Madam Wang frowned, somewhat annoyed. "What's the big deal about this? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Xinqiu too, he's the Wang family's son-in-law. Although he makes a living through business, our Wang family has officials, and we're a scholarly family!"
Wang E quickly comforted the old lady, "I know Auntie feels sorry for us because we lost our parents at such a young age, but we are just as filial to Auntie. We don't want to trouble Auntie with such a small matter, or disturb Uncle and Brother..."
“You silly girl, you’re being too polite. Back when your father was still alive, he helped your uncle a lot. You were his only daughter, and he entrusted you to your uncle and me on his deathbed. Let alone something so small, even if it were something huge, your uncle and I couldn’t just sit idly by.”
The old lady has been attending quite a few banquets lately, where she's been pampered and treated with great respect, giving her a very confident air.
At this moment, she immediately asked her mother-in-law to call her third son over.
Master Wang was also in his early thirties. Although he was in business and managed affairs, he came from a prominent family and was not lacking in demeanor and presence.
Wang E was quite close to this third brother, and had often called him "brother" since childhood.
At this moment, the brother and sister greeted each other. It was said that Wang Xinqiu had fallen ill from anger over finding an academy for Li Ge'er. Third Master Wang was truly at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"It's a small matter. Just take my elder brother's letter to Luo'an Academy. Why make such a fuss? When I see Xinqiu another day, I'll say a few words to him. Why didn't you tell me when you had trouble?"
Wang E was delighted and quickly thanked her brother, adding, "Master said that Third Brother has been very busy lately, and he can't help him or cause him any trouble. If he hadn't been drunk today, I wouldn't have had the chance to sneak over here."
"Good timing, that's how it should be. It would be a laughing stock for outsiders if the family were to fall apart." After saying a few more words, Third Master Wang left.
Soon, a servant brought over a name card with gold lettering.
Wang E took it, beaming with joy, and thanked her aunt repeatedly.
Madam Wang had a servant bring up two sliced cantaloupes and said, "Come, have a taste. This is the Golden Fruit, named by the Emperor. It tastes really good. I ate a few back in the summer and fell in love with the flavor. I thought it was out of season, but I didn't expect it to be sold again before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your third brother managed to buy two baskets."
Wang E had heard of it before, and while eating, she coaxed the old lady, "Auntie is so lucky, Third Brother is so filial. I heard this thing is very precious. I've only ever eaten jade melons before, I've never even seen this golden fruit."
"Yes, I heard they come from the Broken Gold Beach outside the city. I wonder if it's because of the hot springs that these fruits are so sweet." Old Madam Wang invited with a smile, "When we're less busy in a few days, let's invite your sisters-in-law and your little nieces to go have some fun together."
“Okay,” Wang E said, thinking about her family and not being able to leave for the time being, so she coaxed, “But, Auntie, there’s no rush. I heard that the hot spring is scalding hot in winter. It would be even more fun to soak in the hot spring while enjoying the snow. We can book the hot spring for two days then, so we don’t have to worry about anyone disturbing us and can enjoy it with peace of mind.”
"Yes, that's how it should be. Let's wait for the snow to fall..."
The old man and the young woman chatted for a while longer before Wang E finally took her leave and went inside.
When they got home, Master Wang had sobered up and was overjoyed to see the calling card. He couldn't help but praise his wife, "Xiao'e, you are so wonderful. Not only have you relieved my worries, but you have also built a ladder for Li Ge'er to rise to the top. You are a virtuous wife and loving mother. Women all over the world should take you as their role model."
Wang E blushed and quickly waved her hand, "What are you saying, sir? It's only right for you and the child."
Master Wang nodded approvingly and said, "Tomorrow I will go to Luo'an Town to see if there is a suitable courtyard. At first, you will have to work hard and stay with Li Ge'er there for a month or two. Once Li Ge'er has settled in, we can leave two capable old women to take care of him."
Wang E was a little worried about her family, so Master Wang hugged her and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, the academy is only a dozen miles from the capital, and it only takes half an hour to get there by carriage. I often visit you, and you can come back often too."
Wang E thought about it and agreed, so she nodded, nestled in her husband's arms, and whispered, "Alright, sir, you must come to see me and our son often."
"Of course, Cat is too noisy, I'll take care of him for now, you just need to look after Li Ge'er," said Master Wang, stroking his wife's hair with a smile.
The couple's harmonious and loving relationship drew envy from the maid and old woman standing at the door.
But what they didn't see was that the smile on Master Wang's face didn't even reach his eyes...
The next day was a beautiful, clear autumn day. In the new village, everyone had nothing to do, so they started sharpening sickles and weaving baskets, preparing to harvest the millet from the mountain after it had dried a bit more.
Grandma Li sat at the entrance of the courtyard, pounding a pile of bean pods.
In spring, some bean stalks were planted around the vegetable garden. Now, they are pulled up, dried, and then knocked open with a wooden stick, revealing the patterned beans inside.
These beans are about the size of peanuts. Soak them in water, then add them to rice and simmer together. They become delicate, soft, and delicious.
Jiayin followed her grandmother, but ended up making things worse for a while. Then, she yawned and ran to lie down on the tarpaulin to slack off.
The chubby little girl, dressed in a floral dress, rested her head on her arm and crossed her legs.
The scene was so amusing that villagers would occasionally squat down and tease her.
Jiayin was so annoyed that she simply turned over and pretended to be asleep.
The autumn breeze brought a touch of coolness, neutralizing the sun's harshness; it was truly delightful.
Jiayin's mind wandered through the space, putting the chicken, duck and goose eggs she had collected over the past few days together, preparing to find an opportunity to stuff them into the kitchen.
The small fish fry that were put into the fishpond in the corner of the yard last year have now grown to half a foot long.
These are wild fish from the river, unlike the farmed fish fry that were originally raised in the courtyard. It's already quite an achievement that they've grown to this size.
I'll take out a few tomorrow and make a crucian carp and tofu soup. It'll be delicious and good for calcium.
She's already over two years old; she can't just keep gaining weight and not growing taller!
Jiayin secretly pinched her little belly, imagining herself wearing a padded jacket and trousers in winter, fearing she would turn into a ball...
And those fat pigs, they never had a chance to be released to be slaughtered, but they've been living the good life, eating until they're all fat and bloated.
They even fell in love... Just last month, they had two litters of piglets, one with six piglets and the other with seven.
In less than a month, they have all grown round and chubby, with pink and white fur, and they are all incredibly cute.
But Jia Yin won't hold back just because they're cute!
She had already planned it out. In a few days, she would select a few male piglets to keep as breeding pigs, and castrate the rest into "eunuch pigs," which would also help them fatten up. She planned to slaughter a couple of them for a feast during the New Year.
Speaking of fattening, it brings up the five acres of private land behind the yard.
With so many more mouths to feed in the yard, there probably won't be any left over from the harvested corn and potatoes.
But Jiayin always wanted to give these two items to Young Master Ye to help Tianwu restore the country's strength and recover the lost territories.
Although she was just a young girl, and the Li family was a poor farming family.
But the rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen.
Without a prosperous and powerful nation, how can the people live a peaceful and stable life?
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