Chapter 232 [VIP]

The Lunar New Year is just two weeks away, and it's getting colder every day these past few days.

The Ministry of Agriculture has already taken a break and will resume work in February after the New Year. The Ministry of Revenue will have two more days off.

Taking advantage of the few days she had free time, Wang Ying quickly sent out all the New Year's gifts that needed to be given. After Chen Qingyan took a break, they would return to their hometown in Jizhou. After the New Year, Yuanbao would also be taking the prefectural examination.

In the morning, Fourth Aunt came with Bai Shi. The two of them brought quite a few things. "I heard you're going back to Jizhou, so you can take these things back with you. There are some bolts of cloth that I bought for your mother and Third Sister, as well as food and supplies for the adults and children."

"Why did you take so much?"

"I haven't been back for several years. Yanqing is pregnant this year and can't go back either, so I'll just take this opportunity to bring it back for my fourth aunt."

Bai Yanqing smiled shyly, supporting her belly. This was her and Qing Huai's third child. Their second child was born two years ago, but unfortunately, they didn't survive; the baby died of a high fever when the child was a little over a year old.

This incident was a huge blow to my fourth uncle's family, and Bai Shi was unable to get over it for a long time, almost taking her own life.

Later, Qinghuai comforted her every day, and her fourth aunt also comforted her often. Gradually, Bai Shi came out of it, and her personality became much more easygoing than before.

This child is hard-won, and the whole family cherishes him dearly, hoping he will be born safely and peacefully.

Wang Ying said, "Okay, I'll bring you some food from Jizhou when I get back."

Fang Ling smiled and said, "That's great! I love our Jizhou jujube cake the most. If I have time, I'll bring some for my fourth aunt."

After a while, Bai Shi felt a little tired. This is common during pregnancy; sitting for too long can cause back pain. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Fang Ling took her daughter-in-law home.

In the afternoon, Lin Sui brought Qing'er as well. In just a few years, Qing'er has grown into a beautiful young woman. Last year, she got engaged to the heir of the Duke's mansion, and they will get married after the New Year.

"Qing'er is here! Come in quickly, it's been so long since I've seen you."

"Greetings, Uncle."

Lin Sui took off the cloaks that Qing'er and she were wearing and handed them to the servants, pretending to scold them, "Sister-in-law is a very busy person, how could I dare to come and bother you?"

Wang Ying laughed and slapped him on the back, "You always make fun of your sister-in-law."

"But my sister-in-law is indeed famous now. I heard that people have renamed the potato you cultivated as Yingdou."

Wang Ying was both amused and exasperated when she thought about it. It all started with the printing of the book. After the potatoes were distributed to various places, the local government was responsible for teaching the local people how to grow them. Lord Wen asked Wang Ying to write a manual on potato cultivation, which was printed and sent to various places along with the potatoes.

Whether by coincidence or design, when the seal was being engraved, Wang Ying's name was placed before "potato"—Wang Ying Potato. To save trouble, local governments simplified it to "Ying Bean," hence the name.

Wang Ying's story of cultivating potatoes spread throughout the country, with some even claiming he was the reincarnation of Shennong, the legendary Chinese emperor. The stories were so detailed and convincing that some people even wrote books to record them.

I guess those mythological stories I read in my past life were passed down in this way.

"By the way, Lord Marquis, you ran into my cousin yesterday. I heard you're going back to Jizhou for the New Year this year?"

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I'm packing my things right now. My fourth aunt just came over this morning with a bunch of stuff for me to take back with me."

“It’s perfect that we’re going back together. Mu Ge and I have already decided to go back for the Chinese New Year this year.”

"That's great! With the Marquis protecting us, the journey will definitely be smooth."

"Where is the gold ingot?"

"He went to Uncle Si's place with Old Liang, and he probably won't be back until tonight."

"Shouldn't we take the prefectural examination?"

"Yes, it's time to take the exam after the Lantern Festival. However, Qingyan's idea is to let Yuanbao start his studies after the academy exam, and not rush to take the provincial exam."

Why is that?

“Yuanbao is still young. Once he passes the exam, he will have to prepare to enter officialdom. It is not a good thing for him to get involved in officialdom at such a young age. It is not too late for him to gain more experience outside for a few years.”

Lin Sui nodded. "Indeed, there are all kinds of people in officialdom, including some unscrupulous individuals who are despicable. It would be bad if they were led astray."

Wang Ying sensed the hidden meaning in his words, so she asked Qing'er to leave, "Yuanbao has caught a few cats. Qing'er, go and see if there are any you like. Bring one back later."

Qing'er's eyes widened upon hearing this. She had always wanted to have a cat, but her father wouldn't allow it. She turned to Lin Sui and asked, "Father, can I have one?"

"Go ahead, but be careful not to get scratched."

"It's only been a little over a month, you won't hurt anyone, go ahead."

Lin Sui only spoke after Qing'er left, "A while ago, Duke Feng celebrated his sixtieth birthday, and the Marquis also went. After the banquet, Duke Feng said that he and the Marquis hit it off immediately and insisted on giving him two concubines."

"Duke Feng... could he be the Emperor's brother-in-law?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

"Did the Marquis accept those two?"

"How could I dare not accept them? Offending him is the same as offending the Empress. Although Brother Mu has the status of a Marquis, he has no way to contend with these royal relatives. Besides, I heard that Duke Feng is a petty person. If he really makes things difficult for us behind our backs, it will be even more troublesome. In the spirit of avoiding trouble, the Marquis accepted the two of them."

Wang Ying recalled attending a tea party at her superior's house in Qingyan, where she had heard that Duke Feng was fond of giving away concubines. She never expected that he would give one to her cousin.

What happened to the two concubines?

"My lord, just hand him over to me and do as you see fit, just don't put him in the manor."

Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief. To be fair, Li Mu's character was decent; at least he wouldn't make a mistake when it came to women.

"I don't know what to do with these two people either. Their identities are special, so we can't just sell them off directly. I can only find a courtyard outside to take care of them for now, and then we'll figure out a way to release them later." Lin Sui's head ached just thinking about it.

Wang Ying said, "You don't need to worry. It's just a matter of giving us food. As long as the Marquis is of one mind with you, nothing else matters."

"I understand."

After a while, Qing'er came out carrying a little white kitten. "Uncle, can I have this one?"

"Okay, take it back. I'll tell Yuanbao when he gets back."

The two agreed on a departure date, and Lin Sui had to go back to pack her things in advance. Wang Ying didn't ask them to stay, and she also had to pack her things quickly.

I haven't been back for more than three years, and there's quite a lot to take back.

In recent years, both he and Qingyan have been in office and cannot easily leave the capital. If it weren't for the Yuanbao Imperial Examination, they probably would have had to postpone it even further.

This time when Wang Ying went back, he planned to bring Li Shi to the capital to live permanently. As the eldest son and son-in-law, he had the responsibility and obligation to support his elderly mother. In addition, the medical skills in the capital were much better than those in Jizhou Prefecture. It would be more convenient for the elderly woman to see a doctor if she had a headache or fever.

*

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the two families set off together towards Jizhou.

As soon as we left the city, snowflakes began to fall, quickly covering the roads in white. This was the first real snowfall of the year, as it was the first snowfall of the year so far.

When the carriage reached the vicinity of Ning'an County, the snow was too heavy to continue the journey, so they decided to go into the town to rest for a day.

Li Mu had previously stationed his troops in Ning'an County, so he was quite familiar with the area. He led everyone to a post station to stay overnight.

The heavy snow these past few days has probably stopped many traveling merchants, so the post station is quite crowded. With the New Year just around the corner, everyone's faces are beaming with smiles, showing that business has been good this year.

Li Mu was an outgoing person. Once outside the military camp, he was very approachable and quickly became friends with the other merchants. He even pulled Chen Qingyan and Chen Ze to sit with the merchants and chat.

Wang Ying said, "Your lord is truly exceptional when it comes to making friends, unlike your cousin, who's so unyielding you won't utter a word even if you beat him three times."

Lin Sui couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Cousin, that's inner beauty; your inner learning brings out your natural elegance."

"Forget it." In modern times, Chen Qingyan would be a tough guy; if he could stay home and study, he wouldn't go out even once.

The conversation was loud, so Wang Ying pricked up her ears and listened for a few moments.

"This year, there has been a bumper harvest of green beans in the north, and every household is able to eat their fill. In Laizhou, some people have even made a type of noodle from green beans called 'Green Bean Noodles,' which is selling like hotcakes!"

Someone asked, "What is this 'England Bean Strip'?"

“You can use them to stew vegetables and meat; they taste really good. I just brought back a few packs from over there, planning to have my family try them. If you want some, I'll sell them to you at cost price.” One of the merchants told his assistant to fetch something from the cart. Soon after, he returned with several burlap sacks filled with bundles of green bean strips.

Wang Ying was stunned when she took a look. Wasn't this vermicelli?

Although the thickness is not very uniform and the color is not very appealing, it is definitely made from potato starch.

Indeed, the world is never short of talented people. I only introduced potatoes three years ago, and someone has already invented vermicelli!

I should buy some to try; this stuff tastes amazing when stewed with pork!

Wang Ying asked Chen Ju to inquire about the price. A bundle cost eighty coins, about half a pound, which was neither expensive nor cheap. She bought half a sack and loaded it onto the carriage.

Merchants who have traveled far and wide are well-informed and can tell that Li Mu and Chen Qingyan are not ordinary people. Their words reveal caution and respect.

"Judging from your accents, are you two from Jizhou?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "Yes, my hometown is in Jizhou Prefecture, and I do some fur business in the capital."

"It's quite an achievement to be able to establish a foothold in Kyoto; you must be a big merchant. But business has indeed become much easier in the north these past few years, and many merchants from the south are also flocking here."

Chen Qingyan said, "Why do you say business is easier in the north?"

“In the past, the South was rich because of its smooth waterways and convenient transportation, which made doing business cheaper. The North was all land routes, and it was easy to encounter bandits. Although you could make money by doing business, you risked your life.”

The merchant blew on the tea leaves, took a sip, and continued, "Nowadays, there are more soybeans in the north. If every household plants an acre of land, they won't go hungry all winter. Fewer people are going up the mountain to become bandits. If you can eat your fill, who would bother with robbery and plunder? Naturally, it's much easier to run a business!"

"No wonder, it seems that the green beans really played a big role." Chen Qingyan smiled and glanced at her husband beside her.

Wang Ying blushed and pointed at him, while Chen Qingyan quickly buried his head in his tea.

Another merchant said, "If you ask me, this Lord Ying is truly a reincarnation of Shennong. Someone in Laizhou built a shrine for him and enshrined his statue, called the Yingwang Temple. It's quite popular."

"Pfft..." Wang Ying couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of tea, while Lin Sui, who was sitting next to her, laughed so hard she almost fell over.

*

The heavy snow stopped the next day, and the group continued their journey.

Once they entered Jizhou, they were not far from home. After the snow stopped, the weather cleared up. Wang Ying looked out the car window and saw the vast expanse of white snow nourishing this land that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Are we not just grains of millet on this land, subject to the changing times, the cycles of life, and the unchanging nature of time...?

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, they finally arrived in Jizhou City. After entering the city gate, they went straight home, knocked on the door, and the elderly Uncle Chen came out to greet them.

"The old lady has been looking forward to you since she received the letter. Everything at home is ready, just waiting for you to come back for the New Year."

Chen Ze hurriedly ran into the courtyard, calling out, "Grandmother!"

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan also called out, "Mother!"

A clear, bright reply came from inside the house, "Oh, everyone's back?"

At this moment, the weary heart finally found its home. Mother was at home, and they had arrived home!

-end-

A note from the author:

The main story is now complete.

If I were to continue writing, there would inevitably be more sorrow and parting, so let's end with the moment of family reunion.

Thank you to all the friends who have accompanied me along the way. Thank you for your comments, criticisms, and support, which have helped me to complete this book and give Aying and Qingyan a complete life.

They may not be perfect, but no one is perfect, and even regrets are a special kind of experience.

Thank you again to all the readers who subscribed to the official version! Thank you for your support!

There are also side stories planned, including Yuanbao taking the imperial examination, Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan's retirement life, and an IF storyline with another Wang Ying (the ancient Wang Ying travels to the modern era).