Chapter 32
There seems to be no reason to refute.
Xie Yunchu stood there in a daze, his consciousness was in a state of confusion and he couldn't tell whether this was a dream or reality. It was clearly not what he said, but he could feel its sharpness.
Wang Shuhuai leaned down, his lips moved from the shoulder bone to the front, and continued to explore. Xie Yunchu's heart seemed to be held by him, and fine and dense bumps appeared all over his body. His calm eyes turned scarlet little by little. He was able to handle the bumps and bruises with ease. With the cover of darkness and confusion, anyone can wantonly extend the pleasure of the senses.
The moonlight shines through the densely intertwined branches, casting mottled shadows. The light and shadows are flickering, and the water in Xie Yunchu's eyes is also flickering.
Sweat and tears intertwined into a hazy mist, which was impenetrable and unclear. Only the sharp jaw swung arrogantly, and the chaotic breath rushed over. Before she had time to figure out Wang Shuhuai's changes, she had already fallen into the happy tug of war as he slid in. There was a little shyness that forced her to cover up and look back, but her body cooperated honestly, not giving her any room to escape.
That kind of extreme happiness, unprecedented in her history, overwhelmed her soul. She was flushed all over and felt as if she was not in this world.
She didn't know how she woke up. Her wet almond-shaped eyes stared blankly at the beam of sunlight that penetrated the window lattice. The factors in the air were churning, and the consciousness in her mind was also churning. She didn't know when last night ended, and she didn't know when he left in the early morning. She only vaguely heard a sound of pain.
Wang Shuhuai also has a day of indulgence.
Not like the Wang Shuhuai she knew.
She even wanted to see his expression when the wound burst open, but unfortunately he concealed it too well.
Xie Yunchu didn't want to move, nor could she move. She was too tired last night to get up to take a shower. She was also afraid of being embarrassed if the nanny found out, so she simply stayed there without getting up. Her limbs were still lazily, and there was still some aftertaste. The most annoying thing was not the pulling, but the rubbing. The feeling of touch still lingered in her body and could not be shaken off.
This guy... when did he learn those torture methods?
Xie Yunchu cursed a few words in his heart.
Unable to wait any longer, Chunqi came in to wake her up. She took a comfortable bath to unclog her hair, drank a bowl of bird's nest porridge to fill her stomach, and then asked about Wang Shuhuai.
"When did the Second Master leave?"
Chunqi replied, "I got up as soon as it was light." It was Nanny Lin who was on night watch last night, and she took over in the morning. She guessed what happened that night but didn't know the details.
Xie Yunchu asked in a veiled manner, "Was there anything unusual when he left?"
Chunqi was confused. What was considered abnormal?
When he left, he seemed to be happy, and even had a satisfied look on his face. Was it unusual? But Chunqi couldn't say it. She shook her head and said, "Nothing unusual."
Xie Yunchu was puzzled. She had clearly heard that he felt pain. If she was not mistaken, the wound must have burst open. It was amazing that he could endure it. What a hypocritical man.
Seeing Xie Yunchu curling his lips, Chunqi suggested, "My master is still in the study today. If you are worried, why don't you go and ask him yourself?"
"No." Xie Yunchu got up and went to see the child.
As usual, she took the child to Ninghe Hall to pay her respects. When Xie Yunchu arrived, Wang Shuhuai was already inside. Wang Shuhuai glanced at her as soon as she came in. The crabapple red dress she wore made her fair face even more beautiful. He used to think she was dignified and generous, but today, he somehow looked at the beauty mole at the corner of her eye a few more times. Her skirt fluttered in the wind, and she was charming everywhere.
Wang Shuhuai also realized that he had been acting a little out of line recently, so he controlled his thoughts and looked away.
Xie Yunchu noticed that he didn't look at her much. Wang Shuhuai could see that she was lazy, so he reached out to take the child. Jiang Shi, who was above, saw this and immediately frowned.
"Huai'er is still injured, so let her mother hold him, or give him to the wet nurse."
Xie Yunchu bowed slowly and sneered in her heart, fearing that her son was tired. If she knew what her well-dressed son had done last night, she wondered what his expression would be.
Xie Yunchu muttered a few words in his mind, then sat down beside Wang Shuhuai in silence.
Fortunately, Wang Shuhuai ignored Jiang's words and replied coldly, "My son is fine."
Sister Ke was full of energy in the morning. She stood on her father's legs and dodged. Her father's arms were obviously wider than her mother's arms. She naturally felt safe and could do whatever she wanted.
Jiang's forehead swelled as she looked at him. She turned her head and glanced at her husband. The second master didn't think anything of it and said with a smile,
"I don't know who Sister Ke looks like with this eccentric attitude."
Wang Shuhuai and Xie Yunchu are both quiet people.
Dou Keling hugged Xuan Ge'er and laughed, "Maybe my second sister-in-law was a lively girl when she was young."
This Dou Keling won't stop until he has said a few sarcastic words to others.
In the past, Xie Yunchu always tried to keep things quiet, but now, she just smiled and continued,
"Speaking of which, my third brother is also a steady person. I'm afraid that Xuan Ge is so fierce because he resembles his younger brother and sister-in-law."
Xuan Ge'er was smearing his snot on Dou Keling's knees. Dou Keling felt embarrassed. She suppressed her temper and glared at the wet nurse. The wet nurse immediately took Xuan Ge'er away. Xu Shiwei couldn't help laughing.
"Xuan-ge is so cute. I wonder if Third Sister-in-law was like this when she was young?"
Dou Keling was so angry that she was dying. One by one, everyone was framing her. She raised her chin and glanced at Xu Shiwei, "Fourth brother's wife is pregnant, and the doctor said it's a boy after checking her pulse. So, shouldn't Fourth brother have someone else by his side?"
Xu Shiwei's smile froze on her face.
After Dou Keling finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became stagnant.
The third master Wang Shukuang had an embarrassed look on his face. Ever since he took a concubine, his wife would make some sarcastic remarks about him from time to time. But now the team of concubines was going to have a new member, and he glanced at his fourth brother Wang Shutong with a gloating look.
Wang Shutong's face turned red with embarrassment. Without waiting for his wife to glare at him, he stood up and said, "Father, mother, my son is still studying, so there is no need for that..."
Xu Shiwei looked better.
The second master did not interfere in the affairs of the rear house. He looked at his wife.
Jiang's eyes were leisurely, and she was wearing a light purple jacket. Her charm was gone. "It is because I need to study that I need someone to serve me, so that I don't have to mess around outside when there is no arrangement at home." She said to Xu Shiwei, "Don't worry, before you give birth to a legitimate son, you can give the concubine contraceptive soup."
She has three sons and three daughters-in-law, she can't favor one over the other. Since the third son has it, the second and fourth sons will have it sooner or later. Besides, she is waiting to use this rule to annoy Xie Yunchu.
Xie Yunchu had a blank expression on his face, completely staying out of the matter.
Xu Shiwei almost cried out loud, "Mom..." She had been enduring morning sickness and came to the upper room every day to serve her mother-in-law, but she didn't expect to hear such words. Xu Shiwei was heartbroken.
Jiang naturally saw the youngest daughter-in-law's grievance, and she sighed to comfort her, "Just rest and take care of your baby. Look at the wealthy families, which man doesn't have three wives and four concubines? You should be happy that someone is taking care of your husband for you."
Xu Shiwei almost cried to death. Since everyone had it, why didn't the second master have it? The mother-in-law controlled her husband very strictly and didn't allow them to interfere in her husband's affairs.
Jiang noticed Xu Shiwei's look, coughed lightly, and looked at the second master, "Don't think your father didn't have one. He had one when he was young, but that girl was unlucky and died early. Later, your father refused to take a concubine."
The second master looked a little embarrassed, "Why are you talking about those old things?" Afraid that his wife would continue to yell and implicate him, he put on the dignity of the head of the family, "It's settled, the affairs of the backyard are all up to your mother, no one is allowed to interfere."
Jiang was happy. Although her son and daughter-in-law were sometimes disobedient, her husband always obeyed her.
Thinking of this, Jiang was in a good mood and put away the jade hairpin on her bun.
The second master secretly glanced at his wife. He had to admit that although Jiang's temper was not the best, her face was impeccable. She took good care of herself and dressed herself up. She was nearly forty years old but looked like a young girl in her twenties. With such a wife, the second master really had no intention of taking a concubine.
Xie Yunchu silently watched the interaction between the two elders above. She finally understood that her mother-in-law was lazy. She didn't worry about housework, nor did she raise children. All her thoughts were on food, clothing and maintenance. This not only tied the man's heart, but also made her feel comfortable.
Sometimes, people really don’t know what they are trying to achieve.
Xie Yunchu sneered and drank his tea in silence.
Wang Shuhuai never liked noise, so he found an excuse to come out early. Xie Yunchu immediately followed him out the door. Ke Jie'er, held by her nanny, followed behind, waving her little hands to her parents in front of her.
Sister Ke is nine months old and getting heavier. Xie Yunchu can’t hold her anymore, and Wang Shuhuai is injured, so the wet nurse can only try every possible way to coax the little girl to stop making trouble.
The couple walked silently towards Chunjing Hall. When they reached the intersection where they were about to part, Wang Shuhuai suddenly stopped and said to Xie Yunchu,
"Don't worry, I won't take a concubine."
Last time, Xie Yunchu was angry with him because her mother threatened her with taking a concubine, and she refused to smile at him for a long time. Today, when Xie Yunchu saw her sister-in-law being forced to take a concubine, she must have felt the same way. He was about to go south, and he really didn't have time to be angry with his wife, so he gave her a guarantee in advance, hoping that Xie Yunchu would not think too much.
After hearing this, Xie Yunchu stopped and stared at him blankly.
He doesn't want to take a concubine?
Do you still want to catch her and make her serve you?
Thinking of his physical strength last night, how he could do it twice in a row even though he was injured, she was almost exhausted.
She hoped to get pregnant with Er Ge'er as soon as possible so that she could arrange concubines for him to control and be happy to no longer serve him.
The events of his past life were still vivid in his mind, and Xie Yunchu would not let himself get caught up in them.
"We'll talk about the future later."
She vaguely remembered that this was how he responded to her last time.
After saying this, she went to Chunjing Hall first.
Wang Shuhuai stood at the fork in the stone path, staring at Xie Yunchu's graceful back, and the emotions on his face faded little by little.
He has always been perceptive and naturally noticed that Xie Yunchu was not happy. Although he didn't understand what she was thinking about, he was sure that she was indifferent.
How could that be?
No woman wants her husband to take a concubine. Doesn't she believe he can do it?
That's right, she hasn't given birth to a legitimate son yet, and with her cautious nature, she might not easily believe his promise.
Wang Shuhuai returned to the study with mixed feelings.
Last night was really too absurd, causing the wound to burst open. Wang Shuhuai simply went to the yamen to prevent himself from losing his composure again.
Now Xie Yunchu goes to the Glazed Hall on time every day to drink tea, recite poems with his sisters-in-law, or chat with his sisters-in-law. Dou Keling is busy with housework, and Xu Shiwei was upset today. Only the eldest grandmother Miao and the second lady Wang Shuqin stay in the Glazed Hall.
Miao's two children were playing in the yard under the supervision of their wet nurse. Dalang Lin'er was five years old, and Meijie'er was three years old.
Meijie'er had a red silk tied on her double buns. It was made of the finest flowered satin and sprinkled with sparkling pearl powder, which looked very beautiful and sparkling. Kejie'er was sitting on her wet nurse and making a fuss about wanting to play. Meijie'er was well-behaved and immediately put her head close to her. Xie Yunchu saw that something was wrong and quickly stood up. Unfortunately, before she could stop her, Kejie'er grabbed the red silk and was about to pull it off to play.
Mei Jie'er cried loudly because of the pain.
Xie Yunchu's face changed, and he hurried forward to hold Ke Jie'er's hand. Ke Jie'er was strong and held it tightly. She stared at her mother with a fierce look in her eyes. Xie Yunchu did not scold her or hit her. She just stared at Ke Jie'er calmly. The silent silence was intimidating. The child probably realized that her mother was angry, so she did not dare to fight and slowly let go of her hand.
The nurse knelt down in fear and quickly apologized to the grandmother. Xie Yunchu hugged Mei Jie'er to comfort her, "Good child, tell your aunt, does it hurt a lot?"
Mei Jie'er lay in Xie Yunchu's arms and sobbed aggrievedly. Xie Yunchu looked at his confused daughter. Ke Jie'er opened her eyes wide, staring at her sister and her mother, not knowing what had happened.
When Miao saw Xie Yunchu was about to teach the child a lesson, she waved her hand and said,
"It's not a big deal. The child is so young, how can she know the severity of the situation? Don't scare her."
Miao took the initiative to hold Ke Jie'er over and comforted her, "Dear Ke'er, it's your aunt's fault. I didn't expect to prepare a piece of flowered silk for you to play with." She immediately ordered the maid beside her, "Go to my room and cut a piece of flowered silk for me."
Xie Yunchu helped Mei Jie'er tie her hair bun again, and then embedded a flower on her head into her bun, "Look, our Mei Jie'er is a beauty."
Miao was unhappy and glared at her, "You are too cautious."
Xie Yunchu didn't want to owe anyone anything.
Soon the maid brought the flower silk, and Sister Ke was having a great time. Second Miss Wang Shuqin saw that she was cute and chubby, so she immediately held her in her arms and said, "Come, Auntie will braid Sister Ke'er's hair."
Sister Ke really just sat there obediently and let Wang Shuqin do whatever she wanted.
There were sweet smiles in the flower hall.
After sitting for a while, a maid in a light green bodice came to look for Grandma Miao.
"Grandma, please go back soon. My great aunt is back."
The eldest aunt is the eldest daughter of the family, Wang Shuying. When Wang Shuqin heard this, the smile on her face immediately disappeared.
Because the Marquis Xuanping's Mansion was originally looking to marry the second daughter, Wang Shuqin, the eldest princess arranged for the eldest daughter, Wang Shuying, to be married to Prince Liu of the Marquis Xuanping's Mansion on the grounds of seniority. Since then, the atmosphere between Wang Shuqin and Wang Shuying has become subtle.
Grandma Miao glanced at Wang Shuqin's face and gently scolded the maid, "You're back, so why are you so startled?"
The little maid lowered her eyes with a bitter look on her face.
It was obvious at first glance that something had happened.
The eldest grandmother could no longer sit still, so she said goodbye to her sisters-in-law and sister-in-law, and hurried back to the main house with her child.
Xie Yunchu and Wang Shuqin looked at each other and had nothing to say.
Wang Shuqin helped Ke Jie'er tie two small braids. Ke Jie'er's hair was as thick as Xie Yunchu's, and the braids were decorated with flowery silk, which looked very pretty. Xie Yunchu laughed, "I didn't realize that such a young girl also loves beauty."
The next moment, Sister Ke pulled Hua Ling's braids off with ease, and her hair was pulled crooked. Wang Shuqin was so angry that she stamped her feet and said, "You little fool, I will never help you again."
The third wife came in after finishing her work and couldn't help laughing when she saw this scene, "You, how old are you but you're still like a child, actually getting angry with Sister Ke."
The Third Madam had no grandchildren. Seeing that Sister Ke was so pretty, she was very jealous. She picked the child up and said, "My dear, don't argue with your aunt. Come, let your aunt help you braid your hair."
She started to trouble the child again, and Ke Jieer smiled smugly at her mother without any shame.
Xie Yunchu couldn't bear to watch.
After a while, the confidant nanny of the Third Madam came in and found Xie Yunchu was also there. She stood aside and said nothing.
The Third Madam caught a glimpse of her from the corner of her eye and ordered, "Just say whatever you want to say. There are no outsiders here."
In the glazed hall, besides Wang Shuqin and her daughter, there was only Xie Yunchu.
This was because she didn't treat Xie Yunchu as an outsider. Xie Yunchu guessed that it must be related to Wang Shuying. Since the Third Madam didn't let her go, she didn't show any courtesy.
The old lady immediately reported,
"My eldest aunt is back. She came back after having a quarrel with my uncle."
"What's the matter?" asked the third wife in a calm voice.
The maid handed Wang Shuqin a fresh branch of flowers. Wang Shuqin picked the petals slowly and listened attentively.
Mammy lowered her voice and said,
"My son-in-law is a fool. He had an affair with my second aunt's cousin and got her pregnant. Now he is insisting on making that woman his equal wife. My aunt refused and we went back home after a big fight."
The third wife was silent for a moment, filled with sorrow.
Wang Shuqin snorted sarcastically, "It's really not a good marriage to be robbed."
The nausea in my heart suddenly dissipated.
"It seems that Master Liu and his cousin have been at each other's throats for a long time. Fortunately, it wasn't me, otherwise I would have made him very upset."
The third wife looked at her daughter seriously and signaled her to shut up.
At this time, the Third Wife showed her self-restraint and shrewdness as a wife in charge of a house. "No matter what, this is not the matter of the eldest house. Since their surname is Wang, it is the matter of the Wang Mansion and the Liu Mansion. The eldest sister-in-law is the most unpredictable and must want to keep things quiet. Go to the eldest sister-in-law in the eldest house and tell her to let Ying'er stay at home first and wait for the Liu family to come and talk."
The nanny took the order and left.
Xie Yunchu looked at the Third Madam with admiration, "No one else respects my niece-in-law, but you."
The third wife glared at her.
In the eldest house, the eldest wife, Mrs. Qian, was almost dizzy from her daughter's crying.
"I knew he didn't want to marry me at first, and I just endured it. I didn't expect something like this to happen. Mother, please make a decision and tell father about it. We absolutely cannot let this go. I'm afraid that pair of ruthless people have already secretly plotted against me."
Wang Shuying leaned in the eldest lady's arms and cried her heart out.
The eldest wife loved her daughter very much. She was her only daughter and was raised with great pampering. Even if she could not marry a prominent noble, it would be fine for her to find a family of officials. It was a pity that the eldest princess arranged the marriage at random.
If I had known that Liu Xun was of this character, I should not have gotten married to him.
"They just take advantage of the fact that we are not legitimate descendants of the Wang family and bully us without fear. They treat us as equal wives. Even though she is a concubine after all, it is really disgusting to hear about it." The eldest wife said angrily with tears in her eyes.
But the eldest wife was the most indecisive. Thinking of her husband's hypocritical and gloomy face, she was frightened. "Your father is too proud to speak up for you. Things have come to this, Ying'er, you have to prepare for the worst."
Wang Shuying felt as if her heart was cut open and was bleeding. "Mom, you can't just ignore your daughter." Seeing her mother's cowardice, Wang Shuying immediately turned to her grandmother Miao beside her and took her hand.
"Sister-in-law, you and brother help me."
Miao was also a woman. Seeing her sister-in-law crying, she felt heartbroken. "Don't worry. Wait until your brother comes back. I will think of a solution with him."
Wang Shuying thought that her brother was not a capable person either. If he was as outstanding as Wang Shuhuai, the Liu family would not dare to control her. For a moment, she was like duckweed in the water, with no branch to rely on, and she cried heartbrokenly.
At this moment, a strange voice sounded from the far entrance of the Moon Cave. The voice was calm and steady.
"Madam Gui, please tell the eldest lady a word. Our lady said that this is a matter between the Liu family and the Wang family. The Wang family cannot stand by and watch the Liu family bully our daughter. She also told the eldest aunt to stay at home and not go back until someone from the Liu family comes."
After hearing this, Wang Shuying felt reassured. She didn't care about her appearance and ran out of the door. She asked the maid from a distance, "Madame Hao, these are what Third Aunt said."
"Of course."
Wang Shuying knelt down with a plop and kowtowed towards the door. "Thank Third Aunt for me. I, Wang Shuying, will remember her great kindness."
Seeing her daughter like this, the eldest wife was glad that the Wang family was willing to make the decision, but she also hated herself for being incompetent. With tears in her eyes, she went out to help her daughter up and said, "Take some time to tidy up your appearance before you go and kowtow to your third aunt."
When the master came back in the evening and heard about this, his brows were tightly knitted. He had a task on hand that needed the help of the Liu family, but he didn't expect that something went wrong at the critical moment. After all, men are not women and cannot empathize with them. They always think that having three wives and four concubines is not a big deal. What's more, the matter is already done and the woman is pregnant. Can he just drive her away?
When the eldest master heard that the third wife wanted to intervene, he came to the third room to look for her.
The third wife had heard that the eldest master was coming to call for punishment, so she invited the masters and mistresses of each room to come.
Xie Yunchu was dragged by Wang Shuqin to eavesdrop on the conversation in the corridor outside.
The eldest master was trying to smooth things over. "The two families are in-laws. Ying'er already has a child, and Rong'er is four years old. Her position is very stable. We are still worried about the concubine making trouble. A co-wife is just a concubine. Let's just give her a few words and let the matter go. Do you think the third brother's wife wants to drive the pregnant woman away and give us a reputation as cruel and ruthless? Even Ying'er's reputation will be damaged, and people will say she is intolerant."
The Third Madam sat beside the Third Master and replied calmly, "Brother, I have only one thing to say. This is not just the eldest house's business. This is the grudge between the Wang family and the Liu family. If the young lady is bullied today and we keep silent, then others will be able to bully us in the future."
"My parents-in-law have entrusted the household affairs to me. It is my duty to maintain the reputation of the Wang family. It is fine if my brother does not want me to interfere, unless your surname is not Wang."
This one sentence choked the master to death.
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