Transmigrated into a farmer's lucky charm, all the villains in the family panicked.

Wang Yuanqiu pulled Yun Huaikang into the inner room, closed the door, and the two whispered to each other for a full hour.

No one knows exactly what was said.

When the two finally came out for dinner, their demeanor was noticeably different.

Wang Yuanqiu patted Yun Huaikang on the shoulder and called him "Brother," while Yun Huaikang, holding a wine bowl, replied, "Brother Yuanqiu," their intimacy resembling that of long-lost brothers.

That night, Gan Yuwan, along with her daughters, nephews and nieces, and Zhao Shi, rolled up their sleeves and went in and out of the kitchen.

The dishes were served one after another, filling six tables completely.

The men moved four large tables directly to the next room.

The women and children sat at two tables in the backyard of the pastry shop.

The laughter from both sides could be heard through the walls, and the lively atmosphere infected the entire alley.

When Wu Changchun and his fellow veterans first sat down, they were a little reserved, but then Yun Huaikang brought out several jars of wine.

They filled everyone's glasses with gusto, declaring, "We won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"

Now everyone's relaxed.

Even Gan Lumou, who was fifteen years old, drank some.

Some played drinking games, some boasted, and a dozen or so brothers who had served in the army got so into it that they insisted on performing military wrestling in the yard.

Two shirtless men were wrestling together, and the shouts of more than a dozen people nearby almost lifted the roof off.

Yun Huaikang laughed so hard he slapped the table, and Wang Yuanqiu clapped and cheered along, their enthusiasm even greater than when watching a temple fair acrobatics.

Wang Yuanqiu slowly sipped his wine, his gaze wandering among the shadows of people and lights in the courtyard.

These past few days he'd been chased, humiliated in the street, and clung to a pillar to hold on. Now, sitting in this noisy courtyard, listening to a group of grown men howling and playing drinking games, he actually felt that tension was slowly easing.

Everyone slept well that night.

The next morning, when Yun Shengsheng was dragged out of bed by her mother, she was still in the same sleeping position.

Ugh, time to go back to school.

But then she thought about it again. The Lunar New Year was just around the corner, and after another seven or eight days of classes, she would be on holiday. She felt that there was still hope in her life.

Mr. Su and Mr. Li both said they were going back to Beijing for the New Year, and they hadn't even left yet, but she already missed them.

Today, she quickly washed and dressed herself, and obediently climbed onto the oxcart.

Fan Sibo, as usual, sat on the carriage shaft and drove the carriage, taking her and Yun Ziyan on a leisurely journey to the school.

the other side.

After breakfast, Xu Lingniang waited for four students to arrive.

Yun Xiaoxiao, Yun Pianpian, Yun Shuangshuang, and Yun Qiaoqiao stood in front of her, some tall and some short, the oldest nineteen and the youngest twelve, each with more beautiful features than the last.

Yun Qiaoqiao was a little dark-skinned, but her energy made her look like a wild little horse, full of vigor.

"Hello, sir!" Four loud voices boomed out at once, full of energy.

Upon first glance, Xu Lingniang secretly praised the fabric, thinking it was truly excellent.

If the tailoring is done well, she won't be intimidated among the noble ladies of the capital, and might even have more vitality than those young ladies who are constrained by rules and turned into rows of porcelain dolls.

Then she thought back to what Yun Huaikang had told her before—

The eldest daughter, Yun Xiaoxiao, is already married. Fan Sibo is destined for great things. As the future wife of an official, literacy alone is not enough; she must also be adept at managing the household, keeping the household in order, and cultivating relationships.

The second daughter, Yun Pianpian, was clever from a young age, her mind as quick as water. Her father only hoped that she would learn skills so that she wouldn't suffer losses when she went out and wouldn't be manipulated when she married.

The third daughter, Yun Shuangshuang, had ambitions since she was fourteen years old, and wanted to take the exam to become a female official.

When Xu Lingniang heard this, she was genuinely surprised. This little girl from the remote countryside had a higher spirit than the noble ladies of the capital. In addition to learning to read, write, and navigate social customs, this girl also had to have a separate schedule to learn the intricate rules and regulations of the palace, one by one. In the palace, survival was of utmost importance.

The fourth daughter, Yun Qiaoqiao, is a mischievous monkey who aspires to be a chivalrous female general.

Xu Lingniang smiled to herself and shook her head, but couldn't help thinking of her deceased husband.

She still has several volumes of military books annotated by him, which she has kept for many years and can't bear to throw away. Maybe they will come in handy now.

And so, Madam Xu officially took in the four Yun sisters. She taught them to read, write, manners, and etiquette, and incidentally also crammed needlework, servant management, and household accounting into their curriculum.

The teaching location was set in the courtyard where she lived, a quiet and secluded place where no one could disturb her once the door was closed.

All four girls studied diligently, but Yun Shuangshuang was the most hardworking.

Yun Huaikang secretly confided in her that female officials would be coming to the capital next March or April, and if she could catch up with this group, she might just step into that door. So Yun Shuangshuang studied with them during the day and didn't stop even after returning to her room at night.

Seeing how hard she was working, her family stopped letting her do any work at the shop and let her focus on her studies.

Gradually, she became Xu Lingniang's most taught and most strictly disciplined student...

Days passed by, and before we knew it, the end of the year was upon us.

Wang Yuanqiu left in a hurry.

One morning, before dawn, he whispered a few words to Yun Huaikang, took no luggage, and walked away alone through the thin mist.

They didn't say where they went or when they would be back.

Yun Huaikang stood at the door and saw him off for a long distance. When he returned, he didn't mention anything, but there was something new on his face that he hadn't seen before.

Immediately afterwards, Mr. Li and Ms. Su were also going back to Beijing.

Su Qing stood by the carriage beside the official road, looking at the three students in front of her—Yun Ziyan, Fan Sibo, and Yun Shengsheng.

His perpetually stern face relaxed slightly, but his tone remained as concise as ever: "Strategic thinking must not be neglected."

The three nodded at the same time, each with an expression of reluctance.

Old Li rolled his eyes and squatted down to pull Yun Sheng into his arms.

The herbal scent emanating from him was strangely comforting.

"Little girl, put away my set of silver needles carefully."

"This is a family heirloom. It could save a life or be used as a dowry. Losing it is unacceptable, and it's also unacceptable if it harms someone—and even more unacceptable if it ruins your master's reputation."

Yun Shengsheng nodded vigorously, her nose tingling with emotion: "Thank you, Master."

Old Li rubbed her head again, then got up and boarded the carriage with Su Qing one after the other.

The carriage curtain was lowered, a whip cracked, and the carriage slowly drove away along the official road, raising a thin layer of dust in its wake.

Yun Huaikang and his family stood by the roadside watching them go, none of them moving first.

Not far away, a low-key black carriage was parked under the shade of trees at the corner of the official road.

The carriage curtain was gently lifted a crack, and Yan Shijin's gaze passed over that distance, landing on Yun Shengsheng's face, who was staring blankly into the distance. After a moment, he lowered the curtain.

"Let's go back..."

The carriage turned around and quietly returned to the county town.

After seeing the gentlemen off, the Yun Huaikang family began to calculate their year-end accounts.

The two shops in the family used to be thriving. They weren't exactly rolling in money, but the cash flow on the books was truly satisfying.

But throughout the year, with the purchase of mountain land, the acquisition of shops, the addition of a string of courtyards, the hiring of Mrs. Xu as a female tutor, and the distribution of dividends to everyone in the family, the year-end accounting revealed that their wallets were so empty that it made them question the meaning of life.

Gan Yuwan glanced at the two hundred-odd taels of silver remaining in the account book, paused for a moment, and sighed, "Money really doesn't last long."

After sighing, she smiled again.

Yun Huaikang laughed, "So what if we can't afford to spend money? Anyway, we've spent everything we needed to, and we can always earn more next year."