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Pointing to the stone bench in front of her, Zeng Yulan politely said, "Please, have a seat."
Pei Qingxuan felt pleased by her friendly demeanor and lifted the back of his robe to sit down. In this era, there was no Qing Festival, but there was a festival for offering sacrifices, which had a similar meaning. On the first rainy day after the festival, it was said that the ancestors sent messages through the rain to nourish their descendants.
Thus, every household would pay respects to their ancestors, wearing their best clothes and burning incense to inform them, seeking their blessings for a prosperous life for future generations. Zeng Yulan struggled to explain this to him; neither of them had much education. So she simply said, "Qing means fragrant."
She admired her own skill in weaving this tale; it was perfect. The fragrance indeed brightened her spirits and made her feel accomplished. Pei Qingxuan interpreted her nonsensical explanation quite well.
Zeng Yulan giggled behind her hand and used tweezers to serve him a cup of tea. A mouthful of scalding tea rolled around in Pei Qingxuan's mouth three times before he swallowed it and let out a long sigh. He then stood up and bowed to Zeng Yulan.
"Zeng Qing Niangzi, I must admit my ignorance. This tea retains its fragrance without any bitterness; I feel quite ashamed."
Zeng Yulan couldn't stand his overly humble demeanor and chided him lightly, "Enough of that! Sit down and enjoy your tea."
As they sipped their tea and chatted about various topics, the conversation turned to Pei Qingxuan's family background. Zeng Yulan refilled his cup and remarked, "By rights, you are considered half an official. Although you may not be wealthy, you should be able to afford food and clothing. Why is it that at over thirty years old, you still haven't settled down?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Qingxuan's face showed signs of embarrassment. "There was someone," he admitted, "but when I went out for half a year, she ran off with someone else when I returned. It left me disheartened."
Zeng Yulan felt a pang of sympathy for this melancholic scholar. "What does a man have to worry about when it comes to finding a wife? If you find another girl you like next time, let me know. I'll help you take a look; I guarantee she won't run away."
Pei Qingxuan unconsciously glanced at her as the steam from the tea rose between them, making her dark brows and fair skin appear even more striking. His heart raced, and he felt his face flush.
Zeng Yulan noticed his shy expression and assumed he was embarrassed by their conversation about awkward matters; she thought nothing more of it.
At that moment, Wu Shengnan was inside making clothes for children and was arguing with Qi Yuan about whether Yu Chunmiao was expecting a boy or a girl. Catching the scent of tea, she put down her sewing in frustration and declared, "I won't talk to you anymore! I'm telling you it's a girl; I want to make pink pouches!"
With that, she lifted her skirt and ran toward the pavilion. "Aunt Lan! The tea is ready! I want some too!" She had been unable to contain her excitement over the tea.
Qi Yuan chased after her, causing the pavilion to become crowded with no room left to sit.
Yuan Qingmiao had long found adult conversations boring and returned inside.
"Shengnan," Qi Yuan confidently stated as he sat down, "our Qi family has never had a daughter. My father had three sons; my Second Uncle had one son too. My grandfather had two sons as well—no daughters in two generations!"
Wu Shengnan crossed her arms and pouted, tilting her head as she huffed, "That's because your Qi Family doesn't have any strong women to hold things down. If Sister-in-law were here, she could change your family's fate."
"Come, come, let's have some tea." Zeng Yulan poured tea for them, speaking calmly, "Whether it's a son or a daughter, it doesn't matter; daughters can carry on the lineage too."
Zeng Qing Niangzi was absolutely right. Pei Qingxuan now found Zeng Yulan pleasing to the eye in every way; everything she said made sense.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, the couple was unaware that their younger siblings were arguing over children. Yu Chunmiao lounged in a chair, popping grapes into her mouth.
After eating a few, she suddenly thought of the emperors in television dramas who fed their favored concubines grapes like this, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"Why are you laughing? What are you thinking about?" Qi Chong asked as he prepared a grape in his hand.
Yu Chunmiao turned to look at him and stifled her laughter. "My love, I want to share the same grape with you."
They had played this game before, and Qi Chong immediately refused. "Please spare me; it’s quite uncomfortable. Be good now; after you give birth, I'll play whatever you want with you."
Upon hearing this, Yu Chunmiao blushed for a moment and whispered something in his ear. Qi Chong shook his head immediately. "No way; that would be too much for you. Just behave."
"Forget it," Yu Chunmiao rolled her eyes and opened her mouth again.
The villagers watched the thriving tobacco seedlings with hopeful anticipation for a good harvest. A bountiful yield was not easy to come by; once the rain stopped, Pei Qingxuan led everyone to build a curing barn for the tobacco.
One day, during dinner, the once fair-skinned Pei Qingxuan had tanned considerably. Wu Shengnan remarked, "Mr. Pei, I think you look more masculine now."
Having often seen strong men in the army with her brother, she was more accustomed to robust and dark-skinned fellows.
Pei Qingxuan bit into a piece of crispy meat while glancing at Zeng Yulan, wondering what she thought of him.
Zeng Yulan was busy mixing water with steamed eggs and rice for Yu Chunmiao. "Here you go; I drizzled hot oil on it—it's delicious."
Seeing that no one paid him any mind, Pei Qingxuan felt quite dejected. What good was masculinity if no one cared?
"Not true," Yu Chunmiao said with a mouthful of rice, speaking unclearly. "I heard Qiu Ju say there are several girls in the village who like you quite a bit."
Upon hearing this, Zeng Yulan perked up. "Really? Tell me more; I'll help you keep an eye on them."
At this remark, Pei Qingxuan felt frustrated and set down his bowl and chopsticks before leaving the table with half a bowl of rice and a bite of crispy meat still untouched.
"What madness is this?" Zeng Yulan muttered as she turned to mix another bowl of rice for Yuan Qingmiao.
Each family member had their own concerns, but only Chen Ruolan noticed something amiss. However, she wasn't one to pry; she simply said, "It seems like it's about the land. Yuan Er, are you helping them with the curing barn? Is everything going smoothly?"
Qi Yuan nodded. "Very well! Sister-in-law's cousin has already brought merchants over once. Even though the tobacco hasn't fully grown yet, they've already sold some; one acre could earn two or three taels."
"Whoever has more land earns more," Chen Ruolan remarked.
After finishing their meal, Qi Chong accompanied Yu Chunmiao for a walk in the yard to help with digestion. The village felt like a battlefield now, and Qi Chong didn't allow Yu Chunmiao to wander off.
Before long, Lin Qiujiu arrived.
Upon seeing her, Qi Chong felt a headache coming on; it was either some old woman scolding her daughter-in-law or a neighbor's chicken that had wandered off and couldn't be retrieved.
Lin Qiujiu looked troubled as she said, "Village Chief, Qi Changsheng is back. Do you want to go see him?"
Qi Changsheng was the son of Zhang Guihua and Qi Ping An, and he was Qi Chong's cousin. He had joined the army, and now that he was back, things at home must be in disarray, so he likely wasn't in a good mood.
Qi Chong nodded and went back inside to grab the land deed. He turned to Yu Chunmiao and said, "Stay here for a bit longer; I'll be right back."
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