Chapter 2.2

With his reminder, Yuhu jumped in front of Qi Tianlei, grabbed his collar, and saw tears in his eyes. She was about to refute Liu Ruoqian when she saw his mouth wide open with laughter, nearly splitting his face in two, and gasped.

“You’re tricking me!”

“Oh! I’m laughing out loud to hide my extreme sadness,” Qi Tianlei pulled her into his lap, struggling to suppress his laughter, pretending to be serious.

Li Yuhu was so angry she didn’t notice she was sitting on his lap, pointing at his chest. “You really are sick! Crazy sick!”

“There are people watching,” he reminded her, looking innocent and gentle.

She then remembered Liu Ruoqian was still watching, quickly jumping off his lap, feeling the urge to hit someone. No! She wanted to strangle him!

“Join us for lunch, Brother Liu. Where have you been enjoying yourself this morning?” Qi Tianlei helped her sit properly and raised an eyebrow at Liu Ruoqian.

The two men chatted casually. Yuhu had no interest in listening and focused on the food. She realized they had been talking for a while, but she still hadn’t gotten the answers she wanted. Qi Tianlei was always teasing her, why?

From early morning, the Qi family had given her many questions, making her feel everyone was a bit strange, not as simple as she imagined. Just dealing with Qi Tianlei was enough to give her a headache! Then, in the morning, Mother-in-law and Second Mother specifically brought two girls, Chun Ya and Xiangping, saying they would come to the new garden next month to serve her. What did that mean? They weren’t servants! Strictly speaking, they were relatives. Even if their families were poor, they were still guests, right? The Qi family had hundreds of servants; why would they need these two? Moreover, they all called her “sister.” What was going on? She didn’t understand; and Liu Ruoqian in front of her was also strange.

To her, everyone had their peculiarities.

When she was almost full, she heard the sound of flute and zither playing. She looked up and saw Qi Tianlei and Liu Ruoqian had lit an incense stick at a stone table under the banyan tree, with Qi Tianlei playing the zither and Liu Ruoqian the flute, creating a beautiful and carefree melody.

They were truly remarkable individuals! The visual contrast of black and white was both striking and oddly harmonious.

These two men must share a deep friendship… She walked out of the pavilion, found a smooth stone to sit on, and listened with her hands on her cheeks. Although she didn’t understand music, everyone could appreciate good sounds; at least she could be a good listener! If there were dancers, the scene would be even more wonderful!

Listening, thinking, watching, she was soon lulled into sleep…

As she slept, the music gradually stopped; the two men squatted in front of her. Qi Tianlei carefully cradled her against his chest.

Liu Ruoqian asked softly, “Talented and virtuous?”

“Besides her looks, the rest will come with time,” Qi Tianlei’s eyes were filled with affection.

“The Grand Madam picked the wrong person this time.”

“No, she didn’t. I think it’s a joke from the heavens!”

“Oh?”

“She is Yuhu, not Bingyan.” Evidently, Li Yuhu had revealed more than she intended last night.

Qi Tianlei gently stroked her beautiful and healthy face. “Heaven has finally smiled upon me.”

In fact, marrying into a wealthy family as the young mistress wasn’t too strenuous; it was just the luxurious lifestyle that made Yuhu feel slightly uneasy. She was used to a simple life, and every time she saw the lavish lotus seed soup or ginseng tea, she couldn’t help but think of the money wasted on such unnecessary expenses. Based on her past knowledge, she knew that some people couldn’t even afford three meals a day, and no matter how prosperous a city was, there were always beggars. Although the Qi family did distribute rice and grain during the autumn and winter seasons, earning a reputation for charity, such extravagant spending could still be avoided.

However, such matters were not her place to comment on.

Besides thinking about some unrealistic issues, she didn’t know what she was supposed to do as the young mistress. There must be something she should do, right? Was she being left idle because it was still the early days of her marriage?

If rich women didn’t have to do anything, wouldn’t they go crazy from boredom? It was the fourth day! She had been the Qi family’s young mistress for four days! Yet it felt like she had endured four years, so bored that she could only play with her fingers!

Her husband seemed to be genuinely ill; every morning and evening, someone would bring him a bowl of medicinal soup to drink. However, he didn’t lie in bed all day like a typical patient; sometimes, she couldn’t even find a trace of him. Qi Tianlei became more and more mysterious to her!

“Jichang New Garden” was quite impressive, with enough to keep one occupied for a whole day without getting bored. So, for the past four days, she rarely ventured outside the garden, also afraid of getting lost and making a fool of herself. At the moment, she was strolling through the plum blossom grove. At the end of March, the plum blossoms had long since fallen, but the green plums hanging from the branches were abundant, making her mouth water! In another ten days, when these plums ripen, they can be picked and preserved as honey plums, enough for her to enjoy for years!

Unable to resist, she picked a plum and took a small bite, the sourness making her whole body shiver… but it was so satisfying! She had always had a fondness for food that was sweet and sour since childhood.

“Do you like eating plums?”

The voice behind her startled her, nearly causing her to swallow the pit. Once again, those familiar arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and she leaned into a warm chest.

Qi Tianlei definitely had the knack for being a ghost! He could walk without making any sound, always appearing behind her and startling her several times.

“Why do you always appear so suddenly?” She swallowed the sour fruit pulp and spat out the pit before speaking.

“Don’t you like seeing me?” His tone was pitiful.

He really knew how to stir up her abundant sympathy! She turned to face him, “Or do you want me to ask why you went out, leaving me here like a resentful woman?”

Pecking her rosy lips, Qi Tianlei buried his face in her hair, laughing softly, “No resentful woman would be so content. Do you like eating plums? There are ten barrels of sweet osmanthus plums in the cellar. Want to sneak a taste?”

“Really? But sneak?” Could it be that the plums were off-limits?

He grabbed her soft hand and winked at her.

“It’s more fun to sneak a taste! If someone brought a big plate, it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. Let’s go!”

This man! Yuhu rolled her eyes skyward. But since he seemed to have her interests in mind, she followed him out of the garden. As they turned towards the storage room on the west side, she unexpectedly saw the Grand Madam walking on the Nine-Bend Bridge in the distance. The Grand Madam smiled and nodded at them, and Yuhu, feeling awkward, returned the nod before Qi Tianlei pulled her around a corner. This lack of decorum, what would the Grand Madam think?

However, all her worries were immediately forgotten upon seeing the barrels of sweet, tempting plums. Sitting on the ground with Qi Tianlei, she began eating eagerly.

“What is a wife supposed to do?”

Qi Tianlei fed her another type of plum before answering, “Have children.”

“Really?” Yuhu was stunned. “Just like a sow?” Was this the only great value of being the Qi family’s young mistress?

“Of course,” he shrugged, then added, “If I die, you’ll be trained to be the head mistress. After the Grand Madam and my mother no longer manage things, the Qi family will be in your hands.”

It sounded as if he was already prepared for his death, which she didn’t like at all!

“Do you really want to die? Is your illness incurable?”

Qi Tianlei suddenly stared at her with piercing eyes, “Haven’t you always wished for my early death to free yourself?” His serious tone and demeanor were frightening.

At this moment, he exuded a natural authority that was rarely seen, making it even more intimidating.

“I wouldn’t truly curse someone to die for my own benefit, but if someone pretended to be mysterious and deceived others, that’s unforgivable!” Yuhu retorted sharply. Her clever eyes met his without flinching.

He chuckled deeply, easily brushing off the confrontation, and pulled her into his embrace, kissing her. “Little woman, I’m not the only one who knows how to tease, am I?”

Yuhu’s heart trembled slightly, instinctively feeling this was a dangerous topic. She tried to break free, but he held her tighter, whispering in her ear, “Oh! I want to take off your shoes and put a baby in you again!”

“You—you’re shameless!” This time, she pushed him away forcefully, quickly running out of the cellar, ignoring his annoying laughter! He was even more vulgar than a street ruffian! Oh, heavens! She covered her cheeks, not wanting anyone to see her flushed face! Heaven should stop him from doing any “bad things” because of his shamelessness!

“Oh! Bingyan, I was just looking for you!”

Madam Qi’s voice came from the Nine-Bend Bridge, causing Yuhu to freeze in her tracks, nearly stumbling! Bingyan? Yes, she was Bingyan, a noble lady.

“Mother, what can I do for you?” Facing Madam Qi, Yuhu gave a slight bow.

Madam Qi dismissed the four maids, took Yuhu’s hand, and led her back to the new garden. Her once beautiful face still held its grace and elegance in her forties. She spoke softly, “Tianlei’s complexion has greatly improved recently. The Grand Madam says you deserve much credit.”

“No, it’s because of Doctor Liu’s excellent medical skills and everyone’s care. I dare not take credit,” Yuhu replied modestly. That guy’s complexion was always the same; he only had a “crazy illness”!

Madam Qi pulled her to sit on a bamboo chair among the flowers and began to speak of the main issue: “The Grand Madam says you are a rare lady with both talent and beauty, as well as virtue and wisdom. Your face shows intelligence with strength, making you suitable to be the head mistress of the family. Given that your Du family also comes from a business background, you must be quite knowledgeable about business operations. You know, Tianlei’s father and brothers all died young, so the Grand Madam doesn’t dare put too much pressure on Tianlei anymore! Therefore, in the Qi family, the women have to take on more responsibilities. Tomorrow, the Grand Madam will start teaching you about some of the businesses and will give you some ledgers to review. She says you have great potential.”

Hearing this made her face turn pale! Great potential? Her? She couldn’t even read properly! She knew pretending to be a noble lady would cause problems! Now what should she do? Tomorrow she would be exposed! She couldn’t even distinguish the digits in the ledgers, let alone manage a business. She feared she would bankrupt the family!

Oh no! Oh no!

“Mother… don’t you think I am too young and ignorant to bear such a heavy responsibility? Moreover… at home, my father didn’t teach me anything about business.”