The weather had been poor these past few days. The snow wasn’t heavy, but it drifted down in scattered flurries without stopping, leaving everything damp and bitterly cold.
Normally, this was the time of year when Jian Ru’s leg hurt the most, often keeping him awake through the night. But ever since the Second Young Master had applied that medicinal paste two days earlier, the pain had eased considerably.
The treatment was to be applied once every three or four days for three to four months, stopping once the weather turned warm. When winter came again the following year, they would start the treatments again. Li Jintong said that if they kept it up for two years, while paying attention to keeping the leg warm and combining it with acupuncture and therapeutic massage, the pain would gradually disappear.
Jian Ru thought it sounded like a lot of trouble, especially since the herbs were so difficult to gather, but Li Jintong only said, “If an illness can be cured, that’s already a great blessing. Naturally, it’s worth doing everything possible. Many illnesses can’t be cured no matter how much effort is spent or how precious the medicine is.”
He spoke without any trace of self-pity on his face, but hearing those words still made Jian Ru’s heart ache. At the moment, his leg was covered with fine acupuncture needles as thin as ox hairs, so he didn’t dare move. Instead, he softly called the Second Young Master’s name.
“Jintong.”
Li Jintong looked over at him. Carefully avoiding the needles, he shifted closer and sat beside him. “Are you cold?” he asked.
Jian Ru shook his head. Reaching out, he caught the corner of Li Jintong’s robe and gave it a gentle tug, saying, “Bend down.”
Those beautiful eyes looked at him for a moment before Li Jintong obediently leaned over, and Jian Ru lifted his head slightly and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. But the moment he did, his own face flushed crimson. He hurriedly looked away, too embarrassed to meet Li Jintong’s eyes.
Li Jintong froze for a moment. Then he lowered his gaze, raised a hand to touch the spot where he’d been kissed, and smiled quietly to himself. After the acupuncture session, he massaged several pressure points on Jian Ru’s leg before finally finishing.
By then, Jian Ru was already drifting toward sleep.
Li Jintong climbed out of bed to extinguish the candle. By the time he returned, Jian Ru was fast asleep. The Second Young Master removed his outer robe, slipped beneath the quilt, and gently tucked the blanket higher around Jian Ru.
The bedding was pleasantly warm. Settling comfortably onto the pillow, he let out a contented breath. For some reason, he glanced at the sleeping young husband beside him and smiled again before finally closing his eyes and falling asleep as well.
After breakfast the next morning, Madam Li bustled about the courtyard, directing servants to load the two large gift chests onto the carriage. She then caught Li Jinfeng and Li Jintong for another lengthy round of instructions before finally allowing them to set off.
County Magistrate Li’s residence was also in Hexi Town, though not within the town itself. It stood in the eastern outskirts.
The estate was enormous. Long before they reached it, its sweeping tiled roofs and soaring eaves could already be seen rising above the surrounding crimson walls. Within those walls, the courtyards and buildings were laid out in elegant succession, looking every bit as grand as one would expect from a wealthy household.
The last time Jian Ru had come here, he had been overwhelmed by the lavish splendor. Everywhere he looked seemed built upon piles of silver, and he hadn’t known where to look first. At the time, all he’d felt was curiosity mixed with nervousness.
Now, returning with the Second Young Master beside him, his state of mind was much steadier.
Aunt Jin sat beside him in the carriage. Lifting the curtain for a glance outside, she said, “Today, the Eldest and Second sons of the Li household are away on business. Besides the old Master and Madam, only the two daughters-in-law and the Third Young Master with his husband are home.”
When Jian Ru had acknowledged County Magistrate Li and his wife as his adoptive parents, he had met the two elder brothers and their wives. Sun Yushuang had also been there then. The only one he hadn’t met was the Third Young Master. Even on the day he was married off from this household, that man hadn’t appeared.
Seeing that they were almost there, Aunt Jin lowered her voice and earnestly reminded him, “When you meet the Third Young Master, greet him properly and observe the necessary etiquette, but don’t have much to do with him.”
Puzzled, Jian Ru looked at her, and she whispered, “Everyone else in that family is a good person. He’s the only troublesome one. You’ll understand once you meet him. Just remember to keep your distance.”
The carriage rolled to a stop before the vermilion front gates where the gatekeeper had been craning his neck waiting for them. As soon as the carriage halted, he hurriedly threw both gates open and called loudly, “The Li family’s Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master have arrived!”
Then, the two carriages rumbled into the courtyard.
A man was lounging nearby with one foot propped on a stone step, lazily picking his teeth with a toothpick. Seeing the carriages arrive, he grinned and sauntered over.
“Well now! Big Brother, Little Brother, you’ve finally made it! Your Uncle and Aunt had me waiting here since first thing this morning.”
Li Jinfeng and Li Jintong climbed down from the first carriage and greeted him, and Li Jinfeng gave the man, Li Yingsong, a couple of friendly pats on the shoulder, saying, “No wonder we didn’t see you last time.”
“When I stay at home, my parents get sick of looking at me,” Li Yingsong shrugged carelessly. “Might as well stay out.” Then he looked Li Jintong up and down with a sideways grin, continuing, “Marriage really does make a difference! You’re looking more spirited than ever!”
However, the Second Young Master’s response was much cooler. He merely smiled politely, nodded once, and left it at that.
This man was none other than the Third Young Master of County Magistrate Li’s family, Li Yingsong, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He was tall and lean, with reasonably handsome features.
In fact, the Li family’s ancestors must have been exceptionally good-looking, for nearly everyone even remotely related to them had inherited attractive looks.
After getting down from the carriage, Li Jintong greeted him, then instinctively looked toward the carriage behind them, worried about Jian Ru.
Li Yingsong’s gaze naturally followed.
He watched as a slender young ger was helped down from the carriage by Aunt Jin. From where he stood, he could only see the unscarred half of Jian Ru’s face at first, and his eyes lit up. Then his gaze drifted lower, to the smooth stretch of exposed neck, then to the narrow waist cinched by a sash.
But when Jian Ru planted both feet firmly on the ground and turned his head, revealing the other half of his face covered in burn scars, Li Yingsong clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“What a pity.”
Losing interest at once, he looked away.
The courtyard buzzed with activity as maids and old servants bustled about, welcoming the Li family into the main reception hall. Inside, County Magistrate Li, his wife, and the rest of the household were already waiting.
As custom dictated, they first exchanged greetings and formal bows, then offered gifts and politely declined them before accepting. Only after all the ritual courtesies had been observed did everyone finally take their seats to drink tea and chat.
With Aunt Jin quietly guiding him from the side, Jian Ru managed the entire visit without making a single mistake.
County Magistrate Li and his wife shared the same kindly appearance. Both were plump, benevolent-looking people with gentle expressions. However, they hadn’t met Jian Ru many times, so they weren’t especially close to him. Still, whether because of their relationship with the Li family or out of sympathy for his difficult past, they had always treated him with great kindness.
After chatting for a while, Madam Magistrate Li rose and ushered everyone to the dining hall for the meal. The Second Young Master and Jian Ru sat together, and she kept piling food into both of their bowls.
“Jintong looks so much healthier than he did before,” she said with satisfaction. “It’s obvious Xiao Ru has been taking good care of him!”
“Xiao Ru has certainly gone to a great deal of trouble for me these past few days,” Li Jintong glanced at Jian Ru beside him.
“We’re husbands,” Jian Ru turned to him and replied matter-of-factly, “Taking care of you makes me happy.”
The Second Young Master looked at him and smiled while Madam Magistrate Li covered her mouth and laughed, turning to her husband.
“I told you from the very beginning that someone with Xiao Ru’s temperament would be a perfect match for Jintong! Look at them now, they’re such a lovely couple!”
“This is what people mean by a match made in heaven,” County Magistrate Li nodded in agreement. They were meant for each other.”
Everyone at the table laughed and chimed in with their agreement. Li Yingsong clapped along absentmindedly, joining the teasing applause. His eyes, however, kept wandering toward the maids waiting nearby. After looking them over twice and finding only the same familiar faces he’d long since grown tired of, he let out a bored yawn.
Beside him, Sun Yushuang listened to everyone’s conversation with an unpleasant expression. He kept his head lowered, eating silently without saying a word.
Li Yingsong glanced at him and, beneath the table, kicked him lightly in the foot. “Quit pulling that funeral face,” he muttered impatiently. “Did a dog eat your tongue? Can’t you say a single pleasant thing?”
Sun Yushuang looked up at him. For just an instant, resentment and anger flashed through his eyes, but the expression disappeared almost immediately. “Fine, fine,” he forced a smile. “I know.”
Then he looked across the table toward Li Jintong and smiled, saying, “I haven’t seen Auntie in quite some time. How has she been lately?”
Whether by coincidence or not, just as he spoke, the Second Young Master happened to lift his teacup for a drink and never noticed the gaze directed at him. Moreover, the question hadn’t actually addressed anyone by name, so for a moment, no one answered.
It was the Eldest Young Master who smoothly picked up the conversation.
“Our mother has always been in good health. Thank you for asking.”
Sun Yushuang managed another strained smile before lowering his eyes, his thoughts impossible to read. The topic naturally shifted to Madam Li, and then to the fact that Li Jinhe would soon be returning to her husband’s family. Madam Magistrate Li remarked that she would certainly visit the Li residence to see her off when the time came.
After the meal, the servants cleared away the dishes. The Magistrate’s estate employed far more attendants than the Li family did, so neither hosts nor guests had to concern themselves with any of the cleanup.
Instead, everyone moved to the flower hall for tea.
County Magistrate Li invited all the men away for a game of chess, leaving Madam Magistrate Li, her two daughters-in-law, and Sun Yushuang to keep Jian Ru company.
The eldest sister-in-law noticed the jade bracelet on Jian Ru’s wrist, and her eyes immediately lit up. She caught hold of his wrist and exclaimed, “The quality of this jade is exceptional! Even Qingbao Pavilion in town rarely carries something this fine!”
“My Third Sister brought it back for me from the prefectural city.” Jian Ru smiled.
The eldest sister-in-law turned to the second, saying, “No wonder. Things from the prefectural city really are different from what we can find in a small place like ours.” The second sister-in-law also got up and circled around Jian Ru, admiring the bracelet from every angle.
“Jinhe has always been a thoughtful child,” Madam Magistrate Li smiled. “Ever since she was little, she’s treated everyone with sincerity. Whether inside or outside the family, I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of her. It’s just a pity that fate has been so cruel to her.”
“Sister Jinhe is simply too loyal and too kind-hearted,” the eldest sister-in-law sighed as well. “When her husband died, even her parents-in-law agreed she could return to her maiden home. But because she cherished the love they had shared as husband and wife, and couldn’t bear to leave her elderly parents-in-law with no one to care for them, she stayed. When you think about it, they were only married for a year or two. Yet she’s sacrificing the better part of her life because of that.”
“I don’t think you can put it that way,” the second sister-in-law glanced at Madam Magistrate Li before speaking. “As the saying goes, it takes a hundred years of fate to share the same boat, and a thousand years to share the same pillow. Once two people become husband and wife, they’re family. That’s no ordinary bond. Parents-in-law are no different from one’s own parents. Serving them is simply a daughter-in-law’s duty.”
The eldest sister-in-law immediately realized what she’d said, stole a glance at her mother-in-law, and, seeing that Madam Magistrate Li was still smiling, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re right, sister-in-law! Parents-in-law are just like one’s own parents. Mother, you needn’t worry too much. Sister Jinhe is honest and kind. Her parents-in-law surely treat her well.”
The women continued chatting animatedly. Throughout it all, Sun Yushuang sat quietly to one side, speaking very little. Every so often, however, he would lift his eyes and steal a glance at Jian Ru.
After a while, he rose and said to his mother-in-law with a smile, “When Yingsong came home yesterday, he brought back some pastries. He said they were made by the old master from Bisheng Pastry House, the one who rarely comes out of retirement anymore. I’ll go fetch them so everyone can have a taste.”
“Oh, I’ve been craving their lotus cakes!” Madam Magistrate Li smiled brightly.
“They certainly have those,” Sun Yushuang smiled as well. “I’ll bring them right over.”
Madam Magistrate Li nodded, and he left while the others continued chatting. But after stepping out of the flower hall, Sun Yushuang didn’t head toward his own quarters.
Instead, he walked straight toward the teahouse where his father-in-law and the others were playing chess.
T.N: If you like this novel, you can read up to chapter 23 on my Patreon, with new updates coming every week!
Leave a Reply