Chapter 1 "Let's have a baby."...
After being exposed to the cold wind during the Lantern Festival, Old Master Liang fell ill. The symptoms of the cold were not severe, but they lingered and he was always confined to his bed, never stopping taking his medicine.
Liang Ye went to the capital to take the imperial examination, and Liang Shao was not used to serving others, so the burden of taking care of the old master fell entirely on Xue Shanhe's shoulders. Fortunately, she did it willingly.
Xue Shanhe's father, Xue Yin, was one of Old Master Liang's most prized students in the past. After Old Master Liang's son and daughter-in-law passed away, among all his students, only Xue Yin visited them regularly, without fail, for a whole year.
That year, Xue Yin made a wrong step and mistakenly joined the Third Prince's faction. Soon after, the Third Prince lost the struggle for the throne. The Emperor, out of consideration for the father-son relationship, shifted all the blame for the Third Prince's mistakes onto Xue Yin and his associates. In the end, the Xue family was sentenced to imprisonment and beheading for the men, and the women were confiscated as government slaves.
Though nominally government slaves, they were in reality the lowest of the low. If they were somewhat attractive, it was common for them to grit their teeth and work during the day and serve men at night. At that time, Xue Shanhe was only fifteen years old. After falling into this predicament, her thoughts of suicide grew stronger day by day.
It was Old Master Liang who bought her.
On the way from Jinling to Mizhou, the old man said to her kindly, "I only have two grandsons. The older one just passed the county-level imperial examination last month and will take the provincial-level examination next year; the younger one is about your age, but he is unruly and unambitious. I am considering asking you to be my granddaughter-in-law. Which one do you prefer?"
Xue Shanhe lowered her head, bit her lip, and said, "Shanhe is not worthy."
The old man smiled gently: "In my heart, you are just the orphan of my most beloved student. For his sake, I should take good care of you."
Shanhe wanted to refuse, but the old woman said seriously, "I don't have many years left. Those two boys, one is studying for the imperial examinations and can't take care of me; the other is naughty and unruly and has no interest in me. If you marry into this family, it will be to repay the kindness I showed you in saving you, is that alright?"
Shanhe was speechless and choked with sobs. After a long while, she finally said through tears, "...Shanhe thanks you, sir, for saving my life."
She thought that the eldest son of the Liang family had a bright future, and as the daughter of a disgraced official, she dared not ruin his career prospects, so she said, "The second son... is very good."
The marriage between Xue Shanhe and Liang Shao, the second master of the Liang family, was thus arranged.
On their wedding night, Liang Shao held up the auspicious scales, but instead of lifting the red veil covering the bride and groom, he stuffed the newly written divorce papers into Shan He's arms.
Through the red cloth, Shanhe heard Liang Shao say in a hard voice, "I'm marrying you because my grandfather forced me to."
Shanhe clutched the divorce papers, remaining silent.
The voice on the other end continued, "I will prepare plenty of trunks and baskets to ensure your livelihood after you leave the Liang family."
A tear pattered onto the divorce papers, blurring the ink.
Seeing this, Liang Shao frowned: "Blind marriages and silent marriages are extremely outdated customs. You and I are complete strangers, and have no connection whatsoever—"
Shanhe ripped off the veil, wiped away her tears, and smiled at him: "Okay, I understand. Where's the pen?"
Her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and her elaborate black hair was adorned with two gold hairpins, which made her face appear even more like a peach blossom in the candlelight. Liang Shao's heart skipped a beat.
Shanhe continued, "Once the old man passes away, I will pack my bags and leave immediately, without staying a single day longer."
Liang Shao was completely taken aback by her decisiveness. Seeing her graceful figure confined within the large canopy bed, he couldn't help but think of her loss of both parents and her loneliness, and his heart softened. Liang Shao said hoarsely, "...Tonight, I'll sleep on the footrest."
"No need." Shanhe picked up a roll of bedding and got up. "I am the daughter of a disgraced official. Marrying the Second Master is already a great honor for me. I dare not let the Second Master suffer because of me."
A red floral quilt was laid out on a narrow wooden board. Xue Shanhe spent his wedding night curled up on the hard footstool.
As her thoughts began to come together, Shanhe suddenly awoke with a start.
At that time, Old Master Liang had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was being served medicine by a maid.
Shanhe hurriedly stepped forward, took the medicine cup, and brought the bitter medicine in the spoon to his lips to cool it down before gently feeding it to Old Master Liang.
The old man looked at Shanhe, his eyes filled with heartache. He spoke tremulously, "Shanshan, has A-Shao treated you... badly?"
Shanhe choked up, her eyes stinging with tears. She forced a smile: "No, Ah Shao treats me very well." She held out her sleeve, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns: "Look, this is a dress Ah Shao bought for me. The stitches are so fine, and the style is the most fashionable this year."
In fact, after Shanhe married into the Liang family, she only received four new outfits each year, as was customary for the four seasons. The one she was wearing was bought by Shanhe herself after saving up her monthly allowance for several months.
The old man reached out and touched it: "It's good material." He paused: "But you've been married for almost two years, why aren't you pregnant yet?"
Shanhe lowered her head and said softly, "It seems we are not destined to have children yet."
The old man sighed, "If you had a child, even if Ah Shao was being naughty, he would still respect you. This house is very quiet, and the days are long. If you had a child, it might be more lively, and you wouldn't be so lonely."
Shanhe was stunned, taking the last part of the old man's words to heart. Liang Ye went to the capital to prepare for the imperial examination, and Liang Shao, disliking the lifeless atmosphere at home, also stayed outside all day. In this house, besides the old man Liang, there was only Shanhe.
Dinner was served as usual in the Old Master's Shouxi Hall. After Shanhe helped the Old Master to bed, she returned to Shuyu Pavilion, where she and Liang Shao lived.
Liang Shao had already finished bathing and was lying on the couch, reading a book. Shan He silently went to the bathhouse to bathe, and when she returned, she spread the bedding on the footstool. By the time she got into bed, it was almost midnight, and Liang Shao had already blown out the lamp.
During this time, Liang Shao and Shan He did not exchange a single word.
Shanhe couldn't sleep.
She recalled the doctor's words during the day about the old man's liver qi stagnation, suggesting that more happy events might benefit his health. For no apparent reason, Shanhe remembered the phrase "there is a child."
If she gives birth to a great-grandson of the Liang family, they will surely be overjoyed, right? And her illness will heal faster, won't it?
Thinking of this, Shanhe propped himself up and stood up.
“Ah Shao”.
Liang Shao lay on his side on the couch, awakened from his hazy sleep. He frowned slightly and said, "Hmm..."
Shanhe gently nudged his arm: "Please wake up. I..." She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, "I have something to discuss with you."
Liang Shao rolled over, pulled his arm away, and turned his back to Shan He: "What is it?"
“Let’s…” Shanhe bit her lip, “have a child.”
In the darkness, Liang Shao suddenly opened his eyes.
Shanhe placed her hand on the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed on her neatly manicured nails, and said softly, "Grandfather told me today that if there were a child, the house might be more lively. Grandfather is too lonely; if there were a child, it might be more beneficial for his recovery."
She continued, "But my elder brother is currently in the capital taking the imperial examinations, so he can't get married anytime soon, let alone have children. Only we..."
Liang Shao sneered: "Not consummating the marriage is for your own good."
“I know, Ah Shao.” Shanhe smiled sadly, “But when I take the divorce papers and leave the Liang family, everyone will know that I was once yours… They won’t care whether I consummated our marriage or not.”
Shanhe tried her best to make the most comprehensive plans: "When the time comes, whether the child stays with the Liang family or comes with me, it's up to you. Is that alright?"
Liang Shao suddenly felt irritated and couldn't bear to listen any longer. He turned around, his gaze fixed intently on her face: "So, to repay my grandfather's kindness, you'd do anything? Marry me, even if I give you a divorce on our wedding night? Have my child, even if I make you sleep on my footstool for two years after our marriage? For such a small favor, Xue Shanhe, are you really this lowly and despicable?"
Shanhe stared blankly at him. In her memory, Liang Shao rarely spoke such a long sentence to her in one breath. He was a cheerful person with many friends, so he was rarely home, always out drinking and feasting with them. Moreover, he disliked Xue Shanhe for being the one who ruined his marriage, and therefore disliked being close to her. Thus, often, they would exchange only a handful of words throughout the day.
Moonlight streamed through the window, spilling over the edge of the bed. Shanhe's round, almond-shaped eyes shone like stars in the gentle moonlight.
Over the past two years, Shanhe had quietly figured out Liang Shao's personality perfectly. Liang Shao had been spoiled by his grandfather and elder brother Liang Ye since childhood, and was also skilled with a red-tasseled spear, making him extremely arrogant. She was intelligent and knew how to talk to Liang Shao to appease him.
Shanhe lowered her eyes, her voice soft and gentle, like the moonlight tonight: "No, that's not it. It's also because of Ah Shao..."
"What?" Liang Shao frowned.
Shanhe slowly raised her face, her lips curving upwards in a gentle smile: "Because Ah Shao is my husband." Beneath her undergarments, Shanhe's hand gently covered Liang Shao's hand.
Three months ago, on Liang Shao's birthday, he was out having a banquet with friends and didn't return until the middle of the night.
Reeking of alcohol, he scooped up Shanhe, who was sleeping on the footstool, and placed her on the couch: "It's so hard, doesn't it hurt when you sleep on it?" Shanhe tried to run away, but he pulled her into his arms.
Shanhe spoke cautiously, "Ah Shao, it's me, Shanhe. I'm Xue Shanhe, the one who ruined your marriage."
Liang Shao mumbled in a daze, "Mmm... Shanhe, Shanshan..." He hugged her tighter and held her like that all night.
Therefore, Shanhe knew that Liang Shao was not as annoyed with her as he claimed.
The sensation on the back of his hand struck Liang Shao like a thunderbolt. He tried to pull his hand away, but it was incredibly heavy, and with Shan He holding it, he couldn't move it at all.
“Ah Shao…” Shanhe called him again.
Liang Shao's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was hoarse: "...Mmm."
Shanhe still looked up at him, her lips still slightly upturned. She slowly climbed onto Liang Shao's strong arm, the bulging veins leaving many lines on his skin. Shanhe lifted Liang Shao's hand and let him hold her cheek. A smile spread from the depths of Shanhe's eyes: "If Grandfather hadn't given me this excuse, perhaps I would never have dared to say these words to Shao."
Before she could finish speaking, Shanhe had her lips sealed by the person in front of her.
Because she was sitting on the footstool, she was much lower than Liang Shao, so she had to stretch her head to reach Liang Shao's kiss.
Liang Shao sensed that she was struggling, so he used his large hand to support Shanhe's buttocks and lifted her onto the couch.
Shanhe slowly savored the long kiss, thinking: Liang Shao must like me a little, right? That's good. Even if it's just a fleeting romance, if there's even a hint of affection in it, then looking back in the future won't be all regret.
She felt two strong arms encircling her waist, felt Liang Shao's hand gripping her waist, felt Liang Shao's breathing becoming increasingly erratic, and felt his movements becoming more and more rough.
Liang Shao was skilled in martial arts. He was tall and slender with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. At this moment, he pulled Shan He into his arms, almost completely enveloping her without leaving any gaps.
Both were doing this for the first time, and both were clumsy and flustered. With her robe half-undone, Liang Shao leaned in close. He had rarely looked at Shan He properly before, always thinking that once she was in the house, she would always be there, just two eyes and a mouth, no different from anyone else. But now, he suddenly realized that Shan He's features were clear: willow-leaf eyebrows, almond eyes, cherry lips—everything about her was just right, making him feel comfortable and at ease. Especially now, with Shan He's face flushed and her eyes bright, Liang Shao's heart pounded like a deer. His voice was hoarse: "You…"
The second half of his sentence caught in his throat, and Liang Shao couldn't utter another word. Shan He smiled softly, her trembling hand hooking around his neck. She first kissed his lips, then moved down to his chin. In an instant, a tickling sensation on his jaw and Shan He's trembling both spread through him, and Liang Shao couldn't help but breathe hot air into her ear: "Shan Shan..."
Shanhe's ears were very sensitive, and the hot breath made her shiver, and she unconsciously let out a long "hmm".
Upon hearing that long sigh, Liang Shao felt his blood rush to his head, his whole body swell up, and he desperately wanted to find a soft and beautiful place to release this evil energy.
Before long, Shanhe gazed at the mandarin ducks nestled together on the roof of the tent, playfully entwining their necks in the ripples of the water. Shanhe's vision gradually blurred, and she felt as if she were lying on a small boat in a stormy sea, gently swaying with the rhythm.
Later, the pair of mandarin ducks completely disappeared into a halo of light. She closed her eyes tightly, her teeth unconsciously biting her lower lip. In that instant, all was silent; Shanhe tilted her head back, unable to hear anything.
A moment later, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, and her breathing gradually calmed. Liang Shao pulled her into his arms, his chin gently resting on the top of her head, his voice filled with deep weariness.
Shanhe hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Starting tomorrow... we won't be sleeping on footrests anymore, right?"
A muffled response came from above: "...Hmm."
“Then…” she paused, her voice even softer, “we need to get a bigger blanket.”
Liang Shao, with his eyes closed, asked in a nasal voice, "What's wrong?"
“This…” she shifted slightly, “and the two of us felt a little awkward. I feel a chill on my back right now.”
Liang Shao remained silent, but the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up. He pulled the blankets closer to Shan He, then hugged her even tighter, scolding her, "Stupid, don't you know to lean towards me?"
Shanhe buried her head in his chest and didn't say a word.
A note from the author:
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[Stand-up ears rabbit head][Stand-up ears rabbit head][Stand-up ears rabbit head] Shanhe is here!
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