Chapter 89 The 89th Inn: Fu Wang's Thoughts

Yunyin exclaimed "Huh?", "Aren't you staying in Mianzhou? You don't own any property in Long'an County, so why are you staying here?"

Fu Wang stammered for a long time, and seeing that Yun Yin was still looking at him, he touched his face and said, "I am planning to buy property in Long'an County. Are you really not going to take me in?"

He looked at Yunyin pitifully, hoping she would understand his meaning. Unfortunately, Yunyin was Yunyin after all, and she didn't misunderstand at all. She just nodded and said, "Indeed, it's more affordable to buy property in Long'an County than in Mianzhou. I can understand if you want to buy property here."

She smiled and said, "Alright, you can stay as long as you want. I'll even give you a meal, since we're friends." She asked curiously, "Where do you want to buy property? Do you need anyone's help?"

Thinking that he knew far more people than she did, Yunyin waved her hand and said, "Never mind, you definitely know more than I do, you can definitely handle it. Once you've finished getting things done, you have to treat me to a meal."

Fu Wang listened to her rambling on and on, but couldn't grasp the meaning behind her words at all. He wiped his face, sighed deeply, and felt that there was still a long way to go. He hummed in agreement, "I will, don't worry, I will definitely ask you for help when the time comes."

"The house will definitely be one you like. If you get tired of living here, you can come and stay at my place."

Yunyin nodded and said, "Okay, I'll look forward to it."

After finishing these chores, thinking of the children who would be coming soon, Yunyin said to Fu Wang, "I'm going to the cellar to get something. Could you help me carry the big vat on the cellar floor?"

"What are you going to the cellar to get?"

Yunyin took a basket and walked towards the cellar. "I'm going to get some hawthorns and oranges. Kids definitely like sweet things. I'll make some candied hawthorns for them to try. Maybe eating something sweet will make them forget all their unhappy things."

Fu Wang helped her move the large vat and went down into the cellar with her. "You're so thoughtful. They're lucky to have you. They'll definitely thank you in the future."

Yunyin fumbled to light the lamp, and in the dim candlelight, her eyes shone brightly. "It's not for their gratitude. As long as they can live well, I've done a good deed."

The cellar was filled with various bottles, jars, and bamboo baskets. In addition to stored radishes and cabbages, there were also many fruits and taro and other things suitable for storage.

Yunyin searched for a while before finding a basket of hawthorns in the corner. These were the last batch of hawthorns stored before the heavy snow. The cellar temperature was low, so they were still very fresh. As for the oranges, they were even more so; you couldn't tell at all that they were stored fruit.

She selected some hawthorns and oranges, and also took some taro and chestnuts. As she walked upstairs, she said to Fu Wang, "Bury the taro and chestnuts in the ashes of the fire, and they'll be ready to eat in a little while. You can give them to them to fill their stomachs, and they can eat dinner later."

"I think you just want roasted taro and chestnuts. If you want them, just make them. Why use a child as an excuse?"

Yunyin coughed lightly twice and said apologetically, "Brother Cheng reminded me before that I should eat less to avoid bloating, but the roasted taro and chestnuts are really delicious. I want to eat more after I eat them, and I just can't resist."

Fu Wang shook his head: "You not only have to practice martial arts on weekdays, but also have a lot of other things to do. This little bit is nothing. You can eat just a little at a time, and eat it in portions. Then he won't say anything to you." He smiled and said, "Brother Cheng has been very health-conscious lately, so he probably muttered a few words. Just listen to him and forget about it."

Yunyin shrugged and said, "I'm tired of him nagging me. Do you want some taro? I'll bake you a few too."

Fu Wang nodded and said, "Okay, you can grill it."

Yunyin threw a few taro and chestnuts into the stove, then took the other fruits back to the kitchen to make candied hawthorns. Fu Wang remembered something and asked Yunyin, "I remember you built an ice cellar, when do you plan to store ice?"

Yunyin paused slightly as she washed the fruit. "Let's wait until after this snow disaster."

Although she did want to store more ice, the snow disaster was severe and it was not convenient to go out, so she could wait a while before buying ice. However, she could store some herself, which could be used with clean water and used to make desserts next year.

Thinking of this, Yunyin said, "We can freeze some ice ourselves. I'll boil more water later and freeze it for next year."

Fu Wang: "Then let me help you. We've stored ice ourselves before, so we're quite familiar with it. Actually, if you have a lot of people, you can go to the river to get the ice yourself. That's what the ice sellers do too."

Yunyin shook her head: "I don't have that many people to do this. Although buying ice is not cheap, it's not too expensive in winter. It's just that ordinary families don't have a place to store ice, so ice is expensive in summer."

"This year we've been hit by another snow disaster, and I'm sure many people will try to make a profit from it. I won't compete with them for that."

Fu Wang shook his head and said, "Instead of letting other merchants make this money, the ice harvesters may not even get much reward. Why don't you hire ice harvesters yourself and pay them? With your personality, I'm sure you won't let them lose money."

As Yunyin listened to his ideas, she felt that he was right. If the ice harvesters could make money directly, why let the ice sellers make money?

She looked at Fu Wang expectantly, "Are you saying you know someone? Not everyone can do ice harvesting."

Fu Wang nodded and said, "Generally, ice harvesting is mostly the responsibility of the government, and ice harvesters are mostly corvée laborers issued by the government. However, Long'an County probably won't issue any corvée laborers this year, and the craftsmen are all idle. They will most likely be hired by wealthy households to help with ice harvesting. I can help you contact someone I know. As for ice harvesters, you can find villagers nearby."

"If you offer a higher price, they will probably be very willing to help you harvest ice."

Yunyin nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble you."

After she finished speaking, she let the washed hawthorns dry, and then peeled the oranges, leaving the orange peels to dry in the sun. The dried orange peels are called chenpi (dried tangerine peel), which is a good ingredient for cooking. Of course, it can also be used to make tea. In any case, every part of an orange is valuable.

Yunyin said to Fu Wang, "I'm going to make sugar now, do you want to go out first?"

Fu Wang: "Can't I stay here with you?" He paused for a moment and then said, "Is there some secret recipe for these candied hawthorns? If so, then I'll leave."

Yunyin shook her head and said, "No, I'll just focus on my work for a while and won't pay attention to you. Wouldn't it be better if you went out to chat with Brother Cheng?"

"No, I'm happy to watch you make things. You do your thing, I won't bother you."

Seeing that he was indeed not bored, Yunyin stopped talking to him and focused on making candied hawthorns. She had made them many times before, and this time she coated them with sugar very well, with the sugar coating being even and perfect.

Fu Wang stood up and said, "I'll go get the scarecrow from before for you."

Yunyin waved him off. After finishing the orange candied hawthorns, she started making hawthorn ones, stuffing red bean paste inside and coating them with sugar.

Just as she finished making her candied hawthorns, Ma Hao returned with his men. As soon as Yunyin came out, she saw several little girls dressed in tattered clothes with thin faces, even more pitiful than Zheng Guilan and her daughter back then.

Seeing that there were two more people than previously thought, Yunyin asked Ma Hao, "What's going on? Weren't there only five people?"

Ma Hao scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I didn't know that anyone would recognize me and know that you were the one buying people. They thought it would be better for them to follow you and begged me to buy them. I saw that they were also in trouble, and if I could have this money, maybe they could get through this winter, so I bought them."

“Miss Yun, did I do something wrong? I just think they are really good to be with you.”

Yunyin shook her head and said, "It's alright. Since we're here, let's all stay together. It doesn't make much difference if there are one or two more or one or two less. I'm just worried about where all these people will stay. I'm afraid Zheng Guilan's room won't be enough."

Fu Wang came out of the kitchen with the scarecrow and heard Yun Yin's words. He replied, "Clean up my room. I'll squeeze in with Cheng Yong. He'll be going back soon, so it won't be long."

After thinking for a moment, Yunyin said, "Okay, let's do it this way then."

She took the candied hawthorn skewers, walked over to the group of shivering children, pulled out one and handed it to them, saying, "Now that you're here, settle down and stay. From now on, you'll be with me."

The eldest little girl looked at Yunyin, and at Zheng Guilan's prompting, knelt down and said, "Thank you, Madam."

Yunyin quickly picked up the group of kids, stuffed the candied hawthorns into their hands, and patted the dust off their legs. "You don't need to kneel before me. You can eat first. There will be more when you're done. You can ask Madam Zheng for more. You can ask her if you don't understand anything."

She handed the scarecrows to Zheng Guilan, saying, "Watch over them, don't let them be scared. Let them rest for a couple of days, then have them wipe the table. Later, let them learn martial arts from me too."

Zheng Guilan asked in surprise, "Does Lady Yun want to take them as her disciples?"

Yunyin shook her head and said, "I don't take on disciples, I just teach them some martial arts. After learning martial arts, they can protect themselves, and perhaps they can go out to work as escorts in the future. It's always good to learn more."

She still remembered the promise she made to her father. She was grateful for the martial arts he taught her; it was because of these skills that she wasn't afraid, even when she was alone in this unfamiliar dynasty. Although the dynasty had changed, she still had to keep her promise. Since she had decided to pass on the martial arts and revitalize the martial arts school, she would naturally start doing so now.

She had already seen these girls. Although they were thin, they were all quite capable. If they studied hard, they would definitely achieve something. When they grew up, she could open a martial arts school, and these children would have a place to go. It would be a win-win situation.

Zheng Guilan agreed, "That's true. I see that Ahe's health is getting better and better, and she rarely gets sick. It would be good for them to learn martial arts; at least they won't be bullied in the future."

The arrival of these children did not cause any problems. After the snow stopped and the official road was clear, people gradually started coming to Yunyin to eat. The little girls were all very enthusiastic, very attentive to the guests, and very efficient. The oldest was only twelve years old and the youngest was no more than eight. They were all very capable.

Yunyin was also hesitant to let them rest, fearing they would feel uncomfortable. Because of this, the children gradually relaxed and dared to eat without worry, no longer concerned about being kicked out if they ate too much.

Perhaps Fang He also played a role in this. She led the group of children, big and small, to help pick and wash vegetables, wipe and tidy up the tables, and gradually became integrated into the inn.

However, Fang He, who was only eight years old, was very sensible. She did not think that the arrival of these people would steal her master's attention. On the contrary, she felt sorry for these girls and hoped that they could get better and better.

Looking at these harmonious and loving children, Yunyin felt a surge of affection more than once. She would often make them some snacks, hoping that they would grow up to be chubby, fair-skinned, and adorable.

The long-lasting snowstorm finally stopped before the winter solstice, and the sun, which had been absent for a long time, has recently reappeared, bringing a touch of warmth to this cold winter.

Yunyin is also preparing gifts for the winter solstice. The winter solstice is a very important festival in Dazhao, no less important than the New Year. Both the government and the people attach great importance to this festival. Even the people of Long'an County, who have just suffered from disaster, have come out of their grief and started to celebrate the winter solstice.

Early in the morning, Aunt Qian brought over a jar of pickled cabbage. Seeing Yunyin busy at work, she greeted her, "Miss Yun, you're busy, right? I've come to wish you a Happy Winter Solstice. I remember you really like our pickled cabbage, so I brought you some this time. We don't have anything fancy, so I hope you don't mind."

Just as Yunyin was about to express her gratitude, she saw Sister Qian lift another basket, revealing it full of glutinous rice and eggs. "This is glutinous rice and eggs that every household in our village has collected. We've put together this basket for you as a way of expressing our gratitude to you, madam."

"Thanks to the cotton my wife gave us this year, we managed to get through the snow disaster by squeezing together at night. I heard that many people died in Dazhu Village because of the snow disaster. If it were any other year, with such heavy snow, several people in our village would probably freeze to death. We were lucky this year to meet such a kind-hearted person as my wife, who saved our lives."

Looking at the pile of eggs and glutinous rice on the ground, Yunyin felt a mix of emotions. The reason she had exchanged cotton for Linjiang Village was to improve her relationship with them. After all, she was an outsider who had settled in their village. If she could use a little cotton to build good relations with them, she could better integrate into the village in the future. Even if it didn't bring any benefits, at least she wouldn't be isolated and helpless.

Unexpectedly, the villagers of Linjiang Village gathered a basket of gifts to thank her, leaving her speechless.

She stood there stunned for a moment, but Fu Wang stepped forward to take the things and said to Sister Qian, "Sister-in-law, come in and have a glass of water. Ayin made some things, please take them back and let the villagers try them."

Yunyin snapped out of her daze and invited Sister Qian to sit down. She then asked Zheng Guilan to bring over a bowl of sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine. "Sister-in-law, have a bowl of soup first. I made some rice balls. I was thinking of having Zhang Lin and the others deliver them later, but I didn't expect you to come. We'll have them take you back later and deliver these rice balls to everyone."

Qian Xing waved her hand and said, "There's no need for you to spend money. Winter greetings don't need to be so grand. It's enough for everyone to give a small gift as a courtesy. We country folk don't have the same formalities as city people."

Seeing that Yunyin disagreed, Sister Qian sighed. Seeing that no one else was around, she whispered, "Miss Yun, it's only because you're kind that I'm telling you this. There's really no need to be so generous when dealing with the villagers. I know that glutinous rice balls aren't anything special to you, but your money isn't easy to earn. You're busy from morning till night every day, without a moment's rest, so there's really no need to give such a gift."

"Moreover, the saying 'a little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment' does hold true. I can't guarantee that everyone in our village will remember kindness. Of course, I'm not telling you not to give gifts. It's your way of showing your appreciation. If you really feel bad about it, you can cook some red bean porridge and give it to everyone. That's your way of showing your appreciation too."

After listening to Sister Qian's words, Yunyin nodded and said, "I understand, Sister-in-law. You're only saying this because you care about me. Please wait a moment while I go check on the red bean porridge. I'll have Zhang Lin take you home in a bit."

She went back to the kitchen, looked at the red bean porridge boiling on the stove, and sighed deeply.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed."

Yunyin was startled by the sudden sound. She turned around and saw Fu Wang, then turned back to continue staring at the porridge in the pot. "Perhaps I'm still not good at handling these things. I never thought about it before. I just did it because I felt I could do it. Maybe I didn't think about it enough."

She had too little experience. Even though her father was gone, she had never suffered financial hardship. Her father's disciples were in charge of the martial arts school. When she joined the film crew, her father was still alive, and everything was handled by him. She hadn't had much exposure to these things. After all, she was still a student and hadn't yet entered society. Because of her martial arts studies, she didn't have many friends, and she was completely ignorant about interpersonal relationships.

This was her first time learning to do business and dealing with all sorts of people since coming to Dazhao. Fortunately, she was good at cooking and the people she met were all kind. So far, she hadn't encountered any problems, so she never felt there was anything wrong with it. Whether it was teaching them how to make rice noodle rolls before or giving them glutinous rice balls this time, she just felt that she didn't lack these things and wanted to get along well with the villagers, so she did it.

Seeing that Yunyin was a little down, Fu Wang patted her shoulder and said, "Do whatever you want. I'm here for you. Even if you have a grudge, it doesn't matter. I can help you solve it. Just do as you please and don't feel embarrassed. But if you want to learn, I can teach you. I travel around all year round and have seen all kinds of people. These are all minor matters for you. Don't worry about them."

“Whether you’re showing compassion to others or giving things to the villagers, I support you. It’s not a big deal. You still have me and so many of us. You can do whatever you want.”

Upon hearing Fu Wang's words, Yun Yin's eyes regained their sparkle. She smiled and said, "Are you really willing to teach me? You won't find me annoying, will you? There's so much I don't understand about these social niceties."

Fu Wang stepped forward, looked into her eyes, and said solemnly, "Of course, whatever you want to learn, I'm willing to teach you as long as I know it. You can rely on me with peace of mind, Ayin, you can trust me."

Yunyin was burned by the intense emotions in his eyes. She belatedly realized something, and looking at his earnest face, she hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Fu Wang, are you...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Fu Wang nodded and said, "Yes, Ayin, I admire you. Unconsciously, my feelings for you have grown deeper and deeper. On the journey to the Western Regions, I often think of you. I think of you when I eat the silver thread candy you gave me, and I also think of you when I eat other people's cooking. When I can't sleep at night and get up to look at the stars, I also think of the stars we looked at together."

"Without realizing it, you're all I can think about. I'm happy when you're happy, and I'm heartbroken when you're sad." Fu Wang paused for a moment, looking firmly at Yun Yin, "I wonder if I have the honor of spending my life with you."

Upon hearing this confession, Yunyin was at a loss for words. She stammered for a long time without being able to utter a single sentence. She liked Fu Wang, but she was unsure whether her feelings were romantic.

Seeing Yunyin's cheeks slowly flush red, Fu Wang smiled and said, "You don't need to feel that this is a burden to you. It's a good thing that someone admires you. If you've thought it through, you can give me an answer. I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes."

Yunyin stared intently into Fu Wang's eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I don't know. I can't give you an answer right now. Can you let me think about it?"

Fu Wang nodded and said, "Take your time to think about it. I'll go get you some porridge. Oh, and didn't you also want to cook some glutinous rice balls? I'll have Feng Hai cook them for you."

Yunyin snapped out of her daze and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "What do we need Feng Hai for? I can cook it myself."

“I’ve already thought it through. I’ll cook them a serving of glutinous rice balls and a serving of red bean porridge. They gave me precious eggs and glutinous rice, so I’m just giving them some food in return. It’s not a big favor. But what Sister Qian said makes sense. I’ll pay more attention to it in the future and try to get along with them. At least I won’t let it turn into an enmity.”

Fu Wang laughed and said, "That's right. You've always been like this. Just do it. I'll help you if anything happens. You still have us. Everyone will help you. You're not alone anymore."

Yunyin nodded firmly, and she let out a long breath and said, "Then I'll go cook the glutinous rice balls. You can ask Feng Hai to serve the porridge."

Fu Wang: "This is not a difficult thing, I can do it. I want to spend more time with you."

Yunyin watched the person happily going to serve the porridge, ignoring her own turbulent emotions caused by his outburst. It took her a while to calm herself down before she took out the glutinous rice balls she had prepared over the past two days and went to another stove to start cooking them.

The two stood side by side, looking exceptionally harmonious.

The glutinous rice balls cook very quickly; these were made by Yunyin and the group of children over the past two days.

She hadn't originally planned to make too many glutinous rice balls, but when the children saw that they weren't doing any work, they all became restless. Even though Zheng Guilan and Fang He tried their best to persuade them, they still couldn't calm them down.

Yunyin thought that since the weather was cold now, things like glutinous rice balls and dumplings could be stored, and the winter solstice was coming soon, which are things that are eaten during the winter solstice. So she led the children to make glutinous rice balls.

This time, the glutinous rice balls she made were filled. She made sesame filling first, but since fresh meat filling tastes better, she didn't make it yet and planned to make it the day before the winter solstice.

The cooked glutinous rice balls are round and plump, floating in the soup, rising and falling, which makes people feel happy.

Looking at the steaming hot glutinous rice balls, with their rich and fragrant sesame filling that wasn't too sweet, Yunyin called to Fu Wang, "Would you like to try a bowl?"

Fu Wang glanced back, walked over, and said, "I'll try one." He took another spoon, scooped one out of Yun Yin's bowl, and tasted it. After finishing, he nodded and said, "It's very sweet, sweeter than any other dessert I've ever had. I really like it."

Yunyin asked in surprise, "Is it very sweet? I only added a little sweetness, so it shouldn't be too sweet." She ate another one, "It's not very sweet, just slightly sweet."

Fu Wang's eyebrows danced, and he smiled. "Because it was cooked by you, it's so sweet it warms my heart. I like whatever you make, and of course, I also liked the silver thread candy you made for me before."

Yunyin snorted and muttered, "How come I never realized you were this kind of person before? You just keep spouting nice things without a second thought."

Fu Wang raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you muttering about?"

Yunyin waved her hand and said, "It's nothing. I'll pack up this bucket of glutinous rice balls. Sister Qian must have been waiting for a long time."

Yunyin and Fu Wang came out of the kitchen with two buckets of food. At this moment, Sister Qian was talking to Zheng Guilan, Zhang Lin was chuckling beside them, and Zheng Guilan was listening with her head down and her face flushed.

"What are you talking about?" Yunyin looked at Sister Qian. "These two buckets are for the villagers. There aren't many. Each family gets a big bowl of red bean porridge and a few glutinous rice balls. It's just for everyone to try. I asked Zhang Lin to take Sister Qian back and give these foods to the villagers as well."

Seeing that there wasn't much stuff, Sister Qian finally felt relieved. She nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll head back first." She then turned to Zheng Guilan and said, "Once you've decided, you can come find me. I'll always be in the village."

After seeing the two off, Yunyin turned back to Zheng Guilan and asked, "What were you talking about with Sister Qian?"

Zheng Guilan blushed and whispered, "I agreed to Zhang Lin's request. Sister Qian said she could be our matchmaker, so we'll have to trouble her with these things."

Yunyin raised an eyebrow and asked, "You've agreed to marry him?"

Zheng Guilan nodded and said, "He is good to me and good to Ahe. I think he is a good person and it is good to be with him. Ahe does not dislike him."

Yunyin smiled and said, "Then congratulations! I'll give you a big red envelope later."

Zheng Guilan: "Thank you, Lady Yun."