Tong Mingyu took the two sisters to have lunch at her mother's house before returning to the Xiao family. After sending the two girls back to rest, Tong Mingyu was busy with the affairs that had accumulated all day, while thinking about her mother's suggestion to take Ping'an back to Suzhou. After thinking about it, she could only sigh to relieve her inner depression.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Jingkang, who had been standing behind his wife for a while without being discovered, asked.
"When did you come back? I didn't even hear your footsteps when you came in." Tong Mingyu turned around and said to her husband.
"Shouldn't you answer my question first?"
After ordering the maids to leave, Tong Mingyu told her husband about the conversation she had with her mother today...
"To be honest, we really owe our daughter a lot. From now on, not only must we let Ajun learn martial arts well to protect his sister, but we must also love our daughter more." Xiao Jingkang reflected.
Tong Mingyu's mouth twitched involuntarily when she heard such remarks. She really wanted to ask her husband, how do you plan to love your daughter more? Should you pick the stars or reach for the moon?
General Xiao was delighted when he learned his granddaughter had gone to the Tong household, while his old rival, Minister Tong, was absent. He suddenly had the idea of sending someone to monitor Minister Tong, preventing his granddaughter from visiting him while he was home and only allowing her to visit when he was away. Well, that was a good idea, worth a try!
"Brother Yan has been gone for such a long time, and he only sent back two letters. I don't know how he is doing over there." Qin was worried about her son. How could just two letters comfort her longing for her son!
"It's been just two months, and you've already received two letters. Are you still not satisfied?" If it were someone else, General Xiao would have scolded them long ago. Although his tone was calm at the moment, everyone could still hear the hint of impatience hidden in it.
My son sent back two letters. In the first, he described what he had seen and heard on the road. Then, he changed the subject and said to Ping An, "Because we are still on the road and haven't reached the northwest yet, no matter how many fun and interesting things there are, we don't need to buy them back, right?"
The second letter only had a few words, saying that it had arrived at its destination, everything was fine, and there was no need to worry.
Was there any letter written to his mother? No. Even if he mentioned her in a few words, the only person he mentioned was Ping An.
"Mother, my fourth brother will write the third and fourth letters soon." Xiao Jingkang comforted Qin.
"Will it?" These two short words express expectation and desire. It would be better if the letter from my son could be longer and thicker.
"He has just arrived in the northwest and will probably be busy for a while. When he is not busy, he will definitely write to you." General Xiao couldn't bear to see his old wife sad, so he said.
"Ayi, how are you preparing for the provincial examination this autumn?" General Xiao changed the subject.
Xiao Yi was already seventeen years old. He didn't like studying very much and wanted to finish his studies as soon as possible and find a job. Xiao Jingkang didn't object to this decision, but his father required him to pass the imperial examination before he could start working.
In order to escape from the sea of suffering as soon as possible, Xiao Yi has tried his best. For more than half a year, he has stopped calling friends and wandering around. Instead, he has settled down and prepared for the exam.
"Grandfather, I'm almost ready." Xiao Yi stood up and bowed in response.
General Xiao looked at his grandson, whose figure was very similar to his own, and nodded with satisfaction. Although this child looked somewhat like his youngest son, his temper, character, and ability were better than his fourth uncle's. It seemed that he and his wife were far behind his eldest son and his wife in educating children.
"Have you finished talking? I also want to discuss something with my grandfather." Xiao Yuan tried hard to seize the opportunity.
"Ruyi, what do you want to say to your grandfather?" General Xiao's expression immediately reversed, from majestic to gentle, and the speed of the change was simply astonishing.
"It's spring outside, with flowers blooming and beautiful scenery. Can you take me...my sister and I to the villa to live for a while?" Xiao Yuan, whose heart had already run away from home, said with infinite longing.
"Isn't it good at home? Does Ruyi want to abandon Grandpa again?" Why does the little granddaughter always want to run away? Is he going to go ten days or half a month without seeing her again? General Xiao pretended to be pitiful.
"My home is nice, but after living in one place for a long time, I'm bound to want to move, right?" Xiao Yuan said, pointing to his finger.
"How about we go out and play next year? Then, your grandfather will take you two sisters to visit more places and play more." General Xiao put forward very tempting conditions, hoping that his granddaughter would wait until he was relieved of the heavy responsibility before making such a request.
"Go now and go next year." Xiao Yuan said domineeringly.
General Xiao looked at Xiao Yao for help and said, "You two can't always abandon grandpa. This time you must wait for grandpa."
"Ruyi..." Xiao Yao opened her mouth, but would persuasion be of any use? She had no confidence in her own influence.
"Madame Ruan just said the day before yesterday that sister should look more often at what spring looks like outside so that she can paint more vivid and lifelike paintings." This is not a lie, Madame Ruan really said this.
Qin and Tong Mingyu looked at Xiao Yao. They admired Nanny Ruan very much, so if Nanny Ruan had such a request, they would definitely agree to it.
Seeing that the situation was developing in a direction that was unfavorable to him, General Xiao quickly fled Ninghetang on the pretext that he had something to deal with, making Xiao Yuan's wish come to nothing.
From then on, whenever Xiao Yuan wanted to bring up the matter, General Xiao would always prevaricate with various excuses. The fact that one wanted to leave, while the other wouldn't let him go, added a lot of fun and laughter to the family.
However, events gradually deviated from General Xiao's expectations. The reason was that Xiao Jingyan had said when he left that he would be back in three to five months. Now, three months had already passed, and not only was he not coming back, but even his letters had stopped. Qin Shi grew increasingly worried and irritable, finally becoming restless.
The family had no choice but to get together hoping to come up with a solution to ease Qin's tension.
After much discussion, it seemed that the most feasible solution was to send her out to live in a different environment for a while to relax. His wife was going to live outside, and it was impossible for his two granddaughters to be left behind. After a round of discussion, the little granddaughters were finally going to leave him behind. General Xiao's face was not very good for several days.
"Father, you might as well make a suggestion to the emperor to let the Ninth Prince, Prince Yun, and Young Master Mu live in the royal villa and learn martial arts. Our family happens to have a farm nearby. This way, you can accompany mother and granddaughter, and you can teach martial arts to the royal children without delay. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?" Xiao Jingkang said. He had to think of a way. His father's face was always covered with gloomy clouds, which made people feel suffocated.
"This is a good idea, but I don't know if the emperor will agree." General Xiao said without much confidence.
"If the emperor knew that you had to go to the villa just to accompany your mother; if you could let the emperor know that those people could receive training that is completely different from before, perhaps..." You can then get your wish and spend vacation with your wife and granddaughter.
There were difficulties, but the temptations were equally great. After weighing the pros and cons, General Xiao took his son's advice and went to the palace to meet the emperor.
No one knows how General Xiao explained it to the emperor, but it is a fact that he got what he wanted after some effort.
"Pack up and leave in five days." General Xiao admired his granddaughter's surprised expression, stunned by the unexpected good news, and explained with rare care, "I will teach them for five consecutive days, and then I can stay at the villa with you for ten days."
"You're going to the Royal Villa to teach them kung fu, right?" This question needed to be clarified. Only by understanding the enemy's movements could one devise a countermeasure. Xiao Yao still remembered that among those people was the eldest son of the Yun family, who was prone to verbal abuse the moment he saw her. Following the principle of avoiding the worst offenders, she planned to stay away from the Royal Villa for a few days while he was around.
"Yes, why does Ping'an want to visit the royal villa?" General Xiao thought his granddaughter was curious about the villa, so he asked this question.
"If you have the chance, you should go and see it." Qin looked at her granddaughter with admiration. Has she finally gotten the point? This is such a rare opportunity to meet an important person! If her granddaughter seizes it, there will be no worries about not being able to rise to prominence in the future!
"Okay! Okay!" Xiao Yuan loved walking around, but he had never visited the Royal Villa before!
"My granddaughter won't go, and Ruyi won't go either. There are other boys there, and it's inconvenient." Xiao Yao rejected her grandfather's suggestion outright. She didn't want to be tortured, so what was the point of going to the Royal Villa?
Qin sighed softly. It seemed her granddaughter still hadn't gotten the message. What a shame it was to let such a good opportunity slip away like that. She wanted to offer some advice, but the sight of her husband wiped out her spirits. With this stubborn old man around, what was the point of saying more?
"Ping'an is right. We can't go to the Royal Villa. Remember, for the first five days before we go to the villa, you two are not allowed to leave the villa or walk around." General Xiao's anti-wolf plan was officially launched. It was a close call. If it weren't for his granddaughter's words, he would have almost overlooked that those rascals were also outsiders.
General Xiao's views were also approved and supported by his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. In their eyes, no matter what the other party's identity and status were, their family would never use their treasures Ping An and Ruyi to make friends with or curry favor with others.
Do you really think Ping An is the only pretty girl in Kyoto? If you don’t seize the opportunity to get close to these nobles, you will regret it later, Qin sighed in her heart.
"We will remember your words." Xiao Yao was moved by her grandfather again. This was the person who truly protected and loved her!
He never had any intention of taking advantage of her, and was only thinking about his granddaughter. He only wanted the two sisters to live happily and freely, and to protect them from all the hardships.
Xiao Yuan: In order to avoid being bullied and having your snacks stolen, just stay in the villa for five days.
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