The Skirt

Back at the Stewart household after finishing the offal stew, the children proved far quicker to accept the dish than the adults. Stewart and Lily had no choice but to seal away the remaining half for tomorrow, and only then did the two kids, their bellies full, reluctantly set down their forks.

"Young Master Lance was right. Though these offal look messy, they taste just as good as meat when you actually eat them. Although the first harvest of chili peppers had begun this summer, Tang Feiliu had only just been willing to share a small amount with everyone. After the Stewarts received their portion, Lily dared not use too much. She was saving some seeds to carefully plant in their yard first. According to Mr. Lance, now was the perfect time to sow them.

But it still left the Stewart family, who'd never eaten spicy food before, feeling fiery hot. Though the perfectly balanced heat was a bit too intense, the savory organ meat flavor had the family—who could never get enough of rich, fatty dishes—utterly captivated. Stuart wasn't quite sure yet, but Lily, as the homemaker, was already clicking her abacus furiously. After a bit of small talk, they turned to this year's harvest—heaven knows it was the hottest topic in their village lately.

"Our barns are completely full, Tut. I've never seen anything like this in all my years!" Though she'd repeated this countless times, Lily still couldn't believe it. Stewart listened with a smile, and he said again, " "Just remember to have Adam and Penny keep a close eye on things... Even though my brothers helped with the harvest this year, you still need to stay vigilant. I trust they won't do anything foolish, but you must stay attentive..."

Stuart had repeated this warning countless times. That was just the kind of man he was. When Lily was still at home, everyone used to say men like Stuart weren't generous enough. But after becoming part of his family, Lily came to understand his charm. After all, while Stuart might seem stingy to outsiders, he was more generous to his family than he was to himself. Now, Lily nodded with a smile and said, " "Don't worry, Stuart. I've been counting everything carefully every day just like you said. Your brothers are all doing well. I've also quietly told Julie and Anna that we'll hold their wages here for now. Once the detailed regulations come out, we'll see if we can redeem their children."

"Mhm. You did tell them, right? The children must be redeemed first. The adults can wait—there'll be time later. Make sure they don't make the mistake of spending the money and grain on things they shouldn't." Stewart pressed earnestly.

"I did, Tut. They all said they'd listen to you. You can rest assured." Lily spoke slowly to Stewart, then sighed softly. "Tut, I've been thinking about this for days. I know I shouldn't be doing this. Things at home are just starting to get better. The busy farming season isn't completely over yet. But I think... I think..."

"Lily, what's wrong?" Seeing her hesitant expression, Stewart grew anxious. He pressed urgently, "Did something happen? Lily..."

Stuart lifted Lily's lowered face and gasped in alarm when he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. Panic seized him. "Lily, what happened? Please tell me. I can help you through this. Don't be sad, okay?"

"I know I'm already so fortunate. I know I should be understanding of you, but Tut, Tut... I just miss my parents and brothers so much... Tut, I'm sorry..." Tears streamed down Lily's cheeks. She knew she was being greedy. In any other family, a woman could have her husband's undivided affection, control every penny spent in the household, and have her own beloved children. She should have been content with nothing more.

But Lily truly worried about her brothers and her aging parents. Even though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help herself. When life was hard, she could tell herself she had no choice. But when things improved, thoughts of her parents and brothers—who had vanished without a trace—would inevitably surface. After all, back when she and Stuart were struggling, her parents could have simply abandoned her. Daughters who married out were only cared for by their families if they were fortunate or from wealthy households. Unless they married nearby, and families grew distant. Moreover, men generally disliked wives constantly thinking of their birth families, so even if women missed home, they usually dared not speak of it often. But Lily truly couldn't hold back.

Though her family wasn't wealthy, her parents had always cherished her. Each year, her brothers would come to help harvest the wheat for their youngest sister and her husband, Tut. Such mutual aid among in-laws might be common in the village, but she had married a full day's ox-cart journey away. Many women sold by their husbands were only discovered by their families long after.

Yet Lily's family arrived every year during the busiest season to help her. So Lily endured for a long time. After settling into her new home, she could no longer contain her worries and now couldn't help but cry.

Hearing her words, Stuart couldn't help but smile. He embraced Lily and whispered softly, "My dear, I thought something else had upset you so... It's my fault. I should have thought of you. I've just been so busy. I shouldn't have forgotten this matter. After all, if it weren't for them back then, we wouldn't have made it this far..."

"You don't blame me?" Lily stared wide-eyed in surprise. Stewart frowned and said earnestly, "Why would I blame you? Would I blame my wife for being a conscientious daughter? What kind of person would that make me?!"

Lily stared wide-eyed, her voice trembling. "So..."

"So let me take tomorrow off. I'll go back with you. Since Robert is heading to York anyway, you can think about what we might bring to see Mom and Dad." Stewart smiled gently. "You know, my parents are gone now. So why shouldn't we cherish the family we still have?"

Lily's tears suddenly streamed down her face. She threw her arms around Stuart, but this time, they were tears of joy and excitement. She murmured, "Oh my God, I'll get to see Mary! She mocked me for marrying so far away back when I left. I'll make her green with envy!"

"You bet we will, and we'll get our revenge, my girl!" Stewart laughed heartily. In that moment, life's burdens seemed to lift from them. He held Lily close and kissed her, just like that reckless young man at the country dance years ago, whispering sweet nothings to the girl he'd fallen for at first sight, as if he could promise her the whole world.

Lily was about to return to her parents' home. The women in the village had always envied Lily. Back when times were tough, the differences weren't so obvious—at most, Lily had more leisure than the average woman. Back then, no one said Stewart took good care of his wife. Most women claimed Lily was frail, that Stewart was drawn to her beautiful face and worked himself to the bone. The men sometimes joked about it, asking Stewart if he regretted it.

Especially after their eldest son died, everyone blamed Lily's frailty. They said the child took after his mother, which was why he left so soon. During that time, Lily wept every day, and even Stewart grew gloomy.

That's just how village life is. People are rough around the edges, speaking without filter. They might not mean harm, but their words can still sting. Stewart got along well with others, always easygoing and good-natured. He'd even gotten angry over others' remarks before. Lily, once a cheerful girl, had become the quiet woman she was now because of all the storms they'd weathered over the years.

But no one spoke that way anymore, because Stewart had made something of himself! When Mr. Lance selected patrol members, he was the first to step forward. It was also he who tipped Mr. Lance off about York's manure pile, allowing everyone's land and crops to thrive and yielding the bountiful harvest they'd long dreamed of.

Now, every household taught their children to use their own outhouses for bodily needs. When men couldn't hold it while working, they insisted on relieving themselves in their own fields—taking stinginess to the extreme.

The village was poised to have surplus grain for the first time this year. Not only that, but His Grace the Duke had begun purchasing their excess crops, paying them in shiny pennies, shillings, and even whole pounds!

Everyone knew Mr. Lance deserved most of the credit for this, but that didn't stop them from respecting Stewart, who had advised Mr. Lance. As they endured their hardships, Stewart consistently looked after Lily, and Lily always responded with tenderness. Gradually, people stopped mocking them. The women grew increasingly envious of Lily, especially upon hearing she was returning to her family home. When Stewart even secured a borrowed oxcart from young Mr. Lance for the occasion, every woman felt deep admiration and jealousy.

"Lily truly married well," the village women murmured, this topic dominating their recent conversations. After all, Lily, wearing a white hat adorned with a red silk bow, a red collar dress, and carrying a matching round basket as Stewart helped her onto the oxcart, didn't look like a farm woman at all. If someone claimed she was a squire's wife, many would likely believe it.

And then there were the goods loaded in the back of the cart—fabrics, jars of honey, sacks of fine flour, and cured meats. This was no small gesture, especially considering Stewart's generous nature. Lily's homecoming promised to be nothing short of spectacular.

The village men suddenly realized they were no longer the center of attention at home. Their wives no longer revolved around them, instead constantly talking about how wonderfully kind Stewart was to Lily...

If Tang Feiliu had known, he might have told them—women are waking up, you guys, your good days are over! Better start thinking about how to appease your wives!

Sadly, no one told these men. Instead, some started arguing with their wives, finding it utterly unreasonable that they wanted to see their own family.

Perhaps every era has one or two Stewarts, and one or two lucky Lilys might appear. But in an era where the prevailing mindset treated women as possessions, where men were the primary breadwinners and women had no control over finances... women still had a long, long road ahead before they could truly gain men's respect.

Fortunately, they might not have to wait too long.

"Hey!" One day, when Tang Feiliu had finally finished instructing on the irrigation facilities and the cellar renovations at Black Swan Castle were in full swing under the duke's supervision, he suddenly spotted his familiar ox. Xiaohei, who had been loaned out for seven or eight days, recognized Tang Feiliu at once and bellowed joyfully, completely ignoring Stewart's shouts. stomping straight toward Tang Feiliu. At first, Tang Feiliu hadn't even noticed. He was smiling and enjoying the countryside scenery with Ivana, feeling that with this bountiful harvest, he'd finally resolved most of his problems. More importantly, the potatoes had yielded well, and he was already scheming about how to start eating fried potato strips!

But just then, Tang Feiliu suddenly felt a tug on his back. Turning around, he saw his big black ox's massive head and happy black eyes looking affectionately at him. Tang Feiliu quickly shouted, "Xiaohei! Xiaohei! That's enough! Don't chew on my shirt!"

"Moo—" Xiao Hei protested with a grunt, then snapped his jaws shut, cleanly severing Tang Feiliu's shirt. A large patch of his back was instantly exposed. Ivana, tense, swiftly stripped off her own shirt to cover him. The sequence of actions flowed so smoothly it left Tang Feiliu momentarily stunned.

"Please, please put it on. I'm fine," Yivansi hurriedly slipped the shirt over Tang Feiliu's shoulders, completely oblivious to her own skin exposed under the summer sun.

Others might not know, but those within the castle likely sensed that young Mr. Lance had been promoted. His new position could be imagined as the duke's superior. Sometimes, minor matters involving the duke might not be so critical, but if Ivans dared let young Mr. Lance return home with his back exposed today, he'd likely spend every day afterward contemplating his own future. Ivans dared not take even the slightest risk.

Tang Feiliu, however, was thinking of nothing at all. He was explaining to Ivans: "It's fine, Ivans. Wearing two layers is still hot anyway... Whoa, is that you, Lily?!"

Mid-sentence, Tang Feiliu's attention was utterly captivated by the woman before him—Lily emerged from the makeshift canopy of Stewart's oxcart. She'd altered her dress slightly: the originally loose robe was now cinched at the waist, with sleeves featuring delicate pleats and gathered cuffs. The transformation instantly made her appear tall and slender, her graceful, alluring figure impossible to look away from.

"Your Excellency," Lily hurriedly dismounted and curtsied to Tang Feiliu, her heart pounding with anxiety. She whispered softly, "I am Lily."

Tang Feiliu looked at her and suddenly said, "Hey, Lily. You know what? I have this really interesting idea."

Lily looked up blankly, panic rising within her. Fortunately, Stewart stood beside her, nodding reassuringly with a smile. Lily relaxed slightly, clearly relieved that this Mr. Lance didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward her. She exhaled softly and smiled back, just as Tang Feiliu continued, "...Perhaps you'd be interested in joining?"

Lily glanced at Stewart. His face was aglow with excitement as he looked at her, almost radiating light.

For many years afterward, Lily never forgot that moment. In the life of the celebrated Mr. Lance, it was a tiny thing—a mere anecdote compared to his waterworks, transportation hubs, his discoveries of irrigation and crop-yielding foods, or his pioneering solutions to universal hunger.

But for Lily, it was an incredibly important moment. It lifted her life from the gloom of her return, propelling her upward from the depths. From that day forward, she lived joyfully, as if floating in a kingdom above the clouds. All that changed because of that small instant—because Mr. Lance had seen that dress.

Author's Note:

The sun is shining beautifully today—my cold seems to have truly ended! So happy! To celebrate, I'll add an extra chapter this afternoon!