My Naive Ginseng Spirit Wife and My Cultured, Scheming, Delicate Husband

chapter 80

There is still a stretch of road from the Qi family compound to the courtyard on the mountain.

Originally, the family only had one horse-drawn carriage and one ox cart. Later, Qi Yun bought two more to have on hand for emergencies.

Generally speaking, carriages are easy to buy, but the horses and oxen to pull them are not easy to come by.

Ordinary families treasure even a single ox deeply. One ox is as good as five strong laborers, so they naturally take great care of it, and are reluctant to use it to pull carts, let alone horses. Even though cart horses are not as impressive as those big thoroughbreds, they still need good fodder and constant careful attention.

But the Qi family is nothing like ordinary commoners. They were already well-off, with dedicated space for raising horses and oxen, and now their life has improved even more, they can well afford to buy more horses.

When they set out today, there were two horse-drawn carriages and two ox carts. Though they didn't go out of their way to flaunt wealth—even the fabric covering the carriages wasn't anything bright and flashy—it still drew quite a crowd of onlookers.

It would be a lie to say they weren't envious, but it was nothing more than that.

Many of these people had already received favors from the Qi family: either they rent cultivated land from the Qi family, or they work in the Qi family's shops. The Qi family is their employer, so when they see the Qi family thriving now, even though they feel envy in their hearts, they are still happy for the Qi family.

When the employer does well, those of them who depend on the Qi family for their livelihood can live a good life.

As the pharmacy manager, Fang Li had gone to the Qi family in the morning, and naturally saw the grandeur of the Qi family's departure. When he came back, he described it in detail to Madam Dong.

Madam Dong has long recovered her health now, and her complexion looks even better than when she was pregnant. Hearing Fang Li's words, she couldn't help laughing: "Alright alright, every time you come back from the employer's place you just praise them nonstop. I never knew you could be so glib-tongued before?"

Fang Li couldn't help coughing lightly, and replied with a straight face: "Everything I said is true. The master really knows how to run a business, you couldn't find another one like him in ten thousand."

Hearing this, Madam Dong also nodded, her voice carrying a hint of emotion: "That's right. We've followed the master all these years, and the master's situation really is getting better and better. We've all seen how outstanding Second Young Master is, but besides Second Young Master, they also have First Young Master with his standing, and Third Young Master is an excellent student. The master is bound to have great good fortune in the future."

Fang Li also nodded along, but he had an extra thought in his mind that Madam Dong didn't have.

Nowadays the imperial court encourages merchant families, and the benefits given to merchants are greater than any previous dynasty. Still, without a doubt, the highest social status still belongs to imperial relatives and scholars.

Qi Dalang can hold onto the family fortune, Qi Erlang can become the richest man around, Qi Sanlang can take the imperial examination and win first place. The three brothers have each chosen a different path, and all are doing excellently.

Moreover, in Fang Li's view, they will be able to support each other in the future, and complement each other's strengths. The Qi family's future is far more than just being wealthy local merchants.

As Fang Li thought this, he couldn't help but say it out loud: "If you think about it, whether our future is good or bad is probably tied to Second Young Master. Second Young Master's great talent is really beyond the reach of ordinary people."

Madam Dong tightened her hold on Huzi in her arms, rocking him to sleep, while looking at Fang Li with a smile: "Come on, all these nice words are useless to me. You might as well find a time to say them to the master yourself. After all, you can't just keep praising him behind his back—he can't hear you, isn't it all for nothing?"

"Wife, every word I say comes from the bottom of my heart. Don't lump me in with those scheming flatterers who always butter people up." Fang Li's expression was quite serious.

But his look might fool other people, it could never fool Madam Dong.

She still smiled sweetly at her husband, who always puts on such a serious air: "Of course I know that. My husband is the most upright man there is, you say what you mean, you're so straightforward, you never say flattering things, right?"

Fang Li nodded, extra gratified that his wife understood him.

Madam Dong rocked Huzi in her arms again, still smiling at him as she said: "Then tell me, do you like me?"

This one question made Fang Li's face flush bright red.

Although when he first married Madam Dong, it was arranged by his parents and matchmaker, and it was their first time meeting each other on their wedding night. But the moment they met, when Madam Dong gave him a bright smile, honest, one-track-minded Fang Li was completely wrapped around her finger.

Fang Li is honest and upright, and by chance Madam Dong has a lively and cheerful personality, and she knows how to be soft and coax people, she has her husband completely wrapped around her little finger.

It's the same this time. Fang Li has never been good at sweet words, and Madam Dong doesn't rush him. She always says he's straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush, and now she asks him this sensitive question, expecting him to answer honestly.

Of course Madam Dong knows what Fang Li thinks, she just wants to hear him say it.

Sure enough, even though his face was bright red, Fang Li still answered honestly: "Of course I like you, wife, I like you so much."

Madam Dong likes this answer. It doesn't matter that this sweet nothings was coaxed out of him. She leaned over and snuggled into Fang Li's arms.

Her husband is shy, she won't really cling to him like a spoiled newlywed, but the fact that Fang Li can hold her with a red face and not push her away is already a big improvement. Madam Dong thinks to herself, take it slow, she has plenty of time.

But now her body has almost recovered, and her son Huzi is already stable. When Jiao Niang comes back from the mountain courtyard, she should bring Huzi to pay her respects.

Meanwhile, Ye Jiao, who Madam Dong was just thinking about, is sitting in the carriage, holding Xubao in her arms, but it's not Qi Yun in the carriage with her—it's Madam Liu.

Ever since Xubao was born, he has been raised in Qi Yun and Ye Jiao's courtyard. Old Madam Liu came to help right there in the courtyard, and never took the child to Madam Liu.

Of course Madam Liu wants to see her grandson, but she always remembers that her second son was sickly as a child. She can never be sure whether it was a congenital condition from the womb, or poor care after he was born.

Even though rationally she knows that Second Master Qi's poor health wasn't from poor care, Madam Liu still has a knot in her heart.

Now that Xubao is born, Madam Liu is extra nervous. She not only made Ye Jiao do an extra ten days of confinement, but also told her to let Xubao get plenty of good care, she even sent Nanny Liu over to take good care of him, to make sure nothing goes wrong.

And yet she rarely sees Xubao herself. Ye Jiao thought before that Xubao is healthy, and it's not cold winter now, so bringing the baby over wouldn't be a problem, but Madam Liu wouldn't let her bring him over, just told her to keep him raising well in her room.

Now that they've left the Qi family compound, Qi Yun and Ye Jiao figure Madam Liu must miss her grandson, so they arranged for Ye Jiao and Madam Liu to sit in the same carriage with Xubao, and Qi Yun sits in another carriage.

It's a way to satisfy her longing for her grandson.

Sure enough, ever since Madam Liu got in the carriage and saw Xubao, she's held him in her arms and never let go, and the smile on her face hasn't faded.

Xubao isn't shy, just a little tickle makes him giggle, his eyes darting back and forth, and he uses his soft little hand to wrap around Madam Liu's finger. His chubby little hand doesn't have much strength, just wraps loosely around it, but that makes Madam Liu's eyes crinkle with joy.

She holds Xubao, looks him over carefully from all angles, then nods: "He's really grown so well. I thought before he looks just like Erlang when he was a baby, and now that he's grown a bit, he's literally spitting image of Erlang as a child. And these eyes, they're just like Jiaoniang's, clear and bright like two pools of water."

Nanny Liu has followed Madam Liu for a long time, of course she remembers what Qi Yun looked like as a child, so she nods along: "That's right, exactly alike, just he smiles more than Second Young Master did when he was little."

As soon as she said this, Nanny Liu suddenly clamped her mouth shut, realizing she'd brought up something that saddens Madam Liu.

She chides herself inwardly. Second Young Master has been doing so well lately, his health is good, the family is good, she forgot that not long ago Second Young Master was lingering at the gate of hell.

Hearing these words, Madam Liu indeed sighed: "Erlang suffered when he was little, he was never this chubby," but she quickly smiled again, "Everything is good now. Erlang is healthy, and Xubao is healthy too. Look at this round little face, he's so adorable."

Seeing that Madam Liu wasn't angry, Nanny Liu breathed a sigh of relief, and when Madam Liu told her to go make some tea over on the side, she didn't dare say a word in protest.

Making tea in a moving carriage is uncomfortable. Even though the road is wide and flat now, and the carriage rides extra smoothly, you still have to hold the pot to keep it from spilling. This was Madam Liu's small warning to her not to blurt out the wrong thing in the future, and Nanny Liu knows this, so she accepts the reprimand willingly.

But Ye Jiao didn't realize what Madam Liu was doing. Her eyes have been on Xubao this whole time.

Speaking of maternal love, little ginseng hasn't been human for very long, asking her to suddenly burst out with a full rush of passionate love is a bit unrealistic.

But Xubao is a lovely child, and Ye Jiao did a whole month of confinement with him, locked up in the house together for over a month. Just because of this shared experience, she has a special fondness for Xubao.

And she also heard from Nanny Liu that ordinary babies either cry or fuss all the time, they don't let people sleep well at night, but Xubao always follows her schedule, sleeps when it's time to sleep, eats when it's time to eat. Probably because Ye Jiao feeds him well, the little guy grows faster, but he never fusses or wears people out, so of course he's extra lovable.

Probably even Xubao doesn't know that a big part of his mama's love for him came about this way.

At this age, babies are always hungry, need to be fed several times a day. He was just fed, so now Xubao is nice and full, happy as can be, his eyes looking all around.

Xubao has always drunk Ye Jiao's milk, so he's fair and clear, all chubby and soft. Healthy, comfortable babies smile a lot, and look extra adorable.

Ye Jiao reached out and poked the little guy's chubby cheek, then Xubao turned his head and sucked the tip of her finger. It tickled a little, and made little ginseng laugh too.

Just then, someone knocked on the carriage side.

Ye Jiao lifted the curtain, and saw Tiezi outside.

Tiezi was supposed to be with Qi Yun in the other carriage today.

Before Tiezi could speak, Ye Jiao's face changed: "Did something happen to my husband?" As she spoke, she pulled her hand back from Xubao, grabbed the carriage frame, and made to get out to check.

Seeing how anxious she was, Tiezi quickly said: "No no, don't worry Second Young Mistress, Second Young Master is perfectly fine." Then Tiezi held up the basket in his hand and passed it in, "Second Young Master sent me to bring something to Second Young Mistress."

Hearing this, Ye Jiao knew Qi Yun was fine, and only relaxed a little.

She isn't usually this nervous, it's just that today she and Qi Yun are in separate carriages, so she has this extra worry for no reason.

A faint smile appeared on Ye Jiao's face as she reached out and took the basket inside. She opened the cloth covering it, and saw a plate of red date cake inside.

Tiezi said with a smile: "This was bought by Second Young Master early this morning. He said Second Young Mistress liked it before, he was worried you'd get hungry, so he prepared it for you. He forgot to have you bring it along earlier, remembered it now and sent me over with it."

Madam Liu heard this and couldn't help laughing: "Erlang really is so thoughtful. You can smell just from the scent that this is from Fengshengzhai. Only the first batch of the day has this flavor, and he still remembered you liked it, that's really so thoughtful."

Ye Jiao picked a piece and gave it to Madam Liu first, then put one in her own mouth.

She bit lightly, and the red date cake melted between her lips and teeth, sweet fragrance filled her mouth, and made her eyes crinkle with a smile.

When Tiezi went back with the basket, it was already empty.

Qi Yun, sitting in the carriage, saw this and asked: "Did Jiaoniang like it?"

"Second Young Mistress said she likes it very much."

She?

Qi Yun isn't a petty person. This snack was meant for Ye Jiao and his mother to eat anyway, it's good that they split it, but this wasn't the answer he wanted to hear.

He knows he's being unreasonable right now, but for Qi Yun, he's used to having Ye Jiao with him. Whenever they go out, they always stay together.

Now Qi Yun has been sitting alone in the carriage for almost an hour, it's unbearably long, and he feels a strange kind of loneliness. Sending the snack over was just an excuse to hear a little sweet word from Ye Jiao sent back to him, he didn't have any other intentions.

Not hearing it now, Qi Yun can't help but feel a little disappointed.

But just then, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Qi Yun was just about to ask what was wrong, when he saw the curtain lifted, a figure in an apricot-red round neck cross-collar robe climbed in, then quickly pulled the curtain closed.

Qi Yun stared blankly, and when she smiled at him, he murmured: "Jiaoniang, you… why did you come over here?"

The carriage compartment is a bit smaller than the one Ye Jiao was sitting in just now, it's even hard to stand up, but Ye Jiao is nimble. She shifted closer and squeezed in beside Qi Yun, actively took his hand and wrapped it around her waist, and only smiled sweetly when the carriage started moving again: "The red date cake is delicious, I came over here to thank you, husband."