Chapter 69, Going Home
Zhongzhou provincial capital, post station.
Li Xingchang and Li Xingnian are saying goodbye to Yan Zhigao and his group.
Li Xingchang looked a little regretful. "I came here too quickly this time, and I didn't get to visit you." He looked at Daohua and said, "You haven't met your cousins yet. It's just unfortunate that the one back home is celebrating his birthday, and your two aunts took them there to celebrate."
Daohua was puzzled: "The one from my hometown? Who is it?"
Yan Wenxiu knew about what happened at his maternal grandparents' house, so he immediately pulled Daohua and signaled her not to ask any more questions.
Seeing Yan Wenxiu constantly winking at Daohua, Li Xingchang smiled and said, "Go back and ask your mother." After that, he went to talk to Yan Zhigao.
Daohua immediately pulled Yan Wenxiu aside and asked, "Brother, who is uncle talking about?"
Yan Wenxiu seemed reluctant to speak, so Yan Wenkai came closer and said, "She is our grandmother, but she is the last one."
Daohua's eyes widened. "Grandma is still alive? Why haven't I ever heard mother mention her?"
Yan Wenkai: "They say she's the queen now. Big sister, let me tell you, that old woman is really bad. She wanted to marry our mother to an old man in his seventies or eighties."
"Fourth brother!" Yan Wenxiu glared at Yan Wenkai, "How can you talk like that? He is the elder after all."
Yan Wenkai curled his lips and said, "What elder? Mother has never acknowledged me. Anyway, I don't acknowledge me."
Yan Wenxiu was somewhat helpless: "Some things are better left unsaid. Why bother saying them out loud? Doesn't that just give people something to talk about?"
Yan Wenkai said confidently: "Isn't this my elder sister asking? Of course I have to tell you."
Yan Wenxiu moved his lips, wanting to say that such things were not suitable to be discussed with a girl in the boudoir. However, seeing Daohua looking at them with great interest, he sighed and said, "Mom is a daughter-in-law who married out of wedlock. She has no connection with that side anymore. Our maternal family only has our eldest and second uncles. We don't need to pay attention to the others."
Daohua nodded, then looked at Yan Wenkai with bright eyes.
Yan Wenkai ignored Yan Wenxiu and started muttering to himself while pulling the rice flowers.
"In order to prevent that old woman from marrying my mother to this old man, my eldest and second uncles voluntarily gave up the family business left by my grandfather, and then took my mother away from home to make a living. Today, my eldest and second uncles' family business was accumulated bit by bit by them."
"Afterwards, I saw my eldest and second uncles getting up. I don't know what means they used, but they got in touch again."
Daohua listened silently, thought for a moment, and then asked, "How did mother marry father?"
Yan Wenkai: "I don't know the details, but it seems that my grandmother chose my mother first."
At this time, Li Xingchang, Li Xingnian and Yan Zhigao had almost finished their conversation.
Yan Zhigao: "My two uncles, we are leaving now. I will write to you once I have settled down in Xingzhou. If you are free then, you must come over and visit me."
Li Xingchang smiled and nodded: "Of course, of course."
"Uncle, uncle, goodbye!"
Daohua and his younger brothers said goodbye to Li Xingchang and his brothers, then they boarded the carriage and quickly headed towards Linyi County.
Only after watching the carriage go away did Li Xingchang and Li Xingnian turn around and walk back.
Li Xingchang had a worried look on his face: "As the high-ranking officials become more powerful, the gap between them and us will also become larger and larger. In the future, we will not be able to help my little sister much. That concubine in the Yan family's backyard..."
Li Xingnian smiled and said, "Brother, don't worry. Our little sister has given birth to some amazing children. Wenxiu is a dignified young man, Wenkai is lively and straightforward, and Daohua is even more mischievous. Big sister can't stand being bullied in the Yan family."
Li Xingchang's expression remained worried. "You know a man's moral character. If Zhigao's heart is biased, how can my little sister live well?"
Hearing this, Li Xingnian became even less concerned and said with a faint smile, "As long as our brother-in-law is not stupid, he should know who helped him get promoted this time."
Before he could finish his words, Li Xingchang interrupted him: "You haven't said this to Daohua, have you?"
Li Xingnian said angrily: "Brother, do you think I'm stupid?"
Li Xingchang breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhi Gao's appreciation is due to Dao Hua, but more importantly, it's because he can do practical things for the people. Men are proud. You can't show that thought again, otherwise, it will ruin the father-daughter relationship between Dao Hua and Zhi Gao."
Li Xingnian disagreed: "It's not that serious. If I had a daughter like Daohua, I would wake up laughing in my dreams."
Li Xingchang: "That's true, but who doesn't want their advancement to be due to their own efforts?"
Li Xingnian: "Okay, stop worrying about this. I'm not stupid. I can see that Daohua is not someone who will swallow her anger. If she can still be bullied by a concubine, then she deserves it."
In the carriage, Yan Zhigao drank the tea prepared by Daohua while thinking about his experience of coming to the provincial capital to report on his work.
Master Xiao poured himself another cup of tea and said with a smile, "This time the tea is even better than the last time. I heard that the eldest lady got up early in the morning to make it. Her filial piety is commendable."
Yan Zhigao retracted his thoughts: "That girl does have some talent in cooking."
Master Xiao nodded and said, "I heard that the eldest girl's cooking skills were all taught by the old lady. As the old saying goes, an old man in the family is like a treasure. Without the old lady's teachings, we wouldn't be able to drink such good tea, and this journey wouldn't be so relaxing."
Hearing this, Yan Zhigao's expression changed. He thought that if his mother had not insisted, he might not have brought Daohua to the city. If Daohua did not come, his promotion would be in jeopardy.
Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew in his heart that his promotion was directly related to the young man saved by Daohua.
"Master is right. Having an elder at home is like having a magic needle that stabilizes the sea."
As they were talking, they heard laughter coming from the carriage behind them, and they couldn't help but smile.
“Where there are older girls, there never seems to be a lack of laughter.”
"That girl loves to laugh!"
"No wonder the old lady loves the child so much. The carefree and bright smile of the child makes me feel better."
“.”
Yan Zhigao was anxious to return to Linyi County for the handover, and was also anxious to take up his post in Xingzhou, so he returned much faster than when he came.
In the bumpy carriage, Daohua looked at her elder brother with a pale face and said, "Brother, you must exercise well when you go home this time." After that, she handed him the water gourd filled with rice soup.
Yan Wenxiu didn't say anything, not because he didn't want to, but because he was really uncomfortable with the rocking of the carriage. Fortunately, his eldest sister had prepared some glutinous rice soup in advance, and after drinking it, he felt better.
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao, who were standing by, didn't need Daohua to pass the water to them. After Yan Wenxiu finished drinking, they immediately took the water gourd and started drinking from it.
Daohua hurriedly stopped him: "Drink less and leave more for big brother."
Yan Wenkai wiped his mouth and said, "Big sister, why don't you cook some more rice soup? I haven't had enough." No matter how simple the food made by the eldest sister is, it seems to be very delicious.
After drinking this rice soup, he, who had been feeling weak all over while sitting in the carriage, felt clean all over again.
Daohua ignored the big eater, lifted the car curtain, and looked at the scenery outside the car: "We should be arriving soon, right?"
The driver's voice came from outside the carriage: "Miss, we will reach Linyi County in half a day."
Daohua nodded and looked at Yan Wenxiu: "Brother, please hold on a little longer, we will be home soon."
(End of this chapter)
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