Ch 125 (Extra 7): Reborn to Raise My Husband

Xiao Yuanbao lowered his head slightly, not daring to look at the man in the carriage. After hesitating a moment, he spoke softly:

“You must be the Tongzhi-daren who sent a letter to my father some days ago.”

Qi Beinan’s brows lifted faintly. Only then did he study the person standing in the field more carefully.

The ge’er before him was slender—so thin he seemed almost like a sheet of paper. In the chill of late autumn edging into winter, he wore very little. The hems of his trousers were damp halfway up from the wet grass.

His head was lowered, so his full face could not be seen, but his brows and eyes looked gentle.

Qi Beinan quickly asked, “Are you Uncle Xiao’s only ge’er—Yuanbao?”

Hearing Qi Beinan call his name so naturally and intimately, Xiao Yuanbao felt a flicker of surprise. The tips of his ears reddened.

For days now, the household had spoken of this official constantly. Even the Lizheng, who rarely visited before, had been coming two or three times a day to sit and talk.

The Lizheng had a son studying for the examinations and knew every detail of the civil service path. He had explained again and again how difficult it was to succeed—beginning as a tongsheng, passing three rounds to become a xiucai, then traveling to the prefectural city for the provincial exam to earn the title of juren.

Even that was already remarkable. Beyond that lay the metropolitan exam in the capital, and then the palace examination before the Son of Heaven.

The great figure coming to their house had passed through all those layers of selection—a rare talent under heaven.

Even though Xiao Yuanbao had not been particularly invested in the idea of such a “talent” coming to their home, after hearing the Lizheng’s repeated explanations, he could not help feeling some curiosity.

He had imagined that someone of such rank—greater even than the county magistrate—would be imposing, stern, perhaps aloof.

Yet now that he saw him, the man was unexpectedly gentle.

He nodded lightly. “Yes.”

Qi Beinan let out an audible laugh of delight. He had not expected to run into him on the road like this.

They had corresponded for years. He had never ceased thinking of him. Now that he had finally seen him, how could he not be happy?

Still, he sensed that his betrothed ge’er seemed shy. His voice was soft and hesitant, and he would not look at him.

But that was all right. Once they grew familiar, it would surely change.

Qi Beinan quickly jumped down from the carriage. “We met before, you know. I was young then, and you were still being carried in your parents’ arms. You likely have no memory of me, but I still remember how chubby you were as a child.”

“Now that you’ve grown up, how did you become so thin?”

As he said it, Qi Beinan felt a twinge of concern.

If Qi Beinan had not mentioned it, Xiao Yuanbao truly would not have known they had met before.

Hearing that he remembered him from childhood—and that he thought him too thin now—the concern in his voice stirred something in Xiao Yuanbao’s chest that he could not quite name.

Seeing him silent, Qi Beinan worried he had said something that hurt him. He changed the subject.

“It’s cold outside. Come up into the carriage and return with me to see Uncle Xiao.”

Xiao Yuanbao glanced at the carriage, then at his own mud-caked shoes, and shook his head gently.

“I’ll finish cutting the grass and then return. If you follow this road straight to the end, you’ll see our house.”

Qi Beinan said at once, “Then I’ll help you finish cutting it, and we’ll go back together.”

With that, he reached into the carriage and took out an umbrella.

Panic fluttered in Xiao Yuanbao’s chest. Even if he were not an official, he was still a guest from afar. How could one ask a guest to help with farm work?

He quickly refused, “No need!”

The words came out too sharp, too loud, almost as if he were angry.

Only afterward did he realize, and a flicker of regret passed through him.

Qi Beinan paused—and then laughed instead. He found Xiao Yuanbao rather endearing, like a startled rabbit.

“All right, I won’t cut the grass. Then come back with me?”

Xiao Yuanbao felt that the man’s temperament was almost too good. If he continued to refuse awkwardly, it would only be worse. So he nodded lightly. “I’ll walk behind the carriage.”

Qi Beinan likely guessed his thoughts and agreed readily. “Good.”

In the end, the basket of grass was placed inside the carriage, and Qi Beinan opened a large oil-paper umbrella, walking back beside Xiao Yuanbao.

Xiao Yuanbao glanced back at the carriage and pressed his lips together. This was truly absurd.

Fortunately, the coachman did not comment and pretended to see nothing.

“Hold the umbrella.”

The man beside him suddenly spoke. Xiao Yuanbao startled and hurried to take it with both hands.

“The village is full of trees. It feels colder than the city. You’re dressed so lightly—aren’t you afraid of the chill?”

Qi Beinan looked at the gray cotton jacket Xiao Yuanbao wore. Its dull color and thinness made him feel cold just looking at it. As he spoke, he removed his own cloak and draped it over Xiao Yuanbao’s shoulders.

“So thin, and wearing even less than I am.”

Xiao Yuanbao tried to protest, but the broad cloak enveloped him entirely. Warmth wrapped around him at once.

It felt like the gentle heat of a stove against his skin.

“H-how can I use Daren’s cloak… I’m not cold.”

No man had ever treated him with such warmth before. He felt both embarrassed and flustered, and hurried to remove it.

But Qi Beinan stopped him and instead tied the cloak securely.

“If both my parents were still alive, and your mother as well—given the closeness they once shared, our two families would surely have remained close. If we had seen each other often, we would not be so unfamiliar now.”

“In truth, it is my fault. These years I have been running about in pursuit of study, far from home, unable to come visit.”

He adjusted the cloak around Xiao Yuanbao’s shoulders.

“I did not come to see you. It is only natural that you feel distant from me.”

Hearing him speak so, something in Xiao Yuanbao’s chest thudded.

He did not know whether all officials were this eloquent—this warm and easy in manner.

No matter what, his timid and cautious nature truly responded to such patient, gentle treatment.

“N-no.”

Xiao Yuanbao lowered his voice in explanation. “It’s only that I was cutting grass. My clothes are muddy. I was afraid of dirtying your cloak.”

“If clothes get dirty, they can be washed.”

Seeing that Xiao Yuanbao was finally willing to speak a little more to him, Qi Beinan felt a quiet delight in his heart. “No garment, however fine, is more important than the person wearing it, is it?”

The autumn rain fell steadily, growing heavier. Neither of them walked quickly.

Along that stretch of village road, Qi Beinan spoke with Xiao Yuanbao at length.

By the time they reached the house, word of their arrival had already preceded them.

Xiao Hu, Madam Qin, and Wang Chao had been waiting for quite some time.

When they saw the two walking back side by side, Madam Qin visibly froze.

First, she had not expected that Qi Beinan would not only be accomplished in talent but striking in appearance as well.

Second, this great official was holding an umbrella for Xiao Yuanbao, that rustic ge’er. Not only that—he had clearly given his own cloak for Xiao Yuanbao to wear.

“Bao ge’er, this is really improper of you. How could you let—”

It was the first time Madam Qin had openly rebuked Xiao Yuanbao in front of Xiao Hu.

Before Xiao Yuanbao could speak, Qi Beinan interjected.

“Auntie, please do not blame him. It has been many years since I came to the village. I happened to meet Yuanbao on the road and asked him to guide me home. We simply walked together and took a look at the village along the way.”

Madam Qin immediately changed her tone, smiling. “Ah, so that’s how it is. It is only right that Daren stroll and see the place after so long away.”

Xiao Hu looked at Qi Beinan’s tall, upright figure. The child he once knew had grown into such a man—it felt unreal.

“Come inside. Don’t stand out in the rain.”

“Yes, yes, it’s warmer inside. The road from the prefectural city must have been difficult in such weather.”

The two elders warmly ushered Qi Beinan indoors.

Wang Chao followed behind, staring at the visitor with unblinking eyes.

It was one thing never to have seen such a figure before. To suddenly behold someone so handsome—and a high official besides—made every man in the village and even the county seem utterly insignificant.

Half his soul seemed to drift away.

But then he caught sight of Xiao Yuanbao under the eaves, untying the great cloak.

His wandering admiration instantly curdled into jealousy.

If only he had been the one cutting grass and meeting Qi Beinan on the road.

He stepped forward sharply. “Thick-skinned. He’s only just arrived and you’ve already taken his cloak to wear. Do you even know how expensive that fabric is? What if you’d dirtied it? Could you afford to compensate him?”

Xiao Yuanbao did not argue. He simply checked the cloak carefully, then hung it neatly on a rack.

Seeing that he could not provoke a reaction, Wang Chao felt as though he had thrown a punch into cotton. “Are you deaf?”

When Xiao Yuanbao still did not respond, he stormed inside, replacing his expression with a bright smile as he went to ingratiate himself with Qi Beinan.

Qi Beinan spoke modestly, without the slightest air of official arrogance.

Whatever he was asked, he answered politely.

Xiao Hu did not speak much, but his smile was evident. He was pleased.

Madam Qin, meanwhile, seeing how agreeable Qi Beinan was, spoke at length, presenting herself as the true mistress of the household.

Xiao Yuanbao had intended to go inside and see if he could help, but Wang Chao—usually so lazy—was unusually attentive, pouring tea and offering water, taking up every task.

Xiao Yuanbao neither knew what to do nor wished to compete for attention. So he sat quietly to one side.

Yet somehow, while speaking with the elders, Qi Beinan’s gaze would fall on him again and again, as if unintentionally.

After exchanging pleasantries, Madam Qin’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

“I wonder whether Qi-lang has married? We’ve had no news of you these years. Uncle and Aunt have felt truly ashamed.”

At that, Qi Beinan’s brows shifted slightly. He glanced toward Xiao Hu.

He did not know whether Xiao Hu had never told Madam Qin about the engagement—or whether this was a deliberate test.

He smiled and replied plainly, “Auntie jests. I have been studying all these years. How could I have married?”

“Now that things are settled, I do indeed intend to start a family.”

As he lifted his teacup, he stole a discreet glance at Xiao Yuanbao sitting quietly nearby.

Madam Qin, unaware of the subtext, was overjoyed. She discreetly pinched Wang Chao’s hand.

Wang Chao was equally elated. He had assumed that with such prospects, Qi Beinan must already be married. Upon seeing his appearance and talent, he had even thought that being taken as a secondary wife would be worth it.

To hear that he was still unmarried—this was unexpected joy.

He squeezed Madam Qin’s hand in excitement.

Within the room, each heart harbored different thoughts.

Xiao Hu understood Qi Beinan’s meaning. Earlier, he had noticed how close he seemed with Xiao Bao and had begun to hope the engagement might still stand.

Now, hearing him speak so clearly, it seemed likely he still acknowledged it.

It was rare indeed—that after passing the examinations and becoming an official, he had not forgotten a childhood betrothal.

“You have established your career. It is time to discuss marriage properly. Since you’ve come all this way, stay a few more days.”

Hearing this from Xiao Hu, Qi Beinan felt reassured.

He looked at Xiao Yuanbao again, unable to hide his happiness.

Xiao Yuanbao was sensitive and perceptive.

He sensed Qi Beinan’s mood and, seeing him pleased, felt pleased for him.

He simply did not understand why Qi Beinan kept looking at him.

It was true—Qi Beinan was easy to get along with and polite to everyone in the household.

But Xiao Yuanbao could not shake the feeling that he treated him differently.

With others, it was courteous distance.

With him… it felt closer.

Ashamed of such a thought, Xiao Yuanbao lowered his head and stared at his own toes.

With his own appearance and circumstances, what right did he have to receive special favor from Qi Beinan?

Seeing him deliberately avoid his gaze, Qi Beinan felt a faint disappointment.

This was, after all, their first meeting as betrothed.

Yet he could not help feeling that Xiao Yuanbao’s attitude toward him was lukewarm—as though he were not entirely satisfied with him.

Qi Beinan could not help but grow uneasy.

Over the years, he and the Xiao family had not corresponded often. When he wrote, he always inquired after Xiao Yuanbao’s well-being—but he had never once received a reply from him.

He feared that perhaps… Xiao Yuanbao already had someone in his heart.

Madam Qin, however, did not yet understand the unspoken exchange between Xiao Hu and Qi Beinan. She was entirely immersed in the joy of hearing that he was unmarried.

In her mind she was already imagining the glory of having such a distinguished son-in-law. She eagerly urged Qi Beinan to eat more.

“Your nephew is truly good. Such a high official, yet not the slightest official airs! I was worried I might embarrass myself, but once I saw him, he was as easy to talk to as anyone from our village. No wonder he could pass the examinations—his bearing in dealing with people is simply different.”

After the midday meal, Qi Beinan returned to his room to rest. Madam Qin glanced at the closed door and began praising him to Xiao Hu in a lowered voice.

“He’s so courteous. And he brought so many gifts.”

Food, cloth, all sorts of items. Some of the fabrics were so fine she had never seen their like.

Only one thing made her feel slightly displeased: though everyone in the household had received gifts, Xiao Yuanbao’s share was noticeably more.

Besides two extra bolts of cloth, there were two lacquered boxes given separately to him. Even the red-lacquered, carved boxes alone must be worth a good number of coins. Who knew what was inside?

Still, though her eyes burned with envy, she restrained herself.

Once he left and the hunter returned to the mountains, she could find a way to take them.

Xiao Hu nodded. “Beinan truly is a good child.”

Madam Qin nudged him. “Since the child is so good—and unmarried—why not…”

“I was thinking the same.”

Xiao Hu assumed they were of one mind. “Winter is quiet with little to do. We might as well arrange the marriage between him and Xiao Bao. Tonight I’ll speak with him and see what he thinks.”

Madam Qin’s mind rang like a struck gong. “What did you say? You want him to marry Bao ge’er?”

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing him ask that, she grew heated. “He’s a newly minted jinshi and now a Tongzhi! You want him to marry Bao ge’er? I’m not speaking ill of our own child, but do the two of them match?”

“And that aside—what is your meaning? Whenever there’s something good and fragrant, you think first of Bao ge’er. Chao ge’er is nearly eighteen and still not settled. Now that a fine match appears, you think of the younger one first. You don’t distinguish urgency from priority at all!”

As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes, full of grievance.

Xiao Hu was bewildered by her sudden anger. “It’s not that I only think of Xiao Bao. When his mother was alive, she arranged a betrothal with the Qi family. The two of them have a childhood engagement. However urgent it is for Chao ge’er, this match was never his to claim.”

“A childhood engagement?!”

Madam Qin felt as though lightning had struck her.

Such a rich and fragrant bun—and already claimed!

And of all people, it was Xiao Yuanbao’s.

Was this not deliberately meant to anger her?

“What is the matter with you?”

Xiao Hu could not understand her sudden shifts from joy to fury.

“Such an important matter, and you kept it from me. Have you not treated me as family?”

“I did not deliberately hide it. After his parents passed and correspondence grew sparse, years went by without news. I assumed he would no longer honor the engagement. How could I speak of such a matter casually? If he did not acknowledge it and word spread, Xiao Bao would have difficulty finding another family.”

Now that Qi Beinan had come in person and shown such an attitude, Xiao Hu felt joy. He intended to tell Xiao Yuanbao of the good news.

Yet before he could speak, Xiao Yuanbao—who so often stayed quietly in unnoticed corners—had already heard everything.

He came face to face with them and, upon hearing the revelation, felt his mind go blank.

He did not know what to say to Xiao Hu or Madam Qin. He turned abruptly and hurried back to his room.

Madam Qin, too agitated to remain, stormed off.

If she stayed and heard Xiao Hu say two more words, she might lose her composure and begin quarreling, which would only anger Qi Beinan.

Xiao Hu watched them both depart and could not make sense of it.

What should have been a joyful matter had somehow left the household unsettled.

In his room, Xiao Yuanbao’s cheeks and ears burned hot. In his mind, Xiao Hu’s words echoed again and again—childhood engagement.

He was stunned.

Never had he imagined that such a marriage had been arranged for him.

He had known nothing of it before. Yet hearing his father’s reasoning, he understood why it had not been told to him.

Had he known earlier that he had a scholarly betrothed somewhere in the world, he might have indulged foolish hopes. If Qi Beinan passed the examinations and came to marry him, all would be well. But if he did not, what recourse would their family have?

Mountains and rivers lay between them. They might not even be able to find him.

Better not to know. Without knowledge, there would be no expectation. His father had been right not to tell him.

As he thought further, he suddenly understood why Qi Beinan had treated him so kindly from the very start.

There had been this connection all along.

Everything had come too suddenly—without warning, without preparation.

He thought of Qi Beinan’s handsome face, his gentle voice.

Giving him the cloak, holding the umbrella as they walked, bringing so many gifts…

It was like a dream.

Was this what a husband’s care felt like?

If so… it was almost too good.

He was only an ordinary ge’er. To be treated thus—how could his heart not leap with joy?

The still waters of his heart had been stirred; how could there be no ripples?

Yet even as he drifted in that sweetness, he forced himself back to clarity.

He squeezed his fingers, doubt creeping in.

Did Qi Beinan truly look upon him favorably?

Or was this kindness merely preparation for breaking the engagement gently?

And besides—he had heard Madam Qin’s tone just now.

She, too, seemed to favor that man.

With such a fine prospect, of course she would think first of Chao ge’er.

In the past, when there were sweet fruits to be had, it had always been like this.

And now, with a langjun… it seemed it would be the same.

Thinking it all through, Xiao Yuanbao could not help but feel dejected again.

“Silly ge’er. If you like him, then fight for yourself once!”

“Who cares whether it’s Madam Wang, Madam Li, or Madam Qin! She’s already delayed you long enough—must she delay you for a lifetime? Cakes and fruit can be snatched away. Can a langjun be snatched away just the same?”

Xiao Yuanbao’s heart tightened. He sprang to his feet in alarm.

“Who is that? Who’s speaking?”

The room was empty. No one was there.

It was the dreaming Xiao Yuanbao who was speaking.

Breaking free from the drifting, detached self that watched from outside the dream, he had finally begun speaking to the person within it.

He dreamed of his younger self—of the young Xiao Hu, the young Madam Qin, and Wang Chao as a child.

Those damp, cold dreams of being treated poorly in childhood passed before him like fleeting scenery.

They moved too quickly. He wanted to reach out and help that lonely, helpless child—but before he could even open his mouth, the dream had already shifted to the next scene.

He had always felt that something was wrong.

It was not until the moment Qi Beinan appeared in the carriage that he understood.

All those years of youth—there had been someone missing.

No wonder it had been so hard.

Seeing Qi Beinan appear, Xiao Yuanbao felt steadier.

He had wanted to watch with quiet fascination as, in another version of their world, the two of them grew familiar and came to care for one another in a different way.

But then he saw again Madam Qin’s ugly expression;

Wang Chao’s thoughtless ambition, always climbing upward;

And the young ge’er who looked just like himself—his heart stirred briefly, only to shrink back in timidity, sitting alone in his room nursing quiet sorrow.

All of it made his chest feel tight and urgent.

Perhaps the dream was too real, too prolonged, because at last he found himself speaking.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that you like him.”

“If you sit here listening to fate, you’ll get nothing you want. He came for you. He has already walked many steps toward you. You must take one step toward him as well.”

“H-he really came for me?”

The guarded person in the room asked softly.

“If not for you, then for whom? For a Wang Chao ge’er he has never met? If he meant to break the engagement, would someone of his standing need to come in person? And if he meant neither to break nor to acknowledge it, could you even find him? Why trouble himself to make the journey?”

Hearing the voice in his heart say this, it began to sound reasonable.

“But I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Go. Take the dried osmanthus you gathered in autumn. Make a plate of the osmanthus cakes you’re best at, and bring them to him.”

“Tell him thank you—for the many gifts he brought you. Tell him you like them all.”

The figure in the room fell silent for a long while.

At last, hesitantly, he took out a packet of dried osmanthus from the cabinet.

He held it for some time, gathering courage, before finally opening the door and heading toward the kitchen.

Watching him finally move, Xiao Yuanbao felt a quiet relief in his heart.

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