Farming and reading family

Sandalwood carriages are durable and expensive, and their prices have skyrocketed due to the preference of dignitaries.

"I don't know what kind of wood it is." Gao E pretended to be confused. "It was so dirty before that I couldn't tell. It looks better after I brushed it."

Chen Ke subconsciously wanted to ask how much it cost, but finally held back.

Gao E didn't ask him for money, but he asked her all kinds of questions. If she hadn't known, she would have thought he was thinking about his wife's dowry.

"I plan to ask Master An to buy some paint and brush it on. What do you think, my husband?" Gao E asked.

Chen Ke wanted to keep his wealth hidden. People in He County might not know much about sandalwood, and it would be bad if someone knew about it and planned to take advantage of them.

"Okay." He nodded. "As long as my wife likes it."

Gao E certainly likes this life without interference: "By the way, is my husband living at home or in the school during this period?"

Chen Ke hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's stay at home."

Gao E noticed Chen Ke's hesitation and said, "Then I have no choice but to ask my husband to stay at Luo Dagang's house first. Yu Zhao can also stay there to take care of him."

Chen Ke was puzzled.

"There is no empty room at home, so Qing'er and Que'er still have to share a room with me." Gao E was helpless.

Chen Ke thought about it and realized that there were indeed a lot of people at home: "Then I'd better live in the school."

"Okay." Gao E nodded.

Chen Qing and the others didn't come back at night, so Yang and Lei were worried about their men and came to Gao E's place for a visit.

Gao E had no other choice. It was already this late, and even if she sent someone to check it out, they wouldn't be able to enter the city. She could only wait until tomorrow.

The next day after breakfast, Gao E asked Yu Zhao to drive her and Master An to He County. On the way, she met Chen Qing and others who were walking back. Knowing that the matter had been settled, she greeted them and passed by.

Chen Jie looked back at the carriage that was even bigger than the previous one and said, "Did my second brother buy a new carriage? It's even better than the previous one."

Chen Qing was also surprised. It was obvious that they were not from the Gao family. "Your second brother is doing well, but you are not happy?"

"Happy." Chen Jie said with a smile.

Lei Ming said nothing. The matter was settled and the blacksmiths didn't say anything either, but he was not happy.

When they arrived in He County, Yu Zhao took Master An to buy paint, and Gao E went to find Tao Meiyu.

She brought some dry goods for Tao Meiyu, and when she entered the room, she saw Tao Meiyu asking the servants to pack up.

"What are you doing?" Gao E wondered if Tao Meiyu was going to move.

Tao Meiyun was now showing her pregnancy and looked a little clumsy. She motioned Gao E to come in and sit down: "I was just about to look for you."

"What's the matter?" Gao E handed the things she brought to Sheng'er.

"Is there anything delicious?" Tao Meiyu looked at the bag of things.

"If you're not hungry, eat less." Gao E said unhappily.

Tao Meiyun felt that as long as she wanted to eat, she was hungry: "You are also heartless. You won't come to see me if I don't look for you."

"Your family is too high for me to reach." Gao E joked.

Tao Meiyun pointed at the things the servants were packing and said, "You've come just in time. I'll have someone send these things to you later."

Gao E thought everything was good: "Why don't you want it?"

Tao Meiyun was somewhat discouraged. "News came from the Tao family that my master was appointed by the emperor to serve in Xiangzhou. I guess he will go to the capital to express his gratitude after the New Year, and then go to Xiangzhou."

Gao E had heard Lu Hao say this before, and after hearing Tao Meiyun say this, she was sure of it: "Master He, this is a promotion, why do you look so unhappy?"

Tao Meiyun glanced at Gao E and said, "What's there to be happy about? I originally thought that he would serve in He County for three years, and that he would give birth to the child safely. I could also visit the house I built in your village. Now all that's gone to waste."

"Lord He doesn't want to hear you say that." Gao E reminded.

"He can't be happy either. He said he got a promotion, but Xiangzhou is a place with high mountains and long rivers. It's full of snakes and insects, and the humidity is extremely heavy. It would be lucky if half of the officials who serve there are still alive." Although Tao Meiyu was joking, there was worry in her eyes.

"Could this be the same as before..." Gao E thought of Tao Meiyu's worry that He Tangchun was being flattered to death.

Tao Meiyun knew what Gao E was talking about: "I'm not sure."

"Then... Lord He must be exhausted from the journey to the capital and then to Xiangzhou. What are your plans?" Gao E said worriedly.

Besides, if Xiangzhou is really as Tao Meiyu said, it is very likely that she will suffer from acclimatization problems when she first arrives there, which is too dangerous for a pregnant woman.

"I plan to go back to Dancheng." Tao Meiyu said with a gloomy look in her eyes.

"Go back to Dancheng..." Gao E thought of Tao Meiyu's mother-in-law who made her worry.

"Don't worry, I'm going back to Dancheng and not to the He family. It's okay." Tao Meiyu saw through Gao E's thoughts.

"If you don't go to the He family, the He family won't look for you?" Gao E looked at Tao Meiyu.

Tao Meiyun thought so: "My door is not so easy to enter. Before, I was inferior to others because I had no children. Now that I am pregnant and my husband trusts me, what do I have to fear?"

"It's best if you think this way." Gao E was slightly relieved. "But the Tao family has a lot of rules. If you go too far, it won't be good for you to bring trouble to the Tao family."

This is what gives Tao Meiyu a headache.

She could ignore the He family, but she had no way to deal with the Tao family.

"If the enemy comes, we will stop him; if the water comes, we will block it with earth." Tao Meiyu straightened her back. "If I hide, they will think I am afraid of them."

Gao E nodded: "Then tell me when you are leaving in advance and I will see you off."

"Prepare some food for me on the way." Tao Meiyu said directly.

"Okay." Gao E agreed helplessly, "But if you leave, we don't know when we can see each other again."

"You can come and see me." Tao Meiyu said immediately.

"It's easy for you to say." Gao E did not refuse directly.

"Forget it, I'll write you a letter and you just need to reply." Tao Meiyun also knew that it was dangerous to go so far without an escort. "Those scholars travel around and study so freely, but we have such trouble just going out."

"You're still pretty good." Gao E envied.

The Tao family has status and position, so people give them some face wherever they go and don't dare to rob them easily.

Ordinary people like Gao E would just die if they died outside.

Tao Meiyu did not deny it, and the two were silent for a while.

Gao E hesitated for a long time before asking, "I want to ask you something."

"Speak." Tao Meiyu also wanted to change the subject.

"If someone opens a mine privately..."

Tao Meiyun immediately sat up straight and raised her hand to stop her from saying anything further: "Sheng'er, get everyone out."

Gao E didn't expect Tao Meiyu to become so serious in an instant.

Sheng'er bowed and immediately cleared everyone out of the room. She also bowed and left, closing the door.

Tao Meiyun looked at Gao E suspiciously: "Do you know something?"

Gao E looked at Tao Meiyun and asked, "Why do I feel like you know something?"

Tao Meiyun lowered her voice and said, "He Tangchun is a very cautious person. It's impossible for him to be completely unaware that the iron ingots shipped to He County are so different from the previous ones. He just doesn't dare to investigate whether someone is passing off inferior goods as good ones or for some other reason."