At dinner time, snow began to drift down from the sky.
It was Su Manman’s first time seeing snow. She held her rice bowl and stood by the glass window, watching it with curiosity.
Old Master Qin glanced at her and said, “Manman, finish your meal first before watching.”
“I’m done eating, I don’t want to watch anymore.” Su Manman put down her bowl and chopsticks, then glanced at Qin Lin. He was lowering his eyes, his long fingers holding chopsticks as he picked up vegetables in front of him.
He looked so good that even the simple act of eating carried elegance.
“Brother Qin Lin, are you coming to my room to sleep later, or should I go to yours?”
Pffft!
Old Master Qin spat out a mouthful of rice.
Luckily, he reacted quickly and turned toward the floor, otherwise no one would have been able to continue eating.
Qin Lin coughed violently, his face turning red all the way to his ears.
Su Manman asked in confusion, “Did I say something wrong?”
Old Master Qin waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no, nothing wrong.”
Su Manman looked at Qin Lin for confirmation. He pressed his thin lips together and said, “The guest room is too simple.”
Su Manman immediately understood the implication—he was telling her to go to his room.
“Alright, I’ll stay in your room. Eat slowly, I’m not in a hurry.”
Qin Lin: “……”
Who exactly was the one in a hurry here?
Su Manman turned to Aunt Zhao and said, “Aunt Zhao, I want to watch TV. Please turn it on for me. And if you have time, could you also boil some bath water?”
Aunt Zhao turned on the TV while secretly looking down on her.
Country bumpkin!
She doesn’t even know how to turn on a TV—what use is such a stupid woman in a household?
Shameless girl! Meeting a man and already talking about sleeping—how desperate can she be?
The master must have truly lost his mind.
He rejected her highly educated daughter just to accept this kind of thing.
……
After bathing, Su Manman changed into a brand-new red cotton coat and red cotton pants.
She tucked her hands inside her sleeves and walked through the snowy wind toward the main house.
The living room was empty. The western room door was open, faint light spilling out.
That was Qin Lin’s room.
She stepped inside. The furniture was neatly arranged in a unified style, the bed clean and tidy.
A wardrobe stood at the end of the bed, leaving a walkway. Near the window was a wooden desk, and beside it a large bookshelf filled to the brim with books.
Where was he?
“Brother? Brother?”
“I’m here.” Qin Lin’s gaze landed on her.
Qin Yun said she was fat and rustic.
In this outfit, she did look bulky and not particularly stylish.
But the moment one looked at her face, even the plain clothes seemed to elevate in quality.
Su Manman studied him in return. He wore thin clothing, his hair slightly damp, a few strands resting on his forehead, adding a hint of laziness.
Oh my!
He looked even better with less clothing.
She walked straight up to him without warning and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Then she pressed her face against his chest, listening carefully to his heartbeat.
Fast and heavy.
Normal people should be steady.
She looked up at him. His refined face was faintly flushed.
When she saw him during the day, he wasn’t like this.
Quietly, she checked his pulse. Stable and regular.
Only then did she relax.
Good, everything was normal.
Qin Lin lowered his gaze to meet her clear eyes and, for no reason, felt a bit restrained. He steadied himself and asked, “Isn’t it hot wearing cotton clothes?”
“It wasn’t hot when I came in. But when I hugged you, it suddenly felt a bit warm. Where did you put the gift I gave you?”
She looked around but didn’t see it.
“In the coat pocket,” Qin Lin replied.
“You must wear it every day.”
“Mm,” he agreed.
“It’s late. Let’s sleep.”
Having said what she needed to say, Su Manman prepared to rest. She took off her cotton coat, hung it on the rack, lifted the blanket, and lay down. Seeing only one pillow, she pulled it over.
“You can find another one yourself.”
Qin Lin: “……”
How could she undress so calmly right in front of him?
Her words were even more shocking.
After a moment of hesitation, he opened the wardrobe and placed another pillow beside her.
Then he lay down.
Immediately, she moved closer and draped her hands and legs over him.
The soft female body and faint fragrance made his face flush even more.
“Manman, you’re still young. Wait a bit,” he said hoarsely.
Old Master Qin had told him she was only eighteen.
She had added two years to her official household age, saying her grandmother told her marriage registration required twenty, so she had adjusted it when coming to the capital.
He was eight years older than her, and they had only just met. He couldn’t do something like that.
“Wait for what?” Su Manman closed her eyes, sensing his scent.
A faint soap fragrance—clean and refreshing.
She liked it.
Her grandmother said that after marriage, yin and yang harmony would improve her health.
She hoped the strange itching on her body would disappear by morning.
Qin Lin was confused. She didn’t know what to wait for?
After a long silence, he called softly, “……Manman?”
No response.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh—her “sleep” really meant sleep.
Holding a soft, warm, innocent woman in his arms, he couldn’t fall asleep at all.
Eventually, he sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and looked at his little wife.
Two thick braids lay naturally beside the pillow. Her face was as smooth as jade, her eyelashes closed, losing some liveliness but gaining serenity.
Cute and lovely.
He never expected his marriage would come so suddenly.
A feeling he couldn’t quite describe—fresh and unfamiliar.
……
The next morning, an uninvited guest broke the Qin family’s peace.
Qin Master Qin’s second son, Qin Dingguo, came to question him. “Dad, Xingyun said you arranged Xingjian’s marriage, and the girl is from the countryside?”
Old Master Qin frowned. “What’s wrong with being from the countryside? Looking down on rural people now?”
Qin Dingguo quickly replied, “Dad, don’t twist my words. I’m asking—does she have a job? Is her education compatible with my younger brother?”
Old Master Qin paused. “Even if she has no job, your brother can support her. High education doesn’t equal high character.”
Qin Dingguo grew anxious. “Dad! I never said she has low character! I’m saying their conditions are too different. She has no job, no education. But my younger brother has a stable career and high education. Don’t you think it’s a loss for him to marry a countryside woman?”
His wife had known earlier than him and didn’t tell him.
If not for Xingyun complaining after returning home, he would’ve been kept in the dark even longer.
Old Master Qin snapped back, “They’ve already registered their marriage.”
Qin Dingguo was furious. “I can’t talk to you anymore. Third brother! Third brother!”
Old Master Qin replied, “He took his little wife out to buy cotton clothes early this morning.”
Qin Dingguo: “……”
Xingyun said his uncle had been bewitched by beauty. He didn’t believe it before—but now he had already started spending money after just meeting her.
“Ridiculous! What’s wrong with spending money? It’s not like he’s wasting it.”
Qin Dingguo: “……”
……
After snow, the sky cleared. The market was sparsely populated.
New to everything, Su Manman found everything fascinating. She walked around holding a candied hawthorn stick, eating as she went, constantly chattering:
“Brother, what is that?”
“Brother, what is this?”
“Brother, I want that little porcelain doll too.”
Qin Lin’s ears turned red.
She wasn’t acting spoiled, yet somehow she made it impossible to refuse.
“Alright, we’ll buy it.”