Xiao Yunying went to the kitchen, took out the black-boned chicken, put it on the ground, sprinkled some corn kernels on it, and poured some water.
The black-boned chicken had its wings and claws tied, and its head could turn to reach the water and corn, so she didn't untie it.
"Six black-boned chickens, that's quite a lot. It's too cold outside, let's stay in the kitchen for the night. Tomorrow, my older brother and the others will bring the ducks and geese that I left at my parents' house to kill, then we won't have to suffer."
A strange sound came from outside the back window of the kitchen. Xiao Yunying listened quietly for a while, but heard nothing more.
She walked over, opened the window, and looked out into the pitch blackness. Suddenly, she blurted out a sentence.
"Who's outside? I see you!"
Luo Yang's voice came from the direction of the washroom: "Mother, what's wrong?"
Once she was sure there was no more noise, Xiao Yunying replied loudly, "It's nothing. It's probably just that the wind blew something over. We'll check again tomorrow."
The wall around her house was over two meters high, and for safety, she had it filled with sharp pieces of porcelain.
She bolted the front and back doors as she went, and there were small mechanisms on the bolts that she had set up so they wouldn't be easily pried open with a knife like in TV dramas. No one should be able to sneak in.
At least that disgusting Liu Ge can't get in.
She went back and lifted the cloths off all the baskets, taking out the contents one by one.
Cheng Yue's gift was still related to "clothing," including two pairs of hand warmers (similar to modern hand warmer pillows).
There were a few boots made of some kind of leather, but they were more waterproof than ordinary cloth shoes, and the melting snow didn't easily wet them when you stepped in the snow.
They come in both sizes; one pair for her and one for each of the children in her family.
There are several thin cotton coats in different sizes.
She once casually mentioned to Cheng Yue that the house was warm because of the stove, and that wearing thick cotton clothes was too hot.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Yue took it to heart and specially made her a thin cotton coat.
Xiao Yunying counted the items; two items per person, which was quite fair.
In winter, wealthy families would need to change the cotton-padded clothes for their servants, and Jinxiu Pavilion received many orders for cotton-padded clothes.
There were other similar reward pouches and such; the fact that they were able to make these for her shows that they squeezed out time from their busy schedules to do them.
She doesn't value these things much; what she values is the sentiment behind it.
Xiao Yunying hummed a traditional Chinese tune in a good mood as she tidied up her things.
When the children returned after washing up, Xiao Yunying distributed the cotton-padded coats and leather boots to them, saying that they were given to them by Cheng Yue, and told them to take them back to their rooms.
She began sorting through the things Chen Yuancheng had sent, most of which were ingredients that suited her preferences.
There was a basket full of meat, and two big, thick legs. Xiao Yunying was startled when she suddenly lifted the cloth covering.
He looked down and sniffed the aroma, then picked up a thigh and examined it: "This is beef, isn't it?"
Like most ancient dynasties, Yi Kingdom had low grain yields, so in order to encourage and maintain agricultural order, it did not allow the arbitrary slaughter of oxen; otherwise, the perpetrator would be imprisoned.
If a family owns a cow, they have to register it with the government.
If you want to eat beef, you can only wait until the cow is old or injured and unable to work. You have to report to the government and have it inspected before you can slaughter it.
Of course, for a family like Chen Yuancheng's, wanting to eat beef is very simple; they can just do it casually.
She has fresh beef in the supermarket, but since she has no reason to take it out, she only dares to eat it secretly at home with her children.
Now that's great, with what Chen Yuancheng sent, she can not only eat it openly, but also share it with her parents.
After putting the beef into the supermarket, she took out another basket of things. The contents of this basket were much more normal compared to the beef and live chickens, with boxes neatly arranged.
Above is a red booklet listing all the free gifts.
"Beef, cherry blossom cloud pattern incense burner? What would I do with an incense burner? I don't burn incense."
Xiao Yunying took out a square brocade box, inside which was an exquisite bronze incense burner, engraved with cherry blossoms and cloud patterns. It was probably specially made according to her name.
There was also a small box next to it, which contained blocks of cone-shaped incense.
Xiao Yunying took a sniff; it wasn't as strong or pungent as she had imagined. It smelled a bit like the lemon scent of her laundry detergent—a light, sweet and sour aroma.
"not bad."
Keep it to fumigate the house later.
Luo Chen and Luo Yang returned after putting their things away. Xiao Yunying put the box aside and asked, "Why are you back? Where are the two little ones?"
Luo Chen said, "I put Xin'er on the kang (heated brick bed). It's a bit windy outside, and she's a little scared. I asked Ali to stay with her while we help Mother pack her things."
"I'll take care of it, you guys go to sleep."
Xiao Yunying continued looking at the gift list: incense, black-boned chicken, oh?
Before the two brothers could say anything, he added, "Wait a moment."
She took a small brocade box out of the basket and opened it; inside were three books.
He opened the post and glanced at it briefly, then handed over the brocade box along with it: "This is a New Year's gift from Yuancheng. Take a look for yourselves."
The two brothers exchanged a glance. "A New Year's gift for me?"
Luo Chen took the brocade box, took out the invitation, and there was another book underneath.
I counted them carefully; there were three books in total.
Xiao Yunying ignored the two children and took a long, flat gift box from the basket. Inside were six pairs of colorful velvet flowers, ranging in size from small to large.
She picked up a pair of small, delicate velvet flowers and examined them closely: "How thoughtful of you, you even prepared one for Xin'er."
"Mother, is this true?"
Xiao Yunying calmly put down the brocade box: "There is the private seal of the headmaster of Yunshan Academy on it. Do you think it's true or not?"
The position of Zhongshanzhang in the academy was equivalent to the principal of a school today. He was the highest-ranking person in the academy, and his words carried the most authority and weight.
The post roughly states that the three boys from the Luo family do not need to take the test with other students entering the academy; instead, they can be directly tested by the headmaster face-to-face.
In other words, it's possible to use a little back door.
As the best academy in Donglin City, Yunshan Academy attracts a considerable number of students each year, ranging from a few years old to teenagers and young adults.
The entrance examination for the academy was somewhat like a modern exam. The teachers would set the questions, the students would answer them, and those who failed would be eliminated based on their scores. The students who passed would be ranked and placed into classes according to their scores.
The content of the exam was unlike that of modern exams. Apart from certain poems and allusions with fixed answers, such as composing poems, matching couplets, and some opinions on certain things or events, the answers had to be based entirely on one's own understanding.
These kinds of questions, which have no standard answers, depend entirely on the character and preferences of the examiner; in a sense, it's a matter of luck.
After all, no one can guarantee that the students answering the questions and the teachers grading the papers share the same values, or that Yunshan Academy's great reputation means it is 100% free of scum in the education system.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
