"Mother, no, I can't be with anyone else in this life but Qi Yu. I only love Qi Yu."
Wu Xinyue shook her head after hearing this. This person's personality was just like hers. She had only ever loved the general, but she only found out that the general had been keeping a concubine outside for ten years.
Later, various conspiracies and schemes had already exhausted all the true feelings in her heart.
“My son, you really have taken after your mother’s temperament. You’ll understand in the future.”
The two had a long talk, and soon after, Gu Lan and Chen Xueqing, who were working outside, returned together in a carriage.
Upon seeing the unfamiliar woman in the Li family courtyard, the two silently approached and exclaimed in unison, "Master Li, is there an important person visiting today?"
"She is my mother, now the General's wife." This sentence was incredibly revealing, and Chen Xueqing and Gu Lan's eyes widened in surprise, taking a long time to process this truth.
The two immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "This humble subject pays respects to the General's wife."
Wu Xinyue waved her hand, "No need for formalities."
Afterwards, people who had gone out on business returned one after another. This time, Shan Yunfang and Steward Hu also returned from the county and joined in preparing dinner.
Qi Yu also returned from outside and was taken aback to see a noblewoman sitting in the house. Li Xiaoxiao had a penchant for picking up people.
"My husband, you've finally arrived. This is my mother, Madam Wu. She is the general's wife."
"This is my husband, Qi Yu, an ordinary commoner." As soon as Li Xiaoxiao finished introducing him, Wu Xinyue carefully examined the man in front of her.
He was exceptionally handsome, possessing both a refined and elegant demeanor and a face that could captivate all. He wore a pure white robe with blue trim, the collar adorned with delicate, deep blue patterns. The rest of the robe was simply decorated, yet it did not appear plain at all. Instead, it accentuated his fair skin and handsome features, with his most striking feature being his pair of almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold a hint of melancholy.
Given her delicate and beautiful appearance, Li Xiaoxiao was simple-minded. No wonder she couldn't bear to let go of such a handsome man. Moreover, he had no status and was indeed easy to manipulate. Thinking of her good friend, the wife of the Minister, who had found a gentle scholar and had not had a mistress for more than ten years, this was indeed a good choice.
"Madam Wu, your son-in-law pays his respects to the General's wife." Upon hearing this, Qi Yu immediately knelt on the ground. Although he was a large man over eight feet tall, his movements were very standard and extremely humble.
Wu Xinyue was somewhat surprised. "Get up."
Qi Yu then looked up at Li Xiaoxiao's spot.
"Get up, you idiot!" Li Xiaoxiao covered her forehead. Why did Qi Yu have to act like a fool at this moment? How could her mother possibly like him like this?
Qi Yu hurriedly got up and stood straight to the side, his eyes blinking several times. His nervous expression made Li Xiaoxiao want to laugh. He looked just like an awkward girl.
Seeing him like this, the general's wife couldn't help but laugh. Wu Shiyao liked this kind of man, and so did Li Xiaoxiao. The two sisters were really similar.
"Now that you are my son-in-law, what are your plans for the future?"
"I intend to study diligently, become a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), and seek an official position in the court," Qi Yu said, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, but rather confident.
Wu Xinyue smiled gently, "Sure, sure."
That evening, dinner was ready, and the General's wife ate with the group. With Li Xiaoxiao leading the way, everyone chatted and laughed, talking about village gossip and business development. The girls were having a great time, and Wu Xinyue gradually joined in, sharing some of the family's secrets.
As dinner gradually came to an end, Li Xiaoxiao helped her mother to her room to rest.
She went to the kitchen to prepare medicine for Qi Yu. After observing him, she concluded that there was nothing wrong with his body, but rather with his mind. He just needed some psychological stimulation.
But the quantity cannot be too much.
One herb can be decocted daily for nourishment.
After decocting the medicine, she poured it into a bowl and returned to the room. At that moment, Qi Yu was reading a book. When he saw his wife holding a bowl of medicine, he couldn't help but feel excited.
This medicine means he will become a real man, and it also means that Li Xiaoxiao is willing to accept him, and the two will be husband and wife for life.
"The dosage of this medicine has been increased. You need to take care of your health these days and you can't act impulsively."
After Li Xiao finished reading, she put the medicine aside. Qi Yu put down her book, got up, picked up the bowl, and drank the medicine in one gulp.
The medicine wasn't bitter; it was even a little sweet. After drinking it, my body felt warm all over.
It also invigorated people, and Qi Yu's face turned slightly red. The effect was indeed quite obvious, but unfortunately, he still had to endure it.
After finishing his drink, Qi Yu picked up a book and continued reading, muttering to himself, "There are houses of gold in books, and beauties like jade in books."
Then he began reciting the rules of the Eight-Legged Essay, and after reciting the Eight-Legged Essay, he began reciting the Four Books and Five Classics. His voice was very soft, with ups and downs. After washing up, Li Xiaoxiao lay on the bed and listened to her husband recite. The voice took her to a mountain spring, with the sound of flowing water, falling rocks, frogs croaking, and birds chirping. She soon closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
After a short while, Li Xiaoxiao's shallow breathing could be heard. Qi Yu couldn't continue reciting either, and his voice stopped abruptly. He stared blankly at the sleeping woman in front of him, feeling extremely wronged. He reached out his large hand to the woman's shoulder, trembled a few times, and then helplessly withdrew it.
He growled, "My wife, I can't sleep." But Li Xiaoxiao remained motionless in response. At this crucial moment, Qi Yu sat upright on the bed, his eyes filled with some unreadable tears. He wiped them away, got into bed, lifted the covers and lay down beside him. Li Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, took the initiative to pounce on him, her hand resting on his waist.
"Wife, wife." Qi Yu called out twice before lying down beside her, his eyes burning with fire. He then turned his back to Li Xiaoxiao and fell asleep. After a while, unable to bear it any longer, he turned around and hugged the woman tightly, kissing her forehead.
She wouldn't let go until she finished kissing him, but her expression was exactly like that of a resentful wife who felt ignored and neglected by her husband.
Qi Yu endured the sleeplessness until midnight, but finally fell asleep when his eyelids became too heavy to keep up.
The next morning, when Li Xiaoxiao woke up, Qi Yu was already dressed beside her. Seemingly noticing that his wife had woken up, Qi Yu went to the bedside and complained again, "Why did my wife sleep alone last night?"
Li Xiaoxiao was a little confused, but she still answered vaguely, "My husband was recuperating last night, how could I disturb him?"
The woman rubbed her eyes and was about to get up when Qi Yu stared at Li Xiaoxiao for a moment before turning away in a huff. "I'm going to the school. The prefectural examination is in a month."
The man left in a hurry, and Li Xiaoxiao got up to attend to other matters.
To be honest, she had been living a leisurely and carefree life here, without the pressure of her previous life. She had no worries about food or clothing, and a group of familiar people were always by her side. She was so happy that she didn't want to leave. But these past few days, for some reason, her left eyelid had been twitching from time to time, and she had a feeling that something big was going to happen.
Speaking of which, she hadn't even managed to complete the first level of the cultivation secret that the old beggar had given her.
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