Yunming and Lin Shuo didn't return until dinner that evening.
When they went up the mountain, Yunye and the others had already seen the rice heading, and they greatly admired Lin Yinan's extensive knowledge.
Surprisingly, paddy fields have been built on this hillside. In the Northwest, such slopes would at most be used to grow drought-resistant crops like corn or beans.
After dinner, the family sat under the eaves to enjoy the last rays of the setting sun.
Looking at her youngest son, who was tanned dark and as strong as a calf, Yunmu felt gratified. Under everyone's guidance, her fourth son was now able to stand on his own.
She asked Yunming softly, "What are you building down the mountain?"
With his two older brothers around, Yunming sat up straight, occasionally glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing that they were ignoring him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"More and more people are coming up the mountain. There are three more villages at the foot of the mountain to the south. My third sister-in-law said that we should build a market between these neighboring villages to promote the circulation of agricultural products. With this market, everyone can buy or exchange what they want on a daily basis."
"But isn't it the busy farming season now?"
Yunmu was a little confused. It was the busy farming season, and there was so much work to be done in the fields that there was no time to build a market.
Lin Yinan, standing beside him, smiled gently, her eyes crinkling.
"Mom, the rice has now officially entered the heading stage. Apart from fertilizing, irrigating, weeding and pest control, there's basically nothing else to do in the fields."
Taking advantage of this time, she had people mobilize the villagers of the three villages, with each family sending one person to help build the market. The adobe bricks were all made by themselves, the timber was cut from the mountains, and the roofs were covered with thatched roofs woven by women.
Mica questioned, "So rudimentary? Are there merchants selling things here?"
Lin Yinan held a fan for Yun Shijiu, and the gentle breeze made her drowsy.
She said softly, "We'll pick a date and agree on a custom. This kind of market will only be open two or three times a month. Once it's built, it just needs to provide shelter from the wind and rain. If it's open for a long time, peddlers and other merchants will naturally come looking for business opportunities."
Hu Shao has already counted the number of children of all ages in the nearby villages, and in addition to those in the mountains, she has also cleared a flat wasteland next to the market, where she will build a school.
The family, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, chatted until late at night before parting ways.
The next day, before dawn, the mountains were shrouded in mist. Yunmu and Lu Yashuang, who were used to getting up early, strolled through the mountain village.
On the terraced fields on the hillside, the rice ears sway in the wind, and groups of villagers are weeding the rice paddies.
After strolling around for a while, the two headed back.
As they hurried back to the mountain village, four women suddenly darted out from a side path and knelt down in front of the two men.
One of the beautiful women looked pitiful. "Madam, my daughter has long admired General Yun Mo. I hope you will grant her your wish."
"You want to be his concubine?" Yunmu asked, frowning.
The woman lowered her head and said meekly, "Yes, I am willing to be General Yunmo's concubine. My father was a scholar who passed the imperial examination, and he taught me to read and write from a young age."
"Well, Mo'er is already married."
Yunmu was somewhat embarrassed. She had never heard that the young couple had any relationship problems, nor had she heard Yunmo mention wanting to take a concubine.
"I'd be willing to serve him, even as a maid," the woman said urgently.
Another woman said, "Madam, the general's wife cannot have a son, but I can help the general have a son."
With the two taking the lead, the others knelt down one after another.
"Madam, I come from a wealthy family and I know better than anyone how to serve others."
"Madam, my father was a minor official in Zhongyuan County. He got separated from his family while fleeing and was abducted and sold here. Please, Madam, do justice for my daughter!"
"..."
The four women took turns speaking, all with the same goal: to go to the Yun family, whether as concubines or maids, they simply didn't want to stay there.
They all wanted to cling to Yunmu's thigh and become women in the Yun family's backyard, so they wouldn't have to work under the sun and rain or get up before dawn.
Lu Yashuang stood there, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Since marrying into the Yun family, this was the first time she had encountered so many women who wanted to become concubines for her husband and brothers-in-law.
In the past, in the capital, it was difficult for the men of the Yun family to find wives, as no one wanted to marry their daughters into a military family.
Lin Yinan, who was training on the back mountain in the morning, walked over from a distance.
When Yunmu saw her, she was afraid that she might misunderstand, so she quickly shifted the blame: "Oh dear! It's no use kneeling to me. I, an old woman, can't make decisions about their marital affairs."
A woman rushed to Lin Yinan's feet, pleading, "Madam, please give us a chance to serve General Yun!"
"Yes! The young lady can't speak yet, but we will help General Yunmo give birth to a son to inherit the family business."
"Madam, you gave birth painlessly, and our son will regard you as his own mother."
The three of them burst into tears, as if Lin Yinan were the villain who broke up the couple.
Lin Yinan laughed in anger, her face gradually darkening. So all the hard work she had put into building her family business was just for her husband's children with other women to inherit?
Is she crazy? Or are they crazy?
How could such a stupid abacus bead be used against her?
Under Lin Yinan's intimidating pressure, Yunmu and Lu Yashuang exchanged a glance, not daring to breathe, for fear that his anger would spread to them.
Just then, Yun Mo's voice, tinged with anger, rang out.
"I, Yun Mo, will never take a concubine or keep a mistress in this life. Marrying Lin Yinan alone is enough for me."
A gust of wind swept by, and Yun Mo stood tall and straight in front of everyone. He glanced coldly at the woman kneeling on the ground begging, and then looked at Lin Yinan.
"What do you want to do with these people?"
Lin Yinan rolled her eyes, turned and left, saying, "You can deal with the people Yun Si and the others bought."
She had no desire to get involved in these petty squabbles over one man among several women.
After walking a long distance, Lin Yinan paused, her voice coming softly, "Since they don't want to stay, then let them go."
Only after Lin Yinan's figure disappeared beyond the woods did Yun Mo's expression change, his eyes instantly turning cold, and his words becoming utterly devoid of warmth.
"Since you're so eager to serve men, I'll send you somewhere."
Yunmu stared blankly at Yunmo's profile, as if she could see in him how her husband had protected her with such domineering power back then.
Seeing that there was nothing for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to do here, Lu Yashuang quietly pulled Yunmu away before she could react.
The four women kneeling on the ground were terrified when they saw Yun Mo's face change instantly.
Yun Mo immediately summoned his guards: "Knock them all out, take them away, and bring them to Nanzhou Prefecture for Yun Si to deal with."
He knew that once these people were sent back, Yun Si would make sure they were neither alive nor dead.
Just as breakfast was about to begin, these restless women were sent away in full view of everyone, and the people on the mountain immediately became much more obedient.
They knew in their hearts that there was no place where life could be more secure than here.
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