Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

As everyone stared in disbelief at the bride's face, the matchmaker brought over a bowl of dumplings and invited the couple to eat together.

Xia Yu looked at the bowl of dumplings, knowing they were definitely raw, but given the custom, she couldn't break the rules. So, she took a small bite of one of the dumplings with the matchmaker's hand, and amidst the laughter and teasing of the crowd, she pretended to be surprised and spat the dumpling into her palm, saying...

"It's raw!"

"To have a child or not?" the matchmaker asked with a smile.

"Raw!" Xia Yu replied.

Then, the bridal chamber erupted in laughter from the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law again. A young woman said to Xia Yu...

"The Princess just said it herself, that she'll give birth. I wonder how many?"

Xia Yu feigned shyness, lowering her head and covering her face, unwilling to answer the woman's teasing. Shen Jingheng simply watched with a smile, then picked up the chopsticks, took the dumpling Xia Yu had bitten, and ate it.

Xia Yu saw that he had actually eaten it and quickly stopped him.

"Don't eat it, it's raw."

Shen Jingheng's eyes seemed to shine as he stared intently at Xia Yudao.

“I know, that’s the rule.”

After the girl finished eating, she took the dumplings away, and someone brought over a plate containing a wine pot and wine cups.

"Please, bride and groom, drink the nuptial wine together."

Shen Jingheng picked up two cups, handing one to Xia Yu. The two then drank the nuptial wine in front of everyone in the room. After they finished, the crowd applauded and cheered. Xia Yu played along, feigning shyness. He thought to himself how few forms of entertainment people had in ancient times; even with such a limited set of procedures for a wedding, these people never tired of watching.

After drinking the nuptial wine, Shen Jingheng was pulled out to offer more toasts, leaving only a few relatives from the Shen family—aunts, uncles, and other extended family members—to keep Xia Yu company in the bridal chamber. However, they didn't stay long before being invited out for a banquet.

After everyone in the house had left, leaving only Nineteen and Daniu in the bridal chamber, Xia Yu peeked into the direction of the door to make sure it was closed.

He held the headdress with one hand and pounded his lower back a few times with the other.

"Ouch, my back is about to break. Nineteen, quickly help me take these things off my head, my neck is about to break."

"Miss, should we wait for the young master a little longer?" Nineteen asked uncertainly. This was her first time being a dowry maid, and the nannies hadn't mentioned when she could remove her makeup before she left!

"No, I can't take it anymore, I need to take it off now, I can't take it anymore." Xia Yu held her neck with both hands, afraid that it would break if she waited any longer.

The two maids felt sorry for her seeing how uncomfortable she was. They quickly helped her to the dressing table and removed all her hairpins and ornaments. Then they tied her hair into a simple bun at the back of her head and secured it with a jade hairpin.

"Ah, that feels so good now," Xia Yu said, twisting her neck.

"Miss, are you hungry? I'll have someone bring some food." Da Niu's stomach had been rumbling for a long time, and she couldn't help but ask Xia Yu now.

"Yeah, I'm a little hungry. I could hear my stomach growling just now." Xia Yu smiled and glanced at Da Niu.

"Then I'll go and get someone to bring some food." Hearing that her mistress was also hungry, Da Niu excitedly said and was about to go out. But as soon as she opened the door, she almost bumped into someone coming in from outside.

Two maids carrying food boxes followed behind the mother. Seeing Da Niu open the door, she smiled and said...

"Greetings, young lady. This is food that Madam sent to deliver to the princess." The madam spoke to Da Niu with a smile, her tone very respectful.

"Thank you, Mom. Just give it to me." Da Niu swallowed hard before speaking.

Then he took the food box from the two maids, gave a polite curtsy to his mother, and gently closed the door.

The mother and her two maids watched in astonishment as she effortlessly lifted two five-tiered food boxes, but they remained outwardly calm, took a few steps back, and then turned and left.

Madam Shen had eight side dishes, two soups, and a small bucket of rice brought over. Seeing such a plentiful meal, Da Niu was overjoyed. So the three of them, mistress and servant, sat at the table adorned with dragon and phoenix candles and ate the food that had been brought over, finishing it all.

Just as Xia Yu was half-asleep on the bed, she heard the door creak open. Xia Yu sat up abruptly and saw Shen Jingheng, dressed in wedding attire, walk in. The two maids, seeing him return, politely bowed and quietly withdrew, considerately closing the door behind them.

Before Shen Jingheng even got close, Xia Yu could smell the stench of alcohol on him, and couldn't help but fan her nose with her hand as she spoke.

How much did you drink?

Afraid of bothering her with the smell, Shen Jingheng turned and went to the shelf behind the bed, saying...

"I didn't drink much, just spilled two glasses of wine on my clothes, that's why it smells so strong."

After taking off his outer robe, Shen Jingheng emerged from behind the bed wearing only his inner garment.

Xia Yu saw his appearance without feeling uncomfortable at all. In her previous life, many people went out for walks in their pajamas. Wasn't the undergarment he was wearing now just like the pajamas in his previous life?

Seeing that he had taken off his clothes, Xia Yu was about to take off her own clothes when she heard Shen Jingheng say...

"Xiaxia, let me help you undress." There was an indescribable allure in her slightly hoarse voice.

In an instant, the hairs on Xia Yu's body stood on end, and she gripped her collar tightly.

"No, no need, I can take it off myself. Where are you planning to sleep tonight?"

Sensing the aura of rejection emanating from her, Shen Jingheng's previously fiery heart instantly cooled down. He smiled slightly and looked at Xia Yu gently, saying...

"Xiaxia, today is our wedding day. Where do you think I should sleep?"

"But there's no affection between us! I know you married me because you're afraid that if you get married later, it will be inconvenient to cooperate with me. Are you saying this now because you intend to be my wife?"

Hearing her earnest words, Shen Jingheng felt a slight tightness in his chest, a feeling he hadn't experienced since the engagement. Unexpectedly, on their wedding night, he felt this flutter in his heart again. He clutched his chest, looking at Xia Yu's genuinely confused face, and earnestly confessed his feelings to her.

"I've loved you for a long time, and I'm marrying you because I can't bear to see you marry someone else. I'm also worried that others will discover your secret and see you as an outsider, unable to accept you. So, only by keeping you by my side can I properly protect you. In front of me, you don't need to hide your uniqueness. You can live the life you want freely and unrestrainedly. I'm confident I can protect you for the rest of your life. So, do you understand?"

Shen Jingheng's gaze was like intoxicating wine; under his burning, affectionate gaze, Xia Yu felt a little dizzy. She had never imagined that Shen Jingheng would like her one day. His confession just now was somewhat sudden, yet she felt a secret, quiet joy. However, she was also conflicted; she didn't seem to have such deep feelings for him. What should she do?

Seemingly seeing through her thoughts, Shen Jingheng spoke gently again.

“Our marriage is a decree bestowed by the Emperor. If I move out on our wedding night, it would be a blatant slap in the face to the Emperor, and we would both lose face. I would also be unable to stand in the court in the future. I know that Xiaxia has no feelings for me now, and I am unwilling to force you.”

His words successfully captured Xia Yu's attention; she wanted to know how he planned to solve the current problem.

After pondering for a while, seemingly making a difficult decision, Shen Jingheng tentatively asked Xia Yu...

"Xiaxia, this bed is so big, why don't we sleep under separate blankets? I won't touch you until you agree. If you don't trust my character, then I'll sleep on the floor. What do you think of that?"

Hearing him say that, Xia Yu hesitated. She could still trust Lord Shen's character. Besides, the weather was getting colder every day; it didn't seem right to make him sleep on the floor.

"Alright then, you sleep inside, I'll sleep outside. Let's have a gentleman's agreement: you can't do anything beastly before I give your consent."

Upon hearing Xia Yu's reply, Shen Jingheng took two steps back and bowed deeply to her.

"I thank you for your trust, my wife. I will never forget your kindness!"

"What are you talking about?!" Xia Yu covered her mouth and giggled when she heard his witty remarks.

"Move over there a little, let me hear you..."

"Hey, you stepped on my foot..."

Suddenly, the sound of people talking quietly came from outside the window. It turned out that someone was eavesdropping under the window.

Shen Jingheng gestured for Xia Yu to be quiet, then leaned close to her ear and whispered...

"I have another request for my wife. Although we are not yet a real couple, I hope you will cooperate if we do anything intimate in public. Otherwise, if someone finds out and the matter gets out, I will lose all my official dignity."

His warm breath tickled Xia Yu's ear as he spoke, making her feel a slight tingling sensation. She couldn't help but rub it and say...

"I understand. Please get settled quickly, I'm sleepy."

But she didn't control her voice properly, and as soon as she finished speaking, she heard someone outside covering their mouth and chuckling. Xia Yu glared at Shen Jingheng, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. This guy did it on purpose; he was cunning and shrewd.

When Shen Jingheng saw Xia Yu lying on the bed with her face covered by the blanket, looking a little shy, he showed a doting yet determined smile.

End of text