Chapter 33, Chapter 11: The Heir Apparent's Wife
The carriage stopped for repairs halfway through its journey.
Taking advantage of this moment, Xu Mingche went to the two carriages and knocked on the window.
"Big brother?"
Xu Qingzhou instinctively raised his hand to cover her ears.
Unfortunately, it was too late. She opened her eyes the moment the knocking sounded at the window.
There was not a trace of mist in those eyes; they were clear and gentle.
Xu Qingzhou was stunned for a moment, unable to tell whether she was still awake or had been awake for a while.
Yu Wanwan pushed his hand away, straightened up, and opened the window a crack.
"What is it?"
Xu Mingche was slightly embarrassed to see her.
"The weather is nice today. I was thinking of asking you, brother, if you want to go horseback riding."
Fortunately, after more than a month of instruction, he and Yu Wanwan are now quite familiar with each other, so he is not so embarrassed that he can't speak.
Yu Wanwan peeked at the sky.
The sun shone brightly, and the sky was cloudless.
It was indeed a rare and beautiful day.
"OK!"
"Big brother..."
Yu Wanwan paused for a moment, glancing at Xu Qingzhou beside her.
"Shall we go?"
Since she said she was going, he couldn't possibly say he wasn't going.
Xu Qingzhou nodded.
"You guys go ahead, I'll be right there."
Yu Wanwan had no idea what he was up to, so she shrugged, opened the carriage door, and got off the carriage with Tinglan's help.
Xueya remained at the Marquis's residence, managing Chengrui Pavilion, and did not come out with them.
Looking at the refreshed Yu Wanwan, Xu Qingzhou silently swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and rubbed his legs in silence.
This job is not something an ordinary person can do.
I really can't understand how those male leads in TV dramas manage to let the female lead sleep with their head on their pillow for so long.
When Xu Qingzhou recovered and got off the carriage, Yu Wanwan had already chosen a horse, and Tinglan was feeding the horse fodder beside her.
Xu Mingche was somewhere further away, talking to his guards about something.
Xu Qingzhou walked to Yu Wanwan's side and looked down at her.
"You can ride a horse?"
The one who answered him was not Yu Wanwan, but Tinglan.
"Your Highness is too kind. Before her marriage, Madam was a frequent visitor to the autumn hunt!"
As the young lady's husband, he didn't even know this!
Even though Xu Qingzhou had spent the last few months studying in his study and had stopped going out to flirt with other women, Tinglan still couldn't stand him.
Xu Qingzhou was stunned.
The original owner participated in the autumn hunt every year, but he had never really paid attention to the situation of the women.
Before meeting Xiaotang, the original owner was not so absurd. Like Marquis Chengqing, he did not value women.
The only woman I've ever truly loved in my life is Xiaotang.
In a sense, he is also a devoted lover.
Unfortunately, this one time, he suffered a major setback.
But he had no way to explain, so he could only touch his nose, feel guilty, and apologize.
"It is because I am narrow-minded that I only know that my wife is gentle and virtuous, but I did not know that my wife can also draw a bow and chase the wind."
That was a beautifully said statement, and it even carried a hint of flattery.
Tinglan's complexion improved, and she gave a soft hum, focusing on helping Yu Wanwan take care of the horses.
Yu Wanwan just chuckled and didn't seem to care.
At this moment, Xu Mingche led two horses over.
"Brother, what do you think of this one?"
Xu Qingzhou coughed and walked over, avoiding this slightly dangerous topic.
Actually, he couldn't tell whether the horse was good or bad.
However, the horses in the Marquis's residence are naturally all of the highest quality.
Moreover, they were traveling by horse-drawn carriage, and there weren't many horses available for them to choose from.
"This one will do."
He accepted, and Xu Mingche's eyes crinkled with a smile, in a good mood.
"How about we have a match?"
Xu Qingzhou raised an eyebrow.
"Since it's a competition, is there a prize?"
"How about using my copy of 'Feibai Imperial Calligraphy'?"
Xu Qingzhou was genuinely surprised this time.
"Are you willing to do that?"
Feibai was the courtesy name of a prince from a previous dynasty hundreds of years ago. Although the previous dynasty collapsed, many of his poems and writings have survived and are admired by countless students.
This book is one of the few genuine works by that prince.
The inner pages are made of gold-flecked paper, and the text is covered with the red seals of collectors from various dynasties.
It has both literary and collectible value.
Most importantly, after hundreds of years, this copy of "Feibai Imperial Calligraphy" had become a unique copy, which he acquired by chance.
Xu Mingche used to treasure this book dearly, and he would never let anyone else touch it.
Xu Mingche smiled reservedly.
"I might not necessarily lose!"
"OK!"
Since he's willing to part with it, then of course he has no objection.
"What will you be using as a prize this time, brother?"
Xu Qingzhou thought for a moment.
"Have your sister-in-law tutor you?"
Xu Mingche was stunned for a moment.
He had originally hoped to take this opportunity to get the books annotated by his sister-in-law from his older brother.
His elder brother valued his sister-in-law's calligraphy highly, only allowing him to copy it, but refusing to give her the original.
This is what he regrets most recently. But thinking about it, a woman's calligraphy is indeed not suitable for collection by men outside the family, even if he is their half-brother.
Even without books, it's still worthwhile to listen to my sister-in-law's lectures!
"Then it's settled!"
The two exchanged a glance, their fighting spirit ignited.
The two mounted their horses at the same time and galloped away, leaving behind only a layer of sand and dust stirred up by the horses' hooves.
Seeing the two of them looking like they'd been injected with adrenaline, Yu Wanwan was full of questions.
What are they doing here?
Are you in a hurry to be reincarnated?
The guard knew the answer and stepped forward to explain.
"The young master and the second young master are betting on a horse race!"
"bet?"
Yu Wanwan was a little curious.
"What are you betting on?"
"The Second Young Master took the 'Feibai Imperial Calligraphy' as a prize, and the Young Master..."
The guard glanced cautiously at Yu Wanwan and scratched his head.
"It's a lucky charm that you're asked to tutor the second young master."
"..."
Yu Wanwan was absolutely amused.
This male lead is really bold, daring to use her as a bet!
Even though her smile was gentle, for some reason, the guard felt a sudden chill in the bright sunshine.
Yu Wanwan pulled on the reins and mounted the horse.
"Tinglan".
"lady?"
"You will travel with the carriage."
Before Tinglan could react, Yu Wanwan had already cracked her whip and galloped off.
"Miss?!"
In surprise, he blurted out the nickname they used in private.
Fortunately, no one noticed the problem.
There were three masters in total, and now they had all disappeared in the blink of an eye. The group of guards looked at each other in bewilderment.
Tinglan was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet.
"What are you standing there for? Chase after them!"
The guards realized what was happening and quickly harnessed the carriage, giving chase in a great hurry.
Fortunately, they were on the main road, so they could just follow the road without worrying about the three little devils getting lost.
In modern times, some investors enjoyed horseback riding.
In his youth, he specifically learned horseback riding to attract investment, and with the original owner's background, his skills were not bad.
As for Xu Mingche, even though he was just an illegitimate son of a marquis, he naturally learned basic skills like horseback riding from a young age.
For a time, the two ran neck and neck, neither giving an inch.
Even so, Yu Wanwan easily caught up with the two of them.
"Since I'm the stake, how can this horse race be complete without me?"
As she brushed past Xu Qingzhou, Yu Wanwan spoke with a light laugh.
She turned and glanced at the two brothers who looked surprised, then gave Xu Qingzhou the middle finger.
"I'll be waiting for you at the post station, my dear husband!"
"???"
The familiar international gesture of goodwill made Xu Qingzhou's eyelids twitch and his scalp tingle almost instantly.
How could she know this?
Could it be that such a gesture already existed in this era that did not exist in his world?
"Brother? What did sister-in-law mean by that gesture?"
But the next moment, Xu Mingche's doubts dispelled this possibility.
Xu Qingzhou pursed her lips, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
"Don't ask about things between my husband and me!"
Xu Mingche was taken aback, then realized something, and his face became somewhat embarrassed.
"My sister-in-law is such a good rider..."
Indeed, in such a short time, she had already vanished, leaving only an increasingly smaller silhouette behind.
If you let her run a little longer, you won't even be able to see her back anymore.
Xu Qingzhou suppressed the turmoil in his heart and raised his riding whip.
"drive!"
He suddenly accelerated, leaving Xu Mingche feeling awkward.
The older brother went to chase after his sister-in-law. What was he doing chasing after her?
But thinking about the rare book he had bet on, and what he could gain if he won, Xu Mingche gritted his teeth and increased his speed.
On the wide official road, three fine horses galloped like arrows released from a bow.
The two behind chased fiercely, frequently changing positions, but no one could catch up with Yu Wanwan, who was dressed in a red and green silk skirt.
The garrison soldiers patrolling the official road happened to catch a glimpse of the three men's battle and were dumbfounded.
Goodness gracious! If I'm not mistaken, the lady at the front wasn't even wearing a fitted outfit, yet she left these two carefree young men behind her.
That's incredible!
They sped along at breakneck speed, with Yu Wanwan's chestnut horse leading the way past the post station.
She pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up on its hind legs, but she remained as steady as a bell, easily controlling the horse by pulling on the reins.
Yu Wanwan turned around and looked at the two people chasing after her.
"I won!"
Her hair was disheveled by the wind, but her eyes held a gentle smile, and she exuded an air of nobility.
Even with her hair disheveled, she didn't look embarrassed at all.
"Shouldn't I keep your winnings?"
When they arrived at the post station, Xu Qingzhou had already collapsed.
I've never ridden this fast in my past life or this life, it's so damn tiring!
He lay half-dead on the horse, panting, weakly waving his hand, his throat parched and unable to utter a single word.
Forget about any lucky charms, I even forgot about that international hand gesture I wanted to ask about.
Xu Mingche was a little better off than him, he didn't fall down, but he wasn't much better off either, his calves were trembling.
If it weren't for the etiquette he had learned since childhood, he would have loved to lie down and rest like Xu Qingzhou.
Not only can't they, they also have to force themselves to stay alert and cope.
"I never imagined that my sister-in-law would be so knowledgeable and skilled at riding. Mingche is willing to admit defeat and concedes defeat!"
Yu Wanwan was satisfied. She turned to look at Xu Qingzhou and poked his cheek with her riding whip.
"My husband, what about you?"
Upon hearing the name of her gentle and tender husband, even though she was exhausted, Xu Qingzhou instinctively became wary.
He lifted his eyelids and looked up at her.
Suddenly, I belatedly realized something.
Xu Mingche's prize is a unique copy, but his isn't!
When he agreed, he never imagined he would lose.
Now……
Xu Qingzhou was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed her wrist, pressed his face against her palm, and gently rubbed it.
"We're husband and wife, we're one family... so let's not stand on ceremony, shall we?"
"..."
Yu Wanwan choked up.
"Husband and wife as one?"
Xu Qingzhou blinked and rubbed against him a couple more times.
"lady……"
"..."
In such a short time, his skin has become much thicker.
She can even act cute with ease.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately'?"
"..."
This time, Xu Qingzhou was speechless.
Yu Wanwan chuckled lightly, but ultimately didn't mention the prize again.
He pulled his hand away and rode off to the side.
This wasn't the first time Xu Mingche had seen Xu Qingzhou get the short end of the stick with her, but seeing it again still made him chuckle.
Xu Qingzhou glanced over, and Xu Mingche coughed, suppressing a laugh.
"Women always love surprises, why don't you pick out some unique items for your wife, brother?"
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