Time Traveling: the Only Beloved Husband

The meal was quite delicious, but to Shen Xiangyan’s surprise, Xia Rong didn’t eat much fish. Later, under his questioning, Xia Rong blushed and softly confessed that she had been pricked by fish bones when she was young, so she didn’t really like eating fish.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiangyan picked out the most tender parts of the fish for Xia Rong, meticulously removing the bones before placing them in her bowl. As he ate and pondered, he realized the nutritional value of fish was significant. He wondered if they could buy sea fish in Furong Town; some sea fish didn’t have very fine bones, so Xia Rong wouldn’t have to worry about getting pricked. Plus, sea fish tasted even fresher and more delicious. However, it seemed quite far from the sea here, so even if they could transport things from the sea, he wasn’t sure if they would still be fresh.

Xia Rong looked at the extra fish meat in her bowl, feeling warm inside. Her husband was so gentle and kind to her. Why did her elder sister reject such a good husband? But now he was hers. Yes, he was hers. Thinking of this, Xia Rong suddenly startled herself. It was already unfair that her husband, who had married her despite having another wife, treated her so well. Even if he didn’t know much about the world, he surely understood that having multiple wives was normal in Fengyu Country. His own father had a concubine besides her mother. If her husband had someone else in the future, would he still treat her so well?

She wished her husband could belong to her alone, only be good to her. From this moment on, a tiny, tender sprout named “Wishing that my husband belongs only to me” slowly grew in Xia Rong’s heart. Shen Xiangyan would probably be pleased to see this change in her thoughts, maybe even encourage it further.

After finishing their meal, Shen Xiangyan prepared to tidy up the incense balls, fragrant cakes, and other items to be taken to the shop tomorrow. Most of these had been prepared before Xia Rong arrived. Shen Xiangyan had put a lot of effort into the packaging of the incense, using delicately crafted wooden and silver boxes of various sizes. Now, all he needed to do was gather them together for easy retrieval tomorrow, so it wouldn’t take much time.

This afternoon, his main task was to prepare a fragrance called “Yuan Yue,” known for its elegant aroma. The materials had been prepared in advance: alcohol, rosewood, orange blossom, lemongrass, cedarwood, and so on. These ingredients needed to be blended in specific proportions and order, then poured into the prepared delicate porcelain bottles and left to stand overnight. The formula for this perfume was actually quite simple; the key lay in controlling the proportions and the order of addition during the blending process. For Shen Xiangyan, this was easy, but for Fengyu Country, where the concept of perfume was unfamiliar, the launch of Yuan Yue would undoubtedly bring him substantial rewards.

Xia Rong, who had followed Shen Xiangyan into the fragrance room, was full of curiosity. Since entering, she had been secretly smelling this and that, each scent different but equally pleasant. When she returned after wandering around for a while and saw Shen Xiangyan working on the fragrance, she couldn’t help but be captivated by her husband’s focused demeanor. Xia Rong didn’t understand why men were most attractive when they were working seriously; she just felt that her husband was very appealing at this moment.

When Shen Xiangyan turned around and saw Xia Rong staring at him dumbfounded, he asked if she wanted to learn how to blend fragrances with him. Seeing Xia Rong nod, he pulled her over to explain. Xia Rong was quite perceptive; she could understand everything Shen Xiangyan explained. After a busy afternoon, the couple finally wrapped up their work.

That evening, when Xia Rong returned to the room after bathing, she found it warm and cozy. She looked around and noticed a charcoal basin burning quietly in the corner, emitting no smoke. It was filled with high-quality silver silk charcoal. As usual, the couple shared stories before going to sleep, but Xia Rong’s body didn’t feel as cold as it had the previous night.

It could truly be said that Shen Xiangyan’s care for someone reached the point of meticulousness. From this day onward and for many years to come, Xia Rong experienced Shen Xiangyan’s kindness firsthand.

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The next day, Shen Xiangyan, accompanied by Shen An, who had come early to collect the incense, set off firecrackers outside the shop and spoke a few words to the crowd, announcing the grand opening and offering special discounts for three days. Then, he unveiled the red silk covering the signboard that read “Fragrance Comes Naturally,” marking the official opening of the shop.

After the shop opened, Shen Xiangyan busied himself for a while before leaving the counter to Shen An, who was gradually getting the hang of things. He couldn’t leave the young man alone at home for too long. On his way back, he noticed an old woman selling a bunch of floppy-eared rabbits in a basket. At first, Shen Xiangyan walked past, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that those rabbits bore some resemblance to his young servant. So, he turned back and picked two: one pure white and one with gray ears, asking the old woman to put them in a small bamboo cage. He thought Xia Rong would be delighted to see these rabbits, and a smile crept onto his lips at the thought.

As Shen Xiangyan approached the doorstep with the bamboo basket containing the rabbits, he noticed a middle-aged man dressed in indigo garments, accompanied by a young man of similar age, about to knock on their gate. Shen Xiangyan stared for a moment before recalling from the original host’s memory that this man seemed to be a friend of Shen’s father.

“Uncle Li, right? I’m Xiangyan.” Convinced that it was Li Ziming, a friend of Shen’s father, Shen Xiangyan quickly stepped forward to offer a junior’s greeting. This elder had indeed taken care of the Shen family in the past. However, it had been said that he moved away with his family to pursue business a few years ago, leading to a long period of no contact between the two families.

“Yes, it’s Xiangyan indeed. You’ve grown so much. Ah, it’s my fault as an uncle. I should have come to visit earlier, considering how long your father has been gone,” Li Ziming said, introducing the young man beside him to Shen Xiangyan. “This is my son, Li Dongsheng. You’ve met him when you were younger.”

Shen Xiangyan and Li Dongsheng exchanged greetings, and Shen Xiangyan spoke up, “My father wouldn’t blame Uncle Li for that. I’m really grateful that you’ve come today. Uncle Li, Brother Dongsheng, let’s not stand at the door. Let’s talk inside.” With that, he led them into the house.

As they entered the courtyard, they spotted a figure in a goose-yellow dress standing there. Upon seeing Shen Xiangyan, she eagerly stepped forward. “Master, you’re back,” she exclaimed. Shen Xiangyan couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Knowing someone was waiting for him at home, and it wasn’t just him alone in the house anymore, gave him a sense of belonging.

Xia Rong had been paying attention to the entrance since Shen Xiangyan left, eagerly awaiting his return. But when she saw him accompanied by others, she felt shy and awkward, tugging at her sleeve, unsure of what to do next.

Seeing Xia Rong’s hesitant demeanor, Shen Xiangyan couldn’t help but chuckle and introduced her, “This is my wife, Xia Rong. These two are Uncle Li and his son, Brother Dongsheng.”

Xia Rong greeted them with a bow before retreating behind Shen Xiangyan. Shen Xiangyan ruffled her hair affectionately and handed her the cage with the little rabbits. “Here, I bought these for you. Take them to the backyard to play.” In truth, Shen Xiangyan had noticed the rabbits as soon as he entered the house, but he wasn’t sure if they were meant for him. Xia Rong happily accepted the bamboo cage, forgetting her previous awkwardness in the joy of receiving Shen Xiangyan’s approval, and happily went off with the little rabbits.

After Xia Rong left, the three men entered the main hall. Li Ziming sipped his tea and sighed, “Who would have thought Brother Shen would leave so early. I should have returned earlier. Otherwise, the Xia family wouldn’t have dared to take advantage of you, being alone and without anyone to support you. It’s unfair to you. When I get the chance, I’ll make sure to seek justice for you.”

“It’s common for the Xia family to take advantage of me. I should thank them for sending Xia Rong to me. Xia Rong is wonderful, and I love her very much.”

“Well, even if she’s wonderful, she’s still a second wife. It’s still unfair to you.”

“Since I’ve married Xia Rong, and she’s in line with my wishes, whether she’s a second wife or not doesn’t matter to me.” Shen Xiangyan knew that his views differed from those of the people here, so he didn’t dwell on it. “Uncle, have you moved back to Furong Town?”

“Yes, as we grow older, we often long to return to our roots. That’s why our family has just moved back,” Li Ziming replied. “It’s perfect. With your parents gone, I can also look after you on behalf of Brother Shen. Dongsheng is about your age, so you’ll have each other for company in the future.”

“If there’s anything Dongsheng needs in the future, please don’t hesitate to trouble Uncle and Brother Dongsheng to take care of him. There are many things I, as a junior, don’t understand well,” Shen Xiangyan said. With that, he stood up and bowed to Li Ziming and Li Dongsheng. This connection would benefit him as well since he was new here. Having an elder to guide him would help him avoid many troubles, so he performed the gesture willingly.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the Li family bid farewell and left. Shen Xiangyan had intended to invite them to stay for dinner, but they had other matters to attend to.

The Li family had brought some high-quality tea leaves as a gift, which Shen Xiangyan promptly stored away before hurrying to find his young servant. Seeing Xia Rong in her goose-yellow dress earlier had left him feeling a bit flustered. When he entered the main hall, he found Xia Rong squatting on the ground, playing happily with the two little rabbits. Xia Rong stood up when she saw him and pulled on his sleeve excitedly. “Master, look at Little White and Little Gray, they’re so cute!”

The names Little White and Little Gray are really straightforward. With Xia Rong’s help, Shen Xiangyan quickly set up a simple rabbit hutch in the courtyard for the two rabbits. He then watched his young servant play with the rabbits. Indeed, clothing could change a person’s appearance. In her goose-yellow dress, Xia Rong looked like a fluffy rabbit, incredibly adorable, though a bit thin. It seemed he needed to work harder to fatten her up.