After dinner, Qin Fang went to wash the dishes.

Since they hadn’t eaten any greasy food that night, he didn’t need to use any detergent.

Yang Haiyan went to boil water; she liked to take a shower every day.

The water hadn’t boiled yet when Qin Fang had finished washing the dishes and returned to continue building the oven.

Constructing the oven was more challenging than the sink, so it took some time.

As night fell, Qin Fang was still working on the oven, and Yang Haiyan lit a candle for him.

Although it was dark, it wasn’t too late; unfortunately, this era didn’t have electric lights.

She had many treasures but couldn’t take them out.

Thinking about it made her feel a bit suffocated.

Qin Fang said, “You should go take a shower. After that, you can rest. You don’t need to keep me company.”

Yang Haiyan replied, “Okay, I’ll go shower now, and I’ll put your change of clothes in the wisteria basket.”

“Mm.” Ever since he learned that soap was cheap and effective, Qin Fang also enjoyed taking showers.

He definitely didn’t want to sleep with his wife while being dirty and smelly.

What if she disliked him for it?

After Yang Haiyan finished her shower, she got into bed.

While putting on her underwear, she had a little scheme and wore a red set.

When Qin Fang finished building the oven, took a shower, and went to put on his clothes, he saw the red underwear in the wisteria basket and felt his face flush deeply.

This… was too embarrassing… too embarrassing…

Qin Fang’s heart was racing. Did she prepare those cheerful pants for… their wedding night?

She had been sick on their wedding night, so it wouldn’t be wrong to make up for it today.

Thinking about this made his heart race even faster, and he was even a bit excited.

Tonight, he was going to become a real man.

In the barracks, there were rough men, many of whom had been married and had women in their lives, so when they gathered and relaxed, they would tell risqué jokes.

Qin Fang had never been interested in such topics, but at that moment, his mind couldn’t help but flash with thoughts about women: soft bodies, alluring figures…

He quickly shook his head, as his mind involuntarily pictured his wife.

However, there was a bit of heat in his heart. Were they really going to consummate their marriage?

Thinking about this, he rushed back to his room.

The September weather was neither too hot nor too cold; it was quite comfortable.

However, at night, he still needed to cover himself with a thin quilt, or else he would feel cold.

Qin Fang pushed the door open and saw that Yang Haiyan was already lying in bed.

He turned to lock the door, but his heart was pounding in his throat.

He walked to the bedside, matching Yang Haiyan’s gaze. “You… you’re not asleep yet?”

Yang Haiyan said, “I’m waiting for you.”

Waiting for you…

To Qin Fang, it meant waiting for their wedding night.

“I… I’m coming,” he stuttered, feeling nervous.

He hurriedly pulled back the quilt and got into bed, but as soon as he lifted the blanket, he saw that his wife was wearing the same red underwear and a red camisole, revealing her long, slender legs. Qin Fang instinctively swallowed hard, feeling a rush of blood to his head.

“Come on up! Why are you just standing there?” Yang Haiyan urged.

“Coming… coming…” he replied, quickly taking off his long pants to join her, his movements swift, more so than if he were rushing into battle.

However, Yang Haiyan still noticed his excitement.

Once he got into bed, he lay flat, his heart racing uncontrollably, as if it was about to leap from his throat.

He felt stiff all over, his fists clenched.

So, should he just roll over and press down on her?

That seemed like what a man should do, right?

Should he do it now?

With this thought, he gritted his teeth and prepared to move.

“Darling… darling…” Yang Haiyan called.

Qin Fang snapped back to reality. “Wh… what’s wrong?”

Unaware of his internal struggle, she expressed her thoughts: “Darling, when I was at the Yang residence, I learned from the elder lady with the young miss. She said that girls shouldn’t consummate their marriage before they turn eighteen, as it can be harmful to their bodies, and there’s a risk of complications during childbirth. So, I was wondering, can we wait until I’m eighteen to consummate our marriage? I won’t keep you waiting too long; I’m sixteen this year, and in a year and a half, it will be fine.”

Qin Fang’s daydreams had already dissipated when Yang Haiyan called him.

Now, hearing her say this, he had no objections.

Besides, his wife came from a wealthy family and knew much more than he did, so he trusted her a lot.

After thinking about it carefully, Qin Fang realized that his monthly salary was only one tael, barely enough to support the two of them.

Without his wife contributing her private savings, they wouldn’t even be able to eat well.

If they were to have a child, life would become even more difficult.

Like any father, he wanted to provide the best for his child, and like any man, he wanted his wife to live well.

So, he planned to work hard for the next two years and aim for the position of “Qianfu” (a military officer in charge of a thousand men).

That way, when they had a child, their life would be more comfortable.

Unlike the “Centurion” (in charge of a hundred men), who was chosen from within the military without any official rank, the Qianfu(Captain) was a recognized military officer, approved by the imperial court and holding the seventh official rank, equivalent to that of a county magistrate.

The salary of a Qianfu was issued by the court, with a monthly stipend of 4 taels, 300 wen, and 7 “shi” of rice (a shi equals about 90 catties, so that’s 630 catties of rice per month).

Since it was inconvenient to distribute so much rice, it was converted into silver, amounting to 3 taels and 800 wen.

All together, the monthly salary would be 8 taels and 100 wen.

With that, they could sustain a family.

Having done his calculations, Qin Fang felt more confident about the future. “Okay, take care of your health. That’s the most important thing,” he told her.

He thought to himself, for the next two years, he would focus on her health and his own efforts.

Once he had the money, he would make sure she could eat like they did at noon every day.

Yang Haiyan smiled, “Thank you, husband. You’re my favorite.”

Qin Fang’s body stiffened upon hearing this. “I’m… your favorite?”

It was the first time he had heard anyone say that to him.

As a child, being the eldest grandson, his parents and grandparents treated him well, even after he had younger siblings.

But the love from his family was different from what this woman meant by saying he was her favorite.

Yang Haiyan nodded, “Yes. I was sold by my parents when I was young. I don’t even remember who they are. My memories of them are vague. Most of my memories are of the Yang family, but the people there were different from you. In the Yang family, I was a servant. No matter how well the young lady treated me, I always had to remember my place. But you… you are my family. That’s why you’re my favorite.”

Qin Fang felt a pang of sadness.

How cruel it must have been for her parents to sell her.

He gently held her shoulders, “You have me now.”

He would protect her and make sure she didn’t suffer any more.

Yang Haiyan smiled, “I’m so happy. Thank you to the court and the emperor for arranging our marriage.”

Qin Fang’s lips curved into a smile as well.

He was happy too, and grateful to the court and the emperor.

The couple spent the night together peacefully.

Qin Fang slept well that night and woke up early the next morning.

He tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake Yang Haiyan, but she woke up anyway. “Did I wake you?” he asked. “It’s still early. Sleep a bit more. I’m going to practice boxing. I’ll make breakfast after.”

“I’ve had enough sleep,” Yang Haiyan replied. “You go practice boxing, and I’ll do some exercises.”

“You exercise too?” Qin Fang was curious. “What kind of exercises?”

Yang Haiyan laughed, “Just exercises to keep healthy and… to maintain my figure. Do you like my figure?”

Qin Fang’s face reddened again. “You… you…”

Yang Haiyan couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

Qin Fang sighed in resignation.

After getting up, the two went to wash up.

Yang Haiyan took out two wooden toothbrushes and a box of toothpaste.

She had bought the toothpaste from the platform, then stored it in a wooden box purchased from the carpenter’s shop to avoid suspicion.

The wooden toothbrushes were handmade to match the style of the times.

She had meant to tell Qin Fang about it the night before, but she forgot after washing up.

Qin Fang had been using salt to brush his teeth.

Now, seeing the wooden toothbrush and toothpaste, he was surprised. “Is this something from the Yang family?”

“No, I bought it from a foreign merchant when I bought soap,” Yang Haiyan explained. “It’s quite good. You scoop a bit of this with the small spoon, put it on the toothbrush, and then…”

Brushing teeth was easy to learn, and Qin Fang quickly got the hang of it.

The first time he brushed, his gums bled, and he was worried something was wrong with his teeth.

After Yang Haiyan explained, he understood.

Qin Fang started to enjoy brushing his teeth, even more than eating delicacies or wearing new clothes.

After brushing, he couldn’t help but say, “This wooden toothbrush is great.”

He grinned, showing his teeth. “Are my teeth white?”

Yang Haiyan smiled, “Husband has a perfect set of teeth.”

Qin Fang was pleased.

Next, they boiled water in one pot and cooked porridge in another.

Qin Fang went to practice boxing while Yang Haiyan did her workout.

She did 15 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of arm exercises, then cleaned herself up after finishing.

By the time she was done, Qin Fang was still practicing.

She drank a cup of freshly boiled water, cooled with some room-temperature water, then washed her face using face wash and applied skincare products.

The skincare items she bought were in sample sizes, which were easy to carry.

The containers were either in packets or plastic tubes, which she could easily burn later to avoid leaving evidence.

By then, the rice porridge was ready.

She also prepared shredded cabbage and egg, with the egg freshly cooked as a pancake, then cut into strips.

When Qin Fang finished his boxing practice, breakfast was ready.

The simple meal of rice porridge with shredded cabbage and egg was both delicious and affordable.