Chapter 23 Sheltering from the Rain
"Let's get ready. It looks like it's going to rain, and everyone's luggage is short of rain gear. I hope I'm just overthinking it..."
Cheng Weiyao looked at Wen Liyu who came over and did not hide anything. Although her sister-in-law was naive and a little arrogant, she did not have any bad intentions. It was just her guess anyway, so there was no harm in sharing a few things.
"How about I go see how many rain gears are left? At least Mom and my little brother won't get wet. I don't mind..."
When Wen Liyu heard that it was going to rain, she immediately thought of the Imperial Noble Consort and Wen Chengming. However, when she was mentioned, she looked down at her new clothes, wondering whether she should find an opportunity to change them into older ones?
"No need to look, there's just enough for two of us. Everyone else has to figure it out on their own. If you're afraid of getting wet, do you want to come along?"
Cheng Weiyao noticed Wen Liyu's expression. Although survival and beauty are not in conflict, it is not easy to maintain both.
"I join, you say and I do."
She might be a little bit pampered in other aspects, but at this moment, Wen Liyu turned into a man of action. There was no way she could gamble, as the clothes were very expensive and the quantity was limited!
The simple straw raincoat can be made entirely from local materials, and the thatch and cattail along the way can be used as raw materials.
But before Cheng Weiyao traveled through time, she was a spatula holder, and her needlework skills were not very impressive. She could only briefly demonstrate the method of making a straw raincoat. In summary, there are actually three steps: weaving, positioning, and splicing.
When the female members of the family saw Cheng Weiyao's actions, they all began to imitate her, and a strange gap appeared in the exile team.
The men in front were carrying heavy objects and walking, while the women behind were weaving things. Wang Gang and the officials saw it all but did not say anything. As long as it did not delay their journey, they let them do what they wanted.
Wen Liyu understood, but she couldn't agree with Cheng Weiyao's crude and clumsy needlework. She looked at Cheng Weiyao with a strange expression and asked, "I heard that the daughters of you officials embroider your own wedding dresses when you get married. Although you and my brother haven't worshipped heaven and earth, I see that your dress is quite exquisite and complicated..."
Cheng Weiyao was stunned by the question. Indeed, there were very few women in this era who were not good at needlework. Except for princesses like Wen Liyu whose marriage was directly arranged by the Ministry of Rites and who only needed to wait for marriage, ordinary women did embroider their own wedding dresses.
"I was originally a substitute bride. The wedding dress belonged to Cheng Weining, not embroidered by me. To be honest, I wasn't your sister-in-law at first..."
Cheng Weiyao immediately thought of the reason. She was just a filler brought in by the Duke's Mansion. It was impossible for the Qinghe Palace to have a new wedding dress after the incident overnight. It was most likely the work of Cheng Weining.
"The Duke's Mansion is a shrewd man! Once my brother gains power, we'll deal with them sooner or later..."
Wen Liyu frowned, murmured a few words, and lowered her head to concentrate on weaving the straw raincoat.
Cheng Weiyao's words made her feel a little guilty. In fact, the Qingping Palace owed Cheng Weiyao a little...
The team soon arrived at the resting place, and the women's straw raincoats had basically entered the final splicing process, so they needed to stop and use needles and thread.
Cheng Weiyao took a look at everyone's progress and began to try to use the oilcloth in the supplies to teach everyone how to make some simple umbrellas. The large frame was easy to find. Sturdy branches and trunks were used as umbrella handles and ribs, and then covered with oilcloth and fixed.
"It rains a lot in most cities. Madam, you are kind and gentle, thank you for your hard work."
Wen Chengyun walked over to Cheng Weiyao and sat down, reaching out to help her hold the umbrella stand to make it easier for her to secure it.
During his exile, he vaguely felt the unusual movements of the team behind him, but he soon calmed down and did not take it to heart.
Now it seems that my wife has some sense of foresight...
As the two were talking, a loud thunder flashed in the sky and heavy rain began to fall. The officials were quick to run to the small shed where they were resting to take shelter from the rain.
The exiles were in a miserable state. Those who were lucky enough to run fast hid under the donkey's shed, while most of them hid under the trees.
At this time, the women's straw raincoats and umbrellas come in handy. The men basically have to work, so their hands must be free, and straw raincoats are the most suitable. The women hold umbrellas to avoid the rain. The umbrella frames are made of local materials and are mostly light, so they don't feel tired even if they hold them for a long time.
In the heavy rain, the beauty standing with an umbrella in the distance looked quite charming. Everyone's favorability towards Cheng Weiyao also increased with the sudden heavy rain.
"Of course, they're all quite clever. As the old saying goes, hoe the fields when it's rainy, and plant the seedlings when it's rainy. Don't rest, stretch your muscles!"
Wang Gang looked at everyone's leisurely expressions, ate peanuts and started giving orders.
The officials began to shout at everyone to go to the fields. At this time, the rain had become much lighter and there was a hint of stopping. When the seedlings were small, the heavy rain could easily kill them, so it was a good time to work.
The men came forward wearing straw raincoats, but the officers were obviously not satisfied with this.
"Why, only the men are exiled? I won't talk about the old people and children, but you women are all intact, waiting for me to treat you."
Wang Gang glanced at the women standing with umbrellas and raised his eyebrows slightly. He knew that this was an exile, but he didn't think that these young ladies from official families were out for a trip and happened to encounter rain.
The fields were already muddy, and with the continuous drizzle, it was inevitable that shoes and socks would get dirty. As soon as Wen Liyu put one foot in, she retreated back to the edge of the field with a look of disgust.
"Cheng Weiyao, please think of a solution! This field is so dirty, I don't even want my clothes, shoes, or socks anymore! When has a princess like me ever done this kind of work?"
Cheng Weiyao was rolling up her sleeves and working in the fields to plant seedlings. When she turned around and saw Wen Liyu's delicate appearance, she immediately frowned.
As a sister-in-law, her status is the highest among all the women who went to the fields, and the psychological barrier is the most difficult to overcome. However, exile is a journey of hardship. If she can't endure this little hardship, the days to come will only be more difficult.
"I can't help it. You must adapt to your current life as soon as possible. This is just the beginning. Your exile will last a long time. If you don't adapt now, you'll be dead later!"
Cheng Weiyao said something harsh and lowered her head to work without looking at her anymore. In fact, what she said was half true and half false.
With Wen Chengyun as her brother, Wen Liyu's life would definitely be safe, but it was true that she didn't want a sister-in-law who would be a burden...
Hearing this, Wen Liyu's face turned pale. She always felt that there was still room for improvement. After all, the reason for the exile was not because of the dispute between her brother and the emperor.
What deep hatred or grudge could there be between father and son? Who knows, one day the emperor might finally come to his senses and summon them back to the capital...
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