"Mother, can you lend me another three hundred wen? I'll pay you back in a few days."
Liu Cuirong reached out for money.
She planned to buy gifts for Little Sweet Treasure and her mother-in-law.
Recently, a popular rouge powder had become the talk of the village. Du Laosan's wife, Huang Xiangyun, had bought two boxes and had been flaunting them for days.
Liu Cuirong wanted to buy a box for her mother-in-law.
Lu Shi opened her coin purse and fished out a silver ingot. "Spend it sparingly. The steamed buns aren't selling well these days either!"
Saving money was difficult, but spending it could empty a purse in the blink of an eye...
"Got it, Mother!"
Liu Cuirong took the silver ingot and weighed it in her hand.
After chatting with Lu Shi for a while longer, she got up to leave.
After buying the rouge powder and candy, she went to Jinxiang Academy to visit Yun Jinhe.
"Second Aunt? What brings you here?" Yun Jinhe looked surprised.
Usually, it was his father or second uncle who visited him.
Today, his second aunt had bought a roasted chicken and was shoving it into his arms.
"Take it. Studying requires a lot of brainpower. Don't be stingy with your food. The family isn't lacking this little bit of money."
Liu Cuirong's face was full of smiles, like a kind old mother.
Yun Jinhe: "..."
A chill ran down his spine.
Why was his second aunt being so attentive without reason? It was rather unsettling.
"Second Aunt, did you need something?" Yun Jinhe asked.
Upon hearing this, Liu Cuirong lightly slapped the back of his head. "You child, can't your second aunt visit you without a reason?"
Yun Jinhe twitched his lips. "That's not it."
It was just that it felt inexplicable...
Liu Cuirong looked around, pulled Yun Jinhe to the corner, and said with a smile, "Actually, Second Aunt needs your help with something."
Yun Jinhe sighed.
If she had something to say, she should have said it earlier. Beating around the bush was delaying his studies.
"Help with what?"
He was a scholar, spending his days with books. His capabilities were limited.
How could his second aunt possibly ask him for help?
Liu Cuirong took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from Yun Jinhe's brow, and said gently, "In a while, your brother Jinshan will also come to study."
"He's better looking than you and very clever. It's inevitable that some girl will take a liking to him."
"You'll both be studying at the same academy. Please keep an eye on him and don't let those young girls pester him!"
Alas, her son was destined to marry the prefect's daughter in the future.
No, the governor's daughter.
How could he be ruined by those lowly girls?
They were not worthy of marrying her son.
Liu Cuirong: "..."
Second Aunt, aren't you being a bit too presumptuous!
Girls nowadays are not as lowly as you say.
And you expect them to fawn over Jinshan? What are you thinking?
Besides, Jinshan is still so young, and you're already worrying about his marriage.
Grandpa and Grandma haven't said anything yet, but you're already in such a hurry.
"Second Aunt, I can't help you with this!"
Yun Jinhe returned the roasted chicken to Liu Cuirong. "The teacher wants me to go in. Second Aunt, you should go back to the village!"
He had guessed that his second aunt's visit would not be for any good reason.
If he accepted her roasted chicken, he would become an "accomplice."
"Hey, you little brat, what's with that attitude!" Liu Cuirong was so angry she wanted to curse.
How could he speak to an elder like this?
If he wasn't going to help, he didn't have to show such a sour face.
Refusing the roasted chicken was pure foolishness.
If he didn't want it, she'd take it back for Little Bao to eat...
Liu Cuirong hailed a carriage and returned to the village.
Carrying her purchases, she went to the fields, intending to call Hu Xi'er home with her.
To her surprise, the field was empty. There was no sign of Hu Xi'er anywhere.
"Where has this little vixen run off to?"
Liu Cuirong looked around, feeling a bit depressed.
The hoe and straw hat were still placed on the ridge, but Hu Xi'er was nowhere to be seen.
It was still early, so she couldn't have gone home.
Liu Cuirong walked around the cornfield a couple more times before picking up the hoe and straw hat and heading home.
As she neared her doorstep, she saw Hu Xi'er running towards her in a panic.
"Where have you been?" Liu Cuirong's face darkened. She really wanted to slap her.
She hadn't done much work and was even lazier than her.
Hu Xi'er's eyes darted around as she mumbled, "I... my stomach hurt, so I went to the outhouse!"
"Don't talk nonsense." Liu Cuirong curled her lips. "I looked for you in the fields for a long time and didn't see you."
That little vixen must have gone to meet some man.
A seventeen-year-old girl was at the age of infatuation.
She had a premonition that Hu Xi'er had been up to no good.
"I, I'll go inside first."
"Stop right there!"
Liu Cuirong spoke sternly, throwing the straw hat and hoe to Hu Xi'er. "Take these!"
Then, humming a little tune, she went to deliver gifts to her mother-in-law and Little Sweet Treasure.
Heyang County.
Da Man and Er Man waited for Prefect Chen for a whole morning and lunch.
They didn't see him.
A runner at the county office said that Prefect Chen had gone out on business and asked them to wait.
Er Man felt helpless and could only sit and wait.
"Daddy, Uncle, I'm hungry!" Little Bao's face was full of grievance.
If he had known, he wouldn't have come.
The brothers held Little Bao and went out to buy three jianbing guozi to eat.
Alas, on their first day reporting for duty, they were already eating street food.
After noon, Prefect Chen finally returned by carriage.
He had gone to other villages to investigate the people's conditions.
This was a task assigned to him by Governor Qin before he left.
"Ah, Da Man, Er Man, you're here!"
Prefect Chen was so happy to see the two brothers that he couldn't stop smiling.
"Someone, quickly serve them tea!"
"Oh, Little Bao, you're here too!"
He wouldn't dare offend the Yun family, no matter who he offended.
These people were the bricks and mortar of his path to power, and he had to maintain them carefully...
Yun Er Man cupped his hands and smiled faintly. "Prefect, I'm here to report for duty today."
"Good, good!" Prefect Chen nodded repeatedly.
It seemed the Yun family valued Er Man highly, to have him serve at the county office.
"It's good that you're here. You don't need to be so formal from now on."
Prefect Chen smiled broadly, then raised his eyebrows. "However, there aren't many major affairs at the county office recently, and minor tasks are already being handled."
"So... so I'll give you a few days off to go home and rest!"
Yun Er Man: "..."
Rest?
I haven't even done anything yet, and I'm being given time off?
This job assignment is too absurd.
Prefect Chen also had his own difficulties.
He didn't dare to assign tasks to Yun Er Man, and having him stay at the county office would be a pure waste of time.
The farming season was busy now, and his household was short of hands. He would send for Yun Er Man after the busy farming period.
Seeing Yun Er Man looking bewildered, Prefect Chen smiled. "Don't worry. Since you're now part of the county office, your salary will be paid as usual."
"When things get busy here, I'll send someone to pick you up. Go home, go home!"
Yun Er Man scratched his head, looked down at Little Bao, and then at his elder brother.
He felt as if he were dreaming.
As they walked out of the county office, Yun Er Man was still in a daze.
"Daddy, you're awesome!" Little Bao cheered.
The word "awesome" was taught to him by his little aunt.
Yun Er Man gave a wry smile and patted Yun Da Man's shoulder. "Brother, it's still early. Why don't we go into the mountains to pick some mushrooms and stew soup for sister when we get back?"
Yun Da Man nodded. "Okay, let's go!"