Qi Yuze didn’t quite understand the intricacies of vegetable farming. He nodded with partial comprehension and looked at Mu Simiao: “I’ve counted all the coins in the money pouch – one hundred and ninety wen in total.”
“Just keep it somewhere hidden. Oh, by the way, I found a helper in the city who charges ten wen per day. That child is quite good – works efficiently and deserves those ten wen.” Mu Simiao brought it up proactively, so even if Qi Yuze had his suspicions, he didn’t dare say more.
In this place where men held slightly lower status, Mu Simiao couldn’t be bothered to guess and directly asked: “Can you write?”
Qi Yuze answered her truthfully: “I recognize some characters.”
Knowing how to read would make things much easier. Mu Simiao placed her palm on his shoulder: “Tomorrow I’ll go to the market to buy some rough paper. From now on, you’ll manage the money and keep accounts at home. When we’ve saved enough silver, we’ll rent a place at the marketplace, which would be convenient for Yue’er to attend private school.”
Mu Simiao’s reasoning was sound, but Qi Yuze still had some concerns: “Mu Niang, I’ve never done this kind of work before. I’m afraid I won’t do it well.”
“No matter. Nobody is born knowing how to do these things. Practice makes perfect.” Mu Simiao patted Qi Yuze’s back. “It’s just recording what we’ve purchased – nothing difficult. I’ll tell you the specific expenses each day when I return from the stall.”
Comforted by her words, Qi Yuze instantly gained confidence. He clenched his fingers, his eyes shining as he nodded at her: “Yes, I’ll keep good records.”
Hearing this, Mu Simiao finally felt relieved. Taking advantage of the time, she fetched water to irrigate the sprouts in the courtyard.
Having rested well the previous day, Mu Simiao rarely woke when Qi Yuze got up. She turned on her side, raising her head to block the light from the window as she watched his back while he dressed.
His fingers moving through his hair, Qi Yuze quietly walked to the dressing table, opened the vanity case, and took out the white jade hairpin Mu Simiao had given him. After tying up his hair, he inserted the pin into his bun.
Having arranged his hair and clothing, Qi Yuze turned around and happened to meet Mu Simiao’s gaze. His smile immediately froze on his face, his fingers behind his back, looking completely flustered: “Why did Mu Niang wake up so early today?”
Yue’er lay nearby on her back, grabbing at the air while making babbling sounds. Mu Simiao pinched her fingers and, instead of answering Qi Yuze’s question, chuckled lightly at him: “Just as I thought – this hairpin suits you well.”
Qi Yuze lowered his eyes, pursing his lips, the tips of his ears instantly flushing red. He quickly walked to the bed to pick up Yue’er: “I-I’ll take Yue’er out to prepare breakfast. Mu Niang, you change your clothes first.”
After speaking, he turned and walked out, leaving only the bed curtain swaying in the breeze from the doorway.
Mu Simiao rested her elbows behind her head, recalling the redness of Qi Yuze’s ear tips moments earlier. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl upward – teasing Qi Yuze until he blushed was far more entertaining than playing games.
As smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, Mu Simiao washed up and sat on the stone stool. After putting Yue’er’s shoes on, she lifted the child from the baby carriage and called toward the kitchen: “How many months old is Yue’er? We should probably let her try learning to walk…”
Mu Simiao suddenly fell silent, realizing how absurd her question had been. Fortunately, Qi Yuze didn’t seem suspicious, as if he had grown accustomed to her unusual queries: “Eight months. She learned to crawl a few days ago, so it’s time to learn walking.”
Mu Simiao laughed awkwardly twice, holding Yue’er’s hand as she walked toward the door: “Then it’s indeed time she learned.”
There were no other households beside the courtyard. Apart from knowing the original owner had a husband, a daughter, and the mother who visited that day, Mu Simiao knew nothing else about her circumstances.
The place was quite remote. It seemed the original owner hadn’t been well-regarded by her family, though it was unclear whether she had any siblings besides herself.
Yue’er’s steps were surprisingly steady. Holding her tiny fingers, Mu Simiao followed her pace as they circled the courtyard. By the time they returned to the front door, Qi Yuze had already prepared the meal and brought it to the yard.
Mu Simiao placed Yue’er in the stroller and rubbed her sore lower back, strained from bending over for too long. “Oh, my poor back,” she groaned.
Qi Yuze watched the scene before him, momentarily lost in thought. This was the kind of life he had imagined before marrying—if only it could last forever, he would ask for nothing more.
But given Mu Simiao’s temperament, it wouldn’t be long before she reverted to her old ways.
“Mu Niang, let this humble one massage it for you?” Qi Yuze said, stepping behind her and reaching out, only to be gently stopped by her. “No need, no need. I’ll be fine after resting a moment.”
Mu Simiao washed her hands, quickly finished breakfast, then hoisted the hoe over her shoulder and pulled Yue’er’s stroller toward the fields.
Qi Yuze had never been to this area before. Treading carefully, he followed Mu Simiao’s footsteps across the dry ground until they reached the small plot of land.
The accumulated water from previous days had dried under the sun. After settling the stroller, Mu Simiao grabbed the hoe, entered the field, rolled up her sleeves, and began widening the pits.
Along the way, Yue’er seemed to have tired from playing. Qi Yuze placed her back in the stroller, then moved to Mu Simiao’s side. When she paused her work, he leaned over, took a cloth, and gently wiped the sweat from her temples.
Mu Simiao tilted her head, noticing the fine hairs on his face, and couldn’t resist leaning a bit closer. “There’s sweat on the right side too.”
Hearing this, Qi Yuze moved to her other side and obediently wiped the moisture away. Mu Simiao remained still until he withdrew his hand before speaking, “It should be done soon. This afternoon, I need to go to the market to buy fish fry and waterproof cloth. Aside from the pastries from the other day, is there anything else you’d like to eat?”
Qi Yuze pressed his lips together, recalling the taste of the pastries he’d had days earlier, but ultimately shook his head. “No need, Mu Niang. We should save our silver for renting a house. Let’s not waste money on other things.”
“Money can never be fully earned. Until we reach our goal of saving for a rental, we still need to take care of ourselves. What’s the point of only earning without enjoying life at all?”
Mu Simiao’s words weren’t without reason. Though Qi Yuze wanted to argue, he found himself at a loss for words. “Mu Niang can decide what to buy. This humble one isn’t picky.”
“Good that you’re not picky.” It seemed he had taken her words to heart. Mu Simiao straightened up and resumed digging until she had excavated a pit about one meter deep, barely managing to stand upright afterward.
Qi Yuze held Yue’er to the side. Though they stood with their backs to the sun, both were drenched in sweat, looking nearly as disheveled as she did.
She dragged the hoe back to the path and patted Qi Yuze’s head with the back of her hand. “Let’s go, back home.”
The return trip mirrored their arrival: Mu Simiao carrying the hoe and pulling the stroller. Upon reaching the courtyard, she went to the kitchen, scooped two bowls of cool water, and handed one to Qi Yuze. “Have some water. You must have been badly sunburned earlier, right?”
Qi Yuze took the water bowl, expressed his thanks, and walked into the courtyard. He first fed Yue’er, waiting until her flushed little face cooled down a bit before finishing the remaining water she had left.
After drinking water and washing her hands, Mu Simiao rubbed Yue’er’s cheeks with her fingers, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Qi Yuze. The roots of her ears grew warm as she spoke: “Yue’er is old enough for supplementary food. After all… that method is too taxing on the body. It would be better to gradually wean her off now.”
Without needing to ask, Qi Yuze understood the meaning behind Mu Simiao’s words, but he was still somewhat reluctant. After all, breastfeeding was preferable. He hesitated: “Mu Niang, I…”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already looked into it. As long as we follow a proper diet plan, there’s no need to rely solely on breastfeeding.” Mu Simiao finished with a light cough and continued explaining to him.
After wrestling with the decision for a while, Qi Yuze ultimately felt that Mu Simiao made a valid point. After all, Yue’er was nearly one year old and shouldn’t be too dependent on him: “I’ll follow Mu Niang’s advice.”
For lunch, Mu Simiao cooked porridge. The two adults ate stir-fried dishes, while she added an egg to Yue’er’s portion. Eggs weren’t exactly cheap at this time, but infants were fragile and needed extra nutrition.
Fortunately, Yue’er was quite well-behaved, and Qi Yuze had no trouble feeding her the porridge.
With chicken and flour running low and other ingredients needed, Mu Simiao decided to push the cart to the market. Before leaving, she approached Qi Yuze to ask for money.
Watching Qi Yuze flusteredly search for coins, Mu Simiao felt like she was asking for allowance.
A heavy coin pouch landed in her palm. Though unsure of the amount inside, Mu Simiao tucked it into her bosom for safekeeping: “I’ll account for the expenses when I return.”
Mu Simiao went straight to the poultry vendor. Besides buying chicken, she wanted to make tofu fish soup to nourish Qi Yuze. After carefully selecting a grass carp and buying tofu from another stall, she loaded them onto the cart and prepared to leave.
As she passed by Granny Liu’s stall, the old woman called out to her. Noticing the loaded cart, Granny Liu remarked: “Stocking up for business? How’s the stall these days?”
“Thanks to your blessings, business is decent. But I must thank Granny Wang for sending Haoxuan to help – it’s made things much easier.” Mu Simiao approached the hairpin stall, observing the largely empty display. “Your hairpins seem to be selling well too, Granny Liu. Look how bare your spot is.”
Granny Liu’s smile widened uncontrollably: “Not bad, not bad. But with only these two designs, business has been slowing down lately…”
As she spoke, Granny Liu looked meaningfully at Mu Simiao.
Mu Simiao understood perfectly. The previous free designs were offered when Granny Liu needed favors, but now if she wanted new patterns, she’d have to pay: “Since we’re acquainted, why don’t you name the price, Granny Liu?”
Surprised by the direct request for payment, Granny Liu’s expression darkened slightly, though she maintained composure: “Discussing money hurts our rapport. Since Xuan’er’s working at your stall, why not deduct it from his wages? I’ve noticed he’s quite taken with you. If you’re interested…”
“Granny Liu.” If she didn’t stop her now, she would soon be making an unsuitable match. Mu Simiao quickly called out to her, “I already have a husband and daughter at home, so there’s no need to trouble yourself with this matter. As for what you mentioned about exchanging Haoxuan’s wages for design work, I think we should still seek his opinion.”
“No problem at all, I’m his mother—how could he not listen to me?” Granny Liu paid no heed to Mu Simiao’s words and still insisted on having Liu Haoxuan marry her. “In times like these, even having two husbands is not excessive, especially for someone as outstanding as you. Haoxuan would surely be willing to practice Zuo Xiao Fu Di.”