After Old Lady He sat down, she glanced around and asked, “Why isn’t Yan Xiu here?”

“After getting up this morning and paying New Year’s greetings, he said he had to go out for something important and would probably be back in two or three days,” Lu Shi explained.

“What could be so urgent that it’s even more important than the New Year, to the point of running out on the first day of the New Year?” Old Lady He sighed, “It seems that as they grow older, they care less and less about this old body of mine.”

“If you speak like this, Mother, it really troubles me as your daughter-in-law,” Lu Shi said with a smile. “Everyone in the He family knows that Yan Xiu is the most filial to you. The gifts from the Emperor, he has sent them all to you. He was even reluctant to give them to me, his own mother. If you continue to say such things, it truly makes me, as your daughter-in-law, feel deeply wronged.”

These words almost touched Old Lady He’s heart.

“That’s right. Apart from other things, none of you can compare to Yan Xiu in terms of filial piety.” Old Lady He smiled. “Since he has to go out on New Year’s Day, it must be something very important. Let him go.”

“When my second brother went out, I asked my subordinates and they said he was going to Qinghe.” He Yande said.

“Qinghe County? I remember it’s not far from the capital. My second brother insisted on going there during the New Year. Are there some very interesting things there?” He Yanzhou, who is ten years old this year, blinked.

“Third brother, you are talking nonsense again. Your second brother is not the kind of person who loves to play and make trouble.” He Yande smiled and said, “I think he just has important things to do in Qinghe County.”

“I think so too.” He Yande’s wife Fang Shi also nodded with a smile, “But no matter if there are important things to do or important people to meet, my second brother always knows his limits and will definitely not make any mistakes. Father, mother, and grandmother can rest assured.”

Important people…

Old Lady He narrowed her eyes and said, “I remember that on the day of the Little New Year, Yan Xiu was also out for quite a while. At that time, the servant said he had gone to Qinghe.”

“As for the past, I have heard some rumors that Yan Xiu bought an Oiran from somewhere, but I have never heard of her being brought back to the capital. Could it be that she was placed in Qinghe?”

“My daughter-in-law really doesn’t know about this.” Lu Shi looked at her husband next to her, “Do you know about this?”

“I don’t know.” He Chengye shook his head.

“How can you two be parents? Don’t you know these things? Do you want me, an old woman with my body half buried in the ground, to worry about them?” Old Lady He was a little unhappy.

“Mother, don’t be angry. I have heard about this before and wanted to ask about it or ask Yan Xiu, but after thinking about it carefully, I decided not to do so.”

“Why is that?” Old Lady He looked at Lu Shi.

“Yan Xiu has had his own ideas since he was young, especially when it comes to marriage. Even at his age, he still refuses to get married. If you ask him about it, he will just say that he has no one to match.”

Lu Shi smiled and said, “It has been a long time. Not to mention others, even I can’t help but think about it. But now Yan Xiu has someone who is pleasing to the eye and willing to do such a thing as keeping a beautiful woman in a golden house. It is also very rare.”

“He also kept her in Qinghe instead of the capital. I guess he was afraid that we adults would find out. If I ask again, Yan Xiu might be embarrassed and send her away…”

Upon hearing this, Old Lady He nodded continuously, “That does make some sense.”

“It’s rare for Yan Xiu to have someone he likes, and he’s willing to travel back and forth like this. I guess that girl is really his favorite. However, she’s not from a decent family…”

If the woman’s family background was clean, no matter how high or low her social status was, as long as He Yanxiu really liked her, the He family could marry her into the family.

After all, given He family’s status, it didn’t matter if their granddaughter-in-law didn’t come from a wealthy family.

But the one He Yanxiu hid in his golden house turned out to be an oiran…

It was a bit of a pity.

Old Lady He sighed and shook her head, “Just wait and see for now, and pay more attention to her later. If she is really a well-behaved and sensible child, you can take her back if Yan Xiu really likes her in the future.”

Be a concubine or something.

“Grandma is really biased.” He Yande tilted his body, “I wanted to take a concubine before, but grandma said I was not doing my job properly and refused no matter what. But when it came to Yan Xiu, Grandma agreed.”

“Can you two be the same?” Old Lady He glanced at He Yande and joked, “The beautiful wife sitting next to you has only been married for a year, and you are already thinking about adding someone to your room?”

“Grandmother is right.” Fang Shi continued, winking and smiling, “Put aside your thoughts for now. Wait until I give birth to my first son. It won’t be too late to help you in a few years.”

“There’s no need to arrange for it. If you can avoid concubines, then don’t have them. If you must have them, it’s better to have fewer rather than more, so as to avoid any trouble.” Old Lady He said, “You two should worry about serious things, and give me a great-grandson as soon as possible.”

“Yes.” He Yande and Fang Shi agreed.

After Old Lady He picked up the chopsticks, the others picked up their chopsticks and started eating.

The family was not restrained while having a meal together. They were talking and laughing, and it took them more than half an hour to leave.

He Yande and Fang Shi went to their own Wutong Garden.

The couple walked side by side, and the servants followed them from a distance.

“Are you really going to take a concubine?” Fang Shi asked, with a faint smile on her face. “I wonder which family the girl is from, so I can arrange something for my husband?”

“You shouldn’t care where I take concubines from or how many concubines I take. Why are you concerned about it today?” He Yande glanced at Fang Shi.

His eyes were cold.

“After all, I am the eldest grandson’s wife of the He family. I have to know who is going to come into this yard.” The smile on Fang Shi’s face grew larger.

“Are you afraid that someone will come in and interrupt what you are doing?” He Yande sneered.

“Of course.” Fang nodded. “I’m mainly afraid that it will affect your work. If you are seduced by lust, won’t our work be ruined?”

“My people are naturally reliable, but it’s better to be careful with the people around you.” He Yande said, “You have contributed a lot to He Yanxiu’s current reputation. After all, you are a woman, so you are a little petty in your actions.”

“Oh? Then I want to see what grand things the eldest son of the He family, He Gōngzi, can do?” Fang smiled and said, “Why don’t you send someone to keep an eye on Qinghe?”

“What are you staring at?”

“He Yanxiu has never been interested in women, but suddenly he has a beautiful girl in his house. He has been going there more and more frequently in recent days. Don’t you think it’s a bit strange? Don’t you want to see what He Yanxiu is doing?” Fang Shi asked.

(End of this chapter)

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