Chapter 005

Chapter 005

It was still dark outside when Tong Sui woke up early.

The newlywed couple slept on the side of the bed closest to the kitchen. Tong Sui lay on the inside, facing the wall.

Behind her was the man's steady breathing. Afraid of waking him, Tong Sui kept her body still and quietly gazed at the nearby wall.

With the flickering light of the wedding candles, Tong Sui could see that this side room was newly built. The walls were coated with a layer of fine mud paint, mixed with flattened straw, creating a smooth surface dotted like small boats floating on a lake.

Anything new is pleasing, and these walls were so beautifully painted that as the mistress of the house, Tong Sui felt a surge of joy.

Just as she quietly extended her hand to touch the wall, her husband suddenly moved closer.

Tong Sui thought it was just an unconscious movement in his sleep, but the next moment, the wandering hand caused her breath to falter once again.

It was already spring, and the wedding quilt was made thin for the season. Even so, during the hottest part of the night, Xiao Zhen had thrown the entire quilt aside.

The wind swept through the flower branches, opening and closing dramatically.

Tong Sui never expected such a wedding night, nor such a morning after.

She was quite strong, but she couldn't budge Xiao Zhen at all.

Only when the pillow fell to the floor and half of her head hung off the bed did Xiao Zhen pull her back.

Tong Sui finally saw his face clearly: his eyebrows like swords, his narrow phoenix eyes, and the upward tilt at the corners exuding an air of disdainful scrutiny.

She immediately turned her head away, ending the brief eye contact.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Zhen finally seemed satisfied. He held her close, lying back on the mattress, and pulled the quilt over them both haphazardly.

Tong Sui was still panting, her cheeks flushed, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

Xiao Zhen's chin rested on her disheveled hair, his breath brushing over her head.

His hand still held hers, kneading it as if savoring the moment.

When she stopped panting, Xiao Zhen asked, "Now that you've seen me and experienced me, are you satisfied?"

Blind marriage, silent wedding, first look at the face, then the physique—she had inspected both.

Tong Sui's face burned, and she nodded after a pause.

Xiao Zhen said, "Good. I see you're also satisfied. From now on, let's live our lives together peacefully."

Tong Sui nodded again.

"Last night you met Aunt Second Cousin and the others. Can you recognize them when you see them again?"

Tong Sui recalled: among the elders, Aunt He had a haughty demeanor, while Aunt Xiao was spirited and easy to distinguish. Among her peers, Sister-in-law Liu Chu seemed kind, Third Sister-in-law Lin Ningfang was beautiful and elegant, and Little Aunt Xiao Yuchan was like a proud and domineering rose, each with distinct personalities.

She nodded, "I should be able to."

Xiao Zhen said, "Good, I'll introduce them to you again. My eldest sister has a daughter named Mianmian, and Xiao Yuchan has a son named Qi Yao, called Yao Ge Er. They are eight and four years old respectively. They are children, so you don't need to worry about entertaining them; just know they are there."

Tong Sui silently repeated: Niece Mianmian, nephew Qi Yao.

Xiao Zhen continued, "Grandfather and Second Uncle are easy to remember by their age. Only my three younger brothers might be confusing for you."

Tong Sui said, "No problem. Yesterday, traveling together, I could already tell their voices apart. Third Younger Brother's voice is deep, Fourth Younger Brother's is clear, and Fifth Younger Brother speaks with a slight nasal tone. Fourth Younger Brother is your biological brother, while Third and Fifth Younger Brothers are cousins from Second Uncle's side."

Odd and even numbers, Second and Fourth in one household, Third and Fifth in another.

Xiao Zhen was surprised, "Your ears are quite sharp."

Tong Sui smiled. She had trained her hearing and vision since childhood while learning hunting from her grandfather and father.

A rooster crowed somewhere, and a faint light began to seep through the window.

Tong Sui said, "Let's get up. I need to tidy up the room."

Xiao Zhen agreed.

But neither of them moved.

Tong Sui nudged him with her elbow, "You go first."

Xiao Zhen sat up, and Tong Sui glanced at his exposed, muscular back, watching the lines of his muscles stretch and contract with his movements.

Tong Sui quickly looked away, biting her lip. She had married him for his martial skills to protect her, but she hadn't expected his strength to be used on her first.

Xiao Zhen dressed quickly, stood up, and said to the still bundled bride, "I'll tidy up the yard. I'll be right outside. Take your time, and call me if you need anything."

Tong Sui replied, "Okay."

Xiao Zhen unlatched the door and strode out.

Tong Sui listened to his footsteps until they reached the yard, then sat up with the quilt, found her underclothes, and quickly dressed herself.

Her limbs felt weak, and she took a moment to gather her strength before starting to fold the quilt.

The quilt was placed at the head of the bed, and at the other end were her dowry chests.

Tong Sui arranged the two large camphorwood chests against the wall. One chest was filled with thick winter quilts, and she supported the chest, glancing at the closed windows, quickly retrieving a money bag hidden inside the quilt.

Inside was a jade bracelet from her maternal grandfather, five taels of silver, and a small green money bag containing over a hundred copper coins.

The silver was locked in the chest with the winter quilts, and the key was placed in the small money bag, which she kept separately.

Another box contained quilts for spring and summer, flower-patterned cloth, and several new outfits for Tong Sui. She also locked it to prevent anyone from rummaging through it.

The kang bed was now neat, with items like a wooden basin, comb, mirror, and the Four Treasures of the Study placed around. Tong Sui got off the bed and wiped the dust off the new cabinet before arranging everything in their proper places.

The new house already had two floor-to-ceiling cabinets and a wardrobe. The surfaces of the cabinets were previously empty, but now they were full, giving the place a homely feel.

Xiao Zhen brought in a bucket of water and saw his young wife standing in front of the open wardrobe, examining his clothes.

Seeing him, she hurriedly closed the wardrobe door, her face flushed as she explained, "I, I was just taking a look."

Xiao Zhen: "This is your home now. Feel free to look. Put your clothes in there too."

Tong Sui left out the clothes she would wear over the next few days on the kang bed. After Xiao Zhen finished setting down the water, he picked up his clothes and hung them in the wardrobe.

Tong Sui buried her small money pouch in the corner of the wardrobe and explained to her husband watching her, "There are some copper coins inside. The boxes contain new clothes and quilts we won't be wearing soon. I'm worried guests might rummage through them, so I've kept the keys around my neck."

Xiao Zhen noticed the red string around her neck.

He explained softly, "We haven’t separated from the family yet. All the money I earned before has been handed over to Grandfather for safekeeping."

Tong Sui understood. When times were good, more family members might think about dividing assets, but now that survival was a struggle, no one had the energy for such things. It was better for everyone to work together to survive.

After explaining her visible dowry, Tong Sui was about to close the wardrobe when Xiao Zhen suddenly stopped her. She watched him bend down and pull out a dusty money pouch from the sleeve of an old robe.

Tong Sui looked up in surprise.

Xiao Zhen said, "This is my private stash. Altogether, it's about two taels of silver. Let’s keep it with yours."

Tong Sui felt guilty and avoided his gaze.

Although she had married him and they were now husband and wife, she didn’t know Xiao Zhen well enough to trust him completely. She wasn’t sure if he was greedy, gambled, or drank excessively, nor did she know if his family was upright. If any serious issues arose, she would leave the Xiao family. Therefore, she decided to keep her true dowry hidden until the right opportunity arose to tell her husband.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhen revealed his two-tael private stash directly.

"That’s a lot. Keeping it in the wardrobe might invite theft," Tong Sui said instinctively, then added, "I’m not suspicious of your family; I’m just worried about burglars."

Xiao Zhen: "Understood. Lock the silver in the box and keep the copper coins outside."

Tong Sui: "Alright, let me know when you need it."

She immediately separated the silver pieces, merged them with the copper coins, and climbed onto the kang bed. She opened the outer camphorwood chest and stuffed Xiao Zhen’s money pouch inside. After locking it again, Tong Sui put the key back into her neckline. She turned her head and found Xiao Zhen still in the same position, looking at her with an inscrutable expression.

Tong Sui squeezed the red string in her hand and looked down, saying, "Shall I give you the key?"

Xiao Zhen: "I wasn’t looking at the key."

Tong Sui raised her head in confusion.

Xiao Zhen turned away to put the copper coins away.

With everything tidied up and the weather nice, Tong Sui opened the upper windows. As she opened the second one, a tall figure emerged from the west wing room opposite her. Their eyes met, and the man, with bright eyes, waved enthusiastically. "Second Sister-in-Law, good morning! I’m Fourth Brother, Xiao Ye!"

Being brothers, they shared similar features, though Xiao Zhen appeared more composed while Xiao Ye seemed more lively.

Tong Sui smiled back. "Good morning, Fourth Brother."

After greeting her, Xiao Ye scratched his head and looked around, asking, "Where’s my Second Brother?"

Tong Sui pointed behind her and continued opening the window. When she finished, she saw Xiao Ye staring at her, seemingly lost in thought. She smiled again and walked away.

Xiao Zhen admired the Four Treasures of the Study on the cabinet. "Do you use these often?"

Tong Sui: "No, they were a gift from my cousin for my dowry. He said we might need them someday, so we wouldn’t have to borrow from others."

Xiao Zhen: "Grandfather has a study where anyone in the family can read. If you’re interested, I can take you there after breakfast."

Tong Sui knew the Xiao family had once been hereditary thousand-householders. Even though the lineage ended during Grandfather’s youth, generations must have accumulated considerable wealth. Books could remain untouched even if the silver was spent. Yesterday, Xiao Zhen quoted a line from the Book of Songs effortlessly, indicating he had received a good education.

At the moment, Tong Sui wasn’t interested in books; she was more concerned about another matter. "Where do we cook? Should I go help now?"

Xiao Zhen: "The kitchen is in Grandfather’s courtyard. Our two families take turns cooking. Today it’s Second Aunt’s turn, with Yuchan assisting her. Tomorrow it will be Eldest Sister-in-Law’s turn, and you’ll help her. A Fu doesn’t cook; he only sweeps the yard and washes our clothes."

Tong Sui: "So, besides cooking, what else will I do?"

Xiao Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Learn from Eldest Sister-in-Law. There isn’t much to do. With more men in the family, fieldwork isn’t your responsibility. Come, let’s wash up."

A basin of clear water; Tong Sui used it first, followed by Xiao Zhen.

While Xiao Zhen washed, Tong Sui stood in front of the cabinet, combing her hair. She gathered her long hair, which used to hang loose, and pinned it up with a wooden hairpin.

It was the first time she had styled her hair this way, and she felt a bit strange seeing herself in the mirror.

"What are you thinking?" Xiao Zhen asked after hanging the towel.

Tong Sui snapped back to reality, shook her head, and opened a box of peach-scented face cream. She carefully scooped out a pea-sized amount and applied it evenly to her face.

Xiao Zhen glanced at the small, exquisite box on the cabinet and guessed it contained something valuable. He reminded her, "Put it away after using it. You’ll have many female guests visiting over the next few days."

Thick-skinned men might covet others’ wine, and similarly, some female guests might try to take advantage of her good cosmetics.

Xiao Zhen could foresee this, and Tong Sui certainly wasn’t going to be foolishly generous. She immediately placed the face cream box in the lower cabinet.

Xiao Zhen pointed to a wicker basket behind the door. "Put any dirty clothes here. A Fu will collect them later."

Tong Sui glanced at the quilt at the foot of the bed. The thin cotton pad she had placed under the mattress last night was still inside.

Her mother had told her that washing the mattress daily was too troublesome, so she had sewn a small pad specifically for her.

After a single night, Xiao Zhen had taken her so many times that she couldn’t bring herself to show the pad.

The new bride's face was flushed red. Xiao Zhen, kneeling by the bed, one hand on the bed and the other reaching under the quilt, pulled out the small cushion she had rolled up separately and placed it in the basket.

Tong Sui looked at his feet and reminded him, "You should check it."

Last night's cushion served not only as a shortcut but also carried another meaning.

Xiao Zhen: "No need, I know."

Not only could he feel it, but even if she wasn't, it was the world's fault. She was just a pitiful girl, undeserving of blame from her husband's family.

"Let's go."

Tong Sui followed him out.

Xiao Ye and Liu Chu were already in the courtyard, talking while waiting for them, along with a little girl who bore a striking resemblance to Liu Chu.

Tong Sui greeted her sister-in-law first.

Liu Chu smiled in response, holding Mianmian's shoulders and prompting her daughter to greet them.

Mianmian was a bit shy, but her voice was soft and sweet, "Second Aunt."

Tong Sui, pleased, gave Mianmian a red hair ribbon she had prepared in advance.

In the bright morning light, Liu Chu took another close look at Tong Sui and smiled at Xiao Zhen, "Your wife is so beautiful; your second brother truly has good fortune."

Xiao Ye nodded involuntarily. Earlier, he had worried that his second brother might miss out on a beauty like Third Sister-in-Law due to being too particular, leaving Third Brother to reap the benefits. Now, after meeting Second Sister-in-Law, his heart finally settled. Though Second Sister-in-Law might not come from as high a birth as Third Sister-in-Law, her natural beauty surpassed her.

Tong Sui lowered her eyes and softly said, "Sister-in-law flatters me."

Xiao Zhen: "No need for formalities among family. Let's go see Grandfather."

The four adults and one child passed through the passage between two courtyards and arrived at the central courtyard where Old Master Xiao resided.

The members of the second household, Aunt Xiao and her husband, and Tong Gui, who had stayed overnight, were already there, keeping Old Master Xiao company.

Tong Sui greeted everyone one by one, then knelt before Old Master Xiao with Xiao Zhen to serve tea.

Old Master Xiao Mu was truly seeing his second granddaughter-in-law for the first time. He had expected a skilled hunter's niece to be somewhat rough-looking, but Tong Sui was not only fair-skinned but also exceptionally beautiful.

"Good, I like you at first sight; you're meant to marry into our Xiao family."

Old Master Xiao took out a jade hairpin and handed it to Tong Sui, saying, "Your grandmother saved some jewelry. It's useless to me, so I'll give it to you granddaughters-in-law on her behalf. May your marriage be harmonious and peaceful in these turbulent times, growing old together."

The jade hairpin was lustrous and seemed more precious than the jade bracelet her grandfather had given her. Feeling the weight, Tong Sui saw Xiao Zhen's gesture indicating she shouldn't be too formal and thanked him solemnly.

"Rise, live well with the second son. If you have any grievances, speak to Grandfather."

Xiao Zhen helped Tong Sui stand and smoothly inserted the jade hairpin into her thick, black hair.

Tong Gui watched with a smile, his gaze shifting to the Xiao family's young aunt, who was pouting resentfully at Old Master Xiao, seemingly quite displeased.

Tong Gui hummed inwardly. The prosperity of the Xiao family was due to its large size, but with many people came many troubles. He wondered if his sister could handle it.

Despite his worries, after breakfast, Tong Gui had to leave.

Tong Sui stood at the Xiao family's gate, watching her brother drive the donkey cart farther away.

"Come on, you'll see him again during the return visit. Let's go inside and talk."

Madam He affectionately linked arms with Tong Sui and led her to the newlyweds' room.

As they were all women, Xiao Zhen couldn't follow and returned to the main house with Old Master Xiao.

Old Master Xiao Mu dismissed the other grandsons, stroked his beard, and asked his second grandson in a low voice, "Did you give Aman the few pieces of jewelry your mother left you? Aman is young, so make sure she hides them well."

His late wife had lived a life of luxury and had a collection of jewelry. Being generous, she gradually distributed most of it to her daughter, the eldest son's wife, and the second son's wife.

The daughter and the second son's wife kept their shares, while the eldest son's wife split hers, giving part to the eldest grandson's wife and the rest to the second grandson when she fell ill.

Old Master Xiao Mu didn't covet those items, but he kept track of them.

Xiao Zhen replied, "I haven't given them to her yet. I need to understand her character first."

Old Master Xiao Mu looked at his grandson and shook his head, smiling, "You're cautious, unlike the third son, who goes weak at the sight of a pretty face."

Xiao Zhen glanced out the window.

In these difficult times, gold and silver could save lives. He wouldn't easily give such valuables to a newlywed beauty; he would only entrust them to someone truly trustworthy.