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Immediately bursting into laughter, she said, "Tiger, who taught you to call him brother? He is not your brother; he is your nephew."
Upon hearing his mother's words, Tiger looked confusedly at Liu Qingxi, then at the twins. He stretched out his chubby hand and exclaimed, "Brother!"
This amused Liu Qingxi greatly. "He is not a brother; he is your nephew. You are an uncle."
However, the one-year-old child couldn't understand Liu Qingxi's words at all and stubbornly clung to the title of brother.
Zhao felt helpless as well. The child didn't speak much, but when he did, the first thing he called out was brother. It was quite something; she was right there as his mother.
"You ungrateful little one, I’ve spoiled you for nothing."
Tiger grinned foolishly, as if showing off his ability to talk, repeatedly calling out "brother."
Perhaps having seen other children call their siblings brother made this title deeply ingrained in his mind.
At that moment, Liu Qingxi smiled and said, "Aunt Wu, it’s all good now. You don’t have to worry anymore. Just now we were saying he was slow to talk, and now look at him."
"So, the child actually understands everything in his heart; he just doesn’t express it. He must have understood our conversation earlier, which is why he feels the need to prove himself."
Well, Zhao felt helpless too; this ungrateful little rascal made her feel both angry and amused.
The two kids on the bed were thrilled to hear Tiger calling them and were happily making noise in the room.
The Wen family pushed the door open and saw their two obedient grandsons so happy that they instantly broke into smiles. "It's really lively today! Aunt Wu, you must come over more often!"
"As long as you don't mind," Bi said. After all, in Zhao's eyes, the Wen Family was the esteemed lady of the house; she herself was just an ordinary farmer.
The two were on completely different levels, so every time she came over, she felt a bit embarrassed.
The Wen Family waved their hand dismissively. "What are you being polite for? We're all the same. Besides, in the capital, there are only a few families close to us, so we should interact more. The children also need playmates."
Then they continued, "The weather is nice today; let's go out and enjoy the sun. It's not good for the kids to stay indoors all the time."
A maid stepped forward, pushing a wheeled bed down the gentle slope at the entrance, bringing it to the grape trellis in the yard. There was sunlight, a gentle breeze, and vibrant colors all around. The children curiously looked this way and that, clearly delighted.
Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the children were two months old. Liu Qingxi had fully recovered.
However, the issue of naming the two children had become a heated topic of discussion within the Yang Family, with no resolution in sight.
Why was that? The Wen Family, being from the older generation and having lived in the village for a long time, had their thoughts heavily influenced by the villagers. They believed that children's names should be more ordinary; in rural terms, it meant they would be easier to raise.
But Yang Yichen disagreed. His two precious children were the fruit of his love with Liu Qingxi—a love that transcended two lifetimes—so they naturally could not have ordinary names.
To that end, he pored over books, determined to find names that sounded beautiful and had good meanings while also reflecting his love for Liu Qingxi. It was truly exhausting.
Every suggestion from the Wen Family was met with his rebuttal, while his chosen names were often obscure and not accepted by them.
Liu Qingxi watched as her mother-in-law and husband argued over their children's names.
"Mother, this won't do at all! Names like Iron Egg or whatever—how unpleasant!"
"Why do you want those names? What are those characters? No one can even understand them, and hardly anyone recognizes them. They're so uncommon, why call them that?"
"Mom, this character signifies intelligence and purity, and it has a lot of benefits," said Liu Qingxi, presenting a pile of advantages in front of the Wen Family.
The two were locked in an argument, and Liu Qingxi expressed his helplessness, indicating he would not participate.
"Look at your grandmother and father, they're acting like children."
"Treasure, is that you?"
Thus, for two months, the two children continued to simply call each other Treasure.
Sighing, Treasure felt quite helpless dealing with such a father.
Regarding the name issue, Liu Qingxi recalled how many children in his past life had names with more strokes. He remembered crying a lot over name-related problems.
Those with simple names learned early on; what about the difficult ones? After a year in kindergarten, they still couldn't write their names, which was quite troublesome.
He once had a roommate who had the simplest name with just three strokes: Ding Yi. He thought he would name his own child like that to avoid tears over not being able to write their name.
Unexpectedly, he found himself arguing over such matters as well.
So when the two children were four months old, they still called each other Big Baby.
At this time, Liu Qingyan had already started participating in the Imperial Examination, achieving first place in the Provincial Examination and breaking Yang Yichen's record.
Because at that time, Yang Yichen was two years older than Liu Qingyan when she participated in the Imperial Examination.
For a while, Liu Qingyan was in the spotlight in the capital, naturally attracting the attention of the Rulers.
At this moment, Dugu Hao suddenly came to his senses; he realized that unknowingly, so much time had passed, and Liu Qingxi's child had already grown so big.
Later on, there were several occasions when he deliberately went out to see Yang Yichen accompanying Liu Qingxi. The two exchanged happy smiles, as if they could no longer fit anyone else into their world; it was just the two of them.
He felt like an outsider, quietly watching her happiness.
Thinking about it this way was fine; as long as she was well, he would feel at ease.
He didn't know when it started, but he gradually realized that liking someone didn't necessarily mean you had to possess them; perhaps watching from afar was another kind of happiness.
After that, he blocked out all news about Yang Yichen and Liu Qingxi from the outside world and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the construction of the court.
In just a few months, he had eliminated internal traitors, driven away external enemies, and restored peace to the people.
When everything settled down and he looked back suddenly, Liu Qingxi had already given birth, and it was twins.
Her news gradually reached his ears. Every time he heard it, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions—envy, heartache, and also blessings.
This time, holding the Class List sent by someone below him, he smiled.
There was no denying that both the Yang Family and Liu Family were particularly talented. Unfortunately, they came from humble beginnings and lacked education. If they were in a different environment with better educational conditions, he believed they would be even more remarkable.
However, he sighed, perhaps he would never have another chance.
But regarding the name that was particularly close to Liu Qingxi, he paid a bit more attention.
After the results of the Imperial Examination were released, he was the first to receive the Class List. Liu Qingyan ranked first; whether it was the Strategy Essay or any other answers, they were all perfect, and his powerful handwriting resembled that of a master calligrapher, truly worthy of being a widely circulated model.
What a pity, he had lost a great general.
When it came time for the Imperial Examination, Dugu Hao specifically observed Liu Qingyan. Despite his young age, he possessed an air of understanding the situation, neither servile nor arrogant, reasonable and composed.
He was nothing like a typical teenager; he seemed to have experienced the ups and downs of life.
As for alleviating problems, it was no issue for Liu Qingyan. Everyone present admired him sincerely.
At that moment, Liu Qingyan rightfully became this year's Top Scholar.
With a big red flower in hand, as he walked through the capital city, Liu Qingxi and Yang Yichen each held one, standing in the crowd watching that young man in red.
Full of vigor and confidence.
"Kid, look quickly, that's your uncle. When you grow up, you should be just like him, you know?"
Unfortunately, the child completely did not understand what Liu Qingxi was saying. He pointed at Liu Qingyan with his hand and stared at that big red flower without blinking, insisting on getting it in his hands.
Liu Qingyan smiled as he waved to those on either side of him. He was not proud; instead, he appeared very approachable, winning waves of praise.
When the arrangements of the court were finally over and Liu Qingyan returned home, it was already late afternoon.
The family had prepared a feast early on to congratulate Liu Qingyan for achieving the title of Top Scholar.
In front of the emperor, in front of the ministers, and even in front of a whole street of commoners, Liu Qingyan felt no nervousness at all. However, facing his family, he suddenly felt shy.
Seeing his flushed face, the Wen Family couldn't help but laugh: "You child, such a great achievement, why feel embarrassed? In the past few decades of the Western Moon Kingdom, you are the first one to achieve this, surpassing Yichan."
"Come on, sister, congratulations on your success," Liu Qingxi said as she raised her cup to clink with Liu Qingyan's.
In this toast, only the two of them understood its true meaning; only they knew the hardships they had endured and the hard-earned achievements they now celebrated.
Next came Yang Yichen's words of encouragement as the brother-in-law, discussing topics between the two men.
Then there were relatives and friends, household servants, and neighbors, creating a lively scene that lasted until late at night.
The next morning, when he opened the window, Liu Qingyan raised his hand to shield himself from the dazzling light and let out a long breath. He realized that he had done it.
However, he was aware of Liu Qingxi's disappearance. After recognizing the darkness within the court, he was unwilling to get involved in those bloody power struggles.
Instead, he preferred a simple life, just like Liu Qingxi and Yang Yichen did now.
Therefore, after the announcement of the Top Scholar and Class List, when Dugu Hao spoke to him personally, he expressed his thoughts: "Your Majesty, I am still young and fear I may disappoint your expectations. In the time ahead, I wish to travel widely to broaden my horizons and experience the lives of the people."
"Approved." Regardless of Liu Qingyan's intentions, Dugu Hao would not force him to stay.
Even though he had long recognized his potential, even though it meant losing a pillar of the nation,
Liu Qingyan's next itinerary was confirmed: to travel far and wide, writing down his thoughts as a model for many students.
Now, he felt completely relaxed. Three months of leisure time allowed him to do what he enjoyed, and when the time came, he would set off on his journey north.
Thus, most of the time, he stayed at the Yang Family, entertaining the two children whenever he had nothing to do.
However, their so-called leisurely time did not last long. Everyone knew about Yang Family and Yang Yichen, the Top Scholar; then there was his brother-in-law—was this family on some sort of cheat mode?
As a result, people came in droves, some seeking advice, some wanting to learn from him, and others coming to pay their respects.
Dealing with such visitors kept him extremely busy.
It was truly challenging with two Top Scholars around.
In the County Examination and Provincial Examination, it would be impressive enough to have one person take first place; not to mention the Imperial Examination, which was fiercely competitive among elite talents.
Thus, having three consecutive first-place finishes in history meant that only Yang Yichen and Liu Qingyan from the Western Moon Kingdom had achieved this feat.
And they were from the same family.
"Scholar Yang, Scholar Liu, I've long heard of your great names. Finally meeting you in person is indeed a pleasure; you are both so young and talented," someone remarked.
Liu Qingyan smiled and replied, "You flatter us!"
"Not at all, not at all. In fact, Old Man has another request this time."
Then, under Liu Qingyan's puzzled gaze, he awkwardly spoke up: "You see, my son is also a scholar. He studies diligently and is often praised by Master, but he has failed the Provincial Examination several times in a row. Could I trouble you..."
Could I trouble you to come out of retirement and provide some guidance?
"This esteemed gentleman, I have been quite busy lately, and your home is far away."
"It’s alright, it’s alright. We can wait as long as it takes. Also, I heard that when you travel around, you happen to pass by our area. I wonder if you could stay for a while." It would be great if his son could resolve any questions he had.
"Liu Zhuangyuan, regarding this matter, I won't let you work in vain." Whether in terms of money or otherwise.
In the end, Liu Qingyan could not refuse and reluctantly agreed to give it a chance.
As a father, traveling thousands of miles to the capital was indeed exhausting.
This made Liu Qingyan, who was briefly remembered by his parents, feel envious and also affectionate, prompting him to want to help.
During Liu Qingyan's rise to fame, Suburban Garden Architecture was built around this vast and costly structure, with various Western-style houses constructed to accommodate people. Each had a different style and size, attracting waves of visitors.
Especially this year, as the garden architecture was nearing completion, they saw hope and flocked to Liu Qingxi's shop to express their desire to purchase houses.
It even reached a point where the properties were hard to come by and prices were driven up.
Looking at the thick stack of banknotes in his hand and roughly estimating the amount, it was indeed a fortune.
Real estate is indeed highly profitable, with profits multiplying exponentially.
After an initial investment of several hundred thousand, the costs have nearly been recouped. From now on, she just needs to expand the residential area and undertake similar projects, which would almost be pure profit.
In other words, once the initial investment is in place, everything else will follow naturally.
Suppressing her excitement, Liu Qingxi started counting the money again, and what did she find?
Uh-oh, Yang Yichen returned just in time to see her excited and somewhat awkward demeanor, along with her hands busy counting a thick stack of banknotes.
"My dear wife, I am quite wealthy. I’ll give you all my money; take your time counting it." As long as she is happy, there’s nothing wrong with playing around while counting money or spending it.
Liu Qingxi was also at a loss for words.
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