The two great poets were court officials yet they had been miserable. Qi Qingyao wanted to buy a nice house in Qingzhou City that boasted a status comparable to Shanghai. She probably would not be able to make enough money through ordinary means. She could work her fingers to the bone only to be able to afford a thatched house.

Was it possible to buy a thatched house, set it up as a public toilet, and then implement a fee system of one copper-cash per individual?

By the looks of it…

Qi Qingyao was in contemplation for a long time.

She decided, "I need to go into the mountains one more time."

"Does Mommy want to go into the mountains again?" Erniu opened her mouth in shock. She did not want her mother to go into the mountains—they were dangerous. Someone from the village had gone into the mountains before and had half of their arm bitten off by a wild wolf!

Qi Qingyao nodded slightly and considered, "When I first entered the mountain to gather herbs for Jiang Bai, I dug some ginseng while I was at it and hunted a wild boar when I went hunting the second time. Recently, I have been busy teaching you guys how to read. I will go into the mountains again tomorrow morning to see if I can dig up a few more ginseng."

If she could dig up some miraculous 1000-year-old ginseng or some high-quality herbs, she would be able to earn quite a lot with relatively little effort.

Xiaobao blinked his large, naive eyes and said, "But Mommy, the Qi family… people from the Qi family are still there, didn't you say that they were beating drums and banging cymbals…"

Qi Qingyao replied with disdain, "It's no problem. It's not like we're in the village. And just because she is making a racket in Capital City, what's there to be afraid of? We aren't there either so the most she can do is throw a ruckus in the village and put on a show. Besides, Jiang Bai and Si Jin are still in the village. If Jiang Bai can't handle a few nasty women with his level of skill, then I definitely have to laugh at him later."

Xiaobao, "..."

It seemed like the uncle was not one to be easily understood.

Erniu suddenly smiled sweetly and said, "Mommy."

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say you didn't want to get married?" Erniu asked carefully.

"That's right," replied Qi Qingyao.

"If...if, I'm just saying if, if you are willing to marry Uncle Jiang Bai, I am willing to accept him as my dad."

When Erniu said this, Dabao and Xiaobao both looked at her in horror simultaneously. They had never thought about this.

Qi Qingyao narrowed her eyes at Erniu who looked serious. "Hmph, that fellow Jiang Bai doesn't have a single penny to his name, how did he buy you over?"

Erniu pursed her lips. She thought for a beat and said, "He's handsome."

"Pfft!" Qi Qingyao could not help but let out a laugh before pretending to remark casually, "Then, I'd better go for Si Jin. At least he has a sharp tongue! And he's quite handsome."

Erniu thought about it seriously for a moment. "Fair enough."

Qi Qingyao, "..." 'This little girl really isn't picky at all so long as they looked good! She would definitely be quite the superficial one when she grows up and would so easily be lured away by good-looking men.' Thinking of this, Qi Qingyao felt a little frustrated. It looked like she would need to go back and teach this girl that not everyone's faults were written on their faces; just like herself! She may look quite nice but she was also full of shit! Ahem, she definitely could not say that out loud.

It was very lively in Baishui Town today with someone beating drums and banging cymbals since early in the morning. The streets were filled with people, with many of them having come out to witness the excitement. Three banners that could be seen raised high from a distance, with words clearly written on them.

"The Qi family has a daughter who failed to abide by a woman's morals and has given birth to children outside of wedlock."

"The Qi family has a daughter who is unfilial and has cut off all ties with her parents."

"The eleventh daughter of the Qi family has forgotten her parents after striking it rich."

Qi family?

What Qi family?

Plenty of the folks in town were a bit lost.

The new year was arriving soon yet they were not occupied with farm work. Since they were bored from having nothing to do, naturally they would all come closer to take a look at the excitement.