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A relatively refined-looking man bowed and took the jade beads from the Ninth Lord, presenting them to Chu Hanyan. Chu Hanyan kept her head down, too afraid to accept.
Chen Feng softly urged, “Young miss, accept the gift from the Ninth Lord.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Hanyan raised her head, her eyes still misty, and timidly reached out to take the jade beads.
After seeing off the Ninth Lord and his party, the steward and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. The steward looked at the jade beads in Chu Hanyan’s hands and told Mama Song, “We must keep these jade beads safe.”
Mama Song agreed and took the jade beads from him.
Chen Feng lifted Chu Hanyan into her arms, kissed her little face, and said, “You’re so brave. You’re not afraid of strangers anymore. The Ninth Lord seemed to like you a lot.”
Upon receiving praise, the little girl’s tears turned into a smile.
Chen Feng quietly said to the steward, “That Ninth Lord looks like a person of high rank. How could he appear in a small county like Sanqing?”
The steward’s eyes flickered and he whispered, “Miss Chen, pretend you didn’t see him, and don’t mention meeting him to anyone when we return.”
The steward’s expression made Chen Feng even more certain that the Ninth Lord was no ordinary person, so she quickly nodded in agreement.
After the meal, they set off for the Yang family’s residence.
The servants invited Chen Feng and Chu Hanyan to the courtyard where Mrs. Yang resided, while the steward was invited to the outer courtyard for tea.
Mrs. Yang appeared to be in her forties, with a kind face and a frail body. She knew that Chu Hanyan was a young lady from the Marquis’s residence, and her son relied on the Marquis’s support for his business, so she quickly invited Chu Hanyan to take a seat.
Chen Feng declined the offer and instead sat with Chu Hanyan on her lap.
Mrs. Yang then sent someone to invite her grandson and granddaughter to join them.
Chen Feng was surprised and asked, “Has Chao’er not gone to school?”
Mrs. Yang sighed, “A few days ago, when he was playing with his peers at the private school, he fell and broke his arm. It’s really a pity. It’s all his father’s fault, he was too eager to send a six-year-old child to school. I think that once his arm heals, there’s no rush for him to return to the private school. We can wait until he’s seven or even eight years old.” After saying a few more words, she seemed out of breath.
This news startled Chen Feng. She scolded herself for not sending someone to visit the Yang family when there was no trouble, only to find out about such a big incident.
Just then, Yang Qian arrived. Her cheeks were flushed, indicating that she had run all the way there.
She first paid her respects to Mrs. Yang and then ran to Chen Feng and exclaimed, “Aunt Chen, Sister Hanyan, why did you wait until now to come and fetch us? My brother broke his arm, and he’s in so much pain. He’s so pitiful. I feel so sorry for him.” As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
Chen Feng wiped her tears and comforted her gently.
Before long, Yang Chao also arrived. His left arm was supported in a sling, and he walked slowly, completely devoid of his previous lively demeanor.
Yang Chao approached Chen Feng, his eyes reddened, and said, “Aunt Chen, I’m injured. Ah, it’s embarrassing. I was defeated by Xiao Cao and can’t even go to school.” He appeared very aggrieved.
Chen Feng set Chu Hanyan down and pulled Yang Chao to lean against her leg, gently patting his head with concern. “Oh, how could this happen? Remember to be careful in the future and avoid fighting. Don’t be upset. Children’s bones heal quickly. It won’t be long before your arm is better.”
Seeing this scene, Mrs. Yang felt a pang of bittersweet emotion. Although it was her first meeting with Chen Feng, her son, grandson, and granddaughter had talked about her countless times. Her grandchildren adored her, and her son was quite fond of her, even wanting to marry her. Unfortunately, she had already caught the eye of Mr. Chu. Her son, a mere merchant, wouldn’t dare compete for a woman with someone of high authority, so he had to let go of that hope.
It would have been wonderful if she could marry into their family. Not only did her son like Chen Feng, but she would also genuinely care for her grandchildren, and she could worry less and focus on her well-being.
Ah, what a pity.
Mrs. Yang suppressed her thoughts and, seeing the snack boxes on the table, smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Chen. The snacks you sent were not only delicious, but after eating them, I didn’t feel as breathless. It must be because I have a greedy mouth.” she said.
This caused everyone to laugh.
Mrs. Yang had a chronic respiratory condition and required medicinal soups all year round. Although Chen Feng had not met Mrs. Yang before, she still hoped for her good health, for the sake of Yang Mingyuan and the two children. She knew that the agarwood shavings might not cure Mrs. Yang’s illness, but it would certainly benefit her. Therefore, she arranged for snacks to be sent every month.
Upon hearing Mrs. Yang’s words, Chen Feng smiled and said, “Madam Yang enjoys them, so I’ll have someone send them twice a month from now on.”
Mrs. Yang expressed her gratitude with a smile.
After some small talk, Yang Qian expressed a desire to spend a few days at Fengyuan. Upon hearing this, Yang Chao seemed to regain some spirit and also clamored to go.
Chen Feng smiled at Mrs. Yang and said, “Madam Yang, I have great affection for these two kids. I’ll take them to the countryside for a while. Don’t worry, I have several servants at home who will take good care of them and ensure they are well looked after.”
Chen Feng had already intended to take them to Fengyuan, and with Yang Chao’s recent injury, she felt even more inclined to do so. She planned to add a bit of agarwood shavings to his medicine, which would help him recover faster.
Mrs. Yang smiled and said, “That’s wonderful. These two little rascals are always so happy when they return from your home, and they’re in high spirits. I just worry they might be mischievous and trouble you.”
Chen Feng happily took Yang Chao and Yang Qian out of the Yang family’s residence. This time, in addition to Old Yang, the coachman, Lidong, old lady Huang, and even Yang Chao’s nursemaid, Mama Li, accompanied them.
Upon returning to Fengyuan, they saw Qiqi and Gray playing with Zhui Feng and Wangcai in the courtyard.
Yang Chao and Yang Qian adored them and ran towards them as soon as they got out of the carriage. Meanwhile, Chu Hanyan looked around, searching for the Golden Swallow.
On the roof, there were several chirping birds. One was Golden Swallow, and the other, with colorful plumage, was little Jin. Additionally, there were two family canaries named little Ge and little Qu. The remaining two, one green and the other blue, were named little Lu and little Lan. Because these two birds had particularly beautiful feathers and liked to visit the house with Golden Swallow, Chen Feng had given them these names.
The Golden Swallow, perched on the roof, flew over and landed on the little girl’s shoulder when she returned, watching her with a beak-curved smile.
Chu Hanyan beamed and said, “Golden Treasure, did you come back?”
The Golden Swallow chirped twice at her, then flew to Chen Feng’s shoulder and chirped, “In the future, little Lu and little Lan will stay here permanently, just like little Jin. The other little brothers and sisters prefer the forest and will only come here occasionally.”
Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. This was for the best. The little ones were lovely, but if they came too often, they would be too noisy and bothersome. Occasional visits to improve the food situation would be enough.