Chapter 120

There were...many.

Wen Zhiyun turned around, with a hint of surprise on his delicate face.

Chang Yan nodded, giving affirmation.

Alright, little Doctor Wen walked up gently, felt Niu Xianxian's pulse and flipped her eyelids, finally shaking the powder in his sleeve at her mouth and nose.

"It's nothing, just chest tightness from impatience. A short rest, at most half an hour, and she'll wake up," said Wen Zhiyun, blinking his pitiful eyes.

It took half an hour for the knock-out powder to take effect.

"Thank you, doctor." The Niu father and daughter got on the carriage and left.

Wen Zhiyun turned around and exchanged a smile with Chang Yan.

Their carriage had been hit and damaged by Niu Xianxian, already sent for repairs, so the few of them could only walk home.

Luckily the small courtyard wasn't too far from the county office.

Xu Mo put away the documents and was about to leave when the Wang family's carriage stopped in front.

"Brother Wang," he cupped his hands, "just a few steps, I won't impose on Brother Wang."

Although the Wang carriage was comfortable, it was someone else's after all.

There was silence in the carriage for a moment before Wang Fufeng lifted the curtain, speaking with a smile, "Brother Xu, you should just get on. What if we run into another Niu Xianxian?"

Remembering the helplessness from before, Xu Mo got on the Wang carriage after all.

The two younger brothers and sister who followed immediately turned the originally empty carriage lively and crowded.

Jiang Sheng was discussing planting beans with Zheng Ruqian, while Fang Heng occasionally chimed in.

Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan huddled together, muttering like they had a little secret.

Lots of people, lively atmosphere.

Really nice. With no more interference from the Niu family, the bean planting went smoothly.

In less than half a month, all the land was planted with seeds, just waiting for them to sprout before putting up sticks, then two or three months until harvest.

This was Zheng Ruqian's first time as a landlord, full of novelty towards everything, patrolling the fields everyday, both guarding against sabotage and truly loving it.

He even planned to stay until the bean harvest, then bring the dried beans back to the city, delivering goods to Carefree Residence.

The others didn't object, but Jiang Sheng was anxious.

"Stupid second brother, don't give up the workshop, the aunties who can't work in the fields will have nothing to eat!" said the little girl, huffing.

Zheng Ruqian looked at her in shock, then nodded.

Of course, cured meat had become a staple, any decent cook in the city could make it now, there was no need to keep the workshop open.

"Little Jiang Sheng, didn't third brother give you Brocade Flower Courtyard, and you said the workshop was yours, so I won't worry about it," Zheng Ruqian teased his sister on purpose.

Other than selling clothes at the beginning, Jiang Sheng hadn't done anything else these past two years.

He thought the little girl would turn red and jump in anger before giving up.

But she clenched her fists instead, "Stinky second brother, can't give up the workshop, the aunties who can't work there will starve!"

Just like the bean planting.

Tens of wanderers were able to eat from planting beans, many commoners also sold their land in trust, so Zheng Ruqian had to keep planting beans.

The business could grow bigger and bigger, letting more people earn wages.

But absolutely could not give up, letting those who had started eating go hungry and freeze again.

Closing the city workshop was just temporary, it wouldn't stay closed forever.

If cured meat didn't sell, they would do a different business.

But what?

Jiang Sheng also had no clue. Other than her big brother's teachings, it was occasionally eavesdropping on the academy tutor's lessons.

Some were on conduct, some were on handling affairs.

But none on doing business!

Jiang Sheng was preoccupied, even talking in her sleep at night, about reopening the workshop and starting a new business.

Seeing her worry, Zheng Ruqian regretted teasing his sister, and just gave her all the suggestions he could think of, "The cured meat was Big Mountain who taught it, why not ask him if there are other cured or pickled meats, any specialty meat the city doesn't have."

Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up. As soon as Pang Dashan came back with the vegetables, she hugged the pastries and went over, calling "Big brother Mountain" with every bite.

Pang Dashan's heart melted.

The difference between a stinky brother and a sweet sister, who knew better than him. Especially with four stinky brothers at home and not even one sweet sister.

If not for fear of Xu Mo, Zheng Ruqian, Fang Heng and Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan's anger, Pang Dashan might have even wanted to kidnap Jiang Sheng.

"Big brother Mountain, do you only know how to make cured meat? Are there any other meats, pickled or the like, as long as it's a specialty meat the city doesn't have." Jiang Sheng blinked her big eyes.

This stumped Pang Dashan.

Remembering cured meat was already his commemoration of his parents.

Anything more, he truly didn't know.

But Pang Dashan didn't want to see Jiang Sheng disappointed, even less that bright shine leaving her eyes, and he wracked his brains, nearly digging up childhood bedwetting memories, "There is one other intestine, but I don't remember the name, just know it's very fragrant, bursts with juice when you bite, and the taste is very unique."

Intestines from the Sichuan region.

Although without specific method or name, at least it was a direction.

"It'd be great if we could find a young lady from the Sichuan region," Pang Dashan scratched his head, "they'd definitely know how."

How very difficult.

The Great Yu Dynasty's vast lands stretched endless distances north to south, taking who knows how many years to traverse, the location of the Sichuan region unknown.

If not for capable scholars spending their lives roaming mountains and rivers, recording regional differences, many people wouldn't even know that in the distant unknown, there existed different ways of life.

Let alone, how would anyone from Sichuan marry to declining Xiangyang County.

Luckily little Jiang Sheng wasn't one to give up easily. Though she felt chances were slim, she still wanted to ask around.

Just in case, what if, what if there really was someone?

So Xu Mo asked around at the county office for her.

Fang Heng asked around while taking his eight servants out training.

Zheng Ruqian asked while planting beans. Wen Zhiyun asked while seeing patients.

Even Chang Yan utilized his looks to ask some aunties.

After half a month, just when Jiang Sheng lost all hope, they really did find someone.

There was a woman who had gone to Sichuan with her parents as a child, even living there for a few years.

Later she returned to Xiangyang County and married, occasionally mentioning life in Sichuan to those around her, and making cured meat a few times.

But as her husband passed away and she fell ill, she no longer spoke of the past.

If not for a pair of well-behaved, filial children, this woman would have left the world long ago.

Even now, who knew how much longer she had to live.