kvmb Is there something I don't know about in Chapter 107?
Is there something I don't know about in Chapter 107?
A short while later, Yu Kangnian brought Zhao Yining and the two children to the third house.
"Third brother, third sister-in-law, it's been a long time." Yu Kangnian greeted the two with a smile.
Then he gave his son a push.
"Hurry up and greet your third uncle and aunt."
"Hello, Uncle! Hello, Aunt!" The two children greeted each other obediently.
“You didn’t come back for the New Year, so now is the perfect time to give you New Year’s gifts.” Shen Jinzhu smiled as she handed the gifts she had prepared in advance to the two children.
"Thank you, Third Aunt." Yu Zilie smiled and accepted it.
Yu Zixi, standing to the side, accepted the gift without saying a word.
Yu Kangnian frowned.
Zhao Yining hurriedly urged, "Xi'er, quickly say thank you."
Yu Zixi glanced at her father, hid behind her mother, and then uttered a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz: "Thank you, Third Aunt."
"You're welcome." Shen Jinzhu smiled and pulled the children to the front, asking them to greet Yu Kangnian and his wife as well.
"Hello, Second Uncle. Hello, Second Aunt."
The children all greeted them in a natural and generous manner, including the youngest, Yu Ningyao.
Upon seeing this, Yu Kangnian smiled and said, "Third sister-in-law has raised the child very well."
He reached out to rub his youngest son's head, but the boy dodged him.
Yu Ningyao watched this scene and felt that something was not quite right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where this strange feeling came from.
Yu Kangnian didn't take it to heart and continued to speak with a smile: "Xi'er is just timid. If only he were as poised and generous as Ziheng and the others."
"The child is still young, and we haven't seen him for a long time, so it's understandable that he's a little shy. Let him play with Ziheng and the others for a few days, and he'll probably be fine," Yu Kangjing replied with a smile.
"Second Brother, it's been a long time since we last met. Let's have a private chat. Let the children play by themselves."
“Okay.” Yu Kangnian nodded in agreement, then instructed his wife, “Yining, you talk to your third sister-in-law for a while and keep an eye on the children.”
"Mm." Zhao Yining nodded.
After the two men left, Shen Jinzhu and Zhao Yining sat down under the big tree in the courtyard and chatted.
After all, the old lady had passed away, and the family needed to observe a three-year mourning period, during which no entertainment activities were allowed, so they could only chat idly.
Otherwise, we could play some leaf cards together.
The two sisters-in-law chatted under the tree, while the children went to play in the backyard.
Yu Ningyao curiously approached Yu Zixi.
"Seventh Brother, are you having fun in Lingnan?"
The others were also curious when they heard her ask that question.
Lingnan is so far away, they've never been there.
Seeing so many people staring at her, Yu Zixi immediately became nervous: "It's...it's alright."
“Second sister, if you want to know something, ask me. Xi’er is shy and doesn’t like to talk.” Yu Zilie stepped forward to help his younger brother out of the awkward situation.
Yu Ningyao glanced at Yu Zixi.
He's clearly a year older than Yu Ziying, so why does he look so timid and cowardly?
"Second Brother, what kind of good food do you have in Lingnan?" Yu Ningyao asked Yu Zilie without thinking too much.
Yu Zilie chuckled to himself.
He's such a child, all he thinks about is food.
"Actually, I haven't eaten many delicious meals. My father was an honest official with a meager salary, and he often helped the poor. The best banquet I ever ate was when the old master of the Chen family, a prominent family in Lingnan, celebrated his birthday. My father took me to a banquet there."
"The roast goose at the banquet was exceptionally delicious. The old man also gave me a plate of lychees."
Yu Zilie still fondly remembers that banquet.
"What is a lychee?" Yu Ziying asked curiously.
They haven't eaten it yet.
"The lychee shell is as red as a rosy cloud, and the flesh is as white and translucent as jade. One bite and the juice is sweet and sour, leaving you with an unforgettable aftertaste."
Listening to Yu Zilie's description, the children couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Are lychees only grown in Lingnan? Do they grow in Hangzhou? I'll write to my older cousin and ask him; he'll definitely know." Yu Ziying began planning with great enthusiasm.
"I don't know, anyway, I haven't seen lychees since I left Lingnan." Yu Zilie shook his head.
"Besides these, is there anything else fun?" Yu Ningyao continued to ask.
Yu Zilie answered patiently as always.
The children, who had never been to Lingnan, listened with great interest.
……
Yu Kangnian and Yu Kangjing went to the study to talk.
Yu Kangnian had not returned home for many years and did not know the situation at home, so he had to ask his third brother for information.
"My mother was always in good health, how could she suddenly fall ill and pass away?" He looked at Yu Kangjing tentatively.
Yu Kangjing paused for a moment, then lowered his head and sighed.
"It was an accident. He choked on a glutinous rice ball while eating it, so he died. It's not a good name to say, so we can only announce that he died of a sudden illness."
Yu Kangnian never expected that his stepmother's death would be so absurd.
"Is there anything else going on in the household? What's the matter with your daughter? Why haven't I seen my elder brother and sister-in-law's daughter?" He asked several questions in a row.
Yu Kangjing skipped the first question.
"Ruowei was taken in as a disciple by Master Qiuyue and taken to Chunhua Mountain. She did not return until she came of age."
"Huh? Ruowei is not even two years old. How could she have been chosen by Master Qiuyue?" Yu Kangnian was very shocked.
Upon hearing this, Yu Kangjing smiled proudly.
“My daughter is Princess Ning Le’s adopted daughter. During the family recognition banquet, the princess invited Master Qiu Yue. Ruo Wei happened to be at the banquet and was chosen by her.”
Yu Kangnian was shocked once again.
"Princess Ning Le became Yao Yatou's godmother?"
“That’s right. Let me tell you, this child is my lucky star.” Yu Kangjing praised his daughter endlessly.
Yu Kangnian felt even more distressed when he learned that Yu Kangnian had been promoted.
He worked himself to the bone as a county magistrate in Lingnan, all for the sake of having a better track record, gaining the appreciation of his superiors, and being able to get promoted.
As a result, at this crucial moment, his stepmother died, and he had to resign from his official post and return home to observe three years of mourning.
The most infuriating thing is that he hadn't been promoted even after working for several years, while his third brother skipped several ranks because he had a good daughter.
Why is God so unfair?
"Congratulations, Third Brother! You've now become a fifth-rank official, the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices." Yu Kangnian forced a smile.
Yu Kangjing waved his hand.
"After three years of mourning, who knows what the situation will be like after three years?"
Hearing this, Yu Kangnian finally felt much better.
The two brothers chatted for a while, and then went back to their own courtyards to eat dinner.
When the old lady passed away, there was no meat served in the entire Marquis's mansion.
As Aunt Rong ate, she started to get angry.
The food at the manor is not as good as what we eat on the estate.
At least on the estate, she could eat meat once a day.
When she saw her son and daughter-in-law return, she quickly smiled and invited them to sit down.
But Yu Zilie and Yu Zixi spent the whole afternoon playing at the third house, and they were so full of pastries that they weren't hungry at all and were extremely sleepy.
Aunt Rong quickly took Zhao Yining to rest while she spoke to her son alone.
Yu Kangnian received a lot of information from Yu Kangjing today.
But upon closer reflection, he realized that his third brother had said a lot, but most of it was about his daughter and his maternal family. He knew very little about his eldest brother's affairs.
Thinking of visiting my elder brother and sister-in-law today.
The eldest sister-in-law only stood out and said a few words to them before the maid said she was feeling unwell and helped her leave.
They asked the older brother what was wrong with his sister-in-law.
The older brother didn't give a direct answer and dismissed them with a few words.
Thinking about this, Yu Kangnian's doubts deepened.
He couldn't help but look at Aunt Rong and ask, "Aunt, has something happened to my elder brother and sister-in-law that I don't know about?"