The man Huang Wu, holding his wine cup, spoke again, "Please rest assured, Great Hero Jiang. I will stay here for a few more days, and wait until the Great Cang Kingdom celebrates their New Year. Then I will make my move."
Hearing this, a cold smile flashed across Jiang Shangpiao's lips. "Good, well said. Let him die at the height of his joy."
Afterward, the two men exchanged a glance and once again raised their wine cups cheerfully.
The next morning, Wan Nian City became bustling as the common people began their pre-New Year shopping spree.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaobei, along with Liu Rumei, left Wan Nian City quietly in a carriage. Behind them, Liu Tie, Liu Ce, and others followed, driving over a dozen carriages in a grand procession.
Almost simultaneously, the Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan also departed Wan Nian City, though they took the south gate.
Shen Ziyan traveled alone in a carriage, accompanied by her maid, Xiao Hua.
The Lotus Cult Leader, however, shared a carriage with Jiang Shangpiao. Inside the covered carriage, the Lotus Cult Leader happily nestled in Jiang Shangpiao's arms, murmuring sweet nothings. Jiang Shangpiao, while indulging Tang Lianhua, couldn't help but think of Huang Wu. He was confident that within a few days, the grand news from the capital would spread far and wide. The thought alone caused his lips to curl upwards involuntarily.
"Lianhua," he said, "after we return this time, let's get married after the New Year. We can't just watch the princess get married."
Upon hearing this, Tang Lianhua's face bloomed with happiness as she pressed herself tightly against his chest. "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."
...
As some left, others arrived. Fang Jun ultimately left Feng Xiaoyue behind and returned to the capital alone.
Feng Xiaoyue understood Fang Jun's departure.
However, she didn't feel much sadness. With the New Year approaching, travelers hurried along the roads, eager to return home. The businesses in Xiao Family Town, conversely, became busier than usual.
Feng Xiaoyue now managed four restaurants in Xiao Family Town herself, effectively becoming the undisputed leader of the restaurant industry in the town.
One day, while busy at the Sihai Restaurant, Xiao Mu rushed in, "Sister Xiaoyue, Sister Hongyu from Hetou Village is here. She's waiting for you at home."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaoyue put down her work and dashed home. Seeing Cui Hongyu, Feng Xiaoyue was overjoyed. She jumped up and down, grabbing Cui Hongyu's arm and shaking it continuously. "Sister Hongyu, what brings you here?"
Cui Hongyu smiled and patted Feng Xiaoyue's hand before continuing, "Xiaoyue, I know Fang Jun has returned, and you might feel a bit lonely here by yourself. If you finish your work in a couple of days, come to Hetou Village, and we can celebrate the New Year together."
Feng Xiaoyue's face filled with gratitude. She nodded emphatically, "Thank you so much, Sister Hongyu. I was just planning to give the staff some time off in a couple of days."
Afterward, she pulled Cui Hongyu into the house, brewed some tea, and placed a bowl before Cui Hongyu.
"Sister Hongyu, will Brother Xiaobei be back in a couple of days?"
Cui Hongyu nodded, a hint of happiness appearing on her face. "He sent a letter back a couple of days ago from Wan Nian City, saying he'll be back for the New Year."
"Oh, and Miss Liu Rumei will also be returning. You can go over together then."
Feng Xiaoyue smiled and nodded, "Great, great! Then I'll definitely come and join the fun."
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
This morning, Hetou Village was filled with excitement as Chen Xiaobei and Liu Rumei returned.
Chen Dayong, Chen Dachun, Chen Xiaowen, and others were overjoyed, and nearly half the village turned out to welcome them.
Even the Old Ancestor, leaning on his cane, personally came to greet Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei waved to the crowd and then stepped forward, taking the Old Ancestor's hand. He said emotionally, "Old Ancestor, I'm back. Thank you all for your hard work during this time."
The Old Ancestor nodded with a smile, "You're finally back. Everyone has been waiting for you."
Chen Xiaobei smiled and patted the Old Ancestor's hand. "Thank you all for your concern. I'm back just in time for the New Year, and we can have a good drink together."
After the pleasantries, Chen Xiaobei returned to his home, where Chen Dayong came in to report on the recent situation.
The charcoal had been continuously produced and sent to the city and Xiao Family Town, where it was a sought-after commodity. The cabbage and other produce had been largely sold. Some of Liu Rumei's subordinates had returned to the capital with them, while the remaining staff had also produced a significant amount of charcoal. Of course, he had his own sales channels for the charcoal he produced.
Chen Xiaobei nodded repeatedly as he listened. "Excellent, that's great."
"With the New Year approaching, let everyone work hard for a few more days and then stop. They've worked hard all year and deserve a rest."
He then changed the subject. "Brother Dayong, after the New Year when the weather warms up, the demand for charcoal will decrease. We need to start planning for what we'll do next."
Hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Chen Dayong was momentarily stunned. Then he scratched his head and chuckled, "You're right, we do need to plan early. But what else can we do?"
Indeed, what else could they do? Chen Xiaobei also couldn't come up with an answer for the moment. It seemed they could only take things one step at a time.
Meanwhile, Liu Rumei, in her own residence, was listening to reports from her subordinates, including Ma Xiaogang. During this period, Ma Xiaogang and his team had earned several dozen taels of silver from selling charcoal.
While not a large sum, it was sufficient to cover the food and drink expenses for so many people, at least achieving self-sufficiency.
This brought Liu Rumei a sense of relief.
However, considering she was the daughter of a marquis, ending up living in this small mountain village by selling charcoal was rather poignant.
"Miss, I think we need to find some other avenues. We won't get rich just by selling this," Liu Ce couldn't help but say.
Liu Rumei nodded gently. "Yes, you're right. We won't get rich this way. We need to think of more ideas."
"So, for the next while, everyone think about what else we can do."
"Also, the New Year is coming soon, so stop producing once you've made enough. Don't send any more for now."
Chen Xiaobei and Liu Rumei adopted almost the same approach, and their subordinates were naturally delighted, erupting in cheers.
Just as everyone was cheerfully preparing for the New Year, Feng Xiaoyue received another letter from the capital. After reading it, she frowned. The letter was from her father, once again inviting her and Fang Jun to return to the capital for the New Year. Su Dan Novels.
Seeing this, Xiaoyue was a little surprised.
Counting the days, Fang Jun had been gone for five days. He should have arrived in the capital by now.
With some doubts, Feng Xiaoyue wrote a reply, informing her father, Feng Pengju, that she would not be returning, but Fang Jun would.
Three days later, the letter arrived at Wan Nian City. Feng Pengju was stunned after reading it.
According to Feng Xiaoyue's timeline, Fang Jun had set off eight days ago, so he should have arrived by now, no matter what.
Filled with trepidation and unease, he waited another day, but still no news.
Fang Zheng couldn't wait any longer. He immediately sent out servants from the manor to search along the route.