After rebirth, the Queen and I are on the run.

Chapter 871 Arriving Home and the Mid-Autumn Festival [2]

Boom boom boom!
Boom boom boom!
The drums beat urgently, and after an unknown amount of time, a resounding announcement finally rang out: "The distinguished scholar, Mr. Qiong, leading his students on their study tour, has arrived!"

I wanted to call out nine times in a row to give Old Qiong enough face.

Unfortunately, after only six shouts, the sound of galloping hooves rang out.

In front of the city gate, Master Qiong led a group of students on horseback. His wide robes billowed in the wind, and after a chorus of shouts, the horses stopped and the robes were put away.

A loud, old voice rang out: "Hahaha, fellow villagers, there's no need for such formalities. I am but a minor scholar who has not served in the government or the country, and I am unworthy of your warm welcome!"

Junior Scholar?
He was recorded in history based on just one poem; he had so many students who became officials; even His Majesty and the Duke of Yan treated him with great respect.

Magistrate Kang dared not treat Qiong Lao as a minor scholar.

However, he would definitely listen to what Master Qiong said, and immediately said to the people who came to greet him, "Master Qiong is a famous scholar who is not bound by formalities. Let's not be too polite and get along with Master Qiong at our own pace."

Feeling comfortable together?

Your Excellency is so excited that your face is flushed as if you're drunk, and behind this old gentleman is a large group of scholars and officials dressed in their robes...

We've heard that these young scholars are all sons of powerful and wealthy families; how dare we associate with them so casually?!

But Old Qiong had his own way of putting them at ease. He said, “Fellow villagers, the Duke of Yan asked me to bring ten cartloads of pomelos from the south. This fruit is similar to the pomegranates from our northeastern state. It is a must-eat fruit for southerners during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Fellow villagers, please take a taste!”

Grapefruit?

Can that thing be eaten?
Must one not die from sourness and bitterness?
But the Duke's reputation was comparable to that of the Emperor, so everyone gave him a lot of face: "The pomelos bestowed by the Duke must be extremely delicious. We thank the Duke for his generous gift!"

Before long, the convoy behind them arrived at the city gate.

With a whoosh, Ying Zilin and his students unloaded baskets of pomelos from the truck.

"Fellow villagers, the pomelos were transported from the south, and there aren't many, so let's open them here and everyone can have two segments to try them out," Ying Zilin said.

Magistrate Kang recognized Ying Zilin and quickly chimed in, "It's a rare treat bestowed by the Duke; to even taste it is a blessing for us."

Upon hearing Magistrate Kang's words, the people who came to greet him readily agreed.

Mr. Qiong, accompanied by Ying Zilin, personally opened the pomelos, breaking them into segments, which were then distributed by students such as Xue Mingyi and Si Feng to the people gathered at the city gate.

You know what, the pomelos from the south are quite delicious. They're sweet pomelos, and everyone enjoyed them, praising the southern pomelos.

After finishing the pomelos, everyone's initial ease had subsided, and they warmly welcomed Old Qiong: "Sir, how long will you be staying in our Baofu County?"

"Sir, how about coming to my house for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

"Sir..."

"Stop being so rude, sir! Make way! We're in a hurry to get home through the city!" Uncle Qin shouted, having somehow found a square table, and climbed onto it with his hands on his hips.

Everyone looked at him, and many of them were speechless... This second son of the Qin family, after going to the capital and meeting the Duke, was still so vulgar.

If they were to replace him and go to experience it, they would surely have already learned five parts of the demeanor of a renowned scholar!

Old Qiong said, "Second Master Qin is right. We need to continue our journey and return to Taifeng Town for the Mid-Autumn Festival."

What? Mr. Qiong is really going to Taifeng Town?

Magistrate Kang glanced at Qi Tianshi and Wang Baihu, who had remained silent... These two were still there because of the upcoming martial arts academy in Baofu County, and were currently in the welcoming procession. However, these two did not participate much in county affairs, so although they were present, they did not say much.

Seeing that the two men remained silent, Magistrate Kang knew they were letting Qiong Lao do as he pleased, but he still tried to persuade them to stay: "Sir, you must be tired from your journey. Why don't you rest in the county town for a few days and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival before heading to Taifeng Town?"

Come to my house! Stay at my house for a few days, and my Kang family can also benefit and become famous in Shilin.

Old Qiong declined: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. Second Master Qin and my master have been away from home for too long and are eager to return. It is still early today, so why not make the most of it and return to Taifeng Town as soon as possible?"

Pointing to the students, he said, "Students don't know much about rural farming families. Taking this opportunity to see how rural farmers celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival will broaden their horizons."

Magistrate Kang said regretfully, "Alright, I will send someone to escort you to Taifeng Town immediately."

Boom boom boom!
As the drums sounded, the students led by Master Qiong and the civilians led by Uncle Jiang and Uncle Qin lined up to enter the city, passing through it and heading towards the city gate leading to Taifeng Town.

Along the way, it attracted countless onlookers.

Fortunately, with soldiers escorting them and the Imperial Guards led by Commander Wang present, the people of the county town did not dare to act too impulsively.

The Han, Zhou, Lü, Gong, and Chen Xiaoqi families were so excited that they couldn't contain themselves and secretly came to talk to them.

"Second Nephew Qin, you've had a long journey. Take this to tide you over, so you don't go hungry." Chief Han led his two sons over and handed a mooncake to Uncle Qin.

"Hehe, thanks, I'm starving." Uncle Qin took it.

"Father-in-law," Qin Jie greeted him.

The Han clan leader was overjoyed and felt much more at ease... After the Qin family and Qin Jie visited the capital, they did not look down on the Han family and treated them as before.

"Ah Jie, eat some mooncakes to fill your stomach. You must be exhausted from this long journey." Chief Han stuffed mooncakes into Qin Jie's mouth, handed him a water pouch, and gave him a damp cloth to wipe his face.

Han's eldest brother: "..."

Dad, you didn't see me at all! I just returned home from a long trip!
Fortunately, his two younger brothers came over and gave him food and drink.

The eldest brother of the Han family was very happy and chatted warmly with his younger brothers. He also whispered to them, "The gifts we received during our trip to the capital are all in the car behind us. The boxes containing the gifts are so exquisite that I didn't dare to open them for a second because I was afraid of scratching them."

This was to tell his younger brothers that he hadn't touched anything he'd received from the capital, and that their father would decide how to distribute it once they got home, so they could rest assured.

Even close brothers should keep clear accounts; this way, they won't ruin their relationship.

The two younger brothers were indeed happy to hear this, but also felt a little guilty... Their eldest brother had always been honest and caring towards them, and they really shouldn't have been jealous that he had gone to the capital.

The sons and daughters of the Zhou and Lü families also found their relatives and spoke with them.

Upon learning that each family had received a gift from the Duke of Yan, they were all so astonished they almost cried out... Good heavens, the Duke thinks too highly of them.

The Gong and Chen families came to express their gratitude to the Qin and Jiang families for their help.

The procession was too large, with too many onlookers, and the county town was also quite big. It took an hour to complete the journey through the town and reach the town gate leading to Taifeng Town.

At the city gate, even more people came to see the spectacle, including many women... The Han chieftain's wife arrived with her daughters and daughters-in-law, sitting in a mule cart parked by the roadside.

Upon learning this, Qin Jie went to the mule cart to pay his respects to his future mother-in-law and met Han Wan Niang.

Because he had to rush back to Taifeng Town, he only said a few words before hurriedly handing a bag to Han Wanniang: "It contains pomelos and red-fleshed melons. Those red-fleshed melons are very sweet. They were given to me by the Duke. Just ask my elder brother how to eat them. I have to go back to my unit. I'll visit you again after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

After saying that, he left the bag behind and left.