Chapter 1247 - 1157: Female Prime Minister 95—A Bonus - in Thanks for Little Auntie’s Reward
When that old man appeared, Yin Zheng and Mrs. Wang were painstakingly persuading Yin An to settle down, tirelessly describing the warmth and beauty of family life afterward, bombarding Yin An to the point where he was overwhelmed and couldn’t think straight.
On the other side, Shuangshuang was even more surrounded by people. Although a ragged old man suddenly appearing amidst the glamorous crowd was very noticeable, Shuangshuang was so surrounded that she couldn’t even see her own parents, let alone spot a hunched-over old man.
It was Yin Tianqi’s younger brother, the second son of the former village chief, Yin Tianqing, who first noticed the old man. He immediately tugged nervously at his brother Yin Tianqi’s sleeve: "Brother, look, is that old Yin?"
Yin Tianqi turned to look and his face immediately changed: "Damn, what’s he doing out here today? What are his family up to?"
Saying this, Yin Tianqi hurriedly beckoned to the nearby villagers: "Quick, come over here, old Yin has gotten loose. You go quickly and take him back; today is important, we can’t let their family cause trouble for Shuangshuang and mess up the good day."
The villagers called by Yin Tianqi were also startled upon seeing old Yin and immediately rushed towards him. They didn’t wait for old Yin to protest and, with seven or eight hands, lifted him up and ran off.
Seeing the villagers take old Yin away, Yin Tianqi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was discovered early and they avoided any mishaps.
He turned and patted his brother Yin Tianqing’s shoulder: "Today, it was thanks to your sharp eyes spotting old Yin getting loose that he didn’t have time to cause trouble. You’ve done us a great service; tomorrow, I’ll give you five hundred taels of silver and buy back that White Jade Ornament you’ve had your eye on."
Yin Tianqing’s eyes immediately lit up. The price of that White Jade Ornament was rather steep, a full three thousand taels of silver. Although the family didn’t lack money, his father, mother, and wife all said it wasn’t practical and forbid him to buy it, and his private savings weren’t enough. Now, with his brother’s support, he could finally acquire the ornament.
The issue with old Yin was just a small twist that had been resolved before Shuangshuang’s family even knew. Shuangshuang was still responding to the villagers’ enthusiastic greetings.
Eventually, it was Yin Tianqi who came to Shuangshuang’s rescue; the auspicious hour for ancestor worship was nearing, and as the day’s main protagonist, Shuangshuang had a lot to prepare for. Afterward, Shuangshuang would have to don the County Magistrate’s official robes, and a painter commissioned by all members of the Yin Family would paint her portrait.
The family pooled resources for this, allowing everyone to express their goodwill, as nowadays, each household in Yin Family Village was a wealthy landowner, contributing generously without hesitation.
Finally, when the pooling was done, the payment for the artist was exorbitant, enough to make the artist giddy and forget his scholarly pride. He prepared very carefully today, bringing over a hundred types of paints, fearing only that he might lack resources when needed.
Although Shuangshuang’s official outfit was only that of an eighth-rank County Magistrate, it was made by imperial order by the embroidery house in the Imperial Palace, working day and night, and had been delivered a few days ago. There were three sets for each season—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—and even replacement clothes were thought of by the Emperor.
Moreover, Shuangshuang’s official outfit was made from the finest materials, crafted with care, such that the Prime Minister’s robes were fashioned from similar materials, making her look exceptionally impressive wearing it.
The Emperor’s meticulous consideration made Shuangshuang somewhat understand the sentiment of ancient scholars dying for their confidant; to be so carefully attended to by the supreme ruler they served is truly a powerful way to win allegiance.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the previously noisy Yin Family Village instantly fell silent, everyone’s faces turning from jovial and merry to very solemn.
Everyone was dressed in their finest clothes, following behind Shuangshuang, waiting to enter the ancestral hall to report to their ancestors that the Yin Family produced such a promising descendant as Shuangshuang.
Last time, Shuangshuang was the first to enter the ancestral hall of the Yin Family as a woman.
This time, due to Shuangshuang’s achievements, all members of the Yin Family decided to allow daughters and daughters-in-law to participate in future ancestor worship, thus further elevating the status of the women in the Yin family.
As parents to such an accomplished daughter, Mrs. Wang and Yin Zheng also contributed greatly to the tribe, allowed to accompany Shuangshuang into the ancestral hall, one on each side.
The previously low and dilapidated ancestral hall had been renovated to be tall and magnificent, with ancestral plaques replaced by expensive rosewood, and the characters written with real gold ground to powder.
After the ancestor worship, the portrait painting began, lasting three full hours for the meticulous painter to complete, followed by an elaborate ceremony to hang the portrait. By the end of the day, Shuangshuang felt exhausted, collapsing in the carriage, unwilling to even move a finger.
It was too cold, and few houses in the village were lived in, resulting in insufficient warmth, forcing Shuangshuang to travel overnight back to the house in the county.
Initially, she thought she could rest upon arriving home, but the steward, Mr. Li, reported that Doctor Ying Chang’an, who had previously gone out to pick a rare winter herb, had returned.
After coming back, Doctor Ying and Imperial Doctor Heng Yue, who was preparing medicine in the residence, met and quarreled, still unresolved, leaving the servants too scared to intervene, pacing around worriedly.
Shuangshuang was suffering from a headache induced by the incense burned during the ancestor worship, and upon hearing this news, her headache only worsened.
Although both were doctors, one treated noble emperors at court, and the other was a famous wandering physician not affiliated with the court, two people who couldn’t be more unrelated, yet suddenly started arguing?
Arriving, Shuangshuang saw Mr. Li’s two sons, Li Dalong and Li Dahu, along with their wives Cuiwei and Caiwei, pacing the courtyard.
Cuiwei and Caiwei were originally Shuangshuang’s maids, but when she didn’t take them to the Capital City, they started serving Mrs. Wang.
As it wasn’t a large household, and gender rules weren’t strictly enforced as long as they behaved properly, meeting became easy. Over time, Cuiwei and Li Dalong, as well as Caiwei and Li Dahu developed an interest in each other.
When Mr. Li came seeking Mrs. Wang’s and Yin Zheng’s approval for his sons’ matches, they didn’t think much before agreeing, as the family wasn’t short on money and purchasing more maids for their daughter later could be easily done.
Just as Shuangshuang entered the courtyard, she heard the heated arguing of Ying Chang’an and Heng Yue inside, and it sounded furious, making Shuangshuang worry they might start a fight.
