Chapter 148 Sweetness
Fu Tingyun woke at dawn the next day.
Zhao Ling held her close, coaxing in a low voice, "Sleep a little longer, just a bit more before getting up."
Remembering last night's intimacy, Fu Tingyun felt her body grow weak, nestling in his embrace without wanting to rise.
Zhao Ling's hands had already begun wandering restlessly over her.
Fu Tingyun shivered slightly.
If this continued, who knew when they'd finally make it to Four Happiness Alley today?
She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and resolutely caught his hand. "Let's go to Four Happiness Alley first... alright?" Her voice carried a faint note of pleading.
Though reluctant, Zhao Ling still murmured an "Mm," indulging in a few more lingering caresses and a tender kiss before finally releasing her.
Fu Tingyun's face burned crimson, and it took her a long moment before she could call Kou'er in to help her dress.
After breakfast, with Master Lu and Yu Wei occupied with household accounts at home, Zheng San drove the carriage while Zhao Ling and Fu Tingyun personally carried gifts to Four Happiness Alley.
It was the tenth day of the month, and Master Fu the Fifth happened to be home on leave.
The servant who opened the door trembled at the sight of them, darting back into the main hall in fright.
Nearly half an incense stick's time later, Madam Fu finally lifted the hall's curtain with a stiff expression to greet them. "Brother-in-law, Sister-in-law, you've come." She forced a smile, leading them toward Madam Fu's quarters without inviting them inside for tea.
Fu Tingyun asked calmly, "Did Father and Elder Brother leave early this morning?"
Madam Fu hesitated briefly before replying, "Yes!" offering no further explanation.
Fu Tingyun sneered inwardly.
No doubt they had seen Zhao Ling accompanying her and, unable to vent their displeasure, had claimed to be out, leaving Madam Fu to handle the visit.
Fine. If they didn’t want to see her, she had no desire to see them either.
Fu Tingyun curled her lip slightly and followed Madam Fu to Madam Fu's chambers.
Madam Fu wore a crimson Hangzhou silk jacket embroidered with peonies in a vase, her hair neatly coiled into a round bun adorned with silver hairpins. Her spirits seemed much improved, clearly having taken care with her appearance.
Xiuzhu's family, who attended Madam Fu, brought in a teacup with a smile. "Madam had guessed the young master and mistress would come today. She had me fetch this crimson jacket first thing in the morning..."
Madam Fu chuckled, then gave Xiuzhu's family a meaningful glance. The latter promptly presented Zhao Ling with a small red-and-gold lacquered box. "This is Madam's gift for you."
By tradition, Zhao Ling should have bowed and served tea to his mother-in-law on the wedding day, and she would have presented him with a gift in return.
This was likely compensation for that missed ritual.
Zhao Ling accepted it graciously.
Madam Fu nodded in satisfaction, smiling as she inquired about their wedding.
To reassure and amuse her mother, Fu Tingyun recounted amusing anecdotes from the celebration, delighting Madam Fu visibly. Zhao Ling excused himself tactfully, leaving mother and daughter to their private conversation.
Madam Fu sighed softly with a smile. "I won’t even ask if you’re happy—seeing Zhao Ling like this, he’s clearly a thoughtful and attentive man."
Fu Tingyun blushed and nodded.Madam Fu gently patted her hand, looking quite pleased, and gave her the usual admonitions about the duties of a wife and woman. Then, with a hint of reluctance, she urged her to leave: "Since you arranged the wedding yourselves, there must still be many social calls to make and matters to attend to. You can visit me again when you have more free time."
Was her mother determined not to let her take even a thread or a scrap from the Fu family again?
Though Fu Tingyun was reluctant to leave, thinking of her mother’s well-meaning intentions, she still rose to bid farewell.
The doors of the hall remained tightly shut from start to finish, and she never caught a glimpse of her father or elder brother.
Fu Tingyun sighed inwardly.
On the way back, she asked Zhao Ling, "You don’t blame my mother for not even keeping you for a meal, do you?"
Before she could finish, Zhao Ling was already shaking his head. "What are you talking about? I understand Mother-in-law’s intentions, and I deeply admire her character." He added, "No wonder your temperament is so strong—it seems you take after her."
Fu Tingyun gave an awkward laugh. "Ever since I was little, Mother has been constantly reminding me to rein in my temper. It must be because I’m far from being ‘gentle and obedient’..." She paused suddenly. "Huh, why didn’t Mother scold me today? Could it be because I’m married now, and she wants to spare me some dignity?" By the end, her words had trailed off into a murmur.
Zhao Ling burst into laughter, teasing her. "It must be because you married me. Mother-in-law knows I’ll indulge you in everything, so she didn’t need to lecture you." Then he whispered in her ear, "I think you’re plenty gentle and obedient..."
"You scoundrel!" Fu Tingyun’s face burned at his words, and she lightly punched his arm, only to provoke even heartier laughter from Zhao Ling.
"How about we stop by Penglai Pavilion for lunch before heading back? I’ve heard from colleagues who’ve lived in the capital for years that their Hangzhou cuisine is very authentic—their sweet and sour mandarin fish is their signature dish," he suggested. "Since we’re already out, there’s no point going back so early anyway."
"A restaurant?" Fu Tingyun was tempted by the idea. Besides, this way, Zheng Sanniang wouldn’t wonder why they’d returned without having lunch. "But is it appropriate for me to go like this?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?" Zhao Ling dismissed her concern. "You’re a married woman now, and our family isn’t some aristocratic household with strict rules."
Reassured, Fu Tingyun grew enthusiastic and began discussing Penglai Pavilion with Zhao Ling. "Do you like Hangzhou cuisine that much? What’s your favorite dish? Maybe I can try making it someday."
"Not really," Zhao Ling admitted with a laugh. "I followed my master to Shaanxi when I was very young, so I actually prefer Shaanxi-style noodles. But the capital is the imperial city—it gathers delicacies from all over. Since we’re here, we might as well explore and try everything."
Fu Tingyun was taken aback. "You don’t plan to stay in the capital for long?"Zhao Ling gave a hum of acknowledgment and said, "I followed your advice and took advantage of the chaos in Shaanxi to spend some money to register our household in Xi'an Prefecture. However, since Xi'an has remained orderly, it wasn't easy, so I had to settle for Chang'an County instead. Fortunately, Chang'an is only half a day's journey from Xi'an. Once I retire from office, we can return to Shaanxi together. If you prefer to settle in Chang'an County, we'll live there. If you'd rather stay in Xi'an Prefecture, we can reside there instead. What do you think?"
"When did you arrange this?" Fu Tingyun asked with a coquettish tone, "You kept it from me again." Then she hesitated slightly before asking, "Aren't you going back to Songjiang?"
"What for?" Zhao Ling embraced Fu Tingyun, "Now that I have a wife," he said, placing his hand on her abdomen with anticipation in his voice, "and soon we'll have children. In a while, I'll request the Emperor's permission to return to Jiangnan with you. We'll move my father and mother's graves to Chang'an County, commission our own family genealogy, and establish our own lineage. Why go back to Jiangnan? Besides, it's rainy and damp there—you might not get used to it."
Fu Tingyun felt sweetness in her heart and rested her head on Zhao Ling's shoulder. "Wherever you go, I'll follow. You don't need to worry about me."
Zhao Ling lowered his head, pressing his lips to Fu Tingyun's jade-like forehead. "Then we'll settle in Chang'an. We can stroll along Baoqing Street and enjoy vegetarian dishes at Guangren Temple whenever we like."
"Alright!" Fu Tingyun replied, her lips curling into a joyful smile.
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By the time they returned from Penglai Pavilion, it was already mid-afternoon.
Master Lu invited Zhao Ling to calculate the wedding expenses, while Zhenzhu attended to Fu Tingyun as she freshened up.
Fu Tingyun sighed softly.
Yu Wei considered herself an ill omen and refused to enter her bridal chamber.
After changing into casual attire, Zhao Ling returned, and Fu Tingyun personally helped him change his clothes.
Zhao Ling let her fuss over him with amusement in his eyes, chatting about household matters. "...I didn’t expect the wedding to leave us with over a hundred taels of silver to spare. Yan Qing will bring it in later—you can keep it for daily expenses."
"We hardly need that much," Fu Tingyun laughed. "Twelve taels a month is more than enough."
Just then, Yan Qing entered.
But he wasn’t there to deliver the silver—he came with a wedding invitation. "The Marquis of Wuding is getting married on the 24th of August. He sent over four gift boxes and an invitation. Master Lu entertained the steward with tea, who mentioned he still had to deliver an invitation to the Marquis of Anping’s household and would visit us another time."
The two exchanged puzzled glances.
The new Marquis of Wuding, though the Empress Dowager’s nephew, was the youngest son born to her elder brother after he was exiled to Tieling Guard. Now in his late twenties, his unusual status had prevented him from marrying until now.
They had absolutely no connection to the Marquis of Wuding.
Zhao Ling took the invitation and studied it carefully before handing it to Fu Tingyun. "Looks like I’ll have to attend the wedding banquet that day."
Noticing the invitation didn’t include phrases like "the whole family is invited," Fu Tingyun knew she didn’t need to go. Smiling, she said, "Perfect timing—I’ve just made you a new bamboo-green straight robe. You can wear it to the banquet."
The invitation’s arrival was baffling, and Zhao Ling didn’t want Fu Tingyun to attend either. He chuckled, "Having a wife really changes things. In the past, I never had new clothes to wear to weddings!"Fu Tingyun shot Zhao Ling a sideways glance.
Zhao Ling let out an "Aiya!" and said, "I almost forgot—tomorrow is the tenth, and there's a lantern festival on West Street. Shall we go see the lanterns tomorrow?"
Fu Tingyun's eyes lit up.
The last time she had seen lanterns was when she was seven or eight, perched on Xiu Zhu's shoulders. Her memories were filled with the dazzling star-like lanterns, the snacks being hawked along the river, and the noisy, bustling crowds.
Then there was that one time by the Su Mu River outside the capital, where she and Zhao Ling had floated lanterns together.
The lantern festival in the capital must be even livelier, right?
And just now, when she and Zhao Ling had gone to Penglai Pavilion for a meal, the four-story building with its upturned eaves, the uniformly sandalwood furniture, the authentic calligraphy by Lin Bu hanging in the private dining room—all had left a deep impression on her. Not to mention the delicate, flower-like delicacies served on the sweet white porcelain plates, or the faint strains of melodious tunes drifting from the next room...
With Zhao Ling by her side, she would get to experience so many people and things she had never encountered before, wouldn't she?
"Sure!" Fu Tingyun smiled brightly at Zhao Ling. "Tell me, what should I wear?"
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Just logged in to check my stats and found Jinxiu ranked first on the bestseller list. At first, I thought it was a data error, but then I saw that Zhu Mao had gifted a Spirit Beast Egg... I'm rather ashamed to admit that during Shunü , Zhu Mao would gift me a Spirit Beast Egg almost every month, but I've always been tongue-tied and remained silent. Taking this opportunity, I want to say thank you to Zhu Mao, as well as to all the friends who have gifted me, voted with recommendation or pink tickets, or added this story to their collections. During my writing slumps, you've let me know there are so many people who enjoy my work, giving me the confidence to keep going.
Thank you all for your continuous support!
PS: Recommended work:
Title: Hèn Jià
Book ID: 2337191
Author: Diāo Lán Yù Qì
Tagline: She wanted the slice-of-life route, he wanted the harem route. Her skills were lacking, so she ended up on the tea table...
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(End of Chapter)
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