BOUND IN MARRIAGE

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Chapter 46

The rocking of the boat upon the water was enough to lull even the wakeful into a daze, let alone those already asleep. When Xiang Yi woke, the sun was high in the sky, causing her to start in surprise.

Chunsun entered with a smile upon hearing the movement. "Is the Madam awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

In the Tan estate, Xiang Yi, as the matriarch, had to set an example; the morning and evening greetings to Zhao Shi could never be skipped unless Zhao Shi herself made an exception. During the first two days on the boat, she had still managed to wake at dawn, but after several days of the gentle swaying and with no maids to wake her, she had actually slept until this hour.

She quietly instructed Chunsun to wake her on time henceforth, but Chunsun looked hesitant. "But the Master instructed us not to disturb the Madam."

Xiang Yi paused at those words. Looking down, she noticed a redwood box she had never seen before. "What is this?"

Chunsun opened it without a word. Xiang Yi’s gaze fixed upon the contents. The box was divided into small compartments like a jewelry case, but inside were ten jade stones of varying sizes, shapes, and colors.

"The Master had Zheng Ji bring these for the Madam," Chunsun said with a smile.

The quality of these stones was superb, their value far exceeding the three Xiang Yi had purchased herself. She remained silent for a long time before asking where the Master was and heading out.

At the bow, the ship cut through the green waves, and the wind blew in sharp gusts. Tan Jian was currently answering his brother’s questions, surreptitiously wiping sweat from his palms. He felt that if he recited any further, his hands would surely be lashed again.

Just then, he saw someone approaching. To Tan Jian, she looked like a goddess descending from the heavens. "Brother, Sister-in-law is here!"

Tan Ting was instantly displeased by the interruption, but upon hearing the words, he couldn't help but turn. He saw his wife. She wore a moon-white long coat and a lilac-colored vest embroidered with ruyi patterns. A light purple lilac hairpin was tucked into her hair, and the wind blew the pearls hanging from her ears.

Without needing a reminder, Tan Ting spoke: "Go back and continue your recitation."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Tan Jian fled without a second's delay, bowing to Xiang Yi as he ran. If not for his sister-in-law, how could he endure these days alone with his brother?

Once Tan Jian was gone, Tan Ting’s expression softened. He stepped forward to meet her. "Yizhen, you are awake?"

The wind blew a stray lock of hair across her face; she tucked it behind her ear and nodded, thinking of the box of precious jade. "Why did the Master buy so many stones?"

Tan Ting looked at her, wanting to see if she liked them. He regretted being angry with her the day before, which had spoiled her mood for buying more. He was about to ask if she was pleased, but she asked a question in a small voice.

"I wonder... what was the price of these stones?"

Her voice was tiny; she had a premonition she shouldn't ask. But they had always kept their accounts separate, and these stones were so valuable she could not accept them as a casual gift.

As expected, the man’s expression darkened. Tan Ting felt a surge of frustration, but remembering how his silence yesterday had ruined her fun, he spoke directly.

"Does Yizhen intend to record this in the ledger, or return the money to me? Must you calculate everything so clearly with me? We are husband and wife; how can it be so?"

He finally voiced the words he had left unsaid the day before. Xiang Yi was stunned. She looked up at him. So Zheng Ji’s guess had been correct...

Yet, she sighed inwardly at his change in attitude. Was it not better to keep things clear? It would save trouble in the future. But seeing his aggrieved look, she could only keep her thoughts to herself.

"Then I thank the Master," she said with a low bow.

Tan Ting did not want her to be so formal; he reached out and lifted her up. He looked closely at her. It was progress enough that she had accepted the gift today; as for her formal manners, he would slowly wear them down. They were to be husband and wife for a lifetime, after all.

Each had their own thoughts, yet a balance was reached. As a cool breeze blew off the river, Tan Ting untied his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

Zheng Ji, watching from a distance, breathed a sigh of relief. He had intended to bring tea but decided not to disturb them. Tan Ting’s lips curled into a smile as he pointed to a small fish market on the shore. "The weather is warming; the markets are becoming lively."

Tan Ting remembered the hand he had failed to hold the day before. He quietly moved closer, and as a gust of wind blew toward them, he touched her hand.

There were no crowds today. At the slightest touch, Xiang Yi looked over. Tan Ting did not meet her gaze, pretending it was the most natural thing in the world as he enclosed her slightly cool hand within his warm palm.

The exchange of heat happened in an instant. Xiang Yi took a sharp breath, staring at him. Tan Ting felt her hand go stiff, but just as he was about to tighten his grip, Yang Zhen ran out.

"Sister-in-law! Come look at the jade I carved!"

Yang Zhen had taken up carving to pass the time. At her shout, Xiang Yi instinctively and quickly withdrew her hand. Tan Ting’s eyes widened slightly as he looked down at her. Xiang Yi, overcome with embarrassment, dared not look back.

"Sister-in-law is calling... I shall go first." She hurried away.

Tan Ting was left at the bow, the lingering warmth of her soft hand still on his. Yet he was not brooding as before; instead, watching her hurried steps, he felt a strange sensation.

Was Yizhen... a little bit shy?

The thought made his smile widen. Though they were interrupted again, he thought of how natural his brother and Yang Zhen were. Husband and wife should be just so.

Then Xiao Guan approached. "Master, we reach the Denghe docks in fifteen minutes."

Tan Ting, still lost in his thoughts, merely nodded.

At the Denghe docks, the sun shimmered on the water.

Nanny Zhang had been sent by the main branch of the Huang family. Huang Si-niang listened as the nanny spoke of the prestige of the Tan family of Qinglong. Though they had declined slightly after the early death of the previous patriarch, they were still a premier clan, equal to the Huangs.

Huang Si-niang understood. Such a prominent family would never have looked at the Huangs, or her—if the Tan Master hadn't been forced to marry a woman like Xiang Yi. Though she was from a similar clan, she was only a daughter of the second branch; the eldest daughter of the main branch had died young.

Since Master Tan was the head of his clan, he deserved a legitimate daughter of a main branch. Therefore, she could only marry him as a successor after Xiang Yi was removed.

Her uncle, the clan head, wanted to forge this connection, and her father obeyed him blindly. Having lost her mother and sister, she could only follow her uncle’s arrangements. But she intended to see for herself the character of Master Tan and the conduct of the Xiang woman before deciding her own heart.

While Si-niang pondered, Liu-niang was far more vocal. She was heading to the capital because her father had been appointed an official there. Though of marriageable age, she was more concerned with the annoyance of sharing a boat with the daughter of a corrupt official.

"One's face is born of the heart; that Xiang woman must be hideous, a waste of the fine scenery of this journey!"

As she spoke, a grand ship approached from the south, the name "Tan" carved in gold upon its black hull. The people on the docks stirred.

As the ship docked, Si-niang and Liu-niang waited for the Tans to appear. They saw a man in a copper-green silk robe and a woman in a peach-colored dress come to the railing. The man was handsome, the woman bright; they laughed and whispered together with great intimacy.

The Huang sisters were stunned. But when their cousin came forward to greet them, they realized these were the second Master and his wife. Si-niang breathed a sigh of relief, while Liu-niang whispered to her, "I knew it! Such a bright and beautiful woman could never be that Xiang woman. It is the daughter of the Yang family of the Count of Zhongqing."

After the greetings, the Huang sisters were invited aboard. Tan Jian led them to the grand cabin. Si-niang searched the surroundings but saw no one until they entered the hall and saw a man standing in the center with his hands behind his back.

He wore a dark blue silk robe and a white jade belt, standing tall as a pine. Si-niang stole a quick look at his face, even more handsome and steady than the second Master—and quickly lowered her head, her heart racing.

The man’s voice was steady and warm as he greeted them. The Huang family invited him to stay in Denghe for a few days, but Tan Ting politely declined. After promising to look after the girls, he saw the Huang men off the ship.

The ship resumed its journey. Once in their private cabins, Liu-niang whispered to Si-niang, "That Master Tan is truly distinguished. What a pity he married such a woman!"

She noted that they hadn't seen Xiang Yi. "Is she so ugly she's ashamed to be seen? Why even bring her to the capital?"

Si-niang told her to be careful with her words, but she too wondered: was the Xiang woman hidden away because she was hideous or despised?

Soon, a maid brought pastries. "The Madam instructed us to bring these to the young ladies."

Si-niang accepted with polite thanks. Liu-niang, however, pouted. "I won't eat anything from that kind of woman." She pulled Si-niang. "Sister, let us go out and look at the scenery before it gets dark."

Si-niang, still curious about the hidden wife, allowed herself to be pulled out. At the stern, they nearly collided with a woman.

The woman’s lilac vest made her skin look exceptionally soft, and the pearls at her ears caught the light of the water. In the wind, she seemed to glow like a pearl herself. The sisters froze.

Liu-niang assumed she was another relative picked up along the way, but Si-niang felt a sudden, inexplicable unease. Sure enough, Yang Zhen came running up.

"Sister-in-law! You were seasick just now, why have you come out? You should rest longer."

Xiang Yi had felt a bout of nausea when the ship started and stopped, and Tan Ting had insisted she rest. But she could not sleep during the day and had come out for air. Seeing the girls, she greeted them politely.

The sisters were dazed. The younger Liu-niang looked as if she had lost her soul, while Si-niang managed a formal return greeting. Xiang Yi, not being of the same circle, said a few pleasantries and left.

Once she was gone, a gust of wind brought the sisters back to their senses. Liu-niang swallowed hard, scratching her head. "Why? Is the face not born of the heart? How is she so beautiful? No, she must be a femme fatale, a snake-like beauty who coerced the Tan family into the marriage!"

She nodded to herself. "That must be it!"

Si-niang remained silent, only warning Liu-niang not to gossip on another’s boat. But in her heart, she felt a heavy gloom.

Nanny Zhang saw her thoughts. "Miss, do not be intimidated. No matter how she looks, she is a commoner, a corrupt official’s daughter. If the Tan family didn't intend to replace her, how would we have heard the news?" She lowered her voice. "This came from Lady Lin herself. Even if it isn't our family, it will be another. That Xiang woman cannot sit in that seat forever."

But that was Lady Lin’s intent. What was the Master’s intent?

Later, as they sat in their cabin, they heard footsteps outside. It was Xiang Yi. Nanny Zhang silenced herself. Then, a man’s footsteps approached.

"Why have you come out?" It was Tan Ting. He frowned, seeing his wife out of her cabin.

"I felt a bit stifled," Xiang Yi replied softly.

The wind was picking up as they moved through the mountains, blowing her hair and the pearls at her ears. Fearing she would catch a chill or grow sick again, he said, "Go back inside."

Xiang Yi, seeing the wind was indeed strong, complied and left.

The women in the cabin couldn't see the scene, but they heard the tone. Nanny Zhang grabbed Si-niang’s hand. "Did you hear? He doesn't want her out at all. He must think her a disgrace and keeps her locked away!"

Si-niang had indeed heard a trace of displeasure in the Master’s steady voice, and saw that the Xiang woman didn't dare argue after he spoke. It seems they are truly at odds...

So, bringing her to the capital was likely an opportunity to divorce her.

Nanny Zhang continued, "The Great Master said you should ask Master Tan for scholarly advice on behalf of your brother. Go tonight after dinner. Make sure he remembers you; this is your chance!"

Si-niang felt uneasy. "He has not divorced her yet... what if she sees me?"

Nanny Zhang reassured her. "Lady Lin has people around the Master. You go; the Xiang woman will not see you."

After dinner, everyone retired. Tan Ting went to his study to work. Tan Jian, his heart lively after finishing his lessons, had caught a large fish and made soup. Fearing his brother would scold him for "unprofessionalism," he begged Xiang Yi to deliver it.

"Don't say it was me! Just say you were worried about him. Please, Sister-in-law!"

Xiang Yi, amused, agreed to go. The night wind was biting, and the fires on the distant shore were flickering low. Carrying the soup, she saw a hem of a skirt vanish toward the Master’s study.

She paused, thinking her eyes had played a trick on her. As she moved forward, someone blocked her path. It was Qin Jiao.

Seeing Xiang Yi appear just as the Huang girl had entered, Qin Jiao stepped in her way. Lady Lin had chosen Huang Si-niang—a legitimate daughter of a prestigious clan—to be the successor. How could the daughter of a corrupt official compare? If Xiang Yi were wise, she would know when to let go.

"Is the Madam going to the study? The Master is tired and is currently napping. It is best not to disturb him."

Xiang Yi found the idea of Tan Ting napping at this hour strange. But in Qin Jiao’s face, she remembered the skirt she had seen. In the next moment, the faint sound of a man and woman talking drifted from the study.

The sounds were low, the words unclear, but Xiang Yi understood instantly. The night wind blew out the fishing fires, and the lanterns on the boat swayed with a low creak.

So that is how it is...

Xiang Yi offered a faint smile and lowered her eyes. She placed the fish soup on a small table by the rail.

"Please give this soup to the Master, Mr. Qin. I shall not disturb him."

The wind blew her hair as the murmurs from the study continued. Xiang Yi tucked her hair back and, without a single moment of delay, turned and walked away into the cold night.

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