Zhenfubao waved his hand and the warehouse was full of grain, and the whole family regretted it

Bai Wanwan held the teacup and tapped the rim with her fingertips:

“No need to be extravagant, just something homely.

Steaming blue crabs is the best way to bring out their freshness. You can also make steamed scallops with vermicelli and garlic, blanched shrimps, or stew a pot of abalone and seafood soup.

With two dishes of refreshing seasonal vegetables, it's enough for several of us."

She looked at Huo Zhixing and added with a smile, "Zhixing is in the growth stage, so let's give him another pan-fried cod dish."

The butler responded one by one:

"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen and give them instructions to ensure the meal is served before twilight hour.

In addition, the island has recently brewed some peach wine, fermented with fresh peaches from outside the courtyard. It is sweet and mellow, and not too strong. Miss, would you like to try it?"

"Well, bring a jar." Bai Wanwan nodded in response, and the housekeeper bowed and retreated.

Huo Zhixing leaned against the window, looking at the peach petals flying outside the courtyard, and couldn't help but say, "Sister, this place is more comfortable than the house in Beijing. Even the wine is brewed with peach blossoms. It's so special!"

Bai Wanwan laughed:

“It’s a rare opportunity to come here, so naturally I need to take a good rest.

Go back to your room and put your luggage away, then take a rest. We'll go to the pier to watch the sunset later, and then come back for dinner."

The pier is lively and beautiful, with rows of fishing boats parked on the shore and the small flags on the masts fluttering in the wind.

Bai Wanwan took Huo Zhixing onto a small speedboat. Not long after the boat started, they saw the setting sun slowly sinking into the sea, dyeing the water golden red, which was so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off it.

The waiters on the boat brought over several plates of local famous pastries, which were soft, glutinous and sweet.

Huo Zhixing smacked his lips and sighed, "Sister, you're such a good picker! This place is much more beautiful than the capital. Why didn't you bring me here sooner?"

Bai Wanwan glared at him:

"You're so busy every day, how can you have time to come?

When I was on leave, you were either in the academy or practicing horseback riding and archery, so we never ran into each other."

Huo Zhixing scratched his head and nodded: "That's true. When I return to the capital, can I still come here?"

Bai Wanwan smiled and said:

"Of course, our ships have been equipped with new engines and are very fast. It only takes a few days to get here from the capital.

You can come anytime you want in the future. I also plan to invite my grandparents, parents and others to come and stay with us for a while."

Huo Zhixing suddenly sighed:

"I don't know what's going on in the capital now. A few days ago, I received a letter from my former playmate saying that everyone in the capital has spread rumors about you as a monster.

They say you are extremely ugly, your mouth is so big that it looks like you want to eat someone, and your waist is as thick as a bear's.

They also said that although you have done a good job in curing the South Border, it is so scary that you can’t even find a partner.”

Bai Wanwan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Is this true? They really dare to make it up."

Huo Zhixing was so angry that his face turned red, and he slapped the board:

"They are simply blind. My sister is obviously the most beautiful in the world, they are just jealous!

You have no ability yourself, but you just make up stories about others. It's so infuriating!"

Bai Wanwan took a sip from the teacup and said calmly:

“The fact that they are arranging me actually shows that I have abilities.

If I were mediocre and incompetent, why would they bother to envy me?"

In the evening they had a seafood feast and rested on the island for the night. At dawn the next day, they boarded the ship again and set off on their journey.

The day I returned to the capital, the sun was high in the sky and there was no cloud in the sky.

Bai Wanwan was wearing a brand new official uniform, sitting upright in the carriage, looking out the window at the familiar yet unfamiliar street scene, with a hint of warmth in her eyes.

The carriage slowly drove into the streets of General Huo's mansion and finally stopped steadily in front of the mansion gate.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and as Bai Wanwan stepped out, she saw that the entrance to the mansion was already surrounded by people.

Bai Qiaoniang paced back and forth on tiptoe at the door. General Huo and Mrs. Huo stood side by side on the steps, their eyes fixed on the direction of the carriage.

As soon as she landed, everyone rushed over. Mrs. Huo rushed over first and hugged her in her arms, her voice choked with sobs: "My son, I finally got you back!"

General Huo also stepped forward, frowned, and looked at her, sighing repeatedly:

"How come this kid is so thin?

Those people in Beijing say you have a broad back and strong waist, but you don't look strong at all! I will definitely give you a good nourishment when I get back!"

Mrs. Bai, Bai Yin, and a group of relatives and friends also gathered around, asking about his recent situation one after another, their eyes full of pity.

Bai Wanwan smiled and patted Madam Huo on the back: "Grandma, let's go back to the mansion and talk about it first. Let's go outside to dry out."

"Hey, there's a living person here!"

Huo Zhixing rolled his eyes and pretended to be aggrieved, "You only have eyes for my sister. I've been standing here for a long time, but no one has even glanced at me."

General Huo glared at him and said impatiently:

"You just came back. Why would you compare yourself to your sister? Your sister has been working hard outside for so many years. How can you compare to her?"

He turned to Bai Wanwan, his tone instantly softening: "Wanwan, come into the house quickly, we have prepared a table full of your favorite dishes for you."

The crowd surrounded Bai Wanwan as she walked in, still treating her as the little girl who needed care back then, and kept asking her about her well-being.

Bai Ning smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed into slits, and he patted his chest and said:

“This girl of ours is really trying to make herself proud!

The emperor has long said that the position of prefect of the Southern Territory is unfair to her, and this time when she returns to the capital, she must be promoted!"

There was a crisp sound of horse hooves outside the mansion, followed by a loud announcement from the housekeeper: "Eunuch Sun from the palace has arrived at our door..."

Hearing the sound, everyone looked towards the door.

Sun Quan walked in quickly with a smile on his face, holding the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand, followed by two young eunuchs.

Bai Wanwan immediately straightened the collar of his official uniform, stepped forward, and bowed, "Your Highness, I respectfully welcome you and accept your command."

General Huo, Mrs. Huo, and all the family members bowed in unison, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Sun Quan stopped, unfolded the imperial edict, cleared his throat and read:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Bai Wanwan, the prefect of the Southern Border, has served the Southern Border for eight years, caring deeply about the people and making outstanding contributions.

During his tenure, he repaired water conservancy projects to prevent floods, established academies to enlighten the people, reclaimed fertile land, and established workshops, turning the once barren land into a prosperous one, where the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and were grateful for the emperor's grace.

I highly commend his loyalty, bravery, responsibility, hard work and ability.

Now he is summoned back to the capital and specially promoted to the rank of Second Grade Provincial Governor.

For the well-being of our country, make new contributions. I decree this!"

After reading the imperial edict, Sun Quan handed it to Bai Wanwan, smiled and bowed, saying:

"Congratulations, Master Bai! Congratulations, Master Bai!

His Majesty has high hopes for you, and I hope you will continue to support me in the Ministry of Revenue."

Bai Wanwan took the imperial edict with both hands and stood up to express her gratitude: "I thank the Lord for his grace! I will live up to your trust and do my utmost to serve the court."

Upon seeing this, General Huo stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, and Mrs. Huo was so happy that she wiped away her tears.

Bai Yin's face was even more proud, and he heard Eunuch Sun say: "The emperor asked you to go to the palace after lunch, or you can have lunch in the palace."