—This was not a pleasant operation.
Yue Jiuyue gave a brief summary of the pine cone picking operation.
Because of this operation, Yue Jiuyue gained nothing in secret, so when she wanted to go out again, she would either avoid the three Lin brothers or Xiao Man'er, determined not to give them any more opportunities to travel with her.
As for Liu Shi, she didn't care. This person had been busy tidying up their new house recently. Except when she went to the front yard to cook, when she passed by the front yard to do laundry, or occasionally when she came over to ask Yue Jiuyue's opinion, she was almost never seen.
Who doesn't want their own private space?
If she hadn't yet bought the mountain, she would have already built a courtyard of her own, and could even have built a separate courtyard for each of her children.
Although they were just an ordinary farming family, that didn't stop them from building a house. It wasn't like they wanted to build a small bridge, flowing water, pavilions, or towers; just a simple farmhouse courtyard, even with only two rooms, would do. Liu was still incredibly happy.
As the weather grew colder, Yue Jiuyue dared not think about making any extra money anymore. She stayed indoors all day, more like a refined young lady than the daughters of wealthy families.
Just as Yue Jiuyue was huddled in her warm bed, clutching a hot water bottle and wearing heat packs, still shivering from the cold, and just as she was praying every moment of every day that this cold winter would pass quickly, Magistrate Tang arrived again with his men.
This time was different from the previous times. Magistrate Tang was neither making an incognito visit nor bringing any eunuchs to bestow rewards. He was simply worried about whether Yue Jiuyue's sweet potatoes had been damaged by the cold. After all, this matter had reached the ears of the emperor and was related to his political achievements and the people's livelihood.
After a series of knocks on the door, came Lin Chaobei's howling shouts.
"Mother! Get up quickly! The clan elder and the village chief are leading Magistrate Tang to our house!"
Lin Chaobei has now become the family's professional nanny, taking Xiaoman'er around every day. After all, children can't stay in one place for long. As they walked, they ended up in the village, where they got along very well with the old men and women chatting in the sun.
Today, as usual, they were sunbathing with some old men by the stone mill when they saw the clan chief's cousin running towards them, panting, saying that Magistrate Tang was coming to their house. Startled, he scooped up Xiaoman'er and ran home. Xiaoman'er, tucked under his arm, giggled in the wind, thinking it was a new game her uncle was playing with her.
"Huh? Oh, I see."
Yue Jiuyue was startled by Lin Chaobei's sudden knock on the door. After hearing the reason, she lingered in bed for half a minute before reluctantly putting on her cotton-padded clothes and shoes. Only when she faintly heard noises outside did she open the door and go out to greet their parents, Magistrate Tang.
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
Yue Jiuyue performed an awkward and inappropriate greeting.
There was nothing she could do; she was just an ordinary woman who had rarely left the village and had never seen anyone else perform a proper bow. Not wanting to kneel, she could only imitate what she had seen on television and casually offer a bow.
"Madam Lin, there's no need for such formalities."
Magistrate Tang quickly helped Yue Jiuyue stand up, and then eagerly revealed the purpose of his trip.
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