That night.
Amidst the misty rain, the fire on the other side of the study lit up again. I put on my clothes, picked up a lamp, and walked to the other end. The door there was unlatched and opened with a slight push.
I have also visited this study several times during the afternoon. The sage books on the shelves are the same as those in my elder brother’s room before. Besides, there are many military books and policy theories. As for these, I will say I can't even read the words. There are servants coming in here every day to take care of it, so it looks spotless.
I walked into the room, stepping very lightly.
I saw the man lying in front of the desk, he had already fallen asleep, maybe he had been staying here all night and couldn't rest well, so he slept more deeply, and didn't notice me coming in. I picked up the robe that had fallen on the side of the chair, probably because the window was not closed properly, and the wind blew in. I thought he would sleep like this all night, and he might catch a cold, so I unfolded the robe, and when I was about to put it on for him, The wrist was grabbed suddenly, and the eyes were already opened.
"You..." He woke up and sat up, I silently withdrew my wrist and took a step back. He squeezed the space between his brows, as if he looked tired, then looked at me and said, "It's late at night, why don't you rest?"
I narrowed my eyes slightly, only to feel that the place where my wrist was touched by him was a bit hot... I still opened my lips and said, "Sanxi saw it from a distance, the light here is still on."
The lights here have been on for several nights. I tossed and turned for several nights, and always felt that going on like this was not an option: "It's better to be an official..." I raised my voice, looked at him and said, "It's better to go back to sleep in the room, and Sanxi can just stay here for a few nights. Tomorrow —”
Under the candlelight, Xu Changfeng's face was calm, and the eyes under the long eyelashes brightened and darkened with the candlelight, making it difficult for people to see what was in his heart. Seeing him like this, the more I said, the lower my voice was: "Tomorrow, you have to go to the yamen..."
After I calmed down, Xu Changfeng said in a wrong way: "Is there something wrong with your hand?"
I was stunned for a long time before I realized what he was referring to was the incident that I was scratched by the white cat this afternoon. The servants of Xu's family are always well-behaved, and it is related to the master, so someone must have informed him early.
I shook my head lightly: "No problem."
"In the second compartment of the cabinet in the dormitory, there is a jade bottle, which contains medicine for sores. You apply it on time every day, and it will be cured in two days." He said.
I nod my head. Xu Changfeng remained silent for a while, and I heard him sigh.
"I'm busy with military affairs, so I seldom have time to accompany her. If Jun'er offends you, I will teach her well." He added, "That cat, Wan... Luo has raised it for nearly ten years. After reconciling, she also left it to Jun'er. After a while, I will order someone—"
"No need." I interrupted him. Xu Changfeng looked at me quietly, I squeezed my fingers, and said hesitantly: "If I hadn't teased it, I wouldn't have hurt myself, with..." I lowered my eyes and whispered: "It has nothing to do with...Miss. .”
I don't know what to call Xu Changfeng's daughter. According to the rules, before a husband marries a wife, he can have a housemaid, and most of these will not leave any children. If they do, they will just be concubines. The status of the children born is also extremely low. After the wives enter the house and give birth to their children, most of these children born out of concubines have no status. But Xu Changfeng is an ordinary person after all. In the past, he would never have expected that he would share wives with two concubines in the future...
Xu Changfeng nodded, didn't say anything more, just took the robe from my hand: "You go and rest, it's almost dawn, I'll go to the yamen."
He stepped out of this place without giving me the time to say a word.
I went back to the house, put on my clothes and lay down.
I thought of what Biluo said to me today: "Before the slaves came to Xu's mansion, the young master had already married. I heard that the Luo family was a marriage arranged by the young master's grandfather's family. The Luo family was born as a general. Although the first is not as good as the seven families of the four families, he and the young master are also childhood sweethearts, and they hit it off. Therefore, at that time, the master and his wife were very optimistic about this pair. Back then, the two got married in Jiangbei. Counting now, it has passed Seven or eight years."
"Over the years, the Luo family has only given birth to an ordinary woman and nothing else, but the young master has never taken a concubine, and has always treated Luo's family with respect and respect. Later..." She looked at me cautiously, and hesitated, "That's, It means that the young master wants to get started. It is said that the eldest young master already has a wife and cannot remarry unless... "
Although she didn't go on, I already understood what happened after that.
I have been in contact with the Yu family before, so I know she is a very tough woman. The Xu family's back house is not as peaceful as it looks on the face, presumably the matter of sharing a wife is not what Xu Changfeng wanted. In this way, the Luo family is also a very backbone woman, she would rather reconcile her husband and wife than be a concubine or a servant girl. Besides, in this case, she and Xu Changfeng's daughter will not become a humble concubine's daughter because of this. After all, if my wife gives birth to children in the future... I am very clear about what kind of life the concubine's children will live.
I have to say that the heart of being a mother is amazing.
Afterwards, I heard from human beings that after Luo's reconciliation and separation, she did not remarry, but moved to Yunhe Temple to become a monk, and her relationship with the world was cut off from then on.
I turned over and saw the bright red "囍" character at the door—no wonder, Xu Changfeng treated me so indifferently, he was obviously a legitimate son, but because he was an ordinary person, he was overwhelmed by two younger brothers. As the common saying goes, a good man should not be a soldier. In today's peaceful and prosperous world, he would rather abandon his pen and join the army. He has struggled for more than ten years, but he has not achieved his dream.
Here, Xu Changfeng's aura lingers everywhere, the more I think about it, the more I feel that I really shouldn't be lying on this bed. I got up from the bed and sat on the footrest. The man's breath faded, and I curled up and fell asleep peacefully.
The next day, just after I had breakfast, an unfamiliar aunt came over and said, "Madam Chuan Shaojun, go over and talk."
In this huge Xu Mansion, only Xu Shangshu's main wife, the Yu family, can be called "Madam".
After nearly a month, I came to Yu's courtyard again. Walking into the hall, you can smell the sandalwood in the temple. The Yu family believes in Buddhism. It is said that she has not slept with Xu Shangshu for many years. I saw that dignified woman sitting on the upper seat with a string of Buddhist beads hanging on her wrist. people's feelings.
Mrs. Yu said slowly: "Come on, just come in and sit down."
"Jing Ting met my mother." I greeted Mrs. Yu, and she accepted it graciously. Mrs. Yu is not as beautiful as Mrs. Xie, nor as delicate and charming as Mrs. Huayang, but her eyebrows and eyes are stern, and she has the majesty of the royal family. Even if she doesn't care about the general affairs of the house, no one dares to underestimate her.
I sat down, and the servants came to pour tea. I don't know why Mrs. Yu is looking for me, so I feel a little uneasy.
Mrs. Yu thought she had seen through me, she smiled slightly, and said: "You still have some time to get started, you are free today, how about talking with my old lady?"
"Mother's words are serious." I said carefully, "As long as mother is willing, she can call Jing Ting to accompany you at any time."
"That's not possible." Yu Yan said with a smile, "The wife who just started, naturally wants to take advantage of this time to spend more time with her husband, knowing what he likes, what he hates, and—" She intentionally Looking at me pointedly, "What do you want."
On the way, I already guessed that Mrs. Yu came to me, probably... because of Xu Changfeng.
In the courtyard of the big house, the Yu family must have a lot of eyeliner. Usually the wives and concubines in Xu's mansion accompany the night, and the servants are also recorded in the register. In the past ten days, Xu Changfeng has never spent the night with me, presumably Mrs. Yu has known about it for a long time, and the husband has not stayed overnight in the wife's room for a long time, these... are breaking the rules.
After thinking about it for a while, I no longer dared to sit still. After standing up, I knelt down towards Mrs. Yu: "...Jing, Jing Ting knows his mistake."
From ancient to modern times, the rules are like a mountain, especially the rules of the aristocratic family. Xu Changfeng refused to touch me, and Mrs. Yu accused me of being a teacher. Logically, I was wronged, but according to the precepts, I did not fulfill my responsibility as a wife. I have always been cautious, and I dare not reason with Mrs. Xu's wife. I have understood since I was very young that if I want to suffer less, the only way is to admit my mistakes in An An's share.
"Wrong?" Mrs. Yu raised her voice, "—you also know your mistake."
The gaze ahead is like a knife piercing.
Maybe it's because I'm too obedient, Mrs. Yu is holding back her breath, and it's hard to say it directly. She took the tea brought by the servants, took a sip and said, "A few months ago, Mrs. Shen came to me and told me about you in detail. The fifth lady who is restless in the room is different." She squinted her eyes, "To be a wife, you don't need to be very beautiful or smart, as long as you can obey your husband's wishes and give birth to Wedge, you will be happy in your day. It's complete."
I swallowed and said, "Yes."
Mrs. Yu stood up and looked into the distance: "Chang Feng is my only son. As the saying goes, no one knows a son than a mother. In my whole life, I have also planned carefully for him. I think you, Jingting, can understand."
"… clear."
"I told you that day. Changfeng is just an ordinary person. Compared with two-bedroom and three-bedroom, he has shortcomings. Therefore, as a wife, you must know that you should spend more time on your husband. Mind, spend some effort, so that he can put his mind..." Yu Shi looked at me and said, "Put it on you."
I raised my eyes to look at Mrs. Yu, and nodded my head lightly: "Jing Ting...know."
Yu Shi shook her head: "No, you don't know."
She called out "Come on". The maid next to Mrs. Yu brought something over and put it in front of my eyes. It's a book.
"Open it."
I opened that book and saw that it was full of erotic paintings, which were more explicit than the ones I accidentally saw at my elder brother's place, even more...
The atmosphere in the hall seemed stagnant. A drop of sweat fell from my forehead.
It rained heavily that night.
There were bursts of thunder, and sometimes a flash of lightning. The night was the same as the day, and the window was blown open several times by the strong wind. The servant who waited for the night came in and added more charcoal to the fire for me. I came back to my senses and said to her: "You should rest earlier."
"Yes." She turned and left.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, when it was about to be ugly, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from far away.
As soon as Xu Changfeng came in, the candle was dimmed by the cold wind, but it didn't go out. He was drenched in the rain, and the armor was dripping with water. When the four eyes met, those eyes seemed to flicker, but when you looked closely, they were like an ancient well, without waves or ripples.
He went straight to the cabinet and took off the wet cloak.
All night, there was a war in my head. But in the end, I stood up slowly and walked towards the other end.
Xu Changfeng stopped, turned to look at me, and said coldly: "Go out, I can do it myself."
I gritted my teeth secretly, shook my head, and just walked forward, pretending not to see his deep gaze, and put my hand on his wet clothes.
"..." Xu Changfeng didn't push me away after all. He has always treated me with more than respect but not enough intimacy. I told him that we were husband and wife, but we were just strangers who had a one-night stand.
I helped him take off his armor, and his plain shirt inside was almost soaked. I was about to touch the skirt when he suddenly grabbed my hand. That hand was terribly hot.
He said, "That's enough, you go out."
I raised my eyes, he was very tall, and I could only reach a little above his chest. Compared with this, I look very petite. I looked at him without blinking, "Tonight," the words hidden in my throat flowed out between my teeth: "...let Sanxi serve you."
This sentence, even for ordinary couples, is ashamed to say it.
Xu Changfeng was really silent. I don't know what kind of slut I will be in his heart after tonight, but I really... have no other choice.
What Mrs. Yu said to me today still rings in my ears—
"Today is your last night here in Changfang. I don't care what method you use, in short, keep Changfeng for me."
"I know your background and origins clearly. I won't say anything that doesn't please your ears. Mrs. Chen didn't have time to teach you well, and as a mother, I have to spend more time for my son. "
"—You yourself, just figure it out."
I trembled slightly, and my palms slid from his shoulders to his chest very slowly... Then, I slowly bent my knees.