Chapter 13 Embroidering for Self-Entertainment
It was tiny, squatting at the edge of the woods, huffing and puffing as it dug something, a sight that sent a chill down your spine.
Wu Lianzhen glanced at her, then took Old Madam Xu's arm and gossiped.
"Mother, look at this! The Xu family caught fish and gave them directly to the Yun family. They don't respect you, their mistress, at all!"
Madam Xu naturally had no objection to offering the fish to the officials in exchange for benefits.
However, after Wu Lianzhen said that, Madam Xu felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Xu Yiyan was holding his nephew in one arm and fiddling with some tool in the other. Hearing Wu Lianzhen's words, he paused in his actions.
"What do you mean by that, sister-in-law? What's wrong with sharing one of the fish that your second brother caught with your sister?"
"Yes, yes, sister-in-law, don't try to sow discord. When have I ever disrespected Mother?"
Xu Yinan was so cold that his lips were trembling and he could barely speak.
"Second Uncle, it's not that I'm lecturing you, but shouldn't you listen to Mother's decision on what to do with the four fish?"
Just as she was stirring things up, Yun Zhao's surprised voice came from behind.
Wow! What is this?
Yun Zhao quietly took out ginger from his spatial storage, stirred it in the snow, and got it covered in mud.
He excitedly grabbed the ginger and ran back quickly.
She held up her muddy little hands to Xu Yiyan as if presenting a treasure.
"Third Uncle, look! Isn't this ginger? Can we make ginger soup for Second Uncle?"
Xu Yinan was furious with Wu Lianzhen, but when he craned his neck to look and saw his adorable little niece, the anger on his face vanished instantly.
"Wow! It really is ginger!"
Xu Yiyan looked down and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Having just changed her undergarments and brought back a pot, Xu Qingyi was startled when she saw what Yun Zhao was holding.
"Zhaozhao, where did you come from?"
"Dig there!"
Upon hearing this, the others pushed their own children.
"Go quickly, dig some more and come back!"
In this cold weather, people are wearing thin clothes and not getting enough to eat.
A bowl of ginger soup can always ward off some of the cold.
Yun Zhao knew very well that it was impossible for ginger to actually be present in such cold weather.
We mustn't let the children get too cold.
Especially Wei Jingchen, who had just put down his steamed bun and taken a step.
"That's all, I've dug them all up~"
She looked at him earnestly and blinked.
"Brother Wei, do you know how to make ginger soup? Could you make some for us? Zhao Zhao can share a little with you, just a tiny bit~ because Zhao Zhao doesn't have much either!"
Yun Zhao stretched out her dirty little hand and gestured with her index finger in front of her eyes.
Wei Jingchen was probably not expected to hear her say that. After a moment of stunned silence, he politely cupped his hands in greeting.
"Thank you, Princess."
His humble yet assertive attitude, and his every gesture, are pleasing to the eye.
"Wait! Yun Zhao, the adults haven't spoken yet. What are you doing, a mere child, making decisions like this? Is this how the Marquis of Dingyuan's family raised you? You have no manners at all!"
Wu Lianzhen looked at the ginger, which was only the size of her hands, and scolded it unhappily.
Yun Zhao sneered inwardly, tilting her little head up to ask, "Mother, can't I make my own decisions about the ginger that I found?"
"Of course! Zhao Zhao was the one who found the fish first, so she can decide how to handle the fish and ginger!"
Under his brother's cover, Xu Yinan quickly changed into dry undergarments and eagerly stuffed the ginger into Wei Jingchen's hand.
"We're really sorry to trouble you, Young Master Wei. We truly don't know what to do with this, and what about the fish?"
Can you help? Like Zhaozhao said, we can share some of it!
As he said the last sentence, Xu Yinan glared at Wu Lianzhen with a hint of provocation.
This woman, she's only been out of the capital for a short time, and she's already trying to sow discord in every few words!
The Xu family members were all born with a silver spoon in their mouths; even the little kid Yun Zhao did the work of starting the fire!
In contrast, the Wei family came from a poor background, and they used to do these kinds of jobs all the time.
"Thank you very much, Second Master Xu!"
After bowing respectfully, Wei Jingchen picked up the skewered fish and ginger and walked to the riverbank.
The Wei family members were grateful that they were helped with the cooking and also received a share of the food.
Madam Wei and Madam Wei the Second hurriedly stepped forward.
"Jingchen, let me and your second aunt do it!"
"Mother, the stream water is cold. Let your son handle it. You two should boil the water first."
Wei Jingchen explained gently, but his hands moved with unwavering precision.
He said he was handling it seriously.
He found a sharp rock by the stream and deftly gutted the plump grass carp.
It is said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen, but no one expected that the gentle and refined gentleman praised by everyone would be so skilled at killing fish.
Xu Yiyan looked away and began to tinker with the tools in his hands.
Yun Zhao's attention was quickly drawn to him, and he squatted down curiously to the side.
"Third Uncle, what is this?"
"I'm making a small wooden bowl so it'll be easier to drink soup later!"
Xu Yiyan worked quickly, sharpening two stones to shave wood shavings, and in just a short time, he had already made five small bowls.
Who said Xu Yiyan is a spoiled brat? He's clearly so capable!
"Wow, my third uncle is amazing!"
Yun Zhao stared at him with admiration.
Xu Yiyan immediately blushed and stammered, "No, it's nothing special..."
Feeling displeased that Xu Yinan had humiliated her, Wu Lianzhen rolled her eyes and sneered.
"What's so great about a young master from a general's mansion who just spends his days embroidering for his own amusement?"
Xu Yiyan's face immediately turned pale.
He lost his birth mother shortly after birth, and spent his days watching the maids in the backyard embroider and chat.
Over time, Xu Yiyan found it interesting and started embroidering along with him.
When I was a child, I didn't know that embroidery was also a kind of needlework, and it was done by women when I grew up and went to study at the Imperial College.
His older sister told him not to let anyone else know that he liked embroidery.
He then carefully kept this secret.
Later, someone spread the word, making him the laughingstock of the entire capital.
Madam Xu was all talk and no action; she said she felt sorry for the child and wanted him to stay at home instead of going to school.
He then spent his days reading in his own yard and learned a lot about carpentry.
Wu Lianzhen's words reminded Xu Yiyan of those days when he was ridiculed and lived in darkness.
"Wow! My third uncle can embroider? That's amazing! Can he teach Zhaozhao sometime?"
Yun Zhao threw herself into Xu Yiyan's arms, her innocent and childlike voice full of sincerity.
A smile appeared on Xu Yiyan's pale face, and his eyes gradually brightened.
"Okay, okay, Zhao Zhao wants to learn, Uncle will teach you!"
Madam Xu disliked her third son the most, finding him shameful.
His face immediately turned cold: "The third young master of the General's Mansion, what right does he have to teach embroidery? What if Yun Zhao wants to learn in the future?"
"As her mother taught me, Xu Yiyan, you must not disgrace the Xu family name!"
Yun Zhao frowned, protecting Xu Yiyan behind her like a chick.
The master once said, "No job is inherently high or low, but one's will must be firm; a man with ambitions can never be idle."
My third uncle could make bowls with his bare hands, saving my grandmother from having to eat with her hands. My third uncle was so capable.
Why did my maternal grandmother say that my third maternal uncle had disgraced the family? Does a son who leaves his mother without food count as filial piety?
Yun Zhao glanced meaningfully at Xu Yiyuan.
Xu Yiyuan had just taken a sip of meat soup; the small bowl, which cost three taels of silver, was almost empty in one go.
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