Xu Di said, "Just wear two more cotton-padded coats. I remember the last time I went with my third uncle, it was the dead of winter, and we were freezing inside, so we went outside to bask in the sun and warm up."
Speaking of this, Xu Di recalled some jokes he had seen online: winters in the north are not so bad because of the good heating measures, while winters in the south are not so bad because of the lack of heating measures, especially for northerners who find winters in the south really difficult.
Xu Di, having had his fill of inner merriment, said, "Yuezhou is by the sea, and the seafood there is quite good. It's not just fish, but also many other seafood products. I'll take you there to see it sometime."
Li Yuexi sighed and said, "My parents-in-law pity me and want us to come to Tai'an together after we get married. After you pass the imperial examination, I will still take care of my parents-in-law."
Xu Di said, "We are husband and wife, a couple who are meant to live together. How can I be out there while you're taking care of your in-laws?"
Li Yuexi said, "Of course I want to be with my husband, but we can't just live our own little lives like this forever. It is our duty to be filial to our parents-in-law. If we always ignore them, people will say that we are unfilial and will laugh at me for being ignorant."
Xu Di asked, "Did someone say something to you?"
Li Yuexi said, "No, do we need people to say these things? We're newlyweds. I'll follow you after we're married. Besides, my parents-in-law are far away in Ganzhou, so people can't say anything else. But if my parents-in-law go back to the capital and we continue like this, people will laugh at us for being unfilial."
Xu Di sensed a hint of melancholy in Li Yuexi's words. It was certainly good for the two of them to live freely together outside, but if they continued to live like this without any regard for others, it would inevitably attract some gossip.
Xu Di turned over, and in the darkness he could only see Li Yuexi's outline. He was very satisfied with this gentle, considerate, and capable wife.
Xu Di is a very pragmatic person who doesn't value enjoyment. He has always looked down on those philandering, peacock-like figures. With his current talent and economic foundation, it wouldn't be difficult for Xu Di to become a womanizer. However, Xu Di has higher pursuits. Life is only a few decades long, and one should do things that one can be proud of when looking back on one's life. Investing this limited life in enjoyment is the thing that Xu Di despises the most.
Li Yuexi was a native of ancient times, and many of her ideas were deeply ingrained. Xu Di understood this very well, and some of the reasoning he tried to explain to her was pointless. She was in a bad mood right now, so there was no point in talking to her. He simply patted her on the shoulder and said, "Look at you, you don't even know when this happened, and you're already thinking so much about it. Didn't we agree that we would have children after you turned eighteen? There's still a year or two to go. It's getting late, go to sleep."
Li Yuexi felt a little apprehensive, afraid that she might disturb Xu Di's sleep if she talked too much. Xu Di had been busy studying recently, and whether he could pass next year's imperial examination depended on this. Li Yuexi really didn't want her mood to affect Xu Di's energy, so she had to slow her breathing. Only when she heard Xu Di's breathing become steady did she gently turn over.
When Li Yuexi visited her parents' home in Ganzhou last time, her mother, Madam Li, mentioned this matter to her, telling her to start looking for a concubine for Xu Di now, so that she could take him with her when he went to serve as an official in another place in the future.
Li Yuexi was very resistant to this matter. She felt that the two of them were living together like this, but if Xu Di was to be transferred to another place in the future, Li Yuexi felt that as the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, she couldn't always leave her parents-in-law aside and go to another place with her husband. Her parents-in-law wouldn't say anything, but Li Yuexi would feel guilty.
As Li Yuexi pondered, she unconsciously started biting her nails. She would bite her nails whenever she was upset or agitated. She had had this habit since she was a child, and Li Yuexi had always been very careful about it, especially as she grew older, she felt that this habit was not good.
Li Yuexi didn't know how long she was lost in thought before she drifted off to sleep.
Xu Di got up at the beginning of the morning, when it was just getting light. He saw his wife sleeping on her side and frowned. He noticed that Li Yuexi's nails had been bitten down to the bony ends.
Xu Di knew very well what was wrong with his wife. He knew that Li Yuexi was troubled and had something on her mind. However, he did not disturb Li Yuexi and quietly got up as usual.
After running a few laps in the yard and practicing some boxing, Xu Di worked up a sweat. He then took a quick shower in the bathroom. It was already past 6 a.m., around 3 a.m. Xu Di tidied himself up and went to the kitchen.
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