Chapter 5 Chapter 5 He won't die in two days, will he? ...
Although they got married on the same day, even though they were both daughters of the Yun family, they were treated differently.
In Yunhui's yard, people were coming and going, and relatives and friends were interacting with each other in a lively and cheerful atmosphere. In comparison, Yunwu's side seemed particularly deserted as there was no one else except the maids and old women coming in and out.
But Yun Wu didn't mind.
She wore her veil and twisted her fingers, listening to the sounds outside. They seemed to come from the sky, hazy and unclear, with only the warm and cool touch of the round jade beads on her headdress. She didn't know how much time had passed before she heard the sound of firecrackers at the door.
The husband she was going to marry was a sickly man known throughout the capital. It was said that he was weak and sickly and had been bedridden for many years. However, he came in person to pick up the bride.
Yun Wu couldn't see his appearance. Her vision was narrow under the veil. She could only see another person in red clothes, with the hem of his clothes fluttering as he walked, and occasionally revealing a part of his hand.
The hand was white and slender, with distinct joints, much larger than hers. It held the other end of the red silk. It was hard to tell if the hand was sick or weak. Only a small mole on the wrist was visible from the cuff, the black, white and red colors were bright and dazzling.
At least he could still stand.
Yun Wu felt a little relieved.
It was much better than she had imagined.
As a bride, she didn't have high expectations for her future husband.
As for the other newlyweds getting married today—one was her half-sister, the other her ex-fiancé—she paid no attention. She closed her ears, cleared her mind, and, with her veil blocking out prying eyes from all directions, she focused on her path.
The guests who came to the Yun family to attend the wedding banquet were also talking about it.
"Master Yun is so lucky to have two handsome sons-in-law! I only knew that the Ye family's son was good-looking, but I didn't expect that the third son of the Xie family was also handsome, no less handsome than the Ye family's son."
"Hey, is that the Third Young Master of the Xie Mansion? I've seen those seriously ill people, all of them look haggard and pale. Third Young Master Xie is better than them."
Someone whispered, "I heard that Xie San has been too ill to get up for a long time, and even the imperial physician couldn't save him. The Duke of Zhenguo is a very powerful family, so maybe he has some good medicine that can cheer Xie San up for a day. Today is his wedding day, so it's not good to ask someone else to take his place."
"However, why is it that the eldest daughter of the Yun family is marrying Third Master Xie?"
"I heard that the eldest daughter was already engaged to the Ye family. How come she became the second daughter after marrying into the Ye family..."
Many of the female guests were murmuring.
The marriage between the Yun and Ye families had been arranged long ago. Young Master Ye Huaiqing was so handsome and extraordinary that many envied Yun Wu's good fortune. Unexpectedly, when the wedding day finally arrived, it was Yun Hui who married Ye Huaiqing. Those who had envied her in the past, now seeing Yun Wu end up in such a situation, felt a pang of sadness.
Although the Yun family had said that the marriage was only an engagement, not a specific match, and that it didn't matter who married, for decades, everyone had assumed the engagement was with Miss Yun, believing it was a done deal. Otherwise, who would spread rumors about these bad daughters? Now, not only had the matchmaker changed, but Miss Yun was also sent to the Zhenguo Mansion to bring good luck. Rumors circulated that Miss Yun was the daughter of the deceased first wife. This was truly unkind of the Yun family!
The guests were secretly complaining in their hearts, and their eyes couldn't help but turn to the two grooms.
I don’t know if it was their illusion, but on the wedding day, Yun family’s second son-in-law Ye Huaiqing didn’t seem to focus his attention on his wife wholeheartedly. Instead, he looked at the eldest girl several times.
The fruits and vegetables at the wedding banquet were delicious and the guests ate until they were full.
When the auspicious time arrives, firecrackers are set off and gongs and drums are beating.
The two brides got on the bridal sedan, with flowers and red silk paving the way. The long wedding procession circled the main street of the capital, with gongs and drums beating all the way, and passers-by on both sides of the road looked out.
It was not until they reached a fork in the road that the two wedding processions each went their separate ways and then dispersed.
…
After paying homage to heaven and earth and to her parents, Yun Wu was helped into the backyard by her maid amid the guests' cheers.
The Duke's mansion covered a vast expanse. In the front courtyard, the host and his servants entertained guests, wine and cups clinking, a lively and festive atmosphere. Not a sound could reach the backyard. Once the door was closed and the unrelated guests left, the house was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
With a "creak", the maid came in with a tray and saw the bride sitting neatly on the edge of the bed, her two white hands grasping the corners of her clothes. She had not changed her posture before.
The maid put down the tray and said with a smile, "Third Young Madam, come and eat something to fill your stomach."
Yun Wu was indeed hungry.
She hadn't eaten anything all day, and now the sun was setting, but her husband hadn't arrived yet. She didn't know if she could lift her veil yet. While she was hesitating, the little maid came over to help her.
"Third Young Madam, there's no need to be so reserved. Madam sent me here because she was worried you might be hungry, so she sent me here to bring you some food."
Yun Wu was half-pulled by her and walked a few steps to the table. On the tray was a bowl of steaming hot soup noodles with a golden egg and green vegetables on top. A spoonful of tempting braised meat was poured over it. The aroma was so fragrant that Yun Wu's stomach growled.
She was still clutching her veil, not knowing what to do. Her face flushed red with embarrassment. She heard the maid giggle, "Third Young Madam, please eat. Before Third Young Master arrives, I will keep it a secret for you and not tell anyone else."
Only then did she blush and shyly lift her veil.
The little maid was sent by Madam Xie. She was young and lively. At this moment, she opened her eyes wide and kept looking at Yun Wu, as if she was admiring some rare animal, but her eyes were clear and there was no malice in them.
The Duke's Mansion was said to be prestigious, and Yun Wu had already prepared herself for the strict rules and regulations, but she hadn't expected the first person she met to be so carefree. She had always been accustomed to not attracting attention, and now, even eating while being stared at, she felt uneasy.
Yun Wu had no choice but to change the subject: "He... where is he?"
"Him?" The little maid thought for a moment and then realized, "You mean Mr. Sanlang?"
Yun Wu nodded silently.
At an ordinary wedding, the groom would entertain guests in the front yard and would not come until late at night. However, her husband was not an ordinary healthy person, so the Duke's Mansion should not be embarrassed by a patient. However, no one knew where he had gone.
"After paying homage to heaven and earth, Sanlangjun said he was feeling unwell, asked a doctor to see him, and then went to rest early."
Yun Wu quickly perked up and asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell? Where are you feeling unwell? What did the doctor say?"
"Don't worry, Sanlang Jun is just suffering from an old illness." The maid comforted him, adding, "I see he's much better today. Not only was he able to stand up and go out, he even rode a horse himself and rode all the way! The Third Young Lady didn't see it, but our young master looked so majestic on horseback, and so many people praised him!"
Yun Wu didn't care about her husband's appearance. She was only concerned about the first half of her question: "How is his health? Is he seriously ill?"
"Mr. San has been staying indoors all year round. Even the people in the mansion rarely see him. I don't know much about him either. I only know that he takes medicine every day and the doctor comes often. But today is your wedding day, and with all the joy, he will surely get better day by day!"
Yun Wu raised the corner of her mouth, but she really couldn't be happy.
She was worried: What if it doesn’t get better?
He won't die in two days, will he?
…
The third son of the Xie clan, who was going to "die" in two days, was carried here.
Two servants grabbed the ends of the stretcher and carried their young master into the bridal chamber. Xie Yi closed his eyes, unaware of anything happening outside, his chest rising and falling weakly, as if he was about to die.
A white-bearded doctor carrying a medicine box ran after him, repeatedly saying, "Slow down, slow down!"
Even though Yun Wu had been mentally prepared, she was still stunned by this appearance. The servant girl, who had been speaking with such confidence, stood behind her in stunned silence, her mouth opening and closing, unable to utter a single word.
The servants carried the stretcher to the bedside, and then one of them put his hand through the armpit of Mr. Xie San, with the veins on his arm bulging. In one go, Xie Yi was transferred to the wedding bed.
The servants moved quickly and after finishing everything, they packed up the stretcher and left. The old doctor stayed and took Xie Yi's wrist to feel his pulse for a while. He frowned and pondered solemnly for a long time, which made Yun Wu tremble with fear.
She asked cautiously, "Doctor, how is he?"
The old doctor looked up at the voice and quickly stood up to greet him. "This must be the Third Young Madam, right? My last name is Hua, and I'm the Third Young Master's doctor. I usually take care of any headaches or fevers he has."
"Doctor Hua," Yun Wu asked, "What happened to him?"
Doctor Hua said with a smile, "The Third Young Master is just tired from working hard today, nothing serious is wrong."
Is it any big deal?
Then why does it look like it's almost out of breath?
As if he could see through her confusion, Doctor Hua stroked his beard and said calmly, "Don't worry, Madam San, although the young master is weak, he won't die anytime soon. If you take good care of him, he might even be able to live a few more days, hehe."
Yun Wu: “…”
…
With mixed feelings, they sent Doctor Hua away. When Yun Wu came back from bathing and changing clothes, Xie Yi, who was lying on the bed, was helped by the servants to take off his wedding clothes and was left in only his inner clothes.
His eyes were still closed, as if he were asleep, his breathing light and shallow. The unrelated servants had left, leaving only the two of them in the bedroom. In the stillness of the night, even the deliberately quiet footsteps were remarkably clear.
Yun Wu was afraid of disturbing him, so she looked carefully at her new husband whom she met for the first time.
Contrary to the maid's boasts, Third Young Master Xie was actually a handsome man, with a high nose bridge and distinct features. Perhaps because he hadn't been out for so long, his complexion was exceptionally pale, making his eyebrows as deep as thick ink. He wasn't the emaciated and decrepit figure one might associate with a seriously ill person, but he was also pale, cold, and lifeless.
In other words, he was a dying man.
Otherwise, there would be no need to find someone to bring good luck.
Yun Wu blew out the candle, grabbed a corner of the quilt and wrapped herself up.
Since the groom entered sideways, the customary rituals of lifting the veil and exchanging wine were naturally omitted. As for matters of family ties, since Third Young Master Xie was already so ill, there was no need to think about it.
The wedding day that only comes once in a lifetime was completely different from what she had imagined. She and her new husband didn't even exchange a single word. It started and ended in a cold and lonely atmosphere.
The clear moonlight poured into the room through the window, and Xie Yi opened his clear eyes in the darkness.
He was used to being alone, but from today on, there would be an extra person beside his bed. This made Xie Yi quite uncomfortable.
The person next to him had his back to him, his snow-white shoulders and neck trembling slightly, as if he was trying hard to hold back, and occasionally he would let out a sob as weak as a kitten's meow.
Although the faint crying sound was not obvious, it was hard to ignore. It surrounded my ears and continued.
Xie Yi endured it again and again and closed his eyes again.
What a bad marriage hexagram.
Crying so aggrievedly is also called good luck?
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