Chapter 135: Qingyan

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 Chapter 562: Chu Heng Standing at the Door

"...No." Ye Zhao said with a wooden face.

Ye Muyu: "..."

"Big Brother, are you done? Can I go now?" Ye Muyu thought to herself that her big brother was like a block of wood, and she didn't expect to persuade him anymore. It was better not to waste any more words.

Seeing her eager to leave, Ye Zhao felt somewhat helpless. "Second Sister, if you ever need help in the future, just tell Big Brother. Big Brother will always stand by your side."

"Thank you, Big Brother." Ye Muyu stood up and took a few steps, almost reaching the door. Suddenly, she stopped, turned to look at Ye Hao, and curiously asked, "Big Brother, why are you being so good to me?"

"Why?" Ye Zhao's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion. He felt a sudden headache and subconsciously raised his hand to support his head. After coming back to his senses, he slowly said, "Sometimes I remember when we were young and you saved me from the pond."

Ye Muyu pursed her lips. To be honest, if Ye Zhao hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have remembered at all.

To be precise, the original host didn't remember either, so she wouldn't have thought of this point.

But now that she thought about it carefully, memories related to this incident suddenly emerged, and she also understood that at that time, the original host saved Ye Zhao because she was afraid of having her newly bought silver hairpin confiscated by her parents, combined with Ye Zhao's strong survival instinct.

But looking at Ye Zhao, who shook his head and radiated warmth, she moved her lips and sighed in her heart, saying, "Big Brother, you've already helped me a lot over the years. Forget about this matter. We've all grown up and should be responsible for our own lives."

Ye Zhao's icy eyes showed a trace of sadness, and he staggered back a step.

"What I mean is, I also hope to grow up and not need Big Brother's help in the future. I'll be very capable on my own!" Ye Muyu had to find words to make up for it.

Ye Hao's emotions indeed returned to normal. "Second Sister, you are very strong."

"On this matter, let's just say Big Brother made a mistake." Ye Zhao said firmly, but as a tough guy, he was too embarrassed to say sorry with his thin skin and the black-red-black handsome face.

"Big Brother, I didn't take it to heart. I'll go now." Ye Zhao didn't stop Ye Muyu from leaving this time.

As Ye Muyu walked to the door and opened it, she was startled to see Chu Heng standing at the door with an unclear expression.

Seeing that it was her, Chu Heng's expression softened, and he reached out his hand towards her.

Ye Muyu raised her hand and placed it in his palm.

Chu Heng held her hand and walked towards the room, asking, "Ah Yu, did you just say I'm outstanding?"

Ye Muyu nodded. "Yes, did you hear it? How much did you hear?"

At the door, Ye Pozi had been terrified that Chu Heng would rush in and fight with Ye Zhao, so she waited nervously the whole time. In fact, she had originally taken Chu Heng into her daughter's former chamber.

She went in, but Chu Heng told the two children to stay in the room.

Instead, he walked straight out and stood outside the door, motionless.

Ye Pozi was half scared to death, and she finally put her hanging heart down when Ye Muyu came out.

When Ye Zhao came out, he saw Ye Pozi's face full of resentment and hatred.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Ye Zhao asked.

Ye Pozi moved her mouth but she suppressed her desire to confide, "Nothing, nothing. You should go rest too. Also, spend more time with Han Shi to improve your relationship. You've been apart for six years, and it's been tough for them these years."

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 Chapter 561: I Don't Want To

"Even if he doesn't have a background, he's educated and skilled. He'll definitely become an official in the future. By then, whether it's socializing in the official circles or receiving rewards from nobles, he won't lack for women in his household."

"With him keeping this from you now, how will your future days be?" Ye Zhao looked at her with concern.

Ye Muyu shook her head. "Big Brother, he didn't keep it from me."

"Ah, he mentioned the matter of divorce to you on his own initiative. Big Brother knows about it." Ye Zhao dropped another bombshell, his face filled with worry as he looked at her.

Ye Muyu asked, "Did Sister-in-law tell you?"

"Yes, but your Sister-in-law also cares about you. Don't blame her, blame me for not being at ease with you." Ye Zhao furrowed his brow, his coal-like face showing seriousness. "I know many young officers and soldiers who are not only talented but also faithful to their wives. They have bought a lot of land, and if you marry into their families, you won't have to worry about food and clothing... If you're willing..."

"I'm not willing." Ye Muyu didn't react much at first, but when she heard the words 'marry into', she instinctively felt a hint of disgust and immediately rejected Ye Zhao's words without hesitation.

Ye Zhao was taken aback, furrowing his brows as he looked at her, seeming puzzled as to why she was so decisive. "Second Sister, you can consider it. These officers and soldiers are my good friends. They won't dare to mistreat you out of respect for me."

"Even if you bring along two children, it's not a problem." Ye Zhao was confident.

"I'm worried about what if he dies on the battlefield." Ye Muyu's throat tightened.

Ye Zhao was momentarily speechless.

"Do you want me to be widowed again?" Seeing Ye Zhao's stunned expression, Ye Muyu's slightly heavy heart relaxed a bit. She looked at him earnestly, her eyes wide open, full of seriousness. "By then, I probably won't be able to remarry, right?"

"Well..." Ye Zhao's brow furrowed deeply, looking fierce and sinister.

Ye Muyu felt that he was a rough man, not attentive, and didn't think things through. He was even too confident, bordering on arrogance.

She realized clearly that their pursuits were different, and naturally, they wouldn't have the same life.

"Big Brother, I know you're doing this for my own good, but what you think is good, I don't like." Ye Muyu reasoned with him emotionally and logically.

"Just like how you wouldn't like what I like." Ye Muyu looked at him firmly, thinking to herself that if he didn't come to his senses, she wouldn't waste any more words. After all... considering Ye Zhao was still in a state of amnesia, she didn't even understand why he suddenly started treating her well.

Ye Zhao still wanted to argue, "But even Chu Heng wants to divorce you."

"Oh, speaking of that, it was actually a misunderstanding by Sister-in-law. If you don't believe me, go ask Mother. It was stirred up by the matriarch of Chu Heng's family, just to get her daughter married to Chu Heng, so they deliberately spread such rumors, just to try to take my place." Ye Muyu explained.

Ye Zhao was displeased. "See, if he didn't attract so many women, would so many women want to marry him?"

"Big Brother, you're wrong. Many women like Chu Heng because he's outstanding. Shouldn't you be happy that your younger sister can marry such an outstanding man? It's the kind of happiness that comes from sharing in others' glory. Don't you have it?" Ye Muyu looked at him incredulously, while silently calculating the time in her heart. She couldn't delay any longer, otherwise Chu Heng wouldn't be able to hold steady later.

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 Chapter 1060: Cui Hua's Plan

Lai Jin Hai's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, "Not hard at all."

Li Shi became happy. In any case, her son-in-law had work to do, and Cui Hua would have a better life, wouldn't she?

Lu Erbai had preliminary candidates for his renovation team, which now included himself, Zheng Gong, Liang Wangsheng, and Lai Jin Hai.

Tomorrow, they could go and renovate Lu Sanzhu's house. It wasn't a big house, and there weren't many places to fix, so four people were enough.

In addition, Lu Erbai also needed to find a shop.

After renting the shop, they would also need to renovate it and set up some sample displays.

At this moment, they had quite a lot of things to do, and there would be plenty of busy days ahead.

After dinner, the family rested. Everyone was tired after a day's work, and they didn't have the energy to stay up late and chat.

However, Cui Hua and Lai Jin Hai came out of their room again after a while. They found Lu Dasong and Li Shi, and also called Lan Hua and Er Niu to join them for a talk.

Everyone had puzzled looks, wondering what they were discussing at such a late hour.

Cui Hua put her sleeping son on her parents' bed and then sat down to speak, "Father, Mother, I've discussed it with Jin Hai. We plan to rent a house in the county."

"Rent a house?"

Cui Hua nodded, "Jin Hai will be working with Second Uncle in the future, so it's more convenient to live in the county. If he's here, I don't want to go back to the Lai family. So, we might as well rent a house here."

The Lai family was always noisy, and they often quarreled endlessly over trivial matters.

Currently, the Lai family hadn't divided their property yet, and when Jin Hai earned money, he would have to give a portion to his parents. But if they rented a house outside, they would need to pay much less back to the family.

Moreover, living outside would be more free. They could eat and drink whatever they wanted without worrying about secretly buying things for their son and fearing that others would find out.

They wouldn't need to take turns cooking either. In the early morning, the courtyard would be noisy with clanging noises from the daughter-in-law. Cui Hua and her husband didn't mind getting less sleep, but their son was so young that he was often woken up by the noise. Cui Hua felt extremely distressed about it.

She had long wanted to find an opportunity to move out. Now that Shu Yu had just become the village lord, it was a good time for her in-laws to agree with her decision. So, why not move now?

However, after Li Shi listened to her, she frowned. She thought it wasn't necessary. "Since Jin Hai is working with your Second Uncle, why don't you just stay here? Your Second Uncle's house is so big that there's enough room for a few more people. Look at this house, it's so good. Those outside houses can't compare. There are also servants here to wash clothes and cook. What's the point of you two going out to rent a house? You really don't know..."

"Mother!" Cui Hua's face darkened. She was Lu family's eldest daughter and several years older than Er Niu. Her words carried significant weight. Li Shi occasionally felt a little uneasy when facing her.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Li Shi felt inexplicably flustered and unconsciously shrank her neck. "Wh-what?"

"Mother, don't bring up this topic again in the future. This is Second Uncle's house, not Grandpa and Grandma's. Do you understand?"

More accurately, this was the house the Emperor had awarded to Shu Yu. If it were Grandpa and Grandma's house, Cui Hua, as their granddaughter, would just borrow it for convenience.

But there was no reason for her to bring her husband and son to live in her uncle's house or even her cousin's house. What would that make her?

Would she still have any dignity left? Did she still care about maintaining good family relationships?

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Chapter 288: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (2)

However, as long as there is war, the defenseless civilians are always the sacrifices, and death is inevitable. Mo Yan could only pray that Da Chu's soldiers would be strong enough to stop the Ba people outside the Shanhai border.

Mo Yan didn't know how long this war would last. In her dream, it lasted for several months until the weather warmed up in spring. The Ba people, after suffering countless deaths and injuries from the fierce resistance of Da Chu's soldiers, had no choice but to retreat back to the grasslands.

Though she sympathized deeply with the innocent civilians dragged into the whirlpool of war, Mo Yan knew there was nothing she could do. In her previous life, she could have donated money, goods, and food. In this era, with inconvenient transportation and communication, even that was impossible.

Mo Yan sighed despondently and decided to focus her thoughts on the grand opening of their shop the day after tomorrow.

Very few people knew about the Mo family buying a shop in the city to open a rice shop. Almost no one in Liuyang Village was aware of it. However, the Liu family, Shopkeeper Xing, and the Shopkeeper of the wood shop in the city knew, and they would surely come to show their support on that day.

With just a few people, after the opening ceremony, she could invite them to Huixian Residence for a meal, which would be much easier and cheaper than hosting a housewarming party.

The shop was already well-prepared, and they only needed to take the carriage to the city on the day of the opening.

On the 30th, the weather was quite good. Although it was windy, the sun was shining brightly. Opening on a sunny day was a good omen.

The Mo family got up early and put on new clothes. After a simple breakfast, they gathered at the gate where Li Zhong had already hitched the carriage.

Once everyone was in the carriage, Li Zhong put on the windproof cloak Mo Yan had specially made for him and took the driver's seat. In this weather, driving the carriage was a tough job, but the cloak made it much more bearable.

As soon as the carriage started moving, Zhen'er and the other kids began chattering excitedly, guessing how big the rice shop was, how much rice it could hold, and whether the customers would crowd the shop.

The children's lively discussion, with occasional interjections from the adults, made the journey enjoyable and not boring at all.

Xiao Hei walked steadily, instinctively avoiding any potholes, making the ride smooth and effortless for Li Zhong.

During the shop's renovation, Mo Yan had been commuting daily and felt it was too much trouble for Li Zhong to pick her up and drop her off. Since she couldn't drive the carriage herself, she gave Xiao Hei some undiluted spiritual spring water from her space.

Xiao Hei, having already been transformed by diluted spiritual spring water, showed no adverse reactions to the undiluted version. Instead, its eyes sparkled with increased intelligence.

After a few more doses, Xiao Hei's intelligence was fully awakened. It could now understand human speech and even engage in simple thinking.

The family noticed Xiao Hei's changes. But since horses are inherently intelligent creatures and with Xiao Hua as a precedent, the family simply attributed Xiao Hei's newfound cleverness to good food and care.

Seeing this, Mo Yan also gave the spiritual spring water to Da Huang, Xiao Huang, and the effects were already showing.

They chatted and laughed all the way to the shop. When they arrived, everyone got off the carriage one by one.

The shop's exterior had undergone significant changes, attracting the attention of passersby. After all, making the entire front wall into a door was unique in the whole street, perhaps even in the entire capital.

Mo Yan took out the key and unlocked the door. With a gentle push, the door folded open on both sides, flooding the shop with light and revealing all the arrangements inside.

In the center, there were two neat rows of waist-high wooden barrels, eight in total, filled to the brim with rice, flour, cornmeal, glutinous rice, and glutinous rice flour. Along the walls were smaller wooden barrels, filled with red beans, green beans, and other grains. Three large baskets of eggs were also placed on one side.

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Feng Xuanbin was dumbfounded when he realized he still had to apologize to his sister. 

Upon reflection, he remembered that he had made his sister cry just now. 

He really should apologize!

Previously, he had thought it was his sister’s fault for snatching his brother away, which made him feel justified in bumping into her. 

But if it was his sister…

Feng Xuanbin started to laugh again.

No wonder it felt so soft when he bumped into that little bald head earlier; it turned out to be his sister.

Feng Xuanbin seriously thought about how to apologize so his sister would forgive him. 

Offending his sister on his first day in the mansion was not ideal.

He put his clever little brain to work and fell into deep thought.

Feng Xuanrui, feeling uneasy, decided to check on the situation.

Suisui, showing her strength, did not dare to cry and followed Aunt Qiu quietly.

Aunt Qiu carefully took care of Suisui, changed her clothes, and then brought her out again. 

After all this fuss, Suisui was no longer feeling as aggrieved.

She thought that if being near her brother meant enduring some grievances, she could accept it. 

Compared to before, her life now was indeed very good.

At least she had her brother’s love.

A bit of suffering was expected.

When Aunt Qiu brought Suisui out again, she had already comforted herself.

As soon as she came out, she saw the little chubby boy who had bumped into her earlier kneeling there properly, looking up at the house.

Seeing Suisui, Feng Xuanbin’s eyes lit up. He quickly crawled over, and upon reaching her, he directly hugged Suisui’s little leg and cried out, “Sister, I’m your Seventh Brother!”

His loud cries seemed to shake the heavens and earth, making it sound like the sky was falling.

Suisui was startled, looked down, and saw the little chubby boy kneeling there and clinging tightly to her leg.

Seventh Brother?

No, no, no. Suisui felt that right now she didn’t want a Seventh Brother; she wanted her brother.

She was scared!

Seventh Brother was too frightening!

Even though Suisui had bravely held back her tears after being bumped, she was now so frightened that she was on the verge of crying.

She wanted to struggle but was also a bit afraid.

In the end, Feng Xuanrui came over quickly, pulled Feng Xuanbin away, and scolded him unhappily, “What are you doing? Don’t scare your sister!”

Feng Xuanbin, looking up with a confused expression, said, “I’m apologizing to my sister!”

After explaining, he looked at Suisui with eager eyes, “Sister, look, is Seventh Brother’s kneeling up to standard? Can you forgive Seventh Brother now?”

Seeing that Suisui just pursed her lips and didn’t speak, shrinking behind Feng Xuanrui, Feng Xuanbin felt a pang of disappointment. He skillfully changed his approach and looked at Suisui again, “If you don’t want to forgive me, at least call me Seventh Brother first? No one has ever called me that before.”

Seeing Suisui still shrinking back, Feng Xuanbin wondered if his apology wasn’t sincere enough.

He turned his clever little head (or so he thought) and then started banging his head on the ground.

Aunt Qiu was startled and quickly lifted him up.

Feng Xuanrui was also furious and said, “Foolish Seventh, why are you banging your head? Stop it!”

Feng Xuanbin, still not angry and with a puzzled face, asked, “If I don’t need to bang my head, can my sister call me Seventh Brother?”

Feng Xuanrui’s perception of him was that he was a bit dim-witted.

Although Feng Xuanbin had bumped into his sister and was now bowing his head, acknowledging his mistake, Feng Xuanrui thought he was a good person and shouldn’t be harshly judged for his stupidity.

With that in mind, he turned to Suisui and gently asked, “Sister, Seventh Brother is a bit foolish; let’s not bother with him. Let’s go find Mother.”

After speaking, Feng Xuanrui looked at Feng Xuanbin.

Feng Xuanbin, looking at him with a pitiful expression, did not dare to cry.

Seeing this, Feng Xuanrui felt a bit of sympathy.

He gently held Suisui’s hand and asked, “Sister, do you want to call Seventh Brother?”

He also gave Feng Xuanbin a bit of encouragement, “Seventh Brother is just a bit slow; don’t hold it against him. He’s not a bad person.”

Suisui had previously encountered children who liked to bully her.

Feng Xuanbin was less malicious compared to them.

Moreover, his malice was only during the time he bumped into her.

Now, Suisui no longer felt any malice.

And her brother was asking her too.

Suisui thought for a moment and softly called out, “Seventh Brother.”

Feng Xuanbin, upon hearing this, chuckled twice and then shouted, “Ah, ah, ah, ah!”

Feng Xuanrui found him too noisy and quickly pulled Suisui forward.

Aunt Qiu and the servant hurried to keep up.

Feng Xuanbin, who had just enjoyed being called Seventh Brother, saw that everyone was leaving and hurried to catch up, “Wait for me!”

When Suisui and Feng Xuanrui returned to the front hall, Prince Qing was preparing to leave.

If not for his concern that the young girl might feel insecure, he would have left earlier.

Seeing them come over, Prince Qing nodded to the two children before turning to Qi Wangfei to say goodbye, “sister-in-law, I’m sorry, but I have official business and need to go to the palace to report to His Majesty. I must take my leave.”

Prince Qing had to report back to the capital.

Qi Wangfei was aware of this and knew that Prince Qing’s trip had delayed his other matters due to her own children.

Qi Wangfei was both grateful and apologetic, and before he left, she prepared a gift.

Prince Qing graciously accepted it after some persuasion.

Prince Qing indeed needed to go to the palace.

During the mountain bandit capture, he had discovered many things.

Some of these things could not be clearly explained in written reports and needed to be discussed directly with His Majesty.

For example, the bandit leader’s identity might be more complex, involving matters beyond just bandits.

However, the people he brought, except for Master Hanshuang who was sharp-witted, were all like him—rough and unskilled in investigations.

So, he would report to His Majesty and let him make arrangements.

After seeing off Prince Qing, Qi Wangfei turned to look at the two children.

After more than a month, Qi Wangfei naturally missed her young son.

Her child, who had been pampered and never left her side for so long, was now returning.

If it hadn’t been to clarify the situation, Qi Wangfei wouldn’t have sent the children away.

Now, seeing them and thinking about Feng Xuanrui’s experiences, Qi Wangfei’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

She pulled the two children close and cried, tears streaming down her face.

Feng Xuanrui, seeing his mother crying, also couldn’t hold back his tears and kept wiping them away.

Suisui, who had not intended to cry, was also unable to control herself due to the atmosphere.

Feng Xuanbin, whose chubby legs moved slowly, saw his mother and the siblings crying when he arrived.

He was confused but couldn’t help but cry too.

Noticing he was alone, he squeezed in between Feng Xuanrui and Suisui, creating a space, “Let me in, ah, let me in, woo woo!”

For his brother, he was willing to endure hardships.

— Suisui’s Journal

Cute chapter update at 7 PM

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  Chapter 114: Parental Concern

Wu Zhang returned to his wife and daughter. The two of them rushed over nervously, "Are you alright? I heard..."

"I'm fine." Wu Zhang quickly interrupted his wife's words, then revealed the crabs from inside his clothes, "Look, what's this!"

"Wow, it's crabs!" The little girl saw the crabs and clapped excitedly, "Daddy is so amazing!"

"Of course!" Hearing his daughter's words, Wu Zhang naturally felt proud, "If it weren't so cold, daddy could catch a few rabbits for you to eat."

"But rabbits are so cute, why would you eat them?" The little girl was a bit puzzled.

"Alright, don't tease our daughter." Wu Shi interrupted them, "We don't have a pot, how can we cook the crabs?"

"Let's just grill them directly over the fire!"

After saying this, Wu Zhang looked at the thin clothes worn by his wife and daughter, "I'll go find the bailiffs to exchange for some clothes."

"Will they agree?" Wu Shi was a bit worried, "What if they take the crabs and then turn hostile?"

"That's why we'll eat first, let our daughter eat her fill before we talk." Wu Zhang also felt some concern. Although he knew Xu Tian's character, the other bailiffs might not be as accommodating.

The family of three walked to a secluded spot not far from the bailiffs, so others wouldn't try to snatch their food.

Wu Zhang skewered the crabs with a stick and grilled them over the fire. Meanwhile, he didn't idle around.

Since they only had a few crabs, it was impossible to exchange them for clothes from the bailiffs. So, he decided to do some manual labor.

However, without a knife, he couldn't make bamboo products. Instead, he made some items out of vines, such as a vine chair or a vine bag.

He mainly made practical items that others could use, otherwise, the bailiffs wouldn't accept them.

"Daddy, the crabs turned red, they're red!"

The little girl squatted by the fire, her face flushed from the heat, her eyes fixed on the crabs. When she saw them turn red, she clapped happily.

Wu Zhang made a small bowl out of vines and fashioned a pair of chopsticks. He placed the cooked crabs in the bowl, cracked their shells, and extracted the meat.

Wu Shi also helped, extracting the meat from the crabs and putting it in their daughter's bowl.

"Daddy, mommy, you should eat too!"

The little girl handed them the bowl, urging them to eat, but Wu Zhang just shook the crab shells in his hand.

"Daddy has already eaten, you should eat first!"

Wu Shi also said, "Mommy has some too, dear, you eat first, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

The little girl looked suspiciously at the crab shells in her parents' hands. Seeing this, Wu Zhang quickly picked up a crab shell and pretended to suck on it.

Seeing her daddy enjoying the food, the little girl stopped doubting, but still picked up a piece of meat and handed it over.

"Daddy, the meat is delicious!"

"Daddy doesn't like meat, you eat it!"

The little girl handed the meat to her mother, "Mommy, you eat the meat..."

Wu Shi wanted to refuse but was interrupted by Wu Zhang, "Take a bite, it's your daughter's filial piety."

Wu Shi reluctantly ate the piece of meat, about the size of a mouse dropping.

"Are you full?"

Seeing their daughter finish eating, Wu Zhang asked, but the little girl nodded, "I'm full."

"Gurgle gurgle!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl's stomach rumbled, clearly not yet full.

"Children shouldn't lie!" Wu Zhang said seriously.

The little girl nodded, but then nervously hugged her father's leg, "Daddy, the water is cold, let's not eat the crabs, I'm not hungry."

Obviously, the little girl was very clever and understanding. She knew her father had caught the crabs from the river, and with the weather so cold, she was afraid they would freeze, so she lied.

Wu Zhang was deeply moved, but smiled, "It's okay, daddy is an adult, not afraid of the cold."

Though he said so, he felt guilty inside, and decided to grill all the crabs. With only a few left and not much meat, he wouldn't be able to exchange them for anything from the bailiffs.

It was better to let his daughter eat them and replenish her body.

He continued to make vine chairs and other items, planning to use them for exchange. He also had another idea.

...

After some time, he made a few small baskets and a vine chair, which was actually just a small stool.

Then he took these things to find the bailiffs, but unfortunately, Xu Tian was not there, and he didn't know where he had gone.

With no other choice, Wu Zhang approached a bailiff who seemed more approachable and explained his idea.

However, the bailiff shook his head and refused, "We don't have any spare clothes."

In fact, they really didn't. Apart from food, there was nothing else on the carriage.

Moreover, they weren't interested in Wu Zhang's items at all.

"Can I exchange them for some food?" Wu Zhang hesitated for a moment and couldn't help asking.

"No."

The bailiff refused without hesitation, "These things aren't worth anything. You can't exchange food for them. If you want to buy something, you can use silver."

"I..."

Wu Zhang sighed. If he had money, he would have already used it. Unfortunately, he was just a servant before and didn't have much savings. He had been looted by Captain Sun and the bandits earlier, and didn't have much silver on him.

Helpless, he could only try one last method.

In fact, he had considered selling these items to other prisoners, but now everyone knew the importance of silver and wouldn't spend it casually. Moreover, after being looted by Captain Sun and the bandits, no one had much money left.

So, they wouldn't waste money on unnecessary items. Even for the vine chair, it was unnecessary for the prisoners. They could just sit on the ground.

...

"Miss, someone is looking for Master Chen!"

Chen Xue was busy designing a bamboo house. After all, they had collected so much bamboo that they could build a bamboo house.

However, they didn't know how to build one, so after some discussion, they decided to build a simple one. They didn't need a roof for now since it wouldn't rain indoors and there wasn't much sun exposure.

So, they just needed to enclose a few small rooms with bamboo, so they'd have rooms to rest in.

Chen Xue was contemplating the design of the rooms. Although she didn't know how to build a bamboo house, she had seen one before, and combined with the shape of the rooms from her previous life, she wanted to come up with a better design.

However, after she came up with the design, Chen Yuan and the others were at a loss when it came to actual construction.

It was like knowing how to think but not how to act. They arranged the bamboo into a row, but didn't know how to make doors and windows.

And when they looked back at the sheep pen, they found that it was no different from the bamboo house they were building now.

So, Chen Xue was feeling frustrated when she heard someone looking for someone, which piqued her curiosity.

She got off the carriage and saw a man with several small baskets around his waist and a vine chair in his hand.

"Who are you..."

The man immediately respectfully introduced himself and explained his purpose, fearing that Chen Xue might misunderstand. He quickly clarified that he wanted to buy some clothes for his daughter to prevent her from getting frostbite.

Chen Xue waved her hand to interrupt him, staring at him, "Do you know how to build a bamboo house?"

The man was a little puzzled, but still nodded, "Yes, I was a craftsman before."

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Chapter 287: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (1)

The Ba people, the barbarian tribe that had invaded Da Chu’s border in Mo Yan's dream, faced a severe drop in temperature after September. Their territory was covered by an unprecedented snowstorm in fifty years, killing countless cattle and sheep.

To resolve the internal unrest caused by the snow disaster, the Ba people's king gathered eighteen tribes and mobilized eighty thousand troops to attack the border city of Shanhai. Fortunately, the general stationed at Shanhai City had been forewarned by Xiao Ruiyuan and was well prepared, successfully repelling wave after wave of fierce attacks from the Ba people.

However, the Ba people were physically strong and skilled in battle, and their numbers exceeded the border guards by thirty thousand. Defending Shanhai City was extremely difficult, and the court had already dispatched nearby forces to reinforce Shanhai City, resulting in a stalemate.

At this moment, the Mo family’s main hall was silent. Even though the battle was far from the capital and the capital wasn't affected by the war, the thought of many people dying in the conflict and innocent civilians being displaced made everyone feel downcast.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Xiao Hua stopped playing around and nudged the restless little furball onto its back, then quietly lay down at Mo Yan's feet.

Mo Qingze, staring at the ink-black night outside, said to Mo Yan, "The day after tomorrow our shop will open. Let's keep it simple, just hang a string of firecrackers."

"Mm," Mo Yan nodded in agreement. She hadn't planned on a grand opening anyway.

A grand celebration would mean inviting guests, and the friendly villagers would have to bring gifts. They had already hosted a banquet when they moved into their new house earlier this year and didn’t want to impose again. Moreover, with the war breaking out and being so close to the emperor's city, many common people were probably anxious. Making a big fuss would be inappropriate.

“Dad, will the bad people come to Liuyang Village?” Zhen'er asked, clutching his father's hand tightly, his eyes full of fear.

Last year's experience of fleeing had left a deep impression on Zhen'er. To him, war meant displacement, not having enough to eat, and the risk of being captured and eaten. One such experience was enough; he didn't want to flee for his life again.

Mo Qingze smiled gently and held his younger son on his knee. "No, our Da Chu soldiers are very brave. They won’t let the bad people come in. Don’t be afraid, Zhen'er."

“Mm!” Zhen'er nodded vigorously, feeling somewhat reassured as he nestled in his father's arms.

The other children also breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know the bad people wouldn't come.

Hearing the howling wind outside, Li Zhong sighed with compassion. “In this freezing weather, those civilians affected by the war must be having a hard time, much worse than when we fled.”

Indeed, although they had fled with not enough to eat, they hadn’t had to deal with the cold of summer. Now, in such cold weather, those innocent civilians were hungry and cold, more prone to illness, making their situation even worse than what they had experienced.

Imagining the suffering of the people at the border, everyone fell silent again.

Mo Yan carefully recalled the scenes from her dream. The Ba people hadn't invaded the capital, but Shanhai City had been breached, and several nearby cities were quickly captured, resulting in widespread plunder and numerous deaths.

Before long, many displaced civilians had flocked to the capital, which was less than eight hundred li from Shanhai City. In the freezing weather, many died on the way. The only difference now was that the issue with the rotten grain had been resolved, no longer endangering the soldiers guarding the border. With this, the war might not end as disastrously as in her dream. Perhaps, this war wouldn't be as brutal.

Next Chapter▶▶

"Sixth Brother?"

Suisui turned towards the sound and saw a boy slightly taller than herself. He was dressed in luxurious attire, adorned with a beautiful silver collar around his neck. The beads on the collar jingled pleasantly as he ran.

Suisui looked at the approaching boy and then turned to glance at her brother, her face filled with confusion.

Feng Xuanrui, who had been discussing the clay pots, turned to see who was calling him. When he recognized the newcomer, his lips involuntarily curled into a smile, though his words were full of disdain. “Ah, it’s Feng Qi, the foolish one?”

As he spoke, Feng Qi—Feng Xuanbin—ran up. He was plump, with a round face and eyes, looking like a cute soccer ball.

Upon hearing himself called “foolish,” Feng Xuanbin was somewhat displeased and loudly retorted, “I’m not ‘Feng Qi,’ I’m ‘Little Seven,’ Little Seven!”

After shouting and putting his hands on his hips, Feng Xuanbin noticed Suisui. His sense of being the only favored younger brother was instantly threatened. He pointed at Suisui and stared at Feng Xuanrui in disbelief. “Sixth Brother, are you abandoning me for another younger sibling?”

“You still have ‘Feng Qi,’ don’t you?” 

“Wah, I’m not your favorite younger brother anymore?” 

“Now, anyone, even cats and dogs, can be your younger siblings?”

…

The young boy was loud and high-pitched. Feng Xuanrui was irritated by the noise and instinctively raised his hand to shield his ears. 

Suisui was overwhelmed by the noise, feeling dizzy and slow to react. 

Just as Feng Xuanrui was about to speak, he saw Feng Xuanbin moving. Believing his brother was being taken away, Feng Xuanbin’s eyes widened in anger, and he charged at Suisui with his round, plump body.

With his weight, Feng Xuanbin was quite a force. Feng Xuanrui reacted, but not quickly enough. As Feng Xuanbin's body collided with Suisui, Feng Xuanrui's attempt to pull his sister away was unsuccessful. 

Feng Xuanbin knocked Suisui to the ground. Fortunately, he didn’t fall on top of her, which prevented further injury due to his imbalance.

Aunt Qiu had just turned to speak with a servant and quickly saw the commotion. Suisui and Feng Xuanbin were both on the ground. Seeing Feng Xuanbin’s robust form, Aunt Qiu was less worried about him but feared for Suisui, whose many old wounds might be exacerbated.

Aunt Qiu was startled, and Feng Xuanrui was enraged. “Feng Qi, are you out of your mind?”

Feng Xuanbin, already upset from falling, started crying as he heard Feng Xuanrui shout at him. “He’s stealing my brother! He’s a bad person. I don’t like him. Wah, Sixth Brother, wasn’t I your favorite ‘Feng Qi’?”

At this point, he didn’t mind being called “Feng Qi” anymore.

Feng Xuanrui was both furious and frustrated. He kicked Feng Xuanbin’s fleshy leg and scolded him, “Can’t you see? Suisui is your sister, your sister! And what’s wrong with someone taking my brother? Even if Father has more children, they’ll still call me ‘Sixth Brother’!”

After scolding Feng Xuanbin, Feng Xuanrui hurried over to help Suisui up, carefully inspecting her. 

Aunt Qiu, fearing that Feng Xuanrui might lack the strength, also came to help, brushing off the dust from Suisui’s clothes. Unfortunately, some dirt still clung to her attire.

Seeing this, Aunt Qiu shook her head. “You should change into clean clothes. It wouldn’t be appropriate to meet the princesses in dirty attire.”

Feng Xuanrui was less concerned about the dirt. He was more focused on whether Suisui was hurt. Compared to how Suisui had looked in her worst state, she now seemed much better.

He checked Suisui thoroughly and gently asked, “Suisui, are you hurt? Does anything hurt? You need to tell Brother.”

Suisui’s emotions were more about fear than pain. She had heard the chubby boy say that she was stealing the brother, and she felt she had not done anything wrong.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t dare cry. She was unsure if her brother would support her or side with his real younger brother.

Suisui was now acutely aware that the chubby boy was her brother’s biological sibling, while she was just a child her brother had taken in. This realization made her lose her courage, and she tried to hold back her tears.

Aunt Qiu, seeing Suisui’s distress, comforted her by gently patting her back. “Don’t be afraid, Suisui. It’s alright. Aunt is here.”

Feng Xuanrui was also distressed. He had seen how Suisui had been spoiled by him recently, freely expressing her emotions, whereas at first, she had held back tears unless she couldn’t stop them.

Now, seeing her revert to her initial restrained self, Feng Xuanrui felt that all his recent efforts seemed in vain.

This frustration made him look at Feng Xuanbin with a mix of disdain and annoyance.

Feng Xuanbin was now stunned. Hearing that the newcomer was not a younger brother but a younger sister surprised him. 

He recalled that the little girl had a sweet fragrance. 

So, it turned out to be a sweet-smelling younger sister?

He grinned as he realized this. 

By the time he had processed this, Aunt Qiu had already taken Suisui away to change. 

Feng Xuanbin wiped his tears and eagerly moved towards Feng Xuanrui.

Feng Xuanrui, annoyed, stepped aside and walked briskly towards the bathing room, not wanting to deal with the chubby boy.

Feng Xuanbin, unfazed by the disdain, followed eagerly, “Sixth Brother, so we have a younger sister? A sweet-smelling younger sister?”

“Do we have a younger sister now?”

“Does that make me ‘Seven Brother’?”

…

The chubby boy was quite talkative and his childish grin made him somewhat endearing. However, if he were a bit older, his actions would be seen as quite self-indulgent.

Feng Xuanrui, irritated, shot him a disapproving glance and coldly said, “You should think about how to apologize to your sister.”

Next Chapter▶▶

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