Chapter 664 - 343: Send Them All Away (Part 2)

Chapter 664: Chapter 343: Send Them All Away (Part 2)

Mrs. Gao was still upset, but the day’s events had caught her completely off guard. Li Changyu, who was usually so gentle with her, had become so forceful that she didn’t know what to do.

Li Changyu sensed her melancholy. He turned her to face him and asked earnestly, "Wan’er, living in a household like yours, where even the servants around you are scheming and manipulative—don’t you find it exhausting?"

Mrs. Gao froze, looking at him in confusion without a word.

Li Changyu said softly, "Your family is large and influential, so things are naturally complicated. I can’t say anything about that. But the Li Family is different. I refuse to waste my energy dealing with devious servants in my own home. I know you’ve never known hardship and can’t go without attendants, but servants need to know their place. Any servant like Nanny Wang, I’ll throw out the moment they arrive. If you need people to wait on you, we can just buy more. We’ll train a few obedient ones, and our life going forward will be much more pleasant."

Mrs. Gao couldn’t quite grasp what Li Changyu truly meant. ’Isn’t he just using this as an excuse to get rid of my people?’

Li Changyu picked up the clothes from the table and smiled at her. "No matter how much I say, you won’t understand right away. Let’s just take our life one day at a time. I may not be able to give you great wealth or status, but I will make sure your life is more carefree and comfortable than your sisters’. And I will be completely devoted to you. Here, change into these clothes. I’ll take you for a walk. It’s not that I dislike seeing you in silks and finery, but they aren’t practical for a walk in the fields. A trailing skirt would be too cumbersome."

Mrs. Gao did as he said, changing into a simple top and trousers. She looked at Li Changyu searchingly and asked, "Second Master, is this all right?"

Li Changyu was leaning over the table, lost in thought. Hearing her, he looked up and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Mrs. Gao asked nervously, "What’s wrong? Is it not right?"

Li Changyu shook his head, pulling her closer with a smile. "Your hair is full of jewels and ornaments. It looks a bit strange with this outfit. Wan’er, take out your hairpins and put it up in a simpler style."

Mrs. Gao saw no other choice and redid her hair.

She had been feeling quite displeased, but as Li Changyu personally tidied her hair, helped her select a hairpin, and fussed over her, it created a sense of marital harmony. Her heart softened, and the way she looked at him grew much gentler.

When Li Changyu took her hand and led her to the banks of the Little Qing River, she gazed at the clear, flowing water and the willows swaying in the breeze. He pointed out a tree that he had planted himself. And though people they passed along the way stared at her, Mrs. Gao’s mood began to lift.

She looked out at the verdant, picturesque Qingshan, the vast, open fields, and the farmers planting seedlings everywhere. The breeze carried the earthy scent of the paddies and the faint sounds of laughter and conversation, and her heart grew tranquil.

’Suddenly, she felt it. Standing here in the cotton clothes her mother-in-law had made, she felt completely at ease. She was in perfect harmony with the river, Qingshan, and the fields. Had she been wearing her own clothes, accompanied by a large retinue of maids and nannies, the very thought would have been stifling. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to come out before. Now, however, she wanted to pull Li Changyu along and walk even farther.’

And so, the young couple began to stroll along the riverbank. She listened as Li Changyu told her amusing stories from his childhood—where he climbed trees to raid birds’ nests, where he swam in the river, and the time he fought with the other village boys over picking peaches.

Mrs. Gao chuckled softly, pointing at the peach trees nestled between the willows. "Did you all plant these peach trees too? Who do the peaches belong to?"

Li Changyu looked at the peach trees. Some had been picked clean, leaving only branches and leaves. Others were hung with green fruit—a variety that wouldn’t ripen until the seventh month. An image of Juhua flashed through his mind, and he recalled planting willow cuttings by the river with Qingmu and Zhang Huai all those years ago. He stood there for a moment, lost in thought.

Seeing him standing there silently in a daze, Mrs. Gao gave him a gentle push. "Second Master! Changyu! What are you thinking about?"

Li Changyu snapped out of it and quickly squeezed her hand. "Wan’er, from now on, call me Second Master in front of other people. But when it’s just the two of us, you can just call me Changyu. I like it when you call me that. I’m just a country boy; I’m not really used to being called ’Master’!"

Mrs. Gao was delighted. She smiled and said, "Alright! Then that’s what I’ll call you."

Li Changyu nodded and smiled at her. "A good friend of mine and his wife planted these peach trees. They didn’t have any special reason. They just planted them on a whim, thinking it would be nice if they grew—they’re pretty to look at, and you get peaches to eat. Anyone can come and pick the fruit; they don’t belong to his family."

Mrs. Gao nodded. "The land doesn’t belong to his family, so of course the trees don’t either. This friend of yours has a refined spirit, to go to all this trouble just to see some peach blossoms."

Li Changyu shook his head. "It wasn’t much trouble at all. We planted these willow cuttings while we were just playing around back in the day. Look now, a whole grove has grown. The shorter ones over there are cuttings they planted later. It just goes to show, as long as you have the will, things like this aren’t hard at all."

Mrs. Gao leaned against him and chuckled softly. "I’ve loved willows since I was a little girl. My family’s garden has quite a few. My father also had a peach orchard built on the Zhuangzi, but I’ve never been. My older sister has, though. I heard they planted many plum trees there as well!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)