After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The people appeared out of nowhere, choosing the busiest street in Ganzhou City. Their movements were swift, organized, and purposeful; some were there to hawk their wares, others to patronize them—unlike ordinary citizens or merchants. The two groups clearly knew each other: one group was responsible for inciting the crowd, and the other for selling charcoal. Besides these two groups, several others mingled among the people, pretending to be ordinary citizens buying charcoal.

It was this group of people who made such a mess of the streets.

Sister-in-law Dong also said that the boots those people wore were different from theirs. The terrain in Ganzhou city is flat, and wealthy people travel by carriage and sedan chair, wearing shoes with thin soles. Poor people travel all year round and wear shoes with thick soles. These people were dressed neither like servants of wealthy families nor like ordinary people. Judging from their shoes, they looked like the wandering people in storytellers' tales.

"The shouting is fake, the selling of charcoal is fake, these people probably have other motives."

"Who knows? It's none of our business anyway." Sister-in-law Dong sighed. "But as for charcoal, we'll have to wait and see. You're from out of town, so you don't know how tough the winters are in Ganzhou. Without charcoal, people might really freeze to death. Are you planning to spend the winter in Ganzhou? If so, you'll have to find a way to prepare some."

"Sister-in-law, your family is large, with young children. Have you prepared any charcoal?"

Sister-in-law Dong shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

In Ganzhou, every household prepares charcoal before winter, even the poorest families will have some. This has been the case every year, but this year is different. The Dong family, like everyone else, received that piece of paper.

The note was shot into the house with an arrow, and it was discovered by the family's third daughter. At first, they didn't believe it, thinking it was just a prank by one of the children. It wasn't until the neighbor...

Aunt Zhang bought charcoal, only to realize that things weren't as simple as they thought.

What happened at Aunt Zhang's house?

“Aunt Zhang’s son had his leg broken and is still in bed,” said Sister-in-law Dong. “The charcoal was bought the day before, and his leg was broken the next day. It’s hard not to think about the charcoal purchase.”

The Dong family were just an ordinary family who wanted to live peacefully and didn't want to cause trouble.

"Without charcoal, how will your family get through the winter?"

“I have my own way of doing things,” said Sister-in-law Dong. “Our family is different from others. Other families buy charcoal according to their budget, but my husband plans ahead and always buys more. Over the years, we have some left over in the backyard warehouse. They only said we couldn’t buy charcoal, but they didn’t say we couldn’t buy anything else. Cotton can also keep us warm. I bought some extra.”

I made several thick quilts, cotton-padded clothes, and trousers, so that when it gets really cold, we can stay indoors and not go out. I also bought a lot of firewood; although it's not as convenient as using charcoal, it can be lifesavers in a pinch.

"It has to be you, sister-in-law. You're not as inflexible as those people outside." Lu Zhiyuan gave a thumbs up. "Sister-in-law, you should pay more attention to the situation outside. If you really need charcoal, go to Xie's charcoal shop. I can't guarantee anything else, but I can give you a low price."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "I guarantee that Sister-in-law and Brother Dong will have a warm winter."

"To be honest, sister, please don't laugh," Sister-in-law Dong leaned closer to Brother Dong. "I have your brother."

I'm not afraid of the cold weather.

Sister-in-law Dong smiled, a hint of shyness in her eyes: "If you haven't prepared anything, I'll bring you some. Whether it's charcoal or cotton clothes,..."

My sister-in-law is very generous. Please leave your address, and I'll definitely deliver it to you within two hours at the latest.

Lu Zhiyuan politely declined, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but it's no need."

Brother Dong held his wife's hand: "The doctor's family has no shortage of charcoal, so please don't worry about it."

Sister-in-law Dong glared at him and said to herself, "It's my business if I don't need anything, and it's our friendship to see you off. When did you become so stingy, husband?"

Brother Dong ignored Sister-in-law Dong and said to himself, "If I'm not mistaken, the divine doctor should be Miss Xie from the capital."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and gave a slight bow: "I've been here for a while and haven't had a chance to introduce myself properly to Brother Dong and Sister-in-law Dong. My surname is Lu, and I am the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingnan in the capital. My maternal grandfather was General Xie Yuandao, and my mother was Xie Chaoyun, the only female general in Beiliang to be granted a title. I have three maternal uncles: my eldest uncle is a merchant, my second uncle is a politician, and my youngest uncle is a wanderer. Coincidentally, all the shops in Ganzhou City with the surname Xie belong to my eldest uncle."

Sister-in-law Dong tugged at Brother Dong's sleeve: "What do you mean by that, sister?"

"My sister is a noble person; Madam, you only need to know this much." Brother Dong pulled Sister-in-law Dong to bow.

"This humble citizen, Dong Xin, along with his wife, pays respects to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."

Sister-in-law Dong felt her mind go blank for a moment.

After Lu Zhiyuan and the others left, she tugged at her husband's sleeve and asked, "Is it the Crown Prince and Crown Princess I was thinking of?"

Are they the Crown Prince and Crown Princess mentioned by the storyteller?

Brother Dong nodded: "It's the Crown Prince and Crown Princess that Madam is thinking of."

With a "boom," Sister-in-law Dong's mind went blank again.

After a long silence, she finally spoke in a trembling voice, "I remember the storyteller saying that the Crown Princess was born with an illness and wouldn't live past the age of fifteen. No wonder you look so pale, sister; you must be suffering from that illness. You said that since you're so sick, why aren't you recuperating in the capital?"

What are you doing in our Ganzhou city? The Crown Prince? Her husband is the Crown Prince, isn't he? He's not quite what I imagined. He looks like an ordinary person, just a bit more handsome and dignified. He's very good to the girl, though. When I see that storyteller again, I'll definitely have a good talk with him. The Crown Prince and the girl are clearly in love; it's nothing like what he said about a marriage of convenience based on social status.”

While listening to his wife's rambling, Brother Dong was thinking about other things.

He is blind, yet he knows everything that needs to be known outside. Although the Dong family is not a prominent or wealthy household...

However, they were not ordinary citizens. Those who did business, no matter where they were doing it, had to pay attention to the imperial court and its politics.

What he couldn't see, his parents, his wife, and his eldest son would tell him; what he didn't know, they would also tell him. He had four children, two boys and two girls. Outsiders all thought that he and his father would send their eldest son to study, to take the imperial examination, and to pursue an official career, but he did the opposite and sent his eldest son to the yamen to work as a yamen runner.

The reason is simple: my father is old, blind, and has no hope of regaining his sight. Although my wife is feisty, she is ultimately a woman. Once my father passes away, the family needs someone to take care of things.

Working in a government office provides access to that office, and through it, one can learn about the government's policies and decrees—a win-win situation.

Ganzhou City is far from the capital. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are coming at this time most likely for that matter.

Touching his own eyes with his fingers, Brother Dong suddenly realized that his eyes might also be related to that incident.

A wind picked up, carrying a faint fishy smell. Brother Dong grasped his wife's shoulders and said solemnly, "Ganzhou City is likely to be in turmoil. Unless it is urgent, it would be best for you and the children to stay at home."