Lin Fenghe, of course, keenly sensed his mother's dilemma. He had also heard from his elder brother at home that they were going to try planting several new crops. So Lin Fenghe said:
“Mother, you don’t need to come with me. My uncle has already been to the prefectural city several times. I can go with him.”
Grandma Song is so old, of course she can't go on a long and arduous journey.
Song Anbang said, "Feng He is right. It's not absolutely necessary for you to go, Sister. I've been there to take the exam several times and I'm familiar with the area. There will be many other students traveling together on the way. By the way, Peng Tongsheng will also be going with us. You can rest assured, Sister."
Peng Tongsheng is the same teacher who is currently teaching at the Linjia Village Ancestral Hall.
Song Anxin thought for a moment and said, "I'm sure I can't leave home this time. How about this, let Angui and Qingyun accompany you. Qingyun knows martial arts and can protect your safety. Angui can be your page and take care of you on a daily basis. That way, I can feel more at ease."
Lin Fenghe and Song Anbang had no objections; they left it all to their mother and elder sister to arrange.
The matter was settled, and the next morning Song Anxin went to the county with Lin Fenghe and Song Anbang.
Song Anxin brought two jars of Quanqing wine and a gift box of braised duck eggs, and the group arrived at Teacher Song Anbang's house.
"Don't worry, I really didn't expect to see you again. Seeing you reminds me of your father. Alas, Brother Ziping passed away so young. If he were still alive, he would be overjoyed to see his grandson become the top scholar in the county examination."
Ziping was her father's courtesy name. Anbang's master's surname was Sun, and he was a scholar like her father. Song Anxin still had some impression of him. He had also come to the original owner's wedding, but his hair was a bit grayer than the person in her memory, and he had lines on his face.
Song Anxin said, "My father will see this from heaven. Fenghe was able to get the top score in the provincial examination this time thanks to your guidance, Uncle Sun. The provincial and prefectural examinations for Anbang and Fenghe are coming up soon, so I will have to trouble you to pay more attention to them again."
"I have also brought some small gifts with me, and I hope you will accept them without finding them offensive, Uncle Sun."
Master Sun waved his hand: "Since you've come, why bring any gifts? Your father and I are good friends, and Ning Sheng is my student. Feng He is also a student of my academy, so it's only right that I guide him. I don't have any credit for him. It's all because Feng He is a quick learner. He is truly a rare talent in my many years of study."
Ning Sheng is Song Anbang's courtesy name. His eyes were full of admiration when he spoke of Lin Fenghe.
Suddenly he smelled the aroma of wine. He sniffed and asked, "What smells so good?"
His eyes caught sight of the two jars of wine that An Gui was carrying as a gift next to Song Anxin, and he couldn't help but lean down and smell them. "This, this could be Quanqing wine!?"
An Gui, with his keen eye, handed over two jars of wine, the words "Quanqing Wine" clearly visible on the red paper on them.
Master Sun's eyes lit up immediately. He picked it up, uncorked it, and took a deep sniff. Then he looked completely intoxicated.
"That's right, that's the taste!"
Song Anxin was surprised that Master Sun was a connoisseur of wine, as he could tell just by smelling it. She smiled and said, "Uncle Sun, I'm glad you like it."
At this moment, a woman and a graceful young woman came over with tea. The graceful young woman said softly:
"Sister Anxin, Brother Anbang, Fenghe, please have some tea."
These two are Sun Fuzi's wife, Madam Li, and their daughter, Sun Lixi. Sun Lixi is the only daughter in the Sun family. Anbang said that Sun Fuzi and his wife had a very good relationship. After giving birth to this daughter, Madam Li's health was damaged and she could no longer conceive. However, Sun Fuzi did not care and continued to live with his wife and only daughter.
When Li saw the two bottles of wine on the table, she was immediately surprised and said, "Anxin, how could you give this wine to your Uncle Sun? This Quanqing wine is famously expensive in the county, and only high-ranking officials and nobles can afford it. Quickly, return it. We are old acquaintances, and there is no need for you to spend so much money."
Although Master Sun was very reluctant, he still pushed it back, saying, "Yes, don't worry, these two jars of wine must cost several taels of silver. How can Uncle Sun accept such an expensive gift from you? Anbang and Fenghe will need money for many things when they go to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination. You should return it and keep the money for them to go to Liuzhou."
Sun Fuzi's daughter, Sun Lixi, smiled slightly and said, "Father, Mother, this Quanqing wine comes from Sister Anxin's family winery."
Madam Li said, "Xi'er, don't talk nonsense. I heard that this Quanqing wine belongs to Madam Hui's family. How could it have become your sister Anxin's family's?"
Master Sun also said the same thing.
"But Anxin is Madam Hui, don't you know that, Father and Mother?" Sun Lixi asked doubtfully.
In fact, neither Master Sun nor Madam Li knew that Song Anxin's investiture took place after Feng He and Feng Yao went to study at the academy.
Even if their mother and elder sister were granted titles, the children should still continue their studies and would never flaunt or compare themselves to others. They knew that their mother and elder sister would not like them, and even the unconventional Lin Fengyao thought so.
Song Anbang was immediately embarrassed: "It's because the student didn't tell the teacher. The student thinks this is his own sister's honor and has nothing to do with me, so naturally he won't bring it up."
“The students think so too,” Lin Fenghe added.
The Sun couple's eyes widened instantly upon hearing this.
This, this, this An Xin is indeed the seventh-rank Lady Hui, personally bestowed upon her by the current Emperor not long ago!
After regaining their senses, they quickly bowed and said, "Madam Hui, are you well? We hope you will forgive our rudeness."
Song Anxin: -_-|| That's why she was unwilling to reveal her status as a lady of leisure. But why did Anbang tell this Miss Li Xi?
She quickly said, "Uncle Sun, Aunt Sun, what are you doing? I'm not dressed in the clothes of a lady or wearing a lady's hat. I'm just a junior visiting your house. People in the village still call me Aunt Lin. You don't need to be so polite. Just let me know you're alright."
The two men looked at Song Anxin with increasing astonishment. They never imagined that the child they had watched grow up would become a court lady without relying on her husband and son. Master Sun recalled the two unusual farming tools used last summer to harvest rice, the earthen bed in winter, and the waterwheels that now automatically transported water to the fields outside the city. He deeply admired Lady Hui, never expecting that she would be right before his eyes. Oh, and Anbang said that Anxin had taught him that unique and simple arithmetic method. No wonder, no wonder it was Lady Hui.
He disregarded his status as a young lady; he had long wanted to learn about that peculiar arithmetic from the person who possessed it, so he eagerly asked:
"Don't worry, in your arithmetic method..."
So the visit turned into an academic discussion, and then they talked about the tools she had invented. Song Anxin thought to herself that Master Sun really was a studious and innovative person.
Song Anxin sat for quite a while before getting up to take her leave; she had drunk so much tea that she was almost bursting to urinate. He left An Gui there so the others could get to know each other beforehand, and Qingyun would join them when they left.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com