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After lunch, Xu Qingyi and Heng took their leave.
They didn’t rush back to the Marquis of Pingyang’s residence right away.
Having barely left the house in several days, Xu Qingyi decided to visit the street and experience the ancient marketplace.
The capital was under the Emperor’s rule, and the streets were lined with shops, bustling with activity.
Seeing this, Xu Qingyi couldn’t help but be amazed. She had thought ancient times were backward.
But in reality, with money and power, one could still live quite well.
The Marquis of Pingyang’s household was also quite wealthy and influential. Xu Qingyi didn’t dare imagine how splendid her life would have been if Xie Yunzhi were still healthy, and she were his wife.
Of course, Xu Qingyi wasn’t concerned with that.
Rather than benefiting from her husband’s wealth, she was more interested in benefiting from her son’s!
Heng, who rarely went out, looked around curiously in Xu Qingyi’s arms, taking in everything with wide eyes.
Seeing the crowd, Heng clung tightly to Xu Qingyi’s neck, as if afraid of getting lost.
“Look, sugar-coated haws,” Xu Qingyi said as she walked up to a vendor selling the treats, buying four skewers, one for each of them.
Heng’s eyes lit up.
What child doesn’t love sugar-coated haws?
“You can eat it now if you want,” Xu Qingyi said, handing a skewer to Heng.
“Mother, you eat first.” Heng, after receiving the sugar-coated haw, took a bite himself but first offered the first bite to her.
Xu Qingyi, the beautiful Young Madam of the Marquis’s household, holding her child in the bustling street, was already drawing attention.
She didn’t want to eat in public, but she couldn’t disappoint her child, so she took a small bite. “Alright, Heng, you can eat it yourself now.”
“Mm.” Heng, tasting the sugar-coated haw for the first time, was delighted by its sweet and sour flavor, his face lighting up with expression.
“Is it delicious?” Xu Qingyi asked mischievously, grinning despite the sour taste herself.
Heng nodded seriously. “It’s delicious.”
“Really?” Xu Qingyi said, looking skeptical, as she reached for it. “If it’s too sour, don’t force yourself.”
But she ended up grabbing air.
“I want to eat it,” Heng said, clearly enjoying the flavor.
Xu Qingyi didn’t want to admit it, but it was actually she who was afraid of the sourness.
After that, whenever they saw something delicious, Xu Qingyi would ask the nursemaid to buy some to try.
Mother and son leisurely strolled through the street, unaware that just a short distance away, people were discussing them.
Someone had recognized the maids and nursemaids trailing behind them as servants from the Marquis of Pingyang’s household.
Naturally, people began speculating about which master or mistress the mother and son belonged to.
“Really! I’ve delivered fabric to the Marquis of Pingyang’s house before. I remember the clothes everyone wore in that household, and they looked just like this.”
The workers at the silk and satin shop were quite familiar with fabric styles, and they certainly wouldn’t make a mistake.
Based on this clue, people had already more or less figured out the identities of Xu Qingyi and Heng.
The daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang, who had been assigned by His Majesty to bring joy to General Xie Yunzhi, seemed to be very kind to the general’s children.
Look at how that child clings to his mother—there’s no way the affection could be fake.
“Truly, as expected of a noble daughter from the Marquis’s household. She knows how to act with propriety and righteousness, and she’s repaying General Xie’s kindness to the common people.”
“Three years ago, during the Battle of Chongming Pass, if it hadn’t been for General Xie’s heroic efforts, who knows what the situation would be like now…”
“What a pity, what a pity…”
In the teahouse, the discussion about Xie Yunzhi filled the air.
Unavoidably, Xu Qingyi became one of the main topics.
The newly-married wife, chosen to bring joy to Xie Yunzhi, and the harmonious relationship she shared with Heng, became a subject of much admiration.
As a result, no one bothered to bring up her marriage to Xie Huaian anymore.
His Majesty had issued the imperial decree.
The great master from the Imperial Astrological Bureau had said that they were fated to be together—how could that possibly be false?
At this moment, Xu Qingyi had already taken Heng to the bookstore.
Xu Qingyi planned to buy some ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones for Lin.
Lin loved reading, and these items always got used up quickly.
She wasn’t sure who usually prepared them for him.
“Do you know who usually prepares Lin’s ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones? What does he usually use?” Xu Qingyi casually asked one of the nursemaids in the Marquis’s household.
As expected, the nursemaid had no clue, her face blank with confusion. “It should be the Madam who prepares them.”
Xu Qingyi didn’t press the matter and nodded. “Alright, I’ll choose them myself.”
Heng was also ready for his education, so Xu Qingyi selected a set of the Four Treasures of the Study for him as well.
“This is for Heng. Later, Mother will find a tutor to begin your lessons, alright?” she asked.
“Alright!” Heng, still eating his sugar-coated haw, licked the sugar off his lips and nodded.
The shop assistant, quick on his feet, immediately recommended, “If the Young Master is starting his studies, may I suggest Madam consider buying our set of introductory books? They’re specially curated by a great scholar from the Song Dynasty, and they’ve received excellent reviews.”
Xu Qingyi smiled. So even in ancient times, there were salespeople and celebrity endorsements. “Alright, we’ll take a set.”
Although Xu Qingyi had no idea who the great scholar from the Song Dynasty was, he must have been a renowned scholar, given the recommendation.
After paying, Xu Qingyi and her group began to leave.
Immediately, someone entered the shop and told the shopkeeper, “Do you know? The lady who just bought the ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones is General Xie Yunzhi’s wife, and with her is his adopted son.”
“What?” The shopkeeper’s eyes widened, and he slapped his thigh in regret. “I didn’t know! If I had known, I wouldn’t have charged her!”
Without wasting time, he grabbed the silver and hurried outside.
As he ran, he shouted, “General Xie’s wife, please wait!”
Xu Qingyi was walking slowly, and in just a moment, the shopkeeper caught up with her.
He shoved a silver ingot into her hand, looking a little dazed.
What was going on…?
“The ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones are a gift from me to General Xie’s son. Please, Madam, don’t take offense!”
With that, the shopkeeper dashed off, a wide grin of excitement on his face.
The crowd began to murmur, all eyes on Xu Qingyi.
What? Is this really the wife and child of General Xie Yunzhi?
The vendors and passersby were ordinary folk, and they held deep admiration for General Xie.
Moreover, since Xie Yunzhi’s accident, their respect for him had been mixed with sympathy.
They hadn’t had the chance to visit Xie Yunzhi, and rarely saw the noble figures of the Marquis’s household who lived in seclusion.
Now, seeing General Xie’s wife and son on the street was a rare and exciting opportunity for everyone.
“General Xie’s wife, please, let me treat you to some pastries!” someone suddenly called out.
Soon, others began to follow suit.
“Madam, let me buy you some eggs!”
“I have an umbrella here…!”
“A fan…!”
The enthusiastic calls from the people left Xu Qingyi stunned. “…”
Was Xie Yunzhi really that well-liked?
As his wife, Xu Qingyi took a moment to compose herself and then smiled, waving her hand at the crowd.
Well, after watching enough international news, even if this was her first time experiencing such a scene, she naturally knew what to do.
“Heng, these people respect your father. He’s a great hero,” Xu Qingyi said, making sure to instill this idea in Heng’s mind.
“You should also be a good person, respected by others, just like your father.”
If she remembered correctly, in the original story, Heng grew up to be a sea merchant, and his methods weren’t exactly clean.
But she couldn’t blame him too much. He had struggled his way up from the bottom, and in such an environment, only by being ruthless could one survive.
This time, however, Heng wouldn’t have to fall into the same pitfalls. He had people who loved him and supported him.
He shouldn’t end up as a pirate leader.
“Okay, I’ll be just like Father!” Heng responded, cheerfully waving his hand at the crowd, imitating his mother.
Since his mother wanted him to be like his father, he would be just like him.
Although, in Heng’s little mind, he thought being a hero wasn’t all that great.
Being a hero only made their father lie in bed, and when they were bullied, there was no one to care for them.
Luckily, his mother was here.
Heng smiled sincerely, his heart feeling lighter.