Tiger Owl

Chapter 210 Xiao Qiao's Choice
Gan Ning looked at her for a while and then smiled and said, "Go back to your own courtyard tonight! Get some rest tonight, and take over from Yun Qing tomorrow. You can only breathe a sigh of relief once the wet nurse arrives."

“I’ll sleep in the small room and get just as good a rest. The main thing is that it will be easier for me to help my husband with his grooming and dressing tomorrow morning.”

Xu Wei had a cold for a few days two months ago, and Xiao Qiao took her place. She also stayed in the small room for a few nights.

Gan Ning nodded, "Okay! Go make the bed. I'm a little tired today and want to rest early."

Xiao Qiao hurried upstairs to make the bed for Gan Ning, while Gan Ning said from downstairs, "Go and arrange hot water later, I want to soak my feet properly."

"understood!"

Xiao Qiao didn't need to fetch hot water; soon, a maidservant brought over several large buckets of hot water.

Xiao Qiao gently washed Gan Ning's feet and dried them with a cloth. Gan Ning got up and said with a smile, "You can wash up yourself! I'm going upstairs to rest first."

Gan Ning went upstairs, and Xiao Qiao also removed her hairpins, rolled up her sleeves, poured a basin of hot water, and began to wash herself.
After a flurry of activity, Xiao Qiao finally went upstairs. Gan Ning was already lying down. It was cold, and his large bed had side panels on all four sides, like a side room, with the door ajar.

Xiao Qiao didn't dare to go over, so she secretly went into the small room and lay down. Xiao Qiao was both expectant and nervous. It was already late November, and in another month it would be New Year's Eve. Her older sister had promised her that New Year's Eve would be the time for her to consummate her marriage.

"There's still one month left!"

Xiao Qiao sighed softly. She remembered how intimate and natural Xu Wei and her husband were together, how much affection he had for her. When he saw her, although he smiled, his gaze was clearly different; there was no love in his eyes.

How she wished that her husband's eyes also held deep love for her!

I must take that step, otherwise I will never receive my husband's true love.

In fact, Xiao Qiao was already prepared. In this era, girls could get married at the age of thirteen, and she would be seventeen after the New Year.

Xiao Qiao still couldn't sleep until midnight. She finally got up and quietly went to Gan Ning's bedside. The door was still ajar. She opened the door, lifted the warm quilt, and lay down inside.

Gan Ning was fast asleep, breathing evenly. Xiao Qiao lay beside him, feeling a little awkward. Finally, she mustered up her courage and hugged his waist from behind.

She finally embraced her husband's warm body. At that moment, Xiao Qiao felt like crying. This was her husband! She had been his woman since she was twelve years old. Almost five years had passed, and this was the first time she had ever lain beside him and held her man in her arms.

I was so foolish to have wasted so many years because of this so-called unresolved issue.

'Xiao Qiao, you are the most foolish woman in the world!'

Xiao Qiao pressed her face against his back, and tears slowly welled up in her eyes.

At this moment, Gan Ning turned around, and Xiao Qiao felt warm lips pressed against her forehead, and a gentle voice sounded in her ear.

"Why are you crying?"

"My love, I've missed so many years. I should have been with you long ago," Xiao Qiao said, choking back tears.

Gan Ning held her in his arms, gently stroked her face and smiled, "All three of you are women I like. In my heart, perhaps your eldest sister is more important, but I like you and Yunqing and Ayu equally. We're not in a hurry, we'll take it slow, and one day we'll naturally reach our goal."

"My love, take me tonight!"

Gan Ning shook his head. "Tonight won't work. I'll give you your wedding night on New Year's Eve, okay?"

Xiao Qiao pressed her pretty face tightly against her husband's chest, "Husband, hold me tight!"

Gan Ning held her tightly in his arms and said softly, "Sleep!"

For the first time, Xiao Qiao slept so soundly in her husband's arms, and the last trace of distance in her heart quietly disappeared.

...........
The next day before dawn, Xu Wei quietly returned to her study and found that the door was not locked from the inside. She suddenly felt uneasy. Could someone have gone in last night?

She entered the study, took the lantern and went straight upstairs to the second floor. When she got to the bedside, she found Xiao Qiao sleeping soundly in her husband's arms.

"So it was Ayu!" Xu Wei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yunqing, is that you?" Xiao Qiao also woke up.

"It's me. You forgot to lock the door last night. I thought... It's okay, go to sleep!" Xiao Qiao quickly got up, carefully got out of bed without disturbing her husband, and went back to the small house to put on her dress and fox fur coat.

"Did you two do 'that' last night?" Xu Wei asked with a smile.

Xiao Qiao blushed and quickly shook her head, "My husband said he would give me a wedding night on New Year's Eve!"

Xu Wei nodded, "It's too cold and inconvenient to sleep here in winter. Let my husband sleep in our yard from now on! We can sleep every other day, okay?"

Xu Wei had long wanted her husband to sleep in her room, but she was worried that Xiao Qiao would be unhappy, so she never dared to bring it up. Now that Xiao Qiao was comfortable sleeping with her husband, she could bring it up.

Xiao Qiao nodded gently, "Okay, it's really inconvenient here!"

The two busied themselves together, lighting a fire, brewing tea, and having a maid bring hot water. They washed up first, and then Gan Ning got up. Xiao Qiao hurriedly went upstairs to help her husband get up.

She was able to serve her husband more conveniently and finally face things with equanimity.

.........

After breakfast, Gan Ning went to Da Qiao's room and happened to meet his mother-in-law, Yang Shi. Yang Shi was engrossed in Buddhist practices and only learned of her eldest daughter's childbirth in the evening.

So she came to visit her daughter before dawn today.

When Yang saw her son-in-law come in, she quickly stood up and smiled at her daughter, saying, "I'll come see you again when I get back!"

Da Qiao smiled and nodded, "Mother, go ahead!"

Yang bowed to Gan Ning and then left in a hurry.

Gan Ning stepped forward and gazed at her son, who was sleeping soundly in the cradle, wearing a hat and with rosy cheeks.

Da Qiao whispered, "The little guy is very well-behaved. He only woke up once last night. Yun Qing changed his diaper this morning, and my mother changed it once too."

Has Dr. Liu come to see me?

“They came to see me and said the baby is perfectly normal and healthy, but my breast milk is too little. The baby won’t get enough to eat before it stops, and the baby will go hungry.”

"Don't worry, the wet nurse will arrive today. She has plenty of milk and can breastfeed the baby."

Da Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, "That's great!"

Gan Ning sat on the edge of the bed, held his wife's hand, and asked softly, "How did you sleep last night?"

“I slept well, thanks to Yunqing. She barely slept last night and kept watching the baby. Dr. Liu said that the baby’s first night is very important and someone must watch the baby. If there are any abnormalities, we should notify her immediately.”

Gan Ning nodded, surprised that there was such a saying.

"That must have been hard on you, Yunqing."

Da Qiao then asked with a smile, "Was A Yu's performance alright last night?"

"She came over and slept with me in the middle of the night."

Da Qiao looked at Gan Ning in surprise. Gan Ning smiled and said, "Don't overthink it. Just like when you first started out, I'm considering giving her a wedding night on New Year's Eve."

Da Qiao said happily, "It seems she has finally gotten over her struggle. I'll make the arrangements then!"

Are you sure she can do it?

"Of course she can. She'll be seventeen after the New Year. How many girls are still unmarried at seventeen?"

At this moment, Xu Wei and Xiao Qiao brought in breakfast. Gan Ning smiled and said, "Then I'll go to the official residence first. I'll be back early this afternoon."

Gan Ning bent down and kissed her son's little face before hurrying away.

(End of this chapter)