Chapter Eight: Two Concubines
"Zhangfu I am ready." She said softly. He looked up at her and nodded after looking her over.
"Let's go." He stood up and the two left the home. Outside the village is very busy as people rush around working. Once seeing them they would stop and greet him.
"Bai Chun are you both doing the walk?" Someone called out. Bai Chun nods.
"Yes we will go to my in-laws home to greet them." He said with a smile. The two approached the next door neighbors that Li Bai stayed at last night. Li Bai stood at the gate in a light blue hanfu with a red veil covering her face. As soon as Bai Chun and Tao Fang walked pass she joined them just behind the two. Bai Chun just gave her a glance but didn't say anything as the three kept walking through the village.
Boys the same age as Bai Chun looked at him with frowns as they worked the farms and carried things around.
"He is bring in a concubine after he just married yesterday?" One of the boys said with a jealous expression.
"If you were like him and studied more and had a chance of becoming and official then you would have a chance of having women become your concubine." The boys fuqin smacked his head and dragged him back to work.
After walking for a few more minutes they made it to his in-laws home. In front of the house Tao Ming and the village head are seen standing together with big smiles as they watched them approach. Tao Ming is wearing a dark orange hanfu with floral decorations dense on the hem and grows sparse as it goes up. Standing behind them Tao Chun is seen standing wearing a light blue hanfu that is slightly thinner than Li Bai's with a red veil covering her face.
Once Bai Chun and Tao Fang stood in front of the gate Tao Chun quietly joined them next to Li Bai. Village head with a huge grin gave Bai Chun a big hug.
"Son-in-law! I heard you both consummated the marriage last night." He said with a nasty grin while looking at him. Bai Chun with a slightly uncomfortable still smiled at him and nodded.
"Yes father-in-law." He gave a slight bow to him in respect. Next to him Tao Fang with a heavy blush gives her mother a bow. Tao Ming smiles at her daughter who has grown up.
"What do you think of your new Zhangfu dear?" She asked softly.
"Zhangfu is very accommodating and respectful muqin." She said glancing at Bai Chun who is talking to her fuqin. Tao Ming glances at Tao Chun.
"As you are now his concubine you must remember your place don't speak out of turn and remember that your sister in the main qizi so do as she says. Make sure to listen to your Zhangfu." She told her seriously. Tao Chun nods her head without a word. Bai Chun glances at the women before turning back to the village head.
"Well tell me when are you going back to school." He asked Bai Chun.
"I am going back in two days after doing some hunting to get some money in." Bai Chun said a slightly stressed expression showing on his face.
"Don't worry just a month left until the exam make sure to study hard and work hard during this time." He told him seriously.
"I got it." Bai Chun nods. They chatted for a few more minutes before they turn and leave back home. On the way back there are more eyes on the group filled with both shock and jealously.
By the time they reach back home and closed the gate it is still in the morning. Bai Chun looked at Tao Chun and Li Bai.
"Take off your veils." He told them. He won't take off their veils since they are just concubines and doing so is disrespectful to his qizi. The girls took off their veils with Tao Chun looking a bit mad.
"As you both are now my concubines I will tell you some things. First you are only a concubine so you will keep your name only Tao Fang will get her name changed to mine when we get a chance to go to the city." He said looking at the two. Tao Chun's face had an ugly look to it and Li Bai looks sad. Tao Fang looks at the two with a smug look happy that she has something else on them.
"I am only telling as a learned man on the path to officialdom. The two of you will share the second room that Li Bai stayed in before." He told them before turning to Tao Fang.
"Qizi I will go out and hunt for the day we need some money to help us get by for the month." He told her. She nods at him softly her face a bit blushed.
"Yes Zhangfu I will handle everything at home properly." She said softly with a soft bow to him. Bai Chun got his gear together and all the women sent him off.
"Come back soon Zhangfu!" They said bowing to him. Bai Chun left in a good mood happy to be sent off with a cheer.
After Bai Chun left the women closed the gate and Tao Fang looks at the two women with a smirk.
"Now that Zhangfu is gone lets get this house together. I just wish to say that as concubines you two must know your place and follow my orders as the main qizi if your disobey I will tell Zhangfu." She told them while crossing her arms and looking down on them.
"You can't do that as the wife you must help around as well." Tao Chun said indignantly.
"I will listen to the qizi." Li Bai said giving a slightly deep bow. Tao Fang smiled at Li Bai thinking that she isn't as bad as she though.
"Why can't you just do as I say like Little Sister Bai?" She asked. Tao Chun with an angry look gave Li Bai a glare but kept quiet.
"Tao Fang sat on a chair in the yard and started ordering them around.
"Little Sister Bai go and sweep Little Sister Chun start clearing the weeds so that the yard looks better and so we can have some room to start a garden." She said happy to sightly put down Tao Chun. Tao Chun gave her another light glare before rolling up her sleeves to start working on the yard. Li Bai got to work sweeping making sure to get every detail.
"Little Sister Chun make sure to work hard and don't miss a spot." Tao Fang said while relaxing with a smile. Tao Chun paused and started pulling at the weeds slightly rougher in anger at being treated like a maid. The day passes by with the women working and Bai Chun out hunting and selling what he got at the city. When he finally returned home it was already night. The women had already finished cleaning and washing up so that they aren't dirty. He closed the gate behind himself and at the sound all the women come outside with smiles.
"Here I got seventy copper after selling a boar and a deer. I also talked to my friend from school and got him to make two small beds for you two for free as a wedding gift." He said handing the money over to Tao Fang and telling Tao Chun and Li Bai about the beds.
"Oh I forgot to tell you where the money is kept hidden." They enter the house and he closes the door and smell the food that was made for dinner.
"It's hidden behind the rolls on my shelf." He told her.
"Zhangfu what about allowances?" Tao Fang asked him.
"I don't know that's your job to keep up with." Bai Chun said with a frown.
"Well how much does school cost?" She asked.
"It's one silver a month. I wasn't making much before since I had to come home early everyday to do home duties but since you all are here I can focus on making money even if we will still be losing money it won't be that much." He said looking at them.
"Hmm well your everyday allowance will be ten copper since you will need to eat it should be enough to cover a full day's worth of meals." She said with a smile.
"Well what about you three?" Bai Chun asked curiously.
"Well I will get five copper a day Little sister Bai will get one copper a day and Little Sister Chun will get zero." She said with a sweet smile. Bai Chun raised his eyebrows and thought to himself that the schemes have already started.
"Oh? Why is that?" He asked
"Well after you left qizi sat down since qizi was still tired after the consummation and had them cleaning since the home is a mess but Little Sister Chun told me that qizi must help since qizi is the qizi so qizi am punishing her." Tao Fang clung to his arm with a blush while swinging it acting cute. Bai Chun paused and a flash of last night popped into his head and a faint blush is seen over his cheeks.
He turns to Tao Chun with a frown.
"Well whatever qizi wants." He said with a nod. Tao Fang smiles and looks at Tao Chun who's face is twitching as she try's to suppress the growing anger. Li Bai has a small smile on her face as she watches what's going on without a word.
"Li Bai join us in the bedroom for now." Bai Chun says eyeing her. She blushes heavily and slowly nods. They eat dinner and retire to their rooms. For half the night there is the sound of cries and moans before it gets quiet once more.