Seeing the finish line just ahead, Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but start to smile, when a shadow suddenly rushed past her and reached the finish line.
Shen Qinglan appeared momentarily stunned, but when she came to her senses, she reined in Bai Yunfei just as Duan Yunfei was turning his horse around at the finish line, with a victorious smile on his face.
Shen Qinglan rode Bai Yunfei forward leisurely and said unabashedly, "A bet’s a bet, so tell me, what’s the condition?"
"Are you really willing to accept any condition?" Duan Yunfei raised an eyebrow.
"I said, as long as it’s within my ability, I’ll agree to anything." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel~fire~net
Duan Yunfei smiled mischievously, "What if I ask you to marry me? Would you agree?"
"Why not?" Shen Qinglan said, "I’ve never thought of getting married, but if it’s you, I might consider it."
Duan Yunfei laughed happily.
Shen Qinglan said, "Because you’re rich!"
"Is it just because I’m rich? Don’t I have any other qualities you appreciate?"
His tone was a bit aggrieved.
Shen Qinglan scrutinized him for a while and finally said, "Because you’re also handsome."
Duan Yunfei, delighted by her words, said, "You’re quite straightforward."
Shen Qinglan replied nonchalantly, "People should be real."
She jumped off her horse, looked up at him, and said, "Back to business, tell me your condition."
Duan Yunfei likewise jumped off his horse and said, "My condition is simple: I want to discuss the matter of the peeler with you."
"Peeler?" Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "The one I drew?"
"Yes." Duan Yunfei nodded, "Before I left, I asked Xuan Ming to bring back samples of each item to try out. I wasn’t sure what that mandarin duck pot and stove were for, but the peeler is genuinely useful."
Duan Yunfei looked at her and continued, "Our Yongning Manor ironworks are spread across Yunye Country, even in neighboring countries. I wish to produce them in large quantities and hope to get your approval."
"Of course, you can."
It wasn’t something that originally belonged to her.
She was more than willing to help Duan Yunfei, considering how much he had helped her and she had yet to do anything in return for him.
"Don’t worry!" Duan Yunfei said with a smile, "I won’t let you suffer a loss."
Shen Qinglan moved her frozen fingers slightly and said, "Let’s go back!"
"Are you cold?" Duan Yunfei quickly took off his cloak and put it on her.
Shen Qinglan looked up, meeting his gentle yet concerned eyes, momentarily taken aback.
She coughed lightly, stepped back slightly, and asked, "Aren’t you cold?"
"This kind of cold is nothing."
Duan Yunfei said softly, "When I practiced sword fighting in the past, even with heavy snow, we would train outside bare-chested for the whole day."
After speaking, he summoned the stable hand to take away Bai Yunfei and Black Sha, then turned to Shen Qinglan and said, "Let’s go!"
Shen Qinglan nodded, and the two of them walked side by side out of the race course.
"What about the arrangements for the refugees in Jinxi Town?" Duan Yunfei asked.
"It’s alright, County Magistrate Pei has done his duty, setting up tents for each village, and ensuring that no meal is missed."
Shen Qinglan said, "They won’t starve, though I’m afraid there’s snow coming these days."
The tents are all temporary setups, and if it snows, they might not hold up.
Looking at him, Shen Qinglan said, "I heard that besides the people from Jinxi Town, a lot of people elsewhere have died during this heavy rain."
"If it weren’t for you, the villagers from various villages in Jinxi Town wouldn’t be any better off," Duan Yunfei said, "They should be grateful to you."