Previously, they had asked the Marquis and the Li family for permission to settle in the Second Village. There were as many as thirty personal guards, but most of them were unmarried.
This time, only six families successfully brought their wives, children, and relatives back with them...
But these six families, including the elderly and children, totaled more than twenty people, making the second village even more lively.
The row houses were built a long time ago, and today we brought back all the woodwork as well.
After the tables, chairs, and benches were set up, the old men in the village donated a few baskets to each household, which were placed in the yard, making the place look more like a place for everyday life.
The families of the six guards moved in immediately. Sitting in the new house, they were all amazed at how much better the new house was than expected!
The rest of the guards also moved into the adjacent row of houses, ten people per household, all of which were spacious and bright.
Just then, Tao Hongying and the others couldn't find any vacant space in the village, and since they figured they didn't need the extra rooms in the row houses for the time being, they set up the simple mooncake baking workshop there.
The entire Second Village was enveloped in a sweet fragrance. Village women came and went, and mischievous boys gathered to play, making the Second Village even more lively!
Xiao Cui and Wei Erniu moved here earlier, so they inevitably became the "seniors" in the second village.
Xiao Cui helped the women settle in and also introduced them to the general situation inside and outside the village.
When they heard that the village was baking mooncakes, totaling two thousand pieces, all the newly arrived women and old people were astonished and gained a more direct understanding of the abundance of Suijintan.
The next morning, Xiao Cui led the women from various families to the Li family compound to pay their respects.
The women from each family were worried about what gifts to give to the Li family, so Xiao Cui told them to bring some dried mushrooms or local dried fruits.
They were somewhat uneasy, feeling that the gift was too meager...
Coincidentally, Old Lady Li, Tao Hongying, and Madam Wen were looking for fabric to make some needlework for their unborn children.
I'll also show off some of the furs at home, so I can modify them and they'll come in handy when it gets cold.
When the women entered, Old Mrs. Li was holding a piece of white fox fur, thinking about making a cloak for her granddaughter.
Grandma Li was dressed simply in a cotton dress, her hair tied up in a bun with a silver hairpin, looking very plain. Only the jade bracelet on her wrist looked valuable.
Everyone was surprised, after all, she was a first-rank imperial consort, and she was no different from an ordinary wealthy old lady.
Looking at Tao Hongying, the general's wife, she was dressed simply and without much jewelry.
The woman next to her, Madam Wen, was dressed more elegantly, but she also had a gentle smile on her face, showing no sign of arrogance.
You know, back in their hometowns, these women were girls who had become concubines for wealthy families. They used to look down on everyone.
This Li family... seems really different!
Grandma Li invited the women to sit down and chat, asking how many people were in their families and if they needed anything after settling in.
Finally, they were all entrusted to Xiao Cui's care, and Xiao Cui was told to just let her know if anything happened.
The men in each household were all serving the Marquis, and a stable home meant a secure rear area; they couldn't let the men down.
The woman readily agreed.
Before leaving, Old Lady Li called out to Granny He to bring out the gifts she had prepared in advance: a piece of fine cotton fabric for each family, enough to make a set of clothes for an adult, or two sets of clothes for a child.
Then, the family also had a box of pastries, all of which Jiayin had brought back from the shops in the city.
Jiayin is losing her baby teeth, and Grandma Li is afraid that her granddaughter will rot if she eats sweets at this time, so she simply sends them all away to avoid seeing or worrying about them.
The women thanked her and followed Xiao Cui out of the new village. Only after they left the village entrance did they dare to chatter.
"My husband said that Madam Li is very kind. I couldn't believe it, but it's true."
"Both are elderly people, but Madam Li is so kind and friendly, chatting and laughing. On the other hand, my mother-in-law is constantly scolding people, and she wants every word to be different!"
A woman in her early twenties, speaking quickly and directly, made everyone laugh.
Another woman in her forties retorted, "How can that be the same? Your mother-in-law is biased towards your brother-in-law's family and sees your family as a thorn in her side, so of course she scolds you every day!"
"Old Mrs. Li is so lucky. Her son and daughter-in-law are both filial. As long as she treats them equally, her family will surely prosper and live a harmonious life!"
"Let's not talk about these things anymore. We're finally free from this misery. The men will be working under the Marquis, and we'll be more diligent. With the Li family backing us up, life will get better soon," said a woman with an aged face.
She had been mistreated by her in-laws the most, and her eyes were red as she spoke.
Feeling sorry for her, the others patted her on the shoulder and offered a few words of comfort.
But one of the youngest wives whispered, "Isn't the Li family supposed to be the wealthiest, earning tens of thousands of taels a year just from selling melons? How come their gift to us is just a piece of cloth and a box of pastries..."
Is it because they think the Li family didn't give them enough?
Everyone frowned and subconsciously took two steps away from the young woman.
Xiao Cui thought for a moment and then said, "Sister-in-law Sanhu, when you moved here, what did your family give you, and what did your husband's family give you?"
The young woman, who was called Sister-in-law Sanhu, paused for a moment, then hesitated before replying, "A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; my family naturally wouldn't give her anything. My husband's family... gave me two sets of bowls and chopsticks..."
Xiao Cui smiled and said bluntly, "The Li family isn't your maternal family or your husband's family. Aren't the fabrics and snacks we gave you enough?"
The young woman blushed deeply and quickly waved her hands, explaining, "No, I'm not, I just..."
Unfortunately, everyone could tell that she was a bit proud and calculating, so they didn't say much to her. They just smiled and gave vague replies before quickly entering their own courtyards.
The young wife felt a little wronged. She looked at Xiao Cui again, and Xiao Cui pointed to the courtyard where they were temporarily baking mooncakes. "I'll go and take care of that for a bit. We'll talk about it later."
Hui Niang was in the courtyard, busy baking mooncakes with seven or eight other women.
Baking mooncakes is actually not difficult. Once you have prepared the dough and filling, wrap them up, press them into a mold, and then you can put them on a baking tray.
But controlling the heat is a delicate task that not everyone can do!
Hui Niang didn't trust anyone else, fearing that burning a batch would waste a lot of ingredients, so she stayed here almost all day long.
The twins were at a very mischievous age, so she tied them to the door frame with cloth strips.
As soon as Xiao Cui entered the courtyard, she quickly changed Hui Niang's clothes.
Hui Niang wiped away her sweat before rescuing her two children and playing with them for a while.
Hui Niang, being observant, noticed that Xiao Cui seemed a little distracted, so she asked, "What's wrong? Are you preoccupied with something after going out? Be careful to keep an eye on the heat, don't ruin these mooncakes!"
Xiao Cui quickly came to her senses, whispered what had just happened, and then sighed, "Sister-in-law, why are people so different?"
"When Erniu and I came to the village, we had a place to stay, enough to eat and wear, and we weren't being beaten or scolded. We were so happy we could laugh in our dreams. But they... even after receiving things from the old lady, they still complained it wasn't enough. It's really..."
She wanted to curse, but being honest and kind-hearted, she just couldn't bring herself to do it!
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