Chapter 85 Sweet Daily Life

When Yu Man woke up, the sunlight streaming through the window was already bright and clear; judging by the time, it was probably close to 9:00 AM.

broken.

Her heart skipped a beat—the bride's tea ceremony, according to custom, should take place around 7:00 AM, and she had already missed it by almost an hour.

She tried to move her body, and as soon as she raised her arm, a strange sensation mixed with soreness, weakness, and dull pain spread from her limbs to her entire body, especially her waist and groin, which felt so weak and achy as if they didn't belong to her. She couldn't help but take a deep breath, her throat dry and tight, and she coughed twice unconsciously, her voice terribly hoarse.

Well, my throat suffered too.

She slowly sat up, the quilt slipping off. The bed was neatly made, the bedding clean and fresh, even the troublesome red gauze from last night was gone, leaving only a faint, familiar, cool ink scent mixed with a touch of warm sweetness. Pei Ji must have gotten up early to tidy it up.

At least he has some conscience.

Yu Man endured the discomfort and slowly sat up, moving to the edge of the bed. Several brand-new dresses hung neatly on the clothes rack, the fabric soft and the colors elegant and refined that she liked. She chose a sky-blue embroidered bamboo leaf pattern Qi-Xiong Ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with silver thread, and wore a moon-white half-sleeved outer garment. It took her some effort to put it on properly.

She sat down at the dressing table, and the bronze mirror reflected a face that was both beautiful and weary. There was a faint bluish tint under her eyes, but what was even more striking was... she turned her head slightly and pulled open her collar—several red marks were clearly visible on her snow-white skin, winding down from her collarbone and disappearing deep into her clothes.

"..." Yu Man's ears burned, and she quickly opened the makeup box, searching for cosmetics that could cover up her embellishments.

"Knock knock." Just then, the door was pushed open after two light knocks.

Pei Ji walked in carrying a black lacquered tray, on which were several refreshing side dishes and two bowls of green rice porridge with the rice grains puffed up.

He did not go out today, wearing a simple blue-green robe after the rain, with a jade belt loosely tied around his waist. His dark hair was tied up with a simple green jade hairpin, with a few strands falling casually in front of his forehead. His whole face was relaxed, exuding a sense of leisure after satisfaction.

"Awake?" He put down the tray, looked at her with gentle eyes, and said in a natural tone, "Have some porridge first, to fill your stomach."

Yu Man glared at him irritably, sometimes wishing she had a thicker skin than him. She slowly moved to the table and sat down. Pei Ji had already ladled out a bowl of porridge and pushed it towards her, thoughtfully turning the spoon handle towards her.

"Be careful, it's hot," he said, leaning slightly forward.

As he leaned forward, his already somewhat loose collar became even looser. Yu Man, with her sharp eyes, noticed several faint red marks near his chest, below his collarbone, as if he had been scratched by something.

She was taken aback at first, and some chaotic fragments of memories from last night flashed through her mind—she really had… Her ears burned even hotter, but the embarrassment and annoyance in her heart were strangely replaced by a sense of triumph after winning the battle.

Serves them right.

I'll make you control yourself and not listen!

She lowered her head and sipped the porridge. The porridge was cooked to perfection, soft, sticky, and fragrant, and the side dishes were also refreshing and delicious.

After the meal, Yu Man felt she had regained some strength. Pei Ji did not mention that the tea ceremony was late. He simply walked behind her, picked up the jade comb from the dressing table, and gently ran his fingers through her loose hair.

Yu Man looked at him in the mirror.

Her slender fingers moved nimbly, combing her long hair with just the right amount of force, occasionally brushing her fingertips behind her ears or the side of her neck, sending a slight tingling sensation through her.

Before long, a simple and elegant updo was formed in his hands. It was not the complicated style of the time, but rather a loose bun at the back of her head, secured with a jade hairpin inlaid with pearls. A few strands of hair fell naturally, making her neck look long and slender, exuding a graceful and languid charm.

“This is called ‘Lazy Bun,’ and it suits you quite well.” Pei Ji examined himself in the mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Yu Man looked around and agreed that it was indeed beautiful. "The craftsmanship is excellent."

The two then went to the front hall to serve tea. Passing through the corridor and the moon gate, they arrived at a tastefully decorated and cozy side hall. At the head of the table sat Pei's father and mother. Pei's father, dressed in a dark brown robe with floral patterns, looked much better; Pei's mother wore an ochre jacket with auspicious patterns, her hair meticulously combed and adorned with a pair of simple silver hairpins, and she was beaming from ear to ear.

"Father, Mother." Pei Ji led Yu Man forward, knelt down, and respectfully kowtowed, "Your son, along with his new wife Yu, offers tea to you both."

Yu Man knelt down immediately after her, took the first cup of tea from the tray held by the maid with both hands, raised it above her head, and offered it to Father Pei, her voice clear and gentle: "Father, please have some tea."

Pei Mingyuan took the teacup, took a sip, and set it aside. Looking at Yu Man, he thought of Pei Ji's words from the past and then of the present, and his tone was unusually gentle: "Get up. Now that you've entered the Pei family, you're family from now on. Only when husband and wife are of one mind can the household be peaceful."

“Aman will remember your teachings,” Yu Man replied.

She then offered tea to Mother Pei: "Please have some tea, Mother."

Madam Pei took the tea but immediately put it down, reaching out to help Yu Man up: "Aman, get up quickly. Seeing you and Guanzhen get married, a huge weight has finally been lifted from my heart."

As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears: "He's always been a very thoughtful and calculating child, always bearing everything on his own. But with you by my side, I feel at ease."

Yu Man was moved and said softly, "Mother, don't worry."

Pei Ji said gently from the side, "It is your son who has caused your mother worry."

Madam Pei wiped her eyes and smiled, "Let's not talk about these things. It's better for you all to be well." She then took off a translucent jade bracelet from her wrist and slipped it onto Yu Man's wrist without saying a word. "This is a small token of my affection. You mustn't refuse."

The tea ceremony concluded. Watching Guanzhen and Aman walk away hand in hand, Pei's mother whispered to Pei's father, "Now I can finally rest easy. I'm afraid only Aman can keep Guanzhen's stubborn nature in check."

Pei's father rarely agreed: "That's true."

On the way back to their own courtyard, Yu Man admired the scenery of the house with great interest. Pei Ji walked alongside her, quietly introducing each place, and then added, "Father and Mother live in the East Courtyard, as they prefer quiet. We live here in the West Courtyard, where the view is open and it's close to the small kitchen, so whatever you want to eat will be cheap. If you want to move back to Xilai, or if you want to move to a larger garden, it's up to you."

Yu Man was watching the koi carp playing in the pond when she heard this. She turned around and smiled at him, "Is Lord Pei going to spoil me so much that I'll lose my bearings?"

"I couldn't ask for more." Pei Ji smiled and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear.

As they were talking, Yu Man took a step forward, but felt her sleeve being gently tugged. She turned around and saw Pei Ji holding her sleeve. When he saw her glaring at him, he readily let go, but then took advantage of the situation and covered her hand with his warm palm, tightly enveloping her hand.

"Let go, it's hot." Yu Man tried to pull it out, but couldn't.

Pei Ji gripped his hand tighter and laughed, "From now on, we'll stand shoulder to shoulder."

Yu Man snorted: "I just want you behind me, carrying my things and holding my umbrella."

Pei Ji readily complied and actually let go, taking half a step back. Just when Yu Man thought he was really going to follow her, his hand caught up again, gripping her fingers tightly once more.

"Holding hands behind you." His voice was tinged with laughter.

Yu Man couldn't help but smile, letting him lead her forward. Sunlight filtered through the flower vines under the eaves, casting dappled shadows that warmed their clasped hands.

However, the smile quickly froze when he returned to his room.

Wenxing led several servants in, bringing in stacks of account books that almost filled half of the desk.

Pei Ji remained calm, even displaying a sense of composure as if he were handing over his assets, and said gently, "My personal wealth and property are roughly listed here. From now on, Madam Rong can handle them as she sees fit."

Looking at the mountain of books, Yu Man felt a wave of dizziness. He felt no joy in wielding financial power, only an endless headache.

She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, but seeing that he had already rolled up his sleeves, picked up the top ledger, and opened it, looking ready to serve pen and ink and answer her questions at any time, her headache subsided a little. She picked up the ledger and slowly began to read it.

Pei Ji, true to his word, served tea and water, ground ink and laid out paper, occasionally explaining in a low voice the origins or key details of his businesses. After observing for about an hour, Yu Man gradually began to understand—Pei Ji's businesses included estates, shops, shipping companies, warehouses… a wide variety, spread throughout the north and south. While not quite as wealthy as a country, he was definitely a tycoon, far exceeding her previous expectations.

While Wen Xing led the others out to exchange tea and snacks, Yu Man lowered his voice and pointed to several booklets that clearly recorded the highly profitable trades of silk, tea, and salt in Jiangnan, asking, "These... were all left behind by the Prince of Yuzhang's mansion?"

Pei Ji's expression remained unchanged. He simply took out a thinner, older booklet from his sleeve and placed it in front of her: "What is recorded here is..." He paused, "The rest is mostly what I gradually acquired in my early years and while I was in Xunyang."

Yu Man suddenly thought of something, her eyes darted around, and she smiled slyly: "Since Lord Pei is so good at business, why should I bother looking for a manager? Why not hand over my Manxin Food Shop to Lord Pei to manage as well? Who knows, in a couple of years, branches will be all over the world."

Pei Ji picked up a pastry and fed it to her, readily replying, "I cannot match Master Yu's discerning eye and ingenious ideas. I am willing to serve as your humble servant, at your beck and call."

The two of them, one looking and the other keeping company, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, managed to sort through the account books for an entire afternoon.

Yu Man's eyes were getting tired from reading, so she simply put the book down and leaned back on the soft couch next to her for a short rest. Pei Ji put down his things, sat down on the couch, picked up a round fan, and slowly fanned her.

During dinner, Yu Man rubbed her temples and asked, "Are you taking a day off tomorrow?"

"His Majesty is considerate and has granted you four days off." Pei Ji served her food. "On the last day, I'll accompany you on your homecoming visit."

Upon hearing the words "returning home," Yu Manyi immediately looked at him warily: "Prepare less for the return gift! Don't do it like last time."

Pei Ji readily agreed, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Yu Man was skeptical.

After finishing dinner and looking at the account books for a while, just as it was getting dark outside, Pei Ji took the book from her hand and closed it. "It's getting late, time to retire for the night."

Yu Man glanced at the sky outside the window where the sunset still lingered, then looked at him suspiciously: "What time is it? The sun has just set."

Seeing her expression, Pei Ji knew what she was thinking. A smile flashed in his eyes, but his face remained calm: "You are not in good spirits today, and you have been sorting through the accounts for so long. You should rest early."

That made sense. Yu Man reluctantly believed it, washed up, changed into her nightgown, and went to bed.

She deliberately chose a seat on the inside, with a full person's distance between her and Pei Ji on the outside.

Pei Ji extinguished several lamps, leaving only a pair of dragon and phoenix candles in the distance. After lying down, he looked at the wide "Chu River and Han Border" between the two of them, remained silent for a moment, and then his voice rang out in the dim light, carrying a distinct and faint resentment:

"Are you... trying to sever ties with me and sleep in separate beds?"

Yu Man felt guilty and shrank further under the covers, only her eyes showing, her voice muffled: "It's hot. Stay away... it'll be cooler."

Pei Ji didn't speak again. Just when Yu Man thought he had acquiesced, the blankets beside her moved, and a strong arm came across, pulling her and the blankets into a warm and firm embrace without saying a word.

"If you're hot, cover yourself with less clothing." His deep voice sounded above her head as he pulled his arms closer. "That way you won't be hot."

Yu Man struggled symbolically a couple of times, but couldn't break free, so she gave up trying. She had barely slept last night and had spent half the day looking at account books, so drowsiness quickly overcame her. Being held so securely by him, with the comforting scent of ink in her nostrils, she felt more comfortable and at ease than sleeping alone in a spacious place, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Pei Ji listened to the gradually even and deep breathing of the person in his arms, his eyes softening. He gently kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

However, Yu Man's "alertness" was not unfounded.

On the day of her return visit, after Yu Man finished washing up and had breakfast with Pei Ji, she was about to set off for her homecoming when she arrived at the second gate and saw the things piled up next to the specially widened carriage. She couldn't help but gasp in shock.

The carriage itself was already quite spacious, but at this moment, the area around the carriage shaft, the back of the carriage, and even the small carriage with a green curtain that followed it were all piled with boxes and baskets of various sizes, brocade boxes, and cloth, as well as several pots of precious orchids in full bloom and two cages of lively chickens and ducks.

Yu Man pointed at the "spectacular" scene and angrily pinched his arm, "What did you promise me? This is what you call 'preparing less'?"

Pei Ji remained unfazed, letting her twist the fabric as she pleased, even leaning slightly forward to make it easier for her. He explained gently, "This is already a simplified version. Mother personally gathered a lot of good materials and tonics she had collected, and insisted on bringing them along. Father also prepared two jars of his treasured wine. As her husband... I really can't refuse their kind offer." He paused, his eyes sincere, "These are just practical items for my in-laws, nothing extravagant."

Looking at his nonchalant "I'm completely innocent, it was all my parents' decision" attitude, and then at the sheer number of gifts—not exactly lavish, but certainly impressive—Yu Man was so angry she wanted to laugh. Finally, she could only glare at him fiercely: "Don't do this again! If you do it again, I'll go back by myself!"

“Alright, this won’t happen again.” Pei Ji readily agreed and helped her into the carriage.