Chapter 131: Returning to the Capital (Part 1)

  "It's all ready! Don't worry, sister!" Yao Cunhui said with a smile, affectionately nudging her shoulder.

  Yao Cun Jia patted her head with his hand, let out a soft sigh and smiled: "The day after tomorrow, the servants will move all your luggage onto the boat and arrange it properly. You can take a good rest for these two days! Life on this road is always harder than at home."

  "I'm fine, sister!" Yao Cunhui raised her head and smiled: "After I leave, you must take care of yourself too! I will write to you often!"

  "Don't worry about me! But you yourself," Yao Cun Jia sighed with a smile: "Still don't know what the situation is like at home now! By the way, you don't have to worry about Huxiang's side, I'll remind your brother-in-law to take care of it from time to time. Is there anything else you want to entrust to your sister?"

  Yao Cunhui thought for a moment, shook his head and smiled: "I just want my sister to take care of herself and give birth to a healthy and strong nephew! I've already instructed Yi Guanshi and Fan Li in Huxiang, Fan Li will keep in touch with me by letter, and I've secretly entrusted him that if there's an emergency, he'll send word to my sister!"

  "That's good!" Yao Cun Jia nodded and smiled: "Sister can only help you so much! I hope this time, our Yao family can pass this hurdle smoothly!"

  "It's definitely possible." Yao Cunhui's eyes lit up, full of confidence.

  Let me calculate, the new grain from Southeast Asia is about to be shipped out, right?

  The scheduled return arrived as scheduled, Yao Cun Jia wiped away tears and waved goodbye, carefully instructing and personally sending Yao Cun Hui to the second gate.

  Before leaving, she personally hung a flat peace sign with a red thread around her neck, carefully stuffed it into her collar, and patted her front: "Bodhisattva bless you, have a safe trip!"

  Yao's heart felt sour and astringent, and all she could say was "Sister..." before being unable to utter another word.

  Xie Fu Yun personally escorted Yao Cun Hui onto the boat and watched as it set off before heading back to his residence. His wife had bid farewell to her younger sister today, so she must be feeling down; he needed to hurry back to keep her company and wouldn't be going to the weaving workshop for now.

  "Hui'er has left? Has the boat set off?" As soon as Xie Fu Yun entered the door, before he could even open his mouth, Yao Cun Jia had already asked with a pair of bright and inquisitive eyes.

  "I watched the boat leave before I came back," Xie Fu Yun stepped forward, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and sitting down together on the imperial couch, smiling: "Jia Er, don't worry, Second Sister will send a letter after she returns to the capital!"

  "This farewell, who knows when we'll meet again?" Yao Cun Jia sighed lightly.

  "Don't worry, isn't she coming next spring? With such a big estate in Lake Village, she will surely come south often!" Xie Fu comforted.

  "You're right." Yao Cun Jia smiled, feeling a bit relieved in his heart, but thinking of the disaster that the Yao family was about to face, he didn't know if they could get through this hurdle, and his heart sank again.

  Xie Fu Yun also noticed that she was in a bad mood, so he deliberately smiled and asked her to talk, clearing his throat and saying: "Yesterday, my second sister drew me a strange and peculiar picture, asking me to quietly ask the captains of ships traveling far oceans or big merchants trading at the border. What do you think of this idea?"

  "What's this strange thing that Second Sister has gotten herself into again?" Yao Cun Jia couldn't help but be curious, and took it from Xie Fu Yun's hands to take a look.

  All that can be seen is a snow-white imperial edict with a drawing of an unknown plant, next to it are enlarged flowers, leaves and fruits. The fruit is especially strange, a fluffy ball, like clouds in the sky. Below there is also a detailed text description, explaining the size and shape of the leaves, the color of the flowers, when they bloom, the color and shape of the fruit, etc.

  "What is this? Never seen it before, what's it used for?" Yao Cun Jia asked with a smile.

  "Second sister said it can be used for weaving," Xie Fu Yun smiled and said, "I don't know if it's true or not, I think, based on experience, it shouldn't go wrong!"

  Yao Cun Jia burst out laughing: "This is indeed true, Er Mei never lies, she says it can be done then it definitely can! Tell someone to draw a few more and have them investigate!"

  Xie Fu's eyes met his beloved wife's smile, radiant as a delicate flower blooming on a spring day. Her fine, pale skin glowed with a soft, powdery light, tinged with a faint blush. As she drew near, her warm breath caressed his cheek, and the subtle scent of orchids sent his heart into raptures.

  Xie Fu Yun stared blankly for a moment, as if it had been a long time since he and his wife sat together so intimately alone. When Er Mei was around, they were usually talking in a group of three, and his wife's gaze would always linger on Er Mei, while he himself retreated to a corner.

  "Jia'er..." The deep, low voice of the master of the Xie manor was slightly hoarse and husky, his low call filled with emotion as he gazed at the person beside him with shining black eyes that seemed to ripple with inner turmoil. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her tightly against himself.

  "Y...". Yao Cun Jia's heart skipped two beats, her eyes slightly lowered, and a flush rose to her cheeks. Her husband's scorching gaze made her feel somewhat at a loss for words, and she also felt a twinge of guilt in her heart.

  Xie Fu Yun loved her for this shy and reserved yet elegant demeanor, feeling his heart racing wildly, with two little devils in his mind fighting each other. He easily suppressed the evil flame, but couldn't bear to part with the warm and soft body beside him, leaning over to gently kiss her cheek, inhaling the faint scent that captivated him.

  "Big Grandma——" Green Lotus's voice stopped abruptly as she saw the scene inside, and she quickly bowed her head and shrunk back, her face flushing with embarrassment. How could she have expected that Big Grandpa would not go to the weaving workshop today but instead be beside Big Grandma?

  The two had already subconsciously drifted apart, stopping their intimate contact. "What's wrong?" Xie Fu Yun glared at Lu He with great displeasure. These days he could only look but not eat, and finally today his mood matched up, the two hadn't even had time to warm up a bit and say some sweet nothings when they were disrupted by this little servant girl, naturally he was furious in his heart.

  The green lotus lifted its head slightly and then lowered it again, urging her hand to move forward gently. With both hands holding a letter, she presented it to Madame Yao, smiling and saying: "This was given to me by the second young lady before she left, instructing me to give it to you, Madame. I was afraid of delaying your affairs, so..."

  "Hui'er's letter? Why didn't you say so earlier!" Yao Cun Jia suddenly had no other thoughts, and hastily reached out to take it.

  Green lotus handed over the letter, knelt down and kowtowed, then backed out carefully.

  "Is there something important with Second Sister?" Xie Fu Yun asked anxiously.

  Before leaving, she still had to hastily leave a letter and instruct her maid to deliver it. The words in the letter were probably not simple.

  Yao Cun Jia shook his head in ignorance, but his slender hands had already torn open the envelope and pulled out the letter, unfolding it.

  Only to see Yao Cun Jia's beautiful eyes suddenly widening, cherry lips slightly opening, an expression of incredulity, suddenly her face flushed bright red, full of shyness, the corners of her eyes involuntarily glanced at Xie Fu Yun, and the blush on her cheeks seemed to be burning up.

  "Jia'er..." Xie Fu Yun was baffled by her strange reaction and gaze, and instinctively reached out to take the letter from her hand, wanting to see what the second sister had said.

  "Don't, don't look!" Yao Cun Jia's face was flustered, and the hand holding the letter slipped to the side, her cheeks flushing like the sunset on the horizon.

  Xie Fu's expression became even stranger, and with a light cough, he laughed and said: "Jia Er is so petty!" Taking advantage of her carelessness, he suddenly snatched the letter from her.

  Yao Cun Jia let out a cry of surprise and tried to grab it back, but Xie Fu Yun had already unfolded the letter and scanned it with one glance. He was taken aback for a moment before bursting into loud laughter, his eyes shining brightly like black jade as he laughed and looked at Yao Cun Jia, then looked again and laughed some more.

  Yao Cun Jia bit her lip, glared at him with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, and turned away saying: "You're still smiling!"

  Xie Fu couldn't stop smiling, and he pulled his loving wife into his arms, laughing and saying: "Tell me, is what Er Mei said true?" Seeing that Yao Cun Jia didn't respond, he softly laughed again: "Hmmm, Er Mei's words are rarely wrong, this time it must be right too. Good Jia'er, tell me, isn't it? Jia'er, we're husband and wife, what's there to be shy about?"

  Yao Cun's heart slightly relaxed, and the embarrassment on her face gradually dissipated. She couldn't help but sigh softly: "Second sister is really..." This letter was originally meant for only one person to see, and such private words weren't something that couldn't be said, but unfortunately, this person happened to see it! Perhaps Second Sister was also afraid of being embarrassed in front of her, which is why she left a letter before leaving.

  "Second sister has a good heart for you and me, Jia'er, don't blame her!" Xie Fu Yun smiled and said to Yao Cun Jia.

  Yao Cun Jia was at a loss for words for a moment, moved his lips, and suddenly didn't know what to say. Uh, Ermei said in the letter that it was more euphemistic and obscure, but the meaning was expressed clearly, which means that after being pregnant for three months, as long as you are careful, that thing is not related...

  Xie Fu Yun saw that she had a thin face and immediately stopped mentioning Yao Cun Hui, only taking care of Rong Guang Huan's radiant complexion, gentle as water, and smiling all over his face as he coaxed his beloved wife into talking, eagerly waiting for the night, his expression was like someone who hadn't eaten meat in three years suddenly smelling the scent of meat.

  Xie Fu Yun secretly resented, not resenting others, but resenting the doctor who took Yao Cun's pulse for fetal movement. Three months after a woman becomes pregnant, she can share a room with her husband again. He didn't believe that a skilled obstetrician wouldn't know this, yet he hadn't uttered even half a word!

  Xie Fu didn't think about it, what kind of family is the Xie family? The master of the house wouldn't even think about him, he's just guarding a wife and doesn't even have a spare. Who would have thought that he needed to know this? Telling him this out of the blue isn't asking for trouble? Maybe he'll get scolded and even spat on: Does Master Xie have needs now and still requires his pregnant wife to serve him?

  Yao Cunhui boarded the boat and headed straight to Beijing with a smooth journey. To alleviate boredom, he chatted idly with the old boatman. The boatman had been running on this canal for over 20 years and was familiar with it like the back of his hand. He knew all about the customs and habits of the people along the way, as well as the old stories that had taken place on both banks of the river. Along the way, Yao Cunhui also got a general idea of the situation on the canal.

  The boat sailed for seven days and arrived at the Tongzhou Wharf near Beijing on this day at noon. After disembarking, they took a horse-drawn carriage and would be back at the mansion in just over an hour.

  Finally back again!

  Thinking back to when I headed south, it was sweltering hot, but now it's already early autumn.