Lu Baichuan worked all night at the yamen and finally caught the bus back to the village just as He Jiuniang set off at dawn.
He Jiuniang was speechless when she saw his dark circles under his eyes. She had told him before that she would go back first, and he could go back after he finished his work. Her family was not unreasonable and would understand that he was busy.
"Are you alright? Can you hold on? Why don't you go back and get some sleep?"
"It's okay, I can sleep in the car. I'll go pack my things first."
Lu Baichuan had been working late into the night for several nights and was indeed feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded, but he had already put in so much effort for so many days, how could he possibly give up now?
Just as he was about to walk inside, He Jiuniang grabbed his hand. She pouted and said with a helpless "Let's go, I've already packed everything for you."
Knowing that he hadn't been home these past few nights to finish things quickly so he could go back to the village with her, how could she not even help him pack his things?
There wasn't much stuff to begin with, just a few changes of clothes, which He Jiuniang packed for him herself.
Upon hearing this, Lu Baichuan's face immediately lit up with a smile.
Although his wife complained about him, she still helped him pack his things, which shows that she didn't dislike him in her heart.
There were three carriages for this trip home. He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan rode in one, and the other was for the maids. Ten girls were going back this time. Four of them were sent by Lingyue yesterday, and the other six were bought by He Jiuniang herself.
The purpose of bringing them back this time was to familiarize them with the workings of the family workshops. Anyway, the indentures were all in He Jiuniang's hands, so there was no fear of them spreading rumors.
Since they would be staying in the prefectural city for an extended period, He Jiuniang planned to start several more businesses and send them out. However, she needed to train them for a while before that. Since the family businesses were short-handed, she brought them along to practice.
Aside from Lu Baichuan, it was also the first time the girls had returned to the village. They were excited and full of anticipation along the way. He Jiuniang could hear the laughter and chatter coming from the carriage behind them from the front carriage.
He Jiuniang glanced at Lu Baichuan, who was resting with his eyes closed, and decided to play the bad guy for once.
She lifted the curtain and said to Qiu Tian, who was sitting on the carriage railing, "Go tell the girls in the back to keep their noise down, Third Master wants to sleep."
"yes."
Qiu Tian went to deliver the message, and at that moment Lu Baichuan opened his eyes, looked at her with a smile, and asked knowingly, "Are you worried about me?"
He Jiuniang rolled her eyes and ignored him.
This might be a common problem among men. Even though they know you care about them, they still want you to ask again and repeat it to them before they're happy.
He Jiuniang would absolutely not allow Lu Baichuan to develop such a bad habit.
Lu Baichuan touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, pulled her hand to his knee, and then continued to doze off.
There were soft cushions in the car, so he could comfortably lean against them to sleep. The girls kept their noise down, and he quickly fell asleep.
He Jiuniang stared blankly at the sleeping face of the man beside her.
After her treatment, Lu Baichuan's condition has greatly improved. Normally, it would take about six months to a year to fully recover, but perhaps because of his good constitution, Lu Baichuan has already recovered more than halfway.
He would still wear a mask in front of outsiders, but he could take it off without hesitation in front of He Jiuniang.
Because He Jiuniang had said before that she didn't mind him.
When He Jiuniang first told him that she didn't mind his looks, he was happy and excited. But later, when he found out that He Jiuniang was obsessed with appearances and only bought pretty maids, he realized how precious her words were.
It's incredibly difficult to get someone who's obsessed with looks to not mind his appearance.
He Jiuniang was unaware of his ulterior motives. At this moment, she was focused on looking at the lines on his face, pondering how to treat him next.
The wrinkles on my face have mostly disappeared, but there are still some marks where the wrinkles used to be. The focus now is to smooth out these marks, which is equivalent to the scar removal process.
It seems simple, but it is actually the most difficult, because to erase the traces, even in the postmodern era, it would require high-tech solutions, let alone now.
He Jiuniang thought that after returning from the village, she would start researching a special ointment to remove such marks. In addition, she also had new ideas for other businesses, which she would gradually arrange.
After a bumpy ride in the carriage, they finally arrived in the county town. Now they were no longer in a hurry to go back to the village, but wanted to check out the shops in the county town first.
During this time, I wrote letters home and learned that the business in the shop is now being managed by Lianhua and her children, while the adults are busy with other things.
Even so, the shop was well managed and business was booming, bringing in a large sum of money every month.
They first went to a restaurant for a meal, and after finishing their meal and settling the carriage, they headed towards the shop.
Their group was quite large, and they were bound to attract attention as they walked down the street, so He Jiuniang asked everyone to split up.
She walked alone with Lu Baichuan, while the other girls strolled around the streets in groups of three or four. As for Qiu Tian and the other men, they stayed behind to watch over the carriage.
"Are you being so mysterious because you want to surprise them?"
Lu Baichuan had taken a nap in the car and was now full of energy, his face beaming with smiles as he accompanied his wife shopping.
However, he had already put on a mask when he got off the bus, so no one saw his worthless appearance.
"It's not really a surprise, we just wanted to see how they run the shop when we're not around. Let me tell you, Lianhua is a really good girl. My second sister-in-law's family has raised her very well. She's been with us since we fled the famine and has been a great help. If it weren't for her help with the business, I don't know how tired I would be."
In the beginning, only Lianhua was truly shrewd in business, and He Jiuniang never hid her affection for her.
He Jiuniang always held people who were capable and hardworking in high regard.
So after she went to the prefectural city, she always thought about bringing Lianhua and the others there so that they could have more room to develop and achieve their full potential.
"Okay, let's go take a look. Come to think of it, I don't know her yet. Can you introduce her to me in a bit?"
Lu Baichuan took the initiative to hold her hand. He Jiuniang glanced at him, said nothing, and let him hold her hand. The two walked leisurely down the street.
Compared to the prefectural city, the local customs in the county town are more conservative, and it's rare to see a man and woman walking together so intimately. They had only been holding hands for a short while when many people started staring at them.
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