55 Chapter 55

He will have this honor when he returns home in glory. 【1】

More than a month later, when Jiang Jingyun stepped on the familiar land again, he actually felt a sense of strangeness and homesickness.

Before I could sigh for a few seconds, my attention was attracted by the continuous sound of firecrackers.

Festive red lanterns were hung on the old tree at the entrance of the village. The old village chief, who was over 70 years old, was leaning on a walking stick and leading a group of villagers carrying gifts to greet them.

Standing at the front were Uncle Jiang and his wife, both of whom had gray hair.

With the help of Xiao Muyan, Jiang Jingyun jumped off the carriage, walked two steps to the two elders, and knelt down: "Uncle and aunt, my nephew has not let you down. I got the first place in the joint examination and the third place in the palace examination. Thank you for your support and cultivation over the years." After that, he kowtowed three times.

When my aunt heard this, she couldn't control her emotions any more and stood there with her hands covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

Uncle Jiang helped him up with trembling hands, his eyes filled with tears but full of relief, and he kept saying, "Good boy, good boy, the ground is cold, don't kneel there, get up quickly, and let's go home."

"Yeah." Jiang Jingyun's voice was choked with sobs. When he first arrived in this era, the first affection and love he felt all came from his uncle's family, and it is still the same today.

Although he felt a little sorry for the original body and his parents’ kindness in raising him, to Jiang Jingyun, his two uncles were his parents.

This is his home.

After solemnly thanking the villagers for coming to greet him and politely declining the gifts they brought, and sincerely inviting them to attend the celebratory banquet later, Jiang Jingyun helped his uncle walk home.

Along the way, villagers stopped to watch, their eyes full of envy and admiration.

"Look, that's the scholar from the Jiang family. He's really amazing!"

"I didn't expect a golden phoenix could emerge from this rural area."

"Back then, we laughed at Jiang Lao Er for having wild ideas just because of some nonsense from an old Taoist priest. We never thought that even after so many years, his son would still be so successful..."

"Well, it's a good day, what are you talking about!"

"I didn't mean to say that... We just happened to be talking about this... Let's not talk about it anymore..."

"Alas, I don't know when it will be our turn to have such a good thing that brings honor to our family... Is it too late for me to send that brat at home to elementary school now?" said another villager, looking at the figure going away in front with envy.

Since the villagers started growing vegetables and raising rabbits in greenhouses, life has been getting better day by day. When Jiang Jingyun passed the imperial examination, the Jiang family donated to build a primary school in the village in the name of celebrating for him. The tuition was very low, and the money could be saved up as long as the family avoided eating meat for two meals. Now, children of school age from several nearby villages are sent here to study.

"Don't dream," everyone sneered, "You have an illiterate fool. You might as well ask your wife for another child while you're still young!"

"Hey...how can you talk like that? My family is stupid, how can yours be any better!"

"At least I'm not daydreaming here!"

"You don't want to think about it, don't you dare to think about it?"

"Leave it to your own business..."

The villagers were laughing and making a lot of noise, but there was only one person who felt mixed emotions as he looked at Jiang Jingyun, who was full of vigor and vitality.

The Jiang family had already prepared the banquet, and the table was full of Jiang Jingyun's favorite dishes.

Helping the uncle and the other two to sit down at the main seat, the family sat happily around the table, eating and talking about their recent situations. Uncle Jiang talked about things in the village, Jiang Jingyun talked about his exam experience, and even Jiang Jinglin talked about the strange people and things he and his second brother encountered while doing business. People who listened were amazed.

Originally, after Jiang Erge and his companions congratulated him in the capital, they wanted to continue north to the northern border to try their luck. However, they did not expect that after Jiang Jingyun was granted an official position, he would have a year to return home and rest.

He must worship his ancestors when he returns to his hometown. If he doesn't come back, his father will definitely break his legs again if he finds out. So in order to avoid being beaten, Second Brother Jiang can only come back with him.

When passing through the provincial capital on the way, they also picked up Brother Jiang and several others.

Sure enough, after three rounds of drinking, Uncle Jiang mentioned this matter: "You are now very successful and have brought honor to our family. We must choose an auspicious day to offer sacrifices and inform our ancestors of the good news." He paused before continuing, "Repair the tombs of your parents. If they know about this in the afterlife, they can also fulfill this wish."

Jiang Jingyun knew nothing about sacrificial offerings, but he still nodded and agreed solemnly, "Just make the arrangements as you see fit. I'll follow your instructions."

Uncle Jiang was very pleased to see him like this.

Jiang Jingyun has become very successful now, but he never puts on airs. He is very respectful to the two elders and takes good care of the family.

"What a filial child..." Uncle Jiang looked at his nephew and couldn't help laughing proudly. When his eyes accidentally swept over the person who was picking up food for him, he couldn't help sighing, "But why did he fall in love with a man... Alas... What is this..." Looking at Xiao Muyan, he didn't seem like the kind of person who would allow his nephew to marry and have children.

Fortunately, the second brother's family still has the two brothers Jinglin and Jingfeng, otherwise he would not know how to explain to the second brother after he passed away. Just looking at Jinglin who follows the second brother out all day long, and Jingfeng who just buries himself in studying, I don’t know when I can see them get married, start a family, and carry on the family line.

Uncle Jiang was sighing there, worrying about the marriage of his younger family members. Here, a group of young people were gathered around a large wooden box, distributing rare items that they had brought back from all over the country. It was a lively scene.

Jiang Jinglin held up a rhino horn as thick as an adult's forearm and said proudly, "I spent a lot of money to buy this from a foreign merchant. It is said to be the horn of a mythical beast, which can ward off evil and disasters and protect people from safety and prosperity." After saying this, he handed it to Jiang Jingyun and said, "Brother, I'll give it to you and put it at home as a decoration!"

Jiang Jingyun took it with a smile.

Seeing that his eldest brother liked it, Jiang Jinglin confidently took out the second thing and stuffed it into Jiang Jingfeng's arms, "Third brother, this is a gift for you, you will definitely like it!"

Jiang Jingfeng looked at the old book in his hand and raised his head helplessly: "Second brother, don't you even read the contents before buying it? This is a Buddhist book, and it's all in Sanskrit."

"Well, I thought I didn't study hard enough, so I couldn't recognize the words on it." Jiang Jinglin scratched his head embarrassedly, "If you don't like it, I'll buy you something else next time."

"It's okay, you can compare it with other books. I just want to learn about the cultural customs of different places. Thank you, second brother." Jiang Jingfeng thanked his second brother for the gift he brought back from afar and accepted it.

"You're welcome, brother!" Jiang Jinglin waved his hand proudly, then looked at his younger sister and said with a smile, "Little sister, is there anything you want?"

The little girl, about eleven or twelve years old, wore a light pink silk shirt with butterfly patterns and a goose yellow silk skirt with dark patterns. She had her hair combed into three cute little buns. The butterfly hairpin on her hair swayed with every step, like a flower bud about to bloom in the breeze.

On her snow-white face, a pair of peach blossom eyes exactly like Jiang Jingyun's were full of cunning, "Can you ask for anything you want?"

"Yes," Jiang Jinglin nodded readily, and then regretted, "Except for taking you to do business."

"Oh," Jiang Qingrong held her brother's hand in disappointment and pouted unhappily, "Then there's nothing I want. Just let me stay with my brother." Her brother would be away for two or three months at a time, and she missed him terribly.

Seeing his sister always clinging to him, Jiang Jingyun felt soft in his heart and always favored her unconsciously. "You are still young. Wait until you are 15 years old, and then let your brothers take you out to see the world."

"Really?" The younger sister looked at Jiang Jingyun with sparkling eyes, sprinkling sweet words at him like they were free. "Brother, you are the best! Love you!"

"Oh ~ Only big brother is good?" Jiang Jinglin shook the kingfisher pearl hairpin in his hand jealously, "Then no one will want this hairpin, just throw it away." After saying this, he pretended to throw it away.

Seeing this, the younger sister jumped up and jumped to reach his raised hand, "I want a hairpin too, thank you, second brother, it's fine too!"

Jiang Jinglin teased his younger sister for a while before giving her the hairpin in his hand. He then looked at Xiao Muyan who had been standing silently beside his eldest brother.

There are no fools in the Jiang family, and the two did not deliberately hide the fact that they were together, so even if they didn't say it explicitly, they knew that this big brother Xiao, who has always been calm and reliable in their hearts, is now their "sister-in-law."

Although their relationship may seem a little unorthodox to outsiders, to them, as long as their eldest brother is happy, nothing else matters. However, their feelings are a little complicated.

He took out an exquisite dagger inlaid with rubies and handed it to Xiao Muyan, "Brother...Brother, this is for you."

Seeing him look cowardly while giving gifts, Jiang Jingyun couldn't help but laugh: "How come a big businessman who is so powerful outside is stuttering when he returns home?"

"My face is a little stiff because of the cold wind..." Jiang Jinglin rubbed his face with his hand, but his eyes unconsciously glanced to the side.

Xiao Muyan looked down at the priceless dagger in his hand. Was this a sign of approval? Noticing the gaze coming from the opposite side, he smiled and replied: "Thank you, second brother, I like it very much."

"Ahem... we're all family, you're welcome." Jiang Jinglin coughed lightly, looking awkward, "If you like it, I'll bring it to you next time."

"Okay, thank you."

Besides these, everyone else has gifts.

Brother Jiang held a gift specially prepared for Uncle Jiang, came up to him and said, "Dad, look what I brought you?"

Uncle Jiang, who was still immersed in his own world, was interrupted by the object that suddenly appeared in front of him. He looked at his second son who was worried about him and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

"Crutch." Uncle Jiang is old and has difficulty walking, so Second Brother Jiang specially found some fine red wood and asked a skilled carpenter to make a wooden crutch. He eagerly presented it to his father, thinking that there would be a touching scene of a loving father and a filial son.

But no matter how I look at it, I feel that the style of painting at this time is not right.

Uncle Jiang pushed the cane away from his eyes and asked another question: "How long are you going to stay out there? When are you going to get married?"

"Hiss..." Brother Jiang took a deep breath, touched his aching leg, and cautiously asked, "Another two years?"

"Okay." Uncle Jiang nodded and held out his hand calmly, "Give me the cane."

Brother Jiang handed over the crutch.

Then Uncle Jiang picked up his cane and hit him on the leg, cursing, "I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son!"

"Ah... It hurts! Dad, please spare my legs!" Brother Jiang fled in a panic, shouting as he ran, "Jingyun, please save my brother!"

"How dare you beg for mercy, you unfilial son? Stop right there!"

…

That day, the painful howls of Brother Jiang II resounded through the sky.

【Author’s words】

[1] From "Sending Lu Gong to the Pass" by Shang Yan of the Tang Dynasty