Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

When they were having dinner together in the evening, Song Jinbai was more respectful to Ji's father than before. After all, he would be his father-in-law in the future.

Ji's father seemed particularly happy to see Song Jinbai. He greeted Song Jinbai warmly, saying that it was getting late and he wanted to let him stay at the farm for one night. He also insisted on asking him to have a drink with him.

This is why, after returning from Qingzhou Prefecture, the brothers and sisters tacitly forgot to tell Ji's father and mother about Song Jinbai's identity. Otherwise, Ji's father would not have the courage to invite him to have dinner with them.

"Come on, come on, it's a rare opportunity for you to come here, come and have a few more drinks with me." Father Ji finished the wine in the glass with great interest, and picked up the wine jug to pour more.

Ji Nuan quickly took the wine jug from his hand and advised, "Dad, don't drink too much! You've already had several drinks. If you drink any more, you'll be drunk."

Father Ji smiled and nodded at Ji Nuan, saying lovingly, "Your mother isn't here, but you're taking care of your father. Okay, okay, my daughter is just caring about me, so I'll be obedient. I'll have one last drink and then we'll eat, okay?"

Ji Nuan smiled helplessly and compromised, "Then let's have one last drink. Keep your word."

After filling both of their glasses with wine, Ji Nuan placed the wine jug a little further away from them to prevent Ji's father from drinking secretly again.

"My daughter Nuannuan has always been smarter than other children. Even at such a young age, she knew how to find a master for herself. It was so funny back then... blah blah..."

"My daughter is the most filial, so much better than her cousin from her uncle's family. She's causing unrest in our family because of a useless husband. It's really a headache...blah blah..."

"No wonder people say a daughter is her father's little cotton-padded jacket. My daughter is more caring than those little brats at home. When those guys come back from going out, they don't even let me see a hair. Unlike my Nuannuan, she always thinks about me...blah blah..."

……

Father Ji might have drunk a little too much today and mistook Song Jinbai for his drinking buddy, Uncle Zhou, and kept talking to him.

Ji Nuan felt extremely embarrassed listening to this, and several Bishui Manors appeared right under her feet.

Song Jinbai listened to Ji's father's words very patiently, and from time to time he looked at Ji Nuan opposite him with a strange expression, and he couldn't suppress the raised corners of his mouth.

Finally, after some persuasion from Ji Nuan, Ji's father was finally coaxed back to his room to rest. Ji Nuan then slumped down in a chair, took a long breath, and a look of helplessness but also a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

Turning to look at Song Jinbai, she said, "My father gets a little nagging when he drinks too much. He says so much, just listen to it. I'll take you to the guest room to rest."

We finally managed to stay here, and now we have time to be alone together, so how can we not seize the opportunity?

Song Jinbai: "I can't sleep so early. Why don't we go out for a walk to help digest the food?"

It gets dark late in the summer, and at this time, it is not yet completely dark outside.

Ji Nuan glanced out the window. The scenery outside looked particularly charming in the afterglow of the sky. She was moved and accepted Song Jinbai's invitation.

The two walked out of the yard side by side, slowly walking along the path. The summer night breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness and comfort. The surrounding scenery in the hazy night added a touch of romance.

Ji Nuan asked, "Is the matter with the bandits settled?"

Song Jinbai chuckled, "How could I dare to come to you if it wasn't resolved? Don't worry, everything has been properly handled."

He looked around and after confirming that there was no one around, he moved closer to Ji Nuan without making a sound.

Their arms naturally pressed against each other, the backs of their hands occasionally touching each other gently, and finally he held them.

Ji Nuan felt Song Jinbai's little move, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She gently squeezed his hand and teased, "Aren't you worried that I will get rid of you?"

Song Jinbai's mood immediately became cheerful, his eyes sparkling, "I'm worried, but didn't you say we should give it a try?"

Ji Nuan glanced at him, a smile on her lips, then turned serious and said, "Can you tell me how the bandits and the Tongzhifu colluded? I've always been curious about this."

Song Jinbai nodded slightly, "Want to know? Then I'll tell you."

"Ah."

How did they collude?

Four years ago, Li Chuhao was a student at a local academy. His outstanding academic performance often earned him public praise from his teachers, sparking jealousy among his classmates. One of them, feeling Li Chuhao was stealing his thunder, became disgruntled and bribed a few village thugs to harass him.

These hooligans were secretly engaged in banditry and robbery. When they saw an opportunity, they simply returned to their old ways and robbed Li Chuhao. However, Li Chuhao was a smart man. Not only did he escape unharmed, he also subdued these bandits and became the third in command of Jinfeng Village.

Since Li Chuhao came up with the strategy, Jinfengzhai has developed rapidly and become a force that cannot be underestimated in the local area.

Later, Li Chuhao passed the imperial examination and made many connections. After attending the Fucheng Academy, he became a classmate of Xu Qing. Xu Qing was a flamboyant person who loved to be praised, and Li Chuhao, through his own tactics, easily became Xu Qing's friend.

The two of them had been together for a long time, and Xu Qing's several attempts to target others were all Li Chuhao's ideas. They used each other for their own needs, and eventually they colluded with each other.

Xu Qing's father was the Tongzhi. With this relationship, the bandits were able to escape the government's encirclement and suppression every time.

Ji Nuan frowned slightly and asked doubtfully, "Does Xu Tong know that his son is colluding with bandits? We didn't find any evidence related to bandits in his study."

Song Jinbai shook his head and replied, "He didn't know at first. After he led his men to suppress the bandits, he discovered something was amiss. When he came back to investigate, he found the cause was his son."

Ji Nuan continued, "Xu Tongzhi must have been furious and disappointed at first, but he soon realized that having this power wasn't bad. So, through Xu Qing, he used Jinfengzhai to do some dirty work for him. This way, he could maintain his clean image while secretly controlling some illegal activities. Is that right?"

Song Jinbai stopped and turned to face Ji Nuan. He smiled and pinched her little face, his eyes full of admiration: "My Nuan is so smart. She immediately understood what Xu Tongzhi was thinking."

Ji Nuan smiled faintly and said confidently, "What's so difficult about this! The fact that Xu Qing didn't get into trouble until now already proves that Xu Tongzhi has been protecting him the entire time. Among the letters we found in Jinfengzhai before, two of Xu Qing's letters were directed at officials from Kaiyun Prefecture. Xu Qing is just a commoner and has no dealings with those officials. He only targeted them at the behest of Xu Tongzhi."

Listening to Ji Nuan's clear analysis, Song Jinbai suddenly said: "Nuan'er, I want to hug you."

What's going on? We were just talking, why did he ask for a hug?

When you're in love, it's normal to want to cuddle. Ji Nuan walked closer to him and gently embraced his thin waist.

Song Jinbai hugged the person in his arms tightly, and countless rainbow bubbles suddenly surged in his heart, and the happiness was almost overflowing.

On the first day, I was able to hold the person in my arms, which was a big step towards success.