I just want to live a good life

Chapter 474 A little thought

Su Nuan and Song Qi were whispering in the corner. Ye Xiaobai was talking to Chu Qi and Su Qingmo while glancing in Su Nuan's direction.

"Half a month ago, someone took several silver notes worth 1,000 taels to a bank to exchange for silver, and it was discovered that one of the notes was fake. The matter was reported to the authorities, but the matter was later dropped."

"Fake banknotes are no small matter. Whoever handled the case, why did it end up in vain?"

"The case was reported to Jingzhao Prefecture, but we have not found out why it was left unsolved."

"The case has been reported to Jingzhao Prefecture, but there has been no follow-up. The prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture must have suppressed the matter. He probably did this because he received benefits from the person who exchanged the banknotes. Has the identity of the person who exchanged the banknotes been found?"

"I only know it's from a lumber shop, but I can't find out which one it is."

After hearing this, Su Nuan pondered for a moment, then whispered a few words in Song Qi's ear.

Song Qi was a little surprised after hearing this, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Hurry up, this is my New Year's gift to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Su Nuan's face was gloomy.

A gaze was shot towards her from a distance. Su Nuan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. She looked back and met Ye Xiaobai's gaze.

Ye Xiaobai quickly turned his head away.

After Song Qi left, Su Nuan came to Ye Xiaobai and the others and glanced at Ye Xiaobai as if unintentionally, then said to Su Qingmo: "The New Year is coming soon. Tell the customers to place orders in advance. We will close the store for 15 days during the New Year."

"Fifteen days!" Su Qingmo said with eyes wide open, "Why is it so long?"

"We've been busy for a year, let everyone have a few more days of rest." Su Nuan said this, but what she was thinking in her heart was that she could make the decision, and she had to take a few more days off.

Su Qingmo frowned, thought for a while and said, "Then I have to ask someone to send some more goods to our old customers."

As he was speaking, he was already walking out, asking people to prepare the goods as he walked.

This execution is pleasing.

There was nothing to do in the afternoon, so Su Nuan stayed in the teahouse and didn't want to move.

She can't stay at the general's mansion today, and even if she does, her mother won't let her stay.

I didn't want to go back to the Prince's Mansion. I didn't know how to face Mu Yunting when I saw him back.

They drank tea in the teahouse for the entire afternoon, and it was not until the evening when the teahouse was about to close that Su Nuan got on the carriage back to the Prince's Mansion.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was kept in the palace for dinner today and has not returned home yet.

But there is someone who has been waiting for Su Nuan.

"My lady, there is a young man named Sheng Huai waiting for you."

Butler Ding came in person to inform Su Nuan. Su Nuan was a little surprised. This kind of matter did not require Butler Ding to come in person. If he came in person, there must be something else.

Su Nuan didn't say anything, just waiting for Manager Ding to continue.

"My queen, tomorrow is the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month. According to the rules, we have to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God at night. In previous years, Your Highness has let me do the sacrifices. This year, I would like Your Highness to preside over it personally."

The Kitchen God worship ceremony should indeed be done by the male owner himself, but he did not go directly to Mu Yunting but came to herself instead. Su Nuan did not understand why Manager Ding was doing this.

She did not rush to ask the questions in her mind, but just waited quietly for Manager Ding to continue.

"Every year at this time, I have to ask His Highness for help, but His Highness hates these things the most and always sends me away. It was fine in previous years, as His Highness was the only master in the mansion, but this year is different. There are many people, and the rules must be followed. So I dare to ask the Queen to talk about this matter in front of His Highness."

"I'll go and tell them!"

Su Nuan was a little surprised. It was useless to ask her about this kind of thing. Who could persuade Mu Yunting to do something he didn't want to do? But she thought again, Manager Ding must have come to her to try because he really had no other choice. This was just desperate.

"If I were to ask him to do something he doesn't want to do, the result would be the same."

Steward Ding bowed his head slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to give it a try."

Things have come to this point, and Su Nuan couldn't refuse. Steward Ding has a special status in this mansion. Although he is just a steward, he is probably more valued by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince than the two concubines, so he still has to be given the face he deserves.

"Okay, I'll try. But I can't guarantee whether he will agree or not."

"Your Majesty, you are willing to give it a try, which is already a great honor for me. Please wait a moment, I will bring Sheng Huai to you right away."

Having said that, Manager Ding stepped back.

After a while, Manager Ding brought Sheng Huai to Su Nuan. As soon as he arrived, he turned around and walked out.

"I pay my respects to the Concubine."

Sheng Huai was holding a wooden box. He placed it at his feet and knelt down to kowtow to Su Nuan.

Su Nuan was shocked when she saw this. This kowtow was a great honor. Sheng Huai was a little too much to kowtow to her like this. She was surprised in her heart but didn't show it on her face. Su Nuan raised her hand and said, "Get up."

Hearing this, Sheng Huai stood up and put the wooden box back in his hand.

"I have come here today to thank you for your help. These are some small things that the Sheng family caravan brought back from southern Xinjiang. Although they are not worth much, they are a small token of my gratitude. I hope you will not despise them."

Sheng Huai opened the wooden box and presented it to Su Nuan with both hands.

Su Nuan took a look at the wooden box and saw a small porcelain bottle, a palm-sized jade piece, and a small cloth bag inside.

The thing looked ordinary and didn't feel valuable, so Su Nuan wouldn't feel burdened to accept it.

So she picked up the piece of jade and looked at it carefully.

The texture of this jade piece is ordinary and it is not a precious material. However, the lines inside the jade piece are very special. The thin lines look like a picture. It does not seem to be formed by natural heat, but rather like it was carved.

After looking at it for a while, Su Nuan smiled and said, "This jade piece is actually made of two very thin pieces of jade glued together. It's really exquisite. But the pattern created in this way doesn't look natural enough."

"What the Concubine said is true. The patterns created in this way are indeed not as good as those generated naturally. However, the beauty of this jade piece does not entirely lie in its patterns."

"Oh, it has other benefits?"

"The Concubine can place it on a lampshade, and its subtlety will be revealed."

The candlelight shone through the jade, revealing the patterns on it. Su Nuan quickly imagined the scene in her mind. It should be very beautiful. She wanted to see the effect right away, but Sheng Huai continued, "It would be better to wait until the concubine goes to bed before trying the jade. There will be a surprise."

Since everyone said so, Su Nuan gave up the idea of ​​trying it right away.

She put the jade piece back to its original place and picked up the cloth bag next to it. The cloth bag was very light, and the things inside were in irregular shapes. Su Nuan couldn't guess what was inside, so she simply asked Sheng Huai: "What is this?"

"It's incense." Sheng Huai answered, "This is what the caravan bought from the locals when they passed through the Miao village. This incense is made using a special method, and the fragrance will not dissipate even after it is stained on the fabric for half a month."

Hearing that it was incense, Su Nuan put the cloth bag under her nose and smelled it. Sure enough, she smelled a faint fragrance. Although the smell was not as fresh and natural as the smell on Mu Yunting's body, it could still be said to be pleasant. It was especially rare that the fragrance lingered on the clothes for half a month and could not be dissipated.

Su Nuan liked both the jade piece and the incense very much. She wondered what rare things were in the porcelain bottle, so she fixed her eyes on the porcelain bottle.

This time, before Su Nuan could ask, Sheng Huai spoke first.