Chapter 2.002 The Daughter of an Old Friend, Luo Family's Afu
After a long and arduous journey, Xiao Rong and his son finally arrived at Guangling County, which was under the jurisdiction of Jiangdu Prefecture in Yangzhou.
The old brother whose contract was broken by Xiao Rong was named Luo Dayuan, and he lived in Huangqiao Village, thirty miles south of Guangling City.
The group left the capital on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month and arrived at a place more than 1,600 li away in just nine days, which shows how eager Xiao Rong was to travel.
Even in a hurry, one must still show proper etiquette when visiting an old friend. Therefore, Xiao Rong decided to stay in Guangling County for the night, take a bath and rest, and have his guards prepare gifts such as carriages, tea, wine and silk before going to the Luo family.
Most inns are located on the main streets of various cities. Xiao Rong led the way on horseback and quickly chose the most impressive-looking Fulin Inn in the county. After dismounting, Xiao Rong turned to look behind him and saw that Xiao Yu's leg landing was a little stiff. Xiao Rong seized the opportunity to tease his son again: "After traveling for several days in a row, are your thighs not taking a beating?"
Xiao Yu didn't answer, but glanced at his father's teeth.
Xiao Rong had farmed as a child, followed caravans as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in his youth, and later joined the army. Decades of exposure to the wind and sun had tanned him to a bronze color. Now, with his face covered in ash and his mouth grinning, his two rows of teeth stood out exceptionally white.
Although Xiao Rong's son looked tired, his clear eyes and bright features still gave him the refined air of a scholar.
His son ignored him, and Xiao Rong, feeling foolish, left his mount with the guards and silently endured the discomfort in his side as he entered the inn. What did it matter if he was a military general? A military general was still made of flesh and blood; he would feel sore and tired as well, at most he could endure a little longer than a scholar.
Xiao Rong paid for four superior rooms in total. The two guards who accompanied him were also responsible for purchasing supplies. The father and son each asked for a bucket of water to rest first.
The water was delivered at the same time, and Xiao Rong quickly wiped himself down and was done. However, the sound of water kept coming from his son's room next door. After it became completely quiet, Xiao Rong roughly estimated that his son had been taking a bath for about 45 minutes.
Before dark, the guards returned, bringing not only carriages and gifts, but also two sets of fine silk garments for the Xiao family father and son.
Almost no one in the area recognized him, so Xiao Rong didn't care about his clothes. He only warned his son, "Make sure you look presentable tomorrow. Don't say anything you shouldn't, or the Luo family will look down on you."
Luo Dayuan was not a greedy person. If he really offered money to settle old scores, it would be like looking down on the other party. It would be best to let the third son and the youngest daughter of the Luo family fulfill their marriage agreement from back then.
Xiao Rong felt that the third son had a good chance of winning based on his appearance and demeanor alone. But who made his son have such a sharp tongue that even his own father and brother disliked? He would even nag the servants if their shoes were dirty. The Luo family lived in the countryside, and it was inevitable that the house and yard would be a bit dirty and messy. Even if the son didn't open his mouth to complain, once his eyes showed dissatisfaction, how could the Luo family not notice?
If he didn't only have this one unmarried son left, Xiao Rong would never have brought his third son along!
His father gave him a long list of instructions, but Xiao Yu remained nonchalant and let him nag as he pleased. Only after his father finished speaking did he ask, "Father, have you thought about how to apologize to Uncle Luo?"
Xiao Rong: "...You're good at writing, help me write one, and I'll memorize it overnight."
Xiao Yu: "The key to apology lies in sincerity, not words. If Father does not even have this sincerity, then I am sorry that I cannot accompany you."
Xiao Rong: "..."
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Huangqiao Village.
After a sumptuous lunch and a long chat about everyday things, Luo Fu, along with her parents, saw her sister's family of four off at the door.
Next year, Pei Xingshu will be going to the capital to take the imperial examination. Pei's father attaches great importance to his son's future. Considering that his son might not be able to adapt to the new environment when he first arrives in the capital after the New Year, which could lead to poor performance in the examination, Pei's father sent the family steward to rent a quiet and peaceful small house in the capital in advance. He also told his son to set off after the Mid-Autumn Festival and prepare for the examination in the capital with peace of mind.
Roland was also going to Beijing with her husband to take care of his daily life. So before setting off, she and her husband, along with their two children, came to say goodbye to her family.
Taking the imperial examination is a joyous occasion. Although Luo Dayuan and Wang Qiuyue were reluctant to part, they smiled and said auspicious words, such as how well their father-in-law had arranged things, which would surely ensure that their son-in-law would pass the examination with flying colors next year. They also told their eldest daughter to be careful and not to let her son-in-law be neglected in his daily life.
Roland's reluctance was dispelled by her parents' repeated nagging. Suppressing her glare, she pulled her younger sister aside and said with a mix of reluctance and excitement, "I'll write to you once I'm settled in the capital. I'll also send you a copy of any fashionable clothes and jewelry in the capital. If your brother-in-law really succeeds in passing the imperial examination and stays in the capital as an official, you can come to the capital with Yi-ge and the others. Then I'll help you find a good marriage in the capital, and we sisters can continue to live in the same place."
Her father-in-law was wealthy and promised to buy them a small house in Beijing if her husband could stay there.
For the sake of this house, even without her parents' instructions, Roland would make sure Pei Xingshu eats well, sleeps well, and does well in his exams!
Luo Fu could see the excitement and anticipation in her sister's eyes. She was also hoping for the same thing. Even if she couldn't marry into the capital by taking advantage of her brother-in-law's fame, she hoped that her brother-in-law would pass the imperial examination and become an official in the capital, so that her sister could become an official's wife.
"Okay, I'll wait for my sister and brother-in-law's good news!"
While still responding to his parents-in-law, Pei Xingshu vaguely overheard the two sisters whispering to each other. This expectation was a considerable pressure for him, but also a great source of motivation. With the knowledge already in his mind, he could now give it his all.
"Father, Mother, please take good care of yourselves. We're leaving now!"
As dusk approached, Roland hardened her heart and finally carried her sister and mother away, with Pei Xingshu helping her into the carriage.
The carriage set off, and two little heads peeked out of the window, reluctantly bidding farewell to their maternal grandparents' family. The brother and sister would not be going to the capital, but with their parents gone, they would not be coming to Huangqiao Village again for the next few months.
As the carriage drove further and further away, Wang Qiuyue smiled, but tears were already streaming down her face.
Luo Fu felt a pang of sadness, but she mustered her spirits to comfort her mother: "Mother, you're crying now? What if my sister settles in the capital next year and can't come back? Won't you be crying every day?"
Wang Qiuyue burst into laughter through her tears, wiped her eyes, and said, "That's great! I'd rather cry every day than see them come back."
Luo Dayuan coughed, glanced at the neighbors who had come out of the alley to watch the commotion, and whispered, "Alright, keep these nice words to yourselves. Don't say them out loud, lest your dreams come true and you become the envy of others, or your dreams fall apart and you become the laughingstock of others."
Wang Qiuyue and Luo Fu glared at each other, neither of them wanting to hear the last sentence.
Nineteen-year-old Luo Song wanted to say something, but seeing his mother and sister already entering the house arm in arm, and his father limping behind them, he touched his nose and shut his mouth.
At night, Luo Fu lay alone in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. She stared blankly at the hazy moonlight streaming through the window through the curtains.
She started missing her sister even before she arrived in Beijing.
Besides missing her brother-in-law, Luo Fu also felt anxious and confused. Would her brother-in-law pass the imperial examination? Would she be able to marry into the capital?
Actually, it's not that she has to marry into the capital. If her sister hadn't woven this beautiful dream for her, how could Luo Fu, who had never even been to nearby Yangzhou, dare to dream of the capital, the richest and most noble place in the world?
Luo Fu was anxious because she was already sixteen years old. Since last year, matchmakers had been constantly visiting her door. Her older sister had also arranged for her to meet several wealthy young men or scholars from the county town. However, after more than ten open and covert meetings, Luo Fu had not taken a liking to any of them. Those men were either of average appearance or of ordinary family background, or arrogant and rude because of their talent or family background. As for those who simply wanted to take her as a concubine because they were attracted to her looks, Luo Fu did not even want to mention it.
After this happened several times, some rumors started circulating in the neighborhood, saying that she had high standards and wanted to find a husband for herself by comparing him to her brother-in-law.
Luo Fu admitted that her standards might have been raised by her brother-in-law, whom she often saw. But even without a handsome, talented, and gentle brother-in-law, she and her sister were both recognized beauties in the area. What was wrong with a young and beautiful girl like her wanting to marry a suitable husband?
In short, Luo Fu would rather not marry than marry someone she finds attractive.
Before going to sleep, Luo Fu quietly went to the window and murmured a wish to the still round moon in the sky, wishing that her sister and brother-in-law's wishes would come true, and that her own wishes would also come true.
.
The Luo family's financial situation was not comparable to that of the wealthy families in the county town, but it was one of the best in Huangqiao Village. This was because when Luo Dayuan retired from the battlefield, he was a centurion. After he became lame, he could no longer hold office, but he received a fairly generous compensation. After returning to the village, the couple built a new house, acquired twenty acres of fertile land, and successively bought a cook and two maids to serve their daughter from a slave trader.
The Luo family has few men, so they hire people to do all the farm work. Luo Dayuan usually likes to play chess with the village elders, Wang Qiuyue likes to hang out with the women, and Luo Song joined the army last year with his strong physique and simple moves taught by his father. He practices martial arts and farms in his spare time and fights in wartime. Luo Fu, on the other hand, plays with her girlfriends.
Before she came of age, Luo Fu studied at the town's private school. As she studied, her figure changed, and her face became more and more attractive to the students. The teacher then gently advised her to stop her studies, since continuing to study would not lead to success in the imperial examinations. Rather than staying at the private school and causing trouble, she should keep her good reputation and go home to wait for marriage.
Luo Fu was the girl who studied the longest among those who enrolled at the same time. When the teacher was no longer willing to teach her, she listened to his advice and went home.
The autumn days in Yangzhou were neither too hot nor too cold, just right. Luo Fu and a few of her girlfriends, who also didn't have to help with chores at home, went to the stream at the edge of the village. They first played in the water, and when the sun got higher, they hid in the shade of the willow trees on the bank to embroider and chat.
The girls all envied Roland, Rosanne's older sister. When they learned that Roland was going to the capital, they all imagined the prosperity of the capital.
"Hey, the carriage!"
Upon hearing this, the girls under the tree looked up at the same time and sure enough, on the road leading to their village, they saw a blue-curtained carriage that was even more magnificent than the Luo family's carriage. There were two people riding tall, black-haired horses in front and behind the carriage. As they looked, the carriage got closer and closer, and the two figures in front of the carriage, one burly and the other slender, became clearer and clearer.
"He's so handsome! Even better looking than Brother-in-law Afu!"
The little girl didn't mean to belittle her sister's relative. Due to her limited education, she couldn't think of any words of praise, so she subconsciously compared her to the most handsome person she had ever seen.
Luo Fu wasn't angry at all, because the man was indeed more handsome than her brother-in-law, which was what she thought when she first saw him.
Being girls raised in the village, they were bold, and the more people there were, the bolder they became. They simply stared straight at the newcomer.
On the way, Xiao Yu noticed a group of girls and kept his eyes fixed on them. Xiao Rong, relying on his seniority, glanced at them a few more times, his gaze lingering for a moment on the face of the little beauty surrounded by the stars. Thinking of the letter the guard had given him after the investigation, Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to his son, saying, "It is said that the Luo family's little girl's beauty has spread for dozens of miles around. That might be her."
Xiao Yu still looked ahead: "Father, please have some self-respect, lest people criticize you for being disrespectful to your elders."
Xiao Rong: "..."
He didn't know if others would criticize him, but his son had already started criticizing him indirectly!
Glaring at this unfilial brat, Xiao Rong feigned a dignified demeanor, stopped his horse a dozen paces away, and bowed to the young girls, saying, "I am from the capital. Today I have come to your village to find my old friend Luo Dayuan. If any of you know his family, please help me point the way. Thank you."
Upon hearing this, the girls all looked at Luo Fu, who was sitting in the middle.
Luo Fu was completely bewildered. When did her father get to know an old friend who lived in the capital?
Following the girls' gaze, Xiao Rong was basically certain of Luo Fu's identity, and his smile became even more benevolent: "And this young lady is?"
Luo Fu stood up, partly by choice and partly by being pushed by her sisters. She quickly looked the father and son over and explained, "My father shares the same name as the old friend you mentioned, Yuan from the Lantern Festival. However, I have never heard him mention associating with someone as distinguished as you. Are you sure you are looking for my father?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu dismounted first, holding the reins in one hand and standing to one side, his eyes slightly lowered, silent yet as handsome as a bamboo stalk.
Xiao Rong knew his third son well; although he often offended people with his words, he would never neglect proper etiquette.
He continued to the little girl, "I met an old friend on the battlefield. Later, he returned home wounded and developed a foot ailment. May I ask if your father is the same?"
The astonishment in Rosé's eyes already answered him.
Xiao Rong smiled and said, "Since she is the daughter of an old friend, please let my niece lead the way for us."
After saying that, he dismounted and prepared to follow the little girl into the village on foot.
A note from the author:
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Second update! 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow at noon~
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