303. We're all home now.

the next day.

morning.

After finishing breakfast, the little girl tugged at Jiang Xiyue's clothes, her eyes sparkling: "Mother, Yue'er wants to go outside the city to find Sister Fufu."

Upon hearing "outside the city," Jiang Xiyue immediately frowned: "Outside the city is too far, and you did the incident outside the city before. Mother is worried about you. How about we don't go?"

Marquis Beiding nodded in agreement: "Yes, Yue'er, things outside the city are different from inside. What if something else happens?"

Jin Qizhi and her second brother also advised, "Little sister, let's play in the city. I'll buy you delicious food, and your second brother can play with you. Isn't that better than going outside the city?"

But the little dumpling shook her head: "No, Yue'er promised to go see Sister Fufu, and I can't go back on my word."

Seeing that she had made a promise, and considering that the Prince of Zhennan was no longer capable of causing trouble, he decided to take action.

Jiang Xiyue sighed, "Fine, fine, you can go if you want. Your mother will accompany you personally, along with dozens of servants, all armed, to protect us all the way."

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Mother!"

-

The group headed out of the city in a grand procession.

The journey was smooth, and we arrived at Lin Fuman's place in no time.

The little dumpling heard a familiar barking sound, looked next door, and saw three familiar big yellow dogs.

The old lady next door was feeding them meat. She recognized the little dumpling and greeted her with a smile.

To Grandma, Little Dumpling and Lin Fuman are like money-giving boys.

Not long after Lin Fuman borrowed the dog, Xiao Tuanzi came with people to explain the situation and gave her some money.

For families like theirs, keeping dogs is just for guarding the house. They usually feed them leftovers and never thought that these three dogs could make them money.

She happily accepted it, thinking it wouldn't matter if she didn't come back.

Unexpectedly, Lin Fuman returned with the dog, not only bringing it back healthy but also giving her two sums of money.

One payment was for borrowing the dog, and the other was for the dog's food and labor costs.

She was overjoyed.

They were all neighbors, and she wasn't a bad person. Besides, she had grown up with the dogs and had developed some affection for them, so she naturally wouldn't embezzle the money meant for the dogs; she simply spent it on them.

They built a new home for each of the dogs, provided them with good food and drink every day, and took them out for walks from time to time.

After all, this is the money these dogs earned for her.

Just the other two sums of money alone amount to a lot!

As for Lin Fuman...

The same familiar person was at the door, and opened it for Xiao Tuanzi and Jiang Xiyue.

As soon as she entered the door, Jiang Xiyue frowned.

The yard was a mess. The snow on the ground hadn't been cleared and was still there. You didn't know what was underneath, and even the snow was uneven.

Some withered branches and fallen leaves were scattered on the ground, and the windows inside the house were not closed properly, making it look particularly desolate.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Fuman came out to greet them, scratching her head a little embarrassedly: "Madam, Yue'er, please forgive my rudeness, I haven't had time to tidy up these past two days."

Jiang Xiyue stepped forward and took Lin Fuman's hand. This was the first time she had seen Lin Fuman in a long time.

Seeing that she had gotten much darker, and touching her hands, which were rough and covered with various tiny scars, and were icy cold, she suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.

Jiang Xiyue took out a stack of silver coins from her bosom and stuffed them into her hand: "Child, you live alone, how come you take such good care of yourself? Take this money, buy some charcoal and some good food, don't mistreat yourself."

"Madam, no need, no need!" Lin Fuman quickly waved her hand and pushed the money back. "I have money, I don't need you to give me any. If you do this, I'll feel embarrassed."

"You child, why are you being so polite with me!" Jiang Xiyue handed over the money again. "Thank you for taking care of my Yue'er these past few days. I'm giving you some money as a token of my appreciation. You must accept it."

The two girls pushed and shoved each other back and forth. The little dumpling came over, tugged at Lin Fuman's arm, and said softly, "Sister Fufu, please accept it. Mother will be at ease if you accept it. If you ever run out of money, just go to the mansion and ask Yue'er for it, and Yue'er will give it to you!"

Lin Fuman hesitated for a moment, but in the end she didn't refuse anymore. She took the money and said softly, "Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Little Moon."

Jiang Xiyue then smiled and said to the servants behind her, "You guys stay here and clear the snow from the yard, clean up the dead branches, close the windows in the house, and help burn some charcoal."

"Yes, Madam." Several servants immediately responded and began to busy themselves.

Lin Fuman quickly reminded them, "Uncles, don't throw away those things in the yard, they're all useful."

"Don't worry, young lady, we'll only clean up the trash and clear the snow; we won't touch your things," the servant replied with a smile.

"Those aren't trash, they're useful. We just need to clear the snow. Thank you for your help."

The servants and Jiang Xiyue were all somewhat puzzled. Jiang Xiyue didn't understand but respected her: "Let's do as she says."

"Yes." The servants naturally didn't say anything more.

Lin Fuman smiled gratefully at her.

For her tiny five-year-old body, clearing snow was indeed a very tiring task.

When she got back yesterday, just cleaning up the room took all her energy.

She was just planning how to divide the cleanup into several days and sections, and now that someone is helping her, it's naturally the best thing.

Lin Fuman smiled and said, "Madam, Little Moon, shall I take you for a stroll on the street ahead? This town isn't big, but it has lots of delicious food and little trinkets for sale. It's very interesting."

"Okay, okay!" The little dumpling nodded immediately, took Lin Fuman's hand, and walked outside.

The streets were indeed bustling.

The snow has been cleared away, and everyone is out setting up stalls and doing business again.

Due to the heavy snow a while ago, many people were unable to come out and run their stalls, resulting in a loss of income.

So, since street vending has been allowed again recently, there are far more stalls than in previous seasons when the weather was good.

The road was bustling with people: some carrying loads of goods and hawking their wares, some strolling with their children, and others standing by the roadside greeting each other.

The sounds of talking, laughter, and hawking blended together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

As soon as the little dumpling stepped into the town, her eyes lit up: "Mommy, Sister Fufu, there are so many people here!"

Jiang Xiyue held her hand, reminding her, "There are many people, remember to hold your mother's hand."

Lin Fuman smiled and reached out to take the little dumpling's hand: "Let's walk together, so we won't get lost."

The three of them had only walked a few steps when they were attracted by a sugar painting stall by the roadside.

Several children were gathered in front of the stall, all craning their necks and staring intently at the old master craftsman behind the stall.

The master craftsman held a copper ladle filled with glistening sugar syrup. He tilted it slightly, and the syrup flowed out along the edge of the ladle, landing on the smooth stone slab.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the syrup seemed to have eyes.

First, I drew a round head, then I outlined long ears, followed by a round body, and finally I added a short tail and little paws.

In no time, a lifelike little rabbit took shape.

Insert a thin bamboo skewer, and once the sugar syrup has cooled slightly, the master craftsman gently scoops it up with a small spatula, and the sugar painting is completely lifted up and handed to the child at the front.

The child immediately cheered and took it, carefully licking it, which made the other children around him smack their lips in envy.

The little dumpling's eyes widened as she tugged at Jiang Xiyue's clothes, her voice crisp and clear: "Mommy, Mommy, Yue'er wants that little rabbit. Just like that little girl's, sparkly and so sweet!"

Jiang Xiyue smiled and nodded, then stepped forward: "Master, please make two little rabbits for the child, two identical ones."

The experienced chef looked up at the little girl and replied with a smile, "Alright! The little girl is so cute, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

As he spoke, he scooped up another spoonful of syrup, his wrist moving even faster than before.

In no time, two more exquisite little rabbits were finished, with some patterns specially embroidered on the tips of their ears, making them look especially adorable.

Jiang Xiyue paid for the sugar paintings and handed them to Xiao Tuanzi and Lin Fuman respectively, and also instructed them: "Eat slowly, be careful not to prick your mouth with the sticks, and don't throw the bamboo sticks on the ground after you finish eating, throw them into the bamboo basket next to you."

The little dumpling took the sugar painting, held it up carefully, and stared at it with bright, sparkling eyes, completely captivated by its novelty.

Lin Fuman also sighed a little.

This kind of snack still exists today.

However, they can only be seen during holidays and festivals.

It's a craft that's been passed down for thousands of years, but I wonder if the taste will be any different.

She took a small bite, and the syrup melted in her mouth, sweet and slightly caramelized.

Hmm, it all tastes like maltose.

However, the modern ones seem to be sweeter.

However, the ancient ones tasted better because they had the aroma of grains.

Simply put, it tastes more natural.