Chapter 10 Sleeping in Separate Rooms
In her past life, this wretched woman also married someone surnamed Xu. First, she was the wife of a scholar, then the wife of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, and finally, she became the wife of a third-ranking scholar.
Everyone praised her for being lucky, marrying a man like Xu Jinnian, saying it was like the Sheng family's ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke.
The more triumphant this wretched woman was when she became the wife of the third-ranked scholar, the more tragic her end became.
This wretched woman probably never dreamed that she would treat the man surnamed Xu like a treasure, working hard every day to earn money to support his studies and exams, only to end up with the tragic death of her loved one and the loss of her unborn child.
Ha, that Xu guy is a hypocrite. He became a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, but in order to climb the social ladder, he sent back a letter of divorce from afar, forcing this slut to leave.
That wretched woman doesn't believe in superstitions. She insists the divorce letter is fake and wants to go to the capital to find out for herself.
As a result, on the very night she left the village, a group of people sneaked into the village, set fire to the Sheng family home, and burned the two old men of the Sheng family alive.
That bastard Sheng An didn't fare well either. On her way to the capital, she was attacked by a group of bandits, and in the end, she and her unborn child died, their bodies left to rot in the wilderness.
A vicious man like Xu deserves to die because this scoundrel is blind to his worth. He killed his grandparents and he himself died with his unborn child.
Thinking of this, Liu Huazhi laughed triumphantly: "I'll wait for you to repeat the same mistake. I'll definitely throw a three-day feast then!"
But as she laughed, she couldn't laugh anymore.
In her past life, no matter how much she pestered him, the man surnamed Xu never even gave her a second glance.
Although it saved her from ending up like that bitch Sheng An, her fate wasn't much better.
In order to outdo this wretched woman, she was determined to marry into a wealthy and powerful family in the city.
Who would have thought that even the most prestigious families could be so corrupt? She was just a lowly concubine who only wanted to have a child to protect herself. The cannibalistic inner court couldn't tolerate her, and she was murdered in less than a year.
Recalling the excruciating pain of the poisoned wine burning her internal organs like fire as it went down her throat, Liu Huazhi shuddered and her face turned deathly pale.
No, in this life, she will never suffer the same fate as in her previous one.
She will definitely open her eyes wide, marry a perfect husband, and live a glorious life!
She already has a target for this ideal man.
She's determined to seize the opportunity to marry him and make him a high-ranking official for her!
Liu Huazhi's eyes shone with a captivating light, filled with resentment for what she couldn't have in her past life and confidence that she would achieve her goals in this one.
As she watched the two figures in front of her gradually disappear, she sneered, turned around, and strode away.
Sheng An, of course, was unaware that Liu Huazhi had abandoned the "vicious" Xu Jinnian and shifted her focus, talking to Xu Jinnian about setting up a wonton stall:
“You know the family situation better than I do. It’s not a long-term solution for you to make money by copying books. Even if you don’t make a lot of money by setting up a stall to sell wontons, it will be enough to cover the family’s expenses.”
Moreover, my grandparents are getting old and won't be able to farm for many more years. I need to prepare for their retirement in advance; I can't let them be destitute in their old age.
At this point, Sheng An subtly observed Xu Jinnian's expression.
If a man shows even the slightest disapproval, she will kick him away without hesitation.
He already has the potential to be a heartless and unfaithful man. If he dares to oppose my starting my own business, what's the point of keeping such a man around?
It only makes me upset.
As expected, Xu Jinnian frowned slightly, his handsome face revealing disapproval.
Upon seeing this, Sheng An instantly bristled: "What, are you ashamed that I'm setting up a stall and embarrassing you, or are you against me taking care of my grandparents in their old age?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinnian's expression grew even more unpleasant.
At this moment, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed his face in a warm golden light, revealing subtle changes in his expression on his flawless face.
At this moment, Xu Jinnian was angry, very angry.
"In my wife's heart, am I such an unfilial and unjust villain?"
The man stopped, his expression tense, staring intently at his wife. His eyes, reflecting the setting sun, held an unspeakable sadness and despair.
Sheng An glared at him: "You're the one who showed your disagreement, not me accusing you."
Xu Jinnian stared at her intently for a long time, and just as Sheng An's eyes were about to twitch, he said helplessly:
“My holiday will end in two days. I need to go to my teacher’s place to listen to lectures every morning and won’t be able to stay home to help. It’s too hard for you to run the stall by yourself. I’m worried that your health won’t be able to handle it.”
How could he not worry about such a thin and small person who doesn't have much strength, working hard from dawn till dusk at his stall?
"Is...is that so..."
Sheng An stared blankly at the man who didn't seem to be faking it, and suddenly realized that she had been influenced by Liu Huazhi and had developed a prejudice against him.
"I don't object to you setting up a stall, but I hope you can put this on hold for now and take care of your health first."
Xu Jinnian sighed inwardly, gently placing his slender hand on Sheng An's head and ruffling his fluffy hair.
"We've only been married for three days, so it's understandable that you have reservations about me. If we've been together for a while and you still can't trust me, then it's because I haven't done enough. I hope you can point that out and give me a chance to correct it."
Instead of silently accumulating resentment and completely discarding him in one's heart, leaving him no place whatsoever.
Sheng An's heart skipped a beat, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He knows!
What keen perception!
Sheng An avoided the man's gaze and nodded haphazardly: "I misunderstood you this time, please don't take it to heart."
Xu Jinnian smiled, his eyes gentle: "Yes, I don't know how."
Husbands and wives should be tolerant of each other; how could he be so petty about such a small matter?
He only hoped that his wife would remember what he said.
By the time the two arrived home, the sun had completely set.
Xu Chenglin had already eaten the dinner that Xu Xiaogu had brought. When he saw the young couple return, he asked about the two elders of the Sheng family with concern.
Upon learning that the elderly couple were in good health and worked in the fields every day, he felt a mixture of envy and worry.
While Sheng An went to the kitchen to heat the bathwater, Xu Chenglin whispered instructions to his son:
"The two elders seem to be in good health, but they are getting on in years, and it's hard to say how many more years they can farm. Your wife is their only descendant, so the responsibility of taking care of them will probably fall on you two. Don't have any ideas about it."
Xu Chenglin also felt sorry for his son's heavy burden of supporting his parents in old age, but since he had married someone else's granddaughter, he had to take on the responsibilities he was supposed to, otherwise what kind of person would he be?
"Father, rest assured, your son will take care of you both."
Xu Jinnian was not surprised by his father's words at all. He had taken his father as a role model since he was a child and followed his father's example in his conduct and dealings with others.
Xu Chenglin was very pleased, and then smiled and told his son, "When you have time, take your wife back to her parents' home to visit them more often. It's not far from here, so it's convenient for them to come and go."
The father and son talked for a while, and then the bathwater was ready.
After washing up, Sheng An went back to her room to rest, while Xu Jinnian went to the study to continue copying books.
Two hours later, he blew out the candle and tiptoed back to his room.
The room was completely dark, and Xu Jinnian could only see a blurry black shadow on the bed.
He carefully took off his shoes and got into bed, but his hand touched something soft and immediately withdrew as if burned by fire.
"Hmm..."
In her sleep, Sheng An felt someone grabbing her butt. She grumbled at the two of them, rolled over, and lay sprawled on the bed, her head and feet forming a diagonal shape, taking over the entire bed.
A helpless sigh echoed in the darkness.
That night, Xu Jinnian didn't know how she fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, she had a sore back.
Unaware of anything amiss, Sheng An heard the rustling sound of clothes being put on. She groggily opened her eyes and found herself lying in the middle of the large bed, wrapped up like a giant silkworm in a thin blanket.
Realizing belatedly that his poor sleeping posture was affecting Xu Jinnian's sleep, Sheng An offered a more evasive explanation:
"I'm still growing, so I don't sleep very well."
After thinking for a moment, Sheng An sincerely suggested, "How about I sleep in the guest room from now on? That way, I won't disturb your rest and you'll have more energy to study."
With such a handsome man sleeping next to her every day, she really couldn't guarantee she could control herself.
It's not a big deal if I can't control myself, but it just feels like something's missing.
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