Old branches
“Being able to eat is a blessing, being able to eat is a blessing!”
The next morning, watching Zhao Mingyan eat three bowls of rice in a row, Fan Wenlan couldn't stop smiling.
Although the "willow waist" is pleasing to the eye, how can such a body shape allow one to give birth to children?
Only a willow tree can produce many descendants!
Zhao Mingyan smiled shyly, thinking that she had been tossing and turning all night, and her belly was rumbling before the rooster crowed.
Just three bowls of rice... She glanced at Tan Linshuang who was chewing in small sips, curled her lips, and still resisted the urge to have another bowl.
Just have a snack later.
"Lin'er, why are you having such a hard time finishing a bowl of rice? Look at the dark circles under your eyes. I guess you couldn't help but light the candles all night long last night, didn't you?"
On this side, the grandmother cares about her granddaughter-in-law; on the other side, the uncle cares about his nephew.
Tan Linshuang's dark circles became heavier again. Who told him to remain calm when the other party refused to give up?
"I did light a red candle all night." He said embarrassedly.
Zhao Mingyan rolled her eyes at him subtly, but when she spoke, she was so gentle and considerate that he almost dropped the chopsticks in his hand.
"My dear, you must have been exhausted last night. Why don't you go back to your room and rest after breakfast? I'll let Xiaozhu accompany me to the bamboo forest."
Tan Linshuang was about to answer when she continued, "Recharge your energy and we'll continue the candlelight tonight."
Snap——
The chopsticks still fell.
"Miss, how about giving me some medicine tonight?"
On the way to the bamboo forest, Xiaozhu stole a glance at the dark circles under Zhao Mingyan's eyes and made a bold suggestion.
"I'm afraid if I give her the medicine tonight, my mother will become a widow tomorrow morning and cry loudly the next day." Zhao Mingyan said with a yawn.
Last night, taking advantage of the opportunity when the King was forcing himself on her... oh no, the opportunity when the Concubine was teasing the Man, she had quickly felt Tan Linshuang's pulse, which was almost inaudible, which surprised her greatly. At the same time, she also realized that the rumors in the streets might be true.
"What should we do?" Xiaozhu was a little anxious.
"If the hard way doesn't work, try the soft way."
Zhao Mingyan yawned again and walked towards the old men in front.
"Huh? Why send some elderly people here? The old lady is so perfunctory." Xiaozhu frowned and complained after taking a look.
Zhao Mingyan smiled and said, "My father said that new bamboos need the support of old bamboos to grow taller."
Xiaozhu seemed to understand but not quite.
Zhao Mingyan suddenly understood, but what she said was thought-provoking: "Old age has its advantages. Without the old lady to support this huge business, how could the uncle and nephew of the Tan family live such a comfortable life?"
“It is better to support it by using it than to remove the old roots early.”
Her smile widened as she stepped forward and bowed to the elders, "Thank you for your hard work, masters."
…
"Young Madam is chatting with Master Liu and the others about bamboo planting."
After Ayun returned from the bamboo forest, he told Tan Linshuang about the movements of Zhao Mingyan and his servant.
“She’s quite positive.”
Tan Linshuang seemed to be smiling.
“Be positive in everything you do.”
He then added meaningfully.
"Grandmother really cares about the granddaughter-in-law she personally selected. She has assigned the best bamboo craftsman in our family to her." He couldn't help but say sarcastically.
Then, he put on a serious expression, looked up and asked Ayun: "How is the task I asked you to do going?"
Ayun nodded, took out a list from his arms and handed it to him with both hands.
Tan Linshuang took it and opened it. It was filled with the names, ages, and backgrounds of different women, with a portrait on the page next to the text.
These women were not from wealthy families. They were all from the families of tenants and small merchants, and there were also a few orphans from orphanages.
Tan Linshuang looked carefully.
Ayun hesitated for a moment, then told the truth: "Master, I accidentally overheard the conversation between Young Madam and Xiaozhu last night."
"What did they talk about?" Tan Linshuang asked without raising his head.
Ah Yun puffed out her chest and said, "Young Madam, I doubt that I am not charming enough, that's why I don't get your favor, Young Master."
"She is quite self-aware." Tan Linshuang sneered.
"But she quickly denied this statement." Ayun said again.
Tan Linshuang raised her head. "So what did she say later?"
Ayun swallowed and lowered her eyes, "She said...it's because you, Master, have poor taste."
"Haha." Tan Linshuang smiled wryly.
Ayun lowered his head and quietly took a half step back. "But Xiaozhu said, it's not that Master, your vision is bad, but that you... really are not good enough."
"Oh!"
Tan Linshuang's mouth twitched, and her smile became even uglier.
"But the young lady spoke for you." Ayun raised her head slightly.
"She can still speak for me?" Tan Linshuang obviously didn't believe it, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Ayun puffed out her chest again, "Young Madam said you are very capable, as tall and straight as a pine tree, a pillar that supports the sky."
Tan Linshuang couldn't help but twitched the corner of her mouth again, not knowing for a moment whether this was a good thing to say.
Seeing his frown and then his half-smile, Ayun quickly changed the subject: "Xiaozhu, that girl, has inherited her master's plump figure, but she ridicules the world for considering thinness as beauty. It's really absurd."
"She even used some dirty talk to mock the skinny Yangzhou horses, saying they were so skinny, how could they be ridden?"
"A slender and graceful woman is a delight to the eyes. Literati and poets like to use willow branches in composing poems and lyrics. Have you ever seen anyone use a willow trunk to describe a beautiful woman?" said Tan Linshuang.
After he finished speaking, he lowered his eyes and frowned, "Why are they all skinny?"
Now it was Ayun's turn to twitch the corners of his mouth.
Didn’t you just say that being thin is good-looking?
"And they look very similar, both are thin and pretty women. At first glance, you might think they are the same woman with different hairstyles." Tan Linshuang said again.
Ah Yun couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't the young master always like women who are as weak as willows and swaying in the wind?"
"Do I have it?"
Tan Linshuang tilted her head, as if asking herself.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Zhao Mingyan.
Her buttocks are plump like peaches and smooth like peeled eggs...
"cough!"
He immediately reined in his unbridled anxiety and looked over the list again. "She's so thin, can she have a baby?"
Ayun couldn't answer this question, so she had to pretend not to hear it.
After a long search, Tan Linshuang finally settled on two young girls from the orphanage. She instructed Ayun, "Bring them to your mansion first and arrange for them to serve Zhao Mingyan personally."
"Wait until you reach the age of marriage, and then take her into my room."
"Young Master..."
Ayun did not respond, rubbing his hands, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"Tell me!" Tan Linshuang waved his hand.
Ayun stammered, "The eldest young lady doesn't seem easy to talk to. What if she doesn't agree?"
Tan Linshuang looked at him with sharp eyes, "I just want her to disagree. Wait until she starts crying, then making a scene, then trying to hang herself."
"A-choo!"
Zhao Mingyan sneezed loudly, rubbing her nose and muttering to herself, "Why do I feel like someone is talking behind my back?"
"Maybe it's the lady who is talking about you." Xiaozhu said.
She smiled and reminded Zhao Mingyan, "You will be returning home tomorrow, so please make careful preparations."
Hearing this, Zhao Mingyan instantly perked up, "Three days without seeing you feels like three years!"
But soon, she sighed again, "Alas! It's been three whole days, and Tan Linshuang and I still haven't consummated our marriage."
That night, Zhao Mingyan was about to go to the study to find Tan Linshuang with some mutton penis soup, but he had returned home early. So she pushed the bowl of soup in front of him and smiled like a big bad wolf who had caught a little white rabbit.
"Husband, drink it while it's hot. This bowl of soup is just a small tonic and won't cause you to get a fever."
Tan Linshuang waved his hands, his back hunched weakly. "I appreciate your kindness, madam, but I am truly exhausted. I want to go to bed early so that I can look more energetic when I accompany you back home tomorrow."
As he spoke, he put his arm around Zhao Mingyan, his tone becoming softer, yet revealing a sense of apology and helplessness.
"I know I'm not worthy of you, my lady. You're as beautiful as a pearl and jade. I long to have children and grandchildren with you, and to spend a hundred years with you, but my body... cough cough cough..."
"I don't know how much longer I can stay with you, but I hope we can sleep together tonight and open our eyes together tomorrow morning."
"And when you return home tomorrow, all I can do for you, my lady, is to pretend to be healthy, so that your family won't worry, and outsiders won't laugh at you behind your back, saying you'll be married this year and widowed next."
"My dear, I will try my best to live longer... cough cough cough..."
After patting Zhao Mingyan on the shoulder, Tan Linshuang went to bed coughing.
Oh!
Zhao Mingyan sneered in his heart.
I almost believe it!
She tilted her head back and drank the bowl of lamb penis soup in one gulp.
"Husband, aren't you going to read tonight?"
With a swipe of her lips, she spoke softly again.
Tan Linshuang had already laid down on her side, her voice weak, "No, I must have a good time tonight to get rid of the dark circles under my eyes. My lady, you should get some rest as well. The dark circles under your eyes are no less severe than mine."
"I'm not sleepy yet."
Zhao Mingyan put down the empty bowl, took out the "Secrets of the Jade Chamber" that she had prepared in advance, and walked to the bedside.
Tan Linshuang frowned when she noticed something was placed next to her pillow.
What does she want to do?
"My dear husband, you are tired. I will be your eyes and read for you before you go to bed."
After undressing, Zhao Mingyan lay down gently and picked up the book "Secrets of the Jade Chamber".
Tan Linshuang frowned even more tightly.
What book are you reading?
It is definitely not a serious book!
"A man who is twenty years old should have sex every two days. This is exactly what I mean, my husband." Zhao Mingyan said slowly.
Tan Linshuang narrowed his eyes.
The secret of the Jade Chamber?
"Spring brings birth, summer brings growth, autumn brings harvest, and winter brings storage; have sex according to the four seasons."
"Calm your spirit, soothe your heart, and unify your mind. When all three are achieved, the spirit will return."
"Play first, so that the spirit and mind can be in harmony, and then you can have intercourse after a long time."
"Leech landed, eels ran aground..."
Zhao Mingyan read slowly and even her breathing was steady.
But as Tan Linshuang listened, her ears felt hot and her throat felt tight.
He swallowed, pursed his lips, and silently chanted a meditation mantra in his heart.
Namo, Heluotan, Duoluoye... Form is emptiness...
"Weakness enters and strength exits; the harmony of yin and yang lies between the strings and teeth of the zither."
Namo, ah-ye…Emptiness is form…
"The five signs of female sexual intercourse are: hot ears, hard breasts, sweaty neck, and trembling feet."
Bodhisattva...what comes after that?
Tan Linshuang suddenly forgot about it, her mind was in chaos, and her body began to react.
Listening to Zhao Mingyan's cool but calm voice, he slowly turned around.
At this time, Zhao Mingyan was concentrating on her work. The flickering candlelight reflected on her face, half bright and half dim, making her look hazy.
Although she was reciting the art of sex, the expression on her face was as holy as Guanyin, which made Tan Linshuang want to tear off her disguise immediately and press her under him to make her moan and gasp.
"Husband."
Just when Tan Linshuang was distracted, Zhao Mingyan suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.
"Um?"
Tan Linshuang seemed a little guilty and tucked the quilt in pretending to be calm.
Zhao Mingyan's eyes were still clear, without any impurities.
She asked seriously, "Husband, you are not a homosexual, are you?"
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