The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

Chapter 470: Chapter 466: Divine Pupil_1
 

To select children for studying at the Princess Residence, it was necessary to first examine the families and parents’ character. If the parents had bad characters, even if the child was very smart, they cannot be chosen.

Yingbao wanted to see this for herself.

Therefore, in March of the new year, she took her five-month-old daughter, Nuannuan, and four-year-old Wumei, surrounded by numerous guards, to the countryside for an excursion while also inspecting the selected farm children.

These farm children came from differing financial backgrounds, and their parents and kin were mostly hardworking and capable, with simple thoughts. Even if they had minor faults, it wasn’t significant.

What reassured her more was they all came from exemplary families.

Ever since Yingbao implemented the exemplary family plaque in the countryside and held annual selections, the villagers suddenly became more amicable.

For they found that any household with the exemplary family plaque not only received thirty pounds of rice and half a pound of salt per month, but also found it easier to marry off their children. The elders were often invited to sit at the head of the table when dining out.

Even the local officials and minor officers were much more courteous to these families.

This honor made the villagers immensely envious, and they corrected their own behaviors in an attempt to be selected as the next exemplary family.

Upon Yingbao’s return from her excursion, she also brought back six young children aged seven to ten. They were placed in a courtyard within the Princess Residence, and each of them was assigned a young servant to take care of their daily life.

In addition to this, Yingbao also gave each of them a coin for their monthly allowance for their daily expenses.

These six children lived in three rooms, each room housing two children. They were paired based on their age differences, making it easier for the older children to look after the younger ones.

Each of them had a separate bed and a separate cabinet – the lockable kind, which allowed the children to keep their important items safely away.

Their daily necessities and clothes, including shoes and socks, were of uniform style – blue robes and white undergarments, similar to the scholar’s attire.

Not only does this distinguish them from the servants of the residence, but it also informs the servants and maids that these children are to be treated with respect.

Wumei was truly happy; he had become a senior apprentice. So, he gathered his snacks and handed out clothes as gifts to the younger apprentices.

He initially wanted to live with them, but his aunt disallowed it.

Time flew and it was July. Nuannuan was already nine months old when people from Beijing suddenly arrived claiming to be servants of the Lun family, asking Yingbao to send Wumei back home.

Yingbao sat on a high chair, examining the visitors.

The two muscle-bound servants had a fierce appearance that did not resemble ordinary servants.

“Which branch of the Lun family are you from?” Yingbao sipped tea leisurely.

The servants paused, apparently not expecting the princess to ask this question.

The leading servant hesitated, then said, “We are from a collateral line of the Lun family, not from the main house in Beijing.”

Yingbao responded, “I can’t just give the child to you. Please return.”

The leading servant was in a hurry. Arms akimbo, he said, “Princess, our master misses the young master very much. Please allow us to take him.”

Yingbao chuckled coldly, “What is the name of your master’s son? Let me hear it.”

The leading servant was stunned.

He only knew that he was to come to the Princess Residence in Zhouhe County to claim a child. He did not know the child’s name. “Er… the master did not mention the young master’s name.”

Yingbao put down her teacup and said in a cold voice, “In that case, the person you are looking for is not in my residence. Go back and tell your master that if he wants to fetch someone, he needs the emperor’s edict; otherwise, I will treat you as kidnappers and punish accordingly!”

Having said this, she asked the guards to escort them out.

The two servants glanced at each other and had to leave the residence.

But they didn’t leave Zhouhe County. They settled down in an inn and often loitered around the Princess Residence during the day.

All these events were reported to Yingbao.

“They don’t seem to be here to fetch someone, it looks like they have other motives.” Wei Zhan said to his wife, “Should we evict them from Zhouhe County?”

Yingbao hesitated: “Let’s figure out their exact intention first.” She didn’t want to guard against these people like warding off thieves every day. “You write a letter and ask the Lun family in Beijing whether they are here to pick up a child or to make offerings for the dead?”

Wei Zhan frowned, “Isn’t that too blunt?”

Yingbao laughed lightly, “What’s blunt about that? I should add, make them deliver Wumei’s medical bills, a total of five thousand taels of silver, eight hundred bolts of brocade, not a dime less.”

The Lun family, they really have no shame!

The next day, a fast horse departed from the Princess Residence, heading straight for Beijing.

Twenty days later, two servants who had been wandering around the county suddenly left. At the same time, several carriages arrived from Beijing. The eldest son of the Lun family personally came to apologize and delivered five thousand taels for medical bills, eight hundred bolts of brocade, and two boxes of jewelry and ornaments.

Yingbao was not shy about accepting it. She announced that Wumei would be her adopted son from now on, and that she wouldn’t let him return to his birth family until he reached adulthood.

Of course, this was also because Wumei did not wish to return.

Yingbao had originally planned to ask the eldest son of the Lun family who Wumei’s biological parents were, but then decided it wasn’t necessary.

What kind of parent would send their children to the palace to be a substitute for death? Now that they found no use for him, they wanted to get rid of this burden—how callous they were!

After the eldest son of the Lun family left, Wumei slipped out of his room.

“Is your stomach not hurting anymore?” Yingbao asked, “Would you like auntie to give you a few acupuncture treatments?”

Wumei quickly nodded his head and then shook it, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m all better now; there’s no need to trouble auntie.”

Yingbao laughed lightly, “Shouldn’t you then hurry off to school?”

“Yes, yes!” Wumei hopped and skipped towards his school. Halfway there, he turned around and saluted Yingbao in a respectful manner, “Thank you, auntie! From now on, Wumei will take care of you in your old age and be there until your last moments!”

“Sounds good.”

Seeing the seriousness in this little four-year-old boy, Yingbao felt a hint of nostalgia, as if she was seeing her younger self.

Suddenly, Xuanwu called out in her mind, “Hey hey! Let me tell you something amazing. The child you gave birth to has inherited your abilities; she was born with the Divine Pupil.”

The smile on Yingbao’s face gradually faded away.

Getting up, she hurried towards Qingxin Yard.

The yard was a space she specially arranged for Nuannuan, accommodating her residence in the future when she grew up.

During the day, Nuannuan would be playing in the yard under the care of her nurse and Magnolia.

As she stepped into the yard, she saw Nuannuan sitting on a mat under a purple wisteria tree in the yard, holding a pellet drum in her hand and shaking it.

Noticing Yingbao, Nuannuan revealed a wide grin and stretched her chubby arms towards her.

Yingbao bent down to lift her daughter, scanning the faces of the four maids and nurse present.

The women all looked panic-stricken, their eyes avoiding hers.

“What happened?” Yingbao asked.

Magnolia knelt on the ground, whispering, “Just now, I saw a golden glow in the young lady’s eyes, so I was a bit… curious.”

The other maidservants also knelt down, trembling with fear.

Yingbao knew what scared them—it was the fear of being silenced by her.

She glanced at her daughter, her eyes were innocently shining black, with no abnormalities, and she sighed in relief.

She turned towards Magnolia and the others and commented, “The sun is scorching today and Nuannuan is holding a pellet drum. It must be the golden rivets on the drum that dazzled our eyes.”

Magnolia quickly responded, “Yes, I was mistaken. Now that I think about it, it must be so.”

The other maidservants also agreed.

Yingbao continued, “There’s no need to make a fuss. Nuannuan is my daughter and she’s naturally different from others. There’s nothing strange about that. However, this issue must not be spread. If I discover that there is false rumor circulating, I will not let it pass!”