Chapter 203 Warming up
Walking a few days further north, we suddenly entered the beginning of October in the lunar calendar.
The autumn wind was blowing coldly in the city of Da Qi close to the north.
Camping on the official road, there was a cold crescent moon hanging in the sky, and dead branches were cast like silhouettes in the night sky. There was a tiny gap in the window of the carriage, and the cold wind penetrated through every pore.
"Madam, I found the thickest quilt. It has been exposed to the sun during the day and is still soft."
Depending on the weather, the temperature will drop further at night.
Hongli and several maids sorted out and found some ready-made clothes purchased from Ruyang.
The coat was thick and heavy, making Jiang Yuzhu move slowly.
In contrast, Xie Zhao was only wearing a thin long gown, outlining his tall and thin figure.
"Yuanhe, this place is different from the capital, you should put on an outer shirt."
Jiang Yuzhu came to Xie Zhao's side considerately, carrying a jacket.
"The scholars in the capital city value elegance over warmth. It seems that putting on a coat would make them lose their scholarly character. They would rather freeze to death and drink bitter medicine than put on an extra layer of clothing."
When you are out, your health comes first.
What if Xie Zhao gets sick and infects her?
Jiang Yuzhu kept a close eye on Xie Zhao in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation, and was determined not to give him the chance to fall behind.
"I will listen to you, Madam."
Xie Zhao nodded, his eyes and eyebrows showing a doting smile, and he felt extremely relieved.
Jiang Yuzhu has changed a lot since leaving Beijing, and has become more concerned about her husband.
This is a good sign, indicating that the relationship between husband and wife is continuing to heat up.
"Yuzhu, look, my husband is wearing thin clothes, but his hands are warm."
Xie Zhao put his hands on Jiang Yuzhu's cheeks and caressed them, unable to let go of the smooth touch.
People who practice martial arts have hot bodies and are not afraid of the cold.
"It's already cold before we even reach Lingcheng. I heard that it's snowing heavily in the north. Should we prepare a charcoal basin in the carriage?"
Several maids boiled some hot water and filled a hot water bottle with it.
Jiang Yuzhu leaned in the corner, drank a cup of hot tea, put the hot water bottle on her lower abdomen, and felt a constant flow of warm current, which made her feel a little more comfortable.
She was originally afraid of cold and could not sleep well at night.
Noticing that his wife was afraid of the cold, Xie Zhao took Jiang Yuzhu in his arms and said, "Madam, the carriage is small and it is dangerous to burn charcoal for heating. You'd better be patient for a while."
The carriages carrying food and fodder have already arrived in the north, and the camp in the north of the city must have prepared a house for the couple.
Although it is cold outside in the north, the house is equipped with floor heating and a heated kang. As long as there is firewood, winter is not as unbearable as imagined.
Jiang Yuzhu poured another cup of hot tea and agreed, "Okay."
Dinner was a simple hot noodle soup. After dinner and washing up, the official road was silent.
A bonfire was lit on one side of the carriage.
A simple tent was built next to the campfire, and Shaoyao and several other female relatives squeezed on a bed to keep warm.
Seeing that everything was normal, Jiang Yuzhu closed the remaining gap in the car window.
By the light of the oil lamp, she took out a piece of cut leather from the bench and a bag of goose down.
"Yuzhu, what is this?"
Xie Zhao stared at Jiang Yuzhu's movements and saw some clues, but he was not too surprised. "You want to make clothes with goose down?"
To prevent the fleece from running, Jiang Yuzhu sewed several grids to secure it. She quickly sewed the lining on the front chest part and took the time to answer Xie Zhao's questions.
"I don't know how many times my second brother's goose Hong Hong was killed, and the family always saved some goose down every time."
"In the northern winter, the geese are still very active even when they are wandering in the ice and snow. I think the down on the geese is more warm..."
Along the way, some people were selling geese they raised at home. Jiang Yuzhu taught Shaoyao and others the basic suturing techniques, and they bought more than 20 geese at one time.
It's just a pity for the big goose, which was tortured repeatedly and eventually died.
After death, the goose meat was stewed with firewood, and the goose feathers were cleaned and placed in a tent on the roof of the car to dry in the sun to remove the smell.
Without modern technology, Jiang Yuzhu had to sew by hand.
After taking off her heavy coat and wearing only a layer of goose down clothes, Jiang Yuzhu felt as light as a swallow.
"People in the north have rabbit skins that they save. They use rabbit skins as linings to make goose down and duck down clothes. They are good for keeping out the cold and keeping warm. They are also good for keeping out the wind. If this technique is promoted, it will definitely benefit the people."
Jiang Yuzhu's original intention was to make things convenient for herself, and she was very generous in her words.
Xie Zhao's heart warmed up, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He tried his best to adjust his mood and pretended not to care and said, "Yuzhu, if it really has the effect of keeping warm, we will be the first to seize the market. Many merchants will fight for it."
Things related to people's livelihood are very popular in the north.
Jiang Yuzhu shook the teacup, her heart ached for a moment, and she insisted, "We don't need this to make money."
She calculated more than Xie Zhao and certainly knew the huge benefits involved.
However, in order to seize the market, they had to produce and sell ready-made clothes in large quantities under strict defense, and even do business in the camp in the north of the city.
Under the current circumstances, the soldiers cannot even receive pensions. They are lucky to have enough to eat a full meal, so where would they get any extra money?
Rabbit skin and goose down are common items, and the workmanship is not complicated.
As long as there is a finished product, an old lady or young wife who knows needlework can make countless pieces.
Taking several aspects into consideration, spreading the manufacturing process can save major losses and gain a good reputation.
Xie Zhao hesitated for a while, then chose his words carefully and said, "Yuzhu, I thank you on behalf of the soldiers of the North City Camp and the people of the North."
His wife suddenly stopped caring about money and became sentimental, all because of him!
Xie Zhao suddenly had an urge to hug Jiang Yuzhu and kiss her, his eyes burning.
"Yuanhe, this...we are husband and wife, and we are a family."
Jiang Yuzhu wanted to tell Xie Zhao that he could not represent so many people, but she swallowed the words back.
If the signs are not right, try not to argue.
Outside the window, the night is deep.
The north wind howled, breaking the dry branches, making crisp crackling sounds.
Jiang Yuzhu was covered with a thick quilt, her hands and feet were cold, and she did not sleep well.
Feeling the coldness of his wife's feet, Xie Zhao hurriedly opened his clothes, held her feet in his arms, and kept her warm.
In a trance, Jiang Yuzhu's ankles suddenly found a warm source, and the warm current spread from bottom to top, throughout her body.
Feeling the heat, Jiang Yuzhu's slightly wrinkled brows relaxed and her breathing became smooth.
After a good night's sleep, Jiang Yuzhu stayed in bed for the first time the next day. When she got up, the large group of people had already set off.
Xie Zhao led the team, and only Jiang Yuzhu and a few maids were left in the carriage.
"Madam, please wash up first. The master left some meat wontons for you. They are still warm."
Hongli and several maids were gathered together to study goose down clothes.
"We don't have enough goose down, so we'll just go to Lingcheng to replenish it today."
In Lingcheng, the large group of people unloaded the stones they were transporting, so they needed to stay for two days to replenish supplies.
It is expected that the journey will be smooth within seven days and we will be able to reach the northern border town.
"Due to the war in the border town, many caravans no longer use the border town to transport goods. You can make a list and buy the things you need in Lingcheng."
There was a shortage of items in the border town, and their prices fluctuated. Jiang Yuzhu instructed her maid to save as much as possible.
At noon, the large group of people arrived at the no-man's land.
After the carriage stopped, Hong Jin went to the front to take a look and almost dropped her jaw in shock: "Madam, you didn't see that there were so many people in front, almost tens of thousands of people..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
