Upon seeing this, Xu Cui immediately laughed and said, "Our Mande is holding onto this...Eight Treasures Golden Gourd so tightly, he will surely be blessed with both fortune and prosperity in the future! What a good omen! Hahaha!"

Just as the celebratory words were finished and the guests were about to applaud, a cheerful female voice came from the doorway: "Wow! What an exquisite gourd! Now look what's happened, we're not only late, but we're also embarrassed to even present our gift!"

"What nonsense are you spouting on such a joyous occasion!"

Cheng Ruyi looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Guo Qinglan and Guo Xiaoyu standing at the door. Although she had sent out invitations, the two families were of very different social standing, and Guo Qinglan was usually very low-key, so she never expected that they would actually show up.

"This humble woman greets the magistrate's wife and Miss Xiaoyu!" In front of so many people, etiquette could not be neglected, so she still respectfully bowed to the two of them.

Everyone was very surprised to hear this, never expecting to meet someone like the magistrate's wife. In their trepidation, they all bowed in greeting.

"Today is a joyous occasion for your Cheng family, so please don't stand on ceremony." Guo Qinglan arrived late precisely because she was worried that everyone would feel uncomfortable with her there.

"Sister Cheng, you saved my daughter's life before, and I haven't even had time to prepare a thank-you gift. Today is your grandson's first birthday, so I'll also add a gift for this chubby baby, Xiaoyu!"

After hearing what the young lady said, Guo Xiaoyu obediently followed Guo Qinglan to the table and stood still, holding the two gift boxes in both hands.

Guo Qinglan opened the first small gift box, which contained a toy knife only the length of a forearm. The blade was pure black, and the handle and sheath were engraved with exquisite auspicious patterns.

Cheng Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, although she knew it must be very valuable, at least it didn't look too ostentatious.

Guo Qinglan secretly smiled when she saw Ruyi's expression, then deliberately held the knife in front of her and said, "This knife, which was personally crafted by my father, is a gift for your grandson to play with. It's a small gift but carries great sentiment. Please accept it, Sister Cheng!"

Although Cheng Ruyi found Guo Qinglan's behavior strange, she still politely accepted the gift while replying, "Ah? Oh, then please thank your father on my behalf, Madam Magistrate... um!"

She never expected that the small toy knife would be so heavy; she could barely hold it with both hands and it almost fell to the ground!

This scene startled everyone. The toy knife didn't look very big, so how could it be so heavy? Is Cheng Ruyi still recovering?

Coming to her senses, Cheng Ruyi glared angrily at the two laughing hysterically. Today was her grandson's first birthday party! How could they let her, the grandmother, be embarrassed?! Are they even sisters anymore?!

"Ahem! This knife was actually made from extraterrestrial ore that my father obtained by chance back then. It is said that the ore is not large but extremely heavy, requiring three adults to lift it, which is quite peculiar!" Guo Qinglan explained after laughing enough.

Cheng Ruyi:..............Thank you so much!

"Hehe, the magistrate's wife's gift is indeed unexpected and ingenious, hehe."

Guo Qinglan didn't care about the hidden meaning in Cheng Ruyi's words, and directly took out the second gift box, which, to everyone's surprise, contained a book.

"This is a gift from my husband; it's a calligraphy copybook he wrote himself."

Magistrate Luo's gift may seem simple and unpretentious, but it is, after all, a calligraphy scroll written by a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, and the recipient is your magistrate. For an ordinary family, it is already quite precious.

Cheng Ruyi even felt that this additional gift was the most normal and reliable among all the gifts given today!

So she thanked Guo Qinglan, took the calligraphy book, and was about to put it on the table when Guo Qinglan suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "This Luo Xian has nothing, the only thing he can show for himself is his calligraphy, which is not bad. This calligraphy book is what he considers his most proud work!"

"Then how could he bear to use it as a gift?"

"Of course he was reluctant, but I told him my daughter's life was worth a thousand taels of gold, and I'd give him either a thousand taels or a calligraphy book. Hehe, in the end, of course he chose the calligraphy book~~"

After hearing this, Cheng Ruyi had a strange thought: could this pair of seemingly incompatible people actually be a pair of bickering lovers? If she hadn't witnessed their interactions firsthand, she would have almost thought she was just being fed dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).

After shaking off the strange thought, she wondered if she could continue the baby's first birthday ceremony that had just begun. But since the magistrate's wife was there, shouldn't she preside over it?

"If you stay, why don't you preside over the first birthday ceremony? After all, you have the highest status here." Cheng Ruyi actually felt that it didn't matter who presided over it. To be honest, this so-called first birthday banquet was just an ordinary family gathering.

To everyone's surprise, Guo Qinglan shook her head and said mysteriously, "No, Sister Cheng, the reason I'm staying is because I want to watch the excitement!"

Cheng Ruyi was puzzled, "You consider our family's ordinary first birthday party to be a lively and worthwhile event?"

"Hehe, you don't understand, of course the best is yet to come!" Guo Qinglan said, glancing up at the door. "Look, the show's about to begin~~"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ruyi turned and looked towards the door. She saw Huang Youcai return, respectfully leading someone in, and then respectfully leaving again.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a fine cloth long gown. He appeared refined and gentle, and even before he spoke, he seemed very approachable.

The middle-aged man bowed to Guo Qinglan and then said gently, "Greetings, Madam Magistrate, Old Master Cheng, and Madam Cheng. I am Wen He, the steward of the Wen family. My master heard that today is the first birthday banquet of the young master of the Cheng family, and specially ordered me to come and offer congratulatory gifts. I hope you will accept them with pleasure!"

Although the middle-aged handsome man's voice was as pleasant as a clear spring, what he said was baffling. Which Wen family? Did they know anyone with the surname Wen?

Cheng Ruyi thought hard, but still couldn't recall anything.

"The Wen family in the north of the city! The most prestigious and respected family in Huaishan County, the Wen family that scholars envy the most!" Seeing Cheng Ruyi's blank expression, Guo Qinglan couldn't help but remind her.

"Ah..." Ruyi, who had just come to her senses, quickly bowed to Steward Wen. "Master Wen, you are too kind. It is rare that he would remember such a small matter in his busy schedule. Please convey my thanks to your master."

With Guo Qinglan's reminder, she finally slowly remembered who the Wen family in Huaishan County really was.

The Wen and Zhou families are both centuries-old families rooted in Huaishan County. However, unlike the Zhou family, which has been in business for generations, the Wen family focuses on studying. Although they have produced several Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations), the family has always prioritized studying and is not good at making a living. Therefore, they are a very refined and poor family.

Until the appearance of the patriarch Wen Changhong in this generation.

More than 20 years ago, Wen Changhong overcame numerous obstacles to pass the imperial examination and was selected by the emperor as the third-ranked scholar based on his stable performance and outstanding appearance.

Thirty is old for a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations; fifty is young for a scholar who has passed the highest level of the imperial

Fifty years old is considered young for someone who can pass the imperial examination, let alone a handsome and talented scholar in his twenties. Wen Changhong thus transformed from a poor scholar from a declining family into a highly sought-after son-in-law in the eyes of the major families in the capital.

Unfortunately, Wen Changhong was already married, and even his eldest son was already five years old!

Many noble ladies in the capital were utterly disappointed, as it was absolutely impossible for them to become concubines given their social standing.

However, three months later, Wen Changhong married Liao Feifei, the illegitimate daughter of a then-Minister of Revenue, in the capital. Although she was his concubine, it is said that the wedding was no less grand and impressive than that of the principal wife.

Wen Changhong, who became a disciple of the Ministry of Revenue, settled down in the capital. However, he did not bring his wife and son from his hometown to the capital for a reunion. He only visited them when he returned to his hometown to worship his ancestors each year. Therefore, although Liao Feifei was a concubine, she lived no differently from the wife.

At first, many people in the capital gossiped about them behind their backs, but after Wen Changhong's father-in-law was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue, the rumors gradually disappeared. After all, the next step up would be Minister, and who would dare to offend him easily?

Later, Wen Changhong successfully entered the Hanlin Academy and became a respected civil official, and his reputation gradually improved.

Up to this point in the story, it's actually just a very common Chen Shimei incident, but the person who truly made the Wen family famous was Wen Changhong's eldest son, Wen Jingqing.

Wen Jingqing was exceptionally gifted, a rare talent indeed. It is said that he could read ten lines at a glance and had a photographic memory. When he began his studies at the age of five, he was immediately noticed by the headmaster of Lingshan Academy and exceptionally accepted as a disciple. At the age of eight, he passed the imperial examination for the first time and became a student. If it weren't for the headmaster's strong opposition, he might have been able to pass the county-level examination directly.

After several years of reflection, he finally took the imperial examination again at the age of twelve, and in one fell swoop, he passed all six levels of the examination, becoming the youngest Juren in Dai Viet.

Upon learning of Wen Jingqing's extraordinary talent, his scumbag father, Wen Changhong, far away in the capital, was overjoyed. This was because the son and daughter that Liao Feifei had borne for him were both mediocre. His son was not only dull-witted but also spoiled and unruly. Fortunately, he had his eldest son to prove that the Wen family bloodline was extraordinary.

He went to great lengths to persuade his father-in-law to bring his eldest son to the capital for training, but to his surprise, not only did Wen Jingqing not appreciate it at all, but the people from Lingshan Academy also directly rejected him.

It should be noted that the headmaster of Lingshan Academy is not only a great Confucian scholar of our time, but also a former Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy. He even served as the tutor of the current Emperor of Dayue in the previous dynasty. He holds a transcendent position in both the literary and political arenas.

Do you mean that you sent your son to study in the capital because you think there are people in the capital who can compare to the headmaster's extensive knowledge?

Wen Changhong certainly wouldn't dare, but afterwards he paid more and more attention to his eldest son, which in turn caused the relationship between the two sides to plummet to a freezing point, making his efforts thankless.

Unfortunately, perhaps it was because the heavens were jealous of his talent, or perhaps it was a case of "extreme intelligence inevitably leads to misfortune."

When Wen Jingqing was fifteen years old, just as he was about to set off to participate in the imperial examination, he suddenly fell seriously ill and was in a coma for a whole year. Although he was eventually saved, his health was damaged and he needed to stay in bed to recuperate. Even a slight change in temperature could kill him, so he could not travel far, let alone go to the capital to take the exam and make a name for himself.

A once-proud talent has now faded into obscurity, a truly lamentable situation.

Therefore, the patriarch of the Wen family that Wen He is referring to now should be Wen Jingqing after he came of age, not his scumbag father Wen Changhong who is far away in the capital.