Chapter 11: Returning to Her Parental Home (Part 1)

Zhao Ruhua was genuinely happy.

These were all valuable things. Yun Shiyue letting her take them back meant her parents could have a good taste of something rare.

Speaking of her father Zhao and Madam Hu, Zhao Ruhua truly felt fond of them.

Especially Madam Hu—she might not be generous to outsiders, but to her, she was wholeheartedly good.

Even though Zhao Ruhua wasn’t pretty, Madam Hu still treasured her like a gem in her palm.

Just for that, Zhao Ruhua swore she would never shortchange her mother in the future.

With the gifts for her return visit settled, she could finally relax.

But the more she thought about Yun Shiyue, the more curious she became.

Just what kind of man was he?

He was generous, tall, with a decent personality, and quite proper in his behavior.

The only flaw… was probably his face.

Zhao Ruhua studied his face and sighed again at the pity of it all.

Plenty of food from yesterday’s wedding banquet was left over. Since the weather wasn’t too warm, it would keep for a day.

That night, Zhao Ruhua simply reheated the leftover dishes to serve as dinner.

An oil lamp flickered in the room, casting dim light that swayed with every draft, as though it might go out at any moment.

Yun Shiyue sat at the Eight Immortals table, writing in a notebook.

Bored, Zhao Ruhua took one of his spare notebooks and a small calligraphy brush, doodling casually.

The notebook and brush were his, but he never stopped her from using them.

They each kept busy in their own way until bedtime.

After washing up, the two of them lay on the bed.

Zhao Ruhua lay on the inner side, eyes fixed on the new silk canopy above her, while her ears stayed alert to the sounds beside her.

Next to her, Yun Shiyue’s breathing was steady, his body perfectly still.

After a while, he spoke: “I’m going to blow out the lamp.”

His voice, as always, was pleasant.

“Go ahead,” Zhao Ruhua replied.

He sat up slightly and blew out the oil lamp. Darkness instantly swallowed the room.

Zhao Ruhua felt no particular way about it, simply pulled the thin quilt higher and closed her eyes to sleep.

Whether Yun Shiyue slept or not was none of her concern.

She had a sound night’s sleep and woke to daylight filtering in through the window.

In the village, women who rose early carried their family’s laundry to the riverside.

If they met someone they got along with, they’d walk and chat together along the path, their voices traveling far in the quiet mountain village.

Zhao Ruhua yawned and stretched.

This bed, with its thick cotton quilt, was impossibly comfortable.

Beside her, Yun Shiyue was already up.

She heard some noise outside, followed by the calls of the wild pheasants.

When she finished dressing and fixing her hair, she stepped out and found Yun Shiyue feeding grain to the two pheasants.

Watching the birds peck eagerly at the millet, Zhao Ruhua’s heart ached.

Why was Yun Shiyue feeding them grain? Millet was for people to eat!

Thinking of her natal home, where even meals were a worry, and seeing him “waste” grain on birds, she felt a pang of distress.

If there was extra food, he could give it to her instead—feeding chickens with it was almost unbearable to watch.

“The kitchen has food. Wash up and eat, then we’ll go to your parents’ house,” Yun Shiyue said.

Instantly, Zhao Ruhua perked up.

She washed and ate breakfast in record time.

By the time she finished, Yun Shiyue had prepared everything for the trip.

In addition to the two pheasants and one hare, he packed some leftover candies and pastries from the wedding banquet for her to take home.

Just as they were about to leave, Yun Shiyue noticed she was still wearing the old clothes from her natal home. His brow furrowed.

“Go change into new clothes. There are some in the wardrobe.”

Zhao Ruhua glanced down at herself and realized the outfit was indeed quite worn, even patched in places.

She was married now—going home in these clothes would only make Yun Shiyue lose face.

She chuckled sheepishly and dashed back into the room.

Inside the wardrobe were the clothes Yun Shiyue had prepared for her: pink, pale green, and light blue.

The fabric felt smooth and comfortable, much finer than anything she’d worn before.

Quickly, she changed into a pale pink set and put on a pair of new embroidered shoes.

Standing before the bronze mirror, she admired herself and felt satisfied.

This body, aside from the dark skin, was really quite good—slim figure, clear voice.

Once her complexion improved, she was sure she would look fair and tender.

She stepped out of the room, and Yun Shiyue’s eyes reflected his approval.

“From now on, wear the clothes in the wardrobe. Don’t wear the ones you brought from your parents’ house anymore.”

“Of course not,” Zhao Ruhua said brightly. “I’m your wife now. If I keep wearing those old things, wouldn’t that embarrass you?”

Yun Shiyue: “…” At least she was self-aware.

Dressed neatly and carrying some of the gifts, Zhao Ruhua followed Yun Shiyue to her parental home.

The two of them only had to walk a short distance, since it was the same village.

As they approached, Zhao Ruhua suddenly heard Madam Hu crying inside.

“What should I do? What should I do now? This is the bracelet Ruhua gave me—now it’s broken! How will I face her in the future?”

“If she finds out it broke, she’ll be heartbroken!”

Zhao Ruhua: “…” What on earth happened?

They entered the house to find Old Madam Lin there as well.

She looked thoroughly displeased, her expression sharp and mean.

Madam Hu sat crying, clutching the shattered pieces of a jade bracelet.

“Mother, what happened?” Zhao Ruhua asked.

Madam Hu quickly stood, but before she could speak, Old Madam Lin cut in:

“You can’t blame me for this!”

“Look at other daughters-in-law—they always give their mothers-in-law their best treasures. And you? You had such a nice jade bracelet and hid it for yourself! I only wanted to see it, but you’d rather drop it and smash it than let me have a look!”

Madam Hu protested tearfully, “Mother, you grabbed for it. I only dropped it because you startled me!”

Zhao Ruhua: “…”

She never imagined a single jade bracelet could cause such an uproar.

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