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The place he pointed to happened to align perfectly with the window on the second floor, even being the same spot.
Following Shen Muhan's indication, Xia Muxin tilted her head and furrowed her brows. After a while, she said, "Uncle, don't you think it's strange to have a window here? Plus, it makes it easy for thieves to get in at night."
Moreover, it seemed unnecessary; the entrance was right here, and looking up revealed another large window. It all felt quite odd.
Shen Muhan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, feeling that Xia Muxin had a point. Yet for some reason, he still had this idea in mind. But since Xia Muxin didn't like it, he decided not to open the window.
"Miss, what do you think about this arrangement?"
At this moment, the renovations in the shop were complete. Xia Muxin had specially arranged for several large wooden bins to be made at home, similar to those used in modern supermarkets for bulk rice. Each bin was labeled underneath with words like spicy, salty, sweet, etc. After all, the Orchid Bean came in various flavors and would eventually include mixed flavors as well. This setup was meant to make it easier for customers to choose.
Upon hearing the worker ask for her opinion, Xia Muxin walked over to that end and began directing them on how to arrange everything. It wasn't until noon that everything was set up properly. Afterward, the workers cleaned the entire shop. Xia Muxin not only paid them immediately but also treated them to lunch at a nearby restaurant before they left.
"When do you plan to open?"
In the carriage, Shen Muhan gently played with Xia Muxin's soft hair that flowed like a waterfall. His gaze drifted outside through the carriage curtain as he asked in a low voice.
Xia Muxin felt a bit drowsy; at that moment, she lay in his arms with half-closed eyes and murmured sleepily, "Uncle, are you going to leave me again?"
Yan Zhouwan and a man in black were driving the carriage but were listening intently to their conversation. Upon hearing Xia Muxin's question, Yan Zhouwan's expression darkened as he glanced at the silent man in black, hesitating to speak.
Shen Muhan pinched Xia Muxin's cheek lightly and replied, "Yes, I will be at the border from March to July every year. Muxin... would you like to come with me?"
The man in black had arrived just as they were about to return to Daimiao Mountain and brought news that there seemed to be an outbreak of civil war at the border. The enemy had taken advantage of the situation and captured a city within just one day. The emperor was furious and dismissed several implicated military generals. General Wei had already set out with his men and had come to ask for Shen Muhan's opinion on whether he would be willing to help quell this civil unrest.
They were all trained personally by Shen Muhan and carried Tian Ming Rui's imperial edict—a unique means of communication between them that couldn't be forged easily. In times of national crisis, it was indeed the duty of the Shen Family. Shen Muhan naturally wouldn't turn a blind eye; however, at such a critical moment, he felt more reluctant than ever and wished he could keep Xia Muxin by his side every second.
Xia Muxin fully awakened, sitting up from Shen Muhan's embrace. Her lips moved for a long time before she reluctantly said, "Uncle, I can't go for now. There are still many things to handle here. You... must come back safely."
She hated this kind of farewell, but Shen Muhan was the pillar of the Tianli Kingdom. She couldn't selfishly keep him by her side; all she could do was wait quietly at home for his return.
Shen Muhan pulled her into his arms and murmured, "I will. I still need you to help me have a bunch of kids." As he spoke, he chuckled to himself.
Xia Muxin frowned in displeasure and retorted, "A bunch? Do you think I'm a pig?"
The next day, at dawn, Xia Muxin woke up, but the warmth beside her was already gone. She knew that to avoid lingering farewells, he had left overnight.
"Xia Muxin, keep going. Strive to become the best merchant in the world so you can bring Uncle home."
She pressed her lips together, gazing at the spot where Shen Muhan had slept for a long time, her hands fiddling with the blanket until she felt a chill and clenched her fists to encourage herself.
After much thought, she decided it would be best to marry Uncle and bring him home. That way, he would be hers and not belong to the court or the emperor; he would be free.
The more she thought about it, the clearer this idea became until she firmly resolved to marry Shen Muhan and bring him back to the Xia Family...
"Aunt, why are you up so early? You've been busy for half the day already."
Dressed and heading downstairs, Xia Muxin was greeted by delightful aromas wafting from the kitchen. As she walked in, she was stunned into silence. Xia Jihua, Ermiao, and Yan Zhouwan were bustling about, with several large wooden boxes on the floor filled with freshly made Orchid Beans.
She couldn't help but admire her aunt Ant Jihua as a great helper. Xia Muxin had only taught her once, yet she remembered everything. Plus, with all her recent trips to Town, Aunt had been managing everything at home. Looking at the hundreds of pounds of various flavored Orchid Beans, Xia Muxin absentmindedly grabbed a few to taste. In the end, she couldn't help but give her a thumbs up.
Xia Jihua shyly scratched her head and smiled foolishly. In that moment, Xia Muxin realized how much she resembled her father, especially with that silly smile.
The two workshops had also finished their work and would be ready to start production in a few days. After breakfast, Xia Muxin took her brother and sister-in-law along with her grandfather and father to the newly plowed fields while Xia Jihua and Yan Zhouwan continued their busy work at home.
Summer Forest and Xia Tieshu each carried a load of Wood Ash, which had been mixed with additional ingredients.
“Muxin, are you really planting peanuts and soybeans on such a large piece of land?”
The peanuts had already sprouted tiny shoots, and if they weren't planted soon, the shoots would grow too long and become fragile. It would be much harder to revive them then. Xia Tieshu looked at the vast expanse of land, hesitating as he asked Xia Muxin.
After all, now that everyone in the village had their fields back, every household was planting these crops. Moreover, they weren't rare varieties that sold well; the yield wasn't high either. It seemed rather pointless to plant them like this.
“Dad, don’t worry. No matter how many we plant, they will all be hot-selling products once they reach my hands.”
Xia Muxin's eyes were filled with hope, her vision shimmering with golden possibilities—after all, that was the color of gold...
Once Xia Muxin spoke up, everyone stopped hesitating and began planting peanuts and soybeans according to her guidance.
Since the peanuts were being planted after sprouting, they had to be handled gently. Each seed had to be carefully inserted into the soil one by one, with a distance roughly equal to a man's foot length between them. This was easy work that even Songzi could manage. With this division of labor, things became much simpler. Summer Forest used a hoe to dig a trench about a few centimeters deep, while Xia Muxin and Songzi planted the peanuts. Summer Old Man sprinkled wood ash around the planted peanuts, and after Xia Muxin had inserted several rows, she began covering them with soil. The soil didn’t need to cover the Empress Dowager; it just needed to cover them lightly. Xia Tieshu was responsible for carrying the wood ash.
The method for planting soybeans was relatively easier. The spacing was similar to that of peanuts; four to six seeds were scattered each time, then pressed down with a foot before sprinkling more wood ash and covering with soil again.
After a busy morning, they managed to plant an acre of land.
*
“Liulang, why are you back? Did you finish your exams already?”
In the Feng Family yard, Feng San Niang was hanging clothes out to dry. Zhou Cailian's belly was gradually growing; even though she wore thicker clothing, it was still quite noticeable as she fed the chickens.
Four Mao was chopping wood in the back room while Feng Wu lounged with his legs crossed, humming a tune and smoking a pipe.
Suddenly, a figure walked into the yard, causing the family to freeze in surprise. After a long moment, Feng San Niang exclaimed in shock.
Feng Liulang had taken all their savings to go to the capital last year. According to plan, this should have been the time for his real exams. Why was he back now? This left the entire family in a state of panic.
In just a few months, he had grown taller and his skin had become fairer. Compared to the boys in the village who toiled in the fields all day, he was undeniably more handsome. Zhou Cailian felt a mix of confusion and embarrassment, her cheeks flushing. Although they were already married, they had not consummated their union on their wedding day, which left her feeling uneasy.
Officially, it was for the sake of the child in her womb.
Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that Feng Liulang was still thinking about Xia Muxin.
Moreover, with the Wang family now fallen from grace, the Xia family was thriving more than ever, drawing envy from everyone in the village. The stepmother and her own mother frequently visited, their eyes only on him as their son-in-law. Despite her grievances, she had gained a fair amount of face.
But his sudden return...
"Husband, have you... eaten lunch yet?"
Despite her many questions and simmering anger, she kept her emotions in check. After studying Feng Liulang for a moment, she set down the utensils in her hands and asked him with concern.
It was already noon; they had eaten lunch half an hour ago. If it hadn't been for the light rain that had just started to fall, everyone at home would have been busy working in the fields by now.
Having not seen his family for months, Feng Liulang felt no sense of longing. He looked at his newlywed wife, whose face was pale and whose belly was large and unattractive. Her plain clothing was quite unappealing to him. He then glanced disdainfully at their home and muttered:
"I don't want to eat."
- End of Chapter -
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