Li Yaonan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He recalled the feeling just now and felt a little regretful. His husband ran away before he could even taste his love!
Li Yaonan decided that he must talk to his young husband when he got back and tell him that kissing was not like that. Thinking this in his mind, Li Yaonan did not delay and walked towards the main courtyard. It was almost evening and it was time to rest.
Lin Yixuan had returned to normal long ago, looking docile and shy. She remained calm when she saw Li Yaonan, without a trace of her previous playfulness.
Li Yaonan looked at him meaningfully, with a hint of teasing and ambiguity in his eyes.
Lin Yixuan responded calmly, pretending not to see anything. Apart from his slightly red face, everything seemed normal.
Li Yaonan laughed softly, and felt more and more itchy in his heart. He wanted to tease his young husband, so he pulled him into his arms. Li Yaonan said in a lecturing tone: "You did something wrong just now."
Lin Yixuan was stunned, biting her lips tightly, looking at him with resentful eyes. Didn't her husband object just now? What was going on now? Before he could figure it out, Li Yaonan leaned over, tapped his lips lightly, and smiled, "It should be like this."
Li Yaonan tentatively stuck out his tongue and licked it. Feeling that it tasted good, he immediately kissed his lips deeply.
Lin Yixuan's mind went blank and his cheeks turned red all the way to his ears. Although he was the one who took the initiative just now, the situation was reversed now. He was so embarrassed.
Li Yaonan was very satisfied with his reaction. After kissing him enough, he let his little husband go.
The two of them combed their hair and washed themselves, and until they went to bed, Lin Yixuan's eyes were still erratic, and her face was red with shame. She could only hold the sleeping child to divert her attention. There were two villains fighting in her heart. One told him to seize the opportunity and quickly take down his husband, while the other was hesitant. Oh! How embarrassing!
In the midst of confusion, Lin Yixuan fell asleep in a daze.
Li Yaonan stared at his sleeping face and smiled faintly. He understood what his young husband was thinking and felt that it was about time. He did not dislike his young husband and even liked him very much. Seeing his son and his husband, his heart almost melted. Things like that were always difficult at the beginning. After a year of self-adjustment, he thought he could accept it, but...
A cunning smile flashed in Li Yaonan's eyes. It was actually very interesting that the young husband tried every means to seduce him. Now that the scientific expedition was imminent, there was no rush for other things. He decided to wait a little longer and take care of the young husband's health.
The poor little girl didn't know that she was being played a trick by her husband again.
The next day, life went on as usual. Li Yaonan continued to stay in the study to study his homework, while Lin Yixuan put all his efforts into it. He ordered his servants to buy a lot of saltpeter, arranged a large yard, ordered people to guard it strictly, recruited a few confidants, and started the ice-making project.
Li Yaonan let him tinker with it. This was the only hobby his young husband had, and as long as he was happy, it was fine.
Warm days always pass by especially quickly. Ever since the two kissed, there has been more intimacy in their daily interactions. Every morning, Li Yaonan would give her husband a light kiss on the forehead, and would also kiss him when she was happy.
It only took Lin Yixuan three days to go from being shy to getting used to it, and then to fighting back from time to time and secretly kissing back.
Li Yaonan could only sigh in his heart that his little husband was really flexible and could learn things quickly!
Aunt Liu was watching from the side, feeling both relieved and uncomfortable. In broad daylight, the relationship between the young master and the son-in-law was too good. Although this was a good thing, it was... after all, somewhat immoral! What if outsiders saw it
No one else knew how anxious Madam Liu was, and even if they did, who would care
Li Yaonan usually pays attention to details and would never do anything inappropriate when there are many people around. It's just that Aunt Liu is old and experienced, so she could see some clues. Li Yaonan said that it is normal for a husband and wife to be close, and there is no need for Aunt Liu to make a fuss. The only thing she can blame is that she is too smart. Who else can she blame
This is probably what is called the dog trying to catch the rat. Madam Liu's good intentions went down the drain.
Lin Yixuan was extremely happy. In the whole month of August, he earned a total of 9,000 taels of silver. According to Li Yaonan, he counted the money until his hands cramped. He was so happy. Yangzhou was indeed a prosperous and wealthy place.
Li Yaonan reviewed his lessons again, paying special attention to the answers to the provincial examinations in previous years. He firmly believed that the modern strategy of solving a large number of questions would have some effect.
If he felt that there were parts of the test that were immature, he would ask Lin Yixuan for advice. He did not have the slightest sense of inferiority. Since Lin Yixuan was more knowledgeable than him, he would only feel proud.
Zhang Qixian hadn't come for more than ten days, and Li Yaonan felt a little strange. When he arrived at Zhang's house, he found that his third cousin was complaining bitterly. He was locked up in the house by his father to study in preparation for the provincial examination in September.
Li Yaonan had no sympathy for this. He just smiled at him sarcastically and behaved more like a good boy, asking several elders of the Zhang family for help on things he didn't understand.
The second uncle was comforted and nodded repeatedly, saying that other people's children are just good. So, the second uncle instantly turned into a stepfather, and the third cousin was brutally beaten again. His face never looked good until the day he went to Jinling.
Li Yaonan didn't care. His third cousin was very smart and had a good brain, but he was not interested in learning. He only liked poetry and songs, and always wanted to be a talented and romantic scholar. Otherwise, he would have passed the imperial examination years ago. Why would he have waited until now? His second uncle was really disappointed in him.
As September approached, the weather gradually turned cooler. Li Yaonan was about to go to Jinling. Lin Yixuan put down everything she was doing and began to prepare his travel expenses.
Li Yaonan felt warm at heart. He remembered that when he went to Suzhou, his young husband was in confinement after giving birth. He simply packed up and set off. Although he had enough things, life was indeed not easy. He felt uncomfortable all over, could not eat well, could not sleep well, and was not used to doing anything.
Now that I have my husband to take care of me, it feels different, but...
Li Yaonan looked at the two large boxes at the door, not knowing whether he was touched or had a headache.
Lin Yixuan smiled lightly and glared at him: "Look at you, you are so silly. You are not asked to take these to the exam." Then, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and pointed to a large bundle inside: "These are the things you will need for the exam." There were incense burners, incense sticks, kettles, candles, pens, ink, quilts, inkstones, a pillow and a delicate little toilet. There was also a basin and a stack of handkerchiefs. Except for food, everything was available.
Lin Yixuan looked at him gently, and then carefully reminded him: "Prepare the food when you get to Jinling. Although the weather has turned cooler now, I'm afraid it will go bad if left for too long."
Li Yaonan nodded and smiled, speaking kindly: "My husband is very considerate."
Lin Yixuan blushed slightly, pointed at a servant and said, "Bring him along this time, he can run errands for you, serve tea and water, etc. It's better than going alone."
Li Yaonan felt ashamed. He actually forgot to bring someone to serve him during the last examination. Now it seemed so stupid. In such a hot day, he ran to the yamen gate and racked his brains to see the results announced.
"You must also take good care of yourself and your son." Li Yaonan took his hand, kissed it on his lips, and then instructed the servants to put the box on the carriage so that they would not have to move it around before leaving.
That night, the couple said goodbye reluctantly. Xiao Xu'er could now make ah ah sounds, and his little claws could hurt people. He wanted to grab everything he saw. The sadness of parting in the couple's hearts was swept away by his occasional interruptions, and the atmosphere became warm.
The next morning, Li Yaonan was about to leave. Lin Yixuan couldn't help but tear up, and she looked at her husband reluctantly while holding the child.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"I know." Lin Yixuan said sullenly. He knew Li Yaonan would be back soon, but he would still miss him.
Li Yaonan smiled, but couldn't do anything about her young husband, so she whispered something in his ear.
Lin Yixuan glared at him in embarrassment, with blushes on her face.
Li Yaonan smiled comfortably, hugged his spoiled son, got on the carriage, and waved: "Go back soon."
Lin Yixuan stared at him in a daze, watching the carriage go farther and farther away, until he could no longer find any trace of it, then he turned around and went back home with a look of disappointment.
He found that he had just left his husband and he already started to miss him.
This time, Li Yaonan was traveling with his cousin Zhang San, and the two agreed to meet at Shili Pavilion outside the city.
Zhang Qixian looked unhappy when he saw him, and he looked like he wanted to bite him: "You're here."
Li Yaonan was gentle and polite, and he cupped his hands and said, "Hello, third cousin."
"I'm not fine." Zhang Qixian said heavily, lengthening his tone, and patted his face: "Look, mother said that I have lost weight and my spirit has withered. I am not fine at all."
Li Yaonan sneered and said mercilessly: "Even if you become a fat man, your second aunt will still say you are thin."
"What do you mean? Do you still have any sympathy?" Zhang Qixian was displeased. He jumped into Li Yaonan's carriage, sent the servant aside, and planned to argue with his little cousin.
Li Yaonan said hurriedly: "No, you are a talented and romantic man, you must not turn into the second uncle."
Zhang Qixian glared at him and said, "You also know that my father is annoying, so why did you just stand there and watch him die?"
Li Yaonan raised his eyebrows and smiled. Of course, he would not tell him that he was actually adding insult to injury. "Second Uncle is the elder after all. You should listen to him and don't let him worry. After you pass the imperial examination, you can do whatever you want. I believe Second Uncle will not gossip about you anymore."
"That's true." Zhang Qixian nodded, frowning and thinking. His eyes became brighter and brighter. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was right. He patted the table beside him in annoyance and said, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Li Yaonan hurriedly stopped him: "Don't get excited, the carriage is not strong enough to withstand your strength."
"Virtue!" Zhang Qixian glanced at him sideways, a typical example of a man who would burn his bridges after crossing them. He turned around and got off the carriage and returned to his own car.
Li Yaonan was surprised to find that his cousin actually started to study seriously and even held a policy paper in his hands while eating and sleeping.
Li Yaonan was speechless. He wondered if his second uncle would feel pleased when he saw his third cousin's performance!
However, for him, the effect was obvious. Finding that his third cousin was so serious, he dared not be negligent. He studied harder along the way and decided to get a top score in the exam this time.