My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 48 Part 2

The couple exchanged bewildered glances. This wasn’t just one-sided, they had clearly discussed it beforehand.  

"You’ve always been level-headed. How can you indulge Xiao Taozi like this?"  

Ji Yangzong slammed his chopsticks down, hating iron for not becoming steel. Indeed, even the coldest and hardest of men couldn’t withstand the wind by the ear.  

[恨铁不成钢 hèn tiě bù chéng gāng): lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel; fig. frustrated by someone’s failure to meet expectations]  

(耳旁风 ěr páng fēng): lit. wind by the ear; fig. ignored advice or nagging]  

Huang Manjing didn’t think the young couple had been up to anything last night. She figured Ji Taoyu must have cried himself to sleep, which was why his eyes were so swollen today.  

Pitifully sobbing, he had begged Huo Shu to take him along. Huo Shu was his husband, no matter how cold-hearted, he likely couldn’t resist his fulang's pleas.  

Hadn’t he done the same as a child, crying to his father to take him to the city?  

"Don’t even think about it! Drop the subject!"  

Ji Yangzong didn’t bother arguing further. 

Reason with him? As if Huo Shu didn't understand logic! Yet here he was taking Ji Taoyu's side. What good would reasoning do against such willfulness

He simply cut off any hope for the two of them.  

With that, Ji Yangzong huffed, glared, and strode off with his hands behind his back.  

"You child, look how you’ve angered your father!"  

Huang Manjing frowned and scolded Ji Taoyu: "Don’t ever do this again."  

Watching them leave, Ji Taoyu set down his chopsticks and slumped onto the table with a thud.  

"Giving up?"  

Huo Shu looked at the deflated figure.  

Ji Taoyu said, "I already expected this reaction from them."  

Even though it played out as predicted, he still felt disappointed.  

But then he suddenly straightened up, his gaze firm as he told Huo Shu: "I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve! Just don’t let them sway you into backing out last minute."  

He added worriedly, "Got it?"  

Seeing his expression, Huo Shu couldn’t help but smile slightly and replied, "Mm."  

"Then go with Father to check on the livestock."  

After Huo Shu left, Ji Taoyu returned to his room. No sooner had he stepped inside than his mother knocked on the door.  

She was here to talk him out of it.  

He already had his response ready: "Mother, I want to nap."  

"You’re already up, what’s there to nap about? Open the door for me."  

Ji Taoyu called through the door, "The thought of Huo Shu being gone for a year or more kept me tossing and turning all night. I barely slept and I’m exhausted."  

"Since you and Father won’t let me go with him, I probably won’t sleep tonight either. If I don’t rest now, when will I?"  

He heard his mother pat the door a few times, but when it remained unopened, she muttered, "This child…"  

He quickly pressed his ear to the door and listened as her footsteps faded. Through the slightly open door, he watched his mother leave, most likely heading to the Zhao family. When she was gone, he finally relaxed and return to his room.

After hastily packing a few essential items, Ji Taoyu quietly made his escape.  

"Tao ger, going out?"  

Ji Taoyu nearly jumped when he ran into Daniu in the courtyard.  

He quickly said, "Don’t tell Father and Mother I left. Pretend you didn’t see me."  

Daniu opened his mouth to speak, but Ji Taoyu cut in, "Or else I won’t ask my husband to chop firewood or fetch water for you anymore."  

Daniu immediately clamped his mouth shut, turning away as if blind and picking up a broom.  

Seizing the chance, Ji Taoyu slipped out.  

"I’ll tell you this, it’s good to dote on your fulang, but don’t spoil Xiao Taozi too much. If you agree to everything he says, have you considered the consequences? How will you discipline him if you have children later?"  

On the road, Ji Yangzong, hands behind his back, still tried to lecture Huo Shu.  

"If you indulge him in everything, he’ll think he can get away with anything. This trip is for business, not sightseeing. If he were healthier, maybe we could discuss it, but with his frail body…"  

Ji Yangzong rambled on, only to realize Huo Shu hadn’t responded at all. "Are you even listening? Say something!"  

"Mm, I hear you."  

"But have you taken any of it to heart?!"  

"I’ll take good care of him on the road."  

Ji Yangzong raised a finger in frustration, but seeing Huo Shu’s impassive face, he felt like he was playing the lute to a cow.  

[对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín): lit. playing the lute to a cow; fig. wasting effort on an unappreciative audience]  

"Wasted my breath."  

Ji Yangzong sighed. "Not a single day of peace since the wedding! Don’t even think about this!"  

Huo Shu didn’t argue. He and Ji Yangzong spent the afternoon securing four donkeys and two oxen from the village.  

From another village, they bought two mules. With Huo Shu and Ge Liang each having a horse, they had enough to transport the goods.  

Most of the cargo was lightweight, only the cloth was heavy, while tea could be carried by a single donkey.  

But the journey was long, and the roads unpredictable. They couldn’t plan based solely on the animals’ maximum load.  

A full-grown donkey could carry around two hundred catties, or pull twice its weight on flat roads like official road. But on muddy or hilly terrain, that dropped to a quarter of its weight.  

They had to plan for the worst-case scenario to ensure the goods could be moved no matter the conditions.  

Though they hadn’t acquired much stock this time, and the weight wasn’t excessive, the supplies for over ten people (food, clothing, cookware, tents, and other essentials) added up quickly even with minimal packing.  

At least two animals would be needed for transport.  

With most arrangements settled, all that remained were the carts for the goods.  

There were plenty of carpenters in the surrounding villages, so finding workers wouldn't be a problem.

On the way back, Ji Yangzong figured Ji Taoyu had cooled off after being ignored all day and wouldn’t make a fuss anymore.  

From the path behind their house, the smell of cooking wafted from afar.  

Ji Yangzong said smugly to Huo Shu, "This tendency of Xiao Taozi's - acting on every impulse - is half his grandfather's spoiling. See? The more you indulge him, the worse his temper becomes. But ignore him, and he'll obediently cook without complaint."

Huo Shu glanced at the smoke rising from the Ji family’s chimney but said nothing.  

When the father-in-law and son-in-law entered the courtyard together, Ji Yangzong's smile stiffened as he noticed an unexpected visitor.

"Father-in-law! What brings you here?"  

"Can’t I visit?"  

Huang Yinsheng replied, then greeted Huo Shu behind Ji Yangzong. "You’re back."  

Huo Shu glanced at Ji Taoyu, who was happily clinging to Huang Yinsheng’s arm, and echoed Ji Taoyu’s greeting.  

"Of course you can! If you’d sent word ahead, I’d have told Manjing to prepare more dishes."  

"We’re family, no need for formalities."  

As they entered, Ji Taoyu bounced excitedly. "Grandfather, let me make you some tea."  

Ji Yangzong watched his ger's cheerful demeanor and sensed something amiss.