3. Husband, do you know that your wife is illiterate?
She didn't look down on me.
"Please have some tea, my in-laws."
Serving tea to Lord Duan went very smoothly. Lord Duan accepted it, drank it all in one gulp, and gave her a large red envelope.
But when it came to Madam Qin, she hesitated for a long time before taking the teacup. However, Feng Ran had no intention of indulging her temper and simply handed the teacup to Madam Qin. Madam Qin reflexively took the teacup, and Feng Ran casually let go of it.
The whole tea-serving process is now complete. Whether you drink it or not, once it's served to you, you're considered my mother-in-law.
Madam Qin glared at her coldly, as if she wanted to say something, but because the old Marquis was present, she could only reluctantly take a sip and casually reward her with a bracelet.
Feng Ran had never seen much of the world and didn't know how much the bracelet was worth. She figured that something from the Marquis's mansion wouldn't be cheap, so she happily accepted it.
In case she ever wants to become a runaway prince's wife, all of this is her family fortune.
After serving tea, the old Marquis and Madam Qin did not invite Duan Jingchuan and Feng Ran to stay for dinner. Seeing that Madam Qin could not say anything, the old Marquis could only take over the task of giving instructions.
"Princess Consort, from now on you and the Prince will live separately in the small courtyard. There aren't many rules in the Marquis's mansion. You just need to live your lives well. Take good care of your health and try to give birth to the next generation for the Marquis's mansion as soon as possible."
Feng Ran rolled her eyes inwardly. Having a child? Dream on! Your son wouldn't even dare to touch me.
Feng Ran had originally prepared herself for the possibility of encountering a beastly young man, but now it seems she's lucky she's not a beast herself. This young man avoids her like the plague, but he's very polite and well-mannered.
But this is just right. The two of them can live in the courtyard without being disturbed. She can finally become the landlord. As for her wronged mother-in-law's expression, she says she doesn't want to see it at all.
She doesn't genuinely want to be her daughter-in-law, so why should she try to please her mother-in-law?
The old Marquis is still in charge of this household, so sticking close to the right person is the only way to go.
During the tea ceremony early this morning, Feng Ran heard Duan Jingchuan say five words, revealing his social anxiety.
Feng Ran's usually numb mind suddenly cleared up a bit, as if someone had been telling her various stories a long time ago, about social anxiety, about airplanes, about trains, and about dynasties.
These fragments do not form a complete story, but are scattered like stars in the vast sky.
Feng Ran could only guess that she did not belong to this dynasty, but probably came from a human civilization that was thousands of years more advanced than this one.
Everything has its own destiny, so she might as well accept it. She couldn't remember anything from the past anyway, so she might as well enjoy life while she could.
However, her biggest obstacle to enjoying herself right now is this socially awkward guy in front of her. How to please him and turn him into her breadwinner is a skill Feng Ran isn't familiar with. She believes she's more skilled at tricking people into becoming her lackeys.
The suffocating breakfast finally made Feng Ran speak again.
"Duan Jingchuan, don't you ever talk normally? You're so boring."
Duan Jingchuan, being very accommodating, made a "hmm" sound with his throat.
Then, as if remembering something, he took out a folded booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Feng Ran.
Feng Ran subconsciously longed for something called a cell phone to appear, but she didn't remember what a cell phone was, only that it would be a million times more convenient than this method of reading folded paper.
However, this was the first time Feng Ran had ever used this method of exchanging letters. She eagerly accepted the letter, intending to read it, but unexpectedly, she found herself staring at it blankly.
Duan Jingchuan had been observing Feng Ran's expression, but seeing her confused look, he blurted out two more words, "Is it inappropriate?"
Feng Ran, unusually somber, pointed to the scribbles on the memorial, then to herself, placing the memorial and her face side by side, and replied in a very aloof manner, "I don't understand."
Duan Jingchuan's pupils dilated instantly, seemingly surprised that Feng Ran was illiterate.
Against the backdrop of vibrant early autumn colors, it was a truly beautiful scene, yet both protagonists were utterly stunned.
In the end, Feng Ran was defeated.
"Why don't you find someone to read it to me?"
"No need, you need to be literate." Duan Jingchuan really hadn't expected that the daughter of the Prime Minister would be illiterate.
However, this is a bit unfair to the Prime Minister's daughter. It's just that Feng Ran can't read these words. Some memories, although they exist, are buried too deep by Feng Ran and have been ignored.
"You mean I need to learn to read?" What the hell? How dare you say she's uncultured? She's got a lot to offer, even if she's not a scholar.
"Yes." Duan Jingchuan nodded without hesitation. As the Crown Prince's wife, being literate was a given.
"Then you teach me?" It would be interesting if someone with social anxiety taught her, since she's beautiful and looks good even when she doesn't speak.
Duan Jingchuan fell silent again, which Feng Ran interpreted as a silent protest.
If you weren't socially anxious, this would be blatant emotional abuse.
"I'll ask, you answer, okay?" Faced with social anxiety, Feng Ran didn't have a better solution.
Duan Jingchuan nodded.
"Can I live here indefinitely?"
Duan Jingchuan nodded. "Very good, accommodation is sorted out."
"Can I eat and drink for free and not do any work from now on?"
Duan Jingchuan noticed something strange about Feng Ran's expression. This time, she neither nodded nor shook her head. Feng Ran waited patiently for a long time before finally hearing a nonsensical remark.
"I, your husband, will take care of you."
When these words were put together, Feng Ran immediately became excited and danced with joy. "You mean, as long as you're my husband, you'll support me every day, I won't have to do any work, and I'll even have a younger brother, so I won't have to be waited on?"
Duan Jingchuan affirmed Feng Ran's answer.
Then, without any psychological pressure, Feng Ran called out, "Husband."
Duan Jingchuan's face flushed slightly, but he nodded gently.
Little did he know that making this promise would throw his future life into chaos.
Feng Ran suddenly realized that having a husband wasn't so bad after all.
"My husband, rest assured, from now on my affairs are your affairs, and your affairs are your affairs. I will ensure that your family lives on forever and is immortalized."
No, I don't need it. Duan Jingchuan held his words of refusal in his mouth for a long time without making a sound.
However, Duan Jingchuan is still feeling guilty. In his opinion, neither the eldest nor the second young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion were a good match for him.
He was destined to die young, and his mental state was unpredictable; he couldn't bring happiness to any girl, so marrying her was already a huge disservice to her.
Therefore, no matter how unreasonable Feng Ran's request was, he would agree to it. Now, it was just the most basic request, so Duan Jingchuan naturally had no objection.
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Feng Ran focused solely on her meal, completely oblivious to Duan Jingchuan's own thoughts.
Duan Jingchuan knew that his father meant well, using his military merits to bring him honor for the rest of his life and the wife in front of him. He was very grateful, but he was powerless to reciprocate.
For example, right now, even though the two of them are eating at the same table, Duan Jingchuan feels irritable. Whether it's the sound of the other person chewing or breathing, it makes him feel extremely uncomfortable.
This discomfort had been there for a long time, but as a husband, he should accompany his wife to serve tea and later accompany her on her homecoming visit.
He's not even a normal person, so why did he get married? Why did he live? It would be so much better to die, to end it all. But how should he die? If it were this meal…
Just as Duan Jingchuan was lost in thought, Feng Ran suddenly sensed a crisis.
She actually sensed a murderous aura. She looked around and found that only Duan Jingchuan was beside her. Duan Jingchuan was staring at the rice in his bowl, his head down, and she couldn't see the color of his eyes.
His entire aura was extremely gloomy and suffocating.
"My husband, to thank you for providing me with food and clothing and for being my provider, let me tell you about my understanding of books."
Upon hearing Feng Ran's voice, Duan Jingchuan subconsciously glanced at her, then quickly lowered his head and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Feng Ran didn't care about Duan Jingchuan's reaction, but said directly, "Do you know what it means to 'hear the Way in the morning and die content in the evening'?"
Although Duan Jingchuan has had some personality flaws over the years, he has not lacked the education and reading he should have received, so he showed little interest in the topic of Feng Ran.
"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening" simply means that in pursuing the essence of things, as long as the correct answer is obtained, one can die without regret. However, this understanding cannot be expressed verbally.
Duan Jingchuan felt even more inferior. He couldn't give the girl happiness, and he couldn't even have a normal conversation with her. What else could he do?
However, Feng Ran did not want Duan Jingchuan to give the answer himself, but continued on her own.
"It means I'll keep watch on my way to your house in the morning, and then I can kill you with a hammer tonight, and that'll be the end of it."
With a thud, Duan Jingchuan's chopsticks fell from his hand for some unknown reason. He was somewhat dazed, as if he hadn't expected the sentence to be interpreted in this way. It was strange, yet it made some sense. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong with it.
Seeing that Duan Jingchuan's aura had been disrupted, Feng Ran felt relieved and continued eating.
She didn't know why those words could change someone's expression; she had just subconsciously heard them mentioned before and was simply repeating them, and the effect was quite good.
Actually, if we interpret this sentence in the same way as she understands it, is there anything wrong with that?
Feng Ran blinked and continued eating.
Just as she was about to put the pan-fried bun in her mouth, she heard a trembling voice earnestly ask, "Princess Consort, what does 'reviewing the old to learn the new' mean?"
Seeing the longing in Old Li's eyes and his trembling hands, Feng Ran was also very excited. She looked at Old Li with the same excitement, thinking that she had met a like-minded person.
Feng Ran replied with anticipation, "Looking at the long-dead body of my deceased friend, I know what kind of person he will be in his next life."
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Li's trembling became even more severe. It was as if his whole body was being massaged by a fascia gun, with every inch of his skin shaking earnestly.
Old Li didn't answer Feng Ran's question. Instead, he looked heartbroken and said to Duan Jingchuan, "Your Highness, I will hire the strictest tutor for the Princess Consort." After saying that, he trembled and left.
Feng Ran didn't quite understand how this was going to happen. Why was she being asked questions but not answered? Had they misread the code? No, wasn't that the gist of it?
Feng Ran turned to look at Duan Jingchuan and was surprised to find a trace of sympathy for her in his eyes.
What the hell is sympathy? Your father doesn't need sympathy.
"My husband, am I misunderstanding something?"
Duan Jingchuan's expression became more complicated, but he still gave Feng Ran his approval.
Feng Ran couldn't possibly understand that a double affirmation was a negation of the concept. She naively thought that Duan Jingchuan agreed with her point of view and happily continued eating.
Duan Jingchuan, unusually, didn't let his mind wander, but instead seriously considered how to improve his wife's scholarship.
After finishing her meal, Feng Ran patted her husband's shoulder with a look of satisfaction. "Husband, as the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm, but the early worm gets eaten by the bird. I need to catch up on my sleep now. Don't bother me unless it's important." With that, she went back to sleep and fell fast asleep, leaving Duan Jingchuan standing there with a complicated expression.
After a while, Butler Li came over and said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort's level of education seems a bit... It might be inappropriate for her to go out and socialize."
Old Li spoke very subtly, hardly saying it directly: this Crown Princess is even more uncouth than a boor; how can she represent the Marquis's mansion? If she were to go out, she would utterly disgrace everyone.
Facing the relatively familiar Lao Li, Duan Jingchuan was able to say a few words, his gentle voice carrying a hint of inexplicable self-deprecation: "She didn't dislike me."
Hearing this, Old Li's eyes welled up with tears. His son was such a gentle person; how could he have turned out like this?
"I understand. I will find a good tutor to teach the Crown Princess. Please rest assured." He will definitely handle the Crown Princess's education perfectly.
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