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墨書 Inktalez
The long line resembled a dragon, with people wearing expressions of joy and anticipation.
No one knew how much bonus Liu Qingxi would distribute this year, but considering her past generosity, it was unlikely to be less than previous years.
The excited individuals in front approached the money box, while those at the Account Room registered names and calculated how long each person had worked this year and the corresponding bonuses.
"Old Wang, this is yours. After deducting your wages, the bonus is three taels of silver."
A man in his fifties was both surprised and delighted as he looked at the heavy silver ingots in his hand, his wrinkled face breaking into a smile that resembled a blooming chrysanthemum, with his teeth barely visible.
"Thank you, thank you, Madam Yang, thank you, Boss!" He kept grinning foolishly, overwhelmed with gratitude and only able to repeat his thanks.
"Alright, you've received your share; hurry to the side. The people behind are waiting for their money." Although the Account Room staff seemed a bit impatient, their faces wore smiles that indicated a good relationship with the workers.
Old Wang wasn't upset; he stepped aside casually to let the next person through.
Seeing Old Wang's wages and bonus made those behind him extremely happy, filled with both anticipation and nervousness.
Old Wang didn't rush to leave; he wanted to see how much others would receive and compare it to his own amount.
By comparing, he could set a goal for himself to work harder next year.
As the rewards continued, some received two taels, some five, and those in charge could even get ten taels. Suddenly, driven by the prospect of generous rewards and aspirations for longevity in their work, many decided on their goals for the following year.
The atmosphere was lively like a bustling market, attracting more onlookers from nearby.
As the air grew cooler, Yang Yichen draped a thick sheepskin cloak over Liu Qingxi's shoulders and kept rubbing her hands together to keep warm.
After about an hour of orderly wage distribution, there was no need for them to stay any longer. Liu Qingxi gave a brief instruction.
"This year, many of our Construction Team members come from Ten Li Pu. Everyone wants to go home for the New Year, but since our project is ongoing, we need some people to stay here for supervision. We will also need staff on duty during the holiday. If anyone is willing to stay behind, please sign up. Of course, those who work during the holiday will receive double pay."
Instantly, the men cheered loudly; Liu Qingxi's decision meant they could work through winter and earn wages instead of hibernating like animals as they had in previous years.
"Thank you, Boss!" Liu Qingxi walked quite a distance but could still hear the deafening sounds behind her.
However, seeing Kid so happy made her feel good as well.
Since Yang Yichen resigned from his official position, all his focus in life has been on Liu Qingxi; if she was happy, he was happy.
Today, Liu Qingxi, despite being pregnant and physically uncomfortable, insisted on coming. Kid had worked hard for a year and couldn't miss seeing Boss at the end.
As it turned out, Liu Qingxi's visit was indeed worthwhile. Just by observing the attitudes of the people below, it was clear that Liu Qingxi now held a god-like status in their hearts.
"Cold or not?" Yang Yichen tightly held Liu Qingxi's hand and asked gently.
"Not cold at all. Look how thick I’m dressed!" She was almost wearing more than she would in winter!
Yet Yang Yichen remained worried, afraid she might catch a chill.
Pregnancy is different from usual; even a common cold or fever can be a big issue, and medication cannot be taken lightly.
So Yang Yichen was extremely cautious. This was his first child in two lifetimes, a blood connection. Just imagining their adorable little one following him around calling him "Daddy" made him feel elated.
Under Yang Yichen's instructions, the carriage slowly moved forward, entering Maple Lane.
The Wen Family had been waiting at the door for a while. As soon as they saw the two return, they hurriedly approached: "You two kids! We told you not to go, yet you insisted. What if something happened?"
Though there were complaints in their words, concern overflowed.
Now, Liu Qingxi received treatment at the Yang Family that was akin to that of an Empress Dowager; everyone from young masters to servants treated her like a precious treasure.
Liu Qingxi smiled brightly, feeling great as she looked at this big family. She experienced deep familial affection and wished that time could just flow on like this forever without change.
At four months along, her belly had begun to show. When walking, someone always accompanied her. Although she lacked freedom, it was filled with genuine care; she hadn’t reached the point of feeling annoyed by it yet.
Instead, everyone enjoyed it very much. With so many people in the family, mutual understanding and consideration made it hard to feel unhappy.
In the evening, just after dinner, Zhang Wuliang and Liu Laosi came to visit with a clear purpose.
"Qingxi, this year our project has gone quite well. However, everyone has been away from home for such a long time, and winter is approaching. We won't be able to work for two or three months, so we thought we might as well go back now while it's not too cold and before everything freezes.
We can come back after the New Year without delaying our work afterward. What do you think?"
Liu Qingxi had naturally already considered this issue. No matter what, it's hard to leave one's hometown, and it's understandable to miss home. Moreover, after such a long time in the capital, there wasn't much else they could do.
"Alright, I support your decision to go back, but you must be careful on the road. Don't rush; safety comes first." After all, this era was not like the previous one where traveling thousands of miles could be done in just a few hours by train or plane.
Here, it required a long journey of half a month or even up to a month if they took it slow.
The longer the journey took, the greater the possibility of facing unknown dangers.
Safety was the most important and also the hardest issue to overcome; otherwise, people wouldn't hesitate to leave the village.
There were many precedents of those who traveled far and never returned.
However, Ten Li Pu was relatively safe; with so many people, mostly strong men forming a group of one or two hundred, few dared to cause trouble.
"By the way, Uncle Zhang, this year Kid has been with me for such a long time. You've worked hard. I'll cover your travel expenses and accommodation on the road. I'll give you the money later; consider it reimbursement for your travel and lodging."
At this point, Zhang Wuliang couldn't possibly be unhappy. It was like getting a free trip to the capital while receiving that much money—who wouldn't be pleased? Those who didn't come might even regret it.
However, there was even better news ahead. In addition to covering travel expenses, Liu Qingxi planned to give these men an extra two months' wages as compensation for their time spent traveling without work or income.
This was also because Liu Qingxi considered that they would be on the road for more than a month without earning anything.
If they hadn't come to the capital and stayed at Ten Li Pu instead, they would have received their wages for those two months without any issue.
Once again, the treatment of the villagers from Village and those recruited after arriving in the capital is naturally different.
In terms of qualifications, the villagers of Ten Li Pu are several levels above them, so it is only right that they receive higher wages.
However, to prevent certain individuals from having any thoughts, these matters are not made public; as long as everyone understands the situation internally, that is sufficient.
“Qingxi, you are being too polite.”
“Village Chief, this is what I should do. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to travel such a long distance and be separated from your loved ones. You wouldn't have to worry on the road; you could have this standard of living at home.”
“So, you should just accept it for Kid with peace of mind. Since you are leaving, it's better to do so sooner rather than later; otherwise, it will be harder to travel as it gets colder, and heavy snow will make it even more difficult.”
What she said was the truth, and Zhang Wuliang and the others had already considered this. Before he came to visit, they had already informed the villagers to prepare any special products they wanted to bring along while they had the chance.
So now, their bags were packed and ready to go at any moment.
“Then we will set off tomorrow morning; the earlier we leave, the sooner we will get home.”
Liu Qingxi nodded. Although she felt a bit reluctant inside, she understood human nature and was also preparing to make more thorough arrangements for their safety.
The next day, at dawn, in the courtyard where the residents of Shili Pu Village lived, everyone was dressed and ready, packing their bags and organizing the carts for their journey home.
The convoy of dozens of carts stretched along an entire street, drawing attention.
Last night, representatives including Zhang Wuliang had already bid farewell to Liu Qingxi. To avoid disturbing her rest during her pregnancy, they planned to leave directly today.
After all, they would return after the New Year; it was only a few months away.
However, just as their carts rolled out of the capital with the sound of wheels clattering, a cart slowly followed behind them.
Walking at the front were Zhang Wuliang, Liu Laosi, and others who vaguely heard someone shouting something about Madam Yang, saying goodbye and asking them to stop.
"Stop!" Zhang Wuliang brought the car to a halt and looked back.
He saw Liu Qingxi, dressed in a blue cotton coat and draped in a green cloak, standing at the end of their long convoy, smiling as she waved them off.
He hurriedly got out of the car and ran over, excited and concerned. "Child, it's so cold and so early. What are you doing here?"
Zhang continued, chattering away, "You child, why didn't you let us see you off? Getting up so early, what do you want to do? We'll be back in just two or three months. Yang Yichen, you should have kept a better eye on her."
Liu Qingxi felt helpless. It was already bright outside, and having passed the most difficult stage of morning sickness, she wasn't that sleepy anymore; she usually got up around this time anyway.
But today was just a quick outing.
She could only chuckle awkwardly, nearly covering her ears to block out their nagging.
Finally, when the incessant chatter ceased, Liu Qingxi found an opportunity to speak. "Village Chief, Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, I've found a few skilled individuals who will accompany you back this time. They will also stay in Ten Li Pu for the New Year and will be responsible for your protection when you return."
Only by doing this could she feel at ease.
After all, there were too many unknown dangers on the road; bandits robbing homes were not just stories from books but real threats.
If they encountered such dangers, villagers without skills would only be victims.
Having Yang Yichen send a few capable individuals was merely a small effort on his part.
Zhang Wuliang did not refuse and set off on the journey with several people feeling reassured.
Liu Qingxi turned back toward the capital only after they had disappeared from sight.
Once she had sent off this group of lovely people, her surroundings suddenly quieted down; it seemed like only a few of them remained in the capital now.
However, compared to previous years, her mindset this year was entirely different.
At that time, both of them had a certain degree of ambition. For instance, Yang Yichen wanted to advance further in the officialdom and sought power to protect his family.
Liu Qingxi aimed to expand her influence through her own abilities and promote her ideals.
However, this year, faced with a series of difficulties and setbacks, and having experienced the pain of separation, they found themselves looking at things with a more detached perspective.
At this moment, their state of mind was very calm, adopting a natural attitude without forcing anything, simply doing what they needed to do.
In fact, with this mindset, they would unexpectedly reap rewards.
For example, by giving up on the political arena, they had fewer enemies, and those who harbored malice towards Liu Qingxi out of jealousy or other motives found themselves lacking excuses and reasons.
By distancing themselves from superficial interactions, their lives became richer and more colorful.
Perhaps for the under-twenty Yang Yichen and Liu Qingxi, they were too indifferent.
But only they knew that what they had experienced was far more colorful and filled with challenges than anyone else.
Within the palace, for two consecutive months, Dugu Hao had not slept well due to dealing with a series of troubles.
He knew this was Yang Yichen's revenge against him.
With a helpless smile, what could he do? Could he harden his heart and deal with those two?
The answer was no!
When he let Liu Qingxi and Yang Yichen leave the palace, he knew he had lost—lost to love, lost to Liu Qingxi, and ultimately lost to Yang Yichen.
But what could he do about it?
One cannot live their entire life solely for fame and fortune or power; there must be choices made from the heart.
Perhaps in the matter of Liu Qingxi, it was the first and only time he lost his rationality, choosing emotion over reason.
It would not happen again; no woman would ever make him go to such lengths.
His feelings for Liu Qingxi could only be silently kept in his heart, and watching her happiness from afar was also his joy.
Moreover, he had already lost the qualification for fair competition.
Sitting in this position meant that many things could not be done as he wished.
To resolve external troubles, several women were gradually added to the harem, all capable of helping him stabilize his position and win over the ministers.
There were no feelings involved, but he had no choice but to do so.
Among all the emperors throughout history, he once thought he was an exception, different from Dugu Han. Aside from the woman he loved, he would not have any other women; he would not let his woman follow the same path as the Empress.
However, he was wrong!
It turned out that a moment of infatuation was fleeting.
The person who made his heart flutter had already chosen to spend her life with someone else.
So what difference did it make who he was with?
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