MTLNOVEL Chapter 1612: Thoughts (1)
Guan Tongshi had been basking in her moment of glory recently. Her son had become a successful candidate in the provincial exam, the first in many years in all of Lianhua Town. Next year, her son would go to the capital, and he could become an official. The young lady he would marry in the future would certainly come from a prominent family, elevating him to a rank far above the muddy-footed villagers around here.
Now, who wouldn't greet her with utmost respect?
Her son was like a star high in the heavens.
Even if Yang Ruxin had money, so what? She was just a country girl, a merchant's daughter. Besides, she was already married. So, when she saw Yang Ruxin standing next to her son, she couldn't bear it. She felt that woman must be trying to seduce her son again after seeing how well he was doing.
But now her son was angry, so she naturally didn't dare to create any more trouble. After spitting in the direction of Yang Ruxin's retreating figure, she hurriedly followed her son back home.
Yang Ruxin had walked to the village entrance and, seeing that no one had followed her, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly been worried they'd keep pestering her.
"Miss, it's getting colder. Why have you been lingering outside for so long?" Chunchun came running up to her, carrying a cotton cloak and a hand warmer in her arms.
The hand warmers of this era were somewhat like the hot water bottles of later generations.
"It's not that cold." Yang Ruxin allowed her to place the cloak over her shoulders but didn't take the hand warmer. "Why did you come out here?"
"The Fang Family from the county town sent something over," Chunchun said, glancing at Yang Ruxin. "Madam asked me to come find you, Miss."
Yang Ruxin nodded and then began walking toward home ahead of her.
Chunchun glanced at Yang Ruxin, opened her mouth as if to ask something, but hesitated for a long time and ultimately didn't dare to speak. She decided it was better to probe slowly.
Since Gu Qingheng had been gone for so long, she thought it might be time to find someone with better prospects. But this was a village full of muddy-footed peasants, none of whom she could possibly accept. However, the county magistrate's family was a good choice. Truthfully, she was eager to learn more about Fang Tianze. That young master of the Fang Family was good-looking and the son of the county magistrate. If she could marry into that family, her future life wouldn't be bad. She just didn't know how to broach the topic.
Yang Ruxin pretended not to notice. Over the past few days, she had come to understand this girl's thoughts. Wanting a better life was perfectly reasonable, but if she crossed certain moral lines to achieve it, Yang Ruxin wouldn't allow it.
Let's see how things unfold.
Yuan Mengzhu had sent over a land deed. It was for a farm not far from Lianhua Town. What excited Yang Ruxin the most was that the farm came with a hot spring, reportedly with two spring outlets—one slightly hotter and the other a bit cooler.
"Miss, Madam specifically mentioned that hot springs are exceptionally rare across all of Changhuai State, so owning one like this is no small feat. However, because of the remote location, the price wasn't too high." The person who delivered the gift was one of Yuan Mengzhu's trusted maids. She now looked at Yang Ruxin with a wide smile. "Madam also said she especially loves the vegetables you supply…"
Yang Ruxin accepted the gift with a smile, handed over the silver to pay for the land, and even rewarded the maid generously with a large pouch of money. "Please thank my Godmother for me. As long as she likes them, I'll put my heart into cultivating more vegetables so my Godmother can always enjoy fresh produce." Inwardly, she couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental. Genuine kindness had indeed yielded genuine kindness in return. Yuan Mengzhu must have noticed something special about her vegetables. In other seasons, she could pass off the produce as being grown using some secret technique, but in winter?