As the carriage made its way through the streets back to the Su residence, the night market outside remained lively. Su Tan'er sat gracefully on the side of the carriage, organizing some papers and documents, with a small wooden box for the documents beside her. Her seated posture was elegant and delicate, certainly more mature compared to the three little maids, and there was an inherent demeanor of someone used to giving orders. As she organized, she spoke with Ning Yi.
"…In that case, I'll still have to visit Grandpa tomorrow morning to pay my respects, and I won't be going out. As for you, my lord, please come back early after your morning exercise… Oh, and the kitchen will be preparing your favorite rice noodles tomorrow…"
Tonight was the Lantern Festival, and although she had already exchanged some words with her grandfather earlier, due to the matter of the "Qingyu An" poem, she felt it necessary to visit him again. After finishing her sentence, Su Tan'er couldn't help but laugh.
"You always surprise me, my lord. It's quite frightening."
Having established a preliminary understanding with Ning Yi over the past month, she no longer viewed him through her previous lens. However, tonight's poem had indeed caught her off guard. When she first saw it, she was momentarily stunned, wondering where the limits of her odd husband's talents lay. Yet, upon meeting him, she didn't show any signs of surprise; instead, while organizing the documents, she spoke calmly. Of course, her quiet movements, focused on sorting things out rather than looking at Ning Yi, were also a way for her to manage her emotional fluctuations.
Thus, they returned to the Su residence, passing through one courtyard after another. Su Tan'er still needed to visit her father, likely to discuss some matters that had been settled earlier in the evening. She turned to Ning Yi and asked, "You're not asleep yet, are you?"
Ning Yi nodded, and Su Tan'er smiled. "When you come back, I have something for you."
"What is it?" he asked.
Su Tan'er blinked playfully. "I'll keep it a surprise."
There probably weren't many things to discuss with Su Boyong, and before long, Ning Yi, standing on the second-floor corridor enjoying the breeze, could see Su Tan'er and her group emerging from the courtyard, lanterns in hand. From a distance, their figures looked small, and the lanterns' glow would occasionally vanish behind low walls and trees, only to reappear around a corner. The livelier scene was at the side gate, slightly to the east, where vehicles returned at midnight, their lights gathering before dispersing throughout the Su residence.
The small courtyard was still quiet, the main house not bustling. After a while, Su Tan'er and her three maids returned, their light footsteps echoing below.
Little Chan came running from downstairs, looking up at Ning Yi with a squinty, playful face before darting into a small room to heat water. Su Tan'er, ascending the stairs, carried a bundle, and gently approached the column, placing the bundle on the railing.
"Searching for him thousands of times, when I turned around… there he was, amidst the lanterns…" she murmured slowly, glancing at Ning Yi before smiling. "Little Chan said you were chasing a formidable female thief."
"Indeed, but unfortunately, I lost track of her."
"Then why did you write 'amidst the lanterns'?"
Ning Yi shrugged. "What can I say? That's how the poem had to be written… It wouldn't sound right to write something like, 'When I turned around, she was gone,' it wouldn't rhyme." He felt a bit regretful that the female thief had escaped.
Su Tan'er covered her mouth, laughing uncontrollably as she leaned on the bundle. After a moment, she said, "Sometimes when I hear you tell stories, I get a sense that you might actually yearn for those chivalrous adventures in the wilderness?"
"I don't aspire to be a hero; I just find things like martial arts interesting." Ning Yi didn't hide his thoughts, shaking his head. He then pointed downstairs, "I've heard of people jumping from below to above in a flash, and striking through a wall with a single punch. That sounds fascinating, and today, when I saw that female thief, she was indeed impressive. Her sudden burst of strength was unlike that of an ordinary person."
Su Tan'er nodded. "I've heard about those too. In recent years, when I've traveled to other places with the guards, I occasionally heard stories about chivalrous figures in the wilderness. But what my lord mentions is quite rare. Even if they're notorious criminals captured by the officials, they're mostly just brawny men relying on sheer strength. There are also those Taoist priests who use charms and tricks to deceive others. I've learned a bit about it, so I don't believe in it. As for true internal energy or skills that allow one to become as powerful as an immortal, such things are extremely few. Plus, I've heard that training starts from a young age and takes years to succeed. Even if my lord finds it now, it might be a bit late…"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but smile, glancing at Ning Yi with a hint of mischief. She was skeptical by nature; such intriguing tales needed solid proof for her to fully believe them. Ning Yi, of course, wouldn't take mere hearsay at face value either. The mention of searching for someone was simply a whimsical connection in her mind, and she didn't dwell on it further, shifting the topic to other matters.
"I also heard from Little Chan that at the Old Rain Pavilion, besides Xue Jin, Uncle Chonghua was there too? Did he suggest that you showcase your talents?"
Being the insightful person she was, Su Tan'er immediately understood Uncle Chonghua's intentions upon hearing Little Chan mention the event. With a knowing smile in response to Ning Yi's grin, she tilted her head playfully. "What do you think, my lord?"
"Hmm?"
"If you're not interested in that small academy, I'll talk to Uncle Chonghua tomorrow," Su Tan'er teased. "But if you like it, I'll go speak with Grandpa."
The headmaster of Yushan Academy was Su Chonghua, but it was actually managed behind the scenes by her second uncle, Su Zhongkan. While it held a somewhat elevated status within the Su family, most people believed it leaned more towards the second branch. In the past, Su Tan'er would never have broached this topic with Ning Yi, but if he was genuinely interested, she felt confident they could negotiate with her grandfather to gain control over it together. Ning Yi chuckled and shook his head. "Just a little teaching is enough. I can't handle too many troublesome matters; you know I don't like social engagements like that."
Su Tan'er nodded. "Then I'll talk to Uncle Chonghua about it… In truth, even though he's not great at teaching kids, he's quite skilled at handling matters. As the headmaster, you'd have a more relaxed time there. Oh, and this is for you…"
She handed him the bundle she had brought.
"What is it?"
"Some clothes and shoes," she replied with a smile before turning and heading downstairs. Ning Yi looked at the bundle, slightly surprised.
He opened it at the table to find indeed some clothing and footwear. As he examined them, Little Chan knocked on the door and sneaked in with a wooden basin of hot water, closing the door behind her. "My lord, it's time to wash your face. Oh, did the lady bring you some clothes?"
"Yeah," Ning Yi replied, walking over to wash his face. Little Chan poked him playfully in the back. "My lord, did the lady mention anything about the female thief?"
"Did you tell her everything?"
"Huh? No, I didn't!"
Ning Yi turned to see Little Chan looking worried, and he chuckled. "I did mention it. What are you thinking?"
"My lord, think about it. If the lady didn't tell you, doesn't that mean she's keeping it in her heart? Then I shouldn't have said anything." Little Chan relaxed with a sigh, then smiled. "But I've known for a while that the lady isn't like that… Still, next time, you shouldn't write such ambiguous lines. I hesitated for a long time, worried she might misunderstand, but I didn't dare explain that you weren't connected to that female thief. If I did, she might think more about it, but if I don't explain, she might imagine things herself. Then… ah…"
The little maid rambled on, twisting her hands anxiously. Ning Yi couldn't help but laugh as he playfully flicked her forehead. "You think too much."
Little Chan covered her forehead. "That's right! As a maid, I have to think of everything. I'm very clever, haha…" The little girl had been worried about Ning Yi getting hurt by the female thief and then became anxious about whether to say something to the lady. Now that her mind was at ease, she proudly proclaimed her cleverness and asked, "Did you try on the clothes?"
"Not yet; I'll try them on tomorrow."
"No way! The lady made all this for you!"
"Uh?" Ning Yi was taken aback, looking at the clothes. "It seems like I saw this fabric a few months ago…"
"The lady started making it months ago." Little Chan unfolded a long robe and held it up to him. "This new fabric was from June last year! I helped measure your size then. The lady said she needed to make you two sets of clothes every year, but she often had things to attend to, so it took a while. Originally, she meant to give them to you for the New Year, but after making some adjustments to the lining a few days ago, it just ended up ready by the Lantern Festival…"
"You made two or three sets already?" Ning Yi pointed to the wardrobe.
"That's what the weavers in the residence made! The set you're wearing was made by me, Juan'er, and Sister Xing'er. This one was made by the lady herself… Oh, sit down and try on the shoes!"
Ning Yi smiled as he looked at the long robe, while Little Chan crouched down to help him change shoes, quietly saying, "My lord… are you going to remember that the lady ran away on your wedding day?"
Ning Yi looked at her. "What are you thinking about now?"
"Nothing! Actually, I think the lady is very good. Although… although her running away that time wasn't great for you, she didn't know what kind of person you were back then. She was quite busy in June, but even so, after thinking it through, she decided to make clothes for you because you're family. She said that since she's already your wife, she should make you two sets of clothes and shoes every year. The lady's sewing skills aren't that good, and neither are mine or Sister Juan'er's, so some parts of your clothes were made by the weavers. But the lady did it all herself, sometimes pretending to be casual while asking the weavers and shopkeepers for tips, since she didn't want people to gossip. It's really interesting to hear Sister Juan'er and Sister Xing'er talk about it. That's why it took more than half a year for everything to be ready…"
Ning Yi laughed, glancing at the clothes and then looking at Little Chan for a moment before ruffling her hair playfully. "You just keep praising your lady in front of me…"
This time, Little Chan didn't dodge; instead, she looked up with a cute, confident smile. "Because she really is very good!"
"Alright, I get it…"
"I'll help you put the clothes away."
As night deepened, Little Chan soon left the room. Ning Yi read a few pages of a book before getting up to open the window. Across the way, the lights in the opposite room were still on, and Su Tan'er was there, engrossed in organizing documents and accounts, writing something with a focused and earnest expression. At the beginning of the year, when merchants were busiest, this scene would likely continue for quite a while…