Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two

As soon as they stepped in, Jo Sheng asked, "Where’s your mother?"

"Mother... she passed away long ago, and so did Father."

Jo Sheng's eyes instantly turned red. "How did she pass away?"

"Mother fell ill and couldn't be cured. Father injured his leg while chopping wood in the mountains and later passed away." Zhao Beichuan didn't dare say that his mother had died giving birth to Xiaodou, fearing his uncle would disapprove of his younger brother.

Jo Sheng wiped away his tears, but they flowed even more. He couldn't hold back his sobs and knelt on the ground in grief.

He had only one younger sister, and they had been very close since childhood. If not for the flood that separated them, he would have taken his wife and children to the north.

After the floodwaters receded, he couldn't find his sister and brother-in-law and had to return with the other villagers.

"All these years... I thought you were all gone..."

Zhao Beichuan wiped his eyes and helped his uncle stand. "That's all in the past now."

Zhao Beidou also felt a pang of sadness and joined in the tears. It took them a long time to compose themselves. Jo Sheng then led them into the house.

It was clear that his uncle's family wasn't well-off. The three low thatched cottages looked rather dilapidated, and there was a strong smell of herbal medicine in the air.

Liu Shi, lying on the kang, heard the door open and asked, "Is my husband back?"

"Cui Zhi, look who's here."

Liu Shi looked up and, seeing Zhao Beichuan and Zhao Beidou behind him, widened her eyes in surprise. "These... these are Xiao Min’s children!"

"Aunt."

"Oh! My dear!" Liu Shi said tearfully, reaching out to touch their faces. "Where are your parents? Why are only you two here?"

"Xiao Min and Er'an are both gone," Jo Sheng said, wiping his nose, his eyes red.

Liu Shi began to weep, and since she was frail and suffered from chest pains, Jo Sheng didn't dare let her grieve too much, quickly comforting her by patting her back.

After a while, Liu Shi managed to stop her tears and, with a choked voice, asked, "What are your names?"

"My name is Zhao Beichuan, my brother is called Zhao Beidou, and we also have a younger sister named Zhao Xiaonian."

Liu Shi held Zhao Beichuan's hand and said to her husband, "This child looks so much like you. It’s clear they are from our Jo family lineage."

Jo Sheng also had a deep affection for his two nephews. "You stay here for a while. I'll go buy some food and wine."

"No need to trouble yourself."

"It’s no trouble." Jo Sheng took a string of cash from a chest and hurried out.

Liu Shi looked seriously ill, her face pale and devoid of color. She wanted to get up to attend to her nephews, but she was too weak.

Zhao Beichuan quickly helped her lie back down. "Aunt, please don’t get up. We can manage ourselves."

"Sigh... my body is useless now. Tell me about your parents."

Zhao Beichuan sat down and began to recount the details. By the time the sun was setting, Jo Sheng returned with a piece of pork and a small jar of yellow wine. Since he didn’t have much extra money, the wine was bought on credit.

By the time he entered the house, Zhao Beichuan had already cooked the meal. They also had some preserved meat and pickles from the cart, which they used to make a pot of preserved meat porridge.

Qiao Sheng looked at his nephew and smiled, "You can cook as well?"

"Yes, I’ve been managing a restaurant with my husband for a few years."

"That’s impressive, let’s eat."

A small kang table was placed on the heated brick bed, and the three relatives sat together. Liu Shi could only manage half a bowl of porridge before she became restless and lay down to sleep.

"How is Auntie’s health..."

Qiao Sheng sighed, "Ah, she lost three children during that famine, which deeply grieved her. Later, she had two more but couldn’t keep them either. Her mental state has worsened since then."

"Have you consulted a doctor?"

"Yes, she’s been taking medicine, but it doesn’t seem to help."

Local doctors mostly prescribed common tonics, which were ineffective but costly.

Zhao Beichuan said, "My husband and I run a restaurant in Ping Prefecture, and life is quite good. Uncle, would you like to come back with us?"

Qiao Sheng was stunned and shook his head, "No, the journey is too long, and I’m afraid your aunt’s health wouldn’t hold up."

Zhao Beichuan knew he was worried about being a burden but always wished for his uncle to live better.

"Then let me take you to Qingzhou City to see a doctor. We can’t continue to let this go on."

Qiao Sheng waved his hand. Over the years, he had exhausted all their savings to treat his wife’s illness, so how could they afford to see a doctor in Qingzhou?

"Don’t worry about the money. Your nephew has enough silver to cover the medical expenses!"

Qiao Sheng’s nose tingled, and tears welled up in his eyes. He got up and rummaged through the bottom of the chest to find a small bundle, "These are your late mother’s things, left behind when we were separated. There’s a small garment inside that your mother made for you."

Zhao Beichuan opened the bundle to find a sewing basket, a few pieces of fine cloth, and at the bottom, a small brown linen garment, only the size of his palm.

Zhao Beidou also came over to look. He had never seen his mother’s face, and taking the small garment from his elder brother’s hand, he sniffed it, as if he could still smell his mother’s scent.

Qiao Sheng told them many stories from the past, from their mother’s childhood to after her marriage. Unfortunately, a natural disaster separated their family, and they never saw each other again.

They talked until late into the night before Zhao Beidou and Zhao Beichuan finally went to sleep.

*

After a recent autumn rain, the days had become increasingly chilly.

Early in the morning, Lu Yao sneezed three times and felt a slight warmth on his forehead, so he quickly put on a thick robe to warm up.

Outside, Seven Treasures and Plate were already waiting. These two men were servants Lu Yao had bought over the years. Seeing Lu Yao come out, they harnessed the horse and asked, "Master, are we going to the restaurant or the shop?"

"Let’s go to the Qian Cao Studio first."

"Yes." Seven Treasures helped Lu Yao onto the carriage.

Lu Yao leaned back on the cushion and felt sleepy as the carriage swayed, so he took another nap and was only woken when the carriage stopped. Recently, he had been feeling exhausted all the time, perhaps due to autumn lethargy.

Getting off the carriage and entering the shop, the spice shop was being renovated. The old, shabby counters had been removed, and a new set of rosewood cabinets had been custom-made. Behind them were rows of grid cabinets filled with various spices.

The shop sold all kinds of spices and incense tools. A well-crafted incense ball could sell for five or six taels of silver, making it a very profitable business.

Those who can afford to buy incense are all wealthy families, and both men and women use it. Some like the scent of the incense, while others use it to cover up their body odor.

After all, people like Lu Yao, who bathe daily, are rare. Most people bathe only once or twice a month, and in the winter, some might go several months without bathing. Because of the cold weather, catching a cold could easily become a life-threatening situation.

The reason this shop was struggling was that the original owner had passed away, and his son, who was irresponsible, had nearly squandered the family fortune. They urgently needed to sell the shop and eventually managed to sell it for a mere five thousand taels of silver.

The shop's manager, Yan Ni, greeted him. "Boss," she said. She was a woman in her early thirties.

"How many more days until we open?"

"By the end of this month at the latest," came the reply.

It was already mid-September, so there were only a few more days until the end of the month. "Alright, ensure the renovations are completed and all the necessary incense utensils are prepared."

"Yes."

"Once we open, we should run some promotional activities."

Yan Ni looked puzzled. "May I ask what kind of promotional activities, boss?"

"Buy incense and get free incense utensils. We'll give away the unsold, cheaper incense utensils we have in stock and bring in some new, high-quality ones."

"Yes." Yan Ni thought it was a good idea. The shop had accumulated a lot of old incense utensils over the years. Although they were still in good condition, their designs were outdated and hard to sell. Giving them away with the incense might attract more repeat customers.

Lu Yao continued, "In the future, customers who spend a certain amount in the shop will become our VIP clients and will have the privilege of being the first to try new incense products."

"Ah... wait, boss. Let me jot this down." Yan Ni quickly fetched a notebook and began taking notes on the desk.

"Reserve some unique incense blends that will only be sold to VIP clients, not to ordinary customers."

"If a VIP client does not make a purchase for three consecutive months, their membership will be downgraded."

"Design some expensive gold and silver incense utensils, the more luxurious the better."

"Make sure to give the incense products good names. If necessary, hire those scholarly writers who compose poetic names. We need to build a strong reputation."

Yan Ni listened attentively, becoming increasingly impressed by this handsome young man. She had never thought of these business strategies before. No wonder Lu Yao's wine shop had become so popular in just a few years.

Lu Yao rubbed his fingers together, having shared most of the high-end business tactics he remembered from his previous life, then stood up and put on his cloak. "Work hard. If you cannot double the shop’s profits in three months, I will replace you with someone else."

Yan Ni's breath caught in her throat. Three months would take them to the end of the year. While sales would certainly rise, doubling the profits was another matter.

Lu Yao walked to the door and said, "If you do well, I'll give you a share of the profits."

"Yes!"

After returning from the incense shop to the wine shop, Lu Yao rubbed his hands together and went into the back room. The wind was bitterly cold, seeping into his neck.

Xiao Lan'er entered, holding a hot water bottle. "Sister-in-law, Year Sister asked me to bring this for you."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Lu Yao took the hot water bottle and hugged Xiao Lan'er, bringing her onto the kang to play. He grabbed a handful of dried fruits from a box and gave them to her to eat.

The little girl wasn't shy and sat on the kang with her shoes removed, eating the dried fruits. Seeing her eat so much, Lu Yao gave her some water to drink. After eating and drinking her fill, the little girl lay down on the kang and fell asleep.

Lu Yao covered her with a quilt and gently pinched her chubby little face. The sensation was truly pleasant.

He picked up the ledger and looked through it, then flipped through the invitations that had been sent over the past few days. Aside from personally attending the wedding of Master Liu’s son on the eighth of next month, the other events could be handled by sending gifts.

While reading, Lu Yao started feeling sleepy again, resting his chin on his hand and dozing off.

"Third Brother, Third Brother?"

Lu Yao opened his eyes groggily and saw Lu Miao.

"How did you get here?"

Lu Miao, seeing the box of dried fruits on the kang, picked it up and started eating as she spoke, "Mom told you to come over for dinner tonight." With Brother-in-law away, Lu Miao spends most of her time either at Second Brother's house or helping out at the wine shop.

"Alright." Lu Yao stretched, feeling uncomfortable after the nap, especially his sore and stiff shoulders.

"Brother, are you feeling sick?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You don't look too good," said Lu Miao, handing over some dried fruits. Lu Yao picked out a few longans to eat, leaving the plums and mango slices alone.

"Maybe I caught a chill due to the changing weather. I'll drink some ginger soup tonight and I'll be fine."

"Have there been any messages from your brother-in-law and Xiao Dou?"

Lu Yao shook his head, "They should be back by mid-October at the latest. No need to worry."

"Sigh, since Changbao left, I've been worried sick. Egg keeps asking for Dad. When he comes back this time, I'll make sure he changes his position and stops going to the frontier to lead troops."

"Talk to him calmly. Brother-in-law is a reliable person, don't lose your temper."

"I know."

After chatting for a while, Lu Yao got up and started putting on his clothes. The two of them took the wine shop’s horse carriage back to Changshui Street.

That evening, Lu's mother had made dumplings with celery and meat filling, which were exceptionally delicious.

Lu Yao couldn’t resist eating a few more, but suddenly felt nauseous and rushed out, covering his mouth.

When he returned a moment later, he saw everyone staring at him.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Lin asked, "Is your stomach upset?"

"A little. Maybe I caught some cold wind this morning."

Hu Chunrong said, "I think Third Brother looks like he’s experiencing pregnancy cravings."

Lu Yao burst out laughing, "Sister-in-law, that’s a joke. It’s impossible."

He and Zhao Beichuan had never used any form of contraception over the years, and they had never gotten pregnant. How could it happen suddenly now?

A while ago, he had a doctor check his pulse, who said there was nothing wrong with his body, but the reason they hadn’t been able to conceive might be related to his own body as a "ge'er." According to the science from his past life, a "ge'er" is essentially a hermaphrodite, having two sets of organs but only capable of conceiving, not producing sperm like a man. As they age, the female hormones in a "ge'er" gradually decrease, and once they reach a certain level, the ability to conceive almost disappears. Some "ge'er" might even grow beards like men when they get older.

Lu’s mother, still concerned, said, "Why don’t you have a doctor check you out when you have time?"

"Okay." After he vomited, Lu Yao's appetite suddenly returned, and he ate another six or seven dumplings until his stomach was full.

The night was cold, and Lu Lin invited him to stay overnight. The new courtyard has plenty of rooms, so there’s more than enough space.

Lu Yao is worried about Xiaonian and Xiaochun. "I'd better go back. It’s not far by carriage, and it won’t take long."

Since Lu Lin couldn't persuade him to stay, he had no choice but to personally drive the carriage and send him back.

As soon as Lu Yao returned home, he hugged a hot water bottle and burrowed into the quilt. When Beichuan returns, he’ll definitely have him install a kang in the west room. Without someone to warm the bed, his feet were truly cold!

*

In the meantime, Zhao Beichuan and Zhao Beidou were heading to Qing Prefecture with their uncle, aunt, and Old Madam Zhao.

They stayed at their uncle’s house for two days and finally persuaded him to take his aunt with him to Qing Prefecture for medical treatment.

Before leaving, Zhao Beichuan brought Old Madam Zhao along and gave fifty taels of silver to each of his two paternal uncles’ families as a gesture of thanks for their hospitality. In the future, his parents’ graves would need to be moved back, and he was willing to spend the money to maintain good relations with his uncles.

Zhao Zhi and Zhao Gan were speechless upon receiving the silver. It seemed that their nephew's life was far better than they had imagined, which reassured them.

The journey from the village to Qingzhou City took three days. When they arrived, the escort agency people hadn’t left yet. Zhao Beichuan quickly greeted them and asked Zheng Lian to wait one more day while he settled his uncle and aunt.

He rented a small independent courtyard in Qingzhou City and left four hundred taels of silver for his uncle as a gesture of support. "Please take this money to treat your wife’s illness. We will come back next year to move my parents' graves."

"This... how can this be acceptable!" Qiao Sheng refused, not wanting to accept the money.

"Please take it. Make sure to get proper treatment for your wife. I have no other relatives," Zhao Beichuan said.

Liu Shi turned her head and discreetly wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She had never held her nephew when he was a child and felt unworthy of his care.

Qiao Sheng also shed tears. "Good child, your uncle appreciates your kindness. Don’t worry about anything else. I will definitely take good care of your aunt. You’re going on a long journey, so make sure to return home safely."

"Yes."

Zhao Beichuan, along with his younger brother and Old Madam Zhao, went back to the escort agency. After resting overnight, they set off early the next morning to return home.

They had been away for too long, and Zhao Beichuan was eager to return. He wondered how things were at home, whether Xiaodou had passed the imperial exams, and if Lu Yao had missed him.