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When her workshop opened, Xiao Yuan brought her two sons to congratulate her. She was busy hiring several new daughters-in-law and greeted them with a smile, saying, "Excuse me, sister-in-law and nephews, please sit down for a while and wait for me to finish." Xiao Yuan saw that she had become the boss and was in charge of things, and her behavior was very different from before. She was very happy for her and quickly said, "Don't worry about me, you go ahead and do your work."

Wu Ge couldn't sit still and pulled Chen Ge to the back to see the little sister. Xiao Yuan called the wet nurses to follow, while she herself picked a chair in a corner to sit down, wanting to see how Cheng San Niang would handle things. Cheng San Niang first examined the nails of the women, dismissing two whose hands were dirty. Then she brought out materials and had each of them embroider a flower. Five of them embroidered exquisitely, but in the end, only three were kept. Xiao Yuan understood at first, but was confused later. After Cheng San Niang had settled the remaining women, she couldn't help but ask, "I understand that those who aren't clean shouldn't be hired, but there are five skillful ones, why did you send two away too?" Cheng San Niang smiled and said, "I work two shifts here, day and night. The person I just hired was for the night shift. One looked frail, and I was afraid she couldn't handle the hard work, so I didn't take her." As she spoke, she became embarrassed and said shyly, "And another one, she looks a bit frivolous..."

That daughter-in-law doesn't seem frivolous at all, she's just a bit more attractive. Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh. Cheng San Niang's cautious nature is still hard to change; she's worried about Gan Shier.

Wu Ge and Chen Ge ran back after a short while, saying, "Little sister can't talk or run, she's not good at playing." Xiao Yuan hugged them on either side and laughed, "When you were their age, you were even less good at playing." Cheng San Niang loved her two nephews and had someone buy steamed pears for them to eat. She also said, "Sister-in-law, they rarely come back to the city these days. Let's take them through the Flower Festival before they leave."

Xiao Yuan was quite tempted by the suggestion. Since she came to the Southern Song Dynasty, she had never seen the scenes of festivals outside. In any case, Cheng Mutian had allowed her to stay at Cheng San Niang's house for a few more days. If she didn't take advantage of his absence to go and have a look around, who knew if she would have another chance? She didn't want to wait until she was on a ship to another country and then regret it, so she agreed with a "yes".

When Wu Ge heard there was something to play, he jumped up with joy and asked, "Mother, what is the Flower Festival?" Xiao Yuan hugged him and first recited a poem for him: "Tomorrow we'll stroll in the Imperial Garden, hastily announce the arrival of spring. Flowers must bloom overnight, lest the morning breeze blow them away." After reciting it, she said, "Memorize this poem first, and then I'll tell you a story." Wu Ge muttered, "Mother and Father are no different." Xiao Yuan ignored him and turned to chat and laugh with Cheng San Niang. Wu Ge still refused to memorize it, but unexpectedly, Chen Ge recited it first, word for word. As the older brother, he felt ashamed and, without being urged, hurriedly learned the poem from Xiao Yuan. In less than five minutes, he had memorized it perfectly.

Xiao Yuan praised him a few times, then went on to tell the story of the Flower Festival. It is said that Empress Wu Zetian, in winter, admired the plum blossoms blooming in the snow in the imperial garden. Feeling delighted, she thought, "As the Son of Heaven, there is nothing I cannot do. Why not let all the flowers bloom at this time of year for my enjoyment?" On a whim, she wrote that poem, which she presented as an imperial edict urging the flowers to bloom. Upon receiving this edict, the flower fairies panicked. It was only February; how could the flowers bloom out of season? But Empress Wu Zetian was the ruler of the mortal realm, and the flower fairies could not disobey her. So, the flowers bloomed the very next day.

Hearing this, Cheng San Niang picked up a lifelike peony from the small table and continued the conversation, laughing, "I've heard the rest of the story from you before, sister-in-law. Only the Peony Fairy refused to obey the imperial decree, and Empress Wu Zetian was furious. She banished the peony that refused to bloom from Chang'an to Luoyang. Since then, Luoyang peonies have become famous throughout the world. Where did you hear this story, sister-in-law? We only know that the Flower Festival is for worshipping the Flower Goddess."

How could Xiao Yuan explain the legends of later generations to her? She could only take the lifelike flowers from her hand, praise their exquisite craftsmanship, and brush it off. Seeing that she was being praised, Cheng San Niang told her about the idea she had been pondering for several days: "Sister-in-law, on the Flower Festival, many wealthy people in the city will allow visitors to enter their gardens to admire the flowers. I'd like to borrow a piece of land to plant some lifelike flowers." As she spoke, she picked up a flower and gestured a few times: "Add a stem, make it longer, and add more leaves." Xiao Yuan praised: "That's a brilliant idea. Who knows, someone might buy it and plant it in their garden right then and there." Cheng San Niang nodded excitedly: "That's what I was thinking too. This one can also be put in a vase."

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Since the cost of your artificial flowers is not high, why not give a smaller one to anyone who buys this large branch, so they can wear it in their hair as a living signboard?" Cheng San Niang clapped her hands and cheered, and hurriedly went to the workshop to make detailed arrangements, and also brought out several fine "Yao Huang Wei Zi" flowers for her to wear.

On the first day of the Flower Festival, Gan Twelve came to ask Cheng Sanniang and Xiao Yuan, "The Jade Pot, Ancient Willow Grove, Yang Mansion, and Cloud Cave outside Qiantang Gate; Qingle and Little Lake outside Qianhu Gate; and Baojia Mountain and Zhang Taiwei outside Jiahui Gate are all very famous gardens. Which one would you like to go to?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Anywhere is fine, as long as your brother isn't there." Gan Twelve laughed loudly, "In the eyes of outsiders, you are really poor now, just like us, from a humble family. Why are you so particular? If your brother blames you, just tell him: 'A woman from the mountains doesn't need to follow any rules.'" Cheng Sanniang was worried that Xiao Yuan would be angry, so she quickly patted him. Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "That's exactly right. If you meet Erlang, you must tell him about it."

Cheng San Niang brought several large boxes of artificial flowers to show them, saying, "I rented a piece of land in Wang Baosheng Garden on Baojia Mountain and have made many artificial peach blossoms. I had them tied to the trees in advance. Sister-in-law, would you like to go there with me to admire the peach blossoms, or would you like to go somewhere else?" Since Cheng Mutian was not there, Gan Shier was naturally worried about Xiao Yuan's safety and hurriedly said, "Since you have made arrangements there, then let's all go to Wang Baosheng Garden. There is a gate on Baojia Mountain, and it is surrounded by peach blossoms. It is very beautiful."

Xiao Yuan was happy to see the scenery of the Song Dynasty before leaving, no matter where she went. She smiled and nodded, then called the two children over and told them where they were going the next day, reminding them to be good and not to run around.

The next day, they got up very early, took a few servants and the wife who helped sell the artificial flowers, and rode in a sedan chair to Baojia Mountain. Wu Ge, squirming around in the sedan chair like a monkey, complained, "I thought we were going to climb a mountain! What's the point of going up in a sedan chair?" Xiao Yuan reached out and pressed him down, saying, "Your aunt has bound feet and can't climb mountains or walk, so she has to ride in a sedan chair. Be quiet, and when we get to the mountain, you can do whatever you want." Chen Ge lifted a corner of the curtain and quietly looked at the scenery, then suddenly turned his head and said, "Mother, I'm not crazy." Xiao Yuan smiled and hugged him, laughing, "You're a good boy." Wu Ge, unconvinced, pounced on him and tickled his armpits, and the two wrestled together. Xiao Yuan rubbed her temples, annoyed by their antics. "Brother Wu," she said, "you're making such a fuss, it's hard on the sedan chair carriers. Will you pay for his reward later?" Brother Wu had just received his pocket money before leaving, and he quickly stopped, saying, "I'm good, I won't pay." Xiao Yuan shook her head with a smile. Dealing with this kid, she had to outsmart him. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Upon arriving at Peach Blossom Pass, they were indeed greeted by a riot of blooming flowers. Gan Twelve helped Cheng San Niang out of the sedan chair to meet Xiao Yuan, and led them deeper into the garden, pointing out various varieties along the way: "Those are single-leaf peaches, thousand-leaf peaches, flat peaches, scarlet peaches, white peaches..."

There were a few peach trees in the garden of the Cheng family's old house, but none of them had the variety of peach trees on the mountain. Xiao Yuan was amazed and became even more determined to find more opportunities to go out for a walk.

Beside a tavern deliberately decorated to resemble a rural mountain village, where Cheng San Niang rented a place to sell artificial flowers, Xue Da Sao and Xue Er Sao had already arrived and started their business. When they arrived, most of the small artificial flowers in the boxes on the ground had already been sold, but the ones on the branches remained untouched. Cheng San Niang said anxiously, "I was worried you wouldn't have enough manpower, so I brought my wives along. How come you haven't sold a single one?" Xue Da Sao explained cheerfully, "The garden owner just came by and said that the artificial flowers on these trees are so lifelike that they could be mistaken for real flowers. He told us not to pick them, lest we ruin the garden's beauty." Xue Er Sao added with a radiant smile, "Don't worry, Cheng San Niang. The garden owner said he'd pay to buy all the artificial flowers on these branches. He's just waiting for you to come and negotiate the price."

Chapter 165 Arguing

When Cheng San Niang heard that the garden owner wanted to book the entire place, she was overjoyed. She immediately asked Xue Da Sao to lead the way and invited Xiao Yuan to come along. Xiao Yuan didn't want to meet strangers, but Gan Shi Er said, "This is my wife's first time doing business, and I've never been involved before. You're the only one here with more experience, and besides, you have a share in the workshop. I'll trouble you to come along and keep an eye on things." Xiao Yuan thought to herself, there are so many tourists outside who are also strangers. I've already met them, so what's one more? She nodded in agreement, left the two children outside to be cared for by the wet nurse, and followed them to a pavilion in the garden.

The garden owner did indeed want to buy the artificial peach blossoms from the trees, but not the ones to adorn his hair. Xiao Yuan was secretly puzzled; this garden had plenty of peach blossoms, so why not buy something else? Cheng San Niang, however, hadn't thought much of it. After taking a few sips of peach blossom tea, she asked the garden owner what price he was willing to pay. The garden owner smiled and said, "Real peach blossoms can be used to make tea and wine, but artificial peach blossoms are only for decorating the garden. How about I offer five strings of cash?"

Cheng San Niang quickly calculated in her mind: there were ten peach trees in total, and five artificial peach blossoms on each tree were made by them. Each blossom was priced at one hundred coins, totaling five thousand coins. At present, the market value of iron coins is seven hundred coins per string. The five strings of iron coins paid by the garden owner only amounted to three thousand five hundred coins, so they were at a loss.

Xiao Yuan saw her silently calculating the accounts for a long time, and felt both amused and saddened. Although she was a young lady from a wealthy family, she suffered grievances in her youth and had to worry about making a living after leaving home. It was truly difficult for her. Then, she turned her head and saw that Gan Shier's eyes were fixed on her. She felt relieved for her. The couple loved each other, and a little financial hardship was nothing.

After finishing the accounts, Cheng San Niang gently tugged at Xiao Yuan's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, should I tell him the accounts?" Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "You just tell him the accounts, and I'll explain the rest." Cheng San Niang did as she said and told the garden owner the prices she had just calculated. The garden owner smiled and said, "I've booked the whole place, so you don't have to stand there selling things. How about giving me a discount?" Xiao Yuan gently shook her head, pretending to be embarrassed, and said, "The workshop was opened by everyone pooling their money, and the prices were also set by everyone. Neither she nor I can change the prices on our own."

The garden owner pondered for a moment and said, "These flowers are not for my purchase. They are for a friend who is visiting the garden. I don't know if he is willing to pay an extra 1,500 coins. Why don't you all sit for a while, and I will go and invite him to come and talk to you in person?"

No wonder he wanted to buy artificial flowers when he had a garden full of real ones; it turned out it wasn't the real person who wanted to buy them. Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang naturally had no objections, so he called a little maid to find the friend who bought the flowers and ordered someone to change the tea.

Seeing that the garden owner was avoiding business and only chatting and laughing with Gan Shier, Cheng San Niang pulled Xiao Yuan to the wall to look at the paintings. She whispered to her, "Sister-in-law, you're so quick-witted! I was originally planning to just give him a few coins." Xiao Yuan held up her peach blossom tea, smelled its fragrance, and laughed, "I thought he wanted to buy it himself. I thought, a rich man with such a large garden, would he care about the difference between three thousand five hundred coins and five thousand coins?" Hearing this, Cheng San Niang became worried again, "But he just said that he didn't want to buy it. I'm afraid his friend won't be willing to pay a high price." Xiao Yuan laughed, "A rich man's friend can't be poor. Don't worry at all. When he comes later, we'll still insist on five thousand coins." Cheng San Niang's face was full of smiles as she spoke these words. She returned to her seat, picked up her peach blossom tea, and drank it with great relish.

Before long, the little maid invited the garden owner's friend over. When Xiao Yuan and the other two looked up, they all stared wide-eyed, their expressions as if struck by lightning. Gan Shier was the first to react, raising his hand to bow, but Xiao Yuan quickly pulled him back and shook her head slightly. Cheng San Niang, seeing her sister-in-law's actions, understood and quickly lowered her eyes, pretending not to recognize the person in front of her.

Xiao Yuan appeared calm, but her palms were sweating. Luckily, she had left the children outside; otherwise, that cry of "Dad!" would have given her away. She kept her head down and could feel an angry gaze sweeping over her, but she didn't hear any reprimands. It seemed they shared the same thought: they didn't want to acknowledge each other here.

The garden owner, oblivious to their subtle actions, introduced his friend with a smile: "The one who wants to buy your artificial peach blossoms is this young master Cheng." The actual seller of the artificial flowers was Cheng San Niang. Seeing the garden owner introduce his friend, fearing he would ask her surname again, she quickly pushed Gan Twelve forward. Gan Twelve, who had been stunned at first sight, now regained his composure and boldly bowed to the ashen-faced "young master Cheng," deliberately teasing him: "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. We both share the surname Gan. This is my elder sister, and this is my younger sister."

Xiao Yuan glared at him secretly. This audacious man, knowing that Cheng Mutian was already on the verge of exploding in anger, still dared to provoke him like this, as if he thought she wasn't unlucky enough. However, she underestimated Cheng Mutian's ability to conceal his emotions. She only heard him ask Cheng San Niang about the price, his voice revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Seeing that her brother hadn't lost his temper, Cheng San Niang calmed down and repeated the price she had quoted earlier. Cheng Mutian was eager to question his wife and didn't bother to haggle, saying, "Five thousand it is then. I'll have the servant bring the flowers later." Seeing his straightforwardness, the garden owner, fearing that his friend might be mistaken for a fool by the seller, patted him on the shoulder and smiled at Cheng San Niang and the others, saying, "My friend of mine moved to a new villa in the mountains this year. The peach trees in the yard haven't even blossomed in three years. He feels sorry that his wife can't go out and enjoy the garden for the Flower Festival, so he's in a hurry to buy some artificial flowers to decorate the yard and make his wife smile."

Cheng Mutian blushed slightly but did not deny it. He gave Xiaoyuan a deep look and turned to leave. However, the nosy Gan Shier stopped him and handed him a box of hairpins that Cheng San Niang had brought, saying with a smile, "These are various kinds of artificial flowers to be worn in the hair. Young Master Cheng, take them back to please your wife."

Trying to please his wife? Cheng Mutian was so angry he gritted his teeth. But the garden owner, who had helped him make the deal, was right there beside him. He had no choice but to stop, take the box, and open the lid to take out two flowers to thank him. The garden owner held the flowers in his hands, surprised, "These lifelike flowers are truly ingenious! They even have different varieties. No wonder you spent so much money on those lifelike peach blossoms." Men and women in the Song Dynasty loved wearing flowers. As he spoke, he pinned a "Yao Huang" flower to his temple and handed Cheng Mutian a red "Wei Zi" flower. Cheng Mutian waved his hand, "I'm still in mourning." The garden owner then chose a white "Yu Lou Diancui" flower and had a maidservant place it in his temple.

Xiao Yuan unconsciously touched the flowers in her hair. They were a few white jasmine blossoms, perfectly within the proper bounds of propriety. It was the first time she had ever seen Cheng Mutian wear flowers in his hair. His face was handsome enough to be worthy of the flowers, but unfortunately, he was so serious and without a trace of a smile, which, combined with the large peony blossoms, made one want to laugh.

The flower had somewhat eased her fear, and she forced a smile as she took Cheng San Niang's hand and followed Gan Shier out to discuss whether to head home or stay and continue strolling in the garden. Cheng San Niang, worried that her sister-in-law would be scolded by her brother, said, "Anyway, my brother has already sold all the artificial peach blossoms. The remaining small branches can be handled by Sister-in-law Xue and Sister-in-law Xue Er. Let's go home." Gan Shier, however, said, "Sister-in-law, don't go back. It's not easy to come out like this. Now that my brother can't find a reason to blame you, what's there to be afraid of?"

Xiao Yuan thought about it carefully and realized she couldn't find anything wrong with her trip, so she smiled and said, "Okay, Twelve, let's continue shopping." Before she finished speaking, Cheng Mutian's angry voice came from behind: "Still shopping? Do you even respect me?"

Gan Shier proudly raised his chin at Xiao Yuan, intending to take credit. Xiao Yuan quickly pushed him to Cheng San Niang's side and urged them to hurry up and sell flowers: "I appreciate your kindness, but your brother will be embarrassed in front of others and will be even angrier. You don't need to worry about this. Just find the two children for me."

She finished speaking hastily, turned around and chased after Cheng Mutian, clinging to his arm and saying coquettishly, "Erlang, the artificial flower on your head is so beautiful, take me to buy one too." Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the tourists admiring the flowers nearby to hear. Several people looked over, some women covered their mouths and giggled, while others imitated her, also pulling the hands of the men next to them and sweetly asking for artificial flowers.

Cheng Mutian was so ashamed he wanted to cover his face. He plucked the peony from his hair and threw it into her arms, then turned to leave. After a few steps, he came back, head down, and dragged her towards the garden gate. "If you can't even handle this, how will you survive overseas?" he thought. Xiao Yuan refused, breaking free of his hand and running to a deserted pavilion. Cheng Mutian followed closely, scolding, "You're breaking the rules!" Xiao Yuan looked outside the pavilion. Among the many young couples in the peach trees, though they dared not hold hands, there were many couples where the husband was supporting the wife, or the wife occasionally clinging to the husband's arm. She couldn't help but feel wronged, saying, "Our Great Song Dynasty is open-minded; everyone does this. Why do you say I'm breaking the rules?"

Cheng Mutian glared at her: "Those are all poor families." Xiaoyuan glared back defiantly: "We are mountain people." Cheng Mutian had already been cornered by Gan Shier once, and now he was cornered by his wife again. He turned his head away angrily: "Although we are 'poor,' the Cheng family is a prominent clan, and my father was an official. Of course, we can't be like them. If you don't believe me, go and ask your third brother. See if he, as an official, allows your third sister-in-law to show her face in public and go to Yuanzi."

Chapter 166 Self-Reproach

Xiao Yuan thought to herself that she still wanted to travel all over Lin'an before moving overseas. If she couldn't refute the man this time, it would be even more difficult in the future. In order to avoid regrets and to lay the foundation for her future life overseas, she decided to argue her point. She said, "No matter how powerful a family is, it will not require every household to follow the same rules. Father has passed away, and we are now mountain people. Even if we move back to the city in the future, you will still be a merchant and I will be a merchant's wife. How can we be compared to Third Brother's family?"

Cheng Mutian remained silent for a long time, then sighed and got up to walk outside.

He agreed so quickly, but why does he seem a little downcast? Xiao Yuan followed him, wanting to ask him something, but she hesitated to speak because of the many tourists along the roadside.

The two walked silently, one after the other, until they reached the depths of the peach blossom grove. Cheng Mutian stopped, intending to confide in his wife, when he saw Chen Ge standing under a peach tree, craning his neck to look up. He quickly rushed forward, picked him up, and asked, "Why are you here alone? Where are your wet nurse and brother?" Chen Ge replied, "Uncle brought us here and told us to wait for Father and Mother. He left just now when he saw you coming. Wet nurse didn't come; Uncle wouldn't allow it. He said Father and Mother were arguing, and Father would be embarrassed if there were outsiders present."

Cheng Mutian cursed under his breath for nagging Gan Shier. He looked around for a while but still couldn't find Wu Ge. He continued to ask, "Where did your brother go?" Chen Ge looked around and stretched out his little arms to Xiao Yuan: "Mom, there's candy for sale in the main room over there. I want some."

Xiao Yuan took him, patted his little bottom, and laughed, "You haven't mastered your brother's 'skills' yet. Tell me quickly, where is he?" Chen Ge lowered his head and whispered, "I promised my brother..." Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Mutian exclaimed, "Wu Ge, get down here! Who told you to climb up there?" Xiao Yuan looked up and saw that Wu Ge was on the tree branch above them. He was small, and the peach blossoms were abundant, so neither she nor Cheng Mutian had noticed him before.

Cheng Mutian rubbed his fists together, intending to climb the tree himself and pull Wu Ge down. Xiao Yuan quickly stopped him, saying, "He's climbed those trees around the house countless times when we're not looking. Let him come down on his own." As she spoke, Wu Ge had already slid down the tree trunk, giggling, "Dad, this tree is short, it won't bother you." Cheng Mutian was furious. He raised his hand high, but before it could land on Wu Ge, he slumped down, sighed deeply, and walked away alone with his hands behind his back.

Wu Ge asked in surprise, "Mom, what's wrong with Dad? Why isn't he hitting me?" Xiao Yuan was also wondering why Cheng Mutian was acting strangely, but she was amused by his words and slapped him, saying, "You're not comfortable unless I hit you. When we get home, I'll deal with you myself." She wanted to scold Wu Ge a few more times, but she was afraid that Cheng Mutian would walk too far away, so she quickly grabbed one of them and led the other away, catching up with him.

The journey was silent again. Wu Ge, quick-witted as ever, noticed his parents' unease and quickly found a topic to discuss, saying, "Just now, I was sitting in a tree and saw Grandmother with Uncle taking off her gold earrings to sell to a woman. It was so shameful, so I didn't go down to greet her." Cheng Mutian's attention was immediately drawn to this, and he asked, "Where?" Wu Ge thought for a moment, then pointed towards the main room, saying, "Uncle was clamoring for candy, so they went to buy some." Cheng Mutian turned and quickly walked towards the main room, with Xiao Yuan following closely behind, asking, "Erlang, are you going to scold your stepmother for showing herself in public? But I've also been to the garden. What should we do? Should I find a house to hide in first?"

Cheng Mutian ignored her and rushed to the front of the main room, blocking Madam Qian and Zhonglang who had just come out. He stared at them intently, his face gloomy.

Xiao Yuan glanced at the two people in front of her and frowned. Madam Qian wore a floral crown made of lifelike flowers on her head and gold earrings. She was wearing a vest, probably for ease of movement. This was nothing unusual, but the vest was printed with gold patterns, and the collar and cuffs were embroidered with peach blossoms. She wore a printed pleated skirt with camellias embroidered on it. Looking at Zhong Lang next to her, he was dressed relatively simply, but he wore a gold necklace around his neck, which glittered in the sun.

She gasped, unable to resist reminding him, "Mother, we are still in mourning." Madam Qian was about to argue when Cheng Mutian interrupted her in a deep voice, "Let's go home."

Not observing mourning is a serious crime. Some tourists were already looking over curiously. Madam Qian dared not make a sound and obediently led Zhonglang behind Cheng Mutian.

Upon arriving at the Cheng family's villa, the gatekeeper, a replacement from Madam Qian, did not recognize Cheng Mutian and stepped forward to stop him. Without hesitation, Cheng Mutian slapped him twice and roared at Xiao Yuan behind him, "This is our family's villa. You are the mistress of the house. How can you let others choose your servants?" Xiao Yuan knew this was a show for Madam Qian, so she quickly cooperated by calling for Cheng Fu to find a slave trader.

Madam Qian gritted her teeth in anger, entered the house, slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "This is my home, not yours! Don't push your luck!" Xiao Yuan personally served tea and said with a smile, "The land deed and house deed of this house are in our Erlang's name." Madam Qian still had several dowry houses that she was reluctant to sell, and immediately said, "I'll move to my own courtyard and not put up with this kind of treatment from you."

Cheng Mutian coldly said, "What is the reason for a stepmother to wear gold and silver during mourning? Explain it clearly before we talk about anything else. If it cannot be explained clearly, then come with me to Quanzhou to see the clan chief."

Madam Qian, believing her reasons were valid, shouted, "Take me there! Even if we go to the clan chief, it will still be your fault. Do you think I want to wear gold and silver? It's because you seized Zhonglang's property that I can't afford to treat his illness, so I had to sell my own jewelry."

Xiao Yuan couldn't help but interject, "Does selling jewelry mean you have to wear it yourself?" Madam Qian suddenly wiped away her tears and cried, "I'm too embarrassed to hawk my wares on the street, so I have to wear all the items I want to sell on my body. If someone compliments a particular item, I ask them if they want to buy it..."

Xiao Yuan glanced at Zhong Lang beside her. He looked dull and didn't even know how to address his brother and sister-in-law, let alone perform the proper etiquette. Her heart softened, and she was about to speak when Cheng Mutian glared at her and continued to scold Madam Qian: "Isn't it your fault that Zhong Lang is in this state now? He was born with a deficiency, and no amount of medicine will help. You are just wasting the money you have to support him."

Mrs. Qian couldn't think of a rebuttal, and said urgently, "I am your elder, how can you speak to me like that? You have no manners."

Cheng Mutian pointed to her clothes and then to Zhonglang's collar: "Go change your clothes first, then come and talk to me about the rules."

After Madam Qian took Zhonglang inside to change his clothes, he said to Xiaoyuan, "We can't make it back today, so we'll stay here. You should change all the servants first."

Xiao Yuan understood that, because of Zhong Lang, he couldn't do anything to his stepmother, so she could only place her own people to keep a close watch. She glanced into the hall, randomly picked a maid, and ordered her to fetch the roster of people. Unexpectedly, the maid said, "We were all bought by Madam Xin, not from the Cheng family. You can't sell us." Xiao Yuan laughed, "That's good, saves a lot of trouble. This is the Cheng family's villa, not the Qian family's villa. Go back to where you came from, or I'll send you to the authorities."

The girl was about to argue again when Wu Ge grabbed the lid of the teacup in front of Cheng Mutian and smashed it hard on her forehead, cursing, "You brat, how dare you talk back to my mother!" Cheng Mutian chuckled and scolded, "No manners! Go and call the guards we brought in. Send all the servants back to the Qian family." Wu Ge shouted in response and ran out, returning in the blink of an eye with five or six fierce-looking men who dragged all the maids and servants out of the room like chickens.

When Madam Qian came out in plain clothes, Cheng Fu was reporting to Xiao Yuan, "Young Madam, all the servants in the other courtyard have been sent away, not even the maids." Startled, she looked into the room and saw it was indeed empty, not even a maidservant to serve tea. She strode up to Xiao Yuan and angrily said, "How dare you send away your mother-in-law's servants!" Xiao Yuan leaned back, avoiding her spittle, and said, "Stepmother, you're wrong. I sent away people from other families, not yours."

Frustrated by everything, Madam Qian had become quite ill. Without much thought, she acted on her impulse and slapped Xiao Yuan across the face. Cheng Mutian, however, wouldn't let her hit his wife. He raised his hand to stop her, shoving her until she stumbled. Before she could make a scene, he ordered Cheng Fu and Xiao Tongqian to drag her away and lock her in the room.

Zhonglang had been watching for a while when he suddenly rushed up to Chen Ge and punched him. Xiaoyuan exclaimed in surprise, "He's not stupid; he knows to target the youngest." Wu Ge wanted to avenge his brother and started rolling up his sleeves, but Chen Ge pulled him back, saying, "He's the uncle." Cheng Mutian said with a dark face, "Then I'll do it." Xiaoyuan was both amused and exasperated, "Why are you acting like a child? Zhonglang is two months younger than Chen Ge; does his little fist hurt?"

Cheng Mutian stared at Zhonglang for a while, then said, "This child can't be raised by his stepmother anymore, otherwise he'll cause trouble for our sons when he grows up." Xiaoyuan wanted to raise Cheng Si Niang because she had raised her since she was a child and had feelings for her. She didn't have a good impression of this simple-minded brother-in-law. Besides, by the time the children grew up, they would have already gone to sea, so what was there to be afraid of him for? Seeing that she didn't speak, Cheng Mutian assumed that she had tacitly agreed and said, "The slave traders haven't left yet. When you go to choose the maids and servants here, pick out a wet nurse for Zhonglang on the way."

Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Is this really necessary? Your son is so cunning. It's already good enough that he doesn't bully others. Why would he be afraid of being bullied?" For some reason, Cheng Mutian was determined to raise Zhonglang and said, "I am already unfilial. I can't let my only brother be led astray." Seeing the anger on Xiao Yuan's face, he added, "You are willing to raise the Cheng family's daughter, but you are not willing to raise their son? It's true that you don't raise those who should be raised, but insist on raising those who shouldn't be raised."

Xiao Yuan almost burst into tears from his words. Forcing back her tears, she went to the side room, hastily picked out a few fierce-looking maids and old women, and carefully hid the indenture in front of them, so they would know who the mistress was. After choosing a wet nurse for Zhong Lang, she couldn't hold back any longer. She ran outside, jumped into the carriage, and, wiping away tears, urged the driver to return to the mountains. The driver tried to persuade her through the carriage, but seeing no response, he went in to ask Cheng Mutian, "Young Master, the young mistress insists on returning to the mountains. If we set off now, we'll have to travel through the mountains at night…"

Cheng Mutian rushed to the car and saw that Xiaoyuan was crying uncontrollably, her eyes swollen and red like peaches. He knew he had spoken too harshly and said, "It's my fault for being unfilial. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. Zhonglang, take him up the mountain, I'll take care of him so you won't have to worry." Xiaoyuan choked back tears and said, "You were acting strangely on Peach Blossom Mountain, and now you're saying I'm unfilial. Just say what you want to say. We've been husband and wife, am I really so unworthy of your trust?"

Cheng Mutian turned his back, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "With so much money in our family, we could buy any official position or post, yet I'm crippled and useless. We've turned an official family into a merchant family. Isn't that unfilial? You went to the garden, do you think I wanted to? But I'm just a small merchant now, no longer some young master from an official family. If I still have to follow any rules, people will laugh at me." Xiao Yuan was stunned: "Back in the Peach Blossom Garden, you allowed me to continue shopping, but you were unwilling?" Cheng Mutian sighed: "Unwilling." "What can I do if I didn't want to? I've caused the Cheng family's decline, I have no face to blame you for that. Besides, you didn't break any rules while strolling around the garden." Xiao Yuan nestled on his back, hugged his waist, and whispered, "I like the last part, but don't say the first part again. It's not your fault. Also, I really want to be a merchant's wife, otherwise where would I get the chance to go out and stroll? Being stuck at home my whole life is so depressing. I know you scold me, but you actually pity me, otherwise you wouldn't have come all this way to buy the artificial peach blossoms, right?"

Cheng Mutian gripped her hand tightly and asked, "Is that really what you think?" Xiaoyuan turned to face him and nodded emphatically. Cheng Mutian's eyes also reddened, and he pulled her into his arms, refusing to let go. Xiaoyuan was extremely reluctant to speak again, but still asked, "You want to take Zhonglang back to raise him because you feel you've let Father down?" Cheng Mutian smiled bitterly, "My stepmother acts so recklessly these days, she even dared to hit you without regard for her status. In the end, it's all my fault. I couldn't buy a job and become an official to suppress her. If things continue like this, who knows what kind of person she'll raise Zhonglang to be? If my only brother doesn't turn out well, how can I face Father?"

Xiao Yuan comforted him, saying, "Er Lang, there are many people in this world who cannot become officials, you don't need to blame yourself like this." She thought for a moment and then advised him, "When I wanted to bring Si Niangzi back to raise her, how did you persuade me? You think your stepmother is not good, but Zhong Lang must think it's better to stay with his own mother. You forcibly separated them, and although you meant well, it's hard to guarantee that Zhong Lang won't hate you in the future."

Cheng Mutian felt that what she said made sense, but he was really worried about leaving Zhonglang with his stepmother. He pondered and pondered, but could not come up with a proper solution, which put him in a difficult position.

Chapter 167 Spring Ploughing

That night, Xiao Yuan and her husband, along with their children, stayed at the other courtyard. The newly hired servants were very perceptive; knowing that their indentures were kept by the young mistress, they always asked her for favors first, and promptly reported on Madam Qian's every move. Xiao Yuan comforted Cheng Mutian, saying, "Look, so many people are helping you watch over your stepmother, what is there to worry about?" Cheng Mutian slowly shook his head: "They are newly bought, and we don't know their character. Besides, we are far away. They can rely on us now, but once we leave, will they dare to argue with my stepmother?"

Xiao Yuan said, "Since you don't trust the newly bought servants, how about sending someone you know well? Wu Ge is older now and in school, so he doesn't need a wet nurse anymore. Let Sister-in-law Yu take care of Zhong Lang." Cheng Mutian nodded and then shook his head, "She's an honest woman and good at teaching children, but I'm afraid she can't control her stepmother." Xiao Yuan chuckled, "You have to take care of both your little brother and your stepmother, who could be more suitable than A Yun?" Cheng Mutian thought for a moment and then smiled happily, "That's right, that girl is the kind of person who dares to pour cold water on my head, she's indeed suitable. Let her come down the mountain and stay with Sister-in-law Yu."

The next morning, Xiao Yuan first sent someone back to the mountains to fetch A-Yun, and then called over Sister-in-law Yu, asking if she would like to stay at the other residence to take care of Zhong Lang. Although Sister-in-law Yu was reluctant to part with Wu-ge, her home was in the city, and she was very willing to work nearby, so she immediately agreed. Xiao Yuan said, "It's just a change of location, but I will still pay your monthly allowance." Sister-in-law Yu understood that this was to let her know whose opinion to follow, so she asked, "Will I collect the monthly allowance from the mountain, or will the young mistress bring it to me?" Although she was honest, she was clever. Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "A-Yun is young, let her collect it every month." Sister-in-law Yu understood and replied, "Don't worry, young mistress, if anything happens here, I'll have A-Yun inform you."

After giving their instructions, Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian looked around the villa. They found that many furnishings and utensils were missing. Upon asking about the small copper coin, they learned that Madam Qian had indeed taken it and sold it. Cheng Mutian was furious and forced Madam Qian to hand over the account book, intending to personally manage the accounts for his younger brother. Seeing that A-Yun had arrived at the villa, Xiao Yuan suggested, "Second Brother, since the money for supporting Zhonglang is all dead money anyway, and we don't have any shops or land to manage, why don't we take the money back to the mountains and have A-Yun come up to collect it every month?" Cheng Mutian nodded, "Excellent, that's the plan."

They busied themselves arranging everything at the villa, then brought Zhonglang over, intending to teach him a few words. However, the child couldn't even speak properly and wouldn't listen to the adults, so they had to give up. After resting for the night, they set off back to the mountain before dawn the next day.

Not long after they arrived home, news came from down the mountain. It was said that Madam Qian was being held captive by A-Yun, and unable to sell anything, she was penniless and much more obedient than before. Cheng Mutian sighed, "So my stepmother is afraid of me being ruthless. If I had known this, I should have played the villain from the start." Xiao Yuan laughed, "It's not too late now. Sister-in-law Yu is very good at taking care of children. I heard that Zhonglang can speak quite well now."

Feeling relieved, and seeing the clear weather, Cheng Mutian took Xiaoyuan and walked to the fields to enjoy the scenery. Straight groves of fir trees covered the hillside, and bamboo grew on the opposite hillside, creating a lush and verdant landscape. Wildflowers were in full bloom along the mountain path, and Cheng Mutian, taking advantage of the fact that the woman leading the way, Tian Da's wife, wasn't looking, picked one and tucked it into Xiaoyuan's hair.

It was March, the weather was warming up, and out-of-season vegetables weren't fetching good prices. The journey through the valley was long, so the farmers had all returned home, busy plowing, weeding, fertilizing, and sowing. Xiao Yuan and his companion walked to the edge of a field where they were planting sorghum. Some were preparing the land, some were composting, and some were digging planting ditches. A little further on was a vegetable patch where several women were sowing seeds. The eldest woman spread a clean cloth on the edge of the field and invited them to sit, explaining, "At the very top, we plant ginger, scallions, garlic, and shallots—all sorts of seasonings; in the middle, we plant eggplants, gourds, cucumbers, and all sorts of vegetables; and further over there, we plant beans."

Xiao Yuan asked, "These vegetables are only for our own consumption. It's difficult to transport them out to sell for money, isn't it?" Tian Da's wife nodded, "It's spring, and vegetable gardens in the suburbs are starting to plant. If we go through the trouble of transporting them out, we won't get a good price and will lose money." Xiao Yuan looked around and asked again, "The sheep aren't ready for market yet, and it's not good to hunt at this time of year. How will we make money?" Cheng Mutian laughed at her, "The villagers are all waiting for your instructions, and you're asking them instead." Seeing Xiao Yuan's embarrassment, Tian Da's wife quickly said, "By Qingming Festival, the bamboo shoots on the mountain can be harvested, and we can make a little money then."

Xiao Yuan thought carefully for a moment and said, "I remember that a pound of bamboo shoots can sell for two coins. In our bamboo grove, we can earn a string of cash a month during the bamboo shoot harvesting season." Tian Da's wife shook her head and said, "Young Madam, those are winter bamboo shoots. Spring bamboo shoots are not as delicious as winter bamboo shoots and can't sell for that much money." Xiao Yuan said with distress, "Even a string of cash a month can't support so many people. Now we can't even sell them for a string of cash. What should we do?" Tian Da's wife was quite open-minded and said, "As long as we can eat our fill, that's enough." Xiao Yuan slowly shook her head. Although she didn't know anything about farming, she knew about housework. Life throughout the year was not as simple as just eating. Oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, clothing, and medical treatment all required money.

Cheng Mutian said, "When I visited the farmers during the New Year period, they seemed to be doing well. It was only because they made money selling sheep and vegetables back then." Xiaoyuan sighed, "Now, there are about a hundred households in the village. After deducting the cost of buying breeding sheep and vegetable seeds, even if I didn't want the profits, it wouldn't be enough for them to share." Cheng Mutian gave her a reproachful look, "What do you mean you don't want the profits? What's the point of buying this village if you don't want the profits? Our shops are all gone now, and as for the sea business, who knows when the clan will bring their ships to Lin'an? If the village doesn't produce anything, we'll just be sitting around eating our meager savings." Xiaoyuan nodded repeatedly, "That's right. I don't want to save money for my sons; I need to come up with some ideas."

On the way down the mountain, she patted a cedar tree and asked Cheng Mutian, "Why don't you sell some of these cedar trees?" Cheng Mutian shook his head and said, "A cedar tree takes twenty years to grow before it fetches a good price. Even if I'm in a hurry to sell it, it will still take more than ten years. Besides, I..." He didn't finish his sentence because Tian Da's wife was in front of him, and only glanced at Xiao Yuan's belly. Xiao Yuan laughed and patted him, scolding, "You only know how to save up a dowry for your imaginary daughter. Next, I'll give birth to a son."

When Cheng Mutian heard her mention her son, he remembered that Wu Ge was still at school. When he got home, he asked her to bring some snacks for the break. Xiao Yuan had someone pick out several plates of snacks that had been prepared beforehand, and despite her fatigue from climbing the mountain, she personally delivered them to the table, calling the three children to eat. She also placed a plate of "Persian dates" on Master Yuan's desk, smiling and saying, "These are dates from Arabia, Master Yuan, please have some." Master Yuan politely replied, "Spring plowing is a busy time, and it's really too kind of you, Madam, to personally bring me food."

Xiao Yuan said with shame, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at by you, but I know nothing about farming. I went to the fields just now, but I couldn't understand it. I'm worried about not being able to make any money from the produce."

Master Yuan laughed and said, "I am a scholar, and when I encounter problems, I only know to look them up in books. I don't know if I can find the answers to agricultural matters in books." Xiao Yuan said happily, "How come I didn't think of that? There are several agricultural books in my study. Let's go back and look them up." She had unintentionally received some guidance, and happily ran into the study, found a stack of agricultural books, and took them to read with Cheng Mutian.

Cheng Mutian glanced at the pile of books: *Qimin Yaoshu*, *Chen* Nongshu*, *Zhongyi Biyong*, *Shilin Guangji*, *Sishi Zuanyao*, *Sunpu*, *Luoyang Huamu Ji*, *Quanfang Beizu*, *Zhupu*, *Luoyang Mudan Ji*, *Mudan Pu*, *Shaoyao Pu*, *Juhua Pu*, *Lanhua Pu*, *Mei Pu*...

He was dazzled by the sheer number of books and exclaimed in surprise, "Where did you find all this?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Last year, when Tian Da heard that we were going to live in the mountains, he hurriedly went to set up his study. The people at the bookstore, hearing that he was a farmer, sold him this whole pile." Cheng Mutian also laughed, "Tian Da can't read, he probably doesn't even know what he bought." He rummaged through the pile of books, picked out a new copy of "Shilin Guangji," and began to read: "Four seasons: spring wood, summer fire, autumn metal, winter water. Eight solar terms: Beginning of Spring (January), Spring Equinox (February), Beginning of Summer (April), Summer Solstice (May), Beginning of Autumn (July), Autumn Equinox (August), Beginning of Winter (October), Winter Solstice (November). Twenty-four solar terms: Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, Beginning of Summer, Lesser Fullness, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Lesser Heat, Greater Heat, Beginning of Autumn, End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, Frost's Descent, Beginning of Winter, Lesser Snow, Greater Snow, Winter Solstice, Lesser Cold, Greater Cold..."

Xiao Yuan snatched the book from his hand: "I know you can read, you don't need to study." Cheng Mutian argued: "I've been in business for many years, but I really don't know anything about farming. Let me start by learning from the lunar calendar." He didn't take back the "Shilin Guangji" but instead flipped through "Chen* Nongshu". After glancing at the table of contents, he exclaimed with delight: "Wife, this book is useful. It explains how to grow rice, how to raise cattle, and how to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms." Xiao Yuan took it and looked at it, saying: "It would be suitable to send it to the village on the other side of the mountain. They have paddy fields there, and every household raises silkworms."

Cheng Mutian suffered another setback and was quite unwilling to give up. He carried all his books back to his bedroom, piled them on the table, and buried himself in reading, saying, "Wife, you just take care of the sons; I'll handle the money-making." Xiao Yuan was happy that he could find something to do to gradually recover from the disappointment of going from an official to a merchant. So she went to the sewing shop to learn the craft and sewed a chair cushion for him. Cheng Mutian received his wife's loving cushion and became even more enthusiastic. He stayed in his room all day long and didn't come out, even having his meals brought in.

Chapter 168 Bamboo Shoot Manual

Before we knew it, it was Qingming Festival. The sorghum hadn't been planted yet, and now we had to harvest bamboo shoots, so we didn't have enough manpower.

Tian Da suggested to Xiao Yuan, "Young Madam, the village on the other side of the mountain suffered a disaster this year. The mulberry trees are diseased, and many people are looking for other ways to make a living. Why don't we hire a few people to help harvest bamboo shoots?" Xiao Yuan sighed, "It seems that raising silkworms is riskier than farming." She then asked, "Have you ever hired anyone before? How do you calculate wages?" Tian Da replied, "We hired someone once, from January to September. They paid one shi of sorghum per month, one set of clothes for both seasons, plus a pair of leather boots."

Xiao Yuan asked again, "What if someone is absent or shirks work?" Tian Da replied, "Two bushels will be deducted for each day of absence; if someone is sick, their pay will be deducted according to the number of days; if a knife, bamboo basket, or anything else is lost or damaged, they will have to pay for it at the original price."