Chapter 144 Parenting Tips

Chapter 144 Parenting Tips

While Du Yunse went to work, Qiu Huanian was not idle either. After getting enough sleep, he woke up feeling great and called everyone to the inner courtyard to arrange various matters.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng were extremely excited. On their first morning in the capital, they got up unusually early and had already curiously explored the entire mansion under the guidance of Quan Yu.

"Brother Hua, Brother Hua, can we really have our own small courtyard?" Chun Sheng confirmed again.

At this age, children are just developing a sense of personal space. Having a small courtyard of their own is just awesome!

"Yes, the Lilac Courtyard and the Trumpet Vine Courtyard, you and your sister can divide them."

Chun Sheng let out a cheer, and Jiu Jiu's eyes also lit up.

In late spring, with all the flowers in full bloom, the clusters of lilacs in the Lilac Courtyard and the large bunch of trumpet vines in the Trumpet Vine Courtyard were flourishing. The other greenery and trees were also lush, making people feel refreshed.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng had actually already discussed it privately. Jiu Jiu liked the subtle fragrance of the lilacs, while Chun Sheng preferred the large, blooming, bright orange trumpet vine, which reminded him of many martial arts scenes from storybooks.

After Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng chose their courtyards, Qiu Huanian began to assign people to them.

Living alone in a courtyard, Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng originally only had one personal attendant, which was not enough. Qiu Huanian assigned two steady women in their forties to take charge of each courtyard, gave Jiu Jiu two maids, and Chun Sheng two servants.

Qiu Huanian's attitude towards the household staff was more akin to employment, scientifically and reasonably assigning responsibilities to each person, setting monthly wages and reward mechanisms, not saving on manpower to overwork them, nor being overly concerned with appearances to waste manpower.

Qiu Huanian genuinely felt it was unnecessary to have dozens of attendants following behind like Madam Yu when going out.

Rather than wasting manpower on appearances, it's better to do something more meaningful!

Therefore, the number of servants in Qiu Huanian's mansion was relatively small, and the number of people assigned to Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng was also much fewer than that of young ladies and gentlemen of the same status.

Quan Yu had asked Qiu Huanian if he wanted to buy more people. Qiu Huanian calculated the work in the mansion, and on average, each person's flexible working hours were about ten hours a day, with one day off every ten days. The manpower was completely sufficient, so he rejected the proposal to buy more people.

Quan Yu discerned the new master's style of doing things and very perceptively adjusted his own housekeeping model.

The assigned women, maids, and servants all showed smiles on their faces. Where there are people, there will be competition. Taking care of the young lady and young master is more promising than doing miscellaneous tasks.

After settling Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng, Qiu Huanian continued to arrange manpower in other places.

Quan Yu and Wu Da were the two major stewards. Wu Da was responsible for the accounts and finances, while Quan Yu was in charge of social interactions. The two could supervise and balance each other.

Quan Yu's husband, Yinchuan, was a good cook and was responsible for the kitchen, with old lady Jin assisting from the side, who was more familiar with the tastes of all the household members. Wu Da's wife, Lark, continued to be in charge of needlework, and her daughter Agate still followed her.

In the main courtyard, Qiu Huanian kept Mumian, Red Jade, and Emerald sisters, plus Xing Mi and Bai Quan, five people were enough.

The rest, Jin San was the gatekeeper, and the remaining seven or eight servants were scattered to do miscellaneous tasks, such as driving carriages, fetching water, cleaning gardens and courtyards, and helping in the kitchen, among other tasks.

After assigning the servants' work, Qiu Huanian then arranged for the guests who came to the capital together.

Yuan Jia and Yuan Ruo siblings had already settled in the Bamboo Courtyard in the west. This small courtyard had a side door connected to the outside and a small door facing inward, leading to the garden and the main courtyard along the west alley, relatively independent, very suitable for the siblings to stay as guests.

Qiu Huanian admired Yuan Jia's talent and character, encouraging her to reorganize the manuscripts destroyed by troublesome relatives. In addition, to reduce the pressure on himself, he planned to only elaborate on theories and provide guidance for the "Elementary Mathematics" series, entrusting the specific book compilation to Yuan Jia.

When the book comes out, he will be the main planner of the series, and Yuan Jia will be the main writer of the single volume.

In the future, Yuan Jia can live in the Bamboo Courtyard, focusing on studying mathematics and revising books, and Yuan Ruo can also study and play with Chun Sheng.

Yuan Jia can live in the city to revise books, while Wei Li needs to go to the estate to record the growth of crops.

Compared to living in a deep mansion, Wei Li himself prefers to be close to farmland and land, living a leisurely rural life.

"I plan to turn the large estate farther from the capital into a workshop district, so there’s no need to keep track of crops."

"The houses on the small estate next to the imperial estate should be finished. Take Granny Wei with you. Later, we’ll head out of the city together, and I’ll let them know you’re the estate manager I’ve appointed."

Wei Li gave a slight nod, a genuine smile spreading across his face, "Thank you, Township Lord."

"I asked you to handle affairs for me, why are you thanking me instead?"

Wei Li said softly, "Besides the Township Lord... no one would be willing to let me be the manager."

Qiu Huanian smiled, "Good materials should be used well, and capable people should be in the right roles. In the future, more talented individuals, regardless of their birth or gender, will shine in appropriate roles."

He then turned the conversation to Bing Qi and Bing Ba beside him.

"From time to time, I’ll have tasks that require your research and craftsmanship, but you don’t have to be too constrained. You can stay in the city or go to the estate."

Bing Qi didn’t hesitate, "My brother and I are used to living in the fields, so we’d prefer to go to the estate. Besides, Brother Li and Granny Wei, one old and one young, might not adjust well to the new place. We can look after them there."

Qiu Huanian smiled, "Then I’ll arrange for two houses side by side."

Wei Li lowered his head, his slender fingers unconsciously twisting together.

...

On Du Yunse’s first day back from work, Qiu Huanian specially waited for him at the door.

Getting up early for work was tough, but picking him up afterward was doable.

Du Yunse got off the carriage and saw Qiu Huanian at the door. He quickly stepped forward to steady his arm, "The sun hasn’t set yet, and it’s still warm outside. Brother Hua, don’t stand out here too long."

Qiu Huanian laughed, "It’s not even summer yet, you’re being overly cautious."

Du Yunse glanced at Qiu Huanian’s abdomen, then he simply picked him up and carried him through the arched gate into the main courtyard.

"You can never be too careful."

The family had long grown used to their dynamic, showing no surprise.

After the family had dinner in the main courtyard, the sky grew dark. Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse sat by the window chatting.

The delicate lattice window was half-open, letting the faint fragrance from the courtyard drift in, and the cool evening breeze lifted their light clothing.

Qiu Huanian reclined comfortably on the soft lounge chair, asking Du Yunse about the interesting things at work today.

Du Yunse briefly described the layout of the Hanlin Academy and the people he’d met, focusing on what happened during lunch.

"So you all eat together in the same courtyard," Qiu Huanian gently swung his legs, making Du Yunse’s heart itch.

"It sounds a bit like a cafeteria, but without the scramble for food."

Du Yunse knew that the cafeteria Qiu Huanian mentioned was definitely not the same as what he knew.

He sometimes wondered what kind of world could give rise to someone like Qiu Huanian.

He felt a pang of regret for not being able to see that world, but also grateful that he at least had the chance to meet his beloved.

"The teacher usually prefers quiet during meals, but today he made a point of sitting at the central table, telling everyone that the lunch had been sent by Brother Hua."

"This afternoon, I ran into many colleagues, and they all brought it up."

Qiu Huanian was amused, "The word is already out, I guess I’ll have to step up my game, so as not to leave Mr. Wen with nothing to boast about."

In Qiu Huanian's eyes, Mr. Wen’s image had changed over time, and now he was just a fun, kind old man.

When he heard Mr. Wen wanted to give him a courtesy name, Qiu Huanian became very interested.

In ancient times, more refined people would give themselves a courtesy name, usually bestowed by an elder or mentor. This custom faded in modern times, and Qiu Huanian had not had a courtesy name in his previous life.

A fitting courtesy name meant a lot to Qiu Huanian in ancient times.

"In a few days, when you’re off work, I’ll have the kitchen whip up some good food and invite Mr. Wen over for a gathering, officially ask him to give us our names."

Qiu Huanian gave a little stretch, and as soon as he moved, Du Yunse’s eyes were glued to him, worried he’d get hurt. Amused, Qiu Huanian started rocking back and forth on the recliner, playing like he was on a swing.

To keep him safe, Du Yunse grabbed his hand, causing the sleeves to sway gently.

"What a great life this is," Qiu Huanian suddenly sighed, looking at the hazy scenery outside the window.

"In a few days, I’ll fix up the side rooms in the inner courtyard, one into a delivery room and the other into a nursery. When the baby’s born, they’ll live right here in this courtyard, crying here, laughing here, learning to speak here, holding onto adults' legs to learn to walk..."

Du Yunse crouched down, embracing Qiu Huanian and kissing his smooth forehead.

"He’ll be the happiest kid in the world because he’s ours."

Even though he wasn’t showing yet, Qiu Huanian seemed to already see the child of unknown gender, a smile appearing on his face.

"He will grow up gradually, children always grow up quickly, and when they get older, they'll be mischievous. Maybe you’ll give him a stern look, and I’ll quietly back him up."

Du Yunse imagined the scene, shaking his head slightly, his tone softening with the evening breeze.

"If he looks like Brother Hua, I wouldn’t have the heart."

Qiu Huanian chuckled, "True, maybe you won't be a strict father, but a doting one. Then I’ll have to be the strict one, and if he really makes a mistake and you protect him, I’ll punish both of you together."

The two whispered for a long time in the night about their imagined "parenting experiences," when Qiu Huanian suddenly sighed.

"Sixteen hasn't appeared since he left yesterday, I'm worried about him. He has so much on his mind, who can he confide in?"

Sixteen was also his family, the little uncle who had always cared for him and looked out for him. Thinking of Sixteen's experiences and current situation, Qiu Huanian's heart ached.

"Yun Se, I see that the Crown Prince trusts the little uncle very much, and the little uncle's position in the East Palace should be quite high. You know the Crown Prince better than I do, if the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, will the little uncle have a chance to be released from the palace?"

Du Yunse was silent for a moment.

A bad premonition flashed through Qiu Huanian's heart, and he frowned, "The Crown Prince is known to be generous to his capable people, Sixteen has been with him for so long, he shouldn't..."

Du Yunse sighed softly, "The second prince, who is a year or two younger than the Crown Prince, and Prince Jin are both already married, only the Crown Prince, due to his weak constitution, still has no one in his harem."

Qiu Huanian was stunned. Du Yunse suddenly bringing up these unrelated matters, could it be...