"Brother, why are you here?"

Chen Lingyan was shocked to see Chen Siyu with a tired look on his face. She had not received a letter from home, nor had she heard anything about it.

"Little sister, I was recommended by the county government to study at the Imperial College in Nanjing. I will be enrolling at the beginning of February. My father is afraid that I will delay my time, so he urges me to leave early because I won't be able to come to Nanjing."

"Why, does the county government recommend you to study in Nanjing Imperial College? You only have the title of Tongsheng, can you come to study?"

"Of course. I also passed the government examination. Some people who pass the county examination can be recommended to study in the Imperial College."

Chen Siyu took out the letter from his body while talking.

"This is a letter written by dad to you, and a letter written by brother Zong Lin and Er Niang to brother-in-law."

Chen Lingyan took the letter and quickly called the servants around him to arrange a place for Chen Siyu to stay.

"Little sister, isn't my brother-in-law at home?"

"I went out and should be back soon, probably today."

"Where has my brother-in-law gone?"

"I'm going to Huai'an. It's been several days since I left."

Chen Siyu had a look of envy on his face. The farthest place he has ever been to is Nanchang Fucheng, and he has only been there once. If he hadn't been recommended by the county government this time, he would still have stayed at home.

While Chen Siyu was drinking tea, Chen Lingyan had already read the letter written by his father Chen Dengxin.

"Brother, there are still more than two months until the Imperial Academy starts. How do you plan to arrange it during this time?"

"I haven't thought about this yet. I plan to walk around after the Chinese New Year. As you know, little sister, I have never been out. Finally, I have the opportunity. I plan to travel around South Zhili."

"Do you have that much money?"

"Money is not a big problem. This time I went out, my family scraped together some, and dad gave me some money."

...

As soon as he entered the mansion, Wu Zongrui received a notice that Chen Lingyan's little brother Chen Siyu was here.

Wu Zongrui frowned slightly. He still knew some details about this Chen Siyu. He was in his twenties and passed the county and government examinations. He was awarded the title of "Tongsheng" in his twenties. He failed in the college examination and failed to do so. Ordinarily, he was in his twenties.

At his age, it was considered good to have passed the government examination. However, Chen Siyu was a little too arrogant and actually said that he would not start a family if he could not pass the college examination and obtain the honor of being a student.

This is of course impossible. Under Chen Dengxin's compulsion, Chen Siyu got married and started a family, which can be regarded as a family and a career.

The future patriarch of the Chen family will naturally be Chen Lingyan's eldest brother Chen Sirei, and Chen Siyu's status will be a bit embarrassing. If he has no results in studying, he will eventually live in the family, and his status will be the same as Wu Shunnian of the Wu family.

Maybe Chen Dengxin discovered the problem, so he sent Chen Siyu to Nanjing.

It may also be that Chen Siyu himself felt the embarrassment of his status and decided to come to Nanjing to try his luck.

"Husband, my little brother is at home. He just arrived a while ago and is washing up."

"Oh, Siyu came to Nanjing, what's the matter?"

"My little brother went to Nanjing to study in the Imperial College. My father wrote to me and said that I can only go to the Imperial College to study because of your help. Every year, the county government recommends one to two people to study in the Imperial College. This year, it is my little brother who recommends me. I am still surprised.

My little brother has only obtained the title of Tongsheng, so how can he be qualified to study in the Imperial College?"

While talking, Chen Lingyan took out two letters.

"Husband, this is a letter written by Brother Zong Lin and Er Niang. The younger brother brought it."

"I know, I'm going to wash up too. The banquet should be ready. I'll drink with Siyu later and arrange it in the backyard. You and Yuhuan will also have dinner together. The New Year is coming soon. Siyu has just arrived in Nanjing.

Those who are unfamiliar with the place should stay at home and talk about it after the new year."

"Husband, I have already told my little brother that after the new year, we can rent a mansion to live outside. We don't need a big place. We only need two or three houses. The maximum amount is about two taels of silver per month."

"That's okay. Don't worry about renting a house. If you can't find it, just live in the mansion. If you find a house, Siyu won't have so much money. To study in the Imperial College, the interactions between the prison students will cost money.

It's a lot of money. He will know about it in the future. I think you will be fully responsible for the money for renting the mansion."

Chen Lingyan nodded.

"Husband, I'll go get you some water to wash up."

"No, you are pregnant, how can you do these things? I have to do it myself."

"How about that? I asked Yuhuan to prepare it for you."

There were differences between men and women in the Ming Dynasty. If someone from Wu Zongrui's family came to Nanjing, it was normal for them to live in the mansion, because they were returning to their own home. But if someone from Chen Lingyan's family came to Nanjing, it would be normal for them to live in the mansion unless they were his father Chen Dengxin and mother Ma.

Now that the family is here, the rest of the people cannot live in the mansion for a long time.

The water thrown out by a married daughter is that the woman is already a member of her husband's family, so the relationship between her and the relatives in the woman's family will naturally become more distant.

Chen Lingyan was also worried that Chen Siyu's sudden arrival left her wondering what to do. Unexpectedly, Wu Zongrui easily solved the problem with a few words, saying that he was going out to rent a house. He was looking for a suitable place at once. He couldn't afford to rent a house that was too good.

, Chen Siyu looked down on him because he was too bad, so before going to the Imperial Academy, Chen Siyu actually lived in the mansion.

Chen Siyu's accommodation is temporarily arranged in the front yard.

The backyard is out of the question, the middle courtyard is full of maids, so the front yard is the only option.

"Siyu, congratulations to you for studying at the Imperial College in Nanjing. Come on, let me toast you."

"Rui Chang, I really want to thank you for this matter. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to study in the Imperial College."

"You don't need to say these words. If you don't have the reputation of being a child, you won't be recommended by the county government."

"I just arrived in Nanjing, so I have been busy for a while. After the Chinese New Year, I will go out to look for a suitable house..."

Before Chen Siyu finished speaking, Wu Zongrui waved his hand.

"Not to mention these, before you report to the Imperial College, you live at home. It's not like you don't have a place. After the Imperial College starts, I suggest you live in the Imperial College. Most of the graduates in Nanjing Imperial College are admitted as students.

There are even some candidates who are studying there. I suggest you live in the Imperial College so that you can study hard. It will be difficult for you to participate in the provincial examination next year. But you must participate in the next provincial examination. It is the time for rest in the Imperial College.

, just come back and live.”

"This, this is inconvenient."

"Nothing is inconvenient, we are all one family."

Having said this, Wu Zongrui turned to look at Chen Lingyan and spoke.

"Madam, Siyu came to Nanjing alone and didn't bring anyone with him. I think I arranged for a maid to take care of the daily life and food. It's difficult to arrange the backyard for the time being, so I arranged to live in the middle courtyard..."

"Husband, this is inappropriate, outsiders will discuss it."

"No matter how you talk about it, this is a family matter. What right do outsiders have to interfere?"

Wu Zongrui knew that at Chen Siyu's age, after coming to Nanjing, he would definitely go to the Qinhuai River, otherwise he would not be counted as coming to Nanjing. Going to the Qinhuai River requires a lot of money. It is okay for Chen Lingyan to secretly give some, but he cannot condone it. After all, the Chen family is not a family of officials and gentry, and Chen Siyu is not a rich man.

Chen Siyu must not be a playboy or hang out with those so-called young talents, so he always reminds Chen Siyu and allows Chen Siyu to live in the Imperial College for this reason.

When Chen Siyu came to Nanjing, he actually defected to him, Wu Zongrui. Although Chen Dengxin didn't say it explicitly, Wu Zongrui understood the meaning.

The meal lasted for half an hour. Chen Siyu was a little drunk and was helped by the maid to rest in the central courtyard.

Chen Lingyan took Wu Zongrui's arm and walked towards the back garden.

"Husband, my brother's matter has put you in a difficult position."

"Madam, why are the family saying these things? By the way, I have read Brother Zong Lin's letter and Er Niang's letter. Everything in the family is fine. My younger brother Zong Gan is very well-behaved, and Sanniang is also pregnant..."

Having said this, Wu Zongrui shook his head helplessly, while Chen Lingyan burst into laughter.

"The cultivation of corn and potato tubers has been basically spread in Anyuan County. The county government specially allocated 500 taels of silver as a reward to the Wu family. I only needed 200 taels of this silver, and the remaining 300 taels were given to The family."

"With the advancement of corn and potato planting technology, Anyuan County will basically not have a food shortage problem unless it encounters a natural disaster that has never happened in a thousand years."

Chen Lingyan nodded.

"Yes, dad also said in the letter that the Chen family has also had a good harvest of potatoes planted this year. Our 500 acres of cultivated land has a very good yield. After the harvest, dad hired dozens of carriages to bring the harvest. The potato chips are delivered to your home."

"Madam, you write a letter back and tell your father-in-law and mother-in-law that there is no need to send the food harvested in the future. The family is not short of food and money. If you must calculate it clearly, then keep an account. When will the family need it and what is it? It’s time to ask for it.”

"Husband, this is not possible. This is the farmland of the family. The slave family thinks so. We don't need to transport rice, corn and potato cubes every year. We will convert it into silver and we will take 60% of it. What do you think?"

"This is the farmland that will be given to you. It's up to you to decide what to do with it."

Chen Lingyan's face was rosy and she was lying in Wu Zongrui's arms.

I am already two months pregnant, and occasional lingering is no problem.

"Husband, the slave family is worried these days."

"What are you worried about?"

"My husband has gone to Huai'an. I have checked it out. It is four hundred miles from Nanjing to Huai'an. I have settled the accounts. The round trip of eight hundred miles will take about eight days. I thought it would be difficult for my husband to come back to celebrate the New Year."

"Whatever you say, since I said it, I will definitely go home to celebrate the New Year."

Chen Lingyan touched Wu Zongrui's chest.

"It's my fault that I made my husband work so hard. It only took six days to go back and forth. I'm afraid he will be on the road all the time. Husband, my family will pay attention to it in the future."

Wu Zongrui patted Chen Lingyan's face and said nothing. He only stayed in Huai'an for more than a day and set off on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month. On the way back, he barely rested and hurried on at the fastest speed, which took more than a day. Time, back to Nanjing.
Chapter completed!