Chapter 122122 Late Night Confession

"Your Excellency the Prefect! Your Excellency the County Magistrate!"

The shepherd was directing his sheepdog to chase the owner of Xiuyi Pavilion to the ground. He turned his head inadvertently and found two people standing in the distance.

Looking closely, it was none other than the official of Shaoqing Prefecture.

The herdsman hurried over to greet them, his tone very warm: "Why are you two here?"

"The prefect was on his way to check on the military situation at the prefectural garrison. I happened to meet him on the way, so I shamelessly followed him." County Magistrate Guan twirled his beard as he looked at the man and dog not far away. "What's going on?"

The people of Heyang County are honest and simple, and even their sheepdogs are kind-hearted.

Especially this shepherd dog named Fugui. Except for the foreigners who came to burn, kill and loot, this was the first time he chased a person so ferociously.

County Magistrate Guan was worried that he would leave a bad impression on the prefect.

The herdsman, unaware of Magistrate Guan's concerns, glared at Sun Fugui and said in a gruff voice, "He wants to buy wool to make clothes and compete with the prefect for business!"

County Magistrate Guan's face changed: "What? He actually dared to do this!"

"Fugui! Bite me!"

County Magistrate Guan waved his hand, and the sheepdog cried out and chased even harder.

"Ahhh, don't come over here!"

"Help! Help!"

Sun Fugui howled like a ghost, tears streaming down his face, and crawled even faster.

Du Qingtang: “…”

After a brief silence, Du Qingtang said helplessly, "Alright, let it come back."

Although the herdsmen were not happy, they still shouted: "Fugui!"

The sheepdog braked suddenly and returned the same way.

Sun Fugui escaped from the dog's mouth, but his limbs went limp and he fell face first onto the ground, right in the middle of a pile of sheep dung.

The stench hit him in the face, and Su Fugui subconsciously smacked his lips.

The next moment, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

"master!"

The guy hiding behind the rock quickly jumped out, picked up Sun Fugui and ran away.

County Magistrate Guan snorted coldly: "He saw that the woolen sweaters were selling well and wanted to get a piece of the pie."

Little did they know that if the prefect had the grace to save them, how could they put the prefect in an unjust position for such a small profit?

Du Qingtang was not surprised by this.

Where there is a market, there is competition, especially in the northwest where the winter is long. As long as you do well, you can make a lot of money just by selling woolen sweaters.

"If someone comes again in the future, just refuse them directly. Don't pay too much attention to them."

If someone is bitten and injured, it will be disadvantageous to the herders, and may easily cause unnecessary disputes and add to the trouble.

County Magistrate Guan obviously realized the key point and nodded in agreement: "I will give the order later."

Du Qingtang turned to look at the herdsman and said in a gentle tone: "Thank you very much."

The herdsman grinned from ear to ear and waved his hands repeatedly: "This is what ordinary people should do."

The prefect allowed them to make money and live a good life, so they would definitely not do such an ungrateful thing.

Du Qingtang rubbed the lamb that was eating grass next to her calf, jumped on her horse, and headed for the place where the soldiers were stationed.

Shoubei Wan had just led the palace soldiers through a fierce battle yesterday afternoon and was now comforting the wounded.

Du Qingtang went over to take a look. Although some of the wounded soldiers were seriously injured, fortunately they were treated by the accompanying military doctors. The wounds were sutured and there was only slight bleeding.

Shoubei Wan reported on the battle situation: "So far, I have successfully conquered three tribes. Those foreigners refused to surrender, so I took it upon myself to execute them."

Du Qingtang's face showed no change in expression as he said calmly, "If he dies, then he dies. Keeping him alive would be a hidden danger."

Guard Wan breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "There are only five tribes left now. Perhaps they heard the news of the destruction of the previous three tribes and are migrating westward."

Du Qingtang pondered for a moment and said, "Don't chase after a desperate enemy. Let's go back at the end of the month."

Shoubei Wan nodded in agreement.

Regardless of whether they conquer the five tribes or not, at least they will occupy a large grassland, and the lambs in Heyang County will never have to worry about having nothing to eat.

Only when you eat well can the wool become shiny and smooth, and the clothes made from it will be better.

Shoubei Wan chose from five tribes and finally selected the Bal tribe.

This tribe had many cattle and sheep, which were taken away and given to the people of Heyang County to raise, and then sent to garment factories to make clothes.

Du Qingtang comforted the wounded soldiers and then left. After she left, the wounded soldiers lay on the wool blankets sent by the people of Heyang County, sighing.

"This prefect is really close to the people now. In the past, he wouldn't care about the lives of us little soldiers and crab generals."

"I heard from the military doctor that this suturing technique was also proposed by the prefect. It was first popularized among the troops at Loushan Pass, and then taught to the military doctors in Shaoqing Prefecture."

"Yesterday, Liu Dagang was stabbed and his intestines were exposed. The military doctor sewed him up on the spot. I asked about it this morning and he's not in danger of dying."

In the wounded soldier's tent, Yang Tianchuan touched the wound on his chest. The mulberry bark thread pierced through the flesh, making it look like a centipede, ugly and hideous.

Once upon a time, he was a coward and a deserter.

He ignored the suffering of the people and waited for death in the military camp.

Who would have thought that one day he would charge into battle and bravely kill the enemy.

Thinking of the proud expression on his mother's face when she talked about him to others, Yang Tianchuan smiled.

This wound is a medal and also his honor.

"After I defeat the foreigners and return to the capital, I plan to buy my mother a woolen sweater."

Many years ago, his mother had her leg broken by refugees in order to protect him. She did not take good care of the leg and developed a chronic disease. She would feel unbearable pain when the weather got cold.

People say woolen pants are warm. I hope his mother can wear them to relieve the pain.

"That's what I meant."

The wounded soldiers all echoed.

......

Du Qingtang returned to the government office and called Zhou Tongzhi.

"Call the skilled dyers in the city and have them dye the wool."

Du Qingtang also had a sudden idea.

Competition is everywhere in the business world. Even if Heyang County does not sell wool to others, as long as it is determined to get a share of the woolen sweater market, there will always be a way to get the wool.

Fumin Garment has already seized the market first, but this is far from enough.

If you don't want to be outdone by your competitors, you must innovate and improve the styles of your sweaters.

Wool yarn can be dyed into various colors for different groups. Rich people mostly like bright colors, while dark colors are suitable for people who work all year round and can withstand dirt.

In addition to colors, there are also patterns.

There are many ways to knit a sweater, and female workers can slowly study it. Those who develop new knitting methods will be rewarded.

You can also embroider on woolen sweaters, which are relatively more expensive.

However, those who care about the appearance of clothes probably don't care about this little money.

"...That's about it. Implement it as soon as possible."

Zhou Tongzhi had never thought that woolen sweaters could come in so many styles. He was amazed when he heard this and said, "Your Excellency is wise. Even if someone else sells the same clothes, the rich people's clothing will have the upper hand."

Du Qingtang took a sip of tea, and the warm tea went down his throat, and even his breath became warm. "In addition, I plan to equip the soldiers with a full set of woolen clothes."

Zhou Tongzhi bowed and said: "Your Excellency is compassionate to the people and has a noble character. I cannot even compare to him."

Then he changed the subject: "But if this happens, the demand for clothing at Fumin might not be enough to meet the supply."

Du Qingtang tapped the table with his fingers: "If there is not enough manpower, we will recruit workers twice, three times, and if the production department can't accommodate it, we will expand it."

After getting the approval from the prefect, Zhou Tongzhi took action immediately.

First, he asked the clerk to post a notice to recruit dyers and second-time recruit workers, and then he went to the garment factory to communicate in person with the female worker team leader.

......

In mid-October, Fumin Garment launched new styles.

The new woolen sweaters and trousers not only have rich colors, but also two new patterns. They are very popular among the people and were sold out in just two days.

As a result, cotton-padded robes and jackets in major garment stores are even harder to sell.

The garment shops in Shaoqing Prefecture were intimidated by the prefect and could only swallow their grievances. However, it was not the same in other prefectures.

"Shaoqing Prefecture is going too far. At this rate, I'm afraid we won't be able to sell all the clothes in our shop even when the weather warms up."

"If your hand is too long, chop it off!"

"But those lowly people in Heyang County simply refuse to sell wool to anyone outside of Shaoqing Prefecture." Sun Fugui said hatefully.

Everyone was silent for a while.

After a long while, one of them said, "I have some friendship with the leader of the Baal tribe. The Baal tribe also makes a living by herding sheep."

The eyes of several clothing store owners lit up.

"Why don't we jointly open a woolen shop and compete with Fumin Garment?"

"That's a good idea."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Wang, to contact the leader of the Nabar tribe. As long as the price is reasonable, I can buy more."

In fact, they did this not only because Fumin Garment had snatched away their customers, but more because they were jealous of the huge profits behind woolen sweaters.

The boss surnamed Wang sent someone to deliver a letter to the Bal tribe that day.

A group of people were looking forward to it, but the next day the servant came back crawling with nothing in his hands.

The boss surnamed Wang's face darkened: "What's going on?"

The servant wiped his face and said in a trembling voice, "Master, the Nabal tribe was destroyed by Shaoqing Prefecture!"

Clothing shop owners: “…???”

-

Without the Bal tribe, there would be no wool to buy, and naturally no wool shop could be opened.

As a result, Fumin Garment became the dominant company.

At the end of the month, the garment factory sent the account books of five shops.

Du Qingtang glanced through the documents and found that the people in the Finance Department were quite honest and had not tampered with the accounts.

In the end, after deducting the costs, the five shops made a total profit of 3,200 taels.

"That's so much per month, which is more than 30,000 per year. If you factor in all the other taxes, it's probably ranked in the middle among the 140 prefectures." Du Qingzhu said as he counted on his abacus.

Du Qingtang placed his hand on the charcoal basin, his palm warm: "It only sells better in winter."

After that, he changed the subject and asked about joining the Shixiang Pavilion franchise.

Du Qingzhu's eyebrows danced with joy, and he was obviously in a very good mood. "Last month, when I released the news, many people came to me on their own initiative. Some wanted to wholesale snacks and sell them in their shops, while others came here with the intention of opening a snack shop."

"I drafted the contract according to your suggestion, and so far I have reached cooperation with more than a dozen people, including three branches of Shixiang Pavilion."

Du Qingju held her chin in her hand and asked, "Is it close to Shixiang Pavilion? Will it affect your business?"

"Of course I've taken this into consideration." Du Qingzhu smiled. "I've written in the contract that the Food Fragrance Pavilions must be at least two streets apart."

"Seventh sister, you've thought it through. This is the best." Du Qingtang warmed his hands and sat down to eat some cakes. "First, let's spread the reputation of Shixiang Pavilion and expand step by step."

Du Qingzhu nodded and said with a smile, "I also asked them in the contract to hang calligraphy and paintings in the shop. Although they had some complaints, they agreed."

If one day, Shixiang Pavilion opens all over Daxia, everyone in the world will know that the owner of Shixiang Pavilion is a man of great literary talent.

Du Qingzhu held the teacup and smiled happily.

......

Two more days passed like this.

On the first day of November, the month-long land distribution operation came to an end.

Wu Tongzhi reported: "As of yesterday, a total of 33,620 households came to the government office to claim their land."

"In addition, the census has concluded, and there are currently 220,000 registered citizens in Shaoqing Prefecture."

"According to your request, the staff below have compiled a statistics of men, women, old and young. Please review it."

Du Qingtang took it and took a look at it, frowning slightly.

Looking at the data, there are obviously more men than women, and more elderly people than children.

Wu Tongzhi secretly observed the prefect's expression and said boldly, "Ten years ago, when I was serving as a county magistrate in a certain place, I encountered a similar situation."

Du Qingtang raised his eyes and motioned him to continue.

"The reason why there are more boys is that many families value sons over daughters, and any daughters they give away are either given away or drowned."

"As for the preponderance of elderly people..." Wu Tongzhi paused, "I personally believe it's due to historical reasons."

Shaoqing Prefecture has been in chaos for a long time. The people can barely protect themselves, so how can they have the mind to have children?

Giving birth to a child is suffering, so it’s better not to give birth.

Du Qingtang asked him: "How did you solve this problem?"

Wu Tongzhi bowed his head, his shame barely concealed in his words: "I have issued an order forbidding the drowning of baby girls, but the people's preference for sons over daughters is deeply ingrained, and they continue to do as they please."

"As for the latter issue, I have ordered that men and women over the age of fifteen must marry as soon as possible. Those who are over the age of twenty and still haven't married will be fined ten taels of silver. As more people marry, they will have children, and naturally there will be more children."

Du Qingtang did not agree with his approach.

Getting married just for the sake of getting married, or rushing into a marriage will only lead to resentment between the couple, which is not a good thing.

Du Qingtang crossed his fingers and rubbed the calluses on his fingertips slowly: "You can leave first. I will consider this matter."

The problem needs to be solved. The former can be dealt with by force, but the latter cannot.

Wu Tongzhi knew that his approach had many drawbacks, and he also knew that the prefect would never adopt his proposal due to his kindness, so he said no more and bowed to withdraw.

Du Qingtang spent two hours to finish his official business and returned to the third hall accompanied by the sound of the gong marking the end of his shift.

At the dinner table, Du Qingju saw the youngest child staring into deep thought and asked with concern, "What difficulties have you encountered?"

Du Qingtang was not surprised by Du Qingju's question. Her sister had always been very meticulous, so she told her the findings from the census.

Upon hearing this, Du Qingju sighed and said, "The idea of favoring sons over daughters is truly a toxic cancer. Every year, countless baby girls are abandoned at birth and die miserably."

Du Qingzhu curled her lips: "Isn't that the way it is in our family?"

Before the identity of the youngest girl was exposed, Yuanshi had already treated that bastard Yuan Sheng as a pain in the ass.

They wore tattered jackets filled with reed and willow catkins, but Yuanshi bought Yuansheng a jacket filled with cotton.

They were pale and skinny, just a bag of bones, but Yuansheng could eat meat every few days and was as strong as a calf.

At that time, they just thought that Yuanshi was ungrateful and did not care about her youngest son. Instead, she treated her nephew as a treasure.

It wasn't until this year that I realized that Yuanshi was not just being servile, she was clearly favoring boys over girls!

Wanting the youngest to marry Yuan Sheng is simply a pipe dream.

Du Qingzhu snorted unhappily and gave Du Qingtang some advice: "In fact, if you want to curb this bad trend, you have to use ruthless means."

"Those who drown or abandon baby girls will be punished with death. In addition, they will be fined. One tael of silver is too little and won't hurt them. So, let's fine them one hundred taels."

"Only when they feel the pain will they learn their lesson." Du Qingju echoed, "We're not afraid of someone secretly doing these things. The government can offer a large reward."

"After ten months of pregnancy, a baby must be born. The neighbors are all witnesses. If they find any problems, they can report them to the authorities."

"Money can move people's hearts, and many people will sacrifice their relatives for the sake of justice."

"Even if my family treated me harshly and my life was hard, at least I survived."

Du Qingtang thought this plan was feasible and turned to the issue of the aging population in Shaoqing Prefecture: "People like the three of us who don't marry and have children are still a minority. Ultimately, it's because we were poor in the past and couldn't afford to raise children even if we had them."

"Why not have the government come forward and offer rewards for childbirth, offering a certain amount of silver for each baby? This would help to increase the birth rate to a certain extent."

"It's just that pregnancy is difficult for women, and childbirth is also risky. I plan to gather all the midwives in the city and conduct unified training."

Although midwives are experienced, their experience is not accurate and it is very likely that their mistakes will lead to the death of the mother.

Du Qingtang looked at Du Qingju and said, "I'll have to trouble you, Eighth Sister, with the training."

"I'm happy to do so." Du Qingju smiled and then sighed, "Giving birth is like going through the gates of hell for women. I will teach them well."

Du Qingtang thanked him and continued, "In addition to encouraging childbirth, we also need to prepare for blind dates."

Forced marriage is not advisable, but if the two people are attracted to each other, it can be a good story.

Du Qingzhu clapped his hands: "It's just like the blind date event you held when you were working in Runing Prefecture!"

Although they had never seen it with their own eyes, they had heard about it.

Du Qingtang nodded: "But that was just a few villages. This time the scale is bigger and it is open to all young men and women in Shaoqing Prefecture."

Du Qingju suggested, "We can add one more thing. If the two are attracted to each other, the prefect will personally officiate the marriage."

The so-called witnessing of a marriage means drafting a marriage certificate.

The mere act of writing is really nothing.

Du Qingtang calmed himself down and poured tea for Zhu Ju and the others: "Thank you both for your advice."

Du Qingzhu stroked his nonexistent beard and said in a long tone: "No problem, no problem."

Du Qingju giggled, her eyes curved into crescents: "I'm glad I can help you."

......

The next day, Du Qingtang called Wu Tongzhi and repeated the countermeasures he and Zhuju had discussed last night.

Wu Tongzhi clapped his hands and cheered: "Your Excellency is wise. I am ashamed to be inferior to you."

Du Qingtang was already used to hearing people flatter him, so he just waved his hand without changing his expression.

Wu Tongzhi suppressed his smile and said seriously, "This subordinate will arrange it immediately and strive to implement it as soon as possible."

That afternoon, the government posted four notices at once.

"From now on, the people of Shaoqing Prefecture are prohibited from abandoning or drowning baby girls. Violators will be beheaded, fined 100 taels of silver, and their descendants will be barred from taking the imperial examinations. Please report any such cases. If the information is true, you will receive a reward of 10 taels of silver."

"From now on, Shaoqing Prefecture will implement a policy of childbirth rewards. For each baby born, a reward of ten taels of silver will be given. Each family can have a maximum of two babies receive the reward."

"From now on, all midwives in the city must undergo unified training and obtain a midwifery certificate before they can deliver babies. Those who have not yet received training are not allowed to deliver babies. If caught, they will be fined 100 taels of silver."

"The government will hold a Hehuan Festival on the eighth day of the eleventh month. Unmarried men and women will be free to marry on that day, and the prefect will personally officiate the ceremony."

The clerk stood beside the notice wall and read the notice aloud.

The people in the city gathered here and talked about it.

"Girls are just money-losing goods. There's no point in keeping them. It's better to just throw them away."

"Bah! You should let your mother see your current character. If she knew you said that, she would probably regret giving birth to you in the first place."

"The birth reward is good. If you're a little frugal, ten taels of silver is enough to raise a baby."

"Giving birth is a top priority for women. My sister-in-law nearly lost her life because the midwife didn't know how to give her instructions. She's still sick."

"The name of Hehuan Festival is really nice. My daughter is of age and I'm planning to have her look for a boyfriend. Now I can save a lot of money on a matchmaker."

"My son is the same. Now all we have to do is prepare the betrothal gifts."

......

The next day after the notice was posted, several people came to the government office to report that a certain family had abandoned or drowned their baby girl.

The minor official visited and investigated, and after confirming that the incident had happened, he went straight to the house to arrest the person, and did not let any of the main culprit or accomplices go free.

These days, most of the people who abandon or drown their baby girls are from poor families. Even if the whole family were sold together, they would not fetch more than a hundred taels.

If they couldn't pay the fine, they would take their accomplices and beat them with a stick.

One board is worth two taels of silver.

After fifty lashes, not only was his buttocks bruised, but he was also breathing out more than in, and was on the verge of death.

Captain Zhang came over and asked, "Should we put him in jail or send him back directly?"

Du Qingtang kept writing, his eyes fixed on the official document: "Government does not support idle people."

Captain Zhang retreated immediately.

After a while, Zhou Tongzhi came over with a happy face and said, "Sir, someone just came from Loushan Pass. They want to buy 40,000 woolen sweaters!"

Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "Do you have a deposit?"

Zhou Tongzhi nodded and said, "I paid a deposit of five thousand taels."

Du Qingtang responded, "Send someone to Heyang County to buy more wool."

The three groups of people who need clothes for the rich people, the government soldiers and the officers and soldiers at Loushan Pass need a lot of wool.

Du Qingtang said, "First, focus on Loushan Pass, and then provide clothing to the government soldiers. The rich people can make less."

Zhou Tongzhi responded respectfully.

Du Qingtang added, "Recruit another 2,000 female workers and send them to the southeast region to discuss business. They will then sell the woolen sweaters in local garment shops."

What's the point of only doing it in the northwest? We have to let the people of Daxia know the benefits of woolen clothes.

Zhou Tongzhi stepped down immediately.

-

As November approaches, the weather becomes colder.

After Du Qingtang finished teaching the students at the provincial school, he mounted his horse and set off back to the government office.

When passing by the market, I took a casual glance and saw several men punching and kicking two people.

Looking more closely, the two people who were beaten had blue eyes and white skin, and were clearly foreigners.

There are many foreigners in Shaoqing Prefecture. They settled here for various reasons. During the census a while ago, they all registered their names honestly and officially became part of Shaoqing Prefecture.

Just as there is discrimination between the rich and the poor, there is also discrimination between races and regions.

The local people looked down on foreigners, so they united to bully them.

Du Qingtang withdrew his gaze, as if thinking about something.

Back at the government office, Du Qingtang called the yamen runners and said, "Go to the market and see how many foreigners are setting up stalls and what their circumstances are like."

The yamen runner took his orders and left, returning within two hours. "There are quite a few foreigners setting up stalls in the market. Some are registered in Shaoqing Prefecture, while others have come from their hometowns. They're selling all sorts of rare and exotic items."

"As for the situation..." The yamen runner scratched his head, "To be honest, it's not very good."

"Some people, seeing that the foreigners were weak and without any relatives, ganged up on them, causing trouble at their stalls, beating and cursing them."

"Those foreigners didn't dare to fight back, probably because they were worried about provoking retaliation from the other side."

Du Qingtang tapped the table lightly: "Besides the market, what about other times?"

The yamen runner answered fluently: "Foreigners basically live in the west of the city. They rarely go out on weekdays and rarely show up."

Du Qingtang understood and called over Judge Zheng. "I intend to enclose a piece of land outside the west city gate and open a trade fair. You will select a site and spread the word both within the city and beyond so that more people know about this."

The market is guarded by the government soldiers. No matter whether it is the locals or foreigners, they dare not act rashly and can only set up stalls honestly. Therefore, there will be no bullying incidents, and it will not affect the perception of Shaoqing Prefecture by foreigners with registered residence towards Shaoqing Prefecture, and conflicts can be avoided to a certain extent.

In addition, real foreigners who came to Shaoqing Prefecture to set up stalls and do business, or to buy things, the former had to pay rent, and the latter could make the people rich, and part of it would be converted into taxes and go to the government.

This is another benefit.

After Du Qingtang's explanation, Zheng Tongpan understood the interests involved and immediately became excited and did what he was ordered to do.

......

November 8th is the Albizia Julibrissin Festival.

The sun sets and night falls, but the city is still bustling.

Thousands of lanterns are shining brightly, making the whole city sparkle.

The streets and alleys were crowded with people, vendors were shouting their wares, and young men and women were parading through the streets holding lanterns.

Compared with other places, the people of Shaoqing Prefecture are more open.

Women do not need to wear veils when going out. They all smile freely, with shyness hidden in their expectant eyes.

If a woman takes a fancy to a man, she will give the lantern to him.

If the other party is also interested, he will accept the lantern and give his own lantern to the other party in return. Otherwise, he will take a step back to show his polite refusal.

The same is true for men.

In short, lanterns are a medium.

Giving lanterns to each other can lead to further contact, otherwise they will just continue to see each other.

Shaoqing Prefecture is so big, with so many men and women, there is always someone to protect the one you like.

Du Qingtang and Zhu Ju sat in the pavilion beside the bridge, secretly watching a young couple giving each other lanterns.

The lights were bright, the two young people looked at each other, and T blushed quietly.

Du Qingzhu: "Tsk tsk tsk."

Du Qingju: "Eh~"

Du Qingtang: "...Just look, why do you have to make any noise?"

Du Qingzhu held her cheek and muttered, "This kind of love between man and woman looks good on others, but if it happens to me..."

She shuddered and brushed off the goose bumps on her arms. "Men are the most troublesome. I'd rather spend my time studying new dishes than on romance."

Du Qingju also declined the invitation and said jokingly, "Medical Book and I are a couple. Chuxia has already said that she will take care of me in my old age."

Du Qingzhu chuckled: "You're only in your early twenties, how can you be thinking about things that happened decades ago?"

Du Qingju said confidently: "It's just a rainy day."

The two of them played for a while, then saw a lantern riddle guessing game not far away. Du Qingzhu pulled Du Qingju over to join in the fun, not forgetting to ask the youngest, "Xianyu, are you going?"

Du Qingtang took a sip of wine and said, "You know, I don't like to join in the fun."

"Okay, then I'll go with Xiao Ba."

Du Qingtang waved his hand, and Zhu and Ju ran away hand in hand.

After two glasses of wine, my body warmed up.

Du Qingtang supported his chin and sat lazily in the pavilion, watching all kinds of people.

Young men and women gave each other lanterns with blushing faces.

The wife was holding a lantern, and the husband had the child sitting on his shoulders. The family of three were talking and laughing, and they looked very harmonious.

The vendor shouted loudly and smiled brightly after receiving the money.

At this time, Shaoqing Prefecture seemed like an ordinary city. It had not experienced decades of hardship, nor was it devastated.

Just as I was thinking about it, a dark shadow suddenly fell beside me.

Looking up, I saw a young man with green eyes and fair skin standing outside the pavilion. The light was swaying, making his eyes dim.

Du Qingtang blinked: "General Pei."

A young man in a dark green round-necked robe approached with ease. His voice was deep and deep, like a feather brushing against my ears, bringing a tingling sensation. "Master Du, how are you?"

Du Qingtang sat up straighter and motioned for him to take a seat: "Why did you come to Shaoqing Mansion?"

Pei Yuchun sat down calmly, his green eyes as clear as the river flowing under the bridge. "There's nothing going on in the army. I led the troops in training yesterday, and tonight I happened to be stationed near Shaoqing Prefecture. I heard that Shaoqing Prefecture was holding a Hehuan Festival, so I came here to join in the fun."

He stared at Du Qingtang with a smile in his eyes: "I didn't expect to meet Master Du here. It's really fate."

Whether it was God's will or human effort, that remains to be seen.

Du Qingtang lowered her eyes. There was a wine jug and four wine glasses on the stone table. Three of them had already been used. She pushed the remaining wine glass towards Pei Yuchun and said, "Want to drink?"

Pei Yuchun suddenly chuckled, picked up the wine jug and poured himself a drink.

Despite the hustle and bustle around, the pavilion is a world of its own, eerily quiet.

The two sat opposite each other, and neither of them spoke.

"Offer jade! Offer jade!"

Just at this moment, Du Qingzhu's urgent call came from a distance.

"We're about to lose, come and help!"

Du Qingju stood on the stone pier opposite the bridge, jumped up and waved her arms.

Du Qingtang put down his wine glass, stood up and said, "My sister asked me to come over for something urgent. I'll excuse myself first."

Pei Yuchun's long fingers holding the wine glass moved: "It's okay, I'll wait here for you to come back."

Du Qingtang paused slightly and quickened his pace towards Zhu and Ju.

As soon as Du Qingtang passed by, Du Qingzhu pushed him forward urgently, shouting, "Hurry, hurry, we're going to lose!"

Du Qingju also said anxiously, "The lantern that comes in first place is particularly beautiful, more than ten times more beautiful than the second place."

Du Qingtang glanced to the other side and saw some students from the prefectural school guessing riddles with him. He rolled up his sleeves calmly and said, "Pen."

"Here it comes!" Du Qingzhu presented the brush with both hands.

Du Qingtang glanced at the riddle and picked up his pen to answer it.

"clang--"

The gong sounded, and the Xiankelai employee shouted, "Time is up, everyone, please stop writing immediately."

With Du Qingtang joining, the first place lantern is a sure thing.

Zhu and Ju held the lantern together, smiling happily.

“It’s really beautiful.”

"When I get home, I'll put it in the most conspicuous place in the house. Just looking at it will make me happy."

Du Qingju looked at Du Qingtang and said, "Xianyu, we are planning to go shopping. Do you want to come with us?"

Du Qingtang shook his head: "I won't go."

After watching Zhu Ju and Ju go away, Du Qingtang returned to the pavilion and found that Pei Yuchun had been lying on the stone table at some point. He seemed to be drunk. The wine glass in his hand was tilted, and the wine was swaying, hovering on the edge of spilling.

Du Qingtang paused for a moment, then stepped forward to take out the wine glass to prevent it from getting his clothes wet.

"who?"

Before the wine glass was taken out, Pei Yuchun suddenly woke up and grabbed the slender wrist that was close to him.

The young man's eyes were like knives, shooting towards Du Qingtang, but the sharpness faded the moment they touched Du Qingtang's face, becoming gentle like a pool of spring water, with a hint of drunkenness.

"It's you..."

Du Qingtang was about to respond when Pei Yuchun tilted his head, pressed his cheek against the back of her hand, and murmured, "Ayu."

Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly: "Who is Ah Yu?"

"Ayu is..." Pei Yuchun hummed softly, as if thinking, and after a moment, the last syllable rose, "It's Lord Du, Lord Du Qingtang, the best Lord Du in the world."

Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze fixed on the young man's androgynous face: "What do you mean, Ah Yu?"

Perhaps because he felt the back of his hand was prickly, Pei Yuchun turned Du Qingtang's hand over, palm facing up, and pressed his cheek against it again.

Although Pei Yuchun was a military general who was stationed at the border all year round, his skin was very smooth, unlike the rough skin of ordinary military generals. After being blown in the cold wind for a long time, his skin felt icy and cool to the touch, and felt very good.

Du Qingtang's fingertips moved slightly, and she heard Pei Yuchun say slowly: "Because...Mr. Du's courtesy name is Xianyu, I call her Ah Yu."

"And I have a nickname, also called Ayu."

"Ayu, Ayu."

Pei Yuchun chuckled as he thought about it, with joy in his eyes and eyebrows.

Quite outgoing.

Du Qingtang was about to pull back his hand and wake Pei Yuchun up, but he saw him sniff, frown slightly, and look a little aggrieved.

"Ayu."

Pei Yuchun usually speaks in a low voice, appearing mature and steady.

This time, her tone was drawn out, a little sticky, and revealed a hint of deliberate coquettishness.

"I saw the green eyes in your room."

Green eyes?

Du Qingtang was stunned, and it took him a long time to remember who the person with green eyes Pei Yuchun was talking about was.

The big palm holding the wrist slowly moved down and covered the slightly cool back of the hand, allowing the palm to fit better with the cheek.

The eight-foot-tall young man bent over, tilted his head, and gently rubbed Du Qingtang's palm, just like a big cat getting close to its owner.

"That green-eyed guy was so fierce. He threatened me and told me to get out."

Pei Yuchun half-closed his eyes, his long, curly eyelashes trembling slightly with his breathing. He hummed a nasal sound, complaining in a way that seemed both real and fake.

"But I won't!"

It is powerful and justified.

"Ayu." The big cat with green eyes and curly hair rubbed against him again, sticky and humming, "Ayu, Ayu..."

One sound after another, never getting tired of it.

Du Qingtang was annoyed by his yelling and raised his left hand, intending to ask him to mute the microphone manually.

However, before Du Qingtang could cover his mouth, Pei Yuchun turned his face to the side and lowered his head again——

A light kiss fell on the palm of my hand.

It's like a dragonfly skimming the water, or like throwing a stone into a calm lake, causing ripples on the surface.

Du Qingtang's breathing paused for a moment.

"Ayu, can you please take a look at me?"

Pei Yuchun whispered softly, holding Du Qingtang's fingers in his big hands, and tracing his facial features with her fingertips.

"I'm better looking than him."

From the handsome brow bones to the deep eye sockets, the high nose bridge, and finally to the thin lips with beautiful lines.

"I am taller than he, and my arms are broader than his."

The fingertips paused at the corner of the lips for a while, Pei Yuchun lowered his head and kissed the well-trimmed fingertips that were a healthy pink.

The young man's lips were soft and hot, trembling slightly, like a devout believer kissing his god.

"My eyes are prettier than his too."

The fingertips moved from the lips to the corners of the eyes.

The young man's long and thick eyelashes were like two small fans, sweeping across his fingertips, causing a tingling sensation.

"I've been able to cook since I was five, and I can cook different dishes for you every day. My mother agreed to be with my father because of his delicious cooking."

"I will also keep myself clean, not look at other women too much, and not say a word to them."

"My body and my heart belong to Ayu."

"So, Ah Yu, don't want those green eyes anymore." Pei Yuchun looked at Du Qingtang eagerly, his green eyes misty, like two wet forests. "Will you want me?"