Chapter 62

  The house on the mountain, although smaller than the one at the foot of the mountain, is not comparable to Lin Qing's Golden House if you include the garden and the waterside pavilion. This house was prepared for the Second Old Master to live in after his marriage, so the name of the house was also chosen by the Second Old Master himself - Sui Yuan, a carefree and natural garden courtyard that reflects the Second Old Master's free-spirited personality. Unfortunately, he left this world at the peak of his life, leaving behind only a brief mark in the history of Pei Guo.

  Jin Fenghua and Xian Yi did not change the name of the garden, but only decided on the flowers and trees to be planted in the inner garden this year. Most of the houses were new, even those that had been put up before the Second Old Master went out to war were unused. Jin Fenghua had taken a liking to this garden after his first visit, and he knew that people would miss the old days. If he really moved into the house where the Second Old Master used to live, not to mention whether he himself would feel uncomfortable, at least the old servants who followed the Second Old Master would feel uneasy, as if his arrival would erase the traces of the Second Old Master's life. The main house in the garden had always been empty, and the furniture inside was all made by Jin Fenghua before he left. The style of the furniture was similar to that of the Linqing family home, so Xian Yi felt a sense of familiarity after moving in and lived more stably.

  They didn't have much to begin with, and after tidying up the soft furnishings and dividing up the servants' quarters, as well as settling in the children and wet nurses, they were busy until nightfall before things started to take shape. However, it was clear that there weren't enough people to manage such a large estate. Xian Yi could only arrange for the servants she brought with her to be assigned to the main house, without even changing their duties. The three houses on the other side didn't send anyone to call them for dinner, and the garden had its own large and small kitchens. Xian Yi arranged for the cooks she brought with her to work in the small kitchen, as there weren't many people yet and they didn't need to use the large kitchen. They would have to wait until Manager Yan sent more people over the next day to fill the gaps in the garden's staff.

  Before dinner, Jin Fenghua took his wife and son down the mountain in a sedan chair, went to the small ancestral hall of the second house to burn incense. Xian Yi was not allowed to enter the ancestral hall as a woman, but Yu Ge'er was Jin Fenghua's eldest son on the household register, so Jin Fenghua brought Yu Ge'er and Yan Zongguan into the small ancestral hall. Xian Yi kowtowed outside the ancestral hall. Xian Yi was not married to Jin Fenghua after he entered the Jin family in Heng City, and when Jin Fenghua was adopted, the names of all three members of the family, including Yu Ge'er, were listed on the genealogy of the second house, so there was no need for Xian Yi to register at the main ancestral hall of the Jin family in Heng City. Now she only needs to wait until next year when the ancestral hall is opened for ancestor worship, and then Xian Yi will enter the hall to offer incense, which is the only opportunity for a woman to enter the ancestral hall in her lifetime.

  For the sake of surface work, Jin Fenghua never spared his energy and always did it to the smallest detail. Even if he didn't think so in his heart, from the outside, it made General Yan's heart slightly sour. Originally holding a skeptical and rejecting heart, there was finally some relaxation, even his voice softened, and his eyes were slightly red: "Young Master has descendants, Young Master also has grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

  The young master naturally refers to the second old master. When the second old master passed away, there were still elders in the family, and Manager Yan was just a small servant. For so many years, the second old master has been frozen in his heart like a snapshot, living in that youthful and vigorous era.

  The fragrance had just finished, and he had discussed with General Yan the number of people in the garden. Jin Fenghua brought back the immortal clothes to the mountain villa, at this time, the kitchen had prepared dinner, and the three of them were tired from rushing on the road, so they casually ate a few mouthfuls. Yu Ge'er was still young, although he had just slept at noon, he couldn't hold on now, yawning and being carried away.

  "Yu Ge still can't call people?" Gold Wind Flower suddenly asked as she sat on the edge of the bed after she and her husband finished washing up.

  "The boy always speaks late." Because I didn't know the specific birthday of Yu Ge, I asked Old Aunt to feel the bones and set the birthday at the end of January, which is very close to Jin Fenghua's birthday. At that time, only relatively close friends were invited for a meal, drew lots, and even Madame Jin was not invited. However, it has been more than a year since the child was born.

  "My mother said I could speak very clearly when I was more than 7 months old." Jin Fenghua furrowed his brow in doubt.

  Xian clothing secretly despised, people are inherently different, and in her heart, Jin Fenghua is a demon, being different from others is what should be.

  "Am I supposed to go to the third house to pay respects tomorrow?" Xian Yi was somewhat apprehensive about this family's instincts, she wasn't from a privileged class in her previous life, and this life she was reborn as a lowly maid, even if she didn't feel inferior, she wouldn't be overly proud of herself. Having crossed over for so long, she had seen and heard many things about people being ruthless and cunning.

  "No need, the third house doesn't have an old lady either, and the first house is a widow, it's impossible to go to the third house every day. Moreover, on the surface, the three families have already separated, and the old lady of the first house is not our real grandmother. Just seeing her during holidays and festivals is enough." Jin Fenghua paused for a moment, then added: "If they invite you to dinner again, take Yu Ge with you, people need to see him, my son isn't someone who can't be seen by others."

  "Good." A grandson without blood ties brought a foster son who also had no blood ties, and those people with ulterior motives in their hearts were laughing at the joke.

  Put down the curtains, Jin Fenghua just casually swept it aside, only to feel that Xianyi's eyelashes were slightly raised, trembling like feathers, making his heart beat faster and his mouth dry. Thinking of those days without her, Jin Fenghua slowly lifted his hand and touched the back of Xianyi's neck, his eyes fixed intently, then he didn't say anything and just pressed his lips against hers.

  Xianyi felt a bit annoyed in her heart, she was tired today, but didn't think that by evening she would still have to serve this master. However, gradually perhaps due to habit, Xianyi quickly fell into the romantic dreams woven by Jin Fenghua for her. In such an unfamiliar place, as long as they were embracing each other, the future seemed not so scary after all.

  Time is pressing, and the Jin family attaches great importance to Jin Fenghua's imperial examination this time. As long as he passes the institute exam, Jin Fenghua will become a scholar-official. Although it will take another half year before the provincial exam, there are also excellent libraries and academies in Heng City that can be utilized. There are famous teachers inside who are not inferior to those in Linqing. Moreover, Heng City is powerful, and many Beijing aristocratic families have their ancestral homes here. Various forces are mixed together, and Jin Fenghua can fully utilize the power of the Jin family to make friends with people who will be useful in his future official career, making arrangements for the future.

  Jin Fu Li now looks very vague, Xian Yi found that except for the three old men, everyone else has a wait-and-see attitude towards them. After all, Jin Feng Hua has just started taking exams, and it's already eye-catching to pass from county trials to prefectural trials in one go. If he passes the imperial examination again, it will prove that Jin Feng Hua is worth betting on by various houses of Jin Fu, and there is also a great possibility that Jin Feng Hua will enter the capital at a young age in the future. The imperial examination must be taken, not only for Jin Fu but also for Jin Feng Hua himself.

  The exam requires three sessions, each requiring entry a day in advance. This means that Jin Fenghua has to spend the night at the examination hall, which he can barely tolerate. However, he still cannot resist and is relieved that his self-control from his past life remains intact. He only loses control when facing Xianyi, feeling an overwhelming urge to put her in his pocket. As people gather at the gate to bid farewell, Jin Fenghua unexpectedly gives in to his emotions and avoids others as they leave the garden. He directly hugs Xianyi and climbs a tree, where he kisses her until she becomes dizzy. With reluctance, he says: "When I'm not home, you stay in the garden. If someone calls you out, just say you're taking care of Yu Ge'er. Any matters can be discussed when I return. Also, don't let anyone into the backyard except for the guards I assigned to you. The guards are only allowed in the front and back sections; our section is off-limits to everyone except Mother."

  Xian Yi Yuan was still a bit amused, but looking into Jin Feng Hua's serious eyes, her nose suddenly felt sour, and in a moment of excitement, she actually took the initiative to hug Jin Feng Hua's neck and lean on his shoulder. In this strange and mysterious big family, if there was no Jin Feng Hua by her side, she really didn't know how many days she could hold on. Unconsciously, her relationship with Jin Feng Hua had also changed from the initial utilization, master-slave, each with their own thoughts, to become ambiguous, hazy, and unified in goal. If you say she was afraid of Jin Feng Hua, then yes, she was still afraid, but it was less of a fear that came from her heart, and more often than not, she trusted Jin Feng Hua even more, and also felt more pity for him.

  "But to see each other only once every two days..." As he said this, Jin Fenghua became even more annoyed. In his previous life, he didn't know where that person had gone, but just because of a science exam, he actually developed romantic feelings for her. However, if he really let go of the woman in his arms, his heart would truly feel like it was being cut by a knife.

  "I've put away all your things, remember to eat well and don't abuse your stomach just because you have kung fu skills... it won't show now, but when you're old, you'll suffer..." Xian Yi said, her eyes reddening. It was originally a small matter, something she hadn't noticed before, and had even thought it would be better if Jin Fenghua never came back. But after changing environments, Xian Yi suddenly felt like she couldn't bear to part with him."

  "En!" No matter what Xian Yi said, Jin Fenghua nodded in agreement, looking at his own woman with a different affection than usual, and his heart became even softer.

  He gave his wife a final kiss, and Jin Fenghua left the Jin Mansion with Xiao Quan. This life, he was going to live well, he wanted to grow old with his woman, and let her nag him for the rest of his life.

  After getting off the horse cart, Jin Fenghua entered the Gongyuan of Hengcheng and was searched by the examiner in charge for any forbidden items on his body and in his luggage. After receiving his examination number, he went to his own examination shed, but it is unclear whether he was too focused on looking at the number or if the person coming from the opposite direction was also careless. Suddenly, they bumped into each other, causing their things to fall to the ground.

  "Sorry about that!" The approaching person apologized first.

  Jin Fenghua raised his head, and the right hand hidden behind his back clenched into a fist. However, his face remained calm as he said, "It's my fault, I wasn't paying attention while walking and accidentally bumped into you, brother."

  "No, no, I'm also in a hurry to find the number. Today's exam has too many people, and originally someone should have brought us to the examination shed. Now, however, we're like headless flies searching around." The person wore a scholar's uniform, with two thick eyebrows, big deep eyes, high cheekbones, and was an handsome young man. The young man reached out his hand to pull Jin Fenghua up, then took another look, and suddenly blushed, quickly withdrawing his hand, clearly not expecting the youth in front of him to be so beautiful, as if a girl were dressed as a boy.

  Jin Fenghua was already used to such gazes, and at the beginning of the county test, he had even been teased by others, so he smiled calmly: "I said that Heng City is so big, and Gongyuan is so famous, yet no one comes to take it, it's really a strange thing."