When the three Jiang brothers showed up, the elders' conversation instantly paused. Jiang Huan motioned for his sons to step forward. "Mrs. Yang, let me introduce you to my sons, Mingyue's brothers. Xiao Xian, the eldest, Xiao Tian the second and Xiao Liang the third."
Liu Qing greeted the three brothers before her gaze stopped at Jiang Xiao Xian with a smile on her face. "General Jiang, thank you for always looking after Yang Yun."
"It's nothing," Jiang Xiao Xian said. His stern face looked much handsome when he smiled. "Yang Yun is one, my men. Naturally, I have to look after him."
Liu Qing lowered her gaze. The smile on her face did not fade. Then, she looked up to meet Han Yunyi's eyes. "I am always thankful for your family's help." She turned to look at her son, Yang Yun who sat next to her. "This child, if his father did not pa.s.s away so early, Yang Yun would never have to join the army at such a young age and face a harsh life."
Yang Yun's father pa.s.sed away when he was small on a battlefield on the Southeast border. Because of the lack of a male figure in his family, Yang's family started to decline. People around them would look down on his mother as a widow. Even some of their family members would refuse to help them.
Their house was old and in major need of repair. They didn't have much food to eat and could only rely on finding wild vegetables and games on the mountain. It was hard for his mother to raise Yang Yun and his sister all by herself.
So, when Yang Yun was twelve, he decided to join the army. He wanted to be like his father. He wanted to earn some money for his mother and rebuild their family reputation so that people would stop looking down on them.
When he signed up as Da Cheng soldier, Yang Yun was placed in Jiang Xiao Xian's camp — seeing how Yang Yun trained so hard and his potential, Jiang Xiao Xian favored him. When he learned about Yang Yun's family situation, he was the first to offer financial aid. Later on, he promoted Yang Yun, and from that on, Yang Yun's family could live much better.
"I don't know if I can repay the Jiang's family in this life," Liu Qing continued. Her eyes grew misty when she thought about the difficulties she had to endure after her husband pa.s.sed away. One time, because of the flood, and they had lost their home, her family member was not the one who offered to help them. It was the Jiang.
Han Yunyi smiled as she patted Liu Qing's hand. "Don't overthink. We are going to be a family soon. If you can look after our daughter, Mingyue, I would be thankful. As she grew up with her brothers, Mingyue can be impulsive and stubborn at times. I hope that you can teach her well."
"Mngyue is a sensible child. Don't worry. I will treat her well." Liu Qing turned to Mingyue and smiled.
Liu Qing first met Mingyue when the girl came to their home town with her grandfather, the famous physician. At that time, the two of them were looking for some herbs and her son, and Yang Yun were accompanying them. Yang Yun brought them over and offered them for a place to stay.
Liu Qing liked Mingyue right away. The girl was beautiful and very polite. Although she came from a prestigious family, Mingyue and her grandfather did not look down on the others.
However she first heard of her son's relations.h.i.+p with the Jiang's daughter, Liu Qing was against it. She was worried as her family did not match with the Jiang. She talked to Yang Yun to forget Mingyue.
Who knows that a few months later, the old general, Jiang Huan would personally come over to her house and talked to her into allowing the two to be in a relations.h.i.+p. Thinking about it made Liu Qing embarra.s.sed.