But Madam Zhang, having lived alongside her husband for so many years, knew exactly how much he tended to overthink things.
She feared he might carry guilt about this matter, so she spoke up.
“Husband, about sending extra money to the main household, we’re not criticizing you.
You know that no matter how much we send, it’s never enough for them.
The eldest brother, and the younger fourth and fifth brothers, have practically become the masters of that household.
They have enough to support themselves well if they all just work together.
“Sending an extra few taels each month wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for them always wanting more.
We need to think of the children too.
Xiao Bao will soon need to attend school, and Wenyao still has his studies and exams to prepare for in the capital, which will require funds.
And if Xiao Bao has siblings in the future, think of how much we’ll need.
We have to prepare ourselves,” Madam Zhang concluded, taking a deep breath, having likely said more than she ever had at once.
Everyone at the table sat in silence, even Xiao Bao, who sensed the serious mood and looked around quietly.
After Madam Zhang finished, Father Lu wasn’t upset at all.
He knew in his heart what his mother and siblings were like.
In their youth, he and Madam Zhang had fallen in love, but his mother had disapproved of her due to her family’s poverty.
He’d done everything he could to win the right to marry her, and they’d shared half a lifetime of hardship and joy.
He knew she only spoke out of concern for him, so he gently patted her hand.
“You’re right.
And if Xiao Bao’s siblings come along, this grandfather will just have to work even harder to earn more!
Haha!
Now, let’s eat.”
Both Zhao Ying and Lu Wenyao’s expressions turned a bit awkward, as if they each had something caught in their throats.
Xiao Bao, however, eagerly asked, “Where are my siblings, Mother?
Where are they?”
He looked expectantly between his parents, unaware that he might have a long wait ahead.
Feeling her face flush—not with embarrassment but with awkwardness—Zhao Ying knew the child’s question required a gentle response.
The truth was that, ever since that one night years ago when Lu Wenyao had been tricked, they hadn’t been together as a couple.
Zhao Ying remembered vaguely that the original Zhao Yingying, infatuated at first sight, had conspired with a cousin to intoxicate and drug Lu Wenyao, who had been a new student at the time.
That one incident had led to their single night together and to Xiao Bao.
Seeing that no one was answering Xiao Bao’s question, Zhao Ying leaned over to him with a smile.
“When you’re older and can look after your little siblings, they’ll come along.
Here, try this—it’s delicious!”
Hmm, that might not be too misleading, Zhao Ying thought.
If we do divorce someday, he’ll likely remarry, and in that case, he’d surely have more children.
After all, in this era, having only one heir is rare, especially for a second wife—it would be more secure for her to have her own children in her husband’s family.
Meanwhile, Lu Wenyao’s thoughts went in a different direction.
Could it be that she wants more children?
Is that why she said that to Xiao Bao?
Yes, that must be it, he concluded.
She probably wants to bind me to her more closely.
As for marital intimacy, he’d never seriously considered it with her before—not because he disliked her fuller figure but because he didn’t love her and couldn’t find affection for her personality either.
But now, she had changed so much.
He found himself drawn to her, wanting to be near her.
Wait, what kind of nonsense am I thinking?
he chided himself.
Returning to her usual self, Zhao Ying told Xiao Bao, “When you’re finished eating, you and Father can walk to Uncle Tang’s house together to help digest our meal.”
“Yes, Mother,” Xiao Bao replied cheerfully.
Father Lu and Madam Zhang, thinking Zhao Ying was simply embarrassed, refrained from saying anything more, and the atmosphere around the table returned to normal.
Father Lu quickly brushed off his previous worries and resumed chatting with everyone.
After breakfast, Madam Zhang went to the vegetable plot to pull weeds, Father Lu went into the forest to check on the traps, and Xiao Bao went with Lu Wenyao to the woodworker’s house.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ying sat down with paper and ink to design more furniture pieces.
Having practiced with a Chinese brush, she was now adept at using it for design work.
She drew plans for a bookshelf, a desk for the study, a central table for the main room, and wardrobes for everyone.
Her designs combined practical details from both the current era and her previous world, with added features like drawers, side compartments for storing brushes, and ink stones.
One item she particularly wanted was a wooden chest for storing medicinal herbs.
This way, when she retrieved items from her mystical dimension, it would look natural, avoiding suspicion.
It would also be helpful for teaching Xiao Bao about herbs in the future.
Before long, Lu Wenyao returned, and Zhao Ying handed him the designs, including her layout for the study room.
After reviewing them, he was impressed by her clear, practical designs and could imagine how functional they would be.
After she explained the purpose of the herb chest, Zhao Ying entrusted all the furniture arrangements to Lu Wenyao.
“I’ll leave the rest to you, including explaining the details to the carpenter.
If you need anything clarified, you can call for me anytime.”
Seeing him nod, she turned to Xiao Bao.
“Come, Xiao Bao!
The sun isn’t too hot today, so I’ll teach you how to climb a tree.”
At this, Lu Wenyao glanced at the two with obvious curiosity.
Zhao Ying noticed his questioning expression and explained.
“Oh, I didn’t mention it before, but I’m having Xiao Bao do some exercises to build up his strength,” Zhao Ying explained.
“Father, I’ve climbed trees before—it’s not hard at all!
And Mother said that soon she’ll teach me archery, too!” Xiao Bao said proudly.
He then dashed off and quickly returned, lugging a small child-sized bow, a wooden sword, and a tiny staff, laying them all out in front of his father to show off.
Zhao Ying gave an awkward smile; she’d completely forgotten about all of this with Lu Wenyao’s sudden return.
Being a scholar, he might not approve of this sort of physical training.
But to her surprise, he responded differently.
“Our Xiao Bao is truly skilled!
But be careful not to wear your mother out too much,” he said, patting Xiao Bao’s head affectionately.
“I understand, Father,” Xiao Bao replied.
Lu Wenyao then went to the spare room to wait for the Tang brothers to arrive.
Left alone, his thoughts wandered back to the possibility of Zhao Ying having switched souls.
He had never believed in such things before, but observing her over these past two days, he found himself leaning toward the idea.
The old Zhao Yingying would never have approved of Xiao Bao learning physical skills, nor would she have had the knowledge to teach him.
Furthermore, her understanding of herbs had grown tremendously, even though she had no background in it; her family business dealt in grains, not medicinal herbs.
And then there was the furniture designs.
Seeing the detailed plans she’d drawn herself had truly astonished him.
The more he observed her, the harder it was to look away.
Lost in thought, he was unaware that a small smile had crept onto his face.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ying, after spending time playing with Xiao Bao until he was worn out, helped him wash up and sent him to keep Madam Zhang company while she prepared lunch.
For the meal, she made fried rice with green onions, carrots, and onions, along with a fried egg for everyone.
Xiao Bao took on the task of gathering everyone for lunch.
Lu Wenyao was quite surprised when Xiao Bao called him to eat, as villagers—his family included—typically didn’t have a midday meal.
Still curious, he followed Xiao Bao to the main room, where everyone was already waiting for him and Xiao Bao.
“Wow, Mother, today’s rice looks so colorful!” Xiao Bao exclaimed.
“I’m calling it Five-Color Fried Rice, Xiao Bao.
Make sure to eat lots of it,” Zhao Ying said, smiling.
“Of course!
Then I’ll grow big and strong to help Mother with all her work!” Xiao Bao replied enthusiastically.
Zhao Ying served portions of rice to everyone, giving larger portions to Father Lu and Lu Wenyao, with slightly smaller servings for Madam Zhang and herself.
Xiao Bao had his own little bowl, and she placed the plate of fried eggs in the center of the table.
As Lu Wenyao looked at the colorful fried rice, filled with a variety of ingredients and smelling wonderfully fragrant, along with the golden fried eggs, it was yet another sign of the transformation his family had undergone.
Madam Zhang quietly observed her son’s reaction with a smile, saying nothing; she knew her smart son would understand the changes on his own.
After lunch, Zhao Ying encouraged Xiao Bao to take a short walk to aid digestion, then sent him to nap with Madam Zhang, while she went off to harvest herbs that were ready for collection.
With winter and snowfall fast approaching, she needed to dry and sell as much as possible before the long season set in.
Father Lu had mentioned that this winter would be colder than previous years, with heavy and prolonged snowfall expected.
In addition to the herbs, she also had to gather vegetables from the garden for storage in the cellar.
Some would need drying, while hardier vegetables like turnips could be left outside for now, as they tolerated the cold well and could be collected when the snow began.
Ah…what a hassle, she thought.
If only I could just pull vegetables from my mystical dimension—it would save me so much trouble and make life much easier.
Inside her mystical dimension, vegetables never spoiled, and new crops grew at a much faster rate than outside.
The taste was even remarkable; they were delicious even when eaten plain.
Unfortunately, only the items within the cabin reset each day, while anything harvested from the outer fields required replanting once used.
After she had gathered almost all the vegetables and herbs, she set some to dry under the eaves and salted others as needed.
She then approached Father Lu to ask if he could speak to Tang Xian about the cart again for their trip to town.
This time, she planned to buy a large amount of meat, as the snow would act as an ideal natural refrigerator, preventing spoilage when stored outside.
Fortunately, their house already had a cellar.
With only minor repairs and a bit of expansion, it would be fully usable.
Ancient people may not have had modern materials, but they managed to build remarkably durable structures that lasted for decades.