Marry a Northern Song Dynasty civil servant

Chapter 2

Aunt Zhang muttered a few more words, then hurriedly went home with a smile to reunite with her husband. The two adults and one child left in the courtyard fell into an awkward silence once again.

Lu Ziqi had only heard that Song Xiaohua was ill, but he didn't know that she was so seriously ill. Facing his newlywed wife, who was calm and showed no resentment, his guilt deepened.

While Song Xiaohua appeared calm on the surface, her heart was actually in turmoil because she suddenly remembered two very critical questions:

First, she couldn't cook. To be precise, she didn't know how to cook with anything other than a rice cooker and a microwave. After being transported to this world in a daze, she was first busy calming down from her extreme shock, then busy adapting to a monotonous life without television, internet, or any media, and then busy learning how to wear layers of complicated clothes and how to style her hair in a way that made her want to shave her head. Occasionally, she also had to squeeze in time to daydream, complain, and deal with her little burden. Where would she find the time to figure out how to cook with a stove she had never even seen before? Luckily, Aunt Zhang helped her buy and cook three meals a day; otherwise, she would probably have starved to death and been reincarnated long ago.

But now that she's recovered and her... so-called husband has returned, Aunt Zhang will naturally no longer be a free 'hourly nanny'. So, from now on, won't she, the young wife, have to handle everything all by herself?

Oh, the evil old society! How she misses those capable, domestic, and elegant men a thousand years from now...

Secondly, as far as she knew, she and Lu Ziqi hadn't yet... consummated their marriage. Although she was essentially a 'mature woman,' she was still at the stage of being all talk and no action, her understanding of men remaining superficial and lacking substance. Was it possible that her past soul and present body's 'first time' would both be given to this block of clay-like man before her?

No, no, no! This must not be allowed to happen! ...

Author's Note: Okay, I was wrong, Xiaohua isn't an elite. So let's not dwell on this anymore, okay?

TT……

Chapter Two: You're Just Playing Me, You Damn It!

"Mother, Ling'er is hungry." Her leg was grabbed again, and look, look, look, 'Problem One' was already right in front of her.

"Yaoyao, I'm going to take a shower and change first." Is this 'Question Two'? Is it?!

"Wait a moment!"

Song Xiaohua's sudden shout surprised Lu Ziqi, who was about to turn and leave. He was surprised that someone so petite and delicate could have such a loud voice. He raised his eyebrows with interest: "What's wrong?"

"Uh... I mean, there might be no firewood left, so we can't boil water for a bath... that bath..." Song Xiaohua felt a sudden panic at his raised eyebrow gesture, so she could only come up with a lame excuse.

Lu Ziqi raised his eyebrows in surprise once again: "I remember there was half a room full of firewood in the woodshed when I left. Is it all used up?"

A woodshed?! Song Xiaohua was dumbfounded. She thought she had to go up the mountain to chop firewood every day... Actually, thinking about it, that makes sense. How could that be? She really tripped up herself; her brainlessness knows no bounds!

"Oh... I must have misremembered because I was so sick." Song Xiaohua said, coughing a few times as she spoke.

"It's windy here, you'll catch a cold again." Lu Ziqi's heart softened at the sight of her, and he didn't bother to investigate the inconsistencies in her words: "Go inside and rest first, I'll call you when the food is ready."

"Huh? You...you can cook?"

At this moment, Lu Ling, who had been ignored for a long time, tugged at her sleeve: "Daddy's cooking is the best in the world!" His clear voice was full of pride.

Lu Ziqi patted his son's fluffy head: "Don't listen to Ling'er's nonsense. It's just something to eat to fill our stomachs."

His previously useless appearance suddenly seemed somewhat pleasing to Song Xiaohua: "Then I'll trouble you! Ling'er, come back to the room with me!"

"No! Ling'er wants to help Father!"

"Hey, what are you doing? Don't make things worse!"

Lu Ling broke free from Song Xiaohua's hand and rushed towards Lu Ziqi: "Father, tell Mother that Ling'er can help."

Lu Ziqi smiled and nodded: "Let him come with me, so as not to disturb your rest."

"Very well, I shall accept your offer!"

Song Xiaohua had just sat down on the bed when she entered the room when she immediately jumped up again. The problem with the bed was very serious.

The county magistrate's mansion where she was currently located was extremely shabby. In the small courtyard, apart from a kitchen and a woodshed, there was a row of four slightly old tile-roofed houses—a living room, two bedrooms, and a study.

According to Ling'er, one of the bedrooms belongs to Huo Nan. He's been Lu Ziqi's personal attendant for many years, but he recently went back to his hometown. He had promised to return for the wedding, but something must have happened that delayed his trip. He's mainly responsible for taking care of the father and son. Lu Ziqi is used to going to bed late and waking up early, so Ling'er usually sleeps with Huo Nan.

Song Xiaohua was quite surprised and deeply impressed that such a 'male nanny' existed in ancient times. If she were to sleep with a doll the size of a glutinous rice ball, she'd probably smother it to death on the first night…

Luckily, she was sick a few days ago, so Aunt Zhang had been helping to take care of Lu Ling; otherwise, someone would probably have died by now...

Now, the magistrate's small backyard has become a real "family of three," so how to sleep has become an urgent problem to be solved.

Lu Ling is so young, she definitely can't sleep in a single room by herself. Does that mean the 'family of three' will have to squeeze into one bed?

Hmm... that's not a bad idea. Let the baby sleep in the middle. Even if his dad is really 'craving' it, he won't be able to do *that* through the baby, right? Until that Huo Nan comes back, we'll just have to make do like this for now and see how it goes...

After thinking it over, Song Xiaohua decided that it would be best to quickly get two more quilts to make the bed. Looking at the bright red wedding quilt on the bed and the bright red "double happiness" character on the window, she finally managed to suppress the urge to set fire to these eyesores.

After all, this is my home, and I've been enduring it all, but it hasn't reached the point where I can no longer tolerate it...

While comforting herself, Song Xiaohua took out two brand-new thin cotton quilts from the dowry chest, deciding to take advantage of the good sun to air them out and disinfect them.

Huffing and puffing as she carried the quilt out, Song Xiaohua felt a surge of grief and indignation.

Although the position of county magistrate was very lowly, it was still a civil servant in the country, and she had read in those time-travel novels that the salaries of officials in the Song Dynasty were quite generous. How could Lu Ziqi be so poor? His family didn't even have a maid or servant; he had to do everything himself. Wasn't this too much of an act of incorruptibility? It was practically self-torture!

There was no clothesline in the front yard, so Song Xiaohua, after leaving the house, just kept her head down and walked towards the back yard, her malnourished little body getting quite a bit of a strain.

Just as I turned the corner, I heard a clear voice: "Mother! Ling'er is here to help you!"

Although she was secretly pleased, Song Xiaohua didn't dare let the little rascal really get involved. It was a minor matter if he made things worse, but if the blanket accidentally fell and hit his little head, causing him to become mentally disabled, the trouble would be much bigger: "No, no, no, go cool off somewhere else... Um... Ling'er, be good!"

While busy adjusting her overly harsh tone, she accidentally stepped on the edge of the blanket and, without exaggeration, fell face-first into the mud. Luckily, the blanket cushioned her fall and prevented her from getting hurt.

She spat and spat, scrambling to her feet. Then, within an hour, she froze for the second time. And then, for the second time, she glared at the wicked heavens that kept playing tricks on her...

A slender figure, perfect proportions, tanned skin, long, wet hair, gorgeous collarbones, slanted eyebrows, bright black eyes, a straight nose, and a angular mouth... The autumn sun shone on her body, which was covered with glistening water droplets, reflecting countless rays of light that made Song Xiaohua dizzy and her heart race.

Is this 'stylish man' standing in the courtyard the same 'Terracotta Warrior' who was just looking disheveled and miserable?!

Lu Ziqi was completely unprepared for Song Xiaohua's sudden appearance and was momentarily at a loss for words. Although they were husband and wife in name, they hadn't consummated their marriage, and this unexpected 'openness' in broad daylight was extremely embarrassing and awkward. Song Xiaohua, with her eyes glazed over, was clearly stunned...

He sighed inwardly, turned his back, reached for a clean long robe beside him, quickly put it on, coughed lightly, turned around, and tried to keep his expression and tone normal: "Coming to air out the quilts?"

"Hmm..." Song Xiaohua finally managed to pull her gaze away from the nearly naked body of the 'handsome man' who was spitting blood, and responded in a daze before squatting down blankly to pick up the quilt.

Lu Ziqi hurried forward and deftly hung the two thin quilts on the line. As he stretched out his arms, the lines of his body beneath the long robe were clearly visible.

Song Xiaohua rubbed her nose, her throat feeling slightly dry: "Why don't you use hot water? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Although it's not exactly cold yet, the temperature is only around ten degrees Celsius, and besides, the well water seems much colder than tap water at this time of year. Just thinking about taking a shower with freshly drawn well water makes Song Xiaohua shiver.

"Daddy does this all winter. He says it helps him stay healthy." Lu Ling answered on his behalf. This little guy always looked incredibly proud whenever he mentioned his dad.

Song Xiaohua rubbed her nose again. So he wasn't just a 'handsome guy,' he was a 'macho man'... She wondered if he might be a martial arts master like Zhan Zhao or Bai Yutang?

Lu Ziqi straightened the blanket and turned around, only to meet Song Xiaohua's two staring eyes. Was she still recovering from the shock, or...?

"Yaoyao, what's wrong?"

"Huh? No...it's nothing..."

Song Xiaohua quickly lowered her head, silently despising herself a thousand times over.

What kind of men hasn't she seen? How come she's acting like a sheltered, unsophisticated ancient girl who never leaves her home, and can't take her eyes off any decent-looking man? Even if Lu Ziqi is as handsome as Pan An or Song Yu, it doesn't excuse his behavior of completely ignoring and abandoning his newlywed wife!

Furthermore, although Song Xiaohua is 'lustful,' she is a modern 21st-century woman with emotional beliefs. Marriage without love, and sex without love, are absolutely unacceptable to her. Otherwise, how could she be a 'department-level' mature woman today?

However, forcing her to sleep in the same bed every night with such a man who arouses her desires and impulses is a real test of her self-control and too cruel!

So, in the end, it's all that damned God's fault.

You think you can't mess with me?!

Chapter Three: Brutal Disdain

Lu Ziqi watched as she lowered her head and then raised it again, her expression constantly changing. He couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart. His young wife seemed different from ordinary girls who adhered to etiquette and rules, and even more different from the description given by the matchmaker.