Chapter 34 Let's stay tonight to consummate the marriage

Jiang Si didn't care what others said.

However, Xiao Qiangyue quietly told her, "That Xu Honghan seems to have taken a fancy to your husband. She often inquires about him and even gave Liu Weining and the others a lot of expensive jewelry to curry favor with her."

Jiang Si was puzzled. "Why is this happening? Xie Yunshuo isn't unmarried. What does she gain from doing this?"

The others had something in their hearts that they dared not say, and their eyelids were almost blinking as they exchanged glances.

Xiao Qiangyue whispered in Jiang Si's ear, "Perhaps she's hoping you and Xie Yunshuo will have a falling out, get a divorce, and become his second wife."

Jiang Si was shocked and couldn't believe it: "How could there be such a thing? Xie Yunshuo must be a real hot commodity."

But think about it, ignoring his arrogant character, his unyielding nature, and his conceited nature, whether in terms of body shape, appearance, or future prospects, it is difficult for any young man to surpass him in any aspect.

Not to mention that all three are combined in Xie Yunshuo.

Such young talents are as dazzling as the sun and naturally have many believers.

Those who admire and yearn for him, especially those of high social status like the imperial concubine's niece, would all think, "Why is she Jiang Si?"

Not only her, but others who wanted to marry into the Xie family and become the young general's wife were also watching closely.

Jiang Si knew that she had been both praised and criticized in the past, and now that she had taken advantage of such a great opportunity and prevented many people from getting what they wanted, she became a thorn in the eyes and a thorn in the flesh.

But she made it clear that she didn't need to worry about it.

Just as she said just now, only if you live a good life will you attract jealousy, so she has to live a better life.

On the other side, Liu Weining and the others saw that the other party did not respond, knowing that it was boring, they climbed up the stairs and entered another pavilion.

But the topic still revolves around Jiang Si.

Some people said: "Jiang Si doesn't look like she used to. She looks so old and dressed like this."

"This is such a departure from the past. I'm afraid this is done intentionally to impress someone."

"There's no point in looking. Given my cousin's personality, it's going to be very difficult for them to get along well. Jiang Si is trying to win people over by pretending to be kind, but I'm afraid her pretense won't last long. She'll be exposed after just a few words."

Xu Honghan asked, "What kind of girl does your cousin like?"

Liu Weining puffed out his chest and raised his head, speaking slowly, "My cousin doesn't get along with Jiang Si, so what he wants must be the opposite of what Jiang Si wants. A woman with reserved and gentle words and deeds, a gentle and thoughtful woman with talent, like the eldest granddaughter of Master Wen, a woman from an aristocratic family."

A few people were gossiping, and without asking or meeting each other, they all thought that Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo were difficult to get along with.

Because the two of them have always been at loggerheads and never give in.

Seeing Jiang Si's abnormal behavior, he thought she was the one trying to please.

A group of girls who were confused about the facts were all watching the joke, but they didn't know who was the joke.

After talking for a while, Jiang Si and her friends took their maids, carried bamboo baskets, and went to the back mountain to pick fruits, chatting and laughing.

At this time of year, there are apples, dates, oranges, and persimmons. These fruit trees in the back mountain have been carefully cared for for the ladies to enjoy and have fun. The branches are clean and the fruit branches hang low.

Jiang Si asked the maids to accompany Xie Qinghan to play freely. She carried a small basket and picked some fruits to kill time.

Most of the time I was talking to Xiao Qiangyue and the others.

Since Xie Qinghan was not around, the few of them felt free to speak freely.

Jiang Si told them everything that she had experienced in the past few days without bias.

And yesterday, she said she wanted to plant peonies in the yard, but Xie Yunshuo did not agree.

Naturally, several close sisters started cursing.

The sharp-tongued Xiao Qiangyue said, "Bah! I knew Xie Yunshuo wasn't a good person. He's just planting two flowers, what can you do to him? He's so arbitrary and excessive. Who can live a day like this?"

That being said, Jiang Si herself was actually fine.

She sighed. For her, the most serious problem at the moment was that she and Xie Yunshuo had to announce the good news before the expedition date in November.

The girls who were blaming Xie Yunshuo for being inconsiderate and bad at treating others fell silent when they heard this, not knowing what to say.

At first glance, this sounds as bizarre as hearing someone say that pears are growing on an apple tree.

No one dared to think, nor could they imagine, what the situation would be like if Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo had a child.

For the two of them, let alone getting pregnant through the Zhougong ritual, it was even difficult for them to be polite to each other right now.

Under such circumstances, it was too much for Xie Yunshuo's grandfather to make such a request.

Jiang Si added, "Xie Yunshuo said there's no need to worry too much and just let things take their course."

"What about you? What do you think?" Qin Zhiyi asked her.

Jiang Si had actually thought about it many times. Because the matter was of great importance, she hesitated when she spoke, and her words and actions were obviously unnatural and showed that she was not used to it.

"I can. If I leave a descendant, I'll have a son or daughter who can accompany me."

As her good friends, Qin Zhiyi and the others could see that Jiang Si was worried.

She rarely spoke or acted in such a heavy and unconfident manner.

Even if what is said has a conclusion, there is still an unshakable hesitation and confusion.

Qin Zhiyi stood beside her and handed her a peeled orange with the skin still on.

"I tasted one clove, it's not sour, you can eat some first."

Jiang Si took it, ate two slices of orange peel, and straightened her mind.

Then she slowly told them about the dream.

If it weren't for Xie Yunshuo's grandfather's advice and that horrifying dream, Jiang Si would never have thought about leaving a descendant.

She thought that she and Xie Yunshuo were a fake couple who were strangers to each other. Since they slept in separate rooms, they would never get together again. There was no chance for them to complete their owed wedding night.

As the saying goes, "A driver of ten years will be easily confused when encountering something unfamiliar." Even the most experienced person will be confused and at a loss.

What's more, this matter involves both her and Xie Yunshuo.

What made Jiang Si hesitate was whether she should be anxious or really not take it seriously and adopt the same attitude as Xie Yunshuo.

Even Xiao Qiangyue, who usually loves to talk and give advice, didn't know what to say.

At this time, Qin Zhiyi said something that made Jiang Si realize something.

"Why dwell on such unrealistic things? This thing can't be rushed. If you wish to have children with him, then try your best. If you are blessed with children, it will come a long time ago. If not, wouldn't it be in vain for both of you to try?"

They are so wise that they appear foolish.

Many complicated things can be turned simple in her mouth. She is the most easy-going and never anxious about anything, which leads to good results.

Jiang Si woke up instantly.

Indeed, I heard from others that many families and some couples had difficulty in having children for many years.

Some of them have it early.

The blessing of having children and grandchildren is determined by God, and cannot be achieved by her impatiently.

If she wants children, she should try as soon as possible.

If you don't want it, put it off.

Jiang Si had always been a little uncertain about something, but it was finally settled at this moment.

This time, she agreed to it for herself.

She and Xie Yunshuo could never be on good terms and could dislike each other for the rest of their lives, but she needed a child of her own blood to be her support.

After making up her mind, she said, "Okay, I understand." Then she smiled again.

Finally, a big knot in her heart was untied. Jiang Si was no longer troubled. What remained was just the question of how to get along with Xie Yunshuo.

There's no need to rush this kind of thing; it's best to let nature take its course.

Jiang Si had the simplest idea: she would treat the consummation of her marriage like taking medicine, closing her eyes and drinking it all. Good medicine tastes bitter, but once you finish it, you'll feel better.

The fruit trees in the villa were all flourishing. Jiang Si packed some of the fruits she had picked herself and prepared to take them back to the general's mansion.

After stepping on the soil and getting their sleeves dirty in the orchard, everyone combed their hair, changed their clothes, and had two meals in the upper room.

The food at Miaoyu Villa is fresh and exquisitely prepared. The best part is that each dish and dessert is made with a variety of fruits and flowers.

Orange puree cherry meat, sour plum spareribs, rose flower xuan cake, red date and yam puree...

Jiang Si enjoyed the meal and took a few dishes with her before returning home.

She was out for the whole day and had two meals outside.

In the past, when she was traveling, she would bring back any delicious food, drinks, or other things she came across to honor her parents and siblings. This habit continues to this day.

The food she brought back could only be given to Xie Yunshuo.

Thinking about this, Jiang Si felt a little unfair.

Why did Xie Yunshuo reject her and make her angry without hesitation? She even eagerly brought things back to him from outside.

She looked at the food in the food box and didn't want to give it to him.

Later, Xie Yunshuo would have to watch helplessly as she gave the food she brought back to others and not to him.

With this thought in mind, Jiang Si entered the general's mansion from the corner gate closest to Xian Yi's residence. When she walked into the alley outside the courtyard, she heard several strangers' voices coming from the direction of the courtyard.

The voice was rough and seemed to belong to a middle-aged man.

There were other loud and noisy noises in the yard.

Jiang Si was puzzled, and walked into the yard with the maids with inquiring eyes.

In the flower gardens on the left and right, there were many servants in coarse clothes working, digging the soil, renovating the fields, and arranging the seedlings.

In a bamboo basket on the green bricks nearby, the newly brought in plants were piled up. Some of the flowers and plants previously planted in the yard were dug out and the land was re-leveled.

With such a big commotion, it is obvious what they are doing.

Xie Yunshuo was standing under the eaves looking at the situation in the yard, seemingly supervising something. When he saw Jiang Si coming back, his eyes were calm and his face was expressionless. He was not prepared to come over. It seemed that he wanted to turn sideways and go into the house, but he did not do it.

Jiang Si was extremely surprised.

She took the initiative to walk over and asked Jiaoshan, who was watching the craftsmen from the side.

She asked politely, and Jiaoshan answered frankly, "The eldest son heard from his wife that she liked peonies, so he had these two adjacent flower beds planted with peonies and a few pine trees planted to frame them."

A smile slowly appeared in Jiang Si's eyes, which had originally looked dull.

"Okay, I understand."

She walked into the house, and Wuchan and Youlu followed her with lunch boxes in their hands, smiling at each other behind her.

Well, now the girls don’t have to hesitate about who to give the food box to.

Xie Yunshuo, who was standing under the eaves, saw Jiang Si walking towards him step by step, getting closer and closer, and felt a strange emotion.

If someone else did something to please someone, they would want to talk about it, ask for gratitude, and demand a reward.

He secretly did what Jiang Si wanted. When he saw her, he strangely felt like avoiding her and didn't even want her to see him.

I don't know whether he thought this was deliberate or he was worried about what Jiang Si might think.

Behind all this, there seems to be a feeling that is too embarrassing to speak out.

Xie Yunshuo had never done such a thing for anyone before. He was not used to it and didn't know whether he should do it.

With his personality, he would not agree to others changing the layout of the yard. He didn't want to make changes to things he was used to.

But Jiang Si said she liked it. She told him frankly that she liked peonies. As for Xie Yunshuo, he couldn't say he liked the current yard, he just got used to it.

Since Mu Dan is something Jiang Si likes and is more important, let's just do as she pleases.

Thinking these thoughts, when Jiang Si stood in front of him, Xie Yunshuo inexplicably took a half step back.

Because Jiang Si was too close.

Her eyes and eyebrows were full of joy and she was smiling.

"Why, someone said he didn't want to plant flowers, and now someone got hit. Why is that?"

She asked so bluntly...

Since she already knew this, why did she question instead of thanking him?

Jiang Si is such a hateful person.

Xie Yunshuo looked ahead, out of her sight, suppressed his slightly fluctuating heart, and said calmly: "You took Third Sister out for a walk today, so this is my thank you."

He made up an excuse and attributed his willingness to agree to something else to cover it up.

Jiang Si said "Oh", "Is that so? Then you are grateful for what you have done, which is not bad."

She found a legitimate excuse, and she believed it, and the inexplicable emotion in Xie Yunshuo's heart slowly receded.

Jiang Si was not only happy, but also surprised that he was willing to give in.

No matter what, she was glad to see Mudan. She took a step forward, walked into the room past Xie Yunshuo, and turned back to call her.

"Xie Yunshuo, I brought back some unusual dishes and snacks. Come and try them."

It was already after dinner, and Xie Yunshuo should have already had dinner at home, but she spoke of this with a nonchalant look, as if she didn't know or didn't care about it at all.

Xie Yunshuo replied, "I've eaten."

Jiang Si turned a deaf ear to him and said, "Try it, even just a bite. Don't waste my kindness. It would be a waste if you don't eat it."

Hearing this, Xie Yunshuo had no choice but to follow.

Fortunately, he didn't eat much at dinner.

The two sat down at the dining table in the middle hall. The food boxes were placed on the table. Jiang Si opened them herself and brought out the dishes one by one.

She touched the bottom of the plate of sour plum spareribs and found that although they were still warm, they were not very hot. She handed it to the maid and asked her to go to the tea room to steam them and heat them up before eating.

Other snacks were brought out and placed on the table at the side, clearly for Xie Yunshuo to sit down and enjoy.

Xie Yunshuo had no choice but to follow her instructions, sit down, and take the porcelain spoon handed to him by the maid.

Jiang Si also sat down, put her arms on the table, and showed no intention of eating with them.

"These foods were developed by the cooks at Miaoyu Villa. They're not seen outside, and they taste really new."

Xie Yunshuo put the food into his mouth and found that although it tasted good, it didn't have any special flavor and his reaction was mediocre.

Jiang Si looked at his expression and asked, "What's wrong? Is it not tasty?"

For some reason, Xie Yunshuo always felt that if he said it was just average, he would be scolded.

To reduce the couple's arguments, he tried to smooth things over: "Not bad, the taste is novel, sweet and soft with just the right amount of flavor."

Jiang Si didn't quite believe it. She remembered that Xie Yunshuo didn't like desserts, but she didn't delve into it.

As long as he doesn't say anything bad and doesn't let her down, it's fine.

If Xie Yunshuo said something to spoil her mood, that would be a different matter. She would never bring him anything again.

After a while, the hot ribs were served. Xie Yunshuo ate two pieces, filling his stomach which had not been full in the evening.

The young couple had a rare moment together, and the atmosphere in the room was harmonious. After Xie Yunshuo tasted the meal she had specially sent back, he wiped his mouth and asked her, "How was your time out today?"

Jiang Si said to him roughly, "Seeing my friends makes me feel good. I also picked some fruit and brought it back. You can have some. Have the maid bring some to Zhixingzhai in the evening."

Xie Yunshuo nodded. Jiang Si thought about it and couldn't help but complain to him.

"I met your cousin and the others today, and they said a few unpleasant things to me."

She is not someone who will swallow her anger in silence. If she is unhappy, she will speak out.

Whether she minds or not is one thing, but I can't suffer in silence.

Xie Yunshuo asked her: "What did they say? About you?"

He lowered his brows, having a bad feeling.

Xie Yunshuo knew that Liu Weining and the others were spoiled girls at home, and that was because of his past disagreements with Jiang Si. When Liu Weining and the others talked about Jiang Si, they rarely had good things to say.

Now that he and Jiang Si are married, if they still behave like this, he will personally warn them one day.

This time, Jiang Si was talking to him while sitting next to Xie Yunshuo, tapping lightly on the table with her slender fingers.

"I didn't say anything too offensive. You were just making fun of me. I'm your wife, but I still dress so unpresentable. I think I'm dressed appropriately. Why are you so picky? What do you think?"

When this question was given to Xie Yunshuo, it immediately made him alert.

Where had he ever experienced such an occasion?

From childhood to adulthood, the places Xie Yunshuo had spent the most time in, apart from the mansion, were the academy and the military camp, and he had rarely talked with women.

Not to mention their clothes and accessories.

His own clothes were arranged by Yan Qing and his mother. He only expressed his own preferences, and everything else was taken care of by others.

Xie Yunshuo didn't understand silks and satins, didn't understand weaving patterns, and even less did he know how to match colors. The simplest colors were black, dark blue, and white.

He didn't understand these things, he only had a pair of eyes to judge.

Jiang Si wanted his explanation, so Xie Yunshuo had to answer sincerely. If he just gave her a perfunctory answer, she would be so smart that she would sense that there was something false in his words and would definitely be unhappy and would say something to stop him.

Therefore, Xie Yunshuo looked at her intently, his eyes slowly scanning her clothes.

When Jiang Si returned, she changed her clothes and re-did her hair, but the difference was not big.

She is indeed very different from other girls of the same age.

Liu Weining and the others seemed to often wear light-colored clothes, such as rouge, lotus root powder, and peach pink, which were bright and delicate.

Jiang Si prefers rich colors such as dark green, purple, indigo and light yellow.

The clothes she often wore were made of soft fabrics and the brocade patterns were not complicated.

Paired with a white undershirt, revealing the segmented cuffs.

So rich, so attractive.

Xie Yunshuo's gaze fell on her smooth profile, but he didn't look into her eyes.

Lowering my gaze, I saw a snowy neck half-hidden by the collar, its graceful lines extending outward. Against the backdrop of the dark green collar, her complexion was as white as a radiant glow, as smooth as fine porcelain.

Xie Yunshuo was startled, and his eyes quickly moved away as if they were burned. His eyes fell on the pattern on her sleeve, and then he saw her hand, and his eyes quickly moved away again.

Xie Yunshuo slowly and inconspicuously took a deep breath and said seriously, "Maybe I'm used to it. I just think your clothes suit you very well. They don't look dull or old-fashioned, but rather unique."

As he said this, his eyes were fixed on the food still on the table.

It was strange that he and Jiang Si usually looked at each other with a tense atmosphere, but when he looked at her, he only looked at her with two eyes, a nose and a mouth, without any special color.

Even though I knew she was beautiful.

But when she asked him to look at her and actively invited his evaluation, Xie Yunshuo's gaze became heavy and it was difficult to move it towards her face.

There seemed to be an invisible and intangible barrier blocking his sight and preventing him from seeing.

Jiang Si said with satisfaction, "That's pretty good, so it's just that they have no taste."

Jiang Si felt that she looked good in the clothes she liked, and she didn't care what others said about her.

There was no need to ask Xie Yunshuo's opinion. She just had nothing to do and wanted to chat with him.

Since he has a pair of eyes that can distinguish right from wrong and is not blinded by old age, and can tell good from bad, when she is in a good mood, she is still willing to give it a try with him because of her grandfather's order and put the marriage consummation on the agenda.

Jiang Si was a decisive and straightforward person, and she spoke to him directly.

"Xie Yunshuo, you should stay in the main room tonight to consummate your marriage."

"Cough...cough" Xie Yunshuo didn't drink any water, but he was coughing badly.

I don’t know what he was choking on, but his face turned red instantly.

Jiang Si was stunned for a moment, realizing that she had spoken out of turn.

Why did she suddenly say this so bluntly?

She thought that perhaps because she had no romantic thoughts about this matter, and only wanted to complete her grandfather's entrustment and her belief in establishing herself, she treated this matter as a big deal.

I thought of it and blurted it out.

Xie Yunshuo's attitude reminded her that this was no ordinary matter.

Especially who would speak as loudly as she did, with clear articulation and without any concealment.

It's too frivolous and reckless.

The maids waiting in the room all lowered their heads.

Jiang Si regretted her hasty words, but since she had already said them, there was no taking them back.

As long as she is not shy, it is only others who are shy.

She didn't care what Xie Yunshuo thought, she stood up and dismissed him: "Okay, you can leave first. I'll be out all day. I need to take a shower and change clothes."

Xie Yunshuo responded and walked out sideways.

However, the first thing he faced was the direction of the inner room.

Fortunately, I realized what was wrong in time, turned around quickly, and left towards the door correctly.

His steps were a little messy, his mind was blank, and he didn't know how he walked out of the house.

After going out, Xie Yunshuo stood under the eaves. He could not hear Qiu Ze calling him, and the only thing in his mind was that he had forgotten to reject Jiang Si.

It seemed that he didn't understand Jiang Si well enough. He never thought that she would propose it so directly, without any explanation or consultation.

In Xie Yunshuo's mind, he thought that if he didn't mention it, Jiang Si would never mention it in her life.

She hated him so much, why would she take the initiative to consummate the marriage?

Xie Yunshuo felt extremely helpless, which was rare in his life, and he gave it all to Jiang Si.