Shipin Dalizheng

Chuncao's long skirt with a hundred flowers was finally delivered to her by Xue Dongjia himself on her coming-of-age day.

Looking at the beautifully embroidered skirt and the set of gold headgear brought by Xue Dongjia, Chuncao was overwhelmed with emotions.

Today she is fifteen years old and an adult, but her mistress has to become a man, working hard and worrying about the livelihoods of so many people.

"My young master, when did I ask you to prepare a skirt for me?"

While drinking pear syrup, Master Xue said, "That was two months ago, of course. This skirt took a long time to embroider. I told him I had another one embroidered that I didn't want anymore, and I wanted to give it to Prince Rong at a discount, but he refused and insisted on embroidering a new one for you."

Chuncao has always been puzzled. It has been a long time since Xue Dongjia came to measure her size, but she still hasn't received the new clothes. So this is what happened. She thought Xue Dongjia had forgotten about it, and as time went by, she forgot about it too.

"How much is this skirt? I'll go get it for Sister Xue."

Xue Dongjia smiled. "I didn't dare use such fine fabrics, fearing that violating regulations would bring you trouble. The main thing is the embroidery. The four embroiderers in the embroidery workshop worked on it for two months. Considering the gold and silver thread, it costs 280 taels. This set of headwear was ordered by Prince Rong, and he told me to send it to you whenever he sends the clothes. Oh, this set of headwear must cost several hundred taels. Prince Rong is really generous to you."

Xue Dongjia couldn't stop clicking his tongue, and that strange thought popped up in his mind again. Could it be that the person that Rong Shizi loved the most was actually this girl? Was she going to be taken in as a concubine in the future?

Chuncao thought back to her past with the young master: how she had been bullied and tortured in the Marquis's mansion, how she had crossed the Yangtze River and traveled north, changing her name and surname, even her gender, just about to live a more stable life. Yet, the young master hadn't given her a second thought and had already planned a coming-of-age banquet for her. But today was her coming-of-age celebration. The clothes and jewelry had arrived, but where was the young master?

Only then did she realize that she hadn't seen the young master for more than half a month. Although she heard that he was in Fuxinzhuang, she had never thought of visiting him once. She really had forgotten her roots.

She wiped away her tears and said, "I'll go find the young master. If he doesn't come to put the hairpin in my hairpin, I don't have any other relatives here."

Aunt Dahu laughed at her, "It has always been the responsibility of the female elders to put the hairpin in. It is not something that a man like Prince Tang should do. Stop crying, change into new clothes, comb your hair again, and ask Li Jin to call a few idle grandmothers and aunts to come and perform the ceremony for you. They have their own sponsors in the city, but we don't have that custom in our village, so forget it. When the auspicious time comes, let the person with the highest seniority put the hairpin in you. I have to prepare two tables for the feast quickly, Huixiang, Huizhen, hurry up."

Chuncao changed her clothes and dressed up with everyone's enthusiastic help. It's true that clothes make the man. After Chuncao grew taller and fatter, she looked no different from the noble ladies in the capital city when she put on this dress.

The aunts and ladies in the village kept praising her beauty, and Chuncao was half happy and half melancholy.

When the sound of horse hooves came closer, Li Jin went out to see what was happening. When he came back, he said happily, "Prince Tang is back."

It wasn't just Rong Tang who came back; the four great guards also came back along with the copper coins. The seven masters and servants who had once traveled thousands of miles together gathered again on this day.

Rong Shen and Tong Qian jointly managed the town's wine shop. Rong Tang only came back occasionally to stay overnight, and Rong Tang might not be there when he came back. Therefore, they had not seen each other for more than a month.

Rong Shen didn't like to talk much, so he was very exaggerated when talking about copper coins. "Master, I am your servant. How can you not take me with you to serve you? Just hire another waiter in the wine shop. I want to stay by your side."

Of course Rong Tang would not let him stay with him. As a woman, he did not need servants to help him dress and wash, but as a man, even Chuncao staying with him would damage her reputation.

"Okay, I don't need anyone to wait on me. Just do your job well and you've fulfilled your duty."

Because they came back, they set up two more tables and invited all the prominent people in the village to come and have a lively meal.

After seeing off the villagers after dinner, Rong Tang asked Huixiang, Huizhen and Li Jin to step aside and told them about an important matter.

"I'm planning to go back."

After a while, several people realized that the so-called "go back" meant going back to the Southern Dynasty.

Chuncao was startled, "Master, why?"

Is the young master homesick? No way, with such a mansion and such a family?

"Something happened in the south. I have to go back. There are some things that need to be sorted out, and some responsibilities that must be taken."

Chuncao said "oh" and went back to her own yard. She changed into her old clothes and carried a package.

Rong Tang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "I didn't say I was leaving right away. I still have a lot of things to explain here."

First of all, Rong Fei had to explain the situation in advance. He didn't plan to leave and never come back, and he didn't plan to give up the foundation he had built.

Chuncao said stubbornly, "I don't care. No matter where the young master goes, he must take me with him. Even if I die, I will never leave the young master's side."

"It's not that serious. You're a grown-up girl now. You need to learn to be independent..."

Before he could finish, Chuncao interrupted him vigilantly, "Master, are you going to get rid of me? You let me be independent, but you don't want me anymore."

No wonder the young master kept her in Rongjia Village, letting her learn how to make sweet wine, learn how to make sugar, and let her handle various matters on her own. It turned out that he didn't want her anymore.

"Look at you. I haven't said anything yet, but you're already feeling wronged. I know, I know. I'll take you with me wherever I go. I'm going out for a walk now. Do you want to come with me?"

Of course Chuncao had to go with them. As soon as they left, Rong Shen and Rong Qianqi asked Rong Zhan, "What's going on? How come we didn't know anything about this?"

Rong Zhan said, hands behind his back, "Things are indeed a bit sudden. The master only received the letter last night. A trip to the Southern Dynasty is necessary, but not all of us will go. In fact, only the master, Wanli, and I will go. The four of you must all stay."

Rong Shen and Rong Qianqi just pursed their lips, feeling aggrieved that they were not valued.

Rong Zhan scratched his head in frustration. "What's with that look on your face? Now that everyone's gone, who's going to look after this family business? Wanli and I are not good at running a business, but you two are at least competent. Isn't it also important for the master to look after this family business?"

Tongqian looked here and there, then blinked and said, "I won't cause any trouble. But Brother Zhan, can you bring my mother over?"

Rong Zhan was relieved, "You are sensible. It's not like we won't come back. You and Chuncao girl have no martial arts skills. This journey is full of difficulties and dangers. I can't run fast with you."

Rong Shen and Rong Qianqi's faces turned dark.

Rong Zhan turned around and comforted them, "I'm not talking about you, you are just the ones who look after the house."

Rong Tang walked out of the yard and headed towards the waterwheel workshop. The daytime in August was still very hot, and villagers were already harvesting grain in some early-ripening sorghum fields around the workshop.

Rong An had already made a detailed understanding of the employment situation in the workshop. When he saw him coming, he followed him and reported the situation.

"Our village has sent fifty people, and the other villages have also sent about thirty or forty people. Uncle Erzhu and Uncle Sanzhu from Sixth Master's family, Uncle Dahu and Uncle Dafeng from Eighth Master's family, they were the first to learn how to do the work, and now they are all small managers."

Rong Tang looked towards the rice fields. "Second and Third Zhu Uncles have already gone into the workshop. Who's watching over the rice fields?"

"It's the veterans, Third Master, Sixth Master, and Eighth Master. I heard the rice is almost ripe, so they're roaming around the fields every day."