Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 625: Episode 0582 Baili Ruiβs Identity (1)
Baili Rui looked at her, pursed his lips, and said nothing.
Li Yuzhu laughed, "Guoguo, you canβt just ask him to call you mom casually."
Li Jing said, "But I call Aunt Chai mom." ππ»πππππ«π£π€πππ΅.ππ€π’
Li Yuzhu replied, "Thatβs different. Aunt Chai married your dad, so Aunt Chai is now mom. Baili Ruiβs parents havenβt separated; they both acknowledge Baili Rui."
Li Jing listened, confused and unable to comprehend.
Guoguo blinked at her, saying nothing.
Li Yuzhu rubbed her forehead, as if she said something but it was useless.
.
Although Baili Rui was separated from his biological mother near Qingyang County, Li Yuzhu did not put up notices for claiming him.
She was worried someone might impersonate.
Baili Rui had been deceived once, there was a possibility he might be deceived again.
Such a young child canβt resist bad people at all.
Li Yuzhu thought about it and decided to let Sister-in-law Chai and her husband, along with Li Xingβan, help inquire.
Their shop receives customers from various places every day.
In conversations with customers, they might gather information.
Sister-in-law Chai and Li Xingβan both thought this was a good idea.
The next morning, when Li Yuzhu went to visit the County Magistrateβs Wife at the County Magistrate Mansion, she also agreed to help inquire.
Later that morning, Li Xingmao got the mule cart ready, loaded all the purchased items into the cart, and took Li Yuzhu and the three children back to the village.
With so many children in the cart, the mule cart didnβt move fast. When they returned to the Li Family, Nanny Jiang was already cooking dinner in the kitchen.
Hearing the sound of the cart wheels and the cheers of the children, Uncle Gui came out and saw Li Xingmao had returned. He immediately called Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xingsheng to help move things.
Everyone was surprised to see an unfamiliar child and looked towards Baili Rui in awe.
Uncle Gui asked, "Dallang, Third lady, whose child is this?"
Baili Rui blinked, "Iβm from the Baili Family."
Uncle Gui laughed, "Oh, a clever little one."
"Grandpa Gui, his name is Baili Rui," Guoguo said.
"Heβs four, got separated from his mom," Li Jing added.
Li Xingsheng patted Baili Ruiβs shoulder as a welcome, "Welcome, welcome."
Mu Yuanxiu squatted in front of Baili Rui, took his small hand, "Baili Rui, Iβm Mu Yuanxiu."
"Brother Rui, you should call him Uncle Yuanxiu," Guoguo introduced.
Li Jing corrected, "Heβs the younger uncle, we have three uncles."
Baili Rui looked at Guoguo and Li Jing, followed them, and called Mu Yuanxiu, "Younger uncle."
Mu Yuanxiu laughed, patting his back, "Go play with Guoguo and Jingjing."
"Come on, letβs go play," Guoguo grabbed Baili Ruiβs hand.
Li Jing took his other hand.
The two kids, one on each side, pulled Baili Rui running into the house.
With Li Xingsheng and Mu Yuanxiu moving things together, Li Yuzhu didnβt have to worry. She followed the three children.
Li Jing and Guoguo, pulling Baili Rui, happily ran to the South Courtyard House.
The childrenβs laughter startled Chai Eying inside the house.
Chai Eying, holding her son, walked from the bedroom to the outer room, seeing Guoguo and Li Jing pulling an unfamiliar child running over.
The unfamiliar boy was wearing Li Jingβs clothes.
"Mom, heβs Baili Rui," Li Jing shouted loudly.
"Mom, do you like Brother Rui?" Guoguoβs legs were the shortest, running and puffing.
Chai Eying sat down on a chair, examined Baili Rui, then smiled and said, "I like him, whose child is he?"
"Donβt know," Li Jing shook his head.
Li Yuzhu followed in, "Sister-in-law, he got separated from his mom, he said heβs not local, got separated near the county while passing by, canβt find his relatives temporarily. After discussing with Brother, we decided to bring him home to settle first. I have an empty house on the mountain, Iβll take him to stay on the mountain later."
Chai Eying liked children, "Let him stay below the mountain, let him live with Jingjing."
Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "Iβm worried too many children will disturb Sister-in-lawβs rest."
Chai Eying just laughed, "How could it be? I like having many children, when the sun is nice during the day, I even carry Xiao Yu to the neighboring school to listen to the children read."
Guoguo tugged Baili Ruiβs hand, "Brother Rui, this is my mom."
Baili Rui looked at Chai Eying, and straightforwardly called her "Aunt."
Chai Eying freed a hand and stroked his head, "Good boy, settle down here."
Everyone treated him kindly, and the cautious expression on Baili Ruiβs face gradually relaxed.
Chai Eying placed the baby in the cradle and brought snacks and dried fruits to entertain Baili Rui.
Li Yuzhu explained Baili Ruiβs situation to Chai Eying.
Chai Eying looked at her son who had just turned a month old and began to worry about Baili Ruiβs mother, "That lady from the Baili family lost her son; she must be very anxious."
"The Lord County Magistrate has sent a message to Liangzhou over there to inquire; hopefully, theyβll be able to find someone," Li Yuzhu said.
"I hope they find him," Chai Eying said worriedly.
Li Xingmao, having moved the luggage, entered the room.
Chai Eying immediately went to greet him, "Have you returned, my husband?"
Li Xingmao walked over to the cradle, looked at the baby, and pushed Baili Rui in front of Chai Eying, apologetically saying, "Eying, without discussing with you, I brought this child home."
Chai Eying patted Baili Ruiβs head with a smile, "Thereβs enough room in the house, and weβre not short on food. Having one more child is no matter; heβs about the same age as Jingjing; he can stay and become a companion."
Li Jing pulled Baili Rui and ran outside, "Come, letβs see my grandparents; Iβll show you my room, and we can stay together tonight."
Guoguo also ran after them.
"Iβll watch over them," Li Yuzhu said and went after the children.
Inside, there was only Li Xingmao and Chai Eying, along with a small baby who understood nothing.
The couple had been apart for several days, and they talked intimately.
Li Jing led Baili Rui and rushed into the North Courtyard Main House.
Shortly afterward, Li Yuzhu arrived carrying the slower-running Guoguo.
"Grandfather, grandmother, weβre back," Li Jingβs voice came before he entered the house.
Inside, Prince Luling and his wife were chatting idly; seeing Li Jing come in with an unfamiliar child, they looked on curiously.
"Jingjing, who is he?" Princess Consort Luling asked with a smile.
"Heβs Baili Rui," Li Jing replied.
Li Yuzhu put Guoguo down and explained Baili Ruiβs situation.
Baili Rui followed Li Jing and called out to grandfather and grandmother without much fear.
"When my big brother and I found him, although he was covered in dust, his clothes were of good quality, resembling the attire of a noble familyβs child, and his writing wasnβt bad, either, indicating his elite upbringing," Li Yuzhu said.
Well-dressed, well-spoken, and good at writingβthese are the hallmarks of a child taught by a privileged family.
Prince Luling stroked the tip of his beard, pondering, "From Liangzhou? A noble named Baili? I have heard of such a family."
Princess Consort Luling said, "Husband, speaking of the Baili family from Liangzhou, I recall someone. Isnβt the Envoy from Liangzhou also named Baili?"
Prince Luling nodded, "Thatβs exactly the family Iβm thinking of. Old Master Baili wanted to pass on the position of Envoy to his second son, but the person from the palace wouldnβt allow it. Old Master Baili came to me, telling me his eldest son is incompetent and would ruin Liangzhouβs military affairs if given the position of Envoy. He wanted to pass it to the second son, and I helped by advocating on their behalf at the palace."
Listening to her parents chat, Li Yuzhu said, "I remember, this Envoy is responsible for military defenses and affairs at the border, and can be inherited. If Baili Ruiβs father is the Envoy, it wonβt be hard to find his family."
The Envoy is a high-ranking official established at the frontier, equivalent to a frontier governor, a third-rank official.
The frontier has a complex population; in peacetime, the Envoy manages civil affairs and taxation, while in wartime, the Envoy is a commanding general.
An Envoy must be skilled in both literature and martial arts.
Frequent replacements of personnel can destabilize the borders, so Zhao Country changed the previous dynastic laws, allowing the position of Envoy to become hereditary.
As long as the family doesnβt break any laws, the son takes over when the father retires, and the grandson when the son retires.
Generation after generation can sit in this role.
To choose a successor, the acting Envoy submits a petition to the court for the Emperorβs approval.
In remote locations far from the Emperor, although the environment is harsh, the power is immense, and almost every Envoy is a local tyrant.
Prince Luling drew Baili Rui close to him, "What is your grandfatherβs name? Do you know?"
Li Yuzhu mentioned Baili Ruiβs fatherβs name, but given Baili Ruiβs young age, his father likely wasnβt very old either, and Prince Luling didnβt have any impression upon hearing it.
But Prince Luling knew more about elder names, so he asked Baili Rui his grandfatherβs name.
Baili Rui said, "My grandfatherβs name is Baili Wenji."
"Baili Wenji?" Prince Luling said, puzzled, "I have not heard this name before. Are you sure your grandfather is called by this name? Does he have any other names?"
Baili Rui shook his head, "No other names, heβs just called Baili Wenji. I heard people call him that, some call him Mr. Wenji, and others call him Brother Wenji."
Prince Luling said disappointedly, "Not the Envoyβs Baili family? An elder in the Baili family named Baili Ao, but not Baili Wenji."
Li Yuzhu said, "Father, Baili Rui is young and may not remember all his grandfatherβs names. Itβs possible his grandfather has other names, so letβs keep inquiring."
In this era, many people of status had multiple names.
Besides a given name, they also had courtesy names, and sometimes more than one.
Itβs a difficult task for a four-year-old to remember all of his grandfatherβs names.
