After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The courtyard was filled with swirling smoke, resembling a fairyland.

The hot spring pools are surrounded by cypress trees, and several salt springs are separated by natural barriers, forming independent and private spaces.

The servants brought a fine dinner to the guest courtyard, along with a bottle of berry wine.

"This Madam Cui is indeed a lover of wine. I suppose these fruit wines are not bought from outside, but must be brewed by the Cui family themselves."

Lin Yueniang picked up the small, exquisite vermilion ceramic wine bottle. The wine was not much, less than two ounces, not enough to make anyone drunk.

This was for Lin Yueniang alone. Jiang Xiaoqi was too young and was directly categorized by Madam Cui as someone who could not drink alcohol.

"It smells nice, but why is there only one bottle?"

Jiang Xiaoqi thought to herself that she could drink half a jin of baijiu in her previous life. Who was Madam Cui looking down on?

"Want some? Mom will pour you a glass, you can try it~"

Lin Yueniang chuckled to herself. She knew her son was craving alcohol, but children simply cannot drink alcohol.

If I, as his mother, am by his side, he can have a couple of sips to taste it, but I absolutely cannot let him drink alcohol when we're out.

"Sigh, never mind, drinking a cup is worse than not drinking at all. This was specially given to Mother by Madam Cui, so please enjoy it yourself."

During lunch, Madam Cui mentioned that this fruit wine could improve complexion and was very beneficial for women.

"Sigh, once you turn sixteen, your mother will allow you to drink alcohol, okay?"

Fearing that her son would be disappointed, Lin Yueniang began to make empty promises.

However, in Jiang Xiaoqi's mind, eighteen years old is considered an adult, so she doesn't plan to drink alcohol that early.

Even when he longed for the magic of alcohol, he could resist; he still had that much self-control.

Only when growth and development are basically complete can alcohol be metabolized better; otherwise, damaging the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys at a young age would be a great loss.

"Let's talk about it after I turn eighteen. I'm not greedy, not at all."

Lin Yueniang sighed at her son's thoughtfulness, her heart filled with joy and gratitude, but this did not stop her from sitting down and pouring herself a drink. One cup after another.

The wine is sweet and sour on the palate, with a perfect blend of fruit and wine aromas, making it a truly rare and excellent wine.

This Madam Cui is truly a woman who knows how to enjoy life; I should learn from her.

The mother and son had dinner together, thinking they would digest their food before going to the hot springs.

There are five or six hot spring pools of various sizes in the guest courtyard. There are only four of them, master and servants, so one pool is enough for each of them.

Jiang Xiaoqi naturally chose to soak in her private hot spring by herself, while Lin Yueniang invited Fuling to join her. The two of them could chat and drink tea while soaking in the hot spring, making it less boring.

"Li Mo, go soak in the outermost pool."

"Young master, I don't need it. I'll stay up there in case of any emergency."

Li Mo didn't expect to be included in the hot spring bath. Although Fu Ling went with his wife, he knew that his wife needed someone to serve her tea and water.

The young master wouldn't let her serve him, but instead let her soak in a pool by herself. This was Chun Chun letting herself enjoy herself.

As a servant, I can't be so inconsiderate. My parents gave me a lot of instructions before I left home. This time, I only took him with me, so I must protect the young master.

"Alright, stop talking nonsense. I don't need anyone to wait on me. You know my habits."

Li Mo was taken aback. He realized that his young master had never liked having someone serve him while he bathed.

Even though this is a hot spring, not a traditional bath, the young master still has this habit.

"Yes, young master, I'll go later. Someone has to stay on the shore."

"Okay, the hot spring water is flowing water, so the temperature is about the same no matter when you go there."

Jiang Xiaoqi took a change of clothes and a long-staple cotton bath towel that she had redeemed from the system, and went to the pool in the middle, which was neither too big nor too small.

These long-staple cotton bath towels are more comfortable and absorbent than the silk towels here, and most importantly, they are very cheap; you can redeem many towels with just one point.

He also sent four to Lin Yueniang and Fuling, and left two for Li Mo.

These next few days will definitely be all about novelty, and everyone will be soaking in the hot springs every day. You can take turns using the two bath towels.

Li Mo took two clean, soft bath towels and left Jiang Xiaoqi's room. After putting his things away in his own room, he went straight out of the courtyard and stood guard at the gate.

The two groups of servants assigned to the Cui family were arranged by Lin Yueniang to work in the outer courtyard. They were not needed in the immediate vicinity; they only needed to maintain the cleanliness of the courtyard, and everything would proceed as usual.

Since they were guests, it was not appropriate to order around the Cui family servants too much unless necessary. With so many people waiting around, the mother and son felt more at ease.

"Madam, the cotton cloth the young master gave you is exceptionally soft and comfortable!"

“This isn’t called cotton cloth. Mingfei said it’s called a bath towel.”

Lin Yueniang and Fuling entered the hot spring pool at the innermost part of the guest courtyard. The two of them first tested the water temperature with their hands before carefully entering the water.

"A bath towel? ...A cotton towel for bathing? What a fitting name!"

"Young master, how can you conjure up such rare things? I've never seen anything like it before."

The warm spring water enveloped their bodies. The water wasn't very deep, and the two of them sat at the bottom of the pool, with just their heads above the surface.

"Yes, he likes to find these unusual and useful items. The goggles he used on the road before were also very useful, weren't they?"

"Yes, Madam, those goggles are not just for protecting against wind and sand. No matter how strong the sun is along the way, you won't be unable to see the road."

Fuling wrapped the light gray "goggles" in several layers of handkerchiefs, afraid of bumping or damaging them, and even put them in a small wooden box.

"It's quite useful, so don't be reluctant to wear it. Your young master said he bought a lot, almost clearing out the stock of that general store in the capital."

Don't be afraid of it breaking. If something can be made, there must be a way to repair it. As long as it doesn't shatter into pieces, it's fine.

Lin Yueniang was a good swimmer, and the place was very private. She swam around several times and felt quite good.

Smelling the unique aroma of the hot spring, one can easily reach the flower tea on the low table by the pool, accompanied by fresh flower cakes given by Jiang Xiaoqi.

Ah~ how can mere words express how pleasant it is?

Fuling squinted, extremely grateful to herself for her hard work in practicing martial arts. Since being bought into the Jiang family five years ago, she has been living a completely different life than before.

They wouldn't be beaten or freeze, they wouldn't go hungry, and they even had a teacher to instruct them in martial arts...

To ensure that these young maids had the energy to practice their skills, they were not given meat at every meal, but they were given good food every few days.

Oh dear, isn't she living a better life than many women from landlord families?

All of this was given to her by the Jiang family, so she would faithfully follow the lady for the rest of her life and be her servant forever.

"Madam, please have some tea. You've sweated quite a bit."

Fuling never forgot her duty. She could soak in the hot spring anytime, but her primary task was to serve her wife well.

"Okay, you drink some too. I don't know where Mingfei bought this flower tea, but its fragrance is even better than fresh flowers."

"If one drinks this for a long time, one might even develop a pleasant fragrance, and perhaps even be able to dance with butterflies."

"Madam, you mean it's been pickled, right?"

"You little brat~ You've ruined such a beautiful mood!"

The master and servant laughed and joked incessantly, while Jiang Xiaoqi herself was enjoying a very pleasant soak.

It's been so many years since I've soaked in a hot spring! If I ever have the chance, I'll definitely buy a resort with a hot spring!

The last time I soaked in a hot spring—well, that was in my past life!

Steam rose from the air, and her face was flushed.

You shouldn't soak in hot springs for too long. If you feel too hot or have difficulty breathing after a while, you should get up and rest immediately.

Jiang Xiaoqi temporarily exchanged another bathrobe from the system. As for her mother, she would have to deal with that another time.

Jiang Xiaoqi, who had just put on his bathrobe and was about to have some herbal tea, paused when he heard the familiar sound of a flute again.

Could it be that pretentious guy in white is also a guest at the Cui residence?