Chapter 88

The warm noodle soup filled his stomach, dousing the winter chill. Before everyone's eyes, he ate every last bite, warmth flooding his heart.

After the meal, Rong Xi had intended to head to the kiln in the workshop, but Qin Ke stopped him.

"Lan Zhi, today is your birthday. Rest for the day and do not overwork yourself."

After the Lantern Festival, Rong Xi had begun firing phosphate fertilizer. He had gone to the workshop for two days straight, and his complexion was no longer as rosy and spirited as before. Qin Ke's heart ached for him, so he used his birthday as an excuse to persuade him to stay home.

Yet Rong Xi found it strange.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

With matters having reached this point, Qin Ke could only reveal a little. "Stay in the residence today. A surprise may come knocking at your door."

Only the two of them were in the study, and Rong Xi had no fear of being seen. Quite boldly, he reached out and pinched the commandery prince's cheek, his brows and eyes curving in a smile. "A birthday gift?"

Qin Ke nodded gently. "Something like that."

The two lingered sweetly together for a while before they suddenly heard a commotion outside the residence, as though something major had happened.

Qin Ke straightened his clothes and hair, smiling. "Let us go to the front courtyard."

When they reached the front courtyard, they saw that the villagers had already gathered outside the residence, all peering in with curiosity and envy.

A man stood proudly in the courtyard, looking rather familiar.

He was the imperial attendant who had previously come to Mengshan County to deliver an edict! Low-ranking imperial attendants followed behind him, standing in two rows to either side. Behind them was