Tao Zhi hurriedly said, "Madam, should I go now? I can deliver it to the young master in the main courtyard during dinner."
Wen Ye thought for a moment and agreed. It was still early, and the bookstore wasn’t far.
She instructed Yun Zhi to give Tao Zhi two hundred taels of silver.
Wen Ye was far from short of money these days. As a concubine’s daughter, her monthly allowance from the Wen family had been ten taels, but after marrying into the Duke’s residence, it had doubled to twenty taels. Moreover, since Madam Lu managed the household, all expenses were evenly distributed, and apart from Xu Yuejia’s share, Wen Ye could freely use the rest of the West Courtyard’s resources.
In the half month since her marriage, apart from the reward she had given to Hongxing, Wen Ye hadn’t touched her savings.
With a pre-prepared list of books, Tao Zhi returned in less than an hour, accompanied by two servants who helped carry the boxes.
Wen Ye’s two hundred taels were spent down to the last coin. There had been a dozen or so coins left, but on the way back to the Duke’s residence, Tao Zhi came across someone selling roasted sweet potatoes and bought a few.
Seeing the unexpected treat, Wen Ye couldn’t stop smiling and said to Tao Zhi, "I haven’t spoiled you for nothing."
Tao Zhi chuckled, "Madam always says that."
Wen Ye scooped a spoonful of the sweet potato into her mouth, thoroughly satisfied.
The good mood brought by the roasted sweet potatoes lasted until dinner.
Xu Yuejia returned to the West Courtyard at the end of the Shen hour. When Wen Ye saw him, she said, "Husband, please wait a moment. I’ll be ready soon."
Though there were only a dozen or so books, they were quite heavy when stacked together. Wen Ye divided them into two large wooden boxes, which Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi carried.
Xu Yuejia glanced at the wooden boxes on the table and looked at Wen Ye.
Understanding his unspoken question, Wen Ye said, "These are some gifts I prepared for the young master. Please don’t ask further."
Her words effectively shut down Xu Yuejia’s curiosity.
Once everything was ready, Wen Ye said, "Let’s go, Husband."
But Xu Yuejia replied, "I have something to discuss with you."
Wen Ye paused for a moment, then turned to the maids and said, "You two wait outside."
Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi bowed with the wooden boxes and left the main room.
Wen Ye then asked, "What did you want to say, Husband?"
"I sleep at the Hai hour and wake at the Yin hour. My meals are strictly regulated—not too spicy, not too salty, and not excessive. I also never neglect my martial training," Xu Yuejia said, his expression serious. "Do you understand?"
Wen Ye was puzzled. What did this have to do with anything?
"Could you explain more clearly?" Wen Ye sensed that Xu Yuejia’s mood was unsettled, and it seemed to be related to her.
Xu Yuejia said, "What I mean is, the Ministry of Justice Office has its own kitchen. You don’t need to send soup there anymore."
Wen Ye was confused. "Are you upset with me over this?"
Xu Yuejia frowned. "When did I say I was upset with you?"
He simply didn’t want any more misunderstandings to arise.
Wen Ye thought for a moment and said, "Judging from your expression, did the soup lead to some misunderstanding?"
Xu Yuejia remained silent.
Wen Ye suppressed a smile and said, "You’ve misunderstood me. It was just an ordinary bowl of lamb soup, nothing more. It was just to warm you up during the winter. I sent some to Madam Lu and Xu Yuxuan as well."
Wen Ye wasn’t lying. She had sent the soup to Xu Yuejia out of genuine concern for his health, not to mock him. After all, she now had half the rights to him, didn’t she?
Wen Ye added, "If you don’t like it, I won’t send it again."
Though it was a misunderstanding, no man would appreciate being questioned about such matters.
She had acted on a whim that morning, not thinking much of it, and had forgotten that Xu Yuejia was at the Ministry of Justice Office, where there were other officials.
She guessed that the servant who delivered the soup must have said something that was overheard by others.
Wen Ye’s gaze was sincere.
After a moment of silence, Xu Yuejia said, "I misunderstood you. I apologize."
A man who could admit his mistake was a good husband.
Wen Ye had no choice but to forgive him immediately. To avoid future misunderstandings, she suggested, "Why don’t you make a list of your likes and dislikes when you have time?"
Perhaps still haunted by the awkward glances from his colleagues earlier that day, Xu Yuejia agreed, "Alright."
With this little episode, the atmosphere between them remained unusually quiet as they made their way to the main courtyard.
Dinner in the main courtyard was already prepared, waiting for the couple to arrive.
Xu Yuxuan, who hadn’t seen Wen Ye all day, ran over and tried to squeeze between her and Xu Yuejia.
Wen Ye glanced at Xu Yuxuan, unsure of his intentions.
Whatever the reason, she wasn’t about to give up her seat. Instead, she looked pleadingly at Xu Yuejia.
Still feeling guilty over the earlier misunderstanding, Xu Yuejia said, "Yuxuan."
Xu Yuxuan clung to Wen Ye’s leg and turned to Xu Yuejia, saying, "No!"
Duke Xu intervened, "Let him sit there if he wants."
Xu Yuejia hesitated, then stood up and gave up his seat.
Nanny Ji brought a specially designed stool and placed it between the couple, allowing Xu Yuxuan to successfully claim his spot.
Wen Ye couldn’t understand the child’s logic. What difference did it make where he sat?
Xu Yuxuan, sitting slightly higher on the stool, looked at a dish of meatballs in front of him and said to Nanny Ji in a childish voice, "Nanny, meatballs!"
Nanny Ji quickly picked one up, crushed it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, and fed it to him.
Xu Yuxuan gobbled it up and then, with his mouth still full, called out to Wen Ye, "Mother! Look at me!"
His voice was loud enough that everyone, including Xu Jinglin, who was happily eating, looked over.
Wen Ye had no choice but to look down at him.
The child’s eyes were filled with obvious pride and a hint of excitement, as if he had just scored a victory.
Seeing that Wen Ye was looking, Xu Yuxuan quickly pointed to another meat dish and said to Nanny Ji, "Nanny, meat!"
Nanny Ji’s serving chopsticks immediately moved to the dish Xu Yuxuan had pointed to—a dish made with chicken thighs.
Finally catching on, Wen Ye thought, "Well... the child has a good memory."
After several rounds of this, the others were none the wiser, thinking that Xu Yuxuan was simply being affectionate toward Wen Ye.
Even Duke Xu and Madam Lu, who had heard about the incident from Nanny Ji and the others, didn’t catch on.
Only Nanny Ji, who had been serving the meat dishes repeatedly, began to suspect something.
Madam Lu observed Wen Ye closely. Her demeanor was gentle, her eyes clear, and there was not a trace of impatience in her expression as she interacted with Xu Yuxuan. No wonder the child was so fond of her.
As for Xu Yuxuan’s subtle retaliation, Wen Ye simply used serving chopsticks to pile a half-bowl of vegetables in front of him and said, "You’re still young. Eating too much meat isn’t good for you. You need a balanced diet, understand?"
Xu Yuxuan’s eyes widened, and before he could say "No," Madam Lu chimed in, "Your mother is right. Nanny Ji, stop feeding him meat and give him some vegetables."
With Madam Lu’s command, Nanny Ji quickly put down the bowl of meat and switched to the bowl of vegetables Wen Ye had prepared.
Xu Yuxuan protested, "No!"
Wen Ye gently patted his head and said in a soothing voice, "Be good~"
Xu Jingrong and Xu Jinglin, who had been watching the whole scene, silently protected the meat in their own bowls.
Thankfully, they were older and could eat whatever they wanted.
Little did they know, growing up didn’t mean everything would go their way.
"By the way, Sister-in-law," Wen Ye glanced at the two brothers, who were both looking relieved, and said to Madam Lu, "I recently found some books suitable for children under ten for my younger sister. Since I heard that the young master will be starting school this spring, I selected a few suitable ones for him as his aunt."
Xu Jingrong looked utterly shocked.
"Really?" Madam Lu was surprised. "You’ve gone to so much trouble."
Wen Ye smiled. "We’re family, after all."
Then she glanced at Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi.
They stepped forward, and Madam Lu instructed Qingxue to open the wooden boxes, which were neatly filled with books.
Duke Xu was intrigued and picked up one of the books. After flipping through it, he said, "These must have taken a lot of effort to prepare."
The Duke’s residence wasn’t lacking in books, but what was rare was the thoughtfulness behind Wen Ye’s gesture.
Madam Lu was even more touched, her gaze toward Wen Ye softening noticeably.
Then, she turned to her eldest son, who was still standing dumbfounded, and said, "Jingrong, why aren't you thanking your second aunt?"
Xu Jingrong forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and said, "Thank you, Second Aunt."
Wen Ye replied, "You're welcome."
Xu Jingrong glanced again at the headache-inducing books inside the wooden box and couldn't help but ask, "Is this the gift Second Aunt mentioned for me?"
Wen Ye smiled faintly, "Yes, does the young master like it?"
Xu Jingrong caught the dangerous glares from both his parents and reluctantly admitted, "Jingrong likes it."
Madam Lu added, "After the New Year, when you go to the academy, you must study hard. I don't expect you to achieve great success, but at the very least, you should become more sensible and well-mannered."
Xu Jingrong nodded listlessly.
Beside him, Xu Jinglin, seeing that both his older and younger brothers had fallen victim to Second Aunt, quietly shrunk his head and slowed down his chewing of the meat.
But it wasn't over yet.
Wen Ye suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, by the way, there are two more books in there for Jinglin, who is still in the early stages of learning."
Xu Jinglin's chewing came to an abrupt halt, and he protested, "I'm still young! I don't need to go to the academy yet!"
Duke Xu interjected, "You've been in early education for two years now. Even if you can't attend the academy yet, you still need to continue your studies, and you must read these books."
Xu Jinglin suddenly felt that the meat in his mouth had lost its flavor.
With his younger brother sharing the burden, Xu Jingrong felt that his own misery had lightened just a little.
Madam Lu quickly counted the books—there were thirteen in total. She thought to herself that Wen Ye must have spent a considerable amount of money on them.
The dowry a family could prepare for a concubine-born daughter was likely not substantial.
Even without considering the money spent, just the thoughtfulness behind the gesture couldn't be overlooked.
After some consideration, Madam Lu said, "I have a box of high-quality rubies. Later, take them and have a set of jewelry made for yourself."
Rubies?!
Wen Ye suppressed her excitement and politely declined, "That's too generous. I can't accept it."
Madam Lu, who came from a wealthy marquis family and now managed the household finances of the Duke's residence, was not short on money. "Since I'm giving it to you, just accept it," she said.
It was just a box of rubies, after all.
Wen Ye replied, "Then... thank you, Sister-in-law."
Madam Lu thought for a moment and added, "If you need anything in the future, feel free to send someone to the main courtyard to let me know."
Wen Ye suppressed the joy in her heart and nodded.
Could this be the happiness of being pampered by a wealthy woman?
Wen Ye seemed to think of something and turned her head slightly, casting a faint glance at Xu Yuejia.
He seemed to sense her gaze and looked up, his eyes meeting hers.
Wen Ye gave him a slight shake of her head.
Xu Yuejia: "..."
He inexplicably understood.
