Chapter 932 The Tree of Marriage
The sky was already pitch black, and the north wind was cold and damp.
"Looks like it's going to snow again tonight."
As the second month of the lunar calendar approaches, the northern region remains bitterly cold, showing no signs of warming up.
Qi Heng touched Lin Yuesha's hand; it was warm.
"I'm not cold."
Winter in the north is just like this, while in the capital, it's probably already springtime and flowers are in bloom.
In this era, transportation was inconvenient and communication was underdeveloped, unlike today where there is the internet and mobile phones, and you can easily make a video call to see the environment at a glance, no matter how far away you are.
Lin Yuesha gasped, a slight pain creeping into her lower abdomen.
The two made their way into the village in the dark. It was pitch black, and the villagers seemed to have already gone to bed. The silence was eerily quiet.
"There's another house with an oil lamp lit. Let's go check that house."
Qi Heng led the horse straight to the most remote house.
Through the wooden door, Lin Yuesha could see a lamp hanging on the courtyard wall, but the room was pitch black and no one could be seen inside.
"Excuse me, is anyone home?"
Lin Yuesha dismounted, knocked on the door knocker, and asked softly.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a coughing sound came from inside the house. Then someone opened the door and asked, "Who is it? Is the old man back?"
"Auntie, my husband and I are just passing through and would like to ask if you could stay the night. Would it be convenient for you to stay at your home?"
Illuminated by an oil lamp, Lin Yuesha could barely see the entire courtyard. The house seemed to be quite old, looking somewhat dilapidated, with cracked walls and a thick layer of thatch on the roof.
The courtyard was small. As the footsteps approached, the door opened, and a kind-looking old woman in a worn-out coat looked at Qi Heng and Lin Yuesha.
"Auntie, my husband and I were traveling when we passed through this place..."
Lin Yuesha was about to repeat herself when the old woman waved her hand to stop her. She took Lin Yuesha's hand and said, "Girl, it's cold. Come inside and warm up."
The old lady's house has two rooms. One is where she and her husband live, and the other is empty, occasionally used to store some odds and ends. There is a heated kang bed in the room, which is just enough for the two of them to stay in.
"It's just that our family isn't well-off, please don't look down on us."
As the old woman spoke, she hesitated by the door for a moment, then picked up the oil lamp that was placed in the yard.
Recently, the weather has been unusually cold, even colder than a few days ago. There wasn't enough firewood at home, so the old man went out to collect firewood, and she specially placed an oil lamp in the yard to light the way.
But the room was pitch black, so it wasn't appropriate to let the guests wander in in the dark.
"Grandma, we have an oil lamp."
Lin Yuesha untied the bundle hanging from the horse's head and poured in more lamp oil, making it even brighter than the old woman's oil lamp.
The young couple followed the old woman into the house. There were only a few pieces of furniture inside, neatly arranged. The room was paved with blue bricks and was very clean.
"Girl, sit on the kang (heated brick bed), it's warm right now."
As she spoke, the old woman stood up to go to the kitchen to pour water for the two of them. All she had at home was bitter tea leaves, and she didn't know if the two of them could get used to drinking it.
"Auntie, don't rush."
Lin Yuesha felt very embarrassed by the warm hospitality.
The old man is gone, and only the old woman lives at home. The elderly couple depends on each other for survival, and things like gathering firewood and fetching water are very difficult for them.
"Wife, you stay and talk to the old lady for a while, I'll go out and look for the old man."
Even with the white snow reflecting off it, it was still dark enough. It wasn't easy for the old man to carry firewood home on such a cold day, so Qi Heng went to lend a hand.
"good."
Lin Yuesha was very satisfied, feeling that Qi Heng wasn't entirely devoid of humanity; he was slowly changing.
When the old woman saw Qi Heng take the initiative to meet her, she was even more grateful and praised him, saying, "Girl, you definitely made the right choice marrying a husband like him."
The old lady is the most qualified to speak on this point.
Lin Yuesha had a likable personality and kept the old lady company while she talked. The old lady was very talkative and started chatting.
"I was only twelve years old when a natural disaster struck. My family lost everything and became refugees, begging for a living."
The old lady's family was large, with seven siblings. They lived by begging and could not afford to eat a full meal. Their porridge was thin and watery, with each grain of rice clearly visible.
The parents had no choice; they couldn't support one child if things continued like this, so they sold her older sister.
After selling her eldest daughter for money, she couldn't enjoy a comfortable life for more than a few days before it was her turn to be sold again.
"My eldest sister was sold to a wealthy family as a maid, a maid with a death contract, her life was at the mercy of the other family."
The old woman sighed, for when it was her turn, her fate took a turn for the better.
When her family passed through this village, a woman in the village took pity on her and took her in. Later, this woman became her mother-in-law.
“Back then, I begged everywhere, and my health was poor. I never recovered. My wife and I have no children, and we depend on each other for survival.”
If it were any other family in the village, they would have divorced such a daughter-in-law long ago, but her mother-in-law treated her exceptionally well when she was alive.
What's the point of keeping children? Once you raise them, they'll eventually get married and start their own families. In the end, the only person by your side will be your old man.
"Look at me, I love to ramble on about old, trivial things when I get old."
The old woman smiled apologetically, saying that the young lady didn't like hearing such things.
"Auntie, we're just chatting."
Lin Yuesha sighed. Although the old woman was old, her face did not show any signs of hardship, which showed that she was living a very good life.
A woman's life after marriage depends not only on her own abilities but also on whether she marries the right person.
Regardless of whether Qi Heng is her ideal man or not, she must have the ability to make her life better.
"Did you two come here for the marriage tree?"
The old lady brought out the only plate of roasted peanuts in the house and peeled peanuts for Lin Yuesha to eat.
A "marriage tree"?
Lin Yuesha shook her head; they were just passing by.
"That's perfect. Tomorrow morning, you and your husband can go and pray to the marriage tree. It's very effective."
The old woman's eyes sparkled, as if she had great faith in the marriage tree.
There is a centuries-old pine tree in the village, which has been fenced off and named the "Marriage Tree".
As for how it got its name, the villagers don't know. In any case, judging from the notes left by their ancestors, it has been called that for at least several hundred years.
It is said that the old pine tree has cultivated itself into a spirit, but it has not left this place; instead, it protects the villagers.
During festivals, villagers would bring offerings to the old pine tree to pray for the safety of their families.
Many men and women come here seeking marriage; couples who come together are sure to have a sweet and harmonious life.
"There was a gambling addict in the next village who was never home. His wife had no choice but to ask the old pine tree for help. Sure enough, not long after, the gambling addict turned over a new leaf and started a small business in town. The couple is doing very well now."
The old woman spoke in a very mystical way, persuading Lin Yuesha to pray to the old pine tree so that the couple could grow old together in happiness. In short, there was no harm in praying.
"Auntie, I'll go tomorrow morning."
Lin Yuesha immediately responded that a pine tree that was hundreds of years old was enough to be a tourist attraction, and it wouldn't take much time.
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