When the carriage arrived at the house in the county town, Jiang's father, following custom, first carried the things inside.
Following behind were the three Jiang brothers, each carrying something in their hands.
Behind them, Jiang Shaoqin led the way, followed by Shao Ning, Shao Ming, Shao Yun, Shao Kun, Shao Qiu, and even Shao Rong and Shao Ke, who all looked completely bewildered.
"What a thriving family!"
"Indeed, three sons and a bunch of grandsons, what a prosperous family!"
"Not only do they have grandsons, but they also have granddaughters!"
Jiang's father did not invite any outsiders; he invited his eldest uncle, third uncle, brother-in-law, and cousin from the village.
The rest are family members by marriage.
Jiang's parents also came, but they were only bullies within their own family. When they saw the Jiang family's large mansion and the other relatives dressed in silk, they didn't dare to say a word.
Mu's parents, Li Qiu's parents, Jiang Lan with her parents-in-law and daughter, her husband went to school, he will take the imperial examination this year.
After the moving ceremony, Jiang's father invited the guests into the house.
The man stayed in the outer courtyard, while the woman went into the inner courtyard.
When Mu Yi'an returned, he brought quite a few people with him, including the servants he had previously bought for Jiang's parents, so they were able to keep things busy.
Today, Jiang's mother is the hostess, sitting in the head seat, while everyone else is assigned a seat.
"Sister Jiang, this house is nice, and the location is good too. The surrounding area is full of scholars."
The Zhou family are locals from the county, and have lived here for generations. They know a lot about what's happening in the county, and since they own a restaurant, they're very good at social niceties.
"Yes, it's all thanks to Shuyun and my second daughter-in-law that we can live in such a nice house."
Jiang's mother made it clear that the house was bought by Shuyun and Yi'an.
Although they live in the prefectural city, they are very filial to their parents.
"That's only right. As a son and daughter-in-law, it's their blessing to be able to provide a good life for their parents."
Mother Mu chimed in, saying that her daughter was doing well.
"That's right, all of Jiang's children are filial."
Grandma Jiang Lan also praised her, saying that her family had considerable assets; while not the most outstanding in the entire county, they were not bad either.
That's right, the children and grandchildren in the family aren't doing well in school.
With great difficulty, the youngest son was somewhat talented, but he passed the preliminary examination and failed the county-level examination twice.
The second son of the Jiang family is good at studying; he will need to receive more guidance from others in the future.
Today, all the guests were elders, and Mu Yi'an wasn't familiar with them. She sat quietly, listening to them chat about everyday things.
Jiang's sister-in-law kept a close eye on her mother, afraid that they would make a fool of themselves again.
However, Sister-in-law Jiang was overthinking it.
Aunt Lin hadn't said a word since she came in.
Of the five children in the Jiang family, only Jiang Qi's husband's family lived far away, and she had no parents-in-law. She was also pregnant, so she only sent her husband with gifts.
The other mothers-in-law were all dressed up in new clothes, wearing silk or fine cotton.
The worst ones all wore silver hairpins, and some even had gold or jade hairpins in their hair. Only she had nothing on her head or hands.
Given this situation, she dared not say anything out of line.
Inside the courtyard, the women chatted about everyday matters.
In the outer courtyard, Jiang's father was also entertaining the male guests.
"Brother Jiang, you are truly enviable, with a house full of children and grandchildren."
Jiang Lan's father-in-law is a man of principle, but today he was speaking the truth.
Who wouldn't envy a child and grandchildren who are successful?
"They're all the same; every family has a lot of children."
Mr. Jiang was truly happy today. He was moved to tears as his son and grandson carried the things into the yard.
"There are many children and grandchildren, but there aren't many like the Jiang family, where every single one of them is doing well in their studies."
Li Qiuniang's father was a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and the entire family basically did this job, so there were no descendants who received an education.
Everyone agreed with this statement. Putting aside everything else, Jiang Shuyun passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, while Jiang Shuheng was only a Xiucai.
The older grandchildren in the house are all reading, and they all seem to be doing well.
Jiang Shuyun's eldest son, in particular, is truly different in his every move and in his interactions with others.
Mr. Mu didn't say anything, but he looked at his eldest grandson with a smile on his face.
The eldest and third grandfathers were in a state of confusion. They were truly shocked when they saw Ziwen bring his children and grandchildren into the house.
Ziwen's family is no longer an only child; it is now thriving!
Before long, Sister Li directed the serving of dishes: six dishes and a soup, symbolizing good fortune.
Not only are the dishes delicious and visually appealing, but the desserts are also excellent.
Although the Zhou couple didn't dine together, they were both quite moved, feeling that the food on this table tasted better than what they had eaten at their restaurant.
After dinner and seeing off the guests, only the family remained. Everyone gathered in the inner courtyard, while the children, led by Shao Qin, went to the study to read.
"Thank you for your hard work today, second daughter-in-law, taking care of all this."
"Everyone contributed, and there were no mistakes. We're very lucky."
Mu Yi'an didn't care about any of this; it was all thanks to Sister Li and the others. In fact, she hadn't done anything.
“From now on, your mother and I will live here permanently. The eldest son’s family will live with us. If we get sick and need care, you two will have to do more.”
"Father and Mother, we understand, and we will definitely take good care of you two."
Jiang Shuheng knew that when the family divided the property, he received the lion's share and was responsible for taking care of his parents in their old age.
Shuyun paid for the house this time, and he, as the eldest brother, benefited from it.
From now on, he will be fully responsible for his parents' affairs and any tasks that require physical effort.
Jiang Shuyun and Mu Yi'an shared this view: they both had a share in caring for their parents in their old age.
However, they live in the prefectural city, which is far away.
If our parents get sick in the future and need close care, then my older brother and sister-in-law will have to take on more responsibility.
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