Marry a Northern Song Dynasty civil servant

Chapter 5

Fortunately, fate hadn't been too cruel to her, and gave her a brother and sister-in-law who seemed to be quite good to her, preparing a decent dowry for her. Besides several large boxes of bedding, clothes, and other miscellaneous items, there were some gold and silver jewelry, as well as several strings of heavy copper coins, presumably for her to use in case of emergencies.

When Song Xiaohua went to the market with Aunt Zhang last time, she took the opportunity to figure out the conversion of basic currency units in this era:

1 tael of gold = 10 taels of silver = 10 strings of copper coins = 10,000 copper coins.

A simple meal for a family of three for a day would cost about 50 copper coins, so the few skewers in her dowry would be enough for her to eat for several months. With other things, she could live peacefully for several years without relying on anyone else.

That's why she decided to use her own money to buy this piece of furniture.

Firstly, since she would be the only one using the money in the future, it wouldn't be a loss for her. Secondly, she was embarrassed to ask a man she had just met for money to go shopping, even though he was her husband.

Sigh, to put it bluntly, she's a typical example of someone harmed by the consciousness of modern independent women...

Once the shop owner saw that they had made their selection, he hurriedly told his employees to load the truck and deliver the goods. When it came time to settle the bill, he quoted a price that was much, much lower than the original price.

Song Xiaohua was taken aback for a moment, then very kindly reminded her, "Boss, you... you must have made a mistake?"

"No, no!" The shop owner shook his head and waved his hands, his eyes narrowing into slits with laughter. "I should have charged you nothing, but I was afraid you'd feel bad, Madam Lu, so I boldly took a small cut. Please, Madam Lu, don't refuse, and do me this favor!"

Song Xiaohua was naturally too lazy to haggle, and seeing that the prices in this shop weren't outrageous, she hadn't even considered asking for a discount. Now that the owner was offering a price reduction, why wouldn't she agree? Only a fool wouldn't take a bargain. She paid quickly and happily left.

On the way back, Song Xiaohua threw Lu Ling into the bathtub. Seeing his anxious look as he struggled to get out of the tub but could only stick out the top of his head, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

With sunshine, a gentle breeze, wildflowers lining the road, crops in the fields, and the loud, unnamed tune sung by the deliveryman, Song Xiaohua felt an unprecedented sense of ease and joy.

Perhaps, sending her here wasn't entirely a cruel joke played on her by fate...

A note from the author: Regarding the currency conversion and price issues, I just did some quick research online and made some rough estimates, so please don't take it too seriously!

Also, regarding the bathing issue, there's a theory that people in the Song Dynasty never took hot baths... I'm speechless. Out of humanitarian spirit, let's allow some people the right to take hot baths... *sigh*

Chapter Six: A Battle Triggered by a Bathtub

Back home, after placing the bathtub in her current bedroom, Song Xiaohua couldn't wait to boil water.

Having prior experience camping in the wild, and having carefully observed Lu Ziqi's method of starting a fire, plus with Lu Ling's help and guidance, she quickly and successfully lit her first fire in the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, there was absolutely no tragic situation depicted in movies and TV dramas, where people were smoked to the point of looking like "African chickens" and still couldn't be dealt with.

That's why I see how important intelligence is, no matter where you are or when you are...

After boiling the water, Song Xiaohua ordered Little Radish Head to stay three meters away. She then used a bucket to pour the boiling water from the kitchen to the bedroom. After pouring the boiling water, she poured cold water twice more before finally completing the task.

Exhausted, with a sore back, aching legs, and cramps, Song Xiaohua comfortably soaked in the water at a just-right temperature. The joy in her heart and the physical comfort made her completely ignore the poor little guy who had been ruthlessly locked out.

So when Lu Ziqi returned home, he saw his son sitting alone on the highest step of the porch, looking extremely aggrieved.

"Ling'er, why are you all alone?" Looking at Lu Ling's pouting lips and then at the two tightly closed doors behind him, Lu Ziqi suddenly realized, bent down, and asked in a low voice, "Is Mother asleep?"

"No..." Lu Ling ran over and jumped into his arms: "My mother asked me to be her guard dog."

This way of describing it made Lu Ziqi's brows furrow slightly: "What is Mother doing in there?"

Before Lu Ling could answer, the door opened, and Song Xiaohua, with her long, wet hair disheveled, face flushed, and full of energy, slowly swayed out, half-covering her outer clothes.

"Huh? You're off work so early... um... you're back?" Under Lu Ziqi's strange gaze, Song Xiaohua unconsciously stretched her neck and hummed, half sighing and half moaning, "That felt so good..."

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, her face appeared even more radiant, like a peach blossom, exuding boundless springtime beauty.

After calming his initial surprise and doubt, Lu Ziqi quickly made a judgment based on her still-damp hair. He looked away, turned slightly, and coughed lightly: "You went out this afternoon?"

"Yes! How did you know?"

Lu Ziqi didn't know how to remind her to fasten her outer garment properly, since it wasn't exactly revealing but still not very elegant. So he pretended to be focused on tidying Lu Ling's clothes: "The news of the magistrate's wife's concern for the people's conditions has spread throughout the city."

"Wow! The news spreads fast!" Song Xiaohua, filled with admiration for the speed at which gossip spread in this era, walked up to Lu Ziqi in a few steps: "What are they saying?"

“They say the magistrate’s wife is kind, approachable, and down-to-earth, without any airs.” Lu Ziqi said, his eyes still fixed straight ahead, but his tone clearly carried a smile.

Today, he went to the county government office intending to handle some accumulated official business, but his colleagues worked together to "drive" him out before long. Knowing their good intentions, and also wanting to spend more time with his newlywed wife to make up for what he had missed, he didn't insist any longer. Otherwise, how could he possibly go home before the moon was high in the sky?

As he passed through the market, he was greeted by crowds of people who told him how approachable and easy to get along with his wife was, and of course, they congratulated him on his marriage and wished him a son soon, and so on...

He couldn't help but feel a mix of joy and surprise. His little wife was truly remarkable for winning the favor of the county residents and becoming one of them so quickly.

Song Xiaohua, who was always outgoing and friendly, had no idea that her carefree and talkative nature when facing ordinary people could have such a great effect as the wife of a local official.

In her mind, everyone was just an ordinary person; there was no real connection between them...

"Actually, the people here are all very cute and interesting, and many of the things here are also very unique and fun!"

Lu Ziqi couldn't help but glance at her. Was there a big difference between the neighboring county and this place? He should make time to go and take a look another day.

In any case, it's a good thing that she's taken a liking to 'Beiya County' so quickly. However, her carefree and easygoing nature is really...

He looked away and coughed lightly again: "It's getting late and the wind might pick up. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"ah?……"

This abrupt remark left Song Xiaohua momentarily stunned. She tilted her head to look at Lu Ziqi's slightly stiff profile, then looked down at her own loose-fitting coat. She immediately understood and almost burst out laughing.

For a man who's married with children, why is he acting like a shy, naive boy experiencing his first love? Heh heh, doesn't this also mean that even if his looks aren't up to par right now, he still has the allure to tempt people into committing crimes…?

"ah!……"

She deliberately dragged out her sweet, almost cloying voice, then gently fanned her cheek with her hand, perfectly embodying the essence of a flirtatious woman: "The new bathtub is really nice; it's so warm and relaxing. And I feel like I'm completely cured of all my ailments!" After a moment's thought, she quickly added, "So I think I shouldn't need to take any more medicine."

Her behavior and the first two sentences almost made Lu Ziqi think she was doing it on purpose... but the last sentence made that idea seem ridiculous.

So all that talk was just to avoid drinking bitter medicine again. This kind of little trick is something only a child could pull off.

He shook his head, stood up, and looked directly at her, his frank gaze carrying a hint of teasing and mischief: "I never knew that a bathtub could be used for such instant disease relief. I must have Dr. Hu come and investigate this properly tomorrow. Oh, by the way, could it be that the owner of that bathtub shop gave you some benefits so that you would speak well of his products?"

It was just a joke, but Song Xiaohua's eyes lit up immediately: "You really do have the potential to be a 'fortune teller'! You actually guessed part of it! Let me tell you, that boss gave me a super discounted price. I calculated it, and it's almost a 30% discount!"

She grinned from ear to ear, looking like she'd gotten a great deal, but Lu Ziqi's face gradually darkened: "Why would I sell it to you at such a low price?"

Song Xiaohua, still smug, said, "Is there even a question? Of course it's because of you! It turns out there really are so many benefits to being an official. No wonder everyone's scrambling to become a civil servant..."

Lu Ziqi, whose expression clearly showed displeasure, didn't notice her last few words and interrupted her directly, saying, "Pay them the difference at the original price!"

Song Xiaohua's smile froze, and she asked incredulously, "What do you mean?"

How could you take advantage of ordinary people?

Lu Ziqi's undisguised rebuke made Song Xiaohua's face fall as well: "What are you saying?! He's the one who wanted to sell it to me at this price, it's not like I asked for it. Why should I make up the difference for him? What kind of logic is that?!"

"This is the principle of my Lu family!"

Her attitude made Lu Ziqi unconsciously raise his voice, but then he took a deep breath and softened his tone: "You know, he only did this because of me. To be precise, it was my status as the local official that made the difference."

"That's true, so what?"

Song Xiaohua was already enraged by his harsh growl. She was a "post-80s" generation who had been pampered and protected by everyone since childhood. Almost no one had ever spoken harshly to her, and she had never suffered such humiliation before: "One is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. I have a clear conscience! Besides, it's perfectly normal for ordinary people to flatter officials, no matter what dynasty it is!"

Lu Ziqi finally lost his temper, his eyebrows bulging as he shouted, "Utter nonsense!"

Chapter Seven: After the Argument, Time to Call It Off

Despite Lu Ziqi's outburst, Song Xiaohua remained unfazed, glaring at him with her head held high and continuing her relentless accusations: "Now you're trying to put on airs with me about the Lu family? Let me tell you, if it weren't for... my tough life, you'd be waiting to come back and collect my corpse! Anyway, my life was a fluke from God, so just consider your so-called daughter-in-law dead. From now on, whatever I say or do has nothing to do with your Lu family! If you're unhappy, we can just get a divorce... just divorce me! Do you think I can't live without you? In short, today, I bought myself something with my own money, and it's none of your business!"

After yelling, she couldn't be bothered to pay him any more attention. She turned around and was about to slam the door and go inside when Lu Ling, who had been stunned at first but had now come to her senses, rushed over and hugged her leg: "Mommy~ Are you angry? Don't you want Ling'er anymore?"

Hearing the child's tearful voice, Song Xiaohua's anger immediately subsided by five or six points. Looking down into those two large, tearful eyes, her heart softened, and she instinctively knelt down to wipe away Lu Ling's tears. "I'm not angry with you, Ling'er, be good, Ling'er, don't cry. A real man doesn't cry, even if he bleeds!" Seeing him nod, sniffling as if he understood, she glared fiercely at the silent Lu Ziqi, then coaxed him gently, "Anyway, I promise Ling'er, I will never abandon Ling'er, okay? Even if I have to leave, I'll take Ling'er with me! We'll never talk to your old, heartless, stinky father again!"