Chapter 92

 

There was no braised pork for dinner, but instead, braised beef shank bones—meaty, rich with marrow. A big bowl of cabbage soup was served to cut the greasiness, leaving everyone full and content.

The saying “food is the first necessity of the people” really held true—when one eats well, the mood naturally lifts.

The window was wide open, so was the door. A warm evening breeze drifted in. Bao Ning, having washed up, climbed into bed, shook out the mosquito net, and lifted her pant leg to rub balm onto her leg.

“Ah Yuan, Ah Yuan!” Bao Ning called out. Pei Yuan was nowhere to be seen and didn’t respond to her calls. She raised her voice, “Pei Yuan!”

A dog barked outside. A moment later, Pei Yuan lifted the curtain and poked his head in. “What’s the matter, Bao’er?”

“It’s already dark. Why aren’t you in bed? What are you doing outside?” Bao Ning patted her skin to help the balm absorb faster, then lowered her left pant leg and lifted the right one. “Pass me that little green lotus-patterned bottle from my vanity. You get up here too—I'll put some on you.”

“I was feeding the dogs,” Pei Yuan shook his hands. “Can’t waste those bones—your dogs ate them. Ji Xiang’s teeth are incredible, it even chewed the bone fragments. But Ah Huang isn’t as good—its teeth aren’t even as sharp as a chicken’s beak. I was worried it’d break a molar.”

He looked around. “Where’s the hand towel? My hands are all greasy—I can’t touch your things.”

“Didn’t you use a towel during dinner?” Bao Ning put away the leg balm and pulled out the hand cream, patting her hands as she spoke. “Think about where you left it. Don’t keep losing them—you go through three a day. So wasteful.”

She grew impatient. “Hurry up and find it!”

“It’s not about being wasteful. If something’s lost, it’s lost. If I could find it again, would it really be called lost?” Pei Yuan made a racket searching around the washstand and then turned to reason with her. “Besides, I’ve got money. Wasting a few scraps of cloth is nothing. Don’t nag me over this.”

Bao Ning shot him a look. “Who’s nagging? You’re the one rambling on. I feed you well, and you’ve got all this energy to talk nonsense.”

Pei Yuan hissed, pointing a finger at her. “Women! So hard to deal with!”

Bao Ning ignored him and turned to call out, “Ah Mian, Ah Mian! Granny Liu said she’s taking you to meet a potential match. When are you going to Uncle Zhang’s sheep farm? Have you decided?”

The little lamb ran over, headbutting Bao Ning’s waist affectionately. As she chatted with it, Pei Yuan found himself ignored.

He couldn’t understand what sort of weird communication Bao Ning had with a sheep. He stood there for a while, his face darkening.

Then he turned and walked out, roughly pushing aside the curtain with his shoulder and yelling for Granny Liu to bring him a clean towel.

The two dogs saw him come out and thought he was trying to steal their food. They growled low and darted off with bones in their mouths and tails tucked.

Pei Yuan, hands on his hips, was fuming. When Granny Liu finally brought him a towel, he wiped his hands and returned to the room to scold Bao Ning: “Those fine dogs of yours—just like you. Ungrateful little mutts. No matter what I give, it’s wasted. You flip out over a couple of coins or a few bones.”

“You sound like my grandma when she was still alive—always muttering about everything.” Bao Ning put away the hand cream and reached for her face cream but couldn’t find it. She suddenly remembered Pei Yuan hadn’t brought it to her yet and lifted the curtain to call, “Where’s my green porcelain lotus-patterned jar?”

“Looking for it now!”

The little lamb had curled up to sleep nearby.

Pei Yuan rummaged through Bao Ning’s vanity messily until he finally recognized the jar. He tossed it to her. “What is this stuff?”

“For the face—aloe juice mixed with rose petals and milk. It whitens the skin,” Bao Ning explained.

“Come sit over here.” She scooted over to make room. “Did you wash your face? I’ll put some on you too. Look how tanned you are—barely better than Chen Jia.”

Pei Yuan’s face darkened. “Men doing this kind of stuff? What would people think? It’s improper!”

“Old-fashioned! You need to adapt.” Bao Ning tugged on his sleeve, making him sit. She scooped up some of the thick cream and smeared it on his face. “I read in a storybook that even ancient martial heroes used skincare. What’s there to be embarrassed about? Let me try it on you. If it works, I’ll give a jar to General Wei too—only charge him two taels of silver.”

“You’re addicted to doing business, huh? Trying to rob people?” Pei Yuan gave her a sidelong glance, stiffly enduring her rubbing. “What kind of book are you reading? What’s the name of that face-cream-using hero?”

Bao Ning knelt in front of Pei Yuan, gently massaging his face. “Pinggu’s Red Blossom!”

What nonsense. Pei Yuan had never heard of it. He frowned. “Don’t read those ridiculous storybooks anymore!”

Bao Ning snorted. “Your face is too rough—I need to use more. Hold still.”

Pei Yuan looked extremely uncomfortable. When he saw her scoop up another large blob and smear it on his cheek, he shuddered from the cool, slick texture.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He swatted her hand away. “Get that stuff off me—what is this weird goo? I don’t want it!”

“Such a weakling. You can’t even enjoy good things.” Seeing how resistant he was, Bao Ning sighed in disappointment and wiped the leftover cream onto her own face.

Such a fragrant balm—how could Pei Yuan not appreciate it?

After she finished applying it, her gaze landed on Pei Yuan's legs, and she got interested again. “Look at your legs, so dark and rough. If you won’t let me put it on your face, let me try it on your legs!”

“Ji Baoning, are you especially free and idle today?” Pei Yuan had been sitting cross-legged. When she saw him as her next target, he quickly tried to retreat.

Baoning pounced on him. Pei Yuan couldn’t escape and shouted, “Don’t rub that weird stuff on me! And don’t pull my leg hair!”

…

In Su Mingyou’s courtyard, she had locked the doors early and asked Xier to keep watch outside. She pulled Zhao Qian into the house.

“I’ve been waiting for you for so long,” Su Mingyou leaned against the door, her eyes misty with tears as she looked at Zhao Qian. “I thought I’d never see you again… I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again.”

“Your Highness, I came too late. I’ve made you suffer!” As he spoke, Zhao Qian removed the outer garments of a maid, took off the hairpins, and turned back into his male appearance. He wrapped his arms around Su Mingyou, lips close to her ear, and whispered, “Fortunately, the Crown Prince is benevolent and kind. Now we can be together again.”

Su Mingyou bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Zhao Qian’s eyes held an unreadable look. He wasn’t really moved; there was calculation in his eyes. But when he looked at Su Mingyou, they seemed full of tenderness.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the couch, gently caressing her cheek. He spoke softly, “The Crown Prince has shown us such great kindness—we must repay him. The Fourth Prince’s consort guards the estate too closely. We are the only eyes and ears around the Fourth Prince. We absolutely cannot let the Crown Prince down. The Fourth Prince may be down now, but he’s been plotting in secret. He’s scheming—we must eliminate him to uphold the righteous path. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, we’ll be heroes. I’ll be made a marquis, and you’ll marry me. We’ll live a happy life together like immortals.”

He leaned in close to her lips and asked, “Don’t you think so, Your Highness?”

“Don’t call me ‘Your Highness’ anymore,” Su Mingyou shook her head. “I’m no longer that.”

Zhao Qian softened his tone, “Mingyou.”

“I’m here.” Su Mingyou smiled at him. They locked eyes for a while before she hesitated and asked, “But… what can we actually do?”

When Pei Xiao found her, he hadn’t asked for anything in return. It really did feel like he was just helping her reunite with Zhao Qian. Su Mingyou knew it was his way of manipulating people, but she couldn’t help feeling grateful.

She thought that if Pei Xiao had come to her with a clear trade, she might have rebelled. But the gentleness… she couldn’t resist Zhao Qian’s charm, and the guilt inside her pushed her to do something to repay Pei Xiao. She knew of Pei Xiao’s ambition and didn’t quite approve, but she was willing to contribute.

She wanted to be with Zhao Qian, didn’t want to betray Baoning’s kindness, and wanted to repay Pei Xiao.

Su Mingyou had her own way of balancing these things. She believed she could manage it.

Zhao Qian said, “I’ll stay with you dressed as a woman. Tomorrow, tell the Fourth Prince’s consort that I’m a new maid you bought. Call me ‘Qian’er.’”

Su Mingyou nodded, “Okay.”

Zhao Qian continued, “It’s like fighting a war. You have to attack the front lines and sabotage the rear. The consort is the Fourth Prince’s rear, his safe base. The reason he can focus on his ambitions is because their relationship is steady, and there’s no chaos at home. If we can shake that...”

Su Mingyou’s eyes twitched, “Are we… trying to drive a wedge between them?”

“Don’t say it like that.” Zhao Qian pulled her close, his breath warm against her face, “It’s just a test. If they can’t survive a small storm, they’ll only end up hurting each other more down the line. Like Cao Pi and Zhen Fu—weren’t they sweet in the beginning? And look how it ended. Cao Pi had a new favorite, and Zhen Fu was left miserable.”

“We’re doing a good thing,” Zhao Qian coaxed her. “Besides, what else do you have to repay the Crown Prince with?”

Su Mingyou thought of herself and Pei Xiao. Yes, two heartbroken people. She finally found a justification for her actions. She nodded firmly.

“Mingyou, you’re such a clever woman,” Zhao Qian praised. He stood up and slowly undid his robe. Su Mingyou blushed as he began to remove his pants.

“My heart belongs to you. Everything I do is for you and the child. Let’s be together forever, okay?”

Su Mingyou replied softly, “Okay.”

Zhao Qian embraced her tightly. He rested his chin on her shoulder while his eyes looked out the window, searching for the courtyard where the Fourth Prince’s consort lived.

In his heart, Zhao Qian thought, Women are so softhearted. So easy to fool.

He wondered—Would tomorrow’s one be just as easy?

The next morning, they had zhajiang noodles for breakfast. Baoning got up early to make them.

The hand-pulled noodles were chewy and smooth, topped with a savory meat sauce made from pork leg with a good balance of fat and lean, and sprinkled with bright green cucumber shreds. The flavor was perfectly seasoned, and Pei Yuan quickly finished a big bowl. He had to go to the military camp to review the troops and wouldn’t be back for lunch, so Baoning packed him some spiced fava beans and two salted duck eggs. If the food at the camp wasn’t to his liking, he could at least get by with some pickles.

Pei Yuan had become increasingly picky with food. He used to brag that he could survive on wild greens and tree bark porridge, but now, if a dish was a bit too salty or too bland, he would complain and make a fuss. If there wasn’t enough meat, he’d complain again.

Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Baoning thought to herself: He’s like a big, hard-to-feed dog.

“Madam, are we going to Ruyi Pavilion again today?” Madam Liu helped her back to the room and asked gently, “This morning, Xier from Lady Su’s place came by and said Lady Su wants to see you—she has something to discuss.”

Baoning was squatting by the window, touching the roses. “I heard she got a new maid yesterday. Maybe it’s about that.”

The manor wasn’t that big—Baoning knew whenever someone came or went.

“Madam, don’t blame me for speaking out of turn,” Madam Liu frowned, “Lady Su’s been staying with us for a while. A few days is fine, but over time, it gets inconvenient. She feels uncomfortable, and so do you. Also, Dalin—the man who feeds the horses—said the new little maid… looks very seductive.”

Baoning looked up and met Madam Liu’s worried eyes. She knew what Madam Liu was concerned about—worried that Pei Yuan might get lured away.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, she was interrupted by Lucky barking wildly behind her.

She turned around and saw Su Mingyou, arm-in-arm with that supposedly seductive new maid, standing gracefully at the courtyard gate—both were beauties, a pleasing sight to behold.

But Baoning noticed clearly that the little maid had just thrown her a flirtatious wink.

Baoning suddenly felt a little disgusted and shivered involuntarily.

Author’s note: #JustAnotherDayInAMarriedCouple’sLife#

"If something is truly lost, then it's lost. If you can find it again, can you still say it was lost in the first place?"

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