Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 17

If Prince Jing later finds out that his wife did not accompany him and stayed alone in the capital, what will he think?

The thought suddenly flashed through Xu Jinrong's mind, startling even himself. He found it somewhat unbelievable and immediately suppressed it. He took the two wine jars, handed them to the attendant behind him, and then thanked him with a smile, without mentioning that he was taking office alone.

After seeing that the farewell was over, King Jing turned back to his horse, clasped his hands in farewell to Xu Jinrong, and the group rode away as swiftly as they had come.

Steward Xu noticed his master staring blankly at the departing figures of Prince Jing and his entourage, seemingly lost in thought. Despite his pride in being Xu Jinrong's confidant, he couldn't immediately guess what his master was thinking. After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively called out to him.

Xu Jinrong gave a faint reply, turned around, mounted his horse, and instructed Steward Xu to take good care of the entire household before riding off eastward.

***

Night had fallen, but the main room in the east courtyard of the Xu family mansion was warm and fragrant. On Xu Jinrong's first night away from the capital, Huijie had brought her bedding to Danmei's room to sleep with him. The two had just eaten some peeled and sliced pears, rinsed their mouths again, and then lowered the curtains and lay down side by side on the couch.

When Sister Hui couldn't go to Huaichu, she was initially a little disappointed, but she quickly got over it. After eating some fruit, she chatted with Danmei for a while, listening to her talk about the local customs and culture of Huaichu. She yawned a few times and then slowly lowered her eyelids.

Seeing that Hui-jie had fallen asleep, Danmei lay there silently thinking for a moment. She remembered that Xu Jinrong would definitely go to her parents' home to say goodbye to his in-laws before leaving the capital, but she didn't know how to tell them that she hadn't gone with them. She decided to send someone to deliver a message tomorrow, so that Qin-shi wouldn't really think she was seriously ill and become anxious. Having made up her mind, she got up and went downstairs to check the stove. Seeing that it was covered tightly, she went to open the door, intending to tell Miaoxia and Chang'er, who had just moved back to the outer room to sleep, to go to bed early as well.

As soon as Danmei opened the door, she froze, as if struck by lightning.

Standing at the door was Xu Jinrong, wearing the same indigo-black Shu brocade cloak and thick riding boots he had worn earlier that day. Behind him were Miaoxia and Chang'er, equally stunned. They were probably too shocked to speak when they suddenly saw him return.

"You...how did you get here?"

Danmei finally struggled to her senses and stammered, "..."

"I've changed my mind." Xu Jinrong squeezed through the crack in the door, shutting out the four astonished gazes from the outer room, before looking at Danmei and whispering, "After thinking it over, I think it's better to take you there. You are my wife. If you don't come, how am I, a grown man, supposed to deal with all those people coming and going in such a large government office?"

A note from the author: Thank you all for your comments and discussions; I've learned a lot from them. Thank you.

Chapter 42

Danmei had never anticipated Xu Jinrong's sudden, midnight attack, and she was momentarily thrown into disarray. When he finally offered an explanation, it sounded extremely flimsy. Moreover, seeing the almost apologetic look in his eyes as he quickly finished speaking and stood motionless—a stark contrast to his fierce demeanor of the previous two days—she calmed down, took a step back, and frowned slightly, saying, "I told you I'm not feeling well and can't go..."

Before Danmei could finish speaking, she saw Xu Jinrong take another step forward, seemingly about to close in on her. Forget about what she was saying, she hurriedly retreated. He pressed closer again, and after taking several more steps back, she found herself blocked by a table, with nowhere left to go. When she looked up, she saw him staring at her, a hint of a smile slowly spreading across his eyes.

“When you came to see me off during the day, you did look rather sickly. But as soon as I left, you probably turned around and started jumping around excitedly…” Xu Jinrong glanced at the few remaining pear slices on the plate on the table, and as he spoke, one hand was already on her face, gently pinching her cheek, which was slightly flushed from the heat of the room. “You’re getting worse and worse, lying so easily. If I don’t keep an eye on you, I’m afraid you’ll be so bold as to climb on the roof and tear off the tiles when you come back.”

Although he was joking, he had guessed the gist of what he said earlier. Danmei was speechless for a moment, so she brushed away his cold hand, turned her head and said indifferently, "I said I'm not going and I mean it. I don't believe you're going to kidnap me."

Seeing that her expression showed no sign of softening, Xu Jinrong wasn't annoyed. Instead, the hand that had just been brushed aside gripped her waist, and he leaned close to her ear, saying, "You can throw a tantrum for as long as you want. You'll calm down when you're tired. I won't hold it against you. Whether you go or not isn't up to you. I'm your husband; wherever I go, you must go with me!"

Danmei heard his words, and by the end, his tone was resolute. She glared at him angrily. Xu Jinrong met her gaze for a moment, then easily picked her up and held her tightly, ignoring her struggles. He strode to the bedside, pulled back the bed curtains, and suddenly froze.

Danmei was so caught up in her emotions that she forgot that Sister Hui was staying at her place again. Only now did she remember and was afraid that their tug-of-war had woken her up, which would be a bit embarrassing. She quickly turned around and saw that Sister Hui had just turned over and fallen into a deep sleep again. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was already beating a little faster.

Why is she sleeping here again?

Xu Jinrong loosened his grip on Danmei's waist slightly, and asked in a low voice, his voice carrying an undisguised displeasure.

Danmei struggled a little more, and Xu Jinrong, probably afraid of waking Sister Hui, finally let her go this time.

"Who knows you'll come back again? It's always in the middle of the night that you're scary."

As soon as Danmei was free, she hopped to put on the shoes she had accidentally lost during the struggle. Her bare feet touched the brick floor, and she immediately felt a chill on her soles. She had barely jumped when Xu Jinrong lifted her up again, this time placing her on a high stool. He then grabbed a pair of socks from the upturned table beside the bed, knelt down in front of her, and, with one hand supporting her fair and delicate feet, slipped the socks onto her feet.

Danmei was not used to being served by him like this, and for a moment she did not understand what he wanted to do. She tried to pull her feet back, but he held them and she could not move. She could only let him put socks on both of her feet.

She had just put on her socks when he brought over a pair of soft suede boots and slipped them on her just like before.

"what you up to?"

Danmei suddenly felt something was wrong, and only then did she vaguely guess his intentions. However, she felt that based on his usual style of doing things, it shouldn't be so absurd, so she just looked at him hesitantly and asked.

Xu Jinrong looked up at her but didn't answer. He simply stood up, grabbed her outer robe, and shook it open, gesturing for her to put her hand on.

"what you up to!"

Danmei was already certain of his intentions, so she gripped the chair handles tightly with both hands. But she was no match for his strength, and soon she was forced to wear clothes. He then pulled the thick cloak she had worn during the day and draped it over her head.

“You’re like a wildcat, so stubborn. I can’t reason with you. Just leave!” With that, he picked her up again without another word, hooked the door open with his foot, and strode out of the room, leaving Miao Xia Chang’er, who was staring in disbelief, behind.

Stepping out of the warm room, even though she was bundled up in thick clothes, Danmei immediately felt a chill creep down her neck. But she was so angry that she didn't feel much of the cold; she just kept hitting Xu Jinrong, who ignored her completely and quickened his pace. Reaching the courtyard, seeing her becoming even more stubborn, he chuckled softly, "If you're not happy, just shout it out and draw everyone out of the house. Then we'll see who's more embarrassed, you or me."

Danmei choked, cursing him in her heart, but dared not shout it out loud. She said resentfully, "If you force me like this, even if I go, I will never be of one mind with you."

Xu Jinrong paused briefly, but quickly resumed walking without uttering a word.

Danmei was carried by him around the screen wall. She saw that the gatekeeper was still guarding the half-open door and his entourage was waiting for him on the road outside. Only then did she realize that he had come back with the intention of kidnapping her that very night. Although she was still angry, she also felt a sense of helplessness.

Xu Jinrong arrived at his tall horse, lifted Danmei up and sat her on it. He immediately climbed up behind her, wrapping her in his thick cloak. He held the reins with one hand and put his arm around her waist with the other. Then he leaned down slightly and whispered in her ear, seemingly casually, "It's better if you don't share my heart over there than if you stay at home and don't share my heart."

Danmei was puzzled by his words and couldn't understand them, so she couldn't help but turn around to look. Perhaps because of the reflection of the snow, his eyes seemed to have a hint of coldness in them.

Danmei had seen him smile before, and she had seen him fly into a rage because of her, but she had never seen his eyes flash with such a cold light before. A gust of cold wind swept by, and she subconsciously shivered.

Perhaps sensing her chill, Xu Jinrong pulled her closer to him and whispered, "Sit tight. The boat is already waiting at the dock, we'll be there soon." With that, he pulled on the reins and took the lead eastward.

The snow on the ground had not yet melted, and its gleam illuminated the road ahead. With the clear, resounding sound of galloping hooves, the east gate was soon reached.

The city gates were already closed. The few soldiers guarding the city opened them immediately without a word when they saw Xu Jinrong and his party, bowing and scraping as they left. It seemed they had already made arrangements before he entered.

Once outside the city, the horses galloped even faster. Danmei could only hear the sound of hooves mingling with the whistling wind. Fortunately, she was dressed warmly, wearing a hooded cloak and then wrapped in Xu Jinrong's large fur coat, with only her eyes showing, so she didn't feel too cold. However, it was the first time in her life she had ridden such a tall horse, and the jolting made her dizzy. Although an arm reached out from behind and held her tightly around the waist, just looking at the ground made her feel as if she were about to fall headfirst. If she really fell, she would immediately break her neck, so she dared not be stubborn and could only close her eyes and try to stay as still as possible against the person behind her. She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally felt the ground ease, and the horse slowly stopped; they had arrived at the dock.

A dozen or so boats of various sizes were moored along the riverbank at the wharf. Among them was a large barge with a string of red lanterns on its bow, illuminating the black character "Xu" on it. Two people were already standing and waiting beside it. When they saw people approaching from the shore, they hurriedly pulled the boat closer by the rope tied to the wharf and then set up a plank road for people to walk on.

Xu Jinrong dismounted and carried Danmei down with him.

Danmei landed firmly on her feet. Seeing that Xu Jinrong had brought her here, she knew she had no choice but to get on board, and felt utterly dejected. Seeing his intense gaze fixed on her, and his hand reaching out as if to help her onto the ship, she snorted and avoided him. She lifted her skirt slightly, carefully stepped across the plank, jumped onto the deck, and went into the cabin without looking back.

A roaring brazier and lit candles filled the cabin, and a warm feeling greeted one as soon as the door was opened. It was probably the ship that had been prepared a few days ago. Like the Xu family's mansion, the ship looked quite ordinary except for being larger than other ships. Inside, the floor was covered with a floral and bird patterned carpet, separated by a screen. The living quarters were on the outside, and the sleeping quarters were on the inside. Although the space was not as spacious as their usual rooms, it was fully furnished with all kinds of exquisite items.

As Danmei was looking around, she felt a sway beneath her feet. The boat had already left the shore. Caught off guard, she stumbled and was about to fall when a hand reached out from behind and caught her arm. Turning around, she saw Xu Jinrong had already disembarked.

"It's getting late, you should rest early. Your maid and your belongings will arrive by another boat tomorrow, as will Sister Hui. You don't need to worry about it."

As Xu Jinrong spoke, he took off his cloak and tossed it aside.

Seeing his relaxed expression and confident tone, as if he had everything under control, Danmei felt somewhat unconvinced, but there was nothing she could do. She could only slowly reach out and take off her cloak. She saw that he had already gone around the screen and was probably on his bed.

Danmei slowly followed, and just as she rounded the screen, she suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "My Xiaozhuangxin! I haven't brought my Xiaozhuangxin out yet!"

Xu Jinrong was startled by her scream, or perhaps something else, but his relaxed expression tightened up again.

"All you can think about is your Xiaozhuangxin, you still can't forget her. When you can turn half of your attention to something else, you won't be like this..." He trailed off.

Danmei ignored him and quickly said, "Forget about those few red hydrangeas, but I must bring Xiaozhuangxin with me. It's freezing cold today, and the peony roots are long. Tomorrow you must have someone carefully dig them up with the soil still on them and plant them in a large earthenware jar that is at least half a person deep. Fill the jar with the original soil and wrap the branches with cloth before sending them over."

Xu Jinrong remained silent, staring intently at Danmei with a strange expression. Danmei felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively touched her face, asking, "What's on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xu Jinrong snorted, then rolled off the bed and pulled Danmei to sit on the edge of it. He then said, "I understand. I'll do as you say. Now you can come with me with peace of mind, right?"

Author's Note: Here's a heads-up for tomorrow's update. If there's no update by 7 or 8 PM tonight, then there won't be one. Love you all!

Chapter 43

Danmei was pulled down to sit on the edge of the couch by him. Looking up, she saw him staring at her, a forced smile on his face, and a barely concealed jealousy in his voice. To think that this man, a grown man who usually seemed quite proper, would be so concerned about a peony... she was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment of stunned silence, she sighed and whispered, "You know we don't get along very well, why did you have to pull me like this..."

"You'll naturally get along better after spending more time together."

Xu Jinrong interrupted her, raising an eyebrow slightly. His expression had returned to normal.

Danmei was speechless for a moment, so she took off her outer garment and put it away before climbing into bed and lying down on her side. He went down to blow out the candle and then climbed back into bed, and the cabin became dark.

The boat should still be drifting with the current, so smooth that you can't feel the slightest sway. Only the occasional sound of oars paddling through the water can be heard, which sounds exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The two lay side by side. Danmei felt him reach out and put his arm around her waist, as if trying to pull her closer to him, so she gently resisted.

Xu Jinrong sensed that she was unwilling to come closer, so he moved closer himself. Once their bodies were pressed together, he reached for his handbag, took her hand, and guided it to his chest. He then whispered in her ear, "You must have been frightened by me tonight. I won't touch you again. Your hands and feet are ice cold to the touch. Leaning against me will warm you up sooner."

His voice was unusually deep and gentle, which surprised Danmei. The moment her hands touched his chest beneath his clothes, she immediately felt a warmth. Although it felt like being near a heater, which was very comfortable, she still felt awkward. Just as she was about to pull her hands away, he had already reached out and moved his arm to her back, patting her gently through her clothes, as if to soothe her.

Danmei was gently patted by him, inhaling his familiar, mellow scent. Her body, which had been tense for so long, finally relaxed. She rested her forehead against his chin and slowly drifted off to sleep. When she woke early the next morning, she stared blankly at the cabin ceiling for a moment, then remembered what had happened the night before, realizing she was now lying in the cabin of a ship heading east. Turning her head slightly, she saw that the bed beside her was empty; Xu Jinrong had gotten up sometime earlier.

Last night I only glanced at the cabin by candlelight and didn't get a clear look. Now, with the bright sunlight streaming through the open windows on both sides of the ship, I could see a door on the side of the cabin next to the bed, half-open. I got up and went to take a look, and found that it was a cabin for bathing. A large kettle of hot water had been put in there, and steam was still rising from the spout.

After washing up and getting dressed, Danmei went around the screen to the front cabin, but still couldn't find Xu Jinrong. She pushed open the cabin door, and a gust of cold wind immediately hit her face. The sunlight after the snowfall stung her eyes, making it hard to open them. Squinting slightly, she saw that she was at a deserted ferry crossing. The snow on the shore was still deep, and in the distance were several farmhouses, which appeared to be a village near the city. Perhaps because of the cold weather and the early morning, there were few people around. The boat was already moored at a somewhat dilapidated dock, with another boat of similar size moored beside it, presumably the one that had followed her all night.

Danmei was still looking around when she saw Xu Jinrong emerge from the cabin next to her, followed by a woman who appeared to be the boatman's wife. She was carrying a tray with a steaming hot breakfast on it.

The boatwoman went into the cabin, quickly set out the dishes and food, and then left.

"We left in a hurry and didn't prepare everything. We bought all these things from the farmers in the village on the shore and had the boatwoman cook them. There's not even anyone to take care of you, I'm sorry you had to go through that. We'll be traveling slowly today, but things will be better once the other boats catch up."

Xu Jinrong sat down opposite Danmei. Seeing that she was looking at the breakfast on the table, he assumed she was disgusted by its simplicity and explained.

Danmei wasn't complaining about the food. Seeing a dish of dried shrimp and bamboo shoots with vinegar, a dish of pickled radish, a dish of minced meat and dried vegetables, and a steamer of steamed buns on the table, and the porridge, though it was millet porridge, was steaming hot, she immediately felt hungry and picked up her chopsticks to eat.

Seeing that she was eating with relish and showed no sign of disgust, Xu Jinrong smiled slightly and began to eat as well.

After breakfast, the boatmen cleared the way and continued eastward. Danmei sat on a bench covered with satin cushions, leaning against the porthole to look at the scenery on the shore. The fields were covered with thick snow, a vast expanse of white stretching as far as the eye could see. Crows occasionally fluttered their wings among the old trees and bare branches on the bank, scattering snowflakes from the branches. The river was wide, and although it was still early, three or five boats could already be seen passing by with their sails unfurled.

Such a scene is rarely seen on ordinary days, and it has a certain wild charm. Danmei watched for a while, and when she heard the sound of the cabin door opening, she turned her head and saw Xu Jinrong bending down to come in. He went straight to her side and sat down, then slammed the window shut and sat down next to her.

"Since you're the only one on the boat today, I'll stay here with you. Once Sister Hui and the others catch up, they can keep you company, and I'll take the land route during the day. What do you think?"

Danmei knew that some of his followers had been on the boat behind them last night, and the rest were probably following them on the nearby road. She had been somewhat worried about having to spend the next month or two in the same room with him, day and night. But now that she heard what he said, how could she say no? She quickly nodded in agreement.

Xu Jinrong glanced down at her and smiled, "I'll travel by land during the day. If there's a good inn ahead, I'll pick you up and take you ashore to stay in the evening, so you won't get bored on the boat. If not, I'll come aboard and stay with you overnight, so you won't complain about not seeing me and miss me."

He's shameless enough to say such things without batting an eye. Even though Danmei had no intention of laughing, she was still somewhat amused by his last sentence.

"Since I returned from Yingtian Prefecture three days ago, I've finally seen you smile at me. It's truly a rare sight."

Xu Jinrong reached out and pulled her into his arms, nuzzling his chin against her forehead, and chuckled, half-jokingly.

Danmei was reminded by his words, recalling the day she heard he had returned from Yingtian Prefecture. She had rushed to his study, overjoyed, only to be met with his cold-hearted rebuke. If she hadn't acted decisively later, and instead remained the same Danmei who would have chosen to hang herself, things might be very different now. Remembering how he had forcibly taken her onto the ship last night without explanation, and now showing no remorse whatsoever in his words, she felt a slight displeasure. She tilted her head back to avoid his chin and said calmly, "What does it matter whether I laugh or not? You should carefully keep your treasure safe, and make sure no one else covets it in the future."

As soon as Danmei finished speaking, Xu Jinrong was stunned. The smile on his face disappeared, as if he had been choked by her words.

Danmei pried off his hand that was still around her waist and stood up from the bench. Before she could take a step, he pressed her back down from behind. When their eyes met again, they saw that each of them had a slight frown on their brows.

Xu Jinrong carefully examined Danmei for a moment, and his brows finally relaxed. He hugged her waist again and said in a low voice, "I lost my temper that day and said something I shouldn't have. I sincerely apologize to you. My wife is well-educated and magnanimous. Please don't hold it against a rough man like me."

The two were husband and wife after all, and Danmei knew that no matter how stubborn she was, she could never go back to being the daughter of a high-ranking official. Since he had admitted his mistake, it would be unreasonable for her to continue to stand firm without backing down. Hearing his perfunctory apology, she felt a thorn stuck in her heart for some reason, so she lowered her head slightly and remained silent.

Xu Jinrong saw her slender neck lowered, revealing a section of her alabaster-white skin beyond her collar. Perhaps because she had styled her hair herself that morning, her bun was a little loose, with a few strands of black hair hanging loosely against the back of her neck, somewhat alluring. His gaze was immediately drawn to her, and he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her. Suddenly, he remembered that she was still sulking with him. After a moment's thought, he turned her around to face him and said seriously, "I know you still hold a grudge against me. I won't lie to you, that flower is an old thing from two or three years ago. At that time, I was in love with a woman and originally intended to give it to her, but she didn't like me... I've kept it ever since, initially just not knowing what to do with it, and then it sat there untouched for a long time, and I forgot about it. The other day, I suddenly saw it on your head, and that's when I remembered..."

Xu Jinrong paused for a moment, then reached out and lifted Danmei's chin. Seeing her large, bright eyes staring directly at him, he felt a touch of tenderness deep within his heart. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace, then lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"She was a remarkable woman of our time, whom I longed for but could not have. Though I felt some regret at the time, the past is the past. Now that you are married to me, and will bear my children, I naturally want to live a good life with you until we grow old together. I am a rough person, so if I ever do anything to upset you, just tell me what I've said before. You are much younger than me, so please speak to me properly. If I don't cherish you, who will I cherish? The way you've been arguing with me like this, you know how I've been tormented for the past two nights. I can accept my own misery, but do you really think you're happy about it?"

Danmei was embraced by him. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her, her heart, which had been hardened for several days, slowly softened. She lowered her head and began to ponder.

If I understand correctly, judging from his tone, he used to deeply admire the "extraordinary woman" he mentioned, but couldn't have her, which gradually built up his feelings. And now, to him, I'm just a wife for everyday life, someone he wants to treat well and grow old with.

He took her alone to his new post, admitted his faults, and even brought up a past relationship he probably never wanted to revisit. He concluded by expressing his desire to grow old with her. What more could she ask for? He had probably given her the highest level of treatment a man of her time could offer his legal wife. Danmei felt she should be satisfied. Continuing to argue with him would only make all her reasons seem less convincing.

The fire in the cabin seemed to be burning too brightly. She felt his warm lips pecking at her eyebrows and eyes, and the hand that was holding her waist slowly moved up to cover her chest, gradually adding some pressure.