Chapter 192: Chapter 174, Insight_1
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“Why have you come back again?”
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Seeing Li Xingnian return with Daohua and her siblings, followed by a group of men with injuries, both Fan Family and Jian Family looked puzzled.
Li Xingchang stood aside, watching the scene, yet he didn’t rush to ask questions.
Daohua approached with a smile and took Fan Family’s arm, “Auntie, we’ll need to trouble you for one more day.”
Fan Family chuckled and tapped Daohua’s forehead, “You girl, now you’re being polite with your aunt. Your cousins would be overjoyed if you could stay a few more days.”
With that, she led Daohua, bringing Yan Wenxiu and his siblings into the inner courtyard.
Li Xingnian had the servants take Qin Five and the others to the guest rooms to rest before explaining the situation to Li Xingchang.
After hearing the story, Li Xingchang sighed, “Daohua is only ten years old, yet she thinks things through so thoroughly already.”
Li Xingnian nodded in agreement, “Indeed, if my brother-in-law aims to climb higher, he truly can’t do without courtyard guards. And Wenxiu and the others should also start to cultivate their own people.”
“Like those influential noble families, they begin selecting capable people for their sons and daughters right from birth and raise them from childhood. As they grow up, they become both useful and deeply loyal.”
Li Xingchang nodded, “Coming from a humble background, the Yan Family lacks deep resources. We have to hire and choose our people from outside. By the way, have you thoroughly checked the background of Qin Five and the others? When it comes to hiring protector bodyguards, we cannot afford to be careless.”
Li Xingnian laughed, “Don’t worry, brother. Our three nephews are quite clever. On the way back, Wenxiu already asked Qin Five for their household registration papers and other documents proving their identity, and he inquired about their hometown in detail.”
“And Wenkai, despite being a bit rash, has got the hang of talking to people. He’s been making friends with the younger ones. I reckon the brothers have a good grasp of these people’s backgrounds by now.”
“I’ve been carefully observing Qin Five and the rest myself. Their martial skills are truly solid, good enough to protect the Yan Family. Moreover, with the gratitude they feel for this rescue, they’ll be even more dedicated.”
Hearing this, Li Xingchang had nothing more to say.
At the Li Residence guesthouse.
Qin Five and the others let the doctor treat their wounds in silence and only dared to speak after the doctor had left.
“I thought we were dead for sure this time, but who could have predicted that fortune would turn so favorably and we’d end up with such a good job,” the eldest, Qin Yong, said in astonishment before smiling at Xiaoliu.
“Xiaoliu, you’ve been our lucky star this time. If it weren’t for you, we would probably be facing exile.”
Xiaoliu scratched his head awkwardly, “Actually, I didn’t do much. It was Daohua who recognized me first.”
Qin Five glanced at him, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder with a smile, “You really do have some luck on your side. Our great-uncle always says that good people are rewarded. If not for your kind heart back then, we wouldn’t have received such good fortune today.”
Being praised by his most admired fifth brother, Xiaoliu blushed with excitement and grinned foolishly non-stop.
Seeing him like this, the others laughed along.
At that moment, Yan Wenxiu walked in with Yan Wenkai.
Qin Five and the others immediately stood up straight, “Master, Fourth Young Master.”
Yan Wenxiu gestured for them to relax, “Don’t stand on ceremony, sit down. You’re all injured.”
Qin Five didn’t sit down, having learned some protocol over the years he’d spent wandering, knowing that servants shouldn’t sit while their masters spoke.
“Is there anything you wish to instruct us, Master?”
Seeing they remained standing, Yan Wenxiu didn’t insist. He just took out some silver and placed it on the table, “I just spoke with my elder sister. You probably haven’t been home in a long time. Since you’ll be working at our home for an extended period, it won’t be easy to let you go back home in the meantime.”
“After discussing it, we’ve decided to let you go home and visit. We’ll give you half a month. After that, come directly to the Prefectural Governor’s Office in Xingzhou to find us. What do you think?”
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Qin Wu and the others had never expected such good fortune and were immediately so delighted that they didn’t know what to say.
Yan Wenxiu pushed the silver on the table forward: “If you think it’s feasible, this silver on the table is some travel expenses we have prepared for you. Like the previous one thousand taels of redemption silver, consider it an advance payment for your services.”
After his initial excitement, Qin Wu quickly collected himself and stepped forward: “Thank you for your consideration, young master. However, with the young master and young miss returning to Xingzhou, someone needs to escort you. I shall not return, let the others go home for a visit.”
Xiaoliu immediately said, “I don’t need to go back either.”
Yan Wenxiu smiled at Qin Wu, feeling that this man knew his place and did not forget himself: “Alright, you should go home for a visit since that’s what we intend. This time, we have an uncle accompanying us, so we don’t need your escort.”
He had their household registration addresses, so he wasn’t worried about them running away.
Only then did Qin Wu not persist any longer, instead expressing his gratitude with a look of thanks: “Thank you to the young master, Fourth Master, as well as the young miss.”
After the Yan brothers left, Qin Wu looked at the silver on the table with a complex expression. He remained silent for a while, then turned to the others and said: “Given the generous treatment by our employers, we must work hard for them in the future.”
Xiaoliu eagerly nodded: “Of course! Fifth brother, let’s divide the silver quickly, so we have something nice to buy for our younger brothers and sisters when we return.”
Seeing everyone looking forward in anticipation, Qin Wu then began to distribute the silver.
…
Evening.
Daohua, having not slept well the night before, went to bed after dinner, and this time she refused to stay up late chatting with her two cousins.
In the main courtyard, Li Xingchang and Mrs. Fan were also ready to go to bed.
Mrs. Fan lay on the bed, and after a while, she turned over and sighed.
Li Xingchang, annoyed and unable to sleep, asked helplessly: “What’s gotten into you today?”
Mrs. Fan: “I feel it’s such a pity.”
Li Xingchang, puzzled, sat up: “What’s a pity?”
Mrs. Fan also sat up straight: “It’s a pity about Daohua. These days I’ve been thinking, if my brother-in-law had remained the County Magistrate, perhaps we could have sought to take that girl as our son’s wife.”
Li Xingchang was shocked, not having expected his wife to have such an idea. After the shock came speechlessness: “You’d better drop that thought right now.”
Mrs. Fan, annoyed: “I’ve already dropped it, there’s no need for you to say it. I also know that even if our brother-in-law didn’t get promoted, he would never marry Daohua into our family.”
Li Xingchang: “…As long as you know.”
Mrs. Fan still felt some regret: “How is it that the girl is so forward-thinking? Think about our own daughters, spending their days only competing over food and clothing, while their girl has already started worrying for her parents.”
Li Xingchang fell silent for a moment: “Birth determines one’s exposure. The circles our family moves in compared to the Yan Family’s are vastly different.”
“Daohua’s usual social circles consist of either high-ranking officials or aristocratic families. She has seen more, heard more, and thus her experience has naturally broadened.”
“Today I also asked the girl why she thought to hire bodyguards for her family. She immediately replied that having seen the Zhou and Dong Families with their own protectors, she felt her family should have some too.”
“You see, it’s the difference in the circles one moves in that leads to a different level of insight.”
“Now, think about our own daughters. Their usual company are daughters of merchants. I don’t mean to criticize, but when it comes to etiquette, family traditions, and education, they fall far short compared to the children of aristocratic and official families.”
Mrs. Fan sighed: “Isn’t that the truth? Before, I never felt our daughters were inadequate, but compared with Daohua, they really do seem lackluster.”
Li Xingchang: “Alright, let’s not think about it anymore. One’s birth isn’t something one can choose. An Jing and An Xin get along quite well with Daohua, don’t they? Let them spend more time with her in the future. We don’t expect them to be as clever as Daohua, we just hope they can gain more experience by following her.”