ushernet Chapter 73 World 225
Chapter 73 World 225
Upon hearing her question, Yu Qiaoyun put down her purse and answered seriously, "I want to, but we can't go."
"Why?" Li Yinyin leaned closer to her sister-in-law. "The embroidery workshop's goods are selling very well in the Western Regions. They are discussing sending another batch. We can change into men's clothing and go as part of the caravan. We'll be back soon and it won't delay anything."
Yu Qiaoyun shook her head again: "The crops in the fields haven't been harvested yet in August. Even if I'm only gone for a few days, I'm still worried."
"I've also sent people to buy some new grain from various countries, and then delivered it to your elder brother in batches. Having grain in hand means peace of mind, and that's the most important thing right now."
“Sister-in-law has a long-term vision that I cannot match.” Li Yinyin knew the saying “an army marches on its stomach,” but she had never fought a war and naturally overlooked it. However, after her sister-in-law mentioned it, she realized the key point: “What my sister-in-law is doing is indeed more important than our family reunion.”
Yu Qiaoyun smiled and said, "I'm here at home. If you miss your older brother, Yinyin, you can come and stay for a while. Didn't your master also say that he was tired of staying in Shangshui Village and wanted to go out for a walk?"
“Master is experienced, so I’m not worried about him getting lost. I’ll stay with you, sister-in-law,” Li Yinyin leaned on her shoulder as always. “You’re so worried about me going to the embroidery workshop by myself. If I were to walk back and forth to the western border by myself, wouldn’t you be unable to sleep at night?”
After Li Yinyin said that, Yu Qiaoyun didn't try to persuade her any further, since she really wasn't entirely at ease with her, and there was no way to refute that.
On the day of the Reunion Festival, Li Yinyin personally delivered a large mooncake to the village chief's house. The village chief wanted to invite her to stay for a meal, but she declined, only staying to play with Niu Niu for a while.
Following her mother's instructions, Niu Niu was able to make decent purses, so her mother turned a blind eye and stopped forcing her to embroider.
Niu Niu happily shared this with her, and then mysteriously shared her own news with her.
"Didn't Scholar Mu pass the imperial examination this autumn and become a Juren? His family caused another uproar, Yinyin, did you know?"
"A scholar who passed the imperial examination?" Li Yinyin couldn't help but pat her head. "Look at me, I've been so busy lately that I forgot the osmanthus is in bloom and it's the season for the autumn imperial examinations."
“What does it matter? There are no scholars in the family, how many of them remember this date?” Niu Niu lowered her voice and said excitedly, “At the beginning of the year, didn’t the hunter from the west go to the Mu family to find Scholar Mu and say that his daughter was not good enough for him and wanted to break off the engagement, but Scholar Mu refused?”
"This time, it was Mu Xiucai's mother who saw Xi Jiangyue laughing and chatting with a young master in the prefectural city, even sharing a piece of cake. Mu Xiucai's mother was furious and wanted to confront Xi Jiangyue, but she was scared back by the servants who were instructed to do so. So she went to Mu Xiucai, no, to Mu Juren and cried, begging him to quickly break off the engagement. Guess what Mu Juren said?"
Break off the engagement? Absolutely not!
Based on what Li Yinyin saw—Mu Xianyun's two different expressions when facing Xi Jiangyue, and his eagerness to promote the marriage—she knew that he could not possibly be marrying Xi Jiangyue to make up for a regret; rather, he had some ulterior motive.
Otherwise, after two years, he could have married Xi Jiangyue first, instead of giving her the opportunity to be intimate with other men.
Li Yinyin feigned a thoughtful expression: "Could it be that he believes in Xijiangyue?"
"Yinyin!" Li Niuniu exclaimed in shock, "How did you know? He really said that!"
"His mother was furious, but since the scholar had just passed the imperial examination and was very insistent, she had no choice but to endure it for the time being. However, she often went to the edge of the village to keep an eye on Xijiangyue."
“They’ve been watching for several days now. Everyone in the village knows. The hunter from the west has been so ashamed that he hasn’t dared to go out for days.”
"Wow, is it that exciting?" Li Yinyin couldn't help but cover her mouth. "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known."
“We’re like family, how could I not tell you?” Niu Niu patted her chest and said, “I’ll tell you about any fun things that happen in the future.”
Li Yinyin also promised her, "I bought some delicious food outside, and I'll let you eat it too!"
"it is good!"
Seeing Niu Niu readily agree and beam with joy, Li Yinyin remembered something else.
"Next year at the Flower Festival, you'll be old enough to apply to be chosen as a goddess. Are you going?"
While Li Niuniu's looks weren't as striking as Xi Jiangyue's or Li Yinyin's, she was still considered quite outstanding in Shangshui Village. Furthermore, as the village chief's daughter, she was pampered and well-mannered, possessing a refined air. Therefore, in terms of appearance, she certainly had a competitive edge.
"If you go, I'll definitely go and support you!"
“I don’t think I’m good enough, but my mother seems to be interested and is working on getting me clothes and jewelry,” Li Niu Niu sighed. “She said it would be too late to prepare later.”
As she spoke, she craned her neck to look in the direction of the main house before leaning close to Li Yinyin's ear and saying, "She thinks I don't know. She just wants to take advantage of my participation in the goddess selection to find a suitable son-in-law to marry me off."
Seeing her sighing and complaining, Li Yinyin couldn't get a word in edgewise. The village chief's wife looked down on the young men in the village and wanted her daughter to marry into a better family so she could have a better life. This was a mother's good intention, and as an outsider, Li Yinyin couldn't comment; she could only offer advice.
"Your mother has always doted on you, would she really marry you off to someone you don't like?"
Niu Niu agreed with this: "My mother has a good eye."
“That settles it then,” Li Yinyin said with a smile as she stood up. “You take good care of yourself. I also have to go back to celebrate the festival with my sister-in-law.”
Li Yinyin bid farewell to the village chief and his wife before leading her servant home. By sheer coincidence, she ran into Mu Xianyun as he came out of his house.
"Little Yinyin," Mu Xianyun's eyes lit up with joy, "Are you going home?"
Li Yinyin nodded, not intending to speak.
To everyone's surprise, Mu Xianyun naturally replied, "Coincidentally, I also have something to do that way, so we'll be traveling together for a while."
I really didn't want this to be such a coincidence!
Just as Li Yinyin sighed inwardly, she heard him ask, "I haven't seen Brother Li for quite some time. He's been away for a really long time this time."
"What does this have to do with you?" Li Yinyin didn't know if Mu Xianyun had discovered something and was doing this on purpose by mentioning her older brother, so she simply put on an annoyed and dissatisfied attitude, just thinking of her as a younger sister who had been touched on a sore spot because her brother hadn't come home.
“My older brother has finished his business and will come back when he’s supposed to. If he hasn’t come back, it means he still has things to do. Why don’t you take care of your own family affairs? What are you trying to do by always keeping an eye on other people’s families!”