After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

"It's not a day off today, why did you come back by yourself?"

No sooner had Jiang Wenqing stepped into the house than Landlord Jiang was waiting for him on the path he would inevitably take back to his courtyard.

“Father, Yue Niang and Ming Fei sent a letter back and delivered it directly to the prefectural school, so I came back specifically to deliver it.”

"Okay, give it to me!"

Landlord Jiang snatched the letter away and, without letting his son rest, sent him straight back to the prefectural school.

"Time is money. From now on, let the servants handle such trivial matters as sending letters. Forget it, I'll just write to Mingfei and tell him not to send letters to the prefectural school anymore."

"Father, the letters are all sent to the post station near the academy first, so it's convenient for me to bring them back, and I can also have lunch at home while I'm at it."

"Hmph! I bet you're just pretending to deliver the letter; you really want to freeload a meal. Stop talking nonsense. There's no food prepared for you at home. Hurry back; you can still catch the cafeteria's meals."

"Dad, wait until I've finished reading the letter! I'll send it back as soon as I receive it; I haven't read it yet!"

Landlord Jiang looked disgusted, but still opened the letter.

"Greetings to my grandfather, grandmother, and father. My mother, second sister, and I have arrived at Yunqing Mountain..."

"Alright, you've read the letter and drunk the tea. Now hurry back! We're counting on you to pass the provincial examination next year and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination)."

Jiang Wenqing couldn't understand why, even though they both participated in the provincial examination, his father could enjoy a life of luxury at home while he had to struggle and follow the rules at the prefectural school.

Although he lacks self-control, his father can still keep an eye on him at home, right?

Landlord Jiang: Don't come any closer! I'm already working so hard, who wants to drag a burden along!

Helpless, Jiang Wenqing could only walk towards the prefectural school, turning back every few steps, lamenting his miserable fate. He longed for the sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine made by Madam Li, and also for the braised pork hock!

After seeing his son, who had been collecting debts, obediently leave, Landlord Jiang reread the letter he had just received. His angry and cold expression vanished, replaced by a smile.

After returning to his own courtyard, he read the letter to Madam Jiang again. Madam Jiang was happy to know that her grandson was safe and sound, but she did not ask much about the two female relatives in the family who had also gone on a long trip.

At home, she also liked her daughter-in-law very much. Who would have thought that her usually well-behaved daughter-in-law would make such a shocking decision, abandoning her family and career to travel far away with her daughter.

Although she was using the pretense of taking care of Mingfei, she knew that once they were out there, it was uncertain who would be taking care of whom. She didn't want to cause trouble or hold Mingfei back.

Landlord Jiang was naturally unaware of what his wife was thinking. As he read more and more books and did more and more exercises, he found the materials his grandson gave him to be exquisite and precious. Now his horizons had broadened, and he had become more open-minded.

He didn't think it was anything earth-shattering. Besides, it was only for a year, and they would be returning home before the autumn examinations next year. The world outside was vast, and since they were too old to go, couldn't the young people go out and see it?

It has to be said that Landlord Jiang's perspective and mindset are different now than they were two years ago. If it were two years ago, he might have thought, like Old Madam Jiang, that women should not leave the house.

But after reading the works of the female poets and lyricists collected by Jiang Xiaoqi, his opinion changed. He realized that there were women who had seen the world and had great talent.

The prerequisite is that there are more men at home who support them and fewer men outside who make sarcastic remarks.

He, Jiang Changshou, is not talented enough to do anything extraordinary, but he can protect the younger generation in his family within his capabilities.

Landlord Jiang patted Old Madam Jiang's hand and comforted her, "Alright, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. It's good that they want to go out and travel. Let's not worry about it too much, as long as they are safe and sound."

Madam Jiang sighed and nodded, saying, "They've gone so far away, that's all we can do. I just hope they have a smooth journey and that nothing goes wrong."

At this moment, far away in Yunqing Mountain, Lin Yueniang and her daughter rode their horses at full speed across the wide grassland at the foot of Yunqing Mountain, experiencing the local customs that were different from those in Xinghe Prefecture.

"Mother! Look! There's a stream over there! Let's lead the horse over to drink some water!"

Lin Yueniang and her daughter led the horses to the stream and let them drink to quench their thirst. Occasionally, a few fish swam in the shallow water.

"Mom, let's catch some fish and grill them for dinner!"

"Okay, catch a few more and send some to your brother and the others too."

"Okay! And Wenbin and the others, they've worked hard these past few days helping us tidy up the newly rented yard, let's send them some fish as a reward!"

"As you wish, let's find some sturdy grass first, and then twist it into ropes to string the fish."

Jiang Xiyue found some tough grass leaves nearby and skillfully twisted them into several grass ropes.

Lin Yueniang, on the other hand, relied on her agile movements to strike the fish with ease. In no time, she had stunned more than ten fish on the shore with small stones, without even getting her skirt wet.

Jiang Xiyue handed some straw rope to her mother, and then squatted down to string together the fish that her mother had just caught.

The fish varied in size, with the larger ones weighing over a pound each and the smaller ones only about half a pound each, so these weren't enough.

The mother and daughter worked well together and soon finished stringing all the remaining straw ropes.

As evening fell, the aroma of grilled fish filled the air around the campfire.

Everyone sat around the fire, the crackling of the fire and the chirping of cicadas blending together, while countless stars hung in the night sky, reminding Jiang Xiaoqi of the scene of roasting meat with his soldiers around a campfire in the northern border.

The only difference is that the barbecue has been replaced by grilled fish, and the companions are not only friends, but also family.

Huh? He doesn't seem to have told his mother about going to the North. Now that he's back safely, should we still tell her?

Li Haisheng suddenly felt a gaze on him. He turned his head and found his junior brother staring at him with his big eyes without saying a word. His heart skipped a beat!

When a junior student starts acting cute and adorable, it's usually not a good sign!

But he couldn't control himself and still asked, "Junior brother, what's wrong? Is there something you're ashamed to say?"

"Senior brother, my mother doesn't know about our trip north yet."

Li Haisheng was taken aback. Indeed, they had kept their trip north a secret from their families. He had told his brothers and sisters that they were traveling with their master.

Could my junior brother have simply vanished without a trace and not sent a letter home?

"So now you want to tell your mother about what you've been through these past two years?"

"Well, I wanted to inform my mom first, so that when my family finds out, I'll have two teammates who will speak up for me."

"So that's what you were planning, kid. But since your grandfather dotes on you so much, he probably won't be angry with you."

“Sigh… Senior brother, you don’t understand. Grandfather won’t get angry about other things, but going to the battlefield is a matter of life and death, so it’s different…”

"how to say?"

"Because I am the only son in my family for four generations!"

Li Haisheng: ...

They have indeed made their mark and registered with Marshal Mu and several generals.

"If Father and Grandfather do not enter officialdom in the future, that will be fine. But if they do, they will inevitably come into contact with people involved in the war in the North."

When elders see a young boy bravely fighting the enemy, wouldn't they offer polite praise?

The chances are slim, but not impossible, considering he has personally bandaged the wounds of hundreds of soldiers.

Among the group of dark-skinned, tall soldiers, his baby face was all too easy to spot...

He wasn't afraid of his father's reaction at that time; what he was afraid of was his grandfather, who was so old, and that he might ruin his health because of this.