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Seeing Old Man Mo and Demon Prince looking at each other with a mutual understanding and a smile, Ziyan inexplicably felt a surge of jealousy in her heart.
"Protest! Do you all have something to do now that you’re ignoring me? Hey—Master, Brother Yuxuan!" Ziyan pouted in dissatisfaction.
The answer was the same; the old man and the young one were already on high alert, preparing to start their duel. Ziyan sulked, feeling quite bored.
It seemed that the two of them wouldn’t stop until they had played a few rounds today. Since it was rare to have such leisurely time, Ziyan decided to be sensible and stopped shouting, closing her eyes to take a nap quietly.
In the following days, Ziyan appeared much more relaxed.
The five small courtyards within Xuan Wang Fu had already been divided into five teams, and they simultaneously began digging the foundations.
During this time, Ziyan occasionally went to the back mountain of Heavenly Pivot Sect to explain or teach her culinary skills to those cooking instructors. Otherwise, she would run to the back mountain of Xuan Wang Fu to check on Wang Sichu’s progress in making Fire Ships.
Because she had enough manpower and capable warriors, all the tasks mentioned above were progressing smoothly and promisingly.
Just like that, seven or eight days passed in a flash. Soon, Ziyan would take everyone back to Heng County City to celebrate New Year's Eve with her mother and Master Qin Ming.
On this day, Ziyan first invited the senior leaders of Heavenly Pivot Sect and the heads of various sub-sects to Drunken Immortal Residence for an early New Year's Eve celebration with them.
Ziyan was in a very good mood that day, and several elders were also cheerful and full of spirit.
The banquet lasted from noon until close to midnight before everyone finally dispersed.
Ziyan briefly divided and arranged the work before handing it over to Elder Yan Laoguai for organization. After observing for such a long time, she knew that Elder Yan Laoguai and Second Elder Lu Yuan would not have any second thoughts about her future.
Since that was the case, it would be better for her to let them take on more responsibilities. All they wanted was to have their names recorded in the future achievements of Heavenly Pivot Sect and be acknowledged for their contributions.
Ziyan clearly knew that all she wanted was their loyalty.
Wang Sichu was accompanied by a heavily armed escort led by a Vice General. At this moment, he was like a tiger that had fallen into the plains, unable to fly.
Ziyan didn't need to worry about what tricks he could pull; the teachers from the culinary school had been trained by the future principal, Hong Gang, and had become quite skilled. They were just waiting for the new year to pass so they could officially start school and take up their posts.
With all subsequent arrangements in place, early the next morning, a large group with carriages set off from the city towards Hengfeng County Town.
Along the way, they encountered a few groups of bandits trying to rob them. The result was disastrous; nothing was stolen, and all the bandits were either left with broken hands or broken legs under Prince Xuan's orders.
Ling Yuxuan did this naturally to set an example and deter others; the entire Chu County belonged to him, the esteemed Xuan Wang Ye.
As a result, no one dared to harbor any ill intentions towards him anymore. Ziyan understood that this was his management style.
To govern a region effectively, one must balance rewards and punishments. There must be both incentives and consequences to earn the respect of the people and ensure their well-being.
Throughout the journey, Old Man Mo, Ziyan, and Xuan Wang discussed various ways to ensure that the people of Chu County could live prosperous lives.
They came up with several ideas, such as strongly encouraging agriculture. Agriculture wasn't just about growing grains. Ziyan thought of Chu County's excellent water quality and favorable climate. The pleasant weather made her realize that the local forests were suitable for cultivating valuable medicinal herbs. They could teach the locals how to cultivate high-quality medicinal herbs, which could then be sold to neighboring countries and even further abroad.
Secondly, this area was not only suitable for growing medicinal herbs but also for various forms of aquaculture, developing delicious meat products.
Thirdly, they aimed to develop education vigorously and encourage local citizens to venture out into business. Due to relatively low productivity in this era, educational quality was also lacking. It seemed Ziyan would need to establish a comprehensive curriculum focused on sales since it was simple and easy to learn without requiring complex language skills. This would be suitable for those with ambition but lacking in practical skills.
Time always passed quickly. Just as Ziyan's plans and ambitions grew more numerous and urgent with excitement, they unknowingly entered the territory of Hengfeng County Town.
Ziyan felt an overwhelming sense of relief and pleasure.
As soon as they arrived at the city gate of County Town, their carriage came to a sudden stop.
"What happened?" Ling Yuxuan casually asked as she lifted the curtain of the carriage.
"Masters, it seems that County Princess and Yan'er’s mother are here waiting for us," replied the driver, who was Li Yu.
"My mother? Really?" Upon hearing that her mother Zhou had come to the city gate to pick her up, Ziyan immediately stretched her neck to look ahead. She quickly spotted her mother Zhou, and to her surprise, Qin Ming was also there.
"Prince, Master has also come," Ziyan quickly turned to say to her Demon Prince.
"Oh, really?" Ling Yuxuan was also somewhat surprised.
However, at this moment, Ziyan couldn't care less about that. She immediately climbed out of the carriage and quickly jumped down. Just as she steadied herself, she saw her sister Ziying jumping out of the carriage she had been in.
At the same time, Ziying was rushing towards their mother Zhou.
"Mother!" Ziying not only ran forward but also started calling out to Zhou from a distance.
The three of them embraced each other tightly upon reuniting. Zhou held both Ziyan and Ziying in her arms, tears streaming down her face. Having not seen her two daughters for quite some time, she was naturally overwhelmed with emotion.
"Mother, I missed you so much," Ziying said playfully.
"I missed you too. Each of you is my most precious treasure; how could I not think of you?" Zhou replied with heartfelt sentiment.
After exchanging greetings, Ziyan was the first to approach Qin Ming. "Master, have you been well these days?"
Qin Ming paused for a moment in surprise before responding, "Silly disciple, I'm doing just fine."
"Master!" Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, the voice of Ling Yuxuan came from behind Ziyan.
"Yes, Yuxuan is becoming more and more spirited," Qin Ming said, looking at his once nearly single-handedly raised disciple, who was now more mature, composed, radiant, and exceptionally handsome. He couldn't help but nod excitedly.
Following closely behind was a small group led by the County Princess from Hengfeng County Town, who came forward to greet Ziyan and Ling Yuxuan. Afterward, the large group began to cheerfully make their way into the County Town.
Upon returning to the Zi Family Spiced Braise Yard in County Town, the idle people accompanying the County Princess were sent away, leaving only Ziyan's true companions.
Everyone gathered around the large Stone Table that had been personally carried back by Strongman Wu Xiang.
In the evening, a rich feast prepared by Ziyan and her sister Ziying was served. The sky was bright with stars and the moonlight bathed everything in a soft glow.
This made everyone in the courtyard feel even more relaxed as they shared heartfelt farewells and concerns.
The sweet aroma of glutinous Rice Wine filled their cups, rich and thick. It became a catalyst for family members to strengthen their bonds.
As they ate, Ziyan and Zhou simultaneously noticed that Ziying's complexion was unusual; she seemed to be preoccupied with thoughts and was infinitely concerned about someone. She sat alone, holding her cup and reminiscing about days spent with a certain person.
Just a glance was enough for Ziyan to understand that her sister had begun to miss the man named Wu San after just one day apart. Zhou, however, had not fully grasped the situation yet and turned to her daughter Ziyan to ask, "What's wrong with your sister? She seemed fine before, but now she's all quiet."
"Mom, my sister is missing someone," Ziyan candidly replied to Zhou.
"Oh, is it Wu San?" Zhou immediately snapped back to attention.
"Yes! Who else could it be but that deadbeat?" Ziyan answered.
"Does Yan'er think Wu San is worthy of your sister?" Zhou continued to probe.
"Is this okay? It seems fine for now. Anyway, Wu San looks acceptable at the moment," Ziyan said somewhat ambiguously, expressing her thoughts and feelings.
"Yes, yes! That's good. As long as your sister's lifelong matters are settled, then my greatest task in this life is considered complete," Zhou sighed slowly, still wearing that ever-loving smile.
"Alright, Mother, you don't need to worry about us sisters anymore. In the future, you should also take care of yourself, okay?" Ziyan casually noticed her master Qin Ming stealing glances at her and her mother.
Suddenly, Ziyan remembered an important matter she had almost forgotten. Her master Qin Ming had once been first loves with her mother Zhou.
Just now, when her master looked at her mother, there was a hint of tenderness and concern in his eyes. Her mother was only 39 years old this year, and Qin Ming was just 42.
They were still so young; their father had already passed away. Could she really watch her mother, in the prime of her life, grow old alone while her master Qin Ming, who was also in his prime, remained lonely?
No! That was absolutely impossible, Ziyan thought to herself. She must break some outdated rule of mourning for three years. Why should a woman mourn for three years when a man dies, while if a man's wife dies, he can immediately remarry?
Whenever Ziyan thought about the unfair and ridiculous rules regarding women in this era, she felt extremely indignant.
Since her father had already passed away, it was natural for her to feel concerned about him. But that did not mean that one relative should live in loneliness and despair just because another relative was missed!
If that were the case, wouldn't all the suffering be placed solely on her mother Zhou? As daughters, that would be contrary to their filial duty!
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