Ch 28: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

“Jiu Ge’er, are you home?”

It was already the time when most families had finished their dinner. Yu Jiuque was in the room, carefully undoing a quilt cover by the light of a lamp, when he heard someone calling him from outside the courtyard. He quickly put down what he was doing and, along with Da Fu, went out to see who it was.

When he opened the door, he was greeted by the smiling face of Cao A’shuang.

“I know you’re not going to the night market tonight, and Wei Chao has gone off to drink with some friends. I’m not busy at home either, so I thought I’d come over and do some needlework with you.”

Yu Jiuque invited her inside.

“It’s nice of you to think of me. Come in, but watch your step.”

Then he turned to Da Fu, who was poking its head out curiously, and said, “Da Fu, you come in too! Be careful, or you’ll get caught and end up as a pot of stewed goose!”

Qin Xia often used this phrase to scare the mischievous Da Fu, and Yu Jiuque strongly suspected that Da Fu had learned to recognize the word “pot.” As soon as it heard it, the goose quickly pulled its head back.

“You two have raised this goose to be quite the character,” Cao A’shuang said, laughing as she hooked her arm through Yu Jiuque’s.

“Just the other day, I told Wei Chao that I wanted to raise a goose at home too. If we get a female, it would be perfect to pair with Da Fu. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“What did Wei ge say?”

Cao A’shuang replied happily, “He said we’d go to the poultry market in the spring to pick one out. Though, who knows if we’ll find one as smart as Da Fu.”

The two of them continued chatting and laughing as they walked into the house. As they passed the kitchen, Cao A’shuang was drawn by an unmistakable aroma and wrinkled her nose.

“What delicious dish are you making now? I could smell it all the way from my place, even through two walls!”

Yu Jiuque opened the door to the main hall, with Da Fu being the first to cross the threshold. They followed close behind.

“It’s just the duck meat Wei ge brought over yesterday. We left it in the courtyard to freeze overnight, so it’s still fresh. Today, we cleaned and braised it all. I just turned off the heat, and Qin Xia said it would taste even better after soaking in the marinade for a while. When you’re leaving, you can take the portion that Wei ge asked us to braise for him.”

Cao A’shuang swallowed quietly, clearly tempted by the aroma.

“That’s wonderful! Living across from you, it’s like having a feast every day!”

Yu Jiuque smiled warmly, invited her to sit, and then brought out the teapot to pour some tea.

The tea was clear and fragrant, noticeably different from the usual tea.

Cao A’shuang took a sip of the tea after smelling it, her eyes lighting up immediately.

“Jiu Ge’er, what kind of tea is this? It’s sweet and really delicious.”

Yu Jiuque saw her gulp down half a cup and refilled it for her.

“This is sugarcane and imperatae drink, with some added carrots, which gives it that sweet taste. Qin Xia has been busy lately and getting a bit overheated, and I’ve been having a bit of a cough. I asked the doctor, and he said we could brew this to drink. I find it tastes pretty good, and it’s safe to drink at night without worrying about losing sleep.”

Cao A’shuang asked for the recipe, saying she’d also buy the ingredients to make it at home.

“I’m not fond of plain water, and my in-laws love strong tea, which I never touch. But I think this is really nice.”

“If you like it, drink more—it’s good for your health.”

Yu Jiuque smiled and poured himself a cup, taking a few sips before setting it down.

This simple action caught Cao A’shuang’s attention. The young woman rested her chin on her hands, earnestly remarking, “jiu Ge’er, I think you must have come from a remarkable background before.”

Yu Jiuque’s movements paused for a moment, his eyes briefly flashing with panic, quickly masked by a smile.

“Why do you say that all of a sudden?”

Cao A’shuang spoke straightforwardly, “I’ve always thought that your demeanor, the way you carry yourself, is different from us common folk. And your handwriting is so beautiful.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but scoot closer, lowering her voice as she asked Yu Jiuque, “If you ever recover your memory and remember where your home is, will you go back?”

She was just a young woman, raised in the streets and alleys of the county town, pampered at home, and not overburdened after marriage. In truth, she had a pure and naive heart.

She said whatever came to mind, not realizing that she had touched on something sensitive for Yu Jiuque.

Yu Jiuque gently rubbed the tea cup in his hands, silent for a moment, before quickly replying, “Even if I remembered, what would be the point of going back? I can only imagine it wouldn’t be a good place.”

Cao A’shuang thought for a moment and realized he was right.

She grabbed Yu Jiuque’s hand and said, “That puts my mind at ease. We can be neighbors for life!”

After finishing her cup of sugarcane and imperatae drink, Cao A’shuang took out her sewing basket and pulled out a half-finished embroidered handkerchief.

Yu Jiuque continued working on the quilt cover, thinking he should take the time to wash all of them before the new year.

One of the quilts they used as a mattress had its cotton stuffing completely flattened, so it would be best to find someone to re-fluff it.

Recently, Qin Xia hadn’t let him accompany him to the night market, and since he had free time at home, he figured he might as well get all the housework done.

With the new year approaching, it was time to clean the house from top to bottom.

Normally, they were too busy to do so, but now that he had some free time, he noticed there was plenty to do.

As they worked and chatted, it was much more enjoyable than doing things alone.

But when the two married people spend a lot of time together, the conversation inevitably drifts toward their husbands.

“Look how well Qin Xia treats you. And to be honest, you don’t have any in-laws above you, so no one nags you, and there’s no pressure to hurry up and give them a grandchild.”

Yu Jiuque was surprised by her words.

“You’ve only been married for a short time, and Uncle Wei and Auntie are already pressuring you?”

Cao A’shuang sighed, “How could they not pressure me? Even though I’m the youngest in the family, just think, Wei Chao is two years older than Qin Xia, and my in-laws are so anxious, they wish I could give them their first grandchild in the very first year.”

Yu Jiuque set aside a small piece of broken thread, noting that it couldn’t be left around, or Da Fu might accidentally eat it. His tone was gentle as he said, “This is something that depends on fate; rushing it won’t help.”

Cao A’shuang agreed, “That’s what I say too, but I can’t escape my in-laws’ pressure, and even my parents push me when I go back home. Wei Chao and I have decided to go to Wenhua Temple on the first day of the new year to pray. They say that temple is very effective for asking for marriage and children!”

As she said this, she suddenly put down her handkerchief.

“By the way, why don’t we go together? If you and Qin Xia have a child soon, this courtyard will be much livelier, won’t it?”

Hearing this, Yu Jiuque was indeed a bit tempted.

But at the end of the day, it still depended on Qin Xia’s wishes.

The fact that they had not yet consummated their marriage was always a small knot in Yu Jiuque’s heart.

On one hand, he understood that Qin Xia was concerned about the doctor’s advice, but on the other, he wondered if any young man with a spouse by his side could truly remain so composed.

Unfortunately, being a first-time husband, Yu Jiuque didn’t know much about such matters.

After much contemplation, he realized that Cao A’shuang was probably the only person he could ask.

He hesitated for a long while before finally mustering the courage to speak up.

He couldn’t help feeling shy about bringing up such a topic, so he stammered a few words. Hearing this, Cao A’shuang’s eyes widened, and she finally exclaimed, “Seriously?!”

Yu Jiuque jumped in surprise.

“Keep your voice down!”

Cao A’shuang instinctively looked around, only to meet Da Fu’s beady eyes.

She immediately set aside her handkerchief and embroidery thread, even pushing away the quilt cover Yu Jiuque had been working on. “Let me tell you, you need to take this seriously!”

Seeing her treating the situation as if it were a major crisis, Yu Jiuque couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean?”

Cao A’shuang pursed her lips.

“The doctor says your health isn’t great and that you shouldn’t engage in bedroom activities. It’s a good sign that Qin Xia listens; it shows he cares about you. But, speaking as someone who understands men better than you do, these men, even if they don’t say it, they still think about it. And when they do, they’ll naturally want to be closer to you.”

She beckoned Yu Jiuque closer and whispered a few words in his ear before asking, “Have you two… done any of these things?”

Yu Jiuque’s face turned bright red, and he replied with a simple “No.”

If he’d known that Cao A’shuang was so bold, he certainly wouldn’t have had the courage to ask such a question.

At the same time, he realized that the closest they had ever been was when Qin Xia carried him to the doctor when he fainted.

Cao A’shuang’s eyes grew even wider.

“Qin Xia—could he have secretly become a monk?”

Besides a monk, what kind of man could remain so composed with such a beautiful spouse like Yu Jiuque by his side?

Looking at Qin Xia’s energetic demeanor every day, heading out early and returning late, he didn’t seem like someone with a problem…

Yu Jiuque, shaken by her words, began to feel increasingly anxious.

Qin Xia was good to him, but this goodness always felt like it was separated by a thin veil.

Seeing the subtle worry in Yu Jiuque’s expression, Cao A’shuang sighed along with him.

She wanted to say more but felt that it might be too forward.

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