The Slender Waist-Chapter 616 - 445 Difficult Marriage Ties

Feng Yun rarely cooked herself, and mostly it was for Wen Xingsu.

Having resolved a knot in her heart, her entire being was brimming with cheerful smiles. Even the few cooks in the kitchen noticed that their mistress was in an exceptionally good mood today.

Before noon arrived, Pei Yao came over with Ao Qi, the newlyweds.

When Feng Yun received the news and came out to greet them, they had already reached the courtyard.

Pei Yao led Azuo and Azuo, walking ahead. The two little ones were chirping incessantly, as if there were endless things to talk about.

The newlywed couple, Ao Qi, followed behind in silence.

The newly married General Ao was out of his armor, wearing a new set of wide everyday clothing, looking handsome and upright. There was no joy on his face from being a groom, nor could any other peculiarities be seen.

The bride had her eyes cast down.

Feng Yun had not seen her very clearly the day before, but today, upon seeing her, she was taken aback.

She wasn’t the exceptionally stunning kind of beauty, but she possessed the look that Feng Yun favored—thick eyebrows, big eyes, high nose, deep-set eyes, walking with her belt fluttering crisply, decisive and neat, barely concealing her exotic charm and an innate wildness.

Azuo and Azuo ran up to Feng Yun when they saw her, flocking to her like birds to their nest, exceptionally affectionate.

"Aunt," Ao Qi also followed with a greeting.

Feng Yun responded with a smile.

Seeing that the bride did not react, Pei Yao cleared her throat lightly.

The bride still did not respond.

This was her first time seeing Feng Yun, and she was truly startled.

She had never seen such a stunningly beautiful woman before.

Her skin could actually be so fair and delicate, her waist so slender and soft, her chest rounded, legs long, shoulders slender, her every move carried with elegance...

In Heibei Gorge, on Cangyan Mountain, when had she ever seen such a beauty?

It was as if a celestial being had descended to earth, no?

She was dumbfounded.

It wasn’t until Pei Yao reminded her again with dissatisfaction that she came back to her senses. Without meaning to, her brows slightly twitched before she lowered her eyes and bowed to Feng Yun.

"I’ve seen my aunt."

Her words carried a heavy accent, but her voice was crisp.

Pei Yao was someone who greatly valued propriety and obviously felt that the bride lacked manners, so she didn’t look very pleased.

But Feng Yun was quite fond of her and smiled faintly.

"No need to be so formal, please come inside and sit."

Both bride and groom had little expression on their faces.

The atmosphere was off.

Pei Yao glanced at them and asked Feng Yun with a smile,

"Where is Ajue?"

"Inside, playing chess with my older brother."

"Playing chess? Since when did he start enjoying such elegant hobbies?"

Pei Yao looked surprised, but Feng Yun just smiled without saying much and welcomed them further inside.

A group of servants followed closely behind.

Feng Yun took a special look, noticing Cui Zhi was not among them.

She smiled faintly, not saying much, though Pei Yao was quite warm today.

"I could smell the delicious food from your estate from a great distance. What tasty dish are you preparing, sister-in-law?"

Feng Yun humored her with a few words.

Pei Yao said, "Sister-in-law, there’s no need for you to busy yourself. They came to offer tea to their uncle and aunt, and then they must leave. I’m only staying with the two children, and we won’t eat much. It’s better not to bother."

Her expression was slightly discontent.

"The Ao Family has a whole household to consider; we can’t focus solely on the Pei Family. If the young couple doesn’t go back, there would be talk..."

It dawned on Feng Yun that it was because of the separation between Ao Zheng and Pei Yao that Ao Qi and his new wife had to present tea to both families, honoring them at her mother’s home.

"It’s no trouble at all," Feng Yun smiled. "Even if you didn’t come, we’d have to eat. It’s just a matter of adding a few more pairs of chopsticks..."

"We will stay for the meal," Ao Qi suddenly said.

He glanced at Pei Yao and the new bride.

"I’ve sent someone to my father’s place to inform him."

Pei Yao’s face visibly brightened.

Naturally, she hoped her son would be on her side...

She smiled at Feng Yun, "Then we will really have to trouble you, aunt. This lad has a big appetite, he eats a lot..."

Feng Yun also smiled along, "Then it’s a good opportunity to try my cooking."

Ao Qi looked at her and said nothing.

After several people entered the main hall, tea was prepared, allowing the new bride to perform the tea ceremony for her uncle and aunt.

While Pei Yao was not particularly close to the new bride, she was not a malicious woman deep down, despite showing her feelings openly on her face. So, she didn’t purposely make things difficult for her.

In front of Pei Jue and Feng Yun, she specifically instructed that uncles should be treated like fathers and aunts like mothers; they are people whom the couple must respect. She reminded them to treat their parents with the same regard as they would their uncle and aunt.

The bride agreed hesitantly.

Ao Qi did not say much.

Feng Yun had prepared the gifts, and after the tea was served, she had the gifts brought forth.

"I hope the two of you will live in harmony and grow old together."

The gifts Feng Yun had prepared for Ao Qi were a pair of wrought-iron bracers, and for Amir, a small and exquisite crossbow.

Both were weapons, placed on trays lined with brocade. The sight took Pei Yao’s breath away.

Giving weapons to the bride and groom the day after the wedding...

Only her sister-in-law would do such a thing.

It was fortunate that this was in Huaxi, and she herself came from a family of Military Generals, so she was not particularly taboo. If this had been in the Ao Family, her mother-in-law would have probably had a fit and coughed up blood on the spot.

Feng Yun was completely unaware of Pei Yao’s inner turmoil, looking at the gift she had prepared with great care, her eyes were full of anticipation as she watched the newlyweds.

"Take a look, see if you like it."

Ao Qi took it and fastened the wrist guard on his hand.

There was a row of iron clasps that could be adjusted for size, and in a concealed part of the wrist guard, there was a hidden push axle...

He clenched his fist and pressed outward, and a sharp small knife sprang out from it.

A bright light flashed in Ao Qi’s eyes, and he suddenly looked up at Feng Yun, so surprised he didn’t know what to say...

Only Feng Yun understood his intention.

Pei Yao had not expected the wrist guard to possess such magic; all her previous thoughts had been cast to the winds, her surprise and curiosity prompting her to touch it.

"What a fine piece, where did you get this, sister-in-law?"

She understood better than anyone the importance of a good weapon to a soldier.

For the sister-in-law to give her son such a fine weapon was tantamount to prolonging her son’s life...

Feng Yun smiled and glanced at Amir, who was examining the crossbow, and said indifferently:

"I had it made at the Tu Family Fort. It’s good if the nephew and his wife like it."

Pei Jue looked at her and said nothing.

Others might not know, but he had an idea of the truth.

The tool workshop in Huaxi Village didn’t just make agricultural tools.

Their weapons-making skills, originating from the Tu Family Fort, had already come to match that of the Fort themselves; beneath the guise of making agricultural implements, they had in fact been forging weapons.

This thing must have come from the Huaxi Agricultural Tool Workshop...

Even he had not expected they could produce something so exquisite.

Moreover, the first one to receive it was not him, but Ao Qi.

He glanced at Feng Yun.

Feng Yun, sensing his gaze, smiled faintly.

"Do you like it, my niece-in-law?"

"I like it, I really like it," Amir exclaimed excitedly like a child.

Since she had entered the family the previous day, this was the first time Feng Yun saw her smile so openly, visibly rejoicing.

To give a gift is to hope for it to be liked.

Feng Yun was also very pleased.

"As long as you like it, that’s good. It’s about time for dinner, let’s take our seats."

-

The food was laid out on the wooden counter, and everyone took their seats.

There were no greasy meats, mostly homely dishes, but Feng Yun had put great thought into preparation; the dishes looked unimpressive but tasted exceptionally good.

The two children clamored to stay in Huaxi.

A hint of unexpected delight showed on Amir’s face.

"Delicious."

She spoke softly, sipping the tile pot soup made with minced meat and egg dumplings with vegetable hearts, when she suddenly glanced sideways at Ao Qi sitting beside her and lowered her voice.

"This is what you like, isn’t it?"

Ao Qi’s heart skipped a beat, startled, he quickly turned his head and stared at her intently.

The clatter of bowls and chopsticks made a loud noise.

Everyone looked over.

Ao Qi managed a stiff smile.

"Burned my hand."

Pei Yao, concerned for her son, complained, "At your age, you still manage to burn yourself eating..."

Ao Qi bowed his head and said no more, and the bride-to-be also lowered her eyes, eating her meal seriously and quickly.

After a long while, when no one was paying attention to them anymore, Ao Qi couldn’t help it and asked her:

"What do you mean?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Amir looked at him, puzzled.

"What you said just now," Ao Qi clarified.

"Isn’t it?" asked Amir, and seeing his face darken, she pointed at the dish, "Isn’t this what you like?"

Ao Qi’s back was covered in a cold sweat from the shock he had received.

Realizing his own misunderstanding, he relaxed and grunted noncommittally.

Amir laughed, "Your aunt is also very amiable."

Ao Qi’s back stiffened once again.

The two spoke in hushed tones, seated at the lower end, away from the elders, so no one else overheard.

But when Feng Yun saw their eyes meet and they whispered to each other, she felt oddly reassured...

A man truly matures only after getting married.

The new bride seemed very satisfactory; she imagined their wedding night must be joyful.

The Ao Family left shortly after the meal.

Azuo and Ayou made a fuss for a while until Ao Qi scooped them up and put them in the carriage.

When Feng Yun came out after changing her clothes, she saw Wen Xingsu waiting in the courtyard, breathing the cold air, his figure under the camphor tree was tall and solitary. He raised his eyes and looked at two birds perching on a tree branch, motionless for a long time.

She was surprised.

"Brother, do you have something to say?"

Wen Xingsu turned his head, his lips curving into a faint smile.

"Yaoyao, I come to take my leave."