Chapter 113: Welcoming the Master's Wife

Liu Qin entrusted the task of finding a rental property to Changxing and Changsheng. Changsheng was familiar with the area and frequently traveled around the North City, while Changxing was skilled at bargaining; together, they made a formidable team, ensuring their efforts were twice as effective.

After some time, Changxing returned to report two options. One was in Yangchang Alley—small and inexpensive, but located in a poor neighborhood with dilapidated housing. The other was in the South Alley area, not far from the Qiongjiang district; it was slightly larger and carried a higher price tag.

Liu Qin accompanied Master Zhou to view them in person. The house in Yangchang Alley was rejected on the spot; it was too run-down, and the cost of the necessary repairs would be so high that it would be better to simply rent a better place. The house in South Alley, however, was quite satisfactory. It featured a small courtyard, a main room with a parlor, two side rooms, and a small, detached kitchen. It was well-furnished, ready for immediate move-in. The yard had a jujube tree and two patches of land on the side that had once been vegetable plots, though they were currently overgrown. Beside the plots stood a bamboo fence, likely once used for keeping poultry.

Liu Qin found the place excellent. It was tucked away from the main thoroughfare, offering tranquility amidst the bustle. The surrounding neighbors were mostly small merchants, keeping the environment simple and orderly. The house itself was clean, so she strongly encouraged her teacher to rent it.

Upon hearing the price, Master Zhou hesitated. After paying the rent, his remaining salary would have to cover his entire family’s living expenses, leaving very little for food. Yet, the house in Yangchang Alley was truly unacceptable. Since he was bringing his wife and children to settle here, he wanted them to have a proper home where they could live comfortably. Thinking that he would just rent it for now and worry about the future later, he gritted his teeth and made the decision.

Once the house was rented, Liu Qin had Changxing and his companions clean it thoroughly from top to bottom. She had it repainted, added potted flowers and plants, rearranged the furniture, and replaced the window screens and door curtains, completely transforming the small courtyard into a fresh, inviting space.

Master Zhou accepted all that Liu Qin had done in silence. He was deeply grateful to this student—she had not rushed to pay the rent for him, had not mocked his poverty, and had not mentioned the incident regarding Cui Liu. She had preserved his dignity while doing so much for him behind the scenes, including safeguarding the happiness of his marriage. He believed that if his wife, Xuanrong, met this student, she would like her as well.

By the end of the third month, peach and pear blossoms were in full bloom. Everywhere the eye could see, the landscape was vibrant with red, white, and pink, brimming with vitality. On the road from Liuhe Town to Wucheng, a humble carriage was moving slowly. It had been on the road for nearly two days and was now not far from the city.

A pair of small hands pulled back the gray carriage curtain. A child looked out eagerly, then laughed with delight, "Mother, Mother, look! We’re almost there." It was the voice of a young girl.

"Yes, Mei'er, sit still. Don't fidget." The woman’s voice was filled with joy as well.

"Mother, will Father come to pick us up?" a young boy asked in a milky voice, his brow furrowed in a cute expression of anticipation.

"He will, Zhi'er. We'll see Father soon. Aren't you happy?"

"I'm happy."

"Mother, I'm happy too."

"Your father will be happy to see us as well. Mei'er, help Mother check—is my hair messy? And my clothes, my face..."

"Mother, you look perfect. Nothing is messy, and your face is clean. Mother is so beautiful; Father will definitely love it."

"You child, what are you saying..." Her voice trailed off, filled with both delight and shyness.

The carriage trotted merrily toward the gates of Wucheng. Outside the city walls, Master Zhou was pacing anxiously. According to the time mentioned in the letter, they should have arrived by now. Why were they not yet in sight? A group of his students, led by Liu Qin, stood beside him, craning their necks to look down the road. Master Zhou had not wanted such a commotion, but Liu Qin had insisted on coming to greet his wife. With Liu Qin came Jiang Li, Xiao Wu, and Fang Nuo, and naturally, Xingsheng and Ankang followed as well. The group was quite boisterous, and Master Zhou could only offer a bitter smile, though his heart felt warm. This was the respect his students showed him.

"They're here! They're here!" someone shouted joyfully as a plain, unadorned old carriage rounded the bend.

The carriage moved quickly, coming to a halt before them with a sharp sound.

"Father! Father!" Before the curtain was even lifted, a small head poked out, shouting toward Master Zhou.

"Zhi'er, good boy." He happily lifted his son down, then reached for his daughter, patting her head. Only then did he reach out to assist his wife from the carriage. "My dear, you've had a long journey."

This was the first time Liu Qin had met the Master’s wife, and at a single glance, she took a liking to her. Yao Xuanrong was not a strikingly beautiful woman; her face was round, her eyes large, and her features modest. Her complexion was not particularly fair, and by the aesthetic standards of Wucheng, she was merely average. However, such a face was perfectly suited for a woman managing a household; the roundness suggested good fortune, and the calm, steady look in her eyes—if one ignored her coarse cloth garments—gave her an air of quiet dignity.

Yes, she was a woman of great substance. It took Liu Qin only a glance to reach this conclusion. This dignity radiated from her—in her gaze, her smile, and her graceful movements. Liu Qin found it hard to believe such a woman had come from a poverty-stricken village. She even had the impulsive urge to ask if the woman had traveled through time or been reborn. It wasn't strange for her to think this; in this era, women were often either coy, pretentious, or timid. Finding a woman with such presence was a rarity.

Yao Xuanrong, having been helped down by her husband, cast a shy glance at him before noticing many eyes upon her. One gaze, in particular, was bold and unreserved, scanning her thoroughly. She turned her head to see a young master, fair-skinned and handsome, smiling broadly at her from amidst the crowd. "Greetings, Master's wife. Qin'er pays her respects."

Jiang Li and the others quickly offered their own greetings. These young masters were all remarkably handsome, their manners impeccable. Though she had heard her husband praise his students, the reality exceeded her expectations. She had never seen such exceptional children, let alone a whole group of them. She was momentarily stunned before recovering and smiling gently at them.

"My dear, let us go home first. We can talk when we arrive," Master Zhou said.

They were blocking half the road, and their striking appearances were already drawing curious glances from passersby. The three carriages followed one another to the house in the North City. As soon as they stopped, a matron and a young maid came out to greet the family and help carry their belongings inside. These servants, too, had been gifted to the teacher by Liu Qin. The courtyard was clean, with potted plants arranged in an orderly fashion. Inside, everything had been prepared so well that the wife need not worry about a thing.