The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 2364: Chapter 2339: Discussion

Old Zhou and Ms. Qian perked up when Old Madam Liu mentioned marriage. After thinking it over, they agreed that Bai Shan getting married after gaining a governmental position would be more respectable. Calculating the time, it wasn’t far off, so they nodded and agreed with smiles.

Because the adults brought up marriage, Bai Shan couldn’t help but glance at Manbao.

Manbao was serving soup, and hesitantly gave him a bowl, "Weren’t you saying you didn’t want soup anymore?"

Bai Shan accepted it, "Well, now I want some."

After lunch, Princess Mingda and Princess Changyu went to Manbao’s room to rest. The three girls squeezed onto a bed, trying to nap but couldn’t resist chatting.

Manbao was stuck in the middle, so she lifted her leg to get comfortable, "You’re not going to Guardian of the Nation Temple?"

Mingda: "We found another excuse. Since Third Brother is leaving after the fifteenth, we said we wanted to get a safety talisman for him. We didn’t use the excuse of doing rituals for Grandmother at the temple. We’ve already sent palace attendants to fetch it, no need for us to go personally."

Manbao: "Is Prince Gong that convenient as an excuse?"

Mingda laughed, "Father knows and won’t blame us. Third Brother won’t mind either."

"Then during the Lantern Festival, you could say you’re going out to get the safety talisman for Prince Gong, and I can take you out to play."

Mingda was tempted but shook her head, "We can’t, we’re still in the mourning period. It’s acceptable to visit your house outside the palace, but going out for leisure wouldn’t be right. The censor would impeach us."

Even if the censor didn’t, they’d feel guilty, and their father and mother would have opinions too.

The Empress Dowager is their actual grandmother.

Manbao sighed, "Alright, we’ll just have to play by ourselves then."

Mingda gave her a nudge, "Go play then, but keep it to yourself."

Manbao slyly said, "I’ll just make you envious."

Mingda laughed, leaned her head against Manbao’s, and then, remembering something, nudged her, "Tell me more about your journey in the Western Regions. Father said the prairie is vast and endless, bigger than the fields in the imperial farm, going as far as the eye can see. The horizon doesn’t have mountains like ours but is flat land connected to mountains instead?"

Manbao said, "Some places have mountains in sight, some don’t. But the prairie is beautiful, especially in autumn when the grass grows as high as a cow’s lower leg and as tall as a sheep’s upper leg. When sheep graze, inexperienced herders can’t tell how many there are. At least I could never tell, only when the wind blows do the hidden flocks reveal themselves..."

Mingda felt a yearning.

Changyu, lying on the outside, was calculating the gemstones she had obtained this time, pondering what jewelry to make, then she turned her head over Manbao to ask Mingda, "I don’t have much gold left. If I want to make jewelry, I might not have enough. Can you lend me some?"

Mingda nodded, "No problem, just send someone to tell me how much you need, and I’ll have it weighed for you."

Afterward, she continued urging Manbao to tell them about their treasure-hunting and bandit-chasing adventures.

Changyu calculated and got excited, "Then I can make more than ten sets of jewelry."

Manbao could no longer chat with Mingda, so she turned her head to look at Changyu, "You want to make that many pieces of jewelry?"

Mingda was also surprised and reminded her, "We’re still in the mourning period."

Changyu: "I’m not wearing them, just having them made."

Manbao said, "I think you’d better keep some of what you like, and sell the rest. You have so many gemstones and spices. You can’t possibly use all of them yourself, right? Although you’re a princess and everything is provided for in the palace, you mentioned getting married before year’s end, so you must prepare some things for yourself. Jewelry isn’t easy to cash in at crucial moments. Gemstones and spices aren’t really valuable then; the most useful things are gold, silver, copper, and fabric."

Changyu, "But I don’t lack money."

She’s a princess. Even when married, she’d have dowry from the palace and care from her husband. She just needs to make sure she lives well.

According to Changyu, "The money I earn is for myself. I’m already quite virtuous by not spending Wei Yu’s money on myself."

Manbao and Mingda nodded, and then said, "But your money will surely not be enough for yourself."

Changyu refused, "Who says it won’t be enough?"

Mingda: "Aren’t you borrowing gold from me now?"

Changyu was silent for a moment, then asked Manbao, "When will your Fourth Brother be back?"

Manbao said, "After collecting spring tea. He needs to gather spring tea and some seasonal medicinal materials before coming to the capital to exchange tea leaves and fabrics for prairie goods. If you want to sell things, you can talk to my niece."

She said, "My second niece and two nephews are responsible for the business here in the capital now."

Changyu then sat up on the bed, "I’ll go talk to them."

Mingda held her back, "Rest for a while. It’s quiet outside now, isn’t it?"

Zhou Lijun and the others were also resting, the whole Zhou Residence was peaceful. However, Zhou Lijun wasn’t lying down while resting but sitting cross-legged on a small couch, calculating with an abacus.

Xiang Mingxue entered and, seeing her, couldn’t help but ask with a smile, "What are you calculating?"

Zhou Lijun wrote a number in the ledger and said, "Little Aunt’s account. Have the people Princess Mingda brought been settled?"

Xiang Mingxue nodded, "They’ve already eaten and are now resting."

He walked over and took a look, then smiled, "Little Aunt is richer than everyone in the family."

Zhou Lijun naturally said, "Of course, Little Aunt earns the most."

Zhou Lijun put away the ledger and said to Xiang Mingxue, "Third Uncle said the grapes at home have started climbing vines. In two years, they’ll bear fruit. I asked Big Aunt, she said the wine formula Little Aunt provided isn’t hard, but to make it into wine it will take a year or two. The place for brewing must be clean, so I thought about fencing off land in the village to build a wine cellar. When the grapes bear fruit, it can be used right away without being too hectic."

Xiang Mingxue paused and asked, "You’re going back?"

Zhou Lijun looked at him curiously, "Didn’t you say you wanted to go back to pay respects to our ancestors? Since we’re going back for that, why not stop at my place on the way? Then we can return to the capital."

Last year, the two got married but didn’t return to their hometown. Xiang Mingxue always wanted to go back and pay respects to his ancestors. Now that he’s married, although no children yet, it was a significant event, and he needed to inform his family.

It just so happened Zhou Man was out of the border, and the Zhou Family was worried, so Zhou Lijun went to Xiazhou personally to take charge, waiting for Zhou Man to come back.

Xiang Mingxue didn’t expect her to remember this matter, feeling warm inside, he smiled and nodded, "Alright, we’ll stay a bit longer then."

He sat beside her and asked, "When are we going back?"

Zhou Lijun replied, "After we sell all the goods brought back this time, and Little Aunt’s gemstones and spices in the capital have mostly been sold. The remainder will be taken back to Yizhou where they’re easier to sell."

Xiang Mingxue thought... It felt like she was going back just to sell off her goods.