In the end, it was the Fourth Prince who couldn't stand it anymore and directly raised his hand to press Li Chenjiao back down.
In just a short while, his bowl was already piled high with food.
Fourth Master didn't say anything to scold him at this moment, but simply slowly finished the food in his bowl.
Li Chenjiao was tired after her enthusiasm, so she lowered her head and ate the millet porridge in her bowl.
The kitchen staff had thoughtfully provided some pickled vegetables to accompany the meal these past two days, ensuring that Li Chenjiao's meal wouldn't be too bland.
After dinner, Li Chenjiao wasn't very full, so Green Bamboo cut up an apple, which was very refreshing and sweet.
They're plump and juicy, perfect for filling your stomach.
Fourth Master has been in the East Courtyard for quite some time now, and dinner has already been served. However, Li Chenjiao hasn't mentioned a word about the new concubines entering the mansion, as if she knows nothing about it.
The Fourth Master looked on, but inexplicably felt a tightness in his chest.
Li is a man who never tells the truth; he always speaks half-truths and half-lies. Fortunately, his heart is pure and innocent.
Lately, due to internal heat, Li Chenjiao has taken a liking to health preservation methods, but she is not particular about her diet, since she has been quite careful about what she eats lately.
She's been quite relaxed lately. After dinner, besides taking her usual stroll around the courtyard, she sometimes plays with Dongli. When she's sweating profusely, she soaks her feet in a foot bath made by the family to soothe her muscles and bones.
Then comes the bathing and washing, during which the maid will give a massage.
To be fair, Li Chenjiao's complexion has indeed become rosier than before lately.
She already had a good complexion, and after her bath, her face was flushed, and her hair was gathered up and draped down. As she walked in from afar, the whole room shone brightly.
Li Chenjiao was drowsy with her eyes drooping at night when she suddenly heard Fourth Master's voice: "It's tight."
As he spoke, Fourth Master pinched Li Chenjiao's forearm.
Li's forearm was slender, and Fourth Master could hold it in one hand. In the flickering candlelight, the pinkish tinge on Li's forearm contrasted sharply with the skin tone of Fourth Master's palm.
Li Chenjiao was so tired that even breathing felt exhausting.
Fourth Master ate well during his month of illness and then abstained from meat for another month, so he was in his prime. Li Chenjiao was like a delicate flower in spring, unable to withstand the rain and dew tonight.
Li Chenjiao has indeed felt better lately, but in bed, she is like a rabbit compared to a tiger when she is with Fourth Master.
Li Chenjiao was exhausted after that night.
Li Chenjiao even drifted off into thought, thinking that Fourth Master wasn't like this at the beginning. He used to be more respectful of the rules, and at most he would only call for water twice a night.
Now they're getting more and more outrageous. On the surface, it's just a matter of calling for water three times or one more time, but in reality, the absurdity that can be caused on the bed is not something that can be accomplished in one go.
Once the new bride enters the household, she can finally relax a bit.
Being a favored concubine is no easy task.
It's hard to strike the right balance here, especially in bed. Li Chenjiao was panting heavily, but she still had to be mindful of her appearance. She was covered in sweat, and she couldn't very well look at Fourth Master with a ferocious expression.
I was too lazy to deal with it, so I simply turned my face over and buried myself in the large cushion, pretending to be tired.
There really is a limit to how much we should do things.
I wonder where Fourth Master got so much energy after being busy all day.
In the end, Li Chenjiao didn't know how she fell asleep. Before falling asleep, she noticed that she felt refreshed and didn't want to worry about it anymore.
Fourth Master probably knew that he had made a big fuss last night, so he left the mansion from the East Courtyard early in the morning. Not long after, Fu Lu from the front courtyard came to deliver some ointment in person.
When Li Chenjiao woke up and heard the maid's report, she wasn't shy at all. It happened several times a month, even more regularly than her own period.
Li Chenjiao hadn't finished using the ointment that Fourth Master had sent last time, so she wasn't in a hurry to open this new box. She simply told him to put it away first.
While applying the medicine, Qiu Hu mentioned that when Fu Lu delivered the ointment, he also brought along a delicate little trinket.
"What is that?" Li Chenjiao tugged at her clothes.
Qiu Hu replied, "It's a Western watch, small and exquisite. He said that Fourth Master specially found it in Liulichang for his master to play with."
There are indeed quite a few rare Western gadgets in Liulichang.
After applying the medicine, Li Chenjiao asked Qiu Hu to bring her the Western watch to look at.
It does look small and isn't too noisy. The patterns on the side are also exquisite. However, this is not the first time Li Chenjiao has seen this kind of thing.
In the past, there was a large Western clock in their family home, hanging in the main room of their mother's house in the main courtyard. It was said that it was bought from outside. The mother paid for it herself with her dowry and added two months' salary from the father to buy it from a bearded merchant.
The one in my hand is clearly more exquisite and delicate than the one at home. The patterns are very beautiful and antique. The chain doesn't look like it's pure gold; it's probably mixed with something, but it's still beautiful.
Li Chenjiao played with it for a while: "I will thank you again when Fourth Master comes next time."
The Fourth Master will most likely not be coming these next two days. Firstly, it's a matter of protocol; secondly, he's just recovered from a long illness and has many affairs to attend to; and thirdly—
Li Chenjiao pondered that the Fourth Prince and his wife must discuss the matter of the new bride entering the mansion.
Li Chenjiao didn't mention it yesterday, and Fourth Master is certainly not the type to bring it up either. I wonder if Fourth Master knows about it or not.
Li Chenjiao pondered for a while, and her mood was still quite good.
However, I went to bed late last night and spent half the day in bed after breakfast.
During this time, the second princess kept asking to see Li Chenjiao, and was later taken to the outer room of the side room by Granny Chen to play.
As expected, Fourth Master did not come to Li Chenjiao's place that day. Instead, he went to Song Shi's place, which was quite unusual. However, he did not ask for water, presumably because he went to see Second Princess.
For the next two days, Fourth Master stayed in the front yard.
After spending two nights in the front yard, Fourth Master came to the east yard the next day.
I called for water twice more during the night.
Now everyone in the mansion understood.
It's true that a new lady is coming into the household, but it's clear that the Fourth Prince still has a lot of affection for Consort Li.
So even at the crucial moment when the newcomer was about to enter the mansion, no one in the entire mansion dared to neglect the East Courtyard.
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