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Even though Qin Canglan didn’t understand music, he could tell that today’s playing sounded a bit more refined than the usual one.
Soon after, da-da-da, Dahu came running out.
A servant from the courtyard had seen Qin Canglan and Su Xiaoxiao at the gate and went inside to report to the man playing the guqin.
Dahu guessed that his mother had arrived.
“Mom.”
He called sweetly.
Qin Canglan’s eyes widened sharply.
No way…
This little girl… is Dahu’s mother?
S-she… has she even turned fifteen yet?
Su Xiaoxiao had a youthful baby face and looked younger than her actual age. Though in truth, she was already sixteen.
“Tall Great-Grandpa!” Dahu then turned and greeted Qin Canglan.
Now it was Su Xiaoxiao’s turn to be surprised.
Dahu knew this man too?
She had been out from early morning to late night the day before and hadn’t had a chance to know updates within her family, so she had no idea that Qin Canglan brought Dahu home.
Dahu looked up and asked, “Mom, can I play a bit longer?”
Su Xiaoxiao asked, “Did you get the homeowner’s permission?”
“Mm!” Dahu nodded energetically.
Su Xiaoxiao could tell how fascinated he was with the guqin sounds.
Rather than having him sneak around, it was better to make things official and open.
“Alright. Mom will come get you later.”
Dahu politely said goodbye to both of them and happily ran back inside.
The three little ones were usually extremely sensitive to danger.
If Dahu liked coming here, it meant the person inside wasn’t a bad guy.
“Would you like to come inside for a bit?”
Su Xiaoxiao turned and politely invited Qin Canglan.
Mainly, because she wanted to know exactly what had happened yesterday.
Qin Canglan froze, “C-Can I?”
Before Su Xiaoxiao could respond, he added quickly, “Then I shall accept your kind offer!”
He said with such eagerness, it was as if he feared Su Xiaoxiao might change her mind at any second.
Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the pile of extra feed in the courtyard and said, “Ergou, did you buy new feed?”
Su Ergou had just finished fixing slingshots for Erhu and Xiaohu when he answered, “It wasn’t me who bought it.”
“Ahem, I brought it.” Qin Canglan said.
Su Ergou proceeded to explain what had happened yesterday.
Su Xiaoxiao nodded. “I see.”
Qin Canglan was sitting awkwardly on a tiny stool that didn’t suit his large frame at all, glancing around awkwardly, like a restless big clumsy bear with nowhere to put his paws.
Strangely enough… he kind of missed that young man from yesterday.
Father Su wasn’t home, and neither was Wei Ting.
Wei Ting had gone to the palace, while Father Su had gone to the market.
He had discovered a marketplace five miles away that sold things cheaper than the nearby market.
The only issue was that the stalls closed quickly, and by midday, the whole market would be empty.
So, despite being a chronic late sleeper, he forced himself to wake up before dawn, carrying his baskets and heading out to go shopping.
In the countryside, people could just pick vegetables from their own fields.
Although their family didn’t grow their own crops, to get some…… ahem… When they bought it, it cost barely a few coins.
But in the capital? A single head of cabbage cost three copper coins, two coins for a pound of radishes, and even the sweet potato leaves that used to feed pigs in the countryside, were priced at five coins per pound!
Father Su smacked his lips in pain at the thought.
He bought vegetables and meat.
And then he remembered the three little ones waiting at home, he clenched his teeth and bought a bunch of proper candied hawthorn skewers for them.
Originally, the shopping itself would only take less than an hour, but the reason he still hadn’t returned was… because he was blocked by someone.
And it was not by just anyone, but by the same young servant who had once kicked Xiaohu on the street last time, a young servant named Wang Fugui.
Wang Fugui’s aunt was an old servant of the Duke Protector’s estate.
She had worked there for twenty years and now served as a matron in the back kitchen, which was a lucrative position, and even Steward Zhang had to show her some respect.