After dinner, the two cousins lay on the bed and chatted idly. Li Yan asked her cousin about the girls' studies.
"You helped them get this learning opportunity, and the girls haven't slacked off at all. I originally thought that with an additional embroidery class, they would be a little careless about learning to read, but I never expected that not only did they not fall behind in literacy, but they even improved their skills!"
Li Yan knew that the children wanted to prove themselves, and no one had ever cared about their ideas before.
Better parents would wait until their children are old enough to find a decent husband for them. If they meet parents who beat and scold them at will, their future may be even worse.
Since Li Yan is willing to train them unconditionally, they may have a better future.
In fact, they have been holding their breath in their hearts, wanting to prove to their parents that they are no worse than their brothers!
Li Yan lay aside and listened quietly to her cousin telling her interesting stories about girls, and occasionally agreed with a few words. Just when Li Yan felt that everything was moving in a good direction.
Unexpected situations still happened!
Because Li Yan talked with her cousin last night about the girls' learning progress, after breakfast, Li Yan came to the village school to see how the girls were doing.
Li Yan quietly walked to the window and saw the girls concentrating on embroidering the handkerchiefs in their hands.
Each of their tender little faces had a serious expression as they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their embroidery.
Lin Xiu Niang, who was inspecting the school dormitory, saw Li Yan outside the window and immediately walked outside. She smiled and greeted Li Yan, "Hello, County Lady Li. You're here just in time. The girls have been showing off some small items recently. Would you like to take a look?"
Li Yan was a little uncomfortable with this address for a moment. She paused and nodded.
Soon, Lin Xiuniang came out with the handkerchiefs embroidered by the girls.
"I think these more than ten handkerchiefs are all good. County Lady, please take a look." After saying that, he handed the handkerchief in his hand to Li Yan.
Li Yan took it and looked at it. The flowers and plants embroidered on the handkerchief were so finely stitched and lifelike that they were no different from the finished products sold in the embroidery shop.
Li Yan looked at them one by one. Some of them were embroidered with flowers and plants, while others were embroidered with animals.
There is a pattern of a rabbit holding a big mooncake, which really hit Li Yan's cute spot and she liked it very much.
Holding the handkerchief, she asked Lin Xiu Niang, "Is it difficult to embroider a pattern like this? Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away. I think this handkerchief is very suitable for the occasion. I think I should try embroidering some and have the uncles in the village take them out to sell!"
Lin Xiu Niang took a look at the handkerchief and said, "These are all basic needlework techniques. They're not difficult!"
"You can also embroider some purses, with a rabbit and a moon on one side and the word 'reunion' on the other. It's both appropriate and practical! I'm sure girls will like it!" Li Yan continued to suggest.
Lin Xiu Niang nodded in approval, "We can give it a try!"
"Then I'll have to trouble Lady Lin Xiu to help the children check things out. I'll go to the noodle shop first and tell the uncles and aunts in the village about this matter!"
Lin Xiu Niang nodded in agreement.
After bidding farewell to Lin Xiuniang, Li Yan excitedly went to the noodle shop.
Knowing that you can make money from embroidery is different from actually making money. The former is a hope, while the latter is something you actually have in your hands!
Li Yan wants to tell the girls that what they have learned can bring them positive feedback now and is not illusory!
As Li Yan arrived at the door of the noodle shop, she heard a sigh, "I'm afraid there's going to be a war at the border!"
Li Yan was stunned when she heard this, and hurried into the courtyard to ask, "Uncle, why do you say that? But what happened?"
Li Yan was puzzled. Why would there be a war when there was nothing going on? If there was news of a war, how could her father not know about it when he was at the government office?
Seeing that it was Li Yan, the villager hurriedly asked, "Have you heard the news that fighting has broken out at the border?"
Li Yan shook her head, "Uncle, why do you say that?"
The villager then told him about his trip to Lin County to sell noodles and how he met a large group of soldiers on his way back.
"This may be a rotation of defense. How can it prove that there will be a war at the border?" Li Yan said disapprovingly.
"We hadn't thought about it that way at first, but when we passed by a teahouse, we heard the shopkeeper telling his wife that they were packing up and going home for some shelter. So we asked him why he was going back, and it turned out that the soldiers had just stopped at this teahouse to rest, and he got the news from their conversation."
Li Yan felt a bit heavy in her heart. It wasn't even winter yet, so how could the Hu people invade the border? Li Yan was puzzled.
However, looking at the worried uncles in the noodle shop, Li Yan suppressed her doubts and comforted them, "Don't worry, uncles, it might just be a false alarm. Besides, General Qin is here, so the Hu people won't attack us!"
"With General Qin in charge, we're naturally not afraid. But if a war breaks out, everyone will inevitably panic. I'm afraid business will be difficult!"
"Uncles, you're mistaken! Regardless of whether there's actually a war at the border, even if there is, the business of rouge, powder, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques might be tough. I'm afraid the supply of rice and flour won't be enough to meet the demand!"
The villagers were not happy about Li Yan's words. Instead, they felt even more depressed. Whenever there was unrest, the first thing that would be driven up was the price of food!
If the price of wheat goes up, they will have to raise prices as well in order to avoid losses. If the price goes up to a level they can no longer afford, they will have to temporarily close down their business!
Someone couldn't help but sigh!
Once unrest breaks out, it is always the poor people who suffer.
_________
Capital
In the Golden Palace, a group of ministers were arguing fiercely.
The reason was that the Hu people suddenly attacked the Jin Dynasty and deployed 200,000 troops on the northwest border. A war was about to break out, and the ministers quarreled over the issue of food and fodder.
"General Qin already has military farms and can be self-sufficient. The soldiers fight when there is war and return to the fields when there is no war. How can the court still raise food and fodder?" The Minister of Revenue objected.
"Your Excellency, this is wrong. The soldiers can be self-sufficient when there's no fighting, but now they're going to the border to face the enemy. How can we expect them to be responsible for their own food? You want the horse to run without giving it grass to eat. How can such a thing be possible?"
"Your Majesty, the enemy is advancing with great force. We should fully support General Qin in his fight! I believe we should quickly gather some food and fodder and ship it to the border!"
Just when the two sides were arguing, the emperor approved the matter with a wave of his hand!
He could withhold or embezzle the army's pay when he was free, but if he was really faced with a heavy enemy, he knew he couldn't be so foolish. If he allowed the soldiers to go to the battlefield hungry, a mutiny was possible!
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