Chapter 7, the man whom Bai Miaoxi cannot see through
The table is spotless, and the pen holder and inkstone are cleaned daily
If the quilt is cold, you should ask Rongrong for a quilt. The voice was clear and crisp, gentle and pleasant. Upon hearing this, Yue Kang was slightly taken aback; this was the first time his wife had spoken to him, and he was almost moved to tears.
Not for herself, but for the Bai family, she married this man like a living corpse. She knew that her chances of winning this gamble were slim, yet she went through with it. She did not seek for the man to elevate the Bai family, only to maintain it. The worst possibility was to perish together with him. For someone who had already died once, living held no meaning; death was merely a mundane term.
Having been killed by Wang Xiami in a car accident, and inexplicably finding himself in a woman's bed, with a sword pressed against his neck and a venomous snake having bitten his shoulder, Yue Kang still recalls all of this as if it were a dream.
The Bai family residence is truly extraordinary, with numerous houses standing tall, intricately carved beams and painted pillars, surrounded by white walls, and lush willows hanging down. There are three flower-adorned gate towers and corridors extending on all four sides. The paths within the courtyard connect seamlessly, adorned with rocks. The entire courtyard is resplendent and magnificent, exuding elegance and luxury, with a garden bursting with flowers, delicate and exquisite. The backyard is filled with climbing roses and treasures, alongside a water pool. The Qinfang Stream converges here, flowing out to the Grand View Garden, with a white stone path crossing over the stream to the opposite bank.
The man was completely different from what he had imagined; after marriage, he had not touched her even once, and there was not a hint of lewdness in his gaze. Even when she remained silent, he sat there calmly.
It was evening again at hetushu.com, and Yue Kang returned to the bedroom, where two candles had long been lit. Bai Miaoxi was still quietly sitting at the head of the bed like a silent Nanwei flower, her face veiled and untouched.
The bookshelf is filled with various books, arranged neatly in rows. No matter how disheveled Yue Kang may be the next day, everything will be tidy as before, as his study is maintained by a dedicated maid.
This marks the sixth day since Yue Kang's marriage. As usual, Yue Kang sat at his desk, holding a brush at an angle. He had never written with a brush before and initially did not know how to hold it. Under the guidance of a maid, he finally managed to enter the realm of writing, at least able to scrawl a few characters. As for the crookedness and lack of structure, that was not a concern for Yue Kang. Proudly picking up his own writing, Yue Kang appeared entranced at a glance. Not bad, not bad, he did not forget to emulate the ancients in their manner of critique. Whenever the kind-hearted maid Rongrong saw her master’s writing, she could not help but chuckle to herself and offered corrections.
Bai Miao looked at the lying Yue Kang, feeling a mix of emotions she could not quite identify. The man she should have hated to the core was someone she found it impossible to despise. When her grandmother spoke to her about marriage that day, she agreed without any hesitation, for she understood her grandmother's good intentions. She found it rather amusing; this was not a matter of her willingness or unwillingness. She knew that if she did not agree, her grandmother would never force her.
Writing with a brush is truly not an ordinary kind of fatigue. After writing for a while, Yue Kang felt his hand was sore. He put down the brush and gazed at the hasty characters, reflecting that practicing calligraphy is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two. Now that he thinks about it, he has a great admiration for those calligraphers.
I am also a person of this world. "Yue Kang's words, which were without beginning or end, left the two of them sitting together for an entire evening
Is it really this man who barged into her room in the middle of the night, completely naked? The large hole in the roof, combined with the fact that the man did not lay a hand on her that night, raises questions. Can a notorious womanizer and thief really sit by her bedside for an entire night? Could it be that everything is truly as he claims—a misunderstanding?
Bai Miao lay down on the bed, not even removing the red veil from her face as she slept. She gently said, "Miao Dan's heart is not bad; she is just a bit mischievous. You shouldn't hold it against her."
The four treasures of the study are as follows: the brush is a fine bamboo brush with a soft and supple tip; the inkstone is made of blue-and-white turtle stone, characterized by its fine texture and smooth, pure surface; the ink is made from pine soot, known for its solid quality; the paper is somewhat coarse, lacking the smoothness and evenness of modern paper, yet it was already considered top quality at that time
Yue Kang turned around and smiled, saying, "It's nothing, it's not cold, you should rest early too." After saying this, he took off his shoes and burrowed into the quilt, but he was completely unable to feel sleepy
Rongrong did not look down upon this son-in-law who had married into the Bai family. She felt that his character was not as deplorable as people said. He did not make lewd remarks towards her, nor did he shout at her. Once, when the son-in-law was writing, Rongrong accidentally spilled the inkstone, making a mess all over the table. Not only did he not blame her, but he also helped to clean it up
Rongrong placed the tea on the desk and glanced at her son-in-law, who was focused on writing, without saying anything. Although her son-in-law's handwriting was not good, he was very diligent and made rapid progress. Seeing his improvement, Rongrong felt a sense of pride, for it was her contribution. She quietly exited the study and closed the door behind her
Yue Kang glanced at Bai Miaoxi as she walked to the bedside and picked up the bedding that belonged to him. For the past few days, Yue Kang had not been sleeping in the bed; instead, he had pieced together a makeshift bed from stools. It was not that he did not want to sleep in the study, but he felt that sharing a room with a nearly mute wife created a very oppressive atmosphere. However, the customs of this era dictated that newlywed couples must sleep together, and the old lady had even set up a hidden post to "supervise" this.
Yue Kang spent his days in the Bai family without concern for worldly affairs. He either stayed in the study or wandered around the Bai residence, never having stepped outside the main gate. It was not that he did not wish to go out, but rather there was a rule stating that newlyweds could not leave the house for ten days after marriage. This rule was ostensibly to help the new couple strengthen their bond. In ancient times, there was no concept of dating; many couples married and consummated their union without even knowing what the other looked like. Thus, the requirement to stay at home for ten days indirectly implied that the couple should focus on "settling matters" at home.
During this period, the family had several meals together. The so-called family consists of the old lady, the second young lady, the third young lady, and Yue Kang. As for the eldest young lady, she is far away in He Tu Shu, tirelessly working for the Bai family's事业 and cannot return in time
Only the Third Miss's faction has Xi'er leading the way, giving Yue Kang plenty of disdainful looks, but it cannot stir up much trouble. As long as it doesn't hurt or itch and no one is pointing fingers and cursing, Yue Kang, the son-in-law who has just established himself in the Bai family, can endure it. What is that saying? Ah yes, settle the score after autumn.
Bai Miao Xi discovered that she could not see through the man lying on the chair; everything was a disguise
The Bai family may indeed need a male heir, regardless of whether he is handsome or ugly, good or evil. Bai Miaoxi knows that her actions could potentially invite disaster, but she has no other choice. She has never considered her own happiness; she only wishes for the Bai family to thrive and not decline. Her accident three years ago has rendered her unable to contribute anything further to the Bai family.
Bai Miaoxi had a high level of awareness; she would wake up at the slightest sound and see the man covering her with a blanket. Each time, she would be on high alert, ready to grab the knife hidden under her pillow and stab the man without hesitation. Yet, every time, the man would gently tuck her in and then turn to go back to sleep. Before Bai Miaoxi could fully relax her nerves, the sound of the man's snoring would fill the air. She would ponder over this for a long time each time.
In this era, the identity of a son-in-law is quite lowly, often regarded with disdain. However, regardless of how humble one may be, the status is still there; most of the servants of the Bai family must respectfully address him as 'son-in-law' upon meeting. At least at that moment, there was a simple and honest smile on Zhang's face, and he did not care about what was said behind his back. After all, one must consider the master when dealing with a dog; the notion of a servant pointing fingers at their master, as depicted in novels, is somewhat exaggerated.
At the dining table, Miss San constantly clashed with Yue Kang. Miss San was not particularly cunning; she acted on her thoughts without any pretense. Whenever Yue Kang attempted to take a dish, she would say, "This dish is too spicy for you to eat." If he chose another, she would remark that eating too much meat is not good. As a result, during a meal, Yue Kang could barely eat a few bites of food. Deep down, he harbored a deep resentment for this willful Miss San, yet he had to smile and say, "Dan Dan is truly wonderful, so concerned about her brother-in-law." The latter would always huff and turn her head away, muttering about someone being shameless. Yue Kang could only chew his rice as if it were Miss San's relentless teasing.
Yue Kang placed the book "Chronicles of the Dynasty" on the bookshelf. Over the past few days, he has read many books and gained a certain understanding of this world. This era is completely inconsistent with history; it is a dynasty that is not recorded in historical texts. The state is named Tianqian, and the Tianqian Dynasty has been established for over several hundred years. Currently, it is the year 536 of Tianqian. Yue Kang sighed, realizing that his previous historical knowledge is of no use in this dynasty.
After the marriage, Bai Miaoxi did not say a single word, and the latter did not even glance at him. On their wedding night, Bai Miaoxi simply sat quietly, staring at the candlelight, motionless, her gaze devoid of any fluctuation. She neither spoke nor looked up, as if she were the only person in the room. Yue Kang also remained silent; the girl's melancholy weighed heavily on him, leaving him uncertain whether to offer comfort or to change the subject.