Chapter 52 - 52: Misguided by His Son

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

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

Yuan Jiaqi could not help but start eating. Every dish was too delicious.

He ate a few mouthfuls of meat and a mouthful of salad. It was really refreshing. This was the first time he had eaten such a satisfying meal in his life.

Chuan’er, who was sitting beside him, would put a piece of meat on his plate from time to time.

“Dad, quickly eat. Auntie’s cooking is too good. If you don’t eat it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Qiao Mai could not help but laugh out loud. The others also laughed out loud. This child had been taught by Yuan Jiaqi to be a smart person.

Dinner was finished before the sky turned dark.

After Yuan Jiaqi told Madam Chen and Madam Qiao about tomorrow’s lesson, he was about to carry Chuan’er away. There were too many women, and it was really not suitable for him to stay.

Madam Qiao put all kinds of fruits into a basket and let him take them back.

Chuan’er did not want to go home yet. “Dad, I still want to play with my friends.

“Your Auntie Qiao has been busy all day. She’s also very tired. Once we go back, she can rest early. If you want to play, tomorrow morning, when Father goes to teach you all. You can play at their house for a while after class.”

“Father, do I have to learn it too?”

“Of course. At your age, you should be able to read. If you play and your friends study, do you think you can continue playing?”

“I definitely can’t continue playing.”

“So, if you want to play, play together. If you want to learn, learn together.”

Chuan’er nodded heavily. “I know, Daddy.”

After saying that, he glanced at the fruit basket. “I can eat it for a few more days.”

“Little gluttonous cat.”

“Auntie’s cooking is really delicious. If only I could eat it every day for the rest of my life.”

Yuan Jiaqi’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately thought of the idea of the father and son entering the Qiao family. This thought scared him so much that his hands trembled and he almost dropped the basin.

“Father, what’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

After saying that, his face turned red. If people knew that the father and son had such thoughts for the sake of food, they would laugh at him. It seemed that he had been led astray by his son.

In the other courtyard, Madam Chen also pulled her son who had eaten too much and left.

The basket of dates was her gift, and the few packets of snacks were the father and son’s gifts. All of them did not leave with empty hands.

The Lu family helped clean up the table and washed the dishes. They sat in the courtyard, eating fruits and chatting.

“Have you really decided to let him teach?”

“Yes, it’s just the basics. Let’s teach them first. In the future, we’ll see how far the two brothers can learn.”

Shopkeeper Lu plucked a grape and put it in his mouth. “I say, Sister, I think this young man is really not bad. Now that you’re a woman, you can recruit him into your house. With a man doting on you, you can save yourself some effort, right?”

“Here we go again. I said I wouldn’t consider it for the time being.”

“What if a good man is snatched away by others? Don’t ignore him just because he doesn’t have a house or land, but he looks good and can read. I guess he must be reluctant to leave his children, so he doesn’t go out to find work.

Otherwise, he would at least be an accountant. What do you think?”

“Let’s not talk about this. Let’s talk about my disciple, Ruxin. How’s her marriage?”

“I’m trying to look for candidates. If he can’t even get past me, let alone Ruxin.”

“Remember, the other party must have a good character. You can’t just ask around. Sometimes, you have to go and see for yourself to know if they’re good on the inside.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not like those families who sell their daughters. Take note of what I’m telling you. Don’t take it lightly.”

“Got it.”

Shopkeeper Lu sat for a while and left with her daughter and two servant girls.

Qiao Mai let out a long sigh of relief. She did not expect that cooking and entertaining a guest at home would be more tiring than running and boxing.

She finally understood why the housewife of the 21st century would look old. It would be strange if she did not look old when she was doing chores that were more complicated than physical labor.

She quickly asked the brothers to wash up and go back to their rooms to rest. She was tired, and these two little people were not any better than her.

That night, she did not do anything.

The next day, she got up and quickly washed up. Her two sons had already boiled water. There was porridge in the pot, steamed buns, and a large plate of stir-fried vegetables.

“Mother, do you still want to practice martial arts?”

“We have to train. First, we’ll run twenty laps around our house, then we’ll practice the same set of fist techniques twice.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The two children had learned her three sets of fist techniques in half a month. Their memory and comprehension were very good.

“In the future, Chuan’er’s father will be your teacher. You should study well with him. You must respect your teacher and do whatever he asks you to do.” “Yes, Mother.”

“The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are all bought. They are on the table in the living room.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Mother won’t be coming back for lunch at noon. You can ask your teacher to eat at our home. It’s not convenient for him to take care of a child. No matter what, you have to cook for dinner.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Okay, Mother.”

Qiao Mai nodded and quickly finished the steamed bun in his hand. Then, he quickly started to prepare the items for the stall.

As soon as she pushed the goods away, Yuan Jiaqi, who was next door, came to the door with Chuan’er. Chen Hao also came out of his house and ran to the Qiao family.

The brothers had cleared the table .”Sir, are we studying in the house or in the courtyard?”

“Let’s go to the courtyard. It’s brighter.”

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

Revisiting the old and learning the new, even if it was just basic knowledge, they would be different if one were to experience it again.

After a while, the sound of reading came from the Qiao family’s house.

Madam Chen was listening to the conversation next door. Her face was as happy as a flower.

She, who usually did not go out, rarely carried a basket. She left the house, locked the courtyard door, and went to look for Qiao Mai.

After August 15th, the weather gradually cooled in the morning and evening. It was not very hot during the day. Qiao Mai’s business was not as prosperous as before, but it was still not bad.

After arranging the goods, she sat down and prepared to do the embroidery.

Seeing that Madam Chen had arrived, she did not take out her embroidery work and stood up to greet her.

“Sister Chen, are you out to buy vegetables?”

“Yeah, I went to the market to take a look. When I came out, the children were reading. I was happy to hear that, so I wanted to tell you.”

“When I left, Big Brother Yuan hadn’t even gone yet.”

Madam Chen was a widow, while Madam Qiao was divorced. Both of them were considered single. If they invited a male gentleman to teach their children, they had to avoid suspicion.

“Are you going back at noon?”

“No, let them cook at home. There’s meat and vegetables. My sons can cook. It’s not convenient for Brother Yuan to cook with the children.’

“You’re really thoughtful. Are you avoiding suspicion?”

“Yeah, it just so happens that I’m running a stall during the day and he’s teaching the children at home during the day. No one can say anything.

Otherwise, if I’m at home, how awkward would Brother Yuan be?”

Madam Chen suddenly leaned over and whispered a few words into her ear.

“Sister, I see that there’s not much of a difference in age between you and him.

You’re single now, and so is he. Why don’t you just get together with him?”

Qiao Mai did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Why do you have the same thoughts as Sister Lu? I don’t want anything now. I just want to earn more money. I’ve never thought of remarrying or finding a husband.”

“I think he’s quite good. Be careful to not lose this chance.”

“Thank you, Sister Chen. I’ll consider this matter. Then, Sister, don’t you plan on remarrying?”

“No, I’ll just stay by my Brother Hao’s side for the rest of my life. I’ll be more comfortable alone. I won’t be controlled by my in-laws and won’t have to consider other people’s opinions. It’s not easy for me to be free.”

Qiao Mai cursed in her heart. ‘Who would believe you? Maybe vou’re just testing me..’