Chapter 61 (Combined)

Yan Ruyi opened the book's title page, where only three characters were written in seal script: "Fire Avoidance Diagram".

Oh, it's a book about ancient fire prevention knowledge.

There were firefighters in ancient times as well, but they were called different things in different dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, they were called "Wuhoupu", in the Song Dynasty, they were called "Qianhuojun", in the Ming Dynasty, they were called "Huobing", and in the Qing Dynasty, they were called "Shuilongfu".

I don't know why my great-grandmother would pass down such a book.

Could it be that someone in my great-grandmother's family was a firefighter?

She was quite curious about how firefighters in ancient times put out fires, so she turned to the first page.

He glanced at it once, and his face flushed instantly. He slammed the book shut.

It turns out this book isn't about ancient fire prevention; it's about how couples consummate their marriage!

She now understood why her great-grandmother had passed down such a book!

In the past, people didn't have sex education classes, so this knowledge could only be passed down orally, usually by mothers.

However, face-to-face science education is really too awkward, so I simply drew pictures and let people understand it on their own by looking at the pictures.

These paintings are usually placed at the bottom of a girl's dowry when she gets married, hence the name "bottom-of-the-box painting".

The book her mother gave her had no text; it was all prints.

Printmaking involves first drawing the image, then having a craftsman meticulously carve it on special wood, and finally printing it onto paper with ink.

It is a common method of printing pictures in ancient books.

The book her mother gave her was entirely made up of woodblock prints, with the features of men and women depicted at the beginning, rendered with remarkable realism and exquisite detail.

The drawing behind depicts a man and a woman fighting.

The artwork is beautifully produced, and the details are all rendered.

The earlier ones were somewhat subtle, but the later ones became increasingly explicit.

Who says people in ancient times were conservative? Their style was much more open than that of modern people!

In any case, Yan Ruyi had never seen anything so exciting in modern times.

There were no kissing scenes in the books she had read.

This was the first time she had ever seen these things so directly, and the impact was enormous. The more she looked, the more ashamed she felt, and the more ashamed she felt, the more she wanted to look. After she finished looking, she even had dreams about it, dreaming about doing this and that with Song Yiping.

It was like making pancakes, flipping and turning them over and over all night.

This caused her face to burn as soon as she woke up the next day, and she was too embarrassed to go out, so she stayed in bed pretending to be dead.

Luo Huihui pulled her out of bed, worriedly asking, "Why is your face so red? At this critical moment, you're not catching a cold, are you?"

He even reached out to touch her forehead.

Yan Ruyi pushed her away, saying, "I don't have a cold or fever."

She felt both ashamed and flustered just thinking about what was going to happen tonight.

Luo Huihui: "That's exciting. But you have to eat first. After you eat, I'll do your makeup. Eat a lot for breakfast, because we're going to be lively all day."

If she didn't get up soon, it would be too late, so Yan Ruyi got up shyly.

After breakfast, Luo Huihui pressed her down into a chair.

Luo Huihui's second sister-in-law's sister-in-law is a makeup artist in the city's cultural troupe. She went to learn makeup from her, just so she could show off her skills on this day and make her good friend the most beautiful bride in the world.

After doing Yan Ruyi's makeup, I styled her hair and pinned a red flower to one side of it.

After getting dressed, she pulled Yan Ruyi to look in the mirror, cupped her face in her hands, and said with delight, "Our Ruyi looks so beautiful today."

Yan Ruyi in the mirror was wearing a bright red wedding dress, with exquisite makeup and a hint of shyness in her eyes.

Yan Ruyi also felt that she was at her peak of beauty today, and told Luo Huihui to take more photos of her today.

Fang Caiyun came over and said with a smile, "Our Ruyi is already pretty, but Huihui has made her even more beautiful. Huihui's skills are excellent. When you get married, you won't need to hire anyone to do your makeup."

Luo Huihui said nonchalantly, "That's right, I do my own makeup."

...

After Luo Huihui's witty remark, Yan Ruyi was no longer so shy.

The day before, Ye Hongzhen directed Yan Minghe to put up all the double happiness characters. Peanuts, melon seeds, and candy were laid out on the table. Neighbors who came to watch the excitement ate melon seeds and candy while looking at the dowry displayed in the courtyard.

Yan Guoqiang has never liked wearing new clothes, saying that new clothes are not as comfortable as old clothes.

Today, however, he was dressed in new clothes, beaming with joy, offering cigarettes and candy to anyone who came.

“Master Yan, you’re happy now, but you’ll be crying when your daughter leaves home.”

Yan Guoqiang chuckled and said, "I'm a grown man, why would I cry? When have you ever seen me cry?"

...

Before long, Yan Minghe burst in, "My brother-in-law is here!"

Ye Hongzhen and the others came out of the house.

Yan Ruyi instinctively tried to stand up, but Luo Huihui pressed her back down, saying, "What's the rush? Sit here and wait for the groom to come and pick you up."

The wedding procession has already arrived at the doorstep.

Chen Feiyong arranged all four vehicles for the wedding procession: three cars and one truck.

Cars carry people, trucks transport dowries.

Song Yiping got out of the car at the very front.

He was wearing a new military uniform today, his clothes were crisp and he looked very energetic.

Chen Feiyong and his group of comrades followed behind.

The neighbors egged him on and pushed him in front of Yan Ruyi.

When Song Yiping saw Yan Ruyi putting on makeup for the first time, his eyes widened in amazement.

Yan Ruyi felt even more embarrassed by his stare and didn't dare to look up at him.

A burst of laughter erupted around them. "Oh dear, the bride is shy."

Liu Dayun shouted, "It's the rule in our compound that the groom has to pick up the bride, otherwise he can't take her away!"

Chen Feiyong and the others joined in the commotion, saying, "Commander Song, hurry up, don't embarrass our comrades."

Without hesitation, Song Yiping reached out and picked Yan Ruyi up.

Yan Ruyi was startled and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

The two were almost face to face, and she felt that Song Yiping was about to kiss her the next second.

Startled, she quickly whispered, "Put me down!"

Song Yiping ignored her and, amidst a burst of laughter, steadily carried her out of the house.

Chen Feiyong ran to the front and opened the car door.

Song Yiping gently placed Yan Ruyi in the car, turned around and gave Yan Guoqiang and Ye Hongzhen a perfect military salute, "Mom and Dad, I'm taking Ruyi away."

Just now, Yan Guoqiang was chatting and laughing with his neighbors, offering cigarettes and tea.

When Song Yiping carried Yan Ruyi out of the house, he couldn't hold back anymore, and his eyes started to redden.

Seeing Yan Ruyi sitting in the car, tears streaming down her face, Song Yiping saluted and called him "Dad" again, and he completely broke down, crying uncontrollably. He reached out to wipe his tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears flowed, and he couldn't utter a single coherent sentence.

When he cried, Ye Hongzhen couldn't help but cry too. She went over and took Yan Ruyi's hand, saying, "Ruyi, you're an adult now that you're married. Live a good life with Yiping. Come home often and tell your mother if anything happens. Don't keep things to yourself."

Yan Ruyi was initially just feeling embarrassed, but seeing her parents crying, her eyes also started to sting. "Mom, I'll come back to see you and Dad often."

Then he said to Grandma Song, "Grandma, I'm leaving."

Grandma Song wiped away her tears and patted her hand, saying, "Let's go, don't miss the auspicious time."

Ye Hongzhen was reluctant to part with her daughter. She originally wanted to talk to her daughter a little longer, but when she heard the words "auspicious time", she immediately stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and urged Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping to hurry up and leave, "Hurry up and leave, we'll be back in a couple of days."

Yan Ruyi, "..."

Chen Feiyong and the others had already loaded the dowry onto the truck. Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the truck carrying Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi left first, followed by the rest of the trucks.

Nowadays, most people still use bicycles to pick up their brides. Having a car to pick up the bride is considered a matter of pride.

When Song Yiping came to pick up his bride, it was in three cars.

People from the residential compound came out to watch the spectacle; those who were married and those who weren't were all incredibly envious.

After all, what girl doesn't want to have a grand wedding?

Chen Feiyong sat in the back of the small truck, scattering candy as he drove, all of it White Rabbit milk candy. A group of people followed behind the truck, laughing and joking as they tried to grab the candy.

Because Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping would be living on Wutong Road, the dowry was moved directly to their new house.

We ate at Hongyan Restaurant, located in the military compound.

After placing the dowry in the new house, she rushed to Hongyan Restaurant.

The Song family didn't have many relatives, but they had many comrades-in-arms and friends. With the addition of Yan Ruyi's relatives and friends, they set up a total of 20 tables for the banquet.

After toasting everyone, the two bridesmaids, Wu Meili and Luo Huihui, found an excuse to call Yan Ruyi away.

Song Yiping had booked a room upstairs in advance for Yan Ruyi to rest in.

With Song Yiping blocking her way, Yan Ruyi didn't drink much alcohol; she just stood there until her feet ached.

Once inside the lounge, she collapsed onto the sofa, saying, "Getting married is so tiring."

Luo Huihui slumped onto the sofa with her, saying, "Of course I'm tired. What family has such a grand wedding?"

And those who came were all high-ranking leaders.

She had thought Mayor Liu's official rank was high enough, but when she saw him today, she realized that he was not even noticeable among those people.

When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping were toasting, she and Wu Meili followed behind.

At the banquet, everyone had little stars on their shoulders, and she was so tired of counting them that her eyes went numb.

Wu Meili went out for a while and came back with a basket in her hand. She put the basket on the coffee table and called to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, are you hungry? Come and have something to eat."

Yan Ruyi sat up. "I didn't eat much this morning, and I'm starving."

Wu Meili brought over a rather plentiful spread of food, including meat, vegetables, and steamed buns.

Yan Ruyi said gratefully, "Thank you, Sister Meili, for remembering to bring me food."

Wu Meili smiled and said, "Don't thank me. Commander Song specifically asked me to bring you some food. Oh my, you're almost drunk, but you still remember to ask me to bring you food."

Yan Ruyi asked worriedly, "Did he drink too much?"

She wasn't afraid of anything else, except that Song Yiping might talk nonsense when he was drunk.

Wu Meili said, "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing. Besides, Chen Feiyong is with him, so he won't miss your wedding night."

Upon hearing the words "wedding night," Yan Ruyi immediately thought of the fighting picture book her mother had given her, which was passed down only to daughters, and her face turned bright red again.

Wu Meili couldn't stop laughing and pinched her little cheek, "Look at this little face, so adorable, it'll surely charm Commander Song to death."

Yan Ruyi blushed and slapped her hand away.

After Yan Ruyi and the other two finished eating, they decided not to go downstairs. Wu Meili and Luo Huihui stayed with Yan Ruyi in the lounge and talked.

Just then, someone knocked on the door of the rest room. Wu Meili went to open the door and saw that Chen Feiyong was helping Song Yiping back.

"Old Song is drunk, let him come over and sleep for a while."

Chen Feiyong's task today was to fend off drinking. He drank quite a bit for Song Yiping when toasting, and now he was walking unsteadily.

Chen Feiyong helped Song Yiping into the house. Yan Ruyi gave up the sofa, and he helped Song Yiping onto the sofa.

Chen Feiyong said to Yan Ruyi, "Sister-in-law, watch over him and tell him to get some sleep. I have to go downstairs."

Yan Ruyi said, "Alright, you can go now."

Chen Feiyong then went downstairs.

Wu Meili poured Song Yiping a glass of water. Just as she handed it to him, she saw Song Yiping open his eyes and glance at Yan Ruyi.

However, Yan Ruyi was taking off his shoes and didn't see it.

Wu Meili, "..."

She placed the water glass on the coffee table. "Ruyi, I've put the water on the coffee table. You can let Commander Song drink it in a bit."

Yan Ruyi agreed, and Wu Meili pulled Luo Huihui along, "Let's go downstairs and take a look."

Luo Huihui didn't want to stand there like a third wheel, so she went downstairs with Wu Meili and closed the door behind them.

Yan Ruyi had just taken off one of Song Yiping's shoes when Song Yiping pulled her over, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto him.

Yan Ruyi: "You're not drunk."

Song Yiping: "I drank a bit too much, but I'm not drunk."

Today is his wedding night with Yan Ruyi, how could he possibly be drunk?

However, he had indeed drunk quite a bit, and if he drank any more, he would definitely get drunk, so he pretended to be drunk and had Chen Feiyong help him to the lounge.

Yan Ruyi lay on top of him, and Song Yiping kissed her forehead, then her nose, and then her lips.

Yan Ruyi felt embarrassed by the kiss and, fearing someone might suddenly come in, pushed him away and took the water glass from the coffee table. "Have some water."

Song Yiping sat up and drank the water.

He had just finished drinking water when he heard someone knocking on the door. He shoved the water glass into Yan Ruyi's hand, quickly lay down on the sofa, and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

The movements were fluid and graceful.

Yan Ruyi, "..."

She opened the door, and Fang Yuru came in. Seeing Song Yiping lying on the sofa, she asked Yan Ruyi in a low voice, "Asleep?"

Yan Ruyi didn't know whether to say "slept" or "didn't sleep".

She turned around and saw Song Yiping lying there motionless, so she could only reply, "Asleep."

"Let him sleep for a while. Are you hungry? I got you something to eat."

Yan Ruyi had already eaten, but she still accepted the gift, saying, "Thank you, Mom."

Fang Yuru said, "I don't know how long they'll be drinking downstairs. You should rest for a while after you've eaten. I'm going downstairs now."

Fang Yuru closed the door and went downstairs. Yan Ru saw that Song Yiping was not moving, so she went over to check and found that he had actually fallen asleep in just a short while.

It was a rare occasion for Song Chengren's old comrades to get together, and the banquet lasted until the sun was setting.

Song Yiping also woke up.

After a good night's sleep, he was completely sober.

Fang Yuru came up and asked the two whether they should go back to the military compound and return to their new house after dinner, or go back now.

A moment of bliss is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and Song Yiping was unwilling to waste time. He said to Fang Yuru, "Let's go back now. There's still a lot of stuff to pack up over there."

Fang Yuru: "Okay, I'll have Xiao Xu take you back."

Xiao Xu drove Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi back to Wutong Road.

When the two entered the room, they saw that it was filled with things, and there was a large pile of quilts on the bed.

There's barely any room to put your feet down.

The two of them worked together to first sort and put away the items in the main room.

By the time we finished packing everything, it was already getting dark.

Song Yiping said, "You rest for a while, I'll go cook."

Yan Ruyi was still wearing her bright red wedding dress, which looked beautiful, but it wasn't very comfortable, and she had wanted to change out of it for a long time.

While Song Yiping was in the kitchen cooking, she took out a set of casual clothes from the closet and changed into them.

She still had makeup on, but after washing her face, she felt much refreshed.

Her mother said that the man and woman cannot meet before the wedding, and she cannot come to the new family's house.

So, all things considered, she hasn't come here for three days.

I was busy packing my things and didn't have time to look.

Now I finally have time to see what changes have been made to the house.

Colorful paper was draped over the lamps, and large red "double happiness" characters were pasted on the walls, wardrobes, doors, and in the yard, making it look very festive.

In addition, a lot of new things were added, and there was even a washing machine in the corner.

After visiting the main room, we went to the west room.

The west wing was divided into two rooms, one for storing miscellaneous items and the other for the kitchen.

The room where miscellaneous items were stored was piled high with her dowry and gifts from relatives and friends.

There's too much stuff to sort out right now, so I'll just leave it there for now and organize it slowly later.

Song Yiping was cooking in the kitchen when Yan Ruyi smelled the aroma before she even entered the kitchen.

When she went over to take a look, she saw that Song Yiping was cooking. Although his movements were not very skilled, they were at least quite professional.

Yan Ruyi originally thought that Song Yiping was just a noodle maker.

He once said that he only knew how to make egg noodles, and that he learned it from Fang Yuru.

I never expected that he was cooking.

When did you learn to cook?

Song Yiping said, "I learned it from Aunt Liu."

When Yan Ruyi went inside, she was surprised to see a refrigerator.

We have a television, a washing machine, a refrigerator, and an electric fan.

After marrying Song Yiping, her standard of living improved significantly; she even became electrified.

She opened the refrigerator and found it full of food.

"When were these all purchased? How come I didn't know?"

"I just moved here the day before yesterday, and the food inside was brought over by my mom yesterday."

Song Yiping quickly prepared the meal: two dishes and a soup.

The dishes were minced meat and eggplant, stir-fried bok choy, and the soup was egg and tomato soup.

Yan Ruyi tried them all, and they tasted pretty good.

Although it can't compare to her mother's cooking skills, it's quite good for a beginner, at least much better than her mother's.

To date, the only thing she knows how to make is cucumber salad.

It's not that she's unwilling to learn, it's that she simply doesn't have the talent.

Using the same ingredients, she followed her mother's recipe step by step, but she couldn't recreate the taste. In any case, no one in the family wanted to eat the dishes she made, and over time, she lost interest.

The person she married seemed to have a talent for cooking. Yan Ruyi was very supportive and praised him repeatedly, saying, "Everything is delicious. This minced meat and eggplant dish is almost as good as my mother's cooking."

Song Yiping now deeply understands why his mother-in-law always beams with joy whenever he says her cooking is delicious, and that she will cook even more delicious food for him next time he visits.

That's how he feels right now.

He had barely started eating when he was already thinking about what to make for the next meal.

After the meal, Song Yiping told Yan Ruyi to rest and went to wash the dishes himself.

By the time I finished tidying up the house, it was already past 7 p.m.

Song Yiping came in, wiping his hands.

They hadn't noticed anything amiss while they were busy, but now that it was dark, they both had some free time.

Yan Ruyi, who had just been baptized by the ancestral fighting diagram, naturally knew what the wedding night meant.

Her heart pounded wildly. Clutching her pajamas, she didn't dare lift her head. "I'm going to take a shower first."

She dawdled and took almost half an hour to come out of the shower.

Because she had been washing for so long, her little face was covered in steam, making it look pinkish-white.

Song Yiping was making the bed when he turned around and saw Yan Ruyi's lovely, peach-like face. He hugged her and took a bite, his voice hoarse, "Wife."

My hands started to get a little restless.

Yan Ruyi was a little embarrassed and pushed him away, saying, "Go take a shower."

Yan Ruyi felt embarrassed, which is why she urged Song Yiping to take a bath.

However, Song Yiping was clearly thinking of something else. "Okay, I'll wash quickly, it'll be done soon."

Song Yiping kissed her again, then took his pajamas and went to take a shower.

In this kind of atmosphere, anything you say will make people overthink.

Yan Ruyi simply stopped talking, lifted the covers, and crawled into bed.

She felt a little nervous and a little excited about what she was going to do later.

When Song Yiping returned after taking a shower, this was the scene he saw.

Yan Ruyi pulled the blanket up to her nose, leaving only her two big, bright eyes showing. When she saw him, she slid completely under the blanket and covered her head.

Song Yiping laughed and asked, "Aren't you bored?"

Yan Ruyi wrapped herself completely in the blanket, her voice muffled, "It's not stuffy, I like it this way."

"Really? I'll give it a try."

Song Yiping pulled back the covers and crawled inside.

There was a commotion under the covers. At first, Yan Ruyi giggled, but then the sound changed to something else.

It must be said that Song Yiping's carpentry skills are quite good; for one thing, the beds he makes are sturdy and durable.

...

The old house caught fire and the fire got out of control; only heavy rain could extinguish it.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the land was soaked through.

...

Before falling asleep, Yan Ruyi vaguely remembered something: where did she put that ancestral fighting picture book?

However, she was too tired. One second she was thinking of getting up to look for it, and the next she fell asleep.

She had initially thought she wouldn't be able to sleep soundly.

She doesn't have trouble sleeping in different beds and sleeps well, but she's a restless sleeper. When she sleeps alone, even a big bed isn't enough for her to roll around in. It's common for her to fall asleep with her head facing east and wake up the next day with her head facing west.

However, I slept until dawn and woke up the next morning.

The curtains were drawn, and through the gaps, a thin ray of sunlight shone in.

She pulled her watch out of her pillow and saw that it was already 9:30 a.m.

She was alone in bed, and had no idea where Song Yiping had gone.

Luckily, Song Yiping wasn't there, otherwise, she would be completely naked and so embarrassed.

She wanted to go downstairs to find something to wear, but just as she sat up, the door opened, and Song Yiping came in wiping his hands. "Awake?"

Yan Ruyi's mind involuntarily replayed the events of last night, her face flushed again, and she slid back into the covers.

Song Yiping came over with a smile, pulled the blanket off her face, and kissed her. "I just finished cooking. Get up and eat now that you're awake."

Yan Ruyi said, "Could you get me some clothes? The underwear is in the first drawer."

Song Yiping went to get her clothes and saw a blue cloth bag under the clothes. The bag was square and neat, like a book.

He casually picked it up, opened it, and saw that it was indeed a book, a thread-bound book, looking like an ancient text, but without a title. "What kind of book is this? How did it end up here?"

Yan Ruyi took a look and saw that it was the family heirloom fighting diagram.

She remembered that when she was carrying clothes from home to the new house, she had stuffed the book inside the clothes and then wrapped the clothes in a bundle.

Yesterday, while packing, she put all the clothes from her bundle into the wardrobe.

Seeing that Song Yiping was about to look through the book, she threw off the covers, jumped off the bed, and snatched the book away, saying, "You...you're not allowed to look."

Seeing that Song Yiping's eyes were a little strange, she looked down and realized that she was still naked. Embarrassed, she quickly ran back to the bed and covered herself with the blanket.

Song Yiping chuckled sullenly and placed the clothes on her bedside table. "I'm going out. Go get dressed."

Yan Ruyi peeked out from under the covers and saw that Song Yiping had indeed gone out, so she quickly put on her clothes.

He walked around the room for a while, not knowing where to put the fighting picture, so he lifted the mattress and put it under the mattress before going out.

When I went outside, I saw bed sheets hanging out to dry in the yard, fluttering in the wind.

The sheets got dirty last night, so Song Yiping changed them into clean ones before going to bed. I don't know when he got up, but he even washed the sheets.

Besides the bed sheets, the underwear she wore yesterday was also washed and hung out to dry.

She was wearing the bright red underwear that Luo Huihui had given her yesterday, but she changed it off before taking a shower.

She usually changes and washes her clothes on the same day, but she was too tired yesterday, so she took a break and decided to wash them this morning.

Unexpectedly, Song Yiping washed her before she could even start.

Bright red underwear hung next to the bed sheet, creating an indescribable sense of ambiguity.

She walked over, quietly moved her underwear to the side, and then pretended to go wash up as if nothing had happened.

When they got married, several neighbors who lived nearby sent them wedding gifts. They didn't have time to return the gifts yesterday, so during dinner, she discussed with Song Yiping about giving a gift back to the neighbors who had sent them.

Song Yiping wasn't very good at social etiquette. "There's a box of candy in the west room. How about each family gives back two bags of candy?"

The box of candy was White Rabbit milk candy. Two bags of milk candy for one family was acceptable to Yan Ruyi.

So they took the candy and returned the gift.

To the east of her house was Sister Hua's house, and behind it was Grandma Li's house. She had the most contact with these two families.

There was a house next door to the west, inhabited by a family surnamed Wan. Sometimes when they ran into each other, they would greet each other.

Yesterday, Sister-in-law Wan also gave a gift, and Yan Ruyi returned two bags of White Rabbit candy.

As I left the Wan family's house, the west gate opened, and a thin old woman came out.

Sister Hua had previously mentioned that the old lady's surname was Zhao.

Yan Ruyi rarely saw this family. If it weren't for the occasional sound of the door opening and closing, she would have thought no one lived there.

This family didn't bring any gifts yesterday, but they are still such close neighbors, so Yan Ruyi greeted the old lady with a smile, "Hello, Grandma Zhao."

She happened to have some candy in her pocket, so she grabbed a handful and handed it to her, saying, "I got married yesterday, Grandma Zhao, please have some candy."

Grandma Zhao didn't even smile. She glanced at her, didn't take the candy, turned around and went back, slamming the gate shut behind her.

-----------------------

Author's Note: After reading your comments, I feel like I've gained even more strange and wonderful knowledge.