With Tasha County's outstanding performance, the Emperor specially granted Prince Yu permission to return to the capital for the New Year. Before Bai Sheng and Lu Ye returned to Hongshu Village, Prince Yu was already on his way back to the capital.
As the county magistrate of Tasha County, Lord Ji naturally had to return to the county seat to take charge. Bai Sheng returned the deed of sale to Bai Jing.
Bai Jing initially did not want to leave Bai Sheng's home. However, with Lord Ji as the county magistrate, if she were to marry Lord Ji while still holding the status of a servant, others would look down upon Lord Ji.
Lord Ji wished to bring Bai Jing back to the county seat with him for the New Year. Although the wedding had not yet taken place, in his heart, Bai Jing was already his wife, and he did not want to be separated from her for even a moment.
Bai Jing agreed.
Having been through it before and already engaged to Lord Ji, she was not overly concerned with worldly etiquette. Moreover, Lord Ji was a twenty-something bachelor. Bai Jing planned to "handle" Lord Ji during the New Year.
When she learned that Ji Chenghe had become a bachelor for her sake, Bai Jing had wept uncontrollably. She felt that the years spent with her ex-husband had been wasted.
She did not want to waste any more time; she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Ji Chenghe.
However, even as a divorced woman with a child, she had made her conditions clear to Lord Ji beforehand.
In the future, no matter how high an official position Ji Chenghe attained, he was not allowed to take concubines or flirt with other women, nor keep mistresses outside. Otherwise, she would leave him just the same.
After all, she was capable of supporting herself and her child. She participated in morning exercises every day in Hongshu Village, and her health was excellent. She could live a wonderful life without a man.
To reassure her, Ji Chenghe personally wrote a letter of guarantee. If he ever broke his promise, she could use the letter to slap his face.
On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Bai Sheng held a year-end party for the workers at the workshop.
She brought out two large fat pigs from her spatial dimension, planning to slaughter them and distribute them to each employee.
Additionally, she gave bonuses to employees who performed exceptionally well this year.
Fifty employees were selected based on their contribution and dedication.
There were five recipients of the special prize, each awarded ten taels of silver, ten catties of pork, and fifty catties of grain.
The special prize winners stood on the high award stage, their eyes moist with emotion.
Ten taels of silver as a bonus – they had never touched such a large sum of money in their lives.
Ten first-prize winners, each awarded six taels of silver, five catties of pork, and thirty catties of grain.
Fifteen second-prize winners, each awarded two taels of silver, three catties of pork, and twenty catties of grain.
Twenty third-prize winners, each awarded 600 wen, two catties of pork, and fifteen catties of grain.
Watching the award recipients go on stage, those below looked on with envy, each secretly vowing to become an outstanding employee next year.
Even those who did not win an award received a year-end bonus of one tael of silver, along with twenty catties of grain and five catties of pork.
For the majority of the workshop employees, this was the most prosperous New Year they had ever experienced.
The employees, carrying their money, grain, and pork, returned home joyfully.
The Red Powder Beauty workshop was now renowned throughout the entire county. Employees who worked there were objects of envy.
Especially those from outside Hongshu Village, as they walked home wearing the employee uniforms issued by Red Powder Beauty, passersby would watch them with envious eyes for a long distance.
If they had relatives, upon hearing they were employees of Red Powder Beauty, people would even come to ask them for loans of money and grain.
After the employees went on holiday, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye also prepared to return to the capital.
Before leaving, the two stored a considerable amount of grain and meat and vegetables at the Ghost Shadow Pavilion base. The Ghost Shadow Pavilion now also had a vegetable garden and raised chickens, fulfilling their daily living needs.
Bai Sheng left two thousand taels of silver for the ten ghost envoys, as their New Year's expenses and as rewards for disciples who performed excellently this year.
After dinner, everyone at home had packed their luggage and was eagerly awaiting departure for the capital.
Bai Sheng planned to leave at midnight, after everyone in the mansion had fallen asleep. After all, appearing suddenly in their home might frighten people to death if they were seen.
Before departing, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye called everyone in the household together, intending to tell them that they had learned a form of illusionary technique that allowed for teleportation.
Upon hearing about the illusionary technique, although everyone was somewhat surprised, their reactions were not overly strong. After all, during the past two to three years of living together, they had sensed some strangeness.
For example, certain items suddenly appearing in the house; things in the warehouse being used but never depleting; the masters always transporting large quantities of supplies into the house late at night, undetectable even by the guard team...
They had been frightened and suspicious, but eventually convinced themselves and became very accepting of the reality.
Without the need for the elders or madam to instruct them, they would keep it a secret. Who would be foolish enough to tell others that their home possessed rare treasures?
Moreover, they were all part of the same family as the masters and madam. Revealing the masters' secrets meant revealing their own. They were not fools.
Late at night, three to four carriages appeared at the entrance of the village. In all of Hongshu Village, only the guards on duty that night saw them leave.
The guards were a bit confused. Why not depart during the day? The road to Tianshui Town was not easy to travel, especially in the dark.
Lu Ye smiled and said they got up too early.
Got up early? It was only midnight! The guards were astonished, but they also understood. If they could also go to the capital, they wouldn't mind staying up all night.
When the carriages reached a deserted area, Bai Sheng used anesthetic to knock everyone unconscious, then collected them and the carriages into her spatial dimension.
When they woke up again, everyone had arrived at the mansion.
Xiao Gu cursed himself for sleeping too soundly. He didn't even know when the masters had driven the carriages into the mansion. It was Miss Lu Hua who woke up and opened the door.
The adults in the mansion were light sleepers. Hearing the commotion, they all lit lamps and got up. The children were still fast asleep.
Tian Dou and Tie Zhu were rudely awakened from their sleep. Annoyed, they reluctantly opened their eyes, only to see a face appear before them. "Ah!" they exclaimed, jumping up from their beds.
"Mother? You're here? I... I'm not dreaming, am I?" Tian Dou was bewildered for a moment, then pinched his face hard.
Tian Guihua sat by the bed and lovingly stroked Tian Dou's head. "Son, you're not dreaming. I am your mother."
"Mother! Mother! I miss you so much! Sob..." Tears flowed from Tian Dou like exploding beans as he threw his arms around Tian Guihua.
Tian Guihua looked at her son, who had grown taller and stronger, and said with teary eyes, "Good son, Mother misses you too."
Tie Zhu, meanwhile, leaped onto Zhao Dazhuang's back. "Father, Grandmother, you've finally come! I've missed you so much I could cry."
Zhao Dazhuang put his son down. Granny Zhong, smiling and crying, hugged her grandson.
After seeing the children, Tian Guihua, Zhao Dazhuang, and Granny Zhong returned to the front hall.
Lu Ye and Bai Sheng helped the two groups make simple introductions. The entire family was filled with joy.