From the early spring of the 15th year of Xuanhe to the late autumn of the 17th year of Xuanhe, in two and a half years, the entire Northwest underwent earth-shaking changes.
In fact, most of these changes happened silently. Because of Miao Wan's insistence, most of the work was done by hiring ordinary people, so everyone witnessed the changes little by little and was not too surprised.
But when Sun Cheng came out of the customs with the imperial edict of commendation from the court, he was overwhelmed and stunned all the way.
First of all, there are three checkpoints in the northwest. Coming from the capital, the closest one is the checkpoint on the far right. However, in the past, this area was not safe because it was close to Xifan, so most people had to take a detour and exit from the middle checkpoint.
But now the entire Xifan has been conquered. The people of Xifan dare not show up. The royal family has been escorted to Beijing. I believe that the Xifan governor is still in the process of rectification. In the future, Xifan will become a county in the northwest.
After passing the customs, Sun Cheng heard the coachman outside making a hoarse sound in the carriage.
"Is this road newly built? It's wider than the roads in Beijing. Are people in the northwest so rich?"
The soldiers of the Gubei Army who came to greet him smiled and replied, "Look at what you said. Our northwest is vast and sparsely populated. We actually have a lot of useful things, but the climate is not so good, which makes us look poor.
It was Madam Qiao who made the decision and hired the local people to chisel away rocks, dig soil and tamp the ground. The money probably wasn't too much, as most of it was given to the locals so that they could live a good life."
Sun Cheng lifted the curtain and looked out. When he saw it, he sighed in his heart.
It’s really grand.
The checkpoints are guarded in two places, inside and outside the checkpoint. The original tall wooden fence gate has been replaced with an iron fence gate, which looks a bit towering between the rugged rocks on both sides, and is at least two meters high.
This gate should be difficult to open on normal days, so a small gate is opened below for carriages and people to pass through. As long as the public inspection is OK, you can line up and pass through.
If someone really attacks this checkpoint, they can lock the small door and erect several iron pillars on the side. Even the iron and wood used to attack the main door will find it difficult to break through.
There are tall watchtowers inside and outside the iron gate, and there is a low wall across the iron gate for people to stand on.
Not to mention that there are iron grooves with notches on both sides of the door that form a triangle support with the iron door, which can ensure the stability of the iron door. If someone rushes up to attack and pours boiling water or oil on it, no one will be in good shape.
Sun Cheng was amazed at the simplicity and ingenuity of this defensive mechanism, and secretly remembered it in his mind, thinking that he could use this trick in many levels in the future.
As for the road that the coachmen lamented, Sun Cheng felt it was not so bad. He had seen many white jade slab roads in the imperial city. This official road made of just compacted stones could only be considered average.
What is more noticeable is that this official road is wide enough and belongs to the Eight Horse Road. There are short shrubs and poplar trees suitable for growing in the northwest on both sides. In autumn, the road is covered with colorful fallen leaves, which has a rough and romantic style.
If this road is nothing, then Sun Cheng was surprised to find that the road was so easy to walk on all the way through Anyong County to Xiping County.
Even if the cost is not much, it is not a small amount. The Qiao family has also donated a lot of silver in the past two years. He finally understood that Miao Wan is richer than he thought.
Although there were people waiting on the roadside in Anyong County, Sun Cheng was not a person who liked to put on airs, so he did not get off the carriage. He just told the county magistrate and several adults that he had official business to attend to and went all the way to Xiping County.
After entering Xiping County, Sun Cheng was a little overwhelmed.
The spacious road is lined with exquisite gray-tiled corridors on both sides, with walls on the three lower sides and a counter in the front. Red lanterns are hung on both sides of the road, and people are hawking their wares along the way, making it as lively as the New Year.
"Come and take a look, sir! Freshly baked fried bean curd sheets are a great snack for you to fill your stomach with whether you're going into town or out!"
"This is a top-quality wool mat. You won't lose out if you buy more. Buy more and get more gifts. Gentlemen, take a look! It's perfect for giving as a gift or for yourself!"
…
Sun Cheng understood that late autumn was the peak season for traveling merchants and businessmen to return home, and the city was bustling with people coming in and out. Xiping County was also interesting, as it had actually formed a place similar to Wa City.
Not sure if this was the Qiao family's idea, but he saw patrolling people through the curtain. However, they were not wearing servants' uniforms, but clothes that looked a bit like those of the soldiers of the Gubei Army.
This tile market may not look high-end, but in fact, if there is a large flow of people, it can make a lot of money. In the past, the tile market in Xining Town was where Qin Mao made money.
He asked in a low voice who was in charge of the place now. The soldier leading the way smiled and said, "General Dingbei is in charge. The rent is used to pay the soldiers.
So that Manager Sun would know that this was the street-facing tile shop that Mrs. Qiao advocated to build, and that the rent only needed ten copper coins or one work point a day.
With the Gubei Army's soldiers patrolling the area, no one dared to cause trouble, and merchants felt more at ease. All the profits they made belonged to the people. She also sent people to train these shop owners on how to run their businesses and how to do them well.
Nowadays, almost everyone in the northwest reveres Miao Wan as a god. To be honest, her reputation now is much higher than that of Chen Sixu back then, or even Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen now.
Whether they were common people or soldiers, the first priority was loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and the second belief was Mrs. Qiao.
So the leading soldier couldn't stop talking.
"Of course, Madam Qiao was afraid that the people would feel uneasy, so she told them clearly that this was a gift from His Majesty. We are all grateful for the emperor's grace, and we light a perpetual lamp for His Majesty every year.
You see, except for the signboards, which the tile shops can replace themselves, all other neat and tidy places have to be left to Mrs. Qiao to do... What about advertising? She said that if everyone's business is good, the more customers there are, the more people will see the advertisement, and she will make money.
"In fact, we all know that Madam Qiao doesn't want others to feel that they owe her anything. The Qiao family is not the kind of family that makes money by stepping on the flesh and blood of ordinary people. They are loyal to His Majesty.
Especially Mrs. Qiao, who loves to spend money even more when she can make it. She loves to do good deeds and always says that she can only make more money if ordinary people have more money. But I heard that she never gets back the money she spends.
…
Sun Cheng listened quietly to the soldiers' chattering, his eyes looking at the neatly tiled pillars and the neatly arranged flags in front of the shops, and saw many interesting pictures. The pictures also showed various shops and goods, some of which even tempted him.
He sighed in his heart and felt like laughing.
As far as he knew Mrs. Qiao, she probably wasn't lying. She really wanted to make this place prosperous so that she could earn more money.
But no matter what, Miao Wan did real good things, and the people and soldiers didn't care whether Miao Wan made money or not. She was good to the people anyway, so everyone was happy to let her make money and spoke well of her.
Sun Cheng was not disgusted and was even willing to speak well of the Qiao family, as this was the real mother's family of the future queen.
Moreover, the northwest now seems to be in a virtuous cycle, which is much better than many places in the interior where rich people live in luxury while others freeze to death on the streets.
On the way here, Sun Ben had worried that if the saint praised the Qiao family too much, they might become too powerful and threaten the emperor, leading to instability in the court.
But now, he suddenly didn't think so. If all the members of the Qiao family were like Miao Wan, with their interests and kindness openly displayed, and they could say whatever they wanted, it would actually be pretty good.
The convoy stopped in front of General Dingbei's mansion. Cheng Shao and Gu Shuyao, who had just finished her confinement, were there. The governor of Xiping County and the Qiao family were also waiting here.
Sun Cheng did not delay. He got off the carriage with great fanfare and shouted to announce the imperial decree.
This decree was to commend Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen.
Because of the great victory in the northwest, the emperor specially appointed Cheng Shao as the General Zhennan, and he was sent to southern Xinjiang from that day on. His official rank was promoted one level, making him a second-rank frontier official, and Gu Shuyao was named a second-rank lady.
Qiao Ruichen also made contributions to the great victory in the northwest. He replaced Cheng Shaocheng as General Dingbei and was a third-rank official. Geng and Miao Wan were both conferred the title of third-rank ladies.
Even Qiao Shengwen was not spared by the saint.
He is not old yet, and the court needs people right now. How can we let him sit idle like this?
So Qiao Shengwen took over Qiao Ruichen's position and became the garrison of the Gubei Army, stationed in Xining Town.
Qiao Shengwen and Qiao Ruichen looked at each other, and smiles flashed in their eyes. In fact, the father and son were officials in the same place, and they had a civil and military subordinate relationship, which was a bit inappropriate.
But Emperor Xuanhe also knew that Xining Town was the secret center of the northwest. Before he found a confidant who could cooperate with the Qiao family, no one could take over here. Only Qiao Shengwen was suitable.
The county magistrate who was accompanying the emperor to listen to the edict understood that after today, people from the three northwestern counties and Xifan County would all know that the northwest would belong to the Qiao family from now on. Fortunately, he was not anyone's man and had always had a good relationship with the Qiao family.
After receiving the order, Miao Wan was in a daze for a moment. Others didn't understand, but Gu Shuyao understood. She took her hand and shook it without saying a word.
In the novel "Spring in the Mood", Qiao Ruichen also became General Dingbei, but all members of the Qiao family were left with indelible scars, and some even had their lifespans affected.
It took ten years before the clouds finally cleared and the moon appeared.
Miao Wan didn't think too much about it. She just worked hard to make money, to make life better for everyone around her, and to repay the Northwest with all her efforts.
Facts have proved that doing good deeds and accumulating virtue are rewarded. Now, eight years have passed since she traveled through time. She has become the richest person in Dayue, completely freed herself from the grave, has both a son and a daughter, kind parents-in-law, and her husband... ahem, can barely be considered gentle.
This made her feel a little unreal.
Miao Wan murmured to Gu Shuyao, "I feel like it's a bit like having a long dream after reading a novel. The dream has everything, but I'm always afraid I'll wake up at any moment."
Gu Shuyao was too lazy to explain to her the logic of whether Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly or the butterfly dreamed of Zhuang Zhou. After thinking about it, she took out the birthday gift she had prepared for Miao Wan and gave it to her.
"I was originally thinking of giving it to you on your birthday on the twelfth day of the first lunar month. Who knew the imperial edict would come so soon? I guess I won't stay in the northwest for the New Year. I'm giving it to you in advance. Go back and try it tonight. I guarantee you'll feel at ease."
Miao Wan was very curious when she heard this. The gift box was not very big. What good thing could make her feel at ease?
When Miao Wan returned to General Yun Hui's mansion at night, no matter how impatient she was, she had to coax the children to sleep first.
Her parents-in-law are willing to take care of the children, but now Miao Wan also wants to spend more time with the children. She missed a lot of her children's growth before and doesn't want to give the children the impression that their parents don't care about them.
As a result, the two lazy ones Dongdong and Ningning fell asleep very quickly, but Taotao took after her aunt, chattering non-stop, and had entered the stage of asking a hundred thousand questions.
"Mom, why can't the little rabbit outrun the tortoise? Is it because the road is too short? Otherwise, even if the tortoise keeps crawling, the little rabbit will still be faster after a nap."
"Mother, why did the little mermaid need to take the mute potion? Couldn't she just drag the prince into the sea? She's a princess, so she can have anyone she wants. Why is she always doing business at a loss?"
…
Miao Wan was a little confused after hearing this. She asked Taotao expressionlessly, "Do you know why Uncle Zhang's pig was eaten?"
Taotao nodded and hummed proudly, "Because they eat too much and are fat!"
Miao Wan expressionlessly lowered her head and nibbled Taotao's cheek, "I'm wrong, because their whining is so annoying."
Taotao: “…”
After finally coaxing Taotao to sleep, Miao Wan couldn't wait to open her gift. However, as soon as she entered the house, she found her husband sitting on the kang, holding her gift box in his hand.
When she heard the noise and looked up, Miao Wan had the urge to run away. There was something wrong with this guy's eyes.
Qiao Ruichen smiled gently and stood up, "Awan, come here."
Miao Wan stepped back, "I won't. You're touching my things! I'm angry!"
Qiao Ruichen calmly walked over and pulled his wife to him, stroking her delicate cheek. "I was wrong. It was Ah Jian who asked me to be considerate and help you open the gift box and put it on. He said it was his wife's order. He also said that you were in a bad mood and needed me to comfort you. Of course I had to listen to him."
Miao Wan took a look and gasped. She had been begging Gu Shuyao for an underwire bra, and she had been so mad and mad that she refused to give it to her. And now, after giving birth to a child, her cup size had gone up. Was Ah Yao getting carried away?
In addition to the bra, there are also small panties of the same color, and the fabric is so saved that it seems like there is not enough.
She pushed Qiao Ruichen away, "No, no, I'm not in a bad mood, I don't..."
It was no use for her to say no, as she was stopped before she could finish her words. When the clothes were put on her, she was completely trapped in the hot embrace.
"You, why don't you put on your clothes when you're supposed to help me put on my clothes?" She pushed Qiao Ruichen fearfully.
Qiao Ruichen's hands were slow and he explained patiently, "I was afraid of hurting your skin and making you pretend to cry."
Miao Wan: “…”
Amid Miao Wan's unbearable whining, Qiao Ruichen's voice was still as gentle as water, "Awan, be good, save some strength for yourself, it's not time to cry yet."
Miao Wan: “…”
At the moment when she was out of breath, she suddenly remembered the conversation she had with her daughter tonight.
“Why were the pigs eaten?”
"Because it hums..."
Miao Wan always felt that she had dug herself into a hole this time.
But she had to admit that Gu Shuyao was right. Before she fell asleep with her hands covering her tear-swollen eyes, she was still thinking, why am I still so uneasy? It's not good to have the energy to feel sorry for myself!
The next day, when she saw Gu Shuyao, Miao Wan was filled with resentment. "Your husband is leaving soon, what are you going to do? How about I come and keep you company for a while?"
Because the Regent is still in southern Xinjiang, all the destabilizing factors have been almost resolved. The biggest variable is the Regent. If he is not resolved, Dayue will still not be stable.
The original General Zhennan had been plotted against by the Regent, so the Saint handed the matter over to Cheng Shao, who was the most suitable candidate.
But Gu Shuyao had just finished her confinement and her child was still young, so it was impossible for her to travel a long distance with Cheng Shao. If the Regent was still there, it would be too dangerous for her and the child.
Gu Shuyao didn't want to see Qiao Ruichen's eyes, which were more resentful than his wife's, so she refused without hesitation, "The General's Mansion will be left to you two, and I will go to Xining Town with Uncle Qiao and Auntie.
Chief Steward Sun brought a lot of information from Southern Xinjiang, and there are many things there that can be made into weapons. I am here to provide him with remote support."
After the issue of the Regent is resolved, she will take the children across the border and head south. By then, the Cheng and Qiao families, one in the south and one in the north, will guard the border for the saint.
Miao Wan also knew the importance of the matter. "Then you can leave the child at the garrison. I'll let you live in my yard. I'll let one of my maids go over there and help you take care of the child."
Gu Shuyao didn't bother to be polite with Miao Wan. Seeing Miao Wan yawning, she couldn't help but smile, "Are you feeling at ease now?"
Miao Wan rolled her eyes and didn't answer her. Could the question of whether she was stable or not be solved by just rolling around on the bed all night?
If that's the case, then she must have rolled on the kang countless times, and she still feels melancholy.
However, Miao Wan was not someone who would be sad about the passing of time. She knew that the most important thing was to live the present life well, so apart from Gu Shuyao, no one knew about her unspeakable loneliness.
The days that followed were like flowing water, and as if it reached a rapid place, it suddenly became faster.
At the end of September, Cheng Shao arrived in southern Xinjiang to take up his post.
At the end of October, Cheng Shao was assassinated, and the Fire Gun Battalion appeared in southern Xinjiang for the first time, shocking the entire southern Xinjiang.
At the end of November, the Regent rebelled and cooperated with the barbarians in southern Xinjiang. Black gunpowder began to show its ferocious power, catching Cheng Shao off guard.
At the end of December, Cheng Shao used the weapons that Gu Shuyao had transported by sea to fight against the Regent and the barbarian army head-on. He used the stinger gun and the secret medicine with a primer to beat the enemy back severely.
It was another New Year's Eve palace banquet. The Taiji Hall was much emptier than last year. The princes who returned to Beijing from all over the country were a little frightened. Those who were missing were all from the Regent's lineage. In recent years, the Regent had almost controlled half of the court.
This unexpected change, coupled with the fact that southern Xinjiang was still fighting against the rebels, made the palace banquet particularly silent. Everyone was very cautious, fearing that they would bring bad luck to the Saint.
Just before the palace banquet was about to end, a loud shout was heard outside the palace—
"Report! Great victory in Southern Xinjiang!"
The saint's face, which had been gloomy all night, suddenly brightened up. He stood up with a smile and said, "Good! Good!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and knelt down in unison, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Long live the Five Emperors!"
Qi Wangshu was about to kneel, but the saint stopped him. He firmly supported Qi Wangshu and stood beside him, "I am very happy. Dayue has finally eliminated the last cancer. It is time for double happiness.
This great victory in Southern Xinjiang was impossible without the support of the Qiao family in the Northwest. I intend to crown her Queen and hold the ceremony on the Lantern Festival. I will announce it to the world and let all of us celebrate together!"
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and they all knew in their hearts that the rise of the Qiao family and the position of Concubine Jin as the queen were both set in stone, and they had no room to interfere.
No one would cause trouble to the saint at this moment, so they all knelt down again and shouted "Long live the saint".
After the palace banquet, neither of them rode in the sedan chair. The sage took Qi Wangshu's hand and walked in the night. "Shu'er, I said I would walk hand in hand with you. Look at this river and sea banquet. I did it."
Qi Wangshu turned his head to look at him, smiled, and said nothing.
Snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky, not only in the capital, but also in the northwest.
"It's snowing!" Miao Wan stood on the third floor of Jufu Inn, raised her hand to catch the snowflakes, her eyes full of surprise.
She turned her head and looked at Qiao Ruichen, "Do you remember that it snowed at this time on New Year's Eve in the tenth year of Xuanhe?"
At that time, Qiao Ruichen rushed home and found that his family had forgotten about him. Seeing the mischievous smile on his wife's lips, he also smiled and hugged Miao Wan, kissing her lips.
"Every year from now on, every time it snows, I will watch it with you."
Miao Wan paused, nodded softly, and leaned obediently in his arms, watching the hustle and bustle in the hall downstairs.
The old couple of the Zhang family have now lived the life of an old grandfather and an old lady. They are much older than Qiao Shengwen and his wife. Even though their lives are better now, they look like two generations apart.
But the old couple looked much better than before, and they seemed content and happy.
Since following Miao Wan, the Zhang family has indeed become different.
Although Zhang Dazhuang lost a leg, because Yu was strong in public, she knew how to be a little woman in private to make her husband feel accomplished. Otherwise, Zhang Dazhuang would not be able to be so self-righteous in being a henchman.
Therefore, Zhang Dazhuang did not become inferior or withdrawn because of his disability. Instead, he became more motivated. Now, the patrols and leisure places in Xining Town Commercial Street are managed by Zhang Dazhuang.
Everyone then realized that although Boss Zhang had a good temper and looked honest, as the eldest brother, he was actually quite capable of managing things. He didn't get angry with others, and he wouldn't back down when faced with difficult people.
When applied to work, this becomes an advantage that allows you to be more stable than others.
And Yu was not to be outdone. As the future mistress of the Zhang family, she had always been more ambitious than her sisters-in-law. Now she was the head of Qianjinlou in Xining Town. No matter who came to discuss business, they would only recognize her as Madam Yu.
If the eldest branch of the Zhang family is considered a well-known figure in Xining Town, the third branch is no less so.
Zhang Sanzhuang is not only the owner of Jufu Inn, he is also the logistics manager appointed by Miao Wan. Miao Wan assigns all the work involving dealing with people in the three counties or in the countryside to him.
Zhang Sanzhuang has been smart since he was a child. He can read people's expressions and is careful. He has become more and more adept at his work over the years.
If Zhang Dazhuang and his wife are famous in the town, Zhang Sanzhuang has prestige among the common people outside the town. The two brothers have a good relationship and work together seamlessly.
As for Sun, she is a little inferior. She actually doesn't like to show up in public, but she is a bit picky.
After taking charge of the rubber factory, she knew that this was the most important logistics center in the entire Northwest. Her desire to be the best was completely satisfied, and all her little thoughts disappeared. She just focused on working hard, and her annual bonus was no less than Zhang Sanzhuang's.
The least noticeable are Zhang Erzhuang and his wife, but in fact, they are also the ones who earn the most money.
One of them travels around to collect and sell livestock, while the other is responsible for expanding breeding on the farm. It is now the largest breeding center in the three northwestern counties.
Once we can achieve self-reproduction, the cost is much lower. The bulk of the money is spent on medicines and various protective measures for livestock shelters, and selling them is pure profit.
Perhaps because they were too busy with work, the Zhang family has not had any more children since Yang gave birth prematurely.
On the other hand, on the Ruan family's side, Ruan Jiasheng was studying for the imperial examinations, and Ruan Jialin was busy with the business inside and outside Xiping County and Guannei. Several brothers from both branches of the Ruan family were also busy, but it did not delay the Ruan family from having children.
Maybe the Ruan family is just fertile. Even Miao Wan herself has three children. In recent years, the two branches of the Ruan family have four more babies.
Miao Wan is closer to these two families, so she pays more attention to their affairs. The Yu, Yang and Lin families are all doing well, but she has been too busy in the past two years and has not actually asked much about them.
It was only then that she discovered—
"Aya, how many months has it been? Why didn't you tell me?" Miao Wan went downstairs and took Aya's hand, with a look of surprise on her face.
Aya smiled a little embarrassedly, "It's six months. I gave birth in March, so I'll be more comfortable during the confinement period. You were busy up front, and Yaozu was also watching over in Xiping County, so I didn't send anyone to disturb you."
Miao Wan turned around and glanced at Sun Ada. Sun Ada was smiling, and Mrs. Sun was also staring at this side and didn't see Sun Yaozu.
"I was craving some Jinyinwowo just now, so Mom sent him to get the ingredients and asked Dad to cook it for me." Aya explained to Miao Wan with a happy look on her face. It was obvious that her parents-in-law treated her very well.
Not only was Aya pregnant, she also smiled and said, "Awei is also pregnant. It's just been three months. A Dun is worried about her coming out alone, so he said he would accompany her later."
Seeing Ayuan coming over, Aya covered her mouth with her hands and laughed. She whispered to Miao Wan, "By the way, the third boy from Uncle Lin's family has taken a fancy to Ayuan. Since Qiuli, he has been going to the gate of the alkali factory every day to give Ayuan gifts. He follows Ayuan every time she goes out. I think the Lin family is going to propose to you."
Miao Wan was not surprised. A Yuan was her most powerful employee. Like A Ya, he was a golden egg. There must be many wolf cubs eyeing him.
He was just being persistent and the news became known to everyone before any result. Miao Wan was a little unhappy about it. How could she force someone to do something she didn't want to do?
Aya seemed to know what she was thinking. She looked at Ayuan and teased, "Sister Wan, don't worry about Ayuan. She's such a powerful person. If she wasn't happy, she would have scolded the person to death, maybe even put a sack on him and beat him up. How could she let him keep pestering her?"
A Yuan's face flushed red after hearing what A Ya said. He glared at her, "What nonsense are you talking about? You've ruined my reputation. Be careful, I won't give birth to your baby."
Aya quickly coaxed Ayuan with a few words, and several people gathered around Miao Wan, talking and laughing. It was so lively that no one came over to disturb them without paying attention.
The young ladies who used to be Miao Wan's secretaries have now become capable of standing on their own. They may not be that powerful yet, but it can be seen that they will definitely be powerful figures in the future.
They all knew that their lives, which were originally worthless and could only be bought and sold by others, with life and death not under human control, were now in the good fortune they had today because of Miao Wan.
So everyone treated Miao Wan as their own sister, with their hearts and eyes full of admiration and gratitude.
Jufu Inn expanded once. After the expansion, rockery and flowing water were added to the backyard, and a particularly thick jujube tree was transplanted there.
The tree is usually hung with copper coins. This is the money tree that Miao Wan specifically requested, and it is also a blessing tree.
There is no one watching on weekdays, but if a family is in trouble, or a beggar or vagrant passes by, they can pick some to help in an emergency, which is considered a good deed.
No one in Xining Town would touch these copper coins. Some people would even take out a few copper coins and hang them up during festivals, just to accumulate some blessings for their descendants.
After Miao Shiren's mobilization meeting and award ceremony, everyone moved to the backyard, Yihua.
Gu Shuyao brought her children with her to deliver weapons to Cheng Shao. Before she left, she left a lot of fireworks for Miao Wan to celebrate the end of the war in the northwest.
Miao Wan sent some to Xiping County and had them placed on the road in front of General Dingbei's Mansion. She also kept some in the garrison and placed it at the Jufu Inn.
The fireworks burst out like the moment when flowers bloom in a prosperous era. The backyard with rockery and flowing water was reflected clearly. Miao Wan was originally holding the child and leaning on Qiao Ruichen, and the whole family looked up at the fireworks.
Inadvertently, she saw that in addition to copper coins, there seemed to be a lot of red cloth hanging on the jujube tree.
She was stunned for a moment, "My money tree has turned into a marriage tree?"
When Qiao Ruichen heard her ask, he lowered his head to look at her and smiled, "I'll take you to see it later."
After the stunning fireworks were over, everyone went back home to celebrate the New Year. The children were also sleepy, so Qiao Shengwen and his wife took them back to the garrison to rest.
However, Qiao Ruichen asked for a torch and took Miao Wan to see the money tree.
As she walked in, under the firelight, Miao Wan could see clearly that the red ribbons were not for seeking marriage. There were very simple words written on them -
"A Yuan is willing to exchange all his life's blessings for Sister's lifelong happiness and health."
"Aya is willing to exchange her life's blessings for Sister's lifelong happiness."
"Yaozu is willing to sacrifice his entire life's fortune in exchange for the safety of my sister's descendants."
"A Dun..."
"Achun..."
"Achang..."
"Avi..."
Miao Wan looked at the names one by one, and heard them called "Sister" one by one. Her eyes were burning and her vision was blurred. After blinking away the tears, she saw the red cloth with the most beautiful words. It read -
"Qiao Bailao is willing to exchange all the blessings of his life for a lifelong companionship with my wife, a bond that will last for generations to come."
Miao Wan burst into laughter with tears in her eyes, and hit Qiao Ruichen, "For generations to come? Then others will have no chance, and I won't have the chance to hug girls left and right. I'm at a huge disadvantage!"
Qiao Ruichen gently wiped away her tears and kissed the corner of her lips. "You must not let Awan suffer any loss. I will repay you with myself as your long-term servant for the rest of my life, working hard and accepting your orders. How about that?"
Miao Wan raised her head to look at him, patted his head with a smile through her tears, and looked up at him, "I have to think about it, is this deal worthwhile?"
"Well, you can think about it for the rest of your life." Qiao Ruichen picked the person up and went to the room on the third floor where Miao Wan stayed alone.
On weekdays, there are always too many people around him, including the children, so he didn't dare to be too presumptuous. Today, he didn't need to sleep, and he thought the two of them could stay up alone.
Without waiting for Miao Wan to protest, he continued, "Since you're considering it, why not first check the quality of the farmhands, how about that?"
Miao Wan: “…”
Maybe it was because the night of the New Year was too charming, or maybe it was because the fireworks at the dinner were too delicious, or maybe it was because she felt so many pious and passionate emotions, Miao Wan rarely refrained from spitting at her Qiao Bailao.
She was also more emotional than ever before. This time, not only was her body filled, but her heart was also warm. She closed her eyes and let herself indulge in the burning vortex.
No one knew that those broken and incoherent moans were actually Miao Wan's confession to the world. She finally felt reality.
Nothing is fiction, and perfection is happening.
(End of text)
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