Chapter 67

Side Story: Sweet Life at the Fragrance Residence

Early spring in March.

The entrance of the Fragrance Residence was crowded, buzzing with excitement over the release of a new product. As soon as the doors opened, young ladies rushed in, chattering and clamoring for their desired items.

“I want the 'Many Blessings, Longevity Incense'!”

"I want the 'Deep as the Ocean' fragrance!"

"Bridal Chamber Blossom scent!"

……

Zan Yue and Xiao Xi were busy tending to customers. Xiao Xi had taken over as the primary overseer of the Fragrance Residence from the old steward, Zhong Bo. Xiao Xi and Xiao Xi had married and were six months pregnant, resting at home. Qin Dai finally won Hong Ye's heart and planned to marry before the year’s end, while Zan Yue and Xu Xian also set their wedding date.

Hong Ye, holding a letter, hurried in, "Zan Yue, a letter from Mei Zi!"

"Really?" Zan Yue rushed back from the front, "Where are they now?"

"They’ve been to the desert this time, found lots of precious spices, and are about to return," Hong Ye read aloud to everyone.

……

Meanwhile, on the road to the capital, a white horse strolled leisurely. Seated on it were a man and a woman, both in white, their clothes fluttering gracefully in the wind, with hair streaming behind them.

Passersby nodded in admiration.

The girl in front held a gilded incense burner, emitting a delicate fragrance. As they passed a small tea house, the horse suddenly stopped, and the young man in white asked the tea house boy, "Are you selling these steamers?"

The boy was baffled, "The... steamer?"

The girl playfully punched the man, "You're being silly again."

The man laughed heartily, "I can't help it; my wife loves these steamers."

Six months earlier, Shi Mei gave birth to a chubby baby girl. Her official name was yet to be decided, so she was affectionately called Xiao Xiang, or 'Little Fragrance.'

Little Fragrance was adorable and well-behaved, always smiling and hardly ever crying, winning the hearts of everyone in the residence. Since her arrival, she had captured the affection of all the women, leaving Bai She, Qin Dai, Xu Xian, and others feeling somewhat neglected.

Of course, Bai She was somewhat better off, being the doting father of his own darling daughter.

A month ago, Bai She and Qin Dai left on an errand and had sent word a few days prior, indicating they would be home today. The Fragrance Residence was bustling in preparation to welcome them back, coinciding with the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, where everyone planned to have a reunion dinner.

Early in the morning, Shi Mei strolled in the courtyard with little Fragrance in her arms.

As the weather cooled, Shi Mei wore a deep indigo dress, her sleeves rolled up to cradle Fragrance comfortably. The pleated dress, adorned with embossed gold patterns resembling cloisonné, represented a departure from her usual youthful attire. Her hair was carefully styled, pinned with a vermilion hairpin, her attire more resplendent, befitting a distinguished young matron. She had dressed up especially to surprise Bai She upon his return.

After the birth of Xiao Xiang, Shi Mei dedicated a lot of effort to dress both herself and her daughter beautifully. At six months old, Xiao Xiang was in her most adorable phase, with her chubby cheeks, almond-shaped eyes, tiny nose, and rosy lips. Already showing signs of beauty, she was praised by everyone and destined to grow into a great beauty. Shi Mei was already starting to worry about future suitors.

Today, Xiao Xiang wore a little goose-yellow jacket with a large white lotus-shaped purse on her chest, from which hung a string of tinkling bells. Although she couldn't walk yet, her babbling sometimes formed the word "mom," delighting Shi Mei. These days, Shi Mei was eagerly trying to teach Xiao Xiang to say "dad."

"Mei Zi."

Hong Ye rushed into the courtyard from outside the stone gate.

As usual, Hong Ye wore red, her dress similar to Shi Mei's but embroidered with a red cotton and golden pheasant pattern. Zan Yue had a similar dress in lotus-pink, adorned with dragonflies skimming over water.

"Have you eaten yet?" Hong Ye, always energetic, first lifted Xiao Xiang high, making her giggle, then turned to Shi Mei. "Let's close the shop this afternoon. They're almost back. Let's go to the painting boat for crabs and enjoy the moon tonight!"

Before Shi Mei could respond, she was whisked away by Hong Ye.

Shi Mei chuckled inwardly; Hong Ye seemed even more impatient than usual, probably missing Qin Dai after a month apart. The two always bickered when together but missed each other when apart.

……

At a rest stop ten miles from Changzhou Prefecture, Bai She and his party stopped for a tea break after several days on the road.

"Tsk, tsk," Qin Dai, holding a cup, eyed the several large boxes in the carriage behind them, teasing Bai She.

"Look at you, Bai She, returning from a trip with a carriage full of incense, fabrics, toys, and snacks... You've really changed, totally the look of a father now!"

Bai She, holding his tea cup, retorted, "I am a father."

Qin Dai hummed, "Still, I prefer my freedom."

Bai She, amused by his attitude, teased, "You're just envious, aren't you?"

"Envious of you? Hardly!" Qin Dai replied with a hint of defiance. "Look at you, under Shi Mei's watchful eye, and then look at me – so carefree and worry-free."

Bai She sipped his drink nonchalantly, "You just wish someone would care about you, don't you?"

Qin Dai, hit close to home, looked sullenly at Bai She.

"Hey," Qin Dai leaned in closer, setting down his cup. "Honestly, marriage is terrifying! Think about it, a charming and delicate girl before marriage suddenly transforms into a mother busy with household chores!"

The statement reflected the dramatic change that often occurs in a woman's life after marriage, transitioning from being pampered to managing daily household responsibilities.

Bai She watched him, amused, “You were also born to a mother.”

“I still think a little distance is best, to avoid constant bickering,” he replied.

Qin Dai finished speaking, only to hear Bai She chuckle, “Is it you who wants distance, or is it that Hong Ye ignores you?”

“Hey! Bai She!” Qin Dai retorted, slightly irritated, “Can you stop hitting where it hurts? So what if you’re a father now?”

Bai She looked skyward, opting not to argue further, and led the group on their way back to the Fragrance Residence at a brisk pace.

Despite his casual demeanor, Bai She was secretly worried.

After giving birth to Fragrance, Shi Mei had initially gained weight, though she had slimmed down a bit since then… Bai She wondered about her current state. He quickly dismissed the thought of her becoming overweight over the years, reminding himself that what he cherished was her personality, not her physical appearance.

Meanwhile, Qin Dai was also brooding, envious of the loving bond between Shi Mei and Bai She, who seemed as inseparable as oil mixed with honey. In contrast, his relationship with Hong Ye was far less harmonious, marked by her fierce temper and lack of warmth towards him.

Xu Xian, observing the pair, found their predicaments amusing, anticipating some interesting developments upon their return.

In the afternoon, Bai She’s entourage grandly entered the city, arriving at the Fragrance Residence to find Xiao Xi and Xiao Xi closing up the shop.

“The master is back?” Xiao Xi informed them that Shi Mei and the others had gone to the painting boat and suggested they freshen up and change clothes before joining them for a meal.

Half an hour later, Bai She, Qin Dai, and Xu Xian, each preoccupied with their thoughts, boarded a small boat heading towards the painting boat moored by the willow-lined riverbank. Xu Xian was simply hungry, Qin Dai was anxious about whether Hong Ye would like the gift he brought, and Bai She was curious if Shi Mei would look like a 'dough ball' cradling their child.

As they neared, they spotted a figure in red energetically waving at them from the boat, shouting, “Hey! You’re back!”

Qin immediately spotted Hongye and felt both joy and relief—still such a lively young girl! Hongye was full of energy, while Zan Yue waved to them from the boat. Xu Xian stroked his chin—Hmm, that's a nice dress! Baishuo looked around, puzzled at not seeing Shimei.

Once everyone boarded the boat, Baishuo asked, "Where's Shimei?"

"Oh, she was just running around with Xiangxiang and might be tired. She's probably taking a nap in the cabin," Hongye pointed towards the boat's interior.

Qin Dai elbowed Baishuo teasingly, "Ah, mothers always need their afternoon naps."

Baishuo's eyelids twitched. Qin Dai was promptly reprimanded by Hongye, who grabbed his ear, "What are you saying?"

"Nothing..." Qin Dai, wincing in pain, quickly produced a gift for Hongye—a translucent jade hairpin, delicately wrapped in a layer of silver filigree. Hongye happily accepted it, and Qin Dai scurried after her to help fasten the hairpin.

Xu Xian found Zan Yue and sat down with him to dine.

As Baishuo walked into the cabin, he felt something furry rubbing against his feet. Looking down, he saw it was Xiao Fuzi, who had grown even rounder. Staring at the ball-like Xiao Fuzi for a long time, Baishuo picked it up, noting its increased weight, and chuckled inwardly—imagining if Xiao Meizi got this chubby would be quite amusing. Just then, he heard the faint sound of a child babbling from inside. He walked in, finding the door ajar, and behind a screen, there was a faint outline of someone lying on a soft couch.

Before he got closer, he heard Shimei's laughter as she played with the child, "Come on, say 'daddy,' can you?"

Xiangxiang mimicked the sounds, managing to clearly say "daddy." Baishuo felt a surge of joy, forgetting all about the concerns of fat and thin, and walked around the screen to see Shimei and the child.

Shimei, looking up and seeing Baishuo emerge from behind the screen, beamed with joy, "You're back! Have you eaten?"

Baishuo stood dumbfounded by the screen, gazing at Shimei on the couch. All thoughts of fat and thin vanished, seeing before him a stunning beauty. Shimei, more beautiful than before, had lost her innocent look, now exuding a full womanly charm. Shimei, pleased with Baishuo's reaction, smiled even sweeter. Baishuo, feeling awkward, walked over to her. Xiangxiang, now recognizing him, reached out with a smile, and he quickly picked her up, feeling her increased weight.

Holding Xiangxiang, Baishuo glanced again at Shimei, who had just woken up and looked lazy and reluctant to rise, tugging at his white sleeve from the couch, "Is everything taken care of?"

"Yeah," Baishuo nodded, sighing inwardly... he had been foolish to worry about trivial things. Shimei was getting more beautiful, and it's true what they say about separation making the heart grow fonder.

"Are you hungry?" Shimei sat up and poked Baishuo's cheek, "You seem a bit thinner. Didn’t you like the food outside?"

"Hmm..." Bai She slightly raised his eyebrows, "This is like talking about everyday domestic matters, but not as daunting as I imagined."

"Some," Bai She responded, holding Fragrance close and leaning in to smell Shi Mei’s hair. The faint scent was enchanting, softening his voice, "What’s for lunch?"

"Hong Ye and the others steamed crabs," Shi Mei replied, pouring tea for Bai She. "Or would you prefer something else?"

Bai She thought to himself, wishing he could say ‘you’, but instead he touched his nose and replied, "Hmm, I’d like something different."

"Like what?" Shi Mei asked playfully, leaning on his shoulder and pinching Fragrance’s chubby hand, "Fragrance, what should Daddy eat?"

Looking at his beautiful wife and daughter, Bai She felt a surge of happiness. Everything else seemed trivial in comparison.