Returning to the Marquis’s Residence with Jiang Xuening and Shen Yuru was a knowledgeable and experienced nanny from the Zhongcheng Residence.
The nanny had carefully picked out all the inferior items from Jiang Xuening’s dowry and brought them back. Three days later, the Zhongcheng Residence sent over a batch of high-quality jewelry, ornaments, gold, and silverware.
There was no way the matter could be concealed from the Marquis’s Residence. Someone had to take the blame.
The Zhongcheng Residence did not dare offend the Marquis’s Residence, but neither were they willing to admit that the problem had originated on their side. Thus, they brought out Chunlan, the maid responsible for overseeing the dowry, and made her the scapegoat.
They accused her of stealing from the dowry while it was under her supervision, then took her back to the Zhongcheng Residence to deal with her themselves.
That left only one maid, Xiamo, by Jiang Xuening’s side.
Jiang Xuening knew that Madam Zhou would certainly send another maid over, so before the Zhongcheng Residence could send a new maid, she asked her mother-in-law to assign one to her.
Before long, one of the household stewardesses brought over a maid named Liuying, saying that her mother-in-law had personally chosen her.
Jiang Xuening saw that Liuying had gentle features and seemed honest and straightforward, so she decided to keep her.
Sure enough, a few days later, the Zhongcheng Residence intended to send another maid to her. Jiang Xuening turned them down on the grounds that she already had enough people serving her.
That way, there was no need for anyone else to manage her dowry, and everything was returned to her own hands.
Jiang Xuening planned to sell off a small portion of her dowry as capital once she learned how to do business with commercial permits.
The osmanthus blossoms in the courtyard were blooming beautifully. Jiang Xuening brought her two maids along to pick a large amount of them and made osmanthus honey, which she used to prepare pastries and sweet soups.
Just as the osmanthus flowers were about to wither, the Autumn Enjoyment Ceremony came to a successful end.
Shen Yi, who had been away from home for many days, finally returned.
He had lost quite a bit of weight. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his face was filled with exhaustion. It was obvious that he had not been able to get enough rest during those days.
“I’m going to sleep. Don’t call me for dinner.”
He had been busy day and night for several days and desperately needed a good, uninterrupted sleep.
It was only past noon, so he probably would not sleep until the next morning.
Thus, Jiang Xuening kindly said, “Then I’ll prepare some late-night snacks for you tonight.”
Shen Yi was just about to agree when he suddenly noticed that the maid beside her had been replaced.
“What happened to the maid who was here before?” he asked.
“Chunlan made a mistake and has already been sent back to the Zhongcheng Residence.” Jiang Xuening introduced the new maid to him. “Her name is Liuying. I asked Mother-in-law to give her to me.”
She had asked Madam Wei for one?
Heh.
Was there already not enough of Madam Wei’s spies in his courtyard?
However, Jiang Xuening did not know about the discord between Madam Wei and him. Shen Yi naturally had no need to tell her too much.
Since another person belonging to Madam Wei had been added to Jiang Xuening’s side, he would naturally have to be even more cautious.
“There’s no need for the late-night snack. I don’t know what time I’ll wake up.”
“All right.”
The exhaustion accumulated over several days caused Shen Yi to sleep until the moon was high in the sky.
When he woke up, his stomach felt completely empty, and a wave of hunger surged through him, making it impossible for him to lie in bed any longer.
As soon as he opened the door to his study, the fragrance of osmanthus rushed toward him.
The fresh, sweet floral scent dispelled the last trace of sleepiness and, at the same time, made the hunger in his stomach even more intense.
Lu Ming had also already slept for a while and was currently standing guard outside his door.
“I’m a little hungry. Go to the kitchen and see if there’s anything to eat.”
“Yes.”
Two quarters of an hour later, Lu Ming brought over a plate of osmanthus cakes and a bowl of glutinous rice balls in fermented rice wine with osmanthus.
“Heir Apparent, when I went to the kitchen, the cook was making these. She said Young Madam had instructed her to prepare them. After they were done, I tasted a little. There was nothing wrong with them.”
“All right.”
During the day, he had refused to let Jiang Xuening prepare late-night snacks for him. He had not expected that she would still have the cook prepare something.
However, it was obvious that she did not know his preferences.
He actually did not like sweet foods.
Forget it. Since she had at least been thoughtful enough to prepare them, he would reluctantly accept her kindness.
“Have you eaten dinner? Do you want to have some together?” he asked Lu Ming.
“Thank you for your concern, Heir Apparent. I woke up early and have already had dinner.”
Lu Ming placed the pastries and sweet soup from the tray onto the writing desk before withdrawing.
Shen Yi was indeed extremely hungry at that moment. He quickly finished the entire plate of pastries in just a few bites.
Then, he picked up the bowl of sweet soup. Just as he was drinking it, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Husband…”
Sure enough, she had come again.
She really did not let anyone have a moment of peace.
Shen Yi frowned.
He remembered the absurd dream he had had on the night before he left home, and he originally did not want to let her in.
Unfortunately, the door had not been bolted.
Before he could answer, she pushed the door open and walked in.
“Husband,” she completely ignored his darkening expression and walked straight to the writing desk.
She looked at the empty plate, then at the bowl in his hand, and finally turned to him with a frown.
“Husband, why did you eat my late-night snack?”
Shen Yi was stunned.
“Wasn’t it prepared for me?”
“You said you weren’t going to eat it, so I didn’t prepare it for you. That late-night snack was for me.”
The spoon fell back into the bowl.
Shen Yi placed the bowl, which was only half full now, onto the table and said awkwardly, “Sorry. I accidentally ate your late-night snack. I’ll have the kitchen make another portion for you.”
Jiang Xuening looked at him reproachfully.
“It’ll take at least two quarters of an hour to make another portion. By then, I should already be asleep.”
“Then have the cook make something else. Perhaps it can be brought over more quickly.”
“But I only want osmanthus cakes and glutinous rice balls in fermented rice wine. I made that osmanthus honey myself, and today was the first time I used it. I’ve been looking forward to it for several days.”
That was difficult.
There was only half a bowl of sweet soup left, and he had already eaten from it. He certainly could not give her what he had left.
After all, he was the one who had eaten her late-night snack.
Shen Yi rubbed his forehead and thought for a moment before suggesting, “Stay up a little later tonight. How about I take you to Zhouqiao Night Market nearby for some late-night snacks?”
Zhouqiao Night Market?
Jiang Xuening had only heard of it. She had never visited before.
Thus, she immediately agreed happily.
The night air was chilly, so Shen Yi told her to go back and put on a cloak. He also told Lu Ming to prepare two horses.
But when they were about to leave, Jiang Xuening looked at the horses in confusion.
“Why haven’t the horses been hitched to a carriage?”
“Taking a carriage will take some time. Riding horses will be faster.”
“But I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
Jiang Xuening looked at Shen Yi, who had already mounted his horse. She moved several steps toward his horse and stretched out her hand toward him.
“Husband, pull me up. I want to ride the same horse as you.”
Naturally, Shen Yi did not want to ride the same horse with her.
But since he had eaten her late-night snack and was in the wrong, he had no choice but to pull her up and let her sit behind him.
Jiang Xuening was dissatisfied behind him.
“Husband, I want to sit in front.”
Sitting in front would allow her to enjoy the night scenery. Sitting behind him meant that his straight, broad shoulders and back blocked most of her view, making it difficult to see anything.
“If you don’t want to sit there, then get off.”
Was she really going to start making demands now?
“All right, then.”
It was Jiang Xuening’s first time riding a horse.
When she had been standing below, she had already thought the horse looked enormous. Now that she was sitting on its back, the moment it moved, she became somewhat frightened, afraid that she would fall.
Thus, she tightly wrapped her arms around Shen Yi’s waist.
The soft, warm body pressing against his back and the delicate arms wrapped around his waist made Shen Yi’s entire body tense.
He could not help but straighten his back.
She even leaned close to his ear to speak to him, her breath brushing against his ear and sending a tingling sensation through him.
“I’m sitting securely now, Husband. We can go.”
Shen Yi unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.
Only after that tingling sensation finally faded did he squeeze the horse’s belly with his legs.
“Hold on tight. Giddy-up!”