Chapter 675 Extra Chapter 2 Is this what life is like in the village? (6k words)
As summer arrived, Xuan Yue's carriage finally entered Qingquan Village.
"Princess, I've heard that there's no fine food in the village! The houses leak and the wind and rain are everywhere! There's mud everywhere, and it's a wild and uncivilized place where the people have never been to school! Have we really come to such a place?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Xuan Yue took a deep breath: "In the past, I took Baozhu's place and made her suffer so much. Now, no matter what, I will fulfill my filial duty to my parents!"
"yes."
"Fortunately, we have made good preparations this time. We have prepared multiple sets of the gold, silver and other items that Your Highness asked us to bring, so it will certainly be enough."
Xuan Yue clenched her little fist: "Now that I'm back, I naturally won't let Father and Mother suffer anymore."
The Empress Dowager always complained of feeling anxious and unwell. Although her brother, the Emperor, treated her coldly, the Empress Dowager's kindness towards her was genuine. She was distressed, and Xuan Yue was busy fulfilling her filial duties to the Empress Dowager and couldn't leave. Now that the Empress Dowager's health had finally improved somewhat, she was finally able to travel to the Great Wilderness to visit her parents.
She knew her origins. Her birth parents had died at Huguo Temple many years ago. Her current father was Li Rong, the war god who died on the battlefield protecting his country. Her mother was Jiang Nuanzhi, the unparalleled divine physician and martial artist.
She didn't have much contact with her parents, but because of their relationship, her treatment in the palace was even better than before. Those relatives who were previously indifferent now grinned from ear to ear when they saw her. Even the Empress Dowager hadn't spoken a harsh word to her in a long time.
In truth, she didn't know why her mother had given up wealth and glory to return to that harsh and cold land of the Great Wilderness to suffer.
But she was already prepared. No matter how difficult the conditions were now, it didn't matter to her. If Baozhu could do it, she could too.
As they spoke, the carriage swayed and came to a stop at the entrance of Qingquan Village.
Xuan Yue took a deep breath and let the maid help her down from the carriage.
Not far away, two people could be seen talking.
One of them, dressed in a moon-white robe and holding a book in his hand, was a bit rough around the edges, but dressed like a scholar.
"Oh, Dean Yue is here!"
Uncle Niu pushed the water cart back and saw Dean Yue holding a book. He greeted him with a smile.
Dean Yue grinned widely: "Brother Niu, how did you know my disciple passed the imperial examination with top honors?"
Uncle Niu: "Huh?"
Dean Yue: "Yes! That's right, the top scorer! And another student of mine came in second place! That's right, I taught them both. I have their books in my hands."
Uncle Niu: "."
Haven't you said that many times?
Dean Yue: "Really?"
Uncle Niu: "."
Seeing Uncle Niu leave, Dean Yue felt incredibly frustrated. He turned around and saw Xuan Yue. His eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over, grinning.
"Hello, little girl?"
Xuan Yue was startled, clenched her small hands, and nodded from afar: "Hello, sir, may I ask how to get to the Li family's residence?"
The man in front of her, who seemed to be a teacher but not quite a normal person, smiled and said, "Little girl, how do you know that my disciple is not Li Junping, the disciple of my Panshi Academy, who has become the top scholar in the imperial examination?"
Xuan Yue was stunned: "Huh...?"
Dean Yue nodded solemnly: "Yes, he's from Panshi Academy! He's someone I personally taught. You know Panshi Academy, right?"
He waved his hand and said, "Three miles to the side from here is our Panshi Academy. It is now the number one academy in this ancient Kui City, no, in this Great Wilderness!"
Xuan Yue blinked, then covered her mouth in surprise and exclaimed, "You are... you are Elder Brother Li's Dean!"
She had heard of this person.
Even today, his legend still circulates in the capital. After all, he was the one who taught the top two scholars in the imperial examinations, and he was a poor boy who committed murder to save his beloved and was exiled to the wilderness. I've heard his story told in several versions by several storytellers in the capital.
But who would have thought that such a legendary figure would be like this?
"Hey, have you no shame?! What do you mean, the number one academy in the Great Wilderness? Do you think you're worthy of that title?!"
Behind him, a man of similar age appeared out of nowhere, his face flushed with anger!
"Yue Qingfeng, you're shameless! You go around telling everyone you're the top scholar! Did that young lady even ask you? And the First Academy? You named it that yourself, didn't you!"
Dean Yue rolled his eyes: "Xue Fengyi, how come Hua Sheng didn't keep an eye on you and let you out again? Why are you everywhere? If you're so capable, why don't you teach a top scholar yourself! My Ping'er is the best in the Great Wilderness, and the second best is my Fusheng. What, you're not convinced? Are you going to die of anger?"
"You! You are simply unacceptable! Our academy clearly has the most successful candidates this year!!!" Dean Xue was so angry that his eyes widened. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Nuanzhi walking back with a medicine box on his back. His eyes lit up immediately: "Doctor Jiang! Doctor Jiang, take a look at him! He is so arrogant and presumptuous! Now he is spreading rumors everywhere. I am afraid that he will cause trouble for Ping'er. That would be terrible."
As he said this, he looked at Dean Yue provocatively.
"Ping'er?"
As Jiang Nuanzhi approached, she heard them talking about Ping'er, and her eyes crinkled into a smile: "Dean Xue, how did you know that my Ping'er became the top scholar in the imperial examination?"
Dean Xue's expression froze.
Jiang Nuanzhi: "That's right, he is my eldest son, I raised him myself."
Dean Xue: "..."
Redundant.
Serves you right for being so cheeky!
Dean Yue chuckled and immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Dr. Jiang, congratulations! I wonder who has taught such a fine child?"
Jiang Nuanzhi: "Congratulations to you too! Of course it's Dean Yue, your teaching is excellent."
"That's true, but it's also related to the care you've given me on a daily basis."
"Great joy! We are all overjoyed!"
As Dean Xue watched the two of them go back and forth, he suddenly slapped himself.
Serves you right for being so foul-mouthed.
Then, he took a deep breath and turned to look at Xuan Yue with a solemn expression.
“Little girl! You know Xie Liangchen, right? He’s the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, and he was taught by me! He’s from Gu Kui Academy! You have to remember, Gu Kui Academy is definitely no worse than that Pan Shi Academy. I ranked eighth in the imperial examination this time.”
Xuan Yue: ".?"
So, this person is Lord Xie's dean?
That's true.
I met so many legendary figures in one day.
Dean Yue rolled his eyes: "Hey? Pan Shi Academy is not something you can compare to. The top scholar is my disciple, and the second-place scholar is... well, he's still higher than you, a head above you, isn't that infuriating!"
Dean Xue was so angry his eyes were practically blazing: "You, you, you, you don't outnumber me!"
"But the top scholar is my apprentice."
"You! You! And the other students are even worse!"
"But the top scholar is my apprentice!"
"Aaaaaah, I'll fight you to the death!"
"I'm afraid of you!"
"careful!"
Xuan Yue's eyes had been on Jiang Nuanzhi ever since she appeared. Now, fearing that the two of them might hurt Jiang Nuanzhi, she grabbed her hand. Then, realizing what she had done, her face turned bright red, and she stammered, "Xuan Yue, no, Li Yue greets Mother."
As he said this, he intended to kneel down.
However, the next second, Jiang Nuanzhi pulled him up.
Jiang Nuanzhi looked at her closely, tugged at her soft little face, and successfully saw that Xuan Yue seemed to be stunned. Then she smiled and said, "Little Yueyue, I knew you were coming back. Your room is already prepared. Also, your father is preparing a welcome banquet for you. Come back with me quickly."
Xuan Yue was stunned for a moment, then immediately waved her hands repeatedly.
“Mother, I have come to you to fulfill my filial duty. You and Father do not need to worry about me. I have brought people with me and money. Mother, please do not misunderstand. I am not looking down on you. I just thought that I came to you to fulfill my filial duty and must not become a burden.”
Jiang Nuanzhi looked at the things Xiao Xuanyue had given her. Could this be all the child had ever owned?
I looked down at her anxious little face.
"Yueyue, do you want to come home with me first?" There are some things she really can't explain.
Without saying another word, Jiang Nuanzhi led Xuan Yue directly into the courtyard.
Xuan Yue was already somewhat surprised when she saw the two-story building, and then, full of trepidation, she followed them into the courtyard. Before her eyes was a spacious and tidy courtyard, without a speck of dirt.
Beside the elegant, winding path is a beautiful pavilion and a swing surrounded by flowers and plants.
Passing through the flower gate, the flowers and plants become even more lush, and upon closer inspection, a faint medicinal fragrance lingers in the air.
The pond on the far right of the courtyard is full of blooming lotus flowers, with a wooden path winding its way to the small pavilion in the center of the pond. This courtyard is probably even larger than the Imperial Garden.
The novel sights made her feel as if she had stumbled into a fairyland.
Especially the windows of the two-story building, which were incredibly bright. She had previously heard Baozhu say that the windows were transparent, but she thought it was just a joke. Now, however, she realized that the windows were actually transparent, and she could vaguely see the tables and chairs inside.
What surprised Xuan Yue even more was the object in the corner of the courtyard—it looked like a cast iron frame, surrounded by a half-person-high wooden railing, with a sturdy handrail on top. When someone pressed down on the handrail, clear water flowed out through the pipe and splashed into the stone vat next to it.
"This is a hand pump well, you can draw water from it. Come on, let your mother take you to see it."
Seeing Xuan Yue's curiosity, Jiang Nuanzhi took her hand and led her over.
Xuan Yue was initially curious about the hand pump well, and after listening to Jiang Nuanzhi's explanation, she was even more amazed. However, the next second, when she saw the person pumping the water, her eyes widened in surprise.
"He, he, he is..."
She covered her mouth tightly halfway through her sentence.
Jiang Nuanzhi blinked: "That's right, it's that Lord Xie from back then, now he's exiled to the wilderness."
Xie Zhang rolled his eyes and lowered his head to press the water down hard.
Doesn't it get annoying if someone has to say it every time?
I thought I would never see my old friends again after being stranded in this desolate place, but now it's great, I see old friends every day!
But there was nothing he could do. He had almost been tortured to death, and it was this damned woman he hated so much who saved him.
With his eyes closed, knowing he wasn't the only one who had been rescued, he continued pumping water.
Xuan Yue swallowed hard, her little hand trembling as she pointed to the old man carrying a basket approaching from the pavilion: "So, this is Grand Secretary Zhang."
Grand Secretary Zhang was much more composed. He returned from cutting grass and greeted the princess with a smile: "Greetings, Princess. This old minister has been exiled. In the words of the lady, this old minister is here undergoing labor reform."
Xuan Yue: "."
Then, Xuan Yue blinked and looked around.
Dean Yue and Dean Xue, who had just been arguing, have gone to gather firewood.
Are General Wan and General Lu feeding the horses?
Glancing again, the one drying medicinal herbs there was the legendary Physician Magpie.
The person lying on the rocking chair here, swaying back and forth, is the Imperial Advisor.
And there's the old man by the door, head bowed, keeping accounts. That's General Xin.
"Anuan, has the baby arrived yet? My dishes are almost ready."
Just then, a tall, strong man with a gentle face came out of the house, wearing an apron.
Xuan Yue tensed up abruptly. This was... the God of War, Li Rong! Her father.
But isn't something a little off?
Is that invincible war god cooking?
She swallowed hard: "Father."
"Okay, okay, okay."
Li Rong smirked, "Come in quickly, Daddy made you some delicious food!"
"Oh dear, Yueyue, you're so slow! Hurry up, Daddy's snacks are getting cold, and my brother, Sister Wan'er, and I are all waiting for you!"
Baozhu's mouth was covered in oil, but when she saw Xuan Yue, her eyes lit up. She ran out of the house, grabbed Xuan Yue's hand, and ran back, saying, "This is Sister Wan'er. Her father is the Prefect, and she's cooking with him. This is her cat, Yuanbao!"
"Yueyue is here, hurry up, you're the only one left."
The young man, holding several cards and covered in slips of paper, sat on the sofa and waved to them from afar.
Xuan Yue immediately responded, then turned her head and saw the heavily pregnant princess and Chi Heng supporting her. She immediately stopped nervously: "Princess, Duke Chi."
"Little Yueyue, don't worry about us, go play with them. We'll call you little ones for dinner later."
Before Xuan Yue could even react, Bao Zhu had already pulled her to sit on a soft chair—she'd never sat in such a comfortable chair before. And what's more, the two of them were holding exquisite, never-before-seen toys, and she got one of each!
She subconsciously turned around and looked into the distance. Through the large doors and windows, she saw her father, mother, and other men and women all busily preparing a meal in the kitchen. The whole house was filled with the fragrant aroma of food, and her eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. This was a taste she had never experienced before. It was like the sweet candy that Baozhu had stuffed into her mouth, so sweet it made her feel intoxicated.
So this is what life in the countryside is like? It's a little different from what she imagined, but she likes it very much.
Behind the children was Old Man Lü, his face flushed with excitement.
Holding a thick stack of booklets, he looked at Doctor Que with expectant eyes: "Master Que, could you please take a look at this improved prescription in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases? What do you think of it?"
At this moment, the Divine Physician looked utterly hopeless: "No, I've already checked three stacks for you! Didn't you say it was the last two? How come you still have more? I mean, I want to ask you, how many do you actually have?"
Old Lu gripped the handbook tightly, glanced at him, and made a "three" gesture with his hand.
"After these, the last three books?" Doctor Que breathed a sigh of relief: "No matter what, we'll finally see the end."
He regretted it; he should have never agreed to Dr. Jiang's request. Now it was too late to back out. Fortunately, he finally finished reading it. Once he was done, he would work on Dr. Jiang's new acupuncture technique; hopefully, she wouldn't refuse him then.
To everyone's surprise, Old Master Lü smiled shyly and said, "It's not three books, it's three large bookshelves."
The smile on Doctor Que's lips froze. He turned around and looked at Elder Lü in disbelief, his eyes wide open.
Old Lu nodded hesitantly: "Yes, that's right."
The Magpie Doctor: "!!!"
"Say that again!"
"Hey, keep your voice down! Old Master Que, really, the older you get, the louder you get! Don't scare my wife!" Chi Heng immediately stepped between Old Master Que and his wife.
"Keep your voice down," Xiao Nianjun said impatiently. "It's not a big deal, why are you shouting?"
Turning her head, Xiao Nianjun tactfully went into the kitchen: "Sister Nuan, I..."
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!" Chi Heng spoke up before Xuan Yue could. She bowed and scraped before Jiang Nuanzhi, pleading, "Please, please add one more dish! Make some spicy chicken! My wife loves that the most!"
Xiao Nianjun's lips twitched: "Are you a tapeworm in my stomach? How do you know everything?"
Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't worry, we have sour, spicy, and sweet flavors. I guarantee my little princess will have whatever she wants to eat."
"Dr. Jiang, I'll take it upstairs."
At this moment, Prefect Feng Yunzhou, now in power, smiled and accepted the dishes from Jiang Nuanzhi's hands. He then politely nodded to Princess Chiheng and calmly placed the food on the table.
Shen Tingwen took a moment to step forward: "Sir, you really have guts! You saw so many important figures, yet you showed no fear or surprise whatsoever. You don't know, I've been here for three days now, and even now, every time I see the Grand Preceptor, my heart still races wildly, and my hands are still trembling."
Lord Feng glanced at Shen Tingwen and smiled calmly: "It's nothing."
Turning back, he secretly gripped his trembling hand tightly. He absolutely couldn't show any weakness, especially in front of his students.
However, when he glanced at his daughter, his hands trembled even more violently.
Good heavens, is her Wan'er playing cards with two princesses right now?
It seems the princess lost; her daughter is still sticking stickers on her face.
Good heavens, what incredible luck Feng Yunzhou has had!
He had casually helped Doctor Jiang back then, never imagining that today, he, a county magistrate who had been demoted, would rise to a position in the prefecture. Not only that, but he was also dealing with high-ranking officials from the imperial court.
And then there's Shen Tingwen, that foolish student, standing beside him.
He patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're all set for the future."
He helped me a lot back then by saving Xinbo, and now his future is limitless.
The General Wan, whom he served, was already a first-rank general.
And then there's that one, the God of War.
As they were talking, they turned around and saw Li Rong pushing Jiang Nuanzhi out the door.
"Ah Nuan, there's too much cooking smoke, why don't you go outside and play? I'll keep an eye on things."
Jiang Nuanzhi's lips twitched when she heard Li Rong's words.
He glanced at Fu Man behind him.
Fu Man, that little girl, is far more talented than me when it comes to food. Now she can even combine different skills, and many of her dishes are even better than what I make.
Fu Man cleverly gave an "OK" sign and then blinked twice.
Jiang Nuanzhi then went out with peace of mind, taking Aunt Wang with her on the way.
"Anuan, what are you doing?"
Jiang Nuanzhi didn't speak, but smiled and led her to the second floor. Then, she brought out a pot of green plum blossoms and placed it in front of her.
"Your surname was Song, wasn't it? I've been searching for you for days, never imagining that the person the Emperor thought of before his death was you."
Jiang Nuanzhi also sighed. Aunt Wang was only seven years older than the Emperor. She wondered if it was because of her sadness that she had spent so many years in the wilderness and ended up like this.
Aunt Wang smiled at her and pointed to the green plum tree: "Did he ask you to bring this to me?"
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "Before the late emperor died, he said that he owed one person a debt."
Aunt Wang then casually placed the green plum blossoms on the windowsill next to her, paused for a while, and then said, "Okay, I'll take them back after dinner later."
"Auntie...no, sister, it's me..."
“You silly girl, I’m more than ten years older than you, why are you calling me sister? Just call me auntie, I’m used to it.”
"Actually, it wasn't a big deal. I didn't particularly like him back then, just felt a bit sorry for him. I never expected it would bring me trouble. I don't blame my clansmen; after all, it's human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm. As for General Li, without his care, I probably wouldn't be alive today."
As she spoke, she chuckled in a daze: "Well, it was all so many years ago. Now, I've long forgotten about it. Warm girl, all I want to do is spend the rest of my days with my flower. As for the rest, whether it's there or not, it doesn't matter to me."
Jiang Nuanzhi reached out and tucked the stray strands of hair that were already streaked with white at her temples back, then looked at her with a smile: "We have fish today, so let's save some for Auntie to take back tonight. That little glutton Huahua loves to eat it."
Aunt Wang squeezed Jiang Nuanzhi's hand back, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Okay."
"Master, I've gone to offer sacrifices."
Suddenly, Lin Chun's voice came from downstairs.
"It's cold up in the mountains, put on some clothes."
"Okay, I got it. I brought Awang's, Changshan's, and the others' with me."
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "Don't forget, there's also wine."
"I'm going too," Dongzang said from behind. "I've prepared my brother's favorite fruit. And that stinky Changshan, he actually led the brothers to become bandits, I'm going to give him another good scolding!"
"Okay, hurry back, it's time to eat."
"good."
Lin Chun and Dong Cang responded in unison, and then went out side by side carrying their things.
Yes, Awang is gone. Since Xiao Yuanshan passed away three months ago due to a relapse of his old injuries, Awang has also completely lost his will to live.
However, it seems that both winter hibernation and spring approach have come to terms with this matter.
We're back!
In a daze, I heard Lü Shizhu's shouts.
Jiang Nuanzhi peeked out of the window and saw Lü Shizhu, Huo Xiao, Qin Lin, Wei Ke, Chen Shu, and others going to borrow tables from Aunt Liu and Uncle Zhang next door, and now they were carrying them in one by one.
Looking around the room packed with people, Jiang Nuanzhi counted on her fingers how many letters and holiday gifts she had recently received from Lord Lu and his wife. She would have to return one later.
In a couple of days, when things calm down a bit more at home, we'll have to thank Uncle Zhang, Aunt Liu, Uncle Niu, and the others together.
And then there's that cunning merchant, Hua Yue. She swindled so much money from me back then; I need to settle the score with her sometime.
And also, she had all the chili seeds ready.
And there's corn; we have to plant it this year. Also, her clinic is getting smaller and smaller these days; there are too many people seeking medical treatment, so it feels cramped.
Now look at her house
"Arong, is our house not big enough for us?"
Li Rong brought out the last large bowl of fried chicken, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned: "The land next door has already been bought. If Anuan is in a hurry, we can start construction tomorrow."
Jiang Nuanzhi looked at him for a long time, then forced a smile and said, "Okay, let's get started!"
(End of this chapter)
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