Chapter 181: First Day Of The Lunar New Year
At night, Da Qiao lay in her husband’s arms and whispered softly: “You’re right, A Yu really isn’t ready yet, but how did you see that, husband?”
Gan Ning laughed: “You’re her older sister, yet you don’t know her personality?”
“How wouldn’t I know? I know exactly what she’s thinking.”
“Actually, you don’t know!”
Gan Ning said slowly: “Tomorrow she’ll be fifteen, but her real mental age is at most twelve or thirteen. She’s afraid others will laugh at her, so she pretends to be very mature. She acts like she understands all about male-female relations, but it’s all pretense. If you really make her face it, she’s scared out of her wits.”
Da Qiao sighed, “I really didn’t see that she was pretending. I thought she was looking forward to it!”
Da Qiao asked again: “Then how did you discover that her mind isn’t mature yet, husband?”
“Some things are called being true to oneself inside and out. Whatever she’s thinking inside, her body will show it. Look, although A Yu is tall, her body is still like a bamboo pole, her female parts haven’t started developing yet. Once her body’s feminine aspects start developing, she’ll naturally look forward to male-female matters in her heart. Only then can she be said to be mentally ready.”
Da Qiao thought about it, and it really was like that. Her own breasts had grown bigger and bigger, and only then did she suddenly have those shameful thoughts. So this was what being mentally ready meant.
“I understand. I’ll pay attention. Yun Qing should be ready though! Hers is”
Gan Ning interrupted her: “I told you during the day, Xu Wei has to face a choice between two: me or her father. I want her to be a bit more mature before making the choice.”
“Oh! I almost forgot again if you hadn’t said it, husband.”
“Sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow! Lots of things to do.”
Gan Ning thought of tomorrow’s matters and felt a headache coming on.
Xu Wei got up very early. She felt a bit disappointed in her heart. She had anticipated it for a year, and finally New Year’s Eve had arrived. She was waiting for the chance to share a room with Gan Lang, but this night had passed so calmly again.
“Does he still think I’m not ready?”
Xu Wei felt wronged in her heart and couldn’t help shouting inwardly: “Gan Lang, I’m already ready. How don’t you know?”
“What are you thinking?” Gan Ning’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Xu Wei looked up and saw Gan Lang standing at the door, looking at her with a half-smile.
Her pretty face instantly turned bright red. She hurriedly stood up, lowered her head, and said softly: “N-nothing?”
Gan Ning walked in and handed her an envelope: “This is your New Year’s reward. It’s the same as Xiao Qiao’s. Da Qiao gets a bit more than you two.”
“I don’t spend much. My usual monthly allowance is enough.”
“This is actually your dowry. Save it up!”
Xu Wei nodded lightly: “Thank you, Gan Lang!”
“Why aren’t you lively today? Something on your mind?” Gan Ning gently pulled her into his arms and asked.
Xu Wei buried her head in his chest shyly: “I left the door open for you last night, but you didn’t come!”
“You little fool, why didn’t you hint at me?”
“H-how should I hint?”
“Yesterday afternoon, your older sister asked you to bathe together, but didn’t you refuse? You wouldn’t even let me see your body. How was I supposed to know what you were thinking!”
“No, it’s not like that. I just… I was just embarrassed to bathe with so many people. If it was just bathing with Gan Lang, I’d be willing.”
Gan Ning thought for a moment and said: “Write another letter to your father! Make your attitude clear. Your father still won’t agree, and that’s a big obstacle between us. I’m worried you two father and daughter will fall out and become strangers forever.”
“I don’t care!”
Xu Wei shook her head: “I’ve already made up my mind. I’m pursuing my own happiness. If he doesn’t recognize me as his daughter, I don’t care!”
Gan Ning kissed her. After a good while, he gently stroked Xu Wei’s beautiful hair and said: “Listen to me. Write another good letter to your father. If he still doesn’t agree, then when you’re sixteen, I’ll give you a choice. If you still choose me that day, we’ll hold a ceremony and formally take you into the room.”
“Do I have to wait another year?”
“A year passes in a flash. Think about last year’s first day of the Lunar New Year—it feels like it was yesterday, but a year has already gone by.”
Xu Wei nodded lightly: “I’ll wait patiently!”
“Alright, later come with your older sister to give out New Year’s rewards to the servants.”
“Mm!”
Gan Ning kissed her pretty face again before turning to leave.
As soon as Gan Ning left, Xiao Qiao slipped into Xu Wei’s room: “Yun Qing, how much did Gan Lang give you?”
“I haven’t looked yet!”
“Open it and see quickly!”
Xu Wei picked up the envelope from on the desk, opened it, and inside were two pieces of silk brocade: one said three hundred taels of gold, the other five hundred taels of gold, with Gan Ning’s signature below. They could take them to the accountant to collect the gold, but of course they wouldn’t take it away—instead, they’d put it in their little storerooms.
“Huh? Why do you have two?”
“I don’t know either!”
Xu Wei also felt it was strange. She looked closely and then smiled embarrassedly: “This three hundred taels is from last year, the five hundred is this year’s.”
Xiao Qiao then remembered: “Right, you came back last year on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year. You weren’t here in the morning when the New Year’s rewards were given out, so Gan Lang made up for it this year. We’re the same!”
“So much gold, it’s too much.”
Xiao Qiao rolled her eyes at her: “Some people complain they have too little money. This is our dowry. No matter who we marry in the future, we’ll have confidence.”
Xu Wei said irritably: “Who else do you want to marry?”
“Hee hee! Just joking! But… what if Gan Lang really doesn’t want us? I thought we’d consummate last night.”
Xu Wei sighed: “A Yu, have you seen any noble or vassal lord who cares about a girl’s young age? Some men like girls the younger the better. Gan Lang is doing this for our good, worried that consummating too early would harm our bodies. You won’t find such a husband even with a lantern. And you still want to find someone else?”
“I was just joking. I’ve never thought of finding someone else.” Xiao Qiao suddenly glared at Xu Wei like an angry little wildcat.
Xu Wei smiled, took her arm, and said: “I know you’re joking. Let’s go! Time for breakfast.”
Xiao Qiao pleaded softly again: “Xu older sister, I really was joking. Please don’t tell Gan Lang. He’ll be angry.”
“Look at your tiny courage. I guarantee I won’t say.”
Xiao Qiao finally relaxed and went to the dining hall with Xu Wei, chatting and laughing.
In the afternoon, Da Qiao prepared hot water, waiting for her husband to return drunk. Every year on the first day of the Lunar New Year, her husband would get completely drunk—it had become a tradition.
At that moment, a maidservant called out loudly: “Master is back!”
Da Qiao hurried to greet him, but suddenly froze. She saw her husband with a flushed face from drinking, yet full of energy, without any sign of being drunk.
“Husband, why aren’t you drunk?”
Gan Ning waved his hand with a smile: “Starting this year, the rules have changed. Every time the officers and soldiers toast me, I just drink one small cup. No need to drink a big bowl each time like before and end up dead drunk.”
Da Qiao let out a long breath of relief: “That’s great!”
“I’ll rest in the study. Prepare a pot of hot tea for me. I’m very thirsty.”
Although Gan Ning wasn’t drunk, he was still a bit unsteady on his feet as he walked to the back courtyard. Xiao Qiao and Xu Wei hurried to support him, one on each side, while Da Qiao prepared hot tea.
Gan Ning looked at the three women bustling around serving him and sighed happily: “Having three wives is really great!”
