Chapter 334: Chapter 335: Returning Home

Liu Liu sized them up. "It looks like Second Brother’s family has done well for themselves out there. You have quite an impressive air about you."

Gu Yuanmu tugged at his clothes. These had been sent over by Seventh Wife. Wang Caiyue had thrown away all the tattered rags they used to wear.

"We ran into Seventh. He gave us the family’s address, and that’s how we found our way here." Gu Yuanmu looked at his fourth sister-in-law, dressed in new clothes with a maidservant behind her, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of inferiority. It seemed that among all the brothers, he was the one who had fared the worst.

Wang Caiyue’s eyes, however, gleamed as she looked at her sister-in-law. ’She couldn’t compare to Jin Qianqian, that official’s wife, but surely she wasn’t worse off than Mrs. Liu, right?’

’I have to have a good talk with Mother later and get a maid for myself.’

With that thought, her eyes scanned the maids by the door, wondering which one she should have as her personal attendant.

Upon hearing that Ancient Wen Heng had found them, Liu Liu guessed where Gu Yuanmu’s family had been before.

She looked directly at Granny Song. "Nanny, has someone been sent to fetch my mother?"

Granny Song replied, "I was just about to send someone. Fourth Madam, would you like to go inside and wait?"

Liu Liu said, "Of course. And don’t forget to have the brothers notified to come over as well. You can go attend to your duties. They’re all family; I’ll entertain them."

Granny Song glanced at them, then curtsied and withdrew.

The news of Gu Yuanmu’s return was a major event that quickly stirred the entire village. After a round of pleasantries, even the Old Clan Leader fell silent when it came to the matter of settling the family.

As the eldest, Gu Yuanjin had to step forward and speak. "You don’t have a place to stay right now. My two old rooms haven’t been torn down yet. Your family can settle there for the time being."

Recently, he had also built a small courtyard for each of his two sons, allowing them to live on their own.

As for the old house, they wanted to save that piece of land for their eldest son who had not yet returned, planning to deal with it when they had free time. For now, they could only let the second brother’s family move in and figure things out later.

"Why don’t we just stay here with Mother? Let’s not go to all that trouble." Wang Caiyue looked at the large, tile-roofed house. How could she possibly be willing to live in some so-called "old house"?

Li Cuicui’s face immediately tightened. "Your brothers built this house to honor your father and me. Don’t be fooled by its size; there are no spare rooms."

"Besides, you’ve all branched off from the family. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to crowd in here with your old mother."

"Isn’t there still the main room? It’s just sitting empty anyway..."

"Shut up," Li Cuicui stood up impatiently. "Since you’re so picky, go build yourself a straw hut and make do for now. That’s how we all got by back then."

Seeing her mother-in-law’s anger, Wang Caiyue pressed her lips together and dared not say another word.

Gu Yuanmu sensibly stood up at once to thank his elder brother. "Eldest Brother, we’ll vacate the house and return it to you as soon as we’re settled."

Gu Yuanjin nodded at him. "There’s no rush for any of that. Take your time."

"But you should get your household registration sorted out first. It’s been a long time since we registered here, and taxes have started this year. You probably won’t be eligible for the land that was distributed before. You can ask around in the county town. If that doesn’t work out, you can buy a couple of plots of barren land and slowly build up from there."

Seeing so many family members here, Gu Yuanmu’s heart had settled considerably. Other matters could be sorted out slowly.

Li Cuicui, however, held a grandson’s hand in each of hers. Feeling the calluses on their palms, she sighed silently. "It’s good that you’re back. From now on, our whole family will be together."

Only Xie Ruyi, standing to the side, looked a little downcast. Everyone else had returned, so why hadn’t she seen her eldest son yet?

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* * *

Ancient Wen Heng stepped into the Hanlin Academy once again. Under the strange gazes of everyone present, he walked straight to his desk without looking left or right.

He Nan saw that Ancient Wen Heng, who had been gone for some time, had finally returned. Clutching a stack of scrolls, he quietly approached.

"Is everything at the Imperial Palace settled?" He Nan felt a pang of guilt, remembering that he had been the cause of it all.

Ancient Wen Heng grunted in affirmation. "Have you cleared up all those accounts of yours?"

He Nan was full of gratitude. "It’s all taken care of. But because of me, you were stuck in the Imperial Palace all this time. You’ve suffered."

Ancient Wen Heng glanced at him. "You really feel guilty?"

He Nan nodded.

Ancient Wen Heng held up two fingers. "I remember your estate has a type of flower wine. A small sip each day is said to improve one’s complexion. I only want two vats."

"This is highway robbery!" He Nan’s eyes widened. "My family only produces a dozen or so vats a year. That’s an outrageous demand!"

Ancient Wen Heng leaned in closer. "I’m not asking for it for free. One Centennial Ginseng."

He Nan immediately grabbed his arm. "Really?"

Ancient Wen Heng nodded. If it weren’t for Jin Qianqian repeatedly praising the wine at several past gatherings, and her hands and feet no longer being as cold as before, Ancient Wen Heng would never have parted with such a precious medicinal herb for flower wine.

"If it’s truly a Centennial Ginseng, I’ll make an executive decision and give you four vats. When do you think you can come get it?" One had to know that although it was just flower wine, it contained quite a few other ingredients. By offering four vats, he was letting Ancient Wen Heng make a huge profit.

Ancient Wen Heng raised an eyebrow at him. "Is your family in urgent need of medicinal herbs?"

He Nan sighed. "For the past two years, my grandmother’s health has been sustained only by medicine. If we had this Centennial Ginseng, the physician in our estate could formulate a few more life-extending prescriptions."

His entire family had been searching for Centennial Ginseng recently. He never expected to be so lucky as to have it fall right into his hands.

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Come with me when we leave later. You can take the medicine first. As for the wine, I’ll send someone to pick it up whenever I have a free day."

"Brother, I won’t say thank you for such a great favor. I’ll show my gratitude through my actions in the future." He Nan gestured with his eyes toward the people watching them. "There have been some sour remarks these past few days. Don’t pay them too much mind. They’re just jealous."

Ancient Wen Heng thought, ’...’ ’They’ll probably have a lot more to be jealous about in the future.’

Hua Shunming’s mood soared as he watched the National Treasury fill up. Coupled with the little calculation prodigies trained by Ancient Wen Heng, he was able to clear up all the accounts in the shortest time possible.

Now that everything was in order, Hua Shunming naturally thought of the person who had contributed the most this time.

He also recalled how Empress Zhou had been whispering in his ear lately that Ancient Wen Heng was the savior of her own elder brother. No matter what fine food was available, she would have a portion sent to Ancient Wen Heng, who was teaching in the palace.

He himself had never received such treatment from the Empress. Although he felt a little sour about it, Ancient Wen Heng had, after all, preserved the Zhou Family’s bloodline.

As the Emperor, he couldn’t just do nothing to show his appreciation.

After all, his brother-in-law was a formidable general whom he found quite capable. He had only just returned to the capital before being sent out again to suppress bandits.

Adding this recent achievement to the list, he simply made a decision with a flourish of his brush. Just like that, a Holy Decree announcing a promotion arrived unexpectedly at the Hanlin Academy.

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