Chapter 141: Sixteen’s Appearance

Chapter 141: Sixteen’s Appearance

Pregnancy was something Qiu Huanian never expected, and the planned departure date was pushed back by three days to give Qiu Huanian time to recover.

Du Yunse initially wanted to send someone quickly to the capital to request additional leave from the Ministry of Personnel, but Qiu Huanian talked him out of it.

"You can’t take ten months of leave in one go. Sooner or later, you’ll have to go to the capital, so it’s better to go while the pregnancy is still early and things are easier."

"Besides, you’ve just been named the Number One Scholar, and countless people are watching us. We should try to stay under the radar."

Lark stayed up all night making several comfy cushions for Qiu Huanian, who relaxed on a lounge chair to cool down. The open window let in the scent of roses.

Milk Frost hopped back and forth across the threshold, playing. Qiu Huanian called out, and it quickly scampered over, though it didn’t jump onto him, instead circling around and meowing at his feet.

Qiu Huanian recalled that since returning to the city, Milk Frost hadn’t jumped on him recklessly. And at Little Raccoon’s welcoming party a few days ago, Little Raccoon had been snuggling close to his belly.

Could it be that these two little ones had already sensed another life within him?

It’s said that small animals and babies are much more sensitive than adults and can sense many wondrous things.

After learning of Qiu Huanian’s pregnancy, friends from the city came to congratulate him, bringing many useful gifts.

Su Xinbai even gave him a big box of "pregnancy must-haves" and wrote down many precautions, which reassured Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse’s habit was to keep servants away while resting, so only the two of them were in the main room at that moment. To keep Qiu Huanian from overworking himself, Jiu Jiu and Meng Yuanling had handled packing and preparing the luggage.

Qiu Huanian noticed Du Yunse’s gaze lingering on him and deliberately moved, turning over, which successfully made Du Yunse instinctively stand up.

"Is Brother Hua feeling unwell?"

"After lying down for two days, I feel much better," Qiu Huanian gently shook his head. "I just didn’t expect…"

Qiu Huanian looked around, confirming no one else was there, and continued, "Yun Se, do you know, in the place I came from, I couldn’t get pregnant."

"This feeling is hard to describe… It’s like one day, you suddenly find out you’re pregnant?"

Qiu Huanian chuckled at his own odd comparison, but Du Yunse thought about it seriously.

"It’s indeed hard to imagine, but if it’s a child with Brother Hua, I would still feel more joy than shock."

Qiu Huanian hummed in agreement, pulling Du Yunse’s hand and shaking it. "I’ve always been good at adapting to my environment, but I’m still so happy to have met you here."

Qiu Huanian sometimes wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t met Du Yunse after crossing over, or if the Du Yunse he met wasn’t the one before him.

He thought he would still strive to live in this unfamiliar world and make life better, but he wouldn’t feel as content and joyful as he does now.

And he probably wouldn’t have naturally accepted the idea of getting pregnant and having a child.

Du Yunse took Qiu Huanian’s hand and pressed a warm kiss to it.

"Our Eight Characters show that our Five Elements are in harmony, and our zodiac signs are in harmony. No matter where we are, we were meant to meet."

Du Yunse spoke so seriously that Qiu Huanian was both moved and found it magical, unable to hold back a laugh. "Confucius said not to speak of strange forces and chaos, so why does the great Number One Scholar believe in this so much?"

Du Yunse didn’t answer, only holding Qiu Huanian’s hand tighter.

…

After three days of rest, everything was ready, and Qiu Huanian’s family began their journey to the capital.

The house in the prefecture city was left for Meng Yuanling and Yun Cheng to live in. Qiu Huanian had Meng Yuanling hire a separate person to sweep the courtyard and a cook, so that when Yun Cheng was away at the academy, there would be more people in the house for safety.

Meng Yuanling had been doing business with Qiu Huanian for a long time and was now capable of handling things independently. Qiu’s Six Staples in Xiangping Prefecture, including all its businesses and workshops, were fully entrusted to Meng Yuanling by Qiu Huanian. With the Zhu family keeping an eye out, there would be no issues.

Before leaving, Qiu Huanian had a private conversation with Meng Yuanling. Qiu Huanian wanted to give Meng Yuanling 20% of the shares of Qiu’s Six Staples in Xiangping Prefecture. Meng Yuanling repeatedly declined, but Qiu Huanian had already made up his mind.

"For such a long time, you have been managing all the trivial matters of Qiu’s Six Staples in Xiangping Prefecture. After I go to the capital, you will be the only one left here. You should be rewarded based on your hard work. Take the shares and do well."

In modern times, to retain core employees and motivate them, companies also reward outstanding senior employees with shares. Qiu Huanian felt that Meng Yuanling was completely deserving of these dividends.

Meng Yuanling’s eyes welled up as he said, "Brother Hua, when Yun Cheng goes to the capital for the imperial examination, we will come to find you."

After nearly three years of living and working together, Meng Yuanling had already considered Qiu Huanian as one of his closest family members.

"Take good care of yourself and have a safe delivery for our little nephew. When we meet again, our family will be even bigger."

Qiu Huanian smiled and rubbed Meng Yuanling’s head, gave him and Yun Cheng some instructions, and finally took a last look at the house where they had lived for more than a year before stepping onto the specially outfitted, luxurious carriage.

This trip to the capital was a real move. Jin San, Wu Da, and Mumian, along with their families, were all brought along. Just the items picked from the warehouse filled five large carts, along with various large items hauled by carts.

Yuan Jia and her brother obtained travel passes from the government and joined the procession. Bing Qi and Bing Ba also rode in a carriage. Besides them, Wei Li and Granny Wei were also present.

Wei Li had never reciprocated Bing Qi’s feelings, but he approached Qiu Huanian, saying he also wanted to go to the capital.

"Last year, I followed the Township Lord’s orders to document farm activities on the estate, and I did quite well. I heard that the Township Lord is planning to trial new crops in the capital, so I should be able to help."

Wei Li had always wanted to repay Qiu Huanian’s kindness. To him, Qiu Huanian, who had given him a new life twice, was as important as Granny Wei.

Qiu Huanian was delighted by Wei Li’s decision.

Wei Li was literate, meticulous, and a good painter. He could understand Qiu Huanian’s intentions and had considerable experience in recording crop growth. With his help, Qiu Huanian’s plans for the estate in the capital would proceed much more smoothly.

"Good, then bring Granny Wei and come to the capital with us. Don’t fret over the carriage or where you’ll stay. I will give you the same monthly pay as Yuan Jia."

Qiu Huanian was always generous to talented individuals who could become his employees.

After bidding farewell to the friends who came to see them off outside the city, a large caravan of over a dozen carts set off on the official road. Escorted by tall, well-armed soldiers from the capital, no troublemakers or bandits dared to cause trouble along the way.

Due to the large number of people and carts on the return trip, and Qiu Huanian’s physical discomfort, the convoy could not travel as fast as it did from the capital to Xiangping Prefecture. The journey to the capital took a full twelve days, just in time for Du Yunse’s vacation to end.

A few days before departure, they sent a letter ahead to the capital. Under the care of Min Leyi and his sister-in-law Ren Suyin, the servants in the capital’s house had already prepared several courtyards, cleaned the rooms, added everyday essentials, and replaced the bedding and pillows on the beds.

After presenting their identification to the city guards, the convoy entered the inner city of the capital through the Xuanwu Gate and arrived at the Nanxun District after passing through the Dashiyong District.

It was Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng’s first time in the capital, and they couldn’t help but look out the carriage window at the bustling streets and exquisite buildings.

"Sister, are we really going to live in such a place in the future?"

Jiu Jiu nodded seriously and said to Chun Sheng, "Chun Sheng, Brother Hua is expecting. We are about to have a little nephew or niece, which means we are already elders and can’t act like children anymore."

Chun Sheng clenched his fists earnestly, "I know, I will definitely work hard to train in martial arts this time. I want to be a powerful uncle!"

Coral and Bai Ye, who were sitting in the carriage with the siblings, couldn’t help but smile. Their young masters were growing up, and they needed to grow with them.

The capital servants quietly looked to the experienced and capable Quan Yu as their leader. When Qiu Huanian and his party arrived at the house, Quan Yu had already brought everyone to the gate to welcome them.

"Master Min and Lady Ren suggested that the master and the Township Lord rest after their long journey. Once our home is set up, they will come to visit."

Min Leyi and Ren Suyin knew that their presence would still require Qiu Huanian to host them, so they stayed away today.

Qiu Huanian was indeed tired and had the servants unload the luggage from the carts and store it in the warehouse, to be sorted out later. The others were temporarily housed in the side rooms of the main courtyard, with permanent accommodations to be assigned once everything was settled.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng stayed in the east and west side rooms of the inner courtyard, while Bing Qi and Bing Ba, the two brothers, stayed in the east side room of the outer courtyard. Wei Li and Granny Wei stayed in the west side room opposite to them.

The accommodations for Yuan Jia and her younger brother had been planned by Qiu Huanian long ago. He had mentioned in his letter to have the servants prepare the Yuzhu Courtyard on the west side.

The courtyard was quite small, with a side door leading directly outside. It had previously been used as a guest courtyard and had been thoroughly cleaned, with all new furnishings. Yuan Jia and her younger brother only needed to bring their personal belongings and move in.

Given the journey’s fatigue, everything was kept simple. The servants took care of unpacking and settling the luggage. Qiu Huanian went directly to the main room of the main courtyard, washed up using water fetched by Hongfei and Bicui, and stretched out against the bedpost.

Hongfei and Bicui were twin sisters, thirteen years old, and looked very similar. Qiu Huanian named them after jewelry materials, following the pattern of Coral and Agate. One wore a red flower in her hair, and the other wore a green flower, making it easy for others to tell them apart.

For some reason, Qiu Huanian felt a surge of joy when he saw the twin girls, a feeling he hadn’t experienced before.

Qiu Huanian said to them, "Wu Da and the others are new here and may not be familiar with many things. Tell your father to keep an eye on them and ensure they help each other do their jobs well."

The twins' father was Quan Yu.

Wu Da was the steward of Qiu Huanian's family in Xiangping Prefecture, with deep experience and a solid position. However, Quan Yu had been rooted in the Beijing residence earlier, and his abilities had been recognized and appreciated by Qiu Huanian. After meeting today, the two had been subtly competing, trying to outdo each other.

Where there are people, there’s bound to be conflict. Qiu Huanian was well aware of this. Healthy competition drives collective progress and should not be completely denied, but everything needs to be moderately intervened, otherwise it could turn into malicious competition.

As the household grew with more servants, Qiu Huanian gradually regained the feeling of managing personnel in a large company.

However, in ancient times, he didn’t have to work overtime day and night, nor did he have to worry about his superiors or partners losing their temper and doing foolish things. He could rest and act as he pleased, accompanied by his soulmate, the little dragon man. Life was much more comfortable than the meaningless struggle of his previous life.

The main courtyard fell quiet, knowing the master needed rest. The servants finished their necessary tasks and all avoided the area. Du Yunse also left to report to the Ministry of Personnel and end his leave.

Qiu Huanian lay sideways on the beautiful canopy bed, with the lattice door of the green gauze cabinet half open. A warm breeze drifted in, lulling him to drowsiness.

Qiu Huanian really fell asleep. Half-asleep, he suddenly sensed someone beside him. Opening his eyes, he saw a completely unexpected figure.

"Did I scare you?" Qiu Huanian somehow detected an apology in Sixteen’s expressionless face.

Qiu Huanian tried to get up but was pressed back by Sixteen.

He tried again, only to be pressed back once more, with the thin quilt that had fallen aside also being pulled over him.

"..."

Qiu Huanian had no choice but to stay in this "rude" position and talk to Sixteen.

"Why are you here, Sixteen? Does the Crown Prince have a message?"

Sixteen gently shook his head. The sunlight seemed to fade on him, his thin figure like a faint shadow.

"I wanted to see you... I couldn’t wait any longer."