awkward, as if he was feeling a mix of admiration, respect, or maybe even resentment and anger. Wei Yichen noticed Wei Yilin¡¯s odd expression and said, ¡°Yilin, that¡¯s because your big sister is competent.¡± The implication was for Wei Yilin to stop having wild thoughts; it was not appropriate for a man to covet his sisters¡¯ personal money. Even when they got married, it was part of the dowry that belonged to the women. ¡°I know, I¡¯m just curious about how much private savings big sister has now.¡± Wei Yilin¡¯s eyes were solidly locked on Wei Ruo, as if trying to discern something from her. The topic brought a slight change to Lady Yun¡¯s facial expression. The Wei family knew about Wei Ruo¡¯s wealth. But just from what they had seen, Wei Ruo had at least a hundred taels of gold, gifted by the prince, along with hundred plus taels of silver from the recent sale of her loquat syrup. Not to mention other rewards and gifts. However, Lady Yun, Wei Yichen, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin were uncertain about the exact amount of her wealth. In contrast, the finances of the military prefecture were tight, and they had to live frugally this year. If it weren¡¯t for Wei Mingting¡¯s successive promotions and rewards, Lady Yun wouldn¡¯t know how to manage this year. Even though he received some rewards after his promotion, the military prefecture¡¯s expenses were substantial. After his promotion, Lady Yun prepared a decent amount of New Year gifts for those in the capital city, thus spending a lot. Although the Wei family did not fully agree with the way Wei Ruo made money, the substantial amount of silver she had was indeed enviable. Especially Wei Qingwan, she didn¡¯t feel it much when they were in Xingshan County. But after moving to the government city and meeting more privileged ladies, she realized her consumption level was somewhat mediocre. She wanted to purchase more decent clothes for herself, but her purse was tight. Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, Wei Ruo calmly put down her teacup. ¡°Indeed, I have saved quite a bit of private money. But don¡¯t you all know how much money I have? Yilin, you studied mathematics when you were reading, didn¡¯t you?¡± The six arts of rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics are taught by tutors in better private schools and academies. Wei Yilin pouted: ¡°Can¡¯t I just ask? Anyway, I haven¡¯t seen it. I just know you have money to buy all kinds of delicacies. It wasn¡¯t really about wanting to eat delicacies. It was just that Wei Qingruo¡¯s attitude of ignoring and disliking him made him feel suffocated. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Wei Yilin seemed like a sulky child who couldn¡¯t get candy. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about Wei Ruo, but he just wanted to say something. We Yilin¡¯s response made Wei Yichen laugh: ¡°So our little brother wants to eat something delicious. Tell big brother what you want to eat, and I¡¯ll take you to buy it tomorrow, ok?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want big brother to accompany me, I want big sister to accompany me. Isn¡¯t big sister free now since she doesn¡¯t have to attend classes?¡± Wei Yilin looked at Wei Ruo and said. No one expected Wei Yilin to actively request Wei Ruo¡¯s company. At first, when Wei Mingting ordered to separate Wei Yilin and Wei Qingwan, Wei Yilin had been strongly resistant to Wei Ruo taking over his education. Now, he was actually volunteering to be with Wei Ruo? ¡°No, I have other things to deal with,¡± Wei Ruo refused. Lady Yun¡¯s face, which had just softened, suddenly darkened again. ¡°What else could you possibly be busy with? Which young lady of a prestigious family behaves like you, frequently running around outside? Seeing the tense atmosphere, Wei Yichen quickly spoke to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, although our mother often disagrees with you, she does it for your own good. Mother hopes that you can have a good reputation and find a good match in the future.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°I never wanted to find a good match. I think it¡¯s quite good to marry a farmer in the future. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Lady Yun coldly said, ¡°Even if you haven¡¯t thought about yourself, you should think about your brothers and sisters in the family. If your actions are too radical and affect the reputation of the Wei family¡¯s ladies, Wanwan¡¯s future marriage will also be affected by you!¡± ¡°You should have thought about all this before bringing me back home!¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°When you brought me back home, you never asked for my opinion. After bringing me back, you expect me to conform to your standards. Is that fair to me? That¡¯s thirteen years! Not thirteen days! On what grounds do you ask someone who has been living in a different environment from you for thirteen years to meet your demands and standards? This question was not only for her, but also for the original host. The original host didn¡¯t have the memory and skills of her past life, and grew up in limited understanding to become a person seen as rude and disrespectful by the Wei family. The Wei family should have thought about what kind of person she might be before bringing her back. Why didn¡¯t they think about it thoroughly before bringing her back, but had so many complaints about her not fitting the criteria of a well-bred lady after her return? ¡°Insolent!¡± Lady Yun snapped angrily, ¡°Are you now questioning your parents¡¯ and elders¡¯ decisions? Your life was given by us, we certainly have the right to decide where you should be!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Wei Yichen stood up and was in between Lady Yun and Wei Ruo. ¡°Mother! Tonight is the eve of Lunar New Year. Wei Yilin furrowed his brows, his gaze serious and pleading. Looking at her eldest son, Lady Yun briefly restrained her anger. After a moment, Lady Yun took a deep breath, ¡°You all leave!¡± The good eve of Lunar New Year had turned into this, she was no longer in the mood. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take my siblings out first. Mother, you should rest early too.¡± After Wei Yichen finished speaking, he signaled his siblings to leave with his gaze. Wei Ruo, who wasn¡¯t bothered to argue in the first place, turned around and left. Wei Yilin grabbed Wei Yichen¡¯s hand: ¡°Big brother, did I say something wrong? It was because he said he wanted to have Wei Qingruo by his side that mother and Wei Qingruo started arguing in the first place.. Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Chapter 199 The Gift My Young Master Gave to the Young Lady i Chapter 199: Chapter 199 The Gift My Young Master Gave to the Young Lady i Translator: 549690339 Wei Yichen reached out and patted his brother, Wei Yilin¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink, the root cause of this matter is not you.¡± Wei Yilin thoughtfully responded, ¡°Big brother, I believe Mother is right. Her actions do not conform with those of a well-educated lady, potentially tainting not only her own reputation but also bringing trouble to our second sister. Yet, what our eldest sister said, it feels¡­.not wrong either¡­¡± He was startled by what Wei Qingruo had just said. Wei Yichen explained, ¡°Your eldest sister lived separately from us for the past thirteen years, experiencing her own hardships. We should be more patient and forgiving. Admittedly, her past behaviors are indeed inappropriate viewed from our present perspective. However, we can¡¯t expect her to change drastically and immediately, it¡¯s a slow process. Thus, perhaps no one is in the wrong, but rather it signifies that thirteen years is just too long a break.¡± Wei Yilin nodded in hesitant understanding. Listening to their conversation from behind, Wei Qingwan silently bowed her head. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of their big brother, a fierce quarrel was inevitable between Wei Qingruo and their mother this evening. This time, their mother might not easily let Qingruo off the hook¡­ ### When Wei Ruo left the dining room, outside was completely covered in white snow. The snowfall started just after Wei Ruo arrived. In less than two hours, the roads, tree branches, rooftops were all blanketed in thick silver layers.¡¯ Upon returning to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo along with Xiumei started setting up tables and chairs in the courtyard, and then fetched the prepared food and wine. Such heavy snow is common in the North, but rare in Taizhou prefecture. Having spent both her past and current life in the south, Wei Ruo had seldom seen heavy snowfalls. Thus, she made special arrangements to appreciate the snow in the courtyard. Due to the cold weather, a small furnace was stationed nearby, serving both for warmth and for heating wine. The combined light from the furnace, the lanterns hung on the trees, and the moonlight reflecting off the snow, brightly illuminated the courtyard. By the time the two had finished arranging everything, the snowfall had lessened. ¡°This is perfect timing for the snow to stop,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I think it could snow a little longer. The thicker the snow, the more beautiful it becomes,¡± Xiumei replied. Xiumei hadn¡¯t seen much snow, and hence, she was unaware of the risks of heavy snowfall. ¡°Benevolent snows are a good omen for a bumper year. The current depth of the snow is just right. Any more, and it may lead to a disaster,¡± Wei Ruo explained to Xiumei. ¡°Why is that? Whether it snows or not, it¡¯s still cold, right? And this light, fluffy snow obviously can¡¯t cause any harm,¡± Xiumei asked, not quite understanding. ¡°It may look light, but if it accumulates too much, the weight can collapse houses and trees. The buildings of Taizhou haven¡¯t been designed to bear such excessive weight as snowstorms are uncommon, so if the snow piles up too much, the buildings may not hold up, especially for poorer households with older, unmaintained buildings.¡± ¡°Oh I see, hope snowfall stays as it is then, it already looks lovely as such,¡± Xiumei responded. ¡°Yes, now let¡¯s drink! Here¡¯s hoping this is a lucky snowfall,¡± said Wei Ruo. Although Wei Ruo knew, according to the natural course of things, the upcoming years won¡¯t be stable, leaving the common people with a difficult life, she couldn¡¯t help but privately hope that this snowfall will not foretell any major calamities. The reason Wei Ruo had doubts about the probable outcome of the snowfall was because, in the original narrative, the Wei family and the previous main character were dealing with an even greater crisis at this time. Upon the death of Wei Mingting, his wife Yun carried his coffin back to the capital with a team of people. They spent that New Year in the capital, but it was downright heartbreaking. That year, it didn¡¯t snow in Taizhou prefecture. Thus, the original main character didn¡¯t know, so neither did Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss, although this warm yellow wine helps to ward off the cold, you should not drink too much!¡± Xiumei warned Wei Ruo. ¡°My dear Meimei, this is the eve of the lunar new year, why can¡¯t you let me drink a bit more?¡± Wei Ruo pleaded. ¡°Nope. This year, ma¡¯am Xu isn¡¯t here. I need to look after you even more! Xiumei responded, resolute in her decision. ¡°Even when the nurse was here, she didn¡¯t supervise me like this,¡± Wei Ruo protested, pouting and batting her pitiful eyes, attempting to make her Meimei go soft with tenderness. ¡°Well, now it¡¯s under my supervision, not Nurse¡¯s. Moreover, as you always say, Miss, ¡®a little wine cheers one up, but too much impairs health.¡±¡® Xiumei said with a stern face. ¡°OK, OK. I¡¯ll obey; I¡¯ll only drink this small pot and not a drop more,¡± Wei Ruo reluctantly compromised. Wei Ruo and Xiumei clinked their glasses. Just as they started to drink, Wei Ruo started feeling a little lonely. In the past years, they had the nurse, Uncle Xu, and Brother Xiaoyong. This year, it was only the two of them. Wei Ruo looked at the snow in the courtyard; it was beautiful, no doubt, but it also felt somewhat desolate. Just then, something fell from above, landing on the untouched snow in front of Wei Ruo. Looking over, she saw it was a beautifully decorated brocade box. Xiumei went to pick up the box, noting that it looked quite new, and it definitely was not something Wei Ruo owned. ¡°Strange. You hear about pies falling from the sky, but a brocade box?¡± Xiumei enquired while scrutinizing the box suspiciously. Wei Ruo was also puzzled and looked up. At that moment, a head popped up over the wall, grinning broadly at Wei Ruo and Xiumei. ¡°Xiaobei?¡± Xiumei approached him, hands on her hips. Xiaobei, smiling broadly, replied, ¡°Lady Xiumei, the Brocade box was thrown by my young master. It¡¯s a gift for Lady Ruo. As the door between the courtyards is closed, the young master could only throw the gift over from here.¡± Wei Jinyi had always observed guidelines strictly and never stepped over the line, even when in Xingshan County he never set foot within Wei Ruo¡¯s Tingsong garden. Xiumei asked, ¡°Is your Second Young Master also back?¡± Xiaobei nodded, ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°When did you guys get back?¡± Xiaobei responded, ¡°We just got back not long ago, we just entered the courtyard. We even came to bring the gift before even lighting the fire in the room.¡± Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Where is your Young Master now?¡± Xiaobei said, ¡°Master has returned to his courtyard.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Tell your Young Master, I want him to come over here.¡± Since Wei Ruo can¡¯t visit him, she could only ask Wei Jinyi to come over. Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi¡¯s courtyards were previously separated by only a wall. But now, besides their individual courtyard walls, there¡¯s also a high wall separating the Eastern and Western courtyards. This wall had only one door for passage and was attended by guards. During nighttime, the door was locked. Therefore, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t visit Bamboo Garden either. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiaobei, after agreeing to it, disappeared from the wall. After a while, Xiaobei came back, ¡°Miss, my Young Master says it¡¯s too late. He believes it will not look right for people to see him in your courtyard.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Go back and tell him, if he doesn¡¯t come over, I will get a ladder to climb over the wall into his courtyard.¡± Xiaobei hesitated for a moment, ¡°Alright, I will relay this to my Master.¡± Having said that, he disappeared again. After another while, Wei Jinyi, dressed in white, leaped over the wall and lightly landed in Wei Ruo¡¯s courtyard.. Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Wei Ruo Drank Too Much l Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Wei Ruo Drank Too Much l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jinyi and laughed, while Wei Jinyi appeared somewhat helplessly. It was already late, and according to custom, he shouldn¡¯t have been in the courtyard of Wei Ruo, who was already thirteen years old. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be prudish about this. We¡¯ve seen it all.¡±, Wei Ruo said with a smile. Wei Jinyi looked at the table full of food and wine that Wei Ruo had prepared. His expression was somewhat helpless, but his eyes were tender. ¡°Brother, stand still for a moment,¡± said Wei Ruo. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t know what Wei Ruo was up to, but he still stood still as instructed. Wei Ruo walked over and kicked the tree next to him. The accumulated snow on the tree fell with a crash, landing on Wei Jinyi¡¯s body. Wei Ruo watched and laughed at the side. Wei Jinyi was taken aback at first, but after realizing, he watched Wei Ruo, who was laughing hysterically, with keen eyes. Xiaobei and Xiumei both stared for a moment before joining in the laughter. Wei Jinyi approached Wei Ruo and gently dusted the fallen snow off her body. When the snow fell from the tree, a good amount also landed on her, on her hair and her cloak¡¯s fur collar. ¡°Have you been arguing with mother these past few days?¡± asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°How did you know, Brother? Did Jing Hu secretly tell you?¡± Wei Ruo queried. The last time she fought with Mrs. Yun, Jing Hu suddenly appeared. She suspected that it might have been intentional on his part. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t hide it, giving a straightforward affirmative answer. ¡°Brother, sit down. Meimei and I have prepared a lot of food and wine. We thought we would be the only two to celebrate the Little New Year¡¯s Eve. Luckily you all came back, so now we are four. That will be more lively.¡± Wei Ruo said, beamingly as she took Wei Jinyi¡¯s hand and moved toward the dining table. Wei Jinyi looked at his hand, which was being held by Wei Ruo, and hesitated, but in the end, he did not pull his hand back. After sitting, Xiumei added two more pairs of bowls and chopsticks, while Wei Ruo filled the wine cup in front of Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi looked at the wine cup in front of him, ¡°Rourou, I don¡¯t drink.¡± Wei Ruo stuck out her tongue, ¡°I thought I could fool you this time and watch you get drunk again.¡± Wei Jinyi was slightly taken aback, his cheeks blushed. He had no memories of when he was drunk, but thinking about what he did, his ears inevitably became hot. Wei Ruo said to Xiumei, ¡°Meimei, go get the winter melon tea you made last time and also some white tea from my stock.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xiumei got up and went back to the room to fetch. Wei Ruo picked up the brocade box. ¡°The gift Brother prepared for me is somewhat heavy.¡± ¡°Hmm, you should open it to see,¡± Wei Jinyi said. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo opened the brocade box. The object inside looked like a Pixiu, a mythical beast. Under the moonlight and lamplight, it glowed a golden color. Gold color? Could it be¡­ Wei Ruo took out the Pixiu and examined it closely. She finally determined that it was a Pixiu made of pure gold. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t tell me this Pixiu is made of gold.¡±, Wei Ruo said, her face a blend of surprise and disbelief. ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Jinyi gave an affirmative answer. At the same time, Xiaobei explained on behalf of his master, ¡°The young master said that Pixiu implies wealth and prosperity, which the young lady will surely like.¡± Even so, making a Pixiu out of gold is too extravagant, right? Wei Ruo weighed the Pixiu in her hand. It seemed to weigh more than a pound. Made from multiple taels of gold! She wasn¡¯t sure whether the Pixiu could attract wealth, but it would definitely attract thieves! ¡°Brother, where did you get so much gold?¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°My birth mother left me some money,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. Wei Ruo examined the meticulously crafted Pixiu again in her hand, and then sighed, ¡°Turns out Brother is the wealthiest in our family!¡± Seeing that Wei Ruo cherished the golden Pixiu so much, Wei Jinyi looked at her tenderly, ¡°It¡¯s good if you like it.¡± While they were conversing, Xiumei brought the winter melon tea and the white tea sent from Huzhou Prefecture last spring. Wei Ruo asked Xiumei to brew both types of tea for Wei Jinyi, one sweet and one bittersweet. However, Wei Ruo and Xiumei continued to drink wine. While most people were taking shelter in the warm houses, the four of them sat in the courtyard amidst the vast snow in the moonlight, cooking wine, having fun, and talking cheerfully. Either she was too happy or too relaxed, but Wei Ruo had drunk a bit too much. Her tiny face was flushed, and her eyes were not as clear as usual. Wei Ruo, beaming, looked at Wei Jinyi and said in a playful tone, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so handsome. You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen.¡± Seeing this, everyone knew that Wei Ruo was drunk. Xiumei said worriedly, ¡°Miss is not the kind to overdrink. Although she drinks a little when she is happy, she has never been drunk before. I have no idea why she drank so much today.¡± Wei Jinyi told Xiumei, ¡°Take your mistress back to her room, let her drink some hot water and rest early.¡± Xiumei nodded, ready to help Wei Ruo, but Wei Ruo dodged, ¡°Meimei, don¡¯t help me. I¡¯m not drunk. I don¡¯t want to sleep yet. I want to keep drinking.¡± Wei Ruo pouted and grumbled discontentedly. She refused to leave, and Xiumei didn¡¯t dare forcibly take her away. Wei Ruo walked to Wei Jinyi and sweet talked him holding his sleeves, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t take me back. Stay with me for a while.¡± Wei Jinyi looked at Wei Ruo and couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no. ¡°Okay,¡± Wei Jinyi agreed. Then he sat back down with Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo was pouring her own wine and muttering, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m so glad you came back today. If it was just me and Meimei, I would feel lonely. Actually, I¡¯m supposed to be okay with being alone¡­ I should be prepared for this¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ but when only Meimei and I are around, I¡¯m a little sad. Nanny, Uncle Xu, Brother Xiaoyong¡­ they¡¯re not with me now, and I don¡¯t know if they will be with me like before, to celebrate holidays together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying my best to plan everything now. I feel like as long as I try my best, I can make things go well. But sometimes, I¡¯m not very sure. Whether I can do a good job or not. What I want to do may not come true, because heaven wouldn¡¯t let me get my way so easily¡­¡± People tend to show their vulnerable sides when they¡¯re drunk. Wei Ruo usually has a confident demeanor. No matter what the problem is, or when she argues with someone, she never shows her vulnerability. Now that she had drunk a bit too much, Wei Ruo expressed her insecurities, worries, and loneliness in front of Wei Jinyi. After Wei Ruo finished speaking, she tried to stand up, but she wasn¡¯t steady and fell towards Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi reached out and held Wei Ruo from falling. However, Wei Ruo fell into his arms directly, their bodies colliding solidly.. Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Chapter 201: We are all good_l Chapter 201: Chapter 201: We are all good_l Translator: 549690339 A soft body collided into Wei Jinyi¡¯s arms, causing his body to become stiff instantly. Though he was supposed to stand firmly, he tripped and, due to the momentum of Wei Ruo¡¯s collision, fell backward into the thick snow. Xiumei, upon seeing this, instinctively wanted to rush over and help, but Xiaobei stopped her. Xiaobei whispered, ¡°Lady Xiumei, let the young master and young mistress handle this themselves. The young master is quite robust; a little fall won¡¯t hurt him.¡± Xiumei hesitated momentarily but, seeing Wei Jinyi appearing normal without any sign of distress, chose to follow Xiaobei¡¯s suggestion. After the fall, Wei Ruo tried to push herself off Wei Jinyi. But whether due to lack of strength in her arms or dizziness in her head, she fell back down soon after trying to rise. Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the situation: ¡°Second brother, luckily I collided with you. If it had been another man, it would seem like an absurd plot from a trite romance drama.¡± Because he was her blood brother, there was no great issue. In Wei Ruo¡¯s understanding, holding hands and hugging her brother were not considered inappropriate but were within acceptable bounds. Wei Jinyi stared at Wei Ruo, who was so close to him, and felt an unusual thumping in his chest. ¡°Second brother.¡± Wei Ruo mumbled again. This brought Wei Jinyi back to his senses. With one hand propped on the ground and the other circling Wei Ruo¡¯s waist, he stood up quickly. He then placed Wei Ruo on a chair: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Are you angry, second brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked, sensing something unusual in Wei Jinyi¡¯s look. ¡°No.¡± It was not anger, and even if it was, he would be mad at himself, not her. ¡°Ruoruo, you¡¯re not alone.¡± Wei Jinyi told Wei Ruo. ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Ruo tilted her head and looked at Wei Jinyi, puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you for every festival.¡± Wei Jinyi said earnestly. Wei Ruo appeared somewhat stunned, her simple-minded look making it hard for Wei Jinyi to tell if her confusion was due to being drunk or his words. After a little while, Wei Ruo smiled at Wei Jinyi: ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re so kind to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re even kinder to me.¡± Wei Jinyi replied, his gaze profound. ¡°Then we¡¯re both kind!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi agreed with her. Wei Ruo was playful for a while, then she started to become drowsy. Wei Jinyi, taking advantage of her lack of resistance, asked Xiumei to escort her home. When Wei Ruo was sent back to the room, she had already fallen asleep. Xiumei gently cleaned her up and tucked her into bed for a good rest. When Wei Ruo woke up again, it was close to early morning. After being dazed for a moment, Wei Ruo remembered the events of the previous night. She hadn¡¯t blacked out and remembered everything that happened. She had drunk too much, then began to gab incessantly with her second brother, blabbering on about things she wouldn¡¯t normally talk about. Remembering her uninterrupted chatter, Wei Ruo felt embarrassingly ridiculous. Wei Ruo turned her head to look at the pillow. There, lied a golden Pixiu amulet that Wei Jinyi had given her. Wei Ruo picked it up again. It was weighty and exquisitely made. Her second brother knew she was a fan of wealth but didn¡¯t judge her for it. Instead, he gifted her with a Pixiu, indicative of wealth and good fortune. Wei Ruo glanced at Xiumei, who had fallen asleep outside. She then pulled the curtain of her bed, and entered her space. She placed the golden Pixiu in the small house within her space. The small room, which she used to store Silver Coin, was relatively empty now. Most of the coin had been invested in fields, workshops, and shops. Wei Ruo then visited her fields in front of the house. There were four now, and the productivity had improved significantly. Nonetheless, the experience required to upgrade had also increased. Now, four thousand experience points were required for the next level upgrade. Due to the recent weather conditions, Wei Ruo planted rice and wheat in her spatial field. Food was the most urgent need during periods of scarcity. Compared to vegetables that satiated gourmet desires and nutritional requirements, grains were the most pressing need. The space was like spring the whole year round, and the soil was fertile without the need for manual intervention. The yield of crops was incomparable to those outside. Therefore, even the crop yield of this space alone was enough to feed Wei Ruo without her starving. After finishing her chores and returning from the space, it was already the third quarter of the early morning, and the sky was starting to brighten. Wei Ruo put on a thick jacket, draped a cape, and walked outside. Xiumei had already woken up. Seeing Wei Ruo awake, Xiumei asked concernedly, ¡°Miss, are you okay? Do you have a headache? I made some hangover tea, you should drink some.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I must have troubled you a lot last night.¡± ¡°Miss, why are you being so formal with me? It¡¯s my duty to take care of you. Plus, I knew you always carry burdens alone. Did you finally let everything out when you got drunk last night?¡± Wei Ruo felt embarrassed and quickly begged, ¡°Please, Meimei, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not that I kept problems from you deliberately. I don¡¯t usually have that many thoughts; I was just a bit tipsy and the atmosphere made me sentimental. It was only a bit of sentimentality, not true unhappiness. With you by my side, how could I be unhappy?¡± ¡°Hmph, next time, if anything happens, you must tell me. Whether you¡¯re unhappy or worried, you must tell me.¡± Xiumei intentionally put on a stern face to make herself look serious and hard to involve. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Wei Ruo hurriedly promised. Wei Ruo went outside and saw the heavy snowfall. The snow had completely stopped by the time they had finished drinking last night. However, upon waking up, the heavy snow was falling again. Xiumei said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Yesterday when I was sending you back to your room, it wasn¡¯t snowing. According to what you said, if this keeps up, will there be a problem?¡± ¡°Although I would like to deny it, if it continues like this, a problem is very likely to occur.¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Miss, is there something we can do?¡± Xiumei asked. ¡°We¡¯re quite powerless in the face of natural disasters. The most we can do now is hope the snow stops soon and the temperature doesn¡¯t drop further.¡± Wei Ruo said. Besides the snow falling heavily again, the temperature when Wei Ruo woke up seemed even lower than the previous night. When the snow first started to fall, it was when a cold and warm front were intersecting, hence the temperature wasn¡¯t very low. But, once the cold front gained an advantage and cold air blanketed everything, the temperature would get lower than when snowfall first started. The final temperature and how long it lasts will ultimately depend on the strength of the cold current. However, Wei Ruo¡¯s wishes fell through. The snow continued to fall heavily non-stop for a day and night. The accumulated snow reached the waist, and the table Wei Ruo had failed to retrieve from the courtyard was completely covered by the snow. The elderly in Taizhou prefecture who are over seventy or eighty years old all said this was the heaviest snowfall they had ever witnessed in their lives.. Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 202: After the Heavy Snow_l Chapter 202: Chapter 202: After the Heavy Snow_l Translator: 549690339 1 The servants of the Military Prefecture had climbed on the roof several times already, all to sweep the accumulated snow off the eaves, fearing that too much snow would crush the roof, or that a large chunk of frozen snow would suddenly fall and hit passers-by. The main houses were relatively okay, always kept warm with charcoal fires, so the rooftops were warm and the snow accumulation was comparatively less extensive. The roofs of other rooms, however, accumulated a thick layer of snow, highly dangerous if not dealt promptly. They couldn¡¯t take care of the snow accumulated in the courtyard anymore, and the servants only managed to sweep a narrow path on the vital routes to facilitate people to get by. On the main roads outside, some households, too, had cleared a path by sweeping the snow nearby, whereas those uninhabited lanes were still covered in a blanket of white snow. In Cangyun Garden, Lady Yun was distressed; the heavy snowfall had interrupted everything and it became difficult to purchase many items. The prefecture still had enough grain, so at least there was food to eat even if they were devoid of fresh vegetables. However, the charcoal was almost all used up. This year, winter came early, hence the charcoal had been used early too. The high-quality charcoal which Lady Yun had ordered was limited in quantity and another batch was supposed to be delivered these days. Because of the sudden heavy snow, the charcoal that was supposed to be delivered didn¡¯t make it, and the charcoal at home was consumed faster than anticipated. So, first thing in the morning, Lady Yun sent some servants to the shops in the street to inquire, to see if any shop was selling charcoal. However, despite being in the usually bustling Government City, there were hardly any shops open, let alone any that sold charcoal. This made Lady Yun extremely anxious. Without charcoal, the indoors would be as cold as an ice cellar in such chilly weather. Wei Qingwan was in Lady Yun¡¯s room accompanying her in managing the affairs. Seeing her such anxious, she didn¡¯t have a better solution and could only comfort her with a few words. Then more bad news came. A lot of civilian houses had collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow. It was reported that many bamboo groves within Taizhou Prefecture had also been afflicted. A large area of bamboo had fallen. The specific casualties were not yet known, but the situation might not be too optimistic. As a result of this, the Government Office was in a state of chaos and panic. It was unclear whether Wei Mingting would be implicated or caught up in the aftermath. Lady Yun exclaimed with a headache, ¡°What a troublesome season this is!¡± The issue with the seventh Prince was yet to be resolved, and another snow disaster had hit. The year-end was challenging indeed. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Once the snow melts, the charcoal will be able to be delivered,¡± Wei Qingwan comforted. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lady Yun responded verbally but her worrying mood did not improve, because charcoal was just a small part of the problem. ### Wei Ruo also heard about the snow disaster from the servants. She was preparing to go out, to have a look at the situation outside. She didn¡¯t necessarily need to do anything, but at least she wanted to see what the situation was like with her own eyes. Before going out, Wei Ruo and Xiumei put on their full gear. Particularly the boots ¨C Wei Ruo and Xiumei, both, put on the boots that their wet nurse had specifically made for them. The process of making the boots was explained by Wei Ruo to the wet nurse. They were wrapped in a layer of cowhide on the outside, filled with a thick layer of cotton on the inside. This way the boots could be both warm and waterproof. The soles were also made with patterns as per Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions to increase friction and prevent slipping. However, Wei Ruo¡¯s sewing skills were too poor, so the wet nurse had to do it for them. To make them look better, the wet nurse added a layer of cloth with embroidery on the outside of the cowhide. With the skirt covering the boots, no one could see what kind of shoes Wei Ruo was wearing. In addition to their usual outfits, Wei Ruo prepared a cloak for herself and Xiumei. ¡°Miss, I think I should not wear the cloak. It¡¯s only the daughters of the wealthy who wear hoods. It wouldn¡¯t be good for me, a maidservant, to wear such an expensive cloak,¡± Xiumei voiced her concern. ¡°I don¡¯t care what other servants wear. You¡¯re not just some servant; you¡¯re my Meimei, and you¡¯ll wear a cloak like mine,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°That¡¯s not okay, Miss. If people see it, they¡¯ll gossip,¡± Xiumei murmured. ¡°We won¡¯t be meeting anyone while we¡¯re out today. If you don¡¯t say anything and I don¡¯t say anything, nobody else will know your relation to me,¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°There are no ¡®buts¡¯. The weather is freezing and the cloak is warm. The wet nurse put a lot of effort into making it for us; we mustn¡¯t waste her goodwill, Wei Ruo argued. Wei Ruo¡¯s reasoning didn¡¯t give Xiumei a chance to refuse, ¡°Alright then.¡± Xiumei put on the cloak passed to her by Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo¡¯s was light blue and Xiumei¡¯s was a shade of grass green. As soon as Wei Ruo and Xiumei stepped out of the Tingsong Garden, they saw Wei Jinyi and Xiaobei. Seeing Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo instinctively recalled the events of the night two days ago. If it were any other man, that incident would have been a major embarrassment, let alone the charges of seducing men. ¡°Big brother, are you going out too?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Waiting for you,¡± Wei Jinyi responded. ¡°Did you know that I was going out?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Given your nature, you¡¯d probably want to check things out if there is a disaster caused by the snowfall,¡± Wei Jinyi responded. Even if Wei Ruo knew she couldn¡¯t do much, she wouldn¡¯t just hide in the house. Wei Ruo was a little surprised. After the surprise came warmth ¨C her big brother really knew her thoughts. Wei Jinyi continued, ¡°The roads are not clear right now; carriages can¡¯t travel them, only people can. To avoid any danger, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Wei Ruo smiled, ¡°Perfect. I won¡¯t go far, just nearby to look around. Now that I¡¯m idling around at home and don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s happening outside.¡± Wei Ruo planned to go to the store. The plantation was too far away, it would be night by the time they made a round trip on foot. Wei Jinyi came over to help Wei Ruo put on the hood of her cloak. ¡°The weather is cold; we can¡¯t have your ears freeze,¡± Wei Jinyi said. Then Xiao Bei handed Wei Ruo a hand warmer, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s quite cold out. Hold the hand warmer; it¡¯ll help you stay warm.¡± Xiumei muttered by the side, ¡°Before going out, I suggested that we should prepare a hand warmer for you, but you said it wasn¡¯t necessary. Now that the second young master has prepared one for you, you can¡¯t escape from it. Can you?¡± Wei Ruo answered irritably, ¡°Meimei, you didn¡¯t use one too, are you just keeping criticisms to me?¡± ¡°Miss, I am a practitioner of martial arts. I¡¯m strong and robust, so I don¡¯t fear the cold. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can touch my hand and see if it is warmer than yours,¡± Xiumei retorted. ¡°Fine, 1 won¡¯t touch it. I admit defeat,¡± Wei Ruo knew, even without touching, that her Meimei¡¯s hand would be warmer. Then Wei Ruo looked up at Wei Jinyi, and in one second she dismissed the idea in her mind. Let aside that no young master would carry a warmer when going out; with Wei Jinyi¡¯s martial ability, his hand might be warmer than the hand warmer itself. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wei Ruo hurriedly urged. Wei Jinyi grinned, and then followed closely behind Wei Ruo. A street outside the Military Prefecture was the main street of the Government City, and the pathway cleared out there was relatively wider, which allowed three to five people to walk side by side without problem. After walking for a while, Wei Ruo and the others saw a group of people gathered in front of an alley, seemingly because something had happened.. Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Gathering Charcoal_l Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Gathering Charcoal_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo and her group went over to find a residence in the alleyway completely collapsed, with accumulated snow covering the ruins. They asked the onlookers, and were told that the homeowner was safe, having been rescued. However, their house was gone; the women were sitting in the alley crying, while the men were trying to salvage anything useful from the rubble. Wei Ruo watched for a while, then quietly led Wei Jinyi away. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t do anything, not because she didn¡¯t feel sympathy for the family, but because she saw that they would somehow survive. Others were likely facing even more dire circumstances. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t say anything either. Although he didn¡¯t ask, he knew what Wei Ruo was thinking. On this matter, their views were aligned. As they continued walking forward, they frequently saw dilapidated houses that had collapsed due to neglect. But most people who lived in the city were in reasonably good shape. However, this gave them some insight: if so many homes were collapsing within the city, the situation in the smaller villages outside the city must be even more severe. After a while, they arrived in front of Four Treasure House and Xu¡¯s Stewed Food Shop. The door of Four Treasure House was half-open. There were people inside, but the shop was not open for business. In contrast, Xu¡¯s Stewed Food Shop was open, yet the entrance was deserted, a stark contrast to the usual hustle and bustle. It was natural to think that today, people didn¡¯t have the mood to buy stewed food to eat. Another assistant was not in the shop, with only Chen Aqing busying herself inside. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, a flicker of joy passed through Chen Aqing¡¯s eyes, but it quickly faded when she saw the strange males alongside her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this man is an exception. He¡¯s my second brother. The only one in my family I can trust and confide in,¡± Wei Ruo explained to Chen Aqing. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t notice Wei Jinyi¡¯s changing expression behind her as she explained. Someone unique, someone with whom she can share her heart. That was her validation of him. ¡°Aqing, didn¡¯t I send a message yesterday? If the snow is too heavy, you don¡¯t need to open shop today. Didn¡¯t you receive the message?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°I received it. Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I made a very small amount today. Occasionally one or two people come to buy, and by nightfall, it should be sold out,¡± Chen Aqing explained. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s such a cold day and there aren¡¯t many customers. Since the year is nearly over, take this opportunity to rest for a few days,¡± said Wei Ruo. Those who work in her shop basically do not get a day off. Chen Aqing shook her head, ¡°Miss, let me keep working here. They say business is best around the New Year. Besides, I have nowhere else to go. If the shop doesn¡¯t open, I have nothing else to do.¡± Chen Aqing¡¯s parents were still alive, but their place was not a home she could return to. If she went back, the money she earned would probably be taken by her parents and she might also get beaten. ¡°Alright then, if you get tired, just take a few days off. It¡¯s the end of the year, and I don¡¯t want to be accused of exploiting my workers,¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I won¡¯t,¡± Chen Aqing replied. After briefly explaining several things to Chen Aqing, Wei Ruo went over to Four Treasure House next door. The door was ajar, and Wei Ruo easily pushed it open and went in. ¡°Miss, you came to see our boss, didn¡¯t you?¡± The shop assistant recognized her, as Wei Ruo had paid them many visits before, although the exact relationship between her and Four Treasure House was unclear to him. Wei Ruo asked, ¡°Is your boss around?¡± ¡°The boss is in the backyard,¡± answered the assistant. So, Wei Ruo went straight through the shop to the small courtyard at the back. Wei Jinyi silently followed her, his mind full of questions. Inside the courtyard, Xu Zhushan was busy chopping firewood. The snow had fallen on the woodpile in the yard, and Xu Zhushan was organizing them, cutting them up, and storing them in the shed. Recently, he had been helping Wei Ruo with her estate¡¯s affairs and had no opportunity to attend to such chores at home. With the bad weather preventing him from going out, it was the perfect time to do these tasks. ¡°Mr. Xu.¡± ¡°Miss!¡± As soon as he saw Wei Ruo, Xu Zhushan quickly put down his work. ¡°Miss, the weather is so cold and the roads are covered with snow. Why did you come?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far away. I came to have a look and pick up some things,¡± replied Wei Ruo. The wet nurse, who had been alerted by the sound of conversation, also came out of the house. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, her face lit up with joy. ¡°Miss, come inside quickly. It¡¯s cold outside; don¡¯t catch a cold,¡± she urged, pulling Wei Ruo into the house. It was only after she approached them that she noticed two unfamiliar faces following Wei Ruo. The wet nurse was taken aback. ¡°This is my second brother,¡± Wei Ruo replied. The wet nurse was unsure how to greet Wei Jinyi. Wei Jinyi said, ¡°Just carry on with your conversation, don¡¯t mind me.¡± To avoid further awkwardness, Wei Ruo told the wet nurse, ¡°I came here today to get some silver chestnut charcoal from you. After I pick it up, we¡¯ll leave. We don¡¯t plan on staying long.¡± ¡°Okay. I should have delivered it to you earlier. The roads are difficult to travel now; I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to transport too much at once.¡± said the wet nurse, looking somewhat regretful. Upon hearing the conversation between Wei Ruo and the wet nurse, Xiaobei looked surprised. That silver chestnut charcoal was a pricey material, especially given the recent weather. It made good charcoal hard to find. But from their conversation, it seemed as if they had a vast supply of the silver chestnut charcoal at home, as if they could effortlessly produce a large cartload of it out of thin air. ¡°No problem, we¡¯re only taking two bags this time.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t two bags be too little? It¡¯s been cold these past few days. You can¡¯t let the charcoal fire in your place go out, or else you¡¯ll catch a cold,¡± the wet nurse said. ¡°Two bags should last for a while. When it runs out, we¡¯ll come back to get more,¡± Wei Ruo replied. ¡°Alright, then. Let Old Xu deliver it to you,¡± said the wet nurse. ¡°There¡¯s no need. We can carry the two bags ourselves. We won¡¯t trouble Mr. Xu,¡± responded Wei Ruo. Xiumei quickly followed up with, ¡°I can carry the two bags back by myself.¡± Hearing this, Xiaobei quickly said, ¡°Let me do it, Lady Xiumei. This is not a task for a lady like you. I can handle it.¡± You don¡¯t need to argue with me. You look as skinny as a monkey. Just focus on walking safely. The roads are slippery, and you might fall,¡± said Xiumei. Hearing this, Xiaobei was not pleased. ¡°Lady Xiumei, if a lady like you isn¡¯t afraid of falling, why should I, a man, be afraid? No, I should be the one to carry the heavy stuff.¡± Wei Ruo could not stand it anymore: ¡°Stop arguing. The wet nurse here has a small trolley. We can just push it.¡± Although the main road was not usable for carriage, a push cart could still be used. As long as it wasn¡¯t pushed too hard to make it slide away, everything would be fine. ¡°Yes, yes, we have a cart. It¡¯s easier to push it back,¡± the wet nurse quickly added.. Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Misss Room is the Only One with Barbecue Charcoal_l Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Miss¡¯s Room is the Only One with Barbecue Charcoal_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°I¡¯ll go get the silver charcoal for the young lady!¡± Xu Zhushan, a man of action, turned around and went into the house, hauling out two hemp bags of silver charcoal. He effortlessly carried one bag on each shoulder. The wet nurse brought out a small cart, onto which the two bags of silver charcoal were placed, securely tied up, and given to Wei Ruo. Upon leaving Four Treasure House, Wei Ruo said to Wei Jinyi, ¡°Second Brother, now you know my secret. You¡¯ll keep it for me, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your decision to bring me here without hiding anything mean that you already knew the answer?¡± Wei Jinyi was delighted; he was glad she was willing to let him know her secret. Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Second Brother also know that I would keep his secrets?¡± Wei Jinyi replied, ¡°Well now, I suppose that makes us even.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Wei Ruo laughed. Then, the two of them walked back. As Xiaobei and Xiumei were pushing the cart together, Xiumei slipped on the slick ground. She didn¡¯t fall, but leaned onto Xiaobei. Xiaobei couldn¡¯t help blushing, his gaze on Xiumei was somewhat fiery. When they got back to the Military Prefecture, Wei Ruo handed one of the two bags of charcoal to Wei Jinyi. ¡°The distribution given to each courtyard by the Prefecture might not be enough to last through the winter. Take these to use for now, Second Brother,¡± Wei Ruo told Wei Jinyi. ¡°No need, I¡¯ve been away from the Prefecture for a while, so there¡¯s still plenty of my share left. I can continue using it for a while,¡± Wei Jinyi politely declined. Wei Ruo knew this was Wei Jinyi being courteous with her. When the Prefecture distributed portions to each yard, they considered the fact that Wei Yichen and Wei Jinyi spent less time at home, thus the initial portion given to Bamboo Welcoming Garden wasn¡¯t that much. ¡°Don¡¯t be polite with me, Second Brother. In moving these two bags today, I¡¯ve already included your share. Rest assured, my wet nurse has prepared plenty for me, I can get more at any time, so there¡¯s no need to worry about not having enough,¡± she said. Unable to refuse such a generous offer, Wei Jinyi smiled at Wei Ruo, nodded, and accepted the charcoal. When Wei Ruo returned to Tingsong Garden, she beckoned Xiumei over: ¡°If anyone asks where this charcoal came from, tell them this¡­¡± After hearing her instructions, Xiumei asked, ¡°Why does young miss want to say it this way?¡± Wei Ruo explained, ¡°Now that most of the charcoal at home is used up, only my yard has charcoal to burn. If others see this, they might make trouble. If people find out about my charcoal source, there are bound to be problems.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Xiumei took note of Wei Ruo¡¯s words. ### When Wei Jinyi returned to his room, Xiaobei started the charcoal fire right away. ¡°Young Master, this really is silver charcoal. The young lady is really rich. Only those nobles in Government City can afford to burn this kind of charcoal,¡± Xiaobei couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Then, he became curious, ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s the relationship between those two stores we visited today and the young lady? You don¡¯t think Four Treasure House is owned by the young lady, do you?¡± When they left Four Treasure House earlier, Wei Ruo told Wei Jinyi to keep it a secret, but she hadn¡¯t stated exactly what to keep secret, and she did not explain her relationship with the two stores. Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t have to ask about any of this; he naturally gave a positive answer to Wei Ruo. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what the relationship is, she didn¡¯t ask about my affairs either.¡± For Wei Jinyi, these things were unimportant; what mattered was their mutual trust. As long as they trusted each other, it didn¡¯t matter what secrets they each had. ### For two days, because the heavy snow blocked the roads, the Wei Family¡¯s charcoal hadn¡¯t arrived. Not only were the servants without it, but the charcoal for the homeowners had also run out. Without charcoal to warm them, Wei Qingwan¡¯s room was as cold as an icehouse, colder inside than out. They could keep moving during the day, but at night it was hard to sleep. Having a quilt on them felt as if they were covered with a block of iron, both hard and cold. ¡°How can we sleep under these conditions?¡± Wei Qingwan sat right back up after lying down. ¡°Young Miss, don¡¯t worry, if we¡¯re lucky, the charcoal will be delivered early tomorrow morning. Right now, even the Madam and the young master are enduring it,¡± Cuihe comforted. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the same thing yesterday, and didn¡¯t we go without it again today?¡± Wei Qingwan¡¯s tone was full of resentment. ¡°Well¡­¡± Cuihe didn¡¯t know how else to console her. ¡°What about Wei Qingruo?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. ¡°Seems like there is no effect on Young Miss¡­ I heard from the maids who went to deliver food that it¡¯s warm in Young Miss¡¯s room.¡± These few days, because of the inconvenient snow, Mrs. Yun had food prepared in the main kitchen and then delivered to all the courtyards. And this was what allowed the servants in the Prefecture to discover that Wei Ruo¡¯s residence was different from the rest; where everyone else in the Prefecture had no use of the charcoal, her place seemed to not be lacking at all. ¡°Why?¡± Wei Qingwan asked in surprise. ¡°This servant isn¡¯t sure, perhaps the Young Miss used her own private funds to buy the charcoal, after all, Young Miss¡¯s private¡­¡± Cuihe trailed off. Everyone in the Military Prefecture was well aware of Wei Ruo¡¯s wealth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so that even if you have the money, you still can¡¯t buy charcoal now?¡± Wei Qingwan asked again. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know, perhaps the Young Miss has special channels. The Young Miss has many acquaintances in Government City!¡± Cuihe replied. Before, when she only knew Madame Yuan, Wei Ruo had more privileges than others in the Prefecture. Now, due to her Loquat Syrup, she had become acquainted with so many of the elites in the Government City. So, it would make sense if she had more connections than anyone else in the Prefecture. Hearing this, Wei Qingwan started weighing her options. After mulling it over, she ordered Cuihe, ¡°Get your mother and father here.¡± Cuihe nodded and then called over Madam Li. Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t say much, just repeated what Cuihe had told her before. After Madam Li finished listening, she immediately understood, ¡°The young miss is being unfair. If she has a channel to get charcoal, how can she hog it all while others in the Prefecture freeze? Other people are one thing, but doesn¡¯t she care about the well-being, even the life or death, of her own mother?¡± Wei Qingwan responded, ¡°Perhaps we have misunderstood Sister. It¡¯s not what we think it is.¡± Madam Li snorted, ¡°Whether it¡¯s a misunderstanding or not, we¡¯ll find out when we ask. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any misunderstanding here. I¡¯m just saying, her behavior isn¡¯t reasonable. Young miss, wait here, I¡¯ll go talk to Madam.¡± After Madam Li finished speaking, she left without giving Wei Qingwan a chance to stop her. By the time Wei Qingwan opened her mouth to call for her, she had already left the room. ### ¡°Is this true?¡± Mrs. Yun frowned. ¡°Why would this old servant dare to lie? The truth is easy to find out.¡± ¡°If I find out you lied and falsely accused the young miss, you won¡¯t just be punished with three months at the farm. I¡¯ll drive you out of the Prefecture and let your old bones freeze to death in the snow!¡± Mrs. Yun said sternly.. Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Already Had an Explanation ! Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Already Had an Explanation ! Translator: 549690339 ¡°The old servant dares not, the old servant dares not.¡± Maid Li replied in rapid succession. Madam Yun arrived at the Tingsong Garden with her servants. When she entered the yard and came to the main house, she could feel the warmth emanating from the rooms even before opening the door. Without knocking, Madam Yun pushed the door open to find a warm fire indeed blazing in the room. Abruptly interrupted, Xiumei looked surprised. Seeing it was Madam Yun, Xiumei rose in greeting: ¡°I pay my respects to the Madam.¡± ¡°Where did this burning charcoal come from?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s face darkened a little. ¡°It was sent by Madam Yuan.¡± Xiumei calmly answered. Hearing this response, Maid Li, who came with Madam Yun, also looked surprised. Why would Madam Yuan send it? Madam Yuan was Princess Jingmin after all, and why would she gift a sack of charcoal? Maid Li looked at Madam Yun, hoping the Madam wouldn¡¯t easily believe what the young maid was saying. The charcoal definitely didn¡¯t come from Madam Yuan! ¡°Sent by Madam Yuan? Why would she send charcoal to Ruoruo?¡± Madam Yun interrogated further. ¡°A few days ago, the young miss gave Madam Yuan two jars of loquat syrup. Madam Yuan possibly sent a sack of charcoal in return as a way to express her gratitude for the loquat syrup,¡± Xiumei explained. ¡°Why would Madam Yuan gift Ruoruo charcoal?¡± Madam Yun questioned. For a noble lady like Madam Yuan, why would she gift charcoal? It seemed quite odd. Wei Ruo emerged from the inner room to answer Madam Yun¡¯s question: ¡°In the past, she certainly would not have done so, but you mother, surely know the current situation in Taizhou prefecture. Charcoal is now rare, especially this silver bone charcoal. Madam Yuan clearly knows this situation, and that¡¯s why she painstakingly gave me some.¡± Silver Bone Charcoal? Upon hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s answer, Madam Yun noticed that the charcoal burning in Wei Ruo¡¯s room was not ordinary. This charcoal produced no black smoke and did not have any smell. Even though half of the charcoal in the stove had been used, it was still intact and seemed more resistant to burning than ordinary charcoal. Upon this realization, everything indeed seemed to make sense. Unlike other charcoals, silver bone charcoal is a worthy gift. Maid Li also examined the burning charcoal in the stove and the wood charcoal in the cage next to it. She had intended to find evidence that this was not silver bone charcoal but ordinary charcoal. However, after a closer look, it didn¡¯t seem like ordinary charcoal, which is not this neat and solid. If this was indeed silver bone charcoal, wouldn¡¯t that make what the young miss said reasonable? After pondering for a while, Madam Yun asked Wei Ruo again: ¡°How much did Madam Yuan give you?¡± Wei Ruo pointed to a small bag in the corner and said, ¡°Over there, it probably will only last for a couple of days.¡± This was only part of what she received; the extra was kept by Xiumei. Seeing that she only received this much, Madam Yun naturally didn¡¯t ask for any. Then Madam Yun asked, ¡°Having received something from Madam Yuan, why did you not inform the family? Are you afraid that they may share your charcoal?¡± That her daughter had received charcoal and not informed her upset Madam Yun a little. Regardless, informing her was the least she could do. Knowing that others were suffering from the cold while her room was warm was absolutely unacceptable. Even if she had informed them, they would not have taken from her. But not doing so made her appear cold-hearted. Wei Ruo calmly replied, ¡°I was afraid of upsetting you, mother. Madam Yuan sent the silver bone charcoal in return for the loquat syrup. However, the matter of loquat syrup has already caused several disputes between us. I was afraid that mentioning it again would cause another dispute with you, mother. I know you have been troubled with many trivial matters these days. I didn¡¯t want to add to your troubles.¡± Madam Yun was taken aback, and after a while, she finally replied, ¡°What upsets me is the issue of selling the loquat syrup. If you treat others as you have treated Madam Yuan, how could I criticize you?¡± Having said that, Madam Yun, worried about sparking another argument, waved her hand and said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not discuss this matter. I came here specifically to ask you because I thought you had found a way to procure charcoal. Since it was gifted by Madam Yuan, I have no further questions.¡± With that, Madam Yun led Maid Li and the others away. On the way back, Madam Yun¡¯s face was grim; Maid Li was trembling as she followed behind. When they reached Cangyun Garden, Madam Yun admonished Maid Li, ¡°You, audacious maid!¡± ¡°Madam, please calm down. I did nothing wrong; there was indeed a charcoal fire burning in the young miss¡¯s room.¡± Maid Li quickly defended herself. ¡°You¡¯re lucky this time. If I found out that you were holding a grudge over past events and deliberately targeting Ruoruo, I won¡¯t spare you!¡± Madam Yun warned. Although she was somewhat dissatisfied with her eldest daughter, she was very clear about who was the master and who was the servant. She would never tolerate an old servant oppressing her daughter! ¡°Servant dares not. Even if you lent me ten thousand times my courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Maid Li hurriedly replied. ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Now that she understood the situation, Madam Yun didn¡¯t have the energy nor the mood to continue listening to Maid Li¡¯s prattle. ¡°Yes, this old servant will take her leave.¡± Maid Li left Cangyun Garden, looking rather sheepish. Inside Wangmei Garden, Wei Qingwan was waiting for Maid Li¡¯s return. Seeing her return, Wei Qingwanasked, ¡°How did it go, Maid?¡± With a frustrated face, Maid Li responded, ¡°The young lady¡¯s silver bone charcoal was gifted by Madam Yuan. After asking a few questions, the Madam left.¡± ¡°Gifted by Madam Yuan? Didn¡¯t mother ask why the young lady, having received charcoal, didn¡¯t share it with the family?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. ¡°The young lady is very eloquent. She said that the charcoal was a return gift from Madam Yuan for the loquat syrup she gave her earlier. She didn¡¯t tell the Madam, fearing it would upset her due to the previous issues with the loquat syrup,¡± Maid Li said through gritted teeth. Maid Li didn¡¯t believe what Wei Ruo had said. If Wei Ruo had really been that considerate, she wouldn¡¯t have repeatedly defied the Madam in the past. That was clearly just an excuse! However, the Madam believed it, and she was helpless! Wei Qingwan¡¯s face grew increasingly grave. Although she didn¡¯t expect this matter to have any significant effect on Wei Ruo, she hoped, at the very least, it would deepen the conflict between Wei Ruo and their mother. She was forced to think this way as Wei Ruo kept attacking her, time and again, ruining her reputation. Now she was merely doing her utmost to maintain her position under dire circumstances. Unfortunately, her abilities were limited, and she was no match for the cunning Wei Ruo. All her attempts to fight back had failed. ¡°Maid, I am full of regret now. I regret not having learned any useful skills or strategies in the past years. Now, I¡¯m at a loss about how to protect myself against Wei Ruo¡¯s tricks,¡± Wei Qingwan murmured. Maid Li sighed, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not your fault. Wei Ruo had interacted with all kinds of people while living in the countryside in the past years. She must have learned countless tricks and tactics. You, on the other hand, were brought up in a cloistered maiden¡¯s chamber, surrounded by a loving family, and never exposed to any vicious situations.. How could you stand a chance against her?¡± Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Madam Yuan Seeks a Favor_l Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Madam Yuan Seeks a Favor_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Qingwan shook her head, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not good at these things. I only happened to find a problem with Wei Qingruo today and thought of discussing it with you. I never thought it would be useful.¡± Nanny Li sighed, ¡°Miss, take it easy. Although we can¡¯t outwit Wei Qingruo for now, her arrogance and bullying will bring about her downfall. There will be a day when she suffers.¡± Eyebrows lowered, Wei Qingwan appeared rather helpless but managed to console Nanny Li, ¡°You have also worked hard, Nanny. You made a round trip and even got scolded by my mother for today¡¯s matter.¡± -Never mind me, this is something I should do. That Wei Qingruo hides in her comfort and cares not for the life of her family is a fact. I am upright and not afraid of blame, it¡¯s just that her eloquent explanation confused the situation. She¡¯s always using Madam Yuan as a human shield, acting as if knowing her is such a big deal!¡± grumbled Nanny Li angrily. ¡°That¡¯s her skill, being able to sweet-talk someone as distinguished as Madam Yuan. I don¡¯t have such an ability, it means Earn the incompetent one. Forget it. Nanny, you can go busy yourself,¡± said Wei Qingwan. Then Wei Qingwan waved her hand, dismissing Nanny Li. ### Just after Wei Ruo dismissed Mrs. Yun with Madam Yuan as an excuse, Madam Yuan sent her close maid, Qingyi, to invite her to visit the magistrate¡¯s office, claiming that she had something to discuss with Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t ask much, she just changed her dress and rode the carriage with Xiumei. After two days, the main road in the Government City was cleared of snow and carriages could now pass. The houses and shops on both sides of the road were imbued with hints of the New Year, adorned with red festive decorations. But compared to previous years, the festive atmosphere was noticeably subdued. Today is the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. Usually, every family would be busy preparing for the New Year¡¯s festivities at this time. But this year, many families, especially the Yuan family, just didn¡¯t have it in them. Although Wei Ruo was not completely aware of the situation in the prefecture¡¯s office, she could make educated guesses. Given the current state of the Taizhou prefecture, unless Yuan Zhengqin, the incumbent magistrate, was an incompetent official who didn¡¯t care about the people¡¯s life or death, he would surely be busy and worried. Upon her arrival at the Prefecture, guided by Qingyi, Wei Ruo went to the main residence in the rear court where Madam Yuan lived. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Madam Yuan welcomed her warmly. ¡°I am really sorry for bothering you on the 29th,¡± Madam Yuan apologized to Wei Ruo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Madam. If there¡¯s anything you need from me, feel free to tell me,¡± Wei Ruo knew that if it wasn¡¯t something significant, Madam Yuan wouldn¡¯t have called her over at such a time. Madam Yuan sighed, ¡°Indeed, I do have a favour to ask. Taizhou Prefecture has been going through a lot lately, and every single thing is driving my husband to distraction, leaving him no time or energy for other issues. That¡¯s when I thought of you.¡± ¡°The heavy snow recently has indeed added a lot of troubles to the Taizhou Prefecture,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°It¡¯s not all about the snow.¡± Madam Yuan sighed again, ¡°This year has truly been a calamitous one for the Taizhou Prefecture. Trouble comes wave upon wave.¡± ¡ö¡¯Are you referring to the Japanese Pirates? Have they been active again recently?¡± Wei Ruo asked. Madam Yuan shook her head, ¡°The Japanese Pirates have been quiet these few days, though we don¡¯t know if they are genuinely peaceful or just waiting for an opportunity. The Anti-Japanese Army is on high alert. What I¡¯m talking about is an internal problem. Since we¡¯re on good terms, I won¡¯t hide it from you A major event that occurred halfway through last month. Seventh Prince, who was supposed to report to the Taizhou Prefecture to become the Military Governor of the Anti-Japanese Army, was ambushed not long after he entered Taizhou prefecture. All his followers were either killed or injured, while the Seventh Prince himself has gone missing. ¡°The Seventh Prince is missing?¡± Wei Ruo was shocked. How could this happen? That¡¯s impossible! In the original book, there was no description of the heavy snow in Taizhou Prefecture because the Wei family was not in Taizhou Prefecture at this time and was irrelevant to the plot. But the Seventh Prince is the male lead, all major events related to him had been described in the original book. In the original book, there was no segment about the male lead being attacked and disappearing. We Ruo tried hard to recall the events in the original book during this period. This was when the relationship between Wei Qingwan and Chu Lan was heating up. In the book, Wei Qingwan was taken to the prince¡¯s residence by Chu Lan. During this period, she was plotted against by women in the residence, barely escaped death, and was almost killed. Chu Lan dropped everything at hand to take care of her until she fully recovered. During this time, Wei Qingwan was helpless and vulnerable. Chu Lan was distressed, and their affections for each other grew stronger. Wei Ruo remembered that when the original text came to this section, it specifically mentioned that Chu Lan originally had a great opportunity for merit at this time. He was supposed to be the military governor of the Anti-Japanese Army. However, worried about Wei Qingwan¡¯s safety as she was on the brink of life and death, he gave up the opportunity and passed it to Sixth Prince. So that¡¯s where the problem was. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t expect that being in a relationship could provide such an advantage, helping to avoid risks. Another surprise was that due to the absence of the meeting between the main characters, and due to Wei Mingting¡¯s death not happening, it caused a butterfly effect, which directly led to the male lead of the original text disappearing. If Chu Lan just died like this, could it be considered that she indirectly retaliated against her past self? Madam Yuan said, ¡°I was also quite shocked when I heard about it. It probably has something to do with the struggle for imperial power. However, it just so happened to occur in the Taizhou Prefecture. And it just so happened to occur on the way to take office as a Military Governor of the Anti-Japanese Army, right when they were about to rendezvous with the Army. Therefore, both the Government Office in the prefecture and the Anti-Japanese Army got involved.¡± Listening to Madam Yuan¡¯s explanation, Wei Ruo then understood that the reason Wei Mingting had been so busy lately was not just because of the Japanese pirates, but also because of this issue. Madam Yuan said, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not talk about the Seventh Prince anymore. Those court struggles are not something we can get involved in, and worrying about him won¡¯t help either. If he is fortunate enough to survive, that would be the best outcome. If he can¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± After saying that, Madam Yuan sighed heavily, ¡°I invited you here to discuss something within our capacity. The heavy snow in recent days, the cold weather, both the top and bottom of Taizhou Prefecture have been tormented.¡± -I¡¯ve heard some about it, many houses were collapsed by the snow, many bamboo groves fell over, leaving many people homeless.¡± However, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t know what she could do. She could only provide shelter for a limited number of people. The people at her manor were alright for now, the houses were newly built and hadn¡¯t collapsed, and there was enough food in the manor. Given her current financial power and capability, that was all she could do. ¡°Yes, what you heard is the truth. Many people have died in Taizhou Prefecture, and few of them were killed by falling or being crushed. Most died of cold or sickness,¡± Madam Yuan told Wei Ruo about the recent situation. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Wei Ruo asked.. Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Chapter 207 Many People Fell Sick_l Chapter 207: Chapter 207 Many People Fell Sick_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°These past few days, many people within the Taizhou prefecture have fallen ill. They mainly show one set of symptoms: fever, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Serious cases lapse into a coma. Doctors in the Government City and from our house have seen them and prescribed medicine, but there hasn¡¯t been noticeable improvement,¡± Madam Yuan described. Upon hearing this, Wei Ruo quickly asked, ¡°Does this disease exhibit signs of person-to-person transmission? Like, do people around those who have contracted this disease also show the same symptoms after a short time?¡± ¡°It seems there is such a situation¡­¡± Madam Yuan described. Wei Ruo¡¯s heart sank as she realized the seriousness of the issue. ¡°Madam, where are these patients currently?¡± Wei Ruo asked, her demeanor serious, a sense of urgency in her eyes. ¡°Most of them are in their homes,¡± Madame Yuan explained. ¡°Madam, please take me to the nearest patient. I need to diagnose them in person,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that you might contract the disease¡­¡± ¡°Without diagnosing in person, it¡¯s hard to prescribe accurate treatment. If we¡¯re afraid of transmission, I can¡¯t cure people,¡± Wei Ruo says. ¡°Then, I will accompany you,¡± Madam Yuan declared. ¡°Madam, you still have to take care of little Shen. It¡¯s inappropriate for you to take risks, just send someone to take me there,¡± Wei Ruo said. Of course, Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t dare let Madam Yuan take such risks, not to mention her son who was less than a year old, who also faces potential infection. Moreover, Madam Yuan¡¯s unique status should prevent her from going into risky situations. ¡°But Ruo¡¯er, what about you¡­¡± ¡°Madam, rest assured, my medical skills are competent. I won¡¯t let myself be harmed easily,¡± Wei Ruo reassured her. Hearing this, Madam Yuan seized Wei Ruo¡¯s hand, thanking her gratefully, ¡°We are relying on you now!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Madam, as a member of the Taizhou prefecture, I also don¡¯t want to see countless innocent civilians die untimely deaths,¡± Wei Ruo said. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s firm expression, Madam Yuan¡¯s heart stirred, ¡°Ruo¡¯er, you are the most extraordinary woman I have ever known. If you were a man, you¡¯d have a place on the royal council.¡± This world has many constraints for women, even for Princess Jingmin, who is pampered by her royal father, she too can¡¯t escape this reality. ¡°For things that I can¡¯t change, I don¡¯t waste time thinking about them. What I do is what I can change. Whether I am a woman or a man won¡¯t prevent me from following my heart,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have Qingyi go with you now. Anything you need, you can tell Qingyi, and have her take care of it,¡± Madam Yuan said. As she said this, Madam Yuan took off the jade pendant she wore and placed it in Wei Ruo¡¯s hand: ¡°This is my token, whoever sees this token could regard it as if they saw me. Ruo¡¯er, keep it, it will help you. I am asking for your help in this matter, and you are taking risks for the people on my behalf. I owe you a favor.¡± ¡°Madam, we¡¯U talkabout this later, let¡¯s go see the patients first,¡± Wei Ruo said. Without wasting any more words, Madam Yuan immediately ordered her underlings to lead Wei Ruo to the home of the nearest patient. Aside from her personal maid, Qingyi, Madam Yuan also arranged for six escorts for Wei Ruo, to ensure her safety. ### At the Military Prefecture, in the Welcome Bamboo Garden. ¡°Young Master, regarding the outside news, we haven¡¯t received any news about the seventh prince yet. But something else has happened in the city, many people have fallen ill. The situation in Government City is on the verge of chaos,¡± Xiaobei reported to Wei Jinyi about the latest news relayed by Ke Chongshan. ¡°Has Miss returned after being taken by the Magistrate?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. Even though he wasn¡¯t sure why Madam Yuan would want Wei Ruo at this time, Wei Jinyi expected it was related to the recent events. ¡°Not yet,¡± Xiaobei answered. Wei Jinyi frowned slightly. ¡°Young Master, are you worried that Madam Yuan asked Miss Wei Ruo to do something? It seems unlikely, the current mess outside, Miss Wei Ruo wouldn¡¯t be able to help much. She is good at farming, it won¡¯t be a good timing to show her skills until next spring. Now that Madam Yuan asked her over, it¡¯s probably for a chat to pass the time,¡± Xiaobei said. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Wei Jinyi responded, ¡± Send a message telling Ke Chongshan and the others not to bother searching for the whereabouts of the seventh prince these next few days. They should stay home safe, and we will discuss further when the new year has passed.¡± ¡°Then I will go right now,¡± Xiaobei hurriedly proceeded to carry out the order. ### In Wangmei Garden. Hearing that Wei Ruo was picked up by the carriage sent by Madam Yuan and taken to the prefecture¡¯s office, and had not returned by this time, Cuihe couldn¡¯t help but grumble to Wei Qingwan: ¡°The eldest miss is really capable, I don¡¯t know what kind of spell she has cast on Madam Yuan to make her like her so much that she called her to her residence even during the holiday.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just because my sister¡¯s temperament suits Madam Yuan¡¯s taste, that is her ability,¡± Wei Qingwan said. ¡°Speaking of abilities, I think you, Young Mistress, are more capable than she is. She can only farm and cook some dishes, none of these are the skills a proper lady should possess. She has no skill in zither, chess, calligraphy or painting,¡± Cuihe said. ¡°There¡¯s no use complaining about this. Even if I had more chances to showcase these skills, Madam Yuan might still prefer my sister¡¯s way. What can I do?¡± Wei Qingwan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just feel it¡¯sunfair for you, Young Mistress.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss this anymore, go prepare the new year¡¯s things. Mother is waiting to use them,¡± Wei Qingwan said. Wei Qingwan and Cuihe continued to help Mrs. Yun with the tasks around the house. ### Wei Ruo went to the home of a female tutor in a little alley next to the prefecture¡¯s office. The female tutor and her maid had both contracted the disease, and the symptoms appeared to be the same. After Wei Ruo finished diagnosing the tutor and her maid, she came out from the room. Qingyi, who awaited outside the door, cautiously asked about the situation: ¡°Miss Wei, how is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pneumonia, they need immediate medication. This disease is somewhat contagious, so you shouldn¡¯t enter the room,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Contagious? Is it an epidemic? Is the entire Taizhou prefecture in danger?¡± The faces of Qingyi and the guards standing behind her turned pale immediately. If it turns out to be a plague, the problem will be severe. In the event of a plague at this juncture, the Taizhou prefecture will likely be filled with corpses! ¡°Don¡¯t panic yet. It won¡¯t necessarily spread to the whole Taizhou prefecture. Based on the current results, the infection rate of the disease isn¡¯t high. We can keep it under control with immediate measures,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Before treating the sick tutor and her maid, Wei Ruo asked about the situation of the people who have been in contact with them and evaluated the infectivity of the disease. So far, only older people in poorer health have died, whereas robust youngsters largely only display some symptoms, with no fatal cases to date. The tutor and her maid she had just examined were not old. The tutor was in her thirties and her sixteen-year-old maid presented milder symptoms due to her young age and more physical activity in her day-to-day life. ¡°Now, what should we do?¡± Qingyi asked. Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Chapter 208 Preventing Spread_l Chapter 208: Chapter 208 Preventing Spread_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°I¡¯ll write a prescription first. You can take this and prepare the medicine for now. I can¡¯t determine instantly which treatment can cure this disease. It will require some time for trial and observation,¡± Wei Ruo said. As it differed from common pneumonia, Wei Ruo had to adopt a conservative approach in prescribing the medication, further observation and diagnosis would be needed for more precise treatment. ¡°Alright,¡± Qingyi nodded. Wei Ruo carried on, ¡°Once the medicine is ready, don¡¯t deliver it directly inside. Either wait for Meimei or me, or place it by the door for those who are in better health inside to fetch it. Avoid direct contact.¡± ¡°But you two will be¡­¡± Qingyi was worried. Miss Wei was their Madam¡¯s benefactor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us for now. Our later interactions will also aim to avoid face-to-face meetings like this. We can pass any messages through the wall,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. With a worried expression, Qingyi nodded. Wei Ruo added, ¡°Then, notify everyone about it. Those who show similar symptoms should stay inside their rooms like this family and avoid contact with others. For those whose conditions are not too severe, their families should only be responsible for delivering food and medicine to a designated spot. If their conditions are severe, one person should be assigned to care for them. This person shouldn¡¯t have contact with anyone else, either.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Qingyi nodded. She dared not slack off in carrying out Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions. After some thought, Wei Ruo added, ¡°Also, find someone to send a message to Madam Yuan. Some medicinal herbs need to be purchased in large quantities in advance. I¡¯ll make a list. Get these materials prepared.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qingyi noted down everything and immediately arranged someone to get it done. With the urgency of the situation, they couldn¡¯t afford to delay. Very quickly, people sent by Madam Yuan arranged everything according to Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions. They promptly dispatched people to purchase the ingredients listed on Wei Ruo¡¯s sheet. Meanwhile, to prevent panic, Madam Yuan specifically ordered them not to publicize the contagious nature of the disease. However, it was already too late. The news about the human-to-human transmission of the disease had spread before Madam Yuan¡¯s order could be enforced. It isn¡¯t known how the information leaked, but word spread throughout Taizhou prefecture. It quickly caused people to panic. Those who could afford to began scrambling to buy medicinal herbs and started to isolate at home. Everyone had stocked up on food before the heavy snowfall began. Those who hadn¡¯t managed to were mostly those who couldn¡¯t afford to. Those who couldn¡¯t afford it felt helpless. They could neither afford to buy the medicinal herbs nor consider running away, as they would probably starve to death on the journey within a few days of leaving Taizhou prefecture. With the harsh weather making it a struggle just for meals, they obviously couldn¡¯t afford to think about anything else. That night, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t return to the Military Prefecture. Madam Yuan sent a message to the Wei Family saying she wanted to keep Wei Ruo at the Yuan Residence for the New Year. Naturally, this was just an excuse. It was neither reasonable nor appropriate for her to leave her family to spend the New Year at the Yuan Residence, which had no familial or intimate ties with her. Upon receiving the message, the Wei Family naturally had their conjectures. That evening, several members of the Wei Family had dinner together. Apart from Wei Ruo, Wei Mingting didn¡¯t make it back either, and Wei Jinyi had his meal in his own courtyard. The expressions on their faces during dinner were not pleasant. After dinner, Wei Qingwan was waiting for Yunshi to bring up the subject, but Yunshi kept quiet, her face somber. Wei Qingwan then turned to Wei Yilin, who was seated nearby. Wei Yilin had always been straightforward and transparent; he couldn¡¯t keep secrets and would inevitably speak out if anything bothered him. Wei Yilin should have heard about the matter of Wei Ruo spending the New Year at the Yuan Residence. According to his nature, he would have definitely felt compelled to grumble about it at this moment. But Wei Qingwan waited for a while, and still, Wei Yilin didn¡¯t utter a word. With a slightly furrowed brow, Wei Qingwan finally couldn¡¯t help but bring up the topic herself. ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t worry. Madam Yuan probably treasures my sister so much that she wants to keep her at the residence for the New Year,¡± Wei Qingwan said as she took the initiative to comfort Yunshi. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Yunshi denied. ¡°I¡¯m worried about this plague. We can isolate ourselves within the house, but your father cannot.¡± Wei Qingwan paused for a moment, then understood. Her mother¡¯s mind was all occupied with worrying about her father. She didn¡¯t have the spare attention to devote to the matter of Wei Ruo spending the New Year at someone else¡¯s house. The issue of Wei Ruo spending the New Year at the Yuan Residence was excessive, but at least it wouldn¡¯t pose any danger to the Wei Family. Plus, being liked by Princess Jingmin was advantageous for Wei Ruo herself and the Wei Family as well. However, the plague was a different matter. Once it broke out, bodies would be strewn everywhere, posing a threat to the lives of the family. Comparing the two, Yunshi could clearly tell which one was more critical. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Yunshi had absolutely no complaints about Wei Ruo¡¯s actions. After all, this was Wei Ruo¡¯s first New Year at home after returning, and she ended up spending it at someone else¡¯s place, which was rather excessive. Seeing Yunshi¡¯s worry, Wei Yilin quickly said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry about father. Father is a great hero, he¡¯s strong. He won¡¯t get sick!¡± Hearing Wei Yilin¡¯s innocent words, Yunshi could only hope that things would indeed turn out as he said, and nothing would go wrong. Wei Yichen wore a serious expression. He couldn¡¯t be as carefree as his younger brother. Given the current situation, there wasn¡¯t much he could do as a scholar. Each person in the room had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere was uneasy. ### Bamboo Welcoming Courtyard. Unlike the others in the residence, Wei Jinyi suspected that Wei Ruo staying at the Yuan Residence for the New Year was just an excuse. Given the ongoing epidemic in Taizhou Prefecture and Wei Ruo¡¯s medical skills, it was possible that Madam Yuan had asked Wei Ruo to treat patients and control the spread of the disease, which could be the real reason why Wei Ruo was ¡°spending the New Year¡± at the Yuan Residence. However, if that were the case, Ruoruo¡¯s predicament would be the most dangerous. She herself might contract the disease too. After pondering this, Wei Jinyi left Xiaobei at the Bamboo Welcoming Courtyard and quietly slipped past the guards of the Military Prefecture, crossing the fence to leave the Military Prefecture. ### Aside from Wei Ruo, a few well-known doctors from the Government City were also participating in the treatment of this epidemic. Madam Yuan provided them with a room for temporary rest and for discussing strategies for the epidemic. At this moment, Wei Ruo had changed her attire, joining the discussion as Xu Heyou, the alias she was under. Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t initially intended to do so in such a critical situation. However, Madam Yuan reminded her. Madam Yuan didn¡¯t want this incident to tarnish Wei Ruo¡¯s reputation or have her make any unnecessary contact with other men. So Wei Ruo used her previous disguise and participated in the meeting as Xu Heyou. To assist Wei Ruo, Xiumei naturally followed suit and changed her attire as well. Inside the room, Wei Ruo discussed the matter with the other doctors and expressed her views. ¡°Master Xu, do you think it¡¯s pneumonia? But in my many years of practice, I have seen countless cases of pneumonia. The symptoms of this disease are slightly different from the usual ones,¡± said Doctor Cheng from Zheng Yutang, the oldest and most experienced among those present. Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Together with you_l Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Together with you_l Translator: 549690339 | Wei Ruo explained, ¡°The symptoms of pneumonia do not stay the same year after year. This year, Taizhou Prefecture experienced an unusual cold weather that we have never seen before. Under such abnormal climate conditions, the appearance of mutant symptoms is possible. Wei Ruo continued, ¡°Although these patients have different complications, the signs of pneumonia are still present in all of them. Their pulse, lung sounds, and many other symptoms all indicate this. So, I have reason to infer that the likelihood of pneumonia being the cause is the greatest. Listening to Wei Ruo¡¯s explanation, Doctor Cheng felt it made some sense. Even though he was older and more experienced, he was not a stubborn old man. Doctor Cheng recognized that there were times when it was necessary to adopt the opinions of the younger generation. Especially in this case, after their group of veteran doctors could not effectively treat the disease using their past experiences, listening to new suggestions might offer a new way out. ¡°In that case, it may indeed be feasible to adjust the current pneumonia ? treatment method to see if it can have a beneficial effect on this disease,¡± Doctor Cheng remarked. He then asked the other attendees, ¡°What do you all think?¡± The others expressed support. At this moment, everyone was united in their desire to aid the recovery of the sick, reduce deaths, and decrease the number of cases. Protecting the citizens also meant protecting their own families. No one cared about who earned more credit, nor did anyone worry about whether their knowledge had been insulted. Those with great medical skills also have their own weaknesses, and they were unashamed and unwilling to lose to a young person. After determining the path forward, they began to discuss the prescriptions. They communicated and coordinated in blending the medicines. After a morning of discussion, the group settled on a new prescription. ¡°We¡¯ll administer this medication to a few of the younger patients first, Doctor Cheng suggested. Wei Ruo and the other doctors agreed with Doctor Cheng1 s proposal. Their decision was not biased towards any side, but they reasoned that if an unpredictable error occurred, younger individuals with stronger bodies could withstand the effects and would give them an opportunity for remedy. Even though this approach was risky and could potentially harm some patients1 health, it was the most practical and effective solution at the moment. They could not afford to take their time and investigate more. The longer the delay, the more people would die. In the afternoon, Wei Ruo and several other doctors attended to the selected patients. The patient chosen was the bailiff of the magistrate, who was forty years old and strong. He and his family had given consent for Wei Ruo and the others to treat him. In addition to administering medication, Wei Ruo also planned to perform acupuncture auxiliary treatment on the patient. When Wei Ruo was applying acupuncture, Doctor Cheng and the others were watching. They were amazed to find that this young man called Xu Heyou was talented. Despite his age, his acupuncture techniques were skilled and exquisite, far surpassing the seasoned doctors. After Wei Ruo finished the acupuncture, Doctor Cheng who had been silent for a while, couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Master Xu, I never expected that you, despite being so young, could handle acupuncture so expertly! Wei Ruo replied, ¡°Doctor Cheng, you¡¯re praising me too much. I still have a lot to learn from you all.¡± Wei Ruo, like everyone else, didn¡¯t become arrogant just because she was excelling at something. She recognized that these seasoned doctors might have skills she didn¡¯t master yet. She needed to learn more. After administering the acupuncture, Wei Ruo instructed the patient to take the medication before resting. Their medicine was not a miracle drug; even if it worked, it would take some time to take effect. During this period, Wei Ruo and the others would take turns in keeping watch. The others would not rest either. Some brewed medicines, some processed the herbs, some consulted medical books, and some gave instructions to Madam Yuan¡¯s subordinates. Everyone did their part; no one slacked off. ### In the evening, Wei Ruo snuck a moment of respite in the break room where she hurriedly nibbled on a couple of mantou (Chinese bread), while her right hand flipped through a medical book. As she ate, a figure suddenly appeared before her. Wei Ruo looked up to see who it was and was surprised. ¡°Second Brother?¡± Confirming that it was Wei Jinyi, she turned to look out the window for a moment. The guards inside and outside the courtyard were still on duty, preventing outsiders from casually entering and exiting. But it was clear that the guards could not keep the second brother out, nor had they noticed that someone had sneaked in. Wei Ruo then turned back and said to Wei Jinyi, ¡°Second Brother, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to see you,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°I guessed.¡± ¡°Your guess is remarkably accurate,¡± Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but remark. Wei Jinyi knew that Wei Ruo must have been helping Madam Yuan. It just took him some time to find this place. Wei Jinyi¡¯s eyes fell onto the big white bread in Wei Ruo¡¯s hands, ¡°Is this all you¡¯re having for dinner?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quick to prepare, and I don¡¯t have much time. It¡¯s not just mantou, but also stir-fried shredded meat with pickled vegetables. The taste isn¡¯t too bad when you stuff the pickled vegetables in the bread,¡± Wei Ruo explained. Wei Jinyi, however, frowned and then asked, ¡°How¡¯s the situation? Are you in danger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Brother. I have a strong body. Even if I really get infected, I can withstand it.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll get infected?¡± Wei Jinyi read between the lines. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t answer, tacitly confirming his deduction. She couldn¡¯t avoid coming into contact with the patients now. Even if she had the protective gear, which was not the case, she would still be at risk of getting infected because of her need to administer acupuncture and closely observe patients. SeeingWeiJinyi¡¯sgloomyface.WeiRuotriedtoreassurehim, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t worry too much about me. I have confidence in treating this disease. Besides, I have a strong immune system and am not easily infected. Even if I do get infected, I can cure myself.¡± Although she hadn¡¯t cured any patient at the moment, Wei Ruo felt that her judgement was correct. Coupled with her discussion with the other doctors in the morning, she felt a high chance of success. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s confident face, Wei Jinyi said, ¡°I trust you, I¡¯ll stay and keep you company.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Wei Ruo refused. ¡°You said you¡¯re confident in finding a cure, and I trust you. Unless you¡¯re lying to me and you¡¯re actually not confident,¡± Wei Jinyi countered. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then there¡¯s nothing wrong with me staying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own business to take care of, Second Brother? You¡¯ve finally gotten a few days off at home, shouldn¡¯t you take a good rest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in fine health and don¡¯t need extra rest. Besides, I don¡¯t think this is a good time to relax,¡± Wei Jinyi stated. Almost everyone in Taizhou Prefecture was suffering from hunger and illness due to the upheaval. How could this be a time to relax? Weo Ruo thought about it and mumbled, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t agree, you¡¯ll still come, won¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Someone to Accompany on New Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Someone to Accompany on New Year¡¯s Eve_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi¡¯s reply was undoubtedly affirmative. After some contemplation, Wei Ruo gave in. Wei Ruo agreed, ¡°Alright then, I will speak with them later. You can help as my friend.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± So, Wei Jinyi stayed. He changed into more convenient short clothes and busied himself by Wei Ruo¡¯s side. That evening, Wei Jinyi and Wei Ruo kept busy until almost midnight. Today was New Year1 s Eve, a time that should be filled with family joy, but tonight there was no heart for celebration in this small courtyard. Wei Ruo stood in the yard, looking up at the bright moon in the sky, her thoughts a tangle. Unmelted snow, disease coming again. This end of the year was filled with hardship, sorrow, and partings. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Nothing much, just feeling a bit melancholy about this year. So many people will die.¡± Starvation, freezing, disease, each word representing countless lives. ¡°As is the nature of the world, the earth is indifferent to the struggles of its creatures. But the people of Taizhou prefecture are lucky. They have a dedicated magistrate, a compassionate Princess Jingmin, and you¡­¡± Wei Jinyi turned to look at Wei Ruo. Her petite figure housed a resilient spirit, her eyes filled with unyielding determination in the face of adversity, as well as mercy and compassion for the people. ¡°Second Brother, once you¡¯ve accomplished what you wish to, you should study hard and work towards becoming a good official. That way, you can still do something for the people,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°I will,¡± replied Wei Jinyi, looking seriously at Wei Ruo. A little while later, Wei Jinyi said to Wei Ruo, ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day and you need rest now. Let me escort you back to your room. ¡°Second Brother, let¡¯s stay up together to welcome the New Year,¡± Wei Ruo said. After all, it was New Year¡¯s Eve, and Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to go to sleep yet. She wanted to be with someone when the new year arrives. As Xiumei had been busy all day, Wei Ruo had ordered her to rest earlier. Now, only Wei Jinyi remained by her side. ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Jinyi agreed immediately, apparently willing to accompany her in anything she wished to do. Because the courtyard outside was filled with piled-up snow, and the outdoor chill, Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi moved to the room. They shifted the table to the front of the window, and opened the window. There was a brazier nearby with tea boiling on top Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi sat side by side. Wei Ruo leaned against the window while Wei Jinyi sat next to her. Perhaps due to the peculiar circumstances, Wei Jinyi did not refuse to sit next to Wei Ruo as he usually would have for fear of impropriety. The rosy glow from the brazier coloured Wei Ruo¡¯s face with a similar hue. The light seemed to flicker in her bright eyes and Wei Jinyi found himself enchanted as he watched her. Unaware of Wei Jinyi¡¯s gaze, Wei Ruo quietly watched the scene outside the window. The surroundings were so quiet that it felt as though one could hear the sound of time passing by. In a daze, Wei Ruo remembered her past life, when she was alone in the big city for her studies. Even during the festive seasons, she avoided returning home to escape her alcoholic and abusive father. All her dorm mates had gone home, leaving her alone in the dormitory where she sat by the window, watching the sky outside as the countdown to the New Year began. In the years before, she had Meimei, nanny, uncle Xu and Brother Xiaoyong by her side. Their cheerful banter and laughter filled every moment, pushmg away the darker memories of her past life for a long time. However, this year, these memories re-emerged for some reason. Perhaps it was because fewer people were around, or maybe it was because the year had been more difficult than the previous ones. But upon reflection, things were still better now. After all, now she had a loved one by her side who cared for her, unlike the lonely years from before. After a while, Wei Jinyi suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned his head to find that Wei Ruo had fallen asleep, resting on his shoulder. She must have been exhausted, yet for some reason, she insisted on staying awake to usher in the New Year with him. A little while later, Wei Jinyi carefully lifted Wei Ruo and placed her on the bed. He removed her shoes and covered her with a blanket. The flickering candlelight cast an enchanting glow on Wei Ruo¡¯s face, leaving Wei Jinyi in a daze as he watched her. After what seemed like a long while, he finally got up, blew out the candle, carefully closed the door of the room and left. ### The next day, Wei Ruo woke up early, her mind still preoccupied. The day had just dawned. Today was New Year¡¯s Day, but Wei Ruo had to rush to see her patients from the day before. Wei Ruo was up early, but Doctor Cheng was already up before her. ¡°Good morning, Doctor Cheng,¡± Wei Ruo greeted. ¡°Look, Master Xu, Chief Constable Xing¡¯s fever has subsided!¡± Doctor Cheng¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. Wei Ruo immediately went over to examine him and confirmed that the fever was indeed gone. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Wei Ruo asked Chief Constable Xing. ¡°My throat¡¯s a bit sore, but my head doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, and the body aches are mostly bearable,¡± replied Chief Constable Xing, his voice hoarse but strong, and he looked much better. ¡°I sweated a lot last night, soaked through my bedding. I just changed into dry bedding, and I¡¯m feeling a lot better,¡± Chief Constable Xing added. ¡°This is excellent, excellent! A very good sign!¡± Doctor Cheng exclaimed excitedly. This was the best improvement he had witnessed among patients with these symptoms so far. Even if others didn¡¯t lose their lives, their conditions didn¡¯t improve as significantly as this and they were mostly still weak. Then Doctor Cheng spoke again to Wei Ruo, ¡°Master Xu, your methods work! The diagnosis of pneumonia is correct! joy spread across Wei Ruo¡¯s face; their method being effective was the most gratifying news. ¡°In that case, we should experiment on a few more patients today. Then, based on the different conditions and body constitutions of more patients, we could further explore and improve our prescriptions and the Acupuncture Technique,¡± Wei Ruo suggested. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go by your suggestion!¡± Doctor Cheng approved of Wei Ruo¡¯s idea. Not long after Wei Ruo woke up, the other doctors also rose from their beds. They shared the same worry for their patients¡¯ conditions, and thus had no heart to continue sleeping. Madam Yuan specially sent over some glutinous rice balls as breakfast. It is a custom here to have glutinous rice balls for the first meal of the New Year¡¯s Day, symbolising togetherness. After a hurried breakfast, they started their new day of work. Today they would try to treat more patients with the trial medicines and techniques. Their workload was even more than the day before. This time, they selected patients with a wider age range, some as old as fifty. They specifically selected patients with a variety of symptoms in order to gain more comprehensive understanding of the disease and better improve their prescriptions. Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Teaching Everyone the Needle Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Teaching Everyone the Needle Technique_l Translator: 549690339 Medicine prescriptions are not fixed; responding to different complications that appear on the patients, the doctors would also make some adjustments based on their years of experience. Wei Jinyi and Xiumei were also not idle. Although they didn¡¯t understand medical skills, there were many things they could do, such as moving things, processing herbs, and assisting Wei Ruo like bodyguards. Xiumei was used to doing these, but seeing Wei Jinyi, who was always polite and refined, doing these things, she felt somewhat incredible. She heard people in the prefecture saying that the second young master hardly had any dealings with the people in the prefecture, let alone those outside, and seemed indifferent to everything. But now he was helping his mistress do things that only servants would do in ordinary times, it seems that the second young master treats their mistress very differently. ### After the continuous efforts of six doctors including Wei Ruo from the first to the third day of the New Year, the condition of the first eight patients who had received treatment had significantly improved. Among them, Police Chief Xing who received the treatment first and had a robust physique, had fully recovered, and was no different from a healthy person. Once confirmed the effective prescription, it was needed to start boiling the medicine in large quantities and deliver it to all patients inside and outside the city. However, a large amount of medicinal materials had not been purchased yet, and Madam Yuan was still trying to find a solution. Right now, what Wei Ruo and others could use were the existing stocks in the city. They had moved all the medicinal materials from various pharmacies in the city. Due to the disturbance of the Japanese pirates and the constant wars, the whole Taizhou prefecture had been in a state of medicinal material scarcity for many years. It was difficult to obtain even more supplies after the intervention of Mr. and Mrs. Yuan. But if there were only these medicinal materials, it would be far from enough. Just these few days of medication had already used nearly half of the amount, and the remaining would only be enough for about ten people at most. Yet, the number of sick people was far more than that, and there were at least over a hundred people infected with this disease as far as they knew. There were also many unknown cases, those who were unable to notify the Government Office, would not make a small figure. This made the doctors who were originally supposed to be happy fell silent. Dr. Cheng regretfully said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to come up with a plan, but it¡¯s defeated by the lack of medicinal materials! People are dying every day from this disease! If the medicine could be used immediately, many people would have a chance to live!¡± The other doctors also showed painful expressions, one after another. Seeing everyone¡¯s downturned mood, Wei Ruo said, ¡°Although we are temporarily out of medicine, we still have acupuncture techniques. The treatment of the previous eight patients has already shown that my acupuncture technique is effective and can help patients alleviate their conditions to a certain extent.¡± Hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, the other five doctors all looked at her in unison. Doctor Cheng said, ¡°But Wei Ruo, you¡¯re the only one who knows this. With patients all over the city, how can you save them all?¡± Wei Ruo said: ¡°I am not the only one, don¡¯t we still have you?¡± Doctor Cheng said, ¡°But we don¡¯t understand the set of acupuncture techniques you use.¡± All the doctors knew acupuncture, which was a basic training for them, but the skill level varied. Some were more skilled, some were not so much. ¡°I will teach you the set of acupuncture techniques that I use on patients, so it won¡¯t just be me,¡± Wei Ruo replied. Hearing this, everyone showed incredulous expressions. Would this young master actually share her unique skills with them? As doctors, they knew how precious a sophisticated acupuncture technique was. Some doctors could become renowned in their field just by having a technique that was particularly effective at treating a certain disease, allowing them to live without worries. Some people had to kowtow to a master and enter his school to learn a sophisticated needle technique. Such precious things, most people would not be willing to easily teach to others, especially their peers. Wei Ruo explained, ¡°In fact, you have all been present when I applied acupuncture in the past few days. If you wanted to learn secretly, you could have done so already, but you didn¡¯t. After watching half of my treatment during the first time, you all avoided watching the whole process after that.¡± Doctor Cheng said, ¡°This is the rule, you can¡¯t learn secretly without becoming apprentices. We can¡¯t break the rules just because it¡¯s a special situation now.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°It shows that all of you gentlemen have pure hearts. Teaching my method of acupuncture to you would benefit more people, and there is nothing inappropriate about it. Moreover, it is a critical time now. Every additional person who knows this technique can save more lives. How can I worry about my own interests?¡± This acupuncture technique was only one of the many she mastered, and she didn¡¯t mind giving this one away. Moreover, when her master taught her, he said that good medical skills were meant to benefit others, and as long as the people learning had a genuine medical heart, they did not have to be rigid about being peers or opponents. Wei Ruo¡¯s words left the remaining five doctors at a loss for words, with surprise, excitement, and gratitude written all over their faces. In the end, the oldest, Dr. Cheng, spoke on behalf of everyone: ¡°Master Wei, you have a noble character. We are grateful for your kindness.¡± At this moment, there was no need to say much more. Only by learning well and then going to treat more people, could they live up to Master Wei¡¯s trust in them. Wei Ruo nodded, then took out paper and pen, skillfully drawing the acupoints on the human body. Then, she circled the acupuncture points on the image in order and explained to everyone the purpose of each point. Everyone listened attentively, showing surprised expressions from time to time, marveling at the sophistication of the needle technique. At first, they only knew that this needle technique combined with the medicine they discussed was effective for patients. But today, after listening to Master Wei¡¯s explanation, they truly felt the mystery of it and Master Wei¡¯s superb medical skills. After Wei Ruo finished the explanation, she asked everyone, ¡°Are there any questions?¡± Everyone shook their head to indicate that they had no questions. Master Wei had explained to them in great detail, and they were all people with a foundation in medical skills. If there were any issues, they would probably be unable to memorize everything the first time around. They would need to copy the diagram and look at it repeatedly. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then, time waits for no one,¡± Wei Ruo said. Everyone nodded. Then, everyone split up and went to the homes of the registered patients in the designated areas to treat the patients. Some people suggested gathering these patients in one place for ease of control and treatment. However, with the current weather conditions and snow and ice on the roads, moving patients, especially those in serious condition, would be extremely difficult. They would have to worry about the patients getting injured again from the bumps and cold on the road, and about more people being infected along the way. So after discussing, they decided it would be harder for Wei Ruo and the other doctors. They would do their best to visit these people¡¯s homes to provide treatment. For those with milder conditions, they could ask relatives to come to the Government Office to collect medicine for them to take home.. Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Life is More Valuable, No Matter the Costl Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Life is More Valuable, No Matter the Costl Translator: 549690339 On the fifth day of the first month, the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature had risen slightly. The accumulated snow had finally begun to melt, as if predicting that the gloom enveloping Taizhou Prefecture was beginning to fade. Many households still kept their doors tightly shut, as did the Military Prefecture. However, the Wei Family also received good news. Wei Mingting sent a message back home. In his letter, he informed his family that he was safe and sound, and there was no sickness in the army, reassuring his wife and children. In addition, the Japanese pirates had been quiet for the past few days, which was a piece of good news among the many bad ones in Taizhou Prefecture. Upon receiving the news that her husband was safe and unharmed, Madam Yun let out a big sigh of relief, and her heart, which had been hanging in the balance, temporarily settled down. ¡°Heaven bless us, your father is fine, everything is well.¡± After dinner, Madam Yun joyfully relayed the news to Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan. Wei Yichen was delighted, then inquired about Wei Ruo: ¡°Mother, is there any news from my eldest sister?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s expression fell slightly, her joy fading: ¡°No news. She is probably too happy to think about us in the Yuan Residence. People who don¡¯t know might even think she¡¯s part of their family.¡± Her tone was tinged with annoyance and bitterness. After all, Wei Ruo was her own daughter, a piece of her flesh and blood. How could her actions during the festival not break a mother¡¯s heart? Sensing Madam Yun¡¯s anger, Wei Yichen wasn¡¯t sure how to comfort her. From New Year¡¯s Eve to the fifth day of the New Year, staying away from home indeed seemed concerning. Even their busy father had written a letter home, but their big sister residing in the Yuan Residence didn¡¯t even send a word. ¡°Mother, I plan to go to the prefecture¡¯s office later to bring big sister home,¡± Wei Yichen said. Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan hurriedly expressed her concern: ¡°Elder brother, I heard that the plague outside is still very severe. It¡¯s dangerous for you to leave the house rashly.¡± Madam Yun also disapproved of Wei Yichen¡¯s action: ¡°Your sister is right. If anything needs to be done, let the servants of the residence handle it. You should stay at home and study for this year¡¯s examination.¡± Wei Yichen said, ¡°The situation under the control of the magistrate¡¯s office is quite manageable. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that severe. Besides, I won¡¯t linger on the streets when I leave the house. I¡¯ll go directly to the magistrate¡¯s office, so there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.¡± ¡°If elder brother insists on going, then let me go on your behalf,¡± Wei Qingwan volunteered bravely, ¡°Even if I get sick, it doesn¡¯t matter. But it¡¯s different for elder brother. You¡¯re attending the examination this year. There can¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± Seeing the worried look in Wei Qingwan¡¯s eyes, Wei Yichen hesitated. Although he thought it was not a big deal, it was indeed unpleasant to cause his mother and sister such worry. After some thought, Wei Yichen gave up the idea of going to fetch Wei Ruo: ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go for now. I suppose big sister is safe staying at the prefecture¡¯s office.¡± And so, the matter was set aside for the time being. ### In the small courtyard, having finished her work, Wei Ruo found Wei Jinyi. ¡°Second Brother, I need a favor. Could you go back to the Military Prefecture and get some wine for me?¡± Wei Ruo asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°What do you need the wine for?¡± Wei Jinyi asked. ¡°Using strong alcohol for cleaning is a way to prevent infections. I left six jars of baijiu in the storage room in the residence. It¡¯s high-proof and works especially well,¡± explained Wei Ruo. Although the alcohol percentage of the wine was not as high as 75%, it was still between 40 to 50%. Using it is certainly better than not using any at all. Lady Xiumei knew where the wine was stored, but as a maid, it would be troublesome for her to leave and return to the residence, and she might be stopped. Therefore, Wei Ruo had to ask Wei Jinyi a favor. ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Jinyi agreed. Then Wei Ruo handed him the key to her small storage room: ¡°This is the key. The wine is in the corner on the right after you enter. The jars with red paper on them are the ones. Plus, try to avoid contact with anyone on your way home.¡± Wei Jinyi stared at the key in his hand for a couple of seconds, then nodded: ¡°I understand.¡± With the key in hand, Wei Jinyi set off to fetch the wine for Wei Ruo. When he left the residence, he scaled the wall so as not to alert anyone, and he did the same when he returned, without disturbing the residence¡¯s guards. Seeing Wei Jinyi return, Xiaobei greeted him enthusiastically, ¡°Young Master, you are finally back. I was worried that our cover would be blown without you here these past few days.¡± Luckily, their mistress didn¡¯t care much for the young master and the lord hadn¡¯t returned. As a result, no one specifically sought out the young master during the New Year, allowing them to keep up appearances. However, Wei Jinyi avoided him, maintaining a distance of six or seven feet. ¡°I¡¯m leaving once I¡¯ve fetched what I need. You stay at the residence, cover for me if you can. If you can¡¯t and we¡¯re exposed, that¡¯s alright too,¡± Wei Jinyi was not worried that his secret departure from the residence would be discovered. It would save trouble if it wasn¡¯t discovered, and if it was, it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem for him either. After he finished speaking, Wei Jinyi climbed over three walls and went to Tingsong Garden. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Xiaobei only managed to call out ¡°Young Master,¡± before the man was out of sight. Xiaobei sighed helplessly: ¡°Ah, I was going to say, since we¡¯re not afraid of being discovered, why not take me with you? I could also help out Lady Xiumei.¡± Wei Jinyi fetched all six jars of Wei Ruo¡¯s wine from the storage room. It was impossible to carry all six jars by hand. Wei Jinyi found some straw ropes, and after some weaving, he tied all the jars together. This way, he could lift all six jars at once. Even with the added weight of six jars of wine, Wei Jinyi was still able to leave without making a sound and without being discovered by the guards in the residence. Wei Jinyi successfully delivered the wine to the small courtyard where Wei Ruo and others were living and working. Wei Ruo then instructed Doctor Cheng and others to wash their hands with this wine and spray it all over their bodies every day after work. Disinfecting with wine was a time-honored method that all the doctors understood. However, the wine they usually used was murky rice wine. Seeing that the wine Wei Ruo brought was not only clear but also had a strong fragrance, it was evidently expensive baijiu. ¡°Mr. Xu, this wine of yours could sell for quite a bit of money. It¡¯s not appropriate for us to use it to wash our hands, is it?¡± Doctor Cheng couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°The stronger the wine, the better it works. Although this wine is valuable, our lives are far more valuable,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Regardless of how much Wei Ruo loved money, she would never equate money with life. She knew very well what was more valuable. ¡°That¡¯s true. The best disinfectant is strong alcohol. But your generosity truly makes us admire you,¡± Doctor Cheng said with emotion. ¡°Never mind all that. As long as we can all survive, silver or wine, we¡¯ll have them again in the future,¡± said Wei Ruo. Everyone nodded in agreement. Over the past few days, they had been amazed by Wei Ruo¡¯s words and actions more than once. There was not much else to say. They just kept their feelings of gratitude and admiration in their hearts, hoping to express their thanks when the opportunity arose.. Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Chapter 213 They All Misunderstood l Chapter 213: Chapter 213 They All Misunderstood l Translator: 549690339 I On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the medicinal herbs arrived at last, having been transported in three large carts by people dispatched by Lady Yuan. Having received the herbs, everyone could not help but rejoice. The entire courtyard filled with the strong scent of herbs. No one perceived this odor as unpleasant, because it represented hope. Pots of herbal medicine were then sent out from the courtyard to the homes of every patient. Meanwhile, Wei Ruo once again sent a message to Lady Yuan, requesting the Government Office to conduct a door-to-door census of the sick, ensuring that no patient was overlooked. Since the disease was infectious, a single overlooked case could cause an endless array of problems. Fortunately, due to the heavy snowfall and the general fear of the plague, most of the city¡¯s citizens chose to stay indoors. This substantially reduced the large-scale spread of the plague during this period. The bodies of all deceased patients, their worn clothes, and some personal items needed to be promptly incinerated by staff dispatched by the Government Office. The ashes could then be returned to the families. After receiving Wei Ruo¡¯s letter, Lady Yuan promptly informed her husband, Yuan Zhengqin, and arranged for the necessary measures to be taken. ### The tenth day of the Lunar New Year. Wei Ruo had not yet returned to the Military Prefecture. Madam Yun had given Wei Ruo plenty of allowance, but there were limits. Even if invited to spend the New Year at someone else¡¯s house, propriety dictated that Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t stay away until the tenth day of the Lunar New Year without any communication. So, Madam Yun decided to send Jing Hu to the Yuan Residence to inquire about the situation. When Wei Yichen found out about this, he once again insisted on bringing Wei Ruo back home himself. ¡°Mother, the Yuan Residence is not like other households, it is more prudent for me to go in person.¡± If a servant was sent and failed to handle the matter properly, it could have left a bad impression on the Yuan family. They were of lower status compared to the influential Yuan, and even during extraordinary times, they should respect their superiors and not abandon courtesy. Concluding that his reasoning was sound, and considering that the situation seemed to be improving these few days with many families beginning to emerge from their homes, Madam Yun agreed with Wei Yichen. ¡°You go straight there and come straight back. Do not delay on the way. Take the carriage and don¡¯t ride a horse, to avoid contact with others.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Wei Yichen. Wei Yichen then left promptly, taking a horse carriage as Madam Yun had suggested. The servant driving the carriage had a handkerchief covering half of his face, which was a preventive measure recommended by the Government Office to avoid contagion from the plague. Though people did not understand the rationale, they adopted the practice faithfully. Upon reaching the side gate of the Yuan Residence, Wei Yichen informed the guard of his purpose, and the guard asked him to wait. A short while later, the guard returned with a message from Lady Yuan. ¡°Young Master Wei, I apologize. My mistress says she was negligent; she was so busy that she forgot to inform your family. Miss Wei has been assisting my mistress in handling the plague situation at the Government Office these past few days. Due to the critical situation, the people of Taizhou prefecture still need Miss Wei, so she cannot return home with you just yet.¡± ¡°You mean, my elder sister has been dealing with the plague situation all these days?¡± Wei Yichen said, showing surprise. ¡°Yes, all the tasks related to the plague in the city have been coordinated and arranged by Miss Wei. A significant part of the success in controlling the plague so quickly is attributed to her.¡± Upon hearing the guard¡¯s explanation, Wei Yichen was instantly shocked. He had never imagined that the reason his elder sister had not returned home all these days was because of this! They had all misunderstood her! Still in shock, Wei Yichen listened as the guard continued, ¡°My mistress also asked me to tell you to not misunderstand the situation. The reason she forgot to notify your family these days was due to her own oversight. Miss Wei has been incredibly busy, with hardly any time to sleep, let alone attend to such matters. It was certainly not her intention to keep your family uninformed.¡± ¡°Today, my mistress and Miss Wei are unable to meet with you. Especially Miss Wei, she has been in contact with numerous patients to facilitate better coordination of work, and may have become infected at any moment. Hence, she cannot have any contact with others until the plague has been entirely eliminated.¡± Deeply moved, Wei Yichen replied, ¡°I understand. If possible, please pass a message to my elder sister and reassure her that everything is fine at home. Also, ask her to take good care of herself.¡± ¡°I will relay your message to my mistress,¡± replied the guard. When Wei Yichen returned to the Military Prefecture, he immediately went to see Madam Yun. At this time, Wei Qingwan was with her. Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t returned home the entire New Year, whereas Wei Qingwan had been by her side all along. Consequently, the difference between the two sisters had become more prominent in Madam Yun¡¯s heart. ¡°Has Ruoruo returned?¡± said Madam Yun anxiously as she saw Wei Yichen. ¡°No,¡± Wei Yichen replied. ¡°What? She doesn¡¯t want to come back yet? Does she consider the Yuan Residence her own home now?¡± Madam Yun became instantly infuriated. Wei Qingwan hurriedly tried to soothe her, ¡°Mother, calm down, getting upset isn¡¯t good for you. You have already exerted yourself too much, and your health is showing signs of deterioration.¡± Madam Yun complained in irritation, ¡°If only Ruoruo were as considerate as you are, I wouldn¡¯t have to get upset!¡± Wei Yichen hastily explained, ¡°Mother, elder sister is not simply visiting the Yuan Residence. She is working on the plague issue! All the arrangements regarding the plague in the city are being managed by her. She even had to make contact with the patients in order to help them. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t come home!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Madam Yun exclaimed, her eyes wide open with astonishment. Wei Qingwan, standing by her side, too, wore an incredulous expression. ¡°The servant from the Yuan Residence, relaying Lady Yuan¡¯s message, said that elder sister has been busy dealing with the plague since the thirtieth day of the last month. She has barely been able to sleep due to her efforts,¡± Wei Yichen reported faithfully. Despite Wei Yichen¡¯s explanation, Madam Yun still struggled to believe it, ¡°Are you certain? Ruoruo is even handling such a major issue as the plague? She¡¯s just a maiden¡­¡± ¡°These words were passed on by Lady Yuan¡¯s messenger. They can¡¯t be mistaken. If not, why would Lady Yuan credit elder sister with such a monumental feat?¡± replied Wei Yichen. Dealing with a plague was not a small matter and, if attributed to Magistrate Yuan, it would be regarded as a significant achievement. Hearing these words, Madam Yun¡¯s anger instantly subsided, replaced by deep concern, ¡°So is there a chance that Ruoruo might become infected?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a possibility. As you know, mother, the plague is infectious. Elder sister is risking her life in dealing with it,¡± answered Wei Yichen. ¡°That child, why did she embark on such a dangerous task without saying a word!¡± exclaimed Madam Yun, more worried than angry now. After a moment of being dumbfounded, Wei Qingwan asked Wei Yichen, ¡°But why didn¡¯t elder sister contact us all these days?¡± Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Rabbit Flower Lantern 1 Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Rabbit Flower Lantern 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Wei Yichen explained, ¡°Firstly, my younger sister really doesn¡¯t have much time. The epidemic is a complex matter, and she¡¯s busy from morning to night. Secondly, I think my younger sister doesn¡¯t want us to worry much about her. Currently, all this is conveyed to us by Madam Yuan. If it were my younger sister, she might consider hiding it from us.¡± The word was not conveyed by Madam Yuan, but was Wei Yichen¡¯s own speculation. Hearing this, Lady Yun had no resentment or dissatisfaction towards Wei Ruo left in her heart, only consisting of shame and worry. ¡°I never realized Ruo was busying herself with such a big matter. I truly have wronged and misunderstood her.¡± Remarkably, Lady Yun admitted her own mistake. After all, the matter was too significant, and her daughter is now in danger. If it goes wrong, she might not be able to return. Wei Yichen also said, ¡°As an elder brother, I am both proud and somewhat ashamed. Our study is supposed to benefit the people and appeal on behalf of the people. However, my younger sister has done it a step ahead of me.¡± Hearing Wei Yichen¡¯s words, Lady Yun couldn¡¯t help but her heart stir somewhat. Perhaps the eldest daughter was indeed more like her husband. It¡¯s a pity she wasn¡¯t bom a son; otherwise, she might have been able to succeed her father better than Yilin. Wei Qingwan lowered her head once again after looking at Lady Yun and Wei Yichen¡¯s expressions. She had originally thought that Wei Qingruo¡¯s actions this time would indeed provoke her mother¡¯s anger and her elder brother¡¯s aversion. However, it unexpectedly resulted in a completely opposite outcome. Her right hand unconsciously clenched her skirt tightly, and her heart was occupied by feelings of regret and sorrow. ### The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. Madam Yuan sent a large table of good food to the small courtyard to show appreciation for the people who¡¯ve worked hard for more than half a month. Doctor Cheng took the lead, asking everyone to take a break, sit down, and eat well. Eating a full meal and having a good rest would be the best way to restore their spirits and work more efficiently. A few people sat at the table. Compared to when they first arrived, they were noticeably thinner, even including Wei Ruo. Fortunately, everyone had a robust foundation, so no one has been infected yet, nor has anyone fainted from exhaustion. Although everyone was still busy and couldn¡¯t afford to slack off, their appetites and spirits were much better than before. This was because conditions were improving, patients were recovering every day, and the number of sufferers was decreasing daily. So, when facing the good food on the table, everyone¡¯s appetites improved distinctly. Looking at the chicken, duck, and fish in front of him, Doctor Cai from Baoshan Hall sighed, ¡°Though we¡¯ve been a bit busy and tired these days, the Commandery Princess hasn¡¯t mistreated us. Our meals are very sumptuous every day, with both fish and meat. Compared to those who starve or freeze to death outside, we don¡¯t know how fortunate we are.¡± Doctor Cai¡¯s own encounter with Wei Ruo was when Wei Ruo pretended to be sick to get rid of Wei Qingwan. At that time, Doctor Cai from Baoshan Hall was the one Lady Yun called to diagnose Wei Ruo. However, she diagnosed Wei Ruo from behind a curtain and didn¡¯t see Wei Ruo¡¯s face. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about these things for now. These matters are for the government officials to handle. What we can do now is the work at hand. Saving one more life is already something,¡± added Doctor Cheng. The others nodded in agreement. After lunch, they took a brief rest. Doctor Cheng took the opportunity to tell Wei Ruo, ¡°Young Master Xu, you should take more rest.¡± ¡öTm fine, I¡¯m young. Doctor Cheng should take care of himself,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Doctor Cheng¡¯s face softened into smile as he advised, ¡°You¡¯re a good child, but you are a girl after all. There is nothing wrong being a little vulnerable at times. You don¡¯t have to show strength in everything and act like a man.¡± Wei Ruo revealed a surprised expression. Had Doctor Cheng already discovered her disguise? Was her disguise such a failure? Even after using a disguise mask, was she still recognized? Seeing the surprise on Wei Ruo¡¯s face, Doctor Cheng confessed, ¡°Young Master Xu, you¡¯ve disguised yourself very well. I didn¡¯t notice anything when we first interacted. However, we¡¯ve been together day and night for half a month. As a doctor, I have an exceptional insight into people¡¯s characteristics. Therefore, I discovered the truth.¡± He continued, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I know there must be a strong reason for you to conceal your real identify. I won¡¯t reveal your secret, and I won¡¯t belittle you for being a woman. On the contrary, I am more impressed by you. I have told you this so you will take good care of yourself. Please don¡¯t blame me for judging that girls are naturally weaker than boys, in terms of physical strength.¡± Doctor Cheng was already in his fifties, and Wei Ruo was starting her fourteenth year. In Doctor Cheng¡¯s eyes, Wei Ruo was just like his granddaughter, hence the additional layer of affection and care. Hearing Doctor Cheng¡¯s words, Wei Ruo let down her guard. ¡°Thank you, Doctor Cheng,¡± Wei Ruo expressed her gratitude. ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± You should thank all of us. During these days, you¡¯ve made significant contributions to all of us and the entire city,¡± Doctor Cheng seriously replied. Wei Ruo gave a small smile, and soon the pair returned to work. ### By the time of Zi Shi (midnight, 11 PM -1 AM), Wei Ruo planned to go to bed. Suddenly, Wei Jinyi appeared at Wei Ruo¡¯s door holding a rabbit lantern. ¡°A lantern? Where did you get it?¡± Wei Ruo asked in surprise. All the Lantern Festival activities were cancelled in Government City this year, almost no one was selling lanterns. Even if someone did, Wei Jinyi couldn¡¯t interact with outsiders like they did. ¡°I made it,¡± replied Wei Jinyi. ¡°You made this?¡± Wei Ruo was even more surprised. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your hands are really crafty, brother. If your studies don¡¯t work out, you could open a small lantern shop and support yourself,¡± she joked. Wei Jinyi did not respond, and Wei Ruo continued, ¡°Why a rabbit lantern?¡± ¡°You said rabbit meat is delicious,¡± answered Wei Jinyi. You still want to eat the spicy version. Wei Ruo recalled that she had said this when they were at home. However, making a rabbit lantern for this reason was quite a unique approach! Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She took the special rabbit lantern from Wei Jinyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡± ¡°Yes, rest early,¡± Wei Jinyi didn¡¯t stay long. Tomorrow, Wei Ruo would have to get up early and continue her hectic work. Wei Jinyi did not want to impact her precious rest time. After Wei Jinyi left, Wei Ruo closed the door and hung the rabbit lantern by the window where she could see it from her bed. Gazing at the lantern, the comers of Wei Ruo¡¯s mouth curl into a smile. Carrying that smile, she soon fell asleep.. Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Successful Return to Mansion_l Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Successful Return to Mansion_l Translator: 549690339 February 20th. Without any realization, more than half of February has already passed. The epidemic is finally drawing to a close. Because of the timely management and effective measures, the spread of the disease was well controlled. It did not spread outside Taizhou Prefecture and also minimized the casualty figures. With the recovery of the last patient, people like Wei Ruo could finally rest. However, they were not yet able to return home, needing to stay at the small courtyard for a few more days to ensure no one amongst them was infected. Finding some leisure time, Wei Ruo¡¯s first task was to sleep in, only reluctantly waking up when her belly started grumbling with hunger at high noon. Today¡¯s meal was not brought in by Madam Yuan from the Family residence, but was cooked by Xiumei. ¡°I have cooked some homestyle dishes for the young master and the doctors and also prepared some good wine.¡± Xiumei said. No one had drunk wine in the past few days because all the wine was used for washing hands. ¡°Is it that good wine brought by your young master?¡± Doctor Cheng asked hurriedly. The wine was truly fragrant, but at that time no one thought about it, pouring wine all over their hands, bodies, and clothes, without taking a single sip. ¡°Yes. When there was only half a jar from my young master¡¯s good wine left, Sister Qingyi knew we needed more white wine, she then sent a few jars of good wine over from the prefecture¡¯s office, as a result, the half jar from my young master was left behind.¡± Xiumei explained. ¡°Come, come, let me taste the good wine that your young master has been keeping!¡± Doctor Cheng said laughingly, already impatient. Everyone else also joined in. Not that everyone was excessively fond of drinking, but after being busy for more than twenty days, they finally saw a clear sky after a long overcast period, so there was a need to celebrate, and drinking was just for the occasion. Sitting together with good food and wine, Wei Ruo naturally also drank a little, although not excessively, merely tasting a few glasses, accompanying everyone in their joy. Wei Jinyi still didn¡¯t touch a drop, being the only one among them who didn¡¯t. However, he was also affected by the joyful atmosphere of everyone else, especially Wei Ruo¡¯s. He could feel the laughter that she emitted from the depths of her heart, that kind of lighthearted joyful feeling. Her open laughter was a stark contrast to her demeanor when facing family at home. ### On February 22nd, everyone could finally leave the small courtyard. Magistrate Yuan sent someone to escort all the doctors home, while Wei Ruo was first taken to the residence by Madam Yuan. After freshening up and changing her clothes, Madam Yuan then sent her back to the Military Prefecture. When sending Wei Ruo onto the carriage, Madam Yuan told her, ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken with your family. During these past few days, you have been at my residence helping me manage and coordinate all affairs related to the epidemic.¡± Upon hearing this, something warmed inside Wei Ruo. This was Madam Yuan¡¯s way of helping her. She made sure that her absence was justified during these days while giving credit to her identity as Wei Qingruo. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± ¡°No need for thanks. This is indeed your accomplishment. I am merely changing the method of explanation and there is no exaggeration in it at all.¡± Madam Yuan said. Wei Ruo and Madam Yuan looked at each other and laughed. Madam Yuan said, ¡°Alright, go home quickly, rest well for a few days, look at you, you¡¯ve become severely thin.¡± After saying this, Madam Yuan instructed the coachman and the guard to move and send Wei Ruo to the Military Prefecture. Wei Jinyi left with Wei Ruo, but he wasn¡¯t present in sight, but in the dark following Wei Ruo¡¯s coach. When the carriage reached the entrance of the Military Prefecture, he left. Descending from the carriage, upon seeing Wei Mingting, Lady Yun, Wei Yichen, and Wei Qingwan standing at the side gate, Wei Ruo was somewhat surprised. ¡°Father?¡± Wei Ruo looked at the smiling Wei Mingting, who was walking toward her, in confusion. In her impression, her father rarely smiled, and yet, today his face was beaming with smiles. ¡°Ruoruo, good job! Your father is proud of you!¡± Wei Mingting was genuinely pleased, not hiding his feeling of pride at all. Wei Ruo figured it out, it seems the Yuan Family had informed them in advance. She responded, ¡°It¡¯s what I am supposed to do.¡± ¡°Inclining to benefits and avoiding harm is human nature. Being able to eliminate personal gain and prioritize greater good in such crises is absolute unwavering bravery! You are a good child of the Wei family!¡± Wei Mingting couldn¡¯t hide his joy and pride. Wei Ruo said, ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as what father described.¡± Nonetheless, Wei Mingting continued to laugh. Looking at Wei Ruo¡¯s smiling face, he couldn¡¯t control his happiness. It was Wei Yichen who reminded him from the side, ¡°Father, it¡¯s cold outside, let elder sister enter the house first.¡± ¡°Yes, go in first.¡± Only then did Wei Mingting react. Everyone then headed to Cangyun Garden together. The charcoal fire in the house was burning warmly. After entering the house, Xiumei took off Wei Ruo¡¯s cloak. After sitting down, everyone started talking about recent happenings outside. Snow disasters, epidemics, food shortages¡­. Under the effect of multiple disasters, the people were suffering immensely. For the wealthy officialdom like the Wei family, life was comfortable even in such times. They had food and clothing, and even if there were some problems, they were just minor ones like insufficient charcoal supply. However, for the common masses, the troubles were being unable to afford meals or the entire family crammed in one place, unable to leave because of the cold. Wei Mingting sighed, ¡°This time, tens of thousands of people died in the entire Taizhou Prefecture. Some died because of hunger, some because of cold, and others due to sickness. The exact figures are hard to come by. Even so, Taizhou Prefecture is probably in a better situation than the other nearby provinces.¡± ¡°Why? The other provinces shouldn¡¯t have had an epidemic, right?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°There was no epidemic, but there were people dying due to hunger, cold, and sickness. However, unlike the contagious disease of Taizhou Prefecture, these were normal ailments that, without timely medical treatment, can also be fatal. On the contrary, in Taizhou Prefecture, Magistrate Yuan and Princess Jingmin donated money and resources, preventing even more casualties. Even many who could not afford medicine received treatment.¡± Having a good official was extremely important, while typical officials doing their very best for the people were already commendable, in addition to that, Magistrate Yuan also had a wealthy wife. Madam Yuan¡¯s generosity greatly benefitted the masses. Wei Ruo nodded, understanding the situation. ¡°The only good news during this time was that the Japanese Pirates have been inactive, which let our soldiers rest and recuperate. If they had attacked during this time, with both internal and external challenges, the consequence is unthinkable.¡± Wei Mingting said. When Wei Mingting mentioned this, Lady Yun also broke in a cold sweat. During those days, she had been constantly worrying about fights breaking out, not knowing what kind of chaos would ensue if it happened. Wei Yichen said, ¡°We can say that the heavens blessing Taizhou Prefecture¡± ¡°In addition, there is another piece of good news. The seventh prince has been found. He¡¯s alive and in good health.¡± Wei Mingting informed. The most surprised by this news were Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan. They had no clue when the seventh prince had disappeared. ¡°Father, what happened? When did the seventh prince disappear? Why didn¡¯t I hear about it before?¡± Wei Qingwan asked several questions in succession.. Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Chapter 216 Recent Situation_l Chapter 216: Chapter 216 Recent Situation_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time, I didn¡¯t disclose it earlier for fear of people finding out and working against the seventh prince. Besides, the perpetrator who harmed the seventh prince still hasn¡¯t been found. If the opponent thinks he is in trouble and ceases, our overt search might instead place the seventh prince in danger,¡± Wei Mingting explained. ¡°What¡¯s the condition of the seventh prince now?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him, but I know he is not seriously injured,¡± Wei Mingting said. Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t overly surprised by this, as she had learned about it beforehand from Madam Yuan. But Wei Ruo felt somewhat moved nonetheless, as expected of the protagonist of the original novel, his vitality was extraordinary resilient. Even in this state, he was presumably still energetic. Usually, if someone had been missing for more than a month, they would be presumed dead. As the matter of the seventh prince was mentioned, Wei Mingting also discussed recent political matters in the capital with his family. ¡°But that was the seventh prince. How could someone dare to harm his highness with such audacity?¡±, Wei Qingwan asked, unable to restrain herself. Wei Mingting didn¡¯t have the answer to this, so he could only tell his children, ¡°The strife over the crown prince in the capital has a long history. After Empress Xu¡¯s demise, the emperor has not conferred the title of Empress to a new queen, nor has he announced the new crown prince, thus leading to the current complex political situation in the court.¡± Although the seventh prince was among the most likely candidates for the crown prince, as long as the emperor did not declare the crown prince, the other princes still had a chance. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the emperor announced the crown prince?¡± Wei Qingwan asked again. Speaking of this, Wei Mingting suddenly frowned as if remembering something from the past, his expression becoming complex. Madam Yun quickly said, ¡°Wanwan, the affairs of the court have nothing to do with us, don¡¯t ask too much.¡± Wei Qingwan hurriedly nodded, ceasing to ask further. Wei Mingting cautioned his family, ¡°In recent times, the situation in the capital has been volatile. Although we are located far in the south, away from the struggles of power, we should still be cautious and not bring trouble on ourselves.¡± Although Wei Mingting didn¡¯t participate in court politics, he holds an official position and therefore must practice restraint over his subordinates and himself in order to stay out of difficulties evoked by the struggles in the court. ¡°Rest assured father, I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Wei Yichen was the first to state his position. He was studying at Anzhou Academy, often in contact with many noble students, so he needs to be particularly cautious. Wei Qingwan also hurriedly said, ¡°Daddy, you can rest assured, I won¡¯t speak carelessly and cause trouble for the family.¡± Wei Mingting nodded. Then Wei Mingting¡¯s focus returned to Wei Ruo, asking specifically about her tactics to combat the epidemic in recent days. Wei Ruo did not hide anything, answering all questions she could. Although she was not staying at the Magistrate¡¯s office during these few days, she was indeed the one making all arrangements related to combating the plague. Therefore she could answer all of Wei Mingting¡¯s questions comprehensively. Her answers eliminated all lingering doubts in the minds of Madam Yun and others. Initially, they felt that Madam Yuan might have exaggerated, but it seemed now that what Madam Yuan had said was indeed true. Their daughter was indeed the one planning and coordinating all actions against the plague. As the conversation continued, even Madam Yun could not help but repeatedly praise Wei Ruo. Wei Qingwan withered, becoming almost nonexistent. Listening to Wei Mingting, Madam Yun, and Wei Yichen¡¯s praises of Wei Ruo, her heart was unspeakably bitter. After having the talk for an hour, considering Wei Ruo hadn¡¯t had adequate rest for several days, Mingting allowed Wei Ruo to return to her courtyard and rest. Upon returning to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo immediately inquired about Wei Jinyi¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Did second brother return to Bamboo Court?¡± ¡°He did, I just saw Xiaobei asking him. Young Master and Young Miss returned to the mansion at the same time, but the Young Master jumped the wall to return, no one in the mansion knew that he had left,¡± Xiumei replied. ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s back,¡± Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t planning to do anything, she just wanted to make sure Wei Jinyi was home safe. Then Wei Ruo started to sift through the letters sent to her by her wet nurse and Manager Yu over the past several days. The letters detailed some of the situations at the manor recently. Overall, things seem to be going well at the manor. The houses were all newly built and withstood the snow disaster. The stock of grain at the manor was sufficient, meaning everyone had enough to eat, which was much more fortunate compared to many outside. Four Treasure House, Xu¡¯s Deli, and Xu¡¯s Grain Shop also sent some news. After the possibility of a plague outbreak arose, under the wet nurse¡¯s guidance, all four businesses temporarily shut down. Wei Ruo was originally afraid that they¡¯d risk their health for profits, but fortunately, the wet nurse understood her concerns and closed the shops for a month. Especially Xu¡¯s Grain Shop, during the New Year period, other shops might not have done well, but if the Grain shop remained open, it would surely have made good business. She was initially afraid the wet nurse and Uncle Xu wouldn¡¯t want to give up on the profit and insisted on keeping the shop open, thankfully their thinking was the same as hers. Additionally, a recent letter from Manager Yu mentioned Zhu Zongyu¡¯s situation. Zhu Zongyu left the manor three days ago, leaving behind a silver note of five hundred taels as payment and thanks to Wei Ruo. Zhu Zongyu originally planned to leave after Wei Ruo¡¯s return, but as she hadn¡¯t shown up and Zhu Zongyu had some emergency to attend to, he had to leave first. Before leaving, Zhu Zongyu left a letter stating that he would come to buy the Scar Removal Ointment from Wei Ruo when she returned. Because the ointment Wei Ruo had previously given him was running out, he needed to continue applying for quite some time for the injury to heal completely. Wei Ruo had no problem with this; he paid well and even that was an inflated amount. He indeed had a conscience. As long as he doesn¡¯t cause her trouble, this money is well earned. She¡¯ll prepare the ointment when she has some free time in the following days. ### Backyard of the Zuixian Residence. A man was standing in front of Fan Chengxu, dressed in luxurious clothes, his face hidden beneath the wide brim of a hat, not allowing one to see even a glimpse of his appearance. Fan Chengxu respectfully bowed to him, ¡°Farmer Fan Chengxu has the honor of meeting your highness the seventh prince.¡± ¡°The descendants of respected families, not serving in court, but running distant from court for trading, Fan Chengxu, you are my only friend.¡±, Chu Lan commented. ¡°I have no other talents. Being an official would only tarnish the dignity of my elders¡¯ names, it¡¯s better to do some small business, earn some silver, and live a leisurely and carefree life,¡± Fan Chengxu answered. ¡°Fair points, it¡¯s also fortunate that you¡¯re conducting business here, you¡¯ve been of great assistance to me in a time of crisis.¡± Chu Lan said. After Chu Lan finished speaking, his subordinate brought an entire box filled with gold, silver, and jewelry to Fan Chengxu. ¡°What¡¯s this, your highness?¡± Fan Chengxu hurriedly asked. ¡°This is a token of my gratitude,¡± Chu Lan said, ¡°I borrowed eight hundred taels of silver from you, I must repay it.¡± Eight hundred taels of silver was no small amount. Not too many people in Taizhou prefecture could shell out such a huge amount at once.. Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Chu Lans Test_1 Chapter 217: Chu Lan¡¯s Test_1 Translator: 549690339 Given the circumstances at the time, Chu Lan couldn¡¯t easily trust anyone, even Yuan Zhengqin, the magistrate, Chu Lan couldn¡¯t entrust himself to him. Compared to that, Fan Chengxu was somewhat more trustworthy. Because Fan Chengxu was more of an outsider, Chu Lan didn¡¯t know what Fan Chengxu¡¯s family, the Fan Family, was planning, but Fan himself was an anomaly. From their school days, he was someone who spent all day thinking about how to make money. Although Fan Chengxu studied with many princes, he never got close to any of them, preferred not to get involved in any conflicts, and was not close to Chu Lan either. There was a time when Chu Lan, Fan Chengxu, and the other princes who went to school together played a game of riddles, each using a pseudonym. Cuiping was the pseudonym Fan Chengxu used at the time, and Zongyu was Chu Lan¡¯s. Therefore, Fan Chengxu not only recognizes Chu Lan¡¯s handwriting but also confirms that the letter was written by Chu Lan once he saw the signature as Zongyu. Because the letter only mentioned borrowing money, Fan Chengxu, after thinking it over, didn¡¯t make a big deal about it. He simply sent the silver note over and offered as much help as he could. As Chu Lan expected, Fan Chengxu did not tell anyone, including his influential uncle. After thinking for a while, Fan Chengxu accepted the box of jewels. ¡°I humbly thank Your Highness for your grace.¡± Having received the gift, Fan Chengxu quietly waited for Chu Lan¡¯s next question. He knew that if it were only to ¡°repay the debt,¡± Chu Lan would not have come in person. Since he had come, he must have other matters to discuss. But Chu Lan didn¡¯t mention it, neither did Fan Chengxu actively ask. After a long silence, Chu Lan asked, ¡°Do you have any information about the attack on me this time?¡± ¡°Forgive me, Your Highness, I only know about your injury. Before I received your letter, I only knew that you were missing after the attack, I knew nothing else.¡± Fan Chengxu immediately denied any involvement. ¡°As a prominent figure in Taizhou prefecture, you should have many informants here.¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°Although I¡¯ve been in Taizhou prefecture for several years, I¡¯ve mostly been focusing on running my business, I don¡¯t know much about other matters.¡± Fan Chengxu answered, leaving no room for suspicion. ¡°Who do you think might have wanted to kill me?¡± Chu Lan asked again. His sharp eyes were studying Fan Chengxu as if trying to discover a flaw. ¡°Your Highness, I wouldn¡¯t dare to make wild guesses about such a serious matter.¡± Fan Chengxu replied with a smile, still not revealing any information. ¡°Do you know that recently someone presented a handwritten testament of the late Duke of Xu to the Emperor, and it might overturn the verdict for him.¡± Chu Lan suddenly brought up a name that hadn¡¯t been mentioned publicly for a long time. ¡°The handwritten testament of the Duke of Xu? How is that possible? It¡¯s been eighteen years, the Duke of Xu¡¯s mansion was thoroughly searched, if there were a testament, why would it appear only now¡­¡± Fan Chengxu looked surprised. Fan Chengxu added, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s been eighteen years, everyone related to the Duke of Xu is dead, who would want to overturn the verdict for his family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Empress Xu gave birth to a child at the Jing¡¯an Temple.¡± Chu Lan replied. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t joke. The ninth prince was buried on Longhuan Mountain west of the Capital City, and the Emperor even had a royal tomb built for him.¡± The treatment was only for the ninth prince. There were also princes who died prematurely before, but none of them had this treatment. ¡°But the recent rumors say he is still alive.¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°That seems unlikely¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s likely or not, some things have already happened.¡± Chu Lan said. ¡°I, a mere commoner, am not aware of these things.¡± Fan Chengxu could only laugh. Seeing Fan Chengxu¡¯s response, Chu Lan knew that he would not get any information from him. Then he turned and left. It was only when Chu Lan had left that Fan Chengxu couldn¡¯t help but shake his fan and sigh, ¡°What a nuisance, I¡¯ve moved so far away, how did the trouble find me here?¡± He only cared about making money. Chu Lan was trying to drag him into the situation, but he was not foolish enough to jump in with him. He had no choice but to help when he received Chu Lan¡¯s letter. Thus, he had to spend money and effort to help him. ### February 25th, the beginning of spring. The weather started to warm up, and the new year¡¯s farm work was about to begin. When Wei Ruo arrived at the farm, the people there had already been busy for a morning. The manager, Yu, explained with a smile, ¡°Everyone almost starved and froze last year, so this year they are determined to work diligently. As soon as the temperature warmed up a bit, they have already started work. Now the ground has been turned once and is waiting for your instructions.¡± ¡°Every field that was improved and fertilized last year should be turned into rice fields with some extra effort this year. Start preparing the seedbeds for the rice in a couple of months. The weather might still turn chilly earlier than previous years, so it would be better to plant earlier.¡± Wei Ruo instructed. Wei Ruo had two main parts to her farm outside Government City: the original fertile farmland of a thousand mu, and the newly purchased land, which was not very fertile and also amounted to about a thousand mu. Of the original thousand mu of fertile land, nine hundred mu were planted with her new variety of wheat. Now, the growth was good. Last year¡¯s heavy snow did not have a big impact on them. They just need to wait for the harvest in April or May. Another hundred mu of fertile farmland was planted with winter vegetables such as rapeseed, radishes, cabbage, etc. Apart from the heavy snow days, a small amount could be harvested every day. The extra thousand mu of land purchased was improved and fertilized last year. Now it was almost ready. After plowing, leveling, and flooding, it would be used to plant rice. ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried that sowing too early might not result in good seedlings as the temperature is not that high now.¡± Manager Yu said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will transport some good seed over. Plant according to my instructions, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± Wei Ruo reassured confidently. ¡°Alright.¡± The manager had no doubts since Wei Ruo was so confident. After spending the morning on the farm, she returned home in the afternoon. Before she could sit down, Cuiping came to her. ¡°Miss, madam is asking for you.¡± Wei Ruo wondered if Madame Yun was annoyed at her for going out again. For the past few days, as Mr. Wang Caiwei has not returned to Taizhou prefecture, she hasn¡¯t gone to Tianqin Garden for lessons. Taking advantage of the beginning of spring, Wei Ruo spent her free time arranging matters on the farm. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t ask further and followed Cuiping to Cangyun Garden. Upon entering, Madame Yun greeted Wei Ruo with a smiling face and asked her to sit by her side. ¡°Mother, what is your purpose for calling me over?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, last year your father was promoted and got some rewards, plus my dowry, we can gather seven to eight hundred taels of silver. I am thinking about using this money to buy some more property in the city.¡± Madame Yun was a sensible woman. If she had money, she would invest it in property. Their family only had the farm in Xingshan County which surely wasn¡¯t enough.. Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Buying Land for Liquor Workshop_l Chapter 218: Buying Land for Liquor Workshop_l Translator: 549690339 ¡°Mother, please make the decision about this,¡± Wei Ruo said, not wanting to involve herself in the matter. ¡°Well, the lands near the Government City are rather barren. Even with direct cultivation, the yield will not be significant.¡± Mrs. Yun said. With things being so clearly spelled out, Wei Ruo understood the implications. Sensing an edge in Wei Ruo¡¯s soil improvement abilities, Mrs. Yun desired that same improvement for their holdings, with hope for a good harvest this year. Knowing that she could not decline anymore, Wei Ruo said, ¡°After Mother has acquired the land, I will take a look at it. At that, a smile broke out on Mrs. Yun¡¯s face. She then proceeded, ¡°Additionally, where did you obtain the rice variety you planted in the south of the city last year? Can we get more this year? I plan to plant this variety in several of our estates. That should significantly improve our yield.¡± ¡°I can help contact the Huzhou Prefecture,¡± Wei Ruo agreed without refusing. But she only promised to contact. As for obtaining the rice varieties, the Military Prefecture would have to foot the bill. With Wei Ruo¡¯s prompt agreement, Mrs. Yun was even more elated. After wrapping up the critical affairs, Mrs. Yun unusually engaged Wei Ruo in some light conversation, ¡°What have you been up to these days, Ruoruo?¡± Instead of answering immediately, Wei Ruo looked at Mrs. Yun with a puzzled gaze. Quick to explain, Mrs. Yun said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not angry or upset. As long as you wear your veil and avoid contact with strange men when you go out and avoid getting into trouble, I won¡¯t intervene in your affairs. This was quite remarkable in Taizhou prefecture. A girl from a wealthy family enjoying such freedom was rare to find. ¡°Alright,¡± Wei Ruo replied without showing her happiness. Subsequently, Mrs. Yun said, ¡°Furthermore, after purchasing the estates near the Government City, you can start visiting your own estates. You can take whatever decisions you like out there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Why?¡± Mrs. Yun probed. ¡°Once Mr. Wang returns from the New Year holidays, I will be occupied with my studies. My visits outside won¡¯t be regular. And, I don¡¯t want to see this as a must-do task, else I won¡¯t feel comfortable.¡± Wei Ruo explained. A little puzzled, Mrs. Yun considered the possibility that this could be a good thing too. ¡°Fine. Please arrange it as you wish,¡± Mrs. Yun did not insist further. ### With Spring setting in, the weather began to warm, each day warmer than the previous one. The farmers were busy, and so was Wei Ruo. Though Mrs. Yun no longer insisted, Wei Ruo was careful in her actions, taking care not to give people a reason to gossip. She was not afraid of harming her reputation. Having no intentions of marrying into a wealthy family, she never really cared about it. Perhaps, a less favourable reputation would allow her to achieve her objectives. However, with a lot on her plate, she did not want to get distracted by unimportant matters. If something were to happen, she would likely lose all her peace. Besides the affairs of the estate, Wei Ruo also had plans for a distillery that she had conceived last year. Recently, Wei Ruo had discovered that producing liquor is a profitable venture and, since not many distilleries made liquor, she saw the potential to profit off it. Firstly, she had to make a land deal for a location at the Daqing Mountain valley that she had earlier selected with Xiumei. To purchase the land, she had to negotiate with the villagers living near the Daqing Mountain. This negotiation was not as simple as previous ones, and Wei Ruo ran into some problems. The villagers agreed to sell the land and use their mountain spring, but the village chief disagreed. He rejected the deal, stating it would disturb the ¡¯Feng Shui¡¯, or wind-water, of their village. So, they set a date for detailed discussions at the village entrance. Out in the open, before the village temple, a large table was set, attracting representatives from each family. At one end of the table sat the village chief, a man in his fifties with white hair, a white beard, and a thin face. At the other end sat Wei Ruo, dressed as a man, with Xiumei, also dressed as a man, and Manager Yu standing behind her. Most villagers carried the surname ¡¯Wang¡¯, with only a few other families bearing different names. Yet, the Wang clan held the most significant influence. ¡°Our Daqing Mountain is a Feng Shui mountain for the Wang village. If outsiders frequently traverse it and consume our water source, this will significantly impact our village¡¯s Qi energy. You want to dismiss us just for twenty taels of silver, but that¡¯s not happening!¡± the village chief retorted with furrowed brows. Another villager tried to reason, ¡°Village chief, the twenty taels of silver is for the land, and we will be getting two hundred and fifty wen a year for the use of the mountain spring!¡± The village comprised twenty-five families, so the twenty taels of silver per household came to nearly one tael of silver. And, each family would get ten wens every year. That was not an insignificant amount! The land and the mountain spring in the mountain were of no use to their village. It was just one tributary of a stream that coursed through their village, and each household receiving ten wen yearly was a significant sum! Many villagers made less than a few wen even after working for a whole month! ¡°Hush, I am the Village Chief. This matter will be decided by me!¡± the village chief forcefully dismissed the villager. He had noticed at the first sight of the young gentleman that he belonged to a wealthy family, and was likely young enough to negotiate the price. ¡°Village Chief, how much do you think it should be?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°You would have to pay one hundred taels of silver on a one-time basis for the land, with a subsequent annual fee of one thousand wen for the use of the mountain spring.¡± replied the village chief. The villagers behind the village chief were visibly taken aback. One hundred taels of silver! That was enough to buy a hundred acres of farmland. And, all that the nobleman wanted to buy was a small piece of land in the mountain valley, barely stretching five acres. This price was extraordinarily high. While Wei Ruo¡¯s face displayed a smile, she did not answer immediately. The village chief, however, was confident, ¡°Young Master, I know that since the end of last year, you have been scouting locations in this vicinity. Given that you have taken a liking for Daqing Mountain, it must have attributes that suit your liking.¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°Village Chief Wang, it is true that I am intrigued by both this place in the Daqing Mountain and the mountain spring. But, the price you are suggesting is quite high.¡± Village Chief Wang said, ¡°Young Master, you look affluent, it doesn¡¯t seem hke you would have a problem with silver. As the saying goes, what attracts you the most is often priceless. If you go elsewhere, you might not find a suitable place.¡± A smile lingered on Wei Ruo¡¯s face, she realized that the village chief knew she had chosen Daqing Mountain after a lengthy evaluation, which is why he felt that he had the right to overprice the land. We Ruo continued, ¡±1 agree to raise the price of the land from twenty taels to twenty-five taels, with the annual fee for the use of mountain spring water standing at two hundred and fifty wen..¡± Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Conflict with Villagers—1 Chapter 219: Conflict with Villagers¡ª1 Translator: 549690339 | Wei Ruo made some concessions. The village head shook his head, his attitude firm: ¡°No, it must be one hundred taels of silver, and one thousand coins a year thereafter, not a coin less.¡± ¡°Is there really no room for negotiation?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°None.¡± The village head stood his ground, his expression proud. ¡°Well then, there¡¯s no need to continue the conversation. Wei Ruo suddenly got up, ready to leave with Xiumei and Manager Yu. Her departure was decisive, not for show. The village head¡¯s face changed dramatically. He hadn¡¯t expected the Xu family member to just leave. This was far from his estimation. He thought since the Xu family member had taken so much effort to find this place and was so wealthy, as long as he showed a tough attitude, things would definitely not be too difficult! Watching as Wei Ruo and the others took several steps out, the village head hastily ordered the villagers to intercept them. ¡°You all stop! Don¡¯t leave!¡± The village head¡¯s shouts fell on deaf ears to Wei Ruo. Seeing that his shouts did not stop Wei Ruo and the others, the village head quickly ordered the young people in the village to intercept them, ¡°Quickly stop them for me!¡± Several young villagers promptly ran in front of Wei Ruo and her party, obstructing their path. Wei Ruo was forced to stop and turned to look at the crowd: ¡°What is the meaning of this. Village Head Wang? ¡°Please sit down and continue to negotiate, Young Master Xu.¡± The village head¡¯s expression was somewhat ugly, but he remained resolute. The villagers had been having a hard time these past two years, and now that someone had come to offer them money, they certainly couldn¡¯t let them walk away so easily. As the village head, he represented the villagers in price negotiations, and a successful negotiation would not only lead to more silver in his hand but also garner the villagers¡¯ affection and respect. However, if the negotiations failed, and this source of income was lost, the villagers would hold it against him, affecting his prestige. He realized his judgment had been wrong; this Xu family member wasn¡¯t as easy to manipulate as he had thought. But the situation had escalated to this point. For the sake of his face and the villagers¡¯ benefit, he couldn¡¯t just let the Xu family member walk away. Seeing this, Manager Yu was regretful. If they had known the villagers to be so unreasonable, they would have brought more people when they came. After all, they had plenty of strong men in their mansion. The village head¡¯s arrogance was simply because they had only brought a few people, and their master, despite his costly attire, was a businessman who wanted to buy land to open a distillery, not someone with an official background. Subconsciously, Xiumei moved closer to Wei Ruo, ready to protect her at any moment. ¡®¡öBut Village Head Wang just said the price was not negotiable, didn¡¯t he?¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°The price is not negotiable, but the business can definitely be discussed.¡± The village head replied. As the village head, he had already said it, he definitely could not back down now. Even if he had to use some force, he would have to close the deal at the price he quoted. As long as the deal was completed, the villagers would get more money in their hands, and then it would prove that what he had done today was right, and no one would dare to say anything against him! ¡°Is the Village Head trying to strong-arm this?¡± Wei Ruo chuckled. She had encountered difficult negotiations before, but this was the first time she had encountered such arrogance and unreasonableness. Village Head Wang coldly told Wei Ruo: ¡°Don¡¯t use words like ¡®strong-arm¡¯, it sounds ugly. The Daqing Mountain is a good place, with its green mountains and rivers. Otherwise, why would Master Xu come all the way here to buy land from us?¡± ¡ö¡¯Daqing Mountain is indeed a good place, but it seems that the village head has forgotten one thing. I chose Daqing Mountain under comparable conditions. If you quote a price too high, Daqing Mountain will not be the optimal solution for me. I can easily choose another place. There are many other good places with mountains and rivers around the Government City, not just Daqing Mountain.¡± Wei Ruo replied. On hearing this, expressions of anxiety and even regret about the village head¡¯s decision appeared on the villagers¡¯ faces. If the village head hadn¡¯t caused this trouble, each household could have already received a tael of silver and ten coins a year, which would have greatly improved their lives¡¯. And now, all their efforts are in vain! Some villagers were already feeling a bit weak. Village member Wang Qi pulled at Village Head Wang¡¯s arm and said: ¡°Village head, maybe we should drop it. We don¡¯t want to cause trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Don¡¯t you want your son Emiu to get married? With one hundred taels of silver received, your family could get a share of four taels! You could still have two taels left after you get a wife for Emiu and build a room!¡± The village head scolded angrily. Wang Qi, Who was originally timid, shut up instantly at the mention of four taels of silver and his son¡¯s marriage. A family member of Wang Ergou quietly suggested: ¡°We can just go with the original price. We could earn less but at least it is something. ¡°What do you know about being a peasant woman? The price I quoted is not a problem, we have to do it big if we are going to do it!¡± Village Head Wang remained firm. Others who wanted to say something also quietened down after hearing the village head¡¯s words. in the past two years, everyone had been having a hard time. The crops in the field yielded little, and after a harsh winter, there were barely any stored grains left at home. Those better-off households could only afford to eat for another two or three months, while those poorer ones might not last even a month. Anyway, they had no way of making it till this year¡¯s harvest. They were destined to run out of food. Therefore, the money from the Xu family was crucial to them. Regardless of whether they agreed with the village head¡¯s methods, they could only follow him now and try to get the money. Having pacified the villagers, Village Head Wang sternly told Wei Ruo: ¡°Master Xu you have no other options. Daqing Mountain is your best and only choice. As long as you are willing to buy the valley of Daqing Mountain at the price I just mentioned, our entire village will help you successfully build your distillery.¡± Wei Ruo responded: ¡°If you think you can force me into submission, then I can only tell you that you¡¯ve miscalculated. Even if you kill me here today, I will not give you a single coin.¡± The determined attitude of Wei Ruo darkened the face of Village Head Wang. ¡°If Master Xu refuses to make the deal today, then I¡¯ll have to keep Master Xu in our village for a few days, where you can enjoy your stay.¡± Village Head Wang said, coldly. The situation had already escalated to this point; he could not just let it go! Though Village Head Wang didn¡¯t dare openly rob Wei Ruo, as long as he could pressure Wei Ruo into signing the agreement, the money he would receive would be fair and square. With that, Village Head Wang ordered the strong men in the village to escort Wei Ruo and the others to the ancestral hall. Among the villagers, some were fearful and hesitant, but some were bold and greedy, ready to take a gamble. The more courageous villagers obeyed the orders of Village Head Wang, and armed with their farming tools ¨C hoes, carrying poles, and pickaxes, among others, they surrounded Wei Ruo, Xiumei, and Manager Yu. just when a conflict seemed imminent, a group of people riding tall horses appeared at the village entrance.. Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Why Are You Cold to Me?_l Chapter 220: Why Are You Cold to Me?_l Translator: 549690339 The moment the villagers saw these men, they stopped in their tracks. In those days, anyone who could ride a horse was not someone the villagers could trifle with, let alone those who presented themselves with such grandeur and momentum, unmistakably of an official background. In an instant, the villagers who had been fierce towards Wei Ruo moments before became suddenly docile, even the village leader, Mr. Wang, donned a gentle smile, humbly. He approached the man leading the group, bowing before the man¡¯s horse and respectfully asked, ¡°Sir, this is Wang Village, may I ask where you are heading?¡± The man at the lead was wearing a wide bamboo hat, his face obscured, yet his tall and upright stature and the mysterious aura from his black robe were unmistakable. Ignoring Mr. Wang, he turned to Wei Ruo and asked, ¡°Are you in any trouble?¡± Hearing the hoarse voice, Wei Ruo recognized the man. It was Zhu Zongyu, the man who had been living on her farm for over a month. ¡°Indeed, I encountered some trouble. I no longer wish to buy their village land, yet they refuse to let me go,¡± Wei Ruo answered directly. ¡°How do you want me to help you deal with these troublesome villagers?¡± Zongyu asked. ¡°No need, your presence here has solved my problem,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Wei Ruo did not want to owe Zhu Zongyu any favors. She had received his compensation for the medical treatment provided to him. If she sought his assistance now, she would be the one in debt. Hearing the conversation between Wei Ruo and the mysterious man, Mr. Wang became anxious. Previously, he had dared to be forceful towards Xu Heyou, thinking of him as merely a merchant and in case of a conflict reaching the Government Office, they, as the farming majority, could deal with a deceptive merchant. However, if Mr. Xu had connections with the official family, then he would certainly not dare to offend him. The villagers were similarly panicked. Initially, they had thought little of Mr. Xu, hedging their bets, which is why they dared to stand alongside Mr. Wang in the forceful acquisition of the land. And so, the villagers started defending themselves in succession. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault, ah, the village head is the one who told us to do it!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we were originally having a good negotiation, it was the village head who got greedy, he was the one who instructed us to act this way!¡± ¡°We were all just acting on the orders of the village head!¡± The villagers shifted all the blame to Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang, with heart pounding in his chest, hurried forward to pacify Wei Ruo. ¡°Mr. Xu, it was a misunderstanding, all of it.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? Do you need me to remind you of everything you said?¡± Wei Ruo responded firmly. Mr. Wang¡¯s face turned pale, then flushed. He looked miserable. Wei Ruo turned to the villagers and suggested, ¡°You should consider getting a new village head.¡± The villagers were silent, filled with mixed feelings. Soon after, Wei Ruo left with Xiumei and Manager Yu. Seeing this, a few hopeful villagers caught up, asking, ¡°Then, Mr. Xu, regarding the matter of purchasing the mountain land we discussed earlier¡­¡± ¡°Not buying,¡± Wei Ruo responded. Hearing this, the villagers eagerly tried to humbly persuade her: ¡°We¡¯ll stick to the original price, we won¡¯t raise it any more!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we will stick to the original price, we won¡¯t raise it!¡± ¡°The village head¡¯s words don¡¯t represent us, we are willing to sell it to you at that price!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if something doesn¡¯t start smoothly, I won¡¯t continue with it.¡± Wei Ruo asserted, unwavering. Having said that, she didn¡¯t linger any longer. She left Wang Village with Xiumei and Manager Yu without a backwards glance, while the villagers were left filled with regret. Zhu Zongyu hesitated for a moment before having his men follow. When he reached Wei Ruo¡¯s side, he dismounted. ¡°I originally came here to get medicine from you today. The people at your manor said you came here, so I wanted to check on you,¡± Zhu Zongyu volunteered his reason for coming here to Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t respond to him and kept walking expressionlessly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked, noticing that Wei Ruo¡¯s attitude towards him was much colder than before. ¡°Nothing.¡± Wei Ruo replied indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re hiding something,¡± Zhu Zongyu said with certainty. ¡°Mr. Zhu, are there some things that I need not say explicitly? You previously told me that you come from a family of merchants, but from what I see now, your attire is not something anyone from a merchant family would dare to wear,¡± Wei Ruo said with a stern face. Though she had already been wary of this man, in the end, she was still deceived by him. Of course, no one was to blame for this except for her own softheartedness in saving people. Hearing her words, a hint of guilt and remorse flashed across Zhu Zongyu¡¯s face, but it was shielded by his hat, invisible to Wei Ruo and others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zhu Zongyu apologized. He had rarely apologized to anyone in his life, but this time, he felt he should sincerely apologize to Mr. Xu. His circumstances at the time forced him to hide his true identity for his own protection. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ve treated you and have taken your money already, blaming you now is pointless. However, after you take your medicine today, let¡¯s not interact anymore,¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Why? Is it because of my status? You don¡¯t like people from officialdom?¡± Zhu Zongyu asked, puzzled. ¡°Rather than saying I don¡¯t like them, it¡¯s more accurate to say that I can¡¯t afford to associate with them. I¡¯m a mere merchant and you hold high status and power, further interaction would be inappropriate,¡± Wei Ruo explained. ¡°You are not just an ordinary merchant. During the plague, you risked your life to treat the people alongside many doctors in the city; your contributions were significant.¡± Xu Heyou¡¯s name was on the proclamation in the government office; Zhu Zongyu had seen it. ¡°Whether I¡¯m an ordinary merchant or not is irrelevant. Our relationship is one of doctor and patient, there¡¯s no need for more interaction,¡± Wei Ruo said. Having finished speaking, Wei Ruo walked away without looking back. After returning to the manor, Wei Ruo handed over the ointment she had prepared the previous night to Manager Yu, instructing him to deliver it to Zhu Zongyu at the gate. ¡°After this round of medication, if he still doesn¡¯t recover, ask him to assign an underling to come here next time. He needn¡¯t come here personally,¡± Wei Ruo instructed. ¡°Yes,¡± Manager Yu acknowledged and left. At the entrance of the manor, Manager Yu handed the medicine to Zhu Zongyu: ¡°Master Zhu, our master suggested next time, for collecting the medicine, you could send your servant. There¡¯s no need to make this journey yourself; it must be tiresome.¡± Zhu Zongyu frowned. He had come today not only to collect the medicine but also to meet Xu Heyou in person. He had expected Xu to be slightly upset but hadn¡¯t anticipated such a strong reaction. Did his true background really make that much difference to him? Zhu Zongyu stared at the manor in front of him for a while before choosing to leave. Manager Yu returned to Wei Ruo to report: ¡°Boss, Master Zhu has taken the medicine and left.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Hmm.¡± Manager Yu: ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± Wei Ruo: ¡°Ask.¡± Manager Yu: ¡°You¡¯re on good terms with Princess Jingmin, so you shouldn¡¯t dislike the privileged class.. So, why is your attitude toward Master Zhu undergoing such a drastic change?¡± Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: The Older Sister is Very Kind to Him_l Chapter 221: The Older Sister is Very Kind to Him_l Translator: 549690339 Wei Ruo explained, ¡°Firstly, I don¡¯t like dishonesty. This man deliberately deceived me from the start, which has already cost him my trust. Secondly, his identity is still unclear. Considering he was badly injured, he is bound to have some troubles. I don¡¯t want to get involved in problematic matters, so I need to keep my distance from him.¡± Manager Yu understood, ¡°The master¡¯s words are reasonable, I get it.¡± ¡°You go ahead with your work; this afternoon, Meimei and I will look for another suitable site for the brewery.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Manager Yu left, Wei Ruo and Xiumei went out again. This was because in a few days when Mr. Wang would return to Taizhou Prefecture, Wei Ruo would have less time each day. Moreover, she would also need to allocate more time to manage the farming work on her estate, therefore Wei Ruo decided not to delay, and continued to search for a new location for the brewery that afternoon. After visiting for half a day, Wei Ruo chose a new site, which was not far from her hacienda. It was nearly an hour¡¯s walk, but it would only take a mere span of tea-time by carriage. The negotiation this time went smoothly. The villagers and the village head of Stone Village readily agreed to the terms Wei Ruo offered, and joyfully stated their intention to help. Wei Ruo was also straightforward, promptly drafting a contract with them, and both sides signed and sealed it in the presence of the village mayor. ### On the thirtieth day of the first lunar month. Wei Yichen had to return to Anzhou Academy to study. Under normal circumstances, the school would begin after the Lantern Festival, but this year was special, it didn¡¯t formally start until after the New Year. Before leaving home, Wei Yichen specifically looked for Wei Ruo. ¡°Eldest sister.¡± Standing at the door of Tingsong Garden, Wei Yichen wore a gentle smile and gazed affectionately at Wei Ruo. ¡°Do you need something, elder brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Tomorrow morning, I would be leaving for the academy, so I came to bid farewell today.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, elder brother, I will get something for you.¡± Without waiting for Wei Yichen to say more, Wei Ruo went back into the house and brought him some papers from Four Treasure House. ¡°These are for elder brother.¡± Wei Ruo thrust everything into Wei Yichen¡¯s arms. When Wei Yichen returned, he brought her many novel things. Even though she didn¡¯t find much use for them, she didn¡¯t intend to owe him for the sentiment. Wei Yichen recognised at a glance that these were items from the Four Treasure House. Items from the Four Treasure House were expensive due to limited supply and hard to buy. Even in the Anzhou Academy, their papers were highly sought after. Holding the items, he thought for a bit then said to Wei Ruo, ¡°Ruoruo, I know you have a lot of silver, but you should save some. When you get married in the future, this silver would be part of your dowry.¡± ¡°Are you afraid that I will spend all my silver, elder brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Yes. Goods from the Four Treasure House are expensive. Although you currently have money, and perhaps you are the wealthiest in the family, even richer than mother, you should still be frugal,¡± said Wei Yichen. Wei Ruo was slightly taken aback, then replied, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Good. Anyway, thank you for your gift Ruoruo, these are things that I exactly need,¡± Wei Yichen expressed his gratitude sincerely because this gift really hit the mark. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another matter I came to discuss with you, Ruoruo,¡± said Wei Yichen. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°About the Loquat Syrup, do you still have any? I have a classmate who wants to buy some,¡± Wei Yichen asked. Somehow, the reputation of Wei Ruo¡¯s Loquat Syrup managed to reach Anzhou Academy. The students there were either exceptionally talented individuals who passed the Scholar exam at a young age, or those from affluent or prestigious families. After pondering a bit, Wei Ruo responded, ¡°I have six jars left that are still fresh.¡± Wei Ruo did not make too many at once because they would deteriorate over time. These six were made some days ago. At that time, she made sixteen jars in total. Six were given to Lady Yuan, and four were bought by the old Madam Xiu. During the epidemic, Old Mr. Xiu drank up the few jars he had earlier this year. After the situation ended, Old Lady Xiu sent an early letter, enquiring about Wei Ruo¡¯s Loquat Syrup. When Wei Ruo just returned to the Military Prefecture, she definitely did not have Loquat Syrup in hand. Therefore, she had made a few jars in her spare time over the past few days. As soon as they were ready, Old Lady Xiu sent someone to pick up four jars. It was said that Old Mr. Xiu¡¯s chronic disease was almost completely cured and he also slept better at night. His spirit and vitality greatly improved. They wanted to seize the opportunity to completely cure him of the disease. If it weren¡¯t for Wei Ruo¡¯s Loquat Syrup having been kept for a while and thus requiring new ones, Old Lady Xiu would have bought all Wei Ruo had. ¡°Have these six jars been reserved?¡± Wei Yichen asked. ¡°Not yet,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Even though no one had reserved them, based on the situation before Lunar New Year¡¯s, she had no worries finding buyers. Knowing how well Wei Ruo¡¯s Loquat Syrup sold, Wei Yichen had received a special message from his classmate before school started, asking him to buy Loquat Syrup ¡°Could you do me a favour by selling these jars to my classmate?¡± asked Wei Yichen. ¡°Of course,¡± Wei Ruo agreed. Wei Ruo knew, for Wei Yichen who had relatively shallow roots, such action could help him build a better relationship with his classmates. As for her, it did not matter to whom the Loquat Syrup was sold, there was no need to deliberately reject Wei Yichen over this. ¡°Wait for me for a bit. I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± We Ruo returned to her house for the remaining six jars of Loquat Syrup and packed them neatly in a wooden box, then handed them to Wei Yichen. We Yichen carefully put the Four Treasure House paper that were given by Wei Ruo aside by the door edge, and then took out a silver note of sixty taels. The Loquat Syrup was purchased on behalf of his classmate, so naturally the money should go to Wei Ruo Wei Ruo took the silver note from Wei Yichen without hesitation. ¡°You know how to consume it, right? Take it with warm water, one scoop of syrup with one bowl of water, do not consume more than five times a day, moderation is key,¡± instructed Wei Ruo. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pass on your instructions,¡± promised Wei Yichen. Wei Yichen admired Wei Ruo more and more. He found his sister not only kind and capable but also genuinely affectionate to him. Although she wasn¡¯t as gentle as Wanwan was when calling him ¡®elder brother¡¯, and their interactions were few, many times he could feel that she cared about him. She had taken the initiative to give presents to him more than once, and never hesitated to fulfil his requests. We Ruo did not know what Wei Yichen was thinking. Seeing that he had a lot to carry, she called a servant passing by to help Wei Yichen with the items and escort him back to his courtyard. Afterwards, she went back into the room and fetched another wooden box. Inside it were dozens of bottles of medicine that she had prepared recently, each allocated with a tag. Wei Ruo carried the box and headed toward Yingzhu Garden¡­ Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Easily Blushing i Chapter 222: Easily Blushing i Translator: 549690339 Wei Yichen is going back to the academy soon and Wei Jinyi is also almost ready to leave home. Wei Ruo specially prepared some medicines for him, in case he catches a cold or has a fever. Having some emergency medicines at hand will always be somewhat reassuring. Wei Jinyi looked at the whole box of things Wei Ruo brought over and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need this much, I still have the ones you gave me last time.¡± ¡°Just take it. Tazhou prefecture lacks medical supplies. If you get sick and want to take medicine, even if you can afford a doctor, you may not be able to buy the medicine you need,¡± Wei Ruo advised. At times like this, she is like a nagging old mother, if Wei Jinyi doesn¡¯t listen, she could lecture him for an hour. Wei Jinyi took the box first, then said, ¡°I will still be in Tazhou prefecture for a while, there will be opportunities to see each other again.¡± He is just temporarily leaving the Military Prefecture, not saying goodbye to Wei Ruo immediately. ¡°Wherever you stay is your business. As your sister, I should do my part,¡± Wei Ruo said with a smile. Wei Jinyi paused for a moment, feeling somewhat complicated. He should be happy that she cares about him, but the term ¡°sister¡±¡­ Wei Jinyi asked Wei Ruo to sit for a while, without having to do anything else, just sit together and have a cup of tea. There are no pavilions in the new Yizhu Garden in the Government City, so Wei Jinyi placed a stone table in the yard, and Xiaobei carried the chairs over. Wei Ruo wrote a list of items she needed to purchase the next day: Fritillaria powder, rock sugar, loquat leaves, faint bamboo leaves, bezoar, gentiana flowers¡­ ¡°Are these the ingredients for your loquat syrup?¡±, Wei Jinyi asked after seeing them. ¡°Yes. Ordinary loquat syrup is made with fresh loquats, but I make loquat syrup in winter, without fresh loquats. So, I substituted it with several other drugs, exploiting their health benefits. Thus, the effect achieved is unmatched by regular loquat syrup,¡± Wei Ruo explained directly to Wei Jinyi about the uniqueness of her loquat syrup. The ingredients of her loquat syrup are far more lavish than traditional ones, resulting in a different effect. Xiaobei, who was serving on the side, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Miss, you are incredible! No wonder your loquat syrup can sell for the astronomical price of ten taels of silver!¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Indeed, ten taels of silver for a jar of loquat syrup is expensive. Ordinary households would never spend so much silver on it, but for families like the Xiu Family in Taizhou prefecture, if they can spend one or two hundred taels to relieve the old man¡¯s suffering from illness, it¡¯s worth it, so I never planned to sell my loquat syrup to ordinary families.¡± ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t expect this price of ten taels myself. It was Madam Xu who initially set the price. Once she set the precedent, I couldn¡¯t sell it any cheaper. I originally planned to just sell one batch to her, but I didn¡¯t expect that there would be quite a few buyers later on. Of course, it goes to show there are indeed many rich families in Taizhou prefecture!¡± In the world Wei Ruo used to live in, the gap between the rich and the poor was vast. Some people can spend millions without batting an eye, while others break their hearts over a few thousand yuan. In her current world, the gap between the rich and the poor remains the same, if not worse. Xiaobei can¡¯t hide her admiration for Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s because your medicine is good! I¡¯ve never seen any medicine made by others sell at such a high price.¡± Xiumei next to them, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Xiaobei, are you hiding something? Why are you constantly flattering our Miss?¡± Xiaobei hurriedly explained, ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives. I truly think the Miss is amazing.¡± Then, with a shy glance at Xiumei, Xiaobei added in a whisper, ¡°Of course, Lady Xiumei is also amazing.¡± Xiumei laughed and said, ¡°You are such a sweet-talker, are you trying to coax me into teaching you how to cook?¡± Xiaobei quickly waved his hands, ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sincerely praising you!¡± Xiaobei was rendered speechless by Xiumei. Xiumei laughs even more. ¡°I was just teasing you, don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± Xiaobei¡¯s face turned red. Wei Ruo laughed and said, ¡°Big brother, Xiaobei and you turn red in the face easily.¡± When the topic turned back to him, Wei Jinyi pretended he didn¡¯t hear it. From one look, Wei Ruo started laughing again, knowing that big brother is shy again, refusing to admit that he blushes easily. ### Returning from Yizhu Garden, Xiumei asked Wei Ruo, ¡°Miss, do you have any extra medicine prepared?¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Why, you thought I forgot about Brother Xiaoyong because I have big brother? Are you in such a hurry because you¡¯re worried that Xiaoyong won¡¯t have medicine with him? When I visit the wet nurse later, I tell Xiaoyong that my Meimei is super worried and cares about him!¡± Xiumei quickly retorted, ¡°Who¡¯s worried about him? If he doesn¡¯t have any medicine, that¡¯s his problem. I¡¯m too lazy to take care of him.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go see Xiaoyong. He¡¯ll be home for a few days. The big box at the back is his. I can¡¯t lift it. You¡¯ll have to carry it,¡± Wei Ruo said. The box for Xu Zhengyong is at least ten times bigger than that for Wei Jinyi. It¡¯s not that Wei Ruo is biased, but the situations of the two are different. Xu Zhengyong is in the army. Not only is he likely to get injured, his comrades can also get wounded. Their demand for medicine is different. Wei Ruo¡¯s priority for Wei Jinyi is quality, whereas the priority for Xu Zhengyong¡¯s medicine is quantity, especially for wound care. Wei Ruo always prepared big packs of it for him. Seeing the big box, Xiumei complained, ¡°Miss, so this big box was all prepared for Xiaoyong! I really thought you had forgotten about Xiaoyong!¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it from you when I prepared it. I did everything openly. If you didn¡¯t find out, that¡¯s your fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xiumei pouted reluctantly, picked up the large box and caught up with Wei Ruo¡¯s steps. The two of them arrived at Four Treasure House by carriage. In the backyard of Four Treasure House, Xu Zhengyong, who rarely stays at home, was helping his family chop firewood. In the cold weather, he was only wearing a single layer of clothes. ¡°Xu Zhengyong!¡±, Xiumei put down the box and charged towards Xu Zhengyong angrily, ¡°Have you lost your mind? The weather has just started to warm up a bit, but it¡¯s still not warm enough to wear only a single layer of clothes! Do you think you live too long, or is Miss¡¯s medicine so tasty that you want to eat more of it?¡± Xu Zhengyong hurriedly put down the axe in his hand and while wearing his clothes, which were on a bamboo chair next to him, he gave a clumsy smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯ll put it on right away.¡± Wei Ruo came over and said, ¡°Meimei, when Xiaoyong is sweating, it is good to take some clothes off, otherwise if the clothes are soaked, he will catch a cold even more easily.¡± Hearing this, Xu Zhengyong was thrilled, ¡°See, Sister Ruoruo is taking my side! Sister Ruoruo must be right.¡± Just after being thrilled for a while, he received a glare from Wei Ruo, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should strip down like you did, almost bare-chested. And once you stop, you need to put on your clothes immediately, otherwise you catch a cold..¡± Chapter 223 - Chapter 223 Some Things Should Be Scheduled_l Chapter 223 Some Things Should Be Scheduled_l Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Get dressed already!¡± Xu Zhengyong¡¯s motions became frantic as he put on his clothes. If one person was scolding him, it was risky enough but when two people were nagging him together, he needed to hurry, or his father would get his whip. After Xu Zhengyong was dressed, he smiled at Wei Ruo and said, ¡°Ruoruo, it¡¯s been a long time. How come you¡¯re shorter now?¡± Hearing his words, Wei Ruo wanted to jump up and give him a good smack on his forehead. ¡°It¡¯S not because I¡¯ve gotten shorter, you¡¯ve just grown too fast!¡± Wei Ruo said irritably. Over the past year, Wei Ruo herself had grown taller, which was a normal rate of growth for this time of her life. However, compared to Xu Zhengyong, her growth was far less. Xu Zhengyong was at the age when boys grow tall rapidly. Having drilled in the army for half a year, and training hard every day, his height had soared. Originally, he was only half a head taller than Wei Ruo. Now, he had grown more than a head taller, and Wei Ruo only came up to his shoulders. Even amongst females, Wei Ruo was not considered short. Simply, Xu Zhengyong had grown too fast and too tall. Xu Zhengyong scratched his head: ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Turning to Xiumei, he asked, ¡°Junior sister, look how tall I have become now. Don¡¯t you respect me as your senior brother? Xiumei retorted gruffly, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being only tall? You¡¯re not getting any smarter. In this cold weather, you¡¯re wearing so little. Even if you get a cold, no matter how tall you are, you¡¯ll still need medicine and it will cost money.¡± ¡°Junior sister, you¡¯re not fair. My height is advantageous. I¡¯m strong now. I can knock down two of those short Japanese pirates with one punch!¡± Xu Zhengyong demonstrated with his fist. -Where did you find Japanese pirates to fight with? I heard recently they¡¯re quite peaceful and not causing trouble,¡± Xiumei argued. ¡°Those little brats, if it weren¡¯t for our shipbuilding technology being insufficient, I¡¯d go straight to their home base! rd destroy their lair so they wouldn¡¯t have the chance to disturb our land anymore!¡± Xu Zhengyong bristled with indignation when he talked about the Japanese pirates. Hearing his voice, the wet nurse coming from the house said to Xu Zhengyong, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, why don¡¯t you ask the young lady to come in?¡± Xu Zhengyong hurriedly complied: ¡°Ruoruo, hurry in before you catch cold. If you freeze, my mother would chop me up for firewood!¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Nanny, it¡¯s not that cold these past few days. Let me stay outside and get some fresh air. It¡¯s boring to stay inside all day.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go get a chair for you,¡± the wet nurse quickly went back into the house to fetch a chair for Wei Ruo. Xu Zhengyong said with a laugh, ¡°See, Ruoruo¡¯s words are always the most effective. She speaks once and it matters more than a hundred words that I say.¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t be so mischievous, others might listen to you more.¡± Xu Zhengyong chuckled and scratched his head. From the side, Xiumei muttered, ¡°Xu Zhengyong, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re acting like this in the military too? I fear your subordinates won¡¯t respect you! -Rest assured, I have a lot of prestige among my subordinates in the army. My position isn¡¯t only due to the crossbows Ruoruo provided. It¡¯s also due to my hard work and wisdom. My subordinates know that.¡± Xiumei laughed, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mentioned wisdom, I would believe the rest. But, this wisdom part, 1 really can¡¯t believe. ¡°You¡¯re just refusing to admit that I¡¯m better than you!¡± Xu Zhengyong retorted. ¡°Whether or not you¡¯re better than me is beside the point. I am your senior sister, you are my junior brother. You can¡¯t blur the lines or twist the truth,¡± Xiumei argued back. At this point in the conversation, Wei Ruo and the wet nurse understood and no longer needed to listen to the rest of their banter. It was bound to turn into a quarrel about seniority that wouldn¡¯t stop for a while. Wei Ruo and the wet nurse leisurely drank tea on the side and chit-chatted. ¡°Nanny, after the New Year passes, you must help me keep an eye on things. You know what I mean,¡± Wei Ruo said. She knew that once the New Year was over, certain matters needed to be brought up. She had already mentioned her plan to the wet nurse before. However, the wet nurse had been hesitant. The wet nurse was unconditionally supportive of Wei Ruo in everything else, but on this matter, she had always been hesitant. The wet nurse said, ¡°Miss, maybe we shouldn¡¯t be so hasty on this matter. A delay of two years won¡¯t be a problem. Maybe by then, Xiaoyong will have truly made some achievements.¡± -I understand, but we always need to plan ahead. We can¡¯t be too passive,¡± Wei Ruo insisted. The reluctant wet nurse agreed, ¡°I understand. I will pay attention to this matter.¡± Xu Zhengyong, who was in the midst of happily arguing with Xiumei, suddenly leaned in and said, ¡°Ruoruo, look at how fierce Meimei is. In the future, I¡¯m sure no one will want her. Why don¡¯t you betroth her to me?¡± Before Wei Ruo could answer, Xiumei¡¯s fist landed on him, ¡°Xu Zhengyong! Are you asking for a beating?¡± Xu Zhengyong laughed and said, ¡°Why would this be asking for a beating? We played husband and wife when we were young, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! That was just child¡¯s play! How dare you bring that up!¡± Xiumei was so angry she wanted to sew Xu Zhengyong¡¯s mouth shut. Wei Ruo and the wet nurse knowingly turned their heads and continued their conversation. ### The warmth of the sun in the third month signaled the arrival of spring. Farmers started to become busy. The plantation near Xiaoyang Mountain in Xingshan County was still growing sweet potatoes this year, while the management had been handed over to Agui and Xiaoba by Wei Ruo. After the publicity created by selling sweet potatoes last year, many hills in Xingshan County started growing sweet potatoes as well. Wei Ruo was not stingy either, she told everyone that they could propagate sweet potatoes using cuttings from the vine, therefore anyone who wanted to plant sweet potatoes just needed to buy some sweet potatoes as seed tubers. The herbal field managed with Xie Yingying was not yielding much yet due to its long growing cycle. The Xie family¡¯s servants in Xingshan County were managing it well and would have the chance to harvest some in the summer. If gathering them worked out, the profit should be quite substantial as medicinal herbs were in high demand. In Government City, the laborers in Wei Ruo¡¯s plantation started to work from dawn to dusk. Plowing, seeding, watering, weeding ¨C plenty of work awaited them. The field of wheat also needed tending. The wheat was already lush and green, which was a joyful sight. The labors were very motivated. Their employer treated them well, providing them with ample food, clothing, and comfortable accommodations. Anyone with a shred of gratitude would know to work hard in return. Even those who lacked a sense of gratitude had a sense of crisis. There were many people out there who were having a hard life and wanted to work in their employer¡¯s plantation. To keep their jobs, they had to work hard too.. Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Suggestions for Yuns Family_l Chapter 224: Suggestions for Yun¡¯s Family_l Translator: 549690339 The three workshops in the village: the Five Spice Powder, Oyster Sauce, and Soy Sauce are all running smoothly. The Five Spice Powder and Oyster Sauce supplied to the Zuixian Residence have brought better reputation and customer flow, further solidifying their cooperation. The production cycle of soy sauce is long, and so far, it has all been stored in jars and has not been sold. The construction of the distillery is underway, with Uncle Xu still overseeing the progress. Wei Ruo currently has five shops in her hands: three Four Treasure Houses ¨C one each in Huzhou Prefecture, Xingshan County, and Taizhou Government City. Each of them is slightly off in performance compared to last year, but t e overall profit is still substantial. The grain shop opened in Xingshan County last year has been doing well and towards the end it was in a state of stock shortage because Wei Ruo mandated only a part of the grain reserve be sold. She wanted to reserve enough grain for herself and the people in the village for the next year, just in case of any natural disaster or calamity. The sales of Xu¡¯s Marinated Delicacies shop dropped somewhat this year after the New Year, due to the rise in meat prices and a drop in daily sales. But this is not a problem unique to their shop. Among many shops, Wei Ruo¡¯s still performed well. Overall, the shops are profit-making. Weiruo¡¯s focus is still on agriculture. The shops only need to maintain positive income and help to sell the output of the village and workshop. And whether the village can have a good harvest this year is of life and death importance. ### At the Military Prefecture, the new farmland that Madam Yun had been keen on was also purchased. As the price of land near the Government City is high, Madam Yun temporarily bought a small estate of two hundred acres. Wei Ruo also kept her promise and accompanied Madam Yun on a visit to the new estate. ¡°What do you think, Ruoruo?¡± Madam Yun asked. She had heard when purchasing the estate that although the land around the Government City is more flat and open than in Xingshan County, the quality of soil is not very good. The crops grown in previous years have not been very good, yielding mediocre profits. -The soil fertility is not sufficient. It needs to be turned over and filled, or the straw ash burnt and farmyard manure applied. This should be repeated three times, each time applying half a cart of straw ash and half a cart of farmyar manure per acre.¡± Wei Ruo gave out the solution. The soil here is more or less the same. The way Wei Ruo had improved and fertilized the over a thousand acres of land she had bought, was the same process to be followed for this two hundred acres that Madam Yun bought. However, Madam Yun bought this piece of land late, unlike the farmland Wei ruo obtained last winter, which had sufficient time for improvement. The former is now all planted with rice. Upon hearing this, Madam Yun showed a look of difficulty: ¡°Turning over the soil is easy, the workers in the estate can get busy with it, but there¡¯s nowhere to find straw at this time of year. Last year, in such cold weather, even if there was spare straw, people collected it for keeping warm at home.¡± ¡°in that case, let¡¯s apply manure directly after turning the soil. You can use the manure from cattle, sheep and other livestock, even human feces can work. The volume is still half a cart of manure per acre,¡± said Wei Ruo. ¡°That seems like quite an expense,¡± said Madam Yun. ¡°Sharpening the axe will not delay the work of cutting wood. If you want a good harvest for the year, the soil must be sufficiently fertile. The initial investment is necessary,¡± said Wei Ruo, looking very serious. ¡°isn¡¯t there any other way?¡± Madam Yun asked, not giving up. She knew that applying farmyard manure would make the soil fertile, but it was the high cost of this material that made her wonder if Wei Ruo had any other better solutions. ¡°Mother, you cannot make bricks without straw. Soil fertility boils down to two points: inorganic and organic fertilizers; plus aeration and moisture content. If the weather is favourable, with enough sunshine, if there are no major problems with the wind and rain, the crops will grow well. The straw ash or farmyard manure I mentioned are currently the cheapest fertilizers I can think of for the soil.¡± Soil fertilization is not as sophisticated as the improvement of saline-alkali land Many farmers know about the methods, but sometimes they do not have the courage to decide, or they do not have enough silver coins in their hands to make such investments. Madam Yun did not quite understand what Wei Ruo was saying about organic and inorganic fertilizers. But she was not very satisfied with the solution provided by Wei Ruo. Seeing Madam Yun frowning and not making a decision for a long time, Wei Ruo did not say anything more. She had already come to check the soil and made her suggestions according to her agreement. Whether or not to accept and follow this was up to her now. After a while, Madam Yun said: ¡°I will arrange for people to get a couple of carts of sheep dung in advance and apply it as fertilizer.¡± Wei Ruo could hear the hint in her words; Madam Yun intended to apply fertilizer, but she did not plan to follow the volume Wei Ruo had suggested. She only planned to fertilize once, and only use a few carts of sheep dung for two hundred acres of land. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say anything, respecting Madam Yun¡¯s choice and decision. -Also, the rice variety we talked about last time should be fine, right?¡± Madam Yun enquired. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems. ¡°That¡¯s good. With that variety of rice, even if the soil isn¡¯t very fertile, it should still grow fine,¡± Madam Yun Adam put more hope on good rice varieties. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that, after all, even the best seeds need good soil, one can¡¯t go without the other,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Then Madam Yun told Wei Ruo: ¡°I also plan to plant some sweet potatoes in the estate in Xingshan County this year. I heard that they are easy to manage, not as delicate as rice. Last year, the family that planted sweet potatoes in Xingshan County not only had enough food for themselves but also sold quite a bit.¡± Madam Yun didn¡¯t know that the family she was talking about was actually Wei Ruo¡¯s. ¡°Hmm ¡± Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t surprised. Many households in Xingshan County have switched to planting sweet potatoes this year to ensure grain yield. This is a good thing. Although eating sweet potatoes long-term might not taste as good as rice, in a bad year, the main goal of the people is to fill their stomachs, not eat well. Then, Madam Yun talked about some issues related to the family business, Wei Ruo listened attentively, but basically did not comment. Madam Yun¡¯s overall planning of the family business was not problematic, apart from being reluctant to spend money on preliminary work, no other faults could be found. ### On the twentieth of March, one month later, the Taizhou prefecture¡¯s control of the epidemic was rewarded by the court. A public notice from the Government Office was specially posted in the city, with the names of those who made outstanding contributions in this matter written on it. Wei Ruo¡¯s two names both appeared on the notice. First was Xu Heyou, which was written in a prominent position along with Doctor Cheng and Doctor Cai. Second was Wei Qingruo¡¯s name, which was on the notice for assisting Princess Jingmin in serving the people. This honor was not only due to Wei Ruo¡¯s contribution, but also the special care from Madam Yuan, which played a decisive role. When the rewards were announced, the Government Office sent the court¡¯s gratitude to the Military Prefecture. As Wei Ruo is a member of the family, the merit was credited to the Military Prefecture when the rewards were announced, stating that the Military Prefecture had made contributions to the people of Taizhou prefecture and recorded one merit to Wei Mingting.. Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Invited to Go Outdoors_l Chapter 225: Invited to Go Outdoors_l Translator: 549690339 However, due to the announcement from the government office, it was known all over the government city that this credit of the Military Prefecture went to the legitimate eldest daughter of the Wei Family, Wei Qingruo. Because of this, the name of the legitimate eldest daughter of the Wei Family became famous among the nobles of Taizhou prefecture. Being able to manage the entire epidemic control in Taizhou prefecture, wouldn¡¯t she be more than capable of housekeeping? When choosing a daughter-in-law, big families consider not just her upbringing and behavior, but also her housekeeping skills. Moreover, this legitimate eldest daughter of the Wei family is favored by Princess Jingmin, isn¡¯t marrying her prestigious? Fortunately, this legitimate eldest daughter is fourteen now and it¡¯s time to start matchmaking. As the year began, Lady Yun received many invitations from the Madams. Lady Yun was delighted, as they had just moved to the government city not long ago and were worried about settling in. Now it seems that there is no need to worry about that. Lady Yun knew she should start considering the matrimonial prospects of her two daughters. Although her husband believed their daughters could marry late and even if they get married when they¡¯re seventeen or eighteen, it would still be fine. The matchmaking can start now. Getting married later is not a problem, but if by seventeen or eighteen appropriate matches are not finalized, parents should be worried. People outside also gossip, and those who do not know the situation may think there are unspeakable secrets about the daughters of the Wei family. So, Lady Yun called Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan to prepare well and accompany her on her trip tomorrow. ¡°Is this an outing organized by the Lady of Tongzhi Prefecture?¡± Wei Qingwan asked. She had studied at the Tongzhi Prefecture and naturally heard some news about it. ¡°Yes, the idea is to enjoy the spring while showing compassion for the farmers. The last two years have seen a poor harvest. With the court concerned and the Magistrate worried, Lady Xiu¡¯s intention is to take all the ladies and young ladies to experience the hard work of farmers,¡± Lady Yun explained. The court prioritizes agriculture, so naturally, people would follow this trend and take action to respect and prioritize farming. Wei Qingwan nodded, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I will prepare well.¡± Wei Ruo remained silent. Lady Yun turned to Wei Ruo, ¡°Remember to wear the spring clothes we made for you last year, don¡¯t always wear those old clothes.¡± These days, Wei Ruo often went out in plain linen clothes. Fortunately, she mostly traveled by carriage to the Tianqin Garden, so Lady Yun didn¡¯t say much. But tomorrow they will be with all the young ladies, if she still dresses like this, it would be shameful for the Military Prefecture. ¡°Understood.¡± Wei Ruo liked to wear plain linen clothes these days because she took the opportunity to go down to the fields whenever she could. She kept a small portion of the farm fields at the farm for herself to cultivate, mainly to accumulate her space experience points faster. Then, Lady Yun gave Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan a few more instructions. From dressing and accessories to their behavior, she hoped that both of them could do their best. After a while, when Lady Yun felt that she had explained everything clearly, she let Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan go. ### Early the next day, Wei Ruo changed into her new clothes from last year, a light green shirt and skirt. As it was still a bit cold in the morning and night, Xiumei gave Wei Ruo a light cloak to wear outside. They wore fox fur capes in winter. The capes now were made of satin material and sewed with a thin layer of cotton, which was just right for this time. When they arrived at the entrance, Lady Yun and Wei Qingwan were already there. The three of them got into the carriage together and headed for the Tongzhi Prefecture. The destination today wasn¡¯t the Tongzhi Prefecture, but it was the gathering place for everyone. After waiting at the entrance of the Tongzhi Prefecture for a while, when everyone¡¯s carriages arrived, they left the city and headed to the countryside. When they arrived at the place, everyone got out of their carriages and walked on foot. Lady Tongzhi had chosen Beishan Village, south of the city, for the visit. The village was surrounded by farmland. It was the busy season for farmers, and a large number of farmers, whether women, children, or elderly, were working in the fields. The scenery along the way was beautiful, filled with vibrant greenery. After Wei Ruo got off the carriage, Lady Tongzhi came forward to greet her, ¡°Is this the young lady from the Wei Family? I have heard of her reputation many times before, but I have never had the opportunity to meet her. Now that I see her, I know seeing is believing, and she is even more beautiful than what people say!¡± Lady Tongzhi looked at Wei Ruo with a full face of smiles. Wei Ruo responded with a light smile. Then Lady Tongzhi continued enthusiastically to Wei Ruo, ¡°Speaking of which, I really need to thank you, Wei Ruo, thanks to your loquat syrup, my father-in-law¡¯s old disease has improved, and he is much better now, his spirit is much better too!¡± Previously, Lady Xiu who had bought the loquat syrup from Wei Ruo is Lady Tongzhi¡¯s mother-in-law. The patient who got better was her father-in-law. As a daughter-in-law, it was appropriate for her to thank Wei Ruo once she had the chance. ¡°Lady Xiu, there¡¯s no need to be polite,¡± Wei Ruo replied, modest and respectful. She did not appear overly enthusiastic, nor did she distant herself too much. When Lady Xiu started talking, several other Madams also came forward to chat with Wei Ruo. These ladies all had high statuses, but they were all willing to condescend and engage Wei Ruo in conversations. Wei Ruo was somewhat unsettled by the enthusiasm of the crowd. She had just planned to blend into the background as she had done before, not wishing to draw attention at the gathering. However, today was different from the past. The enthusiastic Madams made it impossible for her to blend into the background. Lady Yun hadn¡¯t expected that her eldest daughter would be so popular. The expression on Wei Qingwan¡¯s face at the side was somewhat grim. Even Lady Tongzhi and Lady Qiu were like this, let alone the other people. She attended school at the Tongzhi Prefecture, knew the daughters of the Tongzhi family and the Qiu family, and had met these two ladies a few times. But the two ladies only talked to Wei Qingruo and completely ignored her, this differential treatment deeply hurt Wei Qingwan¡¯s feelings. After a while, the crowd around Wei Ruo dispersed, then Lady Tongzhi explained the itinerary to everyone, and everyone nodded in agreement after listening. Then everyone started their outing activity. Lady Tongzhi¡¯s daughter, Xiu Yaojun, especially sought out Wei Qingwan and walked alongside her. ¡°Wei Qingwan, your sister is much more capable than you, see how much my mother and everyone likes her!¡± Xiu Yaojun said with a mischievous grin. Hearing this, Wei Qingwan lowered her head pretending not to hear Xiu Yaojun¡¯s voice. Xiu Yaojun continued, ¡°You might not know this, but my mother likes your sister even before meeting her and wants her to be my eldest brother¡¯s wife.¡± Wei Qingwan was taken aback, her steps faltering slightly. Seeing Wei Qingwan¡¯s reaction, Xiu Yaojun couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wei Qingwan pursed her lips and said, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Xiu Yaojun said, ¡°Nothing, just letting you know that you¡¯re not as exceptional as you think.. You don¡¯t have to portray yourself as an lofty and intelligent woman all day, it really bothers me!¡± Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Encounter with Grateful Refugees of Wei Chapter 226: Encounter with Grateful Refugees of Wei Ruo_l Translator: 549690339 But when facing Xiu Yaojun¡¯s provocations, Wei Qingwan showed indifference and arrogant aloofness, rendering Yaojun¡¯s efforts futile. Thus, today, Yaojun seized the opportunity to annoy Wei Qingwan by intentionally mentioning Wei Ruo. Usually, when Yaojun tried to provoke Wei Qingwan with other issues, she would remain calm. However, today she clearly lost her usual composure, which satisfied Yaojun greatly. Following that, Yaojun moved to Wei Ruo¡¯s side, striking up a conversation: ¡°Miss Wei, your Loquat Syrup is quite good, it cured my grandfather¡¯s chronic illness. Both my grandparents often sing your praises.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s useful.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s attitude towards Yaojun was basically the same as to the madams. She was polite and courteous, composed and relaxed. Yaojun continued, ¡°Unlike your sister, who is said to be so talented but as I see, apart from reading a bunch of books, there¡¯s nothing impressive about her. When something actually needs to be done, she¡¯s of no use.¡± Yaojun was actually praising Wei Ruo in order to belittle Wei Qingwan further. Wei Ruo looked at Yaojun with slight surprise. Miss Xiu¡¯s loud voice could be heard by the ladies surrounding them, including Wei Qingwan herself, although the madams leading the line might not hear her harsh comments. Such blatant public criticism seems to be what the vapid minor female characters from novels would do. In the original story, many such characters appeared around Wei Qingwan, but she always responded with a cold and indifferent demeanor. Most of these characters had unfortunate endings, because besides being jealous of Wei Qingwan, they weren¡¯t capable of wise actions. No wonder Wei Qingwan could remain calm when dealing with their provocations. Their anger not only failed to harm Wei Qingwan but also indirectly confirmed Wei Qingwan¡¯s extraordinary beauty and talent. Wei Ruo smiled at Yaojun and intentionally steered the conversation back to her grandfather¡¯s chronic illness. ¡°Does your grandfather still cough at night after going to bed?¡± Yaojun answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know about after bedtime, but when I visit him, we barely coughs while we sit and talk over tea. It also seems he¡¯s been more cheerful.¡± After answering Wei Ruo¡¯s question, Yaojun quickly changed the topic back to Wei Qingwan, ¡°Look how weak your sister is, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.¡± While speaking, Yaojun disdainfully glanced at Wei Qingwan. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t know what kind of conflict had occurred between Yaojun and Wei Qingwan. Due to her unfamiliarity with Yaojun, she didn¡¯t want to delve into such topics carelessly. Wei Qingwan¡¯s face turned ashen. From the first day she started attending classes in Tongzhi Prefecture, Yaojun had shown a strong hostility towards her. She hadn¡¯t done anything to Yaojun, but because she performed exceptionally well in class and was praised by the teacher, Yaojun started to mock her and intentionally isolated her. Regarding these matters, she didn¡¯t care. She was very clear that this was Yaojun¡¯s incompetence and rage, that Yaojun acted this way because she was inferior and was finding ways to trouble her. She also knew that besides verbal sarcasm, Yaojun couldn¡¯t cause any substantial harm to her, so she didn¡¯t mind much. But when Yaojun and Wei Ruo taunted her together, she couldn¡¯t keep calm and ignore what was happening. She could not bear to hear Wei Ruo being praised by those who despised her! Everyone continued walking along the relatively flat path around the village. Suddenly a farmer¡¯s wife approached with her husband. Seeing someone coming close, the maids quickly stepped forward to stop them. The woman seeing that she was unable to get nearer, dropped to her knees from a distance and shouted to Wei Ruo. ¡°Miss Wei!¡± Wei Ruo looked at the woman with surprise, ¡°May I ask you, who you are?¡± ¡°Miss Wei, last year when I took my young child to visit my parents in West Mountain Village, we were caught in a natural disaster. You, your father, and your elder brother risked your lives to save the villagers from West Mountain Village, enabling us to escape. Later, you sent us food and quilts. My parents managed to survive because of your kindness.¡± Then the woman¡¯s husband added, ¡°Thank you, Miss Wei, for saving my wife and child¡¯s lives!¡± Hearing the woman and the man¡¯s words, the ladies in the group realized that Wei Ruo had done many good deeds in Xingshan County, and the couple had come to express their gratitude. Upon hearing this, the Madam Tongzhi signaled the maids not to hinder them and allowed the couple to move closer. The woman then put the basket she was holding on the ground, ¡°I hope you can accept these eggs, Miss Wei.¡± ¡°Please get up, the road is full of stones, don¡¯t hurt your knees.¡± Wei Ruo hastily told them to rise. She was not accustomed to being knelt to. Xiumei also came over to help the couple stand. Wei Ruo then said to the couple, ¡°Your goodwill is greatly appreciated, but please take these eggs back. Whether you sell them or eat them, it¡¯s fine.¡± For a farming family, eggs are precious resources. This basket of eggs would have taken at least a couple of weeks to collect. The gift was too generous, and Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t accept it. ¡°No, no, no, please accept these eggs, Miss Wei. This represents our gratitude!¡± The woman insisted on giving the eggs to Wei Ruo. ¡°No need, truly. I¡¯ve received your goodwill, and I am very happy. If you really want to express your gratitude, take good care of yourselves, eat well, dress warmly, and live well. That¡¯s what I wished for when I did what I did, not for you to scrimp and save to give me food.¡± The woman¡¯s face was filled with emotions. Wei Ruo added, ¡°This year will be another difficult year. Farming work is exhausting, you need to eat more eggs so that you can have the strength to work in the fields, and hopefully, have a good harvest this year. Also, your child is growing now, you should give him more eggs to nourish him.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Wei, thank you, Miss Wei! We hope your blessings come true! We hope your blessings come true!¡± The couple bowed repeatedly in thanks. ¡°Alright, go back now, don¡¯t delay today¡¯s farming activities. It¡¯s the rice-planting season now, you mustn¡¯t miss this time.¡± Wei Ruo advised. From Wei Ruo¡¯s words, it was clear that she was very knowledgeable about farming, knowing exactly what should be done at this time of the year. The couple nodded repeatedly, gave Wei Ruo a deep bow, and then left. Then, Wei Ruo asked Madam Tongzhi to proceed. As they continued their journey, the madams couldn¡¯t help but praise Wei Ruo. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected Miss Wei to be not only intelligent and competent but also kindhearted. She has actually done so many good deeds.¡± ¡°Compared to Miss Wei, I feel a little ashamed.¡± ¡°Miss Wei, could you elaborate on how you helped those disaster-stricken people in Xingshan County?¡± Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Encounter with Students of Anzhou Academy_l Chapter 227: Encounter with Students of Anzhou Academy_l Translator: 549690339 Listening to everyone complimenting Wei Ruo, Mrs. Yun felt greatly honored and her mood naturally improved. Nevertheless, Wei Qingwan¡¯s face was unspeakably uncomfortable, as if Wei Qingruo was the only ¡°Miss Wei¡± present. Li Ruo, who received all the compliments, could only smile. She didn¡¯t take these compliments to heart. Regardless of how sincere these people were in their praise, she had helped the villagers of West Mountain not for the sake of fame in the first place. The group continued onward and came to a fenced courtyard, which had been previously reserved by Madam Tong Zhi as a resting and dining place for everyone.. Whenever she invites these ladies and young ladies to come out and enjoy the scenery, it¡¯s impossible to walk all day. Everyone is pampered and can¡¯t even endure an hour. The courtyard was spacious, with an open front yard surrounded by a fence. It contained seven or eight houses and a peach orchard on one side. It was not like a typical farmhouse, but more like a leisure place built by wealthy people for relaxation. Later, Madam Tong Zhi¡¯s words confirmed Wei Ruo¡¯s guess. The courtyard was built by Patriarch Xiu ten years ago as a summer retreat. To welcome the ladies and young girls, Madam Tong Zhi had sent people in advance to clean up the place. She had also left some servants here to prepare tea and pastries for the invited guests. A few eight-immortal tables were set up in the open air courtyard. After entering the courtyard, everyone sat down at the invitation of Madam Tong Zhi. Mrs. Yun sat down with Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan in a relatively secluded corner. Seeing that Wei Qingwan looked unwell, Mrs. Yun asked in concern, ¡°Wanwan, are you feeling uncomfortable? Have you caught a cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little tired.¡± Wei Qingwan answered with a sullen face. ¡°That¡¯s good, take a rest.¡± Mrs. Yun was relieved. Then Mrs. Yun looked at Wei Ruo, her eyes filled with pride and affection, ¡°Ruoruo, you did very well today.¡± Wei Ruo didn¡¯t respond, lost in thought as she looked outside the fence. At that moment, the sound of horse hooves approached from a distance, and a group of young gentlemen on horseback passed by. Among the crowd, Wei Ruo saw the figure of Wei Yichen, and the familiar face of Lu Yuhong was also among them. Recently, Chu Lan had been in Taizhou Prefecture, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that Lu Yuhong appeared here. Wei Ruo looked carefully, Chu Lan was not in the crowd. Good, the fewer annoying people, the better her mood. Mrs. Yun and Wei Qingwan also saw Wei Yichen. ¡°Mother, I think that¡¯s elder brother!¡± Wei Qingwan said somewhat excitedly. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s your elder brother.¡± After confirming, Mrs. Yun guessed, ¡°They must be the students from Anzhou Academy going on a trip.¡± While Mrs. Yun and others were looking at Wei Yichen, he and his companions also spotted the women in the courtyard. Among them, many had relatives in the courtyard like Wei Yichen. The group stopped, observing the traditional separation of genders and not approaching carelessly. The eldest son of the Xiu family, Xiu Fengyuan remarked, ¡°Today, my mother has invited all the ladies to enjoy the spring here, I should go over and greet them.¡± Afterward, Xiu Fengyuan dismounted and arrived at the entrance of the courtyard. Madam Tong Zhi came out from the inside, and upon seeing her son, her face was filled with joy. ¡°The son pays his respects to mother.¡± ¡°Since you and your classmates are passing by, why not stay and have some tea? There¡¯s a separate yard you can enter from the side door, which is separate from the front yard,¡± Madam Tong Zhi advised. These were all grown men and women, of course they couldn¡¯t stay together. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and ask the classmates first.¡± Xiu Fengyuan went back to ask the others. Everyone expressed that they were also somewhat thirsty and tired and thought it might be a good idea to rest. Then they all tied their horses in the open space in front of the yard, and under the guidance of the Xiu family servants, they entered from the side door of the courtyard and went to the small courtyard in the back. After everyone¡¯s figures disappeared, Wei Qingwan subconsciously looked at Wei Ruo, who was sitting across from her. Combining what Xiu Yaojun said earlier, she found it hard not to believe that this coincidence with the sons of the Tong Zhi family wasn¡¯t a deliberate arrangement by Madam Tong Zhi. If that was really the case, wouldn¡¯t Wei Qingruo have to¡­ Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t hear Xiu Yaojun¡¯s words, but she had her own guess, understanding the potentially deliberate arrangement. She wasn¡¯t upset but thrilled instead. The sons at Anzhou Academy have exceptional backgrounds and knowledge. To be able to select a future husband for her daughter from these young men would be excellent. At this moment, Xiu Yaojun ran up to the trio, inviting Wei Qingwan, ¡°Qingwan, let¡¯s go over there and look. The peach blossoms are in full bloom, it¡¯s a great time to appreciate them.¡± Xiu Yaojun pointed to the peach orchard inside the courtyard. When no elders were around earlier, Xiu Yaojun had spoken sarcastically to Wei Qingwan. Now that elders were present, Xiu Yaojun appeared to be in a close relationship with Wei Qingwan. Wei Qingwan refused, ¡°No thank you. I rarely get to go out with my mother and sister, I would rather chat with them.¡± Xiu Yaojun said, ¡°But it¡¯s not often we get to go for outings like this, and it¡¯s rare to see peach blossoms bloom so well.¡± With such a good reason from Xiu Yaojun, Wei Qingwan didn¡¯t know how to refuse. Hearing the conversation between the two, Mrs. Yun encouraged Wei Qingwan to go, ¡°Wanwan, we¡¯re out to play today, so you don¡¯t need to be so reserved. Go enjoy the flowers with your classmates.¡± Wei Qingwan bit her lip, not daring to let Mrs. Yun know that she didn¡¯t get along well with her classmates, so she reluctantly nodded in agreement. A triumphant smile appeared on Xiu Yaojun¡¯s face. Then she turned to Wei Ruo and extended the same invitation, ¡°Miss Wei, why don¡¯t you come along too?¡± Wei Ruo shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m more interested in your tea and pastries.¡± Xiu Yaojun said, ¡°These are just ordinary tea and cakes, not worth your time. Come with us instead!¡± Mrs. Yun also suggested, ¡°Ruoruo, you should go too.¡± Wei Ruo firmly declined, ¡°No, I¡¯m tired after walking all this way. I need to rest.¡± Wei Ruo wasn¡¯t like Wei Qingwan, who cared about face. She had plenty of reasons for not wanting to go. She didn¡¯t mind admitting she had low stamina and hadn¡¯t seen much. She certainly wasn¡¯t going to force herself to do something she didn¡¯t want to do. Furthermore, Wei Ruo had already sensed something amiss. This plot development in the original novel would lead to a cannon fodder female role causing trouble for the female lead. Whether it was or not, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to get involved. She didn¡¯t have the energy to play these games with them. As for whether Wei Qingwan would be at a disadvantage, it had nothing to do with her. As long as they didn¡¯t drag her into it, they were free to mess around as they pleased. ¡°Then suit yourself!¡± Xiu Yaojun lost her patience with Wei Ruo. Seeing her repeatedly refuse, she stopped bothering with her.. Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Madams Enthusiasm Towards Wei Ruo_l Chapter 228: Madams¡¯ Enthusiasm Towards Wei Ruo_l Translator: 549690339 After that, Xiu Yaojun and Wei Qingwan set off together towards the Peach Blossom Forest. Madam Yun did not comment on Wei Ruo¡¯s refusal to accompany Xiu Yaojun. Firstly, Wei Ruo has always been like this, not sparing her own mother¡¯s face, let alone others¡¯; secondly, Wei Ruo and Xiu Yaojun are not familiar, and it is quite normal to refuse to join in on the fun. Not long after Xiu Yaojun and her group left, the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife came over to chat with Madam Yun. Madam Yun smiled as she spoke with her, and during their conversation, they mentioned their sons studying at Anzhou Academy. ¡°My son Fengyuan told me that Young Master Wei is exceptionally talented and highly regarded by his teachers,¡± praised the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife. ¡°His teachers overstate his abilities, my son Yichen¡¯s scholarship is average. Compared to the many young masters in the government city, he still has a lot to learn,¡± Madam Yun immediately responded modestly. The Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife continued, ¡°Madam Wei is truly blessed. Both the eldest son and daughter are outstanding. Surely, endless blessings will follow in the future!¡± No one dislikes such compliments, not even Madam Yun. Her eyes brightened with joy. Looking at Wei Ruo sitting quietly to one side, her smile deepened. The praise Madam Yun received from the ladies today was unexpected. She had always thought that her daughter¡¯s behavior did not follow the standards of a fine lady, believing it would be enough if she didn¡¯t attract criticism after entering the government city. Now, she found herself receiving compliments from the wives of officials. The Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife was also looking at Wei Ruo. Seeing the girl¡¯s calm demeanor, she asked softly, ¡°I heard Miss Qingwan has been studying with Master Wang Caiwei, what books has she read recently?¡± The name of Master Wang Caiwei is well-known along the Zhejiang Road. Those women who were taught by him were invariably of a higher standard compared to others. There was a subtle expression of expectation on the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Really? I must seize the opportunity to see it. With Qingwan¡¯s intelligence and being taught by Master Wang, her craftsmanship must be extraordinary!¡± Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°My skills are mediocre, I dare not show them in front of Madam.¡± The Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife responded, ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest. I¡¯ve heard that even the daughters of the Yuan family, who studied alongside you, praised you highly. You are skillful, virtuous and elegant, a student greatly favored by Master Wang.¡± Wei Ruo just gave a light smile. As for such compliments, one should just graciously accept them and not take them too seriously. At that moment, Madame Jin also walked over. The Jin family was a distinguished and ancient clan of Taizhou prefecture, once counting an Imperial Tutor among their ancestors. Currently, they also have members serving as officials in outer regions. ¡°What is Madam Xiu talking about with Miss Wei? You all seem so cheerful. I was so curious I couldn¡¯t help but come over and join in,¡± Madam Jin said with a broad smile on her face. ¡°Not much, just asking Miss Wei about her daily affairs. I¡¯m just envious of Madam Wei for having a good daughter like Miss Wei, unlike my Yaojun who always gives me headaches,¡± sighed the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife. In response, Madam Yun said hastily, ¡°Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife, you are too kind. Miss Yaojun is by no means inferior to my Ruo. You simply don¡¯t know how troublesome Ruo can be sometimes.¡± This was the truth, Wei Ruo could testify to that. Madam Yun indeed found her troublesome. Madam Jin affirmatively said, ¡°Miss Qingwan not only won the favor of the Seventh Prince, but also has a heart full of kindness. She has relieved the suffering of the people and is deeply loved by them.¡± Madam Jin agreed and said, ¡°Whoever is fortunate enough to marry Miss Wei as their daughter-in-law will surely be blessed.¡± Madam Yun laughed shyly, unable to hide her sense of pride. Madam Jin followed, ¡°I don¡¯t know which family will be lucky enough to have Miss Wei as their virtuous daughter-in-law.¡± Madam Yun laughed bashfully, unable to hide her pride. From the enthusiasm of all the ladies towards herself and her eldest daughter, Madam Yun could vaguely sense that they were quite satisfied with her daughter. This gave her confidence that her daughter¡¯s marriage would cause her little worry. While they were talking, a sharp scream came from the direction of the Peach Blossom Forest, raising everyone¡¯s alarm. Then, Xiu Yaojun and several other young ladies came running out from the forest, looking panicked. The Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife hastily stood up, ¡°Yaojun, what¡¯s going on, why are you so flustered?¡± ¡°It was just a snake, it startled me,¡± Xiu Yaojun explained. The Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife ordered someone to go into the Peach Blossom Forest to investigate. With so many high-ranking ladies present, if there really was a snake, and someone got hurt, it would be serious. ¡°Where is Qingwan? Why hasn¡¯t my Qingwan come out?¡± Madam Yun, noticing Wei Qingwan was not amongst those who had emerged, asked anxiously. Hearing this, the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife immediately ordered her servant to go and find Wei Qingwan. Xiu Yaojun hung her head, appearing rather guilty. No one had noticed her reaction, but Wei Ruo did. She conjectured that Xiu Yaojun¡¯s shock was due not to the snake but something else. Xiu Yaojun and the others had done something to Wei Qingwan, something unexpected happened, making them panicked. The so-called Peach Blossom Forest is not large. Those who were sent in soon returned, with Wei Qingwan. Weoi Qingwan appeared to have suffered some shock, her head down, face slightly pale, and her willowy figure swayed slightly as if in the wind, looking extremely pitiful. ¡°Qingwan.¡± Madam Yun quickly stepped forward, anxiously checking Wei Qingwan¡¯s condition. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine.¡± Wei Qingwan answered. More anxious, Madam Yun pressed on, ¡°But you encountered a snake? Did it bite you?¡± Wei Qingwan looked in the direction of Xiu Yaojun when she heard the word ¡°snake.¡± Sensing her gaze, Xiu Yaojun guiltily turned away. ¡°I was not bitten.¡± Wei Qingwan answered. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good,¡± Madam Yun repeated. Then the Assistant Magistrate¡¯s Wife ordered people to search the surroundings again, determined to find the frightening snake. At the same time, she apologized to everyone present, expressing that her arrangements were inadequate, having allowed a snake to enter their vicinity, disturbing everyone. At this moment, Xiu Fengyuan, Wei Yichen and others heard the commotion and came over, asking about the situation through the fence. ¡°Mother, what happened? Did something go wrong?¡± Xiu Fengyuan asked anxiously.. Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Asking for Embarrassment 1 Chapter 229: Asking for Embarrassment 1 Translator: 549690339 I ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s nothing, your sister and her friends were just startled by a snake,¡± Madam Tongzhi replied. Hearing about the snake, a few young men were eager to prove their bravery expressing their intention to catch the snake and thus avenge those slighted.¡¯ Among them, Lu Yuhong was the most enthusiastic: ¡°Snake soup is delicious, once we catch it, we can make it into soup!¡± Such talk coming from Lu Yuhong attracted no ridicule. Had anyone else said SO, they likely would have been laughed at by the crowd. But Lu Yuhong was different. His social standing was far above anyone else present. Lu Yuhong was not a student of Anzhou Academy either. Today, he felt like mingling with the academy¡¯s students during their outing. On this account, those from Anzhou Academy were very careful and tactful in his company, afraid of upsetting him. While Lu Yuhong spoke, his gaze fell on Wei Ruo who was on the other side of the fence. Feeling Lu¡¯s stare, Wei Ruo figured that this gluttonous young master from the Lu family had taken an interest in her. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t truly believe that all this commotion was because of a snake. Both Xiu Yaojun and Wei Qingwan¡¯s reactions were somewhat off. However, both were hiding the true nature of the situation for their own purposes. Suddenly, several young masters left the compound, inspecting the surroundings in high spirits. Even if they didn¡¯t find the snake, giving the area a thorough check should put the ladies who were out enjoying the day at ease. Wei Qingwan then returned to her original seat. Wei Ruo continued to sip her tea and enjoy her pastries at a leisurely pace, never intending to expose Wei Qingwan¡¯s lie. Rather, it was Wei Qingwan who kept looking at Wei Ruo, feeling a sense of guilt or something similar, always imagining that Wei Ruo seemed to know something. When Madam Yun got up and joined Madam Tongzhi and the others, Wei Qingwan initiated a conversation with Wei Ruo: ¡°Do you not believe that I encountered a snake?¡± We Ruo paused for a moment, then her lips curled involuntarily into a smile ¡°If you had encountered a snake, why didn¡¯t you all run out together? Why did they come out first and you came so much later?¡± She hadn¡¯t intended to expose Wei Qingwan, but since she insisted on asking, Wei Ruo was forced to speak clearly. ¡°I¡¯m timid. Seeing the snake terrified me and my legs went weak,¡± Wei Qingwan explained. ¡°What about your sleeve then? When was it torn?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°This¡­¡± Wei Qingwan glanced at her own arm, explaining, ¡°It was torn by a branch in the peach forest.¡± ¡°So it was a tree branch. I thought you met a rogue in there, had a scuffle, then were rescued by a hero,¡± Wei Ruo answered with a mild smile. Wei Qingwan went pale at those words, a look of fear flashed in her eyes. Wei Ruo just speculated that. In the original plot, Wei Qingwan was once rescued by Chu Lan at the Huafa Temple, and the instigator of that incident was she, the senseless supporting female character. Having observed Wei Qingwan¡¯s reaction, Wei Ruo was quite confident in her assumption. ¡°You can¡¯t just say things like that, sister. That tarnishes my reputation,¡± Wei Qingwan said with a serious expression, attempting to feign calm. ¡°Not at all. You asked me first, didn¡¯t you? Normally, I wouldn¡¯t say a word more than necessary,¡± Wei Ruo responded with a light laugh. Wei Qingwan turned pale at Wei Ruo¡¯s smile, and bit her lower lip. Wei Ruo did not bother to engage further. The only point of curiosity for her regarding the day¡¯s events was who the heroic rescuer might be. Was it one of the students from Anzhou Academy resting next door? ### Lu Yuhong, Xiu Fengyuan, Wei Yichen and a few other students from Anzhou Academy went around the miniature courtyard of the Xiu family, and truly caught a snake. Though they were students, they were well-versed in activities like riding and archery, therefore, catching a snake together wasn¡¯t a problem. Especially for Lu Yuhong, who was incredibly agile. However, they didn¡¯t know what breed of snake it was or whether it was poisonous. Lu Yuhong was more concerned about whether they could use the snake to make a delicious dish. While pondering over it, Lu Yuhong saw a man dressed in navy-colored silk and wearing a bamboo hat across the way. Immediately, he abandoned the snake and bid farewell to Xiu Fengyuan and the others. Lu Yuhong ran towards the man: ¡°Seventh Prince, what are you doing here?¡± Lu Yuhong had come to Taizhou prefecture for Chu Lan. After meeting up with Chu Lan, he was not only there to protect him but also to evade his grandfather¡¯s strict rules. Today was a beautiful day, so when he heard that the students of Anzhou Academy were going to have some fun, he left Chu Lan behind to participate in the fun. He thought Chu Lan did not want to leave the house, so he was surprised to see him here. ¡°I had some business,¡± Chu Lan replied. ¡°Alright, be careful. We still don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind the attempt on your life I¡¯m afraid they might make another move,¡± Lu Yuhong advised. ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Chu Lan said, looking towards the courtyard. Seeing this, Lu Yuhong asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Nothing really,¡± Chu Lan replied. ¡®Do you want to stay and have a meal with us?¡± Lu Yuhong asked again. ¡°No need, I have something to attend to in the north of the town,¡± Chu Lan declined politely. ¡°Are you going to see that Mr. Xu again?¡± Lu Yuhong asked. Chu Lan didn¡¯t deny it, so that was as good as a confirmation. Lu Yuhong remarked, ¡°I get it that you want to express your gratitude since he saved your life. But considering what happened the last time you went to see him, you will probably be given the cold shoulder again.¡± Lu Yuhong didn¡¯t quite understand why a capable doctor turned farmer had such hostility against officials. Perhaps his family was wronged by someone in power in the past. ¡°Whatever he was subjected to in the past has nothing to do with me. I only know that he saved my life and our previous interactions were quite pleasant. I consider him a close friend,¡± Chu Lan said. After saying this, Chu Lan mounted his horse and sped off toward the northern town, without paying any more attention to the curious Lu Yuhong. His own attendants also followed suit on their horses. Lu Yuhong shook his head and sighed, ¡°I really don¡¯t get him. He is doing all this for a man. If you didn¡¯t know better, you would think that his lifesaver is a beauty capable of toppling an empire! His life-saving grace is significant, yes, but if the man doesn¡¯t want to associate with him, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just¡¯ offer him some silver coins?¡± ### At noon, they all ate together in the courtyard. Madam Tongzhi had especially invited a chef who meticulously prepared the day¡¯s meals. Some dishes were prepared using freshly picked wild vegetables such as dressed pigweed, stir-fried shepherds purse and dried bean curd fried with water celery. Wei Ruo found everything delightful. Additionally, Madam Tongzhi specifically sent someone to Zuixian Residence to buy a few dishes. The dishes at Zuixian Residence were special and unparalleled; they were delicious and excellent for entertaining guests.. Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Comparing Poetry_i Chapter 230: Comparing Poetry_i Translator: 549690339 After the meal, everyone began to talk about the food they had just eaten. ¡°Has the Zuixian Residence hired a new chef? This food is even more delicious than before, full of flavors, which makes the food from other places taste bland after eating theirs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, I just know that their food tastes extremely good, our cooks at home could never achieve This level.¡± ¡°My Madam also recently became a fan of their dishes, she has specially ordered the staff at home to buy their food several times.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a pudding shop nearby, the taste of their pudding is also different from elsewhere, it¡¯s extremely good. Compared with it, all others seem to lack some flavors.¡± Wei Ruo listened quietly on the side without interrupting, but she was happy inside. The more people talk like this, the more beneficial it is for her little workshop, not only would Fan Chengxu be more willing to cooperate with her, but it would also be easier to expand other sales channels in the future. Meanwhile, the students from the Anzhou Academy next door also had the same lunch, with a slight difference being that they had a snake soup specially ordered by Master Lu. However, Lu Yuhong didn¡¯t seem to be very satisfied with this soup, as he found it bland and felt that it didn¡¯t bring out the wonderful flavor of snake soup. However, he was quite satisfied with the dishes from the Zuixian Residence. ¡°That Fan fellow, he must have hired a new cook recently, had I known, I would have gone to his restaurant to eat earlier.¡± Lu Yuhong somewhat regretted that he hadn¡¯t found out sooner. As Lu Yuhong finished his mumbling, he found Xiu Fengyuan next to him peering at the women through the bamboo fence. ¡°Xiu Fengyuan, what are you looking at?¡± Lu Yuhong asked. ¡°I¡¯m looking at my younger sister.¡± Xiu Fengyuan immediately explained. ¡°What are you looking at your sister for?¡± Lu Yuhong asked again. ¡°I¡­ my sister tends to be a bit troublesome, I want to see if she behaves well today.¡± Xiu Fengyuan explained, his eyes somewhat evasive. ¡°Really?¡± Lu Yuhong thought Xiu Fengyuan¡¯s expression was a bit odd. ¡°Brother Lu, how was the food today? Was it to your liking?¡± Xiu Fengyuan deliberately changed the topic. ¡°The food prepared by your home cook was mediocre, but the novelty of the dishes made up for it. I¡¯ve never tasted these wild vegetables when I was in the north. The dishes of Zuixian Residences were good, especially the plate of marinated meat, it left me wanting more.¡± Lu Yuhong remarked. ¡°When we return to the city later, I¡¯ll have a page boy go and buy more marinated meat from that restaurant for brother Lu.¡± Xiu Fengyuan offered. ¡°What? That marinated meat isn¡¯t from the Zuixian Residence?¡± Lu Yuhong asked. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not from the Zuixian Residence. It¡¯s from a marinated meat shop. Although the store looks usual, the flavor is great. Many wealthy families in the Government City buy marinated meat from them.¡± Xiu Fengyuan explained. ¡°That good, even better than Mr. Fan?¡± Lu Yuhong immediately showed interest. Seeing Lu Yuhong¡¯s interest, Xiu Fengyuan started sharing more about the marinated meat shop with him. Master Lu seldom showed interest in things other than war and martial arts, Xiu Fengyuan naturally wanted to cater to his interest. ### After the meal, the ladies rested for a while. Xiu Yaojun proposed that everyone should create a verse of a poem with ¡®spring¡¯ as the theme. This proposal quickly received approval from all the ladies present. Wei Qingwan at this time also came out of her trance. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say anything. She did not originally want to participate but seeing everyone else¡¯s enthusiasm, there was no excuse for her to refuse. Firstly, Xiu Yaojun led, then the young ladies from each family joined in. The scene turned quite lively, whenever there was a good verse, there would always be a cheer. These cheers were also mixed with men¡¯s voices coming from next door. The scholars of the Anzhou Academy were just a bamboo fence away from them. Even though the overlapping flower shadows made it hard to glimpse clearly, they could hear their voices very clearly if they remained quiet. It seemed that the scholars knew they were reciting poems, there was a pause to listen to their poetry. When it was Wei Ruo¡¯s table¡¯s turn, Wei Qingwan started, reciting a sentence that Wei Ruo didn¡¯t pay close attention to because she was somewhat distracted. And then she heard a round of cheers around her. These cheers were more enthusiastic than any earlier ones, the men¡¯s voices from the neighboring group were louder than before as well. It seemed that all the ladies and young girls present were praising Wei Qingwan, while Wei Qingwan was modestly saying some words. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t pay close attention to these, because firstly she was not interested in such activities and secondly, poetry was not her forte. Immediately after this, she heard Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan calling her. ¡°Ruo Ruo, it¡¯s your turn now.¡± ¡°Sister, it¡¯s your turn to recite a poem.¡± Wei Ruo then returned to reality, calmly replying: ¡°I¡¯m not good at poetry.¡± Wei Ruo knew that making such a statement would certainly deal a blow to her image in the eyes of everyone, but she did not mind. The earlier enthusiasm of Madam Tongzhi and Madam Jin towards her had already left her somewhat overwhelmed. She didn¡¯t really want to gain a good reputation among them, so she simply admitted candidly that she was not good at poetry. Seeing Wei Ruo refusing in this way, the others also fell silent. However, Wei Qingwan said: ¡°Sister, you are a student of Master Wang, who is recognized as a lady of extraordinary talent in Jiangnan, her poetry is unmatched, you must be modest when you say this.¡± Hearing these words, Wei Ruo was completely sober now. Others didn¡¯t know, but Wei Qingwan should be very clear that she had only been back to the Military Prefecture for just over a year and she had only been studying under Wang Caiwei for half a year. Writing poetry is not a simple task, it requires profound accumulation. Wei Qingwan knew very well that Wei Ruo had not been studying for a long time, but she still said such things in front of everyone, which made it difficult for Wei Ruo to not suspect her of some ulterior motive. ¡°I really am not good at poetry, sister, don¡¯t force me,¡± said Wei Ruo, making her stance clear once more. At this point, Madam Tongzhi wanted to help Wei Ruo to get out of the situation by skipping her turn. The poetry of this Miss Wei was probably not very good, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said so bluntly that she was not good at poetry at this moment. Madam Tongzhi didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, it didn¡¯t matter if her poetry was slightly inferior. From the perspective of choosing a main mother for the family, this did not pose a big issue. Just before Madam Tongzhi could speak, Wei Qingwan once again said to Wei Ruo: ¡°Sister, stop being so modest. Everyone has created poems, just you haven¡¯t.¡± If everyone had recited and only Wei Ruo insisted on refusing, it would make her seem quite unsociable. At least say a verse or two, not all of the verses recited previously were spectacular after all. As she spoke, Wei Qingwan looked at Wei Ruo with eyes full of anticipation. Looking into Wei Qingwan¡¯s watery eyes, Wei Ruo suddenly changed her mind and blurted out, ¡°Then I¡¯ll create one.¡± Wei Ruo looked around, then her gaze fell on the peach forest behind her. Then she said to Xiu Yaojun, who was responsible for writing: ¡°The fallen flowers are not heartless, but turn into spring mud to nourish the blossoms.¡± After Wei Ruo finished, everyone fell into silence.. Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Noticing Theres a Problem with the Seedlings_i Chapter 231: Noticing There¡¯s a Problem with the Seedlings_i Translator: 549690339 Xiu Yaojun paused, and then slowly began to write down the lines of poetry Wei Ruo had just dictated. Everyone took some time to read the lines, eventually becoming absorbed in its deeper meaning. The young scholars of the Anzhou Academy such as Xiu Fengyuan and Wei Yichen, who were in the next room, quietened down for a moment. Soon, looks of surprise and delight dawned across their faces, almost simultaneously. Xiu Fengyuan began to heap praise on her, exclaiming, ¡¯What a wonderful poem! It speaks of spring, but not just of spring! It praises flowers, but not just flowers! Truly, it is a poem that could only be composed by Miss Wei from the Wei Family, a person who can put aside the self for the greater good!¡± Compared to Miss Wei¡¯s poem, the lines penned by all present seemed somewhat parochial, merely depicting spring, flowers, trees, or expressions of melancholy. Miss Wei, on the other hand, captured vast ambitions within the metaphor of spring blossoms. Fengyuan couldn¡¯t resist saying to Yichen, ¡°Brother Yichen, your sister is not an ordinary woman!¡± Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t suppress his smile, genuinely surprised that his young sister Ruo could write such a broad-minded poem. When Ruoruo humbly declared herself a mediocre poet earlier, he had believed her. After all, it was not surprising that his elder sister, who hadn¡¯t been at home for long, wasn¡¯t skilled at writing poetry. The rest of the students also gave high praise to Wei Ruo¡¯s poem. Lu Yuhong, who was not as skilled in poetry as the others, still understood it somewhat. From the perspective of a martial artist like himself, he also preferred the two lines from Miss Wei from the Wei Family. On the other side, Madam Fengyuan, recovering from her surprise, began to laud Wei Ruo: ¡°Miss Wei, your poem is wonderful and greatly suits the theme of today¡¯s spring outing.¡± Following Madam Fengyuan¡¯s praise, the others also began to compliment Wei Ruo¡¯s poem effusively, their praises even more lavish than their previous comments on Wei Qingwan. Hearing the barrage of compliments, Wei Qingwan¡¯s expression grew darker. She bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay. Madam Yun, however, was looking at Wei Ruo in surprise. This unexpected outcome had not crossed her mind. She assumed that Ruo, who spent every day working on agricultural matters, wouldn¡¯t be proficient in poetry. Earlier, when Wanwan had encouraged her elder daughter to recite the poem, she had felt rather nervous and uneasy. If it weren¡¯t for the public occasion she would have dissuaded her right away. As it turned out, Wanwan had a better understanding of her elder daughter. Not only was her daughter good at writing poetry, but she had also been genuinely modest. Madam Fengyuan then suggested, ¡°I think the winning prize should go to Miss Wei today. What does everyone else think?¡± Everyone else readily agreed, supporting Madam Fengyuan¡¯s judgment. Madam Fengyuan then walked over to Wei Ruo, smiling, removed the jade pendant that she wore, and presented it to Wei Ruo. ¡°Madam, what is this?¡± Wei Ruo asked in confusion. ¡°This is the prize for today¡¯s competition. As the winner, you are naturally entitled to it,¡± Madam Fengyuan explained. Only then did Wei Ruo realize there was a prize for this activity, during which she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the details. Since it had been agreed, Wei Ruo couldn¡¯t refuse. She accepted the jade pendant from Madam Fengyuan with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± said Wei Ruo. Madam Fengyuan smiled graciously at her, her eyes full of satisfaction. We Ruo then glanced at Wei Qingwan, whose head was bowed so low that her face could not be seen. But Wei Ruo could guess that she must be feeling upset. After all, if it hadn¡¯t been for her, the prize would have been Wei Qingwan¡¯s. In her heart, Wei Ruo conceded that it was not her fault. She wasn¡¯t initially planning to recite anything, Qingwan was the one who forced her into it. Although she wasn¡¯t skilled at writing poetry, she was capable of remembering poems. Moreover, she was fortunate to know some poems that the others didn¡¯t. ### After a short rest, the ladies started heading towards a nearby farmhouse, following Madam Fengyuan¡¯s arrangement. The farm had been prepared in advance by Madam Fengyuan, with people already arranged to receive them. During their journey to the farmhouse, they passed through a vast farmland which belonged to the local farmers. At that moment, farmers were busy working in the fields-planting rice, weeding, or digging irrigation ditches. The ladies chatted as they walked, discussing their hopes for this year¡¯s autumn harvest. Some rice fields they passed already had young plants that had been planted some time ago. After last year¡¯s poor harvest, many people chose to plant early-maturing rice this year, hoping for an early harvest to secure their grain supply. Wei Ruo looked at the rice seedlings in the field, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. The seedling¡¯s leaf sheaths were a bit too long, its color slightly yellow, and the internodes were somewhat elongated. There were also slight curvature at the joints showing outside of the leaf sheath. These symptoms weren¡¯t immediately noticeable unless one examined them closely or was familiar with the characteristics of seedlings. However, these symptoms indicated a very destructive disease to rice seedlings. If it was that disease, it would be necessary to immediately replace the seedlings, and it would be best to re-cultivate them. Wei Ruo went further ahead and found that the same status existed in the seedlings of several continuous rice fields. This disease is contagious, so it was normal for there to be large-scale infection. But with several households experiencing the same situation, the problem was even more severe. If left alone, by the time the seedlings completely manifested the problem, it might be too late to re-cultivate and replace them. Furthermore, if they do not understand the cause of this situation, seedlings cultivated in the future may still encounter the same problem. Wei Ruo pondered for a while, then saw an old man resting by the side of the rice field. She stopped walking and took the initiative to converse with the old man. Seeing Wei Ruo¡¯s actions, Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan also stopped. ¡°Mother, what is sister doing?¡± Wei Qingwan inquired. Perhaps she has something to discuss with that old man,¡± Madam Yun replied though not entirely sure herself. The other ladies, noticing Wei Ruo¡¯s peculiar behavior, also stopped to watch. As they watched curiously, the old man suddenly started cursing loudly. His voice was so loud that everyone could hear him. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense here! What do you know? Judging by your clothes, it¡¯s clear you¡¯re a rich lady who has never done a day¡¯s worth of fieldwork¡¯ If you don¡¯t know anything, stop making things up! You¡¯re openly cursing our crops¡¯ You¡¯re up to no good!¡± The old man¡¯s cursing attracted other villagers who were working in the fields. They gathered around to ask what had happened. The old man explained to everyone, ¡°This young lady said there¡¯s a problem with the rice seedlings we¡¯ve planted. She told us to pull them out and burn them, and then re-plant them!¡± Upon hearing this, the villagers looked at Wei Ruo with anger in their eyes. A middle-aged woman confronted Wei Ruo, saying, ¡°Miss, we don¡¯t blame you for not knowing our hardship, but why are you cursing us and causing us trouble?¡± A young man also shot back, ¡°What do you hope to achieve by this? Do you know how hard we worked to plant these rice seedlings? You just come in and tell us to pull them all out? Being a rich man¡¯s daughter who never will work the fields, what do you know?¡± Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: What to do if mistaken?_i Chapter 232: What to do if mistaken?_i Translator: 549690339 These people were looking at Wei Ruo with hostility. The several Madams who witnessed this scene revealed expressions of surprise on their faces. Seeing the villagers before her filled with hostility toward her, Wei Ruo explained again, ¡°Your rice seedlings may have been affected by the pestilence disease. They show symptoms consistent with it: the blades and sheaths of the leaves are elongated, leaf colors are yellowish, internodes are larger than normal, and the nodes have some curvature showing outside the sheaths. If not treated in time, this will affect your harvest this year. There¡¯s still time to replace the seedlings and cultivate anew.¡± ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re trying to scare us! What pestilence disease? From where did you hear of this?¡± The elder who had spoken first asked angrily. ¡°I read about it in a book on farming.¡± Wei Ruo answered. She could only say this, she couldn¡¯t reveal that it was knowledge obtained from her past life, that it was an infection caused by a plant pathogen. ¡°Rubbish! I¡¯ve farmed for thirty-eight years! I¡¯ve never heard of this pestilence disease! I don¡¯t care what book you read.¡± The other villagers nodded in agreement. ¡°Old Jiang is right. Farming is our business, it has nothing to do with you or your book. Just stay away and don¡¯t curse us.¡± ¡°Just a young girl and so malicious? Cursing us with a poor harvest right at the start, you should accumulate more virtue!¡± Under the angry gazes of the villagers, Wei Ruo got up and returned to her group. ¡°Ruoruo, what¡¯s this all about?¡± Madam Yun asked with concern. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s keep going.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°Wei Ruo, they didn¡¯t harm you, did they?¡± Madam Tongzhi came over, giving Wei Ruo a concerned look. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam. I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just that I have some disagreements with them. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Wei Ruo answered. Hearing this, Madam Tongzhi didn¡¯t ask further. After Wei Ruo left, the villagers muttered some curse words at her back. Arriving at Madam Tongzhi¡¯s farm, workers were busy in the fields. Wei Ruo also observed the seedlings in the field, finding the situation here the same as that outside. Wei Ruo looked at Madam Tongzhi beside her and after some consideration, said, ¡°Madam, I suspect that this batch of rice seeds may have some problems, and the seedlings grown from them may have contracted a disease.¡¯ Madam Tongzhi looked at Wei Ruo, recalling the words she had just spoken with the farmers outside. Thinking for a moment, Madam Tongzhi said, ¡°I¡¯m clear on all the accounts of the farm. However, I don¡¯t know much about the details of how the crops are grown. I¡¯ll call over the manager of my farm later and ask if you could explain to him what should be done with these diseased seedlings and how to remedy this.¡± Wei Ruo looked at Madam Tongzhi with surprise, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t suspect what I said? What if I was wrong?¡± Madam Tongzhi laughed, ¡°To begin with, you have no reason to intentionally lie about this. As for you, there is no advantage if you¡¯re right, and if you¡¯re wrong, you would just be somewhat embarrassed. Also, even if you were wrong, so what? I may not know much about farming, but I know that it¡¯s still early, and there is still time to replace the seedlings. The effort required to do so is not much, and I don¡¯t need to personally do it.¡± Madam Tongzhi¡¯s words increased Wei Ruo¡¯s favorable impression of her significantly. Wei Ruo also breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Then Madam, please introduce me to the farm manager later, and I will explain in detail the remedial measures.¡± ¡°Alright. Well, thank you.¡± Madam Tongzhi said. After Wei Ruo finished speaking with Madam Tongzhi, Madam Yun pulled Wei Ruoruo aside and asked quietly, ¡°Is this so-called pestilence disease real? Could you have made it up? Or perhaps the book you read about rice farming was unreliable. What will we do if it¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ruo said, ¡°Rest assured, even if I was wrong, it was my own reputation at stake. If Madam Tongzhi were to be upset, she would be upset with me alone, not you or the Wei Family.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯re the eldest legitimate daughter of the Wei Family. Everything you say and do represents the Wei Family. When did you start making such clear distinctions?¡± Madam Yun was unhappy with Wei Ruo¡¯s words. ¡°Even if the distinction isn¡¯t clear, there¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ve already said it. You can choose to either believe me this time or continue living in fear.¡± Wei Ruo said. After all, words once spoken can¡¯t be taken back. Even if Madam Yun doesn¡¯t believe her, she can¡¯t change anything now. Hearing this, Madam Yun was somewhat dissatisfied but indeed had no way to deal with Wei Ruo. What she was unhappy about was Wei Ruo¡¯s attitude towards herself, her mother. Her mother had only asked her a few questions. She should respond properly rather than with such an attitude. It seemed as if she didn¡¯t even care about her own mother. Could it be wrong for a mother to ask her daughter a few questions? If it weren¡¯t for the many outsiders present, Madam Yun would have definitely taken this opportunity to give her a thorough talk! While Madam Yun and Wei Ruo were talking, Madam Tongzhi had already sent someone to call over the farm¡¯s manager. Then, Madam Tongzhi indeed asked the manager to consult with Wei Ruo about the disease-stricken seedlings. Wei Ruo then told the manager about the possible disease of the seedlings and the need to replace them. She also told how to choose seeds and cultivate seedlings anew to avoid such happenings in the future. The manager was Madam Tongzhi¡¯s confidante and naturally could understand Madam Tongzhi¡¯s intentions. He took down Wei Ruo¡¯s instructions carefully and promised to handle things exactly as Wei Ruo had said. After the minor interruption, everyone spent some time strolling around Xiu Family¡¯s farm. Then they gathered in a pavilion arranged by Madam Tongzhi to have tea. Though they talked about spring outings and sympathizing with farmers, everyone knew that these noble ladies, accustomed to luxury and leisure, couldn¡¯t possibly be made to truly exert themselves. Even walking a bit more was considered troublesome. Therefore, this trip was more for show than for meaning, just to earn a reputation. Wei Ruo naturally understood this; thus, she wasn¡¯t surprised when everyone sat down to rest after walking for little more than the time it took to brew a pot of tea. Wei Ruo casually joined the others in sitting down to sip tea and enjoy the sun, while also admiring the scenery. Then Wei Ruo noticed a group of students from Anzhou Academy riding horses in the distance. It seemed they were having an archery competition, and the venue was the open space on the Xiu Family¡¯s farm. They had set up targets on the open ground. As they rode past, they would draw their bows and shoot, and scores were judged based on the accuracy of their shots. While Wei Ruo was watching, Madam Tongzhi said to her, half-joking and half-teasing, ¡°I heard during lunch that they planned to compete in archery. Since there¡¯s an open space available on the farm, I let them practice there. It conveniently provides us with some entertainment. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo replied with a nod. Then Madam Tongzhi pointed to a man in green in the crowd, ¡°The one in green, riding the brown horse, is my son. He¡¯s currently studying at Anzhou Academy like your elder brother. This autumn, he¡¯ll also be taking the township examination..¡± Chapter 233 - Chapter 233 My mother fancies your sister 1 Chapter 233 My mother fancies your sister 1 Translator: 549690339 ¡ª Mmm.¡± Wei Ruo had already recognized it when she was at the Xiu¡¯s courtyard. Madam Tongzhi spoke again, ¡°From a young age, Fengyuan has always been a child who worries me less, whether it¡¯s studying or doing other things, he doesn¡¯t require much concern from me, unlike his restless sister.¡± Wei Ruo responded with a smile, the words of Madam Tongzhi making her somewhat unsure of how to handle them. Even if she weren¡¯t the sharpest person, she ought to feel the message that Madam Tongzhi intended to convey. Wei Qingwan, on the side, bit her lip secretly. The attitude of Madam Tongzhi towards Wei Ruo further confirmed what Xiu Yaojun had said. Madam Tongzhi fancied Wei Qingruo and wanted her to become the daughter- in-law of the Xiu Family! The Xiu Family is a prominent family of Taizhou Prefecture, and Xiu Fengyuan is dignified and also a fellow student with his elder brother at the Anzhou Academy. He is even participating in the provincial examination this autumn, promising limitless future prospects. Wei Qingruo was raised by a merchant family and has grown up with a crude way of living, yet she still finds such good fortune. This caused Wei Qingwan to feel somewhat displeased. From a distance, Xiu Fengyuan, Wei Yichen and other students from the Anzhou Academy are engaged in a contest with Lu Yuhong. Lu Yuhong was the first to go up, each arrow hitting its target, looking imposing, eliciting praises from the other students. These praises were sincere and did not merely offer flattery for Lu Yuhong¡¯s status. 6 Lu Yuhong s horse archery skills are rarely matched even in the Capital City not just among them. With Lu Yuhong outstandingly leading the way, the performances of the others seemed much less impressive. However, Xiu Fengyuan stood out from the crowd, and with a score that nearly matched Lu Yuhong¡¯s, he won the applause of everyone present. Horse archery is a weak point for Wei Yichen, he has always performed poorly in this field, hence his performance today was mediocre. Lu Yuhong, looking at Wei Yichen who has returned on a horse, said, ¡°Your ancestors from the Wei Family are renowned founding generals, and your father is also a military general who has fought invasions on all fronts. But how do you not inherit any of the military bloodline?¡± Wei Yichen responded with some shame, ¡°I am dull and have not been able to inherit the horse archery skills of my father and ancestors.¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± Lu Yuhong, being straightforward, said what he thought without considering how others might feel hearing his words. Wei Yichen accepted Lu Yuhong¡¯s evaluation honestly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bit of pity. When I was young, my father used to say the same.¡± But things have improved now, as little brother Yilin has recently shown promising martial arts talent and interest, and might possibly become the one to carry on their father¡¯s legacy if nurtured well. After the contest ended and everyone took a little rest, Wei Yichen looked towards the pavilion in the distance and sought the figures of his mother and sisters among the crowd. He saw his mother engaged in a casual chat with other Madams, and sister Wanwan was also having a conversation with the ladies her age from prominent families, whereas Ruoruo was sitting in a corner lost in her own thoughts. Xiu Fengyuan approached and said to Wei Yichen, ¡°Brother Wei, are you looking at your two sisters?¡± Wei Yichen nodded in assent. ¡®I heard that the oldest Miss Wei was raised in the countryside due to her weak health?¡± Xiu Fengyuan asked further. ¡°Mmm.¡± Wei Yichen nodded and then added, ¡°Although my elder sister was raised in the countryside since her childhood, she is as knowledgeable and well-mannered as my younger sister.¡± ¡°lean see that. I have already experienced the scholarship of Miss Wei earlier,¡± Xiu Fengyuan agreed. Following that, Xiu Fengyuan said, ¡°To be honest, my mother had mentioned her liking for your elder sister even before today.¡± Hearing this, Wei Yichen turned back and looked at Xiu Fengyuan in surprise. Xiu Fengyuan was somewhat embarrassed, but he continued, ¡°Honestly, I was somewhat resistant to the idea until today, but I yielded to my mother¡¯s wishes. Then today, under my mother¡¯s arrangements, I got to see your elder sister from a distance.¡± Xiu Fengyuan was quite frank and didn¡¯t hide the fact that today¡¯s arrangements were intentional from Wei Yichen. Wei Yichen was at a loss for words for a moment. Xiu Fengyuan continued, ¡°However, after what I saw today, I seem to have less of the resistance towards my mother¡¯s arrangement.¡± Clearly, Xiu Fengyuan was satisfied with Wei Ruo whom he met today. Although matters of marriage are usually arranged by parents, but if the other party was someone like Wei Ruo, it seemingly didn¡¯t seem that unacceptable. Wei Yichen said, ¡°I have no say in this matter. It ultimately depends on my parents¡¯ decision. However, I have heard my father mention that he isn¡¯t in a hurry for my sisters to get married. They have just turned fourteen this year, and father still wants them to enjoy a few more years under his care.¡± Xiu Fengyuan explained, ¡°I understand. My mother also said that even if it is decided, it will just be an engagement.¡± Speaking, Xiu Fengyuan bowed to Wei Yichen, ¡°I hope Brother Wei could put in a good word for me to your elder sister in the future.¡± Wei Yichen felt somewhat complicated. From his understanding of Xiu Fengyuan, he was indeed a suitable match. It was just that his elder sister had returned home not long ago, and he had not considered settling her marriage so quickly. However, as Xiu Fengyuan had said, it would be parents¡¯ command and matchmakers¡¯ words, and it was not his place to decide. ### After the day¡¯s outing had ended, Madam Yun, Wei Qingwan and Wei Ruo went back to the Military Prefecture by carriage. In a short while, Wei Yichen also came back. It was not the time for him to return home, but he had some business today, so he took a special trip back to the Prefecture. After returning to the Prefecture, Wei Yichen met Madam Yun and told her the news he had heard from Xiu Fengyuan. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Madam Yun¡¯s face shone with joy. ¡°Mother, do you think this is a good thing?¡± Wei Yichen asked, his brows furrowed. ¡°Of course it¡¯s a good thing. Although the Xiu family isn¡¯t a meritorious family, they have deep roots and many people in their clan hold office now. Although Master Xiu only holds the position of Tongzhi, his future looks promising, and moving to the Capital City in the future is not impossible. The son of Xiu family is good at academics and probably has a good character too, or else you wouldn¡¯t be friends with him.¡± Madam Yun said. Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t refute. Everything his mother said was true. Xiu family was indeed a suitable match. However¡­ ¡®Mother, father intends to not let the two sisters get married so quickly.¡± Wei Yichen said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve mentioned this before, and I won¡¯t let your sisters get married so early. But if we could make this work, it would be a good thing ¡± Madam Yun said. It was common for the daughters of the nobility to have their marriages arranged early. Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t say more, but said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯d better ask my elder sister¡¯s opinion more. We owe her a lot. Even though we couldn¡¯t help her in other matters, we should let her decide for herself about her marriage.¡± ¡°You silly kid, ever since ancient times, parents have arranged marriages. How can we listen to the girl¡¯s own opinions? What does she know about marriage? It¡¯s better for us to decide for them.¡± Madam Yun said. Speaking of this, Madam Yun changed the topic to Wei Yichen, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for fear of ruining your studies, I should have started making inquiries about your marriage by now.¡± Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Inspecting the Brewery_i Chapter 234: Inspecting the Brewery_i Translator: 549690339 | ¡°Mother, I am going to take the provincial examination this autumn. I don¡¯t want any distractions.¡± Wei Yichen rushed to say. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t mentionyour matters for now.¡± Mrs.Yun replied, ¡°But don¡¯t worry about your sister¡¯s affairs either. Although I have minor disagreements with your eldest sister, she is still my own flesh and blood. I will definitely select a suitable son-in-law for her when it comes to marriage.¡± Following that, Mrs.Yun said, ¡°Previously, I thought that Ruoruo, with her temperament, might not be able to marry into a prestigious family, so I thought of finding a decent scholar or a farming family. Now it seems she has her own destiny. I am glad about this.¡± Wei Yichen couldn¡¯t say anything else, so he let the topic rest here. After chatting about family matters for a while and seeing Wei Yichen looking tired, Mrs.Yun asked him to go rest. ### Upon returning to Tingsong Garden, Wei Ruo immediately went to her study to write letters. First, she wanted to instruct the people on the farm to be vigilant against the malignant seedling disease, and if they found any problems with the seedlings, they should immediately notify her. Second, she wrote to her nanny, urging her to step up the efforts she¡¯d previously mentioned to help her find her potential fiance. The attitude of Madam Tongzhi today reminded her, letting her know that she must speed up her efforts. If she was indeed as Mrs.Yun thought of her, not being worthy enough for prestigious families, that¡¯s fine, she could delay for another two years. But if a family like the Xiu family took a fancy to her, Mrs.Yun could have such thoughts. If her marriage was decided at that point, it would put her in a rather passive position. ¡°Miss, the blight disease you saw today, is it the same as the one we saw in Huzhou Prefecture a few years ago?¡± Xiumei asked. Wei Ruo nodded: ¡°The symptoms seem to be the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible then, the weather has been bad for the past two years, with irregular wind and rain, it¡¯s hard to harvest a high yield. With this added problem, there¡¯s no certainty for food production.¡± Xiumei expressed her worries. ¡°I¡¯ll try to find time to go around these few days, persuade those that can be persuaded, for those that can¡¯t be, I¡¯ve tried my best.¡± Wei Ruo said. Even though Wei Ruo encountered a setback at the farmers¡¯ houses today, she still wanted to try her best. This was a matter of saving people¡¯s lives, if the food production was short, many people would die. Xiumei nodded, at that time, their young lady was scolded by many people when she was persuading people in Huzhou Prefecture. At that time, their young lady was only ten years old, no one believed her words, and the scolding was very harsh. But luckily in the end, there were sensible people who listened to her and carefully checked the seedlings, confirmed that there was a problem and chose to believe their young lady. Among them, was the village head of Mo Jiazha, under his strong recommendation, the village of Mo Jiazha decided to replant the late rice variety from their young lady, as a result, that year, Mo Jiazha had a big harvest, while some surrounding villages suffered a total loss of crops. ### In the following days, Wei Ruo, when she had the time, would go to the villages near Government City under the identity of Xu Heyou. If she found anything wrong, she would communicate with the local farmers. The situation was similar to when Wei Ruo was in Huzhou Prefecture, or even worse. It was inevitable to get scolded, and getting driven out of the village with an unceremonious shove was the least of it. Wei Ruo didn¡¯t mind, she did what she needed to do, and let fate decide. Today, Wei Ruo came to Stone Village, where she opened her Brewery. The brewery was still under construction, and Wei Ruo¡¯s visit was just in time to check on the progress. Arriving at the designated place, here where the distillery was located, the back was against a large mountain and a stream ran in front. The surroundings were very pleasant, already, several houses had been added to the originally barren flat ground. As these were houses used for brewing, they were significantly different from ordinary houses. The biggest difference was the presence of a boiler room for distilling white liquor, which ordinary breweries did not have. The people responsible for the construction didn¡¯t even know its purpose. ¡°Master Xu!¡± ¡°Master Xu!¡± ¡°Master Xu! You are here!¡± Upon seeing Wei Ruo, everyone started greeting her enthusiastically. Currently, everyone working here was from Wei Ruo¡¯s farm. They were all enthusiastic because Wei Ruo treated them very well. Not only was she paying more than others, but she also implemented a bonus system, where those who did well were given extra rewards. For those sent to farm, the higher the yield of the rice field they managed in the past, the more their reward would be. This treatment was better than just being farm laborers, it was almost as good as that of tenant farmers. However, they had more security than tenant farmers. If there was no yield in the tenant farmer¡¯s own fields, they¡¯d be left with nothing, but at least they still had the wages paid by Wei Ruo. Those who were sent to work in the workshop were the same, if the workshop was doing well, they also had rewards. Such good treatment was hard to find even in a relatively good harvest year, let alone in these tough times. Wei Ruo smiled and nodded, ¡°You have all worked hard.¡± ¡°Not at all, Master Xu, be careful, there are many odds and ends around here and the floor is messy with beams, please watch your step.¡± Alaborer carefully reminded Wei Ruo. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ruo nodded. After touring around, Wei Ruo was very satisfied with the construction of the winery, which was in line with her expectations in terms of construction progress and construction quality. According to this situation, the winery could officially start operations next month. It seems she needs to start selecting and training workers, and also start preparing the crops needed for brewing. After the inspection, Wei Ruo went to the village head of Stone Village¡¯s house. Standing outside the fence of the village head¡¯s house, Wei Ruo was wondering if he was home. ¡°Master Xu!¡± The village head, Shi Dayou, who came out of the house, saw Wei Ruo and came out to greet her warmly. Shi Dayou, in his thirties, had a limp leg and limped when he walked. He didn¡¯t look like the authoritative kind, nor was he old, and didn¡¯t look like a village head. Shi Dayou opened the fence gate and invited Wei Ruo in, ¡°Master Xu, please come in.¡± Wei Ruo entered the gate, and followed Shi Dayou into the house. The interior was simple but clean. ¡°Has Master Xu come to inspect the construction progress of the brewery today?¡± Shi Dayou asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo nodded, then continued to Shi Dayou, ¡°In addition, there is something else I want to discuss with the village head.¡± ¡± If Master Xu needs our villagers¡¯ help in any way, please feel free to mention it, we will definitely help as much as we can!¡± said Shi Dayou in a hurry. ¡°It¡¯s not that I need any help, but when I entered the village today, I noticed some abnormalities in the seedlings of rice fields around the village. According to my experience, there may be some problems with these seedlings.¡± Wei Ruo said. After hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, Shi Dayou remained silent for a good while. ¡°Village Head?¡± Wei Ruo called out to Shi Dayou. Chapter 235 - Chapter 235 Why are you avoiding me_l Chapter 235 Why are you avoiding me_l Translator: 549690339 | Upon hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s voice, Shi Dayou came back to his senses and then said ¡°To be frank with you Master Xu, I have actually been feeling that there is something wrong with the seedlings in this field during the last few days. I have been farming since I was three years old and in thirty-five years, I have become very familiar with how seedlings should grow at this time. Even the slightest irregularity, I can spot the difference. Wei Ruo listened carefully to Shi Dayou¡¯s words, without interrupting him. Shi Dayou continued, ¡°The way these seedlings are growing doesn¡¯t feel quite right, but for now, I can¡¯t be certain if there¡¯s a problem. After hearing what Master Xu just said, my suspicion has become more of a certainty. It turned out that not only Wei Ruo had suspicions, but Shi Dayou held the same opinion. We Ruo¡¯s gaze towards Shi Dayou changed, a touch of admiration appearing in his eyes. ¡°Have you not considered changing the seedlings?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Well even though I¡¯m the village chief, making this decision is hard. What if my judgment is wrong, won¡¯t I be making the villagers work in vain? Moreover, changing seedlings at this point may affect this year¡¯s rice production, and everyone is looking forward to a good harvest from this batch.¡± Shi Dayou was torn and distressed over the matter. ¡°I have a batch of late-season rice seeds on my hands, planting them late won t affect the yield, and these seeds are highly resistant to diseases and pests. They are more resilient and have a higher yield than ordinary rice seeds.¡± Wei Ruo said to Shi Dayou. ¡°Really? Are there such rice seeds?¡± Shi Dayou looked at Wei Ruo in both surprise and delight. Master Xu had his own lands and was a successful business, so there was no reason for him to joke about such matters. Hence, his words were indeed likely to be true. ¡°Yes, I have planted these seeds on my own land, and they are growing well now These seeds are not strict about the timing of planting, they can grow well whether planted early or late, and it¡¯s not too late to plant them now.¡± Wei Ruo further explained to Shi Dayou. After listening to Wei Ruo¡¯s description, Shi Dayou didn¡¯t reply immediately. With a conflicted look on his face, he cautiously asked Wei Ruo after a moment, ¡°Are these seeds from Master Xu very expensive?¡± ¡°I will give them to the villagers for free.¡± Wei Ruo said. Upon hearing this, Shi Dayou looked amazed, ¡°Give¡­give them to us?¡± Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°Consider it as some benefits for your villagers since I bought the land in Stone Village.¡± ¡°But Master Xu, you have already paid us silver. ¡°I know, but didn¡¯t the village chief just say that if I needed your help, you would help me? In return for your kindness, it is only natural that I also treat you better.¡± ¡°But I just said that casually, we haven¡¯t actually helped you with anything yet¡­¡± ¡°While that might be true for now, you have shown your willingness. Should there be any problems with my brewery in the future, I hope you and the villagers could lend me a hand.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°We will, we will, rest assured Master Xu!¡± Shi Dayou responded. Wei Ruo nodded, ¡°As for the seedlings, I merely wanted to give you a heads up. The final decision is still in your hands. Whether to change the seedlings or not is something you and the villagers should discuss, I won¡¯t get involved.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Shi Dayou replied. ¡°in that case, I won¡¯t disturb the village chief any longer. I will take my leave now.¡± With that, Wei Ruo got up to leave. Shi Dayou escorted Wei Ruo to the village entrance. After watching Wei Ruo¡¯s carriage disappear into the distance, Shi Dayou returned home, quickly gathered his stuff and headed to the fields to talk to his fellow villagers about the seedlings. After leaving Stone Village, Wei Ruo did not head directly into town but instead returned to his own estate. As soon as he stepped down from the carriage, he was surrounded by people. Wei Ruo¡¯s heart tightened, and then he saw Zhu Zongyu, his face hidden under a straw hat. Upon recognizing the person, Wei Ruo relaxed, then asked with a cool expression, ¡°What does Master Zhu mean by this?¡± Chu Lan dismounted and approached Wei Ruo, ¡°I want to see howlongyou can avoid me.¡± He had come several times already, but each time Xu Heyou was not here. He had left messages with Manager Yu, but there was never a reply. Xu Heyou didn¡¯t want to see him, but he insisted on seeing Xu Heyou. ¡°Master Zhu, if I am not mistaken, I thought I had done courtesy to you rather than offend you, right?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°Since you owe me a courtesy, why are you avoiding me like an enemy?¡± Chu Lan retorted. ¡°My courtesy toward you has already been returned, so there is no need for further interaction. As for avoidingyou, that¡¯s an unfounded allegation. At present, it¡¯s the busy farming season, and I¡¯m too busy every day to attend to other things. It¡¯s not about avoiding Master Zhu specifically.¡± Wei Ruo answered. After Wei Ruo finished speaking, he bypassed the person in front of him and walked directly towards the gate of the estate. Just as Wei Ruo was about to walk past Chu Lan, Chu Lan suddenly reached out and grabbed Wei Ruo¡¯s arm. ¡°I noticed that ever since you found out I wasn¡¯t a merchant, you¡¯ve been full of hostility towards me. What does the official role mean to you exactly?¡± Wei Ruo looked up at Zhu Zongyu, unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. Otherwise, she really wanted to see the annoying expression on this face that she was about to heal. ¡°Master Zhu, you are overthinking it. I just feel there is no need for us to have any interaction. Rather, I don¡¯t understand why Master Zhu is so persistent in wanting to see me. You¡¯ve repaid your debt, as for your face, I didn¡¯t say I. wouldn¡¯t keep treating it, and I¡¯ve been giving you the medicine on time.¡± Wei Ruo counter-questioned. We Ruo¡¯s words left Chu Lan speechless. He didn¡¯t know why he was so insistent on seeing Xu Heyou, and even when he realized that the latter was intentionally avoiding him his mood became inexplicably frustrated. The colder he became towards him, the less calm he became. He had never had such emotions before. In the past twenty years, his demeanor has never been disrupted by anyone. Yet this person was just a teenager. Why did he care so much about a teenager? Was it because he was his life saver? Or was it the tranquil and beautiful times they spent together while he was at his weakest? Chu Lan stared into the clear eyes of the young man before him, trying to find an answer. He didn¡¯t find an answer, instead, an inexplicable stir arose in the depth of his heart. Chu Lan let go of Wei Ruo¡¯s arm. After seeing him let go, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t want to offend him too much, so she softened her tone, ¡°Master Zhu, I don¡¯t want to get into trouble. If you were a merchant, being attacked would only involve some thieves; but if you were an official, especially one with a special status, being attacked would involve more serious consequences. And this kind of trouble, is something a humble commoner like me can¡¯t afford. Wei Ruo¡¯s words caused a jolt in Chu Lan¡¯s heart. Chapter 236 - Chapter 236 Probably Guess Who He Is_l Chapter 236 Probably Guess Who He Is_l Translator: 549690339 I Indeed, the disputes he was involved in were more than Xu Heyou could bear, and so he dared not rashly engage too much with him. Chu Lan realized his own recklessness, and also keenly sensed his major improprieties concerning Xu Heyou. Under normal circumstances, he should not have acted with such insufficient consideration, and these are things he should have thought through beforehand. Chu Lan looked at Wei Ruo, unable to come back to his senses for a while. Wea Ruo couldn¡¯t see his face, so she was unable to gauge his thoughts from his expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was being reckless.¡± Chu Lan apologized to Wei Ruo, his face serious. Seeing his apology, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t waste any more of your time. After finishing speaking, Wei Ruo turned and entered the homestead. This time Chu Lan did not stop her, and after Wei Ruo entered the homestead, Chu Lan also left with his people. Returning to the homestead, Wei Ruo¡¯s face still looked somber. ¡°Miss, are you still upset about Master Zhu¡¯s matter? He was wrong to deceive you, but in this servant¡¯s opinion, he doesn¡¯t seem like the type to repay kindness with ingratitude.¡± Xiumei comforted Wei Ruo. ¡°Xiumei, the timing and location of Zhu Zongyu¡¯s injury were too coincidental, I¡¯ve always been reluctant to think too deeply about the relation between the two.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°What kind of coincidence?¡± Xiumei asked, puzzled. ¡°The time of Zhu Zongyu¡¯s injury, and the time the seventh prince was injured are almost identical, as is the time he left the homestead and the time the seventh prince was found.¡± Wei Ruo said. ¡°No way, that¡­ that person is¡­¡± Xiumei was so surprised she covered her mouth with her hand. Could it be that her Mistress unknowingly saved the life of the seventh prince? But the prince doesn¡¯t even know who it was that saved him. ¡°There is a high probability, I haven¡¯t verified it, but I also don¡¯t want to verify it, in the future, the farther we are from him, the better.¡± Wei Ruo¡¯s dislike for Chu Lan was deep in her bones. When Wei Ruo rescued Zhu Zongyu, she did not know about the attack on Chu Lan and his ensuing injuries. When she did learn about it, she was immediately confronted with the plague. She didn¡¯t have time to ponder the implications. Later, when she encountered Zhu Zongyu again in Wang Village, his demeanor and attire gave away his unusual identity, which led to Wei Ruo harboring strong animosity towards him. Wei Ruo knew this hostility wasn¡¯t just because he had deceived her, but also because another possibility had crossed her mind. She just didn¡¯t want to verify it, because what had happened had happened, and verifying it was of no help. It would just add unnecessary annoyance. Xiumei obediently nodded, and then asked, ¡°Then¡­ will your identity be revealed?¡± Wei Ruo replied, ¡°We can only hope he doesn¡¯t investigate. If he investigates thoroughly, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d find out.¡± The identity of Xu Heyou does not exist, Wei Qingruo is the actual owner of the homestead. This can be hidden from commoners, but it can¡¯t be hidden from the seventh prince. If he wants to investigate, her identity will be exposed. Since it¡¯s not something she can control, Wei Ruo isn¡¯t planning to worry about it anymore. In the following few days, Wei Ruo didn¡¯t see Zhu Zongyu again. It seemed he took her words to heart. Afterward, Wei Ruo also heard that in Capital City, the sixth prince had been accused of ambushing the seventh prince and punished as a result, losing his position and being confined to his mansion. Of course, what came next was the news that the seventh prince had officially reported to the military camp. Due to his injury from the ambush, his taking office was delayed by several months. Moreover, Wei Ruo heard an unconfirmed rumor: an old case from many years ago in the Capital City had been reopened. It seemed to be related to Empress Xu¡¯s maiden family, Xu Guogong, who had died years ago. However, all these matters were unrelated to Wei Ruo. She listened for amusement, focusing wholeheartedly on her own business. Wei Ruo recently increased the frequency of her visits to Stone Village. First, because her distillery needed her presence more frequently. Second, because of the issue of replacing the rice seedlings. Thanks to Shi Dayou¡¯s insistence, nearly two-thirds of the rice seedlings in Stone Village were replanted. The remaining third were deemed fine by Shi Dayou. Through their interactions, Wei Ruo learned from the villagers that Shi Dayou was able to become the village head at a young age because he had saved the villagers of Stone Village. He not only helped resolve the village¡¯s problems related to irrigation, but he also managed to save their collapsing rice crops one year. That¡¯s why he had won the villagers¡¯ affection and trust. Consequently, this time around, when Shi Dayou figured out there was an issue with the seedlings, the villagers chose to believe him and worked together to replant the seedlings. Although this increased their workload, in order to ensure a good harvest and avoid going hungry this year, everyone cooperated without complaint. During her time in and around Stone Village, Wei Ruo made a surprising discovery. There was a bamboo forest cultivated near Stone Village, where morels grew. This was a rare delicacy. When Wei Ruo asked the villagers about this, they didn¡¯t even know that these were edible mushrooms, and treated them as harmful snake eggs, destroying them when they came across them. This made Wei Ruo complain about their wastefulness. Once you peel off the ugly black exterior, the insides reveal the tender and fresh morel, a valuable delicacy. Wei Ruo told the villagers about it, but they didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Master Xu, you¡¯re saying this white thing is a delicacy? The villagers looked sceptical. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, I¡¯ll cook a dish with it for you to taste.¡± Since words were not enough, Wei Ruo decided to show the villagers directly. So, Wei Ruo borrowed Shi Dayou¡¯s kitchen and, with Xiumei¡¯s help, cooked two dishes with morels. The dishes were stir-fried bamboo shoots with eggs; and morel soup. The recipes for both dishes were not complicated, because the morels themselves were already very delicious and too much cooking would destroy their original flavor. After the dishes were cooked, Wei Ruo took them to the courtyard. At this time, there were quite a few people in Shi Dayou¡¯s courtyard, including Shi Dayou and his family, and some villagers. They all had come running to verify the truth behind Wei Ruo¡¯s claims about the ¡®snake eggs¡¯ on the mountain being a delicacy. Seeing the villagers were still somewhat disbelief, Wei Ruo tasted the two dishes in front of everyone. Once Wei Ruo had eaten them, the others became more assured and crowded forward to get a taste themselves. In this era without MSG, the umami flavor of the mushrooms was very exciting to their taste buds. Wei Ruo and Xiumei¡¯s cooking skills were also superb, enabling them to create wonderful flavors from simple home cooking. Eating Wei Ruo¡¯s dishes, villagers who usually had a rough diet, each expressed their amazement. They were now thoroughly convinced that the thing they had long disregarded as snake eggs was indeed a mountain delicacy. Shi Dayou remarked with regret, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that these don¡¯t grow in large quantities in the mountains, they cannot fill our stomachs like rice and flour. Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Second Brothers Farewell_l Chapter 237: Second Brother¡¯s Farewell_l Translator: 549690339 For poor farmers, filling their bellies is the number one priority, delicious taste comes second. ¡°The villagers themselves may not gain much from eating this, but it can be sold in the city. Isn¡¯t it better to use the money to buy rice and flour? As long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with farming, taking some time to collect these and sell them can help supplement the family income,¡± Wei Ruo offered. At Wei Ruo¡¯s words, expressions of excitement and anticipation crossed everyone¡¯s faces. Yes! They could sell to the noble officials! Shi Dayou was startled awake, and then asked Wei Ruo in surprise: ¡°Master Xu, why are you being so good to us? If you hadn¡¯t told us, you could have quietly picked them for yourself and sold them in the city.¡± ¡°These things grow on your mountain. If I quietly took them to sell, that would be theft. But if they were on an unclaimed deserted mountain, I wouldn¡¯t be so polite,¡± replied Wei Ruo. Wei Ruo loved money, but she had her principles and would not stoop to stealing. After hearing Wei Ruo¡¯s words, everyone felt an enhanced admiration for her. Shi Dayou said excitedly, ¡°Master Xu, you really are a blessing to our village! We are so lucky to have met you!¡± The other villagers also chimed in: ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Master Xu, you really are a wonderful person!¡± ¡°Master Xu, our village will never forget this great kindness! II II Wei Ruo smiled and said: ¡°Please, don¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s work together to make sure we won¡¯t go hungry this year. We should focus on making sure everyone is well-fed and warm, and live our lives well.¡± The villagers nodded in agreement. ### The first day of April, a rest day. Wei Ruo did not need to go to Tianqin Garden for lessons, so she planned to visit the farmlands. As she was about to leave, she was stopped. Noticing Lin Fang as the person who stopped her, Wei Ruo knew that Wei Jinyi was looking for her. So she changed her direction and followed Lin Fang to the edge of the city. As expected, she found Wei Jinyi in the bamboo grove. He was dressed in a white robe, quietly standing there. The green surroundings contrasted with his white attire, creating a gentle and elegant scene. ¡°Second brother.¡± Upon seeing Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo was in high spirits. Wei Jinyi looked at the approaching Wei Ruo with a tender gaze. ¡°What brings you here today, second brother?¡± Wei Ruo asked. ¡°I have to leave Taizhou prefecture for a while,¡± Wei Jinyi replied. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying goodbye to me in advance?¡± asked Wei Ruo. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you taken care of the matter you mentioned?¡± Wei Ruo asked again. ¡°It¡¯s not fully settled, but there¡¯s been some progress.¡± ¡°In that case, please take care of yourself, second brother,¡± said Wei Ruo. She didn¡¯t try to stop him, nor was she upset about his departure. She might feel a little reluctant, but she knew that she and her second brother both had their own lives to live, and their own things to deal with. Just knowing that there was such a bond in this world was enough. ¡°You too, take good care of yourself and don¡¯t overwork yourself,¡± warned Wei Jinyi. After that, they were quiet, looking at each other, their eyes filled with caring and reluctance, yet neither of them put it into words. It seemed like they had an unspoken understanding. After a while, Wei Ruo said, ¡°The scenery nearby is beautiful. Second brother, would you walk with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Jinyi agreed, and they began to walk side by side, maintaining a certain distance between them. They walked up the mountain trail, Lin Fang and Xiumei followed some distance behind them. With Wei Jinyi accompanying Wei Ruo, Xiumei wasn¡¯t too worried about her. Along the way, whenever Wei Ruo saw a medicinal herb, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from picking it. Wei Jinyi took off his own outer robe and made a makeshift sack for the herbs she collected. The just picked herbs were covered with mud. The brocade robe got dirty, but no one felt it was a pity. When they arrived at a cliff, Wei Ruo¡¯s eyes were drawn to a plant at the top. Following her gaze, Wei Jinyi saw an unimpressive green plant. ¡°Do you want it?¡± asked Wei Jinyi. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ruo admitted without hesitation. Wei Jinyi then used his lightness skill to swiftly ascend the cliff, plucking the small herb from its place. He then returned and handed the plant to Wei Ruo. ¡°Thank you!¡± she exclaimed, holding the small herb with a joyous expression and a bright smile. Wei Jinyi was a little entranced by her joy, and only after a moment, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Close up, he could see its leaves were green on one side and yellow on the other. Other than that, nothing seemed noteworthy. ¡°This is Shi Wei. It¡¯s cool in nature, bitter but somewhat sweet, and can be used to treat lung diseases and fever. It also works amazingly for some bathroom related issues,¡± answered Wei Ruo. It was indeed a medicinal herb. While Wei Ruo was holding the Shi Wei, she lost her footing on the soft soil causing her to lose her balance. Wei Jinyi quickly grabbed her, pulling her tightly into his body. Regaining her balance, Wei Ruo thanked him, ¡°Thank you, second brother.¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t be so careless on the mountain,¡± Wei Jinyi advised. He was there today, but what would have happened if he wasn¡¯t and she¡¯d fallen? Wei Ruo laughed, ¡°Because you were there, I let down my guard. If you weren¡¯t there, I would have been careful.¡± Feeling a flutter in his chest, Wei Jinyi quickly turned around. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We should head back.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± So they went back down the mountain the way they¡¯d come, returning to the bamboo grove where their meeting had first begun. Wei Jinyi was without his outer robe and Wei Ruo had a bag full of herbs. After bidding each other farewell, Wei Ruo got back on her horse-drawn carriage and left, with Wei Jinyi watching until she was completely out of sight. Only then did Ke Chongshan, Zhang Yi, and others appear. ¡°Once Lin Fang returns from dropping off Ruoruo, we¡¯ll set off,¡± Wei Jinyi said. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± they replied. ### On the tenth of April, twenty days had passed since Wei Ruo had advised Madam Tongzhi to change the rice seedlings on the farmland. The Xiu family visited the Military Prefecture again, but this time instead of Mrs. Xiu, it was Madam Tongzhi who came. Madam Yun greeted her. Seeing that she was all smiles, Madam Yun couldn¡¯t help but smile too. ¡°Where is Eldest Miss?¡± Just as she sat down, Madam Tongzhi asked Madam Yun about Wei Ruo¡¯ s whereabouts. ¡°She¡¯s at Tianqin Garden taking lessons today. At this moment, she hasn t come home yet,¡± replied Madam Yun. ¡°Oh right I almost forgot about that. No worries, I¡¯ll wait for her a bit longer. I hope I¡¯m not troublingyou too much, Madam Yun,¡± said Madam Tongzhi with a smile. ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s a pleasure to have Madam Tongzhi visiting. Besides, may I ask why you¡¯re looking for my daughter?¡± Madam Yun inquired. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. You know, when we visited the farm together, Eldest Miss noticed a problem with the rice seedlings in the field of my farm and the neighboring farmers, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes, Ruoruo mentioned that she had read about it in an old text. I¡¯m not sure what sort of books she gets into generally,¡± Madam Yun rephed.