kvmb Chapter 45 Returning to the Village
Chapter 45 Returning to the Village
Shen Junru's residence was located in a quiet courtyard, a place of tranquility and fresh air. Though small, it exuded a warm and comfortable atmosphere. This courtyard was specially found and arranged by Li Han to provide Shen Junru with a quiet and comfortable place to stay during his stay in Qinzhou. In contrast, inns were often too noisy and chaotic to offer such an ambiance.
When Xiao Qinian and the other two entered the courtyard, Shen Junru was sitting upright in a chair, as if he had expected their arrival. He greeted them with a smile and said gently, "You've come." Xiao Qinian and the others responded in unison, "Sir! Grandpa Shen!"
Then, Xiao Qinian bowed deeply to Shen Junru to express his respect. He then said sincerely, "Sir, the list has been published, and I have come to fulfill my promise." Clearly, Xiao Qinian had always kept his agreement with Shen Junru in mind.
Shen Junru smiled slightly and said, "I already know. You did well on the exam this time." As a highly respected figure, Shen Junru had extensive connections and information channels, which allowed him to know the exam results in advance.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qinian was deeply moved. Without hesitation, he knelt down and offered a cup of steaming tea with both hands, respectfully saying, "Teacher, please have some tea." Shen Junru gladly accepted this apprenticeship gift, took the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
Then, he laughed heartily and said, "Alright, from now on, you will be my last disciple, Shen Junru's last disciple." At this time, Shen Junru was already over sixty years old, and he decided not to take on any new disciples. Xiao Qinian would become his last disciple.
"Thank you, teacher." After the apprenticeship ceremony, Shen Junru invited Xiao Qinian and his family of three to stay for a simple meal.
"Qinian, what are your plans? Why don't you come to the capital with me for the imperial examination next spring?" Shen Junru asked. The imperial examination was only half a year away, and if Xiao Qinian went to the capital with him, he could give him more guidance.
Xiao Qinian thought for a while before saying, "Thank you, teacher. I'll come to the capital after the New Year. I might have to trouble you then." He then decided to go back.
“Okay, when do you plan to go back to the village?” Shen Junru respected Xiao Qinian’s opinion.
"Teacher, I plan to go back to the village first thing tomorrow morning. I've been away for more than half a month now." Xiao Qinian also misses his family, especially his son.
"Then remember to study hard when you get back. I will be testing you when you come to the capital," Shen Junru said. However, he was not worried, as Xiao Qinian's knowledge was very solid.
"I understand, teacher."
"Yue'er, would you like to go to the capital with Grandpa Shen? The capital is a lot of fun." After finishing his conversation with Xiao Qinian, Shen Junru turned the topic to Xiao Siyue, whom he liked very much. He had devoted all his energy to politics in his life, never married or had children, and had no relatives. Although he had many disciples, none of them wanted to be close to him.
"Grandpa Shen, I'll come to see you in the capital when I'm older," Xiao Siyue said playfully. She was too young to go to the capital alone, but she would definitely go in the future. Not only did her father have to take an exam, but she also wanted to see how prosperous the capital city was.
"Oh, that's settled then. You must come to visit Grandpa in the future," Shen Junru said affectionately.
"Yes, yes, I will definitely come," Xiao Siyue assured.
After bidding farewell to Shen Junru, the group returned to the inn.
The next morning, the three of them boarded a carriage and set off back to the village. They encountered no problems along the way and arrived at Xiaojia Village three days later.
As soon as they arrived at the door, Xiao Siyue jumped off the carriage and excitedly shouted, "Grandpa, Grandma, we're back!"
Hearing the shout, everyone inside was overjoyed and hurriedly went out to greet them.
Old Mrs. Xiao was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed forward and hugged Xiao Siyue tightly, saying, "Oh, my Yue'er is finally back!"
As she spoke, Old Mrs. Xiao reached out and gently stroked Xiao Siyue's head, her eyes filled with affection. She carefully examined Xiao Siyue, looking her granddaughter up and down, as if trying to see all the longing she had felt these past few days.
Feeling her grandmother's warm embrace, Xiao Siyue's heart was filled with happiness and joy. She buried her head deep in her grandmother's arms, nuzzling against her affectionately like a well-behaved kitten.
"Grandma, I miss you so much!" Xiao Siyue said softly, her voice filled with endless longing.
"Grandma, come and see the gift I bought for you," Xiao Siyue said, pulling Old Lady Xiao's hand to the carriage to get her bag. This little bag was made for her by Lin Qin at Xiao Siyue's request.
As the group entered the house, Xiao Siyue took out the gifts that belonged to Old Lady Xiao: a pure silver bracelet and a hairpin.
Xiao Siyue lifted Old Lady Xiao's hand and put the bracelet on, then put the hairpin in her hair.
"Grandma, look, isn't it beautiful?" Xiao Siyue said playfully, holding up a mirror in front of her grandmother.
"It's beautiful, beautiful! My dear grandson bought something beautiful!" Old Mrs. Xiao smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits, she couldn't be happier. As she spoke, she reached out and touched the hairpin in her hair, as if she could feel her grandson's love and filial piety.
Seeing how much his grandmother liked it, Xiao Siyue smiled happily. He then turned his gaze to Grandpa Xiao beside him and asked mischievously, "Grandpa, do you think Grandma is pretty?"
Grandpa Xiao smiled and nodded, "Yes, it looks good." However, his eyes remained fixed on the small bag in Xiao Siyue's hand, as if he was expecting something.
Xiao Siyue pretended not to see her grandfather's expression and asked curiously, "Grandpa, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Grandpa Xiao was somewhat disappointed, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "It's nothing, it looks very nice." Then he pretended to cough and turned his head away from Xiao Siyue.
Just then, Xiao Siyue suddenly took something out of her bag and exclaimed mysteriously, "Ta-da! Grandpa, look what this is!"
Upon hearing the voice, Old Master Xiao immediately turned around, his eyes sparkling with surprise. He saw Xiao Siyue holding an exquisite jade thumb ring, which she handed to him.
Grandpa Xiao was so excited that his hands trembled slightly as he carefully took the jade thumb ring and examined it closely. The jade thumb ring was warm and smooth, with an elegant color. Although it was not a rare treasure, it was still a precious token of affection.
Xiao Siyue smiled and placed the jade thumb ring on Old Master Xiao's finger. Old Master Xiao immediately beamed with joy, his face filled with happiness. Although his jade thumb ring was just ordinary jade, to Old Master Xiao, it represented his granddaughter's filial piety and was more precious than any other treasure.
Xiao Qinian and Lin Qin also brought out the gifts they had bought for their families. Although they weren't very valuable, everyone was happy because it was a token of their affection.