After dinner, Gu Nanjiao, Lu's mother, and Yingniang gathered in the kitchen to chat.

Gu Nanjiao handed the wedding gift she brought from the capital to Yingniang: "It's been a while since we last met. You've become my sister-in-law. Here, this is a wedding gift for you and Lin Ji."

Yingniang accepted the gift with both hands, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I am deeply grateful to the shopkeeper for taking me in. Now you have even brought me a gift. I am truly flattered."

Lu's mother joked, "Now that you're her sister-in-law, there's no need to be so polite. We're family."

The three of them sat in a circle, talking intimately, as if they had endless things to say and chat about.

Lu Xiaomei practiced her lunges all day and was so tired that she went to bed early.

Under the dim light of the oil lamp, a person's shadow is cast on the wall, making them appear somewhat lonely.

Lu Yanzhao put down the book in his hand with some impatience, his eyes glancing back and forth at the door countless times.

Women always have endless things to talk about when they start chatting.

It was past midnight, and the three of them were still laughing and joking in the kitchen, chatting about who knows what.

Just then, Lu's mother's voice rang out from outside the door, still carrying a hint of lingering interest: "That's enough, that's enough. We have work to do tomorrow, right? You should all wash up and go to bed early!"

Lu Yanzhao breathed a sigh of relief; the topic of women was finally over. He quickly blew out the oil lamp and sat waiting for Gu Nanjiao to arrive.

After washing up, Gu Nanjiao returned to her room.

The room was pitch black. Lu Yanzhao sat quietly on the edge of the bed, his chest rising and falling slightly, and even his breathing became a little rapid. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and his feathery eyelashes trembled slightly as he suppressed his emotions.

In the darkness, Gu Nanjiao could feel Lu Yanzhao's burning, crazed gaze as he looked at her, as if she were about to be devoured by him at any moment.

"You haven't... um!" Before Gu Nanjiao could finish saying "sleep," Lu Yanzhao grabbed her chin, pulled her waist, and kissed her.

Gu Nanjiao felt like a soft, cuddly lamb as she was kissed, and couldn't help but hug Lu Yanzhao's waist, responding to his kiss shyly.

Lu Yanzhao froze, his naive response like an electric shock to his reason. His eyes darkened, and the heat within him surged, his desire to possess him about to burst forth.

Feeling something scalding hot pressing against her, Gu Nanjiao was shocked. She had really messed up!

At this moment, Lu Yanzhao suddenly released her, quietly pulled Gu Nanjiao into his arms, and gently rubbed his chin against her shoulder.

Gu Nanjiao was filled with deep doubt. Was she not charming enough? Lu Yanzhao had actually released her so easily. She thought he couldn't resist making the next move!

As if sensing what Gu Nanjiao was thinking, Lu Yanzhao said softly, "After the palace examination, you will marry me again. I will bring you into the house with a grand procession of eight men. At that time, you will pass the imperial examination with flying colors and we will have a wedding night."

Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but ask, "Are you that confident that you'll pass the palace examination?"

Lu Yanzhao did not answer, released Gu Nanjiao, and turned to light the oil lamp.

The room instantly brightened, and Lu Yanzhao's gaze fell on Gu Nanjiao. He smiled and asked, "Did you pass the palace examination? You are mine now, and you can only marry me in this lifetime!"

Gu Nanjiao suddenly felt that her question was a bit stupid. Who was Lu Yanzhao? He was the top scholar in the provincial examination! Even if he couldn't become the top scholar, he would surely be second or third!

She stepped forward, took Lu Yanzhao's hand, and said sweetly, "I'm waiting for that day!"

Lu Yanzhao looked at the hand he was holding, then pulled Gu Nanjiao to the bedside. He scrutinized her intently, then couldn't help but say, "You've lost a lot of weight, and some parts have shrunk too." He suddenly leaned close to Gu Nanjiao's ear and asked in a hoarse voice, "How about I massage them for you tonight to help them grow a little bigger?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Nanjiao looked down at herself, who resembled the Haier Brothers... and clenched her fist, feeling somewhat humiliated.

If there's one thing women absolutely hate hearing, it's about being flat-chested or small. It's the same reason men are afraid of being told what else.

Seeing that Gu Nanjiao remained silent, Lu Yanzhao chuckled softly.

Gu Nanjiao's face darkened: "On my way to the capital, I disguised myself as a man and wore a breast wrap for a month. It must have been because of that that I couldn't grow any longer."

Lu Yanzhao sighed helplessly, pulled Gu Nanjiao down onto the bed, and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

A large hand slipped inside the clothes.

"What...what are you going to do?"

"Help it grow bigger."

Gu Nanjiao "..."

As he moved, Gu Nanjiao felt completely overwhelmed. She felt a strange burning sensation throughout her body, and her blood was rushing to her head. Her limbs felt weak and limp.

"Don't...stop...stop it."

Lu Yanzhao not only didn't stop, but actually increased the force.

"Stop rubbing—" Gu Nanjiao suddenly raised her voice, but it still sounded like a coquettish scolding.

Lu Yanzhao looked innocent: "Don't stop talking..."

Gu Nanjiao gave Lu Yanzhao a resentful look, wrapped the blanket around herself, and lay down with her back to him.

Indeed, naivety was her biggest misunderstanding of Lu Yanzhao.

He's a wolf, the kind that eats people without spitting out the bones.

...

The next day, Gu Nanjiao went to Meiwuzhai to distribute the gifts, and before noon, she went to see her father.

Coincidentally, Mr. Gu was home, busy preparing the betrothal gifts.

"Father, are you in such a hurry to marry Fourth Sister? Aren't you going to wait for the spring examination?"

Father Gu said nonchalantly, "At best, your father can pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi. That would be a blessing from our ancestors. I don't have the talent of my son-in-law. I don't ask for much. I'd be content if I could become a minor official in the capital and live a peaceful life with Fourth Sister."

Gu's father's relatives are all gone, leaving only Gu Nanjiao as a family member.

Although I'm the younger generation and can't offer much help, the proper formalities must be observed. As the daughter, I should take care of things for my father!

In ancient times, proposing marriage required preparing three letters and six gifts. Gu Nanjiao was unfamiliar with these etiquettes, so she simply hired a matchmaker. The matchmaker would certainly know exactly what needed to be bought and what needed to be arranged.

On the day the deal was made, Gu Nanjiao walked at the front carrying two geese, her feelings quite complicated.

It's unheard of for a daughter to propose marriage to her own father.

However, the matchmaker said that in families where children remarry or remarry, the children need to carry a goose to indicate their willingness to accept their stepmother.

Wild geese are migratory birds and are very punctual. Giving a wild goose as an engagement gift symbolizes the wife following her husband.

After the six rounds of rites, Gu Nanjiao was exhausted, while her father was beaming with joy.

The two were a couple who married later in life, and after these simple formalities, they set the date for the sixteenth of this month. In other words, eight days after Yingniang and Lin Ji's wedding, Gu's father and Lü Siniang's wedding would take place.

...

Before they knew it, the day of Lin Ji and Yingniang's wedding arrived.

Although Lin Ji's family was poor, they were extremely courteous.

They hired a small red cherry blossom hat, which was carried by eight people, and made a great fuss as they headed towards the Lu family.

Lin Ji, dressed in a red robe, rode a tall horse, his handsome face radiant with a gentle smile, as he welcomed Yingniang into the sedan chair.

Watching Yingniang get married, Lu's mother couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.

If my younger sister were to get married, I wonder what it would be like. Would she be able to calmly shed tears? Perhaps she would cry uncontrollably.