newbobooks Chapter 971 Hometown Sentiments
Chapter 971 Hometown Sentiments
Once the village elder was helped over, the commotion at the village entrance had ended.
To be precise, it was transferred.
Everyone went to the Qin family's house.
Erwa, Tiezhu, and the others began tidying up the Qin family's house gradually after receiving the letter.
Now, the stoves in every room are burning brightly, making it warm and cozy when you go inside.
The men in the main room were talking around a square bronze statue, while the women occupied the east room.
Fang Nanzhi's friends didn't come looking for her. She heard that Chunhua had gotten married and that the chubby boy had gone to the city to find work.
She was a little disappointed, so she squatted in the yard and played with the snow.
The snow here is only a thin layer, and it will probably melt in a day or two under the sun.
As for Qin Yan, he had no friends in the village and didn't understand his sister's sense of loss. He was busy arranging the horses and goods that Wei Dao and the others had brought.
We can't fit all these people in our own home, and it's a bit too crowded.
Just as they were having a problem, Erwa, Tiezhu, Dacheng, and a few others arrived.
Of course, there's also their wife.
"Zhizhi, why are you squatting on the ground? Aren't you cold?"
"Uncle Tiezhu!" Fang Nanzhi looked up and saw Tiezhu supporting the matchmaker, whose belly was very big and round.
"Come quick, let me take a look at your aunt. The baby in her belly has been restless these past few days, making it hard for her to eat and sleep," Tie Zhu called out. He knew his niece's medical skills were quite impressive now.
"Hey, here we come!"
Fang Nanzhi threw down the wooden stick in her hand and helped the matchmaker to the east room.
Erwa and the others greeted Qin Yan and went to the main room.
Qin Yan asked them and got the keys to each of their houses. He could leave any goods, horses, or other items he brought with him at their houses.
When Fang Yin and Meng Lan returned, half of the villagers had gone to the Qin family's house.
There was no way around it; after he boasted for a while, the people who had been harassing him were itching to see what was going on.
Since the house couldn't accommodate so many people, Wei Dao lit a large stove in the yard and they chatted there on a cold winter's day.
Fortunately, there were many people, so it wasn't particularly cold.
When the village elder was helped in, he was incredibly excited.
"Copper coins..."
Fang Tong quickly got up to greet him.
The old village elder gripped his strong arm, his eyes filled with satisfaction, but in the next instant, he suddenly knelt down.
"This humble subject pays respects to Lord Fang and General Fang!"
Fang Tong was startled and tried to pull the old man up, but the old man, seemingly out of nowhere, just wouldn't get up.
"Uncle Village Chief, what are you doing? No matter when, I will always be your junior."
"No, in terms of status, it's different; you have to kowtow."
The village elder was particularly stubborn.
The village chief's action served as an implicit reminder to everyone.
Indeed, Fang Tong was an official appointed by the imperial court.
Therefore, everyone in the courtyard knelt down in unison.
"Greetings, Lord Fang and General Fang."
But before they could react, they wondered, what was General Fang? Did Fang Tong hold two official positions?
Fang Tong felt extremely uncomfortable.
Even Fang Yin felt awkward. Before coming back, he thought about making the villagers who looked down on him kneel down.
But if he actually knelt down, he would feel uncomfortable.
They're all from the same village, so he can show off a bit and forget about past grudges.
It can't be that bad...
Fang Yin also stepped forward, and together with his brother, they helped the village elder up.
With Fang Yin around, pulling the village chief is like pulling a one-year-old child.
“Uncle Village Chief, we are where we are today because of your help to my third brother and me. If anyone should kneel, it should be the two of us.”
The old village elder stood up without any resistance.
He didn't dare make Fang Tong and Fang Yin kneel, so he quickly pulled the two of them away.
"We won't kneel anymore, none of us will kneel."
Fang Tong then called out, and everyone quickly got up.
That's ridiculous! They're here as guests, not to pay homage.
When the courtyard becomes lively again.
Only after the old village chief spoke up did everyone learn the origin of the name "General Fang".
"What? The rumor in the city that the great general who subdued the Southern Barbarians is Fang Yin?"
"Fang Yin went to Lingnan? What kind of clan chief who knew witchcraft did he capture?"
"My goodness, Fang Yin is now a fourth-rank general, which is higher than the county magistrate?"
The eyes of Mr. Zhou, the neighbor of the Fang family's old house, were full of confusion.
"The kid I watched grow up has become a fourth-rank official?"
After he finished muttering to himself, his eyes were glued to Fang Yin.
Fang Yin was alert, feeling that Uncle Zhou's eyes were strange, as if he was about to pounce on her at any moment.
"Yinzi, you are blessed, very blessed."
Grandpa Zhou suddenly reached out and patted him: "You were well taken care of by your brother before, and later your master treated you like his own son. You're so lucky!"
He suspected that all of Fang's good fortune had fallen on Fang Yin.
Even square copper can't compare.
Compared to the sighs of the older generation, the young people were more excited.
"Yinzi, what's it like on the battlefield? Do you personally lead troops into battle?"
"Brother Fang, how many soldiers do you command?"
What is Miao territory?
The courtyard was bustling with activity.
In the east room, the women were also gossiping.
"What? Zhizhi has entered the palace? What does the palace look like? Little sister, you are so lucky to have such a daughter."
"Sister-in-law, what does the official's wife usually do? Does she eat braised pork knuckle every day? She must eat well; you look much fairer now."
"Fengping, let me tell you, men with money turn bad. Now that Fang Tong has become an official, you have to be careful, lest he take a concubine."
Only Qian Fengping's closest confidante could say such a thing.
Qian Fengping, unusually, showed off her husband's good qualities.
“My husband doesn’t do that. He gives me all his monthly allowance. He has some spare change, which he uses to buy food for our son and daughter or jewelry for me.”
"Yes, this phoenix hairpin was bought for me by him after saving up for three months."
“Every day after finishing his official duties, he would go straight home and not attend any social events. If there was one he couldn’t refuse, he would take me with him.”
"She's reluctant to wear nice clothes herself, but always buys me expensive fabrics..."
Don't underestimate these little things; true love is hidden in the details of everyday life.
These are words that Qian Fengping could not say to anyone in the capital.
He could only brag shamelessly to the Chen and Liu families.
Meng Lan listened with great interest.
She felt that the way these women chatted was similar to, yet different from, the kind of chatter she had seen in the capital.
Their conversations always revealed simplicity and sincerity.
The Chen family was indeed very envious.
"The girl is lucky. With one marriage, she got the most caring man in the whole village."
“My husband comes back from the fields and does nothing but order me around. Over the years, he has never bought me a single piece of cloth, let alone a gold hairpin.”
We simply can't compare.
Which woman doesn't want to marry a kind and caring man?
More than envying Qian Fengping's wealth, they envied her for her considerate husband.
Later, the conversation turned to Fang Nanzhi's biological mother.
"You mean Zhizhi's real name is Chen Zixi? And she's also the daughter of a high-ranking official? Famous throughout the capital?"
The women were stunned.
It's truly one surprise after another.
No wonder Fang Nanzhi is so good at studying and medicine at such a young age.
Besides inheriting his father's intelligence, he probably also inherited his mother's cleverness.