Zhan Chun

Kapitel 53

Their family was wealthy, so Lu Daocheng naturally had to complete the entire ceremony. After the forty-nine days of preparation, they learned that Wu Yue was already impatient and had submitted the petition to the court. They quickly sent someone to plead for leniency, but Wu Yue somehow produced a marriage certificate with his and Wei Niangzi's names clearly written on it. He waved the certificate in front of the messenger and said, "Your Jin Jiu Shao stole my wife and isn't going to settle this privately with money. You'll have to go to jail for two years."

Upon hearing the report, Jin Jiu Shao feared Wu Yuezhen would actually sue him and send him to jail, so he hurriedly asked Sister Cheng for money. Sister Cheng slapped him and said, "Where would we get 300,000 yuan in cash? Are you going to sell the shop?" Jin Jiu Shao didn't dare to talk back and muttered, "If we sell the shop, we can just open a few more. Anyway, the goods in the shop were all sold or given away by Cheng Er Lang, so we won't lose much." Sister Cheng didn't hear him clearly and asked him sharply what he was muttering. Jin Jiu Shao didn't dare to answer and hurriedly said, "I mean, why don't we ask Cheng Er Lang for advice? Last time your stepmother wanted to sue him, didn't he settle things with her?"

"That's right." Sister Cheng was overjoyed and hurriedly prepared gifts, taking him to her parents' home. Unexpectedly, Cheng Mutian received the news and wouldn't even let them in the door, sending someone out to say, "Our Cheng family has no relatives who steal other men's wives, so don't dirty the threshold."

Sister Cheng was furious. Jin Jiu was utterly ashamed. Their only reliable relative in Lin'an refused to help, so they had no choice but to negotiate a price with Wu. Unexpectedly, this angered him further. He summoned a few hooligans and spread the news of Jin Jiu's affair with another man's wife throughout the streets and alleys. Respectable families who used to buy cheap foreign goods from the Jin family's shop, fearing their reputation would be tarnished by Jin Jiu, refused to patronize them anymore, causing the Jin family's business to decline significantly.

Jin Jiu Shao was utterly helpless. He could only earnestly persuade Sister Cheng, "As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn." He coaxed her into raising 300,000. He also added some rare corals and sent them to Wu Yue. Finally, he persuaded him to withdraw the lawsuit and tear up the document.

For this 300,000, most of the family's shops were sold off. Even Sister Cheng, who didn't usually care much for money, felt the pinch. She looked at the empty box, summoned a slave trader, and in front of Jin Jiushao, sold off all the family's concubines and courtesans. Jin Jiushao pleaded, begging her to keep a few. Sister Cheng scolded, "With disaster looming, you're still thinking about your concubines? Don't you think about how you've caused your relatives to lose face? Knowing Erlang's temperament, he certainly won't sell you cheap foreign goods anymore. We'll probably lose all our shops. Without the shops, you'll have to rely on my dowry to survive. And you still dare to mention concubines to me?"

Jin Jiu Shao immediately shrank back. He then thought that the son wasn't Cheng Da Jie's biological child. She had no ties to the Jin family whatsoever. If she insisted on a divorce, wouldn't he lose both his wife and his money? The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. Not only did he dare not mention concubines again, but he also racked his brains to please and flatter Cheng Da Jie, showering her with tenderness and affection every night.

Sister Cheng knew Cheng Mutiandi well. Sure enough, within a few days, he cut off the Jin family's supply of goods. He claimed that if they wanted to buy more, they would have to pay the same price as everyone else. Jin Jiu Shao wasn't cut out for business. Without a cheaper source of goods than others, he had no choice but to close down. He sold off the remaining stock and unsold goods. After receiving the cash, he secretly compared his earnings with Sister Cheng's dowry. He decided to give half to her to win her favor, secretly keeping the other half for his lovers' expenses.

Although he remained incorrigible, he dared not act openly again. Every night, he stayed obediently in Sister Cheng's room, personally bringing her water to wash her feet. Sister Cheng lost her money, but gained a life of pleasure. Her pride outweighed her regret, and she couldn't wait to spread the word that she had won back her husband's heart.

It happened to be the day Cheng San Niang gave birth to her daughter, a full moon celebration. She hurriedly prepared gifts and, beaming with joy, headed towards the Gan family, eager to boast about her blissful life these past few days. However, when she arrived at Cheng San Niang's room, she found it cold and quiet. On the table were only colorful satin, pearls, and braised pork dumplings brought by Xiao Yuan. She then remembered that Cheng San Niang had given birth to an unpopular daughter, and the Gan family elders probably forbade them from having a grand celebration. She placed the gifts aside and inquired, and it was indeed the case. Cheng San Niang, wiping away tears, said, "I'm useless; I couldn't give birth to a son. My father-in-law and mother-in-law wanted to arrange for my husband to take a concubine, but he refused. In their anger, they said they would never give him money for his education again."

Sister Cheng was so angry that she cursed, "What kind of people are your in-laws? It's only your first child, how do they know you won't be able to have a son in the future?" Xiao Yuan took a handkerchief to wipe away Sister Cheng's tears and advised, "Stop crying quickly. You've only just finished your postpartum period and you're already crying like this. Be careful not to develop health problems later. Your in-laws think that Gan Shier is studying hard for the exam, which is why they came up with the idea of cutting off his money to force him to give up. But that's not the truth. Gan Shier can earn money to support you now, so what are you afraid of?"

Sister Cheng nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "Your sister-in-law is absolutely right. Since Gan Shier can make money, and you've made up your mind not to take a concubine, they can't do anything about it." Xiao Yuan, seeing that she was still very affectionate towards her, asked in surprise, "Sister, don't you hate us?" Sister Cheng was even more surprised, "We caused you to lose face. It's fine if you don't hate me, but how could I dare to hate you?"

Xiao Yuan said, "Don't listen to Erlang's nonsense. There's no reason for a man to drag a woman down with him when he makes a mistake. It was Young Master Jin who made us lose face, it has nothing to do with you. In fact, you're just a victim of him."

Sister Cheng smiled bitterly: "What you said is nice to hear, but husband and wife are one. If he loses face, I lose face. This is also due to my lax discipline."

Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang both laughed at her "discipline," asking, "So, are you keeping a close eye on him now?" Sister Cheng smiled and said, "Though we're poorer now, he's penniless and doesn't run around outside all the time anymore." Xiao Yuan said, "Er Lang only said those things in anger. In a few days, he'll still have to take care of your business." Sister Cheng quickly waved her hand, "Even if I make money, Jin Jiu Shao will take it to buy concubines and keep prostitutes. I'd rather live a poor life. You should tell Er Lang quickly, and don't let this idea reach Jin Jiu Shao, or he'll cause trouble again."

This was truly a case of "a blessing in disguise." Xiao Yuan, who had been worried for her, was now overjoyed for her. She sat with Cheng San Niang for a while, then got up to take her leave. Back home, she told Cheng Mutian about Cheng Da Jie's situation, laughing, "Da Jie actually used money to get her husband back; she's quite pleased with herself." Cheng Mutian's expression turned serious. He closed the door, brought out the account books, and said, "This matter isn't that simple."

"But Wu Yue's backers are the government. They've got their eyes on the Jin family, deliberately trying to force them to pay up. Otherwise, I wouldn't have forced Young Master Jin to close his shop." Xiao Yuan exclaimed, "Young Master Jin offended the officials?" Cheng Mutian looked through the accounts and shook his head, "What could he have offended? It's just that last time we pretended to be poor, and the officials didn't get anything out of us, so now they're here to collect the debt."

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment, then laughed sarcastically, "That's true. The court has made peace with the Jin, and they send out so much tribute every year. Someone has to pay for it." Cheng Mutian paused, then said, "Let's just talk about this privately between the two of us. Let's not let anyone with ulterior motives hear us." He then asked, "Should we pay to avoid trouble, or pretend to be poor again?"

Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, "Paying money to avoid trouble means we're truly poor. The Jin family only has a few shops, and they extorted 300,000 strings of cash from them. If it were our family, wouldn't we be asking for an exorbitant amount, like a million or more? As for pretending to be poor, we can't do it forever. As long as our family is here, they'll always come knocking on our door."

Cheng Mutian was slightly surprised: "From what you're saying, you're thinking of moving?"

Chapter 158 Avoiding the Storm

Xiao Yuan became excited. She had already planned to find a way to exchange her family's property for property and move them to the mountains, so that they wouldn't have to worry about war. Cheng Mutian scoffed at her naive idea, saying, "If a war really breaks out, the first thing the enemy will do is search the mountains. What if they have an army lying in wait there?" Xiao Yuan's idea, which she had pondered for many years, was overturned by him, and she couldn't accept it. She even lost her balance and fell into a chair. Seeing her sudden change in expression, Cheng Mutian quickly comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid. We have ships. You and your sons can take a boat out to sea. Our ships are very familiar with the routes to the Abbasid Caliphate, Korea, the island nations of the South China Sea, and Japan."

Hearing his words, Xiao Yuan's hope was rekindled. She excitedly grabbed his arm and said urgently, "If we're going to leave, we'll leave together. What are you staying for?" Cheng Mutian found it very amusing and pulled her away, saying, "It's just idle talk. You actually took it seriously. The court just signed a peace treaty. There's no war to fight. You're just worrying unnecessarily."

Xiaoyuan couldn't explain it to him and was sweating profusely with anxiety. In fact, she didn't know much about this period of history either, only vaguely remembering three major events in sequence: first, the Jin Dynasty's pincer attack on the Southern Song Dynasty and the Mongol army ceased to exist; second, the Mongol army began its southward invasion; and third, something she dared not think about, was the Mongol army's capture of Lin'an and the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty. She remembered them, but if asked what year each of these three events occurred, she was completely clueless. She had to count on her fingers again and again, and finally let out a long sigh: "Although I don't remember the exact dates very clearly, I'm sure there are still several decades before the first and second events, and several decades between the second and third events. Once the first event occurs, we'll go to sea. There's still time, there's still time." Her family's large ship was already fully equipped; she just needed to slowly exchange money for gold and silver and make appropriate preparations so that she could leave whenever she wanted. Thinking of this, she felt at ease, and a smile gradually appeared on her face.

Cheng Mutian, however, thought she was just bored at home and overthinking things, saying things that were hard to understand. So he grabbed her and pulled her to the table, handing her the account book, saying, "What we need to do right now is discuss how to deal with the government's extortion, not worry about that childless war." Xiaoyuan was startled to see that he was handing her the outer account book: "Why are you showing me this? Do you really intend to give money to the government?" Cheng Mutian said, "It's just being prepared. Are we going to wait for them to come to us? But we're just making preparations first. We'll have to wait for the clan leader's letter for the specific methods."

Yes, their business wasn't just their own; it was part of the clan. In such a significant matter, they naturally had to obey the clan's orders and couldn't act independently. A few days later, a personal letter arrived, stating that An Tianzi's wealth was attracting attention, and therefore instructing Cheng Mutian to scale back his business and avoid the limelight to prevent implicating the Quanzhou clan. Cheng Dongjing also attached a letter, advising Cheng Mutian that if there were no problems, he should stay in the mountains and fields for a while until the court had collected the annual tribute. Cheng Mutian held the letter, finding it unbelievable. Many of their clan members held official positions in the court; did they really need to avoid this? Xiao Yuan, however, understood better than him: the court was corrupt, the edifice was about to collapse—this was a sign.

In the days that followed, Cheng Mutian became busy, taking Cheng Fu to visit each shop one by one, notifying those shops that had been sourcing goods from Cheng's wharf for a long time to find new sources of goods as soon as possible; in addition to sea freight, his family also had shops in Lin'an, but those were only secondary, so he simply closed most of them, leaving only a few of the most inconspicuous ones.

After finishing all that, he thought the government wouldn't cause any more trouble, so he didn't want to take Cheng Dongjing's suggestion to move to the mountains. Unexpectedly, Cheng Fu rushed over in a panic and said, "Young master, have you heard that a group of swindlers with connections to the heavens have set up a 'Water Merit Bureau' and swindled hundreds of thousands of Li's fifteenth son under the guise of recommendation? Everyone says that those swindlers are colluding with the government, but I think it was the government that secretly instructed them."

Cheng Mutian finally understood. The government, knowing that many wealthy merchants and members of their clan held official positions, couldn't openly demand money from them. So they resorted to tricks and schemes to swindle money. No wonder even those in the Cheng clan who held official positions wanted to avoid the limelight. Seeing him deep in thought, Cheng Fu urged, "Young Master, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and go hide in the mountains! Even if you avoid brothels and teahouses, if the government is determined to swindle your money, they'll find a way to do it!"

Cheng Mutian sighed, dismissed the travelers to prepare for the trip, and then asked Xiaoyuan, who had been silent for a long time, "My lady, shall we stay at your dowry estate for a few days?" Most of the family property had been sold, yielding a considerable amount of cash. Xiaoyuan was pondering how to exchange it for silver and gold. Hearing Cheng Mutian's question, she nodded and said, "Sure. I've built a villa in the mountains, and I haven't lived there yet. Let's go to the new house and enjoy a couple of days of comfort. We can also exchange the money from this trip for gold and silver and hide it in the mountains."

Cheng Mutian was still thinking about making a comeback and refused to listen to her. He said, "The gold and silver we've buried is enough to live on for a lifetime. After this period, I'm going to reopen the shops. Let's keep this money for now." Xiaoyuan retorted, "As long as you keep shops all over the city, the government will eventually come after you. Why make yourself a target? It's better to exchange all this money for gold and silver and leave it to our sons." Cheng Mutian said, "I know the saying 'a tall tree catches the wind,' but if we don't open shops, what will we eat?" Xiaoyuan laughed, "I have sorghum in my mountains. It'll be plentiful." Seeing that Cheng Mutian's face darkened again, she quickly said, "You can never earn all the money in the world. The most important thing is for the family to be safe and sound."

She had never cared about these things before. It must be because she has a son now that she's worried about him. Cheng Mutian's heart softened. He pulled her into his arms and nodded, "I'll listen to you. After we leave the mountains, I'll just look after the clan's shipping business and spend more time with you and our son."

Xiao Yuan was delighted to see that he had been persuaded. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then said, "Who needs your company? I just don't want to keep pretending to be poor." But it wouldn't be polite not to reciprocate. Cheng Mutian hugged her and kissed her passionately, laughing, "Wife, we've sold all our shops. This time it's not pretending to be poor, it's real poverty." Xiao Yuan nestled against his chest, thinking to herself, "Living a peaceful life is better than anything else. If you knew that history couldn't be reversed, you would be like me, only wanting to hide more gold and silver to prepare for escape. You wouldn't even think about opening a shop, needlessly attracting the attention of the authorities." As she thought about this, she suddenly worried about the weight of the gold and silver. She hurriedly asked Cheng Mutian, "Your family has a lot of gold and silver going out to sea, can you take it all?"

Cheng Mutian pinched her cheek. He said helplessly, "You're overthinking things again. Why go out to sea when you have nothing better to do?" Xiao Yuan squirmed in his arms, acting like a spoiled brat. Cheng Mutian, exasperated by her antics, could only coax her, "You should go pack your things and prepare to move. Our family's boats are all recorded in the accounts. Once we're settled in the mountains, I'll bring them out one by one and tell you about them."

Xiao Yuan nodded in satisfaction. She sent him out to summon the managers of the remaining shops to discuss business matters. She also summoned the female managers and explained the moving arrangements. Since the women managers had lived on the estate before, they knew the layout of the place very well, knowing exactly what kind of furniture could be stored in each room. Therefore, packing was a breeze for Xiao Yuan, requiring no effort from her.

Cailian watched the maids pack their belongings for a while before asking Xiaoyuan, "Young Madam, are you planning to sell your cake shop, cotton bag shop, and fitness center?" Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "They're small businesses, no one will covet them. I'll keep them to earn some pocket money." She had someone summon Ren Qingsong and explained the various matters concerning the shops. Then she went to the back courtyard herself to ask Master Yuan if he would like to come into the mountains with her.

Master Yuan smiled and said, "I live alone, so it's convenient for me to come and go. If the young mistress doesn't mind, I'll go." Xiao Yuan saw that he spoke frankly, unlike other scholars who were all talk and no action, so she liked him a bit more and ordered A Yun to stay and help him pack his luggage.

The mountains are far away, and if the teacher goes with her, the primary school will have to be disbanded. Yu Niang can go back and be taught by her own mother, so it's not a big deal. But Xiao Yuan is worried about Cheng Si Niang. After thinking it over, she still sent someone to invite her and Aunt Ding over and asked, "Our family is poor now and we have to move to the mountains..." Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Ding asked anxiously, "Is it because we don't have enough money to support Si Niangzi?" Xiao Yuan looked at her with disgust and was about to retort when she saw Cheng Si Niang's face turn red with embarrassment. She felt sorry for the child and could only sigh and say, "Even if we go hungry, you will still have enough to eat. I'm just afraid that Si Niangzi will be mistreated if we go to the mountains."

Aunt Ding wasn't confused about this, and hurriedly said, "If you leave, she'll have nowhere to hide. It's no wonder she'll be mistreated by her stepmother. Why don't you take her with you?" Xiao Yuan had this idea in mind, which was why she had called them to ask, but she really didn't expect Aunt Ding to be so straightforward and proactive. She couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Are you willing to let her go?" Aunt Ding pushed Cheng Si Niang towards her and said, "She's my own flesh and blood. I can't just stand by and watch her get beaten and scolded by the madam. You don't know, Zhong Lang is dull-witted, and the madam gets angry when she sees him. She can't bear to hit her son, so she takes her anger out on our Si Niang."

Parents' hearts are always full of love and concern. Although Aunt Ding was despicable, she was only thinking of her daughter's best interests. Xiao Yuan leaned down and asked Cheng Si Niang, "Your birth mother wants you to come with us. Are you willing?" Cheng Si Niang looked at Aunt Ding and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, will I be able to see Aunt Ding again?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Why can't you see her? As long as you don't mind the long journey, you can come out to see her every day." Cheng Si Niang smiled and asked again, "Won't I cause you trouble, sister-in-law?" This child was so sensible. Xiao Yuan wanted to hug her, but she didn't want to give Aunt Ding the face, so she just patted her head and told her to go back and pack her luggage first, and she would come to pick her up later.

When Sister Cheng and Third Sister Cheng learned that she was moving, they both came to see her off. Sister Cheng asked, "Are you going into the mountains now to spend the New Year there?" Xiao Yuan nodded and smiled, "The whole family is together; it's the same wherever we celebrate the New Year." Third Sister Cheng brought two cotton-padded coats, one large and one small, and handed them to her, saying, "It's cold in the mountains, so I made one for Brother Wu and Brother Chen each. The stitching isn't great, but you can make do with them, sister-in-law." Xiao Yuan laughed even harder, saying, "You think we're going into the mountains to suffer? It's not like living in an apartment building where there's nothing there." Seeing that she wasn't lying, Sister Cheng and Third Sister Cheng quickly asked her what the advantages were in the mountains. Xiao Yuan deliberately kept them in suspense, saying, "You'll know when you come to my house to pay your respects after the New Year."

Sister Cheng and Cheng Ke didn't yearn for mountain life. Seeing her bustling about, they sat for a while and then left. Xiao Yuan saw them off and called Wu Ge and Chen Ge to try on their cotton-padded clothes. Chen Ge was overjoyed to wear the new clothes and stumbled into her arms, while Wu Ge pouted and shook the cotton-padded clothes, complaining that he hadn't learned any martial arts since coming to the mountains. Xiao Yuan snatched the cotton-padded clothes from him and forced him to put them on, taunting him, "Don't think that just because you've learned a few fancy moves, you can beat the kids in the mountains."

Cheng Mutian returned from outside, walked around a pile of boxes, and laughed, "Your mother is right. The children there grow up running all over the mountains and fields; they're very strong and healthy, and they even know how to hunt rabbits and catch young."

Wu Ge perked up and pounced on Cheng Mutian's leg, repeatedly saying, "Dad, you know how to hunt rabbits and catch cubs, teach me, teach me!" Seeing his unruly behavior, Cheng Mutian got angry again, pulled him away, and roared, "Those are mountain children, not you. Even if you come to the mountains, you have to study and learn to read and write properly. If you don't memorize them all, you won't even be allowed to practice boxing." After saying that, he grabbed Wu Ge by the collar of his cotton coat and dragged him to the corner to stand as punishment.

Xiao Yuan watched Cheng Mutian's outburst, enduring it all. What rule could a three-year-old hugging his father's leg possibly violate? Did she really want to raise a rigid little brat? Wu Ge caught a glimpse of her expression and, while Cheng Mutian was hugging Chen Ge, made a face at her, as if to say, "Mom, don't make a sound, or Dad will punish me even more severely." Cheng Mutian turned his head and saw his little gesture, then yelled again, "Turn around and face the wall!"

Xiao Yuan clenched her fists repeatedly, but ultimately prioritized her father's authority and didn't confront him about the child's education. Instead, she asked Chen Ge, "Are you hungry?" It was dinnertime, and the aroma of food wafted over from next door. Chen Ge naturally nodded and answered, "Hungry." Xiao Yuan picked him up, then reached for Wu Ge's hand, and said with a smile, "Let's go eat then."

Seeing that he was being completely ignored by her, Cheng Mutian angrily shouted, "Wu-ge is still being punished by standing, he's not allowed to eat!" Xiao Yuan moved closer to him, pressed her face against his, and gently curled the corners of her lips, "My lord, the food is getting cold, let's go together." As Cheng Mutian saw her getting closer and closer, and then looked down at the ground, he saw Wu-ge blinking his big, curious eyes. His face turned red, his heart raced, and he no longer cared about punishing his son. He hurriedly pushed away his "annoying" wife and rushed towards the dining table first.

Chapter 159 Heading into the Mountains (Part 1)

Xiao Yuan suppressed a laugh and followed closely behind with her two sons to have dinner. Since Wu Ge couldn't use chopsticks, his nanny, Sister-in-law Deng, led him to a small table nearby, where there was another meal for the little ones. Wu Ge looked at the steamed goose and lamb tongue skewers in front of him, bit the end of his chopsticks, and asked, "Mother, will we still have this to eat after we go into the mountains?" Xiao Yuan smiled, about to answer, when Cheng Mutian, with a stern face, began to scold him: "What does the third sentence of the fifth article in 'Elementary Primer' say?" Wu Ge was already used to Cheng Mutian's occasional quizzes on his homework, and he put down his chopsticks and immediately replied: "Whenever food is available, eat it; when it is not available, do not think of it. But porridge and rice are enough to satisfy hunger, and should not be lacking." Cheng Mutian glared at him: "Since you know this principle, why do you still ask?"

Unable to bear the hardship herself, she blamed her son. Xiao Yuan inwardly grumbled, then deliberately told Wu Ge, "Son, life in the mountains is poor. There are no geese or sheep to eat, and even pork, which is a staple for the poor, is hard to find." Wu Ge asked curiously, "What do the people in the mountains eat?" Xiao Yuan glanced at Cheng Mutian, whose expression was changing. She chuckled inwardly and replied, "What do they eat? Wild vegetables! They're everywhere." Pointing to the white rice in front of him, she said, "There's no rice either, only sorghum porridge." Wu Ge had never seen sorghum porridge and didn't know what it tasted like. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly heard Cheng Mutian's plaintive voice: "Wife, life in the mountains is so hard. Shall we find another place to escape this?" Xiao Yuan had been waiting for this. She mimicked his glare at Wu Ge and asked, "What does the third sentence of the fifth article in *Elementary Primer* say?"

Cheng Mutian coughed twice to show his displeasure, and Xiaoyuan quickly said, "You're worrying for nothing. Our Wu-ge isn't as delicate as you think. He didn't complain once when he was in the apartment." Cheng Mutian remembered that he was the one who complained endlessly during those days, and his face unconsciously turned red. He took the initiative to explain to Wu-ge, "Don't listen to your mother's scare tactics. We have plenty of good food. The mutton we eat is brought from the mountains. There are also plenty of wild game in the mountains. If you want to eat, just go and catch some." Wu-ge's eyes lit up, and he couldn't wait to run to the mountains to ask, "Dad, is sorghum rice delicious?" Cheng Mutian frowned and said, "That's not very tasty." After answering, he asked Xiaoyuan, "Wife, we need to bring some rice into the mountains, otherwise, will we really be eating sorghum rice every day?"

Xiao Yuan ladled a bowl of lamb tongue skewers for him and laughed, "Knowing you, young master, can't stand hardship, I already had several bags of them smuggled in." Cheng Mutian said, "We can't smuggle too many at once, or it'll attract attention." Xiao Yuan pointed to the white and cucumber dishes on the table: "The truck that sells off-season vegetables in the village goes back every other day, so I had them take some back on their way to avoid trouble." The mountains have all kinds of vegetables, and they're even fresher than those in the city. It seems that living there won't be hardship. Cheng Mutian happily ate his lamb tongue skewers.

Wu Ge found his parents' stories fascinating and quickly ate a bowl of rice before rushing into his room. Xiao Yuan finished her dinner and, not seeing him come out, pushed open the door. She found him packing things to take to the children in the mountains. She was pleased with her son's kindness and was about to praise him when he asked, "Mom, if I give all these things to them, will they teach me how to hunt?" Xiao Yuan hesitated, then said, "You're quite clever. But they only hunt to earn money; they don't have time to teach you." Wu Ge tilted his head, thought for a moment, then snuggled up to her, pleading, "Mom, lend me some money, and if I give it to them, they'll teach me."

If it were Cheng Mutian, he would definitely scold him for breaking the rules, but Xiao Yuan thoroughly enjoyed her son's coquettishness, patting him and teasing, "Lending you money is no problem, but do you have any empty mountains to play in?" Wu Ge's little face immediately fell, and he pouted, saying, "Dad is definitely going to make me study and practice writing, where is there any empty mountains to play in?" Xiao Yuan cupped his face and kissed him, saying, "Your dad is doing this for your own good." Wu Ge retorted, "I'm the best at recognizing and reciting characters, why can't I go play?" Xiao Yuan slapped him, saying, "You don't dare to talk to your dad, you only know how to complain to me. Fine, go and show me some drunken boxing, and I'll give you a day off once we get into the mountains." Wu Ge was overjoyed, somersaulted to the center of the room, and started performing his crooked, drunken boxing, making Xiao Yuan laugh heartily.

Her son, dressed in colorful clothes, amused her, and Xiao Yuan was in high spirits, a smile still on her face as she went to bed. The next day, she checked their belongings. Wu Ge and Chen Ge had four large trunks of clothes, two large trunks of toys, and one large trunk of various snacks. Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian only had two trunks of things. Cheng Mutian came over and looked at them, asking Xiao Yuan, "Why didn't you bring more clothes and jewelry?" Xiao Yuan laughed, "There's no social obligation in the mountains; carrying so much unnecessary stuff is pointless." She then called Cheng Fu and A Zhu, instructing them to take their belongings into the mountains first, and sent most of the servants with them to make some preliminary preparations for cleaning and tidying.

When news came from the mountains that everything at the new villa was settled, Xiao Yuan ordered carriages to be prepared. The lead carriage and the last one carried the guards, servants, and Master Zhou, who refused to ride alone. The whole family squeezed into one large carriage, while a smaller carriage was reserved for the wet nurse and maids.

Cheng Mutian stood in front of the house for one last look. He turned to the carriage and asked Xiaoyuan, "Your most capable maid didn't come along?" Xiaoyuan replied, "Cailian is still young. Ren Qingsong has to stay in the city to look after my dowry shop. We can't let them be separated." Cheng Mutian himself was reluctant to be separated from his wife, so he understood. He nodded and instructed the driver to set off.

The car started. Curled up in the corner, Cheng Si Niang timidly called out, "Brother." Cheng Mutian then noticed the extra person in the car. He frowned and asked, "Why are you here?" Xiao Yuan pushed aside her sons, who were clinging to her arms, and beckoned Cheng Si Niang to sit beside her. She put her arm around her and said, "Aunt Ding begged me to take her into the mountains to raise her. I agreed."

Cheng Mutian's lips twitched a few times. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Such a big matter! Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Cheng Si Niang burst into tears, saying, "Sister-in-law, I'd better go back." Her crying made Cheng Mutian feel embarrassed. He waved his hand and said, "Never mind. Just add another pair of chopsticks and hire a wet nurse to take care of her."

Xiao Yuan took out a handkerchief and wiped away Cheng Si Niang's tears. She coaxed her, "Your brother is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. You'll understand once you get to know him." Cheng Mutian, blushing at this praise, lifted a corner of the curtain on his side, pretending to look at the scenery. Seeing his mother hugging Cheng Si Niang instead of him, Chen Ge crawled over to the curtain and pointed to the sign outside, muttering haltingly, "Wen...pu..." Cheng Mutian was overjoyed and picked him up, saying, "Son, that's a writing shop. Come on, let's recognize a few more." As the carriage moved forward, Chen Ge recognized a few more characters from the passing signs. Cheng Mutian was ecstatic and excitedly called to Xiao Yuan, "Wife, did you hear that? Our Chen Ge is only a year and a half old, and he already knows so many characters!" Wu Ge was even more excited and rushed over, saying, "Dad, if Chen Ge can recognize characters, I don't need to, right? Anyway, you only need one son to take the imperial examinations."

The moment Wu Ge opened his mouth, Cheng Tian was bound to get angry. Sure enough, a large hand rose again. Xiao Yuan pulled Wu Ge into her arms and scolded, "Did you teach Chen Ge to read? He learned by constantly messing around with Wu Ge. You don't even reward Wu Ge, and you even hit him. What kind of logic is that?"

That makes some sense. Cheng Mutian took a hand and discussed with her, "After we settle down in the mountains, how about we have Brother Chen go to school with Brother Wu?" Xiao Yuan retorted, "He's only a little over a year old. His body is still weak. Can you bear to let him sit there for hours on end?"

She was too lazy to deal with her overly ambitious young father-in-law anymore, so she closed her eyes to rest. Seeing her like this, Cheng Mutian had no choice but to give up and went back to the other side of the curtain to teach Chen Ge to recognize the signboard. Xiao Yuan squinted and saw that he had his back to them, so she quickly turned around and lifted a small corner of the curtain to peek outside.

By this time, they had left the city gates. Outside the city lived many poor people who couldn't afford houses inside. The area was bustling and lively. The docks on both the north and south sides were filled with moored boats. Large boats carried rice transported from elsewhere, while smaller boats carried wood, firewood, bricks, salt bags, and other supplies. Many boat people lived their entire families, young and old, in the cabins of their boats, making their boats their homes and drifting with the water.

Xiao Zheng was engrossed in watching when suddenly she heard Chen Ge vomit, followed by Cheng Mutian's cry of alarm: "Wife, Chen Ge vomited!" She quickly turned around, took Chen Ge from her, poured water for him to rinse his mouth, and gently patted his back. Cheng Mutian's clothes were completely stained with vomit, so he quickly ordered the carriage to stop, calling for clean clothes while simultaneously intending to send a servant back to the city to fetch a doctor specializing in children's illnesses. Xiao Yuan stopped him, laughing, "Chen Ge is too young; he's just carsick. What serious illness could it be that requires a special trip to fetch a doctor? Just tell the driver to slow down."

Cheng Mutian carefully examined Chen Ge's complexion, then used his half-baked skills to take his pulse, and said, "There's nothing wrong with him, but we still need to prepare a young doctor. Our pharmacy hasn't been sold off yet, so send someone to fetch two of them and tell them to go into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning." After saying that, he called over a servant and gave him a few instructions, telling him to go back to the city to the pharmacy. He then instructed the driver through the carriage wall to drive slowly.

Xiao Man patted Chen Ge gently, coaxing him to sleep. Cheng Mutian then took him and placed him on the mattress in the middle of the car before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Because the car was moving slowly, they had only traveled halfway by noon. Wu Ge started fussing about wanting to eat. Xiao Yuan thought that it was inappropriate to feed so many people with dry rations, and that the children might get stomach aches from eating cold food in the dead of winter. So she told Cheng Mutian to stop the car by the post road and find a place to eat before continuing.

Chapter 160 Heading into the Mountains (Part 2)

Cheng Mutian jumped down and looked around. There happened to be a steamed bun shop by the roadside, so he first carried the sleeping Chen Ge out of the car and handed him to the wet nurse. Then he took Wu Ge, who was nimble enough to climb down on his own, and headed into the shop. Sister-in-law Yu had come to pick up Wu Ge, but seeing that he had gone with Cheng Mutian, she followed Xiao Yuan's instructions and took Cheng Si Niang to serve him.

The servants who had entered the shop first had already taken their seats. They dared not sit with their masters, leaving a table solely for Cheng Mutian and his two sons. Seeing Master Yuan mingling among the servants, Cheng Mutian quickly asked Wu Ge to invite him to join them for a meal. He didn't know what kind of food such a small shop sold and wanted to ask a waiter, but found no one. Master Yuan smiled and said, "This is a small shop, we don't have anyone to serve you. What would you like to eat, Young Master Cheng? I'll go and bring it." Cheng Mutian dared not trouble Master Yuan, so he quickly called Cheng Fu over and told him to bring a table full of the shop's signature dishes.

Signature dish? They only have their signature steamed buns. Cheng Fu chuckled inwardly, went to the steamer, found the owner, and called a servant to help. The servant brought over several large bowls of steamed buns with filling, thin-skinned spring cocoons, shrimp buns, fish-filled mixed rice noodles, and braised pork bones. He then asked Cheng Mutian what the servants wanted to eat. Cheng Mutian, who had never managed household affairs, paid no attention to such matters. Seeing the table full of food with only staples and no side dishes, he frowned deeply, waved his hand casually, and said, "Eat whatever you like."

Seeing his worried expression, Master Yuan handed him a steamed bun filled with juicy filling and said with a smile, "Young Master Cheng, don't underestimate these buns; they taste quite good. This juicy bun is bursting with meat juice with every bite. Try it." Cheng Mutian was skeptical, but he cautiously took a bite. Sure enough, the filling was tender and juicy, and the taste was delicious. His brows relaxed, and before he could finish the bun, he quickly called over Ayun and Acai, asking them to bring another portion of the food on the table to Xiaoyuan.

Ah Yun and Ah Cai picked out some noodles from the steamer, then scooped out a bowl each of fish-filled mixed noodles and braised pork bones, placing them on the small table in the carriage. They smiled and said, "Young Master hasn't eaten yet, so he asked us to bring these to Young Madam first." Xiao Yuan and Ah Cai laughed and shooed them away. She picked up a steamed bun with filling and took a bite. She had eaten this before; it was similar to soup dumplings in later generations. The thin-skinned spring rolls were just spring rolls filled with vegetarian filling. Both of these tasted alright, but the shrimp buns, probably because they were from a small shop, couldn't be filled with large pieces of shrimp; they only had some small shrimp skins inside.

With the help of his wet nurse, Chen Ge crawled in and snuggled into her arms, saying, "I want Mommy to feed me." Xiao Yuan knew that her youngest son would cling to his mother whenever he wasn't feeling well, so she told Deng Da Sao to go eat and took a spoon to feed him fish dumplings. Chen Ge took small bites, and after finishing one, he asked, "Mommy, what's this made of?" Xiao Yuan tasted one and replied, "It's probably made of fish." Cheng Mutian, carrying a red lacquered food box, got into the car with the two children and laughed, "What do you mean 'probably'? It's just fish and eggs. I thought it looked delicious, so I specially went to the shop to buy a few that hadn't been cooked yet. We'll have fish dumpling soup tonight."

After Chen finished eating, Xiao Yuan was afraid that he would vomit again if they set off immediately, so she told the driver to rest for a while before continuing their journey. The journey was slow and leisurely, and it was completely dark when the group finally arrived at the manor. Xiao Yuan was so tired that she didn't even have the strength to arrange the rooms, so A Xiu made the decision for her, giving a room next to the outer study to Master Zhou, the last room to Cheng Si Niang, and the middle room to her family of four.

The two wet nurses and several maids were exhausted. Fortunately, most of the servants had come to the mountain in advance and immediately took over the task of taking care of the children and packing their belongings. By the time Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan finished their dinner and went to bed, the underground chimney was already warm and cozy, and the bed and bedding were clean and tidy.

Both he and his wife were exhausted and slept soundly until dawn, only to be awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window. Cheng Mutian got up, put on his clothes, and opened the window. There were several fruit trees in the yard: plum, pear, peach, pomegranate, and even a cherry tree. He turned to Xiaoyuan and told her to get up and come see, laughing, "Outside our windows in the city, we only see peonies and peonies, but here they all bear fruit. How rare!"

Xiao Yuan went over to take a look and indeed found it to be a scene of orchard scenery. She then looked around the house more closely and saw a piece of coarse cloth embroidery hanging on the wall, wildflowers from the mountain in a vase, and several clay lambs on the coffee table. She happily said, "It's precisely because the scenery is different that it's so interesting. I'd like to stay a few more days."

Wu Ge's little head popped out of the window, and he shouted, "Mom, I want to stay a few more days, otherwise I won't have time to catch rabbits." Cheng Mutian happened to be standing by the window and gave him a light tap. "Why didn't you go to school?" Wu Ge rubbed his forehead and said aggrievedly, "The teacher was tired all day yesterday, he should rest." Xi Ge ran over with his arms and asked in surprise, "The teacher didn't say that we should rest today." Cheng Mutian tapped Wu Ge again and scolded, "I think you want to rest, now go and study."

Wu Ge looked out the window and, seeing that his mother wasn't going to plead for him, rubbed his eyes, grabbed Xi Ge, and ran away, muttering under his breath, "You honest rascal."

Cheng Mutian turned around and smiled bitterly: "This child, his cleverness is not used for the right thing." Xiao Yuan said: "He is too naughty, but you should give the teacher a day off. He is a scholar and his body is weak. He sat in the carriage all day yesterday and must be very tired, but he is too embarrassed to ask for leave because he has your tuition fee."

It turned out that his son was not wrong, but he was wrong. Cheng Mutian blushed and hurriedly sent someone to tell Master Yuan to take a day off and resume classes the next day.

Wu Ge, now on leave, happily chased Xi Ge all over the yard, making such a racket that Xiao Yuan couldn't concentrate on listening to what Tian Da and his wife were saying. She had no choice but to call Cheng Fulai and tell him to take the two boys into the mountains to play. Tian Da laughed, "Cheng Fulai grew up in the city; how would he know how to navigate mountain paths? I'll have a few villagers follow." Xiao Yuan nodded, telling him to send men, and then smiled at Wu Ge, "Don't come back until you catch a few rabbits." Wu Ge pounced on her and kissed her on the cheek, smearing her face with saliva, then turned and ran, disappearing outside the courtyard gate in the blink of an eye.

Tian's wife glanced at Xi-ge, who had followed along, and asked, "Isn't Chen-ge coming to play?" Xiao-yuan smiled and said, "He's quiet, unlike his brother." Tian's wife flattered her with some kind words, then helped Xiao-yuan to explore the new house. This small three-courtyard house faced south, with blue bricks, gray tiles, and white walls. Large stone slabs paved the path in the courtyard, and fruit trees were planted along the sides. Xiao-yuan walked to Wu-ge and Chen-ge's room and looked around. This side room was the same as the main house, with one bright room and two dark rooms. The two sons each had a bedroom on one side, and the middle room, which was originally meant for receiving guests, was piled with trinkets and snacks by Wu-ge. She smiled and shook her head, then went out and continued walking towards the back.

The last courtyard was where Cheng Si Niang lived. Hearing that her sister-in-law was coming, she waited early at the gate to greet her. Xiao Yuan took her hand and said with pity, "You're being too polite." Cheng Si Niang ushered her into the room, personally serving tea, and stood aside with her hands at her sides. Only after Xiao Yuan asked her to sit down did she choose a seat at the lower end. Xiao Yuan sighed, "If your nephew were half as polite as you, he'd get beaten less often." Cheng Si Niang laughed, "Brother Wu is very clever; when it comes to reading and writing, none of us can compare to him."

Seeing that she was still wearing yesterday's clothes, Xiao Yuan asked in confusion, "You only brought this one outfit?" Hearing this, Cheng Si Niang's face flushed red. She lowered her head, twisting her fingers, and whispered, "Mother said that since I live with my brother and sister-in-law, I'll definitely get new clothes. Why don't I sell the old ones and exchange them for candy with Zhong Lang?" What kind of thing was this stepmother doing? Didn't she fear the wrath of heaven and man? Xiao Yuan slammed her hand on the armrest of the chair, summoned the head of the sewing room, and ordered her to bring a ruler to measure Cheng Si Niang's size, and to work overtime to make several new outfits.

After leaving Cheng Si Niang's room, there was no road behind. Tian Da's wife laughed and said, "When my father-in-law was alive, he said that the mountain was full of scenery and there was no need to build any garden. If the young mistress wants to build one, there is a shallow stream in front of the house. We can divert the water in and dig a pond." Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Natural is best. Don't bother with all that trouble."

She walked around and returned to her room, where she sat down. Tian Da had been waiting for a while, bringing out the account book and detailing how many sheep they raised, how many chickens they fed, and how many vegetables they planted. Xiao Yuan didn't know much about farming; her only knowledge came from television. The long list of chickens and ducks made her dizzy, and she hurriedly told him to stop talking, saying, "I trust you. As long as the accounts don't go wrong, that's fine. You decide how many to raise."

Tian Da responded and said, "The sheep in the valley have been sold, and the off-season vegetables are also in season. They're being transported out these days. I'll come back to report the accounts after they're all sold." Xiao Yuan heard that he was busy, so she told him to go take care of his business and left his wife there to give the reply.

Tian was serving Xiaoyuan for the first time and was afraid that she would be dissatisfied, so he asked repeatedly, "Did you sleep well last night, young mistress? Is the house decorated to your liking? What would you like to eat for lunch?" Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about these things. All matters are handled by the four bureaus and six departments. Just tell me about things in the mountains."

Just then, Cheng Mutian returned from his stroll outside and sat down next to her to listen to what Tian's wife was saying.

Tian Da's wife was a talkative woman. Seeing that her master wanted to hear the news, she quickly cleared her throat and said, "Young Madam, you've come to the right place. Since you returned to the city last time, the changes in these mountains have been incredible. The two villages that used to be there were bought by a young master surnamed He, but no one has ever lived there. They've been lying fallow. The month before last, Tian Da led a group of people to find a warm valley to grow off-season vegetables. They found a small village on the other side of the hill. Everyone there knows how to raise silkworms and reel silk. They're really skilled."

The young master surnamed He, isn't that my third brother, He Yaohong? He bought it a few years ago when we were fighting the Golden Dog, as a backup plan. He even planned to give one to me. Xiao Yuan smiled and told her not to encroach on the young master He's land, and then asked, "Didn't you go and learn a few tricks from the villagers?" Tian Da's wife laughed and said, "We haven't planted mulberry trees, so how can we raise silkworms? Besides, they might not be willing to teach us." Cheng Mutian said, "That's not difficult at all. I'll invite someone to teach you another day." Xiao Yuan glanced at him with a smile: "When did you start caring about farming? Didn't you used to be indifferent to it?" Cheng Mutian sent Tian Da's wife to arrange lunch and sighed, "There's no business to do, so I'm bored. I'll help you manage this estate."

When business was mentioned, Xiao Yuan remembered the cash she got from selling the shop and said anxiously, "You haven't converted the money at home into gold and silver yet." Seeing that she was confused again, Cheng Mutian quickly explained, "We are being watched by the government right now, how can we convert it? Let's wait until this period passes."

Xiao Yuan smiled sheepishly, realizing she had been too hasty, and got up to walk outside: "I'll go to the kitchen and see what fresh dishes we have."

In the open space in front of the kitchen, two young maids were pounding rice. Even before it was cooked, the aroma filled the air. A-Yun exclaimed with delight, "It's 'Guoshanxiang' rice from Fujian! Master Yuan said it's his favorite. I'll go steam it." Xiao-Yuan hesitated for a moment, then followed her into the kitchen. She watched as A-Yun deftly scooped a large bowl of pounded "Guoshanxiang" rice, put it in water to boil, and then used a strainer to scoop it out and steam it in a steamer. A-Yun felt Xiao-Yuan's inquisitive gaze, wiped the sweat from her brow, and smiled, "Young Madam, this dry-mixed rice is the best! Each grain is separate, not sticky, refreshing, and filling."

Her evasive manner was so offensive that even the sullen A-Cai couldn't stand it anymore and laughed at her, saying, "The young mistress eats dry rice every meal, why do you need to ramble on like this?" The cooks all burst into laughter, asking A-Yun whether the meal was for the young mistress or her lover. Xiao-Yuan also wanted to know what was going on between A-Yun and Master Yuan, but fearing that A-Yun would be embarrassed, she quickly said, "If you have any of that cheap, lowly rice wine, bring a few cups for lunch."

Tian's wife nodded and said, "Yes, they brought several jars up the mountain the other day. For lunch, they prepared red deer, grouse, pheasant, and partridge, as well as domestic chickens, ducks, geese, and fat sheep. For vegetables, they prepared bean sprouts, water bamboo, leeks, sorghum, winter melon, and taro. What dishes would you like to cook, young mistress?"

Xiao Yuan, remembering that Chen Ge had been carsick and hadn't had much of an appetite yesterday, said, "First, cook a Seven Treasures Vegetarian Congee, and bring a few side dishes for Chen Ge." Tian Da's wife agreed and instructed the cook to cook the congee. She then asked, "Does Wu Ge have any favorite dishes?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "He ate steamed buns for lunch yesterday, and today he's been asking me for rolled pancakes. I wonder if you know how to make them?" Tian Da's wife immediately rolled up her sleeves to wash her hands and laughed, "I guess only I know how to make these. If Wu Ge doesn't go into the mountains, he really won't get to eat them."