Chapter 229 As long as the tree is not dug up

There was a flash of surprise in Xie Yan's eyes. He didn't expect that Li Wanyue had prepared a gift for him.

He opened it and saw a green jade hairpin inside.

Li Wanyue said, "It's a pair with the one on my head. It was given by the emperor. I had someone carve words on it. The words are the same as the one on the jade pendant you gave me."

Xie Yan took a look and saw that the word "Yan Yue" was indeed engraved on the top of the hairpin.

"I like it very much." The smile in his eyes was about to overflow, and he looked at her: "Yueyue, can you help me put it on?"

Li Wanyue nodded, stood up, held the jade crown on his head, took out the silver hairpin, and put it on.

"It suits you very well."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The cold wind was howling outside the window, but the flower hall was steaming hot. Fragrant dumplings were served on the table, accompanied by delicious mutton soup and a few side dishes. Satisfied smiles bloomed on everyone's face.

The next day, Li Wanyue and Xie Yan went to You'an Temple. The carriage was covered with thick blankets, a copper hand warmer, and a small stove, so it was not cold at all.

You'an Temple is on the mountain. The road leading to the mountain is all bluestone steps, and carriages can only go to the foot of the mountain.

After getting off the carriage, Li Wanyue looked at the mountain in front of him. It was surrounded by mist and the snow on the bluestone steps had been cleared.

Xie Yan looked at her. The red cloak made her look brighter and her little face wrapped in white fox fur made her look even more charming.

The two walked up the mountain hand in hand, and Qingfeng and Qingqi followed behind with food boxes.

The green pines and cypresses on the roadside were covered with white snow. The mountains were very quiet, with only the occasional sound of snow falling to the ground.

After climbing for about an incense stick's time, Li Wanyue felt hot all over and her face flushed. She wanted to take off her cloak.

Xie Yan leaned in front of her and said, "I'll carry you."

"I'm not tired." Li Wanyue shook her head. She exercised every day and often ran up the mountain. This distance was nothing to her.

"It will take another stick of incense to arrive."

Li Wanyue smiled and lay on his back.

Xie Yan pretended to struggle to stand up: "Oh, it's a bit heavy. Maybe I ate too much in the winter and gained a lot of weight."

"Why don't you say that you're weak? I'm so thin and it's hard for you to carry me. Go back and exercise until you can hold me up with both hands. Now you want to regret not carrying me, but I won't get off and walk."

The elegant fragrance lingered and the warm breath sprinkled on his ears, and Xie Yan couldn't help but tighten his arms.

He smiled and replied, "Yes, I will listen to my wife and exercise well."

Qingfeng and Qingqi looked at each other and ate dog food silently.

On the way, I happened to meet a few people going to the temple, including a young scholar and a young couple. When the woman saw the two of them, she was envious but was too embarrassed to let her husband carry her on his back.

After a stick of incense, a temple appeared before our eyes.

Li Wanyue patted Xie Yan hurriedly and said, "You can put it down now."

"Didn't you say you couldn't come down and walk?"

"Are you going to carry me on your back all the time? Didn't you just say I was heavy?"

"No matter how heavy it is, as long as you don't want to walk, I will carry you."

Li Wanyue felt sweet in her heart. Who doesn’t like to hear nice words?

"Let me down."

Only then did Xie Yan put the man down.

Walking into the temple, you can smell the smoke of incense. In the yard stands a sturdy old locust tree, the ground is paved with bluestone slabs, and in the yard are monks in robes, quietly doing their own things.

Maybe because of the snow, there were not many people in the temple.

The two of them went to the main hall to pay their respects and added some incense money.

Then went to the back mountain.

From a distance, you can see a yellow ocean.

As you get closer, the fragrance of wintersweet hits you.

The scholars who came together to recite poems and compose essays in the plum forest were so elegant.

There are several pavilions in the plum forest for people to rest and enjoy the flowers.

The pavilion chosen by Xie Yan is a place where one can enjoy both wintersweets and red plum blossoms. However, the red plum blossoms not far away have only some buds and have not yet bloomed.

Qingfeng and Qingqi boiled tea on a small stove and placed snacks, fruits and teacups on the table.

Li Wanyue walked around and returned to the pavilion. She asked Xie Yan, "Can I pick these plum blossoms? If I can, pick a few and take them back."

"Sure, as long as you don't dig up the whole tree, you can pick as much as you want."

"Don't tell me, I really want to dig one up and plant it in my backyard."

Xie Yan poured some tea into her cup and said with a smile, "I had someone build a garden in the manor and plant some plum trees there, including winter plums and red plums. If you like, you can see them every winter day."

Li Wanyue's eyes lit up: "That's great."

"Yes, do you want to hold your wedding in Beijing or here?"

Li Wanyue asked: "What do you think?"

"If we hold the wedding in Beijing, there will be more relatives and friends to witness it. You will be carried directly into the gate of Xie Mansion, but I don't have much affection for that place, and your family will have to go to Beijing, so it will be troublesome. I think it is better to hold it here, and hold a thank-you banquet in Beijing after the wedding, so that relatives there can recognize you. However, my parents and uncle and other relatives will come here."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Xie Yan took out his flute, and the song "Silent Empty Mountain" slowly began to play.

The mist dissipated, revealing the warm sun, white plum blossoms, green pines and bamboos, and the sound of the flute echoing in the woods.

Children, don’t be greedy, the New Year will come when Laba Festival comes.

As the year draws to a close, Xie Yan and Shen Yu bring the old couple back to Beijing.

Every household in Daohua Village was preparing for the New Year. On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, the school was on holiday and Li Wanyue also closed the shop. Based on the sales and the length of time the shop was open, she gave each employee a year-end bonus, with the most being ten taels and the least being one or two taels.

The shop assistants didn't expect such a good thing to happen. In the past, they could only get some rice and flour from the owner.

I was very happy to receive so much money directly.

On the 23rd, sugar sticks to the official, on the 24th, sweep the house...

The Li family cleaned the house thoroughly, prepared plenty of New Year's goods, and fried a lot of things, such as crispy meat, tofu slices, meatballs, radish balls, fried fish...

Zhao Mancang and Zhao Manliang came specially and brought some food and toys.

Then they paid back the money that Li Youshan had lent them last time.

Li Youshan refused, but the two Zhao brothers were very persistent.

Zhao Mancang said gratefully, "Dashan, Suying, if it weren't for your help, we wouldn't know what would happen to us now. Thanks to you for lending us money, training the two brats, and letting us grow potatoes and sell cakes, we have earned dozens of taels just from growing potatoes, and with the cakes, our family members don't quarrel anymore, and everyone has made a new fine cotton jacket.

Wen Liang and his friend also went home. With the care of Manager Zhou, they learned a lot and changed their bad habits. They said they were working hard to save money and strive to earn enough money as soon as possible to redeem their indentures. This is all thanks to Yueyue and you, otherwise these two people would have been beaten to a pulp by the people in the gambling house.

Now that I don’t have any debts, I feel much more relieved.”

Zhao Suying asked, "How is Xiuying?"

"She's fine. Ever since she came to your house for the house-warming banquet last time, the Zhang family has not dared to neglect her. Later, when they heard that Yueyue was conferred the title of county lady, they dared not say a single harsh word to her. As a result, Sui Sui's life in the Zhang family has become much better."

"That's good."

She felt relieved because her family was living a good life.