With everything prepared, the village elders consulted the almanac and chose an auspicious day for the wedding, which was set for the end of March.
They didn't invite many guests, since Zhao Guizhi and Chen Shunping weren't familiar with the other people in the village. Besides, Chen Shunping was in poor health and couldn't toast guests. To avoid gossip, the wedding was kept very simple.
Only the village chief's family was invited. Old Zhou's family has always had a good relationship with the village chief's family, and since the village chief is needed for many things, it was necessary to invite him.
The night before, Zhao Guihua gave Zhao Guizhi one hundred taels of silver as a dowry, which Zhao Guizhi accepted without hesitation. Her parents were gone, and her only relative was her younger sister.
"Once the house in town is renovated, you can move in. I've already had the furniture made, and it will be ready by the time the house is renovated." Zhao Guihua hesitated for a moment after saying this, but ultimately suppressed her worries and didn't say anything.
In fact, Zhao Guizhi knew what her sister was worried about. She was worried that Chen Shunping's health was not recovering well, and that the two of them might not be able to have children in the future.
But Zhao Guizhi didn't care. She was only alive because Chen Shunping protected her. Several times, Chen Shunping had shielded her from knives, which was why she was safe. Otherwise, it would have been her turn to die because of her weak constitution.
To put it bluntly, if a young man like Chen Shunping could be tortured like this, a woman like her might have died long ago.
Life is neither too long nor too short; it's just a journey. If you can meet someone who truly cares for you and is willing to risk their life for you, you should be content. She's not greedy; she just wants to be with the person she loves.
Furthermore, they still have their daughter, Ruru. If the eldest son is still alive and can one day recognize the third young lady, then she will return the third young lady to the Chen family. If the Chen family is no longer in power, then the third young lady will be her and Chen Shunping's daughter.
"First bow to heaven and earth." The bride and groom bow to the sky.
"The second bow is to the ancestral tablets." The newlyweds bow to the memorial tablets of their parents.
After the couple bowed to each other, they were led to the bridal chamber. Zhou Laoda helped Chen Shunping back to the room, and Zhao Guihua helped her sister back to the room. Then Zhou Laoda and his wife came out to entertain the village chief's family.
In the bridal chamber, Zhao Guizhi was dressed in a bright red wedding gown and had a red veil covering her face. Chen Shunping slowly lifted the veil and looked at Zhao Guizhi's slightly shy yet beautiful face. He was somewhat lost in thought and felt a little guilty.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Guizhi." Tonight's wedding night is destined to be imperfect, and it may not be perfect even a year from now.
"Don't talk nonsense. It's my blessing to marry you. You mustn't say such things again. Don't worry about making a living in the future. Just focus on taking care of your health. I'm here for you," Zhao Guizhi gently advised.
Chen Shunping only knew one thing about the Zhou family finding silver: the three hundred taels of silver they had unearthed a few days ago while clearing land at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Guizhi hadn't told him about the gold, silver, jade, or other stones they had found on the mountain, not because she was deliberately hiding it, but because she felt it was unnecessary.
That money belongs to my sister's family; it has nothing to do with them.
"The three of us owe a great debt to your sister's family. Once I recover, I'll earn more money and repay them properly." Chen Shunping looked sickly, probably from the ordeal of going out to the wedding ceremony. He was so weak that he could barely sit up after saying a few words.
"It's good that you have the intention, don't keep thinking about it. Okay, stop talking and lie down to rest." Zhao Guizhi helped her lie down and then went to the kitchen to get some chicken soup.
Farmers don't have many rules, and she and Chen Shunping had been living in the same room for a long time. Although they officially got married today, they were practically an old married couple. She was already twenty-six years old and still a spinster, so there was nothing to be ashamed of.
In the main room, the village chief and Old Zhou were drinking and chatting about recent events in the village.
"Ever since that day when we found silver at the foot of the mountain, the people in our village have gone mad, carrying hoes and digging everywhere every day. My wife, Zhao Xiu, went crazy too, digging every day, and even dragged me along to dig for three days."
In the end, they found nothing and wasted all their energy. Did they really think Yegou Village had a mine? Finding some silver at the foot of the mountain that day was just pure luck. The village chief was a bit drunk and seemed a little out of it.
Old Zhou nodded in agreement, saying that his family had dug up the most silver, followed by the village chief's family, while Old Zhou and his group hadn't found a single coin.
"Boss, our village has had a tough time. We fled here and finally managed to settle down. We have weak roots and no connections. This won't do; we'll be easily bullied. We need to train a few people."
You're a thoughtful person, and you have many sons. If you send all five of them to school, surely one of them will succeed. I only have Dongsheng, and I'm determined to send him to school even if it means selling everything I own. Now it's up to Dongsheng to prove himself.
After all, studying depends on talent. Back then, he only studied for three years and couldn't even pass the preliminary examination. Of course, the main reason was that his family really couldn't afford to support him, so he only studied for a few years before stopping.
Later, he became an apprentice to an accountant in the county town. After working as an accountant for a few years, the old village chief retired. He used his connections to return to the village and become the village chief. Unfortunately, the village chief only served for a few years before a drought struck.
He ended up in a state of fleeing, and it was truly difficult for him to survive. Several times during his escape, he felt like he was about to collapse, going crazy, and unable to go on.
“Your son Dongsheng is only seven years old this year, which is quite suitable for him to start school. My five sons are too old. I think it's enough for them to study for a few years to learn to read and write and to do arithmetic. I don't dare to expect them to pass the imperial examinations.”
Old Zhou felt that he was just an honest and simple man with no great abilities and not very bright. He couldn't expect too much from the children; one should know one's own limitations.
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