Chapter 70: Celebration After Passing the Exam and…

The celebrations and social visits after passing the provincial exam lasted all the way until nearly the tenth month before finally coming to an end.

Life returned to calm, and Qiu Yurou finally had time to begin expanding her business.

But before that expansion, there was still one thing she had to clarify; Su Yunting’s hidden worry.

By reason, after passing the exam, with his temperament, he shouldn’t still be brooding.

Yet Qiu Yurou could sense that his worries were even heavier than before the results were announced.

After supper, the couple returned to their room. Su Yunting combed his wife’s hair, and their gazes met in the mirror. From each other’s eyes, both saw there was something they wished to say.

Su Yunting smiled, embraced his wife, and asked her, “Did you see through me?”

Qiu Yurou hugged him back, “From the second day after you returned from the exam, you’ve had something on your mind. Until now, you still haven’t let it go, have you?”

Su Yunting didn’t know whether to feel glad or worried. Glad that his wife cared for him so deeply that any trouble in his heart, she could sense at once.

But he was worried, because in the future, whenever he was troubled, he probably wouldn’t be able to hide it from her, which would mean dragging her into worry as well.

Su Yunting said, “Next spring, when I pass the palace exam, I will directly enter officialdom. I wish, before I take office, to go south on a study tour.”

Qiu Yurou thought: So it’s like wanting a graduation trip.

She completely understood the desire. In this era, there was no retirement system; once you started working, you worked until your body failed or until death.

She smiled and said, “If you want to go, then go. Once you become an official, you’ll no longer have freedom. Even if you’re posted somewhere, you won’t have the leisure of mood you have now. Going is fine but for safety’s sake, you must make thorough preparations!”

Su Yunting smiled bitterly. It was precisely because the matter carried some danger that he had been torn for so long.

If his own safety only concerned himself, he would not have hesitated about going south.

But now, he had someone he loved, as well as younger siblings. His safety was no longer his alone.

Especially with his beloved in his arms, he truly could not bear the thought of anything happening to him.

He could not let her grieve on his account.

He held her tighter and tighter, without speaking.

Qiu Yurou’s heart also tightened gradually. If this were only a simple study tour, why would he be so conflicted?

Countless possibilities flashed through her mind. She tested him with a suggestion, “If you can’t bear to leave me, in the future you can take a posting in the south. When the transfer order comes, we’ll go together. The journey is long, but traveling together will feel much the same as touring.”

Su Yunting forced the words out, “I still want to go before entering office.”

Qiu Yurou exhaled slowly. She had no doubt about his feelings for her.

Setting aside matters of romance, for something to trouble him so long, the reason was already easy to guess.

Thinking of that possibility, she too embraced him tightly. Yet she did not say a single word to forbid him from going.

Her arms encircling him grew firmer. Su Yunting knew then that his beloved had already guessed the reason he wished to go south.

At times, Su Yunting wondered why Heaven had shown him such mercy, granting him a new life.

It must have been connected to his tireless efforts for the country and people in his past life, and to the benevolent policies he had enacted…

At the moment he closed his eyes in that past life, he had regrets, but no fear.

In his life, apart from implicating one innocent girl who died young, he owed nothing to anyone else.

Lowering his head, he kissed the crown of his beloved’s hair, and said, “Don’t worry. What I owe you requires a lifetime to repay. The debt is not yet settled so how could I possibly let anything happen to me?”

Qiu Yurou suppressed her worry, lifted her head, and smiled at him, “You said it yourself so you can’t go back on your word!”

Su Yunting’s chest ached with emotion. He solemnly replied, “Yes.”

…

For his study tour, Su Yunting first invited Sun Ruimin to go with him.

He had decided in his heart: if this time he relied on the Sun family’s influence to keep himself safe, then in the future, if their family faced trouble, he would in turn protect them.

Sun Ruimin actually wished to go, but his parents opposed it. They said he had already gone out once before, and since he had failed this year’s autumn exam, he should stay home and study diligently.

Since the Sun family declined, Su Yunting could only turn to Lu Yide.

Lu Yide had also passed this year’s provincial exam. Though he had qualified, he did not intend to sit for next spring’s palace exam.

His time was therefore quite free, and upon hearing, he agreed on the spot.

When the two discussed their journey, Lu Yide tentatively asked Su Yunting, “Su Yunting, what do you think of Xiaohe?”

Lu Yide was modest, hardworking, and courteous, so Su Yunting gave him high praise, “His character is noble.”

Lu Yide smiled, “Then what do you think of him as a match for your younger sister?”

Lu Yide asked because Deputy Prefect Lu had instructed him to.

Deputy Prefect Lu believed that Su Yunting was extraordinarily capable. Even if his career were not smooth, it would not prevent him from displaying his abilities.

His wife did not object either. Though there was a saying against marrying a motherless girl, Su Jingshu had grown up under Qiu Yurou’s care, and Qiu Yurou’s reputation throughout Mingshun County was excellent.

Because of a virtuous sister-in-law, Su Jingshu would not be seen as lacking maternal guidance.

Moreover, Madam Lu had met Su Jingshu, and deeply liked her quiet, reserved temperament.

The Lu couple wished to form an alliance with Su Yunting’s family. Since his career was on the rise, and his younger sister was beautiful, they wanted to sound out whether he had other plans for her, so they had their nephew ask first.

Su Yunting laughed upon hearing. He had never thought of marrying his second sister into a grand aristocratic family in the capital.

Her nature was too gentle, without the experience of life in large households. Their family had no old retainers to guide her either. For her, marrying into a powerful clan would not be a blessing.

But to marry into the Lu family, that he had considered. Since the other side had now brought it up, Su Yunting said, “If the two children have no objections, when I return next year, we’ll set the match.”

Lu Yide replied, “Why wait until next year? They aren’t little children of ten or eight. At fifteen, many are already married. Setting it now wouldn’t be considered early!”

The reason Su Yunting said “next year” was because he could not guarantee that this trip would be absolutely safe.

He could only smile and say, “The match I can agree to, but such haste I cannot. Otherwise, when I return home, your sister-in-law would be angry with me!”

Words feigning fear of one’s wife like that could only be said in front of those one was close with.

Lu Yide laughed along, and after laughing, naturally shifted the topic.

……

Ever since Su Jingshu had been frightened by Su Dani’s case of domestic violence, Qiu Yurou would give her psychological counseling whenever free.

In truth, Qiu Yurou herself did not really know how to counsel. What she could think of was simply giving her second sister enough confidence. Whenever she heard gossip about marital quarrels, she would tell her two younger sisters at home, and then the three of them would discuss how such matters should be resolved.

After more than a year of guidance, her second sister no longer feared marriage.

Qiu Yurou thought it was because of her counseling, and indeed her efforts had some effect. But the true reason Su Jingshu shed her fear was witnessing how her elder brother and sister-in-law got along, which gave her longing and hope.

So when Qiu Yurou asked her second sister about the Lu family’s wish to form a marriage alliance, she did not directly refuse, but instead blushed and asked about the other party’s situation.

The Lu family had already been considering this match, so they had earlier arranged an opportunity for the two to meet.

Su Jingshu’s impression of that refined and courteous youth was indeed very favorable.

She trusted her elder brother’s eye for people, so when her sister-in-law pressed her, she said,
“I’ll follow whatever elder brother and sister-in-law arrange.”

After speaking, her face reddened and she hurried out.

The two families thus verbally settled the engagement. Then Su Yunting, with Lu Yide, departed on the study tour, under the protection of guards arranged by Deputy Prefect Lu.

……

Because Su Yunting’s journey carried some danger, Qiu Yurou did not even allow herself time to linger in anxiety.

In her heart, she hoped for his safe return. But in her actions, she prepared for the worst.

In Mingshun County, her reputation was already enough to ensure no one would casually bully her. What she needed to do was earn enough money.

So the restaurant Ping’an had always dreamed of finally opened, located on a fairly bustling second-tier street in Mingshun County.

Over the past two months, Qiu Yurou had asked Su Huai to select six boys from the village. Adding the two they already had, there were now eight in total.

Among the eight, there happened to be one with talent. Ping’an had kept him close these days, and before the restaurant opened, Qiu Yurou had already formally taken this boy as a disciple.

Of the eight boys, three remained in the workshop, while the other five followed Ping’an to work in the restaurant.

Ping’an’s cooking skills had been acknowledged by Su Yunting. Having earned Su Yunting’s approval meant that, though perhaps not on par with an imperial chef, his craft could certainly hold its own in the capital.

With such skill, the restaurant’s opening was a blazing success.

The booming business quickly made the restaurant famous. At first, only ordinary townsfolk came, but as word spread, many people of status also came to taste the food, and then became regular customers.

One day, the restaurant welcomed a young master accompanied by several personal attendants.

After finishing his meal, the young master requested to see the head chef.

Since it was not mealtime, Ping’an came out from the kitchen. Seeing the one who wished to meet him, he was first startled, then went forward to salute.

The young master also felt he looked familiar, and asked, “Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

Ping’an smiled and said, “Two years ago, at the entrance of the Sujia Village in Qingshi Town, young master once ate a bowl of noodles made by my master at a small stall.”

The young master laughed heartily, “So it seems I truly share fate with your master and her disciples!”

Ping’an also laughed. Back then, he had still been a village boy who had never seen the world. Because of his master, it was his first time seeing a man attended by servants like that which had shocked him so deeply that he still remembered it vividly.

The two reminisced, and Ping’an learned that he was from the Xu family of the prefectural city. The Xu family were major merchants, primarily in the fur trade.

This Xu young master had lost in the contest for heir-ship, and for the past two years had been suppressed in every way within the family business. He had simply withdrawn from family affairs and was preparing to build his own business.

Having heard from his men that there was a wildly popular restaurant in Mingshun County, he had come specifically to see whether the chef here had the ability to serve as a head chef in a large establishment.

Back then, he had failed to recruit Qiu Yurou, and so now he changed his approach, expressing an intent to cooperate.

Since the young master wanted to hire him directly, Ping’an of course would not agree. But as for cooperation, Ping’an said, “On the matter of cooperation, young master will need to speak with my master.”