Divorced woman with child travels through time

As soon as the carriage arrived at the money exchange, Wang Erniu got off, handed over the silver notes, withdrew 20,000 taels, and asked someone to deliver it to the camp the next day. He then took Chen Wenfang and returned to his residence.

The kids went to play with Ouyang Jin and haven't come back yet.

Wang Erniu urged Chen Wenfang to cook, and he assisted her.

Chen Wenfang tied on the apron she had made herself, and while the two chatted on and on, she prepared four dishes and a soup: braised fish and braised pork with a rich, dark sauce; stir-fried lotus root slices that were crisp and sweet; stir-fried pork with dried chili peppers that were spicy and delicious; and mutton stewed with white radish, which was made with mutton broth that had been simmering all day and was extremely delicious.

"Mother, we're back!"

The meal had just been served when the children returned, along with Chu Yi and Ouyang Jin, and their page Wangcai.

Wang Erniu frowned; the vegetable snatchers were here.

Chen Wenfang chuckled and nodded at him.

"Add two more fires!" He told the old woman to bring over a large basket of washed bean sprouts.

First, crack fifteen eggs, sprinkle with chopped green onions, a pinch of chili powder, salt, and soy sauce, then beat them. Heat the pan until the oil smokes, then add the eggs. "Sizzle!" The eggs instantly turn fluffy and golden brown, sizzling and foaming. Chen Wenfang takes a spatula and uses it to stir the eggs in the pan, breaking them into small pieces. She then plates them, filling the room with a delicious aroma.

He stir-fried a large bowl of refreshing bean sprouts and served a long-simmered old hen soup. That was enough for the whole table. The dishes at Wang Erniu's house were always large in portion, and there was definitely enough for so many people.

Chen Wenfang knew Wang Erniu's appetite, so the mansion always kept at least two or three kinds of stewed meat or soup. Knowing that he often left early and returned late, and that he might not return home at any time, she specially hired three old women to be in charge of the kitchen's meals, ensuring that there were two pots of stewed meat every day, either chicken soup with braised meat or mutton soup with beef. Moreover, the three old women worked in three shifts, so that even if Wang Erniu came home in the middle of the night, he could still have a hot meal.

"Come on, come on, it's time to eat!"

Wang Erniu carried two plates of stir-fried bean sprouts, and Chen Wenfang followed behind, smiling, also carrying a plate. There was really a lot of stir-fried food.

Are there many? Not really, they're all just teenagers, but they can eat so much. Chen Wenfang watched the children wolfing down their food, and the man next to her who was practically throwing food away while eating. She silently picked up some food with her chopsticks and slowly ate her own meal.

Ouyang Jin was the most obedient, and Chu Yi took extra care of him, picking up a few bites of food for him before giving him a wicked smile and saying, "Alright, you can eat slowly by yourself. I don't have time for the rest of the time."

After saying that, he buried himself in his food and ate it at a speed that was as fast as a whirlwind.

"I want this!" "Me too!" The kids weren't going to be outdone, holding their bowls and pointing at their chopsticks, wanting the dishes further away.

Ouyang Jin had only taken two bites when he stared dumbfounded at Wangcai on the table, who had agreed with his reaction. He then turned to the elegant Chen Wenfang and said with difficulty, "Madam, they have always been like this."

Chen Wenfang nodded heavily, then grabbed another piece of braised pork and put it in his bowl, saying, "Eat up, look how thin you are."

Ouyang Jin chuckled, feeling a warm glow in his heart. The meal was finished amidst the lively scramble.

The next day, Chu Yi followed the people from the money shop and delivered the silver as promised. Wang Erniu didn't go; he was with his dear wife buying New Year's goods.

Although the Jiang brothers were furious, they still received the money as usual and ran away after receiving it. The camp should have been on holiday by now, as it was already the 27th of the twelfth lunar month and they should have been celebrating the New Year.

Zhang Jing and Wang Feng were helping several magistrates distribute their salaries. Wang Erniu said that the money would be distributed directly to the drill ground, one by one, without going through anyone else. After receiving their salaries and leaving their fingerprints, they would be allowed to go home on leave, ensuring that the money would not fall into the hands of anyone with ulterior motives.

This was indeed a good move. Everything was clean from top to bottom, and the silver was divided up cleanly. The soldiers happily took the money home, and Wang Erniu's reputation reached its peak. He actually gave money away just like that.

Zhang Jing was also very satisfied with the result. He had completed his mission and even received his salary.

Zhang Jing then realized that Wang Erniu had studied personnel transfers extremely thoroughly, which was why he could calculate the money so accurately. When he thought about Wang Erniu's background, he understood. They were both people who had come up from the bottom, so they naturally understood the intricacies of the situation.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, at the entrance of the grain supply office.

Normally, there's no one left to hold the post; there are just two old men guarding the gate.

Wang Erniu arrived with several of his personal guards.

The two gaunt old men's eyes lit up, and they quickly stepped forward, their faded casual clothes becoming dazzling.

"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" The two men asked solicitously, one on each side, bowing low as if afraid of offending him.

"I wonder if Eunuch Wan from here has come today?" Wang Erniu asked, cupping his hands in greeting.

The two exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat flattered and surprised that someone was bowing to them for the first time.

The older of the two men, the one with the longer beard, straightened his hat, which had been blown askew by the wind, and said, "General Lao, you've made a wasted trip. Eunuch Wan didn't come today."

"Oh~" Wang Erniu responded meaningfully. Where did this little eunuch go? He's not in the mansion, nor in Suya Courtyard. Where else could he have gone?

The younger old man's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he scrutinized Wang Erniu's expression and asked, "General, are you looking for Eunuch Wan? Have you encountered some difficulties?"

Wang Erniu immediately understood, clasped his hands and said, "I would be extremely grateful for any guidance you two may offer." After saying that, he secretly slipped a silver ingot through his sleeve.

"Thank you, sir. I heard that Eunuch Wan has a lover in Pingnan Ward, but I don't know if it's true." The thin old man accepted the silver under the cover of his long sleeves and exchanged a glance with another old man.

"Oh, it seems to be that student who lives in the dormitory building, what's his name, Yu Long? Alas, what a pity." The long-bearded old man immediately chimed in, like a straight man in a comedy duo.

"Then I won't bother you two. I have other matters to attend to." Having gotten what he wanted, Wang Erniu turned and rode away.

After the others had gone some distance, the old man with the long beard asked curiously, "Why did Erlang have to talk to him? If people find out, we two old brothers might not have a good end."

The skinny old man chuckled and said, "What are we two old codgers afraid of? This is General Wang. I heard he used his own money to pay the young bastards in the army. He's a good general. It's only right to give him some guidance. If we had such a responsible superior back then, we wouldn't be stuck guarding the gate now."

"It's him. So he's here to cause trouble for that scoundrel? To extort money?"

"Of course! So much military pay has disappeared, someone has to be unlucky enough to suffer." The skinny old man's eyes gleamed with a satisfied smile.

"Hey, this is interesting. I'm tempted to go to Pingnanfang to see what's going on."

"Go away, go away, what are you looking at if you can't even walk properly? Hurry up and sit down. This General Wang is very generous. He gave us five taels of silver. We two old folks can have a good New Year now."

The short, thin old man moved a stool over for him to sit down.

The long-bearded old man chuckled, and the two started gossiping again.