After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Chapter 988 Qin Yan's Little Trouble

Since he only had one chance to make excuses, Qin Yan cleverly changed the subject by saying, "Let's take them into the mountains to relax," and slowly came up with a reason.

Wei Qinglin and Yu Zhenghai agreed without much hesitation; they had never hunted before.

That should be interesting.

Halfway up the mountain, the two frail scholars couldn't keep up. Wei Qinglin was alright, but Yu Zhenghai was sweating profusely and felt like he couldn't take another step.

He plopped down on the big rock.

"I must be crazy to think of going up the mountain with you."

He was able to go from a chubby little boy to a very fat man, not only because he ate a lot, but also because he didn't exercise. Both of these factors are indispensable.

"Tsk, your physical condition isn't good. Didn't Zhizhi say she was going to help you lose weight?"

Qin Yan was a little disgusted, but climbing this mountain was so easy for him that he didn't even break a sweat or get out of breath, as if he were walking on flat ground.

"Yes, but she said she needs to design a recipe or something, and it's not finished yet."

Yu Zhenghai thought of this and felt a bit of a fluke.

After agreeing to lose weight that day, he regretted it a little. He knew that once he started, many delicious foods would be out of his reach.

So he's been indulging in retaliatory eating and drinking these past few days...

Qin Yan didn't say much. Since Zhizhi had a plan, she wouldn't let him go.

The three boys, accompanied by guards, spent the entire day in the mountains.

Lunch consisted of a pheasant that Qin Yan caught while shooting arrows, which he also roasted.

Wei Qinglin and his men couldn't just sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, so they helped out by removing the chicken feathers. However, they didn't do it cleanly enough, so the guards had to do it again.

There's a stream in the mountains. Yu Zhenghai, wanting to show off, went to catch fish, but he didn't even touch a fish scale.

Fortunately, Qin Yan found the bird eggs. He skillfully took the eggs, and the group was able to barely get enough to eat.

I must say, spending a day in the mountains and forests is quite an experience.

It seemed as if all the troubles outside had been shut out, and Wei Qinglin and the others relaxed a lot, their stress and fatigue from the past few days completely gone.

They even dismissed Qin Yan's trick questions by saying, "It's for their own good, to let them see the level of the students at the Imperial Academy," and didn't seem to care much about it.

The exams are over, so there's no point in saying anything more. Besides, even if the two of them team up, they still can't beat Qin Yan.

Look at how nimble they are, moving around in the mountains and forests as if they were at home.

On the way down the mountain, Wei Qinglin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Did you specialize in martial arts?"

"Yes, my second uncle taught me." Qin Yan nodded: "Not only do you need a good physique for the imperial examinations, but you also need it when you become an official."

"My second uncle said that the officials in the court always argue, and sometimes when the arguments go too far, they resort to violence. At this time, the civil officials are clearly weaker than the military officers and will suffer losses."

The country bumpkin Wei Qinglin was stunned: "Fighting in the imperial court?"

For some reason, Yu Zhenghai's eyes showed a hint of excitement: "Does it mean that whichever side wins, the emperor will listen to that side's opinion?"

Qin Yan gave him a strange look.

"of course not."

Every decision made by the imperial court is the result of careful consideration.

Yu Zhenghai was a little disappointed: "Wasn't that a waste of time?"

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time; it was a good way to vent my anger," Wei Qinglin said after thinking for a moment.

That's true. People live for their pride. Even if you lose in politics, you can still feel better if you win a fight.

Yu Zhenghai, who "occasionally" got into fights, quickly understood this.

"By the way, Qin Yan, your classmates from the academy would like to invite you to dinner at Taotie Restaurant. Are you going?"

Yu Zhenghai suddenly asked something.

The last time the Qin family held a banquet, although they invited their classmates, there were just too many guests that day.

Qin Yan's classmates didn't get to talk much with him either; they wanted to find another opportunity to strengthen their bond.

Qin Yan glanced at him indifferently.

Yu Zhenghai looked a little embarrassed and scratched his head.

"They asked me to inquire, and of course, the fact that they chose my restaurant as the venue was also a way of currying favor with me."

Although they were classmates before, everyone knew that Qin Yan's closest friends were Wei Qinglin and Yu Zhenghai.

If you want them to help you hire people, you have to give them something in return.

Qin Yan's identity, along with dining at Taotie Restaurant, could also bring some fame to the restaurant.

Qin Yan shook his head: "No, I don't have time."

He wasn't familiar with most of his classmates, and he didn't want to waste his precious annual leave on them.

He now hunts during the day and reads by oil lamp at night.

Yu Zhenghai was not disappointed; he knew this would be the outcome before he came.

By the time they descended the mountain, it was already evening, and Fang Nanzhi had just returned from the prefectural city.

She returned a little earlier today. As soon as she got off the carriage, she ran into the three of them and greeted them cheerfully.

Wei Qinglin felt something was off: "Zhizhi, what's wrong with you?"

"I went to the prefectural city to pay my respects to Mr. Zheng," Fang Nanzhi said, downplaying the seriousness of the matter.

"Oh," Wei Qinglin narrowed his eyes, "You were gone all day and just got back?"

Fang Nanzhi didn't understand why he was asking this, and nodded subconsciously.

Wei Qinglin immediately reached out and tried to pull Qin Yan's shoulder.

"Well, you were just fooling us from the start. All that talk about inviting us in and being treated like royalty was a lie!"

Yu Zhenghai also reacted and grabbed Qin Yan from behind, putting him in a chokehold.

Qin Yan really couldn't handle his physique.

"Let go, didn't I take you all up the mountain in the end?"

Qin Yan had no guilty conscience at all.

Didn't he fail to deceive people?

The three of them fooled around at the gate for a while, and Fang Nanzhi watched the commotion with great interest.

But soon, the fire spread to her.

"Nanzhi, do you also know about the exam papers?"

Fang Nanzhi felt guilty, coughed, and tried her best to look innocent.

"I was forced into it. It was my brother who insisted on setting the questions. I racked my brains to answer them, otherwise I would have been scolded by the teachers."

Qin Yan: ……

I wonder who it was that, after answering the question, felt that their article was well written and wanted to go home and recite it from memory again to show off to Mr. Zheng and Mr. Deng?

Fang Tong strolled out with a bag of roasted chestnuts in his pocket, peeling and eating them as he went, looking rather puzzled: "You're back? Why didn't you come into the yard? What's fun to do at the gate?"

"Uncle Fang."

With their elders present, Wei Qinglin and his companion restrained themselves considerably and tried to behave obediently.

However, Fang Tong was a rule-breaker and didn't care at all. He even took out some roasted chestnuts from his pocket and gave them each a handful.

He doesn't look like an official at all; he still seems to be that country bumpkin, Fang Tong.

But so what?

He is the agricultural official, and he is also the country bumpkin; his status will not change whether he flaunts his power or not.

Because of this, Qin Yan has always regarded his father as a role model, and often secretly reminds himself not to get arrogant just because of his different status.

Don't forget your heart, you have to always.

After eating the chestnuts, Wei Qinglin and the others finally remembered that it was getting late and they had to go home before the city gates closed and they couldn't get back.

Fang Tong didn't want the children to go back on empty stomachs, so he had someone bring food boxes from the kitchen.

Besides steamed buns, there are two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and some snacks.

Their thoughtfulness touched Wei Qinglin and the others deeply.

Goodbye, Uncle Fang.

"Uncle Fang, next time I visit, I'll bring you some turtle soup."

Fang Tong nodded with a smile. The carriage drove away, and he was still praising it.

"These two are both good children, they know how to behave."

Turtle soup must taste pretty good.

Qin Yan's body stiffened slightly, but it was so dark that no one noticed.

"Dad, do you like them?"

"Yeah, you should hang out with them more often," Fang Tong said casually. You can't lose out by hanging out with generous friends.

Qin Yan pursed his lips, wanting to ask, "Father, what kind of son do you want? Someone like them? Are you dissatisfied with me?"

But in the end, all those thoughts were suppressed.

Fang Tong had already gone back inside. Fang Nanzhi glanced at her brother and felt that he was acting strangely.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing," Qin Yan said softly.

But he did seem to be in a bad mood; he didn't say a word during the meal.

Although he is usually a man of few words, he will occasionally say a few words when the family is in a harmonious and happy mood.

Qian Fengping, as the mother, also noticed that something was wrong with her son.

After thinking for a moment, she brought the soup to her son's room.

The child always studies at night, very diligently, and the mother can only feel sorry for him.

Looking at my son's slender figure and jade-like face, he has really grown up a lot compared to the skinny little boy he was a few years ago.

Yes, she raised her son very well, Qian Fengping thought with satisfaction.

Qin Yan reluctantly put down his pen; his mother had been watching him for quite some time.

"Mother, you can speak frankly if you have something to say."

Qian Fengping came to her senses: "Mother is fine, but you, is something on your mind?"

Qin Yan pursed his lips and remained silent for a while before speaking.

"It's alright, I want to visit my father's grave tomorrow."

This refers to the biological father.

"just go."

This is not a big deal. In fact, the day after they returned, they had already briefly visited the graves of Qin Xiucai, Chen Zixi, and the Fang family elders, and pulled some weeds.

We will hold a formal memorial service on the 30th.

Qin Yan nodded and said nothing more.

Qian Fengping sighed and left the room. Her son's behavior didn't seem like he missed his father.

But as her child grows up, she doesn't confide in her when she has something on her mind, and she can't force her to.

The next day, Qin Yan brought wine to the cemetery. Fang Tong, who was bored, wanted to go with him, but was refused.

He went alone and stayed for half an hour before returning.

Fang Tong had someone carry a book box to the old village chief's house.

It's time to get down to business.

When we arrived at the village chief's house, we opened the box, which was full of books.

“Uncle Village Chief, now that Brother Yan has finished his studies and gone to the capital, we understand the importance of education even more. We think that if there are more scholars in the village, everyone will be better off.”

"These books are donated to the village. In addition, I plan to donate the land by the pond to build a house."

"We'll put the books in there so the village children can borrow them."

This is equivalent to building a library in the village. Although it is very small and inconspicuous, it is a seed.

Moreover, with a library, if the villagers put in the effort and manage to hire a teacher to set up a school, then the path to education for the village children will truly be established.

In other words, the Fang brothers, Yin and Tong, don't have enough resources to start a school right now, otherwise...

The old village chief understood his meaning, grasped Fang Tong's hand, and almost burst into tears.

"Good boy, good boy."

He was a little excited.

"With books, children who can read and write can copy them. If their families are willing to send them to school, there will be no need to buy books anymore."

By eliminating the need to spend money on books, a significant amount of money can be saved for the family.

“Tongzi, you are a lucky man. You and Yinzi are doing such good deeds. Even greater blessings are yet to come.”

Clearly, the old village chief also acknowledged Fang Tong's status as a Fuwa (mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympics).

That very day, the villagers learned of the Fang family's extravagant spending.

There are few educated people, but everyone knows that books are precious.

Sometimes I've heard Qin Gaofei complain that his son bought some book and spent a little over a tael of silver.

The Fang brothers donated a box of books; how much money must that have cost?

"Sigh, Tongzi is a stickler for his roots, but we villagers have really never done anything for him."

“Some people used to say that Fang Tong only had one daughter and that the family line would end without anyone.”

"They say Fang Tong and Qian Shi's marriage was a match made in vain and wouldn't last..."

"You still look down on Fang Yin, saying you're destined to be a bachelor your whole life. Don't let some idiot cling to you."

Tie Zhu's grandfather, Old Master Ma, sat in the crowd, sighing repeatedly, which was actually a rant.

Some people's expressions turned sour.

Well, cough cough, it seems they said that when the couple first got married? They were talking behind each other's backs, so who spread it around?

The key point is that when Grandpa Ma says these things now, it's as if he's slapping them in the face.

Many people can't lift their heads, tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep no matter how much they think about it. They feel guilty and uncomfortable. It comes late, but it's very torturous.

So the next day, someone delivered things to the Qin family, such as a bag of candy, glutinous rice cakes, or a piece of cured meat...

Fang Tong feigned refusal twice, then accepted it.

Qian Fengping was speechless. The family didn't lack these things, so why was this man so happy?

"Wife, how big should we give Yan'er and Zhizhi in red envelopes this year?"

Fang Tong was oblivious to his wife's disdain and pondered the matter seriously.

The reason he was acting this way was that Yan Ge'er had been acting strangely these past few days. When he came back from hunting, he would put the first piece of roasted or stewed meat in Yan Ge'er's bowl, and he would even bring him water to wash his feet at night, insisting on washing his feet.

If his arms get sore from working, Qin Yan will give him a massage.

The child is so filial.

Such a sensible child deserves a big red envelope.

Qian Fengping glanced at him: "Whatever."

My son has been acting strangely these past few days, which has made my daughter act strangely as well.

Fang Nanzhi felt that her brother was trying to make her look bad; she couldn't let herself be outdone.

So she has "lost money" at home twice now, and each time, by sheer coincidence, her dad has found it.

Fang Tong acted like a fish that had been caught stealing fish, putting the money into his own private stash, and then turned around and righteously lectured his daughter for being careless.

Fang Nanzhi obediently admitted her mistake, and was satisfied when she saw her father turn his back and smile, revealing eight teeth.

Seeing that Fang Tong seemed to be enjoying the situation with the two children like this, Qian Fengping didn't point it out.

Let's wait and see; we'll find out why eventually.

It's already the 27th of the lunar year, and the festive atmosphere is getting stronger. As soon as Fang Nanzhi arrived at the Zheng residence, she felt the whole house was filled with delicious aromas, and she wondered what they were frying.

As usual, she went to give Zheng Wanru acupuncture. Whether it was the good acupuncture technique or the effect of the medicine, Zheng Wanru's complexion was much better. At least she was no longer pale and weak, as if she might faint at any moment.

"Wanru, are you and your husband the only ones celebrating Chinese New Year this year? Would you like to come to my house for the holiday?"

Although it was a bit of a journey, wrapping Wanru up tightly and putting her in a warm carriage should prevent her from getting cold.

"I'd better not go. My parents won't be able to get back in time, but my brothers should be back soon."

They go away to study, and they also get a holiday during the Spring Festival.