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Chapter 878 - 878: Surprise

With the New Year approaching, First Madame insisted they didn’t stay for too long. She even invited them to join them after the New Year, so they could travel with the business troops to the capital.

Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the invitation.

Traveling from the province to the capital couldn’t be done by boat; it had to be done over land. The journey was long and required careful planning. They couldn’t simply hire a single wagon and set off. It wasn’t convenient or safe.

There were unknown dangers that could be encountered along such a lengthy journey. What if they encountered robbers on the outskirts? It would spell doom for them.

Typically, a group of friends would gather together and travel to the capital collectively for the examination. It provided a sense of security and reliability.

Another option was to find a business troop heading to the capital. By offering them gifts and presents, they could gain permission to join the troop and travel together.

Usually, the business troops would approve of such requests, as the recommended individuals traveling to the capital had the potential to become successful officials. This created a sense of indebtedness toward the troop.

However, most business troops didn’t travel such long distances. They needed to make stops along the way to sell their goods, sometimes spending days in bustling cities.

Unfortunately, Recommended Men heading to the capital couldn’t afford such delays.

Not everyone was fortunate enough to find a suitable business troop for their journey. However, First Madame had made arrangements for them in the province.

By the time Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan returned home, it was already the 20th of December. They arrived just in time for the preparations for the upcoming New Year.

They had purchased a wide variety of exquisite and delicious snacks, including candies, candied fruits, and roasted seeds and nuts. The assortment included delicacies such as lotus cakes, mung bean cakes, cloud cakes, Poria cakes, shortbread, small twists, dragon beard cakes, sweet-scented osmanthus sugar, peanut sesame candies, pine nuts, small walnuts, melon seeds, almonds, and more. Shao Sanlang and his wife were overjoyed to see these treats.

Each person also received six new sets of clothes, including shoes and socks, as well as women’s rouge, gouache, various silk flowers, children’s spinning tops, clay figurines, cloth tigers, tumblers, wooden knives, swords, pony puppies, and various toys. Additionally, there were dried seafood and other household items.

Qiao Xuan even purchased ornaments worth 200-300 liang for each girl in the family, including Shao Qing. Shao Junyan and his younger brother received a pair of golden bracelets and a golden key with jade.

The first section of the family was ecstatic upon receiving these gifts. They spent half a day admiring and appreciating them.

The next day, Qiao Xuan was eager to begin planting the blueberries and cherry trees alongside Qi, Taotao, and Yang Xiaoni in the empty space designated for cassava cultivation.

The other family members understood that these were fruit trees from other regions, and they eagerly anticipated the prospect of enjoying the fruits in the coming year. Their motivation was high as they joined in the planting process.

As they set to work, some passing villagers sneered, commenting that it wasn’t the appropriate time for tree planting. They claimed that tree planting should commence after the Lantern Festival when the weather becomes warmer, unless there was a sudden return of spring coldness.

Qiao Xuan responded with a smile, countering their skepticism. “l received these trees from a friend in the province. They were brought from outside the city. I can’t just leave them sitting here.. Who knows, they might actually survive?”