The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests. The wine that Li bought wasn't very strong, so even if they drank a few extra glasses at the meal, it wouldn't have been a problem, and it wouldn't have even affected the two of them continuing to work in the afternoon.
"Brother, hug me." Ye Shuang clung to Li Wenyi's sleeve, refusing to let go.
Although Li Wenyi looked anxious, he was secretly pleased: "Shuang'er, I have to go to the yamen to work now. How about I take you out to play again tonight?"
How could Ye Shuang possibly let go of this opportunity to observe whether the two were alright? She said firmly, "Shuang'er will go with her brother!"
Li Wenyi thought for a moment. There wasn't anything major going on in the afternoon, so it shouldn't be a problem to bring Shuang'er along. "But your brother will be staying in that little room you went to this morning all afternoon. It's quite boring there. Are you sure Shuang'er wants to come with your brother?"
Boring? Ye Shuang glanced at Ma Rencai, then at Li Wenyi, and nodded firmly: "Yes, together!"
Li Wenyi looked at Ma Rencai suspiciously. What was going on? Had his Shuang'er also been bewitched by this kid's face? She had clearly refused to go before. "Then you'd better behave this afternoon. Even if you feel bored, your brother won't send you back!"
Ye Shuang pouted. Why was this man getting more and more talkative? "I know, hug me!"
Seeing that his little princess was losing patience, Li Wenyi dared not disobey her. He quickly reached out and hugged her, then gave Ma Rencai a helpless look: "Master Ma, we will have a little guest today. You shouldn't mind, right?"
"Of course, your sister is very cute, and I like her very much too. If I had such a cute sister, I think I would treat her like an adult, afraid of hurting her. It's just a pity that I don't have one." Ma Rencai looked at Ye Shuang, his eyes full of envy and regret.
As Li Wenyi walked with him toward the yamen, he patted his shoulder and said, "Believe me, she may look cute now, but once you actually have her, you'll only regret it. Ever since she came into my life, my parents have completely stopped caring about me. Otherwise, why do you think my parents haven't come to the county town yet?"
Ma Rencai chuckled: "The adults' parents are also very good. It's just that elders always subconsciously worry more about the younger one. They must feel very at ease with the adults who are already sensible, which is why they can let go so easily, right?"
There was no doubt about that. Li Wenyi and Ma Rencai exchanged a smile, their tacit understanding unspoken.
Ye Shuang, who had witnessed all of this, pursed her lips and smiled, "Brother Ma, don't be envious. I can be your sister in the future! Look how much my parents like you, why don't you be my brother too?"
Ma Rencai pretended to consider it seriously for a moment before nodding and saying, "That's a really good idea."
Ye Shuang took it as a yes and smiled sweetly.
The afternoon office work was indeed very boring. Li Wenyi and Ma Rencai sat there reading official documents with almost no communication. They would only talk to each other for a while when they needed the other's intelligence.
It was only then that Ye Shuang realized that Ma Rencai and Li Wenyi were essentially very similar. They both seemed to firmly believe that there was still a glimmer of hope for this dynasty, and they were doing everything within their power to secure that hope. So why did Ma Rencai, who was just as talented, end up as a secretary without any official rank? With his talent, even if he didn't become the top scholar, he probably wouldn't have failed the imperial examination.
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