Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  The next morning, after waking up, Qiao Jiusheng sat in the dining room and ate breakfast. As she drank the freshly squeezed soy milk, she listened to Aunt Jin gossip non-stop to someone in the backyard.

  After a while, Aunt Jin entered the house with a handful of cucumbers and tomatoes.

  “Aunt Jin, who were you talking to just now?” Qiao Jiusheng wiped the corners of her mouth, got up, and took the red tomatoes from Aunt Jin’s hands. The two of them walked to the kitchen together.

  Aunt Jin placed the cucumber in the basket and took out the peeler. As she peeled the cucumber, she told Qiao Jiusheng, “It was Sister Li.”


  Qiao Jiusheng thought about it before remembering this person.

  Sister Li was a servant at the main house.

  “What was she doing here?”


  Aunt Jin continued, “Last night, Second Young Master and Second Madam did not return to their villa. They spent the night here. This morning, they ate at the main house. Sister Li is here to pick vegetables.” Aunt Jin put down the cucumber in her hand and picked up another one. She leaned close to Qiao Jiusheng’s ear and continued, “I heard from Sister Li that Second Madam seems to be pregnant. She is very particular about food now. She has to eat light and healthy.

  “Look, the vegetable garden in our yard is the best. It’s completely green without any pesticides, so Sister Li came to find me to pick some vegetables.”


  Qiao Jiusheng nodded.

  “What is this tomato for?”


  “A few days ago, Young Master Yusheng said that he wanted to eat tomatoes mixed with sugar.”


  “Oh!”


  Qiao Jiusheng helped Aunt Jin peel the tomatoes. When she was halfway done, she heard Fang Yusheng’s footsteps coming down the stairs.

  He walked straight to the dining table and ate some light vegetarian food as usual. Then, he drank the soy milk and asked Aunt Jin, “Who came this morning?”


  “Sister Li.”


  “Why was she here?”


  Aunt Jin told Fang Yusheng what had happened.

  Fang Yusheng did not say anything.

  As Fang Yusheng’s personal assistant, Qi Bufan received a monthly salary of no less than 100,000 yuan. He could recite scriptures, beat people up with martial arts, cook well, fly planes and tanks, and was responsible for taking care of any difficulties for Fang Yusheng.

  “Bufan,” Fang Yusheng shouted. Qi Bufan, who was checking the surveillance cameras in the room, immediately came to his side like a ghost.

  “Mr. Fang.”


  Fang Yusheng nodded and asked, “Are you free?”


  “I am. If you need anything, just tell me.”


  Fang Yusheng raised his finger and made a 90-degree turn. He pointed at the backyard of the small building and softly said, “Go, surround our vegetable garden. Don’t let any Tom, Dick, or Harry enter it.”


  “Oh!”


  Qi Bufan was about to walk to the vegetable garden when Fang Yusheng added, “Set up a wooden sign at the entrance of the vegetable garden. Write down the price of each vegetable. If anyone wants to pick the vegetables, they can pay for it.” Fang Yusheng was very easy to negotiate with. As long as people had money, everything was good.

  After all, he had a family to support.

  Qi Bufan stopped and turned around to ask him, “The price…”


  Fang Yusheng immediately added. “These are pure green vegetables. Naturally, the prices are more expensive than in the market outside. Let’s… charge five times the market price.” He smiled and considerately said, “Aunt Jin is old. It’s not easy for her to grow some vegetables. We have to charge some labor fees.”


  In the kitchen, Aunt Jin smashed a cucumber with her kitchen knife and whispered to Qiao Jiusheng, “Actually, I’m just growing those vegetables for fun. I’m not tired at all.”


  Qiao Jiusheng did not answer.

  Fang Yusheng wanted to think of a way to make the people in the main house upset. Aunt Jin was just an excuse.

  Fang Yusheng was so cheap that Qiao Jiusheng admired his shamelessness.

  At noon, Sister Li again came to pick vegetables with a basket. A troubled expression appeared on Aunt Jin’s face as she brought Sister Li to the vegetable garden that was now surrounded by glass walls. She pointed at the wooden sign beside the garden’s small door and embarrassedly said, “Sister Li, you know Young Master Yusheng’s temper. Look…”


  Sister Li stared at the wooden sign with the price of vegetables for a long time. Her gaze then shifted to an electronic scale next to the wooden sign. She took a deep breath and turned around to walk out of the house.

  “Where are the vegetables?”


  When Chef Liu Fei saw Sister Li return empty-handed, his expression turned ugly,

  Sister Li told him about what had happened at Fang Yusheng’s house. Liu Fei remained silent for a while, then went to look for Xu Pingfei. Xu Pingfei felt a headache coming on.

  Qiao Jiuyin had been full of praise for the few plates of vegetables this morning. Pregnant women liked to eat bland food. It was almost noon, and soon, the time would be too late to buy vegetables from other farmers. Xu Pingfei sighed and carried her basket to Fang Yusheng’s house.

  “It’s not a good idea to keep troubling you, but it’s noon. It’s too late to buy groceries. Your sister-in-law is pregnant and has a weak appetite. Can you let me go into the garden to pick some vegetables?”


  Aunt Xu had personally come, so Fang Yusheng naturally would not make things difficult for her. He smiled and nodded, saying, “How can I let you do it yourself? I’ll ask Aunt Jin to pick some vegetables for you. Aunt Xu, don’t misunderstand that I’m deliberately targeting you by pricing the vegetables. The main thing is that my Ah Sheng also likes to eat vegetables. I can’t see, so it’s not easy for me to find a wife. Naturally, I have to keep the good stuff for her. Aunt Xu, don’t blame me for being stingy.”


  The corners of Xu Pingfei’s mouth twitched. She complained in her heart, but on the surface, she smiled and agreed with him. “It should be like this. Yusheng, you love your wife, and it’s Ah Sheng’s blessing that she married you.”


  Fang Yusheng smiled. “It’s my blessing to be able to marry her.”


  Qiao Jiusheng, who was sitting in the living room, blushed when she heard Fang Yusheng spouting nonsense.

  Aunt Jin personally went into the courtyard to pick some vegetables and handed them to Xu Pingfei.

  Xu Pingfei took the basket, thanked her, and turned to leave.

  Suddenly, Fang Yusheng shouted from behind, “Aunt Xu, wait.”


  “Is there anything else?” Xu Pingfei turned around with a confused expression.

  Fang Yusheng said to Qiao Jiusheng in the living room, “Ah Sheng, bring the basket of eggs from the kitchen.”


  The confused Qiao Jiusheng did as she was told.

  Fang Yusheng handed the basket of eggs to Xu Pingfei and explained, “Aunt Jin’s aunt from the village sent these eggs. They are farmland eggs from the chickens she raises. Since Sister-in-law is pregnant, it’s better to eat less of the eggs from outside. Take this as a token of my appreciation.”


  Xu Pingfei was puzzled as to why Fang Yusheng had suddenly become so generous. She received the eggs and said, “You’re so thoughtful. I’ll thank you on her behalf.”


  Fang Yusheng waved his hand and fiddled with one of the prayer beads on his wrist. He lightly said, “We’re all family, so there’s no need to thank me. When you see Sister-in-law, please help me tell her that it’s not easy to be pregnant for ten months. She has to be careful. I hope she takes good care of herself and the child. Eat more eggs. It’s good for her health.”


  Aunt Xu nodded and left.

  Watching her walk away, Qiao Jiusheng appeared behind Fang Yusheng. She stretched out her finger, poked Fang Yusheng’s shoulder, and asked, “I think you have some hidden motives. Or is it just my imagination?”


  Fang Yusheng nodded. “Yes, you’re mistaken.”


  Qiao Jiusheng pursed her lips and refused to give up. She asked him, “Why did you give her eggs?”


  Fang Yusheng patiently explained, “Eggs are good for children.”


  Qiao Jiusheng would never believe him.

  It was almost time for lunch. Fang Yusheng had to offer incense to Bodhisattva before lunch, so he went into the meditation room. Qiao Jiusheng thoughtfully entered the kitchen. As she watched Aunt Jin cook, she asked, “Why did Yusheng give Second Madam eggs?”


  A look of hesitation appeared on Aunt Jin’s face as she vaguely said, “He doesn’t like to eat eggs. Perhaps, he thought that instead of wasting them, he might as well give them to someone as a favor.”


  Qiao Jiusheng frowned.

  She felt that her husband was not a kind and generous person.

  Not to mention a basket of eggs for free, giving Fang Mu and his wife even a chicken feather would hurt his heart.