Chapter 294: Yu Chan

Chapter 294: Yu Chan

Xingping Year Two, the tenth day of the third month.

Weiguo Duke's Mansion, the fourth courtyard in the central pathway.

Usually, it was Xiao Yu Chan who would wake her son up early in the morning. But today, it was six-year-old Qi Yao who shouted excitedly outside his mother's eastern wing room, "Mother, get up quickly! The sun is already shining on your behind!"

Madam He stepped out of the main room, glaring at her grandson. "I've told you many times, our family's status is different now. You're not allowed to talk about such crude things anymore."

Just as Qi Yao was about to talk back, he spotted his grandfather appearing behind his grandmother and quickly swallowed his words.

Xiao Shouyi: "The school is on holiday today. Why did you get up so early?"

Qi Yao: "Mother said she would take me out to play."

Since our family moved to Luoyang last month, everyone had been learning the rules inside the house. Except for a few relatives' homes, Qi Yao hadn't had the chance to explore outside much. However, his mother had already visited several places over the past few days, even taking his grandmother and three aunts-in-law boating, leaving them behind to study in the school.

Xiao Shouyi: "It's still early. Come practice martial arts with me so your mother can get some more rest."

Qi Yao: "..."

Not wanting to practice martial arts at all, Qi Yao hurried over to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.

It was indeed early; the Duke's mansion was quiet. Qi Yao hurried over and found his great-grandfather still practicing his morning exercises, dressed in a white, loose training outfit.

Xiao Mu glanced at the boy. "I heard you shouting back there early in the morning. As a son, you must show respect and filial piety to your mother, do you understand?"

Qi Yao: "Third Uncle and my grandmother shout all the time."

Xiao Mu: "Can't you learn from someone good? How your second uncle treats me is how you should treat your mother. Since you're going to take the imperial examinations in the future, you need to value proper conduct even more."

Qi Yao verbally agreed obediently.

After Xiao Mu finished his martial arts practice and changed clothes in the inner room, when the old man was properly groomed, Xiao Shouyi and Madam He were the first to come and keep the old man company. Following them was Xiao She. When Xiao Yan and Lin Ningfang arrived, followed by Marquis Xiao Zhen, Tong Sui, and even Xiao Ye, Xiao Yu Chan, who resided in the rear courtyard, was surprisingly the last to arrive.

As soon as she entered the hall, everyone's eyes swept over Xiao Yu Chan.

Madam He's eyes almost popped out. "As a young widow, why are you dressed so colorfully?"

The word "widow" was the last thing Xiao Yu Chan wanted to hear. "So what if I'm a widow? Am I not a woman anymore? I'm only twenty-three, still in the prime of my youth. Why should I dress like an old woman? If we were not well-off, that would be understandable. But now, with my grandfather as the Duke, my father as the heir, and my brothers either marquises or guard commanders, we have both status and money. Can't I dress however I want? Yao Ge Er, do you think Mother looks good in this?"

Qi Yao replied loudly, "You look good!"

Xiao Yu Chan then looked at her seated grandfather and father.

Xiao Mu: "Alright, sit down quickly. We're just waiting for you to start the meal."

Xiao Yu Chan lifted her chin towards her mother. "See, even Grandfather doesn't think there's anything wrong with how I'm dressed."

She sat down at the women's table, with Third Sister-in-law Lin Ningfang on her left and Mianmian on her right, while Qi Yao sat with his uncles.

With such beautiful spring weather, Xiao Zhen and Xiao Yan chose to accompany their wives on separate outings. Liu Chu accepted an invitation from a young lady in the ward and took Mianmian as her guest.

After listening to everyone, Xiao Ye said to Xiao She, "It's just the two of us bachelors. Why don't you join me for a hunt outside the city?"

Xiao She looked at the old man.

Xiao Mu: "I've been running the Southern Camp for nine days now. I'm resting at home today. How about it? Do you want to play chess with me?"

Xiao She: “……”

Xiao Mu felt reassured about his grandson and granddaughter-in-law and asked Xiao Yuchan, "Where do you plan to take Yao Ge Er for fun?"

Xiao Yuchan: "First, we'll take a boat ride on the Luo River, then go to Tongtuo Fang to enjoy the flowers. At noon, we'll dine out in the North Market, and we'll definitely be back before it gets dark."

Xiao Mu instructed his son: "Go select four guards to accompany Yuchan."

The emperor had only been on the throne for a bit over three months, and the outskirts of Luo City were not very peaceful. Even within the city, one had to be cautious.

——

Every spring, the boat rental business along the Luo River boomed, with large boats accommodating dozens of people and smaller boats available for private rental by friends and family.

Xiao Yuchan didn’t want to crowd with others and led Yao Ge Er to the dock for small boats, where there were still four or five families ahead of them in line.

Yao Ge Er looked around and pointed to a small stall nearby selling fish nets, saying, "Mom, I want to go fishing."

Xiao Yuchan: "No, it’s too risky. The river is deep, and even your third uncle could drown if he fell in. Besides, with so many boats coming and going, the fish are all scared away. That vendor is just trying to scam you kids."

Yao Ge Er: "It's only ten wen."

Xiao Yuchan: "We can buy it after our boat ride and take it home to play with. There are also fish in the pond at your second uncle's house."

Yao Ge Er agreed.

After waiting for a while, it was their turn.

The small boat had a shaded canopy, railings on both sides, and seated six people. The boatman asked for three qian of silver, calculated at fifty wen per person.

Xiao Yuchan glared: "So expensive? Just a few days ago, it was only two qian per boat. How come the price has gone up?"

The dark-skinned boatman smiled: "It’s a holiday today, so more guests are coming to ride boats. With everyone scrambling to get on a boat, the price is naturally a bit higher than usual."

Xiao Yuchan certainly had money, but having to spend an extra qian felt like a loss to her!

As she hesitated, a wealthy young master standing behind them enthusiastically said, "We only have four people. If you don't mind the crowd, how about sharing the boat with us, Madam?"

Xiao Yuchan turned around and met a chubby face with lecherous eyes that deliberately glanced at her chest!

Before Xiao Yuchan could react, Yao Ge Er pushed forward, standing in front of his mother and said, "Only someone blind would want to share a boat with you!"

Caught off guard by the boy’s strength, the wealthy young master nearly stumbled and, feeling humiliated, reached out to grab Yao Ge Er.

"Bold!"

The four Xiao Family guards standing nearby immediately rushed over, separating Xiao Yuchan and her son from the other party.

Compared to the Xiao Family guards, the two young masters and their servants were like ducks next to geese; they couldn’t possibly win in a fight and had to leave in disgrace.

After this incident, Xiao Yuchan no longer cared about the extra qian and paid the fare, helping Yao Ge Er onto the boat first.

"Miss, there are many boats on the river, and collisions might occur. Would you like us to accompany you on the boat?" a guard asked with concern.

The boatman hastily interjected: "No need, I've been rowing boats for over twenty years and have never collided with another. Any boatman who crashes into another boat is just smashing their own livelihood."

Xiao Yuchan indeed just wanted to take her son on a boat ride, and having four guards with them would mean she’d have to watch her words and couldn’t speak freely.

"We'll be back in half a day, just wait for us on the shore."

The four guards had no choice but to obey.

The Luoshui River was broad, and the current was gentle. The boatman poled the boat, skillfully controlling the direction.

The mother and son sat at the bow. The sky was blue, and the water was clear, making them feel incredibly comfortable.

Qi Yao knelt at the edge of the boat, leaning forward to look into the water. His reflection was clearly visible, along with his mother’s head peeking over beside him.

Xiao Yuchan: "Are there any fish?"

Qi Yao: "Haven't seen any yet."

Xiao Yuchan: "Be careful. If you fall in, I'm never taking you out again."

Qi Yao: "Don't worry, I'm not a three or four-year-old kid."

Xiao Yuchan gently patted her son's bottom.

The two of them bowed their heads, searching for fish.

Suddenly, a splash of water fell from the sky, drenching Xiao Yuchan’s face. She was stunned for a moment, until the water slid down her cheeks, reminding her that it was real. Furious, she looked up.

Somehow, another boat had appeared beside them. The shifty-eyed rich young man from the shore was sitting on the side of the boat closest to her, holding an oar. He pretended to apologize, saying, "Sorry, we were just fooling around. I didn't expect the water to splash over to you."

Immediately after he spoke, his friend dipped another oar into the water and splashed it towards them. Xiao Yuchan dodged sideways but still got half her shoulder drenched.

She was wearing fine silk, but though the silk was beautiful, it was not waterproof. Once wet, it clung to her body.

Both rich young men and their servants stared openly at her.

Xiao Yuchan wanted to hide, but the boat only had a canopy for shade. No matter where she moved, she couldn't escape the lecherous man’s gaze.

Since she couldn't hide, Xiao Yuchan gave up on worrying about her clothes. She instructed Qi Yao to stay seated and then made her way unsteadily to the boatman. She grabbed an oar in each hand and returned, standing tall at the bow, glaring coldly at the two rich young men. "Have you had your fill of looking?"

One of them continued to stare lustfully, while the other, though he realized Xiao Yuchan might do something, didn’t believe that a beautiful lady could do anything drastic.

At that moment, Xiao Yuchan put down one oar and, with both hands, grabbed the other and slammed it down hard on the nearest rich young man.

"Crack!" The oar, which looked light but was actually heavy, hit the rich young man’s shoulder solidly, causing him to cry out in pain.

Xiao Yuchan picked up the other oar.

The boatman on the other boat smartly moved forward.

Xiao Yuchan glared at her own boatman. "Why aren't you chasing them!?"

The boatman: "...Madam, it's better not to argue with them. If things get out of hand, they outnumber us four to one. You and Young Master Qi might end up at a disadvantage."

Xiao Yuchan listened, but she was still fuming inside. Since the other boat hadn’t moved far, she hurled the oar with all her might.

The two rich young men were ready and avoided being hit. Seeing that Xiao Yuchan had no other "weapons," they had their boatman row back, intending to splash even more water on her.

Qi Yao shielded his mother with one hand, deflecting the splashing water, while tossing his shoe at the rich brat with the other.

The rich brat dodged and taunted, "Go on, toss your mom's fancy shoe over here too!"

Qi Yao was fuming with hatred. Suddenly, a dark object flew over their heads and struck the rich brat on the opposite boat. Only when it hit did Qi Yao realize it was an oar.

Where did it come from?

Qi Yao turned to look at his mother, and Xiao Yuchan also glanced back.

A small boat carrying three passengers was making its way through the spectating vessels. Two female passengers sat nervously in the center, while a handsome young man in green robes stood steadily at the bow, holding a second oar.

Qi Yao found this person somewhat familiar.

Xiao Yuchan recognized him. "Young Master Qi Yun?"

Qi Yun gave a slight nod, then shifted his gaze to the rich brat's boat and hurled the second oar.

This time, both rich brats got smacked by the oar—one once, the other twice.

The angrier they became, the more determined they were to retaliate. Spotting two beauties—one tall, one short—on the new boat, they decided to provoke them further instead of retreating.

As their boat drew near, Qi Yun suddenly leaped onto the rich brat's boat.

The small boat rocked violently, causing one of the servants to fall into the water. As the remaining three struggled to keep their balance, Qi Yun struck with a palm to the left and a kick to the right, sending two more people into the water. Only the most vocal brat with narrow eyes remained.

The rich young master panicked and begged for mercy. "Spare me, sir! I can’t swim. If I fall in, I’ll drown."

Qi Yun looked at Xiao Yuchan.

Xiao Yuchan laughed. "Kick him in! Let’s see how deep this river really is!"

Rather than kicking, Qi Yun grabbed an oar and whacked the rich brat with it.

Startled, the young master dodged backward and fell into the river by himself.

Xiao Yuchan and Qi Yao sat at the bow of their boat, laughing as they watched him splash about.

Qi Yun leaped back onto his boat, untied his robe, and casually handed it to Xiao Yuchan.

She glanced at her wet clothes and accepted the robe. "Thank you."

Qi Yun replied, "It’s my duty."

Xiao Yuchan quickly donned the robe, hiding her disheveled state. She then smiled at Mrs. Qi and Miss Yao behind Qi Yun. "You’re out boating too? What a coincidence."

Mrs. Qi was still concerned about the four people floundering in the water. Though they deserved their punishment, she didn’t want any fatalities.

Supporting her mother, Yao girl smiled at Xiao Yuchan. "It’s a shame we ran into those jerks and spoiled our day."

Xiao Yuchan chuckled as she watched the water. "Actually, it’s pretty entertaining—better than watching fish!"

Hearing this, Qi Yun glanced back at her. Her dripping hair and mischievous eyes amused him, but he paused. "Luocheng is full of wealthy merchants and nobles, many of them spoiled brats. It’s safer if you don’t go out alone next time."

Xiao Yuchan’s heart stirred, and she said to him, "Help me to the end. You’re not allowed to tell anyone in my family about this."

If her grandfather or father found out, she’d likely never be allowed out alone again.

Qi Yun looked hesitant.

Xiao Yuchan added, "If you help me, I will reward you generously."

The warm spring sun highlighted her wet face, her dripping hair framing her pale skin and red lips, giving her the look of someone fresh from a bath. Qi Yun lowered his gaze and replied softly, "Very well."