Da Mao entered Situ Yan's tent the next morning, bidding him a sorrowful farewell. He had lost a bet with Meng Changdong the previous night and was now obligated to stay in the north to guard the border.
Situ Yan was speechless. "What gave you the courage to think you could get the better of Changdong?" he asked, referring to the foolishness of a naive little rabbit betting against a cunning old wolf.
Da Mao felt dejected. The tall, strong man stood before him with his head down, looking miserable and regretful.
Situ Yan's heart softened. "Alright, alright. You can return to the capital after the war is over. Besides, you're not a child anymore. When you get married and establish yourself, you can't keep following me, can you?"
"Why not? Isn't Brother Song getting married soon? Is he going to set up his own household as soon as he ties the knot?"
"That's not likely."
Da Mao recalled another source of his sadness. "Wuwu, I haven't married a wife among all the young ladies in the capital, and there isn't a single woman in the army camp. Will I be a bachelor forever?"
Situ Yan reassured him, "Don't worry. When you win the war and return to the capital, countless young ladies will be crying out to marry you."
"Really?"
"Of course. If you fancy anyone then, I'll help you propose."
Da Mao was content and vowed to defeat the northern forces within a year and return to the capital to marry.
Situ Yan pondered this noble aspiration for a long time, calculating that he would need his own wife to help find a suitable match for Da Mao upon their return. Given Da Mao's intellect, he would need a very clever wife to complement him.
The crucial question was whether Da Mao would be completely controlled by a wife who was too sharp.
Alas, being a guardian was too difficult.
It was the height of summer in June, and ice blocks were already being used in the manor.
Situ Yao, having just finished his meal, wore only a thin shirt. He lay on the bed, babbling incoherently and looking at Lu Nianfu with bright, curious eyes, chuckling occasionally.
His chubby little hands would occasionally go into his mouth, trailing a line of drool. It was unbearable.
Lu Nianfu kept a silk cloth handy, wiping him with utmost care, afraid of harming his delicate skin.
"Heavens, how long will this drooling last?"
"My lady, children drool like this when they are teething. It will get better when he's older."
Lu Nianfu looked at her son, who was grinning. Two tiny teeth were nestled on his pink gums, looking soft and tender. She couldn't resist reaching out to touch them again. Her son then hugged her hand and gnawed on her finger with his tiny teeth.
It tickled. The little one was using her hand as a teething ring. "Should we make some hard biscuits for him to gnaw on?"
"I will send word to the kitchen immediately."
"But they shouldn't be too hard," she added, thinking of the risk of chipping his teeth.
"My lady, rest assured. We understand," Madam Xu replied. Madam Xu soon went to the kitchen. Besides preparing teething biscuits for the young heir, she also instructed Aunt Cui to stew more bone broth for the wet nurse.
The young heir ate and slept well, growing plump and fair, a truly delightful sight.
After playing for a while, Situ Yao began to fuss for milk. The wet nurse quickly attended to him, and after being fed, he fell fast asleep. Lu Nianfu placed him in his small cradle and was about to review some accounts when Shuan Zi announced that Wang Shoucheng was requesting an audience.
Lu Nianfu glanced at Qing Ya. "What does Shoucheng want?"
Qing Ya shrugged. "How would I know?"
"He's not here to pick you up, is he?"
"Impossible. I've already told you, I'm your person during the day."
Lu Nianfu was exasperated and instructed Shuan Zi to lead him to the West Flower Hall.
After Yan Qing resigned, the management of the winery was fully handed over to Wang Shoucheng. Following the heavy snow disaster at the beginning of the year and the ongoing war, business in general had been difficult.
However, the business at Xiang Dai Ge was flourishing.
This was mainly due to its established reputation, attracting many merchants who traveled from afar to purchase goods. Wang Shoucheng had come today to discuss expanding production with Lu Nianfu. "My lady, there's a peach orchard in the eastern suburbs that is up for sale. I believe the price is reasonable. Might we consider purchasing it?"
"Buy a mountain?"
"That area is leased by Mr. Liu. This spring, we sourced a batch of peach blossoms from them. The rouge made from these blossoms had a bright color and sold for two silver coins more than ordinary peach rouge, yet it was still in high demand."
"Why would they sell the mountain? I've been to that peach orchard before. It's quite large and well-maintained."
They not only cultivated peaches but also raised chickens, so their income should have been quite good.
"Alas, every family has its own troubles. Mr. Liu is shrewd and diligent, but he has few descendants. He only had a son after he turned forty, and he raised him poorly. Recently, debt collectors came knocking, and he discovered that his son had accumulated gambling debts of twenty thousand taels."