Chapter 5 : Wife, you smile so beautifully

When Jiang Sui came out, she looked much better than before. At the very least, her clothes no longer hung awkwardly on her, and she had a new pair of shoes on her feet, making her appear much more presentable.

Mother Xiao looked at her handiwork and nodded in satisfaction.

Facing the scrutinizing gazes of everyone, Jiang Sui felt a little uneasy. Just then, a pleasant-sounding young male voice rang out, it carried a kind of pure, innocent charm

“Mom, is this my wife?”

Jiang Sui looked toward the voice and saw a tall man, about 1.8 meters (nearly six feet) in height, bounding over with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

Although he was dressed in a simple blue-gray short coat, it didn’t dull his presence at all. If one hadn’t been told beforehand, it would be hard to tell that he was mentally ill.

Xiao Hechuan circled around Jiang Sui twice, examining her closely. He even gently picked up one of her braids for a look, his large eyes filled with wonder just like a six- or seven-year-old child.

Jiang Sui felt too embarrassed to meet his eyes and kept her gaze lowered toward her toes. Honestly speaking, she had planned on marrying the future top scholar, this was quite far from what she had imagined.

“Yes, Hechuan, this is your wife,” Mother Xiao said patiently, gently reminding her son. “Don’t forget what I taught you, you must treat your wife well and never let her suffer or be wronged. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Mom. I’ll definitely treat my wife well,” Xiao Hechuan replied seriously, his big white teeth flashing in a wide smile.

Suddenly, Jiang Sui felt a warmth on her hand. A large hand had wrapped around hers and held it tightly, it was Xiao Hechuan, who had taken the initiative to hold her hand.

Jiang Sui froze for a second, her heart beating fast.

“All right, it’s cold out here,” Mother Xiao said with a smile. “Take your wife back to your room to rest, and take good care of her, okay?”

Xiao Hechuan nodded obediently, then led Jiang Sui toward his room.

He walked ahead, a tall figure with broad shoulders and a steady back that gave a sense of dependability. Jiang Sui followed behind, letting him lead her by the hand, her heart filled with a complicated mix of emotions.

Mother Xiao and Father Xiao watched the two figures disappear into the house, smiles of contentment on their faces. The sons of the Xiao family also exchanged glances, happiness quietly spreading among them.

“It’s great that my fourth brother has found a wife, and we all feel so happy now.”

Xiao Hechuan took Jiang Sui back to the room and closed the door.

Jiang Sui quickly look in the room’s layout. It wasn’t large, but it was neat. There was a kang (a traditional heated platform), a newly built red-painted wardrobe for clothes, and a shelf for the washbasin and handkerchiefs. The bedding on the bed was freshly made and neatly folded. Next to the bed were two pairs of new shoes, one large and one small, both made of black cloth. No wonder Xiao’s mother had asked her to wear her sister-in-law’s pink cloth shoes, it was a big day and wearing black would be considered unlucky.

There was also a rectangular wooden table with several large baskets of books on it. Before Xiao Hechuan had his accident, he was a genius at reading. The villagers had even expected him to become a successful candidate in the imperial examination.

But as with many things, life is full of unexpected turns, and no one could have foreseen the events that followed.

“Wife, don’t just stand there, sit down,” Xiao Hechuan said when he saw her standing in a daze. He gently pushed her toward the kang and walked over to it.

Jiang Sui followed his lead, sitting down as he instructed. He then turned around, poured a cup of steaming hot tea from the teapot on the table.

Since the water was too hot, the teacup was also hot. Xiao Hechuan kept switching the cup between his hands, blowing on it to cool it down. His serious expression was oddly cute.

“Drink some water, my wife, your hands are so cold~” Xiao Hechuan finally noticed how cold Jiang Sui’s hands were. His mother had once told him that if you feel cold, you should drink hot water. She had said that the more hot water you drank, the less cold you’d feel.

He also always remembers what his mother said: to take good care of his wife.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but smile, her face lighting up with two dimples, sweetly.

She took the tea and said, “Thank you.”

Xiao Hechuan scratched his head in embarrassment, his face instantly turning red. Being a simple-minded person, he said whatever came to his mind at that moment

“Wife, you have a beautiful smile.”

Jiang Sui, holding the teacup in her hand, looked up at Xiao Hechuan. The boy had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, red lips, white teeth, fair skin, and was very handsome. At that moment, his face was flushed with shyness, making him even more extraordinary.

Jiang Sui would be lying if she said he wasn’t stunning. As soon as Xiao Hechuan appeared in the book, his appearance and temperament made all the noble ladies fall in love with him, not to mention that he was also very talented in writing. However, the young man was very proud and walked through the flowers without getting a single leaf on him.

“You are also very good-looking, the most beautiful person I have ever seen,” Jiang Sui said honestly. She couldn’t imagine how dazzling Xiao Hechuan would be if he returned to normal soon. In the original novel, Jiang Qiaoqiao had regretted it so much in the end.

Upon hearing what Jiang Sui said, Xiao Hechuan’s face turned even redder. He covered his face with his hands and turned his back, looking awkward. He felt like a young wife.

After that, Xiao Hechuan stayed in the room with Jiang Sui, chattering nonstop, asking questions, and Jiang Sui patiently answered him.

More and more villagers came to help. Everyone had a clear division of labor. Some made fires, some washed vegetables. This is how it works in the countryside: you help my family, and I help yours.

After a while, two little children knocked on the window

“Uncle, come out and play. We’re going to set off firecrackers.”

When Xiao Hechuan heard this, his eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up to leave. But then he remembered that his young wife was still there. His mother had told him to stay with her, but he also wanted to go out and watch the firecrackers, so he was suddenly caught in a dilemma.

Jiang Sui found it funny and wanted to see what he would do.

After several internal struggles, Xiao Hechuan was finally defeated by his own “childishness.”

He scratched his head, blocked his mouth, and looked at Jiang Sui with a pout

“Wife, I want to go out and play. Can I?”

For the first time, Jiang Sui was touched by the cuteness of such a big kid. Seeing his expectant look, Jiang Sui smiled and nodded

“Okay, go ahead.”

With his wife’s approval, Xiao Hechuan instantly put aside his grievances and happily went out to meet up with his friends.

But he didn’t forget to find a companion for his wife, and actually called Xiao Lanlan over, pushing her into the house.

Xiao Lanlan was washing vegetables and hadn’t even wiped the water off her hands.

“Lanlan, can you help me keep my wife company? I’ll be back when I’m done playing.”