Xu Lanyin said, "Of course, it's very effective. Not only do you need to apply it, you also need to massage it like this." She pressed it on her face a few times.
Mrs. Min was half-believing and half-doubting. Then she chuckled and asked, "Since you've been in the provincial capital for so long this time, Lord Min's illness must have improved a lot, right?"
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Well, Lord Min is indeed much better. I stayed there for a long time, mainly to accompany Jiaer."
Grandma Min thought Xu Lanyin was a snobbish woman, a manipulative and opportunistic woman who used her family to curry favor with high-ranking officials. She was just a country girl, yet she even called her "Jia'er," a name she didn't even dare call herself. She had originally managed to improve her relationship with her in-laws by currying favor with her younger sister-in-law. But Min Jia was a fool, so no matter how well she tried to curry favor with her, it was useless.
Grandma Min chuckled and said, "Miss Xu is really capable. She can accompany Jia Jie for such a long time. Everyone says that Jia Jie has a weird temper and no one in the family can get along with her."
They would actually bully a motherless child. A distant relative who made a living by working for the Shangshu Mansion in Fujian actually dared to belittle the eldest daughter of another family like this.
Xu Lanyin snorted secretly. Before she could say anything, Mrs. Min became unhappy.
Madam Min also felt that her daughter-in-law was exaggerating. She frowned and said, "Jia'er is a poor child. Everyone in the Shangshu Mansion loves her very much. You don't know the specific situation, so don't make assumptions and say anything."
Grandma Min blushed and said hurriedly, "It was my daughter-in-law who was rude. I just heard a servant say that and thought... hehe."
Madam Min said, "Which servant is gossiping? Beat him out and don't use him anymore."
Grandma Min nodded in agreement.
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finished speaking, Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Mrs. Min is absolutely right. Jia'er is indeed a pitiful child, having lost her mother at such a young age. However, Mistress Min loves her very much, and my brother plays very well with her..."
While chatting and laughing, Min Nan left school.
Xu Lanyin chatted with them for a while, presented the gifts, declined the Min family's invitation to dinner, and went home.
Min Nan sent Xu Lanyin to the door and told her that he was going to the provincial capital soon and that if Xu Lanyin went there in the future, she must remember to visit her.
Min Nan was clever, lovable, and good at speaking, yet kind. Xu Lanyin liked the child very much and nodded in agreement.
On the way, Xu Lanyin ran into Constable He, who was patrolling the streets. Zhao Wuhe had already asked Xu Dashi to deliver the gifts she had bought for Constable He, Coroner Tang, and Constable Jiang in the provincial capital to the police station.
Constable He came over to thank Xu Lanyin and asked about the Longxing Inn.
Xu Lanyin said it again like Xianglin Sao.
Constable He's eyes widened upon hearing this. Finally, he smiled and said, "Zhao Wu has made great progress and has a bright future. It's all over the place now, and even Lord Wang says our Pingnan County temple is too small to accommodate a deity like Zhao Wu."
He was extremely happy. Fortunately, he had a good eye and had always had a very good relationship with Zhao Wu. Since he was old and couldn't make a name for himself, he would ask Zhao Wu to take his son with him...
Xu Lanyin thought to himself, just as he expected, County Magistrate Wang was trying to find a way to drive Zhao Wu away before he even took office.
After saying goodbye to Constable He, Xu Lanyin returned home.
As she entered her home's flower-draped gate, she saw Qin and Zhao Xingchen sitting on the porch. Qin was making small clothes, while Zhao Xingchen leaned beside her, shelling peanuts. He fed one to Qin, then one himself, and Qin's eyes were filled with love.
Zhao Xingchen's giggles and calls of "Grandma" were particularly loud.
Xu Lanyin laughed and said, "Why do I feel that Xiao Xingxing is like my biological son? Do I have a younger brother that my mother lost?"
Qin laughed out loud and said, "You are so old and still talk like a child. Little Xingxing doesn't look like my biological son at all, he looks like my biological grandson."
Zhao Xingxing ran over with her short legs and took Xu Lanyin's hand, correcting her, "Auntie, you're wrong. It's grandson, not son."
Xu Lanyin smiled, picked him up and kissed him. The little boy squinted his eyes with joy and stuffed a peanut in his hand into Xu Lanyin's mouth.
When Xu Lanting was about to finish school, Zhao Xingchen pulled Xu Lanyin to the gate to "pick up uncle."
Seeing the familiar little figure appear at the entrance of the alley, Zhao Xingchen happily shouted "Uncle" and ran over to pick him up.
This child is much more sunny and courageous.
Xu Lanzhou laughed and walked towards home holding his little nephew's hand.
After lunch, the two little boys and Qin took a nap. Xu Lanyin called Ding Xiaoran to the upper living room and began to teach him how to play chess.
Xu Lanyin renamed this chess game "Western Chess." She would then say that she had read about it in a miscellaneous book as a child, saying it was a game played by barbarians, and she had memorized it.
Ding Xiaoran was truly gifted at chess. He mastered the rules of chess in just half a day, played it competently, and was willing to delve into it. After a few days, Xu Lanyin's chess skills were clearly lagging behind his.
Xu Lanyin set a study schedule for Ding Xiaoran: two and a half hours of chess practice every day, mainly Western chess, but also Go, Xiangqi, and military chess. She also practiced calligraphy for half an hour, and manners for half an hour, which included not only walking and sitting postures, but also the way she played chess and poured tea...
She was training chess students in the teahouse, specifically playing chess with guests or teaching them how to play chess, which was equivalent to coaching or training in her previous life.
Later, when I moved to the provincial capital, I could recruit a few students from poor families from academies or private schools, allowing them to earn some extra money in their spare time. Playing chess is an elegant activity; it can earn money while improving your skills, and perhaps even lead to meeting a noble person. It's much better than copying letters for a living, so there will definitely be people willing to do it.
Xu Lanyin had a position in mind for Wang Sanni: second in command of the teahouse, specifically responsible for serving tea and playing chess with female guests. Beautiful, bold, and intelligent, Wang Sanni was free from the constraints of modern women, making her well-suited for the job. Crucially, Xu Lanyin wanted to give her a chance. Given Wang Sanni's personality, she was sure she'd be willing to go. The only question was whether she was willing to leave Wang Jincai and his mother behind, or whether they would be willing to follow her to the provincial capital...
Mrs. Wang is about to be executed. Let's ask her after this matter is over.
Wang Pozi had been sentenced to renunciation and was no longer a member of the Wang family. Logically, the descendants of the Wang family did not need to observe mourning. However, Wang Sanni and Wang Jincai had a good relationship with Wang Pozi, so they would definitely observe mourning for a while.
Xu Lanyin also designed several sets of "uniforms" for the teahouse staff, including hats, scarves, aprons, and sleeves. To keep it secret, she kept them from the production team and asked Qin, Lu, and Zhangqi to work on them as needed.
Hu Yi would come to Xu Lanyin's house two days out of three, and she would also help with some things.
Xu Lanyin was busy with another task, drawing comic strips for Min Jia. The child couldn't just play with toys or play chess all the time, so she drew a few more comic strips for her.
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