The ride to town was smoother than ever, though Xu Feng wouldn’t call it luxurious just yet. Compared to Bai Mo’s extravagant carriage—a true Rolls Royce of its ti—his own BMW-class carriage had finally received a much-needed upgrade.
The biggest improvent? The horses.
Xu Hu Zhe and Xu Zeng had returned with an entourage of five new horses, bringing their household’s total to six, not including Xuan Yang’s stallion or the horses belonging to Xuan Jian and his n, who—oddly enough—never seed to stable their mounts at Nanshan Estate.
Where did the horses live? Xu Feng didn’t know, maybe he should ask.
Xu Feng reclined slightly against the cushioned seat, mulling over this new revelation. Xuan Jian’s pure white stallion, deceptively angelic in appearance but undoubtedly a demon, and Xuan Yang’s sleek black warhorse, both had a presence that set them apart.
Yet, they were never seen idling in the stables alongside their estate’s more humble mare and the new colts. This was definitely sothing to ask about later.
For now, the focus was on the current ride. His BMW carriage now moved with a grace that hadn’t existed before, thanks to the addition of stronger horses. Only two of the new horses were leading today—the estate’s original calm mare, a robust blue warhorse that nearly rivaled Xuan Yang’s in size and temperant, and another sturdy colt from Xu Zeng’s mysterious haul.
It made an incredible difference. Xu Feng was certain most of that credit went to the blue horse—it had an undeniable power in its strides, carrying the carriage as if the weight was nothing. Leading the other horses like it was second nature.
Xu Zeng, however, had been suspiciously vague about where these animals had co from. It wasn’t just the horses—there were two new cattle, a milk cow, and even unexpected stockpiles of chicken feed and other livestock supplies waiting at Nanshan Estate upon his return.
Xu San had discreetly reported the additions to him in private, which only made Xu Feng’s curiosity grow.
’Did these two go shopping just like ?’ The thought didn’t seem so far fetched.
And if so, why hadn’t Bai Mo been a voice of reason? ’Bai Mo was with them!’ There were no excuses.
Xu Feng let out a small sigh, rubbing his temple. Perhaps he wasn’t one to talk—his own escapades in Dongn were questionable at best, morally ambiguous at worst. But that was different.
His gaze flicked to his brother, who sat across from him, looking perfectly at ease despite the subtle scrutiny.
Apparently, there was even more to hide. For now, Xu Feng was being patient with his brother.
They were brothers, but they had spent most of their ti apart. It was best to slowly beco reacquainted with each other. There was ti. He would make ti and put in the effort.
Well, Xu Feng wasn’t above having a pirate of a brother. His shopping in Dongn was also a host of pirate activities...
’Well, if my little brother has turned into a pirate, I’ll just have to make sure he’s stealing from the right people.’
The thought made him smirk. ’Robin Hood rules. Steal from the rich, give to the poor... naly, .’
This sa poor man had a powerful young master as a husband and an even more powerful Torann husband, they should be able to cover up Zee’s temporary career choice when his brother becos a scholar...
Hopefully... Xu Feng had full faith in them.
The BMW class carriage had undeniably improved, but it still wasn’t safe enough. Sure, the added stability made a difference—his backside wasn’t cursing him out as it had in the bullock cart—but the reality remained that it wasn’t the best mode of transport for a growing family.
It was a huge family.
Right now, the carriage carried himself, his two children, Xu Si, Xu San, and his brother, while Xu Hu Zhe drove the reins up front.
They had decided against bringing additional servants. Xu Feng understood the reasoning—Nanshan Estate still had loose ends that needed tending to. That being said, the carriage wasn’t designed to accommodate so many passengers, much less two more fully grown n.
Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian rode on horseback beside them, their presence a silent but firm assurance of security.
It couldn’t accommodate, the other little ones either. Xiao An and Xiao Momo had put up a small fight, but ultimately, Lee Hua managed to pacify them.
Xu Feng still felt a little guilty. He had wanted to bring them, but Lee Hua had been dead set against it, there was no persuading him this ti. Well, until the loose ends at ho and in town were tied up, it was better not to take unnecessary risks.
Besides, Lee Hua had so explaining to do.
During Xu Feng’s absence, the midwife had clearly been busy—and not in the ways Xu Feng had anticipated. Xu Feng could let so things slide in the na of chaos control, but certain matters needed to be addressed.
’Best to do it sooner rather than later.’
In a short three days, the courtyards of Nanshan Estate had beco an organized ss—piles of sorted treasures sprawled between Blooming and Budding Courtyards, while the larger items remained within their space. It wasn’t chaos, but it was overwhelming.
The sheer volu of goods from both Xu Zeng and Xu Feng made it clear that a proper inventory was long overdue. And so, an unexpected dream team was born: Xu Feng, Xu Hu Zhe, and Xu Zeng, the primary heavy lifters.
Xu Si and Xu San contributed when they could, but their focus was split between managing Nanshan Estate’s daily affairs and tending to the ever growing number of little ones. The cubs required constant supervision, and as a result, the two girls were far busier than expected.
Even with so many capable hands at work, Xuan Jian and Xuan Yang remained on edge. Though they tried not to be obvious, it was clear neither man had fully accepted that Xu Feng was back for good.
Xuan Yang, for instance, had developed a thod for his "Xu Feng Checks."
Several tis a day, he would casually pop into Blooming or Budding Courtyard under the excuse of checking on Xu Zeng’s studies—which hadn’t officially started with their dream team still in action—offering recomndations for books and strategies to prepare for the upcoming child’s or ’Shengyuan’ exam in the spring.
After the Shengyaun exam ca the Juren exam and then there was the final exam, the Jinishi exam which qualified top talent to hold civil jobs including positions in the palace of Donghua. This was Lady Xuan’s plan for her only son—Xuan Yang—who had successfully passed the exams at a young age.
Xuan Yang, their resident scholar’s concerns for Xu Zeng were reasonable.
The exams were a significant hurdle for aspiring scholars, and for many, the preparation ti would have been too little. However, Xu Feng had passed the Shengyuan exam under similar circumstances, and Xu Zeng had a stronger foundation than he ever did.
Between all those in the know, there was little real concern over his ability to succeed.
At first, Xu Feng humored his husband’s worries, believing them to be genuine. But after the sixth pop-in within two hours, his polite smile had begun to twitch.
It was cute, in a way. Adorable, even. But also, a little much.
How was he supposed to abduct his brother into their space being monitored like a prisoner?
And it wasn’t just Xuan Yang.
If Xuan Yang had a pretense for his visits, Xuan Jian had no such thing. The Torann dragon had made a habit of simply appearing, sticking his head into whatever space Xu Feng occupied, making brief eye contact, and then disappearing without a word.
No questions. No conversation. Just an inquisitive look before vanishing again. He was clearly busy, but he needed to lay eyes on his husband to be relieved. Occasionally, he would co in and spend ti with the children, but more often it was just eye contact.
At first, it had put Xu Feng on edge. Was there sothing urgent? Did sothing happen? Had the village burned down?
But after a dozen appearances over the course of a single day, the pattern had beco clear.
The only saving grace was that Xuan Jian had been absent from Nanshan Estate more frequently than Xuan Yang, his ti divided between the Nanshan Village and Yilin Town for what Xu Feng could only assu was "important dragon business." As a result, Jian’s not so stealthy, "stealth checks" were less frequent than Yang’s interruptions.
But Xu Feng wasn’t fooled.
It was clear the two n were working together, alternating their ti so that one of them was always at the residence to pop in on him at will.
Insert dramatic eye roll here.
The randomness of their reappearances had kept Xu Feng wary at first, but as the days passed, he found himself adjusting to the absurdity. If he couldn’t be found, Xu Si and Xu San would distract his husbands with their children. For this reason, he had an excuse not to bring the two cubs into the space.
They wanted so much to go in with their dad and their uncle, but they had an important task given to them by their dad. They had to use any ans necessary—screaming, crying, peeing, and pooping on their papa and father—whatever they needed to do to keep the two from looking for Xu Feng when he was in the space.
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