We need to go to the city to choose a school for Xiaoshu and Xiaocao. The distance from the village to the city is not short, so they may need to stay overnight at the academy. If they stay overnight, we need to prepare their food, clothing, and sleeping supplies in advance.

Thinking about all these things, Su Yun'er suddenly had a thought: why not just move to the city!

Moving to the city makes it easier for the children to go to and from school, and I can also find a shop in the city where I can get more customers.

However, moving and renting a new shop is not as simple as it seems. It requires a large sum of money, and you also need to discuss it with Grandma Chen. Finding a shop and other things also require careful planning.

However, she plans to set aside a few days to prepare some test questions to assess what the children have learned during this period.

Su Yun'er had to set exam questions, invigilate, and grade papers, so she knew she wouldn't be able to go to the city to cook for the Gu family's servants these days. Therefore, she asked Lian Ying for leave and recommended Lin Moniang to take her place.

"Lin Moniang?"

"Yes, she's a kitchen helper at my restaurant, and her cooking skills are praised by regular customers," Su Yun'er said.

Lian Yingtong smiled: "Since it's Lady Su who recommended you, what else is there to say? I absolutely trust you."

After thanking Lian Yingtong, Su Yun'er left a jar of honey.

This honey was obtained by upgrading the flowers grown in the space. It has a rich floral fragrance and a sweet taste, making it a top-quality product that cannot be bought outside.

After seeing Su Yun'er off, Lian Yingtong weighed the honey jar in her hand and couldn't help but smile.

He knew who would be happy that Lin Moniang was coming to replace Su Yun'er, but he didn't say anything.

***

When you're busy, time seems to fly by.

In the blink of an eye, the "exam week" for the children of Xiaocao came to an end.

Su Yun'er graded papers at home for several days in a row. Although she was tired, she was still quite satisfied with the results.

The saying "poor children learn to be independent early" is sometimes quite true. The children knew that this opportunity to study was rare, and everyone worked very hard, hoping to change or escape their fate of poverty.

While grading exam papers, Su Yun'er was thinking about moving to the city, and she thought of Gu Jingheng's neat and tidy little courtyard.

"Hmm, I like that courtyard. When I buy a house in the future, I want one like that too. Mr. Gu really has good taste."

Achoo!

Gu Jingheng, who was reviewing official documents in his study, sneezed for no apparent reason.

Gai Xue, who was taking a nap on his desk, was woken up. She meowed unhappily, then turned over and went back to sleep.

Gu Jingheng chuckled and ruffled his hair. Looking up, he saw Lin Moniang picking vegetables in the yard through the window.

The smile on his lips faded.

Lin Moniang has been cooking in place of Su Yun'er for a few days now. Although her cooking skills are not as good as Su Yun'er's, they are still delicious. Moreover, since Lin Moniang came, Xu Meng seems to be very happy, smiling more and often grinning foolishly. However, Gu Jingheng inexplicably feels that something is missing.

With a grin, Xu Meng knocked on the door, carrying a stack of official documents.

Gu Jingheng withdrew his gaze from the courtyard, gave Xu Meng a disapproving look, and then lowered his head to continue working.

Xu Meng was a little confused after being glared at, and the smile on his face turned into confusion: What did I do to offend the general?

After thinking it over and over without finding an answer, Xu Meng decided it was better to be cautious. He composed himself and knocked on the door again: "Young master, I've come to deliver some documents."

Only after receiving a barely audible "hmm" from Gu Jingheng did Xu Meng dare to step into the house.

Because they needed to discuss confidential matters, Xu Meng closed the doors and windows after entering the room before clasping his hands in a fist and bowing again, and said in a low voice, "General, the information that the brothers have collected these days has been compiled and organized. The information we have secretly investigated about Sun Chengye's private property has been compiled into a book, and it is all here."

Seeing Gu Jingheng flipping through the documents, Xu Meng continued in a low voice, "Sun Chengye owns numerous farmlands and shops, all of which are private properties. Many are hidden in the shadows. Unless one is determined to investigate, it is impossible to discover the connection between those assets and Sun Chengye. Moreover, Sun Chengye has businesses not only in our country but also in neighboring countries. He is involved in everything from cloth and livestock to fresh fruits and vegetables."

“I heard from the brothers who deliver vegetables to the Sun family that there are many strange and unusual fruits and vegetables in the Sun family’s kitchen that they don’t recognize. I asked them to draw pictures and send them out, and I could barely identify a few of them. These are the ones at the back.”

Gu Jingheng looked at the thick booklet, sneered, closed it, and said, "This booklet is too thick and too conspicuous. It's not suitable for secret delivery. Select these few important matters and secretly send them to the Seventh Prince in the capital."

Xu Meng immediately clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes!"

After discussing some military affairs in Yongcheng, Gu Jingheng dismissed Xu Meng.

The door opened and closed again, and then Gu Jingheng heard Xu Meng and Lin Moniang talking in the courtyard.

He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose: "Annoying."