Chapter 95: A Bright Red Bridal Chamber

In Shugen’s home, Su Zhi, Li Qing’s wife, Aunt Jinhua, and Zhao Feng were chatting together. With three women conversing with each other, it was more than enough to enliven the atmosphere.

Su Zhi had been at home these days, bonding with the Sacred Beast and its family. Shen Zi’an advised her to go out and share with others about the Sacred Beast’s family, so the villagers could understand them better. Now that the Sacred Beast was here, it could deter some relatives who might cause trouble, but not everyone. They needed to gradually show that the Sacred Beast wouldn’t harm people easily, so they could lead a truly peaceful and normal life.

“Sister, is it true that the Sacred Beast doesn’t bite?”

Zhao Feng held a piece of embroidered silk, curiously asking as she stitched.

Su Zhi brought a small basket from home, containing needles, thread, some fabric, and a pair of unfinished shoe soles, clearly sized for Shen Zi’an. She intended to make him a new pair of cotton shoes. She was now earnestly stitching the shoe soles when she heard Zhao Feng’s question and smiled as she looked up.

“Of course it doesn’t. Sister-in-law, see how I’m standing here just fine? The Sacred Beast is truly spiritual. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have led and given me a ginseng plant. These days, we’ve been getting along well. It even goes hunting with Zi’an.”

Li Qing’s wife chimed in, “That’s true. I heard from others that when they saw Zi’an with a big white wolf, they were frightened. But that white wolf didn’t bite them, and Zi’an even introduced it to them! They said that white wolf looked majestic and beautiful, with fur as white as snow. Is that true?”

Su Zhi smiled and said, “It’s true. I’ve named it ‘Big White.’ Its fur is really white, without a trace of impurity. It’s like a piece of white satin. When you touch it, it’s soft and smooth. But unfortunately, it doesn’t like being touched by people much. Every time I touch it, it looks at me. You wouldn’t know, Big White doesn’t speak, but you can tell what it’s thinking just by looking into its eyes. When I touch it, it gives me a look, as if saying, ‘Take your hand away.'”

“Really? It’s that intuitive?”

Aunt Jinhua also brightened up at the news. Hearing that the Sacred Beast had been given a name, Big White, made it feel more approachable. The fear dissipated a lot. And when Su Zhi mentioned that Big White allows people to touch it and has such expressive eyes, they felt even less afraid. They thought, if the Sacred Beast is like this, resembling a wolf but with the intelligence of a dog, then it’s truly wonderful.

“Sister, didn’t you say that the Sacred Beast’s wife is a dog? What does that dog look like? Is it fierce? How else could it be worthy of the Sacred Beast? Dogs are usually afraid of wolves.”

Shugen’s Wife also asked curiously. She had a yellow dog at home and knew that dogs were afraid of wolves.

Su Zhi then described the black dog, now named Big Black, to the other women, talking about how gentle it was. She also talked about the two wolf cubs, making herself laugh more happily than usual. The others listened with laughter, feeling less fearful of the Sacred Beast’s family. They even thought that if the Sacred Beast could have cubs with a dog, it wouldn’t be so scary.

“Aunt, can you bring Little Black and Little White out next time? I’ll give them some treats.”

Shuanzi peeked in from outside the door; he and Huzi and Xiaosuo were playing in the corner, but when they heard Su Zhi talking about the Sacred Beast, they ran back to listen. When they heard about the little wolves, they couldn’t help but get excited. They all wanted to play with little white and black wolves, just like Su Zhi. They thought that while other families only had little dogs and cats, if they had a little wolf, it would be so impressive!

Huzi also ran in, tugging at Su Zhi’s sleeve and shaking it, saying, “Fourth Aunt, Fourth Aunt, bring out the little wolves to play with us! I promise not to bully them, and I’ll give them some treats too.”

Xiaosuo was quieter, but he also stood by, his eyes shining as he looked at Su Zhi.

Aunt Jinhua smiled and said, “You want to play with the little Sacred Beasts? Aren’t you afraid that the big Sacred Beast will come and carry you away?”

Shuanzi pouted and said, “Fourth Aunt said that as long as we’re not naughty, the Sacred Beast won’t eat us. If I give little black and white treats, the Sacred Beast won’t carry me away. I give treats to Big Yellow^[1]Shuanzi is Zhao Feng’s Son, she mentioned that the had a Dog, and it even licks me!”

Su Zhi chuckled at this; it seemed like the children weren’t afraid at all, unlike some adults. But this was a good thing; this was exactly what she wanted.

“Alright, next time I’ll bring out little black and white to play with you. Little Black is very mischievous, but also a bit silly. You mustn’t bully it; if you do, Little White will seek revenge for it.”

The three children cheered happily and ran out, telling their friends that they would soon be able to play with the little wolves. Soon, the adults also heard that Su Zhi could bring the little wolves to the village, and they were curious too. Since the wolves protected their young, if the Sacred Beast agreed to bring its cubs to the village, it meant it had no ill intentions towards the villagers.

Su Zhi had been at Shugen’s house until dusk, almost finishing making the two shoes. She had thought about leaving earlier, but Shugen and the others insisted she stay a little longer, saying it was rare to have such a good chat and she shouldn’t rush home and miss cooking dinner.

It wasn’t until the room started to darken that the women finally dispersed.

As Su Zhi walked to the bridge, she saw Shen Zi’an.

“Why are you here? I’m late; I’ll go back and cook now.”

Su Zhi looked at the almost setting sun and realized she had been out for too long. Indeed, when women started chatting, time flew by.

“I’ve already prepared dinner.”

Shen Zi’an took the basket from Su Zhi’s hand. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with a man carrying a basket, which was quite modern of him and satisfied Su Zhi. It wasn’t that she couldn’t carry it herself; she just enjoyed feeling cared for.

“What did you make? You could have waited for me to go back and cook. It’s not too late now.”

Su Zhi walked alongside Shen Zi’an, gently linking her arm through his. In this ancient era, displays of intimacy between men and women were rare, even for married couples. However, Su Zhi liked the feeling of being together with her husband, arm in arm, as if they were a couple returning home. Since there weren’t many houses on the eastern side of the village, they could always loosen up if they encountered someone later.

Shen Zi’an held Su Zhi’s hands in his own, feeling their chilliness. He tucked her hands into his sleeves and said, “Why didn’t you bring gloves? Your hands are cold; if they get frostbitten, they’ll itch.”

“I forgot to bring them, but since I’m not doing any work, they won’t freeze. But you, I made you a pair of gloves. Why are you still wearing this old pair? It’s too thin.”

“That pair was aborrowed by Big Sister. She said she’d make a few more like it, so I’ll pick them up tomorrow. Wife, I think before long, many people will be wearing these gloves.”

Su Zhi nodded and said, “Yes, they’re easy to make and not worth much. Maybe we can have Big Sister and Second Sister make them to sell. But you can also tell them to go to the embroidery workshop and share this method with the embroiderers there. Perhaps it can earn them a little money. Even if it’s not much, it’s the thought that counts.”

Su Zhi had also considered making money by selling gloves, but she realized that the profit wouldn’t be substantial, and it would require seizing the opportunity quickly. Otherwise, if others copied the idea, there would be no profit left. She now had a more lucrative business opportunity, so she didn’t want to waste time on this. Doing a favor for someone was the most profitable option.

Shen Zi’an thought for a moment and said, “That’s a good idea. If they make and sell them, the money might end up going to the family funds. Let them quietly sell the pattern instead, and that money can be kept as private funds.”

Su Zhi smiled and pursed her lips. Her husband was indeed clever.

The couple returned home happily, and as soon as they entered, Little Black came bouncing up. Seeing its round belly, they knew it had just eaten well.

Su Zhi handed the basket to Shen Zi’an, then picked up Little Black and played with it for a while. She then crouched down to stroke Little White and exchanged a few words with the white wolf and black dog. She truly regarded them as family, always speaking to them as if they were people. As for whether they understood or not, she didn’t care; she chose to believe they did.

After playing enough with Little Black, she set it down and returned to the house.

As she lifted the curtain, Su Zhi froze.

Inside the room was all aglow with red. Along the edge of the kang, red curtains hung from the ceiling, with a row of “Double Happiness” characters in the center, also in red but a shade deeper than the curtain itself. Around the characters were yellow and green patterns, adding festivity without losing elegance. When the curtains were drawn from both sides to the center, the interior of the kang was concealed, and upon entering the room, all that greeted one’s eyes was this festive curtain, lending an air of grandeur and prosperity to the entire room.

Upon closer inspection, red paper adorned the cabinet, bearing the same “Double Happiness” characters.

On the table were four dishes and a soup, along with a jar of wine, all embellished with “Double Happiness” characters. Shen Zi’an was lighting the red candles, two of them, standing on two bronze candlesticks gleaming with radiance, exuding joy.

As the candles flickered, their light cast onto the white paper window, which was also adorned with red paper.

Su Zhi stood there, as if frozen in place, gazing at everything before her. She knew full well what was happening, but she felt a bit dizzy. These were the decorations for their bridal chamber—Shen Zi’an was arranging their bridal chamber. The words “bridal chamber” kept swirling in her mind, causing her face to flush even redder. She couldn’t tell if it was from the room suffused with red or from her own embarrassment.

Shen Zi’an approached Su Zhi, taking her hand in his. “Wife, I said I wanted to give you a wonderful bridal chamber night. What do you think of this?”

Suddenly, Su Zhi felt deeply moved. In her past life, she had also been married, but it always seemed like she was the one putting effort into that marriage. Now, finally, someone was making an effort for her happiness. Although it wasn’t extravagant or grandiose, just this sea of red had melted her heart.

Su Zhi leaned forward, expressing her satisfaction with her actions. In this life, she thought, let it be like this—spending her life with a man who was willing to carefully prepare a bridal chamber night for her.