Chapter 716: Chapter 716: My Wife Is Truly Charming
Qin Yao woke up from a nap to the jingling sound of a money bag by her ear.
Yin Le grinned proudly by her bedside, "Master, those things you gave me, I sold them for fifteen taels of silver!"
Qin Yao lazily smiled, gave a thumbs-up to her disciple, "Well done, it’s all yours."
Yin Le thanked her master generously, tucked the money bag into her bosom, and started to talk about how she planned to spend the silver.
She’d buy something nice for each family member, and then, and then... Yin Le sighed in annoyance, "Master, I lack nothing now, I don’t even know how to spend all this money."
Qin Yao affectionately pinched her disciple’s now-chubbier chin and chuckled, "No rush, think it over slowly."
Evening.
Liu Ji returned home, looking at the empty gift boxes, bewilderment written all over his eyes.
"Where are the things sent by the National Master Mansion? Why is there only an empty box left?"
Ah Wang: "They burned them and sold them."
"What? Burned them and sold them?"
Seeing Ah Wang nod seriously, not like he was lying, Liu Ji hurriedly asked how much silver they’d sold for.
Finding out that Yin Le sold the imperial tribute silk flowers, the Unity Lock from Old Craftsman Silver Building that needed a year’s waiting, and the Taohua Building rouge powder each worth over ten taels, all for just fifteen taels.
Liu Ji instantly collapsed into the Taishi Chair, heartache making it hard to breathe.
After a while, he caught his breath, pointing at Ah Wang, questioning, "Why didn’t you stop them?"
Ah Wang shrugged his shoulders, Great Lord, do I look like I can stop them?
Liu Ji: "..." True, the two of them really hold no status in this family!
Ah Wang sympathetically glanced at his Great Lord, kindly reminding:
"The point is not just the fifteen taels, it’s those items - Unity Lock, Golden Mandarin Ducks, Wooden Melon, Peach Branch - you don’t find them somewhat too suggestive?"
Liu Ji slapped the armrest, that’s right.
Sikong sending these things to his wife, could it be that bastard was also moved by his wife’s heroic sight of moving the stone lion the other day?! Looking at his wife?! Wanting to take his wife as a concubine?!
Seeing Liu Ji’s face turning odd, just when Ah Wang thought he was going to break down.
Liu Ji suddenly smiled comfortingly, "My wife truly is charming~" even the State Preceptor couldn’t escape her grasp.
But so what?
The gifts sent by Sikong were still burnt and sold by his wife.
Liu Ji scoffed disdainfully, confidently flipping his head back, their love stood firmer than gold, a match made in heaven, no one! Absolutely no one could interfere!
He cast Ah Wang a ’young lad, you still lack experience’ knowing smile, then got up and strolled to the Fan Family Private School to pick up his children.
Ah Wang scratched his head, wondering why his Great Lord always seemed so confident?
Unable to figure it out, he simply gave up, turning around to prepare dinner.
Oh, by the way, take those empty gift boxes as firewood, maybe the fire would burn stronger.
...
As soon as Liu Ji left the house, he put the matter with the National Master Mansion’s gift out of his mind.
Strolling to the Fan Family Private School, peeking inside, old man Fan was about to keep the students for book recitation again, if they couldn’t recite it, they couldn’t leave.
But sorry, his Liu Ji’s sons had no problem reciting it.
Proving the previous night’s hard work wasn’t in vain, today Sanlang successfully recited the text, quickly exiting the classroom with Da Lang and Second Lang.
While Mr. Fan looked incredulous, as if he couldn’t believe Sanlang suddenly became so smart, shocked, and unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Liu Ji proudly patted his three sons’ heads, not forgetting to shout at Mr. Fan inside the private school:
"Teacher, we’re leaving now! Take your time keeping them in class, but to avoid being hungry too late, it’d be best if you nibble on something now."
After saying this, he waved a big hand, leading his three kids away in high spirits.
That smug look made Mr. Fan’s teeth itch with anger, wishing he could bite him, opening and closing his mouth, too angry to speak.
As the figures disappeared, he let out a helplessly furious roar, "Ah!" sparking laughter among the students that they dared not let out, faces turning redholding it in.
The father and his three sons returned home happily, and Si Niang had also come back, the five of them shared funny things that happened at school today, with occasional laughter, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Qin Yao sat in the courtyard, listening to the father and his four sons banter gleefully, looking up at the orange-red setting sun in the sky, slowly exhaling a breath of relief.
Feeling dumbfounded by Sikong Jian’s gift stunt, her mood turned better again.
At night, Yin Le used the money she earned today to buy each family member a bowl of shaved ice cheese from Tianxiang Building on the street.
On the snow-white shaved ice was a layer of sweet and sour fermented cheese, topped with peanuts, dried longan, and dried red date slices. Taking a bite in the summer, it’s cold, sweet, and crunchy, offering a delightful mix of flavors, not just for the kids, even Qin Yao and the adults were quite satisfied.
This shaved ice cheese also had an appetite-stimulating effect.
In the midsummer evening, the steam rising from the ground after sunset made everyone sweat, and dinner consisting mostly of hot dishes wasn’t appealing, but after the shaved ice cheese, suddenly the aroma from the whole table of dishes became mouthwateringly inviting.
Scallion Fried Tofu, Spicy Shrimp Soup, Red and White Braised Meat, Stir-fried Chicken Hearts, Burnt Jinhua Cakes, Sliced Soy-Braised Beef, and each paired with a bowl of special sauce with both meat and vegetables, both hot and cold.
The main course was fluffy white steamed buns and polished rice cooked rice, everyone could eat whatever they liked.
The Capital City’s food was much more exquisite compared to Zijing Mansion’s side, after eating lots of polished rice, Qin Yao started missing the steamed buns.
She took one and placed it in her bowl, splitting it into halves, sandwiched inside slices of beef dipped in sauce and juicy scallion fried tofu, one bite and the sweet bun mixed with the savory sauce flavor burst with various tastes on the tongue, couldn’t be more satisfying.
Liu Ji thoughtfully picked dishes for Qin Yao, "Wife, eat more, I’ve noticed you’ve gotten slimmer lately."
Qin Yao glanced at her own tight muscles, she was slimming?
One of Liu Ji’s top ten delusions: My wife is just too slim!
...
At the same time, in the National Master Mansion.
Sun Jiang cautiously watched Lord State Preceptor dining at the table, and reported what he just found out from Kuanzheng Square to him.
"My Lord, the things you had the coachman deliver this morning were sold off by Mrs. Qin’s disciple at a low price." Sun Jiang deliberately emphasized the word "low price".
Sikong Jian furrowed his brow, still holding a sliver of hope, "How much did they sell for?"
Sun Jiang quickly responded, "Fifteen taels."
Sikong Jian noticeably inhaled sharply.
The items he bought for over a hundred taels of silver were sold for just fifteen taels?
Not to mention the personal favor he’d given, waiting a year for the silver building master’s handcrafted work was otherwise impossible to obtain quickly.
Even with a wealthy background, Sikong Jian couldn’t help but feel so angry his stomach hurt.
Looking at the lavish meal in front of him, he suddenly lost his appetite.
"What was Liu Ji’s reaction?" Sikong Jian curiously asked.
According to his expectations, a man would definitely get jealous in this situation.
Jealousy would lead to madness, and then being disliked by Qin Yao.
However, Sun Jiang shook his head, "Reporting to you, sir, not at all, and he seemed quite happy?"
Sikong Jian’s eyes were full of doubt, happy?
Sun Jiang initially didn’t believe it either, but his subordinates witnessed Liu Ji humming songs, strolling off to pick up his children from school, irritating the teacher to death over there.
Evidently not affected at all, let alone to the point of jealousy-induced madness.
A weird creaking sound echoed in the room, like teeth grinding in frustration and powerlessness.
"What was that bastard Liu Ji doing?" Sikong Jian asked curiously.
There was the sound of a song being hummed in the room followed by the tinkle of dishes.
Sikong Jian suddenly laughed softly, "My wife’s quite charming, isn’t she~" Even the State Preceptor couldn’t escape her clutches.
But so what?
The gifts sent by Sikong, didn’t his wife just burn and sell them?
Scoffing disdainfully, Sikong Jian’s confidence returned as he flipped his head back, his and his wife’s love was unbreakable, they were meant for each other, no one! Absolutely no one could come between them!
Turning to Ah Wang with a ’You kid still have much to learn’ smirk, he then got up and strolled off with hands behind his back to pick up the kids from the Fan Family Private School.
Ah Wang scratched his head, puzzled at his Great Lord’s endless confidence.
Unable to understand, he simply stopped trying, turned and went to make dinner.
Oh, by the way, carrying these empty gift boxes to make a fire, it might burn even brighter.
...
Liu Ji promptly forgotten the affair of the State Preceptor Mansion’s gifts as soon as he left.
Strolling to the Fan Family Private School, peeping inside, he saw Old Man Fan wanting to keep the students to recite the text, not allowing them to leave if they couldn’t get it right.
But sorry, none of his sons failed to recite it.
Proving last night’s effort was not in vain, today Sanlang recited successfully, quickly following Da Lang and Second Lang out of the classroom.
While Mr. Fan looked incredulous, like he couldn’t believe Sanlang suddenly became smart, shocked and speechless for a long time.
Liu Ji proudly patted his three sons on the head, not forgetting to shout at Mr. Fan inside the private school:
"Teacher, we’re leaving now! You take your time staying in class, to avoid being hungry too late, you better nibble on something now."
Then, he waved a big hand, leading his three kids away in high spirits.
The sight of the little brat all smug, it made Mr. Fan’s teeth itch with anger, wanting to take a bite out of him, but he opened and closed his mouth, too angry to speak.
In the end, with their figures out of sight, he let out a powerless roar, making the students hold back laughter, their faces flushed red.
The four of them happily returned home, and Si Niang was also back, the five shared interesting stories from school, occasionally bursting into laughter, creating a highly harmonious atmosphere.
Qin Yao sat in the courtyard, listening to the playful banter of the father and four sons, looking up at the orange sunset, and slowly let out a breath, her mood improved from the exasperation caused by Sikong’s gift-giving antics.
In the evening, Yin Le used the money she earned today to buy everyone in the family a bowl of Tianxiang Building’s shaved ice cheese on the street.
The snow-white shaved ice was topped with a layer of sweet and sour fermented cheese, combined with peanuts, dried longan, and dried red date slices. A bite of the cold, sweet, crispy taste in the summer was deeply satisfying, not just for the children, but for the adults like Qin Yao who also ate it with a look of contentment.
This shaved ice cheese also had an appetite-boosting effect.
On a summer evening, the heat evaporating from the ground after the sun set made everyone break into a sweat, and with dinner mostly consisting of hot dishes, appetites were low, but after having this shaved ice cheese, suddenly the aroma of the dishes on the table became enticingly fragrant.
Green Onion Fried Tofu, Spicy Shrimp Soup, Red and White Braised Pork, Stir-fried Chicken Hearts, Burnt Jinhua Cake, Sliced Braised Beef, along with specially made dipping sauces for each person, combining meat and vegetables, hot and cold.
The staple was steamed soft white flour buns and boiled japonica rice; eat whatever you wish.
The Capital City’s cuisine was far more exquisite compared to Zijing Mansion’s side, and after having a lot of japonica rice, Qin Yao also started missing the steamed buns.
She picked up one, divided it into halves, sandwiched inside pieces of sweet and fragrant dough with sauce, biting down into a burst of flavors at the tip of her tongue, exceedingly satisfying.
Liu Ji thoughtfully served Qin Yao food, "Wife, eat more, you look like you’ve lost some weight lately."
Qin Yao glanced at her own tight muscles, she’s slimming?
One of Liu Ji’s top ten delusions: My wife’s just too slim!
...
Meanwhile, in the National Master Mansion.
Sun Jian nervously glanced at Lord State Preceptor, who was having dinner at the table. He quickly reported the information he had just probed from Kuanzheng Square.
"My lord, the things you sent to them this morning, were sold for only a little money," he told him.
"How much?" the State Preceptor asked.
"Fifteen taels," Sun Jiang replied quickly.
Sikong Jian sharply inhaled.
The things he bought for more than a hundred taels sold for only fifteen?
And that’s not even counting the favor he traded away, otherwise, it would be even more.
Looking at the lavish meal in front of him, Sikong suddenly felt a loss of appetite.
"What was Liu Ji’s reaction?" he curiously asked.
According to his expectations, it would be impossible for a man not to be jealous in such a situation.
Jealousy should lead him to go crazy and then get despised by Qin Yao.
However, Sun Jiang quickly replied, "He didn’t seem bothered at all, sir."
"Not affected?", Sikong Jian replied, incredulously.
Sun Jiang repeated that Liu Ji hummed to himself as he strolled out to pick up his children from school, leaving his tutor half-dead with anger.
Obviously not affected at all, let alone jealous or going crazy.
A sound echoed in the room, one of those crazy roars signaling a release of frustration.
Sun Jiang threw a cautious glance at the State Preceptor, who was dining at the table and asked again, "My lord, what do you want me to do?"
"I’ll send Liu Ji a special gift!" Sikong Jian laughed coldly.
Comments