Jing Su stayed to take care of the children. Zhao Luoning took a rest for one night and set off early the next morning with Gui Su.
When she was about to set off, she vaguely felt that something was amiss.
It seemed that... something was missing?
Zhao Luoning thought for a while and then suddenly realized.
"Gui Su, did you see the Second Master this morning?"
Gui Su shook her head.
She thought it was really strange for the madam to ask such a question. Why was she asking about the Second Master's whereabouts?
Even the madam, who slept in the same bed as the Second Master, didn't know where he was. How could they know?
Zhao Luoning was in a hurry to travel, so after thinking for a while, she got on the carriage.
The carriage moved forward all the way, but stopped less than half an incense stick's time later.
Zhao Luoning was still wondering when she heard Gui Su, who was driving the carriage in front, say hesitantly,
"Madam, the master..."
Zhao Luoning quickly lifted the curtain and saw Ji Shisu riding a maroon horse, standing blatantly in the middle of the road.
Seeing that Zhao Luoning's carriage finally arrived, he grinned, dismounted from the horse and threw the reins to the guard beside him.
"Ah, you're finally here. You've kept your husband waiting so long."
As he spoke, he walked towards the carriage and lifted the curtain to get in.
Zhao Luoning blocked the entrance and wouldn't let him in.
"Tell me, why are you here?"
Ji Shisu told a blatant lie with his eyes open.
"What a coincidence! I was thinking of going out for a stroll in the countryside and happened to meet you. This is called fate."
As he said this, he squeezed in.
"Come on, madam, make way."
Seeing that Zhao Luoning had no intention of letting him into the carriage, he suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Let your husband in."
Zhao Luoning's face immediately flushed red.
Gui Su, sitting in the front, didn't understand what had happened.
She only saw the madam give a coquettish cry and her face turn red instantly.
Let your husband in?
Was this sentence so magical?
Why couldn't she hear anything special in it?
Cultured people were so troublesome.
She'd ask Yu Chi next time.
Ji Shisu finally managed to get into the carriage. As soon as he got in, he stretched out his long arm and pulled Zhao Luoning into his arms.
Zhao Luoning pushed him away dissatisfiedly.
"Let go. My just-done hair will get messy."
"If it gets messy, I'll tie it up for you."
Since they got married, Ji Shisu had taken over all matters big and small of taking care of Zhao Luoning, from combing her hair to bringing her foot-washing water. He did everything personally.
Anyway, in the Bai Mansion, no one would laugh at him for being henpecked.
"You spoil me like this. You'll surely spoil me rotten. Don't spoil our son like this in the future."
"What, are you jealous of our son now?" Ji Shisu pinched Zhao Luoning's little upturned nose.
He liked to stick with Zhao Luoning and couldn't bear to be separated from her for a moment.
Zhao Luoning pushed his hand away and said, "I'm afraid you'll spoil our son rotten too."
"Don't worry. Those two boys don't have your good fortune. Besides, I resigned from office back then just to spoil my wife. From now on, spoiling my wife will be my lifelong career. Of course, I have to work hard."
Zhao Luoning leaned in Ji Shisu's arms. Although Ji Shisu sounded very relaxed now, she still felt a bit reluctant when she thought that he had resigned from office just to dispel the emperor's doubts.
"Are you really willing to resign like this?"
Ji Shisu shook his head.
"I didn't think there was anything wrong before, but now that I think about it, I'm really not willing."
"You do regret it!" Zhao Luoning sat up from Ji Shisu's arms, with a bit of anger but more worry.
Ji Shisu's resignation from office had always been a knot in Zhao Luoning's heart.
She didn't care about the empty title of a titled lady. In her opinion, Ji Shisu had suffered a great grievance.
"Yes, I regret it!" Ji Shisu gently stroked the loose hair in front of Zhao Luoning's forehead. "If I were still the great general now, I would have led people to raid the Jun family's ancestral temple long ago. I wouldn't have to go through so many twists and turns and be so indecisive."
Just imagining the majestic great general bullying an old rascal in the ancestral temple, Zhao Luoning couldn't help bursting out laughing.
Actually, Ji Shisu was just being self-deprecating. Now, if he wanted to deal with the Jun family, it would only take a single word.
It was just that over the years, he had learned to respect her opinions.
Zhao Luoning and he had reached an agreement. As long as Zhao Luoning didn't speak up about her own affairs, he, Ji Shisu, would never intervene.
For now, Ji Shisu was really obediently fulfilling the agreement.
Seeing Zhao Luoning smile, Ji Shisu also smiled.
"Not angry anymore?"
"I wasn't angry in the first place." Zhao Luoning lowered her head and muttered, "I just think it's not worth it."
Ji Shisu's military exploits were all earned with his life.
When he was needed, they urged him to go to the battlefield. When he was no longer useful, they quickly drove him away.
The emperor was really unkind.
Ji Shisu said with a smile, "You always say that I shouldn't interfere in your affairs. Then we should be fair. Whether it's worth it or not, it's up to me to decide, right? So don't worry about me."
"But..."
"There's no 'but'. " Ji Shisu put his arm around Zhao Luoning's shoulder, put away his smile and said seriously, "Ning'er, listen well. I'll only say this once, but I hope you'll remember it for a lifetime."
Zhao Luoning was infected by his attitude and sat up straight, ready to listen.
Ji Shisu said word by word, "As long as it's related to you, I won't care about the cost or profit and loss."
Zhao Luoning was so touched that her eyes instantly turned red. She didn't dare to look at him anymore and turned her head away, saying, "Then you'll lose everything."
"I've won you. I've made a great profit."
Even if I lose the whole world, as long as I've won you, I'm content.
"You fool..."
Ji Shisu pulled Zhao Luoning into his arms and laughed foolishly.
He really deserved Zhao Luoning's description of him.
Zhao Luoning buried her head in Ji Shisu's arms. Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and sat up straight.
Her sudden movement startled Ji Shisu. He quickly asked with concern, "Ning'er, what's wrong?"
"You just mentioned the cost. I remembered that when Lu Jing was doing business, there seemed to be a start-up fund."
Ji Shisu: "..."
He was pouring out his heart and soul saying sweet words, while his wife was daydreaming about Lu Jing?
His wife really knew how to spoil the mood.
However, Ji Shisu wasn't the kind of petty man who liked to throw tantrums. He could be serious when it was necessary. He started to analyze the situation for Zhao Luoning.
"Isn't it normal to have a start-up fund for doing business?"
"No. According to the situation of our family at that time, Old Master Zhao and Master Zhao definitely wouldn't have given it."
"You mean..."
Ji Shisu quickly understood.
The couple looked at each other and smiled. They had already seen the answer in each other's eyes.
Zhao Luoning lifted the curtain and gave an order to Jing Su outside.
"Jing Su, go to the pawnshop."
Jing Su quickly turned the horse's head and drove the carriage towards the pawnshop.
Just as they reached the door of the pawnshop, they saw a tall and thin old man being driven out by the pawnshop owner.
The figure of that person seemed familiar. Zhao Luoning took a second look. When the person turned around, she was stunned.
It was actually her father!