CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 429: MAINSTAY

How could Mrs. Gao dare? Everyone in the Chen Family Village, no matter who they were, couldn’t get away with being frivolous in front of Old Mrs. Chen.

Mrs. Gao quickly said, "I’m just worried about you getting tired from sitting in the carriage for such a long journey. You need a good rest so we don’t have to worry. Our whole Chen Family Village relies on you."

Although Mrs. Gao’s words were meant to please Old Mrs. Chen, she truly thought this way. Don’t be fooled by Old Mrs. Chen’s short stature and thin frame; she’s an indispensable figure in Chen Family Village. As long as she’s there, everyone feels at ease.

Old Mrs. Chen felt comforted by these words. Mrs. Gao was becoming more eloquent, unlike before when she would often cry secretly when Yongsheng had not returned. Even after he came back injured, she cried frequently in public and in private, constantly worrying about how to save enough food for her husband and son.

Back then, Mrs. Gao was timid and didn’t have the presence of a village chief’s wife. Old Mrs. Chen often scolded her for this. But now, Mrs. Gao was different. Being called "Sister-in-law Gao" in front of so many people, she remained calm.

In the blink of an eye, many people had changed.

Old Mrs. Chen couldn’t always praise her granddaughter, otherwise, she would have to talk about Liangchen’s virtues again. Nowadays, besides counting the silver coins around her waist, her favorite topics were her son-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson.

Old Mrs. Chen glanced outside again, remembering how they left the eight states to escape famine and returned to help everyone through hard times. Her husband, capable as he was, could not have foreseen today’s circumstances, right?

Which is why, she thought, her husband wasn’t as fortunate as she was. He was smart but passed away early. Now, she had to take care of everything for him, so that when they meet a hundred years later, she would have something to tell him.

With this thought, a slight sadness filled her heart. But when she saw a few figures running towards her in the distance, Old Mrs. Chen smiled again, and all her worries dissipated.

"Grandmother."

"Grandmother."

Xie Liangchen and Chen Zigeng helped Old Mrs. Chen down. Old Mrs. Chen first looked at Xie Liangchen. Her granddaughter was just like she used to be; though she hadn’t gained or lost weight, Old Mrs. Chen was half relieved.

Then she looked at her grandson, who had grown taller and appeared much more robust, clearly well cared for by his sister.

Xie Liangchen said, "Father went to discuss things with Uncle Liu. Once he gets the news, he’ll be back."

"Where’s Xian?" Old Mrs. Chen asked again.

Xie Liangchen replied, "Song Xian took the officials from the capital to the market."

Now Old Mrs. Chen felt completely at ease.

The group walked into the house, and Chen Zigeng went to make tea for everyone.

Old Mrs. Chen asked, "How’s the preparation at the paper workshop? It seems like it’s time to make flower felt and wool felt again." She had been pondering at home; there was so little time and so much to be done.

Dai State was not like Zhenzhou. Zhenzhou, now well-governed by Prefect Qu, meant that as long as people followed the government office’s guidance, things went smoothly.

Moreover, more merchants were arriving. The houses that the Chen Family Village had built in advance were now put to good use, accommodating not only merchants but also people from the eight states.

Nanny Miao had just made a few pieces of flower felt recently, and Liu Erniang took several people from the eight states over to learn.

Old Mrs. Chen spoke proudly about the bustle of Chen Family Village: "The big pot is on the boil every day. Not only do people from the eight states bring rice and grain, but also villagers from nearby bring food, saying it’s a communal affair, and Chen Family Village shouldn’t bear all the costs."

"I told them that the silver wasn’t from Chen Family Village; it all comes from shared expenses, recorded monthly, and paid from the public funds. But they don’t understand. I had no choice but to discuss with your second uncle and set up an account book to record what everyone brought, so there’s a record when it comes to settling up."

Xie Liangchen enjoyed hearing her grandmother talk about Chen Family Village, even though her second uncle had already written to her about these things in his letters; her grandmother’s version was much more detailed.

Old Mrs. Chen continued, "Remember Chu Er’s younger brother Sanwang?"

Xie Liangchen nodded, "I remember."

Old Mrs. Chen said, "Chu Er is always out running around, so many household matters are left to Sanwang. The little kid who used to follow his brother around with a runny nose is now not only helping with chores but also excelling in his studies. The teacher says if Sanwang studies well, he might even pass the examinations one day."

"When I was coming here, Sanwang’s mother insisted I bring you a jar of pickles, saying you liked them. I couldn’t refuse, so I took them for you."

"It’s right to accept," Mrs. Gao said. "If you don’t, she’ll keep thinking about it. Chu Er, the steward, earns quite a bit of silver; Sanwang has entered the clan school; their family doesn’t worry about food or clothing. Even wedding maids come to propose marriages."

"She always talks about wanting to thank Liangchen, but unfortunately, because of her leg ailment, she can’t do much work, so she makes some pickles."

Hearing that everyone was doing well, Xie Liangchen also felt joy in her heart.

Old Mrs. Chen said, "It’s good for Chu Er to get engaged earlier. That child is always running around, and his mother can’t really take care of him with her illness; he’s always short of shoes and insoles when he’s out."

After saying all this, Xie Liangchen took Old Mrs. Chen to rest. This house was given to the Military Governor by the court; though the courtyard wasn’t large, it was enough to accommodate those coming from Chen Family Village.

Mrs. Gao wanted to stay with Old Mrs. Chen.

Xie Liangchen said, "Tonight I’ll keep Grandmother company."

Mrs. Gao immediately asked, "Is your husband not coming back?"

Xie Liangchen shook her head, "He’s not."

Old Mrs. Chen laughed, "Even if Xian were here, what difference would it make if Liangchen keeps me company?"

No difference. Mrs. Gao thought to herself, except that you had long been eager to hold a great-grandchild. Before coming to Dai State, there had been whispers between Old Mrs. Chen and Old Mrs. Song, things Mrs. Gao overheard but couldn’t fully grasp, but the general idea was about having more offspring.

Xie Liangchen accompanied Old Mrs. Chen to sleep, and Chen Zigeng went to find Xu Qian.

With no one else in the room, Old Mrs. Chen looked at Xie Liangchen, "How is everything here? Are there any troubles? Don’t just tell me it’s all good; I won’t believe it."

Xie Liangchen smiled and said, "There’s nothing wrong with the court. Many people trust us. At the moment, there’s no big issue; we just need to seize the time to earn more silver."

"Indeed," Old Mrs. Chen said, "everything requires silver. It’s not easy to keep so many people fed and clothed." Luckily, her granddaughter was good at making money.

As Old Mrs. Chen began to snore, Xie Liangchen tiptoed to the outer room to write a letter to Meng Changshu.

Meng Changshu had returned to Yuezhou and was helping Xie Liangchen collect medicinal herbs, also turning them into drawings. Xie Liangchen’s letter both inquired about Meng Changshu’s situation and asked about the illustrated herbal book.

Yuezhou also needed to establish an Official Medicine Bureau, and this illustrated herbal book could be very useful there, helping the people in identifying herbs.

Xie Liangchen’s letter, along with Song Xian’s letter to Meng Su, was escorted by the Song Family’s House General on its way to Yuezhou.

Meng Su was reviewing his daughter’s herbal drawings. Initially, he hadn’t taken her words seriously, but after she held a few banquets in Yuezhou, she had surprisingly managed to complete several drawings.

Moreover, these drawings were to be sent to the capital for Doctor Li’s review.

Meng Su’s eyes never left the illustrations. Meng Changshu said, "It’s a pity that no matter how I draw, it’s not as good as Liangchen’s. Before sending it to the Imperial Hospital, it’s best to have Liangchen examine it first."