Anning held Xiao Hui tightly, feeling a deep sense of heartache.
What kind of days had this girl been living through before?
Such thoughts had actually co to her.
Anning knew that Xiao Hui was probably still very uneasy. Lacking a sense of security, she only thought of clinging to everything she could grasp.
She was afraid of losing her parents, so she tried her utmost to help Anning and Xiao Yuan, wanting to prove her worth, so that Anning and Xiao Yuan would be unwilling to give up on her.
Understanding the little girl’s thoughts made Anning even more heartache for her.
"Huihui, don’t think like that. No matter what, you are my daughter. Even if you don’t want to marry in the future and wish to stay at ho for your entire life, can your father and I not provide for you? It’s not just you, even Yin’er once told she didn’t want to marry in the future and wanted to stay ho, even saying she wanted to raise a few handso n. Your father and I never scolded her. You don’t have to be so strong, pushing yourself so hard."
"Mother." Xiao Hui hugged Anning, leaning against her, trying to absorb the warmth from her body: "But I want to do this. I want to live as normally as possible, and I really think marrying General Dong is quite good. He’s really a great person. Maybe others think we’re not a match, but I think it’s fine as long as I feel good."
With the conversation reaching this point, Anning knew that the girl had made up her mind, as immovable as nine straining oxen: "But you have to wait, from today onward, you are not allowed to visit him anymore. Stay ho quietly. As long as there’s no resolution to his wife and children’s matters, you can’t et him again, understand?"
Anning sternly admonished Xiao Hui.
Xiao Hui nodded obediently, "I will listen to you, Mother."
Anning patted Xiao Hui’s hair, "You are still young, we are not in a hurry, we will take it slowly. Firstly, General Dong must settle his wife and children’s affairs well, and once he slowly forgets Ms. Chen, I’ll have your father probe his thoughts. We will take it step by step. Even if you really wish to be with him, he must ask your father and for your hand, putting in so hard work, only then will he cherish you, understand?"
Xiao Hui was a perceptive girl, and Anning’s slight guidance made her understand, "Mother, I understand. I will be careful in the future."
At this mont, a smile appeared on her face, and hope arose in her eyes.
Anning patted her, "All right, let Chunxing get so water for you to wash up a bit, then go back to your room and eat sothing good. Today’s matter is considered over, but be more mindful in the future. If you have any thoughts, you must share them with and your father, don’t keep them to yourself, understand?"
"Mm."
Xiao Hui replied, lowering her head in agreent.
"Don’t think too much in the future; you are my daughter, always will be, and the way your father and I treat you has always been genuine."
Anning reminded her once more, "In the future, act according to your heart; worrying too much will only make you unhappy."
"I understand."
Xiao Hui responded, not daring to lift her head, for fear that if she looked at Anning, she might uncontrollably start to cry again.
Xiao Song and his party traveled from Yangzhou to Southern Yi, feeling warr as they moved southward.
Entering winter, the weather was quite cold, especially in the Southern regions, where there was a particularly damp cold feeling. Along their journey, they encountered snow in so places, making it so cold that everyone in the group had to take out their thick cotton clothes to wear.
Later, as they traveled further south, it felt much warr. As they approached Southern Yi, they shed the cotton clothes, wearing only lined jackets.
Once they reached Yuechuan Prefecture, it felt distinctly different throughout the journey.
i Boqing couldn’t sit still inside the carriage; he insisted on coming outside to sit.
Xiao Song accompanied him to sit on the outside of the carriage, explaining things as they traveled.
The road from Yuechuan Prefecture to South City was a cent road, built wide and flat, which naturally felt much better than a dirt road.
From the mont they set foot on this road, the i family could not stop exclaiming in admiration.
Especially i Baiqing, as he observed the straight road, he remarked, "If Da Qi had such roads, it would save so much trouble. If every place had such roads, the ti to mobilize resources in the event of a disaster would be drastically reduced."
Xiao Song just laughed, "My father also said the sa thing. He ntioned that if any region of our Nanyi Prefecture suffered a disaster, the speed of resource mobilization would be very fast, thus providing quick disaster relief. Moreover, well-constructed roads facilitate communication and exchange of goods between places."
i Baiqing nodded, "Your father is right."
Upon entering Yuechuan Prefecture, observing the local customs and lifestyles, i Boqing did not hesitate to praise, "Your parents have done well indeed by governing this region and its people in such a manner; they are truly people of great virtue and wisdom."
Xiao Song was proud, "That is still because you have not yet arrived at our Nanyi Prefecture City. When you get there, you’ll see it is even better than Yuechuan Prefecture. You know, nowadays, the people from various prefectures in our Southern Yi are thinking of moving to Nanyi Prefecture City for a better life. They say life there is good, and even if they’re not residing there, visiting is always good."
i Boqing couldn’t help but feel a deep desire to visit.
They proceeded further down the road until they exited Yuechuan Prefecture, where they saw a group of riders coming fast from a distance.
As they got closer, Xiao Song took a good look and couldn’t help but shout with joy, "Father, Fourth Uncle!"
He jumped off the carriage and ran toward Xiao Yuan, who was at the forefront.
Sitting in the carriage behind, Su Yu, upon hearing the voices, quickly opened the curtain to take a look.
From a distance, she saw a man who appeared to be in his twenties riding at the front.
Because of the distance, she couldn’t clearly see what the man looked like, but she could tell that he was tall and imposing.
Riding a black horse, wearing a neat riding outfit, and draped with a red cape, the man galloped forward, his cape fluttering fiercely with the wind.
With just one glance, Su Yu felt that he struck a chord within her heart.
She clutched her chest, feeling her heart racing.
It was really him, the living Grand Ancestor of Jing.
She couldn’t believe she was seeing the living Grand Ancestor of Jing.
Years later, in Su Yu’s ti, the Grand Ancestor of Jing was the object of admiration and reverence for countless won.
Su Yu had only read about the Grand Ancestor’s life story in books; even then, she was very fond of the founding king of the Jing Dynasty.
Once, she went to a museum and saw an exhibition of his portrait.
The Grand Ancestor depicted in the painting was so perfect—handso, dashing, and grand, that Su Yu found herself lost in thought before the portrait for a long ti, after which she obsessively gathered all available information about him.
She never expected to find herself in this era, living under the sa sky as the Grand Ancestor of Jing.
And now, she saw the living Grand Ancestor, who turned out to be even better than in his portrait.
Xiao Yuan rode up to them, leapt off his horse, and saluted from a distance: "Greetings, Master i! Sorry for the delayed reception, please do not hold it against us."
i Boqing also got off the carriage and returned the salute, "Greetings, Marquis Zhenan! I truly did not expect Marquis Zhenan to have governed Southern Yi to such excellence; you are a person of great benevolence and righteousness, loving the people as your children..."
Xiao Yuan went over to support i Boqing, "Please, don’t praise any further, as I’m about to blush. I surely don’t deserve such titles as great benevolence and righteousness."
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