Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 126 The Little Princess Plays Connect Four!
There aren't classes every day, so you can take a break occasionally.

Not only students, but also teachers need to rest.

Although it's not mandatory for everyone to come every day, Xiao Ran noticed that there were very few cases of absenteeism.

The classroom is always full.

Everyone understands that this opportunity is hard-won, and the family supports it, so they won't let the child skip school to work.

We are much better off now.

All things considered, the money earned from farming and selling snacks is pitifully little.

Xiao Ran could never forget that a peck of millet cost three coins.

Before we knew it, it started snowing heavily again.

At first, fine snowflakes fell on the window frame, making a soft "rustling" sound, like silkworms nibbling on mulberry leaves, so faint as to be almost inaudible.

Later, the snowflakes gradually grew larger, turning into clumps of cotton wool that fell down, landing on the woodpile in the corner of the yard and the roof tiles, accumulating a thin layer of white in no time.

The two little princesses and Third Sister were sleeping soundly on the kang (heated brick bed).

I don't want to go back to my room anymore; it's warmer here.

By the candlelight, Li Lizhi tutored Zhang Erya.

To take care of the three little girls, the two of them often rested on the kang (a heated brick bed).

I spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing the three little girls.

Actually, children this age sleep very soundly and can't be disturbed at all.

Everyone else had gone to sleep, but the light was still on in Sun Simiao's room.

The next morning!

The snow on the roof was thick, pressing down the thatched roofs slightly, like a layer of white cotton wool covering each room.

The old locust tree in the corner of the yard had lost its leaves, and its branches were covered with clumps of snow. When the wind blew, the snowflakes would fall silently onto the snow, leaving only shallow marks, which would be quickly filled in by fresh snow.

The road at the village entrance had long been buried flat by snow, obscuring the patterns on the stone slabs. Only a few shallow footprints were faintly visible, left by Wang Shen when he went to the workshop early in the morning, but they were also almost completely covered by the floating snow.

The sun had just climbed over the mountain, and its golden light shone on the snow, dazzlingly bright but not harsh; instead, it was warm and gentle, making the snow look like it was sprinkled with crushed sugar.

Li Lizhi and Zhang Erya got up very early.

Without disturbing the three little girls.

As the others gradually got up, they all liked to drink some hot water to warm themselves up.

Sit in the living room with the kang (heated brick bed).

Everyone has their own things to do.

The three little girls got up, put on their clothes, and went outside. They were very excited to see the vast expanse of white.

"Wow~" The little princess's sleepiness vanished instantly.

Princess Li Lizhi and several others were shoveling snow.

The three little girls also wanted to participate.

Xiao Hei is a sled dog, and he was equally excited.

They were jumping and running around in the snow.

"Little Nang-kun~ I want some too~"

The little princess pointed to the shovel.

"Put on your gloves!" Xiao Ran didn't object to the three little girls playing.

Zhang Erya went inside and took out gloves. These were custom-made according to Xiao Ran's requirements; they were thicker and warmer.

The little princess, holding a small shovel, skipped and hopped to the snowdrift, imitating Li Lizhi as she shoveled.

But she was weak, and the shovel only sank an inch into the snow, instead splashing up a cloud of snow that landed right in Li Lizhi's hair, like a sprinkle of frost.

"Sizi, what are you doing?" Li Lizhi asked the little princess.

"Wobuji Island duck~" The little princess looked completely innocent.

“Sizi did it on purpose,” Princess Yuzhang said with a smile.

"I don't believe it!" the little princess quickly denied.

"You little rascal," Li Lizhi shook her head helplessly.

With the addition of the three little girls, the shoveling was slower than before, but they were more active and had a lot of fun.

Princess Yuzhang made a snowball and threw it at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran glanced at it, then casually grabbed a handful, squeezed it, and tossed it over.

"Sister, come quick! The young master is hitting me!" Princess Yuzhang cried out. "Second Mother, come quick!"

Without hesitation, Li Lizhi and Zhang Erya put down their shovels and joined the team.

The three of them threw snowballs at Xiao Ran.

The three little girls looked around and saw that Xiao Ran had been beaten by the three of them.

"Sister, you're so annoying~"

The little princess finally managed to make a snowball, only to find that she couldn't throw it very far.

Princess Chengyang and Third Sister also joined in.

Although Xiao Ran's team had three more members, their firepower remained unchanged.

They were still outnumbered.

The little princess had a sudden inspiration and ran to call Li Ke and Cheng Chumo over.

"Sizi, what's wrong?" Li Ke asked, puzzled.

"Big sister is so mean~" the little princess said seriously, "Big sister hits little noodle~ Big brother hits big sister~"

The snowflakes in the yard suddenly flew up, mingling with the laughter and shouts, washing away the chill of the early morning.

Some snowballs were tightly packed, and when they hit you, they would scatter into a white mess with a "plop"; others were loose and scattered, and they would break in the wind as soon as they were thrown, leaving fine snow on your hair and eyebrows.

As soon as Li Ke stepped inside, a snowball grazed his arm. He paused for a moment, then laughed, grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it at Li Lizhi.

Cheng Chumo did not hesitate and immediately joined the battle.

Zhang Jinhe was stunned when he arrived and saw the scene; it was far too lively.

Without much thought, Zhang Jinhe immediately joined the ranks of Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang.

No one really cared about "winning or losing." When Li Lizhi threw snowballs, she always deliberately slowed down by half a beat so that Xiao Ran could dodge them.

Princess Yuzhang shouted "Hit him!" but instead threw a snowball at Cheng Chumo.

The little princess, unable to run with the snowball in her hand, simply pounced on Li Ke's legs and asked him to hand it to Xiao Ran.

Everyone's faces were red from the cold, and their breath mixed with laughter drifted in the snow, making even the snow that landed on their shoulders feel warm.

Sun Simiao smiled as he watched this scene, "Youth is truly wonderful!"

After everyone had had their fill of fun, Zhang Erya and Princess Yuzhang went to prepare breakfast, while Xiao Ran and the others still had to tidy up the courtyard.

After breakfast, Xiao Ran made a simple sled.

Little Black, this sled dog, shouldn't be wasted.

"What's this, Little Nang-jun?"

"This is fun, Sizi will find out soon." After everything was ready, Xiao Ran led the group out of the courtyard.

We found an open space next to the pond.

The snow by the pool had never been trampled on; it was as flat as a white velvet carpet spread on the ground. Even the wind avoided this area, only occasionally blowing snow from the treetops down in a soft rustling sound.

Xiao Ran placed the makeshift sled on the snow—a base made of two pear wood planks, with a smooth poplar wood track underneath. Thick cotton pads were laid on the planks, and a thick hemp rope was tied to the front, one end of which was attached to Xiao Hei's collar. Xiao Hei was already wagging its tail and circling the sled, occasionally scratching at the snow with its paws, its eyes full of eager anticipation.

Xiao Ran didn't dare let the little princess play by herself, for fear she would fall, so he had to take her with him.

The sled glided smoothly and lightly across the snow, leaving only two shallow tracks. The little princess, sitting in Xiao Ran's lap, couldn't resist raising her other hand and waving it excitedly: "Wow~ so fast~ so much fun~"

Seeing the little princess playing, Princess Chengyang and Third Sister next to her were also eager to try.

“This looks like it’s going to be fun,” Princess Yuzhang said with a smile.

Xiao Hei wasn't too excited; it was relatively calm.

After circling around, Xiao Ran stopped.

"Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, you take Fanyin and Third Sister to try."

Xiao Ran understood that Princess Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang were both quite young and wanted to give it a try. Li Lizhi never imagined that she, the eldest legitimate princess of the Tang Dynasty, would be involved in such things.

In Kaolao Village, there is no need to worry about court etiquette.

It's true that you can let loose a little.

Princess Yuzhang and Princess Chengyang were having a great time.

After playing a few rounds, I didn't ask any more questions.

I'm worried that Xiao Hei won't be able to handle it.

The little princess liked to play, but she also thought about this.

The group then returned home.

"Sizi, are you cold?" Sun Simiao asked with a smile.

"Yes, but it's just so much fun!" the little princess said.

Her face was flushed.

After they stopped playing in the snow, the three little girls refused to go out anymore.

Wang Ji, Li Lizhi, and the others had nothing to do and were all idle.

Li Kecheng, Chu Mo, Qin Huaidao, and the others stared at the glass, while Wang Shen and Li Tai looked at the printing workshop.

Xiao Ran, on the other hand, had nothing to do.

To kill time, Xiao Ran found a Go board.

Xiao Ran knows the rules of Go, but his skill level is very low. He definitely can't beat Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang.

So Xiao Ran decided to play Gomoku.

Li Lizhi had just finished wiping Si Zi's hands when she came over, saw the chessboard, and asked with a smile, "Young master, would you like to play Go?"

"It's not Go, it's another game called Gomoku, which is much simpler than Go."

Xiao Ran picked up a black chess piece and placed it in the center of the board, then placed a white chess piece next to it.

"No need to calculate territory or capture pieces, there's only one rule—whoever connects five pieces of the same color first, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins."

"That's it?" Li Lizhi said thoughtfully. "Then wouldn't it be easy to win?"

"It looks simple, but you have to keep an eye on your opponent's pieces and not let them connect first."

Xiao Ran smiled and picked up a black piece, placing it diagonally opposite. "For example, like I am now, if I add another piece, I can connect three pieces diagonally, and you'll have to block me."

Li Lizhi then became serious, her brows furrowing slightly as she stared at the chess pieces on the board. After thinking for a moment, she placed the white piece in the empty space diagonally opposite the black piece: "Won't this block your way?"

Xiao Ran placed another black piece, this time moving it vertically. "But you also have to take care of yourself. Don't just block me and forget about connecting your own pieces."

The little princess next to her had already crowded around the table, staring intently at the chessboard, and pointed with her little finger: "Little Nang-jun~ I want to play too~"

"Sizi, I'll teach you after I finish this game with my sister." Xiao Ran rubbed her head and turned his gaze back to the chessboard.

"Hmmmm~"

At first, Li Lizhi was only thinking about blocking, but after only two rounds, Xiao Ran used four black stones to create an empty space, leaving only one stone to connect the pieces. Only then did she belatedly realize, "Oh dear, how come I didn't see that!"

Xiao Ran smiled as he placed the fifth black stone. "I won. This game looks simple, but you have to consider both the front and the back. It's less mentally taxing than Go, but it's also interesting."

"This is really interesting, let's play another game!" Li Lizhi wasn't annoyed by the loss, but instead became more interested. She reached out and put the chess pieces away. "This time I'll play black, I'll make the first move."

Sun Simiao sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked over with a smile: "This way of playing is great. You don't need to remember those complicated rules. Everyone, young and old, can play it. It's perfect for killing time in your spare time."

“This is very simple, I can do it too!” Princess Chengyang said.

"This looks fun!" Even Third Sister could understand it.

It's very simple to begin with.

Princess Yuzhang, Zhang Jinhe, and Zhang Erya also came over.

"What kind of game is this?" Princess Yuzhang could tell at a glance that it wasn't Go.

There's no way to play Go like that.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya didn't understand, but Princess Yuzhang could tell at a glance.

"It's Gomoku, which is different from Go," Xiao Ran explained.

Although Li Lizhi was very careful, she still counted the money for Xiao Ran.

"We're here!" the little princess exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, Sizi, come here!" Li Lizhi moved to the side.

The little princess is too young to outmaneuver Xiao Ran.

Soon, they will lose.

"Sizi, over here," Princess Chengyang reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah~" The little princess is also someone who listens to advice.

But soon a problem arose, and the third aunt next to her also gave a reminder.

Xiao Ran thought it was reasonable for the three little girls to be together.

Seeing that she was going to lose no matter how she played, the little princess had a brilliant idea. She stretched out her little hand and pressed down on the other side, blocking the other side herself.

"Hehe~" The little girl knew she was cheating.

"You little brat, who taught you to play like that?"

The little princess just giggled, "Little Nangjun is here~"

"Okay, okay," Xiao Ran said, not caring at all. Winning or losing wasn't really important.

Soon the little princess realized that it was too late to stop it, and looked at the little princess of Chengyang next to her.

Princess Chengyang understood immediately and reached out her little hand to press it down.

The game of Gomoku was played by two little princesses who covered the pieces.

Compared to Go, this simpler game is more suitable for children.

The three little girls were evenly matched and played together all day.

Li Lizhi had a lot of Go sets prepared; it's time to send them to the school so the other children can play with them.

If there's nothing else, playing these kinds of puzzle games is a good option.

Wang Ji did not object and was quite supportive of some of Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi's actions.

Perhaps they felt that the children of Kaolao Village weren't aiming for the imperial examinations, so they were more relaxed.

It's no big deal to play when it's time to play.

In the future, I'll occasionally set aside time for children to play games like Gomoku.

Even Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya would play around with it when they had nothing else to do.

Li Shimin would know everything that happened in Kaolao Village.

Even for trivial matters like Gomoku (Five in a Row), Li Lizhi would write a letter to Li Shimin to discuss them.

Upon seeing Li Lizhi's introduction, Li Shimin also became interested.

Have someone bring a Go board and let Empress Zhangsun try it out.

Charcoal prices didn't drop much this winter, and Kaolao Village's production was very limited.

This small output won't have a significant impact on prices; its biggest impact is that it will bring a considerable increase in income to the people of Kaolao Village.

Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi also made a lot of money.

If you really want to wait for prices to drop, that would have to be after Li Shimin organized people to mine and wash coal on a large scale.

Prices will only come down when a large amount of coal enters the market.

The people of Kaolao Village no longer need to worry about not having heating supplies.

Several neighboring villages also bought a lot of coal.

Others didn't believe it, but the neighboring villages of Xinhe and Qujiangchi did.

For people from these two villages who come to buy, the price is also discounted.

Now everyone knows how to handle coal safely, so there's no need to worry about accidents happening.

Even when people from nearby come to buy, the people of Kaolao Village still give them countless warnings, just in case something goes wrong.

With people watching over things like coal, printing, and glassmaking, Xiao Ran became a nobody.

(End of this chapter)