Night Chat

"My dear, why don't you stay at home for a day? Although the two towns are not far apart, today is your return home, and many relatives and friends have come to your house. It's a good time to get together."

On the carriage returning to Yongnian Town, Tan Linshuang looked at Zhao Mingyan, who had been silent for a long time, and asked with concern.

Before coming, Fan Wenlan had told them that returning home was a big day, and if Zhao Mingyan wanted to stay a few more days, they didn't need to rush back.

He also thought that Zhao Mingyan, who was having a great time with her family, would at least stay overnight tonight.

It seems that she was very angry with those cousins!

Recalling the scene he had seen, Tan Linshuang was guessing in his heart.

I just don’t know, in the end, will Zhao Mingyan be able to fight ten people alone, or will he be like an egg against a rock?

What a pity, I was interrupted by a group of kids who came over, so I don’t know what happened next.

There is no advantage in playing hide-and-seek on someone else's turf.

Tan Linshuang felt regretful in her heart, and her eyes flashed with a dim light as she looked at Zhao Mingyan.

At this moment, Zhao Mingyan didn't even have the mood to be perfunctory to her husband. She said "I'm tired" and lay down on the low table, burying her head in her arms.

Seeing this, Tan Linshuang raised his eyebrows slightly.

It's rare to see her so depressed, she must be broken.

Tan Linshuang shook his head with a complicated expression, one part gloating, two parts as expected, three parts regretful, and four parts empathy.

Zhao Mingyan, who was dozing with her eyes closed, also felt mixed emotions.

Thinking back to the scene three hours ago, it still feels like a lump in my throat...

Although she suppressed the covetous gazes of her uncles and aunts with a strong attitude and asked her mother to hand over the account books and warehouse keys of Mingyue Zhai, her mother's words made her unhappy.

"Now that you are married, you can focus on taking care of your husband and children. Your second cousin and his men will take care of the lamp shop."

"A husband and mother?"

Hearing this, Zhao Mingyan suddenly sneered and said bluntly, "Mother, you want me to marry such a sickly man. I'm afraid I'll be a widow before I even have children. How can I take care of my husband and children?"

"It's not difficult to get pregnant. Just let him lie down. Aren't you familiar with those sex techniques?" Li Yuzhu asked puzzledly.

But he won't lie down obediently!

Zhao Mingyan roared inwardly, suppressing the urge to tell her mother the truth. She asked in a deep voice, "Mom, today I'm going home, and you called a bunch of cousins ​​to put pressure on me. Do you really treat me like spilled water?"

"This is your second cousin's idea. We can't just send a group of people to your in-laws' house to discuss it, right?" Li Yuzhu frowned, obviously not understanding her daughter's anger.

Zhao Mingyan laughed angrily, "Mom, you're leaving the door wide open like this. Aren't you afraid that it's easier to invite the gods than to send them away? When Dad was still alive, even though he had close relationships with his cousins, he still kept some business interests to himself and wouldn't let them interfere in our shop."

"Who told us there is no man to take charge of the family? It's all my fault for not having a good belly..." Li Yuzhu got excited and started sobbing.

Zhao Mingyan became even angrier, "I'm definitely stronger than men!"

Putting away the memories, Zhao Mingyan secretly vowed: I will make Mingyuezhai famous in the capital again to fulfill my father's long-cherished wish!

The moon was dim and the stars were sparse. Zhao Mingyan went to bed early after washing up and lay motionless at the end of the bed.

Tan Linshuang, who had been unable to sleep for three consecutive nights, felt a little uncomfortable facing Zhao Mingyan, who was like a sleeping Buddha.

“Ahem!”

He craned his neck to glance at the end of the bed and asked casually, "Didn't my wife say your chef's cooking skills were excellent? Why did you only eat one bowl of rice for dinner?"

Zhao Mingyan did not respond.

"Madam, are you suffering from indigestion? You didn't even touch the fruit for supper tonight." Tan Linshuang persisted.

Zhao Mingyan still did not respond.

"My wife?"

"My wife!"

The stars and the moon outside the window dimmed a little.

Tan Linshuang pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

There was no sound at the end of the bed, only Zhao Mingyan's breathing, even, steady, and effortless. She was not asleep.

If you are asleep, your breathing will be slower and heavier.

Tan Linshuang moved her toes and reached into the hem of Zhao Mingyan's inner skirt.

Zhao Mingyan's breathing stopped and he opened his eyes.

Tan Linshuang moved her toes again and gently scratched Zhao Mingyan's calf.

Zhao Mingyan took a deep breath and said unhappily, "Husband, it's time to cut your toenails."

Tan Linshuang smiled and scratched Zhao Mingyan's calf with her toes, "Why don't you cut it with me, ma'am?"

A moment later, a red candle lit in the dark room.

There was one flame at each end of the bed. The flickering flames illuminated a corner in front of the bed and also woke up the small candle sleeping in the side room.

"It's daybreak? But I haven't slept for long?"

The candlelight shone in through the crack in the door. Xiaozhu rubbed his eyes in confusion, slowly opened them, and instantly became alert.

"Light a candle in the middle of the night?"

She blinked her eyes, stepped quietly down from the bed, and peered through the crack in the door toward the main room, vaguely seeing two swaying figures.

"Is it the young lady and her husband? They are..."

She couldn't see clearly, but her mind gradually became clear, "Red candles are lit at midnight, and mandarin ducks are dancing neck to neck."

"The young lady and her husband have finally consummated their marriage!"

Snap——

At this moment, the couple in the main room were not dancing together, but sitting side by side, each holding a manicure knife, concentrating on trimming their toenails in the light of the fire beside them.

The room was still quiet, with only the sound of toenails being trimmed and the breathing of the two people.

Tan Linshuang stole a glance at Zhao Mingyan who lowered her head, then slowly moved her gaze to her bare feet. Her feet, which had not been tortured by the foot binding, were round and plump, with delicate features, and were truly adorable.

In fact, to be fair, Zhao Mingyan is also a lovely girl, but she is far from the current popular "slim as a cicada".

She is like a pearl, round and smooth, and feels great...ahem!

Sensing that he was somewhat distracted, Tan Linshuang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "Your Zhao family, with ancestors who served as officials, why did you end up in the lantern business?"

Zhao Mingyan paused, lifted her trimmed right foot, and blew away the debris. She continued, her gaze fixed on the ground, "The custom of 'lighting lanterns to show respect to Buddha' is ancient. After the Tang Dynasty, as people enjoyed peace and prosperity, lighting lanterns was no longer just for sacrificial offerings. People lit lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival, and this gave rise to the custom of 'playing with lanterns.'"

Tan Linshuang nodded and also picked up her right foot and blew on it. "Emperor Yang of Sui wrote, 'On the Fifteenth Day of the First Month, Lanterns Are Set on the Main Street and the South Tower is Climbed at Night,' and it says, 'A thousand lights shine on the flaming trees, and seven branches of flowers bloom.' And when Emperor Ruizong of Tang was watching the lanterns, there was a saying, 'Hundreds and thousands of lanterns are lit for three days and three nights.'"

Zhao Mingyan's laughter brightened, and he continued, "Later, during the Song Dynasty, the custom of 'playing with lanterns' was supplemented with leisurely activities like guessing lantern riddles, which made the people look forward to lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival even more eagerly."

Tan Linshuang echoed the sentiment: "Even in the Tang Dynasty, poems and essays about the lantern viewing were already endless. My favorite is the line 'Thousands of doors unlocked, thousands of lights ablaze', which perfectly captures the splendor of the lights."

"During the Ming Dynasty, the lanterns were lit from the eighth day of the first lunar month until the seventeenth day, and the people enjoyed the lanterns to an unprecedented degree. Seven years ago, during the Lantern Festival, the Emperor gave a banquet to all officials and allowed his subjects to go to the Meridian Gate and watch Aoshan for three days, further demonstrating his desire to 'share the joy with the people.'"

Zhao Mingyan smiled and nodded, then continued, "When the people are happy, the country is safe and secure. As descendants of the 'Zhao Family's Enlightenment Land,' our ancestral motto is that if we cannot serve as officials, we must serve the people."

"Making lanterns is exactly what the people want."

After she finished speaking, she turned and looked at Tan Linshuang with a burning gaze.

"What a way to follow the people's wishes!"

Tan Linshuang immediately gave him an appreciative smile and said with feeling, "Although my father-in-law passed away early, with a smart and capable daughter like you, you will surely help him carry on the legacy and allow Mingyuezhai to continue to bring the joy of lighting lanterns to the people of Fushun County."

These were his heartfelt words, but they took several turns when they reached Zhao Mingyan's ears.

If Mingyuezhai is your personal property, it will be part of your dowry to the Tan family... She suddenly recalled what Zhao Guangyao said during the day.

Then, she narrowed her eyes.

The Tan family is marrying into my Zhao family. Could it be that they really have their eyes on Mingyue Zhai?

"Obey your father at home" and "Obey your husband after marriage". Women's property rights have always been in the hands of the men around them. I have no father and no brothers. If the Tan family tries to occupy Mingyue Zhai on the grounds of dowry, won't I be faced with internal and external troubles?

Thinking of this, Zhao Mingyan's right foot, which was held in her hand, began to sweat on the toes.

Tan Linshuang glanced at her lustrous right foot and handed her the manicure knife. "My manicure knife is sharper. Madam, please give it a closer look."

Sharp...finely trimmed...

Although he spoke unintentionally, the listener took it to heart. Zhao Mingyan's eyes deepened a little.

"It's too sharp. I'm afraid of hurting my skin."

How can a small manicure knife hurt your thick skin?

Tan Linshuang laughed inwardly, took back his manicure knife, and carefully trimmed each toe again. "My wife is so energetic and healthy. I'm sure she will be bored if she stays in the harem for a long time."

"Although you've been going to the bamboo forest quite often lately, you can't plant bamboo yourself. Why don't you go visit your grandmother to kill time and follow her to the business?"

"If I can help her share some of the business affairs, everyone will be happy."

I love to hear that!

Zhao Mingyan raised the corner of her lips, loosened her right foot, and stretched out her left hand towards Tan Linshuang, "I think your husband's manicure knife is indeed much sharper than mine."

Tan Linshuang smiled, placed his manicure knife in her palm, and said meaningfully: "We are married, why should we talk about you and me."

After saying that, he picked up the "Three Golden Things" next to him and placed them between the two of them.

"What's mine is yours, my lady."

Zhao Mingyan just smiled without saying anything, her eyes still deep.

After carefully trimming all ten toenails with Tan Linshuang's manicure knife, she turned around, stretched out her right toe to scratch the instep of Tan Linshuang's left foot, and asked shyly with a smile: "Husband, do you think my toenails are trimmed neatly?"

Only when we are in perfect harmony can we be considered as one without any distinction between you and me. What’s the point of sharing a manicure knife?

The firelight illuminated Zhao Mingyan's rosy cheeks, adding a touch of spring color, which was fascinating.

"Ahem! Very good."

Tan Linshuang retracted her left foot and felt her face getting hot and her throat getting tight.

Zhao Mingyan smiled coquettishly, followed his instep with her toes, and put them into his trouser legs, "Husband, the red candle has been lit, so don't waste it..."

Swish——

Before she finished speaking, Tan Linshuang waved her sleeves and the two red candles went out at the same time.

"My lady, it's late, go to bed quickly."