Qin Yao thought that the sister-in-laws would come over the next day to continue talking about brotherly assistance and family honor.

She was already prepared to give them something to send them away, to get some peace and quiet for herself.

Unexpectedly, not only did they not come, but even the previously enthusiastic uncles and cousins also didn’t show up.

Even when they saw her on the road, they avoided her if they could. If they couldn’t, they pulled out a fake smile, a smile where the skin laughs but the flesh doesn’t, or both laugh, and then quickly turned away and ran off.

Strange, very strange indeed!

Qin Yao couldn’t stand this grievance.

She caught Liu Fei, who was trying to run away from her.

"Third Sister-in-law, spare me!"

Liu Fei loudly begged for mercy, not daring to resist, afraid that if he did, he would end up smiling in the afterlife.

Qin Yao was speechless. Did she really look like someone who wanted to harm others?

She slapped the back of Liu Fei’s head, "When did you come back from the academy? I didn’t know! Did you come back earlier and purposefully avoid me?"

"No, no, I only came back at midnight yesterday, afraid of disturbing you, so I didn’t come to pay my respects!" Liu Fei emphasized the word "respects" to show his reverence.

Qin Yao narrowed her eyes dangerously, turned Liu Fei around to face her, and with one look at his guilty and panicked expression, she knew this kid was hiding something.

"Tell me, why did you run when you saw me?" Qin Yao released Liu Fei’s collar and questioned him with arms crossed.

Even though she didn’t hold him, Liu Fei wouldn’t dare run even if given a hundred chances.

"Nothing." Liu Fei’s gaze was evasive.

Qin Yao’s eyes turned cold.

Realizing that if he didn’t speak honestly, he might end up bedridden for half a year, Liu Fei refused to look Qin Yao in the eye and murmured a quick string of words.

Qin Yao listened carefully before finally making out what he was saying.

It turned out that the villagers avoided her because Liu Fei had been spreading word everywhere that if Liu Ji became an official, he would surely be a corrupt official and would eventually bring disaster to his relatives.

Liu Laosan did indeed pass the exams, but he was still the same old rogue Liu Laosan!

Liu Fei’s clear-headed remarks were like a wake-up call, instantly sobering up the jubilant clansmen, making them hesitant to take advantage of Liu Laosan’s gains, which were likely squeezed from some unfortunate soul.

What if it all got exposed someday and the officials traced it back, no one would be able to escape.

Qin Yao tapped her finger on her arm; how did she not think of such a brilliant idea?

"Well done. Tell me, what reward do you want? As long as it’s not too outrageous, Third Sister-in-law will give it to you." Qin Yao was satisfied as she looked at the young man in front of her, speaking generously.

Liu Fei was stunned, "Third Sister-in-law, you’re going to reward me?"

Wasn’t she angry?

Qin Yao shrugged, why should she be angry? No one would come to bother her anymore, what could be better than that?

Seeing that Qin Yao’s expression was genuine, Liu Fei was overjoyed and boldly proposed, "Third Sister-in-law, I want to return to the stationery factory as a steward."

"Alright!" Qin Yao readily asked, "Which group do you want to join?"

The surprise came so suddenly that Liu Fei quickly steadied himself and replied, "I want to join Manager Yun’s group to make new products." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I heard that Lady’s Box is specifically sent to the Capital for sale. I also want to go see the Capital."

Qin Yao asked with a smile, "You’re not going back to the academy?"

"No, I’m not." Liu Fei explained, "The imperial examination is not suitable for me; I don’t want to waste my energy on something that doesn’t yield any result."

"Besides, now that Third Brother has passed the exams, there will be more places to spend silver in the official circles in the future. To prevent him from coveting others’ silver, which could bring trouble to the family, I must earn more silver."

Qin Yao was a bit surprised; she thought Liu Fei and Liu Ji were at odds, yet his vision was so broad.

She didn’t know when exactly she would leave here, but one thing was certain: she would definitely not stay in Liu Family Village for her entire life.

If she left the village someday, the family business of the stationery factory would need someone to guard it.

Song Yu is fine, too, but his style is more suitable for consolidation.

On the other hand, Liu Fei is different; the young man has the drive, and his status is freer, which might bring her unexpected gains.

She signaled Liu Fei to follow her as she walked towards the stationery factory and asked him, "Do you want to start your own business?"

This was a path Liu Fei had never considered, but after thinking for a moment, he quickly replied, "I want to! I want to!"

Qin Yao curled her lips into a smile, "Good, first go back to the stationery factory, and if you have any ideas later, come directly to me and talk about it. As long as it’s not outrageous, I’ll support you."

Liu Fei was thrilled, feeling even more guilty about the words he spread earlier against Qin Yao, repeatedly apologizing.

Qin Yao raised her hand to signal him to stop, and only then did Liu Fei stop, happily following Qin Yao into the stationery factory.

After sorting out Liu Fei’s matters and picking up a letter sent from Yingtian Prefecture, Qin Yao headed home.

This was Liu Ji’s letter, arriving a day later than the government’s congratulatory notice, but Qin Yao felt no emotional fluctuations reading its contents.

Instead, she deduced the exact homecoming time from the date left by Liu Ji in the letter.

They had to first follow Qi Xian back to the ancestral land for worship before jointly coming to Liu Family Village.

Calculating the days, they had already reached Qi Family’s ancestral land by now.

Which means they would reach the village in about four to five days.

Da Lang was very close with Qi Xian, so Qin Yao went home to share the news with him.

Da Lang was overjoyed; today was a rare rest day, intending to practice martial arts before heading to the mountains to play with the village children.

At this moment, he immediately changed his mind, coaxing Second Lang, Sanlang, Si Niang, and Little Lai Fu, and asked Qin Yao for the keys to the Lotus Courtyard, intending to clean it up for Qi Xian’s return.

Qin Yao handed him the keys and reminded them, "Don’t damage the furniture or decorations inside the house, and be careful of mosquitoes and venomous snakes."

Da Lang exclaimed, "Yes, also grab some wormwood to fumigate the courtyard in Lotus Courtyard."

Si Niang held a small hoe, saying, "And we need to weed the flower beds. Last time we played at the Lotus Courtyard’s gate, I saw weeds poking through inside the walls."

Qin Yao went to get the wormwood but felt somewhat uneasy. After all, Lotus Courtyard hadn’t been inhabited for a long time and had endured a hot summer, possibly harboring some wild creatures. She called everyone to join her and to march collectively towards Lotus Courtyard!

Mother and four children, plus Little Lai Fu, worked from noon until evening, cleaning both inside and outside of Lotus Courtyard thoroughly.

Looking at the clean and orderly courtyard, the six of them felt enormous satisfaction.

After relocking the gate, Si Niang led the way, humming a tune taught by their teacher at school, with Qin Yao and the other children following behind, humming along, with brooms, cloths, hoes, and other tools in hands, cheerfully heading home.

Song Zhang’s small farmhouse had been completed in the village, and he planned to bring the family over to stay for a few days after Mid-Autumn Festival. But it’s already mid-September, and he hadn’t arrived yet.

Around his house, there were a few small cottages built by those eager to meet scholars and attracted by Liu Family Village’s pastoral scenery, intending to truly settle down for a retreat.

As the sun set and cooking smoke rose.

Happy singing from children echoed by the riverside, bringing a gentle smile to the scholars reading books at their doorfront.