But what he puts before his personal preferences is his responsibility as a son, as a father, and as an elder brother!
The path to officialdom, though glamorous, is actually littered with corpses along the way.
He wasn't sure if he could walk this path safely and go far.
But he's willing to give it a try...
"I've exchanged quite a few medicinal herbs and seeds these past few days. I was in a hurry to get back today, so my second uncle didn't load them onto the truck. I'll have Zheng Feng deliver them to you tomorrow."
Li Lao Er changed the subject again, instructing his niece, "You must learn diligently from Doctor Zhang. Everything else can wait, but you must master the art of identifying and administering poisons."
"If anyone bullies you in the future, teach them a lesson for minor offenses, and poison them for major offenses. Don't be afraid, your second uncle will take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"
"Let me repeat myself. You have three uncles, one father, and seven brothers. If you're not arrogant and domineering, and don't bully others at will, everyone should be grateful! There's no reason for you to suffer injustice or be bullied by others, understand?"
"I understand!" Jiayin replied loudly, then couldn't help but hug her second uncle's neck and giggle.
Fortunately, she's not a real child; otherwise, if she were constantly being indoctrinated like this, she would probably have gone astray long ago!
But it was clear that her second uncle also knew she was intelligent and kind, and that she wouldn't really take someone's life so casually.
But her second uncle still had to say what needed to be said, just to give her confidence!
She'd rather bully others than be bullied herself, because her family would feel sorry for her if she were!
She absolutely adores being favored and protected!
"Second Uncle, if being an official isn't fun, come home. Fu Niu'er will protect you, and Fu Niu'er will be filial to you when she grows up!" Jia Yin leaned over and gave her second uncle a big kiss on the hair.
Li Lao Er quickly scolded, "Second Uncle has been running around outside all day, his head is dirty, don't move around."
"I don't mind that my second uncle is dirty, he's the best!"
Jiayin flattered him with a grin, making Li Lao Er grin even wider, his heart burning with excitement...
Old Mrs. Li found some fabric in the storeroom and stood under the eaves looking around. When she saw her son and granddaughter returning from outside, she couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Did you two find some silver outside? You're all smiles!"
"Haha, Mother guessed pretty much right!" Li Lao Er put his little niece on the steps and went to get her clothes to wash her hair and take a bath.
Seeing her daughter playing well with her second brother, Tao Hongying couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking of her husband. She said to her mother-in-law, "I wonder when the fourth son and the Marquis will be back? It's almost the Ghost Festival, and they'll be gone for months..."
Old Mrs. Li was also worried, and subconsciously looked towards the courtyard gate, replying, "Who says otherwise? They should have been back by now..."
Not wanting her grandmother and mother to be in a bad mood, Jiayin quickly changed the subject, "My birthday is coming up, and my godfather and father still aren't back. I don't have any good gifts to receive!"
"This girl, she's obsessed with money all day long!" Old Mrs. Li scolded, giving her granddaughter a light tap. "All she ever thinks about is her own birthday!"
Tao Hongying joked, "It's still a long time, but she remembers it clearly."
"Mom, can you bake me a cream cake tomorrow? I want to eat a cream cake for my birthday. Fu Niu'er loves Mom the most, Mom is the best!"
Jiayin cuddled with her mother and wriggled around in her arms like a little worm, making Tao Hongying both amused and exasperated. She patted her daughter a couple of times but couldn't bear to push her away.
Other people's daughters are shy about having a few intimate words with their mothers, but this one is unusually so. She wants to be with her every day, and all she says is "I miss you" and "I love you," which makes her feel both nauseous and happy...
"Okay, okay, I'll light the oven tomorrow and bake that cake for you! I guarantee you'll get to eat it on your birthday!" Tao Hongying bit her daughter's chubby cheek and agreed.
Jiayin got her wish and dragged her grandmother and mother back to the backyard.
Old Mrs. Li and Tao Hongying cut fabric by the light of the oil lamp, while Jiayin played wildly with the three children on the kang (a heated brick bed).
As night deepened, the three family members finally dispersed and went to sleep.
The next morning, Li Lao Er went into town early.
He was going to report to the Ministry of Revenue to collect his official robes and other items. Of course, the main purpose was for everyone in the Ministry of Revenue to see him and for him to get to know his future colleagues.
Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.
The sudden addition of a junior official to the government office is not a major event, but it's not insignificant either.
Moreover, this official also holds the title of Earl and comes from the Li family of Suijintan, which is quite remarkable.
Fortunately, Li Lao Er later took charge of the Relief Bureau, a place that no one else wanted to even glance at.
Therefore, everyone secretly gloated, but no one had any intention of fighting for it.
Moreover, Baihuayuan Garden is currently in Xindu, where it enjoys a very high reputation.
Everyone greeted Li Lao Er and asked about the Hundred Flowers Garden. Li Lao Er then took the opportunity to invite them to the Hundred Flowers Garden for tea and flower viewing during their day off the day after tomorrow.
Everyone readily agreed to such a good deal, and thus treated Li Lao Er with some respect.
In the afternoon, Li Lao Er reported to his superior and then went to the Relief Office.
The beginning is always the hardest!
The relief agency has more than 700 elderly, weak, sick and disabled people who are now eating thick porridge twice a day, morning and evening, and have also begun to receive medical treatment and take medicine, but this is still far from enough.
If a heavy rain were to fall at this time, all the efforts of the past two days would be in vain.
Because in every house, it rains heavily outside and lightly inside.
There was no kang (heated brick bed) in the house; piles of rotten straw were where everyone slept at night...
Li Lao Er sighed, rolled up his sleeves, and began to work hard...
Leaving aside how Li Lao Er started from scratch, let's just say that after Jia Yin had breakfast, she went to find Doctor Zhang to learn from, and was ordered around to dry medicinal herbs and grind them.
After a busy morning, her arms and legs ached from exhaustion, and she finally carried a thick medical book home.
As soon as she entered, she saw Sister-in-law Wenjuan sitting under the eaves. She happily ran up to her and asked, "Second Sister-in-law, why are you back? Where is Second Brother? Where is Third Aunt?"
Wenjuan helped her sister-in-law put down the medical book in her hand and replied with a smile, "Your third aunt is in the academy's canteen. Your second brother dropped me off and then rushed back to the restaurant. I'm the only one at home who's free, and I've been craving my fourth aunt's cooking, so I came back to stay for a few days."
Jiayin noticed a hint of worry in her second sister-in-law's smile and guessed that things couldn't be that simple, but she didn't press the matter.
At lunchtime, all the stewed dishes at home were taken to the backyard. Tao Hongying cooked some extra porridge, prepared two refreshing side dishes, and steamed a pot of scallion oil flower rolls.
Wenjuan had a good appetite, and after eating and drinking her fill, she was so sleepy that she kept yawning. Old Mrs. Li chased her to the backyard for a nap.
Jiayin leaned closer to her grandmother and whispered, "Grandma, why is Second Sister-in-law back? Did she have a fight with Second Brother?"
"No," Grandma Li said softly, taking off her silver comb to re-braid her granddaughter's hair when she saw it was messy. "Your second brother is an honest man, and he and your second sister-in-law have a good relationship. How could they quarrel? Something must have happened to your second sister-in-law's family!"
"What's going on at your second sister-in-law's family?" Jiayin asked curiously. "Didn't Mr. Peng just get a new wife and spend all his time with her? What's causing trouble?"
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