The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 457 We can't let her mouth go hungry.

The weather is unpredictable, and the weather is often cloudy or sunny.

The copper bells on the eaves rang and then fell silent, swallowing the fine rain of three nights. In a corner of the courtyard, a trellis of roses silently climbed over the roof tiles.

The crisp sound of the abacus clicking away was Ning Suchan checking the accounts prepared by Yu Tingwan.

Yu Tingwan sat opposite her, twirling a calligraphy brush in her hand, and sighed, "I've been under too much pressure lately."

Ning Suchan said calmly, "The governor's wife is a notoriously wicked mother-in-law. She got a daughter-in-law before the new year who didn't meet her expectations, so she set rules for her every day. Not only did she have to pay her respects to her mother morning and evening, but she also deliberately mistreated her."

She didn't slow down her hand movements.

"The bride trembled before her and dared not speak loudly."

Ning Suchan: "And you?"

Yu Tingwan placed her hands obediently on her knees and said softly, "I'm also very nervous, afraid that there might be a mistake in the ledger."

Ning Suchan asked directly, "Last time you made a careless mistake and I was thinking of using a ruler, but you ran away faster than anyone else and turned around with a smile. Do you remember what you said to provoke me back then?"

Yu Tingwan blinked and answered honestly.

"Mother-in-law, come and chase me!"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

But she quickly explained.

How did I provoke them?

“I meant well. Running can also improve your health, which is good for you, Mother-in-law.”

He was genuinely good to her.

It's infuriating, really!

Ning Suchan: "I wanted to yell at you later. What did you do then?"

She ran back again and thoughtfully poured Ning Suchan a glass of water.

Yu Tingwan: "I'm afraid you'll get thirsty from scolding me."

She couldn't help but express her heartfelt gratitude: "I really envy you for having such a considerate daughter-in-law."

Ning Suchan: ...

Really.

She raised Wei Zhao too strictly, and outsiders envied the ambitious young master of the Duke of Shun's mansion who didn't need much attention, which led to her retribution.

Her makeup was still impeccable, but her brows and eyes had lost some of their sternness, and her gaze had softened: "Did I put pressure on you?"

"Not to mention anything else, the Hu family across from the Ningguo Marquis's mansion, the young master of the Hu family remarried as soon as his first wife died. His second wife was his cousin whom he had long admired, who was his mother Madam Hu's own niece. They were very close, but three years have passed and they still have no children. Not only does her husband complain, but even her mother-in-law has changed her attitude."

Ning Suchan: "If it wasn't me, could it be Guizhi who put pressure on you? But he mentioned to me that he wasn't in a hurry to have children."

As long as the Ying family remains in power, the Duke of Shunguo's mansion cannot have any good news.

Yu Tingwan was rarely speechless: ...

Ning Suchanzhen talks too much these days.

— With a creak.

Water dripped from the umbrella, as if an old woman were handing it to a maid outside the door, who then pushed open the door, still damp from the rain.

"I wonder when this rain will stop."

As the old woman said, "The peonies planted in the garden last year are delicate and cannot tolerate waterlogging, so they are prone to rotting. I'm afraid they will be difficult to keep alive."

She was holding a plate of washed cherries, each one round and plump.

"The cherries that the Fifth Prince's Consort sent to the palace a few days ago are naturally not as good as those grown on our farm. Young Madam, please try them. These were just delivered from below. They are not only large but also very fresh. It's just a pity that not many cherries are ripe. We only picked six baskets. The rest of the varieties are still sour and will have to wait a while longer."

"Wait until July or August, when the weather is hottest, then it's best to have it chilled with lychee drink."

As she spoke, she placed it on the table.

They've all been washed clean.

Then he asked Ning Suchan.

"Were these cherries distributed among the various prefectures, just like before?"

Yu Tingwan hadn't eaten any yet, so she picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

Juicy.

Three parts sour and seven parts sweet.

The taste is quite different from the fruit I usually eat.

Her eyes lit up.

She calculated that scarcity increases value, and at market price, one of these herbs was enough for her to buy half a pound of pork.

Ning Suchan was not a person who craved food.

Previously, when Wei Zhao was at the border, she would only keep a small half-basket, sending one basket to her maternal family and another to the Lady of the Loyal and Brave Marquis. The rest would be sent by the Wei family army on horseback to the Wei family's ancestral home in Yiling, as a tribute to the Wei family elders on behalf of Wei Feng. Some would be kept for the elders, and the rest would be given to the younger generation of the Wei family. But now...

She stopped what she was doing and watched as Yu Tingwan spat out several seeds in no time.

It's obvious that they love to eat.

Ning Suchan: "As usual."

Just as the old woman was about to agree.

Ning Suchan: "Have the estate send over a few plates every now and then."

This item is not easy to store.

It has to be fresh.

Although it's troublesome.

But it's not a big deal.

We can't let our daughter-in-law go hungry.

"Yes."

The old woman smiled and agreed, and was about to go down to do it.

Yu Tingwan called out to her.

“I heard from my mother-in-law that you just had a grandson? That’s wonderful news! I’ll have a longevity lock made for him, hoping for his good health. You must accept it.”

For example, the old woman's son was the manager of a cloth shop under the Wei family in Jiangnan.

My daughter-in-law and grandson are all in Jiangnan.

The old woman smiled happily, without any coyness or reluctance.

"Yes, thank you, young mistress."

She was lucky. Although her husband died young, she was fortunate to be with her wife, and her son was favored by her and got a good job that others could only dream of.

The lady also said that once her son has worked his way up for a few more years and has enough experience, he will be transferred to the shop in the capital.

In this way, mother and child can be reunited.

When her son and grandson are mentioned, the old woman is delighted.

but……

“My son gets flared up with his rheumatism on rainy days. I overheard the servant who delivered the cherries mentioning that there had been two days of torrential rain in Jiangnan. He even joked that if things continued like this, there might be floods in many parts of the Great Jin.”

How could she, as a mother, not worry?

A casual remark, or perhaps a single word, made Yu Tingwan think of something, and her breath hitched slightly.

Where are those servants?

"Seeing that they had been traveling day and night and were exhausted, I took it upon myself to have the kitchen prepare some noodles and send them over. They are eating them now. I also intend to let them stay in the servants' quarters for the night, and they can leave tomorrow."

Yu Tingwan got up, propped up half of the carved window, and saw that a layer of misty dampness had risen on the bluestone path in the courtyard.

As fine as silk threads.

The drizzle fell silently on the stone steps, only quietly deepening the shade of green.

Her eyes dimmed.

"Have them come over after we finish eating. I have some questions for them."

The old woman was astonished.

She looked at Ning Suchan.

Ning Suchan nodded.

The old woman replied, "Yes."

After she left, less than an incense stick's time later, three servants came running.

They don't look very old.

Yu Tingwan stepped out.

"Greetings to the young mistress."

The group knelt down and paid their respects.

Yu Tingwan told them to get up.

"The manor is in the west, and Jiangnan is in the east. How do you know about the torrential rains in Jiangnan? And why do you say that many places will suffer from floods?"

Several servants looked at each other.

Soon, the one in the middle said respectfully, "A sudden rain not only reduces the sweetness, but also makes the fruit prone to cracking. They must be picked when ripe, otherwise they will rot after being exposed to rain. Not to mention that when transported by boat to the capital, two or three out of ten will be lost. Young Madam may not know, but besides the manor, the largest cherry orchard is in Jiangnan."

"We pay special attention to these things."