At first, Song Liyun was also puzzled as to why Xiao Shitou was unwilling to come back. After asking him a few more questions, Xiao Shitou shook his head vigorously, tears welling up in his eyes, and said that he was willing to stay in Wuda to take care of Lao Ma for Song Liyun.
Song Liyun was in a hurry to return, and seeing that Xiao Shitou wouldn't leave, she gave up.
On the way back, Song Liyun brought up the matter of Little Stone again.
Song Dekui clearly understood boys' thoughts better than she did, and he pinpointed the reason perfectly.
"He was afraid that the slave brand on his face would make Yun Niangzi uncomfortable if she saw it!"
Song Liyun was speechless, realizing how foolish she had been. Little Stone had asked her and knew that Yun Niangzi was working at Baolin Residence, where she had food and clothing and her work wasn't tiring, so he hadn't mentioned bringing her back.
It turned out that he was worried that his mother would be upset to see him become a slave.
This is indeed unavoidable; the mark on Little Stone's face is easily misunderstood.
According to a custom of the Wu Dynasty, those sentenced to exile or penal servitude would have gold tattoos on their exposed skin as a sign of their criminality.
With such a prominent mark, the small stone would probably be hard for the world to accept.
After receiving the news that Little Stone was alive but not coming back, Yun Niangzi was heartbroken, but then she began to look forward again. She wanted to go to the grasslands to reunite with her son.
Song Liyun expressed her support for Yun Niangzi's idea.
Little Stone was left in the Uda tribe, and now that it's freezing cold, it will be a long time before he can go back to the grasslands.
Yun Niangzi was in no hurry. She only said that she would marry into Song Liyun's household as her maid and that Xiao Shitou would also be sold into servitude.
In fact, Song Liyun did not intend to treat Yun Niangzi as a slave; she was merely a hired servant.
If someone is to serve as a maid, then they are a true master and servant who can be beaten, scolded, punished, or sold.
She quickly put these family matters aside; Song Liyun was very busy.
Right now is the peak season for ice storage in the ice cellar, and on her third day back in Broken Gold Town, she went to check on the newly built ice cellar.
The ice cellar is surrounded by a courtyard, and it has been built in a wild and rustic style.
It stands 15 feet tall, extends 2 meters underground, and is reinforced with a thick insulation layer, filled with square blocks of ice.
When Song Liyun arrived, craftsmen were unloading river ice from oxcarts.
The ice cellar is large enough that it will take another half month to fill it, meaning the process will continue until spring.
Another ice cellar contained slaughtered beef and mutton, with every gap filled with crushed ice.
These were all sent over by the Wuda tribe after the Huangsha River froze over.
Not only are there lamb skewers running all over the place in the main area, but also livestock from the vassal tribes.
In addition to meeting the daily needs of Tianxianglou, it can also supply beef and mutton for the entire Qili County.
As the year draws to a close, every household is busy buying New Year's goods.
The market in Broken Gold Town is becoming more and more prosperous, and even the streets separated by low walls are crowded with people.
Compared to the desolate New Year's Eve a year ago when every household was draped in white, the town of Broken Gold has now completely changed its appearance.
Outside the town, the newly built houses of the military families are neat and uniform, while inside the town, there are tall courtyards and shops.
Song Dekui was not idle either; as soon as he returned, he handed over the management of mutton to Manager Mu.
With so much going on, Manager Mu is completely overwhelmed and desperately needs a helper.
Song Liyun then took gifts to the garrison to see Commander Luo, to express her gratitude for his help in presiding over Song Zhenping's wedding.
Luo Baihu and Wang Junxu had been waiting for her to come to their door.
After Abu arrived with fifty cavalrymen, they already knew about what had happened to the Uda tribe.
They also learned that the leader of the Dongyue tribe had been killed and that the entire Mida River Valley was now under the control of Wuda.
Just thinking that from now on, no more Di invaders would come to Suijin Town, made Luo Baihu grin from ear to ear.
Even if he could no longer achieve military merits, he could still amass wealth by cultivating land and making a fortune.
Magistrate Jiang Feng of Qili County has already hinted that the imperial court intends to develop Qili County into a border trade city, and his position as the commander of the Suijin Guard is the most lucrative post.
However, since it was a time of national mourning, they couldn't appear too happy. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Song Liyun, they brought up the topic of Tianxianglou's profit sharing.
The last dividend distribution was in October, and the garrison only received three hundred taels.
This is partly because after the initial sales launch, other stores joined the franchise, and Pingyang Prefecture also came to purchase mutton and skin products.
In order to open up the market as soon as possible, Song Liyun discussed with Jiang Feng and launched shopping vouchers in the name of the government, allowing them to use property deeds and other items as collateral to buy on credit, and settle the accounts one month later.
During her time on the grasslands, Song Liyun missed the November dividend distribution, so her share is still in Luo Baihu's hands.
Wang Junxu took out a five-hundred-tael silver note and said with a smile, "Miss Song is destined for great things in the future. I'm afraid that once she accepts this money, she won't touch these filthy things anymore!"
His words carried a deeper meaning.
Speaking of which, Song Liyun was a military household member, a member of the garrison. It was only right for her to make money by working for the garrison, or rather, to do things for the garrison.
There's no need for such formalities between Commander Luo and General Wang.
But the implication in his words was clearly a test, the reason being the newly issued edict of accession.
Song Liyun smiled wryly and said, "Commander Luo and Military Supply Officer Wang, you are overthinking it! What kind of noble person is he? Since he can rise to the top in one step, he is also likely to fall back to the mortal world."
Political affairs are irrelevant to us who actually need to buy food and eat.
No matter who the emperor is, the common people still need three meals a day and military pay.
You can't always beg for things with your palm facing outwards; you can only stand tall with your own money in your wallet.
With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the Marquis of Zhenbei, the elder brother of the Empress Dowager, became the powerful Duke of Anguo.
The Little Uda tribe has also changed. Previously, Lady Uya was just a concubine of the Marquis of Zhenbei, but now she is a member of the royal family.
Although this change was expected by Luo Baihu and Wang Junxu, the addition of Song Liyun as a variable has changed the situation.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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