"Your Highness the Eldest Princess, Your Highness the Third Princess, and the Young Prince are so honored to have you here. We are so sorry for not welcoming you in person."
Fengming and the other two got off the carriage, and Uncle Xin Jiu, who had already prepared a welcoming posture with his entourage, came to greet them.
Fengming, through the veil, observed the kindly-mannered Ninth Uncle. He was of medium height, lean and sturdy, with a capable build. He truly resembled a Daqing native, his appearance more peaceful than his details, giving him a sense of familiarity. He wore a broad smile, but a hint of sadness lingered between his brows. His only daughter had recently passed away, which must have been a huge blow to him.
"No, no, it's us who came here unexpectedly and disturbed you."
As far as Fengming himself felt, Uncle Xin Jiu was indeed a loyal and filial person, and he seemed more in line with Xin Wu's description. He did not seem like a traitorous and unethical person.
"Your Highness Princess, thank you for your courtesy. It is a blessing for my family to have you visit my family."
After a round of business greetings, Fengming and his companions were invited into the main hall.
After some refusals, Fengming was placed in the main seat in the middle, but Uncle Xin Jiu insisted on sitting in the deputy seat below.
"Princess, please forgive me. The head of the Xin family is not home yet. I am only the protector of this family and dare not overstep my bounds."
Fengming deliberately invited Uncle Xin Jiu to sit in the main seat several times. In fact, he was also deliberately testing whether Uncle Xin Jiu had the intention of encroaching on the Xin family's property. Uncle Xin Jiu performed very well, but it was not known whether he was really a loyal servant who was doing his duty and waiting for his master to return, or he was just pretending to be loyal.
After they sat down, servants brought them good tea, all from Daqing. It seemed that even though the visiting card was sent yesterday at the last minute, Uncle Xin Jiu was fully prepared.
Watching the tea leaves in the cup rise and fall, Fengming remembered that Xin Wu mentioned that Uncle Xin Jiu was from Daqing.
"I heard that you are also a citizen of Daqing?"
Fengming held the teacup and looked at Uncle Xin Jiu with a smile. The translator did not translate this sentence as before, but Fengming saw Uncle Xin Jiu's face suddenly change, obviously he could understand Daqing dialect.
"I was indeed born and raised in Daqing. I wonder how the Princess knew this?"
After calming himself down a little, Uncle Xin Jiu, who had been sitting down, stood up again, bowed to Feng Ming, and asked this question.
In fact, although Uncle Xin Jiu looks calm on the surface, he is actually very uneasy on the inside. No outsider in Dongyao should know that he is from Daqing!
Back then, he was rescued by Xin Wudie at the border of Dongyao and vowed to follow him to repay his kindness. He only told Xin Wudie about his origins, not even his Dongyao wife. Now that Xin Wudie is no longer alive, how could the eldest princess know?
He has spoken very little over the years. At first, it was to hide the fact that he spoke Dongyao dialect with a Daqing accent. Later, it was because he was used to being taciturn, which made it even more impossible for him to reveal his origins.
But the eldest princess from Daqing said in one sentence that he was a citizen of Daqing, so how could he be here?
Feng Ming Dingding glanced at Uncle Xin Jiu, gently picked up the tea leaves in the cup, and put them beside her, with her hands clasped together and placed flat on her knees. Compared with Uncle Xin Jiu who was a little panicked, she was relaxed and calm.
"Why are you so nervous, sir? Are you very concerned about your identity as a Daqing person?"
"Um, Your Highness, you misunderstood. I am honored and proud to be a citizen of Daqing."
"Then why are you so nervous sir?"
Uncle Xin Jiu calmed down despite Feng Ming's repeated questioning. This was a valuable quality that he had cultivated through so many years of experiencing the vicissitudes of life. The more dangerous the situation, the calmer he became. So Uncle Xin Jiu did not ask this question hastily, but waited until his emotions were stable before speaking calmly.
"Your Highness, the Princess has misunderstood. I came to Dongyao and settled there many years ago. Few people know that I am a citizen of Daqing, so I was a little surprised by your sudden question."
"I see, sir, there's no need to be suspicious. You're a Daqing citizen and a good friend."
Fengming Xin, Uncle Jiu, don't be suspicious. But how could this be possible? Uncle Jiu is suspicious. I've already said that few people know my origins. Oh, you told me as soon as you arrived, and told me that it was a friend who told me. I just want to know who your friend is?
Uncle Jiu, who was always calm, was also a little agitated by Fengming's half-sentence. Just as he was about to ask more questions, Fengming gestured to Bi Chun and changed the subject.
"I wasn't very clear in yesterday's invitation. We came here today because we found it and heard it belonged to your family, so we came to return it."
Uncle Xin Jiu could only suppress the doubts in his heart for the time being and turned to look at the black thing that Bi Chun brought in - it was Xinyi's dog!
Uncle Xin Jiu had never liked the dog so much before. He felt heartbroken. The happy scene of the man and the dog playing together in the past was still vivid in his mind. Now the dog was still alive and kicking, but the man was gone forever.
"This...this...this is my daughter's...my daughter's dog."
Uncle Xin Jiu's emotions fluctuated so much that his words were somewhat incoherent.
Bi Chun put the dog down on the ground. After all, it was a familiar place it had grown up in. The dog sniffed around and shook its head with delight. It sniffed around Uncle Xin Jiu's feet, smelling a familiar scent. It wagged its tail wildly with joy, twisting its little butt around Uncle Xin Jiu's feet, looking up at him with its round, black gemstone-like eyes, expectantly, wanting a hug.
Uncle Jiu, who always pretended to be strong and didn't like to touch the dog in the past, squatted down and rubbed the dog's round head back and forth this time, and then picked up the dog lovingly. Because he didn't know that the dog's hind leg was injured, he accidentally touched it, causing the dog to scream.
"Sir, be careful, its hind legs are injured!"
Fengming, who had been paying attention to the dog, quickly reminded him. The old man, who was smart and capable just now, now seemed to be in a hurry to adjust the angle so that the dog could sleep more comfortably in his arms.
Seeing the dog being picked up by Uncle Xin Jiu with pity, like a pitiful old father missing his daughter, Feng Ming, who had been thinking that he would finally have a dog when he returned, knew that he might not be able to take the dog with him.
Moreover, she didn't even have any reason to forcefully take the dog away. It originally belonged to someone else, and she didn't abandon it on purpose. It just got lost and couldn't be found. Alas.
The dog fluttered around in Uncle Xin Jiu's arms for a while, and when it smelled the familiar scent similar to that of its owner, it suddenly began to struggle violently, trying to get out of Uncle Xin Jiu's arms and onto the ground.
Uncle Xin Jiu had no choice but to put it back on the ground. As soon as the black dog touched the ground, it rushed out the door. Everyone didn't expect it to do this and were about to take a step to chase it.
The dog that rushed to the door seemed to realize that they didn't follow, so it quickly ran back and circled around Uncle Xin Jiu's feet, then rushed to the door again, turning back and looking at them expectantly with its small black eyes.
This went on for a few times before Fengming suddenly had an idea: "Does it want us to follow it?"
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