Chapter 368 Leaving Lingnan, Taking the Child North to Find Her Husband
Six months later, Yun Zhaoxue planned to leave Lingnan and head north, making arrangements for things in Lingnan half a month in advance.
In the past six months, Lingnan has undergone tremendous changes.
In early February, several thousand foreigners were killed. When other foreigners heard about this, they dared not come to Guangzhou to trade and instead went to Quanzhou and other places. This led to a decrease in maritime trade, a reduction in taxes, and a decrease in the income of ordinary people.
Yun Zhaoxue opened several workshops, improved the soap formula, added fragrances, and made it cleaner. It could be used to wash hair, take a bath, and wash clothes, killing three birds with one stone. It was cheap and convenient, and quickly gained popularity.
Soap workshops were opened in Panyu, Nanhai, and other nearby counties, and the soaps were sold as far as the inland areas of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
They recruited local people as workers, allowing them to help out in the workshop during the off-season to increase their income.
She further improved the papermaking technique, reducing production steps and lowering costs, making paper cheaper and enabling the mass production of books so that ordinary people could afford books and paper.
She made a fortune, and then used a portion of her profits to open free private schools and academies, so that children from ordinary families could have access to books and education.
Soap and paper were cheap, so foreign merchants took the risk of buying them and found that Guangzhou was not as dangerous as rumored.
They were still very friendly. People from Panyu County said that those who were killed were pirates. They suspected that it was a false rumor deliberately spread by their competitors in order to monopolize the business and make a fortune in silence.
The foreign merchants visited several times without encountering any rejection or attack, which further confirmed their previous suspicions that it was a conspiracy by their competitors.
Those competitors were really cunning. In order to squeeze out their rivals, they spread the news to others, and the news eventually became true, attracting more and more people to do business in Panyu.
The number of merchant ships from the Western Regions was greater than before.
They imported porcelain, tea, silk, soap, paper...
There are also various foods, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers...
Yun Zhaoxue used the money she earned to establish a private school in the area.
Tuition fees are very low, only one or two taels of silver per year, with free accommodation and meals provided at the student's own expense.
The collected fees were used to pay the teacher's monthly salary and were not intended for profit.
The workshops increased the income sources of the people, and after solving their basic needs, they yearned for knowledge.
Almost every family sends their children to school, but families with many children can only send one or two.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, only men could take the imperial examinations to obtain official titles. In order to change the fate of their families, boys were given priority to attend school, and girls were only allowed to attend if their families were wealthy, which led to an imbalance in the male-to-female ratio in the schools.
The ratio of boys to girls in the school was eight to two.
Yun Zhaoxue also established several other girls' schools, which only admitted girls.
The medical school established a special department for women, primarily to study the treatment of gynecological diseases.
In ancient times, people valued the separation of men and women. Some women with gynecological diseases dared not seek treatment from male doctors. Since female doctors were scarce, they could only endure the pain, which would worsen over time and eventually endanger their lives.
If there were female doctors, women would have fewer concerns when seeking medical treatment.
For safety reasons, she planned to leave quietly, but after thinking about it, she decided to say goodbye to everyone before leaving.
Here she met many people: business partners, friends, ordinary people, patients...
They are simple, kind, and united; when their territory is invaded, they will stand up to defend their land.
He has guts.
They are all excellent people.
This farewell may be the last time we meet.
In the end, they decided to leak the news of their departure.
Meng Dahu, Xiao Liuzi, and Guo Ba were recruited by her to work under her command, watching over the workshop and the grain in the fields.
She assigned Hu Feng and Chen Yurou to gather intelligence on the restaurant.
Six months ago, the two of them held a simple wedding in front of their relatives and friends.
Chen Yuru had been helping out at the restaurant, and Yun Zhaoxue had even prepared a dowry for her.
The couple discovered they were pregnant last month and began living a happy life.
Lao Liao, Zhao Jiu, and others followed her north, where she made other arrangements.
She left a few guards to keep an eye on each other and had them send her a message every two months.
Wang Youcai's fish ball noodle shop became a hit, and he opened several branches within half a year. He planned to go to Jiangnan with her, which is also his hometown, and then open noodle shops all over the country.
Leaving this day.
The people had been waiting at the city gate to see them off.
"Princess, the journey is long and the mountains are high. I don't know when we will meet again. I wish you a safe journey."
"Have a safe journey, have a safe journey..."
"Princess, I can't bear to part with you. If you could stay here forever..."
Yun Zhaoxue took two steps back, raised her hands flat, clasped them together, and bowed deeply to the dark crowd. "Zhaoxue thanks all the elders and folks who came to see me off!"
"Princess, take care, please be well..."
The people watched her mount her horse with deep reluctance.
Yun Zhaoxue lifted the curtain and waved to them, "I will. Take care of yourselves too. I'll come back to visit you all again when I have the chance."
"Then the princess will come back, that's wonderful, we're all waiting for you to return."
“Really.” Yun Zhaoxue nodded and said to the two children, “Dabao, Erbao, say goodbye to all the uncles and elders.”
“Princess, you have helped us drive out the enemy, develop agriculture, open workshops, and establish schools. You have been kind to Panyu County. We thank you, Princess!” A student walked to the middle of the road, lifted his robe, knelt down, and bowed to express his gratitude. Others followed suit, forming a large, dark mass of kneeling people.
"Respectfully seeing off the Princess!"
"Stop kneeling, get up."
Yun Zhaoxue ordered the guards to stop the car, got out, and helped the people up.
"Princess, Fifth Young Master..." Li Tieniu saw a large group of people gathered at the city gate, looking out of the city. He thought they had already left and immediately felt dejected.
He was slightly bent over, his hands supporting his thighs, panting heavily.
He ran and ran as fast as he could in class, but he still couldn't catch up.
His voice was drowned out by the crowd.
Xiao Xuanwu, sitting on horseback, saw him and waved in response, "Tie Niu, Tie Niu, you've come?"
Li Tieniu was inwardly blaming himself for being too slow and arriving too late, missing their last moments. When he heard this voice, he looked up, his eyes filled with surprise and joy. His dark eyes seemed to be illuminated by a bright light, so bright it was startling.
He only dared to confirm that they hadn't left and were still there when he saw Xiao Xuanwu. That was great.
Avoiding the crowd, when he was still a few meters away, he quickly rushed over and knelt down in front of Yun Zhaoxue. "Princess, you saved my life, gave me a martial arts manual, and sent a master to guide me in my training. You are my second parents. Please accept my bow."
Yun Zhaoxue grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "Get up quickly. You are a good candidate for martial arts. With a little guidance, you can become a great person. Practice hard, learn well, and protect your mother, the villagers, and the people of Panyu County."
"I plan to join the army after completing my studies in a few years, and go to the battlefield to fight the enemy and serve my country."
"You're the only son in your family. What will happen to Aunt Li if you leave?"
No era has ever encouraged only children to join the army, as the mortality rate on the battlefield is too high, and most of them do not survive.
Li Tieniu patted his chest and said, "My mother has agreed. She said she is proud that her son is going to the battlefield to fight for his country. I want to make my mother proud."
Xiao Xuanwu jumped off his horse and put his arm around his shoulder. "Brother Tie Niu, let's join the army together in the future, fight the enemy to serve our country, and make great achievements."
"Really? I can come with you?" Li Tieniu's eyes lit up again.
He wanted to go and kill the barbarians in the north.
"Of course it's true."
"Great, Brother Wu, you are my good brother. Next time we meet, let's have a good match."
"Okay, it's a deal!"
"It's a deal." The two bumped fists.
He said goodbye to his fellow villagers again before getting into the car and leaving.
Outside the city, a group of people were waiting for them: Li Rui, Lu Zheng, Lu Wenzhong, Huang Ren, Wang Bao, and the county magistrate.
What are you doing here?
Li Rui said, "There were too many people inside the city, we couldn't squeeze in, and we couldn't even get in line, so we waited outside the city."
Lu Wenzhong nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, just look who our heroine is! She's the savior of our Panyu County. In less than a year, she's brought about a complete transformation. Before, we didn't dare offend the foreign merchants, worried that they wouldn't come to trade. Now, they're begging us to sell them things."
"I don't know when I'll be back after I leave. Panyu County will be relying on you from now on."
Lu Wenzhong then asked, "Princess, if I ever travel to Lin'an, may I pay you a visit?"
He recently made some money doing soap business with Yun Zhaoxue, and without relying on his family, he can use this money to travel the world. He will set off in a few days.
"Of course, you're welcome anytime. But you'll need to let me know in advance, as I might not be in Lin'an at that time."
Li Rui also raised his hand, "Can I go too?"
The princess is skilled in both literature and martial arts; if she were ever granted the title of princess and needed to find a male favorite, he might be able to…
"Sure, we're all friends, and I'll definitely treat you to a good time as a host."
Yun Zhaoxue nodded slightly to Lu Zheng and the county magistrate to say goodbye before getting into her carriage and leaving.
Everyone watched the carriage depart.
Li Rui nudged Lu Zheng's arm. "Hey! Why didn't you say a word just now?"
"I don't know what to say, just seeing her off is enough."
Li Rui put his arm around his shoulder. "That's right, she's too dazzling. We can't even get a turn in line. We're in the same boat. Come on, let me treat you to some drinks. After this meal, we'll still be the most sought-after young masters in Panyu County. If we miss this spring, there's always next autumn."
"We won't leave until we're drunk!"
"Why didn't you invite me when you went drinking? I wanted to go too."
"I'll go too." The county magistrate was also fond of drinking, and because of his drinking, he almost lost his life and his entire family.
It was Yun Zhaoxue who saved his entire family's lives by turning the tide, and he secretly vowed to govern Panyu County well so that Princess Zhaoxue would look at him with new eyes.
The entire Pu family has been executed, leaving no one alive.
He was afraid; he didn't want to die; he wanted to achieve something.
She's away from Panyu County and no one's watching her, so she should be able to have a few drinks, right?
Others followed, shouting, "Me too! Me too!"
Panyu County has become wealthy, and there are now many more kinds of wine. I've heard that the wine is just as good as the wine in the imperial palace.
On the carriage.
Yun Zhaoxue, along with her two children, Hongzao, and Lüzhi, rode in a carriage.
Not long after they left the city gate, the two children fell asleep.
They go to bed early and get up early, waking up at four or five in the morning.
I need to take a nap around 10 o'clock, and then get up to eat lunch after sleeping for an hour.
Yun Zhaoxue changed the hard seats of the carriage to soft leather seats similar to those in her previous life's cars.
Long journeys without soft seats or backrests are very uncomfortable.
You can lean against it and rest when you're sleepy.
She stayed with the child until he fell asleep for a while.
The child woke up, and she woke up too, meeting the misty eyes of her second child in her arms.
"Erbao, you'll see your dad soon, aren't you excited?"
Erbao looked at her for a while, then suddenly covered his ears and shook his head, "No dad, no dad, he's not my dad..."
Both children were able to speak when they were six months old.
He's only a little over a year old and speaks fluently without a single stumble.
Yun Zhaoxue heard clearly, "Erbao, why don't you want your father? You were sad for many days after your father left. Were you sick?"
She placed the back of her hand on the child's forehead; the temperature was normal, not like a cold.
She couldn't find anything wrong by taking the child's pulse, and the child hadn't soiled his pants; he was crying for no apparent reason.
But the child cried his heart out.
Yun Zhaoxue asked, "Erbao, are you feeling unwell? Tell your mother if you miss your father. You'll see him soon, so don't cry, okay?"
"He's not my dad, he's not my dad, waaaaah..." Erbao's loud cries pierced through the carriage and echoed throughout the entire procession.
“Erbao, don’t cry, don’t cry. Let’s not go to your father yet. Let’s go to Lin’an. Your father isn’t there. He’s still in the north.”
Yun Zhaoxue hugged him and comforted him.
His face was flushed from crying, and he kicked his legs wildly and waved his little fists in the air as if he were fighting an enemy.
The baby's cries were loud and urgent, making its little body convulse, interspersed with hiccups, "Ugh! Waaah—ugh! Waaah waaah..."
It's heartbreaking to hear, and it also leaves you feeling a bit helpless.
Hongzao said, "Princess, did the young master have a nightmare? He took it as real and was terrified."
Da Bao, who was being held by Lv Zhi, reached out towards Er Bao, but couldn't reach him. Lv Zhi then carried him over.
Da Bao reached out and pinched Er Bao's chubby little hand, "Don't cry!"
Erbao finally stopped crying. His little body was still trembling, and he buried his face in Yun Zhaoxue's neck, rubbing against her, like a wounded and helpless little animal seeking comfort in its mother's arms, letting out soft sobs, "Waaah...uh..."
"Erbao, don't cry, dreams are all fake."
"You've mistaken my father for someone else, he's not my father..."
"I don't know (I don't remember)..."
Yun Zhaoxue guessed a few things from his intermittent words.
"Don't dwell on the past, cherish the present. Your family is with you and will never leave you. Da Bao is watching, don't cry. You're a man, you have to be strong. Forget the past."
Zhuiying rode his horse close to the carriage. "Princess, the young master is crying very hard. There's an open space ahead. Why don't you rest there for a while?"
"Okay, let's rest for a while up ahead."
It's too stuffy staying in the carriage all the time, I need to go out for some fresh air.
She carried the child downstairs.
The Yang family members also got off the carriage. "Xue'er, why is the child crying?"
Yun Zhaoxue said, "She woke up crying after a nap. She must have had a nightmare. I've already comforted her. She was fine after being carried out for a walk."
She saw her grandson's red and swollen eyes from crying and wanted to take him in her arms.
Erbao let out a soft sob, sniffled, and wrapped her little arms around Yun Zhaoxue's neck, shaking her head slightly to resist being held by someone else.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "Mother should hold the eldest child. The second child is spoiled and likes to stick to me whenever he cries."
Yang was holding her eldest child.
Yun Zhaoxue carried Erbao and wandered around the neighborhood for a while.
Pei Huaiji reached out to Erbao, "Erbao, let your second uncle hold you so your mother can have something to eat."
Hearing what they said, Erbao struggled to get off Yun Zhaoxue.
He doesn't need to be carried; he can walk on his own.
The dirt road was full of potholes, and he walked with great difficulty and effort with his short legs, as if he was about to fall at any moment, but he did not fall. He held Yun Zhaoxue's hand with his other little hand.
Pei Huaiji, “…”
He reached out and picked up Erbao. "Xue'er, go and eat something first. I'll watch Erbao."
It was almost noon, so I set up a pot and cooked a big pot of mushroom and chicken congee. It's almost done.
Yun Zhaoxue glanced at Erbao, who was obediently nestled on his uncle's shoulder. Feeling a bit hungry, she nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Second Brother."
"No trouble at all, go ahead."
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