CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 66 ACQUAINTANCE

Old Mrs. Chen was so provoked by a comment from Xie Liangchen that she stormed out and went into the kitchen, muttering to the Kitchen God.

In Old Mrs. Chen’s heart, the Kitchen God could manage everything. This deity was not only the Kitchen God but also the God of Wealth, Medicine God, Childbirth Goddess, and Matchmaker. By worshiping the Kitchen God, she could avoid spending incense money for praying to other deities.

Old Mrs. Chen prayed to the Kitchen God for the continuous peace and safety of the Chen Family Village, especially for her granddaughter and grandson’s well-being.

When Chen Yongsheng brought the Silver, Old Mrs. Chen had just put the freshly slaughtered duck into the pot.

Chen Yongsheng was somewhat surprised: "Auntie, why did you think of eating this today?"

Old Mrs. Chen unusually replied, "Haven’t we earned Silver Coin? Naturally, we should eat something good. Tell everyone that they shouldn’t hide away all their money without spending a single coin.

Now that it’s cold, the kids need to be well-fed, especially Er Niu’s family. Yesterday I saw her adding distillers’ grains to the pot. Did she buy those from the city? We don’t lack grain right now; why use that stuff?"

Chen Yongsheng quickly responded, "I’ll remind them. Once they receive Silver Coin, they should start repairing the village houses. If they refuse to spend it, they’ll be left out next time when we collect herbs."

Old Mrs. Chen nodded, watching Chen Yongsheng enter the main house, presumably to talk to Miss Chen. Old Mrs. Chen’s lips curled into a gentle smile of satisfaction.

She used to worry that Chen Family Village would burden Miss Chen and planned to bring Miss Chen over when the village improved a bit. She hadn’t expected that Miss Chen returned with her and even brought prosperity to the Chen Family Village.

One could say it’s heaven’s will, or perhaps there’s always cause and effect.

Eventually, Chen Family Village is meant to follow Miss Chen’s lead, as it should be.

Old Mrs. Chen gathered her thoughts, smelling the enticing aroma of stewed duck, and momentarily felt a pang of regret, thinking that this duck could still lay eggs.

...

The next day, Xie Liangchen took Chen Zigeng to the market. She had many things to buy and needed to visit the government office to process documents and then head to the blacksmith’s to create some items.

When they reached the entrance of the government office, about to speak, Chen Zigeng noticed a tall figure emerging from within.

"Mr. Li."

Li You followed the voice and saw Chen Zigeng’s face full of joy.

After handing over the defense of Zhenzhou to Song Xian, Li You had taken a tour of the Northern County and Prefecture, returning just yesterday. He had personally seen the bustling market and heard about the Chen Family Village’s medicinal trade.

This morning, several merchants came to the government office to process documents because they heard that when the Tian Family Trading Team bought medicinal materials from Chen Family Village, they only paid part of the Silver. The rest would be given after selling the goods.

What should have been a straightforward cash-and-carry transaction turned complicated due to the current situation in the North. Many merchants couldn’t afford to pay cash and had to find alternative methods. The route taken by Chen Family Village and the Tian Family Trading Team appeared feasible.

Unexpectedly, Song Xian had already discussed this with the county magistrate. The government office was well-prepared, assisting both parties by verifying household registers and finding intermediaries as guarantors, conducting everything in an orderly manner.

Considering these events, Li You had to praise Song Xian’s talents in both military and civil affairs. Compared to this, other regions like Dingzhou and Qi State remained stagnant, merely waiting to start farming next spring.

Li You beckoned to Chen Zigeng: "Are you busy today?"

Chen Zigeng shook his head: "I’m just following Sister to buy some items."

Li You remembered his teacher’s ongoing concern for Chen Family Village and suddenly had an idea, a smile appearing on his face: "I plan to take a walk around the area, would you like to join me? I’ll arrange for someone to send you back to Chen Family Village later."

Chen Zigeng understood that Mr. Li likely wanted to ask about the medicinal materials, but still instinctively glanced at Xie Liangchen beside him.

Brother and sister exchanged a look, and instantly knew each other’s thoughts.

Xie Liangchen bowed to Li You: "Thank you, Mr. Li."

"No need for such formality." Li You raised his hand to stop Xie Liangchen.

Indeed, Li You really liked this child, Chen Zigeng.

The aide led the horse forward, and Li You asked Chen Zigeng, "Are you brave enough to ride a horse?"

Chen Zigeng honestly replied, "I’ve never ridden, but I don’t feel afraid when I watch."

"Good," Li You said, "You have some courage."

The trusted aide stepped forward, picked up Chen Zigeng, and handed him to Li You, who had him share the horse for the ride.

Xie Liangchen watched her brother’s joyful appearance atop the horse, waving her hand at him as a smile appeared on her face.

Just as Song Xian stepped out of the government office, he happened to see the smile in the young girl’s eyes. Following her gaze, he saw Chen Zigeng on the horse’s back.

Song Xian wasn’t surprised; it was only her younger brother that could make her genuinely happy like this.

Song Xian walked forward confidently. Chang An brought the horse over, but Song Xian didn’t rush to mount it. Instead, he adjusted his cuffs, and moments later, he heard the young girl’s clear voice: "General Song."

Song Xian lifted his head to see Xie Liangchen approaching.

The entrance to the government office was bustling, so Xie Liangchen couldn’t say much and merely stepped forward to pay her respects.

Song Xian said, "Have the medicinal materials you’ve purchased been transported?"

Xie Liangchen replied, "Chen Family Village owes its current state to the General’s benevolence. If it weren’t for the General allowing us to sell medicine to the Papermaking Workshop, Chen Family Village would neither have earned Silver Coin nor had enough food."

Anyone who heard these words would find them pleasing; what she truly thought, however, was anyone’s guess.

Song Xian was silent for a while, and just as Xie Liangchen was about to take her leave, he asked again.

"Is everything good in the village?" Song Xian’s question came once more.

It seemed like a casual inquiry, but Xie Liangchen sensed a risk. After several interactions with her creditor, she had developed a keen sense of his emotional changes.

If she glossed over it, Song Xian would undoubtedly be displeased.

Xie Liangchen said, "We’re starting to repair the houses. If General Song has time, you might visit the village in a few days. You’ll surely see a significant change from before."

Song Xian neither agreed nor refused, only saying lightly, "Understood."

With that, he mounted his horse and, along with Chang An and the others, disappeared from Xie Liangchen’s view.

Xie Liangchen also turned and left the front of the government office, her mind filled with thoughts of her brother after dealing with the creditor.

"Sister Chen," Chen Yuyu hurried over, "weren’t you going to ask how much the furs cost? I just met a merchant who said we could trade medicinal materials for furs."

Bartering is common at the market and often more cost-effective than using Silver Coin.

Xie Liangchen was pulled into a shop by Chen Yuyu, where a man in his thirties stood, smiling at her.

"Miss Xie," Wang Jian said with a smile, "I heard you want to buy some furs?"

Xie Liangchen looked at the man before her, thinking his face seemed familiar. In her past life, she had likely met him, but she couldn’t quite recall where.