Chapter 87

Huang Zilan was in a great mood after receiving positive news from the workshop.

However, Huang Hao remained concerned about it and found a time to meet while Liao Tingyu was attending a class.

Huang Hao inquired, “How have you been feeling lately?”

Huang Zilan nodded, “Not too bad.”

“I heard from the housekeeper that you’ve taken over the business. Last time, I saw members of the Wang family leaving your husband’s house. What’s going on?” Huang Hao observed his nonchalant expression and felt as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof.

“What else can I do? I just married someone outstanding, and naturally, he’ll attract attention,” Huang Zilan replied.

Huang Hao was baffled by how casually he could speak when someone was plotting against him. Wasn’t this a matter of concern?

This could impact the quality of his life!

Thinking this, Huang Hao believed there were too few people like Liao Tingyu in the world.

Huang Zilan paid no attention to his self-praise.

“Is this the reason you came to see me today?” Huang Zilan asked.

“Of course! I’ve been worried sick. Recently, you’ve taken sudden actions against the Wang family. I knew they must have had some ill intentions.”

“What can I do?”

“Their shop’s business has directly decreased by 30% recently, and all the new products launched are fabric-based.”

Huang Hao scrutinized him, seemingly implying that he thought he was a fool.

“These products weren’t made by me; it was Zilan,” Huang Zilan took a bite of his food and found it delicious.

“The chef’s skills have been improving quite a bit lately.”

“Forget the food. How did you manage it?” Huang Hao expressed his dissatisfaction.

Huang Zilan looked at him intently, nibbling his chopsticks, and replied, “He provided the patterns to the dyeing master. I merely accompanied him to the workshop.”

“He can actually dye fabric?” Huang Hao was taken aback.

Huang Zilan confirmed, “Yes! He even made the recently released beggar’s chicken, as well as your favorite braised dishes.”

“Ah!” Huang Hao’s agitated mood calmed down.

He suddenly recalled the business matters, “Leaving everything else aside, I need to know why you’ve taken over the business suddenly. Has something happened between you two?” Huang Hao’s mind was filled with unfavorable assumptions, and he realized that maybe those thoughts were not entirely incorrect.

The same was true for his wife. Even though she had a shop as her dowry, she hardly concerned herself with the shop’s affairs. Her responsibilities were limited to checking the accounts every month.

Wealthy families typically preferred their wives not to venture out and engage in public activities, let alone manage other people’s things.

Huang Hao pondered and advised, “Cousin, you’re the business maven, and he’s a scholar. While he may not be overly concerned with scholarly matters, he does have his own pride. Even if he doesn’t mind the opinions of others, he may make thoughtless remarks. Your most significant role is to manage the household affairs.”

“In his household, I’m the only one,” Huang Zilan replied. “Apart from Liao-xiucai, who’s 19, the others are all in their 30s or 40s. I understand your concerns about me, and I also realize that influential families dislike their wives interfering too much. So, I’ve pretended to be unassuming from the beginning. You know, it’s exhausting. I’m not the kind of person who acts coquettish.”

Huang Hao fell silent as he heard this. He wished his cousin were a man.

“Miss Wang gave me a valuable piece of advice,” Huang Zilan continued. “I can’t rely solely on him. If I put all my faith in him, then my father’s teachings would go to waste.”

“But what if you risk breaking this independent family?”

Huang Zilan knew what he wanted to say, and he was determined not to allow that to happen. He was confident it wouldn’t.

“Tingyu is not that kind of person. I’ve tested him in many ways. He’s willing to let me into his study completely. He’ll give me his prescriptions without hesitation. No matter what I want to do, he wholeheartedly supports me.”

“Liao-xiong is truly exceptional. I believe in him as well.”

Huang Hao didn’t know what to say. After all, he wasn’t one of the parties involved, and he couldn’t fully comprehend the emotions between them. In such circumstances, he chose not to say anything more.

“I trust your judgment. Zilan, you must be happy. Your cousin will always stand by your side.”

Huang Zilan smiled and responded, “Okay, thank you, cousin.”

On the way back, Huang Zilan gazed at the familiar scenery around him. It was where he had his first date with Liao Tingyu, where he set a river lantern afloat for the first time and made a wish. If he had the opportunity to participate in this year’s Lantern Festival, he’d make more wishes and set out more river lanterns.

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Liao Tingyu visited his parents’ home after his class today.

“Mother, I want to talk to you about something very important.”

Mother Deng looked at him with curiosity and asked, “What’s this all about? Is it regarding your wife?”

Liao Tingyu nodded, and Mother Deng held back and said, “Indeed, you forgot about your mother once you had a wife. Since we’re talking about your wife, there’s no need to discuss it.”

“Mother, I…” Liao Tingyu barely got a word out before Mother Deng continued, “I understand that you and your wife share a deep bond. As for us, the Liao family, we don’t place many expectations on you. We simply hope you’ll have a child soon. The Liao family has a history of having difficulty with childbirth, so we should act promptly.”

Liao Tingyu was taken aback and, given the misunderstanding, couldn’t even promise anything, so he awkwardly laughed it off.

Seeing his reaction, Mother Deng decided not to delve into what had transpired.

Innumerable times, Mother. Deng had developed a dislike for her youngest son. Meanwhile, she grew fonder of her eldest grandson, who was becoming increasingly dutiful.@@novelbin@@

The eldest grandson was teething, and she considered making a teething stick for him.

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Although Huang Zilan asserted that he was confident about Liao Tingyu, he still had some concerns about mother Deng. After several months, it appeared that everything remained as it was before.

With this realization, Huang Zilan completely opened up in front of Liao Tingyu, and Huang Hao noticed that the two of them were even more in love than before.

When people gossiped, Liao Tingyu would reply, “You don’t need to be so envious. After all, you can’t secure such a wealthy and capable wife with your abilities.”

Or he’d say, “I can’t help it. My wife is too formidable. His capacity to earn money is far beyond mine. Marrying him is a blessing I must have accumulated over multiple lifetimes.”

“Being able to live off someone else means I’m quite handsome. In contrast, my brother can only endure hardships, and he has to work even harder.”

“By the way, brother, would you like me to ask my wife to arrange some different patterns for your clothes? You’re currently not fashionable.”

After these remarks, the townsfolk came to understand that this man was completely devoted to his wife. Many of them had once harbored the hope of a similar fortune for their children.

As a result, matchmakers began proposing marriages through various means, but Liao Tingyu’s parents swiftly turned them away. When the matchmaker heard about this, they immediately rejected Liao Tingyu’s proposals as well.

Now the two of them were basking in the love of an unmarried couple, blissfully content with each other.

However, some individuals were not prepared to give up yet, especially after Huang Zilan hadn’t conceived a child in a year and a half. They had expected to secure a good husband through this union but ended up disappointed.

Mother Deng was tempted to reveal the truth several times but ultimately refrained from doing so.

Time had flown by, and the two young students had been studying under Liao Tingyu for over two years. When the time came for the Tongsheng Examination, Liao Tingyu decided to let his two young students try for the exam.

These children had already tackled previous examination questions for a child level, and he believed they should perform well. However, their parents were not entirely convinced.

While they wanted their children to take the exam, they were a bit uncertain. They felt that they should provide additional tutoring to boost their children’s confidence for the upcoming exams.

For this reason, Zhang Yi and Yang Shu invited Liao Tingyu to a restaurant for a meal and presented him with a generous red envelope.

Liao Tingyu considered it and thought that making up for the missed lessons would be fine. After all, there was nothing wrong with reinforcing their knowledge, so he agreed.

The two children were overjoyed when they learned that they would spend a few more hours studying at the Teacher’s house every day.

Liao Tingyu watched the two enthusiastic children and understood their eagerness. He allowed them to eat first and then organized a test for children that he had designed based on the content they had studied. He aimed to identify their weaknesses and provide additional support to strengthen their understanding.

“Teacher, we’ve finished the test. What should we do now?” Yang Wenhao put down his pen and asked with anticipation.

“How about you recite the lesson again?” Liao Tingyu joked.

The two children shook their heads and gazed at him with pitiful eyes. “No, Daddy said we will recite and read books againat home. Teacher, we want to have egg pancakes.” Their eyes, brimming with longing, resembled abandoned puppies.

“I’m preparing for an exam, and you’re already thinking about food. Your dad asked me to give you additional lessons. Consider how hard your dad works to earn money. Study diligently and make progress every day.”

During each lesson, the children heard stories about their father, who often went to great lengths to secure their education.

Liao Tingyu smiled and attentively listened to their stories, offering guidance on the reasons behind their parents’ actions and subtly imparting lessons in filial piety.

However, a delightful aroma wafted through the air, prompting the two children to abandon their teacher. They rushed to Huang Zilan like the wind, imploring, “Liao Fulang, you’re much better than the teacher. This plate is quite heavy; let us help you carry it.”

In reality, it contained only seven or eight pieces of egg pancakes, and the two children wanted to eat them but didn’t have the chance often, so they savored them at their teacher’s home.

“Liao Fulang, your cooking skills are getting better and better, and your dishes are becoming more and more delicious,” Yang Wenhao sweetly remarked.

Zhang Dewu quickly agreed, “Absolutely, Liao Fulang, you’re the best to us.”

“Does that mean I’m not good to you two?” Liao Tingyu teased while taking a piece.

Seeing one piece missing, the two children felt a pang of heartbreak. Yang Wenhao forthrightly stated, “Master, you’re good, but not when it comes to sharing your food with us.”

“So, what if I snatch it? This isn’t yours; my wife made it for me.”

Upon hearing Liao Tingyu’s words, Huang Zilan felt he was going a bit overboard and remarked, “Why are you saying such things in front of the children? Finish eating and then get back to your tasks.”

Liao Tingyu looked at him plaintively, but Huang Zilan was unfazed. “Be honest! Why do you keep making things up? Now, come on, let me feel this face, it’s getting thicker day by day.”

Huang Zilan touched the face that was several years older than his age, reflecting that it remained so soft and smooth, which meant the skincare products he had developed were not in vain.

The two children could only observe the two affectionate individuals who were incessantly displaying their love and left understandingly.