"Achoo!" Li Lao Er was sitting in the carriage, carefully protecting the orchid pot, when he suddenly sneezed loudly, startling him so much that he quickly moved away from the flowerpot.
Yesterday at the Liu family's house, the orchid received a lot of praise in the autumn rankings, and the family also said that this second pot would be given to Mr. Tang.
He should hurry to Luo'an today, lest he offend someone if he is late in delivering the goods.
Perhaps someone has already spread the news to the academy, and many people are waiting to see what happens.
He was right. As soon as he arrived at his shop in Luo'an, Mr. Peng's page was already waiting for him.
"Lord, you've finally arrived! Our master said that someone sent an invitation last night, saying that they would be coming to Mr. Tang's place today to admire the flowers."
"Mr. Tang sent someone to ask our master again, and our master had no choice but to instruct me to come here early and wait. If you hadn't come soon, I would have had to take a carriage to Suijintan!"
Upon hearing this, Li Lao Er hurriedly said something to Li Lao San and then carried the flowerpot into the academy.
Mr. Peng met him directly on the road, and then they went to see Mr. Tang.
Mr. Peng said, "Sir, our family is truly amazing! I was originally going to suggest that instead of gold and silver, we should send flowers to Mr. Tang. I never expected that our family would prepare such a surprise. Mr. Tang will definitely love it!"
"I'm glad Mr. Tang likes it. We really didn't know what to give him, so we just gave him something he likes. Speaking of which, I have to praise my Fu Niu. She heard from Jia Ren that Mr. Tang likes orchids, so she insisted on going to buy some on the way home, and she actually managed to buy two nice ones."
As Li Lao Er walked and talked with Mr. Peng, he didn't forget to bring out his little niece to show off as usual.
Mr. Peng found it amusing; the Li family cared for their child more than anyone else.
Putting everything else aside, they even bought a new courtyard for their grandsons who are studying at the academy.
But looking at it from another perspective, this is a good thing.
After all, once the daughter marries into the family and has children, she will definitely be pampered.
The two quickly arrived at the small courtyard where Mr. Tang lived and were immediately welcomed inside.
Mr. Tang is not only the most famous left-handed calligrapher in Tianwu, but also a man of great learning and talent, respected by all.
This time, at the invitation of Dean Luo An, I came to stay at the hospital for three years, so my food, clothing, accommodation and transportation were all taken care of.
The small courtyard where I now live is somewhat secluded, but quiet and elegant, making it a perfect place for writing poetry and painting.
At this moment, four or five gentlemen were already chatting with Mr. Tang in the study.
It even included the dean!
Hearing that someone from the Li family had come to deliver flowers, everyone stood up with a smile.
Someone exclaimed, "Ah, we've finally waited for this!"
“Yes, I even postponed my class to the afternoon, it was definitely worth the wait!” Another gentleman was also very excited.
Instead, the dean pretended to scold him, saying, "You're blatantly slacking off! You really don't respect me, the dean, at all!"
"Oh dear, we're all flower lovers, so we don't care about status right now!" The two gentlemen covered their faces, pretending that the dean couldn't see them, which made everyone laugh.
Li Lao Er entered the house, put down the flowerpot, and was surprised to see the crowd's arrival. He quickly bowed.
The crowd hurriedly returned the greeting, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then surrounded the flowerpot, praising it in unison.
"Truly top-notch! Absolutely top-notch!"
"Yes, look at these leaves, so green and jade-like, they've been grown so well!"
"No, no, what's rare is these flower stems and buds. Even if they wither this year, the pot will be full of flowers again next year."
"Mr. Tang, you mustn't be stingy. We should come to admire your work often. No, I want to paint a few more pictures. This kind of elegant beauty must be preserved forever."
"Me too, let's draw together then."
Mr. Tang was an old man with a white beard, tall and with a straight back, showing no signs of old age.
Two of his calligraphy works hung on the wall, the strokes powerful and bold, inspiring Li Lao Er to nod in approval.
Jiaren is lucky to have such a teacher who teaches left-handed writing. Even if he can't reach the same level as his teacher, at least his poor handwriting won't affect his grades during exams.
After admiring the orchids for quite some time, everyone finally realized that they had neglected Li Lao Er, so they quickly dispersed and invited Li Lao Er to sit down and have some tea.
Mr. Tang's voice was very loud and he was also a generous person. He thanked him and said, "Uncle Li, rest assured, I like this orchid very much. I will definitely do my best to guide Jiaren in writing with his left hand in the future."
Li Lao Er quickly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, sir. I entrust Jia Ren to you. In the future, if we have any nice flowers, we will definitely send them to you for your appreciation."
"As you know, sir, we come from a farming family and prefer growing crops to flowers and grass. Even if we acquire a peerless flower, we don't know what makes it so special. But it's different when it comes to you, sir. It's like a fine sword for a hero; it's a good home for a beautiful flower."
Mr. Tang laughed when he heard this, "We like flowers, but it's just for our own enjoyment. However, your family's habit of growing grain is a good thing that benefits the country and the people."
"I heard that corn and potatoes will be widely planted next year, and the people of Tianwu will no longer suffer from famine. This is a blessing for Tianwu."
"Even without Mr. Peng's introduction and without your family sending flowers, I would still be willing to teach Jiaren to write, as if I were repaying the Li family on behalf of the people of Tianwu."
Whether these words were sincere or not, Li Lao Er couldn't help but feel warm inside and repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks.
The dean and the other gentlemen offered a few compliments, and the atmosphere in the room became extremely harmonious.
It was almost noon, and since Mr. Tang preferred quiet, the group decided not to linger and arranged to come back for painting the following afternoon before taking their leave.
Mr. Peng invited Li Lao Er to his home for lunch, and Li Lao Er did not refuse.
The Peng family did not yet have a matriarch; only a housekeeper managed the household affairs. However, the lunch served to the in-laws was still quite lavish.
As a nobleman, Li Lao Er was well-educated and had experienced the hardships of life, making him far more worldly-wise than the average scholar.
While eating and talking with Mr. Peng, we unexpectedly found ourselves getting along very well and even closer than before.
Mr. Peng said, "Jiaren is a talented child and works hard enough. He can take the imperial examination next spring. He should first pass the preliminary examination for the first degree, and if he is ambitious, he should also pass the county-level examination for the second degree."
"It's Li Ge'er. He can also try to become a Tong Sheng (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations). If we're lucky, maybe our family can produce two Tong Sheng at once."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Li Lao Er beamed with joy, quickly poured wine for Mr. Peng, and thanked him repeatedly.
That's how all parents are.
Even if he were to become the top scorer in the college entrance exam, he wouldn't feel particularly impressive. But if his child had just learned a single character and he wrote it in his palm, he would be so happy and proud that he couldn't stop smiling for a long time.
In this world, the most precious thing is a parent's heart!
After eating and drinking his fill, Li Lao Er, wanting to check on the shop and chat with his brothers, took his leave early.
Mr. Peng had no classes today, so he took advantage of the meal to walk Li Lao Er for part of the way.
Just then, they ran into Jiaren with Jia'an, Jiaxi, Lige'er and Maoge'er!
Jiaren and Lige'er are alright; they've gotten used to studying here.
But Jia'an, Jiaxi, and Maoge'er had just passed the initial excitement period and had been missing home terribly these past few days, so they suddenly burst into tears upon seeing their relatives.
Cat Brother clung to his second uncle and wouldn't get off. "Waaah, Second Uncle, I want to go home! I miss Grandma, I miss my sister! I also want to eat Auntie's cooking!"
Although Jia'an and Jiaxi didn't cry, their eyes were red, and they clung to their second uncle's arms, one on each side, without moving.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com