Chapter Thirty-Five: Morning Rise
Just as dawn was breaking, the first loud rooster crowed outside the window.
Zhang Liuyi's eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the hazy light filtering through the window paper, followed by a warm chest close to hers. She was being held tightly in Xiong Zixiang's arms.
His arms were steady and strong, and through the thin nightgown, his breathing was even and long, clearly still deep in sleep.
Zhang Yili shifted, wanting to find a more comfortable position, but was afraid of waking him.
She glanced up at Xiong Zixiang's sleeping profile; his jawline was exceptionally clear in the dim light, and there seemed to be a hint of satisfaction at the corners of his mouth.
Memories of last night, a mixture of romance and exhaustion, flooded her mind, making her cheeks slightly flushed.
Feeling the warm comfort of the bed, a strong sense of weariness welled up again.
She simply gave up struggling, snuggled closer to him, and let herself drift off into a deep, sweet dream once more.
When I opened my eyes again, the daylight outside the window was already bright, shining through the window paper and casting clear shadows in the room.
Zhang Yili hadn't fully woken up yet. He blinked, and after a while, his muddled mind finally cleared up completely!
broken!
She suddenly remembered that on her first day of marriage, shouldn't the new daughter-in-law get up early to serve tea to her parents-in-law, help with housework, and make breakfast to show her goodwill?
Who else would stay in bed like that, even when the sun is high in the sky?
This is simply... simply decadent, it's like being so engrossed in a world of pleasure that one loses all sense of reason!
She tried to sit up immediately, but the sharp soreness in her waist and abdomen, and the weakness in her legs, came suddenly with the movement, making her gasp and freeze in mid-air.
This feeling of unease naturally reminded her of the culprit.
Zhang Liuyi turned her head away irritably and looked at the person next to her who was already awake, lying on her side, propping her head up with one arm, and looking at her expectantly.
The man was kneading her waist with his other hand, whether he was massaging her or had other plans, a smile playing on his lips.
"It's all your fault!"
She was furious and raised her hand to punch Xiong Zixiang's strong arm. The force was not heavy; it was more like a playful scolding than a punch.
Xiong Zixiang was not annoyed by the obviously weak blow; instead, his smile deepened, revealing a set of white teeth as he chuckled憨厚ly.
He naturally understood what was strange about her, and seeing her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger, his heart melted completely.
"Awake? Lie down a bit more?" His voice was hoarse from the early morning, unusually deep.
"I'm not lying down anymore, Zixiang, it's time to get up. I haven't packed anything yet." Xiaozhi seemed a little anxious and made a move to get up again.
Xiong Zixiang gently stopped her, a rare hint of mischief in his voice, and asked in a low voice, "What should my wife call me?"
Zhang was taken aback, but when she met his smiling eyes, she instantly understood. A blush rose to her cheeks, but a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.
With a serious expression and a touch of shyness, she softly called out, "My husband."
Upon hearing this call, Xiong Zixiang's smile deepened, and he contentedly stopped trying to stop her.
He nimbly rolled out of bed, his movements swift and agile.
She walked to the wardrobe, took out the newly made clothes that Zhang had noticed, and then found her own clothes, and took them to the bedside.
No rush.
He handed her the clothes, his tone reassuring: "Your parents must have everything ready. The government has given us five days off, so I have nothing to do today and will stay with you."
The two then dressed and washed up. Xiong Zixiang even picked up a comb and clumsily but earnestly helped Xiaoli tie her hair into a simple bun, inserting the smooth golden nanmu hairpin that he had bought at the market.
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on his focused profile.
By the time everything was ready, the sun had risen higher.
Zhang Liuyi's unease as a new bride resurfaced, and she quickly pulled Xiong Zixiang towards the kitchen.
She figured that even if it was late, she had to find some work to do; she couldn't just be a hands-off boss.
However, once inside the kitchen, that worry vanished.
The stove was still warm inside, and the lids of the two large pots were tightly closed.
Zhang Liuyi lifted the lid and saw that one pot contained a few leftover meat and vegetable dishes from yesterday's banquet, while the other pot contained a thick, fragrant millet soup with a layer of tempting rice oil on top.
On the small cutting board next to it, there were several clean bowls and chopsticks.
This was clearly prepared by Mrs. Song early in the morning.
The food was kept warm, just waiting for the young couple to get up and eat.
Zhang felt a warmth in his heart, but also a little embarrassed.
Xiong Zixiang smiled and picked up the bowl: "See, I told you, Mom must have prepared everything. Eat up, don't go hungry."
The two of them ate a simple, belated breakfast at the small table in the kitchen.
The warm rice porridge soothed my stomach.
After the meal, Zhang Yili immediately pulled Xiong Zixiang along, took the specially prepared tea set, and headed to the Xiong family's courtyard at the west end of the village.
On the first day of marriage, serving tea to the parents-in-law is both a custom and a gesture of goodwill.
Inside the old house, Old Man Xiong was sitting on the threshold smoking a pipe, while Mrs. Song was drying clothes in the yard.
They all smiled when they saw the young couple arrive.
"Father, Mother, please have some tea."
Zhang respectfully served each of Old Man Xiong and Madam Song a cup of hot tea, and changed his address accordingly.
"Oh, good, good boy."
Old Man Xiong took the tea, grinning from ear to ear. He took a sip, nodded repeatedly, and then gave him a red envelope.
Zhang Yili accepted the call.
Song also took the tea, took a sip, pulled Zhang Xiaoli's hand to make her sit down, and stuffed a silk hair ornament into her hair.
His gaze swept over her slightly flushed face and her somewhat unnatural posture, then glanced at his son standing beside her, who was engrossed in watching his wife. He knew exactly what was going on.
She gave Xiong Zixiang a disapproving look, her eyes carrying a hint of reproach.
That silly boy, relying on his big size and strength, doesn't know his own strength and doesn't know how to be considerate of his new wife.
However, as a mother-in-law, she couldn't say this directly in front of her new wife; she could only let her son understand it himself.
Xiong Zixiang received a look from his mother, scratched his head somewhat puzzled, and then smiled as he watched the actions of his mother and daughter-in-law.
Song took Zhang Xiaoli's hand and sat down on a small stool in the courtyard, where they began to have a private conversation.
"You must have been exhausted yesterday, right? The banquet was quite noisy." Madam Song said gently.
"It's okay, just a little tired."
Zhang Liuyi smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
"If you're tired, just rest more. There's nothing urgent at home."
Madam Song patted her hand: "By the way, when are you planning to set up that stall again? If you're too busy, I can lend you a hand."
"My sister-in-law said she'll keep an eye on things for me for a couple of days, and then my mom can come with me to take a look. The business is booming."
"That's great! Let's go to town together in a couple of days."
Zhang Liuyi, thinking that the land in their yard was still empty, said, "Mother, look at that empty space against the wall in our yard, I'm thinking about what to plant? Chives? Or should we build a small trellis and plant some broad beans?"
"Planting some chives is good. They grow back after each harvest, making it convenient for making dumplings. Plant a few scallions against the wall, and you can pick them whenever you want to eat them."
Mrs. Song immediately became interested: "Loofah and flat beans are fine too. In the summer, we can build a shed for them, and they'll taste fresh. What do you like to eat? I'll find some good seeds for you."
"I'm fine with anything as long as it's not spicy, Mom. I remember you like stewed pork trotters with soybeans until they're very tender? I'll buy some soybean sprouts to stew next time I go to the market."
"Oh dear, that's too much trouble. Why buy anything? We already have some soybeans soaking at home..."
As Song spoke, her face beamed with joy.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted back and forth, talking about everyday things and food, creating a warm and natural atmosphere.
On the other side, Old Man Xiong and Xiong Zixiang were not idle either.
The tables, chairs, benches, pots, pans and dishes borrowed from yesterday's banquet are piled up in the yard, waiting to be cleaned up and returned.
The father and son rolled up their sleeves and started working.
"Zixiang, carry that eight-immortal table to Wang Laowu's house. Be careful not to bump the corners," Old Man Xiong instructed.
"Okay, Dad." Xiong Zixiang replied, easily lifting a heavy square table and walking steadily outside.
Old Man Xiong then began to tidy up the scattered bowls and plates, carefully sorting and organizing them, before carrying them to the banks of the Zhuoshui River and washing them thoroughly.
At noon, we naturally ate the leftovers again. Yesterday's feast was plentiful, and the remaining dishes were enough for the family to eat for another two or three days.
Song heated up the leftovers and mixed in some pickled vegetables, and that was how she managed to get by with the meal.
People from the countryside understand best how to make the most of things and have no concept of waste.
After lunch, the warm sunshine made people feel lazy.
Zhang Liuyi sat on a small stool, feeling that familiar weariness creeping up on her again, and she couldn't help but yawn slightly.
Xiong Zixiang had been keeping an eye on her, and seeing this, he immediately leaned closer and whispered, "Are you sleepy?"
Zhang nodded somewhat embarrassedly.
"Let's go home and rest."
Without saying a word, Xiong Zixiang took her hand and greeted his parents: "Dad, Mom, you seem a little tired. We'll go back and rest for a while. We might not come back this afternoon."
As Mrs. Song was clearing the dishes, she immediately nodded upon hearing this: "Go on! Get some rest! You don't need to worry about this."
She watched her son holding his wife's hand, their steps steady yet cautious, and the slight annoyance in her heart turned into satisfaction.
The silly son finally knew how to care for people, so Xiong Zixiang half-carried and half-supported Zhang Yili, and slowly walked back to their new courtyard in the afternoon sun.
Once the door was closed, cutting off the outside world, Zhang Liuxin went back to the inner room and collapsed onto the bed, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Xiong Zixiang sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her sleepy profile, and reached out to cover her with the blanket and tuck the corner of the blanket in.
"Go to sleep," he said in a low, gentle voice.
Zhang Liuyi gave a vague reply, her eyelids already too heavy to lift.
Before her consciousness sank into darkness, she vaguely felt Xiong Zixiang's warm palm gently covering her side waist, gently massaging it.
She unconsciously nuzzled against the wheat bran pillow and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Xiong Zixiang did not lie down, but sat quietly by the bed, watching over the sleeping man. Sunlight streamed through the window cracks, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
The room was quiet, with only Zhang Yi's even and shallow breathing.
It's great! Looking forward to seeing the female lead keep making money.
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