Chapter 251: Attending the court was a fake, but showing off was real
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
A similar scene happened at the Xi family home.
Xi Xinheng cheerfully called his mahjong buddies to play mahjong.
Xi Xinheng also wanted to take his son’s iron stove to his study room while he worked.
Of course, Xi Rui refused and stopped him.
“This is mine. You can’t take it.”
Xi Xinheng glanced at him and said in a fancy way, “You’re a playboy who runs around outside every day. You don’t need it at all. It’s also a waste.
“I have to go to the study room to work every day.”
Xi Rui choked, how did a dandy like me provoke you?
He pursed his lips. “Go find your father.”
Xi Xinheng’s hands were itchy. “How can a son find his father? Only his father finds his son.
“Alright, aren’t you going out to show off your sweaters and wool pants? Hurry up and go.”
Then, he urged, “Otherwise, that kid from the Liang family will steal the limelight.”
Xi Rui, who was still angry, immediately widened his eyes and patted his leg. “Yes, I can’t let him steal the limelight.”
Then, he ran out of the courtyard without hesitation. “I’ll come back to find you.”
Xi Xinheng watched his son run away very quickly and smiled. “Boy, you’re still too inexperienced to fight with your father.”
He turned his head happily and asked the servant boy to move the iron stove to his study room.
Then, he wore a sweater and a pair of wool trousers to have tea with his friends.
It was rare for a son to show off his filial piety, so it was hard for him not to go out and show off.
The Fei family did not have such a situation because Fei Yuzhe was still in Nanxi county with his nephew.
However, the old master and the old lady were very happy and praised Fei Yuzhe in front of their sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.
It made the family members of Master Fei’s subsequent wives extremely jealous.
Fei Yuzhe’s father also had two sets.
He put them on on that day itself and even deliberately showed off in front of his brothers.
Look, it used to be said that his son only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, but his son was actually filial!
Soon, Xi Rui and Liang Youxiao met at their usual place.
Xi Rui was one step ahead because of his father’s reminder.
He had already flaunted his clothes and even let the other playboys try out the other set of clothes that he deliberately showed off and was not prepared to wear.
Only then did Liang Youxiao come over with his clothes and socks.
Seeing that Xi Rui had already finished showing off, he was uneasy.
If his father had not stopped him from snatching the iron table stove, his attempt would not have been delayed.
He asked Xi Rui, “Have you given away the iron table stove?”
Xi Rui rolled his eyes. “Don’t mention it. I gave it to the old lady and the old master, and ended up attracting my father’s attention.”
Liang Youxiao, who was originally lethargic, suddenly became spirited. “He even snatched your iron table stove?”
Xi Rui nodded. “That’s right.”
He said happily, “If it weren’t for my sweater and wool pants that my father and elder brother couldn’t wear, they would have been snatched away.”
His brother couldn’t wear it either. Otherwise, how could he still be able to show off?
Liang Youxiao patted his shoulder with the same feeling. “We’re really brothers in distress!”
His two brothers ran into the courtyard and asked for his wool clothings.
Fortunately, they couldn’t fit into it.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any left for them.
His grandfather and father wore even bigger sized clothings, so it was even more impossible for them to wear his clothings.
Hence, he kept urging him to write a letter to Nanxi county and get a few more sets for them.
Xi Rui humphed. “That’s right. I’ve met a shameless father.”
He was sure that his iron table stove would definitely not be there when he returned.
Liang Youxiao sighed. “How infuriating. I was going to ask you guys to play mahjong at home.”
Now, he had no choice.
If he brought his people to his father’s study to play mahjong, his legs would probably break first.
Xi Rui also sighed. “That’s right.”
The two of them thought to themselves, in the end, their grandfathers enjoyed the most.
Old Master Liang and Old Master Xi were drinking tea and playing mahjong with their old friends very leisurely.
As expected, they received envious looks from their old friends.
They were even more envious of the sweaters, wool pants, and iron table stoves.
Thus, they pester the two old men, who could only take out a pair of woolen stockings each to send them off.
They went to court the next day.
The three old officials, who had already taken leave, came to attend the morning court.
Everyone was stunned to see their presence.
Every winter, some of the old officials would take leave because they were not feeling well.
In particular, Old Master Liang and Old Master Xi must have taken leave for almost one winter. Why were they all here today?
A colleague who was on good terms with Old Master Xi smiled and said, “Old Master, you’ve come to attend the morning court today!”
Old Master Xi deliberately pointed at the turtleneck sweater that was exposed. “My grandson is filial. He went out of town to buy a wool sweater and a pair of wool trousers for me. Now that I’m warm, I’m here to attend the court.”
His colleagues uttered to themselves, attending the court was a fake, but showing off was real.
The same thing happened to Old Master Liang.
Old Master Fei was more reserved.
After all, he was a first-grade civil servant, so there was still a difference between him and the two who came from a military background.
However, he also showed off his grandson’s filial piety that the wool sweater and pants were very warm and comfortable.
Even Mo Qingling’s maternal grandparents and uncles showed off their grandson’s filial piety.
Even though they were deployed to somewhere out of town, Mo Qingling was still thinking about them.
Mo Qingling’s father, who didn’t even receive a single strand of hair, had his face successfully darkened.
Xi Xinheng and the other two fathers showed off their son’s filial piety too.
When Mo Qingling’s father saw the three of them, he felt that his teeth ached.
What was there to show off about their good-for-nothing son?
In his heart, he couldn’t help but curse his son in Nanxi county for being unfilial.
Even a good-for-nothing thought of his grandfather and father.
That bastard only thought of his maternal grandfather and uncles.
It also made the ministers curious about the wool sweaters and trousers.
Were they really that great to wear?
Of course, their hearts were also extremely sour.
What kind of world was this now?
Even a good-for-nothing was so filial.
Why was their promising son faring worse than a good-for-nothing?
No, when they went back, they had to let their sons study even harder.
Thiswas outrageous.
Then, the emperor arrived for the morning court.
He was also wearing a turtleneck sweater under his dragon robe.
The ministers were speechless.
Well, there was no need to be curious. It was definitely great to wear them!
Thus, at the court, the four old officials and three fathers were surrounded by their colleagues asking about the wool clothings.
They were also shown an iron table stove to play mahjong.
Cough, cough, it would be wonderful to do office work there.
Thus, Xi Rui and the others, who had not succeeded in showcasing the wool sweater and trousers, was greatly honored for his filial piety.
Of course, because of this, be it the iron table stove or the wool clothings, they were all popular.
Anyone who wore a wool sweater and a pair of wooltrousers would be envied.
Some people asked Xi Rui and the others to help buy them.
However, these three people were all from high-class families, and many of them didn’t have the capability to do so.
In order not to fall behind, they sent their servants to Nanxi county to buy them.
Therefore, many people saw the business opportunity and immediately rushed to Nanxi county.
However, Xi Rui and the others were one step ahead.
They wrote a letter on the same day and took the fastest way to the courier station to send it to Nanxi county.
Shi Qingluo was also prepared and recruited more female workers.
However, she could not keep up with the selling speed of the wool clothings.
After Mo Qingling, Mr Hou, and Bai Xu put on the sweaters and a wave of advertisements, the slightly powerful families or wealthy households in the county all went to Xiaxi village to buy.
After receiving the letter from Xi Rui and the others, Shi Qingluo had no choice but to continue to expand her production.
This time, not only did she recruit female workers in the nearby villages, but she was also recruiting them all over the county.
She even rented a large courtyard in the county town to arrange food and accommodation for the female workers who came from afar to work.
The news of the wool workshop recruiting workers quickly spread throughout Nanxi county.
As a result, Shi Qingluo’s name became popular again.
She also won the admiration and gratitude of many women.