Xie Linlang had no idea what Xiao Ji was thinking. After lying in bed for a while to recover, she got up to dress and tidied the bedding in passing.
Although Xiao Qiu had attended to her at Xie Manor, she was the only servant by Xie Linlang’s side, and even she was often reassigned by the steward to help with tasks elsewhere. At first, Xie Linlang had indeed been flustered when left to her own devices, but these daily chores were easy enough to pick up after watching a few times, as long as one wasn’t slow-witted.
In a way, Xie Linlang felt somewhat grateful to Madam Xie. If not for her habit of wearing people down with subtle, relentless pressure, Xie Linlang’s life after marrying Xiao Ji today might have been entirely different.
Despite saying he wouldn’t interfere, Xiao Ji kept stealing glances to observe Xie Linlang’s movements.
He saw her put on a water-red dress—a color that suited her well, making the young girl look radiant and not at all like someone frail or sickly.
Carrying a washbasin, she stepped out and brightened immediately upon seeing him. “Husband, I’d like to fetch water to wash my face.”
That address—”husband”—made Xiao Ji, who had lived twenty-five years without ever knowing what embarrassment felt like, feel his face heat up instantly. Fortunately, his skin was tanned to a wheat hue from years of guarding the city gates, or Xie Linlang would surely have noticed.
The Xiao family’s courtyard had a well, but seeing Xie Linlang’s delicate frame, Xiao Ji resigned himself to walking over, removing the well cover, and drawing water.
Xie Linlang approached with great interest, craning her neck to peer into the well. She figured she’d likely have to do these chores herself from now on, so she might as well learn properly while Xiao Ji was home.
Watching that fluffy head lean in, Xiao Ji felt as if he’d really taken on an extra child. This kind of curious peering into the well was something he’d only seen in the little grandson of Aunt Qiao next door.
Even in midsummer, the well water was icy cold in the early morning.
Xie Linlang dipped her hand in and shivered slightly. “So cold,” she murmured softly.
The next moment, half a ladle of steaming hot water was poured into the basin, earning Xiao Ji another sweet “Thank you, husband.”
Xiao Ji tossed the ladle back into the water storage jar. The splash it made was nothing compared to the ripples stirred in his heart by those two words—”husband.”
After a night together, Xie Linlang felt she had roughly figured out Xiao Ji’s temperament. He appeared somewhat stern, but in reality, he was gentle and treated her quite well.
Feeling more assured, Xie Linlang grew a little bolder.
Xiao Ji had never imagined that adding just one person to the household could make it feel so noisy. Even when his mother was still alive, the home had always been quiet.
Throughout the morning, no matter what Xiao Ji was doing, the courtyard echoed intermittently with Xie Linlang’s calls of “Husband!” Faced with this relentless stream of “husband,” Xiao Ji progressed from blushing with a racing heart to expressionless, and finally to utterly unmoved.
Standing in his own courtyard, Xiao Ji felt as though he had aged several years in a single morning.
No wonder the brothers at the Guard Station were reluctant to go home after their shifts.
If Xie Linlang had the ability to read minds, she would surely have seen lines floating above Xiao Ji’s head at that moment: “How on earth did the Xie family raise their daughter to be so chatterbox?”
The Xiao residence wasn’t large. With Xiao Ji accompanying her, Xie Linlang spent the morning exploring every corner of the home.
The three rooms facing south were the main quarters. Her and Xiao Ji’s bedroom was on the right, the left room was where her mother-in-law had lived before passing, and the central room was furnished with tables and chairs for receiving guests.
The two rooms on the west side consisted of a kitchen and a space partitioned into a bathing area and a woodshed. The room on the east side was a storage space, filled with various unused household items and tools.
Xie Linlang looked around and felt quite satisfied. She thought the Xiao family was much better off than truly impoverished households—after all, not everyone could afford a single-courtyard house like this.
Xiao Ji rarely cooked at home on weekdays. He would grab a bite at street food stalls on his way to and from work.
According to the customs of the capital, a newlywed bride was not expected to do any chores for the first three days after entering her husband’s home. Xiao Ji had no intention of asking Xie Linlang to cook either. Glancing at the sun, he habitually headed out.
Xie Linlang, who had been arranging her dowry, saw him and asked where he was going. Xiao Ji replied, “I’m not a good cook. I’ll buy food from outside.”
After a morning of “busywork,” Xie Linlang’s stomach growled at the mention of food. She wiped her hands and stepped forward, tugging on Xiao Ji’s sleeve. “Husband, let me go with you.”
Life in West City was nothing like Qinren Lane. The gate of the Xiao residence had been wide open since early morning.
Outside, women occasionally hurried past with children in tow, and peddlers carrying shoulder poles wandered the streets, calling out “Tofu!” as they went…
Xie Linlang was full of curiosity about the outside world and had long wanted to explore it.
At fifteen years old, she had only left Xie Manor a handful of times, and even then, she had been confined to a carriage—able to hear but not see.
Now that Xiao Ji was going out, she was determined to follow him. Otherwise, once Xiao Ji returned to work after three days, she might not even know where to buy groceries on her own.
Seeing the fair, delicate fingers clutching his sleeve, Xiao Ji felt somewhat conflicted. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to take Xie Linlang out—it was just that, for some reason, he felt a little embarrassed.
But looking into Xie Linlang’s bright, eager eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say, “Stay at home.”
“Alright, but don’t call me ‘husband’ outside.” At the very least, not all the time.
Xie Linlang found this baffling—if not “husband,” then what should she call him? But to ensure Xiao Ji would take her along, she didn’t dwell on it and nodded immediately.
West City was a typical bustling neighborhood. The moment Xie Linlang stepped outside, she felt as if she had entered another world. All sorts of sounds from this world flooded her ears at once.
The playful shouts of chasing children, the aroma of stir-frying wafting from unknown households, and the lively scolding of mothers disciplining their unruly children—everything felt vivid and alive.
As Xiao Ji closed the gate, he noticed Xie Linlang staring fixedly at a fresh pile of cow dung in the alley. Unconsciously pursing his lips, he thought, She really is a young lady from a wealthy family. Seeing a pile of cow dung, she probably doesn’t know where to step.
He walked over, blocking the cow dung, and said to Xie Linlang, “Let’s go.”
Xie Linlang sensed a hint of displeasure in Xiao Ji’s tone but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she followed him cheerfully, openly observing everything around her.
After passing two or three neighboring houses, Xiao Ji suddenly called out to one household, “Goudan, go shovel the cow dung!”
A little boy darted out from the courtyard, frantically gesturing for Xiao Ji to lower his voice.
Xiao Ji, with a mischievous glint in his eye, pretended to call out again. The boy, seeing this, rushed over and clung to Xiao Ji’s leg. “Don’t shout, don’t shout! I’ll go right now, okay?”
Taking advantage of his strength, Xiao Ji lifted Goudan into the air and gave him a little shake. “Hurry up. If you slack off again, I’ll tell your dad and have him spank you.”
Clearly, he often played like this with the child named Gou Dan, who, as soon as his feet touched the ground, eagerly picked up the basket and ran off.
Xie Linlang found it amusing. The children in Xie Manor were taught from the moment they learned to speak to be dignified and uphold propriety, even speaking in measured tones.
Such unrestrained teasing and roughhousing was almost unheard of.