What was said during the Lantern Festival was not in vain. Anyway, from a period of time, it seemed that everyone took it to heart. Until the Dragon Raising its Head, Xining Town was full of enthusiasm and no one dared to lag behind.

Even though Cheng Shao did not publicly announce his identity, he did not hide it either. When Qiao Ruichen dealt with the West Camp and the North Camp, he sometimes followed them.

Xu Bin and Zheng Yuan were not fools. When they learned that this man's surname was Cheng, he spoke rudely and was well-informed about military affairs, they guessed his background.

But General Dingbei didn't say it himself, and the other two people wouldn't take the initiative to say it either. They just cared more about what Qiao Ruichen ordered.

Firstly, with the improved work point welfare system provided by Gu Shuyao, the soldiers were only happy and eager to go on field duty.

Secondly, the two people, especially Zheng Yuan, saw how much Cheng Shao valued Qiao Ruichen. It was possible that this general's position as Yunhui was secure, so they naturally would not bring bad luck to him.

However, no matter how hot it is, the winter in the northwest is unusually cold. Even if you wear a down jacket, your feet are still cold. This is the season when you will get frozen even if you go out to pee. The ground under your feet is frozen hard. Trying to tear down a piece of the city wall is more difficult than fishing by breaking ice.

So all we could do was stay indoors and do things that didn't require us to go out. The warehouse was filled with gold and silver alkali, beet sugar, and essential oils.

Depending on how diligent everyone is, the beets will be used up before they can be sown.

Miao Wan is no different from everyone else. Her physical condition is actually a little weak, not as good as Taotao's. She got a fever after running a few times outside.

At the end of the month, Qiao Ruichen came back late from the county town on business. Taotao and Qiao Rui were both asleep. The aunt and niece have a very good relationship now, especially since Taotao has become more fluent in speaking and is not so clingy to his parents.

The main reason was that she wanted to stick around. Qiao Ruichen and Miao Wan were both busy, and even when they took her with them, they would just mumble something that the naughty kid couldn't understand. She didn't have any fun playing with the other kids, so she got used to being left alone.

So when Qiao Ruichen returned to the bedroom, Miao Wan was the only one lying on the kang. She was sleeping with her mouth open and snoring.

When Qiao Ruichen saw the quilt turned aside, he was a little amused and thought that the kang was too hot. He thought of going forward to cover his wife with the quilt and then turning down the fire in the stove.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched his wife's cheek, he was frightened. It was not that the kang was too hot, but that his wife was too hot. She was so hot that she became dizzy.

It was the middle of the night and the doctor came again. Qiao Rui and Taotao were woken up by the noise in their half sleep. They were both very curious and wanted to come out to take a look. However, as soon as they put on their clothes, they smelled the bitter smell of medicine outside.

The aunt and niece paused in unison, then quickly took off their clothes and got into bed, pretending to be asleep.

It's so cold. No matter who is sick, if you go out, you might be forced to drink a big bowl of medicine on the grounds that you might be infected. Why bother?

"Take the medicine and get better quickly." Taotao murmured in a hoarse baby voice.

Qiao Rui nodded in agreement, "Yes, we are still young, we can't get too sick and make the adults worry."

Taotao nodded, "Yeah!"

No one noticed this extremely filial scene. Even if they knew, they would be at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and would not let them get out of bed to cause trouble, as they might get infected.

The two little guys are just sensible, there's nothing wrong with them.

They fell asleep again quickly, but Miao Wan had to be woken up to take medicine. She felt sore all over and felt hot and cold, and her hair was stuck to her forehead. She felt very uncomfortable and cried while taking the medicine.

Qiao Ruichen felt extremely distressed. "I also made some sugar water. Can you drink a bowl of it right after taking the medicine?"

"Wow... No, I feel uncomfortable." Miao Wan didn't know why, but the gentler Qiao Ruichen's voice sounded, the more wronged she felt. Her eyes were already shallow due to the fever, and tears kept falling.

"I must have gotten sick because you didn't go with me. Woohoo...it's all your fault."

Qiao Ruichen just nodded and wiped her face with a warm cloth, even wiping her neck, hoping that she would feel a little better. "It's my fault. I should have taken you to the county town. If you didn't have time, I should have accompanied you to the factory."

At this moment, his wife was obviously irrational. He did not mention that it was Miao Wan who asked him to go to the county town to see the shop. She was so excited that she insisted on going to the factory with Gu Shuyao and others to see the actual plan.

Miao Wan felt very strange. When she first came here, even a year ago, she thought she was still a very sensible, well-behaved and considerate girl (fog). But her family treated her better and better, and Qiao Bailao became more and more obedient, but she became more and more regressive as she grew older, like a little child, sometimes even more unreasonable than Taotao.

After crying for a while, Miao Wan came to her senses. She felt a little embarrassed and buried her head in the pillow.

Qiao Ruichen knew that she had come to her senses and was feeling embarrassed, so he smiled and asked everyone to go back and rest first. He washed up and got on the kang.

Miao Wan buried herself in the bed for a while and felt the pillow was sweaty and wet, which made her feel uncomfortable. At this time, Qiao Ruichen directly pulled her into the new warm quilt.

The warm quilt wrapped her tightly, and she rested her head on the elastic 'pillow' that felt cool because of the fever. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt less uncomfortable.

"Husband?"

Qiao Ruichen responded, "Hmm?"

"Husband!"

Qiao Ruichen smiled, "I'm here."

Miao Wan reached out and hugged him, her voice still a little hoarse from crying just now, "That's great."

With you here, it feels like home is here. It’s so nice.

Qiao Ruichen gently kissed Miao Wan's slightly sweaty hair without saying a word. When Miao Wan started snoring again due to nasal congestion, he changed to a position that made Miao Wan more comfortable and fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Qiao Rui and Taotao got up early. They were just afraid of taking the medicine, not that they were not worried.

Especially when one's mind becomes clear, filial piety also awakens.

Taotao insisted on going into the house to see his mother, "Awan, it hurts, Taotao will heal it."

Aya, the secretary who followed Miao Wan, laughed so hard that she couldn't stop. She coaxed Taotao, "The boss hasn't woken up yet. He's in a deep sleep after taking the medicine. Can Taotao go in after his mother wakes up?"

Taotao refused and patted his chest, "Taotao, go to sleep too." Although he had slept enough, it was not impossible to take another nap.

Aya smiled helplessly. The problem was that the garrison commander was still in the room. If you went in, could the two of you still sleep well?

But she couldn't stop them, otherwise she might hear the news that Miss Qiao was climbing through the window with her niece.

"Then Taotao and the young lady, how about you go have breakfast first? You can try out what's delicious and bring breakfast to the boss as well. It's a good chance to wake him up, how about that?"

Qiao Rui thought about it and realized she was hungry too. Although she knew Aya was trying to appease the child, she still dragged Taotao around and said, "You're right. Otherwise, my sister-in-law will be hungry too when she wakes up. Let's pick something delicious for her, right?"

Taotao thought this was a good suggestion. When hunger and filial piety were put together, she felt that children should not make a choice and she could have both.

"Walk!"

When Miao Wan woke up, she saw the loving breakfast brought by her daughter. Her daughter was also on the kang, lying beside her with a worried look on her face.

"Awan is in pain?"

Miao Wan looked at the chubby face covered with fine hairs as she got closer, and her heart softened. "Seeing Taotao and Xiaorui, my pain is gone!"

Taotao then let go of the hand that had been tightly holding Miao Wan's sleeve, quickly got up, and together with Qiao Rui pushed the breakfast on the kang table over.

"Mom, Taotao picked this. It's a bag. I ate it and it hurts so much... burp!"

Miao Wan: “…” I see. It’s stuffed with pickled cabbage and meat. It looks quite appetizing.

The loving mother and daughter were filial for the whole morning. After Gu Shuyao arrived, Qiao Rui took Taotao to play with Ludan and the others.

Gu Shuyao was a little surprised to see Miao Wan like this. "Did you catch a cold yesterday? Weren't you dressed quite warmly?"

"Maybe it's the cool air from the ground that penetrated my body?" Miao Wan blinked and looked at Gu Shuyao, "Have you made the Eucommia ulmoides glue? I want long boots..."

Gu Shuyao took off her shoes and sat down on the kang. "I did manage to do some."

Hmm? Miao Wan immediately sat up, wrapped in the quilt. "So the boots can be made, right? And the tires, and..."

"Eucommia gum is a hard rubber. If you want to make a tire, you have to add something inside it." Gu Shuyao interrupted Miao Wan, "And tires have two layers, inner and outer, so you definitely need rubber inside to inflate it."

In fact, Eucommia gum is not difficult to make. Many places in the countryside use it to make tires, and there are very mature methods. Factories generally use centrifugal separation and preparation soaking methods. In this way, the loss of extracted gum is very small and the utilization rate is relatively high.

However, it is not easy to use the centrifugal separation method now. Gu Shuyao can only make benzene solvent as far as the specific ingredients of the preparation are concerned, but that requires coal tar and coal gas to be washed and rectified at high temperature. Not to mention how to obtain these two things, without a high-pressure machine, this extraction method is very dangerous.

In this era, the most suitable way to obtain Eucommia gum is the alkaline water infiltration method and comprehensive fermentation extraction. Although the purity may not be that high, it also has its advantages. At least it is not too hard and can be used to make shoe soles and bottle stoppers.

As for tires, wrapping the outer tire on the outside of the wooden rim can play a shock-absorbing role. Even bicycles and tricycles can be mass-produced as long as there is enough iron.

The problem is that there is not enough iron ore and other ores for making weapons, let alone for making cars. At most, we can make a batch for use in wars.

But all this is too far-fetched. The most important thing is that Eucommia gum is used in making military boots.

Gu Shuyao came to see Miao Wan to discuss this matter. "Ruan Jialin previously purchased a batch of Eucommia leaves and Eucommia ulmoides saplings from Anyong County. The saplings are not yet effective, and the Eucommia leaves are only enough to make a dozen pairs of shoes at most. We have to wait until the weather warms up and then buy more in bulk."

Miao Wan looked at her and understood without further explanation that there were actually more Eucommia leaves in the interior of the country, especially along the road from Datong Prefecture to their northwest, which was extremely suitable for the growth of Eucommia.

"How about having my cousin go to Linhua County? Since the people there are so willing to trade in coal, they're definitely not going to mind one more business." Miao Wan wasn't happy dealing with traveling merchants. "Like the merchants in Jiangnan and Dengzhou, I know all the best of them, and they're still trying to steal my recipes."

It was good that she didn't deal with them. Doing business again? Dream on! When more merchants came through the customs, she would have someone put up a sign at the door, prohibiting merchants from Jiangnan and Dengzhou from entering.

Want to start a business? I won't stop you. Just find a way to sell your used stuff yourself.

Gu Shuyao also heard about this. Even Cheng Shao had learned from others that Miao Wan had forced the Wuliangha clan back to Northern Meng in the county town. A smile flashed in her eyes.

"You're quite kind."

Miao Wan was confused: "Ah? Me? Kind?" Are you being sarcastic to me?

"They stole your things, and you actually paid to teach them a lesson. You just cut off their way of using your prescription to do business. Isn't that kindness?" Gu Shuyao felt that Miao Wan was not at all like the twenty-six she said she used to be.

If he is already 26, it must be because he has been spoiled too much by his family... and the villagers.

She said casually, "If it were me, I would directly challenge them to a duel, using the excuse of competing in roast duck and weaving skills to attract everyone's attention. Then, I would question them on the spot about the origins of roast duck and the origins of the looms, ruining their reputation. Then, in the capacity of General Yunhui, the merchant would directly question the Qi Yan clan about whether they intended to break the alliance. Jiangnan could then directly ask the Sage to issue an edict to reprimand them."

Miao Wan was stunned. "Ah, this... isn't this using power to pressure others?"

It’s not that she thinks she can’t use her power. After all, she is also the one holding the imperial edict. It’s just that—

"Don't the people naturally sympathize with the weak? They say a powerful dragon can't overpower a local snake. If they spread rumors, even if we spread rumors against them, the local people will definitely still believe their own people more, right?"

Gu Shuyao nodded. "That's a problem, but they definitely wouldn't dare to use this method to do business again. You have to know what era this is."

Seeing Miao Wan thoughtful, Gu Shuyao continued, "Even if you use your method, there are better ways. Aren't they making roast duck? Why don't you just pick a few merchants, re-sign the contract, and give them the recipe for free. Just ask them for a 10% profit, and let them lower their prices to compete with the other party. Everyone can make money, and it won't be easy to squeeze out those who took the recipe, right?"

At least you don’t have to put any money into it.

Miao Wan suddenly realized that she had learned something. She could not think that all businessmen who pursued profit were bad people. She was also a businessman and had to learn to use the opponent's strength to her advantage.

"Besides, that loom can weave lint-free cloth. They're going to sell it to the Northwest, right? You could have someone take the blueprints to a local carpenter. As long as they sign a contract with the cloth as collateral, they can get the loom. That way, when you receive a lot of cloth, everyone in the Northwest will be able to buy it, and you won't have to lose business because someone else has taken over your recipe.

By then, there will be more cloth in Jiangnan and the price will drop. They will be stuck with the goods, and whether they sell them at a low price or resell them to places farther away, they will lose money. The ones who will benefit are the people who can buy the cloth at a low price."

Miao Wan's eyes were dull. She had learned so much, but her learning was a bit useless. How big would this stall have to be? She, she was worried about not having enough manpower.

"When driven by interests, loyalty is sometimes not necessary. You just need to make them remember the bottom line, focus on the big things and let go of the small things. There are many things you can do." Gu Shuyao slowly told Miao Wan some of the thick black arts of life. It was not because she wanted to teach a good child bad things, but because of Miao Wan's goal.

"Don't you want to be the richest woman in the northwest? In fact, it's not difficult to become the richest woman in Dayue."

Miao Wan sat up straight abruptly, looking at Gu Shuyao with burning eyes, "You're right, I shouldn't be lazy. I must be more diligent in the future..."

Gu Shuyao thought that being smart had nothing to do with being diligent, but being willing to learn was not a bad thing either. She just waited for Miao Wan to finish speaking, nodded, and praised Miao Wan a few words.

"I'll ask you more diligently!" Miao Wan chuckled and looked at Gu Shuyao. "I think the reason you've held your comrades back is probably because your talent lies in your brain. No matter how rich a woman is, there's always a man and a female intelligent brain standing behind her!"

She originally wanted to talk about women, but Qiao Ruichen came in while she was sleeping, so her husband couldn't be missed, especially a particularly jealous husband.

Gu Shuyao: “…”

Seeing Qiao Ruichen come in, Gu Shuyao stood up and said, "Please pack up first. I have drawn the pattern of the military uniform. We will discuss it later and start making it. The corresponding change of style will definitely be popular among ordinary people. It is suitable for the event during the Dragon Raising Festival."

Qiao Ruichen glanced at his wife sadly. Fortunately, Miao Wan changed her tone quickly and didn't give him the chance to get jealous. Besides, Miao Wan's fever had not completely subsided yet, so Qiao Ruichen didn't want to bother his wife.

The two of them packed up briefly and went to the study together. Cheng Shao was pointing at the blueprints.

"I think we can add two more pockets on the side of the waist. I can carry some dry food and prey, and hang some ropes."

Gu Shuyao rolled her eyes at him and said, "If you insist on becoming the Nine-Pocket Elder, just sew a few pockets for yourself and don't make trouble."

Cheng Shao kissed her secretly, actually he heard what Qiao Ruichen and his wife were doing and wanted to show off.

We can’t just eat Qiao Zicheng’s dog food, the couple are also in love...

"Bang!"

Miao Wan was startled when Cheng Shao rolled down from the couch.

Cheng Shao stood up calmly, brushed off the non-existent dirt, and grinned, "Beating is love, scolding is care. I was reckless, please forgive me, please forgive me!"

Qiao Ruichen: “…”

Miao Wan silently glanced at Gu Shuyao, who was holding up her forehead and didn't want to show her face, and felt that this general who was obsessed with begging was a bit masochistic.

Gu Shuyao didn't want to know what Miao Wan was thinking, so she pushed the drawing over and said, "Take a look at the clothes. I think the current styles are a bit monotonous, and it's a waste of down and camel hair."

"Ordinary people's clothes should be practical. Sleeves should be longer, trouser legs should be wider, down jackets should only reach the knees, and if they have boots later, they can wear short boots."

"Military clothing should be designed for ease of movement, with narrow sleeves and legs, and long boots paired with a knee-length camel-hair coat. You can also use long boots to increase warmth."

"The common feature of both is the addition of pockets to the clothes. The areas covered by the double clothes can have pockets on the thighs, the sides of the buttocks, and the sides of the chest. The coat should have two pockets and a hook on the right side for hanging a knife."

"Civilians' pockets are all rectangular, while military uniform pockets are wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The top pocket is more convenient for storing baggage, while the bottom pocket is more convenient for storing daggers and other weapons."

Miao Wan nodded as she watched, but she had only one question: "What material are you going to use for the zipper?"

She didn't see any zipper design.

Gu Shuyao pulled out a piece of paper and gave her a strange look. "Can a living person be killed by holding their urine? There aren't even enough soles for shoes these days, so why would you need a zipper? I already have underwear and long johns, so buttons will do."

Miao Wan: "..." Are the buttons windproof? I always feel that it sounds a bit cool.

She is still stubborn and finds fault, otherwise she would feel like a waste.

"So what color are you going to make it? Green is unnecessary, right? Dyes are expensive for any green. I think navy blue would be great."

Gu Shuyao's lips twitched. "Navy is sky blue, thank you. Military green is to adapt well to various combat environments. If we are in the snow, the navy blue will be as obvious as a black spot."

Miao Wan was unconvinced, "Wouldn't white be more appropriate?"

"Good idea. Not being able to see your comrades is also a good way to hide, not to mention other environments." Gu Shuyao affirmed coolly.

Miao Koushi puffed out his cheeks and said, "But there are 150,000 people. I really can't afford this kind of money..."

The man looked at the two people debating from left to right and silently memorized the word navy, especially Qiao Ruichen. There was no sea in either Jiangnan or Beijing.

Gu Shuyao also noticed Qiao Ruichen's gaze, but she just looked calmly at the young lady who was busy arguing with her about saving money, then lowered her eyes and lowered her head.

The rich are the boss, no matter how big a boss he is, he has to be submissive when he needs to be submissive.

"Then why not make it... earthy green?"

Miao Wan was stunned for a moment, "Earth... and green?" How earthy would that be?

Gu Shuyao thought about the color carefully and was a little unsure. "It's probably something like brown, like the color of Ah Shen's early military uniforms."

Miao Wan couldn't remember what color Bai Xiong and the others were, but she understood. "Brown is easy to deal with. Like navy blue, it's a dirt-resistant color and is cheap. I think it's reliable."

In this way, the takeout is mainly navy blue and ochre, and the interior is brown, which is convenient for sorting.

After deciding on the style of the clothes, Gu Shuyao also raised the question that Cheng Shao had raised before he was kicked.

"Can you make instant noodles and compressed biscuits?"

Miao Wan thought for a moment and whispered, "You can try instant noodles, but I haven't seen compressed biscuits... ahem, I've seen them in a dream."

The problem is that the live streaming app won’t teach people how to make compressed biscuits. Even if it did, she doesn’t like it and won’t click to watch it.

Gu Shuyao didn't know how to make it either, but she had eaten it. This thing should be made with wheat flour, sugar, oil and dairy products, but it is baked like bread, then ground into powder and compressed into brick-like blocks using a mold.

At most, the procedure will change, and “I can give it a try.”

Miao Wan didn't even want to talk about how capable Gu Shuyao was. She felt a little sorry for traveling through time. She asked sourly, "Then just try it. The garrison has everything you need."

Gu Shuyao coughed lightly and said, "We need a cook."

Qiao Ruichen couldn't help laughing, and Cheng Shao asked him, "What are you laughing at?"

Miao Wan snorted, "Your wife is just like me, she's the best with her mouth. In the kitchen, she's the best at pointing fingers."

Gu Shuyao and Cheng Shao: "..." Although, you are still quite proud?

Things have to be done one by one. Gu Shuyao currently focuses most of her energy on the research and development of Eucommia ulmoides gum, while Miao Wan has to prepare the goods for the activities when the Dragon Raises its Head, otherwise Xining Town and the county town will definitely be bitten off by someone.

Nowadays, there are more than just supermarkets in the county town. Those who used to buy groceries have taken inspiration from Jufu Supermarket and also set up supermarkets. Some even did it on their own and gave away some needles and thread for free if you buy a certain amount. These are very popular among the people.

For goods that cost hundreds of coins or even one or two taels of silver, even if there are buy-one-get-several-free promotions, the common people don't have that much money.

Even if they have some, it is the result of hard work. Few people are willing to spend it all at once. They would rather spend a few cents to get a few cents cheaper.

Therefore, ordinary people will not come again after attending one or two events, and most of the time, the wealthy will buy more.

If the clothes and instant noodles are produced this time, the cost will not be high, and food and clothing are hard currency. There will definitely be many people willing to spend money at that time.

There must be mid-range, high-end and low-end goods. In fact, there is no need for Miao Wan to do the low-end part, as it is just a loss-making business.

If she only does mid- to high-end business, she can make more money. At least it won't take too long for her to become the richest person in Xiping County.

But Miao Wan never just wanted to make money. Making money was a pleasure for her. If she wanted to be the richest person, wouldn't she be able to get rich faster by going to Beijing or Jiangnan?

On the basis of not being short of money, what she wants to do more is to revitalize the market, and after the economic circulation, reduce the unit price so that people in the northwest can afford it.

Gu Shuyao had similar ideas to Miao Wan. She was not just trying to make money; the people were a side benefit. The most important thing was that she wanted to reduce costs so that all the soldiers could be better armed.

Different paths lead to the same destination. No matter what, the two people's ultimate goal is actually the same, so the two fellow villagers have been very close since they first met, without any testing or caution.

This depends on Gu Shuyao's complete confession... and Miao Wan's limited and rough thinking.

Before going to bed at night, Miao Wan was still calculating how much goods to stock in Longtoutai Commercial Street and supermarkets.

The drawings drawn by Gu Shuyao were particularly clear. She had spent a long time in the garment factory doing research. Based on the characteristics of different fabrics and different thermal insulation materials, she also improved the efficiency of the spinning wheel, and the cost was reduced again.

Therefore, the amount of goods added to the warehouse every day is very substantial, and even cotton is a little insufficient. Adun has already taken people to Xiping County and Anyong County to collect it.

I will probably have to go further inland next year and definitely make contact with Linhua County.

Ordinary clothes are made of cloth spun from three strands of cotton thread and filled with cotton. A set of cotton jacket and cotton trousers only costs three taels of silver.

You have to know that at that time, buying a piece of cloth that could make a set of clothes in a cloth store would cost at least eight thousand silver coins.

Firstly, most of these cloths come from the interior, and the transportation cost will be higher. Secondly, the cloth needs to be cut, which will produce waste cloth. Thirdly, the shop also has to support the shopkeepers, accountants, etc., and pay taxes, so the cost will definitely not be low.

But Miao Wan didn't have to worry about these things. Cotton? The cotton was exchanged from Anyong County. Because of the VIP card, it was equivalent to exchanging goods, and the price was all at cost.

Fabric? Xining Town is completely self-sufficient.

The waste generated on the tailoring assembly line is precisely calculated and can be used on sleeves, pockets, and even gloves and hats, with a very low waste rate.

In comparison, three taels of silver already includes labor costs.

As for mid-range clothes, they are made of cloth spun from six-strand cotton yarn. This kind of cloth can actually barely prevent down from seeping in, so it can be filled with a mixture of cotton and down. A set of cotton-padded jacket and cotton pants costs about six coins of silver.

The most expensive clothes were those sold to the rich and powerful. They were made of nine-strand cotton thread, and both the inner and outer layers of cloth were double-layered and filled with down. A set of cotton clothes cost one tael and five cents of silver.

There are also custom-made clothes, such as camel-hair double-breasted cloaks with pre-made patterns. There are only samples, no stock available. They can be customized according to requirements, with a starting price of ten taels of silver and a maximum of one hundred and fifty taels of silver.

This... well, there is no cost. The 1,500 camels and horses are waiting for the weather to warm up before they can be sheared. What is being sold is the design. Gu Shuyao and Miao Wan have countless beautiful designs in their minds that do not require copyright fees. These are used to make money to support the Northern Army.

The season between winter and spring is the most profitable time, no matter what era it is, especially for the rich. Miao Shiren feels that his pockets will be fatter this time.

She lay on the kang and laughed non-stop. When Qiao Ruichen hugged her, her dimples were so deep that people wanted to bite them.

"Are you so happy to see Madam Cheng?"

Hearing her husband's sudden question, Miao Wan had already responded reflexively, smacking her lips, "I'm happy to make money. Only by making money can I let my husband, Taotao, and the baby live a good life."

After a pause, she chuckled again, "Not pregnant yet, not pregnant yet, probably soon. And as for my parents, I don't know how they are doing. They didn't even send any news during the New Year."

Qiao Ruichen thought to himself, if I didn't plant the seed, it would be a miracle if you really got pregnant.

As for the lack of letters from his parents, Qiao Ruichen knew why. "It's about the Empress Dowager. The capital is in turmoil. Otherwise, the Cheng family wouldn't have let Cheng Shao and the others leave so quickly to avoid the turmoil. Plus, the heavy snow made it difficult to deliver the letter. If someone got it, they might make a fuss."

Cheng Shao and Gu Shuyao said they were running away from home. Without the tacit consent of the Cheng and Gu families, it would not have been so easy for them to leave. They were probably afraid that the position of General Dingbei would be taken away by others, especially the Regent's lineage.

As for Qiao Shengwen and his wife who returned to Beijing, they had to protect the Ruan family and deal with various matters in Beijing. It would be better to send someone to bring a verbal message instead of sending a letter back.

Cheng Shao brought a message from Qiao Shengwen, saying that they had settled down in Beijing and were living a safe life with the money given by Miao Wan.

Miao Wan also knew that she just missed her mother-in-law a little. Her mother-in-law was much more like a mother to her than Sister Chenxi, and she was younger than her grandmother and took care of her more.

"I don't know when they will be able to finish their work and come back. It's too lonely for us to live in such a big house alone." Miao Wan leaned in Qiao Ruichen's arms and snuggled in him, her intention to have another child being very clear.

Qiao Ruichen was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Whatever his wife wanted to do was what he wanted too. How could he resist?

However, Miao Wan's illness had not yet healed, and he was afraid that if he sweated, his wife's condition would relapse. So he didn't dare to move at this moment, and could only endure the hardship, but he couldn't bear to disappoint his wife.

Perhaps to divert his attention, or perhaps because he had been holding it in for too long, Qiao Ruichen gently kissed Miao Wan's most sensitive areas behind her ears and on her slender neck, and asked in a whisper, "Have you ever seen the sea, Awan?"

"I have seen it." Miao Wan closed her eyes, hugged his neck and hummed, her whole body as soft as water.

Qiao Ruichen continued to work hard, gently rubbing and picking, his voice seemed to be tempting, "Where have you seen this before?"

Miao Wan's mind was about to explode. Her voice was soft, almost crying, "Guangzhou. I've also been to Sanya. The sea water, the sea water... well, it's green."

Qiao Ruichen paused for a moment, hugged the delicate girl tightly in his arms, and gave her a good time.

"Will you go back to see the sea?"

Stars flashed in Miao Wan's mind, and the corners of her eyes were already red because of the unbearable pain. She cried and stood on tiptoe to hug Qiao Ruichen tightly, trembling badly.

"Where are you going back to?"

Qiao Ruichen was a little afraid to ask, but he couldn't help it and kissed her lips, "Go back to where there is the sea."

Miao Wan slowly recovered and realized what she had said. She glared at Qiao Ruichen with her big, watery eyes, "You're trying to trick me!"

Qiao Ruichen was a little nervous, "I'm... scared, scared that you'll leave."

"Where are you going? That's not my home." Miao Wan didn't know how to explain herself, so she could only act tough on the outside, trying to look fierce with her charming eyes. "Home is where you and Taotao are. I won't go anywhere else except home. I'm a homebody!"

Qiao Ruichen looked at her steadily.

Miao Wan covered his eyes, "What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll eat you up! I only saw it in my dream, you can't even dream about it?"

"Well, I was wrong." Qiao Ruichen grabbed her hand, took a deep breath, and leaned over again, kissing her from the forehead to the chin. Every kiss was full of piety. "As long as you let Taotao and I follow you, I will accompany you anywhere."

As for whether it was a dream or not, and whether she was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jingyang, it really didn't matter at all. He knew who he wanted.

When Miao Wan recovered from her illness and ran to Gu Shuyao to check on the Eucommia ulmoides gum, she puffed out her cheeks and settled the score with Gu Shuyao while no one else was around.

"You framed me and deliberately let me be exposed!"

Gu Shuyao didn't even look at her, she just poured glue into the finished mold, "Husband and wife must be honest with each other. There are no stupid people in the Qiao family. They don't ask because they care about you. If you keep silent, sooner or later there will be problems."

Miao Wan rolled her eyes. This meant that Gu Shuyao, a straight woman, felt that her man could not accept it. At worst, she would just run away and try again in a different way.

She couldn't lift anything, and if she was burned to death as a monster, she would definitely turn into ashes.

"What could be the problem? They've known for a long time that I was inspired by my ancestors in dreams, which is why I have so many abilities. It's not me who's awesome, it's my ancestors who are awesome, and you just had to let me reveal my flaws." Miao Wan snorted and kept muttering, "Before, I could say that the things I couldn't do well were because my ancestors didn't teach me well, but now, my husband must know that I'm a loser."

Gu Shuyao couldn't help but look back at Miao Wan and was speechless for a long time.

Let’s not even talk about whether your ancestors would be furious to death if they knew how filial you were. Just look at the many flaws you inadvertently revealed. Did you still think that others didn’t know that you were a good talker?

May I ask what gave you the illusion that you have no idea about AC?

The author has something to say:

It was not that Gu Shuyao deliberately framed her daughter. She felt that her daughter had revealed too many flaws without realizing it, and she was afraid that the couple would run into problems because they were not honest enough, so she deliberately helped to resolve this hidden danger.

By the way, Qiao Bailao has been refusing to sow seeds again, and this fear is also the reason.

So…baby is coming.