Chapter 66: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 66: Meeting the Uncles
"Take care, Lord Prefect magistrate!"
Yan Zhigao, along with Advisor Xiao and Li Shounian, smiled as they saw off Dong Zhizhou and his son, watching them disappear down the path before turning back to the house.
As they were about to re-enter, the station master, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward with a smile. “Master Yan, I apologize for the trouble yesterday. We have prepared a new courtyard for you. Please come and have a look.”
Yan Zhigao glanced at the station master’s ingratiating expression, feeling somewhat resigned, but smiled and said, “Thank you for your trouble, Station Master.”
The station master, relieved that there was no anger from Yan Zhigao, sighed in relief. “It’s nothing, Master. It’s our fault for not doing things properly, and making you and the young masters uncomfortable. Please don’t blame us, we are deeply grateful.”
Yan Zhigao chuckled. “You’re too polite. It’s not a big deal. Lately, there have been many officials coming to report to the capital, so it’s understandable that the station is busy.”
The station master nodded repeatedly, his face full of gratitude. “Thank you for your understanding, Master Yan.”
With that, Yan Zhigao waved him off. “Go back to your work, we’re fine here.”
The station master quickly nodded and left, wiping the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.
Who could have guessed that a county magistrate from such a remote place had such a powerful backer?, when he saw the esteemed young man conversing so familiarly with the young master of the Yan family, his legs almost went weak in fear.
“Keep your eyes sharp,” he instructed the officers behind him. “Make sure to help Master Yan and the young masters move into the new courtyard. Don’t let anything go wrong.”
Inside the house, Daohua and Yan Wenxiu were flipping through the silver notes left behind by Dong Zhizhou.
Yan Wenkai exclaimed in astonishment, “Dong Zhizhou really is generous. A few potted plants, and he gave us five hundred taels of silver!”
Daohua, unhappy with the remark, retorted, “Fourth Brother, don’t say ‘a few potted plants.’ Those plants were something that I, and Third Brother, spent a lot of time and effort growing. They were supposed to be gifts for the uncles! They represent my feelings for them. Do you understand what feelings mean? You can’t just buy that with a few hundred taels of silver.”
At that moment, Yan Zhigao, along with Advisor Xiao and Li Shounian, entered the room just in time to hear Daohua’s words.
Advisor Xiao smiled. “The young lady speaks well. The feelings in one’s heart can’t be measured by money.”
Seeing that Advisor Xiao agreed with her, Daohua’s face brightened, and she smiled with two dimples showing.
Seeing Daohua’s beaming expression, Li Shounian’s eyes gleamed for a moment. He looked at Yan Zhigao and thought, this county magistrate is quite fortunate; his children are both handsome and well-behaved.
Advisor Xiao continued, “I took a look at those plants, and they are quite rare in the market. If they were sold, I doubt five hundred taels would be enough to buy them.”
That comment really hit the mark with Daohua.
The plants in those pots had been grown in her space, with lush leaves and vibrant flowers, of the highest quality.
When she heard this, Daohua looked at Advisor Xiao with admiration.
Yan Zhigao, noticing his eldest daughter’s obvious affection for Advisor Xiao, felt a sudden urge to cover his face. He stepped forward and took the silver notes from Daohua’s hands. “Once I’m done here, I’ll take you to the market to buy some new gifts.”
“Alright, now go back to your rooms and pack your things. We’re moving to a new courtyard soon!” He waved his hand, signaling for the children to move quickly.
Upon hearing they were moving courtyards, Daohua and the others were eager to get going. The old courtyard was simply too dilapidated, and sleeping there was uncomfortable.
With the help of the officers from the station, they quickly moved into the new courtyard.
The new courtyard was vastly superior to the old one in terms of room size, layout, and scenery. It was a clear reflection of the world’s materialistic values.
Just as Yan Zhigao had finished settling into his new room, a servant came to report that the two uncles from the Li family had arrived.
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhigao immediately went out to greet them, instructing the servant, “Quickly, go tell the young masters to come to the main hall and greet their uncles.”
Soon, Daohua entered the main hall and saw her two uncles talking and laughing with her father.
One was scholarly and composed, the other cheerful and humorous.
“Greetings to my two uncles!”
As soon as Yan Wenxiu entered the room, he immediately bowed to Li Xingchang and Li Xingnian.
Meanwhile, Yan Wenkai, brimming with excitement, called out, “Big Uncle, Second Uncle, what are you doing here? I thought we’d have to wait for Father to finish his work before seeing you!” He then ran over to Li Xingnian, acting as if they were the best of friends.
Li Xingchang laughed and helped Yan Wenxiu up, examining him carefully. Then he turned to Yan Zhigao with a smile. “Wenxiu has become more composed since I last saw him two years ago. He’s really starting to look like an adult.”
Yan Zhigao smiled and nodded. “Now that the new year has started, he’s fifteen—definitely old enough to be considered an adult.”
“And what about me?” Yan Wenkai pouted when he noticed that Big Uncle had only been paying attention to his elder brother. “Am I not grown up too?”
Li Xingchang laughed and looked at the lively second nephew. “You, on the other hand, have grown taller, but you’re still as mischievous as ever!”
After praising his nephews, Li Xingchang’s gaze moved to Daohua, who was dressed as a boy. His expression softened as he said, “So, this is Daohua?”
Yan Zhigao immediately addressed Daohua, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and greet your uncles!”
Daohua stepped forward, planning to bow in respect to the two uncles, but when she remembered that she was dressed as a boy, she paused and decided instead to kneel and offer them a kowtow. “Daohua greets my two uncles!”
Li Xingnian, who had been silent up until then, stood up and bent down to help her up, his gaze soft and quiet. He didn’t say a word.
Daohua wasn’t intimidated; she looked up at him boldly, her only thought being that Second Uncle was tall and handsome—definitely a handsome man in modern terms!
Li Xingnian couldn’t help but laugh when he saw his niece staring at him with admiration. He reached out and patted her head. “You look like your mother.”
Li Xingchang chimed in, “I think she looks more like Zhigao. Look at those eyes and brows—almost exactly the same as his.”
Yan Zhigao looked at Daohua for the first time with this thought in mind. He had never noticed before, but now that his brother-in-law pointed it out, he could see the resemblance.
Li Xingnian didn’t disagree. He smiled and said, “The daughter of your sister and brother-in-law should naturally inherit the best of both.” He then took a green jade bracelet from his pocket and slipped it onto Daohua’s wrist.
“Good, it fits perfectly!”
The jade bracelet was a pale green, and Daohua loved it immediately. She smiled and thanked him, “Thank you, Second Uncle. I really like it.”
Seeing the genuine joy on her face, Li Xingnian smiled in return. “I’m glad you like it.”
Yan Zhigao, noticing how transparent and high-quality the jade bracelet was, immediately remarked, “She’s just a little girl. She doesn’t need to wear something so expensive.”
Li Xingnian replied, “Jade nurtures the body. Girls should wear it from a young age.”
Yan Wenkai, feeling a little jealous, pouted. “Second Uncle, you’ve never given me any jade!”
Li Xingnian shot a disapproving look at him. “You’re a boy. What would you want with jade?”
Yan Wenkai protested, “Why can’t a boy wear jade? I see many young masters wearing jade pendants! Also, the jade pendant my sister’s wearing was given to her by a young man, wasn’t it?”
This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Li Xingnian glanced at the qilin jade pendant at Daohua’s waist. “Can I take a look at it?”
Without hesitation, Daohua took the jade pendant off and handed it to him. “Of course.”
Li Xingnian examined the pendant carefully before passing it to Li Xingchang.
Li Xingchang took the pendant and admired it. “This is excellent jade, an extremely rare Hetian jade. It’s usually only worn by…” He suddenly stopped, realizing the direction the conversation was headed.
He quickly stopped talking, as royal matters were not for a merchant like him to discuss.
Daohua, curious, asked, “Big Uncle, only worn by whom?”
Li Xingchang smiled lightly. “Only by the nobility. This jade pendant is incredibly precious. You must take good care of it—don’t let it get chipped or lost.” He glanced at Yan Zhigao as he said this.
The implied meaning was clear: Daohua was just a child, and while the jade pendant was valuable, the one who wore it was of even higher status. There could be no mistakes.
Yan Zhigao understood his brother-in-law’s point and nodded. “When we return, I’ll have her mother take good care of it.”
Daohua opened her mouth as if to argue, but seeing the serious expressions of the adults, she wisely remained silent.
(End of Chapter)
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