CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 141: A WISE WIFE MAKES A GOOD LIFE (8TH UPDATE)

Spend however you like, it’s all up to you.

For a woman, hearing these words from her husband’s mouth, how comfortable it sounds.

It seems that her husband plans to entrust all the family assets to her care.

Wen Wan’s face was filled with a sweet smile.

After tidying up the house a bit, the three of them went out to explore the street market.

Just as Song Wei had said, at this hour, most people were at home having their New Year’s Eve dinner, so there weren’t many people on the streets.

Yet, even with fewer people, it didn’t diminish the festive New Year atmosphere at all.

Strolling under the Emperor’s feet, this was Song Fang’s first official time. Everything seemed new and fresh to her, and she couldn’t help but want to join in wherever there was excitement.

Strictly speaking, it was also Wen Wan’s first time going out leisurely.

Every previous trip to the market was only to buy groceries and small miscellaneous items near the alley’s local market.

Today, it was rare for her to venture far and come to such a bustling street. Her mood should have been similar to Song Fang’s.

But she wasn’t.

Wen Wan contemplated for a moment, thinking she probably had been around her husband too long and absorbed some of his qualities, causing her to face the novel and tempting with more calmness compared to her peers.

Instead, walking slowly beside her husband on this street brimming with New Year’s cheer made her feel particularly grounded.

There’s nothing wrong with plainness. She very much liked and felt satisfied with her current state of life.

——

The Eldest Princess’s family, after having their New Year’s Eve dinner at the Marquis Mansion, did not stay long before taking their leave.

The wide carriage rolled along the dimly lit streets.

Lu Yanqing felt stuffy, lifted the curtain for some air, and caught sight of a man and a woman walking ahead not far off. The man’s figure was tall and straight, his pace slow and steady. The woman wore a peach-colored jacket, her back slender and graceful. Though her face wasn’t visible, standing beside the man gave off an inexplicable sense of delicate dependence.

Lu Yanqing squinted his eyes, wondering why this silhouette seemed so familiar?

The more he looked, the more it overlapped with an image from a rainy day in his memory.

He remembered; it was in Ningzhou where he’d seen it.

The day of the Da Huan Mountain Coal Mine accident, it was raining outside, he stood in a teahouse’s private room, looking out the window, and saw someone.

At the time, it seemed familiar, but when he returned to the Capital, upon seeing a portrait of his mother in her youth, he realized.

The silhouette of that woman was very similar to his mother in her youth, especially the back view, though he couldn’t tell if the face was similar.

The Eldest Princess saw her son staring outside, lost in thought, and asked with curiosity, "What are you looking at?"

Lu Yanqing put down the curtain; the dim light in the carriage obscured the flicker in his eyes, "Nothing."

He couldn’t say. Saying too much could reveal secrets. His parents were still unaware of the Da Huan Mountain Coal Mine incident.

Should his mother discover the dozens of lives on his hands, even if she didn’t beat him to death, she would personally send him to jail.

Regarding this, Lu Yanqing had no doubt about what his mother said and could do.

As for why he decided, under the coaxing of a few bad friends, to go to Ningzhou to open a coal mine, it was because his mother managed him strictly. During that time, he was rebellious. She had frozen all his Silver Coins, so he angrily sought friends to consider ways to earn money quickly, and they thought opening a coal mine was the fastest way to make money.

At that time, he really was just angry his mother wouldn’t give him spending money; he never thought it would cause such a huge calamity, accidentally killing dozens of miners.

But fortunately, it had been suppressed; otherwise, had it been reported back to the Capital, how could he now be sitting peacefully in a carriage with his parents?

The Eldest Princess didn’t inquire further, instead turning to Lu Xingzhou, "Last time, the Prince Consort mentioned finding a classmate with excellent grades to tutor Yanqing; how’s that going?"

Lu Xingzhou hadn’t mentioned Song Wei’s name in front of the Eldest Princess and didn’t say Song Wei had refused. He simply replied, "There’s no result yet."

Lu Yanqing wanted to curse Song Wei a few times, but seeing the cold, stern look from his father, he shivered and swallowed back his words.

Since that day, when his mother ordered his father not to indulge him in everything, it was as if he’d received an imperial edict, no longer doting on him like before.

Lu Yanqing took great issue with this. What kind of parents team up to bully their child?

But facing his mother, he immediately cowered again.

After all, his mother was the Eldest Princess, the Emperor’s biological sister, and his father was merely a Prince Consort without actual power.

Under someone’s roof, one has to bow—this is exactly what it means!

——

Song Wei, Wen Wan, and Song Fang didn’t stay outside for long before they had to retreat from the cold.

The winter in the Capital was brutally cold, their breath turning into mist, and standing outside for just a short while left their legs and feet feeling stiff and unresponsive.

Back at home, Wen Wan took advantage of the stove fire that hadn’t yet died out to boil a pot of hot water. The three of them soaked their icy cold hands and feet, and then sat by the fire pit in the main room.

Song Fang brought out two large bowls of sunflower seeds and peanuts she had fried herself the other day to crack and eat.

It was nearing midnight, and sure enough, the sound of fireworks began to rise and fall outside.

Just as Song Fang was about to drop the sunflower seeds and run out to watch, she heard someone knocking on the courtyard gate.

"Who is it?" Song Fang paused her seed-cracking motion.

Song Wei said, "At this time, it can only be that young master from the Xu family."

Saying this, he got up to open the door.

Sure enough, the person outside was Xu Shu.

Seeing Song Wei, he chuckled and gave a formal bow, "Happy New Year, Song Da Cai Zi."

Song Wei was a bit puzzled, seeing all the servants behind Xu Shu holding things in their arms, "Why did you come over so late?"

"It’s not fun not to set off fireworks during the New Year!" Xu Shu said, nodding towards the back, "See? I bought them specially for you, can you tell me where we should set them off?"

Song Wei thought for a moment, "Outside the alley, on the street where it’s spacious, there won’t be any trouble."

"Got it!" Xu Shu instructed the servants to carry the fireworks outside and set them up, then looked at Song Wei, "Call your wife and Song Little Sister over too; it’s only lively with more people."

Song Wei went back inside to talk about it, and Song Fang flatly refused, "I just had a fight with that annoying person not long ago. If we run into each other again, it won’t be good. It’s New Year’s, and I don’t want to make myself uncomfortable. You guys go watch, I’ll stay and keep roasting seeds."

"That’s really unreasonable!"

Before Song Wei could say anything, Xu Shu’s loud voice had already come from outside. He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, "In such cold weather, I ran across half the Capital to find a shop that was still open to buy fireworks. What for? Isn’t it just to make sure your first New Year in the Capital isn’t so cold and cheerless, and to add some liveliness to your place? But now, have I brought my gift to the wrong place?"

"I never said that." Song Fang glared up at him, "You said it yourself."

"Fine, it’s New Year’s, I won’t quarrel with you, just give me a straight answer, are you coming or not? If not, I’ll just set them off myself, it won’t bother anyone."

"I’ll come." Song Fang put the seeds back into the bowl, "But you have to promise in front of my brother not to fight with me later, or I really will fight you to the death!"

"I’ve never seen anyone as fierce as you!" Xu Shu muttered quietly, turning to leave.

Wen Wan watched Xu Shu and Song Fang who started bickering the instant they met. She found it both frustrating and amusing. These two must have been arch-enemies in their past life; otherwise, how could there be such enmity in this life? Whether there’s a reason or not, they’ll fight, even if there’s no grudge, they’ll create one.

When they reached the broad street outside the alley, the Xu family’s servants had already prepared everything.

Xu Shu came over, "Let’s step back a bit, so when it gets loud, our ears won’t suffer."

Song Wei took Wen Wan’s small hand and shifted a few steps to the side.

Song Fang had already found her spot, ready to watch the fireworks.

With Xu Shu’s command, the servants lit the fuses one by one.

Bang, bang, bang...

After a series of explosions, the sky blossomed with a dazzling array of colors.

"So beautiful!" Song Fang said, looking up with a little face full of joy.

She had always wanted to see fireworks, and to think her first time watching them would be in the Capital.

"Not a bad gesture, right?" Xu Shu leaned in.

Song Fang extended a hand and pushed his head away, "Pah!"

"Hey, didn’t we agree not to quarrel tonight?"

"Who’s quarreling with you? Stay over there!"

Xu Shu: "..."

He shouldn’t have proactively tried to be nice, who are these people? Where did all those promises of gentleness, tenderness, consideration, and obedience go?

Growing up, he had never seen such a fierce woman. Marry a virtuous wife, whoever marries Song Little Sister, will surely have the worst luck for eight generations!

Thinking of this, he involuntarily glanced at Wen Wan.

In comparison, Xu Shu’s heart couldn’t help but twitch.