They were somewhat well-known in Tai'an, but here, they were only qualified to listen to others' speeches. Fortunately, they studied hard and had a solid knowledge, otherwise they would have brought shame to the teacher.
What young people lack the least is spirit. The brothers and sisters summarized their experiences while drinking tea. Instead of being discouraged, they were more inspired to study.
In the backyard, Madam Wu helped her husband wipe his hands and said with a smile, "I heard that today's poetry gathering was very lively, and many good poems were produced! Aren't you afraid that Yongning and the others will be discouraged and lose their fighting spirit?"
Mr. Wu also smiled, a rare hint of pride on his face, and replied, "Don't worry, young people are not easily frustrated. I have confidence in my disciples. They have been playing for a few days since I came back. Tomorrow I will take them to start hard study."
After saying that, he remembered something and asked, "Did the old house send someone over again?"
Mrs. Wu's eyes darkened, and she sighed and replied, "It's nothing serious. They just want us to stay over there for a few days and celebrate the New Year and worship our ancestors together."
Mr. Wu snorted coldly and replied, "They're not fools. How could they not know why I prefer living in the outer courtyard instead of the main house? They actually sent someone to tell me about this. They must be judging my good temper and will definitely consider their face! You don't have to worry about it. If anyone comes to ask again, just say I gave the order and come back when it's time to worship the ancestors."
Mrs. Wu was a little worried and advised, "Isn't this too much? Why not go there three days in advance? It's only a few days, so just bear with it."
When Mr. Wu was about to speak, the servant who usually served him came in with the maid who announced it.
"Sir, someone claiming to be a servant of the Chen family has delivered a letter to you."
Chen family?
Mr. Wu frowned, unable to remember which family this Chen was.
He opened the envelope, glanced at the contents, and was surprised...
Tai Yongning was pouring tea for his fellow brothers when Yongfeng, who had just brought hot water, couldn't help but wipe the sweat off his face and said, "It's so hot here. Back home it's so cold at this time of year that I can't wait to go out. My eyelashes are frozen. But here I actually want to wear a sweat shirt every day."
Everyone laughed when they heard this. Yongfeng was Yongning's cousin, different from an ordinary servant, so Tengyu and the others did not treat him as an outsider. Now they started talking about the differences between the north and the south.
"There's more than that. Look, there are still crops in the fields outside the city. If it were in our hometown, they would have been frozen to pieces long ago."
"The food here tasted okay at first, but after a while, I still miss the pork elbows stewed by my cook back home!"
"Yes, yes, I also want to eat the roast chicken from that place in the city. The chicken here is just boiled in water, it's really tasteless!"
Just as they were talking excitedly, someone suddenly called out from outside the door, "Master Yongning, there's news from your family. Sir, please come over!"
Yongning stood up in surprise and said goodbye to his fellow brothers in a hurry.
Teng Yu and the others hurriedly chased him away, urging him, "Go quickly! Go quickly! I don't know how the battle at the border is going. Be sure to come back and tell us as soon as possible."
Before Yongning could respond, Yongfeng pushed him away.
The two brothers entered Mr. Wu's study one after another. Seeing that Mr. Wu looked a little serious, they shuddered in their hearts.
Yongning was steady and composed, but Yongfeng was not. He almost asked while bowing, "Sir, has the border been breached?"
Mr. Wu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and waved his hands, "No, the border is fine, don't worry."
Yongning and Yongfeng were relieved. Yongfeng remembered his rudeness and impoliteness just now, and with a chuckle, he retreated to the door, leaving Yongning to step forward and salute.
Mr. Wu didn't let him guess any more and just handed him the letter paper.
After Yongning read it, his heart, which had just been put at ease, became heavier again.
"Sir, I'm afraid something must have happened at home. Otherwise, my grandfather would never have sent my sister here. He couldn't bear to let her go! And my mother has always been the head of the family, and she even came this time! There must be something wrong!"
Mr. Wu nodded and replied, "I guess so, but don't worry too much. Your grandfather is a rare wise and sensible old man. Even if something happens, he will definitely make thorough arrangements. If it's dangerous, your brothers will also come, so it won't be just your mother and sister."
Yongning was anxious and couldn't help but say, "Sir, I want to see my mother and sister..."
Mr. Wu quickly stopped him, "No, that won't work. The letter only says your mother and her family are in Shunde Prefecture, but we don't even know their specific address. How are you going to find them? Besides, if the writer is reliable, your mother will be here in three or four days. You just have to wait."
"Don't worry, sir. The person who wrote the letter is Uncle Chen, who is also my brother Ruiyang's uncle. He is very close to our family. He is absolutely trustworthy!" Yongning wanted to persuade the gentleman, but unfortunately, the gentleman refused to let him go no matter what.
In the end, Yongning had no choice but to lower his head.
Mr. Wu patted his shoulder and advised, "When you are anxious, you need to calm yourself down. Study hard. I will send someone to wait at the city gate. Don't worry."
Yongning bowed and thanked him, then pulled Yongfeng out.
Yongfeng was about to explode with all the words in his stomach, and he blurted them out in a series.
"Yongning, what did the letter say? Aunt and Zhuzhu are here? There's no one else at home, are they the only ones here? Why didn't they come here? Why did they follow Uncle Chen to Shunde Mansion?"
Yongning patiently explained the situation to him, then cheered up and said, "Brother, starting tomorrow, you'll be waiting at the city gate. I'm worried about others, so remember to inquire more about the news in the north."
"Okay, I'll go tomorrow morning!" Yongfeng's eyes were red. He was more worried about his family. At least Yongning's mother and sister came, but where were his parents, grandfather, and family? He didn't know what was happening to him.
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