Previously, it was always heard that those who were slaves or servants were not treated as people by their masters at all.
Let alone getting sick from the cold, even if they were dying, they had to fulfill their duties as subordinates.
Therefore, Shen Xiaoyan's concern moved Huo Fen deeply, and she secretly vowed to work diligently and never be lazy.
"Understood, thank you, Madam." Huo Fen curtsied, saying gratefully.
"Yes, don't just promise with your mouth, you must do it. If you really get sick from the cold, who will I find to do these things? Those young girls, after all, don't understand as well as you do," Shen Xiaoyan continued.
Being recognized for her capabilities by Shen Xiaoyan made Huo Fen incredibly happy.
She said excitedly, "Yes, Madam, I will definitely do as Madam says."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded, sighing inwardly, hoping she wasn't just saying it, but could actually do it.
After all, her body was her own; if she didn't want to cherish it, there was nothing Shen Xiaoyan could do.
"Go tell your father to find the village chief and tell him that I want to discuss something with him," Shen Xiaoyan said.
"Yes." Huo Fen agreed, turned around, and hurried towards the front yard.
Watching Huo Fen's figure quickly disappear at the end of the corridor, Shen Xiaoyan turned and entered the house.
"Is it all settled?" Zheng Wei asked as Shen Xiaoyan opened the door and entered.
"Yes, it's settled. I estimate he'll be here after we finish eating," Shen Xiaoyan said, walking to the edge of the kang to help dress the children.
The two of them dressed the children, washed their faces, and then went out of the inner room.
Huo Fen heard the movement and walked in, followed by two young girls carrying wooden trays.
"Reporting to Madam, my father has already gone. It's slippery due to the snow, so it will take a while to return," Huo Fen said.
"Yes, safety comes first, no need to rush," Shen Xiaoyan said with a smile.
Huo Fen also pursed her lips and smiled, then turned around, took a wooden tray from one of the young girls, walked quickly to the edge of the kang.
Huo Fen placed the wooden tray on the table, and Shen Xiaoyan saw three small bowls on it, each containing a golden steamed egg.
Huo Fen placed the steamed eggs on the table, handed the wooden tray to the young girl behind her, and then took another wooden tray from another person, saying to the two young girls, "You two go down and eat first."
The two young girls agreed, bowed to Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei, and slowly withdrew.
Huo Fen placed the wooden tray in her hand on the kang table again, and took out three small bowls from the wooden tray.
Each small bowl contained half a bowl of congee.
The congee was thick, and the color inside was varied. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the various colors were actually different vegetables.
Huo Fen seemed to understand what Shen Xiaoyan was thinking and smiled, explaining, "This is the congee my mother just made. She said it's just right for children your young master's age. She added red gourd, fungus, spinach, pork liver, and red dates, which are very nutritious."
Shen Xiaoyan listened and nodded with a smile, "Your mother is thoughtful. It looks good. You go down and eat too, and come back to clear the bowls afterward."
Huo Fen bowed and retreated.
Shen Xiaoyan took a spoonful of congee to taste it. It tasted quite good, so she fed a spoonful to Ruan Ruan first.
Ruan Ruan was the least picky eater among the three children. When the spoon reached her lips, she opened her mouth and ate it.
After eating, she squinted and smiled at Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan had always loved Ruan Ruan's cute little appearance.
Zheng Jiang and Zheng He, seeing Ruan Ruan eating happily, were no longer so resistant to the colorful congee in their bowls.
When Zheng Wei held the spoon to his lips, Zheng Jiang also opened his mouth and ate it.
Perhaps it was really delicious, or perhaps it was because they saw Ruan Ruan eating with relish, but in the end, Zheng Jiang and Zheng He finished more than half a bowl of congee each.
Each of the three children ate half a bowl of congee and half a bowl of steamed eggs, and they were all full.
After eating their fill, it was time to play.
Just then, Huo Fen also entered with three wet nurses.
Huo Fen took away the small bowls with the wooden tray, and the three wet nurses each held one child and took the triplets to the east side room to play.
Shen Xiaoyan stretched and moved her stiffening spine.
Although the three children were relatively well-behaved, feeding them always took a long time. After feeding the three children, Shen Xiaoyan felt half her body go numb.
"Master, Madam, you can eat now," Huo Fen's voice came from outside. Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei exchanged a knowing smile and stood up to go outside.
Because of the presence of the triplets and Sima Shui Rong, the four little ones were fed first during meals, and Shen Xiaoyan and the others ate later.
However, Shen Xiaoyan didn't want the servants to eat later, so she told the wet nurses and servants to eat first while she was feeding the children.
This way, by the time the children finished eating, they would have finished too, and they could take the children to play.
It must be said that Shen Xiaoyan was very considerate in this regard.
Even Yue Qing Xin had said that, in all her life, she had never heard of servants eating before their masters.
If the masters didn't eat, the servants would go hungry.
Shen Xiaoyan just smiled and didn't offer much explanation.
She had transmigrated from a world where everyone was equal, and some things would instinctively make her consider others.
Indeed, Shen Xiaoyan's approach also had its benefits.
The servants felt that Shen Xiaoyan cared about them, and they were even more dedicated to Shen Xiaoyan and the others, and even more dedicated to the children.
When the two arrived at the main house, everyone else was already seated.
"Eldest Sister, where is Rong Ge?" Shen Xiaoyan asked as she walked.
"He's in the east side room playing with the three of them," Yue Qing Xin replied with a smile.
As they spoke, Shen Xiaoyan sat down, and Huo Fen also led people to serve breakfast.
Knowing that there was something to do later, everyone ate relatively quickly.
In the end, they finished breakfast in half the usual time.
Before the table was cleared, Huo Fen rushed in, "The village chief has arrived and is now in the front main house."
Shen Xiaoyan and the others stood up together upon hearing this.
"Are you all going together?" Shen Xiaoyan asked, looking at everyone in confusion.
"Of course, if Bai Yong Gui dares to refuse, we'll all go together," Lu Taobao said, waving his fist.
"What are we going up for?" Shen Xiaoming asked blankly.
"Cough, of course, we're going up to reason with him until he agrees," Lu Taobao said, his face a little unnatural.
This was because he had intended to say that if Bai Yong Gui didn't agree, they would all go up and beat him up, and then he would have no choice but to agree.
But before the words left his mouth, he saw the knife-like gazes from Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei, and the words at his lips turned a corner, saying something else.
After speaking, Lu Taobao looked at Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei and smiled obsequiously.
He had recently forgotten that Shen Xiaoming was still a child, and their words and actions could not be too out of line, otherwise, Shen Xiaoming would learn from them, and no one knew what he would become in the future.