After a while, the carriage stopped in front of the village chief's house. Lu Fusu got out of the carriage, and the village chief immediately came to see him.
Lu Fusu did not want to go to Shui's house in a carriage, so he went on foot with only two followers.
Although Lu Fusu did not notify the inspection teams from various government offices when he went on tour, the team of dozens of people and the emperor's carriage still attracted much attention.
As soon as the patrol team stopped at Sanhu Village, in the blink of an eye, people were looking around from every house.
"It seems there is no need to ask the village chief to lead the way..."
"Just ask anyone and you'll know right away."
Although it was already commonplace, the entourage could not help but smile bitterly and led the carriage carrying the gifts for the Shui family forward.
Since it is the off-season for farming, the irregularly shaped farmland is covered with dry mud.
The sound of weaving was heard just now. When the people looked around, the sound of weaving also stopped.
There is not much difference between this place and the villages we visited before.
The only difference is that there is more curiosity in the expressions of those looking out of the windows and doors.
Maybe it's because this is Shui Xinyuan's hometown.
"The eyes of the people here are so amazing..."
The attendant seemed to notice it too, and shrugged uncomfortably.
"I'm not here to do bad things, so just walk openly!"
"Your Majesty, your expression is also very nervous!"
"...Of course I will be nervous."
Lu Fusu didn't know what his expression was like now, but it was impossible to look in the mirror at this moment.
At this time, a little boy and a little girl ran up ahead.
They ran in front of Lu Fusu and the others and suddenly stopped.
A man and a woman, wearing the same clothes, stood blankly in the middle of the road, staring at them in amazement.
"Brother-in-law!"
"Sishu!"
After the two people yelled, they turned around and ran back along the way they came.
The village chief, who was bending down and following Lu Fusu, saw it and whispered: "They are brother and sister..."
"What?"
"Report to the emperor, they are the fourth daughter and the fourth son of the Shui family. I remember they are six and three years old respectively... No, they seem to be four years old now."
"It turns out they are Shui Xinyuan's younger siblings..."
Only then did Lu Fusu realize that he was indeed somewhat similar to Shui Xinyuan.
In front of the direction where Brother Mo and Sister Mo were running back, there was a house that looked very new.
"Report to the Emperor, that is the Shui Family... Last year, the Queen sent a batch of wood, and they renovated it..."
"I know."
Although Lu Fusu did not make it clear, he actually sent people to deliver the wood in the name of Shui Xinyuan.
Lu Fusu originally planned to appoint Shui Xinyuan's father as an official of Qidu Town, or at least the village chief of Sanhu Village, but Shui Xinyuan's father refused.
Seeing Lu Fusu's disappointed expression, Shui Xinyuan told him that he might as well give him some wood and furniture.
But compared with the lumber he sent, the house in front of him seemed a bit small.
Lu Fusu was walking on the road and inadvertently observed the surrounding houses, and immediately learned the reason.
Every house in the surrounding area has a new building, some have new roofs, and some have added small houses next to the old ones.
"...As expected of Shui Xinyuan's natal family."
"What?"
"No, it's nothing."
The two little boys and the little girl called "brother-in-law" and "sister-in-law", and a slightly older girl rushed out of the house.
"Ah! You are making noise again! After we meet, you must call your Majesty!"
...it's too late...
Lu Fusu turned around with a wry smile and asked the village chief: "Who is she?"
"Your Majesty, she is the second daughter of the Shui family."
That should be Shui Xinyuan's sister who turned fourteen this year.
I heard from Shui Xinyuan that she has four younger brothers and three younger sisters.
"But, my brother-in-law is already here!"
"Already here to provoke!"
"Already here...ah?"
Shui Xinyuan's eldest sister picked up her youngest brother and slowly turned her head to look at Lu Fusu and his group.
Lu Fusu had already reached a distance where we could see each other's faces. He stopped and nodded to the village chief: "You go back first. My followers need to go to your place to rest first."
"According to the decree..."
After watching the village chief bend down and leave, Lu Fusu turned to look at Shui Xinyuan's eldest sister again.
Brother Mo, the elder sister holding Brother Mo, and Sister Mo holding the elder sister's legs all opened their eyes wide and looked at Lu Fusu with the same expression.
"...You are Shui Xinyuan's sister, right?"
He greeted the eldest sister with a smile, and the eldest sister's eyes widened... and her face became redder and redder.
"Yes, I, I am my sister Ling'er. Please, are you... the emperor, the emperor?"
"They called me 'brother-in-law' just now, so just call me that!"
Lu Fusu bent down and touched the heads of his younger brother and younger sister. Both younger siblings smiled brightly.
"Sishu!"
"Because he is my sister's husband, he is my brother-in-law."
"Thank you for coming to greet me."
Shui Xinyuan's girl stretched out her hands for a hug, and Lu Fusu picked her up. She was so happy that she shook her feet desperately.
"Come down quickly..."
"It doesn't matter... Where are my father-in-law and mother-in-law?"
"I'll call them, ah, your Majesty, please come in."
The eldest sister put down her younger brother, hurriedly took Mo's sister from Lu Fusu's hand, and rushed into the house.
Although she didn't look much like Shui Xinyuan, her expression when she was panicking was exactly the same.
When Shui Xinyuan's parents came to greet them at the door, Lu Fusu finally understood that Shui Xinyuan and his younger brother were like mother-in-law, and his eldest sister and younger sister were like their father-in-law.
"His Majesty is here... We didn't notice it, it was so rude."
"No, it would be extremely rude for me to suddenly come to visit my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
Shui Xinyuan's six younger siblings lined up behind his parents-in-law to kneel to Lu Fusu, but they lowered their heads and whispered.
"...Ah, you are lying...Brother, didn't you say there would be a lot of horses and a lot of people coming? There was no such thing..."
"But the emperor is so handsome!"
"As long as I'm handsome, can I be a brother-in-law?"
"When my sister wrote back, she also said that my brother-in-law is very handsome."
...I really want to read that letter...
"What a joke, the kid is very noisy... Your Majesty, please come in."
Although the younger siblings spoke in low voices, everyone else heard them. Shui Xinyuan's father scratched his head.
When Lu Fusu was about to enter the house, all his brothers and sisters ran into the room inside.
Although the interior is a bit dark, it is very clean.
Apart from daily necessities, there is nothing superfluous, only wild flowers planted on the cabinets.
"Shui Xinyuan asked me to bring gifts and letters."
"Gift!"
Someone yelled in the inner room, but was immediately scolded.
"...The gift is on the carriage. You can ask the attendant to get it. I remember there are toys inside."
"Toy!"
"Toys!"
"Yeah! Keep your voice down...you are serious!"
Not long after Lu Fusu finished speaking to the room, Brother Mo, Sister Mo, and two other older siblings rushed out and ran out the door.
The older sister hurriedly tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"...and yours too."
"mine?"
"Shui Xinyuan picked out new cloth and made new clothes for you. You can go and have a look."
"Ah, oh, okay! Thank you, Your Majesty..."
The eldest sister was still blushing and stammering.
The eldest boy among these siblings, who looked very much like his mother, calmly saluted Lu Fusu with cupped fists.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, can I move in?"
"Of course you can. The box is very heavy and can be carried in by your followers."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."
Shui Xinyuan's father invited Lu Fusu to take a seat, and his mother brought tea.
"No, those were all arranged by Shui Xinyuan, I just sent them here on her behalf...ah, thank you very much."
Mother put the tea on the table and smiled softly.
"This is the tea that Shui Xinyuan sent home. She didn't tell me how to brew it. It may not be brewed well. Please forgive me."
"No, I'll drink it first."
Lu Fusu was drinking tea when someone pulled his sleeve from behind.
Looking back, a boy of almost ten years old looked up at him.
He should be the third brother.
"Where's the horse?"
"Um?"
"Aren't there a lot of horses coming?"
"Aaron..."
The mother yelled reproachfully, and the third brother immediately shrank his neck.
Lu Fusu smiled and touched his head.
"There are many horses, but they are all kept at the village chief's house."
"Can I go see it?"
"Can."
The third brother smiled and ran out.
He also looks like his mother, and when he smiles, he looks very similar to Shui Xinyuan... a very warm feeling.
"The emperor came here from the village chief's house?"
"Exactly."
Hearing his father-in-law's question, Lu Fusu turned his head.
"I thought the emperor would come to the door in a sedan chair...but it turned out to be exactly what Shui Xinyuan said in his letter..."
...I really wish I could read that letter...
How did Shui Xinyuan describe himself to his family? Lu Fusu couldn't help but care.
"Shui Xinyuan..."
The mother-in-law suddenly showed a lonely smile.
"...Is she okay?"
"She is very good. I should have taken her with me if I had known earlier."
"No, it's not..."
The cheers of children could be heard outside.
The entourage brought the gift box in, and the eldest brother and eldest sister thanked them respectfully.
"...Although they call them sister, sister, the two youngest children actually don't remember Shui Xinyuan at all. When she left home, her daughter was only two years old and her son was just born..."
The mother-in-law told Lu Fusu that the fourth son was born in the year when the crops failed, and the family's life became even more difficult. Shui Xinyuan took the initiative to find money, and then went to the market and sold himself like beans.
"Fortunately, she went to the palace, and she never dreamed that she would be favored by the emperor..."
"yes……"
The father-in-law also smiled and nodded, but for some reason, he did not look directly at Lu Fusu and muttered in a low voice.
"That child has always been well-behaved. I have been thinking that I must not let her get married casually, but I didn't expect that I had to let her leave home. I originally thought that she would be ill-fated from now on, but who knew that she went to the capital, and I also had a ray of hope in my heart.
I was hoping that I might be able to wait for her to come back, but then I received a letter from her saying that the new emperor would appoint her as the queen. At first I thought it was a joke and I couldn’t believe it..."
"Oh, husband..."
"..."
Just when Lu Fusu was feeling puzzled, his eldest sister quietly walked up to him and said, "Please don't mind, Your Majesty... Dad is very upset because his sister is married to the most outstanding man in the country, so he can't be picky."
"..."
Zhuge Qing's taunt seems to have come true.
"Ah... next time I invite my father-in-law and mother-in-law to come to the capital, you should really want to meet Shui Xinyuan..."
The mother-in-law poked her father-in-law in the waist with her elbow, waved her hand hurriedly and said: "No, Your Majesty, I'm so sorry. Ignore him for now, I'm not worried about Shui Xinyuan, I know the Emperor loves her very much, I'm just worried about Shui Qiancheng."
Cause trouble to the emperor..."
"Shui Qiancheng is also very good. He is currently living at Shui Xinyuan's friend's house. He goes to the private school on time every day. I heard that he studies very hard."
When we were talking about Shui Xinyuan just now, my father-in-law, who was feeling a little depressed, suddenly raised his head when he heard Shui Qiancheng's name, looking a little nervous.
"...Has the Emperor seen Quanzi?"
"I only met once before setting off..."
"Did he say anything rude to His Majesty?"
"That's not true..."
Lu Fusu shook his head, and his father-in-law was obviously relieved.
Except for his father-in-law, even his mother-in-law seemed relieved. Lu Fusu was a little puzzled.
"have what……?"
"No, it's okay...is it? It turns out they are all fine."
After that, Shui Xinyuan's parents avoided talking about Shui Qiancheng.