Chapter Ninety-Three: Return to Court

Chapter 93: Return to the Capital

Lin Qiuran's hands trembled uncontrollably. She reread the letter carefully, ensuring she hadn't misread it. The army would soon return to the capital. If Xiao Xun was still alive, she would see him immediately.

She rushed with the letter to Sun Shi, who had just learned of Lin Qiuran's return. Their house was large; in Yu'an, a smaller place, her return would have been noticed instantly.

Sun Shi approached, holding Tangyuan's hand. "The Marquis of Anyang's residence sent you a letter. I had someone put it in the study."

As it was for Lin Qiuran, Sun Shi wouldn't pry. Besides, Sun Shi couldn't read. Tangyuan, however, knew a few characters and was eager to show off, but Sun Shi stopped him, worried he might damage it.

Lin Qiuran's heart was a mix of emotions. "Mother, I was just about to tell you. The letter from the old madam of the Marquis of Anyang's residence says the army will return soon—in half a month at the earliest, or twenty days at the latest."

It was the sixteenth today; half a month would fly by.

Sun Shi, who had been holding Tangyuan's hand, let go in shock. She asked, dazed, "Qiu Ran, is this true?"

Lin Qiuran replied, "They wouldn't lie about something like this. It must be true."

Sun Shi murmured a few prayers to Buddha. It had been almost two years; he was finally coming back.

Tangyuan looked confused. Anxious to join the conversation between Sun Shi and Lin Qiuran, he quickly interjected, "Mom, is Dad coming back?"

Lin Qiuran nodded firmly. "Yes, your dad is coming back."

Lin Qiuran had never hidden Xiao Xun's existence from Tangyuan. Though she didn't deliberately conceal things from him, she avoided discussing serious matters in front of the young child. If Xiao Xun was alive, Tangyuan would be happy to know; if he had died in battle, the child deserved to know as well.

Sun Shi sniffled, looking at the grown-up Tangyuan and couldn't help but think of Xiao Xun at that age.

Seeing Sun Shi on the verge of tears, Lin Qiuran quickly showed her the letter. "This is a happy occasion. We just have to wait."

Though illiterate, Sun Shi flipped through the letter repeatedly. Her heart was heavy with worry, but there was a little joy in the house.

While Sun Shi was looking, Tangyuan also wanted to see, jumping anxiously. "Mom, don't just show Grandma. Let me see too."

Lin Qiuran took him to the study to teach him the characters. After learning them, Tangyuan felt something was amiss.

He looked up at Lin Qiuran, his eyes full of confusion. "Mom, why did we learn characters?"

Lin Qiuran usually only taught him the meaning of words and told him to remember them. She said, "What's wrong? You wanted to read the letter, but how can you read if you don't know the characters? In the future, if you want to know something, you can't always rely on others. Like today, if you want to read a letter, you have to learn the characters first... I can tell you, but what if I'm not around?"

Tangyuan nodded. "You're right, Mom."

Lin Qiuran thought to herself, *Of course she made sense—she was much older. How could she not handle a child this age?*

Knowing that Xiao Xun would return soon, the initial excitement of reading the letter quickly settled. Afterward, life at home remained largely unchanged. Lin Qiuran was still busy, while Sun Shi kept a close eye on Tangyuan. After all, the Xiao family had come to the capital to build a proper life, not just to wait for Xiao Xun. The family needed money, and the shop needed decorating. They couldn't just stay home every day waiting for the army’s return.

Lin Qiuran had been quite busy lately. Not being in Yu'an, creating a restaurant similar to the Golden Tripod wasn't easy. Originally, Steward Xu handled these matters, but Lin Qiuran hadn't planned to open a shop in the capital, so she hadn't brought the design plans. Now, she couldn't replicate the original exactly.

She had to find foremen and craftsmen in the capital, draw approximate designs, but some details were unclear and required supervision during construction. They had to adapt to local conditions, taking things step by step.

There were many noble ladies here, so not all private rooms were large enough to accommodate a dozen people. Some were smaller, seating three to five for tea and snacks.

This required rearranging the layout, testing wood colors for floors, walls, and wainscoting. Others couldn't help with this; Lin Qiuran had to do it all herself.

The only consolation was that the original decor was elegant, and its general style wouldn't be outdated in the capital, so they didn't need a completely new design. The current restaurant was larger than the one in Yu'an. By completing one or two tasks daily, it gradually began to take shape.

Now it was just decoration; the real test was yet to come. Recently, someone invited her to host a banquet, but Lin Qiuran declined, as it wouldn't benefit the restaurant. Once opened, it was uncertain how business would fare.

After starting the shop’s decoration, Lin Qiuran wrote a letter to Yu'an, addressed to Xu Yuanhang.

Since Lin Qiuran had politely declined Xu Yuanhang’s care, they hadn't been in contact. The distance was vast, and she didn't know where Xu Yuanhang was.

But the Golden Tripod Restaurant had received much help from Xu Yuanhang. Lin Qiuran wrote to tell him that the Golden Tripod Restaurant would open after the New Year and hoped he would come to support them.

After sending the letter, Lin Qiuran sighed inwardly. Xu Yuanhang traveled far and wide for business; she didn't know if he would come to the capital. Still, she had done what she should, showing proper manners.

She discussed this with Sun Shi, who agreed it was the right thing to do.

Mr. Xu had helped the Xiao family a lot. They couldn't forget their origins just because they were in the capital. Besides, they still had the spice business together. They should write to inform him so that if Xu Yuanhang came to the capital, he wouldn't need to eat elsewhere—he could come to the Golden Tripod Restaurant, both convenient and economical.

Sun Shi had been worried these past two years, but Xu Yuanhang had consistently cared for Lin Qiuran, Tangyuan, and the Xiao family without crossing boundaries. He was such a good person; always suspecting him made Sun Shi feel guilty.

Moreover, even if she didn't trust Xu Yuanhang, she trusted Lin Qiuran. Sun Shi thought if anything were to happen, it would have happened long ago; it wouldn't wait until now.

Sometimes men advised women to turn a blind eye, but this was different. If Xiao Xun returned, he couldn't make an issue of this.

Sun Shi also asked if, now that they were in the capital, the Golden Tripod Restaurant here would no longer give a share of profits to Shopkeeper Shi. This was reasonable since Shopkeeper Shi hadn't come to the capital or helped.

Sun Shi didn't worry about the shop these days, focusing on Tangyuan to keep him from causing trouble for Lin Qiuran. Seeing Tangyuan carefree brought her both comfort and anxiety. She feared the news in half a month might not be good.

A few more days passed, and even the Xiao family’s servants heard on the streets that the army was returning.

People were buzzing with talk. The current situation was much better than during the war when everyone feared for their safety. Many nobles in the capital had gone south to escape. Now they were back, and with the victory in the northwest, the army was returning soon. Both government officials and commoners were all talking about it.

When Lin Qiuran went out, she could hear passersby mentioning Xiao Xun’s name. Some wondered what kind of person he was. Opinions varied—some said he had three heads and six arms, fierce and deadly; others said he was like a demon, immortal. The descriptions were exaggerated.

Though the descriptions were wild, in the eyes of the people, Xiao Xun was a hero.

This feeling was new and strange to Lin Qiuran, and she felt proud.

Of course, it wasn’t just Xiao Xun’s name; several other generals were also famous. Lin Qiuran hoped they would return safely too.

As days passed, Lin Qiuran could hear these talks without getting flustered.

On the twenty-second, she went to the Marchioness of Dingbei’s residence. The residence had sent someone to pick her up. She helped the Marchioness host a banquet. Of course, she didn't go just because she was invited; the Marchioness gave her a set of beautiful porcelain.

Lady Qin had said to appeal to her tastes, so she couldn't accept everything. This truly suited her tastes—Lin Qiuran really liked these things.

Xu Yuanhang had given her similar porcelain before, also from local kilns, but Lin Qiuran didn't compare them, finding both beautiful.

She had brought the porcelain cups Xu Yuanhang gave her to the capital since she wouldn't often return to Yu'an and didn't want to leave them behind. But she couldn't bear to use them, keeping them in storage. Now with another set, she had three. She could start using the original ones.

But only she and Sun Shi would use them. Tangyuan should still use sturdy bowls and plates. He was young and didn't know his own strength. If he broke one, having an incomplete set would make Lin Qiuran heartsick, but she wouldn't have the heart to scold him, leaving her upset.

Of course, this was only if it was accidental. If he did it on purpose, he'd be punished.

She really wasn't lacking in other things. She had money and could buy clothes and jewelry herself, though having nice things was always good.

The Marchioness was sincere, and Lin Qiuran didn't act pretentiously. At the Marquis of Anyang’s residence, she had made pastries with peony and rose designs. This time, she made pastries with azalea and lily of the valley designs. The Marchioness was very pleased and talked with Lin Qiuran at length.

"I feel like we're family, Lady Lin. I’ve always wondered what kind of talented person could make such delicacies. Now I’ve finally met you," the Marchioness said softly. She wasn’t usually like this, but Lin Qiuran had an accent from Xuzhou, so she unconsciously softened her tone.

Lin Qiuran was beautiful, dressed elegantly, and worked with graceful movements while making pastries. Talking to her, it was clear she was well-educated.

She was independent-minded. Women were gentle as water, but water could wear away stone.

The Marchioness of Dingbei also took the opportunity to inquire about Lin Qiuran’s husband. Lin Qiuran replied, "My husband is not in the capital yet; he is still on the road."

Lin Qiuran spoke ambiguously. If Xiao Xun could return, his promotion would provide protection for the household. If he did not survive, she would still be the widow of an official who served with merit.

The Marchioness of Dingbei understood: Lin Qiuran’s husband was likely an official posted out of town. There were many such cases—men who went off to war or came to the capital to take the exams, leaving wives and children behind. What happened afterward, however, was hard to predict.

She couldn’t quite tell whether Lin Qiuran had come to the capital on her own or had been brought there by her family. Regardless, Lin Qiuran was capable and could handle herself.

The Marchioness of Dingbei smiled and said, "Mrs. Lin, if there is ever anything I can do for you, please just say the word. You’ve been a tremendous help today. I'm just a simple person—I don’t know how to host banquets or arrange beautiful flowers and plants. I used to be laughed at for it, but today I could finally hold my head high."

Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded but said little more. After the banquet, the Marchioness of Dingbei sent gifts. Lin Qiuran made a show of refusing but accepted in the end.

When she returned home and opened the gift, she found a lovely set of cups. Lin Qiuran had always liked such things, so she had the maid put away the old set and replace it with the new one.

Tangyuan also thought these items were beautiful, but he wasn’t particularly interested and didn’t understand why his mother liked them so much. Following the habits—since he had been taught from a young age not to touch them—he obediently refrained and wouldn't go digging them out for a look when the adults were away.

Lin Qiuran took out a set of porcelain that Xu Yuanhang had given her to use, while the set from the Marchioness of Dingbei was stored away in the storage room in the main courtyard.

There weren’t many people in the household. One of the rooms in the main courtyard had been turned into a storage space by Lin Qiuran for her personal belongings, while communal household items were kept in another courtyard.

Everything was organized by category, and everyone could access what they needed. Of course, Sun Shi and Tangyuan’s things were also kept in their own courtyards.

Lin Qiuran didn’t want the main courtyard cluttered with miscellaneous items, making it messy. Things were taken out when needed and stored when not in use. Since everything was at home, it wasn't troublesome.

If Tangyuan’s courtyard was messy, Lin Qiuran would call him out, as she wanted him to develop good habits. She didn’t interfere with Sun Shi, however, as she was an elder. Once the courtyard gate was closed, what she did behind her own doors was her business.

This way, the household was well-organized, with maids and servants each fulfilling their duties. Lin Qiuran hardly had to manage the servants herself—Lin Ming and Lin Xia took care of it for her, and they did a commendable job.

Lin Ming was becoming increasingly competent, while Lin Xia had long forgotten her life in her previous home. She had never imagined she would have a life like this—having enough to eat and wear, and even living in the capital.

She was sixteen this year and hadn’t given much thought to marriage. Having suffered in the past, she now focused on saving money and enjoying good food and drink.

Her monthly allowance was two taels of silver, and over the years she had saved quite a bit—enough to buy out her contract. But Lin Xia had no desire to do so. There was so much delicious food in the capital, and she wanted to taste everything she had missed in her life.

Besides, life after buying her freedom might not be as good as it was now. If Master Xiao returned, the family’s circumstances would surely improve.

The Xiao family had moved to this street, with neighbors on both sides. People came and went, curious about who lived in the Xiao household, and gradually, rumors began to spread.

They had only been there a month, but there was already plenty of gossip. Some said Lin Qiuran was the mistress of some nobleman’s son—the rumors were downright nasty.

Such things had never happened in Yu’an, but the capital was different. Lin Xia cursed under her breath, hoping these rumors wouldn’t reach the mistress or the young master.

Today, when she went out, no one was gossiping about the Xiao family. Instead, they were talking about the army’s return. "Have you heard? They’re coming back."

"I heard, I heard. They’ve reached Youzhou already. I wonder if they’ll arrive today."

"Shall we go to the city gate to take a look?"

"Let’s go."

Lin Xia, who had just stepped out, hurried back to the residence upon hearing this. She ran from the gate to the main courtyard, shouting as she went, "Madam, people are saying the army has returned!"