Chapter 178 Returning Home After Three Days

Zhao Liangcai rolled over and opened his eyes, lying on his side. Through the screen, he saw Qin Junyao, who was grooming herself, and was momentarily stunned by her profile.

His mind was a bit fuzzy from sleeping too much. After a while, he remembered what had happened: he had brought Qin Junyao home two days ago.

Zhao Liangcai closed his eyes, hugged the quilt, and called out to Qin Junyao, "Wife, I'm thirsty."

Qin Junyao had gotten used to Zhao Liangcai calling out whatever he wanted after two nights and a day. She glanced at Fuzi, who was standing on the other side of the dressing table.

Fuzi's eyes darted around, and he eagerly went to pour water.

Liu Yu, who was waiting nearby, liked this chubby young master Zhao. He poured a cup of water for him.

Fuzi took the water, nodded at Liu Yu, then glanced at Qin Junyao before running to Zhao Liangcai's side.

"Zhao Liangcai, the water is here," Qin Junyao said, playing along with Fuzi.

Zhao Liangcai found it strange that the voice didn't seem to come from beside him, but he didn't pay it any mind. He lay there, hugging the quilt, and said, "You feed me."

Fuzi brought the water cup towards Zhao Liangcai's mouth.

Children's hands are not steady. The rim of the cup accurately hit his upper lip, directly bumping his front teeth.

"Oof," Zhao Liangcai yelped and his eyes snapped open in pain.

He saw his younger brother holding the water cup with both hands, a pained expression on his face, as if trying to shove the cup into his head.

"Fuzi, why are you here?" Zhao Liangcai sat up, snatched the cup with one hand, and pinched Fuzi's cheek with the other.

"Qin jie and I went to the mountain to practice martial arts, but you wouldn't wake up. When we came back, you still wouldn't wake up," Fuzi honestly let his brother pinch his cheek.

He didn't struggle or resist. When his brother pinched him, he stopped.

"Why do you call your sister-in-law 'jie' again? Did you call me?" Zhao Liangcai didn't remember anyone calling him.

"Hmph," Fuzi turned around jauntily, went around the screen, and shouted for food to be served outside.

Zhao Liangcai got up, washed, and finished grooming. Qin Junyao and Fuzi were already sitting at the dining table, waiting for the meal.

"Yaoyao, did you really call me?" Zhao Liangcai didn't believe he had slept that soundly.

Qin Junyao nodded. "Twice."

She secretly rejoiced. Zhao Liangcai's deep sleep might be due to her space expanding again.

Before, her zither could make Zhao Liangcai sleep for about two hours. Last night, Zhao Liangcai slept for a full five hours.

It seemed she could play her zither more often before sleeping. Her small frame couldn't withstand Zhao Liangcai's demands right now.

After breakfast, Zhao Liangcai took the return gifts and went back to the Qin family with Qin Junyao.

They didn't have anyone follow them and walked down the mountain side by side.

On the way down, Qin Junyao overheard many discussions about her and Zhao Liangcai's wedding the day before.

Some said the Qin family wasn't greedy, as all the betrothal gifts from the Zhao family were brought back to the Zhao family as dowry. Others said the Qin family was peculiar, as even a portion of the betrothal gifts would be enough for a son in their family to marry a wife, and doing this was like a swollen face pretending to be fat.

"Jie, jie, jie~~" Qin Xiaoyu saw Qin Junyao walking towards her at the courtyard entrance, crying as she ran.

She hugged Qin Junyao's waist and cried, refusing to let go.

Qin Xiaoyu had been genuinely happy when Qin Junyao got married. The large room would be hers alone from then on.

But when night fell, the empty room with only her in it made her a little scared.

During the day, there was no sign of Qin Junyao in the house. This proud younger sister lay on the kang and cried the second night.

Yesterday, she heard their mother say that her sister would be coming home today, so she had been waiting at the courtyard entrance early.

Qin Junyao stroked Qin Xiaoyu's head and comforted her.

"Stop crying. Come find me if you miss me."

"Who misses you? I don't miss you," Qin Xiaoyu let go of Qin Junyao and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

She turned and ran back to spread the news.

Qin Junyao and Zhao Liangcai exchanged a smile and continued towards the Qin family's house.

"Jie, brother-in-law," Qin Sanniu was the first to run out.

Qin Erniu followed behind. "Eldest sister and brother-in-law are back." He wanted to ask Zhao Liangcai to call him "Er Ge" (Second Brother), but he didn't dare to say it.

"Grandmother, Father, Mother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, Third Uncle, Eldest Brother, Er Niu, Sanniu, Xiaoyu," Zhao Liangcai greeted everyone in the Qin family one by one.

Qin's father happily responded, "Hey, hey, hurry inside. Da Niu, take the gifts."

Qin Da Niu, whom Zhao Liangcai called "Eldest Brother," was in a good mood. He patted Qin Er Niu's shoulder and went to take the gifts from his brother-in-law.

Qin Er Niu was dumbfounded.

Why did he call him by name and not "Er Ge"? But he still didn't dare to ask.

Zhao Liangcai was led away by Qin's father and the others. Qin Junyao was directly pulled into her grandmother's room by Qin Grandma. Qin Mother didn't dare to follow.

"Let me see. Good, your complexion is good." Qin Grandma was wearing a bright red headscarf today, looking festive.

She circled Qin Junyao. "Did that Qian Duo cause trouble?"

Qin Junyao stood honestly for Qin Grandma to examine. "No. Zhao Liangcai sent people to watch her. I heard from the servants that she threw plates yesterday."

"Then buy some coarse porcelain bowls and plates for her. If she's not well-behaved, come back to Grandma, and Grandma will deal with her," Qin Grandma rubbed her hands, looking somewhat eager.

Qin Junyao smiled and pulled Qin Grandma to sit down.

"Grandma, there's something I want to ask you."

"Ask away."

"Liu Rong said that the cloak you embroidered uses the embroidery style of a noble family from the imperial city. Grandma, is there such a thing?"

Qin Grandma exclaimed, "Oh my, where did Liu Rong work before? The maidservant that Miss Ling found for you is truly excellent."

"Yaoyao, there's a saying among the common people: 'It's better to marry a servant from a noble family than a daughter from a small family.' Although the status of those who have served in noble families is low, their abilities are not."

"Your Grandma was lucky. But luck alone isn't enough. If I hadn't been so bothered by not being able to read, I would have definitely been a first-class maid."

Qin Grandma took off her shoes, sat cross-legged on the kang, looking like she wanted to have a good talk with Qin Junyao.

"I told you before that fabrics and jewelry have regulations and rules. Embroidery also has its unique characteristics for each family, and the larger the family, the more importance they place on it."

"If someone malicious were to switch clothes or embroidered handkerchiefs, it would greatly damage a young lady's reputation."

"So, we maids have to learn etiquette, needlework, recognize people, read people. Even personal maids need to know the relationships between people in various families, the characteristics of their clothes and jewelry, and also the differences in embroidery."

Qin Junyao, who couldn't understand before, now understood everything after Qin Grandma's explanation.

Yesterday, she had questions while looking at the Hehuan cloak Qin Grandma had embroidered for her.

Since Qin Grandma knew embroidery, why didn't she use it to earn money before? She also hadn't taught her daughters-in-law or granddaughters.

After all, even being able to embroider a small flower pattern could get one work at an embroidery shop, like embroidering handkerchiefs.

It turned out that Qin Grandma only knew the one embroidery technique she learned at the original owner's family.

The place she lived with Qin's father before wasn't too far from the imperial city. If her embroidery skills were exposed, they would all lose their lives.

From Qin Grandma's words, Qin Junyao understood the difference between servants from noble families and ordinary servants.

It seemed she needed to explore the other abilities of Liu Yu and Liu Rong.

According to Qin Grandma's description, treating them as mere hairdressers and dressmakers was a waste.

After talking with Qin Grandma, Qin Junyao went out and chatted with Qin Mother and Qin Second Aunt. With Qin Grandma overseeing the household, Qin Junyao wasn't worried about anything happening at home.

She only urged Qin's father to find laborers quickly.