The news that Cen Xiao was a bandit spread throughout Lin'an Village and Zhou'an Village overnight.
The people of Lin'an Village were afraid, and the people of Zhou'an Village were also afraid.
So the next morning, Zhou Zhuoshi came to ask Yang Cui about it, and Yang Cui laughed so hard she almost fell over.
"Grandma Zhuo, don't worry, he's not a bandit. He was just a soldier who served in the army and went to the battlefield. He's our Qiuqiu's uncle."
"He's been to the battlefield, no wonder!" Zhou Zhuoshi immediately felt relieved. "Did he manage to get a rank or position in the army?"
Yang Cui sensed that Cen Xiao's identity was not simple; he was at least not an unknown person. Since Cen Xiao of the Fan family hadn't mentioned it, she didn't ask. Besides, outsiders didn't know the name Cen Xiao; they only knew him as Cen Daniu.
Therefore, Yang Cui did not tell Zhou Zhuoshi her guess: "It's not so easy to get an official position! On the battlefield, it's good enough to keep your life."
"That's true. Many people can't come back, and those who do come back are missing limbs. He's just incredibly lucky. But judging from his build, he's definitely a good worker. Will he stay here?"
“A man’s ambition should lie in all directions. What future can he have if he stays in this remote mountain valley? He may go out in the future, but it’s hard to say.”
"Why would you want to go out?" Zhou Zhuoshi advised. "Your business is doing so well now. You can raise pigs and ducks at home. Life is full of promise. No matter how good things are outside, can they be better than home? Besides, he's a son-in-law. If you let him go out, be careful he doesn't do anything reckless!"
“You’re right, but once we’re married, I definitely won’t allow him to go out. We’re not married yet, so it’s sometimes hard to manage him.”
"That's true. Without being married, it's not quite right for him to be married, but you should still try to persuade him."
"Yes, I will. Thank you, Grandma Zhuo."
——
After seeing Zhou Zhuoshi off, Su Murong unexpectedly arrived.
The luxurious carriage attracted countless eyes as soon as it entered the village.
“The people Yang Cui knows are all incredibly wealthy. Judging from this person’s clothes and appearance, he’s even better dressed than the opera troupe leader from last time.”
"That's right! By doing business, we've met so many wealthy people, so Er Ya and San Ya's marriage prospects won't be bad either."
"Of course! Now, even the wife that An Dafu's son is talking about is quite well-off. Their lives will only get better and better from now on!"
…
The villagers whispered among themselves, their words tinged with envy.
Inspired by these words, Zhang Chuntao said to her daughter An Xiuping, "Spend more time playing with Er Ya and San Ya, and visit their homes more often. You're just as good-looking as Er Ya and San Ya. The more you go there, the more opportunities you'll have to meet those important people and live a better life."
"Is it better than Er Ya and San Ya's lives?"
"Of course, Er Ya and San Ya are only slightly better off than the villagers. Once they leave the village, their lives are nothing! See that carriage? If you catch the eye of that nobleman, you'll travel by carriage, wear gold and silver hairpins, and wear the same fabric as that nobleman."
The more Zhang Chuntao talked about it, the more feasible it seemed, and the more she hoped her daughter could marry a rich man so she could also enjoy a life of luxury.
"Pretend to go and play with Er Ya and San Ya now, and show your face in front of the important person. Yang Cui is going to entertain guests today, and she must have prepared a lot of meat dishes. Go and play, and don't come back after you eat. She will definitely ask you to stay for dinner."
At the mention of meat, An Xiuping subconsciously swallowed.
At Zhang Chuntao's urging, An Xiuping started walking towards Yang Cui's house.
………
Yang Cui had never met Su Murong before, so as soon as Su Murong entered the courtyard, Yang Cui asked, "Young master, who are you looking for?"
"Why are you here?" Cen Xiao asked, his expression unchanged.
Yang Cui looked at Cen Xiao: "Your friend?"
"Su Murong, the young master of the Star Gazing Tower."
Yang Cui was stunned.
Unexpectedly, the young master of the Star Gazing Tower personally came to visit, and more importantly, Cen Xiao seemed to know him quite well.
Su Murong casually winked at the servant beside her, who then took out a gift from the carriage: "Miss Yang, I heard you're going to have a big meal today, so I came here to try it out."
"Oh, please sit down. Qiuqiu will pour tea for the guests. You all sit down first, I'll go prepare the vegetables." After saying that, Yang Cui went to clean the chicken.
Su Murong's gaze fell on Yuan Qiu: "Is this your nephew?"
Cen Xiao nodded.
Yuan Qiu raised his head and said, "I haven't acknowledged him yet! So I'm not his nephew yet."
Upon hearing this, Su Murong laughed heartily: "Yes, yes, don't acknowledge him. He's just an emotionless block of wood. But you can acknowledge me as your uncle."
Yuan Qiu tilted his head and asked, "What are the benefits of recognizing you as my uncle?"
What benefits do you want?
“If you help me teach Lin Shikang and his mother a lesson, I will recognize you as my uncle. When I grow up, I will earn money to support you. If you don’t have a son, I will take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die.”
"Pfft, hahaha~~"
"What are you laughing at?" Yuan Qiu said seriously. "Or are you saying, 'Actually, you're not that great at all.'"
"He's just a third-place scholar, don't worry, he poses no threat to your family. Now call me 'uncle'."
"You wish! You haven't done anything and you expect me to call you? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Yuan Qiu rolled her eyes at him.
"Your nephew is quite the character," Su Murong said with a smile, as she took out a jade pendant and gave it to Yuan Qiu, "a little something for our first meeting."
Yuan Qiu refused to accept it, so Cen Xiao said to him, "Take it."
Yuan Qiu then accepted the jade pendant. Although he didn't know its value, he figured that something given by a rich person should be worth some money.
Then Yuan Qiu hurriedly handed the jade pendant to Yang Cui: "Godmother, this was given to me by that rich man. I'm giving it to you."
Su Tuhao: "..."
The term "tuhao" (nouveau riche) was something Yuan Qiu heard from Yang Cui, and Yuan Qiu felt that the term perfectly suited Su Murong's temperament.
The belt is even inlaid with gold thread patterns, how could it not be extravagant?
"What kind of nouveau riche? That's rude. You should call him uncle. Remember to thank him. Your godmother doesn't want it. Keep it for yourself. You can wear it when you're a little older."
"Godmother, please keep this for me. What if I lose it?" Yuan Qiu said, forcefully stuffing the jade pendant into Yang Cui's hands.
Yang Cui knew perfectly well that the child just wanted to give her something good! As for losing things, Yang Cui herself might lose something, but Yuan Qiu certainly wouldn't. When he escaped from the Yuan family, he had the silver he stole from his uncle and aunt with him. He kept it on his person for a month or so without losing it, and only recently gave it to Yang Cui.
Seeing how good Yuan Qiu was to Yang Cui, Su Murong couldn't help but have some doubts. She asked Cen Xiao in a low voice, "Is it because your nephew likes Yang Cui that you want to marry her?"
"Don't overthink it, that's not true," Cen Xiao immediately denied.
"But the gap between you two..."
"If you keep nagging, go back."
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything, I'll shut up."
Su Murong shut up in annoyance.
At that moment, An Xiuping arrived.
Actually, she had been standing in the corner for quite a while, and it took her a while to muster up the courage to come in. She secretly glanced at Su Murong and thought to herself: This man is so handsome!
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