omorrow morning. Those are the most sweet and fragrant.”"Alright," Old Lady Li readily agreed, "Roast some more. These are so soft and delicious. Take some to Village Head Grandpa and Grandpa Zhao, yo...But he couldn't ask, or say these things.

Li Zhensheng took a deep breath and solemnly assured, "Your Grace, rest assured. You've paved the way, and I'll handle the rest. Besides, for over ten years in Xindu, I made my living as a merchant. Even if I join a caravan heading south, no one will suspect anything; they'll just think I'm back to my old trade..."

The Lord nodded, “Alright, elder brother, take good care of your health and recover soon. The journey is long, so make sure all preparations are ready. Once I have everything sorted here, I'll discuss it with you again.”

Li Zhensheng got up to say goodbye. After thinking for a moment, he still said, "Let's not tell my mother for now. The old lady wouldn't want me to leave, after all, I've only just returned and am about to leave again."

"Alright, big brother, don't worry." The marquis replied.

Li Zhensheng walked out with a complicated heart. Jia Yin and the mischievous children, Mao Ge'er and others, ran back from the construction site, their boxes of snacks emptied, each one looking like a fluffy little cat after eating.

"Meow, I want this box to hold my treasures!" yelled the kitten, dashing forward like a wild pony.

"Whose box is this" Li Zhensheng wiped the sweat from his son's forehead and picked up his smiling niece.

Jia Yin crisply replied, “It’s the snack box that Big Mountain Uncle gave us leftovers.”

“Well then, if Cat Brother likes it, take it. As for Fu Niu, maybe Uncle will go into town another day and pick you out a prettier one”

"Uncle, I don't want it. I have a treasure chest, bigger than brother's." Jiayin hugged her uncle's neck and proudly raised her chin at Mao Ge’er.

Little Cat was furious and shouted, “I’m going to find Grandma. I want a big box too!”

Lao Li was busy digging out the stove in the earthen kang, this summer, they had to regularly add fire to several large kangs in their house to keep them warm. It saved them from feeling too cold when they went to bed.

Although it only takes a single piece of firewood each time, over time the ashes accumulate.

Make a thorough cleaning before winter sets in so that it's easy to start a fire afterward.

She had a coarse cloth wrapped around her head, a winnowing basket in her hand, and a streak of black under her nose.

At first glance, it looks like a Japanese devil who steals landmines.

Seeing her grandchildren bickering and returning, she smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. "I could hear you arguing all the way from here. Are you hungry I'll start cooking as soon as I'm done with this."

Li Zhensheng and the children were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Jia Yin laughed so hard that she doubled over, leaving Li Lao Tai completely bewildered.

She didn't know what was happening. She instinctively raised her hand and wiped her face twice, but it only made her look more disheveled.

Li Zhensheng put down his niece and took the winnowing basket from his mother's hands, smiling and urging, "Mother, you go take a bath quickly. I'll do these chores."

Old Lady Li didn't refuse, she pulled off her headscarf and went to the ear room while beating at herself.

This caused Li Zhensheng's lingering hesitation and complex feelings to vanish completely.

To keep laughter in this home, to support his aging mother, he must grasp this golden opportunity no matter what!

Many hands make light work, and few hands have a good meal.

The whole village rallied together, and the schoolhouse was almost built in just a few days. A good day was chosen for the topping-off ceremony, and people of all ages from the entire village came to celebrate.

The village head was also overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear. He made the decision to distribute dozens of pounds of sweets and scatter half a basketful of copper coins.

At this time of year, every household is busy, but children always have free time.

Children from Dahuai Tree Village and Wangzhuang Villages (big and small) came to play when they heard the commotion. Naturally, they also got some treats and snatched a few coins.

When I went back home in the evening, my family found out and inevitably asked me a few questions.

Thus, a school was built in the new village to send all the children to study and learn arithmetic. The news spread throughout the community.

Some people envied, some said the new village had too much silver to burn, but more people were moved, wanting to send their children and grandchildren there to bask in the reflected glory and learn some skills.

But it's not easy to bring this up. The discussion went back and forth, dragging on and on.

Here, at Suijin Beach, few people know about these things.

They were busy putting doors and windows on the schoolhouse, building kang beds, and making desks and chairs. This kind of hard labor was no easier than building a house.

Just as things were so busy, the first snowfall of winter finally came.

The tiny snowflakes melted almost before they hit the ground, like a gentle rain.

This brought back memories of Qingxiu Village for people of all ages.

There, the four seasons are distinct. The spring winds are strong, the summer thunderstorms are frequent, autumn is dry, and winter sees heavy snowfall.

Although I now live comfortably in Suijin Beach, having everything I need and more, there are still times like this when I think about my hometown where I grew up.

The Li family hailed from the remote grasslands, where snow fell for most of the year.

Such a small snowfall is not even worth looking at.

Li Lao Tai sat on the kang, sewing a cotton-padded jacket with Dong Mei. She pushed open the window and looked out. "Although this snow is falling in fine flakes, it's really not a sight to behold, but customs can't be abandoned. In a while, we'll knead dough, chop stuffing, and eat dumplings for lunch."

Winter Plum also knew that there was a custom of eating dumplings in the north after the first snowfall, so she smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll go to Xiao Wangzhuang to buy pork and pick up some bones on the way. Tonight, I'll make some bone soup for Miss. Yesterday, Miss lost a height competition with Mao Ge'er, and her little mouth was so angry that it could hang a soy sauce bottle! She must be hoping to grow taller."

Li Laotai laughed heartily, "Children are all like this. Don't pamper her. This girl is best at climbing the pole, and I'm afraid she will have a bad temper later."

As they were talking, a carriage stopped outside the door. The two of them hurried out to greet it. Before they even saw who had arrived, they heard Jia Yin's joyful and high-pitched voice calling out, "Butler!"

It turned out to be the head steward personally leading the carriage to deliver things, he picked up Jiayin and laughed like a blooming flower.

Upon seeing the old woman, he quickly bowed. "Madam," he said, "I heard that in the north, people have the custom of eating dumplings after the first snowfall. Well, just so happens I have some fresh pork at home, so I brought a little over."

As he spoke, the two junior attendants who had followed him lowered something.

Besides rice, noodles, grain and oil, they also sent two large carts of pork: four slabs of fatty pork belly and four pig feet.

This is too much, where is even a little bit!

The steward, afraid the old lady wouldn't accept it, smiled and said, "This morning, the Marquis returned to the Marquisate for a while. I took a good look, and my heart was truly happy! To tell you the truth, the Marquis recovering here is just right. Not only has he gained weight, but his complexion has improved as well."

The old woman, hearing this, quickly replied, “Family members should look after each other more during times like these. I just don’t know when the Lord will be back and if he can catch us for lunch dumplings”

The Marquis is going to the palace, he's probably going to have a meal with the Emperor.

“Let's make dumplings first. We'll wait for the lord, if he doesn't come back we'll leave a curtain for him, it's easy to cook right now.”

As people talked, they carried everything inside.

The old woman asked Zhao Shu and his group for help, dividing the pork among the households. Each family received a piece, about seven or eight taels. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to wrap dumplings.

Let's not talk about the lively scene of everyone at home making dumplings, just say that in the palace, the Marquis accompanied the Emperor out of the imperial study. Standing under the eaves, looking at the snowflakes falling from the sky, both of them let out a long sigh. but laugh, "Of course it's the Longevity Festival. The day after tomorrow, you'll go to the palace for a banquet. Aren't you going to prepare a birthday cake at the pastry shop tomorrow and stay at t...