Chen Xiaobei came from the north and reached out to lift Huang Ying's red veil, saying softly, "Huang Ying, I'm here, you've waited a long time..."
With that, he slowly lifted the red veil.
The dim, yellowish lamplight illuminated Huang Ying, her face flushed with excitement.
Huang Ying's expressive eyes gazed tenderly at Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei stood while Huang Ying sat, so he had to slightly look down to meet her gaze.
Silence spoke louder than words at this moment.
After a moment of eye contact, Huang Ying suddenly opened her arms and hugged Chen Xiaobei's waist, pressing her head tightly against his chest.
Chen Xiaobei gently patted Huang Ying's shoulder, signaling her to loosen her grip slightly. Then, he sat down beside her, reached out, and lifted her, cradling her in his arms.
Startled by his intimate embrace, Huang Ying's face turned even redder. She rested her head on Chen Xiaobei's shoulder, saying nothing.
Just then, Chen Xiaobei let out a sudden burp, and Huang Ying, who was resting on his shoulder, burst into laughter.
"Husband, it's getting late. We should rest early."
Chen Xiaobei certainly wanted to.
Chen Xiaobei first removed his outer robe, then reached out to help Huang Ying remove her large red wedding dress. After some effort, a bright red肚兜 (dùdōu - a traditional Chinese undergarment) was revealed.
Seeing the肚兜, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but stare. His blood rushed to his head. Huang Ying was truly well-endowed, more so than she appeared.
Noticing Chen Xiaobei's sudden pause, Huang Ying shyly covered her eyes, "So annoying, what are you looking at?"
"I'm not looking at your eyes, what's the point of covering them?" Chen Xiaobei thought to himself.
However, he mused that Huang Ying was an innocent maiden, so such behavior was perfectly normal.
Chen Xiaobei leaned in and gave Huang Ying a gentle kiss.
He then waved his hand, extinguishing the oil lamp.
"Xiaobei ge, you..."
"...You're so wicked..."
"I..."
"It hurts..."
"Shhh, don't shout. The editor will hear and it won't pass."
...
...
As the sky began to lighten the next morning, Chen Xiaobei opened his eyes. He listened and heard no stir outside, perhaps everyone was tired from the previous night's exertions.
He turned to look at Huang Ying, who was still fast asleep beside him. He quietly got up, put on his clothes, and tiptoed out of the room.
The outside was a mess. The cups and plates were still on the table; no one had cleaned up last night. Chen Xiaobei guessed that Liu Ruomei would come later. He glanced back at the room, not moving, afraid of making noise and disturbing Huang Ying.
He closed the courtyard gate and walked along the main street of Hetou Village. A few early risers saw him and began greeting him from afar, "Xiaobei, Magistrate, so early!" Their words were accompanied by unconcealed smiles.
Unconsciously, Chen Xiaobei reached the entrance of the old house. Should he go in? Chen Xiaobei hesitated.
At that moment, the two small dogs in the yard seemed to sense his presence and became somewhat excited.
In the yard, Cui Hongyu was already up, busy preparing breakfast. Hearing the dogs' commotion, she suddenly realized something.
She got up and opened the door. Chen Xiaobei stood outside.
A smile immediately spread across Cui Hongyu's face. "Why are you up so early?"
Chen Xiaobei nodded, a little embarrassed.
"Yes, I wanted to..."
"Don't rush, breakfast will be ready soon." She said, turning back into the courtyard. "The banquet in the yard hasn't been cleared yet, right? I'll go over after breakfast."
"Oh, and Huang Ying hasn't woken up yet. I'll bring her breakfast later."
Looking at the chattering Cui Hongyu, Chen Xiaobei felt a sudden pang in his heart and stepped forward, gently embracing her from behind.
"Hongyu, you've been wronged."
Cui Hongyu smiled and raised her hand, caressing Chen Xiaobei's cheek in reverse. "What's there to be wronged about? I've always said I'd serve you with Huang Ying."
Just then, Chen Qiao'er walked out, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She saw the two embracing and couldn't help but giggle, "Shy, brother and sister-in-law are shy."
Chen Xiaobei glared at her playfully, "Watch what you say, or I'll hit you."
Chen Qiao'er deliberately turned and ran back into the house, shouting as she went, "Help! Brother is going to hit Qiao'er!"
Watching the siblings' playful banter, Cui Hongyu smiled and shook her head helplessly. Chen Xiaobei was sometimes just like a child.
When breakfast was ready, Cui Hongyu called Chen Qiao'er, and they went together to bring food to Huang Ying.
Upon arriving in the courtyard, they found that Huang Ying was already awake and tidying up the yard.
The courtyard was a mess with the remnants of the banquet, and cleaning it was no easy task. Yet, Huang Ying was meticulously tidying everything, bit by bit. Su Dan Fiction Network.
Seeing Cui Hongyu arrive, Huang Ying smiled charmingly, "Sister, please sit for a while, it will be done soon."
Cui Hongyu glared, "Don't be silly. So many tables of food, how can you finish it so quickly? Let me help you."
As they were speaking, another voice sounded from the courtyard entrance, "We're here too."
It was the Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan, along with the Lotus Cult Leader's personal disciple, Jasmine, and Shen Ziyan and Huang Ying's maids, Xiao Hua and Cuckoo.
A little while later, Liu Ruomei also arrived with a few guards.
Upon seeing Huang Ying working, Liu Ruomei stamped her foot in annoyance.
"Put it down, put it down quickly! How can a new bride be working on her first day? It's bad luck. Go and rest over there."
With that, she stepped forward and snatched the plate from Huang Ying's hands without further ado.
Her reminder made Cui Hongyu and Shen Ziyan realize.
"Oh my, how did we not think of that? Really."
Huang Ying, however, seemed indifferent. "It's nothing, I'm just idle anyway."
Liu Ruomei beckoned Chen Qiao'er over. "Take your sister-in-law and go play somewhere else."
Alright, Huang Ying felt wronged. She had to end up playing with a child.
With everyone pitching in, the courtyard was soon cleaned up.
Looking at the tidy courtyard, Cui Hongyu smiled and took Huang Ying's hand. "From now on, you are the mistress of this courtyard."
Huang Ying was very surprised by her words and shook her head repeatedly.
"Sister Hongyu, what do you mean? This is our shared home."
Although Huang Ying didn't understand, she was too close to the situation to see clearly. Both the Lotus Cult Leader and Liu Ruomei understood the matter perfectly.
Especially Liu Ruomei, who thought of the emperor's many palaces for his consorts, each with their own residence.
She also recalled her own father, who had several wives, each with their own separate courtyard.
It was indeed inconvenient for them all to be together.
The only awkward point was that Cui Hongyu bringing up this issue now made Chen Xiaobei seem like he was easily enamored with new things and tired of the old.
She thought Chen Xiaobei was quite pitiful, as he was already being blamed even though he wasn't present.