Chapter 69: The Long-Awaited Wedding Night

Zhou Ruizhen pulled down the bed curtains, shrouding their figures within the canopy.

At that moment, Du Wanchun finally understood what Zhou Da-niang had meant—she finally realized what it meant to be truly overwhelmed. Her husband was nothing like the man he usually appeared to be.

The oil lamp in the room burned until the middle of the night, but the humble little house remained restless until dawn.

—

The next morning, Du Wanchun slowly awakened in Zhou Ruizhen’s embrace. The familiar, faint fragrance of his body lingered in the air, yet today, it carried a hint of something more intimate.

Her face instantly grew hot again. Supporting her sore waist, she carefully slipped out of his arms and buried her entire face under the blanket.

With his eyes still closed, Zhou Ruizhen reached out and effortlessly pulled her back into his embrace, holding her like a soft little kitten. He nuzzled her nape with his nose and murmured, “Wife, you’re awake?”

Two round eyes peeked out from beneath the blanket as Du Wanchun gave a small nod, her voice barely audible as she hummed in response.

Her voice was soft, slightly hoarse.

Zhou Ruizhen’s lips curved into a smile. “Sleep a little longer. Mother likely won’t come calling for us today.”

The mere thought of last night made Du Wanchun’s face flush an even deeper shade of red.

During her time at the Zhou household, she had gained some weight, no longer as frail as before. Her figure had become more shapely, and her once-thin face now had a plump, rosy fullness that made one irresistibly tempted to take a bite.

Zhou Ruizhen did just that—lightly biting her smooth, fair shoulder before playfully pecking her flushed cheek. Then, satisfied, he wrapped his arms around her once more and drifted back to sleep.

As the steady rhythm of his breathing filled the quiet room, Du Wanchun slowly closed her eyes again.

The exhaustion from the previous night was overwhelming. They ended up sleeping until nearly noon before finally waking.

Just as Zhou Ruizhen reached out to grab his clothes, a wooden comb and a box of rouge, which had been tucked inside his pocket, tumbled out and landed near the edge of the bed.

Seeing this, Du Wanchun looked at him in surprise. “This is…?”

Zhou Ruizhen bent down to pick up the comb and rouge, then placed them gently in her hands. “They’re for you.”

Du Wanchun looked at the intricately carved agarwood comb and the delicate rouge in her hands, feeling a warm sensation in her heart. She quickly got out of bed, holding the comb and rouge, and sat in front of the new bronze mirror to freshen up. “Thank you, husband.”

Zhou Ruizhen finished dressing and walked behind her. Taking the comb from her hands, he said softly, “Let me comb your hair for you.”

“You know how to comb hair?” Du Wanchun asked in surprise, looking at their reflection in the mirror.

Zhou Ruizhen gently ran his fingers through her jet-black hair, then slowly guided the comb downward. “I don’t, but I can learn.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Du Wanchun felt a sharp pain on her scalp and couldn’t help but cry out, “Ouch!”

Zhou Ruizhen immediately let go. “Did I hurt you?”

Du Wanchun massaged her scalp and shook her head. “It’s nothing. I should do it myself.”

However, Zhou Ruizhen insisted on continuing. He softened his touch and carefully combed through her hair, eventually managing to style it into a bun.

Looking at the slightly crooked bun on her head, Du Wanchun couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

Zhou Ruizhen, still holding the comb, frowned slightly in dissatisfaction. For someone who had always excelled at everything he did, this was quite an unfamiliar feeling.

Turning to reassure him, Du Wanchun chuckled. “It’s okay. Learning takes time. We have a long life ahead of us—there’s no rush.”

Zhou Ruizhen set the comb down and gently pinned a wooden hairpin into her bun. Then, in a firm and unwavering tone, he whispered in her ear, “From now on, I’ll comb your hair for a lifetime.”

Du Wanchun’s heart trembled slightly at his words. She smiled and nodded.

How long was a lifetime? No one could say.

But she felt fortunate that theirs had only just begun.

—

At noon, Zhou Da-niang saw Du Wanchun stepping out of the room, her face filled with joy. However, afraid of embarrassing the young bride, she quickly toned down her smile and called out, “Wanchun, Ruizhen, come eat!”

With that, she placed a freshly cooked dish of braised carp on the table. “Zhao-er went to the pond again today and caught a few more fish. We’ll have enough to last us for days.”

After washing up, Du Wanchun grabbed some bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen and sat down at the table. Seeing the glistening, red-braised fish, she almost started drooling.

Zhou Da-niang’s cooking had improved significantly in recent days. Unable to hold back, Du Wanchun praised her, “Mother, the fish smells amazing!”

Zhou Da-niang chuckled sheepishly. “That’s thanks to the daughter-in-law of the Cao family at the foot of the mountain—she taught me how to make it.”

As Du Wanchun finished setting out the bowls and chopsticks, she curiously asked, “The Cao family’s daughter-in-law? Mother, who is she? I don’t think I’ve heard you mention her before.”