Chapter 553 The First Day of Marriage
As summer approaches, the mornings begin to get brighter and earlier.
The red candles in the new house had not yet burned out when the morning light shone in through the window, bringing a sliver of light to the bedroom.
Situ Man opened his eyes, propped himself up and sat up. Seeing that it was already light outside the window, he panicked: "Oh no, I got up too late. My mother specifically told me to get up early on the first day of the wedding. Why did I sleep in again..."
“It’s not too late.” Cheng Zhao chuckled. “I told Grandma last night that we’ll serve tea again at 3:45 this morning.”
Situ Man patted her chest: "That's good, I can sleep a little longer."
Then he collapsed again.
Cheng Zhao couldn't hide the smile on his face. His wife was young and lively. When he first met her, she was like a brilliant light shining on him. He hoped that this light would always be in his life.
He reached out and tucked the quilt into place for his wife, then sat up and put on his clothes.
Perhaps hearing the noise from inside, the maidservant guarding outside knocked on the door and whispered, "Young master, young lady, may I come in?"
Cheng Zhao put on his coat and gently opened the door: "Come in in a quarter of an hour."
The maid lowered her head and said, "Then I will help you wash up."
"No need." Cheng Zhao's voice was very soft, "Just serve the young lady well."
He tied the belt around his waist, walked out of the house, washed up in the side room, and then sat in the yard to read.
The old woman sweeping the courtyard put down her broom and tiptoed into the bridal chamber. Seeing her young mistress still fast asleep in bed, she frowned and hurried over to call out, "Miss, it's getting late! Get up quickly! The old lady and master over there got up an hour ago..."
Situ Man said vaguely: "My husband said I can sleep a little longer..."
"Young lady, you're not a girl anymore. You can't be so willful like before," the old woman earnestly taught her. "When your husband gets up, you should help him get dressed and wash up. This is what a wife should do. Your husband doesn't mind, but you can't shirk your duties... Why are you still sleeping? Get up quickly. I'll help you get dressed and comb your hair..."
Situ Man then sat up with a start: "Mom did tell me, how could I have forgotten? Quick, help me get dressed and wash up..."
Two maids came in from outside and helped her comb her hair and wash up quickly, and then changed into an ordinary cloud-white dress. Because the Cheng family was a poor family, Madam Situ had specifically instructed that what she wore and used in the Cheng family should be ordinary and not too eye-catching.
Cheng Zhao sat in the yard and read two pages of a book when he saw Situ Man walking out of the new house.
Dressed in a cloud-white gown, she exuded a completely different aura from yesterday's red wedding dress. She had been quite carefree, but when Cheng Zhao kept staring at her, her cheeks flushed red. She lowered her head shyly and said, "Husband, I was too tired last night and couldn't get up this morning. I didn't help you get dressed and wash up. I hope you won't hold it against me."
"I have hands and feet, why do I need you to serve me?" Cheng Zhao closed the book and stood up. "We, the Cheng family, are from the countryside. Country people don't have so many rules. You don't need to restrict yourself. Just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Let's go to the front yard."
The two walked to the front yard. Everyone in the hall was there. Old Madam Cheng and Old Man Cheng sat in the main seats, with Brother Cheng and Sister Cheng sitting below. Two ten-year-old boys from the second and third branches of the Cheng family were playing in the yard. When they saw Cheng Zhao and the others coming, they shouted, "Brother, Sister-in-law!"
The four people who were chatting in the lobby immediately stopped talking and looked up at the courtyard.
Sister-in-law Cheng twitched her lips: "Sleeping until this late, in our Cheng family village people will gossip and call her a lazy old woman..."
“This isn’t Chengjia Village.” Old Mrs. Cheng glanced at her. “If you upset Zhao’er and his wife later, I’ll make you pay.”
Mrs. Cheng had no choice but to swallow her complaints.
She looked up and saw Situ Man walk towards the two children in the courtyard, and then give each of them an embroidered purse.
The two children immediately opened the purse, revealing glittering gold leaves. The two children were stunned, as were the four adults sitting in the lobby.
"So rich..." Sister-in-law Cheng swallowed hard. "If only Zhao'er and his younger siblings had come along too..."
The eldest son's family had four children, but because the second and third sons' families stirred up trouble, the three younger ones stayed in Chengjia Village.
Situ Man gave her brothers gifts before following Cheng Zhao into the main hall.
Cheng Zhao spoke first: "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom."
Situ Man obediently followed suit.
The servant woman brought tea, and the newlyweds knelt down to offer it to her one by one.
Old Mrs. Cheng and Old Man Cheng gave her a green hairpin, while Brother Cheng and Sister-in-law Cheng gave her the gold bracelet they had prepared last night.
"Xiaoman, this is a family heirloom of our Cheng family." Sister-in-law Cheng lied without blushing at all. "Only the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch can wear this gold bracelet. From now on, you will be the young mistress of our Cheng family. Zhao'er will take care of external affairs, and you will take care of internal affairs. Our Cheng family will rely on the two of you to bring glory to our family."
Situ Man put on the gold bracelet and bowed her head, saying, "Daughter-in-law has remembered everything."
Then, she took out the gifts she had prepared, a pair of shoes for each elder.
Mrs. Cheng took the shoes, but she didn't wait for any further news. She felt a little uncomfortable. Two young boys could get gold leaves, but she, the mother-in-law, got nothing?
These shoes look nice, and they’re made of satin, but no matter how exquisite they are, they’re just a pair of shoes. How can they be as valuable as gold leaves...
Old Mrs. Cheng could easily see through her little scheme. She said calmly, "It's getting late. Let's get ready for breakfast. Eldest daughter-in-law, go to the kitchen and bring up all the food."
Situ Man brought a skilled cook with her when she married into the family. This cook made breakfast, and Sister-in-law Cheng assisted her.
The family was having breakfast around the table. At the table, Sister-in-law Cheng made a few sarcastic remarks, which Cheng Zhao calmly deflected, clearly defending his wife.
Situ Man felt a sweet warmth. In wealthy families in the capital, mothers-in-law had to set rules, and newlywed brides had to serve food behind their mothers-in-law. But she could sit at the table with her husband and eat together. Even if her mother-in-law said something that made her uncomfortable, her husband would defend her. She must have married the right person.
After the meal, the servants of the Situ family took the initiative to clean up the mess, which pleased Old Madam Cheng greatly.
The elderly woman sat in the main seat and spoke calmly, "There are too many flowers and plants in this yard. Let's all help each other pull them out later, and cut down these trees too..."
Situ Man couldn't help but asked curiously, "Why?"
Although the flowers and plants in this yard are not rare or expensive, they are growing very well and are pleasing to the eye. This big tree is especially lush and leafy, and it would be a real shame to cut it down.
“We’re all from the countryside, and we’re used to growing our own vegetables. This way, we don’t have to waste money going to town,” Grandma Cheng replied. “We can clear this plot of land and plant some cabbages, radishes, and eggplants, and plant scallions, ginger, and garlic here. We can just pick a handful whenever we want to eat them. It’s so convenient.”
Situ Man pressed on, "But this tree isn't growing in the soil, so why cut it down?"
“This tree is too big; it blocks out half the sunlight in the yard. Vegetables won’t grow well without sun, and radishes won’t grow big without sunlight.” Grandma Cheng took out two packets of seeds. “I’ve been searching for seeds in the city for a long time, but they’re all pretty but useless. I met an old farmer in the countryside a couple of days ago and finally bought some reliable seeds. You’ll see when the radishes are ripe; they’ll definitely taste better than the ones your Situ family buys outside…”
Situ Man's eyes were filled with shock: "I've never heard of these things before. Grandma knows so much..."
The old woman from the Situ family who was waiting by the side: "..."
The young lady is too naive. Now is the time to praise Old Madam Cheng for her greatness. Shouldn't we stop the old lady from destroying the scenery of the yard?
Although the scenery here is not as beautiful as the Situ Mansion, it is still a scenic spot. If vegetables were planted here, the stench of farmyard manure would permeate the place, and how could anyone live there?
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