Ch 106: Reborn to Raise My Husband

Qi Beinan saw Xiao Yuanbao smiling and leaned in again to kiss him—not on the lips this time, but along his ear and brow.

It had been so long since Qi Beinan last saw Xiao Yuanbao that the absence had hollowed him out; even in sleep, the emptiness followed him.

Now, holding this warm and pliant person in his arms—soft, fragrant, and real—he could not bring himself to let go.

By his count, this official journey had kept him away no longer than those years spent traveling for examinations. Yet after more than ten years under the same roof, he had never grown weary. Since their marriage, he found each separation harder to endure.

And he admitted it openly: his longing was not merely to see Xiao Yuanbao, but to do more than that.

Qi Beinan was like a loyal hound that had gone too long without its master. Once reunited, he pressed against Xiao Yuanbao again and again, as if to make up for lost time.

Xiao Yuanbao laughed helplessly, twisting as he tried to push away the ticklish head buried at his neck.

But laughter left him weak, and he could not push Qi Beinan off. Instead, Qi Beinan bit him lightly at the throat.

There was a small mole there, and Qi Beinan’s fingers worried it until the skin turned flushed and damp.

Xiao Yuanbao could only plead, his voice half-laughing, half-breathless. “Enough—stop teasing.”

“I’ve been gone so long and you didn’t send me even one letter,” Qi Beinan said, his tone half-serious. “Now that I’m back, shouldn’t you make it up to me?”

Xiao Yuanbao hesitated for a moment, then answered, “All right.”

But at once he added, “Only at night.”

Qi Beinan paused, lifting his head to look at the faintly red face before him, a little astonished. “So quick to agree?”

Xiao Yuanbao had already been shy enough when he said it; seeing Qi Beinan’s expression made him flare up in embarrassment. “Then forget it.”

Qi Beinan immediately caught him by the waist before he could pull away. “Don’t. Night is fine—I’m not particular.”

“But…”

Xiao Yuanbao narrowed his eyes. “What now?”

“Wear that cloth I sent before. Let me see it.”

Xiao Yuanbao’s face turned scarlet. He truly wanted to slap this shameless man, though he suspected Qi Beinan would only seize his hand and kiss it instead.

That thought brought another to mind. “You said the Ministry of Revenue approved stipends for officials’ families to buy gifts. Is that—recorded anywhere?”

Qi Beinan arched a brow and said nothing.

Xiao Yuanbao grew more anxious. “How can you not answer? If someone finds out—”

Seeing his panic, Qi Beinan laughed softly. “They don’t record each purchase one by one. Only the total amount is listed; the rest is left for us to choose.”

He added, “And that one, I bought with my own silver.”

At that, Xiao Yuanbao exhaled in relief—but the relief quickly gave way to indignation. If Qi Beinan had used the official stipend, that would be one thing. But to spend his own money on such an indecent gift was another matter entirely.

The more Xiao Yuanbao thought about it, the tighter his brows drew.

He turned his head, eyeing Qi Beinan suspiciously. “You’re so improper. You were away all that time on official business—did you find someone outside?”

Qi Beinan laughed out loud.

Xiao Yuanbao jabbed him in the waist. “Well? Answer me.”

“How could I dare? By day I was in the examination hall grading papers; after work, I stayed in the official lodgings with the others. There were even censors from the Imperial Secretariat among us. If I’d gone drinking or visiting courtesans, they’d have impeached me for moral misconduct. My career would have ended before it even began.”

Hearing that, Xiao Yuanbao finally relaxed.

“Does Lord Xiao have further questions for investigation?” Qi Beinan asked lightly.

Xiao Yuanbao gave a small huff. “I’ll trust you this once. But if you ever do stray, I won’t forgive you.”

“And what sort of punishment would that be?”

“I’ll stop earning money to feed you.”

Qi Beinan chuckled.

“I’ve been talking with Bai Qiaogui,” Xiao Yuanbao said. “We plan to open a food-therapy shop.”

Because Qi Beinan’s assignments had kept him moving from place to place, their letters had been rare and slow. Only now did he learn that Luo Tingfeng had been transferred to the capital, now serving at the Guozijian.

He had heard before leaving that the Ministry of Personnel planned to recall several provincial officials to make room for newly appointed degree-holders, but when he had last been in the capital, that plan had not yet been carried out.

So now Qi Beinan finally understood why no letters had come—Xiao Yuanbao had been busy, spending his days with old friends who had come to the city, his time filled and easily passed.

“I wasn’t idling,” Xiao Yuanbao said.

He slipped off Qi Beinan’s lap, bent under the table, and drew out a wooden box, setting it before him. “I’ve been working.”

Qi Beinan opened it in surprise. Inside lay a neatly stacked collection of recipe scrolls—formulas for nourishing the blood, strengthening the bones, improving the complexion, organized by purpose, thirty or more in total.

“Well?” Xiao Yuanbao said, smiling faintly. “I haven’t been idle, have I?”

Qi Beinan smiled and placed the scrolls back in the box. “So capable. The pickle shop has only just settled, and already you’re planning a new business.”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “While things are calm and I still have the energy, better to build for the future. Then life will be easier later.”

“Otherwise, how will we raise a child? When we have one, I want our child to have the best of everything.”

Qi Beinan froze at those words, his smile halting for an instant.

They had once… also had a child.

When Qi Beinan first learned that Xiao Yuanbao was with child, he could hardly describe his joy—he had wanted to treasure Xiao Yuanbao like something sacred.

The two of them had dreamed together of welcoming that child safely into the world.

At night, Qi Beinan would read through books by candlelight, searching for a good name, while Xiao Yuanbao sat beside him, sewing tiny garments for their unborn baby in the glow of the flame.

Becoming parents had not weighed them down with responsibility; it had filled them with quiet joy and a sense of purpose.

But that happiness had not lasted long.

When the child was four months along, Xiao Yuanbao’s uncle Xiao Hu went into the mountains to earn money for a longevity lock for his future grandnephew. He never returned.

The news struck Xiao Yuanbao hard. His health had never been strong, and the shock was more than he could bear. The child was lost.

Afterward, grief and guilt consumed him. One misfortune after another broke him down until his health failed entirely—until he came to the edge of his own life.

Even now, after so many years, when Qi Beinan remembered, a fine ache spread through his chest.

Seeing the change in Qi Beinan’s expression, Xiao Yuanbao frowned slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Qi Beinan forced a small smile and shook his head. “Nothing. What you said makes sense. Now that Bai Qiaogui and Luo Tingfeng are in the capital, it’s good that you have Bai Qiaogui for company. She’s skilled in medicine—that puts my mind at ease.”

He added softly, “Everything is different now. This time, we’ll bring our child safely into the world and raise him healthy and strong.”

Xiao Yuanbao felt something odd in Qi Beinan’s tone—distant, uncertain—but the thought of children still stirred warmth in his heart.

He moved closer, sitting beside Qi Beinan. “Then how many children should we have?”

Qi Beinan looked into Xiao Yuanbao’s bright eyes. “As many as you like. Their father can afford them.”

That made Xiao Yuanbao laugh aloud.

Qi Beinan stayed home for a day of rest. But rest, with Xiao Yuanbao, was hardly restful.

They slept little at night, napped long at midday, and the day slipped past in its quiet indulgence.

The next day, Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao cooked a full table of dishes and invited Luo Tingfeng and Bai Qiaogui, along with Jiang Tangyuan and Jiang Tangtuan, to join them for a small gathering.

Early that morning, Xiao Yuanbao sent Wen-ge’er and Hong Tang to the market to buy several catties of fresh live shrimp, and a basket of crabs heavy with roe.

They went early, and the shrimp were enormous—each nearly the size of a palm, two fingers thick and full of meat. Xiao Yuanbao chose the largest ones to braise, and steamed the smaller shrimp and crabs for dipping in vinegar.

The vinegar Bai Qiaogui had brought from Lantian County was wonderfully fragrant. Xiao Yuanbao had grown fond of using it for dipping.

He also marinated a bowl of raw shrimp and crab with yellow wine and spices—perfect for the lingering warmth before mid-autumn.

He roasted a rabbit, stewed deer tendons, fried loaches, and stir-fried spicy field frogs.

There were also seasonal vegetables and melons for balance.

This time, he prepared no medicinal dishes. After two months of experimenting with food-therapy recipes, everyone—his own household, the Jiang family, and the Luo family—had eaten more than enough herbal meals. If he served such food again today, no one would dare come back.

Instead, Xiao Yuanbao opened a jar of rose honey and made delicate pastries shaped like round mooncakes—an early nod to the coming festival.

By afternoon, Bai Qiaogui and Jiang Tangtuan arrived early. Luo Tingfeng and Jiang Tangyuan came later, after leaving the yamen and changing from official robes.

“Shall we have some wine?”

Qi Beinan came out of the kitchen carrying two jars of lamb wine and called to the men in the garden.

Jiang Tangyuan was tending the golden osmanthus tree, which was in full bloom. “Looks like good wine from a Jiangnan brewery,” he said, smiling. “A fine treat—but I’ll say it first, I’ll only take two cups.”

Qi Beinan laughed. “I know your tolerance. Why only two?”

Jiang Tangyuan sniffed the air and replied, “The Hanlin Academy’s assessment is done. I’ve turned in my leave request to the Ministry of Personnel. In two days, I’ll be heading back to Jinling.”

Luo Tingfeng, setting down an old text borrowed from Qi Beinan’s study, looked up. “Why the sudden trip back to Jinling?”

Jiang Tangyuan hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “For a wedding.”

Xiao Yuanbao came out carrying a plate of freshly baked rose pastries and caught those words mid-step. “So soon? You’re already going back to Jinling?”

He remembered Jiang Tangtuan mentioning it before—Jiang Tangyuan’s marriage had been arranged when he passed the provincial exam, the two families long in good standing. The wedding date was now set.

The bride’s family was also of official rank, a proper match in every way.

The Jiang elders lived in Jinling, and since the capital wasn’t far, it was natural to hold the wedding there.

Jiang Tangyuan said, “My parents are taking care of everything, but since I’m the groom, I should still return a few days early.”

With the Hanlin assessment completed and his affairs settled, his spirits were high; he could finally make the trip home with an easy heart.

“In that case, congratulations, Brother Jiang,” Luo Tingfeng said. “Two great fortunes in one year—success in the examinations and a wedding to follow.”

Everyone was glad to hear such good news for Jiang Tangyuan.

It was a pity they couldn’t travel to Jinling to attend his wedding feast, but Jiang Tangyuan promised that after the ceremony, once he returned to the capital, he would host another banquet so they could all celebrate together.

He had said he would only drink two cups, but once talk turned to happy matters, spirits rose, and before long the two jars of wine were gone.

The table of dishes was mostly cleared. Luo Tingfeng, who could not hold much liquor, fell asleep in the carriage before even reaching home, while Jiang Tangyuan, though better off, still had a flushed face.

“Be careful on the way,” Qi Beinan said.

“Don’t worry, the driver’s steady. You two go back in,” Jiang Tangyuan replied.

Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao saw both families to the gate, giving parting words of caution. They watched until the carriage turned out of the alley before walking back home under the moonlight.

“Lord Jiang’s marriage gladdens me,” Qi Beinan said. “But with his return to Jinling, Tangtuan will be going with him—and once he’s gone, he won’t be coming back to the capital.”

Qi Beinan had drunk quite a bit. Though he wasn’t truly drunk, the smell of wine clung thickly to him.

Xiao Yuanbao called for the servants to bring in buckets of hot water and urged him to bathe, so he wouldn’t carry the scent to court the next morning.

As Xiao Yuanbao helped Qi Beinan wash with fragrant soap, his heart felt a faint ache.

“How come Tangtuan won’t come back?” Qi Beinan asked.

“The match here in the capital didn’t work out,” Xiao Yuanbao said. “So the Jiang family plans to arrange another for him.”

“After what happened with the Qiao family, Tangtuan said his elders are now determined to find him a spouse they can keep firmly under control. They won’t risk marrying him into a household too powerful to manage.”

Qi Beinan understood well the caution behind the Jiang family’s decision—it had been much the same in earlier years.

Once, they had sought a match with a family of high rank, but that alliance had turned sour and left them mired in trouble.

After that, they changed course and found a humbler match for Tangtuan—a scholar from a farming household.

But Tangtuan’s fate had been bitter; the scholar, seemingly honest and mild, had only sought the marriage to climb into the Jiang family’s favor.

“This time,” Xiao Yuanbao said, “once Tangtuan returns home, his family will pick a proper husband for him. Most likely one of the official sons or scholars Lord Jiang knows in Jinling. Who knows when he’ll ever come back to the capital again.”

He sighed. How could he not feel melancholy? Tangtuan had been his first friend in the capital. Aside from old acquaintances, Tangtuan was the only one he had grown close to here.

Now that Bai Qiaogui had finally come to the city, Tangtuan was leaving.

Qi Beinan saw how it saddened him, this constant meeting and parting, and gently patted Xiao Yuanbao’s hand. “Once Tangtuan marries, if his husband also takes up an official post, they might well be transferred here someday.”

Xiao Yuanbao nodded. “That’s what I’ll hope for.”

Qi Beinan leaned back in the bath, exhaling a slow breath.

Tangtuan was a kind-hearted young ge’er; he should never again be entangled with someone faithless.

Qi Beinan had quietly asked about Tangtuan’s marriage through Jiang Tangyuan and had already told him to be cautious—to make sure the chosen match was sincere, so Tangtuan wouldn’t repeat the same painful path.

“Ah,” Qi Beinan said suddenly. “That reminds me of something.”

Xiao Yuanbao blinked. “What is it?”

“Guangzong passed the provincial exam and has been appointed assistant magistrate of Feng County, under Jinling Prefecture.”

Qi Beinan turned toward Xiao Yuanbao. “He knows Tangyuan. Since we can’t go to the wedding, Feng County isn’t far from Jinling—he can at least go in our place and drink a cup for us.”

Xiao Yuanbao brightened. “Then Third Brother Zhao has all the luck!”

Qi Beinan smiled. “I’ll write to him later tonight. He must have settled in Feng County by now.”

The next day, Qi Beinan went to the yamen, while Xiao Yuanbao went to the storeroom to prepare gifts.

He planned two—one for Jiang Tangyuan’s wedding, the other to send with Qi Beinan’s letter to Zhao Guangzong, to congratulate him on his success and appointment.

On the day before the Jiang brothers were to depart, Xiao Yuanbao brought the gifts over himself and stopped by to say farewell to Jiang Tangtuan.

“Your health isn’t the best,” Xiao Yuanbao told him. “So even though you shouldn’t go out and catch cold, you also shouldn’t stay shut indoors all the time. Go out for walks when the weather’s good.”

He smiled gently. “Still, you’ve lived in Jinling for years. Your closest friends are there. It won’t be like here in the capital, where you kept yourself cooped up at home.”

Jiang Tangtuan looked at the chest of things Xiao Yuanbao had brought—boxes of tonic herbs, foods he liked, and small comforts—and felt deeply moved by his care and his long list of reminders.

“You’ve brought more things than for my brother’s wedding gift!” he said.

“They’re not all from me,” Xiao Yuanbao said with a small laugh. “Some are from Gui-jie. She wanted to come herself, but one of Lord Luo’s relatives fell ill, and she had to go treat them, so she couldn’t make it.”

“A patient is more important. I’m only going home to Jinling—it’s nothing serious.”

Seeing him take it lightly, Xiao Yuanbao nodded. “Here are some food-therapy recipes too. Have your cook follow them to make you nourishing soups. Gui-jie took your pulse and chose these herself—they suit your constitution best.”

Jiang Tangtuan grasped Xiao Yuanbao’s hands. “Now you’ve gone and made me reluctant to leave. I was never fond of staying in the capital, but now that I’m really about to go, it feels hard.”

Xiao Yuanbao smiled. “We’ll write often. Jinling and the capital aren’t that far apart, after all.”

“When you go back,” Xiao Yuanbao said, “give my greetings to my brother at home.”

He added, “Third Brother Zhao has taken his post in Feng County. Beinan wrote to him, asking him to attend Lord Jiang’s wedding feast. If you see him there, tell him all is well with us here in the capital.”

Jiang Tangtuan looked surprised. “You mean Zhao-langjun has arrived in Jinling?”

“Mm.” Xiao Yuanbao smiled. “You really have a golden tongue—said he would pass, and he truly did.”

Jiang Tangtuan laughed. “That sounds as if I should take credit for it. I wouldn’t dare.”

The two talked for quite some time, and when Xiao Yuanbao finally left, he carried with him two small boxes—gifts from Jiang Tangtuan, one for himself and one for Gui-jie.

Time moved gently on. In the blink of an eye, it was already October.

After more than three months of refining recipes, Xiao Yuanbao and Bai Qiaogui had gathered dozens of food-therapy formulas.

Feeling the time was ripe, they contacted a property agent to look for a shop to lease and began hiring people—step by step preparing to open their food-therapy business.

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