Chapter 69 Getting Married: Between people, this one moment is enough...

Le Jin quickly changed into a maid's outfit, so happy she almost jumped for joy. But to avoid being noticed, she coughed twice to feign illness, letting Bao Yin lie on the bed in her place.

The wedding of the Prince of Pingning was supposed to be a grand affair, but the wine seller who was about to become the Crown Prince's wife disliked extravagance. So everything was kept simple and quick, and only people familiar with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were invited to the banquet.

People in Luoyang had many complaints. It was unheard of for a member of the imperial family to marry a powerless and insignificant woman, let alone for the wedding to be so shabby. But some said that the Crown Prince and the Prince had been at odds for many years, and the Crown Prince's personal request to marry the Jiang family woman was merely a deliberate act of defiance against his father.

Only Le Jin knew that all these opinions and statements were like flowers reflected in water—a mere mirage.

She followed Meng Cizhang's men out of the Meng residence with her head down, but remained still when Meng Cizhang gave her a look signaling her to get into the carriage.

Master Meng and Madam Meng had already boarded the carriage, and the group would be setting off shortly. Meng Cizhang held one hand behind the curtain and used the other to wave to Le Jin, half-concealing his face.

Wasn't she going to the Prince of Pingning's residence? What's she standing there for? Meng Cizhang gradually sensed something was wrong and wished he could jump out of the carriage and grab Le Jin himself.

However, once the wheels started moving, it was too late for him to jump off.

You lied to me!

He finally mouthed angrily to Le Jin without speaking. However, Le Jin raised her face, her eyes curving at him, and followed the example of the many servants by curtsying, watching helplessly as the carriage sped past her.

She was indeed going out, but she had been to weddings before. Even the most distinguished guests would just sit there blankly at the banquet, watching the newlyweds flash by.

As soon as the carriage left, the gatekeepers, the horse handlers, the maids who helped people, and a whole bunch of people turned around and went back to their respective duties. Taking advantage of the chaos, Le Jin turned around and slipped away, lifting her skirt and running towards Madam Zhang's house.

Jiang Yingyun's family lived in the mountains, so it was impossible for her to travel such a long distance to get married. Madam Zhang from Juede Winery kindly allowed Jiang Yingyun to get married in her own home.

Le Jin rushed to the Zhang residence in one go, startling Madam Zhang so much that her eyes widened several times over. She stood behind the door, scanning Le Jin from head to toe several times.

"Young Madam, you...you're wearing the wrong clothes?"

Perhaps because she had been running for too long, Le Jin's heart was beating a little unnaturally.

“Mrs. Jiang,” she pursed her lips, her fingers subtly tapping on the door god sticker, “is she still here?”

"Oh, you want to see the bride!"

Madam Zhang smiled deeply and quickly welcomed Le Jin in, scolding her, "Why did you come at this crucial moment? Couldn't you have come a couple of days earlier? If you had come any later, the Prince's bridal sedan chair would have arrived."

She held Le Jin's forearm and led her step by step to the door of Jiang Yingyun's room.

Perhaps it was a special day, for Mrs. Zhang was in an exceptionally good mood and, with the door open, began to joke with Jiang Yingyun:

"Yingyun, guess who's here?"

Le Jin heard footsteps coming from inside the house. They were fast and light, but it felt as if every step was hitting her heart, causing a massive earthquake.

She, as the female protagonist who provides "emotional companionship," is about to find happiness, and this fulfillment is related to her.

Le Jin was overjoyed, as happy as when she received new shoes from her older sister when she was a child. In the book, Jiang Yingyun's fate was to be separated from her lover, have her career ruined, be betrayed by her family, and finally die in a plague that swept through Luojing, with no one even to claim her body.

Could it be said that she also bought "shoes" for Jiang Yingyun? Protecting her from having to walk that arduous road barefoot anymore.

The door creaked open, and Jiang Yingyun, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, shone like a camellia in the bright winter sun, so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.

"You've come!"

Jiang Yingyun smiled charmingly, surprised that Le Jin had come to see her at this time. She couldn't think of any other polite words and just stared at Le Jin as if trying to see through her.

Le Jin grinned and nodded, taking a step forward, her heart pounding increasingly erratically.

She swallowed hard, trying to control her trembling voice, "In my hometown, when a girl gets married, her sisters accompany her."

This is why she came here even though she had to deceive Meng Cizhang.

Le Jin didn't know if she and Jiang Yingyun could be considered "sisters," but since she cared about Jiang Yingyun's fate, she should also be able to take on the important task of sending her off on her wedding day, right?

When her older sister got married, Le Jin and her younger sister San Niu stayed by her side obediently until the very last moment before she left home.

The hem of her dress was burning hot from being rubbed so much. This was almost like the innocent, budding thoughts of a young girl, a pure and bright yet fragile wish. She was terrified that Jiang Yingyun would expose her secret at this moment, shouting out her innermost thoughts: "So this is how much you value me!"

That would be too embarrassing. People are most sincere when they don't want any other interpretations.

However, the embarrassment she feared never happened. Jiang Yingyun simply stepped out of the room, tugged at Le Jin's sleeve, and smiled sweetly:

"The customs of Shuzhou are so interesting. It's a pity I don't have any sisters. Would you like to come and keep me company?"

Upon hearing this, Le Jin felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately curled up the corners of her mouth.

Jiang Yingyun pulled her inside to sit down, and the two chatted like sisters.

"How long will it take for the bridal sedan chair to arrive?"

“Soon,” Jiang Yingyun tilted her head and thought for a moment, “about an hour.” She grabbed a handful of peanuts and rubbed them in her palm. The red peanut skins crumbled and were blown away by Jiang Yingyun, leaving only a handful of white peanut kernels.

She poured everything into Le Jin's palm, saying, "Eat it."

Jiang Yingyun's eyebrows and eyes were heavily made up, but her gaze remained clear and transparent, reminding Le Jin of the stream behind her old house.

Thin, clear-eyed, yet free-spirited and unyielding. She, like them, was a type of girl.

Le Jin picked up half a peanut and put it in her mouth, then held the rest tightly in her palm, not knowing whether she wanted to hold onto the peanut or the person.

"If you get married, will you still do business?"

“Of course I will do it. Jingming and I have agreed that I am the Crown Princess at home, but outside the mansion I am Jiang Yingyun. I can decide what I want to do.”

"Great, that's wonderful."

“However…” Jiang Yingyun lowered her eyelids, concealing some emotion.

"I have something on my mind. Madam Zhang is much older than me, and I feel embarrassed to ask her."

Le Jin understood what she meant. "You want to ask me? Then ask me."

What do married couples do after marriage? What should I do?

"Huh?!" Le Jin spilled all her peanuts, feeling embarrassed and unsure whether to pick them up or not. Her little face turned white and red in turns, like a neon light.

Since she had already asked, Jiang Yingyun didn't hold back and decided to get to the bottom of it. She sat down next to Le Jin as if she were deflated and poured out all her anxiety, worries, and budding expectations to Le Jin.

Le Jin listened with a mixture of clarity and confusion. She understood that she empathized with all of Jiang Yingyun's emotions, but she was confused because... she and Meng Shutai hadn't actually become husband and wife!

Jiang Yingyun and Yuan Jingming are in love, and their relationship will definitely be different after marriage. But what is she saying now?

After marriage, after marriage... the only thing Le Jin truly knew about married life was her older sister.

"After getting married, we will have children."

"I know that, I wanted to ask..."

"You will die during childbirth."

Le Jin's words were too honest, like a blunt knife cutting off Jiang Yingyun's train of thought. There was no need to press further; the result of married life was offspring, and offspring could potentially bring death.

Jiang Yingyun silently shut her mouth and began to ponder seriously. She had only heard others say that childbirth was like passing through the gates of hell for women, but now that she was about to become a wife, the eerie winds of hell really blew over her, chilling her to the bone, and even her bright red wedding dress couldn't suppress them.

Seeing her expression change drastically, Le Jin immediately realized she shouldn't have spoken carelessly and spat three times, "Sorry, I'm bad with words!"

Jiang Yingyun shook her head and patted her shoulder: "It's okay."

Compared to the warnings of death, the tenderness of bedroom secrets is like cutting open a watermelon soaked in a deep well—cool and crisp.

Jiang Yingyun smiled knowingly; she liked this pre-wedding gift.

But speaking of which, Le Jin's wife is really strange. She's so young, yet she always seems to be entangled in mysterious things like life and death, as if she's lived several lifetimes.

Jiang Yingyun grabbed her hand. This hand was soft, fair and beautiful. How could it have held a knife and hurt someone?

"Le Jin, thank you for visiting me these past few times. You saved me like a divine soldier descending from the sky during so many of my most difficult moments... like a miracle."

Jiang Yingyun's eyes were decorated with a double-petaled peony in red and gold, exuding elegance and brilliance, but none of it could compare to the look in her eyes at this moment.

Le Jin was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at her.

For people, this one moment is enough.

"Why don't you just go to the Prince's Mansion with the wedding procession? That way you won't have to make the trip yourself."

The sounds of gongs and drums outside grew closer. Jiang Yingyun sat in front of the mirror, a red veil covering her head with a cloth by Le Jin.

After helping the person out of the room and handing them over to Madam Zhang, Le Jincai said, "I'm satisfied with just seeing you. I have no interest in being stuck at the banquet like a fool."

Watching Jiang Yingyun gracefully board the bridal sedan chair, Yuan Jingming rode a tall horse in front of the chair, looking as proud and arrogant as a colorful rooster.

Le Jin couldn't help but chuckle. What was that kid's final fate in the book again?

Unwilling to face a forced marriage, he volunteered to go to the frontier. Hearing of Jiang Yingyun's death while on the battlefield, he was thrown into turmoil. Three days later, in battle, the once invincible general was dragged from his horse and hacked to death. The final blow struck the smiling eyes of the girl he had gazed upon in his youth…

Le Jin leaned against the door, secretly pleased with herself and thinking she had earned a little red flower.

I spent a lot of time going over this book, but it was worth it!

She spent a day at the Zhang residence, ate many of Madam Zhang's snacks, and even took several bags with her when she left. She needed to stock up on some "food" before Meng Shutai returned.

Clutching the bundle of pastries, she squatted not far from the Meng residence. She had escaped amidst the chaos, and naturally, she needed to do the same to sneak back.

She counted the things in her arms, wondering if this small treat would appease Meng Cizhang's anger.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar. Le Jin looked up and saw Meng Cizhang!

—Meng Cizhang without a blindfold!

That gold-threaded eye mask was practically Meng Cizhang's lifeline; without it, he wouldn't even step out of his room. Yet now, he was riding a horse down the street with his face bare.

Le Jin rushed over to stop Meng Cizhang, "What's wrong?"

Upon seeing that it was her, Meng Cizhang immediately reined in his horse, lowered his head, covered his eyes, and remained silent.

Fortunately, he had someone riding a horse with him, the one who delivered clothes to Le Jin this morning.

"Many magpies were kept in the courtyard of Prince Pingning's mansion today for good luck. But who knew that some little rascal would release one of the magpies. And that magpie was a lively one, and our young man was wearing a shiny gold mask, which attracted it over. The magpie grabbed at the young man and tore his blindfold."

"this……"

Le Jin turned to look at Meng Cizhang, who was desperately covering his necrotic eyes, and suddenly recalled the child who had suffered a lot in the bandit's den, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

A slender hand reached out to Meng Cizhang, and she stood beside the horse and said to him:

"Don't be afraid, it's okay."

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Author's note: A few days ago, a reader asked if the female lead would have some kind of support system. Now I can answer that.

Yes, she does.

But it's not the male lead, not any man, it's the older sister and younger sister, it's Jiang Yingyun. Or perhaps, it's her obsession with living a good life.