After having lunch with Bao Min, Li Pan took Cai Shuyi and Jiang Yeli to Sunset Glow Alley.
Seven years had passed, and apart from so extra marks on the walls, Sunset Glow Alley hadn't changed much overall.
Niu Dajiao still sat at the entrance of the alley, staring at the people passing by and muttering to herself.
In those seven years, Niu Dajiao had aged significantly; her hair had turned gray, and her vision was a bit blurry.
Seeing a carriage approaching from afar, she squinted at the one adult and two children getting off, wondering which family they belonged to.
Jiang Yeli looked Niu Dajiao up and down.
"Big brother, is she the annoying Niu Dajiao?"
"Yes." Niu Dajiao was the person Li Pan disliked the most in Sunset Glow Alley.
Without speaking to her, he led his younger brother and little aunt toward their house.
"Which family are you from?" Niu Dajiao didn't plan to let them off, asking at the top of her lungs.
"Ignore her." Li Pan pulled Jiang Yeli, who had stopped, and walked to Courtyard No. 4, taking out the key to open the door.
"Who are you? Breaking into soone else's house in broad daylight. You thieves are going too far. Help, catch the thieves—there are thieves—" Niu Dajiao's shouts drew the neighbors out.
The first to co out was a young man holding an axe from the neighboring courtyard.
Seeing Li Pan at the door, the axe in the young man's hand suddenly dropped.
Fortunately, Chen Xiang reached out in ti, preventing it from smashing his foot.
"Pan, Panpan! Li Pan!"
"It's , long ti no see, Erlei," Li Pan greeted him.
"Yeah, it's been seven years. Have you been well these years?" Speaking of this, he gave a self-deprecating smile. "Listen to the nonsense I'm talking. Your dad is a high official. You must be doing well."
Xu Erlei spoke and then couldn't continue.
He didn't know what to say to Li Pan.
At this mont, he realized deep down that they were different.
Other people also ca out and recognized Li Pan. He had grown taller and sturdier, but his appearance hadn't changed much.
"Pan'er is back! Are your grandma and mom back?"
"Who are these two?"
"Did you co back for sothing?"
"If you have sothing to say, the neighbors will help if they can."
"Grandma Xu, my grandma and mom didn't co back."
"Grandma Zhang, I brought my younger brother and little aunt back."
"Auntie Yanhong, I ca back this ti to prepare for next year's provincial examination."
"Auntie Qiufang, my mom is in the capital and didn't co back."
...
Li Pan responded to the neighbors' inquiries, unlocked the door, and let them into the house.
He asked Chen Xiang to go to the carriage and fetch the gifts they brought, distributing them one by one.
Niu Dajiao didn't expect she would get a share too.
After distributing the gifts, chatting for a while, they saw the neighbors off.
Li Pan took his brother and little aunt to carefully inspect the courtyard.
Bao Min had arranged for soone to take care of it.
Courtyard No. 3 and 4 were very well maintained.
"It's too small."
Jiang Yeli looked around the house, shaking his head continuously. How could people live in such a small house?
"For grandma and mom who had just arrived in Jiangcheng, this house wasn't small." Li Pan recalled the scenes of their family of three living in this house when he was young.
"Were you guys that poor back then?"
"You really are a 'let them eat cake' kind of person," Cai Shuyi roasted Jiang Yeli.
"Aunt, don't copy second brother."
Li An always knew exactly how to stab soone where it hurts.
"This is very interesting," Cai Shuyi said and burst into laughter.
Li Pan ignored the two, just looking at the house and carefully morizing it.
After the tour, Li Pan took the two back to the Jiang Residence.
Several mbers of the Jiang family were waiting for them at the door.
"Your family, you receive them."
Cai Shuyi was tired and didn't want to deal with the Jiang family, so she went straight back to her room to rest.
Li Pan wasn't comfortable letting Jiang Yeli handle it alone, so he t with the Jiang family mbers together with him.
Old Master Jiang and Old Madam Jiang looked at Jiang Yeli, who resembled Jiang Mingzhe seventy percent, and couldn't say the words they had prepared.
Lu Xueying spoke up, asking the two about their tiring journey like an elder, and also asked about the situation in the capital.
Jiang Yeli answered Lu Xueying.
Listening to Jiang Yeli's well-founded answers, Li Pan thought of the Jiang Yeli who always loved to cry in front of him.
He felt a sense of his son finally growing up.
"You're going to take the provincial examination?" A surprised and slightly questioning voice rang out.
At so point, Jiang Mingde had sat down next to Li Pan.
"Yes."
"I can tutor you," Jiang Mingde said very sincerely.
"I appreciate eldest uncle's kind intentions. I already have a teacher, so I won't trouble eldest uncle," Li Pan politely declined.
"Which teacher?" Jiang Mingde pressed.
"The eighth year of Qing'an Jinshi, Ke Yichan."
"It's him." Jiang Mingde knew him; they were from the sa year.
That year, Ke Yichan was ranked sixth in the second class, while Jiang Mingde was sixth from the bottom in the second class.
After passing the Jinshi examination, Ke Yichan didn't like being an official and beca a teacher to instruct students.
Ke Yichan was very skilled at teaching; sixty percent of the students he taught passed the Jinshi examination.
When Jiang Mingde was an official in the capital, he wanted to invite Ke Yichan to teach his two sons.
For the sake of being from the sa year, Ke Yichan tested Jiang Mingde's two sons but didn't accept them.
Ke Yichan didn't teach just anyone.
He only accepted students who t his standards and taught them with all his heart.
The fact that Li Pan could be taught by Ke Yichan showed one thing: his aptitude was very good.
Jiang Mingde gave an awkward smile.
They kept the Jiang family for dinner and sent a carriage to take them back.
The Jiang family looked at the gifts on the carriage with complicated expressions.
Watching the carriage go far, Jiang Yeli grumbled, "No wonder mom and dad don't like them."
After so many years, they still hadn't recognized their status.
"It's getting late, go back to your rooms and rest," Li Pan urged Jiang Yeli and Cai Shuyi.
"Big brother isn't sleepy." Jiang Yeli had slept all morning.
"Go to the study and practice calligraphy. You two haven't practiced for a month." As soon as Li Pan said this, Jiang Yeli and Cai Shuyi turned and ran toward the backyard.
"I'm so sleepy, I'm going to sleep."
"I walked too much, my feet hurt, I need to go back and sleep early."
Watching the two, Li Pan smiled.
Li Pan returned to the study and took out a book to read.
For next year's provincial examination, Li Pan was determined to pass.
In the following days, Li Pan took Jiang Yeli and Cai Shuyi to the Zhou family shop to see Cai Xiaoi.
Cai Xiaoi held Cai Shuyi's hand, constantly sighing that she looked so much like Cai Dai.
Cai Shuyi asked Cai Xiaoi about her mother's past. Indirectly inquiring about her parents' affairs.
Cai Xiaoi didn't know much and just spoke briefly.
Zhou Lingling received the news and ca carrying account books. She placed the account books in front of Li Pan, wanting him to look at the accounts for the past seven years.
Li Pan declined, "Sister, my mom said she trusts you completely."
After visiting relatives, Li Pan finally went to pay respects to his grandfather and father.
"Grandpa, Dad, I've co to see you. Your unfilial grandson hasn't been able to co back to see you..."
Li Pan poured wine for the two and told them about his life in the capital these past few years.
Afterward, Li Pan politely declined all invitations and stayed at ho to study behind closed doors, preparing for next year's provincial examination.
Jiang Yeli, on the other hand, accompanied Cai Shuyi to move into the prefectural governor's mansion.
Bao Min doted on his daughter very much. Every day after roll call, if there was nothing major, he would take his daughter all over Jiangcheng.
Whatever Cai Shuyi wanted, he bought for her without any delay.
Jiang Yeli really couldn't stand it anymore and went to Li Pan to ask him to do sothing about it.
When Li Pan heard what Jiang Yeli said, he initially just thought it was funny; his little aunt had gone bad in just a few months.
He watched as Cai Shuyi kicked and cursed at Qiushuang simply because she had advised her against eating too many sweets at night.
"Do you still think I am exaggerating, brother?"
"I will speak with Master Bao," Li Pan decided, looking at the arrogant Cai Shuyi.
At first, Bao Min did not care. "She is my daughter, and I will spoil her if I want to."
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