Jiang Fuzheng knew the two messengers.

As a village head, he was in charge of agricultural affairs and tax collection for several villages, and often dealt with the minor officials and constables sent by the county government. As a result, he knew most of the people at the county government office.

These two messengers also knew Jiang Fuzheng.

This was the very hero who had fought in the fire that ravaged Baxian Town twenty years ago!

So, on this joyous occasion, both sides were polite and courteous. The messengers praised Yezaopo for its talented people and fertile land, noting that in addition to jujubes, the village now had century eggs as a new source of income—a fact that truly made the whole county envious.

Jiang Fuzheng, in turn, praised Beiyang County for its impressive performance in the recent county-level examinations: besides Jiang Ji, another candidate had successfully attained the rank of Xiucai, a significant improvement over the previous round’s dismal results.

This, in turn, meant the messenger had something to report as well.

In short, they were trading compliments back and forth, and for a time, the courtyard was filled with laughter. Ye Li brought out a small stove, heated some tea, and washed the jujubes to entertain the two officials.

Of course, with the villagers around, he mostly just gave orders—everyone else had already jumped in to handle the chores. Meanwhile, more and more villagers heard the news and rushed over to join the festivities. Since it was the off-season for farming, every household had someone available.

Soon, Liang Erxiang, Jiang Liu, and Yu arrived. The three of them were so moved that their eyes were red, and Liang Erxiang kept wiping away tears. It was a pity that Jiang Dahu had gone to the county seat to buy meat and missed this momentous occasion.

If Jiang Dahu had been there, he would surely have been wiping away tears as well.

They knew better than anyone else just how much Jiang Ji had sacrificed for his education over the past few years, and how much their entire family had sacrificed as well. Jiang Dachuan’s family had also arrived, every one of them beaming with joy…

The two messengers stayed for another twenty minutes, then left with beaming smiles, each carrying a back basket of jujubes and century eggs. They still had to rush off to deliver the good news to the next family.

Once the two officials had left, the villagers finally dared to speak up.

They congratulated Ye Li once more, and the families of Liang Erxiang and Jiang Dachuan also received a string of well-wishes. Of course, there were also words of praise for Jiang Ji.

“Jiang Ji is so talented—he passed all three exams on his first try. He’s a natural scholar!”

“Exactly! He used to have to take odd jobs, yet he’s in no way inferior to those city folks. That’s truly impressive.”

“Well, he’s worked hard, too. Even though he lives so close to home and has such a beautiful, capable Fulang like Li-ger, he’s hardly ever come back.”

With that, the conversation shifted to Ye Li, and everyone began to tease him.

The two were clearly very close, and though they’d only recently been married, Jiang Ji still rarely came home. With that kind of determination, if Jiang Ji couldn’t pass the Xiucai exam, who could?

As Ye Li listened to these words, a touch of bashfulness flashed across his face. But deep down, he agreed wholeheartedly.

Indeed, his wonderful husband lacked nothing—talent, hard work, and determination—he was bound to pass the Xiucai exam! Hey, such an outstanding man was his husband.

And he’s only eighteen—handsome, tall, and full of energy.

Just as Ye Li was secretly rejoicing in his heart, Jiang Tong exclaimed excitedly, “Li-ger, shouldn’t we hang up that notice?” 

“Right, right. The one from Ji Xiaozi’s family—hang it up in the main hall. It’ll bring honor to our ancestors.”

Jiang Fuzheng chimed in.

He had no interest in teasing the young couple, but this item was of the utmost importance and had to be displayed. Upon hearing this, the rest of the crowd, eager to see something new, began to urge them on.

Jiang Ji was, after all, the first Xiucai in Yezaopo! None of them had ever seen what a certificate of passing the provincial examination actually looked like.

To be honest, Ye Li was curious too. He went back to the main hall and took the notice down from the altar table.

The notice was about a foot wide. He untied the string holding it together and unfolded it. At the very top were the characters “Good News,” followed immediately by the words: “Jiang Ji ranked third in the Nantong Prefecture Academy Examination.”

Jiang Fuzheng was standing right beside Ye Li. He could read, and upon clearly making out the characters, he burst out laughing: “Third place—not bad, not bad at all. That lad Ji Xiaozi has brought honor to the village. As a scholarship student, he’s eligible to enroll in the county academy and receive his cash stipend.”

In the Great Xia, the top three candidates in each prefectural examination were awarded the title of “Linsheng,” and Jiang Ji had just barely made the cut.

Not only did a Linsheng receive an annual stipend in cash, but he could also earn cash by acting as a guarantor for other Tongsheng candidates.

Not only had Jiang Ji passed the county examination on his first try, but he’d also secured a Linsheng position—Yezaopo had finally produced a talent! Ye Li was also aware of the benefits of being a Linsheng, and he couldn’t help but smile as well.

Now that Jiang Ji had a steady income, when he returned and brought up the matter of building a house, he wouldn’t have to worry about spending more than he earned.

Upon hearing Jiang Fuzheng’s explanation, the others once again offered their congratulations.

Jiang Ji is amazing!

As Ye Li listened to the stream of congratulations, he couldn’t stop smiling. But deep down, he missed that person even more.

The exam results had arrived—where was his dear husband at this very moment? Jiang Ji, the man Ye Li was so deeply concerned about, had already set out on the road back to Beiyang County.

After the results of the county-level examination were announced, the fellow candidates and scholarship students insisted that he treat them to a feast. After a grand celebration, he went out shopping with Shi Yi. And so, the five strings of cash Ye Li had sewn into the lining were eventually spent.

They stayed in the Prefectural City for only one more day; on the third day, the group returned to Beiyang County.

A mule cart could not match the speed of the prefectural office’s fast horses, so by the time they reached the South Gate of Beiyang County, it was already the evening of the second day after Ye Li had received the good news. The group parted ways at the county gate.

Shi Yi asked Jiang Ji for his home address and said he would go to Yezaopo in a few days to buy century eggs. Since his home was quite far from the county seat, in another town, he planned to buy some century eggs in bulk to take back, so his family could sell them in their town.

It would be a little extra income.

Jiang Ji was carrying a lot of belongings; in addition to his luggage, he had also bought some small gifts.

Just as he was about to ask the carriage driver to take him a bit further, Ye Liang’s voice called out from a short distance away: “Xiao Ji!”

He turned to look and saw Ye Liang and Ye Wen driving an oxcart from the city. He hurriedly waved at them: “Big Brother, Second Brother!” Ye Liang and Ye Wen were also overjoyed to see Jiang Ji.

The day before, Ye Liang had arrived at the Jiang household and learned from Ye Li the joyful news that Jiang Ji had passed the imperial examinations; he had been so overjoyed that tears welled up in his eyes.

When he returned to the Ye household and shared this joyous news with everyone, everyone—except Liu Yi and Tang Yu—had tears in their eyes: his father, his grandfather, and Ye Wen.

His father kept calling out, “Brother Dahai,” and as he called, he crouched down on the ground, wiping his eyes and weeping so hard that Ye Liang couldn’t help but shed tears himself.

At first, he had gone out of his way to support Jiang Ji to honor the memory of the late Jiang Dahai. After several years of interaction between the two families, a bond had formed, and his respect for Jiang Dahai had grown; he regarded him as a dear uncle.

At a moment like this, knowing Uncle Dahai couldn’t be there to see it with his own eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Originally, his father had wanted to come pay his respects to Jiang Dahai today, but he had persuaded him to stay home.

On the anniversary of Jiang Dahai’s passing, his father had already visited the grave with Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya. Jiang Ji hadn’t returned yet, so they would wait for him to come back before going to the grave together to pay their respects.

Until Jiang Ji returns, life goes on as usual.

Jiang Ji’s two mu of cornstalks were still standing in the field. Tomorrow, he and Ye Wen would go cut them down and haul them back, so Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya wouldn’t have to run out every day to gather firewood.

But who would have thought Jiang Ji would return today, and he and Ye Wen even ran into him. They’ll discuss shortly when to go together to pay their respects to Uncle Dahai.

When they reached Jiang Ji, he turned the cart around, helped him load his luggage, and motioned for him to get in.

Jiang Ji had intended to refuse; if the Ye brothers took him back and then turned around to return, they might not even make it out of the city. But Ye Liang and Ye Wen didn’t mind—they’d just have to walk a bit faster.

So Jiang Ji climbed onto the oxcart, and the three of them set off at full speed toward Yezaopo. By the time they entered the village, night had fallen, and many households had lit their lamps.

It was the off-season for farming, and the weather had turned cold; every household was having dinner, and the village paths were deserted.

When the oxcart reached the front door, Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya were also having dinner. However, the moment they heard Ye Liang’s shout, the three of them instantly put down their bowls and chopsticks and rushed out of the kitchen.

“Big Brother! Big Brother!”

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s shouts rang out loud and clear.

Ye Li said nothing, merely glancing toward the entrance.

As soon as he spotted a familiar figure entering the courtyard, he immediately quickened his pace.

As dusk fell and the light grew dim, Jiang Ji couldn’t wait a moment longer; he jumped off the ox cart and entered the house.

Hearing Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s loud, excited shouts, he knew the two little ones were indeed safe and sound. So, after his gaze lingered briefly on them, he looked ahead.

And there, he found the person he’d been longing to see. Ye Li was running toward him, too!

He breathed a sigh of relief, standing still as Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya charged toward him like little cannonballs and threw their arms around him. In the past, he could have easily caught them both.

But over the past six months, Ye Li had pampered them with good food and drink; not only had they grown taller, but they’d also gained weight. So even though he was prepared, the impact of their collision still sent him staggering slightly.

“Slow down, slow down.”

He steadied himself, patting each of their little heads with his large hands, but his eyes glanced backward. Ye Li stood two feet away, breathing a bit heavily, his fists clenched, his gaze darting back and forth over him. He was clearly beside himself with excitement.

In all the time he’d known Ye Li, this was the first time he’d ever acted like this. He must miss him terribly, right?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, a wave of immense joy washed over him—along with a deep sense of fulfillment.

At that moment, he could no longer hear Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s shouts; all he could see before him was one person—the one he’d been longing for so intensely. Acting on impulse, he reached out, grabbed Ye Li’s wrist, and pulled him forcefully into his embrace. Breathing in the familiar scent of Ye Li, he let out a long sigh.

Ye Li。

His Ye Li, Lili.

Caught off guard as he fell into the familiar embrace, held captive by Jiang Ji’s powerful arms, in that instant, the same joy and contentment enveloped Ye Li.

This man! Tugging and pulling him around in public.

It’s rather embarrassing.

Though he thought this, he couldn’t bring himself to suppress the smile on his lips—and besides, he couldn’t bear to let her go! He couldn’t bear it!

He paid no heed to Ye Liang and Ye Wen carrying luggage into the courtyard; he buried his face against Jiang Ji’s chest. His dear husband—he’s finally back!

Ye Liang and Ye Wen watched the scene, feeling rather embarrassed. Neither dared to look, so they carried Jiang Ji’s luggage into the courtyard and then planned to close the gate and leave without saying a word.

However, the sound of the door closing snapped Ye Li out of his joy. He tilted his head, peering over Jiang Ji’s tall frame toward the doorway: “Big Brother and Second Brother, are you leaving?”

“Yes. If we don’t leave now, we won’t be able to get out of the city. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Ye Liang closed the courtyard gate and led the oxcart away.

Ye Li quickly called out, “Then buy some meat tomorrow! Buy plenty!”

“I know, I know,” Ye Liang replied from over the courtyard wall.

Hearing this, Ye Li felt reassured. He turned his gaze back to Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji had been lost in a world where only Ye Li existed, but Ye Li’s shout snapped him back to reality. Listening to this conversation so full of the warmth of everyday life, he couldn’t help but smile.

He was truly back.

It was a familiar home, with familiar people.

He met Ye Li’s gaze and said with a smile, “Let’s go inside.”

As soon as Ye Li heard this, he immediately pointed toward the kitchen: “You must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”

The mention of food perked up Jiang Ya. Although he’d called out “Big Brother” many times earlier without getting a response, that didn’t stop him from calling out again: “Big Brother, Big Brother! Li-ge made congee with century eggs and lean pork—it’s super delicious!”

Hearing this, Ye Li hurried to follow: “That’s right, I made congee. You should try some.” He had already told Jiang Ji about this dish.

“Okay,” Jiang Ji replied.

So the four of them headed toward the kitchen.

Jiang Mai jogged over to the well to fetch water for Jiang Ji. After Jiang Ji washed his hands, Ye Li served him some congee. There was only half a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee left in the pot.

However, in addition to the congee, there was also a dish of stir-fried pork with radish on the table.

Ye Liang had bought three pounds of meat today to celebrate, but they hadn’t finished it at lunch, so he’d stir-fried it with radish for dinner.

Jiang Ji took a sip of the porridge. When he looked up and saw Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya all staring at him, he couldn’t help but smile. “It’s delicious.” Jiang Ya immediately nodded his little head. “Li-ge is an amazing cook.”

“Big Brother, have some meat.” Jiang Mai picked up a slice of pork with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat and placed it on his plate.

“Alright, alright, let’s all eat together.” Jiang Ji was delighted and served a slice of meat to Jiang Mai, Jiang Ya, and Ye Li. This made Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya happy too; the two little ones picked up their chopsticks and continued to eat heartily.

As for Ye Li, he also picked up his chopsticks, but as he looked at the person across from him, a thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, and he didn’t know where to begin. It had been too long since they’d been apart!

Jiang Ji glanced at him and felt just as overwhelmed, unsure of where to begin.

Fortunately, on the way back to the village, Ye Liang had already told him all the major events that had occurred over the past month.

Hmm… Anyway, since Bao Beiyuan’s fever had broken, he would go check on him tomorrow. So he said, “Hurry up and eat. Once you’re done, we’ll open the little gift I bought.”

A little gift?

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s big eyes lit up instantly.

“What kind of gift?” they asked in unison. Ye Li also looked over, a look of curiosity on her face. Jiang Ji smiled. “You’ll find out after dinner.”

After speaking, he gave Ye Li a meaningful look.

Ye Li caught his gaze. Though he understood what he meant, he felt even more puzzled. What was this about?

Could he have bought some toys to spice things up?