Chapter 913 A Letter from Home in the South (Over 5,000 favorites!)
Because of the enrollment of maternity wards and the upcoming pilgrimage to all nations in October, Chang'an City is becoming more and more bustling and crowded with people every day.
Brother Li, who is on duty at the Jinwu Guard, has only returned home twice in the past half month; the rest of the time he has been resting at Wuhoupu.
From this, one can see what a prosperous and magnificent scene Chang'an must be in as the height of summer approaches.
In Changshoufang, the Li family continued to live their lives in an orderly fashion.
Sister-in-law Li was holding a wooden abacus, moving the beads back and forth to check the accounts against the thick ledger on the table.
This ledger belongs to the Women's Aid Association. Over the years, thanks to the initial funds provided by Li San Niang and Fang Chengxian, the Women's Aid Association has been able to operate year after year.
Later, Li San Niang's reputation spread, and after she became a female official, the Women's Assistance Association actually became profitable.
Even after Li San Niang suggested that Li's mother and sister-in-law expand the scope of assistance provided by the Women's Assistance Association, the accounts did not fall apart.
This was because many ladies from noble families later donated a lot of money. Whether they wanted to gain a good reputation, simply wanted to get along with Li San Niang, the female physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau, or were genuinely kind-hearted, the Women's Assistance Association was able to continue operating well year after year.
As Sister-in-law Li carefully wrote down a number in the ledger, she was about to calculate it again with the abacus when she heard Xiao Liulang's cheerful shouts coming from the courtyard.
They were just tiny little kids back then, but now they can run and jump all over.
"Mother, your son is out of school!"
My sister-in-law picked him up and even bought him some baked flatbread from Zhang's family!
Following behind Xiao Liulang, Jiang Shengnan carried a basket into the house. She lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing steaming hot sesame seed cakes inside. Jiang Shengnan said to Sister-in-law Li, "I saw that these are fresh out of the oven and very hot, so I bought ten to keep for my uncle and the others to eat after school."
Sister-in-law Li smiled at Jiang Shengnan. Before she could say anything, Xiao Liulang, who was holding a pancake, quickly bowed, turned around and walked out, saying, "Mother, sister-in-law, I'm going to the street corner to play with Shengzi. Just call me when you're ready for dinner."
Before Sister-in-law Li could respond, Xiao Liulang had already rushed into the courtyard and headed out the door.
Sister-in-law Li shook her head and chuckled. As she tidied up the account books and abacus, she looked up at Jiang Shengnan and said, "He's like a little calf every day, with inexhaustible energy, just like his older brother when he was a child."
Upon hearing Sister-in-law Li mention Li Dalang, Jiang Shengnan paused for a moment. After about two breaths, she came to her senses and replied to Sister-in-law Li, "My husband and my uncle are close brothers, so it's only natural that they resemble each other."
Sister-in-law Li stepped forward, grasped Jiang Shengnan's hand, and said to her apologetically, "Good child, Dalang is out there working hard to make a living, and you've had to stay at home to take care of this family."
Sister-in-law Li patted Jiang Shengnan's hand: "When Dalang comes back next time, his future will be settled, so you can go with him. This loving couple should go together happily."
Just as Jiang Shengnan was about to reply, Xiao Liulang's voice rang in their ears again: "Mother, Mother, Sister-in-law, my elder brother has written a letter! My elder brother has written a letter!"
An official came to deliver a message at the gate, and my second uncle and grandfather were talking to someone!
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Li and Jiang Shengnan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with joy.
When the two arrived hand in hand at the Li family's gate, they saw Li's father and second brother bowing to Xin Jun, a man in military uniform carrying a sword, on horseback.
After returning the salute from his tall horse, Xin Jun pulled on the reins and rode away. Turning around, Li's father held a rectangular object thickly wrapped in oiled paper.
Father Li noticed his sister-in-law and Jiang Shengnan. He nodded to them, then turned to his second brother and said, "Find someone to send a message to Wuhoupu, telling Dalang to come home tonight."
Li Erxiong nodded in agreement, but then he looked up and asked, "Should we go and tell Third Sister?"
Father Li shook his head and rejected his second brother's words: "No need, Third Sister is busy with the women's medical school, I'm afraid she won't have time."
"Dewdrop can stay home; she'll just listen carefully for Third Aunt."
"Yes, Father. I'll go and send someone to deliver a message to my elder brother right away."
Just before the gates closed, Brother Li returned to Changshoufang on time, and with his long legs, he quickly walked back to the Li family home.
Li Dalang is the eldest son of Li Daxiong, and he is so outstanding. It has been almost half a year since we have heard from Li Dalang. How could Li Daxiong not miss him?
Soon after, Brother Li stood at the entrance of the Li Family Medical Hall, where, as expected, Sister-in-law Li was already waiting for him under the dim lantern light.
"Mei Niang, I'm back."
"Hey, hurry up, the family is waiting for you."
In order to hear Li Dalang's letter from home as soon as possible, the Li family ate their dinner very quickly tonight. In just over fifteen minutes, Li Sanlang and his men had already started clearing away the dishes.
After changing out of his official robes and into a plain indigo blue round-necked long gown, Li Erlang, under the expectant gazes of the Li family, took a letter with about five or six sheets of paper from his father and began to read it aloud to everyone by the light of the white wax lit on the tree-shaped candlestick that his mother had specially asked his sister-in-law to find.
May Father and Mother be blessed with happiness.
May my grandparents enjoy good health and long life; this is my wish.
May my second uncle, second aunt, and younger sister-in-law, along with their entire family, be well and free from worry.
Li Erlang only read the first few sentences of the letter, but those few words brought tears to Li Dasao's eyes, her deep longing for Li Dalang in the distant land overflowing in her heart.
Brother Li's heart was also in turmoil, but his dark face showed little emotion.
He heard the sound of Sister Li blowing her nose beside him, and looked up to see her wiping away tears with a handkerchief. "Mei Niang..."
Sister-in-law Li shook her head at Brother Li's worried gaze, and said in a choked voice to Li Erlang, who was reading the letter across from her, "It's nothing, it's nothing, Erlang, please continue reading."
Seeing that his sister-in-law had stopped crying, Li Erlang turned around to look at the letter.
"My son is away from home, pursuing his career, and cannot be by my side to fulfill his filial duties. This is my fault."
My only wish is to obtain some official position so that I can protect my parents and relatives from the wind and rain.
Upon reading this, Li Erlang stopped, and everyone looked at him, only to see a great joy burst forth on his face.
[By a stroke of luck, my son has rendered a great service and has been promoted to the third rank, now holding the fifth-rank position of Left General of Dingyuan.]
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