A Check-in Spot

Lu Mingxi suddenly pushed the door open and came in. He strode to her side, spread his arms, and turned in a circle before her. "I used Brother Li's soap pods today, the jasmine-scented kind. Wife, smell me. Do I smell nice?"

Su Yuhe sniffed the air and answered offhandedly, "Very nice."

His smile grew even wider. He took her hand and swung it gently. "I bathed today. Can I sleep with you, Wife?"

She was currently sharing a quilt with Meng Zhixian, but she did not mind. They were not doing any nighttime exercise anyway; whoever she shared a quilt with, she would still just be sleeping. So she nodded her agreement.

He leaned straight toward her and swiftly planted a kiss on her forehead.

Before Su Yuhe could react, he quickly backed away.

"I'm sleeping with you tonight, Wife. The sun's still out, so I'll go air my quilt."

With that, he ran out of the study.

"That boy." Su Yuhe wiped the trace of saliva from her forehead and picked up her brush to continue copying the book.

Before long, someone knocked on the study door again.

She stopped writing and looked toward the door in puzzlement, calling out, "Come in."

The door was gently pushed open.

Li Yun walked in cautiously and came over to the desk. "Still busy?"

Su Yuhe shook her head. Several batches of visitors had come in just one short afternoon. Was her study their check-in spot?

He lowered his head to look at the book on the desk. Black characters on white paper, and he did not recognize a single one.

She set down her brush, rubbed her wrist, and looked up at him. "What is it?"

Li Yun touched the edge of the book, gazing at the writing on the paper as he murmured, "Your writing is so beautiful."

"If you like it, I can copy another one for you in a while."

He abruptly withdrew his hand. "What use would I have for this? I can't read a single character."

Su Yuhe stretched and said with a smile, "Hang it in your room to look at."

The words on the tip of his tongue took a turn. Li Yun stared straight at her. "Can you write anything?"

"Yes."

"Even a marriage contract?"

Su Yuhe froze for a moment, then quickly recovered. "Yes."

Li Yun lowered his eyes. "All right. Then that's what I want you to write."

She picked up her brush and pulled out a sheet of paper from the side. Before long, she handed it to him. "Here. Let it dry before putting it away."

"In reverent observance of the rites of the Duke of Zhou, we forge the bond of Qin and Jin. Here is Su Yuhe of Reed Flower Village, Fragrant Mountain Town, Luoshui City, born at an auspicious hour on the wuzi day of the guiwei month in the yisi Year of the Snake."

"Betrothed to Li Yun of Reed Flower Village, Fragrant Mountain Town, Luoshui City, born at an auspicious hour on the guihai day of the gengyin month in the bingwu Year of the Horse."

"Two families joined in marriage, a covenant made within one hall; a blessed union bound forever, a match deemed fitting by all.

Behold this day, peach blossoms blazing bright, a fitting home and household; divine the years to come, gourds trailing in unbroken vines, may you flourish and thrive.

With this pledge to grow white-haired together, we commit our vow to fine paper; let this red-leaf covenant be clearly recorded in the register of mandarin ducks.

Matchmakers: Heaven and Earth

Parents: Heaven and Earth

Established auspiciously on the eighteenth day of the third month, in the eighteenth year of Taihe."

Li Yun looked over the words on the paper again and again, only tucking it carefully into his robes once the ink had dried completely.

The smile never left his lips. Suppressing it, he told her, "I've pickled some vegetables. They'll be ready to eat in a while."

Su Yuhe picked up her brush again and continued copying. "It's so good to have you here."

She meant those words sincerely.

Li Yun was far more capable than Lu Mingyi and the others, and much more capable than she was, too.

Having received reassurance, he pulled over a stool from the side and sat down, propping up his head to watch her write. "I'm just an uncouth fellow. These are the only things I know how to do."

Su Yuhe was a little displeased. It seemed that ever since Lu Mingyi and the others had appeared, Li Yun was always belittling himself. He had not been like this before.

"What's all this about uncouth or refined? If I say you're good, then you're good."

He gave a helpless, quiet laugh. "All right. Whatever you say."

She put down her brush and tugged his cheeks with both hands, emphasizing once more, "You're very good, no worse than anyone else. You're not allowed to belittle yourself like that again."

"Did you hear me?"

Li Yun nodded obediently. "I heard you. I'll go make buns. We can steam them tomorrow morning and eat them."

"Kill that skinny chicken in the yard. Cook some glass noodles in the chicken broth and serve them with the buns. Just thinking about it is wonderful."

He shot Su Yuhe a sidelong glance. "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself. If we save all the good things to eat in one day, are we going to live on coarse tea and plain rice afterward?"

"That bite of food is what I live for. If I had to eat coarse tea and plain rice every day, you might as well kill me with one stroke."

Annoyed, Li Yun reached out and covered her mouth. "Pah, pah, pah! What are you saying such unlucky things for?"

Su Yuhe said, "Pah, pah, pah."

She spat out the words a few times for form's sake, then looked at him imploringly. "Are we killing the chicken tomorrow?"

He said irritably, "The head of the household has spoken. How would I dare disobey?"

"Yay! Don't throw away the feathers. Wash them clean, and we can stuff them into quilts in winter for warmth."

"Mm. I'll get back to work. Take it easy yourself, too. Rest when you should."

The study door closed, and inspiration flashed through Su Yuhe's mind.

That imperial preceptor had predicted severe cold, so the supplies she prepared needed to focus on keeping out the cold.

As far as she remembered, down jackets offered the best protection against the cold.

Among the different kinds, goose down was the best at retaining warmth.

If she remembered correctly, there was a household in the village that specialized in raising ducks and geese. If she could get some duck down from them, wash it clean, and stuff it into quilts, it would probably be warmer than pure cotton filling.

Goose down, however, was not easy to obtain.

As she remembered it, it had to be forcibly plucked from the geese.