Chapter 136 Shouldn't we look for the reasons within ourselves?

"Sit down and eat with us!" Shen Lanxi said.

Shen Yuanjing felt somewhat ashamed, as if he had only come here to freeload.

"Try Wang Mama's stewed goose, it's so tender and flavorful, you can't find this taste in Beijing!"

Shen Yuanjing had a lot to say to her older sister, but when she heard her say that, she blushed and said, "I'll go get a set of bowls and chopsticks!"

Shen Lanxi nodded.

Shen Yuanjing returned quickly, carrying two steamed buns and a set of chopsticks and a bowl!

"Big sister, the heated kang is so warm!" Shen Yuanjing touched the kang and smiled somewhat foolishly.

Shen Lanxi raised the corners of her mouth: "This winter, we'll all be sleeping on these heated kang beds, and you'll get to sleep on them to your heart's content!"

Hearing his older sister's joking tone, Shen Yuanjing relaxed a lot.

Before, it felt like the older sister was a completely different person, and he didn't dare to get close to her. Now, it feels a bit like things have gone back to how they were before the incident.

"Big sister, can I tell you the truth?"

Shen Lanxi ate her meal slowly and deliberately, nodding as she did so.

"Sure, we're siblings, so feel free to say whatever you want!"

Shen Yuanjing glanced towards the door and asked in a low voice, "How did you become so powerful?"

With a smile on her lips, Shen Lanxi picked up a piece of goose meat with her chopsticks and put it into Shen Yuanjing's bowl.

"People can't become powerful overnight. Think about what I was doing while you were reading books. Think about what I was doing while you were hanging out with those rich kids."

Shen Yuanjing avoided eye contact with his older sister, his face flushed with embarrassment!

Young people, if you can't compare to others, shouldn't you look for the reasons within yourself?

"Big sister..." Shen Yuanjing hadn't even eaten yet when he felt like his big sister was already scolding him.

"Eat up, don't say anything more, eat your fill and then work hard!" Shen Lanxi felt that her words should comfort her younger brother!

After that, Shen Yuanjing stopped asking questions and just buried himself in his food!

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Yuanjing felt awkward again. Had he eaten his older sister's food too?

"Big sister, I'm leaving!"

Shen Lanxi nodded!

A short while later, Wei Rulan arrived with her three children.

“Young Miss, Yuan Xin and I made you several sets of thick footwear. We washed and dried them with soap beans. Since you are going to practice martial arts, you will definitely need to change your shoes and socks frequently. My needlework is not very good, so please don't mind!”

Shen Lanxi smiled and said, "Thank you, Aunt. I walk around a lot and my feet tend to sweat, so I really need to prepare a few more sets of footwear."

Seeing that her daughter didn't refuse, Wei Rulan's eyes lit up. She quickly glanced at her daughter and said ingratiatingly, "You must have a lot of things to do. Chunxue and Qiushuang probably can't handle it all. Let Yuanxin stay and help you. If she doesn't do anything well, you can scold or beat her as you please!"

Shen Lanxi glanced at Shen Yuanxin, who had been keeping her head down since entering the room, and asked with a half-smile, "Yuanxin, is your leg all better?"

After asking this question, Shen Yuanxin lowered her head even further.

Wei Rulan thought Shen Lanxi was concerned about her daughter, so she immediately smiled and said, "She's already fine. Children heal quickly from bumps and bruises!"

Shen Lanxi did not continue speaking, leaving Wei Rulan standing there.

Thinking of her children's future, Wei Rulan forced herself to sit down.

“Young Miss, I’ve been taking care of Madam these past few days. Madam is physically fine, but she has some unresolved issues.”

Shen Lanxi thought of her mother, her eyes flickered, and she looked at Wei Rulan.

"I'm leaving my mother in your care. Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't suffer any losses in the future!"

Wei Rulan's eyes lit up, and she almost wanted to slap herself. How could she have forgotten to start with the madam?

The young lady is a very filial child, well, at least she used to be very filial to the madam!

"Madam is burdened by a heavy heart. I made her some shoes and socks yesterday, and thankfully she didn't mistreat herself by wearing them. I'll go back later to see if I can find any fabric to make her two more sets of warm clothes!"

Wei Rulan finally found a topic to talk about, and like a floodgate opening, she talked on and on about how she had taken care of Zhou Xinrou during this time.

Shen Lanxi listened patiently, and after Wei Rulan finished speaking, she turned to Chunxia and said, "Get some cloth and cotton for Aunt Wei!"

Chunxue immediately went to get it.

Shen Lanxi looked at Yuan Qing and Yuan Zhao and said, "Yuan Qing and Yuan Zhao's natural talents are no worse than Yuan Jing's."

Wei Rulan had a gentle appearance and slender willow-leaf eyebrows. If she didn't smile, her face would have a sorrowful look. When she heard Shen Lanxi say this, her mind quickly became active, and the corners of her mouth turned up high, diluting the sorrowful look on her face.

"The two of them love martial arts. Since the master is a scholar, there's no other way for them to pursue their studies. They haven't achieved anything significant yet. It would be wonderful if they could learn martial arts from Young Master Yuanjing and the others!"

Shen Lanxi smiled and nodded, offering advice: "The path is laid out before you; how you choose is entirely up to fate!"

Although Wei Rulan didn't hear the exact words, she was already very happy to hear them at all.

Chunxue brought the fabric and cotton, and Wei Rulan quickly got up to take them.

"Young Miss, I'll go back now to make clothes for Madam!"

Shen Lanxi nodded.

Yuan Zhao turned his head and secretly glanced at his older sister. Seeing her smiling at him, he grinned and chuckled.

Not long after, Shen Yuanrui and her brother Shen Yuanxin arrived.

"Big sister, I've come to apologize to you on behalf of my aunt and sister. They did something wrong and have been punished. Can you forgive them, big sister?" Shen Yuanrui looked at Shen Lanxi nervously, and when she saw her looking over, she quickly lowered her head in fright.

Shen Lanxi ignored her and looked at Shen Yuanxin!

"You've been practicing martial arts very diligently these past few days!"

Shen Yuanxin lowered his eyes: "Big sister, I've figured it out. I want to learn martial arts to protect my family!"

Shen Lanxi: "Not going to study anymore?"

Shen Yuanxin's lips stiffened: "Read, you need to study and practice martial arts!"

Shen Lanxi said expressionlessly, "Go back now. You can decide for yourselves what to do and what not to do. Don't disappoint me!"

Shen Yuanxin nodded and left, and Shen Yuanrui quickly followed after him.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the snow that no one had cleared on the ground was already half a person high. Fortunately, the snow finally stopped.

These past few days, villagers have been coming over to visit them from time to time under the guise of shoveling snow. The women have even started exchanging shoe patterns with the other women in the village and chatting with each other about everyday life.

They were naturally not foolish enough to reveal their identities as exiled prisoners, so they agreed to use the pretext of seeking refuge with relatives.

"My lord, when shall we depart?" Liu Yan asked as she ran over.

If we wait for the snow to melt completely, it will probably have to wait until next spring.

But leaving now is definitely not a wise choice!

"Three more days!"

"If no one in the neighborhood manages to find their way out in the next three days, it will be frozen solid. That way, if we take the wrong path, we won't fall into an ice hole!"

In this freezing weather, if you fall into a river that isn't completely frozen, you're almost certainly going to die!

Liu Yanhui had a solution: "We can hire a local as a guide, and then switch to a local guide when we reach the next village or town."

Shen Lanxi: "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)