Der Himmel über den Flüssen und Seen ist sehr klar

Kapitel 20

Xu Jinrong looked at her for a moment, and finally said, "It's my fault for being negligent. This is why you got into trouble. You were injured like this after only a few days of following me out. You almost... Don't worry, this will never happen again."

Seeing the guilt in his eyes, Danmei wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but she didn't know what to say. Suddenly, she remembered the official seal and became a little anxious. She propped up one arm and said, "Your official seal..." Before she could finish speaking, she fell back down, her face showing pain.

Xu Jinrong quickly steadied her shoulders and scolded her in a low voice, "Why are you moving around like that? The official seal isn't missing. Even if it really was taken, the person behind it will definitely use it to blackmail me and has other schemes. They'll come looking for me sooner or later. Do you think I'm someone who's afraid of trouble?"

Danmei breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing that the official seal had not been lost. She tilted her head on the pillow and looked at him for a moment before hesitatingly asking, "You... have many enemies?"

Xu Jinrong was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Let alone the martial world, even in officialdom, there are many who are friends today and enemies tomorrow, or enemies today and friends tomorrow. My wife, it's really hard for me to answer your question."

Seeing that he jokingly avoided the main point, Danmei realized he was afraid she would worry, so she didn't ask any more questions. Her neck was a little sore from lying down for so long, so she wanted to turn over to sleep on her side. Xu Jinrong gently turned her over so she was lying on her side, then sighed behind her and said, "I never thought you'd be so quiet usually, but you'd have such courage in this situation. Even some men wouldn't stand firm under a knife, let alone someone who would use their own body to protect Sister Hui?"

Danmei felt a little embarrassed when he praised her, and said, "Actually, I was scared too. There were only the three of us in the room: me, Sister Hui, and the wet nurse. The wet nurse had already fallen to the ground, and Sister Hui is younger than me. If I didn't protect her, would I expect her to protect me? You weren't here. If you were, I would definitely hide behind you and not come out."

As soon as Danmei finished speaking, she heard Xu Jinrong behind her seem to laugh. A breath of hot air hit the back of her neck, ruffling her fine hair and causing a slight itch.

"Hmm, it's all my fault. I just want you to get better soon, my wife. Then you can punish me however you want."

Danmei, hearing his somewhat obsequious teasing tone, ignored him and simply closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. After a while, she felt him go downstairs and turn off the light, then quietly lay back down. Perhaps afraid of touching her injury, he didn't embrace her as usual, leaving an elbow's width of space between them.

Danmei felt at peace and was drifting off to sleep when she suddenly felt a warmth on the back of her neck. It was him who had pressed his lips to hers and kissed her there, very gently and carefully.

Danmei was startled and remained motionless, pretending to have fallen asleep. She wondered what would happen next, but after his kiss, he simply tucked the blanket around her and did nothing more that night.

***

The wet nurse, aside from her head being wrapped up like a rice dumpling, cried out a few times during dressing changes, but the next day she was lively and energetic, even better than before. Danmei, however, had been forced to lie on the couch by Xu Jinrong for two days straight. Her hands and feet ached, and she was getting impatient. With less than a month left until the end of the year, she didn't know when they would reach Huaichu Prefecture if they continued to stay there. That evening, while he was changing her dressing, she brought up the idea of boarding a ship the next day to continue eastward. Xu Jinrong initially seemed reluctant, saying they should wait another three to five days until the wounds healed better. She frowned and complained repeatedly, saying it was better to be on the ship than stuck here, at least there were sights to see on both banks. He couldn't persuade her otherwise and finally agreed.

It was quite a distance from the post station to the wharf. They had come by carriage, but this time, fearing that the bumpy carriage ride might aggravate Danmei's shoulder injury, Xu Jinrong specially ordered a sedan chair and had the porters carefully carry her to the wharf.

Magistrate Zhang was busy for two days, but the arsonist from that night was nowhere to be found, let alone caught. Fearing that Xu Jinrong would hold a grudge and report the matter to his superiors, the day before yesterday, he sent his wife to the post station to find Danmei and apologize, bringing lavish gifts. However, Xiqing stopped her, only relaying Danmei's message that she should go back without worry, as the matter was sudden and there was no intention of blaming her. Madam Zhang was not convinced and returned home worriedly. When she told her husband, he was so anxious that he developed blisters on his lips overnight. The clerk then suggested that they find someone in jail, torture them to extract a confession, and send them to Xu Jinrong. Magistrate Zhang was still hesitating when he heard from the post station official this morning that Lord Xu and his entourage were about to leave. He dared not delay and hurriedly led his men to the dock to clear the way for their farewell.

Xu Jinrong knew there was a reason for this incident, and he couldn't entirely blame Magistrate Zhang. Remembering Danmei's advice to him to be forgiving, he gave a few perfunctory replies and boarded his boat to leave. Magistrate Zhang returned home and waited anxiously for over ten days, but when he didn't receive a report of reprimand from his superior, he realized he had escaped this ordeal. He breathed a sigh of relief, hoping he would never see that door-god-like Magistrate Xu again.

***

After sailing for another two or three days, the ship left the capital region and took the route through Jiangning Prefecture in the Jingdong West Circuit. It then crossed the Yangtze River, where the view became even more expansive. The water and sky were ablaze with a magnificent sight, a far cry from the scenery on the Bian River. The sails were billowing in the wind, and the journey was extremely smooth. In just a few days, they entered the territory of Huainan Circuit.

Huainan Circuit governs seventeen prefectures, covering a vast area. Huaichu Prefecture is located in the western part of the inner region, north of the Yangtze River, which is closer than places like Tongzhou and Qingzhou, which are closer to the East China Sea. Danmei originally thought she wouldn't be able to arrive before the end of the year, but unexpectedly, while anchored outside Lingjin City that night, she heard Xu Jinrong say that she would arrive at Huaichu Prefecture in three or four days.

Since leaving Daju County, Xu Jinrong has been extremely cautious. Not only did he not travel by land during the day as he had previously stated, but he also had his accompanying guards board the ship. If they went ashore to stay overnight, there were people on duty in shifts.

Danmei had been on the ship for over twenty days and was naturally getting tired of it. Even Huijie, who had initially been quite enthusiastic, seemed a bit listless and kept asking when they would arrive. Hearing Xu Jinrong say this, she was naturally pleased and a smile appeared on her face.

"Let me see your shoulders."

Xu Jinrong put down the book he was holding, climbed onto Danmei's bedside, and put his hand on her shoulder.

After more than twenty days of recuperation, the bandages no longer needed, and the wound had healed. It had been itchy at night these past few days, probably because the scab was falling off. Yesterday, Danmei looked in the mirror and saw a dark scar on her shoulder, which looked quite gruesome. Hearing him say he wanted to see it, she hesitated and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her arm, skillfully removing her clothes from her shoulder while laughing, "I even applied the medicine for you, what's there to hide?"

Danmei had no choice but to remain still and let him see.

Xu Jinrong glanced at it, his hand gently stroking the scar. The warm touch immediately made Danmei look away, whispering, "It's awful, don't look."

Xu Jinrong didn't loosen his grip; instead, he pulled her close to his back and kissed her on the scar.

Danmei felt as if she were being branded by fire, and shifted her body uneasily. But then she heard him whisper in her ear, "It's not ugly. Even if I look at it every night from now on, I won't get tired of it."

He spoke in a low, soft voice, and after he finished speaking, he hugged his arms tighter, looking down as if he were smelling the fragrance of her body after her bath.

Although they had slept together every night for the past two weeks, he hadn't mentioned it, fearing that rubbing against her wound might cause it to reopen. At night, he would only occasionally hold her and caress her a few times. Although she couldn't see his face now, Danmei felt a warmth emanating from his hand covering her waist and abdomen, and she suddenly felt a little hot herself.

"Clang..." "Clang..."

Just then, they seemed to hear the evening bell ringing from a temple on a mountain outside the city. Danmei immediately grasped his hand, turned around and smiled, "Hearing this bell outside the boat reminds me of Zhang Cibu's 'A Night Mooring at Maple Bridge.' His temple is Hanshan Temple in Suzhou, but we are in Lingjin. I just don't know what kind of temple this bell is from."

"If you want to see, I'll take you there tomorrow morning to find out."

Xu Jinrong smiled slightly.

Danmei shook her head, simply sat up from his embrace, pulled up her clothes, got off the boat, opened the window of the ship's side, and looked out. She saw a winter moon hanging obliquely, illuminating a hazy distant mountain across the river, with fishing lights dotting the surface. Just then, a few faint bell tolls, their direction indistinct, echoed across the dark river, blending with the soft sound of the water, creating a sense of desolation.

"I listened for half a day, but I still couldn't figure out the direction..."

Danmei smiled and said something, but he didn't respond. Just as she turned her head, her forehead bumped into his chin. The next moment, he stretched out his arms and hugged her waist from behind, one hand already inside her clothes.

"It's not ready yet, you can't touch it now..."

Her face flushed slightly, and her voice was barely audible.

"Hmm... I know..."

Xu Jinrong leaned down and whispered something in Danmei's ear. She turned around and glared at him angrily, punching his chest a few times with her left hand. This made him chuckle, pick her up, and close the window.

The next day, Hui-jie was overjoyed to learn that they would arrive in just a few days. Not only her, but also the wet nurse, Xi-qing, and the others showed their delight. It seemed that everyone was tired of this daily boat journey, but they dared not show it. With two days left until New Year's Eve, the group of seven or eight boats finally docked at the Yangtze River wharf in Huai-chu Prefecture.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Huaichu Prefecture was the prefecture of Huainan Circuit, densely populated and bustling with commerce. As the boat approached the main wharf, the shore was bustling with activity, and with the end of the year just around the corner, people were everywhere preparing for the New Year, creating a prosperous scene that even had a touch of the capital.

Since the accident in Daju County, Xu Jinrong had become increasingly cautious on his journey, even replacing the lanterns bearing his name on the bow of his boat. Generally, before a high-ranking local official arrives, he will send a message to the local officials through the post station ahead, instructing them to come out of the city or to the dock to welcome him. The prefectural judges, inspectors, military advisors, and prefects under the jurisdiction of Huaizhou had already received the imperial report and knew that the newly appointed prefect would arrive soon. They were sending people to inquire daily, but there was no news; they thought he had been delayed on the road. Little did they know that he had already quietly arrived.

Danmei, wearing a veil, went ashore and boarded the carriage that Xu Jinrong had hired in advance. The group headed towards the Huai Chu Prefecture official residence. When they arrived at the main gate, the gatekeeper was still confused. After knocking for a while, he lazily opened the door a crack and poked his head out. He opened his mouth to reprimand, but then he saw three or four carriages parked at the gate, followed by three or four carts carrying boxes. The man riding the first horse had a cold face and an extraordinary demeanor. The people behind him were also well-fed and strong. He immediately shut his mouth. After carefully inquiring, he learned that it was the newly appointed Prefect Xu, whom he had been waiting for for many days. He hurriedly opened the double doors and tumbled down the steps, saying, "I didn't know it was Lord Xu. The mansion has been prepared for a long time, and we were just waiting for your arrival."

Danmei alighted from the carriage, looked up, and saw tall, imposing green walls. In front of the main gate, on either side, stood two thick black pillars, each requiring two men to encircle. Above the doorposts hung a black plaque with gold lettering reading "Huai Chu Prefecture Office," a very grand sight. Entering the main gate, she didn't bother looking at the government office itself, but went directly past the front hall, through the hanging flower gate, and into the rear office. She saw pavilions every three steps, corridors every five, terraces and waterside pavilions covering a vast area. It was still deep winter, and along the way, she only saw some winter cypress and bamboo; the gardens were bare, devoid of flowers and grass, presumably withered and removed in the winter.

When the former master left, all the servants in the mansion must have been dismissed. Now, only a rough maid named Green Crow is still there. She hurriedly came to pay her respects, saying that Magistrate Zhao had summoned her a couple of days ago and had prepared the house in advance to welcome the lady to move in.

Danmei entered the main courtyard and was greeted by a two-story building. The climate here was different from the capital; spring and summer were long and rainy, so houses were mostly built high to prevent dampness. Upon going upstairs, she found the main house spotlessly clean. Pushing open a row of south-facing windows, she saw the courtyard below, with a large pond and artificial rockeries. She imagined it would be extremely cool in the summer, and felt quite pleased.

Xiqing and Miaochun opened the trunks and carefully put away all the various utensils and clothes. Huijie was still staying in the Danmei Courtyard, in the room at the end of the corridor. Because she was worried about the weight of her luggage when she left, she only brought some essentials. Now that she had settled in, she naturally checked for anything missing and sent people to the street to buy all the things that were missing. She was busy for two days, and it wasn't until New Year's Eve that everything was finally settled.

Xu Jinrong had just arrived at his post these past two days and was naturally very busy, leaving early and returning late. It wasn't until the evening of New Year's Eve that he finally returned to his office.

Upon arriving at this place, the prefectural government residence was so large that all sorts of servants naturally needed to be purchased or hired separately. Since yesterday, subordinate officials had been sending servants over continuously. Since Steward Xu had not yet arrived, Jiang Rui was in charge of all the welcoming and sending-off people in the outer courtyard. Following Danmei's instructions, Jiang Rui simply said that the mansion did not need any more people and turned them all away.

Although there weren't enough people, the cooks still managed to prepare several large meals for the last meal of the year. Xu Jinrong, Danmei, and Huijie sat at one table, the wet nurse, Xiqing, and others at another, while Jiang Rui and the guards sat at a separate table outside the hall. Danmei felt that the three of them eating alone lacked atmosphere, so she suggested that they sit together, separated by a screen. Xu Jinrong, seeing that it was her idea, didn't say anything more. The wet nurse, Xiqing, and the others outside the screen were initially a bit reserved because of Xu Jinrong's presence, but after a few cups of wine, they gradually began to chat and laugh, especially the wet nurse, whose voice was the loudest. The atmosphere inside was rather somber, with three people sharing a table. Xu Jinrong only poured himself a few drinks, while Danmei, unable to drink due to her shoulder injury, simply ate some food. Huijie had no appetite and listened intently as Green Crow outside talked about an old local custom: every year on this day, wealthy gentry would fund a performance of various plays to exorcise evil spirits. The performers wore masks and colorful embroidered clothes, dressed as generals, door gods, judges, Zhong Kui, the Earth God, the Kitchen God, and other deities. Hundreds of them would parade through the streets and set off firecrackers, which they greatly admired.

Danmei herself didn't particularly like these things, and her shoulder injury hadn't fully healed, so she naturally didn't think about going. Seeing Huijie's longing look, she thought for a moment, asked Xu Jinrong for his opinion, and seeing that he didn't object, she told Xiqing, Miaoxia, and the others who wanted to go to see it to go, took Huijie with them, and sent Jiang Rui and another guard to accompany them.

Although Xiqing was a calm and composed person, he was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Seeing that the madam had spoken, he naturally wanted to go. Miaoxia, Chang'er, and the others were even more eager to go and watch the excitement. The wet nurse was not to be outdone either. Finally, led by Lüya, the group of people went out in a grand manner. The dining hall, which had been lively just now, suddenly became quiet and deserted, leaving only Danmei and Xu Jinrong.

Xu Jinrong smiled at Danmei, took her hand, and led her slowly into the courtyard. As they passed the winding corridor over the water, they suddenly saw a great firework display in the northeastern sky beyond the high walls, its shimmering light illuminating half the sky. The two stopped and watched side by side for a moment.

The long corridor twists and turns, the shadows of the trees sway, the sound of water is quiet, the sunset glows in the sky, and only one person is left on the side, while two people under his sleeve hold hands with their fingers intertwined.

I only have one heart, and we will stay together until our hair turns white.

For a moment, Danmei also seemed to have such a hope, but the thought quickly faded away. She only chuckled to herself before looking up at the sky in silence. Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and Danmei felt a warmth as he pulled her close to his chest.

Once the flames had dimmed, the two returned to the courtyard and went upstairs. The cook quickly brought over a soup made from honeysuckle, dandelion, and violet. Xu Jinrong used a cloth to wipe the wounds on her shoulder and back, then took out a jar of ointment, the color of green jade, and applied it to her scars, immediately feeling a cooling sensation. He said this ointment had miraculous effects in fading and healing scars, and he had started using it the previous night.

"What were you thinking about on the veranda just now? I noticed you looked somewhat lost."

Xu Jinrong stood behind her, gently rubbing the ointment with his palm to slowly melt it, while asking in a low voice.

Danmei hadn't expected that even this had caught his eye, and her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly replied casually, "It's nothing. I have no regrets at all; you've mistaken me for someone else."

Xu Jinrong remained silent for a moment, then continued, "Did you like the brocade with lantern flowers that was delivered yesterday? I also ordered some brocade with rain threads and colorful brocade, which will be delivered in a few days. You can choose some new clothes to make yourself."

The lantern-shaped brocade is made of gold thread woven into lantern-shaped patterns, decorated with tassels and bees. It is beautiful and dignified and is the most famous type of Shu brocade. It is said that a skilled weaver can only weave two or three pieces a year at most, and it is not suitable for anyone but the very wealthy and noble.

Danmei knew that as the wife of the prefect, she would inevitably have some social engagements and visits during the first month of the lunar year. Although she didn't really like such ornate patterns, she figured people always had to maintain a certain image, and knowing his intentions were good, she naturally said she liked it. He didn't speak again behind her, but she felt his warm, large hand continuing to slowly massage the skin on her back, which was covered in ointment. Just as she felt it being absorbed, she was about to pull her clothes back down to her shoulders, but he pressed her down. Then, his hand went around her shoulder and reached into her chest from behind, cupping one soft breast and gently kneading it.

Danmei sighed inwardly and glanced at him sideways. He took the opportunity to pick her up and place her on a brocade-covered bench by the window on the south wall. He turned her over to face the window and whispered, "Hold on with your hands."

"You..." Danmei realized something was wrong and hurriedly turned around to grab his arm, trying to stop him with a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety, "You can't..."

"Last time on the boat, I asked you to ride me, and you did, but you were too shy and didn't satisfy me. The last two nights have been empty, and today is the last day of the new year. My wife, can you bear to let me go through this empty night as well..."

Xu Jinrong whispered jokingly in Danmei's ear, then took her hand and placed it on the window frame: "Be good... hold on tight."

How could her strength possibly stop his intentions? Soon, Danmei felt a burning hot body pressed tightly against her back, and she was forced to kneel on the bench, leaning against the windowsill.

Xu Jinrong held her waist tightly with one hand, lowered his head and kept licking her delicate back and neck, while his other hand had already pulled off the bindings on her skirt, and the skirt spread to the side, revealing her snow-white, round and perky buttocks and legs.

Such a beautiful sight made his blood boil even more. With a slight effort, he pressed her round, firm curves against his lower abdomen, rubbing against her warm thighs. Just as he was about to enter, he looked down and saw that her eyes were closed, her lower lip tightly bitten, her legs pressed together, her face as red as a flower, even her earlobes faintly flushed, making her appear more beautiful than a flower, radiant and alluring. Overwhelmed with love, he hesitated for a moment, then did not force his way in. Instead, he held her close, whispering in her ear, "We are husband and wife, destined to spend our lives together. Matters in the bedroom are the natural order of husband and wife. What are you afraid of in front of me? I will cherish you."

Danmei was initially somewhat unaccustomed to his various antics, but upon hearing his gentle tone, she couldn't help but open her eyes and turn around. She saw him smiling at her with a tender expression, and the scene of them standing side by side on the winding corridor, craning their necks to watch the fireworks, suddenly flashed through her mind. Before she knew it, he had leaned down and kissed her lips.

In the empty and silent courtyard, by the corridor window, a few faint, lingering sounds seemed to drift out, only to be quickly drowned out by the sound of firecrackers outside.

The old year has passed, and the new year has arrived.

***

Once the first month of the lunar calendar arrived, Danmei was busy as a spinning top every day. She was busy socializing with the wives of various officials in Huaichu Prefecture. The official ranks in this dynasty were numerous and complex; in Huaichu Prefecture alone, there were no fewer than twenty or thirty wives of high-ranking officials. Invitations came one after another like a flowing stream. Although those officials' wives were only interested in currying favor with her, this daily socializing was indeed exhausting. After seven or eight days, even Xu Jinrong told her not to bother anymore, saying that she had already made an appearance and could simply decline any further invitations. Seeing that even he had said this, Danmei was no longer polite. From then on, she feigned illness and closed her doors to visitors, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. She then busied herself sending a broker to hire servants. Her household was small, with only one person living in her own courtyard, so there was no need to relocate. However, the back courtyard was large, and she thought that she would need people to manage it in the future, so she selected and bought a few strong and hardworking-looking men to serve as sweepers, gardeners, and gatekeepers.

Green Crow was originally someone borrowed from Magistrate Zhao's residence. Seeing that there was some free time and that she had enough manpower, Danmei thought of sending someone to escort her back and to express her gratitude with a gift.

Magistrate Zhao was only in his early thirties, about the same age as Xu Jinrong, while Madam Zhao was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and looked quite dignified. Danmei had met her a few times and had a good impression of her. Unexpectedly, Green Crow had just been sent back when she was sent back again, and it was Madam Zhao herself who came, saying that she had been invited to come because she was a local and knew the local customs and roads, and that sending her back like this would be a loss of face for her, and that Green Crow herself was willing to stay in the prefectural government.

Seeing that she said this, and having spent the last few days with her, Danmei knew that Green Crow and Miaoxia got along very well, and that she was the one who led the way when they went out, so she stopped refusing. She thanked her and saw Madam Zhao off, and then had someone send another gift to the Zhao residence.

Once things had settled down in the back office, Danmei turned her attention back to Peony.

Xiqing was very prudent in his work; he brought not only the Xiaozhuangxin peony but also three other red peony plants along the way, without any damage. However, it was still the dead of winter, and the plants had not yet sprouted or turned green, remaining just a few bare branches.

The reason why Danmei searched for white peonies was that she had an idea in mind: to use the root systems of white peonies and other colored peonies as rootstock to cultivate new varieties of bicolor peonies.

Having been here for so long, Danmei naturally knows how rare the multicolored peony is. It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, Song Danfu of Luoyang cultivated a thousand varieties of peonies, with complex two colors. The emperor summoned him to Lishan to cultivate them, bestowed upon him a thousand taels of gold, and he was revered as a master of flowers.

Legends are just legends, after all. Not to mention this era, even in later generations, there are only two kinds of peonies that can truly bloom with two colors on the same plant and branch, or with two colors on the same flower. The two kinds are especially precious, as they only bloom with pink and purple. On the same flower, the more distinct the colors are, the more precious they are. She had been obsessed with studying how to cultivate peonies with different colors before, and now that she was here, she naturally couldn't help but be eager to try.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Based on Danmei's previous experience, the compatibility of peony rootstock with scion varies depending on the variety. For example, the survival rate of *Smoky Purple Pearl* peony rootstock is very low, while the survival rate is higher when using peony rootstock. *Zhao Fen* and *Jia Ge Jin Zi* peony rootstock have a high survival rate, but once established, the peony root grows rapidly, making it difficult for peony roots to sprout. *Shou An Hong* and *Lan Tian Yu* peony rootstock have a high survival rate, and the sprouting ability of peony roots is also strong. Therefore, because Danmei had no prior experience with *Xiao Zhuang Xin* and it was precious, she was hesitant to work with it, fearing that if it didn't get along with the peony, she would damage this beautiful flower. After much thought, she decided to find a more common, lighter-colored peony to try grafting.

Among the grafting methods for peonies, branch grafting and bud grafting are both suitable for the hottest days of summer or the autumnal equinox. However, for root grafting, although October is also the best time in Luoyang, the further south the region, the later the time can be. Therefore, moving the root grafted peony into a greenhouse at this time will not have a significant impact. It is only if it is delayed further that it will affect the growth in spring.

Danmei was eager for the season to arrive and couldn't wait to go out and buy peonies and peonies. She guessed that Xu Jinrong would probably not like her going out in public like this, so that evening, nestled in his arms, she tentatively mentioned that she wanted to go out to buy flowers the next day. As expected, he immediately rejected her, saying only two simple words: "No," but with absolute certainty.

Although Danmei had expected him to object, she was still disappointed and slightly annoyed by his rejection. She pulled back the strand of hair he was playing with in his hand and turned away, ignoring him. But a moment later, he reached out and hugged her from behind, forcibly turning her over so that she was lying on his chest.

"You're already angry?"

Xu Jinrong reached out and pinched her nose, smiling as he spoke.

Danmei ignored him, simply swatting his hand away. After struggling slightly, seeing that he had no intention of letting go, she snorted, closed her eyes to avoid looking at his face, and immediately felt a warmth on her lips as he quickly leaned in and pecked her. Only then did she hear him say, "I don't want you to go out. Firstly, you're my woman, and it's not appropriate for you to be out in public like this. Secondly, I'm afraid you might encounter some accidents outside. The incident in Daju County a few days ago still makes me a little scared when I think about it. If I hadn't happened to come back that day, I really don't want to think about what might have happened..."

Danmei opened her eyes when she heard him say that. Seeing him looking at her with a very sincere expression, most of her anger subsided. She only frowned slightly and said, "According to you, if I marry you, I will only be able to stay in your backyard for the rest of my life?"

Xu Jinrong chuckled: "Once I take down that gang of thieves, you can go wherever you want, of course. But don't sneak out on your own like you used to when I wasn't around. Make sure I know. If I have time, I'll accompany you. If I really don't have time, I'll have someone escort you to put my mind at ease."

Danmei listened to his ramblings, which basically said that once she became his woman, she had no freedom of movement and was even more timid than when she was the daughter of the Prime Minister. Feeling depressed, she snorted and tried to get off him, but he grabbed her and pulled her close.

“I know you love flowers, how could I dare to block your way and anger you, or I might get in trouble? Just tell me what you want, and I'll have Jiang Rui bring you the best things in Huaichu City tomorrow. Then you can take your time choosing, okay?”