Chapter 152
Zhou Yaoyao learned to swim, but she was too proud of herself.
Seeing his arrogant little manner, Mu Zining felt a surge of anger. She turned cold and refused to talk to him.
A few adults were even fanning the flames from the sidelines.
"Sigh, our Pumpkin just inherited Zhaoye's face."
"Oh dear, look at him, he's so small, but he has such a big temper."
Bai Qiqiu remained calm and composed, saying, "This is just like Mu Zhaoye."
Mu Zining: "..."
His stepfather and his uncles were really afraid that he wouldn't sulk.
After laughing, Mu Jin gave Zhou Yaoyao a stern lecture, her face darkening as she said, "Don't go running to the river just because you can swim. Let me tell you, even if you can swim, you're not allowed to play by the river when the adults aren't around, understand?!"
As the saying goes, those who drown are often good swimmers. Seeing Zhou Yaoyao's condition, Mu Jin still gave her some careful instructions.
Zhou Lin chimed in, "Don't take it lightly. If you don't listen, you'll be getting a beating next time!"
Bai Qiqiu said gently, "Your Uncle Zhaoye taught you to swim so that you would have the ability to save your life, not so that you could splash around in the river for fun."
Zhou Yaoyao pouted, "Okay, I won't go to the river by myself without an adult."
Mu Jin felt somewhat relieved, while Mu Zining, who was fuming beside her, felt neglected by the whole family because she hadn't learned to swim.
He's still angry!
However, when he saw Zhou Yaoyao scratching her head and trying to write the character "人" (person) on the day he learned to read, he immediately felt better.
Although he can't swim, he is the best at reading and writing among the three of them!
As the book says, everyone has their weaknesses and strengths, and his strength isn't in swimming!
So, Mu Zining managed to comfort herself.
Seeing that Mu Zining was showing some signs of distress, Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. He was really worried that the children would throw a tantrum and refuse to play with each other, and he, as an adult, would be caught in the middle, which would be very difficult.
Time flies by like the wind. While teaching and managing household chores, autumn harvest time arrived in the blink of an eye.
Bundles of rice were carried home and laid out to dry on the bluestone slabs in the backyard.
Winter wheat was sown, and the threshed and dried rice was stored in the granary.
After being busy for more than half a year, Mu Jin quickly cooked a pot of white rice, and the aroma of the rice filled the entire courtyard.
Nowadays, the family has a lot of income, and at least two hundred taels of silver a year.
One hundred and fifty taels were deposited into the secret compartment, leaving thirty to fifty taels of silver for household expenses.
Because of the hard-earned harvest, Mu Jin would not sell a single grain; she would save them all for her family.
This white rice and steamed buns smell wonderful.
The family was enjoying freshly milled, fragrant rice when they heard a series of urgent knocks on the door.
"Jin-ge'er! Lin-xiaozi! Zhao-ge'er! Come out quickly! Mu-zhou has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar!"
Mu Genfa’s excited voice came from outside the courtyard gate. Wen Zhaoran was stunned for a moment before she understood what he was talking about.
"The wooden boat is back?!"
The group, still warm and enjoying the delicious food, stopped eating. Zhou Lin carried Zhou Yaoyao, Mu Jin picked up Xiao Mugua, and followed Wen Zhaoran, hurrying out the door.
The Mu family was in high spirits when Wen Zhaoran, seeing Mu Zhou whom she hadn't seen in a long time, stood there stunned.
Mu Zhou was equally impressive; his eyes lit up the moment he saw Wen Zhaoran.
Mu Jin glanced at the two of them teasingly, but with so many people in the village around, they only looked at each other for a little while longer, which eased their longing a little.
"I knew Zhou was destined for greatness from a young age! He's the first scholar in our village to pass the imperial examination!"
"That's right, I said when he was born that this child was destined for great things!"
A woman said to Mu Laoqi, "Oh my, old man Mu, this must be a big celebration in our village!"
Mu Laoqi grinned so hard his eyes disappeared, "Let's do it! Let's do it big!"
The wealthy residents of the town, having heard the news, crowded the already narrow village roads, making them almost impassable.
Flattery followed one after another, but all Muzhou wanted was to spend some quality time with her husband, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Upon hearing the news, the entire Liu family arrived early. Aside from Liu Chengye's personal preference for Mu Bai, Manager Liu also felt that this marriage was a good match!
Previously, people thought his youngest son had married a relative who was too poor, but now everyone is envious of him, saying that he has a discerning eye and found a very good in-law in the village.
The Mu family courtyard was bustling with activity. The villagers were so enthusiastic that Mu Jin found it too noisy, so she went back inside to help Zhou Ling, who was out socializing, look after her younger brother who was born in the prefectural city.
"Little father, who is he?"
Zhou Yaoyao looked at the soft little baby on the bed and asked softly.
Mu Jin smiled and said, "He is your uncle."
"Uncle?! But he's so young, even younger than my brother, how could he be my uncle?"
In Zhou Yaoyao's mind, uncles were adults like Mu Bai and Mu Zhou, and she never thought that someone could be of a higher generation.
Mu Jin smiled and said, "He is the child of your maternal grandfather and maternal great-grandfather, and he is my younger brother. Tell me, what should you call him?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yaoyao thought about it carefully. Mu Jin had just taught them about seniority a few days ago.
"He really should be called uncle."
Zhou Yaoyao had no choice but to accept this little boy as her uncle.
"Big brother, I bet you're here."
Mu Bai held Liu Jia's grandson, dressed in fine silk, and the boy looked much fairer and more delicate than he did in the village.
It's obvious that they lived a life of luxury in the Liu family.
Mu Jin's eyes crinkled as she stood up and teased the chubby baby in Mu Bai's arms.
"Oh my, let me see who this is? Isn't this my little nephew Jin!"
Mu Bai shoved the chubby little boy into Mu Jin's arms. "Big brother, hold him. He's only a few months old, but he already weighs over ten pounds. He's quite heavy."
Mu Jin gently took the child and said with a smile, "It's good to be a little chubby, being chubby means good fortune."
Zhou Yaoyao and Xiaomugua called out in unison, "Uncle!"
Mu Bai bent down, exclaimed "Hey!", gently pinched the two children's chubby cheeks, and laughed, "My two little nephews are becoming more and more lively and adorable."
Zhou Yaoyao stood on tiptoe, tilting her head back, looking at the chubby baby in Mu Jin's arms.
"Uncle, is this my little cousin?"
Mu Bai nodded with a smile, and then Zhou Yaoyao said, "You've grown so big!"
The last time Zhou Yaoyao saw her little cousin was at the full moon banquet. Because it was too cold in winter, Manager Liu was afraid that his precious grandson would get cold, so he only sent a servant to deliver New Year's gifts and did not let Mu Bai come back.
It's been a few months since I last saw the little one, and he's grown so much!
The two were talking inside when, not long after, Bai Qiqiu, Wen Zhaoran, Mu Mian, Zhou Si, and Mu Nianjun all came in.
In no time, the small room was filled with children, chattering and making a lot of noise.
This time, Mu Zhou passed the imperial examination, which was a big event for the surrounding villages. For the banquet, Manager Liu specially invited the chef from the town's big restaurant to cook.
Aside from the families from this village, all the families who were related to them or had some connection with them came.
The villagers of Mujia Village had never been so united; they brought over all their bowls, pots, tables, and benches.
The village road was filled with tables, a much grander affair than when Wen Zhaoran and Mu Zhou got married.
After a lively morning, Mu Zhou refused the generous gift from the town's wealthy family. About a month after the banquet, he planned to go to the capital with Wen Zhaoran and two servants.
Old Mu was getting on in years and couldn't bear to leave his hometown, so he and Zhou Ling didn't go with him.
Wen Zhaoran, being kind to them, left them some silver and three servants at home to take care of them.
Parting is always sad. When Wen Zhaoran and Mu Zhou came to say goodbye, Zhou Yaoyao cried and hugged Wen Zhaoran's waist, not wanting his beloved uncle to leave.
This made Wen Zhaoran's eyes redden, and she almost let Mu Zhou go to the capital alone.
Mu Jin gently pulled Zhou Yaoyao off Wen Zhaoran. "It's not like your uncle isn't coming back. If you miss him, Dad and Uncle will take you to the capital to find him and your uncle, okay?"
Zhou Yaoyao shook her head, sobbing, then nodded, "Uncle, you must come back more often."
Wen Zhaoran, her eyes red, picked him up and said, "Okay!"
"Pinky promise."
The little finger of the little hand holds the big finger of the big hand, and that's how they made their promise.
After bidding farewell to Mu Jin, Bai Qiqiu, and Zhou Si, Wen Zhaoran and Mu Zhou's carriage sped away, leaving only the dust kicked up by the wheels.
Zhou Yaoyao sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
Mu Jin felt sorry for him, so she carried him back into the house, took out his favorite pastries, and comforted him for a long time.
However, an agreement is an agreement, but adults are often not in control of their own lives.
Mu Zhou went to the capital, passed the imperial examination, and was demoted to a lower-level post, where he was appointed as the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou.
When Zhou Yaoyao saw Wen Zhaoran again, he was already a handsome young man of fifteen or sixteen.
At that time, Mu Zhou had already risen to the rank of third grade official and was appointed as the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai.
I took a month's leave that year and went home to visit my family with my husband and three children.
Over the years, Wen Zhaoran and Muzhou have had two sons and a grandson. The youngest grandson looks exactly like Wen Zhaoran, and Muzhou cherishes him dearly.
The two young boys inherited the best qualities of their parents; at such a young age, they were already exceptionally handsome.
After hugging this person and that person, Mu Jin truly didn't know how to express her affection.
Over the years, Wen Zhaoran has become increasingly elegant and graceful, with a captivating charm, thanks to her role as an official.
In front of the servants at home, he acts like a proper husband and head of the household, but when he sees Mulan, he is just like he was ten years ago.
"Brother, I've missed you terribly all these years. How are you doing at home?"
Mu Jin smiled gently; ten years had still left their mark on the corner of his eye.
“Okay, Brother Zhaoye has opened a new carpentry shop. Your brother-in-law is in charge of the shop and is also the head carpenter. The family’s pepper garden has been expanded by two acres, and there are about two hundred poultry. In addition to pigs, some sheep are also raised in the pepper garden. Over the years, they have gradually bought thirty acres of dry land and fifty acres of paddy fields. There is more than enough grain to eat, so there is nothing for me to worry about.”
Wen Zhaoran listened attentively, and seeing that Mu Jin was doing well, he was relieved.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com