Chapter 96

No matter how turbulent the court is, the daily life of ordinary people continues as usual. As long as there is no war, there is minimal impact. Who sits in that position is something they can only passively accept, saving them from many troubles.

After the return of the group led by Wen Yuan, Leisure Summer Villa gained attention in the literary circle. Previously, it was wealthy merchants and businessmen who came for consumption, but with several waves of famous literati and scholars from Anchang County, Leisure Summer Villa’s style elevated even further.

Although the daily influx of customers was limited to a few waves, their spending was high. They rented high-end independent courtyards, dined on the manor’s premium cuisine, and indulged in various entertainments. Each wave of customers stayed for three to five days before returning.

Therefore, while the customer flow wasn’t large, Jing Yi earned quite a bit. This situation was the ideal scenario he had initially envisioned. Leisure Summer Villa aimed for a comfortable and elegant style, and too many people arriving like a swarm would ruin its charm.

If it came to that, he’d have to implement crowd control.

The Jing family enjoyed peaceful and contented days. Each had their own tasks to keep them busy, with a bit more attention given to Chuxia.

As Chuxia entered the later months of pregnancy, the whole family revolved around him. Jing Yi felt a bit burdened, but after talking openly with his family, expressing the potential psychological pressure Chuxia might face, some normalcy was restored.

For the business of the Ningxia Pavilion, Chuxia didn’t delegate it to others. Typically, Jing’s mother and Mother Lin would take turns, each spending a few days watching over the store or Chuxia.

As Chuxia’s belly grew, he couldn’t run to the shop often, only checking in occasionally. For other matters, he handled them efficiently from behind the scenes.

“Mother, Ah Yi, I plan to visit the store tomorrow. The soap factory has produced a new batch of medicinal soaps. I want to check the quality and review the previous accounts.” During dinner, Chuxia informed Jing Yi.

Jing’s mother nodded without saying much. Chuxia had already informed her in the afternoon, and now Chuxia’s condition was stable and good. Jing’s mother, being meticulous, wouldn’t hinder him.

Moreover, she planned to accompany Chuxia.

“All right, wait for me to come back tomorrow, and I’ll accompany you. I’ll arrange some matters at the villa in the morning and return.” Jing Yi picked up a shrimp and put it on Chuxia’s plate. It was river shrimp he specifically had someone buy at the pier—Chuxia loved it, and it was nutritious, benefiting both him and child.

“You go ahead. Mother will accompany me.” Chuxia was afraid of delaying Jing Yi’s important tasks, especially when the villa needed his attention.

“Don’t worry about delaying anything. Yesterday, the owner of the Embroidery Pavilion told me they’ve received a new batch of silk, better than the current products in the town. Soft and smooth, I heard it’s a high-quality product from Qingzhou Prefecture. I’ll take you to buy a couple of pieces to make some small clothes for our little one. I’ll also buy some high-quality fine cotton to make a few pieces. By the time the baby arrives, they’ll have good clothes to wear. A child’s skin is tender; we need to see how they adapt to this fabric. Our child must wear good clothes.”

“I understand, Husband. It’s also a good idea to buy some clean ordinary cotton cloth for diapers; we don’t need to alter old clothes for our child.”

“Absolutely. I also need to find time to go back to the village and talk to Jing Ming, urging him to make a baby crib sooner.”

At the dining table, the affectionate couple’s discussions about shopping lists expanded. Before long, Jing’s mother couldn’t resist joining the discussion about what to buy.

In the flickering candlelight, the family’s warm affection and anticipation filled the air.

The next day, after lunch, Jing Yi, seeing that the weather was good and the temperature had risen a bit, thought it was a suitable time to go out. After dressing Chuxia warmly, he took him to Embroidery Pavilion, accompanied by Renhe acting as both a bodyguard and a driver.

The leisurely journey was comfortable for Chuxia, who even took a short nap, resting against Jing Yi.

“Master, we’ve arrived at Embroidery Pavilion. Be careful getting off the carriage.” At the entrance of Embroidery Pavilion, Renhe lifted the curtain of the carriage and whispered.

Hearing this, Jing Yi agilely jumped off the carriage and immediately turned back, carefully holding Chuxia halfway down.

“Be careful, Husband,” Chuxia whispered softly.

“I’m being careful. I can carry you, so don’t worry about falling.” Jing Yi also whispered back softly.

Chuxia: Was I telling you to be careful about this? I meant to be cautious not to affect the surroundings. Forget it, let my husband pamper me.

Chuxia helplessly and indulgently said, “Okay, thank you, Husband.”

Just as the two were about to enter the shop, a commotion suddenly erupted on the street. A rough voice echoed, “Damn, two little sluts selling themselves and still pretending? I’m giving you face, understand!”

“Lai Da! Don’t think we don’t know what you’re up to! Our decision to sell ourselves to save our father has nothing to do with you!”

“Hey! You, the yellow-haired guy, dare to be arrogant here. I want to see who dares to buy you today to cure your dying old man!”

“You… You shameless!”

Hearing this, Jing Yi frowned. Chuxia, softened by his pregnancy, had become more empathetic. Unfortunately, today, just as they left, they encountered such a nasty incident. It seemed that Chuxia would be upset and angry soon.

As expected, Chuxia, upon hearing the commotion, showed concern and anger in his eyes. However, knowing his current heavy condition, he didn’t dare to act recklessly.

Following the noisy voices, several people turned their heads to see two people kneeling in the open space between two shops. One, about twenty years old, was looking at a girl. The other was a younger boy, both sharing a similar, delicate appearance.

The boy seemed to be one of the people from the earlier conversation. He was now flushed with anger. If not for his sister holding him back, he might have already started a fight with the tall and skinny dubious man in front of him.

In front of the kneeling siblings, there was a man lying on a straw mat, covered with a tattered quilt. His face was pale, and he looked about forty. He should be the father of the kneeling siblings and appeared to be seriously ill.

“Lai Da, my father rejected your marriage proposal, but now you’re hindering us. Are you trying to force my father to death?” The girl, looking gentle and meek, questioned the disreputable man sternly. However, her voice trembled, and her eyes showed both anxiety and despair.

“Sister! No need to talk to him! He’s just a scoundrel!”

“I advise you two, it’s better to yield now. There are benefits if you cooperate. Your father is about to die, so what’s the use of resisting? You, little lady, come with me, and you’ll enjoy a good life. As for your spirited little brother, I can find him a good place.”

With a sleazy grin, the man reached out to touch the girl’s waist.

“What are you doing! Don’t touch my sister!” The spirited boy, unable to bear it, rushed forward to push the man away.

“Brother!” The girl quickly stood up and pulled her brother behind her.

The man, feeling humiliated by being pushed the younger boy, staggered back a couple of steps. After regaining his composure, he seemed to realize that he had been provoked by a boy he looked down upon, which hurt his pride.

In an instant, his expression turned furious, and he cursed with vulgar language. He raised his big palm, intending to strike the young boy’s head forcefully. It seemed he was about to strike with full force.

Fortunately, the protective sister shielded her brother, and the slap landed on her shoulder.

The slap was quite heavy, and the girl let out a muffled groan. However, she held her brother tightly, refusing to let go.@@novelbin@@

“Sister!!!” The younger brother looked at his sister in shock and fear, mixed with resentment.

There were quite a few onlookers around, pointing and whispering, but no one stepped forward to help.

“Ah…Yi…” Chuxia couldn’t hold back anymore. His expression became anxious.

Naturally, Jing Yi couldn’t let Chuxia worry. He called out to Renhe, “Renhe, you’ve been taught martial arts for so long. Can you handle this ruffian?”

“Absolutely, he’s just showing off in front of the girl and her brother. Watch closely!” Renhe, also unable to tolerate the situation, spoke quickly. He took a few big strides and ran towards them.

Since the last incident, Jing Yi has been teaching them practical combat techniques. The men in the family were very eager to learn and quickly became proficient.

As Renhe approached, he first twisted Lai Da’s arm, exerting force to throw him into the middle of the road, away from the siblings, to avoid causing accidental harm.

Next, it was time for Jing Renhe’s performance – yes, a performance.

With just one move, Renhe could tell that this tall and skinny ruffian was a weakling at heart, only showing off his strength in front of those weaker than him. Faced with someone of equal strength, he was helpless and kept begging for mercy.

After a thorough beating, Jing Yi decided it was enough and instructed Renhe, “That’s about it. Take this fellow and his children to the clinic first. Saving lives is the priority.”

“Yes, Master!” Following the command, Renhe gave the scoundrel a final kick, then lifted the middle-aged man onto his back. The sister and brother helped him, and they quickly headed towards the clinic.

“Chuxia, not worried anymore? Let’s go inside and check out the fabrics.” Jing Yi embraced Chuxia and suggested.

At this point, Chuxia’s emotions had stabilized. He cast a disgusted glance at Lai Da, lifted his foot, and followed Jing Yi inside.

“You wait for me! You’ve offended Lai Da, and I’ll make sure you won’t have a good ending!” Lai Da, leaning against the wall, stared at Jing Yi and Chuxia with malicious intent.

Jing Yi couldn’t stand threats against his family, especially Chuxia. Hearing this, he gave Lai Da a cold look, frightening him to scurry away.