Chapter 155: Consummation

After nightfall, the servants who had received their instructions departed one after another. The torches that had been lit to manage the aftermath of the fire were subsequently extinguished. The courtyard, which originally consisted of two small buildings, now had only one remaining. It glowed with lamplight, appearing somewhat brighter and warmer than usual.

From after dinner until around nine o'clock in the evening, visiting relatives continued to arrive in a steady stream to inquire about the fire and offer their warm regards. There were also maidservants and attendants accompanying them; though not qualified to enter and sit inside, they gathered nearby, creating a lively scene.

During the day, people had gathered to watch the large crew busily clearing the charred remains, carrying a certain atmosphere of post-disaster regret. By evening, once it was confirmed that the fire had caused no injuries, everyone felt a sense of relief, and the gathering took on the air of a party. They chatted about household matters, with some remarking that Ning Yi and Su Taner had long been due for a change of quarters anyway. After the fire, gathering together actually lent the occasion a rather festive air.

Naturally, the Su family was hardly short of the money for a single building; if it burned, it burned. Since no one was hurt, it was nothing more than a minor accident. The hosts did not seem to care much, so there was no need for everyone else to dwell on it. Consequently, as the visitors grew more numerous, the parlor simply became the venue for a small, casual gathering.

In fact, the reason Su Taner had chosen to live in this particular courtyard in the first place was merely a passing fancy from her youth. Theoretically, now that she had taken charge of the primary household affairs and absorbed the various businesses handed over by the Wu family, the ventures under her management were expected to account for about half of the entire Su family's enterprises. Continuing to use this courtyard as her residence was no longer quite appropriate.

The layout of the courtyard was somewhat self-contained; while comfortable enough to live in, it lacked a certain grandeur when it came to receiving guests. Everyone assumed Su Taner would take this opportunity to select a new residence, and they chattered away about it, each offering their own opinions.

Certain atmospheres, however, could perhaps only be perceived by a select few.

Su Taner chatted happily with the relatives who came and went, her smiles radiant, yet she was somewhat distracted. Her responses were merely formulaic expressions. Of course, very few people within the Su family were likely to notice this.

Ning Yi was no different from any ordinary day. Whenever relatives arrived, he unfailingly showed them the utmost politeness. Alongside Su Taner, he hosted the guests, discussing everything under the sun regarding architectural styles as if nothing had happened at all. At times, he even brought out brush, ink, and paper to sketch and work on designs.

Due to the large number of visitors, Xiaochan, Juan'er, and Xing'er frequently bustled in and out—serving fruit and tea, greeting the arrivals, and arranging for the accompanying attendants and maidservants to be accommodated in the neighboring courtyard. In the household, they were essentially equivalent to senior stewards, so they carried out these duties with practiced, orderly ease.

On the surface, everything was as usual, as if there were no problems whatsoever.

It was much like the end of the previous year when the weather turned cold and everyone gathered in the parlor. Su Taner would look over account books or do needlework and embroidery with the maidservants, listening to Ning Yi tell stories while everyone played chess or chatted. When guests arrived, the three maids would serve tea and hospitality. Everything was just like today, perfectly normal. Yet, after all, there had been a fire today.

When everything is too normal, it sometimes creates an inexplicable sense of discord. Others might not sense it, but as time passed, at least in the hearts of Xiaochan, Juan'er, and Xing'er, certain strange questions and thoughts lingered.

No one expressed any opinion about what would happen next.

This did not refer to the aftermath. The Su family was not short of money, nor was Su Taner. Burning down a single building was no major issue, so outsiders did not find it particularly strange. But regardless, that small building had burned down; the living quarters of Ning Yi and Xiaochan had been destroyed, and the small kitchen and bathroom had also been affected. Theoretically, even if they didn't care, there ought to have been some sort of arrangement mentioned. Yet, no one brought it up at all.

Some of Xiaochan's belongings had already been moved into the room next to Juan'er's, but Su Taner had not expressed whether she would live in that room permanently from now on. Of course, Xiaochan herself had a certain degree of say in the matter, and since many of her original things had burned, she could have quietly asked the servants to bring replacements directly. As for what would happen to the small kitchen and bathroom in the future—and most importantly, where Ning Yi was supposed to sleep tonight—no one mentioned any of it.

Su Taner, who had always been an all-encompassing leader, expressed no clear attitude tonight regarding any matters following the fire. She merely busied herself entertaining the visiting relatives. Ning Yi himself did not raise any questions either. He maintained his usual demeanor; when he needed writing materials, he simply went to Su Taner's room to find them—at this point, his belongings were piled into chaos all over the room. When searching for things, he even called out for Xing'er's help: "Where did they put my brush and ink when they moved them in...?" He tossed cabinets and chests upside down in the search.

Su Taner's current room was the greatest source of discord. Where things should be moved had not been brought up. As night fell and the hour grew late, Su Taner would inevitably have to sleep tonight. With all these things piled here, what was she to do? She seemed to have forgotten about it entirely. Xiaochan, Juan'er, and Xing'er had probably thought of asking, but after thinking about it, a few eerie feelings and guesses inevitably surfaced in their minds. In the end, they could only exchange glances, murmur inwardly, and harbor complex emotions, yet none of them dared to ask the question. They quietly went about their work, putting up a facade of peace.

Halfway past nine o'clock, the visiting guests left one by one. After the surroundings quieted down, the three maidservants tidied up the room and cleaned the place. When they finished their chores and returned, Su Taner and Ning Yi were playing a game of Gomoku to pass the time. The three maids appeared somewhat peculiar, sitting to the side and feeling bored for a while. Xing'er drank tea, Juan'er did needlework, and Xiaochan idly counted the stitches on a shoe pad Juan'er was making. Afterward, the three of them produced a deck of bamboo cards to play with.

Su Taner kept her head down, not speaking to Ning Yi, only occasionally recalling something and asking the three maids whether they had properly hosted this or that relative who had just visited. Xing'er and Juan'er would reply in low voices. Over the chessboard, the husband and wife patiently blocked each other's pieces with a style they hadn't employed in a long time, enjoying the tactical stalemate immensely. Nearby, the three young women played their bamboo cards distractedly, each calling out a number with every card they laid down, which sounded rather endearing. Something might happen tonight; because of this possibility and complexity, the three maids were somewhat restless.

The only moment of genuine warmth occurred when Ning Yi asked Xiaochan if she had lost many belongings in the fire. Xiaochan replied that no precious items had been burned. Ning Yi guessed that perhaps some of her jewelry or her favorite clothes might have been destroyed, whereupon Su Taner stated that she would buy new ones for Xiaochan later.

The atmosphere was bizarre, and time dragged on. Xiaochan, Juan'er, and Xing'er occasionally slipped out to fetch hot water or brew tea, filling the room with sporadic fragments of conversation. Slowly, the time crept toward midnight. Unsure of what would happen next, and with the master and mistress neither asleep nor instructing them to leave, the maids had no way to excuse themselves. Yet Su Taner and Ning Yi looked as though they could happily play Gomoku until tomorrow morning.

In truth, Su Taner was far too embarrassed at this moment to wave a hand and say, "You all go to sleep." The more time passed, the more anxious her heart grew.

Soon, past midnight, the sound of the night watch bell drifted over, and the surrounding courtyards grew increasingly tranquil. Today had indeed been quite exhausting, and Xing'er, who was playing cards, could not help suppressing a yawn. Ning Yi glanced at her, and Su Taner looked over as well, finally speaking up: "Uhm, Xing'er, you must be tired. Go on to sleep first." With those words, she held a chess piece between her fingers, lowered her head, and once again feigned intense concentration on the board.

The three maidservants stood up, announced their departure, and cleared away the tea and pastries. Ning Yi turned his head, smiling as he bid each of them goodnight. Amidst this commotion, Su Taner's emotions calmed slightly.

Xiaochan, Juan'er, and Xing'er all filed out of the room. Their figures in the corridor seemed to be performing their pre-sleep routines. Another game of chess was played. Ning Yi got up to use the latrine in the neighboring courtyard, and on his way back, he happened to cross paths with Xiaochan. She was somewhat quiet, carrying a bronze washbasin, but her silence was not born of dejection or depression. The young girl's expression was rather complex—perhaps due to emotions she did not yet know how to process. Seeing Ning Yi, she let out a soft gasp of "Ah."

"Didn't you say you were going to sleep?"

"The washbasin was gone, so I went to get one," Xiaochan said, lowering her head.

The two of them walked toward the courtyard gate. After a moment, God knows what Ning Yi thought of, but he chuckled softly. Xiaochan looked at him; he was still smiling, seemingly amused by the events of the day, and before long, Xiaochan couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh as well. As they reached the gate, she whispered, "Master..."

"Hmm?"

Xiaochan looked at him: "Master is... um, Master is..." Uncertain of what she wanted to say, the little maid shook her head with a smile after a moment's thought. "Never mind." She hugged her washbasin and scurried off toward her own room.

Su Taner's anxiety had been persistent all day, growing more acute with every passing moment. It felt much like the suspense of waiting for a major business deal to finalize, except that in business she was an old hand, while in matters like this, she was an utter novice.

She had felt shy the entire day, though she dared not dwell on the moment her act of arson had been discovered. She simply could not predict what the next step would bring. She wondered if her husband shared her tangled emotions, how things would develop from here, what kind of conversation they would have, and whether her husband might suddenly ask, "Where am I sleeping tonight?" If he actually asked that, how on earth should she reply?

Her mind was a jumble of chaotic thoughts, but for now, she could only take things one step at a time. After Ning Yi stepped away briefly, she sat there feeling uneasy, then rose to pace back and forth a few times, not knowing what to do. She picked up her teacup for a sip, noticed that a potted plant behind the dining room screen looked a bit parched, and impulsively poured her entire cup of tea into it. Realizing the tea was warm only after she finished, she hurriedly searched for cold water to neutralize it. During this process, Ning Yi's returning footsteps sounded.

She took a breath, carried her cup back, and wondered how much longer they would be playing Gomoku, only to find that Ning Yi had already walked over to the bedroom, seeming troubled by the massive pile of furniture jammed haphazardly inside. Su Taner set down her teacup and walked over as well. "Husband."

Ning Yi smiled. "These things have turned the room into a complete mess. Let's tidy up."

Various tables, chairs, and other items crowded the room into a chaotic jumble, mostly because small objects, bundles, and boxes brought inside had been dumped onto Su Taner's desk and chairs, mixing everything together without anyone bothering to sort it out. Su Taner nodded. "Right, right."

She squeezed past a cabinet that was somewhat blocking the way and moved a chair aside. Ning Yi stepped further in and began organizing his personal belongings. Su Taner also untied a few bundles, took out Ning Yi's clothes to sort them, and occasionally handed items within reach over to him.

"The Analects, Mencius..."

"Drafts for lectures..."

"The jade pendant from Guangyuanzhai. Tsk, this is still here..."

"These blueprints... probably useless."

"Uhm, there should be another copy of this, where did I put it..."

"Whose fan is this? Mine?"

Although Ning Yi was relatively detached from material possessions, he still had quite a lot of things. Although Su Taner had fled their wedding initially, under the instructions of the Grandfather, all sorts of items had been prepared, to which various people had later added gifts, alongside things Ning Yi had collected himself. Sorting through everything in the cramped space took a fair amount of time. Su Taner sat back down on the edge of her bed, looking at the bedchamber—which no longer looked much like a maiden's boudoir, since half the space was now occupied by Ning Yi's belongings.

"These large pieces can't be arranged tonight," Ning Yi said, pulling a chair over to the desk. "Let's have someone tidy up tomorrow."

Taner nodded. A moment later, she felt the edge of the bed sink beside her, and her body gave a sudden start. Ning Yi had sat down right next to her.

Ning Yi spent very little time in this room; the most frequent occasions had been during her illness, but even then, if he needed to sit nearby, he would always pull up a separate chair. This was her embroidered bed, which previously had only ever known her presence or perhaps shared a few nights with her cousin Danhong. Yet at this moment, the solid presence of a man suddenly drew close.

Ning Yi's attitude was serene, as if he had merely finished tidying up and sat down casually. Su Taner's heart raced; for a moment, her shoulders tensed, and she didn't dare look to the side. The sound of the night watchman's clapper rang out—midnight had already passed. Ning Yi looked around and chuckled.

"This new bridal chamber is truly a mess."

Su Taner turned her head, and within her field of vision, Ning Yi leaned closer, reaching out to press his palm against her cheek.

"It's getting late." His lips drew near. "I'll take care of the rest..."

"Mmh..."

There were no double-happiness characters, no red candles; in the dim glow of the oil lamp, their two silhouettes merged into one. Their lips met. Su Taner's gaze grew slightly hazy, and she raised both hands, uncertain whether she wanted to embrace her husband before her or push him away because she couldn't catch her breath. After wavering back and forth without daring to do anything, she simply left them suspended in mid-air. Soon after, her body was gently guided backward by Ning Yi until she lay flat upon the bed.

"Ah... the door... the door isn't closed..."

A few seconds after their lips parted, as her consciousness cleared slightly, Su Taner blurted out these words in a panic. Ning Yi hovered over her and glanced back; the master bedroom connected directly to the parlor where they had just been playing Gomoku. Not only was the bedroom door open, but the outer door was wide open as well, and the lights were still on. He scratched his head, let out a soft, helpless laugh, and said, "I'll go close it." He walked out to the parlor, shut the door, and blew out the lamp.

Su Taner lay there, breathing rapidly with her chest heaving, staring up at the canopy of the mosquito net with her hands lightly clenched and crossed over her heart. She had no idea what she ought to be doing right now and didn't even dare to move. Hearing Ning Yi return after shutting the door and extinguishing the outer light, she remained in the exact same posture, her face flushed to a degree she couldn't possibly measure. Ning Yi sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of her hands; she simply let him hold it.

In short, since Ning Yi had already declared that he would handle things, she had decided to submit entirely to his mercies for the rest of the night.

Ning Yi leaned over, feeling somewhat strange—mostly because Su Taner's current emotional state was excessively tense. He looked back at the layout of this "bridal chamber," then kissed Su Taner on the lips and cheek. Su Taner merely blushed furiously, not daring to move an inch, which made him chuckle. "Right, shouldn't there be some kind of ceremony, like drinking some wine... or tea would work, or whatever people normally do when they get married..."

Before he could finish, Su Taner remembered something and let out a low gasp of "Ah! The... the white cloth..." She hurriedly scrambled up, rummaged through her cabinet, and pulled a small, folded piece of white linen from the very bottom. Her face burning even brighter, she walked back to the bed. "Husband..."

"I must say, this feels rather bizarre," Ning Yi said with a smile as he pushed aside the quilt on the bed and spread the white cloth flat across the center. Su Taner lowered her head. "Your wife... your wife finds it rather strange too." As she spoke, she couldn't help letting out a soft laugh, though her shy expression remained entirely unsuppressed.

"Still, it's time to consummate the marriage."

Su Taner didn't dare answer this remark with a smile. She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, kicked off her pale embroidered shoes, and inched upward onto the mattress. She was wearing a white and green skirted outfit today; once her shoes were off, her feet remained tucked inside the hem of her skirt. Crouched there, she actually felt a bit troubled looking at the white cloth. According to her plan, she was supposed to lie down on the white cloth, close her eyes, grit her teeth, and let her husband toss her around unilaterally for the night to finish the consummation. But after the act of spreading the white cloth herself, she suddenly felt that actively lying down upon it now and gritting her teeth would seem rather wanton, so she hesitated and refused to recline. A moment later, she bit her lower lip: "Husband, blow out the lamp..."

Ning Yi nodded and blew out the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Without the lamplight, Su Taner finally relaxed a little. She lowered her side of the mosquito net, and Ning Yi lowered the other. Soon, the rustling sound of movement rose from within.

"Husband... what should we do..."

"I'd like to say just relax, but it looks like relaxation is quite beyond you for the moment..."

"It's... it's very strange..."

"You should think of it this way: from now on we'll be living together, and it will be like this every day... Who told you to marry me, after all."

"Mm, your wife... is actually very happy... mmh..."

A moment passed.

"Should... should we take off our clothes?"

"Normally, yes, there's no helping it..."

Rustling sounds followed as a belt was undone.

"Mm... so strange..." She closed her eyes and endured.

The belt was tossed out from beneath the mosquito net onto the floor, followed by her outer garments pulled away from beneath her body. Ning Yi lifted the quilt to cover them both.

"Uhm... ha..." A sound escaped like a sob as Ning Yi's hand touched the skin of Su Taner's back. The young wife arched her body slightly, only to let out a soft gasp a second later: "You've... you've got it backward..." Ning Yi paused for a long moment before bursting into laughter and pulling her against him. Feeling the skin-to-skin contact, Su Taner felt somewhat less shy and let out an embarrassed laugh of her own. "What do we do now...?"

One of the strings of her dudou (bodice) had been tied in a slipknot, but Ning Yi had pulled the wrong end, turning it into a dead knot. Su Taner's face burned crimson as she imagined the mortifying scene of having to lie there while Ning Yi untied the knot—he might even have to relight the lamp. Still, Ning Yi was an easygoing fellow; ignoring the bodice for the moment, he proceeded to the next step. Su Taner clutched the bedsheets in both hands, squeezed her eyes shut so tightly she hardly dared to breathe, and left herself entirely at his mercy. Her white long skirt was tossed out of the net, soon followed by her undergarments. She had originally wanted to at least grab hold of the latter to keep it from being thrown away, but her husband did it anyway, bringing her slender thighs together so tightly she almost felt like crying.

The final bodice was torn apart directly by his hands. Once that garment left the mosquito net, Su Taner's entire body felt scorching hot. Her hands merely clutched the bedsheet; even when she felt the white cloth underneath her shift slightly out of place, she didn't dare reach out to straighten it, keeping her eyes squeezed shut. Ning Yi had removed his clothes as well. He deliberately drew out the process, letting her gradually adapt to the sensation. This slow, clumsy adherence to every conventional step struck him as rather amusing.

Before long, their two bodies pressed together...

"Let's explore how to do this together..."

It was a casual joke spoken from the perspective of husband and wife. To his surprise, Su Taner, eyes still closed, gave a faint nod. "Mm..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, but clearly audible.

The night grew deep. There was no moonlight in the sky outside; even the stars seemed to have covered their eyes in embarrassment at the scene, hiding away behind the clouds. The night was still long, and there were many, many more things waiting for them to explore. In the dim distance, a stray lamplight drifted across the field of vision and gently blinked...