I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

"You know, when our father was young, he wasn't a good-tempered man. After he found out about this, he absolutely refused to agree and wouldn't let Tongchuan go to apprentice. He forced him to become a lowly constable. Don't be fooled by our mother's occasional nagging at our father; when it comes to important matters, she can't make decisions for him."

Yang Tongshan knew in his heart that Tongchuan had been feeling uncomfortable for several years because he hadn't succeeded in becoming a hunter.

"Tongchuan's consideration is correct; our house is indeed not very big. I originally planned to move to a bigger house together when the two children are older, but it seems that Tongchuan doesn't want to do that anymore. He still wants to live alone as a family." Yang Tongshan was willing to respect his younger brother's idea.

"Okay, if that's what my second brother wants, then we'll help him out a bit when he buys a house, so he doesn't have to work too hard."

"Okay, whatever you say."

------------

The Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

After dinner, Yang Tongchuan urged Xiangxi to quickly dress Xuebao warmly, as he wanted to take the two of them to the temple fair.

"Your older brother changed the location of his stall this year. He said he only sells ready-made candied hawthorns and doesn't need that much space."

Last year, Xiangxi couldn't go out for the Lantern Festival, so she's determined to make up for it this year.

"Didn't your sister-in-law get one?"

"No, I heard that your brother stays home to take care of the two kids, while your brother runs the stall by himself."

There was no wind today, so there were an unusually large number of people at the temple fair.

Yang Tongchuan held the child in one arm and held Xiangxi's hand with the other, afraid of being separated by the crowd.

The group strolled around leisurely. Xiangxi bought Xuebao a new tiger-head hat and a rabbit fur scarf, which would match Xiangxi's hat perfectly as a matching family outfit.

A juggler came to the temple fair this year.

He was both breathing fire and breaking large rocks with his chest.

Yang Tongchuan was tired of looking at them. He had never seen Xiangxi and Xuebao before, so he stared at them intently, unwilling to move.

Yang Tongchuan felt something tugging at his clothes. He looked down and saw a monkey chained up, holding a gong and asking for money.

Olaf had never seen this thing before, and he was so frightened that he immediately turned his head away.

Small in stature and timid, but with a great deal of curiosity.

Even though they were terrified, they still secretly watched.

When the monkey saw that Yang Tongchuan wouldn't pay, it tugged at him twice more.

Yang Tongchuan took a coin out of his money bag and put it in Xuebao's hand.

"Throw it inside."

Olaf didn't understand and held onto the coin tightly.

The monkey saw the money and tried to snatch it, but Yang Tongchuan kicked it and made it behave.

"Don't worry, just leave it here." Yang Tongchuan bent down, holding Xuebao, and taught him how to tip.

With a clang.

Olaf dropped the coin in with perfect accuracy.

He was startled by his own power.

"Oh dear," Xuebao giggled happily.

Yang Tongchuan gave him a few more copper coins and told him to throw them all at once.

"That's about it." Xiangxi watched from the side, feeling that Yang Tongchuan was spoiling the child too much.

"It's fun, it's nothing." Only after Xuebao had had enough fun did the family of three leave the juggling crowd and head to the next place selling lanterns.

Here we ran into Liang Da and Meng Dongqing, who had just bought lanterns.

Meng Dongqing was wearing a new outfit and looked completely different from before.

It feels completely refreshed.

Liang Da was still the same lean man, standing behind his husband, helping Meng Dongqing carry a lantern with a large crab design.

"Xiangxi? It's been a long time since I've seen you." Meng Dongqing had asked Duan Ziqiu why he hadn't seen Xiangxi. Duan Ziqiu said that Xiangxi had some family matters to attend to and needed to rest for a while.

"It's been a long time since we last met. What a coincidence to run into you here." Xiangxi was happy for Meng Dongqing and Liang Da, who seemed to be getting along quite well.

"Officer Yang, what a coincidence." Liang Da was a shrewd man. He often went to the yamen because of tax matters, so he had naturally met Yang Tongchuan.

"Boss Liang, are you also visiting the temple fair with your husband?" Yang Tongchuan greeted him politely. He knew that Liang Da had paid a lot of taxes last year, which had attracted the attention of the clerk.

"It's fate that we met. I've reserved a window seat at the teahouse up ahead so we can watch the lantern parade later. I wonder if Officer Yang would be interested in bringing his wife and children to join in the fun?" Liang Da sincerely invited.

"Do you want to see it?" Yang Tongchuan asked Xiangxi for her opinion.

"I'll listen to you." Xiangxi didn't dare to make a decision.

That means I want to see it.

This is how Yang Tongchuan understands it.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Boss Liang." Yang Tongchuan accepted Liang Da's invitation.

After Xiangxi bought a large carp lantern for Xuebao, the group went up to the second floor of the teahouse.

Liang Dading's location is indeed excellent. It's a semi-private space with partitions, so people outside can't see inside at all.

The waiter quickly set out the tea and snacks and then left.

Xuebao was very interested in his big carp and Meng Dongqing's big crab, and his hands were always restless, wanting to poke them.

Xiangxi played with him on the side, while Meng Dongqing stood by and watched, her smile never fading, her hand unconsciously stroking her flat stomach.

Meng Dongqing is pregnant, but it's still early in the pregnancy, so it's not obvious yet. If it weren't for the experienced nanny who took care of him and called a doctor, he wouldn't even know.

On the other side, Yang Tongchuan and Liang Da sat on opposite sides of the table, drinking tea and looking at their respective husbands.

"My husband is a quiet, reserved person who doesn't want to talk to anyone, but he can actually talk to Officer Yang's husband. Fate is truly a strange thing."

"Everyone in Changxing County knows how much Boss Liang dotes on her husband. I just heard from my brother that you bought another shop and registered it under your husband's name."

"Officer Yang, you're joking. For us boatmen, life and death are long in the hands of fate. We don't know when we'll meet our end on the water." Liang Da poured tea for Yang Tongchuan.

"My son is a softie, he's useless. If I don't protect him, even if I've accumulated a lot of wealth, he won't be able to hold onto it, and it will all benefit our relatives. It's better to just buy some shops that can generate income for him, at least to ensure he has enough to eat and wear."

Liang Da was troubled by this. He originally bought the shop intending to open a small bookstore for Meng Dongqing.

Meng Dongqing himself enjoys reading, and most families who can afford to buy books are well-off and have relatively simple living environments.

Liang Da's plan was not to expect him to earn money for the family, but just to give him something to do so he wouldn't stay cooped up at home all day.

Unexpectedly, Meng Dongqing refused, preferring to let the business run by rent rather than do it himself.

Thinking of Meng Dongqing's expression at that time, Liang Da felt both sweet and helpless.

During that period, Liang Da became quite close to Duan Ziqiu because of business matters.

He genuinely admired Duan Ziqiu; doing business with her was effortless.

She probably didn't even realize it, but when chatting with Meng Dongqing, she would occasionally mention Duan Ziqiu.

For example, how popular Duan Ziqiu's new products are, how much money Duan Ziqiu's creativity has made for our family, and how really smart Duan Ziqiu is.

As time went on, he noticed Meng Dongqing's unusual behavior.

Even adults who would never set foot in his study would start bringing him snacks during that time and urging him to get some rest.

Sometimes when he was out socializing late, as soon as he got home, he would see Meng Dongqing's maid waiting for him at the door, welcoming him back into the house, where hot water for washing up and warm hangover soup were prepared.

Liang Da belatedly realized that her husband might have misunderstood something.