Old Ding and Mrs. Meng had been powerful figures in this family for decades, always having the final say. Unexpectedly, in their old age, they would be bullied by their sons. They cried bitterly, while Jian Ning and the clan's ancestral hall were a completely different scene, as lively as New Year's Eve.
After Jian Ning and the others were sent home by the villagers, Erniu and Sanniu returned to their familiar home after months away. When they saw Qiaofeng, Mr. Ding Sanye and his son, as well as the Tian and Chang families, they jumped for joy and their laughter almost lifted up the yard.
Guoguo was even happier than the others. As soon as Ding Youtian entered the yard, Master Ding San told him, "This Guo'er has really become a spirit. Ever since it heard us talking about your return, it hasn't gone out to the back mountains to hunt for food these past few days. It's been waiting for you at the village entrance all day long."
"It's been waiting for you today! Look how happy it is!"
Mr. Ding San said happily.
When Ding Yang and Ding Jian saw Ding Youtian in his top scholar robes, their eyes widened. Ding Jian said, "Wow, Fourth Brother, what were you talking about? Oh, right, a golden phoenix flying out of a mountain valley. Wow, this outfit is so inspiring! I'm jealous just looking at it."
Ding Yang hit him on the shoulder. "There's no point in being jealous. Even if Dad were to send us to school, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to finish as well as Fourth Brother even if we were tied together. Is it something that ordinary people can dream of becoming the top scholar? That's the God of Literature from Heaven descending to earth, understand?"
It was also the first time for Tian and Chang to see the champion robe. Tian went to the village entrance to meet them and had already marveled at Chang. Chang praised, "This is also because my eldest brother is so handsome. With this robe, he looks so, so... what is it? Oh, I can't say, but it looks good anyway!"
Mrs. Chang was smiling. Jane Ning saw that she looked radiant and her spirit was very different from before. She was very happy for her.
After praising Ding Youtian, the two of them gathered around Jian Ning and began to praise her. Chang pulled her aside, looking her up and down. "I never dreamed I'd be hired as a servant for the princess and the number one scholar of our Dayan Kingdom. We couldn't believe it when we first heard it. Honestly, if you hadn't been standing right in front of me wearing this, I wouldn't have believed it!"
Everyone in the courtyard burst into laughter. Wasn't that what everyone was thinking? Who could have imagined that the person Ren Meng had once beaten and scolded like a dough figurine would suddenly become the legitimate daughter of the Prince of Pingnan, and the Princess Anning personally appointed by the Emperor?
This is the honor of all the villagers in Dingxian Village!
The village head also muttered to the clan leader, "That old bastard Ding Erdan was pretty good-looking when he was young, and his nephew Youtian has inherited all the good qualities of his parents. We were born and raised in a bad time. I was only in private school for half a year when the famine hit. Otherwise, I would have passed the imperial examination and become a scholar or something. Sigh!"
"Why are you sighing when you're half buried in the earth?" The clan leader said cheerfully, "I'm content to see the increase in grain production in this lifetime. I can still eat meat every now and then. I never dared to think about such a life before. Now, a young man in the clan has become the top scholar. I'm alive to witness such a happy event. I have nothing to regret in this life."
"Of course I am. I'm happy too. But we were all blind before. But Blind Liu has a sharp eye. He is a man of ability and talent. He saw early on that nephew Youtian could have great potential."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered. Didn't the fourth child take Blind Liu as his teacher? He only went to a private school in town for a few years before, and didn't learn anything. Now that he's become the top scorer in the imperial examination, it might not be because of Blind Liu's teachings. So, is Blind Liu really a great man?"
"Isn't it? Oh!" The village head slapped his thigh, "So my nephew Youtian isn't learning to read bones and fortune-tell from him, he's learning knowledge, and profound knowledge at that."
"Ask the fourth one!"
Ding Youtian was planning to go into the house and change into his old daily clothes, but the two old men dragged him up and wanted to take him to the ancestral hall. Jian Ning hurriedly asked Tian and Chang to help take down the things that were distributed to their families from the carriage, and then quietly took out the silver that her father, King Pingnan, gave to Old Ding and Meng from the Baicao Room and handed it to Ding Youtian.
On the way back, the two men agreed to donate the several hundred taels of silver to the clan and hand it over to the clan leader and the village head as relief funds for the poor households in the village.
Jian Ning would rather give it to those in the village who were in real trouble than to Old Ding and Mrs. Meng. They had land and a house, and several older sons. Although the fifth son was gone, could the eldest, second, and third sons just sit there and watch their parents grow old and not care about their food and drink?
She asked Tian and Chang to distribute the things they brought to the family members. She went back to the room to change her clothes and came out. She saw Chang holding a piece of cloth and talking to Mr. Ding Sanye with a smile on her face. She felt that there seemed to be a subtle change in the relationship between the two.
She couldn't help but glance at them a few more times. When she entered the kitchen, Qiaofeng and Da Niu had just finished washing the hands and faces of Er Niu and San Niu. "Master, I'll get you some water to wash your face. Aunt Tian prepared the water for you early."
"I'll do it myself." Jian Ning rolled up his sleeves. "Oh, by the way, your second senior brother brought you a gift. I'll give it to you later."
Ma Fuquan told everyone about Ma Xiaomai's going to the Nanshan military camp to serve as a soldier and get food after Jian Ning told him. Qiao Feng naturally knew about it too. She blushed slightly and said, "Who wants his things?"
Jian Ning looked at her and smiled, "If you don't want it, then I won't give it to you. It's not a good thing anyway."
Qiao Feng was obviously startled, then lowered her head and said, "I'm going to the clinic."
After saying that, she raised her foot and left.
This child, Jane Ning was secretly happy for them. She was worried that Ma Xiaomai was just being too enthusiastic, but when she saw Qiaofeng blushing just now, what else could she not understand? It turned out that this girl also liked Ma Xiaomai.
It was great. Although Ma Xiaomai was a bit of a fool, he was responsible. With him protecting Qiaofeng for her whole life, Jian Ning was completely relieved. She scooped up some hot water and took it to the backyard. Tian, who had just wet a towel, came over holding Ma Xiaolu.
"You don't know yet, do you?" She glanced towards the front yard, her eyebrows dancing with joy as she lowered her voice and said, "The Chang family is getting married. I see that Mr. Ding San is a bit interested in her, and she seems to be happy about it. The only thing missing is someone to help them break the ice."
"Now that you've seen it, why don't you speak up for them?"
"I was thinking about it. Mai's father said that we don't know what Ding Yang and Ding Jian's attitude is yet, so he told me not to rush and wait for you to come back and discuss it with you. He was afraid that if Ding Yang and Ding Jian were not happy, something might happen. If Chang was angry and ran away and quit working here, I would not be able to report to you then, right?"
After washing her face, Jian Ning smiled and said, "Okay, I think it's a good idea. I'll ask her later. If she's willing, I'll go and help them reconcile. Let my husband talk to Ding Yang and Ding Jian. Maybe the two brothers will listen to him."
This time, everything was good. Although the kitchen at home was far superior to the one in the villa in the capital, Jian Ning felt extremely comfortable when he returned here.
Sure enough, a nest of gold or silver is not as good as your own doghouse!
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