Chapter 74 [V] This is not much different from a kiss...

Xue Yi hadn't seriously discussed this matter with his mother yet. He was thinking that it wouldn't be too late to tell her after things were actually settled.

But Li Yan felt that since the old lady cared about this matter, even if things weren't settled yet, she should at least let her know the progress. At least let her know that they were concerned about Xu Ge'er's situation, so that she and Xu Ge'er could feel more at ease.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Madam Xue was even happier.

"So you've found a way?" she asked.

Li Yan continued truthfully, "Erlang and I share the same idea: we want to get Xu Ge'er into the best school. We will do our best to secure an opportunity for Xu Ge'er. Even if we don't succeed in the end, he can still study at another school."

Madam Xue immediately responded with several "good"s, her heart filled with excitement.

Before, when only her youngest daughter-in-law was around, she felt a great sense of security. Now, with Erlang back, there was another Erlang in the family.

With this couple around, she doesn't have to worry about managing the household at all.

In this way, she can finally enjoy her later years in peace.

During the day, Li Yan went to pick out gifts to take to the Gao residence the next day. When Xue Yi returned in the evening, Li Yan laid out the gifts she had bought in front of him and showed them to him.

After looking at it, Xue Yi said "thank you for your hard work" and then asked her how much it cost in total. Li Yan didn't stand on ceremony and said directly, "About five taels of silver."

Xue Yi nodded and said, "I'll get it for you later."

After having dinner at Liqing Courtyard, Xue Yi went straight back to the front courtyard. When he returned to Qiuxiang Courtyard, he brought ten taels of silver.

"So much?" Li Yan asked in surprise, looking at the heavy silver ingot in front of her. "I told you there were only five taels."

Xue Yi replied, "I've already gone to great lengths to ask for your help and borrow your favors, and now I'm troubled to make this trip to buy all these things. Do you think I'll just give you five taels if you say it's only five? The rest is a thank-you gift for you."

Five taels of silver wasn't a lot for Li Yan these days, but it was still a considerable sum. Moreover, in this era, five taels of silver had quite strong purchasing power. Since Xue Erlang was generous and said it was a thank-you gift, Li Yan didn't refuse.

It's really troublesome to keep arguing over five taels of silver.

"Then I'll accept it for now. If things don't work out, I'll return it to you later." Li Yan made it clear beforehand that she wouldn't take it for free.

But Xue Yi laughed upon hearing this: "Whether Xu Ge'er's matter succeeds or not, you can keep this money. It would be best if it succeeds, but even if it doesn't, you have still put in effort and hard work, and I should be grateful to you."

Li Yan thought to herself, during the time he was "killed in battle" and away from home, his elderly mother and nephew were supported by herself. If she really calculated it carefully, how could it be calculated in terms of just five taels of silver?

Originally, Li Yan had gradually come to regard Xue's mother and Xu Ge'er as family. Now that he had come home and repeatedly emphasized his gratitude to her, he had suddenly pushed her from the position of "family" to that of "outsider," which made her feel that all her previous efforts had been a joke.

Li Yan didn't intend to stay at the Xue family's house, especially since she was already a member of the Xue family. Being placed in the position of an "outsider" like this made her very unhappy.

Li Yan wasn't the type to tolerate being wronged; if she was unhappy, she had to vent. Therefore, her words inevitably carried a hint of sarcasm. She laughed and said, "If the general is truly grateful to me, five taels of silver probably won't be enough, will it?" Her tone was half-joking, half-serious. "Do you intend to settle all the scores I previously incurred for the Xue family with just five taels of silver?"

Xue Yi didn't mean that, and he didn't intend to use money to settle this score, so he was stunned when he heard her words.

His deep black eyes turned towards her with a look of inquiry and confusion, his brows slightly furrowed, and he gazed at her with that puzzled expression for a while.

He naturally acknowledged her sacrifices for his mother and nephews over the previous year, and he was deeply grateful for her hard work in ensuring that his mother and nephews had enough to eat and wear.

He had thought to himself that if one day she needed money to settle this debt, he would pay her that money.

But after spending some time together, based on his understanding of this Li woman, he felt that she was not the kind of person who only cared about money and not feelings.

Therefore, after a moment's thought, one can roughly understand why she is angry.

“That’s not what I meant.” He explained patiently in a deep voice, “If you really want to calculate it, the effort and affection you’ve given to Mother, Xu Ge’er, and Yue’er can’t be measured in silver. What I mean is… you’ve worked hard for Xu Ge’er’s sake today, so I can’t just pay you five taels of silver, so…” Xue Yi suddenly realized that dealing with women was much more difficult than dealing with his colleagues.

While there may be backstabbing and infighting among colleagues, everyone's motives are ultimately about fame and fortune, and their thoughts are relatively easy to guess. But a woman's mind... is much harder to fathom.

Moreover, one cannot be too rude when interacting with them; one must always be careful and attentive.

Xue Yi is now a fifth-rank commander of a thousand households. When it comes to rewarding merits in the court, he is always open and aboveboard, and he has never been afraid of anyone. But now, he is being made uneasy by a woman.

After calming himself down, Xue Yi said in a serious voice, "I would give my life to repay the kindness you have shown to my mother and nephew, and to my Xue family, without any complaints."

Li Yan pursed her lips, suddenly realizing that perhaps she had been too serious just now.

Why bother? It's not a big deal. Why make such a fuss?

So, after reflecting on her words and actions for a moment, she smiled.

"Then please remember what you said today, General. If I ever have any requests in the future, please be willing to pay with your life," she joked.

She was joking, but Xue Yi took it seriously. He showed no hesitation or fear, and said frankly, "Please rest assured, my lady, if that day ever comes, I will not hesitate or waver in the slightest. I would repay my adoptive mother's kindness with my life."

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Li Yan took the initiative to change the subject and talk about the elderly Gao couple.

Xue Yi had only recently arrived in Jiangning Prefecture and had heard of the old master of the Gao family, but he was not familiar with him. Therefore, he listened very carefully to his wife's description of the old man's temperament and character, and made a deep impression on her.

Knowing that he was to visit the Gao residence the next day, Xue Yi had explained the situation to his superiors beforehand and asked for half a day off.

The next morning, Xue Yi got up early and ordered his servant to prepare the carriage. Afterward, he returned to the courtyard to practice his martial arts. By the time he finished his morning practice, Li Yan had also gotten up.

Li Yan sat by the window, combing and styling her hair in front of the mirror while glancing out at the courtyard every now and then.

After the man in the courtyard finished demonstrating his martial arts skills, he walked into the house.

Knowing he was covered in sweat, Xue Yi didn't go inside. Instead, he stood at the door and spoke to his wife, saying, "You should wash up first, and then go directly to Mother's." He explained, "I practiced martial arts this morning, and I'm all sweaty now. I'll go wash up in the front."

Xue Yi's so-called "washing" meant taking off his shirt, leaving him only in his shorts, and then standing in the yard with a basin of cold water poured over his head.

Actually, one could take a cold shower right here in the courtyard, but considering there are many women in the backyard, including Li Shi and two other maids... it's really inconvenient.

Li Yan combed her hair in front of the mirror, glanced at him sideways, and then said okay.

Xue Yi took a shower at the front, and when he returned to Liqing Courtyard, he had changed into a clean indigo robe.

Li Yan had almost finished eating when she saw him coming and glanced at him.

This fellow seems to value this visit highly, otherwise he wouldn't be dressed like this. This indigo robe is probably the most presentable of all his clothes; judging by the material... it's better than what he usually wears.

But actually... his appearance is rather rugged, and he is more suited to wearing dark robes.

It is evident that no matter how handsome Xue Erlang is, and now that he holds an official position, he is still a rough and uncultured man who doesn't really understand fashion.

Li Yan didn't remind him how to dress or how to match his clothes to look good. He wasn't going to the Gao family to find a girl, so why should he dress up so handsomely?

After finishing their meal, the couple bid farewell to Madam Xue and then walked out the door side by side.

Outside the general's mansion, the carriage was already prepared. Although Xue Yi was a rough fellow, he still knew proper etiquette. After standing by the carriage, he first reached out to help Li Yan into the carriage before straddling it himself.

After getting into the carriage and settling in, Li Yan suddenly felt a sway, and then a tall figure squeezed into the rather cramped carriage.

This car is extremely comfortable for one person, but with an extra person, especially a tall man... it inevitably looks a bit cramped.

The carriage was enclosed and not very spacious. Not only were the passengers close together, but she could almost feel the hot breath that Xue Erlang, who was sitting opposite her, was exhaling from his nostrils.

Therefore, it is conceivable that Xue Erlang could also sense the breath she exhaled through her nose.

In Li Yan's opinion, being able to smell each other's breath is no different from kissing.

Xue Yi shared all of Li Yan's feelings. They both felt awkward, so they didn't try to make conversation.

After glancing at her one more time, Xue Yi reached out and opened the small window on the side of the car. With some fresh air coming in, the situation was somewhat better.

Both of them were somewhat distracted. After some time, the carriage stopped swaying and came to a complete stop. Then, the coachman said, "General, Madam, we have arrived at the Gao residence."

Upon hearing the sound, Xue Yi nimbly bent down and jumped off the carriage. Then, still standing in front of the carriage, he reached out his hand to his wife, who had already poked half her head out of the carriage.

Li Yan gladly accepted his help, placed her hand in his palm, and jumped off the car with his assistance.

The Gao family mansion was far more imposing than the general's residence. Two stone lions and steps stood before the gate, which was painted a deep vermilion and stood very tall. The two bold characters "Gao Mansion" on the gate plaque proclaimed its status and prestige.

This wasn't Li Yan's first time here, but standing here again, she still deeply felt the vast disparity in status between different people in this era, and the strict hierarchy.

Fortunately, she wasn't at the very bottom of society. And with a skill to rely on, life wasn't too difficult.

Perhaps it was because Madam Gao had given the order, because when the gatekeeper saw that it was her, he immediately said, "Please come in, Madam Li. Madam gave the order early this morning, saying that you don't need to go in to announce your arrival, just bring you in directly."

Li Yan, being a shrewd person, immediately slipped a handful of copper coins to the old gatekeeper.

The doorman accepted the money and his face was all smiles.

Xue Yi, being a man from outside the family, was left in the front courtyard. Only Li Yan followed a nanny into the inner courtyard.

The nanny led Li Yan to Old Madam Gao's residence. At that moment, sitting beside Old Madam Gao was a woman of about the same age. When the woman saw a young and beautiful woman in a green silk dress walk in, her charm, temperament, and appearance seemed so familiar that she was momentarily stunned and forgot that she was still talking to Old Madam Gao.

She didn't hear what Madam Gao asked, nor did she reply.

Madam Gao also noticed something amiss, so she followed her gaze to the door and then smiled, "That's Yan Niang."

Just then, Li Yan walked up to the two of them. She had learned some of the etiquette of the ancients, and she bowed gracefully to Madam Gao, saying, "Li pays her respects to Madam Gao." She was meeting the other old lady for the first time and did not know her, so she hesitated and did not greet her for the time being.