Although they suffered a lot along the way and encountered many bad people and bad things, the Lu family was wholeheartedly good and never colluded with evil people. In the end, heaven treated them kindly.
Ruyi Cake Shop's business gradually stabilized, firmly establishing itself as the top shop in He County. They had initially thought that winter would bring a downturn to the tavern's business, but unexpectedly, more people were spending the winter brewing wine to ward off the cold, resulting in a steady increase in sales. Fruit wine, in particular, became a favorite among wealthy ladies. It was considered a disgrace to any family that didn't include it in their plum blossom viewing banquet.
Qin San Niang was also invited to a plum blossom appreciation banquet. She didn't want to go out for socializing. The thought of being with those brain-teasing noblewomen made her feel like she had no will to live. However, the invitation was from the county magistrate's wife, and it would be rude of her not to go.
Fortunately, He County was just a small county town. Apart from the wives of the officials in the yamen, most of the others were just ladies from wealthy families. Qin San Niang was not an exception. Everyone knew that her two shops were very profitable. She was invited by the county magistrate's wife, so naturally no one would make things difficult for her.
Even so, Qin Sanniang still found this kind of perfunctory official business extremely tiring. However, it wasn't entirely without its advantages; she could glean some useful information from the banquets. For example, the Prince of Zhennan had only recently taken several concubines and was now bedridden, likely nearing his end; Jingzhou was probably about to undergo a major upheaval!
The woman who spoke was a major customer of Ruyi Tavern. She was also very friendly to Qin Sanniang. Seeing that she was interested, she continued, "One of the concubines, speaking of which, is actually from Jiangzhou. She is said to be the illegitimate daughter of the Xie family. But this illegitimate daughter, she was raised by an outsider, and she is really not presentable. Do you know what she has done?"
After saying that, the old lady smiled mysteriously at everyone. Everyone was already bored at the banquet, and it was rare to find something interesting, so they all looked at her.
"Hmph, she actually wants to climb into the bed of the Prince of Zhennan!"
What!
What?!
Upon hearing this shocking news, the women looked on incredulously, then suddenly realized, "A concubine's daughter is no good! Especially one raised by a mistress. The Xie family is a large clan, how come they can't find a decent legitimate daughter?"
"Young lady, you don't know this. The Xie family does have three legitimate daughters, all of whom have been carefully raised and are destined to marry talented men!" another woman said with great certainty, making it seem as if the Xie family were related to them!
However, the others didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said. The younger woman had an "I understand..." look on her face and whispered, "The Prince of Zhennan is already past the age of knowing one's destiny. The next prince will definitely be the heir. He's just making a way out for himself!"
"My God, no matter what, she is still the Crown Prince's stepmother! Isn't this against human ethics?"
"Hey, with this commotion, won't her life be even harder? Even if the prince had passed away first, as a stepmother, she could at least enjoy the respect she deserved. But now, everyone in the world knows that the Xie family daughter is so ill-mannered? Who would dare to marry them? Besides, the Prince of Zhennan isn't even dead yet! Isn't this a clear case of being cuckolded?"
...
For a moment, all the women sighed in dismay. They all made up their minds to raise their daughters well and never let them do something so immoral and outrageous to the world.
Qin San Niang understood immediately. Xie Yuyan had done many immoral things, and this was reaping what she sowed.
Not long after the flower-viewing banquet, He Yingyuan's letter arrived. Messages were delivered through Zhou Meng's caravan, ensuring confidentiality. The letter first informed him that his family was doing well. Besides this, there was another important matter: the Qizhou pass in Jingyuan had been recaptured.
Jingyuan was their hometown. Upon hearing the news, Liu and the others were overjoyed and wept tears of happiness. Liao Hongying and the others had made the right decision to return. Qin Sanniang could only comfort her mother, saying that they would also go back to visit after a few years when the world was at peace. After all, they had a horse-drawn carriage and could travel quickly.
Furthermore, He Yingyuan mentioned in his letter that after Xiao Chang'an returned, he publicly revealed his elder brother's evil deeds, which were not limited to the assassination attempt on him. The Yongzhou army was furious, and the King of Yongzhou, in his rage, imprisoned the illegitimate son. Thus, Xiao Chang'an's position as heir apparent was finally secured.
Qin San Niang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This young master Xiao may look like a little lamb, but he's actually a man-eating beast! However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, how could someone who wants to rule the world be a truly innocent little flower?
A virtuous person strives for self-improvement, and thus their mind and will become steadfast.
A month later, Jiangzhou grew even colder. The river had frozen over! This was extremely rare in the south; while ice could form at times, it was never this hard and solid, enough for carriages and horses to travel on!
The villagers of Shiligou are doing well this year. Every household has a full granary and no longer worries about lacking food or clothing. Although it's a bit cold, there's firewood on the mountain, so they can manage if they work hard. After all, it hasn't come to the point where they dare not even stretch out their hands.
The porcelain workshop's business is booming, and many porcelain pieces are being shipped to other places as a specialty of He County.
Master Xing truly lives up to his reputation as a skilled craftsman. During this time, he continuously improved the porcelain-making techniques, and the porcelain they produce now is truly exquisite. Coupled with the excellent situation in the north and the recovery of trade between the north and south, the future of porcelain is very promising.
After the patrol team disbanded, some of the men went to work in the porcelain workshop, while others, recommended by Qin San Niang, joined Zhou Meng's caravan, specifically the group transporting regular goods. Trading was arduous, but the profits were substantial. Those tall, strong men eager for a better future, having experienced the bravery of fighting bandits, resolutely joined the caravan, supported by their families.
It was freezing cold, but the workshop couldn't be closed.
However, the helpers couldn't be left to work in the cold. Qin San Niang wasn't stingy, so she generously bought firewood in the village, charging three copper coins per bundle. That wasn't a small amount!
The villagers hurriedly grabbed machetes and sickles, and young and old alike went to the mountains to chop firewood. Many people from other villages also went to collect firewood after hearing about the incident.
With so many people appearing on the mountain and village road at the same time, it seemed as if they were trying to dispel the winter chill, creating a lively scene.
With firewood, the stove in the workshop burned even brighter!
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