【Quick Wear】My Years as a Mother-in-law

"Sir, I can get all the trees you mentioned. Orange trees can be planted in pots, but they cannot bear fruit. They must be kept in a warm indoor environment. Plum trees, osmanthus trees, Podocarpus, jujube trees and crabapple trees are easy to survive if transplanted in spring and autumn." The fruit farmer explained.

"Okay, we'll talk about it later. Another peach tree."

The fruit farmer was responsible for delivering the goods to the door. Yun Xi, who was holding a child, found it inconvenient, so she agreed.

The fruit farmer brought his wife to help Yun Xi, and asked his eldest son and second son to help the manager of the village plant trees.

After arriving home, Yun Xi said, "Please help me plant the fruit tree and tie the bottom with straw."

The fruit farmer and his wife agreed. "Tie straw? That's a good idea. It will keep you warm."

When I got home, before I could even have a sip of hot tea, Zhao's mother knocked on the door and came in.

"Madam Yun, are you planning to plant trees?"

"Yes, you can plant fruit trees and eat them yourself or sell them. It's always a good idea." Yun Xi's explanation touched Zhao's mother's heart. Zhao's mother helped tie the sheep to the door of the woodshed, started to boil water, and entertained the fruit farmer and his wife. After watching them plant the fruit trees and leave, she pulled Yun Xi aside and whispered, "Madam Yun, do you know how much dowry girls from wealthy families usually get when they get married?"

Yun Xi poured a glass of warm water and began to feed Yun Duan. She was puzzled when she heard this, "What's wrong? Is Lu Dalai engaged to Tao Yao?"

Mother Zhao still feels like she's dreaming. "Yes, I asked the official media to mediate. I'm worried that Tao'er's dowry is too small and she'll be bullied if she marries him."

"You're overthinking this. Marquis Yuanren has been stationed at the border for years, his mistress died young, and he only has Lu Da as his eldest son. He has no parents-in-law or siblings, so who could possibly bully Taoyao?" Yun Xi persuaded Zhao's mother while busying herself. "If you're really worried, why not hire someone to teach Taoyao? After all, they're still young, so it wouldn't be a big deal if they get married two or three years later."

Mother Zhao whispered, "Taoyao brought back five hundred taels of silver. Do you think this is enough for her dowry?"

"It's not much, but don't worry. Taoyao gets along very well with those children. They will definitely send some gifts. You can give them to Taoyao when the time comes. It's not too shabby." Yun Xi comforted her, "You two should stop comparing yourself with others. Just treat it normally and teach your children how to manage the affairs of a wealthy family."

"It seems that this is the only way. Even if I sell my blood and the blood of the child's father, it will not be enough to raise the dowry for the daughter of a wealthy family." Mother Zhao felt much more at ease and left the Yun family.

As the sky grew darker, Yun Xi first fed Yunduan with goat milk, heated up the rice left over from the morning and ate it all, then lit the lamp and went to the boys' room to put the bedding into the mustard seed space, waiting to be washed in the spring and left for Yunduan to use when he grew up.

Because we have a baby, I have more worries when I sleep at night. Fortunately, Yunduan is just as Aunt Chen said, he doesn’t like to cry and is easy to raise. I only need to change his diaper once at night and feed him goat milk once, and he can sleep through the night.

Yun Xi opened her eyes at around eight o'clock the next morning and turned her head to meet Yunduan's big grape-like eyes. Yunduan was chewing her little feet and smiling, revealing her bare gums.

"This child is really easy to raise. Nanny Chen is not lying to me."

Yun Xi touched the child's diaper and found it was wet, with a bubble of something from the cycle of grains inside.

I got up and poured some warm water, wiped the baby's butt with a cloth, and changed it into dry cotton cloth. The little baby Yunduan crawled around comfortably on the bed.

Yun Xi poured the dirty water into the vegetable garden and started her day. She blocked the edge of the bed with a quilt and let the child crawl on the bed to play. Yun Xi went to the kitchen to busy herself. She boiled goat milk for Yun Duan on a stove. She added a little tea leaves to the fishy goat milk and it immediately became fragrant.

I made a lot of buns and dumplings before the New Year and froze them. I steamed two big buns for myself and served them with thick millet porridge. My stomach felt very comfortable after eating them.

After eating, the goat milk was almost dry, and Yun Xi started to feed Yun Duan. This kid had a big appetite. After drinking a bowl, he pointed at the bowl and asked for more. He couldn't speak, and only made "ah ah" sounds to express his needs.

"No, that's all the ewes we have. I'll feed you again in an hour and a half."

Yun Xi wrapped the child in a thick swaddling cloth and carried him to the main room to pick up the manuscript before going out. She placed the night fragrance bucket at the door. Ye Xianglang understood.

Walking all the way to Canglan Bookstore, Yun Xi met Shi Shu smoothly. "Shopkeeper Shi, Happy New Year! I'm here with a new manuscript. Didn't you go home for the New Year?"

Shi Shu's face was full of smiles. "Madam Yun, you are finally here. Happy New Year, Happy New Year. The bookstore will open in a few days, and I will make some preparations."

Today is the seventh day of the first lunar month. Canglan Bookstore has reopened after the tenth day holiday. It would be great if Madam Yun could deliver the manuscript in advance.

As he spoke, Shi Shu looked at the swaddling baby she was holding with curiosity, "Madam Yun, is this your child?"

Yun Xi showed him the child's face, "Yes, it's my child, named Yunduan, Yunduan, smiling at the shopkeeper."

Yunduan was very considerate and showed a big, cute smile. Shopkeeper Shi felt good about it and stuffed a red envelope into the little kid's pocket.

After handing in the manuscript, Yun Xi exchanged a few words with Shi Shu and then said goodbye and left.

I paid two hundred taels of silver for the first two books before the New Year. I don’t know if I can still sell them after the New Year, but I have nothing to worry about as I have new books. Besides, I have five hundred taels of silver given by Mr. Lu and others. I can never spend it all.

Walking on the road, Xiao Yunduan looked at the hustle and bustle on the street curiously, and slowly understood this world. The red envelope given by Manager Shi contained two silver peanuts, each worth less than one penny, and was worth about fifty cents, which was quite a lot.

Yun Xi walked into a furniture workshop. There were not many pieces of furniture in the shop, mostly small items. The waiter greeted her warmly, "Happy New Year, sir. What would you like to buy?"

"Little Brother, do you have piggy banks for sale?"

"Yes, yes. Please come over here and take a look. We have gourd-shaped ones, square wooden ones, and a wide variety."

Yun Xi looked at them carefully and chose the largest one in the shape of a gourd. "I want this one. Oh, and I want to order tables, chairs, and benches. Is that possible?"

We opened the business so early after the New Year and I don’t know if the carpenters have come to work.

"Sure, sure. Sir, what kind of tables and chairs would you like to order?"

Yun Xi looked at the blueprints the other party brought and pointed at the most common tables and chairs. "Two sets of these, six crescent stools, and two larger wooden cabinets. They must be made of solid ash wood."

"Okay, three taels of silver in total, one tael as a deposit."

"Okay, make sure it's ready and send it to the Yun family, the last one in the first row from the south of Taolifang."

After ordering the furniture, Yun Xi turned around and looked for a clothing store that was already open.

"Boss, I want to buy ready-made clothes. Are these the only pieces I have?"

Yun Xi looked at the clothes hanging on the wall. They were all brocade clothes and not suitable for ordinary people to wear.

"Hey, sir, no matter what clothes you want, I have many embroiderers here and they can make them for you very quickly. You won't have to wait long." The proprietress explained hurriedly, fearing that the customer would run away impatiently.