novelhk Chapter 153 After the Snow, the Sky Clears
Chapter 153 After the Snow, the Sky Clears
After much anticipation, the blizzard that had raged for days finally subsided and slowly stopped. The entire Xinghua Village was covered with a thick white velvet blanket, a breathtakingly beautiful sight. However, the deep snow also brought many inconveniences to the villagers, so young and old alike came out of their homes and enthusiastically began shoveling and clearing the snow.
The eldest son of the Su family and his wife were naturally among the most enthusiastic. Taking the lead, the couple armed with brooms, shovels, and other tools, they diligently cleared the snow from in front of the school. Working together seamlessly, they quickly cleared the snow around the school, even carefully wiping the steps at the entrance to reveal the original brick and stone ground.
Just as they finished cleaning and were preparing to start class to welcome the students, the village chief rushed over. His face was full of anxiety, and he called out loudly as he walked, "Eldest son of the Su family, stop working on the school! There's an urgent matter that needs your help!"
Upon hearing the village chief's call, the eldest son of the Su family quickly put down his tools and went to greet him, asking, "Uncle Village Chief, what's the matter that's so urgent?"
The village chief took a deep breath, composed himself, and said, "Several of our village's dilapidated houses, which have been neglected for years, collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow. We must hurry and rebuild them, otherwise the affected families will have nowhere to live! That's why I've come to you, hoping you can come and lend a hand and help with the work!"
As soon as the village chief finished speaking, the young woman standing to the side couldn't help but interject, "Uncle Village Chief, when will the school start? The children are all eagerly waiting to start classes!" Her face was full of worry and anxiety.
However, the village chief waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's almost New Year's, why keep the school open? You should go home and take good care of your child." Hearing this, a deep disappointment instantly appeared on the young woman's face, but she could only nod helplessly and reply softly, "Alright then, thank you for your concern and reminder, village chief." As soon as she finished speaking, the eldest son of the Su family walked over from a distance, greeted the village chief, and then the two turned and left together.
Meanwhile, far away in the capital, Su Yuning was happily planning something big—she had recently earned a considerable amount of money and was thinking of buying a storefront to open her own small shop. When she excitedly shared this idea with Ye Beichen, she was surprised to be met with an unequivocal rejection.
"No, no, please don't mess around with these things, it's too tiring!" Ye Beichen shook his head repeatedly.
Seeing Ye Beichen's firm opposition, Su Yuning felt extremely wronged, her eyes instantly reddening as she retorted with a sob, "Beichen, how can you think like that? I want to open a shop not just for myself, but also so that our family can become richer and better!"
Faced with Su Yuning's complaints, Ye Beichen quickly reached out and gently stroked her hair, explaining in an incredibly tender tone, "My silly wife, have you forgotten? Our real home is in the faraway northern desert. This is just a temporary job, so don't take it too seriously. After a while, we'll eventually return to the northern desert to live." Hearing Ye Beichen's words, Su Yuning, though still somewhat resentful, knew he had a point. She silently lowered her head, pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Before we go back to the northern desert, can we save some more money? That way, we can live a better life when we get back." Seeing how understanding Su Yuning was, Ye Beichen felt a pang of guilt and agreed.
Meanwhile, back in Xinghua Village, the eldest son of the Su family arrived at the site of the collapsed houses with the village chief. People were already moving timber and stones, and he joined in without hesitation. Working together, the framework was quickly erected. At this time, an elderly man skilled in masonry directed the young men in building the walls. After several days of hard work, part of the house was finally completed. The affected villagers were extremely grateful. The eldest son's wife then organized the women to deliver food and water to those who had worked.
Meanwhile, Su Yuning worked hard in Beijing to earn money, becoming even more diligent than before. Ye Beichen saw this and felt sorry for her, finally relenting and saying that if a suitable shop was found, they could consider opening one. Su Yuning smiled through her tears, her hope rekindled, and began searching for a suitable location.
Although Gu Wanfeng was already married, his feelings for Su Yuning remained as strong as ever. Su Yuning only mentioned wanting to open a shop, and Gu Wanfeng immediately rented a storefront and hired help to decorate it beautifully. Once everything was ready, he went to the factory to find Su Yuning and handed her the gleaming keys. Su Yuning took the keys in surprise, her eyes filled with emotion and hesitation. "Brother Gu, how can I accept this? I can't just take this shop from you for nothing." Gu Wanfeng simply smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. Consider it a small token of my appreciation. You've always dreamed of having your own shop, and now it's come true." Su Yuning bit her lip, thinking for a long time, and finally decided to accept his kindness, but promised to repay him gradually.
In Xinghua Village, all the newly built houses were completed, and the disaster-stricken villagers happily moved in. The eldest son of the Su family and his wife received praise from the entire village, but they just smiled sheepishly. To express their gratitude, the village chief offered them some grain, which the couple reluctantly accepted.
Su Yuning's small shop opened, and business was unexpectedly good. Seeing his wife busy at work, Ye Beichen fully supported her. As profits increased, Su Yuning not only repaid Gu Wanfeng's debt but also saved a considerable amount. Soon after, they embarked on their journey back to Mobei, carrying with them a wealth of experiences and wonderful memories.
Upon returning to the northern desert, the old lord's wrinkled face broke into a joyous smile, as if he had become decades younger. He happily took his newlywed wife's arm and they went into the kitchen together, where they worked together to prepare a sumptuous feast to entertain their son and daughter-in-law who had traveled from afar.
The kitchen was instantly bustling with activity, the clatter of pots and pans filling the air with a pleasant, tinkling sound. On one side, the old lord skillfully flipped the sizzling, oily skewers of meat on the grill, releasing an irresistible aroma; on the other, the new wife deftly chopped, washed, and prepared vegetables, working with great enthusiasm. In no time, the table was laden with a variety of delicious dishes: fragrant skewers of meat, steaming hot soup, vibrantly colored stir-fries, and refreshing cold dishes, among others.
The old lord, beaming with pride, pointed to the table laden with delicacies and enthusiastically introduced them to his son and daughter-in-law: "Look, this is cactus salad, so refreshing and delicious, nutritious and healthy! This is cucumber salad, so crisp and refreshing! And these spicy and sour jellyfish strips and spicy and sour shredded potatoes are all my specialties! Oh, and here's a fruit platter made with fresh cactus and a sweet and delicious pineapple platter. I made all of these myself, come and try them!" The old lord then chuckled heartily.
Ye Beichen and Su Yuning exchanged a glance, then picked up a bite of the cold dish and slowly chewed it. Their eyes widened, and they nodded in unison, praising, "Mmm, so delicious! This cold dish tastes amazing!" Hearing this praise, the old lord beamed with joy, feeling as sweet as if he had eaten honey.
At this moment, the Lady of the Lord's House came over carrying two steaming bowls of delicious soup and said gently, "Come, children, try the soup I made. This bowl is cactus and pork rib soup, and the other is cactus and chicken soup. See which one you prefer?" Su Yuning quickly took the spoon, carefully scooped up a spoonful of cactus and chicken soup, gently blew on it to cool it, and then put it in her mouth to savor it. After a moment, she replied with a beaming smile, "Wow, this cactus and chicken soup is absolutely delicious! The flavor is incredibly fresh and leaves a lasting impression!" Ye Beichen, not to be outdone, quickly tasted a sip of the pork rib soup, nodded in satisfaction, and praised with a smile, "This pork rib soup is also very good, it has a unique flavor, it's fantastic!" Hearing their son and daughter-in-law's continuous praise, the Lord and his wife were as happy as children, and the whole house was filled with a happy and joyful atmosphere.
"The highlight, of course, has to be our Northern Desert barbecue! It's famous far and wide. Everyone who mentions our barbecue has to give it a thumbs up! And you know, this barbecue isn't just about food; it's the highest form of hospitality we use to entertain our distinguished guests during festivals! Come on, you two, don't be shy, quickly try this delicious barbecue! Eat as much as you like, there's more to come, I'll keep grilling!" The old lord greeted everyone with a broad smile, gesturing with his hands to signal them to start eating.
Hearing the old lord's words, the young couple no longer felt reserved and picked up the skewers, happily devouring them. They ate with gusto, their mouths glistening with oil, frequently making "tsk tsk" sounds of praise, clearly very satisfied with the barbecue.
The lord's wife, sitting to the side, stared longingly at the fragrant skewers on the table, unconsciously swallowing hard. She really wanted to try some, but due to her status and pride, she couldn't just reach for them directly. She could only suppress her craving and quietly watch the others enjoy their food.
Just then, the observant old lord noticed his wife's subtle movement. He smiled slightly, quickly took a skewer of tender, juicy, and tempting lamb from the grill, walked over to his wife, gently held the skewer to her lips, and said softly, "My dear wife, come, open your mouth and taste this lamb skewer, see if it suits your taste."
The lord's wife was slightly taken aback at first, then a blush rose to her face, and she nodded shyly. She gently opened her mouth, took a small bite of the lamb skewer, and chewed it carefully. Instantly, the rich aroma of the meat and the unique flavor of the seasonings filled her mouth, making her extremely happy.
"How is it? My dear little darling, is this lamb skewer delicious?" the old lord asked expectantly.
The lady of the lord smiled and nodded repeatedly, praising it highly, "Mmm! It's so delicious! It's simply heavenly!" After saying that, she couldn't wait to take a big bite of the lamb skewer and fully enjoy this rare delicacy.
After living in the northern desert for a while, Su Yuning discovered that the local textiles were unique, but the production process was complicated and the output was very low. She thought that if she could improve the process, she might be able to make a lot of money. So she began to study textiles and try various methods. Ye Beichen was initially worried that she was overworking herself, but seeing her energetic appearance, he also joined in.
They visited many weavers' families, collecting traditional techniques and innovating upon them. Su Yuning used the business knowledge she had acquired in the capital to contact merchants to purchase textiles from the northern deserts. As orders increased, the weavers' incomes rose, and the entire northern desert economy was revitalized.
Seeing the changes in the northern desert, the old lord praised Su Yuning highly. The villagers, in turn, deeply respected the young couple, frequently bringing them food to express their gratitude. Upon hearing of Su Yuning's achievements in the northern desert, Gu Wanfeng made a special trip to visit and learn from her. Su Yuning generously shared her experiences, deeply inspiring Gu Wanfeng, who decided to launch a similar project in the capital.
As the New Year approached, Su Yuning wanted to return to Xinghua Village for the holiday, but her in-laws were reluctant to let them leave, so she was very conflicted about whether to leave without saying goodbye. At this moment, Ye Beichen noticed her dilemma and offered her a good solution. Su Yuning's worries immediately turned to joy, and she nodded repeatedly in agreement. Ye Beichen suggested inviting her family from Xinghua Village to celebrate the New Year together in Mobei. Upon hearing this, Su Yuning immediately began writing a letter, detailing the magnificent scenery of Mobei and their wonderful life there, sincerely inviting her in-laws and fellow villagers to come. After sending the letter, Su Yuning eagerly awaited a reply.
Not long after, Xinghua Village received the letter. The eldest son of the Su family and his wife thought the idea was feasible and discussed it with the village chief. The village chief strongly supported it, believing it to be a good opportunity to promote exchanges between the two places. So, a group of people set off for the northern desert in high spirits.