I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Just then, footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate.

Several village children ran over from a distance and peered over from the gate.

Their eyes lit up when they smelled the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.

Xu Qing turned around, saw them, laughed, and greeted them.

"Come in, everyone, one bowl each."

The children pushed and shoved their way in, carrying rough porcelain bowls and gathering around the stove, slurping up soup and rice noodles, their mouths glistening with oil.

The adults stood by watching the scene, all laughing.

"Not only is Xu's eldest son a good student, but he's also such a good cook. Whoever marries into such a family will be truly blessed."

Another person took over the conversation.

"You're overthinking it. The engagement was already arranged. Otherwise, with this skill and this new house, the matchmakers would have worn the flagstones at the entrance down by all the steps."

When Xu's mother heard the words "matchmaking," her smile suddenly froze, and her hand holding the bowl slowed down.

But she didn't reply. She lowered her head, quickly finished the soup, and then put the bowl down.

"Qing'er, have you finished eating? Come with me."

Xu Qing finished the last drop of soup in her bowl and followed her mother to an old locust tree in the corner of the yard.

Xu's mother looked around and saw that everyone was eating or chatting and no one was paying attention to them, so she lowered her voice.

"Qing'er, I have a question for you. Tell me honestly."

Xu's mother's eyes seemed to hold many unspoken thoughts.

"You were reluctant to get married before, so have you fallen for another girl now? There are so many beautiful girls in the city, you're probably overwhelmed by them!"

Xu Qing paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"Mother, what are you thinking? How could I be seeing things?"

He also tilted his head and looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before taking a step closer and lowering his voice.

"I'm going to tell you something, but don't tell anyone else."

Xu's mother frowned.

"Who should I tell?"

Xu Qing's voice lowered even further.

"Who knows, maybe in the future we won't be able to reach Yao Yao's level anymore."

Mrs. Xu was stunned for a long time, her mouth wide open, her brows furrowed, and her eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

What do you mean?

Her hand unconsciously gripped Xu Qing's sleeve tightly, her face showing even more confusion.

Looking at her mother's surprised and suspicious expression, Xu Qing remained silent for a moment before deciding to tell the truth.

He spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Mother, it seems that Yao Yao's father is about to be reinstated. The matter of being demoted to the border for more than ten years is now over. He was appreciated by His Majesty for submitting a book on river management and will be promoted directly to the central government. He will become a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Works, or even a higher official."

Xu's mother's mouth was open, her hands were clenched into fists, she loosened them slightly, and then clenched them even tighter.

She stood there stunned for a long time, her eyes reddening even more, her voice trembling slightly.

"What? Good news? This is fantastic news! The Song family has finally made it through..."

She kept saying "okay," wanting to find someone to share her joy with, but she knew she couldn't say it yet, which made her feel stifled and unsure of what to do.

She wiped her hands on her clothes repeatedly, then clasped them together.

"Thank God, I'll go burn incense tonight and pray to the Song family. They've finally turned their lives around."

Seeing her mother's genuine happiness for the Song family, Xu Qing's heart softened, but she still spoke frankly.

"Mother, are you really not worried? The Song family has become an official family, and Yao Yao's status has risen accordingly. At that time, a family like ours may not be able to reach her level."

Xu's mother stopped moving immediately.

She lowered her hand, looked at Xu Qing, and spoke very seriously.

"I know the Song family. They're not that kind of family. What kind of relationship did Yao Yao's father and your father have back then? They entrusted their daughter to us when they were down on their luck. Now that they've made it big, they certainly won't turn their backs on us."

Xu Qing was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I hope so."

His mother got anxious again because of his words and slapped his arm.

"I told you to get married sooner, but you insisted on waiting. Now look what's happened, you'd better hurry up and propose."

Xu Qing gave a wry smile.

"It's not a matter of time now, it's about whether our statuses are a good match. If we're not, then even if we go through the wedding ceremony, she'll still feel bad if people say she married a poor scholar."

He paused for a moment, softening his tone slightly to avoid further upsetting his mother.

"So there's no point in rushing it. Don't worry, I will definitely marry Yao Yao properly and legitimately."

Mrs. Xu was still somewhat skeptical. "How do you plan to do it honorably?"

Just then, a series of earth-shaking footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

A figure tumbled from the alley entrance at lightning speed; the sound arrived before the person.

"Brother Qing, my dear Brother Qing, something terrible has happened!"

Xiao Mingyuan was out of breath from running, and when his large body stopped at the gate, he stumbled forward two steps.

He leaned against the door frame, panting for a few moments, but his mouth never stopped.

"Someone is trying to cause trouble!"

He stopped mid-sentence.

He sniffed, and his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the kitchen.

He took two more sniffs, and the panic in his eyes dissipated considerably, replaced by an expression of longing for food.

"What smells so good?"

Xu Qing looked at him, who was completely captivated by the fragrance, and smiled wryly.

"Didn't you say you had something important to do? Why are you thinking about food now?"

Xiao Mingyuan waved his hand, his eyes still fixed on the direction of the kitchen.

"Although things are urgent, there's no rush. It's not so urgent that we can't afford to go hungry. Let me have a meal first; it's not easy to come across your cooking."

Xu Qing glanced at him, looking him up and down at his already round belly.

"Look how fat you've become, and you still can't control your eating."

Xiao Mingyuan had already walked towards the kitchen on his own, turning back to chuckle as he went.

"Look at what you're saying, you need to eat well to have the energy to lose weight."

He went into the kitchen, skillfully lifted the pot lid, filled a large bowl with the stew, grabbed a steamed bun from the cutting board, walked into the yard, and squatted down like the craftsmen. He began to eat heartily.

Liu the bricklayer squatted down next to him, glanced at him, and couldn't help but whisper something to Zhao the carpenter next to him.

"This richest man's son is really different from those spoiled brats."

Carpenter Zhao replied in a low voice.

"That's right, that's right, they're completely worthless. They eat squatting on the ground just like us. No wonder the Xiao family is the richest family."

Although the craftsmen nearby did not say it outright, their gazes toward Xiao Mingyuan were filled with a mixture of surprise and respect.

Xiao Mingyuan was completely unaware. He buried his head in his bowl and finished eating the vermicelli and tofu. Then he picked up the last fried meatball, put it in his mouth and chewed it a couple of times before looking up. His face was shiny with oil and there was a piece of scallion stuck to the corner of his mouth.

He casually wiped his hands with the back of his hand and gave Xu Qing a greasy thumb.

"Brother Qing, if you ever stop writing articles, open a restaurant and I'll eat here every day."

Xu Qing handed him a used bamboo toothpick.

"We've eaten, we've seen the house, so tell me, what's making you so anxious?"

Xiao Mingyuan took the toothpick and picked his teeth before revealing his purpose.

"Oh no, someone is making counterfeit versions of your bra..."

Xu Qing subconsciously looked down at her chest, then looked up.

"That's our bra, not mine."

Xiao Mingyuan nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, okay, it's ours anyway. It's been copied, and the workmanship isn't bad. It looks quite exquisite to me. I guess a lot of effort was put into it."

"Where is it? Let me see."

"I forgot my things; they're at Zhuangyuanlou. You're the only one missing."

Xu Qing stood up, brushed the dust off his robe, and said, "Let's go."

He took two steps and glanced back at his mother, who was still standing under the tree.

Xu's mother opened her mouth as if to say something, but then withdrew her hand halfway through. In the end, she just waved her hand at Xu Qing without saying anything.