Chapter 183: Leisurely Tea Talk_l
Wei Mingting nodded, “Madam is correct.”
Wei Ruo looked on indifferently, her face expressionless.
This so-called bond between mother and daughter was just a coincidence.
After answering Wei Mingting’s question, Lady Yun instinctively looked at Wei Ruo, but the latter had already turned her attention to the food early on.
Even though she felt Lady Yun’s gaze on her, Wei Ruo did not bother to turn her head.
Wei Qingwan lowered her head, bit her lower lip, and simultaneously tightened her grip on her chopsticks.
After finishing dinner, everyone sat together, sipping tea and chatting.
Wei Mingting did not get drunk. He enjoyed drinking but was not greedy. Especially with his responsibilities, even on a day off, he would never allow himself to lose consciousness due to drunkenness.
Wei Mingting brought up the Seventh Prince: “In the near future, the Seventh Prince might visit Taizhou prefecture again. This time, he won’t be traveling incognito but will come officially to assume his role as Military Governor of the Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou prefecture.
Upon hearing this, Wei Qingwan, who had her head lowered, lifted her gaze.
“The Seventh Prince is coming to Taizhou prefecture again? It s almost the New
Year. Why would he come at this time?” Lady Yun asked, perplexed.
“While we celebrate the New Year, the Japanese pirates do not. The times when we are celebrating as a family are when we must be most alert, lest the Japanese should take advantage of any lapse in our defenses, disturb our people, and destroy our homes,” Wei Mingting explained.
Hence, even during the New Year, Wei Mingting might not have much time to stay at home.
A touch of sadness flashed in Lady Yun’s eyes, but she quickly hid it.
She knew that her husband’s task was not easy and also understood the difficulties of the people. For the well-being and happiness of more people, they had to sacrifice their family time.
Wei Mingting continued, “I mention this to all of you so that you can be prepared. I am currently the Deputy Guard Commander of the Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou. Considering the Seventh Prince’s frequency of contact with me, there’s a chance he might visit our house again.
Upon hearing this, Lady Yun replied, “Rest assure, my Lord. If the Prince visits again, I will make proper arrangements. There will be no more mishaps.” Wei Qingwan remained silent, quietly taking note of Wei Mingting’s words.
Wei Mingting’s gaze landed on Wei Ruo, as if he had something to say to her.
Wei Ruo quickly grasped Wei Mingting’s intention. Since she had been overlooked during the previous praise for meritorious deeds, she harbored some resentment against Chu Lan. Wei Mingting was likely worrying about this.
Wei Ruo took the initiative to say, “Father, rest assured, I recognize the
Prince’s status.”
In essence, she was saying that she was still angry, but she would behave appropriately because her status demanded so.
The truth was, Wei Ruo had an intense dislike for Chu Lan and one more incident wouldn’t make much difference. So, if Chu Lan came this time, Wei Ruo would behave just as she did before.
Wei Mingting said with a deep voice, “I’m sorry, Ruoruo.
After a brief conversation, Wei Mingting called Wei Yilin to the courtyard to practice his knife technique.
Lady Yun and Wei Ruo, along with Wei Qingwan, watched attentively.
Wei Yilin usually practiced with wooden swords and knives, just as he was doing today.
To match Wei Yilin’s stature, his wooden knife was somewhat smaller than those used by adults.
Even so, Wei Yilin wielded the knife skillfully and powerfully, exuding the aura of a future military general with each move.
After observing a complete set of Wei Yilin’s movements, Lady Yun looked pleased. She had never expected her playful younger son to have such a talent for martial arts, showing a similar skill and interest to his father’s.
Although Wei Mingting’s facial expression was not as apparent as Lady Yun’s, pride and satisfaction were clearly visible in his eyes.
After performing a full set of knife techniques, Wei Yilin swiftly ran to Wei Mingting, looking expectantly at his father.
“Very good. Considering your age, this is quite impressive,” Wei Mingting acknowledged.
“Hehe.” Wei Yilin scratched his head shyly, feeling flattered by his father s praise.
Lady Yun came forward and patted Wei Yilin’s head, “Yilin, you’ve really grown up. You’re more and more like your father.”
-Of course! I am my father’s son!” Wei Yilin declared proudly.
-But remember to keep striving and maintain a humble heart. Listen to your Master’s teachings carefully,” Wei Mingting admonished. He was relatively strict with his son, hoping that Yilin would not become arrogant and complacent even with small achievements.
“Yes, Father. You don’t have to worry. I will study hard,” Wei Yilin promised. Wei Yilin then looked at Wei Ruo and asked her specifically, “Elder Sister, do you think I’m becoming more and more formidable?”
Wei Ruo rolled her eyes internally. For some reason, Wei Yilin always felt the need to ask for her opinion. It was as if he wouldn’t be satisfied until she had something good to say about him.
While Wei Ruo grumbled internally, she maintained a smile on her face, “You should be becoming more formidable.”
“Do you think I can become like Father in the future?” Wei Yilin asked again.
“As long as you work hard and put in enough effort, you should have a chance.” Can this brat finally stop? If he wants to hear such flattering words, couldn’t he go ask his Sister Wanwan?
As Wei Ruo thought this, Wei Qingwan, on the other hand, took the initiative to say to Wei Yilin, “Brother Yilin has a lot of talent. As long as he studies well, he is bound to become as formidable as Father, and make great achievements for the country and the people.”
With this one sentence, she had flattered both father and son.
The smile on Wei Yilin’s face intensified. Sister Wanwan always knew what to say! Why couldn’t Wei Qingwan act a bit more like her? Really!
Wei Ruo, oblivious to Wei Yilin’s thoughts, stepped back to allow Wei Qingwan to come forward, providing space for the two.
As for this pair of siblings, they could carry on with their sisterly kindness and brotherly filial respect. Just don’t involve her, that’s all she asked.
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After the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the farmwork was almost done, and there were hardly any crops left in the ground, except for some cold-resistant rapeseeds sometimes needing to be harvested.
Even Wei Ruo’s mushroom farming in Xingshan County had been temporarily put on hold, since even the relatively stable temperature of the caves couldn’t provide the right conditions for mushroom growth at this time.
After the seasoning supply for the Zuixian Residence was set on the right track, the production of Wei Ruo’s workshop also stabilized.
With the reduced workload, Wei Ruo started to consider her next step.
She had mentioned before that when she had some downtime, she wanted to explore vinegar brewing, but after inquiring around, Wei Ruo discovered that brewing alcohol was more profitable than making vinegar.
People didn’t have very high standards for the quality of vinegar, but wine was different. The nobles were very particular about drinking wine, and they were willing to pay a high price for it.
So Wei Ruo planned to use this period when there was no farmwork to improve her brewing methods and prepare for the establishment of her winery.
Wei Ruo planned to choose a location for the winery near a water source, which would facilitate the production process.
Moreover, the water source must be of good quality, because the quality of the water greatly influenced the quality of the wine..