In Fengcheng, today is the one-month anniversary of Song Zhuiyan's two children, and also the day she finishes her postpartum confinement. This past month has been incredibly tiring for her; she couldn't go out, couldn't wash her hair, and since hair is traditionally kept long, her hair was all tangled up in a mess, and the smell was indescribable.
This morning, she gave her hair a thorough wash, using five basins of water before she was done. Because she thought it was too long and troublesome, she secretly cut it much shorter.
Why cut it secretly?
It's because people in ancient times had many rules and were superstitious. They said that one's body and hair are given to one's parents and one should not damage them. There were many maids and servants in the house, and these servants could not be seen. Otherwise, although they would not dare to say anything, they would definitely gossip endlessly in private.
So I secretly cut my hair.
The full moon celebration was quite lively, but only family members were invited: a group of young people from Songlin Village, the prefect and his wife, and Zhao Zhongnian. No other people were invited, so it was a very low-key affair.
Coincidentally, Zhang Qingyu also went into labor that night, and the contractions lasted until the next morning when she finally gave birth to her child. Like Zhang Qingling, she also gave birth to a son. Before fainting, Zhang Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Now her in-laws will treat her better. If she gives birth to a daughter, they might encourage her husband to take a concubine. Speaking of which, her husband has also had difficulty conceiving. Before marrying her, he had taken two concubines and a maidservant, but several years have passed and he is already in his early twenties and still has no children.
It's really strange. Zhang Qingyu had previously suspected that her husband might have some kind of hidden illness, otherwise how could three women who had been with him for four or five years not be able to produce an egg?
Later, she married into a merchant family and waited a year before getting pregnant. Her mother-in-law would always make sarcastic remarks about her womb not being able to have children, saying that she couldn't give birth, but she never said that there was anything wrong with her son. Over the years, she never even took her son to see a doctor. She was really too confident.
She almost secretly found a doctor to check if her husband had any health problems, but before she could do anything, she got pregnant and gave birth to a boy after ten months of pregnancy. She was lucky.
Recently, Ah Zhu and Shui Sheng have been busy looking at houses, preparing to buy one and then go to the Bai family to propose marriage. After Ye Mo Xun found out about this, he even asked them about it, saying that if they didn't have enough money, he could lend it to them first.
"It's enough. We've calculated it. We'll only buy it if we have enough money. Besides, even if we don't have enough, we still have my brother, right?" Mu Sheng has already moved into his father-in-law's house. It's said that the wedding date has been set for the eighth day of next month.
"Uncle Yang is a really good person, and he thinks highly of my brother." Shui Sheng chuckled.
"That's good. In that case, I'm relieved." Ye Moxun's eyes were filled with a smile.
“Ah Xun, we need your help with something. Could you come with us on the day of the marriage proposal? We don’t have any elders, so you can make us look good.” Shui Sheng said shamelessly.
"I'm younger than all of you, so I'm afraid I can't appear as an elder." Ye Moxun was exasperated. Bai Pingfeng wasn't there, so what was the point of him going?
Are you suggesting we tell that old man that he's the extraordinary person everyone talks about who took down Duke and captured Xifeng?
Although Bai Pingfeng had brought several of his cousins to see him before, he did not reveal his identity, so Bai Yulian and the others should not know his identity.
He had also reminded Bai Pingfeng many times not to reveal his identity, as the other party was a cautious person and he believed that the other party would keep quiet even in front of his family.
But Shui Sheng and A Zhu didn't think so. Regardless of whether others knew or not, A Xun held an extraordinary position in their hearts. For such a big event as marriage, it was only proper for him to be present to make a good impression; otherwise, it would be such a pity.
The two of them pleaded and begged, pestering Ye Moxun for a long time until he couldn't take it anymore. Usually, a single glance or a cold look from him would make these people wisely leave, but today, no matter how he tried to put on a face, it was no use. These two idiots were determined to make him agree.
Song Tantan had been listening at the door the whole time, and now she was laughing so hard she couldn't stop. She came in and said, "Just grant them their wish. These two treat you like their father. If you don't give them face, they'll probably cry."
"Nonsense! Does that mean every young man from Songlin Village who wants to propose marriage will have to be me? Wouldn't I be exhausted?" Ye Moxun was not happy, feeling like a matchmaker, which was not a good feeling.
He was used to being impartial and incorruptible; once he said he wouldn't go, he really wouldn't go. Even when Song Tantan tried to persuade him, he wouldn't agree. Who was Bai Yulian anyway? Was she someone worth him personally going to see? He wouldn't go.
Having no other choice, Song Tantan couldn't bear to see Azhu and Shuisheng looking so dejected, so she patted her chest and assured them, "If he doesn't want to go, that's fine. My aunt and I will go with you, and Aunt Zhu Xiu will come too. Aren't all these people better than him?"
In the young men's hearts, all these women combined couldn't compare to Ye Moxun alone, but they dared not say it out loud. Offending several of the most influential women in Songlin Village would be enough to cause them trouble.
Unable to persuade the king, they had to settle for second best and ask Song Tantan and Song Zhuiyan to act as their matchmakers when proposing marriage.
To be honest, Ye Moxun wasn't optimistic about this. Song Tantan and Bai Yulian had a minor grudge, and he was worried that Bai Yulian might say something that offended Song Tantan, which could ruin a marriage that was about to succeed.
Song Tantan: Don't underestimate me. She never lets anyone down when it comes to important matters. Although she doesn't think much of Bai Yulian, as long as the other party is sincere towards Azhu, she definitely won't ruin Azhu's good things.
After discussing Ah Zhu and Shui Sheng's matter, Ye Moxun called Song Tantan to his study, saying that he had something very important to tell her.
"What's so mysterious?" Song Tantan asked, puzzled.
"I'm opening a few shops, which will probably cost tens of thousands of taels of silver. When I need the money, remember to give it to me." This was to let her know in advance so that she wouldn't be caught off guard and unable to accept a large sum of money when she suddenly needed it.
"What kind of shop costs so much money? It's better not to open one at all." It's so hard to earn back tens of thousands of taels of silver, and this guy wants to throw it away without even blinking. If he doesn't give her a reason, she won't give it to him.
"There are many things to do, such as opening a pharmacy and a restaurant. The money won't appreciate if it's just sitting there. It's better to use it to do something meaningful." The silver and gold and jewelry that have been looted must amount to at least a million taels. Taking out a few tens of thousands of taels is nothing, just a small fraction.
"You need to tell me carefully, otherwise I won't agree. It's too wasteful. Even if you've saved a lot of money, you shouldn't waste it like this." Song Tantan frowned, feeling that this guy was brewing some big move. What was he thinking about?
"Of course, we need to find a way out for ourselves, expand our network, and build up our hidden power. Who knows what will happen in the future?" Ye Moxun said in a low voice with a calm expression.
It took Song Tantan a moment to process what he meant. She thought it made a lot of sense and said in a breathy voice, "Then should we train a group of assassins? And the people from Songlin Village shouldn't just be confined to Fengcheng; we should also spread them out."
It's best to distribute them throughout the country.
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