Chapter 342: Elder Sister Is Back
Fan Cheng complied respectfully, promising that he would definitely manage things well for Miss.
The wrinkles on Old Man Wen’s face bunched together from his smile, looking at him with deep gratification laced with a touch of sympathy.
Wen Yao, on the other hand, took Old Man Wen’s reaction into her eyes, merely offering a faint smile.
Old Master wants to dodge? Once the New Year passes, let’s see if he can dodge it.
Come evening, the several children attending school returned. No sooner had the horse carriage come to a steady halt than Datou caught sight of the horse carriage parked before their gate.
“Is my sister back?!” With joy surfacing on Datou’s face, he paid no mind to whether Wang Zhao had brought the carriage to a steady stop or not, taking a flying leap straight off the carriage.
Wang Zhao subconsciously reached out to catch him, yet withdrew his hand upon seeing Datou land smoothly on the ground.
“Sister! Sister!” Datou sprinted into the house, spotting Wen Yao’s figure in the kitchen.
Wen Yao was in the middle of cooking when she felt someone sprint straight toward her, throwing himself tightly into her arms.
“Sister, Sister, you’re finally back!” Datou raised his head to look at Wen Yao. Though they hadn’t seen each other for merely a few days, he felt as if several months had passed.
Wen Yao was almost knocked over by him. Seeing how close the siblings were, Old Madam Luo smiled at the corners of her mouth, yet scolded from her lips: “Aren’t you afraid of knocking your sister straight into the wok?”
Hugging Wen Yao by the waist, Datou offered a cheeky smile to Old Madam Luo: “No way, I held my strength back!”
Wen Yao patted his head with fond delight: “Alright now, your master is back too—aren’t you going to report to him quickly?”
After clinging to her affectionately for a short while, Datou ran out of the kitchen: “Going right now!”
Watching his departing figure, Wen Yao only then resumed preparing the evening’s dishes.
Jin Xiuyi and Xie Anyi wanted to run toward the kitchen as well, yet sadly, the two were a step slower than Datou, called away by Xun Feng the moment they stepped through the gate under the pretext of checking whether they had slacked off these past days.
Along with them, Wen Nong and Wen Fa were dragged off to the foot of the back mountain as well. Hearing their commotion, Wen Ying wanted to go as well, but Lady Li had found a stick from who knows where, currently carrying a stool to sit at the doorway of the two sisters’ room to guard them.
Su Shilan had officially begun conducting lessons for Wen Di and Wen Ying, currently holding class over at the old compound.
Forget going to join in the fun—Wen Ying couldn’t even step out of this room’s door.
Fan Ziyi and Fan Ziling remained in their own room; after all, having just arrived, they didn’t know what they could do either.
As for Fan Cheng, his routine had changed from following Wen Yao to following Old Man Wen, gaining a bit-by-bit understanding of the family’s various industries, and had not returned yet.
“What are you making? It smells so fragrant!” Carrying his hands behind his back, Qiu Zhi strolled casually into the kitchen, catching the aroma the moment he reached the doorway.
Wen Yao called out: “Uncle Qiu, let’s have hotpot! It’s been a long time since we had a hotpot.”
Inside the wok, Wen Yao was frying a hotpot base. Frying the base now, she would pour it into square molds to cool down; whenever they wanted to eat it later, they could just pull a block out, add high broth to it, and eat.
Off to the side, Old Madam Luo brought Nanny Shi, Mingyue, and Minglan along to prepare side dishes—slicing what needed slicing, washing what needed washing, and arranging what needed arranging on plates.
Wen Xiuyi is nowhere to be seen all day nowadays. With the several youngsters at home off to school, Qiu Zhi had nothing to occupy his time, so he simply followed those who went to school, spending every day at the academy to occasionally deliver lectures to those scholars, living quite comfortably.
As for this Wen family, he was growing more and more accustomed to living here.
Seeing nothing he could help with, Qiu Zhi prepared to head to the study to read some books while waiting for the meal.
Since new people had arrived at home today, Old Madam Luo suggested everyone gather in one spot for the meal.
With far too many people, they simply refrained from moving indoors. Since everyone was eating hotpot anyway, they set up several tables right in the courtyard.
As if timing the meal perfectly, Old Man Wen led Fan Cheng back from outside.
“Dog-nosed—he smelled the food aroma and came back,” Old Madam Luo whispered under her breath to Wen Yao.
Unable to hold back her laughter, Wen Yao burst out with a hahaha that resounded throughout the kitchen.
Wen Xiuyi was the very last to return. The moment he returned, Old Madam Luo organized everyone to take their seats, and Fan Cheng saw a massive, bustling crowd of people each find their respective seats and sit down directly.
Master or servant alike, everyone sat together within a single courtyard.
Old Madam Luo stood at the doorway and called out: “Wang Zhao, Mu Li!”
The two were preparing to take their seats at the table, running over upon hearing the shout.
Old Madam Luo pointed to the pot beside them and the side dishes packed in baskets and food containers: “You two are quick on your feet—deliver these to Old Qin and the others. Go quickly and return quickly, or else the meat will be eaten up entirely by them in a moment.”
“Understood, we’re going right now!” The two answered, long devoid of the cold sternness and tension they harbored when first arriving at the Wen family. Carrying the items, they ran off, even deploying light功 skills just to hurry back sooner.
The several tables were filled to capacity before long.
Old Man Wen took his several sons and Qiu Zhi to sit at one table, while Old Madam Luo and her two daughters-in-law took Wen Yao and her three sisters at another.
With the New Year approaching, business at Wen Nong’s dock shop grew better and better by the day, with customers eating dinner at times as well, so he simply stayed at the shop, returning home once every two or three days.
Datou and his group sat together at one table, while Uncle Lu’s family, Nanny Shi, and the others split across two tables.
Su Shilan and Fan Cheng brought their two children out from their room, temporarily dazed on the spot.
Old Madam Luo walked over to Su Shilan, pulling her over to the women’s table: “Tutor Su, bring the children to sit with us—don’t feel self-conscious, we’re all family.”
Seeing so many people made Fan Ziling somewhat shy, yet Lady Li placed a piggy-shaped steamed bun in her bowl, and the little girl’s attention was instantly captured by this pretty bun.
Su Shilan felt somewhat awkward: “Old Mistress, I can just take Ling’er to sit with Nanny and the others.”
Old Madam Luo, however, pressed her down onto the stool directly: “Don’t bother with the trouble! Let’s do it like this for today. Eat, eat! You haven’t eaten hotpot before, right? I’ll teach you.”
Old Man Wen wanted to invite Fan Cheng to their table as well, but Fan Cheng didn’t go over, bringing his son along to join Uncle Lu’s table instead.
He knew his place, and had to keep his position straight—though not a slave, he was a servant, and couldn’t break the rules.
Catching sight of Fan Ziyi standing quietly beside Fan Cheng, Wen Yao suddenly slapped her forehead, recalling what she had forgotten.
“Uncle Qiu, bring Fan Ziyi along when you go to the academy tomorrow—he still needs to attend school!” Wen Yao shouted in a clear voice, drawing everyone’s attention instantly as all eyes fell squarely upon Fan Ziyi in unison.
The young lad grew nervous instantly, standing up to bow: “Miss, I am in no hurry.”
Qiu Zhi, however, cast a glance at him, setting his chopsticks down and asking, “Have you been studying at home all along?”
Fan Ziyi cupped his hands: “Yes, I was studying at an academy continuously when in the prefectural city.”
Qiu Zhi nodded: “Mm, then go to the academy together with them tomorrow—studies must not be neglected.” With that, he spoke no further, picking up his chopsticks to continue eating.
Under Heaven, eating was paramount.
Having just arrived, Fan Cheng and Fan Ziyi didn’t know who Qiu Zhi was yet, assuming he was merely a member of the masters of the Wen family seeing him seated at the main table.
Learning that Fan Ziyi was set to attend school as well, those at Datou’s table who attended school felt a sense of closeness instantly. Seeing him standing there somewhat awkwardly, Wen Fa set his chopsticks down and ran over.
“Come, come, come—come eat at our table!” With that, he scooped up his bowl, grabbed the lad, and pulled him over. Datou and the others hurriedly scooted over to make room for Fan Ziyi.
Fan Ziyi opened his mouth, which ultimately turned into merely two words: “Thank you.”
