Chapter 145

Chapter 145

While the festivities in Ping Prefecture were lively, it was much more subdued in Shangjing.

On New Year's Eve, Lu Yao and the Zhao brothers, Beichuan and Beidou, shared a meal, preparing six dishes and several plates of dumplings.

Due to their longing for family in Ping Prefecture, their moods were subdued. Zhao Beichuan made an exception and allowed his younger brother to drink a little wine, but Lu Yao, pregnant, couldn’t drink and felt full after eating just one bowl of dumplings.

After the meal, the three sat in the side room, roasting by the fire and cracking melon seeds to see the old year out.

Lu Yao brought up Lin Zijian, "Is he feeling better?"

"No, he was still coughing when I visited yesterday. I didn’t want to risk getting sick, so I didn’t meet him."

"Sigh, suffering this unjust fate. Luckily, you didn’t drink that day."

Zhao Beichuan said, "How can that Lu fellow be so malicious? What did he gain by harming us? Does he know his limits?"

"Perhaps it was a misunderstanding..."

"I wonder if making you enter officialdom so early is a good thing." Lu Yao sighed, after the new year Beidou would only be fifteen. At his age, in modern times, he would still be in junior or senior high school. In ancient times, although he had reached the age for marriage, he was still a young boy.

Being too young wasn’t necessarily good. He still held an initial, idealistic view of human nature, and if he faces setbacks, he might falter halfway.

Zhao Beidou sat up straight and said, "To support my elder brother, sister-in-law, and my little nephew, I should enter officialdom early."

They had never discussed this topic before, but now that it was raised, Lu Yao couldn’t help but say more.

"Though my sister-in-law has never held an official position, she knows that the emperor's food is not easily eaten. The officialdom is like a battlefield, and a single misstep can implicate the entire family. Besides, we lack a solid foundation. As rural folk, even if we have a few taels of silver in our pockets now, we still don’t attract the attention of the nobility."

Lu Yao paused and looked at his younger brother with loving eyes, "I only hope you do well in this imperial examination, secure a good rank, and find a good mentor to guide you."

Zhao Beichuan held Lu Yao's hand, deeply moved.

A parent's love for their child plans for the long term. Although Lu Yao wasn’t Xiaodou and Xiaonian’s mother, as the elder brother’s wife, she had always taken on the role of a mother. Since marrying into the Zhao family, she had shouldered the role of a mother.

Without her leading the family forward, they might still be living in a small mountain village, farming for a living, and worrying about a few pieces of silver. Xiaonian might have been married off to anyone, and Xiaodou, at his age, would have been betrothed and working the fields with him, day after day, year after year.

But now, everything was different. They had moved from the small mountain village to the capital of Da Wu, Xiaodou had passed the imperial examination, Xiaonian had a capable husband, and they had even bought a house and a tavern in the capital. Their lives were thousands of times better than ordinary people's.

Zhao Beichuan was content and grateful.

By midnight, Lu Yao felt tired. His pregnancy made him sleep more than usual.

Zhao Beichuan gently carried him to the adjacent bedroom and returned to continue the new year's vigil with his brother.

*

After the new year, time seemed to speed up. More and more scholars arrived in Shangjing, and the atmosphere for the imperial exams grew increasingly tense.

Lin Zijian's cold took six or seven days to improve, but even after recovery, he was left with a slight cold disorder. His knees, having been soaked in icy water, ached severely on cloudy days.

After consulting a doctor and trying acupuncture several times with little effect, he could only wear thick cotton pants for warmth, which provided some relief.

Lin Zijian never told his family that his illness was caused by ingesting cold food powder. But after this incident, both of them became more cautious.

Faces are not hearts. Whether it was Lu Yuan or the Du scholar who administered the cold food powder was unknown, but since Lu Yuan avoided drinking yet encouraged them to drink, they didn’t believe there wasn’t some trickery involved.

So they consciously distanced themselves from Lu Yuan. Though they still maintained a surface relationship, they had already excluded him from their inner circle.

From the sixth day of the new year, they began to study at the Imperial Academy. Unlike the Guozijian, which focused on political thought, the Imperial Academy emphasized cultural literacy.

They ran into Du Mao'an here, the same person they had dinner with last time. He looked much thinner and had an unnatural flush on his face.

Zhao Beichuan originally had no intention of paying him any attention, but unexpectedly, Du Mao'an called out to the two of them, "Young Master Zhao, Young Master Lin."

Zhao Beichuan stopped and said, "Brother Mao'an, what can we do for you?"

"I didn't expect to run into you here. How about having a meal together at noon?"

Lin Zijian quickly refused, "We need to head home. The family has been stricter with us lately."

Du Mao'an pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you get in touch with Lu Yuan?"

Zhao Beidou shook his head, "Haven't seen him in a while. Do you need him for something?"

Du Mao'an cursed under his breath, "That bastard has been avoiding me."

Noticing his unusual appearance, Lin Zijian hurriedly pulled Zhao Beidou away.

After they had walked far, Lin Zijian whispered, "Judging by his appearance, he must have just used the cold food powder. It's so cold, yet he's wearing thin clothes, and his neck is unnaturally red."

The mere mention of it made Zhao Beidou feel extremely disgusted, and he hurriedly left the Imperial Academy with him.

The next time they heard about Du Mao'an was a month later. It was said that he had gotten into a big fight with the heir of Prince Shun over a qin player at Yunxiang Lou and had his leg broken by the other party.

The Wu Dynasty did not allow people with disabilities to enter officialdom. A young top scholar with a bright future had his path to success cut short here.

*

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Xiaonian and their group finally arrived at Shang Jing.

Having not seen her sister-in-law and elder brother for over two months, she was eager to see them. As soon as the carriage stopped, she impatiently knocked on the door and ran towards the courtyard.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law!"

Lu Yao was taking medicine in the room. He had caught a cold recently and had been sniffling. The doctor had prescribed two doses of herbal medicine that wouldn't affect the fetus, but they tasted like horse manure.

Suddenly hearing Xiaonian's voice, he almost choked and hurriedly put down the medicine bowl for Bong Yan to clean up. He then quickly opened the door and saw Xiaonian running towards him.

"Sister-in-law!"

"You're here so soon? I thought I'd have to wait a few more days." Lu Yao said, his eyes curved in happiness.

"I couldn't wait. Brother Ma Kuan said we could leave on the third day, so we came on the third day. We didn't delay and arrived directly at Shang Jing. Where's my elder brother?"

"He's not home; he went to the shop. Just yesterday, the new signboard at the tavern was covered with a red cloth, waiting for you all to arrive before opening."

"Hehe, I haven't seen our family's shop in Shang Jing yet."

"No rush. You've just arrived. Settle down first, and we can go tomorrow."

Behind them, Ma Kuan and Zhang Qiulan got off the carriage. They were getting married in a little over a month. The reason Zhang Qiulan was called here was that Lu Yao planned to hand over the management of the Shang Jing tavern to the couple after their marriage.

Ma Kuan would be going to the Zhong Prefecture wine shop next year, and Lu Yao's pregnancy made it difficult for him to keep up with everything. The Ping Prefecture tavern could be managed by Lu Miao and the others, but the Shang Jing tavern required someone capable to run it.

Zijian and Xiaochun were too quiet and couldn't handle the complexities of the business world, so Zhang Qiulan was the perfect candidate.

Zhang Qiulan had felt a bit of motion sickness on the way and had vomited a few times, leaving his face somewhat pale. Xiaochun supported him, very worried.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. A little rest will do."

The two of them entered the yard and called out in unison, "Sister-in-law."

Lu Yao hurriedly came forward and said, "Is Qiulan feeling unwell?"

"A bit carsick," he replied.

"We've prepared the west wing for you. Go rest first."

Zhang Qiulan didn't push himself, as he was feeling quite dizzy and was helped by Xiaochun to the west wing room.

The west and east wings were similar to those in Ping Prefecture, each having three rooms. The left and right rooms were bedrooms, and the middle room was a living room for receiving guests.

The left room was Xiao Nian's, and the right room was Zhang Qiulan's. Xiaochun's room was in the east wing next to Zhao Beidou's.

Upon entering the room, they found all the furniture fully prepared. The bed linens were newly made, and the room was scented with incense, showing great attention to detail.

Xiaochun helped Zhang Qiulan remove his cloak and assisted him in sitting on the bed. "Would you like to lie down for a bit?"

"Yes," Zhang Qiulan responded.

In the main room, Xiao Nian proudly displayed the gifts for the unborn baby to Lu Yao.

"I made these clothes for my little nephew. Sister-in-law, what do you think? Do they look good?"

She had made six pieces in total, all using soft silk fabric, embroidered with designs such as the Hundred Blessings, Lotus and Carp, and the Peaceful Auspicious Cloud pattern. The colors were bright, and the craftsmanship was excellent, comparable to professional embroiderers. An inner lining was sewn inside to prevent chafing against the baby's delicate skin.

"They look great, much better than the ones I made," Lu Yao admitted. In her free time, she had also made a few small clothes, using the small clothes Zhao Beichuan brought from Qing Prefecture as a model.

The fabric she used was soft and glutinous silk, costing 600 wen per foot, making it quite luxurious. However, since the baby is small, less fabric is needed. Two feet of fabric could make two small clothes.

Xiao Nian then took out clothes made by Mother Lu and some old clothes that Dandan and Taotao wore when they were young. "Hu Ersao said these old clothes are best for the baby. They have been washed until they are soft, so the baby will feel comfortable wearing them."

Lu Yao examined them and recognized several pieces. She might have held the children when they wore these clothes.

After putting the clothes away in the cabinet, Lu Yao asked about the family's situation. How have the elders been during our absence?

"They are well. Mother is still very healthy and active. On the thirtieth, we spent the New Year on Changshui Street, and she personally cooked us a chicken stew."

Lu Yao couldn't help but smile. "That old lady can't sit still."

Xiao Nian, rarely being affectionate, tugged at Lu Yao's arm and leaned against her. "We missed you, Brother Xiaochun, and Little Xiaodou so much."

Lu Yao gently rubbed her head. "I missed you too, which is why I asked Ma Kuan to bring you over quickly."

Ma Kuan and Xiaochun walked in, and Lu Yao said, "You must be tired from the journey."

Ma Kuan smiled. "It's alright."

"Stay in Shang Jing and rest well during this time. If you have time, take Xiao Nian out for a walk. Don't be constrained."

"Yes."

It was almost noon, and Lu Yao asked Lu Jia to call Zhao Beichuan back and order a table of food from the nearby restaurant to bring back, saving them another trip.

Soon after, Zhao Beidou returned from the Imperial Academy and, seeing Xiaochun busy organizing things in the yard, was surprised. "Second brother, you're here!"

Xiaochun smiled. "Yes, we just arrived not long ago."

"Did elder sister come?"

"Everyone is here, in the room with your sister-in-law."

Zhao Beidou rushed into the room excitedly, "Sister!"

"Dou!"

The two started playing as soon as they saw each other. Xiaonian flicked Xiaodou on the forehead, but Xiaodou held onto her shoulder, preventing her from flicking him again. They laughed and played for a while before stopping. Xiaonian secretly pinched him a couple of times before feeling satisfied.

"Ow, Sister, how immature can you be? How old are you, and you're still pinching?"

"Even when you’re sixty, I’ll still pinch you if I feel like it."

Lu Yao laughed beside them, holding her sides, "Alright, alright. Time to get ready for dinner. Xiaonian, go check on Chang Qiulan. I saw him looking a bit unwell earlier."

"Okay."

Xiaodou exclaimed in surprise, "Second Sister-in-law is here too?"

Lu Yao nodded, "We plan to hand over the business here in Shang Jing to him to manage from now on."

"I see." Beidou wasn’t adept at business matters; his mind was focused on his studies.

They waited for about an hour before Zhao Beichuan returned with his group in a carriage. The three children couldn't help but run to him, surrounding and greeting him warmly for a long while.

Zhang Qiulan had slept for a while and looked much improved. He stood at the door, enviously watching the four Zhao siblings.

He also had two half-brothers from his father’s second wife, close in age, but there was no affection between them. Those two boys, influenced by their stepmother, were hostile toward him. They never called him brother in private, only pretending to call him brother in front of their father.

Zhang Qiulan didn’t bother with them. His stepmother had already made a fuss several times because of his marriage, unwilling to provide the dowry shops. When he heard Lu Yao’s invitation to Shang Jing, he agreed without a second thought. It was better to escape the troubles at home.

A servant boy set up a large round table in the main room, reheated the dishes purchased from the restaurant, and laid them out. The family enjoyed their first reunion dinner.

Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan, like elder family members, looked at their soon-to-be-married younger siblings with much emotion. Before they knew it, the children had all grown up.

During the meal, Xiaonian asked about the restaurant.

Zhao Beichuan said, "The restaurant is all set up. We plan to open after the Lantern Festival celebrations. The staff has been recruited—ten employees, plus four assistant chefs." The four assistant chefs were bound by lifetime contracts, relatively young, and would become reliable household servants for the Lu family, especially useful in the kitchen.

Next, they discussed Xiaodou’s upcoming imperial examinations.

Zhao Beidou said, "The exam begins on the fifth of February, lasting three days. The results will be out within seven days, followed by the palace exam the next day."

Xiaonian asked excitedly, "How prepared are you?"

"Confident."

Zhao Beichuan snorted, "Don't be too sure of yourself. If you don't do well, you'll come back crying."

"Don't worry, Big Brother. At the very least, I’ll pass the Jinshi exam!"

Xiaochun couldn't help but praise his brother, "Well done!"

The atmosphere grew livelier, and the meal lasted until the evening. Everyone except Lu Yao had drunk wine. Zhao Beichuan, after four bowls of aged wine, was already drunk and was helped into the bedroom by Xiaodou.

Lu Yao urged everyone else to go wash up and rest early, as they must be exhausted after such a long journey.

Zhang Qiulan, who couldn’t handle much alcohol, was unsteady on his feet when he got up.

Xiaochun quickly helped the person into the west wing room, and had barely closed the door when Zhang Qiulan pushed him back against the door.

Though he looked like a younger brother, Zhang Qiulan was tall, broad-shouldered, and very strong. Xiaochun tried to struggle free a few times but couldn't break free, his face reddening as he whispered softly, "Go rest soon."

"Call me brother."

"Cut it out."

Zhang Qiulan insisted, whispering hot alcoholic breath into his ear, "Just say it."

"Lan-gege..." After calling out, Xiaochun felt a wave of heat rush over him.

Zhang Qiulan brushed his cheek and then loosened his grip, staggering towards the bed.

Xiaochun quickly knelt to help him remove his shoes, but suddenly, Zhang Qiulan hooked his arm around Xiaochun's shoulder and dragged him onto the bed.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Stay with me tonight?"

"N-no... we're not married yet..."

Zhang Qiulan didn't say anything, his eyes shining as he nudged Xiaochun with his knee, causing him to stiffen and break out in a light sweat before finally letting him go. "I’m just teasing. Get some rest."

"Okay." Xiaochun, his face blushing, tucked the blanket around him carefully and took a while to compose himself before leaving the room.