Isn't That Enough?

Su Yuhe said as though it went without saying, "My husband-to-be, of course."

Li Yun gave a soft snort and turned his back. "Stop sweet-talking me. Aren't the three husbands you have at home enough?"

"You're different from them."

His tone grew agitated. "I'm uglier than them, sturdier than them, darker than them, and an illiterate country bumpkin to boot. Is that what you mean?"

She froze, then circled around to face him. "What are you saying? Don't ever say that again."

Li Yun lowered his voice, refusing to shriek himself hoarse like the shrewish husband next door. "Why can't I say it? I hit on exactly what you were thinking, didn't I? Isn't that the truth?"

He was tall, so Su Yuhe rose onto her toes to cover his mouth. "I don't think that. Did those gossiping husbands in the village say something to you?"

He said nothing, turning his head away rather than looking at her.

She lowered her hand and gently wrapped her arms around his lean, firm waist, tilting her face up to study his sharply defined profile. "Believe me, I don't think that. I'll marry you the moment your mourning period ends."

Li Yun looked down at her, then, after a long while, pried her hands away. "I'll go cook."

Su Yuhe called him back. "Let them do it. Rest a little and take a bath. I'll wash the clothes you change out of."

The young man's handsome, wheat-colored face reddened slightly. "A woman's hands are delicate. How could I let you wash my clothes?"

"Yes, yes, yes." She followed Li Yun into the bathing room.

The bathing room was small, with a large wooden tub sitting in the corner against the wall adjoining the kitchen and a little set of wooden steps beside it.

Beside the large wooden tub, a long branch rested across two bamboo poles to form a clothes rack. On the long wooden table to the left of the entrance, four copper basins sat neatly arranged, with washing towels and toothbrushes inside them. Bathing supplies were also stored in the compartment beneath the tabletop.

Su Yuhe went over to the tub and climbed the wooden steps to reach the tap in the corner. Hot water gushed into the tub.

This tap could be called the feature she had put the most thought into in the entire house. She had read about how taps worked before and vaguely remembered some of it. After studying it for a long time, she had finally reproduced one.

Water was added to the copper boiler built into the stove, and lighting the fire heated the boiler. A copper pipe connected the boiler to the bathing room, carrying the water into the room next door, where turning on the tap released it.

She looked immensely pleased with herself. "Well? Convenient, isn't it?"

Li Yun nodded and looked around the little bathing room, nudging the square bucket beside the tub with his toe. "What's this for?"

"A bath uses so much water. Afterward, you can drain it down here and use it to wash clothes."

Su Yuhe pulled a small wooden stool out from under the long table in the corner. "Squatting to wash clothes is exhausting. You can sit down instead."

He walked over to the tub and watched the steaming hot water flow from beneath the copper handle in the corner. "I'll fetch some cold water."

Su Yuhe called him back. "No need. I'll pour some cold water in from the kitchen to temper the hot water."

One boilerful wasn't enough for such a large bathtub; it generally took two. With food cooking next door, bathing here was very convenient.

"What do you think of my design?"

She felt she was freaking amazing. Being able to design the kitchen, bathing room, and heated kang bed with a sensible layout and excellent practicality made her a dragon or phoenix among people.

Besides, she was a southerner who had never slept on a heated kang. She had relied entirely on reading about them in novels and then looking them up.

Reed Flower Village wasn't in the north, and people didn't sleep on heated kang beds here either. Reproducing one entirely from the general principles she remembered reading about was quite impressive.

Li Yun smiled in agreement. "Rare in this world, and ingeniously devised. If you became an artisan and built houses, you might make quite a bit."

Su Yuhe waved a hand. "Oh, this is just dabbling. If I actually built houses, they'd probably collapse after only a few years."

She headed out. "I'll get your clothes."

Li Yun's smile faded. "Hey, wait."

She looked back. "What is it?"

He lowered his head. "I'd better go back and get mine."

He knew he was sturdily built and most likely wouldn't fit into Lu Mingyi's or the others' clothes.

Su Yuhe understood. "Going back and forth is such a hassle. I bought you a new outfit a while ago. I meant to give it to you on your birthday, but it's just right for the weather now."

She hurried to the wardrobe in the main house's bedroom, found a sky-blue brocade robe and moon-white inner garments, and brought them to Li Yun.

Li Yun ran his hand over the clothes. Cool and smooth, they clearly weren't cheap. His eyes filled with delighted surprise, shining astonishingly bright. "These... these are for me?"

Too embarrassed to answer, Su Yuhe murmured, "Mm," and headed out.

Xubai had new clothes made every month, and his two young manservants also received fabric each month to make two new outfits. She had asked Lanxin for these clothes; he disliked the color, so when she asked, he gave them to her.

The young master was delicate and pampered, and his clothes were all made of excellent fabric. The fabric used for his manservants' clothes was good, too.

She had secretly swiped the inner garments from Xubai. The young master was seventeen. When they first met two years ago, he had been about her height, but he had shot up considerably over those two years and was now about as tall as Li Yun.

Li Yun was still broader across the shoulders and back, but fortunately, the young master liked his inner garments loose, so Li Yun could fit into them too.