After a period of bombardment and sympathy from the family, the old man was ordered not to get out of bed for two days.
Axiu took it upon himself to be responsible for supervising, suddenly leaping out of every corner whenever the old man tried to sneak out of bed. He wouldn't speak, just stared quietly at the old man.
Grandpa: "…" Silently shrank back to lie down.
It was too haunting; he was guarded all-round with no dead ends nor loopholes.
After lunch, the family sat in the hall gossiping and chattering, keeping the old man company so he wouldn't get bored.
"The riot that Grandpa ran into today may be related to the capital." Looking at the old man's splinted calf, Qian Wanjin rarely took on a serious front.
"The capital?" Grandma was appalled. "Has something big happened?"
The family all glanced at Qian Wanjin.
Where was the capital? It was the Imperial City, at the foot of the Emperor!
"I just received the news this morning. I heard that that person isn't very well. He has been sick for several years and now his condition is worsening again. I don't know how much longer he can last." Speaking of that person, Qian Wanjin pointed his finger to the sky. "The situation in the capital has become very tense. The royal children are all ruthlessly itching for action. With one thing leading to another, every corner of Nanling will definitely not be quiet either!"
The Liu family was petrified by this news.
The capital and the Emperor were far off from their world. He was an existence they could only look up to, but they were living under the Emperor's jurisdiction and were Nanling citizens.
Suddenly hearing something out of the question, their hearts were as turbulent as the tossing and turning of the sea.
"When immortals come to blows, the mortals suffer. A storm is brewing now. At present, he has 16 children. The oldest is already leading an independent life and the youngest is heard to be only 10 years old or so. However, the fact that the Crown Prince has never been established to this day has led all parties vying for that position. I don't know how many of them will survive in the end after this fight."
This was the Liu family. If it were others, Qian Wanjin would never have spoken thoroughly and straightforwardly without defense.
Even the old man sucked in a breath of cold air, frightened by the bloody cruelty of the royal children's seizure of the throne.
Who knew how many would survive in the end? The words painted a picture for the Liu family who lived in the calm and ordinary countryside that had never been seen before.
That picture was cold, brutal, and bloodthirsty.
Liu Yusheng gently closed her eyes and exhaled. Since ancient times, the seizure of the throne has been a bloody affair, with the princes stepping on countless bones in their every step upwards.
And they were now living under such circumstances.
"Why has there been no Crown Prince till now?" She asked.
"I don't know." Qian Wanjin shook his head and paused. "But there's a rumor among the people, which I'm not sure whether it's true or not. It's said that the Emperor's move is to protect his favorite son. If the prince dies in an accident, everyone in the royal family won't be entitled to the throne. For this reason, the Emperor wrote a secret decree long ago. It's unknown what exactly it entailed."
If the rumor was true, then it was tantamount to the Emperor pushing his beloved son to the forefront of the storm and becoming the target of public criticism. Liu Yusheng kept this thought to herself. After all, she was only six years old. This kind of thorough analysis of current events was a bit too far-fetched coming from her mouth.
Moreover, as the ruler of the kingdom, the Emperor was definitely not dense to make such a decision. It was more likely that he had no choice but to decide on such a stupid move.
Everyone was immersed in their own thoughts, and no one noticed that a surge was slowly turning up Axiu's empty eyes. One hand stroked his temple, where it felt like a needle pricked. The pain was so unbearable that he blanched.
Countless images flashed through his mind in an instant, and he tried to grasp them, but couldn't clearly see them.
He couldn't catch them anyhow.
Hostility amassed and surged in his mind, but was forcibly suppressed when his sight brushed on the face of the little child on the other side.
"Will this affect your business?" Liu Yusheng thought of something and asked Qian Wanjin.
"The impact is definitely there. How many people are eyeing my wine shop." Qian Wanjin sneered. "Those people vying for power need a lot of money to support them, devising ways to make money."
Seeing that the Liu family has become dignified, he added, "Fortunately, my family has some roots and can still hold on. Besides, those people are mainly focused on seizing power and can't reach out too far for the time being. Xinghua Village won't be disturbed, so don't worry."
Grandpa Liu said, "If you really can't hold on, if those people want the recipe from the winery, just give it to them. Don't hold on to it. Everything else is extraneous, and the most important thing is to live. A person's life is only a few decades, so don't risk your life for the sake of something immaterial."
Warmth welled up in the depths of Qian Wanjin's eyes and he gently nodded. "Hmm, I know, grandpa."
Outside, Xinghua Village was still serene.
Its remote location was its advantage; thousands of miles away from the center of the storm. On the contrary, it was unaffected by the storm, peaceful and tranquil.
In the afternoon, a group of unexpected visitors came to the Liu's house.
The group of small children they had met halfway in the morning.
They crowded in front of Liu's house, cautiously peering in. They immediately ducked their heads back when they were spotted, pushing and shoving and laughing with apprehension in their eyes.
Liu Yusheng spotted them at once. "Xiao Qi, Fengya? Are you here to play with Brother Axiu? Come on in."
She remembered the names of these children, but has actually not played with them.
When she was younger, she used to mostly follow her two older brothers' butts. Next, she met Axiu and spent the whole day in the cabin. Then, the winery was established later on. She was involved in the production and operation of the winery, and had even less time to play with her peers.
Thus, she was quite rusty when speaking with these children.
Well, another reason why the children didn't come to play with her was because she has become the village treasure and was too high in the eyes of her peers…
Hearing Liu Yusheng's greeting, the little children wiggled their way into the door, shy and excited.
She was the Liu's Nannan! The adults in their families praised Nannan several times a day for her literacy, for her ability to make fruit wine and medicinal wine, and for her great talent!
She wanted to play with them!
By the time the children stood cramped in the middle of the yard, pinching the corners of their clothes, Grandma Liu had already brought out two plates of sweets and snacks and put them on the square table. "Little kids, you usually don't come to Grandma Liu's house except for the Spring Festival. Come over and try my sweets and snacks at home."
The kids were embarrassed at first, but when Grandma Liu directly distributed the snacks to their hands, their shyness and embarrassment disappeared after only a while. Children's chirping laughter, which could shake the sky, filled the yard.
Liu Yusheng pulled Axiu and Qian Wanjin together, and sat at the table with the children, sharing this sweet and that snack, playing games where they ask questions and answered them themselves. The atmosphere was harmonious.