Qian Ming, Zhao Huanxi and others ran all the way to the willow dike by the Bian River before stopping. They tied their horses to the willow trees and sat in a row under the tree shade.

Qian Ming first glanced at Ge Jingxuan on his right and saw blood under his nose. He asked with concern, “Are you okay? Do you need to go back first?”

Ge Jingxuan squinted his swollen eyes, sniffed, and said boldly, “It’s nothing, just a flesh wound.”

Qian Ming nudged Zhao Huanxi, who was sitting to his left, with his elbow and said, “I didn’t expect this. You’re quite good at fighting now.”

Zhao Huanxi was looking at his right hand, where his knuckles were broken and painful. Before he could respond to Qian Ming’s words, Huo Qingzhe beside him interjected, “Of course, you don’t even know whose grandson he is. Hey, Huanxi, is your hand okay?”

Zhao Huanxi pushed both hands onto the grass behind him, stretched out his legs, and raised his head proudly, saying, “It’s nothing, just a little scrape.”

Qian Ming glanced at him and asked, “Huanxi Lao Di, did you not understand the poem that Huo Xiong recited just now?”

Zhao Huanxi thought there was nothing to hide, so he nodded and asked, “I didn’t understand it. What did it mean?”

Qian Ming, He Lun, and Huo Qingzhe all burst into laughter, and Ge Jingxuan shook his head with a smile.

Seeing their reaction, Zhao Huanxi became even more curious.

Huo Qingzhe said, “Huanxi Lao Di is truly enviable. You’re so young yet you already have a real wife. Unlike us, who hasn’t spent a few years with a hand-made wife? Am I right?”

Qian Ming nodded repeatedly, reached out and hooked Zhao Huanxi’s shoulder, saying, “How about we go buy some books later?”

Zhao Huanxi, unaware that this “book” is not like the other books, agreed readily, “Sure.”

Ge Jingxuan said, “Don’t corrupt Huanxi. He’s still young.”

Qian Ming disagreed, saying, “How is that corrupting him? Besides, he’s already married. If anything, being young means he should read more and try various things, right? I’m just helping them deepen their marital bond.”

After Qian Ming’s words, Huo Qingzhe and He Lun burst into laughter again.

Zhao Huanxi looked at them, feeling inexplicably puzzled.

After agreeing to go buy books, the five of them rested for a while before getting up.

Zhao Huanxi brushed off the grass from his clothes and carefully straightened out his two knots.

Qian Ming watched his actions and said, “Huanxi Lao Di, these two knots of yours are braided quite nicely. Can you give me one?”

Zhao Huanxi refused, “No, these were braided by my Dong… my wife for me.”

Qian Ming took off his purse and said, “My wife embroidered this purse for me. Let’s trade. After all, you have two knots.”

Zhao Huanxi covered the kntos, saying, “No, I won’t trade.”

“Hey, you stingy guy!” Qian Ming teased, grabbing his neck and making a fuss for a while.

The five of them mounted their horses, with Qian Ming leading the way, winding through a series of twists and turns until they arrived at a secluded alley and entered a small courtyard that was not yet marked with a signboard.

“Didn’t we say we were going to buy books? Where is this?” Zhao Huanxi asked curiously.

“It’s a bookstore, just without a sign,” Qian Ming replied. As he spoke, a sly-looking man emerged from the wing room and greeted Qian Ming and the others with repeated bows.

“Are there any new arrivals?” Qian Ming asked.

“Yes, yes, all good items. Please come this way, sirs.”

Zhao Huanxi followed Qian Ming into the wing room and indeed saw many bookshelves filled with books, all of which seemed to be travelogues and stories, mostly in the form of storybooks.

Qian Ming skillfully picked out seven or eight books, had the man bundle them up, paid the money, and placed the books into Zhao Huanxi’s hands, teasingly saying, “Take your time reading them when you get back. No need to thank me.”

Zhao Huanxi: “?”

After leaving the alley, the five of them went to listen to music at the pleasure house, watched puppet wrestling, and played until dusk before each heading home.

Zhao Huanxi followed Qian Ming back to the Marquis of Yong’an Residence, returned the horse to him, and then took a carriage back to the Jing Guogong Residence.

“Dong Jiejie, Dong Jiejie.”

Xu Nian’an had just finished washing her hands and inserted a bottle of flowers in the room when she heard Zhao Huanxi’s voice coming from the courtyard.

She came out to see Zhao Huanxi carrying a bunch of things in his arms and dragging two rabbit lanterns behind him, looking excited but a bit scattered.

“What did you buy? So many things.” Xu Nian’an went up to help him carry some of the items.

“We went to the Xiangguo Temple this morning, and it was lively there. They sold all kinds of things.” Zhao Huanxi came into the room and placed everything on the table, saying to Xu Nian’an, “These are all for you.”

Xu Nian’an didn’t have time to look at what he bought. She grabbed his right hand and asked, “How did you hurt your hand?”

When she mentioned this, Zhao Huanxi became even more proud and said, “Today, we were eating at the Baxian Restaurant when we ran into that Zhu Zhifu. Their table was making a fuss, so I gave him another beating and even poured a bowl of turtle soup over his head. Dong Jiejie, you should have seen how he looked, covered in turtle meat, utterly miserable! Haha!”

Xu Nian’an scolded him with a stern look. “Didn’t I tell you not to use your hands to fight? Look at this injury. Mother will inquire about it again later.” She led him behind the foldable screen to wash his hands.

Zhao Huanxi was dazzled by her bright and beautiful eyes, leaving his mind blank for a while. It took him a long time to gather his thoughts, and he defended himself with pink ears, saying, “They started it first. Zhu Zhifu even tried to hit me with a soup bowl to get back at me for last time!”

“I’m not blaming you. I just want you to protect yourself. Look at this hand injury, and it’s your right hand again. Writing and holding chopsticks must be painful, right?” After washing his hands, Xu Nian’an led him back to the room to get medicine and bandages from the brightly polished cabinet. Since he started martial arts practice, these things had been kept on hand just in case.

“Come to the window for the medicine.” In the dim light of the evening, Xu Nian’an was too lazy to light the lamp first. She called Zhao Huanxi to the window and, using the daylight outside, carefully applied the medicine to the broken skin on his knuckles, asking as she did, “Does it hurt?”

The wound had already begun to scab, so the gentle application of the medicine didn’t hurt at all.

As Zhao Huanxi opened his mouth, he recalled how when he was young, he would say “it hurts” and his mother and wet nurse would comfort him. Almost involuntarily, he said, “It hurts.” To convince Xu Nian’an, he even cooperated by pulling his hand back slightly as she applied the medicine, making it look very realistic.

“Don’t move.” Xu Nian’an held his finger tightly and lowered her head, puckering her lips to gently blow on the wound.

Zhao Huanxi lowered his head and looked at her, his face flushed and his heart racing. He whispered, “Dong Jiejie, you’re so nice.”

Xu Nian’an looked up at him, and the handsome young man’s entire face was red. She found it amusing and said as she wrapped the bandage around his wound, “You’re nice too.” He remembered about his family (including servant) even while out having fun and brought back so many things.

At Jiaxiang House, Yin Furen had already learned from Zhiyi, who had come to deliver vegetables, that Zhao Huanxi had been in another brawl at the restaurant at noon, injuring his hand again. She was sitting restlessly when Songyun arrived.

“Furen, San Nainai asked Nubi to tell you, San Yé’s hand injury is just a flesh wound and is not serious. San Nainai also said, please don’t blame San Yé later. It was the other party who provoked the fight, and San Yé defended himself and won. If it comes up later, Furen might as well praise San Yé.”

“I understand.” Yin Furen dismissed Songyun and then frowned, saying, “Look, now she’s teaching me how to manage my son.”

Nanny Su smiled apologetically, “Since it’s all for San Yé, Furen, why not just listen for now and see how it goes?”

Yin Furen glanced sideways, “You old thing, what do you mean by that? Dare to say I don’t know how to manage my child as well as she does?”

Nanny Su hurriedly said, “Laonu’s meaning is that San Nainai has at least raised a younger brother who entered Canglan Academy at the age of sixteen. Who knows, maybe one day San Yé will also be sent to Canglan Academy by her?”

Yin Furen laughed heartily, “If she can really send Huanxi to Canglan Academy, I’d even worship her as my ancestor.”

Nanny Su smiled and said, “Furen shouldn’t speak so exaggeratedly.”

Yin Furen wasn’t really angry in the first place, and with Nanny Su’s interruption, the matter passed.

Not long after, Zhao Huanxi and Xu Nian’an arrived, so Yin Furen ordered for the meal to be served.

Zhao Huanxi brought back several dishes and served Xu Nian’an and Yin Furen at the table. When the topic of the brawl at Baxian Restaurant came up, Yin Furen awkwardly praised him, saying, “Our family’s Huanxi is really impressive, even being able to protect his friends. It shows that Qu Shifu’s teachings have not been in vain.”

Zhao Huanxi was indeed even more delighted. He excitedly recounted everything that had happened when he was outside to Yin Furen and Xu Nian’an.

Yin Furen listened and realized that apart from the fight, nothing too outrageous had happened. She finally set aside the worries that had been hanging over her all day.

After dinner, the young couple returned to Yifang Garden.

Yin Furen watched as they gradually disappeared into the twilight and couldn’t help but sigh, saying to Nanny Su, “Have you noticed? Huanxi is quite different from before.”

Nanny Su replied, “When did San Yé ever have such a spirited and confident demeanor before? Furen, just watch, San Yé will only get better, better than those in Shenxiu Courtyard and those in the Fifth Branch!”

“En, I’m watching!” Yin Furen smiled and discreetly dabbed at the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.

Zhao Huanxi and Xu Nian’an chatted and laughed all the way to Yifang Garden. After changing their clothes, Zhao Huanxi said to Xu Nian’an, “Dong Jiejie, I’m going to practice martial arts.”

“The hand’s injured, and you still want to go? Why don’t you let Xiaowei ask Qu Shifu for a day off?” Xu Nian’an chased after him.

“It’s fine, I want to go.” Zhao Huanxi had a taste of success today and felt that martial arts practice was very beneficial. He waved to her and ran out of the courtyard, followed by Xiaowei and Xiaorong with lanterns.

Xu Nian’an watched him carefree, but her heart was full of worries.

Seeing Zhao Huanxi gradually settling down in all aspects, it wouldn’t be long before Yin Furen brought up the matter of consummating the marriage. After a man and a woman got married, it was only natural for a man and woman to consummate their marriage. She couldn’t keep avoiding it with excuses. She needed to find an opportunity to resolve this matter.

However, Zhao Huanxi was just a teenager who knew nothing about such matters. If she needed his cooperation, wouldn’t she have to explain to him what consummating the marriage meant? That was one problem. Furthermore, while he was ignorant, sharing a bed might not be so awkward, but if he understood, sharing a bed might not be as innocent as they’re now.

What should she do?