Having gone to bed late the night before, Chen Wanqing slept until broad daylight the next day.

She didn’t wake until mid-morning. The bed curtains were drawn, completely blocking the dazzling sunlight. It was so dark within the canopy bed that she almost thought it wasn’t morning yet.

But that couldn’t be right. She had slept her fill.

She reached out to feel the spot beside her. Unsurprisingly, it was already cold. Jing must have gotten up some time ago.

Anxious, Chen Wanqing quickly found her clothes to get dressed. She had just slipped on her silk skirt, but before she could put on her jacket, she heard the door being pushed open from the outside.

Someone stepped inside. Upon seeing the scene, they quickly turned their back.

Chen Wanqing turned her back as well, her fingers deftly fastening the frog closures on her jacket.

Zhao Jing had already spoken in a low voice. "My apologies, Wanqing. Mother is outside sunning herself, so it wouldn’t have been right for me to knock."

"I know. It couldn’t be helped. Besides, this is your room to begin with. There’s no reason you should have to knock to enter."

’Besides, it would be strange for a husband to knock on the door of his own room. Anyone who saw it might not think much of it at first, but if they gave it a second thought, it would surely cause talk.’

Chen Wanqing didn’t dwell on it, instead chiding Zhao Jing. "Jing, look at the time! Why didn’t you wake me? We have to serve tea today, and I’m only just now getting up. It’s too late."

"There’s no one else here but family. If you want to sleep in, you should sleep in. Besides, you were up helping with Mother until the second watch last night. You’ve been exhausted these past few days, so you should get more rest."

"And it’s not just you who’s up late today; Mother only just got up herself. When I came in, she even reminded me not to disturb you and to let you sleep a while longer."

Chen Wanqing didn’t argue further. She just finished fastening her buttons, then turned to shoot him a reproachful look. "We can’t do this again. It’s too disrespectful to our elders."

"Alright. I’ll listen to you. From now on, I’ll wake you whenever you tell me to."

’His words sounded proper enough, yet for some reason, they also felt a little... improper.’

Chen Wanqing couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She just shooed Zhao Jing aside, washed her face with the hot water he’d just brought, and then hurried to pay her respects to their elder.

As a farming family, they didn’t have many strict rules for the tea ceremony, nor was it necessary for all the clan relatives to be present.

Chen Wanqing served tea to Mrs. Zhao, formally addressing her as "Mother." She presented her with a gift of new shoes, socks, and a set of clothes. Mrs. Zhao accepted them joyfully and, in return, gave her a jade bracelet as a gift for the change in address.

Chen Wanqing recognized the jade bracelet; it was one Mrs. Zhao used to wear.

Mr. Zhao had bought it for her on their tenth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Zhao cherished it, rarely wearing it except for festivals or other important occasions.

Chen Wanqing reflexively tried to refuse, but Mrs. Zhao slipped the bracelet directly onto her wrist.

"Jing’s father bought these for me; it was a pair. I said back then that one would be a first-meeting gift for Jing’s wife, and the other would be part of Xiang’er’s dowry. A mother keeps her promises. Your father-in-law is watching from the heavens."

Chen Wanqing glanced at Zhao Jing, who said, "Just accept it. Mother truly wants you to have it. Refusing would be slighting her kindness."

"That’s right, take it. If you don’t, Xiang’er won’t dare to accept hers later on."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanqing had no choice but to accept the jade bracelet.

Afterward, she gave Xiang’er her first-meeting gift: a pair of beaded floral hairpins with tiny bells. They were beautiful and delicate, in a peach-pink color that any young girl would love. Xiang’er was absolutely delighted.

The family then went to have their meal. Chen Wanqing supported Mrs. Zhao as they walked, glancing at her mother-in-law’s complexion several times along the way.

Mrs. Zhao knew what she was worried about. "I’m fine, dear," she said. "I drank a bowl of medicinal soup yesterday and slept soundly until morning. I haven’t slept that well in ages. I feel completely refreshed today."

"That’s because Big Brother got married, and to my favorite sister-in-law, no less! You’re happy, and a weight has been lifted from your mind, so of course you feel better."

"That’s true. In any case, I’m doing very well now, so don’t you worry about me, Qing’er." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"But your complexion looked quite poor last night. I was thinking... Jing and I could take you to the county town in the next day or two to have another doctor take a look."

Mrs. Zhao quickly waved her hand. "There’s no need. It’s nothing serious."

"Please, let’s go, Mother. Jing and I will feel much better once you’ve been checked. Jing, what do you think?"

Zhao Jing readily nodded. "We have the bridal homecoming visit tomorrow. Why don’t we go this afternoon? We can go to the county town and buy the gifts for the visit at the same time."