There was a security escort agency in Luzhou that would sometimes help people from Luzhou bring back things from other places. On the afternoon of the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, the last escort from that agency returned from his trip and brought Zheng Yuanyuan some holiday gifts.
Zheng Yuanyuan stayed in the capital and ran a cake shop with Shen Mingwan. Zheng Yuanyuan said that under the Emperor's guidance, a piece of land was allocated near the barracks guarding the capital in the suburbs, and a large courtyard was built. This courtyard will serve as the headquarters of the Daliang Orphanage in the future. Construction on the courtyard started in the autumn, and the house was completed before the ground froze. They are just waiting to tidy it up and move in after the spring.
This was good news. After reading the letter, Xu Zhi grinned from ear to ear. Seeing her happy, Zheng Boyuan asked her, "Are you that happy?"
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Of course! My sister Shen, Yuanyuan, and I have been working so hard to build this orphanage. We've been longing for it but haven't been able to get it. But His Majesty built it for us so quickly. Just you wait and see. With this orphanage built by His Majesty in the capital, all the prefectures and counties below will follow suit. And we only need to be responsible for the daily operation. This will save us a lot of money."
Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "I don't know anything about these things either. If there's anything you need my help with, just let me know."
Xu Zhi smiled and thanked them. After putting down the letter, she began to look at the things that Zheng Yuanyuan and Shen Mingwan had brought.
There was a box that I specifically designated for Zheng Boyuan. After Zheng Boyuan took it and opened it, he saw that inside was a crane cloak with a hood. The cloak was made of fox fur inside and a very ordinary thick cotton cloth outside. Wearing it like this, it did not look very flashy, but it was extremely warm.
Xu Zhi said in surprise, "Yuanyuan made this for you. I think Yuanyuan's needlework has improved again."
Zheng Yuanyuan has never been very good at needlework since she was a child. This crane cloak looks like it has fine stitches, so Zheng Yuanyuan must have put in a lot of effort to make it well.
Receiving a gift from a distant relative lifted Zheng Boyuan's spirits considerably. On New Year's Eve, while keeping vigil with Xu Zhi, Zheng Boyuan took out the crane cloak and put it aside, which made Xu Zhi feel a pang of sadness. Zheng Boyuan lost his mother at a very young age and had a difficult life with his stepmother, so he rarely received gifts. That's why he valued gifts from his relatives so much.
A kang table was placed on the kang. In Luzhou, people don't sleep on kangs; they sleep on beds. Xu Zhi was terribly cold, so she wrapped herself in a cotton quilt and ate snacks on the kang table with Zheng Boyuan while listening to the sporadic firecrackers outside.
Zheng Boyuan handed Xu Zhi a plate of candied fruit and said, "This was given to you by my mother-in-law. She said you like to eat it, so eat more."
Xu Zhi picked up one; it was from her favorite fruit shop in the capital. She ate it, sighed, and said, "It's cold in winter, but these things won't spoil even though they've been delivered from so far away. Once our Luzhou is built, we'll have them open a branch here. That way, whenever we want to eat something, we can go out and buy it."
Zheng Boyuan smiled and nodded, thinking of the bamboo paper workshop that was to be built after the spring, and asked Xu Zhi, "Do you plan to build the bamboo paper workshop on Huitou Ridge?"
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Yes, I've been to several places. The only drawback of Huitouling is that there isn't enough water. My brother said we can divert water from the boundary river. Besides, that area is close to the newly built road and has enough space. I've already explained it to the village head of Huitouling. After the New Year, he'll have someone from the village come over to help us choose a good location and start building the workshop."
As Zheng Boyuan listened to Xu Zhi describe the kingdom she was going to build, he felt a sense of admiration. This girl, who was just sixteen years old, had always been able to take things in stride. She made a fortune in the capital, but she didn't hesitate to give it up. The reason Emperor Liang Cheng was able to take out 100,000 taels of silver from his private treasury for the road construction was because Xu Zhi had given him the cake shop business. In just one year, Emperor Liang Cheng had made an unknown amount of money.
No matter how much money Xu Zhi earns, it has nothing to do with her family anymore. Even if Xu Zhi doesn't want to do anything, Zheng Boyuan thinks it's fine. This little girl does so much and asks for so little.
Thinking of that road, Xu Zhi asked Zheng Boyuan, "Did my brother tell you when he's coming over after the New Year?"
Zheng Boyuan shook his head and said, "My elder brother didn't say, so it's hard to say. Some of the stones we blasted out of the mountain are for paving roads, and some are to be transported to Miaozhou to build river channels. When my elder brother left, he told me to gather people and start working on the eighth day of the month. Not only do we need to speed up the road construction, but we also need to speed up the quarrying of those stones. We don't have much time left."
Xu Zhi and Zheng Boyuan had both lived in Miaozhou, so they knew how unpredictable the Miao River was during the flood season. No one knew when the Miao River would have an accident. All they could do now was to hurry up and dredge the riverbed where needed and repair the river embankments where needed.
After midnight, the sound of firecrackers outside filled the city. Xu Zhi put on her cotton coat and stood at the gate with Zheng Boyuan, who was wearing a crane cloak, watching people on the street set off firecrackers. Zheng Boyuan took out a purse from his pocket, handed it to Xu Zhi, and whispered in her ear, "This is your New Year's money. Keep it safe."
Xu Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and accepted it. After the two returned to their room, Xu Zhi said with a smile, "Brother Boyuan, why did you think of giving me New Year's money?"
Zheng Boyuan said with a smile, "Our elders aren't around. I'm a few years older than you, how could I not let you receive lucky money during the New Year?"
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