Chapter Four: Miss, Might I First Take a Bath?

Jiang Yuan was momentarily taken aback, then smiled softly. "Very well, since that is decided, then so be it."

She glanced sideways at the other two. "It's bitterly cold outside. Come in and choose a bedroom first. I'll then give you detailed instructions on what to do. By the way, this is my mother and my younger brother. You may address them simply as Mother and Brother Hu."

Before she finished speaking, Xie Yanzhi swaggered boldly into the main hall.

"Mother, Brother Hu," Xie Changzhi stepped forward, respectfully bowing his head and clasping his hands together, then stepped back to lean against the doorframe.

To the left of the main hall were the bedrooms and kitchen of the Jiang family’s three women; to the right were three empty rooms of varying sizes, long used for storage.

Though unoccupied, Jiang’s mother kept the place tidy, not allowing it to become filthy or disorderly.

As Xie Yanzhi passed by one of the rooms, a look of disdain deepened on his face.

Xie Tingjun, whether out of pride or habit, stood still, his mustache twitching as if angered.

Jiang Yuan did not understand why these two, exiled here, still clung to such arrogance.

Jiang’s mother withdrew to the side, watching everything silently, her eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan, hesitating to speak.

"Changzhi, you will stay here." Jiang Yuan pulled the tall young man from the shadows and pushed him toward the largest, sunlit room.

When she reached out to him, he instinctively shrank back. After hearing her words, a trace of surprise flickered across his lowered, obedient face.

"Me? Stay here?"

Xie Changzhi glanced inside; the room held just a table and chair, a bed and cabinet, but it was clean and orderly. Soft sunlight filtered through the papered window, casting a warm glow over the small table.

Suddenly sensing two disapproving gazes, he snapped back to reality, a tightness in his chest. He lowered his eyes hastily, suppressing the yearning in his peripheral vision.

"Miss, this room is too large. I—I'll take one of the smaller rooms next door."

His voice was hoarse and devoid of emotion.

Jiang Yuan frowned slightly, tilting her head as if to silently ask, "Are you a fool?"

Xie Changzhi felt his cheek burn under her gaze but was interrupted before he could reply by Xie Tingjun.

"Miss Jiang, Changzhi has trained in martial arts since childhood; his skin is thick and tough. It makes no difference which room he stays in. But Yanzhi is different. Since Changzhi refuses, can this room be given to Yanzhi instead?"

Xie Changzhi’s shoulders twitched slightly, his head bowed lower.

Seeing Jiang Yuan remain silent, the others assumed her consent.

"Hmph! This room? Back in the day, I wouldn’t even glance at a place like this!" Xie Yanzhi sneered, sensing Changzhi’s longing. Though dissatisfied with the room, he was willing to accept it because he could see his younger half-brother cowed into silence.

The moment Xie Yanzhi stepped inside, Jiang Yuan delivered a swift kick to his backside, sending him sprawling onto the ground, lying face-up.

"Ah!" Xie Yanzhi's head spun; he bit his lip hard, immediately tasting blood.

"My Yanzhi!" Jiang Yuan snorted coldly, shooting a sharp look at the pale-faced Xie Tingjun.

Her hand found an axe resting in the corner, which she hefted lightly.

"This household is mine to command. If I say this room belongs to Xie Changzhi, then it belongs to him—empty as it may be, no one else dares lay a finger on it!"

Xie Changzhi’s heart stopped for a moment. Carefully, he lifted his head, his eyes filling with snowflakes.

The icy flakes melted instantly, tears streaming down from the corners of his eyes.

—

"Yuan’er, your marriage... even so, we cannot be so hasty," Jiang’s mother said anxiously after the three had entered to rest.

Jiang Yuan smiled gently at the worry etched on her mother’s face.

“Mother, what about Aunt’s side? How will you handle them?”

Mention of the eldest aunt caused Jiang’s mother’s pupils to shrink; her body trembled, her lips quivered, and she sighed deeply.

"Who says I must marry off? I will marry in—into a quiet, obedient family. There’s already a grown man here. Logically, Aunt won’t have a chance to claim this house anymore."

Jiang Yuan took her mother’s hand, her voice like a gentle stream soothing the bewildered woman.

"But... besides that child, his father and elder brother don’t seem easy to get along with. Besides, this is only the first day; we don’t yet know their true character..."

Jiang’s mother was at a loss, but this concerned her precious daughter’s future, so she could not simply let go.

Jiang Yuan paid little mind to such worries.

After all, if it came to disciplining a dog, she, Jiang Yuan, was not to be feared.

After much reassurance, she freed herself from her mother’s room. Upon stepping outside, she saw Xie Changzhi holding a broom in the courtyard.

He was tall and broad-shouldered; the broom, just right for Jiang Yuan, looked like a toy in his hands. He bent down carefully, sweeping the snow diligently, soon piling the dirty slush outside the courtyard.

When he looked up, their eyes met, and his fingers tightened around the broom handle.

"Miss..."

"I was just idle, and I remembered the snow in the courtyard hadn’t been cleared yet, so..."

His voice trailed off as he dropped his gaze, wishing he could hide in the snowdrift.

Suddenly, a warm finger lifted his chin. Xie Changzhi’s pupils dilated, his expression frozen.

"What’s wrong with you? I haven’t even said a word, and you’re already apologizing. Earlier, your father and brother clearly bullied you, yet you didn’t glare back?"

Jiang Yuan’s words were not harsh; she was speaking up for him, comforting him. Yet her voice felt sharper and more painful than any harsh words he had heard before, like a grip on his heart.

Suppressing the strange emotion, he muttered, "I didn’t mean it, miss..." Realizing what he’d said, he snapped his mouth shut and bit his lip.

Then he glanced cautiously at Jiang Yuan.

"I... I will be more careful in the future, miss," his voice carried a tone of supplication.

Jiang Yuan frowned slightly but found no fault with the clean courtyard to scold him.

The good news: he was a quiet, capable man. The bad news: he seemed to have been bullied too severely in the past. To bring him out of that shadow would take time.

She herself could not guarantee a good life yet, and had no leisure to care for others’ matters.

Though he was now her son-in-law, she needed him. Providing for his daily needs was already a significant mutual benefit.

"What are you staring at? Since you’re not tired, come with me to gather firewood!"

With that, Xie Changzhi nodded, setting down the broom and picking up a basket.

"Wait, wait."

Jiang Yuan frowned, noticing the large patches of skin exposed despite the biting wind, yet his face showed no sign of discomfort.

She pulled the puzzled man back inside.

"Take off your clothes."

Without waiting for a response, she turned toward the wardrobe.

Xie Changzhi’s pupils widened, the struggle and hesitation clear in his eyes.

As Jiang Yuan turned back, he reddened and said, "May I bathe first before going out?"