But he couldn't ask or say these things.
Li Zhensheng took a deep breath and solemnly assured, "My lord, rest assured, you pave the way and leave the rest to me. I've been doing business in Xindu for over a decade, so even if I go south with a caravan, no one will suspect anything; they'll just think I've returned to my old profession..."
The Marquis nodded, "Alright, elder brother, take good care of yourself and recover as soon as possible. The journey is long, so make all the necessary preparations. I'll discuss it with you again once I've settled things here."
Li Zhensheng got up to say goodbye, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "Don't tell my mother yet. She's probably reluctant to let me go, since I've only been back for a short time and I'm leaving again."
"Alright, don't worry, elder brother," the Marquis replied.
Li Zhensheng left with a heart full of complicated feelings. Jiayin and Maoge'er, along with a few other mischievous kids, ran back from the construction site with empty snack boxes in their hands, all of them looking like little kittens after eating so much.
Cat Brother, like a little wild horse, ran forward and shouted, "Dad, I want this box to hold my treasures."
"Whose box is this?" Li Zhensheng wiped the sweat from his son's brow and then picked up his smiling little niece.
Jiayin replied crisply, "It's the box that Uncle Dashan left over from giving us snacks."
"Alright, if Cat Brother likes it, then keep it. As for Fu Niu, if you like it, Uncle will pick out an even prettier one for you when he goes to town another day."
"Uncle, I don't want it. I have a treasure chest, bigger than my brother's." Jiayin hugged her uncle's neck and proudly raised her chin at Cat Brother.
Cat Brother shouted angrily, "I'm going to find Grandma, I want a big box too!"
Grandma Li was busy cleaning the fire hole in the kang (heated brick bed). Throughout the summer, the family's several kangs needed to be kept warm from time to time to prevent them from being too cold to sleep on.
Although only a handful of firewood is needed each time, over time, the amount of ash accumulates.
Clean it thoroughly before winter so that it can be burned after winter arrives.
She had a coarse cloth wrapped around her head, was holding a winnowing basket, and had a black smear under her nose.
At first glance, they look like Japanese devils stealing landmines.
Seeing her children and grandchildren return noisily, she smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "I could hear you arguing from far away. Are you hungry? I'll cook as soon as I'm done with this!"
Li Zhensheng and the children were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Jiayin laughed so hard she almost fell over, leaving Old Lady Li completely bewildered.
Not knowing what was going on, she gestured and wiped her face twice more, only making herself look even more disheveled.
Li Zhensheng put down his niece, took the winnowing basket from his mother's hands, and urged her with a smile, "Mom, go take a bath, I'll do these chores."
Grandma Li didn't refuse. She pulled off her headscarf, patted herself down, and went to the side room.
After this commotion, Li Zhensheng's lingering reluctance and complicated feelings completely disappeared.
For the sake of laughter in his family and for the sake of his mother who gave birth to him, he had to seize this excellent opportunity no matter what!
More people means more work; fewer people mean more food.
With the combined efforts of the entire village, the school was built in just a few days. On an auspicious day, the entire village, young and old, came to join in the excitement.
The village chief was overjoyed and took it upon himself to distribute over ten kilograms of pastries and sprinkle half a basket of copper coins.
At this time of year, everyone is busy, but the children always have free time.
The children from the three villages of Dahuaishu, Dawangzhuang, and Xiaowangzhuang, who heard the commotion, ran over to play and naturally got some snacks and a few coins.
When I got home that night, my family found out and inevitably asked me a few questions.
So, the news that a school had been built in the new village and that all the children in the village would be sent there to study and learn to read and write spread far and wide.
Some people are envious, some say the new village is just a waste of money, but many more are tempted and want to send their children and grandchildren there to benefit from it and learn some skills.
But it was difficult to say this out loud, so the discussion dragged on and on.
On the Broken Gold Beach side, no one knew any of this.
They were busy installing doors and windows, building kang (heated brick beds), and making tables, chairs, and benches for the school. These odd jobs were no less complicated than building a house.
Amidst this busy activity, the first snow of winter finally fell.
The tiny snowflakes melted almost before they hit the ground, making it seem like rain.
This reminds people of all ages of Qingshui Village.
There are four distinct seasons there: strong winds in spring, thunderstorms in summer, dryness in autumn, and heavy snow in winter.
Although I now live a comfortable and prosperous life in Suijintan, I still think of my hometown where I grew up at times like these.
The Li family came from the northern frontier, where it snows for most of the year.
They couldn't stand Xiaoxue like that.
Grandma Li sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing cotton-padded clothes with Dongmei. She opened the window and looked out. "Although the snow is falling in such fine, scattered pieces that it's really not very nice, we can't abandon our traditions. In a little while, we'll knead the dough, chop the filling, and make dumplings for lunch."
Dongmei knew that there was a custom of eating dumplings on the first snow in the north, so she smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll go to Xiaowangzhuang to buy pork and a few pork bones on the way. I'll make some bone broth for Miss tonight. Yesterday, Miss lost to Cat Brother in a height contest and was so angry that her little mouth could hold a soy sauce bottle. I'm afraid she's hoping to grow taller."
Grandma Li laughed heartily, "Children are all like this, don't spoil her. This girl is very good at taking advantage of others, she'll probably develop a bad temper later."
As they were talking, a carriage stopped outside the gate. The two hurried out to greet it, but before they could even see who it was, Jiayin called out joyfully, "Uncle Steward!"
It turned out that the head steward had personally led the carriage to deliver the gifts, and he picked up Jiayin and smiled broadly.
Upon seeing the old lady, he quickly bowed and said, "Madam, I heard that there is a custom in the north of eating dumplings when it snows. Well, I happened to have some fresh pork at home, so I brought some over."
As they spoke, the two junior stewards who had followed them began to carry things downstairs.
Leaving aside rice, flour, and cooking oil, the pork alone included two whole hindquarters, four large pieces of pork belly, and four pig trotters.
That's way too much, it's not just a little bit!
The head steward, fearing that the old lady would not accept the gift, said with a smile, "This morning, the Marquis returned to the Marquis's residence. I took a good look at him and I was truly delighted! It's really the right thing for the Marquis to recuperate here. He has not only gained weight but also looks much better."
Upon hearing this, the old lady quickly replied, "We're family, so it's only right to take extra care of each other at times like this. I just don't know when the Marquis will return, or if he'll be able to make it in time for lunch."
"If the Marquis is going to the palace, I'm afraid the Emperor will want to invite him to dine with him."
"Then let's make dumplings first and wait for the Marquis. If he doesn't come back, we'll leave a lid on for him so it's easy to cook them fresh."
As they talked, they carried all the things inside.
The old lady asked Uncle Zhao and the others to help divide the pork. Each family received a piece, about seven or eight ounces. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to make dumplings.
Leaving aside the lively scene of everyone at home making dumplings, back in the palace, the Marquis accompanied the Emperor out of the Imperial Study. Standing under the eaves, watching the light snow falling from the sky, they both let out a long sigh.
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