Chapter 84: Disrespectful Calling Cousin
The old lady and Ming Chuanchuan were talking on this side, and on the other side Yuan Yuhe was chatting with Ming Chuanchuan's eldest daughter-in-law, Da Li.
Ming Chuanlu's wife passed away a few years ago, so his eldest daughter-in-law, Da Li, organized the reception for the female relatives of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion.
Da Li is also the daughter of the patriarch of another big family in Dongyu Village, Li. Even Ming Chuanchuan's eldest grandson's wife, Xiao Li, is also a member of the Li clan.
He introduced the situation of his descendants along the way and sent them to the large mansion with six courtyards. Then Ming Chuandao said goodbye with the Ming family members.
"Sister-in-law, we won't chat with you any longer. Rest well today. We'll welcome you all tomorrow." Ming Chuanchuan took out a large key. "This is the key to the compound that the clan has temporarily kept. The food has already been prepared in the kitchen."
Nanny Li took the key.
The old lady said, "Thank you for your help. There's no need to rush the reception. Let's wait until my children and grandchildren arrive. I can't let you guys handle so much. There are so many of us, and it would be too tiring for the clansmen."
"Thank you, sister-in-law, for your consideration. Let's prepare the things for the next two days and hold the welcoming banquet when my nephew and his family arrive."
The old lady looked around at the tribe members and said, "That's what we should do. Thank you all for coming to pick us up. Let's go back first."
Nanny Li gave the key to Nanny Gao who was beside Yuan Yuhe. Nanny Gao took two of Yuan Yuhe's four maids, Jinhua and Yufang, into the courtyard to check the general layout.
The old lady looked at the large persimmon tree in the courtyard and sighed, "It seems nothing has changed, yet everything seems to have changed. Ten years ago, this tree was only as tall as me, but now it's ten times as tall as me."
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
"Yes, I remember when I came back last time, Zhao brought Qing'er and He'er to water the plants every day." Yuan Yuhe said.
While they were talking, Shi Jianli looked at the persimmon tree in the yard, which was now full of green fruits.
Ming Yuelin said to her, "I was still young when we came back last time, so I can't remember many things clearly, but I remember that the persimmons here are quite sweet when ripe, and they are delicious when made into persimmon cakes."
"That year, when I came back, it was autumn and we could eat persimmons, but this time we can't."
Qiao Ruoying smiled and said, "If you're greedy, just ask them to send some persimmon cakes to Beijing."
"That's right."
Shi Jianli saw that Qiao Ruoying looked unhappy, so she asked with concern, "Auntie, are you feeling unwell?"
"We've been on the road for so many days, I'm a little tired, just a day or two of rest would be nice."
"Let Dr. Chu give you two injections to relieve your fatigue?"
"Whenever there's something wrong with me, you always go to the court doctor. He either prescribes medicine or gives me acupuncture. I'm afraid the court doctors are fed up with you." Qiao Ruoying teased, "No need for acupuncture, just get some sleep."
Who likes to get injections and take medicine all the time? She doesn't like it anyway.
When Nanny Gao brought Jinhua and Yufang back, Yuan Yuhe arranged rooms for everyone.
"The sun is still high and it's still early. You can take a nap and recover your energy." Yuan Yuhe said.
Shi Jianli followed Qiao Ruoying to her own room and took a nap.
When I woke up, the sky was full of rosy clouds and the western mountains were red. The faint sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking in my dream gradually became clearer.
Lan Xing came in and said, "Miss, you woke up just in time. The old lady is calling for dinner."
Shi Jianli nodded, lifted the quilt and sat in front of the dressing mirror, while Lanxing helped her to do her makeup.
When they entered the old lady's courtyard, Qiao Ruoying's maid was just coming out. "Miss Li, I was just about to come look for you. Madam said she felt a little dizzy and had no appetite, so she asked me to tell the old lady."
"Have you seen a doctor?"
"I've checked it out. It's a case of acclimatization. Two doses of medicine will be enough."
Shi Jianli nodded, "I understand. I'll go and accompany my aunt after dinner."
"I'm going to give the lady a message."
After entering the courtyard, Shi Jianli bowed to the old lady and Yuan Yuhe. Seeing that the two aunts from the concubine were also there, she greeted them as well.
She also sent greetings to her peers and sisters.
Shi Jianli felt a little emotional. Fortunately, they did not live in the Duke's Mansion, otherwise the whole family would be noisy. She heard that there was no old lady to keep them in check, and it would be very lively there.
Yuan Yuhe waved her to sit next to her. "You and Lin'er have lost a lot of weight after such a tiring journey. You need to eat some more."
Shi Jianli agreed obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to you. You and the old lady must have had a hard time on the journey. Tomorrow, Sister Lin and I will go to the kitchen to make soup for you two and your aunt to show our filial piety."
"Li'er is considerate."
Ming Yuelin came in while they were chatting and laughing, and sat down next to Shi Jianli. "We've arrived at our ancestral land. No need to think about continuing on the road. This nap was so comfortable."
Yuan Yuhe said, "I don't think you can sleep until the next day if I don't tell you."
"Oh, mother~"
"Okay, okay, let's have dinner."
After dinner, worried about her aunt's health, Shi Jianli said goodbye and left.
Qiao Ruoying was leaning dejectedly against the chair, holding a bowl of light porridge in her hand, and it looked like she hadn't eaten much.
"Aunt, I heard that you were not feeling well." Shi Jianli sat next to her.
Qiao Ruoying put the bowl on the table. "Well, it's nothing serious. I was on the road, remembering to hurry up and holding my breath the whole time. Now that we're here, I've let go of that breath and my body feels uncomfortable. A good sleep tonight should make me feel better."
"Don't be in a hurry to go back. Just walk for two days and rest for three. It will be fine if you return before winter. You won't feel so uncomfortable then."
"Have you finished dinner?"
Shi Jianli nodded. Seeing that her condition was not very bad, he felt relieved. He talked to her for a while, coaxed her to eat a few more mouthfuls of porridge, and then went back.
On the second day after arriving in Dongyu Village, Shi Jianli woke up when she heard the rooster crowing. She picked out some light clothes to put on, washed up and had breakfast, said something to Qiao Ruoying, and then took Lanxing and Xianyue out for a stroll in the village.
As they were leaving, a young man in scholar's robes and his servant were about to enter the palace, but they were stopped by the palace guards, who said, "You must first state your name before entering."
The young man said calmly, "My name is Ming Zhouheng. I'm the second grandson of the Ming clan leader. I'm studying in the provincial capital. I just got home last night and haven't paid my respects to the elders at the Duke's Mansion yet. I've come here today to pay my respects."
"Go in, sorry for the inconvenience." The guard let me in. "Go in and ask for directions. Someone will show you the way."
"It's okay, thank you very much." Ming Zhouheng walked in with his servant.
Just as he met Shi Jianli, he was stunned for a moment, then reacted and gave a scholar's greeting, "I wonder what is your rank in the family?"
Shi Jianli returned the greeting as if she were his equal, "My last name is Shi, and my aunt is the second lady of the mansion."
Yesterday, when I heard Yuan Yuhe chatting with Ming Chuan's eldest daughter-in-law, Da Li, Da Li said that her second son was nineteen years old this year and passed the imperial examination last year. I guess that was the one in front of me.
Last year, Ming Zhoushi also passed the imperial examination, but his ranking was not high, and he was at the bottom of the list.
I heard that the second grandson of the Ming clan leader was the top scorer in the Chaozhou County Examination. He was much more talented than those children of the branch of the Anguo Mansion in Beijing who took the imperial examination. He was also the most outstanding child of the Ming clan in the past two hundred years. The Anguo Mansion paid special attention to him.
"Then it would be rude of Zhu Heng to call you cousin."
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