Lady of Fortune, Jiao Niang

Chapter 100

Hearing that Ye Ping Rong had returned, Ye Jiao prepared to take the carriage back.

The shop owner, who had originally been kneeling to thank the emperor's vast grace, quickly stood up and ran after them with a smile plastered on his face: "Second Young Mistress, if there's urgent business, I'll send the materials to your residence, and I'll have my wife come along to measure and tailor clothes for Second Young Mistress, how about that?"

Ye Jiao thought this would save time and effort, and felt it was good. Though pleased in her heart, she still asked: "Won't that be troublesome?"

"Not troublesome at all! Second Young Mistress is a regular customer, we should naturally deliver to your door."

If it were someone else asking them to deliver, the shop owner would definitely smile on his face while cursing in his heart, but the Qi family was different. They were famously wealthy, especially Second Young Master Qi's household, who spent money like flowing water and were never stingy. Never mind delivering to their door - even if they loaded all the precious materials in the shop onto carts for Ye Jiao to select from, he would be happy to do it.

Seeing such enthusiasm, Ye Jiao didn't refuse and nodded in agreement.

Then she lightly lifted her skirt and got into the carriage, her expression remaining gentle and calm throughout, her every movement showing dignity and grace.

But once in the carriage, with the curtains drawn to block outsiders' view, Little Ginseng no longer maintained her composure. She said somewhat urgently to Little Su: "Go tell Tie Zi to drive the carriage faster."

Little Su agreed, lifted the curtain to say a few words.

Then the carriage galloped all the way, arriving at the Qi family half an incense stick's time earlier than usual.

As soon as she entered the front hall, Ye Jiao saw Qi Yun and Ye Ping Rong sitting inside.

Ye Jiao's first concern was looking around: "Where's sister-in-law? Didn't she come back?"

Though Ye Ping Rong and Hua Ning were already engaged, this was the first time he heard Ye Jiao call her sister-in-law.

Even the tallest and strongest man would feel somewhat shy when hearing his beloved's name. Elder Brother Ye couldn't help but cough lightly: "She's still in the capital and can't come out for several months." As if to change the subject, Ye Ping Rong took out a box: "This is a gift she asked me to bring you."

Ye Jiao walked over to accept the box, then properly bowed to Ye Ping Rong: "Big Brother, greetings."

This seemed to be the first time Ye Jiao had been so formal in greeting Ye Ping Rong. Ye Ping Rong quickly stood up and properly returned the bow.

But after sitting down, Ye Ping Rong said: "We don't need to be so formal with each other. These days in the capital, I've been either receiving bows or bowing to others. My back is nearly worn out from all the bowing. Fortunately, I got promoted."

Qi Yun was holding a teacup and looked at Ye Ping Rong: "Big Brother seems to quite enjoy being an official?"

Ye Ping Rong replied very straightforwardly: "Since I'm an official, I should be a high-ranking one. Otherwise, in a place like the capital where officials are everywhere, if your rank is too low, you have to bow to anyone even one rank higher. It's quite troublesome."

Hearing this, Qi Yun was momentarily stunned, then smiled.

This was the first time he'd heard someone say they became an official to avoid bowing. His brother-in-law was indeed quite unique.

Ye Jiao opened the box Hua Ning had sent her and saw it was divided into several compartments, all filled with floral decorations.

They were all made of gold foil, looking golden and glittering.

Little Su, watching from the side, thought that lady had given two gold ingots when she first met Second Young Mistress, and now a whole box of gold foil. She was clearly quite wealthy.

Ye Ping Rong put down his teacup and said: "These past days, the capital has indeed been quite different."

Qi Yun raised his eyes, and Tie Zi very tactfully pulled Little Su away, with both of them standing guard at the door.

Inside the room, Ye Ping Rong continued: "His Majesty has been fairly stable since ascending the throne. The former empress had gone mad, but after the previous emperor's death, she chose to commit suicide. His Majesty, in his benevolence, allowed her to be buried with the honors of an empress dowager, and now things are much more peaceful."

Ye Jiao didn't understand these matters and wasn't particularly moved.

But Qi Yun was different. From various fragments, Qi Yun felt that Prince Duan's succession hadn't been as smooth as it appeared.

The First Prince forcing the palace and attempting rebellion, then committing suicide, was his own fault.

But the Second Prince and Sixth Prince dying suddenly, and the empress going mad - to say this was all just due to Chu Chengyun's good luck didn't make sense.

Taking a step back, that person couldn't even manage a simple gambling game, so where would such luck come from?

Most likely someone had worked behind the scenes, clearing all obstacles in front of Chu Chengyun and paving the way for him.

It could have been Prime Minister Meng, or it could have been General Guo. Whoever it was, they had ultimately put Prince Duan on the throne.

However, Qi Yun only thought about these things in his mind, showing nothing on his face.

After all, the emperor was far away. What happened in that palace had nothing to do with them. Prince Duan's succession was ultimately a good thing. Everything else was unrelated to Qi Yun and pointless to think about.

Ye Jiao smiled and asked: "Big Brother, are you staying for a long visit this time?"

Ye Ping Rong shook his head: "I won't stay long. There are still matters to handle in the capital, and I need to select a residence for Hua Ning. There's quite a lot to do. His Majesty only granted me ten days away from the capital. Oh," Ye Ping Rong seemed to suddenly remember something and took out a cloth bundle from his sleeve: "This is for Xu Bao."

This cloth bundle was far less refined than the previous box. Made of indigo blue fabric with some fraying edges, it clearly looked used.

Ye Ping Rong said: "Originally there was a box, quite beautiful, but I came in a hurry and the box got crushed on the road. Fortunately, the contents are intact and quite important, so I wrapped it up and brought it."

Qi Yun took it and opened it while saying: "Did Big Brother prepare this for Xu Bao?"

Ye Ping Rong smiled: "No, this is from His Majesty, who said he wore it as a child."

Qi Yun: ...

This imperial gift had come too suddenly, leaving Qi Yun truly unsure what expression to make.

Then he heard Ye Ping Rong say: "Don't throw away this cloth either, it's also His Majesty's. It's somewhat of an imperial item too."

At these words, Qi Yun felt even his fingers were cramping.

Ye Jiao was also somewhat surprised. Though Little Ginseng was relatively new to being human, she knew the emperor was very important.

Exactly how important she couldn't say clearly, but her husband had said very, very important, so that meant very, very important.

Yet the things he gave were just wrapped in cloth and stuffed over like this?

Ye Jiao couldn't help but take it over, and saw lying on the blue cloth was a longevity lock.

Exquisitely crafted with a lively design, it even had a qilin on it, though this qilin looked more naive than usual, appearing quite cute.

Ye Jiao picked it up and shook it: "It's really beautiful."

Ye Ping Rong smiled: "Yes, His Majesty let me choose, and I thought this one looked good, so I took it."

Then Qi Yun carefully put away the longevity lock. Normally, receiving an imperial gift would require kneeling and expressing gratitude, but this little thing wrapped in cloth and delivered like this really left one unsure how to show gratitude.

Just then, someone came running in from outside, hurriedly but with a smile on their face, trying to keep their voice low as they said something to Tie Zi.

Hearing this, Tie Zi turned and entered the room, saying to Qi Yun: "Young Master, great news! Third Young Master topped the list!"

This news felt like another blow to Qi Yun's heart, leaving him speechless for a long while.

It wasn't until Qi Yun and Ye Jiao returned to their courtyard arm in arm that he recovered, pulling Ye Jiao close: "Good news never comes alone, and when it comes, it all arrives at once."

Ye Jiao also had a chance to ask: "I just heard Big Brother mention something called 'Minor Triple First,' what does that mean?"

Qi Yun explained it to her in detail.

In the normal imperial examination system, achieving the title of "scholar" was the goal, as this was when one truly stepped through the examination threshold.

To earn this title, one had to pass through the county examination, prefectural examination, and academy examination.

In these three examinations, the top scorer in each was called "case leader." If someone could achieve first place in all three consecutively, it was called earning the "Minor Triple First."

There had been very few people who achieved the Minor Triple First since the founding of the dynasty - you could count them on one hand.

This required not only ability but also luck, both indispensable.

Hearing this, Ye Jiao couldn't help saying: "This is truly a great happy occasion."

Qi Yun's face showed genuine joy as he nodded: "Yes, a great happy occasion. But we can't celebrate too grandly right now, or Father and Mother would definitely hold flowing banquets for three days, wanting to let the whole world know."

He wasn't exaggerating. After all, his third brother had truly brought honor to the family, and he was also the first scholar in three generations of the Qi family.

This was cause for great celebration, and Qi Ming had probably already become a household name throughout the surrounding villages.

However, Qi Yun added: "It's good we can't celebrate grandly. It saves us from being too conspicuous. Our family has indeed been too eye-catching recently. It's better to keep a low profile."

As he spoke, Qi Yun thought of the longevity lock Ye Ping Rong had brought back.

Taking out the cloth bundle, the man thought for a moment, then placed the longevity lock in Ye Jiao's hands.

Ye Jiao immediately wanted to put it on Xu Bao.

But Qi Yun stopped her: "Lock this away in a jewelry box."

Ye Jiao was somewhat surprised: "Not letting Xu Bao wear it?"

Qi Yun smiled: "This is an imperial gift, better to keep it safely stored. This thing can protect us in critical moments."

Little Ginseng blinked: "More effective than protective amulets?"

"Yes, much more effective than protective amulets."

After all, protective amulets couldn't save lives, but since this longevity lock was Chu Chengyun's possession, it could truly save lives. When produced, even officials would have to kneel in reverence.

Presumably Chu Chengyun knew this too, which was why he had given them the longevity lock. Though Qi Yun could see this lock didn't look like an old item, and the story about wearing it as a child was probably just casual talk, as long as this item existed, the Qi family had an additional layer of protection.

What appeared to be merely gifting an object was actually giving the Qi family peace of mind, ensuring their household's safety.

The more Qi Yun thought about it, the more he smiled.

His Xu Bao probably truly took after Ye Jiao in being very blessed.

A few days later came Xu Bao's first birthday celebration.

It wasn't held on a large scale, just dining with familiar people, but though the Qi family didn't wish to be ostentatious, others had already spread the word.

Not only did they say Second Young Master Qi was blessed, like a god of wealth with a treasure bowl, making money from whatever he did, but they also said Third Young Master Qi was the reincarnation of the Star of Literature, otherwise how could everything go so smoothly?

Later the stories became increasingly exaggerated, with all kinds of praise, practically elevating them to the heavens.

On the day of Xu Bao's first birthday celebration, outside was calm and quiet without the slightest disturbance, but everyone around knew the Qi family was celebrating.

Even the Qi family's shops offered wine at half price that day, with people lining up early in the morning.

As Ye Bao was walking to school with Second Sister-in-law Ye, they happened to pass by the shop, and he couldn't help but pause to look.

Second Sister-in-law Ye reached out and slapped him: "What are you looking at? Hurry up, if we're late the teacher will scold you again."

Ye Bao followed along, walking while turning back to look.

After leaving the town, Ye Bao asked: "Mother, is Auntie's family celebrating something happy?"

What Second Sister-in-law Ye hated hearing most was news of Ye Jiao's good fortune. Though she now recognized that Second Brother Ye was worthless, she still had no good impression of Ye Jiao whatsoever.

However, Second Sister-in-law Ye wouldn't say those things from before anymore.

Previously she had thought Ye Jiao was a burden because Second Sister-in-law Ye wholeheartedly considered Second Brother Ye, being careful about everything for his sake, which was why she had seized all the things Elder Brother Ye had left for Ye Jiao. In the end, only Ye Jiao wore a gold bracelet when she married, having nothing else.

But now that Second Sister-in-law Ye's heart had grown cold toward Second Brother Ye, those things she had previously fought for she could no longer fight for, and she didn't want to care about anything.

But Second Sister-in-law Ye was still jealous of Ye Jiao in her heart. However, she wouldn't say these things to Ye Bao. Now that Ye Bao was old enough to remember things and had learned quite a lot at private school, he was full of moral principles that Second Sister-in-law Ye couldn't argue with, so she simply avoided discussing it: "What auntie? She's married out and the family is divided. She has nothing to do with us."

But Ye Bao looked at Second Sister-in-law Ye and hesitated before saying: "But teacher said that blood is thicker than water, and it's good that Auntie is doing well."

Second Sister-in-law Ye was startled and her steps paused: "What?"

Ye Bao said softly: "I think it's quite good. I'm happy that Auntie is doing well."

This statement made Second Sister-in-law Ye's heart feel bitter.

She didn't know whether to scold Ye Bao for not distinguishing between inside and outside, or to criticize him for spouting moral principles, but in the end Second Sister-in-law Ye said nothing: "If you think it's good, that's your business. Don't tell me about it."

Seeing Second Sister-in-law Ye's unhappy expression, Ye Bao didn't continue, instead asking: "Father hasn't come back for several days. Mother, aren't we going to look for him this time?"

Second Sister-in-law Ye's expression was somewhat cold and hard: "Why bother with him? If something happened he'd definitely come back asking for money. Don't worry about him."

Now, the two of them were just getting by together.

But while Second Sister-in-law Ye used to treat life as life worth living, now she treated life like bitter medicine to swallow.

Every day was without vitality, utterly meaningless.

But they couldn't separate or divorce. It wasn't that the authorities wouldn't permit divorce, but that they no longer had the confidence to divorce.

With reputations already ruined, besides making do together, there really was no other path left.

As for how they had walked their path to death, Second Sister-in-law Ye herself didn't understand. She just tightened her grip on Ye Bao's hand and pulled him forward, fleeing as if to leave all the praise for the Qi family behind them.

But the main character of this first birthday celebration, Xu Bao, wasn't very spirited. Though he liked to laugh, he didn't like crowds. Suddenly seeing so many strangers made him just want to hide in Ye Jiao's arms.

Fortunately, most of the invited guests were close to them and wouldn't deliberately tease or frighten the child. Xu Bao only showed his face briefly before being taken back to sleep.

Qi Ming wasn't so fortunate, being surrounded by crowds with some asking for calligraphy and others requesting keepsakes.

The several female guests Ye Jiao had invited were especially delighted. The invitations they held had all been written by Qi Ming! Though they didn't believe in things like the Star of Literature descending to earth, Qi Ming had now become a scholar and could eat imperial grain. Taking these invitations back to put under their children's pillows to let them absorb some of Scholar's immortal energy would be good too.

Ye Ping Rong was just like an ordinary guest, drinking tea and eating food, looking particularly cheerful. No one would know this person had already become a fifth-rank capital official.

When evening came and all the guests had departed, Ye Ping Rong had to leave.

Ye Jiao had already coaxed Xu Bao to sleep. Knowing Ye Ping Rong was leaving, she came out to see him off: "Why such a hurry?"

Ye Ping Rong smiled at his little sister. Perhaps from drinking a couple of cups of wine, his face was slightly flushed, looking quite spirited: "The capital is busy with affairs. I need to rush back overnight to return before the next grand court session."

Hearing the urgency of the situation, Ye Jiao didn't delay Ye Ping Rong's time further. She stood beside Qi Yun and smiled: "Then Big Brother, have a safe journey. I'll wait for you to return."

Ye Ping Rong felt his nose tingle but said nothing, just bowed formally before turning to leave.

However, the horse he rode away wasn't his own, but the one with a tuft of white hair on its head.

This snowfall continued for two days and nights before stopping.

When the sun came out, the world was silver-white everywhere, actually brighter than usual.

Ye Jiao, who had been cooped up indoors for two days, could finally go out for fresh air. Looking at the sunshine, she smiled: "Today is really good weather."

Qi Yun stood beside Ye Jiao, gently grasping her hand: "Yes, now that the weather has cleared, Big Brother also sent word that he has set out for the capital with Third Prince."

"It's good that he's safe." Then Little Ginseng looked at the expanse of silver-white, her face showing some eagerness to try: "Now that it's cleared up, can we build snowmen?"

Qi Yun smiled as he looked at her and agreed: "Alright."

This heavy snow was the last snowfall of the winter, lasting until spring came and flowers bloomed without a second snowfall.

However, the snow had fallen thick, and auspicious snow foretold a good year. Qi Zhao was happiest of all, as people at the estate began bustling about as soon as spring began.

The shops under Qi Yun weren't idle either. Wine shops opened in the city, medicine shops were thriving, and the restaurant Qi Yun had casually acquired was also crowded with customers and business was booming because it had the special Golden Goblet wine from Qi family wine shops.

Ye Jiao's days were particularly leisurely: spring outings to view flowers, throwing arrows into pots, drinking tea, or flying paper kites and shopping at stores. Every day was very comfortable.

Her daily essential activities, besides massaging her husband's back and making soup, were playing with her Xu Bao.

As Xu Bao grew little by little, in the capital, Ye Ping Rong stayed close to Third Prince Duan, never leaving his side.

He occasionally received family letters sent from the Qi family. Among them, what Ye Ping Rong most enjoyed reading were the letters Ye Jiao wrote to him in her round, rolling characters, which always described in detail the recent condition of his grand-nephew Xu Bao.

When Xu Bao was six months old and just learned to sit, he had also grown teeth. Ye Jiao specifically had the little one bite a tooth mark on paper to send to Ye Ping Rong.

In the capital, First Prince Qi forced the palace, was later suppressed, Qi Prince killed himself in the golden throne hall, his mother Imperial Consort Li committed suicide, and the entire Li clan was spared no one, either executed or exiled.

When Xu Bao was nine months old and could crawl, as Ye Ping Rong was receiving the family letter, Second Prince Lian and Sixth Prince Zheng died suddenly of unknown causes. As the birth mother of both princes, the current Empress was overcome with grief and went mad. In front of the Emperor, she revealed some scandal, whether in madness or deliberately. The Emperor became disgusted and confined her to the cold palace, not to emerge until death.

By the time Xu Bao was 11 months old, autumn had arrived, and it was time for Qi Ming to take the academy examination.

Third Young Master Qi had to leave home early to prepare for the exam, first going to the academy for final intensive study, sharpening his skills at the last moment.

When Qi Ming left home, the entire family saw him off at the door. Though no one expressed their expectations aloud for fear of putting too much pressure on him, the hope in their eyes was unmistakable.

This made Third Young Master Qi break out in a cold sweat, and he almost ran away the entire distance.

After seeing him off, Liu Shi took her two daughters-in-law to the temple to pray. Coming out of the temple, they went to a Taoist temple, burning incense and drawing lots, claiming that praying at multiple places couldn't hurt, there would always be one that worked. This made Fang Shi completely speechless.

But her Second Sister-in-law also followed Liu Shi in worshipping randomly, leaving Fang Shi with no choice but to follow along kneeling back and forth, bringing back a pile of amulets and spending quite a bit of money, making Fang Shi's chest hurt when she got home.

Ye Jiao had just returned and was putting the amulets she'd obtained onto Qi Yun one by one, making Second Young Master Qi somewhat amused: "So many, are you trying to turn me into a wishing tree?"

But even as he said this, Qi Yun still stretched out his arms, letting his beloved wife stuff things into his pouches.

Ye Jiao looked up at him with some defiance: "Mother said they're useful, so they must be somewhat useful."

Qi Yun habitually didn't believe in these things, but since his wife had spoken, he didn't dare disagree. He lowered his head to kiss Ye Jiao's forehead and smiled: "Good, my wife can always speak correctly. If you say they're useful, then they're useful."

Ye Jiao smiled along, happily stuffing his pouches full.

Qi Yun held her close, preparing to lower his head for a kiss, but was suddenly covered on the mouth by Ye Jiao.

The man's movement paused, then he followed Ye Jiao's gaze.

He saw a little chubby one standing against the wall on the soft couch, holding a cloth tiger in his hands, staring at them with clear eyes.

Qi Yun suddenly couldn't continue with the kiss. He coughed lightly and straightened up with a serious expression, lowering his voice: "When did Xu Bao get here?"

"He's been there all along. Didn't you see?" Ye Jiao said as she released him and walked over to sit sideways on the soft couch.

The little one who had just learned to walk immediately beamed with joy, threw down the cloth tiger, and toddled toward Ye Jiao, wobbling unsteadily. Halfway there, he tripped and fell flat, but didn't cry or fuss. Since the soft couch wasn't hard, it didn't hurt. He got back up, laughing happily as he walked toward Ye Jiao, then threw himself directly into her arms, giggling "ge ge ge."

This laughter was particularly infectious, making Ye Jiao laugh along. She planted a loud kiss on Xu Bao's forehead.

Qi Yun watched with envy and, taking advantage of the fact that Xu Bao couldn't speak yet, leaned over to Ye Jiao: "What about me?"

Ye Jiao gave him a light kiss on the corner of his mouth and even licked it. When Qi Yun tried to lean in closer, Ye Jiao dodged away, smiling as she held Xu Bao: "The child is here, let's play with him first."

Second Young Master Qi stood there for quite a while, seeing that neither his wife nor his chubby son paid him any attention, before he finally sat down beside Ye Jiao to join them in entertaining Xu Bao.

Xu Bao had just learned to walk and was still finding it novel.

He grew faster than other children. Though not yet a full year old, he could already toddle around by himself without needing support. Even when he fell, he could get back up. Unlike when he was small and always liked to wail at the top of his lungs, current Xu Bao still loved to eat and drink, but no longer loved to cry.

Sometimes when he clearly fell hard enough to hurt, Xu Bao still wouldn't cry. Once he had scraped his hand and didn't make a sound - only when Ye Jiao picked him up did she discover it. From then on, she didn't dare let him wander around on the floor alone, mostly letting him practice walking on the soft couch or bed.

Now Ye Jiao was using the cloth tiger to coax him to walk back and forth, from her side to Qi Yun's side and back again.

Xu Bao kept laughing happily, walking to and fro. But every time he reached Ye Jiao's side, he would cuddle for a while, yet when he got to Qi Yun's side, before Qi Yun could touch him, the little chubby one would turn around and walk away without even looking at him.

Clearly, compared to his always stern father, he preferred his soft, sweet-smelling mother.

Qi Yun wasn't angry either, since his favorite was also Jiao Niang. Having his son share the same preference made Second Young Master Qi feel somewhat gratified.

However, Xu Bao was still small and got tired after walking for a while.

He sat down right where he was to rest, then lay back with his arms and legs spread out. Without needing any coaxing, he fell asleep on his own in no time.

This wasn't the first time, so Ye Jiao and Qi Yun weren't surprised.

They carefully picked up Xu Bao and put him on the small bed, covered him with a blanket, blew out the candle, and the two adults also quietly got into bed to sleep.

Probably because they had visited so many places during the day, Ye Jiao fell asleep before long. Qi Yun didn't disturb her and just held her while sleeping.

But at night, Qi Yun woke up almost on schedule. As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard the familiar whimpering sounds.

This sound was milky and actually quite cute, but having it happen every night had made Qi Yun develop a habit.

Qi Yun quietly got up, quickly grabbed a pillow for Ye Jiao to hold without waking her, then put on his clothes and got out of bed to pick up his chubby son and take him out to relieve himself.

When they returned, Xu Bao fell asleep again without needing coaxing. Qi Yun tucked him in carefully before climbing back into bed, pulling out the pillow and quickly lying down. The next moment, Little Ginseng automatically curled up against him, her arms and legs wrapping around him tightly, her face buried in his chest as she slept peacefully.

Qi Yun also closed his eyes, and when he woke again it was the next day.

Coincidentally, Ye Jiao also woke early today. She opened her eyes as soon as he moved slightly.

"Did I wake you?" Qi Yun said, planting a kiss on Ye Jiao's forehead.

Little Ginseng lifted her head to let him kiss her, then looked at him with a bright smile: "No, not at all. Husband is wonderful."

Qi Yun smiled back but wasn't in a hurry to get up. Instead, he held Ye Jiao close: "Now that Xu Bao is almost one year old, his first birthday celebration will coincide with Third Brother's exam results. Father and Mother are planning to celebrate properly."

Ye Jiao blinked: "That's perfect, we can celebrate both together."

However, Father Qi and Liu Shi's thinking was that the academy examination wasn't easy - it was like ten thousand people crossing a single-log bridge, with very few who could pass. Though they felt their Third Son was intelligent and talented, they couldn't guarantee Qi Ming would succeed.

If he could become a scholar, he would be exempt from corvée labor, wouldn't have to kneel before officials, and couldn't be casually punished. If he did well, he could even receive monthly grain from the court, truly becoming part of the scholar-gentry class.

The reason they wanted to celebrate together was fear that if Third Son failed, having prepared early would invite gossip from others. Preparing together now meant that whether there were two happy occasions or one, it would still be a celebration.

However, Qi Yun knew that in Ye Jiao's heart, Third Brother was someone he had taught, and Ye Jiao trusted him, so naturally she was certain Third Brother had the talent to be a top scholar.

Qi Yun didn't explain much now, instead saying: "Since it's a first birthday banquet, you'll need to prepare too. Tell me who you want to invite, and I'll write the invitations. In a couple of days, go shopping and buy some bright new clothes."

Ye Jiao looked at him: "I wonder if Big Brother can come back."

When Xu Bao had his full-month celebration last time, Ye Ping Rong hadn't been able to make it. Now for his first birthday, Ye Ping Rong still hadn't said if he could return.

Qi Yun smiled: "That depends on timing, but I think if he comes back, he probably won't be coming back alone."

Ye Jiao was slightly puzzled, then smiled: "Is Little White coming back too?"

Clearly, Ye Jiao still remembered the horse with white hair on its head that Ye Ping Rong had taken away. That horse had saved Qi Yun's life, so naturally Ye Jiao wouldn't easily forget it.

Qi Yun took a moment to remember who Little White was, then said with some amusement: "I mean, if Big Brother comes back, Hua Ning will probably come back with him too."

Hua Ning had already been betrothed to Ye Ping Rong by the old emperor's decree. This dynasty had no rule preventing imperial sons-in-law from holding important positions, and Ye Ping Rong had also been promoted in rank, now serving as a Training Commissioner.

However, whether their marriage would succeed still depended on Prince Duan's final outcome...

Qi Yun was thinking about this when he suddenly felt a soft hand quietly grasp his palm, fingers interlocking tightly.

Looking down, he saw Ye Jiao's clear eyes.

Qi Yun immediately forgot about princes and princesses, his eyes holding only his wife, his voice much gentler: "Jiao Niang, what is it?"

Ye Jiao lifted her head to look at him, then accurately kissed Qi Yun's cheek.

In the early morning, the woman's lips had no rouge, clean and soft.

Ye Jiao did nothing else, but Qi Yun pulled the woman's waist closer, his eyes deep: "What are you doing, Jiao Niang?"

Little Ginseng showed a bright smile: "Making up for what I owed you yesterday."

Qi Yun held her even tighter: "Debts always accrue interest."

Ye Jiao paused, then muttered quietly: "Money-grubber." But she didn't push him away. Instead, she smiled and pulled him closer to her.

This was like a signal, and Qi Yun wouldn't miss the chance to collect interest.

But before Qi Yun could decide how to collect, he heard a familiar whimpering sound.

After a brief pause, before Qi Yun could react, Ye Jiao had already reached out to pull back the bed curtains.

Then they saw the little chubby one had already stood up in his small bed, holding onto the cloth-wrapped wooden railings beside him, staring at them.

Xu Bao looked at them cheerfully, and then a clear voice emerged from his mouth: "Mother!"