"Let's get some food ready again." Qi You said while helping the person beside him as they crossed the threshold.

  No need to repeat it like before, Chun Yu Fu nodded and went to the small kitchen in the backyard.

  Such a situation had been anticipated, and Dongfen had already prepared food in the small kitchen, which she and Chunyu carried over.

  Hua Ru had always loved cold things, but when she was at home, her mother kept a close eye on her and wouldn't let her eat too much of them. She said that women were naturally cold by nature, and eating too many cold things would be bad for their health. But as the weather got hotter, Hua Ru couldn't control herself, and all she could think about was sleeping with an ice cube that wouldn't melt.

  Following her for over a decade, the maid naturally understood her, but in this regard, she wouldn't be overly obedient to her either. Having a cold dish on the dinner table was already a luxury that would make her happy, and they all knew what it truly meant to be good to their mistress.

  Chun Yu put out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, Hua Ru thought for a moment about her current identity, and still politely asked, "Do you want to eat some more? My maid's culinary skills are not bad."

  It was indeed good, and at noon that meal saw it, Qiyou didn't refuse, picked up his chopsticks and ate half a bowl of rice in a calm and unhurried manner, and actually had another bowl of rice.

  Hua Ru had only one bowl of rice, but she finished the whole plate of cold dishes. Qi You watched her and gained a deeper understanding of his wife's preferences.

  "Let's take a walk around the yard and digest our food."

  Qī Yòu didn't say anything, but he stood up.

  Hua Ru's eyebrows jumped slightly, her husband was too silent, it wasn't a pleasant thing, and communication was too difficult.

  The sky has turned dark, with stars twinkling everywhere, looking very beautiful.

  She signaled to the maid to close the courtyard gate, she didn't mean to show off to others, if outsiders saw it, who knows what rumors would spread, she just wanted to live a peaceful life, no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.

  The courtyard is not small, except for a tree by the west wing, it's empty and bare, without even a single flower, which makes Hua Ruochu, who is used to seeing Jiangnan gardens, look down on it.

  However, she didn't plan on making a big fuss either, after all, this wasn't the Huas' house, and they couldn't just let her do as she pleased.

  The two of them slowly strolled around for a few rounds, and Hua Ruochu still felt that it was not worth wasting such an old tree. "Qiu Jian, bring out a set of table and chairs to place under the tree, and also bring out a set of tea utensils."

  "Yes, miss."

  "Qiu Yu, can I plant some mosquito-repelling flowers and grasses in the courtyard? Otherwise, when the weather gets even hotter, we'll be stuck inside."

  "Just tell the butler."

  Hua Ru shook her head, "No need, I don't even know if this thing exists in Ji Zhou, let me send someone to look for it first."

  Qī Yòu didn't ask any further questions. Although many things were not clearly explained at first, he also did not intentionally conceal them from him. If he had been willing to listen carefully, he would have known more. However, he did not want to betray the trust that Rú Chū had placed in him.

  He is after all the prince's person, knowing too much about himself can't even confirm whether he will be used or not, it's better to know nothing at all, so as to preserve his loyalty and that trust.

  "Miss, Master, you can rest here."

  Two people walked over and sat down, Yun Shu skillfully brewed tea, without those complicated instruments and fancy moves, only keeping the simplest flavor of the tea, that's it, Qi You also felt amazing.

  "Is this also something you came up with?"

  "It's not like it's great or anything, but nobody else would be able to make it either. Is the flavor better than that of so-and-so's tea?"

  "Ah, it tastes great."

  Hua was finally satisfied, and the fact that others liked what she liked made her feel happy and content. Her smile deepened a bit, "This is just something I can make do with for now. I've been looking for a kind of purple mud, but I haven't heard any news about where to find it yet."

  "What's the use of that?"

  He lifted up a copper teapot filled with boiling water in front of him, "Of course it's for making tea."

  "Only ordinary people use clay teapots, I've tried it before, the taste is bad, the water isn't clear, and has a earthy flavor."

  "I have my own way." Hua Ruochu smiled inexplicably, "Qi You, do you know where there is purple soil?"

  Qī Yòu fell silent for a while, and just when Huá Rú Chū thought he wouldn't tell her, he spoke up: "I have some impression, but I couldn't think of where it is right now. Let me check again."

  It turned out that I was thinking about it just now? Hua Ru Chuchuckled and nodded, "If you can really find it, I'll make one for you myself."

  Qiu Yongding looked at her steadily, his eyes softening, "Alright."

  Under Hua Ru's guidance, the conversation between the two went smoothly. When they were alone together, Qi You wasn't as cold as he was outside, and Hua Ru had every reason to believe that this man also wanted to get along with her. With this confidence, she finally had some hope for her future life. If she could get along well with her husband, it wouldn't be so dark and hopeless, would it?

  Even if it means getting along with his concubine and living in the same room.

  Hua Ru Chu liked the color blue, and today she was wearing a whole outfit of it. The accessories she wore were also this color. Although the color was somewhat monotonous and not as vibrant, it made her look exceptionally soft and gentle. This was probably what they meant by "gentle like water".

  Adding the subtle hint of spring in her eyes and eyebrows, Hua Ru couldn't help but admit that she was indeed three times more beautiful than usual. It seemed that women really did need men to nourish them. No wonder women would go to great lengths to fight for their husbands.

  Qī Yòu had long been sitting on one side, quietly watching her dress up bit by bit. Even he couldn't help but admit that she was very good at dressing herself up. Although she wasn't stunningly beautiful, her dressed-up appearance could make people's eyes linger.

  The makeup on her face wasn't particularly heavy, and at a glance, it was almost imperceptible. Yet, the shape of her eyebrows made them look even more attractive, her eyes more alluring, her nose more upturned, her lips more luscious, and even her cheeks looked smaller and more delicate. All this was achieved by herself in just two cups of tea's time.

  "The young master and mistress have arrived, accompanied by the elderly lady's personal attendants."

  The two of them exchanged a glance in the mirror, and Hua Ruyi said, "Quickly invite her in."

  "The slave and servant girl have seen the young master and the young mistress."

  "No need for formalities, it's still early now, but does the old lady have something to entrust?"

  "Yes, it's raining too heavily outside, so the old lady said everyone will just eat in their own yards and won't bother with anything else."

  "Is it raining? I didn't notice, thanks for going through the trouble." Looking at her wet shoes, Hua Ru initially glanced at Qiu Jian.

  Qiu Jin took out a new pair of embroidered shoes from the cabinet, smiled and bowed slightly, saying: "I am Qiu Jin, a maid by Miss's side. If you don't mind, I'll call you Double Orchid sister from now on. There will be things that require your attention in the future, so consider this pair of shoes as an advance payment for your troubles. I hope you won't mind."

  The exquisite embroidery made her eyes gleam with delight, who in the mansion didn't know that Madame's dowry was rich and abundant? Others would find it hard to get their hands on a single piece of embroidery, but she would casually give them away. She had envied her before, never expecting that today Madame would bestow upon her a pair of shoes.

  She accepted it with a big smile, and Shuang Ji didn't hide her fondness at all. Fu Shen said: "Thank you, Mrs. Da Xiao, I like it very much."

  "Just like it, Qiu Jin, you send a pair of boots."

  "I bid you farewell."

  PS: If the first update is earlier, there will usually be another chapter, so, hehe, everyone understands, vote for recommendations and more.