Qing Yi Niang always liked to say that if they were not in the capital, they would not be able to help Mrs. Mei Er Shao. Qing Yi Niang also blamed the eldest wife, saying that they did not want to have any problems themselves.
"We will be able to enter Beijing sooner or later." Liu Yanbo said.
At night, Liu Yanbo and Su Qiuya were lying on a bed, talking to each other.
"I have to pass the exam soon," Liu Yanbo said. "My second sister probably has other things to do."
"What's the matter?" Su Qiuya thought that Mrs. Mei was the principal wife. If Mrs. Mei was stronger, she should find a way to deal with those concubines herself and not always wait for them who were far away in the northwest.
Far water cannot quench a nearby fire, and Su Qiuya cannot rush directly to the capital.
"She couldn't have said everything in the letter," Liu Yanbo said. "Sometimes, she... Never mind, it's hard to say. We're not in the capital, so there are many things we don't understand."
Liu Yanbo still thought that they had to return to the capital early. Only after returning to the capital could they know what had happened and solve those problems.
In Shiyuan Village, many villagers are wearing new jackets. Their crops have yielded a bountiful harvest this year, and selling some of the grain provides enough to buy cloth. Since they grow their own cotton at home, making their jackets doesn't cost much.
Every household is very happy. If it costs a lot of money, they don’t have that much money and they definitely won’t do those things.
In fact, many people did not have enough to eat before, and many people worked on an empty stomach. After there was more food, people could eat more, and the price of food did not drop much, or even dropped very little.
Those who don’t have much food at home can buy food at a lower price. In short, they all think this is a good thing.
Widow Zhang also thought it was a good idea. She had everyone in her family make new clothes, which they sewed themselves. Widow Zhang did not buy ready-made clothes from the store, as they were expensive and did not fit well. She chose to make them herself, which saved her money.
On New Year's Eve, some children couldn't resist putting on new clothes, but adults weren't so anxious. It was simply because they needed to make two coats to wash and change, and since winter was cold, some people put on their new coats while it was cold, as they couldn't wait until the New Year to be frozen to death.
"You all should be more efficient and do the work that needs to be done this year. Tomorrow, I will let you rest for a few days." Widow Zhang thought that she was not the kind of person who was very fierce and would not let the people in the family rest. During the New Year's Day, she could let them rest a little.
Widow Zhang's new house was also built. Her grandsons were all getting married one after another, and they all needed separate rooms. Her granddaughters were also getting married, and when they got married, they would bring their grandsons-in-law back to visit, so they would need a place to stay.
With more than a dozen people in her family, Widow Zhang figured she needed to save some money. As the saying goes, "A tree grows taller and branches out." She could wait a few years before dividing the family.
Widow Zhang could still do more work and keep her children and grandchildren together, so she would let them work together. If she got old and could no longer command these people, it would be best to divide the family and let them live on their own.
Many people in the countryside separate their families directly after all their sons get married. This can avoid friction between them and strengthen the family relationship.
Widow Zhang was thinking a lot. She needed to have money in her hands when the time came. She couldn't wait for her children to provide her with retirement money, which was not practical. If she had a headache or fever and needed to see a doctor, she would have money in her hands and would not have to stay at home all the time.
"I have to wash all the clothes later," said Widow Zhang. "I won't wash clothes tomorrow."
Widow Zhang watched her daughter-in-law and the others working and said, "We still have to feed the chickens and ducks, don't forget."
Giving these people a few days off doesn't mean they shouldn't feed the chickens and ducks. If they don't, won't they starve? And the pigs need to be fed, too.
"Mom." One of Widow Zhang's daughters-in-law came over and said, "During the New Year holidays, shouldn't we find someone for them?"
Widow Zhang's second grandson is almost old enough, and his mother can't help but feel anxious.
"Of course I want to see it," Widow Zhang said. "Why, do you miss your family?"
"No, it's not." Widow Zhang's daughter-in-law said quickly. She had long known what kind of temper her mother-in-law had.
If my family members are not that capable of working, I will be unlucky in the future. It is better to let my mother-in-law choose a wife for my son.
"You've chosen the most suitable one," said the daughter-in-law. "Look at how capable your eldest granddaughter-in-law is."
Shi was busy with work, and she didn't think anyone would mention her. She knew what she wanted. After she got married, she just wanted to live a good life. Good life will not come on its own, and people like them have to work hard.
On New Year's Eve, Princess Zhaoyang had dinner at the Liu family's main house. The main house prepared a lot of food, and Liu Yulian even cooked it herself. Princess Zhaoyang also cooked a dish.
Princess Zhaoyang liked the atmosphere of the Liu family's main house; it was simple and uncomplicated. This was also related to the Liu family's early division. Without the extraneous affairs of concubines and illegitimate children, they felt more at ease.
During meals, Princess Zhaoyang took extra care of little Liujia, and little Liujia also liked Princess Zhaoyang very much.
Liu Yulian was just looking at them. It wasn't that complicated for their family to sit together for dinner. Princess Zhaoyang was Liu Yanjing's fiancée, and He Xiyuan was Liu Yulian's fiancée. The two of them just sat a little further away, avoiding each other a little.
After the meal, they sat down to rest for a while before Liu Yanjing sent Princess Zhaoyang back.
Princess Zhaoyang has not yet married into the Liu family, so it is not appropriate for her to live here. Princess Zhaoyang is not He Xiyuan, so her situation is different.
Princess Zhaoyang's residence was not far from the Liu family's main house, so they walked there.
"How many days will you stay at home after the New Year?" asked Princess Zhaoyang.
"We'll leave around the sixth day of the New Year." Liu Yanjing replied.
"Will you come back when you get married?" asked Princess Zhaoyang.
"No." Liu Yanjing said, "We have to shoot a pair of wild geese."
Liu Yanjing did not fail to prepare those things for Princess Zhaoyang just because she was divorced. Princess Zhaoyang was a daughter of the royal family and had a noble status, so Liu Yanjing naturally respected her more.
"There are still some things to prepare." Liu Yanjing said, "It's just that we don't have that much at home, and I'm afraid it will be unfair to the princess."
"What's there to be wronged about?" Princess Zhaoyang didn't feel wronged at all. She knew Liu Yanjing had been very good to Mrs. Huo, but Mrs. Huo didn't know how to cherish him. Her previous husband wasn't that good either. Princess Zhaoyang thought Liu Yanjing was not bad, "I don't need those things."
Princess Zhaoyang does not lack those things, but she will definitely be very happy if the Jingning Marquis's Mansion prepares them.
Liu Yanjing didn't want Princess Zhaoyang to look back and think that what he gave was too little.
"Prepare what you can." Liu Yanjing said, "We are what we are now thanks to my younger sister. Previously, some things were given to my younger sister first."
Liu Yanjing heard from his father that the cement factory needed money, so his father took the initiative to take some silver over.
Father Liu's idea was simple. While it was true that Liu Yulian had come up with the idea for the cement mill, they also had something to gain from it. They didn't have the ability to do it, so they could just give more money. If they could develop something, the royal family would surely see the Liu family's concerted efforts.
"The cement mill requires a lot of money." Liu Yanjing said this in advance, lest Princess Zhaoyang think that the cement mill is a waste of money and that the family shouldn't have given her younger sister that money.
"It's due." Princess Zhaoyang said with a smile, "I have some money too. I'll ask my younger sister if she needs it when the time comes. If the cement mill is finished, it will be good for us too."
Princess Zhaoyang heard Liu Yulian talk about the uses of cement, saying that cement can be used to pave roads, build bridges, and even construct dams. Such useful things can't be developed all at once. If you're lucky, it might take a year or two, but if you're unlucky, it might take several years.
It doesn’t matter. If it succeeds, it will be a great achievement.
Princess Zhaoyang certainly hopes that the cement factory will be successful. When she marries into the Marquis of Jingning's mansion in the future, both of them will prosper.
"My younger sister bought a lot of books," Princess Zhaoyang said. "There aren't many books here, but there are many in the capital. I heard she used to have a whole room full of books, but they were gone after her family was ransacked."
"Yes, it's not just one room, there are two floors upstairs and downstairs, and several bookshelves." When Liu Yanjing thought of the past, a five or six-year-old little kid hiding and watching emerged in his mind.
At that time, Liu Yulian had a bun on her hair and liked to squat in places like rockery.
Once, Liu Yulian fell asleep directly in the rockery.
When they went to look for it, they discovered that Liu Yulian had placed several books in the rockery. Although Liu Yulian had only learned to read for a year or two at the time, she was still holding the books and reading.
Liu Yulian didn't like buying jewelry, she liked buying books, one after another.
The family had money, so Liu Yulian could always buy those books.
People outside don’t know much about what books Liu Yulian has read. That’s because they are afraid that after people outside know what books Liu Yulian has read, they will think that Liu Yulian does not follow the three obediences and four virtues.
When those people choose their daughters-in-law, they like the women to understand the Three Obediences and Four Virtues and to be dignified and virtuous.
Liu Yulian didn't have so many requirements at home, and her family didn't force her to learn those things. In their opinion, it didn't matter how Liu Yulian studied, as long as they spoiled her.
The emperor didn't think much about how Liu Yulian knew so much. It was because there were indeed people in history who were very capable at a young age. There were also people who were made marquises and ministers before the age of ten. Liu Yulian was over ten when she figured out those things.
To be honest, Liu Yulian is still not as good as some evil characters in history.
The emperor knew that Liu Yulian had read so many books, and Liu Yulian had not concealed it, and had brought so many benefits to the court. How could the emperor possibly think that Liu Yulian had a problem? He had to respect talents.
"When she was little, she would stop crying if you gave her a book," Liu Yanjing said with a smile. "If you gave her jewelry, she wouldn't like it and would just throw it aside. She didn't read storybooks, the Three Character Classic, or women's rules. She just liked those miscellaneous books. The kind that are not easy to tell others about."
People outside like to say they've read books like "The Analects" and "Mencius," and women will even say they've read "Biographies of Virtuous Women." But Liu Yulian rarely reads these books, so if she says what she's read, outsiders might not know, and some might even be surprised: "Wow, how can there be such a book?"
"Those books are very useful." said Princess Zhaoyang.
"Back then, when her house was ransacked, her books were either burned or thrown out," Liu Yanjing said. "She was furious."
"Why did it burn? Princess Zhaoyang was puzzled. Couldn't we have stayed?
"Maybe someone thought women shouldn't read books like that," Liu Yanjing said. "One of the people who confiscated the property was from the Cen family."
Liu Yanjing remembered this very clearly. She wanted to protect the books, but she couldn't. Others mocked her, and some even tore up the books in front of her, forcing her to watch as some of them burned.
The Cen family attaches great importance to women's three obediences and four virtues, and they are very strict in educating women.
When the Liu family saw the Cen family, they knew that their younger sister's books were probably not going to be saved.
"Back then, someone must have been saying bad things about me." Liu Yanjing thought about those things in the past, feeling uneasy at all. "Although some of them are incomplete, they really took a lot of effort from me."
Liu Yanjing thought about what his younger sister had done in the northwest, and how much she had sacrificed for the family. His eyes turned red. His younger sister had collected books for so many years, and now they were gone.
But these people are simply unable to keep my younger sister's books, and now they still rely on my younger sister to restore her title.
"Maybe there are many women like me, but I can still read other books, but those books were taken away when the house was searched. And those women may not have been able to read those books from the beginning." Liu Yanjing said.
Princess Zhaoyang found it difficult to listen to what Liu Yanjing said.
"From now on, no one will dare to burn her books," Princess Zhaoyang said. "She will have her own house, and she can fill it with books. Seeing how capable my younger sister is, those people will surely want their daughters to read more of those books."
He raised such a daughter, lost his title and then restored it.
Princess Zhaoyang thought that many people must want to have a daughter like Liu Yulian, and she also wanted a sister like Liu Yulian.
"Yes." Liu Yanjing said, "But my little sister's books are gone."
"It's indeed a pity." Princess Zhaoyang nodded.
"She can't remember the contents of so many books," Liu Yanjing said. "She only remembers a little bit. She also said she needs to get more rest because she's afraid her hair will fall out."
"She should get more rest," Princess Zhaoyang said. "Whoever burned the books should be contacted. My little sister is still so young, how could she remember so many?"
Princess Zhaoyang could guess why the emperor hadn't asked Liu Yulian to memorize all the books. Memorizing them wouldn't necessarily mean they were correct, and it might even upset people. Besides, with so many books, just reading them was useless.
If just reading it is useful, then everyone can become the top scorer.
"Later, we'll build a bigger study room at home," Princess Zhaoyang said, "so women can go there too."
Princess Zhaoyang's previous husband's family didn't allow women to go to the study room too often. Many families did the same, not allowing women to go to the study room. They believed that the study room was a place for men. If a woman went to the study room, it would be unlucky and might affect the man's imperial examination performance.
Those are all lies told by those incompetent men, but many women just follow them.
"Okay." Liu Yanjing said.
Liu Yanjing and Princess Zhaoyang quickly arrived at Princess Zhaoyang's residence, and Princess Zhaoyang invited Liu Yanjing in for tea.
In the Liu family's main house, everyone was sitting inside. There was no need to sit in the yard to celebrate the New Year's Eve. It was so cold outside, so it was better to warm up by the fire inside.
"It's such a small brazier, and you threw two sweet potatoes into it." Seeing Liu Yulian's actions, Liu's mother laughed, "Why don't you ask the kitchen to roast a few for you?"
"It's baked in the kitchen." Liu Yulian poked the charcoal with a branch. "It smells like roasted sweet potatoes."
"Yes." He Xiyuan nodded. What his fiancée said was right.
They can do this when they get married in the future.
"There's still a lot of time, just bake them slowly." There was a small basket next to He Xiyuan, which contained many sweet potatoes.
"It's up to you." Mother Liu didn't stop them.
In Shiyuan Village, after Liu Yanqing had eaten his fill, he took another large goose egg. He wanted to eat roasted goose eggs. Roasted goose eggs were very fragrant and much better than boiled eggs.
Liu Yanqing had never known that these things could be so delicious when prepared differently. Taking advantage of the New Year's Day and his wife not interfering, he ate two more. Don't wait a few days, or Lin Xiaowan will stop giving him any.
"Take two more and bake two more." Liu Yanqing didn't want Lin Xiaowan to snatch the eggs away, nor did he want Lin Xiaowan to give his eggs to Aunt Zhao. The family did not lack these eggs, so there was no need to make such a mess.
"Take two more." Lin Xiaowan was not stingy.
"Yes." Liu Yanqing was very happy. "Let me tell you, this baked egg tastes really good."
He absolutely couldn't say that he had intended to hide the eggs secretly, and then, when he picked them up, they fell into the fire. He couldn't bear to part with them, so he thought about roasting them. If he couldn't sell them, he wouldn't be able to eat them.
After Liu Yanqing took a bite of the baked egg, he thought it tasted great, and a new world opened up to him. He began to wonder if all foods would taste good if they were baked.
"You all try it. After you try it, you will definitely want to eat it again." Liu Yanqing said.
"Goose eggs are more valuable than duck eggs." Lin Xiaowan said.
"But goose eggs are more filling." Liu Yanqing said, goose eggs are big and can fill the stomach better.
“…” Lin Xiaowan was too lazy to say anything.
"I didn't steal the goose eggs secretly." Liu Yanqing thought to himself, it's his own thing, how can it be considered stealing? He just took it, occasionally taking one, that's not a lot. "I took it away, either to sell it for money or to eat it, I definitely didn't give it to others."
Liu Yanqing knew that the widow at the head of the village had cheated many men out of their money before she remarried. He hadn't been cheated by her. He was so poor, so it was a good thing that he hadn't cheated her out of money. She had no intention of cheating him out of his things.
"No need to emphasize this every time." Lin Xiaowan thought that she didn't ask Liu Yanqing whether he was looking for women outside.
"I'm just afraid that you'll ask me to sell myself." Liu Yanqing said.
"..." Lin Xiaowan stretched out her foot, but didn't dare to kick too hard. She still kicked Liu Yanqing, but she didn't mean it that way.
"Ouch, it hurts. I need another egg to make up for it." Liu Yanqing pretended to be in pain.
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