Why be so polite between husband and wife?
As we talked, he moved closer. I circled the table with him, feeling flustered and hot, and even broke out in a sweat. This kind of intimate pleasure was something I was truly unworthy of.
He used the table as leverage and leaped over, grabbing me in one go.
I almost screamed for help, panicking as if I had encountered an assassin.
He said tenderly, "Xiao Mo, why are you running away? What are you afraid of? I'm not going to eat you. I just wanted to draw your eyebrows. How can you be so ungrateful for my good intentions?"
"I...I understand?"
He smiled and shook his head: "It's best to actually receive it."
I have a toothache.
"Young master, the meal is ready."
I breathed a sigh of relief. This Miss Mei'er arrived just in time. She stood gracefully by the door, her eyes lowered and a smile on her face, as if she had seen everything, yet also as if she had seen nothing at all.
Jiang Chen finally let go and said with a smile, "Let's play later, let's go eat first."
I was startled. Were we still going to play? Looks like I need to eat more, otherwise I won't have the energy to deal with him. I wiped the sweat from my brow. This engagement was definitely a good thing we broke off; otherwise, if Jiang Chen tormented me like this every day, I might develop a heart condition.
The lavishness of the meal was truly unprecedented in my life. Only Lady Qi, Shao Hua and his sister, Jiang Chen and I were seated at the table, surrounded by more than a dozen maids serving us. Half of the dishes on the table were things I had never seen or tasted before.
Lady Qi was very refined in her manners. She only took a small bite of many dishes, and ate a bowl of rice as if counting the grains. I ate a whole bowl, while she only ate a few bites.
She didn't say much, just looked at me with a smile. Although her smile was radiant, her eyes were sharp and clear. I felt a little uncomfortable being watched while I ate, but then I thought, this is a good opportunity to show myself.
So, without any hesitation, I ate two bowls of rice.
I have a feeling that a refined and elegant lady like her would definitely dislike seeing a country girl like me eating so boldly and unrestrainedly.
"Sister-in-law, do you want a third bowl?" My cousin Shao Rong probably couldn't bear to watch anymore and looked at me with concern.
Lady Qi put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "Xiao Mo, eat more. A good appetite is good for your health, and good health is good for childbirth."
"Give birth!" I was so shocked I almost spat out my food. I quickly put down my chopsticks and whispered, "Madam, please enjoy your meal. I'm finished." As I spoke, my face flushed. This tactic had completely backfired.
Jiang Chen chuckled and said, "Mother, you scared her. Be more tactful next time."
Lady Qi nodded and smiled, "We should be more tactful. Look, Xiao Mo's face is all red with embarrassment. Ah, I love her fair and rosy skin the most. I hope the future baby will take after her."
Jiang Chen and Shao Hua both burst out laughing, and the maids serving them also tried to suppress their laughter.
My face was burning hot, and I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles. Is this what you call being tactful?
Then, Madam Qi said to Jiang Chen in a tactful way, "Chen'er, don't keep bothering Xiao Mo. Let her sleep alone for a while after dinner and get some rest."
I've always slept alone, okay?! I was so embarrassed and ashamed by Lady Qi's "tactful" words. It seems like mother, son really is! I reckon if I stay here a few more days, I'll look like Guan Yu, and the blush on my face will probably last forever.
I went back to my bedroom and rested alone for a while, feeling depressed. Jiang Chen came over from next door and wanted to take me out to the street. He said that his mother had instructed him to take me shopping because she didn't know what I liked. She told me to just pick what I liked and buy it as a gift for us when we first met.
Little Pupa clapped her hands excitedly: "Miss, that's wonderful! Things from the capital are so beautiful!"
But it's really expensive, isn't it? Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me.
Once we got out onto the street, I just went on a shopping spree, with Jiang Chen following behind to pay. As I bought, I gritted my teeth and gasped. Things in the capital were ridiculously expensive! Was I going to overspend? But for my future, I decided to go all out and indulge myself this once in a while. Forgive me, forgive me.
We only managed to buy so much that our calves cramped up, and we didn't get back until it was almost dark.
Upon returning to the manor, I naturally had to pay my respects to Jiang's mother first. Jiang Chen told me to put my things down before going, but I insisted on carrying a large pile of things to Madam Qi's room, wanting to show her how extravagant I was.
When Lady Qi saw me and Xiao Hebao come in carrying a bunch of things, she paused for a moment and asked, "Is this what you bought?"
I nodded with shame and guilt, eagerly anticipating Lady Qi's wrath. Such a spendthrift wife was truly unacceptable; it would be better to return her.
She looked at what I had bought and, sure enough, frowned.
“Xiao Mo, the things you bought are really not very good. Chen’er, why don’t you take your wife to buy the best and most expensive things? If outsiders find out, they will either say that you, as a husband, are stingy, or that I, as a mother-in-law, am stingy.”
Jiang Chen scratched his brow and said, "She still gritted her teeth and made up her mind before buying these things. I really couldn't bear to spoil her fun. Money is a small matter; her happiness is the most important thing. Consider these things as just something to do for fun. I'll give her something better later."
I stared blankly at the fruits of my afternoon's hard work and extravagant spending, feeling utterly defeated. This move was a bit of a miscalculation; even the stone lions at his gate were adorned with golden bells. My measly spending was utterly tasteless and beneath me. But after being raised by my stingy master in the Free and Unfettered Sect for over a decade, suddenly being asked to squander a fortune... I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I'll look for another solution.
Dinner was as lavish as ever, but I resisted the urge and ate only one bowl of rice, afraid that Lady Qi would say again that my good appetite was good for childbearing. I was thoroughly impressed by her "tactful" manner and had to admit defeat.
During the meal, I overheard Shao Hua's conversation with Madam Qi and learned that he was actually the second son of General Qi Chong, the Tiger Wing General. Qi Chong was once as famous as Master Yuanzhao. However, unlike Master Yuanzhao, who retired after achieving great success, Shao Hua remained in a high position and his fame spread far and wide.
Shao Rong tilted her head and asked, "Cousin, where did you go this afternoon?"
As soon as Jiang Chen finished answering, she snorted, "Auntie is so biased, why won't you let me go with you?"
Lady Qi smiled and said, "Where did I show favoritism? It's your father who won't let you go out, afraid that you'll cause trouble in the capital."
Shao Rong frowned: "Father is so annoying. He came to the capital to report on his duties, while my brother and I were just playing our own games. Why does he have to interfere so much?"
Lady Qi said, “There are many people in the capital who are easily influenced. If you get into any trouble, others will hold your father responsible. The tallest tree catches the most wind, and the most outstanding tree stands out in the forest. As members of the Qi family, you must be cautious in everything you do and always remember to be self-disciplined.”
Shao Hua nodded in agreement, but Shao Rong pouted and sighed dejectedly, "It's so boring in the capital."
Lady Qi said, "In two days, on the Dragon Boat Festival, the Emperor will hold a dragon boat race on the Qinhuai River. Let's go watch the excitement; it'll be quite interesting."
"Auntie, I already saw it in Fuzhou. Several boats were fighting over who could row the fastest. It was so boring!"
Lady Qi smiled and said, "His Majesty is a man of great talent and wisdom, and he loves things that are original and extraordinary. The dragon boat race in the capital is different from the one in your place. You will know when the time comes."