Chapter 456 – The First Winter (Part Three)
The General Affairs Hall had only four people: Feng Jin, Qi Guanrang, Xu Ke, and Jiang Pengji, who was as reliable as an intermittent fish catch.
Except for the woolen items on Feng Jin, woven by his wife, the others had begged for theirs.
Yes, begged—there were some nuances to that.
“Knitting this thing must be addictive, right?” Xu Ke forced a smile.
Honestly, even Li Yun thought that knitting was oddly captivating,
With the weather getting colder and the need for plowing fields and running errands disappearing, the administrative tasks were left to a few gentlemen. After practicing for two hours, he had nothing to do, so he simply snatched a ball of yarn and started knitting away.
But outside, the wind was howling—how cold could knitting be?
So, he shamelessly went to the affairs hall to soak up the warmth. Qi Guanrang teased that having a wife was worse than being single, whining about how Feng Jin always had to flaunt the scarf his wife knitted to rub it in. Then, honest-to-a-fault Li Yun sincerely offered to knit a complete outfit for Qi Guanrang.
Qi Guanrang: “…”
Xu Ke laughed until his stomach hurt and teased Li Yun, “Han Mei helped Wen Zheng with one, so why not help Ke make a full set?”
“Sure!”
Xu Ke: “…”
He was just joking with this earnest kid!
Li Yun’s fingers were nimble, and his knitting speed was faster than even the most skilled woman. The sweaters he made boasted patterns and neat stitches, looking absolutely exquisite.
In just a few days, Qi Guanrang and Xu Ke received Li Yun’s results, and their feelings were quite complex.
Such a virtuous fellow—he’d be great for marriage!
“Lord, do you want a knitted outfit?”
Li Yun’s admiration for Jiang Pengji had long exceeded the threshold, remembering that she was also a lone wolf, he offered his services.
However, he was met with a crushing rejection.
Jiang Pengji barely lifted her eyelids, saying, “No need. Your lord isn’t like these two unloved souls who can’t even get a sweater knitted for them.”
As if, the ladies in the affairs hall were practically fighting to make something for her.
Even more importantly—
“Your lordship is exceptionally skilled in martial arts, with few rivals. I’m impervious to the weather. Unlike you three, who shiver just at the thought of losing a layer, like quails!” Jiang Pengji cackled, totally obliterating the egos of the three strategists in the affairs hall.
“Now that isn’t quite right, Lord…”
While it was true that they didn’t boast physique like Meng Hunyun, they weren’t exactly pushovers either.
Jiang Pengji shot them a sidelong glance. “Can you run out for a morning jog at the crack of dawn?”
The three fell silent; their beds wouldn’t let them get up, so no jogging for them.
Wool from the northern border flowed continuously into Xiangyang County. To avoid arousing suspicion from the north and to dodge conflicts with the Green Garment Army and the Red Lotus Sect, every batch of wool took a different route.
The knitted sweaters and trousers not only supplied the townsfolk but were also sold to Liu Zhi in Chongzhou.
Naturally, the price was not as cheap as it was here; it was at least ten times more expensive.
Chongzhou was far colder than Xiangyang County.
At first, the sales were slow; even though the styles were fine, the materials were unfamiliar.
But who could deny that the governor of Chongzhou, Liu Zhi, was Jiang Pengji’s father?
With dad personally recommending them, the officials eagerly bought a set.
Once worn, the warmth and comfort were undeniable, and the recommendation from Liu Xi paid off.
Slowly, the sweaters and trousers found their market, but the quantities were limited, and they sold out quickly in Chongzhou.
Without any warning, the first snow of the year fell from the sky, large flakes swirling down, creating a mesmerizing sight.
Jiang Pengji issued an order from the county office: if the snow on roofs or in front of doors exceeded an inch, a fine would be imposed.
“Although most of the houses in the county are new, an accumulation of snow could still lead to collapses, and we must prevent that. Under my rule, I do not want a repeat of the snow disaster in the capital years ago. I hope all townsfolk can have a safe winter.”
Jiang Pengji’s decree drew complaints from many commoners, but Xiangyang County was ruled by the county office. While they could choose not to comply, the office had the right to reclaim rented houses and kick them out.
Faced with such a firm enforcement plan, the commoners could only swallow their complaints and obediently start shoveling snow.
Each yard was equipped with a ladder, and with the houses not being very tall, snow shoveling wasn’t too dangerous.
Feng Jin looked at the increasingly grace-filled Jiang Pengji and said, “Your lord’s intentions are sincere—the townsfolk will understand.”
Jiang Pengji nodded, then called out, “Don’t be shy; grill whatever you want—”
In winter, gatherings for hot pot and barbecues were the most exciting.
As winter arrived, the daily routine in the affairs hall was mostly about dining together and working overtime.
When to gather depended on when she caught something big; otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough to eat.
Jiang Pengji set up a charcoal grill, a barbecue plate, and a hot pot station in the affairs hall.
The fuel was a pot of charcoal, and several tables were pushed together so everyone could grill whatever they desired.
Dozens of condiments were placed in different small glass plates, catering to individual tastes.
During this season, there were hardly any fresh greens, so all that went into the hot pot were fungi, various mushrooms, cured meats, and other game.
Feng Jin watched as Jiang Pengji dipped a brush in the condiments and painted it onto a chicken wing, having completely lost his temper.
With a lord like her, what could he say?
Should he say “Gentlemen should avoid the kitchen”?
Seeing Meng Hunyun and the others so eager, he didn’t want to ruin the mood by saying anything…
Sigh, let’s just consider this a fun gathering, ignore those formalities…
Feng Jin thought to himself, quietly stretching out his chopsticks to snatch a piece of freshly grilled chicken leg that Li Yun had just prepared, sighing internally… He had thought Li Yun was destined to be a legendary warrior on the battlefield, yet here he was, stuck with the wrong lord, leading a somewhat off-beat life of farming, knitting, and now mastering barbecue—each piece perfectly charred, fragrant, and crispy, sprinkled with spices that made one’s mouth water.
Li Yun, sharp as a warrior, wasn’t oblivious to Feng Jin’s actions.
However, compared to the food, he found more joy in the act of barbecuing; it was incredibly satisfying.
Since it was a private gathering, Jiang Pengji insisted they should be relaxed, and Qi Guanrang tossed aside the no-talking-while-eating rule, quietly enjoying the fruits of Meng Hunyun and company’s grilling labor, “When next year comes, and the county stabilizes a bit, I’d like to bring my wife and daughter over.”
Xu Ke felt tempted but remembered that Jiang Pengji’s maidservant, Ta Xue, was still unresolved; bringing Xun Mei over might put her in danger.
Thus, he could only bury that thought deep within, quietly being a listener.
This was really just preparing to dream about next year’s ambitions.
Meng Hunyun was all alone, longing only to help Jiang Pengji take over Fengyi County next year.
Luo Yue wanted to go back, but now that he was in this boat, he could only sigh and accept his fate.
Li Yun piped up, “I hope my master returns next year to reunite with me, and I can find a good wife, aiming to be a father by the end of the year.”
Ever since the first batch of glass was sold off, Jiang Pengji was rolling in dough.
She was generous with her subordinates, distributing several months’ worth of overtime pay and bonuses all at once.
Li Yun was now considered somewhat wealthy, with a home, money, and a ride (mount).
The others exchanged knowing smiles, and Jiang Pengji coughed lightly, praising, “Good aspirations!”
