Jin Huaihua stacked the washed bowls and plates, placed them in the dish rack, then wrung out the wet cloth and began to wipe the stove and the pot lid.
Although busy, a hint of anticipation rippled through her heart.
This was the first time in Jin Huaihua's life that she had felt a flutter of affection.
A moment later, Xiao Jinfeng walked over with a thick notebook and handed it to Jin Huaihua with a smile, "Here, it's for you. If you want to communicate with me in the future, just write in this notebook..."
Jin Huaihua's eyes brightened. She quickly put down the cloth and reached out to take the notebook.
The cover of the notebook was made of cowhide, and the surface felt a bit rough, but it was heavy in her hands.
Upon opening it, she saw that each page was made of fine Xuan paper, smooth, translucent, and as white as snow.
For ordinary people living in the countryside, almost no one could afford Xuan paper.
Only wealthy families or imperial nobles would use Xuan paper for official business or drafting documents.
"Ah ah!" Jin Huaihua's expression was one of shock. Without thinking, she returned the notebook to Xiao Jinfeng.
Although she didn't know what Xuan paper was, she knew it must be very valuable. As a mere farm girl, she dared not accept it.
Xiao Jinfeng was momentarily stunned, then chuckled, "Miss Huaihua, what's wrong? Don't you like this gift?"
In fact, this notebook was specially made for Xiao Jinfeng by craftsmen in the palace, waiting for the day he would travel outside the palace to record his thoughts and experiences.
Who would have thought that after arriving at Dashui Village, he would encounter a mute girl who was not only pretty and delicate but also literate.
Most importantly, Xiao Jinfeng was quite fond of this girl, which was why he was willing to give her his notebook.
Jin Huaihua heard this and waved her hands repeatedly, "Ah ah!"
No, this thing was too precious, she couldn't take it.
Xiao Jinheng sighed helplessly, took Jin Huaihua's hand, and directly stuffed the notebook into her possession, "Take it if I give it to you. If you run out, remember to write to me, and I'll have someone send you more!"
He had as many of these as he wanted.
Jin Huaihua lowered her head, looked at the notebook in her hand, then slowly opened it. She picked up a charcoal pencil and wrote "Thank you" on it.
Xiao Jinfeng pursed his lips and smiled, "You're welcome!"
After speaking, he glanced at the sack next to the dish rack and saw it filled with many fist-sized items. He asked, "What is this?"
Jin Huaihua wrote on the paper: It's potatoes.
"Are these things tasty?" Xiao Jinfeng was very curious.
In his life, he had never seen such strange food.
It looked a bit like sweet potatoes, but the shape and color were different.
Jin Huaihua smiled and nodded, then wrote again: Very delicious, I'll roast one for you to eat!
Hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed in Xiao Jinfeng's eyes, "Good, I'll sit here and wait!"
Jin Huaihua walked over, picked out two relatively large potatoes, and threw them into the stove pit. She used the fire hook to push out the embers and buried the potatoes in them.
Soon, a unique aroma wafted from the kitchen.
Zhao Guihua stood outside the kitchen, peeking through the crack in the door at the smiling Xiao Jinfeng and the blushing Jin Huaihua.
What's going on?
Young Master Xiao had only been at the Yun family's house for one day and had already gotten involved with Huaihua.
These young masters from the capital were indeed not good people, only teasing country girls.
"No, I have to go tell Mom and Dad!" Zhao Guihua muttered, then turned and ran into the main house.
Old Man Yun had gone to Gougou Lake to buy fish. Even though the weather was freezing outside and Gougou Lake was completely frozen over, villagers still went there every day with pickaxes and fishing rods to break ice holes and fish.
Fish like loaches and small miscellaneous fish were not very valuable, but the large carp weighing five to six catties and the large silver carp were the most delicious, and their prices were correspondingly higher.
It had been a long time since they had eaten fish. Old Man Yun planned to buy a few, salt them, and fry them whenever they felt like it.
"Mom, where is Dad?" Zhao Guihua ran into the house and looked around.
Gu Shi was bent over a desk, examining the account books.
She kept a clear record of the Yun family's daily expenses and income. The sale of several carts of cabbage and corn in the autumn had been a significant income for the family.
Apart from that, the family had been spending money all along. The income consisted of the fifty taels of silver left from when Suman left, and the one hundred taels of silver that Young Master Xiao gave them last night.
"Your father went to the lake," Gu Shi glanced at Zhao Guihua before lowering her head to check the accounts again.
Zhao Guihua closed the door behind her and leaned in front of Gu Shi with a smile, "Mom, guess what I just saw?"
Gu Shi ignored her, casually turned a page of the ledger, and remained silent.
Seeing this, Zhao Guihua sighed, "Mom, that Young Master Xiao who came last night, it seems he's taken a liking to our Huaihua, really!"
Gu Shi: "..."
Are you bored?
"If you have nothing to do, go check on Xiao Zhuzi. He was crawling all over the kang just now and almost fell to the ground. If Fang'er hadn't been quick-witted, he would have definitely broken his arm!" Gu Shi said irritably.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Guihua rushed into the west wing. Seeing that Xiao Zhuzi was already asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She returned to the main house, a helpless expression on her face, "Mom, I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can go to the kitchen and take a look. Huaihua is roasting potatoes for Young Master Xiao right now!"
"So?" Gu Shi closed the ledger and said indifferently, "Even if Huaihua and Young Master Xiao get together, what does that have to do with you?"
Worrying about things that don't concern you, just spouting nonsense.
Zhao Guihua: "..."
Mom is on edge today!
"Mom, what I mean is, Huaihua is not young anymore after the New Year. She's been working for us for so many years, she has a good personality and is diligent. So, so, haven't you considered marrying her off?" Zhao Guihua asked.
Jin Huaihua would be twenty-four years old after the New Year, which was not a young age.
In this dynasty, if a maid sold herself to the master's family, it wouldn't be said anything even if she never married.
However, the Yun family was not a high-ranking family, and Gu Shi could not bear to let Huaihua be a maid in the Yun family for her entire life.
So, she still had to get married.
"Do you think that Young Master Xiao would marry Huaihua?" Gu Shi frowned. "Young Master Xiao looks like he comes from a significant background. Would he be willing to marry a mute farm girl as his wife?"
It was impossible to imagine such a thing.
Zhao Guihua fiddled with her fingers, "Mom, you can't say for sure. As the saying goes, a turtle looks at a green bean, and they just happen to fall for each other. Everyone has their preferences, maybe Young Master Xiao just likes girls like Huaihua!"
Gu Shi: "..."