Chapter 46 [VIP]

The next day, Mi Yao moved back to her own room. Xiao Shan was the happiest person about her moving out of the main house.

Upon seeing Xiao Chua, Xiao Shan made a smug face: "Father's bad, Mother chased him away!"

After mocking her, she tried to run away, but she hadn't gone more than a few steps before Xiao Chuan grabbed her by the back of the neck: "You're such a big person, who said you could still sleep with adults?"

After saying that, he summoned the servants of Tingsong Courtyard and instructed them to keep a close eye on Xiao Shan at all times, not to let her run to the main room at any time, and not to sleep in the same room with Mi Yao at night.

"Father is bad! Father is bad!"

Upon hearing Xiao Chuan's order, Xiao Shan tried to teach Xiao Chuan a lesson by using both her hands and feet, but no matter how hard she tried, her legs were not long enough.

Xiao Chua stretched out her arms, and her limbs, which had been pushed over, looked like a turtle that had been wriggling and baring its teeth, appearing both ridiculous and pitiful.

Seeing Xiao Shan's face flushed red with anger, Mi Yao wanted to help her take her down. Just as she took a step, she heard Xiao Chuan say, "You say I'm bad every day, how can I be good? I'll only get worse."

Xiao Shan, flexible and adaptable, puffed out his cheeks upon hearing this: "Good father?"

Xiao Chuan didn't take Xiao Shan's tone to heart and bent down to put her back on the ground.

"Dear Father, I want to have sex with Mother!"

"Neither water nor sleep is acceptable."

Xiao Chuan originally wanted to reach out and pull her sticking-out braid, but remembering how she cried her heart out when he pulled her braid before, he changed his mind and pinched her cheek instead.

Her skin felt soft and bouncy, just like the glutinous rice cakes he had eaten a few days ago. No wonder Mi Yao liked to rub her chubby cheeks so much.

Withdrawing his hand, Xiao Chuan slightly turned to the side, glanced at Mi Yao not far away, his eyes regaining their indifferent expression, ignored Xiao Shan who was clinging to his leg and acting spoiled, and strode out of the main courtyard.

Watching Xiao Chuan's retreating figure, Mi Yao blinked. She wondered when it had started, but Xiao Chuan's interactions with the three children were no longer as awkward as before.

However, this does not mean he has become a good man.

So it went from not being human to being somewhat human.

"Could it be that you and your brother-in-law have some misunderstanding because of me and your brother?"

Knowing that Mi Yao and Xiao Chuan were sleeping in separate rooms, Zhen Jing hurriedly sought out Mi Yao without Yu Shaoyang urging her, asking her what exactly happened.

“Sister-in-law, you’ve told me that Xiao Lang has good kidneys. I’ve struck gold. How could I possibly have any misunderstandings about him because of you and my brother?”

Hearing Mi Yao's teasing words, Zhen Jing nudged her shyly: "I was so angry back then that I talked nonsense and made Hu Hu laugh at us."

Zhen Jing's face was rosy, and her happy mood made her eyebrows look up. She was clearly happy to let others see her and Yu Shaoyang's embarrassing moment.

"Sister-in-law, have you and your brother cleared up the misunderstanding?"

Seeing her expression, Mi Yao asked with a smile, "Did your brother tell you that he doesn't find any other woman acceptable except you?"

“I originally thought my husband liked virtuous women who were kind and selfless, but who knew he would tell me that he liked me the way I was. He had long wanted to avoid Liang Qiushi because he was afraid that I would think he was not a gentleman enough and that I would look down on him, which is why he had been tolerant of Qiu Niang and her son.”

Yu Shaoyang understood things better than she did. Liang Dalang had died young, and the most pitiful people were his parents, who had to bury their son. His concern would only extend to the two elders. As for the widow, that was not something he, as a friend, should care about.

After they talked things out yesterday, their relationship improved even more. She touched the slap mark on his face and regretted slapping him so hard.

“Although my father is a civil official, we don’t follow many old-fashioned rules at home. Hu Hu, you have no idea how much I’ve been holding back this past year. I was afraid that your brother would think I wasn’t virtuous enough and that he would feel he married the wrong person.”

"It seems we have to thank Qiu Niang and her son for their persistent pursuit over the long distance. Otherwise, my sister-in-law would still be holding back and unable to be herself in front of my brother."

"Why thank them? If you should thank anyone, thank Hu Hu."

She loathed the mother and son, and knowing they were going to be forced onto a boat and driven away today, she deliberately got up early and went out, intending to curse Qiu Niang a few times to vent her anger.

But when they arrived at the destination, seeing that the two men had red and swollen eyes and looked haggard, they felt sorry for them because they had made a wasted trip and hadn't gotten anything good, so they lost the desire to kick them while they were down.

But she wanted to let them go, while Qiu Niang insisted on being stabbed again. When she saw her, she cried and said that she was vicious.

“Your brother wanted to drive her away, but she hated me and kept saying that I was cruel and couldn’t tolerate her and her child. She told your brother to drive them away.”

Even now, Zhen Jing still thinks the mother and son are crazy. "And her son, I don't know how she raised him. He has the surname Liang and has nothing to do with the Yu family, but he thinks that if it weren't for me and the child in my belly, your brother would have been raised and loved as his own son."

"How did your sister-in-law deal with them?"

“Naturally, they should all be given a good scolding. Liang Qiushi is shameless. It’s one thing to want to remarry after her husband’s death, but instead of finding a decent husband to remarry, she’s entangled with men who have no feelings for her. She’s a complete slut.”

Quickly, Liang Xiaolang is ugly and slovenly, but he thinks he is a man and everyone should love and cherish him, and he even despises Yang.

She'd rather have a daughter; as for a son, she'd rather put him back in her belly and not have him at all.

He berated the mother and son from beginning to end, even scolding Liang Xiaoyu and Shaoyang for not eating for two days, before going into the cabin.

“Your brother originally only planned to send them to Jingzhou and let them return to the capital on their own. I was thinking about the orphans and widows, what if something happened to them? Maybe I should just send them back to the capital. But after what happened this morning, I understand that some people can’t be soft-hearted. Since they can come, they can go back. Why should I worry about them?”

They praised Zhen Jing for doing a good job.

With Mi Yao's encouragement, Zhen Jing felt that she had done it in a carefree and enjoyable way.

When Yu Shaoyang returned home and asked what was wrong between Mi Yao and Xiao Chuan, Zhen Jing finally came to her senses. She had been talking to Mi Yao for over an hour, and apart from the first sentence which touched on Mi Yao's marital relationship, they talked about her the whole time.

“Huhu probably didn’t want to talk about her relationship with Commander Xiao. We talked for more than an hour. I told her everything about myself, but she didn’t say a word about why she and Commander Xiao were sleeping in separate rooms.”

Hearing that Zhen Jing hadn't gotten any answers, Yu Shaoyang sighed.

"Young master, have you found an opportunity to ask Commander Xiao today?"

"Like you, I didn't get any information out of him. He just said that there was no misunderstanding between the two of them."

"If there were no misunderstandings between the husband and wife, why would they sleep in separate rooms?"

As she was talking, Zhen Jing suddenly realized, "Oh no, I got too carried away talking with Hu Hu and forgot to clarify to her that you don't have kidney deficiency. It's just that Commander Xiao is a military general with a burly physique, unlike ordinary men. You were just saying things because you felt sorry for her."

When Zhen Jing said something bad had happened, Yu Shaoyang thought something serious had occurred. When he heard that she was talking about this, he was speechless for a moment: "If you've forgotten, don't mention it. What kind of older brother worries about his younger sister's bedroom affairs?"

"Isn't that what you're worrying about right now?"

Zhen Jing glanced at him and said irritably.

Who found out early this morning that the two of them were sleeping in separate rooms and rushed to ask her what happened, as if they wanted to crawl under the couple's bed?

Yu Shaoyang looked embarrassed. It was natural to worry about newlyweds not getting along well. Moreover, after the misunderstanding between him and Zhen Jing, he was afraid that his sister and Xiao Chuan would suffer the same fate.

Unable to find out anything from either side, and unable to remain silent, Yu Shaoyang devised another way to reconcile the two.

"Two days later, on the Lantern Festival, you, Hu Hu, and the children will go out together. I will invite Xiao Chuan and his wife to go for a night stroll and watch the lanterns. If there are any misunderstandings, they can make up in the face of such beautiful scenery."

"I'm afraid they'll make up, and then we'll start arguing. Have you forgotten that the Lantern Festival was the day we fell in love at first sight? You're busy with other people's affairs, so what am I to you?!"

After becoming pregnant, Zhen Jing's emotions often fluctuated. In the past, she never showed it because she had to pretend. Now that Yu Shaoyang said he liked her this way, why should she hide it?

During dinner, Mi Yao noticed that Zhen Jing looked unwell and that Yu Shaoyang had two bright red scratches on his neck, so she knew that the couple had argued again.

I thought it would be fine after a little fuss, but who knew that Zhen Jing would still be cold-faced after a day.

Well, both couples in the household are in a cold war, yet they still have to eat together at the same table every day.

As a pampered wife who prefers to have less trouble than more, Mi Yao didn't think about helping the couple reconcile. Instead, she wondered if she should find an excuse to divide the dining table for the sake of their appetites.

Zhen Jing's pregnancy is a ready-made excuse. Pregnant women should pay attention to their diet and avoid too much oil and sugar. She and the children can eat with Zhen Jing, leaving the two men to look at each other alone.

Before she could even put this plan into action, Yu Shaoyang approached her and asked her to take Zhen Jing out on the Lantern Festival so that he could decorate the lanterns to please her.

"The streets are packed with people on the Lantern Festival. What's the point of getting jostled around just to see a few lanterns?"

Mi Yao doesn't like going out on festival days. This Lantern Festival, she only plans to let Shuang Hua and the others take a few of the younger ones out for a stroll, while she will stay at home and lie down.

Seeing Yu Shaoyang stunned by her words, Mi Yao wrinkled her nose. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, and you still let her go out into the street to be jostled. No wonder there's not a single good spot on her neck."

Yu Shaoyang: ...

Who is he doing all this for? Who is he doing it for!

Mi Yao was reluctant to join in the fun, but she couldn't resist Yu Shaoyang's constant persuasion, and with the bribe of the Jade Bottle, she reluctantly nodded: "Brother, you should think about how to be a good husband in the meantime, instead of just cramming at the last minute and making your sister-in-law angry for no reason, and dragging us innocent people into this mess."

Yu Shaoyang: ...

It's all his fault, all his fault!

*

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Yizhou City was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. As soon as Mi Yao and her companions stepped out of the mansion, they heard the cheerful sound of gongs and drums. After walking a few steps, they happened to encounter a family that had hired a dragon and lion dance troupe. The dragons held their heads high, sometimes breathing flames and sometimes churning the sea.

The performers had copper bells tied to their hands and feet. As they danced, the crisp sound of the bells and the deep sound of the drums blended together, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere.

Further ahead, there were stages set up by actors. Compared to the opera troupes that were invited to perform in mansions, these street performers sang much more carelessly.

She opened her mouth with words about her snow-white chest and lotus-like face, and started talking about how her husband wasn't home and her father-in-law was coming to commit incest.

He instructed the servants who were taking care of Xiao Shan and the others to keep a close eye on the three of them, and then pulled them aside to watch the excitement. Mi Yao, on the other hand, listened to the jokes with her eyes shining, while Zhen Jing, whose face was flushed.

He has megalophobia when he encounters a large gun, but when he hears others talking about how small a gun is, he just chuckles.

When the recruiter mentioned that they could sit and listen to music at the teahouse behind the stage, both of them were tempted. Mi Yao forgot to help Yu Shaoyang make a match, while Zhen Jing forgot to help Mi Yao reconcile with Xiao Chuan.

Halfway there, I heard a magnetic male voice that was deliberately lowered.

The man blocking their way had a wide smile on his face, with two jade walnuts twirling in his hands. He said to Mi Yao and Zhen Jing, "Madam and Lady, why don't you find another restaurant to rest at? This teahouse looks filthy, and the people inside are all idle scoundrels. If you two are disturbed and your mood is ruined, that wouldn't be pleasant."

Mi Yao and Zhen Jing both looked at the person blocking their way. After hearing his words, they exchanged glances, their eyes both asking if he was referring to himself when he said "disrupting the mood."

Because their thoughts were so aligned, their emotions were written all over their faces, and they couldn't help but burst out laughing.

When Chang Xuanke saw the beauty smile, his heart, which had been pounding non-stop, began to race again. He had never imagined that such a beautiful woman existed in the world.

Just now, when he was looking down at the bustling street from the second floor of the restaurant, he saw Mi Yao and thought that the streetlights were too bright and he was seeing things, mistaking the vulgar woman on the street for a fairy with a face like a lotus flower.

After staring at her for a while, he couldn't resist the urge to go downstairs and find out for himself. To his surprise, the woman was even more beautiful up close, like a fairy with an ethereal aura who had secretly descended to earth to experience the hustle and bustle of the mortal world.

"We know what we're doing."

Seeing the look in the man's eyes, Zhen Jing knew what he was thinking. She and Mi Yao both wore their hair in a married woman's bun, but he used different names for them. He was probably blinded by lust and pretended not to notice that Mi Yao was a married woman.

Zhen Jing pulled Mi Yao behind her.

After saying that, he didn't go to the tea shop but continued walking forward.

Seeing that the beauty was about to leave, Chang Xuanke quickly followed, saying, "The streets are crowded, let me escort you two."

"These two don't look like they're from Yizhou. This lady looks like she was raised in the water towns of Jiangnan, while this lady seems to be from the north. Is the lady from the capital?"

Chang Xuanke hurriedly showed off, one sentence after another. Mi Yao noticed the golden crown with jeweled necklaces on his head and guessed that if they went along with him and said even a few words, he would probably start shaking his head and showing off his background.

"You were the one who was harassed just now, weren't you? Our rewards are only given to performers with skills to sell. Even if we had plenty of spare money, we wouldn't reward you with something as talkative as you."

Xiao Chuan happened to overhear this, and he smiled wryly. Thinking about her attitude towards other men, he realized how tender and affectionate she was towards him.

Mi Yao glanced at Xiao Chuan and Yu Shaoyang who were approaching, and continued to say to the man in front of her: "What are you still standing here for? My husband is good at nothing but jealousy. He doesn't care if you have other intentions or are just begging like a beggar. Be careful, or he might stab you without saying a word."

Xiao Chuan placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist as instructed. Seeing that Chang Xuanke's attendant's face was tense and the blade was exposed, he spoke calmly: "Is it because Inspector Chang stopped my wife that he has something to say to me?"