Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Lu Yuan and Qi Sheng spent a night at home, but the old lady barely acknowledged her grandson.

It wasn't until after breakfast the next day, as the couple prepared to return to the night market, that the old lady finally looked at her grandson. With a mix of exasperation, helplessness, and deep concern, she urged him, "Take good care of yourself. Don't make Li Niang and me worry too much about you."

Qi Sheng exchanged a glance with Lu Yuan beside him, then nodded.

The old lady continued her admonition, "When you're on duty at the public office, don't push yourself too hard. Do what you can, and if you can't, then don't. Your life is paramount, understand?"

Qi Sheng nodded in agreement. "I understand, Grandmother."

The old lady then turned to Lu Yuan, saying, "Li Niang, you keep an eye on Sheng Ge'er too. Don't let him overexert himself."

The old lady reiterated her concerns, her words brimming with a grandparent's profound worry for her grandson.

Finally, she asked, "Li Niang, when shall we pick a time to go pray at Fatuo Temple?"

Lu Yuan replied, "We'll go once our carriage is ready. It should be in the next few days."

Hearing this, the old lady nodded.

After bidding farewell to the old lady and the children, the couple returned to the night market street.

With their arrangement at the public office clarified to the old lady, a great weight lifted from both Qi Sheng and Lu Yuan's minds.

Once they were further from home, Lu Yuan asked him, "When do you start your duties at the public office?"

Qi Sheng said, "At the latest, I'll have to go by the next odd-numbered day."

Lu Yuan told him, "I've been thinking. Even though you only need to work on odd days, I believe we should still hire someone to help out, just in case you're not around on even days and we need an extra hand."

The work at the public office demanded full concentration, and he needed to be well-rested to maintain that focus. Hiring someone would also ease his burden.

Qi Sheng nodded. "You're right. We should hire someone."

Back at the night market street, Qi Sheng went to tend to his work, while Lu Yuan stopped by the pastry shop to visit and inquire with Mrs. Chen, the shopkeeper's wife, about hiring help.

Mrs. Chen, holding a basin of freshly baked rice cakes, smiled when she saw Lu Yuan. "Well, what brings you here, Li Niang?"

Lu Yuan replied cheerfully, "The southeast wind that blew this morning, of course."

Mrs. Chen said, "Perfect timing. I have some fresh rice cakes right out of the oven. Would you like to try one?"

Lu Yuan smiled. "I'd love to."

Mrs. Chen gave her a piece of rice cake and added, "With the New Year approaching, will your family be preparing any snacks or pastries? You can order them all from me. I'll give you a discount, and if you can refer more customers, I'll offer an even better price."

Lu Yuan said, "That sounds good. My mother-in-law came to the city a few days ago, didn't she? In just two days, she's already gotten to know the neighbors. When I go back, I'll ask her to spread the word about your pastry shop."

"Then I thank your mother-in-law," Mrs. Chen said with a smile.

Lu Yuan took a bite of the rice cake. It was neither too sweet nor too greasy, making it perfect for the elderly and children.

Lu Yuan said, "I'd like to order ten boxes of these rice cakes and ten boxes of jujube cakes for the twenty-ninth of the month. I'll come back with the deposit money later."

The shopkeeper's wife looked surprised. "Ordering so many? Have you struck it rich?"

Lu Yuan replied, "It's the holiday season, and we'll be visiting relatives and friends."

Since Qi Sheng was about to start his duties at the public office, they needed to do some entertaining. She'd start with this order and buy more later if needed.

After discussing the pastries, Lu Yuan asked, "Mrs. Chen, do you know any hardworking young women or good-tempered older women?"

Mrs. Chen glanced at her. "What do you need them for?" Suddenly, as if realizing something, her eyes dropped to Lu Yuan’s abdomen.

Understanding her implication, Lu Yuan quickly clarified, "No, it's not that. My husband has taken on other work, and we're too busy. We need to hire someone to help out."

Mrs. Chen said, "I thought you might be expecting and needed someone to help take care of you."

Lu Yuan: ...

Good thing she and Qi Sheng hadn't consummated their marriage yet, she thought. Otherwise, with everyone talking about children, she’d start wondering if she was actually pregnant.

Mrs. Chen added, "I've had this shop for over ten years, so I know quite a few people. I'll ask around for you. I won't recommend anyone unsuitable."

"Thank you, Mrs. Chen."

Mrs. Chen dismissed it. "No need for thanks. You're supporting my business. I should be the one thanking you."

"By the way, how much should we offer for wages?"

Lu Yuan said, "I'm not too familiar with the usual pay. Could you give me some advice?"

Mrs. Chen asked, "Is this just for the night market?"

Lu Yuan nodded. "With the end-of-year crowds, we're too busy, so we'll start with the night market for now."

Besides, the food she sold wasn't really suitable for gifting during visits.

Mrs. Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Will they need to do any grinding?"

Qi Sheng would be home on even-numbered days, and even if he was occasionally absent, she could manage the grinding herself.

"No, they'll just need to help move the stall equipment or assist with small tasks. My husband usually helps when he's free."

Mrs. Chen said, "I've heard that regular servers at eateries earn around six hundred coppers a month. Calculated daily, that would be about twenty coppers per day."

"Since you're working three watches a night and often until late, you should offer at least eighteen coppers."

Lu Yuan nodded. "That wage seems quite reasonable."

Lingnan was a place of exile, so prices and labor costs were generally low.

Mrs. Chen said, "If you think it's reasonable, then that should work."

Lu Yuan added, "It's best to find someone who lives relatively close to the night market. If they live too far away, it could be dangerous for them to get home after work."

Mrs. Chen agreed. "That's true. If it's a young woman, it would be especially risky for her to go back alone at night."

"Even an older woman wouldn't necessarily be safe. If it were a young man, there'd be no need to worry."

Lu Yuan said, "That definitely wouldn't work. If my husband isn't home and it's just me, a woman, alone with a man helping out, people would gossip."

Since they could foresee this issue, it was best to avoid it altogether. She didn't have the time to deal with rumors or defend herself.

Mrs. Chen nodded. "Don't worry. I'll help you find a suitable person in the coming days."

Lu Yuan thanked her again.

Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes, "No need to thank me."

"By the way, are you busy right now?"

Lu Yuan shook her head, "It's not milling time yet, so I'm not busy."

"If you're not busy, chat with me for a bit."

"What about?"

Mrs. Chen narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Folks around here are quite curious about your family."

Lu Yuan wondered, "What's there to be curious about?"

Mrs. Chen said, "With a husband as handsome as yours, of course they're curious."

"They're curious about how you two met and how you managed to train such a dashing husband to dote on his wife."

Lu Yuan waved her hand playfully and teased, "Nothing of the sort. It was him who had his eye on me first. I only agreed to marry him reluctantly."

Mrs. Chen widened her eyes, "So it was your husband who fell for you first, and you only agreed reluctantly?"

Lu Yuan replied, "Exactly! Think about it—he's so good-looking. When I first met him, I didn't know his character. Who knew if he was the type to be a philanderer?"

"Besides, with looks like his, there must be tons of girls chasing him. If I had agreed right away, who knows how many would hold a grudge against me? Wouldn't I be scared?"

Mrs. Chen thought it over and had to admit she had a point.

"You know, you've got a point."

"Thinking about it, if two families of similar standing came to propose marriage—one with a man like your husband, and the other an ordinary man—even if I liked the handsome one, I'd still choose the ordinary one for a steady life."

Lu Yuan said, "See? You have the same concerns, don't you?"

Mrs. Chen laughed, "But in your case, it turned out well."

Lu Yuan thought to herself that, given her personality, if it hadn't worked out, she would have just kicked him to the curb.

When Lu Yuan returned home, she saw Qi Sheng cleaning the yard. While washing her hands, she said to him, "Earlier, Mrs. Chen asked me how we met."

Hearing this, Qi Sheng looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

Based on his understanding of her, she definitely wouldn't have told the truth. She was only telling him now to align their stories and avoid inconsistencies.

Lu Yuan said, a bit sheepish, "I told her it was you who fell for me first, and I only agreed to marry you reluctantly."

Qi Sheng nodded, "That part isn't wrong. You were indeed reluctant at first, and it was me who liked you first."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately felt less ashamed and straightened her back proudly. "That's what I thought too. I didn't lie—I just exaggerated a little."

"By the way, I didn't mention I've been married before. Don't you bring it up either. Chun Hua is quite sensitive. She only called you 'Dad' for the first time when we just entered the city, and even then, it was outside. She didn't want others to see her as a burden or bully her."

Without going into details, Lu Yuan knew clearly that children who move with their remarried mothers at an understanding age often feel sensitive and insecure.

Qi Sheng nodded.

Lu Yuan suddenly chuckled as if remembering something.

Qi Sheng looked at her puzzled, "What's so funny?"

Lu Yuan laughed, "I just thought—you're twenty-three now, and Chun Hua is almost six. That means you were married at sixteen and became a father at seventeen."

Qi Sheng found it quite normal. "Only men from wealthy families marry around twenty. In the countryside, it's common for boys to marry at fifteen or sixteen."

Lu Yuan looked him up and down, "Were you even fully grown at fifteen or sixteen?"

Qi Sheng smiled, "I was still quite childish back then."

Lu Yuan said, "If you had gotten married then, I really can't imagine how you would have raised a child as a father."

A child raising a child—it sounded rather absurd.

But then again, Su Liniang also had to raise a child when she was little more than a child herself.

After closing up the stall for the night and returning home to freshen up, Qi Sheng was washing up outside in the yard while Lu Yuan prepared to apply some ointment before bed.

Lu Yuan opened the jar of Lithospermum Oil and noticed there wasn't much left. Remembering there was another jar in the basket under the bed, she pulled the basket out.

Before she could rummage through it, her eyes fell on a book placed right on top—one she had never seen before.

Did Qi Sheng buy this book a few days ago?

Why was he hiding it?

Lu Yuan's mind drifted to books unsuitable for children, and she smirked.

A glint appeared in her eyes, devoid of any other emotion, filled only with intense curiosity.

She took the book out, kicked the basket back under the bed, moved the oil lamp closer to the bedside, kicked off her shoes, and lay on the bed to flip through the pages. Before Qi Sheng returned, she skimmed through the book, turning pages rapidly, searching for key scenes.

When Qi Sheng came back into the room, he saw Lu Yuan lying on the bed reading.

He wondered why she had suddenly taken an interest in studying.

But after a moment, it dawned on him—the "Thousand Character Classic" had been brought home yesterday. So what was she reading?

The answer was obvious: it was the book he had hidden under the bed.

Qi Sheng raised his hand and covered his eyes.

After spending so much time with her, his skin had thickened, and he no longer felt ashamed.

But given her personality, he could already foresee that she would bring this up often in the future—teasing and joking about it.