Chapter 18

They got married first.

After the matchmaker left, Jiang Qiye fell into deep thought.

When they first met yesterday, Pei Xueyan's eyes were clearly hostile, and her words were full of resistance. She didn't seem to have any affection for him at all.

Why would they take the initiative to ask a matchmaker to propose marriage?

Could it be that she fell in love with him at first sight?

For some reason, Jiang Qiye felt a little happy, as if this woman was falling for him faster and faster each time.

He had already made up his mind during those few days of serious illness.

Once this illusion ends and he takes the elixir, he will have to give her some compensation.

Without her cultivation, she became a powerless mortal, and with her beautiful appearance, she was bound to be coveted by those with ulterior motives.

At that time, he will secretly attach the spirit feather to her body and follow her in secret. As soon as she is in danger, he will immediately appear to protect her.

This protection will continue until... until the day she dons her wedding dress and becomes a wife.

The thought of her getting married made Jiang Qiye unconsciously take a deep breath, feeling as if something soft was blocking his chest, making him feel suffocated.

When that time comes, he will prepare the most generous gift for her as a friend or elder.

Whether it's priceless gold and silver jewelry, dazzling brocade and silk, or even secret cultivation techniques for strengthening and protecting the body from ordinary people in the Qingzong Sect, they can all be secretly passed on to her.

As long as she can live out her life peacefully and smoothly, then it will not have been in vain for her to accompany him through these entanglements in this illusion.

What's standing in their way right now is this marriage proposal that Abao asked the matchmaker to bring.

Jiang Qiye felt conflicted and hesitant.

He entered the Taoist path at a young age, single-mindedly seeking immortality, and never thought of getting married and starting a family.

The same applies to the fellow disciples in the Qingzong Sect; everyone is focused on advancing their cultivation, and few people would put their minds on romantic relationships.

Although the illusion was illusory, every feeling he experienced within it was real.

He had been thinking about this marriage for a whole day and night.

From initial resistance to later hesitation, and finally to the inexplicable expectation in my heart taking the lead.

The reason for his resistance is that he couldn't understand why he would marry a female demon.

Even if it were just an illusion, it would still contradict his long-held Daoist beliefs.

Later, I hesitated.

The illusion will eventually end. Once they leave this illusory world, they will return to their original identities and have no further connection with it.

Moreover, before entering the illusion, Pei Xueyan already hated him to the bone, her words full of resentment. They might really become enemies in the future, and there would never be such an opportunity to be close to each other again.

Before we knew it, several hours had passed.

He began to unconsciously fantasize about the day he would marry her.

Thinking this way, he felt that this marriage could at least give "Xue Lian" and "Chen Weian" an explanation.

They had all loved "him" so passionately, so it wouldn't be so bad if they could get married in this life.

In the end, the vague, inexplicable expectation in my heart overwhelmed all hesitation and resistance.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Qiye went to the matchmaker's house through the morning mist.

He walked to the matchmaker's door, and as he raised his hand to knock on the door knocker, his fingertips trembled slightly, but his voice was unusually firm:

"I agree to this marriage."

The marriage was set for five days from now. This hasty date and this pace were discussed after he and Pei Xueyan met.

When they agreed to meet that day, Pei Xueyan got up early, changed her clothes, and even cleaned the courtyard of her house.

Even the pottery jars on the windowsill were arranged neatly. The matchmaker said he would come early to discuss the wedding date.

Even if she still harbored resentment towards him, she still had to dress up nicely.

This person is Jiang Gongzi, whom Xue Lian loved to the death, and Chen Weian's third uncle, whom he relied on and trusted so much that he committed suicide for him.

In a few days, he will be her husband, her husband.

Unmarried men and women cannot meet in private; they can only communicate through a matchmaker.

However, Jiang Qiye still wanted to see her before the engagement.

She was carrying a plain cloth bag, inside which was a neatly folded red wedding dress.

This was woven using magic to imitate Xue Lian's wedding dress. The stitches were fine and the lotus pattern embroidered on the skirt was lifelike.

Upon arriving at Zhu Family Village, as soon as they stepped through the courtyard gate, they saw A Bao's father and Pei Xueyan standing side by side in the courtyard, waiting for them.

Jiang Qiye stepped forward and handed over the cloth bag, trying to keep her tone calm: "I didn't bring anything today. I will personally deliver the formal engagement gift the day after tomorrow. However, this wedding dress is an old item left by my mother before she passed away. The material and style are still quite decent, so Uncle Zhu and Miss Abao don't need to bother preparing anything else, which will save some trouble."

Pei Xueyan raised her head, her gaze landing on his face without any hesitation, and she sighed inwardly.

What to do? Even knowing that he is hard to understand, even remembering the unpleasantness before, when I see him again, I can't help but feel that affection.

She originally sent a matchmaker to propose marriage with a bit of a spiteful attitude, and even deliberately wanted to provoke him.

Rather than waiting until she falls completely in love with him and then suffers misfortune, she might as well become his wife directly.

She thought that respectable people would always value their reputation and wouldn't commit such a heinous crime as murdering their wives, right?

When the matchmaker relayed his acceptance, all his sulking and testing were instantly forgotten, replaced by indescribable joy, and even his previous resentment faded considerably.

Jiang Qiye didn't linger, fearing it would be impolite. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he got up to take his leave: "I still have some farm work to do at home, so I won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, he got up and left.

According to custom, the woman should not be overly proactive in seeing him off, but Pei Xueyan couldn't help but follow her out and escort her all the way to the courtyard gate.

Jiang Qiye spoke in a tone as if he were a stranger: "Miss, please go back. It's inconvenient for me to see you off."

What should I say?

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask so many questions, but didn't know where to begin. In the end, she could only manage to stammer out, "You... do you really want to marry me?"

Jiang Qiye stopped and turned to look at her, a rare faint smile appearing on his face, his eyes clear: "Really?"

Looking at his smile, Pei Xueyan suddenly felt at ease. It seemed that there was no need to ask or say anything anymore.

She nodded, said nothing more, and stood at the door watching his figure gradually walk away.

On the third day, following local customs, Jiang Qiye prepared tea, silk, pastries, and a jar of aged wine as gifts, and solemnly headed to Zhujiazhuang.

In addition to these, they also gave Father Zhu three acres of fertile land, so that he would no longer need to rent land from others and would be worry-free for the rest of his life.

Father Zhu held the land deed, beaming from ear to ear.

The prospective son-in-law is tall and handsome, seemingly refined but actually quite strong and hardworking. He doesn't talk much but is very honest. I never expected him to be so generous, not only giving pigs, sheep, and silk, but also such valuable land.

The news quickly spread throughout the village, and neighbors gathered at the entrance of the Zhu family compound to watch the excitement, their voices filled with envy.

"Dad, you're so lucky to have raised such a fortunate daughter who has found such a capable and generous son-in-law!"

"That's right, Ah Bao married the right person!"

Pei Xueyan sat inside, listening to the discussions outside.

Are they really getting married?

It feels so unreal.

The Zhu family was already poor, so naturally they couldn't afford a decent dowry.

Jiang Qiye had anticipated this, so he specially asked the matchmaker, Aunt Wang, to convey that he had prepared enough betrothal gifts and wedding expenses, so Pei Xueyan only needed to buy a few personal items and didn't need to worry about it.

The neighbors were exceptionally enthusiastic when they heard the news.

Several women gathered together and helped the Zhu family put on several thick cotton quilts.

Some people even came over to help clean the house and wipe the furniture; they even carefully pasted a new layer of paper on the window frames.

Jiang Qiye had already delivered the wedding dress and jewelry; all Pei Xueyan had to do was go to town to buy a few sets of new clothes to change into.

With the money Jiang Qiye gave her, she was finally able to buy things more generously, no longer needing to be so calculating as before.

The day before the wedding, red lanterns were hung up early in the Zhu family courtyard, and big red "囍" characters were pasted all over the door frames and windows. Even the old locust tree in the courtyard was tied with red ribbons, and everywhere was filled with joy.

Pei Xueyan stood in the center of the courtyard, looking at the lively scene before her. Thinking about it, this was already her second marriage.

Although she was reborn in Zhujia Village in this life, her family background was far less prominent than that of the Xue family, and her family circumstances were worlds apart. Although she was poor, the lively and genuine atmosphere of the neighbors and villagers gathering together was much warmer than the extravagant wedding of the Xue family back then.

In the evening, the village women came to help. Some were busy preparing a late-night snack in the kitchen, while others helped Pei Xueyan organize her dowry.

Matchmaker Aunt Wang was busy making arrangements, reminding Pei Xueyan of the proper etiquette for tomorrow, and saying auspicious words to Father Zhu, praising her incessantly: "Ah Bao, you and the young man from the Jiang family are a match made in heaven, you will surely live a harmonious and happy life in the future!"

Pei Xueyan sat to the side, listening to these words in a daze, her face expressionless.

She hadn't even exchanged a few words with him yet.

The resentment she felt towards Jiang Qiye a few days ago hadn't dissipated yet, and she hadn't even had a chance to voice the questions she wanted to ask or the answers she sought. How could it be that in the blink of an eye, the day for her to marry him had arrived?

Forget it, I can't worry about that now.

As night deepened and the neighbors gradually dispersed, Aunt Wang pulled Pei Xueyan into the inner room.

She pulled a thin booklet from her bosom and quietly slipped it into Pei Xueyan's hand, saying in a low voice, "Take this; you'll need it after the wedding tomorrow."

Pei Xueyan took the booklet with a puzzled look, opened it, and her face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

Erotic paintings.

She frantically tried to close it, stammering, "What...what is this?"

"What's this?" Aunt Wang patted her hand with a smile, her tone teasing. "Why are you shy, young lady? These are things you should know after you get married. Young Master Jiang is a handsome and talented man. So many matchmakers came to propose marriage to him before, but he didn't accept any of them. Now he has chosen you. You are so lucky! Keep this safe and remember to look at it tomorrow."

Pei Xueyan clutched the booklet and could only lower her head and hum in response.