The rise of the poor

Zhu Pingan took two baths with water infused with orange peel, pomelo leaves, and mugwort leaves before going to sleep. The next morning, he got up early, quickly arranged matters in the camp, and rode back to his residence under the protection of Liu Dadao and others.

"Master is back! Master is back!"

As soon as Zhu Ping'an entered the door, the steward, maids, and old women all chattered excitedly like magpies announcing good news.

In less than half a minute, everyone in the mansion, including the tabby cat sunbathing in the corner, knew that Zhu Ping'an had returned.

"Miss, aunt... no, the master is back."

Hua'er was changing the little guy's diaper when she heard the news of Zhu Ping'an's return, and her eyes curved into crescents with joy.

"So what if he's back? Humph, I'm not going to talk to him anymore." Li Shu snorted and said petulantly, but her big eyes were looking out the window to see if Zhu Ping'an was there.

Outside the window, the warm sun shone on the treetops, but Zhu Ping'an was nowhere to be seen.

However, before Li Shu could even look away, she heard a long-awaited voice. It turned out that Zhu Ping'an had already entered the room. No wonder she hadn't seen him when she looked out the window earlier.

"Who has offended my wife? I'll stand up for you," Zhu Ping'an said with a chuckle as he entered the room, trying to please her.

"Who else could it be but you? Humph, do you think you're Yu the Great, passing by your home three times without entering, passing through Jiaxing without going home? I'm not talking to you anymore." Li Shu pretended to be angry, turned around, and stayed close to Zhu Ping'an.

"Hehe, my wife has wronged me," Zhu Ping'an protested.

"How did I wrong you? Where did I wrong you?" Li Shu turned around and glared at Zhu Ping'an with her beautiful eyes.

“I only passed by my home once without going in, how could I have passed by my home three times without going in?” Zhu Pingan stepped forward and put his arm around Li Shu.

Li Shu struggled for a moment in Zhu Ping'an's arms before giving up. Zhu Ping'an held her close and threatened in a coquettish voice, "If you do it twice, I'll beat your child! If you do it three times, I'll take your child back to my hometown and never speak to you again!"

"To leave behind a beautiful wife and concubines and pass by one's home three times without entering would be foolish. I am a top scholar, and my intelligence is certified by the Emperor."

Zhu Pingan coaxed.

"You're so glib." Li Shu pouted and pinched Zhu Ping'an's arm with her slender hand. "I'll forgive you since you passed by my house without going in. But if it happens again, I won't talk to you anymore."

The master spoke of beautiful wives and concubines, but where are the concubines? Oh dear, how embarrassing! They're not that beautiful anymore.
Hua'er, whose diaper was being changed nearby, had a bright red face.

The little guy grumbled in dissatisfaction, wondering why they stopped changing him halfway through, and why his little bottom was still all wet.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, young master Xingwen." Hua'er heard the little guy's whimpering and then came to her senses. She hurriedly changed the little guy's wet diaper into a dry one.

The little guy was put in a dry diaper, then happily curled up, chuckled, and went back to sleep.

Beside the little one was an even chubby, fair-skinned little one. She seemed to sense Zhu Ping'an's arrival, or more likely, she was awakened by the sound. She opened her eyes, looked at Zhu Ping'an, or more likely, Li Shu's defenses, stretched out her arms, and giggled.

"Wow, Yi Yi sensed that her husband was back, and she reached out for him to hug her!" Hua'er exclaimed in surprise.

"My little baby."

Zhu Pingan rubbed his hands together vigorously until they were warm, then stepped forward and carefully picked up the little one.

Zhu Pingan looked extremely cautious, as if he were holding a ticking time bomb.
Li Shu and Hua'er couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hehe, son-in-law, that's not how you hold him. You should hold him like this, yes, like this." Hua'er helped Zhu Ping'an correct his holding posture.

Zhu Pingan held his soft, cuddly daughter, feeling a strange, indescribable sensation. It was as if they were connected by blood. Her skin was fair and soft, and she giggled at Zhu Pingan, even blowing a bubble from her little mouth. She was incredibly cute.

"It smells so sweet and milky." Zhu Pingan couldn't help but kiss her chubby little face.

"Wow!" The little guy, who was laughing just a second ago, started crying after Zhu Pingan kissed him.

"Oh dear, it must be the son-in-law's stubble that pricked Yi Yi." Hua'er nervously took the little one from Zhu Ping'an's arms, looked Zhu Ping'an over, and noticed the stubble on his chin, thus finding the problem.

After taking a shower last night, Zhu Pingan shaved his beard. However, since this was the Ming Dynasty, not the modern era where razors are readily available, shaving was not as convenient and effective as it is in modern times.

Zhu Pingan shaved, leaving a light stubble. After taking a nap, the stubble grew back thick and strong.

The little one is too delicate; Zhu Ping'an's stubble is too much for her tender little face to handle.

"Look what you've done to my little darling! Go and clean up now." Li Shu stepped forward with heartache, hugging and comforting her youngest daughter. She glared at Zhu Ping'an with her big eyes and urged him to go and clean up.

"Master, let me shave you." Hua'er raised her hand and volunteered to shave Zhu Ping'an.

"You know how to shave?" Zhu Ping'an had always been self-sufficient and had never asked Hua'er to shave him.

"Of course, I've practiced. First I used winter melon, then on a pig's head, and then on my own body. I scraped it very clean." Hua'er said confidently as she pulled Zhu Ping'an to sit down.

"On yourself? You don't have a beard." Zhu Pingan couldn't help but laugh. This girl had gone astray; she could talk nonsense now.

Hua'er's face turned bright red, and she whispered, "Anyway, I shaved very well, so it won't hurt you, young master."

"Alright, then it's up to you." Zhu Ping'an obediently sat down with Hua'er, letting her shave him.

Hua'er went out and came back with a package containing a razor, an unidentified fragrant ointment, and some other things.

Hua'er was right; she really had practiced her skills. She gently applied ointment to Zhu Ping'an's stubble, and after a while, she took a razor with her slender hands and gently shaved off the ointment along with the stubble.

The movements were gentle and skillful; and, I must say, it really shaved clean.

"Master, take a look in the mirror and see how you look?" Hua'er, having finished shaving Zhu Ping'an's stubble, brought over a mirror to show off her accomplishment.

Zhu Pingan looked in the mirror and touched his chin. Not bad, it was indeed very clean, even better than a modern shave with a razor. Sure enough, handmade is the best. He praised Hua'er generously.

"Hehe, it's not that good." Hua'er touched her hair and chuckled foolishly, thinking that all her training had paid off.

Sure enough, after Zhu Pingan shaved his beard, washed his face, and had Li Shu inspect and approve it, he kissed Xiao Yi again, and she giggled and stopped crying. (End of Chapter)