Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Liu Sisi noticed the hastened speed of the caravan. Clearly, the carriage was not going to stop. Not caring about the onlookers, she bellowed out loudly!

“Ruo Ruo, catch this!”

As she spoke, a bundle flew into the window.

Gan Miaoruo instinctively reached for it, but missed. The bundle fell into the car.

She quickly bent over to pick it up. Waving it frantically at Liu Sisi, she said, “Teacher, you must remember what you promised me. You have to visit me! Teacher!”

“Ruo Ruo! Take good care of yourself, okay? Ruo Ruo…”

She put her hands to her mouth in a trumpet shape, shouting loudly.

Di Yelei steered his jujube red horse forward, closely following the carriage.

Up ahead, the manager noticed the scene and couldn’t help but report to Gan Jiayou, “Your Honor, the Eldest Miss and the son-in-law are chasing after the carriage. Should we stop and wait?”

Gan Jiayou was initially resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing the news, he slowly opened his eyes, stretched out and opened the curtain of the carriage to look outside.

From his direction, he could see the jujube-red horse on the wharf galloping in pursuit, its flying mane and dancing hooves desperately chasing after everyone.

He casually let down the carriage curtain and closed his eyes again. “No need to stop. We have already delayed enough time getting to the capital city. We cannot linger on the road any longer.”

“Yes, Your Honor!”

The manager took his leave.

Liu Sisi and her two companions chased the carriage for quite some time. They ran until they reached a mountain bay where the terrain suddenly narrowed, making it impossible to ride beside the carriage. With no other choice, Di Yelei pulled back on the reins, watching as the caravan gradually moved further away.

“Sisi, should we keep chasing?”

“No more chasing. Let’s go back.”

Liu Sisi gently shook her head, her body deflating as she snuggled back into His warmth.

“Okay. Let’s go back.”

Di Yelei simply agreed. He pulled on the horse’s reins and turned it around, heading back the way they had come.

“Sisi, why don’t we buy a carriage while we still have some money at home? What do you think?”

Jolted by the wind earlier and then a fast run, Liu Sisi was freezing. Hearing Di Yelei’s suggestion, she was immediately interested.

“Getting a carriage would be great. But, where will we find one, and where will we find a coachman?”

“It’s not difficult. Doesn’t the old woman, Nanny Wang in the county city, deal with slaves? I mean, we could first buy two slaves, like Ruo Ning, for you to command. As you get heavier with pregnancy, you may find these people quite useful. By the time you give birth and go through confinement, it would be very convenient.”

Liu Sisi couldn’t help but turn around, staring in surprise at Di Yelei.

Di Yelei lowered his head and looked at her curiously, “What’s the matter? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I just didn’t expect… didn’t expect you to think about these things.”

Liu Sisi really didn’t expect it. Di Yelei, who used to seem so naive and honest, actually planned to buy slaves. Speaking of buying slaves, her modern-educated mentality found it a bit hard to accept.

“Didn’t expect that we would buy slaves? This is quite normal. When my mother was alive, she had an old woman and a maid to serve her. There were also a few laborers. It was only when my mother passed away that the Di family fell on hard times.”

Di Yelei casually talked about it as if it was someone else’s business, tightening his hold on Liu Sisi in his arms.

“So, do you mean we should buy people first, or buy a carriage? How much money would that take?”

She really didn’t understand these things.

“What if we go to Nanny Wang’s first and bring some people back with us?” Di Yelei suggested with excitement.

“But… when we left home today, I didn’t bring much money. I only brought about 5 taels of silver. What can we buy with that?”

“It doesn’t really matter. Let’s just go see and ask around. If it doesn’t work, we can always bring money tomorrow to buy whatever we need. Let’s go!”

Di Yelei was thrilled! He instantly turned his horse around and started heading back.

Liu Sisi squinted. She felt as if the man behind her had been planning this for quite some time.

The two of them entered the county city along the official road, then headed directly to the west.

The place where Nanny Wang lived looked like a typical farmers’ home. You wouldn’t be able to tell at a glance that it was a place for slave trading.

“Nanny Wang frequents the government office quite often, so I know her. She not only sells maids, but she also sells long and short-term laborers, both on dead and open contracts. Let’s look around and if we find something satisfactory, then we can discuss further.”

Upon entering the courtyard, while no one came out, Di Yelei whispered to Liu Sisi.

Liu Sisi gave him a look. “It’s the New Year, and coming here to bother these people seems rather unkind.”

“Isn’t this her busiest time of year for business? If no one comes to her during this time, that would be strange. It would mean she has a poor reputation, and her business wouldn’t last long.”

“Uh…”

There was such a saying! Liu Sisi remained silent.

Shortly after, a middle-aged woman dressed modestly arrived. After catching sight of the two visitors, her eyes sparkled!

“I heard the magpies chirping first thing this morning, and now I know why. The constable has graced me with his presence. Such a rare guest, such an honor! Your presence truly adds glory to my humble home.”

Nanny Wang was quick to pay her respects.

“No need to fuss, Nanny Wang. We are thinking of buying a carriage for transportation. But we need a capable hand to drive it. Do you have anyone to recommend?”

Nanny Wang’s eyes subtly shifted towards Liu Sisi.

Usually, matters like these were dealt with by the women in the house. But seeing the constable taking the initiative, it seemed that the matter would not be easy to handle.

“If you two only need a carriage for transportation, there’s no need to buy one. The Carriage Shop in the East City not only sells carriages but also offers rentals. If you trust me, Nanny Wang, I can help introduce you to some options.”

“Nanny Wang, could you explain the difference between the two options and their respective advantages?”

Seeing the determination in Yelei’s eyes, Liu Sisi’s sharp gaze transformed into a solemn question.

“There certainly are differences. If you only need to rent a carriage, you can rent it daily or even for a month or a year. If you only need the carriage temporarily, this method would be cost-effective. However, if you intend to use it in the long-term, it’s better to just buy a carriage and horses, then hire a long-term laborer. The laborer can not only help take care of the carriage but also feed the horses. This is not only convenient but also very hassle-free and less tiring, solving the problem once and for all.”

That’s indeed a good plan!

“Nanny Wang, how much would the whole package cost?”

She only brought 5 taels of silver, would it be enough?