Chen Xiaobei pointed to the room next door, "This room will be for the two of them."
Fang Jun then called over two of his men and began to unload the items from the carriage.
As expected, everything was kept simple. Apart from his own bedding and basic necessities, Fang Jun had no other belongings.
Chen Xiaobei greatly admired such frugality.
Watching Fang Jun and his men busy, Chen Xiaobei turned and walked to the side.
This had once been Huang Ying's room, but now everything was different.
Chen Xiaobei pushed the door open and walked in. The furnishings inside were still the same as before; no one had touched them, and no one dared to.
As the saying goes, seeing an object reminds one of the person. Chen Xiaobei sat on a chair, looking at the furniture around him, and the scenes of being with Huang Ying, every moment, every bit, resurfaced in his mind.
As he thought, Chen Xiaobei began to weep. It was true that good people didn't live long; how could such a good girl as Huang Ying…
Just then, a commotion from outside, with the voices of several children, drifted in.
The children were coming to school.
Chen Xiaobei withdrew his thoughts, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, composed himself, and walked out. He gently closed Huang Ying's door, then felt uneasy. He turned back into the room, found a lock, and hung it on the door as he left.
As he walked back, Chen Xiaobei mused that the room would eventually be for the teacher, so he should organize Huang Ying's belongings.
Chen Xiaobei went to his new home first. Cui Hongyu was having lunch with several women from the village.
They had all gone to help Cui Hua's family tidy their yard, so it was a bit late.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei enter, Cui Hongyu simply greeted him with a smile.
Chen Xiaobei sat down next to Cui Hongyu. He reached out and removed a spider web stuck to the tip of her hair.
This slightly intimate gesture made Cui Hongyu's face blush slightly. "Husband, so many people are watching."
Chen Xiaobei leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Hongyu, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Cui Hongyu looked at him and nodded gently. "Husband, go ahead."
"Hongyu, it's like this. I just went to the school. I want to sort out Huang Ying's things and clear out the room."
Cui Hongyu naturally understood what Chen Xiaobei meant.
The school still kept a room for Huang Ying. If it needed to be used, it would be inconvenient.
Thinking of this, she quietly agreed, "I'm busy helping Sister Cui Hua with her yard these two days. Tomorrow, I'll squeeze in some people to clear out the room."
Chen Xiaobei nodded, stood up, and walked out of the courtyard. He followed the village street, walking slowly, and unconsciously walked out of the village to the riverside.
The weather had already turned cold. The reeds in the river had withered and were golden, looking rather desolate.
Such a scene always created a somber atmosphere.
Chen Xiaobei again recalled his journey since transmigrating—catching wild chickens, digging fish ponds. Then, he was inexplicably drawn into a war between villains, and unknowingly, through chance and coincidence, he had arrived at where he was now.
As he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard someone shout ahead, "The village head is coming, run!"
Chen Xiaobei was startled back to reality and saw two young boys by his fish pond hurrying away, heading straight for Qingniu Mountain.
Chen Xiaobei shook his head, walked forward, and saw two fishing hooks placed by his fish pond. These two children must have come to fish.
Chen Xiaobei smiled. He thought of his past life, when he had often gone to steal sweet potatoes from the village.
But the old man who watched the sweet potatoes always chased them away with shouts and yells, yet never reported them to their families.
Seeing the two children run into Qingniu Mountain, Chen Xiaobei remembered something.
He hadn't been to Gourd Valley for some time. He should go and check it out before the snow.
Having made up his mind, Chen Xiaobei turned back to discuss it with Chen Dayong. Upon hearing that he wanted to go up the mountain again, Chen Dayong strongly objected.
"Brother Xiaobei, whether we burn charcoal or grow vegetables, the villagers now have enough to eat and drink. Life has just stabilized…"
Chen Xiaobei naturally understood Chen Dayong's underlying meaning. If he went to Gourd Valley and didn't let the villagers take some medicine down, they wouldn't be happy.
But if they went up and dug, and dug again, after a few times, the ginseng and lingzhi would be all dug up.
After a slight hesitation, "After I finish what I'm doing, I'll take two people up. I'll pay them and make it clear to them beforehand that they are not allowed to dig anything in Gourd Valley."
Chen Dayong sighed helplessly but could only agree.
"Alright then, I'll arrange the people for you later."
The next morning, as Chen Xiaobei was pondering who to take up the mountain, a village guard hurried over to report that a guest had arrived.
Who could it be so early in the morning? Chen Xiaobei frowned. When he saw Feng Xiaoyue approaching from a distance, he quickly stepped forward.
"Xiaoyue, why are you here? It's so cold this early in the morning."
Feng Xiaoyue pointed behind her. The little girl over there was waving at him.
"I was planning to come in a few days, but the little girl insisted on seeing her brother, so I came with her. Oh, and the little girl wants to stay for a couple of days, so let her…"
So that's how it was.
Chen Xiaobei was still hesitant. He knew the little girl's temperament; she was a fearless character.
But she had come all this way.
As the saying goes, guests are always welcome.
If he directly refused, wouldn't it embarrass Feng Xiaoyue and hurt the little girl's feelings? Fang Jun would likely have something to say, even if he didn't voice it.
So, considering all factors, it was better to let her stay.
With this thought, he nodded. "It's fine for her to stay for a couple of days, but my conditions are truly limited. If the little girl doesn't mind, I welcome her with open arms."
Hearing his words, Feng Xiaoyue also let out a long sigh of relief and waved towards the distance. Soon, the little girl came skipping towards them.
"Little girl, Brother Xiaobei has agreed to let you stay, but there's a condition. After you come, you must be obedient and not run around everywhere."
The little girl beamed with joy. "I won't run, I won't run, I definitely won't. I know this, so don't worry."
After speaking, she turned to Chen Xiaobei, "Brother Xiaobei, don't worry, I will definitely listen to you."
Chen Xiaobei nodded gently.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Your brother will be here for lunch soon. Do you want to join us?"
Upon hearing this, the little girl seemed very happy. "Yes, yes! My sister-in-law and I came early specifically to cook a meal for my brother."
"You've thought of it more thoroughly than we did."
Chen Xiaobei felt a bit embarrassed by the little girl's praise.
He rubbed his nose. "Actually, many people in our village eat together. It's livelier with more people."