Lady of Fortune, Jiao Niang

Chapter 99

Both Qi Yun and Ye Jiao were stunned, and then they realized this was their son's first time speaking.

The chubby son who could only hum and giggle had learned to talk!

Usually Ye Jiao would teach him to call "Mother," and Liu Shi would also coax him to call people, but this child didn't like to cry or fuss, and his mouth was particularly tight-lipped. He had never opened his mouth before.

But this sudden shout actually startled the two first-time parents.

Before they could feel happy, they heard Xu Bao laugh and say: "Kiss kiss!"

Qi Yun: ...

Ye Jiao: ...

This voice was clear and loud, but it made the couple unconsciously look at each other.

They say children repeat what they hear. Calling "Mother" was something Ye Jiao and Liu Shi had coaxed him to do before, but now saying "kiss" was probably because Ye Jiao always kissed him and kissed Qi Yun, saying it every time. The little one had listened and learned.

Logically, when a child speaks, they should be encouraged, but when this word came out, Ye Jiao didn't know what to do.

After thinking about it, Ye Jiao gently pinched the soft flesh on Qi Yun's waist and complained softly: "It's all your fault."

Qi Yun agreed without thinking: "Right, right, right, it's all my fault."

However, with Xu Bao making such a fuss, the slight intimacy from earlier disappeared completely. The two hurriedly got up, and the entire day was spent teaching Xu Bao to speak.

A child who had just learned to speak was very entertaining, like mastering a new skill that he always liked to show off. Previously, when Xu Bao had just learned to walk, he never crawled again. Even though crawling was less tiring, Xu Bao always insisted on walking.

Now that he could speak, and Qi Yun and Ye Jiao would praise him whenever he popped out a word, the little fellow was especially enthusiastic.

Within a few days, he could roughly remember the family's forms of address, though sometimes he didn't call them quite correctly.

"Big big!" Xu Bao looked longingly at the spoon in Qi Yun's hand, sitting on a small stool, staring at him with wide eyes.

Qi Yun shook his head: "Think again."

Xu Bao pursed his lips, but he wanted to eat the egg custard, so he called out again: "Little brother!"

"...Think again."

Ye Jiao sat nearby, using her pinky to lightly dab some rouge. Hearing this, she turned to Xu Bao and said: "Call Daddy."

Xu Bao immediately straightened his back on the small stool: "Daddy!"

Qi Yun then fed him the egg custard, but looked at Ye Jiao somewhat helplessly: "Jiao Niang, if you always tell him like this, he won't remember properly."

Ye Jiao was applying rouge evenly in front of the mirror. Hearing this, she said: "I heard Mother say earlier that a child this age being able to speak at all is already very good. You have to teach slowly, you can't rush it. Husband, don't be anxious either."

Before Qi Yun could respond, he saw Xu Bao stand up as if he was angry.

This child had a good temperament and was usually very well-behaved. Moreover, Qi Yun had taken care of Qi Ming before and thought that children under two were all rather simple - they'd laugh when coaxed and cry when scolded, but wouldn't remember things.

But this time Xu Bao walked toward Ye Jiao on his little short legs, hugged Ye Jiao's calf, and fluently called out the phrase he was most skilled at: "Mother, kiss kiss."

Ye Jiao quickly put down her rouge box, picked him up, and sat at the table, letting little Xu Bao sit on her lap. She took the spoon from Qi Yun's hand and scooped up egg custard to feed Xu Bao.

The little baby ate sweetly, and his furrowed little brow relaxed, his face showing a happy smile again.

This made Qi Yun somewhat puzzled: "He got angry over just a mouthful of food?"

Though Ye Jiao didn't understand mind-reading and hadn't raised other children, her mind was truly pure, and she could actually understand some of Xu Bao's thoughts.

While feeding him, Little Ginseng said to Qi Yun: "He's angry that you kept dangling it without giving it to him. If you feed him properly next time, he might call you daddy."

Qi Yun didn't believe it: "My son surely wouldn't get so angry over just a mouthful of food."

But the next day, after he fed Xu Bao a small bowl of fish porridge, the little one called "Daddy, Daddy" smoothly, leaving Qi Yun speechless.

However, though he could speak, Xu Bao didn't talk often. Except when necessary, when he'd pop out a few words, other times he remained cheerful, looking like he had a joyful nature.

A few more days passed, and Third Young Master Qi finished his exams and returned home to wait for the results. Ye Jiao also needed to start preparing for Xu Bao's first birthday celebration.

But just at this time, news arrived.

The emperor had passed away, leaving behind an imperial edict. Originally there would be three years of national mourning, during which no marriages could take place and no red could be worn, with the entire nation in grief and all entertainment forbidden. But the edict stated that governance should be benevolent, shortening the mourning period to three days. After three days, people's lives could return to normal.

With this announcement, there would surely be turmoil in the capital, and many powerful families would need to seek new paths. After all, each new emperor brought new ministers. How to gain benefits under the new emperor was something those aristocratic families had to think carefully about. They would probably be frantically busy recently.

Court officials also had to watch their words and actions carefully, fearing the new emperor would make an example of them.

But for ordinary people, they would only praise the emperor's benevolence, cry along a couple of times for show, and otherwise not be greatly affected.

After the three days of national mourning, life would continue as usual, just without being too ostentatiously extravagant.

By the time Xu Bao's first birthday arrived some days later, the national mourning had long passed, but to be cautious, the Qi family still reduced the planned banquet considerably and didn't hang any red decorations outside.

Ye Jiao had also written out a guest list early on, but crossed off all casual acquaintances, finally settling on fewer than ten people.

Now that Qi Yun's shops were increasingly prosperous, this brought Ye Jiao more dignity as well. Though for Little Ginseng, most people she knew were for playing pitch-pot together or casual chatting, whenever others had happy occasions they would invite her, so naturally when her family had happy occasions she should invite them too.

But Little Ginseng didn't write the invitations herself, instead going to find Qi Ming.

Qi Ming, now a year older, had also grown considerably taller. Previously he and Ye Jiao had been about the same height, but now he was half a head taller than Ye Jiao, though his face still retained some childishness: "Of course I'm willing to help sister-in-law write invitations, but why doesn't sister-in-law ask Second Brother to write them?"

Ye Jiao never beat around the bush and said directly: "The price is too high."

Having Qi Ming write them only required bringing a box of almond junket, but if she asked Qi Yun to write them, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night again.

Though Third Young Master Qi didn't know what this sentence meant, past experience told him it was best not to inquire about anything regarding his Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law.

Otherwise, the consequence would be writing large characters, and more writing large characters.

After grinding ink and taking out paper and brush, Qi Ming held Ye Jiao's handwritten guest list, trying hard to decipher the round characters on it. As he wrote, he said: "By the way, Second Sister-in-law, did you hear? After the new emperor ascended the throne, according to custom there will be additional imperial examinations. If I can pass and become a scholar this time, I can continue taking exams next year."

Though Ye Jiao didn't know what additional imperial examinations meant, from Qi Ming's tone she could tell it was a good thing.

She smiled and said: "The new emperor is naturally good-tempered."

Qi Ming smiled, thinking Ye Jiao was just speaking casually. After all, this place was far from the emperor, so who could know who sat on the dragon throne?

But Ye Jiao knew very clearly.

Yesterday Ye Ping Rong had specifically sent word that Prince Duan was proceeding smoothly and was preparing for his enthronement, which would soon be announced to all prefectures and counties throughout the land.

To Little Ginseng, it didn't matter much who became emperor, but Ye Ping Rong said that as long as Prince Rui ascended the throne, his marriage to Princess Huaning would be settled, and that was the real happy news.

However, the guest list was long, and Qi Ming was being particularly careful, wanting every character to be perfect so as not to lose face for his sister-in-law, and also to earn credit with Qi Yun so his Second Brother wouldn't always punish him with copying books. He had to be extremely cautious, so even just ten invitations would take quite a while to complete.

After putting down the almond junket, Ye Jiao took Little Su out to the clothing shop in town.

Usually the Qi family's clothes were all custom-made from the same shop. Last time when she bought fur coats, she had come here by accident without revealing her identity, but after they learned she was Second Young Mistress Qi, the shop owner became extremely attentive every time.

Today when Ye Jiao arrived, the shop owner immediately came out personally to receive her, his face beaming with an especially brilliant smile: "Second Young Mistress, look around freely. Yesterday we got some excellent materials, all very well-matched. Would you like to see them?" Then he brought out a bolt of fabric, praising both its texture and dyeing, claiming everything was perfect and speaking in flowery language.

Ye Jiao looked it over. Having had quite a few garments made and with Liu Shi constantly teaching her, she could now judge the quality of these materials.

Though not as heavenly as the owner claimed, they were indeed quite bright and attractive.

Little Su, seeing Ye Jiao was satisfied, spoke up: "My mistress will wait over there. Just select the good materials and bring them over. If she likes any, she'll definitely buy them. Just go get them."

Having followed Ye Jiao for so long, Little Su had also become very understanding of proper etiquette and spoke with authority.

The shop owner immediately agreed and went happily to fetch materials.

However, he was clever enough to bring not only women's brocades but also plain colors that men preferred.

Usually when Ye Jiao came to look at materials, even if she didn't mention Second Young Master, as long as she saw good fabric, she would always have some cut to make clothes for her husband.

Everyone in town now knew that Second Young Master Qi's wife was someone who looked after her husband in every way.

The shop owner figured that by bringing both types for Ye Jiao to choose from, if she bought more, he could earn more too.

Ye Jiao went to the side room to wait. Little Su first helped her sit down, then quickly walked aside to pour hot tea for Ye Jiao. Ye Jiao smiled and accepted it. Just as she was about to drink, she heard two gong sounds from outside.

This sound seemed familiar to Ye Jiao.

Actually, usually materials would be sent to the house for viewing, and it was rare for her to come out and buy directly like this.

Usually when she went out, it was either to the medicine shop to find Dong Shi, or to flower gatherings and tea parties organized by others. Even when shopping and browsing stores, she mostly looked for things to eat and play with, rarely thinking about tailoring clothes, since there were always seamstresses coming to the house, so she never lacked for clothes to wear.

All told, this was only the second time Ye Jiao had come by herself.

Last time, she seemed to have heard someone beating gongs like this too.

Ye Jiao stood up and walked to the window, reaching out to push it open. Then she heard two more gong sounds from outside, followed by a loud shout: "His Majesty is benevolent, granting general amnesty, opening additional imperial examinations, reducing taxes by twenty percent!"

...These words sounded familiar, as if she'd heard them before.

But last time it was for a great victory at the border and general amnesty, while now it was for the new emperor's enthronement. Both were happy occasions.

Actually, the news that a new emperor would ascend the throne wasn't a secret anymore. Since the old emperor had passed away, a new emperor ascending was inevitable.

But ordinary people were concerned with the benefits that followed.

Ye Jiao heard about additional imperial examinations and thought she should go back and tell Third Brother, so he could continue taking exams.

But just then, Ye Jiao suddenly heard commotion outside.

She walked to the door of the side room and looked toward the front.

She saw the shop owner running out from behind the counter, standing at the doorway, holding his breath and listening intently. Then with a thud, he knelt on the ground, raised both hands high, and shouted "Imperial grace is vast," one cry louder than the last, sounding particularly sincere.

This startled Little Su, who instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Ye Jiao blinked, suddenly feeling this scene was familiar.

But before she could think more about it, she heard hurried footsteps from outside.

Then she heard Tie Zi's voice outside the window: "Second Young Mistress, I finally found you. Second Young Master requests your return."

Ye Jiao returned to the window and asked: "Why so urgent to find me? Did something happen? Is Xu Bao making a fuss?"

Tie Zi quickly replied: "No, Young Master is playing happily at the madam's place. Mistress needn't worry. Young Master Ye has come and is waiting at home."