Chapter 91 Winter Hunt: "Sister-in-law, please take me with you. I promise I'll behave and not run around. I'll just go and take a look..."

"Sister-in-law, please take me with you. I promise I'll behave and not run around. I'll just go and have a look."

“This time it really won’t work. Your older brother and I are both out of town, and someone has to stay home to look after the house. You’re the only one I can entrust to me.”

“Isn’t there Fang Liang? He’s so capable, he can handle everything in the manor.”

“The shops outside are selling New Year’s goods, and he should focus on those. Besides, he’s not a servant born into the household. Every time he comes to the mansion, he goes directly to the east courtyard. When have you ever seen him enter his mother’s courtyard?”

"That……"

"Then I'll trouble you to stay at home for the next couple of days. It's just a matter of saying yes or no. Please give me a straight answer."

Fangyi wanted to go out with Shen Wanqing again, but she couldn't refuse after being flattered so much.

"Then I'll stay in the back courtyard for the next couple of days."

Previously, Fangyi refused to move out of Niohuru's courtyard, so this spring, Shen Wanqing converted the small, independent courtyard at the back into a new one.

The changes resulted in the east wing belonging to Yu Lang and the west wing to Shen Wanqing. The east wing was filled with Yu Lang's collection of swords and knives, while half of the west wing was filled with stone fans and tools for mounting calligraphy and paintings, and the other side had a bookcase that covered an entire wall.

It contained all sorts of books. Even after Shen Wanqing put all the books from her dowry and those she had bought in the last year or two, it still only filled less than a tenth of the space.

Shen Wanqing was very satisfied with this. What she wanted was the process of filling these rooms little by little. Every item she added represented her life. By the time she filled them all, she might have lived more than half of her life.

The house was tidied up, but the two of them were so busy that they could only come over two or three times a month. On the contrary, Fangyi would come over almost every other day. At first, it was out of curiosity, but later it became a liking. Sometimes she would stay so late that she would not go back to the east courtyard and would sleep in the small courtyard instead.

Shen Wanqing thought this was good. Fangyi was a smart girl who knew her limits. She never rummaged through things in the courtyard. Even when she wanted to read a book, she would take one at a time and put it back in its place before taking the next one.

Whenever Shen Wanqing thought of going to sit in the courtyard, the house and the surrounding area were always very clean and lively.

Sometimes Shen Wanqing felt that Fangyi was like a librarian, diligently guarding these stones and books for her, waiting for her to come over whenever she remembered. In fact, the whole house, inside and out, had been imbued with her temperament and aura.

"I've already had the side room and adjoining room on the west side of the main house prepared for you. You can stay for as many days as you want without having to tell me every time."

"I was just saying it casually. I understand what you mean, sister-in-law. I'm staying here for the next couple of days so that if Fang Liangzhen needs to find me, she can just go to the small courtyard. I won't disturb Mother when she wants to worship Buddha."

"Okay, you can arrange everything."

Mother, Mother, as soon as Shen Wanqing entered the door, she was greeted with the words "mother-in-law" and "great-mother-in-law," as if it were a wonderful three-generation household. In fact, Niohuru would not be considered forty until after the New Year.

Fang Liangcai is thirty-five years old. Since he was brought back to the Hesheli family by Shen Wanqing to work as a servant, he has rarely gone to the courtyards of the wives in the east and west courtyards, in order to avoid suspicion.

If there's anything, go to the eldest madam first. Butler Shen Wanqing can see anyone, and besides, she has a handsome and promising young man like Yu Lang by her side, so it's unlikely that any rumors will easily spread.

When the eldest grandmother is not around and there is something really wrong, we go to the old lady. Ever since Aunt Fu went to Jingzhou, the old lady's spirits have been fluctuating.

When things are going well, she feels she needs to live at least another thirty years, until Fuxuan's children and grandchildren are all grown up, then she can finally feel at ease. When things are going badly, she feels that her daughter, whom she doesn't trust, has married and moved to Jingzhou, and that children and grandchildren have their own destinies; if she interferes too much, it will only make things worse.

But whether it's good or bad, if Fang Liang has any problems, he can go to Tongjia Shi and Tongjia Shi can usually make a decision. If she can't handle it, she can call Shumulu Shi and Niohuru Shi. In short, going through this roundabout way makes everyone feel more at ease.

Before the Lunar New Year this year, Zhuang Ming's breeding farm and his "cave vegetables" (vegetables cultivated in indoor greenhouses during the Ming and Qing dynasties) were still not doing well. However, seeing that Zhuang Ming, who was so honest that he wouldn't say a word even if you beat him ten times, was actively trying to make money, the people below him naturally didn't want to fall behind.

After several shopkeepers met together to discuss the matter, they decided to collaborate among their shops, integrating leather and wool materials, ginseng and deer antler, dried goods from the south, as well as cured fish, cured meat, and other cured products, and offering several combinations at different prices to sell as New Year's goods.

The gist of it is that our shops will take care of all your New Year's goods, including food, clothing, mountain products, and seafood. The more you buy, the cheaper it is for us. We operate on a high-volume, low-profit, high-volume model, so you can save time and money by spending it all with us.

If you don't like the items provided in the shop, you can choose your own. Once you've chosen, give the list to the shop assistant, who will still charge you the same price as for New Year's goods.

When Fang Liang and the other shopkeepers told Shen Wanqing about this, Shen Wanqing was taken aback. It was almost identical to the group-buying practices for New Year's goods in later generations. She, a person from the future, hadn't expected it; they had figured it out first.

This approach is both easy and difficult. It's easy because all the shops belong to the same family, making it convenient to exchange goods among them. It's difficult because this method requires a steady supply of goods, sufficiently low purchase prices, and a large enough workforce in order to sustain the business.

Fang Liang and his team are only focused on how much more goods they can sell by working together to make money; they haven't considered how much higher the costs will be if they do it this way.

Furthermore, their prices can't be lowered for the time being because the goods they get from caravan and boat guilds are not cheap. Without a significant price advantage, their appeal is naturally greatly reduced, and changing people's consumption habits is extremely difficult.

However, Shen Wanqing did not say a word of these words. Zhuang Ming was an unexpected event, and it was precisely because of this unexpected event that Fang Liang and several shopkeepers sought change.

That's just how people are. If Shen Wanqing were to do everything, she would never finish even if she worked herself to death. Now that Zhuang Ming is there as an example, whether it's someone who wants to curry favor, someone who wants to protect their position, or someone who has a career they want to pursue and is envious and tempted by him, they can do it.

Even if we don't make any money this year but just gain some publicity, that's fine too. Next year, whether we pressure my uncle and the Xu family to lower their prices or we actually cooperate with Dai Jia and her family to run our own caravan, as long as the costs can be reduced, we might as well do this kind of group buying during holidays.

When the Crown Prince went to Lady Daijia's place the day after his wedding, Fang Liang and the others had not yet discussed the matter.

Setting up a caravan is not something that can be done casually; the horses and the caravan itself cannot be acquired simply by spending money. Therefore, while she and Dai Jia discussed it, they were mostly waiting for the Shen family's eldest branch to make another concession.

Who knew that Fang Liang and the others would bring it up the next day? If this deal goes through, their shipment volume will definitely increase significantly next year.

So Shen Wanqing immediately sent another invitation to Dai Jia, asking her to seriously discuss the matter of organizing the horse caravan. She assured her that even if it didn't work out next year, they could definitely take this step in a few years. She also took the opportunity to urge the eldest branch of the Shen family to stop being so stingy and lower the price.

Because of this, either Shen Wanqing went to Daijia's place or Daijia came to Shen Wanqing's place. Yulang rarely had a twenty-day vacation, and he had just received two brand-new fur robes and cloaks made for him by his own grandmother, one in bright red and the other in lake blue. How could he possibly see this?

He immediately intercepted the invitation that Shen Wanqing was going to give to Dai Jia, and in front of Shen Wanqing, he asked Chang Shun to pass on a message to Akdun: "Tell him that the master invited him and his sister-in-law to go hunting at the manor outside the city and stay for two days. Tell him to find a way to ask the firearms battalion for leave."

Winter hunting is different from usual; it requires more men, horses, and hunting dogs. The experienced hunters and dogs must first enter the forest to search. Once they find the prey, they return and regroup. The group then divides the work: some drive the prey away, while others ambush it, driving it into the encirclement before shooting it.

The firearms battalion is already taking shape. Everyone is convinced that His Majesty will definitely fight Galdan again. The only question is whether there will be enough silver in the national treasury next year. If there is enough, then we must prepare the provisions for next year.

Such hunting is both hunting and training. Being able to hunt on horseback means being able to kill enemies. One must always ensure that one still has the ability to kill enemies so that one can possibly return alive when going to war with the army in the future.

Once they left the city and arrived at the manor, the maids and servants packed up their belongings. Yu Lang and Akdun didn't even dismount; they waited until Shen Wanqing and Dai Jia were safely on their horses before leading their servants and a few bannermen from the Zuo Ling (a military unit) towards the distant hunting grounds.

Shen Wanqing knows how to ride a horse, but that's all she knows. Today was supposed to be a day for hunting and leisure, and before she left, Shen Wanqing repeatedly told Yulang to do the same thing as usual and not to worry about themselves.

With maids and attendants by her side, and Daijia, whose martial arts skills were no less than Akdun's, she was sure nothing would go wrong.

If you're going to have fun, you should have it to the fullest. Don't just think about how I'll have fun; I'm sure I'll find my own enjoyment. With such a vast snowscape and such beautiful horses, even doing nothing is a joyful experience.

The horses, men, and hunting dogs quickly disappeared from sight. Daijia was also quite skilled at riding and archery. Since she rarely came out, she led her men toward the edge of the forest. Even if they couldn't shoot wild boars or deer, it would be good if they could hit wild rabbits or pheasants.

Dai Jia wasn't running that fast, and Shen Wanqing could still see her from a distance. She wasn't in a hurry, so she rode her horse, with Changlu and the two hunters the estate had found for her, lagging behind, slowly catching up.

The first time Shen Wanqing caught up with Dai Jia, Dai Jia shot a rabbit. The rabbit wasn't very fat, but it was still a good start. Shen Wanqing was even more excited than Dai Jia, praising her skill so much that Dai Jia blushed.

"This is nothing. Come on, I'll take you a little further into the woods. You can try it this time."

"Me? I can't do it. I can't even draw a bow, let alone shoot an arrow. I might hurt my own people if I mess it up."

One must know one's own limitations. Neither horsemanship nor archery are things that a wage slave like Shen Wanqing can afford to do in the future. Money is a minor issue; the most important thing is that she simply doesn't have the time or inclination for it.

"There are things that our eldest grandma isn't good at. I thought there was nothing in this world that our eldest grandma couldn't do."

"Sister-in-law, please don't laugh at me. I wish I could do everything."

The two rode into the woods. Wearing fox fur-lined robes and vests, they didn't feel cold. When they first mounted the horse, their hands and faces were a bit chilly from the wind, but now that they had been riding for a while, they didn't know if they had gotten used to it or if the wind had dulled their senses, but they didn't feel cold anymore.

"If you were to know everything, we Manchu grandmothers and ladies would really be driven to our deaths."

The capital city is only so big, and there are only so many families with similar social standing. The Hesheli family suddenly produced such a capable, kind-hearted, and beautiful daughter-in-law, so it's inevitable that every family will compare themselves to her. But no matter how they compare, no one can compare to her.

"There are women prettier than you but with a better temperament than you, and housekeepers with a better temperament than you are no good either. Even if I manage the household well, people will call me a tigress behind my back. Isn't that infuriating?"

“I don’t care about anything else, but I have to accept it if my sister-in-law says I’m good-looking. I’m happy to hear people say I’m good-looking.”

Dai Jia spoke with such seriousness that Shen Wanqing almost fell off her horse laughing. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something dart through the woods and quickly raised her hand to signal Dai Jia to nock an arrow and shoot.

"They've already run far away, what's the point of shooting?" Dai Jia looked at Shen Wanqing beside her, who was still excitedly thinking she had discovered something good. Only then did she realize that Shen Wanqing was not hiding her abilities from her. This seemingly capable matriarch was a complete novice when it came to this.

Even if she's an amateur, it's still quite fun to follow behind Daijia like a little shadow, riding around on horseback. Daijia couldn't help but laugh at her. She hadn't done anything, yet she acted busier than anyone else. This person really knew how to amuse herself.

Shen Wanqing, a country bumpkin who had never seen anything like this before, was delighted by everything she saw and did. Yu Lang, on the other hand, was enjoying himself immensely, and was in a good mood when he returned with the prey. The two groups met at the edge of the woods, and Yu Lang's horse, leading the way, headed straight for Shen Wanqing.

"What did you hit?"

"Two foxes and a few rabbits. I was planning to hunt a deer to add to our evening meal, but I didn't manage to find any."

"If we don't run into her today, we'll try again tomorrow. Since we're already out here, let's stay a couple more days before going back."

"Sure, I'm fine with anything. I'm just worried that Grandma will be too busy with housework to find the time. I'll hunt a wild goat for Grandma tomorrow, and we can roast it."

Yulang hadn't had such a good ride in a long time, which was partly why he hadn't caught much of a game today. Once Yulang entered the forest, he was like a wild child, and Akdun chased after him the whole way but couldn't catch up.

No matter how nice the Forbidden City was or how prestigious the life of a first-class imperial guard was, it was impossible not to feel stifled while serving there every day. Whenever they saw someone, they were either kneeling down and kowtowing to pay their respects or being greeted and bowed to by others. They had to be careful when walking, talking, or even coughing.

I thought I had gotten used to it over time, but it wasn't until today, riding a horse at full speed, that I realized how comfortable and enjoyable this kind of life is!

However, people are always looking for trouble. Shen Wanqing had already prepared the roe that Yu Lang hadn't been able to hunt, along with lamb and cured pork ribs.

The cured pork ribs used for grilling were prepared by the farm. They weren't cured to be as dry and fragrant as fresh ribs, but they still retained some of the meat's fat and juices, making them the best for grilling. They had a more wood-fired cured meat aroma than fresh ribs, but they weren't as dry or tough as regular cured meat.

It was delicious, but the rabbit he had hunted was just lying around unattended. Yu Lang chewed the ribs fiercely, but still couldn't help turning his head to Shen Wanqing and promising, "Tomorrow, I'll definitely be able to hunt a deer."