Chapter 656: Reminisce (1/2)
Every time this memory was brought up, Xiaocao always felt it was very funny and touching at the same time. Her godfather was truly a manly man, yet he had run to the emperor, crying and weeping in order to have the chance to see her get married in front of his eyes.
In all of these years, her godfather had truly treated her like his true biological daughter. Whenever he had something good to eat, fun to play, material for clothing, or bright jewels and gold, he always thought of her and left her a portion. He didn’t even change after Linlin was born. Sometimes, he would treat her better than his own son. Her godmother had also never treated her like an outsider. She had taught her how to manage relationships, oversee the household, and customs and etiquettes of the nobility.
And then there was the little fellow, Fang Haolin. He had always regarded her as his true older, biological sister and would even fight for favor with Little Shitou. However, Little Shitou was now older and disdained trying to compete with a tiny brat. Fang Haolin had always been very close to this older sister. Whenever she was around, he would even throw his mother to the side. With an extra set of parents to love and pamper her, Xiaocao truly felt like she had fallen into a pot of gold.
If she had the choice right now to go back to her previous life in the twenty-first century or stay here, she would easily make the choice to stay. That was because this era had people who loved her and people who she loved!
“Young Miss, Old General Zhao, General Zhao and his wife are here!” One of the second ranked maidservants came over with hurried footsteps as she greeted the guests clearly.
“Grandfather Zhao and Uncle Zhao are here? And Auntie Zhao as well? I need to personally see them!” Yu Xiaocao had Su Ran rest in the rocking chair that she often lounged in as she bustled over to the inner gate. Zhu Junyang noticed that the little lass regarded the Zhao Family highly, so he also came along. There wasn’t a man in the residence now, so he needed to help her receive the male guests.
However, when he saw the group of people from afar, he knew he had thought too much. The little lass’s godfather was currently respectfully next to Old General Zhao, listening to his teachings and wisdom!
“Grandfather Zhao, Uncle Zhao, it’s been a long time since I last saw you. I’ve missed you both terribly!” In front of her elders, Xiaocao had always had a sweet and endearing manner, making her a likable girl. Although it had been almost ten years since they last saw each other, when she saw these familiar faces, it was as if she had been transported back to when she lived in Dongshan Village. In those years, during her family’s hardest times, Grandfather Zhao and his family had welcomed them with open arms and helped them quite a bit. The fact that they had sent aid during their time of greatest need truly showed the depths of their kindness.
“Lass Xiaocao, in the blink of an eye, you’ve grown up into a young maiden. At that time, when Grandfather Zhao left Dongshan Village, you were such a wee thing and so skinny that you looked like you could fall over at any second. You didn’t dare to eat any of the prey that you managed to trap with great effort and hid it at our residence before sneakily going into town to sell them. At such a young age, you learned how to manage money. No wonder you’re such a successful businesswoman now!” Old General Zhao gestured with his hand at his waist as his eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Grandfather Zhao~~” Yu Xiaocao stepped forward and pulled at his rough and calloused hand as she swayed back and forth. She looked quite bashful as she said, “At that time, my family hadn’t split from the main family, right? If I brought the game back home, not a single bite would go into my mouth and not a single coin would fall into my purse either. Thus, selling it off and keeping the money in my purse was the only right thing to do!”
General Zhao also grinned, “I also remember that when you, little lass, became gluttonous, you would have your Auntie Zhao help you cook the wild pheasant you had trapped. You’d sneakily eat the cooked meat like a tiny mouse. However, you never forgot to leave some for your parents and your siblings. What did I say then? Yu Hai and his wife would rely on their daughter to have a good life. Didn’t those words become true now?”
“Uncle Zhao, I’m not a tiny mouse ah! Have you ever seen such a beautiful and adorable mouse like me?” Yu Xiaocao proudly turned around in a circle, showing off her newly made bright yellow clothing. She looked quite elegant and stately.
“Now you’re beautiful, but at that time ah——a mouse had more meat on its body than you!” General Zhao guffawed loudly.
Fang Zizhen revealed a sad expression on his face after hearing this, “Argh! This child had a hard life. It was I who had showed up too late, allowing this child to suffer so much! That old crone surnamed Zhang treated my Cao’er so poorly then. I shouldn’t have let her off so easily!”
Auntie Zhao had a gentle and sweet smile on her face, “What’s the point in bringing up those old bad memories now? Without the icy cold of winter, could we possibly enjoy the beautiful scent of plum blossoms? Hasn’t Xiaocao emerged from the bitter parts of life and is now enjoying the sweet? Not only are all of her businesses extremely successful, but she also has many noble maidens in the capital vying for her favor. She’s also the only female official in the entire Great Ming Empire. Now she’s even a fourth-ranked official and it’s possible one day that she’ll surpass you all!”
The smile on Uncle Zhao’s face became even more brilliant, “Then I must work even harder in order to avoid being surpassed by the younger generation. Wouldn’t that be so embarrassing ah?”
“The student has surpassed the master. You should enjoy the glory and achievements of the younger generation instead!” Yu Xiaocao cracked open a smile, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth, “Oh, that’s right, I heard that Older Brother Han has now been promoted to the leader of a battalion now, right? He has relied on his own abilities to slowly climb up! He’s definitely much more talented than I am!”
“He’s only a tiny little sixth-ranked military official. He’s just killed a few pirates here and there. How could he be as talented as you? Your actions have benefited all of the commoners of the empire ah!” General Zhao gave a big thumbs up in approval.