CH 38

The three of them talked happily and became more and more familiar with each other until Ming Chen came to report, “Boss, your husband is here.”

Chu Li was instantly curious and stretched his neck to look outside. “I haven’t seen Ah Yuan’s husband yet!”

Pei Yin gave him a reproachful glance. Chu Li pouted and sat back in his seat.

Qiao Yuan didn’t care about these things and smiled. “I’ll go downstairs and talk to him for a bit. If you want to see him, you can come down with me.”

Chu Li immediately perked up, but he still had to be mindful of propriety. He hid at the staircase and secretly peeked at Qiao Yuan’s husband.

As soon as Yu Dameng saw Qiao Yuan, he asked with concern, “Are you tired?”

“How can you come out wearing only a single layer!” The wind was so cold, Qiao Yuan felt frozen even in his padded jacket. Yu Dameng actually came out just wearing thin clothes–did he want to catch a cold?

Yu Dameng grinned. “I got too hot while working, so I took off my clothes. But I forgot to put them back on when I came out.”

Qiao Yuan pretended to glare at him. With his beloved right before his eyes, he’d already forgotten that Chu Li had come down with him. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the smudges of coal dust from Yu Dameng’s face. “Tomorrow you’ll use snowflake cream with me. Your skin is all chapped.”

Yu Dameng blurted out: “How can a man use that.”

Am I not a man? Qiao Yuan pinched him angrily. “If you become ugly, I won’t want you anymore. You figure it out!”

Yu Dameng chuckled and grabbed Qiao Yuan’s hand to beg for mercy. “I’ll use it, I’ll use it.”

He took out the blueprint again and asked Qiao Yuan a few questions he found during his production process.

Chu Li was really too embarrassed to keep watching the couple’s sticky, lovey-dovey interaction. His little face flushed red as he wanted to flee back to the private room.

The stairs creaked. Yu Dameng noticed Chu Li and stared at him for a while. His brows gradually furrowed.

Qiao Yuan asked: “What are you looking at him for?”

Yu Dameng came to his senses and said: “I feel like he looks a bit familiar.”

Qiao Yuan lightly huffed. “I feel like Zhang Wensheng looks familiar too!”

That certainly wouldn’t do!

Yu Dameng nervously held his little husband’s hand and stammered. “I’m telling the truth, but I can’t remember it right now.”

Seeing him look so threatened, Qiao Yuan couldn’t help laughing. He reached out and poked Yu Dameng’s forehead. “You big dummy!”

In the private room upstairs, Pei Yin saw Chu Li come back dejectedly. He suppressed his smile and put down the teacup in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

Chu Li struggled to speak for a long time before saying, “Is this really how couples interact with each other?”

Pei Yin’s own marriage was unhappy, so he could not answer. He only said, “Ah You sent a letter saying he will spend New Year’s in Shengjing this year.”

“Really?” Chu Li instantly perked up but remembering that bastard Pei You hadn’t even sent a letter to apologize, he became dejected again. “He didn’t even tell me.”

Pei Yin smiled with pursed lips. “Didn’t you say to him during your argument you’d never speak again for the rest of your lives?”

Chu Li was angry. “I… I was just talking nonsense out of anger!”

Pei Yin smiled, but suddenly thought of his husband and his heart sank again.

After Qiao Yuan returned, both Chu Li and Pei Yin felt that he looked radiant. Pei Yin didn’t like to pry into other people’s private affairs, so he didn’t mention it. Chu Li was curious, but he was still an unmarried ger, after all, and felt too embarrassed to ask.

The three chatted lightly for a while longer before Pei Yin and Chu Li took their leave. Qiao Yuan only kept the self-ringing clock, telling them to take the other gifts back.

Chu Li was a bit unhappy. “Don’t you like them?”

“I do like them.” Qiao Yuan laughed and explained earnestly, “But they’re all too valuable. I’ll only take what I should.”

Chu Li wanted to say more but was stopped by Pei Yin.

Qiao Yuan smiled: “Next time you come, if you bring something to eat, I will definitely accept it!”

Chu Li’s face lit up with joy again. “Then next time I’ll bring sour plum wine from Laike House. It’s really delicious!”

Qiao Yuan laughed happily. He really wanted to pat the boy’s head – this brat was too adorable!

On the other side, Xu Xiuhua and Qiao Yingying went to the Ding family’s house.

Ding Lishi frowned when she saw them coming, but Qiao Guangzhi was a supervisor at the dock, and Qiao Yingying had already arranged a marriage with Zhang Wensheng. Even if she didn’t like Xu Xiuhua in her heart, she had to show hospitality on the surface.

Xu Xiuhua praised Ding Yanhe for a while, and Ding Lishi’s face finally improved. She also smiled and complimented Qiao Yingying a few times.

Ding Yanhe had been getting along well with Qiao Yingying recently. She quickly pulled Qiao Yingying to her room to gossip.

As soon as Qiao Yingying sat down, she started sighing. Ding Yanhe asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Yingying said, “Brother Wensheng is about to take the imperial examination. He has been going to the study hall for a while now. I haven’t seen him for a long time.”

Ding Yanhe, upon hearing this, remembered that she would never have any intersection with Yu Dameng again, and felt upset. She comforted her by saying, “At least you still have hope.”

“You also still have hope,” Qiao Yingying replied.

Ding Yanhe blushed. “How… How could I still have hope? He’s already married. Last time I saw him, he even knelt down to help his husband dust off his shoes. They must be deeply in love.”

Qiao Yingying sighed. “Even so, my cousin still complains that Yu San1Third Yu. Referring to Yu Dameng is not considerate enough. He also dislikes Yu San for being a blacksmith and always dirty.”

Ding Yanhe was puzzled, “Isn’t your family and your cousin…”

Qiao Yingying immediately said, “Those are just rumors. What family doesn’t bicker, but in the end we’re still family!”

Ding Yanhe thought about it and it made sense – Qiao Yuan was raised by Qiao Yingying’s parents after all. Then she grew angry again. “How can he speak of Big Brother Dameng like that!”

Qiao Yingying smiled. “Let me tell you a secret, but don’t spread it around!”

Ding Yanhe nodded. Qiao Yingying continued in a low voice: “The Yu family only hired my cousin because of the favor my second uncle did for Uncle Yu. Yu San didn’t like my cousin at all! He likes women!”

Ding Yanhe heard this and felt a little happy in her heart.

Qiao Yingying went on, “My cousin’s health is poor and the doctor said he can’t have children. Lately he’s been thinking that rather than Yu San taking a concubine himself later, my mother should help find a gentle, obedient woman who’s easy to get along with.”

“So you see, I said you still have hope!” Qiao Yingying teased.

Ding Yanhe suddenly realized why Xu Xiuhua had come to their house today. She felt embarrassed and lowered her head, blushing furiously.

Ding Lishi was unhappy when she heard Xu Xiuhua’s intention. “How could my daughter become a concubine for the Yu family!”

“She could be a proper wife too!” Xu Xiuhua added, “Sister-in-law, the conditions of the Yu family are not exaggerated by me. They already have two shops in the county town! Yuan Ge’er is filial to his grandmother and sends her meat every day. Which family in our village can eat like this every day!”

Ding Lishi was a little tempted. The Yu family had dug wells and purchased goods from the village, so they must have made a fortune. Although Yanhe would marry into the family as a concubine, if she were to give birth to a son in the future, she would have the same status as Yuan Ge’er in the Yu family, right?

Xu Xiuhua saw this and added more fuel to the fire. “As mothers, don’t we all want our daughters to marry well? It will also help support her brothers in the future, won’t it?”

Ding Lishi nodded and smiled awkwardly. “Then this matter…”

Xu Xiuhua happily patted Ding Lishi’s hand. “Sister-in-law, you just relax. You don’t have to worry about this matter. I will find a matchmaker to mediate. Our Yanhe is beautiful and has a good temper. This matter will definitely work out!”

She just didn’t believe it – with a delicate young lady taking the initiative to come to his door, how could Yu Laosan2Old third not be moved?

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you want to show your support, you can buy me a coffee. It would make my day! For every five coffees I get, I will release a bonus chapter.