Chapter 403: After the heavy snow (1)
A Blessed Daughter
Chapter 403: After the heavy snow (1)
Translator : Virichime
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The servants of the Colonel’s Residence had already climbed onto the eaves several times, sweeping down the snow piled on the roofs. They feared that if the snow grew too thick it would collapse the roof, or that large frozen chunks might suddenly fall and injure people passing by.
The main halls were somewhat better off, as braziers had been kept burning inside, warming the roof so less snow accumulated there. But the roofs of the other buildings bore thick layers of snow. If not dealt with in time, it was very dangerous.
As for the courtyard, there was simply no way to clear it all. The servants only shoveled out a narrow path along the walkways for people to get through.
On the streets outside, some households nearby had also swept away the snow to open up narrow passageways. But in alleys where no one lived, everything lay covered in a sheet of white.
At Cangyun Courtyard, Yun Shi was in a flurry. The heavy snow had disrupted everything, and many goods had become impossible to buy.
There was still enough grain in the household, so at least they wouldn’t go hungry, even if there were no fresh vegetables.
But the supply of charcoal was nearly gone. This year the cold had come early, so charcoal had been used up earlier as well. The charcoal Yun Shi had procured for the household was high quality, but the amount was limited. Another shipment was supposed to arrive in the next few days.
Now, with the heavy snow, that delivery could not get through, and the household was burning through charcoal much faster than expected.
So, early that morning, Yun Shi had already sent people to the shops on the street to ask if anyone was still selling charcoal.
But even in such a bustling prefectural city, almost no shops were open at this time—let alone those selling charcoal.
This left Yun Shi extremely anxious. In such cold weather, if the charcoal ran out, the house would be no different from an ice cellar.
Wei Qingwan sat with her in the room, helping to handle matters. Seeing her so distressed, she had no better solution herself and could only offer a few words of comfort.
But then, more bad news came. The heavy snow had crushed many residents’ homes, and it was said that many bamboo groves in Taizhou Prefecture had been devastated, with large areas of bamboo falling.
The exact casualties were not yet known, but the situation was unlikely to be good.
Because of this, the prefectural yamen was already in turmoil, and whether Wei Míngtíng would be implicated remained uncertain.
Yun Shi immediately felt a headache coming on. “Truly a troubled time!” she exclaimed.
The matter with the Seventh Prince hadn’t been settled yet, and now a snow disaster had struck. This year’s end truly would not be easy to get through.
“Mother, don’t worry. Once the snow melts, the charcoal will be delivered again,” Wei Qingwan comforted her.
“Mm.” Yun Shi responded, but her worried mood did not improve in the least, for charcoal was only a small part of the problem.
Wei Ruo also learned about the snow disaster from the servants.
She planned to go out to take a look at the situation outside. She might not be able to do much, but at the very least, she wanted to see it with her own eyes.
Before heading out, Wei Ruo and Xiumei bundled themselves up tightly.
Especially their shoes—Wei Ruo and Xiumei wore boots specially made for them by the nurse.
The design of these boots was something Wei Ruo had described to the nursemaid: the outside wrapped in cowhide, the inside filled with thick cotton, making them both warm and waterproof.
The soles were also made with patterned grooves as Wei Ruo requested, to increase friction and prevent slipping.
But Wei Ruo’s own needlework was too poor, so the nurse had to do the sewing herself.
For the sake of appearance, the nurse also wrapped a layer of embroidered cloth over the cowhide. Once the skirt hem covered them, no one would know what kind of shoes Wei Ruo and Xiumei were actually wearing.
-sweeping down snow piled on the roofs
The main halls were somewhat better off, as braziers had been kept burning inside, warming the roof so less snow accumulated there. But the roofs of the other buildings bore thick layers of snow. If not dealt with in time, it was very dangerous.
As for the courtyard, there was simply no way to clear it all. The servants only shoveled out a narrow path along the walkways for people to get through.
On the streets outside, some households nearby had also swept away the snow to open up narrow passageways. But in alleys where no one lived, everything lay covered in a sheet of white.
At Cangyun Courtyard, Yun Shi was in a flurry. The heavy snow had disrupted everything, and many goods had become impossible to buy.
There was still enough grain in the household, so at least they wouldn’t go hungry, even if there were no fresh vegetables.
But the supply of charcoal was nearly gone. This year the cold had come early, so charcoal had been used up earlier as well. The charcoal Yun Shi had procured for the household was high quality, but the amount was limited. Another shipment was supposed to arrive in the next few days.
Now, with the heavy snow, that delivery could not get through, and the household was burning through charcoal much faster than expected.
So, early that morning, Yun Shi had already sent people to the shops on the street to ask if anyone was still selling charcoal.
But even in such a bustling prefectural city, almost no shops were open at this time—let alone those selling charcoal.
This left Yun Shi extremely anxious. In such cold weather, if the charcoal ran out, the house would be no different from an ice cellar.
Wei Qingwan sat with her in the room, helping to handle matters. Seeing her so distressed, she had no better solution herself and could only offer a few words of comfort.
But then, more bad news came. The heavy snow had crushed many residents’ homes, and it was said that many bamboo groves in Taizhou Prefecture had been devastated, with large areas of bamboo falling.
The exact casualties were not yet known, but the situation was unlikely to be good.
Because of this, the prefectural yamen was already in turmoil, and whether Wei Míngtíng would be implicated remained uncertain.
Yun Shi immediately felt a headache coming on. “Truly a troubled time!” she exclaimed.
The matter with the Seventh Prince hadn’t been settled yet, and now a snow disaster had struck. This year’s end truly would not be easy to get through.
“Mother, don’t worry. Once the snow melts, the charcoal will be delivered again,” Wei Qingwan comforted her.
“Mm.” Yun Shi responded, but her worried mood did not improve in the least, for charcoal was only a small part of the problem.
Wei Ruo also learned about the snow disaster from the servants.
She planned to go out to take a look at the situation outside. She might not be able to do much, but at the very least, she wanted to see it with her own eyes.
Before heading out, Wei Ruo and Xiumei bundled themselves up tightly.
Especially their shoes—Wei Ruo and Xiumei wore boots specially made for them by the nurse.
The design of these boots was something Wei Ruo had described to the nursemaid: the outside wrapped in cowhide, the inside filled with thick cotton, making them both warm and waterproof.
The soles were also made with patterned grooves as Wei Ruo requested, to increase friction and prevent slipping.
But Wei Ruo’s own needlework was too poor, so the nurse had to do the sewing herself.
For the sake of appearance, the nurse also wrapped a layer of embroidered cloth over the cowhide. Once the skirt hem covered them, no one would know what kind of shoes Wei Ruo and Xiumei were actually wearing.
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