Chapter 480: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 480: Meeting (2)
Mao Tuan's thoughts were much simpler. It only worried about the little ones competing for attention, often using its paw pads to roll the little puppies around when no one was watching. Eventually, it realized that Mo Yan didn't pay much attention to them, so it stopped bullying them.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month. It happened to be the holiday time for Zhizhi Hall and Changshan Academy. Mo Yan drove a carriage early in the morning to pick up Zhen'er and Yun Zhao from school and then headed to pick up Mo Qingze.
Unlike Changshan Academy, Zhizhi Hall had a closed management system where students had to live and eat at the school. They were given two days off every ten days, allowing them to spend six days with their families each month, fostering family bonds.
Moreover, the school didn't allow students to bring servants, and there was a labor class once every ten days where teachers took students to the outskirts to do farm work, helping them understand the hardships of rural life and cultivating good habits of thrift and diligence. Because of this, some children from very affluent families would enroll but then withdraw because they couldn't handle the hardship.
This teaching method was unique not just in the capital but in the entire country of Da Chu, and it was already quite advanced for its time. Mo Yan also thought it was good as it taught the children self-reliance, practical skills, and guided their thoughts in the right direction. No wonder many wealthy families in the capital highly praised Zhizhi Hall.
When they arrived at Zhizhi Hall, many carriages were already waiting in the open space in front of the gate. These carriages were not particularly luxurious, and at most, there were only two people standing beside them—a driver and a servant—likely influenced by the school's low-profile ethos.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, students began to come out in twos and threes, mostly between the ages of six and fifteen or sixteen. They walked out talking and laughing with familiar friends, politely saying goodbye to each other, appearing very harmonious.
"Big sister! Big sister!"
Mo Yan was watching intently when she heard Zhen'er's voice. She looked closely and saw him holding a book bag in one hand and pulling Yun Zhao with the other, running excitedly towards her.
"Sister Yan!" Yun Zhao called out with a smile as they approached.
Mo Yan smiled, took her younger brothers' book bags, placed them in the carriage, waited for them to sit down, and then got in herself, driving the horse to Changshan Academy to pick up their father.
Zhizhi Hall wasn't far from Changshan Academy, taking less than half an hour to reach. Along the way, Zhen'er, like a little magpie, chattered about his experiences at school and proudly recited the lessons he had learned, mimicking the teacher's explanations with a look of "I'm very impressive, big sister, praise me."
Knowing that children at this age need encouragement, especially from family, Mo Yan praised him generously and took out his favorite cakes as a reward.
"Wow, thousand-layer cakes, Zhen'er's favorite! Thank you, big sister!"
Zhen'er happily kissed his sister on the cheek and thoughtfully opened the oil paper, letting Yun Zhao taste first.
Yun Zhao, who already saw Zhen'er as his own brother, didn't hesitate, reaching out to take a piece and eating it happily.
The two little ones, like little mice, quickly finished the four pieces of thousand-layer cake. Listening to their childish chatter, Mo Yan's heart felt warm.
After giving the sweet, Mo Yan didn't forget the stick. She pointed out the areas where Zhen'er's explanations were lacking, warning him not to become arrogant. Zhen'er took the lesson to heart, knowing his sister was looking out for him, and remembered her words well.
As they neared Changshan Academy, Zhen'er suddenly lifted the curtain, poking his head out with a sad face and asked Mo Yan, "Big sister, I heard that big brother was attacked and almost died on his way back to the capital. Is that true?"
Mo Yan was momentarily stunned, then realized who he meant by "big brother."
Ever since she first saved that person, Zhen'er had been calling him "big brother" with great admiration, sometimes even more than he admired her, which made her a bit jealous. However, students rarely knew about outside events since the teachers didn't discuss such matters during class. How did Zhen'er find out?
Zhen'er, with red eyes and a low mood, explained, "I overheard the cooks at school talking about it, and that's how I found out. Big sister, even the cooks know about it. Is big brother really badly hurt? Is he really dying?"
At the end, his voice choked, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Feeling heartbroken, Mo Yan patted his head and quickly comforted him, "No, it's not like that! Lord Xiao was injured, but it's not as serious as the rumors say. Otherwise, after more than ten days, if he were in real danger, it wouldn't have dragged on this long."
Having heard twice in the city about the rumors of his critical condition, if it weren't for the undeniable signs on the Merit Bead, she would have believed he was at death's door. Later events led her to suspect that these rumors were spread by him to force out the hidden enemy and teach them a lesson!
"Big sister, is that true? That's great!" Zhen'er exclaimed, his dark eyes shining. "Big brother is so capable, with such great martial skills, even defeating the evil Ba people. How could he be easily harmed by bad guys? I knew it, big brother is the best!"
Mo Yan: "..."
Feeling helpless at her brother's quick change of mood, Mo Yan repeatedly waved him back into the carriage, worried that a bump in the road might cause him to fall.
They successfully picked up Mo Qingze, and the four of them happily returned to Liuyang Village, chatting and laughing all the way.
After dinner, the family sat together for a while. Seeing it was getting late, Mo Yan took the three beasts back to her room, preparing to continue her work in the space. Just as she was about to step into the yard, Mao Tuan suddenly became alert, staring into the dark yard and growling lowly.
Mo Yan's heart tightened. Seeing that Da Bai and Xiao Hua had no reaction, she was puzzled when a tall, handsome figure emerged from the darkness. Even without seeing him, she could feel his gaze locked onto her face...
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