BXBX NOVEL Chapter 141: First Arrival
“Husband, is this our new home?” Su Wenyue looked at the small courtyard in front of her, her heart fluttering with joy. During her days at the Han Family, she really couldn’t consider it her own home. Even after they had divided the household, living in the same courtyard was far from comfortable. It was here, in her heart, that she finally found what truly meant ‘home’ to her— a shared space for her and Han Yu to call their own. She tried to recall some things from her previous life; they would live here for at least one or two years.
“Yes, let me show you around our new home,” Han Yu said with enthusiasm as he led Su Wenyue around, giving her a brief introduction to the courtyard.
“Look, even though it’s simple, it boasts spaciousness. Although there’s only one section to the courtyard, there are quite a few rooms. It already feels so spacious for just the two of us to live in. There’s also a plot of vegetable field in the back; I’ve rented the whole piece. If you’re happy, you can have Xiao Xi plant some vegetables you like there.”
“That’s very nice; I really like this place. The location you picked is really great, my Husband is so capable!” Su Wenyue was not stingy with her praise for her man. In fact, she was genuinely pleased with the spot Han Yu had chosen. Although the courtyard looked somewhat old, it was very tidy. Everything was clean, and they only needed to move their things in and do a quick setup before moving in.
Xiao Xi, trailing behind, was clearly fond of the courtyard. While it still couldn’t compare to the Su Family’s residence, it was already quite impressive compared to the poor conditions of the Han Family. She even had her own room. The most important thing was that she didn’t have to move around under others’ scrutiny, especially since Mrs. Liu always stared with voracious eyes during cooking, pressuring her!
“Alright, a quick look is enough for now. We’ve traveled a long day, and both you and the child in your stomach must be tired. Go rest first. We’re going to live here for quite some time; there will be plenty of opportunities for you to explore ‘our home’ thoroughly!” Seeing that Su Wenyue was still eager to look around everywhere in the courtyard, Han Yu said jokingly. At this moment, Xiao Xi had already simply tidy up the main bedroom, so Han Yu hugged Su Wenyue suggesting she rest for a bit.
“Xiao Xi, go clean up the kitchen and make some food for Lady Yue. It wasn’t convenient on the horse carriage today and we had to eat dry food; we couldn’t have anything warm.” Han Yu sent Xiao Xi to the kitchen and didn’t sit idle himself, starting to tidy up the room. As a child of a poor family, you have to learn to do everything as there’s no room for fancy rules at home.
Su Wenyue quietly watched Han Yu tidy up the room, feeling particularly peaceful and satisfied in her heart. With such a husband, what more could she ask for? Han Yu was indeed a great husband. Her grandfather had such foresight to see Han Yu’s potential early and secure the match. Otherwise, once Han Yu made his fortune, such a fine man would not have been her turn.
Having traveled all day did indeed tire her, and with a child in her stomach, she just didn’t have the energy. After dinner, Su Wenyue went to bed early, enjoying a good night’s sleep. The next morning, she woke up to find Han Yu already gone, having left to handle affairs in town. However, before he left, he had Xiao Xi prepare and arrange everything Su Wenyue needed for breakfast.
After moving into the new house, Su Wenyue couldn’t sit still after breakfast, exploring the new home with Xiao Xi. They hadn’t looked at it closely yesterday, just a passing glance, but today it felt different. She noted down the things in the courtyard that she found unsatisfactory, planning to have Xiao Xi help her redecorate later on.
“Miss, you’ve walked quite a bit already. You should rest for a while. These things can wait, and Uncle knows your temperament. He specifically instructed me to make sure you don’t overexert yourself,” Xiao Xi persuaded Su Wenyue, who had been touring a large part of the courtyard without stopping to rest.
Su Wenyue did feel a bit tired and sat down to rest for a while before heading to the vegetable field in the back. Because it had been neglected for so long, the field was overgrown with weeds, and clearing it would require no small effort. The area of the field was indeed large, about three or four acres, with a small river nearby, perfect for irrigation and daily cultivation of vegetables.
“Miss, this is a really good place for planting vegetables! Even though it’s been abandoned now, the soil is rich. I guarantee the vegetables we plant will grow well,” Xiao Xi said with excitement, eager to get started. If it weren’t for the need to look after Su Wenyue, Xiao Xi would have rolled up her sleeves and begun right away.
“Seeing you like this, you really look like an old hand,” Su Wenyue said with a laugh, her words laced with a bit of teasing.
Xiao Xi, not the least bit modest, accepted Su Wenyue’s words: “That’s right, during the time I helped Miss with affairs at the Zhuangzi, I didn’t just hang around; I learned quite a lot. Besides, I was originally from a peasant family. When I was young, I spent a lot of time following my family in the field. Agriculture is nothing that can stump me. Miss, just wait to eat the vegetables I grow for you. I promise they’ll be even better than those from an ordinary farmer’s home.”
“Is anyone home? Is Captain Han’s wife in?” Su Wenyue and Xiao Xi had just returned to the front courtyard when they heard someone calling at the door. At first, when someone called out for Captain Han’s wife, they took a while to react, but then they remembered Han Yu’s current official rank was indeed that of an eighth-rank Captain.
Xiao Xi scurried happily to open the door and saw a woman in her twenties, dressed in autumn fragrance colored clothes, standing at the doorway holding a basket and wearing a welcoming smile.
“Who might you be?” Su Wenyue and Xiao Xi were new to the area and did not recognize anyone.
“My surname is Zhao. My Husband is Liu Cong, holding the post of Deputy Lieutenant, an eighth rank official, and a subordinate of Captain Han. The two men will be working together from now on. Since our husbands work together in the military camp, we women should also socialize and provide each other with support.” Madame Liu Zhao spoke fluently and straightforwardly, seeming like a forthright person.
“So, you’re Madame Zhao. Please, come in! As a servant new to this place, I don’t know many people. Any inadvertent discourtesy, please forgive me, Madame Zhao. Let me take you to meet our lady,” Xiao Xi, well-trained by the Su Family in manners and etiquette, didn’t panic upon hearing Madame Liu Zhao’s identity and promptly made polite gestures to usher her inside.
“Thank you,” Madame Zhao nodded to herself, noting that even the household’s servant girl was well-behaved, well-dressed, and conducted herself as if she were trained by a wealthy family. This made her look up a few notches to Su Wenyue. Initially, she had thought since Captain Han came from a farming background and perhaps had used some connection to get to his position, his wife would undoubtedly be unrefined. After all, a daughter-in-law from a peasant family wouldn’t even know a single character, let alone other skills. But it seemed that wasn’t quite the case, and she found herself somewhat eager to meet the Captain’s wife.