When Xing Nong walked out of the room, everyone in the family had gotten up, Xing Hui had just come back from fetching water, Xing Qing was watering the vegetables, and Gu and Shen Ruoxi were busy in the kitchen.
In the yard, Xingqing and Xinghui saw Xingnong coming out and happily said in unison: "Happy birthday, sister!"
Xing Qing: "Sister, I have a gift for you!"
Xinghui put down the bucket: "I have one too!"
The twins, a boy and a girl, rushed back to their room first, wishing they could be the first to give out the birthday present.
Soon they both ran out with the gifts.
"Sister, here you go!"
The birthday gift Xing Qing prepared was a pair of deerskin boots she made herself.
Xing Qing knew that Xing Nong was afraid of cold, especially her hands and feet. When she slept with Xing Nong before, her feet were cold all night.
When she was in the capital, she saw the maid preparing deerskin boots for the princess, saying that she would not be afraid of the cold even if it snowed. So she bought a pair for Xingnong when she was in the capital. Now she made this pair by herself after studying the method.
The birthday gift Xinghui prepared was a white rabbit fur scarf he bought with the money he earned from copying books. When he wore it when going out, he wouldn't be afraid of the cold.
Xing Nong accepted the gifts from the two with a smile, "Thank you."
At this time, Shen Ruoxi came out of the kitchen holding a bowl of longevity noodles and said with a smile: "Xing Nong is up? It's just right, let's have a bowl of longevity noodles first."
Shen Ruoxi’s cooking skills are good, and the noodles she makes are particularly chewy, much better than those made by Gu.
In the past, as long as Shen Ruoxi was mentally healthy, she would cook a bowl of longevity noodles for Xingnong every day, but before it was clear soup noodles with less noodles, but now the soup is chicken soup that has been simmered overnight, with shrimp, xianggu, shredded pork and a poached egg.
Much richer!
At this time, Gu also came in with a tray containing rice cakes, glutinous rice balls and other festival foods.
Xinghui hurried to get the bowl.
When the family was preparing to have breakfast,
At this time, the King of Jin and Shen Hanyu also came in with a food box, followed by Shen Nan and Shen Dong.
Two people were pushing a cart full of stuff!
The King of Jin said with a big smile: "Xingnong, I made you a bowl of longevity noodles! Happy birthday!"
Then the King of Jin pointed to the things on the cart pushed by Shen Dong, "That's a birthday gift."
Shen Hanyu: "Sister Xingnong, I made you a birthday bun! It's a birthday gift."
Shen Hanyu pointed to the cart pushed by Shen Nan.
Xingnong looked over at the two carts and saw wooden boxes stacked high on top of each other, but he had no idea what was on them.
This is too exaggerated. Although she likes it very much, grandma will not be able to sleep again!
Xing Nong: "You have already given a lot of annual gifts before, so there is no need for a birthday gift."
Shen Ruoxi nodded: “Yes, this is too much!”
He gave so much as a gift, it would seem that she, a mother who only made a bowl of longevity noodles, doesn't love her daughter at all!
Gu waved her hand: "Master Shen is too polite to give gifts for so many years. A bowl of longevity noodles is enough! Take everything on this cart back!"
If someone shows you kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief.
The King of Jin waved his hand and said, "New Year gifts are New Year gifts, and birthday gifts are birthday gifts! They are all ordinary things, just a token of my love. A little more this year, no more in the future! I have always wanted to have a daughter, and I liked Xing Nong the moment I saw her. I want to have a daughter like her in the future, so I will make up for the past eighteen years' birthdays!"
This was a hint to Gu.
Shen Hanyu also said: "That's right, I've prepared for eighteen years, there won't be that much next year! Besides, if it weren't for Sister Xingnong, how could my guest house make so much money! These things are not worth much money, so there's no need to postpone it, ma'am."
The King of Jin signaled Shen Dong and Shen Nan to move their things in immediately.
Gu was still about to refuse, but then the village chief and his family came, followed by the villagers one by one.
Before the person arrived, the voice came first: "Xingnong, Uncle Gu brought you longevity noodles!"
"Xingnong, aren't you afraid of the cold? Auntie made a mattress out of rabbit fur, you can spread it on the bed and sleep on it."
"Xingnong, Auntie made a dress for you, come and try it on!"
"Xingnong, Auntie made you a pair of shoes!"
"Xing Nong, ..."
... ... .
The villagers of Taohua Village were very enthusiastic. All seventeen households came, not one was left out.
Everyone had something in their hands, either clothes, shoes, or various kinds of food.
Soon, Xingnong's house was filled with various birthday gifts.
The table at home is filled with all kinds of food.
Taohua Village is a refugee village. The villagers’ ancestral homes are all over the place, and many of their foods have local characteristics.
So the villagers all spent this New Year's Eve at Xingnong's home!
Xingnong had a very lively birthday.
~
New Year's Eve in Taohua Village was very lively, and the palace was no exception.
The good news from the frontier was sent back to the capital as quickly as possible. When the Emperor of Chu heard about it, he was overjoyed and kept smiling at the palace banquet.
But there are always people who are happy and people who are sad in this world. The emperor laughed all night, but Concubine Liang, the second prince, and Prime Minister Liang were forcing themselves to smile the entire night.
Especially Prime Minister Liang. In this war, he tampered with the food and fodder, and the marching route, but they were all cracked by Chu Tiankuo. It is unknown whether there were any loopholes left.
In addition, General Xie also colluded with the Zhao army and led the 80,000 Chu army into the snow-capped mountains. Chu Tiankuo and his army were trapped in the snow-capped mountains. General Xie was meritorious!
But it was not the case. Chu Tiankuo actually broke the formation of the snow mountain and marched northward in one fell swoop. With five large armies, he directly captured several cities and even the famous Qixiong Mountains in Jiangdu City, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack!
In this case, the retreat of Xie’s army would be tantamount to disobeying military orders and treason!
After much difficulty, I waited until the palace banquet was over. When I left the palace, it was already dark.
When he returned to the mansion, he went straight to his son's room, but was stopped by the steward who was waiting for him: "Master, thank you General for the secret letter."
Prime Minister Liang took it, opened it, and took a look at it in the light from the lanterns hanging in the corridor.
His eyes suddenly shrank!
The eldest prince found the heart-protecting grass in Qixiong Mountain!
Although Doctor Zhao arrived, he admitted that the four magical pills had lost most of their efficacy because they had been preserved for too long, and the heart-protecting pill was even a little moldy, so they would definitely not be able to save Liang Liyuan.
Unless he can find the lost Heart-Protecting Herb, he can refine a Heart-Protecting Pill again and save the person. Otherwise, he can only use medicine to keep him alive and he will never wake up.
Prime Minister Liang strode towards the courtyard where Doctor Zhao was.
Doctor Zhao is reading a medical book.
He came to Chu State this time just to get the Soul-soothing Grass in Chu Tiankuo's hand. But he was worried that if he took the initiative to tell Chu Tiankuo in the morning, he would suspect that the efficacy of those magic pills was already problematic, so he wanted Prime Minister Liang to take action.
But when he arrived, Chu Tiankuo had already gone out to fight.
He could only wait for him to come back.