Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The fire was burning quite well, with almost no black smoke and a faint scent of pine resin.

The people, who had been shivering, involuntarily moved closer to the brazier, stretching out their frozen hands and feet.

"What are you trying to do, 'get together'? Did you start the fire? You're just trying to take advantage of me, get lost!"

The old woman who had gone to gather firewood with Liu Wenying earlier was not someone to be trifled with. She angrily cursed the person who had just spoken coldly and was now trying to get close to her for warmth.

Seeing that Liu Wenying and her group had successfully lit a warm, smokeless fire, the other onlookers could no longer sit still.

Soon, several more groups of people wrapped themselves tightly in their clothes and rushed into the night.

Two incense sticks later, they returned with wet firewood branches covered in ice and snow, which they had haphazardly picked up from various places. When they tried to make it in the same way, they encountered trouble.

The firewood either wouldn't light, or it would billow out thick smoke as soon as it was lit, creating a smoky, choking atmosphere that made people's eyes and noses water.

"Cough cough cough... What's going on? Why isn't there any smoke from the fire that Nanny Liu and the others are burning?"

Someone was coughing and complaining.

"Yeah, it's suffocating! We can't even light a fire!"

After all, they were colleagues, and since Liu Wenying had been mentioned, she couldn't just ignore it.

I got up and went over to fiddle with the damp firewood, and Liu Wenying sang softly.

"The firewood the sisters collected was too damp; burning it directly would produce a lot of choking smoke. We need to collect the drier, less susceptible to moisture first."

Someone said dejectedly, "Where can we find dry food in this freezing weather?"

Liu Wenying then shared her observations and experiences.

"In some places in the temple, the snow is thin, such as under the tall pine trees, where the thick pine needles can block a lot of snow, so the dry branches underneath are not so wet."

Sometimes you can also find some dry firewood under the eaves of sheltered houses or in the cracks of rocks.

When picking them, choose those that feel brittle and are grayish in color, avoiding those that are black and soft, and release moisture when squeezed.

She paused, then added, "You can't just throw half-dry firewood into the fire. You have to do it like we do, put it by the fire and let it dry slowly before burning it. Don't add too much at once, so the fire will burn brightly and produce less smoke."

Everyone was convinced by her eloquent and logical explanation.

With clear methodological guidance, we can take action again.

This time, following Liu Wenying's instructions, they specifically searched for sheltered spots with thin snow cover, carefully checking the dryness or dampness of the firewood.

With many people, there is great strength. Soon, more and more relatively dry firewood was transported back to the dormitory.

Liu Wenying instructed them on how to properly dry the wet firewood and control the fire.

Gradually, several braziers were filled with blazing fires.

The warm flames dispelled the bitter cold, and the dormitory bed was no longer icy cold; finally, I could get a good night's sleep.

With the successful experience of the previous night, Liu Wenying's method of gathering firewood and starting a fire quickly spread among the servants and even reached the ears of the masters of each house.

In the early morning, Wen Jingshu was wrapped in a thick quilt in the meditation room, holding Ye'er in her arms.

After the heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, the eldest uncle rarely came back to discuss countermeasures with the second uncle and the others.

The fire in the charcoal brazier was about to go out, and the temperature inside the room dropped sharply.

Ye'er's face also turned a little pale, and she looked quite listless.

"What should we do? Is it really impossible to get even a single piece of charcoal from the temple?" Wen Jingshu asked anxiously.

Zizhu looked worried: "The steward said that the remaining charcoal should be given priority to the old lady, the Duke and Duchess, and the sick Fourth Miss. We can only prioritize the charcoal supply here."

"Then let's think of a way, maybe we can go outside and collect some things that can be used to start a fire."

"Firewood produces a lot of smoke; how can such a precious young master use it?"

Just as she was at her wit's end, Zizhu suddenly remembered the rumor she heard when she got up this morning, and hurriedly said, "Madam, I heard that last night, Nanny Liu and the others used some dry firewood they had collected to start a fire in the shared dormitory. It burned very brightly but produced very little smoke."

"Really? Wenying has this ability? Hurry up and call her over." Wen Jingshu said hopefully.

"Eh."

Just then, Zizhu opened the door and met Liu Wenying, who had come to relieve her on shift.

"Great! Granny Liu, tell me quickly how you started the fire. We don't have enough charcoal."

Liu Wenying first bowed respectfully, and then recounted in detail how she had observed the terrain, searched for dry firewood, and devised a method for starting a fire to dry the fire the previous night.

Wen Jingshu nodded after hearing this: "It's kind of you to think of everything. Just do as Wen Ying said and take a few people to find some suitable firewood."

Liu Wenying stayed in the meditation room, helping to clean the charcoal brazier and finding some old scraps of cloth to use.

Before long, Zizhu and the others brought back several bundles of branches and wood.

Liu Wenying started the fire herself. She was skilled and controlled the fire very well. Before long, a blazing fire was lit.

Although not as silent as silver charcoal, it only produced a small amount of white smoke, which quickly dissipated, and the room was soon filled with warmth.

Wen Jingshu looked at Liu Wenying with even more admiration.

As expected of the person she chose, he is both meticulous and reliable.

Just then, Ye'er in her arms sneezed, and Wen Jingshu's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again.

"Ye'er has probably caught a cold; the temple is short of medical supplies..."

Without hesitation, Liu Wenying presented the flat porcelain box from her pocket with both hands.

"Madam, I have some homemade ginger syrup here, made with old ginger juice and brown sugar. It's excellent for dispelling cold and warming the body. Dissolve it in warm water and feed it to the young master; it might help."

Upon opening the porcelain box, one finds a dark brown, gelatinous substance inside, emitting a rich aroma of ginger candy.

Wen Jingshu was surprised, "You still have this with you?"

Liu Wenying lowered her head, "In the cold winter, I'm afraid of getting cold, so I always keep some on hand."

She probably prepared it for her own child, but now that Ye'er is in trouble, she hasn't kept anything from him.

Wen Jingshu was touched. "Okay, okay, quickly do as Wen Ying said and feed Ye'er some."

"I'll do it."

Liu Wenying took the initiative to dissolve a small spoonful of ginger syrup in warm water and feed it to Ye'er.

Perhaps it was the novelty of the sweet and spicy flavor that made Ye'er feel much better after drinking it.

Wen Jingshu saw this and, holding Liu Wenying's hand, said with emotion, "Once we escape this predicament and return to the manor, I will definitely reward you handsomely again."

"It's best that my young master is safe and sound." Liu Wenying said modestly, a smile on her face.

The crisis of charcoal shortage in the temple was temporarily alleviated thanks to Liu Wenying's method.

However, firewood can provide warmth, burns quickly, and is consumed in large quantities, requiring people to constantly brave the wind and snow to go out and find it.

More importantly, the firewood outside the temple is limited and not inexhaustible.

In order to save fuel, under the old lady's supervision, the women of the Duke's mansion tried to gather together as much as possible during the day.

Everyone gathered around the fire pit to warm themselves, chatting about everyday things, passing the long day, and then going home to rest at night.

For the first few days, everyone was able to maintain a semblance of decorum, talking about old news from the capital or discussing when the unusually heavy snow would stop.

But there's always an end to what you have to say.

The wind and snow outside continued to rage relentlessly, seemingly without end.

Confined to the temple day after day, facing the same faces, it's inevitable that people will feel anxious.

The lack of warmth from a charcoal fire is only the first hurdle; the more difficult challenges lie ahead.

Liu Wenying looked outside and saw that the world was pure white; the snow had deepened.

…………