Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 244 Touched

Lord Bai has lived for several decades, and he asked himself that there are not many people in this world that he is grateful to, nor are there many people that he respects. But at this moment, he was filled with sincere gratitude and respect for a girl who was only fourteen years old.

If even one-tenth of the people in the Great Sheng Dynasty were as careful and attentive as this girl, then the life of every soldier guarding the border would be much easier.

Seeing Lord Bai remained silent, Hua Lei felt a little embarrassed. She lowered her voice and said with a guilty conscience, "Lord Bai, do you think I am being scheming and unscrupulous in order to make money?"

Lord Bai was shocked and said quickly, "How is it possible? I am amazed by Miss Hua's clever mind and moved by her attentiveness. Miss Hua, I thank you on behalf of the soldiers of Western Xinjiang." As he said that, he leaned over and performed a standard fist-clasping salute to Hua Lei.

Hua Lei was startled and quickly dodged to the side, avoiding Lord Bai's salute. She said anxiously, "Lord Bai, you really embarrassed me. Not to mention that you are the Lord of Dingxi appointed by the emperor himself, you shouldn't salute a commoner like me. Even if you are an ordinary elder, you shouldn't salute me, right? Hurry up, you will scare me like this."

Lord Bai then stood up and said to Hua Lei, "Miss Hua, I sincerely thank you on behalf of the soldiers in Western Xinjiang. You have no idea how popular these pickled vegetables and dried vegetables you make will be when they are sent to Western Xinjiang. You have solved the big problem of their food. You deserve this thank you."

Hua Lei smiled and said, "Lord Bai, I'm not that great. To be honest, I'm just trying to make money. Of course, I'd be honored if I could help them."

Butler Bai, who was standing next to him, fiddled with the bamboo tube filled with mugwort and asked, "Miss Hua, how come you are so smart and think so far ahead?"

Hua Lei smiled brightly and boasted, "Because I was born smart. My grandfather always praised me since I was a child, saying that I am very smart, have a good memory, and learn things quickly." The two dimples on her lips were like blooming morning glories, and she boasted without any scruples.

This time, not only Butler Bai laughed, but Marquis Bai and Bai Yunhe also laughed.

Finally, the greedy Lord Bai bought all the fermented bean curd, mugwort sticks and mugwort mosquito repellent incense pills, and sent them to western Xinjiang together with the lotus root powder.

There was no other way, so Hualei had to make another batch of fermented bean curd and send it to Mobei. Of course, the small pottery jars with cloth bags were also sent there, as there were soldiers in Mobei who had to go out on patrol. She also told Old Marquis Pei how to make fried rice noodles and baked steamed bread slices in the letter, thinking that although Mobei was a natural refrigerator that could store food that needed to be stored, what if it was needed?

Every two or three months, Lord Bai would go to Yuanying Manor in person to purchase a batch of supplies, from hundreds of jars of pickled vegetables to toothbrushes and soaps, all of which were continuously sent to Western Xinjiang. Hualei's wallet bulged involuntarily.

Of course, the supplies sent to Mobei have also been expanded from the initial cured meat and bacon to various dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, lotus root powder, fermented bean curd, and even mugwort pillars and mugwort mosquito repellent incense pills that Hualei thought Mobei would not need, so Lord Pei asked for some to be sent over.

Mobei is humid all year round. In the barracks, there is often a musty smell on the bed. After fumigating with wormwood sticks, it is much better. There is no musty smell and sleep is sweet. In addition, walking and patrolling in the ice and snow often causes cold and dampness on the body and legs. Moxibustion with wormwood sticks on the acupuncture points is really effective. Many military doctors have begun to use wormwood sticks to treat cold and dampness for soldiers. Therefore, Lord Pei has increased the demand for wormwood sticks.

As for the rice wine, almost all of it was sent directly to Mobei as soon as it was brewed, and they could consume as much as they wanted. In the middle of the year, Madam Pei had expanded the winery and recruited a group of retired soldiers. Even the pottery workshop in the north of the city was expanded again.

As for toothbrushes and soaps, their sales in Mobei are simply skyrocketing, especially when caravans trading with northern countries pass through the small town of Mobei. The quantity required by the caravans is almost always in the tens of thousands. It is said that after their caravans leave the Great Sheng Dynasty, the prices of rice wine, toothbrushes and soaps double, and they are still in short supply.

Liang Xiangyi also comes to Hualei every two months to buy a batch of goods, mostly toothbrushes and soaps, and occasionally some pickled vegetables. However, mugwort sticks and mugwort mosquito repellent incense pills are surprisingly popular in the south, so they are also sold in large quantities. Fortunately, there is a lot of mugwort exchanged in the farm, which made Hualei earn a windfall.

That day Hua Lei went to the down jacket group on the farm. After the first batch of down vest samples came out, Hua Lei asked them to work overtime to rush out several other models of down vests. At the end of August, the horse-drawn carriage of the Marquis' Mansion was sent to Mobei at full speed, and attached was a letter from Hua Lei to the old Marquis Pei.

When Lord Pei received the 120 down vests, he was so moved that he took off his outer coat and tried them on. They were really warm, light and warm. They were hundreds or thousands of times better than the jackets made of old cotton and reed fluff given by the Ministry of War. He immediately threw away the dirty and worn-out jacket that he had worn for several years and put on Huaji down vests instead. He even showed them off to his son and subordinates.

Finally, the 120 vests were distributed to the patrol soldiers, who took turns wearing them. There were too few down vests. There was no other way, the fabric was found too late, and the trip back and forth took a lot of time.

In the evening, Lord Pei read Hua Lei's letter by candlelight. After thinking about it all night and discussing with his two sons for a long time, he asked Pei Jingyang to draw some rough patterns of clothes according to his requirements and his own needs. He wrote a letter and asked the guards to deliver it directly to Hua Lei as soon as possible.

So, in Songhe Hall, Hualei and Old Madam Pei designed several types of clothing suitable for different types of soldiers and in different environments based on the clothing patterns and the requirements of Old Marquis Pei, and asked the down jacket group to make them. Because there was a shortage of manpower and the clothes were needed urgently, Old Madam Pei sent all the embroiderers from her own manor to Yuanying Manor, and also asked Manju to borrow a dozen embroiderers to help Hualei make the down jackets that Old Marquis Pei needed.

Finally, at the end of October, another batch of down jackets of the style specified by Old Marquis Pei was sent to Mobei, but not all the goods that Old Marquis Pei wanted were made. Also gone were the goose down quilts that Hualei made for Old Marquis Pei and the two Generals Pei. However, the colors were so bright that Old Marquis Pei dared not look directly at them. They were all off-white, lotus-colored, and even slightly pink.