Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 6

Danmei smiled and said, "Mother is right. I just happened to bring a few nice clothes to wear here, so I'll go change tomorrow."

What she said was true. Because she had planned to go out and check on the flower market and flower nurseries when she had a spare moment after getting married, she had already packed several sets of coarse cloth clothes at the bottom of her dowry chest, all of which were the styles that ordinary women here usually wore.

Seeing that Danmei readily complied, the old lady felt much more at ease. After looking around and fiddling with the melons and eggplants, she felt a bit sleepy due to her age and returned to her room, waving for Danmei to go. Just then, someone said that a village woman from the estate had come to visit. The old lady wanted to take a nap, so she told Danmei to go instead.

When Danmei arrived at the front room, she saw a village woman in her forties standing there with a little girl of about seven or eight years old by the hand, looking somewhat uneasy. When the woman saw a young lady dressed like a fairy coming, followed by a girl dressed as a maid in red and green, she knew that the host had come, and hurriedly pulled the girl next to her to kowtow.

Danmei woke up and then smiled, "Auntie, is there something you need?"

The woman hurriedly handed over several chickens wrapped in a handkerchief, saying shyly, "I just heard from the neighbors that a new lady has come to this garden, so I brought these chickens from my own speckled hen to pay my respects. I wonder if the lady would like a maid to sweep and do chores? My second daughter is a bit slow, but she's very diligent, and she does all the housework." As she spoke, she tugged at the maid beside her. The maid had barely stood up when she immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Danmei suddenly realized that the woman had heard she was coming and brought her daughter, hoping to find work. She herself didn't need a maid, especially not such a young one. She considered refusing, but seeing the woman's pleading gaze, she figured the woman must be poor, and felt a pang of pity. Just as she hesitated, she remembered Hui-jie. She had just yesterday been thinking of finding her a girl of similar age to keep her company. Now, she didn't need to look; the girl herself had delivered herself to her doorstep. She couldn't help but take a closer look at Er-niu. Although she was a bit dark-skinned and thin, she seemed quite lively. Her clothes, though old and patched, were clean. After a moment's thought, she sent someone to bring Hui-jie over.

Hui-jie was initially reserved upon arrival, but taking advantage of Zhou Mama's inattention, she was now peeking out from the garden entrance. Miao-xia searched for a while before finally finding her and bringing her to Dan-mei.

Danmei pointed at the second girl and said, "How about I find you a playmate?"

Hui-jie stared at Er-niu for a moment without saying a word. Although Er-niu was a country girl, she was quite bold. Seeing this young lady who was about her age but dressed so beautifully, she showed no fear. She just smiled and said, "I can make grasshoppers, frogs, and cicadas. Would you like one, young lady?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman next to her reached out and slapped her, scolding, "Young lady, you are a precious person. How could you possibly look at those things of yours? Don't mention it, or people will laugh at you."

Erniu was scolded by her mother and dared not say anything more, only lowering her head. Unexpectedly, Sister Hui looked at Danmei with a gleam in her eyes.

Danmei understood her meaning, so she kept the maid and sent the garden manager and the profusely thanking woman to discuss wages. She then took Huijie and Erniu back to her room. She changed the maid's name to Duan'er, following the example of Chang'er who remained in the house, and instructed Miaoxia to teach her some etiquette. She also asked Miaochun to find some clothes that Duan'er didn't usually wear and alter them to fit her. Miaochun was skilled in needlework, and soon a set of clothes was finished. She had Duan'er bathe from head to toe, comb her hair, and change her clothes; she looked like a completely different person from when she first arrived.

Danmei had just arrived and had already taken in a child. Fearing that the old lady would think she had acted on her own, she waited until Danmei woke up from her nap and then told her about taking in Duan'er to keep Hui-jie company. The old lady was a devout Buddhist and often went to the nearby temple to burn incense. She had heard a lot about the principles of charity, good deeds, and karmic retribution. When Xiqing said that Duan'er was poor and helpless and pitiful, she didn't say anything.

After dinner, as dusk settled, the croaking of frogs outside filled the air. Miao Chun and Miao Xia seemed a little worried that Dan Mei might be disturbed, but Dan Mei found it quite charming, as if she had returned to her childhood. At dinner time, the cook had secretly come to ask if the new mistress wanted any additional dishes, but Dan Mei only asked for the usual preparations. The dishes served were: stir-fried vegetables with mixed fruits, pickled mustard greens, egg-wrapped meat, stir-fried chicken breast slices, and a bowl of ham and bamboo shoot soup—all ordinary dishes, nothing like the lavish feasts of the Xu family's main residence. After serving the old lady until she finished eating and saw her off, she and Hui Jie sat down at the table. Suddenly, the cook brought out several new dishes, presumably prepared earlier and hidden away to please the new mistress. Although the dishes were far less elaborate than before, Hui Jie ate with great relish, even eating half a bowl more rice than usual.

Hui-jie ate heartily, but Dan-mei couldn't eat much. The darker it got, the stronger her unease became.

Since Xu Jinrong has said he wants to stay here, he'll probably come over. Judging from the old lady's expression today, she's clearly still completely unaware. It would be best if he didn't come. Judging from the old lady's words and actions today, although she still dislikes him, she hasn't deliberately made things difficult. If she's careful in her responses, and with the festive atmosphere as a backdrop, the days ahead shouldn't be too difficult. Her biggest fear is that if Xu Jinrong actually comes, the old lady won't be able to control her son in person, and will vent her anger on her after he leaves. Originally, she only wanted peace of mind, as the old lady's displeasure wouldn't affect her at all. She never expected to encounter someone like Xu Jinrong; now, instead of peace of mind, she's truly shot herself in the foot.

People in the countryside go to bed early, and the old lady's house was also darkened early. Danmei sat in Huijie's room, listening to her chattering with the new maid, Duan'er, playing with a large, emerald-green grasshopper in her hand, talking about catching fireflies and picking flowers, looking very happy. After sitting for a while, she asked Zhou Mama to help Huijie to bed, and then went back to her room.

Danmei waited for Xu Jinrong to return, but the moon was high in the sky and there was still no sign of him. She wondered to herself if he had been kept there by one of the concubines in the main house. Feeling her eyelids getting heavy, she couldn't stay awake any longer and went to sleep on the couch, leaving the door unlocked. When she woke up, it was already daylight, and the bed beside her was still empty. Xu Jinrong really hadn't come.

Danmei sat up and stared blankly for a while before forgetting about the matter. She couldn't control whether he came or not; if he came, it would only cause her trouble, so it would be better if he didn't.

Today, Danmei didn't wear her usual silk dress. Following the old lady's wishes, she changed into a blue cloth dress and blouse, only wearing a red coral hairpin in her hair, a gesture of celebration for the new bride. As usual, she went to pay her respects to the old lady, but the house was empty. After searching around, she found the old lady already weeding the vegetable garden. Xiqing and another old woman were watering the plants.

Danmei knew she was late, so she went up and called out "Mother".

The old lady raised her eyes and glanced at him, then straightened up and patted her back. She said in a deep voice, "Those who come from the Prime Minister's mansion are indeed pampered. I've already hoeed the ground once, and you're only now getting up."

Danmei wasn't annoyed, she just smiled and said, "It's my fault. I'll definitely get up early tomorrow. Mother must be tired, go and rest. Teach me how to do it, so I can help you in the future."

The old lady was somewhat surprised to hear her say that. She looked Danmei up and down and shook her head, saying, "Never mind, it's good that you have this thought. Look at how thin and frail you are, I'm afraid you can't even lift a hoe. If your family finds out, they'll say that I'm bullying you because of my status as your mother-in-law."

Danmei smiled and said nothing more, simply standing aside and watching. The old lady put down her hoe and went to a cucumber trellis. The cucumbers had already set fruit, growing to about half a palm's length, fuzzy and adorably green, but somewhat crooked. Seeing the old lady clicking her tongue in amazement, she couldn't help but say behind her, "Mother, for tender shoots like these that bent during fruit setting, take a thin bamboo skewer and stick it into the vine above the shoot, water it once, and the shoot will straighten out the next day. Then you can just remove the bamboo skewer."

The old lady turned around, looking somewhat surprised. Not only her, but also the old woman and Xiqing beside her seemed a little incredulous.

"You, a delicate young lady from the Prime Minister's mansion, how would you know these things? Don't confuse me with these gossips."

Seeing that she was bringing up her background from the Prime Minister's residence again, Danmei pretended not to hear and smiled slightly, "If you don't believe me, Mother, pick one or two to try, and you'll know tomorrow."

Chapter Fifteen

The old lady hesitated, but Xiqing had already dropped the watering can and gone into the house. When she came out, she had several thin bamboo toothpicks in her hand. The old lady looked around, picked up two and pointed at them. Danmei then pinched two bamboo skewers and carefully stuck them into the cucumber vines where the cucumbers were bending, and watered them.

The sun was already high in the sky when Xiqing reminded her, "Madam, today is the 24th. It's time to go to Shangfang Temple to chant sutras." There were two temples nearby: Kaibao Temple and Shangfang Temple. The old lady was a devout believer. Since moving here, she knew that Shangfang Temple held a vegetarian feast every month on the 4th. The local pious men and women would go to burn incense and eat vegetarian food, and she naturally wouldn't miss it. She would donate money for incense, burn incense, and then sit down with the other elderly women to chant sutras and eat before returning home. Gradually, if she didn't go on the 4th, she would feel restless, saying that the gods and Buddhas were blaming her. Now it had become an unwavering habit.

“Daughter-in-law, since you are alright, you should come with me. We can recite some scriptures to ward off bad luck; it will be good for you.”

Since the old lady had spoken, Danmei naturally followed. She and the four of them, including Xiqing and Miaoxia, squeezed into a small blue horse-drawn carriage. The driver cracked his whip and headed towards Shangfang Temple, arriving in about half an hour.

Shangfang Temple was just a small temple, built against a low hill, and its grandeur was incomparable to that of Xiangguo Temple in the city. However, there was a gnarled dragon claw locust tree at the entrance of the mountain, which covered most of the gate and looked to be at least a hundred years old.

The old lady was a regular visitor, and every time she came, she would offer incense money. The novice monks in the temple knew that she was the mother of a big landowner in a nearby village, so they naturally led her and her entourage in with utmost respect.

After Danmei followed the old lady inside to offer incense, they passed through the main hall and entered a clean room at the back. Inside, seven or eight country women were already seated, all appearing to be from wealthy or well-off families in the nearby villages. Some were about the same age as the old lady, while others were no more than thirty or forty. Upon seeing the old lady arrive, they immediately offered her a central prayer cushion. Because Danmei was also only wearing a coarse blue dress, the women didn't pay much attention to her, simply chanting scriptures and chatting about this and that, their words filled with flattery towards the old lady of the Xu family. The old lady's face beamed with joy.

Danmei listened for a while, secretly amused. It turned out the old lady had come not only to burn incense and pray, but also for the regular social gatherings with these village women. At first, she was just sitting there, but gradually she began to find it interesting. One woman said that a wealthy man named Zhou in her village had recently taken a city singer as a concubine. The concubine, relying on Zhou's favor, had become arrogant, so the first wife locked her in her room and forbade her to use water. When the concubine heard Zhou passing by, she secretly begged him to fetch her water. The man complied, but the first wife, who was watching from behind a screen, mocked her, saying, "What a fine husband, fetching water for his servant?"

The woman spoke vividly, and everyone around laughed. After the laughter subsided, they all began to curse those despicable prostitutes. Danmei chuckled to herself. It turned out that all the women who were wives, regardless of age or status, would unanimously condemn any concubine who disrespected the principal wife.

Around noon, the novice monks from the temple came to invite her to stay for a meal. The women surrounded the old lady and led her away. Danmei noticed several plates of Chinese cabbage, green vegetables, and tofu on the table. During the meal, the woman who had been telling jokes earlier asked the old lady about Danmei. The old lady paused for a moment, then casually replied, "My son's new wife. The legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital."

The women were stunned for a moment. They didn't know who had led the way, but they all put down their bowls and chopsticks to pay their respects. They kept flattering the old lady, saying that her son had become a high-ranking official and that his daughter-in-law was so precious.

Danmei was initially quite surprised that the old lady would mention her family background. However, after carefully observing the old lady's somewhat strange expression, she understood. It seemed that the old lady was also extremely conflicted. On one hand, she felt it was an honor to have a daughter from the Prime Minister's mansion serving by her side, so she couldn't help but show her off. On the other hand, she was probably secretly unhappy about her "White Tiger" fate.

After the vegetarian meal, the old lady was escorted out by the novice monks and a group of women from the temple. After a slow journey back to the garden in a carriage, she went to rest. Xiqing saw Danmei out of the main house. Danmei, recalling the scene she had witnessed the day before, asked, "Do you know of any families in this estate who grow flowers and sell them at the Donghua Gate flower market?"

Xiqing was taken aback, thought for a moment and said, "I have lived here with the old lady for almost two years and I have never seen any family in this estate grow flowers. I have heard that there is a Xingzhuang about four or five miles away, and most of the families there grow flowers."

Danmei gave an "oh" and nodded with a smile. Xiqing, however, chuckled and said, "Madam, do you perhaps wish to replant flowers and trees in this garden? Madam doesn't know, this garden was originally full of vibrant flowers and lush greenery, but after the Old Madam moved in, she complained that the flowers and plants were taking up space and were useless, so she had them all uprooted, resulting in its current state. Madam's desire to replant flowers is rather..."

Danmei understood the meaning of celebration, but she secretly memorized Xingzhuang's name. She wanted to take a car there now, but then she thought that if the old lady woke up and couldn't find her, it would be troublesome to ask her questions. So she had to suppress the idea for now and go to see her when it was convenient.

In the countryside, farmers are busy with spring planting and autumn harvest, finding no time for leisure. But for someone like Danmei, life is incredibly long. The old lady and Sister Hui had gone for their afternoon nap, but she wasn't sleepy. So she took a book, propped it up against the window, and sat by the window, passing the afternoon reading. After a few pages, a thought suddenly popped into her head: would Xu Jinrong come over today?

The moment this thought crossed her mind, she lost all interest in reading. Her eyes were fixed on the stone well carved into the courtyard outside the window, a wave of inexplicable frustration washing over her. She sighed, tossed the book aside, and went to sleep. When she woke up, there weren't many hours left in the day. Watching Hui-jie write for half an hour, noticing her eyes constantly gazing out the window, and seeing the sun wasn't so scorching anymore—around four in the afternoon—she let her go and play with Duan'er, but not to go too far. Zhou Mama naturally accompanied them.

As the sun began to set, Hui-jie still hadn't returned. Danmei went to the garden entrance and looked around. She saw farmers carrying empty water jugs and farm tools, barefoot, heading home in twos and threes. Smoke curled from the chimneys of several nearby farmhouses. A young woman, who looked to be no more than twenty, was waiting at the gate. Seeing her husband return from the fields, she greeted him with a smile, took the water jug from his hand, and the two whispered to each other as they went inside.

As Danmei was watching, Huijie and the others returned from afar. She noticed that the hem of Danmei's silk dress was stained with mud, and her embroidered shoes were also covered in mud. Zhou Mama pulled her over by the hand, seemingly muttering something to herself. Danmei looked a little timid, while Huijie herself looked rosy-cheeked and very happy.

When Zhou's mother saw Danmei, she immediately began to complain, "Madam, you mustn't let her run around in the countryside like this again. What kind of young lady has she become?"

Danmei asked and then learned that he had accidentally stepped into a mud puddle by the roadside. She laughed and said, "It's nothing serious. You can just change when you get back. Why make such a fuss?"

Seeing that Madam showed no anger, Duan'er breathed a sigh of relief, and Huijie also gave Zhou Mama a smug look. Although Zhou Mama was dissatisfied, she had no choice but to go inside dejectedly.

Nothing happened that evening. After Sister Hui and the old lady had settled in, Danmei tidied up and closed the door early. When it was past midnight and she knew that Xu Jinrong wouldn't be coming, she turned off the lights, locked the door, and went to bed.

Although she and Xu Jinrong had only been husband and wife for three or four days, he didn't seem like someone who spoke without thinking. He probably wasn't trying to amuse himself the morning before last. His absence last night could perhaps be attributed to being occupied by some woman at home, but his continued absence today was rather strange. Could something else have happened?

Danmei lay there alone and eventually fell asleep amidst the croaking of frogs. She didn't know how long she slept, but was awakened by a knock on the door.

The room where Danmei lived was different from the one in the Xu family's main house; it was much smaller and there was no separation between the inner and outer rooms. Therefore, Miaochun and Miaoxia both lived in the side rooms, and she slept alone here. She opened her eyes suddenly when she heard a knock on the door. She was still a little groggy for a moment, but when she heard a voice saying "It's me," she sat up from the bed with a start.

Danmei got off the bed, lit the lamp, hastily threw on an outer garment and slipped on her shoes, and went to open the door. Sure enough, Xu Jinrong was standing there, his tall figure bathed in a blanket of silvery moonlight.

Danmei was still stunned, unsure of her own feelings, when Xu Jinrong stepped into the house.

"you……"

Danmei wanted to ask why she was here, but she swallowed the words back and instead asked, "Should I have someone bring some water?"

"No need. I'm tired and want to rest."

He gave a brief reply and went to the bed, quickly removing his outer clothes and lying down.

Danmei had no choice but to close the door again. She moved closer and, by the light of the candle, saw that his brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes were closed, and he looked very tired. Surprised, she hesitated for a moment, then blew out the candle and climbed into bed, sleeping on the inside of him.

Xu Jinrong was clearly exhausted; he had only been lying down for a moment when a deep snore began to fill the air. Danmei was startled awake, finding herself beside someone she hadn't expected to come, surrounded by the sounds of snoring and frog croaking. She wondered why he had rushed here so late at night, and was filled with uncertainty and suspicion. Unable to sleep, she tossed and turned for a long time before finally closing her eyes again. She awoke once more, this time to a hand groping her body.

Danmei was feeling sleepy and made a couple of dissatisfied grunts. She turned over and arched her back, but unexpectedly, that hand slipped into her waist and pulled her back over.

Danmei had no choice but to open her eyes. She took advantage of the dim night light coming through the window and saw Xu Jinrong looking at her, looking energetic and showing no trace of his previous fatigue.

Men's desires are always strongest when they wake up in the morning.

A thought suddenly popped into Danmei's mind. Just as she was feeling a little uneasy, Xu Jinrong, as if to confirm her idea, pulled her close, pressing her against him. Danmei immediately felt the change in his body. Her heart pounded, and her drowsiness vanished.

"You... did something happen to you the other day..."

Danmei tensed up again, grabbing his arms with both hands to hold him back, hoping to buy him a moment, and asked incoherently.

Xu Jinrong raised his hand and touched her face, then hummed in response. Danmei wanted to ask more, but his hand had already moved down and started to peel off her clothes. Once Danmei was pinned down by him, she heard him mumble, "We'll talk about it later."

Danmei sensed the tense desire in his voice, and helplessly tried to relax her body while clinging to his shoulders, closing her eyes and whispering, "Take it easy, don't do it like last time. I'm afraid of pain..."

Xu Jinrong seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly.

Chapter Sixteen

Hearing his deep chuckle, Danmei suddenly realized that what she had just said sounded like she was pleading for his affection, and she felt a little embarrassed, closing her eyes even tighter. A moment later, she felt a lightness in her body; he had rolled over and gently lifted her up, placing her on his lower abdomen.

"Since you're afraid of pain, then let you do it yourself. Is that satisfactory?"

Xu Jinrong held her slender waist with both hands, and in the dim morning light, his teasing expression could be faintly seen.

Danmei hadn't expected him to do this. She sat on him blankly for a moment, her hands pressed against his chest to support her body, her whole body stiff as a rock.

"If you don't want to, then I will. I'm a rough man, and I can't be sure how much force I can use."

Upon hearing this, Danmei knew he was most likely teasing her again. But rather than letting him dominate her, she preferred to be in control, taking the initiative. Seeing him about to roll over, she quickly pressed down on his shoulders, took a deep breath, and shifted down slightly. Feeling it was about time, she tried to slowly sit down, but for some reason, she couldn't get in.

Xu Jinrong, who had been watching her, seemed to be tense all over. When he saw her looking up with a helpless expression, he used one hand to lift her waist and hips slightly away from him, and with the other hand, he took her hand and guided it to the hard spot below her.

Danmei's hand touched his slightly hot spot. Knowing what he meant, she disregarded her embarrassment and held on. She felt a dampness seeping out where they were touching, unsure if it was hers or his. She then relaxed her body and slowly sat down.

Despite having had experience before, Danmei felt some pain after only slightly inserting the head. Perhaps it was too large for her body.

As if sensing her sudden stiffening, Xu Jinrong placed his large hand on her chest, his thumb kneading her nipple, slowly increasing the pressure. When her body trembled slightly, he used one arm to support his upper body and lifted it up slightly, then lowered his head to suck on her nipple, while his other hand continued to knead it forcefully.

The attack on her chest caused Danmei some pain, but the pain was mixed with an unbearable itch, making her body slightly hot. She couldn't help but twist her waist, feeling that the place she was holding was getting wet again. Gritting her teeth, she pushed him back and leaned down to bite his nipple hard on his dark chest as if in revenge. With a thrust of her waist, she went down most of the way. She heard him gasp, whether from the pleasure of entering her body or the pain of her sharp teeth biting him.

Danmei sat on top of him, and it didn't seem to hurt as much as she had imagined; instead, it was a little sore and tingling. She relaxed and loosened her teeth. In the dim light coming in from the window, she saw a ring of deep red teeth marks around his genitals. She quickly covered them with her hand to destroy the evidence so he wouldn't see them. But it was too late; he had already pushed her down onto the bed.

"How dare you..."

Danmei heard him whisper something in her ear, and felt him forcefully spread her legs apart, gently pushing out a little. Just as the soreness and swelling subsided, he immediately pushed it in again.

Danmei felt like she was being tortured to death by his thrusting, which felt like a stake. Each thrust not only hit her most vulnerable spot but also seemed to hit her heart with a strong rhythm. Finally, she couldn't help but tremble and let out a suppressed moan.

...

As dawn broke outside the window, Danmei finally freed herself from beneath him, her chest still rising and falling slightly as she breathed. The man beside her sat up, and sweat rolled down his thick back muscles, splashing onto the dark brocade quilt beside her and disappearing.

Xu Jinrong turned around and saw her lying there, a few strands of wet hair clinging to her cheeks, her eyes glistening, her cheeks rosy, and her body so white it seemed to dazzle the eyes. He reached out and lifted the quilt to cover her, saying, "I'll have someone bring you water to wash up." With that, he got up, put on his own clothes, opened the door, and went out.

A moment later, Miao Chun and Miao Xia, looking astonished, brought over water and filled the bathtub behind the screen. When Dan Mei got into the water to bathe, she realized that her back and waist were sore. Looking down, she saw that the red marks on her chest from his rubbing had not yet faded. Recalling the fierce look on the man's face when they were still entangled, as if he wanted to crush her, she couldn't help but feel a little scared.

After Danmei finished washing up and changing her clothes, she sat in front of the mirror and asked Miaoxia to dry her hair with a towel. At that moment, Xu Jinrong entered the room, wearing a blue long robe, which suggested that he had washed and changed elsewhere.

"You may leave. I have something to discuss with my wife."