Chapter 153
"Little Father!"
A childish voice called out from outside the door, and a small figure ran in.
When she saw Wen Zhaoran, her bright black eyes darted away shyly. She quickly ran into Mu Jin's arms and glanced at Wen Zhaoran timidly several times.
Wen Zhaoran smiled and said, "This must be my little nephew, Little Persimmon, Zhenzhen?"
Mu Jin smiled as she hugged her two-year-old son and nodded. "That's him. He's even more shy than Mu Gua was when he was little. Shi Zi, these are your uncle and maternal uncle. Call them uncle and maternal uncle."
Although Zhou Zhen was still a little shy, she listened to her father and called out in a childish voice, "Uncle, Uncle."
Wen Zhaoran and Mu Zhou responded with smiles on their faces.
"Oh, Zhaoran, you're finally back! I've missed you so much!"
Bai Qiqiu's voice arrived before he did, his loud voice still the same energetic and boisterous guy from the northern frontier.
Wen Zhaoran stood up with a smile, and saw a small string of children trailing behind Bai Qiqiu.
Bai Qiqiu is a man of his word. Back then, he told Mu Jin that he wanted to have many children, and over the years, his belly has really never stopped.
Over the past ten years, she has had five more children—three men and two boys—and there's almost not enough fruit to give them nicknames.
"Pears, dates, pomegranates, hawthorns, oranges, is this your Uncle Zhaoran? Call him Uncle."
A bunch of fruits said in unison, "Uncle."
Wen Zhaoran laughed and said, "Hey, where are the pumpkins and watermelons?"
"I went to town with Peach and Papaya in my brother-in-law's mule cart."
He paused, then added, "You're one to talk. Wait until Peach comes back, and see how you talk to him about how he only came back after ten years."
"Is Peach angry with me?"
Bai Qiqiu sighed and laughed, "I was so angry that I almost didn't want to acknowledge you as my uncle anymore. When you went to the capital, Taozi was so heartbroken. She cried all day and just wanted you to come back and reunite with her as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Wen Zhaoran felt extremely guilty. "It's my fault. When Taozi comes back, I'll apologize to him and give him whatever he wants."
Mu Zhou chimed in, "It's my fault. I just passed the imperial examination and was sent down to serve as an official. I haven't had time to come back."
"Don't listen to Qi Qiu's scare tactics. Taozi misses you. She knows it's not easy for her uncle to be an official. She only said something in anger when she was seven years old, and she's already over it."
Wen Zhaoran breathed a sigh of relief and glared at Bai Qiqiu, "Brother Qiqiu, you just know how to scare me."
Bai Qiqiu smiled and said, "Who told you to take so long to come back?"
When Zhou Yaoyao returned, just as Mu Jin had said, she saw Wen Zhaoran and immediately jumped off the mule cart.
"Uncle! You're finally back!"
She threw herself into Wen Zhaoran's arms, holding on tightly, unwilling to let go.
Mu Jin scolded, "How old are you, still so clingy?"
Zhou Yaoyao stuck out her tongue, "I'll stick to it, I'll stick to it."
Mu Jin chuckled and let her son stick to him; she wouldn't bother with him anymore. She helped Zhou Lin carry the mutton he had bought down the stairs.
“You wrote that you would be coming back for the New Year. Today, I just happened to ask your brother-in-law to go to town and buy some Xinjiang mutton. Let’s have a good meal at home today.”
Wen Zhaoran nodded, hugged Zhou Yaoyao and said with a smile, "It's been so many years since I've had this. I've really been craving it."
Zhou Yaoyao got up from his arms and said angrily, "Uncle, you still have to talk! You and your uncle have been gone for more than ten years. I use one of the hairbands you gave me every year. If you don't come back after I've used them all up, I'm really going to ignore you."
Wen Zhaoran chuckled, "Well, it's really a good thing I gave you so much back then. Speaking of which, Peach, I bought you a lot of nice fabrics and jewelry when I was in Yangzhou. Come on, let me take you to see them and see if you like them."
Wen Zhaoran pulled Zhou Yaoyao upstairs. Zhou Zhuohua, Mu Zining, Xiao Xigua, and Wen Zhaoran's three children, Mu Zhixia, Mu Shuying, and Mu Qitong, soon started playing together.
Zhou Zhuohua took them to the pepper garden to cause a ruckus.
The boy was a well-behaved and gentle little man when he was young, but he grew up to be even more mischievous than Zhou Yaoyao, like a little monkey.
Mu Jin was in a good mood today, so she went with him.
Upon receiving the news, Zhou Si brought the three children and Mu Lingyun with her.
Five years ago, he had another son, nicknamed Sangshen, who was best friends with Juzi from Bai Qiqiu's family.
Hearing that his brother Papaya had taken a group of children to the pepper garden, the three children couldn't sit still any longer and hurried over to the pepper garden as well.
The aroma of mutton wafted through the courtyard, and the laughter of children from the pepper garden could be heard throughout the yard.
Holding her two-year-old son in her arms, Wang Li called out to the children running around in the pepper grove, "Slow down, don't fall!"
"I know, Daddy, I won't fall!"
Wang Li's son, who had just turned six, was excitedly called out by Lin Shuyan.
Wang Li shook his head helplessly, turned around, and carried the little boy in his arms back into the house.
Over the past ten years, he has learned and understood a lot. He is no longer the five or six-year-old Wang Li he once was; he has matured a lot.
After the mutton stew was ready, Mu Jin asked Zhou Lin to call Mu Mian and Mu Nianjun over so that everyone could have a proper get-together while Wen Zhaoran was back.
Mu Nianjun now has four children in his family, two brothers and two boys, with Mu Weiji and Zhou Yaoyao being the best friends.
After Mu Mian gave birth to two more, just like Mu Jin, two men and one son.
Zhou Si studied under Bai Qiqiu and together with Mu Lingyun, they had three sons, two brothers, making their family quite prosperous.
Once everyone had arrived, the courtyard was filled with the aroma of mutton and the sounds of children's laughter.
After a lively whole lamb feast, Wen Zhaoran was kept by Zhou Yaoyao and did not go back to the Mu family with Mu Zhou that night.
Mu Zhou shook his head helplessly, realizing that his husband wouldn't have time to spend with him tonight. He took the three children and reluctantly returned home, turning back every few steps.
As night fell, Mu Jin, having drunk some wine, felt energetic and couldn't sleep.
He turned over and glanced at Zhou Lin. Over the years, the man beside him had become more and more steady and reliable, silently supporting the family with his own shoulders, ensuring that he and the children had no worries about food and clothing.
Zhou Lin groaned sleepily, turned over and pulled him into her arms, her voice hoarse as she asked, "What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"
Mu Jin shook her head in his arms and gently closed her eyes.
Over the past ten years, the family has accumulated a considerable amount of silver, and the hidden compartment has finally found a purpose. Inside, there are one hundred taels of gold, three hundred taels of silver, and thick land deeds. The gold, jade, and silver jewelry that Zhou Lin has bought for him over the years has almost filled the hidden compartment.
What Mu Jin liked most was the land deed and house deed of a mansion in town.
He and Zhou Lin disliked living in town, but bought a house there so that Zhou Zhuohua could study better.
Although the elderly couple didn't like living in town, their three children loved it and would often drag them to stay there for a while.
Once, after finishing his work at the shop in town, Zhou Lin was seen by Zhou Wu's wife entering their residence in town. When she returned home and inquired about it, she went crazy and took out all the money that the family had saved over the years, wanting to buy a house in town as well.
He was scolded back by Zhou Laosan.
Zhou Lin heard a few words from the villagers, but never thought of going home to visit.
With kinship severed, Zhou Lin was not the kind of man who would soften his heart and turn back.
However, for some reason, Zhou Wushi has rarely been seen going out in the past two years.
Speaking of the Zhou family, Zhou Ming and Mu Qing have truly lived their lives steadily to this day. Last time, Mu Jin saw the couple walking hand in hand, chatting and laughing, back home after finishing their work in the fields.
Because the man Mu Jin remarried treated her badly, she lost her health and had to take care of herself for over ten years. After much hardship, she finally had a baby boy, who is now only two years old and somewhat weak.
Zhou Qiang teaches in the village. Although he envies Mu Zhou's success and fame, he knows his own limitations very well. He is content with what he has and lives a comfortable life in the village.
Bai Jin had been causing trouble for two or three years, but now he had accepted his fate. After all, he was a teacher at the village school, and he was still much better than the other men in the village.
The couple has three sons and two sons. Although they occasionally quarrel, their relationship seems to be quite good.
Hibiscus was in a daze, half-awake and half-asleep, thinking about the Zhou family's affairs and the Mu family's affairs, before slowly falling into a deep sleep.
This year's Spring Festival was truly exceptionally lively.
Wen Zhaoran stayed with Zhou Yaoyao at Mu Jin's place for about ten days before returning to the Mu family.
Not long after the year, Wen Zhaoran and the Muzhou couple returned to Yangzhou.
This parting is now, and I don't know when we'll meet again.
As the spring breeze blows, lush greenery bursts forth from the earth, and Mujia Village comes alive once again.
Zhou Yaoyao was busy secretly showing affection to Mu Weiji, keeping it a secret from their fathers.
It was fortunate that Mu Nianjun didn't know, otherwise, after waiting for so many years, he would have bought the betrothal gifts long ago and come to propose marriage with great joy.
Mu Weiji has just passed the preliminary examination and is preparing for the provincial examination next year.
He harbored lofty ambitions and was determined to give Zhou Yaoyao a better life than his uncle. To this end, he studied diligently, even to the point of hanging his head from the rafters and pricking his thigh with an awl.
The two didn't see each other often, but every time they returned to the village, they would spend a whole day together.
Zhou Zhuohua was in the same academy as him, having been recommended by Mu Zhou through a letter; however, his scholarship was not as good as Mu Weiji's.
Mu Jin didn't have high expectations for him; she would be happy if he could pass the imperial examination at the lowest level.
As the days passed, Mu Jin and Zhou Lin watched their children grow up, and their hair began to turn gray.
Watching Mu Youji pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, then propose to Zhou Yaoyao in a grand manner, and then pass the provincial examination and become a scholar, just as he had promised in his heart, he gave Zhou Yaoyao a good life where she didn't have to lift a finger and could only focus on shopping.
Seeing that Zhou Zhuohua had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, exempted his family's land from taxes, married Bai Qiqiu's son, Xiao Shanzha, he found a job as an accountant at a large restaurant in town, where he earned five taels of silver a month.
They can live a comfortable life without having to toil in the soil.
Watching Zhou Zhen grow from a timid boy into a hardworking and reliable man like his father, taking over the household chores.
Later, as Mu Jin wished, he married Xiao Meizi, the youngest and most handsome boy in Bai Qiqiu's family, Mu Shudong.
The couple stayed at home with Mu Jin and Zhou Lin after getting married, and their life was very happy.
Watching Mu Zining and Mu Weiji serve as officials in the same court, and Mu Zining marry the eldest son of the Grand Secretary in a grand and prestigious marriage.
The children around me are getting better and better, and they are living their own wonderful lives.
With good friends by my side, and a house full of children and grandchildren.
With her white hair now flowing, Mu Jin lay on a rocking chair under the old peach tree, watching Zhou Lin playing with his one-year-old grandson not far away, and a smile appeared on her lips.
This life has not been in vain.
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