Lin Wanwan let out a long breath, her eyes showing a look of understanding. She took the silk handkerchief from Hua Nong to wipe her hands, then stood up and said, "I’m leaving, Uncle Clan Leader." "Come back, take the cloth." "Oh come on, this is my gift for the New Year to honor you, old man!" "Quickly take it away! What old man, I’m not old yet, dear niece!" Lin Wanwan’s cloth, of course, was not given away in the end. The principled Clan Leader of the Lin Clan was stern and refused to accept any bribe. Whatever she said was to no avail. Oh well, next year there would be more people at the school, probably time to ask a few of the clan’s women to help Hua Nong with cooking duties. The clean-loving Mrs. Qian would be perfect for kitchen work. At that time, not only could we give them wages, but also provide them a meal. Most of the time now, Lin Zhentian stayed at the manor and didn’t return, and Hua Nong was indeed quite tired from preparing lunch for a large group of children. Back at home, Lin Wanwan picked the mushrooms she and little Qingyu had grown in the flower room. That little rascal, once she had the little elephant, no longer needed her mother. She was proudly walking the village path with the little elephant now. Little Qingyu tried several times to climb onto the little elephant’s back without success—the elephant wouldn’t let her ride, even if she tempted it with a carrot. But she confidently told her friends that she would definitely ride on the elephant’s back in the future. A group of village children trailed behind Little Qingyu and the little elephant—no wonder, since Little Qingyu’s small cloth bag not only contained dissolved beans but also many dried fruits! Despite the language barrier, the new little girl, Rongrong, still played happily with Little Qingyu; the children’s world was truly strange, communicating somehow through their childlike words and thoughts. For Little Qingyu, having Rongrong carry her cloth bag meant she could bring even more snacks and dried fruits and feed her little friends in the village, full of a sense of achievement. As the sun set and cooking smoke curled up into the sky, the sound of galloping hooves echoed from the village entrance. Hearing the commotion, the Lin Clan members peeked out of their homes and looked toward the village’s sole entrance. The reflection of the sunset on the sea turned it sparkling, while a gentleman rode against the light. He was as graceful as a tree in the wind, his demeanor was extraordinary, a charming gentleman in a turbulent world. Aha! It was Xiao Mingfu, the one stirring up labor for the Ta Mountain Dam! The crowd quickly came to their senses; this dashing youth wasn’t as good as he appeared. He was actually the County Magistrate of Mao County who stirred up big labor movements upon his arrival. After New Year, Lin Family Manor would be about to serve labor duties. Just thinking about it makes one feel exhausted—even looking at Xiao Chong one more time would make you lose weight. The group immediately shrank back into their homes, pretending not to see. As for flattery and fawning, that was never going to happen here. The people of Lin Family Manor practiced the philosophy of doing less rather than more; more actions led to more mistakes, and doing nothing led to no mistakes. A high-ranking official like the County Magistrate should not be bothered with idle conversations by mere civilians like them. After the galloping horse stepped onto the village path, Xiao Chong gently tugged the reins, slowing the horse. The Crimson Horse’s slender legs ran past the little elephant "da-da-da" like a king and flicked its head, spraying the elephant with bubbles from its nose. The good-natured little elephant did not get angry and simply accepted it. When Xiao Chong passed by Little Qingyu, he suddenly bent down, reached out his long arm, and lifted Little Qingyu onto the horse. Initially wanting to put on a stern face when seeing Xiao Chong approach, Little Qingyu was caught off guard by this move and couldn’t help but smile, her lips curling upwards as she patted the mane of the Crimson Horse, shouting cheerfully. Following Xiao Chong was his close attendant, Shu Qi, who also rode a rare Divine Steed, incomparable to the two inferior horses raised in Lin Wanwan’s stable. Speaking of which, every time this master and servant came to Lin Family Manor, their two horses acted like they owned the place, causing the two horses in Lin Wanwan’s stable to cower in the corner, not daring to move. But this time was very strange; apart from the two splendid horses beneath them, they were also followed by one large and one small horse. Although Lin Wanwan lacked the expertise to discern the quality of horses, the good and bad of these four horses were obvious to anyone with a discerning eye; they were undoubtedly top-quality Divine Steeds. "Cousin, been well, why not guard the boats at the docks?" Lin Wanwan stood at the courtyard gate, clutching a hand warmer, and looked sideways at Xiao Chong on horseback, speaking mockingly. Snort, after extorting a large sum from her, he shamelessly came to see her again so soon, and precisely chose dinner time for his visit; obvious as daylight wicked intent, known to all! Xiao Chong’s handsome face displayed a relaxed expression as he dismounted holding Little Qingyu, caring nothing for Lin Wanwan’s attitude, and laughed readily, "I recently acquired two fine horses from the Western Regions brought by merchants from afar. Upon learning that cousin and niece lack proper mounts, I brought them over whenever I had the chance. Cousin, do you not welcome me, Xiao?" Lin Wanwan looked at the one large and one small horse behind him, realizing, "These are for me and Little Qingyu? Hmm, they seem nice. Thanks, cousin, I’ll shamelessly accept." Google seaʀᴄh 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 Poet Saint Du Fu once wrote a poem that wonderfully described the majestic form of such top-quality horses—Hu horses from the Western Regions, forged sleek bones with edges. Their ears sharp as bamboo, their four hooves light as the wind. No empty void can defeat them, they are truly worth risking life and death for. Such valiant leaps, can run across a thousand miles. Xiao Chong gifting her two Western Region horses was like giving Lin Wanwan two Bugattis in modern terms! Simply showering her with wealth! Alright, seeing how thoughtful Xiao Chong was, she might as well reluctantly forgive him! In Great Tang, noble women hardly existed who couldn’t ride horses. She had to fit in here, learning Horse Riding might lead to riding with elegance in riding attire, eventually commanding a mighty presence! "Mommy, is this pretty little horse mine?" Little Qingyu tugged Lin Wanwan’s skirt, looking up and asking sweetly. Lin Wanwan rubbed her little head and laughed, "Yes, it’s your New Year present from your uncle, how is it, do you like it?" Little Qingyu glanced hesitantly at the beautiful, majestic horse, then looked at the handsome and exceptional Xiao Chong; she didn’t want to be friends with him...but the horse looks really beautiful. Xiao Chong sighed, "This little one seems to have some issues with me! I was thinking of teaching her some Horse Riding, but given the situation, let’s give it up." Little Qingyu instantly said, "No, I want to ride."