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Inside the bridal chamber, red candles burned brightly, and the mandarin duck brocade quilt was laid out neatly.

The flames of the dragon and phoenix wedding candles flickered gently, casting soft, swaying shadows on the walls and bathing the entire room in a warm, rosy glow.

Under the veil, Dongkui's palms were sweaty, and the handkerchief was crumpled from being clenched.

She was so nervous that she dared not breathe too loudly, and all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.

The tassels on her red veil swayed gently with her slight trembling, making her increasingly flustered.

She couldn't help but think of the picture book she had just peeked at.

The picture book was given to her by her younger sister, Peach, who insisted that she look at it on her wedding night. Or something else, perhaps related to her happiness for the rest of her life!

At the time, she thought it was some kind of household management secret or good advice on being a good wife and mother.

When no one was around, I secretly flipped it open and found out it was...

It was decorated with all sorts of little figures in various poses, and next to them were annotations written in tiny characters, such as "Mandarin ducks playing in the water" and "Flowers blooming in pairs"...

She would glance at some words and quickly close the book, but after closing it, she couldn't help but open it again, as if she were doing something wrong, her heart pounding wildly.

Only then did she realize that the "happiness" that her sister Tao'er spoke of was not the same thing she had originally thought of.

But the more she thought about it, the more puzzled she became: How could Tao'er, an unmarried young girl, know about these intimate matters?

Where did she get that picture book?

Could it be... something I found in one of those bookstores on the street?

Dongkui shook her head, feeling her face burning as if she had a fever.

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore.

She lowered her eyes, staring at her intertwined fingers, thinking: When Brother Qingfeng comes in later, the two of us can... study it together, which is better than thinking about it alone.

But how could she possibly take the initiative to do something so embarrassing?

Just thinking about it makes me so embarrassed!

Just then, the footsteps outside the door grew closer.

The steps were steady and unhurried; she could tell it was Brother Qingfeng's.

happy Cheng slowly reached under the red veil and gently lifted it.

The moment the veil slipped off, Dongkui's vision suddenly brightened.

In the dim candlelight, Qingfeng, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, looked handsome with refined features.

His usually dignified and composed expression now carried a hint of intoxication, his eyes sparkling as if filled with wine, both tender and burning.

He grinned foolishly, the curve of his lips was incredibly beautiful, and his eyes were fixed on Dongkui's face, unable to look away, as if he had never seen her enough in his entire life.

Dong Kou's heart pounded as he looked at her, her face flushed red, and even the tips of her ears turned a rosy hue.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. After a long while, she softly called out, "Brother Qingfeng... how much longer are you going to stare at me like this?"

Qingfeng seemed to be startled by these words, paused for a moment, and then laughed even more deeply.

He reached out and gently rubbed the back of his neck, his voice filled with undisguised joy: "My wife, you look so beautiful today..."

No, you're beautiful every day, but you're especially beautiful today.

Dongkui was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her face in her collar, muttering softly, "Well...you can't just keep staring at me like that..."

Qingfeng sat down beside her, the bed sinking slightly, his cool scent mixed with the aroma of wine wafting over her.

He looked at her intently and said gently, "My wife, you should call me husband now."

Dongkui's heart skipped a beat again.

She pursed her lips, pressed the tip of her tongue against her palate, and after a long while, she softly called out, "My husband..."

The voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, yet it was like a piece of honey falling into the heart of a gentle breeze. The smile in his eyes deepened, and he responded loudly, "Yes!"

My wife...

Let's drink the nuptial wine first!

He stood up, walked to the table, picked up the wine pot with the red string tied to it, and slowly poured two cups of wine.

The amber-colored liquid swayed gently in the glass, reflecting the candlelight like flowing amber.

He handed one of the cups to Dongkui, and when his fingertips touched her hand, they both felt as if they had been burned.

They quickly shrank back, then simultaneously raised their heads, their eyes meeting, filled with undisguised tenderness.

The nuptial wine wasn't strong, but when Dong Kui drank it, she felt a warmth that went from her throat all the way to her heart.

Qingfeng put down his wine cup, suddenly turned around to look at her, his expression serious and gentle: "My wife, from today onwards, you are my wife."

Dongkui gave a soft "hmm".

"My wife, are you hungry?"

Winter Okra paused for a moment.

She was indeed a little hungry. She had been dragged to get ready since early morning, changing into her wedding dress and having her hair styled. She had only managed to sneak a few bites of pastries all day, and her stomach was already growling.

But she didn't expect that Qingfeng would notice it.

Qingfeng took out several dishes from the food box: a dish of sweet and sour pork ribs, a dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a dish of braised carp, and a bowl of steaming white rice.

He placed the dishes in front of her one by one, handed her chopsticks, and carefully removed the fish bones before placing the tenderest piece of belly meat into her bowl.

Looking at the food in the bowl, Dongkui suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

She remembered that her sister Tao'er had said that whether a man has feelings for a woman is not determined by what pretty words he says, but by what concrete actions he takes.

Details matter the most.

So that's the detail she was referring to.

On their wedding night, most men are preoccupied with sex and how many of them care about whether their wives have eaten or are hungry?

"Husband, how...how did you know I like to eat these?"

Dongkui picked up a piece of fish, her voice a little hoarse.

Qingfeng smiled, his tone as casual as if he were talking about something insignificant: "I've noticed it before."

So I remembered it.

Dongkui felt as if her heart was filled with something, swollen and full, and she couldn't describe the feeling, only that she felt so warm that she wanted to cry.

She lowered her head and began to eat earnestly.

Qingfeng sat beside her, resting his chin on his hand, quietly watching her eat, a smile that wouldn't fade from his lips.

His gaze moved from her eyebrows and eyes to her lips, then slid from her lips to her slender fingers holding the chopsticks. No matter how he looked at her, she looked beautiful.

Before long, the winter melon was full.

She put down her chopsticks, gently touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, and looked up to meet Qingfeng's gentle gaze, causing her to blush again.

"Wife, are you full?"

Would you like another bowl of soup?

Qingfeng asked, feeling that his wife was still too thin.

Dongkui shook her head and said softly, "I'm full, my husband."

Then, as if presenting a treasure, Qingfeng took out a sandalwood box from behind him and pushed it in front of Dongkui.

The box wasn't large, but it was quite heavy. The sandalwood grain was delicate and warm, and it carried a faint sandalwood fragrance.

"My wife, this is all my family's possessions and property. I'm entrusting them all to you from now on."

Qingfeng patted the box lid, his tone as solemn as if he were making a solemn pledge.

Dongkui paused for a moment, then reached out and opened the box.

On a red silk background, several silver ingots, several yellowed land deeds and shop contracts were neatly arranged, along with a string of heavy copper keys.

She picked up the key and weighed it in her hand; it was icy cold, yet surprisingly heavy.

This means... he's handed over his entire fortune to her.

Tao'er once told her that a man's love lies where his money is.

If a man hands over all his wealth to you without hesitation, it means he's given you his heart.

Dongkui closed the lid, hugged the sandalwood box to her chest, and said, word by word, "Okay, my husband, I will take good care of these things and leave them to..."

She didn't say the second half of the sentence, which she left for their children.

After saying that, she put the box under the bed.

Qingfeng had already guessed the second half of the sentence, and he was overjoyed.

He reached out, wanting to touch Dongkui's hand, but then withdrew it. After hesitating for a while, he finally gently covered her hand, which was resting on her knee.

"Yes, I'll do whatever you say, my wife."

His voice was low.