noffsinger Chapter 720 It’s Snowing
Chapter 720 It’s Snowing
The accumulated cold finally manifested itself as snowflakes this morning.
Snow falling right after the Mid-Autumn Festival is not a good omen.
The common people all huddled in their blankets, not only because of the cold, but also because they feared divine punishment, which was an omen of large breasts.
"Ah!"
Lin Ping was woken up by the cold; neither of the two blankets could keep him warm.
Looking out at the snow-covered world, Lin Ping even wanted to laugh; clearly, he had achieved his goal.
"Young Miss, it's snowing heavily outside, which is an ominous sign. You mustn't go out," Yun'er pleaded, blocking Meng Qingge's path.
Although it was snowing, it wasn't cold enough to keep her from going out, since Meng Qingge was wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket, so keeping warm wasn't a problem.
She mainly felt that this kind of weather was unlucky.
"Get out of the way. I've already promised Young Master Lin, and I can't go back on my word," Meng Qingge said firmly, her face showing some anger.
“You’ve already gone ten times, one more time won’t make a difference. Why don’t you wait until the snow stops before going?” Yun’er earnestly advised.
Meng Qingge ignored him and stormed out of the room, where Lin Ping was waiting.
"It's snowing today, and the academy is closed. Why did Young Master Lin get up so early?" Meng Qingge asked curiously. She always felt that Lin Ping wasn't the kind of diligent person.
"If I said I was woken up by the cold, would you believe me?" Lin Ping said somewhat embarrassedly; he wasn't lying.
"The weather is indeed strange. If Young Master Lin is afraid of the cold, I will have someone send a heater over right away," Meng Qingge said with some concern.
In those days before central heating, wealthy families used heaters for warmth.
The Meng family is, after all, a second-rate aristocratic family, and they don't lack money.
However, the heavy snow this year came a month earlier than usual, so the heaters hadn't been taken out yet.
Lin Ping was, after all, a guest, and since he couldn't stand the cold, Meng Qingge naturally had to provide him with warmth.
"No, no, no, this stuff can easily cause carbon monoxide poisoning, it can kill people." Lin Ping waved his hands repeatedly, he didn't want to be killed by his own actions.
Meng Qingge was puzzled. Although she didn't know what carbon monoxide was, she knew that many people died every year because of heaters.
It wouldn't be strange at all if these words came from the mouth of a wealthy young man.
Lin Ping was just a farmer's son; how could he possibly have the money to buy a heater? And how could he possibly understand the reasons behind this?
"As long as the doors and windows are open, it won't be a problem," Meng Qingge explained.
The reason why stoves can cause poisoning is because incomplete combustion of charcoal produces carbon monoxide. Keeping doors and windows open and maintaining air circulation can indeed reduce the chances of poisoning.
However, if you open the doors and windows, there will be cold air inside, so what's the point of having a heater?
This was indeed a problem for people in ancient times.
Thus, the warm pavilion was created, which was reserved for the emperor's use only.
The so-called "warm chamber" was a large pit dug under a room, where people burned charcoal to warm the floor, similar to modern underfloor heating.
The warm pavilion required a great deal of manpower and resources, so it became the exclusive property of the emperor, and even wealthy families could not afford to provide it.
Lin Ping didn't want to continue the topic, so he casually said, "I'm bored today, why don't I go with Miss Meng to see Boss Guo?"
Meng Qingge glanced at him sideways, and had every reason to believe that this was something Lin Ping had planned for a long time, and that it was not a chance encounter.
“If Young Master Lin doesn’t need to do his homework, then we can travel together,” Meng Qingge said softly.
She knew why Huang Jiayu had arranged for Lin Ping to be by Meng Qingfan's side; it was simply so that he could learn to read and write, and even if he couldn't pass the imperial examinations, he could still work at the Meng family's winery.
Meng Qingge likes hardworking men and dislikes Lin Ping's carefree and irresponsible attitude.
"Do homework? My family owns the bookstore. Does Zhang Hongxian really have the nerve to teach me?" Lin Ping thought to himself, his arrogance boundless.
His arrogance was justified. He was a graduate of a prestigious academic program, having studied for nearly twenty years, longer than the ten years of traditional Chinese study. In this era, he would at least be a top-ranking scholar.
Mr. Guo's business was not close to the Meng residence, and with the roads covered in snow, it took almost half an hour to get there.
However, Mr. Guo's shop was tightly closed, showing no signs of doing business.
Yun'er knocked hard on the door bolt; she couldn't let Meng Qingge wait in the freezing cold.
"We're closed for today, don't bother us." Perhaps woken up by the crisp voice, Guo Hei rubbed his sleepy eyes and said impatiently.
"Mr. Guo, I am Meng Qingge, and I have come here to buy grapes." Meng Qingge said while bowing.
"I don't care if you're Meng Qingge or Meng Qinglou, I said I'm not seeing you and that's final," Guo Hei cursed, not only showing her no respect but also hurling insults.
"How dare you swear at me? It's just a few acres of vineyards, what's so great about that?" Yun'er stomped her feet in anger, wishing she could slap him twice.
Unfortunately, she was too weak to beat her opponent, especially since there was a wooden door separating them.
"Meng Qinglou? Interesting." Lin Ping's lips curled into a smile, his whole body radiating a chilling aura.
Click!
As a dark figure flashed by, the shop's door was kicked down.
Lin Ping appeared in front of Guo Hei with a murderous look on his face: "Boss Guo, I don't care about your business dealings, but you shouldn't have used such language."
Before Guo Hei could react, a powerful blow slammed into his chest, sending him flying without warning, despite his considerable weight.
Its heavy body traced an arc in the air before smashing the table and landing on the floor.
"Ouch, that hurts so much, you brat! I'm going to kill you! Men, beat him up!" Guo Hei was in so much pain that he cried out for his parents.
Before long, four servants surrounded Lin Ping with wooden sticks, all with fierce and menacing expressions.
Meng Qingge, standing outside the door, was somewhat dazed. It was already unbelievable that Lin Ping could kick open the door, but now he had also beaten up Guo Hei. This seemed... quite satisfying.
In ancient times, women valued chastity more than their lives. Guo Hei called her Meng Qinglou, which was such an insult that she wanted to hit him herself.
It turns out that having a man by your side is pretty good; it makes you feel safe.
"Let's see who dares to lay a hand on me!" Meng Qingge stormed in angrily.
"Mr. Guo, don't think that the Meng family is easy to bully. If you really want to make a move, the Meng family will fight to the end."
The Meng family was, after all, a second-rate family, while the Guo family was only a third-rate family. If it weren't for the large quantity of grapes they had, why would Meng Qingge have to beg him so humbly?
Seeing her anger, Guo Hei calmed down considerably, only gritting his teeth as he said, "Hmph, Miss Meng, what do you mean by this? Do you think you can buy grapes with your fists?"
He dusted himself off and regained his composure.
He could be beaten because of the Meng family's power, but he would never sell grapes at a low price.
In other words, Meng Qingge's frequent appearances further solidified his decision to raise prices.
"If Mr. Guo hadn't spoken so rudely first, my Meng family wouldn't have done such a thing," Meng Qingge said, neither humble nor arrogant, but feeling somewhat disappointed.
She initially thought Lin Ping's words were true and that Guo Hei had been moved by her, but she didn't expect the other party to become even more aggressive, which made it impossible for her to buy grapes at a low price.