Xu Ran had just walked to the door when he saw Baozi's expectant expression. Xu Ran picked up Baozi and asked him, "Why are you standing at the door? It's so cold today."
Baozi pouted and said unhappily, "Dad, can you bring me with you tomorrow? No one can talk to me here. I'm so bored."
Xu Ran remembered that there were a lot of children nearby! How could Baozi still feel bored?
Before Xu Ran could ask, Liu Tong came out of the room and explained to him, "All the children in the vicinity went to school, the others are all childe and their parents wouldn't let them go out to play with other kids, so Baozi can't find his little friends."
Xu Ran looked at Baozi and said in his heart, "Only our childe can go out and play casually, but he couldn't find anyone to play with now. I don't know if it's pitiful or what."
Xu Ran asked Baozi, "Baozi, do you want to go to school too? I don't know if the childe here can go to school, or what do you think if I send you to King Yan's residence, so you learn the manners and how to manage a family from Qing Yun with Yan Lan?
Baozi had no idea what manners and family management meant, so he stared at Xu Ran blankly. Xu Ran, on the other hand, was still enamored with the image of Baozi, who had been trained by Xiao Qingyun and appeared to be a complete childe. Xu Ran considered it carefully and concluded that it was truly great. He could conjure it up by recalling a TV show he'd seen in a past life.
Baozi thought it was incredibly nice to acquire manners and manage a family after seeing his father's smile. In his mind's eye, Xu Ran saw Baozi clad in white, waving his folding fan and smiling kindly. He could proudly announce that he was his son to others. Xu Ran knew he was going to be proud of his son right away.
It was fantastic to be imaginative, but it was not for everyone. When Xu Ran regained consciousness, he noticed Baozi staring at him with an expectant expression. Xu Ran's imagination was soon shattered when he laughed with his gums visible and looked so stupid. After imagining the three children's expressions, Xu Ran concluded that Tangtang was the only one who matched his imagination.
Despite the fact that Guoguo and Tangtang appeared to be identical, Guoguo had a ruffian appearance, which was most likely due to his desire to join the army. Of course, Guoguo would be more popular than Tangtang as a result of this. Xu Ran was unconcerned about their future as long as they would not be fickle in love.
Xu Ran looked at Baozi who had been staring at him and sighed silently. He looked good too! But it felt like it was his behavior that had ruined his face.
Xu Ran made a decision and said to Baozi, "Baozi, do you still want to marry Qing Shu when you grow up?"
Baozi nodded affirmatively, "Yeah, I do. even in my dreams."
Xu Ran touched his forehead and wondered who had taught him all this. Really, how come he understood everything at such a young age?
Xu Ran said to Baozi, "Since you want to, listen to Dad's arrangement, go to class with Yan Lan, let your uncle make you more powerful, so you can marry Qing Shu later when you go back."
Baozi nodded continuously. "All right, all right, I'll listen to you. I'm going to become stronger and go back to marry Qing Shu." As he spoke, he clenched his fists at Xu Ran as a sign of determination.
Although he mentioned it himself, but with Baozi's reaction, Xu Ran still felt like he was going to have a headache. As for the reason, he didn't know, but the biggest one might be that he had misled his son.
After Baozi consented, Xu Ran informed Liu Tong of the situation, as well as his dreams. Liu Tong was enthusiastic about the moment and even contributed a few remarks. After a period of imagining it, they both agreed that it was a fantastic concept. And while Liu Tong wasn't sure when it began, he didn't see anything wrong with Baozi marrying Qing Shu when he grew up.
Xu Ran even had a kind of feeling that they were made for each other. If they didn't get together, they would be inverse CP and be struck by lightning.
He just couldn't stop imagining it.
As a result, Xu Ran dispatched Baozi to King Yan's home early the next morning. Xu Ran had been carrying him the entire time, and when they arrived at the door, Baozi was still sleeping. When the new year arrived, the guards were back at the door, but Xu Ran walked in without being notified.
Soon after King Yan awoke, he received word that Xu Ran had arrived with a child in his arms. The king of Yan was so worried that he raced to the living room, entirely ignoring his own image, thinking that something was wrong again.
King Yan rushed over and asked Xu Ran, "What happened? Which child did you hold?"
Seeing that King Yan was in such a hurry, Xu Ran smiled. This was probably the sequelae of the incident with Liu Tong last time.
Xu Ran said, "Don't be so anxious, nothing happened. I just sent Baozi over to let him play with Yan Lan. All the kids in our street went to school. He is a bored at home, and it happens that he is old enough to go to school. I thought that he could come over and learn with Yan Lan. Is that okay with you, King Yan?"
King Yan was relieved when he heard Xu Ran say that nothing happened. He was really frightened by Liu Tong's incident last time.
King Yan said, "Why not? Yan Lan has always been taught by his Daddy. Just leave him here confidently! Baozi, in my opinion, needs to brush up on his manners. After all, he is a childe, no matter what you think. You won't be able to raise him the same way Tangtang and Guoguo did. He still has time to learn that now that he is young. Otherwise, when he grows up and goes to see some dignitaries in the capital, he would be labeled as ill-bred."
After some thought, Xu Ran realized that King Yan was correct. Tangtang, in particular, would undoubtedly become a government official in the future. Baozi can't avoid paying him a visit in any case, although it would be an issue if he did.
Because Xiao Qingyun was born into a family of scholars, he had impeccable manners and knowledge. Xiao Qingyun had a pleasant personality and his own unique style of walking, talking, and eating. Even though it wasn't immediately apparent, a closer examination revealed it. Every stride he took was the same distance. He must have put in a lot of practice time.
Xu Ran nodded at King Yan and said, "I know, that's why I sent him over. If It works, I'll send him over in the morning and pick him back at night. And please forgive him for being a little naughty."
King Yan waved his hand and said, "It's okay. It's only natural that children like to play around. Besides, Baozi is not a troublemaker. He has been living in the mansion for two months. How can I not know about it?"
Xu Ran whispered in his heart, "There are many things you don't know about. When he was in Xu Village, he was able to dominate as a childe. There were plenty of older boys in that group. He still didn't know how Baozi did it, but he must be very extraordinary."
Of course, Xu Ran would never utter such things, so let King Yan figure it out for himself! As time went on, he would find out. Xu Ran woke Baozi from his slumber and placed him on the ground. When Xu Ran asked Baozi to be good and study hard, he was still dazed. Xu Ran then abandoned him to King Yan.
He had to rush to the Red Tower and open the company door himself. It was time for the visitor to arrive. From breakfast in the morning, he could make a lot of money. The most important thing, though, was that he needed to teach his apprentice.
Baozi didn't come back to his senses after Xu Ran left for a long time. When he saw Xiao Qingyun, he realized that his father had disappeared. He looked up and asked King Yan, "Uncle, where's my Dad? It was clearly Dad who had been holding me."
King Yan touched his head and said, "Your Dad went to the Red Tower. You can play with your Brother Yan Lan here!"
Baozi had also remembered what he had said the day before. He nodded to indicate that he understood. He didn't cry or make a fuss, and he appeared to be really cute. Since Xu Ran and the others arrived, King Yan discovered that he adored children, especially his own. He was always of the opinion that other children were superior to his.
He was always of the opinion that other children were superior to his. King Yan looked at Baozi, and then looked at Yan Lan and Yan Hao who were standing at the door to come in. They looked good, but he thought Baozi was cuter.
The main reason for this was that Baozi had ventured to speak to him. His two children never asked for anything from him, but he was unconcerned. King Yan had a strong sense that he needed to think about himself. He was, after all, awaiting the birth of his two children at the time.
The two youngsters ran over to call him Father King, then bowed their heads and stopped gazing at him, as if they were strange. At this point, King Yan feels he hasn't shown enough concern for the two children. Otherwise, when the two children saw him, they would not be scared. They didn't say anything and couldn't even throw a temper tantrum.
King Yan looked at the neat row of chairs in front of him, then carried the child over one by one and let them sat down. Then he said very seriously that Baozi was coming to have the class with Yan Lan in the mansion.
Yan Lan's excitement could no longer be hidden when he heard the news, and even Yan Hao grinned warmly. When King Yan saw the two youngsters who were so readily satisfied, he smiled inadvertently and stunned them.
Yan Hao suddenly jumped off the chair and went to King Yan's arms. He hugged him and said, "Dad smiled. I have never seen Dad smile before."
When King Yan heard Yan Hao's words, he felt a little sorry. He was, indeed, unconcerned about the two children. When King Yan lifted up Yan Hao, he noticed his bright eyes. Yan Lan, who was seated in the chair, looked envious as well, but he refrained from approaching due to his restraint.
Xiao Qingyun came in from the door and saw King Yan holding Yan Hao. He smiled and said, "It's really rare! It's been so many years since you've hugged both of them. Why are you so happy today?"
Naturally, King Yan would not claim that this was provided by Xu Ran since he felt envy when he saw Xu Ran holding Baozi and waited for him. So he felt compelled to do this right now, to hug his two children. King Yan did not explain himself to Xiao Qingyun, but instead walked over to Yan Lan and grabbed up Yan Lan as well.
He also smiled at Xiao Qingyun, which made Xiao Qingyun even more surprised. Apart from being full of joy, the two children in his arms could no longer find any other emotions.
As for Baozi, he silently covered his eyes. It was better not look at this loving family. Alas! How sleepy he was! He really wanted to sleep...
Then he covered his eyes and fell asleep.
When King Yan became exhausted, he laid the two children down and told Xiao Qingyun about Baozi. When he turned around, he noticed Baozi had his eyes closed and was soundly sleeping. The two grownups couldn't stop themselves from laughing. Even though the two kids were still perplexed, they giggled. Only Baozi, who had been napping, was unaware of the situation.
Speaking of which, Xu Ran rushed to the Red Tower after coming out of the mansion. When he arrived, the door was already open, and Gao Quan, Shao Yu and the new staff were all there.
The assignment of work for breakfast was different from cooking hotpot. Xu Ran gathered the eight people together and asked what they were good at.
Xu Ran told them clearly, "When everyone came, you all signed the contract and pressed the handprint. The term of the contract is three years. During these three years, you can only work in Red Tower. In terms of pay, I will not mislead you and will allow you to learn my craft. However, you must not instruct others in your craft. This is a contract breach, according to the contract's rules. You must pay me $50,000 in silver taels. As a result, you must consider it for yourself."
Xu Ran made a five-pointed motion with his finger. And it frightened these people. There was no way to deny it because they were all people who could read and had read it themselves when they signed it. This contract was printed in two copies, one for them and the other for Xu Ran. They all knew this in their hearts, so when Xu Ran said it, they just nodded.
Xu Ran didn't waste his time talking to them, so he just assigned the work according to what they said they were good at.
Outside, two of them were in charge of selling pancakes; one packed up and took money, while the other rolled pastry and fried it. They would be paid a commission if they were able to sell a large number of items. In the kitchen, there were two persons; one would learn to knead dough and pull noodles from Gao Quan, while the other would learn to prepare noodles from Shao Yu.
Liu Yu was still in charge of greeting the guests at the door, and the other three were waiters. They went wherever they were needed, and all of them were good at dealing with people.
Xu Ran, Gaoquan and Shaoyu were still the main force, and the rest was to help them and learn, but with more people, the slogan was louder and the they moved more faster, which brought more people over.
In the end, that morning's business was better than it had ever been. They should have had enough noodles to sell, but they cooked more on the spur of the moment. Even the noodles that didn't have enough time to ferment had been sold in large quantities. The counterjumper should be occupied with something else once they're finished. Xu Ran was with them and appreciated them as well.
Despite the fact that they arrived yesterday, they only started working today. They were all overjoyed when they heard Xu Ran's praise. They were appreciated by the boss, and there will be more perks in the future! How could they not be happy？
He wasn't sure if these people couldn't take the compliments or if it was something else. This morning's breakfast was well-received. They were quick with their hands and their tongues. However, they frequently made mistakes when preparing meat and vegetables for lunch and dinner. Xu Ran was a man who liked to employ both rewards and penalties to achieve his goals. Not long after he praised them, he started to reproach them again.
They knew that they were not doing well themselves , so they didn't say anything when they heard Xu Ran's words. They just thought that they couldn't ruin their good impression in Xu Ran's heart and tried their best to do their jobs well.
Xu Ran was very satisfied with their attitude.
Life went on so peacefully. Every morning, Xu Ran would send Baozi to King Yan's residence. In the afternoon, either he or Liu Tong would pick him up.
Liu Tong was also a frequent visitor to the Red Tower. Because Xu Ran wouldn't let him work, he began to learn how to keep accounts from him. He was familiar with the rabic numerals that Xu Ran had taught Tangtang and Guoguo, but not very well. Xu Ran was patient with Liu Tong and began teaching him carefully. Liu Tong had learnt a lot over time and could now write a little sum of money on it.
Xu Ran was very pleased about it.
Yanzhou was still cold. The gloves and backpacks that Xu Ran had Liu Tong manufacture for him were not only for himself, but also for the Red Tower's entry. Xu Ran sought the assistance of a widowed old man to keep an eye on the stall.
They hadn't finished weaving the scarf because they were too preoccupied. Xu Ran couldn't teach since he didn't have the time, and no one else could. When the Counterjumper in the Red Tower began to prepare, Xu Ran steadily reduced his visits to the Red Tower. He commuted between his home and King Yan's residence every day.
Gao Quan and Shao Yu were in charge of the Red Tower. They did a great job and had not made any mistakes.
The days went by in a flash from February to April.
Tangtang and Guoguo had been gone for two months, and there had been no communication from them. Xu Ran inquired of King Yan, but he refused to reveal their condition. He wouldn't even let them view them; he claimed it was something to do with the Barracks area.
Although Xu Ran knew that the two of them should be fine with King Yan's protection, he still felt a little worried. He took Liu Tong to King Yan's residence and asked King Yan to take them to see Tangtang and Guoguo.
Liu Tong was far more important to King Yan than Xu Ran. King Yan agreed as soon as he said that. Xu Ran softly cried two tears in response to such a massive and unusual treatment. They couldn't accompany them since Gao Quan and Shao Yu had to care after the Red Tower. As a result, Xu Ran dispatched Liu Tong and Baozi to accompany King Yan.
After arriving at Yanzhou, Baozi and Liu Tong did not venture out to look around, especially near the military camp. Yanzhou's boundary was huge, and there was golden sand everywhere, creating a unique landscape. The grassy meadow that King Yan had shown Xu Ran was now so densely covered with grass and green that you couldn't see the edge.
Baozi shouted as soon as he saw this scene, "Dad, look! There are a lot of grass in front of us. So big, Dad, can we raise a lot of horses here?"
Baozi was very excite and kept patting Xu Ran.
He was correct in what he said. Baozi couldn't say much at the moment, but the few words he could use were typically the most accurate and straightforward way of expressing what he wanted to communicate. Not only Baozi, but also Xu Ran and Liu Tong, were ecstatic when they saw it. Only King Yan, who had seen it before, stared at Xu Ran and the others and said nothing.
Since there were no outsiders, Xu Ran asked King Yan directly, "King Yan, since there is a lot of grass gere. Where's your cow and sheep? When can I see them?"
When they heard Xu Ran's words, Baozi and Liu Tong's eyes were focused on King Yan's face.
King Yan had a smile on his face. When he heard Xu Ran's words, his smile became more obvious. He said, "Cows and sheep are already on their way and will be in Yanzhou soon. When they come over in April, the grass is at its peak, and they can eat as much as they want. In a year, we should be able to have a large number of large cows and sheep."
King Yan said it confidently, just like when he told Xu Ran that everything would be better after the New Year.
Xu Ran didn't respond to King Yan's words because he, too, was looking forward to witnessing the scene of cows and sheep scattered across the ground. They only came to see Tangtang and Guoguo this time, so they didn't stay long. King Yan drove them to the camp after they had admired the gorgeous vista.
Childe and children were not allowed to enter the military camp. Regardless of their identity, King Yan did not make any special arrangements for Liu Tong and Baozi. He asked them to wait outside, and asked someone to get stools and make fire for them. He took Xu Ran to go inside.
The soldiers here were highly self-aware. The men who patrolled and guarded were decent in gesture and manner, even if no one is staring at them.
Many more people were practicing. King Yan himself did not know where Tangtang and Guoguo were, so he asked a vice general, whose surname was Luo and he was directly under the administration of King Yan. King Yan also asked him to manage Tngtang and Guoguo back then.
The Vice General Luo bowed when he saw King Yan, then he turned his gaze to Xu Ran.
King Yan introduced Xu Ran to vice general Luo, "This is Xu Ran, Xu Qing and Xu Mu's father. I came over to see the two children. Xu Ran. This is Vice General Luo and Tangtang Guoguo were under him."
Xu Ran and Vice General Luo greeted to each other before finally entering the main topic. Xu Ran said, "Vice General Luo, I wonder if I can see my two children now. Their Daddy and brother are here too. They are waiting outside the military camp. Please do me a favor."
Vice General Luo's hands were sweaty. He was unsure of the nature of this King Yan's relationship with Xu Ran. King Yan dispatched the children, and Xu Ran was personally brought by King Yan. He must have something to do with King Yan, logically. However, King Yan also stated that this is a military camp where everything is governed by military rules and no one is given special treatment.
Vice General Luo looked at King Yan in embarrassment, not knowing how to choose.
King Yan also thought of what he had said before. It was not good for him to use the privilege, then he would not be able to convince the public in the future.
Xu Ran squinted at King Yan and knew that this person must have forgotten his rules. He spread out his hands and was quite helpless.
Seeing them like this, Xu Ran couldn't say anything else about seeing the children again. He only said to Vice General Luo, "I wonder if Vice General Luo can give my children two days off and let them go home to see everyone? They are only here for training. After all, they are not real soldiers."
There was also time for the soldiers to rest. The two children had been in the country for two months and had not returned home. Xu Ran's request was reasonable. He further stated that these two children were only here to be trained. And, perhaps most crucially, the two children must establish a strong bond with King Yan.
Vice General Luo considered it in his heart and knew how to handle it, so he nodded and said to Xu Ran. "Don't worry, there was no issue with it at all. They get one day off every month, and because they haven't had a day off in the last two months, they will have three days off now. I'll inform them of the situation."
Xu Ran was overjoyed at the prospect of finally seeing the kids. He hadn't seen them in two months and hadn't spoken anything to them. They hadn't seen one other in a long time.
08.19.21