Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Chapter 405 Ancestral Hall

Zhao Yue was lost in memories. She was only seven or eight years old at that time. She had been practicing martial arts since she was young, and many of her skills were taught by her grandfather. Whenever her grandfather went into the ancestral hall and came out, he looked very lonely, as if he was the only one left in the world.

But he clearly still has his grandmother, mother and himself.

She had been naughty since she was a child, and Cui Bianxu's courage to climb mountains and swim was inherited from her. She was so proud at that time, and always felt that her martial arts were good enough for her to go out and make a living, and there was nothing in the world that she was afraid of or dared not do.

One time, she sneaked into the ancestral hall, wanting to see what was inside that made her grandfather so sad.

"What's inside?" Cui Bianxu consciously supported the role very well.

Zhao Yue was indeed very satisfied and gave him a look of approval, but then she seemed to remember something terrible and looked into the distance with her pupils constricted. "Tablets, all of them."

"Mother, the Cui family's ancestral hall is also full of tablets." Cui Bianxu pursed his lips, a little angry, just a little.

Whose ancestral hall doesn’t have tablets for their ancestors?

"It's a tablet! But some of the Liu family's tablets are covered with cloth."

As Zhao Yue spoke, she felt as if she were back in her seven or eight-year-old self, hiding on the beam of the ancestral hall. Even though there was no one inside, it felt as if countless things were staring at her from all directions. "The tablet at the very top enshrines a bronze compass."

Cui Bianxu's heart was beating like a drum, various clues crisscrossing in his mind, but he still couldn't find the solution: "Is the compass the same as what I said?"

"That...I don't remember."

Zhao Yue spread her hands. Although she was brave at that time, she was only seven or eight years old after all. She happened to be at the age where she understood a little, but not enough. The ancestral hall was chilly and gloomy, and it was also very dark. She could only see a little bit with the light coming in from outside.

Now that decades have passed, how can I still remember it?

"Alright, you're a person with an official job in the court now. You should do your job well and don't run home every time there's something trivial. How are you going to support your slaves in the future if you're like this? Are you always thinking of relying on me, your mother, to support your wife?"

When Zhao Yue was asked this question, she recalled the not-so-pleasant memories hidden deep in her memory, and she drove the man away in a unhappy mood.

Cui Bian was unable to argue and had to return to the Dali Temple.

Jiahuifang Jiang Family

Jiang Shangxian returned home with gifts and as soon as he entered the door, he saw Old Lady Xia and Jiang's mother who had hurried home after hearing the news.

"Grandma, Mom, why are you back? Isn't the store busy?" Xiao Jiang looked up at the sky. Shouldn't they be washing dishes and preparing the food for the next afternoon? Why did both of them come back?

Old Madam Xia immediately noticed the exquisite lacquer box in her hand, and her heart instantly settled. A smile appeared on her face. "Yingzi said that the Cui family came to take you to meet Jiulang's grandmother. Your mother and I were worried about you, so we came to see you because we thought you should be back soon."

Since you gave me a gift, you should be satisfied, right?

"Didn't you say you arrived in Chang'an yesterday? Why did I come to look for you so early this morning? Your wounds haven't healed yet!"

Jiang's mother's focus was completely different from Old Lady Xia's. She kept muttering as she pulled Jiang Shangxian towards the house, "Why aren't you wearing that sable fur cloak? It would look so elegant."

Old Madam Xia also felt that Jiang Shangxian's attire wasn't festive enough today: "She should have worn that eight-ripped skirt with the red peony pattern."

Xiao Jiang, who didn't want to be exposed to the cold wind in the yard, quickly followed his mother into the main hall and said, "I'll wear that next time."

"Does Old Madam Liu seem easy to get along with? Didn't you say she'd be living in Chang'an in the future? Why are you so anxious?"

Old Madam Xia is in urgent need of information. She had originally planned that after Jiang Shangxian and Cui Bianxu got married, the young couple would live in Chang'an on their own. Without any elders to pressure them, they would definitely live a comfortable life.

I didn't expect that just when I got there, my grandmother came and said she wanted to live in Chang'an for a long time. Doesn't this mean that one has to leave the mother-in-law and a bigger mountain has to come?

Because of this, she didn't sleep well last night.

While Liu Manqiang was worried that her granddaughter-in-law would bully her daughter, the Jiang family was also worried that she would bully Jiang Shangxian.

Jiang Shangxian understood their concerns and said with a smile, "He seems to be a kind person. His personality is somewhat similar to yours. I think he will be easy to get along with in the future."

The only thing he was afraid of was that this grandmother and the Zhao family would do something weird. Xiao Jiang was not afraid of his elders making trouble at home. After all, the house was so big and there were servants all over the yard watching. What good could he do if he made trouble again?

She has a tall and strong dowry woman who is undergoing military training. What is there to be afraid of if Old Madam Liu makes a fuss at home?

Xiao Jiang is now afraid that his grandmother will do something outside that will get her arrested!

Mrs. Xia heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "It's a good thing that she resembles your mother-in-law. She's a kind-hearted person with a simple mind. Later, you can write a letter for me and your mother and have Old Fan deliver it. After all, she's a relative, and our family should go and meet her anyway."

"Hey."

Jiang Shangxian responded quickly, but in his mind he was trying to figure out how to delay. "Old Madam Liu just arrived in Chang'an. I saw she looked quite tired today. I heard she had a serious illness a while ago and only just recovered. It's time for her to recuperate. There's no rush. I'll ask Madam first. It wouldn't be nice to disturb her recovery."

Before Cui Bianxu found out more, she didn't plan to let her grandmother and mother meet Liu Manqiang. She herself didn't plan to go to Cui's house recently. If she ran into any trouble again, it would really affect her mood for the New Year.

"Oh, it's terrible for an elderly person to be sick."

Jiang's mother finally seized the opportunity to interrupt: "If that's the case, why is she so anxious to see you today? Does this mean she values ​​you? Is this something she gave me? What is it? Let me see."

As she spoke, she reached out to take the lacquer box that Jiang Shangxian had placed on his lap: "The pattern on this box is really exquisite."

Old Madam Xia rolled her eyes helplessly at her, saying, "What do you care about?"

I'm afraid she knew the Jiang family came from a humble background and was worried that her grandson would marry a woman who was trying too hard to climb up the social ladder: "How's your embroidered purse going? Jiulang's grandmother is here, you better hurry up and make a headband for her. It will be yours..."

"Ouch! What is this!"

Mother Jiang interrupted her with a clamor. Old Madam Xia closed her eyes and was about to lecture her daughter when her eyes met the compass. A moment later, a stern expression returned to her face. "Isn't this a compass? Why did Old Madam Liu give you this?"

Is this old lady Liu really kind and gentle?

Who would give something like this as a gift?