Ch 70: Reborn to Raise My Husband

“Ever since I came to the county, I haven’t had the time to visit you two,” said Fang Youliang. “During autumn harvest, I was so busy I could barely keep upright. Every day after returning home, I’d fall straight into bed. Working county duties isn’t any easier than farming back home.”

“Now that it’s winter and the weather’s turned cold, things at the yamen have finally eased up a little. Seeing that it’s still early, I thought I’d stop by on my way.”

Fang Youliang brought along a small jug of autumn wine and some tofu.

Qi Beinan called for him to come sit in the hall. Seeing Fang Youliang still wearing his yamen uniform, he smiled and said, “I believe you now—you truly do think of us. You came straight here after work.”

“Little Bao told me he saw you in town wearing this uniform, saying you looked impressive. Seeing you now, you really do look impressive!”

“Ah, don’t make fun of me,” Fang Youliang laughed, shaking his head. “Putting on this outfit is no different than yoking a donkey or ox to a cart—it just means more work. Where’s the dignity in that?”

“During the day, it’s one thing after another. An old man storms in yelling, ‘Officer, someone took my stall!’ Then a little child comes crying, ‘Officer, I can’t find my father!’ At first, I thought this job was something grand, but after doing it long enough, my ears buzz all day long.”

“I’d rather be rotated back to guard the jailhouse—watching over prisoners is far quieter than managing street patrols.”

Qi Beinan listened as Fang Youliang went on and on about his duties, his mouth barely stopping. He was completely immersed in the affairs of his post.

Still, though his words sounded full of complaint, Qi Beinan could see that he was bright-eyed and spirited—he clearly enjoyed it.

Seeing him like this, Qi Beinan felt happy for him.

“Brother Fang, why did you bring so much tofu? Did your family secretly open a tofu shop behind our backs?”

Xiao Yuanbao opened the package Fang Youliang had brought, saying it was supposed to be just two blocks, but inside were not only two smooth white tofu blocks, there was at least half a jin of mold tofu and a stack of dried tofu.

Fang Youliang leaned in. “Ah, that Old Master Tang again! He must’ve slipped in extra without me noticing.”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “So Brother Fang didn’t even know how much tofu you bought?”

“I told Old Master Tang I wanted two blocks of tofu, thinking to fry them and eat with wine. I must not have been paying attention—he packed more without saying a word.”

Xiao Yuanbao immediately sensed something interesting.

“Brother Fang said Old Master Tang sold the tofu—was it from that shop called Sweetwater Tofu House?”

“You’ve bought from them too, Bao Ge’er?”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “Of course. Their tofu is the best value in town. Same quality, same price, but at Sweetwater Tofu House you get half a block more.”

“Our Liu Mama loves buying from them, and I’ve gone along twice. Old Master Tang is always warm and polite, sometimes adds a little extra—but I’ve never seen him give away this much.”

As he spoke, a smile tugged at Xiao Yuanbao’s lips and his eyes narrowed playfully.

Turning to Qi Beinan, he said, “That tofu shop—Old Master Tang and his husband have only one daughter. She’s very pretty, around twenty or so, and helps run the shop. She’s not betrothed yet~”

Qi Beinan was quick to play along, responding meaningfully, “Ah, I see. Little Bao, next time you go buy tofu, you should go with Brother Fang.”

“Oh, you two, you two!” Fang Youliang protested. “One’s a refined scholar, the other an unmarried ger—and you gossip like village women!”

He scratched his head helplessly. “It’s not like that at all. Old Master Tang runs an honest business. Some ruffians tried to take advantage of his daughter, and I happened to pass by and chased them off. Ever since then, Old Master Tang keeps thanking me and insists on giving me tofu whenever we meet.”

Xiao Yuanbao’s eyes lit up. “Ah~ so that’s what it is! Brother, what’s that phrase again?”

Qi Beinan answered, “Hero saves the beauty.”

“Yes, yes! That’s the one! Couldn’t be more fitting~”

Fang Youliang’s face turned red from their teasing.

Seeing this, Xiao Yuanbao grabbed the tofu and said, “Brother Fang, I’ll fry this mold tofu with shrimp oil I rendered earlier—it’ll smell amazing. That way your gift won’t go to waste.”

Before Fang Youliang could respond, Xiao Yuanbao had already slipped away.

“You’re not going to stop him?” Fang Youliang complained, dropping into his seat again, exasperated. He turned to Qi Beinan, who was idly snacking on nuts, to lodge his grievance.

Qi Beinan chuckled. “He’s not wrong though. Why should I stop him? If I did, we’d have no fried tofu to eat later.”

Fang Youliang shut his mouth obediently.

“Still,” Qi Beinan said, “Brother Fang, you’re really not young anymore. I’m nearly the age you were when we first met, and look at you—still single.”

“It’s been so many years already. You should think about settling down.”

Qi Beinan took the chance to play matchmaker. “I know you don’t like hearing this, but I have to say it. A person can’t keep clinging to the past. Life’s getting better now—you should give yourself a chance to start anew.”

Whenever Fang Youliang’s family saw Qi Beinan, they would always ask him to persuade Fang Youliang to remarry.

In earlier years, Qi Beinan would still defend him, saying some things take time. But now that Fang Youliang was over thirty, he felt it was time to speak up.

“I understand what you mean. My family worries for me, but they don’t dare mention marriage. They think I’ve been held back because of them,” said Fang Youliang.

“But truthfully, I’ve never felt my family was a burden. All these years, we’ve supported one another. My parents are kind, and my younger brother and sister are sensible and well-behaved. I’ve worked hard for the family willingly.”

“You’re saying this for my own good. If I meet a good match someday, I’ll certainly give the matter proper thought.”

Qi Beinan saw that he was listening earnestly and nodded.

“Let’s put my affairs aside for now—there’s actually a piece of good news I came to share today.”

“Second Sister’s marriage with that fellow from the Rouge Shop, Feng Xiaozi, has been settled. The wedding’s set for the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month.”

Qi Beinan was delighted at the news. “I was wondering why we hadn’t seen Second Sister in a while—turns out she’s been preparing for her wedding.”

“The date was only just chosen. She’s shy, so she didn’t go around talking about it herself. She actually planned to come tell you both in person, but since I’m here today and can’t hold my tongue, I’ll just tell you ahead of time.”

“A happy thing should be shared early,” said Qi Beinan. “We’re all glad for her.”

“Will the wedding banquet be held back in the village?”

“Yeah, it’ll be held at home in the countryside.”

Xiao Yuanbao came over carrying a plate of fried fragrant tofu just as he heard the news of Second Sister’s betrothal.

He rushed up. “Should I go back and prepare the ximian’er banquet?”

“That was the plan,” said Fang Youliang, “but Second Sister said she’d rather you stay with her in her room that day—keep her company while she dresses. It’ll be her last day as an unmarried girl, and she wants to see you.”

“That’s right,” said Qi Beinan. “After she’s married, it won’t be as easy to spend time together like before. Better to keep her company on her wedding day than to be stuck in the kitchen.”

Xiao Yuanbao was overjoyed, already planning aloud. “The day’s not far off—I must prepare a wedding gift for Second Sister soon.”

Fang Youliang said, “Then, Bao Ge’er, help me think too. As her elder brother, I really don’t know what would make a good gift.”

“That’s something you’ll have to decide yourself,” said Xiao Yuanbao with a grin. “If I give you my idea, what am I supposed to do then?”

The three talked cheerfully about Second Sister’s marriage and her future husband’s family.

Over fried tofu, Qi Beinan and Fang Youliang drank quite a bit of wine.

By the time Fang Youliang left the house, the sun had already tilted westward.

The early winter air was cold; when the sun sank, the wind turned even chillier.

He pulled his coat tighter around himself. Inside, the brazier’s heat had kept him warm, but once he stepped outside, he immediately realized how comfortable that warmth had been.

A gust of wind blew past, sobering him up a little.

He strode out of the alley and onto the main street, ready to head home.

The street was nearly empty. The peddlers’ stalls had mostly closed, and only a few shopkeepers still sat behind their counters, clicking abacuses as they prepared to close up.

“Good heavens! Watch how you drive that cart—you nearly broke this old man’s bones!”

“Trying to take my life, are you~”

Following the noise, Fang Youliang saw a white-haired old man sitting on the ground, holding his back and wailing.

Behind him stood a donkey cart. A well-dressed man had hurriedly jumped down and ran over.

“Old sir, are you hurt?”

The man tried to help the old fellow up, but the old man refused, crying even louder. “You drove too fast and knocked me down! You’ll have to pay me for my injuries!”

“Old sir, our donkey is gentle. We know it’s a busy street—we were moving slowly. There’s no way we hit you.”

The old man widened his eyes. “If you didn’t hit me, why would I be lying here? Heartless man, you ran down an old fellow and won’t even admit it! Or are you thinking I’d risk my life just to extort money from you?”

The man heard how strong the old man’s voice was—it didn’t sound like someone who’d been injured at all.

Still, the old man lay right in the middle of the road, refusing to move, clearly intent on making trouble. The man could do nothing.

From the cart, a young woman holding a baby started to climb down, but the man quickly called her back, afraid the child would catch cold.

“Fine, just say how much silver you want before you’ll let us go.”

“Ten taels. Pay me, and I’ll go see a doctor—won’t delay you any longer.”

At that, the man grew angry. “Old sir, have a bit of conscience. I was willing to offer some silver out of respect for your age, but ten taels? That’s pure greed.”

“You hit a man and dare call me greedy? Is there no justice left!”

The old man began wailing again, rolling on the ground. “Oh, everyone come see! There’s been an accident! This heartless man ran me down and wants to flee~”

The man was at a loss for what to do when Fang Youliang strode forward. “Old Qin, it’s the end of the year and your bad habits are acting up again, are they?”

“If your hide’s itching, I can take you to the county yamen for a few strokes of the board.”

The old man stopped instantly. Catching sight of the sturdy Fang Youliang, he cursed his luck.

What misfortune—to run into a yamen officer at this hour.

Not daring to provoke him, the old man quickly scrambled up. “Not itching, not itching! I was just joking with this gentleman!”

With that, he scurried off down the street.

The man, seeing the situation resolved, let out a long breath. “Many thanks, Officer. If I’d met such a rascal today without you, I truly wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Fang Youliang was about to say it was no trouble at all when a cautious voice came from the cart. “Is… is that Brother Fang?”

Hearing the voice, Fang Youliang looked over — and froze in place.

A young woman stepped down from the cart joyfully, holding a child in her arms. “Brother Fang, it really is you!”

“Liu Jie’er.”

Fang Youliang looked at the familiar face and, after a moment of daze, finally smiled.

Liu’er had shed the girlish shyness of years past and now carried the fuller grace of a married woman.

Her complexion was rosy, her features soft — clearly, she was living well.

“Husband, this is a fellow townsman of mine,” Liu’er said happily, introducing Fang Youliang to the man beside her.

The man quickly bowed again in gratitude.

“I told you, there’s no need to be so polite — we’re from the same hometown,” said Fang Youliang. “It’s been years since I last saw you, Liu Jie’er. Are you back visiting family?”

“Yes,” Liu’er replied, smiling. “We came with my husband’s family this time and brought the child along to let my parents see him. They haven’t met their grandson yet.”

Fang Youliang leaned forward to look. The child was still small — about two years old — already asleep in Liu’er’s arms.

A fair, plump little boy, utterly adorable.

“He fell asleep from the long journey. Otherwise, I’d have him call you Uncle.”

The man tucked the baby’s blanket and adjusted Liu’er’s cloak for her.

Fang Youliang nodded again and again. “That’s good, that’s very good.”

“Brother Fang, when did you become an officer? You look so impressive now. If your voice hadn’t stayed the same, I might not have recognized you.”

Fang Youliang laughed. “It’s only been this year — a matter of opportunity, really.”

He wanted to say more, but after opening his mouth, decided against it.
“If, when I return to the village, you’re still here, I’ll tell you the whole story then.”

A gust of cold wind blew by. “It’s getting dark — and colder still. You and your husband have the child with you; better head back early so your family won’t worry.”

“Yes, we will. Brother Fang, when you’re back in the village, come by our home for tea.”

The man helped Liu’er back onto the cart and climbed up front to drive.

“Brother Fang, thank you again for today,” he said.

Fang Youliang nodded, waving to Liu’er and her husband as they peeked out from the cart window.

The wind rustled through the trees lining the street. The donkey cart disappeared from sight, but Fang Youliang remained standing in the cold wind for a long time, lost in thought.

At the corner, the shop selling sheep hooves hung up its lantern first — its glow flickering against the dimming sky.

Suddenly, Fang Youliang smiled. Facing the wind, he strode home with an ease he hadn’t felt in years.

It was as if a heavy stone that had pressed on his heart for so long had finally been lifted.

The feeling was almost unfamiliar — but soon, he found it comforting, light.

---

In the twelfth lunar month, Xiao Yuanbao visited Madam Feng’s residence several times.

With his solid foundation in cooking and quick mind, he learned new dishes fast.

After a few lessons, he had already mastered how to prepare mutton, pigeon, quail, venison, and mandarin duck.

From each type of meat, he could now make at least three different dishes.

Madam Feng told him that once he was skilled with these, she would next teach him how to handle aquatic delicacies — when the markets had more stock again.

Crab, softshell turtle, shrimp, clams, shark, and more — she listed so many varieties that Xiao Yuanbao could barely keep up.

These were dishes he had rarely, if ever, encountered before.

Each time he returned from Madam Feng’s home, he came back full of new knowledge.

At first, Madam Feng had only meant to repay a favor by casually teaching him a few things.

But over time, she truly began to enjoy his company.

Xiao Yuanbao studied earnestly. A dish she taught once, he would bring back improved the next time — proof that he practiced carefully at home.

For a teacher, nothing was more gratifying than a bright, diligent apprentice.

Beyond that, Xiao Yuanbao was thoughtful — if Madam Feng coughed, he’d bring pear soup; if her shoulders or back ached, he’d prepare ointment or medicinal wine.

Knowing she missed the street-style dishes of her youth, he would invent ways to cook them for her again.

People’s hearts are flesh, after all. Even a fifty-year-old widowed woman like her, long accustomed to the coldness of human nature, couldn’t help but feel warmth from such care.

Gradually, what began as Xiao Yuanbao visiting every seven or eight days turned into Madam Feng herself calling him over every three or five days, always with the excuse of cooking.

Xiao Yuanbao was happy to oblige.

After each lesson, Madam Feng would bring out fine pastries and sweets for him, chatting about stories from the palace and the capital, often keeping him for dinner before letting him go.

“Madam Feng treats you far too well,” Qi Beinan said one evening. “You used to be home before noon; now you come back at dusk — lately it’s nearly dark when you return. If this continues, she’ll have to set up a room for you to stay there overnight.”

Xiao Yuanbao stepped down from Madam Feng’s small sedan chair to find Qi Beinan already waiting at the gatehouse.

He ran over, the two large lanterns by the gate shining so bright they almost hurt the eyes. Qi Beinan stood tall and straight, but his expression was distinctly sour.

Xiao Yuanbao knew at once he was displeased. He reached out and touched Qi Beinan’s hand. “Brother, your hands are so warm. I froze all the way back — feels so cold outside. I think it’s going to snow!”

Hearing that, Qi Beinan wrapped his broad palms around Xiao Yuanbao’s hands, rubbing them gently to warm him up.

“Who told you to come home only after dark?”

“I’ve learned so much from Madam Feng. Her knowledge is incredible — she knows every kind of dish, every fabric, every kind of jewelry. She wanted to keep me a bit longer, and I enjoy listening to her stories.”

Qi Beinan pinched his cheek lightly — cold as ice, his nose red from the chill.

He thought, you two might enjoy yourselves, but do you ever think about anyone else?

“Madam Feng likes teaching you because you’re pleasant company. If you enjoy learning, then keep learning.”

He took Xiao Yuanbao’s hand and led him inside. “You’d better soak your hands and feet — your hands are freezing, and I can only imagine your feet.”

In early La Yue, snow fell in the city — and with it came the trade caravans that had departed in autumn.

The Ming family’s and Du family’s caravans both returned before the New Year, one after the other!

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