Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Ho_1 Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Ho_1 Approaching noon, Xiao Hongtao, who had finished his official duties, returned to the inner courtyard and witnessed his daughter and the Yang siblings getting along harmoniously. His heart was filled with emotion.
After returning ho yesterday, his wife and daughter couldn’t stop praising Chenchen, their faces adorned with happy smiles. He hadn’t seen his wife and daughter truly smile like that in a long ti, and it was all thanks to Chenchen.
“ngchen (Chengrong) (Chengyou) greets Uncle Xiao.” The three siblings quickly rose to their feet and paid their respects.
“There’s no need for such formalities in your own ho. Sit down, my good children, and let’s talk.” Xiao Hongtao, with a loving smile on his lips, said, “Chenchen, when you have ti, co over more often to talk with your Aunty Xiao and Sister Wanxue. Uncle has been busy with public affairs and may have inadvertently neglected them, of course, Chengrong and Chengyou are also welco.”
The three siblings readily agreed.
Xiao Wanxue poured a cup of tea for her father, then related the joke Yang ngchen had told earlier, provoking hearty laughter from Xiao Hongtao.
“What’s so funny that I can hear your laughter from afar?”
At that mont, Lady Xiao entered with a beaming smile, followed by Sister Ke and others carrying more than a dozen delicious dishes.
Assisting his wife to the main seat, Xiao Hongtao repeated the joke his daughter had shared.
Lady Xiao laughed until tears ca out. No wonder she could hear her husband’s hearty laughter from a distance; the jokes were indeed hilarious, and she didn’t forget to praise Yang ngchen for her cleverness, considering her own daughter couldn’t co up with such jokes.
When the food was ready to be served, Lady Xiao picked a good amount of dishes for Yang ngchen, urging her to eat more. Chenchen was too slender for her liking, which made her feel distressed.
Far from being jealous, Xiao Wanxue, like her mother, also served Yang ngchen food, piling her bowl into a small mountain of dishes before finally stopping.
Xiao Hongtao, who was sitting beside them, watched cheerfully without intervening and also urged Yang Chengrong and Yang Chengyou to feel at ho.
In return, Yang ngchen reciprocated the kindness, serving the Xiao family mbers as well.
The table was filled with continuous laughter and conversation, and the atmosphere was as warm and harmonious as if they were one family.
Sister Ke and the others discreetly wiped away the tears at the corners of their eyes. It had been a long ti since the masters had been this relaxed and happy. Ms. Yang truly was their lucky star.
After lunch and a brief rest, Yang ngchen examined Xiao Hongtao’s pulse and administered acupuncture, ntioning that she would bring dicine the following day.
Previously, Aunty Xiao had ntioned that Uncle Xiao frequently suffered from unexplained headaches, sotis so severe that he couldn’t sleep all night, leaving Aunty Xiao deeply worried.
As it happened, she was visiting the County Office that day, so she took the opportunity to treat Uncle Xiao.
The Xiao family, in turn, was touched and grateful, their fondness for Yang ngchen growing even stronger.
Leaving the County Office, the Yang siblings first went to the Ironworker Shop to forge equipnt needed for oil extraction, then visited the pharmacy to check on things, and finally went to Drunken Immortal Tavern for an inspection. Seeing that everyone was working in an orderly fashion, the siblings returned to the Luo family’s sideyard.
A few days later, in the morning, Yang ngchen arranged for ten thousand pills to be transported back to the capital. She also gave Shopkeeper Luo two bundles and a letter, asking him to personally deliver them to Aunty Luo and Luo Jingrui.
Earlier that day, Uncle Luo had given her two brocade boxes, saying that Aunty Luo and Luo Jingrui couldn’t co to attend the apprenticeship banquet due to other matters, but they had sent people to bring gifts for Seventh Brother and her.
Speaking of Aunty Luo, she keenly sensed the deep guilt and longing in Uncle Luo’s tone.
Although she had never t Aunty Luo, through Uncle Luo’s words, she knew that Aunty Luo was a gentle, virtuous, and understanding woman. Therefore, she took ti to sew two new garnts and, in Uncle Luo’s na, prepared so local specialties to send to Aunty Luo.
As for the letter, it was written by Luo Jingrui, arranging for more staff to co over. Several types of pills were in such high demand in Yongchang County that despite the workers being endlessly busy, they still couldn’t et the supply. It also ntioned Movable-type Printing, as relying solely on manual writing for labels was neither standardized nor efficient.
“ngchen is busy, isn’t she?” Xiao Wanxue arrived at the Luo family’s sideyard with Zi Jin.
“It’s alright, I’ve finished what I was doing.” Yang ngchen greeted Xiao Wanxue. “Didn’t we agree yesterday that I would co over myself? Sister Wanxue, why did you co here too?”
Today was the day she had planned to give Aunty Xiao her second acupuncture treatnt. She intended to arrange the delivery of dicine and then go. She had not expected Sister Wanxue to co to fetch her.
Xiao Wanxue quickly clarified, “Don’t get wrong, ngchen. I’m not here to rush you. It’s just that I had nothing to do, so I decided to co over for a visit,” she said, stealing a glance at Yang Chengrong standing nearby. Seeing that he wasn’t upset, she felt relieved.
Yet Yang Chengrong’s face remained as calm as ever, though he dared not look at Xiao Wanxue.
In recent days, he frequently found himself uncontrollably rembering the touch of those soft, delicate hands—the peculiar feeling it invoked.
Apart from his sister, he had never touched another woman’s hand, not even Zhang Lianhua’s, yet every ti he recalled that encounter, his heart felt scorching and fluttering.
“I didn’t misunderstand. It’s good that you’re here, Sister Wanxue. Let’s go now,” said Yang ngchen.
Ever since her visit to the County Office, Yang ngchen had felt that sothing was off with Xiao Wanxue, but she hadn’t thought much of it, assuming that Xiao Wanxue was just worried about Uncle Xiao and Aunty Xiao’s health. She often tried to reassure her or avoided discussing sickness.
The group took a carriage to the County Office.
Yang ngchen took Xiao Hongtao’s pulse first and then said with a smile, “Starting from today, Uncle Xiao can stop taking his dicine. Just rember to balance work and rest.”
Everyone in the Xiao family was surprised and thrilled upon hearing this.
Especially Xiao Hongtao, who felt that no amount of words could express his gratitude to Yang ngchen. His headaches were gone; he had started sleeping well at night, felt much more spirited, and even looked several years younger, causing his colleagues to feel envious.
Yang ngchen then gave Lady Xiao her second acupuncture treatnt and reminded Sister Ke, “The pills I’ve prescribed for Aunty Xiao should now be taken once every two days, and after half a month, they should be discontinued. As for the dicinal diet, it must be continued.”
“Hmm, this servant will rember it,” Sister Ke nodded repeatedly in agreent.
Hearing Xiao Hongtao instructing Sister Ke to prepare lunch, Yang ngchen hurriedly interjected, “Uncle Xiao, my siblings and I haven’t been ho in several days, and we’d like to visit it today, so we won’t stay for lunch.”
“If that’s the case, Uncle will not hold you back. There will be plenty of opportunities later,” Xiao Hongtao understood the three siblings’ feelings.
Xiao Wanxue suddenly clung to her father’s arm and acted coquettishly: “Dad, can I go stay with ngchen at their ho for a few days?”
“You may, but you must listen to Chenchen and not bring trouble to their ho,” Xiao Hongtao, always accomodating to his daughter, instantly agreed without a second thought, “Chenchen, Xuexue is impulsive. Keep an eye on her to prevent any unintended offense.”
Yang ngchen smiled and nodded her head.
“Dad is so good!” Xiao Wanxue joyfully hugged her father, then went back to her room with Zi Jin to pack her belongings.
Sister Ke opened her mouth as if to stop her, but then seed to think better of it and remained silent.
After bidding farewell to Xiao Hongtao, the Yang siblings and Xiao Wanxue, along with her maid, took the carriage back to the Yang family.
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