When they got home, they invited Wang Zefeng to sit in the main room and served him tea. Wushuang then went to the back to find Bai.
In the past two days, Mrs. Bai, Mrs. Ma, and Mrs. Qian had been busy making bedding. They were preparing quilts of various thicknesses to be used throughout the year.
Wushuang had no intention of letting the three of them meet Wang Zefeng. The main reason was that the three members of the Bai family had a tendency to become weak-kneed in the presence of officials. Wushuang didn't want Bai to come out and kneel down for no reason.
Money is the courage of the poor. To reassure Mrs. Bai, all the silver in the family was given to her, leaving Wushuang with only a small amount of pocket money for daily expenses.
Wushuang asked for the money, and Mrs.Bai, not thinking much about it, handed it over immediately. Wushuang then gave the money to Wang Zefeng and signed the rental agreement.
After seeing Wang Zefeng off, Wushuang returned to find Mrs.Bai and informed him about the move. Wushuang had already told Mrs. Bai about the move, and he was prepared for it. He just hadn't expected that the new home would be next to the county government office.
Mrs. Bai didn't resist much because her daughters were all government employees. This eased her fear of the yamen and even made her feel a little more at home. Although she was still apprehensive about seeing high-ranking officials, she no longer felt as frightened living next to the government office.
Mrs.Bai thought for a moment and said, "Since we're moving next to the government office, we should rent out this yard."
Wushuang nodded and said, "After we move, I'll go to the pawnshop to register and ask them to help rent it out."
They moved as soon as they decided. That night, Wushuang led the ewe, fed the little tiger, and then started packing up the house. The four of them, including Mrs.Ma and Mrs.Qian, worked together and were busy until midnight before finishing.
Mrs.Bai looked at the numerous bags and sighed, "I don't know how we accumulated so much stuff. We've only just moved here, and already there are so many things."
Wushuang rubbed her tired hands. She had been busy practicing martial arts and cleaning the house all day without stopping. As a result, she completely forgot about Wang Zefeng's advice to use the ointment. She only remembered it now, but considering it was already midnight, Wushuang didn't plan to trouble the Mrs.Bai and decided to endure it.
It was Mrs.Bai who noticed something was wrong with Wushuang and asked, "Wushuang, what's wrong with you? You seem very stiff today. Are you injured?"
Seeing Mrs.Bai's worried expression, Wushuang hurriedly explained, "Mom, I'm not injured. I was just learning martial arts and overtrained. Now my whole body aches."
Mrs.Bai immediately became anxious. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You've been overtired. If you don't massage your whole body, you won't be able to walk tomorrow. Hurry and lie down on the bed. Mom will give you a massage. It won't hurt as much tomorrow."
Wushuang took out the ointment Wang Zefeng gave her and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Mother. This is the ointment that my master gave me. He said it helps relieve pain."
Mrs.Ma and Mrs.Qian, who had been listening, stepped forward. "Mrs. Bai, let us help you massage Wushuang."
"Massage is very tiring. Let's take turns. Those who are tired can take a break."
Mrs. Bai, feeling sorry for her daughter, agreed despite being a little embarrassed.
Then Wushuang was pressed down so hard that she grimaced and howled. The sound was so miserable that it frightened the little tiger, who stumbled on the ground.
She hadn't expected the Mrs.Bai to be so strong, and the rubbing was extremely sore and painful. Mrs.Bai felt distressed and scolded her, "You brought this on yourself. I told you not to hide things. The later you address them, the more painful it becomes. Will you dare to keep things to yourself next time?"
Wushuang grimaced in pain, unable to respond. The sensation was so intense and refreshing, much more unbearable than simply being tired.
I have to say that the ointment Wang Zefeng gave was indeed effective. When Wushuang got up the next day, she felt only slight discomfort throughout her body, with no difficulty in walking despite the excessive exercise.
As a modern person, Wushuang didn't care about the date. She had packed up her things and was moving today. Having a carriage at home made the move much more convenient. The carriage made two trips to transport all the items.
Wang Zefeng had sent someone to wait at the door early. As soon as Wushuang arrived, she was given the keys to various places in the yard. Not only that, the entire house had been tidied and cleaned in advance, so they could move in right away.
Because this house had been built by the former county magistrate for himself, it was constructed with fine materials and beautifully designed, completely incomparable to the small courtyard Wushuang had previously bought.
Mrs. Bai, Mrs. Ma, and Mrs. Qian were shocked when they saw the yard. They looked around in amazement. Mrs.Bai covered her chest and said, "I never thought I would live in a mansion like the ones in paintings in my lifetime."
Mrs.Ma said with envy, "It's because Mrs. Bai has a promising daughter who can make money."
Mrs.Qian added, "Not only can she make money, but she is also capable, and all government offices want her. In the future, you will enjoy happiness, Mrs. Bai. All the suffering you've endured in the first half of your life will be worth it."
Mrs. Bai couldn't stop smiling and said proudly, "It's only us, her parents, who have delayed her development. Her father died early, and I, as a mother, am incompetent, so she had to suffer with me for so many years. Fortunately, this girl worked hard, made money, and achieved success on her own."
Seeing that the three were happy, Wushuang let them explore the yard for a while. She then went directly to the government office next door, checked in, and began practicing martial arts with Wang Zefeng.
When Wushuang reached the backyard, Wang Zefeng was feeding meat to the little eagle. The mutton was cut into very thin strips and fed to the eaglet little by little.
Seeing Wushuang approaching, Wang Zefeng said, "It's perfect timing that you're here. Hurry up and feed this little thing."
Wushuang immediately took over, and Wang Zefeng stood aside and watched. The eagle was still too young, not remembering its parents and not being afraid of people. It would just open its mouth and wait for food, no matter who was feeding it.
Wushuang asked while feeding the eagle, "Sir, do you know how to train an eagle?"
Wang Zefeng replied, "Why train them? I just like eagles and keep them as pets. I won't train it. If it wants to hunt, it can. I can afford it."
Wushuang touched the little eagle's head and said, "Then this little fellow is truly fortunate. The eagle's life has reached its peak."
Wang Zefeng laughed and said, "What do you mean by 'Eagle's Peak'? That's a strange thing to say. Okay, don't feed the little eagle too much. If it eats too much, it will throw up. Feed it later. Now go practice martial arts."
Wushuang responded, carefully placed the little eagle back in the nest, and followed Wang Zefeng to practice martial arts.
It was the same training as yesterday, and Wang Zefeng was satisfied to find that, compared to yesterday, Wushuang's movements were much more standard today. They practiced martial arts until almost noon, when Wang Zefeng called a halt and said, "Don't practice anymore. Come and eat."
Wushuang then discovered that Wang Zefeng had prepared a lavish lunch in the attic next to the martial arts arena. People in this era were used to eating two meals a day, but those who practiced martial arts, needing more energy, ate three meals a day.
The lunch prepared by Wang Zefeng was very sumptuous, with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and a plate of prawns.