On the evening of the day after the army's triumphant return, the officials returned to the county town after completing their inspection.
In the back hall, several maids were busy running around, circling around Jiang Yushu.
"Ma'am, is it true?" Cuimei, who was about to give birth, held her large belly with great effort and asked excitedly, "Did you really see Changrong?"
"Hahaha, why would I lie to you? Of course it's true! Don't worry, your brother Rong is back safely."
"That's wonderful! It's really wonderful!"
Jiang Yushu took off her veil, her face flushed from the sun, and she had regained her usual capable and brisk demeanor. As she washed her hands, she instructed, "By the way, I know that the two thousand taels that my cousin returned were compensation from my grandmother for the broken engagement. It makes me sad just thinking about it. Give it to Zou Gui later and have him use it to buy sheep. Three days later, send it all to the military camp along with the government's condolences to reward the soldiers who have returned victorious from the expedition, as a token of the government's care and respect!"
"Two thousand taels, all for sheep?"
Jiang Yushu was in a good mood and nodded generously, "Yes! There are tens of thousands of troops here. If we don't buy a few more sheep, there won't be enough to eat."
"Okay!" Cuimei smiled happily when she learned that her husband was safe, "I'll do it right away." Unexpectedly, she moved a little hastily and her stomach was shaken when she turned around. She felt uncomfortable suddenly, frowned, held her stomach, and groaned.
The little maidservant beside her hurriedly supported her, "Sister Cui, what's wrong with you?"
"My stomach hurts, it seems like I'm about to give birth?" Cuimei's face turned pale and she sat on the ground in pain.
Jiang Yushu was washing her face in front of the washstand. Upon hearing this, she dropped her handkerchief, hurried to investigate, and calmly instructed, "Don't panic. You were due to give birth these days anyway. The time has come for the baby to be born. Xiaoxia, get someone to call the midwife immediately!"
"Oh, yes!" The little maid ran out to pass on the message.
Cuimei held her belly, her face full of regret, and gritted her teeth as she said, "Why are we giving birth so suddenly? We had planned this a long time ago. We wanted to wait until Brother Rong came to visit his family before giving birth. He's curious and has always wanted to see what the newborn baby looks like."
Jiang Yushu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. "You two have a good discussion, but will the child obey? If the child wants to be born, who can stop him? Stop talking nonsense and cheer up!" She ordered the maids and the old woman to help Cuimei back to the room together, and they were busy until the midwife arrived to take over.
Late at night, the baby was born, and the adults all breathed a sigh of relief at the baby's tender cry.
"Congratulations, you have a daughter."
The midwife skillfully wrapped the blanket and said with a smile, "This baby weighs a full eight kilograms."
Jiang Yushu came closer, looked at the red baby, and praised: "Wow? Cuimei is really amazing, she gave birth to a big fat girl!"
"ah?"
Cuimei couldn't hide her disappointment, and murmured exhaustedly: "Is it a daughter? Brother Rong likes sons."
Jiang Yushu said without hesitation: "Children are all his own flesh and blood. Could it be that he doesn't like his daughter? Don't let your imagination run wild. Be happy. I think this child is very good. She has bright eyes and is very smart."
"Really? Let me see."
Several women surrounded the chubby-faced baby, and praised him again and again with great enthusiasm, until Cuimei's worry turned into joy.
After a long time, Jiang Yushu was sure that her confidant and her daughter were safe before she left and returned to her room to rest.
Unexpectedly, he was stopped by his brother-in-law in the courtyard.
"Hongxuan?" The group stopped and she asked in surprise, "It's so late, why haven't you rested yet?"
Guo Hongxuan laughed dryly and replied, "I plan to go back to Heqin tomorrow to say goodbye to my second sister-in-law."
"Going back to Heqin tomorrow?" Jiang Yushu was startled and asked in surprise, "You, your second brother is back, and you're leaving without meeting him?"
Guo Hongxuan explained, "Well, I do want to, but my mother has been writing to me repeatedly, urging me to go home. I really can't delay any longer. I have to leave as soon as possible to avoid making her angry."
Jiang Yushu calmed herself down and, using the lantern light to examine her brother-in-law, understood after a moment's thought. She waved away the attendant maidservants and asked with a smile, "Are you not only afraid of your mother's anger? Are you also afraid of your second brother's anger?"
"Well, this, this..." Guo Hongxuan hesitated and denied awkwardly, "No."
Jiang Yushu saw this and understood everything. She sighed and said, "Alright, no need to deny it. You're so scared that you don't even dare to face your brother. How can you say 'no'?"
Guo Hongxuan was silent for a moment, then gave an embarrassed smile. "Sister-in-law, you're wise. You guessed right. I, I know my second brother's temper very well. He'll definitely get angry, maybe even get angry and hit me."
If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place? Jiang Yushu tried her best to suppress her laughter and advised seriously, "Are you afraid of being beaten now? It's too late. I advise you not to rush home. Stay and face it bravely. The two brothers can sit down and talk, and the matter will be over. There is nothing to be afraid of. If Honglei makes a move, I will definitely stop him if I am there."
"What if my sister-in-law isn't here?" Guo Hongxuan was apprehensive. He had been ecstatic when he first learned his brother had returned safely, but after calming down, he began to feel regretful and timid, fearing a beating.
Jiang Yushu kept a straight face and tried hard to suppress a smile. "That's God's will." After she finished speaking, she couldn't help laughing and said happily, "What are you afraid of? I believe Hong Lei. No matter how angry he is, he will know his limits and will never really hurt his own brother!"
"I'm sure my second brother won't do anything serious, but a beating hurts," Guo Hongxuan thought gloomily, muttering, "I might as well just go home and avoid the limelight. I've already written a letter and asked my sister-in-law to give it to my second brother. By the time he's free to visit, I'm sure his anger will have mostly subsided."
"Yeah?"
Jiang Yushu raised an eyebrow and calmly reminded him, "Do you think you won't get beaten if you go home? The courtesan, the illegitimate child, the missed exams, and so on—all these things combined have really pissed Mother off. If you rush home without even seeing your brother, Mother will definitely be unhappy. Do you think she'll use family discipline?"
"This, this..." Guo Hongxuan scratched his head in distress.
Jiang Yushu continued her analysis, "If you choose to go home quietly, the outcome will likely be this: Mother will be angry and give you a beating. Furthermore, when Honglei is free to visit, your absence will not only not cool him down, but will actually make him even angrier, and he'll most likely give you a beating. However, if you choose to stay, take the initiative to 'talk' with your brother, and then go home, Mother will see that you've been punished, and her anger will probably subside, with at most a few scoldings."
"One lesson or two, your choice."
Guo Hongxuan thought for a while, and finally said with difficulty: "Yes, sister-in-law is right. Mother is always easily distressed and soft-hearted. Since she is destined to be beaten, of course she will choose to take less. I choose to stay."
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu clapped her hands crisply, "This is what a smart person does! It's very late, go to bed quickly, and scholars should get up early to study hard." As she spoke, she walked briskly towards the bedroom.
Guo Hongxuan did not forget to beg: "Sister-in-law, don't forget, when Second Brother is angry, you must remember to persuade him!"
"knew."
As soon as Jiang Yushu stepped into the room, she laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back. After all the laughter, she was full of energy and thought: Three days later, the county government will come to reward the victorious army, and we can meet again!
The next morning
In the conference room, all the clerks were good at observing the magistrate's words and expressions, and only dared to smile when they saw that the magistrate was in a good mood. Before the border troops returned victorious, they usually sat upright and did not dare to talk or laugh with the magistrate.
Jiang Yushu turned around and asked, "Has the good news of the army's triumphant return been announced?"
The clerk stood up hurriedly and said, "The good news was posted the day before yesterday morning."
"Very good." She nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "The army has won a victory. According to custom, the government should offer condolences and rewards. This will be handed over to the county magistrate. You can just prepare the wine and food according to the old rules."
Huang Yichun lowered his head and replied, "Yes."
She took a sip of tea and said with a headache, "October 19th is the Emperor's Birthday. It's a day of celebration for the whole country. All local governments need to present birthday gifts, so they have to prepare them in advance. What did Tu Ning usually send in previous years?"
Everyone answered in unison, "This local area is rich in medicinal herbs. In previous years, they mostly gave us valuable herbs, such as deer antlers and ginseng."
"I think giving ginseng is the most appropriate way! It's both convenient and appropriate."
“Yes, ginseng is good.”
"But, since silk is produced at the beginning of this year, how about giving me some embroidery? How about embroidering 'Long Live the Buddha'?"
"Embroidery? How can we compare with the Jiangnan region? In my opinion, it's not appropriate."
"Besides, does Tuning have any skilled embroiderers? Even if there were, I'm afraid it wouldn't be in time."
"As for gifts, it's enough to express respect. Rare treasures and exquisite embroidery are difficult to come by, so 'safety' is the most important thing."
The weather was hot, and Jiang Yushu slowly fanned herself while discussing with her subordinates. She sighed and thought: I've always been careless about my own birthday, and I often can't get together with my family on their birthdays. But now I'm diligently preparing a birthday gift for the emperor in advance? It really is...
After a long pause, she came to her senses and instructed, "Regarding the birthday gift, everyone, please think carefully about it and brainstorm. We should discuss it again in two days and decide on it as soon as possible. Also, on the day of visiting the victorious army, Prefect Ji and Lord Pei will be accompanying us, so please make proper arrangements for the carriages and horses."
"yes."
In a blink of an eye, it was time to visit the border troops.
That morning, Jiang Yushu packed up early and waited for half an hour before the prefect Ji Xuelian slowly appeared. Pei Wenfeng followed his father-in-law.
"County Magistrate Jiang, are you waiting for me?" Ji Xuelian smiled gently. Pei Wenfeng, his face calm, explained, "We got up quite early, but the government office sent us some urgent documents that we had to deal with."
Jiang Yushu smiled and said, "No hurry, no hurry, it's still early."
Ji Xuelian waved his hand and said, "It's better to come early than late when you're a guest. Let's go to the camp early and taste General Song's good tea."
"Please."
Jiang Yushu was radiant and could not hide her joy. As the group left the government office, a large group of sheep bleating "meah" followed behind the carriages and horses, and there were several carts of wine covered with red paper. They left the city in a lively manner and headed for the camp.
At the same time, the capital Jiang Mansion
His son is about to go on a long journey, and as a father he is extremely worried.
Jiang Shisen sat upright and instructed sternly, "I have already written to Yushu and Honglei. Your eldest sister will be responsible for taking care of you. When the time comes, you will stay in Heqin for a few days, first to pay your respects to the old lady of the Guo family, and second to visit your nephew and niece, and then go to Yongzhou. Remember?"
"I'll remember it, son." Jiang Mingcheng knelt on the ground, dressed as if he was going on a long journey.
Jiang Shisen nodded and was about to continue teaching his eldest son when the door was suddenly kicked open!
With a loud bang, Xu stormed into the study, glaring at her husband. Her hair was gray and messy, and the corners of her eyes were covered with wrinkles. She looked old and haggard, and her former beauty and charm were gone. She cried and shouted, "I don't agree with Mingcheng going to the frontier to study. I absolutely don't agree! Can't he study near the capital?"
Jiang Shisen's face darkened instantly. "Humph, who asked for your opinion? Who's in charge of this family? Get out. If you want to throw a tantrum, go back to your room."
Xu rushed to her son, hugged him in panic, and said incoherently, "In short, I will not agree. That damn place killed my Shan'er. What if Mingcheng gets hurt too? Will I still be able to survive? My son is my child. Why should I have to listen to you?"
"Mother, mother, calm down." Jiang Mingcheng sighed helplessly, "Don't worry, I'm not going on a long journey alone. Besides, I have my sister and brother-in-law to take care of me--"
"What 'sister'?" Mrs. Xu interrupted her eldest son, shaking him violently and angrily scolding him, "Your sister is dead. Yushan died a long time ago, killed by your so-called good sister! Idiot, you idiot, not only did you not stay away, but you even came closer? Yushu is a vicious person, you are simply courting death!"
"Crazy woman, have you had enough?" Jiang Shisen was extremely impatient. He slammed the table, stood up suddenly, pulled his step-wife away, threw her aside, and shouted:
"Yushan was clearly spoiled by you, and you almost killed her. A loving mother often spoils her son. Don't even think about interfering in disciplining your son, lest he be corrupted by you. Come! Send her back to her room. Without my order, don't let her go out and cause trouble!"
The author has something to say: I have never forgotten this lunch box
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