Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 331 Five Years Later

In June of the 29th year of Qianlong, outside Yili City, Xinjiang.

A young woman in her early twenties stood on the top of the mountain, looking at the clear sapphire-like river below the mountain, and the large golden wheat fields on both sides of the river. Where the breeze passed, there were layers of wheat waves.

In the middle of the wheat field, stood a thin man in a blue official robe, leading a group of officials, Zao slaves, and farmers with sickles, offering sacrifices to heaven.

Seeing that blurred figure, the young woman had a sweet smile on her face, and softly hummed a song from long ago in her memory.

"Under the blue sky in the distance, there are golden wheat waves surging, right there is the place you and I once loved, when the breeze blows to my face with the smell of harvest, I think of your soft words..."

"Mother, mother, do you think the flowers I picked look good?" A six or seven-year-old girl in a red dress ran over holding a bouquet. It was covered with flowers and grass.

"Hey, my sister Xiaoyu, look at the sweat on your body, come here, the servant girl will wipe it off for you, listen to the servant girl, we are officials' ladies, we don't want to run around like this like this." Maple Leaf He hurried forward to tidy up for Xiao Yu'er.

"Sister Fengye, I'm still young. My mother said that this is a child's nature. A child can do whatever he wants, and happiness is the most important thing. Therefore, I don't want to be an official lady." Xiao Yu'er Looking up her small face, she formally retorted.

"Second Mistress, look, it's all your fault. Miss will definitely be laughed at if she continues to behave like this when she returns to the capital." Maple Leaf muttered dissatisfiedly.

"Back to the capital?" Mai Xiang muttered, but no, it's been five years since I came here, and the time flies so fast.

"Mother, what are you thinking? Aren't my flowers beautiful? Don't mother like them?" Xiao Yu'er held up a bouquet and sent it to Mai Xiang.

Mai Xiang took the bouquet, smelled it on the tip of her nose, then rubbed the tip of her nose against the tip of her daughter's nose, and said with a smile, "Not only is it beautiful, but it also smells like flowers. Come on, mother will weave a wreath for Xiao Yu'er."

Mai Xiang took the bouquet from the girl's hand, sat down on the grass, and really wove the wreath.

"Mother, mother, here are mushrooms, look, mushrooms, mushrooms for stewed chicken." A four-year-old boy with a bag of mushrooms in his dress ran to Mai Xiang's side, followed by Hongye, holding a mushroom in his hand. A basket is also a basket of mushrooms.

"Okay, mother's little Yi'er is really capable. She can pick mushrooms at such a young age. Pick more, and mother will cook chicken for you when you go back." Mai Xiang pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the little boy's sweat lovingly.

"Mother, flower, flower..." A little boy who just learned to walk grabbed a small purple flower and wanted to send it to Mai Xiang, but he fell to the ground just two steps away, and Tao Ye hurried over He wanted to help him, but the child shook off Taoye's hand and crawled over by himself.

"Mother, look, Xiao Li'er also knows how to send flowers to Mother." Xiao Yu'er walked over and picked up the little boy.

"Well, mother knows, the three of you are good children, let's go, mother will also take you to pick mushrooms, let's have chicken stewed mushrooms tonight." Mai Xiang put the woven garland on Xiao Yu'er's head on, picked up the youngest son.

"Oh, I went to pick mushrooms. The little girl picking mushrooms is carrying a big bamboo basket..." Xiao Yuer sang while jumping in the grass.

Mai Xiang took a few children down the mountainside, and happened to meet some herdsmen grazing. When the herdsmen saw Mai Xiang, they hurriedly dragged Mai Xiang into their yurt. After a while, they put out a few bowls Butter tea and a big plate of cheese.

Although there is a language barrier, Mai Xiang can still understand what they mean from the other party's gestures. Besides, it is not the first time Mai Xiang has met them, so she sits very relaxed on their hand-woven carpet.

After drinking milk tea and chatting with the duck, Feng Ye opened the curtain and came in.

"Second Mistress, Second Master sent someone to find us, saying that the sacrifice to heaven is over."

"Okay, babies, let's go down the mountain, Daddy is here to find us." Mai Xiang shouted to the three children, and picked up Xiao Li'er herself.Maple Leaf gave the family a few pieces of silver according to the old rules.

As soon as Mai Xiang arrived at the foot of the mountain with the child in her arms, Huai Ci had already arrived.

"Sir, is the sacrifice to heaven over?"

"Well, this year is another bumper harvest year. The Bingtuan cultivated 7 yuan and can harvest more than [-] shi of grain. There are about a thousand households in Huitun, and each household can also harvest [-] shi of grain on average. Therefore, this year's The grain output can reach more than [-] shi, and the military rations are more than enough." Huai Ci breathed a sigh of relief.

In the past few years, he has finally lived up to his mission, and the farmland has been increasing every year. The land in this place is fertile, and the grain production is higher than that in the interior, so his jurisdiction has at least three years of military rations.

While talking, Huai Ci took the child from Mai Xiang's hands, looked at Mai Xiang's face, and said with a smile, "You have to come with me every harvest festival, and you should be tanned again when you go back."

"What are you afraid of getting tanned? I like this harvest season. I like to smell the smell of wheat, melon, fruit, flowers, milk, and herdsmen burning cow and sheep dung."

"Well, as expected of my daughter-in-law, let's go, Grandma Kumisi is still waiting for us to eat." Huai Ci freed up a hand to straighten Mai Xiang's hair in front of her forehead.

Kumisi is an old Kazakh. Her husband and son are both excellent hunters. They used to live nomadic life. After Yili started farming, their family settled down by the Yili River, farming, grazing and fishing at the same time. Today's days are getting more and more prosperous.

There are many such people now.Not only a large amount of grain is planted on both sides of the Yili River, but also a large amount of cotton, wolfberry, pepper, etc., all of which require a lot of manpower. Every busy season, the Corps has to hire a large number of herdsmen to help with work.

The old man Kumisi was the first herdsman Mai Xiang met, and he was also the first herdsman who decided to stay at the foot of the mountain under Mai Xiang's persuasion. Driven by his family, more and more herdsmen stayed. When the farming season is busy, I help to do part-time jobs and do not delay my own grazing.

"Sir, has there been any news from your godfather?" Mai Xiang asked.

Agui's portrait entered the Ziguang Pavilion in the 25th year of Qianlong. During this year, Zhang Jia's family forced Agui to personally recognize Mai Xiang as a daughter. Mai Xiang's family lives together.

Last year, Agui returned to Beijing, was awarded the Minister of Military Aircraft, and carried Zhang Jia's family from the Zhenglan Banner to the Zhengbai Banner.

Mai Xiang would mention him now, Huaici soon thought that Mai Xiang also wanted to go home, so he gave the child in his hand to Maple Leaf, and took Mai Xiang's hand.

"Want to go back?"

"A little bit, but I don't know if the emperor will think of us?" Mai Xiang laughed.

Been here for five years and it would be a lie to say I don't miss my family.

"Daughter-in-law, I'm sorry for letting you accompany me to suffer here." Huaici's eyes were filled with deep guilt.

Back then when he came home from the government office and saw Mai Xiang holding Xiao Yuer standing at the door asking questions, he was full of surprises and touches, and then felt distressed. How hard life is in this place, He felt it deeply.But even so, he was not willing to let Mai Xiang leave, because he knew that without Mai Xiang's support, he would not be able to survive.

"Sanggong, I really don't feel bitter. A place with you is home. I think we have gained a lot here. We have Xiao Yi'er and Xiao Li'er. You are now the magistrate of Yili Prefecture. Yes, these five years have not hindered us from earning money, I am very satisfied, really satisfied."

Mai Xiang built a textile factory in the capital of Ili to buy cotton and wool for weaving and spinning, and then sold the cloth and wool to the legion and local herdsmen, earning a lot of money in the past few years.

In addition, Mai Xiang also set up a shop to buy medicinal materials such as wolfberry and snow lotus and various furs, and transport them to the inland. At the same time, he also freed up silk and porcelain from the inland to Xinjiang. Silk Road did business.

When Huaici saw Mai Xiang's smile when he talked about earning money, he pinched Mai Xiang's face and said with a doting smile, "Satisfied with earning money or being content with her husband?"

Mai Xiang smiled slyly, ran away a few steps, turned around and said with a smile, "Guess?"

Xiao Yuer listened and jumped to Huaici's side, hugged Huaici's thigh and raised her face with a smile: "Father, I know, I know, I must be content with earning money, mother said, her dream is Sleep until you wake up naturally, count money until your hands cramp."

After hearing this, Huai Ci picked up Xiao Yu'er, kissed Xiao Yu'er on the face, and said with a smile, "Then Xiao Yu'er likes Yinzi or Daddy."

After hearing this, Xiao Yu'er hugged Huaici's neck with both hands, kissed Huaici's face, and said with a sweet smile: "Of course I like Daddy, there is only one Daddy, and he has plenty of money."

"You little traitor." Mai Xiang patted Xiao Yu'er's butt lightly.

"Mom, I'm not a little traitor, I like both father and mother." Xiao Yu'er hurriedly stretched out her hands to Mai Xiang.

"You're just a fool." Mai Xiang took Xiao Yu'er and rubbed her face. This daughter was so sweet that everyone loved her.

Huai Ci picked up Xiao Yi'er, and entered the village while talking and laughing. Just as he was about to push away a wooden fenced yard, he saw a fast horse approaching him, it was a member of the government office.

"Master Wan, hurry, hurry, go back and receive the order."

"Accept the order?" Huai Ci took a look at Mai Xiang, and said with a smile: "My daughter-in-law really has the ability to predict the future, I should have let my daughter-in-law read a few words."

"That's it, did you know? I'm still here, and you will definitely be rewarded when you go back this time." Mai Xiang laughed.

"I don't dare to expect extravagant rewards. It is enough for the family to return to Beijing safely."

After Huai Ci finished speaking, he asked Mai Xiang to say a few words, and rode back first.

(End of this chapter)