Shuhuai kept his focus entirely on his chores, not bothering to lift his head even once to glance at Yuhe.
Although she knew he wasn’t waiting for her, the mere sight of him still sent a swell of joy through her heart. Unstoppable, a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she stepped up to his side.
“Husband, tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. Should I wrap some extra meat zongzi so we can send a few to your close friends?”
In previous years, it had always been those few good friends of Shuhuai who sent dumplings to their home. This year, having purchased plenty of glutinous rice, she had no fear of running short.
Without so much as raising his eyes, Shuhuai offered a lukewarm refusal. “There is no need to trouble yourself with such matters.”
Yuhe wasn’t bothered in the least. Reaching into her back-basket, she pulled out the stack of texts and held them right before his eyes. “Very well, I won’t fuss over that. But these books—do you still want them, Husband?”
Shuhuai set down his water ladle, shifting his gaze to inspect the characters on the covers. He then cast a long, searching look at Yuhe.
His dark, deep-set eyes harbored a subtle chill.
Guessing that the sight must have reminded him of her past folly, Yuhe shifted her gaze away in guilt, not daring to meet his eyes for fear of catching the disappointment lingering within them.
Thrusting the books into his hands, she turned and walked away with Yun’er in tow.
Noticing that Yuhe had ignored her for the longest time just to talk to her uncle, Yun’er pouted her lips in discontent. “Auntie, did you forget to buy my things?”
“You only cared about buying things for Uncle!”
Yuhe patted the girl’s double hair buns gently. “Auntie didn’t forget. I’ll give them to you as soon as we get back.”
Instantly cheered, Yun’er bounded ahead of her in lively skips, running all the way back home.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she couldn’t wait to unpack the candied haws and the clay figurine, proudly showing them off to her grandmother.
Having recovered quite a bit, Lady Cui was busy sweeping and tidying the courtyard. Seeing how meticulously her mother-in-law was cleaning every nook and cranny, Yuhe guessed that Li Yunluo would likely pay a visit tomorrow.
Knowing she couldn’t stop it, she had no time to waste on feeling miserable. Taking a basket, she headed out to cut bamboo leaves.
Yun’er scampered after her, munching on her candied haws as she chimed in, “Auntie, the laying hen Auntie Wu brought over laid eggs! There are two of them!”
“Now that Yun’er has eaten candied haws, I won’t fight with you over the eggs in the morning anymore.”
Yuhe let out a soft, silent sigh, feeling an even deeper pang of guilt in her heart. “Auntie doesn’t care for eggs anymore. From now on, all the eggs are for Yun’er.”
The next morning, just as the sky began to break with the first pale rays of dawn, Yuhe rose from her bed.
Since she was heading to her brother’s house in the late afternoon for the Dragon Boat Festival, she specifically changed into a light-blue, coarse-cloth short blouse paired with a matching long skirt. Though the hem was somewhat worn, the outfit had been sewn by her late mother back before Yuhe was married.
It lent her an unusually fresh and delicate grace.
Being barely three months along, her pregnancy was not yet showing, leaving her slender figure as graceful as ever. She loosely pinned her hair into a simple bun, securing it with the silver-set jade hairpin Shuhuai had bought for her in the past.
Stepping out of the west room, she immediately caught sight of Shuhuai chopping firewood in the courtyard.
Their eyes met.
Yuhe’s eyes curved into sweet crescents as she offered a soft smile. “Husband, there’s enough firewood. You don’t need to chop any more.”
Shuhuai froze for a brief moment, his gaze lingering on the jade hairpin in her hair before restoring his usual detachment, offering no reply.
Long accustomed to his cold shoulder, Yuhe walked straight into the kitchen, where Lady Cui had already lit the stove fire.
Thinking of how Yuhe had gotten up in the middle of the night to soak the glutinous rice, Lady Cui couldn’t help but worry about the child in her belly. “It’s still early. Go rest for a bit, and I’ll prepare breakfast.”
“Mother, I’ve had plenty of sleep.”
Tying her apron around her waist, Yuhe set aside the small spice jars on the chopping board to clear space, then began slicing the meat.
Once breakfast was over, Lady Cui set about preparing the other dishes as well. She planned to stew the chicken Yuhe had marinated previously into a rich broth, while slicing the cured, sun-dried fish into small pieces for pan-frying. She even went to the vegetable garden to pick fresh melons and fruits.
Yun’er joined in on the zongzi wrapping as well, her clumsy little hands fumbling with the leaves as Yuhe patiently guided her step-by-step.
In previous years, Shuhuai had always pulled Yuhe along to wrap zongzi together. This year, however, the roles were completely reversed; he refused to set so much as a foot inside the kitchen.
Just as the first batch finished boiling, Momo let out a series of joyful barks to welcome several of Shuhuai’s close friends. They greeted Lady Cui warmly one by one, yet not a single soul acknowledged Yuhe.
Listening from inside the kitchen, Yuhe could hear their excited voices with absolute clarity.
Zhu Jinwen’s loud voice rose above the rest. “Shuhuai, you are truly blessed! Who would have thought Miss Li is such a business prodigy?”
“She raised the prices on summer garments, but offered a deal—buy silk and get cotton for free, or buy cotton and get hemp or kudzu cloth for free!”
Another friend chimed in with a low, impressed tone, “That way, not only does she avoid taking a loss, but she makes a massive profit! She’s managed to pocket silver from commoners and high officials alike in Xuyang County.”
“People are lining up out the door at the Li family shop, while other tailoring shops are completely deserted. What a brilliant maneuver!”
The group praised Li Yunluo to the high heavens. Even Shuhuai, usually a man of few words, couldn’t help but interject, “Yunluo is indeed exceptionally bright.”
No matter how others sang her praises, Yuhe’s heart remained completely unruffled. Yet Shuhuai rarely complimented anyone; for Yunluo to earn his explicit approval meant she undoubtedly held a significant place in his heart.
Yuhe had prepared herself for this long ago, but having experienced Shuhuai’s wholehearted devotion in the past, watching him harbor someone else in his heart now still brought an undeniable sting. The movement of her hands slowed involuntarily.
By the time the second batch of zongzi finished boiling, Yunluo finally made her fashionably late arrival. Lady Cui had already prepared the remaining dishes, having waited specifically for Yunluo’s arrival.
The moment she arrived, everyone grew restless with excitement, as if catching sight of an immortal deity capable of granting eternal life. Only Yuhe remained unmoving inside.
Taking advantage of the fine weather, Shuhuai had moved the dining table from the kitchen out into the courtyard. Yunluo wore a striking madder-red ruqun today, radiating an even brighter elegance.
Taking her seat at the table, she began introducing the array of zongzi flavors she had brought along today. “Please, everyone, indulge yourselves. We have meat zongzi, apricot zongzi, candied fruit zongzi, and various nut-filled zongzi. There are both savory and sweet options.”
Hearing these strange, novel flavors they had never encountered before, the crowd stared in awe before eagerly unwrapping the leaves to taste them. Lady Cui even brought out fine wine she usually couldn’t bear to drink to entertain her guests.
Yunluo carried herself entirely as the mistress of the household. When Yuhe reappeared, she was nothing more than a joke in the eyes of the gathered company.
Everyone partook joyfully of the zongzi Yunluo had brought, while the dumplings Yuhe had spent the entire morning painstakingly wrapping were cast aside, utterly neglected. The conversation around the table revolved entirely around Yunluo’s business acumen, and as Shuhuai listened in silence, a rare gentleness softened his features.
Yun’er sat beside him, eating with relish, completely oblivious to the adults’ conversation. She merely found it a bit strange that there were no discarded binding strings in front of her uncle. Fearing Yun’er might overeat, Shuhuai made her leave the table after she finished her second dumpling.
The lively atmosphere outside had nothing to do with Yuhe. Once she finished her lunch, she gathered a selection of savory and sweet zongzi, preparing to head over to her brother’s house.
Seeing Yuhe so coldly excluded by everyone, Lady Cui felt a pang of pity and hurriedly urged her to take a few more.
Having eaten her fill, Yun’er walked into the room and saw Yuhe packing the zongzi into her back-basket. “Auntie, where are you going?”
“Auntie is going to bring some zongzi to Sister Xing and the others,” Yuhe replied softly. “Since no one here cares for the zongzi Auntie wrapped, I might as well give more to Sister Xing.”
Yun’er grew somewhat upset, huffing crossly, “You still have to leave some for me and Uncle!”
“Auntie Yunluo’s zongzi are so delicious—I ate so many! But Uncle didn’t eat a single one.”