The next day, Xu Qi woke up early, but Ye Lan was still sleeping soundly, probably because of his injuries.
Xu Qi thought to herself, and she lightened her movements, quietly pulling her numb arm out and carefully pulling out the corner of her clothes that had been tightly grabbed by someone she didn’t know when.
Perhaps because he realized something was missing from his hand, Ye Lan suddenly woke up.
Xu Qi saw that when he opened his eyes, there was no expression in them, just a lifeless look.
And when Ye Lan saw Xu Qi, he also froze.
His mind was like a kaleidoscope, replaying everything that happened yesterday, and then he suddenly realized that he had received the love of a very good mistress.
“M-mistress, Mistress?” Ye Lan tentatively called out.
Xu Qi smiled and responded, “Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
She asked him.
“I… I can’t sleep, Mistress.”
But Xu Qi clearly saw him yawn secretly, with his face turned sideways.
“It’s still early now. I need to earn money to support the family. You should sleep a little longer.”
“Then… then let me get up and prepare breakfast for you.”
As he spoke, he tried to get up again.
Xu Qi stopped him, “Just go back to sleep. I can make something myself. You’re still injured, is the wound not hurting?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Lan felt a slight dull pain in his back.
He pursed his lips and looked up at Xu Qi.
Xu Qi’s heart trembled. In his eyes, there was more reliance and trust than yesterday.
So she gently said, “Lie down and rest for a while. Don’t get up so early.”
As she spoke, she put her hand on Ye Lan’s shoulder.
Ye Lan gradually lay down following that force.
His eyes still had some sleepiness.
Xu Qi patted the blanket covering him. “Listen, go to sleep. Uncle Man from next door brought you a piece of clothing yesterday. It’s placed over there. You can wear it when you wake up.”
She pointed to the neatly folded clothes not far away.
Ye Lan nestled in the blanket and replied, “Yes, Mistress, I understand.”
Xu Qi chuckled. He was still so restrained. Well, it was only his second day here, he could take his time to adapt.
Saying that, she got up and went out to soak last night’s leftovers in some soup, heated it up casually, and then warmed Ye Lan’s medicine. She also prepared some food and covered it with a large iron basin on the table. She went back to the room and said, “There’s soup-soaked rice outside for you to eat. Have a bite first. Don’t forget to take your medicine.”
At this point, Ye Lan was already dozing on the bed, barely catching the gist of Xu Qi’s words.
As Xu Qi went out, she happened to meet Xu Zhi who was passing by.
“Xu Qi!”
Xu Zhi waved excitedly at her.
Xu Qi smiled and pulled her family’s donkey cart over. There was a pile of processed meat on the cart.
Xu Zhi jumped onto the cart, and Xu Qi sat at the front to drive the donkey.
“Hey, how’s that young lad from your house doing? Is he awake?” As soon as she settled down, Xu Zhi hurriedly asked.
Xu Qi turned around and replied, “He’s awake and seems to be doing fine.”
“Do you still like him very much?”
“Mm.”
Xu Zhi stopped talking. After a while, she hesitantly poked Xu Qi.
“What’s wrong?” Xu Qi turned around with a puzzled look.
“Just, I just want to ask you, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Xu Zhi looked a bit nervous.
Luckily, Xu Qi had a good temper and just said to her, “Just ask if you want.”
“Do you… think my brother is okay?”
Xu Qi: ???
“Brother Xu… is fine.” She thought Xu Zhi’s brother was a little afraid of her, always running away whenever he saw her. She didn’t know why Xu Zhi suddenly asked her this?
“Then, is it possible… for you to marry my brother as a husband?”
Xu Zhi blushed when she said this. This was something her father forced her to ask. Originally, she didn’t think it was necessary to ask. Since the lad already had a husband, what’s the point of asking?
But her father insisted, saying that it was because they didn’t make it clear to Xu Qi, so Xu Qi didn’t know and bought one from the town.
Oh, she was speechless.
Xu Qi was shocked by Xu Zhi’s words. “What are you saying? I already have a husband, don’t I?”
She didn’t want to be a bad woman. Even though she was in a world where women were respected, she didn’t want to be truly polygamous.
“Uh, it’s just…”
Xu Zhi couldn’t say it, but thinking that her father said it was related to her brother’s lifelong happiness, she still said it, “It’s just that, my father asked me to ask you, because yesterday you bought one from the town and he can’t be a legitimate husband. Look at my brother…”
She couldn’t go on, because Xu Qi’s face had already turned cold.
“Your father told you to say this, right?”
Thinking of the change in Xu’s father’s attitude yesterday, Xu Qi seemed to suddenly realize.
Xu Zhi closed her mouth when she heard Xu Qi’s question, feeling somewhat uneasy looking at her.
“I have no interest in your brother.”
Xu Qi lowered her eyes slightly.
She didn’t believe that Xu Zhi’s brother liked her. She had just arrived, and if he liked the original owner, then it had nothing to do with her.
“Oh, okay then.”
Xu Zhi touched her head, feeling even more embarrassed. The words were rejected as soon as they were spoken, and seeing Xu Qi’s cold expression now, she wondered if she would hold a grudge against her and not play with her in the future.
This was really frustrating.
The two arrived at the place where they sold things. This time, Xu Qi didn’t enthusiastically say to Xu Zhi that she could come find her after selling things or anything like that.
Xu Zhi hesitated for a while on the side, seeing that the other party was still doing her own thing, so she had to pack up her things and leave.
When she left, Xu Qi also put aside Xu Zhi’s family matters for the time being. Xu Zhi was a good person, but her family had these thoughts, so she had to avoid them.
“Hey, how much do you sell your eggs for?”
“Two wen each.”
“Give me five.”
It’s better to eat fresh eggs for meals. She bought five to try since they lived nearby.
“It’s been a long time since you bought eggs from me.”
“Yeah, I just got married, and my husband is weak, so I bought some eggs to replenish him.”
“Wow, Xu Qi already has a husband.”
When she said this, the aunties and uncles around all gathered around and echoed.
“When will you bring your husband out for us to see? He’s been hiding at home.”
Xu Qi said, “I’ll bring him over when he’s feeling better.”
These people dispersed again to sell their own things.