’Aunt Song is dressed completely differently from how she is at home.’

’At home, whether she was leaving in the morning or coming back at night...’

’...she always wore beautiful clothes. If it wasn’t luxurious silks and satins, it was a mink fur cloak.’

But now, her look was completely different. The jewelry on her head was gone, her long hair just meticulously tied back in a bun.

Her lavish clothes were gone too, replaced by a white turtleneck sweater.

A sweater like this would make someone with a short neck look stumpy.

But on a woman like Aunt Song, with her long, elegant swan-like neck, a turtleneck sweater gave her an absolutely incredible air.

Then again, Aunt Song was already a noble and elegant woman to begin with. Dressed like this, she was truly a sight to behold.

After taking a moment outside to appreciate Aunt Song’s peerless beauty, he finally pushed the door open and went in.

The moment Lu Yuan opened the door and entered, Aunt Song happened to be putting down her account book, about to lower her head to take a bite of her meal.

Their eyes met, but before Lu Yuan could say anything...

...Aunt Song snapped back to her senses, immediately dropped the ledger, and got up, jogging toward the small room inside the office.

She cooed as she ran:

"Oh my~~"

"You little rascal, why didn’t you make a sound when you came~"

"So annoying~"

’Huh?’

A bewildered Lu Yuan entered the room, closed the door, placed the food tray on the table, and followed her.

When he reached the doorway of the small room, Lu Yuan saw Song Meiqin, her face flushed red with shyness, putting on accessories in front of a mirror.

At that moment, Song Meiqin looked at Lu Yuan standing behind her through the mirror’s reflection and said coaxingly:

"Oh, go wait outside for a little bit~"

"I’ll come out as soon as I’m done getting ready~"

Seeing Aunt Song rushing to get ready and hearing her words, Lu Yuan naturally understood what was going on.

Coming to his senses, Lu Yuan grinned and walked up behind Aunt Song.

He wrapped one arm around her and used the other to take off the ornaments Song Meiqin was haphazardly putting on her head, one by one, saying:

"You don’t need to wear these. You look beautiful just like this."

Song Meiqin sat properly before the mirror, looking at Lu Yuan’s reflection behind her. She tilted her head slightly and said cutely:

"Really?"

A gorgeous, mature woman acting like a young girl... it was truly irresistible.

Lu Yuan nodded with a serious expression.

"Of course. My Meiqin is always beautiful. It’s just a different kind of beauty without the jewelry and fancy clothes."

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, especially hearing him call her by her name, Meiqin, Song Meiqin’s heart was filled with indescribable joy.

She turned around, looked up at Lu Yuan behind her, and said sweetly:

"You’re such a sweet-talker~"

......

In Taiping City, Gu Gaoxu and his party were wandering about.

He had originally planned to look into the matter of the mortars.

But as it turned out, it was impossible to investigate.

Coming here incognito with an alternate identity, without the help of the Government Office, no one paid the three of them any mind.

"Second Master, perhaps we should head back early. Continuing to investigate like this will likely be difficult."

"If we go back soon, the Prince might not even find out you left."

Fearing the consequences, the two attendants moved closer to Gu Gaoxu to persuade him.

But Gu Gaoxu just waved his hand dismissively.

"No way. Even if we can’t find anything about the mortars, I’m still going to stay out and have fun for a few days."

’Are you kidding me? Since when have I, Gu Gaoxu, ever gone back on my own after sneaking out?’

’My old man always has to send people to drag me back!’

’It’s not over until I’m caught and dragged back!’

The two attendants looked at Gu Gaoxu and sighed inwardly.

’We have no idea how the Prince is going to punish us when we get back this time...’

While Gu Gaoxu was full of excitement and his two attendants wore long faces, a strange sight suddenly appeared ahead of them.

The three of them saw a person riding a tricycle with an exceptionally long cargo bed.

In the back of the tricycle were two large rows of bicycles.

Of course, the three of them didn’t know what "bicycles" were called, but they had seen them before.

They were the same things they had seen being transported by ox-carts and horse-drawn carriages on the main road that morning.

It wasn’t the first time they’d seen the things in the back, and in fact, it wasn’t the first time they’d seen the tricycle either.

They had seen one that morning.

However, the cargo beds on those tricycles weren’t this long.

Back then, they hadn’t known what the things were used for.

But looking at it now...

’Hey?!’

’This thing...?!’

......

「Meanwhile, in the factory office outside the city.」

A shy Song Meiqin sat on Lu Yuan’s lap, her slender arms wrapped around his neck. Like a little girl acting cute and begging for praise, she said:

"So, how was it?~"

"Am I smart or what?~"

"Using the tricycles we built ourselves to deliver goods is way faster and cheaper than using ox-carts. Plus, they serve as a great advertisement along the way!~"

Lu Yuan looked at the adorable sight of Song Meiqin in his arms, and his heart swelled with affection.

Hugging Song Meiqin’s slender waist, Lu Yuan also laughed:

"My little Meiqin is so smart~"

Song Meiqin had modified some tricycles, extending their rear cargo beds.

This allowed them to transport ten bicycles at once.

Taking these ten bicycles as an example, if they were transported to the Provincial City by ox-cart...

...even using the Zhao Family’s own ox-carts, the cost would be two maces of silver.

Moreover, the Zhao Family’s Spirit Stone Mine also needed ox-carts right now.

The Spirit Stone Mine was now operational, so the Zhao Family’s ox-carts and horse-drawn carriages had to be prioritized for the mine.

If they rented them from common folk...

...the cost would be much higher, at least thirty percent more.

But it was different with tricycles. The cost per trip was only the cost of manpower.

The wear and tear on the tricycles was negligible.

This way, they could save more than half the cost compared to using ox-carts.

Most importantly, they could have as many tricycles as they wanted.

Unlike ox-carts and carriages, which you had to go around looking for.

Of course, there was also the other benefit Song Meiqin mentioned: advertising.

That part was actually a bonus.

This was an epoch-making product. As long as they sold one, and the buyer rode it through the streets and alleys...

...they wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Business would come to them.

The key issue was still logistics.

It was manageable for now, since it was still winter.

But once spring truly arrived, they wouldn’t be able to rent ox-carts from the commoners anymore, as people would need them for plowing their fields.

’Then again, this is what tricycles are for. They’re meant to replace ox-carts and horse-drawn carriages.’

Just then, Aunt Song, looking at Lu Yuan, became overwhelmed with shyness and protested coquettishly:

"What do you mean, ’little Meiqin’~"

"You’re awful, always saying things to make me blush~"

’Speaking of which, out of his three women, Aunt Song was the best at acting coquettishly.’

’She was even better at it than his own wife.’

’When she acted cute, her little expressions and movements were just too adorable for words~’

’Especially after Lu Yuan "bullied" her, the way she would act cute while playing hard to get, tempting you to keep "bullying" her...’

’...was truly bewitching.’

In that moment, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but let his hands roam all over Aunt Song.

Song Meiqin, in turn, hugged Lu Yuan, leaned on his shoulder, and panted sweetly, her eyes full of seduction:

"Oh~ you little devil~ you can’t~"

Lu Yuan grinned wickedly.

"Why not? You don’t want to?"

But Song Meiqin, while panting heavily, kissed Lu Yuan’s cheek, looking utterly alluring and ripe for the picking.

"You bad boy~ you have to ’eat’ Zhao Qiao’Er first~"

"And then you can come ’eat’ your Auntie~"

Despite bickering with Zhao Qiao’Er daily, Song Meiqin was very principled when it came to matters like this.

No matter what, Zhao Qiao’Er had to be next.

The girl had been waiting for so long, after all.

If she went before Zhao Qiao’Er, it would be completely out of line.

Of course, Song Meiqin couldn’t possibly refuse her dear man, either. She was crazy about Lu Yuan.

After smothering Lu Yuan with a flurry of passionate kisses...

...she climbed onto the table in front of them, much to Lu Yuan’s astonishment.

Then, she kicked off her shoes and slipped off her white socks.

While Lu Yuan stared in a daze, two fair, delicate feet with bright red nail polish appeared. One stepped down...

...and the other was presented right in front of Lu Yuan’s face.

At this moment, Aunt Song was utterly bewitching.

’She was almost as captivating as his wife after her ancestral regression.’

Sitting on the table and looking down on him, Song Meiqin gazed at Lu Yuan with a bold, seductive look, raised an eyebrow, and cooed:

"Little rascal~ What are you staring at?~"

"Don’t you adore them?~"

"Don’t you stare at them every day?~"

"Now, eat~~"