chapter 2

Lu Yun-an ran out to buy a late-night snack on his wedding night. Lu Yun’an want too embarrassed. If others found out, they would definitely laugh at him.

He didn’t dare to go to the restaurants or street stalls he usually frequented. Lu Yun’an wanted to buy something simple and stood in front of a braised meat stall. He thought about Jiang Rou’s words, “Anything is fine,” and his head started to ache.

Would this ancestor be dissatisfied and make him come out to buy something again?

“She told him to go out and buy something again, and he would have to go?”

“If I knew this, I wouldn’t have married her at all!”

Lu Yun’an looked at the stall owner who was trying to convince him of the deliciousness of his braised meat. He threw the silver over with a flourish. “Give me a portion of the braised meat, and then go buy two portions of Chen’s sour bamboo shoots noodles and two portions of Li’s rose sweet wine.”

If Jiang Rou wasn’t his wife, even if she really fainted, he wouldn’t have cared!

The stall owner, seeing the silver in his palm, broke into a smile. “Just a moment, sir, I’ll go get it!”

The stall owner’s wife was also there. While her husband went to buy things for Lu Yun’an, she packed the braised meat for him. Lu Yun’an had given her plenty of silver, and she was confident in her braised meat, so she packed a generous amount for him.

“Young master, is this for your wife?” she asked.

Lu Yun’an gave a slight nod in response.

“Young master is so kind to your wife,” the stall owner’s wife said.

Lu Yun’an took the snacks he had bought and went back, skillfully scaling the wall again. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Jiang Rou waiting for him.

He placed the snacks on the table. “You know what the stall owner said when I went to buy the braised meat? He asked me if I was buying snacks for my wife, and I said yes. He said I was so kind to my wife!”

Lu Yun’an sat down. He looked at Jiang Rou, who seemed fragile and delicate. “See, who else goes out to buy snacks for their wife on their wedding night?”

Jiang Rou nodded. “Yes, yes, you’re so good, husband!”

The sour bamboo shoots noodles Lu Yun’an bought were spicy and tangy, the noodles were smooth and chewy, the braised meat was refreshing, spicy and numbing, and the rose sweet wine was even better.

After eating the snacks and rinsing her mouth, Jiang Rou finally lay down.

After a while, Lu Yun’an lay down beside her. They still had one blanket each, with a large space between them.

Meanwhile, at the Jiang residence.

Jiang Cheng said, “I’m not finished with those people from the elder branch! My sister is beautiful, gentle, and kind. How could she marry that good-for-nothing? It’s all their fault!”

Not only was Jiang Cheng awake, but his parents were also awake.

Lu Shi said, “I hope they don’t start arguing on their wedding night.”

Jiang Xuan opened his mouth. “I told Jinyue how to persuade them and told her to send me a message if they started arguing. She hasn’t sent a message yet, so they probably haven’t argued. Don’t worry, it’s their wedding day, and they’ll be returning home soon.”

Jiang Cheng was exasperated. “It’ll be days before my sister comes back!”

Jiang Xuan said, “Alright, go back to sleep!”

It was all the elder branch’s fault. If it wasn’t for them, Jiang Xuan had planned to marry Jiang Rou to one of his students. The student was someone he had taught and was practically a childhood friend of Jiang Rou.

In the future, if they got married, even if Jiang Rou’s temper was a little bit too much, he would be tolerant.

He shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Forget it, they were already married. What was the point of thinking about it now?

As Lu Shi and Jiang Xuan were about to rest, Lu Shi said, “Maybe their relationship won’t be bad. Our daughter, although she’s a bit spoiled and loves to eat and play, she’s also sweet-tongued.”

Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and nodded. Maybe these two opposites would attract?

On their first day of marriage, Lu Yun’an had to accompany Jiang Rou to greet her elders. Early in the morning, Jiang Rou was woken up before she had finished sleeping.

There was no reason for the father-in-law and mother-in-law to wait for the new bride to come out on her first day.

Jiang Rou saw Lu Yun’an still asleep beside her and nudged him awake.

Lu Yun’an opened his eyes and saw a pale, unpainted face. He remembered that he was married.

He hadn’t slept well, and his voice was still hoarse. “What’s wrong?”

“Tea ceremony,” Jiang Rou said.

Lu Yun’an opened his eyes and remembered that they had to perform the tea ceremony. Marriage was such a hassle.

“Marriage is such a hassle,” Jiang Rou said.

Lu Yun’an opened his mouth and then got out of bed.

In the past, it was always others who told Lu Yun’an to hurry up, saying that there were still things to do. Now, he said to Jiang Rou, “Let’s hurry up.”

“I’m definitely going back to sleep when we get back,” Jiang Rou said.

“Me too,” Lu Yun’an said.

The couple got up and had breakfast. Lu Yun’an was ready to leave, but Jiang Rou sat down at the dressing table again.

They waited for about a quarter of an hour, and Jiang Rou was still at the dressing table, with the maidservants attending to her makeup.

It wasn’t until Jinyue spoke, saying that if they didn’t leave soon, they would be keeping Marquis Dingyuan and the others waiting, that Jiang Rou finally got up from the dressing table.

Jiang Rou walked in front of Lu Yun’an, followed by several maidservants. The two of them looked too close, and the maidservants didn’t dare to approach.

Jiang Rou was practically clinging to Lu Yun’an. “They won’t bully me, will they?”

Wuwuwu, what if they bully her?

Lu Yun’an was amused. From yesterday until now, he felt like he had a bit of an understanding of Jiang Rou.

“They bully you?” Lu Yun’an asked.

“Yes, yes, husband. If they bully me, you have to help me. You’re the only one who can help me in this Marquis Mansion.”

Jiang Rou clenched her fist. “Husband, if they bully me, they’re also bullying you. I’m your wife!”

Her bright eyes looked at Lu Yun’an. Lu Yun’an coughed lightly and fanned himself with his fan. “With me here, who dares bully you?”

The two continued to walk forward. Jiang Rou was exploring the Marquis Mansion for the first time. It was very large, with beautiful scenery everywhere, pavilions, and terraces. She dawdled along the way.

Looking up, she saw that Lu Yun’an was already far ahead of her.

Jiang Rou looked at the sky. Jinyue had urged her, knowing that she walked slowly, so she had factored that into the time.

Lu Yun’an arrived at the courtyard entrance and turned around. Where was his wife, his troublesome wife?

Lu Yun’an only saw Jiang Rou’s figure in the distance.

Sun Mammy, who had been by Marquis Dingyuan’s wife’s side since Lu Yun’an was a child, had been waiting outside. She looked at the distance.

“Second Master, the young lady from the Jiang family is gentle and docile. You can’t bully her. If you do, Madam will scold you!” Sun Mammy said.

Lu Yun’an: “…”

Thinking back to yesterday’s wedding until now, Lu Yun’an pointed at himself in a wronged manner, then pointed at Jiang Rou in the distance.

Before Jiang Rou could reach them, Sun Mammy strode towards her, fearing that she might frighten the young lady. Her voice was slow and gentle. “You must be tired after getting married yesterday and coming to pay respects today. Madam said there’s no rush. Take your time, and I’ll help you.”

Jiang Rou smiled. “I’m not tired.”

She had actually rested quite well.

Sun Mammy felt even more pity for her. Jiang Rou’s appearance made her feel an involuntary fondness.

Jiang Rou reached the courtyard entrance and called out to Lu Yun’an, “Husband.”

Lu Yun’an: “Why are you so slow?”

Sun Mammy: “Second Master, Second Madam is delicate.”

Lu Yun’an: “…”

In the past, Sun Mammy had doted on him. Whenever he angered his mother, Sun Mammy would always be there to help him, sometimes even covering for him. Once, when his mother was beating him with a bamboo stick, Sun Mammy hugged him, and the bamboo stick landed on her instead.

Lu Yun’an: “I didn’t bully her!”

Jiang Rou: “Yes, yes, Husband is very good to me.”

Sun Mammy liked Jiang Rou more and more. It was truly a bargain for their Second Master!

The Marquis Dingyuan’s mansion had many people. There was Marquis Dingyuan and his wife, and the Marquis’s wife had two sons, one was Lu Yun’an’s elder brother and the other was Lu Yun’an. Lu Yun’an’s elder brother was already married.

Marquis Dingyuan also had two concubines. One was Zhou Shi, who had a daughter who was still unmarried. The other was Chu Shi, who had two sons, both of whom were unmarried.

Jiang Rou and Lu Yun’an entered the house, and everyone was there.

No one made things difficult for Jiang Rou. Instead, they gave her many things.

After Jiang Rou paid her respects with tea, Marquis Dingyuan’s wife spoke to her and Lu Yun’an for a while before letting them go back.

Finally back in their own courtyard, Jiang Rou entered the house and lay down on the couch outside.

Lu Yun’an, as usual, wanted to lie down, but then he saw Jiang Rou on the couch.

Lu Yun’an: “…”

He stood there looking at Jiang Rou for a while before throwing his boots beside her and lying down.

Jiang Rou: “Don’t crowd me.”

Lu Yun’an: “I’m not crowding you.”

Fortunately, the couch outside was quite large. Even if they were lying there together, it wasn’t too cramped.

Jinyue came in and brought a thin blanket for Jiang Rou. It was already March, and the weather was warm, but it was still better to cover one’s stomach when sleeping. Seeing Lu Yun’an beside her, Jinyue wasn’t sure what to do.

Should she bring another thin blanket for the new son-in-law?

Jiang Rou’s blanket was made of silk, soft and comfortable. She took one corner of the blanket and draped it over Lu Yun’an’s stomach.

Jiang Rou: “Okay, sleep.”

The room was quiet, only Jiang Rou’s breathing could be heard. The servants outside didn’t dare to breathe, afraid of disturbing the two masters’ rest.

Lu Yun’an thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He usually slept in, but now there was someone else lying beside him.

The feeling was a bit novel.

Lu Yun’an looked at Jiang Rou’s rosy cheeks as she slept, his eyes moved, and he reached out to pinch her cheek.

He pinched it once, and then he couldn’t help but pinch it again.

Jiang Rou opened her eyes sleepily. “What are you doing?”

Lu Yun’an: “There’s a mosquito.”

After a while, the couple both fell asleep. Lu Yun’an was sprawled out, while Jiang Rou seemed more settled, but at some point, her leg had draped over Lu Yun’an’s leg.

The windows weren’t fully closed when they were sleeping. Jinyue passed by outside and saw this, so she quickly closed the windows.

Turning around, Jinyue glared at the other maidservants.

Jinju came over. “Sister Jinyue.”

Jinyue: “Shh.”

Jinju was also Jiang Rou’s personal maid, brought into the Marquis Mansion with her. She had received a letter from the Jiang residence asking how their young lady and the new son-in-law were getting along.

Jinyue thought of the scene she had just witnessed. “Their relationship is very deep.”

Jinju: “Ah?”

Jinyue shook her head. She couldn’t understand her young lady’s thoughts. She said again, “Just say that the young lady has the new son-in-law under her control.”

Jinju: “I knew it! Our young lady is the most amazing! I’ll have them send a letter back.”