Chapter 192 Yang betroths her daughter to the Duan family
They stayed overnight in a dilapidated temple. This temple was even more dilapidated than the ones they had stayed in before; the doors and windows were gone.
There was no roof, only four walls, which were better than nothing and at least provided some protection from wild animals and wind and rain.
Before the officer could announce anything, everyone rushed inside to grab a spot.
The Xiao family brought enough bedding to keep warm, and since they didn't want to squeeze in with a large group of people and smell other people's sweat, foot odor, and other stench, they slept outside.
In the open space in front of the dilapidated temple, Yun Zhaoxue found a flat spot and set up her tent.
It was too dark last night, so they didn't notice anything.
It was evening this time, and the night wasn't completely dark yet, so her tent was clearly visible, and everyone came over to watch out of curiosity.
Yun Zhaoxue casually told a small lie, "I bought it from a Arab merchant when I was in the capital." (Arab merchant: a merchant from Arabia and Persia)
"No wonder I've never seen anything like it before. It's amazing how such a small thing suddenly turned into such a big tent. How did you do that, Third Sister-in-law? It's like magic."
"It's not magic, it's something that can extend or retract, like this." Yun Zhaoxue pressed down on the top of the tent and closed it up, causing the four sides of the tent's frame to retract as well.
"Wow."
Xiao Xuanwu still found it amazing, "The wire can stretch and contract freely like human bones, making it very convenient to carry, even more convenient than a military tent. It must have taken a lot of effort, right?"
He rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Third sister-in-law, may I demonstrate it myself?"
"Sure, I'll stretch it out first, and then you can close it up again using the same method I just used."
"Okay, I'll give it a try. I'll be careful and won't break it." Xiao Xuanwu was eager to try.
Yun Zhaoxue packed the tent away again and then asked him to open it himself, saying, "Try pinching the top and giving it a shake."
Xiao Xuanwu did as she instructed, and with a 'whoosh!' the tent was opened.
"It's open, it's open."
"I'll take it one more time."
Xiao Xuanwu copied her actions and folded up the top of the tent, which deflated as if it had lost its air.
Xiao Mingshu asked expectantly, "Third sister-in-law, I'd like to open it once too."
"Okay, you can do it next."
"Wow, thank you, Third Sister-in-law."
"Xiao Wu, leave the rest to me."
Xiao Xuanwu made way for her, then moved to the other side and tucked the other two corners inward.
The two of them, like children who had received a new and exciting toy, carefully put it away.
Xiao Mingshu repeatedly confirmed the steps with Xiao Xuanwu, saying, "You grab it here, then flick it and it will bounce away."
"Yes, it's very simple."
"Whoosh!"
"It's open, it's open."
The two carefully examined the retractable skeleton but couldn't discern anything.
And that zipper, and that fabric, it seems to be waterproof. Oil paper is also waterproof, but oil paper is hard and rough. This piece is so thin, thinner than a leaf.
Yun Zhaoxue sat under the tree watching them. One was 15 years old and the other was 13 years old. In her previous life, they would have been junior high school kids. They were usually strong and independent, but now they were like little adults, not causing any trouble for their mother and brothers and sisters-in-law.
Xiao Mingshu also tried her best to make all kinds of delicious food for everyone.
All the sisters-in-law liked this little sister-in-law; she wasn't spoiled or temperamental at all.
Xiao Xuanwu asked, "Third sister-in-law, how much silver does this tent cost? I also want to buy one for my mother. If we have extra, we can buy one for the whole family so we don't have to worry about snakes, insects, rats, or rain."
"It seems to cost several hundred... taels."
In my previous life, it was several hundred dollars. If we convert that to ancient silver, how many taels would that be in terms of purchasing power?
But such a high-end item only costs a few ounces; no one would believe it if I told them.
Xiao Xuanwu: "Ah, so expensive! I thought it would only cost a few dozen taels."
Even if it were dozens of taels, he couldn't afford it; he only had two taels of silver in his possession.
It's nowhere near as good as a tent.
Xiao Mingshu nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's so expensive."
Even if you sold her, you couldn't afford to buy her for several hundred taels of silver.
Xiao Xuance asked, "Can we do it ourselves?"
He didn't understand the principles behind this high-tech tent from his previous life; he only knew that it was a frame and a piece of cloth that supported a tent, similar to the tents used by the military.
Since others can do it, they are also trying to do it themselves.
Putting aside the cost of silver, encountering Arabs, especially those with tents, requires a stroke of luck and is very difficult to obtain.
Yun Zhaoxue thought for a moment and said, "I can make it myself, but it takes up more space and isn't as convenient."
The siblings nodded in agreement, having experienced the wonder of the tent, they were certain they could never make one themselves.
Xiao Xuanwu said, "Fourth Sister, why don't we save up money together to buy it?"
"Okay! Let's start saving money now." Xiao Mingshu also hoped that her mother could live in a tent so that she could be sheltered from the wind and rain at any time and would not easily catch a cold.
The thought of saving money is daunting.
"But money is earned, not saved. We don't have any money-making business right now, so how can we save any?"
Xiao Xuanwu was stumped and scratched his head. "This... when we get to the place of exile, shall we try our best to clear the land and farm?"
"Farming? Ordinary people still owe money even after a year of farming, so they have to set up stalls or do embroidery in their spare time to earn money to supplement their income."
Previously, Zhang would beat and scold Xiao Mingshu, and would never give her any money.
She also often took on embroidery work to earn money, and came into contact with many poor people whose families could barely make ends meet despite their best efforts.
"Then how do I save money?"
Yun Zhaoxue said, "We can do business while we're in exile. If we can hunt a tiger or a bear, or a rare venomous snake, it should be worth several dozen taels of silver. But that's too dangerous for you. If you get injured, it's not worth it. We can dig for wild vegetables, mushrooms, and wild fruits. If we're lucky, we might even find some precious medicinal herbs."
The siblings listened attentively and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, Third Sister-in-law is right. From now on, when we go up the mountain to collect firewood, we'll keep an eye out for ginseng and lingzhi."
Seeing that the two of them seemed to have endless things to talk about, Xiao Xuance urged them, "You two should go help with the cooking, don't let your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law be busy."
"Okay, let's go cook first, and we'll figure out how to save money tonight."
Yun Zhaoxue pointed into the mountains, "I'm going to relieve myself."
Xiao Xuance, who was in a wheelchair, had difficulty using it, so he asked Zhuiying to accompany and protect her.
"No need, I'm going to the restroom, it's inconvenient for him to come along."
He went to a secluded place, hid behind a tree, and used his mind to enter the space.
I picked a few fruits and held them in the hem of my shirt; the juicy fruits sagged right down.
Xiao Mingshu, who was gathering firewood in the mountains, saw her and threw some firewood over to help. She noticed that the hem of her clothes was heavy, so she rubbed it with her hand and found it to be hard and stiff, neither wild vegetables nor wild mushrooms.
"Third sister-in-law, did you go to the mountains to collect stones? If you want, I can go collect them for you. The mountain paths are difficult to walk on, and it would be bad if you fell."
Yun Zhaoxue opened her clothes to let her see clearly, "It's not a stone, it's fruit. I went to the restroom and took a stroll in the woods. I saw a wild peach tree and picked it."
Xiao Mingshu exclaimed when she saw the peach, which was bigger than her two fists, "Wow, this fruit is huge! I've never seen one this big in the capital. I wouldn't need dinner if I ate one."
"We still need to eat. Eating only fruit and not meals will make us hungry. I can eat a little less and save some room for fruit. Let's go back."
"good!"
When they returned, they found that Yang was not there, and Xie Wanyun and Song Mingyan were busy cooking with the children.
The children also helped gather firewood and start a fire.
Xiao Xuanwu also returned from the other side carrying a bundle of firewood. He took over the children's daily tasks and let them rest for a while.
The three children didn't rest; they went to collect firewood.
If they do a little more, their mother can do a little less.
Yun Zhaoxue called out, "Jun'er, you guys come here for a moment, your third aunt has some good food for you."
The three men walked towards her in a line.
The mother told them that their grandmother and third aunt had some conflicts, and that they should not upset them these days.
They're not young anymore, and you can see the change in the atmosphere at home.
Jun'er walked over and stopped a meter away from her, carefully choosing his words, "Third Aunt, is there something you need from me?"
She pulled a large peach from behind her back. "Look what this is?"
"Peach? What a big peach!"
"This is for Xian'er."
"Ming'er, Jun'er."
Jun'er thought these peaches must be very expensive, so she waved her hand and said, "We can't have them, we'll just eat later."
"This isn't for eating now; you can save it for when you're hungry."
Xian'er's hand holding the peach trembled slightly, and the peach rolled between her left and right hands.
Yun Zhaoxue noticed bloodstains on the peach skin.
"What's wrong with your hand? Let me see."
Xian'er handed the peach to her brother, opening her small palm, "I accidentally hurt myself while picking firewood, it doesn't hurt."
"There are still thorns that haven't been removed. Sit down quickly, I'll find something to pick them out."
Yun Zhaoxue noticed that the three little ones had thorns in their palms, so she used tweezers to remove them.
He then washed the dirt off his palms with the spring water, disinfected them with alcohol, and applied bandages to the more serious wounds. "Alright, next time you get hurt, just say so. Don't suffer in silence, or you'll only hurt yourself."
"Next time we go to the city, I'll have your third uncle buy you some small gloves so you can wear them while working and won't get hurt."
"Third Aunt, we don't have any money right now. Buying gloves would be too expensive. We can't accept them."
Ming'er and Xian'er also said in unison, "We can't accept it."
Xiao Xuance patted Jun'er's head: "You are still children, so don't worry about money. If you want anything or want to eat something in the future, just tell your third uncle. We are family, so there's no need to be formal."
“Your father is gone, but your third uncle will take care of you in his place.”
The three boys, their eyes reddening with emotion, nodded and gave him a proper bow, saying, "Yes, thank you, Uncle."
Jun'er looked at his mother, who was busy wiping away sweat by the earthen stove, and asked, "Third Aunt, may I save some for Mother to eat?"
"I also want to save some for my mother to eat?"
"I want to save it for my grandmother to eat."
Yun Zhaoxue: "Of course you can have it. It's yours to have."
They put the peaches back into their bundle and then went to help gather firewood.
Fifteen minutes later, the food was ready, and Yang suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
After dinner, she gathered everyone together and solemnly announced something.
"I have decided to betroth Shu'er to Young Master Duan."
Everyone was stunned.
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