The Blessed

The next morning, Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui got up early. After regular exercise, one pulled the handcart to Yuehua Ditch to catch fish, while the other took the two little bun and Xiaohu to practice martial arts in the yard. As for cooking and cleaning, it was all left to Song Gengniu’s family. In the simple yard, one could hear the kids’ innocent and hearty smile.

After someone from the restaurant fetched the fish, Guarantor Liu brought thirty workers here in person. Everyone was strong, dark-skinned, one could tell Guarantor Liu really put a lot of thoughts on this. Although after they saw Ling Jingxuan’s house, they had about one second’s doubt, it was gone soon. Ling Jingpeng and Jinghan took the job of arranging work for the workers-they brought them to open up wasteland.

“Godfather, godfather...”

After the carriage was parked, Tiewa who wore his new clothes ran into the yard happily, with Han Fei and Zhao Dalong who also wore clean clothes following behind nervously. Seeing their companion, the two little buns moved forward to welcome them, the three of them held each other’s hands and made circles there with great joys.

“Hehe...be careful. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”

Looking at them, Ling Jingxuan helplessly shook his head. Do they need to be so happy for going to school? Still a bunch of kiddos.

“Jingxuan, how do we look? Is it possible Mr. Chu wouldn’t like our Tiewa?”

Since the village head and the old xiucai kept making trouble for them before, Han Fei had trust issues about scholars. Now finally they got a chance to send Tiewa to town for school, he was really afraid he himself might ruin such a rare opportunity. Bays of being parents! For the kid, he was nearly not like the usual him now!

“Don't be nervous, Mr. Chu is a very nice man, not much older than we are, and he also has a son, I heard he is nine years old, also a handsome young man.”

Noticing that they were so nervous that their bodies even went stiff, Ling Jingxuan tried to comfort them. If they kept it that way, he was afraid that they’d directly pass out when they saw Chu Ci.

“Oh? Really? That's good, that's good...”

But Rome is not built in a day! The couple’s nervousness wasn’t eased much only by a few words of Ling Jingxuan. Early in the morning, without doing any farm work or what, they even got their clothes wetted, from which one could tell how nervous they were.

“Then I will go to town with them. When those workers come, you make the arrangements. I also told Jinghan and Jingpeng to let the workers dig a ditch around the edge. If possible, let the team responsible for building walls come too, and they all start their job from tomorrow at latest.”

Knowing that they could not calm down for a moment, Ling Jingxuan stopped his futile work trying to comfort them but turned to Yan Shengrui and said so. So many things got together. So they could only act separately.

“Hmm, I know what to do. Be careful. Come back early.”

Lifting his hand, Yan Shengrui brushed a lock of hair on his face behind his ear.

Nodding, Ling Jingxuan turned to Lady Yang and her daughter who were standing aside, “Mrs. Song, it’d be a hard work. Remember giving them water. And stew the big bones I asked Shuisheng to buy this morning, and make steamed buns and send them over at noon. We should let them have enough food. Shuiling, help your mom. Make the schoolbags when you have time.”

“Yes, Master Xuan!”

The mother and daughter respectfully bent over, after a day’s adaptation yesterday, today, they already accepted everything. Although this family was a bit poor, the master was good to them. Though that approachable to let them eat with them on one table, their food was the same with the master’s. And the master’s parents and two younger brothers were also good to them, especially the two little masters, they nearly took Xiaohu was their own elder brother, let alone Ling Jingxuan was their savior. The only one they feared of should be Master Yan. Not knowing why, they always felt that he had some kind of unapproachable feeling. Every time they saw him, they had some kind of untold fear.

“Let's go.”

After making clear of everything at home, Ling Jingxuan nodded at Yan Shengrui, then signaled the few excited kids to go with him. Song Gengniu and his son also followed up, since from now non, he’d be responsible for sending them to school and picking them up after school. Besides, Xiaohu was the two little buns’ pageboy, of course they should go with them. As for Song Shuisheng, holding a giant carp in his hand, a jar of jam in the chest, was responsible for carrying things. And those things were all the gifts for Chu Ci.

“Father, we gotta go.”

Before he got on the carriage, Ling Wen made a bow at Yan Shengrui. As the small bun and Tiewawho were about to climb onto the carriage saw this, they also hurriedly slipped down and did the same. Yan Shengrui touched their heads one by one and said with a smile, “Off you go. I hope you are also so well-behaved when you see the tutor. Remember your daddy’s words, don’t run about when you go there.”

“Yes, father.”

With another bow, Ling Wen and his two younger brothers climbed into the carriage. After watching them leave, Yan Shengrui turned into the courtyard.

Since the way from Ling Jingxuan’s place to the village was narrow and bumpy, the carriage drove not fast. So when passing through the village, even sitting in, they could hear people’s gossiping. But the different thing was, they who had changed their ‘handgun’ for ‘cannon’ were no longer monsters in the villagers’ eyes. Someone even had undisguised jealousy in the eyes.

“Xiaowen, I am thinking that maybe we could mend a road from our home to the village. Or maybe directly build a road to the market at the entrance of the village? Given such bumpy road, however thick the mattress is, I’m afraid you still can take it since you have to go this way twice every day. And if it rains, the wheels might get stuck in the mud, and you may be late for school. There is a saying, ‘if you want to get rich, build a road first. Our business is getting bigger and bigger, how could there be no big road?”

Out of the village, the road immediately became flat, the carriage also had its normal speed. Ling Jingxuan looked at his sons, trying to organize his words, only afraid his little son would say would waste money again. He should only have himself to blame since he spent so much money yesterday. If it hadn’t been Yan Shengrui, he’d get nagged to death.

Strangely enough, this time the little bun did not speak at once. Instead, he gave him a deep look and gritted his teeth like it was cutting his flesh, “As for things about money, you can decide. You don’t need to talk with me. As for the road, build it if you want.”

One could tell it should have taken him a lot to make this decision of giving out the financial power. Ling Jingxuan froze there, but instantly smiled. He held him up and put him on his thigh, “Hmm, daddy listens to you. Trust me, Xiaowen. I am not that kind of unreliable person. If it does no good, I wouldn’t spend the money. Daddy promises you, I wouldn’t spend a copper coin if not necessary.”

“Hmm, that's the way it should be. Daddy, I don't quite understand what you said, but we should as much as we could.”

Seizing the opportunity, Ling Wen started his nagging again. But this time Ling Jingxuan had no complains in the heart, but hurriedly said, “What you said is right, daddy will try to save money.”

And then the daddy and son reacted. The son was disciplining him like a little adult, while the daddy echoed like a son. Even through the whole world, there was no such daddy-son relationship.

“Daddy, what kind of person is Mr. Chu? Is it possible he wouldn’t like me?”

Seeing his daddy had been holding his elder brother, Ling Wu who had enough of playing with Tiewa climbed onto his other thigh, while Tiewa was also looking at them with craving. Because of Ling Wu’s question, Han Fei who suddenly realized that he neglected his son hurriedly held his son up.

“How is that even possible? Our little bun is so cute, how is it possible Mr. Chu wouldn’t like you? Trust me. He is a nice person. As long as you behave and learn things from him with your heart, he will like you more than I do.”

Fixing his body with a hand, Ling Jingxuan said so with a smile. If his guessing was all right, Yan Shengrui should be Prince Sheng, and Chu Ci and his son were also from the imperial capital, but they escaped out, they’d definitely be good to the little buns. Maybe someday they still needed him to help them. Those who grew up in the imperial family wouldn’t be some average people. Even Chu Ci was not so learned as Shopkeeper Zhang described, he should be so stupid to give such a great opportunity to suck up to Shengrui.

“Haha, that’s great, that’s great! Daddy, what does Mr. Chu look like? As good-looking as you?”

Grinning, Ling Wu asked with interest. To all unknown things, he always had numerous why. Ling Jingxuan cast a glance at Zhao&Han couple and Ling Wen and Tiewa who were also listening carefully, saying with a smile, “Mr. Chu is much better-looking than me. But Xiaowen, we can’t judge a person through his appearance. Some may look a bit ugly, but they have a good heart, while some may look good, but have a black heart. We should see people with our heart, not only the eyes.”

“I know, I know, daddy, I know what you mean, like that fierce woman who ame to our house to make trouble, she is very good-looking, but her heart is black, my grandpa is not good-looking, but he is good for us. Right?”

Before Ling Jingxuan’s words fell, the small bun already picked up the conversation. He even gave examples! Ling Jingxuan, even Zhao&Han couple couldn’t help laughing out loud. Isn’t it right? But, if Ling Chenglong knew that his grandson said he is not good-looking, he’d be sad, right? Fortunately Ling Jingxuan and his two brothers resembled Lady Wang. If they resembled Ling Chenglong, one could imagine how the small bun would say about their appearances.

“This kid is so smart. In the future, he may be the zhuangyuan (lit. "top thesis author" the jinshi who ranked first overall nationwide.)”

The interaction between father and son relieved the tense atmosphere in the carriage. Han Fei also finally forgot the fear in the heart, smiled while touching Ling Wu's head, but the small bun made a frown, “I don't want to be a zhuangyuan, which is my elder brother's wish, I want to be a general.”

“Haha...”

Hearing that, three adults longer could no longer hold their laughing. Ling Wu thought they looked him down, so he pouted and swore in the heart that some day, he would be a real general and let them see. Everyone there, including Ling Wu himself, never expected that some day, he not only became a general, but also became a big figure that all those neighboring countries were afraid of.

Of course, that was a later story. After this, the remaining nervousness was totally gone. The carriage was fast driving on the official road. All they way, the received a lot of jealous eyes. Ling Jingxuan’s entanglement and Zhao&Han couple and the three little buns’ future would all have earthshaking changes from here…