Chapter 3311 Arrangement
He paused and said, "I remember you still have 20 days of home leave. Isn't that enough?"
Bai Shan immediately said: "Not only back to Longzhou, but also back to Mianzhou."
He said, "Mr. Zhou and I haven't been back to our hometown for many years, and we haven't been able to offer sacrifices to our parents and ancestors. So I plan to take my children back next year when they are older to offer sacrifices to our ancestors and fulfill our filial piety."
Old Master Tang then stopped asking questions and waved his hand for him to leave.
As the former head of the Imperial Censors, Old Tang naturally knew what to do to dispel the rumors as quickly as possible. So, during a grand court meeting, while the Emperor was away, Old Tang pulled over Minister Cui of the Ministry of Personnel to complain about Bai Shan's practice of saving vacation time, goading him, "The court is still short of people. That's why officials are so busy that they have to spend a year saving up vacation time even to visit their families."
Minister Cui remained silent, his expression as calm as a mountain as he spoke, "Every official's home leave is calculated based on the distance from their hometown. Some officials, though their homes are nearby, still choose to travel far away to visit their families. What can I do about that? The court pays out salaries for twelve months a year. We can't set aside two or three months every year for family visits, can we?"
Regardless of the opinions of Lord Tang and Minister Cui, Bai Shan's intention to accumulate vacation time had spread, and the rumors gradually died down.
When Yin Huo went to see Zhou Man, he smiled and said, "Everyone is a little disappointed to see that your relationship is still the same as before."
Zhou Man said dissatisfiedly: "Is our relationship so easily destroyed?"
"The issue of having children and carrying on the family line is no small matter," Yin Huo said with a smile. "How many couples would have a rift over eating a bowl of porridge or a bowl of rice, let alone such a major matter as having children and carrying on the family line."
Zhou Man looked at him in surprise, "When did you become so proficient in these worldly matters?"
"If you read more, you will understand it after a little thought."
Zhou Man: "Where are you going to watch it?"
"Xuandu Temple and Huguo Temple," Yin Huo said with a smile. "People who go to Xuandu Temple and Huguo Temple to pray to the gods and Buddhas, listen to them express their various troubles and requests in front of the statues and shrines, and you will understand."
Zhou Man said with a sigh, "You seem to like going to Xuandu Temple and Huguo Temple more and more now."
Yin Huo smiled and said, "Because those two places are quiet."
Zhou Man thought for a moment and nodded, "That's true."
Xuandu Temple and Huguo Temple are both very popular now, with a lot of pilgrims coming and going, so the front hall is naturally not clean.
But whether Yin was a distinguished guest, he had a quiet guesthouse to rest in either Xuandu Temple or Huguo Temple. Because he went there so often, there were even guesthouses dedicated to him on both sides.
In Xuandu Temple, he could discuss metaphysics with Daohe; when he went to Huguo Temple, Master Zhiren, who rarely saw guests, would also discuss Buddhism with him. Sometimes the three of them would get together to play chess and drink tea. Those days were so carefree.
The more Zhou Man thought about it, the more envious he became. He asked, "Ghost Month is coming soon. Will there be any activities at Huguo Temple and Xuandu Temple?"
Yin Huo looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Why, you want to go out?"
Zhou Man said: "I will be out of confinement by then, and I can go out for a walk."
Yin Huo shook his head and said, "No, you should go find Bai Shan. I haven't heard of any activities."
Zhou Man: "Bai Shan will return to Longzhou next month."
Bai Shan was also worried that Zhou Man would be bored. She could only take a walk in the yard recently. As the weather was getting hotter, even enjoying the breeze became a luxury. So when Zhou Man stared at her eagerly, Bai Shan couldn't refuse, so she took the initiative to find Yin Huo and Bai Erlang.
"Next month, Ghost Month, shall we go to Xuandu Temple and sit for a while?"
Yin Huo asked, "Aren't you going to Longzhou?"
"Yes, but it won't make any difference if my family is missing me. Manbao and my daughter will go with you."
Yin Or: "..."
Bai Erlang was very happy. "Okay, okay. I heard that Xuandu Temple will be performing a ritual to save the dead souls in the temple throughout the Ghost Month. There are discounts for rituals. We can also do some good deeds."
Bai Shan arranged a date for their trip and then returned to Longzhou to cultivate good relationships with his clan members.
Bai Shan doesn't have many good memories of Longzhou. Perhaps it's because good things are relatively shallow in his memory, so he can't remember the happy things; but it's because the bad things are too profound, so he remembers them very clearly.
Especially since he was too angry and sad when he left Longzhou, he was not in a very good mood every time he returned to Longzhou.
But I still feel good when I go to worship my father.
As soon as Bai Shan returned to Longzhou, he went to visit his father's grave. Kneeling in front of the grave, he gave a brief account of their lives in the past few years, asking him to rest assured that he would take good care of his grandmother and mother. He stood up only after offering wine.
When Bai Shan strolled back to his tribe, it was already dark. In the dim night, there were few people on the street. Some families hung lanterns at their doors, and some people were out shopping. When they saw Bai Shan riding by on a horse, most people didn't recognize him, so they looked at him curiously.
But there were also people who knew him and greeted him, "Is he the kind boy from the fourth room?"
Bai Shan stopped his horse and replied with a smile, "Yes."
When they heard it was from the fourth house, someone immediately asked, "Is it the one who is a high-ranking official in the capital?"
"The fourth wife only has one son, who else could it be if not him?"
In the dim light, someone saw Bai Shan's face clearly and praised him, "He's so handsome. He looks even better than his father."
"Of course I am. I heard his wife is pretty too, and their child might be even more handsome than him in the future."
"Everyone in the fourth family is good at reading. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all good at reading."
"He studied better and passed the imperial examination before he even reached adulthood."
Bai Shan strolled back to his own door. The doorman immediately came forward to hold his horse and whispered, "Master, someone from the main house is here to invite you over. They said they've prepared a welcoming party for you."
Bai Shan stopped and asked, "Where are the people?"
"He's sitting in the hall. It's the eldest son from the main house who's here."
Bai Shan went to the hall first. Seeing the strange middle-aged man sitting inside, Bai Shan smiled and bowed, saying, "Cousin Shen, I've been waiting for a long time."
Bai Shen immediately returned the greeting and said with a smile, "You're welcome, Shan cousin. I heard you went to the ancestral tomb right after you got back. You must be tired today. I should have invited you to our house for a gathering tomorrow, but the elders are waiting, so..."
"Shan knows, how dare I let the elders wait in vain. Cousin Shen, please wait a moment, I will change my clothes and come back." Since he has decided to have a good relationship with the tribe members, Bai Shan will do his best to do it.
Although he couldn't do what his grandmother said, that is, to swallow insults and be flexible, he would not cause trouble and tried his best to be gentle and friendly.
Bai saw that he was much gentler this time than before, and the coldness and arrogance he usually showed had dissipated a lot. She felt relieved and her secret hostility was reduced.
Bai Shan met the elders of the tribe that night and went to the tribe school the next day.
The clan school remained the same. Twenty years had passed, and it seemed nothing had changed. Not even the buildings had aged. Bai Shan stopped at the gate and asked with a smile, "Who is the teacher in the clan school now?"
"Oh, it's the third cousin from the second room, the second cousin from the fifth room, and the eldest cousin from the sixth room."
The teacher who had forced Bai Shan out of the clan school was no longer there. Bai Shan smiled and walked into the clan school calmly with everyone else.
(End of this chapter)
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