After a long time, Mother Jiang and Cherry stood in the yard, looking in a trance, feeling like a dream.
"Cherry, did the third master come here just now? Did he say that the girl is still alive and she will be back soon?" Mother Jiang asked Cherry for confirmation.
Cherry nodded, "Yes, godmother, the third master has come, he said that our girl is coming back soon, let us prepare all the things that the girl likes." She said happily but choked up.
"Okay, that's great!" Mother Jiang wiped her tears, "Cherry, we finally made it through."
During the five years when Yu Zhi was away, although Mama Jiang and Cherry were not sold out, Third Master Wen didn't take much care of them and asked them to move to the next yard. It has to be the same as when Yu Zhi was there.
Mother Jiang and Cherry depended on each other for life, and Cherry even recognized Mother Jiang as her godmother. The two sold sauce cakes and made silk flowers together.
Food and clothing are no worries, but my heart is very fearful. They are all slaves, but they don't have a master. Seeing that Cherry is seventeen, what about her marriage?
Mother Jiang was so worried that she couldn't sleep, and she was ready to go all out to bring up this matter with the third master, but she didn't expect—I didn't expect the third master to bring back such great good news.
The girl is still alive, the girl is coming back, they have a master, and they are not afraid of anything.
Mother Jiang and Cherry looked at each other, and suddenly there was boundless hope, and they started to work hard.
Wen Jiuxiao went back to the mansion and went to see his mother first. As for his father, even though Ming Chan had told him, he still pretended not to know that his father was back.
Madam Hou knew well that he came back from Peach Blossom, but she cleverly didn't mention a word, she only asked about how hard she was outside, whether she was in danger, and how the errands were going.
Wen Jiuxiao sometimes nodded, and sometimes picked up what he could say and said a word or two.
This surprised Mrs. Hou, the third child came back this time differently than before, much more peaceful, as if the past five years were an illusion, her well-mannered son came back again.
She was so excited that her son had finally passed this hurdle! What about his marriage—
Until the end, Mrs. Hou couldn't help but test out, "Third son, look at the children from Beijing and Zhongzhong who are similar to your age. The children have all entered school. Shouldn't it be time for you to consider your own lifelong affairs?"
What met her son's heavy gaze, Mrs. Hou's heart tightened, thinking that he was going to walk away again. Unexpectedly, I heard him say: "Don't worry, we'll talk about this later."
It's time for him to get married, he has to carry a big sedan chair to marry that woman in.
Until her son left, Mrs. Hou was in a trance. She excitedly grabbed Mama Wang's hand, "Is the third one letting go? Are you willing to get married?"
Mother Wang was even more exaggerated than Mrs. Hou, and she choked up, "Well, this servant heard the truth, and the third master let go. Congratulations, madam, the clouds have finally cleared up."
Madam Hou let out a sigh of relief, well, the third child finally thought about it.
"Amitabha, it is the Buddha's blessing. I have to go and offer incense to the Buddha." Mrs. Hou said happily.
Besides Wen Jiuxiao, when he returned to his own yard, he went to the warehouse first. The servant who guarded the warehouse didn't know what he was going to do, so he opened the door nervously, and followed behind carefully explaining, "—the things inside, the slave will be separated from time to time." Wipe it once to make sure there will be no dust, and the slaves who are afraid of the tide have also moved out to dry—”
Wen Jiuxiao waved his hand, signaling him to go down. He looked at the full warehouse alone, feeling very proud. He doesn't care about these extraneous things, but that woman and the kid like it. As a wife and father, he can only work harder to satisfy his wife and children's preferences.
Thinking of how sparkling the woman's eyes were when she saw these things, and how bright her smile was, Wen Jiuxiao felt the exhaustion all over her body be swept away.
However, his good mood only lasted for one night.
The next day Wen Jiuxiao went out, and met Princess Anle's carriage on the way.
Wen Jiuxiao avoided the side of the road, and Princess Pian Anle came over to greet him, "Master Xiao Wen has returned to Beijing? Didn't you rest in the mansion? You are too diligent."
Five years have passed, and Princess An Le has undergone considerable changes. She still lives in the Taoist temple, helping many down-and-out students and scholars, donating money and materials, and helping them publish anthologies, and providing Taoist temples for them to hold poetry meetings and exchange knowledge. The reputation among literati is actually quite good.
Even Tanhualang from the previous session felt wronged for her, vaguely pointing the finger at Princess Anle's former son-in-law, accusing him of not being big enough, small-hearted, caring about every detail, and blaming him for the fault of Princess Anle living in a Taoist temple and not being able to return to the palace. What do you say that Princess An Le is the proud daughter of heaven, even if she makes a mistake for a while, five years of punishment is enough—
These remarks have won the approval of many people. People are not sages, who can do nothing? The princess made a mistake, isn't that young? What's more, the five years of Taoist cultivation are enough to make up for the mistakes the princess made at the beginning.
Wen Jiuxiao sneered, Qingxiu? Is the person who said this blind? Didn't you see that the Taoist temple is not worse than the princess mansion? Food, drink and clothing are sent directly from the palace, why is it so hard?
Talking with a group of people in Taoist temples all day long, reciting poems and drinking alcohol, what kind of Qingxiu is this? Daozu Sanqing was probably so angry that he moved overnight.
At this moment, An Le is wearing a Taoist robe, with a clean face and a faint smile on his mouth. He really has a bit of the sanctity of a monk.
Wen Jiuxiao's drooping pupils flashed disgust quickly, "The princess is too famous, and the minister is just the reward of eating the king, and it's nothing more than a matter of being loyal to the king."
"Bold, how did you talk to the princess?" The servants around Princess An Le couldn't hear Jiu Xiao's contemptuous attitude.
Wen Jiuxiao turned a deaf ear to it, and asked instead: "Hasn't the princess been a monk for a long time, she is not greedy for the world of mortals, and she doesn't ask about common things?"
The implication is to ask her: You don’t practice on the mountain, why run around down the mountain? Could it be that your so-called Qingxiu is a lie?
Even Princess An Le couldn't help being angry, but she didn't show it on her face, "My lord Xiaowen misunderstood, today I am summoned by my mother and concubine. Although this princess is a monk, she is also a child of a man. Entering the palace is a little bit of filial piety, to comfort the mother and concubine's missing daughter."
Wen Jiuxiao doesn't believe a word she said, a monk? Is there any monk who claims to be the princess?
Wen Jiuxiao said quickly: "The minister can't delay the princess's filial piety. The imperial concubine in the palace is still waiting, the princess should not be late."
The attitude is obviously respectful, but Princess Anle is furious, "Get up the sedan chair and enter the palace."
Wen Jiuxiao looked at the frame of Princess Anle's far away, his eyes were heavy, and there was an indelible coldness in his eyes.
This confrontation between Wen Jiuxiao and Princess Anle naturally spread to the ears of many people. Some people were angrily accusing Wen Jiuxiao of being bold and reckless, and not paying attention to Princess Tianjia. Someone retorted: No way, Mr. Ren Xiaowen didn't avoid the roadside early, how could he not take the princess seriously?
Some people also gave Wen Jiuxiao a thumbs up, the head is iron, it has to be Master Xiaowen!