Chapter 517 Zhao Youjin Receives His Title
"People of Sui'an, receive the imperial decree!"
It was only after the messenger reminded her that Cheng Wanwan came to her senses. She immediately accepted the order and expressed her gratitude.
The large group of people kneeling in the courtyard suddenly stood up, their faces filled with excitement. Although Da Shan's mother hadn't been promoted, Zhao Youjin had. Zhao Youjin was a native of Dahe Village, and this was a great honor for their village. They could brag about it for a long time when they went out in the future.
“People from Sui’an, we’ve heard from the capital that the Ministry of Revenue will soon send someone to Dahe Village to study cotton cultivation in detail. If what the people from Sui’an say is true, the court will definitely promote it vigorously.” The messenger bowed and said, “We have to go back to report, so we won’t stay any longer.”
Cheng Wanwan quickly asked Granny Qi to bring out the reward money, giving each of them five taels of silver. The two messengers were a little embarrassed to accept it. Every time they came to read an imperial edict, they would receive several taels of silver. All the reward money that the people of Sui'an had given them in total was more than their annual salary.
But if we don't accept money for such a joyous occasion, it would seem like we're looking down on the people of Sui'an.
The two men accepted the silver, bowed in thanks, and then left with their caravan.
Magistrate Shen walked over with a smile on his face: "Congratulations to the people of Sui'an, congratulations to Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao. The Zhao family has produced a seventh-rank Jingyi Guard. From now on, the Zhao family will no longer be just a simple farming family. If the children pursue an official career, it will be easier for them, whether it is a civil service exam or a military exam."
These days, when pursuing an official career, family background is highly valued, especially the paternal line. Even a nominal seventh-rank military officer position is much better than nothing.
Cheng Wanwan has already accepted this fact.
Although Zhao Youjin is dead, her nominal husband is the biological father of her four children. He was posthumously honored, and her family also benefited from the honor.
"Our Zhao family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke!" Old Man Zhao's voice choked with emotion as he carefully carried the posthumous imperial edict. "You've got gold! You didn't die in vain. Even the Emperor remembers your merits and posthumously honors you. Can you see it in heaven..."
Old Mrs. Zhao wiped away her tears: "The person is already dead, what's the point of posthumously conferring titles? It's all because of my eldest daughter-in-law's meritorious service, and she's posthumously conferred titles on a dead person... He's been dead for a long time, and he's already a seventh-rank official, while my eldest daughter-in-law was only a ninth-rank official at the beginning..."
"Why are you saying that?" The village head stroked his beard. "We're all family, it doesn't matter who gets the title."
"Yes, yes, what a fine young man Jin was, he died too young, his remains have never been found. This imperial edict can at least put people's minds at ease."
“Brothers Dashan are really lucky. Their father is a seventh-rank official and their mother is a sixth-rank official. They are the only ones like this in the whole of Huzhou.”
"..."
Old man Zhao sighed, took the imperial edict, and took his whole family to visit the grave. It was Zhao Youjin's cenotaph, and he wanted to tell his eldest son who had died early about this happy event.
The Zhao family has its own cemetery. The news of Zhao Youjin's death in battle came back the year before last. The grave is still new, but it is already overgrown with weeds.
As soon as they arrived at the grave, Dashan and his brothers knelt down. Sanniu was far away in the capital and was not there. The three sons kowtowed in front of the grave, their eyes filled with tears.
Old Mr. and Mrs. Zhao were sobbing uncontrollably.
Zhao Youyin and Zhao Youcai grew up with their older brother, so naturally they cried a lot too.
Wen lowered her head, silently grieving. Sun was also somewhat saddened and sighed in response.
Cheng Wanwan, however, showed little emotion. She had never even met Zhao Youjin before, and her memories of him were hazy, only a vague outline. She couldn't understand everyone's sorrow and could only quietly stay by their side.
The two elderly people murmured to themselves in front of the grave, while the three children burned paper money and offered incense. It took them more than half an hour to finish.
The villagers were quite happy, and they were all talking about Zhao Youjin's life. Whenever Cheng Wanwan heard those stories, images of the original owner and Zhao Youjin's interactions would appear in her mind, which left her speechless. So she made an excuse that she wasn't feeling well and went back to rest.
As soon as she left, the villagers immediately started talking about her.
“When Da Shan’s mother swore that she would keep You Jin’s body for life, I thought she was lying. But now it seems that she was sincere.”
"That's right. Ever since we came back from visiting Youjin's grave, she's been absent-minded. She's missing her man."
“After the New Year, Da Shan’s mother will only be thirty-five years old. She’s not old at all. Should we introduce her to someone so she won’t be so heartbroken?”
"Look at what you're saying. In all the surrounding villages, is there any man who is worthy of Dashan's mother? If you can think of one, I'll change my name."
"It seems that Aunt Dashan is really going to be a widow for the rest of her life."
"Poor God."
"..."
While we were grieving for Cheng Wanwan, she was laughing loudly in the courtyard.
She was looking at the letter she had just received, a letter from Zhao Sanniu. The boy's handwriting was similar to hers before, like a dog's crawl. Others might not be able to recognize it, but she, his own mother, could recognize it every time.
The letter mainly described the interesting things that happened in the military camp. Every morning, they would get up before dawn to practice martial arts, and after a short rest at noon, they would continue practicing. Although the days were monotonous, the people in the military camp were very interesting. For example, there was a fat young man who liked to fart, and there was a dark-skinned soldier who could hide in the dark soil without being discovered...
After reading the letter, Cheng Wanwan was still somewhat unsatisfied.
Then, she picked up Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng's letters and read them. Zhao'er was just seriously talking about her studies, always saying the same things, nothing special. Xiao Zheng, on the other hand, was complaining about being forced to read and write every day and not being able to go out all day...
After reading the letter, she picked up her pen and began to reply, urging the children to study hard, pay attention to safety, and not cause trouble...
With the joint efforts of the entire village, the reunion dinner in Dahe Village was prepared well in advance.
Generally, the family reunion dinner is eaten close to evening, but because there are many people and they drink alcohol, the time is set for noon.
Tables were set up in every household, filling the entire square. Adults, children, and the elderly sat together, their laughter filling the air. Even the village's cats and dogs came over to join in the fun, occasionally nibbling on a piece of meat bone that had fallen to the ground.
"Fellow villagers, this is our first time celebrating the Lunar New Year together. Please forgive us if any preparations are not perfect!" The village head stood on a chair, holding a glass of wine, and shouted, "Over the past year, thanks to everyone's cooperation and hard work, our Dahe Village has become the richest village in Ping'an County. No, I should say, the richest village in Huzhou... Everyone has new clothes to wear and everyone has meat to eat. Isn't this the good life we have always strived for?"
"This year has come to a successful end. Next year, we must work even harder to ensure that the entire village lives in brick and tile houses, and that all children have access to education, regardless of whether they are boys or girls. We must ensure that they can read, write, and understand important principles. Alright, I won't waste any more time. This toast is for everyone; please feel free to drink as you please!"
The village head tilted his head back and drank a cup of wine in one gulp. Everyone in the village stood up and joined him in clinking glasses and drinking.
In this atmosphere, Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but take a sip of wine.
This is her second Spring Festival in Dahe Village, and the third year in total. At thirty-five years old, she is having a great time, very happy and content.
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