Once upon a time, there was a small mountain village. Because most of the villagers were surnamed Li, the village was called Li Family Village.
There were two children in the village, a boy named Li Shi and a girl named Li Xujie. They had been playing together since they were little and were about the same age, but girls are generally more precocious, so the boy liked to call the girl "sister".
Both of them were only children, and their families got along well, so they arranged a marriage between them. Li Xujie was just reaching the age of first love, and when she heard about the decision of the two families, she blushed, but still looked up at Li Shi.
But Li Shi didn't understand love between men and women, and kept pestering his parents to ask what a childhood betrothal was.
"A childhood betrothal means that you and Li Xujie will get married when you grow up," Li Shi's mother said with a smile, patting Li Shi's head.
Li Shi still didn't quite understand, but he knew what marriage was, and in his mind, marriage meant having children.
Seeing Li Shi's bewildered expression, Li Xujie blushed even more and buried her head deep in her hands.
After this incident, the two continued to play around as usual, but Li Xujie became more reserved. She liked the boy in front of her very much, but she was not so comfortable after being engaged to him.
Sometimes she would worry that she wasn't acting like a girl and that Li Shi would dislike her.
However, there was no time for her to think about it further.
Li Shi's parents went out to work and took Li Shi with them.
Li Xujie sat in her yard as usual, waiting for the call, "Sister, come out and play!"
But it seems that things won't go as planned today.
She somehow found out that the boy had moved, and she ran frantically to the familiar house, only to find it empty. Her heart felt empty too.
She cried.
The boy moved to the city with his parents, received a better education, and understood why people get married and the origin of children.
He always blushed whenever the teacher talked about these things.
After his parents saved up some money, they started a business.
Whether it was divine favor or something else, Li Shi's parents' business grew bigger and bigger, and the schools Li Shi attended became better and better.
He was very handsome and came from a wealthy family, so many girls secretly admired him, and he received many declarations of love from them.
But he always remembers the "older sister" who played with him in the small mountain village.
Before he could finish his studies, his parents arranged another marriage for him, to the only daughter of a business partner, or rather, a political marriage.
The other person was actually quite good-looking, from a similar family background, and had a similar level of education. They were a perfect match, their parents knew each other, and the girl also had feelings for him.
But the boy still refused.
"I'm engaged to Li Xujie. We were betrothed as children. I won't marry that woman." Li Shi rarely acted like a child; he still missed Li Xujie.
However, his father's lecturing and his mother's threat of suicide forced him to compromise and marry a rich girl.
As if by some strange twist of fate, Li Shi actually sent the wedding invitation to Li Family Village, to Li Xujie's hands.
"Sister, I'm getting married, but I don't like her. I want to marry you." It was straightforward, without any unnecessary embellishment, yet it brought tears to Li Xujie's eyes.
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you in my wedding dress then." Those few words, yet tears soaked half a sheet of paper.
Li Shi was very excited when he received the reply.
On his wedding day, he looked at the unfamiliar guests at the banquet, at the two sets of elders sitting together, and then at the bride walking slowly towards him across the red carpet.
He felt lonely in the noisy environment, he couldn't see any emotion in his laughing parents, and he felt no love in the pure white wedding dress.
After reciting their vows of eternal love, he and his bride, according to custom, were about to consummate their marriage.
However, he took out the rope and tape he had prepared beforehand, tied the bride to the bed, and sealed her mouth so that she could not make a sound.
He ran away from his wedding.
Ignoring the bride's pleading eyes, he knelt down apologetically before her and resolutely ran away.
She drove off, bathed in moonlight, to pursue his love.
Her suit was soaked with sweat, but Li Xujie was sitting by the river where they had agreed to meet, wearing her wedding dress.
The bright moon witnessed their love, but Li Shi had several wounds hidden by his clothes. The mountain path was difficult to walk, and he was accidentally scratched.
But the beautiful woman he had been longing for made him forget the pain. They embraced each other, as if they had returned to their childhood.
As the sky turned red, black liquid oozed from Li Shi's body; he had been infected.
Seeing her lover like this, Li Xujie did not leave, and continued to hold Li Shi.
The absurd combination of a suit and a wedding dress was born when the other person bit her shoulder.
As for the poor bride in her pure white wedding dress, what did she get besides a disgraced and ruined life? A runaway husband, cold stares from elders, and gossip among relatives and friends.
Poor bride.
The young man's kneeling was a huge advantage. Although mutual affection could not overcome the challenge of social status, both women were pitiful. One was disgraced, and the other was ruined.
Is it wonderful? Absurd!
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