Chapter 538: Disobeying the Father-in-Law’s Advice, Disaster Ahead?

Hearing the strong smell of alcohol outside and the deafening snoring, Lingxi and Amber exchanged a glance. After rushing along for a day and two nights, even though the carriage was sturdy, they felt utterly exhausted, struggling to walk steadily. Yet, compared to these tolerable hardships, they were more worried about what was going on inside. Unfortunately, as they followed Du Wan, they couldn’t see the master’s expression.

After a while, the curtain was gently pulled aside. Stepping inside, they finally saw what was on the bed and were left at a loss—neither laughing nor crying. No wonder the snoring was so loud; there were two people making noise, not one. Zhang Yue, covered in blankets, showed no signs of waking, seemingly too comfortable on the warm bed, with both hands resting outside. Qiu Hen, on the other hand, was lying on the blankets at Zhang Yue’s feet, fully clothed except for a cloak.

“Heaven, did You send this girl here just to serve the young master? Yet she can’t even take care of herself!” Lingxi snapped, quickly pushing her lightly. Du Wan, standing there, felt a pang in her heart—she didn’t know whether to be happy or angry. Along the way, Sister Li had kept saying that Zhang Yue had drunk an entire pot of Fen wine upon learning his father had been released. The ones peeking outside seemed to be reminding her of what was happening inside.

Her father had finally been released from prison, and she had planned to stay home for the night. But when her father found out the emperor had allowed the Xuanfu officers to bring their families together, he rushed her out right away, leaving her no time to say anything important. If she arrived to see such a scene after all that haste, she wouldn’t even be able to pretend to be virtuous! She understood what the old lady meant when she assigned her this task, but understanding one thing was one thing, and seeing it was another!

Though she slept in her clothes that night, Qiu Hen slept more soundly than ever. Half-asleep, she felt someone pushing her but waved her hand impatiently, murmuring, “Mm, I can’t drink. It’s bad if I get drunk… Taking advantage of being drunk… Ugh, I couldn’t do that…”

Amber was still watching from the side when she heard these words and was instantly shocked. She quickly stepped forward to help, and they finally managed to wake the person up. Seeing Qiu Hen rubbing her eyes with a confused expression, Amber couldn’t help but whisper a reminder to her. As a result, Qiu Hen, who had just been drowsy, suddenly jumped up. But when she tried to get down, she found her feet completely numb and had to struggle hard to bend her knees.

Seeing Qiu Hen bow awkwardly and mention that she had drunk a couple of drinks with Zhang Yue last night, Du Wan didn’t say anything else. She nodded and instructed her to go and get ready first. Noticing that Ling Xi and Amber had also stepped back, she felt extremely conflicted and sat down on the kang. Seeing Zhang Yue still asleep under the blanket, oblivious to everything, she grew even angrier and more frustrated. That damned troublemaker really caused trouble!

Suddenly, Zhang Yue turned over at that moment and pulled the blanket over himself. But just then, he felt something lift off his body and immediately sneezed. Struggling to open his eyes slightly, he caught a glimpse of a figure in front of him. Thinking it was a dream, he was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep when a thought suddenly struck him.

That’s not right… This doesn’t seem like a dream.

Opening his eyes again, he looked carefully and blinked a few times. Once he was sure the person with a stern expression in front of him was definitely Du Wan, he sat up abruptly. As soon as he sat up, he felt a throbbing pain in his head and suddenly remembered what had happened last night. But rather than the slight discomfort from a hangover, he was more concerned about something else.

“Sister Wan, when did you arrive?” When Du Wan didn’t answer but just glared at him, he couldn’t help but shake his head, feeling still a bit confused. “I just heard the news last night that my father-in-law had been released, so I got too excited and drank a few extra drinks. Why didn’t you stay at home with him for a couple of days and come over after the New Year?”

“I did want to stay at home with Dad for a couple of days, but you were ordered to go on an inspection tour, not to wander around. What excuse would I have to come over after the New Year? He was just released from prison the afternoon before yesterday, and right before the city gates were locked, he sent me on my way, saying… saying…”

Speaking all this in one breath, Du Wan couldn’t help but recall her shock when she heard those words from her father. Not to mention her, even her mother and Xiao Wu were stunned at the time, never expecting the usually cold Du Zhen to suddenly say such terrifying words. But if she said those words now, after having just given Zhang Yue a cold look, wouldn’t it be like throwing away her dignity?

Zhang Yue never expected that Du Wan was actually sent over by Du Zhen. A smile appeared on his face as warmth spread through his heart. But when he heard the end of her words and noticed Du Wan suddenly hesitating, he found it strange and quickly asked, “Did your father have any message for me? Come on, Wan, don’t keep me in suspense—don’t let it delay things!”
“Delay…”
Just moments ago it was her heart that twitched; now it was her face that twitched, and soon her cheeks turned red. Gritting her teeth, she ignored Zhang Yue, stood up abruptly, and said irritably, “There’s no need to delay anything. Father has just been in prison for so long that he’s started having all sorts of strange ideas… With that smell of alcohol on you, I’ll go call the three of them to help you wash up. We might as well have more water boiled so everyone can take a good bath!”
After saying that, she ignored Zhang Yue’s strange expression and pushed aside the curtain to leave. At that moment, there was no one outside, so she sighed in relief. She pressed her cheeks, reminding herself that she was now a married woman and there was no need to find Father’s words strange. Yet, thinking of the casual tone Du Zhen used when saying those words, she felt she had misjudged him all along.
“Such a scoundrel!”
Spitting lightly, she felt the heat on her face subside somewhat before leaving the room. Seeing Lingxi and Hupo by the well, arguing with Qiuhen, she called out to them and ordered the three of them to come in to help with washing up. After washing up herself, she hurriedly went to the kitchen. Waving at Sister Li to continue with her work, she gazed at the steam rising from the stove. After a while, Sister Li came over with a bowl.
“Young mistress, the young master instructed that only a simple bowl of egg noodles should be prepared in the morning, so not much has been prepared here. You’ll have to make do.”
Sister Li had originally been helping to cook for the old lady in the Zhang family’s northern courtyard. Although she wasn’t unfamiliar with Du Wan, she wasn’t very clear about the young mistress’s temperament. Seeing Du Wan accept the bowl with a smile, she felt relieved and smiled back, “Before I came here, I heard that the young master usually ate outside. Even when he cooked himself, he insisted on simple meals. It was only because New Year’s Day is coming up that he bought more chicken, duck, fish, and meat to prepare two good meals and make the house lively. Lian Sheng and Lian Hu are finally getting a wife, and they’re making a fuss in the house right now!”

The kitchen was spotless, and Du Wan didn’t feel like going out for a while. So she listened to Sister Li chatting nonstop while asking her to clear a spot for her. After sitting down and taking a sip of the hot noodle soup, she gasped in surprise at its sourness. But after that, the emptiness in her stomach, caused by the bumpy ride in the carriage, finally felt a bit warmer, so she began to eat the noodles one by one. Though she was from the south, she wasn’t picky about food. With the mixture of Shanxi aged vinegar and Sichuan peppercorns, along with the chopped scallions, her appetite was piqued, and she quickly devoured the whole bowl. Only then did she look at the busy Sister Li with lingering interest.

“No wonder the old lady asked you to come. Your cooking skills are truly outstanding. Why haven’t I ever tasted your dishes when I eat at her place?”

“I’m just helping around—how could it be considered real cooking skills?” Sister Li said modestly, though her face showed great joy. She then brought over a plate of steamed crystal cakes and said, “Young mistress, try these.” After that, she explained, “I only know some appetizing recipes, which are useful when the old lady can’t eat much. This time, thinking the young master has eaten too much greasy food outside, she sent me here. No matter how good the delicacies outside are, they can’t compare to home-cooked meals that warm both the stomach and the heart, right? Our Zhang family has several chefs, and at least ten or eight of them are good at making home-cooked dishes. But the young master still loves braised pork the most.”

Hearing this, Du Wan raised an eyebrow. If not for Sister Li continuing to cheerfully knead dough, she might have thought those words were meant as a reminder to her. But since she was used to staying calm in front of strangers, she simply replied casually and slowly ate another piece of cake. Seeing that Sister Li had already prepared a breakfast box, she followed her out of the kitchen. As soon as she looked up, she saw Zhang Yue, neatly dressed, practicing Tai Chi in the yard.

After watching for a while, she couldn’t help but smile. It was less Tai Chi and more drunken boxing, as Zhang Yue was clearly distracted, sneaking glances at her while practicing. Eventually, unable to hold back any longer, she stepped forward and snapped, “Is this how you practice Tai Chi?”

Zhang Yue promptly ended the gesture, nodded, and instructed Sister Li to take the food box inside. Seeing Lingxi and the others follow, he quickly grabbed Du Wan’s hand and asked, “Wan’er, stop being stubborn. What exactly did your father-in-law ask you to convey to me? Well, I did drink a bit too much last night, but it was because I was happy. My father-in-law has taught me for so many years; I know his temper well. He never speaks without a reason. Tell me quickly, or it might really cause trouble!”
Faced with Zhang Yue’s serious expression, Du Wan remained silent for a long time. Eventually, unable to withstand his urging, she simply said bluntly, “Dad said we should hurry up and give him another grandson. Are you satisfied now?”