si-mexico Chapter 256 Returning to Beijing
Chapter 256 Returning to Beijing
Chapter 256 Returning to the Capital
Late spring to early summer.
Qingming Festival.
After a few light drizzles.
It's a bit cool in the mornings and evenings, but it actually starts to get hot at midday.
After attending Sister Qiao's wedding.
Jiang Miaomiao's family stayed in Taoxi Village for several days, mainly because the villagers were so hospitable.
We gave them many gifts, including local specialties such as fruits and vegetables, cured meat, eggs, and homemade fruit wine.
Her little cloth pocket was stuffed full of dried fruit and candied fruit, and she kept stuffing more in even when it was almost full.
It's as if they'll never come back.
However, they really didn't know if they would come back, after all, it was a long and arduous journey from the capital to this place, and they probably wouldn't be traveling back and forth for a year or two.
After bidding farewell to relatives and friends, the eldest uncle took his three siblings to sweep the grave of their deceased grandfather.
Jiang Miaomiao looked curiously at the inscription on her grandfather's stone tablet.
Jiang Miaomiao looked curiously at the inscription on her grandfather's stone tablet.
The second brother, Jiang Ziyan, also saw it and asked, "Uncle, isn't the Jiang family from Qing Shi Town?"
"No, your great-grandfather was from Nanjing."
My uncle said that the Jiang family was originally a scholarly family, but later their fortunes declined and they were caught in war, so they fled from the north to the south and ended up in Qingshi Town.
I'm planning to settle down in Qingshi Town.
The locals were originally very hostile to outsiders.
Fortunately, my great-grandfather was literate and could do accounting and arithmetic with ease, so he naturally stayed on.
Scholars were highly respected by the villagers; they were useful for reading letters, making accounts when buying and selling things.
My great-grandfather and his brothers settled down in Taoxi Village, married local women, had children, and multiplied their lineage.
My grandfather was the youngest son in the family, and he was gentle and taciturn.
Fearing that her son was weak and sickly and would be bullied, the great-grandmother arranged for him to marry a shrew.
That is, the mother of her scumbag father, Jiang Yunze, the old lady Jiang.
The couple were only superficially harmonious after marriage.
Despite being illiterate, Madam Jiang relentlessly pressured her husband to pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family.
My grandfather, who was already in poor health, had no energy to study for the imperial examinations and spent his days arguing with his wife.
As time went by, he died in depression.
The young Jiang Yunze and his mother were left to depend on each other for survival. He inherited his father's mantle and continued to take the imperial examinations.
The widowed mother did laundry, and the boy passed the imperial examination. With the help of Uncle Jiang's family and the Jiang clan chief, he was able to continue his studies and his younger brother entered officialdom.
But for students from poor families with no background or support, how easy is it to rise through the ranks and gain a foothold in the imperial court?
One way is to find a master to teach you, and the other is through marriage.
He accomplished both: he married their mother, became a disciple of Minister Qi, and greedily married his mentor's daughter as well, leveraging the prestige of his two families—one civil and one military—in the court.
He rose rapidly through the ranks and enjoyed a smooth official career.
At a young age, he was appointed as the third-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
But that's just how he is; once he leaves, he doesn't want to remember the way he came, or recall the muddy path he once walked.
After paying respects to the ancestors, my mother burned paper money and released river lanterns by the river.
We pay tribute to those who risked their lives to save us.
After Qiao'er returned to her parents' home, she paid respects to her ancestors and bid farewell to her relatives and friends.
Jiang Miaomiao's family had just returned to Jiangzhou to prepare for their return to Beijing. The whole family started packing their belongings before dawn.
Including little Jiang Miaomiao.
She racked her brains but still couldn't decide what to accept.
In the end, I only collected some toys to pass the time on the road; after all, kids do nothing but eat and play.
Her mother and aunts had taken good care of her, and ever since she started living the life of a pampered young lady, she felt like she had no hands or feet.
Apart from eating, drinking, pooping and peeing, everything else was taken care of by Xi'er.
In previous years, she even had to be fed and watered.
There's no need to worry about her eating; Aunt Xiuxiu will prepare it, and she might even bring along a few sheep.
As for pots, pans, and other kitchenware, they'll probably bring those too.
From south to north, the journey is long, and you may not always find a guesthouse to eat and stay in. Most of the time, you will have to spend the night outdoors in a tent.
Jiang Miaomiao felt like she was camping. Her aunt would go hunting, dig up some wild vegetables, and then it would be another delicious meal.
However, I still brought along the dried fruit and candied fruit that the villagers had given me; I brought them all.
It's good for killing time when you're bored on the road.
Watching my mother pack clothes, I saw that they were all lightweight cotton garments, with very few silk or satin pieces.
She said there was no need to bring fancy clothes; comfort and ease were the priority.
Mother is very thoughtful.
Ornate clothing attracts thieves, wrinkles easily, and is not durable.
The eldest brother brought nothing but the sword manual given to him by his godfather and the precious sword given to him by Prince Jing.
My second brother took on more responsibilities.
Besides a large box of books, he also brought his everyday utensils, including teacups and tea sets, and even his usual soft pillow.
Jiang Miaomiao felt that her second brother was somewhat spoiled.
The worst part is that her second brother also brought the "Three Character Classic" and the "Thousand Character Classic," which were clearly meant for her.
It looks like her second brother is planning to teach her to read on the way.
As for the little white wolf, Auntie was worried it would break its legs, so she assigned it a horse-drawn carriage.
The carriage was loaded with gold, silver, valuables, and account books.
With Xiaobai around, no one can steal it.
Before leaving, I had a farewell meal with the Cui family elders.
Grandma Cui placed a letter in her mother's hand, "Qingyao, I'm entrusting this letter to you to deliver to Cui Yan. It would be best if you gave it to him personally."
Lu Qingyao nodded, "Don't worry, Madam."
The old lady held her hand and said with a smile, "If you encounter any problems in the capital, you can go to Cui Yan. He will definitely help you."
Lu Qingyao nodded in agreement.
Even so, the Cui family has already shown them enough kindness, so how could she possibly ask for it?
Jiang Miaomiao found it strange. Didn't Old Mrs. Cui have two sons? Why did she only send a letter to her eldest son?
Princess Rong'an once told me that her maternal uncle was very powerful; he was a Hanlin Academician and a confidant of the Emperor.
Speaking in front of the emperor carries a lot of weight.
However, she added that her eldest uncle is quite old, yet he still hasn't found her an aunt.
My second maternal uncle's eldest cousin is already in his teens.
Jiang Miaomiao wondered if it was because that young master Cui was ugly, otherwise how could someone of his status and position not be able to find a wife?
But then I realized something wasn't right.
None of the Cui family members are ugly.
Looking at the several large trucks of goods at the entrance, Lu Qingyao sighed. When she came, she had nothing but a truck and a few bundles.
It's like moving house right now; I want to bring everything with me.
After leaving the city, they followed the Yipinju caravan northwards.
As luck would have it, they ran into the Sun family's eldest and second sons on their way back to the capital.
Since they were relatives, they decided to travel together.
Everyone thought Sun Erlang had taken his wife and sister-in-law back home, but it turns out he's only leaving now.
Sister-in-law Xu and Miss Xu stayed inside the carriage and refused to come out, probably because they felt ashamed.
Sun Dalang's wife, Pan, did offer a greeting, but it was indifferent.
But Lu Qingyao still spoke to Madam Pan, and even climbed into Madam Pan's carriage.
At first, Jiang Miaomiao didn't understand why her mother insisted on getting closer.
However, it didn't even take half a day.
My mother and Sister-in-law Sun got along like sisters, and I heard they even struck a deal.
……