"My goodness? This amazing? How come I don’t know about it?"
"Hey! It’s something from 15 years ago, you probably weren’t even mindful of things back then. At that time, this thing was a big deal in our Lian’an Town!"
"Hey, what’s the story, hurry up and tell us!"
That person cleared his throat and then continued: "Well, the Wang family used to be one of the big families in our town. In East Street over there, all the shops along the street were theirs, and they had about a thousand acres of farmland. They were considered quite a wealthy family in Lian’an Town."
"But becoming a royal merchant isn’t something that ordinary families can do, right? There are countless families with vast lands and properties, but they can’t get involved in such a thing. There must be something special about the Wang Family!" someone on the side couldn’t help but ask.
"Yeah, initially, it was thought that they wouldn’t be able to get involved, but one day, the Wang family suddenly gained the favor of a nobleman from the capital city! In the end, they entered the capital city and officially became a royal merchant, specializing in doing business with the royal family!"
"Why did they suddenly gain the favor of a nobleman from the capital city? Such a great blessing must mean that the nobleman has a lot of power, right?"
"Who knows?"
"······"
As the discussions went on, Ji Xinhe listened and took it as a joke. This royal merchant was indeed remarkable, but since they became such a prominent family, why did they come back to this small county town? Were they homesick?
Ji Xinhe shrugged, not caring about it. She casually listened for a while before leaving.
"Sister, look at these firecrackers, can we set them off during Chinese New Year? Gou Dan’s family bought some too!" Xiao Bei pulled on Ji Xinhe’s sleeve, excitedly saying.
Ji Xinhe turned her head to look at the firecrackers on the small stall and smiled, "Alright, we’ll buy another string of firecrackers too."
When it was time to close the shop, they drove the bullock cart home.
On the way, villagers who saw Ji Xinhe greeted her with a smile, "Ji Xinhe is back? You two are really loving, going in and out together all day. Uncle remembers your wedding on the seventh day of February, we’ll be there to drink your wedding wine!"
"I heard that the wedding will be held in your new house, how lively it will be! Warm house wine and wedding wine, double happiness!"
"I’ve only just found out about such a big event! I knew it! How could such a perfect couple not get married!"
Ji Xinhe’s mouth twitched. Ji Dong sure acted quickly, informing everyone in the village.
Mu Houchu, on the other hand, was very calm, smiling and saying, "Thank you, thank you."
Xiao Bei also laughed and said, "My brother-in-law is great! He knows how to read, write, and do so many things!"
Ji Xinhe pinched his little face to stop him from talking, then smiled at the villagers, "We have to go now."
Mu Houchu drove the bullock cart, and finally, no one mentioned the matter of marriage. Ji Xinhe sighed with relief, feeling that the villagers were too enthusiastic, and with the busy farming season over, they were too idle. So, when a happy event like this suddenly popped up, everyone naturally became very enthusiastic.
Just as she was about to enter the house, she heard a crashing sound coming from the main room, followed by some quarreling noises. Ji Dashan was yelling so loudly that his voice had become hoarse; it seemed like he was throwing a temper tantrum again.
Ji Xinhe frowned, not wanting to get involved, and turned to go inside the house.
Xiao Bei whispered, "Dad’s temper is getting worse, why does he quarrel all day?"
Ji Xinhe covered his ears, "Don’t worry about that, they are the ones who brought it upon themselves."
Ji Dashan seemed destined to be an extreme character—extremely afraid of Lady Ding in the past, scared like a rat crossing the street, but now he was extremely irritable after experiencing a great stimulus.
She was really at a loss as to how her late mother had been blind to fall for this kind of man.
"Brother, when do you think our new house will be finished?" Ji Xinhe asked.
She needed to move as soon as possible to get away from the endless noise in the main house. Not only was it annoying, but she was also worried that it would affect Xiao Bei’s personality as he grew up in such an atmosphere.
Ji Dong smiled and said, "Don’t worry, the house will definitely be built by February. It won’t delay your marriage to Mu Chu."
Ji Xinhe helplessly rubbed her forehead. Why did her elder brother always act like she was eager to get married?
——
In the blink of an eye, the Chinese New Year arrived. Although Ji Xinhe had been busy during this period, she decided to take a day off during the New Year. The shop would not be open, production would not continue, and there would be a break in the construction of the new house.
This was her first New Year in this era and the first time Ji family’s siblings could spend a New Year with meat and wine.
As soon as Ji Xinhe woke up, she went straight to the kitchen to prepare the food. She had to make ten dishes to symbolize perfection. There weren’t many people in the family, but they wanted the best meal for the New Year.
Xiao Bei drooled all morning and waited excitedly by the stove, swallowing saliva from time to time: "Sister, when can we eat?"
Ji Xinhe smiled and rubbed Xiao Bei’s head: "Be patient, it’s almost ready. Here, have a steamed bun to fill your stomach first?"
Saying that, she handed Xiao Bei a steamed bun.
Xiao Bei took it and excitedly started nibbling on it: "Sister’s steamed buns are more fragrant than anyone else’s!"
"Look at you, so greedy. Eat less; otherwise, your stomach will be full, and you won’t be able to eat all the delicious food later." Ji Xinhe laughed.
After a morning of busy work, the dishes were finally ready.
Xiao Bei happily carried the dishes while Ji Dong and Mu Houchu entered the room, smelling the fragrant aroma.
"Ji Xinhe’s cooking skills are getting better and better," Ji Dong said with a smile.
Ji Xinhe brought out a large bowl of dumplings: "The dumplings are here, come and eat!"
Ji Dong looked at the table full of food and said with emotion, "In the past, we never had good food during the New Year. We left the Ji family empty-handed, and I was worried about making you all suffer. But now, I never thought that this year’s New Year would be like this. Thanks to Xinhe’s intelligence, thinking of ways to make money."
Xiao Bei proudly said, "Sister is the best!"
Ji Xinhe laughed, "Everything today is the result of our family’s hard work together. Where is it just my credit? Big brother works tirelessly day and night, all for our sake."
"Sending Xiao Bei to school next spring and having your wedding in February—I’ll finally be able to face our mother in the afterlife without worry." Ji Dong said.
Ji Xinhe laughed and said, "Brother, you should think about your own marriage first. I’m afraid our mother is still worried in the afterlife."
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