Seeing the third brother crack his wife up with amusement, Xiao Jin felt both slightly put out and unable to even picture what winter jasmine looked like.
And so, he nonchalantly stepped in front of his wife, shielding her from his brothers' prying gazes.
Even though he didn't know what winter jasmine looked like, he was certain that any flower the little lass liked must be exceptionally special.
Xiao Jin had been a very cautious person since childhood. Even though he imagined winter jasmine in his heart to be just as noble as a peony, he still wouldn't bring himself to speak of it casually.
Yet, since winter jasmine was his wife's favorite flower after all, he found himself torn over whether he should offer a few words of praise to win her favor.
He racked his brains, trying to recall a verse the tutor had once used to praise the peony: Only the peony possesses true peerless beauty; when its flowers bloom, they captivate the entire capital.
Yep, this is the one!
Or rather, a line like this would be even better: Interlocking leaves and connected branches unfold a boundless sea of green; a single blossom blooms in dual tones of light and deep red.'
Just as Xiao Jin was agonizing over which line would be more fitting, he heard his little lass chime in with a radiant smile.
"Third Brother is a scholar after all; he can make such an ordinary little yellow flower sound so high-class and fancy. The rest of you probably have no idea what winter jasmine actually looks like, do you?"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, what does winter jasmine look like? I've never seen it before." Xiao Ligong asked, humbly seeking guidance.
"Winter jasmine is also known as the little yellow flower. It’s a hardy little wildflower that’s more shade-tolerant and slightly more cold-resistant than most other flowers."
Xiao Jin: "......"
A wildflower?
That didn't match either of the fancy lines he had just racked his brain for at all!
Sigh! It’s all because he hadn't read enough books—he’d been out there raising a sword to kill enemies since he was just twelve years old!
No wonder quite a few civil officials at court were always berating him for dragging down the dignity of scholars.
He understood every word those courtiers said about him, but he simply refused to change.
When the Xiao family's siblings saw their eldest brother scratching his head with a silly grin, if he hadn't still been reasonably good-looking, they would have mistaken him for some random idiot who'd wandered in off the street!
Actually, you couldn't really blame Xiao Jin for grinning so goofily; he was just profoundly relieved that he hadn't blurted anything out carelessly and made a fool of himself in front of the little lass.
"What? A wildflower? How on earth could Eldest Sister-in-law possibly like winter jasmine?" Xiao Jinying asked, putting on a show of surprise.
She was constantly looking for a way to outshine her sister-in-law, whose beauty was ethereal enough to rival a celestial fairy.
"What's so surprising about liking winter jasmine? Whatever flowers my wife fancies should fill the entire Xiao Estate. Concubine Wan, take some servants and go get it sorted out right now."
"Xiao Jin’s domineering way of speaking swept through like a gale, inspiring quiet awe and effortlessly radiating the fierce power and majesty of a man fiercely protective of his wife.
From every single angle, everyone could only see his peerlessly handsome profile. He was clearly smiling, yet it sent a shiver straight down everyone's spine.
It frightened Xiao Jinying into stumbling back six steps. "Eldest Brother, I... I was just curious, that's all."
"Liking winter jasmine is a wonderful thing. It ushers in the blooming of a hundred flowers, adding a touch of bright, vibrant color to nature." Xiao Litao shot a stern glare at Xiao Jinying.
"That's right! Winter jasmine is the very first flower to bloom among all the flowers of spring, which is why it's named Yingchun—Welcoming Spring." Xiao Lidong also shot a displeased glare at Xiao Jinying.
Seeing how fiercely her stepsons stood up for Wen Qingwan, Madam Wang no longer dared to harbor any thoughts of seizing control of the household.
She was terrified that if she failed to seize control of the household in the end and wound up with nowhere left to live, it wouldn't be worth the trouble at all.
Seeing his stepmother back down without a fight, and noticing that everyone's gazes toward his wife were reasonably respectful as well, Xiao Jin's expression softened slightly.
He instructed them in a reasonably amiable tone: "Everyone head back to your rooms to sleep. Don't bother waiting for me at breakfast tomorrow."
"Where are you heading tomorrow, Eldest Brother?"
"To attend the morning court and earn money to support the family." With that, Xiao Jin took Wen Qingwan by the hand and they headed off first.
All the way back to the courtyard, Xiao Jin did all the talking. Worried that the little lass might be feeling down after severing ties with her family, he was trying his best to cheer her up.
To Wen Qingwan, however, his eager display just felt long-winded and rambling, and she couldn't help but look down on him in her heart.
Having lived through a past life, Wen Qingwan had never held out any hope whatsoever for romantic love between a man and a woman, let alone any notions of marital affection.
That was why she wouldn't be taken in by Xiao Jin's sweet-talk, let alone lose her bearings with joy.
Xiao Jin talked the entire way, but seeing that she was completely impervious to his efforts, he had no choice but to go wash up with a helpless sigh.
After washing up, he saw the little lass looking completely on guard. With a resigned sigh, he neatly laid out the quilt in the middle and asked, "Wife, would you like to sleep on the inner side?"
"No, I prefer sleeping on the outer side," Wen Qingwan replied swiftly, as if afraid that hesitating for even a second would mean her spot getting switched.
She had slept very soundly these past two nights, dropping off and waking up only when the sky turned bright at dawn. It was a wonderful sleep she had never experienced in either of her two lifetimes.
That was why she had no intention of sleeping in separate beds from him; yet, she was afraid the man might wake up in the middle of the night and commit domestic violence against her, so she figured sleeping on the outer side would allow her to make a run for it at any moment.
Having no idea what was going on inside his wife's mind, Xiao Jin was simply glad to see that she was finally willing to talk to him.
Amused, he shook his head and chuckled, "Well, look who's finally willing to say something to me."
"When I need to speak, of course I'll speak. What's so strange about that?" she asked, looking at Xiao Jin with a puzzled expression.
"Whatever my wife says is always right. Let's get some rest early," Xiao Jin said with a helpless sigh, getting onto the bed first to lie down.
Seeing him get into bed and settle down, Wen Qingwan didn't dawdle either; she blew out the lamp, climbed into bed, and was fast asleep in no time.
Listening to her steady breathing and knowing she was fast asleep, Xiao Jin finally moved the middle quilt aside and pulled her into his arms.
The next day.
When Wen Qingwan woke up, Xiao Jin was already gone. Not seeing him there, she felt a strange sense of unaccustomed emptiness.
It was only after asking Jinlan that she found out the man had already gone off to attend the morning court session long ago.
Without Xiao Jin around for breakfast at the Xiao Manor, everyone felt much more relaxed—especially since today's meat buns had been replaced with crystal dumplings.
The shredded chicken porridge had been switched to sliced fish porridge, and everyone was served six crystal dumplings each. The young lads popped them down one by one, having an absolute blast eating.
The porridge was still limited to one bowl per person, but the steamed buns were all-you-can-eat, and everyone stuffed themselves full.
Right after breakfast, Wen Qingwan began assigning tasks. "Those heading to the estate to raise pigs can go draw some silver from the accounts office right now. You'll have lunch at the estate; if you want to come back for dinner, you may do so, and those who prefer not to return can also draw a living allowance for meals out."
"We'll be coming back for dinner!" Xiao Libo and the others chimed in quickly. Are you kidding? Life at the manor was so good right now—they were definitely coming back to eat.
"As for those who are studying, I'll be taking over and teaching for two hours today, and then the third brother will take over teaching after that, until the new tutor arrives and we can figure things out then."
In this lifetime, Wen Qingwan naturally hadn't studied under any famous master. However, in her previous life, after becoming empress, she had studied for a few years under Dong Mingyang, a great Confucian scholar renowned for his profound learning and unwavering moral integrity.
"Yay!" the young children cheered, jumping up and down with excitement.
They simply enjoyed learning from their beautiful eldest sister-in-law; they had no idea yet what true towering intellect and profound learning even meant.
Even Xiao Litao had no idea that Wen Qingwan possessed such profound scholarship. After all, his eldest sister-in-law was two years younger than him and had spent her life as a sheltered maiden in the boudoir.
Two hours later, Xiao Litao finally realized that his dozen-plus years of studying had all been for nothing—even his maternal grandfather couldn't possibly be as profoundly learned as his eldest sister-in-law!
Even Xiao Lixia, who usually hated studying, actually felt a sudden wave of total enlightenment. "Eldest sister-in-law," she blurted out, "why don't you just be the one to teach us from now on, how about it?"
"No way. Your eldest sister-in-law is busy running the household and simply doesn't have the time." Wen Qingwan refused flatly. She had zero intention of overworking herself.
"Well... do you think the new tutor will be as awesome as our eldest sister-in-law?" Xiao Lidong asked, still not quite ready to let the topic go.
"Oh, the tutor will definitely be much more formidable than your eldest sister-in-law. At the very least, they'll be a whole lot stricter," Wen Qingwan said with a smile.
She wisely kept to herself the fact that a proper tutor would be truly conscientious—and would happily smack the palms of any disobedient students with a ruler.
🐇♡🐇♡🐇♡🐇
Runa: “Xiao Jin, how did you feel when you learned your wife's favorite flower was just a little yellow wildflower?”
Xiao Jin: “I was relieved. I nearly praised it with a poem about peonies.”
Wen Qingwan: “Winter jasmine is pretty. What's wrong with that?”
Xiao Jin: “Nothing! Whatever my wife likes, I'll plant across the entire estate!”
Xiao Jinying: “Eldest Brother, you're spoiling her too much.”
Xiao Jin: “Then you can go admire the empty garden.”
Runa: “And how was your night together?”
Xiao Jin: “Wonderful. She finally spoke to me!”
Wen Qingwan: “I only told him which side of the bed I wanted.”
Xiao Jin: “Progress is progress.”
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