Chapter 56: The Position of Husband

Chapter 56

The Position of Husband

In truth, Bao Bao was still an innocent child, but he knew one thing: his mother belonged to him. He would only share her with the other two chubby babies, Bei Bei and Hua Hua. After dealing with that man, he snuggled up to his mother’s chest, acting affectionately to claim his territory, even sending a challenging look like a victor.

Song Qilin, seeing his mischievous son’s behavior, couldn’t help but laugh. He got up to change his clothes before returning to spend time with his wife and children. Seeing him in better spirits, Nie Shuang brought up the matter of their children’s names.

"I was thinking of naming Bao Bao as Wuqin, Bei Bei as Wujun, and Xiao Hua Hua as Ziwei. What do you think?"

Song Qilin repeated the names slowly,

"Song Wuqin, Song Wujun, Song Ziwei, mm...they’re good names. Let’s go with what you decided."

Nie Shuang didn’t mention that she initially planned to give them her surname, Nie. But she let it pass—Song, it would be.

He still remembered what Kang Wang said, that Shuang Shuang had a business here. Would she ever leave everything behind to follow him?

"Shuang Shuang, soon I’ll have to leave again. I need to personally oversee the horse trade to ensure everything is in order. After that, I’ll be stationed at the frontier. You and the children..."

"Don’t worry about us. Just focus on the war. These little ones are easy to care for. Besides, I have Xiao San, Xiao Tong, and many trusted people around me. The Shen Nong Protection Agency is also looking after our safety."

It was just as Kang Wang had said—Nie Shuang was a capable woman. Even without him, she could manage everything perfectly well.

"Shuang Shuang, you are still my wife. I’m not abandoning you. I will return to you and the children as soon as I can."

Nie Shuang, being a modern-thinking woman, wasn’t too concerned about the idea of spouses having to live together all the time.

"Qilin, we’re already divorced. But don’t worry—I won’t keep the children from you. As for that other matter...as long as I don’t have someone new, we can still maintain our relationship."

Hearing that, Song Qilin’s jealousy flared up instantly, making him dizzy with rage.

"No! You are still the Young Furen of Yong An Hou Manor. That divorce paper? I tore it up! From now on, don’t speak of divorce or new people ever again!"

He spoke in a panicked voice. Nie Shuang, seeing his startled reaction, chuckled.

"Oh, Qilin, don’t be so alarmed. Since you tore up the divorce paper, didn’t the Hou turn red with anger?"

In truth, she felt touched. She had offered him his freedom—he could have left her without guilt. But instead, he chose to come back, even defying his father. When she thought about the nearly thirty chests of treasure from the Hou still lying in storage, Nie Shuang couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

He hugged her tightly, ignoring the disapproving look from Da Ge Bao Bao, who was playing with his toys nearby.

"I’ve made my decision, and I won’t change it. Let my father say what he wants. If he wants to take back the title of Hou Shizi, so be it. I am a General—one day, I might earn a title higher than Hou anyway."

Upon hearing this, Nie Shuang felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that this man was steadfast and reliable. She lifted her face and gently kissed his chin.

"Rest assured, since you’ve made your decision, I’ll let you keep the position of husband."

Song Qilin was overjoyed at the sweet kiss from his wife, but the phrase ‘position of husband’ made him uneasy. Why did it sound like she could remove him from that position at any moment? He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, making a playful, pleading sound.

"Shuang Shuang, I love only you—there’s no one else. You mustn’t fall in love with anyone else either. As sincere as Kang Wang might be, he can never make you his primary consort. His mother, Xian Fei, is harsh. Only I can honor you as my principal wife, and I always let you have your way. I’ve given you full authority in our household. No concubines or servant wives—none."

He listed all his virtues easily.

"Mm...If you think about having any, not only will you never see me again, but you won’t see Bao Bao, Bei Bei, or Xiao Hua Hua either,"

Nie Shuang said flatly. Song Qilin quickly nodded, knowing well that she meant what she said. Just then, Xiao Hua Hua crawled closer, and Song Qilin immediately scooped her up into his arms.

"My Xiao Hua Hua, while I’m away, help take care of your mother, okay? Don’t let any other man get near her,"

He pretended to talk to Xiao Hua Hua, though his real intent was to warn his wife. Nie Shuang stifled a laugh and shifted the conversation back to business.

"Regarding the tea negotiations, when you deal with Xi Region, use your wits. It would be wise to take Chun Shui Shop’s white tea and let them try tasting it to compare it with Lü Cui tea. Even though it’s ten times more expensive, the quality is far superior, and it has a longer shelf life. They will be willing to buy it. If you want to help me, try to negotiate so that we use less tea but get more horses. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Don’t worry. As for the tea trading concession, I’ll submit a petition. I believe it’ll get approved. For the other conditions, you can negotiate directly with Master Wen, the Minister of Finance."

Nie Shuang inquired further about logistics, and after a brief discussion, she had a rough plan in mind. Fortunately, she had already anticipated this responsibility and had the Jiang family contact nearby tea plantations to buy their entire yield. She had recently invested in more land to build a large tea fermentation plant. Jiang Ru and her family would be quite busy soon. As they discussed business, her eyes sparkled, displaying a strong leadership presence that made Song Qilin look at her with amazement—his wife was truly remarkable...

The next day, Nie Shuang took him to see the operations at Xiangyun Tea House. As they stepped inside, Song Qilin spotted Wang Dongpo, and a flash of recognition hit him.

"You’re the one who pretended to be a merchant back then,"

Song Qilin said angrily. Back then, he had led his soldiers south, and found Nie Shuang’s procession, which Wang Dongpo had deceived him by posing as a merchant. This caused him to lose track of his wife for an entire year. Wang Dongpo remained unfazed. He had only followed the orders of the Lady Boss, so he felt no guilt. Nie Shuang smiled as she introduced him.

"This is Manager Wang Dongpo. He was granted to me by Princess An Le."

So, this was the man who had been accused of being Nie Shuang’s lover! Song Qilin’s gaze toward him grew even more hostile. Nie Shuang quickly pulled him aside and whispered in his ear.

"Don’t worry too much—he’s a eunuch."

A eunuch?! Song Qilin looked at Wang Dongpo’s handsome face and immediately felt a surge of pity. His suspicion vanished instantly.Meanwhile, when the townspeople learned that Nie Shuang had come to the tea house, they flocked in droves. Some pretended to come for a cup of tea, while others came to buy tea. Upon seeing Nie Shuang, they bowed respectfully, occasionally sneaking glances at the handsome man standing nearby. The Lady Boss’s husband was indeed a dashing figure, rumored to be none other than Yong An Hou Shizi, General Song, who had been defending the northern frontier against foreign invaders. It became clear that the Lady Boss had come to this city for an official mission. The admiration in the eyes of the townspeople grew even stronger. There was no doubt that Nie Shuang’s tea house would receive even greater support from the townspeople moving forward.