Li Wanming never expected that in the fight against Chen Jinde, she would manage to rescue her two elder sisters.
It was truly a pleasant surprise!
She immediately sent someone to find Chuntao and asked her to go to the military camp on the outskirts of the capital to inform their parents of this good news.
Then she told Qinglan to reserve several tables of banquets at Hongbinlou. She also announced that all her shops would be closed for one day tomorrow to jointly celebrate their victory and the return of her two elder sisters.
After making these arrangements, Li Wanming led her two elder sisters on a tour of the academy.
"Look, this is the classroom. Students usually read and write here. This is the backyard where we can brew wine. Over there are the wing - rooms. Students and teachers who need to stay overnight live there..."
Wanmo exclaimed in surprise as she looked around, "Little sister, in just over a year, you've managed to build such a grand enterprise!"
She and the eldest sister had been trapped in the inner chambers for a long time and didn't know much about what was going on outside.
Their impression of Li Wanming still remained at that brief meeting during Mother Li's birthday banquet last year. They had no idea that in the following days, Li Wanming had opened a wine shop, established an academy, and even challenged the Imperial College... She had been bustling with activities.
Now, more than a year had passed. Li Wanming already owned five shops, each with a stable income. She was quite a wealthy young lady.
After hearing about her experiences in the past year, Wanmo was both surprised and pleased. "Little sister, I never thought your life in the past year would be so exciting. Alas, unlike me, locked up in that big mansion of the He family, all I could do every day was practice with my spear to relieve my pent - up frustration..."
Li Wanming quickly said, "It won't be like that anymore! Second sister, you've come at the right time. Our academy is in urgent need of a female martial arts instructor. After you come, you can teach those girls to strengthen their bodies and learn martial arts. Then they won't be afraid of being bullied when they go out in the future!"
Wanmo's eyes lit up. "Really? Can I really be the female martial arts instructor? Great! I'll definitely teach them everything I've learned and train them well!"
Li Wanming suddenly remembered how Wanmo used to train her and the eldest sister back then. Her scalp went numb, and she quickly said, "There's no need to be in such a hurry, second sister. You should first get familiar with the environment. Then we can progress step by step and teach according to each student's aptitude..."
Wanmo snorted. "You don't understand! A sharp sword comes from grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold. If you want to build a strong body, you have to train hard in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer! It's almost August now. We have to seize the tail end of summer and start training right away!"
Li Wanming forced a smile and didn't dare to say anything.
She remembered how fierce and imposing her second sister was when she brandished her sword in the Fujian region. She couldn't help shivering and felt worried for the students in her academy.
While they were chatting animatedly, the eldest sister, Li Wanxin, had been frowning all the time, looking worried.
Xiao Jingnan noticed this and gently asked, "Eldest sister, do you have any concerns?"
Wanxin clenched her handkerchief tightly. Her eyes were filled with unhidden fear. "Little sister, from what you've said, it seems that in this past year, you've not only offended the Imperial College but also provoked the Thirteen Hongs of the capital and the local government, right?"
Li Wanming was in high spirits at this moment and didn't sense her eldest sister's uneasiness. She laughed heartily.
"Yes, eldest sister. Not only did I provoke the local government, but I also even beat the grievance - redress drum!"
"You're really so audacious..."
Wanxin's face turned pale. She tightly grasped Li Wanming's hand. "The grievance - redress drum is such a sacred object. How could you dare to beat it? No wonder I've occasionally heard my in - laws mention you with a shake of their heads and a sigh. They even said... said that our Li family was incompetent in raising daughters..."
Wanmo was unhappy. She interrupted, "Eldest sister, can't you tell that your in - laws are just talking nonsense? Humph, They even have the nerve to criticize our Li family's family education. Don't they know what kind of person their own son is?"
Wanxin covered her mouth in surprise. "Second sister, how could you..."
Wanmo straightened her chest. "What? Are they afraid of people talking about what they've done?"
"The Chen family claims to be part of the noble and upright scholars. They look down on merchants who are only after money, on their colleagues who are always scheming, and on military generals who only rely on brute force... But their own son took two concubines less than a year after getting married. He dotes on his concubines and neglects his wife, showing no respect for the proper order. There are even rumors about his concubine faking pregnancy to win his favor. They've almost become the laughingstock of the capital!"
Wanmo used to only know that the Chen family was rigid and mistreated her eldest sister. But now, after coming to Zhaoyu Academy for a short while and hearing all these things, she looked down on the Chen family even more.
Wanxin's face flushed with shame immediately.
In her heart, as the daughter - in - law of the Chen family, when the Chen family was disgraced, it was as if she was the one being disgraced.
"I didn't mean that..."
Wanxin fidgeted with her handkerchief. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "I just think that since little sister has been showing herself in public all the time, it's inevitable that people will gossip. It may not only affect father's official reputation but also make her future in - laws have some concerns..."
As she spoke, her voice became softer and softer. She secretly glanced at Xiao Jingnan.
Xiao Jingnan raised his eyebrows. "So eldest sister is worried about this."
"You can rest assured. My family has no concerns at all." He said seriously, "Not only do we have no concerns, but we also think that my wife has done extremely well. Everyone in my family thinks that it's a blessing from my previous life that I could marry such a wonderful wife!"
"What? You don't mind...?"
Li Wanxin covered her mouth with her handkerchief. She could hardly believe it.
"Why should we mind?"
Xiao Jingnan said with a smile, "My wife is hard - working, capable, intelligent, and brave. She can manage the wine shop to supplement the family income with her wisdom and can bravely beat the grievance - redress drum to save her husband with her courage. While challenging the Imperial College, she also managed to acquire three shops. Such a capable wife is hard to find even with a lantern. We're happy, so why would we mind?"
Li Wanming also nodded repeatedly. "Indeed. There are very few people as capable as me in the entire Dacheng Dynasty."
Wanxin looked at everyone in surprise. She opened her mouth but couldn't say a word for a long time.
This... was not right.
For three years in the Chen family, all she had heard was that women should be gentle, elegant, quiet, and demure.
If a woman always wanted to go out and work with men, it would be a disgrace and not the behavior of a noble young lady. It would bring shame to the family.
She always thought that this was the way noble young ladies and the wives of big families in the capital should live.
Speak softly, never make a loud noise, be submissive and amiable to her husband and in - laws. Even if she was wronged, she should bear it by herself and always look decent and gentle in public... Wasn't this right?
But why was it that although her little sister was so mischievous, so ostentatious, and did things without any rules, stirring up a storm in the capital,
her in - laws didn't blame her at all?
Not only did they not blame her, but they also said... that marrying her was a blessing from their previous life?
Li Wanxin was greatly shocked.
She just felt that something was wrong but couldn't put her finger on it.
After being in a daze for a while, she trembled and asked, "Your... your parents also think so?"