Chapter 427
During the time Guaizai was away, the two of them had clung to Meng Ruqing desperately every night. At noon, once they'd eaten their fill, it didn't matter if Meng Ruqing wasn't around—they could play with Old Madam Qin, dance for her, sing for her, or run around outside. But the moment night fell, they'd start whining for Meng Ruqing.
Sometimes when Meng Ruqing was busy and couldn't come in time, the two little ones would sit on a stool and silently shed tears. Then they'd call Uncle Tang over and ask if he could cook them two bowls of noodles—they missed their dad so much they could die, they were pining away, and their final wish was one bowl of noodles each, the kind with two catties of pork and three fried eggs.
The Left Chancellor's wife looked at their plump little arms, like little lotus roots, and their flushed sleeping faces, and couldn't help but laugh: "I saw them both when they were just born — they weren't this chubby then."
Meng Ruqing smiled: "They've got good appetites." They could put away several bowls at every meal.
Before, Fang Zichen and Zhao Ger had restrained them a bit, but after coming here, the several cooks in the kitchen were going all out to feed them. Lao Jiang checked the two children and said there was nothing wrong—no indigestion at all—so Qin Hengxuan gave the order: if the children want to eat, let them eat.
Now they must be even fatter.
"When Zhao Ger was pregnant with them, that Fang boy ran everywhere finding things to nourish him. These two kids have good constitutions too — they run around all day long, they're about to trample the military camp flat, and I've never once heard them say they're tired."
The Left Chancellor's wife said: "Carrying a child is hard enough, especially two. Zhao Ger suffered terribly during that time, but even with a big belly, I never saw him rest."
"Mother," Meng Ruqing looked at her, "what are you trying to say?"
"Zhao Ger's mother..."
That woman had mistreated Fang Zichen, disdaining him for coming from a small place.
Meng Ruqing naturally knew about this—he'd even thought about going back to the capital to have a word with her.
"His mother is his mother; Zhao Ger is Zhao Ger," Meng Ruqing said honestly. "He's a very hardworking boy. I like him quite a lot."
The Left Chancellor's wife breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Fang Zichen dotes on him terribly. I was just afraid that when you go there, he won't be close to you, and seeing how good he is to Zhao Ger, you might feel uncomfortable. I know you're not that kind of person, but if I didn't say these things, I'd never feel at ease." She paused, then continued: "I think Fang boy has a good temperament, but some things are hard to say. I can't tell whether he'll be willing to acknowledge you either. If he's not..."
Seeing Meng Ruqing's face go pale, she felt wretched too, but some things had to be said: "Qing Ger, as parents, we don't ask for anything else — we just want our children to be well. If he resents you and won't come back, don't do anything foolish. You can't think only of your son and not of Xuan'er — he hasn't had it easy all these years either."
Losing a child was hard on Meng Ruqing, but it was the same for Qin Hengxuan. Everyone was concerned about Meng Ruqing wailing and weeping, but no one noticed his silent grief.
He blamed himself, he suffered, yet he still had to find every way to hold himself together and care for Meng Ruqing, whose spirit had broken from the pain of losing their son, and hold this family together.
Twenty years of pain—few asked about it, and he never once brought it up himself.
How could Meng Ruqing not know? It was precisely because he knew that he felt even more guilty. He nodded: "Mother, I know."
In the twelfth lunar month, Qin Hengxuan set out for Hezhou at a rapid pace, leading twenty Qin family soldiers and four horse-drawn carriages.
It wasn't just Old Madam Qin and the Left Chancellor's wife who couldn't bear to see them go—even the common soldiers were reluctant.
Gungun and Dandan ran around the military camp all day, fearless of everyone they met, calling out "Uncle this" and "Uncle that" to everyone. The camp had been lively and noisy with them there, and now that they were gone, everyone felt out of sorts.
The night before departure, Old Madam Qin stuffed a small box into Meng Ruqing's hands. It was full of banknotes, house deeds, and land deeds.
"Mother, what is this...?"
"Give it to Zichen for me," Old Madam Qin said. "It's a welcome gift. If he likes it, tell him I have plenty more. As long as he comes back, I'll give it all to him."
Qin Hengxuan's sharp eyes caught sight of a land deed, and he pulled one out. "Mother, isn't this the deed for the estate near the Huguo Temple in the outskirts of the capital?"
Old Madam Qin glanced at it and nodded. "Yes."
"Back then I asked you for it, and you said it was part of your dowry, that you wanted to keep it as a memento, and you wouldn't give it to me."
She wouldn't even give it to her own son, but now she was willing to give it to her grandson.
Qin Hengxuan felt a sour pang in his heart.
"What do you know?" Old Madam Qin said. "If I gave it all to you, what would I have left to coax my grandson with? He's spent all these years with Zhao Ger raising three children — who knows how hard it's been. I give him a little something and you're already jealous?"
"How could I be!" Qin Hengxuan said quickly. "He's my son. Everything I have is his."
---
Zhang Quan sent the imperial guards ahead to return to Hezhou and report the news.
When Zhao Ger received the letter, he was still in Anxi County.
The mountain hadn't been blasted yet. After more than a month of on-site surveys, they had drawn up nine preliminary plans, and after discussion, eight had been eliminated.
The seaside wind was strong and the fog was thick. Wrapped in a heavy padded cotton coat, Fang Zichen was leading a few fishermen who knew the surrounding waters well on an inspection. They had just returned to shore at noon when Zhao Ger came running over excitedly, his round face unable to hide his excitement.
"Husband, husband!" He was so happy he was babbling.
Fang Zichen poked his face. "What? Did you find silver?"
Zhao Ger said, "No! Guaizai, Gungun, and Dandan are coming back!"
"What?" Now Fang Zichen was happy too. "When? Today? I miss those three little rascals."
Zhao Ger was also very happy. The letter had been sent from over there at the beginning of the month, and the carriage was slower. "About eight or nine more days, I'd guess."
Fang Zichen immediately got worked up. "Then let's hurry back!"
Zhao Ger frowned slightly. "But what about things here?"
"No rush." Fang Zichen put an arm around his shoulders and led him back. "We'll come back after the New Year!"
The plan had been decided, but it was a big project, and it was almost the New Year. People would surely come looking for work, but it was better to let everyone have a reunion New Year first.
The two had been staying in a small coastal village. As soon as they got back to their place, Zhao Ger couldn't wait to start packing. "Zhou Ger wrote earlier. The small merchants from Qinzhou are coming to stock up again, but this time they want a larger quantity. They're asking if we can give them the lowest price."
There were many traveling merchants outside, and news traveled fast. Earlier they had sold goods in Shangyang, which was very far from Qinzhou, and now even the Qinzhou merchants knew about it — proof that the instant noodles and sweet potato noodles had spread far and wide.
It wasn't surprising. They were new things, after all.
When traveling merchants from outside entered Shangyang, before their carts had even stopped, locals would come up to ask questions.
"Are you from Hezhou? Do you sell instant noodles?"
"Do you have sweet potato noodles?"
"Do you have toilet paper? I used up those two stacks I bought last time. These past few days squatting in the outhouse has been awful."
When they heard it wasn't a Hezhou merchant caravan but one from Qinzhou, and that they were there to buy jade...
Oh, never mind then. Not interested.
Seeing their great disappointment, and with this happening again and again, the outside merchants gradually caught on.
"Sweet potato noodles? What's that? Brother, can you explain in detail?"
Several traveling merchants listened as the locals in Shangyang praised the sweet potato noodles and instant noodles over and over. They asked around carefully, and when they got back, they thought it over and decided to stock some goods to take back to Qinzhou and try selling.
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