Chapter 39.1

Curving gracefully like a crescent moon, the lotus pond nestles behind the village, its tranquil waters mirroring the sky and facing the bustling official road. A verdant embrace surrounds the pond, as a fence woven from living green encloses its perimeter. Beneath this natural barrier, long beans and morning glories intertwine, their vibrant growth creating a living tapestry against the earthen wall.

In addition, Song Zhiyuan specially dug up some wild thorny jujube trees from the mountain to plant around, so that animals like cattle and sheep would not dare to approach.

On the side facing the official road, dozens of peach trees have been planted, with the peach branches already tinged with new green, and soon they will be covered in countless delicate pink blossoms.

At the top corner of the crescent lake, a pavilion has been built.

Although the pavilion is made of tree trunks with bark still intact, and covered with thatched roofs, it exudes a quaint and rustic charm.

What's more, the pavilion connects to a small wooden bridge, winding its way to the other side with a resting platform in the middle. When the lotus flowers bloom, this will surely be the most suitable place for cooling off.

"Does he really think he's a wealthy household, building a pavilion like this? Is his money burning a hole in his pocket?" Many people in the village do not understand this move, feeling that the Fourth Old Song Si family doesn't know what to do with their money, actually creating such a thing in the village.

With that amount of money, even if one is reluctant to splurge on food and drinks, it's worth buying a few pieces of land at least.

"Just wait and see how you do this needlework." Several women sat in the sunlight at the doorway, each holding two thick bamboo sticks and fiddling with them.

Song Dingxiang, fingers hooked with yarn, patiently teaches them how to knit. "See, like this, and then like this, it will form a circle. Then keep going in circles like this, and it will turn into a tube."

Fang Shi, feeling a headache, said, "This is too difficult, how did you come up with it?"

Song Dingxiang replied, "Didn't I ask Sixth Grandaunt to help me spin all the wool we've saved into yarn? I thought thick wool would make a warm scarf, and the soft ones could be used for gloves, to keep our hands warm when working in the cold weather."

Zhang shi smiled and said, "That's a good idea. I know people up north use this wool to make blankets, but it seems they don't do it this way. However, if we can knit scarves with just two bamboo sticks, let's make more later on, we might even make some money out of it."

Song Dingxiang laughed, "If we can really make money from it, we'll go collect more wool, have Sixth Grandaunt help spin the yarn, and it could increase her income too. I think spinning yarn is easier than weaving cloth."

Jin Qiao'er said, "Weaving cloth is too strenuous on the eyes. I do know a little about spinning yarn, but not as evenly as Sixth Grandaunt does."

Li shi was also playing with the yarn, and suddenly said, "It's a pity the color of this yarn is not nice. It would be great if we could dye it."

Song Dingxiang smiled, "This is just practice. Once everyone learns, we can spin more wool and dye it. Dyed yarn, whether used for knitting scarves or gloves, can be sold for a profit. It seems like wool from the north is not very valuable, so we can stock up more."

"Our family's ingenuity has all been taken by Dingxiang," Zhang shi chuckled, "With all these ideas one after another, how come we didn't think of them ourselves?"

Fang shi looked disdainful and said, "Oh, she just can't sit still, always wanting to mess with something, spending money." However, she then chuckled, a satisfied look in her smile.

Although she complained about Song Dingxiang's activities, she always supported them in action.

Song Dingxiang had long figured out Fang's thrifty nature, so she simply smiled, "I saw all that wool going to waste, so if we can really earn money from it, it's much easier than embroidering or anything like that."

She had long ago knitted two pairs of wool finger gloves, Fang shi and Song Zhiyuan were unwilling to use them. Moreover, being white in color, they couldn't be worn out, so she simply sent them to Zhou Yinuo.

It's been over a month now, and she doesn't know if Zhou Yinuo has received them.

*

Zhou Yinuo had just received a package sent from his hometown, which contained family letters and two jars of something with a strange tofu-like smell. Additionally, there were two pairs of peculiar gloves.

Given the cashmere's less-than-ideal purity, a supplementary layer of cotton fabric was incorporated as an inner lining for the gloves. To augment comfort and warmth, soft sheepskin was meticulously stitched onto the palm side.

Every time Zhou Yinuo received a letter from home, many people would gather around him. Firstly, his family would always send him strange yet useful things, and secondly, few people in other families could read, let alone receive a letter in over a year.

Sometimes, a person receiving a letter from home would read it aloud for everyone to listen, which was a good way to soothe homesickness.

"Oh, these gloves even have fingers!" Gouzi looked at the gloves, turning them over and even tried them on, "These are comfortable! With these, I won't have to work barehanded this winter!"

Zhou Yinuo unfolded the family letter and read through it, unable to help but smile at the last few lines. His wife really had some great ideas - now she was planning to catch a wolf barehanded (to do nothing).

"These gloves are truly exceptional," General Zhong remarked, his gaze intently fixed upon the pair.

With meticulous care, he slipped them on, his fingers finding a comfortable fit. Grasping a brush, he began to write, his movements deliberate and precise.

A satisfied smile crept across his lips as he murmured, "Indubitably, these are quite good. Not bad."

It's worth noting that the hardest time in the northern region is winter - a four-month long cold season, which even made this old general very uncomfortable, not to mention his soldiers.

Now, he wore the wolf fur knee pads sewn by Zhou Yinuo's family on his legs, wrapped in a short cloak that could protect his head and face from the cold wind, and instead of his original hand warmers, he had put on these soft and lightweight wool gloves. Not to mention, there was a jar on the table, filled with ginger-spiced dried shrimp. It was because of this, he hardly fell ill that winter.

Zhou Yinuo said, "My wife mentioned that if we could buy some wool and leather at a low price here, she could help us make quite a few gloves over there. However, I'm not very knowledgeable about this kind of thing, so I don't know if it's doable. I will need General Zhong's guidance on this."

General Zhong pondered and replied, "It can be done, but we must not make a big deal out of it, and we certainly cannot let the other ethnic group know what we are planning. Don't worry about it for now; I need some time to think it through."

The other ethnic group bred a large number of cattle and sheep, yielding a considerable amount of wool every year. However, for them, this wool was not considered a valuable commodity; it was very cheap and was typically used for things like felt rugs.

Some merchants would buy the wool, take it south, dye it, and turn it into colorful tapestries or carpets to sell at a high price.

However, making gloves from wool had not been attempted by anyone.

For ordinary families, these gloves were not very useful, as during the winter, rural households would hunker down, with just hand warmers being enough when going out. But for soldiers from the northern region, having such a convenient item meant they wouldn't risk frostbite during battles or training.

Initially, General Zhong thought the hand warmers with a cover were quite exquisite, but now he found something even more sophisticated and intriguing. This made him wonder about Zhou Yinuo's wife - what kind of person was she to have so many innovative ideas?

Apart from the gloves, Zhou Yinuo also gave General Zhong a jar of fermented tofu from his home. The letter explained how to enjoy the fermented tofu, whether stir-fried with vegetables or spread on bread or steamed buns - it was very appetizing.

Additionally, it could be stored well and had a flavor far superior to pickled vegetables.

General Zhong's face was alight with satisfaction as he regarded Zhou Yinuo. A low chuckle escaped his lips. "Did you not remember my petition to the emperor before the turn of the New Year? His Majesty indeed spoke of a reward, but he yearns for a truly decisive triumph before showering us with accolades. Spring has begun, and although the other ethnic group has temporarily withdrawn their troops, they still pose a serious threat to our people. If we can find a way to make them suffer a major defeat, force a retreat back to the grasslands, and sign a non-aggression treaty, that would be ideal."

After standing in opposition for so long, despite several minor victories, a major triumph had not yet been achieved. The continued assaults from the other ethnic group loomed over the nation, leaving the people in constant fear and the soldiers unable to return home - this situation was unsustainable.

Zhou Yinuo pondered and said, "If only we could kill their king or sow discord within their ranks, that would be ideal."

General Zhōng pondered for a moment and said, "I have a secret contact in the enemy tribe, and now I can get close to their king. Do you have any good ideas?"

After a moment of silence, Zhou Yinuò said, "My wife has told me many stories, and two of them are quite interesting. In one story, someone wanted to sow discord between two people who had no conflict. So, he made up some stories and spread rumors, mixing truth with lies. Over time, the two people started to doubt each other and even fight."

General Zhōng nodded and asked, "What about the other story?"

Zhou Yinuo continued, "The other story is related to the first. When the two people were fighting, someone took advantage of the situation to steal their most cherished possessions. Each of them thought the other had stolen from them, which escalated the conflict even further."

General Zhōng furrowed his brow, thought for a while, and then exclaimed, "Excellent! If we can make the king's sons fight among themselves, we can deal a heavy blow to the king. Your idea is truly intriguing. I usually focus on direct attacks, but you have a deeper insight. Haha, you always use your wife as a shield, but I must say, I believe her craftsmanship, but not her stories. You are quite a cunning one, just like Wáng Dòng!"

Zhou Yinuo: ...

He knelt down and said, "General Zhōng, I am willing to go to the enemy tribe, contact our secret contact, and make this plan a reality!"

General Zhōng was stunned and said, "Do you know this is a dangerous matter, with a slim chance of survival? If you succeed, you will live a life of honor and wealth. But if you fail, you will not even have the chance to return home..."

He truly hesitated to let Zhou Yinuo undertake such a perilous task because he planned to groom him as his trusted aide. In a few years, this young man would surely rise to higher positions with his help, especially since he had a weak family background with no influential relatives, making him the ideal candidate.

Zhou Yinuo shouted, "General, I do not seek titles or wealth. I only wish to defeat the enemy and bring peace to the nation. And...I want to go home."

No one does not wish to go home, but he genuinely, exceptionally longed to return to his home and see his beloved wife. Every time he was in battle with the enemy, he wished to end the war by taking the enemy leader's head.

If the conflict continued, who knew how long it would last...

General Zhōng fell silent again, and after a long while, he said, "If you fail, you may never return home. Do you understand?"

Zhou Yinuo replied, "If I fail, please inform my family, and ask her...ask her to remarry while still young, no need to wait for me."

Song Dingxiang got married to him at the age of fourteen, and now she was already seventeen. If he delayed any longer, she would become an old maiden, and it would be hard for her to find a good family.

But if he succeeded, he could go back home, reunite with his family, and never make his wife worry about him again.

"This matter cannot be rushed; it needs careful planning before implementation. Even if enacted, it won't be completed overnight. Zhou Yinuo, you must be prepared." General Zhōng's tone turned solemn, for he too longed to go home.

He left when his grandson was just born, and now the child must be around seven or eight years old, right?