Plan B
Mandarin Ducks 8
When Su Xin returned home, she was called into a room by an anxious Lord Xu for questioning.
“How did it go? Is it a go?”
Seeing that his daughter’s expression upon returning didn’t seem like one of dislike, Lord Xu asked hurriedly.
In truth, regardless of whether his daughter was willing or not, Lord Xu was going to marry her off anyway.
What he was worried about was that Lin Suhuai would have regrets after seeing her. If that happened, he would die of regret.
“He’s… quite nice.”
Two red clouds1 floated onto Su Xin’s face, showing the coyness of a young maiden.
Lord Xu was very satisfied with what he saw and continued to press her.
“And what did he think of you?”
“He seemed very happy.”
Su Xin lowered her head slightly, and Lord Xu nodded in satisfaction.
“Go on back. Don’t think about people you shouldn’t be thinking about anymore. Prepare yourself properly.”
“Your daughter understands.”
Su Xin’s face turned pale, and she nodded.
Three days later, Lin Suhuai came to the door to formally propose marriage.
The eleventh of the third month was an auspicious day, suitable for marriage.
The timing was a bit rushed, but both parties were more than happy.
Lord Xu couldn’t wait to get his hands on that business connection, because time waits for no one.
Lin Suhuai’s time was tight because she didn’t know when certain people hiding in the shadows would decide to jump out. If those people grew impatient, she might have to rush back to take charge of the situation before her wedding day, which would be a very bad deal. Besides, she had already informed her parents.
The General and the General’s wife actually had very complicated feelings.
They knew all the fault lay with them, especially the General’s wife, who was filled with self-blame. If only the child she had given birth to had been a boy instead of a girl, then Lin Suhuai wouldn’t have had to suffer so much, painstakingly disguising herself as a man. She even drank that kind of severance medicine to prevent her monthly menstruation and the physical weakness that came with it, and would never have the chance to get pregnant thereafter.
Back in the day, the General’s prominence was such that a tall tree attracts the wind2. While the General’s wife was weak after giving birth to Lin Suhuai, she was poisoned by someone and made to drink a Child-Ending Soup3, making it impossible for her to add a male heir4 to the General’s family.
But this branch of the family could not be allowed to just end. The General’s wife tearfully begged to take in concubines for the General, but none of those women became pregnant. The General grew frustrated and irritable, pleading with his wife to stop finding women for him, and the matter had to be left at that.
In this world, there are always some who are lucky, and some who are unlucky.
But there are others who you can’t say are unlucky, nor can you say are happy, because in gaining some things, they are fated to lose others.
In their hearts, the General and his wife no longer knew whether they hoped their daughter would be with a man or with a woman.
In any case, her identity absolutely could not be exposed during this period. The General and his wife had actually already prepared themselves mentally for rumors to spread that the Young General Lin was fond of the southern wind5, because no matter how long their daughter pretended to be a man, she was still a woman on the inside and ought to be with a man.
But Lin Suhuai had never shown such an inclination, even when mixing with a crowd of rough men in the army barracks.
When they suddenly heard their daughter was going to take a wife, the old couple didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
Their daughter taking a wife would look perfectly normal in the eyes of others, but in reality, wasn’t it just polishing mirrors6?
This was fine too. As long as their daughter was happy.
The two of them paced in the residence, whispering to each other.
“Suhuai said that girl is her life-saving benefactor. She knows her identity as a woman and is still willing to marry her. She must be a good girl with deep feelings and heavy righteousness7. But after she learns the truth, will she be scared? Will she want to run away?”
“My dear wife, the women here are all very obedient. They would certainly never have such thoughts that violate moral principles. Do you think everyone is as bold as you?”
The General was a bit helpless. His wife had a very flighty personality. If it was something she didn’t like, she would resist. After marrying him and enduring many hardships together, she had become much more stable, but occasionally these kinds of out of tune and unreliable8 thoughts would still pop out.
“That’s good, that’s good.”
A daughter-in-law that was already in the bag couldn’t be allowed to just run off.
Although calling her ‘daughter-in-law’ was strange, surely they couldn’t call her ‘son-in-law’, could they? That would be even stranger.
“I just took a look at Suhuai’s face. You can’t imagine how good it looked. This is probably the happiest she’s been in her entire life. It seems this time, she really is in love.”
It was they who had wronged her. As a girl, she should have been born to enjoy a good life. Why did she need to pretend to be a man for twenty years, suffering all kinds of hardships, having to contend with that group of man-eating ministers in the imperial court, and having to go out of life and into death9 on the battlefield.
“We still haven’t met our in-laws. Isn’t that a bit improper?”
“There will be a time for us to meet. We still don’t know if this place is absolutely safe. Suhuai doesn’t have to worry about being recognized, but it’s different for the two of us.”
“We’ll be able to sit in the high hall10, right?”
“We definitely can. Don’t be nervous.”
Seeing his wife’s hands trembling unconsciously, the General felt a little like laughing.
“Why are you so worried, my dear? I’ve never seen you this nervous, not even when you were on the battlefield killing enemies.”
“Can enemy soldiers be the same as a daughter-in-law? I hear she is soft and weak. I’m so clumsy and rough; what if I scare her? I’m not a vicious mother-in-law!”
“Yes, yes, you’re a good mother-in-law.”
Time passed, and the wedding day arrived.
Xiao Qin was combing and dressing Su Xin’s hair. She still felt as if she were in a daze, as if dreaming. Although she knew the Young Miss would certainly get married, she never expected it wouldn’t be to the person she had been waiting for, but to some young master who had appeared out of nowhere. She heard he was a nobleman, and the Master was very happy.
Xiao Qin had initially wanted to feel indignant on her Young Miss’s behalf. After all, the Young Miss had waited for her beloved for three years. How could she just marry another man like this? Wasn’t this forcing a person to do what is difficult for them, and making the Young Miss even more unhappy?
But then Xiao Qin discovered that the Young Miss didn’t seem too unhappy at all. In fact, she seemed quite happy. She was able to eat a little bit more at every meal, and a smile would often appear on her face. Her complexion looked much better.
At the time, Xiao Qin couldn’t hold back her confusion and asked out loud, only to hear her Young Miss say that that man was not a good man, and that she had already met someone new and good.
The jet-black strands of hair slipped through Xiao Qin’s fingertips as she carefully combed them with a wooden comb.
She was still young and didn’t quite understand if the vows of this world could change so easily. How could three years of infatuation turn into a lack of love just like that? Xiao Qin secretly shook her head. What was she doing letting her imagination run wild? In any case, it had nothing to do with her. As long as the Young Miss was happy, that was enough. For the Young Miss to have a good home, that was the most important thing.
Su Xin sat before the mirror, watching the maids bustle around her.
Painting brows, applying powder, dotting crimson lips11.
Coiling dark silk, twin loops knotted, scarlet hairpins holding jade, wedding gown embroidered with a phoenix.
The peach blossoms are lovely, the rosy cheeks are fair, a phoenix robe, a rosy-cloud cape, a mandarin-duck jacket12. Spring is in full swing, the willow branches are new, the sun shines brightly outside the city, and birds flock by the window.
At first, Su Xin wore a smile, but as the things on her head grew heavier and heavier, she found it increasingly difficult to maintain it.
She only managed to breathe a sigh of relief when the red veil was placed over her head and she was sent into the bridal sedan.
This was truly frightening.
Lin Suhuai rode a white horse at the front of the procession, riding the spring breeze contentedly13.
Although this was an unfamiliar place, not the place where she grew up, and without her friends or relatives, she felt extremely happy.
Today, she would welcome her beautiful bride into her residence. From now on, for a long, long time, they would be in the same boat through wind and rain14.
What would she look like today? She must be breathtakingly beautiful.
Her bride, her wife.
Just thinking about it made Lin Suhuai’s heart feel sweet.
While Lin Suhuai was picturing the appearance of the person in the soft sedan, Su Xin, sitting inside holding an apple, only felt that she was very hungry.
She hadn’t been able to eat anything since morning. She could endure it, but it was uncomfortable.
Su Xin sat up straight, hoping in her heart that they would reach the destination soon, get things over with quickly, so she could take off the heavy thing on her head and eat something to fill her stomach.
Regarding getting married, Su Xin didn’t actually feel much joy. Her happiness came only from having hugged a big thigh. The completion rate of this mission had greatly increased, which could effectively save time and achieve the best result.
Did she like Lin Suhuai? Yes, she did. Just a little bit.
She found Lin Suhuai to be quite an interesting person, fun to tease, a good person, and also suited to her taste.
The main reason was that Lin Suhuai’s thigh was thick enough, and her status was suitable enough.
Su Xin was not the type of person to fall in love upon one sight with a pretty face. Her ability to spin nonsense was first-class, she could feign innocence at the drop of a hat, and she was selfish and self-serving. If she could take a shortcut to complete her mission, why wouldn’t she?
Of course, what she said to Lin Suhuai was also true. She wouldn’t marry anyone else—there was no benefit in it for her—and she would accompany Lin Suhuai for a lifetime. In any case, her lifetime wasn’t very long.
As for Lin Suhuai’s heart, Su Xin hadn’t really given it much thought yet. She just thought it was enough to treat Lin Suhuai well. It would be fine if Lin Suhuai didn’t love her and treated her as a friend, and it would also be fine if she treated her as a wife. When the time came to leave, Su Xin could only say she was sorry.
Su Xin tugged at the corner of her mouth inside the sedan. No one owed anyone anything, right? She saved Lin Suhuai, Lin Suhuai married her. She was good to Lin Suhuai, Lin Suhuai helped her.
Stepping on sesame seeds, crossing a basin of fire15.
The matchmaker’s voice had a naturally festive quality, and it came through clearly even through the layer of cloth.
“First bow to Heaven and Earth16.”
“Second bow to the parents in the high hall.”
“Husband and wife bow to each other.”
Su Xin and Lin Suhuai bent down at the same time, their foreheads bumping against each other.
In this life, they were now connected.
“Escort them to the nuptial chamber17.”
Noisy and bustling, filled with joy.
It was only when Su Xin was helped to a seat in the room that her ears felt some peace and quiet.
There weren’t many servants in this courtyard, nor were there any messy seven great-aunts and eight great-aunts18. Even less would there be anyone to disturb the nuptial chamber19, so no one was crowding around Su Xin saying things. Only Xiao Qin was in the room, standing guard quietly.
Su Xin sat there with great composure, unmoving. In reality, she was watching a suspense movie with Fourteen.
Before Su Xin could figure out who the murderer was, the door to the room was pushed open.
“You may leave.”
It was Lin Suhuai’s voice, presumably speaking to Xiao Qin.
Su Xin heard Xiao Qin acknowledge the order, followed by the sound of light footsteps and the door closing.
The candle flame flickered with a soft crackle. Now, only the two of them were left.
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