Chapter 2

Chen Jiaojiao’s voice echoed throughout the small room. After finishing her arrogant declaration, she looked at Xiao Li’s expression. The man simply stared at her in silence. He didn’t say anything, but for some reason, Chen Jiaojiao thought she detected a hint of... mockery on his sharp, well-defined face. Occasionally, the sound of Xiao Li’s sister-in-law sweeping and tidying up outside could be heard, making the silence inside the room feel even stranger. Chen Jiaojiao pursed her lips. She didn’t like the way Xiao Li was looking at her, so she stood up. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” She had brought fifty taels of silver as her dowry. On top of that, her parents had given Xiao Li five taels to buy medicine for his sick mother. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Chen Jiaojiao was the Xiao family’s benefactor. So what gave Xiao Li the right to look at her like that? Xiao Li looked away from her face, thinking that she must be crazy. He was already twenty-five years old. How could he possibly make her a marquis’s wife within the next five years? He was a farmer who barely knew how to read or write. In this lifetime, his only chance of becoming a marquis was to risk his life on the battlefield and earn military merits. He had no other way. Suddenly, a small hand grabbed his sleeve. Chen Jiaojiao’s aggrieved and angry voice rang out. “If you can’t make me a marquis’s wife, then don’t even think about touching a single hair on my body! I mean it!” As Chen Jiaojiao moved closer, a strong fragrance wafted toward him. Xiao Li closed his eyes briefly before pulling his sleeve free. “Suit yourself.” With that, he stood up, took a quilt out of the cabinet, and spread it on the floor. He knew that Chen Jiaojiao had another man in her heart. She had married him merely to escape the humiliation of being abandoned by her lover and prove that someone else was willing to marry her. As for becoming a marquis’s wife, that was probably just Chen Jiaojiao’s excuse for preserving her chastity for her former lover. Xiao Li quickly finished laying out the quilt and lay down. His enormous body took up nearly all the available floor space, leaving barely enough room to stand. Chen Jiaojiao was furious and wanted to argue with him. However, she was exhausted after an entire day of activities and could barely keep her eyes open. She glared at him before deciding to settle the score the following day. Chen Jiaojiao had already washed herself earlier, so she changed out of her clothes and went to bed. At the sound of rustling clothes, Xiao Li’s tightly closed eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. He didn't open his eyes until he heard Chen Jiaojiao’s breathing become steady. She lay flat on her back, and the thin quilt outlined the curves of her body. Beneath the glow of the red candles, she looked especially alluring. Xiao Li recalled the day the matchmaker had visited his home. Behind him was his seriously ill mother. In front of him was the money Chen Jiaojiao’s family had provided to hire a physician for her. Listening to Chen Jiaojiao’s breathing, Xiao Li closed his eyes again, though his brows remained tightly furrowed. Marrying a woman like her had never been his intention. But with his mother seriously ill, he had no choice but to compromise. Now that things had come to this, as long as Chen Jiaojiao behaved herself, remained faithful, and didn’t become involved with another man, Xiao Li was willing to live a good life with her. It was the transition from late spring to early summer, and the nights were already growing warmer. Chen Jiaojiao slept terribly that night. The bed was too hard, and she woke up several times because the wooden boards dug into her body. The coarse bedding rubbed against her delicate skin until it hurt. Mosquitoes kept biting her, and whenever she finally managed to fall asleep, the damn chickens outside started crowing again. She couldn't get any decent sleep at all! Xiao Li heard a faint sob coming from the bed beside him. Years of military experience had made him exceptionally alert. The moment Chen Jiaojiao began crying, his eyes snapped open. In the faint light, he saw that her trouser legs had ridden up to her knees, revealing her slender, fair calves. Her little feet were curled up pitifully, and her back was slightly arched as she buried herself beneath the quilt and cried. Although Xiao Li didn't know why she was crying, they were already married. He lowered his voice and asked, "Why are you crying?" Chen Jiaojiao lifted her head from beneath the quilt. Her hair was a tangled mess, with strands sticking to her little face. She glared at him with watery eyes and complained in an indignant, coquettish voice. "Your chickens are so annoying! I can't sleep! Your bedding hurts my skin, and the bed is so hard! Is this really the bridal chamber you prepared for me? You don't care about me at all!" Her voice was both shrill and sweet. Xiao Li could even hear the chickens outside the courtyard falling silent. He frowned. "Everyone in the village lives like this. I've already laid two quilts on the bed, and the bedsheet is brand-new. Chickens crow at dawn. There's no such thing as a chicken that doesn't crow. What do you expect me to do? Tie their beaks shut?" "Then go tie them shut!" Chen Jiaojiao's voice grew increasingly choked with tears. "I don't care! I can't sleep, so you have to find a way to fix it! I'm hot, and the mosquitoes keep biting me. You're my husband now, so you have to figure something out for me! Xiao Li, are you listening?" Her voice gradually softened. Xiao Li got up and went outside. A short while later, he returned and tossed her a large palm-leaf fan. "Fan yourself with this. It'll keep the mosquitoes away." Chen Jiaojiao wiped her tears. "What about the chickens?" "I'll catch them and lock them in a cage." Xiao Li glanced at the sky. "Sleep for another hour, then get up and help your eldest sister-in-law and younger sister-in-law prepare breakfast. I'm going to the fields to harvest the wheat." When she saw him preparing to leave, Chen Jiaojiao hurriedly grabbed him. "You're not allowed to leave! I just married into your family, and I'm unfamiliar with everything here. You have to show me around before you go!" "Besides, I haven't even heard your eldest brother or younger brother get up yet. Why are you going to harvest wheat all by yourself?" "We need to harvest it before it rains." Xiao Li glanced at the slender, pale hand gripping his arm. "I'll be back before breakfast. Go back to sleep first." Chen Jiaojiao's hand was so small that even both her hands clasped together wouldn't be as thick as his arm. Her skin was also much fairer than his. Hearing his answer, Chen Jiaojiao frowned as she examined his firm, muscular body and his handsome but tanned face. She suddenly realized something. Xiao Li was the second son of the family. When the authorities had conscripted able-bodied men for military service, he had been the one chosen from his family. Now that he had returned, he was the one paying for his mother's medical treatment. And he was also the one working himself to the bone in the fields. In short, he was the family mule. Anyone could come along and whip him a couple of times whenever they pleased. But now, Xiao Li was her man. Chen Jiaojiao had no intention of spending the rest of her life with a mule! She plopped herself down on the quilt Xiao Li had just slept on and threw the fan onto the floor. "I don't care! You fan me yourself! If you leave me here and go to the fields, I'll never let you hear the end of it!" Seeing that he was still heading for the door, Chen Jiaojiao lay down on the floor bedding and started crying again. "What a miserable life I have! I just married into this family, and my husband is already ignoring me! What's the point of living anymore? I might as well die! Boohoo!" Her crying was no less annoying than the mosquitoes. Xiao Li looked at the cloudless sky and figured it probably wouldn't rain. He could afford to delay going to the fields a little longer. As Chen Jiaojiao continued crying and saw that he still wasn't saying anything, her sadness gradually became genuine. Men really were all terrible! That damned Hu Xiuwen had spent years eating well and living comfortably with the money she had secretly saved for him. Yet the moment he passed the imperial examination, he abandoned her! And now there was Xiao Li. He had taken her money to pay for his mother's medical treatment, yet he wouldn't even listen to her! He couldn't even spare her a few comforting words! Chen Jiaojiao began to feel utterly hopeless. Perhaps this was simply how her life would turn out. She should forget about becoming a marquis's wife or an official's wife. It might be better to return home and continue being the beloved daughter her parents doted on. Suddenly, a breeze swept across her face, cooling the tear tracks on her cheeks. Chen Jiaojiao turned to look beside her. The man was sitting cross-legged, his broad, muscular shoulders and back appearing especially imposing in the light. He didn't say a word. He simply fanned her gently with steady movements, creating a strong, even breeze that made her feel wonderfully comfortable. However, she was still angry, so she let out a delicate snort. "What? Have you finally realized that I'm more important than the wheat in the fields?" "The wheat can wait a little longer." Xiao Li glanced at her lying on the bedding he had just used and felt somewhat uncomfortable. "Get some more sleep first." Chen Jiaojiao took advantage of the situation and placed her feet on his knees. When she noticed that he had stopped fanning, she nudged him with her toes. "Keep fanning!" She was far too familiar with him for someone who had only just met him. Although they were husband and wife in name, they were practically strangers. How could she casually place her feet on his knees like that? Or had she done the same thing with her former lover before? Xiao Li said nothing and quietly continued fanning her. Chen Jiaojiao was very beautiful. As she fell asleep, her red lips parted slightly. Her curled eyelashes, delicate oval face, and soft, tender cheeks made her look especially adorable. Xiao Li also closed his eyes and pretended to rest, but his hand never stopped moving the fan. Only when he heard movement coming from the main house did he call Chen Jiaojiao to get up. "Mother's awake. Let's go pay our respects to her and serve her tea. After that, you can prepare breakfast." Chen Jiaojiao mumbled something and reluctantly climbed out of bed. She took a water-red skirt from the cabinet and put it on, then tied her hair into a simple bun. From her fully stocked jewelry box, she selected hairpins and adorned herself with gold bracelets and gold earrings. Seeing Xiao Li standing there foolishly without moving, Chen Jiaojiao snapped at him. "What are you standing there for? Get me some water so I can wash my face!" He really had no sense at all! With Chunxi gone, he should have known to fetch water for her to rinse her mouth and wash her face. Didn't he know even the most basic rules of etiquette? Her sharp, coquettish voice was overheard by Xiao Li's eldest brother and sister-in-law, who had just gotten out of bed. The two exchanged glances. It seemed their new sister-in-law wasn't going to be easy to get along with!