Chapter 52: Led astray by his son

Alright, her dishes had hooked the souls of these people.

Yuan Jiaqi couldn't help but start eating too. Every dish was too delicious.

Eating a few mouthfuls of meat, then a mouthful of cold salad, it was truly refreshing. This was the first time in his life he had eaten such a satisfying meal.

Chuan'er, sitting beside him, would occasionally pick up a piece of meat and put it in his little plate.

"Father, eat quickly. Auntie's skill is too good. You'll regret it for a lifetime if you don't eat."

Qiao Mai couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the others also laughed with their heads down. This child had been taught by Yuan Jiaqi to be a little genius.

Before it was dark, dinner was finished.

Yuan Jiaqi discussed the matters of teaching tomorrow with Chen Shi and Qiao Shi, and then wanted to leave holding Chuan'er. There were too many women; he really wasn't suitable to stay.

Qiao Shi packed a basket of various fruits and let him carry it away.

Chuan'er didn't want to go home yet. "Father, I still want to play with the brothers."

"Your Aunt Qiao has been busy all day, and she is also very tired. If we go home, she can rest earlier. If you want to play, tomorrow morning, when Father goes to teach them, after class, you can play at her house for a while."

"Father, do I have to follow along and learn too?"

"Of course. At your age, you should know characters. If you play while the brothers learn, do you think you can play on?"

"Definitely can't play on."

"So, good friends should play together and learn together. Do you understand sharing joys and sorrows?"

Chuan'er nodded heavily. "Understood, Father."

After speaking, he also glanced at the fruit basket. "We can eat for many more days."

"You little glutton."

"Auntie's cooking is really delicious. If only we could eat it every day, every meal, for a lifetime."

Yuan Jiaqi's heart stirred, and the idea of them father and son marrying into the Qiao family immediately popped up. This thought scared him so much that his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the water basin.

"Father, what's wrong with you?"

"No, nothing."

After speaking, his face turned red all of a sudden. If people knew that they father and son actually had this idea for the sake of a mouthful of food, would they laugh at him? It seemed he had been led astray by his son.

In the courtyard over there, Chen Shi also left with her son who had eaten until he was stuffed.

That basket of big dates was her gift, and the few bags of pastries were the father and son's gift. Neither came empty-handed.

The Lu family helped clean up the table, washed the bowls and chopsticks, and sat in the courtyard eating fruit and chatting.

"Really decided to let him teach?"

"Mm, but it's just enlightenment. Let him teach first, and we'll see to what extent the brothers can learn later."

Shopkeeper Lu picked a grape and put it in her mouth. "I say, sister, I think this young man is really not bad. You are now a female household head. Marry him into the house, have a man to love you, and you'll save some worry, won't you?"

"Here we go again. I said I'm not considering it for the time being."

"What if a good man is snatched away by someone else? Don't look at how he has no house or land, but he has a good appearance and can read. I guess he must be reluctant to part with the child, which is why he doesn't go out to find work. Otherwise, he would at least be an accountant, don't you think?"

"Let's not talk about this. Let's talk about my apprentice Ruxin. How is her marriage?"

"I am looking for her. If she can't even pass my level, let alone Ruxin's level."

"Remember, the other party's family must have good character. You can't just use rotten fish to make up the numbers. Just asking around isn't enough. Sometimes a donkey dung egg looks shiny on the surface; you have to see it for yourself to know if the inside is good."

"Don't worry. I'm not like those families who sell their daughters. Take what I said to heart, don't take it as nothing."

"Understood."

Shopkeeper Lu sat for a while and then left with her daughter and two maids.

Qiao Mai let out a long sigh of relief. She didn't expect that cooking and entertaining guests at home would be more tiring than running and boxing in the early morning.

She finally knew why housewives in the 21st century were yellow-faced women.

Turning around the stove all day, doing housework that looked not tiring but was actually more cumbersome than physical labor, it would be strange if they didn't look old.

She hurriedly let the brothers wash up and go back to the room to rest. She was tired, and these two little people weren't any better off than her.

That night, she didn't do anything. After feeding her daughter, she slept until dawn.

She got up and hurriedly washed up. The two sons had long since boiled water, cooked porridge in the pot, heated buns, and stir-fried a large plate of vegetarian dishes.

"Mother, are we still boxing?"

"Must box. First run twenty laps around our house, then box the fist technique twice."

"Yes, Mother."

Her three sets of fist techniques, the two children learned in half a month. Their memory and comprehension were quite good.

After boxing, the family of three started to eat.

"From now on, Chuan'er's father next door is your teacher. Follow him to study hard and learn well. Respect the teacher, and do whatever the teacher tells you to do."

"Yes, Mother."

"Mm, I've bought the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. They are on the table in the living room. Take them yourself when you use them."

"Thank you, Mother."

"I won't be back for lunch at noon. Keep the teacher at home to eat. It's inconvenient for him to bring a child. You have to cook and eat anyway, so eat together and they won't have to go home to cook again."

"Alright, Mother."

Qiao Mai nodded, hurriedly finished the bun in her hand, and hurriedly got busy with the items for the stall.

As soon as she pushed the goods away, Yuan Jiaqi next door brought Chuan'er over, and Chen Hao also ran out from his house toward the Qiao family.

The Fengyun brothers had already cleaned up the table. "Teacher, is it in the room or in the courtyard?"

"In the courtyard, it's brighter."

Just like that, Yuan Jiaqi began his teaching career at the Qiao family.

Reviewing the old to learn the new, don't look at the fact that he was teaching enlightenment knowledge, but experiencing it again personally would be different.

In a little while, the sound of reading aloud came from the Qiao family.

Chen Shi listened next door, her face happy like a flower.

She, who usually didn't go out, rarely carried a basket, came out of the house, locked the courtyard gate, and went to find Qiao Mai.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather was getting cooler in the morning and evening, and it wasn't very hot during the day. Qiao Mai's business wasn't as booming as before, but it wasn't bad either.

After setting up the goods, she sat down, ready to do embroidery.

Seeing Chen Shi coming, she didn't take out the embroidery, stood up, and greeted her.

"Sister Chen, out to buy groceries?"

"Yes, go to the market to see. When I came out, the children were reading. I was happy to hear it, so I wanted to come and tell you."

"When I left, Brother Yuan hadn't gone yet. Is he teaching already?"

Chen Shi was a widow, and Qiao Shi was divorced. Both were single. Inviting a male teacher to teach children at home, they had to avoid suspicion no matter what.

"Are you going back at noon?"

"No, let them fumble to eat at home. There is meat and vegetables. My son knows how to cook. It just so happens that it's inconvenient for Brother Yuan to cook with a child. When the children eat together, they will eat more and eat fragrantly."

"You really thought it through thoroughly. Are you avoiding suspicion?"

"Yes, it just so happens I set up a stall during the day, and he teaches children at home during the day. No one can say anything. Otherwise, if I were at home, wouldn't Brother Yuan be very embarrassed?"

Chen Shi suddenly leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear.

"Sister, I think you and his age are not much different. You are single now, and so is he. Why not just marry him into the house?"

Qiao Mai was between laughing and crying. "Why do you have the same idea as Sister Lu? I don't want anything now, I just want to earn more money. I haven't thought about remarrying or marrying in at all."

"I think he is quite good. Be careful, you'll miss the boat if you wait too long."

"Thank you, Sister Chen. I will consider this matter. What about you, sister? Are you not planning to marry again?"

"No, I'll just guard my Hao'er and live for a lifetime. Being alone is so comfortable, not controlled by the in-laws, not looking at people's faces. It's not easy to be relaxed, how can I find discomfort for myself again?"

Qiao Mai secretly complained in her heart. The ghost would believe your words. Maybe these words were to test herself.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 53 =====