What was coming had to come eventually. Xian He's heart gave a sudden lurch.
"What is it, little sister Yun Ling? Did you call me over because you wanted to talk about something?" He turned around uneasily and smiled at his wife. She wasn't going to forbid him from marrying Xiao Xue, was she?
In the Sky Fortune Tribe, a man could have three wives and four concubines, and more women than he could count—as long as he could afford to support them.
Surely Yun Ling didn't share her stubborn old father's belief that a man could marry only one wife in his lifetime?
"Call me big sister! Big Sister Yun Ling!" Yun Ling shot Xian He a glare and corrected him.
"Tell me honestly. Do you want to marry Miss Xiao Xue?" Yun Ling got straight to the point.
When Xian He nodded, Yun Ling's expression darkened slightly. She gave a little huff and continued, "You can marry her, but I have one condition!"
"What condition?" Xian He pressed.
As long as Yun Ling didn't stop him from marrying, he would give her whatever she wanted.
"You have to marry Jingjing too!" Yun Ling said seriously, fixing him with her big, watery blue eyes.
That girl had been secretly in love with Xian He for ages. She thought she'd hidden it from everyone, but except for Xian He and the children, everyone else in the household knew.
Yun Ling had always regarded Chen Jingjing as her own little sister. She didn't want Jingjing to suffer from unrequited love.
This was a good opportunity to lay everything out with Xian He.
"What? Marry Chen Jingjing?" Xian He gaped in surprise, like a hippopotamus.
He had assumed Yun Ling would make some unreasonable demand, but he'd never expected her to ask him to marry Chen Jingjing.
What was she thinking?
Did she want to give Chen Jingjing the Symbiotic Mark so she wouldn't grow old and die like the other servants?
"What, you don't want to?" Yun Ling glanced at Xian He and continued, "Jingjing may be a little frail, but she's every bit as pretty as Miss Xiao Xue. If you agree to marry Jingjing, I'll agree to let Xiao Xue join our household. Think it over carefully."
Xian He didn't answer right away.
"System, what score would you give Chen Jingjing?"
[Eight points. Barely passing, but good enough to marry.]
"Since that's the case, I'll graciously agree."
A month later.
The dusky purple of twilight slowly spread from the horizon, flowing into the glorious sunset in the western sky.
The New Courtyard was bustling with activity.
"First bow—to Heaven and Earth—"
"Second bow—to the elders—"
"Husband and wife—bow to each other—bow again—"
"Take them—to the bridal chambers—"
Inside the main hall, Muyang shouted at the top of his lungs.
Ziyan held Dabao and Erbabao by the hand, gazing at Chen Jingjing with envy. If only she were the one marrying her master!
They had all been bought by their master, so why was there such a huge difference in how they were treated?
"First Madam is so biased!" Ziyan complained wistfully, glancing to the side.
Holding Meng Lian, Yun Ling watched Chen Jingjing with a smile and thought, My wedding dress looks quite good on Jingjing.
She was truly happy for Jingjing.
Like Yun Ling, Jingjing had lost her mother when she was young. Six years ago, bandits had killed her father, leaving her with only her elderly grandmother to depend on. In a few more years, Grandma Chen would...
Now that Jingjing was marrying Xian He, she would have someone to rely on. And once she had a child, she would have a reason to keep living with strength. What's more, if Chen Jingjing was in Yun Ling and Xian He's care, Grandma Chen could leave this world in peace.
At that moment, Grandma Chen sat in a grand armchair, hiding her face in her sleeve as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I never thought... I never thought I'd live to see my granddaughter get married. Heaven has finally shown mercy!"
She had complete faith in her grandson-in-law's character. He had lived with First Madam for six years, and they had never once argued or quarreled.
The wedding ceremony was over.
Xian He escorted Xiao Xue to the East Room of the New Courtyard, then took Chen Jingjing to the West Room of the old Siheyuan.
He wasn't in a hurry to enter the bridal chamber.
The whole family was staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to make dinner!
Twilight crept in from beyond the distant mountains. The slopes shifted from deep reddish brown to pale blue, their colors changing moment by moment.
After filling Yun Ling, the children, and the servants, Xian He had to fill Xiao Xue and Chen Jingjing's stomachs too.
Chen Jingjing was rather frail, a slender beauty much like the female classmate he'd secretly loved as a boy.
Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and both Xiao Xue and Chen Jingjing were pregnant.
But a new problem had cropped up!
After marrying Chen Jingjing, only Muyang and Ziyan remained as servants in the household.
They had to plant crops, feed the chickens, gather eggs, and scrape wood shavings. Fortunately, Grandma Chen could help look after the children; otherwise, they would have worked themselves to death.
Once the babies in Xiao Xue and Chen Jingjing's bellies were born, they would surely be overwhelmed.
So Xian He decided to buy some more female slaves.
At dawn the next day.
Xian He returned to the Tianyun Plateau in the dark.
Clutching the Poisoned Dagger, he warily inspected every corner of the room.
After making sure no assassins were lying in wait, he stored the Mountain River Society Diagram in his Soul Sea, left home, and headed for his father-in-law's Congee Shop.
He wasn't going to work. He was going to set up a stall.
The night was still deep.
The road was silent and deserted.
Arriving at the Congee Shop by force of habit, Xian He took the four stools down from the table, then summoned the Mountain River Society Diagram and climbed inside.
A few breaths later, he emerged with a basket of Plain Boiled Eggs, a bowl of Beggars Chicken, a plate of Fried Eggs, and a plate of Eight-baked Chicken, and set them on the table.
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