Chapter 377: Chapter 355, Restraint_1
As it approached midday, the ship arrived at the docks just outside Ningmen Prefecture City.
No sooner had the ship berthed than Daohua stepped out of the cabin, ready to disembark with her maids and servants, but Xiao Yeyang immediately blocked her path.
“What’s the matter?”
Daohua looked at Xiao Yeyang in surprise.
Xiao Yeyang didn’t respond to her but instead turned to De Fu.
De Fu stepped forward immediately and handed over the white veil cap he had prepared in advance.
Xiao Yeyang took the veil cap and tried to put it on Daohua. She dodged at first but, seeing that Xiao Yeyang had been in a sour mood all day, she let him help her put it on.
“From now on, you must wear this every time you go out,”
Xiao Yeyang instructed softly as he tied the strings of the veil cap around Daohua’s chin.
Daohua, noticing that the thin fabric didn’t obstruct her view, didn’t reject it, only saying, “Wearing this could indeed shield me from the sun and prevent getting tanned.”
Xiao Yeyang’s lips curved into a smile. “It’s not just for the summer—you’ll need to wear it at other times too. You’re grown up now; it’s not proper to be so exposed in public like you were when you were younger.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua rolled her eyes and curled her lips in dissent.
Grown up? She wasn’t even thirteen yet!
The fabric not fully closed, Xiao Yeyang could see her expression clearly, and he felt a mix of resignation and amusement. “Alright, just bear with it. There are many workers at the Glass Factory, and you wouldn’t want people staring at you.”
After the veil cap was in place, Xiao Yeyang meant to escort Daohua off the ship himself, but after glancing at the people on the shore, he withdrew his hand.
Carriages were already waiting on the bank. Once off the ship, Daohua boarded a carriage, while Xiao Yeyang mounted his horse. “Let’s go to the Glass Factory.”
In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, their party arrived at the Glass Factory.
“Xiao Yeyang, why did you build this Glass Factory so large?”
Gazing at the sprawling and imposing Glass Factory before her, Daohua was a mix of astonishment and awe.
Xiao Yeyang responded with a light smile, “This is Daxia’s first Glass Factory; it naturally had to be built as the best.” Besides, it was his first official assignment, and he certainly needed to execute it flawlessly, leaving no room for others to find fault.
“Well, having money means doing as you please,” Daohua remarked with a sigh. “But aren’t you afraid the glassware you produce won’t sell?”
Xiao Yeyang laughed, his eyes brimming with unshakeable confidence. “How could it possibly not sell? You have no idea how much the nobles love to compete. Previously, foreign glass was rare; there were women who fought in the shopkeepers’ stores just to snag a glass mirror.”
“I’m certain, as long as the glassware is produced, it will definitely sell and we’ll have more demand than supply.”
Daohua’s eyes curved into a smile. “From what you’re saying, won’t we make a lot, a lot of silver in the future?”
Hearing Daohua use ‘we,’ Xiao Yeyang felt a surge of joy and nodded with a smile: “Indeed, we will make a lot, a lot of silver in the future. Come on, let me show you around.”
Daohua followed Xiao Yeyang into the Glass Factory, noticing the guards at the gate and the patrols within. She laughed, “You’re running a pretty tight ship here.”
Xiao Yeyang offered a faint smile, “Ever since the Imperial Uncle started planning the Beijing Glass Factory, many have been drawn by the news, each hoping to take a piece of the pie. I must enforce tight security; who knows what kind of people might try to slip in.”
“During this time, I’ve just been staying in Taohua Village, otherwise, I would surely be driven mad.”
“I received a letter from my uncle earlier, saying that the people looking for me had already gone to Ningmen Pass. If it weren’t for the fact that military camps can’t be entered at will, some people would have been ready to stay there to block me.”
Daohua: “…Wealth stirs the human heart!”
Because the noon sun was fierce, Daohua just took a quick look around and then came out: “Xiao Yeyang, the construction of the Glass Factory is beyond my expectations. I think it won’t be long before the reputation of Daxia’s first glass factory will spread throughout the entire Daxia.”
Xiao Yeyang smiled: “I will work towards that.”
In the past, when he built the Glass Factory, he just wanted to prove himself and make some silver, but now, after listening to Master Gu’s words, he had new ideas; he was going to start amassing his own strength.
Daohua laughed brightly: “I believe in you, you can certainly do it.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yeyang’s eyes brightened, staring unblinkingly at Daohua.
Daohua felt uneasy under his gaze and quickly made small talk: “That…. The first batch of glass produced by the Glass Factory, you must save a portion for me.”
Xiao Yeyang laughed: “Whoever else might miss out, it’s impossible for Miss Yan to not have hers.”
Daohua smiled: “Smart of you.” After finishing, she looked at the sky, “It’s almost noon, come with me and have lunch at my house.”
Xiao Yeyang seemed tempted but soon shook his head in refusal: “Not this time, I have other matters to attend to. Let’s wait for another occasion. In the next couple of days, Wen Kai and the others are definitely coming back to send off your elder brother. I’ll join you at your house then.”
Daohua: “…Well, alright then. But it’s past 11:00 AM already, no matter how busy you are, remember to eat.”
Saying that, she looked at Defu.
Defu immediately smiled: “I’ll definitely remind the master to eat.”
Daohua nodded and looked at Xiao Yeyang: “Then I’ll head back home.”
Xiao Yeyang smiled and nodded.
Daohua looked at him once more and boarded the carriage with the help of Wang Manman.
Once seated in the carriage, Daohua removed her veil, lifted the carriage curtain, and said to Xiao Yeyang: “Go on with your busy schedule, I’m off.”
Xiao Yeyang nodded and waved towards Daohua.
Daohua dropped the curtain and told the coachman to proceed.
After the carriage set off, Daohua couldn’t help but look back and saw Xiao Yeyang staring straight in this direction. Furrowing her brows, she sat back down, idly playing with the beads on her veil, and muttered: “What’s with Xiao Yeyang today? He seems to have something on his mind. Did Master say something harsh to him?”
She was well aware of how sharp her own master’s tongue could be, sometimes quite venomous; and Xiao Yeyang, currently at the peak of his rebellious years, was especially concerned about face. Maybe a casual remark from Master had hurt his pride?
“Alas, next time I go to Taohua Temple, it seems I’ll need to remind Master,” she thought.
Outside the Glass Factory, Defu, seeing his master’s unwilling gaze towards Miss Yan’s departing carriage, couldn’t help but ask: “Master, why didn’t you go to the Yan Family’s place with Miss Yan?”
Xiao Yeyang’s eyes narrowed slightly: “Master Gu is right, I can be friends with Wen Kai and the others, but I can’t get too close to Daohua. It’s not good for her reputation, especially now with all eyes on the Glass Factory. If I were to do anything out of the ordinary, it would quickly become the talk of the town.”
He didn’t care about it for himself, but he wouldn’t allow anyone to slander Daohua.
No matter how much he wanted to be with Daohua, he had to exercise restraint.