Chapter 49
"Just look, these liuli teacups are truly beautiful, radiant and dazzling."
"In daylight under the sun, they're even more splendid."
Qiao's mother held the liuli teacup sent by Fang Yu, her face unable to conceal a smile. As she commented, she didn't hear a peep from her own ger, only the old maid-servant beside her engaging in conversation.
Qiao's mother and the servant exchanged a knowing glance. She then turned to Qiao Hezhi, who was sprawled limply in a chair beside her, and chided him, "No sense of posture. What's the matter? Your little face has been downcast all this time. Are you tired from today, or unhappy that your father has dragged your husband out for drinks again?"
After the evening guests had departed, only the Qiao family's own members remained for a meal. During such family gatherings, Qiao's father invariably got into a drinking contest with Fang Yu.
Initially, Qiao's mother would try to dissuade them a few words, but today she let the father-in-law and son-in-law drink as they pleased, not keeping them company either. Instead, she would take Qiao Hezhi and leave the table, mother and son retreating alone to her rooms to eat fruit.
Qiao Hezhi, having held himself taut all day, naturally relaxed upon returning to his mother's quarters.
"Why would I be angry at Father?" Qiao Hezhi propped his chin on his hand. "Ziruo seldom drinks away from home either. Now that he's back, if sharing a few cups with Father makes him happy, what's the harm?" He added, "He even said that practicing his drinking with Father now will help him handle future social occasions where others might try to challenge him."
"Then why are you displeased?" Qiao's mother set down the teacup. "Did Nanjia say something unpleasant to you again?"
Qiao Hezhi leaned lazily against the chair. "She naturally never misses a chance to criticize me, something I've long grown accustomed to. But today, when I bumped into Yu Lifeng in the corridor, not only did she leave me alone there to speak with him privately, she actually turned right around to go fetch Ziruo. She was clearly up to no good."
Hearing this, Qiao's mother felt a shock in her heart. Previously, when the children bickered and squabbled, she hadn't paid it much mind. Rivalry and comparison among cousins in a large family was utterly commonplace; even people of her own generation still compared and competed, let alone the children.
But Qiao Nanjia's actions today...
"That really goes too far. Did the son-in-law say anything?"
Qiao Hezhi smiled and shook his head, patting Qiao's mother's hand comfortingly. "I confessed this matter to him long ago. He wouldn't doubt me."
Qiao's mother let out a slight sigh of relief, but her brow remained furrowed. "Fortunately, the son-in-law is magnanimous. If it were an ordinary man, wouldn't it have caused a huge uproar? We cannot let this matter pass. I must speak with your father. From now on, that girl should come to our home less often. Since she cannot conduct herself properly, don't blame her relatives for not sparing her feelings."
With these words from his mother, Qiao Hezhi felt considerably more at ease. He leaned against Qiao's mother's knee. "Second Uncle's family's business clearly relies heavily on ours. I don't know where Nanjia gets all that superiority from."
"Your Second Aunt has a fiercely competitive nature. Nanjia has adopted your Second Aunt's temperament since childhood. Moreover, your father has always valued sibling bonds deeply. Even if there are occasional minor frictions, he doesn't hold grudges, which has naturally spoiled that branch of the family." Qiao's mother gently patted Qiao Hezhi's back. "I did hear, however, that Nanjia hasn't been living comfortably in Dongsheng City. They say Nanjia finally managed to conceive, but due to infighting among the concubines vying for favor, she lost the child."
A look of astonishment crossed Qiao Hezhi's face as he raised his head from his mother's knee. "Such a thing actually happened?!"
Qiao's mother also felt helpless, shaking her head. "Back then, when the Magistrate of Dongsheng City expressed willingness to take Nanjia as a concubine, the family disapproved. Sadly, your Second Uncle and Aunt believed marrying into an official's family was a great honor, agreeing even to her becoming a concubine. Little did they know the Magistrate merely coveted the Qiao family's wealth and influence. I heard from your father that Nanjia's dowry has been completely depleted these past few years since her marriage. Your Second Uncle still has to send silver and deeds for shops over every so often to help make ends meet."
"If they wanted to gain a scholar's family status, finding a xiucai or tongsheng would have been fine, at least she could have been the principal wife. I advised them back then, but your Second Aunt felt tongsheng and xiucai rarely amounted to much, worrying they might wait ten or twenty years and still only have that level of accomplishment. She thought it would be quicker to marry directly into an official's family. Now that her life has turned out like this, Nanjia harbors resentment. Seeing you living comfortably nowadays, naturally she feels unhappy."
Qiao Hezhi said angrily, "Her unhappiness can't possibly be blamed on me. Does she feel better only if everyone else is unhappy?"
Qiao's mother soothed him, "Don't worry. If your father finds out that girl acted like that, he certainly won't indulge her anymore. After all, you're his only biological child. There's no reason to spoil someone else's daughter."
"Speaking of which, you must keep a good eye on the son-in-law." Qiao's mother smiled. "Hearing from your father, he's becoming more and more outstanding nowadays, both in making connections and managing the shops."
"I know."
"Do you have enough silver on hand? I noticed the son-in-law spent lavishly this visit; you must have supplemented quite a bit." As she spoke, Qiao's mother moved to fetch silver notes. "It's still best to have more silver by your side for security. Things that can be solved with money shouldn't require you to expend your own mental energy."
Qiao Hezhi took his mother's hand. "Mother, it's not necessary. I haven't even finished spending what Father gave me before. He can earn money himself now, he doesn't need my supplements. In fact, not long ago he wanted to repay me two hundred taels."
"He earns money that fast?! Did you accept the silver he gave you?"
"Of course I didn't take it." Qiao Hezhi raised an eyebrow. "He said if I wouldn't take it, then during the autumn harvest he'd exchange the silver notes for land, all registered under my name."
Hearing this, Qiao's mother was delighted. "He really considers you. Land is a crucial matter. If it weren't for land back then, why would we have gone through the trouble of marrying you off to a poor, struggling scholar?"
"Mother!" Qiao Hezhi pouted unhappily. "Don't say that about him anymore. He's not poor or struggling at all."
He had studied for over twenty years, and had even been a Master in his own place. His family background was prosperous too; by the standards here, he was no less than Yu Lifeng's family, who were from generations of respected scholars.
"Alright, alright. Your elbow is already turned so far outward it's beyond saving."
After drinking, Fang Yu's steps were unsteady, and he felt somewhat muddled. Only when drinking with his father-in-law could he reach this state.
Returning to their room, he saw Qiao Hezhi had already changed into sleeping robes, seemingly ready for bed. He sidled up. "Didn't you prepare any sobering soup for me?"
"Weren't you the one who claimed to never get drunk no matter how many cups? What do you need sobering soup for?"
"You believe what I say during a drinking contest?" Fang Yu wrapped his arms around Qiao Hezhi. "You have such a cruel heart~"
"You reek of alcohol. Go bathe quickly. Hot water is ready for you; a bath will sober you up."
"I don't have any strength left. How can I bathe?"
Qiao Hezhi pushed against the person slumped on him. With no other choice, he dragged him to the bathing room. As he helped undress him, he grumbled, "Before, you were even embarrassed to be seen bathing. Now your skin has thickened fast enough; being bare-chested doesn't faze you at all."
Fang Yu, submerged in a cloud of steam, chuckled softly. "You really hold a grudge."
...
The next morning at dawn, Fang Yu and Qiao Hezhi took their leave to return to their own residence. Just outside the estate, they saw several carriages also parked outside the Yu residence, with servants loading belongings from the house into the carts. By the looks of it, Yu Lifeng was truly returning to the capital.
After parting today, who knew if they would ever see this major male lead again in this lifetime.
Fang Yu glanced at the box of pastries Xuezhu was carrying. He took it into his own hands. "Hezhi, aren't you going to say goodbye?"
"Hmm?"
Qiao Hezhi gave Fang Yu a surprised look. Before he could react, he was pulled along to the entrance of the Yu residence.
"He- Hezhi! You came specifically to see me off?"
Yu Lifeng, emerging from the residence, spotted him at a glance. He had been hesitating, unsure how to bid farewell to Qiao Hezhi. He never expected Qiao Hezhi to come to him first. The light in his eyes blazed suddenly, thinking Qiao Hezhi's heart must still hold...
"Yes, we came specifically to see off Lord Yu."
Fang Yu emphasized the word "we" heavily, promptly cutting off Yu Lifeng's train of thought. "Yesterday we heard Lord Yu was returning to the capital, and that you were rather fond of Yuncheng's peach blossom shortbread, regretting not having tasted it. As someone who loves good food, I can truly empathize with Lord Yu's regret. Considering all these years Lord Yu has shown Hezhi considerable care, and I, as his husband, have nothing with which to repay you, I stayed up last night learning to make shortbread with Hezhi. We thought to gift some to you today. The journey from Yuncheng to the capital is long and arduous; these can serve as a snack on the road."
He beamed as he presented the food box. "We couldn't get peach blossoms in time, but Hezhi and I made other shortbread together instead. Worried you might not be accustomed to it, we specially smoked it with tea fragrance. The flavor is quite delicious and very refreshing."
Yu Lifeng's expression shifted through a spectrum of emotions as he stared at the man who had suddenly appeared. He glanced down at the food box, his hand stiff and unwilling to accept it.
Fang Yu furrowed his brows, putting on an innocent expression. "Does Lord Yu dislike it because it's our first time making shortbread and it might not be good?"
"Oh well." Fang Yu turned to look at Qiao Hezhi. "It seems Lord Yu isn't that fond of shortbread after all. We were being presumptuous and making a fuss for nothing. Lord Yu must have tasted every precious delicacy in the capital; naturally, what we made isn't anything special."
"H-How could that be." Seeing this, Yu Lifeng gritted his teeth and reached for the food box. "I'm overjoyed. You two went to too much trouble."
Hearing this, Fang Yu laughed again. "That's wonderful then. Lord Yu must be sure to eat them while they're fresh on the journey."
Yu Lifeng gave a dry laugh. "Naturally, certainly, certainly."
"Since the gift is delivered, we, husband and fulang, shall take our leave."
With that, Fang Yu took Qiao Hezhi's hand and led him back to their own carriage.
Qiao Hezhi stole a glance at Yu Lifeng through a gap in the carriage curtain. The man's face was unbearably sour as he shoved the food box into the hands of the servant beside him. Suddenly, a hand reached over to cover his eyes.
"Why did you have to provoke him like that?"
Qiao Hezhi withdrew his gaze and pulled down the hand covering his eyes.
"If he can send things to annoy me, why can't I send something back in return? That's called reciprocity in courtesy."
Qiao Hezhi lowered his eyes and smiled. He had truly thought Fang Yu was so magnanimous, but it turned out he also harbored secret grudges. He leaned against Fang Yu's shoulder. "Now that he's returning to the capital, you don't need to be annoyed anymore. It's already the third lunar month now. You can't let your mind wander anymore; you must focus on preparing for the provincial examinations."
"Alright. I'll listen to you."
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