Lessons

Su Chenyu's temper had finally reached its limit. He strode forward, landing a solid kick that sent the intruder flying to the ground, his body sliding another two meters before coming to a halt.

"Some jerk puncturing my rear—I've seen enough! This is the first time I've ever encountered anyone more arrogant than my dear little self! " As he spoke, Su Chenyu unleashed a barrage of kicks onto Lu Yao's sprawling body.

"Hold it! How dare you lay hands on our young master? Are you tired of breathing?" The servant stumbled over, finally snapping back to his senses. He never expected someone would lay a hand on his young master.

"I think you two are blind and ignorant. You don't even know which people in the capital you can't afford to offend. Do you only know one person in the Prime Minister's Mansion?" Su Chenyu said.

The commotion in the main hall had drawn attention from the rest of the Xu family, who rushed out of their rooms.

When Qibao arrived, she found a man lying on the ground, clutching his stomach and curled up like a shrimp, his face contorted from the pain. The servant nearby was flustered, trying to help him up.

"What's going on?" Qibao asked.

Su Chenyu explained the man's intentions and how he ended up there.

Qibao's face darkened with anger. This man had dared to insult her brother and the Xu family. She turned to Yueyang, her voice cold as she commanded: "Yueyang, drag him out of the Xujia Village and break his jaw."

"Yes, miss!" Yueyang materialized out of nowhere. In a flash, he was in front of everyone, dragging the man out of the room like a dead dog.

The manservant was terrified, but he couldn't help spitting out one last threat: "Just you wait. Our master won't let this go."

With that, he ran after his young master, who had already been hauled a good distance away.

"Wow! Qibao is amazing! Who knew she had such a powerful ally by her side?" Su Chenyu expressed his surprise.

The old man fretted: "Chenyu, don't you think we might have offended the prime minister?"

"It's no problem." Su Chenyu replied: "It's half a month's journey from the capital to here. Besides, that county governor is only a fourth-rank official. The Prime Minister's Mansion isn't about to waste time over him. As long as I'm here, the Xu family will be fine."

By now, everyone in the Xu family, young and old, knew what had happened.

Madam Wen spoke up: "Auntie, my Wen family has some connections in the capital too. We might not be as powerful as the Prime Minister's Mansion and my husband is also a fourth-rank official. If that Governor Lu really dares to send people to harass the Xu family, the Wen Manor won't sit by and do nothing."

Mrs. Wang smiled: "Thank you, Madam Wen. I appreciate your kindness. I never expected so many people would try to get Xu Wenwu on their side, even before the exams."

Su Chenyu said: "Grandma Xu, don't underestimate Wenwu's status as a juren. He is only fifteen years old, and he is already a jieyuan. You can imagine that he will have a chance to compete for the top spot in the future. It was understandable that they wanted to win over Wenwu before he rises to prominence."

Mrs. Li added: "That brat earlier seemed like trouble. I bet his father isn't any good either. If they can't persuade people to join them, they'll threaten them. We shouldn't have anything to do with people like that."

Xu Wenwu said: "Second Aunt, I understand."

Yueyang came back and reported: "Miss, the person has been thrown out!"

Qibao nodded.

Su Chenyu walked around Yueyang, touching his chin with his hand, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"Hey! I'll give you five thousand taels, how about you follow me?" Su Chenyu tempted.

Yueyang replied firmly: "Yueyang belongs to the miss, whether alive or in death."

"Heh!" Su Chenyu chuckled: "You sure are loyal, kid."

Qibao's smile was hard to read as she challenged: "If you can convince anyone from my side to turn traitor, I'll consider you truly impressive."

Su Chenyu said: "Forget it. I don't want your lackeys. I'll pay. Just teach me how to make my subordinates devotedly loyal to me, how about that?"

Qibao replied: "Look! Don't you already have someone devotedly loyal to you?"

Su Chenyu nearly jumped up and down in frustration: "You mean that chubby girl? No way! She's good for what? All she does is eat!"

Qibao warned: "Don't regret this later. She's slowly changing already. Haven't you noticed her belly is smaller now?"

Nonchalantly, Su Chenyu retorted: "I haven't noticed. It's still the same as before—her belly comes first before the rest of her. Besides, why would I constantly stare at her belly? I'm not some weirdo!"

Mrs. Wang chimed in, breaking up the bickering: "Stop arguing, both of you. It's almost time for lunch. Go wash your hands."

After the meal, the old man Xu went out. Watching villagers bustling about, he nodded with satisfaction.

Tables and chairs were set up outside each house, where tourists sat enjoying their meals. The enticing aroma wafting from their plates spoke volumes about the delicious food.

Some tourists, truly impressed, even paid for accommodation, choosing to stay with a couple of villagers for a few days.

The villagers couldn't stop smiling. They were almost giddy about the money they'd earned from the non-resident-permissions envelope, and there was no making fun of them, considering they earned more than their own sons working in the greenhouses.

With their sons working in the greenhouses, their sons' wives working at the tavern, and themselves running their own businesses, everyone in the family was working hard and earning cash. That was how they made their living.

Business for the food vendors at the foot of the mountain was also booming. They sold traditional snacks you couldn't buy anywhere else. The enticing aroma drew in lots of customers, and nibbling on the greasy snacks while taking in the view was quite a treat.

"Everyone, I have something important to tell you. There's a field of red plum trees in front of our village. In winter, you can come see the flowers and have plum blossom cakes. It's a real treat you don't want to miss."

"The flower fields behind the village are also open at night for everyone to see. The view is different from the daytime."

The old man followed the voice and looked up to see one of the patrol team members talking. He was surprised—this young man seemed to have potential. He made a mental note and walked back home, hands clasped behind his back.

"Old man, you seem to be in high spirits." Mrs. Wang said: "Did something good happen while you were out?"

The old man smiled: "Wife, our decision back then was the right one. The residents of Xingfu Home have been a great help this time. They've been running around assisting, and there are a few among them worth nurturing."

Mrs. Wang smiled: "They've all come from impoverished backgrounds. They know how hard-earned our current comforts are, and they want to give back. If you don't let them contribute, they'd feel uneasy. Just make sure they don't work for nothing."

After work, the workers at the distillery saw the crowd and were startled at first. But soon they became excited and joined their parents to greet the guests.

As the sky gradually darkened, many people heard that the night view was even more beautiful, so they stayed to enjoy the sight.

Silver moonlight spilled over the ground, and the air filled with the scents of various flowers, weaving into a soft veil that enveloped everything. In the night, each flower and tree seemed less real than in the daylight.

The flower field was surrounded by many guests who had finished their meals and come out for a stroll. Under the light of the moon and stars, the paths were clearly visible. A gentle breeze swept over, causing the flower field to sway softly. Everything looked truly magical, a hazy beauty that imprinted itself on everyone's eyes.

"Wow! How beautiful! My clothes are already picking up the floral scent!" a young girl exclaimed, clearly delighted.

"I feel like we should write a poem for such a scene." a scholarly man suggested, his head bobbing slightly.

"Good, I'll go first!"

"Between the flowers, on my way home, I dare not blow too hard, for fear of losing sight. The sea echoes with cries, the county westward lies, Mountains under moonlit night, river's candle fading bright, Here beauties are out of reach, my heart aches silently."

"It's good, but a bit abrupt. Let's just focus on the scenery."

"That's exactly what I'm doing! Aren't these beauties themselves part of the scenery?"