After securing the silk flower in her hair, Yao Huang continued pushing Prince Hui forward.
The road was filled with townsfolk and nearby villagers who had come to the market. The women and girls squeezed to the front to pick out their favorite items, while the men accompanying them either helped carry the selections or stood aside holding previously purchased goods. The peddlers called out with glowing red faces, keeping a close eye on every hand reaching toward their stalls, while the shopping commoners picked and chose as they haggled over prices.
Most people were busy with their own livelihoods and paid no mind to the exceptionally good-looking couple appearing on the street, let alone the fact that the husband was sitting in a wheelchair.
Yao Huang had long expected this to be the case, so she did not go out of her way to observe. She focused half her attention on the wide variety of stalls and the other half on keeping the wheelchair steady and avoiding the rushing pedestrians.
Zhao Sui did not need to observe either. He had been adept at reading people's expressions since childhood and was extremely sensitive to the gazes of others. Yet, amidst this noisy and crowded small-town market, Zhao Sui only felt a few fleeting glances casually sweep over him. Other than that, no one revered or feared him, nor did anyone mock or pity him.
There was a fabric shop in town, which, like the other stores today, had set up a stall outside its doors.
Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui over and pointed at the rolls of coarse and fine cotton cloth within his arm's reach, saying, "A gift only counts if you pick it out and buy it for me yourself."
Just as Zhao Sui was examining the fine cotton fabrics, the women next to him were still touching and flipping through them with their hands.
Zhao Sui frowned slightly.
The female stall owner, who stood behind her wares soliciting business, had a sharp eye. Being a local resident, she had already heard that a wealthy family had recently moved to town, among whom was a man in a wheelchair who was not only handsome but also had a wife as beautiful as a celestial maiden. Noticing the young Master Liao's dissatisfaction with those hands and the fabrics, the female stall owner smiled and said, "We have even better materials inside the shop. How about you two go in and take a look?"
Zhao Sui nodded.
Yao Huang did not move. She peeked at the shop's threshold and said casually, "It's not convenient for our wheelchair to go in and out. Could I trouble you to bring out a few of your best rolls of fabric?"
Zhao Sui felt a sudden chill in his bones. The women picking out fabrics around them also caused a stir, turning their heads to look at him and the Princess. More eyes fell on his face, as if to say: What big talk, are they really that rich?
Zhao Sui: "..."
The female stall owner's gaze toward Zhao Sui also carried an added layer of probing inquiry: Does your wife's word count? Are you really willing to spend money on her if I bring them out?
The chill that had spread all over Zhao Sui's body vanished under these gazes. Glancing at the Princess's hand resting on the wheelchair, Zhao Sui nodded at the female stall owner.
The stall owner asked everyone to wait a moment and happily ran inside. After a while, she came out carrying a small bamboo basket. Inside the basket, a circle of silk swatches, cut to the size of handkerchiefs, was neatly arranged. "These are all the silk fabrics we have in our shop. You two can see which color you like, and once you've chosen, I'll bring out the whole bolt of silk for you to examine closely."
Zhao Sui looked at the basket, and Yao Huang asked for the price.
The female stall owner said, "These are the best-selling silks in the capital. Over there, a bolt sells for eight mace of silver. I have my connections and get them cheaper, so I'm only selling them to everyone for seven mace."
Although Yao Huang had been reluctant to make silk clothes frequently in the past, she was very familiar with the selling prices of various materials in the capital's silk shops. The ones the stall owner brought out were the most ordinary silks, which actually only sold for six mace a bolt in the capital. Logically, bringing them to a small town to sell should mean a price reduction. Most likely, she was treating her and Prince Hui as easy marks.
Therefore, Yao Huang put away her smile and put on a hesitant look.
Zhao Sui did not care about this price at all, so he did not observe the Princess's expression. He successively picked out a light green, a peach pink, and a plain white silk swatch, and asked over his shoulder, "Out of these three, which one do you like?"
The items were too ordinary. He would just buy one bolt for now to satisfy the Princess's request, and when they returned to the capital, he would have a silk shop send over premium silks and satins for her to choose from.
Yao Huang tugged at his sleeve and said, "They are all quite nice, but just too expensive. Let's forget it."
The Princess's voice was delicate and sweet, and her look of wanting something but being reluctant to buy it seemed so genuine that it made the surrounding women stare at him even more intently.
Zhao Sui: "...I'll take all three. Have them delivered to the newly moved Doctor Liao's house south of the bridge."
There was a collective gasp from the people around and behind them. The Princess also joined in the excitement, bending down to hug his shoulders and repeatedly praising, "My husband is so good to me."
Zhao Sui simply proceeded to take loose silver out of his pouch.
Before he could hand it to the female stall owner, Yao Huang snatched it away and smiled as she bargained, "We bought three bolts in one go, could you give us a discount? I won't ask for much, just reduce it by one mace per bolt, making it one tael and eight mace for three bolts. How about it?"
The female stall owner finally realized what was going on. The scholar was very generous, but his beautiful wife was a shrewd one!
Six mace a bolt was still enough for her to make a profit. The female stall owner quickly said some polite words about how they hit it off, agreed to Yao Huang's price, and promised to deliver the three bolts of silk to Doctor Liao's residence.
Yao Huang paid the silver readily. As they left, she was still speaking intimately to her husband, "We can both use the green and white bolts. When the time comes, I'll make a silk skirt set for myself and a silk outfit for you. We are husband and wife, so of course, we should wear the same material. That's what you call a perfect match."
Zhao Sui then heard someone muttering behind him, "The little lady has such a sweet mouth, no wonder her husband is willing to buy her such expensive materials."
After finishing their stroll on the main street, the couple arrived at the northern end. Here gathered a group of villagers selling mountain goods and wild game. The goods for sale included mink and rabbit pelts, wild vegetables, wild fruits, and some medicinal herbs.
Yao Huang first bought a woven wicker basket and had Prince Hui hold it, while she picked out two types of wild vegetables that looked fairly fresh.
Passing by a long basket placed on the ground by a dark-skinned old farmer, Yao Huang glanced at the root tubers inside, which looked like ginger but were rounder and plumper. Curious, she asked, "What is this?"
When the old farmer opened his mouth, he spoke with a thick village accent, "Chicken-head ginseng, a good thing from the Spirit Mountain. It can be used as medicine and eaten as food. Eaten raw, it's sweet and crisp, and you can also take it home to stew in soup or porridge. If you don't believe me, I can peel one for you to taste?"
Yao Huang glanced at the old farmer's fingernails caked with black mud and hurriedly declined, but she was indeed very interested. "It can be used as medicine, what does it treat?"
The old farmer glanced at the pale-faced pretty boy in the wheelchair and smiled foolishly, "It treats a lot! It strengthens the spleen and moistens the lungs, fortifies the muscles and bones, and nourishes the yin and kidneys. Basically, if you have any bodily discomfort, you can eat it. Otherwise, why would it be called chicken-head ginseng? It's truly no worse than real ginseng!"
Zhao Sui: "..."
Yao Huang felt she might need some nourishment, but fearing that His Highness Prince Hui might misunderstand, she quickly pushed the wheelchair away.
They walked back and forth along the main street twice, finishing their tour of the scattered markets at both ends. Returning to their new residence to rest up a bit, it was just in time for lunch.
Feiquan and Qingai served lunch, which consisted of two meat dishes, two vegetarian dishes, and a chicken soup. The chicken soup was garnished with red dates, wolfberries, and another ingredient Yao Huang could not identify. She did not mind it, first scooping a bowl without red dates or wolfberries for the Prince, and then scooping a bowl full of red dates for herself. The large dates used in the stew had absorbed the broth, making them sweet and tender, exactly how Yao Huang liked them.
Having gotten used to Madam Gao's chicken soup, Yao Huang tasted a new flavor in this meal's soup. When Feiquan and Qingai came to clear the table, Yao Huang pointed at the almost empty soup tureen and asked, "Do you know what this is?"
The two eunuchs leaned in to take a look. Qingai said, "Polygonatum, fresh mountain produce Doctor Liao bought at the market. He had Zhang Yue bring it back, saying it could be stewed in soup for Second Master and Madam."
Yao Huang: "Polygonatum?"
Zhao Sui glanced at her and said mildly, "Its medicinal name is Polygonatum, but commoners usually call it chicken-head ginseng."
Yao Huang: "..."
What was wrong with Doctor Liao? Prince Hui was so vigorous, why would he need a tonic?
For the entire afternoon, Yao Huang didn't go near the front courtyard. She took Jinbao to the west courtyard to chat with Madam Gao and A'ji.
When the summer heat dissipated at dusk, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui to the riverbank in front of their house, carrying a small stool herself. Then she sat in the shade of a tree, parking his wheelchair in a spot where it could bask in the setting sun.
The setting sun was too bright, so Zhao Sui had to lower his eyelids. He asked the princess consort, who looked as if she had vented her frustration, "Why?"
Seeing no one around, Yao Huang glared at him and said, "Why did that old farmer boast in front of you that his chicken-head ginseng could nourish the kidneys? Why did Doctor Liao buy chicken-head ginseng to stew soup for you? It's all because you stay in the study reading all day, keeping your face so pale. You'd better get a tan sooner rather than later, so others won't misunderstand you like this again."
Zhao Sui: "You're afraid of others misunderstanding?"
Yao Huang gritted her teeth: "I'm not afraid of outsiders misunderstanding, I'm afraid that Doctor Liao and Madam Gao will stew soup for you every day, and I'll be the one to suffer in the end!"
The princess consort's face, which wasn't exposed to the setting sun, also turned red. Zhao Sui closed his eyes, feeling the slightly scorching warmth of the sunlight falling on his face.
He had a basic understanding of medical principles since his youth, and after his legs were injured, he had studied various medical books himself. Therefore, Zhao Sui knew very well that people are like flowers, plants, and crops; getting too much or too little sunlight would affect their health.
He didn't care in the past because there couldn't be a more serious problem than losing the use of his legs. But now, he had a princess consort by his side, and given time, she would conceive their child. The princess consort was in good health. If the child had any deficiencies, it would definitely be his problem. Furthermore, with his pale complexion, he might not even be able to get her pregnant successfully.
The river water flowed murmuringly under the long embankment. Bathed in the setting sun, Prince Hui thought about the matter of an heir for the first time since his wedding.
He was already a burden to the princess consort; how could he give her a child with similarly deficient health?
Suddenly, the sound of the princess consort's departing footsteps came from beside him. Zhao Sui opened his eyes and saw her figure running towards the courtyard.
Zhao Sui maintained his head turned, watching the princess consort run all the way to the backyard. She returned not long after, holding a green... skirt sash in her hand.
"Your eyes must be uncomfortable like this, right? Let me tie this on for you." Returning to the front of the wheelchair, Yao Huang suggested with a smile.
Zhao Sui looked towards the opposite bank. In the distance, several men waiting for their meals to be ready at home were sitting together, occasionally looking over in their direction.
Zhao Sui faced them, while the princess consort sat in the shade with her back to the setting sun, so she wouldn't be seen too clearly by them.
He tacitly agreed to the princess consort's suggestion.
Yao Huang stood behind him, covered his eyes with the green skirt sash, and then tied a knot at the back of his head.
After sitting back down, what Yao Huang saw was a Prince Hui who, despite his eyes being covered, looked even more handsome and ethereal, his eyebrows resembling spring mountains.
Yao Huang tried waving her hand.
Zhao Sui turned towards her: "Although it's blurry, I can see your movements."
Yao Huang: "There was a mosquito just now; I chased it away for you."
Prince Hui's lips curled up slightly.
Yao Huang saw it and exclaimed in surprise, "So Second Master knows how to smile too!"
Prince Hui's lips immediately returned to their original state, and he turned his face towards the river.
Yao Huang casually broke off a willow branch and stealthily reached it towards his neck.
Zhao Sui pressed down the willow branch and reminded her, "There are people on the opposite bank."
Yao Huang didn't look to see who was there: "So what if there are? We are a proper married couple; what's wrong with fooling around a bit?"
Zhao Sui then let go of his hand, allowing the princess consort to lightly poke him twice.
Seeing him like a block of wood, Yao Huang pointed to the easternmost stone bridge and said, "On the morning of the nineteenth, I'll go stand on the bridge, and you draw a picture of me? To keep as a souvenir."
Zhao Sui: "Why the nineteenth?"
Yao Huang poked him again: "Stop playing dumb, you clearly remember it better than I do."
