The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 587 - 554: An Incident at Ruyi Courtyard (Part 2)
Xu Jia returned to Zilan Courtyard, and from afar she saw Mo Xiang standing outside, looking rather displeased.
"What’s wrong?" Xu Jia walked over and asked softly.
Mo Xiang hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Miss, the master is in your inner chamber."
Xu Jia’s brow twitched as she opened the curtain and rushed into the inner chamber, where she saw Tang Yuan sitting on the Arhat Bed, which was part of her dowry. In his hands, he held the military book that she had casually placed on the three-legged round table before visiting her mother-in-law.
"It’s not even dark yet, why is the Second Master here?" Xu Jia was very disgusted by this man’s fingers on her belongings, but this was the Tang Family, and he was the future Family Head; the entire family was under his control. If she rashly asked him to leave, he would turn it around on her, so she had to suppress her temper.
Tang Yuan lifted his gaze at the sound, a rare softness appearing between his handsome brows, "Is this book yours?"
"Part of the dowry." Xu Jia’s expression was emotionless.
"I didn’t expect you to understand military strategy."
With this sentence, Tang Yuan sighed from the bottom of his heart. He increasingly felt that he knew too little about his wife, and every bit he learned brought him a sense of discovering something new.
Managing the household internally and understanding military tactics externally, he was very curious about what else she might possess that he didn’t know.
Xu Jia sat down nearby, pouring herself some tea, "Second Master’s thoughts are spent elsewhere; it’s normal not to understand me."
Tang Yuan closed the military book, looking at her seriously, "Life moves forward; can we stop arguing every time we meet? Besides, besides..."
At this point, he seemed unable to continue, his voice growing weaker, a faint blush appearing on his handsome face.
Xu Jia: "Besides what?"
"Tonight we are to become true husband and wife; we can’t proceed in an atmosphere of arguing, can we?"
Whether it was an illusion or not, she actually saw a hint of shyness in his eyes.
Xu Jia felt a chill run down her spine; why did this man give her the impression of being inexperienced?
Could it be that nothing happened between him and Jiang Qingyu?
No, impossible.
Xu Jia quickly dismissed the idea.
Tang Yuan cared so much for Jiang Qingyu. Ever since Jiang Qingyu went to the manor, he had secretly visited her many times; a man and woman alone in such a place, it’s hard to believe they just chatted under the covers without doing anything.
Thinking of Tang Yuan touching her eldest sister-in-law, Xu Jia felt disgusted and didn’t want him to continue sitting on her Arhat Bed, but couldn’t directly tell him to leave, so she urged him, "Go bathe."
Don’t sully her things.
For once, Tang Yuan didn’t retort, put the book down, and walked out.
After the man left, Xu Jia fetched a clean velvet towel and wiped where he had sat several times, as if to remove something dirty.
When Mo Xiang came in and saw, she curiously asked, "Miss, is there something on the Arhat Bed?"
Only then did Xu Jia stop, calmly replying, "I accidentally spilled some tea earlier."
Mo Xiang said "oh" and glanced outside, seeing no one, she lowered her voice, "Miss, are you really going to consummate with the master tonight?"
Normally, such matters wouldn’t be for a servant to ask, but Mo Xiang felt it was unjust; her own Miss was so perfect like a jade cabbage, and even marrying the Crown Prince would be fitting, yet she was to be taken by a man from the Tang Family.
Great Chu did not restrict divorce or remarriage, even widows were allowed to remarry. There were so many good men in the world; Miss truly didn’t need to bind herself to this one tree.
Xu Jia watched the little maid’s frustrated look for her and chuckled, "Tonight there will be a good show to watch."
Mo Xiang’s eyes lit up, "Does this mean Miss is only acting?"
"What else did you think?"
Mo Xiang patted her chest, "You scared me; I thought you were really going to consummate with the master."
...
That night, the moon was bright and stars sparse.
Tang Yuan, who had bathed and changed into clean robes, entered Xu Jia’s room, only to see his newlywed wife sitting at the writing desk. It seemed she hadn’t bathed long before; her half-wet long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, the palace gauze lamp beside the desk casting a warm yellow light that made her daytime cold and indifferent face appear gentle and serene.
Tang Yuan’s gaze lingered on her earnest little face for a moment.
Seeing she showed no intention of acknowledging him, Tang Yuan couldn’t help but ask, "Second Lady, aren’t you planning to rest?"
Xu Jia raised her eyelids slightly, her gaze sweeping over the man indifferently, "I have a fixed schedule, and it’s not yet the hour."
Tang Yuan was stunned.
Xu Jia’s schedule was regular; she got up early to exercise, then had breakfast before handling affairs in the front hall. After lunch, she napped for half an hour, spent the afternoon either calculating accounts or reading books, and at night, she slept when it was time. These trivial matters he’d been told before, but hadn’t paid much attention to. Now witnessing it, a feeling arose in him, something he couldn’t quite define.
Noticing the man’s eyes lingering on her, Xu Jia wasn’t uncomfortable at all. She didn’t tell Tang Yuan to sleep first; the bed was part of her dowry, and she didn’t want him to dirty it.
Leaving him coldly aside like this made Tang Yuan feel very awkward, but soon he made a forced explanation for her indifference.
It was their first time, and presumably, she was embarrassed, just not showing it on her face.
No worries, he’d wait a bit longer.
Sitting under the light reading a book, Xu Jia never expected that without saying anything, her newfound husband had already imagined so much.
She turned a page, unable to resist a yawn.
Actually feeling somewhat sleepy, but still waiting.
She had provoked Jiang Qingyu quite a bit today, knowing Tang Yuan planned to spend the night in Zilan Courtyard. Jiang Qingyu was surely infuriated, and given her nature, wouldn’t let things go easily, so tonight there would definitely be commotion.
Thinking of this, Xu Jia asked Mo Xiang to come in and extinguish the extra candles, leaving just the lamp on her writing desk.
Tang Yuan sat in a shadow, thinking about what was about to happen, his heart heating up uncontrollably again.
To avoid embarrassment, before coming he had specially sought out graphic novels with illustrations to study.
But before he could ponder further, sudden screams sounded outside from the servants, "Something’s wrong, there’s a fire, Ruyi Courtyard is on fire!"
Soon, Mo Xiang brought the news inside, "Miss, Master, Ruyi Courtyard has trouble."
Tang Yuan’s face changed dramatically, abandoning all thoughts of intimacy, catching neither the chance to bid Xu Jia goodbye before rushing to Ruyi Courtyard.
Mo Xiang watched the master’s hurried manner, dumbfounded, looked at Xu Jia sitting calm at the writing desk, "The master...?"
This reaction was too bizarre.
Tonight was meant to be the big night of finally consummating their marriage, even if trouble arose in Ruyi Courtyard, there were servants to handle it. No matter how busy, shouldn’t he at least explain to Miss before leaving?
Seeing a meaningful smile play at Miss’s lips, Mo Xiang suddenly realized something, holding her mouth to restrain gasps of surprise.
The "good show" Miss spoke of, could it be implying the master and the elder sister-in-law?
But they were uncle-in-law and sister-in-law!
The more she pondered, the more Mo Xiang felt fear creeping in, sweat covering her back in the cold weather.
"Mi-Miss..." Mo Xiang swallowed with difficulty, dared not utter more, gesturing first at Zilan Courtyard, then at Ruyi Courtyard, the meaning clear, pointing to Tang Yuan and Jiang Qingyu.
Xu Jia understood her meaning, smiling faintly, "As long as you know, don’t spread it around."
After all, she was still the Tang Family’s Second Lady. If word got out that her man abandoned her to seek out her sister-in-law, the reputation would not sound favorable.
This implied confirmation from Miss.
Mo Xiang remained somewhat startled.
Before she could say more, Xu Jia stood up, casually pinning her hair up with a jade hairpin, her voice calm, "They’re making such a big scene at Ruyi Courtyard; we must show up, the concern that needs to be shown can’t be lacking."
Mo Xiang breathed a sigh, nodding repeatedly, picking up a sheepskin lantern to lead the way, the mistress and servant walking leisurely towards Ruyi Courtyard.
Ruyi Courtyard was in chaos now; it’s said the servants accidentally knocked over a candle, causing a fire. The elder sister-in-law got injured while rescuing Young Master Yong from the fire.
This news came from a young servant who helped extinguish the flames.
Xu Jia initially intended to ask where the sister-in-law was hurt, thinking it over she decided not to ask, planning to look herself.
She and Mo Xiang deliberately delayed their arrival; the fire had already been mostly extinguished. The room burned was Tang Yong’s, ruined mostly.
Tang Yong was now hiding in Grandmother Mrs. Qiao’s embrace, shivering uncontrollably with fear.
He was alright; Jiang Qingyu was the one injured. After pushing Tang Yong out, she fainted in the flames; it was Second Master who carried her out, and now she lay on the long couch in her room with servants already sent to fetch a doctor.
