mesbooks Chapter 278: Steal half a day’s leisure
Chapter 278: Steal half a day’s leisure
Lin Ruhai felt that lying there like that in front of his elders was impolite, but since his future father-in-law had spoken, how could he dare to disobey?
Lin Ruhai also smiled and lay down on the recliner, but he was a little reserved and lay very upright. He looked more like he was being tortured than like he was lying down to sunbathe.
Jia Daihua turned his head and smiled:
"Why are you so reserved, kid? We're all family here. When you're out, you should relax and have fun."
Lin Ruhai smiled and agreed, then relaxed and adjusted his posture to match everyone else's, comfortably lying down in the chair.
Knowing his reserved nature, Jia Daishan, wanting to ease the tension, asked with a smile:
"How have you been adjusting to life on the ship these past few days?"
Lin Ruhai smiled and said:
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I used to travel by boat often, so I'm quite used to it."
"Uncle Lin, we only see you when we come to visit you. Do you not like traveling by boat?"
Jia Zhen asked curiously as well.
Lin Ruhai smiled and said:
"No, I also enjoy sightseeing by boat. It's just that I've seen so much during my southern tour that I have some thoughts and feelings that I want to write down. That's why I've been writing down my thoughts in my room these past few days."
Along the way, Jia Daishan became increasingly satisfied with this future son-in-law, who was not only intelligent but also diligent and down-to-earth.
At such an advanced age, such character is truly precious. If those with wavering minds were to encounter such dazzling beauty, they would surely be blinded, forgetting all their insights and unwilling to settle down and record their reflections.
Jia Daishan praised:
"You're right to do that."
Afterwards, the group chatted for a while about their experiences and shared their thoughts. As they talked, Lin Ruhai relaxed a lot, and his posture became less stiff and he could sway slightly.
Our next stop was Suzhou, so we started talking about Suzhou.
Lin Ruhai also fulfilled his duty, talking a lot about Suzhou, its beautiful scenery, places worth visiting, its weather, and its architecture. Of course, he also mentioned what Jia Zhen was interested in: what good food there was.
Jia Hu listened to everyone talking. With his family around, Jia Hu felt relaxed and truly stole half a day of leisure. Then, his eyelids gradually became heavier and heavier, and he closed his eyes.
The group chatted for a long time, and as the sun was about to set and the temperature was dropping, Jia Daishan called for everyone to go back inside so they wouldn't catch a cold. Only then did he realize that Jia Hu had already fallen asleep.
Yan Yu stood guard by the side and found that the young master had fallen asleep. She didn't make a sound or disturb the masters' conversation. She just quietly took a cloak and covered the young master with it.
Seeing that Jia Hu was asleep, Jia Daishan touched Jia Hu's little face and hands, which were warm, and felt relieved. He then looked at the cloak he was wearing and praised Yan Yu, who was guarding him.
Seeing that Jia Hu was sleeping soundly, Jia Daishan did not wake him up. Instead, he wrapped him in a cloak and carried him back to the house.
He then instructed Yanyu to stay by the bedside and told her to wake Jia Hu if he hadn't woken up by dinner time, as Jia Daishan was worried that Jia Hu would be unable to sleep if he slept past the appointed time.
Jia Hu slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed. He turned over and realized he was in bed.
Yan Yu noticed that Jia Hu was awake and smiled:
"Young master, you're awake. Just as I was about to call you, dinner is almost ready."
"Yan Yu, wasn't I on the recliner? Did you carry me back? And didn't I tell you to call me by the proper address in public, but just call me Young Master in private?"
"It was my fault, I forgot for a moment. It was the Duke who carried you back, and he told me to call you after dinner."
Yan Yu replied with a smile, admitting that he had genuinely forgotten for a moment.
When they were being taught, they were all required to call the children "Master" or "Your Highness." The instructors specifically instructed them not to take advantage of their young age to deceive them, and that they must not be lacking in proper etiquette. Otherwise, regardless of their reputation, they would all be kicked out.
Who knew that their master didn't like this title and privately insisted that they call him "Young Master".
Yan Yu quickly helped Jia Hu wash up. After he finished washing up and changed his clothes, Jia Hu set off to have dinner with his grandfathers.
Days passed by, and time seemed to fly by on the boat. The Jia family also took to spending their afternoons in the sun, chatting and basking in the sun together on deck chairs.
That day, the entire Jia family was sunbathing on their recliners when the steward suddenly came to report that the Emperor had sent someone.
Everyone stood up to leave, and Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua then asked to invite the person over.
The one who arrived was a junior eunuch in charge. After greeting him, he smiled and said...
"My two dukes will be sending a ship to the port tomorrow to purchase goods. If you need anything, you can give me the list, and I will give it to the purchasing agent. Alternatively, you can arrange for someone to go with you."
Jia Daihua asked in confusion:
"Why are people sent to purchase the goods, and the ships don't stop at the port?"
The head eunuch replied:
"My lord, it is because His Majesty is compassionate towards the people that he does not wish for the ship to dock at the port."
They said that if the ships were to dock at the port and receive the emperor from local officials, it would disturb the people and be a waste of money and resources. Therefore, they only sent ships to make purchases, while the rest of the ships remained at the port for two days to rest and recuperate.
The Emperor will host a banquet on the imperial boat the day after tomorrow to entertain all the ministers.
The imperial court sent someone to purchase ginseng, but they couldn't find a suitable person to do so. Jia Daishan then summoned the steward, had him write down a list, and handed it to the head eunuch. He also handed over a purse. The head eunuch, feeling the weight of the purse in his hand, happily took the goods back.
Upon seeing Jia Daishan and his group return, Jia Hu asked curiously:
"Grandfather, grandfather, what brings the Emperor here?"
Jia Daishan then recounted the details of the procurement and the subsequent banquet.
Jia Zhen was extremely disappointed. They had just been talking about what ports they might pass by on the way.
Lin Ruhai had previously traveled to Beijing by boat and had stopped at various ports. He recounted the different feelings he had at each port, noting that some ports were quite bustling.
Jia Zhen had been thinking for a long time that he would definitely go ashore when the ship reached the port, but to his surprise, the Emperor refused to allow it to dock.
Jia Hu was curious: if the emperor was hosting a banquet on the river, were we to row a small boat across?
Jia Daihua laughed and said, "Then we won't need to row a small boat across. We'll find a calm spot on the river to moor the boats, and we'll connect them with iron chains and lay down a soft bridge so that we can move around together."
Wow! Jia Hu was surprised. He had no idea it could be done like that! He realized how naive he was.
Lin Ruhai smiled and said:
"It's no wonder Hu'er doesn't know. I used to travel by boat often, but I've never seen it before. I've only heard about it. Today, I've had the opportunity to go and see for myself."