No Substitute

When Li Nuo returned to Li Manor from the county office, Song Mu'er was already waiting for him in the courtyard, just as he'd expected.

"Sweet potato, sweet potato, this is potato!"

"Potato, potato, this is sweet potato!"

After they exchanged their simple password, Li Nuo confirmed that she was Song Mu'er.

He would have known it was Song Mu'er even without the password, since Song Jiaren was in the pavilion nearby. She often showed up with Mu'er, and ever since that last time, Song Ninger hadn't come looking for him again.

Whenever Song Mu'er visited, she asked Li Nuo math problems.

At first, it was one problem. Then it became two, then three. The questions grew longer and harder.

Of course, they weren't difficult for Li Nuo himself. What was getting harder was figuring out how to help Song Mu'er understand them. It took a great deal of thought.

Before, they'd only counted chickens and rabbits or worked out the areas of irregular shapes. But over the past few days, things had gotten more and more outrageous. Square Fields, Grains, Proportional Division; Volume Calculation, Less Than and More Than, Surplus and Deficit; Fair Transport, the Gougu Theorem, and equations—Song Mu'er's teacher had tested her on every topic in the Nine Calculations. Those were all that came up in the math portion of the Imperial examination, too.

And Mu'er was only six years old.

Was this really what a six-year-old was supposed to be learning?

Li Nuo seriously doubted that old man knew how to teach. In another world, even with modern mathematics so fully developed, six-year-olds were usually just starting first grade, still learning to add and subtract numbers up to a hundred. The Nine Calculations were far too abstruse for a child that young.

Even the chicken-and-rabbit problem was generally treated as an extracurricular challenge.

Still, since she'd asked, Li Nuo went ahead and explained. It was just a painstaking process, requiring him to break down every concept and work through it from the most basic steps so that she and his wife could understand.

When Li Nuo explained the problems, Song Mu'er wasn't the only one listening. One time, to his surprise, he realized his wife was behind him, listening with rapt attention.

She might not know much, but she was eager to learn and never missed a lesson.

Today, Li Nuo was teaching the Gougu Theorem. He used three different methods to prove it to them. Only after making sure they both understood did he pull out his book to read.

Song Mu'er ran off to swing in a corner of the courtyard. Song Jiaren didn't follow her. Instead, she looked at Li Nuo and asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

Li Nuo raised his head. "Is something the matter?"

He'd been in this world for half a month, but he still wasn't very familiar with the woman who was his wife in name.

His wife was always coming and going, and he was busy every day. Sometimes they didn't even see each other once all day.

Song Jiaren was silent for a moment before she said, "Grandmother said you should come to the family home for dinner tomorrow. If you don't have time, never mind. I'll explain it to her."

Without hesitation, Li Nuo replied, "If Old Madam said so, then I'll go."

He had nothing to do tomorrow anyway, and it wouldn't do to turn down Old Madam Song.

Song Jiaren knew how busy Li Nuo was, so she hadn't expected him to agree. She was surprised by how readily he'd accepted.

She quickly recovered and said, "I'm going back to Song Manor tonight. I'll come get you tomorrow."

The next day, Li Nuo slept until nearly noon.

A little maid woke him.

The chubby-cheeked maid sat by the bed, holding his arm and shaking it back and forth as she urged him, "Young master, get up already! The sun's been shining on your bottom for ages..."

Still half asleep, Li Nuo mumbled, "Stop fussing. Let me sleep a little longer..."

He'd been working hard for half a month and was exhausted every day. Since he finally had a day off, he'd gone to bed early the night before and planned to wake up whenever he felt like it.

When she couldn't wake him, the little maid turned to look outside the door. "Young Madam, young master won't get up..."

At the words "Young Madam," Li Nuo woke instantly. All trace of sleep vanished.

Only then did he remember he'd promised his wife the day before that he would go to Song Manor with her.

He sprang out of bed like a carp leaping from the water. "I'm up, I'm up..."

Li Nuo washed up as quickly as he could and went outside. Song Jiaren was already waiting there.

She'd gone back to Song Manor the night before and had come over again today to fetch him. Clearly, she didn't consider Li Manor her home. And that made sense. At eighteen, she'd already reached the Fourth Realm of the Martial Dao. Her talent was one in ten thousand. Why would she be content to marry a fool with no aptitude for the Martial Dao?

The two of them didn't even have anything in common. Those young men with equally outstanding martial talent were the ones who'd make ideal husbands for her.

On the carriage ride to Song Manor, the husband and wife sat across from each other in silence.

Their eyes met. Perhaps because the atmosphere felt awkward, Li Nuo took a book from his robes and began to read, while Song Jiaren looked away.

They soon arrived at Song Manor, and Song Jiaren first took Li Nuo to pay his respects to Old Madam Song.

Old Madam Song looked well. She took Li Nuo and Song Jiaren by the hands and chatted with them cheerfully. Li Nuo smiled and answered everything. The Song family members kept their eyes on him. Only after seeing that his expressions and movements were no different from anyone else's did they finally believe he truly wasn't a fool anymore.

To be fair, when he'd been foolish, everyone in the Song family had thought he wasn't good enough for Jiaren.

Now that he wasn't a fool, his whole bearing had changed completely. Standing beside Jiaren, the two of them were a perfect match.

Old Madam Song patted Li Nuo's hand. "Jiaren grew up in a Military Family, so her temperament may be different from other women's. But since you're already married, you must be tolerant of each other's shortcomings. That's the only way your marriage will last..."

Li Nuo stole a glance at Song Jiaren, then smiled at Old Madam Song. "Grandmother, don't worry. I quite like my wife's temperament..."

Old Madam Song smiled. "That's good. That's good..."

Song Jiaren looked at Li Nuo but said nothing.

Song Qian eyed Li Nuo with contempt. Seriously... was there something wrong with this guy?

As a girl, Song Jiaren had never liked studying, nor needlework or anything like that. She spent her days fighting people and had beaten up every young man from Chang'an's Military Families. Someone came to Song Manor to complain almost every day. Did this Li fellow have a masochistic streak?

Besides, she had no figure and no tenderness. Apart from her pretty face, she didn't have a single quality a woman was supposed to have. Did anyone really like a woman like that?

Song Qian glanced at the two of them and thought, You two might as well be chained together for life. Just don't split up and go torment someone else.

After paying his respects to Old Madam, Li Nuo was called over by Song Jiaren's eldest and second uncles for a chat.

It was all the usual polite small talk. Li Nuo answered with a smile, perfectly at ease.

Song Mu'er stood beside Song Jiaren, glancing first up at her, then at Li Nuo in the distance. Suddenly, she said, "Sister, can I ask you something?"

Song Jiaren nodded. "Go ahead."

Song Mu'er asked in confusion, "Are you and Brother Li Nuo really husband and wife?"

Song Jiaren looked at her. "Why do you ask?"

Song Mu'er lowered her head and tapped her index fingers together. In a small voice, she said, "Last time, I asked Brother Li Nuo to make me look prettier. He said he'd sworn he would only ever do someone's hair and makeup if she was his wife. But... he's never done your hair or makeup, has he?"

Song Jiaren glanced over at Li Nuo but said nothing.

He could write poetry, understood mathematics, and was so learned. The wife he dreamed of was probably a talented young lady skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—not a warrior who only knew how to swing a blade, and could barely read.

And that was without mentioning how she'd once hit him without knowing the facts.

If she were a man, she probably wouldn't want a wife like herself either.

Li Nuo had just finished exchanging pleasantries with Song Jiaren's uncles when, for a brief moment, something stirred in his heart. He turned toward the courtyard. Song Mu'er was swinging, while Song Jiaren stood leaning against the swing frame with her arms crossed over her sword, gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

The midday sun spilled over her, cloaking her in a faint glow.

The breathtaking sight made his heart skip a beat. For a long while, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

He had to admit, his wife had beauty, bearing, and—well, beauty in place of a figure, and bearing in place of culture. Most importantly, she gave him a sense of security.

She might lack a little feminine charm, but if she really became soft and gentle like an ordinary woman, she wouldn't be the Song Jiaren in Li Nuo's heart.

It was a good thing it was Song Jiaren. If he'd married some young lady who knew nothing but music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he'd probably have died beneath an assassin's arrow long ago.

Maybe other women were gentler, more obedient, and better endowed...

But no one could replace the sense of security his wife gave him.