The horse carriage moved smoothly along as the four siblings sat harmoniously within the cabin.
Xu Mo was well aware of everything that had transpired, yet he still listened placidly to his sister bragging about her accomplishments over this period of time with a faint smile on his face.
Although Jiang Sheng felt guilty inside, she still tried hard to maintain her composure, recounting blow-by-blow the events surrounding her opening a workshop.
Coupled with the innocent, oblivious Wen Zhiyun and the suspicious Chang Yan, the group was quite lively indeed.
"After careful deliberation, I've decided to rent a two-yard courtyard residence nearby. White Water Noodles are different from other things - they're exquisite and unique. There aren't many people who like them or can afford them. And with the low yield, two yards will be enough," Jiang Sheng nattered on smugly.
She absolutely refused to admit that she couldn't afford to rent a bigger four or five yard residence, much less a villa outside the city.
"It looks like you've been working very hard these days," Xu Mo murmured thoughtfully with a nod. "What a good girl."
Jiang Sheng's face immediately lit up with pride.
"However..." Xu Mo's tone shifted as his younger siblings eyed him apprehensively. He gave a faint smile, "Has there been no news of Second and Third Brother during this time?"
Jiang Sheng swallowed and replied, "N-No."
"It's shameful that Second and Third Brother haven't sent a single letter when we've been so worried about them here in Fengjing," Xu Mo murmured as he lowered his eyes, his tone flat. "When they return, we'll definitely settle accounts."
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed he was criticizing them indirectly.
Jiang Sheng grew increasingly nervous, her inner turmoil and anguish swallowing her up. Finally, as she was about to drown, she stretched out her little pudgy hand and grabbed Xu Mo's azure robe sleeve, pleading aggrievedly, "Big brother, there are some things we kept from you during these days of your exams...Can you please not be angry?"
Beside them, Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan instantly sat up straight: Sister, please don't use the pronoun "we" - it implicates the rest of us!
"Oh? Is that so?" Xu Mo's expression remained inscrutable.
Jiang Sheng sniffled as she recounted what had happened on the third day of the exams, not forgetting to defend herself, "You were in the middle of your critical exams at the time. We would have felt uneasy disturbing you."
The already implicated Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan could only force smiles and nod along.
They had assumed big brother would be angry and throw a tantrum while blaming them for keeping secrets.
Yet after a brief silence, the youth simply reached out and embraced his pearl-like little sister. "It must have really terrified you when it happened," he said gently.
Even during such a frightening moment, they still hadn't wanted to disturb his exams.
When he was younger, he would always get mad whenever he discovered he was being kept in the dark about something.
But as he matured, he realized that well-intentioned secrets stemmed from greater love and care.
"If I were you all, I would have hidden it from me during such a critical juncture too," Xu Mo said slowly. "But since my exams are over, you should have told me first instead of letting me hear about this from an outsider."
"I know I was wrong, big brother. There were just too many people around," Jiang Sheng mumbled. "I was planning to tell you when we got home."
That was the thing about secrets - the more one hid them, the more anxious one became. People slightly lacking in nerve and composure were better off being frank and aboveboard. What was the point of losing sleep over insignificant lies?
"What do you plan to do about this matter?" Xu Mo's expression was grave as the conversation returned to the main issue.
He had long known his younger brothers were unique and was prepared to rush into fire and boiling water for them. Yet he hadn't expected his precious baby sister to be the first to run into trouble.
The Jiang Family was such an enormous and influential household. If Xu Mo was the conniving sort of brother, he would have urged his sister to return by now.
But he wasn't.
From Ten Li Village up till now, Xu Mo's only wish was for his younger siblings to grow up happily.
He had studied bitterly when young and took the imperial civil service exams; he was upright and just. He was a guiding beacon and protective wing for his brothers and sisters. Although his strength was insignificant, as the eldest brother he would always stand at the foremost line no matter when or where.
Without hesitation or regret!
"Jiang Sheng, if you wish to return, your brothers will eternally protect you from behind," Xu Mo said, his tone shifting slightly. "If you don't want to go back, then even if a Jiang Family general returns from the borderlands to snatch you away, he won't succeed."
"Your big brother will hide you behind him. Anyone who tries to take you will have to step over big brother's corpse first!"
He was slender and scholarly, even killing a chicken took great effort on his part.
Yet when he spoke those words, it was as if the wind stirred his clothes, stirring up great passion within him.
Even Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun were moved, balling their fists as they declared, "We'll protect little sister too!"
But there was no wind within the carriage cabin.
Jiang Sheng almost laughed, yet before the corners of her lips could lift, her nose turned sour.
Pouting, she mumbled, "There won't be any need for stepping over corpses. Jiang Sheng won't let anyone harm big brother, not even the Jiang Family."
She had the best five brothers in the world who doted on her. What more could she ask for?
Whoever in the Jiang Clan wanted to return could do as they pleased; as for little sister, she only wanted to remain with her brothers forever and never be separated.
As they alighted from the carriage, the siblings were all smiles.
Passing the pile of ash by the entrance, Jiang Sheng instinctively glanced at it. It remained smooth and undisturbed.
Delighted voices rang out from within the house. "You're back! Ruqian sent a messenger with letter!"
Jiang Sheng turned away and bounded excitedly towards the house. "Second brother still has a conscience after all, even bothering to send us some news!"
Xu Mo lengthened his stride with Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan close behind.
Four little heads crowded together as they stared at the familiar scruffy handwriting.
Of the siblings, apart from Xu Mo who wrote beautiful characters with rich style and young fifth brother whose writing was legible, the rest were either too sloppy or barely decipherable, some characters only recognizable to the writer themselves.
Zheng Ruqian's writing was moderately untidy but the words could still be made out.
"Second brother said he's set up a bigger workshop in Anshui Prefecture and has already tapped into border trade channels," Chang Yan slowly read out in her mild voice.
"Second brother said the borderlands are bitterly cold and third brother has suffered many hardships. As brothers we have little capacity to help but can at least supply them meat."
"Second brother also said to help spread word among the prominent households of Fengjing to see if anyone needs goods delivered to relatives stationed in the border garrisons. But it'll cost them extra," Jiang Sheng added slyly at the end.
The family chuckled in unison. Second Brother Zheng would never conduct business at a loss. His business shrewdness and cunning was on full display.
But to dare propose delivering goods to military encampments - that had exceeded the family's expectations.
"Sending goods into the borderlands seems rather dangerous," Xu Mo frowned. "And delivering straight into military encampments means first obtaining permission from the local commander and going through stringent checks. Should anything go amiss, legal punishment would be difficult to evade."
One could say this was an endeavor full of toil yet little gain. While profits were uncertain, the risks were clearly visible.
This was also why businessmen were always reluctant to get entangled with officialdom. A job well done would be rewarded infinitely whereas failure carried unredeemable culpability.
