Xue Niang slept soundly. Xiao Shan, beaming, gazed at his wife, whom he had thought lost forever. His hand twined with her hair, as black and smooth as silk, and his heart felt at ease.
Though he had been frightened by the recent events, he had also understood Xue Niang's feelings, which made it all worthwhile!
As for the goddess she spoke of.
Bah!
That was merely a tactic used by those in power, who were incompetent and used public opinion to deceive the common folk. He would have been a fool to believe it!
However, this red lotus was truly wondrous. It was likely a form of bloodline inheritance, similar to a birthmark, which sometimes appeared on individuals of certain mysterious races.
He had once encountered a Qiang tribe where, every few decades, a child born with a moon-shaped mark on their forehead would succeed to the position of tribal chief.
Furthermore, the chief had to marry a woman from a specific family to produce the next chief.
Xue Niang was probably in a similar situation. Both the Empress and the Imperial Consort hailed from the hidden Futu family, and no one knew where this Futu family resided.
This was merely a matter of spiritual belief. As for divine power, such a thing simply did not exist.
The red lotus was about half the size of his palm, located at the center of her neck, floating on skin as white as snow. It was dazzlingly beautiful.
Xiao Shan leaned his face against it, intoxicated by the scent. It was so fragrant, not only attracting people but also snakes, ants, and beasts. No wonder there were more insects on the ground recently. He needed to find a solution.
He held her a bit too tightly from behind. Xue Niang grumbled in dissatisfaction and twisted her body.
In the quiet of the night, Xiao Shan was not tired; his spirit grew more exhilarated.
He felt that his happiness was fast approaching.
The next day, Xue Niang woke up to find the sun high in the sky. She heard sounds in the courtyard, which must have been Xiao Shan busy at work.
She got up, her eyes feeling swollen from crying so much the day before.
She hadn't noticed in the dark last night, but now she saw that the door to the room had a fist-sized hole, through which bright light streamed in.
Could this have been done by Xiao Shan?
Xue Niang immediately imagined the scene.
If he hadn't seen those refugees yesterday, would he have really hit her?
Perhaps sensing her movement, Xiao Shan pushed the door open, holding a chicken in his hand. The chicken was listless, its mouth agape, letting out weak chirps.
Xiao Shan casually threw the chicken onto the ground. "Heal it."
What? What?
Xue Niang was stunned. She wasn't a doctor; how could she heal it?
"Didn't I tell you not to touch my chickens? This one was also an egg-layer. You're so annoying!"
"I didn't do this. Weasels got in last night. If I hadn't gone out in time, your entire flock of chickens would have been bitten to death!" Xiao Shan looked innocent.
After speaking, he kicked the half-dead chicken with his foot. "Aren't you a goddess? Save it then. If you can save it, I'll believe you."
He needed to confirm again whether Xue Niang's claim of saving him was true. He didn't want to be in a state of near-death, and though he found it absurd, he still had lingering doubts.
"But it's a chicken! Not a person."
"A chicken is also a life. Don't all gods say all beings are equal?"
Xue Niang couldn't argue and said indignantly, "I won't save it anyway."
"Then you're not a goddess."
"I am!"
"You think you saved me, but in reality, I was perfectly fine. The spitting blood that day was because you angered me. Don't I know my own body?"
To anger her so early in the morning, Xue Niang's almond eyes flashed with anger, her delicate brows furrowed. "Are you going to go back on your word and not be just nominal husband and wife? If that's the case, I'll leave immediately. I wouldn't dare delay you from marrying and having children."
Xiao Shan glared at her, his heart and lungs aching with anger.
"There was one thing I said incorrectly last night. Your whole body is soft, but one part is hard – your mouth is hard! If you dare to mention leaving again, I'll deal with you right now!"
Xiao Shan gave her a warning look, then picked up the chicken that had stopped breathing.
Since it was dead, it could only be stewed for meat.
"You brute! So crude!" Xue Niang cursed in a low voice, her face flushed red.
She had also spoken incorrectly. She used to say his softest part was his lips, but now it seemed they were quite hard too.
"What's with this door? Did you do this? You originally intended to hit me with that fist, didn't you? Tell me, did you want to hit me then?"
"Don't worry, no matter how angry I get, I wouldn't hit you. I would only... make you unable to get out of bed..." Xiao Shan whispered into her ear.
Xue Niang jumped back a step, stamping her foot with a flushed face.
Xiao Shan went out happily.
The new house had already been tidied. To avoid any further complications, Xiao Shan planned to strike while the iron was hot: move into the new house, get married, and consummate the marriage.
Later, it rained again, and summer was drawing to a close, with the scent of autumn arriving.
The new house was aired out for another ten days. Xiao Shan took Xue Niang to the market to buy supplies.
Everything was red. Xiao Shan bought items as if money were no object, piling them onto the cart.
"Xiao Shan, isn't this enough? These silk flowers won't be of much use later, let's not buy them!"
Xue Niang was not entirely at ease. Although Xiao Shan had been fine these past few days, and nothing bad had happened, if they got married and reported to heaven and earth, they would truly be husband and wife. Would the lack of marital intimacy affect him?
"Don't skimp on what needs to be bought. We have enough money. Why the frown? Don't you want to marry me? Then I'll marry you, and you can marry me." Xiao Shan squeezed her hand playfully.
He was talking nonsense again. If she were still a goddess with a noble status, the Great Yao Divine Lord was indeed like a consort, which was equivalent to marrying.
This fellow must have inquired about something again.
In the clothing store, Xiao Shan held her hand as they picked out clothes. The proprietress had a particularly deep impression of him, not only because he looked unusual but also because he was the first man to come and buy undergarments for a woman, and not just once.
Her women's clothing store primarily served female customers. Occasionally, husbands would accompany their wives, but they would wait on the side. A man like him, who personally selected items, was an anomaly.
However, she didn't dislike him at all; in fact, she was very happy because he was a major customer, always buying several items, and always choosing the best.
She had wondered many times what kind of woman this man's wife would be. She was truly fortunate, and today she finally saw her.
The patterns on her face were a bit frightening, but with her sharp eyes, she could tell her measurements.
She was truly a gift from heaven; one couldn't find such a beautiful person in the entire Lin'an County.
No wonder this tall, strong man cherished her so dearly.
"My dear wife, you are blessed. In all my years as a shopkeeper, I have never seen such a considerate husband."
The proprietress praised him. As the saying goes, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that this man, who looked a bit frightening, was like this?
He followed the woman closely, occasionally asking for her opinion, "How about this one?"
"This one is good, soft and comfortable to wear."
"Let's take them all. It's not like we're short of one piece."
Oh, it was truly enviable.
Hearing the proprietress's words, Xiao Shan's lips curved. He said to Xue Niang, "It is my fortune to be able to marry her."
The proprietress immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, it is each other's fortune. You are devoted to each other and look so well-matched. Truly enviable."
Xue Niang playfully glanced at Xiao Shan, her fair face tinged with red. "Stop talking so much! Let's hurry and leave after we finish buying. If you just stand here, others won't dare to approach."
What did that have to do with him? Xiao Shan glanced at the timid women and grumbled in dissatisfaction.
The proprietress's face bloomed with a smile. "That will be five taels of silver in total. I'll also give you a handkerchief as a gift. Please come again."
Xiao Shan paid the money and walked out with Xue Niang, carrying a pile of clothes.