"Long'er, could you get me something to make my face whiter?"
Hou Xiangxiang knew that He Yi was good at using beauty filters for women; she was too dark-skinned! She was tanned like a lump of coal.
"You're just tanned from the sun; you'll come back to normal if you keep warm in the winter."
"How about I use more plum blossom ointment every day?" the little girl continued.
"For whitening, you should use pearl cream," Huo Xiaolong told her.
No wonder I used up several jars of plum blossom ointment and it didn't work; I was using it wrong...
“Look, I’ve hired another carriage to take Xiongzai along!” Hou Xiangxiang said, pointing to the carriage behind them.
The little girl still loves the bear cub as much as she has for years, and she and Huo Xiaolong take turns snuggling in its arms every day. This trip also allowed him to go back and see his family, which is great.
“I’ve been climbing this mountain for years, every time I come here for a spring outing!” Er Ya said from behind, carrying pots and pans.
"The main reason is that there are no other mountains near Pingyang County, junior sister. These kids are all getting restless."
Erhei has matured a lot; when he stands there, he has the air of a general.
The round-faced little girl has grown into a young woman, but she is still as chubby as before.
He hadn't proposed to Er Ya before, it was already agreed upon. The first junior sister was still young, and the second one wanted to stay at the brothel for a few more years.
He Yi said that too many girls from Fengyue Tower have gotten married in the past two years, and if Erhei goes to join in the fun, Cen's mother might not be happy. Even though she's not getting married, she might still be a little unhappy.
What? No women outside? So you can just take advantage of the girls at my brothel?
The adults who came with them this time were the two of them, plus Liu Xu and Miao Cuifang. The three children were indeed a bit naughty.
The bear cub ran off and disappeared. Huo Xiaolong chased after it, shouting as he ran.
"Bear cub, slow down, don't run away."
"There's nothing ahead. If there's a tiger or something, we'll have to run."
"I don't even know why they're running away."
Hou Xiangxiang and Da Nier followed slowly behind until, deep in the forest, a mother bear, smaller than the cub, blocked its path.
Yes, Xiongzai is four years old now, it's time to find him a wife.
Seeing this, Huo Xiaolong immediately turned around and stopped Hou Xiangxiang from taking a different route.
This is the highest point in the deep mountains, where you can see not only Pingyang County, but also all the nearby villages.
“Long’er, look, even donkey carts can’t get through that place. The rice has to be carried by people bit by bit.”
"They must be exchanging last year's fine grains for some coarse grains so they can save money and make it to the autumn harvest," Huo Xiaolong said, watching the people carrying rice stalks up the mountainside, making their way to Pingyang.
The group sat there for the entire afternoon. Many people came out of the village, and the journey to Pingyang County was not far, only about two kilometers, but it took them two hours to walk back and forth.
It's the height of summer now, and the heat is making people irritable.
Sweat poured down halfway up the mountain, while laughter and cheers echoed from the summit.
It seems that the world itself is divided; some people are born into a life of luxury, while others have to work hard their whole lives.
Nothing is taken for granted, Huo Xiaolong thought, including suffering.
"Long'er, come and eat!" Er Ya called from behind.
The three girls got up and came to the pot, but seemed to have a little no appetite.
Rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—these ordinary, mundane things constitute the lives of most people. They spend their entire lives living these things, striving to be well-fed and clothed.
The weather was already a bit chilly when we came down the mountain. That's how it is in the mountains; there's a big temperature difference between day and night. But for those who had worked hard to go to Pingyang County to exchange for coarse grains to make a living, it was a good thing.
When Er Ya met Huo Xiaolong and his group, several burly men even offered to help her carry her things.
"Oh dear, how can we let a young girl carry pots and pans? Here, young lady, let me help you carry them down the mountain."
"No need, Uncle, I'm strong enough."
Erhei and Miao Cuifang were also carrying a lot of luggage, including tents, but pots and pans were the least of their belongings.
Even the frail Liu Xu was carrying a stone pot. Several older women couldn't bear to watch any longer and wanted to just carry Huo Xiaolong down with them.
The group quickly bowed and thanked them, then took off running.
Hurry up and go down, or you'll be sent to your doorstep in no time.
“Long’er…you know, they’re so tired, yet they’re still so kind-hearted,” Hou Xiangxiang said, rubbing her calves.
"To get rich, build roads first."
The cement kilns are almost finished. Wang Zheng wants to build the city walls of every county in the border town to be as high as those in Pingyang. Since that's the case, the kilns can't be built for nothing.
“Let’s fix the road, little sister.”
"ah?"
Hou Xiangxiang didn't realize what the connection was between getting rich and building roads.
“As long as the road is easy to travel, they can come out and look around, see more opportunities, even exchanging rice will be much easier, they can make several round trips a day, at least they can pass through a donkey cart.”
"Hmm, how do we fix it?"
"You're paying for it yourself?"
Huo Xiaolong could pay for it himself, but the political achievements wouldn't go to her. Besides, she could help build one section, but could she help build the entire border town?
The little dumpling shook its head.
"No, I'll go find my Uncle Wang and ask the government to pay for the repairs."
"What's wrong, honey? What do you want to fix? I'll pay for it, just say the word."
Liu Xu got into the carriage, picked Huo Xiaolong up and asked, "I've been hearing several children chattering behind me about what needs fixing and how it costs money. Isn't it just money?"
My sister will buy whatever I like.
Miss Liu is very wealthy now. The purchasing power in Jiangnan is far superior to that in Biancheng. Underwear, panties, and sanitary pads are selling like hotcakes.
Not to mention the face cream, all of these things were made by her sister. Although she received a share of the profits, now that her sister needs money, she, as the older sister, has to step in, right?
What's the point of earning money if not? Don't women earn money to support their families and please themselves?
"No need for me to pay, let Uncle Wang pay."
Liu Xu raised an eyebrow, teasing Huo Xiaolong.
"Your Uncle Wang doesn't have much money; he's always complaining about being poor."
“Then he can cry to the emperor. I think the emperor really likes him. If he cries, the emperor will give him money.”
The main problem is that we can't not allocate funds. Wang Zheng is in Pingyang. If he fails to do something properly due to a lack of money, the current emperor can't bear the blame for the country's collapse.
"Our Long'er is so clever! She even knows who the prefect is pleading poverty with!"
Huo Xiaolong tilted his little head and said
"Of course I know!"
"So if you're broke, who will you complain to about being poor to?"
The little girl, Liu Xu, coaxed the baby with gentle words. The baby, who could talk, nestled in her sister's arms and whined.
"Cry to your sister, and she'll give herself to me!"
"Oh my baby is so good! Here, take it and spend it. If you run out, just ask your sister for more."
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