Chapter 74

 Bao Ning and Liu Mama picked half a cloth bag of Chinese toon leaves, and when they returned, Pei Yuan was still nowhere to be seen.

There was still some time before dinner. Bao Ning was picky with her food and didn't like what others cooked, so she made a pot of ground pot chicken herself. This dish needs to be simmered for a long time over low heat, with green and red peppers, potatoes, and small pieces of free-range chicken cooked together. The chicken is tender and spicy, and the potatoes melt in your mouth. After the broth is boiling, pancakes are placed on the edge of the pot, half buried in the chicken broth, soaking up the fragrant and spicy flavor of the meat.

The dish is eaten with the pancakes, which carry the aroma of the food. Just thinking about it made Bao Ning feel hungry.

Pei Yuan entered the door just in time as if on cue. Bao Ning's ground pot chicken was already done, and she had just finished cutting the last of the mustard greens when Pei Yuan walked angrily into the kitchen and immediately said, “I scolded that old scoundrel!”

Bao Ning didn't react immediately, as she was busy wiping the shredded vegetables off the knife into a bowl. She asked, “Who did you scold?”

“Who else could it be, that old scoundrel surnamed Qiu,” Pei Yuan said, his eyes glued to the pot by Bao Ning's side.

He was originally full of anger, but now, seeing the delicious food, most of his anger dissipated, leaving him only hungry. He turned to get a pair of chopsticks and reached out to pick up some meat.

Bao Ning slapped his wrist. “Did you wash your hands? You've been out all day, it's dirty.”

Pei Yuan put down the chopsticks to get some water to wash his hands. Bao Ning lifted the pot lid to serve the rice, and after serving a bowl, she suddenly remembered seeing Qiu Mingshan looking quite distressed at the gate of the village earlier.

Bao Ning turned and asked, “Ah Yuan, how did you scold General Qiu? Did you make him cry?”

Pei Yuan paused for a moment. “Not likely.”

“Let’s not talk about it while eating.” He stood up, shook the water off his hands, and took a deep sniff near the pot. “Shall we take it back to the room to eat?”

“Mm, let’s go back to the room. The kitchen is too cold.” Bao Ning closed the lid of the rice pot. “Carry the whole pot over. Be careful, the pot handles are hot, use a damp cloth.”

“No need, my skin is thick, I can't feel the heat.” Pei Yuan rolled up his sleeves and effortlessly lifted the pot. “What dish is this? It smells so good. Did you make enough rice? I can eat a whole pot.”

Bao Ning placed the two bowls of rice and side dishes into a food box and walked alongside him. “Aren't there pancakes inside? You just eat those. The rice isn't for you.”

Pei Yuan was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Bao Ning replied, “Ah Huang and Jixiang haven’t had dinner yet. There’s still some leftover chicken liver from lunch that I’ll mix into the rice for them.”

The small kitchen was just in the courtyard, a dozen or so steps from the main house. As they talked, they arrived. Bao Ning pushed the door open, and inside, Ah Huang wagged its tail and ran out, drawn by the smell of the food, and pounced on Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan was still immersed in the feeling of humiliation from assuming the rice was for him and couldn’t be bothered with the silly dog. He shouted at it to go away and placed the pot on the table.

Bao Ning handed the rice to Liu Mama and asked her to take care of the two little ones.

A Mian was full and playing outside, enjoying the leisure of being at home. At the General’s Mansion, A Mian didn’t dare leave the small courtyard. Now, the whole villa was hers, with five or six servants attending to her, their laughter audible from afar.

The two sat opposite each other. Pei Yuan loosened his collar and devoured a pancake in two bites. He was so hungry that he didn’t lift his head while eating, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Bao Ning slowly ate a piece of potato and remembered Qiu Mingshan. He had given her a money bag, which she counted at that time and found filled with banknotes, totaling four or five hundred taels.

Bao Ning nudged Pei Yuan’s shoulder and asked, “General Qiu gave me a lot of money before he left. I don’t feel right taking it for nothing. Find a day to return it to him.”

Pei Yuan spat out a chicken bone. “If he gave it to you, just keep it. Why bother refusing money? But stay away from him in the future; I’m worried that old scoundrel has impure intentions.”

Bao Ning replied, “Oh.” She knew a bit about the relationship between Pei Yuan and Qiu Mingshan and understood there was some animosity between them. She thought Qiu Mingshan seemed a bit pitiful tonight, but it was just a fleeting sympathy. She was biased and partial, so no matter how good Qiu Mingshan was, she would always consider things from Pei Yuan’s perspective.

This topic was quickly brushed aside, and they continued eating.

In between, Liu Mama came in to light the lamp, and outside, it was completely dark. Bao Ning, full and satisfied, wiped her mouth and lay by the window to look at the stars. The sky was full of stars, dazzling her. Pei Yuan, having eaten nearly the entire chicken alone, contentedly used a pancake to wipe the bottom of the bowl. As he looked up, he saw her silhouette by the window and said, “Ning Ning, I’ll be going to the capital in three days.”

Bao Ning turned her head. “For how many days?”

Pei Yuan replied, “Just for a day, leaving the night before and returning the next night.”

Bao Ning didn’t ask any more questions. Something occurred to her, and she ran back to sit in front of Pei Yuan, saying, “Ah Yuan, when you go to the capital, could you bring something back for me?”

“What do you want?”

“Bring back a craftsman who can make signboards.” Bao Ning smiled. “My shop is about to open, and I can’t do without a proper signboard. I asked around, and there are no good craftsmen in Lihu. The businesses here also go to the capital for their signs. In the west of the city, there’s a craftsman named Gong who is very skilled. You’ll know when you ask.”

Pei Yuan almost choked on his last bite of pancake.

Bao Ning had mentioned wanting to open a shop to him a couple of days ago, but Pei Yuan hadn’t asked for details. This time, he didn’t object and let her do what she wanted. Still, he hadn’t expected her to move so quickly.

Pei Yuan exclaimed, “It’s only been a few days, and you’ve got everything ready?”

“I’ve already picked out the shop and paid the deposit. It’s being renovated now.” Bao Ning saw that Pei Yuan had finished eating and asked Liu Mama to come in and clean up the table. She took Pei Yuan to the inner room to show him her drawings.

Bao Ning leaned on Pei Yuan’s shoulder, raising her chin proudly. “My shop is called Ruyi Lou, a store just for children, meaning ‘everything goes smoothly and as you wish.’ It’s the first of its kind in and around the capital.”

Pei Yuan didn’t understand, “A shop for children?”

“You don’t get it,” Bao Ning counted on her fingers, “Children need so many things from birth to growing up. Babies need diapers, soft blankets, and little clothes. As they grow, they need toys like rattles, pinwheels, and rocking horses. And when they’re a bit older, won’t they want snacks? They’ll need little treats.”

Pei Yuan said, “Oh, I see. Then you’re not just the first in the capital; you’re the first in the entire Da Zhou.”

Bao Ning smiled smugly, “Yes, what I thought of, others can’t.”

Pei Yuan raised his eyebrows, “Feeling proud?”

Bao Ning made a tiny gesture with her thumb and forefinger and whispered, “A little.”

“Do whatever you want,” Pei Yuan said nonchalantly. “Even if it fails, our family isn’t short on money, as long as you don’t get too upset.”

Bao Ning straightened up, “You just ate my meal, and now you’re bad-mouthing me? You have no vision, so don’t stop me from making money. I’ve thought it through carefully. My Ruyi Lou will definitely do well. Maybe we’ll have branches all over the country in the future.”

“I’m not stopping you.” Pei Yuan patted her head, smiling as he coaxed her, “I’ll definitely bring that Gong craftsman back for you in a few days. If you want anything else, just tell me. I’ll get it for you, even if I have to fish it out of the oil pan.”

“You’re such a smooth talker.” Bao Ning scolded him playfully but couldn’t hide her inner joy.

The shop she bought had two floors, very spacious, with guest rooms for living. Even though Pei Yuan didn’t have many nice words, Bao Ning was still confident in her judgment. She would make money, maybe even more than Pei Yuan. With money comes confidence, and if Pei Yuan makes her angry in the future, she’ll have more than one house to choose from. She can live wherever she wants and let him search for half a year without finding her.

Pei Yuan leaned on the soft couch, lazily crossing his legs as he studied Bao Ning’s expression. “Do you like children that much?”

“They’re soft and white; who wouldn’t like them? When Ji Yun was little, I really liked him and played with him every day…” Bao Ning noticed the unhappy gaze beside her and remembered that Pei Yuan didn’t like her mentioning being close to Ji Yun, so she stopped talking and continued flipping through her drawings.

Pei Yuan said, "It's easy to like children. In the future, let's work hard and have a house full of them."

Bao Ning looked at him, "What are you talking about, a house full? Did you marry me, or did you marry a pig?"

"It's all the same," Pei Yuan teased her nose with affection. "Aren't you my little piglet?"

Bao Ning was disgusted and quickly pushed his hand away, stood up, and brushed off her skirt, her ears turning red.

Pei Yuan laughed heartily.

Bao Ning suddenly thought of her eldest sister, who had been married to the heir of Marquis Chongyuan for almost four years without having any children. They quarreled every day, and several times it got to the point where they were on the verge of divorce. Looking at Pei Yuan's eyes and brows, Bao Ning suddenly felt a bit worried.

She hesitated, unsure if she should ask, but in the end, she couldn't help it and casually said, "What if we don't have children?"

Pei Yuan placed his fingers on his forehead, smiled, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Bao Ning said, "Just no children, not a single one. What then?"

Pei Yuan asked, "Can't have any?"

He was so straightforward. Bao Ning blushed and said, "Let's assume so."

Pei Yuan's tongue touched the roof of his mouth, his eyes filled with amusement, "Then, is it your problem or mine?"

Bao Ning realized he thought she was joking and didn't take it seriously.

Bao Ning grew anxious, "What does it matter? It's just between us, no children, neither of us can have any. What then?"

Pei Yuan hooked Bao Ning's calf with his foot, pulling her into his arms, pinching her cheek, and whispered, "Why do you have such a crow's mouth? Is this something to say casually? Hmm?"

Bao Ning blinked her eyes, "Do you... do you care a lot?"

On this issue, she was indeed a bit sensitive, but she couldn't help but be sensitive. In the Guogong Mansion, there were many concubines and sisters, with so many living examples showing her how important it was to have a son.

Her aunt, Xu Shi, gained much glory for giving birth to the only son in the mansion. Tao Shi, trying hard for nearly twenty years to have a son, ended up with her wishes unfulfilled, almost going crazy. Then there was her eldest sister, who almost got divorced by Jia Ling due to not having children. Her second sister, having given birth to two sons in three years, was almost the authority in the second household of Marquis Chongyuan's mansion, with no concubine daring to provoke her.

Bao Ning worried if Pei Yuan would care if they didn't have children.

Pei Yuan didn't catch Bao Ning's anxiety at all. He was quite full, feeling a bit hot, and used a fan to create a breeze, fanning Bao Ning as well.

"Of course I care. If I can't have children, just think of how Wei Meng and those soldiers would mock me. But it's not necessarily so. If we work hard in the future, we'll have them," Pei Yuan, holding the handle of the fan, pointed mischievously at her belly, "Ning Ning, you have to cooperate more when the time comes."

She was talking to him about something she cared about, yet Pei Yuan was so nonchalant that Bao Ning got a little angry, "But you still haven't told me what to do."

"What do you mean what to do? What's there to do?" Pei Yuan impatiently pinched her waist, "At worst, we could adopt a child from someone else. What's the big deal? What do you want me to do, go to heaven, catch the goddess Nuwa, and force her to make a son for me? Or threaten to kill her otherwise? Is that it?"

Bao Ning's eyes were initially red, but hearing him say this, she couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"I really can't understand what goes on in your head all day," Pei Yuan said with a cold face, his thumb wiping away her tears. "You think about things that don't even exist yet. You don't even know how children are born."

Bao Ning instinctively asked, "How are they born?"

Pei Yuan recalled seeing the mark on Wei Meng's neck that morning, and his expression darkened.

He reached out to pull Bao Ning's collar open a little, his eyes falling on the small red mole on her collarbone, and his teeth ground together.

"Should I give you a lesson?"

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