The village entrance was the village's main gathering spot. Everyone loved to chat there, gossip about this and that—whose hen had laid how many eggs, eggs the size of a fist, no one knew how they fed them; the Zheng family was arranging a wife for their eldest son again.
What?
The Zheng family's eldest son still hadn't given up?
Meng Ruqing was curious and asked Uncle Tang. Oh, so the Zheng family's eldest son was famously lazy. How lazy? He used to be too lazy even to go to the outhouse—he'd just pee his pants.
In village life, poor or ugly didn't matter. As long as you were healthy, had strength, and worked hard, you could get by.
For someone as outrageously lazy as the Zheng family's eldest son, who would dare marry their daughter to him?
Qin Hengxuan overheard this and figured the Zheng family's eldest son was eighty percent destined to die a bachelor.
But a few days later, when Qin Hengxuan accompanied Meng Ruqing to plant vegetables and passed by the Zheng family's house, he glanced over and saw several people sitting in the Zheng courtyard, one of them with a big red flower by her ear.
A matchmaker.
Someone was actually willing to marry in?
He didn't know what was said, but the girl being introduced suddenly exploded, jumped up, and slapped the Zheng family's eldest son right across the face. Qin Hengxuan was stunned. He immediately forgot his business, turned, and leaned over the wall to watch the drama.
Meng Ruqing tried to pull him away, but he wouldn't leave.
The courtyard was noisy, the two sides arguing fiercely. People are naturally drawn to a spectacle. Meng Ruqing hesitated, then dropped his hoe and leaned over the wall too. Guaizai tilted his head up, looking at this one and that one, asking if they weren't going to weed anymore.
But the two grandpas were too busy watching the show to answer him. Guaizai wanted to watch too, but he couldn't see from outside, and the wall was taller than him. So he led Gungun and Dandan straight into the Zheng courtyard—he knew the Zheng family well, having often visited before. He was completely unabashed about it: he propped his little chin on both hands and squatted off to the side to watch the show. Seeing the two families pulling hair and swinging brooms, fighting tooth and nail, he laughed innocently, without a care in the world.
At noon, the food was ready, but after waiting and waiting, no one came back. Zhao Ger went to look for them and saw a crowd gathered outside the Zheng family's house. Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing were prominently among them, watching with relish and occasionally turning to discuss things with the aunties nearby. Qin Hengxuan often chased Guaizai all over the village, so the villagers had seen plenty of him and no longer found him so terrifying despite his stern look. Meng Ruqing also often greeted them, and over time the villagers dared to talk to them.
Now they were chatting enthusiastically, and the aunties were filling the two of them in on the glorious deeds of the Zheng family's eldest son.
"Back when Zheng Daniu was little, his parents went to his mother's family to help with the rice harvest. His mother even baked a big flatbread—this big, like a basin—and hung it around his neck. She was afraid that if she left it in the kitchen, he'd be too lazy to go get it and would go hungry."
"With Daniu like that, even if he gets a wife, I bet he'll be too lazy to consummate the marriage."
"Exactly—consummating a marriage is hard work, you know!"
Qin Hengxuan nodded solemnly along with the two men beside him.
Zhao Ger saw that the two of them seemed to have completely blended in, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
After staying in Pingxiang Village for about a month, once Fang Zichen had arranged everything, Qin Hengxuan reluctantly took Fang Zichen back to the border.
He had originally planned to start hiring people to blast the mountain after the New Year, but Qin Hengxuan couldn't stay long. The Left Chancellor hadn't stepped down yet, so it wouldn't do to remain at the border for too long. This trip had only been possible because Xia Jinghong had granted him special favor.
Qin Hengxuan said Old Madam Qin really wanted to meet him, and that meeting her meant getting silver.
Well, then that meeting was very necessary.
After Fang Zichen finished handling matters on that side, he took Zhao Ger and the children back with Qin Hengxuan.
As for the matter in Anxi County, Yang Mingyi said he could handle it.
Fang Zichen didn't want word about the explosives to get out. You know a person's face but not their heart. He didn't dare let Zhang Quan and the others do it—those men were openly Xia Jinghong's people, but his Legend of Zhen Huan wasn't watched for nothing. What if one or two of them had ill intentions and were plants sent by outsiders?
Legend of Zhen Huan: A classic Qing Dynasty palace drama about a young concubine's rise to power through survival and scheming in the imperial harem.]
But he trusted Yang Mingyi. After all, they had known each other so long, and he could see what kind of person the other was.
This matter just needed to follow the plan. Fang Zichen had explained everything clearly, and he had also taught Yang Mingyi how to make the explosives hands-on.
Yang Mingyi was truly clever—and being a ger, he was also meticulous. He caught on quickly.
Fang Zichen left Zhang Quan and ten imperial guards behind, placing them entirely under Yang Mingyi's command.
This was a major undertaking, so Fang Zichen wrote a letter in his own hand, instructing the yamen staff in Anxi County to also follow Yang Mingyi's directions.
In the fifth lunar month, Fang Zichen and his group finally reached the border.
The Qin family army had sent word ahead long ago, but the journey was long and they couldn't pin down an exact return date. Old Madam Qin and the Left Chancellor's wife had been estimating the timing and frequently came outside to wait.
They were truly anxious.
The Left Chancellor's wife had met Fang Zichen back in the capital and had spent some time with him, but Old Madam Qin had never met him. Most of what she knew about Fang Zichen came from others' accounts, and now she missed him dearly.
Today, as usual, they came out to take a look. After waiting half an hour with no sign of anyone—
The journey from Hezhou to their place took over a month, but traveling with children would likely slow them down.
Zhong Momo was about to persuade them to go back inside—it was sunny out—when a young soldier shouted.
"Old Madam, they're back! The young master is back!"
Old Madam Qin whipped around to look.
The convoy was approaching from afar, led by a young man at the front, holding two chubby little kids in his arms.
Old Madam Qin recognized them—it was Gungun and Dandan.
The young man had a fair complexion that dazzled the eyes, a face like a jade crown, deep and handsome features that stood out remarkably. He looked very much like Meng Ruqing, yet there was something more "wild" about him than Meng Ruqing.
Even on horseback, he was clearly tall and lean with broad shoulders. His manner was rather cold, making him seem somewhat unapproachable.
Guaizai rode beside him on horseback, saying something while shaking his head enthusiastically. Fang Zichen laughed—looking extraordinarily sunny, the kind of sight that made it impossible to look away.
"Is that Zichen?" Old Madam Qin asked the Left Chancellor's wife nervously.
Though it had been three years, Fang Zichen hadn't changed much.
The Left Chancellor's wife smiled. "Yes, that's him."
"He really does look exactly like Qing Ger." Old Madam Qin was overwhelmed with emotion, and unconsciously grew nervous. Her palms were slick with a thin layer of sweat. "Sister, does this outfit of mine look alright? Does it make me look too old-fashioned? The wind picked up earlier—is my hair a mess?"
The Left Chancellor's wife laughed. "Your clothes are just perfect, Sister, and your hair isn't messy at all. Don't worry."
Old Madam Qin let out a breath of relief.
When the convoy reached them, Fang Zichen saw Old Madam Qin and thought she looked rather plump, kind-faced, and amiable.
As soon as he dismounted, Old Madam Qin came forward, overjoyed. She wanted to hug him but was afraid of startling him, so she only called out in a trembling voice: "Zichen."
At the thought of getting silver, Fang Zichen was delighted. And when he was happy, his mouth ran sweet—most people simply couldn't resist him. He smiled obediently:
"Grandma."
Old Madam Qin froze for a moment, then looked at him as if in slow motion. That single word, "Grandma," made her heart feel both sour and tingly, yet full to bursting — a feeling she couldn't put into words. Overcome with emotion, she said, "Ai. Come, come closer, let Grandma get a good look at you."
Fang Zichen bent down. Old Madam Qin touched his head, then his face, and tears fell. "...My grandson is truly handsome."
Fang Zichen thought Old Madam Qin really knew how to talk. "Grandma, you have excellent taste. I love dealing with people who have good taste like you."
Seeing how utterly un-humble he was, Old Madam Qin wiped her tears and chuckled.
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