Husband, It's Time to Consummate the Marriage

What was the price of showing off a little talent?

The armored soldiers standing guard outside the side room had gone from two to four.

And Xiao Die was inside, keeping him company day and night, under the fine-sounding pretext of "keeping an eye on him."

She truly understood how to "keep an eye on someone."

Yet Chen Yi did not say a single word of refusal. On the contrary, he raised both hands in welcome.

After all, being confined alone was like being cast into the cold palace; with two people, they could at least huddle together for warmth.

And if four armored soldiers were guarding him, that meant the Xiao Family valued him greatly and was protecting him.

What a joke. He could not even beat one of them. Why would they need four?

At that moment, Xiao Die flipped through the bedding and lifted the table legs, asking doubtfully, "Son-in-law, where did you hide that Rebellious Poem?"

A Rebellious Poem?

As expected of you, Xiao Die, a master of the art of keeping watch right in someone's face.

Back in the early Qing, during the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong, those words could land someone in prison until Autumn Execution. With worse luck, they might even earn the extermination of nine clans.

As Chen Yi copied out the Xiao Clan Family Rules, he said with a wooden expression, "Xiao Die, is it possible that your son-in-law never wrote that poem?"

"Impossible!"

Xiao Die might have been innocent, but her mind worked well—her memory was exceptionally sharp.

Within the span of three breaths, her mouth opened and closed seventy or eighty times as she recited "Song of Shuzhou: Marrying into the Xiao Family" without missing a single word.

Her enunciation was crisp and her voice clear and bright. Even a famous crosstalk master would have to kowtow to her and beg her to take him as an apprentice.

After hearing it, Chen Yi shamelessly turned the blame back on her. "Your poetic talent is decent, but you're still a little worse than me."

Xiao Die grew anxious. "Oh, Son-in-law, it was clearly you, not me."

"The poem's title is Marrying into the Xiao Family."

Chen Yi rolled his eyes. You really caught the key point, Miss Xiao Die.

Seeing him fall silent, Xiao Die planted both hands on her hips like she had won a battle. Her little face tightened as she said solemnly, "Son-in-law, with me watching you, don't even think about running."

"Fine, fine, I won't flee..."

Chen Yi had no plans to run for the time being, especially after learning that someone wanted to harm him.

Even if he did run, he would only consider it after gaining some ability to protect himself.

Besides, over this period, he had found that staying in the Marquis's mansion was not bad at all.

He was a frail scholar who could neither lift with his hands nor carry on his shoulders. No one expected him to do hard labor, and he had food, clothing, and attendants besides. It was simply the dream life of someone who had spent years as a beast of burden.

If his confinement were lifted someday, and he could remain an Idle Son-in-Law like this—drinking tea, fishing, and passing his days at ease—then on second thought, there was nothing wrong with it.

"Son-in-law, are you thinking about fleeing again?" Seeing him grinning to himself, Xiao Die instantly raised her guard.

Chen Yi withdrew his thoughts, set aside a completed copy of the Family Rules, and said without looking up:

"I was wondering whether the cook will make beef again tonight. That whole bowl at noon was eaten by some little pig."

Xiao Die froze, then lowered her head shyly and said bashfully, "Son-in-law, I'm not a little pig..."

At most, she simply had a bigger appetite.

But that was not her fault. If anyone was to blame... it was Son-in-law.

That was right, it was all Son-in-law's fault!

Who told him to keep trying to flee, making her run from Chunhe Garden to the neighboring Jiaxing Garden to find Eldest Miss?

She had made several round trips.

She had used up all her strength, so naturally she ate a little more.

After finishing another copy, Chen Yi took a sheet of Yunsong Paper and teased, "Miss Pig Xiao Die, you'd better not be."

"Oh, Son-in-law, don't change my name however you like. It sounds awful..."

After spending these days together, Chen Yi had long since figured out Xiao Die's foodie nature.

If not for luring her with food, he would probably still be like he was at first, listening to Xiao Die complain about him all day.

She said his fleeing marriage had harmed Second Miss and the Xiao Family, and even made the old master seriously ill. She said the news had spread through the Three Prefectures of the Great Wei Nine Provinces, and that even the children had changed their nursery rhymes.

—Something about the Jinghong Woman and the runaway groom, a golden-and-jade match that had been nothing but a dream, and Xiao Manor becoming a laughingstock from then on.

He did not know who was so talented.

After chatting idly for a while.

Chen Yi noticed that Xiao Die had gone quiet, so he looked up and could not help but laugh.

She sat on a small stool with her legs pressed together, her elbows on her knees and her cheeks resting in her hands, already deep in sleep.

Her eyes were half-closed, drool hung from the corner of her mouth, and her little head bobbed every now and then. She actually looked rather cute.

"Xiao Die has quite a good personality. Carefree, guileless, without a bad bone in her body. If she were my wife, life would surely be interesting."

Chen Yi was actually quite grateful to Xiao Die.

If she had not kept him company and talked with him these past few days, he would not have become familiar with this world so quickly.

He might even have thought that everyone in the Marquis's mansion was cold and unfeeling.

But in truth, most of them were quite decent.

One could see it from Xiao Die—if the Family Rules were harsh, or if the masters of the household were cruel and ruthless, they would never have allowed her to develop such an innocent and kindhearted nature.

Still, while the people of Xiao Manor were not bad, the family had long since passed its peak and was instead descending step by step downhill.

Elder Master Xiao was advanced in years, and his lifelong border campaigns had left him riddled with wounds and illnesses. Otherwise, he would not have fainted because Chen Yi fled the marriage.

Old Madam had passed away before the new year.

As for Lady Xiao Jinghong's father and several uncles, some had died and some had been crippled in battle. Even her mother and several aunts had met the same fate.

Just like the Yang Family Women Generals.

Now all matters large and small in the household were managed by Eldest Miss Xiao Wan'er, with help from several branch families, such as the legitimate sons and grandsons of Second Elder Master's branch.

The main branch also had a Young Marquis named Xiao Wuge. Chen Yi had heard that he had been studying in the manor school all this time, so he was presumably a scholar blessed with both talent and learning.

As for Lady Xiao Jinghong, Xiao Die rarely mentioned her. It was as though she feared her. Every time, she would hem and haw, unable to say anything.

Chen Yi thought, It can't be like what the previous owner of this body knew, can it? Rumors in Jiangnan Prefecture said Xiao Jinghong was eight chi tall, built like a bull, with eyes like bronze bells and luxuriant hair...

Probably not. It had to be idle gossip growing more outrageous with each retelling.

After all, someone bold enough to take "Jinghong" as a name should at least resemble it somewhat, even if she was not as graceful as a startled swan and supple as a roaming dragon, right?

Thinking this.

Chen Yi copied out the Family Rules once more, rubbed his sore, swollen wrist, took a sip of Spring Tea, then leaned back in his chair to rest.

Before long, he too began to doze off.

Spring brought drowsiness, autumn brought fatigue, summer brought naps—nothing more than that.

In his daze, Chen Yi heard someone calling him. The voice was soft and sweet, carrying the delicate gentleness of Jiangnan Water Town.

He smiled and opened his eyes.

Then he saw a burly woman like Zhang Fei standing beside the bed, saying in a rough voice:

"Husband, you're awake. It's time for the two of us to consummate the marriage. You've been waiting anxiously, haven't you?"

Chen Yi's smile froze. He stared at her blankly and muttered, "Second Brother, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm your elder brother Liu Bei."

"What Liu Bei or Cao Cao? None of that compares to tonight's lovely hour. Let's go!"

Then she pinned Chen Yi to the bed and shook him, shook him, shook him, shook him...

"Son-in-law, wake up. It's time for dinner."

Chen Yi jolted awake. Only when he saw Xiao Die did he wipe the cold sweat from his forehead as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.

Good heavens, thank goodness it was a dream.

"Son-in-law, did you have a nightmare?" Xiao Die asked with concern.

When he nodded, Xiao Die somehow produced a bell.

She walked circles around him, ringing it as she went.

Amid the jingling, Xiao Die muttered under her breath, "Evil Spirits, retreat. Let the soul not scatter. Evil Spirits, retreat..."

Chen Yi found it amusing and asked, "Where did you learn that?"

This was not something a maidservant could casually do.

"I once saw Old Madam use it like this to drive away nightmare Evil Spirits for Young Master Wu Ge."

Xiao Die stopped, her smile returning. "Son-in-law, it's very effective. After that, Young Master Wu Ge never had another nightmare."

"Let's hope so..."

Remembering that nightmare, goosebumps rose all over Chen Yi's body.

He could not help asking, "Xiao Die, answer me honestly. Is Lady Xiao Jinghong... I mean, is Second Miss beautiful?"