Li Yiren was shocked to hear that the heartbroken Wang Daxia was going to marry the young widow, making Wei Caiwei the "rebound partner." She felt a strong sense of guilt toward both Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei.
She instructed Lu Ying, "Part on good terms. After all, Wang Daxia is still your subordinate. Since he's engaged, send him a generous gift as compensation. It was you who dumped him, which made him angrily decide to marry the widow next door. Who knows if these two will be able to make their marriage work?"
What a mess.
Li Yiren represented the perspective of ordinary onlookers, skeptical of marriages between mismatched social statuses.
After preparing the gifts, Li Yiren handed two lavish gift lists to her daughter. "For their engagement, one is for Wang Daxia, the other for Doctor Wei. She once saved your father's life."
Lu Ying opened the lists and saw they were indeed extravagant. Her mother, burdened by guilt, was sending engagement gifts now and would send wedding gifts later.
But the Lu family was wealthy—even the most generous gifts were a drop in the bucket.
Lu Ying went to the Northern City to deliver the gifts. Behind her, over a dozen carriers shouldered boxes draped with red paper, forming an impressive procession. Dressed in men's clothing and riding a large horse, she looked like someone delivering betrothal gifts to a bride's family.
At Sweetwater Lane, the entrance was filled with the smell of gunpowder, as if a battle had just ended. Firecracker debris covered the stone-paved path. The two neighboring households seemed to be competing in setting off firecrackers and had even prepared fireworks for the evening.
In short, they were going all out for a lively, festive celebration.
Lu Ying first went to the Wang residence to congratulate her subordinate on his engagement. When she handed the gift list to Wang Daxia, his eyes lit up at the sight of the wealth, and he grinned from ear to ear. "Li Yiren is so generous! How did you convince her? Why is she treating me even better than before?"
Wang Daxia had expected Li Yiren to angrily scold him for shifting affections and even feared his father Wang Commander's position as Assistant Commander of the Jiangxi Regional Military Commission might be jeopardized, since it was obtained through dubious connections.
To avoid exposure, Lu Ying told the truth: "I said I changed my heart and dumped you. You were so angry you even tore up reimbursement forms, saying, 'If you don’t want me, someone else will,' and impulsively married Doctor Wei. This way, Li Yiren not only holds no grudge against you but also won’t affect your father’s career."
Wang Daxia laughed. "Commander Lu, you know me so well—even tearing up reimbursement forms shows genuine rage."
Lu Ying then went next door to deliver gifts. Onlookers watched as the famous Scar-Faced Handsome Gentleman exited the Wang residence only to enter the widow’s home. Though no one dared comment openly, behind the scenes, Sister Xie’s teahouse and tavern west of the drum tower buzzed with gossip:
"Did you see that? Former lovers meeting with a smile, burying the hatchet! That young widow once had a miscarriage for the Scar-Faced Handsome Gentleman, and now he’s flaunting himself by giving gifts to both newlyweds. Does he care about the past or not?"
"Shh! Neither Young Master Wang nor the Scar-Faced Handsome Gentleman are to be trifled with. Stop talking."
"And Doctor Wei is easy to provoke? She’s a favorite of Consort Shang, the imperial concubine!"
"So, what exactly is the relationship between these three now?"
"In my opinion, the engagement was too sudden—probably a shotgun wedding."
"I think the Scar-Faced Handsome Gentleman giving lavish gifts to both sides suggests the child in Doctor Wei’s belly might not be Young Master Wang’s.""That makes sense! The Scar-faced Handsome Lad is still in mourning. Having a child during this period would be considered highly unfilial, but a growing belly can't be hidden forever—the child must be given a legitimate name. Hence this marriage arrangement."
"I don't think that's right. Young Master Wang isn't the type to willingly become a cuckold and raise another man's child."
"Hmph, why do you think Wang Commander was reinstated and even promoted two ranks to a high position in Jiangxi? Isn't it all thanks to currying favor with the Scar-faced Handsome Lad?"
"Truly insightful, I'm impressed!"
"That's the truth!"
"Exactly so!"
Three years had passed, yet the Northern District residents' gossip skills, imagination, and logical consistency remained unmatched in the capital.
Three years had passed, yet Wang Daxia, Wei Caiwei, and Lu Ying—this iron triangle—remained the juiciest topic for Northern District residents' after-dinner conversations.
They chewed on the spiciest rumors, spread the most sensational stories, and convinced the entire capital—this, they believed, was the truth.
Passersby glancing at Wang Daxia would automatically envision an imaginary green hat upon his head.
When the rumors reached Li Yiren in the Western District, she grew even more guilt-ridden. It was all her daughter's doing, so she doubled the wedding gifts she planned to give, hoping to compensate the newly engaged couple.
Lu Ying was extravagantly generous—her gifts arrived in such quantity that Wei Caiwei's small house became nearly impassable. From the palace, Consort Shang sent congratulatory gifts delivered by none other than Chen the Agent.
Coincidentally, Prince Yu's mansion also sent someone with gifts for Wei Caiwei. Sweetwater Lane, narrow as it was, bustled with carriages and crowds, exceptionally lively. For a widow to remarry with such an elaborate engagement ceremony was rare in the Northern District, drawing countless curious onlookers. The commotion lasted all day until nightfall, when a chilly autumn rain began to fall, finally dispersing the crowd.
Swish—swish—swish
The sound of large brooms sweeping up firecracker debris echoed through Sweetwater Lane. Wei Caiwei lifted her skirt hem and stepped carefully through the mountain of gifts piled inside her house, heading to the backyard to boil water.
Wang Daxia rolled up his sleeves and moved boxes, clearing a pathway. "Tomorrow we'll have people move these to the new house at Shichahai. A three-courtyard compound should be spacious enough for all your trunks and cases."
Wei Caiwei, having just gotten engaged today, had exchanged the plain clothes she'd worn for three years for bright red wide-sleeved robes and a crimson skirt. She wore makeup and a horsehair wig, topped with a complete set of gold and gemstone hair ornaments. By day's end, her neck ached from the weight.
As she removed all the hairpieces, Wang Daxia remarked, "They look quite nice. Why take them off?" (I wish I could wear such things, but I can't.)
"My head feels heavy," Wei Caiwei replied, taking off the wig and loosely tying her dark hair atop her head with a red ribbon. Catching the strong scent of firecracker smoke on her clothes, she found it unbearable and headed to the bathhouse. "I'm going to bathe. There's water heating on the stove. When it cools down, call me, and you can bring in hot water to replenish it."
"What?" Wang Daxia, who was moving a trunk, nearly dropped it on his foot.
Wei Caiwei said, "It's autumn, the water cools quickly. We need to add hot water."
"No no... that's not it." Wang Daxia's heart raced nervously, his words stumbling. "Me... me bringing it?"
Wei Caiwei glanced around. "If not you, then who? We're engaged today—you're my fiancé. Is bringing hot water such a difficulty? Forget it if it's too much trouble."
Wang Daxia quickly set down the box. "No no, it's no trouble at all, absolutely no trouble. We should add hot water promptly when it cools, or you might catch a chill."Though he couldn't taste it, seeing it was still satisfying.
Wei Caiwei went to take a bath. Listening to the splashing water from next door, Wang Daxia fanned the stove with a palm-leaf fan, the flames leaping upward as his inner fire grew into a raging blaze.
Because he fanned too vigorously, the pot of water boiled quickly, steam rattling the lid with a clattering sound, matching the rapid pace of his heartbeat.
"The water's getting cold. Bring some hot water," came Wei Caiwei's languid voice from next door.
"Coming right away." Wang Daxia poured the boiling water into a wooden bucket, mixed in some cold water, stirred it, tested the temperature with his wrist, then carried the hot water over and knocked on the door.
"Come in, the door's unlocked."
Wei Caiwei lay in the bathtub with her back to him, only her beautiful head visible above the water. The steamy bathroom was filled with the scent of roses.
Wang Daxia shuffled forward with zombie-like steps, slowly approaching with the hot water. The bathtub was filled with dried roses usually used for brewing tea, now soaked and blooming again as if freshly picked. The roses covered his fiancée's body completely.
No wonder the room smelled so fragrant.
Wang Daxia said, "I... I'm going to add the water. Test the temperature, will you?"
An arm as fresh as newly dug lotus root emerged from the water, dipping a hand into the hot water bucket. "Mm, it's fine. Pour it in."
Wang Daxia lifted the bucket and poured it into the bathtub.
Splash!
The hot water streamed into the tub, parting the floating roses to reveal all the parts that absolutely cannot be described in Jinjiang Literature City.
Wang Daxia quickly turned his face away but couldn't resist stealing glances from the corner of his eye, comforting himself: It's not my fault, it was the hot water's doing. Blame the hot water if you must.
To prolong the view, Wang Daxia deliberately poured slowly, like a gentle stream flowing through a valley, moonlight shining through pines, clear spring water running over stones.
However, the hot water was limited and eventually ran out.
The flowing water went from splashing to dripping, until not a drop remained.
Wang Daxia reluctantly set down the bucket. "Keep soaking. The stove is still heating more water. Call me if it gets cold again."
Water-bearer Wang Daxia was about to leave.
Sigh, just like in the beginning of our previous life - still so clueless and romantically inept. Even with such obvious hints, he still doesn't get it. Wei Caiwei sighed inwardly and had to take the initiative like in their previous life, grabbing Wang Daxia's wrist.
Wang Daxia: "You... is there anything else you need?"
Wei Caiwei selected a large rose from the floating ones and handed it to Wang Daxia. "Do you like it?"
Wang Daxia took the rose: "I like it." I love flowers and floral things most.
Wei Caiwei asked: "Where would you like to place this rose on my body?"
Without hesitation, Wang Daxia placed the rose in the coil of black hair piled atop Wei Caiwei's head!
Wei Caiwei: "..."
Completely unaware, thinking he'd done right, Wang Daxia praised: "Fresh flowers for a beauty - truly lovely."
This blockhead just won't open up. Wei Caiwei gave up on subtle guidance and went for simple, direct confrontation. She removed the rose from her hair and hid it beneath herself. "Let's play a game. It's simple - find that rose."
Author's note: Tonight is Mid-Autumn Festival, sending 100 red envelopes. Wishing you all become wealthy women.
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