Chapter 14

Some familiar memories in her body awakened, and her mind was confused for a moment.

The deepest impression I had about this matter in my previous life was that it took too long.

His mind was hazy and he recalled Xiao Youran's words. Could there really be a difference? Xie Yunchu had never been with other men, so naturally she had no way of telling the difference. The moonshade fluttered along with her blurred vision. Perhaps because she was distracted, she didn't feel the pain anymore and unconsciously loosened his collar.

Wang Shuhuai noticed his wife's reaction, pursed his lips slightly and sped up the process.

Xie Yunchu never dared to look at him at this time in the past. She was shy and timid. Sometimes she would pull his clothes to arouse sympathy, and sometimes she would try to climb him slowly with both hands, but she would slip down again after a short while. She was always too shy to express her feelings.

She suddenly shifted her gaze. The face was against the light and could not be seen clearly. Only the taut jaw was shaking in front of her eyes. The lines were neat and full of tension, and she could feel a sharpness different from before. Deep in her limbs and bones, she felt a urge to get closer to him. Xie Yunchu moved slightly.

Wang Shuhuai paused, and subconsciously wanted to speak, but then he pursed his lips deeply and asked with his eyes.

Xie Yunchu felt a pair of eyes staring at her in the darkness, but she didn't care. She adjusted her position, then grabbed the straps around his waist and pulled his waist down. Then she turned her face to the other side, feeling shy and embarrassed.

From Wang Shuhuai's perspective, he could see that pretty face with a blush on her cheeks that had not faded.

His heart suddenly softened, and his movements became more agile.

Xie Yunchu's slender fingers trembled slightly and he took a deep breath.

She seemed to understand Xiao Youran's words... So that's how it is... Such experiences in her previous life were buried by the years. She was of a dignified nature and never thought about these things. She didn't know whether she had experienced them or not, but in this life, she broke through those red tapes and rules, and she became more lively. She would care more about her own feelings.

People should please themselves.

Her brows slowly relaxed, and for a moment she almost couldn't breathe. After she caught her breath, she looked at the man.

Sweat covered his clean temples. It was not known whether it was because his appearance was too handsome, or because his noble temperament was not tainted by the mundane world, but even when he was doing this, his demeanor was still pure and elegant and could not be desecrated.

That face is really impeccable.

Sensing Xie Yunchu's gaze, Wang Shuhuai lowered his eyes, and Xie Yunchu was unable to dodge.

Eyes met.

This has never happened before.

There was a gurgling sound, and both of them were stunned, their eyes crossed in panic.

Xie Yunchu wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, but with her in his arms, he had no idea what to do. In the end, he simply covered his face with the half-undone shirt. A very light humming sound came from the man above, not sure if it was a laugh or something else. Xie Yunchu didn't dare to look and was too lazy to do so.

Later, the face slowly emerged from under the veil, the snow-white neck was tilted back, she breathed in deep gulps, and the blush on her delicate face was completely dyed red.

This was the first time Wang Shuhuai saw his wife revealing a different kind of beauty without any concealment, and his deep gaze was instantly captured...

The moonlight was bright, and a gentle breeze blew in slowly. Xie Yunchu lay motionless on the bed, a thin quilt covering her heaving body. She buried her face in her thick hair, feeling ashamed but also secretly feeling a sense of relief and happiness.

Wang Shuhuai got off the bed first, gently and meticulously tied his waist belt back on, and looked down at his wife.

Apparently, this was a pleasant exchange.

"I'll go take a shower first." He said softly, his voice still a little hoarse, like the sound of a bow string.

Xie Yunchu hummed in a depressed voice, and when she heard the sound of water in the bathroom, she lazily got up. At this time, Nanny Lin came in to serve her, holding back her laughter. Xie Yunchu glared at her, and Nanny Lin smiled even more deeply. The noise just now was so loud, it was obvious that the young couple had a good relationship. She first diligently helped her to get up, and when she went to another bathroom, she conveniently changed the mattress and cleaned the room.

After a while, the two of them lay down on the bed at the same time. At this moment, Xie Yunchu was extremely tired and fell asleep immediately.

Wang Shuhuai smelled the remaining debauchery in the tent, glanced at his wife who was sleeping unconscious, and closed his eyes silently.

When he woke up the next day, Wang Shuhuai did not disturb Xie Yunchu.

He was used to Xie Yunchu not waiting for him in the morning, and the joy he had last night resolved the trivial doubts in his heart.

As usual, he went for morning exercise and then returned to the study to change clothes. During this time, the guards handed him some letters saying that the secret guard Xun Zhong had arrived in Yuhang and was investigating Liu Chang's case. With so much official business coming one after another, Wang Shuhuai quickly put that moment of leisure behind him.

Before leaving, Minggui followed with the brocade box in his hand and asked,

"Master, are you going to the backyard tonight? If so, you don't have to bring back the clothes and books."

Minggui, who got married, knew that once a man got involved, he would love the taste of it.

Wang Shuhuai's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this. He frowned and glanced at the gate in front of him, then said calmly, "I will stay at the government office tonight."

In Ninghe Hall, at dawn, Jiang gently woke up her husband.

"Wake up quickly. Father returned home last night and hasn't asked you to question him yet. Today, each family must go to pay respects to him. Be careful not to get up too late."

The Duke would leave the palace on the first and fifteenth of every month. He returned to Wang's house on the fifteenth last night, intending to stay for two days before returning to the palace.

The second master, Wang Shou, reluctantly opened his eyes and stared out the dark window in a daze, not wanting to move. "You said that the old man is over 60 years old, but how come he is still so healthy? Can't he get up later?"

When the Duke was young, he was both civil and military, and he had led troops to the battlefield. After so many years, he would always practice spear fighting every morning when he woke up.

Jiang looked at her husband's bloated appearance with disdain in her eyes, "You think everyone is you? Look at that old man, he is half a year older than you, and he still looks like he was young."

The eldest master Wang Bin's original surname was Duan, but he later changed it to Wang at the instruction of the eldest princess. He is good at dancing and has a dignified appearance. Now he is on duty in the Honglu Temple, responsible for receiving foreign envoys.

The second master was immediately unhappy when he heard this, and turned his head to glare at his wife, "What do you mean, are you comparing me with others?"

The second master disliked the eldest master Wang Bin who had usurped the throne the most. In his opinion, Wang Bin was spineless. If he were him, he would rather die than change his surname and acknowledge someone else as his father.

Jiang knew that she had touched her husband's sore spot, so she pinched his hair and smiled tenderly, "Okay, I don't dislike you, get up and get dressed quickly."

At her urging, the second master changed his clothes reluctantly. When the couple were ready, they saw their son, daughter-in-law and little daughter who had just returned home waiting in the corridor.

Normally, the Third Miss Wang Shuyi is the best friend of Xie Yunchu. As soon as she appeared this morning, she took Xie Yunchu's arm and chatted with her. Xie Yunchu recalled that in her previous life, her sister-in-law had never said a fair word for her, so she took the opportunity of holding the child to avoid her wrist and responded indifferently.

Wang Shuyi was a little careless and did not realize that something was wrong with her sister-in-law. She kept talking about what she saw and heard during her visit to her grandparents' house.

There was a hint of dawn in the eastern sky. It was still very early. The second master shook his sleeves and glanced at the younger generations. He was disappointed not to see Wang Shuhuai. Whenever Wang Shuhuai was around, he could shield him from the old man's anger. Today, he was not there, and the second master was worried.

"Where's Shu Huai?"

Xie Yunchu bowed his head and replied, "In reply to what father-in-law said, the second master said that he had an urgent matter and went to the government office early in the morning. He has already gone to confess his crime to grandfather in person."

The second master had nothing to say and led his family to Qinghui Palace with a dull look.

The second branch was considered to have arrived early, but when they arrived at Qinghui Palace, the first and third branches had already arrived, leaving only the fourth branch nowhere to be seen.

When the eldest master Wang Bin saw the second master, he immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Did you get up late, second brother? Why do you look so unhappy?"

The second master felt contempt for his veiled words and replied indifferently, "Brother, you are joking. Last time, father rushed back home because he was worried about mother's health. I have been thinking about it. I just asked Huai brother and his wife to make some more blood-replenishing ointment and send it to the palace. Mother has worked hard and made great contributions. Don't let her health be damaged."

Then he looked at the master for a few seconds and changed the subject, "What's the matter? Brother's face is glowing, is there any good news?"

Even he, the stepson, cares about the eldest princess. The eldest master, as the biological son, doesn't care about his mother, which shows that he is unfilial.

The eldest master had a toothache, thinking that the second son's wife was really good, and even Wang Shou got face in the palace, but those little bastards in his family were useless. He complained in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He smiled and said,

"Brother Huai's daughter-in-law has done a great job. I want to thank her on behalf of my mother."

The topic was changed with a little effort.

The third master, Wang Zhang, was dressed in a moon-white wide-sleeved gown, standing under the porch with his hands behind his back, looking very dignified, elegant and dignified. He had always regarded himself as the legitimate son of the Duke and the Princess. He looked down on his older half brother for his flattery and his second half brother for his cowardice and incompetence. He just needed to wait for the identity of the Crown Prince to be confirmed, then he could rest assured.

The eldest master Wang Bin and the second master Wang Shou glanced at their sanctimonious third brother at the same time and shut up tacitly.

After a while, the fourth master Wang Dian arrived late. Seeing his three brothers, he greeted them politely one by one, neither neglecting the eldest and second brothers nor flattering the third brother. He was the youngest son and was the most favored by the eldest princess. He did not need to inherit the family business, and when the eldest princess passed away in the future, she would definitely leave him a considerable fortune, so he was the most leisurely and comfortable.

The four gods above were fighting, and the younger generations below dared not make a sound. Only the children brought by each family cried from time to time.

After a while, the palace door opened.

The Duke ordered everyone to go in.

This time his expression was relatively good, and he did not say anything. He just asked the waiter to distribute the gifts given by the eldest princess to everyone, and then his eyes fell on his great-grandchildren.

The eldest master's two children were a little scared when they saw that the Duke was a little scared, and they hid behind their mother. The Duke didn't care, and just handed over the reward given to the children by the eldest princess. His sharp eyes soon fell on Ke Jie'er. Xie Yunchu noticed it and immediately stepped forward with the child in his arms.

The Duke had no habit of hugging a girl, so he motioned to a servant beside him to hold a red lacquer tray with twigs and teased Sister Ke.

"Sister Ke, what do you like? Pick it yourself."

The eunuch brought the lacquer tray to Sister Ke.

Sister Ke'er stared at the food on the plate with her big eyes, which were rolling around.

At this time, Dou Keling's son, two-year-old Xuan Ge'er, ran over with all his strength, grabbed the eunuch's long sleeve, and tried to reach the plate. The plate almost fell and hit Ke Jie'er's little hand. Fortunately, the eunuch stabilized it in time, and quickly stepped back with the lacquer tray and knelt down.

Sister Ke was frightened and started crying. She turned over and lay in her mother's arms sobbing.

Xie Yunchu frowned and looked deeply at Dou.

Dou Keling immediately stepped forward to pull his son, knelt down in fear and trepidation and said, "Grandfather, please forgive me. The child is young and was curious when he saw the dazzling array of rewards. I hope you will forgive him." After saying that, he gently tucked his eyes away.

The third master, Wang Shukuang, also knelt down and apologized.

The Duke's expression did not change significantly. He only looked at Sister Ke with concern, "Are you in pain?"

In the past, Xie Yunchu would have swallowed her anger and said magnanimously that it was okay. She was the eldest sister-in-law and daughter-in-law of the second house, and she had to be tolerant of others. Besides, the internal conflicts of the second house could not be brought to the surface under any circumstances.

Today, she took out Kejie's little hand that was hit and showed it to the Duke. The skin of the baby, who was only a few months old, was as tender as tofu, and it suddenly turned red.

What's more, Sister Ke had tears hanging on her long eyelashes, and anyone who saw her would feel softened.

Xie Yunchu understood Dou Keling's thoughts too well. The reason why he did this was simply to remind the Duke that Xuan Ge'er was the first legitimate grandson of the Duke's Mansion and was older than Ke Jie'er, so he should be the first to choose a gift.

The Duke glanced at Mrs. Dou calmly, then waved to Xuan Ge'er with a smile.

"Brother Xuan, come here to your great-grandfather."

Everyone knew that the Duke was looking forward to having a great-grandson, so Dou Keling immediately pushed her son and motioned him to come over.

Xuan'er was startled, thinking that his great-grandfather's smile was not right, and he did not dare to go over.

Dou Keling glared at him fiercely, and then Xuan Ge'er slowly came to the Duke. The Duke touched the back of his head and asked,

"Do you like those gifts?"

Xuan Ge'er nodded heavily.

"What do you like?"

Xuan Ge'er turned his head and looked at the lacquer tray presented by the eunuch. There was a longevity lock made of gold, a square toy that looked like a magic cube, and a flower tube. He thought about it seriously and said,

"I want them all." The two-year-old child does not speak fluently yet, speaking word by word.

Dou Keling's eyes turned dark and he fell to the ground, not daring to speak.

The Duke smiled meaningfully and said, "What a pity, child. That was given to your sister by your great-grandmother."

Xuan Ge'er felt very aggrieved. He pointed at his brothers and sisters in the eldest house. Everyone was holding something in their hands, but he didn't. He cried and said,

“I want one too…”

The Duke was quite patient with the child. "You shouldn't have taken your sister's things today. When you don't make mistakes next time and can eat by yourself without being fed, your great grandfather will reward you. How about that?"

Xuan Ge'er seemed unable to accept such a gap and pouted as if he was about to cry.

Wang Shukuang was worried that the child would make a fool of himself again, so he took the child back without saying a word.

The Duke then looked at Mrs. Dou and asked the Second Master a question without any context, "The Third Master's wife is in charge of the Second House's finances now, right?"

The second master was unsure of what the Duke meant, so he replied awkwardly, "Yes."

The Duke took a sip of tea and said nothing more.

Then he asked about the third and fourth rooms. The fifth and sixth masters were not married yet, and the Duke was concerned about their studies.

Dou Keling stood sullenly behind the crowd, wondering what the Duke meant by his words. Was he warning her that Xie Yunchu had already handed over the household duties to her and she should stop?

Thinking of this possibility, Dou Keling's desire to win favor immediately stopped.

After a while, the Duke kept his children and grandchildren to talk, and asked the female family members to leave. Before leaving, he said to Xie Yunchu,

"Your grandmother is much better. She has been taking your prescription and has not had an attack for more than ten days."

Everyone looked at him with envy.

Xie Yunchu said respectfully, "This is a blessing for our entire family."

The eldest grandson's wife is sensible, and the Duke is satisfied from the bottom of his heart.

The household affairs of the Duke's Mansion were in the hands of the Third Madam, Mrs. Zhou. The Third Madam was a descendant of a military family and was very quick and efficient in her actions. Everyone in the mansion admired her very much. It was rare for them to get together like this on ordinary days, so as soon as the female family members came out of Qinghui Palace, she invited them to the nearby Glazed Hall for tea.

The four ladies were sitting upstairs talking, with the young wives sitting on their left and right. To the south, behind a pearl curtain, several young girls from the mansion were gathered. The mansion's governess brought over an embroidery tray, and everyone gathered together to embroider and chat.

Xie Yunchu handed the child to the wet nurse. Several children were playing outside the flower hall. Ke Jie'er could not walk yet, so the wet nurse held her and watched from the corridor. Ke Jie'er had just been bullied by Xuan Ge'er. She did not like to play with her brother, so she kept chasing after her brothers and sisters in the eldest house with her little eyes.

There was a lot of laughter inside and outside the hall.

The fourth wife was a well-known living Buddha in the mansion, with a gentle temperament. She held the teacup and asked the third wife,

"Not long ago, my dowry shop sent a batch of soft smoke silk materials. They are the styles produced by the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. I will send them to my sister-in-law later and let the young people choose from them."

The Third Madam had a serious face and didn't usually smile. She replied in a proper manner, "Keep it for yourself. Besides, Ya is old enough to get married, so dress her up."

The fourth lady, Wang Shuya, was the daughter of the fourth wife. She was born shy and timid. Upon hearing this, she glanced at him in a daze.

The fourth wife ignored her and said to the third wife with a smile, "Shuyi and Shuqin are not married yet, how can it be her turn?"

The second lady, Wang Shuqin, is the daughter of the third wife, and the third lady, Wang Shuyi, is the youngest daughter of Mrs. Jiang.

When the Third Wife mentioned Wang Shuqin, her expression turned pale, while the First Wife looked embarrassed.

The Liu and Wang families of the Xuanping Marquis' Mansion were old friends. Originally, the Liu family had been seeking to marry the eldest princess and the second daughter of the Duke, Wang Shuqin. Later, the eldest princess, on the grounds of seniority, betrothed the handsome and talented Prince Liu to the eldest daughter of the first house, Wang Shuying. This made Wang Shuqin very angry, and she announced that she would not marry.

The first wife actually didn't want to be at odds with the third wife, but it was the eldest princess's decision and she had no influence on it, which led to her being in a bad mood both inside and outside. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, she immediately tried to comfort them.

"Marriage is predestined. She is outstanding in both calligraphy and music. There are so many suitors lining up at her door. I'm afraid she is not chosen enough."

The Third Madam didn't care about the Liu family. She was worried that her daughter was arrogant, just like the Third Master. She relied on her noble birth to think she was the only one who mattered. But she also had a hot temper like her. Now that she had said that, she wouldn't be able to save face if she met someone she liked in the future.

Xie Yunchu could tell that the three aunts above were hiding something, so she drank her tea silently. She glanced at her mother-in-law Jiang. Second wife Jiang was daydreaming. She never took the initiative to compete with her sisters-in-law, nor did she get involved in the fights between other families. She just quietly acted as a beauty.

The Third Madam did not want to continue this topic, so she smiled and said to Jiang, "Second sister-in-law, I have something to ask you today."

Although the third wife is the head of the household, she is very respectful to her elder brother and sister-in-law.

After hearing what she said, Second Madam Jiang turned around and faced her, and asked carefully, "Your sister-in-law asked me for instructions, but I was shocked. There is no matter in the mansion that is not decided by your sister-in-law. Just tell me if there is anything."

Jiang bullies the weak and fears the strong, and is always polite in front of the third wife, Zhou.

The Third Madam glanced at Xie Yunchu and said with a smile, "Look at you two, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Have you forgotten that Huai'er's birthday is on the second day of April? This is the 20th birthday, so we have to celebrate it no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yunchu's teacup shook and he almost spilled some tea.

No wonder I have been feeling uneasy lately, as if I had forgotten something important. It turns out that Wang Shuhuai’s birthday is approaching.

The Jin Dynasty had always performed the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of eighteen, and the twentieth birthday could be celebrated at any time, but something went wrong on Wang Shuhuai's birthday that year.