Chapter 111 Chapter 111 A new chapter after the New Year...

A five-year-old child is still young. If he lives in the academy like the other students, it would be impossible to go home once a month. Firstly, he would be noisy, and secondly, at this age, some of them still miss their parents and cry easily.

Those who were taught at such a young age were mostly children of aristocratic families, raised with the utmost care and pampering. However, the teachers in the academies were mostly retired ministers, and they were there to teach, not to coax the children.

If I stay there until the academy is on vacation, the teachers will also worry.

The academy is located on Songshan Mountain in the north of the city. It takes more than an hour to go back and forth from Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion to the academy, but for the sake of reading, it is worth it to watch Lin Qiuran.

Lin Qiuran asked, "Do you need to prepare anything?"

Children's early childhood education definitely requires books, paper, and pens. She was worried that if she didn't prepare everything, she'd be left wanting. Besides, she had to pay tuition fees to attend the academy, so where would she find the other money?

Xiao Xun said, "I've asked about everything. Two elementary textbooks, one Three Character Classic and one Thousand Character Classic. The four treasures of the study are also needed, which are what children use. You have to pay tuition, you have to pay for lunch in the cafeteria, and there's also money for clothes at the academy. If Tangyuan doesn't come back at noon, you have to pay for accommodation."

The tuition was five taels of silver per quarter, and food and clothing were not expensive, adding up to six taels of silver. For lodging, even if only for lunch, it had to be paid quarterly, at two taels per quarter.

Not all students at Songshan Academy were from aristocratic families; some came because of its reputation, so the tuition couldn't be too expensive. Lin Qiuran didn't find it expensive now, but back then, fifty-two taels a year, not counting books and ink, was something his family couldn't possibly afford.

Lin Qiuran nodded, "It's not the New Year yet, we can just prepare these slowly."

I finally raised my child and it was time for him to go to school. I left early and came back late, so I didn't have to worry about anything.

Tang Yuan listened at the side and asked, "Mom, when can I go to the academy?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Early February."

It should be spring in the capital in February. People go to the academy by carriage in the morning and evening. It's cold today, so Lin Qiuran doesn't care if it's half a month earlier or later. He just thinks of it as a winter vacation for Tangyuan.

Tang Yuan was still very happy. After all, Lin Qiuran had told him a lot about studying before, about having teachers to teach him, having classmates to study and play with. He still yearned for a life of studying. "Mom, I want to buy books and pens with you too! Can I choose them myself?"

Lin Qiuran nodded. He said that he had to prepare two sets so that if one broke, there would be another set for emergency.

Xiao Xun couldn't help but touch Tang Yuan's head. "When you get to the academy, you must listen to the teacher. If you encounter any problems, come back and tell your parents. We don't cause trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble either."

Xiao Xun is a military general, so naturally he hopes that Tangyuan can be tougher and not be bullied.

Lin Qiuran looked at Xiao Xun. Even before they went to the academy, he was already worried about whether the child would be bullied. But Xiao Xun was right. He should be tougher. No matter whether Tangyuan was a boy or a girl, he should not bully others, let alone be bullied by others.

Lin Qiuran said, "From now on, you will sleep and eat in the academy at noon. Don't be picky about food. Don't go hungry in the academy. Come back and eat in the evening."

Tang Yuan was a little helpless. He sighed, "I know, I know. I haven't started school yet. It's not too late to remind me the night before I go to school."

Lin Qiuran sighed in her heart. It was always in front of her before, but now she was going to study, and she was a little uncomfortable.

She put away the admission card that Xiao Xun brought back and let Tangyuan go out to play.

Lin Qiuran watched him bounding out, and as soon as he left, she said to Xiao Xun, "He went to the Anyang Marquis's Mansion today. He was quite well-educated and well-mannered, and was very obedient. He spoke to the old lady for a while, calling her great-grandmother."

Now we are going to follow Lin Qiuran's side of the story. When Xiao Xun sees him in the future, he can also shout.

Xiao Xun hummed, and Lin Qiuran said, "The old lady and the wife of Anyang Hou both gave Tangyuan as a gift. When she came back, the old lady also brought gifts for me and my mother."

It was divided into two parts, and Yun told her which one was for Sun. Sun and Xiao Dashi raised Xiao Xun, but Qin couldn't thank them in person, so she sent some gifts to express her gratitude.

After Lin Qiuran came back, he went to Shou'an Hall for dinner. Then Xiao Xun came back, and he had no time to open the gift.

Xiao Xun nodded and smiled at Lin Qiuran, "That's good."

Lin Qiuran said, "I'll go see what's inside. You can come and have a look too."

Lin Qiuran dragged Xiao Xun to look. One box contained bird's nest, which they didn't eat often at home, so they could buy more in the future. Another box contained medicinal herbs, probably for Xiao Xun. It contained ginseng and ganoderma lucidum, both of which were valuable.

The other thing was for Lin Qiuran, two sets of porcelain. After spending so much time together, I could naturally tell what she liked.

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Let's build a warehouse for you as well. Store your weapons and medicines there so that you can use them conveniently in the future."

There is a public treasury at home. Lin Qiuran, Sun, and Tangyuan all have their own treasuries, and Xiao Xun should have one too.

Xiao Xun's eyes softened a bit, "You can arrange this. You can even give me some space in your warehouse."

Lin Qiuran still decided to arrange a warehouse for him. There was still a long time to go, and there would definitely be more and more things.

Xiao Xun doesn't care much about family affairs, and probably doesn't even know what's in the warehouse or how much money, houses, and land the family has.

Xiao Xun trusts her, so she should also take good care of herself to make Xiao Xun feel at ease.

*

The Chinese New Year is just a few days away. After checking the things, Lin Qiuran was busy delivering New Year gifts to various mansions.

As an official in the court, Xiao Xun has to deal with interpersonal relationships, which is of utmost importance and needs to be properly managed. It is not just the Anyang Marquis' Mansion that needs to be visited.

Lin Qiuran had met several families at the banquet, and after asking Xiao Xun about it, she had all given them New Year gifts. A few other families, interested in establishing good relations, had given gifts to the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion, and she had returned the favor.

Lin Qiuran also sent gifts to the homes of several deans of Songshan Academy, and the Ying family was not forgotten either. She planned to visit them again after the New Year.

I can't go back to my hometown this year, but before leaving, I have instructed the people in the mansion to send the New Year and festival gifts. I must send the Xu family, Aunt Yu, Madam Yang, Manager Shi's family, and the several vendors who do business with me. No one should be forgotten.

After a few busy days, it was New Year's Eve. Xiao Xun went to the palace for a banquet that evening. Logically, Lin Qiuran and Sun should have gone as well. However, Xiao Xun pleaded with the emperor, saying that they had just arrived in the capital and had not yet adapted to the situation. He was afraid that they would not be able to adapt to the palace and would offend the emperor.

Because the auspicious attire needed to be made quickly, the Emperor granted the two of them special permission to skip the palace banquet. Seeing this, the other recipients of honors also requested permission to avoid the fear and discomfort of attending the palace banquet.

The emperor has given the order, so other people can only say that Xiao Xun is arrogant because of his favor. However, because of Zhao Tingyue before, some people have accused Xiao Xun of being ungrateful and taking advantage of others' misfortunes, so this arrogance is nothing.

Some people also discussed privately that Xiao Xun came from Yu'an. Some people had never heard of this place, so his family naturally came from Yu'an as well.

Those who had never met Lin Qiuran asked, "Could it be that country women are too vulgar and unpresentable, and that's why they weren't brought to the palace banquet?"

Someone who had seen Lin Qiuran spoke up, "Madam Chen, you're wrong. I've met the wife of the Marquis of Dingyuan. She once helped organize banquets for the Marquis of Anyang and the Marquis of Dingbei. She has a deft hand and is an excellent carver. The flowers she carves are so lifelike they're even edible. I originally wanted to ask her for help, but after learning about her status, I didn't dare to bother her. I guess only those close to her would be willing to help."

"I've seen him before. He's a clever, aloof, and extraordinary person, very different from what you might imagine. Anyway, you'll know when you see him."

"What do you mean by vulgar? I think he's well-educated. He's neither ostentatious nor timid, but very graceful and elegant."

Everyone was curious, but it was too early to ask too many questions at the palace banquet. They just wanted to wait and see if it was as the three people said.

The palace banquet concluded, and brilliant fireworks rose over the imperial city. Bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, amidst the crackling sound of fireworks, the people celebrated the New Year in a lively atmosphere. Families gathered around to eat New Year's Eve dinner, while women prepared the food and elders stroked the heads of their children and grandchildren, handing out lucky money.

A table full of delicious food and wine was set aside, and everyone toasted with joy, hoping for prosperity and peace every year. Children were running and playing in the streets, and the alleys and courtyards were filled with laughter.

The Chinese New Year is a time of great activity, and the days before and after are also very lively. No one will choose to beat their children if they are disobedient during these days.

The streets are even more lively, with dragon and lion dances, iron flowers, juggling... everything.

Tang Yuan had just returned from the street. He ran back to the main courtyard, his face flushed. He was holding a lot of things in his arms: two lanterns, some unfinished fireworks...

He gave the lantern he bought to Lin Qiuran and Sun. Sun smiled while holding the lantern and took out a red envelope from her bosom. "Here, this is the New Year's money that grandma gave you."

Tang Yuan happily took it and said, "Thank you, Grandma!"

Xiao Dashi smiled sheepishly. He had no money on him, so he gave it all to the old mansion. He had thought he'd have money to spend in the capital, but who knew it would turn out like this?

He would have to return to Yu'an in two days, and Xiao Dashi was feeling very unhappy, even though Tangyuan didn't see him. It was Chinese New Year, and he couldn't even take out his New Year's money.

Seeing Xiao Dashi like this, Sun cursed him in her heart and scolded the people in the old house. However, she didn't want to make Tangyuan sad, so she took out another one from her pocket and said, "Tangyuan, this is given by your grandfather."

Xiao Dashi smiled.

Tang Yuan looked at the red envelope, took it and said thank you, "Thank you, Grandpa."

Xiao Dashi sighed twice.

Lin Qiuran had already given Tangyuan a red envelope, containing five taels of silver, as New Year's money. Since the family wasn't short of money, she hadn't told Tangyuan to just give it to her. Tangyuan knew what money was, and wouldn't throw it away after a few steps. He kept it safe.

Know how to spend money but don’t spend it recklessly.

It is said that boys should be raised in poverty and girls should be raised in wealth, but Lin Qiuran does not want Tangyuan to become stingy. He just wants her to know how to spend money and not waste it recklessly.

Isn't this good? When he goes out, he knows to buy lanterns for Sun and her, thinking that his family not only cares about his own fun, but will definitely give him money when he goes to the academy in the future. In this way, Lin Qiuran can rest assured that he can study.

We have to wait for Xiao Xun to come back to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening. Whoever is hungry can eat something simple first.

Sun was sitting on the armchair. She was wearing thick clothes with a frayed collar. She had just had a bowl of bird's nest porridge and was not hungry at the moment.

As for whether Xiao Dashi was hungry or not, Sun Shi didn't care. She used to think about him all the time, but he made life difficult for her family year after year. She told him to go back to Xiao Village as soon as possible, so that she could be out of sight and out of mind.

It was almost midnight when Xiao Xun returned, and the family had a reunion dinner in the main courtyard. There were five of them, and the meal was plentiful yet not extravagant: fish, shrimp, meat, and vegetables, ten dishes in total, symbolizing perfection.

There is no need for anyone to serve them, so today is the New Year, so let Lin Xia and the others have a good year.

After dinner, I waited for two quarters of an hour and listened to the ringing of the bells of Vientiane Temple, and the New Year arrived.

Lin Qiuran looked out the window and saw fireworks being set off from thousands of houses in the sky, especially in the direction of the imperial palace. Lin Ming and others in the front yard were also setting off fireworks, which was a very beautiful sight.

Tang Yuan looked at him twice and asked, "Mom, is it time to sleep now?"

This was the first time he stayed up so late. Last year during the Chinese New Year, Lin Qiuran coaxed him to sleep after a while, but this year he insisted on staying up.

He had long lost the excitement he had in the afternoon, and his eyes were full of sleepiness.

Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded, "It's New Year's Day, go to bed."

Xiao Xun grabbed Tangyuan and went back to the house.

Sun and Xiao Dashi also returned to their own courtyard. The next day, however, there was no sign of peace and quiet outside. With the New Year being so lively, the fireworks would likely be set off until the hour of the ox.

Fortunately, Dingyuan Marquis’s mansion is large, so the sound of fireworks and firecrackers is not loud.

Tangyuan was so sleepy that he felt that if he had stuffing, he wouldn't even know if someone took a bite and the stuffing spilled out.

Lin Qiuran found it funny to see him fall asleep soon after he got into bed. He had said in the afternoon that he wanted to stay up all night to set off fireworks, but he fell asleep twice at night.

Xiao Xun: "He fell asleep quickly. Let's go to sleep too."

Lin Qiuran glanced at him. He was still wearing his crown and robes, a bright red one. He wore a crown on his head instead of a black gauze hat. The brim of the crown pressed down on his eyebrows, and below it were his narrow eyes and a straight nose.

Lin Qiuran lowered his head and asked, "Have you taken the medicine?"

Xiao Xun: "I drank it in the kitchen."

Lin Qiuran: "After taking these few doses of medicine, I'll go see a doctor."

Xiao Xun was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."

The next day, New Year's Day, Xiao Xun did not go to work, so Lin Qiuran asked Lin Ming to pack up Yu An's things.

Xiao Dashi returned to Xiaojia Village and was sent to leave a tael of silver for his daily life. She asked Lin Ming to pack the things for Liu Shi, the shopkeeper, and others.

There were many things in the capital that they had never seen before. Lin Qiuran bought two boxes of bird's nests for Liu, as well as some dark-colored fine materials, but he refused to pay for them.

It's okay to be filial to Liu, because Liu always buys things for Tangyuan. If Yu treats Liu well, Liu will spend money on her.

Early in the morning on the second day of the first lunar month, Lin Qiuran hired an escort company and asked Lin Ming and the servants in the mansion to accompany him to send Xiao Dashi back.

Xiao Dashi got into the car with a frown on his face, and Lin Qiuran and the others also came to see him off.

Tang Yuan was puzzled and asked Sun, "Grandma, why did grandpa leave after just a few days?"

-----------------------

The author has something to say: Thank you for your support [Spread flowers]