Jiang Yuqing and his disciple leisurely traveled together, enjoying the scenic mountains and rivers along the way. They arrived at Xijin Ferry a day before the Lunar New Year.
From a distance, Jiang Yuqing noticed a group of children gathered around a bonfire in a harvested rice field, roasting something.
Jiang Yuqing speculated that they were either burning corn or roasting sweet potatoes.
Feeling playful, Jiang Yuqing immediately halted the carriage and instructed her master to go ahead while she stayed behind to play with the children for a while before returning home.
Doctor Qiu had always felt that his young disciple was exceptionally mature. She lacked friends of the same age and was missing the youthful energy and joy that young people should have.
Rarely did she show such a playful side, so he did not object. He smiled and said, "Go ahead, play for a while and then come back!"
Meanwhile, the children also noticed her carriage.
Xijin Ferry was now the wealthiest village in Qingzhou. It was not uncommon to see donkey carts or mule carts in every household, but a carriage like this was still a rarity.
What made it even more peculiar was the presence of a beautiful deer walking beside the carriage.
As the carriage approached, it suddenly came to a stop, and a very pretty young lady in a pink dress, with a lotus flower on her forehead, jumped off the carriage.
Jiang Yuqing and Bai Xiaoshi jumped down from the road embankment and crossed a ditch to reach the bonfire. Jiang Yuqing asked the children, "What are you roasting? Can I join you?"
One curious child asked, "Who are you? Where did you come from?" Jiang Yuqing was taken aback and felt a sudden uneasiness.
These children were all very young, around five or six years old. The last time she visited her hometown was five years ago, and these children were either just born or still very young. Even if they remembered, they would have forgotten by now.
It seemed to confirm the saying, "Children meeting each other are like strangers. They laugh and ask where the visitor comes from."
Jiang Yuqing smiled and took out a handful of sugar candies from her bag and distributed them to the children, saying, "I am also from this village. But I have been away for a long time and rarely come back, so you don't recognize me."
The children were delighted with the candies and quickly accepted this beautiful and generous young lady.
Jiang Yuqing, being sociable, picked up some straw scattered in the field, placed it under her buttocks, and sat down around the bonfire.
It was a rare day with a clear sky, no wind, and the smoke rising straight up without bothering anyone.
The child who had spoken to her earlier dug out a sweet potato from the bonfire, slightly burnt on one side, and wrapped it in a dry banana leaf. He handed it to her and said, "Sister, this is for you. It's delicious."
Jiang Yuqing didn't mind and accepted the sweet potato, peeled off the burnt parts, blew on it, and started eating.
Perhaps the fire was too intense and the potato wasn't turned over, so one side was charred while the other side remained uncooked. Nevertheless, she finished eating it.
Seeing that she had finished, the child happily handed her a handful of clean rice kernels.
Jiang Yuqing thanked him and then asked, "What's your name, and how old are you?"
The child replied, "I'm Jiang Linyou, and I'm six years old."
He turned out to be a child from her own family.
"Are you from the Lin generation? Then you can't call me sister, you should call me Auntie. I should be of the same generation as your father."
The young boy couldn't quite grasp the concept of generational hierarchy and scratched his head in confusion. He said, "My dad's name is Hua Zai."
Upon hearing that, Jiang Yuqing became delighted and said, "So you're Hua Zai's brother. I am the granddaughter of your great-grandfather. My name is Jiang Yuqing!"
The young boys were amazed and their eyes widened. Jiang Linyou jumped up with joy and exclaimed, "I know, you're our family's princess aunt! My grandpa said you're amazing, you're the most talented girl in our Great Xia!"
Jiang Yuqing smiled and said, "Really? You're all amazing too. Are you studying?"
The boys replied in unison, "Yes, we are."
Some said they had already learned many characters, some claimed they could read thousands of words, and one even said he wanted to become a top scholar like his brother.
Jiang Yuqing praised each of them and took out some small trinkets she had bought in the capital city from her bag and handed them out as encouragement.
Afterwards, Jiang Yuqing and the boys roasted some rice grains to eat, and faint shouts could be heard from the direction of the village entrance.
Jiang Yuqing knew that the activities for the day had come to an end. She bid farewell to the boys and rode off on her white horse, Bai Xiaoshi, towards home.
Halfway there, she ran into her grandmother, Old Lady Hu, and her second aunt, Zhu.
Jiang Yuqing leaped off the deer's back and happily rushed over to hug them. "Grandma, Auntie Zhu, I've missed you so much!"
Auntie Zhu, tears in her eyes, said, "We missed you too. You naughty girl, you haven't come home to visit for so many years. You've grown up into a youngwoman."
The village road was bustling with people coming and going, so it wasn't a suitable place for a conversation. After a brief exchange of affection, the three of them turned back and headed home.
Auntie Zhu noticed Bai Xiaoshi and exclaimed with joy, "Oh, our Xiaoshi has also returned. He has grown up a bit and is still so beautiful!"
Bai Xiaoshi let out a soft sound in response.
On the way, they encountered other elders from the village, and Jiang Yuqing greeted each of them.
Word quickly spread that the grandniece of the Jiang family had returned.
When Jiang Yuqing arrived at the doorstep of her home, she found everyone waiting for her except those who were out. Her grandfather, second uncle, third aunt, her one-year-old nephew, Linye, and all the household servants were there.
After years of separation, there was naturally a flurry of greetings and catching up.
When asked about the other family members, Old Lady Hu said that today was her eldest son's father-in-law's sixtieth birthday celebration, so her eldest son, Jiang Wenkang, had gone to the Lin family to offer congratulations.
Her third brother, Jiang Yuhu, was out collecting debts, and her fourth brother, Jiang Yuhai, and fifth brother, Jiang Yuming, were away for further studies. They had sent letters saying they wouldn't be coming home for the New Year this year.
Her sixth brother, Jiang Yushan, had a classmate who was getting married today, so he was invited to be the best man.
After a while, Jiang Yuqing began distributing gifts to her family. They were all unique and special products she had collected from various places during her travels throughout the country.
Especially for little Linye, whom she was meeting for the first time, Jiang Yuqing not only gave him many fascinating toys but also presented him with a jade talisman for protection, which had become a standard item for the Jiang family.
Jiang Yuqing also shared some stories about her experiences in Fuzhou.
The novel tells the story of romance in Fuzhou, depicting the joy of clamming and the hardships faced by the people of Fuzhou under the menace of Japanese pirates.
It portrays the clever dolphins and gigantic blue whales that played a significant role in the defense of Fuzhou.
When people heard that a few flicks of the blue whale's tail could crush a large ship, their mouths were left agape in astonishment.
In the end, Old Jiang jokingly remarked, "If we catch such a huge fish, we could salt it and make dried fish. That would be enough meat for a lifetime, wouldn't it?"
Old Lady Hu clicked her tongue and said, "Why bother catching it? Just live inside its belly. Whenever you feel like eating, you can cut a piece of meat to stew. Not only would it be fresh, but you'd also save on the salt for curing meat. How convenient."
Laughter filled the room.
Later, they learned that Yan Deyin had given birth to a healthy baby boy, which brought even more joy to everyone.
Especially Old Lady Hu, who couldn't stop smiling. With wealth and prosperity at home and children and grandchildren all around, she truly embodied the spirit of an esteemed elder.
At noon, Second Aunt Zhu personally cooked a table full of delicious dishes to welcome the teacher and disciple.
Having not tasted the authentic flavors of their hometown for many years, Jiang Yuqing couldn't help but eat until she was full.
After taking a short rest, Jiang Yuqing immediately went to the backyard vegetable garden.
She saw that the garden was filled with common winter vegetables like radishes and cabbage.
So she took a hoe and cleared some space, sowed other vegetable seeds, and watered them with the spring water, giving them a little boost.
By the time Chinese New Year arrived, they would have something to eat.
The rice at home was all grown in their own fields. Although it was refined white rice, it couldn't compare to the spirit-produced rice from the Ling Realm.
The spirit rice that Jiang Yuqing brought back last time had been consumed years ago.
So she replenished the family granary with a new batch, enough to feed the family for another two or three years.
She also brought out a batch of homemade grape wine, fruit wine, and other fine wines from the Ling Realm.
Whether for personal consumption or entertaining guests, they were all indispensable.
Busy throughout the afternoon, Jiang Yuqing didn't feel tired at all. Instead, she felt a profound sense of security and contentment welling up from the bottom of her heart.
In the evening, the elders who had been out returned home and were overjoyed to see their beloved granddaughter (niece/sister) back home.
Old Jiang cautiously asked, "Dear darling, since you've returned now, you must spend the Lunar New Year at home before going out again, right?"
Jiang Yuqing replied, "Yes, Grandfather. I plan to stay at home for a while longer and head to the capital after the first month!"
Old Jiang immediately beamed and said, "That sounds great!"
On the following day, the Kitchen God's Day, the family cleaned the house. Since Jiang Yuqing had nothing to do, she casually informed the elders and took Bai Xiaoshi for a stroll around the village.
After fermenting overnight, everyone knew she had returned. Now, seeing her out and about, they eagerly invited her to their homes for tea, snacks, and a chat.
Especially the village elders, who seemed particularly interested in certain happenings in the royal family.
They would ask questions like the Emperor's age and the number of sons and daughters he had.
Jiang Yuqing would reply that the current Emperor had two princes and three princesses.
One of the senior members of the clan said, "Why doesn't the emperor have more sons with such a large family business?"
Another immediately retorted, "What's the point of having so many? If a war breaks out for the throne, it's us common folks who will suffer."
Jiang Yuqing quickly interrupted them, fearing they would say something dreadful. "Gentlemen, please stop. Discussing the royal family like this is a grave offense that could land us in prison."
That silenced them. Jiang Yuqing hurriedly changed the subject.
She had received numerous invitations, but in order to treat everyone equally, she had to sit in one home for a while and have a cup of tea in another. By the end of the morning, she had consumed a bellyful of water. It truly was overwhelming hospitality.
If she weren't a cultivator, she would have visited the restroom several times by now.
In the afternoon, she took Bai Xiaoshi and went around the village.
They went to see the Qing River, which had become shallower during the dry season. The riverbank was covered in cobblestones and tall weeping willow trees with fallen leaves, along with several small boats tied under the trees.
The reeds on the sandbank had turned yellow, but new shoots were sprouting from their roots. It was evident that the banks of the Qing River in winter were not entirely desolate; they also held the hope of spring.
In the empty fields along the river, lush green grass and various wild vegetables such as shepherd's purse, white-flowered vegetables, and wild amaranth had grown.
Jiang Yuqing even discovered a bunch of green grass mushrooms, which she brought home to make a bowl of fresh soup.
In the distance, there were young shepherds on winter break, herding their cattle, sheep, or donkeys while roasting sweet potatoes over a fire.
Occasionally, joyful laughter and the sounds of animals could be heard in the wilderness.
The air was filled with a sense of joy, tranquility, and carefree freedom. This kind of atmosphere was probably the sense of belonging that only a hometown could provide!
