“You two, go out for a moment.” Zhao Huanxi entered the room and, upon seeing Yisu and Mingli inside, his expression appeared somewhat uneasy.

Yisu and Mingli bowed and withdrew, closing the door for them.

“Dong Jiejie, Daixue asked Jie Ge’er to pass on a message saying that ““Da Sao”“ wants to introduce her to someone, but she doesn’t want to get married. What should we do?” Zhao Huanxi leaned close to Xu Nian’an and handed her the letter to read.

Xu Nian’an glanced at the letter and saw that several words were blurred, as if stained with tears. She didn’t take it but said, “Isn’t this good? Our plan originally required her to wait until you and I are separated before you two can be together.”

“I’m not talking about that. It’s just that she’s being pressured into marriage by Da Sao now, and besides me, there’s no one else who can help her.” Zhao Huanxi, seeing that she didn’t take the letter, awkwardly took it back.

“How do you plan to help her? Will you take her as a concubine now? It’s not impossible, but since we have already determined not to have children, if you take her, she will definitely give birth to an eldest shu daughter or son. I don’t know if the wife you remarry in the future will have the same magnanimity as your mother?” Xu Nian’an looked up at him and said. Born by a concubine; illegitimate

“I… I won’t take her as a concubine.” Zhao Huanxi sat down opposite Xu Nian’an, facing her sideways.

“In that case, we can only let her pretend to be ill. Just make sure you’ve thought it through. After we’ve separated, are you really going to marry her? Don’t end up wasting her youth, tarnishing her reputation with an illness, only for you to fall in love with someone else.” Xu Nian’an continued to leisurely flip through her book.

Zhao Huanxi turned his face to look at Xu Nian’an, who appeared completely indifferent, which inevitably made him feel annoyed. He decisively said, “I will marry her.” With that, he squeezed the letter and got up to leave.

“What are you going to do?” Xu Nian’an called out to him.

“Since all you care about is the house, the shop, and the money, why do you care about what I do?” Zhao Huanxi who retorted angrily without looking back, stopped in his tracks.

“I gave you advice, urged you to think it over, and now you’re the one who’s angry. Tell me, what are you mad about?” Xu Nian’an stood up, turned to him, and looked up, asking.

“You don’t have to worry about it.” Zhao Huanxi turned his back to her again, refusing to look at her.

“Are you mad at my attitude?” Xu Nian’an reached out and poked his arm with her index finger.

He swung his arm forward and remained silent.

“Even though it’s fake, we’re still a married couple now. Jie Ge’er came to deliver the message, and you came to me with the letter in such a bold manner. All the maids in the house know what’s going on. Even if it’s a pretense, I still have to pretend to be jealous, right?” Xu Nian’an whispered.

Zhao Huanxi’s long lashes trembled for a moment, then he turned around, looking very curious. “You, just now… are jealous?”

“Pretending to be jealous,” Xu Nian’an emphasized.

Zhao Huanxi stole a glance at her, lowered his eyelashes, and a faint blush began to appear on his cheeks again.

“What did you want to do just now?” Xu Nian’an asked him.

“I was going to write a letter for Jie Ge’er to take to Daixue, instructing her on how to pretend to be ill,” Zhao Huanxi said.

“Are you stupid? How can you write such a letter? If it falls into the hands of your Da Sao and she makes a scene to your mother, you’ll have to accept her (as a concubine) even if you didn’t intend to.”

Zhao Huanxi was tongue-tied, “Ah, I didn’t think of that.”

“In the future, anything related to Daixue Guniang, you are not allowed to act on your own. You must discuss it with me first.” Xu Nian’an glared at him. “First, go ask Jie Ge’er to pass on a message, telling Daixue Guniang not to worry, as you will find a solution for her. Second, tell Jie Ge’er that unless it’s urgent, he shouldn’t come to you so frequently, else it’s gonna start attracting Mother’s attention.”

Zhao Huanxi nodded in agreement.

“For the next few days, focus on practicing calligraphy. If you make progress, show it to Mother to make her happy. Then, I’ll take you to see Daixue Guniang,” Xu Nian’an instructed Zhao Huanxi.

Zhao Huanxi immediately looked distressed. “I have to make progress in calligraphy before I can go? You know it’s not easy to improve in calligraphy practice?”

Xu Nian’an said with a stern face, “Being a good wife and mother is the expectation for married women in this world. Since I don’t have children to raise, I have to focus on being a good wife. If you show improvement in calligraphy, I can take you to the garden, and Mother will just think you’re tired from hard work and need to relax. But if you show no progress, Mother might think I’m not guiding you properly and only indulging in leisure with you. Even though you might only have Daixue Guniang in your heart, you can’t completely disregard me. If I fall out of Mother’s favor, how can I help you in the future?”

Seeing her angry, Zhao Huanxi immediately felt anxious and explained, “That’s not what I meant. I just… ai, I’ll just go practice calligraphy.”

After sending him off, Xu Nian’an returned to the window and continued to leisurely read her book.

✦

In the evening, the two of them went to Yin Furen’s courtyard to have dinner.

Today’s meal was very sumptuous, with dishes such as Squirrel Fish, Chicken Soup Tofu, Celery with Shrimp, Lion’s Head Meatballs, jade Buddha’s Handchicken, and a soup of longan, wolfberries, and pigeon egg soup.

“Why do you still have ink on your hands? Qianhe, quickly bring water for San Yé to wash hand.” Yin Furen happily ushered Zhao Huanxi aside to wash his hands, then turned to Xu Nian’an with a smile and asked, “Nian’an ah, I’ve heard that your younger brother is classmates with Lu Langzhong’s Family’s Gongzi. Do you know what kind of person that Gongzi is?”

“One hadn’t paid attention (to him), so One doesn’t know,” Xu Nian’an replied respectfully.

“If you have the chance in the future, ask your brother,” Yin Furen said.

“Understood.”

“What were you asking about him?” Zhao Huanxi asked as he walked over after washing his hands.

Yin Furen looked slightly embarrassed.

Xu Nian’an smiled and said, “Didn’t you say that Lu Gongzi is engaged to the Fifth Branch’s Shuxian Tangmei? As her Da Bomu, shouldn’t Mother care about the character of this future Tang nephew-in-law?”

Zhao Huanxi said, “Why should care about her? She has her own mother to worry about her. In any case, it has nothing to do with Mother.”

Yin Furen noticed that he was quite annoyed and couldn’t help but laugh and asked, “Yo?, when did you form such a strong opinion about your Shuxian Tangmei?”

“If it weren’t for her reporting to Zumu, why would Zumu have punished Nian’an by making her copy the 《Lessons for Women》 in the ancestral hall on the first day of her marriage? Thankfully, Zufu was fair. Otherwise, Nian’an would have suffered, and Mother, you would have been embarrassed,” Zhao Huanxi said.

Yin Furen became even more surprised, “Yo! Now you can even think of this! You are indeed a married man after all!”

With just that one sentence, Zhao Huanxi’s face turned red. “Mom—”

“Alright, alright. No more talking. Come, eat your food,” Yin Furen said, picking up her chopsticks.

The three of them chatted and laughed. Halfway through the meal, Yin Furen took the opportunity to cover the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief and signaled Nanny Su on the side.

Nanny Su quietly left and returned after a while, lifting the curtain and reported to Yin Furen, “Furen, Da Nainai sent someone to ask if Pang Guniang could be released from Furong Pavilion.”

Yin Furen slammed her chopsticks on the table, startling Zhao Huanxi opposite her, who looked up in surprise.

Yin Furen wiped the corners of her mouth with her handkerchief again and said calmly, “Release her for what? Isn’t she currently being considered by the Pang family for marriage? It’s better to keep her locked up until she’s married, to avoid any unnecessary trouble. If she cares about her Biao cousin, she should hurry up and get her married off.”

Zhao Huanxi looked anxious and was about to speak.

Xu Nian’an reached out and tugged at the clothes around his waist, shaking her head slightly at him.

Zhao Huanxi held back his words.

Yin Furen dismissed Nanny Su and then said to Xu Nian’an, “Zhao Huanxi’s three older sisters will come to the house to see you tomorrow. Don’t wander around; just wait in the Shenhui Courtyard. I’ll have someone fetch you when they arrive.”

“I understand, Mother,” Xu Nian’an replied obediently.

After finishing their meal, the young couple left Jiaxiang House.

“Why did you stop me from speaking just now? I’m already married, but Daixue is still being kept locked up. It’s too pitiful!” Zhao Huanxi dismissed the accompanying maid as usual and stood with Xu Nian’an at the base of the rear wall of Jiaxiang House.

“You didn’t see that your mother was deliberately testing you just now?” Xu Nian’an said, somewhat speechless.

Zhao Huanxi was stunned. “Deliberately testing me?”

“Even if you didn’t notice your mother signaling Nanny Su, you think about it; What is Da Sao’s status in front of Mother? Would she really send a servant to casually ask for the release of her Biao cousin? And even if she did, shouldn’t she have done it at a more appropriate time, rather than while we were all eating together? It would only add fuel to the fire.”

Zhao Huanxi thought for a moment. “You’re right.”

Xu Nian’an ignored him and turned to continue walking towards the Shenhui Courtyard.

“How are you so clever? Thankfully you stopped me earlier; otherwise, I would have angered Mother, and Daixue would have suffered as well,” Zhao Huanxi said as he followed her.

Xu Nian’an replied leisurely, “Yes ah, you didn’t anger Mothed, and Daixue Guniang doesn’t have to suffer either. Both of you benefit, but I don’t benefit at all. Not only do I not benefit, but I also have to give up a lot. You say, what am I aiming for?”

Zhao Huanxi didn’t understand. “What are you talking about?”

Xu Nian’an glanced at him, her face filled with despair. “Just tell me, how many children do your three Jiejies have? I need to prepare gifts for them.”

Zhao Huanxi realized what she meant and couldn’t help but snorted. He pointed at her and said, “Turns out the money-lover only worries about money.”

“Hmph!” Xu Nian’an turned and walked away.

“Ei? You, don’t be angry ah. Come with me,” Zhao Huanxi said, pulling her wrist and running back to their room in the Shenhui Courtyard. He rummaged through the Bright Lattice Cabinet (亮格柜), finally bringing out a small mahogany chest(官皮箱), about one and a half feet square, painted with the motif of “Pine and Crane Welcoming Spring”.

松鹤同春 (sōng hè tóng chūn): A traditional auspicious motif. The Pine (longevity/steadfastness) and the Crane (immortality/wisdom) "together in Spring" represent a wish for eternal youth and long life.

Zhao Huanxi struggled to carry the chest to the bed and was surprised to find that it was still locked with a large double-fish lock.

双鱼大锁 (shuāngyú dàsuǒ): A "Double-Fish large lock." In Chinese culture, the fish ($鱼$ - yú) is a homophone for "surplus" or "abundance" ($余$ - yú). Fish locks were popular because fish do not close their eyes when they sleep, symbolically "guarding" the contents of the chest day and night.

“I forgot. The key is still with my nanny, Nanny Hou,” he said. He went to the outer room and asked Xiaowei to fetch the key from Nanny Hou. Shortly after, Nanny Hou personally brought the key.

“From now on, give this key to Nian’an for safekeeping. I’ll talk to Mother about it. You can go now,” Zhao Huanxi said. He rewarded Nanny Hou with two daigu baoluo (bone-in abalone-shaped pastries) and Nanny Hou happily took them and left.

Zhao Huanxi pulled Xu Nian’an to the side of the bed and they sat on either side of the chest. He used the key to unlock the large double-fish lock on the chest cover. There were also small locks on the two small doors below, which were also opened.

Lifting the lid, the top layer was filled with horseshoes made of gold and adorable little foals of various sizes. Some of the horseshoes were even inlaid with pearls and jade.

Xu Nian’an looked up at him and asked, “Were you born in the Year of the Horse?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “Yes.” He then calculated their ages and asked, “Are you born in the Year of the Dragon?”

Xu Nian’an nodded.

He smiled brightly, his lips formed a snow-like line (his teeth), and his eyes curved like two crescent moons. “Our zodiac signs can form a very auspicious phrase.”

Xu Nian’an joked, “Carriages stream like horses and dragons?”

车水马龙 (chē shuǐ mǎ lóng): A very famous idiom. It describes a scene of bustling activity, heavy traffic, or a crowded city street. It is a neutral-to-positive description of prosperity, but not a "blessing" for a couple.

“How is that auspicious?” Zhao Huanxi laughed so hard that he almost rolled onto the bed. “It’s ‘The Spirit of the Dragon and Horse’!”

龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīng shén): A common blessing or idiom meaning "the spirit of the dragon and horse." It represents vigor, vitality, and health, often used to wish someone a long and energetic life.