Chapter 233 Departure
The next morning, the building was brightly lit.
Not only did the three elders get up to see the couple off, but Xu Cuilian and Butcher Zhang also came, bringing a full basket of freshly dried fish, meat and sausages.
Xu Cuilian held Sheng An's hand, her face full of reluctance, her eyes gradually welling up with tears:
"The journey is long, you and Jin Nian must be careful. If you encounter unreasonable people, back down if you can, and don't get into a conflict with them, lest they take advantage of you and hurt you..."
Sheng An listened with a heavy heart, equally reluctant to part: "Don't worry, Aunt, I've remembered everything."
Xu Cuilian patted her head, wanting to say a few more words but not knowing what to say, so she pointed to the cured meats in the large basket and said, "Don't skimp on yourself on the road, eat what you should eat and don't be stingy."
Sheng An agreed again and also told her and her uncle to take good care of themselves.
After instructing her niece-in-law, Xu Cuilian pulled her nephew aside and told him, "Take good care of An'an. Don't let outsiders bully her. You yourself mustn't bully her either, or you'll be in big trouble when An'an comes back and complains."
Xu Jinnian solemnly said, "I will protect An'an."
Grandpa and Grandma Sheng were extremely worried and dared not say anything unlucky at this time. They simply pulled Sheng An aside and gave him repeated instructions.
As they finished giving their instructions, the two elders' voices choked with emotion.
Sheng An felt a pang of sorrow, recalling the tragedy of his past life, and instructed the two elders:
"During the time Jin Nian and I were away from home, Grandpa and Grandma stayed at home and didn't go back to the village unless it was an extremely urgent matter."
Shengyuan hired six more guards. With them protecting Shengyuan, the safety of the two elders of the Sheng family was not a big problem.
Grandpa and Grandma Sheng, unaware of their granddaughter's worries, nodded obediently, saying, "We're old and frail, we won't wander off. We'll just stay home and wait for you to come back."
After they had explained everything that needed to be explained, the group escorted the couple to the dock to meet up with the others.
Zheng Wenying arrived first. Upon seeing Sheng An and Xu Jinnian, she immediately went out of the cabin to greet them and bowed to the elders present.
Grandpa Sheng and the others did not recognize Zheng Wenying until Sheng An introduced him to them.
Knowing that he would be traveling with the couple for a long time, and seeing that he was accompanied by more than twenty guards, Grandpa Sheng and the others felt much more at ease and treated Zheng Wenying with great kindness.
After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Qingzhou and his two companions arrived one after another.
After all the luggage was loaded onto the large ship, Sheng An, Xu Jinnian, and others bid farewell to their relatives who came to see them off.
Liu Xiaoyun and Liu Yanran waved goodbye to them repeatedly, their eyes filled with tears.
If they weren't still rational, they would have loved to board the ship together and accompany their husbands on their long journey to the capital to take the imperial examinations.
The two ships sailed further and further apart, the people seeing them off grew smaller and smaller, and eventually, those who boarded the ships could see nothing at all.
"It's windy outside, let's go inside."
Xu Jinnian took Sheng An's slightly cold hand and led her into the cabin.
As usual, Sheng An sat by the window and opened a crack to let in some fresh air.
Xu Jinnian kept a close eye on her reaction. He was relieved to see that her complexion was alright and she was not so dizzy as to vomit. He then took out a storybook and read it to her.
Tan Zhenlin and his two companions sat in another spot, watching their senior (junior) read aloud a cheesy, cringe-worthy story without batting an eye, and their admiration grew spontaneously.
No wonder they're still as sweet as newlyweds after three years of marriage. With his incredibly considerate nature, he could turn even a tigress into a kitten.
Moreover, my sister-in-law is understanding and kind, completely unlike a shrew.
Fang Qingzhou withdrew her gaze and said to Tan Zhenlin, the only single person present, "Learn something from Mingyu."
Tan Zhenlin didn't take it to heart: "I can't learn that sticky feeling."
Seeing that he didn't get it, Ye Yunhua asked, "You have two younger sisters, don't you want them to find a husband like Mingyu?"
Tan Zhenlin remained silent, then couldn't help but look over there again, just in time to see Sheng An feeding Xu Jinnian a peeled nut.
Seeing his reaction, Fang Qingzhou chuckled, "The wife you marry in the future will also be someone else's sister."
He and his wife enjoyed a harmonious marriage, a result of experience he learned from Mingyu.
With no wives and concubines vying for power in the inner quarters, and no need to be caught in the middle between his mother and daughter-in-law, he could focus all his energy on the imperial examinations. Moreover, he received his wife's understanding and affection, and his life was much easier than that of his parents' generation.
Tan Zhenlin stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
It seems that after going to the capital, he will need to carefully examine potential future sisters-in-law, just like Xu Huli did.
If you can't be like Xu Huli, you don't deserve to be Tan Zhenlin's brother-in-law.
Xu Jinnian couldn't hear the whispers between her three classmates. While accepting food from Sheng An, she read the storybook at a leisurely pace.
Soon, Sheng An, who was already dizzy, became drowsy from the chanting and fell asleep leaning against the cabin wall.
Xu Jinnian put down his storybook, carefully stepped forward, picked her up by the waist, carried her to the room, laid her down on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and then opened a crack in the window to let in some fresh air.
Sheng An slept until noon, and when she woke up, Xu Jinnian was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a book.
She didn't feel too bad and went out to have lunch with Xu Jinnian.
The cook was very skilled, and she made several dishes that were delicious and visually appealing. Two of the dishes were made with cured pork and sausages, which were a gift from Xu Cuilian.
The recipe for the sausage was given by Sheng An, and its flavor won over countless people in Qingzhou City. The five of them ate it with great relish, with Tan Zhenlin eating the most.
Sheng An didn't have a good appetite and only ate two-thirds of his usual amount.
Xu Jinnian didn't force her to eat more. After the meal, he brewed her a pot of flower tea to help her digest the food. In short, he took good care of her.
It was boring on the boat, but luckily Sheng An had brought two decks of cards, so the five of them took turns playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game).
The losers had stickers stuck to their faces, and everyone was having a great time.
Sheng An was having so much fun that she didn't feel dizzy at all.
As she played, she ended up with the most slips of paper on her forehead.
Enraged by the loss, Sheng An pulled Xu Jinnian to sit in her seat: "You avenge me, cover all three of their faces with smears!"
Tan Zhenlin yelled, "No way! We agreed on a rotation system, how can you drag Brother Mingyu into this as your helper!"
Sheng An put her hands on her hips and retorted arrogantly, "He's my husband, so what's wrong with him helping me out!"
Tan Zhenlin also lost his temper: "You have no martial ethics!"
Xu the Fox is a master at calculating cards, and this time, in order to "avenge" his sister-in-law, he will definitely not hold back and will kill them all without leaving a trace.
"It's just a game of cards, why do you need martial ethics?"
Sheng An excitedly directed Xu Jinnian to shuffle the cards, ignoring Tan Zhenlin's incessant chatter.
Watching the two bickering like children, Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly.
As it turns out, Tan Zhenlin's guess was correct.
In just half an hour, his forehead was covered with strips of paper, and even his nostrils were covered with several. When he breathed, the strips of paper fluttered around like they were dancing.
Tan Zhenlin looked at Sheng An, who was laughing heartily, with a hint of resentment, and muttered to himself, "A woman with a husband to back her up is really not someone to mess with!"
Just wait, he'll definitely find a wife who can stand up for him!
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