The Slender Waist

When Chunyu Yan arrived, Feng Yun was busy in the study.

This study had been tidied up before the new year; it faced the south and finally basked in the warm sunlight.

But Feng Yun wasn’t resting; instead, she knelt on the cotton mat in front of the table, instructing Sister Xu on the matters of spring plowing and planting.

Sister Xu had come from the countryside and had experience with planting on the farm, but while she knew how things were done, she often did not understand why they were done.

Xiaoman listened in amazement, frequently asking questions, "Even before planting, how can you know the harvest will be poor this year?"

Sister Xu said, "Because it’s already March, it’s too late for tilling the land and sowing."

Xiaoman still didn’t understand, "How does being late in sowing affect the harvest?"

After several persistent questions, Sister Xu slapped her thigh, laughing, "Oh, my dear lady, these are the rules passed down by our ancestors. We must rush to plant in spring, but I don’t know why..."

Feng Yun smiled and, seeing Chunyu Yan standing still at the doorway, nodded and made a gesture, inviting him to sit.

Then she turned to answer Xiaoman.

"First is the soil temperature, planting late, the seedlings won’t be strong, and they will suffer more from root diseases and pests. They’ll be green longer and mature late, and frosts will reduce the yield. Second is timing, if the early spring crops are delayed, it’s impossible to rush the planting of late spring crops. Disrupting the farming schedule affects more than just one season."

Sister Xu’s face beamed with smiles.

"Exactly, that’s right."

Xiaoman looked at her with admiration, "My lady, how do you know so much? Is there anything you don’t understand in this world?"

Feng Yun glanced casually at the languidly seated Chunyu Yan, her lips curved in a smile.

"You may leave now."

Chunyu Yan noticed the subtle gesture, touched his mask, and snorted quietly, remaining silent.

Xiaoman cheerfully said, "I’ll serve tea to the Princely Heir."

Chunyu Yan sat coldly, indifferent.

He had been sitting for quite a while, but hadn’t received even a glance from Feng Twelve.

So busy, yet why summon him?

Feng Yun wasn’t truly neglecting him; it was just that the family business had grown so large, she was overwhelmed.

In this regard, she rather admired Chunyu Yan. Despite his seemingly languid and tender demeanor, he never neglected his business, managing everything very well.

But it also takes having people.

People who are trustworthy and competent.

Feng Yun felt she was still lacking, so she put on a smile, called out "Princely Heir," and was about to speak...

The curtain was opened.

Alou poked his head out.

"My lady, young master Feng Liang is crying and throwing a tantrum, complaining about our simple lodging; he wants to go home."

In Huaxi Village, of course, it wasn’t as convenient as Bingzhou City. For Feng Liang, it was also an unfamiliar place where no one coddled and spoiled him, naturally making everything dissatisfactory.

Feng Yun said, "Tell him, after eating, he’ll go to the village school for lessons. If he’s late, he will face the teacher’s wooden paddle."

Alou hesitated, "Young master Feng Liang refuses to eat."

Feng Yun said, "If he won’t eat, then it’s all right. Send him to the village school on time to be paddled."

Alou’s eyebrows knotted in worry.

"And young master Feng Liang won’t go to the village school."

Feng Yun said, "Lock him in the small storeroom, starve him for a day."

Alou uttered a sound of realization.

Seeing Feng Yun’s indifferent expression, not seeming to joke, his face fell.

The difficulty for the servants lay in the fact that these two were the younger siblings of their mistress.

The younger Feng Zhen was better off; being a girl, she was easier to coax. Feng Liang was nothing short of a little tyrant, impossible to beat or scold, and nobody could manage him.

Feng Yun frowned, "What are you waiting for? Go."

Only then did Alou respond and let out a sigh. Even Lady Chen truly dared, did she actually send her pampered son over to suffer and learn, or was she betting that Feng Yun wouldn’t dare to trouble him?

Alou went down.

But Chunyu Yan found the scene interesting.

"Aren’t you afraid of spoiling the precious darling of the Feng family?"

"I know my limits," Feng Yun said indifferently then glanced at him, "If you learned from me, the darlings of your Yunchuan family wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant before you."

Chunyu Yan scoffed, delicately adjusted his collar, and said in a leisurely tone, "Let’s talk business."

The smile on his lips and the sharpness in his eyes clearly showed his reluctance to discuss those two, beloved by the Prince of Yunchuan.

Feng Yun didn’t dwell on idle chatter, smiling lightly, "The snow has stopped, and the weather is getting warmer. I’m planning to hire people to go up the mountain to mine graphite."

Chunyu Yan’s eyes darkened mockingly.

"I knew that if you were looking for me, it had to be business-related and nothing else."

Feng Yun gave no reply.

She looked at him calmly and clear-eyed.

Her silence, like an invisible low-pressure force, made Chunyu Yan’s lips press even tighter together.

Reason told him that besides talking business, there truly was nothing else they could discuss. It was only right that Feng Yun behaved this way. Her silence, her refusal to respond to jibes, was already leaving him his dignity. Yet, emotionally, he found it extremely hard to accept; Feng Twelve was so indifferent towards him. After knowing him for so long, she hadn’t shown the slightest bit of affection...

Just as well.

He, too, had no affection for her to speak of.

Let business be business.

"Mining coal is not as simple as you think; you can’t just find a few villagers, grab a couple of hoes, and head to the mountain to dig. One mistake, and lives could be lost..."

Chunyu Yan slightly lifted his chin, his sideways glance heightening the sharp angles of the mask on his face, making his eyes seem deeper and colder, even the opening and closing of his lips appeared more cutting.

"Therefore, Feng Twelve, it’s the mining skills that are crucial."

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, "An equal share of profits, the Princely Heir finds unreasonable."

Feng Yun narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling as she asked him, "What does the Princely Heir think is reasonable?"

Chunyu Yan said, "The so-called investigation to attain knowledge, the essence of mining lies in machinery and skill, not whether your Huaxi Village mines have coal or not. Therefore, I should take the larger share, and you, the smaller one."

Feng Yun chuckled softly, "I thought the Princely Heir would say, now that Dajin is split in two, Andu is no longer under the control of the Li Family and their daughter. There’s no need for the Princely Heir to expose himself to accept this favor, feeling ashamed of his earnings and willing to give up a portion of the profit..."

Chunyu Yan gazed into her watery eyes, his voice gentle, "Feng Twelve, what sort of beautiful dream are you having? Unless you’re willing..."

"Fine," Feng Yun cut him off, "I agree with what the Princely Heir says. The essence of mining lies in machinery and skill."

It seemed she had been prepared all along; she took process diagrams and production tool designs she had sketched from the desk and handed them to Chunyu Yan.

"The Princely Heir should take a look."

Chunyu Yan’s pupil color subtly shifted as he slowly lifted his head to look at her, motionless.

Neither Tai City nor Andu had graphite mines,

and he could assert that Feng Yun could not possibly have seen a mine shaft.

Yet on the diagram and in the writing before him, she had clearly marked the entire process, from drilling wells, expanding, to tunneling, from mining coal to transportation, including designs for ventilation and drainage underground.

In terms of mining expertise, Yunchuan was undoubtedly the most sophisticated in the world, and much of its technology came from an old craftsman who claimed to be guided by a master, never to be disclosed to others.

But Feng Yun’s diagrams vividly showed that she knew how to use logs for support, pulleys for lifting, and buckets for extracting water, understanding the principles of vertical shafts, inclined shafts, and horizontal levels. Even many designs not present in the Yunchuan mines appeared on this paper...

He could hardly believe his own eyes.

The room was as quiet as it could be.

Feng Yun saw the shifting look in Chunyu Yan’s eyes and chuckled, tapping her finger on the paper.

"Wait two days. When the agricultural tool shop starts operating, I will forge these iron picks, hammers, and wedges. Once the snow on the mountain melts, we should be about ready. What we need now is an experienced miner to roughly estimate how much graphite is stored and whether it’s worth such a large engineering project to fill..."

Her pale finger flickered before his eyes.

Moving aside the papers on top, she displayed another diagram below to Chunyu Yan. Her vibrant, serious little face stern.

"I plan to set up an artificial windmill in the ventilation shaft to expel the toxic gases underground..."

She spoke with conviction, humbly and calmly, without any trace of sarcasm or mockery in response to Chunyu Yan’s previous disrespectful remarks.

Chunyu Yan’s cheeks gradually grew hot, burning.

This woman, when she hit, did so without a sound, but it truly hurt!

"Feng Twelve, won’t you say anything else?"

He waited for her to say that she held all the machinery and skills, that an equal division of profits would be unfair, that she should take the larger share.

Unexpectedly, Feng Yun’s red lips pursed slightly as she stood up with a smile.

"Why don’t you dine here tonight, Princely Heir? I’ll have the kitchen prepare a few dishes and drinks."

Chunyu Yan felt a sense of relief, as if bathed in the warmth of spring; he was about to agree when he saw Feng Yun joyously raise her eyebrows, murmuring to herself with a smile:

"My eldest brother left on the fifth of the first lunar month and only had time to return today. I should really treat him well."

It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, cooling Chunyu Yan to the core.

The warmth that had just ignited in Chunyu Yan was quickly extinguished.

Looking at the harsh, eye-piercing sunlight outside the window, he suddenly felt a bitterness in his mouth.

"It’s all up to you."

"Then the Princely Heir can go about his business. Someone will call you when it’s time to eat. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

Feng Yun gave him a curtsy and walked away.

Her sleeves flitted through the air, her back straight as she strode out.

Chunyu Yan’s gaze followed her departure, watching her disappear from sight and quickly re-emerging in the courtyard outside the window, passing by several robust servants who bowed respectfully to her, displaying their filial piety. She responded with kindness, walking steadily in the sunlight...

Without earth-shattering noise or majesty, without groveling or slavery, she seemed to stand above millions.

The sky was filled with brilliant colors, radiating in every direction.

From the estate, laughter would occasionally drift through, men’s and women’s, cheering and jubilant. Their joy came from the heart, filled with anticipation and longing for the future—a rarity, exceedingly uncommon near him.

Even the smiles around him were fake.

"Princely Heir... Princely Heir?"

Xiang Zhong’s gentle calling brought Chunyu Yan back to his senses, shocking him into realizing he had lost his composure.

"Let’s go."

Turning his head away, the shadow had gone far, but his heart felt as if thousands of tiny ants were crawling, tickling unbearably...

The sensation, most difficult to describe.