Chapter 89089 Long-awaited Reunion
After watching the women leave in the carriage, Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju boarded the carriage parked on the side of the road.
In the carriage, Du Qingtang held a book in one hand, his eyes fixed on the pages, and held a teacup in the other hand, sipping slowly.
In August, the weather becomes hotter.
After just standing in the sun for a while and doing nothing, the two girls were sweating profusely, as if they had just been fished out of the water.
The two of them sat down opposite Du Qingtang, nibbling on the cantaloupe that cleared away heat and relieved the summer heat, sighing comfortably at the same time.
Du Qingtang put down the teacup: "Leaving?"
Du Qingzhu hummed, her cheeks puffed up from eating, and said vaguely, "I hope they can all forget the past and start a new life."
Du Qingju recalled the rare lightness in the women's faces and couldn't help but smile. "They're back home, with their families and friends by their side. They'll definitely be able to get through this, and things will get better and better in the future."
If you ask which woman left the deepest impression on Du Qingju, it would be Wang Nianci.
He was courageous and ruthless. He killed Li Dashan with his own hands and, against all odds, was the first to report the matter to the authorities.
The government followed the clues and uncovered the beggar's accomplices, and Wang Nianci indirectly saved hundreds of abducted women.
Of course, the other women are not bad either. They are all kind and brave girls.
In order to save Wang Nianci from punishment, they worked together to deal with Li Dashan's body and buried him at the foot of the mountain. They also lied to the government that Li Dashan had not eaten the banquet and had not fainted from the Chinese medicine. When he saw that the situation was not going well, he took advantage of the chaos to escape.
If someone said this, the government would still be skeptical.
Dozens of women gave consistent testimonies, and the government had no suspicions. They immediately posted a notice, issuing a city-wide warrant for the arrest of Li Dashan.
Little did they know that Li Dashan had already been buried deep underground and would soon become a pile of bones.
Who says that morality and affection only exist between men?
The same thing exists among women. They help each other, and the power they form should not be underestimated!
Speaking of going home, Du Qingzhu curled her lips with some disdain: "Fortunately, we didn't let those people find a chance to approach them, otherwise, once they were entangled, it would be like a dog-skin plaster, impossible to tear off no matter how hard you try."
"Even if they return home, they will be in constant contact with the people who hurt them. I'm afraid the trauma in their hearts will never heal for the rest of their lives."
Those people refer to the children who take pictures of beggars in Xiaohe Village.
These children were generally no older than ten years old and were not old enough to join the trafficking gangs. Therefore, their fathers and brothers were sentenced to beheading, but they are still alive.
After Paihuazi confessed his guilt, Du Qingtang and Governor Qiao discussed and unanimously decided to send them to the local charity hall.
Of course they didn't want to, they cried and howled and threw a tantrum.
"I want my mother!"
"I've heard everything. You want to send my mother back home, and I want to go back with her!"
The yamen runners who were in charge of sending them to the charity hall looked down on these children whose bodies were filled with the blood of beggars, so they refused to tolerate them and gave them several slaps in the face.
People always bully the weak and fear the strong, and children are no exception.
After being beaten up by the yamen runners, they immediately became as quiet as chickens and dared not make any trouble again.
But just in case, Du Qingtang still asked the people in the charity hall to guard against them tightly, so that they would not run away and look for the people who gave birth to them.
Those women had finally escaped from the sea of suffering, and they must never have anything to do with Xiaohe Village again.
Fortunately, except for Chu Ran who lost her brain during childbirth and colluded with Paihuazi, the other women were clear-headed and never mentioned their past. They took care of their bodies, read books or learned to read, and worked hard to improve themselves.
"Who said it wasn't?" Du Qingju sighed casually and stopped after eating two pieces of cantaloupe.
After studying medicine, she paid great attention to health preservation. Eating too much cold food is bad for the body, especially for women. Women are prone to abdominal pain during menstruation every month, which is not a pleasant feeling.
Du Qingzhu rested his head on Eighth Sister's shoulder. Even when pushed away, he still persevered and leaned over, humming and moaning stickyly.
"It's so hot." Du Qingju muttered, but did not push her away, allowing Seventh Sister to cling to her like a piece of candy.
Du Qingzhu chuckled and fanned herself with a fan: "By the way, Ju Jie'er, why did you tell them our address just now?"
Du Qingtang paused in turning the pages and looked up at Du Qingju.
Du Qingju calmly accepted their gazes. The breeze from her fan lifted her hair, and she raised her hand to smooth it down. She whispered, "Because I can't guarantee that their families can accept the misfortunes they have suffered since being abducted."
The girl from the Du family is undoubtedly lucky.
Du Qingtang taught them to read and write, and to be wise and sensible. Under her subtle influence, they strongly disagreed with the sayings that "chastity is above everything else" and "chastity is above everything else."
Du Qingtang once said that nothing is more important than life.
They deeply agreed and always kept it in mind.
But they cannot represent everyone.
In this vast world, there are always pedantic people who think that starving to death is a minor matter while losing one's chastity is a major one. They think that their sisters or daughters bring disgrace to the family and refuse to let them in.
Life is not easy for women in this world. If you have nowhere to go, you can imagine what your fate will be.
"So I wanted to provide them with a shelter as much as possible."
"There's the Qiong Ying Society in Qingyuan County. There are the Fifth Sister, the Sixth Sister, Sister Meng, and Xiaoxue. They'll definitely like it there."
Du Qingju expressed her inner thoughts, and there was silence in the carriage.
"That's fine. You can make your own arrangements." Du Qingtang flipped the page of the book and said nonchalantly, "I'll go back to Qingyuan County in a few days. Sister Seven and Sister Eight, you can stay here. I'll go to Xiajing alone."
Du Qingzhu was already tearing up from Du Qingju's thoughtfulness, but when she heard this, her tears immediately stopped. Her eyes widened in confusion, "Why?"
Because Du Qingtang is determined to restore his identity.
It will certainly shock the whole government and the public. As she is guilty of deceiving the emperor, she will surely be imprisoned.
Although Du Qingtang was absolutely sure that he could use his merits to offset the crime of deceiving the emperor, he still didn't want them to be implicated and suffer an unprovoked disaster.
Du Qingtang's thoughts raced, but he remained calm as he said, "Seventh Sister, don't you want to open a restaurant? I suggest you start in Qingyuan County. With the Du Ji Snacks brand and a steady customer base, it will be easier to run the business."
"Xia Jing is full of powerful people, and many restaurants have backers. I'm not completely sure I can protect you and the restaurant."
She looked at Du Qingju again and said, "Doctor Qu is in Qingyuan County. If Eighth Sister wants to continue practicing medicine, it would be better for her to stay at Huimin Medical Clinic."
These words made Zhu and Ju fall into deep thought.
Just at this moment, someone knocked on the carriage.
Du Qingtang lifted the curtain and a handsome man stood outside the carriage.
Their eyes met and the man smiled slightly.
Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju also saw him, recognized his identity, looked at each other, and got off the carriage tacitly.
The man leaned forward to enter the carriage, but did not take a seat. Instead, he bowed slightly, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a drawn-out tone, "Your humble servant greets you, sir."
Du Qingtang: "...When did Yuan Zhong care about these empty formalities?"
Yuanzhong is the courtesy name of the second grandson of Cao.
That’s right, the person who came was the magistrate of Pingyang Prefecture, Cao Xingcan.
Cao Xingcan raised his eyebrows slightly, shook the corner of his robe, and sat down calmly, saying jokingly, "Minister Du has been very popular recently."
First there was the denunciation of corruption and the new accounting method, then there were cowpox and Tianju Drink, as well as masks and isolation suits.
These were all unheard-of things, and only Du Qingtang could come up with them. No wonder Emperor Qingyuan made an exception and promoted her to the third-rank assistant minister.
A third-rank official who has not yet reached the age of twenty is indeed rarer than a man who can have children.
In the past month, Cao Xingcan often heard his colleagues mention Du Qingtang, and their words were full of envy and jealousy.
Having known Du Qingtang for many years, how could he not know her ambitions and aspirations? Naturally, he was happy for her.
But no one expected that Du Qingtang would suddenly appear in Pingyang Prefecture, under the pretext of assisting in the investigation.
Today, I went out of town on business. Seeing that the driver looked familiar, I went up to find out what he was like. Unexpectedly, he was Du Qingtang's man, so I took this opportunity to reminisce with him.
Du Qingtang poured tea for Cao Xingcan: "It was just a coincidence."
Cao Xingcan took a sip of tea. As the cool tea went down his throat, he clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Good tea!"
"Mr. Qiao gave it to me," Du Qingtang asked. "How are you doing in Pingyang Prefecture?"
They had not seen each other for nearly a year since they last met in September last year, and there had been no correspondence. It was also inconvenient for Du Qingtang to ask Prefect Qiao about Cao Xingcan, so he knew nothing about his current situation.
"The prefect is easygoing and humble, and considerate of his subjects. He is a rare and good official."
"Daily work is not too busy, and everyone leaves their shifts on time. I also get along well with my colleagues."
The most important thing is that Cao Xingcan is away from the intrigues, chaos and fighting in Xiajing. No one will regard him as a thorn in their side and want to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Although he became an abandoned child and his official position was low, he was comfortable and happy.
"President Zhang plans to retire at the end of the year. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be the one to take his place."
After serving in Pingyang Prefecture for more than a year, Cao Xingcan worked diligently and made several contributions, which is why he became the first choice for successor.
Of course, it’s also because of my grandfather.
"By the way, I'm a father now."
"She was born in early spring, and my wife gave her the nickname, Nuan Jie'er."
Speaking of his daughter, Cao Xingcan's eyes were incredibly gentle: "Nuan Jie'er is well-behaved and clingy..." Eight hundred words of praise are omitted here.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Who could have imagined that the arrogant and conceited Second Master Cao would become a daughter slave, talking about Sister Nuan every other sentence.
With a little cotton jacket, even the strongest steel can become as soft as silk.
Du Qingtang leaned against the carriage and watched Cao Xingcan show off his daughter leisurely.
After a long while, Cao Xingcan realized what he had said: "......"
A trace of discomfort flashed across his face. He put his fist to his lips, coughed twice, and changed the subject.
Half an hour passed in a flash, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.
Cao Xingcan offered to leave: "I have official business to attend to, so I can't stay any longer. Please don't be offended, Qingtang."
Du Qingtang said sympathetically: "It's okay, there's still a long way to go, we'll meet again if we're lucky."
Cao Xingcan stood beside the official road and watched the carriage rumble away.
From beginning to end, they never mentioned Cao.
It is a tacit understanding, but also a taboo.
Cao Xingcan smiled silently and mounted his horse.
Du Qingtang is pursuing her future, and he also has his own future.
-
After leaving Pingyang Prefecture, Du Qingtang passed through several prefectures in Shanxi Province. He often heard that the government had cracked down on human trafficking gangs and rescued abducted women and children.
It can be seen that the human trafficking case in Xinyang County sounded the alarm for the Governor of Shanxi Province, which prompted all prefectures under his jurisdiction to urgently launch anti-human trafficking operations.
It is said that the execution ground was covered in blood, which did not dry up for several days, and the executioner's machete was even curled up at the edge.
Good and evil will be rewarded in the end. When they make a living by trafficking and harming innocent people, they should think about this day.
Half a month passed in a flash.
Du Qingtang and his group left Shanxi Province and entered the territory of Northern Zhili, getting closer to Baoding Prefecture.
Passing through Daming Prefecture and Shunde Prefecture, the government organized the local people to be vaccinated against smallpox.
In order to gain the trust of the people, the government also used Du Qingtang as an example.
"When smallpox broke out in Lin'an County, someone threw clothes worn by a smallpox patient onto Lord Du. If Lord Du hadn't been vaccinated against cowpox beforehand, he would have contracted smallpox and would have been in danger of dying."
The bailiff stood on a stool and shouted at the top of his voice.
"Even Lord Du has been vaccinated, what reason do you have not to get vaccinated?!"
"Opportunity is fleeting. What are you still hesitating about? Why don't you sign up for vaccination now?!"
The local people were provoked by the yamen runners and raised their arms and shouted.
"Vaccination!"
"Vaccination!"
Du Qingtang, who happened to be passing by: "......"
It's like a large-scale pyramid scheme.
Du Qingzhu sat cross-legged in meditation, listening to the glorious deeds of his youngest son and the exaggerated tone of the yamen runners. He covered his mouth and chuckled, "Tang Ge'er is famous all over the world."
Du Qingtang said expressionlessly: "You are out of cakes for this month."
Du Qingzhu: “???”
Du Qingzhu: “!!!”
"No!" Du Qingzhu's smile froze on her face. She screamed and rushed towards Du Qingtang, grabbing her hand and shaking it desperately, "Aren't you trying to kill me? Pull back! Pull back quickly! Please, Tang Ge'er!"
Du Qingzhu acted coquettishly and blinked hard, trying to squeeze out a few tears so that the youngest brother would take back his decision.
In the end, instead of squeezing out tears, my eyes felt sore. I turned around and faced the carriage, feeling depressed.
“Puff—”
The smile will not disappear, it will only transfer to Du Qingju's face.
"Well, you dare to laugh at me!"
"I want a beating!"
Du Qingzhu pounced on Du Qingju, and the two sisters started a fight.
Du Qingtang: “…”
It was so noisy, it felt like traveling with two three-year-olds.
......
In mid-August, Du Qingtang and his party arrived in Baoding Prefecture.
We stayed overnight in an inn in the city and continued our journey the next day, arriving in Qingyuan County at noon.
When I opened the gate, the yard was quiet and there was not a single person in sight.
Because Zhu Ju and Ruan Ran left home for Runing Prefecture, Ruan Ran had no one to take care of her, so she went to stay at Gu's house and has not returned yet.
Du Qingzhu picked up the broom that had fallen by the door, lowered his head and sniffed it. He felt a sour smell on his body, and it was almost stinking from the sweat. "First, boil some water to take a shower, change clothes, and then eat."
Du Qingtang and Du Qingju shared the same idea as her.
After sitting in the steaming carriage for two hours, my hair was soaked and I had to take a shower and change clothes.
After taking a bath and having a meal, Zhuju and Du Qingtang went to find their sisters, while Du Qingtang went to the Yao family to meet their master Yao Xuan.
......
Yao Xuan had just returned from the academy, changed his clothes, and prepared to go to the study to read for a while.
At this time, the housekeeper came to report: "Mr. Du is here."
Mr. Du?
Yao Xuan was startled, and the disciple with a stern face appeared in front of him. He turned back to the bronze mirror, adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror, making sure that every detail was meticulous, and then went to see Du Qingtang.
Just like in the past few years, Du Qingtang sat in the armchair in the study, with a cup of tea at hand, his eyes calm and his expression indifferent.
Seeing Yao Xuan appear, Du Qingtang bowed and saluted: "Master."
Yao Xuan stepped over the threshold, his hands behind his back as he looked at his disciple whom he hadn't seen for over a year. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "You've lost weight."
Du Qingtang said respectfully, "Master, please understand. I ate well and drank well in Runing Prefecture. Not only did I not lose weight, I gained weight. It's really because of the harsh summer and the hard work on horseback that I lost some weight."
Yao Xuan smiled, twirling his beard as he stepped forward and said, "Master, I have heard about what you did in Runing Prefecture. You did well, you were brave and fearless, and you treated the people like your own children. Master, I am proud of you."
Du Qingtang smiled, like winter snow melting away. "Eating the emperor's salary and sharing his worries is the duty of a minister."
Yao Xuan said nothing and walked towards the chessboard.
Du Qingtang followed closely behind.
The master and the apprentice didn't say much. One of them held the black pieces, and the other held the white pieces, and they started playing chess.
On the chessboard, you and I fought back and forth, the fight was so thrilling, with smoke rising everywhere!
The butler saw this scene outside the door and smiled so hard that every wrinkle on his face relaxed.
The young master is working in Xiajing, and the Duke of Changguo's Mansion is eyeing him covetously.
Mr. Du works in Runing Prefecture, and his situation is not much better than yours.
Although the master didn't say anything, the butler had served him for decades and knew what he was worried about.
Now that the young master has been promoted to the sixth rank editor and Mr. Du has been promoted to the third rank, the master can finally rest assured.
"Thank you."
Du Qingtang placed a black piece and bowed calmly.
Yao Xuan didn't seem angry after losing to his disciple. He just asked, "When are you leaving?"
Du Qingtang put the black piece into the chess basket: "I will go back to the village tomorrow and leave the day after tomorrow."
Yao Xuan nodded, thought about it, and said nothing.
His disciple knew when to advance and when to retreat, was mature and steady. There were some things that needed no further explanation, as Du Qingtang understood them better than he did.
At this time, Du Qingtang stood up and said: "Disciple will go to Beijing soon, and I don't know when I will be back. Master is afraid that he will not be able to crown his disciple."
She bowed, lowering her brows and eyes: "Master, please give me a courtesy name."
Du Qingtang's father died early, and since a teacher is like a father for life, Yao Xuan was her first choice for a courtesy name.
Yao Xuan walked to the desk, pondered for a moment, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink and wrote two words.
Du Qingtang stepped forward and the words "offering jade" came into view.
"Don't be too cautious about offering jade three times, and be careful about knowing gold four times." Yao Xuan gazed at his disciple with clear, sharp eyes, and said earnestly, "I, your teacher, have given you the courtesy name 'Xianyu'. I hope you will be clear-headed, rational, honest, and self-disciplined."
Du Qingtang bowed again: "Thank you, Master, for the calligraphy."
Although she had a courtesy name in her previous life, she chose it herself. This was the first time that her courtesy name was chosen by her master.
Offering jade.
Du Qingtang recited silently, a slight smile on his lips: "Disciple will strictly follow Master's teachings and reflect on himself at all times."
......
It was already evening when the game of chess ended.
Du Qingtang bid farewell to Yao Xuan and walked home.
When I opened the gate, I found that my sister, brother-in-law and their children were all there.
Twenty or thirty people gathered together, chatting and talking, and their laughter spread out of the main room, over the wall, and could be heard in the alley.
"Ah! Tang Ge'er is back!"
The first person to discover Du Qingtang was Du Qingqi. As soon as she spoke, the six sisters came out one after another and surrounded their youngest child, tears glistening in their eyes, filled with joy and heartache.
"Tang'er has lost weight. His shoulders are painful to the touch. He must be having a hard time in Runing Mansion."
"A while ago, I could hear people praising you wherever I went. Fourth Sister wanted to tell everyone that the one who offered the cowpox and chrysanthemum drink was my child."
"Brother Tang has become a minister, and sister Ju has become the village head. Are the ancestral graves of our Du family really going to be filled with smoke?"
The sisters cried with joy and surrounded Du Qingtang, chattering non-stop.
Du Qingtang listened patiently and responded from time to time.
Jun Jieer couldn't wait any longer, so she grabbed Du Qinglan's hand and called out in a baby voice, "Chirp! Chirp!"
Du Qingtang lowered his head following the sound and saw a pair of big black eyes through the gap between the people.
As soon as their eyes met, Jun Jieer jumped for joy, her teeth showing and her eyes wide open: "Chirp!"
The crowd dispersed spontaneously, and Jun Jieer rushed over like a cannonball.
Even though Du Qingtang had practiced martial arts for many years, he was still knocked back two steps by her. He managed to steady himself, half-knelt down, and caught the sweet and soft ball in his arms.
Jun Jieer raised her face and blinked: "Jiujiu, Jun Jieer misses you~"
"I'm so glad you still remember me." Du Qingtang's eyebrows relaxed and he pinched the little girl's chubby face. "You speak so fluently, why don't you change your words?"
Jun Jieer laughed and buried her face in her uncle's arms as if to escape, chirping non-stop.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Seeing the youngest sister being helpless against Jun Jie'er, the sisters couldn't help laughing.
Du Qingtang let Jun Jie'er make a fuss for a while, then stood up and said, "It's hot outside, let's go inside first."
Everyone responded and returned to the main room while chatting and laughing.
When passing by Ruan Ran, Du Qingtang raised his hand and rubbed her nipple.
The little girl's eyes sparkled and she smiled sweetly back at her.
As early as when Du Qingtang and Yao Xuan were playing chess, the sisters came back from closing the shop early and prepared a large table of sumptuous meals.
Twenty or thirty people sat together at two round tables, having a lively time.
As the eldest sister, Du Qingqin was the first to raise her glass with a bright smile: "We are all gathered here today to celebrate Tang'er's promotion and Ju'er's appointment as village chief. Don't be polite, just eat to your heart's content."
Amidst the sounds of congratulations, everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine in them in one gulp.
The wine is from the Fourth Sister's Wine Shop. It has a rich aroma, is mellow yet soft, and has a crisp taste. It leaves an endless aftertaste after drinking it.
Du Qingtang pursed her lips slightly, with a smile in her eyes.
......
The whole family was very happy to meet each other after a long separation. They drank and chatted until late at night.
"The wine is almost gone, I'll go get another pot."
Du Qingmei took the wine jug and went to the kitchen. Du Qingtang glanced at the drunk man and got up to follow him.
"Fifth sister."
Du Qingmei had just picked up the wine spoon when she turned around and saw that it was the youngest. She smiled and replied, "Why are you here?"
Du Qingtang walked up to her and asked directly, "Fifth sister, how is your relationship with Guo Qian now?"
Du Qingmei paused, her smile fading slightly. "But what did Sister Zhu and Sister Ju say?"
Du Qingtang didn't say anything, but Du Qingmei understood and sighed softly, "Some problems did happen earlier. Guo Qian failed the provincial examination and was in a bad mood. He ignored me a lot."
"Tang Ge'er, you know I'm not a good person. I've argued with him a few times and he made me so angry that I went home to live."
"To be honest, when he treated me coldly, forced me to live at my parents' house, and didn't show up for three or five days in a row, I also thought about getting a divorce."
If it were in other families, most girls who have already married out would not be allowed to divorce.
After all, once a daughter is married off, it is impossible to take her back.
But Du Qingmei firmly believed that if she proposed a divorce, her sisters would definitely support her and take her home with drums and gongs.
Her family is her strength.
"Later, he came to my house to admit his mistake, and his mother also came to plead for me. After I went back, I calmly considered for a long time whether to ask for a divorce."
At this point, Du Qingmei smiled, her voice soft and gentle: "In the end, I gave up the idea."
Du Qingtang looked at her, frowned and said nothing.
"Guo Qian has already achieved the title of scholar. I believe that given time, he will surely pass the imperial examination and become a juren, or even a jinshi."
"By then, I will be the wife of a successful candidate or a successful scholar."
"So why should I give up the position that's within my reach and divorce him out of spite?"
"I chose Guo Qian because he was gentle, refined, and considerate, not because of any romantic connection."
"Now that his flaws have been exposed, I won't be heartbroken and cause unrest between our two families."
"I want the status of a female teacher, and I also want the status of a Jinshi's wife."
Du Qingmei patted the youngest's arm gently, and said in a rare teasing tone, "Men often humble themselves to curry favor with powerful people, but I don't need to do that. Now that you are a third-rank official and Ju Jie'er has been appointed village chief, Guo Qian can only coax me and worship me like an ancestor."
Du Qingtang: "... Have you decided? No regrets?"
Du Qingmei shook her head: "There's nothing to regret. Most couples in the world end up in a mess. How many of them can still be as loving as ever?"
"Tang Ge'er, I'm not as noble as you think. I'm greedy and I want everything."
Having said this, what else could Du Qingtang say?
After a long silence, she simply said, "Don't be wronged. I'll take care of everything."
Du Qingmei agreed crisply, holding her youngest's arm, and rarely showing some little girl attitude: "I know, with you guys around, I'm not afraid of anything."
Back then, she even dared to kill Yuan Ping and Zhu Shi. They were just men. She had the ability and the backing, so why should she be afraid of Guo Qian?
Du Qingmei suddenly sighed again, "I was so foolish back then that I actually lost my mind because of the instigation of a profiteer. I made you worry about me for a long time."
Du Qingtang took the wine spoon and poured wine into the wine pot: "You were still young then, your experience and mind were not mature enough, now you are getting older..."
Before he could finish his words, Du Qingmei patted his arm.
Du Qingtang: “???”
Du Qingmei feigned anger and said, "I, your fifth sister, am only twenty-two. How can I be considered older?"
Du Qingtang: "...My fault, Fifth Sister is still young and in her prime."
The youngest child in the family has always been taciturn, so he had never said such coaxing words. Du Qingmei smiled from ear to ear, and the smile on her lips lasted for a long time.
The wine jug was full and the two sisters walked towards the main room.
Seeing Du Qingtang coming, the third sister Du Qingshu waved drunkenly, "Come here, Tang'er, let's continue drinking!"
Du Qingzhu was dancing and recounting the story of Xiaohe Village: "They insisted on making us drink, so I deliberately whispered to Ju Jie'er..."
She spoke vividly and everyone listened attentively.
Du Qingtang glanced at Guo Qian who was pouring wine and picking up food for Du Qingmei. When she looked away, Du Qingshu had already filled her glass with wine.
"Tang brother, come, let's have a drink!"
"I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight!"
A trace of helplessness flashed across Du Qingtang's face. He took a sip and continued to listen to Du Qingzhu's story with great emotion.
-
The next day, Du Qingtang slept until he woke up naturally.
Several sisters have gone out, and Ruan Ran and Jun Jie'er are not here either.
Du Qingtang was about to go to the kitchen to find something to eat when she heard a knock on the door. She had no choice but to turn around and go open the door.
The person who came was Guo Qian.
He was wearing college uniform and was sweating profusely, obviously having run all the way here.
Although he respected Du Qingmei's decision, it did not mean that Du Qingtang forgave Guo Qian's duplicity.
Du Qingtang put one hand on the door bolt and asked indifferently, "What's the matter?"
Seeing Du Qingtang like this, Guo Qian took a deep breath and bowed deeply to her outside the door: "Qingtang t..."
Du Qingtang interrupted him: "Call me Lord Du."
Guo Qian: "...Master Du, I was wrong earlier. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on Qingmei because I was depressed after failing the provincial examination."
"Please give me another chance, Master Du. I swear to heaven that I will be good to Qingmei for the rest of my life and will never have second thoughts!"
After saying this, he bowed again and lowered his body with a humble attitude.
Du Qingtang just looked at him expressionlessly, without saying a word.
She didn't let go, and Guo Qian didn't dare to get up. After a while, he was sweating profusely, and his raised hands were trembling slightly.
It wasn't until beads of sweat dripped down Guo Qian's forehead and he was panting heavily that Du Qingtang asked, "When are you planning to take the provincial examination?"
Guo Qian said without hesitation: "Next year! Next year I will definitely pass the imperial examination!"
Du Qingtang questioned his words and said coldly, "Fifth sister is nostalgic. Since you sincerely admit your mistakes, I will give you another chance."
"If you continue to be two-faced, moody, and make Fifth Sister unhappy, and act like a man, I don't mind helping you."
Can you help me?
What help?
In a flash, Guo Qian suddenly understood something and subconsciously clamped his legs together.
"Go away."
At Du Qingtang's command, Guo Qian felt as if he had been pardoned. He repeatedly promised that he would never let Du Qingmei down, and ran away crawling.
......
Because of Guo Qian, Du Qingtang had no appetite. He ate a bowl of noodles casually and then took a carriage back to Taoyuan Village.
Du Yi and others are staying in the inn, and Du Wu is responsible for driving today.
When we arrived at Taoyuan Village, we could hear the sound of reading from afar.
The village school was not far from the village entrance. Du Qingtang asked Du Wu to stay at the village entrance, glanced at the tabby cat living under the top scholar monument, and walked into the village.
Liu Tongsheng was teaching the children. Du Qingtang stood outside the door, listening quietly, and did not show up until the class was over.
Liu Tongsheng was surprised and delighted: "Why are you back?"
Du Qingtang replied, "I'm on my way to Beijing to take up a post. I'm passing through Baoding Prefecture and will come back to visit."
Liu Tongsheng nodded in understanding and said to the children in the classroom, "This is Lady Du. The top scholar monument at the entrance of the village was built for her."
The students in the village school are generally young, about five to ten years old.
They all looked at Du Qingtang with curiosity and awe, wanting to get closer but not daring to.
Du Qingtang waved: "Come here, let me test you."
Dozens of children took turns taking the test. Some of them answered the questions stutteringly, while others couldn't answer for a long time and burst into tears under the cold gaze of Master Du.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Liu Tongsheng couldn't help laughing. He let the children go out to play and sat down opposite Du Qingtang: "I haven't congratulated you yet, you got promoted."
Du Qingtang chuckled: "Liu Guang and Liu Yao have entered the Imperial Academy, so it won't be long before they can be promoted to higher positions."
Once you enter the court, it is like entering a deep sea. It is not easy to get promoted, but that does not stop Liu Tongsheng from smiling from ear to ear.
Du Qingtang spoke with Liu Tongsheng for a while and then said goodbye: "I'm going to burn some incense for my father."
Liu Tongsheng didn't want to keep her and sent her out of the village school. He smiled and twirled his beard, saying, "Du family kid, you must take care of yourself."
Du Qingtang looked back and nodded solemnly: "I will."
From the village school to the Du family cemetery at the foot of the mountain, I met many villagers along the way.
They greeted Du Qingtang warmly, calling him "Master Du" one by one, their eyes full of envy and compliments.
Du Qingtang didn't say much, just nodded, carried a bamboo basket to the Du family cemetery, and found Du Dahang's tombstone.
She first cleaned the tombstone and trimmed the weeds, then placed the offerings and lit incense, candles and paper money.
Du Qingtang bowed three times to the tombstone: "If you are still alive, please bless me so that everything goes well after I go to Xiajing, and all my wishes come true..."
She paused, her eyelashes trembling slightly: "Forget it, you have never blessed me before."
Du Qingtang stood in front of Du Dahang's tombstone, quietly watching the paper money turn into ashes, then turned and left.
A gust of wind blew, and the ashes were scattered by the wind, leaving nothing behind.
The next day, Du Qingtang and his party set off again and headed for Xiajing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
