Chapter 417: Chapter 417, Hard Work Pays Off
Han Tianci held up his wine cup, "Sister, happy birthday!"
Yun Jinnian nodded her head, "Thank you!"
The siblings clinked their cups and each took a sip.
Han Tianci then said cheerfully, "Sister, I also prepared a gift for you!"
"What is it?"
"Sister can’t look at it now. Wait until there’s no one else around before you can see it!"
"Alright, I’ll listen to you!"
Yun Jinnian was indulgent towards Han Tianci.
Chu Yu also stood up, "Jinnian, happy birthday!"
This was the third birthday Chu Yu had spent with Yun Jinnian. The first time was in a valley, where he had personally cooked longevity noodles; although they were not tasty, Yun Jinnian still ate them.
The second year, Yun Jinnian was at the Yun Family, and he had also given a gift.
"Thank you, Big Brother Chu!"
Yun Jinnian spoke softly, her eyes filled with deep affection.
"You’re welcome!"
Yuwen Ya and Prince Yanjun also presented birthday gifts. Prince Yanjun could now speak, but the prince had advised him not to do so yet, fearing it would damage his vocal cords. His eyes could see, but he covered them with a cloth, worried about harming his recently recovered vision.
The usually distant Prince Yanjun was now often seen with a gentle smile, and although he struggled with expressing himself to Yun Jinnian, he took great care in teaching Han Tianci.
Every evening, Han Tianci would spend two hours with Prince Yanjun, learning from him.
The birthday was simple yet warm, and Yun Jinnian was very happy. A sincere smile appeared on her usually subdued face. Han Tianci, jumping up and down, constantly tried to make Yun Jinnian laugh, which she rarely did out loud.
Chu Yu quietly observed on the side, realizing that to make Yun Jinnian happy, he had to be shameless like Han Tianci, brazen and unrestrained in his approach.
But it must be heartfelt.
Yun Jinnian was sharply intelligent; she could tell genuine sentiment from the false at a glance.
Before long, it was April. Yun Jinnian’s injuries had fully healed, and Prince Yanjun could speak and see again.
The changes in Chu Yu and Han Tianci were even more visibly apparent.
Over the past few months, Yun Jinnian, along with Elder Mu and Elder Tu, had been tirelessly refining elixirs and studying medical skills, keeping incredibly busy.
All the followers of the Moon-watching Sect had gathered.
On this day, under clear skies, Yun Jinnian sat in the chief seat, dressed in white, with heavy and ornate silver adornments in her hair, summoning all the followers in her capacity as the Saintess of Nanjiang. They stood in rows with a path left in the middle for the distribution of rewards.
The least awarded received a single elixir. Elder Jin began by reading out a hundred names, and those hundred people quickly ran up to Yun Jinnian. She encouraged them with a few words, hoping they would work even harder and receive greater rewards in three years.
For Yun Jinnian, a brief meeting and a few spoken words sufficed; others distributed the elixirs.
There were 23,000 people who received a single elixir.
The second group was given two elixirs each, totaling 8,000 people.
The third group received three elixirs each, amounting to 17,000 people.
The fourth group got four elixirs each, with a count of 9,600 people.
The fifth group had five elixirs each, totaling 6,542 people.
The sixth group, awarded six elixirs each, shrank considerably to just 923 people.
The seventh group, with seven elixirs each, was even fewer, totaling 321 people.
The eighth group received eight elixirs each, numbering 100.
The ninth group, with nine elixirs, consisted of eight individuals, namely the four Hall Masters and the four Saint Envoys.
The tenth group included the five Elders, each receiving ten elixirs.
With tens of thousands of people, even just reading out names took ten days with the five Elders taking turns.
Yun Jinnian had endured for ten days.
Now she was lying on the bed while Shi Jiayu vigorously massaged her shoulders.
"It’s a good thing it only happens once every three years, or else I really couldn’t take it!" Shi Jiayu complained.
"Actually, it’s quite fulfilling. You didn’t see it—many people cried when they received the elixir, especially the older ones who thought they would never get this opportunity in their lifetime!" Yun Jinnian said, feeling a wave of emotion.