An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"Hey, mother," Jing Chunxi restrained his smile slightly, and his tone became a little more serious. He asked tentatively in a soft voice, "What do you think... can Ah Qi and Chun Tao's relationship work out?"

Chuntao was already twenty-one, which was considered relatively late in this era. And Ah Qi—she vaguely remembered that when she first went to Jiujiang and Jian'an Commanderies, Ah Qi had mentioned that he was twenty-two. So, by that calculation, he should be at least twenty-six or twenty-seven this year.

"Alas, he is also a miserable man." Jing Qiurong sighed softly when she heard this, her voice full of pity.

Xu Dingchun once told her in detail about Ah Qi's sad life story.

The child became an orphan at a very young age. What was even more tragic was that he witnessed his alcoholic and irrational father beating his gentle and cowardly mother to death.

Such a bloody and tragic experience, like the deepest brand, left a huge and indelible shadow in his heart, making him always have great concerns and fears about starting a family, getting married and having children.

Otherwise, given his character and current prospects, how could he still not get married at this age?

"Looking at him, I'm afraid he's also a man with a knot in his heart that won't let him get married easily. And..."

Jing Qiurong changed the subject, thinking of something else, and asked with concern, "If Tang Shuang and Ayi get married smoothly, they will naturally no longer be able to stay in your courtyard to serve you personally. Xi'er, do you have enough capable people around you? Do you want your mother to help you carefully select a few more sensible, capable, and clean-cut people to come in?"

"Don't worry about it, mother. I have plenty of people around me to help me." Jing Chunxi replied softly, her tone calm. "You should take the trouble to help your daughter keep an eye on the marriages of July, September and the others. They are not young anymore. It would be bad for them to sacrifice themselves to serve me and delay their lifelong events."

Now, the only person she can keep by her side to serve her closely, apart from the most steady Hongfen, is Xiaoyu, who herself is still a little pudding who needs extra care.

However, there are still many children in the mansion who have just been brought back from Qiuyi Village. They have all been carefully trained and know each other well. Although they are currently scattered around the mansion to work, suitable and smart ones can be selected from them at any time to replace and fill in the vacancies.

"When I get to your father's place later, I'll ask him what he thinks and let him give me some advice. No one knows Ah Qi's character better than his boss, who brought him up." Jing Qiurong nodded in agreement and took the matter to heart.

As they were talking, the mother and daughter had already walked gracefully to the exquisite pavilion in the middle of the Nine-Curve Bridge.

The pavilion was surrounded by thin gauze curtains, gently blowing in the breeze. From inside the pavilion one could faintly hear Xu Dingchun's low laughter teasing Zhao Zhao and the baby's babbling response. Mixed with the sound of the gurgling water under the bridge, the pavilion seemed particularly peaceful and warm.

"Just hold me if you let me. Look, it's so cute to have a child calling him daddy."

Hearing the voice, Jing Qiurong hurriedly grabbed Jing Chunxi's sleeve and stopped, pointing at the two figures in the pavilion.

"I, I, I'm afraid I don't have the ability." Ah Qi's voice came from the pavilion, with obvious hesitation and fear.

Although the shadows of the trees were swaying and the light was mottled, making it impossible to see the specific movements of the two people sitting under the pavilion, Jing Chunxi could clearly sense from the blurred outlines of their bodies and the direction of the sounds that her adoptive father was pushing the tightly wrapped baby in his hands towards his seventh uncle in an almost forced manner.

But the young man who was equally powerful on the battlefield and feared by the enemy now looked particularly uneasy, his broad shoulders slightly hunched.

There was a kind of trepidation in his voice that was totally disproportionate to his status, as if what he was about to receive in his hands was not a soft and warm baby, but a piece of iron that was hot enough to burn people's hearts. His cautiousness was filled with unspeakable fear.

"How could this happen?" Jing Chunxi couldn't help but frown, turned to his mother, and asked in a low voice, his voice full of genuine confusion and bewilderment.

The Seventh Uncle in her memory was the one who commanded calmly at the bow of the ship in the windy river and handled matters decisively and efficiently in the county rife with danger. He was definitely not the man in front of her who looked so timid and clumsy even when holding a child.

The voice from the other end came again. Ah Qi's tone was low, with a bit of struggle that was difficult to express: "I also like to have a drink occasionally... I'm afraid... I'm afraid that what if..." He didn't finish his words, but the worry was obvious.

"There are too many people drinking." Xu Dingchun's voice interrupted with a kind of rough and nonchalant voice, as if he thought this was not a problem at all.

"That's a psychological trauma." Jing Qiurong sighed softly, her eyes casting towards the stiff figure in the pavilion, her eyes revealing deep pity and understanding.

"No!" Jing Chunxi couldn't help but refute, his mind instantly flashing back to the vivid scenes of their trip last summer. "When we went to Jiujiang and Jian'an counties, he was obviously very kind and cheerful, decisive and efficient. He often joked with us and was very considerate to Chuntao and Tangshuang."

She remembered it very clearly. At that time, her Seventh Uncle also took care of Xiao Man meticulously. "Xiao Man would run to the second floor of the ship whenever she had something to do, and even slept on the small couch outside his cabin at night. She never said anything inappropriate."

How could such a meticulous and reliable person be so nervous and flustered? Jing Chunxi couldn't believe it, and couldn't reconcile the man in front of him with the man in his memory.

"Then quit drinking." Xu Dingchun's voice was firm and unquestionable, as if he was issuing a military order. "With your temperament and determination, how can this be considered a big deal? Besides, you've been with Big Brother for so many years, and I've never seen you truly lose your temper or lose your composure."

"That's right," Jing Chunxi continued, her voice gentle but revealing a firm strength. She took a few steps forward and looked at Ah Qi earnestly, "Besides, Chuntao has a very good temper, is very sensible, and is capable and considerate. She will never make trouble with you. She will understand you."

As she took a step forward, Jing Qiurong tried to stop her, but couldn't, so she followed, softly agreeing, "At worst, after you get married, we can send a reliable maid or a smart servant from the mansion to take care of you. There will be someone to take care of all the household affairs, big or small. When you go home, you won't be able to find a reason to quarrel, so you can just live your life in peace."

The two people who were sitting stood up immediately after hearing the sound. Zhao Zhao was indeed being held in Ah Qi's arms in an extremely awkward and cautious posture. His arms were clasped stiffly, and the posture was so awkward as if he was holding a priceless yet fragile treasure, afraid that it would be bumped or bumped accidentally.