Jiang Shuyun and her group came and went in a hurry. After paying respects to their ancestors, they returned to the prefectural city.

Jiang Mian and his group still had a few days of leave, so they weren't in a hurry to leave and wanted to spend more time with their families at home.

Mu Yi'an was quite surprised; he hadn't expected the father and his two sons to return so quickly.

"Mom, we miss you."

Shao Yun was the first to run in, shouting that he missed his mother.

"I miss you all too. Where are your father and brother?"

Mu Yi'an hugged her youngest son. She hadn't seen him for a few days, and he seemed to have grown taller.

"Dad and my brother are behind me. I wanted to see Mom as soon as possible, so I ran in first."

The nine-year-old boy stood up straight, his height already reaching Yi'an's chest.

"Mother, we're back."

"Wife, we're back."

Jiang Shuyun and Shao Ming entered together through the hanging flower gate. Ten-year-old Shao Ming was almost as tall as his father's shoulder.

The two men, whose features were becoming increasingly similar, walked in together, looking more like brothers than father and son.

Are your parents alright?

"Everything is fine. The day we arrived happened to be the day Ziyi's child was born, and both mother and child are safe and sound."

Jiang Shuyun walked to Yi'an's side and walked into the house with her.

"Really, that's great. It's better for everyone, adults and children, to be safe and sound."

Mu Yi'an had experienced pregnancy and childbirth herself and knew the dangers involved.

"Your parents-in-law said they miss you, but they can't come out right now."

With my elder brother away, my father-in-law has to manage things at home. My mother-in-law also helps my sister-in-law with the household and the children.

Jiang Shuyun conveyed her parents-in-law's longing for their daughter; they truly doted on her.

“I know. I’ll take Shao Rong and the other boy back when they’re a little older.”

Mu Yi'an also misses her parents very much. After so many years, she has come to regard them as her own parents.

Jiang Shuyun and Yi An learned about the Jiang clan, from their arrival in Jiangjia Village to everything that happened after the ancestral worship ceremony.

"Don't take it to heart. So-called clans always have two sides."

We need a good reputation, and they need opportunities to make money.

If everyone maintains this balance, it will be a win-win situation and everyone will be happy.

If they take advantage of our kindness, we don't need to be too worried.

To put it bluntly, apart from my parents and my eldest brother's family, how much do we really have to do with anyone else in Liangjiang Village?

It's all about mutual respect and understanding.

Mu Yi'an doesn't have much of a sense of family; to be precise, neither she nor Jiang Shuyun have much of a sense of family.

In their eyes, the people of Jiangjia Village were no different from the people in other villages.

The reason they seem close is simply because they each get what they need.

Jiang Shuyun didn't really take it to heart, but she felt that Yi An's heart had been betrayed.

After listening to his wife's words, he realized that he hadn't thought things through as clearly as Yi'an.

Since arriving, he has enjoyed this large family life, something he never wished he had.

But Yi'an is different from him. She doesn't care about many people. Besides him and her children, the only people who can get close to her are Mu's parents and Jiang Qi.

Even the eldest brother of the Mu family, in Yi An's mind, prefers a better business partner.

The couple talked for a while, and then had another conversation that evening before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Life goes on at a leisurely pace.

Chuyue can now play a simple tune, and Anran can now paint a simple ink painting.

Shao Rong was able to take a few shaky steps, while Shao Ke stood there, unwilling to take the first step, whether out of understanding or fear, it was unclear.

Mr. Liang can walk slowly without anyone's help.

With Mu Yi'an and Jiang Shuyun's permission, he began to teach Chu Yue and An Ran, but not about anything related to the imperial examinations.

Instead, it's about local customs, culture, and geography.

The two girls enjoyed listening. They had never traveled far from home, so they didn't know what snow was like, what it was like for water to freeze instantly, or the terror of the desert sands...

Shao Ming is already ten years old, and he is learning more and more advanced things at school.

Mr. Liang would occasionally tell them about the imperial examination system.

Jiang Shuyun plans to have Shao Ming take the exam in two years.

Only by passing the imperial examination and becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) could he be qualified to study at Bailu Academy and come into contact with deeper knowledge and different people.

Shao Yun's academic performance was not as good as her brother's, but she made rapid progress in martial arts.

He was able to apply what Master Guan taught him to other geographical topics with great interest.

He also enjoyed the horseback riding skills that Li Dahu taught him, and whenever he had a break, he would go to the estate to practice riding. Mu Yi'an specially bought two ponies for Shao Ming and Shao Yun to practice on.

The children are doing well in their studies and lives, and the letters from the Northwest are full of good news.

The cotton seedlings were successfully cultivated, and the watermelon seedlings planted by the army are also growing well.

General Gu dispatched a team specifically to oversee the planting and management of watermelons.

In the blink of an eye, spring has passed and summer has arrived. The lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, and they are a beautiful sight from afar.

As the weather got hotter, Mu Yi'an moved her family to the manor, where it was cooler.

"Mommy, come quick! Little brother Ke is finally willing to walk!"

Chuyue's voice was sharp and carried far.

Mu Yi'an sat in the pavilion, watching Shao Ming and Shao Yun play with their younger siblings.

"Second sister-in-law, Shao Ke really doesn't like to move around. It's really not easy for him to walk."

Jiang Qi also brought her child to stay for a while. Ankang is already over three years old, and she is pregnant again, already more than four months along.

She was in good health thanks to Dr. Chu's personal care, so she took her child with her to escape the summer heat.

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