Chapter 11
People nowadays followed the custom of "washing hair every three days, bathing every five days," and Qi Yun was no exception.
Although the Qi family couldn't compare to the wealthy households in the city, they were considered the most prosperous within ten miles around, with estates and shops, never lacking charcoal, and able to afford hot water.
Because Qi Yun sometimes experienced hot and cold spells, plus with the charcoal fire burning these days making the room warm, and Ye Jiao always watching him rest properly under blankets in bed, sometimes he would wake up covered in sweat, so Qi Yun would bathe more frequently.
But Qi Yun bathed at different times than Ye Jiao. His Jiao Niang liked to bathe in the evening, but Qi Yun always chose daytime to avoid catching cold after nightfall.
He would also choose times when Ye Jiao wasn't around. Today was the same. Usually at this time, Ye Jiao would be taking that pot of Stone Sprout Grass out to get some sun, but Ye Jiao had slept rather deeply this afternoon, perhaps tired from kicking shuttlecock, and hadn't woken up. So Qi Yun took this opportunity to call for water to bathe.
He knew his own body well. Born with deficiencies and physically weak, even with good care, though his height wasn't lacking, his body was somewhat thinner than ordinary men, though not alarmingly so.
If it were anyone else, Qi Yun wouldn't care how they looked at him.
But when it came to Ye Jiao, Qi Yun was particularly concerned about what she thought of him.
Until now, Ye Jiao had never really seen what this person looked like soaking in the bathtub.
Now she could see clearly, completely and thoroughly.
After Ye Jiao made that "so white" comment, Qi Yun instinctively grabbed the towel beside the bathtub and covered his lower abdomen with it.
Actually, Ye Jiao hadn't looked that carefully, her eyes had been wandering around the man's chest area. Only when she saw his movement did she look down, and then heard Qi Yun raise his voice slightly: "Jiao Niang!"
The little ginseng spirit didn't understand anything about propriety between men and women, nor did she know why Qi Yun was covering his belly.
But when she heard Qi Yun call her, Ye Jiao still stared at him with her beautiful eyes, smiling as she replied: "Husband, this is the first time I've seen you undressed." As she spoke, Ye Jiao moved closer, pulling up her sleeves and extending them to Qi Yun's shoulder for comparison. "Look, about the same."
Qi Yun instinctively looked over and saw a section of arm white as jade, but his own skin tone was an unhealthy pallor.
Both were white, but Jiao Niang's was beautifully jade-like, while his was thin as paper.
Ye Jiao's focus was on how her husband's neck looked good, his chest was flat, so different from hers, and his ears... eh, why were his ears red? Was the water too hot?
Just then, Qi Yun turned to look at her, his slightly upturned face directly facing Ye Jiao.
He had expected to see some shyness on this face, or disappointment at being unsatisfied with him, but all Qi Yun saw was a pair of clean, bright eyes, like a pond you could see straight to the bottom of.
...Yes, what was he thinking randomly about?
His Jiao Niang didn't understand anything, pure and innocent, not like him with his wild thoughts all day long.
But Ye Jiao's pure expression gave Qi Yun much more sense of security. His face showed a smile, his voice having the gentleness only present when speaking to Ye Jiao: "Jiao Niang, go wait outside for me. I'll be finished washing soon."
Ye Jiao always listened to his words. Upon hearing this, she immediately dropped her sleeves and turned to walk out from behind the screen.
Inside came the sound of water again, seeming to be the man getting out.
Ye Jiao had no curiosity about it, reaching out to take a red plum from the plate on the table and putting it in her mouth for a bite.
Hiss, sour.
But she didn't give up, determined to find a sweet one before stopping.
However, the little ginseng didn't like to waste. Having eaten dirt for so long, she had a devout and grateful heart toward any food. Even if it was sour, she ate it all up.
After a while, Qi Yun finished cleaning up. Someone would carry the water out, and the doors and windows of the outer room were opened for ventilation to dispel the moisture. The two of them went to the inner room.
Sitting on the couch side by side, Ye Jiao handed over the two plums she was holding: "Here."
Qi Yun wore sleeping clothes with a somewhat thick robe over them. Sitting beside Ye Jiao, he took the plums but didn't eat them immediately. Instead, he adjusted his mood and said gently: "Was everything well at Mother's this morning?"
Hearing this, Ye Jiao smiled and said: "Yes, Mother made almond cream, it was very delicious. I don't know when I can have another bowl. I wanted to bring some back for you, but Mother said she only made three bowls and would get some for you next time."
One bowl of almond cream had her remembering it so clearly. Qi Yun first smiled, but then his smile faded.
Before Ye Jiao could make out Qi Yun's expression, she saw the man smile again: "You don't need to always stay in the room watching over me. The sun is good today. Going out for a walk would be better than being cooped up inside."
Ye Jiao smiled back, her voice soft: "I'm not bored. I don't have anything to do when I go out, and it's quite dull. I'd rather come back and keep you company."
Qi Yun didn't know what ordinary women usually did, just recalling what Liu Shi liked to do, he said: "Embroidery?"
Ye Jiao was extremely honest: "I don't know how to do that," her voice paused, "but I can learn."
The little ginseng had always been especially enthusiastic about learning to be human.
Actually, as soon as Qi Yun said it, he regretted it. Ordinary common folk would be fine just making clothes. Embroidery was something most women didn't know how to do. Although Liu Shi had mentioned her family background, it was clear that Liu Shi's family circumstances had once been good, which was why she had excellent embroidery skills and enjoyed using needlework to pass time.
His Jiao Niang's family was poor, often not having enough to eat or wear. Naturally, she hadn't learned such things.
By asking this way, wasn't he hurting Jiao Niang's feelings?
This made Qi Yun quickly change the subject: "Embroidery is hard on the eyes and difficult to learn. Jiao Niang, you don't need to learn that. You can do something else."
Ye Jiao didn't know Qi Yun had thought so much, nor did she feel hurt anywhere. But hearing Qi Yun's words, Ye Jiao became interested: "Do what?"
Qi Yun looked around the room but didn't see much that could serve as entertainment.
Actually, Qi Yun knew quite a bit, having some understanding of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but none of these were easy to pick up.
After thinking carefully, Qi Yun said: "Give me time to think. After we have dinner tonight, I'll probably have thought of something."
Only then did Qi Yun notice the plums Ye Jiao had handed him.
Taking one and preparing to put it in his mouth, he discovered the plum wasn't completely whole, but had a small bite taken out of it.
This bite wasn't large, having broken through the red skin to reveal the yellow flesh, looking quite conspicuous.
Qi Yun looked at Ye Jiao with some surprise and saw his Jiao Niang smiling with her chin propped up, looking at him: "I tasted it first. This one is sweet and delicious."
Tasted?
Qi Yun looked down at the plum in his hand, then looked at her: "Why didn't you eat it?"
"I just ate three or four, all very sour. I only found these two sweet ones." Ye Jiao still propped her face up, looking at him expectantly.
Hearing this, Qi Yun remained motionless for a long time.
He needed to lower his eyes to hide the emotions within them, needed to press his lips together to conceal his joy.
Ye Jiao blinked, somewhat puzzled: "Husband, can't you eat things that have been bitten..." As she spoke, she reached out to take the plum back from Qi Yun's hand, thinking that being human was indeed very scholarly.
But Qi Yun slightly dodged, avoiding Ye Jiao's hand, and with his other hand gently gripped his wife's soft fingertips, his tone gentle: "Naturally I can't take what others have bitten, but I want what you've bitten." After saying this, he bit the plum in half.
Ye Jiao couldn't help but ask him: "Is it sweet?"
But Qi Yun wasn't looking at the plum. Instead, his eyes looked straight at her as he nodded: "Sweet."
Very sweet, like honey, sweet to the heart.
Ye Jiao smiled, stuffing her hand into Qi Yun's palm, not missing any opportunity to hold hands.
Qi Yun gripped her hand in return, looking at her smile, though Qi Yun himself didn't know what he was smiling about.
But after eating both plums, Qi Yun suddenly remembered: "Jiao Niang, you just ate three sour plums?"
Ye Jiao nodded.
Although Qi Yun knew Ye Jiao meant well, he still reached out to pinch her face: "Don't eat so many next time. Too many plums hurt the spleen and stomach. Tell the kitchen later not to serve poultry tonight."
Although Ye Jiao knew much about medicinal herbs, that was because she had originally grown in the deep mountains where spirit herbs walked around everywhere. As the king of tonics, Ye Jiao naturally recognized many of them.
But she knew very little about the interactions between foods.
She looked at Qi Yun with bright eyes: "Husband, you know all this?" Just as Qi Yun was about to say he learned it from books, he heard Ye Jiao's soft voice continue, "Husband is truly capable."
Previously when Qi Yun heard this, he would modestly deny it, but now having heard it often, Qi Yun had gotten used to it.
When Jiao Niang praised him, he just listened. He liked listening to it.
At this moment, there came a knocking sound, and Tie Zi's voice came in: "Second Young Master, Second Young Mistress, Manager Song from the wine shop is here."
Although Ye Jiao knew Qi Yun managed the wine shop and medicine shop business, she had never seen managers from either place come to the house.
Qi Yun wasn't surprised at all, calling out: "Have Manager Song wait for me in the study."
"Yes."
Ye Jiao reached out to grab his wrist, her fingertips moving slightly to press on his pulse, asking: "Can you go out?"
Qi Yun gripped her hand in return: "The doctor said I can go out now, just not at night to avoid catching cold. Daytime is fine."
Ye Jiao could feel that his health had improved considerably, but she didn't dare be careless. She ran to the cabinet to get a thick robe for him to wear, watched him arrange his collar and sleeves properly, then stepped back, thinking: "Should I go with you?"
Qi Yun rarely refused Ye Jiao, but this time he shook his head: "No need, Jiao Niang, you rest. You don't need to accompany me." But Qi Yun still explained carefully to Ye Jiao, "I called Manager Song here. I want to discuss wine shop matters with him. We'll be in the study and won't go far."
The little ginseng spirit tilted her head slightly: "Is there trouble at the wine shop?"
"The wine shop is fine, but continuing so tepidly isn't right. We need to plan better for the future." Qi Yun spoke while gently squeezing her palm. "I married you, so I can't live the same way as before."
After looking at the account books for so long, he finally had a plan. Things Qi Yun had been too lazy to think about before, he now prepared to consider more carefully.
His Jiao Niang loved to eat and play, so naturally he wanted to find ways to make her life better and better, so she wouldn't be so wistful over just one bowl of almond cream.
Jiao Niang had willingly eaten several sour plums to save him the sweet ones, so he also wanted to work hard to protect and care for her.
As he was about to leave, Qi Yun suddenly bent down and kissed Ye Jiao's head before striding out the door.
Ye Jiao leaned against the doorframe covering her head, looking somewhat puzzled at the man's hurried retreating figure.
This... was this some special way of saying goodbye?
The little ginseng spirit looked enlightened. Learning to be human was indeed a long process.