Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 21: Thank You, Little Fortune-Bringer

Chapter 21: Thank You, Little Fortune-Bringer

“Aren’t we going to Diancui Pavilion?”

Once they got into the carriage, Xia Heng tucked her hands into her sleeves. The sight made Qiulin itch to try it too. It just looked so warm.

“The General’s Mansion has plenty of good things as well. We probably don’t need to go out and buy anything.”

Qiulin fought hard to suppress the urge to tuck in her hands. No. As a hidden guard, this was absolutely against regulations!

After Cang Chuli left Lehua Tower, he remembered he still had a batch of “goods” he’d seized from the barbarians being transported back from Zhouzhuang.

They would probably arrive today.

For a housewarming gift, he could simply pick something from there.

And so, without the slightest burden on his conscience, he turned around and headed back home.

Leaving Xia Heng, who had never seen “Diancui Pavilion,” dying of curiosity.

Diancui Pavilion!

Just the name sounded incredibly impressive.

After returning to the General’s Mansion, she was still asking Chuqing about it.

“Diancui Pavilion! That’s the biggest gold, silver, and jade shop in the capital!

“When wealthy families buy congratulatory gifts, or when young ladies and madams buy jewelry, they all go there.

“For slightly less well-off families, if they can have a set of jewelry from Diancui Pavilion for a wedding, that gives them so much face.”

Xia Heng nodded. Ah, an ancient luxury goods store! If she got the chance, she absolutely had to go and broaden her horizons.

As she thought, she shoveled rice into her mouth with gusto. Chuqing beside her was not far behind. Neither of them was particularly interested in jewelry.

Xia Heng was only interested in fresh, novel things she had never seen before.

But in front of lunch, all of that had to take a back seat.

Qiulin sat across from them. Halfway through her soup, her hand froze around the bowl, unsure whether to lift it or put it down.

I often feel out of place among you because I’m simply not good enough at eating.

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly felt her soup bowl grow a little heavier.

She looked up and saw Chef Xiang holding a large soup ladle in one hand and a soup jar in the other, adding soup to anyone whose bowl was running low.

In that brief moment, she had missed her chance to say, “No, no, no.”

Yes.

The General’s Mansion did not allow leftovers.

What a joke. Everyone here had come down from the battlefield. On the battlefield, they couldn’t even eat their fill, so how could they allow anyone to leave food behind here?

Qiulin stared expressionlessly at the soup in her bowl. Wicked courage welled up inside her.

So she tugged at Chef Xiang’s clothes, then pointed her sinful, slender finger at the two people across from her who were furiously shoveling down rice.

Chef Xiang looked at the two little “piglets” before him, his eyes practically overflowing with gratification and affection.

Without another word, he poured in two huge ladles.

Qiulin slowly drank her soup, hiding her achievement and fame.

How could I possibly be the only one who drinks herself stuffed?

The three little piglets, fed until they were round by Chef Xiang, slowly waddled back to their own territory under the strange looks of the people around them.

The moment they pushed open the front gate, six eyes spotted Zhao Siyan, drenched in sweat, coming out from behind Xia Heng’s room. There was still some dirt on her hands.

When she saw Xia Heng, she gave a suspicious start!

But in the next instant, she angrily huffed at her and quickly walked back to her own room.

The three of them, bellies sticking out, circled around behind the room for a look.

Their precious little vegetable seedlings were all lifting their heads with vigor. The weeds between the rows had been pulled up, piled together, and tossed to the side.

Chuqing and Qiulin exchanged a look. The three of them turned in perfect unison toward the room of the two young ladies of the Zhao Family.

Good girls! They were both good girls!

The main courtyard.

The guards were methodically carrying box after box of items into the storehouse.

Uncle Zhao held an account book, checking and marking items inside, while Deputy General Zhang helped out at his side.

“This trip really wasn’t wasted! Let me tell you, the general overturned their main tent, and he didn’t even leave behind the sheepskin on the tent.

“At first, we thought that since they were all out marching and fighting, there probably wouldn’t be anything good.

“Who would’ve thought that Huyan Dan had brought along so much gold, silver, and treasure!

“It was all placed in one of the tents. Good heavens, the first time I saw it, I nearly went blind from the shine!”

“Now the brothers can get extra meals. Maybe they’ll even get a padded coat each! Hahahahaha!”

Uncle Zhao also had a smile at the corners of his mouth. Who could see all these things and not be happy?
Anyone else might not know, but the man standing right beside him was practically over the moon!

“General, the total comes to ten thousand taels of gold, three thousand taels of silver, one chest of jadeite, agate, and turquoise, one chest of gold and silver jewelry, one large red coral ornament…”

As Cang Chuli listened to Uncle Zhao’s report, he quickly calculated where this unexpected windfall should go. Only after a long moment did he speak.

“The year is almost over. Before New Year’s, add a padded coat for every soldier in the Zhenbei Army. For the holiday, let the brothers eat dumplings with meat in them. The mansion will do the same.

“As for compensation for the wounded and fallen soldiers, aside from what the court allocates, add an extra ten percent and send it to each household. Make sure it reaches their hands.

“Arrange it like that for now.”

“Yes.”

Uncle Zhao accepted the order at once.

“Take out that red coral ornament. I need to give it to someone in a couple of days.”

“Yes, General. But why would Huyan Dan bring so much gold, silver, and treasure with him on campaign? Looking at all this, it doesn’t seem like he came here to fight a war at all.”

Uncle Zhao voiced his confusion.

Deputy General Zhang quickly chimed in. As one of the main interrogators, he had plenty to say about this.

“Uncle Zhao! You have no idea-this Huyan Dan is a real copycat!

“Who knows where he heard that our General travels in luxury even on campaign, but that idiot brought all his family fortune with him, determined to outshine the General.”

The thought alone made Deputy General Zhang want to laugh.

“He didn’t even stop to think. Our General only brings daily necessities. Sure, the Jinghong Sword is inlaid with jade, and his armor is woven with gold thread,

“but those were imperial gifts! Even when we bring money, we don’t bring that much, and when we go out, we carry banknotes.

“Who in their right mind carries tens of thousands of taels of gold around on their back?”

“That was only his excuse. The foreign tribes have not been peaceful lately either.

“The cold came too early this year. Huyan Dan was likely transferring his assets.”

Cang Chuli added his own judgment.

Uncle Zhao was also stunned by Huyan Dan’s self-destructive behavior. Hearing this, he said hoarsely,

“Ah, transferring assets? Good! Best if they all get transferred into the General’s Mansion!

“Qiangzi is right too. Those barbarians probably don’t have banks over there, so what else can they do but haul gold around wherever they go?

“Still, we ought to thank this little god of fortune for delivering wealth to our door. Thanks to him, the Zhenbei Army should be able to have a good New Year this winter. Hahahaha!”

Zhang Qiang burst out laughing along with him.

“Report-!”

A guard’s voice sounded from outside the door. After Cang Chuli had him enter, the guard reported,

“General, there is a scholar at the side gate. His name is Mu Sheng. He says he has something to hand over to you.”

“Let him in.”

==========

Early that morning, Xia Heng got up and sprinkled a little water over her precious seed potatoes to keep the soil moist.

By her estimate, they should be ready to plant in another couple of days.

She had to admit, winter in ancient times really was much colder than in the modern world.

At this time of year back in the modern era, people could probably still run around the streets in skirts and cardigans.

Here, however, she had put on a padded jacket early on. She had no idea how many of these crops would actually survive.

At that thought, Xia Heng grew worried again.

She opened the system shop and browsed through it for a while. Finally, gritting her teeth, she spent 10 points to exchange for an antique-style edition of Economic Crop Cultivation.

Then she comforted herself inwardly.

It was worth it. This was all worth it!

After all, relying on her, a modern person who had barely ever farmed, to study all this on her own would be way too difficult!

She was better off honestly learning from the experience of those who came before her.

After buying the book, Xia Heng did not open it right away. Instead, she clasped her hands together, rubbed them, and tapped the lottery button at the top.

That’s right. Another seven days had passed! She could draw a prize again!

After praying to every deity she could think of, Xia Heng opened her eyes and pressed the lottery button.

The prize wheel spun and spun until, at last, the pointer stopped on-

Spring-loaded Dagger.

Huh? A spring-loaded dagger again? Was the spring-loaded dagger the guaranteed consolation prize or something?!

Still, it was fine. Her previous weapons had all been taken away, and she had not bought any new ones yet. Having a spring-loaded dagger was just right for self-defense.

After placing the spring-loaded dagger into her warehouse, Xia Heng held Economic Crop Cultivation in her hands and began reading with great interest.