Chapter 535 A Dream of Youth 67

The river flowed gently, and the group finally arrived in Qingshan County on the evening of the third day.

Xie Wangzhi chatted briefly with the county magistrate who had arrived, agreeing on a time to hold another banquet before taking his wife home.

As soon as the door opened, Xie Qi ran towards his grandparents, yelling. Xie Ning was pulled along by him and bumped into his grandmother's arms.

"Oh dear, Bao'er has been on the boat for so long, you've gotten so thin! Grandmother made a lot of meatballs for Bao'er, they're still chilling in the well. Ah Yun, go and bring the meatballs up, and also open a few melons to eat!"

Grandma just bought these this morning; they're still fresh.

Xie Ning was also very thirsty at this moment. After taking a bite of the cool melon, he felt his soul was instantly elevated.

After tidying up her things, Ms. Chen saw the two children engrossed in eating melons, so she took a melon and went to the kitchen.

Cut the melon into small, square pieces, then shave some shaved ice onto a piece of ice, and drizzle with osmanthus honey to make a sweet melon and osmanthus drink.

Xie Qi had a whole bowl, while Xie Ning only had half a bowl. Madam Chen handed Xie Ning a handkerchief to wipe her hands, saying, "This melon is chilled and a bit cold, so Bao'er should eat less."

Xie Ning nodded. Her spleen and stomach were a bit weak, so she really needed to eat less, even if she wanted to eat three big bowls!

This melon is not only crisp and sweet, but also very juicy. It's even more fragrant when you add osmanthus honey!

After finishing her iced drink, Xie Ning picked up a fruit on the table that resembled an apple but was smaller and took a bite.

It's not crisp, but rather has a soft, sweet texture with a slightly grainy feel. There are quite a lot of these fruits being sold on the streets lately, and the ones sold here seem to be sweeter, and they're delicious too.

Shortly after they finished eating the fruit, the meal was ready, and Xie Wangzhi mentioned their plans at the table.

"Father, Mother, your son has passed the imperial examination and been appointed as a proofreader. I expect to stay in the capital for a few years. So, this time I came back to take you and my sister to the capital."

Seeing the hesitation on the faces of Xie's grandfather and grandmother, Xie Wangzhi added, "There are many things to do in the capital, and my mother can't manage them all by herself. I hope you two can help out."

"Of course we have to go. My brother passing the imperial examination is a great honor for our ancestors. We'll be enjoying the good fortune in the capital too. How can we not go?"

Seeing that Xie Yun had spoken, Xie's grandparents breathed a sigh of relief. They were mainly worried about Xie Yun, who had finally established a foothold in Shangquan Town, and now she was going to go to a completely unfamiliar place.

But Xie Wangzhi was going to the capital to take up an official post, and both he and his wife had to go with him, both out of courtesy and reason.

Afterwards, Xie Yun said that she felt it was better to go to an unfamiliar place than to stay in her hometown, because no matter what, the people in her hometown knew about her, and gossip was inevitable.

Even though she had learned to take these things lightly, hearing them still made her feel bad, especially after seeing her business at the bridgehead take off and many people trying to arrange marriages for her. But the men they were talking about were either bachelors in their forties or fifties or widowers with grandchildren.

Her parents softened their stance, saying that she couldn't live like this alone forever; it would be too miserable.

Xie Yun didn't feel bitter. She felt that after selling her goods every day, she could still carry a small pot of wine and enjoy a drink by the riverside pavilion while admiring the scenery. It was so relaxing and leisurely. She didn't want to trap herself in another family, where every day would be about her husband and children, and if the elders were still around, she would have to take care of her in-laws.