Transmigrating as the Buddha-like Main Consort of a Power Minister

by Usui Takumii

not mine, MTL but edited by Bekipochibenjieming at wattpad. Total: 64 chapters.

6. 26 to 30

Early the next day, Ji Wan'er woke up at the usual time.

In a daze, she dressed and sat up, only to realize that Xiao Qingming was still asleep. Thinking about how hard Xiao Qingming worked studying on a regular basis, Ji Wan'er moved more quietly and slipped out of the house.

After selling the food in town, Ji Wan'er went to a ready-to-wear shop.

There weren't many choices for linen clothes, and the colors were limited. Ji Wan'er picked a light gray one and a dark blue one. After buying them, she glanced at Zi An.

Speaking of which, she had bought new clothes for both children last time. Later, she had altered her own clothes to fit Yun Shuang, leaving only Zi An without new clothes.

Ji Wan'er said, "Zi An, your elder brother's clothes are worn out and too small after wearing them for many years. We'll buy two new ones for him. Later, I'll alter his clothes to fit you."

She thought that most of Xiao Qingming's clothes were worn out at the cuffs, and some were simply too small. Altering them would make them suitable for Zi An.

"We don't have much money right now, but when we earn more in the future, we'll buy new clothes for you, alright?" Ji Wan'er added.

Although Zi An envied his older brother for having new clothes, he immediately became happy upon realizing that he could have some too. Regardless of whether the clothes were new or not, he would have a few more to wear, right?

"Okay."

Ji Wan'er looked at Zi An's contented expression and touched his head. She thought to herself, "What an understanding and obedient child."

After buying the clothes, the three of them returned home.

Upon returning, Ji Wan'er put down the cart and headed towards the courtyard. As soon as she entered, she noticed that Xiao Qingming was still asleep. Perhaps the sound of her opening the door was too loud, as Xiao Qingming furrowed his brow and slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing that Xiao Qingming's complexion didn't look good, Ji Wan'er became somewhat worried and walked towards him.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

As Ji Wan'er approached, Xiao Qingming quickly sat up, his gaze towards her filled with complex emotions.

Ji Wan'er furrowed her brow and became increasingly convinced of her speculation. Xiao Qingming was acting very strange today, sleeping for an extra hour and his face seemed a bit flushed... Could he really be sick?

Ji Wan'er felt nervous and quickly crouched down, looking at Xiao Qingming. Being closer, she noticed that his face was even redder.

"Why is your face so red? Could you have a fever?"

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips, his gaze shifting, unable to look at Ji Wan'er.

The more Ji Wan'er looked, the more something seemed off. She reached out and touched Xiao Qingming's forehead.

Just as she made contact, Xiao Qingming moved away, saying, "You... what are you... doing?"

"Hmm?" Ji Wan'er was puzzled. "I'm checking if you have a fever. What's wrong with you?"

"I... I'm fine," Xiao Qingming nervously started to stutter.

This is what being fine looks like? Ji Wan'er didn't believe Xiao Qingming at all. She raised her hand again, trying to touch his forehead.

However, Xiao Qingming pushed her hand away and said, "Men and women shouldn't be so close."

After saying that, he quickly threw off the blanket and ran out.

It seemed like he was escaping.

Ji Wan'er:...

Men and women shouldn't be so close? Was she a plague? Why was he so disgusted with her? She even bought him two new clothes in the morning and just showed so much concern for him. It turns out that good intentions are met with ingratitude!

During breakfast, Ji Wan'er didn't even look at Xiao Qingming.

Xiao Qingming didn't know what he was thinking and didn't glance at Ji Wan'er either.

After finishing their meal, thinking about what she had discussed with Zi An in the morning, Ji Wan'er took a quick look at Xiao Qingming, who seemed ready to leave, and spoke in a less friendly tone, "Wait."

Xiao Qingming paused and looked at Ji Wan'er.

"So, um, I noticed yesterday that your clothes are too small for you. You can't wear them anymore, so I thought I might as well alter them to make them smaller for Zi An to wear," Ji Wan'er said with a stern face. She still remembered what he had said earlier, and it really hurt her pride.

Xiao Qingming immediately responded, "Alright, Madam can decide." However, he still couldn't look Ji Wan'er in the eye.

Seeing him like this, Ji Wan'er became even more annoyed. However, she knew that getting angry with such a person would be useless, and he might not even realize it himself.

After pondering for a moment, Ji Wan'er deliberately said, "What did you said? Except for the one you're currently wearing, I'll alter all of your clothes for Zi An to wear ."

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips, lowered his head to look at his clothes, hesitated for a moment, and nodded, "Okay."

"But then you won't have any clothes to change into," Ji Wan'er said.

Xiao Qingming looked down at the ground and replied, "Hmm, I don't go out much anyway, so I don't need those clothes. Having one is enough."

Ji Wan'er saw that Xiao Qingming still wouldn't look at her, so she rolled her eyes and said in a serious tone, "In that case, why don't you take off the clothes you're wearing as well? After all, as my husband said, you don't go out, so wearing clothes is a waste. Just wear an inner garment."

Xiao Qingming turned his head to look at Ji Wan'er, his eyes seemingly filled with a hint of grievance.

1

Seeing that Xiao Qingming finally looked at her, looking somewhat aggrieved, Ji Wan'er smiled and said, "I was just teasing you. I actually bought you two new clothes in town."

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips. Although he didn't smile, his eyes couldn't deceive anyone. A visible glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes.

Ji Wan'er felt that Xiao Qingming had become more humane recently, and more like a person.

"Husband, go and try it on. If it doesn't fit, I'll go to town tomorrow to exchange it for you."

"Alright, thank you, Madam."

Soon after, the two of them returned to the room one after the other.

Ji Wan'er planned to take the old clothes to the next room and have Sun Xinghua alter them. But when she turned around, she found Xiao Qingming staring blankly at the new clothes in his hands, motionless.

"Why aren't you changing? Don't you like it?" Ji Wan'er asked.

Xiao Qingming glanced at her and shook his head.

"Then why haven't you changed yet? Hurry up and change."

"Mm." Xiao Qingming responded, but still didn't move.

Ji Wan'er was quite puzzled and said, "Go and change."

Xiao Qingming looked up at Ji Wan'er but remained silent.

Just as Ji Wan'er was about to say something, she suddenly realized something and raised an eyebrow. Was he feeling embarrassed to change while she was here?

"Husband, go ahead and change. I'll go out."

As she spoke, Ji Wan'er turned around and left. When she reached the door, Ji Wan'er suddenly turned back.

"By the way."

Coincidentally, Xiao Qingming had already taken off his outer garment.

Seeing Ji Wan'er turn back, he immediately grabbed the clothes and wrapped them haphazardly around himself, looking at her with a flushed face.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask if you're still feeling unwell. Should we find a doctor in the town for you?"

"No... it's not necessary."

"Alright then, I'll go to the neighboring third sister-in-law's house. Let me know if you need anything," Ji Wan'er said.

Xiao Qingming glanced at her and said, "Hmm."

Ji Wan'er opened the door, called Yun Shuang, and happily went to the neighboring house.

Yun Shuang had learned a lot from Sun Xinghua and could do quite a bit herself. Most of the clothes they were working on were done by her, with Sun Xinghua offering guidance by the side.

Having obtained several garments without patches, Zi An was very happy. Even though these clothes were altered from Xiao Qingming's clothes, he was still happy. He hadn't had a good life since birth and had rarely worn new clothes. The only one he had was the one Ji Wan'er bought for him. For him, as long as he had clothes to wear, it was good enough.

During lunch, Ji Wan'er noticed that Xiao Qingming had already changed into the new clothes she bought for him in the morning, wearing the deep blue one.

Xiao Qingming's previous clothes were mostly white, gray, and brown. Suddenly wearing this slightly brighter outfit, his whole demeanor changed.

The fabric of this clothing was rough, and its quality didn't seem good. But Xiao Qingming had a good appearance and a good figure, so this rough fabric instantly became much more expensive on him. When he didn't smile, he appeared noble and aloof.

"It looks really nice," Ji Wan'er sincerely complimented after admiring it for a while.

Xiao Qingming blushed slightly, glanced at Ji Wan'er, and said, "Thank you, Madam."

1

Xiao Qingming has been more talkative lately. Whenever she spoke, he would respond. Although he still appeared silent and reserved, his behavior in the morning was somewhat peculiar. Nevertheless, compared to before, he had made great progress.

Ji Wan'er smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Due to grinding a lot of soybeans today, after lunch, Ji Wan'er went back to her room and lay down for a while.

In the evening, Xiao Qingming returned to the room early for a while. He listened to the sounds coming from her side of the bed, and it seemed like Ji Wan'er was still awake.

"Madam, are you asleep?" Xiao Qingming asked.

Ji Wan'er had already closed her eyes but hadn't fallen asleep yet. She didn't expect Xiao Qingming to initiate a conversation with her and felt curious. She replied cautiously, "Not yet."

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips and asked, "Have you spent all the money I gave you earlier?"

Ji Wan'er became instantly alert. What was the meaning behind this? Was he trying to settle accounts after the fact?

"Why is my husband asking about this now?" Ji Wan'er answered cautiously.

Unaware of Ji Wan'er's thoughts, Xiao Qingming said, "If you have spent it all, let me know. I can earn money. You also..."

At this point, Xiao Qingming paused and continued, "You don't have to work so hard."

Ji Wan'er was somewhat surprised.

It turned out that Xiao Qingming wasn't trying to settle the money, but rather genuinely concerned about her.

Why did he suddenly start caring about her?

Xiao Qingming himself didn't know what had happened. He used to dislike Ji Wan'er a lot, but now he couldn't help but constantly look at her, and whenever she glanced at him, he became nervous.

These past few days, he had been thinking about this matter constantly.

When did this start? It seemed to have begun on the day she woke up after being sick and lying in bed for many days.

Since childhood, his grandparents, parents, and elders in the family had always told him to study hard, to strive for the scholar's degree, so that he could bring honor to the family. They were always against him engaging in activities unrelated to studying, and sometimes they even criticized him harshly, accusing him of not focusing enough on his studies.

Over time, he could only concentrate on studying.

Later on, his family arranged a marriage for him.

Regarding the marriage, he felt that it didn't matter who he married, so he complied with his family's arrangement.

Although his mind was filled only with thoughts of studying, considering a wife as optional, he hadn't anticipated marrying someone like Ji Wan'er.

On their first day of marriage, Ji Wan'er had a big argument with him, and from the second day onwards, she kept nagging him, complaining that he spoke too little and that his family was poor. Eventually, she started verbally abusing him every day. The words she used were unbearable, but he got used to them and endured.

Later on, after they separated from the main family, she began to abuse and berate Yun Shuang and Zi An. At first, he was unaware of this, but the neighboring third sister-in-law informed him about it. He questioned Yun Shuang, but she didn't admit to it. Although his sister didn't confess, he knew that it was probably true. Even though he asked his sister again during her period of unconsciousness, she still didn't admit it.

He also heard rumors and gossip when he was out, and his brothers from the ancestral home mentioned it to him. Later, he even witnessed her arguing with a man in town. Regarding this matter, apart from feeling slightly uncomfortable initially, he didn't have any other feelings.

But on the day she woke up after her long illness, she changed completely.

She no longer scolded him as soon as she saw him. She started cooking, and the meals at home became better day by day. It was no longer just steamed buns and pickled vegetables; there was meat and eggs. She also treated her younger siblings exceptionally well, being kind to them and even buying them new clothes to wear. Her younger siblings also grew to like her more and more. Moreover, she was extremely good to him, smiling at him, cooking delicious food for him, and today, she even bought him new clothes.

She no longer went to town every day to find other men.

At first, he didn't know what she was up to. Based on her previous behavior, he thought she was going to do something outrageous. But later he found out that she had started earning money.

Thinking about the recent expenses, the food they ate, the things they used, and the new clothes, he realized that she might have spent all the ten taels of silver he gave her before.

He could earn money. If they saved some money, it should be enough. It would be great if he could pass the scholar's examination... He was determined to pass this time.

Ji Wan'er was contemplating how to answer this question. If she said she had spent it all, would he believe her? Thinking of the look on Xiao Qingming's face, Ji Wan'er felt that perhaps he had an idea of how much money she had.

In fact, she had calculated how much the original owner had spent and how much she had spent during this period. Excluding the money spent on other men by the original owner, and adding her own expenses, she had spent about four taels of silver in total. So, out of the ten taels, she still had around six taels left.

After giving it some thought, Ji Wan'er replied, "Not yet, there's still some left."

"Okay, if you run out of money, just let me know, I... I can earn money."

Xiao Qingming only dared to say these words at night. During the day, as soon as he saw Ji Wan'er's face, he would become nervous and couldn't speak. Even now, as he spoke these words to her, he felt his face growing hot again.

He had never been like this before. Whenever he saw his wife, he would feel irritated, as if countless voices of scolding were ringing in his ears. But now, when he looked at her, he felt as if he couldn't directly meet her gaze. It was as if by looking at her for too long, he would be drawn in.

"No need, husband. You should focus on studying well. Earning money can wait," Ji Wan'er said.

For Ji Wan'er, earning money was somewhat urgent. But for Xiao Qingming, of course, passing the examination was the most important thing.

Xiao Qingming said, "You can keep the money you earn in town for yourself. Don't spend it on me, Yun Shuang, or Zi An. If you run out of the silver I gave you, just let me know."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wan'er raised an eyebrow.

She suddenly felt that Xiao Qingming didn't seem so naive anymore.

"Alright."

Early the next day, Ji Wan'er unceremoniously took out four taels from the silver given to her by Xiao Qingming and put it into her dowry.

They continued living their days like this. Ji Wan'er stabilized her tofu nao business in town, and she earned a good amount of copper coins every day. They had better food than before. Xiao Qingming no longer wore a cold expression like in the beginning. She could tell that he genuinely wanted to communicate with her. But there were some things that he seemed unsure how to talk about. He would blush uncontrollably after she said a few words, and then he wouldn't be able to say anything else.

In any case, everything was progressing in a positive direction.

By the end of the month, Ji Wan'er counted her money.

Ever since she added another table, she was making over sixty wen per day. In this month, she had earned nearly two taels of silver. Added to that, Xiao Qingming had given her five hundred wen, which amounted to almost their yearly food supply.

As for where Xiao Qingming got those five hundred wen, she had asked, but he evaded the question. She didn't ask again later.

Earning a few dozen wen daily didn't seem like much, but when calculated for an entire month, it was quite substantial.

She had been selling tofu nao for a little over a month and earned a total of slightly over two taels of silver, plus the five hundred and fifty wen from Xiao Qingming, making a total of two taels and six qian. Of course, this was just the amount they earned.

Ji Wan'er never skimped on her food expenses. Although they had earned two taels and six qian, in the end, she only had one tael and eight qian of silver left in her hands. The expenses were also significant.

However, although the amount of silver seemed substantial now, it only solved the basic issue of having enough food and clothing. They couldn't stay here forever without leaving. What could they do with just this small amount of silver?

Ji Wan'er sighed and felt even more keenly that she had too little silver in her hands. She needed to think of ways to earn more money. But she had too few hands, and she couldn't take on additional tasks. She could only think of solutions related to selling tofu nao.

The next day, after arriving in town, Ji Wan'er looked around.

The location they were in now wasn't ideal. They had chosen this place initially because it was spacious, and there were no other food vendors nearby. They randomly found a place where many people lived and parked their cart, and they had stayed there for a little over a month.

After more than a month, they had basically saturated the market, and they couldn't sell any more.

After selling for today, she needed to find a better location.

Just as she was thinking about this, someone suddenly called out to her.

"Wan'er!"

Ji Wan'er's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at the person. She was truly terrified of being recognized in public now. She was afraid that something bad might happen again.

The woman glanced at her and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She then took a step forward and tightly grabbed Ji Wan'er's hand.

"Wan'er, it's really you! I didn't believe it when Aunt Lin told me."

Ji Wan'er thought that she was currently wearing a cloth on her head and a veil on her face. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to recognize her. Even some villagers from the Xiao family village didn't recognize her; they only recognized Yun Shuang and Zi An.

This person must be someone familiar with her.

After taking another glance, the woman's information quickly registered in her mind.

"My child, why do you have such bad luck?"

This person was not a stranger; she was none other than Ji Wan'er's mother, the wet nurse of the female protagonist, Nanny Dong.

"Mother!" Ji Wan'er called out, her heart filled with unease. In this unfamiliar era and place, she was not afraid of Xiao Qingming noticing her abnormal behavior, nor was she afraid of Yun Shuang and Zi An noticing, or even the villagers discovering her secret. Because the original owner had only interacted with these people for a short period, they hadn't fully grasped her personality.

Her only fear was that Ji Wan'er's maternal family would find out, especially Nanny Dong.

Nanny Dong was not an ordinary person; she had experience working in the grand estate and was more shrewd than others.

Nanny Dong didn't know what her daughter was thinking. She raised her hand and touched her daughter's face, tears streaming down continuously. Her once pampered daughter had fallen from the clouds into the dirt. Her face had lost its plumpness, her complexion was no longer fair, and her hands had become rough.

How much suffering she must have endured.

At this moment, Nanny Dong regretted it. She regretted marrying her daughter to this impoverished scholar, regretted not listening to her daughter's words and allowing her to divorce her husband.

Ji Wan'er could tell that Nanny Dong had many things she wanted to say to her. Looking at the waiting customers nearby, Ji Wan'er said, "Mother, please wait here for a moment. I will finish selling these and then talk to you."

With that, Ji Wan'er served tofu nao to a customer.

Nanny Dong stood by and watched her daughter's skilled appearance, feeling even more heartache.

After about twenty minutes, Ji Wan'er sold all the tofu nao.

"Mother, have you had breakfast?" Ji Wan'er asked.

"Not yet," Nanny Dong replied.

"Shall we find a steamed bun shop and eat something?" Ji Wan'er suggested to her.

"Okay," Nanny Dong agreed.

After these twenty minutes, Nanny Dong's emotions had calmed down. She stopped crying and regained some composure. Having experienced many hardships in life, she was more rational than emotional. The reason she had been so overwhelmed earlier was because she suddenly saw her daughter suffering and exhausted, which took her by surprise and broke her heart.

Yesterday, she heard from the neighbors in the village that they saw her daughter in town, looking strange. So this morning, she decided to come to the market and see if it was indeed her daughter.

She didn't expect it to be her delicate daughter.

In just a few months of not seeing each other, her daughter seemed like a different person. Although Nanny Dong couldn't discern the expression on her daughter's face, a person's eyes don't lie. Her daughter was much calmer and more composed than before.

After packing up their belongings, Ji Wan'er looked at Yun Shuang and Zi An and introduced them to Nanny Dong. "Mother, this is Yun Shuang and Zi An."

Nanny Dong's face lit up with a kind smile. She said, "I saw these two children when you got married. It's been a long time, and Shuang Jie has become even more spirited, while Zi An has grown stronger. They both look like clever kids."

Yun Shuang and Zi An had been feeling quite awkward, but upon hearing Nanny Dong's words, they smiled shyly.

Their sister-in-law's mother was so gentle, just like their sister-in-law.

"Hello, Auntie."

"Oh, good children. Hello to both of you."

In fact, Nanny Dong had long forgotten what Yun Shuang and Zi An looked like, but she knew her son-in-law had siblings. Seeing the resemblance between the two children and her son-in-law, she quickly guessed their identities. However, she was surprised that her daughter would bring these two children with her and treat them so well.

She remembered that her daughter used to despise these two children, always scolding and hitting them. She had tried to advise her daughter many times, but her daughter never listened to her and continued to do as she pleased. Even her daughter's in-laws didn't care about this matter. As a maternal relative, she couldn't excessively blame her daughter, so she chose to turn a blind eye to it.

Ji Wan'er, Yun Shuang, and Zi An efficiently stored the tables, chairs, and stools and quickly returned to their original spot.

"Mother, let's go," Ji Wan'er said. With that, she pushed the cart and walked ahead.

Nanny Dong watched the entire time and felt that her daughter was becoming more and more unfamiliar.

Before long, they arrived at a steamed bun shop.

"Mother, what filling would you like?" Ji Wan'er asked.

When had her daughter ever asked for her opinion or shown concern for what she needed? Nanny Dong had always felt that she had failed in educating her daughter. However, when she thought about how her daughter had suffered, coming from the capital to the village, falling from the clouds to the dirt, she couldn't bear to blame her and could only dote on her and accommodate her.

Nanny Dong remained composed and calmly said, "Carrot and vermicelli."

"Boss, give us two carrot and vermicelli buns and two cabbage and pork buns."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

When the buns were served, Ji Wan'er first handed the carrot and vermicelli bun to Nanny Dong, then gave the two meat-filled buns to the two children, and finally took a carrot and vermicelli bun for herself.

Nanny Dong became even more surprised. Her daughter treated these two children exceptionally well, even willing to spend an extra penny to buy meat-filled buns for them while she ate a vegetarian bun.

Her daughter had truly become more sensible than before.

Ji Wan'er had intended to have a good conversation with Nanny Dong during the meal, but she wasn't the original owner after all, and she didn't know what to say. She wasn't someone who liked to force a conversation when there was nothing to talk about. She knew that Nanny Dong was observing her, which made her even more unsure of what to say. She thought that maybe she should wait for Nanny Dong to speak first and respond accordingly. As a result, Nanny Dong remained silent as well.

The two children knew that this was their sister-in-law's mother and didn't dare to speak.

During the meal, with four people present, they ate quietly without anyone speaking.

This time, Ji Wan'er didn't forget about Xiao Qingming. After the meal, she ordered one meat bun and one vegetarian bun.

Since there was no more food at home, Ji Wan'er planned to go to the market to buy vegetables. Nanny Dong had been accompanying her all along, and Ji Wan'er didn't know how to ask her to go ahead or anything. The group naturally arrived at the market together and then headed towards the Xiao family's village.

Ji Wan'er pushed the small cart for a while before Yun Shuang and Zi An started to help.

Nanny Dong acted like a bystander, walking beside them. After walking for a while and realizing how they would be returning home, she switched with her daughter and started pushing the cart instead, not letting the children push it anymore.

Ji Wan'er naturally tried to decline, but Nanny Dong didn't agree, so they went along with it.

When they reached the village entrance, Nanny Dong handed the cart to her daughter and carried a basket herself. The basket contained eggs, and she lifted the cloth covering them.

Some people in the village recognized Nanny Dong and approached her to greet her.

"Oh, Sister Dong from the Dong family has come?"

"Sister-in-law, here to see your daughter?"

...

Nanny Dong switched to a handheld basket and said, "Yes, I came to see my daughter and son-in-law."

"Oh, you brought so many eggs. You're really good to Qingming and his wife."

"I heard that Qingming's wife even brought a dowry for him to support his studies. Sister Dong from the Dong family is really kind. In the future, if Qingming passes the exams, he should treat his in-laws well."

Nanny Dong smiled and said, "Oh, it's nothing valuable. I just feel sorry for my son-in-law. He works hard studying, so I brought him a few eggs to nourish his brain. The two children are still young and should also get some nourishment."

Ji Wan'er realized that her mother was truly remarkable. When she walked around the village, most of the villagers would gossip about her behind her back, and their gazes towards her were strange. But today, when her mother came, everyone was extremely warm and enthusiastic towards her.

Moreover...

The basket of eggs in her mother's hand was tightly concealed during the journey, fearing that someone passing by would notice. When they arrived in the village, she uncovered it, afraid that others wouldn't notice. She didn't mention Ji Wan'er at all and only talked about Xiao Qingming, Yun Shuang, and Zi An. Truly, her mother was experienced in serving a master in the capital. Her emotional intelligence and tactics were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"Qingming is fortunate to marry your daughter."

"Yes, after marrying Wan'er, he doesn't have to worry about anything and can focus on studying. It's much better than living under the control of his uncles."

They were indirectly discussing the situation at the old house.

Nanny Dong smiled and said, "Old sisters, don't say that. Qingming is a scholar, and my daughter has only read a few books and has never attended school. We are the ones who have climbed up."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Nanny Dong followed Ji Wan'er back home.

Ji Wan'er put down her things and went to the study, holding the buns in her hand.

She knocked on the door and then pushed it open, walking into the study.

"I had a meal with Yun Shuang and Zi An outside, and these are specially brought back for you."

She didn't forget about him, and Xiao Qingming was very happy. He pursed his lips and said, "Thank you, Madam."

After delivering the buns, Ji Wan'er went out.

When she went out, her mother had already gone to her own room. She let out a gentle sigh, pushed the door open, and went inside.

"Mother, would you like some water? Shall I boil some for you?"

Nanny Dong withdrew her gaze from the cool mat in the corner and glanced at her daughter, saying, "No need to bother." She had already understood most of the situation.

"Why did you think of selling food in town?" Nanny Dong asked directly without beating around the bush.

Ji Wan'er quite liked this straightforward way of communication and answered honestly, "I ran out of money and thought of earning some to spend."

But that was not the answer Nanny Dong wanted to hear. When her daughter ran out of money in the past, she would come to her for help. She remembered the last time she saw her daughter, she was demanding money from her, refusing to give up. Nanny Dong scolded her severely and drove her out of the house.

She was still holding a grudge against her.

"Are you still blaming me?" Nanny Dong asked gently.

Ji Wan'er glanced at Nanny Dong and said, "No."

After saying that, Ji Wan'er looked at Nanny Dong's eyes that seemed to see through her and slowly said, "After leaving home last time, I did blame Mother. I blamed you for being heartless, for marrying your daughter to a poor scholar who only knows how to study and doesn't care about worldly matters."

As these words came out, Ji Wan'er noticed that the probing look in Nanny Dong's eyes diminished, replaced by a touch of sympathy.

"Blame Mother, it's all Mother's fault..."

Seeing this, Ji Wan'er continued, "And then... I'm afraid Mother also knows about the bad things I did. That day, I saw how those who used to show concern for me treated others in such a manner, and it made me feel uncomfortable."

Although she didn't say it directly, Nanny Dong understood. She lowered her voice and said, "Mother told you early on that he's not a good person and asked you to sever ties with him."

Before her daughter got married, she was well-behaved. Nanny Dong kept a close eye on her, and her daughter never had any improper behavior with any man. But since her daughter got married, she became increasingly disobedient.

Ji Wan'er lowered her gaze and nodded. "Yes, I have cut ties with him."

Seeing her daughter like this, Nanny Dong sighed. Just now, she felt her daughter was unfamiliar, but now, looking at her daughter confiding in her, she no longer felt that way.

"Did you spend all your money on him, and that's why you don't have any money left?"

Ji Wan'er pursed her lips and nodded.

"Ah, forget it, money is just an external thing. If you've spent it, then so be it. Let's consider it a lesson learned. From now on, don't have anything to do with him, and don't ask him for money, understand?"

"Yes, I've learned my lesson. He didn't give it to me."

Nanny Dong thought to herself, as she had expected! She knew her daughter well. She had a strong and impulsive personality, unable to tolerate any losses. Sometimes she was too naive, making her an easy target for deception.

"You foolish girl, don't ask for it anymore. This kind of thing is a disadvantage for women, and it will tarnish your reputation if it gets out."

"I understand, Mother. I won't ask for it anymore," Ji Wan'er said.

"And don't go selling tofu nao in town either. Mother still has some money on hand. If you need it, Mother will give it to you," Nanny Dong continued.

Although our family is not as well-off as when we were in the capital years ago, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. When we first came back, with the valuable items I had left, I bought a shopfront in the county town and also purchased a good amount of land. I sold some embroidery work. Living in the countryside has lower expenses, and over the years, I have managed to save a considerable amount of money.

Of course, she deeply understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. Apart from the two of them as a couple, no one knew about the shopfront. The villagers only knew that they had acquired a few more acres of land.

Ji Wan'er said, "Mother, I want to go."

Nanny Dong said, "Selling food is too tiring. You're a woman; it's too difficult. Your good days will come when Qingming passes the county-level examination and becomes a scholar."

Ji Wan'er looked into Nanny Dong's eyes and said, "Mother, after what happened before, I feel that women need to have their own abilities. Relying on the natal family or husband is not a long-term solution."

Seeing the surprise in Nanny Dong's eyes, Ji Wan'er continued, "Isn't this what Aunt Liu used to teach us when she was alive?"

Aunt Liu was the protagonist's biological mother. The girl she referred to naturally meant the protagonist. According to the description in the book, Aunt Liu often taught her daughter to be independent. Ji Wan'er didn't remember what Aunt Liu said at all, but she felt that similar words must have been spoken.

"When I was younger, I never quite understood the meaning of those words. Now that I'm living my own life and facing obstacles everywhere, I gradually come to understand. So, Mother, I still want to continue selling tofu nao."

Suddenly, Nanny Dong realized that she had just misunderstood. Her daughter hadn't become unfamiliar; instead, after not seeing her for several months, her daughter seemed to have suddenly grown up and understood things. Aunt Liu did indeed frequently say such things to her daughter, and Nanny Dong often educated her as well, but her daughter had never really listened to those words. She didn't expect her daughter to suddenly understand them overnight.

In fact, she didn't oppose her daughter going out to sell food. She was just worried that with her daughter's temperament, she might get tired and not persist. If her daughter truly wanted to do it, she would absolutely support her.

She had high hopes for her son-in-law and believed that he would definitely pass the county-level examination. Their family was better off than her son-in-law's family, and she could even exert some pressure on her son-in-law. Once her son-in-law became a scholar, her daughter would truly be no match for him. Having seen many unclean things in the capital, she couldn't guarantee that her son-in-law would always stay loyal to her daughter and not have a change of heart.

Her daughter having her own career was an excellent thing.

"How long have you been running this business?"

"About a month and a half."

"How much money can you earn in a day, approximately?"

Ji Wan'er didn't have anything to hide and told Nanny Dong, "At first, I could earn around 20 or 30 wen, but recently I can earn 50 or 60 wen."

Nanny Dong nodded and pondered for a moment. She said, "If you compare it to other food vendors, that's not bad, but if you're selling unique tofu nao in town, then the income is not considered good."

Nanny Dong had no doubt why her daughter would make tofu nao that others wouldn't. When they were in the capital, the young masters and misses of the mansion liked to eat it, so the kitchen would occasionally make it.

"Mainly, it's because of the location," Nanny Dong pointed out the key problem bluntly. "There are too few people in that area."

Nanny Dong's words precisely reflected Ji Wan'er's recent worries. She said, "Yes, recently I've been thinking of finding a livelier place."

"You must have spent a long time grinding the beans for this tofu nao," Nanny Dong glanced at her daughter's arms. She noticed it on their way back just now.

"Is your arm hurting? If you go to a bustling place and sell more, you'll need to grind more beans, and that will also be a problem for you."

These were all things Ji Wan'er had been contemplating recently.

"Find someone to help," Nanny Dong suggested. "Before, you could earn 60 wen a day, but if you move to a better location, you can earn at least 80 wen, or even over a hundred wen. Good locations require rent or protection fees, and you can earn an additional ten-odd wen. According to today's prices, a woman working in town for a whole day earns ten wen. If you pay them five wen and they only work for the morning, they would fight to do it. This way, you'll save effort and earn an extra ten or so wen."

Nanny Dong's words suddenly broadened Ji Wan'er's train of thought. Nanny Dong had spent her youth in the Marquis's mansion in the capital, and now she had been back for over ten years. With her experience and insights, she must know more. Ji Wan'er asked about something else.

"Mother, do you think I should open a shop in town?"

Nanny Dong nodded, "Opening a shop is also an option. That way, you'll have less work to do, and you won't need to push the cart to town. However, don't buy, rent instead."

"Why?"

"Our town is relatively remote and not easy to appreciate in value. It's also difficult to sell if you buy property here," Nanny Dong explained. She didn't mention the unspoken matter that if their son-in-law passed the exam, they would have to move to the county.

Ji Wan'er nodded.

"The monthly rent for shops in town ranges from 200 to 450 wen. In that case, you shouldn't only sell tofu nao. It would be best to sell some other food items as well, such as the soybean dreg pancakes you make or things like oil cakes and egg pancakes. Otherwise, you might as well set up a stall outside and earn more," Nanny Dong continued.

"I see."

Nanny Dong added, "If you don't know how to make these food items, I can teach you, my daughter."

"I know how," Ji Wan'er replied.

Thinking about how the original owner of the body never cooked at home, she explained, "Mother spent half a year in the kitchen before. During that time, I actually learned a lot. It was because I was ignorant and lazy that I didn't want to do it."

Seeing her daughter's guilty appearance, Nanny Dong knew exactly what her daughter was thinking. Her daughter was the most skilled at enjoying life, and she wasn't foolish. Now that she had figured things out, it was for the best.

Nanny Dong didn't expose her daughter's little scheme. She looked at the dark circles under her daughter's eyes and glanced at the bedding on the cabinet and the cool mat in the corner.

"How are things between you and your husband now? Are you still thinking about divorcing him?"

When she married her daughter off, her daughter was full of unwillingness. Shortly after the marriage, she came home and demanded a divorce, saying that her husband's family was too poor. After they separated households, her daughter frequently returned home to ask for a divorce.

Although her daughter didn't mention it to her today, judging by the situation in the house, she knew that the couple was not getting along well.

Moreover, she had been here for so long, but her son-in-law hadn't even come to greet her.

Thinking about it, her daughter's initial desire for divorce was probably due to her husband's insensitive nature.

"No, Mother."

"Did you make your husband sleep on the floor?" Nanny Dong directly pointed out this point.

Ji Wan'er quickly shook her head. "No, it was his decision to sleep on the floor."

Hearing this, Nanny Dong frowned and paused for a while. She asked in a low voice, "Have you consummated your marriage?"

Ji Wan'er's face immediately turned red, and she appeared quite embarrassed. Although she enjoyed teasing Xiao Qingming on normal days, she wasn't so open about it. It was quite embarrassing to be asked such an intimate question in broad daylight.

But Nanny Dong kept staring at her.

Helplessly, Ji Wan'er closed her eyes and shook her head.

Nanny Dong became somewhat angry. She knew her daughter very well. Although her daughter had a difficult temperament, she was exceptionally attractive. There was no girl in the surrounding villages who looked better than her daughter. Nanny Dong thought that even if her daughter had a difficult personality, her exceptional appearance would make her husband steadfast.

She never expected that her son-in-law would have such a strong aversion to her daughter.

This was incredibly disrespectful to her daughter.

In the capital city, if the bride did not consummate the marriage with her husband on the first day after entering the groom's house, the entire groom's family would discriminate against her.

She had initially disagreed with her daughter's desire for divorce because she didn't know about this. Her daughter valued her reputation and never mentioned it to her. If she hadn't come today, her daughter probably wouldn't have said anything.

It has been over half a year since their daughter and son-in-law got married, yet her son-in-law has never touched her daughter.

He didn't even come to greet her when she, as an elder, arrived. Nanny Dong was already somewhat annoyed, but she thought that her son-in-law was busy studying, so she didn't mention it. However, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

He really has no manners! He may have stuffed books into his head, but he's no better than a child.

What's the use of such a son-in-law? Even if he has a bright future ahead, they won't benefit from it. In the end, he might even despise them.

It's all her fault.

It's not just her daughter who fell from the clouds into the mud, she did too. For years, she had been holding her breath, hoping to return to the capital city one day. She made various inquiries and carefully selected Xiao Qingming. She believed that she had a good eye for people and that Xiao Qingming would surely achieve great things in the future. But she never expected that she had misjudged him. Xiao Qingming's character was not as she had imagined, and she never expected him to treat her daughter like this.

A man who doesn't even want to touch his own wife must have a deep aversion.

Why should her daughter, who is as beautiful as a flower, endure such mistreatment?

Enough.

They can't climb up to the level of such a person. It's better for her daughter to divorce early while she's still young and find a better husband.

"If you still want a divorce, Mother agrees, then go ahead with it."

Ji Wan'er didn't expect Nanny Dong to suddenly agree to the divorce, and she looked at her in shock.

This was the goal that the original owner had worked so hard for but never achieved.

She opened her mouth, about to say something, when suddenly a sound of breaking ceramics came from outside the door.

Both of them inside the room were momentarily startled.

Nanny Dong furrowed her brows. She thought to herself that the person outside the door really had no sense of propriety, eavesdropping on their conversation. This Xiao family was truly not a good place. Nanny Dong was starting to find fault with everything related to the Xiao family.

After a moment of confusion, Ji Wan'er hurriedly went to open the door.

When Ji Wan'er saw that it was Yun Shuang standing at the door, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sis... sister-in-law, I'm... I'm sorry," Yun Shuang said, her face pale with fright.

Ji Wan'er glanced at her hand and said, "It's okay. Did you burn yourself?"

Yun Shuang quickly shook her head. She regained her composure and squatted down, intending to pick up the broken pieces of the bowl on the ground.

Ji Wan'er hurriedly stopped her. "Don't pick it up. You might hurt your hand. We'll sweep it up later."

Yun Shuang quickly went to fetch a broom.

At this moment, the study door opened, and Xiao Qingming walked out.

He glanced at the floor first, then looked at Ji Wan'er. Seeing that she was fine, he felt relieved. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed the woman standing beside Ji Wan'er.

Is this... his mother-in-law?

Xiao Qingming immediately became nervous and quickly walked over, bowing to Nanny Dong. "Greetings, Mother."

Nanny Dong now regarded Xiao Qingming as nothing more than scum. She had a keen eye for judging people, rarely making mistakes, but she never expected to have misjudged her son-in-law. She smiled in a nonchalant manner and said, "Son-in-law, no need to be so polite. You're really diligent in your studies. I believe you'll pass the exams this year."

Xiao Qingming could sense that Nanny Dong was displeased, so he pursed his lips and remained silent.

Ji Wan'er also picked up on it. She remembered that her mother had always been satisfied with Xiao Qingming before. She didn't understand why her mother suddenly became dissatisfied with him today. Moreover, the book didn't depict this. She remembered that Nanny Dong had always been pleased with Xiao Qingming and had blamed her daughter for not cherishing such a good husband.

Nanny Dong couldn't be bothered to exchange any more words with Xiao Qingming. She feared that if she said a few more words, she would be unable to resist scolding or even hitting him. But she was a dignified person and would never stoop to such uncouth behavior.

"You can continue studying, I won't disturb you. I'll go back first," Nanny Dong said coldly.

Xiao Qingming took two steps forward and said, "I... I'll walk you back."

Compared to before, this was already a significant improvement. He knew how to converse with people and had learned some etiquette. Ji Wan'er quite liked his current changes.

Nanny Dong, however, instinctively refused without hesitation. "No need. Let Wan'er accompany me. You stay."

Since she had no intention of keeping him as her son-in-law, there was no need for her to show him any favor.

Ji Wan'er glanced at Xiao Qingming, then at Nanny Dong, and hurriedly followed along.

When they reached the village entrance, Nanny Dong held her daughter's hand and said, "Mother knew that you were not living well, after all, the Xiao family is poor. But I never expected things to be this bad for you. Mother knows it was my fault. This man, he's poor, doesn't know how to consider your feelings, and disrespects his wife. It's useless to have him around."

"Mother, actually..."

"Enough, there's no need to say more. I won't discuss such matters with others to avoid shaming you. Think it over yourself. If you think you can continue living like this, then stay. If you can't bear it anymore, return to your parents' home and tell me and your father. We'll seek a divorce."

1

In this day and age, even noble ladies who seek a divorce will face humiliation, let alone ordinary people like them. Women understand each other the most. So, while Nanny Dong wanted her daughter to divorce her husband, ultimately, it depended on her daughter's decision because it was her life. If her daughter truly felt she couldn't go on, then she should leave. If she believed she could still endure, then she should stay.

Moreover, based on her observations that morning, Nanny Dong felt that her daughter had changed and developed her own opinions. She believed that her daughter would be able to figure out what was best for herself.

Upon hearing Nanny Dong's words, Ji Wan'er suddenly felt deeply moved.

After all, Nanny Dong was a person who cared for her daughter's well-being.

"Thank you, Mother. I will remember," Ji Wan'er said.

Nanny Dong patted her daughter's hand, sighed heavily, and returned home with a heavy heart.

Xiao Qingming stood in the courtyard, watching Ji Wan'er and Nanny Dong depart, motionless.

Just as Yun Shuang had thrown away the broken bowl outside and returned, she saw her older brother standing in the courtyard with an expression of worry.

"What happened just now?" Xiao Qingming asked. He had come out upon hearing the sound of the porcelain breaking, and as soon as he stepped out, he saw everyone. However, he didn't know the exact details of what had happened.

Yun Shuang looked at her brother's gaze, pursed her lips, unsure whether she should speak up or not. But if she didn't, would they lose their sister-in-law?

"Brother, just now, Aunt said she wanted Sister-in-law to divorce you."

She hadn't intentionally eavesdropped. She had gone to the kitchen to boil water as soon as she saw Aunt arrive. After boiling the water, she brought it over. However, she didn't expect to hear their conversation as soon as she reached the door. She was so shocked at the time that she lost her grip on the bowl and dropped it.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qingming's gaze suddenly changed, expressing shock and nervousness.

Yun Shuang felt anxious in her heart. She tugged at Xiao Qingming's sleeve and in a hoarse voice pleaded, "Brother, can you please beg Sister-in-law not to divorce you? Both Zi An and I really like her."

Upon hearing their words, Zi An hurried over as well and tugged at the other sleeve of Xiao Qingming's garment. "Brother, you should go and plead with Sister-in-law. I like her too."

Xiao Qingming looked at his younger siblings on the verge of tears before him, speechless for a long time.

He... didn't want her to leave either.

When Ji Wan'er returned, there was no one in the courtyard.

She had ground a lot of beans that morning and was already tired. Dealing with Nanny Dong had made her nervous. Now that she had passed the test, she felt physically and mentally exhausted. She went straight back to her room, planning to rest for a while before tidying up the things for making tofu nao.

As soon as she entered the room, she found Xiao Qingming standing by the window, looking outside. Upon hearing her return, he turned around and looked at her.

"Why did you come back to the room? Didn't you go to study?" Ji Wan'er asked casually.

Normally, Xiao Qingming would never stay in the side room; he would only come back to sleep at night. It was strange for him to be here during the day.

Ji Wan'er felt her arms and shoulders were a bit sore. She raised her hand and rubbed them, walking toward the side of the bed.

Thinking about what Nanny Dong had said earlier, she guessed that her words might have hurt Xiao Qingming, so she said, "You don't need to take my mother's words to heart. She was just afraid of disturbing your studies, which is why she said that."

As she spoke, she had already reached the side of the bed and sat down, closing her eyes and stretching her sore neck.

Earning money was truly exhausting. It had only been a little over a month, and she was already feeling overwhelmed. It seemed she should listen to her mother's advice and find someone to help. Her previous scale of operations was too small. Despite talking about wanting to make money, she was still stuck in the same place. She really needed someone to assist her so that she could save energy and earn more money.

After stretching her neck for a while, Ji Wan'er realized that she hadn't received a response from Xiao Qingming. Over the past month, she had noticed that Xiao Qingming had changed a lot. Whenever she asked him a question, he would shyly respond. What happened today? Could it be that her mother's words had truly hurt him?

Ji Wan'er slowly opened her eyes.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she found Xiao Qingming standing in front of her, looking down at her from above.

She was startled and quickly patted her chest, saying, "You scared me. Why did you suddenly come so close to me?"

However, Xiao Qingming seemed as if he hadn't heard her words at all and suddenly bent down.

Ji Wan'er was surprised and instinctively pushed herself backward.

At this moment, Xiao Qingming extended his slender hand and placed it on Ji Wan'er's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

Ji Wan'er: ?!

Xiao Qingming, what are you doing?

"Wife, you've worked hard."

Ji Wan'er: ...

"Ouch, it hurts!" Ji Wan'er gasped as she felt a twinge of pain. Xiao Qingming looked at his delicate fingers and didn't expect them to be so strong.

Xiao Qingming immediately stopped and a hint of nervousness and confusion appeared on his face.

"Be gentler," Ji Wan'er said after the pain subsided. Her shoulder was already sore, and someone massaging it felt really comfortable. How could she let go of Xiao Qingming, who was providing free labor?

Xiao Qingming breathed a sigh of relief and continued to massage Ji Wan'er's shoulders, saying, "Alright."

After massaging for a while, Xiao Qingming continued to stand in front of Ji Wan'er, which made her feel a bit pressured. Besides, she didn't want Xiao Qingming to get too tired. After all, he was serving her.

Ji Wan'er patted the bed beside her and said, "Husband, you must be tired. Why don't you sit down for a moment?"

Xiao Qingming glanced at Ji Wan'er and followed her suggestion, sitting on the bed.

To make it easier for Xiao Qingming to massage her and to make herself more comfortable, Ji Wan'er adjusted her body position.

At first, Xiao Qingming genuinely focused on massaging Ji Wan'er's shoulders, wanting to do something to make her happy. But as he continued massaging, his thoughts drifted away.

Her shoulders, soft and completely different from his.

Suddenly, he realized that he might have been too impulsive earlier, touching her without asking. Now that he thought about it, his face turned red, and his movements slowed down.

Ji Wan'er noticed the change in Xiao Qingming's strength and turned her head to look at him, asking, "Husband, are you tired? If you're tired, you don't have to continue."

Xiao Qingming immediately snapped back to reality and resumed his previous strength, saying, "I'm not tired."

Not only was he not tired, but he also felt a sense of joy in his heart.

Although Ji Wan'er turned her head to the side, she didn't turn it back, so she naturally didn't see the expression on Xiao Qingming's face.

As long as he wasn't tired. Ji Wan'er thought that she had been tired for a long time, and she felt a bit reluctant to let Xiao Qingming stop. So she indulged herself in giving orders to Xiao Qingming.

Meanwhile, Yun Shuang and Zi An were still standing in the courtyard, listening to the sounds coming from inside the house. Unfortunately, they didn't hear anything, and both of them were anxious.

Inside the house, Ji Wan'er was feeling very comfortable. She directed Xiao Qingming, telling him to massage this side for a while and then the other side.

Perhaps Xiao Qingming's massage was too comfortable, or perhaps Ji Wan'er was just too exhausted. Before long, drowsiness began to overwhelm her. Ji Wan'er slowly closed her eyes, nodding off little by little. She had intended to ask Xiao Qingming to stop, but because it felt so good, she didn't want to. She thought that maybe she would talk to him when she was about to fall asleep.

As a result, as she waited, she actually fell asleep.

Xiao Qingming was earnestly massaging Ji Wan'er's shoulders when suddenly, her body went limp and she fell into his embrace.

Xiao Qingming was instantly stunned. What was happening?

He lowered his head and saw the girl in his arms already fast asleep.

Nervously, Xiao Qingming didn't know where to put his hands or feet. He just quietly watched the person in his arms. He didn't know how long he had been looking or how much time had passed. All he knew was that, at that moment, he actually wished for time to stop.

Just then, the girl in his arms turned over.

Seeing that Ji Wan'er was about to fall off the bed, Xiao Qingming quickly supported her body and once again held her in his embrace.

With this movement, Xiao Qingming realized that his arms and legs had gone numb without him noticing.

Looking at the girl in his arms frown as if she was not sleeping comfortably, Xiao Qingming waited until his arms and legs regained mobility before gently placing her on the bed. He pulled over a neatly folded blanket and covered her with it.

Regarding the tael measurement, if I use an online converter, 1 tael is approximately 37.51 grams. But I just saw on Wikipedia that 1 Chinese tael is approximately 50 grams. I'll stick to the 50 grams from now on for ease of conversion

Ji Wan'er had a wonderfully comfortable sleep. When she woke up, she felt refreshed. Her arms were no longer sore, and her shoulders no longer ached.

As she got up, she suddenly remembered: When did she fall asleep? It seemed that Xiao Qingming had been massaging her shoulders before she fell asleep. So, did she fall asleep while Xiao Qingming was massaging her shoulders? It must have been Xiao Qingming who put her on the bed.

She didn't know what happened to Xiao Qingming today that made him suddenly decide to massage her shoulders.

After thinking about it for a while without finding an answer, Ji Wan'er smiled. Whatever the reason, it was a good thing for her, wasn't it?

Seeing that it was almost noon and recalling what Nanny Dong had said earlier, Ji Wan'er decided to have something different for her meal today.

She first scooped a few spoonfuls of flour and added a pinch of salt. Then she started kneading the dough. She added some hot water and stirred, then added some cold water and continued to stir. Finally, she kneaded the dough until it became a smooth and soft ball, which she set aside to let it rise.

While waiting, she chopped some scallions, ginger, and garlic. She took another bowl and added fermented soybean paste and some seasonings. She heated the pan, poured in some oil, and when it was hot, she added the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic, followed by the prepared sauce.

Before stir-frying, the sauce had a raw bean smell, but after stir-frying, a fragrant aroma filled the air.

Zi An came running with a chicken feather duster in his hand. He sniffed the air and said, "It smells so good, sister-in-law. What are we having for lunch?"

Ji Wan'er smiled and said, "How about pancakes?"

Zi An nodded eagerly, "Great!"

Yun Shuang had been embroidering all this time and didn't know that Ji Wan'er was cooking. Now she hurried over as well.

"You can continue with what you're doing. The dough needs some time to rise, so you don't need to help right now."

Yun Shuang seemed not to have heard and walked into the kitchen, sitting on a small stool to start the fire.

Ji Wan'er was slightly surprised. What happened to Yun Shuang today?

Ever since she heard Nanny Dong's words, Yun Shuang had been extremely anxious. Although her sister-in-law had treated her and her younger brother poorly before, now her sister-in-law was exceptionally kind. She liked her sister-in-law and didn't want her to leave her brother. She hoped to do more things to make her sister-in-law reluctant to go.

After stir-frying the sauce, Ji Wan'er pulled out some weeds from the vegetable garden. Seeing that the time was about right, she returned to the kitchen and took out the risen dough, placing it on the cutting board.

She brushed oil on the cutting board and rolled the dough thinly, spreading a layer of oil dough made with oil and flour on top. Then she folded the dough and rolled it into a thin pancake.

She heated the pan, brushed a layer of oil in it, and gently placed the pancake inside, flattening it.

Unfortunately, they didn't have a flat-bottomed pan at home, so she had to choose the relatively flat one among the two pans.

In the other pot, she was naturally cooking rice soup.

After a while, she flipped the pancake, brushed another layer of oil, and waited until both sides were golden brown before taking it out of the pan.

This time, the food Ji Wan'er made didn't have the fragrance that could be smelled even before it was served. Even when it was out of the pan, the pancake didn't look particularly delicious.

However, when Ji Wan'er brushed the sauce she prepared, sprinkled some chopped scallions and sesame seeds on top, the appearance of the whole pancake instantly improved. Especially when she took a knife and cut the fragrant pancake, producing a crispy sound, Zi An's mouth started watering again.

The sauce smelled so good, and the pancake looked so beautiful. It must be very delicious, right?

"Here, go ahead and eat."

Zi An happily took it away.

Yun Shuang glanced at her younger brother and quickly followed him out. Soon, she came back.

Ji Wan'er made two pancakes in total. After making the pancakes, she realized it was already noon, so she quickly stir-fried some shredded potatoes.

Having pancakes and shredded potatoes for lunch was good enough.

However, rice soup with pickled vegetables would be even more delicious. Ji Wan'er scooped out a carrot from a nearby jar that she had pickled. After rinsing it several times with clear water, she sliced it into thin strips, put them in a bowl, and added some seasoning, including sesame oil.

It smelled really good.

As Ji Wan'er walked out of the kitchen with the pickled vegetables, Xiao Qingming also came out of the study.

Ever since she saw Xiao Qingming, Ji Wan'er had been staring at him. But she noticed that Xiao Qingming didn't even look at her, completely ignoring her.

When they arrived in the main hall, Ji Wan'er noticed that there was an empty seat next to Xiao Qingming, so she sat down and glanced at him. He was fine before going to sleep, so why did he suddenly become strange again?

After a quick glance at Xiao Qingming, Ji Wan'er shifted her gaze to the sauce pancakes on the table.

Looking at the sauce pancakes on the table, Ji Wan'er smiled and asked Zi An, "Are the pancakes I made today delicious?"

Zi An seemed a little unhappy and replied, "I haven't eaten them yet, so I don't know."

"Hmm? Why haven't you eaten?" Ji Wan'er was somewhat surprised.

Zi An secretly glanced at his sister and said, "Sister, you worked hard to cook, so I want to wait and eat with you."

Ji Wan'er didn't suspect anything and smiled, saying, "Zi An, you're really thoughtful. But it's okay, whether you eat first or later, it doesn't matter. If you want to eat first in the future, go ahead."

Zi An looked at the sauce pancake, swallowed his saliva, and said, "No, I want to wait for my older brother and sister-in-law to eat together."

The pancake wouldn't taste as good when it's cold, so Ji Wan'er didn't dwell on the matter and quickly called out to everyone, "Quick, try it. How are the pancakes I made today?"

As she said that, Ji Wan'er picked up a piece with her chopsticks.

The others also picked up pieces.

Ji Wan'er took a bite. Hmm, not bad, it tasted really good. The pancake was fragrant, and the sauce was delicious. The cooking time was right, and the pancake remained slightly crispy even after being left for a while. The only downside was that the pan was not a flat-bottomed one, so it wasn't perfect. Also, she didn't add any chili.

Without waiting for Ji Wan'er to ask, Zi An praised, "Sister-in-law, this pancake is really delicious, crispy and fragrant."

As he said that, he picked up another piece.

Yun Shuang also praised, "Sister-in-law, the sauce is well-cooked, and it tastes great."

Ji Wan'er was very satisfied with this feedback. It seemed that the pancake was a success, at least the children loved it.

Thinking of this, Ji Wan'er looked at Xiao Qingming sitting on the side. She noticed that Xiao Qingming was eating the pancake with lowered eyes, without any extra expression on his face. However, after observing him for a while, she noticed that Xiao Qingming's ears were visibly turning red at a rapid pace.

Was he... shy?

"Husband?" Ji Wan'er called out softly.

Xiao Qingming paused, holding the sauce pancake, and turned his head to look at her.

Ji Wan'er didn't speak, she continued to gaze at Xiao Qingming. He was already extremely nervous, and now his heart was beating faster.

"What's the matter, my wife?" Xiao Qingming asked, trying to suppress his nervousness.

"It's nothing," Ji Wan'er replied with a smile.

"Oh." Xiao Qingming couldn't tell if he felt relieved or disappointed. He wanted to turn his head and continue eating the sauce pancake.

Before he could turn his head, he felt a warm sensation on his face, followed by a familiar fragrance, just like the one he smelled in the room earlier.

"Husband, why are you smearing sauce on your face like Zi An?" Ji Wan'er said.

Xiao Qingming felt his ears buzzing. He heard the girl in front of him say something, but it seemed like he didn't hear it clearly. He only felt that the pair of eyes before him, brimming with a smile, were incredibly beautiful, shining brightly and reaching deep into his heart.

His heart was pounding.

In that moment, it felt like there were only the two of them in the entire world.

Xiao Qingming's face turned red again. This time, it was even more intense than any previous time.

Just then, Zi An wiped his face and glanced at his older brother, discontentedly saying, "Sister-in-law, you've accused me wrongly. It was clearly only my brother who got sauce on his face. I didn't get any on my face today."

Yun Shuang wanted to cover her younger brother's mouth, but she was too slow.

Xiao Qingming snapped out of his daze, turned his head, and continued eating the sauce pancake.

Ji Wan'er smiled and looked at Zi An, saying, "Zi An, you're amazing! But remember, you shouldn't get sauce on your face in the future, okay?"

"Okay," Zi An nodded earnestly.

Ji Wan'er wanted to tease Xiao Qingming some more, but he was too easily flustered. His face turned as red as if it were about to explode, so she didn't dare say anything else to him. After stealing a few glances at Xiao Qingming, Ji Wan'er turned her head and continued eating.

The four of them finished all the pancakes she had made for the meal, and Xiao Qingming ate a lot too. It seemed that everyone loved the sauce pancakes, and she had done a relatively good job making them.

After the meal, Xiao Qingming returned to his study.

Early the next morning, just as the hour of Mao approached, Ji Wan'er woke up upon hearing the sound of Xiao Qingming's activity.

Changing positions and hiring people wasn't something that could be accomplished in just a day or two, so she still had to grind the beans as usual.

When Ji Wan'er finished washing up and came out of the room with her hair neatly combed, she found Xiao Qingming grinding soybeans at the stone mill.

Ji Wan'er: ?

Did the sun rise in the west? Why was Xiao Qingming suddenly doing chores?

Ji Wan'er walked over and asked, "Why are you grinding soybeans?" Wasn't he angry yesterday? Did the storm pass overnight, and everything is fine now?

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally managed to say, "Madam, you've worked hard."

He had often neglected his wife in the past. It wasn't until yesterday that he noticed how exhausted she was, rubbing her arms and neck. Seeing her usually cheerful appearance, he had thought she wasn't that tired.

Perhaps, if he did better, would she still consider not leaving?

With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Qingming's movements with the soybeans quickened.

Ji Wan'er didn't know what was going on in Xiao Qingming's mind, but upon hearing his words, she felt a warm sensation in her heart. Grinding soybeans was indeed very tiring, and she had wanted to find someone to help. It felt really good to be cared for by someone.

But Xiao Qingming's studies were not easy either.

Moreover, the money they agreed to earn from selling tofu nao was her own private savings. So, even though she felt tired, she never thought about asking Xiao Qingming for help. After all, the money was hers, and she believed she should handle the work herself.

"You go and focus on your studies. I can handle it," Ji Wan'er said. The exams were only two or three months away, and she didn't want him to be distracted because of her. It was a lifelong matter for Xiao Qingming, and she didn't want her issues to delay his own affairs.

Xiao Qingming continued turning the stone mill without stopping his movements.

"No need. It won't take long."

Ji Wan'er tried to persuade him a few more times, but Xiao Qingming seemed to ignore her, rapidly turning the stone mill.

After a while, Yun Shuang came over and tugged at Ji Wan'er's sleeve, whispering, "Sister-in-law, brother is strong, so let him help us."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wan'er was extremely shocked. What was going on with Yun Shuang? She remembered that whether it was from the descriptions in books or Yun Shuang's behavior since she arrived, it was evident that Yun Shuang's role was almost exclusively to serve Xiao Qingming. In her mind, everything revolved around Xiao Qingming's studies. She was afraid of affecting his studies, so she never complained about her own hardships or sought help.

Why was she not only not persuading her brother together but also preventing her from helping?

What was happening?

Perhaps noticing the inquiry in Ji Wan'er's eyes, Yun Shuang realized that her words earlier were inappropriate. She was afraid that Ji Wan'er would disagree with her words and upset her, so she quickly said, "Sister-in-law, you work hard every day, and I'm afraid of burdening you. Brother has the strength for it."

Since her sister-in-law's mother came yesterday, Yun Shuang had been restless, thinking about her brother and sister-in-law's possible separation.

She didn't want such a good sister-in-law to leave them one day.

Compared to her brother's exams, she valued her sister-in-law more.

Her brother had been studying for many years while she and her younger brother had been suffering. But ever since her sister-in-law came, they could eat and dress well. Their lives were getting better and better. She had never experienced such good days before.

She knew that her thoughts were not right, but she couldn't help but stand on her sister-in-law's side.

Ji Wan'er pondered for a moment and said, "Your brother still needs to study, and this will delay his studies."

Yun Shuang pursed her lips.

If her brother didn't pass the exams this year, he could take them again in the future. He had already taken the exams twice before and didn't pass, but life still went on. Whether it was a year earlier or a year later, it probably wouldn't have a significant impact.

But if her sister-in-law left, it would be difficult for her to encounter such a good sister-in-law again, and their lives would probably return to what they used to be.

She didn't want to go back to those days.

"No... it won't, just fifteen minutes won't delay anything."

No one liked doing physical labor, and Ji Wan'er, despite her love for work, didn't like it either. Looking at Xiao Qingming's serious expression while grinding the beans and thinking about Yun Shuang's words earlier, she felt like... maybe this could work? It didn't seem like it would delay for long.

Looking at Xiao Qingming, who appeared delicate but was not sloppy when doing work, Ji Wan'er stared at his arms, recalling the touch of his arms when she measured his clothes earlier. Her face flushed slightly.

Before long, Xiao Qingming finished grinding the beans.

Tsk tsk, men doing labor really looked the best! Seeing the glistening sweat on Xiao Qingming's forehead and his slightly flushed face, Ji Wan'er walked up to him, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away his sweat.

"My husband, you've worked hard~"

Then... Xiao Qingming's face became even redder, and he was visibly nervous and at a loss for words.

He looked so adorable, completely different from his efficient demeanor while working earlier.

Ji Wan'er was thinking whether she should take this opportunity to pinch his cheeks when he dodged away from her and said, "I'm going to study." With that, he hurriedly walked to the study room.

Ji Wan'er was in a great mood.

After making the tofu nao and pancakes, she also boiled a few eggs and left four pancakes for Xiao Qingming, along with a boiled egg. Then she and Yun Shuang went to the town.

Since she didn't need Ji Wan'er to grind the beans today, she felt less tired after selling everything. She felt quite relaxed, so she placed the small cart and its contents on the storage table and led the two children to wander around the town.

She had been thinking about this issue since yesterday. Although Xiao Qingming helped her with the work this morning, the problem was still not resolved.

She needed to find a place to sell the tofu nao.

Renting a shop was not an easy task. After inquiring around, Ji Wan'er bought two taels of meat (100 grams) and returned to the village with the two children.

This money was specifically for Xiao Qingming.

Since Xiao Qingming finally knew that he had work to do, she had to encourage him somehow to prevent him from feeling discouraged and not doing it, wearing a gloomy face every day.

She knew that Xiao Qingming loved to eat noodles, so she made noodles for lunch.

However, today she didn't make plain noodles but zha jiang mian (fried sauce noodles).

The key to making zha jiang mian was to have tasty sauce. She had made savory pancakes yesterday, and the sauce turned out well, so she planned to make a similar sauce today. However, there would still be some differences.

For example, this time she would add meat.

Ji Wan'er started by rolling out the noodles. Previously, she didn't roll out noodles often because her arms would be sore from grinding beans. But since she didn't grind beans today and her arms weren't hurting, she could roll out the noodles properly.

After the noodles were in the pot, Ji Wan'er diced the meat and also diced the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Then she mixed the sauce in an empty bowl.

She heated the wok and added oil. Once the wok was hot, she added the diced meat and stir-fried it. Then she added the diced scallions, ginger, and garlic, and finally poured in the prepared sauce.

Although they had been eating well recently, meat was still precious, and they didn't have it often. So when the meat hit the wok, Zi An squatted at the entrance of the kitchen, staring at the pot. Not only him, Ji Wan'er also swallowed her saliva. No, she wasn't being greedy, she felt hungry.

After pouring in the sauce, the aroma became even stronger, making everyone's eyes glued to the pot.

"Sister-in-law, the sauce you made today smells so good. If we had a big steamed bun, I could eat two," Zi An said, swallowing his saliva.

Yun Shuang sat by the side, tending to the fire. Hearing her brother's words, she discreetly licked her lips and then looked at her sister-in-law, who stood nearby with a gentle smile. She said, "Whatever sister-in-law cooks is delicious. It's even more fragrant than the food cooked by the chefs at the restaurant. If sister-in-law opens a restaurant in the future, I'm sure it will make more money than them."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wan'er glanced at Yun Shuang.

She felt like this child was becoming more and more articulate.

However, she believed in her own cooking skills. If they had enough money in the future, she could consider opening a restaurant. With her skills, she should be able to make some money.

"How do you know that my cooking is more fragrant than the restaurant's?" Ji Wan'er asked with a smile. In her impression, this child had probably never been to a restaurant. How come they exaggerated when praising her now?

Yun Shuang said earnestly, "Although I haven't tasted it, when I passed by the restaurant's entrance that day, I smelled it. The food they make isn't as fragrant as what sister-in-law cooks."

Ji Wan'er was taken aback by Yun Shuang's honest words, but quickly regained her composure.

"Alright, when we have enough money saved up, we'll open a restaurant," she said.

Zi An and Yun Shuang took it seriously, their eyes filled with longing.

Yun Shuang said, "When the time comes, Sister-in-law can cook, and I'll tend to the fire for Sister-in-law."

Zi An thought about what he could do, and finally, thinking about the scene inside a restaurant, he said, "I'll be a runner, attending to the customers."

Ji Wan'er didn't take it seriously either and smiled, saying, "Alright! What about your older brother? What will he do?"

Zi An pondered for a while and came up with an important task, saying, "My brother is the most capable, let him be the accountant!"

Ji Wan'er thought for a moment, wondering if it would be a waste to have a top scholar like him be the accountant.

They were all imagining their future while the sauce was being prepared and the noodles cooked.

Ji Wan'er scooped the noodles into bowls, then added some shredded cucumber and carrot on top before drizzling half a spoonful of sauce.

"Wow, it looks so beautiful," Zi An exclaimed as he looked at the Zha Jiang Mian.

"Let's eat," Ji Wan'er said.

Soon, Ji Wan'er placed the bowls of noodles on the table.

She placed the largest bowl in front of Xiao Qingming and smiled, saying, "Husband, these noodles were specially made by me for you. Please eat more."

Xiao Qingming was overjoyed. He looked at Ji Wan'er. So she knew he loved noodles and made them specifically for him.

"Mmm."

The noodles made by Ji Wan'er were delicious. The family conditions were not good before, and the family liked it very much when there was no sauce. Now that the meat sauce is added, they love it even more. It was a good thing she made a lot, or else there wouldn't be enough to eat.

During the following days, Xiao Qingming would grind the soybeans every day. Sometimes when Ji Wan'er woke up, the beans were already grounded. The more she looked at Xiao Qingming, the more pleasing he became to her eyes.

Early in the morning that day, the three of them set off for the town.

Zi An naively said, "Brother is so nice. When he grinds the beans, we can sleep a little longer."

Yun Shuang and Zi An nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Sister-in-law also gets to relax."

Ji Wan'er: ... I seriously suspect that these siblings are not blood-related to Xiao Qingming.

Ji Wan'er had been looking at several shops in town for a few days, and today she finally found one she liked. However, considering various factors, she decided to find someone to accompany her to sign the contract.

If she were to sign it alone with the two children, others might think there was no one in her family and might try to take advantage of her in the future. In this matter, she thought it was best to find Nanny Dong.

When she returned from town, Ji Wan'er found that Xiao Qingming was not at home. So she entrusted Yun Shuang and Zi An to Sun Xinghua, took some meat and vegetables, and went back to her parents' home alone.

As soon as she arrived in the village, many people who were familiar with her greeted her. She couldn't remember who these people were, so she just smiled at them and didn't say anything.

Little did she know that after she left, people in the village were discussing behind her back, saying that she had finally become sensible and knew to bring gifts to her parents' home.

In fact, Nanny Dong thought the same way.

When Ji Wan'er arrived at her parents' home, her father, Ji Dazhong, was working in the fields, and her younger brother, Ji Huaijing, had gone to town to study. Only her mother, Nanny Dong, was at home.

Since her daughter got married, this was the first time she had brought something back to her parents' home. If it were an ordinary family, this would be a perfectly normal thing. But compared to her daughter's past actions, Nanny Dong was so moved that she was almost in tears.

Her daughter had really grown up and become sensible.

Ji Wan'er looked around the Ji family home. From the outside, it didn't look much different from the surrounding houses, neither good nor bad. But as soon as she entered, she noticed something different from elsewhere.

Although the courtyard was also ordinary, with chickens and vegetables, it was neatly arranged and well-maintained, showing that it belonged to a family that paid attention to details. And when she entered the main hall, it was even more different from the outside.

The furniture was old, the teapot was old, but overall, the house looked clean and the items were placed with care, making it very comfortable.

Nanny Dong didn't say anything, but she accepted the things her daughter brought. After putting away the items, she poured a cup of tea for her daughter and asked, "Why did you find time to come today? Didn't you go to town to sell tofu nao?"

Ji Wan'er withdrew her gaze and said, "I went and just came back."

Nanny Dong disagreed and said, "Preparing food is tiring. Why did you still come here? Didn't you rest at home for a while?"

Ji Wan'er replied, "I haven't been too tired recently."

Nanny Dong immediately understood what her daughter meant and asked, "Did you hire someone to help at home? And what about the shop? Have you found one?"

Thinking of the day when Nanny Dong suggested that she divorce and seemed dissatisfied with Xiao Qingming, Ji Wan'er fell silent for a moment and said, "I haven't hired anyone yet."

"Hmm?"

Ji Wan'er took a sip of tea and explained, "Xiao Qingming helped me grind the beans."

Nanny Dong raised her eyebrows in surprise. If there was a mirror in front of them, Ji Wan'er would have seen that her eyebrow-raising expression was almost identical to Nanny Dong's.

"What happened after I left?" Nanny Dong asked.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wan'er looked up at Nanny Dong. Her mother was truly amazing. She didn't consider herself a fool, and she wouldn't let all her emotions show on her face. Yet, Nanny Dong still managed to guess.

Since coming here, she has been in contact with simple-minded people. Suddenly encountering Nanny Dong, she felt like she had entered a different world. However, she remembered that Nanny Dong didn't speak like this to the original owner before.

Could it be that she was suspected?

This time Ji Wan'er guessed wrong. Nanny Dong didn't suspect her. She felt that although her daughter had changed from before, she had become closer to her. Her daughter told her everything. Moreover, her daughter's way of doing things was very similar to hers.

Having served a master in the capital, Nanny Dong knew that some children, when they were young, would often do outrageous things and oppose their own parents. But once they passed that stage, they would become good children and become more sensible.

That's how her daughter is.

The reason she didn't talk to her daughter like this before was that her daughter simply wouldn't listen and wouldn't confide in her. Now that her daughter has become more mature and can listen to her, she naturally has to find a different way to talk to her.

Ji Wan'er gathered her thoughts, mustered her spirits, and earnestly answered Nanny Dong's question, "Well, when I went back, he happened to be in the house. He saw me rubbing my shoulders, so..."

Ji Wan'er didn't consider herself an easily shy person, but she wondered if she had been influenced by Xiao Qingming because she felt a bit embarrassed mentioning such things to her mother.

"He gave me a shoulder massage."

Her son-in-law actually gave her daughter a shoulder massage?

Nanny Dong found it somewhat unbelievable and asked, "Did he really do that?"

Ji Wan'er nodded.

"Did he say why he went to grind the beans?" Nanny Dong asked.

Ji Wan'er shook her head and said, "Daughter doesn't know. He only said he felt that I was tired and didn't say anything else."

Shoulder massages and grinding beans—apparently, her son-in-law knew how to be considerate of her daughter.

Nanny Dong was somewhat satisfied with her son-in-law's change and asked another question, "Is he still sleeping on the floor?"

Ji Wan'er understood what her mother meant and replied, "Hmm."

Nanny Dong sighed, the smile on her face disappeared, and her previous thoughts were overturned. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Do you give him all the money you and the two children earn in town every day?"

"No, the money is with me. He said that the money we earn in town belongs to me and told me to keep it for myself," Ji Wan'er said.

Thinking of Nanny Dong's dissatisfied expression towards Xiao Qingming earlier, Ji Wan'er felt that she needed to speak more positively about him to change Nanny Dong's opinion. Even if she might not continue with Xiao Qingming in the future, she didn't want to create conflicts between the Ji family and Xiao Qingming.

"Did your husband really say that?" Nanny Dong raised her opinion of Xiao Qingming.

Although in their family, Nanny Dong held the money, it was generally the men who controlled the finances, whether they were from poor or rich households.

Ji Wan'er nodded, "Yes, he did say that. The money is with me. Occasionally, he even gives me some money, claiming that he earned it himself. I'm not sure exactly how he earns it, but the money is enough for household expenses and there is even some left over."

Nanny Dong sighed in relief, "He earns it by copying books."

"Ah? How did Mother know?" Ji Wan'er asked in surprise. She had indeed harbored such suspicions before, but she hadn't received any confirmation.

Nanny Dong heard about it from her son, "Your younger brother mentioned it when he came back last month, saying he saw Qingming going to the bookstore."

"Oh, I see."

Nanny Dong said, "Don't worry about it. Since he doesn't want to talk about it, don't ask him, and don't ask him for money either. It's better to avoid him blaming you if he doesn't succeed in the exams this year. If he gives you money, just accept it."

In the past, Nanny Dong would have definitely wanted her daughter to persuade her son-in-law not to earn money and focus on studying. But now she had a different perspective. If her son-in-law didn't share their goals, she didn't need to consider him. After all, he had failed the exams twice, and even if he wasted time copying books and doing odd jobs, it wouldn't have much impact. As long as the blame didn't fall on her daughter.

"Alright."

"Do you have any specific reason for coming here today?" Nanny Dong asked.

Ji Wan'er quickly mentioned the main purpose, "Yes, I found a shop in town that I'm interested in. I wanted Mom and Dad to take a look and accompany me to sign a contract."

"Okay, tell me where it's located. Tomorrow morning, your father and I will go to town, and we'll go together to take a look," Nanny Dong said.

"Alright, thank you, Mom."

"Don't be so polite, you have to live well for me to feel at ease."

After everything was settled, it was almost noon, and Ji Wan'er was about to go back.

Her daughter was already married, and there were people waiting at home, so Nanny Dong didn't keep her. "Be safe on your way back."

"I understand, Mom."

Ji Wan'er put on her headscarf and veil, and walked towards the entrance of the village. However, as soon as she reached the entrance, she saw a familiar figure. The person's posture was always upright, like an elegant orchid. But now, from a distance, they seemed a bit restless, pacing back and forth.

When the man saw her, surprise flashed across his face, followed by a smile. "Madam."

Ji Wan'er was very surprised to see Xiao Qingming here.

"What are you doing here?"

Xiao Qingming seemed a little nervous, his hands clasped together, and his gaze shifting, afraid to look directly at Ji Wan'er.

"Do you have something to do in this area? Are you waiting for someone?" Ji Wan'er asked again. She didn't see Xiao Qingming when she returned home, so he must have been out for some errands. If she encountered him here, did it mean that he had business in this area?

Xiao Qingming pursed his lips, glanced at Ji Wan'er, his face turning red, and whispered, "I heard from Yun Shuang that you went back to your parents' home, so I came to see you."

He had just been to the bookstore in town, and when he came out, he couldn't find his wife in town. When he rushed back home, he heard from his sister that his wife had gone back to her parents' home. Thinking of what he had heard that day, he hastily left home and rushed over.

When he actually arrived at the entrance of Ji's Village, he became too nervous to go further, so he paced back and forth anxiously in the same spot.

Ji Wan'er raised her eyebrows in surprise. If he came to see her, why was he only pacing at the village entrance? Moreover, judging from his appearance, he seemed to have been there for quite a while.

"Since you're here, why didn't you go to our house?" she asked. Then she thought of something and added, "Does my husband not know the way?"

Even if he didn't know, he could have asked.

Xiao Qingming pressed his lips together, remaining silent, his eyes downcast, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Ji Wan'er thought of a possibility and asked tentatively, "Could it be that you were specifically waiting here to pick me up?"

Xiao Qingming still didn't speak, but his fair face blushed, looking extremely shy.

He quickly glanced up at Ji Wan'er, who had a smile on her face. It seemed like he wanted to say something, so he hurriedly took the basket from Ji Wan'er's hand and said, "Ahem, it's getting late. My lady, let's go home together."

So, he really did come to pick her up?

Ji Wan'er smiled and said, "Sure, let's go."