Yuan Zhao lay on top of him, kissing. He could feel his mouth being plundered, the flesh of his mouth being licked, and his lips and tongue being sucked until they faintly hurt.
But this pain carried a slight itch, instead making him feel even more restless, wishing Shi Wuxiang would be even more forceful, so even that remaining itch would disappear.
Shi Wuxiang gently patted his back in comfort. Until the long kiss ended, he then changed positions with the person on top of him.
Yuan Zhao lay dazedly on the bed. His waist sash had long been pulled to the ground, and his clothes were messy, revealing his beautiful neck and rounded shoulders.
Shi Wuxiang leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose, lowering his voice: “Don’t be afraid. If it hurts, tell me. I’ll go slowly.”
Yuan Zhao was kissed again, and everything that followed was somewhat beyond his expectations.
The feeling of being opened up was not pleasant.
He didn’t know what Ah Xiang did, but after something cold and icy was applied, his whole body felt a bit dizzy, with a bit of numb itch and heat—probably because the alcohol hadn’t fully worn off.
At least that discomfort faded quite a bit.
One time.
Two times.
Three times.
He didn’t know it could be opened so wide, enough to actually accommodate it.
Probably because he himself was naturally all-encompassing… Yuan Zhao even foolishly praised himself in his mind.
He thought it ended there, but when the moment truly arrived, he instead became nervous, the drunkenness fading somewhat. He tightly grabbed Shi Wuxiang’s arm. “Ah Xiang, why not knock me out instead? Just knock me out!”
“Ha…” Shi Wuxiang exhaled heavily, lowering his head to seal that nonstop talking mouth shut. At a time like this, he was still talking about being knocked out or not.
He didn’t really want to casually use those ointments, but he was somewhat in a difficult position, so he could only use a bit more.
Red canopy fell.
Shadows on the bed swayed back and forth.
Wedding clothes and ointment boxes were scattered on the floor.
Heat spread through the room.
The sweet, honey-like gasps and cries were swallowed by the other person, as if wanting to possess everything of the other.
Yuan Zhao sank into sleep between pain and pleasure.
A voice still lingered in his ear.
“Happy birthday, Yuan Zhao.”
Then a gold-inlaid jade ring was placed onto his ring finger, binding him completely and intimately to himself.
…
Yuan Zhao woke up thirsty. He lay straight on the bed, his consciousness still scattered and not fully gathered. He couldn’t tell what day it was, nor why his whole body ached and felt uncomfortable, as if he had run wildly all day.
“Hiss…”
“Still very uncomfortable?” Shi Wuxiang immediately leaned over and asked.
A suddenly close handsome face appeared in front of him, and Yuan Zhao was startled, his heart trembling. His gaze landed on the other’s red, blood-dripping earlobe, and only then did he remember what happened last night.
He and Ah Xiang had consummated the marriage!
Maybe there were already babies now!
“My inner thighs feel a bit sore. It must be because you stretched me too much last night…” Yuan Zhao lay against his waist and softly acted spoiled. Although he was a little shy, there was nothing a husband and wife couldn’t talk about.
“Ahem—do you want breakfast? I had the cook make vegetable porridge.” Shi Wuxiang quickly changed the subject.
Yuan Zhao felt a bit. “I want it, but I don’t want to sit up. It feels weird and uncomfortable.”
Shi Wuxiang immediately frowned and reached out to the place behind him. “I already cleaned and applied medicine for you last night. Still uncomfortable? Let me check.”
“It’s not appropriate in broad daylight. Maybe it’ll be fine in a bit. I’m hungry. Bring the porridge here quickly.” Yuan Zhao pouted slightly and lightly punched his chest.
“Alright.” Shi Wuxiang immediately asked Xia Lian outside to bring the food in.
Yuan Zhao originally wanted to lie on the bed edge to drink, but as soon as he bent down he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He lifted his clothes and looked—both of them were red and swollen.
Like red beans.
He resentfully looked at Shi Wuxiang, who rubbed his nose. “Lean against me to eat? I’ll feed you.”
“Okay!”
Yuan Zhao propped himself up and climbed up. With the movement, his loosely draped clothes slipped open, revealing various marks inside.
He looked at the finger marks on his waist. “This must be from when you grabbed me from behind. My head even hit the wall…”
“Drink porridge.” Before he could finish speaking, Shi Wuxiang, red-faced, stuffed a mouthful of soft porridge into him. “You’re not allowed to talk while eating.”
“You kept talking last night and even made me speak… I didn’t even want to say such embarrassing things, but you still made me call you… you were so strange last night, Ah Xiang.”
“Stop talking. Can’t even stop your mouth while eating?” Shi Wuxiang said sternly.
If he kept talking, it would be locked.
Yuan Zhao squinted and laughed. Ah Xiang was actually shy—how rare.
But he didn’t continue speaking. No more talking.
Yuan Zhao was indeed exhausted. It felt even more tiring than working in the fields or breaking new land before. After eating, he fell into a dazed sleep again.
During this time Shi Wuxiang kept watching over him, applying medicine and checking his temperature, afraid he felt even a little unwell. Fortunately, perhaps because of his special constitution, when Shi Wuxiang cleaned him last night he found everything had been absorbed, so he likely wouldn’t develop a fever.
Yuan Zhao lay in bed for a full day, and by nightfall he even had the energy to tug Shi Wuxiang into doing things.
“Even though it’s a little uncomfortable, it also feels really good.”
That one sentence was enough to make a man who had just experienced intimacy have his rationality collapse completely, pulling Yuan Zhao along to continue expanding new territory.
For three straight days, Yuan Zhao did not get out of bed.
In the end, he truly could not take it anymore. He no longer dared to provoke the other side, and only by restraining his mouth did he manage to “save” his backside.
Shi Wuxiang stayed at home two more days, taking care of him thoroughly and attentively. Only after confirming he truly had no illness or lingering pain did he finally feel at ease and return to the academy.
Xia Lian combed his hair in front of the mirror and teased with a smile, “The master really dotes on you. Even the zhengjun’s red mark has become much more vivid.”
Ever since their consummation, Yuan Zhao had not gotten out of bed, so he naturally had no idea what his red mark looked like now. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and looked carefully.
It truly was very different from before.
Ever since he had no longer worried about food and clothing, the red mark between his brows had already been bright, but never like this—now it was so vivid it almost matched He Ge’er’s. No wonder she said that.
He glanced at himself in the mirror a little shyly; even his cheeks looked rosy now. Clearly, harmony between husband and wife was indeed beneficial to the body.
“Oh right, have someone send a letter back to the village for me later.”
“Yes.”
Such good news should be told to He Ge’er as well, so he wouldn’t keep worrying about him like before.
Speaking of which, he wondered whether He Ge’er had become pregnant. Over the past two years, he had been busy with his own matters, only occasionally having people send him things—he didn’t even know how he was doing lately.
Once he recovered a bit more, he should go back to the village to see him.
Originally, Yuan Zhao didn’t feel like going out at all, but after lying in bed for several days, he felt he needed to move around. After dressing properly, he went out onto the streets.
The county market was still bustling and prosperous. Yuan Zhao actually felt like he hadn’t been out in a long time, and for some reason there was a faint feeling of being in a different lifetime.
He arrived at the restaurant. Business there was still booming. The diners now recognized him and greeted him with smiles, and the workers were even more respectful. This made Yuan Zhao feel as if he truly had become the zhengjun of the county.
Now that he no longer had any other worries, he only hoped to quickly have a child—then life would truly be complete.
After showing his face at the restaurant, he went to the small school at the edge of the city to check on things.
“There are many academies in the county, but ours is the only one that accepts both little gongzi and young ladies. The teachers treat everyone equally, so the zhengjun can rest assured.”
“However, there is no cafeteria here. After all, these children are precious, and we are not sure if they can adapt to outside food, or if we might fail to take proper care of them.”
Yuan Zhao understood this. He didn’t mind—he could bring them home for lunch at noon. As long as they were willing to accept the children, that was already good enough.
He asked again, “What about the tuition?”
At this point, the manager knew things were likely to be settled and quickly replied warmly, “Because some families may stop studying halfway, to make things convenient, tuition is paid monthly—five taels per student.”
“And the teacher’s qualifications?” Yuan Zhao asked again.
Five taels wasn’t much, but they couldn’t just let a mere scholar-level graduate teach children; otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it.
“He is a xiucai. Because of financial hardship, he teaches during the day to earn travel expenses,” the manager hurriedly explained.
“Tomorrow I will send the two children here and pay the tuition together,” Yuan Zhao said. He felt it was decent—living in the county meant they could be taken care of easily.
The manager repeatedly thanked him. If even the Shi family was willing to send their children here, it would be excellent publicity, and enrollment would surely increase.
Having nothing better to do, Yuan Zhao decided to return to the village himself. He would deliver the letter personally and also visit He Ge’er.
He acted immediately, loading an entire carriage full of gifts and supplements before heading back.
He passed by a food stall in the town on the way, saw nothing unusual, and continued straight to the village. It was farming season, so the village roads were mostly empty, and no one stopped him.
When he arrived home, Madam Shi Zhang was preparing lunch.
“Mother.”
“Oh my! Why are you back?” Madam Shi Zhang washed her hands and came over to hold him. “I was just about to cook—perfect timing, I’ll add a couple more dishes for you.”
She looked him over with a smile. When she saw the red mark between his brows, her smile deepened. As expected, once the two of them cleared things up, their relationship became even more passionate—maybe she really would have a grandchild next year.
“I’ve been craving strong flavors lately. I want something spicy and rich. Sorry to trouble you, Mother,” Yuan Zhao said shamelessly.
Perhaps because he had fully become one with Ah Xiang, he now felt more integrated into the Shi family. Not that he no longer needed to be polite, but the cautious distance was gone.
Madam Shi Zhang naturally agreed and continued preparing food. Yuan Zhao also didn’t just sit idle—he helped her, waiting for Yuan Ge’er and the others to return for lunch.
Shi Qingran and Yuan Yuan soon came back. Seeing Yuan Zhao, they rushed straight into his arms and knocked him off the small stool.
“Brother?!” Yuan Yuan quickly helped him up. “Are you not feeling well? Did we hit you too hard?”
Yuan Zhao’s face turned pale and red in turns. He slowly got up while holding his waist. Xia Lian and Xia He hurried over to support him, afraid he might be unwell.
After standing, he waved his hand. “I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep well last night… go wash your hands and eat.”
The two children didn’t ask further and happily went to wash up and eat.
At the table, Yuan Zhao mentioned the school in the county.
Shi Qingran and Yuan Yuan’s eyes lit up immediately. Being able to study in the county school was obviously very good news.
“The school doesn’t provide lunch, so Mother will go to the county to pick them up at noon,” Yuan Zhao said. “In her free time, she can also go drink tea or stroll around.”
He had already thought everything through for Madam Shi Zhang.
If the children all went to the county, she would naturally go too, and she could still take care of them. Of course, he wasn’t trying to take away her free time—she could do whatever she liked.
Madam Shi Zhang didn’t refuse, only smiling. “Right now I’ll look after them. In a couple of years I’ll help you and Ah Xiang take care of your children.”
Yuan Zhao immediately flushed and hurriedly took a sip of tea.
Shi Qingran also laughed, while Yuan Yuan thoughtfully stared at his stomach for a long time. So amazing—such a flat place would one day have a baby sleeping inside.
“Then that’s settled. In the evening, Mother can pack up and go back to the county together,” Yuan Zhao said, glancing at the time. “I’ll go to Wen family village later. I haven’t seen He Ge’er in a long time—I’ll bring him some things too.”
“Oh, He Ge’er already has a baby. His belly is already big,” Yuan Yuan suddenly said. “I just heard about it—it wasn’t easy for him to get pregnant!”
For little gongzi, pregnancy was not easy, so it was likely he had been kept indoors carefully.
Yuan Zhao immediately became restless. He had to go check.
Soon, a carriage headed toward Wen family village.
At the village entrance, a group of idle old men and women stared wide-eyed as the carriage passed, only starting to gossip after it left.
“Is He Ge’er at home? It’s me, Zhao Ge’er.”
“He’s here, wait a moment!”
Soon the door opened. He Ge’er happily welcomed him in. Seeing the carriage and servants, he knew he was doing well.
The servants unloaded the gifts into the courtyard. He Ge’er only needed one glance to know they were expensive. “You already come to see me, why bring so much? I don’t need all this.”
“You still say that? I didn’t even know you were pregnant—I should’ve prepared more carefully,” Yuan Zhao said, glancing at his belly. “Just keep it. If you can’t use it, let Qing Shan use it.”
He Ge’er didn’t refuse and simply smiled.
They sat under the eaves eating fruit and watermelon, chatting idly.
He Ge’er explained that he had not told him earlier because his family had been busy, and his mother also said first pregnancies should be kept quiet until stable.
“It’s fine. Whether you said it or not, it’s all good news,” Yuan Zhao reassured him. “You’re about five months along, right?”
“Already six months,” He Ge’er said shyly, touching his belly. “He moves a lot sometimes. Would you like to feel?”
“Can I?” Yuan Zhao carefully placed his hand on the belly, holding his breath.
Thump.
He quickly pulled his hand back, eyes wide with surprise and delight. “It really moved!”
He Ge’er smiled. “Even though he’s naughty, we feel very happy. And you? You seem to be doing well too. Your brow mark is so bright now.”
Yuan Zhao shyly touched it and chuckled. “There were some misunderstandings before with Ah Xiang, but everything is fine now.”
He Ge’er nodded repeatedly. “That’s good. When my mother came to see me before, she also mentioned you. We all heard that Master Shi is very impressive now—we were afraid you might suffer any grievances. But seeing you like this, we’re relieved.”
Perhaps because of his pregnancy, He Ge’er was very different from before. In the past, he was lively and playful, always running across mountains and fields with Yuan Zhao. Now, he carried a gentle and composed air.
Though this change was somewhat emotional to witness, as long as it was something he willingly chose, it was worthy of respect.
Yuan Zhao smiled as he looked at him. Three years had passed. They were still young, but no longer the younger versions of themselves.
“You and your husband should also work harder!” He Ge’er teased with a laugh. “Madam Zhang is strong and healthy now—you should keep her busy!”
“We will,” Yuan Zhao replied helplessly.
“Brother Zhao, I’m back.” Wen Qing Shan called out as he returned with a bamboo basket on his back. “I saw a carriage outside. Who came?”
Yuan Zhao stood up to greet him. “Brother Wen, you’re back just in time. I brought He Ge’er some supplements and was about to leave.”
Wen Qing Shan was rarely warm, but he nodded slightly. “Stay for dinner.”
“No need. We have to return to the city tonight. You two eat. I brought a lot of supplements—ask carefully before giving them to him. I didn’t know he was pregnant when I bought them,” Yuan Zhao said.
Wen Qing Shan nodded and took out the bamboo basket. “I dug some bamboo shoots. Take them with you.”
“Right, Zhao Ge’er, take them,” He Ge’er added.
“…” Yuan Zhao paused. “Then that works out. We just finished the bamboo shoots at home—we can stir-fry them with sliced meat.”
He motioned to the carriage attendant, who understood and packed three bamboo shoots onto the carriage.
“Then I’ll head off. I’ll bring you more supplements next time. Remember to take them.”
“I know. Go on,” He Ge’er said, eyes slightly red.
He understood his circumstances were very different from Yuan Zhao’s. Perhaps they would see each other less and less in the future, but they were all living well in their own places—that was already enough.
Yuan Zhao smiled and boarded the carriage.
After spending a long time there, by the time he returned home, Madam Shi Zhang had already finished preparations. She knew that once they went to the county this time, they likely wouldn’t return to the village for a while, so everything had been packed and covered properly.
Meat and vegetables were placed into baskets—nothing was left behind.
When the children returned, they immediately set off for the county.
The cooks were already busy, having been instructed in advance to prepare larger portions than usual.
Yuan Zhao told Xia Lian and Xia He to take their luggage and organize it, while everyone else simply waited for dinner.
Having his family around made Yuan Zhao feel especially grounded. He even took them to see his vegetable garden and small flower garden. The flower garden faced the side window of the house—if opened, the scent of flowers would drift directly inside.
“This is really well done,” Madam Shi Zhang praised. “Fortunately, the vegetable garden is far enough away from the house. Otherwise, the smell of fertilizer would be unbearable.”
Yuan Zhao laughed.
But Madam Shi Zhang’s brows carried a faint worry. It was good that her eldest son’s family was doing well, but her second son still had no prospects, and her daughter’s opportunities were all tied to the eldest family. She couldn’t rely on them forever.
“Zhengjun, Old Madam, Young Master and Young Miss can have dinner now.”
After dinner, they chatted in the main hall for a while. Seeing Madam Shi Zhang hesitate, Yuan Zhao sent the two children away.
“Mother, do you have something to say?”
“I was thinking… besides sending them to school, I don’t have much else to do. Maybe I should find something to occupy myself. I was wondering if you could help me look into it,” she said.
Yuan Zhao nodded slightly. “If Mother wants to work, I can look into it. But if you’re worried about money, there’s no need.”
Madam Shi Zhang flushed immediately, feeling misunderstood.
“I—”
“Ah Xiang and I would never let you be short on silver,” Yuan Zhao said softly. “He already discussed it with me—his hundred taels of reward are for you to decide how to use, whether for Ah Yue or Ran Ran.”
He continued gently, “We’ve never lacked your monthly allowance. If you want to work, that’s fine. But if it’s about money, there’s no need to worry.”
Madam Shi Zhang felt even more guilty. “I didn’t mean to ask for money…”
“I know. It’s just that we didn’t think it through carefully enough,” Yuan Zhao smiled. “If you want to add another ten taels per month, we can.”
She sighed helplessly. “This makes it sound like I’m asking for money…”
“It’s not. It’s filial piety,” Yuan Zhao said simply. “It’s settled.”
She didn’t argue further. Having such a son-in-law was truly her blessing.