"The Empress Dowager is here!"
A moment later, Empress Xiao hurried into the great hall, dark circles under her eyes and a haggard expression...
Emperor Cheng saw her and rubbed his temples.
The Empress must be here to ask where Heng'er and Xin Ling had gone. With Consort Xian present, he couldn't very well explain.
Moreover, Empress Xiao was not a foolish person. Even if she was anxious, she wouldn't openly ask him such a question...
"Oh, Sister is here! After a few days apart, Sister looks even younger and more beautiful!" Consort Xian greeted her with a smile, naturally hooking her arm around Empress Xiao's.
Empress Xiao: "..."
Which eye of yours saw me become more beautiful?
When she learned that Heng'er and Xin Ling had escaped, she hadn't slept for almost an entire night. As soon as dawn broke, she rushed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to ask the Emperor for the reason. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was messy, how could she have become more beautiful?
Hmph, if you want to say such hypocritical words, you have to make others believe them...
"My Sister is also becoming more refined!" Empress Xiao pushed Consort Xian's hand away, forcing a smile.
Emperor Cheng sighed, resting his forehead on his hand, and casually flipped through the memorials.
When did his Hall of Mental Cultivation turn into a scene of palace intrigue?
Consort Xian rolled her beautiful eyes and chuckled, "Sister must have something to say to the Emperor. Then I won't disturb you. Winter Solstice is just a few days away. I will be making dumplings with the palace staff. Sister and Your Majesty must come and eat then!"
Emperor Cheng: "..."
Can those things you make be eaten?
It's purely a waste of grain.
"Alright, I will definitely go!" Empress Xiao replied politely.
Consort Xian picked up the food box, bowed to Empress Xiao and Emperor Cheng respectively, and then turned to leave...
The moment she stepped out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by a somber expression, her eyes rippling with a cold, sharp glint.
Just you wait, you'll all cry later.
Inside the hall, Empress Xiao tearfully asked a lot of questions, and Emperor Cheng patiently answered them all.
"Wuwu, no, I must go find Heng'er! If anything happens to him, I won't live either, wuwu!" Empress Xiao cried, covering her face.
Emperor Cheng: "..."
This woman, can you stop causing trouble? I'm already annoyed enough.
Eunuch Zhao softly advised, "Your... Your Majesty, Marquis Gu is currently in Dashui Village. With him protecting the Crown Prince, His Highness will surely be fine!"
"You say he'll be fine, and he'll be fine?" Empress Xiao retorted angrily at Eunuch Zhao with red eyes, "If you had stopped Heng'er and Xin Ling back then, would they have sneaked out of the palace? I warn you, if they suffer any harm, I, I will..."
"Alright, alright, what are you shouting about?" Emperor Cheng was so annoyed that his head ached. "It's already happened, what's the use of saying this? I will find a way to solve it!"
Empress Xiao's eyes were swollen from crying. After a moment of sobbing, seeing that Emperor Cheng was ignoring her, she dejectedly left.
Since the Emperor didn't care about his son's life or death, she could at least care...
At the same time, at the old Yun family.
"Wow, Sister Huaihua, you can really talk now!" Xiao Xi Tian held Jin Huaihua's hand, extremely excited.
"Ah! Wo, wo mouth clumsy!" Jin Huaihua said indistinctly.
She wanted to say that her mouth was clumsy and she didn't know what to say.
After all, she hadn't spoken for so many years. It was normal for her tongue to be numb and stiff when she suddenly spoke.
After Guan Zhongbo's meticulous treatment, Jin Huaihua could already say simple words. Later, she would still need acupuncture and tongue soaking...
Xiao Xi Tian smiled and said, "It seems Uncle Guan really has some skills. Sister Huaihua, when your tongue is healed, will you sing for me, okay?"
Jin Huaihua pinched Xiao Xi Tian's cheek and nodded heavily, "Sing, sing for you!"
Shangguan Fang'er's situation was not good. Because she refused to cooperate with the treatment and called Guan Zhongbo an old pervert, she encountered many difficulties during the diagnosis and treatment...
The construction team had been found and was working overtime. The money saved from selling wild game was also spent like flowing water.
Materials, labor costs, food and drink, protection against the cold, etc., all required money.
Fortunately, the money Jin Xiaolou earned by delivering milk every day could still subsidize the family's expenses...
"Tian Bao, Second Sister wants to talk to you!" Du Tieshan walked to the cowshed and called out.
Xiao Xi Tian was checking the condition of the cows. Hearing the sound, she turned and looked, "It's Sister Shanshan, Auntie. What do you want to say? I'm listening!"
Du Tieshan seemed a little flustered. After hesitating for a long time, she slowly said, "Tian Bao, Second Sister doesn't want to open a restaurant anymore. Can you let Big Brother and his wife manage it?"
Xiao Xi Tian: "???"
Why would she say something like this out of the blue?
Jin Shan, the second nephew, needed money for school, and Xiao Bao was also growing up. There would be many expenses for the family in the future. If the restaurant was opened and managed with care, the family wouldn't be too poor...
"Sister Shanshan, what's wrong?" Xiao Xi Tian walked out of the cowshed.
Du Tieshan rubbed her hands and sighed, "Tian Bao, I'll only tell you this, don't tell Big Sister or Mom and Dad, okay?"
Xiao Xi Tian listened and nodded blankly, "Okay, okay!"
After getting her sister-in-law's assurance, Du Tieshan told her difficulties...
First, although the several branches of the Yun family were living together and had no intention of separating, opening a restaurant of considerable size suddenly meant that the daily accounts and income had to be kept very clear.
Moreover, the restaurant was jointly managed by the sisters-in-law. As long as it involved financial interests, there would inevitably be quarrels and disputes.
Du Tieshan didn't want to quarrel over a few copper coins and end up not even being sisters-in-law...
Second, someone diligent was needed to manage the household. Mother was old and couldn't do heavy work. They couldn't let Huaihua do everything alone, so Du Tieshan wanted to stay home to help with the housework.
Xiao Xi Tian listened and stared blankly at Du Tieshan, "Sister Shanshan, is that really what you think?"
It seemed that she had thought things too simply back then. Sister Shanshan considered things more comprehensively than she did...
Du Tieshan smiled and nodded, "Yes, those who are capable earn more, and those who are not capable help out more at home. How much money is too much?"
Nowadays, as long as one doesn't starve to death, it's fine.
There was still such a large piece of land at home. As long as people were diligent, they would definitely not starve to death.
"Okay, I respect Sister Shanshan's choice!" Xiao Xi Tian said.
Once winter arrived in Dashui Village, the days became particularly short. After a few cold winds, the sky that had been bright suddenly turned dark.
Yun Daman had just finished feeding the cows and was about to go back into the house to eat when the main door was suddenly knocked.
"Dong dong dong..."