The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune
Chapter 154 - 150: No one visits a temple without a cause

Chapter 154: Chapter 150: No one visits a temple without a cause

Ruo Xuan rode home in the carriage with Xuanyuan Que, she got off at the foot of the mountain and ran home by herself.

Upon returning home, she found an unfamiliar carriage parked outside the door, and lively voices came from inside the house.

Had her aunt’s family come to visit? Ruo Xuan felt a flicker of surprise and strode inside.

Inside the house, Zhang Xiaoli exclaimed dramatically, "Heavens! Zhou, the eldest, went to Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy? And Xian and his brothers also went to Juxian Academy? Don’t those academies require recommendation letters?"

Granny Lei chuckled, "Dengfeng Academy does require a recommendation letter. The eldest son is strong and was favoured by an influential person, who gave him one."

Ruo Xian, being young and enjoying praise, said aloud, "It’s not just about the recommendation letter, but also passing the entrance exam to get in. We all passed! My eldest brother even secured first place in the Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy’s entrance competition."

Zhang Xiaoli seized the chance to ask, "Really that impressive? Indeed, no pups in a tiger’s litter! I’ve always thought the boys in your family were exceptionally clever. By the way, who wrote that recommendation letter?"

Ruo Xian happily replied, "Uncle Yan wrote it."

"Who is Uncle Yan?"

Unaware of Yan Heng’s true identity, Ruo Xian pondered and then said, "He’s Jiaojiao’s and my brothers Feng and Huan’s father."

Zhang Xiaoli rolled his eyes inwardly, who knows who Jiaojiao, brother Feng, and brother Huan are!

But everyone in Xuanyuan Country knew that the surname of the Zhenguo Crown Prince was Yan.

Could Uncle Yan be the Zhenguo Crown Prince?

"And who are Jiaojiao and brothers Feng and Huan? Are they your neighbors?" Zhang Xiaoli kept probing.

Ruo Xian: "Jiaojiao is Yan Jiaojiao, brother Feng is Yan Feng, and brother Huan is Yan Huan. They’re all Xuanbao’s classmates, not neighbors; they live in the city."

Living in the city and named Yan; it seemed that even if they were not the children of the Zhenguo Crown Prince, they were certainly related to the Zhenguo Duke Residence.

Wait a second, Xuanbao’s classmates? Xuanbao was studying with the children of the Zhenguo Crown Prince?

This was big news!

Zhang Xiaoli expressed his surprise, "Ah, even Xuanbao is studying? Did you hire a female teacher to teach at home?"

Zhang Xiaoli asked deliberately, knowing that if those three children were indeed the offspring of the Yan Princely Heir, then Xuanbao must have been studying at the Yan Princely Heir’s household. After all, in Shaxi County, there were no academies for girls; girls who wanted to study either attended clan schools or hired Masters to teach at home.

Madam Liu corrected, "No, the old lady from that family is kind-hearted and simply allowed Xuanbao to study with her children, that’s all."

Zhang Xiaoli said with a laugh, "Well, it seems your families are quite close, what with writing recommendation letters for the children and allowing Xuanbao to study with their own. I, too, would love to send my two boys to Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy and Juxian Academy to learn martial arts and study, but I can’t find anyone to write a recommendation letter. I wonder if that family could help write one?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Liu was taken aback; she hoped for nothing unpaid when visiting the Buddha. It turned out they were after a recommendation letter!

She weighed in her heart how to refuse.

Liu Wenyao, fearing her younger sister would be in a difficult position, quickly said, "How well do you know that family? If not well enough..."

She hadn’t finished speaking when Ruo Xuan entered, "Granny, daddy, mother, I’m back! Auntie, cousin Rui... you’re here?"

Zhang Xiaoli, seeing Ruo Xuan return, was more enthusiastic than a real mother, "Wow, Xuanbao is back!"

Zhang Rui and her sisters hurried over to Xuanbao’s side, "Xuanbao, I brought you a sugar rabbit!"

"Xuanbao, I brought you goat-shaped pastries!"

"Xuanbao, I’ve prepared a rabbit palace lantern for you."

"Thank you, cousin." Ruo Xuan happily took it.

Granny Lei smiled and reminded, "Xuanbao, your auntie brought cousin Rui and the others to play with you! This is your cousin’s junior maternal aunt, just call her junior auntie when you’re with your cousin Rui and the others."

Xuanbao courteously called out, junior auntie.

Zhang Xiaoli praised, "Xuanbao is such a good child!"

Madam Liu went out and came back with a warm towel to wipe Xuanbao’s hands, "Why did you come back so late? Cousins Rui and the others came to play with you and have been waiting for a long time."

Ruo Xuan then said, "Cousin Rui, cousin Lei, cousin Mei, let’s go, I’ll take you up the mountain to catch rabbits and play!"

Zhang Rui and her sisters had never played in the mountains; they all looked at their mother, "Mother, can we go play on the mountain with cousin Xuanbao?"

Liu Wenyao didn’t want her sister-in-law to reveal the previous intentions again, so she quickly said, "Go on! But, you must take good care of cousin Xuanbao."

Granny Lei laughed, "Let cousin Ruo Zhou take you. Big brother, you take the sisters to play on the mountain, and remember to keep an eye on them."

"Alright! Let’s go, cousins," Ruo Zhou responded.

Ruo Zhou was actually busy writing couplets, but since guests had arrived, he had to make an appearance to greet them, so he paused in his task.

Zhang Xiaoli became anxious upon hearing this and thought to herself, "Did Xuanbao go to buy a shop? I happened to pass by this morning and saw it, could that be the same shop that was confiscated from the General’s residence?"

Her purpose for encouraging her sister-in-law to bring New Year’s gifts to the Ruo Family today was to buy a shop!

Liu Wenyao urgently winked at Ruo Xuan, silently praying: Say it wasn’t you who bought it!

Ruo Xuan glanced at her aunt and nodded, "That’s right!"

Liu Wenyao was visibly annoyed, making exaggerated faces at Ruo Xuan.

Zhang Xiaoli smiled and said to Madam Liu and Ruo Shui, "Brother-in-law, sister-in-law, I have an imposing request. To be honest, I’ve also wanted to buy a shop in the city to open a grocery store for a long time, but it’s hard to find a suitable one. As you know, shops in the city rarely go on sale. Since you have the connections to buy those shops that were confiscated from the General’s residence, could you help me to buy one as well?"

Ruo Xuan: "I can’t! I heard from Grandpa Gu that they’ve all been sold already! The one I saw today is compensation given to my grandfather by the Imperial Court."

Zhang Xiaoli frowned, "They sold out that quickly? Wasn’t the General’s case just settled yesterday?"

Ruo Shui hadn’t expected Xuanbao to answer so cleverly, and naturally he couldn’t lag behind, he hastily said, "The execution was yesterday, the case had been settled long ago, and the Jiang Family’s properties were already dealt with by the Imperial Court."

Madam Liu nodded, "Exactly, it’s not just you, junior sister, who wants to buy a shop, we wanted to buy one too. It’s rare for shops to go on sale, but now there are none left!"

Zhang Xiaoli felt that Xuanbao was too young to lie and felt it was a pity in her heart; she had hoped to get a bargain. Although she couldn’t get a shop, if her two sons could get into Dengfeng Academy or Juxian Academy, that would be good too.

With that thought, she was no longer fixated on the shop, "Xuanbao, both your cousin Zhiwen and cousin Zhixiong want to study at Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy and Juxian Academy. Can you ask someone to write them a recommendation letter? I saw you today playing quite well with the County Magistrate’s son and the young master of Bogu Restaurant. Could you please ask them to do your cousins a small favor?"

Liu Wenyao had no idea her sister-in-law had such intentions, and had she known, she would certainly not have brought her today.

She was displeased, "Junior sister, Xuanbao is just a child, she doesn’t understand such things. Besides, this isn’t a small favor; it would owe someone a huge favor!"

Ruo Xuan, however, directly accepted, "A recommendation letter, I know about that. I’ll ask for you next time."

She promised first, planning to say later that when she asked, the other party didn’t agree!

This was Master Han’s strategy that said ’you have your strategies, and I have my countermeasures; in warfare, deceit is not to be frowned upon!’