Chapter 76

Xu Qinyu was extremely excited when she heard the little girl call her “Aunt.” She couldn’t help but hug the little girl and kiss her cheeks twice, making Yuan Jie’er a bit embarrassed.

Yuan Jie’er stammered, “Aunt, Aunt, this was taken by Xiao Xiao.” She hadn’t spoken for a long time, so she stuttered but still told Xu Qinyu what Xiao Xiao had done.

Xu Qinyu seriously told Yuan Jie’er, “Yuan Jie’er, don’t be afraid. If anyone bullies you in the future, you can tell Aunt, Grandma, or your little aunt. Here, no one will bully us anymore, so don’t be afraid.” The little girl had seen her family die, leaving a shadow in her heart. Even in this rural place, she didn’t dare to resist when bullied.

Yuan Jie’er, with red eyes, looked at Xu Qinyu and finally cried in her arms, her small body shaking with sobs.

Xu Qinyu didn’t stop her. She held the little girl and gently patted her back, letting her vent.

Later, Xiao Xiao returned Yuan Jie’er’s hair tie and quickly ran away.

After that, when Yuan Jie’er went out to play with her friends, she would occasionally say a few words. Her friends were thrilled to hear her speak.

Xiao Xiao was very frightened when she found out Yuan Jie’er could speak. She was worried that Yuan Jie’er would tell Xu Qinyu about her taking the hair tie and bracelet, and Xu Qinyu would tell her mother. So, for a while, Xiao Xiao didn’t dare to play with Yuan Jie’er and avoided her.

Yuan Jie’er became more attached to Xu Qinyu, and Feng Ge’er was also quite attached to her. He was the seventh prince, only two years old when exiled. After coming to the border town, Xu Qinyu made delicious food for him, so he felt closer to her than to Madam Wen.

The two children were excited to see Pei Weixuan but also a bit shy, as they hadn’t seen him for over a year.

Both children were very smart. Even though Feng Ge’er was only three when Pei Weixuan left, he still remembered him.

Yuan Jie’er called him “Uncle” and stood beside Xu Qinyu. Feng Ge’er, born mute, quietly hid behind Xu Qinyu, peeking at Fourth Brother with half of his delicate face.

Pei Weixuan wasn’t surprised to hear Yuan Jie’er speak. He nodded and said that both Yuan Jie’er and Feng Ge’er had grown taller.

After greeting the two little ones, Pei Weixuan looked at Ning Jie’er, “Ning Jie’er has also grown taller.”

Madam Wen smiled, “The children have been eating well and growing strong, but you’ve lost weight. Yuniang made noodles for you, so eat up.”

“Okay.” Pei Weixuan glanced at Yuniang, took the bowl of noodles, and sat down to eat.

The noodles were chewy, the broth was light, and the fried eggs were tender with runny yolks. He liked runny yolks, and she always remembered that. The pea shoots were crisp and tender. Eating a bite made him feel comfortable from his stomach to his whole body. He hadn’t eaten Yuniang’s cooking for over a year. In those foreign countries, he often dreamed of her food and her calling him “husband.”

Thinking of this, Pei Weixuan’s eyes deepened.

Xu Qinyu had cooked a large bowl of noodles for him. The family watched him eat, and Madam Wen said, “Ning Jie’er, take Feng Ge’er and Yuan Jie’er to bed. Your Fourth Brother is tired from the journey. After eating, he should wash up and rest.”

Ning Jie’er nodded and led Yuan Jie’er and Feng Ge’er back to the house.

Madam Wen sent the children to bed first because she wanted to ask Xuan Ge’er where he had been for the past year. Even the farthest trade caravans wouldn’t take more than a year to return.

After finishing his noodles, Pei Weixuan took his bowl and chopsticks to wash them and put them back in the cupboard. The hot water on the stove was still boiling.

Seeing Madam Wen looking at him, he knew he couldn’t hide some things. After a moment of thought, he told Madam Wen and Yuniang, “I’ve worried you both for the past year. I went overseas with a trade caravan to a country called Er Lai.”

Xu Qinyu thought she had misheard and looked shocked. “Fourth Brother, what did you say you did?”

Pei Weixuan calmly said, “I went overseas.”

Madam Wen didn’t quite understand what “going overseas” meant and looked puzzled.

People of this era didn’t know there were other countries overseas. To them, the end of the sea was just the sea, and “going overseas” meant fishing.

Madam Wen couldn’t help but ask, “Xuan Ge’er, why did you go overseas? Weren’t you with the trade caravan?”

Pei Weixuan replied, “Mother, I went overseas with the trade caravan. There are other countries overseas. I went to a country called Er Lai. The people there are different from us, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Their culture and food are also completely different.”

He had only gone to Er Lai and hadn’t continued sailing further. Otherwise, he would have encountered other countries.

Xu Qinyu understood and gasped. She never expected her fourth brother to go on an overseas voyage.

Given the conditions of this era, the navigation system wasn’t advanced enough. Ships relied on wind and sails, and the ships might not even be large. Yet, Fourth Brother went overseas and found another country? She didn’t know what to say, only that he was lucky not to encounter a major storm; otherwise, it would have been a dead end.

Madam Wen didn’t understand the dangers of navigation. She just didn’t expect Xuan Ge’er to have gone overseas for over a year.

Pei Weixuan didn’t plan to say much, only briefly telling Yuniang and Wen Shi, “In Er Lai, we obtained some crops: potatoes, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, tomatoes, and other crop seeds.”

Xu Qinyu was stunned. Fourth Brother went overseas and found these crops!

She remembered that before Fourth Brother went overseas, she had mentioned the snow disaster in the north while cooking. She had talked about how some travelogues mentioned other countries overseas with high-yield crops. Fourth Brother had asked what those crops looked like, and she had drawn them with a charcoal stick for him to see. So, did Fourth Brother go overseas specifically to find these crops?

But she only told him about potatoes and sweet potatoes, not chili peppers and tomatoes.

Thinking about it, it seems unlikely. Fourth Brother probably just went overseas with other trade caravans, and it was just a coincidence. But whether it was a coincidence or intentional, she couldn’t help but feel happy. Those were potatoes and sweet potatoes, crops with yields as high as four to five thousand catties per mu. If the Great Sheng Dynasty could plant potatoes and sweet potatoes on a large scale, even in years of disaster, as long as there was enough food at home, people wouldn’t starve or flee. For people used to eating beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes would be delicious and not considered monotonous. On the contrary, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be prepared in various ways and taste very good. Potatoes could be both a staple and a dish, while sweet potatoes were sweet and sticky, suitable as a staple or for making various desserts.

Moreover, Fourth Brother also brought back chili peppers, tomatoes, and other crops. Just the chili peppers were enough to make Xu Qinyu excited. She had been using Zanthoxylum to make spicy dishes, but its flavor was lacking. With chili peppers, the dishes would taste much better.

Additionally, tomatoes were also important ingredients or seasonings in cooking. Although it would take time to grow these crops, Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but feel happy.

Madam Wen didn’t understand the significance of these crops and was only worried about other things. “Xuan Ge’er, is it dangerous to go overseas? Will you continue to go overseas in the future?”

This trip took over a year, and she was still a bit worried.

Xu Qinyu also looked at Fourth Brother. This overseas trip was lucky for Fourth Brother, but she was also worried.

Pei Weixuan said, “I won’t go out again for now. If allowed in the future, there might be some trade with overseas countries.” This was just his idea, and it would take a lot to achieve.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but think that Fourth Brother, being a prince, could see the economic benefits of maritime trade for their country. But he was right; the conditions weren’t mature yet. Moreover, trade with overseas countries would require the court’s permission. If Fourth Brother continued to go overseas secretly, it would attract the court’s attention, especially since he was an exiled prince, which could implicate the entire trade caravan.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but sigh. If Fourth Brother could become the emperor, the Great Sheng Dynasty might usher in a prosperous era.

Madam Wen asked about the dangers of going overseas and what they encountered on the sea.

Pei Weixuan said it was fine as long as they didn’t encounter major storms. They had encountered several storms on the way out, but he could read the weather and avoided them. They failed to avoid a storm only once, but they got through it safely. The return journey was smoother, with no major storms, but the wind direction was wrong, so it took several months to return to the Great Sheng.

Pei Weixuan also told Madam Wen and Yuniang not to publicize the crops brought back by the trade caravan.

Some things could be told to them, but others had to be kept secret to avoid making them worry every day.

Madam Wen and Xu Qinyu understood the importance and naturally avoided discussing it, fearing it would attract the court’s attention.

After speaking, Pei Weixuan hesitated momentarily, then took a hairpin from his pocket. It was a begonia-colored glass hairpin that seemed to glow with golden light. He also had a cloth bag, from which he poured out several glass bead bracelets and a thumb ring, all made of glass in various colors but without red. The glass bead bracelets were bought in Er Lai for the family.

Madam Wen’s eyes were immediately drawn to the glass hairpin and bracelets, murmuring, “What are these? They’re so beautiful.”

Even though they already had exquisite jewelry and items made with filigree inlay, gold and silver inlay, and engraving techniques, they didn’t have cloisonné, enamel, or glass craftsmanship, especially such colorful glass with a hazy transparency and stunning colors that captivated anyone’s gaze.

Even Xu Qinyu, who had seen various glass and crystal items, couldn’t help but hold her breath when she saw the hairpin.

The hairpin was incredibly beautiful, with a heavy yet translucent texture. The begonia color intertwined with the golden light inside made it seem alive.

Pei Weixuan’s gaze fell on the wooden hairpin in Yuniang’s bun. He handed the glass hairpin, glowing with golden light and begonia color, to Xu Qinyu, saying, “These are crafts from Er Lai, which can also be used as jewelry. This hairpin is for Yuniang.”

In fact, the glass ornaments sold in the country of Er Lai did not include hairpins, only bracelets and thumb rings, as the women there did not use hairpins as accessories. Although the hairpin was made to observe how glass was crafted, it was also his personal wish. He wanted to give Yuniang a unique hairpin.

Before Yuniang could take the hairpin, he handed Madam Wen the bracelets and thumb rings, saying, “These are for Mother, Ning Jie’er, and Yuan Jie’er. The thumb ring is for Feng Ge’er, but it’s a bit big, so he can wear it when he’s older.”

Madam Wen instinctively took the items.

Xu Qinyu didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the hairpin, beaming, and thanked her fourth brother. She then removed the wooden hairpin from her hair and inserted the glass hairpin into her bun, smiling as she asked, “Fourth Brother, does it look good?”

She wasn’t a stunning beauty, but her small face was radiant, and her eyes were lively and bright, making her charming and lovely.

“Beautiful.” Unknowingly, his voice deepened. But neither Madam Wen nor Xu Qinyu noticed.

Xu Qinyu touched the glass hairpin. Both she and Madam Wen knew that neither the hairpin nor the bracelets could be worn outside.

Glass crafts had not yet appeared in the Great Sheng Dynasty. If they did, they would be unique and rare treasures, sure to attract the court’s attention. Given their family’s relationship with the two people in the palace, any slight involvement could lead to trouble. So even though they were exiled to the border as commoners, they had to be cautious. Unless these glass crafts could appear in large quantities, they couldn’t take them out.

At this moment, both Xu Qinyu and Madam Wen thought that Pei Weixuan’s trade caravan went overseas for these glass items to make money. As for the crops, Xu Qinyu thought it might have been a coincidence that Fourth Brother mentioned them to the trade caravan when he saw them overseas.

Madam Wen planned to put away the glass bead bracelets and thumb ring and tell Ning Jie’er about them tomorrow. Ning Jie’er was older now, and Madam Wen would discuss family matters with her.

After putting the items away, Madam Wen told Pei Weixuan about Grandmother Zhu and Mrs. Zhu.

Pei Weixuan didn’t expect such a coincidence, but it was good that Grandmother and Great-Grandmother could meet.

Madam Wen also told her son about other family matters. The biggest events were Grandmother Zhu, Yuniang opening the restaurant, and the dysentery outbreak last summer.

After hearing Madam Wen’s account, Pei Weixuan realized that the dysentery prevention methods were not thought of by Magistrate Yang but by Yuniang. He had long known that Yuniang was not the original second daughter of the Marquis of Dechang’s household, so he wasn’t surprised. However, he was still curious about her origins. Would there be a day when she suddenly left as she had suddenly arrived?

Thinking of this, Pei Weixuan felt as if something was gripping his heart tightly, making breathing hard.

Madam Wen finished and said, “Tomorrow, let’s have breakfast with your Great-Grandmother. She has been thinking about you these days.”

“Okay.” Pei Weixuan lowered his eyes, hiding all his emotions.

Xu Qinyu also planned to have Cheng Ge’er post a notice at the restaurant tomorrow, announcing a day off. They were supposed to rest the day after tomorrow, but they could take the day off early and make it clear on the notice.

It was getting late, and the hot water was ready. Madam Wen asked her son to bring water into the house to wash up.

Xu Qinyu said to Pei Weixuan, “Fourth Brother, I’ll go to bed now. What would you like for breakfast tomorrow? I’ll make it for you.”

“Anything.” As long as Yuniang made it, he liked it.

Xu Qinyu thought for a moment. Fourth Brother hadn’t tried her custard buns yet, so she planned to make some dairy products for breakfast tomorrow.

Uncle He would definitely continue to deliver milk and fish tomorrow. The fish could be used to make fish balls at the restaurant, and the milk would be for the family. Since Ma Liu was leaving tomorrow, she would make extra custard buns for him to take on the road.

Before going to wash up, Pei Weixuan took out a thousand taels of silver notes and handed them to Xu Qinyu. He had obtained this money from Huo Ye, who managed the Black Armored Guards and had some silver on hand, which Pei Weixuan took.

When Huo Ye gave it to him, he was so pained that his face twitched, muttering, “This is all our remaining wealth. Luckily, Your Highness learned how to make glass, or we wouldn’t have any money to recruit soldiers and buy horses.”

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but exclaim when she saw the thousand taels of silver, “Fourth Brother, did the trade caravan give such a large reward?”

Although it was an overseas trip, a thousand taels of silver was a lot. Ordinary guards in a trade caravan earned only a few dozen taels a year.

“Yes…” Pei Weixuan said helplessly, “Although the restaurant earns a lot, keep these silver notes. You can use them to open a larger restaurant in the future.”

Yuniang seemed to only think about cooking, opening restaurants, and making money.

Xu Qinyu took the silver notes, knowing Madam Wen wouldn’t want them. Even if the Fourth Brother gave them to Madam Wen, she would give them to Xu Qinyu to save.

Madam Wen was surprised to see Xuan Ge’er give the silver notes to Yuniang but didn’t think much of it. She just felt a strange sensation spreading in her heart. Even if Xuan Ge’er had given her the silver notes, she would have definitely handed them over to Yu Niang. But this time, Xuan Ge’er gave them directly to Yuniang. Moreover, the gifts for Madam Wen and the others were bracelets and thumb rings, while Yuniang received a hairpin.

Could it be that Xuan Ge’er had feelings for Yuniang?

Madam Wen couldn’t help but feel happy. She liked Yuniang and naturally wanted her as a daughter-in-law. If Xuan Ge’er had feelings for Yuniang, that would be wonderful. She had thought her cold-hearted son would never fall for anyone. But looking at Yu Niang, it seemed she only saw Xuan Ge’er as Fourth Brother.

Well, let’s see how things go. Even if Xuan Ge’er truly liked Yuniang, she would respect Yuniang’s feelings.

Pei Weixuan carried water back to his room to wash up, and Xu Qinyu also went to wash up and sleep. After a while, Ning Jie’er returned to sleep with her.

Since Mrs. Zhu moved to Old Madam Zhu’s place, Madam Wen had been sleeping with Feng Ge’er, Ning Jie’er with Yuan Jie’er, and Yuniang had her own room.

Now that Pei Weixuan was back, he would naturally sleep with Feng Ge’er, Madam Wen with Yuan Jie’er, and Ning Jie’er would return to sleep with her.

Xu Qinyu thought that with more people in the family, they should buy a new house. It didn’t need to be too big, just a two-entry house. Most of the houses in Laixi Alley were two or three-entry houses, so the family would have enough space. Ning Jie’er was growing up and needed her own room.

Thinking about this, Xu Qinyu fell asleep.

The next day, she woke up feeling a bit dazed. After getting dressed, she went out and saw the kitchen lamp was on. She went over and saw Pei Weixuan. She smiled and said, “Fourth Brother, you just got back. Why don’t you sleep a bit more?”

Xu Qinyu hadn’t washed up yet and had just woken up. Her eyes were a bit blurry, and there were marks on her cheeks from the bedding.

Pei Weixuan smiled, “I couldn’t sleep, so I got up.” He had already boiled hot water and filled the kitchen water jars. He hadn’t chopped the firewood in the yard yet, fearing it would wake everyone.

Xu Qinyu muttered, “Fourth Brother, you went through so much hardship on this trip. You should rest more now that you’re back.”

After saying that, she remembered the potatoes and sweet potatoes from yesterday and asked Pei Weixuan, “Fourth Brother, what do you plan to do with the crops you brought back from overseas?”

They couldn’t just sell them as seeds, right? Should they sell them directly to the court? After all, it wasn’t Fourth Brother’s trade caravan, so he probably couldn’t make the decision. She didn’t want the trade caravan to sell these things to the court, mainly because she felt that even if they were handed over to the court, the new emperor and empress dowager, who could casually slaughter disaster victims, probably wouldn’t value these two crops. It would be a real pity if they were ruined in their hands.

It would be better to find someone in the Southwest to try planting them first. With just one ship and bringing back glass, the amount of crops brought back shouldn’t be much. Implementing large-scale planting would take at least two years.

Pei Weixuan said, “The owner of the trade caravan plans to find someone to plant them first.”

There weren’t many crops brought back, so they could only let the people on the island plant them first. By the time they could be planted on a large scale, the Southwest should already be under his control. But before that, he needed to set up a workshop to make glass and earn some money. So he couldn’t stay at home for long and would have to join Huo Ye and the others in a few days.

Hearing that the trade caravan owner planned to have someone plant the crops first, Xu Qinyu felt relieved.

Before these things were planted on a large scale, she couldn’t ask Fourth Brother to help her negotiate with the owner to buy these ingredients. So even though she was eager, she had to wait. In another two years, she would be able to use these ingredients to make food.

Xu Qinyu chatted with Fourth Brother for a while, then went to Wen’s house to find Cheng Ge’er. Together, they drove the donkey cart to the restaurant.

After arriving at the restaurant, Xu Qinyu wrote a notice and posted it, announcing that the restaurant would be closed today and would reopen the day after tomorrow, with fish balls and fish heads available for dinner.

The house was too small to make many breakfast items and custard buns, but the restaurant was convenient, with large steamers that could steam dozens at a time.

Soon, Uncle He delivered fish, milk, and other river delicacies, such as shrimp, crabs, and eels.

Xu Qinyu kept them all to make dinner for Fourth Brother.

The extra shrimp, crabs, and eels could be made into salt and pepper flavors, and the snail meat could be made into dry-fried salt and pepper flavor, all for Ma Liu to take to the soldiers.

Unfortunately, the capital was far away, and it would take several days by water. Otherwise, she would have asked Ma Liu to help send some of her homemade food to her family. Now that the weather was getting warmer, these foods would spoil in two days and couldn’t be sent to her family.

For breakfast, Xu Qinyu made custard buns, milk buns, a pot of brown sugar rice porridge, fried tofu, and stir-fried chives with snails and water bamboo slices.

The whole family ate breakfast together. Xu Qinyu first had Cheng Ge’er deliver breakfast to Great-grandmother Zhu.

Pei Weixuan, Madam Wen, and Ning Jie’er had already gone to Great-grandmother Zhu’s place. Great-grandmother Zhu was very excited to see her daughter’s grandson for the first time and even shed tears, holding his hand and talking a lot.

When breakfast was delivered, the whole family started eating.

The brown sugar rice porridge, custard buns, and milk buns, as well as the pickled vegetables and fermented tofu, were all new to Pei Weixuan. The taste was, of course, delicious, as only Yuniang could make such delicacies.

Xu Qinyu noticed that Fourth Brother actually liked sweet food. He drank three large bowls of brown sugar rice porridge in one go.

After eating and drinking their fill, Pei Weixuan and Xu Qinyu took the kitchen utensils back to the restaurant together.