Chapter 344: Sleeping in Separate Rooms

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Sleeping in Separate Rooms

Early the next morning, right on time, Widow Xie came over to unlock their door.

As soon as she reached the door of the bridal chamber, she heard a sound from inside.

She quietly pricked up her ears and pressed them against the door.

"Be gentler... You’re so clumsy..."

Widow Xie was instantly mortified.

She wanted to leave, but felt she couldn’t.

’And to think I thought Guan Shan knew how to be considerate. But here he was, first thing in the morning... Hadn’t they had enough last night?’

’Ji Huan’s small frame couldn’t possibly withstand such rough treatment.’

Widow Xie steeled her resolve, quickly untied the red silk from the door, took a breath, and let out a loud, full-throated cough at the crack of the door.

The noise inside came to an abrupt halt.

It was immediately followed by another sound, but this time it was footsteps.

Before Widow Xie could decide what expression to put on, the door was pulled open.

"Aunt Xie, you’re finally here!"

Widow Xie stared blankly at the fully dressed Ji Huan, and behind her, the equally neat Guan Shan, unable to process the scene.

"You two..."

Ji Huan pulled her over to the writing desk.

"Quick, help me undo my hair in the back! Guan Shan is so clumsy, he’s about to rip my scalp off!"

She had slept in her full wedding regalia last night and forgotten to take her hair down.

When she woke up in the morning with nothing to do and sat in silence with Guan Shan, she decided to take down her hair and comb it. That’s when the tragedy struck.

When Aunt Gao had done her hair, she had only felt that the technique was a bit complicated, but once the coiffure was complete, it hadn’t looked too difficult. Who knew it would be so incredibly troublesome to undo? And after being pressed against a pillow all night, some parts had become tangled together.

Ji Huan couldn’t see the back and tugged a few times, wincing in pain.

At that moment, Guan Shan, who had been watching silently from the side, walked over. He pressed her down into a horseshoe-back chair and said, "I’ll do it."

Before Ji Huan could protest, he had already started.

Despite how calm Guan Shan sounded, he had no idea how to undo it. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter, his expression as grave as if he were disarming a landmine. Although Ji Huan could feel him trying to be as gentle as possible, he still pulled her hair painfully several times.

She clutched the lock of hair at the back of her head and shot Guan Shan a sideways glance.

Guan Shan looked a little embarrassed and turned his head, avoiding her gaze.

When Widow Xie heard this, she realized it wasn’t what she had thought, and her face instantly broke into a wide smile.

"I thought it was... Let go, let me do it. You’re really quite hopeless."

Although Widow Xie didn’t know how to create any fancy styles, undoing a coiffure was a piece of cake for her. It was done in just a few moments.

Ji Huan took the comb, smoothed out her hair, and casually styled it the way she usually wore it.

Aunt Xie said, "Why is your hair still down? You’re a married woman now, you should wear it up."

Ji Huan gestured to the ends of her hair, which reached her waist.

"It’s so long, it would be heavy to put it all up. Besides, I don’t know any fancy styles. I’ve seen other young wives who wear it half-up, half-down, haven’t I?"

In the Great Zhou, married women in earlier years did indeed have to wear all their hair up. Nowadays, it wasn’t forbidden to leave half of it down, but it had to be tied up.

"Well, I can never win an argument with you."

Aunt Xie shot her a look, then suddenly noticed she was still in her wedding clothes, as was Guan Shan.

"Why are you two..."

Ji Huan and Guan Shan exchanged a look. ’Oh no,’ she thought, ’how could we have forgotten about that?’

"Um, well, Guan Shan doesn’t have any other clothes to wear. It’s getting colder by the day, and his old clothes are too thin... Since he has nothing to change into, I can only keep him company by wearing my wedding dress."

Aunt Xie didn’t think too much of it. "Don’t worry. I worked by the lamp last night and cut the fabric, and even got a few stitches in. I’ll go back and continue working on it in a bit. He’ll have new clothes to wear by nightfall at the latest."

"We’re troubling you, Aunt Xie..." ’She says "a few stitches,"’ Ji Huan thought, ’but who knows how late she stayed up?’

"What silly things are you saying? Go change your clothes first, then come out and wash your face. I’ll go make you two some food."

For the first three days of marriage, the new bride was queen. According to custom, she didn’t have to do any housework.

That was why Aunt Xie had said she would come over and cook for them for three days. Ji Huan wouldn’t have to do a thing, ensuring she wouldn’t have to toil for the rest of her life.

Ji Huan thought this was complete nonsense.

’Even if I lived like an empress dowager for the first three days, it’s no guarantee that the rest of my life would be smooth sailing, right?’

But of course, she couldn’t say that directly to Aunt Xie.

She only said that many new brides in the village went right to work the afternoon after their morning wedding ceremony, so she, having brought in a live-in husband, didn’t need to be so particular about customs.

Aunt Xie shut her down with a single line: "They are them, and you are you."

After giving her instructions, Aunt Xie went to the kitchen. Ji Huan ushered Guan Shan out as well, then quickly changed out of her wedding dress and went to the west room.

Seeing that Dabao wasn’t awake yet, she tiptoed out, closed the door, and went to the kitchen.

There, she was surprised to find Guan Shan tending the stove for Aunt Xie.

Tsk, tsk. ’He really knows how to make a good impression.’

Aunt Xie’s opinion of Guan Shan had gone from initial hesitation to, after yesterday and now this moment, growing satisfaction.

When Ji Huan finished washing up, Aunt Xie handed her an egg, telling her to peel it and eat it quickly.

Ji Huan didn’t know why, but she was indeed a bit hungry, so she took it and popped it into her mouth.

She was about to break off half for Guan Shan but was stopped by Aunt Xie.

"This is the first egg laid by a new hen. It’s called a ’first-born egg.’ The old saying goes that eating one will help you have a precious son soon. It’s for you to eat. Guan Shan doesn’t need—"

"PFFT!"

Ji Huan sprayed out the half-eaten egg she had just swallowed.

For wasting the "first-born egg," Ji Huan was scolded all morning. Guan Shan, who hadn’t eaten the egg, watched the whole show from start to finish without saying a single word.

Aunt Xie left as soon as she finished cooking, refusing to stay for the meal no matter what. Only Ji Huan, Guan Shan, and Dabao were at the dining table.

Dabao had been sulking ever since he got out of bed. His eyes were practically glued to Guan Shan. When he saw Guan Shan and Ji Huan picking up food in near-perfect sync, his little face fell even more.

He suddenly stood up, picked up his bowl, and went around to Ji Huan’s side, insisting on squeezing onto her chair and having her feed him.

How could Ji Huan not see through his childish little ploy?

To soothe his wounded little heart, Ji Huan played along completely. Whatever he wanted to eat, she picked up for him; whatever he wanted to drink, she gave him. You could say she was utterly doting.

Dabao’s expression brightened slightly, and he shot another glance in Guan Shan’s direction.

Guan Shan ate his own food as if nothing was wrong. When he finished, he put down his bowl and finally spoke.

"You’re six this year, aren’t you? Still need someone to feed you. Do you wet the bed?"

Dabao’s little face fell.

"He’s not usually like this... Dabao is very capable. He eats and gets dressed all by himself now, right, Dabao?"

After saying this, Ji Huan shot Guan Shan a meaningful look.

Guan Shan said no more.

When Ji Mingfang arrived for class as usual, Dabao absolutely refused to enter the west room, clinging to Ji Huan wherever she went.

Ji Mingfang suppressed a laugh and said he would just review at home for the next couple of days and come back when Dabao had readjusted.

After Ji Mingfang left, Ji Huan hauled Dabao outside the main hall.

"What’s going on? Didn’t we pinky-promise?"

"You’re sleeping in the same room as him."

There was an accusatory tone in Dabao’s voice. He was probably trying to say that since he had been kicked out to the west room, what right did Guan Shan have to move in?

Ji Huan didn’t know how he had found out and explained with some embarrassment.

"He’s not going to live in the same room as me. Last night was a special situation. He’s moving back to his own room today. I’m only telling you this, so you can’t tell anyone else. Otherwise, he really will have to live with me."

"Really?" Dabao was skeptical.

Ji Huan raised her hand in a pledge. "If I’m lying, I’m Dahuang."

Dabao knew that whenever Ji Huan said she was Dahuang, it was basically the equivalent of a solemn oath.

"Okay then, I won’t tell anyone."

Having placated the little terror, Ji Huan called Guan Shan out. "Let’s go get your room ready."

This time, it was Guan Shan’s turn to look sullen.

Ji Huan: "..." ’What did I do to deserve this?’