Chapter 215 [VIP]
"I heard that the border garrison has driven the Turkic barbarians away."
"Really?"
"How could that be false? I also heard that the Khan of the Turks died on the way, and now they have split into the Eastern Turks and the Western Turks. It seems that they can no longer raise an army to attack us!"
"Great! Such a joyous occasion calls for a drink; it's on me today!"
"Brother Song is truly generous!"
In a restaurant in Shanzhou, several officials were hosting a farewell banquet for Chen Qingyan. His transfer order had come down a little over a month ago, and he was being transferred back to the capital. His specific post hadn't been announced yet, but he needed to complete the handover of his affairs in Shanzhou beforehand.
The newly appointed prefect of Shanzhou is named Le Linshan, a man in his early forties who was promoted from Jiangling.
When the two handed over their duties, they were stunned by Chen Qingyan's meticulous arrangements. Before coming here, they thought they had arrived in a godforsaken place, but Shanzhou was much better than they had imagined.
Especially in recent years, with a focus on developing agriculture and animal husbandry, not only have people's lives improved, but tax revenue has also increased, and the county has consistently achieved a middle-class performance rating in annual assessments. This is truly remarkable for a poor prefecture!
Therefore, he had more respect for this young magistrate. He raised his wine cup and said, "I saw that there is a lot of information about Jiaxuan Jushi written here. I heard that he is good at farming. I wonder if I could get to know him?"
Chen Qingyan laughed and said, "Prefect Le, please don't take offense. This person is not in Shanzhou now, so I'm afraid we won't be able to meet him."
"I do not know your name. I will visit you again when I have the opportunity."
"To be honest, this man is my husband, Wang Ying."
"Ah?" Not only was Prefect Yue surprised, but even Governor Feng, who was sitting next to him, widened his eyes. However, Zhang Tongpan, the Chief Clerk, had heard a little about Wang Ying's operation of the farm shop.
"I had heard before that Mr. Chen's farm shop sold improved seeds and fertilizers, but I never expected that he was actually a great agricultural expert!"
"I dare not claim to be an expert in agronomy, but I am indeed proficient in agricultural matters." Chen Qingyan raised his wine glass in a toast. Wang Ying deserves much credit for Shanzhou's current development. In the past, her husband was reluctant to make a name for himself, but now that he was about to leave, she naturally wanted to leave him with a good reputation.
The meal was a great success, and as Chen Qingyan left the restaurant, he looked at the familiar streets with a sense of reluctance. If nothing unexpected happened, he might never return in this lifetime.
When I came here with A-Ying, we vowed to develop Shanzhou. Now, more than three years later, I've basically achieved my goal. With improved seeds and composting methods for farming, coupled with the diligence of the local magistrates, I believe Shanzhou will only get better and better in the future!
"I don't know when we'll meet again after my nephew leaves." Feng Zhien suddenly patted his shoulder from behind with a large, powerful hand, making Chen Qingyan wince in pain, as if he were recalling the scene from their first meeting.
"It's fate that we met. I don't have much else to offer, but I got a jade pendant while fighting bandits years ago, and I think it's quite nice. I'll give it to you." He said, taking out a piece of emerald green jade from his pocket.
"This, how can this be?" This jadeite is obviously very valuable, and Chen Qingyan was too embarrassed to accept it without having done anything for it.
"Take it, take it. I heard that you lifted the siege of Liangzhou. Although I don't know the method you used, you protected tens of thousands of people in Shanzhou. Consider this my way of thanking you on behalf of everyone."
Chen Qingyan had no choice but to accept the jade pendant. "Thank you, Uncle." This time he addressed him sincerely, and Governor Feng responded readily. The two returned to the government office together as if they were truly uncle and nephew.
*
In the experimental field, Wang Ying had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that his cheeks were flushed and he smelled of alcohol, she asked, "Have you been drinking?"
"My colleagues prepared a farewell dinner for me today, and I had a drink with them."
"I heard the transfer order from Kyoto has arrived. When are you coming back?"
"The official duties at the government office have been handed over, and I will leave tomorrow."
Wang Ying said, "It's already November, and the snow in Shanzhou is a foot deep. Why don't we just use the teleportation function to come back?"
Chen Qingyan shook his head, "There are only three chances, they're too precious to save for a life-saving one."
"You must be tired from traveling such a long way in this freezing weather."
"It's alright, it's just that I won't be able to go back before the New Year. If you have time, you can bring your mother here to see her."
"good."
Chen Qingyan took out the jade pendant given to him by Governor Feng from his bosom. "Keep this jade safe. It was a parting gift from Governor Feng."
Wang Ying took it and examined it carefully, then couldn't help but smile, "This Uncle Feng is quite generous."
Chen Qingyan couldn't help but laugh, "I said I wouldn't accept it, but he insisted on giving it to me, so I had no choice but to accept it."
"Let's accept it. We spent over a thousand taels of silver to buy grain to support Liangzhou this time, so this jade pendant is a good return on investment." Lin Sui took the lion's share; this silver was the money he spent on buying herbs.
"After the New Year, Yuanbao should go back to his hometown to take his exams, right?"
"Yes, I'm thinking of returning to the capital after passing the imperial examination."
“Okay, that just so happens that I should be going to the capital to take up my post around that time.” Normally, prefects from various places would have to go to the capital to take up their posts in mid-February, but Shanzhou is quite far away, so I can arrive by the end of March at the latest.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before it got late. Chen Qingyan had to get up early to travel the next day, so Wang Ying urged him to go and rest. She also tidied up the experimental field herself.
After this period of accumulation, the experimental field is about to be upgraded again.
Ever since the great victory at Liangzhou, the experimental field instantly gave him five million experience points, which greatly surprised Wang Ying.
Later I realized that the experience points must be related to the people they saved. I just don't know if level nine will give new rewards.
Forget about all that. The war has ended and Qingyan has been promoted. Fortunately, the secret of the experimental fields has been preserved. I guess that Turkic Khan will never figure out where Liangzhou got so much grain.
*
The Spring Festival is here again in the blink of an eye. This year marks the thirteenth year that Wang Ying has been in this dynasty.
Sometimes Wang Ying felt a little dazed, wondering if he had actually lived a previous life. However, those vague memories reminded him that he had indeed lived two lives.
Although Qingyan wasn't home this year, Qingsong and Qingyun were, along with Qingsong's husband, Qin Jiaxiaolang, who was six months pregnant but still lively and active, with a childlike personality that was very endearing.
While staying up late to welcome the New Year, Chen Qingsong said, "Next year is Father's sixtieth birthday, and Yuanbao is also going back to the county to take the county examination. I was thinking of going back with him."
Wang Ying nodded, "Qingyan also mentioned this to me before I came back, and they planned to hold a big event."
Li said, "He's been dead for so many years, there's no need to waste money on him."
"Well, you can't say that. Father didn't get to enjoy the blessings of his children and grandchildren when he was alive. Now that my elder brother and I are capable, we naturally want him to enjoy some happiness over there."
The ancients attached great importance to sacrificial rites, which was not only a matter of feudal superstition but also a way of remembering the deceased. Even thousands of years later, the tradition of sweeping tombs and offering sacrifices during the Qingming Festival still exists.
When her husband was mentioned, Madam Li couldn't help but sigh, "That unlucky man, he didn't enjoy a few days of peace and happiness while he was alive, he worked hard for half his life and then got such an illness at the end."
In the past, Li never dared to mention her deceased husband. Every time she did, she would feel sad and shed tears. Perhaps in recent years, as she has gotten older, she has gradually come to terms with it and this is the first time she has talked about it.
Qingsong was only six years old at the time and didn't understand anything. He only remembered his father lying on the bed, thin as a skeleton, and the buzzing sound he made when he was breathing.
"Mother, what exactly is Father's illness?"
"I don't know either. Back then, your father always said his stomach hurt. The doctor in town couldn't cure him, so he went to the county town. The doctor in the county town said he had abdominal stones and brought back a lot of medicine, but it didn't work."
Later, it gradually got so bad that I couldn't eat anything, but my stomach kept getting bigger and bigger, like I was seven months pregnant...
According to her mother-in-law's description, Wang Ying thought her father-in-law might have liver disease, and the bloating was due to ascites. However, these were all just guesses. Even if her father-in-law hadn't died, she couldn't have saved him now that he was gone.
"When your father passed away, Qingyan was not yet capable of handling things. You and Yun'er were young, and I had never been in charge of the household before. In the future, everything was handed over to your second uncle, Chen Biao."
Unexpectedly, he even embezzled the money for his own brother's funeral. The coffin originally ordered was made of thick-bottomed cypress wood, but he secretly replaced it with one made of elm wood, making a profit of over seventy taels of silver.
Upon hearing Chen Biao's name, Wang Ying was stunned for a moment before she remembered that he was the cheap second uncle she had defeated when she first arrived.
Qingyun and Qingsong were also disgusted by him. "It's a good thing my sister-in-law exposed him, otherwise our whole family would have been ruined by him!"
“Who says otherwise? Life at home has become increasingly difficult since your father left. I’m not good at managing the household and I’m easily swayed by what others say. Plus, your older brother was sick at the time, so we had no choice but to pray to the gods and Buddhas.”
Li said somewhat embarrassedly, "I...I was also cheated out of a lot of money."
If she hadn't met Wang Ying, Li Shi dared not recall that her eldest son would have died young, her land would have been seized by her second uncle's family, her daughter would have been hastily married when she reached marriageable age, and her youngest son would have been a failure.
The turning point came with the arrival of Wang Ying, and Li was truly grateful to this son-in-law.
Chen Qingsong said, "My fourth uncle sent a letter before the New Year, saying that he plans to go back to our hometown with us after the New Year to visit the ancestral hall and celebrate my father's birthday."
Li said happily, "That's great! Qinghuai and his wife might be able to come back with us, and our whole family can finally get together again."
It's been more than three years since I last saw my fourth uncle and the others.
And then there's Teacher Liang. Although we've kept in touch through letters over the years, I still worry about not being able to see him in person. Teacher Liang will be sixty-three after the New Year, and at such an advanced age, every meeting is one less we can take.
Inside, the candlelight flickered, while outside, the snow fell heavily. I wondered where Qingyan was now, and whether he had eaten dumplings yet.
As midnight approached, the children were all sleepy, and Qin Xiaolang, who was pregnant, couldn't stay awake any longer, so she took the children to bed early.
Wang Ying plans to take her family to the experimental field to meet Qingyan.
Everyone was very excited. It had been several months since they last met, and they had been thinking about it ever since.
Wang Ying locked the door, making sure no one could see her, and was about to lead the three of them inside when they suddenly heard Chen Fang's voice from outside.
"Madam, sir, the master is back!"
The three of them stood up in surprise and quickly opened the door to greet them.
The cold wind howled outside, causing the lanterns on the porch to sway back and forth. Chen Qingyan, Chen Ju, and Chen Zhandong stood there at the gate, looking quite fresh and vibrant.
"Why did you suddenly come back?" Mrs. Li was overjoyed and rushed forward to take her son's hand. "Why are you so cold? Come inside and warm up!"
Wang Ying was the first to notice something was wrong. "Where are your carriages and horses? What happened in Qingyan?!"
Chen Ju, who was standing to the side, suddenly collapsed to his knees, his legs giving way. "If it weren't for you, sir... we would have almost died on the way..."
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