Since they didn’t have braised pork belly for dinner, they had braised big pork bones instead—plenty of meat, plenty of marrow. To balance the richness, they simmered a large bowl of Napa cabbage soup, making for a thoroughly satisfying meal.
The saying “food is the people’s heaven” is indeed true; when one eats well, their mood naturally becomes joyful.
The windows were wide open, as was the door, letting in a lukewarm evening breeze. After washing up, Bao Ning crawled into bed, shook out the mosquito net, and rolled up her trouser legs to apply fragrant balm to her legs.
“A-Yuan, A-Yuan!” Bao Ning called out loudly. She didn’t know where Pei Yuan had run off to, and he wasn’t listening. She raised her voice a bit more, “Pei Yuan!”
The sound of a dog barking came from outside. A moment later, Pei Yuan lifted the curtain and poked his head in: “What is it, Bao’er?”
“It’s already dark. Why aren’t you in bed? What are you doing out there?” Bao Ning patted her skin to help the balm absorb faster, lowered her left trouser leg, and rolled up the right one. “Hand me that small green bottle with the lotus leaf pattern from my dressing case. Come up in a bit, and I’ll apply some for you too.”
“I was helping you feed the dogs,” Pei Yuan said, shaking his hands. “Can’t let the bones go to waste, so I gave them to your dogs. Jixiang’s teeth are really something; he can even crunch through bone fragments. A-Huang isn’t as good; its teeth aren’t even as sharp as a chicken’s beak. I was worried it might crack a molar.”
He looked around for a cloth: “Where’s the hand towel? My hands are covered in grease; I can’t touch your things like this.”
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“Pked’v usw wpl y vsolz obkzl lyvkdt?” Jys Lkdt rwv yoyu vbl zlt cyzx yde vssj swv vbl byde nalyx, ryvvkdt kv sd. “Mbkdj ycswv oblal usw rwv kv. Psd’v zspl kv ytykd. Nspkdt vball vbkdtp kd sdl eyu—bso oypvlqwz.”
Gp pbl prsjl, pbl talo y ckv kaakvyczl: “Twaau wr yde qkde kv!”
“Rv’p dsv y xyvvla sq clkdt oypvlqwz sa dsv. Rq kv’p zspv, kv’p zspv. Rq kv nswze cl qswde, nswze usw pvkzz pyu kv oyp zspv?” Vlk Zwyd ayvvzle vbl oypbpvyde obkzl awxxytkdt vbaswtb kv, vbld vwadle cynj vs alypsd okvb Jys Lkdt. “Jlpkelp, R byhl xsdlu. Eypvkdt y qlo pnayrp sq nzsvb kp dsvbkdt. Psd’v dyt xl ycswv vbkp.”
Jys Lkdt tzydnle yv bkx wdbyrrkzu: “Ebs’p dyttkdt? Zsw’al vbl sdl vyzjkdt dsd-pvsr. Lso vbyv usw’al qwzz, usw byhl vbl ldlatu vs cl wdalypsdyczl.”
Vlk Zwyd bkpple, rskdvkdt y qkdtla yv bla: “Fxyzz osxld… pxyzz osxld vawzu yal ekqqknwzv vs aykpl!”
Jys Lkdt ktdsale bkx yde vwadle vs nyzz swv: “G-Ykyd, G-Ykyd! Ysvbla Nkw pyke pbl’p vyjkdt usw vs qkde y bwpcyde. Ebld yal usw vos tskdt vs Bdnzl Hbydt’p pbllr qyax? Rp kv plvvzle?”
Mbl zkvvzl zyxc nyxl vasvvkdt shla yde dwetle Jys Lkdt’p oykpv okvb kvp blye. Gp vblu “nbyvvle,” Vlk Zwyd qswde bkxplzq dltzlnvle. Tl eked’v wdelapvyde obyv pvaydtl oyu Jys Lkdt oyp nsxxwdknyvkdt okvb y pbllr; bl nswzed’v xyjl blyep sa vykzp sq kv. Gqvla pvydekdt vblal qsa y obkzl, bkp lmralppksd talo lhld eyajla.
Tl vwadle yde oyzjle swv, rwpbkdt vbl nwavykd ypkel okvb bkp pbswzela, yde pbswvle swvpkel qsa Ysvbla Nkw vs cakdt bkx y qalpb vsolz.
When the two dogs saw him come out, they thought he was coming to snatch their food. They gave him a low growl and scurried away with the bones in their mouths and tails between their legs.
Pei Yuan stood with his hands on his hips, fuming. Once Mother Liu brought the towel, he wiped his hands and returned to the room to lecture Bao Ning: “Those dogs of yours are just like you—little white-eyed wolves. No matter how good the things I give you are, it’s useless. Over a few pennies or a few bones, you turn your back on me in an instant.”
“Look at you, droning on and on. Before my grandmother passed away, she was just like you—always rambling.” Bao Ning put away the hand cream jar and reached for the face cream, but couldn’t find it. Realizing Pei Yuan hadn’t brought it to her yet, she hurriedly pulled back the curtain and called him, “Where is my celadon jar with the lotus pattern?”
“I’m looking for it!”
The little lamb curled up to sleep on the side.
Pei Yuan rummaged through Bao Ning’s dressing table and finally recognized the jar. He brought it over and tossed it to her: “What is this stuff?”
Bao Ning said: “Face cream. It’s aloe juice mixed with rose leaves and milk. It makes the skin fair.”
“Sit over here.” Bao Ning scooted over to make room for him. “Have you washed your face? I’ll apply some for you too. Look at how tanned you are—hardly any better than Chen Jia.”
Pei Yuan’s face darkened: “Can a man use this? What would that look like! It’s unseemly!”
“You old fogey, you need to learn to adapt.” Bao Ning tugged his sleeve to make him sit down, scooped a dollop of the sticky cream, and smeared it onto Pei Yuan’s face. “I read in a storybook that the great heroes of the martial arts world used to do this too. What are you embarrassed about? I’ll let you try it. If it works well, I’ll bring a jar for General Wei. I won’t ask for much—just two taels of silver from him.”
“Addicted to business, are we? Want to rob people?” Pei Yuan glanced at her, stiffly enduring her rubbing. “Where did you read that? What was the name of this ‘hero’ who smeared fragrant powder on his face?”
Bao Ning knelt in front of Pei Yuan, her fingers lightly pressing into his face. She said softly, “Pinggu Yidianhong!”
What kind of nonsense is that? Pei Yuan had never heard of it. He frowned: “Stop reading those ridiculous storybooks from now on!”
Bao Ning gave a soft huff: “Your face is too rough; I need to use more. Wait.”
Pei Yuan’s expression was extremely forced as he watched Bao Ning scoop out another large glob with her slender fingers and rub it onto his cheek.
The cold, slippery sensation made Pei Yuan shiver. He truly couldn’t stand it anymore and swiped Bao Ning’s hand away: “Take it away, take it away! What a weird substance. I don’t want it.”
“Look at you, so spineless. You don’t have the luck to enjoy good things.” Since Pei Yuan was so resistant, Bao Ning shook her head in disappointment and smeared the remaining cream from his face onto her own.
Such a fragrant balm—how could Pei Yuan not recognize its quality?
After she finished, her gaze fell upon Pei Yuan’s legs, and her interest was piqued again: “Look at your legs, so dark and rough. If you won’t do your face, let me rub your legs!”
“Ji Bao Ning, are you particularly bored today?” Pei Yuan had been sitting cross-legged, but seeing her target him, he hurriedly scrambled backward.
Bao Ning lunged at him. Pei Yuan couldn’t escape and shouted loudly: “Don’t rub that ghostly stuff on me! Don’t… don’t pull my leg hair!”
In Su Mingyou’s courtyard, she had locked the door early and had Xi’er stand guard at the entrance while she pulled Zhao Qian into the room.
“I have been waiting for you for a long time.” Su Mingyou leaned against the door, looking at Zhao Qian with tearful eyes. “I thought I would never see you again in this life… You don’t know how happy I am to meet you again.”
“Your Highness, Zhao Qian has come late and let you suffer!” As Zhao Qian spoke, he removed the maid’s outer garment and the hair ornaments, returning to his male appearance. He pulled Su Mingyou into a tight embrace, his lips pressing against her ear as he whispered, “Fortunately, the Crown Prince is magnanimous and benevolent, allowing us to be together again.”
Su Mingyou bit her lip, tears falling like rain.
Zhao Qian’s eyes held an indecipherable glint; there was no real emotion, only calculation, yet he looked at Su Mingyou with apparent tenderness.
He held her by the waist, led her to the soft couch, and stroked her cheek. He said softly: “The Crown Prince has shown us such great kindness; we must do something to repay him. The Fourth Prince’s Consort keeps the manor under very strict watch. We are the only eyes and ears placed beside the Fourth Prince; we must not let His Highness down. The Fourth Prince has lost power for now, but he has been plotting in secret for a long time. He harbors ill intentions, and by getting rid of him, we are defending the righteous path. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, we will be great contributors. Then, I will be granted a title, and you will marry me. We will be like a celestial couple, living a blissful life.”
Zhao Qian leaned in to kiss her red lips: “My Lady, don’t you agree?”
“Don’t call me ‘My Lady’ anymore,” Su Mingyou said, shaking her head. “I am no longer a consort.”
Zhao Qian then called her warmly: “Mingyou.”
“I’m here,” Su Mingyou answered with a smile. After they gazed at each other for a while, she said hesitantly, “But… what can we even do?”
When Pei Xiao had found her back then, he hadn’t given any explicit orders, as if he truly only wanted to fulfill the destiny between her and Zhao Qian. Su Mingyou knew this was his method of controlling people, yet she couldn’t help but feel grateful.
Su Mingyou thought that if Pei Xiao had made a clear exchange with her, she might have rebelled. But he was so gentle… she couldn’t resist Zhao Qian’s temptation, and the remaining conscience in her heart compelled her to do something for Pei Xiao in return. She knew of Pei Xiao’s ambition; she didn’t necessarily approve, but she was willing to sacrifice.
She wanted to be with Zhao Qian, she didn’t want to betray Bao Ning’s kindness, yet she also wanted to repay Pei Xiao’s favor.
Su Mingyou had her own internal scales of balance; she felt she could manage it.
Zhao Qian said: “I will live with you dressed as a woman. Tomorrow, inform the Fourth Prince’s Consort that I am a new maid you bought, named Qian’er.”
Su Mingyou nodded in agreement.
Zhao Qian continued: “It is like two armies clashing. When fighting a war, one must attack the front line and sabotage the rear. The Consort is the Fourth Prince’s rear; she is the camp where his army is stationed. The reason the Fourth Prince can focus on his ambitions now is largely because their relationship is harmonious. If the back courtyard isn’t on fire, he doesn’t have to be distracted.”
Su Mingyou’s eyelids flickered: “What are we going to do? Are we going to drive a wedge between them?”
“Don’t put it so harshly.” Zhao Qian held her, his breath lingering suggestively on her face. “It’s merely a test. If they can’t weather a small storm, they are destined to become two heartbroken people in the future. Just like Cao Pi and Zhen Mi—weren’t they sweet at first? But what happened later? Cao Pi had new loves, and how pitiful was Zhen Mi.”
“We are doing a good thing,” Zhao Qian coaxed her. “Besides, do you have anything else you can use to repay His Highness?”
Su Mingyou thought of herself and Pei Xiao; it was true—two heartbroken people. She found a justification for the wrong she was about to do. She nodded heavily.
“Mingyou truly is a clever woman.” Zhao Qian smiled. He stood up and slowly unbuttoned his collar. Su Mingyou’s face flushed as he slowly lowered his trousers.
“My heart only has you. Everything I do is for you and the child. Let’s be together for a lifetime, all right?”
Su Mingyou said softly: “All right.”
Zhao Qian stepped forward and embraced her tightly. His chin rested in the hollow of Su Mingyou’s shoulder, but his eyes looked out the window, searching for the courtyard where the Fourth Prince’s Consort lived.
Zhao Qian thought to himself: Women’s hearts are so soft and easy to trick.
I wonder if the one tomorrow will be the same.
The next morning, they had noodles with soybean paste, and Bao Ning got up early to prepare them.
The hand-rolled noodles were chewy and refreshing, paired with a savory topping made from pork leg meat with just the right amount of fat, sprinkled with crisp green cucumber shreds. The seasoning was perfect, and Pei Yuan devoured a large bowl in the blink of an eye. He had to go to the barracks to inspect the troops and wouldn’t be back for lunch, so Bao Ning packed a portion of fennel beans and two salted duck eggs for him. If the lunch at the barracks wasn’t to his liking, he could make do with the pickles.
Pei Yuan’s palate was getting pickier and pickier. She used to hear him brag about how he could make porridge out of wild herbs and tree bark, but now, if the food was even a little too salty or too bland, he would complain. If there wasn’t enough meat, he would complain.
Bao Ning watched his retreating back, thinking to herself: He’s like a big dog that’s hard to feed.
“Little Mistress, are you still going to Ruyi Tower today?” Mother Liu helped her back to the room, asking softly. “Xi’er from Madam Su’s room came this morning, saying Madam Su wants to see you about something.”
Bao Ning crouched by the window to touch the Chinese roses: “I heard her courtyard got a new little maid yesterday. She’s probably here to talk about that.”
The manor was only so big; if there was one more or one less person, Bao Ning would know.
“Little Mistress, please don’t blame me for being talkative,” Mother Liu frowned. “Madam Su living with us all the time… a week or so is fine, but for a long time, it’s bound to be inconvenient. She’s uncomfortable, and you’re uncomfortable. Also, I heard from Da Lin, who feeds the horses, that the new little maid looks… very foxy!”
Bao Ning looked up, meeting Mother Liu’s worried eyes. She knew what Mother Liu was afraid of—that Pei Yuan would be lured away.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she was interrupted by Jixiang’s frantic barking from behind.
Turning around, she saw Su Mingyou accompanied by the supposedly foxy-looking maid, standing gracefully at the courtyard gate. Both were beauties, a sight for sore eyes.
But Bao Ning saw the little maid clearly wink at her.
Bao Ning felt inexplicably disgusted and couldn’t help but shiver.
Note from the Author: Daily life of the young couple:
“If it’s lost, it’s lost. If it could be found, could you still say it was lost?” This sentence really makes sense.
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Go shut it down, Ning Ning!! 💪💪
I got confused by the Ning Ning for a moment. I thought you were reading “After Rebirth, I was Entangled by a Second Generation Rich Guy Again” again. Coz the FL there is also a Ning (Anning)
Oh yes! I think you wrote the Pei Yuan called Bao Ning, Ning Ning, once and I thought it was cute 😍