Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 708 Great-Grandmother, Don't Worry! [Thank you! Bows again! 38K words owed]

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival).

Bianjing City
Daozheyuan

In the open space of the courtyard, a huge mountain of paper money was set ablaze.

The raging fire spewed out scorching tongues of flame, burning the sacrificial offerings and funerary objects to ashes.

Xu Zaijing and the others were standing several dozen feet away from Qianshan, but they still felt a burning sensation on their faces and bodies.

Beside Xu Zaijing, Yue Fei, his eyes red-rimmed, raised his arm and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

After wiping away his tears, Yue Fei continued to watch the billowing smoke rising above Qianshan Mountain, muttering to himself.

Once the fire had almost completely burned down, the people from the Taoist Academy prepared to leave.

"Puff."

Feeling someone patting his shoulder, Yue Fei glanced to the side.

"Please accept my condolences," Xu Zaijing said softly.

Yue Fei nodded heavily.

Xu Xingdai, who was only up to Yue Fei's shoulder, stood on tiptoe and put his arm around Yue Fei's shoulder, saying, "Let's go! Let's go back."

On the way out of the Taoist temple,

Yue Fei glanced at Xu Zaijing.

Although he didn't say anything, Xu Zaijing immediately understood what he meant and said softly, "Brother Fei, it was on this very road that I met Commander Yue back then."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing raised his arm and pointed to the road not far away.

Upon hearing this, Yue Fei looked in the direction Xu Zaijing was pointing and vaguely saw his father from his memories, leading several fellow villagers in a gesture of respect as they spoke to Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing continued, "When I recommended those people, I didn't expect them to be so capable, especially your father."

Yue Fei nodded.

There were things here related to his father, which made him feel much closer to Bianjing.

"Wulang, wait for me!" A voice came from behind the Xu family members.

Xu Zaijing didn't need to turn his head to recognize Rong Xian's voice.

To Xu Zaijing's surprise, Rong Xian's voice was somewhat hoarse, as if he had just been crying.

Turn around and look,

Rongxian's eyes were indeed a little red.

When Rong Xian and his men approached, the several capable young men following behind him quickly bowed and greeted him: "Greetings, Third Brother, Fifth Brother, Young Master."

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother returned the greeting to Shen Congxing and the others with clasped hands, and Xu Xingdai followed suit.

After Shen Congxing and the others bowed and greeted him, they looked at Yue Fei with some curiosity.

These men were all veterans of battle, and they could tell at a glance that the young man beside Xu Zaijing was extraordinary.

Although there was still some childishness in his eyes and brows, he was physically strong, confident, and had sharp eyes, clearly not an ordinary person.

Rong Xian also noticed Yue Fei, looking at Xu Xing with surprise in his eyes: "Fifth Brother, who is this young man?"

Xu Zaijing said, "The son of an old friend of mine, whose surname is Yue and given name is Fei, is now living in the Marquis's residence."

Upon hearing this, Rong Xian realized that it was understandable that the son of an old friend was staying at the Xu family's house; it meant that the two families had a special relationship.

The Marquis of Yongyi's mansion will protect this young man's future.

"Brother Yue, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Rong Xian said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Shen Congxing and the others quickly clasped their hands in greeting and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Xu Zaijing said to Yue Fei beside him, "Rongxian, the heir of the Marquis of Fuchang, and these men behind him are Shen Congxing, Geng Jiechuan, and Duan Chengqian, who fought alongside him in Guangnan."

Yue Fei bowed and said, "I have long admired your names. I am deeply impressed by your achievements in the southern frontier!"

Yue Fei's words pleased Rong Xian and the others greatly, and they looked at Yue Fei with even greater friendliness.

Geng Jiechuan laughed and said, "Brother Yue, you flatter me! You have an extraordinary physique and are highly regarded by Wu Lang. Your future is limitless."

Rong Xian said, "Old Geng, anyone can see this, so stop making a fuss."

Shen Congxing and the others all laughed.

Subsequently,

The group continued walking outside.

Yue Fei naturally walked with Xu Xingdai, leaving the spot next to Xu Zaijing for Rong Xian.

On the way,

Rong Xian looked at Xu Zaijing with some emotion and said, "Fifth Brother, I didn't feel anything about coming to this Taoist Academy before."

"But, after I spent so long in the southern border region and experienced battles, the feeling is completely different."

Xu Zaijing nodded, turned his head to look at Rong Xian and said, "This shows that the naive Rong Xian of before is no longer there. Erlang, you have grown up and matured."

Upon hearing this, the people behind him couldn't help but chuckle a few times.

"Go away!" Rong Xian said, then looked at Xu Zaijing and asked, "Fifth Prince, has His Highness's wedding attire been delivered to your home?"

Xu Zaijing shook his head: "No."

Rong Xian said, "Then why was mine delivered?"

Zai Zhang said, "Perhaps it's because our positions are different from Xiao Wu's."

As they spoke,
The group arrived at the place where the carriages and horses were parked.
At this moment, a lot of ashes from paper money and offerings had fallen on the carriages and horses. After gently blowing them away, the group left the Taoist temple together.

Similar to previous years, the road was filled with the smell of burning paper money and offerings.

When Xu Zaijing and the others returned home,
South of the city,

In the temple,
Granny Kong knelt on the prayer mat, her gaze sweeping over the several very clean memorial tablets before placing the paper money in her hand into the brazier in front of her.

Next to Granny Kong's prayer mat, there was a towel, indicating that Granny Kong had just wiped all the memorial tablets.

The names on these memorial tablets are mostly similar to those of Granny Kong; they were palace maids who served in the palace for most of their lives.

As time changes, some family members are gone, while others remain, but are thousands of miles away.

After death, the memorial tablet can only be enshrined in this temple.

If Granny Kong hadn't come, I don't know who else would have come to pay their respects.

Standing behind Granny Kong, Old Madam Sheng looked at the names on the memorial tablets. She could recall some of the names, but for others, her memory was completely blank.

After muttering a few more words in a low voice, Granny Kong, supporting herself on the prayer mat, prepared to stand up.

The old lady and Fang's mother quickly stepped forward to help her up.

Granny Kong glanced back at the memorial tablet and said softly, "Old sister, let's go!"

The old lady nodded gently.

After leaving the temple,

After walking for a while, Granny Kong gradually emerged from her sadness.

As they boarded the carriage to return to the Sheng family, Granny Kong chatted with the old lady, making small talk.

The old lady said softly, "Sister, why don't you stay in Bianjing? With me here, we can always look after each other!"

Sitting beside the carriage, Mama Fang looked at Granny Kong with hopeful eyes and nodded repeatedly.

After thinking for a moment, Granny Kong smiled at Mama Fang, then looked at the old lady and said with a smile, "Elder sister, I won't stay in Bianjing."

"People always want to return to their roots!"

“I have a nephew in my hometown of Yanzhou who is still unmarried.”

"Over the years, through a few letters, I've seen that the boy is quite good! When he returns to his hometown, I'll help him make some arrangements, and he can take care of me in my old age."

The old lady looked at the smiling Granny Kong, nodded gently, and said, "Very well, very well! That way, even after you pass away, there will always be someone to burn paper money for you."

"Yes!" Granny Kong nodded with a smile, and couldn't help but look towards the temple she had just stayed in.

In a few years, with no one continuing to perform the rituals, the memorial tablets in the temple will eventually be removed.
The old lady didn't continue speaking, but glanced thoughtfully at Granny Kong.

The next day, the smell of burning paper money in the air gradually dissipated.

Xu Zaijing went to exercise and school as usual.

At noon,

Shouantang,
The old lady looked at Minglan, who was helping to set the table, and said, "Ming'er, you go out first in a while. I have something to say to your cousin Xu."

Minglan, who was still attending Granny Kong's class, looked at the table full of dishes and said with a smile, "Grandmother, no wonder you prepared so many delicious dishes today."

The old lady smiled and said, "If you want to eat, just go to the small kitchen and find Mama Fang."

"Yes, Grandmother!" Minglan smiled and curtsied to the old lady, then led Xiaotao, who was almost jumping for joy, towards the outside.

Just as I stepped out of the house,
They saw Xu Zaijing, who looked somewhat puzzled, walking towards them.

Minglan glanced boldly at Xu Zaijing, and when Xu Zaijing looked over, Minglan quickly smiled and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Fifth Brother Xu."

Xu Zaijing smiled at Minglan and said, "Long time no see! I hope you are well, Sixth Sister!"

Minglan glanced at Xu Zaijing again and said, "Fifth Brother Xu, Grandmother is waiting for you inside!"

"it is good!"

As Xu Zaijing spoke, he turned around and glanced at the green grass following him.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's actions, Xiao Tao said, "Fifth Young Master Xu, why don't you let Sister Qingcao come with us?"

"There's something delicious in the little kitchen."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing glanced at Xiao Tao and nodded, saying, "Then I'll trouble Sixth Sister and Xiao Tao to take care of Qingcao for me."

"Don't worry, Fifth Brother Xu," Minglan said with a smile.

“Go ahead,” Xu Zaijing said to Qingcao.

at this time,

Danju, carrying a tray of dishes, lifted the curtain and came out.

Seeing Xu Zaijing standing in the courtyard, Danju gave Xiaotao a reproachful look before calling out into the house, "Fifth Young Master Xu has arrived."

As she spoke, Danju lifted the curtain and curtsied to Xu Zaijing, saying, "Fifth Young Master Xu, please come in."

Danju held a tray in one hand and lifted the curtain with the other, her bowing gesture looking rather comical.

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

After saying that, Xu Zaijing stepped into the house.

Seeing the old lady stand up after hearing the announcement, Xu Zaijing quickly took a few steps forward and said, "Grandmother, why did you stand up when I came over! I can't stand it!"

The old lady smiled and beckoned, saying, "Jing'er, come and sit down!"

Xu Zaijing walked over with a smile, saying as he went, "Grandmother, I could smell the aroma of the food from outside! I knew it was Fang Mama's cooking without even asking."

"Your nose is really sharp!" the old lady said with a smile.

As they spoke,
Xu Zaijing walked to the table, closed his eyes, took a deep breath in enjoyment, swallowed, and said, "Delicious! So delicious!"

"Sister Hualan also studied under Mother Fang, but I think she hasn't quite mastered it yet!"

The old lady laughed and said, "If your second sister-in-law knew this, she might not cook at all!"

Xu Zaijing rolled up his sleeves and sat on the embroidered stool, saying, "Grandmother, if you don't say it, no one will know it's not true! Besides, there's nothing important happening in our family, so it's not Hualan's place to show off her cooking skills."

The old lady nodded.

Xu Zaijing said, "However, I think I'll soon be in for a treat!"

"Why is that?" the old lady asked, then beckoned to Cui's mother.

"Hu Yan's brother-in-law said that either his father or his elder brother might return to Beijing this month."

After Xu Zaijing finished speaking, he turned to Cui Mama, who was coming over to serve the dishes, and said, "Cui Mama, you don't need to come over to serve the dishes. You can't even pick up the food as fast as I can eat it."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Cui smiled and looked at the old lady.

The old lady nodded and said, "What the boy said makes sense. He should just make whatever he wants to eat himself."

It should be Cui's mother.

"Yes!" Xu Zaijing responded with a smile, then picked up the serving chopsticks in one hand, licked his lips, and stared intently at the food.

After eating a few bites to fill his stomach, Xu Zaijing looked at the kind old lady and said, "Grandmother, is there something you need for me to eat all this delicious food today?"

The old lady didn't try to hide anything, and nodded with a smile: "That's right, there is something!"

Xu Zaijing, seemingly unconcerned, continued to use the serving chopsticks to pick up a few more pieces of meat and vegetables, nodding and saying, "Then I'll be even happier eating!"

Upon hearing this, the old lady shook her head with a helpless smile.

Because Xu Zaijing seemed to have a big appetite, the old lady was also tempted to eat an extra bowl of rice.

Seeing this, Cui's mother quickly prepared hawthorn drink to aid digestion.

A quarter of an hour later,
Xu Zaijing had almost completely cleared out the dishes on the table.

"belch!"

Xu Zaijing let out a burp without any regard for his image.

Subsequently,

Xu Zaijing smiled at Cui Mama, who handed him the drink, and watched the old lady wait for her to continue.

From Yangzhou to Bianjing,

The person the old lady interacted with most with her maternal family, the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion, was not her nephew Xu Minghua, but her grand-nephew Xu Zaijing.

The old lady always felt a closer connection to Xu Zaijing, her grand-nephew who frequently brought good news, than to others.

in fact,

The old lady's wish was not something that could only be fulfilled by Xu Zaijing; her son, Sheng Hong, could also handle it.

However, perhaps because the old lady had always helped Sheng Hong solve problems for so many years, she felt a little embarrassed to suddenly ask him for help.

Simultaneously,

This matter may require going through some of the Wang family's official connections, and the old lady has also issued a "no visitors" order to Wang's own daughter, Kang Wangshi.

At this point, I felt somewhat uncomfortable asking the Wang family for a favor.

After considering it for a while, the old lady said, "Jing'er, in a while, Granny Kong will be returning to her hometown in Yanzhou. If nothing unexpected happens, she will be spending her remaining years there."

Xu Zaijing asked in confusion, "Does Granny Kong still have relatives back in her hometown?"

The old lady nodded: "She also has a nephew back in her hometown!"

Xu Zaijing's eyes darted around, and he said, "Grandmother, are you worried about Granny Kong's care on the road and after she returns home?"

The old lady nodded gently: "Yanzhou is not like Bianjing! Not only is the journey quite long, but I'm also a little worried about her future!"

After all, the bandit stronghold that Xu Zaijing had previously caused a great disturbance in was located within the territory of Yanzhou.

Xu Zaijing looked at the old lady and nodded, saying, "Grandmother, you are right! Money is tempting, and although Granny Kong is in good health, she is getting on in years."

Xu Zaijing's words implied that he was not only referring to the bandits and villains along the way, but also including Kong Mama's nephew.

Upon hearing this, the old lady closed her eyes and nodded gently: "That's exactly what I'm worried about."

Without any attempt to conceal anything, Xu Zaijing stated directly, "Great-aunt, it would be best if Granny Kong's nephew were an honest and kind person; otherwise..."

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Then let him become a good person."

Seeing Xu Zaijing's expression, the old lady asked, "Jing'er, do you have a solution?"

Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "My great-aunt, my grand-nephew, and the head of the Imperial City Guard have some acquaintance." (In parentheses, the kind of acquaintance who would risk their lives for someone.)

“The Imperial City Guard in Yanzhou was also thoroughly purged from top to bottom. You will know the exact situation of this person before Granny Kong arrives home.”

"As for the road, our relatives, the Pan family and the Huyan family, often travel back and forth between Bianjing and Jingdong East Road, and they all have old horse-drawn carriage teams."

"The horses we buy from the north will be escorted by elite cavalry on their way to Yanzhou!"

"When the time comes, just let Granny Kong go back with her. I'll make sure she has a safe and worry-free journey."

Hearing Xu Zaijing's words, the old lady smiled and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good, then I can rest assured."

(End of this chapter)