Chapter 4.1

In Daiyun County, Qi Tianlei was healthy and free! Despite the Qi family’s prominence throughout Quanzhou, he was a reclusive figure seldom seen by outsiders. Once he left the Qi family territory in Fulin County, he no longer had to worry. He told Liu Ruoqian to find his own amusement and eagerly woke the hungover Yuhu early in the morning, making her drink some hangover tea before dragging her out to explore.

She always complained that one day she would turn into a drunkard. Yuhu glared at her husband as he pulled her through the bustling streets. Despite the early hour, the streets were lively, with vendors shouting their wares, people performing tricks and selling miracle cures, and breakfast vendors touting delicious-smelling food. However, Yuhu found none of this novel; she had grown up seeing such sights. But Qi Tianlei seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

“I’m hungry!” she declared, stopping in front of a clean inn and grabbing her husband. She wasn’t just hungry; she also disliked the numerous gazes directed at her face. When she was a girl, she found the attention amusing, but now that she was married, those stares felt annoying.

Qi Tianlei turned around and gently tapped her nose. “Alright, let’s get something to eat first.”

“Are we going somewhere?” she asked as they entered the inn. As she spoke, she noticed a slender figure in green standing in an alley, a beautiful girl whose melancholic eyes seemed fixed on them. It was normal to be stared at by men, but being watched by a girl felt strange. In this unfamiliar place, why was she being scrutinized? Those eyes were extremely sorrowful.

Delicate girls in a male-dominated society were highly favored. In the open-minded Tang Dynasty, women could walk the streets and see the world. Girls of some standing still required servants to showcase their status; the lighter girls were often supported by others to display their fragility and appeal. Such girls naturally stirred a man’s protective instincts. Beauty was secondary to this innate delicateness.

As for herself, Yuhu’s looks might be passable enough to turn heads, but her determined stride was anything but graceful. The kindest thing one might say was that she had a “vigorous and decisive” walk; the less kind might call it “coarse and ungainly.” Walking down the main street, she saw husbands carefully supporting their wives, even when couples were running small businesses. The women played the role of the delicate, standing respectfully by their hardworking husbands. Women who rode tall horses also walked in small, cautious steps to avoid criticism. Feigning frailty against one’s nature was laughable. Yuhu sat facing the alley and studied the girl. The girl’s inherent frailty made one want to protect her. She looked delicate and refined, though not exceptionally beautiful like Madam Shu or as extraordinarily elegant as Du Bingyan. Speaking of Bingyan, how was she doing now? Such a beautiful girl deserved a good husband.

“Still not sober?” Qi Tianlei’s finger tapped her chin, bringing her back to the present. “You were the one complaining about hunger, but now that the buns are here, you’re not eating! You’ll be starving by the time we reach Daiyun Mountain.”

Yuhu was surprised. “We’re going up the mountain? Which peak? Do you have the strength for it?” Maybe he wasn’t sick, but he was a scholar type. Halfway up the mountain, she worried he might collapse. And… “Can you ride a horse?” She remembered that eight hundred years ago, when he rode a horse to marry her, he had four strong men supporting him on all sides to prevent him from falling and dying. Riding on flat ground was already laughable, let alone on rugged mountain paths.

Qi Tianlei just smiled, his hands busy arranging breakfast for her. He salted her soy milk with one hand while using chopsticks to open the steam buns to cool them. He didn’t mind that people found it odd for a man to serve a woman.

Yuhu didn’t mind either and urgently said, “Don’t overexert yourself if you can’t ride. Let’s rent a carriage or let me carry you. Tianlei, I’m not interested in becoming a widow.” This man always made her worry, but he had the nerve to shove half a bun into her mouth!

Before she could force Qi Tianlei to promise, a green-clad figure approached and stood before them. It was the girl from the alley. Up close, her finely crafted, snow-white skin was even more admirable. Though not stunning, her soft eyes were enough to captivate men. At that moment, those beautiful eyes were fixed on her husband. She softly called, “Brother Qi.”

Qi Tianlei stood up and smiled. “Ah, isn’t this Xiubo? Long time no see. How come you’re out today? Come, meet my wife, Yuhu. Call her sister-in-law. Yuhu, this is Xiubo, Madam Shu’s sworn sister.” He pulled the bewildered Yuhu to his side. Poor Yuhu, with half a bun still in her mouth, could only nod and bury her face in his embrace to swallow. By the time she managed to swallow, she was already seated beside her husband, while the green-clad girl took her previous seat.

“Have you eaten? Join us!” Yuhu politely offered. The girl seemed about her age but looked lost, her eyes filled with sadness. It was odd.

“No, thank you, ‘sister-in-law,’” the girl replied.

“You’re called Xiubo? Are you related to Madam Shu?” Yuhu, always warm and friendly, especially towards fragile women, asked.

But the girl gave her a mocking glance as if laughing at her ignorance. When her eyes returned to Qi Tianlei, they were pitiful again. Yuhu was bewildered. Xiubo seemed to disdain speaking with her.

“Brother Qi, you arrived yesterday. Why didn’t you come to see me? Every time you stay here, you visit me. I’ve memorized the Book of Songs, waiting for you to test me. I didn’t slack off; I’ve been serious,” she said softly, her voice sweet enough to make men swoon.

But Qi Tianlei showed no infatuation or weakness. He responded with a brotherly demeanor, “You have a lot of talent. I believe you’ve memorized it well. Madam Shu praises you highly. If you stay with her, you’ll learn much more.”

Xiubo bit her pink lower lip. “Aren’t you going to take care of me anymore? You said you would.”

“No one can take care of someone forever. Even parents let their children fly away one day. You’ve grown up. Your husband, not me, will take care of you in the future.”

Yuhu had never seen Qi Tianlei speak so coldly to anyone. She watched him for a while, feeling he was rude. Being indifferent to a timid girl seemed inappropriate, especially when she was so dependent on him. If she recalled correctly from last night, Tianlei had bought the girl and placed her with Madam Shu. Thus, he was responsible for her, so she impulsively said, “But she’s not married yet, and you plan to leave her alone?”

Tianlei merely smiled indulgently at her, saying nothing. His little wife, raised in the city, was quite innocent, not realizing some women intended to share her husband. She was kind to others, but not everyone would reciprocate. Yuhu was astute in discerning good from bad but had a significant weakness for delicate women.

Turning to the tearful Xiubo, he said, “You should go back. My wife and I have things to do.” He immediately called for the waiter to settle the bill and packed some food to go.

“Tianlei, you…”

Xiubo shot Yuhu a fierce glare before covering her face and running off.

Yuhu felt she had done something foolish, making herself unwelcome to both sides. She watched Xiubo’s retreating figure, feeling lost.

“She’s stronger than you think, don’t worry,” he said, helping her up. “Unmarried girls are always uncertain. Madam Shu will find her a good husband soon.”

“But she…” Yuhu began to realize something.

“You don’t want to bring in other women to serve me, do you?” His tone was harsh.

“No, not at all!”

“Then shut up and say nothing.” His tone was soft but commanding.

Was he angry? Yuhu glanced at his expressionless face, feeling uneasy. His stern face was scary! Lowering her head, she let him lead her out, swallowing all her words.

Because she kept her head down, she didn’t see her husband’s mischievous smile. Sometimes scaring her was quite fun. Qi Tianlei found it rewarding to see the fierce little tigress behaving so meekly!

Poor Li Yuhu, who seemed so tough, would likely be under Qi Tianlei’s control for the rest of her life. The man she thought weak and frail might outlive her!

She thought he would be thrown off the horse within moments, but she was never right about Qi Tianlei. Sadly, never!

He was quite skilled in horsemanship. After an hour and a half, he was still firmly seated on the horse, his back straight. He seemed to be doing fine, making her worries seem ridiculous. She had stayed close to him to prevent any accidents, but now she was the one sore all over. Though she was good at riding, she had no experience with mountain paths. Luckily, they were almost there!