Chapter 81
It was a beautiful, warm spring day, bright and warm without being too hot. Yao Chunnuan took little Yao Xi out to bask in the sun in the yard. Her confinement period was supposed to last forty days, but after thirty, she couldn't stay indoors any longer. Not even her mother could stop her from leaving.
Yu Chen had also brought his wife and three-year-old daughter. A few butterflies flew into the garden, and she, guarded by her maids, stumbled and chased them, giggling as she ran. The noise caused little Yao Xi to turn her head repeatedly toward the source of the sound.
When Meng Yi returned, he went straight to Yao's house.
When Mrs. Yu saw him coming, she knew they had something to discuss, so she took her daughter and the others and cleared the place out. Yao's mother was busy in the kitchen, and seeing this, she quickly invited the mother and daughter in to taste the delicious food.
After Meng Yi came in, he sat down on the chair and said, "I'm back and have successfully completed the task! And I also exchanged all the silver into gold." As he said this, he tossed the bulging purse in his hand up.
"He is little Yaoxi's father after all. Is it okay to blackmail him like this?" Yu Chen pretended to persuade him.
Yao Chunnuan rolled her eyes. "He showed no mercy when he was trying to steal my work and our achievements. Also, when you're trying to persuade someone, try to control that look of anticipation."
"That's right, Chief Clerk Yao has shown mercy. He only asked for four thousand eight hundred taels for the sake of our little Yao Xi. Isn't that right, little Yao Xi?" As he said that, Meng Yi put his big head above little Yao Xi's cradle.
Little Yao Xi was shocked by his big face that fell from the sky. Her eyes widened and she even forgot to suck her hands.
"What are you guessing about?" Yao Chunnuan quickly shooed him away to prevent his daughter from being frightened. "We should be considerate of the difficulties they face in the newly arrived Yichun camp, as they haven't established a firm foothold yet. Believe it or not, if you ask for more than five thousand, this deal is a sure thing."
Meng Yi: Uh, so this is the only amount of oil you can squeeze out of Wang Lang? He's too thin.
Meng Yi was driven away, but he was not panicked. He held the bright red purse and waved it above little Yao Xi.
Little Yao Xi lay in the cradle, sucking on his little fist again, his eyes moving around with the bright red purse.
"How about giving this gold to our little Yao Xi as some private money?"
Yao Chunnuan's face darkened, "Take it." If Wang Lang knew that the money finally fell into Yao Xi's pocket, he would probably be very angry.
"But how can I deposit these 4,800 taels of silver into the public account?" Meng Yi threw the bag of gold aside with a look of disdain.
"That's too much, General Meng. Do you think four thousand eight hundred taels are unfair to you? You are so arrogant." Yu Chen shook his head with a sigh.
"That's right. My appearance is so precious now." Meng Yi said proudly, "In fact, we can just send a young general for this matter. Even Wang Lang wouldn't dare to refuse."
Yu Chen smiled, "You have to make this trip."
Yao Chunnuan didn't say anything and let Yu Chen explain.
"Why?"
"Silly boy, of course it's to divert Wang Lang's attention, eliminate his suspicion, and protect our sweet potato vines."
Sweet potato vines? Those two acres of vine-like things, Yu Changshi's treasure? What's so special about them? Meng Yi wondered.
Currently, only four people in the entire military settlement know that sweet potatoes are a high-yield crop: the general, Chief Steward Wu, Yu Chen, and herself.
Seeing his confusion, Yu Chen didn't explain anything. He just patted his shoulder and said, "You'll understand later. For now, just remember that these sweet potato vines are our military garrison's treasures. They are very special and important. We must protect them well on weekdays."
After asking for permission, the four thousand eight hundred taels were finally used to provide more food for the residents.
For little Yao Xi's full-moon banquet, Yao Chunnuan thought about it and decided to set up sixty tables to entertain the leaders of the military settlement. In addition, she asked several large canteens to slaughter thirty pigs as an extra dish for the residents of the military settlement.
Of these thirty pigs, ten were from the military farm, and the other twenty were ordered from an outside butcher. It wasn't that they didn't want to buy more, but even if they wanted to, they were out of stock.
On the day of little Yao Xi's full moon, the entire military settlement was given a day off, and the atmosphere was lively. Especially when the kitchen staff lined up thirty pigs to be slaughtered, the old and young in the military came to watch the excitement, just like the New Year's pig-killing ceremony in the village.
"Milk, meat--" the children in the military settlement pointed at the big fat pig and shouted at the adults with saliva dripping from their mouths.
"Yes, Rourou, today is the full moon of Yao Zhubo's little daughter, so our little treasure has the chance to eat Rourou. You must thank your little sister when you have the chance in the future, okay?"
There are many similar conversations.
Of the thirty pigs, five were taken for the feast, while the remaining twenty-five were made into a stew, which the canteen staff distributed to the settlers as an added side dish. In reality, these twenty-five pigs only yielded two to three thousand pounds of meat, including offal. Divided among eighty to ninety thousand people, each person would only receive two or three slices of meat. But at least the dish was oily.
On the day of the full moon, the weather was fine and sunny. Sixty tables of banquets were set up on the ground floor of the No. 1 kitchen of the military settlement, extending from the inside to the outside in four rows.
To avoid some trouble, the seats are arranged in advance.
Xing's father and mother, along with the rest of the Xing family, found their family's seats in the second row, second column.
Xing's mother looked around and said, "Isn't this full-moon banquet too lively?" She also heard that half of the money for the banquet came from the military settlement. Wasn't this just to give the Yao family a good name? Could it be that what her daughter said was true, and that her son really had other thoughts about that woman?
Chief Steward Wu explained with a smile, "This is the first happy event in the military settlement since the beginning of spring, so it's only natural that there's some excitement. Besides, the people in the settlement have been busy with spring plowing lately, and the workload is heavy. It's time to make some extra money, and holding it during the full moon celebration for Master Yao's daughter is perfect."
The Yao family's table was right next to the Xing family's. Xing's mother heard what she said and turned around with a smile, saying, "Madam Xing, this is nothing special. When the general gets married in the future, there will be a hundred tables. That will be a grand occasion."
Hearing this, Xing's mother smiled.
Just as the banquet was about to begin, Xing Changfeng also arrived. As he walked along, his subordinates greeted him along the way.
"General..."
"General..."
Xing Changfeng's seat wasn't at the Xing family table, but at the head table, reserved for high-ranking officials from the military settlement. But as he passed his parents' table, he deliberately sat down and chatted with his family for a while.
"Changfeng, your sister..." Seeing her son happy, Xing's mother spoke tentatively.
Xing Changfeng frowned, "Mom, don't mention her on this wedding day. And as far as I'm concerned, she's already dead. If you want to recognize her, just do it, but don't bring me into this. I don't have such a sister anyway."
Xing's mother wanted to say something, but was stopped by Xing's father.
Upon hearing this, the other members of the Xing family exchanged glances. It seemed that they would have to keep their distance from Miss Xing Xingyue from now on.
Xing Changfeng had long known that his sister was still in Yichun, and that she was with that man. He ignored her but didn't drive her away either. After his parents arrived in Yichun, she secretly contacted his mother, hoping to get her to accept her, her unborn child, and Lin Jingzhou.
He knew all of this, yet he hated her actions. His sister wanted everything, but she didn't have the ability to do it. She only used blood ties and family affection to blackmail her family. It would have been fine if she was as stupid as a pig and willing to be used, but she had to drag her family into being used with her.
He saw all of this, but his mother, with her kind heart, couldn't see that his sister had become such a selfish person. It was because of his parents that he didn't take things too far, but his patience was limited. If she continued to provoke him, don't blame him for being cruel.
Xing's mother looked gloomy.
Seeing his mother like this, Xing Changfeng no longer wanted to sit at this table, so he stood up and went to the head table. Steward Wu quickly followed. There, Yu Chen, Meng Yi, Ji Ze, Lu Chengjun, Zhou Yushu, and others were already present, with one seat reserved for Yao Chunnuan.
Yao Chunnuan finally arrived just as the feast was about to begin, holding her daughter. Little Yao Xi was also brought out with her; today was her big day, so how could she be absent?
Both mother and daughter were dressed to the nines, looking like true protagonists. Yao Chunnuan wore a red spring dress and blouse, a touch of exotic flair. The slightly loose waistband perfectly defined her figure, and her peach-blossom makeup gave her a dignified, bright, and graceful look. Little Yao Xi wore the same hat and swaddling clothes as her mother.
After the meal started, she ate a few bites to fill her stomach, handed her daughter to Yao's mother, and then Yao's eldest cousin and second brother accompanied her to toast at each table, with Axia following behind with a watering can.
The first table is for the general and his colleagues.
Yao Chunnuan held up the wine glass and said with a smile, "General, Chief Steward Wu, Chief Secretary Yu, and all my colleagues, without further ado, I appreciate your hospitality these days. I offer a toast to you."
Everyone stood up at the same time and drank the cup to the brim.
After drinking it all, she turned the glass upside down and said, "After today, I will return."
The general said, "Welcome back."
Then, the others laughed and said, "Come back quickly and take back your work. We were really exhausted during your confinement period."
"Haha, we're not the only ones looking forward to your return. There are many others who are eagerly waiting for your return."
Well, what does this mean?
"You'll know in a moment." Several generals laughed and looked like they were enjoying the show, but they didn't say anything.
After Yao Chunnuan toasted the first table, he then toasted in order.
Soon, they arrived at the Xing family's table. This was Yao Chunnuan's first time meeting the general's parents. Because the Xing family arrived in Yichun from Zhenjiang while she was in confinement, they were a bit slow to arrive. They must have spent a long time packing before leaving.
Xing's mother had a gentle temperament and a face that bore a resemblance to Xing Xingyue. However, the way she looked at her was a bit strange, not distasteful, but more of a curiosity. Yao Chunnuan didn't feel there was anything about her worth exploring. At the same time, she felt a bit conflicted, her gaze seemingly restrained, falling on her face again and again. It almost made her wonder if there was something on her face.
It was also the first time that Xing's father and mother met Yao Zhubo, whose reputation in the military settlement was second only to their son.
Xing's mother was a soft-hearted person, with a particular problem: she favored attractive young people, whether they were young girls or young boys. This was commonly known as "face control." Xing's mother always believed that attractive people must have accumulated merit in their past lives, which led to their good looks in their reincarnations. Therefore, she was always more tolerant of attractive people than the average person.
Xingyue had said before that her brother treated Yao better than her. Now, Xing's mother felt that it was okay. There was no way. Before she saw the real owner, she could still be picky, but after seeing this face, she was filled with joy.
When Xing's father saw his wife's appearance, he knew that her old problem had come back again. He couldn't help but pull her and remind her to be careful.
After toasting the Xing family, it was the turn of the leaders of the military settlement. The last thirty tables were for the soldiers of the military settlement. These people were the lucky ones who got the chance to attend the wedding by drawing lots.
"Master Yao has come out of retirement."
"Well, I finally got out of the mountains, hehe."
The soldiers couldn't help whispering as she got closer.
Yao Chunnuan sipped her wine while thinking, there's something wrong with these soldiers, they seem a little excited, is she wrong?
At first they were trying to restrain themselves, but when she had toasted about ten tables and there were only about ten left, they could no longer hold back.
They stood up one by one and said:
"Come, let's toast to the little girl."
"This is a toast to Chief Clerk Yao."
"Master Yao, you've finally come out. You don't know how much we've been waiting for you."
Yao Chunnuan was full of questions. What was going on?
At this moment, Meng Yi ran over from the chief position and said quietly beside her, "Master Yao has been in confinement for a month, and they've all been a little lonely. They're thinking about you coming out of retirement and taking them on a big business."
Yao Chunnuan: ...
I didn't expect you to be like this. It turns out that you are looking forward to my release from confinement so that I can help you make something big?
After hearing this answer, Yao Chunnuan looked at the soldiers.
These soldiers were all laughing. When they worked with Chief Yao, they usually went straight to the point of getting to the point. It was so refreshing and they liked it.
Yao Chunnuan chuckled, "If you want to make a big buck, no problem. It all depends on your ability. Let me ask you, how many arrows can you hit on a moving target? Can you run thirty laps without getting out of breath? Can you stay still for two quarters of an hour while ambushing the enemy? How's your horsemanship?"
The soldiers who were caught in her gaze were all horrified. How could Chief Secretary Yao understand this? Wasn't she just an aide?
When the leaders of the military settlement saw this scene, they all laughed like crazy.
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