As her body grew heavier, He Tiantian was no longer fit to work in the mine.
So on this day, after she finished cooking the last meal for Director Song, she made a special trip to Mo Zhu to tell her that she wanted to see Director Song.
Mo Zhu's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Sister He, it just so happens that the master also has something to discuss with you."
He Tiantian was a little confused because Director Song was usually quite busy at the mine and didn't often contact her.
She followed Mo Zhu to Director Song's office. The building had been renovated after the mine explosion.
Although it's not as grand as before, it's still much better than the houses where the villagers live.
Seeing that it was almost time, Song Yun got up and straightened his clothes. When He Tiantian came in, he stepped forward to greet her.
"Sister-in-law He, I have some good news to tell you." With that, Song Yun took a letter from the table.
The letter was sealed with yellow paper, which made He Tiantian think of something. She had seen historical dramas before, which said that only emperors in ancient times could use bright yellow.
Could it be...
He Tiantian's heart skipped a beat; she had already guessed something.
"This is a letter from the imperial court. A few days ago, I recorded the ventilation improvements in the mine and the method for making coal briquettes and presented them to the current emperor. His Majesty has already issued decrees to various places for this excellent method, and it is now very popular in the north." Song Yun said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Although he didn't seem to have done anything of merit, the emperor still generously rewarded his residence with many things.
Of course, he also had someone send over He's share as quickly as possible.
He Tiantian was very pleased. She said politely, "It is a good thing to be able to help so many people. The current emperor is wise."
This was the first time He Tiantian had ever spoken such formal and polite words in this world, but she didn't seem awkward at all; on the contrary, she spoke with great fluency.
Indeed, environment shapes talent.
In her previous life, she had parents and someone to rely on. In this world, she has become the support for her two children; she is now the head of the household.
"Alright, I won't say any more. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree, specially sending a reward to Sister He." Song Yun coughed and said in a serious tone.
He Tiantian's eyes nearly popped out of her head. A reward? That's some good stuff!
This emperor is wise; all that flowery talk is less effective than giving some money.
Mo Zhu quickly brought over the things on the table. Song Yun lifted the red cloth covering them, revealing several neat rows of snowflake-shaped silver coins inside.
He Tiantian counted them one by one and found there were ten in total. If each one was ten taels, wouldn't ten of them be a hundred taels?!
"This...is all for me?" He Tiantian was a little unsure.
“Of course, one hundred taels of silver isn’t much. The benefits that Sister He’s method brings to the court are far more than that,” Song Yun said quite naturally.
Actually, according to regulations, Sister He should also be given a title.
Perhaps the emperor had other concerns, so he bestowed more money as a reward.
He Tiantian excitedly accepted it. If she had known that the emperor's money was so easy to earn, she should have suggested this method sooner.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to endure such a long period of hardship!
After putting away the money, He Tiantian remembered the important reason she had come today.
"By the way, Director Song, I came today to resign from my job at the mine. I'm about to give birth, and it's really inconvenient with my big belly." He Tiantian pointed to her protruding belly.
Although Song Yun was very reluctant, he was also embarrassed to have a pregnant woman cook for him every day.
So he nodded, "Alright, I'll have Mozhu settle your wages later. Whenever it's convenient for Sister He, she can take on this job anytime."
"Alright, I'll trouble you to invite the others over during this period."
Before leaving, He Tiantian looked at the mine with a heavy heart. After all, she had worked there for more than half a year, and she had developed some attachment to it.
With one hundred taels of silver in her hand, He Tiantian felt her steps home become lighter, and her mood was very cheerful.
She first went to Zhao Tingzhang's house and settled the wages that Zhao Dahai and Zhao Xiaohe had earned for working in the fields.
Each brother earned twenty coins a day, and after working for her family for ten days, they earned a total of four hundred coins. In addition, Liu delivered meals for ten days, so He Tiantian gave them a total of six hundred coins.
Liu refused to accept the money no matter what, but He Tiantian insisted on stuffing it into her arms.
Zhao Tingzhang's family happened to be there, including his eldest daughter-in-law Cheng Ying. They were so shocked by what they saw that they couldn't speak.
“Mama, it’s not easy for you to earn money. We’re all neighbors here, it’s just a matter of lending a hand. Besides, my husband is the village head, he has to help anyone in the village who needs help.”
Holding the heavy sum of money in her hands, Liu was so excited that she didn't know what to say.
He Tiantian then told him about the imperial court's reward of one hundred taels of silver to her, which she did intentionally.
It was bound to cause controversy if a widow suddenly took out so much money, but after she inadvertently told Zhao Tingzhang about it, she was no longer so restrained in spending money.
She didn't need everyone in the village to know; it was enough for Zhao Tingzhang's family to know.
“I see, I see…” Zhao Tingzhang nodded and said firmly, “Wanzi’s mother, this money is rightfully yours. You must keep it safe.”
After leaving Zhao Tingzhang's house, He Tiantian returned to her own home.
Sister Yulan was cleaning up the sweet potatoes harvested last year, trimming some of the tops to plant in the ground in a few days. He Tiantian also planned to plant some sweet potatoes, but she didn't have any seedlings, so she asked Sister Yulan to trim more so she could share some with her later.
Just then, one of the four children returned, each carrying a handful of green grass.
Spring has arrived, and the four rabbits have access to more lush grass to eat. They no longer have to rely on carrots, cabbages, and straw like they did in winter.
He Tiantian felt that the four little rabbits seemed to have grown up again.
Rabbits reproduce very quickly; I reckon they'll have quite a few offspring. I just don't know which of these four rabbits is male and which is female.
"Hurry up and wash your hands. Your spring clothes are ready, it's time to put them on," He Tiantian called to the four children.
A few days ago, Yulan's mother stayed up all night to quickly make spring clothes for the children, who had actually wanted to wear them for a long time. However, it just so happened that it was time to work in the fields for spring planting, and the children were reluctant to wear them for fear of getting them dirty.
Now that I have some free time, I naturally want to wear my new clothes out and show them off.
After making one spring outfit for each of the children from the two bolts of cloth, Sister Yulan used the remaining scraps to make small clothes and diapers.
It's reserved for the baby in He Tiantian's belly.
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