When Shopkeeper Hong received the secret gift from his master, he was so surprised that he could barely close his mouth, those two chests of gold ingots were enough to make his eyes glaze over.
The delivery was made by Ye Ying, one of Jingchen's shadow guards, who had delivered it personally to avoid arousing suspicion.
"Ye Ying, did our lord leave any instructions?" Shopkeeper Hong hurriedly asked.
"Master asked you to take more care of the Xu family."
"I understand, why don't you let me go to Xujia Village with you!" Shopkeeper Hong asked.
Ye Ying nodded. After Shopkeeper Hong took care of some business at his shop, he followed them all to Xujia Village.
Upon their arrival, many hardworking villagers paid attention to their arrival.
"What a magnificent carriage! Wonder who they've come to visit in our village?" Uncle Xu, the eldest brother among the three Xu brothers, noticed the driver looked somewhat familiar.
Uncle Xu remarked: "Isn't this Ye Ying, Jingchen's personal guard?"
Upon closer inspection, Uncle Xu confirmed it truly was him.
Ye Ying also recognized members of the Xu family and stopped the carriage. Shopkeeper Hong stepped out: "Eldest, is the old man home?"
Xu Dabo immediately replied: "Yes, he is home. Come, I'll lead you home."
The brothers followed the carriage toward the Xu Manor.
The villagers recognized Shopkeeper Hong and considered his arrival normal, so they returned to their work.
The old man had just finished lunch and was playing chess with Uncle Fu.
Upon seeing his three sons enter, he asked: "Didn't you all go out for work not too long ago? Why have you come back?"
"Father, it's Shopkeeper Hong, along with Ye Ying, Jingchen's shadow guard." Xu Dabo responded.
"Did Jingchen really come to Hua Men Town? Where is he? Take me to him." the old man said.
"They should've arrived at the gate by now, I ran back here ahead of them." Xu Dabo panted as he spoke.
When the old man reached the entrance, he saw Ye Ying standing beside the carriage, parked right outside his door.
"Greetings, sir. I've brought some gifts on my master's behalf." Ye Ying jumped down from the carriage and cupped his fist respectfully.
The old man found this somewhat odd, unsure what sort of gifts Jingchen could possibly bring.
The womenfolk of the Xu family heard the commotion and came over to the doorway.
Madam Wang called out to Ye Ying, asking: "Jingchen didn't come with you?"
"Sir, our master still has business to attend to in the capital and cannot be spared, so I came alone." Ye Ying replied.
"Come inside quickly, I imagine it must have been quite a journey from the capital, and you must be tired after such a long trip." Madam Wang said.
Shopkeeper Hong also stepped down from the carriage: "Rest is not urgent, we can unpack the items first before taking a break. Otherwise, my mind will remain uneasy."
The Xu family had some doubts as well but did not press further, instead summoning two of their servants to help carry the goods inside.
Only after everything was moved into the main hall did the old man voice his suspicion: "Ye Ying, what's all this in these boxes? Why did you bring them here to our Xu family?"
Ye Ying answered: "Old sir, please accept this letter from our master. You'll understand once you read it." He took the letter from within his robes.
The old man accepted the envelope, opened it, and began reading. The more he read, the more astonished he became, until he sat frozen for several minutes after finishing the letter without reacting at all.
Madam Wang anxiously asked: "Husband, what does the letter say?"
The old man replied: "I'll tell you about it later." Then he turned to Ye Ying and said: "Please extend my thanks to your young master."
Ye Ying replied: "My lord has said that the Xu family is his benefactor, so doing this sort of work can be considered part of his way of repaying their kindness."
The old man said: "How could there be any 'kindness' owed? It's merely a small gesture. Would you please stay for dinner tonight, Little Brother Ye Ying?"
"Thank you kindly, Old Man." Ye Ying said: "But I must hurry back, my lord cannot do without me, and there are many tasks awaiting my return."
"If that's the case, I recall Jingchen liking our preserves, so bring some extra jars with you as a token of my gratitude."
Qibao stood on the side quietly, looking at those red wood crates covered in copper rivets. One glance was enough to tell these were no ordinary crates, and the things within must likewise be valuable.
Madam Wang had the servant girls bring out many boxes filled with various flavors of preserves, along with some homemade treats.
The old man said: "There isn't much we can offer, but here are some locally made delicacies for your young master to try."
Qibao watched silently from the side, taking in the crates of redwood adorned with copper rivets. The mere sight told him this wood was no ordinary kind, and the items inside must likewise be costly indeed.
"Your family's goods are very much to my master's liking." Ye Ying said: "As they say, it is difficult to buy one's heart with gold."
After everything was loaded onto the carriage, Ye Ying bid his farewell, and Shopkeeper Hong accompanied him back home.
Once they left, Madam Wang asked her husband: "Husband, everyone has gone now. What did Jingchen write about in his letter?"
The old man replied: "Jingchen wrote that these were gifts from His Majesty the Emperor, and we must keep them safe."
"What? The em-emp-emperor? Are you confused? What exactly is going on here?" Madam Wang's legs began to tremble at the mention of the emperor.
To think this supreme sovereign would have anything to do with their humble farming family!
"This has something to do with Qibao, because last time, when Qibao submitted a formula for treating coughs, Jingchen handed it over to the Emperor. The Emperor was pleased, so he specially granted us a reward." the old man explained.
"How did Jingchen meet the Emperor? Who exactly is he?" Madam Wang asked.
"I don't know, and it's not mentioned in the letter either. It must be someone who knows some influential figure in the capital, which is why they were able to deliver the formula to His Majesty." the old man said.
Madam Wang was beside herself with excitement as she hugged Qibao and showered her with kisses: "Qibao is truly so clever, if it weren't for your medicine, how could our Xu family have ever caught the eyes of the Emperor? May the heavens bless us! We're eternally grateful that the blessed child Qibao has been bestowed upon our Xu family! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She bowed toward the heavens in gratitude.
The Zhang siblings and Xu eldest brothers were all speechless, their faces blank like wooden chickens—this was no exaggeration.
Your Majesty! Oh my goodness, he is the most noble person in their Dragon Soul Kingdom! They never dreamed that one day they would be rewarded by the Emperor.
"The letter Jingchen sent said he feared others may target us due to our status, so these gifts remain secret from everyone else, including himself, for our safety."
"Indeed, indeed, I understand the importance of silently amassing wealth." Madam Wang said. "But I do not know what is inside this box."
Qibao piped up: "Grandma, why don't you open it and see?"
At these words, Madam Wang reached out to lift the lid...but was stopped.
"Wait! This is a gift from His Majesty, bestowed upon us by imperial decree. Since we cannot express our gratitude to the Emperor before his eyes, we must show our respect nonetheless." With that, the old man knelt toward the capital city and bowed three times.
Upon witnessing this scene, all members of the Xu family fell to their knees as well, save for Qibao, who remained standing. Even the serving girls and young attendants joined them on the floor.
After completing their bows, Uncle Xu rubbed his hands together and made to open the box...
"Slap!" The old man promptly slapped his son's hand back.
"Dad, why did you hit me?" Uncle Xu rubbed at his reddened wrist.
"Are there no rules left in your household? Shouldn't only the head of the house have the privilege of opening such gifts to demonstrate the Xu family's respect for His Majesty?" the old man asked.