The second box was then carried down by Chen Xiaobei and Chen Xiaowen. It contained poultry, fish, and meat, with a large slab of pork placed on top.
Upon seeing these items, Cui Dahe's eyes lit up. He eagerly grabbed Cui Fugui's hand and said, "Brother, let's go inside for some tea. Let these youngsters handle things."
After the two left, Chen Xiaobei and Chen Xiaowen covered the box and carried it back to the courtyard.
At this point, Mudan also came out to greet them, accompanied by a middle-aged woman who Chen Xiaobei assumed was Mudan's mother.
Mudan gave Chen Xiaowen a sweet smile before shyly returning to her east wing room.
Chen Xiaobei watched Chen Xiaowen, who seemed a bit dazed, and gently tugged at his sleeve, pointing towards the main house.
Chen Xiaowen snapped back to reality, quickly composed himself, and followed Chen Xiaobei inside.
The room was warm. Chen Xiaobei glanced at a corner of the wall where a small stove was burning charcoal.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but sigh, thinking it was indeed extravagant.
He was the village head, and his village even burned charcoal, yet he himself was reluctant to light a small stove so early. But looking at Cui Dahe's leisurely life, it was truly comfortable.
Seeing them all seated, Cui Dahe remained very polite. He brought over a teapot and poured a cup of tea for Chen Xiaobei and Chen Xiaowen.
"Here, have a cup of tea. Take your time to talk," he said.
Chen Xiaowen appeared a little reserved, holding the teacup awkwardly.
Cui Fugui, being more experienced, smiled and said, "Xiaobei, your Uncle Dahe and I have already discussed Xiaowen's situation. He is now the captain of your village's transport team, managing seven or eight horse carriages. Tell your uncle in detail how much silver he earns in a year."
Chen Xiaobei nodded, admitting to himself that when it came to social graces, his father-in-law was unmatched.
By starting with Chen Xiaowen's current position, it was no wonder Cui Dahe was much more amiable towards him now.
Since that was the case, he had to praise him heartily. With that thought, Chen Xiaobei cleared his throat and said, "Uncle, let me tell you, the able-bodied men in our village, whether they're burning charcoal or doing other work, earn twenty to thirty copper coins a day. That's much more than laborers in the county town. As the captain, Xiaowen earns even more."
"Plus, he has his own horse carriage, so he can earn a bit more from his travels."
"Roughly calculated, he can earn several taels of silver a month. And if he goes into the mountains to gather some mountain goods to sell in the city, that's limitless."
Cui Fugui clearly knew how to keep the momentum going and added, "Yes, yes, I know this well. Not long ago, my son-in-law got two wild pheasants and sold them in the city for this amount."
As he spoke, Cui Fugui held up one finger.
Cui Dahe looked at the finger in surprise. "One tael of silver?"
"Hey, how could it be just one tael? Let me tell you, he sold them for ten taels." Cui Fugui's tone was full of pride.
Hearing this, Cui Dahe's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked to Chen Xiaobei for confirmation.
Chen Xiaobei nodded gently.
"That's right, he sold them for ten taels of silver. Oh, and the steward said they would buy as many as we could provide, but you know wild pheasants are hard to catch, and winter isn't a good time."
Cui Dahe smiled and nodded, his gaze towards Chen Xiaowen growing even more affectionate.
"I've watched Xiao Wen grow up. Since he was a child, I always felt he would achieve great things when he grew up."
Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei knew that the discussion about monthly income had reached its peak. The next topic should be Chen Xiaowen's family background.
However, with so many suitors from all over the region, there were bound to be many wealthy families. Chen Xiaowen's family circumstances really had nothing to boast about, given how much money he could earn.
Therefore, at this moment, he had to help Xiaowen. He also knew that boasting about one's wealth was not a wise choice here.
He suddenly thought of the imperial decree that granted him and Liu Rumei their marriage. Why not help Chen Xiaowen out now?
"Uncle, you're right. There's something you might not know. Not long ago, Xiaowen accompanied us to Wannian City. Do you know why we went? The Emperor himself encountered difficulties and sought our help."
Upon hearing this, Cui Dahe's eyes widened. "The Emperor? The Emperor sought you out?"
"That's right. The Crown Prince was on the mountain not long ago, and you surely know that. The Crown Prince is very familiar with Xiaowen. When he encountered trouble, he specifically sent someone to ask Xiaowen what to do. Xiaowen discussed it with us, and we went to the capital."
"Oh, and the Crown Prince even said that if Xiaowen gets married in the future, he would send someone to deliver a congratulatory gift."
Chen Xiaowen trembled at Chen Xiaobei's words.
Of course, Chen Xiaobei had his reasons for saying this.
He had already planned that when he went to Wannian City to marry Liu Rumei in a few days, he would seek out the Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun to ask for this favor.
In essence, this favor wasn't just about sending a congratulatory gift to Chen Xiaowen. In the future, when young talents from Hetou Village got married, the Crown Prince would show his support.
It might seem excessive, but it wasn't unreasonable. After all, the villagers had helped the Crown Prince so much, and the Crown Prince only needed to symbolically send someone to deliver something, or even just speak to Hu Fan, who could then bring something and offer polite words when someone in the village got married. This would be a gesture of respect for everyone involved.
Indeed, upon hearing this, Cui Dahe's face broke into a smile.
"Ah, I knew Mudan's judgment was good. Yesterday, Mudan told me that among all the young men from ten miles around who came to propose, Xiaowen was the one she favored. They often played together as children, so they are childhood sweethearts."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei coughed gently and gave Chen Xiaowen a look. Chen Xiaowen understood and quickly stood up, cupping his fists towards Cui Dahe. "Thank you, Uncle, for your blessing."
Cui Dahe laughed heartily and gestured outside. "Alright, you go to that room and chat with Mudan. I still have some things to discuss with Xiaobei and your uncle."
Chen Xiaowen was overjoyed. After thanking him again, he turned and left. Once he was out of earshot, Cui Dahe turned to Chen Xiaobei and said, "Logically, for this matter, Xiaowen's birth date should be sent first so I can find someone to check compatibility."
"But I see that these two children are already fond of each other, so let's skip that. We can directly..."