After Little New Year, there were just a few days until New Year’s Eve. Xie Yushu had given herself and her workers a few days off, spending all that time at home with Su Chi.
With Xie Yushu and her father around, Su Chi was overjoyed—every day, a smile lingered on his face.
Wang Wen couldn’t sit still, even during the New Year. He kept busy at the Xie household, and no matter how much Su Chi and Xie Yushu tried to persuade him to rest, he wouldn’t stop. He said that since he was here, the young couple could take a proper break—he’d handle all the housework.
His son usually had to manage both the household and the shop, and Yushu was out working every day too. They worked hard, and the time they actually spent together was precious. Though he seemed out of touch in the village, he understood this well enough. It worried him—he didn’t think this was right.
Before coming, he’d already planned everything. He’d asked Liu Fulang to look after things at home, and now that he was here, he was determined to help lighten their load, giving the couple some time alone.
But the Xie household was already run so well by Su Chi. Even when Wang Wen found chores to do—just meals and simple cleaning—it was nothing compared to the backbreaking farm work in the village. He finished quickly.
Knowing he shouldn’t hover around the young couple, Wang Wen had Su Chi take him to the shop to help.
Su Chi was reluctant—he’d invited his father to rest, not to work—but seeing how energetic his father was and how he’d pretend to be upset if refused, how could he say no? So he brought him along.
Even before the thirtieth, the bun shop was still open daily, and customers only grew in number. Wang Wen looked around for a moment and then busied himself in the back kitchen.
He quickly grew familiar with Chen Fulang. Wang Wen was a bit older and more steady, and the two worked well together, chatting like neighbors of many years.
Seeing they got along well, Su Chi gave them a few instructions and went back to keep Xie Yushu company.
These days, Su Chi deliberately prepared less food for the shop—hoping to sell out faster so his father and Chen Fulang could leave earlier.
Chen Fulang had a family to take care of, and with the New Year approaching, his home would only get busier.
After his father came home early from work, he always found something new to do—never lingering around the young couple.
The neighbors noticed that Su Chi’s father had returned. Last time he’d come, he’d left in a hurry before they’d had much chance to talk. This time, he’d be staying for a few days. He had a pleasant temperament, so everyone enjoyed chatting with him.
Normally, when Xie Yushu was home, they didn’t dare visit.
Partly they feared gossip might damage their reputations.
And partly, the head of the Xie household didn’t seem approachable. Though polite, she was actually quite cold—only ever warm and patient with her fulang. They wouldn’t dare come when she was around.
Now, with someone sociable at the Xie household, they could make themselves known.
By now, everyone in Qingshui Lane knew that the Xie family was the wealthiest household around. They all wanted to get on good terms, so that if they ever needed help from the Xie family, they wouldn’t be too embarrassed to ask.
The father-son duo was generous and polite, inviting people into the main hall for hot tea and pastries, laughing and chatting—the Xie household was filled with warmth and cheer.
The Xie household never ran out of snacks and pastries. They’d originally been bought by Xie Yushu for Su Chi to enjoy, but now they’d become part of his father’s hospitality.
In the main room.
Su Chi brought in a plate of cut fruit and set it on the table where Xie Yushu was sketching.
Fresh winter fruit was rare—these had been brought by his father from home, crisp and fresh. Su Chi had carefully washed, peeled, and cut them into small pieces.
His wife only ate fruit prepared this way—she wouldn’t touch it otherwise.
When Su Chi had discovered this, he hadn’t said a word. He simply prepared it this way every time, doing it gladly.
Xie Yushu had long grown accustomed to her fulang’s attentive care. No matter her little habits or quirks, Su Chi always noticed immediately, never criticized her, and always indulged her.
“Sweet?”
“Sweet,” Xie Yushu chewed slowly, then asked, “Did Father bring these?”
“Mm.” Su Chi fed her another piece. “Father’s in the main hall chatting with Zheng Fulang right now.”
Xie Yushu felt relieved: “That’s good. I was worried Father might get bored staying here. It’s wonderful that he has people to talk to.”
Su Chi was still conflicted: “It’s good that he has company now, but Father keeps working all the time—he won’t let us help at all.”
“Father cares about us—he wants us to rest well these few days. We can’t let his kindness go to waste.” While Su Chi was lost in thought, Xie Yushu seized the moment to pop a piece of cut fruit into his mouth.
Su Chi’s cheeks bulged with the fruit. When he bit down, the sweet-tart juice spread across his tongue. He blinked, as if agreeing with what she’d said.
Then, before he knew it, he was pulled into Xie Yushu’s lap.
Once he’d settled comfortably and found a good position in her arms, his eyes landed on the papers on the desk. Curious, he asked, “What are you writing?”
Xie Yushu’s handwriting was excellent. Even though this was a rough draft or plan, Su Chi recognized most of it after a closer look.
“Kelp… something farm,” he said, then looked up at her, his eyes bright with curiosity: “I don’t recognize these two characters in the middle.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Yushu pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose—her lips still tasting of sweet fruit juice.
Before Su Chi could figure out what was happening, she’d already blurted out her praise:
“So smart. My fulang already recognizes so many characters.” Xie Yushu took his hand and guided it to the two characters he didn’t know: “These two are yǎng zhí—cultivation.”
Su Chi felt a little shy at her words—he wasn’t as clever as she made him sound. The characters he did recognize had taken him a long time to learn, the result of his own hard work.
He understood, a spark of realization lighting up his eyes: “So together, it means kelp cultivation farm.”
“Exactly.”
“Are we going to start a kelp farm at the base?”
“Yes. After the New Year break, I’ll go with Youchun to set it up. Otherwise, the kelp supply is too easily controlled by others—we’d be too passive.”
Su Chi leaned against her, his face full of trust and admiration: “You’ll definitely do it well.”
Xie Yushu never passed up a chance to show off in front of Su Chi. She boasted without shame: “Of course—your wife is very capable. This kind of little thing—mmph—”
Her mouth was suddenly stuffed with two pieces of fruit, cutting off her self-praise.
So embarrassing. Su Chi couldn’t bear to listen anymore and quickly shut her up.
“I know, I know,” he said, his eyes curving into a smile as he hummed softly.
·
Another evening.
Taking advantage of Xie Yushu washing up in the warm room, Wang Wen pulled Su Chi into his guest room for a private talk.
A single dim candle flickered in the room. Wang Wen had snuffed half the wick to save wax, and the father and son spoke in hushed voices like conspirators.
Su Chi had been puzzled by his father’s furtive behavior—but as soon as his father spoke, he understood.
Wang Wen took Su Chi’s hand and asked quietly: “Any news in your belly?”
“Father…” Su Chi’s face flushed at the question, a hint of reproach in his voice. “There’s no sign of that yet. Father, don’t rush us.”
Wang Wen looked disappointed: “Oh dear, you’ve been married so long. What to do?”
He asked cautiously: “Has Yushu been pressuring you?”
“She would never. She… she dotes on me too much.” Su Chi shook his head, a sweet look on his face.
Wang Wen could see his son’s shy reaction and knew that Yushu’s kindness toward his son was genuine. But he still felt that his son needed a child to feel secure.
After all, Yushu’s looks alone drew too much attention from men—not to mention her business and her bulging purse. Many were watching her closely.
Just today, among the fulang who’d come to chat with him, one had subtly steered the conversation toward Yushu, probing whether she had any plans to take a concubine.
Wang Wen knew it wasn’t for himself—it was for his own child or a relative’s child. He wasn’t foolish enough to miss the implication. He’d immediately put on a stern face, and the others had laughed it off with a joking rebuke, letting the awkward topic drop.
But that night, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy and alarmed he became.
In wealthy households, wasn’t it common for women to take multiple spouses?
Even if not from wealthy families, any woman with a bit of money would have one principal husband and several concubines.
Or, if the principal husband was formidable, they’d keep them secretly outside, only bringing them home when they were pregnant.
A living example was the Bai family that Su Sheng had married into—he’d heard the Bai family head had taken another husband to amuse herself.
Though Yushu had shown no signs of leaning in that direction, Wang Wen still worried about his child. Having a child early would give him something to hold onto, and only then could his heart find peace.
But looking at his son’s innocent, happy face, how could he bear to say these things out loud?
He couldn’t tell his son about this now—it might frighten him.
Anyway, they hadn’t been married long—just a few months altogether. No rush, no rush. These things couldn’t be rushed.
He still trusted Yushu, after all. This child was different from other women.
“Father, what are you thinking about?” Su Chi made Wang Wen lie down and tucked him in. “Yushu’s going to come out soon—I need to get back. Father, rest early.”
“I know, I’m just tired. Go on, hurry.” Wang Wen smiled at his child, not wanting him to notice anything amiss.
·
Su Chi kept his bun shop open until the 29th. That day, he settled Chen Fulang’s wages, added an extra two hundred wen as a year-end bonus, and sent him off with some homemade food.
He felt he was doing quite well as a shopkeeper—not at all inferior to his wife.
By the 30th, the streets of the town were nearly empty—everyone had gone home for New Year’s Eve.
Qingshui Lane was still fairly lively. Neighbors made snacks and had their children run door to door to share them.
The Xie household was the most generous—they had two great cooks, and their food was far more delicious than what most families could make.
The crispy pork strips were packed with substantial meat, the coating perfectly crunchy, and the seasoning just right. Everyone who tried them was full of praise.
Su Chi stood at the gate with a plate of crispy pork strips, passing them out to the children in the lane. The golden, fragrant pile drew them in—they grabbed pieces with their little hands, each one chirping a sweet “Thank you, Su Fulang.”
After the distribution, the Xie family closed the gate to enjoy their own New Year’s Eve dinner.
Xie Yushu had wanted to invite Sun Wuyou and Guizhi to join them, but they’d been picked up by the Sun family a few days earlier.
Of course—the Sun family wouldn’t let their youngest daughter spend the New Year alone.
Sun Wuyou was always carefree and never spoke much about her family, so Xie Yushu often instinctively thought of her and Guizhi as each other’s only family, always wanting to include them in good meals.
Xie Yushu glanced at the New Year’s Eve feast on the table—these were dishes those two would have loved. She felt a pang of sympathy that they’d miss out.
Five meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, one cold dish, and a plate of steamed cakes.
Ten dishes in all for the reunion dinner, symbolizing completeness and unity.
One of the dishes was crispy pork belly, made by Wang Wen—absolutely delicious. All three loved it, reaching for it again and again.
Before serving, Xie Yushu had sliced the crisp, golden pork belly into pieces for easy eating.
Beside it was a small dish of dipping sauce—ground by Su Chi himself, made from dried chili segments, sesame, peanuts, fresh powder, and five-spice powder, finely pounded together. It made any meat taste amazing.
After one bite, Xie Yushu commented that this dipping sauce would be perfect for grilled meats.
Su Chi silently noted that—though he didn’t know what grilled meat was, anything Xie Yushu mentioned, he’d store away in his heart.
There were only three of them, but they were all in good spirits, laughing and chatting, and the night passed quickly.
They cleaned up the kitchen together.
“Go get some rest—Father will stay up to welcome the New Year,” Wang Wen said, waving them off.
“No need to trouble yourself, Father. I’ll do it—you go rest,” Xie Yushu insisted, taking over the task.
“Alright, alright—you stay up then.” Wang Wen went back to his room.
Su Chi went into the bedroom first and fussed with something on the bed.
Xie Yushu came up behind him and hugged him: “What are you doing?”
Su Chi had folded their quilt into a square block and propped it against the wall, smiling at her: “I’ll keep watch with you. This way we’ll be comfortable leaning against it.”
Then he added: “When my mother was still here, she never let me stay up—she said kids need to sleep early to grow. But now I’m grown up, so I can stay up with you.”
“I didn’t agree to that.” Xie Yushu scooped him up and set him on the bed. “You go to sleep. I’ll handle it myself.”
In her previous life, she’d been a night owl—staying up was as easy as breathing.
But this native couldn’t handle staying up late. If he wore himself out, she’d be the one worrying.
“No—I want to stay with you.” Su Chi wasn’t happy about that. He took her hand and swayed it gently.
Xie Yushu couldn’t win against him. She took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed: “What if you fall asleep?”
“Then… you can punish me.”
“How will I punish you?”
“I haven’t thought of that yet.”
Xie Yushu chuckled, bad ideas sprouting in her mind like bamboo shoots after rain: “Alright—if you fall asleep, you owe me one wish.”
Su Chi knew she’d never make him do anything bad, so he was confident. He rested his head against her chest and said softly, “Alright.”
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