Grand Secretary Cui had been away from Jiangnan for so long that many people in the new capital had forgotten the Cui family. But after all, they were once a prominent family on par with the Liu family, and eventually someone remembered them and exclaimed, "Grand Secretary Cui's daughter didn't get married..."
Perhaps remembering how shameful the matter was, the man stopped mid-sentence, leaving everyone feeling as if they were being choked and wouldn't let go.
It's really stuck in a limbo, neither going up nor down, it's so frustrating!
Fortunately, Madam Cui was not angry at all. Instead, she replied generously, "That's right. I was married to the Marquis of Dingbei before, but we divorced a long time ago. Now I am just Madam Cui."
Former wife of the Marquis of Dingbei?
Everyone stared in surprise, but no one knew what to say, and the atmosphere became awkward.
Jiayin seemed completely unaware of all this, and playfully tugged at Madam Liu's hand, saying, "Auntie, I brought some fruit, haven't you seen it yet?"
"Okay, let's see! The fruit that our Fu Niu'er likes must be big and sweet."
Madam Liu quickly instructed her maid to open the two baskets. The maid tried to open the basket in Dongmei's hand, but Dongmei dodged her, so the maid cleverly withdrew.
Madam Liu and the others thought the baskets contained fruit, but to their surprise, there was only one basket, while the other basket contained two jade melons and more than twenty golden fruits!
Winter is just around the corner, and all the melon vines have been cut down. Where did these jade melons and golden fruits come from?!
Grandma Li smiled and explained to everyone, "These are the last batch of golden fruits and jade melons picked in autumn. This child especially loves to eat them, and his parents spoil him, so they managed to hide a few in the cellar."
"I opened one yesterday and it was quite good. When I came over today, the child insisted on taking some with him, saying he wanted to help his aunt entertain guests."
Jiayin said with a smile, "Grandpa Liu likes to eat it, and Uncle likes to eat it too."
Finally, she pointed to the strange basket in Dongmei's arms and said, "That's a New Year's gift from Fu Niu to Uncle!"
Who wouldn't love such a well-behaved and filial little girl?
Madam Liu knelt down and hugged Jiayin, gently patting her back, her smile blooming like a flower. "Thank you, Fu Niu'er, for remembering your Grandpa Liu and Uncle. Auntie will have someone take you to the front to give your gift to your Uncle, okay?"
"Okay!" Jiayin turned around and waved to her grandmother and the others. "Grandma, Mother, Aunt, I'm going to play in front. I'll be back soon."
"Go on, don't be naughty," Old Mrs. Li instructed. Then, Madam Liu had Tang Mama lead Jiayin and Dongmei to the front yard.
Everyone sat down again, unsure of what to say for a moment.
One of the clever young wives picked a safe topic and asked, "Why does the princess call Madam Cui 'Master Sister'? Did the princess usually study under Madam Cui?"
There is some basis to this statement.
After all, Madam Cui was the only daughter of Grand Scholar Cui, from a scholarly family. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age, so she was qualified to be the princess's tutor.
Moreover, Madam Cui came with the Li family, which shows that they were close in their daily interactions.
Unexpectedly, Madam Cui said, "No, the eldest son of the Earl has taken my senior brother as his teacher, and the Princess follows her brother and respectfully calls me 'Master Aunt'."
Mrs. Liu quickly picked up the conversation and asked, "Auntie, why didn't we see any of the children from your family come over today?"
Madam Li replied with a loving smile, "Those naughty boys have all been sent to Luo'an Academy to study. Perhaps I'm getting old, but I can't bear to see the children suffer, so I spoil them a bit."
“But how can children become successful if they don’t suffer? So we simply sent them all to academies. With strict instruction from teachers, even if they don’t become successful, at least they will learn to be gentle and polite.”
A woman asked, "Oh dear, has Luo'an Academy started accepting students again? I'm thinking of sending my son there too."
"Yes, among the academies around here, Luo'an is the best."
Since everyone in the family has children, the conversation about reading gradually became lively as everyone chimed in.
Madam Liu had the fruits and melons taken down, washed, and cut into pieces, half for the front yard and half for the back yard.
Sweet fruits are loved by everyone, so the focus shifted from reading to food, drink, clothing, and jewelry, making things even more lively.
In the front yard, in Old Master Liu's study, sat his old friends who were about the same age.
Drinking tea together, discussing politics, and reminiscing about the past creates a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
After Liu Zhiheng brought the two Li brothers in, the old man personally introduced them.
The Li family came from a humble farming family, but within two years they rose to become a rising star in Tianwu. Outsiders just listened to the spectacle and thought the Li family was just lucky.
But none of the old men in the room thought so.
Luck always favors the prepared. If the Li family didn't have real skills, they would never be where they are today.
Putting aside other matters, the new superior seed that helped the Liu family rise to a higher level was brought back from Quanzhou by the Li family. They then secretly cultivated it together with the Liu family before reporting it to the imperial court and presenting it to the emperor.
Ordinary people don't have that kind of insight and patience!
The rise of every family is the result of weathering storms and even bloodshed; wealth and glory are never achieved by relying on luck alone!
What impressed them even more, and what made them more willing to look up to the Li brothers, was not only Li Zhensheng's courage to face death and return to his ancestral home, but also the unity and friendship among the Li brothers.
After his elder brother went missing, Uncle Li took on the responsibility of supporting the family.
After returning to his family, Li Zhensheng relinquished his immense achievements, securing an imperial title for his mother and a hereditary title for his younger brother.
A family with such good brothers who don't care about fame or fortune and work together wholeheartedly is bound to prosper.
Everyone took their seats, drank tea, and chatted.
Li Zhensheng holds the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) and later worked as a merchant for more than a decade. Recently, he has been frequently traveling to Quanzhou, and his vision and knowledge far surpass those of ordinary people.
Li Lao Er had also read a lot of books and was shrewd and tactful in his actions. He fled from the northern frontier to the south of the Yangtze River and was tempered by life, becoming more and more down-to-earth and resolute.
The two brothers showed no stage fright when facing a group of elderly men. They were polite, courteous, and spoke eloquently, which earned them even more appreciation from the men.
Just then, Old Master Liu's attendant came in to report, "Master, Princess Kangle has arrived and says she has a congratulatory gift for the eldest master."
Princess Kang Le?
The old men didn't react for a moment, but Old Master Liu laughed, "Oh dear, it's Fu Niu'er! Please come in quickly."
After saying that, he explained to everyone, "Princess Kangle is the adopted daughter of Marquis Xinting, a princess personally appointed by the Emperor, and also the niece of Lord Li."
Everyone suddenly realized that Broken Gold Beach was the fiefdom of Princess Kangle!
Just then, Jiayin walked in.
Perhaps the threshold was a bit high, because it was a little difficult for her chubby little legs to lift, so she bent down and held onto the threshold, almost crawling over it.
The chubby little girl, dressed in festive and pretty clothes, was adorable in every move, bringing smiles to the faces of the old men in the room.
"Fu Niu'er, come here quickly, let Grandpa see if you've gotten fatter again?" Grandpa Liu also has a granddaughter, but she lives too far away. It's rare to find that Jia Yin is not shy around strangers, and she's really cute and sensible, so he treats her like his own granddaughter.
He then held Jiayin in his arms, touched her little flower bud, and introduced her to the old man present.
Jiayin listened with a smile, bowing and calling everyone "Grandpa" without any stage fright, her little mouth speaking fluently.
It's not that the grandfather's long beard means he'll live to be a hundred; it's just that his serious expression suggests he must be a high-ranking official.
The group of old men were all smiles as they were coaxed into giving each other gifts.
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