Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 270 Arrival and Meeting
Now that he has such an outstanding successor as Sheng Changquan, Mr. Zhuang has naturally relaxed and his mind is no longer as tense as before.

As the saying goes, old people yearn for their hometown, and old leaves return to their roots. Having lived most of his life, Mr. Zhuang naturally wanted to return to his hometown and see more of the things he had never paid attention to or pursued before.

"Ding dong!"

Minglan reached out and picked up the three round copper coins, played with them in her hand for a few moments, and then continued, "Besides!"

"Old Mrs. Zhuang has been waiting for Scholar Zhuang in Fengzhou City for the past few years!"

Fengzhou City is the hometown of Mr. Zhuang, and also the ancestral home of the Zhuang clan, the root of the Zhuang people.

"If the scholar doesn't go back this time, I'm afraid Old Madam Zhuang won't be able to hold back anymore!"

"When she gets angry, she'll definitely chase after the scholar and grab his ear to argue with him!"

Minglan's words carried a hint of amusement, as if she were joking.

However, because he was somewhat estranged from his own children, Mr. Zhuang had an excellent relationship with his wife.

Grandma Zhuang was a kind and approachable person, and she was always kind and gentle to others, never saying a harsh word to them.

However, for some reason, she treated Mr. Zhuang with particularly "bad" attitude, often giving him a lecture.

Note that the "ear-lifting" mentioned here actually involves lifting the ears.

It was precisely because of this that Mr. Zhuang often went to class with red ears when he taught at the Sheng Family Academy.

Sheng Changquan and several other students were also aware of this.

and so.

"puff!"

As if she had imagined such a scene, Minglan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Girl, what are you doing?"

Seeing Minglan suddenly laugh out loud, Danju immediately became curious.

Because this matter concerns the reputation of Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang, Sheng Changquan and the others naturally wouldn't speak carelessly or gossip about it. Therefore, Danju naturally didn't know what Mrs. Zhuang's temperament was like.

At the same time, she had no idea what Minglan was thinking at that moment.

"nothing!"

Minglan suppressed her smile, then waved her hand dismissively, interrupting Danju's previous topic.

"I was just thinking about something else, it's nothing!"

Minglan gave a perfunctory reply.

"Yes, girl!"

Danju did not pursue the matter further.

In short, this is the biggest difference between Danju and Xiaotao.

Danju doesn't have the same strong curiosity as Xiaotao. As long as it doesn't involve anything important, Danju is accepting whether or not her questions are answered.

But Xiaotao is different!

If Xiaotao were like Danju, asking questions but not getting answers, she would definitely be depressed for a long time.

Moreover, during that recent period, she kept it firmly in her mind, preparing to find an opportunity to ask about it.

Otherwise, during that period, she would have felt uneasy, as if she had something on her mind.

Of course, this wouldn't last very long, at most a month, and it also depended on the importance of the matter. Xiao Tao wouldn't ask questions unless it involved Minglan and her brother.

Seeing that Minglan didn't want to speak, Danju changed the subject and continued, "Miss!"

"If that's the case, then the young master came back alone?"

It's obvious that Danju has forgotten about someone.

After all, it wasn't just Mr. Zhuang and Sheng Changquan who participated in the study tour back then.

"Ok!"

Minglan nodded slightly, seemingly understanding the meaning behind Danju's words.

"So, Sister Danju, what you're trying to say is?"

"Yes, girl!"

Danju's voice seemed to brighten a bit: "If that's the case, then wouldn't it take our brother even less time to come back alone?"

She always remembered that Sheng Changquan, the young master of the Sheng family, was not only exceptionally talented in literature, but also had extraordinary skills in martial arts.

Regardless of his martial arts master, Master Xu, there's also Old Madam Sheng, who personally taught him and her daughter horseback riding.

Therefore, if we were to go into detail, Sheng Changquan's horsemanship must have been extremely superb, and his speed would naturally have been exceptionally fast.

"Yes!"

Xiao Tao, who had been listening from the sidelines and was somewhat confused, finally understood what was going on.

"girl!"

"So, does that mean Quan-ge'er will return earlier than the date stated in the letter?"

Even before the study tour was about to end, Sheng Changquan had already sent several letters home through someone.

One letter was taken to Bianjing and given to Sheng Hong to explain the situation, while the other was sent to Youyang and addressed to Old Madam Sheng.

Of course, this letter is ostensibly addressed to Old Madam Sheng, but it is actually meant for Minglan.

However, since Old Madam Sheng was Sheng Changquan's grandmother, he couldn't disregard filial piety and fail to pay his respects to his grandmother, hence this arrangement.

"Yes, Xiaotao!"

"If Danju says that, then my brother should be coming back sooner!"

Once she understood this, Minglan's face immediately lit up with joy.

Minglan and Danju were, after all, mistress and servant, and the terms "sister" and "younger sister" were just things they used to call each other in private. So when Minglan was happy, she called Danju by her full name, and no one objected.

"ah!"

"This is really great!"

Just as everyone was happy, Xiao Tao suddenly shouted.

"what?"

Minglan and Danju were both startled!
At the same time, they didn't understand what was wrong with Xiaotao.
"Could it be that you've remembered something else?"

Minglan and Danju couldn't help but turn to look at her, casting questioning glances at her.

"girl!"

Xiao Tao hadn't realized she'd startled the two people opposite her. She just said excitedly, "Now that our brother is back, doesn't that mean the thing you were worried about is no longer a problem?"

"If Brother You were here, that guy definitely wouldn't dare to be arrogant!"

"what?"

Minglan and the others still didn't understand what Xiaotao meant.

"Oh! Girl!"

"It's about Miss Shulan!"

Seeing that no one understood what she meant, Xiaotao anxiously reminded them.

"Scholar, that Scholar Sun!"

"Ok?"

……

The water flows on and on, time never stops.

Soon, the light of this day will disappear.

The sun sets, the moon shines brightly, the stars twinkle, and night falls.

As night falls, a lazy atmosphere pervades the entire city of Youyang.

Whether it was the homes of ordinary people or the mansions of officials, every single one of them lit up their lamps, preparing to welcome the last moments of the day.

However, there are differences between the two.

Generally speaking, the former would only have the whole family lighting one oil lamp together. In fact, some poor people would not light an oil lamp at all and would simply rely on the moonlight to get around.

The latter is different. While it may not offer the finest candles, it at least provides a sufficient supply of ordinary candles.

Look, the Sheng family, who are considered a prominent family in Youyang, have all put on bright lanterns.
Moreover, these wealthy families didn't just light lamps indoors; they also had two lanterns proudly displayed at their main gate, illuminating the plaques of their residences. This was the case in front of the gate of the second branch of the Sheng family.

"Da da!"

"Da da!"

Just as night was falling, the sound of hurried hoofbeats suddenly came from afar.

"what?"

"Who is it?"

At the gate of the Sheng family, the gatekeeper seemed to realize that the visitor was coming for him, and immediately became curious.

"Who?"

The other gatekeeper was a bit slow to react, only realizing the problem after being reminded by his companion. He then took a few steps forward, trying to see clearly who the visitor was under the hazy veil of night.

"Da da!"

"Da da da!"

The sound of horses' hooves continued unabated, and soon the riders arrived at the gate of the Sheng residence on horseback.

"Xu~~"

The newcomer pulled on the reins and skillfully controlled the horse's speed.

"what!"

"Finally home!"

The man put down the reins, patted his horse, and offered a few words of comfort.

"Black Wind, we're home!"

The man, seated on his saddle, said something and then leaped down, landing firmly on the ground.

"May I ask who this distinguished guest is?"

"Did you send a formal invitation?"

At this moment, the cleverest of the Sheng family's gatekeepers stepped forward and respectfully bowed, asking questions.

Because the horses at this time were not the kind of things you would see every day. Moreover, although the servant did not know how to judge horses, he could still sense just how extraordinary this steed was.

Not to mention its stature, which is several sizes larger than that of an ordinary horse, the horse's glossy, pure black coat alone is enough to inspire awe.

After all, only the wealthiest and most powerful families could afford such fine horses.

Therefore, these clever servants naturally dared not neglect those who could ride such horses.

"hehe!"

"Better greetings?"

"I don't have one of those!"

The man chuckled, then led his horse directly to the gate of the Sheng residence.

"what?"

"Sir, you?"

The servant was dumbfounded and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

After all, he never expected that this "noble person" would act so unpredictably and say something so difficult for him, a servant.

"Could it be that this guy is looking for trouble?"

Not only the servant who asked the question, but even the person behind him was looking at people with a strange expression.

"Hahaha!"

Just as the two servants were secretly having bad thoughts, the person opposite them suddenly burst out laughing.

"All right!"

"I'm not going to joke with you anymore!"

Seeing the two servants opposite him dumbfounded, Sheng Changquan couldn't help but laugh out loud and said, "You two, come and see who I am?"

Sheng Changquan took a step forward and walked directly to the lantern, revealing his face in the light.

"you?"

"you are?"

"..."

Just when Sheng Changquan thought that neither of the two guys recognized him, one of them suddenly shouted!
"what?"

"I remembered!"

"You...you are the Seventh Young Master?"

An incredulous voice suddenly rang out in front of the Sheng family's gate.

……

Shou'an Hall.

In a main hall still called "Shou'an Hall," the Sheng family's masters in Youyang had all gathered together.

Actually, if we're really talking about it, the Shou'an Hall in Youyang is the most authentic one.

It was also the first courtyard to be named that.

At this moment, Old Madam Sheng sat at the head of the table, with Minglan sitting to her left and Sheng Changquan to her right. The three of them sat facing each other, and each of them could see the other.

Since none of the people from Zeyutang were there, only Mama Fang, Xiaotao, and Danju stood beside Sheng Changquan and the others.

Inside the room, the lights were on, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Twelve large candles, each as thick as a baby's wrist, were lit around the main room, their combined light providing illumination for the entire space.

Meanwhile, sandalwood incense sticks were placed in each of the four corners of the room to repel mosquitoes and add fragrance to the room.

After all, sandalwood can not only remove odors, but also calm the mind and improve health.

"Grandson greets Grandmother. May Grandmother be well!"

Upon returning, the first thing Sheng Changquan did was naturally to pay his respects to Old Madam Sheng.

The old lady naturally accepted it calmly.

"it is good!"

"Good boy!"

"You're finally back!"

Looking at Sheng Changquan, who had grown into a young man, Grandma Sheng felt quite emotional.

"You silly child, how come you've been gone for six years?"

"Aren't you afraid that I, your old woman, might just pass away within these six years?"

Although Sheng Changquan grew up in Madam Wang's courtyard, he often went to Shou'an Hall when he was young because Minglan lived there. Therefore, he had a close relationship with Old Madam Sheng.

At the very least, Sheng Changquan was the child that the old lady liked the most, besides Minglan.

Otherwise, the old lady wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find Sheng Changquan a martial arts master, Old Master Xu.

"Oh, Grandmother, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Before Sheng Changquan could speak, Minglan, who was standing to the side, couldn't accept it anymore!
Minglan and the old lady had a very deep relationship, so she naturally didn't want to hear the old lady say such things.

"Grandma~"

Minglan moved closer to Old Madam Sheng, and said with a hint of reproach, "May you have a long and blessed life, and live to be a hundred years old!"

"How can you just say such unlucky things like that!"

"hehe!"

"Good! Good!"

Touched by Minglan's sincerity, Old Madam Sheng immediately changed her tune: "Then let's pretend that Grandmother was mistaken!"

"Grandmother, I'll be watching you all get married and have children, and have four generations living together!"

The old lady smiled and patted Minglan, but then changed the subject, asking Sheng Changquan, "Changquan, what are your plans for this trip back home?"

(End of this chapter)