The next day, Wu Cuihua did not die of natural causes, but rather from a violent death, so her body could not be kept at home for too long.

The coffin was left in the courtyard for another day, and the funeral procession took place early on the third day.

Jiayin and Maoge'er were also dressed in mourning clothes. Jia'an and Jiaxi carried them on their backs respectively, while Jiahuan held Lige'er's hand, and they went all the way to the cemetery.

They burned paper money and kowtowed, then buried the dead.

One thing after another, she did everything according to the rules, and in this way, Wu Cuihua was completely isolated from the world.

Whether life was good or bad, filled with joy and sorrow, it all came to an end with a handful of soil.

The Li family removed the mourning tent and set up a banquet in the courtyard to thank their many relatives, friends, and fellow villagers.

After the banquet was cleared away, the Li family returned to normal, as if nothing had changed.

Jiaren quickly packed a set of clothes and went into town with Mr. Wen.

Jiayin, with her chubby little legs, quietly ran out of the house and insisted on giving her older brother, who had lost weight, two silver ingots.

She was afraid her eldest brother wouldn't accept it, so she whispered, "I gave it to my third brother too. He said he'd buy me some gems."

Jiaren laughed when he heard this, hugged his sister tightly, and wanted to say something, but tears streamed down his face. In the end, he could only say, "Good girl, Fu Niu, big brother will buy you something delicious when he comes back."

The carriage clattered away, leaving Jiayin with a soft sigh.

When Madam Cui came out from next door, she saw the little chubby girl with a worried look on her face and couldn't help but smile and hug her.

"How old are you? Why are you already worrying? Come on in, your aunt has sewed you a new dress!"

The two children, one big and one small, entered the house. The old lady and Zhao Yuru were discussing needlework. Li Ge'er took out an embroidery book and was teaching his younger brother to identify patterns.

The old lady pulled Mrs. Cui to sit down, and Mrs. Cui then opened the package in her hand.

“Auntie, I’ve been free these past few days, so I took Sister Qiong with me to sew a set of plain clothes for Li Ge, Mao Ge’er and Fu Niu, so the children can try them on and see how they fit.”

The old lady quickly thanked her, "Jinrou, thank you so much. These three children usually wear brightly colored clothes, so it's really difficult now. We barely managed to find one set, and we have no replacements. Yuru and I are also rushing to sew some!"

Madam Cui smiled and said, "As you know, I'm not good at cooking or housework. I haven't been able to help much these past few days, so I've been using my time for needlework."

Zhao Yuru unfolded the new clothes and compared them with the children, praising, "The needlework is really good, much more delicate than mine and Hongying's."

Li Ge and Mao Ge also expressed their gratitude, and Jia Yin even hugged Madam Cui's neck and gave her a big kiss, which made everyone laugh, and the room finally regained some of its former liveliness.

Children are very sensitive; they only dare to be more lively when their elders smile.

Cat Brother changed into his new clothes and walked around on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a smug look on his face.

Li Ge'er, on the other hand, is studying at the academy and has learned good manners. His every move already shows a certain composure.

The valley began welcoming guests on the sixth day of the lunar new year. Because of a funeral in the Li family, they couldn't manage it for the next few days, and it was Liu's wife and others who took care of things.

I just finished my work today, and Li Lao Er, Li Lao San, and Tao Hongying all went over there.

But they were still worried about home. After taking a walk around the valley and finding nothing serious, they hurried home.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they heard the laughter of children inside the house and the old lady's strong voice. All three of them breathed a long sigh of relief...

Three more days passed in a flash. Mr. Wen had to go to court, so Jiaren hired a carriage to return from the city.

I don't know what method Mr. Wen used to persuade him, but Jiaren's expression was much calmer. As soon as he saw his grandmother, he knelt down and kowtowed, "Grandma, I'm sorry to have worried you. Your grandson is back!"

"Good, good!" The old lady patted her eldest grandson, and seeing that there was indeed no sadness in his eyes, she was completely relieved.

"Tomorrow is your mother's seventh-day memorial service. After staying for two more days to pack your things, you can go back to Luo'an. Come back on the third-seventh day after that. It's close by, and your fourth uncle can drive to pick you up."

"Okay, I'll listen to Grandma." Jiaren nodded, hesitated for a moment, and seeing that no one was around, said to his grandmother, "Grandma, if we have enough money, could we buy a small courtyard house in the city?"

The old lady pulled her eldest grandson to sit down and asked, "We don't lack money, but tell me why we want to buy a yard?"

Jiaren then said, “I want to buy a courtyard and lend it to Teacher. The Wen family is very strict with Teacher, forcing him to marry a woman he doesn’t like. Moreover, that woman’s family is not on the same side as the Emperor. Teacher has advised his family to stay away from the court struggles, but the elders in the family won’t listen, and now there is a stalemate.”

“The other day, my teacher took me back, but we were turned away at the door. He rented a small courtyard, but perhaps the Wen family had pulled some strings, because the landlord is going to take the place back in the next few days. I don’t want to see my teacher homeless; he’s an impoverished censor, and he doesn’t have much salary to live in an inn…”

The old lady frowned as she listened. "Although it's true that parents are never wrong, how can the Wen family force their child like this?"

After she finished speaking, she went to open the chest and took out a thousand taels of silver notes for her grandson.

"Tomorrow is the seventh day after his death, and the day after that you and your father will go to the city to buy a small courtyard house. It will be convenient for Mr. Wen to stay there temporarily, and it will also give you a place to stay in the city for your exams and to make friends. Also, the property deed can be directly registered in your name!"

Jiaren wanted to say something, but the old lady waved her hand.

"Don't worry, your family won't mind. As your younger brothers grow up, we'll get them yards too. Our house is so small, you can't all be crammed together here after you get married and have children."

At this moment, Li Ge'er, Mao Ge'er, and Jia Yin ran in from outside, followed by the Marquis who was walking slowly.

"Grandma, is Big Brother back yet?" the children called out before they even entered the door.

"You're back! I'm here!" Jiaren squatted down, smiling as he hugged his younger siblings. Then he took out the snacks, sugar figurines, and candied hawthorns he had bought in the city, making them beam with joy.

He was about to bow to the Marquis, but the Marquis waved his hand and asked a few simple questions about the latest happenings in the city.

The Lantern Festival is just around the corner, and every household is starting to prepare lanterns. Lantern markets will be set up on the streets, and everyone is looking forward to watching the excitement.

Jiayin's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she quickly climbed over and sat down next to the Marquis.

Before she could speak, the Marquis laughed, "Want to go see the lanterns?"

Jiayin nodded emphatically, grinning and showing her little white teeth, "Yes, yes! Fu Niu hasn't seen the lanterns yet!"

"Then let the whole family go. Stay at the Marquis's residence tonight, and take Jiaren and Lige'er to the academy on the way, and then come back."

The Marquis readily agreed, which made Cat Boy, who was eavesdropping, cheer, and even Li Ge'er laughed.

The old lady replied, "We are in mourning at home, so it's not appropriate for us to go to the Marquis's residence. However, we are planning to buy a small courtyard in the city these days, so we can stay there for a few days."

The Marquis was about to offer further advice when he heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside.

Ye Shan strode in, gave a simple bow, and whispered, "My lord, war has broken out in Jiangbei. The barbarians are coming on fiercely!"

This is the third update. Please give it a five-star review, urge me to update more, and say it's good! Thank you!