The weather was unbearably hot, sapping everyone's appetite. Adults could still restrain themselves, but children could not. By dinnert...
The weather was unbearably hot, sapping everyone's appetite. Adults could still restrain themselves, but children could not. By dinnertime, Zaozao had once again refused to pick up her chopsticks.
Seeing Yuxi frown, Mama Qu comforted her, "Madam, don't worry. The soup that Momo had prepared is almost ready. Once the Young Miss has some, she may well regain her appetite."
Momo Quan had made a soup with kelp, mung beans and old pigeon📹. Carrying a large bowl to the table, she said, "This soup clears internal heat and detoxifies the body. The physician said that if a child drinks it, they won't easily develop a heat rash." Zaozao already had quite a few rashes all over her body, all caused by the excessive heat.
Yuxi smiled. "That's perfect, then."
After coaxing Zaozao for a long while, they finally managed to get her to drink a small bowl of soup and eat a little food. She refused to eat anything more.
Seeing Yuxi frown, Momo Quan smiled and said, "In weather this hot, it's normal to lose one's appetite. Don't force her— the more you push, the less she'll want to eat. I'll give her some honey melon📹 later." In the capital, honey melons were tribute items; even noble households might not get to eat them. But in the northwest, people could eat as much as they liked.
Yuxi shook her head. "This girl—whether it's her looks, temperament, or preferences—she's exactly like her father. I don't even know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."
Momo Quan didn't like hearing that. "The Eldest Young Miss has both the General and you—she'll surely live well in the future." With such capable parents and Zaozao destined to learn martial arts later, as long as her character didn't go astray, she would undoubtedly have a good life.
Yuxi smiled. It had only been a casual complaint—she didn't honestly think there was anything wrong with Zaozao taking after Yun Qing.
That night, Yuxi gently fanned Zaozao while humming a soft tune to coax her to sleep. Zaozao was like a little furnace; at night, ice had to be placed in her room, and she had to be fanned, otherwise she wouldn't be able to sleep. Fortunately, the maids chosen earlier were finally proving useful; otherwise, Mama Zeng and the others would have been utterly exhausted.
Gancao tiptoed in and whispered in Yuxi's ear, "Madam, the General has returned." Yun Qing had gone to Heyang two days earlier to inspect the terrain.
Yuxi handed the a palace fan🔗 to Mama Zeng beside her and walked out.
Yun Qing was drenched in sweat, and just looking at him made Yuxi feel hot as well. She hurriedly instructed Gancao, "Bring a bowl of chilled honey melon." The chilled melon was what Zaozao had left unfinished.
Yun Qing finished the entire bowl in just a few bites. Afterwards, he let out a satisfied breath and exclaimed, "Home is still the most comfortable place."
Yuxi asked, "Have you had dinner?"
Yun Qing shook his head. "No. Don't go to any trouble—just make a bowl of noodles." After saying that, he went to bathe, not even bothering with hot water but dousing himself with the fresh well water instead. It felt wonderfully refreshing.
After getting dressed, he noticed Yuxi staring at his hair. Yun Qing quickly explained, "I'll wash my hair after I've eaten." His wife was so fastidious that it was enough to give him a migraine.
Gancao covered her mouth and smiled quietly behind them.
Mama Bai quickly brought the noodles over. Two poached eggs rested on top, sprinkled with coriander, and were accompanied by several side dishes, such as braised beef and cold cucumber salad.
Watching Yun Qing swallow his food as though he were a wolf and gulp it down as though he were a tiger, Yuxi held her tongue. The food was tasty, that much was true, but there was no one else to compete with him for it, so why eat in such a rush?
Once he had finished his meal, Yun Qing was once again drenched in sweat, but he felt thoroughly refreshed. "The noodles Mama Bai makes are even better than those from the restaurants."
Yuxi asked Hong Dou to get a palm-leaf fan📹 and fan Yun Qing from behind. "Come to think of it, this summer is much hotter than previous years! It was hot before, but never like this."
Yun Qing nodded. "This year really is hotter than usual." He was used to being out in the sun—if it were Yuxi going outside instead, she would certainly suffer heatstroke in less than a shichen1.
Yuxi waved for Hong Dou to withdraw and took a palace fan🔗 herself to cool Yun Qing down. As she fanned him, she asked, "Has the location been decided? Where is it?" Raising horses was no small matter.
Yun Qing looked at the a palace fan🔗 in Yuxi's hand and complained, "This fan is far too small—it's like scratching an itch2." After speaking, he took the palm-leaf fan and fanned himself.
Yuxi asked, "Shall we place an ice basin beside you?" Seeing Yun Qing nod and even praise the suggestion, Yuxi was left speechless.
Yun Qing smiled and went over the situation with the horse ranches with Yuxi in detail. "With the two ranches combined, raising five thousand horses will be more than sufficient."
Yuxi responded, "Five thousand horses will suffice for now." Raising horses was a major expense and required a long-term investment. Five thousand was already their limit.
While they were talking, Mama Qu called out loudly from outside, "General, Madam, Xu Daren3 has matters to report." Xu Wu had been promoted to a fourth-rank official, so the people at the Governor-General's residence no longer addressed him as Guard Xu, but as Xu Daren3 instead.
Xu Wu entered and informed Yuxi, "Madam, Tian Yang has returned. He has brought back quite a number of items this time."
Delighted, Yuxi stood up and said, "Quickly, let Tian Yang come in." He had been away for nearly a year and had finally returned. Had she not received news from him some time ago, she would have suspected that something had happened to him.
Tian Yang's journey from the northwest to Fujian went smoothly at first. But once he arrived in Fujian, he was targeted by others and nearly lost his life there. Though he survived, he lost more than half of his funds. The seafood he had initially planned to purchase ended up soaking in soup4. Fortunately, potatoes were inexpensive locally, so they bought ten thousand jin5 of them and hired four men skilled in potato cultivation. On the return journey, carrying goods made the road far less peaceful. Their safe return to the northwest with the cargo intact was due not only to luck but also to Tian Yang's ability to adapt swiftly to circumstances.
Looking ashamed, Tian Yang confessed, "Madam, I lost more than half along the way. I only managed to bring back a little over two thousand jin5 of potatoes." There had simply been too much loss on the road.
Yuxi did not blame Tian Yang. "Bringing back over two thousand jin5 is already very good. By the way, when can these potatoes be planted?"
Tian Yang replied, "In Fujian, they are planted in late autumn and can be harvested in about four months. The people I hired are all highly skilled at growing potatoes." The four farmers he brought back had all arrived safely, without incident.
However, Yuxi held a different view. "Conditions here are not the same as in Fujian. Let them rest for a couple of days, then have them take a fewjin5 to try planting. Plant a few jin5 each month and see which season is most suitable."
Tian Yang naturally had no objections. "Alright."
Seeing how dishevelled Tian Yang looked, Yuxi felt it would be awkward to ask further. "Go back and get some good rest first. We'll talk about everything else tomorrow." Once the trial planting succeeded, it would have to be expanded on a large scale.
Seeing how excited Yuxi was, Yun Qing took her hand and reminded her, "It won't be too late to celebrate once the trial planting has succeeded." He was worried that the greater the hope, the greater the potential for disappointment, so he felt the need to remind her in advance.
Yuxi smiled. "I have a feeling that potatoes will definitely grow in the Northwest." Rather than a feeling, it was more accurate to say that this was simply what she hoped for.
A cool breeze blew in through the window, relaxing every pore in Yun Qing's body. Sensing that something was amiss, Yuxi said, "It looks like it's going to rain."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a blinding bolt of lightning slashed across the sky. Almost immediately, thunder roared through the heavens, sounding like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting open, making Yuxi shudder.
Before Yun Qing could respond, Yuxi strode quickly towards the side room. Sure enough, Liu-er had been frightened awake by the thunder and was crying.
Yuxi took Liu-er from Mama Lan's arms and murmured, "Don't be afraid, Liu-er. Mom is here. Don't be afraid…" Whenever there was thunder, Liu-er would cry especially hard.
Momo Quan fetched some cotton and stuffed it into Liu-er's ears, but unfortunately, this didn't help much. Not even Yuxi's gentle coaxing had much effect.
Yun Qing walked into the room and said to Yuxi, "Let me hold the child." Liu-er was not only frail but also extremely timid. He had no idea who she took after. Nevertheless, she was *his daughter.
Yuxi hesitated for a moment, but still placed Liu-er in Yun Qing's arms. Looking at the softly whimpering child, Yun Qing said, "It's just a bit of thunder and lightning—what's there to be afraid of?"
Yuxi was extremely annoyed, but she continued to coax Liu-er carefully. After soothing her for quite a while, Liu-er finally calmed down and fell asleep again, with tear drops still clinging to her lashes.
After laying Liu-er back on the bed, Yuxi finally had the time to scold Yun Qing. "She's already afraid of thunder. Instead of comforting her, you scared her even more. Aren't you afraid you'll frighten the child into something serious?" Zaozao had more guts than brains; nothing fazed her. Even if Yun Qing scolded her, she would still grin happily. But Liu-er was different.
Yun Qing replied sheepishly, "I was just trying to encourage her." Their younger daughter was not only timid but also extremely delicate. The two sisters were complete opposites.
Aside from being a bit careless, Yun Qing was an overall good father. Yuxi did not press the issue further, instead advising him, "You need to be more patient with Liu-er in the future. If you're always like this, she'll be afraid of you when she grows up and won't dare to be close to you."
Yun Qing nodded. "Let's go check on Zaozao."
The couple entered the room and saw Zaozao sleeping soundly with drool running from her mouth. They exchanged a look. Helplessly, Yuxi picked up the blanket that Zaozao had kicked away and covered her belly with it.
Summer rain came quickly and left just as fast. By the time the two stepped outside, only water dripping from the eaves remained, making soft pattering sounds.
Yun Qing laughed and shook his head. "That girl can really sleep." Despite the loud sound of thunder, she didn't wake up. Even he doubted that he could sleep so soundly.
Yuxi said with a laugh, "That's what you call 'foolish people have foolish blessings6'."
Yun Qing became unhappy. "What are you saying? How is Zaozao foolish? She remembers things so quickly—ordinary children can't even compare."
Yuxi had only spoken casually and hadn't expected Yun Qing to take it so seriously, leaving her both amused and exasperated. She chose not to argue, saying, "It's late—let's rest." After the rain, the air was cool, perfect for a good night's sleep.
Yun Qing had no intention of sleeping so soon, however. Leaning close to Yuxi's ear, he whispered, "Let's bathe together." A mandarin duck bath was his favourite.
The warm breath against her ear made Yuxi's face flush red. She pushed him away. "It's not convenient these days—my monthly cycle has started."
Seeing Yuxi's shy expression, Yun Qing adored her even more. He kissed her on the cheek and promised with a smile, "We'll make up for it later."
Footnotes Full List
- 时辰 (shíchen): 2 hours
- 跟挠痒痒似的 (gēn náo yǎngyǎng shì de): Having little to no effect; utterly insufficient.
- 大人 (dàren): title of respect toward superiors
- 泡汤 (pào tāng): To fall through; to be ruined or come to nothing.
- 斤 (jīn): a traditional unit of weight, each containing 10 liang (市两) or 16 old liang (旧市两) and equivalent to 0.5 kilogram or 1.102 pounds
- 傻人有傻福 (shǎ rén yǒu shǎ fú): Easygoing or simple-minded people often live carefree, lucky lives.)
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