Mingxiu and Kangxi settled down in Jiangnan again. After dealing with the neighbors for several days since returning, Mingxiu was finally able to relax completely.
Mingxiu sat on the sofa with Yulan massaging her shoulders from behind. Mingxiu closed her eyes and said wearily, "What has happened outside recently? Aren't the people a little too enthusiastic when we come back? They weren't this enthusiastic when we left."
"Nothing happened. I even went out to inquire, but I don't know why they were so enthusiastic when they came back this time." Yu Lan was also puzzled, so she made an inquiry when someone came to her door, but she couldn't find out anything.
Mingxiu opened her eyes in confusion. Why was everyone so enthusiastic when nothing had happened? Mingxiu didn't doubt Yulan and the others' ability to investigate. After so many years in the palace, if they couldn't even find out something like this, they would have been wasting their time. Besides, even if they couldn't find out, there was Qingya, right? She would definitely be able to find out. Could it be that she had just misunderstood before? The people here were just very enthusiastic.
But since she couldn't figure it out, Mingxiu stopped worrying about it, since it wasn't a big deal anyway.
"Alright, since nothing can be found out, it's usually not a big deal. These things are fine. I'm asking you, how are the children you took in doing now?" Mingxiu said calmly.
Their return this time was not just for enjoying themselves in Jiangnan. The main reason was that there were still a few people left here before, and Mingxiu wanted to come and ask how they were doing.
"Reporting to Madam, I went to see them yesterday. They've been living quite well lately. The guards have taught them a lot, and they've selected some of the better children. As Your Majesty instructed, we've kept these children here. They're even planning to open a security escort agency soon and live in this town from now on," Qingya said from the side.
"Oh, that's fine too. It's good to have a skill to make a living." Mingxiu nodded.
After learning a little about these children, I found that they all had some physical and emotional problems, but they have improved a lot after treatment. Several of them are promising martial arts practitioners, so I plan to open a security escort agency. This way, I can earn more money and take in more homeless children.
Mingxiu listened to the story and thought the children were really good, especially the leaders. She heard that these were their ideas.
“Alright, in that case, when their escort agency opens, we’ll send them a congratulatory gift to celebrate the children’s new life,” Mingxiu said with satisfaction.
Yu Lan nodded.
Mingxiu pulled her outer clothes tighter, feeling that the weather was indeed a bit chilly. Fortunately, she had done another good deed.
Two months have passed in the blink of an eye since I started living in Jiangnan.
When Mingxiu and Kangxi returned, it was already late autumn. Now it was winter. Mingxiu woke up in the morning because of the cold. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Kangxi walking over with a blanket.
"You're awake. It's snowing outside. The temperature has dropped today. I just had someone bring you a quilt. Sleep a little longer," Kangxi said as he spread out the quilt.
Mingxiu nodded: "It's snowing outside, it's so cold." Mingxiu tucked herself deeper into the blankets.
"Yes, it feels unusually cold today. Well, since we don't have to get up early anyway, let's sleep a little longer. There's a pretty big plum garden in Jiangnan. Let's go and stay there for a few days after we wake up," Kangxi said, lying in bed.
Mingxiu nodded: "Okay, I haven't watched it in a long time either. Watching it when it snows will definitely have a special charm." As she spoke, Mingxiu snuggled into Kangxi's arms. In fact, Mingxiu had been sleeping much less in recent years, but she liked to stay up late, so she could usually postpone her bedtime, but she would never get up early.
At noon, Mingxiu ate a bowl of hot wontons with lots of pepper, and then followed Kangxi into the carriage, looking very proud and ready to go to the Plum Garden.
Mingxiu and Kangxi sat in the middle of the carriage, with Liang Jiugong and a few other eunuchs in front, and Yulan and a few other maids behind, with guards on both sides.
Although the Qing Dynasty has developed rapidly and prospered in recent years, and while not everyone is well-fed, at least no one starves. However, even in the best places and among the best people, there will always be some bad apples. There will still be bandits and robbers on the road. Therefore, Mingxiu and his group usually bring enough people with them when they travel.
One reason is the fear that such a problem might actually arise, and the other is simply the feeling of being inconvenienced. Some bullies who prey on the weak will naturally be deterred from provoking others when there are more of them.
After all, bandits are human too. They rob and plunder mainly to improve their lives. Those who don't look like they have many people may not have much silver, but they are safer. It's not a big deal if you have less silver; you can just eat less meat. But if you encounter someone who looks like they are not easy to mess with, it would be bad if you lost your life.
Zhongmei Garden
"Madam, please try these. They are local specialties. This is a camellia cake, made with plum blossoms and Longjing tea. This hazelnut shortbread is your favorite, and this Bazhai cake is also one of your favorites." Kangxi sat in his chair and introduced the pastries that had just been served, placing them all next to Mingxiu.
"Oh, that's great! I thought they were all gone. These hazelnut shortbreads and these eight-grass cakes are my absolute favorites." Mingxiu nodded and then started eating the pastries.
This hazelnut shortbread is very simple; it's made with hazelnuts. Mingxiu absolutely loves the texture of hazelnuts. This Bazhai cake is a local specialty. Mingxiu didn't even know about it before; it was brought back by Kangxi. A student gave it to him as a thank you gift, and he thought it tasted pretty good, so he brought it back. Mingxiu then completely fell in love with it. She didn't know how it was made; the outside was oily, but the inside was refreshingly fragrant, and it was soft and not dry at all. The texture was absolutely amazing.
"And this camellia cake is also delicious, you should try it too," Kangxi said, watching the person who couldn't stop eating the Zhenzi pastry.
Mingxiu nodded, picked up a camellia cake, took a small bite, and her eyes lit up instantly. The cake had the aroma of Longjing tea and the unique bitterness of tea leaves, combined with the fragrance of plum blossoms. The taste was just right, with a hint of bitterness, sweetness, and fragrance. Mingxiu nodded in satisfaction.
She likes this too.
Seeing Mingxiu's delighted expression, Kangxi smiled and said, "Eat slowly. We'll be staying here for a few days. There are many delicious snacks on this estate; let's try them all."
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