CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 145 VISITING

Ever since the introduction of the wind box, the blacksmith shop in Zhenzhou has been bustling day and night. Ironsmith Wang’s young apprentice pulls the wind box with a whooshing sound. Though Ironsmith Wang has lost some weight, he is in good spirits. When he handed the medicine knife to Xie Liangchen, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Besides feeling worthy of the task entrusted to him, he felt even more gratitude towards Miss Xie. He no longer needed to run to the government office every day to request an air bag. Moreover, he always felt that Miss Xie’s wind box was more effective than the air bag, so he often praised the wind box whenever he had a chance to rest.

See this? Made by Miss Xie from the Chen Family Village in Zhenzhou Prefecture. Nowhere else has something like this.

Air bag? No longer needed. It’s high time we moved on from air bags. Can’t you have a little foresight?

Isn’t this wind box good? It looks just like a wooden box, easy to move around, and anyone can pull it easily. Miss Xie also said that this thing is sturdy and easy to use. Even if it breaks, a carpenter can repair it.

Sharpening a knife does not delay cutting wood, and a furnace can’t produce good iron if it doesn’t reach the right temperature. Thanks to the wind box, Ironsmith Wang worked with all his might every day until he was exhausted and finally rested.

"Knowing that the Chen Family Village is making agricultural tools, people from nearby villages are no longer planning to forge iron pots," Ironsmith Wang said. "Without pots, they can manage, but after spring, without agricultural tools, they would be delayed. It was Miss Xie who foresaw this."

With someone who can see ahead, everyone following their lead can benefit greatly.

The blacksmith shop began making agricultural tools, and the Chen Family Village brought back two Yellow Oxen.

People from the nearby Sun Family Village came to see the oxen. When Grandpa Sun saw the large shed used for housing the livestock in Chen Family Village, he fell silent for a moment and then shook his head. He had thought he was knowledgeable, but compared to Miss Xie, it was like the sky and the earth.

On the way back to Sun Family Village, Sun Jiang couldn’t help asking, "Grandpa, what’s the matter with you? If we work hard, we can buy two Yellow Oxen too in a while."

Grandpa Sun sighed and said, "Did you only see the two Yellow Oxen?"

What else? Sun Jiang hadn’t considered there might be more.

Grandpa Sun said, "A shed that can’t be filled even with a dozen Yellow Oxen."

Sun Jiang suddenly understood.

Sun Fang still hadn’t figured it out, but how could a shed change Grandpa this way?

After a moment of silence, Sun Jiang said, "Grandpa, is this what you call foresight? Not everyone has it."

Grandpa Sun reached out and patted Sun Jiang, "I’m old, and in case something happens to me one day, you should know whom to look up to and which path to take. No matter how your path goes, you should be grateful, as if treating a clan elder."

Sun Jiang said, "Don’t worry, Grandpa, I understand."

Sun Fang beside them kept scratching his head. He didn’t know what Grandpa meant, but he was grateful to Miss Xie. It was a pity they were poor, and every time they came to Chen Family Village, they couldn’t bring good things. But once he had silver coins, he would surely repay Miss Xie and Chen Family Village well.

"Remember that," Grandpa Sun instructed Sun Jiang, "Miss Xie said, if anyone in the village falls ill, you should inform Chen Family Village."

Sun Jiang felt a little embarrassed, "It’s always troubling others."

Grandpa Sun stepped on the snow with a "crunch crunch" sound, "It’s not about troubling them. Don’t be careless. It’s easy to catch a plague this time of year."

Hearing the word "plague," Sun Jiang’s face changed.

Aside from war, plagues were the most terrifying, not knowing how many lives they might claim.

Chen Family Village.

Old Mrs. Chen looked at the two Yellow Oxen and shooed away the surrounding crowd, "Go back. What’s there to see? Haven’t you seen enough?"

"Grandmother," Hei Dan said, "It’s free to look."

Old Mrs. Chen regretted not buying the Yellow Oxen next year when they were needed. Her granddaughter insisted on raising them for a while, saying that after spring, everyone would be buying oxen, and there wouldn’t be much to choose from, and they wouldn’t be the same price either.

Every time it came to spending money, Sister Chen had a bunch of reasons, and Old Mrs. Chen could never refute her.

After finally selling some medicine, there’s no money left again. Old Mrs. Chen muttered. She originally wanted to save some silver coins to make a couple of dresses for Sister Chen.

Sister Chen had grown taller, and her dresses were worn out. She was busy all day and didn’t think about dressing up. Previously, Old Mrs. Chen thought it was good that Sister Chen didn’t like dressing up, so people wouldn’t be pining after her.

Now, Old Mrs. Chen wasn’t so worried. Firstly, Sister Chen knew martial arts, and secondly, she was always accompanied by Hei Dan and others for protection.

The most important thing was that the young men from Chen Family Village and nearby villages, when they saw Sister Chen, only had three words in their minds: Sister Chen.

Sister Chen’s position as an "elder sister" was deeply rooted, and no one dared to have bad intentions.

"Sister."

Xie Liangchen was at the Familiar Medicine Institute with Xu Tingzhen, sifting and grinding medicines, when she heard Hei Dan yelling through the door.

"What’s going on?" Xie Liangchen turned her head and asked.

"Someone’s here," Hei Dan said, "Old Mrs. Song has arrived."

Old Mrs. Song had mentioned wanting to visit Chen Family Village, but Xie Liangchen thought she would wait until the weather warmed up a bit...

Xie Liangchen looked at Xu Tingzhen. There was honey boiling on the stove, and someone needed to stay there.

"You go," Xu Tingzhen said, "I can handle things here." She had already realized that Liangchen couldn’t be tied to the Familiar Medicine Institute all day. Liangchen had too many things to do, and besides Chen Family Village, people from nearby villages often came to seek advice on various issues.

Looking back now, Xu Tingzhen realized that the Familiar Medicine Institute and Xie Liangchen were different from what she had imagined when she first wanted to take on an apprentice, but this made her even more content with her decision. Coming to Chen Family Village was the right choice.

Only one thing kept her uneasy. Liangchen had helped the government office to catch the Liao people. When she asked Liangchen about it, Liangchen said it was related to her lost memories.

She always felt there was more to it. Who exactly raised Liangchen?

...

Xie Liangchen met Old Mrs. Song at the village entrance as she got off the carriage.

Old Mrs. Song wore a gray squirrel cloak, and her inner clothes were in plain colors, with just a jade hairpin in her hair, giving her a very amiable appearance.

However, despite this, the people of Chen Family Village dared not gather around to speak to her.

It was only after Old Mrs. Chen greeted Old Mrs. Song that the people of Chen Family Village seemed to awaken from a dream and hurriedly followed suit.

Xie Liangchen supported Old Mrs. Song as they walked towards the village. Old Mrs. Song looked around, seeing the thatched houses, the smoke rising from cooking fires not far away, and the children running around with flushed faces. She suddenly let out a long breath.

Old Mrs. Song felt her chest was more open than usual: "I haven’t been out for a long time. It really feels good to come out and see."

After saying this, Old Mrs. Song looked at Old Mrs. Chen: "It’s going to trouble you all."

Old Mrs. Chen smiled and said, "What are you saying, we’re all happy that you could come. It’s just... we didn’t know in advance. Otherwise, we would have prepared more."

Old Mrs. Song said, "It was a bit abrupt coming unannounced, but it’s better than having you all worry. I just missed Liangchen. As I get older, once my mind is set, I can’t sit still, so I ask the old sister not to blame me."