Linxi Village couldn’t be considered big, all the villagers were curled up at home.
Those living nearby heard the sound of firecrackers and ran out to look.
Seeing it was the Wei family, who wouldn’t be surprised?
But when other people hold a joyous event, it’s improper to go visiting.
If one goes, the host family would have to keep the guest to eat the wedding feast, but every household is short-handed, the food is fixed in amount—how could one go eat and drink for free?
The Hu family lived far, but Wang-shi also vaguely heard the sound.
With several children in the house crying day and night, she couldn’t eat well, couldn’t sleep well, her whole person became quite haggard.
She looked with unfriendly eyes at the young Xu-shi boiling water in the kitchen.
“What kind of person wastes firewood like you? Washing a diaper still needs hot water?”
A flash of resentment passed through young Xu-shi’s eyes.
“I haven’t even passed my confinement period, how can I touch cold water? Mother doesn’t help wash the diapers, and that little slut isn’t coming back, what am I supposed to do?”
Wang-shi sneered coldly: “So now you’re blaming me?”
“If there’s blame, blame your useless womb!”
She didn’t bother to give young Xu-shi another look, and strode out.
Just as she stepped out of the kitchen house, she heard the cries from Dalang’s room like a cat meowing, sobbing on and off, as if he could choke up crying at any moment.
It sounded pitiful.
But Wang-shi only found it noisy.
She spat once, exited the courtyard, and looked toward the end of the village.
Whose house was holding a wedding?
She prepared to go ask around.
“Look, isn’t this the future xiucai’s mother?”
The always-disagreeable Granny Fan walked over slant-eyed, her tone dripping with mockery.
Wang-shi’s face dropped the moment she saw her: “Running into you the moment I go out, truly unlucky.”
Granny Fan, rarely not arguing, instead smiled meaningfully.
“Why are you still standing at the door? Didn’t the Wei family invite you to eat at the banquet?”
Wei family?
That direction at the end of the village, was the Wei family’s second branch.
Wang-shi: “Are you sick? The Wei family marrying a wife has nothing to do with me even eight poles away, why would I go join the fun.”
She scoffed: “Even if they invited me, I’d still find them miserably poor, wouldn’t give them the honor.”
Granny Fan was delighted.
“The Wei family is marrying off a stepdaughter. How come you, the maternal aunt, don’t know a single thing?”
She exaggerated and acted affectedly, lightly slapping herself:
“Aiyo, blame me! The stepdaughter doesn’t even bother to recognize you as an elder, she left from the old house’s side. What’s the point of inviting you over? To be an eyesore and kill the mood?”
She gloated in others’ misfortune: “Wonder if Hu Dazhu comes back, will he beat you to death.”
Wang-shi was stunned.
Her eyes widened, full of disbelief. She tried to spot traces of lying from Granny Fan’s face—but there were none.
Wang-shi’s breathing became hurried: “I never agreed! Who allowed her to marry!”
“Usually thought she was sharp too, but Wei Shen already has one foot in the King of Hell’s palace—who knows how he tricked her! And she was actually stupid enough to jump into this pit.”
Right, and there was the bride price too!
They raised Yu Tingwan for so many years, they couldn’t just lose everything, right?
Wang-shi stormed off in a rage, heading toward the Wei family.
But she only walked a few steps before stopping again.
Yu Tingwan marrying badly is a good thing!
What’s she going there to make a fuss for?
She couldn’t wait for the two to finish the wedding early—once Yu Tingwan becomes a widow, let’s see how arrogant she can still be!
Granny Fan wished nothing more than chaos in the world, just waiting to watch the drama—but unexpectedly Wang-shi didn’t go and even cursed her.
“Rotten-hearted thing, what’s it got to do with you!”
————
Over here, Yu Tingwan was already sitting on the bed in the bridal room.
The red veil over her head hadn’t been lifted yet—Li Lian said it had to be Wei Zhao who lifted it.
But Wei Zhao was still outside being lectured!
Who told him to have such a non-serious attitude toward marriage?
Noises drifted in from outside.
“A’Lang, you really overdid it today! Even for the wedding bow, you needed the girl to act first? What, you don’t even want to be husband and wife with her? Lucky it’s Wan-niang with the good temper, not arguing with you!”
Yu Tingwan nodded—exactly, exactly.
“During the bridal escort you were push-push-block-block [“推三阻四” (push three block four): idiom for making excuses or dragging things out.], at the wedding ceremony you were like a wooden plank. Look at other young men getting married—aren’t they all monkey-anxious rushing to the bridal chamber!”
Yu Tingwan wore a serious face—correct!
“A girl marries in to accompany you for a lifetime, once you go in you must apologize to her, did you hear me?”
Wei Zhao seemed deaf to the earlier part, but finally reacted to the last sentence, opened his mouth.
“Those words aren’t lucky.”
Wei Zhao, dispirited: “Then her ‘lifetime’ is quite short.”
Yu Tingwan: ????
The elder was momentarily speechless.
The man beside Wei Shouzhong, dressed in coarse cotton clothing with a dark face, stepped forward excitedly.
“A’Lang, do you still remember me? I’m your jiujiu.” [\舅舅 (jiujiu): maternal uncle.]
Wei Zhao looked over.
“Don’t recognize.”
Zhao Yong’s eyes turned red.
Wei Zhao: “Truly don’t recognize.”
Zhao Yong was extremely upset.
Wei Shouzhong hurried to comfort him: “A’Lang’s mind now… he can’t remember anyone. Eldest Brother, don’t take it to heart.”
Zhao Yong wasn’t good with words. His face flushed red, and his gaze never left Wei Zhao.
“Something happened at home some time ago, your jiumu and I couldn’t make it in time, truly… but A’Lang, uncle always kept you in mind.”
“Your maternal grandfather doted on you most. Pity he passed early, couldn’t see you marry. When you recover, bring Wan-niang to your grandfather’s grave to kowtow.”
Wei Zhao spoke slowly, his face carrying a faint dead air: “However, I did have a maternal uncle.”
Zhao Yong: !!!
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
Wei Zhao stated plainly: “Already dead.”
The surroundings fell into deathly silence. Everyone went quiet.
No one knew how long passed before Hui-niang came out to smooth things over.
“Peh, peh, peh—there you go talking nonsense again. It’s only because your uncle dotes on you that he doesn’t argue with you.”
Aunt Wu also chimed in to smooth the situation: “In the blink of an eye, you’ve already started a family. The whole village is happy for you. Go on inside now, don’t keep the bride waiting too long.”
This sentence—it was very familiar. The exact words Yu Tingwan had heard the first time she met Wei Zhao, seen in that vision.
Then came Li Lian’s voice.
“I’m such a muddle-headed person, how did I not think of matching you two earlier. Always busying blindly, good thing you two took a liking to each other on your own.”
“What’s wrong with it getting dark? Go on in, go on in.”
“You’re not in good health—go back and rest early, no need to drink and entertain. Your mother’s already anxious to hold a grandchild.”
Creaaak—the door opened. Wei Zhao was pushed and shoved inside.
Bang—it was even thoughtfully shut by the people outside.
Yu Tingwan hurriedly straightened her sitting posture.
The room now had one more person’s breathing. Footsteps approached Yu Tingwan’s side.
He stood still in front of Yu Tingwan.
Yu Tingwan waited for quite a while, but didn’t wait for him to lift the bridal veil.
Instead, she heard rustling sounds.
She felt it strange, so she raised her hand and lifted a corner to look at Wei Zhao.
The little girl stared in shock, eyes wide.
Wei Zhao was lowering his head to undo his waistband.
That place had been tied into a dead knot by Wei Shouzhong in a hurry.
Yu Tingwan swallowed hard.
Not surprising, really not surprising.
Exactly the same as in that earlier scene!
The moment he entered, he wanted to press her down!
Wei Zhao was truly sleepy.
Ever since getting injured, no matter how much he slept, it wasn’t enough.
He yawned, wanting to ask Yu Tingwan to move over—he wanted to climb onto the bed and sleep.
But before he could speak, Yu Tingwan moved.
The little girl lay back on the bed, looking like she was about to bravely face death.
She took a deep breath, fully prepared.
“Come on then!”