Capital, Zhao Minglang personally directed the planting of the mansion’s flowers and herbs and the arrangement of items.

The garden was lush with medicinal herbs and some flowers that could be used in medicine.

Zhao Minghua was squatting between the furrows, sorting mugwort, while Qingsheng leaned against the bamboo fence with a clay pot.

"Young master, I went to the second young master’s Champion Scholar Mansion and saw peonies, roses, and peonies blooming brilliantly in the season. But you, the whole land is filled with bitter mugwort and mint; can these be considered flowers?"

Qingsheng poked the perilla leaves with his fingers, the young master’s tastes were increasingly peculiar.

"Smell these perilla leaves, crush them and they release a spicy scent, clearing away the richness more than delicate flowers."

Zhao Minghua looked up and sneered, "Don’t be attracted by outwardly flashy things, some are just gold and jade on the outside but worthless within. I, your young master, only like useful things, and never judge by appearances."

"Honeysuckle is planted to the east, and wild chrysanthemums to the west. By the autumn equinox, they will be harvested just in time for Chun Nuan to make new season pills or fragrances."

Zhao Minghua, with dirt-stained fingertips, drew on the bluestone, pointing to the patch of medicinal herbs.

"Pills? Fragrance?" Qingsheng suddenly understood, realizing his young master had been toiling for months to please the young mistress.

Tsk, the young master has indeed changed significantly since meeting the young mistress.

"Young master, is this red vine kudzu root? I recall two years ago you climbed the mountain with the young mistress to dig it."

Qingsheng frowned, leaning closer to observe, "Young master, how did you get these seeds?"

Honestly, others plant the beautiful and the valuable.

My young master plants the bizarre and hosts everything.

Even many species not found in the Capital, yet he procures them and plants them.

And treats them like treasures.

Previously thought it was just for their uniqueness, now I see it’s for the young mistress.

It’s quite spoiling his wife.

Indeed, anyone who marries such a wondrous person as the young mistress would spoil them.

Well, my wife isn’t bad either!

Thinking like this made Qingsheng feel much more at ease.

"Mr. Zhao wrote saying the journey started at the beginning of March, calculating they must have traveled seven or eight days now; I wonder where they could be now?"

"Not yet out of Shuzhou." Zhao Minghua was familiar with this road: "Putting all else aside, I just worry the child won’t endure the bumpiness."

March, the dust on the official road was turned gray by the wheels, spring winds blew, and all was sandy.

Despite the carriage being the best, the road was still bumpy; the worst part was a broken carriage delaying them, meaning they must camp out tonight.

"What can be done in this desolate wilderness?"

Mrs. Zhou clutched a silk handkerchief, wiping her tears.

The biggest hardship she’d faced in her life was the road to the Capital.

Seven days by carriage, her whole body felt as if it were falling apart.

If she’d known how tough the road to the Capital was, she wouldn’t have gone.

Ah, not going to the Capital wasn’t an option either; the third son was there, the second was getting married.

The brat knows urgency now, each letter urging her to hurry to the Capital.

So, as a mother, there’s never an easy moment.

As long as the children need it, a mother must endure hardship and exhaustion.

"Why are you crying now? What good does crying do? The escort master said there’s twenty miles to the next town with an inn."

Mr. Zhao said, "Hold on, once we reach the inn, we can rest."

"I can’t go on, I must lie down tomorrow," Mrs. Zhou said, "Going on like this, I’ll collapse before reaching the Capital."

"Alright, alright, rest when you say rest."

When the group reached the small inn in town, it was already midnight.

"How many guests?"

The innkeeper’s eyes lit up at the sight of the group: Big business!

"There are twenty-four in total."

"Oh, well," The innkeeper was taken aback: "Unfortunately, there aren’t that many rooms left, it’s a small inn with twelve rooms in all, and only six are available now."

"Alright, six rooms will do."

Mr. Zhao and his wife took one room, Chun Nuan and her child another, the rest divided among servants and escort masters.

Chun Nuan was happily exhausted.

At times she truly felt time was unforgiving.

Years ago, during the full family relocation to Changzhou, at sixteen, she not only had no rest but had to care for the young and old, becoming the family’s pillar.

Eight years later, on the same road, but the direction was different.

Family beside her became in-laws, and she now had her own son.

Eight years apart, yet now she felt somewhat fatigued.

Seems her body hadn’t properly recovered postpartum, needing good care upon return to the Capital.

Upon receiving a letter from her aunt, she learned the Xiao family no longer needed her support, the Zhao family was thriving, and her shoulders no longer needed to bear burdens.

This feeling was truly different.

"Young mistress, let me take care of the young master tonight,"

The nanny came in saying to Chun Nuan.

"No need, you’ve worked hard too, tonight let him sleep with me."

The little one was sleeping soundly.

Oh, something’s not right.

Chun Nuan noticed the rosy hue on his cheeks, reached out to touch, and frowned.

"Young mistress, the young master..."

"Nothing to worry about, just a cold and cough," Chun Nuan asked Bai Zhi to fetch some pills.

"Young mistress, isn’t that pill a bit large for the young master? What if he can’t swallow it?"

"It’s alright, he doesn’t need to take it all; splitting it in half will do."

However, feeding the little one the pill was quite a challenge.

Cried awfully, almost disturbed everyone in the inn.

The other guests complained, loudly asking the innkeeper what was happening?

"What’s going on? What’s going on?" A hot-tempered one bellowed, "It’s midnight, can’t you stop howling?"

"How can he talk like that?" Mrs. Zhou complained, "The child is young, can’t he be more understanding?"

"Don’t make a fuss, away from home, harmony is best, less trouble is better,"

Mr. Zhao restrained Mrs. Zhou, "I’ll handle it."

"Gentlemen, my apologies. My grandson is a bit unwell, and his crying disturbed your dreams. As compensation, I’ll cover tonight’s lodging fees for everyone."

"Oh, Mr. Zhao, right? Is the young master in your prestigious family alright?"

"A bit cold, and pampered, caused much disturbance, please forgive us."

"Of course, of course, it’s alright, everyone grows from childhood, right?"

Mrs. Zhou rolled her eyes at this: it wasn’t what they said before.

However, she admired her husband’s way of handling things.

He was right: away from home, less trouble is better, yielding gives peace.

The turmoil settled, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou asked about their grandson’s condition.

"Father and mother, please don’t worry, the young master will be fine after a night’s sleep with the pill," Chun Nuan said, "Today was tiring, you should rest early."

"Alright, alright, you rest early too."

Indeed, marrying a daughter-in-law knowledgeable in medicine is truly reassuring!