Crossing the Crowd to Chase Love

Chapter 89

Glossary

儿 | er | (lit. child) diminutive marker used as a form of endearment

The new residence’s name was ‘Guan Ju Villa,’ taken from the first line in a poem in the Book of Songs–‘Guan guan’ cry the ospreys / on the islet in the river. With regards to this name, it was something that Yun Shi Yi had come up with after thinking for a very long time, and it signified his unflinching love towards his wife.[a]

Guan Ju Villa occupied twenty thousand square meters and the main room had a very embarrassing name of Yi Zhu Cottage[b]; it was the married couple’s joint residence. No matter how noble and high the two princes’ statuses were, they could not snatch the principal husband’s limelight and Yun Shi Yi was of course unwilling to let others reside in the main courtyard.

When the gatekeeper on duty saw his masters had returned, he excitedly went inside to report. The young couple had yet to step inside the reception pavilion when they saw a large group of people heading towards them from inside. In the front were the two Yun elders, with Master Yun holding his first grandson–Yun Zhi Xi–in his arms while beaming with a kind of joy.

Behind them was Xuanyuan Min Zhi and Ruan Yu. However, Xuanyuan Zong Zhi and Yun Shi Wei were not present. They were presumably at their posts and had not yet returned.

Ruan Zhu performed the rites towards the two elders and wished for the good health of the father and mother pair. Zhi Xi opened up his small hands, his face full of grievance, as he complained: “Ma, huggy......” as if his mother abandoning him for over ten days was a large crime.

Ruan Zhu took her child and pointed towards Yun Shi Yi: “Listen well Zhi Xi, this is your Pa, quickly call him Papa.” She was actually very uncertain as to whether or not her child would be able to recognize his own father, but in fact, her worries were superfluous. The appearances of the two Yun brothers were similar and the only difference between the two was their personalities. But how could Zhi Xi understand that? He only felt that Yun Shi Yi was incredibly familiar.

“Papa!” A crisp voice called out with not a single bit of unfamiliarity.

“Son, my son.” Yun Shi Yi took his son into his arms and kissed his small cheeks. A kind of dense emotion arising from his bones echoed through his heart, and he became emotionally moved from happiness, so joyful his eyes narrowed into lines.

Master Yun happily beamed: “It is good that you were able to return as Zhi Xi has noisily asked for his mother every day. Zhu’er, it is good that you came back.”

Madam Yun saw her son’s family had reunited and her heart also became full of contentment: “Zhi Xi looks just like his father. When he was younger, he was also loved by all like this.”

“Wife, when Mother heard you were returning, she traveled a month in advance from Yun manor to wait here.”

Really? Didn’t they all say that a mother favored her son because her standing increased because of him? She thought that perhaps the two elders cared more about Zhi Xi, right?

When it was time to eat the meal, Ruan Zhu became uncomfortable from Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s icy eyes that continuously bore holes into her as if she had committed an excessively large crime. It caused her to not even be in the mood to eat. Honestly, it wasn’t easy to be the wife to four men and wanting to remain impartial was even more challenging. What did she do? Hadn’t she successfully fooled him the day after they had gotten married?

After the meal, the two elders brought Zhi Xi back into their own courtyard, setting aside time for the children to fool around.

Ruan Zhu had someone bring over the twins. She hadn’t expected the boy and girl pair to have learned how to sit in the half month that she was gone. Bo Yu was thin and relatively nimble and could sit for very long periods of time. Bo Ya was a little chubbier. Becoming tired after sitting for a little while, she fell over on side to rest.

Ruan Zhu supported Bo Ya in sitting up straight but when she released her hands, the child flopped back down again. “Lazy kid.” She mock-scolded her then lifted her daughter up again in a seated position. Bo Ya flattened her small mouth and moved it in a manner like she was about to cry.

“Refrain from bullying my daughter, all right?”

When Xuanyuan Zong Zhi returned from morning court, he heard the people at the gate mentioning his wife had returned and immediately headed towards Yi Zhu Cottage. He arrived just in time to see this scene. Becoming so distressed, he stepped over to take his daughter into his arms as he reprimanded his wife:

“Wife, what is the matter with you? You had just returned yet cheekily looked for trouble. Imperial Physician Zhang had said small children are not willing to sit for long periods of time because their bones are soft but that it will be better after they have gotten used to it.”

Bones being soft–isn’t that simply because of calcium deficiency? Bo Ya should be given calcium supplements, but how should she bring this up with him, hmm? There was no phrase such as ‘calcium deficiency’ in this era.

A calcium deficiency should be patched with sunshine and exercise. It was possible to absorb nutrients from food and as taking in calcium from milk was easily done, it was best to drink a cup of milk every day. “I see that this child is lacking exercise. Now that the weather is nice and warm, we should carry her out to soak in the sun every day. A six-month old toddler shouldn’t drink only a mother’s milk and should eat some easily digestible food such as eggs, soup, and other things like that. One shouldn’t spoil a child too much when raising them. The stricter their upbringing, the healthier they will be. Zhi Xi was also brought up like this at that time.”

Xuanyuan Zong Zhi was not too pleased: “I am not opposed to nonchalantly raising sons but daughters must be pampered.”

Among the people, there was a saying–be nonchalant with boys, be gentle with girls. Sons grew up in adversity and only after they had experienced trials and tribulations would they then have the ability to establish themselves in society. Being nonchalant and letting them forge their own path would result in strength and resoluteness. Pampering a daughter would mold her into being magnanimous, graceful, and adaptable. In the future, she would become even more refined and have an even more tasteful life.

“When Bo Ya is two or three years old, I will teach her the guqin and the first tune will be ‘Plum Blossoms Blooming Thrice,’ the second song will be ‘Flowing Water,’ the third song will be ‘Guang Ling San’......” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi unhurriedly spoke of his parenting ideas and after he finished talking about his daughter, he moved on to his son: “Bo Yu must become well-rounded in both civil and military matters. I will spend an enormous sum to invite a grand scholar from the Imperial Hanlin Academy to be his master. As for martial arts, we can select a few experts from the country to teach our son Chinese boxing and the way of the sword. Oh yes, would you like for Zhi Xi to learn alongside him?” For a long while, he had repeatedly been called ‘Papa’ by Zhi Xi and had long been affectionate towards the child.

Yun Shi Yi was sitting in front of the window, arranging his own accounts book as his work had accumulated into a large pile after he had been gone for over ten days. Hearing Zong Zhi bring up Zhi Xi, he lifted his head to interject: “I do not have any interest in my son becoming an official. In the future, he must inherit my Yun clan’s property and become a talented and able merchant.”

Ruan Zhu only wanted her children to grow up healthily and did not care too much about whether they were scholarly geniuses or exceptional martial artists. Towards Zong Zhi’s way of parenting, she truly had a headache: “Big Brother Lu, I think you are mistreating the children.”

“We were been raised like this since small. Is there anything wrong with this method?” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi responded in astonishment.

During their childhood, if they miswrote a word, they would then be beaten by their master with a wooden plank. Min Zhi had refused to comply and used force against their master in anger. When Emperor-Father found out, he had punished him to kneel in the ancestral hall. It was also at that time that the animosity between him and Min Zhi began as every time after their master had finished praising him, he would then subsequently criticize Min Zhi for a spell.

Hatred had risen in Min Zhi’s heart. Using an incapacitating agent to knock him out, his brother had then drove a carriage out of the palace and thrown him onto the doorstep of a child trafficker. Thinking to here, Zong Zhi turned his head to glance at Min Zhi.

The other didn’t even look at Zong Zhi, his face a sheet of ice as he sat in the taishi chair, not saying a single sentence.

Ruan Zhu had also taken note of Min Zhi. They had been married for a while now, but they still hadn’t gone through with their wedding night, right? There was a tiny hint of apology in her heart. She snuck a few looks at her several husbands in the room. With the exception of Yun Shi Wei who was still in the barracks and had yet to return, the remaining three were all present. How should the issue of her sleeping arrangement tonight be settled?

Zong Zhi had coaxed Bo Ya to sleep then handed her over to the wet nurse to bring to the children’s room. Bo Yu was still full of energy–sometimes sitting, sometimes turning over, stuffing the corner of the bedding in his mouth, having a grand old time. This little guy was extremely worry-free; after he had played enough, he would then sleep. There was basically no need to coax him.

Ruan Zhu was still thinking about the issue of sleep and ventured rather deviously: “Since the family is now together, what does everyone think of going by the customs and scheduling days?” As soon as her words fell, all three of her husbands looked over; even Yun Shi Yi put down his accounts book.

“Then what about, every person has five days?” Zong Zhi glanced at the other two: “We will go in order so Eldest Head Yun is first.”

Min Zhi’s face immediately blackened. He still hadn’t had his wedding night! Don’t tell him he still had to wait fifteen days?

“Second Young Master Yun has returned and said he would come over after he had bathed.” Nuan Chun walked in with a basin of hot water for his master to soak her feet in. The pair of soft and beautiful small feet were placed inside and all of the men present fixed their eyes on them. Min Zhi swallowed his saliva and his ice-cold eyes became scorching hot in this moment.

An entire group of lechers! Ruan Zhu silently cursed. Having transmigrated for over two years now, she had ooxx’d with multiple men innumerable times and had long discarded her previous bashfulness. If they liked to watch, they could watch!

Bo Yu had finally played until he was tired and fell fast asleep not long after he laid down on the bed. He was then carried out by his wet nurse.

Ruan Zhu allowed Nuan Chun to finish washing her feet and then, in the most elegant manner possible, changed into a set of lightweight and flowy black silk pajamas in front of her several husbands. She had read before in an online that for a woman to successfully capture her husband’s thoughts, she must be as noble as an angel in ordinary times and as lascivious as a devil in bed.

This was the first time Xuanyuan Min Zhi had seen his wife’s snow-like flesh. His gaze was fixed on her while his breathing became rushed, and his heart rapidly thumped as if it was about to jump out of his chest.

Although the two other males also found their emotions difficult to bear, they were still experienced and could still endure it. Yun Shi Yi saw Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s eyes: “I think tonight should just be given to Min Zhi!” Ever since he heard his wife had played a trick in the bridal room on Xuanyuan Number Four, he had felt utterly sympathetic.

“Wife, you have just returned today so properly retire for the night. Tomorrow, this husband will take you on a tour of our Guan Ju Villa.”

After Yun Shi Yi finished saying that, he left Yi Zhu Cottage with Zong Zhi.

The room became quiet all of a sudden, and one male and one female mutually looked at each other.

Ruan Zhu thought in her heart that the other was still a beginner and the matter of intercourse must be initiated by her. She had been around the block and did not find there was anything to be embarrassed about. Throwing off the lightweight black silk pajamas she had just put on, she moved down from the bed and stepped on the pure white rug to stop before him.

Xuanyuan Zong Zhi saw her pair of lovely breasts swaying with each of her steps and his eyes were immediately glued on them. Waiting until she had approached, he then stretched out both hands to feel them. The soft flesh sunk between his fingers. Min Zhi’s head blanked except for a single droning note and he lowered his head to kiss her mouth.

His kissing technique was sloppy and Ruan Zhu slowly took the initiative, opening their mouths to suck on his tongue while her hands continuously removed him of his spacious clothes. The summer clothes were thin and only a few seconds were needed to completely strip him. Lowering her head for a look, she inevitably became startled as she hadn’t imagined that his little brother was this inconceivably huge.

Kneeling down, she gripped him with one of her small hands and lightly stroked. To her surprise, after a few of her movements, the member swelled even more. She was a little worried. Such a gigantic size–she didn’t know if she was able to tolerate it? She raised her head to peer at him. She had already tormented him for this long and ought to compensate, letting him properly enjoy the thrill of love.

She lowered her head, opening her mouth to take him in.

“AHH!” Xuanyuan Min Zhi softly trembled and gently moved inside her mouth. The movement was something innate within primates and there was no need for anyone to teach him this.

[a] The Book of Songs and this particular poem has been mentioned before in Chapter 39. ‘Guan’ is the sound that ospreys use so I used ‘coo’ in Ch.39 because it made more sense then. The entire translation can be found on Wikipedia.

[b] 依珠小筑: 依 can mean complying with, listening to, or according to; 珠 is pearl (zhu), which stands for RZ in this case as it’s her name. 小筑 is an ancient Chinese architectural form that is elegant, quiet, tranquil, and natural, favored by scholars, writers, and recluses. (Chinese Baidu)