The Comeback of the Charming Farmer's Wife

The inn works at a quick pace, and once the dishes were served, Ye Zi’an noticed Yangyang wolfing down a plate of cabbage in front of him.

He looked at Yang Chuxia with a questioning gaze, as if to say, what’s with this kid?

Yang Chuxia shook her head slightly in response to the question. That was not something to discuss in front of him. To their surprise, Yangyang caught the exchange.

He huffed, "Handsome daddy, if you want to ask, just ask me directly."

"Oh? Then why are you only eating cabbage today?" Ye Zi’an asked, going with the flow.

"Mom said that the soldiers in the army eat stewed cabbage and radishes every day. If I want to be a soldier, I need to get used to the food there. Right, mom? That’s what you meant, isn’t it?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Yang Chuxia.

"Mhm." Yang Chuxia nodded. "That’s exactly what I meant. Joining the army is not an easy feat."

"Son, it’s not all about cabbage and radishes there; there’s also stewed beans and meat," Ye Zi’an chimed in upon hearing this.

Yangyang was momentarily speechless. "Handsome daddy, are you teasing me?" It’s all stewed, all tasting the same. "Hmph, mom, I just want to show you that I can do whatever others can do."

Ye Zi’an and Yang Chuxia exchanged glances upon hearing this, both thinking that their son was growing up too fast, making it impossible to fool him. She had merely intended to discourage the children from being picky eaters. When he kept talking about joining the army, she just went along with it, not expecting such a big reaction; he took her words to heart.

As for his brother’s naive determination, Lele didn’t want to say anything. With a table full of delicious food, Yangyang insisted on eating plain cabbage—the thought was foolish. Their mother was only speaking hypothetically, not really aiming to stop him from joining the army. Why was he taking it so seriously? Besides, they were only kids—joining the army was still a long way off.

After thinking it over, he changed the subject. "Mom, are we going to continue our journey tomorrow?"

"Ask your dad."

"So, dad, are we traveling tomorrow?" Lele turned to ask Ye Zi’an.

"We’re not traveling tomorrow; we’ll stay here for a day and continue the day after," he replied.

Yangyang’s eyes twinkled mischievously. "Handsome daddy, does that mean we can go out and play?" He rubbed his chin and added, "I want to go buy a gift for Uncle Qingtong."

"Brother, will you buy me a gift too?" Lele batted his eyelashes and asked.

"Of course... not!"

Lele laid down his chopsticks and spread his hands in resignation. "I knew it. Only the good-looking ones get gifts."

The next day

As Yang Chuxia and Ye Zi’an descended the stairs, they saw Lele and Yangyang already waiting at the dining table, with Linyu and Yunyun there too.

"Why are you up so early?"

"Of course," the two little buns said as they eagerly stepped forward, one on each side to support Yang Chuxia. "Mom, we’ll help you, be careful with your little sister."

Instantly, Yang Chuxia’s heart filled with warmth.

"Mom, I got up right in the middle of the 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. slot, and did horse-stance training in the harem with Uncle Ye Er. Brother has also been reciting books for half an hour," Yangyang proudly reported once Yang Chuxia had settled in.

"You and your brother are amazing!" With such self-disciplined kids, and her very own, Yang Chuxia couldn’t be happier.

Ye Zi’an also nodded with satisfaction.

"Did Linyu and Yunyun rest well last night?"

"Pretty good, as long as we don’t have to ride in the carriage," Linyu replied upon being asked. Xia Yun strongly agreed, "Riding in the carriage is really exhausting."

"Today we’re not hitting the road, so you don’t have to worry about the carriage," she assured them.