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墨書 Inktalez
The two of them had become the envy of the villagers, who looked up to them as a model.
At the same time, Xia Muxin's presence in the village was a great help to the locals. Whenever they had questions, they would come to consult her. Agricultural issues were nothing more than a simple phrase for Xia Muxin, who often provided the simplest explanations and the most satisfactory answers. If there was something she couldn't answer, Shen Muhan would step in to assist.
In just half a month, the transplanting of cotton had been completely finished, and they were now waiting to hire someone to plant Sweet Potatoes.
The seedlings that Xia Muxin had cultivated would also be ready for planting soon, but she had yet to find a suitable location. Distant fields were out of the question since this was still an experimental phase; she needed to keep a close watch on them at all times.
That morning, Shen Muhan made Mung Bean Porridge and boiled two bowls of egg noodles. Once Xia Muxin finished washing up, they sat down at the table to have breakfast.
"Let's go; it's time to check out Town," he said.
After finishing breakfast, Xia Muxin cleared the dishes while Shen Muhan watered the vegetable garden outside. Just as he put down his tools and quickly changed into a thin shirt, he turned to Xia Muxin and spoke.
During this time, whenever Xia Muxin felt bored, she made Shen Muhan a couple of simple outfits specifically for him to wear while working in the fields, so he wouldn't ruin his nicer clothes. However, Shen Muhan refused to get his new clothes dirty. Even when they both worked hard outside, his clothes remained spotless without even a wrinkle, which astonished Xia Muxin.
It felt as if they had secluded themselves from the world; anything they lacked would be delivered the next day. Xia Muxin knew that Dayao Village was filled with Shen Muhan's people. Initially, she felt somewhat guilty about it, but then she thought about how Shen Muhan wanted their own little world and decided to ignore her conscience regarding others.
Going to Town?
At that moment, as she chewed on Shen Muhan's words, Xia Muxin felt a stir in her heart. It seemed like such a distant thought. After pausing for a moment, she asked, "Has the New County Magistrate taken office?"
This was the only thing that came to mind since it was the only event that could capture Shen Muhan's interest.
Shen Muhan fastened his clothes and smiled at her.
"Yes, just visiting an old friend."
Xia Muxin didn't delay either. After tidying up a bit in the room, the two of them got into the carriage and headed towards Town.
The streets were quiet, with no vendors in sight. Soldiers guarded both sides of the main road, while the entrances of various taverns and shops were bustling with people. However, no one dared to shout or make a loud noise. Shen Muhan parked the carriage in the backyard of Fortune and Longevity Restaurant. Along the way, there were attempts to stop them, but as soon as they saw the plaque hanging from Shen Muhan's waist, they immediately nodded and stepped aside.
Xia Muxin had seen this plaque a few times before, but he always kept it hidden in his clothes rather than displaying it openly as he did today. It seemed to be something symbolic.
Having power made a difference; one could move about freely wherever they went.
Xia Muxin couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After helping Xia Muxin down from the carriage, Shen Muhan tightly held her hand. At that moment, Su Yan-Chu came out to greet them. Upon seeing their clasped hands, his gaze paused slightly before he quickly put on a polite smile.
"What's wrong? Did you lose face in front of the Wei Family?"
Su Yan-Chu's smile was forced, and fatigue was evident on his brow. Shen Muhan smirked but then suddenly frowned when Su Yan-Chu punched him in the chest and coldly said:
"This brotherhood is over."
Shen Muhan shrugged indifferently, though the smile at the corner of his mouth remained.
This wasn't really a secret; after all, the imperial decree had already been issued. It seemed that Su Yan-Chu couldn't escape this predicament.
Wei Jianshuang was somewhat headstrong, but she was straightforward and unyielding, proving to be a formidable asset for the Wei Family.
Su Rong was likely forced into a corner, watching as the Zhao Family and the Grand Tutor grew stronger by the day, their influence spreading continuously. There were even plans to match him with Wei Jianshuang, but with Su Rong's interference, their fates were sealed. General Wei had been injured in the last battle and was rescued, ending up at the Fortune and Longevity Restaurant.
It seemed that his elder was interested in Su Yan-Chu; after all, no matter how capable Wei Jianshuang was, she was still a woman destined to marry. Moreover, there were probably not many who could tolerate her temperament.
"Don't tell me this father-in-law has yet to show his face to the protagonist."
It was evident that Su Yan-Chu felt helpless and embarrassed, and Shen Muhan sympathized with her but did not hold back his words.
"You still have the nerve to say that? You’re sneaking around getting married without anyone knowing. This girl has no idea she's been deceived by you."
Knowing that Shen Muhan would not let up on teasing him, he changed the subject. Just as he spoke, Xia Muxin's cold gaze swept over them. Shen Muhan shot a glare at Su Yan-Chu before taking Xia Muxin's hand and heading toward the main hall.
What a joke! If everyone found out about his marriage, it would cause an uproar in Daimiao Village. Besides, the Zhao Family and Ouyang Family were not fond of him; it would be strange if they didn’t stir up trouble. But wasn’t this better? Muxin was always under his nose; their little world was blissful enough. He wanted nothing more than to find a place to live in seclusion, enjoying their life together and raising a bunch of kids in harmony.
"Hey, why is it so quiet today?"
When they arrived at the main hall, there were hardly any customers. Even the waiter looked drowsy, dozing off, while the manager slumped over the counter listlessly. Seeing this scene, Xia Muxin felt something was off and sighed aloud. Even Shen Muhan looked curiously at Su Yan-Chu, who had her head down.
"It's still because of the Ouyang Family. They've cut off supplies from all merchants. Now you can have money but can't buy anything. Besides, eighty percent of the commercial area in Tianli Kingdom belongs to them. With such a commotion from them now, how can any other businesses survive? Who has the leisure to eat out when everyone is scrambling for supplies to make ends meet?"
Su Yan-Chu spoke through gritted teeth; she was frustrated with what scheme the Ouyang Family was up to.
It seemed that the Ouyang Family truly had some power to monopolize the entire commercial sector of Tianli Kingdom. However, this also presented a great opportunity for Xia Muxin. If there were no supplies available, then she would create her own sources—ones that no one had ever seen before, continuously generating new products.
"Are the prices from the Ouyang Family high?"
Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy leads to victory in every battle. The arrogance of the Ouyang Family will ultimately bring about their own downfall. She did not wish to be a villain; rather, she aimed to resolve the crisis in the Tianli Kingdom.
"Indeed, our weakest point is agriculture. We primarily rely on supplies from the Ouyang Family's channels. Moreover, they are the only ones qualified to import goods from other countries, and they have received approval from above, so they can set any price they want."
Xia Muxin had visited several villages already. The common people in Zhushan County could barely make a living. The Ouyang Family not only exploited those above them but likely also purchased the farmers' produce at low prices, which then became high-end goods in their hands, profiting endlessly. Who didn't know that?
"Well, I’ll go out for a bit."
After hearing Su Yan-Chu's words, she felt that coming today was indeed worthwhile. It was time to go out, see more, and grasp the situation so she could take action.
"Don't go out today. I heard it's the New County Magistrate's first day in office. Can't you see how empty the streets are?"
Su Yan-Chu kindly reminded her. He had heard of the New County Magistrate, who was said to be an old acquaintance of Xia Muxin and even from the same village. The last time he went to procure goods, he noticed that the magistrate had gone to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, instantly losing all goodwill towards him.
The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion had only opened two months ago, and it was said that the women inside were carefully selected for their beauty. Men who entered would return home destitute, often leading to broken families. Therefore, he held no favorable opinion of such a person and did not expect him to contribute anything meaningful to Zhushan County.
Although he did not participate in politics, he observed many things; he simply chose not to engage with them.
At that moment, General Wei approached in full military attire and politely greeted Shen Muhan. When his gaze fell on Xia Muxin, there was a hint of surprise in his smile. Xia Muxin knew he was a good man dedicated to his country and its people, and she respected him greatly, smiling and nodding in response.
General Wei stroked his beard and nodded back.
Beside him stood Wei Jianxu. Xia Muxin had seen him not only in court but had also traveled alongside him for some time. Although they were merely acquaintances who nodded at each other, Xia Muxin did not dislike members of the Wei Family; perhaps it was because of their straightforward nature.
At this moment, he casually glanced at her with an expressionless nod before placing a hand on his sword at his waist and exchanging a glance with General Wei as he exited the hall.
Shen Muhan shook his head at Su Yan-Chu, who looked helpless, and Xia Muxin even heard him lightly mutter a curse under his breath—"idiot."
It was as if it were her own illusion.
However, Wei Jianxu felt so cold, as cold as a block of ice, sending chills throughout her body. After a moment, she glanced at Shen Muhan's eyes, deep like a cold pool, and whispered, "What a waste of such good looks on Wei Jianxu; he's just an unmelting ice."
To be fair, Wei Jianxu was quite handsome—no, he was exceptionally good-looking. His skin was fair with a hint of rosy undertone, not at all resembling a soldier who had been through battle. He wasn't particularly tall or robust; instead, he was slender with delicate features. If one were to compare him, he could be considered a beautiful man.
But with him being so icy, what woman would dare to marry him?
Shen Muhan merely ruffled her soft hair without saying much. He exchanged a few pleasantries with General Wei before taking her upstairs.
"Hey, isn't this the third floor? I heard it's off-limits!"
He led Xia Muxin directly to the study on the third floor. The study was surprisingly large but contained only a small bookshelf that held few books, a desk, two chairs, and a bed. The simple furnishings exuded luxury. Xia Muxin seemed to know a bit about this place and coolly remarked to Shen Muhan's back.
She remembered the first time she encountered Tian Yuxin here.
Dressed in fiery red and full of arrogance, she even bullied her father. That woman should be married far away.
"That person doesn't include you!"
Shen Muhan listened to the girl's cool words and momentarily couldn't grasp what displeased her. He walked to the bed and opened the window. Then he pulled Xia Muxin close into his embrace and whispered in her ear.
"Oh? A telescope?"
As Xia Muxin was pulled into his arms, she stumbled slightly but quickly noticed an intriguing object in her peripheral vision and spoke up softly.
"Do you understand this thing?"
Shen Muhan was somewhat surprised, but he immediately leaned in, supporting himself on her shoulders with excitement.
Xia Muxin, however, ignored him and began to play with the telescope propped up by the window. After peering through it for a while, she found everything to be dark and unclear; it seemed to be broken. Suddenly recalling Shen Muhan's surprise, she smiled and said, "So it's a broken one."
This telescope had been brought back by Su Yan-Chu two years ago when he went out of town to inspect goods. It was said that he had saved a Western Region person on the way, and that person had given him this item as thanks. However, they still did not know its name. After some exploration, they discovered it was a treasure; such a small object could clearly see everything happening thousands of meters away. At that moment, they were all astonished. How wonderful it would be to have this on the battlefield! Today, hearing its name from Xia Muxin—telescope—rekindled hope in his heart. Yet, her words were laced with disappointment, tightening his chest.
The telescope was broken, and despite spending a long time trying to fix it with Su Yan-Chu, they had not succeeded. They couldn't bear to throw it away either; it felt too wasteful.
So it had been left here all this time.
Seeing Shen Muhan remain silent, Xia Muxin lost interest. She never considered that he would associate this item with the battlefield and didn't think much of it.
Suddenly, soldiers below began to move their ranks, further dispersing the sparse crowd of passersby. When the pedestrians moved slowly, the soldiers brandished their weapons to prod them along while cursing loudly, knowing that the New County Magistrate was about to pass by.
A glint of mischief flashed in her eyes as her lips curled slightly. With a flurry of movement, she finally picked up the telescope and aimed it to look through.
- End of Chapter -
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