Chapter 54 : Watching Huo Tan practicing sword skills is a real pleasure.

The next morning, Cui Yunzhao woke up alongside Huo Tan.

She had a lot on her mind, so she couldn’t sleep soundly. When she heard Huo Tan turn over, she decided to sit up too. Huo Tan wasn’t surprised, he knew that when Cui Yunzhao was preoccupied, she often woke up early.

He glanced at her as she rubbed her eyes, then casually tied up his long hair before asking, “Are you also going to the North City Gate?”

Cui Yunzhao let out a soft yawn that sounded almost like a cat meowing. “Yes, I have to go,” she replied with a sigh. “I just can’t shake off my worries.”

Huo Tan lifted the bed curtain and brought over the warm tea that had been prepared at the bedside, handing it to Cui Yunzhao. They sat side by side on the bed and quietly sipped their tea. After drinking, they both sighed in unison.

Huo Tan smiled and got out of bed. While he folded his bedding to make it easier for Cui Yunzhao to get up, he said, “You really worry too much, my lady. You’re exhausting yourself.”

As he spoke, he had already put on his shoes and socks. Cui Yunzhao heard him muttering, “I’ll let Mother Xia know to make some soup for dinner, so you can have a good supplement.”

“Don’t be so over-the-top,” Cui Yunzhao teased him, but she smiled at the same time. She sat for a while longer until she was fully awake.

After washing up, she sat in front of the mirror to comb her hair, her gaze drifting to the window. Huo Tan was doing his morning exercises. He typically practiced his swordplay in the courtyard for about an hour, waiting for his meridians to open up and regain his energy before taking a break for breakfast.

Cui Yunzhao usually woke up late and rarely saw him practice, so now she found herself entranced.

Watching Huo Tan practice was a delight. His movements were fluid and powerful, exuding vitality that made her marvel at his martial prowess.

Tao Fei couldn’t help but tease her, “Miss, are you mesmerized?”

Cui Yunzhao shot her a glare but ended up laughing as well. “My husband is extraordinary, his skills are unparalleled. His swordplay is mesmerizing and unforgettable.”

As she spoke, she smiled and then said softly, “Such results only come from years of practice and diligence.”

Huo Tan’s swordplay wasn’t purely about brute force; each move carried strength and resilience, with pauses that made his sword seem alive, gliding around him like an ice dragon in winter.

“Truly, it’s like a dazzling reflection,” she added.

Tao Fei, only half understanding, nodded along.

Once Cui Yunzhao’s hair was styled, Tao Fei asked, “What kind of headpiece do you want to wear today, Miss?”

When she was still with the Cui family, Cui Yunzhao had to dress meticulously every day. If she didn’t, people would talk behind her back. She had always felt tense, especially since her parents had passed away, she didn’t want anyone to think of her and her sister as orphans, so she worked even harder.

But now, she had become quite lazy. She opted for simple and practical hairstyles, choosing delicate pearl or gold leaf earrings and pairing them with one or two headpieces. That was usually enough.

It was unclear whether her mindset had changed or if this style simply suited her better, but even Mother Xia remarked that she looked brighter and more graceful than before, elegant and charming.

She looked better and felt more relaxed, enjoying a sense of comfort and ease.

As she rummaged through her box of accessories, she finally pointed to the silver hairpin Huo Tan had bought for her. “Let’s go with this.”

Tao Fei couldn’t help but laugh again.

Cui Yunzhao teased her, “Go ahead and laugh. Once you’re married, I’ll be the one to laugh at you.”

The mention of marriage instantly made Tao Fei’s face flush. She fidgeted a bit but didn’t say anything about not wanting to marry. Instead, she quietly replied, “I’m not in a hurry, I want to spend more time with you, Miss.”

Seeing the young girl’s rosy cheeks in the mirror made Cui Yunzhao’s heart ache a little.

In her past life, she had planned to wait for Huo Tan to rise further before helping her and Li Qing find suitable matches. By then, there would be more options available. But unfortunately, Li Qing had died trying to save her.

After that, every time she mentioned finding a good match for Tao Fei, Tao Fei would laugh and say she didn’t want to marry, preferring to stay with her.

Now, it seemed Tao Fei still worried about her, afraid that if she left, Cui Yunzhao would be all alone.

Cui Yunzhao sighed inwardly but reassured Tao Fei, “There’s no rush now. Once my husband becomes the governor, I’ll choose a general for you.”

Tao Fei thought she was joking and laughed, saying, “Then I’ll wait for that, and thank you in advance, Miss.”

As they chatted, Li Qing had set the breakfast table outside.

Today’s breakfast was Yangchun noodles, steaming hot and looking delicious.

Cui Yunzhao was a bit surprised, since Huo Tan hadn’t had time to buy breakfast, this must have been made in the small kitchen.

Just then, Huo Tan entered the main room, and Cui Yunzhao asked, “Did the clever cook manage to make this?”

Li Qing smiled and replied, “No, I heard it was made by Xinliu”

This time, Cui Yunzhao was genuinely astonished. Even Huo Tan was taken aback, saying, “Second Sister?”

Li Qing nodded and explained, “It seems Sister Zhi is teaching Xinliu From what I can tell, Xinliu seems to enjoy it a lot.”

Cui Yunzhao served noodles for both of them and took a bite, exclaiming, “Liu has a real talent.”

The noodles were chewy, and the broth was perfectly flavored. Eating a bowl of Yangchun noodles first thing in the morning made her feel refreshed all over.

Huo Tan sat down and took a bite as well, agreeing, “It really is good.”

Noticing a basket of brown sugar pastries, Cui Yunzhao encouraged Huo Tan to eat a couple more, saying that just eating noodles wouldn’t be filling enough.

“I mentioned Liu to my sister the other day, suggesting we find her some tasks to do, as she only seems slow to react but isn’t unintelligent. It would be good to give her some responsibilities to help her improve.”

“She sits indoors all day, doesn’t read, and doesn’t go out to play. If this goes on, she’ll only get slower and her mind will dull,” Cui Yunzhao said as she took small bites of her noodles, feeling herself warm up.

“Everyone needs a skill or a hobby,” she continued. “But I only mentioned it casually to my sister, I didn’t expect her to come up with a solution so quickly.”

Huo Tan chuckled and finished his bowl of noodles before replying, “Sister has always been very clever.”

They chatted amiably while eating, creating a warm atmosphere. Once they finished breakfast, Cui Yunzhao put on her cotton coat, and Huo Tan draped his cloak over his shoulders.

The two of them stepped outside together. Huo Tan helped Cui Yunzhao into the carriage, saying, “It’s chaotic outside the city. Have Huzi keep close to you. Just go to the porridge shop, don’t go anywhere else.”

“I have to go to the barracks first to check attendance. I’ll head to the city afterward, so I’ll be about half an hour later than you,” Cui Yunzhao replied. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

Huo Tan glanced at the youthful Wang Huzi but didn’t say much more.

Today, Cui Yunzhao took Mother Xia, Li Qing, and Wang Huzi with her to the porridge shop.

At this hour, the sky was just beginning to brighten, the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, casting a hesitant glow.

The sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, dappling the ground below.

Many shops along the streets were closed, but the breakfast stalls were bustling with activity.

The early risers, dressed in patched clothing, bowed their heads against the wind as they hurried along the streets. Their steps were quick, faces obscured in a rush, appearing as mere gray shadows.

The breakfast stalls were doing great business, selling various foods, crispy fried dough, round sweet rice balls, plump vegetarian buns, and steaming bowls of spicy soup.

After watching for a while, Cui Yunzhao remarked, “Running a breakfast business isn’t easy.”

“People have to wake up in the middle of the night to prepare, and they don’t get a break until noon,” Mother Xia replied. “Breakfast stalls tend to do relatively well because workers don’t want to start a fire and cook for themselves, they prefer to buy something quick.”

Cui Yunzhao nodded, “The shop in Fulu should also serve meals that people are used to. That would be nice.”

Originally, she planned for Mother Xia to take Manager Sun to Fulu, but due to the continuous snow, she changed her mind and just sent Manager Sun with a letter to ensure everything remained the same at the Fulu shop.

Hearing Cui Yunzhao’s thoughts, Mother Xia said, “Whatever you say, Miss.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled in response.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the North City Gate.

Wang Huzi held Huo Tan’s waist token, allowing Cui Yunzhao to pass through without having to wait in line.

As they exited the city, the streets were still fairly orderly, with neatly lined shanties and shops, retaining some semblance of life.

But as they moved further along, they encountered more and more beggars until they reached a shantytown, where Cui Yunzhao truly understood the meaning of the term.

Dilapidated yellow earth walls and various makeshift wooden structures propped up with thatched roofs offered little protection against the wind and snow.

After several days of snowfall, many of the shanties had collapsed, forcing the homeless to set up temporary shelters nearby, uneven and insufficient to shield them from the elements. From a distance, the shantytown appeared chaotic.

On either side of the road, the faces of the beggars were vacant, their expressions gaunt, each person’s eyes darkened, overshadowed by clouds blocking out the sun.

There was no light.

No sign of the sky.

Most were dressed in rags, though a few wore thicker clothes, appearing to be families huddled together, not drawing the envy of others.

The shantytown had men and women of all ages, with more young adults than elderly, and the least number of children.

The children were quiet, mostly sitting beside their parents and doing what they could to help.

Some were gathering firewood, while others assisted in constructing shelters; none were idle.

However, their porridge shop was already set up.

Cui Yunzhao saw that many beggars had gathered around the porridge stall. A group of tall men was clustered together, their eyes keenly fixed on the hired hands brought in by Manager Sun, who were moving rice bags.

The few hired hands were tall and imposing, clearly not to be trifled with. With two shop assistants from the grain store, the stall was momentarily undisturbed.

Manager Sun was sweating profusely, busy directing the kitchen staff to cook porridge while also reminding the hired hands to stay alert and keep an eye on the stall.

As Cui Yunzhao’s carriage arrived, the beggars began to whisper among themselves.

With so many eyes on her, Cui Yunzhao didn’t feel scared. She had seen plenty of scenes like this in her past life and had experienced chaos during wars, so she was accustomed to it. However, the number of beggars here clearly exceeded her expectations.

If they didn’t quickly find shelter for the homeless, it could lead to serious problems.

Cui Yunzhao sighed and said to Li Qing and Mother Xia, “We’ll be in the porridge stall for a while, so don’t wander off. It’s a bit dangerous here.”

Mother Xia and Li Qing nodded, and the group stepped out of the carriage.

As soon as they emerged, a loud murmur rose from the crowd outside.

Cui Yunzhao had keen ears and caught many unflattering remarks.

But she didn’t say much, leading the others quickly into the porridge stall. Once inside, she turned to Manager Sun and said, “There are too many beggars . Let’s hold off on serving the porridge for a while by then, Ninth Master will likely arrive.”

Manager Sun looked a bit anxious. He nodded and said, “Madam, you should go back, it’s not safe here.”

Cui Yunzhao shook her head.

“It’s fine. Although we are all women, having more people around will make those looking to cause trouble think twice,” she replied. “In just a moment, the patrol will arrive, and we can start then.”

Manager Sun gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll make sure to protect you, Madam.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a shout from outside “Aren’t you going to distribute porridge? Why haven’t you started yet? Are you going to give it out or not?”