Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 606 Situation

After sniffing for a while, she finally looked up contentedly and said, "Let Tangtang stay here for a while. I've been hearing rustling noises these past few nights. I wonder if there are mice."

Song Ying nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Why not get two more cats? Not only here, but we also have to keep an eye out for rats in the Shujin shop."

"Right, right, right. I almost overlooked it. If those valuable materials were ruined by rats, the loss would be huge!"

"What a coincidence," Chen Yunze said, stepping forward and petting Tangtang. "My cousin's cat gave birth to a litter of four puppies last month. I plan to wait two months and choose an auspicious day to hire one. If you're interested, why not go together?"

Luo Yanxing nodded repeatedly and asked, "What gifts should I prepare to marry a cat?"

"Usually, domesticated kittens bring salt and tea to their owners, while wild cats bring fish to the big cats. We can prepare both. Oh, and my cousin loves to make clothes for her cats, so why not give them two pieces of cloth as well?"

"Okay. This is my first time hiring a cat. Oh, and by the way, what does the cat look like? Do you know how to judge a cat?"

"One is a black cloud covering snow, one is a golden tiger, one is a snow-dragging gun, and the other one is the same as your Tangtang, a Chiyu Xiao Feilian. This is the one I reserved. I hope it can be as spiritual and wealthy as Tangtang..."

"Hey, which cousin are you? How come I didn't know you had relatives in Qingshui County?"

"It's the He family of Shunqing Prefecture. One of my aunts married into the He family..."

Watching the two of them chatting happily, Song Ying became more certain that his feeling was correct.

There's something wrong with these two!

Yuan Qing's gentle voice came from the courtyard, "Is Yan Xing back? Why hasn't he come in yet?"

Chen Yunze was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect Brother Yuan to be here too. What a coincidence."

Before he finished speaking, the bamboo curtain rustled softly, and Yuan Qing had already opened it and stepped out. Through the gap in the curtain, Chen Yunze caught a glimpse of Doctor Lin and the other two sitting in the courtyard. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why is it so lively today? Aren't you all in a hurry to go home and pay respects to your ancestors?"

Luo Yanxing put down the candy and explained, "In our village, we always worship our ancestors in the evening, so we can still go back in the afternoon. We've all worked hard all year, so we'd like to get together during the winter solstice. After all, we'll be busy again after today."

"You've really thought it through." Chen Yunze's eyes flickered slightly. "If that's the case, I guess it wouldn't be a problem if I joined in the fun."

Luo Yanxing was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It is a great honor for me that Master Chen has honored my humble home with his presence. But... don't you need to go back and prepare for the Winter Solstice Festival?"

Chen Yunze smiled slightly, "We in the Chen Mansion also hold ancestor worship in the evening."

They were all business partners, and since he had said that, Song Ying and the others had nothing to refuse. It was just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks.

As soon as Chen Yunze entered the room, he greeted Doctor Lin and the other two politely, showing his humility as a junior. After the greetings, he drank tea and chatted with Yuan Qing. The two of them talked and laughed, as if they were old friends.

Song Ying watched this scene, nudged Luo Yanxing's arm, and lowered his voice, "What's going on between you two?"

"What's going on?" Luo Yanxing pretended to be confused.

Song Ying snorted lightly, his eyes full of mischief: "Don't play tricks on me, I just saw it all. When you, Lady Luo, get off the car, you need to step on a stepping stool."

"Mr. Chen has good intentions. I can't refuse his kindness."

"Come on, I know your personality. How could you jeopardize the prestige of Lady Luo for such a small matter?"

Luo Yanxing lowered his eyes, his mind racing for a response. Before he could think of a response, he heard Song Ying say, "Also, why didn't I realize before that Young Master Chen was so thoughtful and even knew to kick away the gravel on the ground?"

Luo Yanxing pursed her lips, feeling an indescribable emotion rising in her heart. She had a carefree personality, but since she started running the shop, she had to force herself to pay attention to details.

When I jumped off the carriage that time, I accidentally scratched my foot with a sharp stone. Since then, whenever I traveled with Chen Yunze, I would always see him kicking away the broken stones and sharp objects without leaving any trace after getting off the carriage.

Such meticulous consideration warmed her heart even though she was usually carefree.

But she couldn't figure out what Chen Yunze was thinking, and she didn't dare to think too much about it.

It is already controversial for a woman to do business in public. If the other party has no such intention but she has the idea first, and the news gets out, she will probably be criticized for seducing people under the guise of business and be branded as shameless.

After the lively dinner, Song Tian drove the carriage to take everyone back to the village. Except for Yuan Shan, Song Ying and the other women did not go back.

According to village rules, women were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. They could only work at the stove, preparing the three kinds of meat and food. When the incense and candles were lit and the men knelt in solemn worship, the women could only wait in the corridor, listening to the chanting from inside.

Song Ying scoffed at this and was too lazy to go back to work. She prepared incense, candles and offerings, and planned to wait until dusk to burn some paper money in the direction of Xinghua Village for her parents and grandfather to express her longing.

Not long after they left, customers came to the shop.

"Hey, Mr. Luo, why are you personally looking after the store today?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Song Ying got up and went out. It was indeed Xiaolu from the Shen family's kitchen, and Chunfang was with her.

She stroked Tangtang's fluffy, soft fur and chuckled, "What a rare visitor! How come you two busy people have time to patronize our little shop today?"

Xiaolu's eyes lit up, "Sister Song Ying! You're here too!"

"Today is the Winter Solstice, and we have a rare moment of free time, so we're getting together with our neighbors in the city. We have plenty of space here, so we can spread out." Song Ying explained with a smile, then asked, "The kitchen must be busy preparing for the grand sacrifice today. How did you two find time to come out?"

Xiaolu pursed her lips and smiled, "The eldest lady said that the family is observing mourning now, so everything is kept simple. Anyway, we are all familiar with the New Year's customs, so it's not too busy. Today happens to be our turn to take a day off, so we went out for a walk together."

Song Ying raised his eyebrows. It would be fine to keep other things simple, but for a family like the Shen family who observe the traditional rituals during the winter solstice, shouldn't the ceremony be a grand one?

Although Song Ying felt something was amiss, he did not ask further questions and just followed the conversation by talking about the newly made pancreas and facial cream.

Unexpectedly, Xiaolu couldn't hold back and pulled her to a corner, chattering about things in the mansion.

Luo Yanxing was a very smart person now, and seeing this situation, he very tactfully pulled Mei Yue and Nan Xing to the back, leaving the space for the three of them.

The little green bamboo tube spoke out like pouring beans, and spoke frankly.

"I used to think our house was already very exciting, but I didn't expect it to be even more exciting now. I wonder if you know that Mr. Lu wants to cancel the engagement."

Song Ying nodded, "I do know a little bit."