Before fleeing famine, marry a playboy!

Li Yuening did not stop until she was exhausted. Satisfied with the surging power in her body, she jumped into the newly formed stream to cleanse herself.

After taking a nap on the bed in the space, she began to patrol her territory again. She didn't know how many vegetables had rotted, but Li Yuening still didn't care about them.

However, the red-green rhizome plants that had not been harvested before have grown up. The branches have turned brown, and the brown flower-like shells on the branches are covered with white velvet, which is very pleasing to the eye.

Li Yuening walked closer and touched the white velvet flower. It felt soft and warm, and then she pinched something hard. She picked one and placed it in her palm and peeled it carefully. The brown fruit was full of vitality.

"Is this... cotton?"

In her previous life, Li Yuening had seen dried flowers made of cotton, which were collected as specimens together with other varieties of flowers. These things were the proof that the earth once had beautiful scenery.

I don’t know why cotton seeds were mixed with vegetable seeds, but it’s a surprise. With this, I don’t have to wear so many layers of clothes this winter.

There was no cotton in the Great Jin Dynasty. People who practiced martial arts had internal strength and basically did not need to keep warm. Ordinary people often used animal fur, or sewed reed fluff and kapok wool into their clothes, which had little effect in keeping out the cold.

The wealthy families and the royal family had fox furs and fine silver charcoal in winter, so they would not get cold wherever they went. Ordinary people only felt sorry for themselves. This was one of the reasons why the population of the Jin Dynasty had been stagnant.

Every winter is a disaster for the elderly, children and women. For women who give birth in winter, the infants and mothers must not only ensure adequate nutrition, but also keep warm.

The survival rate of babies born in winter is only 3%, and many mothers suffer from underlying diseases that make it difficult for them to get pregnant again. This cycle also causes the population base to become lower and lower.

Li Yuening looked at the seeds in her hand. Not only would the common people not recognize them, but even if they grew seedlings, they would pull them out early as weeds.

This is a good thing. Li Yuening found a needlework basket and carefully picked up the cotton balls one by one.

The five seedlings grew into five cotton trees, and the cotton balls they produced were so many that they couldn't even fit into a basket. After running several times, Li Yuening looked at the bed full of cotton balls and realized that by winter she would have the only cotton quilt in all of Dajin.

Li Yuening was busy in the space, and outside the space was the study of Xie Mansion.

After hearing the reply from his confidant, Xie Lin remained silent. Xie An slammed the table in anger, "This is really too much, Dad, I told you long ago that they are just a bunch of ungrateful wolves who can never be fed..."

"Shut up." Xie Lin looked at his son with a headache. He was so impatient at his age and lost his temper when something happened.

Xie Lin stopped his son from talking nonsense and said to his confidant: "I know about this matter. It's getting late, so you should go back and rest."

After his confidant left, Xie Lin began to lecture Xie An, "You never think before you speak. Do you need your father to teach you what to say and what not to say?"

Xie An hung his head and muttered unconvincedly, "I didn't say anything wrong."

"No matter what the truth is, you can't say this. Zhan Ge'er will take the imperial examination in the future. If these words get to their ears, have you thought about the consequences?"

Xie An pursed his lips, struggled for a while and said: "Dad, what should we do if what Yu Cheng said comes true?"

Yu Cheng was Xie Ling's confidant.

Xie Ling picked up the tea bowl, skimmed off the foam, and brought it to his mouth. The tea was already cold, but he still took a sip. The bitterness in his mouth spread to his heart.

After a long sigh, Xie Lin waved his hand and said, "Let me think about it."

Xie An couldn't bear it. His father was old and his brother was ignorant. The family could only rely on him. "Dad, there is something I have wanted to ask for a long time."

Xie Ling raised his eyelids and glanced at him impatiently.

Xie An swallowed his saliva and said, "I just want to ask, the grandfather has been gone for so many years, and the master's family doesn't have any elders who need us to serve, why should we give them money as subsidies?

It is more appropriate to say that it is an offering rather than a subsidy. Dad, we are the ones who suffer, why are they the ones who enjoy it? I don’t understand.”

Xie Ling rubbed his forehead tiredly.

Seeing this, Xie An said, "Dad, if you don't want to talk about it, don't talk about it. I'm leaving now."

Xie An thought that Xie Lin had some difficulties, and seeing that his father was troubled, he tactfully did not ask any further questions.

When Xie An walked to the door and was about to open it, he heard Xie Lin's old voice saying, "After all, the master is an official, one of the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. Most people in the world dislike the status of a businessman but love his money. They themselves cannot let go of their status, and this is also the way we survive in the cracks.

As the saying goes, it's easier to get things done if you have someone in the court. Although we have been running around in recent years, we have also been able to get a lot of convenience by borrowing the name of our master.

Otherwise, how many people do you think would give face to your father based on his old face?

Besides, Zhan'er, Hang'er and Yi'er are all scholars, and they will inevitably need help from the host family in the future. It is better to make arrangements in advance than to cram at the last minute.

Money is something outside of one's body. If one of the three brothers is recommended and passes the imperial examination, it will be a big event that will change the family's status."

Xie An turned around and said, "It's my son who is stupid." He only paid attention to the greed of the people in the master's family.

Then Xie Lin said worriedly, "I can still hold on these years, but if one day I am gone..."

Looking at his only son who could still discuss things with him, he felt sad, "No one will protect you now."

Xie An knelt down hurriedly and said in panic: "Dad, please don't get hurt, son...son..."

He couldn't say the rest of the words. He knew that his abilities were limited and he couldn't make decisions on many things by himself and had to ask his father for advice.

Xie Lin sighed. No matter what decision the master made, he had to hold on. "An'er, I want Zhan'er to marry Ning'er. What do you think?"

After all, Xie An is Xie Zhan’s biological father, so it’s better to ask for his opinion.

Xie An was unwilling to do so. "Dad, didn't you say that you would let Li's niece choose for herself?"

"Among the grandchildren, only Zhan'er is worthy of Sister Ning. I don't feel comfortable leaving it to anyone else."

Xie An complained in his heart: Who is your grandson? You are so biased.

"Dad, I think we should ask the two children for their opinions. What if... one of them is not willing? Wouldn't that make us a couple with grievances?"

Xie Ling slammed the table angrily, "Is it you who doesn't want to or your wife?"

Xie An: No one agrees, Dad.

But she said, "What if Zhan passes the imperial examination and doesn't have a helpful in-law family? Wouldn't he have to go through a lot of detours? And what if Zhan is favored by a princess or a county lady, and is forced to divorce his wife and marry someone else? Wouldn't the niece of the Li family be the one who suffers?"

Xie Lin grabbed the teacup and threw it at Xie An, angrily saying, "You are a man, but you only think about relying on nepotism. You are useless. If you can't even protect your wife and children, you are not worthy of being a man. Get out."

Xie An took the teacup steadily and placed it on the ground skillfully. "Dad, there are only a few sets of this fine celadon teacup left. Be patient, it's quite expensive."

"roll."

Xie An opened and closed the door in one go, as if he had practiced it more than a hundred times. It was simply because he was so skilled.

After everyone left, Xie Ling let out a breath, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and thought.

Xie An was right in what he said. If Xie Zhan was really chosen by an official in Yecheng, would he really divorce Ning Jie'er?

Xie Ling really didn't dare to gamble, simply because he himself didn't understand his most outstanding grandson.

After Xie Shi returned to the house, he took out the red clay tea set he had brought with him, held the cup and examined it. Looking closely, his eyes were no longer on the cup, and his eyes sparkled with something he was thinking about...