In the huge courtyard, a young man wearing fox fur was sitting in a wheelchair. He was He Xiyuan's brother He Xichen.
He Xichen was the eldest son of Duke Chengguo, and was placed with great hopes in his early years. Duke Chengguo groomed him as his heir. However, who could have foreseen that an accident would cripple his legs, leaving him confined to a wheelchair.
For a prince like this...Duke Chengguo would of course choose to train He Xiyuan more. It would be best if He Xichen's legs could be healed.
"Do you want to go to the northwest?" asked Prince Su.
Prince Su and He Xichen were about the same age. He Xichen had once been Prince Su's study partner, and the two were cousins. They had a very good relationship, and Prince Su thought that since the Liu family had so many prescriptions, they might also be able to research a medicine to heal He Xichen's legs.
Even though the Liu family didn't have such medicine, He Xichen would just go out for a walk to relax.
"If you come with me and are afraid of being assassinated, then go your separate ways." Prince Su joked.
"Those princes are useless." He Xichen was not in the court, but he also helped Prince Su.
The power of other princes was not that great, and the emperor had taken action against those princes who were too powerful over the years. Many of them were exiled or beheaded, and some princes were even demoted to commoners.
There is basically no one in the court who can compete with Prince Su. At most, those people think that if Prince Su dies, they may be able to take over.
It is not so easy to assassinate Prince Su, and the people around him are not pushovers either.
"There's something unusual in the northwest," Prince Su said. "Right now, the people in the capital don't know about it."
"A few months." He Xichen was willing to go to the northwest with Prince Su. As he was now, he had no intention of getting married or becoming the crown prince.
His younger brother has been in the northwest for several months and rarely writes back.
He Xichen wondered if the girl from the Liu family was twelve or thirteen? That was the age in lunar calendar, right?
However, for a girl of this age, some people may have already started to propose marriage.
Back then, He Xichen had been engaged to someone, but after his accident, his legs hadn't healed yet, so the two families canceled the engagement. The Duke of Chengguo's family didn't want to cancel the engagement, but since the woman was determined to do so, they couldn't force the issue, so they did.
That family had originally been eyeing He Xichen's potential as a prince, but since He Xichen's legs were crippled, he was not destined for the position, nor could he become an official. Therefore, they were unwilling to marry their well-trained daughter to He Xichen, even though He Xichen was the eldest son of Duke Cheng.
"We will set off tomorrow." said King Su.
When the old lady of the Chengguo Mansion learned that He Xichen was going to the northwest, she felt a little uneasy. Why were they all going to the northwest? The northwest was so desolate, with wars and battles from time to time. What good could it possibly bring?
"Brother Chen, just go to the northwest to see if you can meet a miracle doctor." Lady Chengguogong comforted her mother-in-law. She felt sorry for her eldest son. Both the eldest and the youngest sons were equally important.
Although Lady Chengguo's position would be stable no matter which son became the crown prince, she still hoped that her eldest son would be well.
"Alas." The old lady was at a loss for words upon hearing this. She had once loved this eldest grandson dearly. With his legs crippled, his future was ruined too. Of course, the old lady couldn't just focus on him. She could only hope that her other grandsons would have better prospects. "Go, go. There's no way a place like that could be a miracle doctor."
The old lady thought that the Chengguo Mansion had sought out so many doctors over the years, not just in the capital, but also from all over the country. But how many doctors could cure He Xichen's leg? If those doctors could, then her grandson wouldn't have to continue sitting in a wheelchair.
"Don't go over there and…" The old lady was afraid that he would lose all hope and become more and more desperate. She wondered if her grandson would lock himself up in such a small yard again. "It's good to go out and relax."
"Yes." Lady Chengguo heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the old lady didn't say anything else.
"You too should find a marriage for Brother Chen," the old lady said. "He's not young anymore. Others of his age already have both sons and daughters."
"Wait a year or two," said Lady Chengguo. "If she gets well, it will be easier to find a good marriage."
“…” The old lady was silent. It would be great if her eldest grandson could get better.
The eldest grandson was much more mature and steady than the younger one. At least He Xichen was unlikely to run off to the northwest for a fiancée. He Xichen would definitely listen to her and break off the engagement. He would definitely consider the future of the Duke of Cheng's Mansion first, thinking of finding a mistress with a good family background to take charge of the mansion.
A future head of the family cannot only consider himself, but also the entire family.
The old lady didn't think there was anything wrong with asking He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian to cancel their engagement. She was doing it for the sake of the family.
In Northwest Shiyuan Village, time passed quickly, and Liu Yanjing and He Xiyuan were about to return to the military camp.
Liu Yulian had already packed the food for them separately, and also packed a lot of strawberries and dried fruits.
"I'll send it to you after a while." Liu Yulian said.
Liu Yulian thought that since they were not far away, it would be a good opportunity for her father to send some things over. Once they got to the town, they could buy three or four servants and then send things over.
As for the one hundred taels of silver that He Xiyuan gave to Liu Yulian, Liu Yulian regarded it as He Xiyuan's food expenses. In the future, when sending food and clothes to Liu Yanjing, He Xiyuan's share would definitely be indispensable.
In reality, Liu Yulian didn't need to take the 100 taels of silver. She had other ways to earn money and could make ends meet in a month or two. He Xiyuan treated her so seriously, hoping she would accept it, and her brother Liu Yanjing said so, so Liu Yulian accepted the 100 taels of silver.
"Train well and practice martial arts more. Swords and knives are merciless on the battlefield, so you must be careful." Liu Yulian reminded them that even with the medicine, it would not be that easy.
Liu Yulian wondered if she should make some armor, something that swords couldn't easily penetrate. Preparing silk thread like that was difficult; it required multiple steps and the preparation of numerous potions.
The armor in the game is invulnerable to swords and bullets, but it requires a lot of things and various potions. If you don't have to go through 81 steps, you have to go through 36 steps.
According to the game, if you can only use basic materials and make it simple, how can the game developers make money? There is a success rate for making silk thread. If you fail, you can use the silk thread to make ordinary clothes, but this will already consume a lot of materials and money.
This is also the reason why Liu Yulian had never made armor before, that is, the gold-swallowing armor.
Is life more important, or is money more important...
A piece of armor can be used for a long time, making players feel that the money invested is worth it. After all, resurrection also costs money.
Hemp thread, cotton thread, silk thread... can all be used to make it. There is no need to look for snow mountain silkworms or deep-sea plants. Developers have used reality to prove that what seems to be the cheapest is actually the most expensive.
It’s free, not to mention that you may end up spending more.
Liu Yulian wondered if she could successfully craft two or three pieces of invulnerable armor with the money she had. She wondered if she would be left penniless once she finished the armor. She was afraid that if she didn't make the armor, she would be left penniless.
Having full-level life skills does not mean a 100% success rate, but the success rate will increase by a certain percentage.
"Be sure to be careful." Liu Yulian emphasized.
"Be careful." He Xiyuan nodded.
"We're leaving." Liu Yanjing couldn't bear to leave his children and family, but he had to go to the military camp. He looked at his relatives standing at the door. Parting was painful, but he had to leave.
Liu Yanjing still grabbed He Xiyuan's arm and dragged him onto the ox cart, which was already filled with a lot of food.
"I can walk on my own," He Xiyuan said. "It's not night time to get to the barracks if I go back now."
"We have to go." Liu Yanjing knew very well that they could wait a while before going back, but the longer they stayed at home, the more they missed their relatives.
The ox cart gradually went away. Liu Yulian saw that her parents were reluctant to go back. She knew that they wanted to see her brother. She kept watching until her brother disappeared.
Only after the ox cart disappeared from sight did Liu's father and mother turn around.
Little Liujia didn't understand that his father was riding in the ox cart to go to the military camp, and he kept making a fuss about asking for his dad.
"Your father is out working and won't be back for a while." Mother Liu comforted her granddaughter.
"After a while, how long?" Little Liu Jia didn't understand. "When you grow a little taller," Liu's mother replied.
"If it grows taller, how tall will it be?" Xiao Liujia asked again.
“…” When Mother Liu saw that her granddaughter had so many questions, she thought that children just have a lot of questions.
In the town, the second branch has already opened for business, and Liu Yanyuan from the third branch has also come to the town to serve tea and water, working as a waiter.
Liu Yanyuan used to be a young master, so he was still a little uncomfortable with these things. Sometimes the customers were not in a good mood, and he had to endure it. Making money was not easy, Liu Yanyuan sighed. He thought the people in the second house were too tolerant and willing to bow their heads. If the second house didn't make money, who would make money?
They all come from the Marquis' Mansion. I've never seen people from the main house rarely run shops or work in the fields. They are all spoiled.
It was easy for them, the illegitimate children, to accept these matters, since their lives in the Marquisate were not so good before. Now they saw that the eldest wife was having a hard time, and they felt that they were not in any trouble, while the legitimate children were facing a greater gap.
"There is some food left, you can take it home." Su Qiuya was very generous. If there was any leftover cooked food she made, she would let Liu Yanyuan take some back.
Su Qiuya always claimed that the food in the shop was fresh, all made that day, and there was basically no food left overnight, unless it was something that was meant to be stored well. As for things like braised eggs, they were basically never left overnight.
As a result, the business of Su Qiuya's shop is pretty good.
You may not be able to taste some things after they are left overnight, but they will not taste as good.
Su Qiuya made delicious food, hoping to do well and make more money. She didn't want people to think she was just cheating because she was making money, and they wouldn't come to eat. There wasn't much left in the shop, sometimes just five or six extra braised eggs and some other dishes.
Su Qiuya cooks a lot of meals every day and makes a profit, so she is not so stingy.
"Don't be too frugal. If you're not in good health, how can you work and earn money?" Su Qiuya looked at Liu Yanyuan. "Your brother will need to study when the time comes, so he won't be able to help out much with the shop. When the time comes, let your sister-in-law come with you."
Su Qiuya couldn't possibly be alone with Liu Yanyuan, as that would ruin her reputation. It would be fine if Liu Yanyuan's wife were to go along, but as for the younger sister from the third room, it wouldn't be a good idea to let an unmarried woman show up in public, especially since there weren't other people available.
They are not the eldest wife, and there are not many people in the eldest wife's house, so Liu Yulian has to do more work.
"Earn more money, save some money, and when you have children, you can send them to school. You can't farm all your life." Su Qiuya said, "After all, we were rich once. How much land can people like us farm?"
"Listen to your sister-in-law." Liu Yanbo looked at Liu Yanyuan, "Read more."
"Sure." Liu Yanyuan responded.
Liu Yanyuan took some food and walked back to Shiyuan Village. It wasn't a long walk anyway, just over a quarter of an hour, so it was quite close. He thought the second wife was quite generous and allowed him to take some food back, which would save the family some money.
After they built the house, there wasn't much money left. Aunt Chai pinched her silver and bought less meat, fearing she would need it later.
Now it's good, he can make some money.
When Liu Yanyuan returned home, he spoke well of the second wife.
"Business in the shop is very good." Liu Yanyuan said, "After a while, when my second brother goes to school, we can send more people here."
"Okay." Aunt Chai nodded. "You guys can work in the town and see if there are any good families there. You can also find a marriage for your sister."
Aunt Chai didn't want her daughter to marry into a small village and suffer. Her daughter was a girl who had learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting. How could such a good girl marry casually? If her daughter married well, she would be able to help the family in the future.
"Well, let's take a look." Liu Yanyuan responded.
"Don't count on the first wife," said Aunt Chai. "They only care about themselves and have no fixed plan for what they do. They open a shop when they want to, and don't open it when they don't want to. The second wife knows how to help us, but the first wife can't. There's a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, and that's all they talk about."
Concubine Chai disliked the distinction between wives and concubines, nor did she like the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. When she was in the Marquis's Mansion, it wasn't that she didn't want to rise to the top, but her status was such that she couldn't. Now that they were exiled to the northwest, unlike before, Concubine Chai thought that she was no worse than Liu's mother.
"Learn more from the Second House." Aunt Chai added, "Don't let the First House take away your little money."
"Impossible." Liu Yanyuan knew how to save money, so there was no way he would just give money to the eldest wife. The eldest wife had a lot of expenses, so she should earn money herself instead of asking people like them for money.
The people in the first branch of the Liu family didn't know what the second and third branches were thinking, and they really didn't think about asking the other branches for more money.
Since little Liu Qingyun was going to attend Master Li's private school after the Lantern Festival, the Liu family's eldest branch moved to town on the eighth day of the first lunar month. The strawberries in the yard were growing well, so the Liu family's eldest branch had to ask Lin Xiaowan from the fourth branch next door to keep an eye on them.
Liu Yulian trusted her fourth sister-in-law, who knew a bit of martial arts, even more. There were a lot of strawberries in the yard, as well as some vegetables. Liu Yulian could give some strawberries and other things to the fourth wife, and give her some money every month, and that would be enough.
Lin Xiaowan's husband Liu Yanqing didn't think so. He thought that since the people in the first house moved to the town, the strawberries there couldn't be moved away, so he decided to go and pick more.
"Do you think that if you pick them, others won't know?" Lin Xiaowan took out a rolling pin directly.
"You can eat it too." Liu Yanqing was a little scared. Would his wife take out the rolling pin at any time? He didn't go gambling now, nor did he lose his wife to some people. He wanted to lose his wife, but he didn't dare.
"No matter what you eat, it costs money." Lin Xiaowan said, "Go to the town and see where you can find such good fruits. They can sell for a lot of money. You eat so many now, who will dare to let me watch over those fields in the future?"
"Didn't you say you could eat something?" Liu Yanqing said confidently, "I heard everything you said."
Liu Yanqing heard them say that the fourth room could pick some strawberries to eat, and that they could also pick some vegetables. There was only a small amount of open space in the yard, and the people in the first room didn't particularly care about the strawberries.
The fields of the eldest wife's family had a lot of strawberries, and even before they were ripe, they attracted some people to steal them. So much so that the eldest wife hired people to watch over the strawberry fields. The ripe strawberries were very sweet, and people would always come over to smell the fragrance.
"That's not for you to eat." Lin Xiaowan attacked Liu Yanqing, and Liu Yanqing could only run away.
In the town, Liu's mother went to the human traffickers and bought a family of three slaves. The family of three was originally servants of a wealthy merchant, but something happened in the merchant's family and they had to leave, so they sold the slaves.
Liu's mother was a good judge of character, and since these three looked capable and reliable, she bought them. The couple were in their thirties, and their son was about ten.
The family's surname was Jiang, so they called the males "Old Jiang," the younger ones "Little Jiang," and the females "Old Jiang's Family." After all, they were purchased slaves, so there was no need to worry about their names; they just called them whatever was most convenient.
Lao Jiang knew how to drive an ox cart, which made it convenient for the Liu family to go to Shiyuan Village.
Liu's mother was still thinking about buying a maid to serve Liu Yulian, but she thought that the house was not big. If she bought a maid, her daughter would probably ask her to serve her or take care of her granddaughter. It would be better to wait. There was no need to appear too rich and avoid being noticed by others.
In fact, it was nothing for the Liu family to buy three slaves, as there were many wealthy families in the town.
"Xiao Jiang can just look after Yun Ge'er." This is what Liu's mother thought. Her grandson had to go to school, so he still needed someone to take care of him. "The Jiang family's laundry and cleaning are really hard for you."
"How hard can it be?" Liu Yulian said with a smile, "I don't have to actually work in the fields. I can just buy some land, build a farm, and let the headman keep an eye on it."
"The village head..." Liu's mother used to have many people available. The village heads in the village were basically the servants of the maiden, people brought from the maiden's family, and they held the indentures of those people. A village head found at random was not necessarily useful.
But that's not a big deal. The important thing is to be able to relax. My daughter has already handed over some of the culture medium formulas to the court. Even if the village head is more deceptive, he can't get too much.
"Those fruit trees don't bear fruit that quickly. Some take a year or two to grow," Liu Yulian said. Not all fruit trees are like strawberries and grapes. "Watermelons also bear fruit quickly. It can also reveal the character of those people."
Yes, Liu Yulian still planned to hire more people to farm the land, and the shop could be open or not. She just wanted to open the shop to sell strawberries recently. There were too many strawberries in the strawberry fields, and she was afraid that the people in the town could not consume so many strawberries.
The people from the second branch of the Liu family were quite shocked when they learned that the first branch had moved to the town but had not seen anyone from the first branch. Didn't those people live in the house behind the shop?
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