How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 105 Planting Sunflowers

Grand Tutor Song slowly finished her cup of tea, then leaned back in her chair, tapping the table lightly with her right index finger. After a moment of contemplation, she seemed to have come up with a brilliant idea, but she didn't rush to say it.

Sitting opposite her, Zhou Yun watched the teacher remain silent and wondered to herself: Could it be that even the teacher couldn't think of a good solution?

She sighed and said helplessly, "It seems there's really no other way. We can only stall for time, since we really can't find a suitable candidate right now."

The two factions are now locked in a bitter dispute, neither willing to back down.

Zhou Yun was a little worried. She frowned and got up, intending to go find her husband first.

But Grand Tutor Song suddenly called out to her, saying calmly, "Wait, don't rush off."

Zhou Yun stopped and waited for her to continue.

Grand Tutor Song smiled slightly and asked softly, "Don't you have a younger sister? Isn't she going to take the civil service exam this October?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun was stunned, an expression of disbelief on her face.

"You mean my sister Zhou Shuning? Her? She's just a bookworm who only knows how to study, she doesn't understand any of this messy stuff in the court. Besides, she's only eighteen this year, just a child. How could she possibly take on such an important task? Absolutely not!"

Grand Tutor Song smiled and shook his head, not arguing with her, but simply replying, "I'm just making a suggestion. Whether you accept it or not is up to you. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We should go get something to eat, or Yin'er will get anxious."

With that, she stood up and walked toward the restaurant.

Zhou Yun followed closely behind, urgently urging, "Teacher, you can't just push the responsibility onto a little girl like that! That's not right!"

Throughout the journey, she kept expressing her objections to Grand Tutor Song.

But Grand Tutor Song completely ignored her.

Seeing the two of them approach, Song Yin's face showed a hint of displeasure. He said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time. I'm starving."

Grand Tutor Song remained calm as he sat in his chair, picked up his chopsticks, and said simply, "Eat." Then he began to pick up food.

Song Yin joined in the eating, while Zhou Yun stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do—whether to eat or not.

Meanwhile, Chu Ci went to the yamen to collect the silver.

In the afternoon, all the accountants in the yamen were busy helping her tally up the silver, and finally concluded that Chu Ci had received a reward of about two hundred taels.

Chu Ci happily carried a box home.

Shi An had been keeping an eye on the doorway. Upon hearing Chu Ci's voice as he returned, she immediately put down her embroidery and rushed out to greet him.

"The wife is back?"

The man's face was beaming with a bright smile, and the sunlight shone into his eyes, making them seem to shimmer with golden ripples.

After Chu Ci tied up his horse, he saw a slender figure galloping towards him.

"My lady!" Shi An hugged Chu Ci tightly, snuggling against her like a child.

Chu Ci smiled gently and lightly kissed the man's forehead: "Have you been waiting long?"

Shi An shook her head, smelling the fragrance on Chu Ci's body, and her unease gradually dissipated: "No, I was held up by some things at the embroidery workshop today, so I came back a little late. But it's okay, I've already made some pork rib soup, I'm sure you'll like it."

Chu Ci put one arm around Shi An's waist and carried the box in the other, and the two walked into the house together.

Shi An thought the box contained books for class, but when Chu Ci opened it, he was surprised to find it full of gleaming silver and a lot of banknotes.

“I deliberately didn’t take all the silver notes; I kept a few dozen taels for our living expenses. I’ll deposit the rest in a money exchange, so you can withdraw it anytime you need it,” Chu Ci explained.

Shi An stared at the money for a while, then suddenly understood the reason: "You earned this as a ghostwriter?"

Chu Ci nodded and readily admitted, "Yes."

Shi An remained silent for a while, then suddenly began to examine Chu Ci's body.

Touching here and there.

Chu Ci felt a little ticklish from his teasing and said with a smile, "I'm not injured. Could those small fry hurt me? There are no more than three people in the entire capital who can hurt me. There's no need to worry."

Shi An snorted, somewhat displeased, and said, "When did you go? I didn't know."

He and Chu Ci have been inseparable these days, so why does she still have time to do these things?

Chu Ci felt a little guilty, "It was... last night."

Shi An was taken aback and asked in surprise, "You didn't sleep all night?"

Chu Ci nodded and comforted her, "Yes, it's alright."

Shi An's expression clearly turned sour. He wanted to say something, but before he could speak, he shut his mouth.

Well, it's good that the woman knows what's going on. Excessive worry is not good for marital harmony.

He decided to change the subject and said, "Then let's hurry up and cook, and you can rest after you eat."

After saying that, Shi An walked towards the kitchen.

Chu Ci, worried that Shi An would be angry, followed him. She even offered to help with the cooking.

After Shi An realized her intention, she smiled gently and tied an apron on her own.

He gently stroked Chu Ci's waist and asked softly, "What dish would you like to cook today, my lady?"

Chu Ci winked at him and said softly, "Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried bamboo shoots."

Shi An smiled, turned around and walked to the stove, skillfully starting a fire.

Chu Ci then picked up a kitchen knife and began chopping vegetables.

She first sliced ​​the lean meat into thin slices, then chopped the chili peppers and garlic into small pieces for later use.

Then pour the oil into the pan, and once the oil is hot, add the chopped lean meat and stir-fry until it changes color.

Next, add appropriate amounts of salt, light soy sauce, cooking wine, and other seasonings, and continue to stir-fry evenly.

Finally, add chili peppers and minced garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant.

Soon, a plate of fragrant stir-fried pork with chili peppers was ready.

Chu Ci's mouth watered at the smell alone, and he couldn't resist picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth to taste.

The flavor is perfectly balanced between salty and mild, spicy and delicious, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Tonight's dinner was very plentiful. In addition to the stir-fried pork with chili and stir-fried bamboo shoots made by Chu Ci, there was also a pot of steaming pork rib soup and sweet fermented rice made by Shi An.

Chu Ci ate to his heart's content, only stopping when his stomach was full.

After finishing our meal, we rested for a while.

She took off her outer garment and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Not long after, Shi An followed him inside.

He rolled up his sleeves and said to Chu Ci, "My lady, let me help you scrub your back."

Although the two have been married for more than a year, Shi An still blushes and her heart races every time she sees Chu Ci's body.

Chu Ci didn't feel there was anything wrong with it and enjoyed Shi An's service in a very open and generous manner.

She washed her hair and body at the same time, her movements quick and efficient.

After all, she did feel a little sleepy after eating.

After taking a shower, Chu Ci dried herself off, put on her pajamas, and returned to her bedroom.

Shi An had already made the bed, and Chu Ci lay on the soft bed, feeling very comfortable.

She held her husband in her arms, feeling his warm body temperature, and her heart was filled with happiness.

Shi An leaned closer to Chu Ci's face and gently pecked her soft lips.

But one kiss was clearly not enough to satisfy his inner desires, so he leaned down again and gently kissed Chu Ci two or three more times.

Every contact made him feel Chu Ci's warmth and tenderness, and these intimate gestures made his heart race and his emotions grow stronger.

Chu Ci gazed at Shi An and smiled.

Her eyes revealed boundless tenderness, as if they could melt him completely.

Enveloped by those loving eyes, Shi An felt her body become light and joyful, as if floating on clouds.

"My lady, how did you feel during class today? Did anything interesting happen?"

Shi An asked softly, his tone filled with concern.

Chu Ci pondered for a moment and replied, "Everything is fine, but I happened to read a letter between husband and wife and thought of you."

Upon hearing these words, Shi An's heart was instantly filled with warmth, as if she were immersed in a pool of warm water.

He held Chu Ci's hand tightly, feeling the warmth between them, and replied, "It makes me incredibly happy that my wife cares about me."

Chu Ci's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, but soon her eyes closed and she drifted into a peaceful dream.

Shi An gazed quietly at her sleeping face, his heart filled with tenderness.

She must have been very tired last night.

After kissing Chu Ci's cheek again, Shi An carefully got up and left the room for the courtyard.

Knowing that Chu Ci loved to enjoy watermelon in hot weather, he specially put the watermelon he bought in the afternoon into well water to chill it.

Once Chu Ci wakes up, he can enjoy it.

Immediately afterwards, Shi An went into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of traditional Chinese medicine for himself.

Due to his medical condition, he needs to take his medication on time every night.

When it was pitch black, the medicine was finally brewed.

Shi An picked up the bowl of dark, foul-smelling medicine and frowned.

However, when he thought about the issue of fertility, he mustered his courage, pinched his nose, and drank the medicine in one gulp.

Although the taste was bitter and difficult to swallow, he knew it was a necessary step to restore his health.

He can choose to have children later, but he cannot be unable to conceive.

The next morning, Chu Ci got up full of energy. He first went to the courtyard to practice a set of boxing techniques, and then practiced the moves for an hour before stopping.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen on the other side, Shi An was busy making breakfast. He had prepared some pork-filled buns for today.

When Chu Ci returned after finishing his boxing practice, the steamed buns were just cooked.

Looking at the steaming buns, Chu Ci sat down happily to enjoy her breakfast.

The buns had thin skins and generous fillings; one bite and you were filled with the aroma of meat, and the flavor was just right.

Chu Ci ate with great relish, devouring ten in one go.

Worried that Chu Ci might choke, Shi An quickly handed her a bowl of simple egg drop soup.

Chu Ci took the bowl, took a sip, and continued to enjoy the food.

Shi An then cut her a few slices of watermelon.

After they finished eating, Chu Ci took Shi An and they went out to the street together.

Shi An had always wanted to plant some flowers and plants in the yard, but because the family didn't have enough money, he hadn't been able to fulfill this wish.

Now that Chu Ci has earned a lot of money, he wants to decorate the courtyard properly and make it more beautiful.

While selecting seeds in the shop, Shi An asked, "What kind of flowers does my wife like?"

Chu Ci thought about it seriously for a while and replied, "Sunflower, I think it's pretty good. Not only is it beautiful, but you can also eat it."

Upon hearing this, Shi An couldn't help but laugh.

Sometimes, his wife's ideas are really unconventional!

However, the seed vendor next to him felt a bit of a headache, thinking to himself that this lady was really a very honest person.

"This... I don't have sunflower seeds in my shop..."

Shi An didn't actually plan to plant sunflowers. "It's okay, let's buy some roses and hydrangeas first."

The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and immediately nodded, "Okay, we have roses and hydrangeas here, they're just ahead."