Seeing Zheng Yuling return to her seat, the Prince of Qingyang stared at her with an expression that seemed to be asking for the result.
Zheng Yuling shook her head at him, and the Prince of Qingyang knew that things had not gone well.
But they wouldn't agree to such a high price for a lowly peasant girl!
The Crown Prince of Qingyang was filled with rage!
...
When Yang Cui got home that evening, she told Cen Xiao about what had happened and expressed her concerns.
"Don't worry, we've already set up the plan. Prince Qingyang won't be able to cause trouble for long. If you're really worried, you and your children should stay home as much as possible. Anyway, you don't have any relatives in the capital, so you don't need to visit them for the New Year."
Some close families simply send New Year's gifts directly to each other, without needing to make a special visit. These large families have so many relatives that they can't visit everyone in person, so they don't go to each other's homes to exchange New Year's greetings.
Yang Cui and Cen Xiao's only relative in Kyoto is probably Qiu Tianyun. Now that Qiu Mingxuan is dead, Qiu Tianyun probably doesn't want to see them either. They should be able to send him a gift when they have time.
New Year's Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.
This is Yang Cui's second New Year here.
Sometimes you can't help but sigh at how fast time flies.
In the morning, Yang Cui led the children to make egg dumplings and fry fish pieces, while Cen Xiao took on the task of tending the fire. Although there were a large number of servants in the family, it was the New Year, and the atmosphere was only right when the whole family worked together.
The servants were initially apprehensive because they hadn't expected their master to do it himself, but seeing how warm and friendly the atmosphere was, especially since the general was willing to go into the kitchen to tend the fire, they were truly envious.
Yang Cui was a southerner in her previous life and did not have the habit of eating dumplings during the New Year. However, she did have the habit of eating egg dumplings, which the children also liked. So she put copper coins inside the egg dumplings, saying that they would see which one would bring good luck.
The family reunion dinner here is at noon.
After the meal, Yang Cui and her family raised their teacups to toast the people below, especially those they had brought from their hometown.
The servants were so surprised that their jaws nearly dropped when they saw all the masters, big and small, coming to serve them tea; to them, this was a great honor.
"Thank you all for your hard work over the past year. Today is Chinese New Year, so I'm giving everyone a lucky money gift. I also hope that everyone will have a better future!"
Yang Cui didn't say a word about doing better or being more loyal in the future.
She knew it was useless to say anything. Those who cared would remember her kindness and would naturally do even better, keeping the General's Mansion in their hearts. Those who didn't care, no matter how much she said, would still betray her.
"Thank you for the reward, Madam!" the servants cheered.
The red envelope contained two taels of silver for each person. Those who came from the hometown were closer, so each person received one gold leaf. Butler Cui received two gold leaves, as he was a butler and held a high position, so his red envelope naturally had to be larger.
They were so happy they almost jumped for joy.
Ma Ming and his brothers couldn't help but compare Yang Cui and Cen Xiao with Lin Shikang in their hearts. Look how magnanimous Yang Cui is! Lin Shikang is not only blind, but also unworthy of the smart and capable Yang Cui.
The brothers were thankful that Madam Fan had driven them away back then, otherwise where would they have found such a good master?
...
Ganning County Government Office.
It's Chinese New Year again.
Lin Shih-Kang's place was much quieter.
When he first arrived last year, his mother, his daughter, and Niu Dan and Lu Dan were all very curious about the county government office, so they kept chattering and making a lot of noise.
This year, Lin Huihui was not here, Niu Dan and Lv Dan were not here, and Lin Mingfu, his mother Fan Shi, and Yuan Yajing were all by his side, making it seem very lonely.
Looking back on the year, his daughter was gang-raped, Niu Dan and Lv Dan were missing and dead respectively, and his career had not improved. On the contrary, Yang Cui and Cen Xiao were doing very well, which made him even more unhappy.
Especially back in his hometown, Yang Cui's Hope Academy made him look so blind that he didn't even want to go back, feeling he couldn't face his clansmen.
Faced with a table full of delicious dishes, Lin Shikang felt uneasy.
Fortunately, Yuan Yajing is pregnant and six months along. The doctor said it's very likely to be a boy.
Lin Shih-kang is already this age, so naturally he wants a son. This is probably the only good thing that has happened to him this year.
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