On the other side, Fu Ciyi and Yan Funing returned to the Yan soon as they entered the gate of Nanyuan, Yuanlang called them: "Uncle and aunt, come play in the snow with me."
"Don't your parents want to play with you?" Yan Funing smiled.
"They are lazy." Yuan Lang complained, "Aunt, you said my parents are so lazy, how could they give birth to a hardworking child like me?"
This sentence made all the adults laugh.
Yan Yingying and Yuan Yi just shook their heads.
Yan Funing giggled: "Okay, we'll play with you. We're not lazy people."
"Stop playing, it's time for lunch." Hong Qingyi waved at Yuanlang.
Yuan Lang sighed deeply, and said in an adult tone, "I finally waited for my uncle and aunt to come back, but now it's time to eat. I'm so busy."
"Let's play after dinner." Yan Funing pinched his red face, "Go back to the room and warm up first, your face is cold."
“It’s a deal.” Yuan Lang stretched out his finger.
Yan Funing also stretched out her finger.
The two of them made a pinky promise and stamped their agreement, which made Fu Ciyi stunned.
Soon a smile appeared on her lips. If they had children, she would probably be a very good mother.
After dinner, the young couple went to Yuen Long to play in the snow as planned.
Yan Bojian also came over.
Yan Funing asked, "Could Third Brother send Zhenfeng or Zhenshou to Prince Cheng's mansion to invite my cousin over?"
"Did you hear that?" Yan Bojian looked at Zhen Feng who was standing behind him.
Zhenfeng immediately took the order and left.
More than an hour later, Zhenfeng brought Long Xu to the Yan family's South Garden.
"I heard that my cousin was looking for me?" Long Xu smiled and went straight to Yan Funing.
Yan Funing and Yuan Lang said, "We have been playing for a long time. My aunt has something important to do right now. Let's play another day."
"I'm not an unreasonable person. Aunt, please go and do your thing." Yuanlang called the servant to play with him.
Yan Funing then signaled Long Xu to follow her, and waved to Fu Ciyi and Yan Bojian as she left.
The four of them left Yan's house and got on the carriage.
Long Xu was confused: "Why am I here?"
Before Yan's Nanyuan could stand still, he came out again.
Yan Funing did not keep the secret and said directly: "The rapid-fire crossbow is made of a combination of hard wood and metal, which has stronger lethality. I want to introduce someone to my cousin. In the future, with his craftsmanship, your crossbow will be more accurate and lethal."
Long Xu's eyes lit up: "That would be great!"
As he spoke, he looked at Fu Ciyi warily: "Isn't it inappropriate for this outsider to be here?"
Fu Ciyi laughed angrily.
He is an outsider.
"Who is the outsider?"
"You." Long Xu was not afraid of Fu Ciyi at all and argued with him, "I, my third cousin, and my cousin are relatives. Don't tell me that we are cousins, then I will have to treat you as my own. My grandfather said in advance that the matter of the crossbow cannot be known to outsiders."
Yan Funing held her forehead with her hand: "With my grandfather's approval, I have to make dozens of crossbows for my husband's men to use."
The corners of Long Xu's lips twitched: "Is that so? Is there such a thing? Grandfather actually thinks so highly of this kid."
"You have no respect for your elders. Who is the kid?" Fu Ciyi said calmly, with an intimidating presence.
Long Xu smacked his lips: "Okay, I'm a kid."
Yan Bojian chuckled.
Long Xu pleaded softly: "Cousin, when the new crossbow is made, give me one too."
"Okay." Yan Funing agreed.
The carriage reached East Third Street and headed straight to the end of the street. Tong Cheng was working as a blacksmith and saw Yan Funing getting off the carriage. He hurriedly greeted her, "Miss, why are you here today?"
"Is it convenient for us to talk in the shop?" Yan Funing asked.
"Of course you can."
Tong Cheng threw the unformed iron tool into the water. With a hissing sound, white smoke came out.
Everyone entered the shop.
Yan Funing introduced: "This is my cousin, he has superb craftsmanship." She got straight to the point, "I hope you can cooperate and make a fine repeating crossbow. And the horizontal sword, you have to help me make dozens of them."
"Miss, do you have any drawings?" Tong Cheng asked seriously.
Yan Funing took out a piece of rice paper and gave it to him: "The picture on it is a horizontal sword. The crossbow picture is with my cousin. He will bring it to you later. The quantity required is a bit large. Do you need help?"
Tong Cheng put the blueprints in place and said, "There are a lot of them, so we are short of manpower. However, it is not appropriate to ask others to help with such important weapons."
Long Xu also said: "We really can't ask others for help, we just need to get it done as soon as possible."
"I'll send a few people over, they're trustworthy." Fu Ciyi said.
"That's fine, let's pick a few with strong arm strength." Tong Cheng thought for a moment and said embarrassedly, "Master Fu, I'll leave the matter of finding Xiao Yaniang to you."
"I have sent someone to inquire and will tell you when I have news."
"Thank you, sir!"
The deal was settled, and Yan Funing and the others left the blacksmith shop and returned to the Yan family.
In the evening, Yan Xinghe finished painting the landscape. When he put down his brush, he told Zhen Xi in a low voice, "Go and ask the second young lady to come over."
Zhenxi responded and left.
Not long after, Yan Funing followed Zhen Xi to her second brother's study.
Seeing a long landscape painting on the desk, with the beginning and end still hanging on the end of the desk, Yan Funing praised: "Second brother's painting skills are really amazing! Such a large painting was completed so quickly."
The hand speed is also fast.
Yan Xinghe looked at his own painting with interest: "Is it better than Fu Ciyi's, or much better?"
"He is just so-so, how can he compare to my second brother?" Yan Funing carefully examined the mountains, rivers, flowers and trees in the painting, "My second brother is amazing."
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the study: "Is that all I am?"
Yan Funing smiled bitterly at her second brother: "I told you not to say bad things behind people's backs. Now, someone heard it."
She has to bear the consequences.
Fu Ciyi walked slowly behind Yan Funing and pinched the back of her neck with his slightly cold hands.
"My husband, I just told my second brother that, after all, he confiscated the money for the painting." Yan Funing didn't dare to turn her head, afraid of seeing his angry eyes, and explained, "Well, in my heart, my husband is very accomplished in both calligraphy and painting."
Yan Xinghe gloated over other people's misfortunes and watched the fun without complaining: "Brother-in-law, my sister said that my painting skills are far better than yours."
Fu Ciyi gradually used more strength, but he didn't dare to really use it: "Really?"
The voice is quite faint.
"I haven't seen you paint such a large painting, so naturally..." Before she could finish her words, she turned her head and saw her second brother smiling at someone behind her. Then she realized, "You two are deliberately making fun of me, right?"
She said that after returning to Yan's house from East Third Street, someone disappeared.
Yan Xinghe smiled: "Look, the ink spots on it were thrown there by your husband. He is quite capable."
Fu Ciyi said calmly: "Your second brother's painting skills are only good enough to be hung in the lobby of a restaurant."
"If you want to argue about who's better, don't drag me into this." Yan Funing broke free from the grip, "The paintings need to be framed, I'm busy."
Yan Xinghe raised his hand and pointed to the chessboard beside him.
Fu Ciyi walked over slowly, lifted his robe and sat down.
Soon, the two began to play chess.
"I want to deal with the prince. Are you interested in joining me?" Fu Ciyi asked.
"I am interested, but I wonder if you have any ideas?" Yan Xinghe asked. (End of this chapter)
