The more he spoke, the more absurd it became. Zhao Jiaqi couldn't be bothered with him and went for a walk after dinner.
She dragged Fan Zehao to the village chief's courtyard. Before they even got close, they could hear the couple arguing.
A child was crying loudly on the side, while Wang Hui hugged the child and soothed her.
Seeing this, the couple realized it wasn't appropriate to go over and offer congratulations at this moment, so they didn't enter and turned to leave.
Wang Fang saw the situation from outside and didn't say anything, lowering his head to continue sweeping the yard.
"The weather is nice today, let's go out for a stroll. Staying in this yard all day is really unbearable."
Fan Zehao understood his wife's meaning and didn't refuse. This time, he didn't bring the special envoy, leaving him behind to guard the house.
The two of them left the village. The villagers hiding on the side didn't come out to stop them. Zhao Jiaqi slightly curved her lips: "It seems the village chief keeps his word. He said he wouldn't restrict our movements, and he's really done so."
Fan Zehao nodded almost imperceptibly: "We can't let our guard down. We still have people following us."
Zhao Jiaqi really wanted to turn back and look, but reason triumphed over curiosity. She sighed softly: "The village chief is truly cautious. Being so careful, it seems we're dealing with the toughest of the tough."
"You're right, so we still need to be careful everywhere."
After their conversation, the two walked to the town. However, their pace was slow, and they had to rest and admire the scenery along the way, mainly due to Zhao Jiaqi's pregnancy.
It was said that one needed to rest in bed within three months, but she couldn't stay still: "I know my body. If I really feel uncomfortable, I'll stay in bed myself, let alone you telling me to."
It wasn't that she was brave, but she genuinely couldn't stay idle. Moderate exercise was also beneficial for pregnant women.
The two strolled to town. When thirsty, they went to a tea house to watch a play and drink tea. When hungry, they bought pastries from shops. In their leisure time, they could also visit a cloth shop and buy a few sets of clothes.
Their leisurely tour, however, made Wang Fang, who was following them, miserable.
Passing by a flower stall on the street, Zhao Jiaqi suddenly had a whim and insisted on dragging him in to browse: "Let's go, I think those flowers and plants look beautiful, I want to buy some."
Fan Zehao looked at the flowers and plants, his brows furrowed into a knot. He couldn't understand: "There are plenty of these flowers and plants in our manor, and you never admired them, let alone liked them. Why are you suddenly fond of these things here?"
Zhao Jiaqi pouted. She didn't know why either. She just liked those colorful ones: "Oh, I didn't notice how beautiful they were before. Is it not allowed to notice them now?"
As she spoke, she huffed angrily and turned into the shop. Fan Zehao, who had been glared at, scratched his head and followed her in.
It wasn't that he was stingy with money, but rather that his wife had unpredictable moods. If he were to say it, the money spent on flowers could be used to buy his wife a few more pounds of pork ribs, which would be more practical.
Seeing them enter the shop, Fan Zehao immediately started paying. He didn't know what he was paying for, but as long as his wife said an amount, he paid it. It wasn't until an hour later, when his wife had shopped enough and they came out, that they realized that the flowers alone would require a cart to transport.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the flower pots and gave an awkward laugh. She really hadn't bought much, so why did it look like so much when they came out?
"Wife, why don't we ask the shopkeeper to find a cart to send them back for us? What do you think?"
What could she say? Of course, it was a good idea!
"Alright, let's go back after we finish eating. Let these flowers and plants go first."
Wang Fang, who was hiding in the dark, was speechless. This woman was truly a spendthrift. These flowers alone were worth a lot of money. The most valuable among them were the orchids. Just one pot, not even top-grade, would cost at least three to five hundred taels.
Seeing this, Wang Fang had nothing else to follow. He wouldn't want such a spendthrift wife even if she were given to him for free. Seeing them walk towards a restaurant, Wang Fang also turned and left.
He had been following them all day, enduring hunger and thirst, hiding and dodging, truly afraid of being seen by them.
After walking a stretch, Fan Zehao realized no one was following them and then took his wife to their own restaurant.
As soon as they entered, Bai Lu led them to the backyard.
In the study.
Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao finally spoke with peace of mind.
"We're like thieves every single day, being monitored no matter what we want to do."
Fan Zehao saw that his wife's patience was wearing thin. Instead, he comforted her: "Just hold on for a few more days. When the prefect of Xiuzhou and the prefect of Songling Prefecture, along with General Wang Zhen and his wife, all arrive and the matters are settled, we can enter that cave."
"As soon as we enter, our people will move in. Even if they want to destroy the evidence of making the divine elixir, it will be futile."
He painted a very grand picture for her. If she could eat it all, it would be fine, but she was afraid the picture would only get bigger and bigger, and she wouldn't be able to finish it, which would be truly unbearable.
"Listening to you, it doesn't seem too far off. Then, this matter will finally be more than half completed!"
Zhao Jiaqi said softly, with an indescribable emotion in her heart. Perhaps it was pity for those innocent people.
"Husband, we need to prepare more people then. The old and young in this village are all involved. If the entire village rebels, and we don't have enough people, we might not be able to control the situation."
Fan Zehao held her small hand and gently patted it: "Don't worry, everything is ready. On that day, no one in this village will escape."
Having infiltrated for so long and acted as a matchmaker for Wang Yunzhi for so long, it was only natural to catch them all in one net. Otherwise, why would they risk their lives here?
They ate a simple meal at the restaurant and then found a horse-drawn carriage, paying a few dozen coins to send them back to Gangshang Village.
The next day, the village chief sent them news early in the morning.
The village chief's youngest son was officially registered under Wang Tian's name today. The illegitimate son had leaped to become the legitimate heir, and even the concubine couldn't wait to enter the courtyard.
Fan Zehao said that he and his wife would attend his son's ancestral registration ceremony later.
Zhao Jiaqi, lying in the room, could clearly hear the conversation from the side hall. She just couldn't see the village chief's expression. Judging by how brightly and happily he spoke, with his voice even rising and his laughter filled with pride,
Suddenly, she remembered Wang Hui. This child would probably be crying in the room.
After the visitor left, Fan Zehao entered the room and saw his wife in a daze. He couldn't help but rub her hair: "You heard everything? We'll register the child with the family tree later, have a banquet at noon, and there's supposed to be a play in the afternoon. They'll be performing in the front courtyard. Why don't you go take a look later?"
Zhao Jiaqi raised her eyes and looked into his. She asked, "If I hadn't given birth to a son for you, would you have..."
"No, I told you, whether it's a boy or a girl, they are my children, and I love them all." Fan Zehao interrupted her before she could finish, and continued: "I am biased now, I can't be completely fair, but I won't let my sons be disheartened, and I won't be too unfair."
Zhao Jiaqi smiled. He was biased, leaning more towards Yumeng. He still dared to say he wouldn't let his sons be disheartened. Where did this confidence come from?