75 Marriage
◎◎
Wang Huiniang stayed at the Jiang family's house, watching the boxes and baskets being carried into the yard like a stream, and she couldn't stop smiling.
Several boxes of gold bracelets, gold shawl pendants, and gold spoons were given as a gift.
There were countless items such as gold-embroidered skirts, pearl and jade crowns, colorful satins, scented tea and fruits.
The betrothal gifts from the Prince of Dongping's Palace amounted to a total of one hundred and twenty-eight loads!
She stood in the yard, dazzled by the boxes of gold. My God, is this the life of a rich person? It was so comfortable!
Jiang Qinglan had no idea. She had never seen other families get married, and without comparison, there was no hurt, nor joy.
What's more, she had been extremely angry with Xie Linchuan ever since that day at the Xishan Cuju field.
Wang Huiniang asked her to make some purses and sachets to send to her. Knowing that she was not good at needlework, she said that she could use purchased ones to make up the number, but she refused outright.
She didn't even bother to read the notes he passed on to her through Cherry.
In fact, she rarely went out to prevent him from encountering her on the street.
But on the ninth day of the lunar year, she had to go out and go to Biyunling with Tuantuan to burn paper for the Jiang couple.
To this day, it has been exactly four years since they passed away.
Time heals pain, and Tuan Tuan is no longer as heartbroken as he was four years ago.
After burning the paper, Zheng Wang and Hu Zi took him to the ditch outside the woods to catch tadpoles.
Jiang Qinglan did not leave. She asked someone to deliver a letter to Lu Fei.
He will definitely come.
Sure enough, he emerged from the woods as soon as Tuantuan and the others left. He must have been there a long time ago, and since Tuantuan was there, he avoided her because he was afraid of embarrassing Jiang Qinglan.
Jiang Qinglan benefited greatly from his thoughts, but that was all he benefited from.
Gazing at his elegant figure, she whispered, "Xie Linchuan told me about King Wu. Thank you."
Thanks?
Lu Fei felt a sharp pain in his chest. She thanked him for helping Xie Linchuan? What a difference between close and distant relatives.
Yes, from the moment of divorce, he lost her.
Jiang Qinglan took out the painting again: "I'll return this painting to you."
Lu Fei said calmly: "You know?"
Jiang Qinglan nodded: "I was wondering why business is so good, it turns out you have been helping me all the time."
Lu Fei smiled bitterly: "You can do it without me."
Recalling the past, his eyes were deep and distant.
"When you were little, you were full of fantastic ideas. I still remember that one time, after reading 'Heavenly Questions', you told me seriously that you had also thought about the questions asked by Qu Yuan, but you just couldn't figure them out."
He seemed to be intoxicated by the girl's innocence.
"After that incident, your mind became stronger and your vision became more discerning. I knew that maybe you wanted to change your way of life. Every time I heard Xue Qi talk about you, I was really happy for you. It's just..."
He hesitated for a moment, and said reluctantly, "After all, I am the one who is sorry for you."
After hearing this, Jiang Qinglan opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
Did the original body love Lu Fei? Of course she did.
The two dolls on the pillar, the letter in the study, the Mohelo in the dark room, and Tuan Tuan's unwavering belief are all evidence.
But Lu Fei sacrificed his original body for the fate of his family. If she were still alive, could she forgive him?
And what about herself?
She loved his paintings, his calligraphy, and the humility, courtesy, and measured manner he showed to others. He was a gentleman with a refined literary mind; if they were alive today, they would surely be on the same page.
However, everything went wrong.
She was not the original self who loved him deeply and suffered greatly from him.
In this time and space, she is not a female doctor of literature.
I think after all these twists and turns, we met in the long river of time, but were misplaced on the map of fate. It was just a matter of fate.
She suddenly had an impulse.
"Lu Fei," she took a deep breath and suddenly stared at him with burning eyes, "I'm not her."
"What?" Lu Fei was confused for a moment.
Jiang Qinglan would not say it a second time, and smiled faintly: "I hope you will have an afterlife."
She left right after she finished speaking, without looking back once, without a trace of hesitation or attachment.
Outside the woods, a carriage was waiting quietly. It must have been waiting for a long time, and the horse began to kick its hooves impatiently.
Jiang Qinglan was stunned for a moment, then lifted her skirt and climbed onto the carriage.
Xie Linchuan was leaning against the wall of the car, holding a cucumber in one hand and a sharp dagger in the other, slowly peeling the skin.
When he saw her get in the car, his face was gloomy and he didn't say anything.
Jiang Qinglan knew that this was the calm before the storm, so he just walked over silently and sat down beside him obediently.
I met my ex-husband before marriage and was caught by my fiancé. What should I say?
Suffering in the dead silence, Jiang Qinglan finally couldn't hold on any longer and took the initiative to explain: "I went to burn incense and met Lu Fei. We talked for a few words..."
With a snap, the cucumber broke into two pieces. Xie Linchuan's face became even more gloomy. He kicked the cucumber out of the car and said with suppressed anger: "This is just a coincidence, not an appointment?"
Jiang Qinglan was very good at avoiding the main point: "I went to return the painting you saw that made you angry, the 'Apricot Blossoms and Spring Rain in Jiangnan'!"
"Just burn it, is there any need to pay it back?" Xie Linchuan fell into the trap and raised his eyelids and glanced at her.
Jiang Qinglan agreed with him and said, "Of course, other people's things must be returned. One thing at a time."
Lu Fei is someone else, he is not.
Xie Linchuan remained silent, but his expression eased slightly, indicating that he no longer cared about her having a secret meeting with her ex-husband before marriage.
Jiang Qinglan was wondering in her heart whether Lu Fei heard what she said.
Even if he heard it, could he understand it?
This matter is so bizarre, how could he understand it with just a few words?
Seeing her gloomy expression, Xie Linchuan's suppressed anger suddenly surfaced again: "Why? Seeing him so distraught, are you heartbroken?"
He was jealous, but Jiang Qinglan was a little proud. She lowered her head and put her face on his arm: "You are all in my heart. I only feel sorry for him for this moment. Say goodbye to the past, okay?"
Xie Linchuan snorted and pressed his finger hard on her brow: "It's so ugly. Once you leave this forest, don't frown like that again."
This can be considered as him agreeing to her request to say goodbye.
Jiang Qinglan laughed.
…
Soon the wedding day arrived. Before the hour of Mao, when the sky was pitch black, Jiang Qinglan asked Yingtao to call out.
After washing and dressing, putting on the elaborate wedding dress and carefully putting on makeup, it was already dawn when Wang Huiniang came to comb Jiang Qinglan's hair.
A wooden comb dipped in jasmine perfume was used to gently comb through the long hair that looked like brocade: "One comb for a loving couple, a long life together; a second comb for a house full of wealth and luxury, fine clothes and delicious food."
When talking about the "three combs", Wang Huiniang's eyes turned red and her throat choked.
Jiang Qinglan also shed tears when she saw this. Apart from Tuan Tuan, Hui Niang was the closest person to her in this world and the first person who helped her.
From their first meeting at the market outside Houchao Gate to the gradual construction of Xinghua Restaurant, how could she have done it without Wang Huiniang?
She was an only child in her previous life, but she is so lucky to have such a considerate and caring sister in this life.
Seeing her eyes blurred with tears, Wang Huiniang quickly sniffed and forced a smile, saying, "On such a happy day, I'm acting silly too." She patted her hand and said, "Don't cry. You just put on your makeup."
And then he said the last sentence, "Three combs will bring you many children and grandchildren, and many descendants."
After the hair-combing ceremony, a special hair-combing maid came and combed her hair into a dignified and elegant high bun, and filled her head with gold, silver, pearls and jade.
Especially the golden apricot blossom hairpin, which shines brightly in the candlelight.
Just as they were ready, Princess Baoqing, Madam Xue Xiao Yali, Tuantuan and Chun Jie'er, who were holding hands, and a group of female relatives came up with smiles on their faces.
There were a few people Jiang Qinglan didn't know, so Wang Huiniang introduced them to her.
She invited a young daughter-in-law from the same clan as the Jiang family from Shaoxing Prefecture, and she came to show off.
A group of women were chatting and laughing in the room, it was very lively.
The guests who came to welcome the bride outside also arrived, with firecrackers blasting and suona music playing.
Originally, a group of male guests were blocking the door, but after Xie Linchuan glared at them, they all moved away in shame.
Especially Yang Song, who was very arrogant at first, saying that he would make Xie Shizi suffer a lot if he wrote a poem to urge him to get dressed, but now he slipped away the fastest.
Xie Linchuan did not spoil the fun. After glaring, he started laughing and asked Pinglin and Moshan to hand out the big red envelopes one by one.
Even the little kid with a runny nose who was playing with firecracker paper on the ground got a big one.
When Xie Linchuan saw Xue Qi when he entered, he personally handed him a large red envelope and chuckled, "Mr. Xue's good friend, isn't here today?"
Xue Qi clutched the red envelope in his hand, his expression unwavering: "Zhizhou Lu is very busy with official duties. I'm afraid he won't be able to make it in time for his appointment to Yangzhou today."
Xie Linchuan glanced at the sparse clouds in the sky and said sincerely, "Zhizhou Lu has a broad mind and is truly a pillar of the country and the government."
After saying this, he strode into the house and greeted and drank with the guests.
In the morning, Jiang Qinglan only ate half a bowl of glutinous rice balls and lotus seed soup, and sat on the bed all day, maintaining an elegant smile.
She was so hungry that she finally got into the bridal sedan at dusk. Her smile was stiff and her stomach was empty.
Like a magician, Yingtao pulled out a food box from the corner of the sedan chair and said with a smile, "The prince has long ago instructed that Madam must not go hungry. These are all her favorite foods."
A plate of spring rolls, a fried white fish, a few pieces of mutton-stuffed pancakes, and some candied plums, all made small to make them easy to eat.
There is also deer pear juice, and they thoughtfully use a hollow bamboo stick to make a straw so that you won’t get lip balm off when drinking.
Seeing Jiang Qinglan staring at the deer pear pulp in a daze, Yingtao said, "Don't worry, I used the whole pear to make it, and I didn't separate any of them."
Jiang Qinglan smiled, tasted a little of the fish, vegetables, cakes and plums to fill his stomach a little so that it wouldn't growl, and then stopped.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to eat, but she’s afraid that if she eats and drinks too much, she’ll need to go to the bathroom, and her wedding clothes are so layered that it’s not convenient.
Yingtao knew again: "The prince has also considered this matter. He said that if you want to change clothes, there is a clean room behind the bedroom. I will hold the wedding clothes for you, it won't be a problem."
"The other one, there's no need to be shy about anything."
Jiang Qinglan's face immediately felt hot.
This guy is really like that, he tells everything! He still remembers that night in Songlin Village, at the village headman's house!
She became annoyed when she thought about this. Although she ate more food, she still puffed out her cheeks and didn't say a word.
Cherry wanted to entertain her, so she lifted the curtain a little to let her see.
On the agile white horse, Xie Linchuan, wearing a deep red auspicious robe, stood straight and tall.
The golden sunlight of spring, full of love, spread out in all directions, making him dazzling and brilliant, like a descending god, impossible to look at.
Yingtao was also stunned. It took her a long time to come back to her senses. She smiled and whispered, "The prince looks very handsome today. Just now, many girls on the roadside were wiping their tears."
Jiang Qinglan burst into laughter, a surge of pride rising in his heart. The golden hairpin on his head fluttered, and the white powder on his face fell.
Yingtao hurriedly lowered the curtain: "Hey, my lady, be gentle, you are wearing heavy makeup."
After walking a little further, the noise outside was no longer the sound of suona and firecrackers, but also the shouts of vendors:
"Flowers for sale! Fresh apricot, peach, and plum blossoms, so tender, pink, fragrant, and sweet."
"Crispy abalone snails with sesame oil sauce - delicious!"
This is the Imperial Street.
After walking along the Imperial Street, they still had to take a long walk around the West Lake. Jiang Qinglan closed his eyes and rested.
I was half asleep when I heard the sound of children giggling. It was probably the servants scattering coins to welcome the bride, attracting the children to chase them away.
Jiang Qinglan didn't care and just took a nap.
Under a weeping willow, a simple oil-painted sedan chair stopped to make way for the newlyweds.
The new servant was still young and liked to watch the fun, so when the team passed by, he chased them and snatched a handful of copper coins.
When the joyful sounds faded away and the handsome groom disappeared into the sunset, he reluctantly withdrew his gaze and went to report with a smile:
"My dear, someone is getting married, and I have snatched a few copper coins. Please share in the joy." After saying this, she presented a copper coin.
Lu Fei took it expressionlessly.
The copper coins were newly minted, Zhaowu Tongbao, and shone with a soft luster.
As the servant lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, he looked out and saw the sky full of festive red, which was shocking.
Who knows, the redder the outside, the more it highlights the paleness of his heart.
He lowered the curtain.
"Let's go."
On March 17, the second year of Zhaowu, his bride finally married someone else.
…
We have arrived at the Prince of Dongping’s Palace.
After getting off the sedan chair, Jiang Qinglan was covered with a veil and could not see the road. She could only hear the noise around her.
Fortunately, there was a lucky person who supported him and guided him throughout the process. He stepped on the soft green cloth, crossed the saddle and the money and grain basin, and then entered the main hall to worship.
Jiang Qinglan had never met the Prince of Dongping and his wife, nor had he met Xie Linchuan's two sisters. He was a little nervous, but then he heard Madam Xie burst into laughter:
"Okay, okay, now that my granddaughter-in-law is here, I can eat braised pig's trotters, spicy shrimp, mashed potatoes, and cherry skewers at home!"
"The ones fresh out of the pot, still smelling of the hot pot, are the most delicious. Don't you dare snatch them from me!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room burst into laughter.
Amidst the laughter and noise, there were several gentle voices: "A daughter-in-law/granddaughter will never compete with her mother/grandmother."
Jiang Qinglan couldn't hold back and smiled under her veil.
After the worship, Jiang Qinglan was supported by someone and followed Xie Linchuan in front of him in his brand new black boots.
After entering the Lingquan Courtyard, she sat down on the bed and heard Quanfu say, "Groom, it's time to choose your veil!"
Jiang Qinglan panicked and before he was ready, he suddenly saw a flash of light.
Xie Linchuan was wearing a dark red wedding robe and a black hat with two roses pinned on it, a rare sight. He was looking at her with a smile.
Jiang Qinglan's heart was pounding, so he lowered his eyes and stared at the red silk in his hand.
The people around started laughing.
After receiving Xie Linchuan's signal, Quanfu immediately grabbed the dried fruits on the plate, rescued the bride from the awkward atmosphere, and said with a smile, "It's time to spread the tent."
Xie Linchuan walked to the bed and sat down next to Jiang Qinglan.
Longan, jujube, chestnut, corn, and all kinds of dried fruits were scattered from the top of the head, and there was also a jingle to scatter the tent:
"The tent is spread east, the curtains are deep and the candlelight is red, the painted hall is drunk with spring breeze every day. The tent is spread west, the brocade tassels are low at the four corners, the mandarin ducks live together in a stable house."
"In the south of the tent, the zither and the harp are in harmony and the music is indulgent. Two embroidered belts are suitable for boys. In the north of the tent, a new joy is added to the eyebrows. The lotus flowers are born in pairs."
“After the tents are spread, all relatives and friends are invited out. Husbands and wives all have their own homes, and their children and grandchildren are filled with joy.”[1]
Jiang Qinglan thought to himself: What a lewd song with erotic lyrics. I thought it was a bit funny at first.
But when she thought of things like "mandarin ducks", "twin flowers", and "offspring", and remembered what happened on the Xishan Cuju field that day, she became afraid.
So, she couldn't remember what she did next, she was just worried.
She only remembered that at the end, he gently shook her hand and said, "I'm going out for a social event, wait for me."
His palms were so warm, his eyes were so bright, and the smile on his face was so unbridled that he couldn't suppress it at all.
"Wait." Jiang Qinglan felt anxious when he thought of these two words. The more anxious he was, the more tired he felt.
After a long time, there was a sound of dripping outside, and it started to rain in spring.
She felt very tired, so she asked Yingtao to take off the extremely heavy nine-winged and four-phoenix crown on her head, and wanted to lean on the bed to take a nap.
Who knew that I would fall asleep.
It was not until the beginning of the night that she slowly opened her eyes.
On the ceiling of the tent, red embroidered with intricate flowers caught her eye. She was confused in her sleep and didn't know where she was for a moment.
"You're awake." Xie Linchuan sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her sideways, smiling slightly, with two deep dimples at the corners of his mouth.
He held a wet handkerchief in his left hand, and it seemed that he had wiped the makeup off her face.
Jiang Qinglan was startled: "When did you come in?" He subconsciously pulled the quilt over himself.
He was still wearing the groom's bright red wedding suit, but the collar was loose and his belt was not tied. There was no smell of alcohol in the air, as if he had taken a bath.
Still wearing her wedding dress, it seemed just to remind her what day it was.
She finally remembered and said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, I'm really too tired. What should I do now?"
Xie Linchuan stretched out his hand and pressed the bride, who was about to get up, onto the bed: "If you're tired, just sleep. It's better to lie down than to sit!"
After saying that, he came up as well, and his weight caused the bed to sink noticeably.
Jiang Qinglan was suddenly panicked when there was someone beside him. "I need to go to the bathroom to wash up and change clothes."
Xie Linchuan stared at her with burning eyes and grinned: "Are you really changing clothes, or..."
Jiang Qinglan was so angry that she fell backwards. At this time, he still wanted to laugh at her!
She glared at him and said viciously, "Really change clothes!"
Xie Linchuan moved over and said softly, "Why bother going to the purification room? I'll clean it for you."
After saying this, without giving her any time to question, he peeled her out of the complicated ceremonial robe with purple sleeves like peeling a lotus seed, leaving her in only a snow-white midriff.
He used a wet towel to wipe her face carefully again.
There was no trace of eyebrow pencil or powder left, only the lip balm remained, as bright and beautiful as a rose.
Jiang Qinglan was so uncomfortable with him that his face flushed and his heart raced. He made up another excuse: "No, we haven't had the wedding wine yet."
She struggled to get up, but half of her shoulder was pressed down by the man's iron arm, and she couldn't move at all.
Xie Linchuan threw the wet towel outside the bed and said with a smile: "Well, it's better to drink some more wine, so that you won't be so nervous and talk nonsense."
He lay down leisurely, raised his hands from his wide sleeves, and asked, "Look what this is?"
It turned out to be a pot of wine, contained in a small white jade porcelain bottle.
The spout of the pot was slightly tilted, Xie Linchuan opened his mouth and poured directly.
The wine splashed down, wetting the corners of the lips, neck, and clothes.
Jiang Qinglan was wondering when he suddenly moved sideways and approached her. The hot breath and the cool smell of alcohol hit her face. She was so scared that she quickly closed her eyes.
Soft lips pressed against mine, tentatively, lightly, then deeply and tightly.
Then came the wine, which I drank in small sips. It was not spicy, but rather had a light sweetness.
Tossing and turning, rubbing and grinding, the sweet wine leaked out and slid down the corners of the mouth, followed by a little itchiness, to the neck and collarbone.
The hateful thing is that the softness also follows the wine drops all the way down.
The red candle in the room is as thick as a child's arm. The flickering candlelight illuminates the red makeup, and the dim and hazy beauty is most intoxicating.
The white jade wine pot rolled on the ground, and the leaked wine soaked the red carpet, but no one cared.
Jiang Qinglan was sunken in the thick quilt, like a sleeping crabapple flower, her face was dyed with a deep rosy glow, but her eyes never opened.
But at this time, the sound could not be helped, and the whimpering sound as thin as a mosquito could be heard continuously.
Xie Linchuan's heart was filled with turmoil. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid. It won't hurt much."
Jiang Qinglan placed her hands softly on his shoulders, feeling extremely aggrieved, her long, thick eyelashes damp with moisture.
She didn't pay attention to what he said, she just groaned twice, not knowing whether it hurt or not.
…
The next day, when Jiang Qinglan woke up, he saw a faint white light outside the tent and hurried to get up.
Just as he was about to move, someone pressed down on his shoulder.
She looked down and saw that the man was shirtless, smiling, with evil eyes, staring at the wide-open collar of her underwear.
She was distracted for a moment, and when she caught sight of the flickering candlelight by the bedside, she remembered what had happened last night. Suddenly, her face flushed.
She grabbed her collar with her hands and huddled into the quilt like a kitten, intending to let the quilt cover her red face.
——Oh, I’m so embarrassed that I almost lose my face.
Xie Linchuan's hands were as fast as lightning, holding her waist tightly and not allowing her to dodge.
He had deep dimples on his cheeks. He stared at the red marks on her neck and smiled, "It's already been done. Are you afraid to take a look?"
Jiang Qinglan's breathing stopped and he felt ashamed and almost fainted.
With nowhere to hide, she had to deceive herself by closing her eyes, determined not to open them again. Only her feather-like eyelashes trembled slightly.
Xie Linchuan leaned over and pinched her cheek, which was covered with the sunset glow.
She was like an old monk in meditation, completely motionless. He tugged at her delicate earlobe again. Her petal-like lips pursed slightly, but she remained motionless.
Xie Linchuan smiled and placed a kiss on her trembling eyelashes: "Okay, I won't tease you anymore."
He stepped back slightly, giving himself some distance, as if to prove that he no longer had any ill intentions.
"Let's go to the window and show you something."
Jiang Qinglan pricked up his ears and listened for a while. He heard the rustling sound of clothes rubbing against each other. It seemed that he really got out of bed. Then he opened his eyes.
Sure enough, he was wearing a white Wu Ling shirt with his chest exposed, and his long legs were already on the bed.
At this moment, Jiang Qinglan was eager to get out of bed as soon as possible. She quickly propped herself up with her arms, straightened her clothes, and was about to get out of bed under his sharp gaze.
Little did she know that as soon as she put on her shoes and exerted force, her legs gave way. Fortunately, Xie Linchuan was quick and grabbed her under the armpits, preventing her from falling to the ground.
Xie Linchuan pulled the man back onto the bed and laughed, revealing his snow-white teeth.
Jiang Qinglan was angry and embarrassed. She didn't care about being embarrassed anymore and pinched his leg.
Little did she know that his leg was as hard as iron and it pinched her hand so hard that it hurt.
Xie Linchuan wanted to laugh again, but was afraid of angering her—last night, she was always biting people out of anger—so he restrained his smile and said softly, "Okay, just sit here."
He put her on the bed, put on his shirt, and strode towards the window.
The carved wooden window creaked open, and a tree of white flowers came into view. It was apricot blossoms that looked like piles of snow, blooming in the sky that had just cleared up after the rain.
The spring breeze blew by, bringing in the faint fragrance of flowers and the scent of grass in the spring mud.
Xie Linchuan walked back and held her hand:
"I listened to the spring rain all night in the small building, and I will sell apricot blossoms in the deep alley tomorrow morning. Last night, you listened to the spring rain all night, and this morning, I will sell you this apricot tree."
Jiang Qinglan was stunned. He also knew this poem?
She calmed herself down before asking, "When did this happen?"
By chance, she had been to Lingquanyuan before, but there were clearly no apricot trees at that time.
Xie Linchuan suddenly said in a serious tone, "It was the time we met at Chunbo River. After we came back, I transplanted it from Biyun Ridge with my own hands."
"At that time I thought, I'm going to join the army. If anything happens to me, I'll have them pick some apricot blossoms from here for you next spring. You'll never forget me."
Jiang Qinglan was stunned and speechless.
That time, he asked her if Lu Fei understood her. She said Lu Fei understood her better than he did.
Was he prepared for any mishap at that time? He was unwilling to accept this and insisted on leaving something in her life.
As a modern person, Jiang Qinglan feels very alienated and cold.
In modern society, people exist as individuals, and no one can live without anyone else.
Even the deepest love will disappear in the depths of time, the white moonlight will turn into leftover rice sticks, and the cinnabar mole will turn into mosquito blood[2].
So, it is the ancients who valued feelings more?
"You...you..." Jiang Qinglan looked at his familiar yet strange face, and said "you" for a long time without saying another word.
Finally, she sighed and slowly leaned her head on his shoulder, "You are so stupid."
“It is what my heart desires, and I will never regret it even if I die nine times.”[3] Xie Linchuan also composed a poem, which was rare, and said it to her seriously while looking at her.
Jiang Qinglan stopped talking.
The two of them cuddled like this for a long time, and Xie Linchuan suddenly smiled: "Such a beautiful day, why are you saying so much empty words?"
His free right hand became restless again, and his thumb gently rubbed her rosy lips:
"Selling apricot flowers, selling apricot flowers. I am the seller and you are the buyer. You have to come and buy things." His eyes had become shifty and lingered on her.
Jiang Qinglan hadn't expressed his deep affection yet, but when he said he was going to come again, he was shocked and scared, and no longer cared about expressing his feelings.
She dodged backwards, but was weighed down by the quilt and fell on her back.
Xie Linchuan put down half of the tent to block out the apricot blossoms and drizzle, and did not give her a chance to get up.
【Author’s words】
[1] The marriage customs in this chapter are based on Yi Yongwen’s Daily Life in the Song Dynasty, pp. 238-247, where the song “Spreading the Tent” also comes from.
[2] From Qu Yuan’s Li Sao.
[3] This statement comes from Eileen Chang’s Red Rose and White Rose.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
