As she spoke, An Jing even tilted An Yiqing in her arms towards Xiao Changyi, urging him to look, "Just look at him, isn’t he a silly little thing? Isn’t he?"
Xiao Changyi glanced at An Yiqing, who was smiling and drooling, then corrected her, "How could my child with you ever be silly? He’s adorable."
An Jing’s face was instantly sweetened by the comment. Her husband’s words had always been to her liking.
On the twenty-first of December, Wang Youbao returned to Qilin County.
Wang Youbao first busied himself with his home and the tavern for two days before he came to visit An Jing and Xiao Changyi.
There’s a saying, "A happy event makes the spirit bright."
Even though it would still be half a year before Wang Youbao could bring Li Wuyu home, the joy in his eyes was undeniable, and one could tell at a glance that he was extremely happy.
As soon as An Jing saw Wang Youbao, she teased him, "Who was it that gave up on himself without even trying? Look at you now, who’s grinning from ear to ear? Your smile could reach the sky."
Embarrassed, Wang Youbao immediately pleaded for mercy, "An Jing, don’t make fun of me, I’m still feeling a bit dizzy about it all."
Knowing that Wang Youbao was easily embarrassed, An Jing stopped teasing and instead asked, "Did you never expect Prime Minister Li would agree to you and Wuyu?"
"Yes," Wang Youbao admitted with a nod. "I’m of low status, any random person in the Imperial Capital surpasses me in rank. With my status, how could I be worthy of Wuyu? To be honest, when I went to the Capital, I went without expecting any results. Luckily, her father values character over family background, otherwise, Wuyu and I wouldn’t stand a chance."
An Jing laughed and said, "From your words, it sounds like you really admire your future father-in-law, don’t you?"
Wang Youbao earnestly responded, "The Prime Minister is a Top Scholar in the Three Vein Exam, the foremost person in Xiyun, holding a high position without currying favor with the powerful, fair and incorruptible as a clear sky and bright moon, I hold great respect for him."
An Jing nodded in agreement. Her apprentice’s father truly was the clean current in the officialdom.
A Top Scholar in the Three Vein Exam, brimming with talent, appointed as Prime Minister, pure as a mirror—whose literary aspiration here wasn’t to emulate Prime Minister Li?
With the new year approaching, and because he had been away in the Imperial Capital for so long, leaving plenty of matters needing his attention at home, Wang Youbao was truly busy. So after having lunch with An Jing and Xiao Changyi, he did not linger and went back to busy himself with his affairs.
Not long after Wang Youbao left, Shi Xiaolan came looking for An Jing, and she had the look of someone with something on her mind but hesitant to speak.
Seeing Shi Xiaolan , An Jing found it both funny and curious, "Xiao Lan, what’s the matter? Speak up, there’s nothing you should feel embarrassed to tell me."
Shi Xiaolan hemmed and hawed for a while before finally whispering, "An Jing, I’ve come to discuss something with you, to ask for your advice... my mind is in chaos."
It was clear that Shi Xiaolan was too shy to speak her mind, making An Jing burst into laughter, "What is it that has your mind all tangled up? Tell me."
"It’s just... it’s just..." Shi Xiaolan stumbled over her words for quite some time, unsure where to put her hands and looking very uncomfortable, her face even blushing, but in the end, she managed to get it out, "Brother Xiaoshan said he wants me to be his wife, and if I agree, he will send a matchmaker to my house to propose, to marry me..."
An Jing had always known that Wu Xiaoshan cared a lot for Shi Xiaolan and had also seen that he liked her, but even though she had seen it coming, she couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.