Chapter 59

Chapter 59

After securing the silk flower, Yao Huang continued to push Prince Hui forward.

The road was bustling with townsfolk and villagers here for the market. Women and girls jostled up front, picking out their favorite items, while the men with them either helped or stood by holding their purchases. The vendors, beaming, called out their goods, keeping a close eye on every hand that reached toward their stalls. The buyers, meanwhile, browsed and haggled over prices.

Most people were too busy with their own affairs to notice the striking couple, the man in a wheelchair.

Yao Huang had expected this, so she didn’t pay much attention, splitting her focus between the stalls and keeping the wheelchair steady, steering clear of the bustling crowd.

Zhao Sui didn’t need to look around either, as he had always been good at reading people and was very aware of others' glances. But in the lively, packed market of the small town, Zhao Sui only noticed a few quick glances in his direction. Otherwise, no one showed him respect, fear, mockery, or pity.

In town, a fabric shop, like others, had set up an outdoor stall today.

Yao Huang wheeled Prince Hui over and pointed to the bolts of fabric within his reach, saying, "Only what you choose and buy for me counts as a gift."

As Zhao Sui looked over the fine fabrics, the women nearby kept touching and flipping through them.

Zhao Sui gave a slight frown.

The sharp-eyed female vendor, who had heard about the new wealthy family in town that included a handsome man in a wheelchair and his stunningly beautiful wife, saw Zhao Sui’s displeasure with the hands and the fabric. She smiled and said, "We have better fabrics inside. Would you like to take a look?"

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang stayed put, glancing at the shop’s entrance and casually said, "It’s tricky with the wheelchair. Could you bring out the best fabrics for us?"

Zhao Sui felt a sudden chill, and the women nearby choosing fabrics started to murmur, all turning to look at him and his wife, focusing on his face, as if thinking: Big talk—are they really that rich?

Zhao Sui: "..."

The female vendor’s look at Zhao Sui also held a questioning edge: Does your wife have the final say? If I bring them out, will you really spend that much on her?

The chill that had spread through Zhao Sui’s body vanished under these gazes. Glancing at his wife’s hand resting on the wheelchair, Zhao Sui nodded to the female vendor.

The female vendor asked everyone to wait, then happily ran inside, returning with a small basket containing neatly laid-out silk samples cut into handkerchief sizes: "These are all the silk fabrics we have in the shop. Please see which color you like, and after you’ve chosen, I’ll bring out the whole bolt for you to have a closer look."

Zhao Sui looked at the basket, while Yao Huang inquired about the price.

The female vendor: "These are the best-selling silks in the capital, where a bolt sells for eight qian of silver. I have connections, so I get them cheaper, and thus sell them for seven qian."

Although Yao Huang had rarely indulged in silk garments before, she was quite familiar with the prices of various fabrics in the capital’s silk shops. The silks the vendor had brought out were the most common, actually selling for only six qian per bolt in the capital. Logically, they should be cheaper in a small town, but it seemed the vendor was trying to rip off her and Prince Hui.

Therefore, Yao Huang stopped smiling and looked hesitant.

Zhao Sui didn’t take the price seriously at all, so he didn’t observe his wife’s expression. He first picked out a light green, then a peach pink, and finally a plain white silk sample, asking, "Which of these three do you like?"

The items were too ordinary; he would buy one bolt to satisfy his wife’s request for now, and upon returning to the capital, he would have the silk shops send the finest silks and satins for her to choose from.

Yao Huang tugged at his sleeve: "They’re all quite nice, but too expensive, let’s forget it."

The princess’s voice was sweet, and her look of wanting but hesitating to buy seemed genuine, drawing even more attention from the surrounding women.

Zhao Sui: "...Take all three bolts, send them to the new Physician Liao’s house south of the bridge."

There was a collective intake of breath around them, and the princess joined in the excitement, bending down to hug his shoulders, saying "My husband is so good."

Zhao Sui simply took out pieces of silver from his purse.

Before he could hand them to the female vendor, Yao Huang snatched them away, smiling and bargaining: "We’re buying three bolts at once, can you give us a discount? I won’t haggle much, just one qian off per bolt, making it one liang and eight qian for three bolts, how about that?"

The vendor noticed that the Licentiate was generous, but his beautiful wife was sharp as a tack!

Six taels of silver per bolt was enough for her to turn a profit, so the vendor quickly agreed to Yao Huang's price, saying some pleasantries about how they seemed to have a good rapport, and promised to deliver the three bolts of silk to the Liao family.

Yao Huang cheerfully handed over the silver coins, and as they left, she continued to whisper sweet nothings to her husband: "The blue and white bolts can be used for both of us. I’ll have a silk skirt made for myself and a silk robe for you. As a couple, we should wear matching fabrics to look truly harmonious."

Zhao Sui overheard someone behind them muttering, "That young lady sure knows how to sweet-talk her husband into buying her such pricey fabric."

After walking down the main street, they reached the northern end, where a group of villagers had gathered to sell mountain goods and wild game. The items for sale included mink and rabbit pelts, wild vegetables, wild fruits, and some medicinal herbs.

Yao Huang bought a willow basket and handed it to Prince Hui to carry. She then picked out two types of wild vegetables that looked relatively fresh.

As they passed a long basket on the ground, set up by a weathered old farmer, Yao Huang noticed some root-like objects that resembled ginger but were rounder and plumper. Curious, she asked, "What are these?"

The old farmer, with a thick rural accent, replied, "Solomon’s seal, a prized herb from the Ling Mountains. It’s sweet and refreshing raw, and you can also use it to make soup or porridge. If you don’t believe me, I can peel one for you to try."

Yao Huang eyed the farmer’s grimy nails and politely declined, but she was genuinely interested. "If it’s medicinal, what does it treat?"

The old farmer looked at the pale-faced man in the wheelchair and chuckled, "It’s good for many things—boosts the spleen, hydrates the lungs, strengthens bones and muscles, and nourishes yin and kidneys. Basically, if you have any discomfort in your body, you can eat it. That’s why it’s called Solomon’s seal—it’s really not inferior to ginseng!"

Zhao Sui remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Yao Huang thought she might benefit from it but, worried Prince Hui might take it the wrong way, she hurriedly wheeled him away.

After walking up and down the main street twice and exploring both ends of the market, they returned to their new residence to rest and have lunch.

Fei Quan and Qing Ai served lunch—two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a chicken soup with red dates and goji berries. The soup was made with red dates, goji berries, and something Yao Huang couldn’t identify. She didn’t pay much attention, first serving a bowl of soup without the red dates and goji berries to the prince, then filling her own bowl with plenty of red dates. The stewed dates, plump and sweet from soaking in the soup, were Yao Huang’s favorite.

Having grown accustomed to Madam Gao’s chicken soup, Yao Huang noticed a new flavor in this one. When Fei Quan and Qing Ai came to clear the table, Yao Huang pointed to the nearly empty soup pot and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

The two eunuchs peeked inside, and Qing Ai said, "Huang Jing. Physician Liao bought it fresh at the market and had Zhang Yue bring it back, saying it could be used to make soup for the prince and his wife."

Yao Huang: "Huang Jing?"

Zhao Sui glanced at her and said calmly, "The medicinal name is Huang Jing, but it’s commonly known as Solomon’s seal."

Yao Huang: "..."

What’s Physician Liao thinking? Prince Hui is as strong as an ox—why would he need tonics?

Yao Huang spent the whole afternoon away from the front courtyard. Instead, she took Jinbao to the west courtyard to chat with Madam Gao and A Ji.

As the evening cooled, Yao Huang wheeled Prince Hui to the riverbank by their home. She also carried a small stool and sat in the shade of a tree, placing the wheelchair where it could catch the setting sun.

The sunset was so bright that Zhao Sui had to squint. He asked his seemingly relieved wife, "Why?"

With no one around, Yao Huang glared at him and said, "Why did that farmer go on about Solomon’s seal right in front of you, claiming it’s great for the kidneys? Why did Physician Liao buy Solomon’s seal to make soup for you? It’s because you spend all day in the study reading, and your face has become too pale. You need to get some sun so people stop jumping to conclusions."

Zhao Sui: "Are you afraid of misunderstandings?"

Yao Huang gritted her teeth: "I’m not worried about outsiders. I’m worried Physician Liao and Madam Gao will keep feeding you tonics, and I’ll be the one paying the price!"

The princess’s face, shielded from the sunset, flushed red. Zhao Sui closed his eyes, feeling the warm, slightly burning sensation of the sunlight on his face.

Since childhood, he’d dabbled in medicine. After the accident confined him to a wheelchair, he’d pored over medical texts. So, Zhao Sui knew that, like plants, too much or too little sun could harm one’s health.

Before, he didn’t care—nothing seemed worse than losing his legs. But now, with a wife by his side, he knew she’d one day bear his child. If the princess was healthy, any deficiencies in the child would likely be his fault. Moreover, his pale complexion might even prevent her from conceiving successfully.

As the river flowed softly below the embankment and the sun dipped below the horizon, Prince Hui, for the first time since his wedding, found himself thinking about heirs.

He was already a burden to Princess Yao Huang; how could he give her a child who was equally frail?

Suddenly, he heard the sound of Princess Yao Huang leaving. Zhao Sui opened his eyes and saw her running towards the courtyard.

Zhao Sui kept his head turned, watching her run all the way to the backyard. Not long after, she returned, holding a green sash.

"Are your eyes uncomfortable? Let me tie this around your eyes," Yao Huang suggested with a smile as she returned to the wheelchair.

Zhao Sui gazed towards the opposite bank, where several men, waiting for their meals to be ready at home, sat together, occasionally glancing in their direction.

Zhao Sui faced them, while Princess Yao Huang sat in the shade with her back to the setting sun, making it hard for them to see her clearly.

He silently nodded to Princess Yao Huang's suggestion.

Yao Huang stood behind him, tying the green sash over his eyes.

After sitting down again, Yao Huang saw a Prince Hui who, despite having his eyes covered, looked even more handsome and otherworldly, his eyebrows like spring mountains.

Yao Huang waved her hand to test his vision.

Zhao Sui turned towards her: "Though it's blurry, I can see your movements."

Yao Huang: "There was a mosquito earlier; I shooed it away for you."

Prince Hui's lips curved slightly.

Yao Huang noticed and exclaimed in surprise: "So the second master does smile!"

Prince Hui's lips immediately returned to their usual state, and he turned his face towards the river.

Yao Huang casually snapped off a willow twig and stealthily reached towards his neck.

Zhao Sui gently pushed the willow twig away, reminding her: "There are people on the opposite bank."

Yao Huang didn't bother to see who they were: "We're a proper couple; what's wrong with a little fun?"

Zhao Sui then let go, allowing her to poke him gently a couple of times.

He remained as still as a log. Yao Huang pointed to the stone bridge at the far east: "On the morning of the nineteenth, I'll stand on the bridge, and you can paint a picture of me? We can keep it as a memento."

Zhao Sui: "Why the nineteenth?"

Yao Huang poked him again: "Stop pretending; you remember it better than I do."