Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 2

That didn't matter; Danmei knew that she probably didn't fit the image of a bride in his current state. The problem was that this man, her future husband, looked much older than she had imagined. From her angle, he looked at least thirty.

She admitted she had been somewhat confused, getting into the sedan chair without even asking how old the man she was going to marry was. The problem was that Liu had previously said he was only a few years older than her, and when she casually asked Qin about it later, Qin echoed Liu's words and then evaded the question, so she knew this man surnamed Xu was probably not young. She had only estimated he was approaching thirty at most, never expecting that seeing him in person would make her realize her initial assessment was rather conservative.

Danmei was slightly taken aback, but quickly came to her senses. Seeing that the man had no intention of helping her up, she forced herself to remain calm and scrambled to her feet. She went into the floor-length bed curtains, sat back on the six-poster, five-eaved, gold-sprinkled carved bed, and casually put the veil back on.

Well, even though with my current physique, being with an older man like this is a bit of a disadvantage, I'm not really sixteen years old to begin with. Marrying someone too young might make me feel uncomfortable. An older man is fine. If I close my eyes, a Pan An and a Wu Dalang without clothes are probably not much different.

Danmei comforted herself in this way, sitting upright, her ten fingers, covered with rings and hidden by her butterfly sleeves, clenched tightly together.

She was indeed a little nervous. Not only because she had been caught red-handed so badly a moment earlier, stumbling and embarrassing herself in front of her husband on their first meeting, completely ruining the image of a well-bred lady, but also because she felt a little uneasy about what was about to happen.

Although she had lived an extra life, her previous knowledge of such matters was limited to observation and imagination. As for now, aside from giving her advice on how to behave in her husband's family, Qin Shi, despite being a remarried woman, still provided her with some sex education out of concern, but it was all just talk. Now that the time had come, she realized that theoretical discussions were indeed somewhat empty.

Danmei was tense when she suddenly felt a sense of oppression in front of her, and then the pair of black boots she had seen once before appeared on the ground in front of her again. Before she could think any further, her face felt cold, and the man had already lifted her veil and casually tossed it onto a mahogany table with upturned eaves next to her.

"You've already covered it up, why are you still covering it up!"

The man spoke, his tone neither happy nor angry, his voice deep and resonant, not at all unpleasant to listen to.

Danmei was taken aback. She hadn't expected his first words to be like this. Knowing that she had been caught red-handed, she didn't know how to respond and could only remain seated.

After the man finished speaking, he probably didn't expect her to reply and started taking off his clothes and hat.

Danmei watched as he took off his clothes, layer by layer, and threw them on the table with the upturned corner, covering his veil. In the end, he was left with only a pair of trousers. His exposed bronze upper body was muscular and well-proportioned, bulging slightly with his movements. Only then did he get onto the bed and lie down on his back.

Danmei didn't dare to turn around. She remained sitting with her back to him, close to the edge of the bed, her whole body tense.

The man waited for a while, then said, seemingly impatiently, "It's late, you should rest early."

Danmei couldn't take it anymore. She steeled her heart, thinking it was nothing much and would pass quickly. She stood up and walked to the five-panel huanghuali wood dressing table. She removed the heaviest ornaments from her head before returning to the bed. With her back to the man staring at her, she slowly took off her outer garment and neatly folded it next to the table where he had thrown his clothes. She climbed onto the bed, put on her undergarments, and lay down beside him on the edge of the bed.

The man propped himself up on one elbow and leaned over to look at her. Although the candlelight still shone through the tent, it was now quite dim. Danmei looked up to meet his gaze, but saw no emotion in his eyes, and wondered what he was thinking. As he drew closer, a faint smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of an unfamiliar man wafted over her, making her even more nervous. She subconsciously licked her lips, which were dry from drinking, wondering if she should smile at him to ease the unbearable atmosphere. Just as she hesitated, she suddenly felt a chill on her chest. He had already sat up and reached out to tear off her inner garment and undergarment together, revealing her shoulders and most of her upper body.

Danmei let out a soft "ah," her face instantly turning bright red, even the powder on her face couldn't cover it up. She didn't dare to look at the other person, and hurriedly closed her eyes to wait for the next move. Unexpectedly, there was no movement for a long time. She couldn't help but open her eyes slightly and saw that he was still looking at her bare chest with a disgusted expression.

Danmei immediately felt a little displeased, and most of her earlier embarrassment had disappeared. She thought to herself, "I haven't even complained about your age, yet you're complaining about my figure." However, she also knew that for the foreseeable future, at least until she could be independent, she would probably still have to rely on this man to live comfortably in this house. Therefore, she naturally did not show any dissatisfaction on her face. After hesitating for a moment, she reached into his waistband.

The man was taken aback, probably not expecting her to be so proactive, and looked down at her hand.

Whether she ducked or peeked out, she was doomed; there was no escaping it, so she might as well end it quickly and decisively. Danmei gritted her teeth and tried to loosen his waistband, but the knot was incredibly tight. She groped and tugged at it several times before finally letting it come loose. The fine Shu silk, now free, immediately slid down, hanging in a heap. In a flash, Danmei saw a erect penis protruding from the pile of silk. Her hand trembled, and she tried to pull it back, but he held it down, preventing her from moving.

She didn't know how he did it, but Danmei's remaining clothes were stripped off in an instant. Before she could even feel shy, the heavy and hot male body pressed her down firmly.

The moment he touched her cool, smooth body, Danmei seemed to hear him let out a soft moan. But before she could react, she felt her legs being spread apart. Almost without pause, a sharp pain suddenly struck her. It turned out that he hadn't cared about her at all and had already gone straight to her.

Danmei only knew that her previous husband died on their wedding night, but she didn't know whether it was before or after the wedding. Now, with this tearing pain, she figured it must have been before the wedding.

The man let out another "Huh?" as if surprised. This time he stopped, glanced up at Danmei's pained expression, but only paused briefly before resuming. His thrusts were slightly less vigorous than before, but Danmei was still in excruciating pain, sweat pouring from her forehead. She gritted her teeth, mentally cursing the man on top of her and his ancestors, wishing he would finish quickly and withdraw. But he didn't do as she wished, gradually thrusting harder, intensifying her pain. She endured it for a while, but couldn't bear it any longer, feeling she would faint from the pain. She couldn't help but pound and push against him, almost crying out in a low voice, begging him to finish quickly. The man then thrust a few more times with a low growl, making indistinct sounds. When he gradually stopped, he remained on top of her, motionless.

Danmei was pressed down by his heavy body, her chest still tight with suffocation. She touched her face and head, which was wet and slippery, whether from cold sweat or tears, her face must have been a mess. Her lower body was still burning, but it was much better than the knife-like pain she had just experienced. She dared not move, letting him press down on her. She felt his heart, which was pressed against her, slowly slow down, and then he finally rolled over and lay on his back outside her.

After catching her breath, Danmei didn't expect him to cleanse her. Almost trembling, she stepped around his feet onto the bed, enduring the pain, and lifted the curtain to walk towards the dragon, magpie, and deer patterned basin stand in the corner of the room. Two basins of fragrant water were already prepared on the stand. Danmei tore off a satin towel hanging there, soaked it in water, and wiped her face. She then wrung it out and carefully wiped away the marks left on her body. Just as she was about to turn around, the person inside the curtain suddenly spoke, "Wipe me too."

Danmei was startled, only then suddenly remembering Qin's instructions: after the deed was done, she must serve him first before she could cleanse herself. She had been writhing in pain, and now only felt sticky and uncomfortable down there; she hadn't remembered anything else. Hearing his words now, she remembered Qin's words and could only take another satin handkerchief, wring it out, and bring it closer. She had been somewhat worried that the man would be displeased, but when she saw him lying there casually waiting for her service, she felt a surge of anger. She sat down silently, not even looking at him, and simply wiped him a few times haphazardly. The man seemed dissatisfied, frowning slightly. Seeing that she didn't even glance at him, and had already gotten up, lifted the curtain, and left, he held back, his frown slowly smoothing out.

After Danmei finished tidying up, she picked up the undergarments and panties that he had haphazardly taken off, rolled up, and thrown at the foot of the bed, and put them back on. She intended to put her inner garment back on, but when she turned around, she saw him staring intently at her. She sighed inwardly, folded the inner garment neatly, and placed it on top of her outer garment before climbing onto the bed and lying down on the inside of him, but she huddled up and kept a distance from him.

Danmei closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, still feeling uneasy, afraid that this man would make her suffer again. After a while, she heard even breathing from outside. She turned her head and peeked out, seeing that he had fallen asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief, rolled herself up in a brocade quilt and pressed it against her abdomen. Her body, which had been tense all day, slowly relaxed and she also fell asleep.

Chapter Five

Danmei slept very restlessly, constantly having bizarre and chaotic dreams, her brow furrowed. For some reason, she dreamt that she was taking her little nephew to the zoo, when a yellow tiger in the tiger enclosure suddenly leaped in front of her and pounced, knocking her to the ground. Danmei was terrified and screamed as she opened her eyes, only to be met with a pair of eyes. Xu Jinrong, who had been lying outside her, had woken up sometime earlier and was staring at her.

Danmei was startled and stared at him blankly for a moment. The memory of last night flashed through her mind. This face immediately looked like the yellow-haired tiger in her dream. A feeling of disgust suddenly arose in her heart. She couldn't even pretend to be nice to him as she had planned before her marriage. She turned her face away and turned to the side, but her bare shoulder was grabbed by a dark hand.

Danmei stiffened for a moment, facing off somewhat awkwardly. Unable to overcome the other's strength, she was finally turned around, and the two were face to face again.

"I just heard you cry out, were you having a nightmare?"

Xu Jinrong, with his hand still on her shoulder, casually asked a question.

Danmei kept her mouth tightly shut, as if she hadn't heard.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Xu Jinrong frowned again and tightened his grip. Danmei felt a slight pain in her shoulder. She glanced at him, knowing that he was unhappy with her earlier slight to him. After thinking for a moment, she replied politely, "I didn't have any nightmares just now."

Xu Jinrong's expression showed disbelief, but he didn't press the matter further. He loosened his grip on her shoulder, and Danmei thought he was going to pull it away, but unexpectedly, his hand remained on her fair shoulder and began to slowly caress it downwards.

Danmei's hair stood on end, and goosebumps immediately rose on the skin he touched. Feeling that his hand was about to slip inside her loose undergarment, she couldn't resist and suddenly sat up, forcefully brushing his hand away.

Xu Jinrong was brushed away by her. He looked up and saw her stiff profile with her back to him, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Danmei had been stubborn and refused to let him touch her earlier, and even though she was sitting alone under the covers, she was still slightly uneasy. She was afraid that if he forced himself on her, she wouldn't be able to resist, and she would truly suffer again. Just as she was feeling somewhat anxious, she suddenly heard a few knocks on the door, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that according to custom, she had to go to the main hall at dawn today to perform the wedding ceremony, called "the bride bowing to the groom's family," and then she had to pay respects to her husband's elders. Although the dawn drum hadn't sounded yet, she still had to get up early to wash and dress.

Danmei hurriedly tried to climb out of bed to get dressed, but as soon as she slipped one foot into her embroidered shoe, she felt a tightness on her scalp and her waist was grabbed from behind. Because her long hair hung down to her waist, it was also grabbed by the waist.

Danmei was taken aback and tried to pry his hand off, but she was no match for him in either size or strength. After only a couple of attempts, she felt a lightness in her body and found herself being lifted up and placed on his lap.

Xu Jinrong kept one hand around her waist, while the other hand gripped her chin, lifting her face and forcing her to look him in the eye.

Danmei was forced to look up and saw his somewhat gloomy face, which startled her slightly. Although she had only spent half the night with her husband, she could tell that this man was not easy to deal with. Could it be that he felt he had been humiliated by her a moment ago, and was now angry and looking for trouble?

Danmei clenched her fists and placed them between him and herself. She struggled slightly, but the hand around her waist tightened even more, as if it wanted to break her waist. Feeling a little flustered, she hurriedly whispered, "They're waiting outside."

As luck would have it, there was another knock on the door as soon as she finished speaking.

Danmei stopped moving, only looking at the face of the man who had approached her and was now no more than half an elbow's distance away. A faint hint of ferocity was gathering between his brows.

Go!

After a while, Danmei heard him finally utter those two words, and then she felt her waist loosen; she had been released.

Now free, Danmei hurriedly got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and was about to open the door when she heard him say unhurriedly from behind, "Aren't you going to help me change?"

Danmei paused for a moment, hesitated slightly, then turned her head and said indifferently, "Have my maid help me change." Without waiting for his reply, she went and opened the door latch.

Standing outside were Miao Chun and Miao Xia, who had come as part of the dowry, and several other unfamiliar maids from the Xu family, carrying candle holders and other similar items. When the door opened, Miao Chun, who was standing in front, glanced inside briefly before bowing her head and entering. The others followed in single file, trimming the dragon and phoenix wedding candles that had been burning all night and placing a few more candles nearby, which brightened the room considerably.

Danmei nodded to Miaochun, whose face, which was lightly made up, immediately flushed. She glanced at the direction of the tent, bit her lip, lowered her head, and took small steps to lift the curtain and go inside.

Danmei's decision to have Miaochun serve Xu Jinrong wasn't without reason. It turned out that Madam Qin had already taken a liking to Miaochun, saying that once she married into the family, she needed a trusted maidservant to keep the man's heart. Miaochun had grown up with Danmei since childhood; she was clever, beautiful, and of the right age—the perfect choice. Danmei initially refused, feeling it would be a waste of Miaochun's time, but unable to persuade Madam Qin, she asked Miaochun's opinion. She figured if Miaochun was unwilling, she wouldn't force her. However, Miaochun simply lowered her head with a blush, not explicitly saying anything, but clearly appearing willing. Considering their past relationship, Danmei still couldn't bear to let her become a maidservant. One day, she found an opportunity and subtly suggested finding a suitable match for her. Unexpectedly, Miaochun knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Only then did Danmei understand. Everyone has their own ambitions, and Miaochun is exceptionally beautiful, far surpassing even the matriarch in appearance. Given her advantages, it's understandable that she might want to climb the social ladder in the future. Saying more would only invite criticism, so I had no choice but to let her have her way. I can only hope she enjoys good fortune and that all her wishes come true.

After washing up, Danmei sat in front of the mirror and told Miaoxia to apply less powder to her face. Miaoxia knew that Danmei never liked using powder, and although she felt it was inappropriate, she dared not disobey and only applied a thin layer as instructed. In no time, Xu Jinrong had already changed and washed up and was sitting on a chicken-wing wood official's hat chair, probably waiting for her. Danmei pretended not to see him and only stared at Miaochun, who had just followed her out, combing her hair in the bronze mirror. The floor-length curtains were lifted and hooked up by several maids of the Xu family to make the bed. Suddenly, a maid gasped, probably because she had seen the traces left by Danmei last night. Xu Jinrong glanced over and frowned. The maid was quick-witted and realized that she had just lost her composure. She was usually somewhat afraid of this head of the family, and although she was still a little surprised, she dared not linger. She hurriedly and the maid next to her quickly changed the soiled bedding and carried it out.

After Danmei finished dressing and changed into her formal attire, a maid immediately brought her a sandalwood tray with cloud patterns, on which were two bowls of glutinous rice balls, symbolizing a family reunion in the morning. Danmei and Xu Jinrong each ate their food, rinsed their mouths with water, and were reminded that the time was approaching. They then went together to the main hall, bowed to the mirror and ancestral tablets on the square table in the central hall, and only then were they truly considered to have entered the Xu family.

According to custom, the bride should now pay respects to the elders and relatives of the Xu family, presenting them with a pair of shoes and socks she had made herself as a gift. However, since the Xu family's ancestral home was in Qingmen County of Tongzhou Prefecture, which was isolated from the capital by mountains and rivers, no elders were present; only Xu Jinrong's mother, Madam Chen, sat there.

Xu Jinrong's move to the capital was only a matter of two or three years; before that, he had settled in Tongzhou Prefecture. His wife, Chen, had lived as a widow in Qingmen County for many years. Her son had brought her to live in Tongzhou Prefecture for a few years, but she never quite settled in and often insisted on returning to Qingmen County to retire. Xu Jinrong couldn't persuade his mother otherwise, so he specially renovated their ancestral home in Qingmen and sent Chen back. However, as she grew older, news came last year that she had caught a cold and her health had been poor ever since. Worried, Xu Jinrong, despite Chen's objections, brought her to the capital. Knowing that the old lady preferred the tranquility of the countryside and wouldn't be comfortable in the bustling city of Xinmen, he specially bought a garden near Donghuamen in the northern suburbs of the city for her to settle in, and he would visit her every few days. Yesterday was her wedding day, and he had only just brought Chen over to receive the wedding gifts this morning.

Ms. Chen was over fifty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. She did not have the typical wealthy appearance of an old lady from a rich family. Her face was somewhat dark, and her hands were quite rough. If it weren't for the fine dark red brocade with blue and white patterns she was wearing, she would look like an ordinary old woman from the countryside.

When Danmei arrived in front of Madam Chen, she knelt down on the cushion in front of her and performed a proper bow. She then presented Madam Qin with a pair of shoes and socks that she had prepared for her earlier, saying that she had made them herself as a gift.

According to custom, Madam Chen should have returned the favor by giving Danmei a piece of cloth as a gift. However, after she asked a sturdy maid who was about the same age as Danmei to take the cloth, she stared intently at Danmei without moving an inch.

Danmei knew perfectly well that her mother-in-law probably didn't like her. It wasn't surprising; anyone would be unhappy to know their son had married a woman considered unlucky for her husband. She remained calm, still kneeling, a slight smile on her face. She figured that even if her mother-in-law disliked her, her family wouldn't dare to truly humiliate her.

At this moment, Xu Jinrong, standing behind Danmei, coughed seemingly unintentionally. Madam Chen glanced at her son, frowned, and called out "Xiqing" to the maid beside her in a booming voice. The maid, Xiqing, then handed over a piece of red brocade with both hands. Madam Chen took it and presented it directly to Danmei, saying, "For you!"

Despite Chen's behavior, Danmei harbored no hostility towards her. Having lived here for almost two years, she had seen many shrewd and calculating women from wealthy families who spoke in roundabout ways. This old woman, though straightforward, seemed efficient, and from now on, she wouldn't have to rack her brains to decipher her hidden meanings. So, she accepted the gift with both hands, thanked her with a smile, and was then helped up by Miaochun.

Since arriving in the capital, Madam Chen had been living in her garden in the north of the city, tending vegetables and harvesting melons. Her son visited her every few days, and her life was quite comfortable. One day, she was overjoyed to hear that her son wanted to marry a young lady from the Jixian Prime Minister's residence. Firstly, her son, who had been widowed for many years, was finally willing to get married; secondly, she was awestruck by the reputation of the Jixian Prime Minister's residence. When she was young, widowed and raising her son in poverty in the countryside of Qingmen, such a family was like a celestial abode in her eyes. Although her son had later become wealthy, the impression from her early years remained, and such a family was unattainable in her eyes. Now, they were going to be in-laws. However, her joy was short-lived. She heard about her future daughter-in-law's reputation, and her heart sank. She thought she couldn't let him take such a risk to marry, so she hurriedly ordered someone to summon her son. But before she could even voice her objections, he knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying that he had arranged the marriage without his mother's permission. But since it was already decided, it couldn't be changed, otherwise it would invite criticism. Although Madam Chen was a bit rough around the edges, she naturally knew that her son was only saying this to save face for her. Her son was no longer the boy from Qingmen County; his authority had grown significantly, and although he was still very filial to her, once he had made a decision, how could she possibly change it? Helpless, she reluctantly agreed. However, she still had a knot in her heart, so she simply feigned illness and ignored everything, hoping to avoid seeing it altogether.

Yesterday was the wedding day. Madam Chen had initially refused to attend out of spite, but her son's insistence forced her to come and receive the formalities. She also didn't dare truly offend the Jixian Prime Minister's residence, and was already quite unhappy. Upon seeing Danmei's delicate, timid, and pitiful appearance, she felt even more strongly that Danmei was infertile, and that her wish to hold a grandson would likely remain unfulfilled for some time, further displeasing her. Now that the formalities had been fulfilled, she felt she couldn't bear to see her daughter-in-law's face for even a moment longer. She stood up abruptly, refusing any assistance from the wedding ceremonies, and strode towards her main room. Xu Jinrong stepped forward to see her off, but his mother forcefully shoved him aside, causing him to stumble back two steps. Madam Chen didn't even glance at her son, angrily striding out the door.

Chapter Six

As Madam Chen stepped out of the main hall, she encountered several concubines waiting in the outer corridor to greet their new mistress. She usually favored strong, capable women like Xiqing, and utterly disliked her son's concubines—who were useless at all, only good for dressing up and leaving a trail of perfume. Ignoring their hurried attempts to make way and bow to her, she vented her anger on Danmei, spat at them without even looking at them, and called them vixens before storming off. The women were left staring at each other, too ashamed to even lift their faces.

Seeing that Xu Jinrong had seen his mother off and then turned to sit in the main seat, Danmei knew that she was about to receive the greetings from the concubines in the household, so she sat in the main wife's seat next to him. Soon, she saw three women of different ages and appearances enter one after another and stand over with their hands clasped and heads bowed.

Before Danmei got married, Qin was afraid that her daughter would suffer losses, so she had already found out about all the concubines and maids in the Xu family and told her about it. She also gave her detailed advice, saying that she should establish her authority and consolidate her favor in the future.

Of these three concubines, the first, Zhou, was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She was originally a maidservant to the first wife, but after giving birth to a son, she was elevated to the status of a concubine, taking the mistress's surname. The son, Liang Ge, born out of wedlock to the Xu family, was now six years old. Although Zhou was older and less attractive than the other two, the main wife was vacant, so besides Liang Ge, even the legitimate daughter, Hui Jie, was fostered in her quarters. When Xu Jinrong was home, she would often visit. Her advantage lay in having served Xu Jinrong for many years, and now she benefited from fostering children. Once Danmei passed away and she gave birth to a legitimate son, Zhou would naturally be no match for her.

The second concubine was named Chunniang, twenty-three or twenty-four years old. It was said that she was taken in when he was in Tongzhou Prefecture. She was beautiful and had a great figure. She had given birth to a son before, but he died young after only a few years. She must have been quite favored before, but it was said that she was sharp-tongued. Even the servants in the mansion would secretly frown and loathe her when they talked about her. There was not much to worry about with a person who acted like that.

The third was named Zhao Zonglian, and she was quite different. At only twenty years old, she was not only beautiful but also skilled in music, poetry, chess, and tea ceremony. She was formerly the most famous courtesan in Sweetwater Lane in the capital, admired by countless noblemen. Last year, when a group of officials gathered to admire flowers, they inevitably invited musicians to accompany them. After Zhao Zonglian performed, she gracefully approached Xu Jinrong, who was seated there, and tossed a flower tassel into his lap, causing a stir among the guests. A colleague immediately bought Zhao Zonglian and presented her to Xu Jinrong, making it a popular romantic tale. However, she had one flaw: due to previous sexual intercourse with potent drugs, she was unable to conceive, thus limiting her opportunities to be seen in public.

Having such a gossipy mother as Qin Shi was naturally a good thing for Danmei. Entering a new household, knowing more about its intricacies was better than being clueless and manipulated. Now seated next to Xu Jinrong, she sat respectfully as Qin Shi had instructed.

Zhou Chunniang and Zhao Zonglian used to live in the same house. Although they had some secret squabbles, they all knew that it was impossible for them to become the main wife. Xu Jinrong treated them neither too closely nor too distantly, showing little favoritism. Moreover, seeing that he had no intention of remarrying anytime soon, they usually thought only of winning over the head of the household, hoping that one day they could have a son to share more of his affections and have someone to rely on in the future. Unexpectedly, not long after the Buddha's Birthday a month ago, they heard that a new wife from the Jixian Prime Minister's Mansion would be joining the household. The three of them were struck dumb, fearing that the head wife would be too powerful to tolerate them. They put aside their past grudges and gathered together to discuss it. After much inquiry, they learned that she was a widow with a "white tiger" (a type of malevolent spirit) who was said to bring misfortune to her husbands, which put their minds at ease. They gathered early this morning, and upon seeing from the outside that the new mistress was only a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with neither outstanding looks nor figure, their hearts sank a little. Seeing that she wasn't favored by Madam Chen, their sanity lessened further, and they even harbored some contempt. Just as they were gloating, they were unexpectedly humiliated by Madam Chen, who ran into them. They realized they couldn't escape the mistress's notice, and each of them became somewhat embarrassed. However, seeing that the two inside were already seated, they didn't dare delay and hurriedly entered. After greeting Xu Jinrong, they knelt and paid their respects to Danmei in turn.

Danmei noticed that although the concubines greeted her verbally, their eyes were somewhat unfocused, suggesting they were resentful. However, she had no intention of competing with them for favor, and as long as they could live in peace in the future, that would be best. So she didn't take it to heart, gave each of them a pair of gold bracelets and a piece of brocade as a greeting gift, and then dismissed them.

The Zhou family members had expected the new mistress to establish her authority and that they would inevitably be reprimanded. However, she dismissed their concerns with a few words and moved on. Somewhat puzzled, they glanced at her and noticed that although she was younger than them, she hadn't said much. She simply sat there, her black phoenix hair adorned with a tall gold and jade cloud crown, the edge of which was inlaid with pearls and necklaces. Her entire being radiant and her eyes sparkled. Her imposing presence commanded respect, and they felt a sense of shame. They stammered their thanks and stepped aside to stand.

After the concubines had been seen, a wet nurse led Xu Jinrong's children in.

Danmei initially felt nothing when she saw the concubines, but now that she had to play the role of the legal mother, she felt a little nervous. She really didn't know how to face her "husband's" children. With her heart pounding, she stared intently at the doorway.

In her nervousness, she had long forgotten about Xu Jinrong beside her. He, however, seemed to notice her unease and glanced at her. He saw that her hand was tightly gripping the armrest of the chair she was sitting on, and her fingers, exposed outside the embroidered butterfly sleeve, appeared even more slender and fair against the backdrop of the gold ring set with a pigeon's blood ruby. For some reason, he suddenly recalled the incredible smoothness he felt when he first touched her skin last night, and a slight chill ran through him. However, he remained expressionless and simply leaned back in his chair.

Hui-jie was eight years old; her biological mother died shortly after giving birth to her. She wore her hair in a three-bun hairstyle, each bun adorned with a short gold hairpin, and a red silk tassel dangling from the center. She wore a red dress, and with almond-shaped eyes and round cheeks, she looked very cute. Liang-ge, however, was thin and small. His complexion was already dark, and the green jacket he wore made it appear even more so. Both children seemed somewhat afraid of Xu Jinrong. After being led in by their wet nurse, they stole glances at his expression before each going over to greet him.

Xu Jinrong grunted and then said, "What are you all standing there for? Go and pay your respects to your mother."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou, who was standing to the side, changed her expression slightly and lowered her head even further, so that her expression could not be seen. In fact, not only did she change her expression, but Danmei herself also felt quite strange. Not to mention that she was only sixteen years old now, even in the past, it would have been difficult for anyone to digest the sudden appearance of two children of such a young age calling her mother.

Hui-jie and Liang-ge must have been instructed by their wet nurse beforehand. Upon hearing their father's words, they hurriedly knelt on the two mounds in front of Dan-mei, kowtowed, and respectfully greeted their mother.

Danmei was used to lively, energetic children like her nephew. Now that she was here, her older brother, being much older than her, had several children who were all nearing marriageable age. Seeing these two young children, so serious and perfectly synchronized, their every move like puppets, even their actions and words, was quite amusing. Her earlier tension vanished instantly, and she couldn't help but laugh. She rose from her chair, helped them up, and took a gold necklace that Qin had prepared for each of them from the tray in Miaochun's hands, placing it around their necks. Huijie, being the legitimate daughter, also had a gold clove necklace added. Then, she leaned down and smiled at them, saying, "If you behave well from now on, I'll take you out to play. Wherever you want to go."

She was simply using the same tactics she'd employed against her nephew. After she finished speaking, seeing that Sister Hui and Brother Liang were staring blankly at her, and even the wet nurse and Zhou Shi across from her looked surprised, she realized something was amiss. Just as she was about to get up and return to her seat, she heard Xu Jinrong's voice behind her: "Since your mother has said so, why don't you thank her?" His voice was calm and unreadable.

After what happened last night, Danmei completely abandoned any thought of currying favor with him to secure a comfortable life for herself. Although she knew she had lost her composure, she didn't care what he thought, didn't even glance at him, and simply sat back down in her seat.

This was the first time Hui-jie and Liang-ge had encountered an adult speaking to them like this, especially their new mother, whom their wet nurse had repeatedly warned them to be careful and watch their expressions. They were momentarily at a loss for words and stood there, stunned. Hearing their father's voice, they snapped out of their daze and quickly bowed respectfully to express their gratitude. Dan-mei responded with a soft "Mmm." Just as the wet nurse was about to take them away, Xu Jin-rong suddenly added, "Since you are from a respectable family, you must be well-versed in poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Hui-jie is growing up; she will move into your room from now on. You must raise her well."

After a moment of surprise, Danmei realized that the seemingly random words were directed at her. She turned to look at him and saw his eyes fixed on her. She had hesitated, wanting to decline, but seeing his unwavering expression, she knew this man was used to having the final say, so she kept quiet. She glanced at Sister Hui, noticing her large eyes also looking at her, a mixture of curiosity and slight timidity in her gaze.

It was already broad daylight outside. Xu Jinrong stood up after saying those words and left in a hurry without saying where he was going. Danmei had no choice but to instruct the wet nurse to bring Hui-jie over later before heading to her own room. Before leaving, she glanced at Zhou Shi and saw her gazing wistfully in the direction Xu Jinrong had gone, lost in thought.

The Xu family's residence was located near Xinmen, very close to the Feng residence. Danmei had occasionally accompanied Qin Shi by carriage through this area before, noticing that the houses along the roadside looked quite ordinary from the outside. However, this area was close to the imperial city, densely packed with shops, and very bustling and prosperous. Thanks to her well-informed mother, Qin Shi, Danmei, though she hadn't seen it herself, knew that east of the Xu family's residence was Gaoxing Street, and on the south side of the street were falcon shops, catering only to falcon traders. The rest were shops selling jewelry, spices, rhinoceros horn, and jade. A small alley ran through the middle, inconspicuous but filled with places to buy and sell gold, silver, and silk. It was said that each transaction was enormous, involving tens of thousands of dollars, making this alley seem mysterious and unfathomable to ordinary people.

The Xu residence, being located in this area, likely wasn't very large, and its exterior probably resembled other houses. However, the interior furnishings were exquisitely beautiful. Before Danmei's marriage, Qin and her sister-in-law Liu had specifically mentioned the family's wealth. At first, she thought it was an exaggeration. Now, it seemed perhaps true. This morning, while dressing, she noticed a small white jade peach branch water container, used for mixing cosmetics, placed in front of the dressing table that had come with her dowry. It appeared to be carved from a single piece of jade, hollowed out into the shape of a hanging peach branch, with the natural red veins on the stone cleverly rendered into peach tips—a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Besides the furnishings, even the details like the flooring in the halls and gardens showed meticulous craftsmanship. The main room was made of water-polished square bricks. After leaving the main room, the steps became palindrome-shaped. On the way back, when passing through a covered corridor, I saw that the corridor was inlaid with octagonal patterns, and the two sides were filled with pebbles in the style of Shu brocade. The edge of a pond with a lake stone was paved with surging wave patterns. Even when I returned to the courtyard where my main room in the east was located, I saw that the corner planted with plum blossoms was paved with ice crack patterns.

The North Courtyard was Chen's residence, though she rarely lived there and it was mostly empty. Danmei's room, however, was the main house in the East Courtyard. The concubines lived together in the West Courtyard. Now that Xu Jinrong had said he wanted her to raise Huijie, he probably wouldn't change his mind. So, after returning home and having Miaochun remove the heavy floral crown from her head that almost broke her neck, the first thing she did was to check the empty rooms in her courtyard to see which one was suitable. After looking around, she finally chose the East Wing, which faced west, with good ventilation and sunlight, and was also close to her main house. Just as she was having the maids tidy up and set up, and checking if anything was missing to fetch from the storeroom, she saw two wet nurses leading Huijie over.