Chapter 6, Yue Kang's new house

In ancient times, after finishing a banquet, people would simply get up and leave, not forgetting to say a phrase wishing for early offspring. Yue Kang had to manage the situation, toasting at each table just as in modern times. Although he consumed a fair amount of alcohol, the alcohol content in ancient drinks was lower, so apart from feeling a bit dizzy, he was otherwise unaffected. After seeing each guest off one by one.

Yue Kang stood quietly to the side, feeling a sense of melancholy in his heart. Over the past three days, he had already learned from the maid that the second young lady's reputation had been ruined. At that time, Yue Kang wanted to escape, but he kept thinking repeatedly that if it weren't for that incident that night, the second young lady, despite her fall from grace, had a prestigious family background, and it wouldn't have been difficult for her to find someone to marry. However, he had completely tarnished her innocence. Even though nothing happened that night, the situation of a lone man and a solitary woman could never be explained away. Perhaps a man should bear some responsibility. Yue Kang sometimes asked himself if he had not been poisoned, would he have married the second young lady and become a ridiculous couple? If it weren't for that incident that night, the second young lady, despite her fall from grace, had a prestigious family background, and it wouldn't have been difficult for her to find someone to marry. However, he had completely tarnished her innocence. Even though nothing happened that night, the situation of a lone man and a solitary woman could never be explained away. Perhaps a man should bear some responsibility. Yue Kang sometimes asked himself if he had not been poisoned, would he have married the second young lady and become a ridiculous couple?

Among them, many rumors suggest that the son-in-law of the Bai family is a notorious womanizer. Others claim that he is a scion of a declining family who, enamored by the beauty of the second young lady, willingly chose to marry into her family. Some say that the son-in-law of the Bai family is merely a penniless scholar, engrossed in books. Various rumors and gossip surged forth all at once, making it impossible for people to discern which, if any, is true

The suffering in the world, each person takes their share

The candlelight flickers, casting shadows on the red gauze and green curtains, while a subtle musk pervades the room, neither too strong nor too faint. The second young lady, Bai Miaoxi, is adorned in a bright red phoenix wedding gown, with a white jade pendant carved with a pair of mandarin ducks hanging at her waist. Her delicate lotus-like feet are clad in red embroidered shoes as she sits quietly on the bed, her hands clasped gently in her lap. Her hands, as soft as tender shoots, and her skin, as smooth as congealed fat, create a breathtaking beauty. One can only imagine how exquisite and charming the unscarred second young lady must have been.

She did not raise her head, merely gazing at the candlelight with her eyes, her heart as calm as water, her face betraying no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness

Yue Kang admitted that Bai Miaoxi's face indeed brought him negative factors, and he thought that claiming not to be bothered by it was a lie. It is very difficult to be indifferent and see through everything.

The candlelight cast a long shadow of Yue Kang on the wall, dancing as he approached the bed. He picked up the cover rod, uncertain of his feelings, truly afraid of revealing a face before him that he wished to avoid.

As the red veil was gradually lifted, Bai Miaoxi's eyes were covered by a pink scarf, while above the scarf were her strikingly dark eyes, resembling stars in the night sky. Her long, slender eyelashes fluttered like playful butterflies, and her eyebrows were fine and elongated, resembling willow leaves.

To find a position in the Bai family is considered a talent, as the locals would say. Aside from achieving academic success and being named the top scholar, being able to serve in the Bai family is probably the most honorable thing. The Bai family's salary is not only more generous than that of other families, but they also treat people warmly, which is much more comfortable compared to the condescending attitudes of other wealthy families.

The Bai family primarily focuses on ceramic production, with "Mei Ci" merely serving as a product designation, widely distributed across the country. Other industries are also involved, including restaurants, inns, wineries, and cloth shops.

The Bai family occupies an area of one hundred acres, with luxurious houses that exude grandeur. This prominent household, with over a hundred servants and guards, boasts numerous buildings, pavilions, and towers, as well as serene gardens, encompassing all that one could desire.

Three years ago, an incident completely shattered her happiness. Her face was burned, rendering her a monster in the eyes of most people. Since then, she has not stepped outside, spending her days cooped up in her room, unwilling to see anyone, not even me. She fears that my seeing the scars on her face would bring me sorrow. Three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and she has been living in pain, a suffering that no one can truly understand.

In the study, the old lady said: "The Bai family is a prominent household, well-known throughout Hangzhou. I have a son who went missing innocently at the age of forty-eight, and there has been no news of him since, leaving behind three daughters. Miaoxi is the second eldest, and people say she is intelligent and capable, gentle and virtuous. Since her father's passing, she has shouldered all the family responsibilities alone. The child works tirelessly throughout the year, gritting her teeth to bear the burden. In front of outsiders, she appears radiant and receives much praise, but only in front of me does she shed her strong facade. She feels sad, experiences setbacks, and cries. She is merely a child, and I know how much she has endured." The old lady's voice trembled slightly.

Yue Kang, adorned with a large red flower on his chest and wearing a double-leaf hat, was summoned to the study by the old lady

The courtyard is not very large, but it appears to cover about 3 to 4 mu. The main house consists of five rooms, one of which is a living room, two are bedrooms, and the remaining two are studies, one for each person. The side rooms are used for the maids or for storing miscellaneous items. One corner of the courtyard is filled with flowers of various kinds, and the fragrance of the flowers permeates the air

Each door is adorned with red paper cutouts of the character for happiness, and the exterior of the house is festooned with large red lanterns. Red fabric strips hang between the lanterns, and the entire courtyard is suffused with red.

Five glasses of wine have already been consumed, and the two individuals sat there quietly, neither of them breaking the silence

On the table were four dishes, a pot of wine, and two white cups. Yue Kang sat beside the table, looking at the veiled Bai Miaoxi, her emotions unclear.

Gently lifting the red veil, the first thing that caught Yue Kang's eye was the slender neck, white as jade. Adorning the neck was a red string, which made the skin appear even more delicate and smooth. Yue Kang couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he felt that Bai Miaoxi's body trembled slightly.

The pitch-black eyes reflect the flickering candlelight, beautiful and captivating. Her eyes surpass a luminous night pearl, soft and exquisite, clear without a trace of distraction. A pair of eyes can enchant a person to the point of losing their senses, making one eager to unveil her veil and behold the entire city's charm

"Madam, rest assured, I will not harm the second young lady," said Yue Kang

The Bai family is the North Star of Xiangle County. It does not matter if you have not heard of the Eight Talents of Yangzhou, nor does it matter if you do not know how to enjoy delicacies from land and sea, or if you are unaware of how much silver a noblewoman's hairpin costs. However, if you are in Xiangle County and do not know the Bai family, then you are certainly a subject of ridicule, the kind that would make people laugh uproariously.

The courtyard to the right of the main hall is where Yue Kang and Bai Miao Xi got married. The Bai family did not hold a grand banquet; they only invited a few tables of relatives and close business allies. The Bai family did not wish to make a fuss this time, yet even so, those who did not receive invitations sent gifts. Although the old matriarch concealed the events of that night, those with insight were still well aware. Good news travels slowly, while bad news travels fast; even though the Bai family's wedding was not ostentatious, at least half of the people in Xiangle County were aware of it. The streets, alleys, teahouses, and taverns buzzed with discussions about the Bai family's son-in-law, whom no one had met.

The wedding procedures were quite complicated, leaving Yue Kang utterly confused. The steps included first obtaining consent, then inquiring about names, and finally conducting the auspicious ceremony. Yue Kang was completely in the dark about it all. Fortunately, a dedicated maid had informed him of the wedding process in advance, giving him some impression in his mind so that he would not make a major blunder

The eighteenth day of the third month in the lunar calendar marks the auspicious day of Yue Kang's "great joy"

Thus, the servants of the Bai family worked exceptionally hard, and within three days, the new house belonging to Yue Kang and Bai Miao Xi was completed

It is certainly assumed that the Bai family's son-in-law is a flower thief, given their reasoning that even a flower thief would not target the second young lady, who is but a withered flower. This situation likely involves the old lady's methods to obscure the truth from others.