thefictionvixens Chapter 1254 Cetalli's January Trip to Fontainebleau
Chapter 1254 Cetalli's January Trip to Fontainebleau
And so, thanks to Shao Yun's help, Diluc's settlement in Nata finally got off to a good start.
Shao Yun did not inquire further about how Diluc persuaded the Nata residents living on the plateau to leave.
He overheard a few things from Mavica, only knowing that things had been resolved exceptionally smoothly.
When Mavica mentioned it, she jokingly said something like, "Money makes the world go round."
Shao Yun knew without even thinking that Diluc must have used "money power".
For him, a tempting sum of Mora is far more effective than endless negotiations, since nobody turns down money.
However, for Shao Yun, this was ultimately just a minor episode in his life.
He didn't have the time or inclination to keep up with the progress of Duluc's winery, and life quickly returned to its familiar rhythm.
Every day at dawn, he would ride his horse to the pasture to graze the livestock, and when the sun was high in the sky, he would drive the herd home, leaving the afternoon entirely to himself.
She would either sit in the living room watching the Fontainebleau film, or lie on the rocking chair in the yard basking in the sun, and occasionally play with her precious daughter with Ying when she came back.
Life at home was also very well-organized: Shen He devoted almost all her energy to the children, treating them better than a biological mother...
Ningguang manages the household chores perfectly, having mastered maid skills by learning them from Adeline.
On ordinary days, he would often drive his horse-drawn carriage to deliver fresh eggs and milk from the pasture to the nearest Suspended Wood People tribe for sale, and on his way back he would also bring some fresh vegetables and fruits.
Yuan Shang took on all the physical labor at home, getting up early every day to milk the cows with Shao Yun, clean the livestock shed, and keep the cattle pen spotless.
When she has free time, she helps Ningguang move things; she's very efficient.
Ying, Paimon, and Little Dragon "Potato Pancake" are still busy, and every day after breakfast they go out to accept commissions with their backpacks on.
Sometimes it's helping the tribe find lost camel-like beasts or stolen records; other times it's clearing out nearby stone golems.
(Because the abyssal monsters of Nata are being guarded by the Abyssal Order.)
Occasionally, they would venture to distant ruins for exploration, and upon returning, they would always bring back small gifts for Shao Yun and Xi, such as unique stones or beautiful feathers.
(The collectibles Paimon found.)
As for Kong? Shao Yun had no idea what he was busy with every day. He would come back late at night to sleep, and then leave again before dawn.
……
A month later, in the early morning in Nata, the sky was just beginning to glow with a warm orange light.
At the kitchen table, Shao Yun was slowly drinking hot milk from a white porcelain cup.
Ying sat opposite him, holding a white flour pancake that Ningguang had baked that morning, and talked about the news she had received yesterday while eating it.
After listening, Shao Yun put down his milk glass, raised an eyebrow slightly, and repeated, "You mean, Meng Lüsong, whom we met once before, is actually the 'rich man's' subordinate?"
Ying nodded vigorously, took a bite of her biscuit, and said indistinctly, "That's right! A few days ago, Cetalli sent back a message from Fontaine saying that she had found out Monluson's true identity."
“And I actually saw him at the Olympic Stadium yesterday… He was tied up with several people dressed as Fools.”
Shao Yun recalled what happened three weeks ago, when Cecilia finished reading all the light novels in the study at home and suddenly said she had to leave for a few days.
At the time, he thought the other person was tired of life on the ranch and wanted to get away for a change of scenery, but now it seems that things are not so simple.
"So that's why she suddenly left three weeks ago. It turns out she wasn't bored; she went to Fontaine to investigate Monluson's situation."
"That's right." Ying swallowed the biscuit, picked up the water glass next to her and took a sip, then reminded her:
"You forgot? Just a month ago you told us that Montluson was a printer on the verge of bankruptcy, didn't you?"
“Sytrali took it to heart and felt there might be something wrong, so she went to Fontaine to investigate his background.”
After listening, Shao Yun tapped his fingers lightly on the table and mentally calculated the time.
It's been almost three weeks since Cetalli left; even if they went to Fontaine to investigate, it wouldn't take that long.
"Even if you're going to Fontainebleau to investigate, you don't need to stay this long, do you? Could it be that you took the opportunity to travel around Fontainebleau halfway through the investigation?"
Upon hearing this, Ying shrugged indifferently: "Maybe."
She spent a long time in Fontainebleau and explored almost every corner of the city. Now, when she talks about Fontainebleau, she has long lost her sense of novelty.
……
Breakfast ended in relaxed conversation. Shao Yun put down her empty milk glass, wiped her mouth with a tissue, stood up as usual, and said routinely:
"Alright, I'm full. Same as always, I'm going to the pasture to graze the livestock."
Herding has become his daily, unwavering task.
Ying also stood up, patted the crumbs off her hands, and said, "I'll take Paimon and Little Dragon 'Potato Pancake' to accept the commission."
After saying that, she turned around and waved to the living room, telling Paimon, who was lying on the sofa, to come out with her.
Shao Yun then turned and went upstairs to change into a durable coat and boots suitable for herding.
When he changed his clothes and came downstairs, Ningguang was already waiting on the first floor with a cloth bag.
The cloth bag contained snacks she had prepared in advance, including roasted nuts and several pieces of cheese made from ranch milk, all of which Shao Yun liked to eat while herding livestock.
After being trained by Adeline for some time, Ningguang has become quite adept at managing household chores.
Although she had experienced hardship in the past, she relied entirely on vague memories to do housework, which inevitably made her a bit flustered.
Now, she not only keeps the room tidy, but also demonstrates professional attention to detail in meal planning and item organization, making her a fully qualified "formally trained maid."
“Mr. Shao Yun, these are your snacks while herding. Have some if you get hungry.” Ningguang handed over the cloth bag.
Shao Yun took the cloth bag, put it in his backpack, and nodded.
"Thanks a lot."
"Of course," Ningguang replied with a smile.
Today, instead of stopping at the door as usual, she took the opportunity to show Shao Yun her "achievements" over the past few days.
“Mr. Shao Yun, please wait a moment. I’ll show you something; it’s in the vegetable garden next to the yard.”
Shao Yun followed her with some curiosity.
The vegetable garden in the corner of the yard had been bare because no one had taken care of it. He had always wanted to plant something, but every time he came back, he would think of putting it off until tomorrow.
Upon closer inspection, the once barren vegetable garden has been transformed.
The land was turned over and made soft and fluffy. On the neat rows of ridges, tiny green shoots of grass sprouted. Although they were still small, they were full of vitality, a scene of everything thriving.
Ningguang led Shao Yun to the vegetable garden, her eyes sparkling, and proudly introduced, "Mr. Shao Yun, please look, this is the vegetable garden I've been tending to these past few days."
"A few days ago I took some vegetable seeds from the warehouse at home, including lettuce, cherry tomatoes and carrots, and planted them all. Look, they have sprouted now. Are they growing well?"
Shao Yun bent down to examine the sprouting vegetables in the garden carefully, then straightened up and sincerely praised Ningguang:
"The vegetables are growing very well. Thank you for your hard work. Remember to take care of the vegetable garden."
He had never mentioned planting vegetables before, but Ningguang took the initiative to make use of this wasteland.
Hearing Shao Yun's praise, Ningguang smiled shyly and happily, gently twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands.
“It’s all the right thing to do. I thought it wouldn’t do to leave this vegetable garden lying fallow, so I thought I’d plant some vegetables so it would be more convenient for the family to have vegetables in the future. So I took advantage of my spare time to turn over the soil and plant the seeds…”
"That's a good idea," Shao Yun interrupted her, casually offering his advice.
"However, tilling the soil and watering are quite tiring tasks. Ask Yuanshang for help more often, and don't try to do it all by yourself. It's not good to get tired."
"I'm going to herd the sheep now. You stay home and take good care of the house."
Seeing that Shao Yun was not only satisfied but also concerned about whether she was tired, Ningguang nodded in relief.
"Okay, I understand. I'll ask Yuan Shang for help. Mr. Shao Yun, please be careful on your journey."
……
The grazing process remains the same.
Shao Yun rode his "Radish" and slowly drove the cattle and sheep to the grassland deep in the pasture.
It was the same familiar herding process. Shao Yun rode his horse to drive the cattle and sheep to the pasture, and then began to kill time out of boredom.
Shao Yun originally thought it would be another ordinary day, but during the herding, a flying pillow flew towards him from afar.
Shao Yun squinted and took a closer look; the black dot was actually a flying pillow.
The pink and white object swayed and moved slowly through the air, making it particularly eye-catching.
Without a doubt, looking across the entire Nata and even Teyvat, the only person who uses a flying pillow as a means of transportation is Sitrali.
Shao Yun raised an eyebrow and looked up as the cushion got closer and closer.
Sure enough, as the cushion drew closer, he saw Cecilia sitting on it.
"Hi, Mr. Shao Yun! Long time no see!" Celestella manipulated the cushion, bringing it to a steady stop in front of Shao Yun, who was riding beside his horse.
Looking at her after so long, Shao Yun teased, "Oh, you're back from vacation? Did you enjoy Fontaine?"
Upon hearing this, Cecilia's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? You already know I went to Fontainebleau for vacation? I thought I was hiding it well!"
Shao Yun smiled and nodded, took out a piece of cheese from the cloth bag, and said slowly, "Ying told me."
"Those fools blocking the entrance to your ranch, and that Monluson posing as a printer, have all been captured by the warriors of the Smoke Lord."
When Sitrali heard that the Fools and Monluson who were blocking her doorway had been arrested, she patted her chest with both hands, clearly relieved.
"They've been arrested? That's great! Those people were always loitering around the gate before, it's really scary to think about."
"By the way, when I was in Fontaine, I mentioned the Monluson incident to the Fontaine garrison, and guess what happened?"
Shao Yun chewed on his cheese, not interested in these scheming matters to begin with. Seeing that she was still talking about the cause and effect, he waved his hand to change the subject.
"Alright, everyone's been arrested. We'll handle the rest with Mavica and the others. Don't worry about these things."
“Let’s talk about something else. You’ve been in Fontainebleau for so long, you must have encountered a lot of interesting things, right? Tell me about them.”