Chapter 265: Little Mouth Babbling
“I don’t know.” Shi Tou poked at the fish in his bowl. “By the time I got there, the young lady had already left with her uncle. I didn’t see her.”
Shang Wan: “You at least know her surname, right?”
“Surnamed Luo.” Shi Tou dipped his finger in water and wrote the character on the table.
Everyone craned their necks to look.
Xiao Huan pursed her lips. “Just knowing her surname isn’t enough to find her.”
There were plenty of families surnamed Luo in the city.
Shi Tou looked puzzled. “Why do we need to find her?”
He hadn’t even seen the young lady’s face. They had no relationship at all.
Everyone: Of course it’s curiosity. What else?
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have stopped you.” Shang Wan felt a bit regretful. If she hadn’t stopped Shi Tou at the doorway, he might have seen the young lady.
Shi Tou was already seventeen. It was time to consider starting a family and career. The young lady introduced by Dean Luo shouldn’t be bad. It was a pity to miss her like this.
“It’s not too late for Shi Tou to start a family after he earns an official rank.” Lu Chengjing spoke to comfort Shang Wan. They were going to the capital city. They couldn’t take the young lady with them.
“True.” Shang Wan clicked her tongue. Just consider it fate that Shi Tou and the young lady weren’t meant to be.
“Since you don’t want to find that young lady, what are you worried about?” Xiao Huan looked at Shi Tou and asked.
Shi Tou sighed. “I don’t want to start a family yet, but I’m at the age where I should. What should I do?”
Before Dean Luo wanted to act as a matchmaker for him, he hadn’t thought about it at all. Just thinking about taking a wife and having sons made him worry endlessly.
Do I have to take a wife?
Everyone: “…”
Are you afraid someone will force you to start a family?
Shang Wan picked up a chopstick of fish and put it in Shi Tou’s bowl, saying caringly, “Here, eat some fish to nourish your brain.”
Shi Tou glanced at his sister. Was his sister calling him stupid?
“If you don’t want to start a family, then don’t.” Lu Chengjing hadn’t expected Shi Tou to worry about this. He said warmly, “Your sister and I won’t rush you.”
“Really?” Shi Tou perked up and stared at his sister-in-law.
“Of course.” Lu Chengjing nodded. After starting a family, one had to take responsibility for the whole household. If Shi Tou wasn’t willing himself, why harm the young lady?
With Lu Chengjing’s assurance, Shi Tou no longer looked glum and felt like eating dinner.
Three days later, the county magistrate was forced by his own madam and had no choice but to reluctantly stamp the official seal on the document.
“It’s done.” Madam Sun picked up the document and headed out.
The county magistrate hurriedly asked, “Where are you going?”
“To play cards with the sisters.” Madam Sun waved her hand. “Eat dinner by yourself tonight. Don’t wait for me.”
The county magistrate, used and discarded: “…”
What kind of thing is this!
At the same time, inside the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, Shang Wan lowered her eyes and stared at Chu Xu, wondering where this child had popped out from.
Chu Xu put his small hands behind his back and grinned at Shang Wan. “Aunt Shang, I’m here to take you all to the capital city.”
The child was a bit taller than when he left, his little face not as round, but he looked full of energy.
Shang Wan looked behind him. “You came alone?”
“No, Uncle Shi Tou brought me. Elder Brother told him to go to the city to find someone. He’ll come back once he finds them.”
Chu Xu grabbed Shang Wan’s hand and shook it. “Aunt Shang, I know Uncle Lu topped the scholar exam. I’ve talked it over with Father and Elder Brother. I want to go to the capital city with you all.”
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pulled out two five-hundred-tael silver notes, and put them in Shang Wan’s hand. “Aunt Shang, this is my living… living expense. You keep it.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Did she agree?
Clearly, the child assumed she wouldn’t refuse. After handing over the silver notes, he started looking around. “Where’s Yuan Yuan?”
“She’s at home walking the little turtle.” Shang Wan temporarily pocketed the silver notes. Everything at the shop was arranged, so it didn’t matter if she was there or not. She simply took Chu Xu home.
Along the way, Chu Xu’s little mouth chattered nonstop.
“Aunt Shang, my mother is using the Jade Visage Cream from the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion. She loves it a lot and really wants to see you.”
“I’ve learned spear technique. Father and Elder Brother both praised me.”
“The one surnamed Zhong got his father thrown in prison. I heard it was for treason. His Majesty let the one surnamed Zhong inherit the title. He’s a marquis now and very favored in front of His Majesty.”
“The Wang Family’s plans fell through. His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t choose a Wang Shi girl as the Crown Princess.”
“That Lu Family you dislike was robbed by thieves. Master Lu was stabbed by the thieves. He was still recovering from injury in bed when I left. Madam Lu was frightened badly and fell seriously ill. I heard she’s not doing well.”
“Their second son is making a fuss to split the family. It hadn’t happened yet when I left the capital city.”
“Aunt Shang, I’ve grown taller.”
“Is Aunt Xiao Huan home? I want to eat her sweet and sour pork ribs.”
“Is Uncle Shi Tou studying well? Does the master scold him?”
The child was a bit excited, bouncing along as he walked, saying whatever came to mind. He talked so much that Shang Wan could only listen.
Many things were things the child had mentioned in letters, but now that he was here in person, he explained them in even more detail.
One talked, one listened, and they returned home just like that.
Chu Xu turned his head to look around. He wasn’t looking at the house. He was looking for Yuan Yuan.
Yuan Yuan heard her mother’s voice and poked her little head out from the big tree by the courtyard wall, calling sweetly, “Mother.”
The little turtle on her head swayed its neck left and right, as if greeting the people under the tree too.
Shang Wan looked up at the child in the tree. How did walking the turtle get her up the tree?
“Yuan Yuan!” Chu Xu saw the familiar little face and immediately jumped up, waving his small hand. “I’m here to find you!”
Yuan Yuan now clearly saw Xu and stared in surprise with wide eyes.
Seeing Yuan Yuan ignore him, Chu Xu thought she didn’t remember him and hurriedly said, “Yuan Yuan, I’m Brother Anian.”
Yuan Yuan tilted her little head and looked at the bouncing Chu Xu for a moment before her eyes curved and she smiled, calling, “Brother!”
“Yep.” Chu Xu happily responded and hugged the tree trunk to climb up.
He was going to find Yuan Yuan.
Shang Wan had originally worried the two children would grow distant after a year apart, but now it seemed she had overthought it.
She lightly tapped her toe and leaped onto the tree, lifting both children down.
Yuan Yuan flailed her short arms and pointed at Shang Wan’s belly to introduce to Chu Xu, “Little sister.”
Chu Xu: “?”
Yuan Yuan continued pointing. “Pretty, little sister.”
Chu Xu stared at Shang Wan’s belly. Under Yuan Yuan’s repeated introductions, he finally understood. His Aunt Shang was pregnant with a little baby.
Shang Wan helplessly pinched Yuan Yuan’s little cheek. “Yes, yes, yes. Everyone knows you’re going to have a little sister.”
There’s really no need to tell everyone she meets.
Although she didn’t know if it was a boy or girl, if her good child said it was a little sister, then it was a little sister.
Yuan Yuan grinned, revealing a mouth of little white teeth.
“Anian!” Xiao Huan came in from outside the gate carrying a basket of vegetables. She spotted the child next to Shang Wan at a glance and walked over joyfully. “When did you arrive?”
“Aunt Xiao Huan.” Chu Xu happily ran over and hugged Xiao Huan. “I missed you so much.”
“Good boy.” Xiao Huan picked up the child and asked with a smile, “Did you miss me or my sweet and sour pork ribs?”
Chu Xu’s eyes darted around. “Both!”
Young Master Chu didn’t choose.
“Such a sweet mouth.” Xiao Huan smiled and scraped the child’s nose. “Good thing I bought ribs. I’ll make them for you in a bit.”
