Upon hearing these words, Shen Qi feigned annoyance and turned her head away, attempting to hide the blush that had crept onto her face.
Seeing his wife’s charming and naive demeanor, Xie Yuduo’s heart stirred. He chuckled softly and leaned closer to her.
“I’ll be back tonight. If you get hungry in the afternoon, there’s a plate of freshly bought osmanthus hawthorn cakes on the outer table. You can help yourself.”
Shen Qi was just thinking of putting some distance between herself and her husband.
“I love these the most, and I’m a bit hungry now. Why not go try them right away?”
Just as she was about to get up, Xie Yuduo pressed her down, his long legs moving even faster than hers.
“Don’t move. Just wait here. I’ll go get them.”
“…”
It seemed she wouldn’t be getting out of this bed anytime soon.
Xie Yuduo indeed returned with a packet of pastries wrapped in oiled paper. Shen Qi opened it and was greeted by a rich, fragrant aroma. The palm-sized round cakes, each adorned with a small red dot, looked utterly adorable.
Shen Qi picked one up and took a bite.
“Mmm, this cake has osmanthus in it too. It’s really delicious. It’s quite sweet—probably made with plenty of rock sugar—so the hawthorn flavor isn’t very pronounced. There’s a pastry shop across from my family’s home that uses honey produced in nearby estates. It has a sweet and sour taste, and it’s also very good.”
Shen Qi casually mentioned the hawthorn cakes from her hometown, not noticing the faint satisfaction in Xie Yuduo’s eyes.
“I’ve been to that pastry shop. Next time we visit your family, I’ll buy some for you.”
Unaware of the subtle memories hinted at in his words, Shen Qi picked up another piece and offered it to her husband beside her.
“You have some too.”
Instead of reaching for the pastry in her hand, Xie Yuduo suddenly leaned in and opened his mouth to bite the half-eaten cake she was holding.
Seeing him so close, his handsome profile almost brushing against her chest, Shen Qi felt her face grow warm again.
Xie Yuduo, however, chewed the half-piece of cake as if nothing had happened, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“It’s delicious. You keep eating. This bite is enough for me.”
Being this close, she was reminded of the previous night, and her cheeks flushed crimson, burning uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the man stood up at just the right moment, gently pinching Shen Qi’s cheek with a tender tone.
“I need to go check on the shop. If anything comes up, have Chunliu send word to the front. No matter how busy I am, I’ll come back.”
Shen Qi nodded.
Watching his broad back as he strode away, she felt a pang of melancholy. Part of her wanted him to leave quickly, while another part longed for him to return to her side as soon as possible.
At noon, as expected, only the women of the household gathered for the meal.
Old Madam, due to her advanced age, typically skipped lunch, opting instead for a bowl of porridge in the mid-afternoon, which often replaced her dinner as well.
With Old Madam absent, Second Aunt was the eldest at the table.
She took the seat of honor, directing Sun Shi to serve the dishes, Shen Qi to hold the bowls, Yu Zhong to ladle the soup, and Yujing to arrange the chopsticks, leaving no one idle for even a moment.
Only Xie Yujin sat calmly in her chair, eating her meal without moving a muscle.
Second Aunt looked quite pleased with herself, pointing around with her chopsticks.
“You see, once you marry into another family as a daughter-in-law, it’s not like being in your own home anymore. You can’t just sit around doing nothing—what kind of impression does that give others!”
Yu Zhong finished ladling the soup, wiped her hands, and glanced at Second Aunt but said nothing.
Sun Shi, who had just finished her tasks and sat down, spoke up leisurely.
“Third Younger Sister isn’t married yet, nor is she anyone’s daughter-in-law. Why should she have to do these things?”
Sun Shi, given name Xueyi, was only in her early twenties, with a slender figure and delicate, clear features. However, her complexion was not as fair as Shen Qi's, tinged with a sickly yellowish hue, giving her a fragile, willow-like appearance, though her temperament was quite strong.
Her natal family ran a grain and flour shop in the east of the city, and it was said she had been married into the family for five or six years.
Second Aunt, having been rebuked by her own daughter-in-law in front of everyone, could only suppress her anger.
"I'm only doing this for her own good. If I don't teach her how to serve tea and water now, won't she be laughed at when she goes out into society later?"
Sun Xueyi snorted coldly.
"Second Sister hasn't gone out into society either. Why don't you teach her?"
Second Aunt angrily set down her chopsticks.
"How dare you say I haven't taught her? You just haven't seen it! Now that Second Sister is older, she should be raised delicately. Otherwise, what would it look like if she had to do this and that after marrying into her husband's family?"
Perhaps realizing the flaw in her own words, Second Aunt's voice gradually weakened as she spoke.
Sun Shi sneered.
"If you're not going to teach, then don't. But if you're going to teach, teach them all together. Even a daughter of a noble family shouldn't be treated with such distinction."
"You…"
Second Aunt's face flushed with anger. She wanted to slam her chopsticks down, but seeing so many people present, including Shen Qi, the newlywed bride, and her own daughter-in-law talking back, she found it difficult to make a scene for the moment.
With a clatter, Xie Yujin threw her chopsticks onto her bowl.
"I'm full."
Without waiting for anyone to respond, she turned and left.
Sun Shi slowly sipped her porridge a few more times before returning to her room as well.
Second Aunt had likely intended to assert her authority as an elder in front of the new bride while Old Madam was absent, but she hadn't expected her own daughter-in-law to be so disrespectful, nor that her daughter would storm off in anger.
Now, she had no mood left to order the three sisters-in-law around. Forcing herself to maintain appearances, she hurriedly finished her meal, and everyone dispersed.
Back in the East Courtyard, Yu Zhong found an excuse to have the maid Chunliu take her younger sister Yujing into the courtyard to look for something, while she pulled Shen Qi aside in the room to share a few private words, telling her everything about the family affairs.
Father Xie Yan had always been honest and dutiful, a genuinely simple man. In business, this sometimes put him at a disadvantage, but fortunately, he had a good reputation and was patient, so the shop's income was passable.
He had never been talkative, and since Mother passed away, he spoke even less.
Second Uncle Xie Ang was the most timid. As a child, he feared his father; after his father passed, he feared his mother; and after marrying, he feared his wife.
Thus, in the Second Branch of the West Courtyard, Second Aunt had always been the one in charge, while Second Uncle merely echoed her words.
When she was younger, Second Aunt's first child was a son, which made her feel superior to Yu Zhong's mother, who had given birth to a daughter. She grew even more domineering in the household.
Later, when the eldest branch welcomed Xie Yuduo, Second Aunt's arrogance subsided for a while, and life remained peaceful.
After that, Mother gave birth to Yujing, but her health never fully recovered. She struggled for two years before passing away.
Seeing that the children of the eldest branch were still young, Xie Yan had no intention of remarrying, and Old Madam herself was getting on in years, household affairs fell under the management of Lady Feng.
Lady Feng had always been overbearing toward the children of the eldest branch, while the children of the Second Branch were spoiled and pampered. As a result, Eldest Brother only cared for amusement, and Second Sister considered herself noble and aloof.
In contrast, Sun Xueyi, who had married into the family, often dared to stand up to her mother-in-law, frequently infuriating Second Aunt.
Eldest Sister Yu Zhong had married nearly eight or nine years ago. After Yuduo grew up, he often stayed away from home. Fortunately, Yujing was clever, diligent, and a rare, sensible child.
It was precisely because of this understanding that she endured much hardship under Lady Feng's control.
"Even though I can't stand Second Aunt's actions, for the sake of my younger sister suffering less at home, I can only endure for now."
Yu Zhong sighed and continued, "Once we endure until Yujing is married, things will be better."
"If we always have to endure like this, life will feel even more hopeless." Shen Qi felt heavy-hearted and patted Eldest Sister's hand. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I will make sure our sister has someone to rely on."
"Second Brother also cares deeply. Whenever he returns home, he often teaches our sister ways to protect herself and even bought a maid, Chunliu, to look after her closely."
"Over the past few years, Yujing has also learned to be clever. In a few days, I'll have to return home, and who knows when I'll be back next. Seeing that you're now in the family, I feel at ease."
After talking for a while longer, Shen Qi suddenly thought of something. She wanted to ask but felt it might be somewhat inappropriate.
Eldest Sister noticed and told her to go ahead and ask.
"I was wondering, since Second Aunt is so formidable, why does Second Uncle still have Concubine Yun, and they even have a little Cousin?"