- Du Heng lay on the bed, initially drowsy and intending to sleep for a while, but once he touched the mattress, he couldn’t drift off.
He stared at the canopy above, thoughts swirling like snowflakes in the sky.
Today he had married. For a man, the joy of marrying someone he truly likes had already come when the marriage was confirmed, and what he looked forward to most was the wedding night.
He was particularly concerned because, after all, this was his first time marrying. Though he hadn’t experienced certain things before, he had seen pigs run around, so it wasn’t a serious issue.
Was it too soon?
But this was the Da Yun dynasty; following local customs couldn’t be too much to ask.
Moreover, he knew that if the wedding night didn’t proceed properly, it would be a shame to the couple. He couldn’t deny this to Xiaoman—he had proposed this marriage himself.
Yet… he had known Xiaoman for less than half a year.
“Xianggong, are you asleep?”
Du Heng hadn’t come to a decision yet, and by now the house was quiet. His husband had returned.
Hearing Qin Xiaoman’s voice, clarity and calm filled him.
No matter what he decided, it would depend on Xiaoman’s willingness. If Xiaoman agreed, he would gladly follow along; he didn’t want to force anything.
Qin Xiaoman quietly closed the door behind him. After a while, still hearing no response, he stood and tiptoed closer.
Du Heng had indeed fallen asleep.
Xiaoman felt a bit disappointed but understood. Du Heng’s alcohol tolerance was low, and he had drunk a lot during the banquet—resting early was only natural.
“Well, there’s always tomorrow.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, removing his pants, when a hand suddenly reached from the blankets, looping around his waist and pulling him onto the bed.
“Everyone’s gone?”
Qin Xiaoman asked, looking at Du Heng.
“They’ve gone.”
“You’re not asleep?”
Du Heng pulled Qin Xiaoman under the covers with him. Early spring nights were still cold.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Now sober and refreshed, he was ready for… other matters.
“No need to worry about outside things. I’ve got everything under control.”
Qin Xiaoman shifted closer, nestling against the warm Du Heng.
Du Heng squeezed Qin Xiaoman’s hand. “I’m thinking about tonight, our wedding night.”
Qin Xiaoman’s eyes lit up. He quickly looked up at Du Heng. “Yeah? So… can we have a baby now?”
Du Heng chuckled. Sometimes Xiaoman’s bluntness was refreshingly direct.
Seeing Xiaoman so eager, he felt a quiet thrill. Yet seeing the pure, sparkling eyes, he felt a bit shy about his own playful thoughts.
“After a whole day, you must be tired,” he said, half-refusing, half-yielding.
“I’m not. Besides, it won’t take long.”
“How could it not take long?” Du Heng coughed lightly, slightly disheartened. “I just can’t drink much; my body isn’t weak.”
Qin Xiaoman bared his tiger teeth and swiftly straddled Du Heng, deftly reaching for the sash around his waist.
Du Heng’s ears flushed red. His earlier worries were unnecessary—Xiaoman wasn’t the type to wait passively.
This was good. Emotional intimacy wasn’t only about time spent together—they already understood each other far more than most couples.
Satisfied, he let Qin Xiaoman loosen his clothes.
“You’re so pale.”
Qin Xiaoman leaned over him, marveling at his smooth skin.
Du Heng, embarrassed under the direct gaze, turned his head, blowing out the lamp. Darkness filled the room. He lifted his leg and pinned Qin Xiaoman beneath him.
Just as he was about to move, Qin Xiaoman pushed him away.
“What are you doing? You’re pressing on me so I can’t breathe! How can I sleep like this?”
“Hmm? …Then let’s try a different position.”
Du Heng knew Qin Xiaoman didn’t like being pinned face-up, so he suggested turning him over. But Qin Xiaoman protested, saying that wouldn’t help him sleep either.
Du Heng paused, hesitated, and frowned. Just a moment ago, everything had gone smoothly—why was he suddenly being uncooperative? “Didn’t we agree we were going to… have a child?”
“Having a child is one thing. What does pressing me down to sleep have to do with it?”
“….”
Du Heng was silent for a while, realizing he really was inexperienced. Xiaoman was a young man, after all—perhaps there were customs or habits he didn’t know. He humbly asked, “If not like this, then how are we supposed to do it?”
Qin Xiaoman only replied, “However it’s supposed to happen, then let it happen.”
“?”
“Huh?”
“I remember when I was little, I saw my father and uncle sleeping in the same room. Father bare-chested, and before long, my uncle had a little brother.”
His father had been a scholar, unlike the farmers in the village who would work shirtless in the fields during summer. But when sleeping with his uncle, he had been bare-chested. Though no one had fully explained how children were made, over time, he had figured it out himself.
“….”
“Did you ever think… when they slept bare-chested together, maybe they did other things too?”
Qin Xiaoman yawned. “What else could they do? Sleep, of course. At night, what else would they do? They wouldn’t take off their clothes, close the door, and eat dinner, right?”
Du Heng was momentarily speechless. What exactly had he been expecting or worrying about? Yet now, with their lower garments removed, they were talking about this.
Qin Xiaoman, half-asleep, curled up in the warm blanket as if the sleepiness had taken physical form.
Du Heng hadn’t bathed, and there was still a faint smell of alcohol on him, but his body smelled pleasant. He liked it, so he hugged Xiaoman’s arm, resting his face against the bare chest.
Seeing Du Heng still awake, Qin Xiaoman gently patted his shoulder, as if coaxing a child. “Xianggong, go to sleep. Only if you sleep well can we have a beautiful child. Sleeping crookedly will make the baby look strange.”
Du Heng’s mouth tasted bitter.
“Can I… force it?”
But before he got a reply, the young man beside him had fallen asleep, his face pressed lightly against Du Heng’s shoulder, even breaths puffing against his chest.
Du Heng lowered his eyes to watch Qin Xiaoman for a long while, then sighed softly, adjusting him on the pillow, redressing his undergarments, and getting up to use the chamber pot.
When he returned, his body had cooled, but sliding back under the covers was a relief.
He pulled the sprawled-out young man into his arms. In the faint light, he pinched Qin Xiaoman’s nose with a hint of exasperation. “Usually, you’re like a little yellow flower, but you’re really just a little cabbage. Who taught you to be like this?”
The sleeping boy’s peaceful face answered him. Clearly, no one had taught him.
Du Heng exhaled, comforted that at least his husband hadn’t snored that night.
The next day, the two of them woke up late.
Du Heng had slept poorly, his eyes dark and fatigued, while Qin Xiaoman had slept soundly and was full of energy.
There were still leftover dishes from the banquet—soups with meat and vegetables. Some had been given to the villagers who helped the night before, but there remained pork broth and half a native chicken.
They heated up the leftover dishes for a quick breakfast. The tables, benches, and dishes that had been stacked in the kitchen and under the eaves yesterday still needed to be returned to the villagers who lent them.
Qin Xiaoman hitched up the ox-cart, and together with Du Heng, they loaded the items to return them.
“Xiaoman’s here, huh?”
Qin Xiaoman stopped outside the yard, calling out, “Wu Fulang, here’s the borrowed dishes, returning them to you.”
He and Du Heng jumped down and carried the items inside. The Wu family came out to help, along with a few village women stopping by to chat.
Together, they moved everything into the house.
Du Heng stayed by the cart, checking if anything remained. The man and woman glanced at him and teased with a laugh.
“Fulang, did you check everything?”
Qin Xiaoman sent the dishes into the kitchen, clapping his hands to count them.
“All there, just a few plates and bowls. I can see them all at a glance.”
“Good, many thanks for lending these, otherwise the banquet at our home wouldn’t have gone smoothly.”
“The villagers say, what’s there to fuss about? Your banquet yesterday was really something—so many dishes that the tables could barely hold them. Your household is truly capable.”
Mentioning Du Heng made Qin Xiaoman beam. “My Xianggong’s skills are unmatched.”
The man and woman peeked out the window at Du Heng again, laughing as they nudged Qin Xiaoman. “Xiaoman, what about your man? Is he really that skilled?”
Qin Xiaoman didn’t understand exactly what they meant, but seeing their smiles, he guessed they were teasing. Everything about his husband had to be impressive, so he replied confidently, “Of course he is.”
Seeing him so candid, unlike a shy newlywed, they laughed and asked, “Really! How many times has he—”
Qin Xiaoman was confused. He couldn’t fathom what they meant, so, quick-witted, he countered, “How many times for you then?”
The couple exchanged glances, laughing even harder.
When gathered and idle, the villagers rarely discussed height or harvest—they usually resorted to small talk to spark interest. Turning back to Qin Xiaoman, they said, “Tell us about your Du Heng!”
Qin Xiaoman paused for a moment, hesitating before holding up his hand. He meant to signal three, but the woman thought he was holding up five fingers and gasped, “Five times!”
Wu Fulang’s eyes widened as well. “Du Heng looks so slender and weak, yet he’s so impressive!”
Qin Xiaoman wanted to clarify, but the words were already out, and it seemed awkward to correct them now. He simply nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Xiaoman really has such good fortune,” the two said, full of envy. “Not only is he handsome, but he’s also capable.”
“Xiaoman, are you done?”
At that moment, Du Heng’s voice called from outside.
Qin Xiaoman quickly called out, “Wu Fulang, Zhang Niang, I’ll head off now—I still need to deliver things to other households.”
“Ah, alright. Come by again when you’re free, Xiaoman.”
Qin Xiaoman rarely heard villagers invite him so openly. He didn’t know if it was because he was now married and on equal footing with them, or because of the earlier conversation about more personal matters. Either way, he responded easily. “Sure!”
As he left the yard, Wu Fulang muttered, “I’ve heard that some slender men can be quite capable—didn’t expect it to be true.”
“This newlywed just likes to make a scene. Look at Du Heng; his eyes were dark yesterday. Who knows if he was up all night?”
“But Xiaoman is full of energy.”
“Only the oxen get exhausted. Did you hear about any ruined fields?”
The two laughed again.
Du Heng watched Qin Xiaoman return, cheerful and animated. Earlier, since only a few women were present, he hadn’t gone along. “What did you talk about? So long out there?”
Qin Xiaoman tugged at the ox’s reins and answered bluntly, “I don’t even know what they were laughing at. They kept asking me if you were capable.”
Du Heng’s face flushed. “Hmm?”
“I said they asked…”
Thinking Du Heng hadn’t heard clearly, Qin Xiaoman raised his voice. Before he could finish, Du Heng hurriedly interrupted him.
“So, what did you say?”
“Of course I said you’re capable!”
Du Heng touched his nose, thinking Qin Xiaoman’s response was reasonable given his straightforward nature.
“They also asked… how many times. I have no idea what they meant. I didn’t understand a word.”
“….”
Qin Xiaoman looked at Du Heng gleefully. “I said five times. They were all so envious!”
“What!”
Du Heng nearly jumped off the ox-cart.
Seeing his strong reaction, Qin Xiaoman quickly tightened the reins. “What’s wrong?”
Du Heng’s emotions were mixed. He forced a smile. “Nothing… just thought you were quite clever with your words. But in the future, maybe don’t chat with them so much.”
Author’s note:
Du Heng: I didn’t even get to eat, and you told everyone I did it five times!