RATMOFANF: Chapter 10

 Character Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu / Lady Shen (沈静姝/沈氏): The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Li Ling (李陵): The Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor.

· Xu Wanning (徐婉宁): The wife of Li Ling's cousin.

· Ziyun (紫云): Jingxiu's personal maid.

· Bilü (碧缕): Another of Jingxiu's maids.

· Zhou Qing (周晴): The third daughter of the Minister of Works.

· Princess Lanling (兰陵郡主): The hostess of the flower party.

· Liang Jin (梁进): Li Ling's attendant.

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Chapter 10: Personally Coming to Pick Up His Wife

Everyone stood under the eaves watching the rain, hoping it would stop.

In the distance, a young maid hurried over holding an umbrella. She bowed slightly to Lanling and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Princess, the Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor is outside. He says he's here to pick up Lady Shen."

All eyes instantly gathered on Jingxiu. Lanling was first startled, then, recovering, said with a smile, "I never thought my big nephew knew how to be considerate."

A faint pink tinted Jingxiu's cheeks. "He was out today as well. He's just passing by."

Xu Wanning said, "Then we'll take our leave first. I brought the new bride out today. If we keep our Second Master waiting too long, he might get anxious." As she spoke, she cast a meaningful, almost retaliatory glance towards Zhou Qing.

A maid brought umbrellas. After bidding farewell to Lanling, Jingxiu and Xu Wanning left the main hall and headed outside.

The rain wasn't heavy. After they left, the others also began saying their goodbyes and departing in small groups.

It wasn't that they were in a particular hurry to get home, but rather, hearing that the stern and imposing Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor had personally come to pick up his wife had greatly piqued their gossipy instincts.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

A man like Li Ling would do such a thing?

Could it be that Shen Jingxiu, to dispel the rumors of "Li Ling being forced to marry her," had deliberately arranged for someone to act out this scene?

They had to see it with their own eyes to believe it!

Especially Zhou Qing. Even before Jingxiu and Xu Wanning had left the premises, she couldn't wait to call her maid to hold an umbrella and be the first one out the door.

The hall, originally filled with the scent of rouge and powder, was momentarily abloom with clusters of colorful umbrellas.

Li Ling sat in the carriage. From a distance, he saw a crowd of women emerging one after another from the main gate. Among the dazzling array of figures, his new wife was the most conspicuous.

In the misty rain, the new wife, wearing a light green gauze dress, her sleeves fluttering gracefully in the fine drizzle, walked slowly and gracefully towards him.

Li Ling stood up and got out of the carriage.

Liang Jin, the attendant waiting outside, hadn't expected Li Ling to disembark. He hurriedly held up a large black umbrella to shield him from the rain.

Jingxiu walked up to him. In the drizzly fine rain, her lotus-like face appeared even more delicate and beautiful.

She gave Li Ling a faint smile. "Why has the Heir come?"

Li Ling didn't answer. He simply reached out his hand towards her.

Jingxiu hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand in his. He tightly grasped her slender, fair hand and helped her into the carriage. Then, with a long stride, Li Ling also got into the carriage.

The renowned Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor was actually being so gentle with this little wife.

Their curiosity satisfied, the noble ladies also boarded their respective carriages in small groups.

Xu Wanning looked coldly at Zhou Qing, who stood blankly in the rain, and asked, feigning ignorance, "Oh! Why hasn't Miss Zhou gotten into her carriage yet?"

Only then did Zhou Qing snap out of her daze, quickly pulling her gaze away from Li Ling's carriage. She stammered, "I... I was just about... to leave."

Zhou Qing, assisted by her maid, boarded her family's carriage. Before she had even properly sat down, she impatiently lifted the carriage curtain again, staring at that particular carriage: the door was shut tightly; she couldn't see anything anymore.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Only Li Ling and Shen Jingxiu were inside the carriage. She wondered what they might be doing inside.

Thinking this, she couldn't help but recall the time she first saw Li Ling at the Maqiu (equestrian ball game) match years ago.

He was wearing red riding attire attire, galloping across the field on a snow-white horse. His heroic and vigorous figure was so outstanding. The radiant brilliance he exuded made everyone else pale in comparison before him.

Just that one glance, and she could never forget him.

What would it feel like to be held in the arms of such a handsome and majestic man?

Zhou Qing's face flushed, and she felt a slight warmth spread through her body.

When they returned to the Zhenguo Duke Manor, Li Ling got out of the carriage first. The road was wet and slippery, with a thin layer of water already accumulated.

Li Ling reached out his hand to her. Just as Jingxiu was about to take his hand to alight, he instead scooped her up by the waist and lifted her down.

Ziyun walked ahead, holding an umbrella for Jingxiu. The rain had already stopped, leaving only scattered droplets carried by the wind. Li Ling did not use an umbrella, following behind them on his own. The three of them entered Qingfeng Yuan together.

Back in the main room, Ziyun went to prepare ginger tea for her mistress.

Only Li Ling and Jingxiu remained in the room. On the way back, Li Ling hadn't used an umbrella. His summer clothes were lightweight, and his shoulders were dampened over a large area by the rain droplets.

Jingxiu went to the wardrobe, found dry clothes, and brought them to Li Ling. "Change out of these quickly. Damp clothes are uncomfortable to wear."

Li Ling looked at her but didn't reach out to take the clothes.

So Jingxiu put the clothes down and began to undress him.

He had been willing to set aside his pride to pick her up. This was his way of seeking reconciliation. For a man like Li Ling, to do this was truly not easy. She wasn't an ungrateful person. If he was willing to make amends, she wouldn't play hard to get either.

Men shouldn't be indulged, but when they behave well, you should also give them a sweet date to coax them, so they'll be more obedient in the future.

Just after she took off his outer robe, Li Ling leaned down, wrapped his arms around her waist, and carried her to the bed.

Having only abstained for two nights, he was like a ravenous wolf, greedily entwining with her on the bed.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Ziyun and Bilü returned to the main room with the prepared ginger tea. Seeing the inner room door tightly closed, and hearing the familiar sounds of intimacy from inside, Ziyun made a shushing gesture to Bilü.

"Let's go prepare the bath water," Ziyun said.

Bilü was young and had never been on night duty in the outer room. She looked utterly confused. "Prepare bath water in broad daylight? What for?"

Ziyun didn't know how to explain this matter to a child.

"Ah! Sister, listen! Does it sound like the Young Lady is crying?" Bilü asked in surprise upon hearing the noises from inside.

Ziyun urged her, "Never mind that. Come with me quickly."

Bilü widened her eyes, looking at Ziyun in puzzlement. "I think I hear the Young Lady crying and begging for mercy from the Young Master. Could it be that because the Young Lady offended him a few days ago, the Young Master is... hitting our Young Lady?"

The tips of Ziyun's ears turned red.

"Sister, listen! The Young Lady seems to be crying quite miserably. Shouldn't we go in and try to calm them down?" Bilü was genuinely worried that her delicate mistress was being bullied by the Heir.

Ziyun couldn't be bothered to waste more words explaining. She firmly pulled Bilü out of the main room. "Forget preparing the water. And stop causing a fuss here. Go find somewhere cool to rest."

In the end, Jingxiu was carried to the bathroom by Li Ling. After soaking in the warm water for a good while, she finally felt like she had come back to life.

Her face was flushed a deep red, her almond-shaped eyes were moist, and her fan-like eyelashes were dotted with tiny droplets of water. She looked at Li Ling, who was also soaking in the bathtub, and said, "Let's call it a day for now, alright?"

Her tone was soft, carrying a hint of pleading.

Perhaps he had truly been too rough with her earlier. Seeing how exhausted she was, Li Ling nodded.

Seeing that he had finally agreed, she gave him a faint smile, her tender little face radiant.

Then he moved closer to her again.

"Li Ling! How can you go back on your word?"

This time, Jingxiu cried even more pitifully.

(End of Chapter)

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Note: There are many wives in the Zhenguo Duke Manor. To distinguish them, they are referred to with their own family names.

· Jingxiu's family name is Shen, hence she is called Lady Shen.

· Although ancient women took their husband's surnames, in large families, they were often distinguished by using the woman's family name in address.

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