Chapter 43
What do you mean she promised him last night?
Did she say she would party every night?
How could she possibly agree to such a thing?
Her period had just ended, so it was impossible for her to get pregnant at this time. Besides, he had tortured her for so long last night that she was still in pain, so she had no time to deal with him.
Xie Yunchu reminded him seriously, "Second Master, indulgence is harmful to your health."
Wang Shuhuai was choked by these words. These four words have always been the principles he believed in. However, times have changed now. He returned home only a few times in the next three years, and Xie Yunchu refused to go to Jiangnan with him. Now that he had finally returned, it was natural for him to rest in the backyard.
He felt sad and said, "I will leave in two days."
Now it was Xie Yunchu's turn to be caught in a dilemma. He was so anxious, which was not like Wang Shuhuai's style. It could only be said that he was really worried about his offspring.
Xie Yunchu told him softly, "My period just ended. Now is not a good time to have a baby. Besides, I haven't recovered yet."
In the night, my wife's red lips are plump and slightly upturned, like a shy and dewy peony in the evening.
With a sleepy and naive look in his eyes, he lacked the politeness and distance of the past.
Wang Shuhuai's heart softened as well, and the unhappiness caused by Wang Zhideng was comforted in a trance, "Okay, let's take a rest."
Wang Shuhuai lay down.
Xie Yunchu looked at him silently. She was used to sleeping alone in both of her lives. Her first reaction was that she was not used to the fact that most of the bed was given to someone else. But, after all, they were husband and wife. Xie Yunchu said nothing. She got up quietly and took out a thin mattress from the vertical cabinet inlaid with treasures on the side. Wang Shuhuai was not used to Xie Yunchu's thick mattress, so he took the thin quilt. The couple lay down side by side, each sleeping in their own quilt.
Xie Yunchu was woken up by him and lost his sleepiness for a moment.
Wang Shuhuai had not yet completely relieved the fatigue from yesterday's journey, and now he fell into a deep sleep with his hand on the pillow.
Xie Yunchu asked, "Second Master, didn't I ask Qu Er to follow you to Jiangnan? What do you think of him? Can he handle things on his own?"
As soon as the business was mentioned, Wang Shuhuai's expression quickly regained clarity. He pondered for a moment and said, "Not bad, he is smart and knows a lot."
"That's good." Xie Yunchu smiled, "My shop is in urgent need of the best Xiangyun gauze and Xiaosha. I plan to let him set up a workshop in Jiangnan. If you have time, please help me look after it."
In the past three months, the shop's turnover has been considerable, but the profit is not ideal, because she has spent a lot of money to monopolize the gauze. In order to control costs and also to personally control the source, she plans to open her own workshop to develop silk and gauze craftsmanship.
Wang Shuhuai nodded, "Leave this matter to me."
Xie Yunchu was slightly surprised. He was willing to condescend to worry about her affairs?
"Second Master, you don't have to ask about it yourself," she thought of someone.
In his previous life, when Wang Shuhuai was in Jiangnan, he intentionally cultivated his own people. There were many idle positions in the six ministries of Jiangnan with high thresholds but extremely low ranks. They were either the children of officials with hidden connections or some Jinshi who had no backing but had nowhere to display their talents. Wang Shuhuai took this opportunity to pick a few of them to help him, and these people later became the backbone of the court.
There was a man named Qin Guang, who was well-versed in all kinds of affairs and good at networking. Later, he became the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, specializing in opening up financial channels for the court and filling the national treasury. Xie Yunchu would not compete with the court for manpower, but it was okay for him to get a share of the profits.
So, Xie Yunchu picked up Qin Guang's characteristics and said a few words to guide Wang Shuhuai to think of such a person. Wang Shuhuai nodded and said, "There is such a person. Maybe he meets Madam's requirements. When I go there, I will use him as appropriate."
Xie Yunchu was happy.
Wang Shuhuai was interrupted by Xie Yunchu and lost his sleepiness. He also remembered an important matter, "Oh, by the way, I met my father-in-law when I entered the palace today. He said he wanted to invite me to his house for a drink."
Xie Yunchu smiled and said, "My stepmother got married on the eighth day of September. I'm afraid she asked my father to tell you this."
Things are different with a proper mistress of the house. She behaves decently. Although Mrs. Ming has a gentle personality, she is very methodical in her work and keeps every corner of the house in perfect order.
Wang Shuhuai held his forehead with his hand and said, "I am rude. Madam, please prepare a generous gift for me tomorrow to apologize to my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
Xie Yunchu agreed.
When Wang Shuhuai woke up the next day, he went to the court before dawn as usual. Xie Yunchu asked people to prepare gifts while waiting for Wang Shuhuai to return home for a banquet at Xie's house.
Sister Ke couldn't sit still and insisted on going to the Glazed Hall to play. Xie Yunchu thought that Wang Shuhuai would not be back for a while, so he simply took the child there himself.
The Glazed Hall is the largest flower hall in the entire Duke's Mansion. It is a large room with five bays, a curved eaves, and an intricate and beautiful caisson ceiling. It is connected to corridors in front, behind, left and right, and is very grand. There is a wide floor in front for children to play, and a flower-filled garden in the back for girls to linger. There is a constant charcoal fire here in winter, and it is a good place to cool off in summer, so this is the most lively place in the Duke's Mansion every day.
Grandma Miao was busy with the household chores of the eldest house, and the wet nurse was playing with the two children in the flower hall. Wang Shuqin and Wang Shuya were already practicing calligraphy and embroidery in the small side room next to the flower hall. Dou Keling was also busy, but Xu Shiwei was sitting under the corridor basking in the sun with her big belly.
Xuan Ge'er was also sent here.
Sister Ke was very excited to see her brother and sister. Xie Yunchu put her down. She held her fists and walked around the edge of the stairs. Her wet nurse and the little maid were watching her, so she was not afraid of falling.
Xu Shiwei looked at the child in the yard, her eyes softened unconsciously, and she asked Xie Yunchu,
"Sister-in-law, do you think this baby is a boy or a girl? My belly is pointy and I love eating sour food, how could it not be a son?"
People are like this. They always have an idea in their mind about everything, and they ask questions in the hope of getting other people's approval.
Xie Yunchu glanced at her belly and said, "The gender of the child has nothing to do with the roundness of the belly. When I was pregnant with Sister Ke, everyone said that I looked like I was carrying a son, but it turned out to be a girl. So, don't think about anything else. The only way to determine it is to wait until the baby is born."
Xu Shiwei was a little disappointed.
At this time, Miao finished her housework, took the maid's hand and came over, smiling and said, "Chu'er is right, nothing is accurate. When I was pregnant with Lin'er, my belly was round, and everyone said it was a young lady, but who knew it was a boy. Don't worry, fourth sister-in-law, you are young, and you will definitely have a son and a daughter in this life."
After hearing what Miao said, Xu Shiwei felt relieved. "Sister-in-law is right. I will definitely have both a son and a daughter."
Miao sat down next to Xie Yunchu and chatted with her affectionately, "Since my second brother has returned home, you have been so busy that you are nowhere to be seen."
Xie Yunchu's face was slightly hot, "Sister-in-law, don't make fun of me. I didn't come yesterday, and you missed me."
"We agreed to play mahjong together, but you broke your promise," Miao raised her voice and deliberately spoke to Wang Shuqin inside the carved window.
Wang Shuqin replied coquettishly, "That's right. We were short of one person, so we had to ask my mother to come. My mother is really good and she ate all three of us."
Xie Yunchu also said teasingly, "Isn't that exactly what you want? After all, she is your mother. In the end, she will all be yours."
Wang Shuqin refused, "My mother doesn't care about me, only her precious son. She might leave all the benefits to her son."
Refers to the fifth young master Wang Shuxu.
Xie Yunchu hasn't replied yet.
There was a laugh from the corner of the corridor.
"Who told me that? While we were away, you were making up stories about me and mother. Everyone in the family knows that mother protects you like a child."
Xie Yunchu and Miao leaned out together and caught a glimpse of three handsome young men standing in the corner of the corridor.
The person on the right was wearing a royal blue robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He was very tall, thin and handsome, with a smile on his lips. He was the fifth young master Wang Shuxu. The other person was quite unrestrained and uninhibited, laughing happily. His eyebrows were somewhat similar to Wang Shuhuai, but he was more romantic. He was the third young master Wang Shukuang.
Among the two, the one wearing a white shirt as white as jade, without any ornaments on his body, and with a handsome and graceful demeanor, was Wang Shuhuai.
Even though he was dressed simply, his eyes and aura made his younger brothers look even more outshined.
Everyone saw Wang Shuhuai at first sight.
His brows were light and his expression was still indifferent and gentle.
Everyone stood up and saluted.
Wang Shuhuai's eyes swept over his wife imperceptibly and he began to look for his daughter in the garden. He had not seen his daughter since he came back. Didn't she say she would leave?
Unfortunately, after the child went around the garden, only her silver bell-like laughter could be heard, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Let's go to the upper room and pay our respects first."
Wang Shuhuai has not met the elders from other families since he came back. It seems that he is planning to pay his respects to the third and fourth wives.
After a while, several young masters came to the flower hall together.
Wang Shuhuai saw his daughter stumbling and toddling in the yard.
There was a dot of cinnabar between the little girl's eyebrows, her eyes were watery, big, black and bright, her eyebrows were curved, and her smile was like a crescent moon, which made her look like Xie Yunchu.
Xuan Ge'er was the first to spot his father Wang Shukuang, and he immediately ran over. Wang Shukuang saw that there was a step below and was worried that his son would fall. He also saw that his son was running like a whirlwind and was really worried, so he immediately strode over to catch his son.
Xuan Ge'er called his dad happily, "Daddy, you said you would bring me some scallion pancakes."
Such a young child doesn't know how to eat scallion pancakes. Wang Shukuang just said this perfunctorily because he wanted to be intimate with his wife and was unable to get away from his son.
When the sisters-in-law heard this, their expressions changed immediately.
Grandma Miao said anxiously, "Third brother, such a young child cannot eat scallion pancakes. It is difficult to digest."
Wang Shukuang was sweating profusely. He glared at his son and repeatedly admitted his mistakes.
Xuan Ge'er was unhappy and twisted and cried in his father's arms, "Daddy doesn't keep his word, Daddy doesn't keep his word."
At this moment, the naive Ke Jieer looked at the tall Wang Shukuang, watching her brother fluttering in his arms, and murmured,
"Daddy..."
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
Wang Shukuang looked at his niece in surprise. Normally, he would just follow her and say a few words without thinking, but in front of Wang Shuhuai... he didn't even dare to turn around to look at Wang Shuhuai's expression.
Everyone looked at each other, afraid that Wang Shuhuai would be angry.
However, the fifth young master Wang Shuxu pointed at Ke Jie'er and Wang Shuhuai and laughed out loud,
"Look, second brother, you've been busy from morning till night, and you haven't seen the child for three months. The child doesn't even recognize you." The fifth young master's temperament is as cheerful and generous as the third wife.
Wang Shuhuai's handsome face was completely dark. He took two steps at a time and crossed over to pick up his daughter.
When Ke Jie'er was hugged by him, she started crying, her little mouth pouted and tears welled up in her eyes.
Xie Yunchu stood up while rubbing his belly which hurt from laughing. He quickly walked to his daughter's side and comforted her softly.
"Silly girl, this is your father."
He also explained to Wang Shuhuai, "Normally, my third brother likes to play with the children. When Sister Ke saw Xuan calling her daddy, she followed suit. Second Master, don't take it to heart."
It was impossible for Wang Shuhuai not to take it to heart. It seemed that he had to take some time out to go back home more often during his spare time, otherwise his wife and daughter would be abducted.
He is a person who never shows his emotions, and he keeps all these thoughts deep in his heart.
He put Ke Jie'er down again. Ke Jie'er twisted her small body and escaped into Xie Yunchu's arms, looking at him warily and puzzledly.
Wang Shuhuai looked at his little daughter's strange eyes and felt like his heart was stuffed with a ball of cotton.
It's not that he is completely unprepared.
So he pulled out a very nice toy from under his sleeve, held it in his hand and shook it towards her.
"Ke'er, do you like it? Come over here, Daddy will let you play with it."
This is a crystal ball imported from the West. There are colorful starfish-like things shaking inside, sparkling and very eye-catching.
Girls naturally like bright and eye-catching things.
Ke Jieer was indeed attracted. She stared at it intently, but her steps were a little hesitant.
Wang Shuhuai squatted there motionless, exerting force on his palm. The crystal ball suddenly slid to the tip of his index finger and began to spin.
Ke Jie'er's eyes lit up, and she slowly pushed her mother's arm away and walked towards Wang Shuhuai.
Seeing that there was only one step left, the little girl threw herself into his arms with a smile.
“Daddy!”
The crisp call made Wang Shuhuai feel sweet in his heart. He picked up his daughter and continued to turn the ball for her to see.
The children had never seen this kind of toy before and were very curious about it, so they gathered around it.
The child was protecting his food and toys, so he rushed over and hugged the ball in his arms.
Everyone laughed.
Of course, Wang Shuhuai would not do such an rude thing, so he immediately ordered someone to send a ball, one for each person. The couple then took the child back to Chunjingtang, intending to go to Xie's house.
"The child has never been to the Xie family." After all, she was so young, and Xie Yunchu had never taken her out.
Wang Shuhuai had limited free time, and he was reluctant to let go, so he got into the car with his daughter in his arms, and said, "Let's take them together."
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