Oscuramente encantador - Capítulo 137
Hao Jinfeng, son of Hao Jiulong, the Golden Knife Divine Constable, is to marry Xu Youyou, daughter of the Ghost King. This joyous occasion is said to be a grand affair, and today, the Hao mansion is bustling with preparations, a scene of great excitement.
Back then, Hao Jiulong relentlessly pursued Yan Ruyu, insisting on remarrying her and vowing to stay with her forever. Yan Ruyu was angry for a while, but couldn't resist his insistence. Considering her daughter and son, she moved back in with him. The couple bickered constantly, but their relationship only grew stronger. The Hao household was bustling with activity, and even more interestingly, Yan Ruyu was pregnant… making Hao Jiulong overjoyed and constantly jumping for joy.
Hao Jinfeng brought Xiaodao back and told his parents what had happened at the Beihai Sect. His family did not interfere with Xiaodao's decision, but hoped that Xue Beifan would hurry up and finish what he was doing so he could come and pick up Xiaodao. It was not easy for the two of them to be together after going through so much.
The family had just reunited when Xu Youyou arrived, saying she had been kicked out by her mother and had nowhere to go, so she had no choice but to come and seek refuge with Hao Jinfeng. After a few visits, she and Hao Jinfeng fell in love and decided to live together. Hao Jinfeng, in a moment of recklessness, went to the Ghost City to propose marriage, and the Queen readily agreed, giving him her daughter. So, they chose an auspicious day and immediately held the wedding.
Yan Xiaodao carried a bamboo basket filled with a large handful of pink flower petals, scattering them from the wedding hall all the way to the entrance of the bridal chamber. Just then, she saw the wet nurse carrying a chubby little baby girl over. This girl had been born three months ago, chubby and incredibly beautiful. They hadn't decided on a name yet, so they had given her the nickname "Little Tofu."
"Little Tofu!" Xiao Dao leaned forward and kissed his little sister's rosy cheek, then kissed her again.
The little girl suddenly tilted her head back and sneezed.
"Oh dear, Miss, you have pollen on your hands!" The nanny quickly picked up Little Tofu and ran away.
Xiao Dao clapped his hands, held the knife to his nose and smelled it, then tilted his head back and sneezed...
Rubbing her nose, she turned around and saw a heavily pregnant woman standing not far away. Although she was pregnant, apart from her belly, her figure was still pretty and not swollen at all, and her face was even more beautiful. She was wearing a long white dress with blue water patterns and was walking slowly towards her.
"Xiaoyue!" Xiaodao rushed over to support her. "I told you not to run out alone. What if she suddenly goes into labor?"
"There's still more than a month left, why are you being so anxious all the time, just like Chonghua?"
"That's not necessarily true. My mother gave birth a month early!"
Xiao Dao helped Xiao Yue, who was heavily pregnant, to sit down at the table and looked behind her. "Where's Chonghua? How strange, that devoted husband isn't by your side."
"I went to help Brother Hao pick up his bride." Xiaoyue gently rubbed her belly and asked Xiaodao, "I heard him say yesterday that you're going to travel after the wedding, is that right?"
"Hmm...more or less." Xiao Dao pouted, sat down at the table, and poured himself some tea. "Of course, I want to be the first to hold my goddaughter after your baby is born!"
"How do you know it's a girl?" Xiaoyue touched her belly. "The doctor said the other day that it might be a boy."
"No!" Xiao Dao exclaimed in surprise, "It has to be my daughter!"
Xiaoyue was both amused and exasperated. "Chonghua did say he wanted a daughter, but I think it would be best if we did what you and Brother Hao did: have a brother first, then a sister, so the brother can take care of the sister."
Xiao Dao pouted, "In short, I can't have two sons."
As they were talking, several young men walked over from not far away. They were all Hao Jinfeng's friends and sons of local gentry. They chatted with Xiao Dao, one sentence after another.
Xiao Dao casually dismissed them, then looked up at Xiao Yue and made a face.
The young men left sheepishly, wondering if the second young lady of the Hao family had someone she liked.
Xiaoyue knew that over the past year, countless people had come to Xiaodao's door to propose marriage, but Xiaodao just wouldn't marry him. He wouldn't even glance at them, let alone marry him.
“Chonghua said that the Beihai Sect has been officially disbanded,” Xiaoyue suddenly said.
Xiao Dao was slightly startled when he heard "Beihai School," and then stammered, "It really disbanded?"
“Yes, only a few businesses are still operating. Because there were too many people, they all had to be disbanded and resettled, which took quite a while,” Xiaoyue said with a smile, glancing at Xiaodao’s expression. “Aren’t you going to ask about Xue Beifan’s situation?”
"Why...why ask?" Xiao Dao pouted.
"Chonghua said that Xue Beifan is busy day and night. He has never seen that lazybones work so hard in his life. The elders of the Beihai Sect are reluctant to let him go, saying that he is very capable."
"Then stay," Xiao Dao snorted.
"That won't do," Xiaoyue said cheerfully. "Chonghua said Xue Beifan is really thinking about you."
Xiao Dao muttered, "So slow..."
Just then, Yan Ruyu ran in from outside, calling out, "Xiao Dao."
"Sigh!" Xiao Dao quickly jumped up, gritted her teeth at her mother's figure, wondering how she recovered so quickly.
"We're out of red paper, hurry up and buy some more." Yan Ruyu had just finished her postpartum confinement, her belly had long since shrunk, and she looked radiant and much younger.
"Oh." Seeing the servants in the house all scrambling around, Xiao Dao helped Xiao Yue to her room to rest for a while, then grabbed an umbrella for himself. "I'll go buy some red paper. Do you want anything to eat?"
"Hmm..." Xiaoyue immediately smiled and said, "I want to eat candied hawthorn, the kind with sour hawthorn."
Xiao Dao carried a small bamboo basket out the door, holding a red umbrella in one hand, strolling leisurely. He was still thinking, "Oh no, is it true that Xiao Yue's first pregnancy is going to be a boy?"
As soon as she reached her front door, a family member sweeping the dust asked, "Second Miss, what are you doing with an umbrella in this bright sunshine?"
Xiao Dao smiled and pointed to the sky, "Light those red lanterns later. It's going to rain soon, and it won't stop for another half hour. It'll just be a light drizzle. Remember to tell the people outside to wear straw hats."
The servants all nodded dumbly, half-believing, half-doubting, "Is it really going to rain?"
Xiao Dao didn't answer, but turned and walked forward. After taking only two steps, he suddenly opened his red umbrella.
The servants were stunned for a moment, then raindrops began to fall on their foreheads, a light drizzle. They quickly turned and went inside to put on their straw hats, thinking to themselves, "This second young lady is truly amazing."
Xiao Dao, carrying a small red umbrella and a basket, first went to a paper shop and bought a stack of fine red paper, probably for cutting out the character for "double happiness." Then he searched all over town for a vendor selling candied hawthorns. After searching for a while without finding one, he was puzzled and grabbed a young man to ask, "Where are the candied hawthorn vendors in town?"
"Oh dear, young lady, please don't mention it. All the candied hawthorns in the city were just bought up by a young man in white. Apparently, it was his wife who wanted some."
Looking up at the sky, Xiao Dao knew without a doubt that it was Chong Hua. Xiao Yue had no choice but to bury him among the pile of candied hawthorns.
Back then, Xiaoyue made the right choice in choosing Chonghua. This husband is incredibly obedient; he'll do whatever you ask, even catching a dog instead of chasing a chicken. He's more than a dutiful son, practically the model husband in the world. Especially after Xiaoyue became pregnant, Chonghua doted on her, making the maids and servants stomp their feet in envy. Xiaoyue is so lucky to have found such a wonderful husband.
Holding a red umbrella, Xiaodao wandered aimlessly, not wanting to go home, just wanting to walk in the light rain. The Jiangnan water towns, with their small bridges and flowing water, coupled with the light rain, the sound of raindrops on the umbrella as she walked on the bluestone slabs, was inexplicably familiar. Passing a small bridge, she slowly walked up, leaned on the railing, and stared blankly at the calm water below, the light rain splashing out circles on the surface, the white walls and black tiles of the houses on both sides reflected in the water.
Under the bridge, a small boat creaked and groaned as it glided by. Xiao Dao stared at the fishtail ripples left by the stern, thinking of someone.
After watching for a while, I realized it was getting late, and I figured the bride had arrived and was going back to drink her brother's and Youyou's wedding wine.