Only the foot knows whether the shoe is comfortable. After sleeping together for one night, the situation improved. When there’s no choice, going with the flow is perhaps the best method.
Early in the morning, Huan Niang sighed seeing Na Rimu bouncing around full of energy. Which family’s new bride doesn’t walk unsteadily with a sickly appearance on the second day? Why didn’t this foolish girl, who was even closer to her than a daughter, understand this principle? She was actually competing with Xiao Ya in tree climbing.
Old Madam smiled like a blooming flower. Aunts and sisters-in-law all accompanied Old Madam, covering their mouths to stifle laughter. Xinyue’s face was so red it seemed ready to seep blood. Wringing her handkerchief, she neither knew whether to walk away nor to stay.
The matter of three people sleeping in one room last night—several elders in the family all knew. Seeing Na Rimu jumping up and down early in the morning touring her new home, how could they not understand Xinyue’s little scheme?
Old Madam now managed nothing all day, just smiled cheerfully preparing to hold her grandchild. Every morning a bowl of milk, two eggs, never interrupted. She said she wanted to live a few more years, to see the Yun family full of descendants before going to meet the ancestors.
Yun Ye and Shishi lay sprawled at the table eating breakfast. Shishi was still the most obedient, accompanying her master for meals every day. Unlike Xiao Ya and the others—some counting money, some practicing martial arts—not one with any conscience. Yun Ye discovered that the younger sisters he had educated seemed different from other families’ daughters. Their independence seemed stronger, and their self-esteem seemed terribly strong as well.
When Yiniang married, Xinyue prepared a generous dowry. Yun Ye added quite a bit more. Grandmother, aunts, and sisters-in-law all took part of their stipends to subsidize this motherless child.
When Yun Ye carried Yiniang out the door to put her in the carriage, she clutched his robe refusing to let go. Tears ruined the makeup just painted on her face.
Yun Ye was also uncomfortable. Yiniang had always been gentle and pleasant. Now she was marrying that fellow sitting proudly on his horse—this fellow was getting a great bargain.
“Yiniang, if that young fellow dares bully you, tell your brother. I’ll come back and break his legs.”
Whether Yun Ye was willing or not, Yiniang had to marry. Watching the wedding procession leave in grand fashion, Yun Ye’s mood became increasingly terrible.
Runniang was now very obedient, hiding at home without going out, earnestly studying with her literature teacher. A few days ago she could already recite the Thousand Character Classic. Very good. Just those two lynxes the Qin family sent over were hard to handle—every day someone had to lead them out for a walk.
Na Rimu loved the family garden very much. Seeing chrysanthemums, she plucked a large one, inserted it in her hair, and kept asking Yun Ye if she looked good.
The persimmon tree was hung full of red autumn persimmons. They were only good to eat after a frost. Na Rimu didn’t care about that. She took a bamboo pole herself and poked them down, having a maid catch them. Poor maid—using her skirt to catch them, when she misjudged they hit her on the head. With a forehead full of persimmon pulp, she wanted to cry but didn’t dare.
Yun Ye couldn’t watch anymore. He took her bamboo pole, bent a hook with thin iron sheet, and sewed a cloth pouch below. Now she only needed to hook the persimmons down with the iron sheet and they would fall into the pouch, the persimmons completely undamaged.
The problem of picking persimmons was solved, but eating persimmons created another problem. The foolish girl stuffed them in her mouth without even peeling the skin. By the time Yun Ye discovered this, her mouth was so numb she couldn’t speak. He didn’t understand how she had eaten such astringent persimmons.
Seeing she still looked like she very much wanted to eat them, Yun Ye had no choice but to make persimmon cakes for her.
He put the peeled persimmons in a flour well, chopped them into pulp, kneaded the dough well, added a bit of butter, and finally griddled them on an iron plate. Fortunately, it was very successful—the taste fragrant and sweet, the aroma pleasant.
Yun Ye’s patience always lasted only a moment. Having made one batch, he absolutely wouldn’t do it a second time. However, seeing Na Rimu take a plate of persimmon cakes to Grandmother, aunts, sisters-in-law, and Huan Niang, then run back like a little dog preparing to have Yun Ye make them again.
“Tsk tsk tsk, truly one only remembers the new person’s smile and forgets the old person’s tears. Making food and I don’t even get a share. It seems the child in my belly also has no one to cherish.”
Although Xinyue got along extremely well with Na Rimu, her mouth never spared anyone. She most couldn’t stand Yun Ye and Na Rimu acting alone and leaving her aside.
What more could be said? These days were like torture. Even sleeping with Na Rimu required constant vigilance against Xinyue bursting in.
Finally having an opportunity to be alone with Na Rimu and complete the rites of Duke Zhou, before dawn broke, Xinyue was clamoring to see the new bride. The new groom didn’t count for anything—pushed aside. She lifted the blanket herself to look at the naked new bride, her ice-cold hands fresh from the well water groping randomly over Na Rimu’s body, provoking jabbering protests. Then, heart satisfied, she slapped the new groom’s bare back twice, laughed twice toward heaven, and went out triumphantly, leaving only two newlyweds clutching blankets and staring at each other in dismay.
“If you want to eat, just say so. Don’t speak strangely. I’ll make more.”
This woman was nearly crazy now—couldn’t be provoked. Yun Ye continued his previous work. As soon as the persimmon cakes came out, they were monopolized by Xinyue. She took three for herself, only giving Na Rimu one—the division was clear.
Shaking his head, he pulled both women back into the room and said: “The whole family is laughing at us like this. How about this—let’s three go live in the small building. We won’t bring anyone, just us three. We don’t even need maids—we’ll spend a few days relaxed.”
This proposal received unanimous agreement from both, though they wouldn’t go to the small building but rather to Chang’an, to live in the courtyard in Xinghua Ward. Maids were necessary, and family guards too, otherwise they’d be laughed at. Anyone who dared gossip would immediately be served with a beating.
Watching the official noblewoman issue commands in great authority, Yun Ye said to Na Rimu: “Your imposing manner still won’t do.”
Following suit, Na Rimu felt she needed to strengthen her studies. She followed behind Xinyue learning meticulously—from hairstyle to dressing, then to walking and speaking tone—learning everything without exception. Even Xinyue’s teapot-like manner of scolding maids, she learned to perfection.
The north wind tightened. Snow should be falling on the grasslands. Na Rimu couldn’t return, and Yun Ye had no preparation to let her go back to the grasslands. Spending the dead of winter on the grasslands was just suffering. Now the grasslands had Yun family’s non-Han stewards managing things. It didn’t matter that Na Rimu couldn’t return—she could go back when spring warmed and flowers bloomed. Grassland flowers would wither in a greenhouse.
These past few days, Na Rimu kept mentioning whether those lambs could safely pass the winter. Yun Ye knew—she missed the grasslands.
“If you miss the grasslands, just sing some songs. Haven’t you always wanted to sing? Just sing.”
“It won’t do, brother. This is Chang’an, not the grasslands. If I sing randomly, others will laugh at you.” Na Rimu squatted down, took off Yun Ye’s shoes, and changed him into a pair of warm slippers that had been heated, looking up at Yun Ye as she spoke.
“It doesn’t matter. Tonight I’ll take you to a good place. You can sing properly there. I’ll sing with you, and my lady will also go—just us three. If you like, we’ll sing all night. Na Rimu’s songs—I’ll never tire of hearing them.”
Tang dynasty women couldn’t resist sweet words. Whether sophisticated talented ladies from the capital or innocent carefree girls from the grasslands, hearing Yun Ye’s dry and tasteless sweet words, their eyes would fill with tears, their whole bodies would heat up, and their legs would go weak.
Xinyue’s belly grew increasingly large, making movement very laborious. Looking at her, it was like she had swallowed a basketball, holding her belly and groaning all day.
Several times, Yun Ye lifted her clothes to look at her shiny stretched belly, worrying for her. The fine blue blood vessels on top were clearly visible. He always worried her belly would burst from the strain.
Pregnant women appeared clumsy doing anything. Serving Xinyue with dressing, putting on shoes—Yun Ye never let anyone else do it. Even the frequent night trips to the toilet, Yun Ye personally attended to.
She cramped easily. Daily massage of her calves and feet—Yun Ye rigidly stipulated the time, never interrupting. As for matters outside the small family, he turned a deaf ear. Even Cheng Chumo and Niu Jianhu could barely see him a few times. So Chang’an began to laugh at Yun Ye for being immersed in tender pleasures unable to extricate himself.
This was a small matter. Tonight’s surprise for Na Rimu was the major matter Yun Ye cared about. As for trivial things like the Xueyantuo provoking the Western Turks and having their envoys’ heads speared on iron lances as a warning to all quarters—these didn’t fall within Yun Ye’s range of concern.
The Great Elder of Tuyuhun killing himself by ramming his head against a pillar at the Great Tang’s Yannian Hall door was even less connected to Yun Ye. If one wanted to die, no one could stop them.
Steward Lin indeed lived up to expectations. According to news transmitted back, the Korean king extremely loved glass items, especially a glass orb he praised as rare in the human world, hard to find on earth. Disregarding his ministers’ opposition, he insisted on exchanging grain stores from Yong’an’s three provinces for thirty exquisite glass items. Now this grain had been transported back to Liaodong and generously bought entirely by General Du. Yesterday the Ministry of War converted the copper coins to gold and deposited them in the Yun family’s account, without even taking a discount.
Xinyue stood on the bed carefully grooming and dressing Na Rimu. She specially loosened her hair and braided it, dressed her in specially made Yun family fur coat. A beautiful Turkic maiden appeared before the two of them.
As soon as night fell, Na Rimu urged Yun Ye to hurry and prepare. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of beautiful place this singing venue was. Yun Ye had been praising it all day.
They didn’t go outside the city, nor to the imperial gardens—just to the theater in Xinghua Ward. As long as it was indoors, Na Rimu didn’t like it. Though unhappy, she still pretended to be pleased, but the disappointment in her eyes was clear for anyone to see.
The carriage stopped on the overhead bridge. Several Yun family theater stewards bowed and went to prepare. Tonight’s lighting and security still required their control.
The stage was covered with green grass, a full two inches high. Seven or eight little lambs as white as white clouds were nibbling grass. There was also a felt tent pitched in the center of the stage. A large dog was tied to a wooden post beside it. Wang Cai stuck its head into the felt tent curiously looking around—this extra actor had come on its own.
Herdsmen cannot be separated from their flocks. Seeing the lambs, Na Rimu quickly ran over, holding the little sheep with tears streaming down her face.
“Husband, how did you grow grass on that stone platform?” Xinyue nudged Yun Ye with her shoulder and asked.
“Simple. Put a thin layer of soil in burlap sacks, scatter grass seeds in them, and the grass will grow out through the holes in the burlap on its own.”