My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 119

Chapter 119 Extra (5) Matters of the Big Family

After Tongzhou began its recovery, the government, aiming to rebuild and stimulate prosperity, issued orders to reduce taxes and offer preferential treatment to merchants in an attempt to restore the region's former commercial prosperity.

The Huo family's merchant caravan originally planned to leave the pass as soon as possible to reach the outer prefecture around the autumn harvest, a lively time good for business after the autumn. However, things did not go as smoothly as they had hoped, and they encountered some problems sourcing goods.

Several major suppliers that Huo Shu had negotiated with while in Tongzhou had either not returned to Tongzhou yet, or their family businesses had suffered heavy losses due to the war. Restarting business with them required renegotiating the terms for sourcing goods

Before the war broke out, the final payments for goods Huo Shu had sourced had not been settled before everyone scattered to seek refuge.

On the road, he did encounter the porcelain merchant and settled the payment with him. However, he still had outstanding accounts with Wang Long of Shili Cloth Shop and Fang He.

Last month, Fang He and his family did return to Tongzhou, but their tea business was entirely concentrated here and had undergone many changes.

When the war broke out in Tongzhou, the Fang family spent a considerable amount of money to arrange their escape. Their business was here, and they had little assets elsewhere, so they had no income for over a full year. Many business deals fell through, and their family business undoubtedly suffered heavy losses.

When Huo Shu delivered that final payment, it was like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

[雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn): lit. to send charcoal in snowy weather; fig. to provide timely help]

The Fang family wasn't exactly at the point of being unable to put food on the table, but funds for business operations were truly stretched thin.

Receiving this money from Huo Shu undoubtedly allowed them to start operating again.

The accounts were in chaos due to the war. Many merchants did not know if their debtors were still alive or not, and trying to collect debts meant they could not find the people.

There were also many in similar situations, even if he pressed for payment, they couldn't pay.

Someone like Huo Shu, who remembered the debt and actively returned it, was truly rare.

In the past, when their family was just starting in business, Fang He was often understanding and offered discounted prices. Now that the Fang family had fallen on hard times and the Huo family was thriving, he was willing to lend a hand and continue sourcing tea from them.

They managed to secure the tea and porcelain again, but the silk and cloth remained unresolved.

Shili Cloth Shop still hadn't reopened. The Wang family were major merchants, although they had businesses in other places, their main cloth business headquarters was still in Tongzhou.

This area had silkworm farmers, silk reeling workshops, and the best weavers.

The blockade of Tongzhou disrupted all these—the weavers scattered, and their businesses in other prefectures also suffered significant impact.

Their delayed return, even now, left people unsure where the problem lay.

Wu Lianhe had gone more than once or twice to check on the tightly shut doors of Shili Cloth Shop.

Huo Shu felt that if they could continue with their previous suppliers, it would save trouble. But since Wang Long hadn't returned, they needed to make other preparations.

He involved himself much less in business matters now, largely leaving them to Huo Shou and Uncle Fan to manage. Ji Taoyu would still check the accounts from time to time.

Currently, Huo Shou was preparing to negotiate with a new cloth merchant to explore options.

Huo Shu lay on the bed with his eyes slightly closed, thinking about the family business, when he suddenly felt something burrowing onto the bed under the covers.

He didn't react, allowing the soft body to crawl up along his leg.

After a moment, a furry head emerged from the blankets in front of his chest.

Xiao Taohe's world suddenly brightened, and he saw his father's somewhat intimidating sanbaiyan eyes.

[三白眼 (sān bái yǎn): lit. three whites of the eyes; fig. eyes with visible white above or below the iris, sometimes considered to have an intense or fierce look]

However, having grown up looking at these eyes, he didn't find them scary at all, they couldn't intimidate him.

He just felt his father seemed to talk less than other people, and he was much taller. Riding on his shoulders was much better for seeing far than on anyone else's.

It was great during night market outings, when crowds were packed together, a mass of heads blocking the view, but as long as his father held him, he could see the topknots on top of people's heads.

He had crawled all the way from the other side along his father's leg. It felt like he had crawled for a long, long time in the pitch-black quilt. His fathers' bed was too big. If he hadn't been able to follow the path of his body, he would have gotten lost in the bedding without any light to distinguish direction.

The moment he emerged, father and son stared at each other, wide-eyed, and Xiao Taohe giggled.

Huo Shu looked at the little rascal lying on top of him, his hair a mess from burrowing under the covers, strands all over his face, his cheeks flushed red from lack of air under the quilt.

He reached out and pinched his little nose, saying in a low voice, "Why are you here?"

Xiao Taohe, a bit tired from crawling, tilted his head and rested it on Huo Shu's chest: "Brother A-Pan is back."

Huo Shu lifted his arm, picked up the little rascal lying on him, and placed him between himself and Ji Taoyu.

Zhao Pan came back every day, but these past few months, busy with the imperial examinations, he left early and returned late. Xiao Taohe rarely saw him and didn't even know if he was home. But recently, the provincial exams had ended, and candidates could rest properly for a while, so he could be seen at home at this hour.

Huo Shu grunted in acknowledgment. He was about to tell him not to pester Zhao Pan too much lately, to let him rest properly for a couple of days, when he saw the little rascal, now settled in the middle, becoming restless again.

The little rascal arched his back, stuck his bottom up, and leaned in to sniff at the neck of Ji Taoyu, who was sleeping on his side.

Xiao Taohe looked at his little father's smooth face under the loose long hair, his eyes closed as if still deep in sleep. His body carried a warm, herbal scent, a little stronger than usual when he held him.

He blinked his eyes, leaned in, and nibbled on his little father's ear.

Huo Shu's eyes darkened, and he quickly tried to pull the little rascal back, when he heard the person with closed eyes say:

"I'm going to spank you, Huo Anding."

As soon as the words fell, Xiao Taohe was still a bit confused about who his little father was talking to, when suddenly he was enveloped into the bedding, his soft arms and body kneaded like a ball of dough.

He giggled happily, the big one and the little one roughhousing for quite a while.

Huo Shu watched the two, shaking his head helplessly.

"Who is Huo Anding?"

Xiao Taohe, tired from playing, snuggled in Ji Taoyu's arms, reached out and pinched Ji Taoyu's ear.

He pinched it, then leaned in affectionately to nuzzle Ji Taoyu.

"Yes, who is Huo Anding?"

Ji Taoyu kissed the little rascal's cheek: "Huo Anding is Little Father's baby."

"Isn't Little Father's baby Xiao Taohe?"

Xiao Taohe tilted his head to look at Huo Shu: "Does Little Father have another baby?"

Huo Shu laughed and rubbed the little rascal's head.

Seeing his father only laugh and not answer, Xiao Taohe furrowed his eyebrows: "Really? Where is it hidden?"

Ji Taoyu was amused: "Father might have hidden it in the blankets."

"No, I didn't find anything when I crawled over earlier!"

"Ah."

Ji Taoyu raised his eyebrows: "Then Father is really good at hiding."

Xiao Taohe's eyes blinked rapidly: "Why would Father hide another baby?"

"Maybe he's worried you wouldn't like it."

Ji Taoyu held the little rascal: "If Little Father had another baby, would Xiao Taohe be unhappy?"

"No, then the baby can play kick-ball with Xiao Taohe."

Huo Shu reached out and pulled both the big and little one into his arms.

Xiao Taohe, undeterred, wriggled his way up until his face was level with his father's. "Father, bring out the other baby. Xiao Taohe promises he won't be angry."

Huo Shu pinched him: "Your father only has one little baby, mischievous every day, named Huo Anding, and one who has already grown up, named Ji Taoyu."

Xiao Taohe's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief: "Then isn't Xiao Taohe Father's baby anymore?"

"Wah..."

Xiao Taohe suddenly sat up and started crying loudly between the two of them.

"I'm not Father's baby anymore. Third Aunt was right, Xiao Taohe was picked up."

"Look what you did!"

Ji Taoyu pushed Huo Shu: "You made the child cry."

Huo Shu hurriedly held the little rascal: "Weren't you the one who started teasing him?"

"Don't cry, don't cry."

Huo Shu wiped the little rascal's face. His little face was pale, and when he cried, the tip of his nose turned red, big tears rolling down from his large eyes, looking utterly pitiful when he wept.

Xiao Taohe sobbed sadly, lying on Huo Shu's chest: "Am... am I not Father's baby?"

"You are, of course you are. Father only has you as his baby."

"Father is lying."

Xiao Taohe: "Father said Anding is your baby."

"Silly, Anding is your formal name!"

Ji Taoyu gently patted the little rascal's trembling back: "From now on, we'll have everyone call you by your formal name, otherwise you won't even know your own surname and given name."

"Isn't Xiao Taohe my formal name?"

"No, of course not, that's your childhood name. Your formal name is what anyone can call you, your childhood name is only used by those who love Xiao Taohe the most and are closest to him."

Only then did Xiao Taohe lift his head from Huo Shu's embrace, pouting as he asked: "Is it true?"

"Of course it's true. Your little father nearly lost half his life giving birth to you, how could there be another baby."

Hearing this, Xiao Taohe sniffled: "Why?"

He nervously grabbed Ji Taoyu's hand: "Was it because Xiao Taohe was too fat?"

"Of course not."

Ji Taoyu pulled up the blanket to cover the little fellow: "It's because Little Father didn't eat properly when he was little, his health wasn't good, that's why it was like this. It has nothing to do with Xiao Taohe."

Xiao Taohe was half-believing, half-doubting, but still promised: "Then Xiao Taohe will definitely eat properly from now on."

Ji Taoyu leaned in and gave him a kiss: "So good!"

The father and son trio got up quite late. After washing up, Huo Shu went directly to the training ground.

Ji Taoyu thought that recently Huo Shou had been busy running back and forth with family matters, and probably didn't have much time to worry about his own life's major events.

As his elder sister-in-law, he could still worry a bit on his behalf if possible, so he prepared to take Xiao Taohe to the medical hall.

After getting ready and just about to go out, he ran into Wu Lianhe at the main gate, who also seemed to be going out.