The sun sits just past high noon. The village filled with the hubbub as people rushed around. Men and women on the fields, girls cleaning and cooking, and children ran around laughing. Inside Bai Chun's home he kneeled at his desk holding his calligraphy brush practicing his writing. Tao Fang and Tao Chun had left the house early in the morning to do laundry.
Li Bai washed her face off and gave her cheeks a hard squeeze making them as red as possible making her look cute. She then grabs a cloth and pats her face dry before getting up and stopping in front of the door where Bai Chun is. She stands there and takes a deep breath.
"You got this." She muttered to herself before slowly walking into the room blushing.
"Zhangfu." She said softly giving him a bow.
"Hmm." He hummed in response without lifting his head as he wrote. Seeing his response to her she bit her lip nervously and took a few more steps to get closer then kneeled next to him in front of his ink.
"Th.. This servant will grind your ink. Muqin taught this servant to grind ink." She said softly. Bai Chun didn't respond as he finished what he was writing. Once done he looked up at her and noticed her red cheeks and saw a bit of bruising.
"You can do so." He said with a smile. Time quietly passed the only sound in the room being the sound of grinding and soft sound of the brush.
The sound of chattering and the gate opening is heard. Tao Fang and Tao Chun walked in after sitting their baskets down outside.
"Zhangfu we have returned." Tao Chun called happily. The two froze at the door seeing them sitting there. Tao Fang and Tao Chun glared at Li Bai.
"Oh? Little Sister Bai? What are you doing here? You should go do some cleaning." Tao Fang said through gritted teeth.
"Qizi go and do laundry with Tao Chun. Mind your place and don't interfere with my matters." Bai Chun reprimanded her without looking up.
Tao Fang looked at him with wide eyes. Her eyes filled with tears and she bowed.
"Yes Zhangfu." With that Tao Fang and Tao Chun left.
"She is terrible she made Zhangfu scold me." Tao Fang said quietly her eyes wet as she glared at the ground.
Inside Bai Chun and Li Bai sat in silence. He continued practicing his writing while she grinded his ink.
"How come you don't cry, pout, or tell me when you are bullied?" Bai Chun asked without looking up. Li Bai froze without looking up.
"I know I'm a young husband and that usually marry at twenty. I have been working and taking care of children since I was nine which is when I started hunting." He slowly spoke without stopping his hand. Li Bai kept her head lowered and went back to grinding the ink while listening to him. Bai Chun stopped speaking for a while and wrote a poem.
Young in the Body, Old in the Mind
Arms still strong, heart already heavy.
No elder above, I stand alone.
The house must run, the house must be calm.
Spring in my blood, autumn in my thoughts.
"You can come to me when you get bullied. I'm not home much so there is so much I can do but if you tell me I can defend you and punish them." Bai Chun looks at his poem and gently blows on it.
"I try to keep everyone calm and the fights to a minimum but fighting will always happen. Especially with how young Qizi is. If you don't want to fight with them just tell me so I can help you." Bai Chun turned and looked at her lowered head.
"I will allow the schemes as long as it doesn't go too far. It gives you all something to do besides cleaning, sewing, and anything else around the house." With that the room goes quiet as Bai Chun goes back to writing and Li Bai slowly grinds ink.
Outside Tao Fang and Tao Chun were hanging the clothes.
"That Fox spirit waited until we were out to get Zhangfu's attention. She is such a seductress." Tao Fang cursed angrily. Tao Chun huffed and glared at Tao Fang.
"Sister Fang the only reason your the qizi is because of your age and looks. Now you just need your brain to catch up with your position. At the rate your going you will fall out of favor." Tao Chun said annoyed.
"Now Sister Bai isn't a fox spirit yet but if we let her get away with this she will grow into a fox spirit." She said while fixing the clothes. Tao Fang glares at her.
"I am still the qizi no matter what so be respectful or I will go get Zhangfu." Tao Chun huff angrily at her words.
"Do you want Li Bai to gain favor and have a son before you?" She asked with a angry glare. Tao Fang got quiet at her words.
"Exactly, now we need to speak with Muqin for a plan." She said with a sigh.
"You need to ask Zhangfu to let Muqin come over since I'm not allowed to leave." She said.
"We can just ask if you can leave as long as he says yes you will be allowed to go out just have to cover up." Tao Fang said nodding as she started thinking. With a nod at each other they enter the house and go to the room Bai Chun is at.
They look inside and see he had pushed his desk to the side and held Li Bai in his arms relaxing with his face buried in her neck, as she massaged his wrist while blushing. They grit their teeth and glare at her but instead of lowering her head like she has been doing she glared back at them while nuzzling her head onto Bai Chun's. Tao Chun gives Tao Fang a look and she steps forward both bowing.
"Zhangfu, this servant wishes to go and see her Muqin along with Sister Chun since we haven't seen her since we married."
Bai Chun lazily opened one eye and gazed at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Go ahead." He said closing his eye back. They bowed again and left giving Li Bai another glare.
Once they were gone he nuzzled his face in her neck.
"See they have already started scheming against you and I didn't spend much time with you. Avoiding the conflicts in the house won't make them leave you alone." Li Bai lowered her head absorbing his words. She slowly rubbed his wrist with gentle circles while pressing down. As she does so her eyes slowly drift to his side profile on her shoulder with a loving gaze a hint of deep obsession showing.
"Remember I brought you back. They were arranged and schemed to get here." He mumbled while dozing off.