When Wang Kai entered the main hall and saw a room full of children, before he could speak, Duan Yuxing took the lead and saluted and called uncle, followed by Duan Siyu.
The children of the Duan family are very close to each other on weekdays. When they see the eldest sister, they call her uncle, and the other children follow suit and call her uncle.
"Meet uncle!"
"Hello, uncle!"
They are all children of the same generation, so there is nothing wrong with calling them that.
Seeing the group of children surrounding him, the boy was tall, strong and smart, and the girl was gentle and lovely. Wang Kaizhi was immersed in the long and short uncle's voice, enjoying the joy of having a good harvest for his nephew!
Mrs. Wang stood aside and watched with amusement, and introduced several sons and sisters-in-law of the Duan family to her younger brother who was grinning from ear to ear.
Wang Kaizhi straightened his smile and leaned forward to greet the other members of the Duan family one by one.
Wang Kaizhi had exchanged many letters with the Wang family before. He knew about the ups and downs of the Duan family. He was full of talents but could not hold an official position. He had missed many exams due to family changes, so he consciously did not mention the imperial examinations and read Duan alone.
Ming looked at him respectfully.
After all, Duan Mingjing's name appeared in "Farming Notes".
The second master of the Duan family has been admitted as a scholar for so many years. He originally thought he had no luck in studying. Now that he thinks about it, he must have been taught by the old lady in the family. He has noble aspirations and does not like the fame and fortune of officialdom.
Seeing that Duan Mingjing was dressed in plain clothes, which was not the usual luxury for a marquis' son, Wang Kaizhi had a preconceived impression of Duan Mingjing. Shi Xiyuan looked at Duan Mingjing in the same way and looked up at him.
After meeting the Duan family, the old lady arrived late.
It's not that Qiao Lan came late on purpose, it was mainly because he received it this autumn and Qiao Lan had to go to the village to keep an eye on it.
Today happened to be the day to go to Zhuangzi. After going back and forth and queuing into the city, I was a little late. Qiao Lan knew that someone from the Wang family was coming, but she didn't know what day it was.
Now meeting Wang Kaizhi, Qiao Lan, as the host, praised Wang Kaizhi in a high-sounding manner. Qiao Lan had heard these polite words that should be used among wealthy families in recent days, and learned a lot from them.
The old lady who headed the house was kind and kind, and the delicious food on the table made Wang Kaizhixiang bewildered. The smile on his face never stopped until he finished the meal.
After the banquet, Wang Kaizhi stayed in the hall and chatted with the Duan family for a few words.
When children see an uncle in their family, they inevitably ask a few questions.
For example, where did my uncle come from? How old is my uncle? Is my uncle full? Is my uncle getting married this year?
A few years ago, the children in the family were not asked about getting married. It was after Duan Sitong got married this year that he learned about it. A few days ago, he asked the servants in the house. When he saw strangers, he did not dare to ask casually due to etiquette.
Now that a new uncle has arrived, it is different. Wang Kaizhi is the first person to receive such treatment.
Wang Kaizhi answered them all with a smile, "I came from Xiliang, and I got married when I was young. It has been seven years now, and I have a young daughter at home, who is now five years old."
When they heard the name of Xiliang, the children at home became interested and asked what kind of place Xiliang was and its characteristics.
Xiliang is located northwest of Beijing, covered with dust and yellow sand, as well as large expanses of grassland.
Wang's natal family was born in Wen, and after being sent abroad, she went to work as a civilian in the Xiliang Army.
Qiao Lan listened on the sidelines. Although she had never been there, she could still imagine what Xiliang was like. It was not as prosperous as the capital, but was restricted by the terrain and had difficult conditions.
As he spoke, Qiao Lan looked at the few servants behind Wang Kaizhi.
The two young men standing side by side were plain-looking, with low eyebrows, but the old servant had a particularly different temperament, and his posture was much more upright than the others. He should be serving in the military.
Shi Xiyuan felt the gaze from the host and turned slightly.
That gaze should be that of Lady Huitian. What was she looking at him for? Could it be that she recognized who he was?
Shi Xiyuan just thought about it and quickly dismissed the thought in his mind. He had been away from Beijing for so many years, and even when he was young, he might not recognize him standing here.
What's more, Lady Huitian, who has never been masked before, should be looking at Wang Xiaolangjun in front of him.
Wang Kaizhi had a tiring journey, and the Duan family didn't let him talk for too long. They greeted him briefly and asked him to go back to his room to settle down.
It's still early for Duan Sitong to get married, so it won't be too late to say anything in a few days.
Back in the guest room, Wang Kaizhi just wanted to invite Shi Xiyuan to go to the capital for some fun in the next two days. It would be a pity not to go out and have a look after coming all the way, so Shi Xiyuan spoke up.
"Wang Xiaolangjun, I plan to go out early tomorrow morning to look for someone."
Wang Kaizhi's invitation was stuck in his throat, but he still smiled gently and said: "I don't know what I can do to help Mr. Shi with the missing persons matter. If Mr. Shi has any use for me, just ask!"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Wang Xiaolang!"
"Mr. Shi's words are serious, it's just a little effort."
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Wang Kaizhi watched Shi Xiyuan go back to the side room, then slowly closed the door.
It’s fine if you don’t go, it’ll be easy for him if he doesn’t go.
It was a pity that he could only enjoy the beautiful scenery of the capital alone.
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When it comes to eating, drinking and having fun... no, when it comes to the various scenery in the capital, no one knows it better than Duan Mingjing.
After the release of "Farming Notes", Duan Mingjing would go to the bookstore from time to time to check the progress. He continued to paint. In addition, he did not have to take the imperial examination, so he was generally very free.
The responsibility of entertaining the in-laws' guests naturally fell on him. Qiao Lan also specifically asked the accountant to give Duan Mingjing a hundred taels of silver to eat and drink at his own expense.
Duan Mingjing also tried his best to take Wang Kaizhi to several elegant places for literati in the capital.
I admired the red leaves in the distant mountains, drank tea from the Kuquan Temple, saw the largest bookstore and the most prosperous street market in the capital, and listened to a few exotic songs and dances, all of which were suitable for all ages.
He didn't dare to go to any place that looked a little bit powdery. In addition to being afraid that his mother would beat him, he was even more afraid of losing her mother's face. Since he, a son, can't win glory for his mother outside, let alone do it for his mother.
To be ugly.
Wang Kaizhi went out with Duan Mingjing for a few days to enjoy the prosperity of the capital and bought gifts for everyone in the family, old and young.
Later, he was also concerned about Shi Xiyuan's progress and asked how the person he was looking for was doing.
Shi Xiyuan said with a bit of relief on his brow: "I found him. The man lives a hundred miles away from the capital. I asked someone to send the letter and he will come to the capital in two days."
Wang Kaizhi was a little relieved after hearing this, and remembered that Duan Mingjing had mentioned that he would take him to the bookstore and Zhuangzi tomorrow. That was the place where the lady who wrote "A Note on Farming" farmed the land herself, so it was unique.
When the people waiting for Mr. Shi didn't come, he invited him: "Mr. Shi, would you like to go with me to the Duan family's village tomorrow?"
Shi Xiyuan rarely refused and nodded in agreement.