Meng Yun'er was not surprised by his reaction. She simply dusted off her sleeves and sat down on the stool. "Didn't I tell you when I came? I want to do a business deal with you. If you marry me, I can help you."

"Marry you?" Feng Zicai frowned.

Xiao Hua is intolerant of any imperfections. Once he marries her, there will be no possibility for him and Xiao Hua to ever be together again.

Meng Yun'er curled her lips, "Don't worry, I don't even look at you anymore. Our marriage is just a show to appease these villagers."

"As long as you transfer my household registration to your Feng family, this sham marriage will be null and void when the princess leaves."

Such blatant disdain made Feng Zicai feel uncomfortable. How could Meng Yun'er, in her current state, still look down on him?

Feng Zicai was no fool. After suppressing his displeasure, he instantly understood her intention. "Pay back the two hundred taels I owe the gambling den first, and then I'll register your household registration."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yun'er chuckled and said, "Tomorrow at dawn, we'll go to the village chief's house together to settle the household registration matter, and I will give you the money."

After all, with this job posting, you can let me join, and you can also let me leave, right?

Feng Zicai paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, it's settled then."

The gambling den gave him less than two days to go, and Xiao Hua's misunderstanding of him was deepening, so it would be difficult to borrow money. He could only agree for now, since it wasn't a real marriage anyway.

Meng Yun'er clapped her hands and stood up, untied the pheasant tied to the stool leg, held it in her arms and weighed it a couple of times, "This pheasant looks plump, but after removing the skin and feathers, there should only be a little over a pound of meat left, barely enough for a treat."

As they were talking, the person had already reached the door and was about to open it to go out when, as if remembering something, said, "Just in case, after the wedding, please keep the Feng family's household registration documents with me."

Feng Zicai was taken aback by her swift movements. "I caught this pheasant with great difficulty, so put it down immediately! Also, why should my Feng family's household registration be kept with you?"

"Naturally, it's because I'm afraid you'll never find a wife in your life and end up relying on me." Meng Yun'er held the pheasant and smiled. "As for this pheasant, if you won't let me take it, do you intend to continue trying to please Su Hua?"

"You!!!" The man stomped his foot angrily as he stared at Meng Yun'er's retreating figure.

What do you mean he'll never find a wife in his life?! Once he pays off his gambling debts, he'll go to the capital with Princess Mingzhu, study at the capital's academy, and take the imperial examinations. How could he possibly not find a wife then?!

If one can cultivate a good relationship with the princess along the way, achieving great success will be within reach.

However, the person he was thinking about was vomiting incessantly, her delicate face as white as if it had been powdered.

Cai Die glared angrily at the elderly couple in front of her. "Putting aside how expensive a chicken costs two taels of silver, how come we found a handful of chicken feathers halfway through our perfectly good chicken hot pot? And what about the chicken soup? Don't you guys have salt for free?"

"Miss Butterfly, what are you saying? Salt has always been a precious commodity, how could it be free?"

As for chicken feathers, we raise more than twenty chickens at home all year round, and it's common for a few feathers to fall into the soup. I'm used to it." The old village chief squinted at the bottom of the pot for a while, then reached out and scooped out the chicken feathers.

"However, my chickens are very clean. They have no diseases and no droppings. Once they are taken out, they will be fine. Princess and Miss Caidie can eat them without worry."

Cai Die stared at his fingers stirring in the pot. "You're absolutely disgusting. You put your hands in the pot and expect us to eat it without worry?"

The old village chief looked helpless, glancing down at the chicken feathers in his palm, then at the half-eaten chicken hotpot. "How about I wash these chicken feathers again and put them back?"

Upon hearing this, Jun Qingcheng felt her stomach churning violently. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and vomited up the hot pot she had eaten that night, the porridge she had at noon, and even the meat pie she had eaten that morning.

"Princess! Princess, how are you?!" Cai Die hurriedly patted her back to help her catch her breath.

His gaze towards the two was like a knife. "Su Chengde, tell me the truth, did Su Hua specifically send you here to annoy us?"

Upon hearing this, the old village chief waved his hand, saying, "It's alright for Miss Caidie to lose her temper, but you can't wrong her like this. Princess Le'an would never do such shady things behind someone's back."

If you want to blame someone, blame us old folks for being blind and useless. But that's how we eat every day. Besides, chicken feathers aren't dirty. If we really wanted to disgust people, shouldn't we have thrown chicken droppings in there?

The village chief's wife put her hands on her hips and let out a cold snort, "Although we are just farmers who toil in the fields and are not as noble as the princess and Miss Caidie, we are still a hundred years old combined. We are not to be scolded by a little girl like you!"

If the princess and Miss Caidie do not wish to stay at our home, please find another place so that we can avoid being mistreated every day.

Otherwise, if you angered us to the point of illness, the Lady of Le'an County would surely avenge us!"

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop, almost driving the Jun family master and servant to madness. Cai Die's fingertips trembled as she pointed at them. "You! You're utterly unreasonable!!"

Jun Qingcheng clutched her chest, taking a long time to catch her breath. "Never mind, Caidie, help me to rest first. Starting tomorrow, you'll be cooking."

Butterfly paused in anger: "???"

Cooking? She's never cooked before!!!

After the master and servant disappeared from the main room, the old couple exchanged a glance, a knowing smile appearing in their eyes.

At the end of the village, in a wooden study, a single lamp cast a dim light, projecting the man's sharply defined profile onto the wooden wall.

Yu Feng cupped his hands, his gaze vaguely falling on the shadows. "Master, with the continuous drought and lack of rain, news has come from the three northern prefectures that grain merchants have been sensing the trend in recent days. Not only have grain prices increased by 20%, but they are also unwilling to sell in large quantities anymore. Instead, they have started buying grain from wealthy households in the south."

Fortunately, our master had the foresight; our granaries, while not completely full, are at least 90% full.

“In that case, we can stop stockpiling grain.” Xiao Jinhan nodded slightly, then turned to look at the opposite bank. “Have you heard any news from the capital recently?”

Yu Feng's mind raced slightly. "Not yet, but judging by the speed, the carrier pigeon sent by Xiao Zhong should arrive at the War King's Mansion today. Once the War King's Mansion makes a move, we will receive the news within two days."

Furthermore, the guards from the Prince of Yan's residence left Qingshui County this afternoon, and I've already invited them all to the estate for tea.

Xiao Jinhan gave a soft "hmm," his eyes slightly cool. "According to Qu Feiqing's wishes, she will definitely send someone to pick up Jun Qingcheng and take her back. Before her people arrive, I don't want to see Jun Qingcheng causing trouble for others again."

He was unwilling to do anything, whether it was to make Hua'er suffer or torment the people around her.

Yu Feng's heart skipped a beat. Princess Mingzhu had thoroughly angered her master. But this person was currently living in Shanghe Village, and keeping her from coming out wouldn't be an easy task. He was about to ask—

Suddenly, footsteps came from not far away.

Turning around, I saw a tall, furtive figure with a cloth covering his head standing outside the courtyard.

Yu Feng stared intently, and when he saw the familiar eyes peeking out from under the cloth, his lips twitched involuntarily. "Master, Miss Su's third brother has arrived!"

"Sanhu, you're here at this hour?" Xiao Jinhan stood up from his armchair and met Su Sanhu's bright eyes.