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墨書 Inktalez
As the leader of a powerful faction in D City, Yu Shu had no shortage of women trying to climb into his bed, but none ever succeeded. Although he was a notorious figure in the underworld, he was also a magician, and it was ultimately with Yang Yun's help that he had not ascended to the rank of sorcerer.
When the receptionist informed him that someone was pregnant with his child, the first person Yu Shu thought of was naturally Yang Yun. He rushed down to see her, and sure enough, it was her. She looked as if she were about to flee, just like the morning after their intimate encounter, trying to distance herself from him. Previously, Yu Shu had accepted Yang Yun's desire to distance herself because he believed they were not meant for each other and could not continue. But now that Yang Yun was carrying his child, he would not allow her to deny their connection.
Yu Shu strode forward, wrapping his arms around Yang Yun's waist and pulling her into his embrace, causing Hanno to release her.
“Hanno, thank you for bringing Yang Yun here!”
Yu Shu knew that without Hanno, Yang Yun would never have sought him out.
Hanno smiled. “No need to thank me. You handle her yourself. Doctor Yang Yun is already two months along; if you don’t want her to be showing in a wedding dress, you better start planning the wedding.”
“Understood. I’ll arrange the wedding as soon as possible. You can be Yang Yun’s bridesmaid, right?” Yu Shu replied with a smile. If his subordinates saw this genuine smile from him, they would be utterly shocked. Yu Shu often smiled; he was known as the 'Smiling Tiger' in the underworld, but this kind of sincere smile was something no one had ever witnessed.
“Of course.” Hanno handed over the pregnancy test results to Yang Yun and patted her chest. “Sister, you’ve got this. I’m looking forward to having a nephew.”
With that, he turned and left.
“Hey—come back!” Yang Yun panicked and wanted Hanno to stay with her. But Hanno simply called a taxi and disappeared from sight.
“Stop calling for him,” Yu Shu said as he held Yang Yun tightly. “We should sit down and discuss the wedding arrangements.”
Yang Yun stubbornly replied, “Who wants to marry you?”
Yu Shu raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Do you want our child to be a bastard?”
“I... I...” Yang Yun struggled for words. She had never considered terminating the pregnancy; the child would have to be born.
"Let's go, I'll take you home to meet my mom." Yu Shu said cheerfully as he wrapped his arm around Yang Yun and walked toward the parking lot. Yang Yun had no intention of rejecting the child; did that mean she was actually accepting him as the father of her child?
...
Three years passed, and the villagers of Aoyama Village gathered at the village entrance to bid farewell to those departing. The retired villagers looked on with envy but not jealousy at their former comrades leading their horses. Although they could not hold official positions, they were content with reuniting with their families and living a stable life.
"Brother, take care on the road." Li Zhoule handed a cloth bag to Elder Brother Li. "I know Sister Han prepared a lot of food for your journey, but I made a little something too. Eat it on the way."
"Alright." Elder Brother Li smiled as he accepted the bag. "Zhou Le's cooking is so good; I really enjoy what you make."
Li Zhoule felt happy at his brother's praise, and the sadness of parting faded a bit.
"Brother Li, when you get to the capital, send us a letter back." Wen Zixia said, holding her wife's hand.
"Okay." Elder Brother Li replied and instructed Wen Zixia, "Take good care of my sister and brother. Once they pass the imperial examination, bring them to the capital to find me."
"Yes." Wen Zixia agreed.
Li Yishu looked up and said, "Brother, I don't want you to leave."
Elder Brother Li patted his head gently. "Big brother doesn't want to leave either."
Li Yishu added, "I miss Sister Han even more."
Elder Brother Li replied, "...I'll have her write you a letter."
"There's also a gift."
"Alright, I'll have Sister Han prepare a gift for you every time she writes a letter."
Li Yishu was delighted and waved goodbye to Elder Brother Li cheerfully.
Elder Brother Li sighed, feeling unappreciated.
He reached out and ruffled the heads of his younger brother, Wen Ziyu, and Wen Zixue in turn, then turned decisively to his horse. With a command, all the knights mounted their horses simultaneously, their synchronized movements making the villagers' eyes sparkle with admiration.
Elder Brother Li cupped his hands in salute to the villagers and rode off with his team of knights, leaving the villagers marveling at the dust that flew up behind them.
The Li siblings packed away their feelings of parting. Unlike others who felt sad, they knew their separation from Elder Brother Li was only temporary; they would eventually reunite in the capital. Li Zhoule became very busy. Besides taking care of her husband and two younger brothers who were about to participate in the Scientific Expedition, she also had to wrap up some business related to Hanno. The lighter business didn't need to be canceled; Hanno had sent them over a hundred lighters, enough to supply them for a year. After a year, the Jiang Family could go directly to the general's residence to collect their goods. However, they had to cancel the embroidery business. Li Zhoule told the village women that the boss of the Embroidered Workshop had returned home and closed it down. The women were all regretful; embroidery work allowed them to earn several hundred Wen Qian each month, enough to buy over ten pounds of grain. With that income suddenly gone, how could they bear it? Fortunately, the Celestial Seeds in the fields were yielding well, and there was also a new business selling salted eggs bringing in money. Although losing the embroidery income affected them somewhat, it wasn't particularly severe. Elder Brother Li had provided a substantial dowry for Li Zhoule, which included one hundred acres of fertile land. Since neither family could farm it themselves, Li Zhoule entrusted it all to the village chief for leasing out to others. They decided not to take any rent from it; instead, all proceeds would be used for repairing the ancestral hall and supporting the elderly widows and orphans in the village. The larger items in her dowry couldn't be moved; instead, she converted everything else into silver coins with plans to buy a house in the capital for herself—she couldn't always stay at her brother's house.
Three days later, Hanno received one hundred pounds of Azure Stem Rice and its seeds sent by Elder Brother Li. That evening, Hanno cooked a pot of rice porridge using Azure Stem Rice. Mom Han and Dad Han looked at the vibrant green porridge with expressions that were hard to describe.
"Nono, why is this porridge green? What did you put in it?" Mom Han asked, thinking Hanno must have added vegetable juice while cooking.
"I didn't put anything in," Hanno replied with a smile. "Just take a whiff; it smells like rice—there's no other flavor."
When Han Dad and Mom Han sniffed it, they indeed found that the porridge emitted an enticing aroma of rice.
Han Dad picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, smacking his lips: "This isn't porridge made from Azure Stem Rice, is it?"
Hanno snapped his fingers: "Bingo! You got it right, Dad."
"Is it really Azure Stem Rice porridge?" Mom Han questioned.
"'In the capital, the grains are revered by all, and the jade seeds should yield a good harvest. Recently, the divine granary has provided jade food, and all the treasures of the land crown the fields. The spring water is colored like orchid and green, and the rice is fragrant with the red of lotus petals. People recognize Kunlun above, while the azure essence is not the same below.'" The grains are long and slender, slightly green, crystal clear like jade, with pure broth and an enticing aroma. What else could it be if not Azure Stem Rice?
"Where did you get this Azure Stem Rice?" Mom Han asked in surprise. Just recently, her cousin had a bad experience with Azure Stem Rice, and now her daughter had managed to get the real deal. If she didn't have any plans, Mom Han would be the first to doubt it.
"I bought it," Hanno replied straightforwardly.
Mom Han was momentarily speechless. "Isn't genuine Azure Stem Rice nearly extinct? Where did you buy it?"
Hanno said, "Money can make the devil push a millstone; with money, you can also buy genuine Azure Stem Rice."
Mom Han couldn't help but poke Hanno's forehead with her finger. "Stop keeping me in suspense; spill everything to me."
Hanno tilted her head to avoid her mother's hand. "Besides the Azure Stem Rice we're eating, I also bought some Azure Stem Rice seeds. I want Seventh Cousin to plant them. I'll take thirty percent of the profits; do you think Seventh Cousin will agree?"
Sure enough, it was for Seventh Son. Mom Han was extremely pleased with her daughter's thoughtfulness.
"Of course she will agree. You give me the seeds later and bring ten pounds of Azure Stem Rice. Your dad and I will go to the countryside tomorrow; I'll personally give it to Seventh Son."
"Okay, if you go, I won't." Hanno promised. "Tomorrow I'll call a car first and help you load the seeds onto it."
A hundred pounds was quite heavy; Hanno didn't want Han Dad or Mom Han to hurt their backs. Such labor was something she would handle herself.
"No need; that's too expensive. Your dad and I can just take the bus," Mom Han said reluctantly about spending money. Renting a car costs a hundred yuan, while taking the bus for two people costs less than ten yuan—a tenfold difference!
Hanno let out a sigh. "Mom, we’re not short on money right now, so why are you being so frugal? And carrying over a hundred pounds of stuff back and forth—aren't you worried about straining your back? If you’re not, I certainly am! The money spent on that is far more than just a hundred dollars; it could easily add up to a thousand."
Mom Han remained silent.
Although her daughter had a point, it still made her uncomfortable. Having been raised with the values of hardship and simplicity, the thought of spending extra money made Mom Han's heart ache.
"Maybe we should skip it; you still need to go to the Provincial Capital to pick up Binbin."
"Han Bin got into trouble again?" Hanno paused, surprised.
"No." Mom Han defended her beloved grandson. "That boy has been very well-behaved since the last incident. He just misses us and wants to come stay for a few days to keep me and your dad company."
"Well, at least he has a good heart. I'll go pick him up tomorrow," Hanno said with a smile. "After I drop you off at the station, I'll head straight to the Provincial Capital."
"What time will that be?" Mom Han asked.
Hanno replied, "I'll take the high-speed train; it only takes half an hour to get to the Provincial Capital. It’ll be quick. Aunt Yao will definitely invite you both for lunch in the countryside. After you finish eating, you can buy some beef in the county town on your way back. It's been ages since we've had beef from there."
Mom Han tapped Hanno on the head. "You glutton. There are plenty of places selling steamed beef around here; why do you insist on having us bring it back from the county town?"
Hanno pouted. "The beef from the street can't compare to what we make!"
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