Zheng Ling frowned and said, "There's such a thing?"
Li said, "Zheng Da's wife told me this in secret. Besides the clan leader, I guess only you and I know about this. The letter was written by the Marquis's steward. Zheng Da's wife said that a while ago, the stepmother sent a letter to Zheng Da, telling him to guard the gate and not to let any unauthorized people in. Zheng Da didn't know what to do, so he hid away."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Ling snorted coldly and said, "This Zheng Da, he still wants to offend neither side. I think he's miscalculated. Go and fry some fruit and send it to Third Brother's house. Tell him it's for Yuan Ge's wife and Yuan Jie'er to try. I'll change my clothes and go to Third Brother's house now. Third Brother is right. Yuan Ge'er is in the army not just for himself, but also for the reputation of our Zheng family. We can't let Yuan Ge'er down."
Li asked, "But what about the clan chief?"
Zheng Ling said, "I'm still his third uncle. How can he be disobedient and unfilial?"
Li agreed, her voice light and cheerful, which Zheng Ling found rather strange. She was clearly about to offend someone, so he wondered what this woman was thinking, and why she was so happy.
Zheng Shan and Qing Bo walked back to Zheng Shan's home. On the way, they passed the gate of the clan chief Zheng Qingchun. Qing Bo said, "Third Master, should we go and talk to the clan chief?"
Zheng Shan said, "I have the key to the ancestral hall. There's no need to say anything, just listen to me."
Qingbo naturally listened to Zheng Shan. Zheng Shan and Zheng Ling were the most senior members of the Zheng clan, and their words sometimes carried more weight than those of Zheng Qingchun, the clan leader.
When they got home, Wang had already prepared lunch with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law. Seeing Zheng Shan return, Wang quickly started preparing lunch.
Zheng Yuanyuan was still leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) looking sickly. Xu Zhi got off the kang to help Wang Shi serve the dishes, but Wang Shi quickly pulled her away. Now Wang Shi knew that her niece-in-law was born into a marquis's family and was a young lady from a prominent family.
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Third Great-Aunt, let alone helping you serve the dishes, I can even cook."
Zheng Yuanyuan, her face pale, said, "Third Aunt, my sister-in-law grew up with the family in Hexi. She has been helping with cooking and managing the household since she was a child."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Shan asked in surprise, "Did Brother Yuan's daughter-in-law grow up in Hexi, near Yanmen Pass?"
Xu Zhi smiled and agreed. Zheng Shan's gaze immediately became distant. He sighed and said, "Back then, I followed our second brother to guard Yanmen Pass. I often went to Hexi City."
Zheng Yuanyuan said, "Third Grand Uncle, if you go there again now, Hexi City is completely different from before. The current Hexi City was built by Uncle Xu. I think the current Hexi City is even better than Jizhou City."
Zheng Shan asked, "Is the Lord Xu who defended Hexi back then your father?"
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "It really is my father."
Zheng Shan couldn't help but feel a deep respect and said, "Lord Xu is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and willing to sacrifice his life. He is a role model for us all."
Xu Zhi repeatedly said she dared not. During the meal, Zheng Shan and Wang Shi accompanied Xu Zhi and Zheng Yuanyuan to eat at the kang table on the kang. Just as they picked up their chopsticks, they heard voices from the front yard. A moment later, Zheng Shan's eldest daughter-in-law came over with a woman in her sixties. The woman was carrying a small basket woven from willow branches.
Wang quickly got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and put on her shoes. Xu Zhi saw this and naturally followed. Zheng Yuanyuan still had a handkerchief on her head and wanted to take it off to get off the kang with Xu Zhi, but Wang quickly stopped her, saying, "My little darling, don't take it off, lie down first."
Li had already entered, and Wang said to Xu Zhi, "This is your fifth great-aunt."
Xu Zhi quickly bowed, and Li said, "No need, no need. My third uncle just said that Yuan-ge's wife and Yuan-jie'er have come. I made some fruit and brought it over for the two children to try."
Just as Li put her things down, Zheng Ling came in carrying a food box. Zheng Shan saw it and asked, "Fifth Brother, what are you doing?"
Zheng Ling said, "I went to a restaurant on the street and ordered a few dishes. The restaurant had just received two pheasants this morning, so I asked them to cook them. Yuan Ge's daughter-in-law and Yuan Jie'er came all the way here. As their uncle, how could I not make something good for the children?"
Xu Zhi quickly bowed and said, "It should have been Yuan Jie and me who went to pay our respects to our fifth great-uncle and fifth great-aunt. We are truly unworthy of their presence."
Li said, “Good children, we’re all family, why be so polite? Come on, eat while it’s hot. You’ve come all this way, you must not have been eating or sleeping well. I’m sorry to have troubled you children.”
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