Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 174 - 173: High Emotional Value

Indeed, not long after, the elderly woman returned with a smile.

Behind her followed a middle-aged woman dressed even more luxuriously, who looked like a steward of the mansion.

The elderly woman referred to her as Nanny Wei, a trusted attendant who served Mrs. Ding closely and had come especially at her command to invite the couple for a meeting.

"Sorry to have kept the two of you waiting!"

Nanny Wei wore a big smile, appearing to be extremely warm, and first apologized to the couple, then explained why the matriarch had slept so long today.

Qin Yao and Liu Ji exchanged a glance, shook their heads to indicate it was no trouble, and followed Nanny Wei out of the side hall into the innermost courtyard of the Ding Mansion, where they finally met Mrs. Ding.

She appeared younger than Qin Yao had imagined, her hair still entirely black, her figure quite slender, with a dark blue silver-embellished forehead band on, sitting on a broad low chair cushioned with soft pillows, eating while a maid helped her with her hair.

It seemed she might really have just woken up from too much sleep.

Seeing Qin Yao and Liu Ji enter, she smiled at them, "Have you been waiting long?"

Liu Ji glanced at Qin Yao. Initially, he felt a bit flattered, but upon seeing Qin Yao’s calm eyes, he suddenly became composed, thinking to himself that she only put on a good face because of the remedy they brought, having left them waiting for quite some time earlier.

The journey home was far, and had they not offered the remedy, who knows how long they would have continued waiting here.

However, since the meeting started with a smile, he naturally couldn’t keep a cold face.

Liu Ji bowed courteously, while Qin Yao stood two steps behind him, offering a slightly bow as a gesture of respect to the elder.

When seeking help, one must show the appropriate attitude; Liu Ji noticed Qin Yao was surprisingly willing to forgo her pride, though never to the point of flattery. Achieving even that was immensely difficult for her.

Mrs. Ding merely glanced at her, the corner of her mouth curling slightly downwards, a barely perceptible hint of contempt that an average person might truly not notice.

Liu Ji’s heart skipped several beats, seriously fearing that the vicious woman behind him couldn’t hold back and would rush forward to land a heavy slap on the old lady.

Luckily, she didn’t.

Liu Ji inquired about the elder’s sleep and whether her knees hurt in the cold, deftly mentioning the mountain deer and gray rabbit they brought along could be used for knee warmers.

Mrs. Ding was initially stunned, then feigned anger as she asked Nanny Wei, "Why was I only woken up now? Did the Liu Family really bring deer and rabbits?"

Nanny Wei bowed slightly, hurriedly admitting it was her fault, asking Mrs. Ding to calm down.

After Mrs. Ding reprimanded her a couple of times, Liu Ji hastily intervened to mediate, and only then did the matter settle down.

Mrs. Ding then marvelously asked, "Are there still wild animals active in the mountains this time of year?"

Liu Ji pointed to Qin Yao, praising her superb hunting skills.

Then, Mrs. Ding’s smile gradually faded. It seemed to remind her of the eldest one who had learned riding and shooting, darkening her expression into metaphorical daggers aimed at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao cleared her throat softly, slightly turning her head aside, feeling she should have only sent Liu Ji alone to endure this ordeal today.

Seeing the atmosphere cool down, Liu Ji quickly restored it by praising Mrs. Ding’s youthful and healthy appearance, interspersing some idioms that made him appear cultured.

Only then did Mrs. Ding brighten up, complimenting him on his eloquence and good looks. She followed up by asking whether Liu Ji’s children were attending school or had plans to study, and the like.

Finally getting to the main topic, Liu Ji secretly let out a small sigh of relief and briefly explained the situation of the children at home.

He didn’t exaggerate one bit: Da Lang was steady and patient even at a young age, proficient in both martial and literary arts.

Second Lang was intelligent, loved reading, and had a natural gift for mathematics.

Then there was Sanlang and Si Niang, the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, which intrigued people whenever mentioned.

Liu Ji spoke amusingly and was good at pleasing people, leaving Mrs. Ding utterly fascinated after listening to him.

She repeatedly urged Liu Ji that next time he visited the manor with the children, to bring them along for her to meet, as she dearly enjoyed the lively presence of children.

Unbeknownst to when, Qin Yao had already retreated to the door by a column, using the curtain as cover to roll her eyes at the sky.

Inside, it was quite lively for a while, with Mrs. Ding’s joyous laughter echoing in waves; Qin Yao calculated the time, a full two hours, indeed. Liu Ji had provided Mrs. Ding with no less than two hours’ worth of emotional high value.

Winter days grew dark early, and by mid-afternoon, the sky was already dimming.

A low call from inside the room finally prompted Qin Yao to enter, as the couple together bade farewell to Mrs. Ding.

"The school has been built, right at the east end of the manor. You may go take a look when passing by, it’s built spacious and solid. Bring the children over at the beginning of spring, and I’ll have the teacher write down their names,"

Mrs. Ding said with a smile before they left.

Once the matter had concluded, the couple finally let out the breath they had been holding in.

As the carriage drove off, Qin Yao sighed, "The county school is indeed better."

Though it was a bit farther, entering an official institution was much simpler than a private school.

Considering this visit, it was enough to exhaust anyone.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao looked up at Liu Ji, who was driving the cart, and said, "When we reach the town, see if there’s anything you’d like to eat and bring it home. We should celebrate today."

This time, Liu Ji was genuinely flattered, promptly responding with a smile, "Alright!"

After a pause, recalling his usual treatment from Qin Yao, he couldn’t help but ask, "Can we buy some sauce meat?"

He was referring to sauced beef; he heard people say in the village yesterday that two old cows had been slaughtered in town, one of which was made into sauced beef. If he could get some for drinks, wouldn’t that be bliss?

Qin Yao agreed with a nod.

Liu Ji timidly tested the waters once more, "How about getting three taels of the bald man’s special brew?"

The wine here, which Qin Yao considered a low-alcohol beverage, hadn’t been something she had in a while, so why not have some?

"Get a full two pounds, it’ll be good for the New Year too," she instructed.

Liu Ji was so pleased his grin nearly reached his ears, suppressing his excitement, he agreed and shook the reins, urging Old Huang to speed up, worrying there might not be any sauced beef left.

As the carriage reached the entrance of Ding Family Manor, a newly constructed mansion-style building, its wood still raw and unpainted, appeared before the couple’s eyes.

Liu Ji clicked his tongue in admiration, "The Ding Family really spared no expense building this school, it looks solid and beautiful."

Much prettier than the county academy, with the window carvings depicting the Four Gentlemen: plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.

"Da Lang and the others are truly fortunate."

Qin Yao nodded in agreement, "Good luck is also a part of strength."

Liu Ji, deeply experienced, proudly laughed and said, "I’m lucky to have met a clever and capable wife, envying others!"

Qin Yao’s mouth twitched hard; there was no need to flatter so deliberately.

Nonetheless, his performance today was commendable, so she’d let him off a beating.

Today’s luck was indeed good, the shop selling sauced beef hadn’t closed yet, and there was still some meat left.

Qin Yao purchased five pounds of beef, went to the bald man’s place, and got two pounds of wine. The couple, savoring the aroma of the food and drink, returned home before nightfall.

Qin Yao relayed the good news about being able to attend the Ding Family School, and the small courtyard resounded with the joyful cheers of all four siblings.

It made this year feel even more lively than usual.