Your Highness, why are you in such a hurry?
Prefect Qin felt a bit stifled. Brother Yun and Sister-in-law Yun had told them to let their family stay for a few more days, and they would hold an engagement banquet for Jinshan and Yiyi at the end of the month...
But with the task on his shoulders, he had to return to the prefectural city early.
County Magistrate Chen had fewer concerns. The county town was so close to Dashui Village that he could come every day...
Including the windmill from the old Yun family, he just needed to build another one at the village entrance.
Anyway, the Crown Prince had said that each village was guaranteed two windmills, so he wasn't being lazy or shirking his duties...
After leaving the study, County Magistrate Chen cupped his hands with a smile towards Prefect Qin and said obsequiously, "Prefect, I heard that your Yiyi is also engaged to the Yun family's boy. Congratulations, congratulations!~"
This way, he and Prefect Qin would be relatives...
"What are you congratulating me for?" Prefect Qin frowned, took two steps back, maintaining a meter's distance from County Magistrate Chen, "Didn't you betroth Xiaoran to Jingde long ago? Judging by the time, you're even more anxious than I am!~"
Everyone knew that the old Yun family was blessed with prosperity and good fortune. As long as Sweet Baby was there, anyone who came would also be blessed...
It was clear that this County Magistrate Chen was an old fox, getting ahead of him by betrothing Xiaoran to Jingde first.
"Prefect, we're all in the same boat!~" County Magistrate Chen nodded with a lewd smile.
Seeing this, Prefect Qin was almost spitting fire. He snorted coldly, returned to his room, and asked Madam Xue to pack their things, as they would be leaving tomorrow morning...
County Magistrate Chen, on the other hand, trotted to the main hall and was so delighted to see Xiao Xitian that his eyes disappeared.
"Oh my, Sweet Baby, you're getting cuter and cuter!" County Magistrate Chen waddled over and pinched Xiao Xitian's cheek.
"Hello, Uncle County Magistrate..." Xiao Xitian greeted him crisply.
"Eh, eh, good, all good!"
Upon seeing County Magistrate Chen, Madam Gu suddenly remembered Da Man's request for money and asked, "In-law, it was thanks to you lending Da Man money last spring that Jinhe wasn't delayed in his studies. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet!~"
Saying this, Madam Gu untied her purse, intending to return the money to him...
"In-law, please keep it. Consider it my gift for Jinhe's studies. I don't want it back!~" County Magistrate Chen repeatedly refused.
After hearing this, Madam Gu counted the banknotes and pressed them into County Magistrate Chen's hand, "In-law, one thing is one thing. Even close brothers keep clear accounts. How can you not repay borrowed money?"
County Magistrate Chen squeezed the banknotes in his hand, unable to refuse any longer, and accepted them with a sullen expression, "Then if you have any difficulties at home, just tell me. We're family, so don't be polite..."
Alas, he really hoped that Xiaoran and Jingde would grow up quickly and give him a chubby little granddaughter, preferably as cute as Sweet Baby.
In ancient feudal society, males were favored over females. However, ever since Xiao Xitian appeared, villagers in the surrounding ten miles and eight villages had been clamoring for daughters, causing the value of male babies to plummet...
"Okay!~" Madam Gu nodded with a smile.
The next day at noon, in the Bu Family Restaurant in the capital, Bu Yi was sitting behind the counter, looking through the account books.
As the weather grew warmer, more customers came out to dine.
Looking around, the first-floor hall was packed with people, and every seat was taken. Even the private rooms on the second floor were booked for two months in advance. The business was extremely booming...
"Manager, Manager, you should go and see. The guests upstairs are getting impatient!~" a young waiter rushed over.
Bu Yi looked up at him and reprimanded, "What are you shouting about? Can't you see the guests are eating?"
These waiters couldn't handle things at all. They were panicking every day, what kind of behavior was that?
The young waiter stamped his feet anxiously and pointed to the second floor, "Manager, there's a table of guests who insist on drinking grape wine and are willing to pay a hundred taels of silver for it..."
"What, what thing?" Bu Yi's mouth twitched, and his eyes widened, "O-one hundred taels of silver?"
My heavens, it seemed he had been too conservative before, selling a bottle of high-quality grape wine for only ten taels of silver...
Now, the several boxes of grape wine that Yun Siman had given him were all sold out, and he had been losing sleep every day, hoping to stock more.
Even if he earned a commission, he could earn a fortune.
Bu Yi rolled his eyes and instructed the waiter, "Go and tell that guest that the grape wine is limited to one box per month. If they want to buy it, they can reserve it now!~"
A box contained two bottles, and Bu Yi planned to price each bottle at fifty taels of silver, making it a hundred taels in total...
He would take a twenty-tael commission from it, and the remaining eighty taels of silver would be given to Yun Siman.
Even so, he was guaranteed to make a profit.
There was no other way, with so many wealthy people in the capital, they didn't lack money for food and drink...
"Understood, Manager!"
"And!" Bu Yi grabbed the young waiter and instructed, "Tell the steward that I have an urgent matter to go to Beijiang and will be back in about half a month. I'm leaving now!~"
With that said, Bu Yi, as if his backside was on fire, grabbed some travel money and set off in a carriage...
The grape wine business was more profitable than opening a restaurant. This time, he had to secure the supply and get rich together with Siman.
At the same time, in Suicheng, Beijiang.
The architectural style of the barbarians was different from that of the Han people, but it still retained the angularity of the Central Plains...
Take the imperial palace hall in front of him, for example. Although it lacked the grandeur and magnificence of nine dragons climbing pillars and painted beams, the hall was covered with soft carpets. Long tables were placed on both sides, and tiger specimens were hung on a high platform. Below it was the throne of the Heavenly Khan.
Gu Mingyan was also visiting a barbarian palace for the first time. He looked around and then looked back. Seeing a large group of royal guards protecting Han Chi Yan following behind him, they all glared at him...
That was true. Currently, the relationship between the barbarians and the Central Plains was sensitive. As a Marquis of Liang, and having kidnapped Han Chi Yan and Han Chi Jiao, the guards naturally had to be extra careful.
He estimated that if he farted at this moment, the guards would draw their swords and rush over.
Han Chi Yan frowned and reprimanded the guards, "I've already said that Marquis Gu is a guest of our tribe. You are not allowed to be rude..."
The guards acted as if they hadn't heard her and continued to stare at Gu Mingyan.
They only obeyed the orders of the Heavenly Khan and the High Priest. The princess's words could be completely ignored.
Now that Han Chi Er had taken Si Yakedun to the Great Liang Kingdom, the power of life and death in the tribe was in the hands of the High Priest, Alima...
"Yan'er, it's alright, let them follow!~" Gu Mingyan smiled faintly and naturally took Han Chi Yan's hand.
Just then, a strong and robust woman suddenly appeared outside the hall...