Fu Qiyuan achieved his goal with this "matching outfits" stunt. Jiang Shan has, to some extent, accepted their special relationship as a "family of three." Most importantly, their relationship is now practically an official announcement!
The official announcement is like putting Fu Qiyuan's exclusive label on Jiang Shan.
This feeling is just too wonderful!
The next morning, the birthday gifts that Li Yang had asked Jiang Yong and others to send to Jiang Huai from Shangjing arrived. Jiang Shan spent a full half hour checking the gift list.
She was a little worried; how was she going to repay such a generous gift?
After Jiang Shan finished checking the gift list, Jiang Yong took out a brocade box from his person and handed it to Jiang Shan, saying, "Sister Jiang, this is what Xi'er asked me to bring back. She said it was given to Huai'er by a gentleman surnamed Fu!"
Surname Fu? Jiang Shan subconsciously looked at Fu Qiyuan.
After a moment's thought, Fu Qiyuan took the brocade box and opened it immediately.
Inside is an exquisite three-dimensional jade carving, depicting a lifelike little dog, which is the zodiac animal of the Jianghuai region.
Jiang Shan fell in love with the jade carving at first sight.
Fu Qiyuan picked up the puppy and looked at it, then said with a complicated expression, "It was carved by my father himself!"
Jiang Huai also saw the puppy in Fu Qiyuan's arms, and immediately went up to hug his father's leg, standing on tiptoe, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Daddy, puppy! Huai'er wants a puppy!"
Jiang Shan said with difficulty, "This is easy to break, we can't let him play with it."
This gesture is truly precious and should be treated with respect; it cannot be taken lightly!
Jiao's mother stepped forward, her gaze lingering on the puppy for a moment before taking it and handing it to Jiang Huai, saying, "It's just a little toy. Since Huai'er likes it, let him play with it!"
Jiang Huai happily took the jade carving to visit his uncles.
Jiang Shan comforted himself, thinking that perhaps Lord Fu was returning the favor because Xi'er had given him a cake.
It's just too extravagant. Is it really necessary to use such precious white jade to carve a small trinket? Wouldn't it be better to carve it out of wood?
After Li Yang delivered the gift by carriage, everyone else was extremely low-key when giving Jiang Huai birthday presents, feeling embarrassed to try and win his favor with gifts.
Even Madam Wu only gave the gift to Jiang Shan, and said resentfully, "I won't go any further. Anyway, I'm staying in Yuzhou, and I'll have plenty of time to play with Huai'er!"
The headmaster of Hongmeng Academy found Mr. Xunmei and cried for a long time in front of him, finally coaxing Mr. Wu into his arms. He then happily went back to process his retirement procedures.
Mr. Wu complied with his teacher's wishes and agreed to stay in Chongqing as the director of the Hongmeng Academy.
Madam Wu naturally doesn't need to return to Guyang County. As for her two children, just send someone back to bring them over!
Jiang Huai's second birthday was celebrated in a low-key yet luxurious manner, with gifts pouring in. The gift that Jiang Huai liked the most was a white foal sent from afar by Li Minghe, the heir of the Marquis of Qingyang.
Jiang Huai absolutely adored this little colt!
Before he had even finished his meal, An Yi took the pony and carried him out for a walk!
Not long after Jiang Huai left, a noisy commotion came from outside the door.
Jiang Shan thought Jiang Huai had gotten into trouble again, so he rushed out in one stride.
The others followed closely behind, forming a long line.
At the entrance of Jiang's Private Kitchen, a shifty-eyed middle-aged man in his forties was talking to several government officials. The officials hesitated and did not immediately go into the restaurant.
Upon seeing Jiang Shan emerge, the leading official stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Mr. Jiang, may I ask if there is a woman named Jiao Mei from Guyang County who wishes to stay at your place?"
The official spoke very politely, and Jiang Shan narrowed his eyes, speaking even more politely: "Sir, the Jiao Mei you mentioned is my mother. What happened to my mother?"
The official's expression changed slightly, and he pointed to the middle-aged man beside him and said with difficulty, "This man is Jiao Dazhuang from Xinghua Village in Guyang County. He has filed a complaint with the Guyang County government, accusing your mother of abduction and human trafficking. The Guyang County magistrate has now sent officers to investigate. The magistrate has ordered us to come here to ask your mother to come with me to the government office to discuss this matter."
Jiang Shan's expression changed drastically, and he angrily rebuked Jiao Dazhuang, "Nonsense! Tell me, who did my mother kidnap? And who instructed you to slander my mother!"
Jiao Dazhuang's eyes darted around, and he suddenly pointed inside and shouted, "It's her! It's her who trafficked people! When she was in Xinghua Village, she clearly had a little girl with her, but after they moved away, they sold that little girl and had a boy with them! What else could this be but human trafficking!"
Jiao's mother stopped abruptly, her face turning deathly pale.
Now, not only the officials noticed the problem, but even Jiang Shan realized something was amiss.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Fu Qiyuan helped Jiao's mother up, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
Jiang Shan stepped forward, took Jiao's mother's hand, and said reassuringly, "Mother, don't worry, we're here!"
Mr. Xunmei stepped forward, blocking Jiao's mother's way, and said in a deep voice, "I am the current Imperial Tutor. Do you know what the consequences will be if you slander my daughter like this!"
Jiao Dazhuang's expression changed slightly, and he shrank his neck, saying, "I'm not slandering her, she is the one who trafficked people! If you don't believe me, ask her where that little girl went?"
Fu Qiyuan, his face grim, roared, "Insolence! How dare you make baseless accusations without any evidence! You lot, drag him away and give him twenty strokes of the cane!"
The leading official bowed deeply and said, "Lord Fu, Prefect Leng has ordered that this matter..."
"I'll go to the yamen with you." Madam Jiao interrupted the official, her face regaining its composure, but a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.
"Mei'er!"
"mother!"
Mr. Xunmei and several children spoke up to stop them at the same time.
Jiao's mother's gaze fell gently on Jiang Shan and Fu Qiyuan, and she said, "You have the right to know all this. Twenty years have passed, it's time for the truth to come out!"
...
On the official road outside Yuzhou City, a galloping black horse kicked up clouds of dust, and the rider's original blue robe was no longer recognizable, but had turned ashen.
"Giddy up!" He cracked the whip and spurred his horse to gallop at breakneck speed.
He traveled from the capital to Chongqing for two days and two nights without sleep, and three horses died from exhaustion.
Hopefully he can stop it in time!
Who would have thought that the mother and daughter would risk injuring the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of their own to ruin the reputation of Yuan'er's adoptive mother!
The mother and daughter thought that if they ruined the reputation of Yuan'er's adoptive mother, Yuan'er would no longer be able to return to being a member of the Jiao family. But if that happened, who could heal the wounds that Yuan'er had suffered?
If a mother doesn't put herself in her son's shoes, can't the son also betray the so-called duty of motherhood? What a joke!
"Sir, please slow down! Yuzhou City is just ahead. Please stop and rest for a while, and at least wash up and change into clean clothes!"
Fu Zhi's voice came from afar behind them.
"I will go to the government office to see Leng Shang first. You go to other places to find out where Jiao Dazhuang is. If you find him, kill him on the spot!"
"Yes, sir!"
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