Chapter 2

Shen Yan said to her considerately, “I’ll go make you a bowl of noodles.”

After speaking, he started to get up.

“No! I’m not hungry, I don’t want to eat.”

Gu Keqing really had no appetite.

After all, she had just transmigrated into the book and hadn’t recovered from the shock yet.

“Sit down and talk with me for a while.”

“Mm! Okay.”

Without another word, Shen Yan moved a wooden chair and sat directly across from her.

“Um… I don’t want to go to work in the fields. I can’t handle that kind of labor.”

Gu Keqing spoke frankly. She didn’t want to hide anything.

Since transmigrating into the book was already a fact, and since she had decided to stay here and work hard to live,

building a good relationship with the male lead was the first step.

“But… I can make money. I’ll buy more things for the family, okay? Just don’t look down on me.”

She finished in one breath and waited for Shen Yan’s reply.

She wanted to see what kind of attitude this man had toward his wife — whether he cared for her or not.

To see if he was worth her giving her heart to.

Shen Yan looked at her seriously and said:

“How could I ever look down on you? I never planned on sending you to the fields anyway. Grandma Gu was my grandfather’s lifesaver. Our Shen family can’t let our benefactor’s granddaughter suffer.”

Oh!

Hearing that, Gu Keqing finally relaxed.

As long as she didn’t have to work in the fields, it was fine.

As a top student from the 21st century, she had a hundred ways to earn money.

She wasn’t worried about surviving here, let alone supporting the whole Shen family.

“Thank you, Shen Yan!”

Gu Keqing smiled happily.

“No need to thank me. We’re husband and wife — no need to be so polite.”

Shen Yan coughed lightly, his tanned face tinged with red.

Tsk tsk…

Was he shy?

Seeing his expression change, Gu Keqing couldn’t help but sigh inwardly:

People from this era were really pure!

Unlike those shameless, spineless “pretty boys” of later generations —
men with no responsibility, no sense of duty, and plastic surgery–altered faces.

Shen Yan wasn’t like that — he had a high nose bridge, thick eyebrows, and deep-set eyes.

Even in loose, coarse clothing, it was obvious he had a great physique underneath.

Sigh!

He really was the chosen male lead.

So pleasing to the eye.

Shen Yan had no idea what a whirlwind of thoughts was running through her head.

He thought his wife was just really fond of him, and his face flushed even redder.

“Wife, um… wash up and sleep early.”

Only then did Gu Keqing remember — tonight was their wedding night!

How on earth were they supposed to sleep?

“O-okay…”

She instantly grew flustered.

“Where do I wash up?”

She suddenly felt regretful. She should have taken a shower inside her big castle space before coming out.

Now it was pitch dark, and there wasn’t even a washroom.

“I’ll get water for you.”

Seeing her discomfort, Shen Yan picked up two porcelain basins and headed to the kitchen.

“Sigh! Tomorrow I must go to my space early to take a bath, and bring some candles here too — it’s way too dark in this room,” she muttered to herself.

While waiting, she began to take stock of their “bridal room.”

A typical rural mud-brick house — no paint on the walls, no electric light bulbs, only a kerosene lamp and candles.

The furnishings were even simpler:

An old wooden table with two chairs,

a worn-out wardrobe, and a clay bed.

“Sigh! What a miserable life.”

Gu Keqing sighed heavily, feeling like crying without tears.

Luckily her big castle space had come with her; otherwise, she really didn’t know how she’d survive.

“Wife, the water’s here.”

Shen Yan moved as if to help her take off her shoes.

“What are you doing?”

Just as he was about to touch her feet, Gu Keqing’s face flushed red.

Before transmigrating, she’d been strictly raised.

Her father had always said: never let a boy touch your body.

So when Shen Yan tried to act, she clearly wasn’t ready to step into the role of “wife” yet.

After all, she had just arrived in this world and was facing a strange man.

No matter how handsome he was, she wasn’t used to it.

“You’ve worked all day, let me wash them for you,” Shen Yan said, continuing his motion.

“No way! I’ll do it myself. W-we can wait until we’re more familiar before you wash for me.”

She really couldn’t let him wash her feet — it felt far too strange.

For now, it was a no.

“Hehe~ okay, you wash yourself then. I’ll go outside and take a cold shower.”

Shen Yan chuckled, got up, took a towel and a porcelain basin, and went out.

“Phew! Thank heavens he finally left.”

Gu Keqing quickly gave herself a simple wash, then slipped into bed.

To be fair, the quilt and pillows were all new,

which gave her — a modern-day germaphobe — a moment of relief.

“Sigh, I can’t be so picky anymore; I have to adapt to the environment,” she thought, clutching the edge of the quilt.

Creak!

Shen Yan soon came back in.

Seeing the little girl curled up in the corner of the clay bed, the smile tugging at his lips was impossible to hide.

He thought: No wonder Grandpa insisted on this marriage all those years ago. It wasn’t just about repaying a debt — this little girl really was adorable.

After drying off his body and hair, he sat down by the bed.

“Ahem… wife, I have something to tell you.”

Gu Keqing’s heart, already pounding, beat even faster.

“What is it?”

After a moment of thought, Shen Yan said, “Autumn’s coming soon. I want to build a washroom so it’ll be more convenient to bathe in the winter.”

“That’s great! I was just thinking the same thing!”

She wholeheartedly agreed — without a big house, no toilet, and no bathroom, she felt so out of place.

“Mm. As long as you agree. From now on, you’ll manage all the family’s money. Whenever I need to spend, I’ll come to you.”

Shen Yan pulled out a stack of cash along with bundles of ration tickets and fabric coupons.

Huh??

Gu Keqing was delighted — this man was amazing!

On the very first day of marriage, he handed over all his earnings and would only take what he needed.

Compared to those scumbags of later generations who killed their wives just to take over their money, Shen Yan was infinitely better.

“Alright then, just tell me when you need it.”

She didn’t refuse — since he was offering willingly, she might as well accept.

Although her space had so much money, gold, and jewels that she could never spend it all,

she had taken over the original owner’s life and married into this family, so she would follow the customs of the time.

“Mm.”

Shen Yan nodded.

After that, the two of them just sat there looking at each other.

It felt like… they were both waiting for something to happen.

“Um, should we go to sleep now?”

Gu Keqing had already absorbed all of the original owner’s memories.

She knew that the Shen family had been busy since midnight and hadn’t rested at all.

She didn’t have the heart to suggest separate beds.

If she wanted to hold onto her “golden thigh,” she couldn’t be too fussy.

“Mm.”

Shen Yan nodded, face red.

Seeing his “bashful” expression, Gu Keqing suddenly wanted to laugh.

Honestly, this man was really her type.

He didn’t talk much, but everything he said hit the key points.

And he was caring — that was enough.

As long as he didn’t get involved with other women or cross her bottom line,

she was willing to spend a lifetime with him.

“I have three conditions you must agree to!”