When Liu Yulian turned around, she saw Su Qiuya with a cold face. Liu Yulian didn't care whether Su Qiuya was happy or not. She didn't like to lick other people's boots. Some people, after entering the book, lick the male and female protagonists.
Liu Yulian didn't like this, as it would make her feel very aggrieved. She could only say that everyone has their own choices. Liu Yulian didn't think that her family had offended the Second House, but that the Second House always liked to slap others in the face.
Many farming novels slap the faces of the best relatives. There is a conflict between legitimate and illegitimate relatives, which is a very easy aspect to slap the faces of.
"Husband." Su Qiuya walked to Liu Yanbo's side.
When Liu Yanbo saw Su Qiuya, he knew his wife didn't want him to argue with these people. Firstly, this was a peaceful Buddhist place, and secondly, the eldest wife had a title. If they argued too much, they would be retaliated by the eldest wife, which would not be good.
"Then let's wait until later." Liu Yanbo said.
After Liu Yanbo finished speaking, he took Aunt Qing to Su Qiuya's side, and the three of them left. The family of three was neatly arranged, and their figures looked very proud.
"These people..." Father Liu sometimes didn't understand why these people had to come in front of him and why they had to say such words.
Liu Yulian didn't know what her father was thinking. If she knew, she would have said, "That's just how novels are." The protagonist always makes big promises, but whether they can actually deliver on their promises is another matter.
He Xiyuan took Liu Yulian to the back of the temple to see the plum blossoms. The plum blossoms behind the temple were in full bloom and looked very beautiful.
There aren't that many plum blossoms in small places, just a few.
Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan tacitly agreed not to reach out to pick them. If they broke, what would others see?
They planned to have lunch at the temple before going back, and they brought a lot of food with them.
Temples in the countryside are different from those big temples. There are very few people in the temples. Sometimes there is only one temple priest and two or three monks, which is already very good.
On times like the first day of the new year, people from nearby areas usually bring some food and cook on their own initiative.
Liu Yulian didn't go to cook. If she did, people would know her identity and would be more cautious, so she would speak carefully. She didn't go over, but asked someone to carry the ingredients over.
We didn’t bring many fragile things like tofu, but fortunately, someone in the temple had already made tofu here.
The Liu family also brought pumpkins, cabbages and other things, as well as some fruits, rice and flour.
There aren't that many rooms here, just two or three for resting, which is already pretty good.
"It's nice here too." He Xiyuan was used to the hustle and bustle of the capital. Having stayed in the northwest for more than a year, he thought it was pretty good here, probably because all the barren land was being used.
He Xiyuan knew that things weren't always so good here. The northwest was very poor and backward, and the people suffered. But once the imperial court started selling culture medium, and people started buying it, things got much better.
"There is a river here." He Xiyuan said.
"Not every river has so many fish." Liu Yulian said.
When Liu Yulian read novels before, the heroines always caught a lot of fish in the river. The reality is that there are simply not that many fish in ordinary small streams, and even a wider river may not have so many big fish.
It's not easy for people to support their families by relying on the natural fish in the river. For fishermen, it depends on where they are.
"Yes." He Xiyuan nodded. "Even if there are fish, it's hard to spear them."
They didn't mean to eat fish in the temple, they just said that.
On the other side, Su Qiuya, Liu Yanbo and Aunt Qing went down the mountain. They didn't want to stay here at all.
"You must pass the imperial examination and get the third place. If you fail, they will laugh at you." Aunt Qing believed that her son would be the first place in the imperial examination, and that was fine. She didn't think about her son's academic performance at all.
Liu Yanbo later regretted saying that. He knew that he couldn't just say he was the third place winner. It was just a sudden thought that made him say that. He almost said it was the first place winner, but then he said it was the third place winner.
"You'll know later." Liu Yanbo said.
"You can take the exam many times, not just once." Su Qiuya looked at Liu Yanbo. She didn't want to put too much pressure on her husband. "Take the exam first, and then take it step by step."
"We have to take it step by step." Aunt Qing nodded, "But it shouldn't be difficult."
“…” Liu Yanbo listened to what the two people said.
The Master said that Liu Yanbo should be able to pass the examination and become a scholar, but as for the candidates who will pass the examination and become a juren, the Master did not dare to say.
The teachers in the academy read the articles written by Liu Yanbo, and more than one teacher thought that Liu Yanbo could only pass the imperial examination as a scholar at best.
In the original novel, those people thought Liu Yanbo could only pass the examination for a scholar. Later, Liu Yanbo passed the examination for a juren, which was a slap in the face to those people. Even if he was the last one to pass the examination, it was still a great achievement.
Liu Yanbo hadn't experienced the harshness of the imperial examination, so he hadn't considered failing. Perhaps because he was a bastard in a marquis's mansion in the capital, he had seen too many strong people, so he thought that if others could do it, he could do it too, since he was from a marquis's mansion.
In the capital, Mrs. Huo remained in bed. She was furious when she learned that Master Ouyang hadn't returned since leaving the previous night. However, she couldn't let her anger get the better of her, fearing it might harm the child in her belly.
The doctor said that if she got angry all the time, she might give birth to a weak child.
This made Mrs. Huo feel even more aggrieved. She was originally the daughter of a wealthy family, married to Lord Ouyang, a mere Imperial College chief academic officer. How dare such a lowly official treat her so badly, and even forced her to stay in bed to recuperate?
"Send someone to call the master back," said Mrs. Huo, "and tell him I have a stomachache."
Ouyang sir, why would she need to stay so long with her children? If she never came back, what would the servants in the mansion think of her? Would they mock her behind her back?
Those people mocked her for divorcing Liu Yanjing and mocked her for turning her good life into this.
"Yes." The maid could only respond.
When Lord Ouyang learned that the maidservant next to Madam Huo had come to see him, he knew that Madam Huo was unhappy again. If he didn't go back, Madam Huo would probably make trouble again.
"Father, please go back." The young master of the Ouyang family said, "I will take care of my sister."
The young master of the Ouyang family knew that Da Huo was pregnant, and their father couldn't help but care about Da Huo. In order not to embarrass his father, he spoke first.
When Lord Ouyang heard his son say this, he felt a little sad because his son was so sensible.
"I'll go back and take a look first, and come to see you tomorrow." Lord Ouyang said.
"No, my aunt is going back tomorrow." The young master of the Ouyang family said, "My aunt sent us something a few days ago."
"Okay." Lord Ouyang patted his son's head. "Don't worry. Your father will never abandon you, nor will he let you go back to your hometown in the countryside."
Lord Ouyang's family was not just one child, but he was the only son. He had two older sisters, both of whom had already married, one in his hometown and the other in a town near the capital.
The one going to the Ouyang family tomorrow is the elder sister of Lord Ouyang who lives near the capital. This sister is not a simple person. If she were simple, she would have been married off to a town or county town by her mother in exchange for money to support her brother's education.
The Ouyang family was not that wealthy back then. Lord Ouyang's eldest sister was married off by Old Madam Ouyang for money. The old madam asked for a lot of betrothal gifts but did not prepare much dowry for her daughter.
The second Miss Ouyang was a bit more capable, having arranged a marriage for herself early on, following a merchant. Coincidentally, the merchant was unmarried and had no illegitimate children, so the two hit it off and left together.
This has something to do with Miss Ouyang's good looks and her character.
Last year, Miss Ouyang went out with her husband to sell goods and didn't stay at home all the time, so she didn't know so many things happened in her family. Miss Ouyang thought her brother would have a good life, but who could have imagined that the eldest Mrs. Huo would be so troublesome.
So, when Second Aunt Ouyang returned home and learned about her mother's family, she started to visit her nephews and nieces more often. When she saw the scar on her niece's forehead, she wanted to rush over and give Mrs. Huo two slaps in the face.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Huo was pregnant, so Second Aunt Ouyang didn't dare to do that.
"Well, father, you should go back soon." Young Master Ouyang urged his father.
When Lord Ouyang returned home, Mrs. Huo was in the house saying that the food was not tasty.
Mrs. Huo thought about the time when she was in the Marquis of Jingning's mansion. She didn't like the food and asked Liu Yanjing to cook it herself. Liu Yanjing would go to the kitchen, even if Liu Yanjing's food was not delicious, he would still cook it.
In the Ouyang family, Mrs. Huo felt that these people were against her and that they did not want her to eat the best food at all.
"When I was pregnant, I ate much better than this." said Mrs. Huo.
"This is not the Marquis' Mansion." Lord Ouyang pushed the door open and went in. He was very unhappy after hearing what Mrs. Huo said.
Lord Ouyang had long known that the Huo family still cared about the Marquisate, primarily because the Liu family had regained their title. If the Liu family hadn't had a title, the Huo family wouldn't have had this attitude.
"You're finally back," said Mrs. Huo. "Why, you're not going to stay there any longer? Why don't you just leave us alone?"
"You... are unreasonable." Lord Ouyang was very angry, but he didn't dare to say anything harsh. That was because Mrs. Huo was pregnant, and he was afraid of upsetting her.
"Am I being unreasonable, or are you being heartless?" Mrs. Huo asked. "From childhood to adulthood, I've never felt so wronged."
Even in her previous life, when she encountered difficulties in the northwest, she could still be lazy if she wanted to, even though her children were not so filial to her. After her family's conditions improved, she could still eat meat. Generally speaking, what she got was good, that is, good things within the family's means.
At that time, Liu Yanjing did not stand on her side, but on Liu Yulian's side. Even so, the Liu family did not always give her a cold shoulder, nor did they run out directly like Lord Ouyang did.
In his previous life, Liu Yanjing had not yet taken a concubine, so they only took care of Liu Qingyun and Liu Jia.
Mrs. Huo believed that Lord Ouyang was not even a little bit inferior to Liu Yanjing. She gave Lord Ouyang a maidservant, and Lord Ouyang actually slept with her. Lord Ouyang did not think about how low his status was and how low his official position was. He actually slept with a maidservant. Fortunately, she was prepared.
"That's really unfair to you." Lord Ouyang didn't want to continue talking to Mrs. Huo. He had already married Mrs. Huo and couldn't say anything else.
In the northwest, the Liu family had their meal in the temple. They had no idea that Mrs. Huo and Lord Ouyang were arguing again.
"On the way back, I happened to pass by the farm and picked some strawberries to take back." Liu Yulian said.
Liu Yulian's farm grew seasonal strawberries, as well as other varieties she'd purchased from the system's online store. Those strawberry varieties were more frost-resistant, but the weather in the northwest was cold, and without plastic film, they often relied on straw.
If the culture medium is used well, the strawberries will mature earlier.
"I'll go too." said Princess Zhaoyang.
Princess Zhaoyang and Liu Yulian were sitting in the carriage together. Princess Zhaoyang also wanted to take a look at the strawberry field.
So the group went to pick strawberries first. There was only one strawberry field in the village with strawberries bearing fruit, and the other strawberry plants were basically still in the flowering stage.
However, the strawberries in this strawberry field are enough for the family to eat. When Liu Yulian and others came, Widow Zhang came with a basket.
"Princess." Widow Zhang said with a smile.
"Didn't you spend the New Year at home?" Liu Yulian asked.
Liu Yulian didn't just hire the widow Zhang's family, but mainly let the widow Zhang manage the land in this area. There were other people in the village, and Liu Yulian allowed some of them to go home for the New Year, and those who stayed in the village would also receive extra money.
"I went back yesterday." Widow Zhang had many wrinkles on her face, but when she smiled, those wrinkles squeezed together, making her look not mean, but rather funny. "So, I was thinking about the work in the fields, and thought you might stop by, so I came here."
Widow Zhang said it bluntly, she was just trying to appease Liu Yulian and the others. When doing things for others, how could one not think more about the host family? Widow Zhang also thought that those people in the family didn't know how to serve others, but she was different, so it would be better for her to come here and take charge.
"You guys go ahead and do your work, we'll just pick some strawberries and go back." Liu Yulian said.
Xiao Liujia had already gone to pick strawberries with a small basket. She was still calling her brother to ask everyone else to pick them quickly.
He Xiyuan stood beside Liu Yulian. He planned to pick strawberries with Liu Yulian.
"Pick the ripe ones." Liu Yulian turned her head and almost bumped into He Xiyuan.
He Xiyuan quickly supported Liu Yulian and asked, "Have you picked the ripe ones?"
"Yes." Liu Yulian was a little embarrassed, "A bigger one."
"Okay." He Xiyuan said, "Then see if I picked it right."
Father and Mother Liu didn't stay here. They went back first and didn't stay with Liu Yulian and the others. If they stayed, the younger generation might not be so relaxed.
He Xiyuan was picking strawberries right across from Liu Yulian. From time to time, he would pick up a strawberry and ask Liu Yulian, saying that the strawberries were redder and smelled sweet.
"It's sweet." Xiao Liujia simply stuffed a strawberry into her mouth.
Xiao Liujia thought her aunt and her friends were so annoying. They were always chatting and laughing while holding strawberries, but they never ate them. Just sniffing the strawberries, what could you possibly smell?
Princess Zhaoyang looked at Xiao Liujia and chuckled, "Don't you want to wash it?"
"My aunt even picked up the cakes that fell on the ground and ate them." Xiao Liujia said that her aunt would look around, quickly pick up the things, blow on them, and eat them.
Xiao Liujia said that she had seen it all and her aunt did not throw anything away.
"..." Princess Zhaoyang never thought that Liu Yulian had done this before. Was it because the Liu family had a hard time after their property was ransacked and the family didn't have that much money, so Liu Yulian was reluctant to waste food?
When Princess Zhaoyang thought of this, she felt sad.
"No need for that in the future." Princess Zhaoyang said.
"It's delicious." Xiao Liujia took the strawberry and wanted to continue eating it.
A new day came, and the second aunt of the Ouyang family, who was also Lord Ouyang's sister, arrived at the Ouyang family.
When the second aunt came to give gifts before the New Year, she didn't even look at Mrs. Huo, for fear she would say something bad about her. Mrs. Huo was pregnant, so how could she be provoked?
The second daughter of the Ouyang family was embarrassed to go before Mrs. Huo, so she ran to Old Madam Ouyang.
"You sold your eldest sister to pay for your brother's education..."
"It's not selling." Old Madam Ouyang interrupted her second daughter, "It's marrying her off properly."
"You asked for so much betrothal gifts and withheld most of them. Does that count as getting married? People think you are selling your daughter." said the second Miss Ouyang.
"You don't have it." said Old Lady Ouyang.
"That's because I ran fast." Miss Ouyang said, "But when I left, I left a lot of money for my family. Otherwise, you would think that I eloped with my husband."
There was no way the Second Miss Ouyang was going to elope with someone. Of course, she had to do it in a legitimate way. She knew that the one who eloped would be a concubine.
"Just stay home and don't worry about your eldest grandson and granddaughter. You'll have younger grandsons and granddaughters in the future." The second Miss Ouyang said, "I'll visit your eldest nephew and niece more often if I have time."
The second Miss Ouyang knew that it was not easy for their widowed mother to raise them, but she also knew how unreliable their biological mother was.
"Where's my sister-in-law? Is she still lying on the bed?" asked the second Miss Ouyang.
"Just don't go." Old Madam Ouyang was afraid that her second daughter would bother her daughter-in-law. Mrs. Huo had a miscarriage and couldn't stand being upset by others anymore.
"She's afraid I'll make her angry." The second Miss Ouyang said, "I know my limits."
Of course, they couldn't make the Huo family angry at this time. The second Miss Ouyang thought that she could just treat him as her younger brother and inherit both houses. There was no need for her to care about so many things, and she couldn't do it either.
Why does she, a married woman, say so much? If she really wants to say something, she has to wait until Mrs. Huo gives birth to a child.
When Mrs. Huo learned that the second Miss Ouyang had returned, she was not so happy. This second aunt had previously gone to see the original wife's child and sent a lot of gifts. Wasn't this tantamount to slapping her in the face? Mrs. Huo believed that the second Miss Ouyang was not a good person.
After seeing her younger brother, Miss Ouyang II only hoped that her brother could continue to persevere and not treat his eldest nephew and niece badly just because Mrs. Huo gave birth to a child.
"Let your sister-in-law take good care of her, and don't make her unhappy all the time." The second Miss Ouyang said, "She has the support of the Earl's Mansion, so you still have to be careful."
Don't let the Ouyang family be wiped out by then. Who knows what the Bo Mansion, which can raise people like the Da Huo family, will be like. What if those people in the Bo Mansion are not good people, then they will suffer.
The second Ouyang girl thought that they could talk about other things after Mrs. Huo gave birth to the child. Haha, they had to let Mrs. Huo know that the Ouyang family was not a place for her to act tyrannically.
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