It took several days after the Wang Youfu family had planted all their fields before they finally rested. After taking a day off, and while Wang Qingchen had not yet left for the academy, Wang Youfu took his family to the newly purchased residence in town.

Upon arriving at the town residence, the family alighted from the ox cart and could only marvel at the grandeur of the house. Even the main gate alone was quite impressive.

Wang Youfu knocked. The gatekeeper, seeing it was the master, quickly ushered them in, then closed the gate and went to call for the two maids.

Among the family, only Wang Youfu remained relatively calm; everyone else was beside themselves with delight. Even Wang Qingchen had to admit that the residence was truly fine. Not only was the interior well-appointed, but it seemed the previous owners, perhaps finding it too much trouble or having already purchased a new place in the county seat, had left behind much of their furniture. This two hundred taels of silver had been money well spent.

“Oh, look at these flowers! They bloom so beautifully! And this pavilion, it’s truly lovely,” praised Madam Yang.

“Mother, is this large house really ours now?” Caiyun asked for confirmation.

Madam Yang smiled. “Yes, this house is ours from now on.”

“Mother, when do we move in? It’s so beautiful here,” Caiyun said, looking around the grounds.

“Uh, well, we won’t move here right away; we’ll stay in the village for now,” Madam Yang replied.

“Why not? Didn’t we buy this house? Why aren't we living in it?” Caiyun was confused.

“Our family fields and everything are still out there in the village! Besides, our relatives and friends are all in the village, not here. Think about it, if we live in town, you won’t see Hongying and the others, and you won’t be able to play with them every day!” Madam Yang explained.

Caiyun looked very conflicted after hearing this—should she choose the beautiful house or her good companions in the village? Seeing Caiyun’s struggle, Wang Qingchen couldn't help but laugh.

Over there, Luo Qing looked at the residence with immense fondness. She desperately wanted to move in immediately, though she figured her father-in-law and mother-in-law wouldn't agree. However, the thought that they would eventually move in made Luo Qing happy again.

Wang Qinghua, since entering, didn't know where to put his hands and feet, appearing rather constrained. Perhaps it was because he had always lived in the village; suddenly seeing such a fine residence made him uneasy and unable to relax.

Seeing that everyone else seemed quite satisfied, Wang Qingchen suggested, “Father, Mother, why don't we stay in this residence for a while? I quite like this place too.”

Wang Youfu asked upon hearing this, “The whole family moves over? But what about the fields?”

“Yes, and what about the pigs and chickens at home?” Madam Yang added.

“We can ask Uncle Zheng to look after the fields. Moreover, the town isn’t that far from home; it’s just a short ox cart ride! As for the pigs and chickens, isn't Aunt Wu there? We can ask her to help care for them! And besides, we’re only staying for a period, not moving permanently. We only need to bring daily necessities. Even if we forget something, it’s very convenient to go back and fetch it,” Wang Qingchen explained.

Thinking it over, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang were a bit swayed. Staying just for a while, that should be manageable! Thus, Wang Youfu made the final decision to stay in town for a stretch of time. Of course, it wouldn't be immediate; some arrangements still needed to be made in the village.

The news that Wang Youfu’s family was moving to town to stay for a while quickly spread through the village, attracting envy, jealousy, and indifference from various villagers. However, after the Li Yuntai family learned of this, they too decided to buy a residence in town.

The Li Yuntai family was already quite well-off. Their savings over the years, combined with the money earned from selling flowers twice, made buying a residence more than feasible. The main reason Li Qiang, Li Yuntai’s father, decided to buy a house in town was for his son. After finding out that Wang Youfu’s family had purchased a residence in town, Li Qiang regretted not thinking of it sooner. Think of the time wasted daily by his son commuting between home and town; if they had bought earlier, perhaps his son’s studies would have been even better!

So, Li Qiang swiftly bought a three-courtyard house in town, though it was smaller than the Wang Youfu family’s, costing one hundred and thirty taels of silver. Li Qiang’s house was not far from the town academy and quite close to the Wang Youfu residence, which conveniently served both Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai.

Since the Wang Youfu family was going to stay in town for a while, Wang Qingchen suggested that since the town house had plenty of rooms, perhaps they should invite Wang Qingshan and Wang Qingyi to stay as well, saving them the daily commute.

Madam Yang had also considered this, so she asked Wang Youfu to inquire with Wang Qingshan, while she went to see Zhang Shi to ask if Wang Qingyi could stay at her town residence.

“Qingyi usually comes back from school with Qingchen and that child from the Li family. Since Qingchen and the Li family child will both be staying in town now, I thought perhaps Qingyi could stay at my place first, so the child won’t have to rush back and forth every day,” Madam Yang proposed.

Zhang Shi knew Madam Yang meant well for her son, but if Qingyi stayed with them, it would surely cause trouble for Madam Yang’s family. They already received considerable support from the second branch; surely they shouldn't burden them further now?

Seeing Zhang Shi deep in thought without speaking, Madam Yang continued, “The town residence has many rooms. At most, it’s just adding an extra bed. As for meals, how much can one child eat? It won’t be much trouble.”

Zhang Shi felt embarrassed after hearing this. “I know you mean well for Qingyi, but regardless, his staying there will inevitably cause you some inconvenience. To be frank, your family already helps ours quite a lot on a regular basis; I’m embarrassed to trouble you again.”

“Come on, you’re talking about trouble to me? You used to help me often, and I never once said it was a bother. Now you’re talking about bothering me? Stop it. Just let Qingyi stay with us. Don’t refuse—after all, this is for the child’s good, isn't it? Besides, it’s truly no trouble for us,” Madam Yang insisted.

Zhang Shi considered that this was beneficial for her son and finally agreed sheepishly. Afterward, she repeatedly instructed her son to be obedient at his Second Uncle’s house and not to anger his Second Uncle and Aunt.

Wang Qingyi was a mixture of excitement and curiosity when he learned he would be staying in town. He felt little separation anxiety from his family, as in his mind, this was just a temporary stay, and he would return soon. More than anything, he viewed this visit to his Second Uncle’s house as a trip out.

Meanwhile, although Wang Youfu had spoken to Wang Qingshan about staying at their place and assured him it wouldn't be a burden, Wang Qingshan considered that his wife and child remained in the village. If he stayed in town, he wouldn’t be able to see them every day. Therefore, he declined Wang Youfu’s suggestion, preferring to walk the extra distance to see his wife and son daily.

The Wang Youfu family finally moved into the town residence. After allocating rooms, everyone began unpacking their belongings. Madam Yang helped choose the room next to Wang Qingchen for Wang Qingyi, so Wang Qingchen could also look after him during the day. Wang Qingyi had no objection to staying next to Wang Qingchen. Once he knew where he would be staying, he went to organize the things he had brought.

Thinking that the family had just arrived in town, Madam Yang asked the two maids to help prepare a lavish meal. That evening, the entire family sat down together and enjoyed a large feast, which served as a celebration of their move.

The Li Yuntai family followed suit two days later and also moved into town. Living in town was indeed much more convenient; they didn't have to wake up so early in the morning. However, the overjoyed Wang Qingchen discovered he had celebrated too soon. Whether it was habit or something else, Wang Qingchen had fully expected to sleep in a bit longer, yet he woke up at the exact same time as before. Fortunately, Wang Qingchen wasn't one to dwell on minor things. After two consecutive days of this, he automatically began using the extra morning time to read.

When Luo Lao Er’s wife, Chen Shi, learned that her daughter had moved to town with her husband’s family, she was delighted. After boasting to the villagers, Chen Shi considered whether she should go visit the Wang Lao Er family’s town residence, but as soon as this thought crossed her mind, Luo Lao Er stopped her.

Luo Lao Er explained, “The Wang Lao Er family just moved to town; they must have a lot of things to organize. Wouldn’t your going now just be adding to their trouble?”

Chen Shi considered this reasonable and did not press the matter, deciding to wait a few more days.

What Luo Lao Er was truly thinking, however, was that if they visited now, the daughter’s in-laws might suspect they had ulterior motives. His daughter was currently living well with her husband’s family, which was satisfaction enough for him. He certainly didn't want any issues stemming from their family that could negatively affect his daughter’s future happiness, so it was best for their own family to stay away from that part of town for now. But clearly, his wife hadn't grasped this point, so he had to use excuses to stop her.

As for Wang Qingchen, because he was now living in town, he suddenly had extra time in the mornings, so he started arriving at the academy very early every day. Li Yuntai did the same, allowing the two boys to chat for a while before classes started.

One morning, Wang Qingchen noticed Li Yuntai seemed out of sorts, staring blankly, lost in thought about something. Seeing Li Yuntai in this rare state, Wang Qingchen became intrigued. He walked over, waved his hand in front of Li Yuntai’s face, and asked, “What are you thinking about?”