“Is anyone home? Oh, I’m exhausted. This place is so hard to find. Hurry and open the door…”
A familiar shout reached inside. Yun Jinhe’s eyes lit up, and his heart filled with joy.
Yun Siman also put down his rice bowl and stood up, craning his neck to look outside.
“I’ll go open the door!” Yun Jinhe, not even wearing his cotton-padded coat, ran out in a sweat.
As soon as he opened the large door, he saw Yun Daman standing outside, leading a fine horse. The horse’s back was laden with large bags of food…
Yun Jinhe beamed, “Dad, why are you here? Haha, come in quickly, Fourth Uncle is here too!”
When he woke up this morning, he heard magpies chirping outside. It turned out his family had come to see him…
“You rascal, going to the Imperial Academy to study is such a big deal, why didn’t you tell the family?” Yun Daman glared at his son, tied up the horse, and slung the bags over his shoulder. “Your mother cried her eyes out at home, saying you’re thoughtless and don’t care about her. You’d better apologize to your mother when you go back, so she doesn’t nag you all day…”
After receiving the letters from Yao Jinsheng and Sun Tianxiu, Yun Daman borrowed one hundred and fifty taels of silver from Magistrate Chen, added fifty taels of his own, and gathered two hundred taels to send to his son.
A poor family travels with a full purse. No matter how tight things were at home, a child’s education was a major matter and could not be neglected…
Yun Jinhe’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he lowered his head, saying, “Dad, actually, even without going to the Imperial Academy, I could still pass the provincial examination!”
“Is that the same?” Yun Daman stamped his foot, frustrated and disappointed. “Students from the Imperial Academy are all truly talented and learned. They hold their heads high on the street. Our family is running a restaurant now, and business is good. You just focus on your studies; you don’t need to worry about things at home…”
The more Yun Jinhe listened, the more embarrassed he became, nodding listlessly, “Got it, Dad!”
That evening, Murong Qing prepared a large table of food and wine. Daman and Siman sat at the low table, their faces flushed red and their tongues lolling…
“Old Fourth, the family had such a lively New Year this time. It was something else! Young Master Xiao and Young Master Gu were playing pitch-pot, and they drank several bowls of chili water, haha!” Yun Daman said with a laugh.
Yun Laosi burped, “Burp, if I were home, no one would dare mess with me. With pitch-pot, I’d hit the target every time, burp…”
Drinking chili water?
That would never happen in this lifetime.
As the two brothers chatted, they began to talk about the family’s move to the capital to escape disaster.
Yun Siman frowned upon hearing this, “You mean someone wants to kill the Crown Prince? Mom and Dad were afraid of being implicated, so they went to the capital with Brother Jiang Tun? What about Xinling?”
“Miss Xiao also went with them…” Yun Daman said, pouring another bowl of wine for his fourth brother.
Yun Siman picked up the wine bowl, pondering. Since his family was not around, there was no need for him to return to the village. He might as well go directly to the capital to report to the Marquis.
The brothers drank until past midnight before Jinhe helped them to the side room to rest.
The next morning, Yun Siman bid farewell to his elder brother and Jinhe and left in his horse-drawn sleigh…
Yun Daman handed the two hundred taels of silver notes to his son, instructing him, “Don’t be stingy with your money. Be more amiable when you reach the capital. If you lack anything, write to us, and Dad will send it to you!”
After speaking, Yun Daman looked at Murong Qing, “And Miss Murong, if Jinhe dares to give you any trouble, tell me, and I’ll teach him a lesson. Our Jinhe will have to rely on you for care from now on…”
Murong Qing smiled faintly upon hearing this, “Uncle, you’re too kind. I’m just freeloading off Jinhe. As long as he doesn’t mind my clumsiness!”
“How dare he!” Yun Daman’s eyes widened, and he kicked Yun Jinhe. “Be good to Miss Murong. Don’t listen to what your mother says; her brain is waterlogged!”
With that, Yun Daman fumbled in his sleeve and took out two silver ingots, pressing them into Murong Qing’s hand. “Miss Murong, take this. I heard that prices in the capital have gone up. How can you be penniless?”
This was Yun Daman’s private savings, which Zhao Guihua knew nothing about…
“No, no, no, Uncle Daman, I can’t accept this money!” Murong Qing adamantly refused.
Seeing this, Yun Jinhe nudged Murong Qing and whispered, “Take it if he gives it to you. When you get to the capital, you’ll need money for groceries and such, won’t you?”
Murong Qing: “……”
It felt like he was secretly giving money to his daughter-in-law.
After a moment of hesitation, Murong Qing accepted only one ingot, asking Daman to use the remaining silver for his travel expenses…
“I’m leaving. You two take care of yourselves. Remember to write home, so your mother doesn’t worry!” Yun Daman mounted his horse, looking at his son with reluctance.
Yun Jinhe’s eyes were a little moist. He waved goodbye to Daman, “Got it, Dad. Travel safely!”
Gazing at the retreating figure of the horse, Yun Jinhe sighed and turned back into the house…
In a flash, it was the day of departure. Minister Feng arrived at the entrance of Bocai Academy early in the morning. Seeing that Yang Jingrui, Yun Jinhe, and another student had arrived, he called out, “Let’s go, let’s go! The weather is good today, let’s try to reach the capital early!”
Sun Tianxiu, squeezed in the crowd, watched Jinhe board the carriage and immediately became teary-eyed, sobbing uncontrollably…
Yao Jinsheng stood beside him, sneering, “Look at you, so pathetic. Have you forgotten what I promised you earlier?”
Sun Tianxiu glared at him and turned his face away, “Not a single word you say is reliable!”
“Tsk, Sun Tianxiu, what do you mean? Don’t you believe in my father’s capabilities?” Yao Jinsheng jumped with anger. “I’m telling you, the money my father has saved could bury the Imperial Academy. If I wanted to study there, it would be a simple matter for him…”
Far away in the capital, Old Master Yao, squatting in the outhouse, nearly died of shock.
“I believe you, you ghost!” Sun Tianxiu rolled his eyes and left, carrying his book box.
Before Yun Jinhe left, he found his landlord and got the remaining rent back. Having lived there for nearly half a year, he had accumulated various sundries. Jinhe couldn’t take them with him, so he gave them all to Sun Tianxiu…
Meanwhile, at the Pingyang Marquis’s mansion in the capital.
Hu Ge Shuang’er drank a medicinal soup, and his internal injuries had almost recovered.
Seeing Princess Yan’er sitting on a chair with a sullen expression, her handkerchief almost torn to shreds, he stepped forward to comfort her, “Princess, please don’t worry. This servant will definitely help you escape…”
She didn’t want to stay in this wretched place for another day.
Han Chi Yan was about to say something when she saw the old Marquis walk in, holding a stack of storybooks and smiling.