My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 108p1

Chapter 108p1:

The wind and snow fell, and another winter had come. Xu Zhizhou did not have to worry about the winter business, with the hot pot and the sugar workshop to support him. He was thinking of buying the villa of the wife of the director of the Ministry of Rites, but he was afraid that he didn’t know the ropes and had asked Xie Cang to go with him.

Xu Zhizhou first got on the carriage and then went to the Xie residence. When he arrived, Xie Cang was wearing a cape and waiting for him. He held a bed warmer after he came in.

“I’ll have to trouble you this time, Xie Cang,” Xu Zhizhou said, and poured him a cup of hot tea.

“No trouble. You can just treat me to dinner tonight. I have nothing to do at home anyway,” Xie Cang said, taking a sip of the hot tea.

Xu Zhizhou: “Alright, you can have whatever you want to eat.”

When they reached the villa, a steward came to greet them. “The madam has already told me. Please come this way, Song Furen.”

Xie Cang followed Xu Zhizhou and looked around. He saw a few conspicuous places. The villa was not bad and was very large. Xu Zhizhou saw that there were several rooms. In the courtyard, there was a pond and also a stream that had been diverted from the mountains. Many fruit trees had been planted.

The steward brought over a fruit platter. “Please have some, Song Furen, and this Furen. Our madam has taken good care of this villa. If it weren’t for the financial difficulties at home, she wouldn’t have thought of selling it.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded and then went back to the carriage with Xie Cang. He said the name of a teahouse. It was still early, so they would go there to pass the time first and then go to a restaurant for dinner.

When they reached the restaurant, Xie Cang said, “That villa is not bad. The price you mentioned is also reasonable. It seems that their family is selling it because of financial difficulties. You can go for it.”

Xu Zhizhou’s face lit up with joy. “That’s great. Thanks to you this time.”

Xie Cang ate a little of the tea and snacks and was a little proud. “I’m still good at these things.”

Xu Zhizhou talked with Xie Cang for a while more and suddenly heard a noisy sound from below. Xie Cang opened the window and saw a group of three or five scholars coming to the teahouse. They looked young.

“The metropolitan examination is next spring. Many of the candidates have come at the end of this year. They can’t even celebrate the New Year. They’ll first find a place to live in the capital and then study.”

Xu Zhizhou: “My husband did the same back then. He didn’t come back for the New Year that year.”

Xie Feng and Song Changxu had both changed their destinies through the imperial examination. They naturally had a sense of reverence for it. Even Xie Cang and Xu Zhizhou had a deeper understanding of it.

After they had passed the afternoon, Xu Zhizhou took Xie Cang to a small restaurant in the evening.

“My husband told me that although this shop is small, the taste is not bad.”

There were not many people in the shop now. The assistant brought them a pot of hot tea. Xu Zhizhou handed the menu to Xie Cang. “I said I’m treating. You can order.”

Xie Cang ordered four dishes and a white fungus soup. Both families had some money, but they couldn’t order a whole table of food. The two of them ordered within their means.

The assistant took the menu and went to prepare. They sat for a while, and more and more people came. Xie Cang sized up the small restaurant. There were eight tables in total. The shop was very small, but it had everything.

He saw a few familiar faces, and several officials.

Xie Cang thought that Xu Zhizhou had said that Song Changxu had recommended the restaurant. It seemed that many officials came here to eat.

When the food arrived, Xie Cang’s eyes lit up. It was the taste of authentic home-cooked dishes.

Now, it was rare for a restaurant to be able to make such an authentic taste. After eating at restaurants for so long, he felt that all the dishes tasted the same.

After he had finished, Xie Cang remembered this restaurant. In the future, he could also bring his husband here to eat.

After the two of them had finished their meal, they took a carriage to send Xie Cang home first. Xu Zhizhou went back to his residence to get some bank notes. He counted a few of them. He would buy the villa tomorrow.

Xu Zhizhou thought of owning a villa and couldn’t help but be happy. The feeling of buying a villa was different from buying a house. Buying a house was for comfort and a sense of security, while buying a villa was purely to improve one’s life.

The villa had mountains and water. If his parents wanted to plant some vegetables and grain, they could also go to the villa to do so. In the summer and winter, they could also go there to rest for a while.

In the future, they would grow grain, poultry, vegetables, and fruits at the villa, so they wouldn’t have to buy them from outside. Now that he thought about it, there were still benefits.

After Song Changxu returned home, he had dinner. He was warming himself by the fire with his parents. A moment later, Xu Zhizhou came to his side and took a rattle-drum to tease Taotao.

“Have you settled the matter of the villa?” Song Changxu asked.

Xu Zhizhou handed the rattle-drum to Taotao. His brow relaxed. “Xie Cang said there’s no problem with the villa. I plan to go and talk to the wife of the director of the Ministry of Rites tomorrow and buy it.”

Song Ye: “The house is already big enough. Why buy a villa in the outskirts?”

There were still several rooms that were not occupied. The older generation felt that it was a waste to buy such a large courtyard and then another villa.

Xu Zhizhou explained patiently.

Hearing that he could plant grain and vegetables, and raise livestock, and that he wouldn’t have to go to the market to buy vegetables in the future, Song Ye’s eyes lit up.

“In that case, it’s a good thing,” Song Ye was quickly convinced.

Liang Su held Taotao and coaxed him. “Zhizhou and Changxu are both people with their own ideas. You should interfere less in their affairs.”

Song Ye: “I’m just asking.”

Song Changxu held Xu Zhizhou’s hand to warm it by the fire. “Since there’s no problem, we’ll buy it tomorrow. The money we save can be used to buy other things.”

Xu Zhizhou answered. He was already a little impatient.

He hadn’t held his child today. Xu Zhizhou took him from Liang Su’s hands and held him up. “Taotao is heavier than before.”

Liang Su: “Children grow the fastest when they’re young. They stop when they’re seventeen or eighteen.”

“When I was drinking tea with Xie Cang today, I saw that there were many scholars who had come to the capital. I thought of the time when my husband also came to the capital.”

Song Changxu recalled, “That’s right. The wind and snow on the road were very heavy. Fortunately, the clothes I brought were thick enough. Otherwise, I would have caught a cold.”

The medical care in ancient times was poor. If one caught a cold and was not treated properly, it could easily be life-threatening. Song Mingyan was warming himself by the fire. Xu Cheng said, “If my uncle gets sick now, I can check his pulse and prescribe medicine for him.”

Song Changxu patted his head. “Then thank you, little doctor.”

Xu Cheng shook his head happily. “I’m not yet skilled. My master said I still need to practice. When I’m better, I can check my uncle’s pulse.”

“Have you checked anyone’s pulse now?” Song Changxu asked.

Xu Cheng: “After my master has checked the pulse, he lets me do it again. Sometimes the result is very different from his.”

“But I will study hard and be a good doctor in the future.”

Song Mingyan’s eyes were filled with a smile. He was always very satisfied with Cheng Ge’er. The family was warming themselves by the fire in a harmonious and happy atmosphere. Xu Cheng took a grape to eat, and then handed one to Taotao.

Taotao was not afraid of him at all. He grabbed the grape, squeezed it hard, and his hand was full of purple juice, which trickled down his fingers.

Liang Su quickly took a cloth to wipe it. Taotao was still holding the grape and kept squeezing it.

Xu Cheng was dumbfounded. The grape in his hand was no longer fragrant.

Xu Zhizhou took the flattened grape from his son’s hand. Taotao grabbed his palm. He was a little unhappy to find that there was no slippery feeling.

Song Changxu: “You’re so naughty, playing with fire and water.”

The wet nurse said, “Old madam, you can give the young master to me. I’ll take him to wash up and change his clothes first.”

Liang Su answered. When Taotao was being carried away, he lay on the wet nurse’s shoulder and stared at them, still babbling.

Song Changxu: “He’s like a little devil.”

“Children are like this. It’ll be fine when they’re older,” Liang Su said.