Chapter 127 Returning Home
Looking at the three-courtyard mansion, Meng Guanqi suddenly sighed, wondering if he was going to end up living off a woman.
How could Li Xiaoxiao make it sound so natural that "the whole family will move in together"?
Doesn't his family own a house in Beijing?
Then he suddenly realized with dismay that it seemed there really wasn't.
That two-courtyard house in the east of the city was a gift from Third Master Meng's family, and it's not as good as Li Xiaoxiao's house in terms of location, which is also close to the palace.
From here to the palace, it only takes the time it takes to drink a cup of tea by carriage, and only the time it takes to burn an incense stick by walking. It's really convenient. However, the mansion in the east of the city takes more than half an hour by carriage, and it would probably take even longer in winter or when it's raining.
If he passed the imperial examination and had to work in the capital, he probably wouldn't want to live so far away.
If he suggested moving to the east side of the city, Li Xiaoxiao would probably think he was crazy for going to such a far place instead of staying nearby, without considering his pathetic pride.
"You're thinking too far ahead," he chuckled and shook his head, watching Li Xiaoxiao run around the house happily, hands on her hips, laughing heartily. "Want to go inside and see if we need anything?"
Because it was close to the main house, Li Xiaoxiao casually pushed open the door, only to be met with a cloud of dust that nearly choked her. When she saw the furnishings inside, everyone was stunned. It was so dilapidated! From the bed to the tables and chairs, everything was broken and tattered, and seemed to have been soaked in water, giving off an unpleasant damp smell.
Madam Qi frowned and said, "These damn lackeys, they must have left the leaky roof unrepaired, ruining all the furniture..."
As a result, everyone opened up and looked through all the rooms in the house and found that it was good if half of the furniture was still usable, most of it had to be replaced, and even the usable furniture was peeling and discolored, so it needed to be repainted and renovated.
Li Xiaoxiao felt that if the entire house were renovated and furnished, it would probably cost two or three thousand taels of silver to make it look decent...
Qi said, "Fortunately, the main structure of the house doesn't need much repair, otherwise it would really cost about the same as buying a new house in the outer city."
She was very helpful: "Our house was similar to this when it was bestowed upon us. We have a group of carpenters who are very skilled at making furniture. If Miss Li needs it, I can introduce you to them."
Li Xiaoxiao looked worried: "But we have to go home. We won't be back until November, which is more than three months away~"
More than three months? Madam Qi thought for a moment: "How about this, if Miss Li trusts me, I'll ask them to handle it. Although these pieces of furniture are unusable, the style is still there. They were all made by the old craftsmen, so the style is impeccable. I'll have the craftsmen select good wood and rebuild them for you according to the original design. What do you think? That way, you won't have to supervise the work..."
Li Xiaoxiao was overjoyed. With someone to help, why would she refuse? After returning, she gave Qi Shi two hundred taels of gold: "If it's not enough, I'll make up the difference when I get back."
Madam Qi was also a straightforward person. Two hundred taels of gold is equivalent to two thousand taels of silver. It's enough to make some very nice ornaments with the finest wood. The renovation will take two or three months, which is plenty of time. She will definitely be able to provide her with a complete courtyard by then.
When Pang Shi returned home that evening, Qi told him about the Crown Prince's reward. Pang Shi was unimpressed: "Your Highness still thinks it's not enough, but there's no need to rush. There will be plenty of opportunities to reward them in the future."
Qi asked casually, "I think Miss Li is quite sincere. I see that she and Young Master Meng discuss things together, unlike ordinary mistress and servant. Has she already started following Young Master Meng?"
Pang Shi naturally understood what she meant, and he said disdainfully, "Don't talk nonsense. How could someone like her be a concubine?"
Madam Qi paused for a moment: "So, are they engaged?"
Pang Shi paused for a moment: "I'm not quite sure about that. Perhaps they'll wait until Young Master Meng passes the imperial examination before getting married, since they're not young anymore."
Madam Qi then laughed and said, "Judging from Miss Li's expression, she seems to be planning to let Young Master Meng move into her house. Didn't you see Young Master Meng's expression? It's as if he's asking her if he looks like a live-in son-in-law?"
Pang Shi thought for a moment and said, "It would be quite convenient if they could live here in the future. You'd have someone to talk to, and they work in the palace, so it's close by... Here's what we'll do: you put in a lot of effort to help Li Xiaoxiao find someone to repair the house. Repair anything that's unusable, and for anything that's truly unusable, make a list and give it to her so she can buy it. That way, she won't have nowhere to stay after traveling all that way..."
Madam Qi retorted, "Do you need to tell me that? We already agreed on it this afternoon. She even gave me two hundred taels of gold to help me find someone to renovate the house."
However: "They work in the palace? Is Lady Li going to work in the palace too?"
Pang Shi said, "His Highness the Crown Prince intends to wait until after Young Master Meng's imperial examination. Li Xiaoxiao is very skilled, and it would be a waste to keep her locked up in the inner courtyard. His Highness's idea is to find her a job after she comes over."
Qi then thought of the gold. Just how capable was this young lady Li to receive such a generous reward from the Crown Prince? Gold and a house—you know, an ordinary scholar could never afford a house like this in his entire life just by relying on his salary.
Li Xiaoxiao had no idea what the Crown Prince was planning. Although she already owned a house, she had seen it and then forgotten about it, not taking it to heart at all. She was already eager to return home.
Early the next morning, they bid farewell to Pang Shi. Qi Shi instructed the steward to find a coachman to drive them back to Biyang County. As the city gate grew smaller and smaller behind them, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but sigh. When she came, she thought she would stay here for a maximum of ten days before returning. Who knew that she would be delayed for almost two months? She had completely broken her promise to Aze and Rui Rui.
Thinking of this, she became a little anxious and urged the driver to hurry up. The journey that should have taken ten days was completed in eight and a half days. When she saw the three big characters "Biyang County" appear in front of her, she cheered and jumped off the carriage: "Hahahaha, I, Li Xiaoxiao, am finally back!"
Having not returned for over two and a half years, Meng Guanqi was also very excited. They hadn't informed their families of their return, so the two of them were like children, eager to go back and catch their families off guard!
Upon arriving at the county government office, Li Xiaoxiao paid the driver the fare and gave him an extra five taels of silver so he could stay in Biyang County for a couple more days before leaving. She immediately drove the carriage to the back gate, jumped off, and excitedly banged on the door.
"Who is it?" Mao's mother, who was just going to the woodshed to get firewood, heard the knocking and asked curiously.
The knocking on the door grew louder.
Mao's mother curiously opened the door and looked outside. She froze on the spot when she saw the driver.
"Mommy Mao! I'm back!" Li Xiaoxiao shouted, jumped out of the car, and pounced on Mommy Mao.
The firewood that Mao's mother was holding fell to the ground.
Realizing what was happening, he immediately picked up a piece of firewood from the ground and started whipping her on the bottom, yelling as he did so, "You wretched girl, you finally decided to come back? Didn't you say you'd be back in a month? How long has it been? How long? Almost two months! Don't you know your family is worried sick and can't eat or sleep? You didn't even send a letter when you came back so late, who are you trying to kill with anxiety?"
Li Xiaoxiao was slapped twice obediently, making her howl in pain.
Fearing that Madam Mao might go too far with her beating, Meng Guanqi quickly got out of the car: "Madam Mao, that's enough, that's enough, don't hit her anymore. Xiaoxiao was delayed for so long because of me..."
Madam Mao squinted and looked at the person with snow-white skin and a beautiful face, who looked like a fairy. How could this person not look like her eldest son who had not returned home for more than two years?!
Her eyes widened immediately: "Young Master?"
Meng Guanqi smiled, her smile as bright as a spring flower in bloom: "It's me, I'm back."
Madam Mao exclaimed in surprise and immediately called out to the inner courtyard, "Granny Qi, Liuzhi, quick, quick, tell Master and Madam that the eldest young master and Xiaoxiao have returned together!"
The courtyard immediately became lively, with servants running around spreading the news, as if it were New Year's Day.
Liu was the last to arrive. When she came in from the outer courtyard, she was holding the hand of a short, stout boy of two or three years old with her left hand and a little boy who barely reached her chest with her right hand. Both children were dirty, with snot and tears all over their faces, and they were crying as they walked.
Liu looked utterly despondent. When she saw her eldest son return, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and she felt like crying along with him.
Meng Guanqi looked shocked: "What, what happened?"
The other servants in the courtyard were used to it. Liu Zhi covered her mouth and laughed, "Rui Rui got into a fight with Brother A Ze again, didn't she? The master isn't here, and the madam can't do anything about it..."
Meng Guanqi's gaze was fixed on the short, stocky man. This was his younger brother, his two-year-old brother?! He looked very different from what he had imagined.
He was a bit chubby and strong, covered in mud and sand, with snot and tears all over his face, looking quite dirty.
Meng Guanqi wanted to hug him, but seeing him like this, she hesitated to reach out.
Aze, who was also sobbing, saw Li Xiaoxiao and immediately stopped crying, rushing towards her: "Sister Xiaoxiao!"
"Ouch!" Li Xiaoxiao quickly caught his little body, picked him up and weighed him in her arms, and said with a smile, "You've gotten a little heavier. Looks like you've been eating well while I was away!"
She was even happier to see that Aze had recovered better than she had imagined.
Aze glanced at her, then glanced at her again, and burst into tears, hugging her neck and sobbing, "Why did it take you so long to come back? Didn't you say you'd be back in a month? You've been gone for fifty-two days! Waaah! Liar, liar!"
Just as Li Xiaoxiao was about to apologize to him, a chubby little boy seemed to have just recognized her. He suddenly rushed towards her, grabbed Li Xiaoxiao's leg, and screamed, "Xiaoxiao! Xiaoxiao!"
Li Xiaoxiao knew he was trying to win her favor, so she reached out and pulled him up. Just as she was about to ask him why he was crying, Rui Rui raised his little fist and punched her right in the eye socket.
Li Xiaoxiao was caught off guard and punched squarely, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.
Although he is only two years old, he is very strong and exercises regularly.
When Aze saw Rui Rui hit someone again, he got really angry: "Why did you hit someone?! I'm not playing with you anymore!"
When Rui Rui saw Li Xiaoxiao covering her eyes, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain, she knew she had gotten into trouble. She glanced at her cautiously and called out, "Xiaoxiao, you're bad, Xiaoxiao, you're bad."
That little brat, he beat her until she cried and then called her bad!
Li Xiaoxiao was furious. She put Aze down, pulled Rui Rui over, and smacked his little bottom.
Little Rui Rui covered her bottom, looking aggrieved. She probably knew she had done something wrong. She wanted to cry but didn't dare to. Her eyes were red, and she looked extremely wronged.
Madam Liu hurriedly instructed Granny Qi: "Quickly prepare water to bathe these two rascals. The eldest young master is back today. Granny Mao, prepare extra dishes tonight. Liu Zhi, go find Ah Sheng and tell him to inform the master that the eldest young master and Xiao Xiao are back. Tell him to come back as soon as possible if there's nothing else."
The courtyard immediately became chaotic again.
Meng Guanqi glanced at Liu Shi in surprise. How dare she call the young master a little brat? Wasn't that insubordination? But the young master seemed to be used to it, letting Liu Zhi lead him with her left hand and the little chubby boy with her right hand into Liu Shi's main room.
Hot water was brought in and poured into a large wooden tub. The two little ones were stripped naked and thrown in together.
Once they were in the water, the two of them immediately forgot about their fight and started playing in the water again, laughing and joking, calling each other "brother" affectionately.
After Liu Zhi helped them wash and dry them from head to toe and dressed them, they came out as two beautiful babies again.
After the two finished showering, they immediately wanted to go find Li Xiaoxiao, but Liu quickly stopped them: "Sister Xiaoxiao is washing up too. She can come and play with you after she's done. You've already finished showering, so you're not allowed to play in the sand today, understand?"
The two little ones nodded in unison, and Liu gave each of them a piece of pastry to sit on and eat.
After washing up, Meng Guanqi came over and bowed to Liu Shi, saying, "Son greets Mother." He respectfully kowtowed three times.
Liu helped him up, her eyes red, and looked intently at her son whom she hadn't seen for almost three years. She choked back tears and said, "You've grown taller and stronger. Your mother has hardly recognized you after so long..."
Meng Guanqi laughed and said, "What are you saying, Mother? No matter how much your son changes, he will still be your son. It's you, Mother, who clearly gave birth to a younger brother, but kept it a secret until he was two years old..."
Liu smiled through her tears: "I was quite old when I gave birth to your brother, and your father said that you were determined to study in seclusion for two years and not let anything disturb you, so I didn't mention it. Have you seen your brother? Come here, Rui Rui, this is your older brother..."
She waved to Rui Rui, who was eating snacks, and Rui Rui immediately slid off the chair, tilting her head back to look at Meng Guanqi curiously.
My younger brother was all clean. Looking up at him, his eyes were dark and his face was round and chubby, making him look exactly like a miniature version of Magistrate Meng.
Meng Guanqi immediately noticed this amusing thing, squatted down, and picked him up into his arms. He was right, the kid was quite heavy.
Rui Rui obediently let him hold her in his arms, staring at him without blinking. After a long while, she hesitantly tried to put the snack in her hand into his mouth.
Liu laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Oh my, this is incredible! This little miser actually let you have some snacks? He's the stingiest guy ever. He never shares anything he gets with anyone, no matter how I try to teach him. But this time he actually offered to share some with you."
Granny Qi laughed and said, "Rui Rui has never seen such a handsome older brother before, has she? She's completely mesmerized by him."
Rui Rui seemed a little shy. When Liu Shi kept teasing him to call her "brother," he even blushed and whispered, "Brother~"
Her voice was soft and sweet, incredibly cute.
Meng Guanqi couldn't resist giving him a kiss on his chubby little face.
Rui Rui immediately became happy and grinned.
His teeth have all grown in, and his tiny baby teeth, like grains of millet, are neatly arranged. When he smiles, there's a little dimple on each side, making him look especially sweet.
Liu pointed at Meng Guanqi and said, "Rui Rui, haven't I told you many times that you have an older brother who is studying in another city? Now that he's back, aren't you happy?"
Rui Rui nodded, but when he turned around, he saw Li Xiaoxiao who had just entered the room. His eyes widened immediately, and he struggled in Meng Guanqi's arms. Meng Guanqi put him down, and he ran over and hugged Li Xiaoxiao's leg, saying, "Hug, hug."
Li Xiaoxiao picked him up, and he obediently nestled in her arms without moving.
Meng Guanqi looked at her in surprise, not expecting Rui Rui to be so clingy to her.
Aze looked at Rui Rui with envy. He also wanted to hug Sister Xiao Xiao, but he was too old to hold a little girl like that anymore.
Thinking about this, he felt a little frustrated, but he immediately put that little bit of frustration to the back of his mind because he was so happy that Sister Xiaoxiao was back.
He immediately jumped off the chair and nestled beside her.
Since two people from different places would come back together, Liu naturally had many questions for them. Meng Guanqi, of course, would not tell Liu about the bloody events in the capital. He only said that he had gone to the capital to study with Headmaster Gu and his classmates, and unexpectedly met Li Xiaoxiao, who had just arrived in the capital. After finishing their business, the two of them returned together.
Meng Guanqi said, "I won't leave this time I go home. I'll wait until November to send my sister to the capital for her wedding, and then I'll settle down in the capital to wait for the imperial examination next spring."
Liu was very happy. It was August now, and there were still three months until the wedding on the fifteenth of November. This was probably a rare time for the family to reunite. If Meng Guanqi passed the imperial examination next year, he would probably stay in the capital to serve as an official, while she and Magistrate Meng would have to stay in Biyang County for another three years. This showed how precious these three months were.
Aze is now living in Meng Guanqi's room. Meng Guanqi is still living in the side room of the outer courtyard study as before. It has been a long time since anyone cleaned it, so someone needs to be sent to clean it and put on new bedding.
The mother and son were chatting animatedly. Aze initially felt it was impolite for a child to interrupt before the adults had finished speaking, but Liu Shi's words flowed on and on, and he couldn't tell when she would finish. Finally, he couldn't help but ask Li Xiaoxiao in a low voice, "Sister Xiaoxiao, how are my father and mother? Why didn't they come to pick me up?"
Although he had a very happy two months living at Magistrate Meng's house, with Magistrate Meng giving him half a day of lessons every day and him playing with his younger brother in the afternoon, he still missed his parents deep down.
Li Xiaoxiao put Rui Rui down, took Aze's hand and walked to the carriage in the courtyard, lifting the curtain: "Look! How many things your father and mother brought you!"
She unloaded the boxes and bundles one by one, and the open space next to the carriage was immediately filled with things. Although Li Xiaoxiao knew that the Crown Princess had packed a lot of luggage for Aze, she only realized how much the carriage could hold when she actually unloaded it, and that each box inside was heavier than the last.
Seeing that she had carried so many things downstairs, but no one from her family had come with her, Aze knew that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had no intention of taking him back. Tears welled up in his eyes immediately: "Sister Xiaoxiao, has something happened to my father and mother? Why won't they take me home?"
This child has clearly experienced a major upheaval, and his mind has become very sensitive; he immediately guessed that something had happened at home.
Li Xiaoxiao squatted down and gently wiped away his tears: "Your father and mother are fine, but they are not in good health and are recuperating at home. I heard that you can eat a bowl of rice at every meal at our house. Your mother is reluctant to let you go back. She said that you eat less than a chick at home and no matter how she tries to fatten you up, you won't get fat. So let you stay at our house for a few more months, and when we send Sister Li Niang off to get married in November, you will be plump and ready to come back with us, okay?"
Aze's eyes reddened: "Are my father and mother still in poor health? I know, my mother can't sleep at night, and she's lost a lot of weight..."
Li Xiaoxiao decided to coax Aze according to the emperor's script. He was so sensitive that he probably wouldn't believe her even if she just said nice things to comfort him. She immediately looked around as if she was afraid of being overheard, and said to Aze seriously, "I'm telling you, but don't be afraid, and don't tell anyone else. Your mother didn't want me to tell you anyway."
Aze immediately sensed the tension and seriousness of sharing a little secret, and immediately stretched out his little finger to pinky swear with Li Xiaoxiao: "I promise I won't tell anyone, I won't tell anyone."
Li Xiaoxiao whispered in your ear, "Your father invited a Taoist priest from Baiyun Temple to perform a ritual at your house. As a result, they pulled out a vengeful ghost that had been there for hundreds of years from his bedroom! They said it was because of this ghost that your parents' health had been so poor. Its yin energy had been affecting them. If it hadn't been discovered in time, your parents' illnesses would have been incurable once its yin energy filled the entire bedroom!"
A vengeful ghost that's been around for hundreds of years! Children are terrified of such legends. Aze's face immediately turned deathly pale. He tightly gripped Li Xiaoxiao's hand and said in a tearful voice, "Then, what should we do? How can my father and mother defeat it?"
Li Xiaoxiao patted her chest and said, "It's alright now. The Taoist priest from Baiyun Temple used a pure bottle from Guanyin to subdue the evil spirit. He also performed a grand ritual in the East Palace using the Righteous and Bright Dharma. Now there are no more evil spirits causing trouble in your house, and your parents' health is gradually improving. When I left, your mother even gained a few pounds and could fall asleep at night without needing to drink calming soup."
Li Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and added, "Since the Yin energy in the East Palace is so strong, I suggest that your mother lie in the courtyard and bask in the sun for an hour every morning, and then walk barefoot on the warm stone path for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn in the evening. Ghosts can't stand sunlight, so this sun exposure will make the Yin energy in your parents' bodies disappear without a trace, and they will recover in no time. Aze, don't lose to your parents! You also need to take good care of yourself and get plump up so that your parents will be surprised when they see you in three months."
Hearing that the vengeful ghost had been captured and that his father and mother's health had greatly improved, Aze was finally relieved. However, there was one thing he couldn't understand: "Sister Xiaoxiao, isn't Guanyin's jade bottle a Buddhist item? How come the Taoist priest at Baiyun Temple also has one?"
Li Xiaoxiao seemed to have been hit over the head, and in a moment of carelessness, she made up a big story, actually confusing Buddhism and Taoism. But she stubbornly insisted, "That was borrowed by the Taoist priest from Guanyin, and he had to return it to her after using it."
Aze exclaimed, "I never imagined that the Taoist priest had a connection with Guanyin. When I return to the capital, I will definitely visit Baiyun Temple to thank him."
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