Shiyuan Village has a lot more people, and there are new houses built. Some things that used to be bought in town can now be bought in the village.
Liu Yanqing wondered if the small village where his younger sister had been exiled could develop so well, then what about the other places his younger sister had stayed? However, those other places were probably not as famous as Shiyuan Village, which was where he started.
"We sent some gifts to Liu Fang a few days ago," Liu Yanqing said. "She's still not very satisfied. She must be complaining that the gifts we gave her were too few. She didn't even think about how much her family gave us. Does she think that just because she's a younger sister, we should give her more?"
Liu Yanqing thought Liu Fang wasn't that sensible. If she were a bit more sensible, she wouldn't have acted like that. "She snorted several times right in front of me," Liu Yanqing said. "She thought I liked going to her house."
Liu Yanqing didn't want to go to the Zhen family at all, but because Liu Fang was his sister, he still had to do something. Given Liu Fang's personality, it was only because the people from the first wife's family weren't there, otherwise, they would definitely be even more fed up with Liu Fang.
"She humphed at you, what about you?" Lin Xiaowan asked.
"As for me, I asked her why she was humming. Did she not want me to go? If she didn't want me to go, then I wouldn't go there." Liu Yanqing was not so willing to suffer a loss. He asked on the spot, "Why is she being so pretentious? Who does she think she is? She doesn't have the same mother as me, and she's not a legitimate child."
"Then don't go." Lin Xiaowan said.
"Yes, if she doesn't like it, I won't go." Liu Yanqing said, "She's also mentally ill. Her brother, who is from the same mother, has gone to the capital, and she is helpless in the northwest. Does she think that writing a letter back to the capital will help? With her personality, who would believe that her words about being bullied are true?"
For example, if Liu Fang complained that the gifts Liu Yanqing sent were too few, and she wrote a letter back to the capital, who would believe it?
Liu Fang had always wanted a lot of things, even when the eldest wife was around. She had also caused her brother's wife to have a miscarriage, so her sister-in-law probably didn't think she was that good either.
"If she likes to complain, then let her go ahead and complain," Lin Xiaowan said.
"Yes, we are not afraid." Liu Yanqing was really not afraid that Liu Fang would write a letter to complain. It would be better for Liu Fang to write a few more letters, then Liu Fang would understand that she was not that important at all.
Widow Zhang was in a good mood recently. Her family was helping Princess Rongning manage the farm. Initially, they were still thinking about whether they should find someone to transport the goods and sell them, or wait for someone to come to them.
When those people knew that those things were produced on the farm of Princess Rongning, they were all happy to buy them and did not bargain too much.
Widow Zhang certainly didn't mix her own things in with the other items she was selling. Those people were buying into the reputation of Princess Rongning. Widow Zhang didn't raise the price either. She sold it at the price that was being purchased outside. Even if those people raised the price a little, Widow Zhang wouldn't allow them to add more.
Widow Zhang had met Princess Rongning several times before, and she knew that Princess Rongning was not someone who liked to sell things at high prices.
The bicycles and other items introduced by Princess Rongning were relatively cheap. Even if they still cost one or two taels of silver, that was because they were rare, and things are valuable because they are rare. Furthermore, bicycles are made of iron and other materials, not just wood. In places with cement roads, bicycles are more convenient.
Princess Rongning did not hide her actions; she let everyone see and allowed everyone to do those things. Princess Rongning also published books to teach people how to do those things, so that more people could make a living.
In the past, they always envied people from other places, thinking that the northwest was full of wind and sand and that it was a bad place. But after they had culture medium and learned to use Haloxylon ammodendron and other trees to prevent wind and sand, and to build canals with cement, their lives gradually improved.
The grapes and other crops they grow here are very good, and they can be sold for a lot of money.
When Miss Lin San became pregnant, Widow Zhang gave her an extra ounce of silver. Anyone who became pregnant in the family received an extra ounce of silver, so that pregnant women could have enough money to buy food.
Widow Zhang didn't really dislike Miss Lin San. A woman like Miss Lin San knew how to think for herself. Miss Lin San had plotted against Miss Zhang's grandson, but she didn't take her husband's things to her parents'. The money Miss Lin San had earned from selling herself was indeed from the Lin family, so she had repaid the Lin family for their kindness in raising her.
However, people outside still criticized Miss Lin San, saying that she was calculating and scheming, and that she was just pretending to ignore the Lin family. She might start to act up again after she gave birth to a child.
Miss Lin San knew about the rumors outside, and she could bear it. As early as when she found the grandson of Widow Zhang, she was already prepared to be surrounded by rumors.
Those people just saw that Widow Zhang's family was doing well, and they didn't marry their daughters to Widow Zhang's grandson early on, so they acted like this.
Even though Widow Zhang had other grandchildren, those people still talked about Miss Lin San.
"He's such a calculating person. He doesn't seem like someone from our country at all."
"Just wait, she'll reveal her true colors sooner or later. There's no way she'll be willing to do those things all the time."
"Her sister-in-law is educated and can read. She doesn't do much of this work."
"Her sister-in-law hasn't gotten pregnant yet, but she's pregnant already. She might be up to something."
…
Miss Lin San heard those words a lot. Sometimes, she would just stand there and others would deliberately say those words loudly. Miss Lin San was not afraid of what they said. She used tricks to make the widow Zhang's second grandson like her. It was a matter of mutual consent. What did these people have to do with it?
As for the eldest sister-in-law, Miss Lin San didn't care whether she did the rough work or not. She didn't do the rough work because she was capable and could read, so she wanted to do other things.
There are differences between people. It is impossible for Miss Lin San to force her sister-in-law to do something just because she is pregnant.
Impossible!
Miss Lin San knew what she had to do. It wasn't like Miss Lin Da and the others hadn't come here to tell her all that nonsense before, but she hadn't done anything stupid. She was living a relatively good life in this family because those people didn't care about such things.
"I'll wash it." Miss Lin San's husband also helped her wash clothes. He was afraid that Miss Lin San would accidentally slip in the river.
The men in Widow Zhang's family do not think that these things are not something men should do. When Widow Zhang is the housekeeper, no matter whether those things are done by men or women, as long as there is a need, no matter what their gender is, they have to do it.
Miss Lin San's sister-in-law, Shi, is not pregnant, but Shi is not in a hurry.
At Village Chief Zhang's house, Shi was talking to her aunt, that is, the village chief's wife.
"There's no need to rush this pregnancy, so you don't have to worry." The village head's wife said, "If your sister-in-law gets pregnant sooner, she'll also need to gain a firm foothold."
The village head's wife knew about Miss Lin San's affairs, and the Lin family still came to Miss Lin San from time to time, but Miss Lin San refused to give them any money. Previously, when Miss Lin Si disappeared, Widow Zhang and her family rushed to the Lin family, claiming that Miss Lin Si had stolen the Zhang family's money. This has led to the Lin family not being as arrogant as before.
"She has a hard time too." Shi said, "She sometimes helps me with some things."
"That's it," said the village head's wife. "You don't have to be like those people outside. There's no need to say too much. In the future, you'll all separate. You don't have the same parents-in-law, so there's no need to worry about it."
"That's exactly what's going on," Shi said with a smile. "What's there to worry about? She got one ounce of silver when she got pregnant, and my grandmother also said that I'd get one ounce of silver when I get pregnant, too."
"That's right, we'll treat everyone equally." The village head's wife said, "You don't have it now, but you will have it later."
In the capital, after the Third Prince had held the funeral for Old Master Cen, the Emperor did not allow the Third Prince to continue going to the beach. The Emperor thought it would be better for the Third Prince to stay in the capital, as perhaps the Third Prince was not suitable for going to the beach at all.
The Third Prince felt that Old Master Cen's death was not timely. It would be great if Old Master Cen died after he finished his business at the seaside.
But this kind of thing is not something that humans can decide; it all depends on how God arranges it.
"Grandmother must be very sad." The Third Prince's wife thought that Old Lady Cen should not be that sad. Old Master Cen had taken concubines and had other children. If it were her, she would never think so much about such a man.
When Mr. Cen had a stroke, Mrs. Cen must have had a hard time.
Now that Mr. Cen has passed away, Mrs. Cen can finally relax a little.
But the Third Prince's wife couldn't say that in front of the Third Prince. She had to say something more flattering. "Concubine Cen is over there, but she's not very good at taking care of people. It would be better if the palace sent another maid to take care of Grandma, which would also make Grandma feel more at ease."
It wasn't that the Third Prince's wife didn't want Concubine Cen to do those things, but she knew she couldn't. She had to capture the Third Prince's heart and make him respect her more, so she had to do something.
"It was difficult to send someone before. But it's different now. Grandfather just passed away, and the Emperor certainly won't say much." The Third Prince's wife said, "Even if people outside knew about it, they would only think you were filial."
"Then do as you say." The Third Prince had no objection. "Just like before, the palace will send the monthly allowance over."
"Yes, everything has been arranged," said the Third Prince's wife. "Now that Grandfather has gone, it shouldn't cost that much. But... let's not reduce the expenses there. We still have to make sure Grandmother eats well. She's so old. Even if we don't consider Concubine Cen, we should still consider her."
"That's how it should be." The Third Prince thought that the Third Prince's wife had thought it through very carefully.
The Third Prince's wife thought that when the time came, she would just ask the maid to prepare more food for Old Lady Cen. When the maid gave Old Lady Cen extra food, there would be no portion for Concubine Cen. If Old Lady Cen wanted to give Concubine Cen some, then the Third Prince's mansion would have to take less food.
The Third Prince's wife didn't want to serve Concubine Cen. She had suffered many losses at her hands before. Since Concubine Cen was in trouble, the Third Prince's wife certainly couldn't let her live a good life. She did this to torment Concubine Cen, forcing her to look at some things but not eat them.
The old woman received monthly wages from the Third Prince's Mansion, so of course she had to listen to the Third Prince's wife.
The Third Prince's wife had already thought things through. She continued to hold on to the indenture of the old woman because she was the Third Prince's wife and she could intimidate people better.
Young Master Duan Er has stayed in the seaside town for many years. He has accompanied Miss Duan Wu for walks and read books.
Seeing Miss Duan Wu limping back again, Master Duan Er couldn't help but ask, "Did you walk through a lot of difficult places again this time?"
"Today's road is easy to walk on, but it's long. We have to walk all the way. That's it." Miss Duan Wu had no choice. They couldn't always ride in a carriage or on bicycles.
Miss Duan Wu didn't think there was anything wrong with this, nor did she think others were bad. She just wanted to see if she could come up with something by working so hard.
Sometimes, success doesn’t come just from hard work.
Miss Duan Wu also knows this, but if she doesn't work hard, there is really no hope of success.
The salt pans Liu Yulian had people digging had already yielded some salt. Water trucks were used to transport salt from one field to the next. This was done periodically, and the people had discovered that this method was indeed useful. Even though there wasn't much salt at the bottom right now, it was a good method, and the resulting salt was good.
Those people wondered whether it was because there was more sunlight here, or because the concentration of seawater in those salt fields was different.
Liu Yulian stood next to the salt field and someone reported the results to her.
"Originally, everyone just wanted to dig a piece of land and leave it there to dry in the sun," someone said. "Even if we thought about dividing the land, we didn't think about using a water truck or dividing it several times."
"They actually thought of the beginning, but they didn't continue." Liu Yulian knew that the ancients were very wise, but they were also afraid of taking responsibility.
In this feudal society, where carelessness could cost one's life, those people preferred to stick to the status quo. They didn't dare to test things too much. If they tried a little and didn't make any further progress, they might think that this method was useless and they would not continue to use it.
Liu Yulian thought of this because she had learned a little chemistry in her later life. She knew that the concentrations of these substances were different, and she thought that the timing of their crystallization might be different. So she created several plots of land and placed the salt water of different concentrations separately.
Different substances have different saturation concentrations, and there are some other problems.
Liu Yulian didn’t know much, after all, she was the one who returned the relevant knowledge to the teacher.
"It's not their fault, really. Everyone is afraid of taking responsibility," Liu Yulian said, "especially when salt is so expensive."
Salt was very expensive in ancient times, and ordinary people bought coarse salt, which was not of such good quality.
Liu Yulian believes that people of this era are imprisoned. It is not that they are afraid to take risks, but how many people dare to take life-threatening risks?
The Institute exists to take risks for these people, to make them understand that research won't always succeed; failure is inevitable. If we stop researching because of failure, we'll miss out on success.
"Not just in the capital, but in other places as well, there must be specialized research institutions." Liu Yulian said, "But we can't rush it."
Liu Yulian couldn't possibly recruit so many people all at once. Not just anyone could do research. The research institute was a little short, but those who did had some skills, and some had been admitted through exams. Once those people grew up, they could lead the others.
"Indeed, it's not about being afraid of spending money, it's also a matter of brainpower." Some people strongly agreed with Liu Yulian's statement.
How many people in this world can be like Princess Rongning? Princess Rongning also had other research results before, so Princess Rongning was able to become the director of the research institute. After Princess Rongning became the director of the research institute, she was able to arrange the use of those research funds.
When Liu Yulian returned to the town, she saw fish and wanted to buy two live fish.
"It's a gift for you. No charge." The fishmongering lady saw Princess Rongning, recognized her, and waved her hand, saying no charge.
"How can I do that?" Liu Yulian asked the maid to pay. "This is just a small business, and you guys are working hard fishing. In a few days, I plan to open a grilled fish restaurant here, so I have to buy more fish."
Liu Yulian planned to serve boiled fish, grilled fish, pickled fish, fish balls... and all kinds of delicious fish dishes on the table. She brought some money with her when she came out, which was just enough for her.
"Okay, if you need it, just tell us. Our fish are cheap and fresh," said the old lady.
"Fresh fish is fine." Liu Yulian said with a smile.
Liu Yulian saw that these people weren't selling fish very well, mainly because ancient people didn't know how to cook fish, and the fish had a strong fishy smell, which led to many people not liking to eat fish. If Liu Yulian knew how to cook fish, she would write a fish recipe book.
She also sold recipes. In later generations, you can find all kinds of recipes by just searching on the Internet.
Whether or not one can cook those dishes well depends on their skill level. Restaurant food is often more delicious, thanks to the chefs' exceptional skills. Some restaurants even have their own proprietary seasonings. For example, there are many different types of bases for boiled live fish, from different brands.
When He Xiyuan saw Liu Yulian coming back with fish again, he wondered if Sister Lian wanted to fatten him up. Should he study harder recently so that he can lose some weight?
"I've gained weight recently." He Xiyuan said.
"I've gained weight?" Liu Yulian subconsciously lowered her head to look at her waist. Was she fat? She frowned. If she gained weight, would He Xiyuan dislike her?
"It's not you, it's me who's gained weight." He Xiyuan said, "From now on, I still have to get up early to practice martial arts and study. I can't just eat all the time."
He Xiyuan has eaten a lot recently. Liu Yulian always cooks a variety of delicious food. He Xiyuan even suspects that he came here to eat.
"Well...that doesn't matter." Liu Yulian breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she was not fat.
As a woman, Liu Yulian didn't want to be too fat, but she also didn't want to be too thin. Being too fat or too thin was a vexing problem. Liu Yulian was thinking about making some medicinal food for herself someday.
"If a man is a little fat, he will only become stronger." Liu Yulian said.
"..." He Xiyuan only thought that it would not look good if the man was too fat. He didn't want to get fat himself, for fear that Sister Lian would look at others more.
That Second Young Master Duan has been staying in the seaside town for so many days, and he hasn't left yet!
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