So, You’re the Henpecked One? 11

Chapter 11

With the person beside her tossing and turning, Chu Xihuan naturally found it difficult to fall asleep as well.

She turned over to face Lin Zhao. The sudden movement startled Lin Zhao, who froze and stammered, “D-did I wake you?”

“Can’t sleep? Or is something bothering you?” Chu Xihuan didn’t answer her question, but asked one of her own.

Their current interaction didn’t feel like that of newlyweds, but rather like an old married couple who had lived together for many years and knew each other well.

Hearing her question, Lin Zhao slowly relaxed. However, she was unwilling to admit that she was anxious about not being able to support the two of them. She cleared her throat and said, “I slept enough earlier, so it’s a bit hard to fall asleep now.”

Chu Xihuan was silent for a moment before asking in a joking tone, “It’s not that marrying me has put too much pressure on you, is it?”

It made sense. Before she married Lin Zhao, she had lived a carefree life, only needing to look after herself. Now, she had to consider another person.

“No! Absolutely not!” Lin Zhao quickly denied it. Even if she did feel pressured, she couldn’t possibly tell Chu Xihuan. What if she thought she was useless and decided to divorce her?

Chu Xihuan was quiet for a moment before finally saying, “You don’t have to be so anxious. Although my family didn’t give me much of a dowry, I did bring the money I’ve saved over the years.”

Chu Xihuan used to receive a monthly allowance, but her expenses were also high, and she often needed her mother to supplement it, so she hadn’t saved much. However, the little she had was enough for their household to get by for a while.

Lin Zhao suddenly flipped over to face Chu Xihuan, propping herself up. “I will find a good job,” she said very seriously. “Don’t use your money if you don’t have to!”

The thought of Chu Xihuan using her own money to support them made Lin Zhao feel uncomfortable.

Chu Xihuan couldn’t help but laugh. She relaxed and lay back down, a hint of a sigh in her voice. “I married you. Are you thinking of yourself as a man? Do you think it’s your natural duty to support the family, and that using your wife’s money is a disgrace?”

Lin Zhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Of course not!”

How could she think of herself as a man? She was she, she was Lin Zhao, and she was born a woman.

“I just…” Lin Zhao’s expression darkened, and her voice grew quiet. “I just don’t want you to think I’m too useless.”

Chu Xihuan turned to look at her. “So sensitive?”

Lin Zhao was speechless.

“Thinking too much will make you old fast.”

Lin Zhao was speechless again.

Her face flushed. “Since we’re going to live together, aren’t these things we should be thinking about?”

Although she had never been married before, she knew that a long-term relationship required a lot of consideration!

Chu Xihuan let out a low laugh. She had to admit that although a large part of her marrying Lin Zhao was out of spite, Lin Zhao was truly a treasure.

“In that case, you can think about it. But stop tossing and turning so much. I’m going to sleep,” Chu Xihuan said coolly. This bed was who knows how many years old, and the slightest movement made it creak. Especially in the quiet of the night, the sound was particularly clear.

Chu Xihuan had never slept in such a noisy bed.

“Oh…” Lin Zhao carefully lay back down and didn’t dare to move.

Without the other person’s disturbance, although she could still feel her presence under the same quilt, Chu Xihuan forced herself to adapt and slowly fell asleep again, completely ignoring whether the person beside her could sleep or not.

**

When she woke up again, the room was already bright with daylight. The window had been thoughtfully opened, and even the air in the room felt much fresher and less stuffy.

Chu Xihuan sat up in bed. Lin Zhao had already gotten up at some point and was no longer in the room. She glanced outside through the window. It was indeed getting late. Her face grew warm.

She had never slept in this late before.

She opened the door and went out. The mess in the courtyard had been cleaned up. Seeing her awake, the maid who had come with her quickly brought water to help her wash up.

“Miss, Miss Lin went out at the Hour of the Dragon (approx. 7-9 AM),” the maid said, noticing Chu Xihuan’s gaze scanning the courtyard and understanding who she was looking for.

Chu Xihuan was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected Lin Zhao to go out so early to find work.

Since she knew what she was doing, Chu Xihuan didn’t dwell on it.

After Chu Xihuan had finished getting ready, the maids who had come with her all had slightly red eyes.

“Miss, we should be heading back.” Simeng, who had been with Chu Xihuan the longest, bit her lip, on the verge of tears.

She had thought that even if the miss got married, she would be able to come along and continue to serve her. She never expected the mistress to not let a single one of them go, only saying that after things were settled here, everyone had to return to the Chu residence.

Chu Xihuan couldn’t help but chuckle at their expressions. “Alright, if you have to go back, then go. Do what you need to do when you get back. Mother won’t treat you poorly.”

Her words only made their eyes redder.

They usually served in Chu Xihuan’s courtyard. Their mistress was kind and treated them well. It was impossible not to have feelings for her.

Chu Xihuan smiled helplessly and handed them the red envelopes she had prepared earlier. “I haven’t given you your wedding gifts yet. Times are different now, so I hope you don’t mind that it’s not much.”

They took the red envelopes with tears in their eyes. They all knew their mistress’s personality, and since she was using the wedding as an excuse, they couldn’t possibly refuse.

Simeng clutched the red envelope and boldly suggested, “Miss, why don’t you go back and apologize to the master and mistress?”

As long as the miss was willing to soften up and admit her mistake, with how much they doted on her, they certainly wouldn’t be willing to make things so difficult for her.

Chu Xihuan smiled and shook her head gently. She knew they meant well, so she didn’t think they were being nosy. “Be careful on your way back. If Mother sends you to take care of my older brother and sister, don’t worry. You should know that they are not the type to make things difficult for servants.”

Simeng bit her lip, holding back her tears. They all naturally wanted to stay and take care of Chu Xihuan, but they were, after all, part of the Chu household, and had to follow the mistress’s arrangements without any room for refusal.

Chu Xihuan saw them off, watching as they got into the Chu family’s carriage. Only then did she return to the house, feeling a sense of melancholy as she looked at the unfamiliar surroundings.

However, this was the path she had chosen, and she could not go back on it.

She walked into the kitchen. Simeng and the others had specially prepared breakfast for her, which was still warm in the pot. She ladled a bowl of porridge and sat down to eat slowly, her mind already planning what she would do in the future.

**

Meanwhile, Lin Zhao had woken up early and left without even eating breakfast, heading out as the sky was just beginning to lighten, hoping to find work before anyone else.

However, it was still early, and many of the shops on the street were not yet open. But the breakfast stalls were already busy. Lin Zhao looked at the bustling figures with a bit of envy.

They had their own breakfast stalls and didn’t need to go out looking for work. Even if she wanted to open a stall, she had neither the skill nor the capital.

She searched for a long time and asked at many shops, but they either said they weren’t hiring or that she wasn’t suitable. Some people who knew her even laughed at her for going out to find work on the first day of her marriage, asking if she had been kicked out by her wife.

Some even made bets on how long they would last.

Lin Zhao was so frustrated she couldn’t speak. Even the restaurants wouldn’t hire her as a waitress, afraid that she would be a troublemaker and bring a bad reputation to their establishment.

Besides, she had been a loafer for so many years. Who knew if she had really changed and was ready to live a proper life?

After searching all morning without eating breakfast, she was starving. Finally, she sat down dejectedly on the grassy riverbank, angrily pulling at the grass beside her.

She was too ashamed to go home without having found a job.

If even a waitress job was out of reach, what else could she possibly find?

“Boss! I knew you’d be here!”

A cheerful voice called out, and at the same time, someone jumped over and squatted down beside her.

Lin Zhao turned to look at her and saw Mao Xiaoyun’s smiling face, without a single trace of gloom.

Her own face fell. “What are you doing here?”

Mao Xiaoyun really lived a carefree life. Was this what it was like to have a mother?

“I went to your house to hang out, but sister-in-law said you weren’t home and had gone out to find work. I figured you wouldn’t have much luck, so I came here to try my chances,” Mao Xiaoyun said matter-of-factly.

Lin Zhao was speechless. Even Mao Xiaoyun knew she wouldn’t have any luck finding a job.

“Have you eaten?” Mao Xiaoyun asked again.

Lin Zhao was quiet for two seconds before shaking her head slightly.

“Here, I knew it. Eat up!”

An egg was held out in front of her. Lin Zhao looked at the egg, and suddenly, her nose stung.

“Xiaoyun, am I really that useless?” She couldn’t even find an errand-running job, and she was so hungry her head was spinning, but she had no money to buy food and had to rely on her friend.

Mao Xiaoyun’s eyes widened. “Of course not!”

“Boss, if it weren’t for you, I’d still be getting bullied!”

Mao Xiaoyun pouted. She had never been very assertive since she was a child, a soft bun that anyone dared to pinch. It was only after Lin Zhao came along that those people didn’t dare to bully her anymore.

Lin Zhao didn’t feel comforted by her words. She took the egg, cracked the shell, and slowly peeled it.

As she ate, she suddenly remembered that Chu Xihuan’s maids were returning to the Chu residence today. Would Chu Xihuan be able to cook for herself at home alone?!

Lin Zhao was startled and quickly jumped up. “Thanks for the egg, but I have to go home now.”

It was only the first day of their marriage. Chu Xihuan had better not starve to death!

**

Author’s Note:

Luan Luan eats melon: Will you starve to death if you miss one meal?