Xie Wan never expected that he would also launch a sneak attack. In a panic, she jumped up and hastily went to dig out the snow from her back, but today she wore a pomegranate skirt with a waistband, and her clothes were tied up, so the snow got stuck in her back and couldn't be dug out. For a moment, it was icy cold and piercing to the bone, and she couldn't help shivering.

  Yu Xue had no choice but to hurry and support her down the mountain.

  After changing clothes at home, I had already sneezed seven or eight times in a row.

  Wei Cui and Luo Ju carried a large basket of winter bamboo shoots back home before dinner, unaware that she had caught a chill.

  Only when he saw her holding a handkerchief and constantly blowing her nose did he finally realize, and asked worriedly: "Are you okay?"

  Xie Wan glared at him with a bad temper and shook her head.

  Wei Cang looked at her reddened nose and suddenly felt guilty: "It's all my fault. You'd better drink a bowl of ginger soup quickly!"

  "I've had enough." Xie Wan hastily said, then pointed at the table with a fragrant and delicious meal: "Are you hungry? Eat quickly!"

  What can she really blame him for? He's just a kid after all.

  Wei Xiao held the bowl, first picked up chopsticks to taste the dishes, then clamped many bamboo shoots and mushrooms into her bowl, saying: "This is delicious. Eat more, eating a full meal also has some energy." Then touched her forehead, hurriedly took off the outer jacket, covered it on her, wrapped her tightly: "Is it warmer?"

  Xie Wan's eyes were slightly moist. Wei Cui was still a child and didn't know the weight of his words, but he wasn't a bad kid at heart.

  She nodded and smiled: "Much warmer!"

  Wei Xiao happily picked up his bowl and took a big mouthful of rice.

  Xie Wan didn't dare take Wei Jiao out for too long, if the people at home found out he was gone, they would probably go crazy.

  After lunch, they rested for a while and then drove back to the city.

  All the way, Xie Wan felt her head getting heavier and heavier. Sitting in the car, she seemed to be in danger of sliding down at any moment. Wei Cai also saw it. At first, he didn't dare touch her, but later, seeing that she couldn't even open her eyelids, he plucked up his courage and turned her over, letting her lean on his shoulder.

  Yu Xue saw it from the side and hurriedly stretched out her hand to pull Xie Wan to her own side. Although his worried look was unbearable, but regarding Miss's reputation, she couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest.

  Xie Wan slept all the way to the outer gate of the Xie Manor.

  Jade snowflakes occasionally brushed against her forehead, and her complexion became increasingly somber.

  With Xie Lang's response, Wei Jiao got off the carriage outside the mansion gate and went in through a side door on that side.

  Here is the translation:

  Yu Xue woke up Xie Wan. After entering Yifengyuan, she quickly called for a doctor. Xie Lang was anxious and followed behind the doctor, asking questions nonstop.

  It's probably just a cold.

  Slept through the whole afternoon, took medicine and sweated a lot, didn't recover until evening.

  Xie Lang knew that Xie Wan was the one who had gone out with Wei Cui, so he didn't dare to blame Wei Cui. Instead, he scolded Luo Ju and Yu Xue harshly for not taking good care of her.

  The prefecture had not seen Wei Zuo for most of the day, and indeed he was anxious to find someone. However, no one suspected Xie Wan, only Huang Shi heard that Xie Wan went out once and got sick, and in the evening she came with Xie Rong to take a look and instructed them. At that time, Xie Wan was asleep and did not know they had come, so it was impossible to ask about anything.

  Xie Wan woke up in the middle of the night and ate a bowl of porridge, then went back to sleep. When she woke up again, it was already noon the next day.

  Wei Zuo was sitting in front of the bed, his expression tense.

  At this time Xie Lang went to school, Wei Jiong was about to enter. No one stopped him either.

  Xie Wan sat up, her head still hurt a bit, but her hands and feet had regained some strength.

  "How did you get here?"

  Wei Xiao helped her pull up the quilt and said, "I told them I came here to find your brother, but I have to leave this afternoon. I was worried that you wouldn't be well enough for me to say goodbye, so I came."

  As he spoke, he hung his head in shame and fiddled with the carved flowers on her bedside, "I didn't mean to make you sick, I'm sorry."

  Xie Wan smiled and said, "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to." Seeing his uneasy expression, she changed the subject to where he was headed: "After leaving here, are you going straight back to the capital or returning to Hejian Prefecture?"

  "I'll return to He's mansion. I won't go back until the eve of my mother's birthday in two months." After finishing speaking, he stood up, clenched his fist and looked at her saying: "You can rest assured, I absolutely will not tell others about our matters. In the future when you come to the capital, remember to look for me. When I have time, I will come visit you, I definitely will."

  Xie Wan couldn't help but laugh at his serious tone.

  What's it to them? If someone were to overhear, they'd likely get the wrong idea. I wanted to remind him, but one look at his clear and honest eyes and I held back. He looks sharp on the outside, but is actually simple-minded, and when he's with girls, he's completely innocent, so it's not like he said that on purpose, no need to dwell on it. He nodded, seemingly in agreement, and I saw him out.

  Xie Wan lay in bed for three or four days before getting out of bed and going out.

  The year had passed and the mansion was gradually restored to its usual tranquility. The small ripples caused by Wei Xiao's visit also subsided.

  Xie Wan hung the painting of Songgang by Wei Yan in the bookroom of Baoye, a very eye-catching position. She will always remember who saved her and comforted her on Songgang, and every time she thinks of this, her heart is filled with infinite warmth.

  As soon as the snow melts, spring arrives.

  In February, the imperial court's decree to expand the outer suburbs of Beijing was finally issued, and a large area of farmland was included in the plan. Some residents of the original place were relocated to Beijing or Baoding for settlement. On the canal transportation, a new peak of transportation began, and many people along the canal went to the dock to work as river workers. Words like "canal transportation" and "canal gang" also appeared more frequently in people's mouths.

  When Zhenyuan Escort Agency finally opened a branch in Qinghe County, it was already the season of willow catkins and embroidered robes.

  In three months Xie Wan received two letters from Zhao Zhen in the capital.

  Xie Rong quickly gained the favor of his colleagues and superiors with his low-key and humble attitude after entering the Hanlin Academy. In nearly a year since taking office, he has gradually gained a reputation among scholars and literary figures, not only getting to know some newly appointed officials from the Six Ministries and Three Temples, but also leaving a good impression on some of his subordinates.

  Zhaoren also mentioned in the letter that Zeng Mi, who was recently promoted to the position of South City Commander-in-Chief of the Five Cities Military Command, has been making a comeback in the noble circle. Last month, Zeng Mi and his wife were even invited to attend the birthday banquet of the old Jingjiang Princess. Because Zhao Zhen is well aware of the relationship between the two families of Xie and Ren, he mentioned it casually.

  Jingjiang Wang is the eldest son of Chen Wang, the emperor's older brother. Chen Wang has passed away. Jingjiang Wang Yin Cong should have succeeded to the throne two years ago. Because there is an imperial decree now that cancels the fiefs below the rank of prince, so Yin Cong never went far from the capital.

  In his impression, Yin Xiang was just a idle prince who liked these banquets and spent his days indulging in the pleasures of the flower streets and willow alleys.

  Yin Cong's younger sister married Zheng Zhong, the second brother of Empress Zheng of the Eastern Palace.

  Xie Wan didn't care about the Ren family, she finished reading the letter and threw it into the incense burner. These complicated relationships had nothing to do with her either.

  She called Lai Luoju: "We must think of a way to contact the people from the boatmen's guild as soon as possible. The shop must open next year. If necessary, go find them directly."

  Luo Ju thought for a moment and said, "Going directly to find them may not necessarily work. The methods of the boatmen's guild towards ordinary merchants are extremely ruthless. If we don't have someone familiar to help us out, perhaps our profits from this shipment of rice will be cut in half."

  "What's your good plan?" Xie Wan tapped the pen holder on the table, "I've been waiting for opportunities for half a year, if I wait any longer I'll lose my chance. Not to mention making money!"

  Luo Ju also didn't have any good ideas.

  Xie Wan thought for a moment and said, "Nowadays many people are working at the wharf, your father meets many people in his shop every day, let him pay attention to whether there are any canal workers or people who have connections with them, if so, keep it in mind."

  Luo Ju nodded and backed down.

  Xie Wan sank into thought for a moment. She picked up her pen and wrote another letter to Zhao Zhen, asking him to help find an experienced accountant.

  Zhao Zhen stayed in her room for half a day after receiving the letter in the capital.

  "Then just invite an accountant, what's with the worried look on your face?"

  Zhao Zhen sighed, "If it were an ordinary account, why would she need my help? The third young lady has a mind full of schemes. You can't measure her by ordinary standards. Now that she's growing older, constrained by her status, there are many things she can't handle in person. I reckon the accountant she's looking for is probably someone who can represent her and take care of things on her behalf. Saying it's a teacher, I'm afraid it's actually to find a governor."

  Mrs. Zhao exclaimed: "She's just a young lady, and she also wants to find the government?"

  Zhao Zhen smiled bitterly: "You still think of her in such a way, no wonder people say that the longer your hair grows, the shorter your vision becomes. Do you think she would go to so much trouble to push me into the Ministry of Revenue for nothing? She's paving the way for the second wife. In her game of chess, I'm just a pawn. When she asked me to find a matchmaker for her, it was also a test to see how well I understand her."

  Mrs. Zhao was speechless for half a day, she really couldn't imagine that a woman in the boudoir could be capable of anything else. She said: "Then, what do you plan to do? Are you sincerely going to find someone for her, or just pretend and casually find anyone?"

  "Nature is to be chosen with sincerity." Zhao Zhen sighed and put down the letter, "If she succeeds, it's not entirely without benefit for me either."

  Mrs. Zhao nodded silently and let out a faint sigh.

  Xie Wan soon received a reply from Zhao Zhen, which included several resumes, most of whom were old acquaintances of Zhao Zhen's, and two of whom were his former colleagues when he was on an external assignment.

  Xie Wan chose a man named Cheng Yuan, one of the two masters, who was originally from Shaoxing and had followed Zhao Zhen in Zhaoqing for three years. After changing superiors, he was kicked out by his superior under another name and replaced with his own people. Since then, he has not found a suitable job and is now idle at home.

  Zhao Zhen said that Cheng Hui will go directly from Shaoxing to Qinghe.

  Xie Wan calculated the days, and it would be at least a month before Cheng Yuan arrived. Meanwhile, Luo Sheng had already made some progress on this side, so she had to follow up on the grain transportation matter before his arrival.

  Luo recently noticed a man named Chang Wu near the shop. He was from Xiling Village in the western suburbs of the county and came from a poor family. Originally, he had been logging for others, but at the beginning of the year, through an acquaintance's introduction, he went to the Cangzhou dock to work as a porter. In just a few months, he became the leader of the porter team.

  Because he had some spare money, as soon as he was on holiday, he would come to the county wine shop to drink a few cups. Since Li Zihutong is close to Xicheng Gate, the small wine shop opposite the silk and satin store became his regular haunt.

  "This man is quite fierce and reckless, I've had contact with him twice before, it's clear that he's the kind of person who acts without thinking. Miss, please consider whether you can use him or not, if not, I'll look for someone else."

  Luo Xiang stood at the second-floor window, pointing to a person sitting with their legs bent in Li Ji wine house across the street. Without Luo Xiang saying it, Xie Zhuo could also see that this person was fierce. In April, he wore only a horse jacket, with his chest open, a large cluster of sweat on his chest, and a big beard on his face, making people want to take another road at first glance.