Chapter 172: A Delayed Festival (3000 Chapters)

Chapter 172: A Delayed Festival (3000 Chapters)

Mrs. Qu smiled warmly, holding Chen Jianfang's hand and shaking it gently. "This is Mang'er from your maternal uncle's family, the Qu family. You've met him when you were young. When you hear his nickname, you'll remember he was called Little Shepherd."

"Mang'er?" Chen Jianfang smiled and shook his head, not taking the bait. "I don't remember."

Qu Qiushi didn't get upset; instead, he bowed respectfully. "Second Cousin, you must be very busy. It's all my fault for not visiting properly."

After saying this, Qu Qiushi turned to Xianjin with a smile, explaining, "My formal name is Qiushi, and my nickname is Mang'er, both symbolizing bountiful harvests. Mang'er is also a rural term for the God of Grain, and many cowherds are called Mang'er."

The young man smiled warmly and shyly, glancing at Xianjin with a blush. "Villagers fear their children won't survive, so they give them rough names. I apologize if it offends your ears, Sister."

Hope Star clenched his right hand tightly.

What's going on here?

What does this shy gaze mean?

And sister?

Sis...ter?

He's so much taller than Jinjie, yet he still calls her sister!

Chen Jianfang swore that after studying Confucian classics for over a decade, he rarely, if ever, spoke rudely. But now, he desperately wanted to curse.

Not only did he want to curse, but he even felt like cursing his father.

Chen Jianfang put his right hand behind his back, noticing Mrs. Qu's thin face light up with a knowing smile.

Mrs. Qu's thin lips tightened as she looked at Xianjin, the smile lingering as if waiting for a place to land.

Xianjin, oblivious to the silent exchanges, smiled back immediately. "I know this! The Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu's nickname was also Mang'er. Naming children with humble nicknames is a custom in Jiangnan to avoid the attention of the King of Hell, who might take those with good-sounding names first!"

There was an inexplicable excitement, as if she had been asked a question she knew well.

She continued, unwilling to be outdone, "Even better! Do you know what the nickname of Ouyang Xiu's eldest son, Ouyang Fa, was? And what about Lu You's uncle, Lu Huan's nickname?"

Qu Qiushi, unexpectedly dragged into this quick-fire quiz, was speechless.

No one told him there would be bonus questions!

Chen Jianfang lowered his eyes and smiled slightly.

"Um..." Qu Qiushi looked at Mrs. Qu.

Mrs. Qu smiled and smoothed things over, taking Qu Qiushi's hand in one and Xianjin's in the other, leading them inside. Her hope for this pair surpassed her affection for her own golden son—Chen Jianfang was only allowed to walk behind them.

"Who cares about Ouyang Xiū or Ouyang Buxiū? Today, we're celebrating Erlang's arrival with a good meal!" Mrs. Qu was unusually cheerful, leading the younger ones inside.

The guests remained the same, except for Chen Fu, who was away in Jing County, Chen Cai, who was busy with the shop, and Chen Wu, who was lying in a shack outside the city. Everyone else was present.

Chen Jianfang's mother, known for her sharp tongue, had a rare, pleasant smile on her face, serving him food gently.

The entire dinner table focused on Chen Jianfang.

Listening to his accounts of the past six months in Jing County.

"After the teacher left, some scattered, while others stayed. About ten students are taking the scholar exams this year, and seven scholars are preparing for the autumn exams."

Chen Jianfang took a sip of tea and continued, "For those taking the scholar exams, a few teachers stayed to teach. For the others, no one was looking after them, so I rented a room and studied with them. We finished the exams last month, and the results will be posted tomorrow. That's why I dared to return from Jing County."

Mrs. Qu listened attentively and asked, "Did the scholars come with you to Xuancheng?"

Chen Jianfang nodded. "They're staying at an inn in the western part of the city, waiting for the results tomorrow."

Mrs. Qu scolded him. "Why didn't you bring them here for dinner? Leaving them alone at the inn is too impolite!" She then instructed Aunt Qu, "Since it's early, have Baizhen Pavilion send a full banquet to the inn, with four cold dishes, four hot dishes, and a variety of meats and fish."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Find out where Master Qin is staying and send another banquet there as a celebration."

Xianjin lowered her head to eat tofu, then looked up, trying to act mature.

Tsk.

This investment could shake up the whole situation.

Though Mrs. Qu had many faults, she was flexible and goal-oriented—she aimed to build relationships with scholars, believing that one success would benefit the entire Chen family.

It wasn't surprising that she could lead the Chen family forward.

Aunt Qu went off to arrange it.

Chen Jianfang smiled. "They're already nervous about the results tomorrow. Having a good meal and some wine tonight should help them sleep better."

Mrs. Qu nodded, then turned to the couple she favored. "Mang'er and Xianjin, you've been together these past few days." She smiled at her second daughter-in-law, adding, "You're around the same age—one seventeen, one sixteen. I heard Jinjie even convinced Mang'er to examine our workers. Some old workers, who usually avoid doctors, lined up when they heard Mang'er treats the Prefectural Judge."

Chen Jianfang picked up a piece of tofu.

Around the same age?

So what?

Does that make him old?

This tofu tastes awful, sour and stinky.

Xianjin ignored everything around her, focusing solely on eating her tofu. As long as she wasn't mentioned, she preferred to remain unnoticed.

Fear what you fear most.

Mrs. Qu's eyes met the Second Lady's, then immediately turned to Xianjin, her smile nearly lifting off her cheeks. "Jinjie, is Mang'er's medical skill satisfactory?"

Xianjin swallowed the tofu and smiled sincerely. "It is quite good. Several mothers and old masters praised his accuracy. However—"

She paused, hesitating as she glanced at Qu Qiushi.

Qu Qiushi's face flushed appropriately, a layer of bashful intimacy veiling his delicate chin. "Sister, speak your mind. I am young and need advice to improve."

Chen Jianfang took a deep breath and forcefully clamped his chopsticks, crushing the tofu into pieces.

Xianjin offered a reassuring smile to Qu Qiushi.

He returned the smile.

"However, Doctor Qu usually treats nobles, so the prescriptions he writes tend to be expensive," Xianjin said with an innocent smile. "Several old colleagues were ready to buy the medicine but changed their minds upon hearing the price. I was thinking, why don't we set aside three taels of silver per year for each servant who has signed a contract with our Chen family? Each time they seek medical treatment, we could reimburse one-sixth of the cost. After they finish their treatment and purchase the medicine, they can bring the prescription and receipt to the accounting office for reimbursement."

Qu Qiushi's smile stiffened. Wasn't this matter unrelated to him?

Chen Jianfang lowered his head and meticulously reassembled the crushed tofu piece by piece.

What Xianjin proposed was akin to health insurance in modern times.

The only difference was that in modern times, the government bears the responsibility, which couldn't be implemented here. Therefore, it had to be covered by the employer who benefits from the laborers' lifelong service.

This expense was necessary.

Many servants who had served their employers faithfully for years were abandoned when they fell ill, left to suffer alone, calling out in vain.

Her own Li Sanshun must be cherished by her.

This idea had been lingering in Xianjin's mind for a long time.

Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to propose it, and it shouldn't be refused—Mrs. Qu hoped she and this shepherd boy would end up together. Even if Xianjin wasn't interested in romance, it should be evident!

When your boss has expectations, it's the best time to make requests.

Xianjin put down her chopsticks and saw Mrs. Qu in deep thought. She smiled. "I've calculated it. Including the servants in Jing County, there are fifty-three people in total. At three taels per person per year, that's 159 taels. Third Uncle is willing to allocate 300 taels to trial this for two years. Afterward, you can decide whether to continue based on its effectiveness or stop it anytime."

Chen Fu, far away in Jing County: *Sneezes thrice*—my endless private funds...

Mrs. Qu glanced at Xianjin and smiled.

A new official's first actions are crucial: the first to curb arrogance, the second to eliminate corruption, and the third to boost morale.

Such actions would earn praise for Xianjin's boldness and genuine concern for the servants...

Using the Chen family's money to establish her authority.

Mrs. Qu smiled and looked at her fair-skinned, composed nephew. She nodded gently. "Do what you want. Inform your Second Uncle beforehand. Third Brother, keep your private funds safe; the money will go through the accounts. An additional expenditure of over a hundred taels a year is a small amount."

Qu Qiushi's gaze flickered as he smiled at Xianjin—her status in the Chen family was higher than he anticipated.

Mrs. Qu waved her hand. "No business talk during family dinners." She glanced at the table and looked up at Xianjin. "Why hasn't the ginger cream yet arrived? Jinjie, take Mang'er to familiarize him with the kitchen and hurry along the dessert."

Xianjin thought: The kitchen is Mother Zhang's domain; it's better for her to lead the way.

But she still needed to reciprocate—after all, the proposal was approved without much difficulty.

Xianjin led Qu Qiushi toward the kitchen.

Just outside the corridor, Qu Qiushi stopped in the courtyard, tilting his head to look up at the sky.

Xianjin turned back. "Come on—"

Qu Qiushi gazed at the vast expanse of stars, his voice clear and resonant, made lonely by the wind that the pillars cruelly divided. "Sister, what do you see in the sky?"

It was a full moon.

A beautiful moon, round and luminous like jade.

Xianjin squinted. "It's a cloud. A cloud coming from the east. It's going to rain tomorrow."

Qu Qiushi swayed slightly, chuckling softly. "Sister, think about what day it is today?"

It was the fifteenth.

The day when the moon is fullest every month.

The day for reunions and joy.

Xianjin thought for a moment and exclaimed sharply, "The fifteenth of July! The gates of hell open!"