Upon hearing this, He Ning'an snatched the silver and said coldly, "Separate the family then. We'll surely live better than you. Just wait and see. Sooner or later, there will come a day when you beg me to come back." With that, he turned and left, taking Zhang and He Jinghe with him.

  "Alas, it's a debt of sin!" The old princess let out a sigh. She looked at the retreating figures of the three without saying a word.

  After the second - branch people left, the onlookers who had been watching the excitement began to have ideas.

  "Did Shang Ruoyi really say that her family is going to build a house and recruit workers? Is it true?"

  "I think it's quite likely. If they're building a house, the people in their family alone aren't enough. They'll definitely need to recruit workers."

  "She said she'd provide food and pay wages."

  A man bravely stepped forward and asked, "Miss, is it true that you're going to build a house and recruit workers?"

  Shang Ruoyi nodded. "Of course it is."

  "Really provide food and pay silver?"

  "Yes, but I only want hard - working and capable people. If someone wants to come here to freeload and cheat money." She smiled, but her eyes were filled with coldness, making people shiver. "Sorry, I'll have to ask him to leave."

  "When will it start?" The court - issued coarse - grain cakes were only distributed for a few days. If they couldn't find work and had no money, they would starve. In the cold winter, being cold and hungry could be life - threatening.

  "It'll be in a few days."

  When the crowd heard this, they beamed with joy. At least they had some guarantee for the future.

  Having cut off all ties with the second - branch, Shang Ruoyi was in a very good mood. She told everyone to put away the things and then went to the inner room. The old man in the gray robe had settled his wife on the couch and then turned to her. "What kind of house do you want to build?"

  "Since we're new here, I don't know what materials are available."

  "Most people here build houses with a mixture of mountain stones and mud. Poor families use straw or wood, while wealthy families use blue bricks."

  "Blue bricks?" This was the first time she had heard of them.

  "Yes, these are specially fired for the rich. They're expensive, but very sturdy and durable. Most importantly, they keep warm in winter. In this extremely cold northern land, winter is very long."

  Shang Ruoyi nodded. "In that case, let's use blue bricks." She smiled. "Sir, I haven't had the honor of asking your name yet."

  "I'm Wu Wenhan."

  Shang Ruoyi briefly described the house she wanted to build. The old man Wu's brows furrowed slightly. "For such a large estate, a great deal of blue bricks will be needed."

  "The money is sufficient. You just need to help me design and build it." With that, she walked to the bedside, took out a pill from a porcelain bottle and gave it to the old lady. It was a tablet specifically formulated for tuberculosis in the laboratory. She placed it in Old Man Wu's hand. "Take one pill a day."

  "Miss Shang, how long will it take for my wife to recover?"

  "About a month, and she should be completely cured."

  So fast!

  Old Man Wu had never expected that his wife could recover. He was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, and he kept expressing his gratitude to her.

  "Old Man Wu, there's no need to be so polite."

  In the evening, Shang Ruoyi personally cooked a large table of delicious food with the ingredients she bought.

  It was truly a feast for the eyes and taste buds. The old princess nodded frequently. "I never thought Ruoyi's cooking skills were so good. We're really in for a treat." During the exile journey, they also ate the food she cooked. But the conditions on the way were harsh, often with no guarantee of the next meal, and with an uncertain future. Even the most delicious food would seem tasteless.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Now that everything had settled down, they felt much more at ease.

  Old Man Wu put down his chopsticks, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and said with a smile, "Miss Shang's cooking is truly superb. Even the restaurants in the capital can't compare with it at all."

  "Old Man Wu, you flatter me."

  "Old Man Wu has been to the capital?" He Jingheng looked at him and said indifferently. "The capital is very far from here."

  The smile on Old Man Wu's face froze for a moment, and then he explained, "It was a long time ago. Let's not talk about it."

  He Jingheng nodded and continued eating without replying.

  Shang Ruoyi didn't suspect anything. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was already dark, and they fell asleep soundly.

  After a long time, two figures appeared in the courtyard.

  "How is it?" He Jingheng's figure emerged from the shadows.

  "Master, the two of us searched all the pawnshops in the town but couldn't find that finger - guard."

  "But we found the jewelry of the princess and others in the pawnshop you mentioned. We redeemed them all as you ordered." Yunqi handed the things to him. "However, there are a few more items than you said."

  He Jingheng picked up the jewelry that Shang Ruoyi had pawned and said in a deep voice, "Are you sure you've searched everywhere? No omissions?"

  "Yes, we've asked all of them."

  "Master, could it be that Miss Shang took the finger - guard? That finger - guard..."

  Yuntian's words were interrupted by him. "It doesn't matter. It was a fake to begin with."

  Fake?

  "Alright, you can go." He Jingheng's face was slightly solemn. He stared at the door of the room, lost in thought.

  Yuntian wanted to say something, but Yunqi grabbed his collar and they flew away.

  He stood in the courtyard for a long time, his eyes fixed on the room. After a long while, he murmured, "If you're really a spy, this heir will still accept it."

  Yunqi pulled Yuntian and flew for a long time with light - footwork before stopping.

  Yuntian said angrily, "What are you doing? Why didn't you let me speak?"

  "Speak your ass!" Yunqi scolded. "Can't you tell the master is in a bad mood?"

  "That finger - guard is related to the lives of hundreds of thousands of our brothers! The heir actually used it to test a woman." Yuntian thought for a while and said, "And that woman is the daughter of our enemy."

  Yunqi sighed. "All this must be under the master's control. We just need to follow the master's orders."

  Yuntian smacked his lips. "But that woman's cooking really smells good. I could smell it even in the yard. It made my mouth water."

  Yunqi nodded. "Yes."

  "But we've walked so far. How can I still smell it?" Yuntian murmured. "Could it be that I'm just too hungry?"

  At this time, Yunqi took out an oil - paper - wrapped package from his bosom. Inside was a roast chicken.

  "You actually smuggled food!" Yuntian was about to grab it, but Yunqi dodged.

  Yunqi tore off the chicken's rump and handed it to him. "This is yours."

  Yuntian: '......'

  If they were real brothers, wouldn't he share a chicken leg? Yunqi's actions told him that they weren't that kind of brothers. Take it or leave it.

  Early the next morning, when Shang Ruoyi got up, she found He Jingheng sitting in the courtyard.

  She walked up to him and said with a smile, "Up so early."

  "Yeah." With that, he turned and left, his tone a bit cold. But Shang Ruoyi didn't mind. Since they met, this person had always been a bit strange. She originally wanted to return the finger - guard in her space to him, but seeing him walk away, she had to give up. Just then, in the forest not far away, a group of people were quietly approaching them.