New bride
She doesn't remember how long it took for her to drift off to sleep; she only knows that she had one dream after another and her sleep was very restless.
In my dream, I felt as if I had returned to my childhood, as a proud and arrogant noblewoman who relied on her parents' protection.
It felt like late spring. Liang Shuangyu was tidying her clothes while chatting gently with Lin Fu about their funny moments as a couple, leaving her alone in the courtyard, running around the newly planted willow buds with glee.
Qingwu, with her hair tied in a topknot, stood guard by her side, afraid that she might fall, blinking her eyes constantly to watch her step.
Her laughter, like silver bells, echoed in the center of the empty courtyard. Liang Shuangyu stepped forward and gently called to her, placing a tender kiss on her rosy cheek.
"Good Xu'er, stay home and listen to your father. Your mother has something to do and will be right back."
She raised her face, shrinking her neck because of the tickle, and playfully tugged at Liang Shuangyu's sleeve:
"Then Mother will be back before dark."
She had said that, and her mother had given her permission. Liang Shuangyu had never broken her word, so she felt relieved and continued playing around.
In just one afternoon, she chased the newly adopted pug around the manor several times, and then ran to the back garden with a fish basket and net to catch goldfish, causing Qingwu and the servants to worry about her safety and chase after her, screaming in alarm.
From dusk till nightfall, even after dinner and a delicious cup of my favorite milk skin tea, my mother was still nowhere to be found.
At that time, she was the happiest little girl in the world, but she complained about her mother in her heart. At night, she would curl up in bed wrapped in a thin blanket, play with the porcelain whistle for a while, and then fall into a sweet sleep.
All she knew was that her mother would definitely come back at dawn and bring her lots of novelties from the palace. The gold-inlaid rattle drum she brought last time was really fun.
Or perhaps she wouldn't insist; she just wanted her mother to come back. She would make her best yam, red date, and honey cake, and fly kites with her...
At that time, the innocent and naive Lin Xu was only interested in having fun and didn't understand anything.
All she remembered was that by evening, the servants in the mansion suddenly changed their expressions, each of them walking back and forth hurriedly. No one played with her anymore, and she didn't know what had happened, but she vaguely remembered that in the middle of the night, her missing father finally returned to the mansion, but he was completely distraught and wouldn't respond no matter how she called him.
She ran to Lin Fu and hugged his leg, asking him what was wrong and where her mother was. Lin Fu was stunned for a long time before slowly squatting down and looking into her eyes, which were exactly the same as Liang Shuangyu's.
At the tender age of seven, her eyes were already as bright as the Milky Way, dazzling and captivating.
For the first time, her father, who had always doted on her, choked up and murmured with an expression she couldn't understand. The cold night wind howled and blew, the biting spring chill stinging her face.
She felt that Lin Fu seemed to have aged and become much more haggard overnight, completely listless. He just stared at her quietly, and after a long while, gently stroked her cheek, saying in a trembling voice:
"Xu'er, be good, your mother..."
Her voice was faint and unusually hoarse, before fading away into the quiet, dark night.
She didn't understand anything, but her innate sensitivity allowed her to sense something was amiss, and from then on, things never changed.
The surroundings were dark and chaotic, and the things in front of me seemed to change again and again, gradually drifting far away.
Just a moment ago, her small hand was still holding Liang Shuangyu's soft and warm palm, but in the next instant, the seasons changed, and she was already nestled in Zhou Weikan's arms, letting him bandage the wound on her knee.
The wealthy young master, always pampered and served by others, had never suffered such a serious injury before. Yet, he clumsily and carefully applied a thick layer of ointment and then used his fair fingers to tightly wrap the wound with fine gauze.
She only gasped slightly, but Zhou Weikan stopped what he was doing with a tense expression.
"Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head, her eyes gleaming like a new moon, her eyes half-curled as she tilted her head to look at him.
"..." Zhou Weikan was clearly taken aback, then tugged at the corners of her lips, sighing and shaking her head, but her words were full of tenderness that could melt an iceberg: "Are you stupid? You're so badly injured, how can you still smile...?"
She didn't speak then, but just looked at him mysteriously.
She was smiling, simply because no matter what she did, she would never lose him, a man whose heart and eyes were only for her. She didn't need to worry about noble ladies more beautiful than herself falling for him, nor did she need to worry that among all the women from aristocratic families, she wasn't the most intelligent, the most elegant, or the most talented.
In front of Zhou Weikan, she could simply be herself. When she finally realized this, she couldn't help but chuckle.
But it was a sentence that was never spoken, and he would never have the chance to tell it to him again.
.
She closed her eyes tightly, feeling an increasing tightness in her chest, as if she were about to suffocate. She felt a panicked sense of unease, yet there was nowhere to retreat. Everything around her gradually lost its color, drifting away like dust. She stretched out her fingers, but grasped nothing. Nothing remained.
Startled, Lin Xu suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in bed.
The room was entirely decorated in new red. Everywhere one could see the splendor and glory of yesterday's wedding decorations. Deep red gauze curtains hung high everywhere, layer upon layer, cascading to the floor, creating an exceptionally warm atmosphere. A red silk quilt embroidered with a hundred children and gold thread covered her. On the dressing table and the tables and chairs in the main hall in the distance, the red candles had long since burned out, leaving behind a few tear-like traces.
She was now all alone on the huge red bed sheet. If it weren't for the traces of someone else sleeping on the bedding beside her, she would have suspected that it was all just a fleeting dream.
Lin Xu stood up, her red wedding shoes embroidered with mandarin ducks and phoenixes, and lifted a corner of the hanging curtain. The sunlight outside was already bright and warm, and she unconsciously squinted her eyes.
Upon seeing her awake, the maids who had been waiting outside the hall entered shortly afterward. Zhu Ling greeted her with a beaming smile, "Miss... Madam, are you awake? Did you sleep well last night?"
She had just married into the Dou family, and the old members of the Lin family who had come with her were still unable to change their way of addressing her.
There were also four new maids arranged for her by the Dou family. At a glance, it was clear that they were well-trained and acted with composure and propriety. The little maid at the end looked even younger, but her every move showed that she had already shed her childishness. After Lin Xu finished washing up, she took the fresh tea offered by the little maid, rinsed her mouth, and casually asked, "What's your name?"
Upon hearing this, the young maidservant bowed and hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Madam, my name is Nongyu."
Nongyu... the name is quite elegant.
Lin Xu glanced at her and asked, "The name is quite nice, but who named it?"
Nongyu replied respectfully, "Madam, it was the Second Master who named it for me."
She lowered her eyes, wiped her hands clean with a handkerchief embroidered with gold trim, handed it to Nongyu, and, with Zhuling's help, moved to the west side room next door.
A row of maids quickly brought out breakfast. The head maid, a smiling old woman, invited her to sit down and diligently served her a small bowl of still-steaming peanut porridge.
This was the old woman who had led her to her bedchamber yesterday. She was the most experienced and kind-looking woman in the courtyard. The other maids all called her Granny Chang.
Lin Xu slowly scooped up a spoonful of hot porridge, blew on it to warm it, and then brought it to his lips to taste.
Granny Chang smiled and said, "Since you are new to this place, I may not have been able to take good care of you. I wonder if the breakfast in this small kitchen suits your taste?"
She nodded and smiled, "The porridge is delicious, thank you so much, Granny."
Upon hearing this, Granny Chang said happily, "That's good. The Second Master got up early this morning and went out. Since he entered the yamen, he has been much busier than usual. However, he specifically instructed that we should not wake you and that you should continue to sleep. Therefore, we servants dared not disturb you."
Dou Yanxun has now taken up a position in the Ministry of Works. Although it is a sinecure, he still has to be on duty every day. She knows this, so she nodded slightly and then picked up a crispy fried butterfly pastry.
Granny Chang continued, "I've lived in this mansion for a long time and I usually know that our Second Master is a kind-hearted person who seems indifferent, but I've never seen him so concerned before."
The girls couldn't help but smile slightly upon hearing this.
While drinking her porridge, she gradually calmed herself down. After a quick breakfast, she went to offer tea to her parents-in-law as per custom.
Granny Qin was an excellent hairstylist, so she carefully combed and washed her hair, then styled it into a sophisticated yet charming "Fallen Immortal Bun." She then inserted a gold hairpin inlaid with pearls and decorated it with a dragon playing with the phoenix design, and adorned it with two clear and bright jade pendants behind her ears, making her look exceptionally radiant.
Since they had just gotten married, they should dress up for the occasion. Looking at Lin Xu's bright eyes and white teeth in the mirror, Granny Qin couldn't help but say happily, "With such beauty, Madam, this old woman will surely adore you."
After she finished dressing, it was already late. Surrounded by maids and nannies, she walked out of the bridal chamber with steady yet light steps. Along the way, she stepped on a festive soft embroidered carpet, and red lanterns hung on both sides of the road. Everywhere she looked, there was a festive atmosphere of red makeup and white decorations.
A moment later, she arrived at the main hall, where Dou Huaisheng and his wife, Madam Bai, were already seated at the head of the table, waiting for her arrival.
Dou Huaisheng was dressed in a deep purple brocade robe, his silver hair neatly styled, his gaze dignified yet with a touch of kindness. Bai Shi wore a deep red robe embroidered with gold thread, her face very composed, though she was somewhat old, her gaze gentle yet dignified.
Upon seeing this, Lin Xu immediately straightened her expression, knelt down slowly according to etiquette, and respectfully said, "Xu'er offers tea to Father and Mother." Her voice was gentle and melodious, full of the humility and respect befitting a new bride.
Seeing that she had performed the proper courtesies, Bai Shi finally smiled slightly, gestured for the maid to take the teacup from her, then picked up the cup, took a small sip, and said with a smile:
"You've put your heart into it. Your outfit this morning is truly elegant and dignified. Compared to yesterday's fine clothes, it looks much more suitable for home and family. It's really more and more pleasing to the eye."
Dou Huaisheng nodded slightly, though he didn't say much, his eyes revealing a hint of satisfaction.
She remained kneeling on the ground, though slightly relieved, she still maintained the proper humility. Lin Xu looked up at Bai Shi and smiled slightly:
"Father and Mother are kind-hearted. It is Xu'er's good fortune to marry Yan Xun and become a new bride in the Dou family. I will serve you wholeheartedly in the future to repay your kindness."
Upon hearing this, Madam Bai's eyes revealed a hint of approval. She put down her teacup, gestured for Lin Xu to rise, and then said gently, "Good child, get up. Today you have entered the Dou family, and from now on you are one of us. Although Master doesn't say much, you should understand that his expectations for you are just as high as mine."
Lin Xu stood up in response and said respectfully, "Xu'er will remember Father and Mother's teachings and will certainly not dare to disappoint them."
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