After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 25.2
Meanwhile, in Huo Changjue’s courtyard.
He Xinruo rose early on the second day of her marriage, sitting at the dressing table before the Mao (5-7 am) hour. She had several maidservants diligently dressing her, ensuring that every detail of her clothing and accessories was exquisite and luxurious.
She thought to herself that this morning was her first formal meeting with her in-laws, and she must not disgrace the Huo family. Her every move should reflect the dignified temperament of a lady from a noble family.
Although Chang’an was approaching summer, the maids still dressed her in a fragrant-colored, pearl-patterned brocade dress according to He Xinruo’s request. The dress was extremely gorgeous, much thicker than the usual fabric worn by women of the season.
However, He Xinruo wasn’t afraid of the heat; she was more concerned about being outshone by the cousin from the Fang family.
Even her hair bun was styled in an exaggerated “startled swan” look.
When He Xinruo was finally ready and walked with Huo Changjue towards the Gao family’s courtyard, Huo Changjue couldn’t help but glance at the top of her head a few times.
Sensing Huo Changjue’s gaze, He Xinruo asked somewhat embarrassedly, “Husband, what’s wrong? Do you think my hairdo doesn’t look good?”
Huo Changjue helplessly shook his head, thinking that He Xinruo had just entered the family and was not accustomed to the new environment, feeling a bit too nervous.
He replied gently, “No, the hairstyle looks beautiful. Just, next time you meet my mother, you don’t need to dress so extravagantly.”
He Xinruo nodded in agreement. When Huo Changjue and she arrived at the main hall of the Prime Minister’s residence, they saw a young woman sitting on the left circle chair. She guessed that she must be the cousin-wife of Dingbei Marquis—Lady Fang.
In contrast to He Xinruo’s elaborate attire, Ruan An wore a subtly styled light blue robe. The fabric of the robe was extremely soft, fitting the body’s contours in the summer and providing a cool sensation to the wearer.
The beauty’s thick, black hair was simply adorned with a few white jade-crafted magnolia hairpins.
At the first sight of Ruan An’s snow-like complexion, He Xinruo felt uneasy.
She remarked that Duke Dingbei wouldn’t marry her without reason.
This young cousin not only gave birth to his child but also possessed such natural beauty that required minimal embellishment with cosmetics and luxurious clothing.
A light touch of makeup was sufficient to showcase her innate elegance.
Concealing her discomfort, He Xinruo followed suit as Huo Changjue took his seat.
Noticing Huo Lang’s absence at the head, he asked Madam Gao, “Mother, why hasn’t Father come over?”
Madam Gao helplessly replied, “Someone from the Tongjian Garden came and said the master isn’t feeling well, so he won’t be coming this morning.”
The master isn’t coming?
He Xinruo masked the displeasure between her eyebrows, feeling even more uneasy.
On her first day, she had already been overshadowed in appearance by this Shu cousin from the Fang family. Even her adoptive father didn’t show her face, not even for the tea ceremony. It seemed her debut was not going well.
However, He Xinruo quickly consoled herself, thinking that at least Huo Changjue was Madam Gao’s biological son.
This morning, Madam Gao even sent a bowl of bird’s nest and silver ear fungus soup through the mansion’s servants.
Madam Gao’s gesture indicated an intentional approach and a show of support. It reassured He Xinruo, making her feel that, as her mother-in-law, Madam Gao would stand by her.
With this in mind, He Xinruo’s heart found some balance. She lifted her eyes and looked across at Ruan An.
This cousin from the Fang family certainly hadn’t received the mother-in-law’s bird’s nest and silver ear fungus soup.
According to the servants, not long after she arrived, she had quarreled with Marquis Dingbei’s stepmother.
He Xinruo decided to seize on this point and get closer to Madam Gao.
If they had a common enemy, unified on the same front, she and Madam Gao could achieve a harmonious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship in the Prime Minister’s mansion.
Soon, He Xinruo finished serving tea to Madam Gao.
Huo Changjue, being newlywed, didn’t need to fulfill duties at the magistrate’s office today.
Madam Gao deliberately distanced herself from Ruan An in front of everyone, intentionally engaging only with He Xinruo in conversation.
The two exchanged words, with each playing their part in the banter, creating an atmosphere of joy and laughter in the room.
Ruan An, however, paid no attention to the conversation between the two.
On the high table to her right were three white porcelain plates, each holding hawthorn preserves, osmanthus cake, and horse milk grapes.
In the few times Ruan An visited the Prime Minister’s courtyard, she observed that Madam Gao was meticulous about her food and cared a lot about appearances. Every time, she would arrange new fresh fruits and pastries in various styles.
Having risen early and engaged in demanding study, Ruan An naturally felt a bit hungry now.
She thought that if Madam Gao and He Xinruo continued their conversation for a while, it would be inconvenient for her to leave before the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law discussion concluded.
Waiting idly held no appeal, and she didn’t enjoy hearing gossip about noble families.
So, she began to enjoy the snacks beside her.
The hawthorn preserves had a pleasantly balanced sweet and sour taste, the pits carefully removed, providing a satisfying crunch.
It was truly appetizing.
The osmanthus cake’s powder was finely ground, and although its appearance was unremarkable, it held a hidden surprise. The filling contained osmanthus honey brewed by Madam Gao’s servants during the autumn season, offering a rich flavor profile.
Due to the excessive sweetness of the osmanthus cake, Ruan An found it challenging to discern the grape flavor while eating the horse milk grapes. However, judging by the size of the grapes, she could tell these fresh fruits were exceptionally expensive, beyond the reach of commoners, and even ordinary merchants would struggle to find a source.
While Madam Gao conversed with He Xinruo, she occasionally cast glances in Ruan An’s direction.
Expecting to see a hint of loneliness on this cousin’s face, but Ruan An appeared remarkably calm and content, even indulging in the snacks!
The pastries prepared on the high table were, of course, for the guest, but Madam Gao, having lived for so long and experienced various social gatherings, knew that every household host would provide snacks and tea for guests.
However, people generally didn’t indulge much, only occasionally sipping tea when feeling thirsty.
She had never seen someone eat as earnestly as Ruan An did!
Certainly, the cousin from the Fang family didn’t openly indulge in the food; she maintained an appearance of careful listening and didn’t take sweets from the plate very often.
Madam Gao felt a bit puzzled; she couldn’t discern whether this cousin from the Fang family was genuinely hungry or simply unfamiliar with such settings.
As a mother-in-law, criticizing her daughter-in-law for eating a few more pastries could easily lead to an unkind reputation.
Meanwhile, Ruan An, who had found the osmanthus cake a bit choking earlier, instructed the maid behind her, “Fetch me another cup of tea.”
“Yes.”
Observing Ruan An asking for more tea, Madam Gao blinked several times and, instead of intentionally ignoring her daughter-in-law, curiously asked her, “Lady Fang, did you not have breakfast this morning?”
He Xinruo also looked at Ruan An in bewilderment.
For some reason, she found herself admiring Ruan An a bit.
Due to nervousness and the fear of making mistakes while serving tea to Gao, she hadn’t dared to eat much in the morning.
The elaborate hairstyle pressed against her neck, making it feel sore. Yet, to maintain a dignified demeanor, she had to keep a gentle smile on her face.
The early summer was somewhat hot, and it wasn’t yet time to fetch ice from the cellar. Stepping into the main hall, He Xinruo felt excessively hot and thirsty.
She wanted to drink some tea, but she was afraid the lip rouge would smudge, so she endured it.
On the other hand, the cousin from the Fang family, dressed in cool attire, was enjoying herself while chatting with Madam Gao.
Ruan An blushed and smiled at Madam Gao, not bothering to be overly polite, and replied in a gentle tone, “I had breakfast. It’s just that the pastries here are so delicious, so I had a few more pieces.”
After hearing this, Madam Gao felt somewhat uncomfortable.
She scrutinized the cousin from the Fang family, the charming wife of the living Yama, and then looked at her own son’s wife.
One was delicately beautiful, with features like a picturesque snowscape. The other woman, though dressed splendidly and possessing some charm, seemed unnaturally awkward in her demeanor.
Of course, He Xinruo and Ruan An were not on the same level when it came to appearance. Despite He Xinruo being her daughter-in-law, Madam Gao still found Ruan An more pleasing to the eye.
Since this little cousin praised the snacks here, she probably hadn’t seen much of the world. Even the Yama, the king of hell, was a rough man and not too concerned about his attire.
A faint sense of satisfaction gradually arose in Madam Gao’s heart. Indeed, among the prestigious families in Chang’an, the kitchen in her courtyard was the best at making snacks.
Madam Gao, inherently inclined to show off, grew up in an aristocratic environment where the noble women paid great attention to their clothing and lifestyle. When they gathered, there was always an element of comparison.
Thinking about this, Madam Gao decided to broaden Ruan An’s horizons.
She instructed her servants to serve a freshly brewed cup of Taiping Houkui tea, specifically advising them to use the bamboo tea strainer wrapped with golden and silver threads to brew the tea and the rare purple cracked glaze translucent tea bowl that she rarely used.
These precious tea utensils were likely unseen by this cousin from Shu.
The maids serving tea quickly presented the tea bowls containing Taiping Houkui to everyone present.
After receiving hers, Ruan An blew a bit of hot air and drank it directly.
Huo Changjue watched as He Xinruo kept staring at Ruan An, puzzled, he asked, “Why aren’t you drinking?”
He Xinruo shook her head, saying, “This concubine is not thirsty.”
She was, of course, feeling thirsty, but she didn’t want to be as unrestrained as Lady Fang, eating and drinking without reservation in front of her mother-in-law.
After Ruan An finished the Taiping Houkui, Madam Gao instructed He Xinruo on some matters.
Seeing Ruan An enjoying a piece of hawthorn honey candy again, He Xinruo couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Why does she like sour things so much?
She eats so eagerly and seems so thirsty, almost like…
He Xinruo quickly dismissed this thought.
It couldn’t be possible.
This cousin from the Fang family had just entered the house a little over a month ago; it would be too fortunate to conceive so quickly.
Eventually, Madam Gao called Ruan An, He Xinruo, and a few maids to leave the main hall.
After Ruan An exchanged polite greetings with He Xinruo, she took the initiative to leave.
Huo Changjue also planned to visit the Western Market Office in the afternoon. After exchanging a few words with He Xinruo, he left the Prime Minister’s residence.
As the path to Ruan An’s and He Xinruo’s courtyards overlapped, Ruan An had just left, and He Xinruo followed closely behind.
He Xinruo was hesitating whether to approach Ruan An and exchange a few casual words when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She used her slender hand to pinch her waist and asked the maid beside her, “Fu Ling, do you think I’ve gained weight recently?”
She then touched her stomach and sighed, “It seems like my belly has grown a bit compared to before.”
Fu Ling didn’t dare to speak the truth, but considering how Marquis Hou deliberately fed Ruan An with various delicacies every day, it would be strange if she didn’t gain weight.
However, what Ruan An described as “fat” seemed to Fu Ling just a bit fuller than her previously thin figure.
Fu Ling thought that when the lady first arrived, she was somewhat too thin, not resembling someone who had given birth. Now, her figure was delicate and well-proportioned.
Seeing Fu Ling remain silent, Ruan An knew she had indeed gained weight.
It was all Huo Pingxiao’s fault!
He fed her like she was a rabbit every day. It would be strange if she didn’t gain weight.
Moreover, once someone’s mouth got used to good food, it couldn’t easily stop.
Huo Xi somewhat followed her in this, as the boy sometimes struggled to control his appetite.
Furthermore, today was the first day of her menstrual cycle, and women often craved sweets and felt thirsty during this time.
Once this phase passed, she couldn’t eat so much again.
As Ruan An and her group walked away, He Xinruo’s expression immediately turned grim.
Craving sour things.
Gained weight.
Her belly grew…
It seemed that this cousin was pregnant again.
How could her luck be so good?
He Xinruo had learned before entering the mansion that Huo Lang was actually raising the Fang family cousin’s child by his side and treating the child with exceptional affection.
As soon as she heard this, a sense of crisis surged within He Xinruo.
She silently gritted her teeth, realizing that the cousin from the Fang family indeed had clever tactics, excelling not only in giving birth but also in raising children.
Most likely, this pregnancy was meticulously calculated by her.
The Huo family differed from other aristocratic families; within the family, there were two noble titles.
Huo Changjue was not as outstanding as his elder brother, and she hadn’t conceived an heir for the Huo family. In case Huo Lang, in a moment of joy, decided to continue the family tradition of having two noble titles and bestowed the title directly to Huo Xi, what would she do?
The more He Xinruo thought about it, the more anxious she became.
She decided to discuss this matter thoroughly with her mother Zhu when she returned to the He Mansion in three days.
***
In the evening, Huo Pingxiao returned to the mansion from the military camp.
Leading Jinwu into the stable through the west gate, he personally tethered the horse.
The maids outside the stable didn’t notice anyone inside. It was their off-duty time, and as they passed by the stable on their way back to their quarters, they began discussing the events in the mansion.
“Yesterday, Miss He formally entered the household, and Lady Fang hasn’t left the mansion. It seems the main wife’s courtyard will be lively for a while.”
Huo Pingxiao, with a stern expression, coolly combed Jinwu’s ink-black mane with a horse brush. He listened absentmindedly to the conversation outside.
“Oh, speaking of Lady Fang, she’s truly a fortunate person.”
At these words, Huo Pingxiao stopped his actions, now paying close attention to the conversation between the two maids.
The maids continued, “I heard from Granny Li that Lady Fang seems to be expecting again.”
Bird’s nest and silver ear fungus soup
