Inside the study of the Marquis of Yongning in the front courtyard of the Marquis's residence.
The Marquis looked at his eldest grandson, who brought him honor, with a headache and said, "You're really something. You didn't even discuss it with us before sending him to Miaozhou. Miaozhou is no good place."
Xu Di chuckled and said, "Grandfather, there are advantages to not being a good place. If it were one of those good places, I would have to put in so much more effort. Going there is good; it's not far from where I live, and I can go and help out if anything happens."
Looking at Xu Di's calm expression, the Marquis sighed. He was really getting old. Before he knew it, the children in his family had grown into capable adults. He was naturally at ease handing over this large family to them in the future.
This year is another year of the imperial examination. Xu Hua and Xu Zong from the family took the exam, but unfortunately neither of them made it onto the list. Because of this, the Marquis even went to consult the chief examiner. The chief examiner said that the two children's essays were well-written and the essays were pleasing to the eye, but they still lacked some polish. After returning, the Marquis discussed it with the heir apparent, the second master of the second branch of the family, and Xu Zong's father, the second master Xu Pu, and decided to send the two children to study at Taishan Academy.
Before Xu Di returned, Xu Hua and Xu Zong had already left, both determined to study diligently in Tai'an for two years.
After Xu Di left, the Marquis sat alone in his study, pondering the reason for Xu Di's return.
When Xu Di returned, he went to the Ministry of Personnel to complete the formalities. This time, he was promoted from the magistrate of Penglai County to the prefect of Dengzhou Prefecture, a fifth-rank official.
Xu Di was able to be promoted to the position of prefect not only because the policies of Penglai County had been implemented very well in the past two years and the people in the county were living much better lives than in previous years, but more importantly, after the spring, Xu Di led the soldiers of Dengzhou Prefecture and the local people to not only defeat the invading Japanese pirates, but also pursue them and chase them into the Bohai Bay, where they wiped out the Japanese pirates.
Japanese pirates have been harassing Daliang, and this has become a chronic problem for Daliang. Not only in the Bohai Bay, but also along the coast, Japanese pirates are often seen. However, in the last two years, there have been more Japanese pirates in the Bohai Bay. They not only harm the local people who go out to fish, but also roam ashore to burn, kill, and plunder, committing all kinds of evil deeds.
Xu Di, along with his soldiers and the local people, fought a brilliant victory, which not only shocked the court and the public but also became a topic of conversation for many. Some even praised Xu Di as a national hero.
Xu Di naturally dared not accept the title of national hero. When someone in the capital recognized him and praised him in this way, he earnestly told them that if we were to talk about heroes, the real heroes would be the soldiers who bravely fought the enemy and the local people who took up arms to defend the country.
Xu Di came to the capital and said these things more than once or twice. As he said them more often, they naturally reached the ears of some people. It was at this time that the Marquis of Yongning finally realized that his eldest grandson had grown up so much while he was not looking.
When Xu Di returned to the backyard, his twins were already running and playing all over the yard. When he came back earlier, the two children didn't recognize him, but they gradually got to know him in the last two days and realized that he was their father. When they saw Xu Di coming back from outside, the two children hugged Xu Di's legs on either side and insisted that Xu Di carry them.
Xu Di held one child in each arm, and Duo Duo wrapped her arms around Xu Di's neck, saying, "Dad, when are we going to Aunt Jiu's house?"
Xu Di asked her, "What are you going to your ninth aunt's house for? Your ninth aunt's husband is not in good health. If you go there, you'll give him some rest."
Guoguo quickly said, "Dad, we won't let Uncle Jiu rest. Last time we went there, Duoduo and I even helped Aunt Jiu massage Uncle Jiu. Uncle Jiu said my strength was just right."
These two children have very strong language skills; at such a young age, they can express themselves clearly using well-organized language.
Two days ago, Chen Zhaoci went to Zheng Boyuan for a follow-up visit. Li Yuexi accompanied her with her two children. On the way, Li Yuexi told the two children that their aunt's husband was not in good health and that their grandmother was going to see him. She told them that they should not be noisy like they would be at home.
After arriving, the two children were very well-behaved. Not only did they not make a fuss, but they also helped their grandmother massage their ninth uncle's arms and legs. The two children had honed their massage skills on their grandfather and had received a lot of guidance from their grandmother, a famous doctor.
Xu Di played with the two children for a while, and then Bai Wei came over to invite Xu Di, saying that the Third Master and Third Madam invited the eldest master to have dinner.
Duoduo and Guoguo's meals are specially prepared. They know that if they go to other places, the adults won't let them eat many of the dishes, so they don't make a fuss about going. They say that after eating at home, they will go to play with their grandparents.
When Xu Di arrived, he saw that the table was full of his favorite foods. He picked up his chopsticks and took a couple of bites. Xu Rao came in with a plate of dishes and said with a smile, "It's a habit I've had since I was a child. I still can't get rid of it even at this age."
Xu Di said nonchalantly, "I'm a lucky man to have developed such a habit around my parents. Oh, Dad, did you cook this dish yourself? I haven't tasted it in many years."
Of the three family members, Xu Rao is the best cook. Chen Zhaoci is busy with work all day long, sometimes even working day and night, so where would he find the time to study cooking? Although Xu Rao can cook many of his favorite dishes, he is too busy with his studies to have any extra time to study cooking.
Xu Rao was different. When he was busy with his research, he was in a tight schedule and could only rest for a long time during the winter and summer vacations each year. His wife and children were busy every day, so he took on the task of cooking and housework. Over time, he actually developed excellent cooking skills.
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