Chapter 128: A Letter Home

Li Su and Yun Qin: "..." Just as they had managed to avoid one pitfall, they hadn't even had time to celebrate before stepping into the next. There were traps everywhere!

After running through a series of simulations, both Li Su and Yun Qin were dripping with sweat. Officialdom was truly not an easy place to navigate. Li Su possessed the theoretical knowledge, but his practical application was still lacking. The traps were too numerous; he couldn't yet grasp the big picture, and trying to handle them left him feeling like he was constantly focusing on one thing while neglecting another.

After resolving a few incidents, Li Su sighed to himself that to be an official, one needed to be cunning to the core; lacking even a bit of guile would be a fatal flaw. If he hadn't managed to snag such a formidable mentor, stumbling into the bureaucracy like this—without a background and without a mind full of schemes—would have put his life at risk. His foster father’s previous advice to avoid the imperial examinations hadn't been an exaggeration. Judging by his foster father’s tone and usual temperament, he had likely been burned by many traps during his own time in office. Perhaps his decision to resign was partly because he had been "cured" of his illusions by those very traps.

At the beginning, Yun Qin had performed better than Li Su. After all, he had come from the capital and was somewhat accustomed to the bureaucratic environment. Li Su had yet to integrate his theory with practice, and playing mind games wasn't his strong suit. Although he had been a "second-generation rich kid" in his past life and the business world was quite cunning, he had still been a student who hadn't yet stepped out of campus or taken over the family business. His parents were still young and in no rush to hand over the reins. He had learned much, but facing off against "old foxes" who had honed their skills in real-world combat, it was only natural that someone without practical experience would fall behind.

However, in Li Su's view, these things could be learned. As the tutoring continued, he gradually began to get the hang of it, learning to combine theory with practice. His progress was nothing short of rapid. Both Yun Qin and Xi Sheng were astonished. Yun Qin thought, "Is this what talent looks like?" Sometimes, the ideas Li Su proposed shocked even Xi Sheng; they sounded a bit unorthodox, but in practice, they yielded unexpected results.

...

Li Su's letter arrived at Li Zhengqiang's shop, along with several large packages. Li Zhengqiang was thrilled and said to Dong Fangfang, "Little Four has written!"

"Let’s head back early today. Father and Mother have been talking about Little Four constantly." Li Zhengqiang nodded vigorously, and the two left early, leaving the remaining tasks to the shop assistants. Following Li Su’s instructions before he left, the Li family stayed busy but not exhausted; if something could be done by the assistants, they didn't do it themselves.

Little Four had said that earning money was meant to make their lives easier, not to make them busier. Now, the family had more than just one ox cart; they had two ox carts and one horse-drawn carriage. The carriage was generally used by Li Zhengping when she negotiated business for the distillery with merchants in the county, as the Li family felt it looked more sophisticated. Li Zhengping had become very close with Jiang Yan, who often took her out to meet other people. Since Lin Ze had gone to the provincial capital to study, Jiang Yan didn't feel lonely having Li Zhengping by her side. Because of their similar life experiences, they got along very well and shared the same ambitions.

Li Zhengqiang jumped off the ox cart, calling out, "Father, Mother! Little Four has written!"

The Li household was very lively now, with people dropping by every day. Some came to inquire about when the distillery would next be hiring, while others simply came to chat and build rapport. At the sound of Li Zhengqiang’s voice, the courtyard suddenly went quiet.

Feng Cuicui said excitedly, "Little Four wrote? Quickly, bring the letter here!"

"Oh my, Auntie Feng, your Su is so filial. Even while away, he writes to you every so often; he really cares about you."

"In all these miles, you couldn't find a child as filial and successful as your Su."

The villagers visiting the Li family showered Li Su with praise. Li Su’s existence didn't just give the Li family face; it brought prestige to the whole village. In the past, their Apricot Blossom Village had been relatively poor, and it was hard for anyone to find a wife. Now, it was different; many families were fighting to marry into Apricot Blossom Village. The village had a private school, making it very convenient for children to learn to read and write. Plus, there was the distillery, which gave priority to hiring local villagers.

Feng Cuicui had heard countless compliments about her Little Four, but she still felt proud every time. She laughed and said, "The child has drive."

"It’s also because you and Old Li had the foresight to send him to school. Otherwise, he wouldn't be where he is today." Feng Cuicui’s smile widened.

Anxious to read the letter, the visitors were tactful and soon took their leave. When Feng Cuicui saw the letter in Li Zhengqiang's hands, her face beamed with joy. Li Zhengqiang weighed the letter in his hand and asked, "Mother, should we open it now, or wait until everyone is back?"

Feng Cuicui pondered for a moment. "Wait until everyone is back." She also wanted to wait for the younger ones to read the letter; they had been learning to read and write, though they weren't very proficient yet.

Li Zhengqiang placed the letter firmly on the table. "Little Four also sent back a lot of things. I'll go bring them in."

"This child, he sends home everything good he finds. I don't know if he’s taking care of himself," Feng Cuicui said worriedly. Dong Fangfang quickly comforted her, "Mother, don't worry too much. If Little Four knew you were fretting over him all day, he’d only worry about home even more."

Feng Cuicui nodded while saying, "That's true. I've sewn some new bags for him; I’ll send them along with our reply. And some of the meat we smoked at home—send a bit to Little Four as well." She kept listing things, wanting to send him everything she could.

When the Li family returned in the evening, Feng Cuicui finally brought out the letter and the items Li Su had sent. "Little Four has written. Now that everyone is back, Zilin, you come read the letter."

Upon hearing he was the one to read his uncle’s letter, Li Zilin jumped off his stool in excitement. The other children in the family looked at him with envy. Li Zilin held his head high, as if he had received the highest honor. When he opened the outermost envelope, his eyes widened slightly. Inside was a letter addressed to the whole family, but beneath it were several others, each with a name written on it.

Li Zilin didn't care about anything else; he immediately checked to see if his uncle had written him a personal letter. When he found the one with his name on it, he grinned. "Brothers and sisters, come get your letters! Little Uncle wrote us individual letters!"

Hearing this, the other children scrambled off their stools and rushed over.

"Ziliang, this one is yours." Ziliang took it with both hands, his hands trembling slightly—this was a letter written specifically for him by his uncle!

Li Ziru stretched her neck, anxious. "Big Brother, what about mine? Where is mine?" Li Zixi was also filled with anticipation.

"Here, Ziru, Zixi, yours." Li Zilin handed a letter to each of his sisters. They took them quickly, shielding the letters with both hands as if they were protecting precious treasures.

The other members of the Li family watched with longing, the envy in their hearts known only to themselves. They were truly envious that the little ones had received their own personal letters.