Chapter 487 – Extra: Wealth and Prosperity

Chapter 487 - Extra: Wealth and Prosperity

Yun Li met that person when she was fifty-five years old.

At first sight, she could tell exactly who he was.

Yet, she didn't reveal it.

The man pretended not to know her as he followed closely by her side, but she didn't chase him away.

His appearance bore a striking resemblance to He Jinli, perhaps a seven or eight out of ten similarity. But Yun Li was confident she wouldn't mistake him for anyone else. Even twins had their unique traits—how could one be mistaken so easily?

She didn't treat him as a substitute due to their similar looks.

That would be an insult to any person, regardless of who they were.

Moreover, in her heart, He Jinli was one of a kind. She openly acknowledged this fact.

Nonetheless, she didn't object to having such a face around. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him.

Over the years, she had traveled across much of Great Jin, from south to north.

This person had followed her all along, and those around her had come to accept it silently.

He spoke little, yet quietly did so much.

Little Nine was also aware of his presence but chose not to comment.

Yun Li never offered explanations; she saw no need. The relationship between her and her son wouldn't be affected by the addition of another person.

Still, she had a long conversation with him.

"I'm going to the northwest. Will you come with me?" Yun Li asked.

The man, who went by the pseudonym Chen Jing, nodded. "Yes."

"You've been following me for years. You know I don't mind having a man by my side. But you resemble my late husband too much, and that's not appropriate," Yun Li chuckled softly.

The man looked a bit awkward. "I didn't... I know, isn't it fine just being with me? I only want to stay by your side, always..."

"To be honest, it's great that you're following me. But how about you? Aren't you feeling stifled? Don't you have any family?" Yun Li inquired.

"I don't. After my mother passed away, I never took a wife. I... I've been thinking of you. A few years ago, I enlisted in the military, and later... later, I just kept searching for you."

Upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had taken up Buddhism, he scoured all the temples where royal family members might go. He found nothing.

Later, upon returning to the capital and tailing her, he discovered that Yun Li hadn't even visited a temple.

"Why... why didn't you marry?" Yun Li asked, surprised.

"No particular reason, I just didn't feel like it," he replied, turning his head and frowning.

Yun Li frowned deeply. "For me?"

Chen Jing wanted to say no, but looking into her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to lie. "Yes."

There was a long silence from Yun Li. "Are you an idiot?"

Chen Jing chuckled. "You said yesterday that you wanted to make sugar-coated haws, right? I bought some hawthorns. Should we make them?"

Yun Li took a deep breath. "Did you ever become a general before?"

"I did, a fifth-rank one. But I avoided further promotions because I disliked the hassle," Chen Jing replied.

Suddenly, Yun Li burst into laughter. "Master Chen, you're such a jinx."

Chen Jing didn't understand the reference and didn't inquire. He simply gave Yun Li a puzzled glance before getting up to search for something.

He wanted to make sugar-coated haws with Yun Li. She made even mundane tasks interesting.

Of course, he had thought a lot about his situation, but he never felt lonely or wronged these past few years. Being with her was genuinely enjoyable.

She was incredibly fascinating.

She did things that he never expected a woman of her background to do.

After leaving the capital, Yun Li mainly spent her time playing and, secondly, writing books.

She documented everything she saw and heard, essentially creating travelogues.

After all, she had truly experienced it, unlike the Sky-Piercing Poplar of old, which existed only in her imagination.

Thus, what she wrote was more resilient to scrutiny and particularly vivid and engaging.

As Chen Jing helped, she asked, "Are you going to include this in your book?"

"Of course, anything interesting should be included," Yun Li smiled.

Chen Jing chuckled. "What about your sheep? Will you write about it?"

Yun Li laughed. "Yes, definitely!"

Yun Li had bought a lamb because she found it so adorable when she saw it at a farmer's place.

Now, it was quite big and spent its days eating nonstop.

But it was still lovely, albeit producing a bit more sheep droppings.

Fortunately, there were people to clean up, so it wasn't too troublesome.

Zhi Fu, Jujube, Reed, and Yincha were always by her side.

Reed, the child, had grown up significantly now.

Due to his poor health, Zhu Ding couldn't accompany her frequently; thus, he stayed in the capital this time.

Both the crested ibis and the white egret insisted on following her persistently. Now, nobody knew that they were eunuchs.

They were merely assumed to be managers from a wealthy family.

As a former empress dowager, it was impossible for her to live the life of a peasant woman; wherever she went, she resided in grand mansions.

It was also unlikely for Little Nine not to assign guards for her protection.

Despite this, she had been harassed by local ruffians several times because of her appearance.

Each time, Chen Jing would rush out and beat the perpetrators until they were unrecognizable to their own mothers.

Yun Li, on the other hand, maintained a stable emotional state.

Her public identity was that of a widow, and as the saying goes, "A widow's door is beset with gossip." Especially since she was a wealthy widow, no less.

Moreover, she refused to dress in the modest manner of other widows, and her youthful appearance made her seem no older than thirty.

Naturally, this attracted some unsavory characters.

Even if Chen Jing didn't intervene, the guards wouldn't spare them. But Yun Li preferred they just give the troublemakers a sound beating, not kill them.

Of course, if someone persisted despite being beaten and still dared to act out, then that person would suddenly vanish.

Don't ask where they went; inquire, and you might hear they've likely become another laborer in some remote exile land.

Yun Li's homemade sugar-coated haws were all consumed by her family.

It was her first attempt, so her skills were unrefined. Without Chen Jing's assistance, it would have been a failure.

Nonetheless, the taste was excellent.

Reed's son ate two sticks and wanted more, but Yun Li stopped him: "If you eat too many, your teeth will ache."

The child didn't believe her.

Come dinner time, however, she started crying, claiming that her teeth were sore and she couldn't eat anything solid.

They had to resort to serving her congee.

This amused Yun Li to no end.

When preparing for the journey to the northwest, the question of the sheep arose. Should they bring it along...

Wouldn't that be ridiculous?

Yet, not bringing it along seemed rather heartless.

In the end, they decided to bring the sheep along. "Can't a noble lady like me even afford to raise a single sheep?"

Zhi Fu laughed so hard she stumbled. "Of course, of course, I can even manage it."

Thus, they arranged for a cart specifically to transport the sheep.

This sheep could well be the wealthiest in all of Great Jin.

So Yun Li decided to name it Fortune simply.

The sheep was quite well-behaved on the journey.

It either grazed or chewed its cud, never idle.

They traveled to the northwest, where a residence had long been prepared.

It was early autumn at this time. Yun Li had come to spend the winter.

What was the point of not going north in winter? She adored distinct seasons.

Sometimes, it wasn't bad for people to follow the rhythms of nature, was it?

Chen Jing was more familiar with the northwest and was delighted to introduce Yun Li to some aspects of it.

He bought things he found delicious for her to try.

The items sent from the capital have arrived – Yun Li's attire, as well as the clothing for those beneath her.

The garments prepared by Xiao Jiu and Zi Qi were always fashionable, never dowdy.

Yun Li adored them.

"Madam, look! The Lord has sent this. He says it's for prosperity and wealth," Zhi Fu said with a chuckle, presenting a small golden lock.

Typically, a golden lock would bear an inscription like "long life and prosperity." However, this one was unique, engraved with four bold characters: Eat Less Often.

Yun Li couldn't help but laugh aloud at the sight.