Pei Ying knew it was Huo Tingshan who had arrived, but she was currently sitting on the soft couch, without even the strength to turn her head.
The hair ornaments on her head had not yet been removed, and the intricate wedding dress was still on, all because there was one more ritual to complete before removing her makeup:
Drinking the Hejin wine.
The utensils were already prepared and placed to the side.
"Madam." Pei Ying heard Huo Tingshan call her.
It was time to get up.
Xin Jin was by her side, and Pei Ying relied on her support to rise from the soft couch.
Husband and wife shared food from the same vessel and drank the Hejin wine.
The gourd was already prepared, split into two halves, with a small pot of wine beside it.
Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan stood facing each other, each holding one half of the bitter gourd, using their half to ladle wine.
Drinking the Hejin wine meant rinsing the mouth with it, not swallowing it directly.
The moment the wine touched her mouth, Pei Ying furrowed her delicate brows. The alcohol content seemed a bit high, not like the usual clear wine. But it was only for rinsing, not for drinking, so Pei Ying said nothing.
Putting down the half-gourd, Pei Ying lifted her gaze and inadvertently met the eyes of the man before her.
Those narrow, dark eyes were fixed intently on her. In their depths, she saw a churning darkness, like a massive sea beast roiling beneath the vast ocean, revealing just the terrifying tip of its dorsal fin.
Pei Ying was startled by that look.
"Remove Madam's makeup." Huo Tingshan looked at Xin Jin and another serving maid.
The two acknowledged the order.
Coming back to her senses, Pei Ying spoke softly to him, "Huo Tingshan, you must be tired today..."
"Set your mind at ease, Madam. I am not tired." Huo Tingshan cut her off.
Pei Ying: "..."
That made her even less at ease.
"Hot water is prepared in the side room. After your makeup is removed, Madam, you may go to the side room to relieve your fatigue." Huo Tingshan was still looking at her.
Pei Ying was left speechless and could only sit on the soft couch to let Xin Jin and the others remove her makeup. This time, removing the makeup took much longer than last time. Last time it took two ke (approx. 30 minutes), today it took at least half a shichen (approx. 1 hour).
The wine had just passed her lips, leaving a slight tipsiness, and coupled with extreme exhaustion, Pei Ying fell asleep not long after sitting down.
For the better part of a shichen, she managed a short nap.
Once the head ornaments were all removed and the intricate wedding dress changed out of, Pei Ying felt much more relaxed.
Upon entering the side room, Pei Ying saw a large, carved wooden bathtub. An oval-shaped tub, its rim flared outward like flower petals, large enough to comfortably hold more than four people.
The craftsmanship of the tub was exquisite, adorned with gold and jade, and its surface was carved with vivid peony patterns.
Yet, Pei Ying felt a twinge of regret in her heart.
Compared to a bathtub, she actually preferred the bathing pools back in Yuanshan County. Unfortunately, natural hot springs were not as common as cabbages; one had to consider the terrain and surrounding environment, and they were not found just anywhere.
Steam rose in wisps. Pei Ying removed her inner garments and trousers, stepped onto the wooden steps beside the tub, and entered.
Warm water enveloped her skin. A sense of ease and comfort seemed to seep from her skin into her very bones. Pei Ying let out a satisfied sigh.
Finally feeling alive again.
This was where ordinary hot water and a natural hot spring differed. One could only soak in the latter for about two ke at most, but with the former, one could stay until the water turned cool.
Pei Ying stayed in the side room for a very long time, so long that her bones felt softened by the soak, leaving her lazy and unwilling to move. Finally, Xin Jin came in. "Madam, even in the sixth month, one must guard against catching a chill."
"Did he ask you to come in?" Pei Ying leaned against the small backrest specially fitted inside the tub.
Xin Jin smiled but said nothing.
Pei Ying thought to herself, 'Just as I suspected.' Then she suddenly remembered something. "Xin Jin, soak one fish bladder."
The fish bladders previously acquired from the market, after being scrubbed with soap and sun-dried, had almost no fishy smell left.
Pei Ying had folded the dried fish bladders.
Some were two-layered, some three-layered, and some four-layered. After comparing different combinations, she later found that three layers stacked together were about right. So, the fish bladders were all grouped in sets of three.
Hearing Pei Ying ask for only one, Xin Jin quickly glanced at the beautiful woman not far away who was just reaching for a bath towel. Seeing her expression was normal, it didn't seem like a slip of the tongue.
Xin Jin hesitated for a couple of breaths but ultimately complied.
After getting dressed and going out, Pei Ying found that Huo Tingshan had already bathed in another side room. He was wearing only a set of dark inner garments, the ties not properly fastened, the collar open, revealing a stretch of firm, sun-tanned skin.
The man sat on the soft couch by the window, lazily basking in the moonlight that streamed in.
Perhaps hearing footsteps, he turned his head. Meeting his gaze this time, Pei Ying's heart skipped a beat.
The sea beast was ferocious, more rampant than before, its terrifying greed now blatantly unconcealed.
Pei Ying's steps grew slower and slower, finally stopping completely. "Huo Tingshan, I have something to tell you."
Seeing Pei Ying standing still not far away, Huo Tingshan rose from the soft couch. He was tall and his strides were long; in just a few steps, he was beside Pei Ying. "What does Madam wish to say?"
Just as Pei Ying was about to speak, the man before her suddenly lifted her into the air.
"The world says a spring night's moment is worth a thousand pieces of gold. If Madam has words for me, perhaps we can speak elsewhere." Huo Tingshan carried her inward.
Pei Ying's hands rested on his shoulders. As he walked step by step inward, her slender fingers pinched a few folds into the small patch of fabric over his shoulder blade. "It's about the marital relations..."
Her voice was very soft, but Huo Tingshan heard it.
The man raised his long brows, asking with keen interest, "What instructions does Madam have? Could it be that tonight Madam wishes to take the lead?"
Then, as if recalling something, he nodded and chuckled. "That's fine too. Just don't complain about being tired later."
"That's not it!" The tips of her ears were burning with heat. Pei Ying struggled slightly. "Put me down first."
Huo Tingshan didn't let go, but he stopped walking.
Pei Ying patted his shoulder. "Put me down."
"What does Madam wish to do?" Huo Tingshan set her down. Seeing her walk back, she took a small porcelain bowl from Xin Jin's hands.
Pei Ying turned around holding the bowl and happened to meet Huo Tingshan's eyes again. His gaze was fixed and direct, carrying a hint of "take your time, we have plenty of it anyway."
The beautiful woman's movements paused for an instant. The faint blush that had earlier tinged the tips of her ears deepened.
Huo Tingshan stepped forward. When he saw clearly what was in the bowl, he recognized it. "What Madam is holding... is this a fish bladder?"
It looked very much like a fish bladder, but the color and shape were slightly different.
"It is a fish bladder." Pei Ying said in a low voice. "Huo Tingshan, constantly drinking contraceptive medicine is not a good solution. Use this for contraception instead."
When he first heard "drinking contraceptive medicine," the man's expression changed slightly. Then, hearing Pei Ying suggest using a fish bladder for contraception, Huo Tingshan used two fingers to pick up the fish bladder from the small porcelain bowl.
Soaked in warm water, the fish bladder had become soft. He pinched it in his hand; the texture was a bit harder than a fresh one. Soon, Huo Tingshan also noticed this fish bladder had more than one layer.
Connecting the shape of the fish bladder and her mention of contraception, Huo Tingshan immediately understood where this fish bladder was meant to be worn.
"Madam, you want me to wear this thing?" Huo Tingshan's tone was peculiar.
Pei Ying nodded and said yes. "Contraceptive medicine is cooling in nature. I don't want to drink it anymore."
"Then don't drink it." Huo Tingshan replied.
Pei Ying, observing his expression, keenly sensed something else. "If I'm not taking the contraceptive medicine, then you'll have to wear a sheath."
"If a child comes, we'll have it. It's not like I can't afford to raise one, and a child between you and me would surely be clever and bright, far surpassing others." Huo Tingshan's fingers loosened, and the sheath in his hand dropped back into the small porcelain bowl.
Pei Ying frowned. This man really hadn't given up. "Huo Tingshan, I have one child... well, three. Having three children now is more than enough. Besides, is giving birth an easy thing? Throughout history, how many pregnant women have died at death's door? If I had a difficult labor, it would surely mean two lives lost."
Those last four words struck a nerve in him. "That won't happen."
Seeing his expression, Pei Ying knew he simply didn't understand.
Perhaps when Huo Mingji and Huo Zhizhang were born, this man had been completely hands-off, only knowing that after ten months of pregnancy, a woman would give him a child.
The more Pei Ying thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, in ancient times, even menstruation was a taboo subject, let alone the details of childbirth.
These men, accustomed to their lofty positions, wouldn't feel the pain unless the knife cut their own flesh. So they thought childbirth was easy, not much different from a minor, insignificant illness.
But what about the women giving birth?
They already depended on their husbands' families, and their husbands might have more than one woman. Where would they voice these hardships? Most swallowed their suffering in silence, at most crying about the pains of childbirth to their own mothers.
And the pregnant women who died could no longer speak.
Thus, for a long time, these men had deliberately or inadvertently ignored the suffering of women in childbirth, taking it for granted that it was a relatively easy process for them.
Including the present Huo Tingshan.
"You think it won't happen because you've heard little about it," Pei Ying said irritably. "Besides, you can't give birth. You have no say in this matter."
Huo Tingshan furrowed his long brows but said nothing.
Pei Ying spoke to him seriously, "I'm no longer in my twenties. My body isn't what it used to be. You can go ask Physician Feng if women my age face far greater dangers in childbirth compared to young maidens."
"I'll speak with him another day." Huo Tingshan took the porcelain bowl from her hand and, with his other arm, circled Pei Ying's waist, lifting her upright. "Tonight, I'll help my lady test this sheath."
Before Pei Ying's gasp of surprise could escape her throat, she heard him add, "However, this object is quite novel. My lady must put it on for me with her own hands."
After a few steps, Huo Tingshan rounded the carved screen. Beside the bed was a small low cabinet. He first placed the porcelain bowl on it, then sat down, still holding Pei Ying.
He sat on the edge of the bed, with Pei Ying perched on his lap.
The man's long arm encircled the slender waist of the person in his embrace, a hint of a smile lifting the corner of his eye. "My lady, please."
