Chapter 61 Surprise? Shock? ...

The snow that fell on and off for two days on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Fu Yunxiu didn't have any relatives to visit, except for going to see Old Master Cheng on the third day. Otherwise, the three of them stayed at home.

On the fifth day of the lunar new year, the clouds finally cleared and the snow stopped, and Aman embarked on her money-making journey again.

It's not that she's greedy, it's just that guests keep coming to her house.

"Miss Lin, I... I'm so sorry, it's just that my daughter is urging me to come back." The visitor was an old woman from a wealthy family. She said that her married daughter had come back to her parents' home and had used Aman's flower dew and thought it was good. She wanted to take some back with her before she left.

They're already urging people to go back to work before the year is even over. Even though they're paying them, I still feel bad about it.

Aman didn't care; it's only foolish not to make money when you can. Besides, after these days of rest, there were indeed some flowers in the greenhouse that needed to be picked, otherwise they would wither.

Perhaps because more people go home to visit their families during the Lunar New Year, Aman's business has been exceptionally good in the period following the holiday, with the restaurant packed every day.

Flowers need time to grow from bud to bloom, and Aman relies on just one greenhouse for her business, so she naturally can't keep up with the demand. Therefore, she has to limit the number of purchases, allowing each person to buy only ten bottles at a time.

Even so, Aman's customer base only increased, with orders even booked until the following month.

Aman was so busy that she barely had time to breathe, but she didn't neglect Fu Yunxiu's medical treatment.

The current stage of care mainly involves soaking in medicinal baths and steaming, supplemented by 25 minutes of acupuncture daily to stimulate acupoints and unblock meridians.

Soaking in medicinal baths and fumigation can be done with just two steamed buns. After being influenced by Aman for a while, he has become very good at controlling the heat.

As for acupuncture, it only takes half an hour, nothing to Aman. Therefore, Aman's focus during this time was on making money. This greatly facilitated Fu Yunxiu.

Ever since he suddenly stood up that day, Fu Yunxiu's leg would occasionally return to normal. Although these episodes were brief, Fu Yunxiu remembered Old Cheng's words and secretly went to him to ask about rehabilitation training methods.

Although his training was intermittent, after this period of time, Fu Yunxiu clearly felt that his legs were much stronger than before, and he could maintain that strength for longer and longer periods of time.

This made him extremely happy.

If this continues, he will soon be able to stand up and walk freely.

To avoid worrying Aman, Fu Yunxiu would occasionally tell her about the condition of his legs. For example, he would say that he could suddenly exert more strength and could move around a little.

Aman had always hoped that Fu Yunxiu would recover. Although he said his condition was far from allowing him to stand up and walk, it was better than nothing, so she was genuinely happy for him. He seemed to have taken a powerful tonic, becoming more and more energetic every day.

Another half month passed, and Fu Yunxiu's leg recovered even better. Now, he can walk a short distance on his own without Mantou's help, and without trembling.

Most importantly, his legs have not experienced any weakness for a long time.

Mr. Cheng said this is a good sign. If things continue like this, as long as he persists in rehabilitation training, he will soon be able to move freely like an ordinary person.

"You brat, aren't you going to tell Man'er that your leg is better?" Old Cheng glared at him indignantly.

Everyone in the entire Wutong Garden knows that Aman is the one who most wants his leg to get better. But he's the one who, even after he gets better, keeps it a secret from everyone, making them worry unnecessarily.

Fu Yunxiu stood under the eaves, his moon-white robe gleaming in the sunlight. His long, powerful legs, accentuated by his elegant figure, were a sight to behold.

He smiled and said, "No rush, it'll be soon."

“You keep saying it’ll be soon, if you keep dragging this out, the surprise will turn into a shock.” Old Master Cheng glared at him speechlessly, but Mantou understood what the young master meant.

Aman's birthday is coming up soon.

The young master wanted to give Aman a surprise on her birthday.

Yesterday, the young master even had someone call over from Tianxianglou to order a table of food and have it delivered.

"Young master, aren't you going to invite Elder Cheng to celebrate Aman's birthday?" After seeing Elder Cheng off, the man with the steamed bun asked.

This is a banquet at Tianxianglou, the best in all of Yongzhou. And it'll be more lively with more people, which is exactly what Aman loves.

However, Fu Yunxiu said, "No, please."

Their attitude was resolute, as if they had planned it all along.

"Why?"

Fu Yunxiu didn't speak, but just smiled, his face full of mystery.

Seeing that he remained silent, Mantou knew he wouldn't get any information out of him, so he had no choice but to give up.

Forget it, he'll wait until Aman's birthday to see what the young master is really up to.

Three more days passed, and it was the fifth day of the second lunar month.

Early in the morning, Mantou got up to sweep the yard. After breakfast, Fu Yunxiu saw Aman off.

"Come back early after you finish shopping today," Fu Yunxiu instructed.

"Why?" Aman asked, puzzled.

"Anyway, just come back sooner rather than later." Fu Yunxiu was a little nervous under her gaze, and his words became incoherent.

Seeing him like this, Aman didn't press him for details, but simply nodded and agreed. However, when he turned around, his mouth was stretched so wide it almost reached his teeth.

She knew perfectly well why the young master had summoned her back; today was her birthday, and he had even booked a banquet at Tianxiang Restaurant to celebrate it for her.

Aunt Zhu told her this.

That day, when she returned from the street, Aunt Zhu stopped her and asked if there was any happy occasion at home. Aman was puzzled, but after asking, she learned that Aunt Zhu had seen the waiter from Tianxiang Tower coming out of Wutong Garden.

Aunt Zhu didn't recognize the waiter, but she recognized the clothes he was wearing, which is why she made this guess.

Aman hadn't heard the young master mention any happy occasion, only that her nineteenth birthday was in a few days. But these past few days, the young master and Mantou had indeed been acting strangely and avoiding talking to her, which made her unable to help but connect the dots.

Fu Yunxiu's instructions today made her even more determined.

Aman walked briskly, eager to finish shopping and return home to celebrate his birthday.

Outside the Wutong Courtyard, Fu Yunxiu saw that Aman had walked away, so he got up and went into the courtyard.

Mantou watched her young master's retreating figure and helplessly pushed the wheelchair through the door.

The mantou (steamed bun) in the yard was cleaned this morning, and it was very clean, but spring had not yet arrived, so it looked a little desolate.

If there were a few flowers, it would be even more fitting for the occasion.

But Fu Yunxiu didn't insist. After standing there for a while, he went back to his room and closed the door behind him.

Mantou, pushing his wheelchair, was turned away and felt a lump in his throat, almost unable to breathe.

I still remember how inseparable he used to be from the young master. Now that the young master's leg is healed and he doesn't need the wheelchair anymore, he's become superfluous.

Looking at the wheelchair in his hand, Mantou felt an increasing sense of sympathy for it.

Mantou complained bitterly, but her resentment vanished as soon as it entered the room, replaced by the tenderness in Fu Yunxiu's eyes. He stood before the desk, on which sat a painting he had completed over the past few days.

The painting depicts a man, a woman, and a rabbit. In a four-cornered pavilion, the sun shines brightly, and a gentle breeze blows. The woman teases the rabbit with grass, her face beaming with smiles. The wind ruffles her hair, stirring the man's heartstrings.

The man looked up from between the books, his eyes filled with an emotion that defied description.

Luckily, Mantou wasn't around right now, otherwise he probably would have gone berserk again.

So he's completely superfluous in this family; nobody wants him.

Fu Yunxiu looked at it for a while, then put the painting back into the box.

This is his birthday gift to Aman.

Ah Man is so clever; once he sees the painting, he'll surely understand his intentions.

Looking back on these years, even though Fu Yunxiu can now walk briskly, it still feels like a dream, something he can hardly believe.

If it weren't for Aman, he would probably be waiting to die right now. He used to think that God was unfair to him, but now it seems that all the injustices were just waiting for that one person to appear.

With Aman like this, he had no other desires in his life.

After putting the box back on the bookshelf, Fu Yunxiu opened the door and went out. Mantou was in the yard, complaining to Fu Bao with a resentful expression.

"...We're all just unwanted cabbages."

Fu Yunxiu: "..." How come I never noticed before that he had so many inner monologues!

"Steamed bun." Fu Yunxiu called him that his whole life.

Upon hearing his voice, Mantou's face lit up with joy, and she quickly walked to Fu Yunxiu's side. "Young Master, what is it?"

"Let's boil some water. I reckon Aman should be back soon, and we can make longevity noodles around that time."

Steamed Bun: "..." So it turns out we still have to do chores.

I'm just a little cabbage, pitiful and nobody loves me.

Eating noodles on one's birthday is a tradition that has existed since ancient times, symbolizing health and longevity.

With such a beautiful meaning, Fu Yunxiu was unwilling to leave it to others and thought of making a bowl of longevity noodles for Aman himself.

So the noodle soup that Aman has been eating these days is all his failed attempts.

Fortunately, hard work pays off, and he finally managed to make the longevity noodles.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Fu Yunxiu skillfully prepared the dough, added water, mixed the dough, and kneaded it, completing the steps in one go, which looked quite impressive.

After heating the water for the steamed buns, another stove was lit. While the dough was rising, Fu Yunxiu skillfully fried an egg.

Now we're just waiting for Aman to come back downstairs.

Smelling himself from frying eggs, Fu Yunxiu felt a bit disgusted and went back to his room to change his clothes. He wore a wide-sleeved, lake-blue robe with intricate patterns on the cuffs and chest. A jade pendant that Aman had redeemed for him hung on the elaborately patterned waist belt. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his black hair was tied up with a hair crown. He was truly a gentleman, elegant and noble.

Even the steamed buns were stunned.

Young master, isn't this a bit too ostentatious?

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was going to be introduced to a girl today!

Thinking of this, Mantou seemed to remember something and covered his mouth in surprise.

No way, no way, young master isn't going to use this opportunity to confess his feelings to Aman today, is he?

In that case, won't he have to serve two people from now on?

He's so pitiful!

Before he could ask any more questions, the deliveryman from Tianxiang Restaurant arrived. It was almost 11 PM, so Ah Man should be back soon.

The steamed buns were filled with nineteen dishes, all served on hollow plates with hot water underneath to keep them warm.

Nineteen dishes were laid out on a large table, and each one was delicious and visually appealing. It was worth all the time the young master secretly spent so many days painting and selling his paintings.

This money was definitely well spent.

Now everything is ready, and all that's left is for Ah Man, the birthday celebrant, to take his seat.

Mantou was an impatient person, especially with delicious food all around him. He couldn't sit still inside, so he went straight to the front door to wait for the others.

Fu Yunxiu was initially quite calm, but gradually he lost interest in reading and simply went to the door with Mantou to wait.

To ensure a surprise, he even took out his wheelchair and sat down.

The two waited from midday until the sun began to set, but Aman was nowhere to be seen.

Mantou couldn't wait any longer. "Young master, shall I go go look for him?"

Fu Yunxiu was also a little anxious. Usually, Aman would have returned long ago. Right now, he was extremely flustered and couldn't wait any longer. "I'll go with you."

He stood up and pushed the wheelchair back into the yard.

Mantou locked the door, and the two headed to Changqing Street, but bumped into a child at the corner of the alley.

The child was in a hurry, as if he had something important to do.

Fu Yunxiu helped him up and was about to ask if he was alright when Mantou exclaimed in surprise, "Little Six?"

Mantou recognized the man; he was a little beggar on Changqing Street. Aman had given him food out of pity, and he had even helped Aman deliver messages to Wutong Garden a few times. However, Fu Yunxiu rarely went out, so he didn't recognize the man's face.

"Brother Mantou." When Xiao Liuzi saw Mantou, it was like seeing a relative. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he hugged Mantou's leg and started crying, "Brother Mantou, please go and save Sister Aman. They took Sister Aman away."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunxiu's eyes narrowed, and he roughly pulled the child close, startling him. "Tell me properly, who took Aman? And where did they take her?"

Xiao Liuzi didn't actually know much about this.

While playing with his friends on another street, he overheard people talking about how the young woman selling floral dew on Changqing Street had her stall vandalized. They said her dew had harmed people, and that the attackers were aggressive, smashing the stall and then taking the woman away with them.

A passerby said that the person who came seemed to be a servant of the Marquis of Yunyang's mansion.

The one whose face was sullen was the young mistress of the Yunyang Marquis's mansion.

Earl of Yunyang?

Upon hearing the name, Fu Yunxiu immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

The Earl of Yunyang had no sons (all his children were daughters) until last year when he finally had a son in his old age. Although the son was born to a concubine, the Earl of Yunyang doted on him, and the concubine's status rose accordingly.

Although his wife, the wife of the Marquis of Yunyang, was still alive, the entire Marquis of Yunyang's mansion was now run by his concubine, who was therefore called the Little Madam.

Fu Yunxiu certainly didn't think there was anything wrong with Aman's flower dew, but right now, the most important thing was to save people.

"Mantou, let's go to the Marquis's residence." Fu Yunxiu knew that he was currently insignificant and his words carried little weight. If he rashly barged into the Yunyang Earl's residence, not only would he fail to rescue Aman, but he would also alert the enemy. He could only go to the Marquis's residence to seek help first.

After calming Xiao Liu down, Mantou went to the Marquis's residence with Fu Yunxiu.

The two entered through the back door and went directly to Steward Xu without waiting for an announcement.

Steward Xu was drinking tea and singing in his room when he heard Fu Yunxiu's voice coming from the courtyard, so he hurriedly ran out.

"Young Master, why did you come here in person? You could have just had Mantou inform you if there was anything wrong..." After saying this, Steward Xu realized that something was amiss.

The eldest son is actually... standing up?

The eldest young master... he can stand up now?

"Young Master...you...you..." Butler Xu was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He grabbed Fu Yunxiu's arm and repeatedly confirmed it.

However, Fu Yunxiu had no time for small talk with her and directly ordered, "Uncle Xu, give me the token of the garrison guards?"

"Huh?" Butler Xu was stunned for a moment, then took out the token from his pocket and handed it to him.

After receiving the token, Fu Yunxiu turned and walked towards the training ground. Steward Xu stared blankly at his legs for a long time before realizing that he had forgotten to ask the young master what he needed the guards for.

Moreover, mobilizing the household troops requires the personal approval of the head of the household.

But it doesn't matter anymore. The eldest son's poison has been cured, and his leg is healed. The position of head of the family will inevitably be his in the future. In that case, there's nothing wrong with him mobilizing the manor's soldiers.

Moreover, the second young master is not in the manor now, so it's an emergency and we should be able to understand.