Chapter 118: A Woman's Marriage May Only Happen Once in a Lifetime
Jiang Sijin, being impatient by nature and yearning for imperial fortune, finally agreed to share the costs with Song Anbang, each contributing half to the wedding arrangements.
Song Anbang, whose motives were unclear, agreed after Jiang Sijin suggested splitting it in half, after a moment's hesitation.
The news that the head of the county was going to hold a wedding spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.
Including the migrants brought in from various places, the population of Yamagata is now around 10,000.
This land is not particularly fertile, and unless they are truly desperate, these people from the lower classes would rather remain in the hands of exploitative families.
After all, the little bit of food that slips through the fingers of aristocratic families is enough for them to eat and drink.
Furthermore, the construction of the border prefecture also requires manpower, and the local people in the mountainous counties are not accepted by the local people.
Su Zhenzhen was surprised that Jiang Sijin was willing to spend so much money, and at the same time, she was curious about where she got so many people.
"Why do these people look unfamiliar to me?"
Jiang Sijin rolled her eyes. "You've been away from Shanxian for so long. Every now and then, a few refugees escape here. There are plenty of people you haven't seen."
"Really?" Su Zhenzhen's doubts stemmed from the fact that when she was wandering around Shanxian County, she had only glanced at a few of these ordinary people. She couldn't say she recognized all of them, but they all seemed to be good at their jobs, and even the women and children could help with chores.
These people are clumsy and awkward; they don't look like they know how to do things.
But they couldn't sleep well either. They had never done such meticulous work before. After all, in some backward rural areas, it was common for men and women to kowtow to the bride's parents at her home before the bride was taken away.
Jiang Sijin was not about to let Su Zhenzhen ask any more questions, so she immediately changed the subject.
What kind of wedding dress would you like to wear?
Speaking of this, Su Zhenzhen actually became quite interested.
"There are still styles of the Crown Princess's uniform to choose from?"
“Of course.” Jiang Sijin couldn’t help but show off again. “Our Jiang family dynasty has thousands of years of history. The surrounding barbarian tribes have changed countless times, but this Han dynasty is still ruled by the Jiang family. When it comes to marriage, some say it’s about the dragon and phoenix bringing good fortune, and some say it’s about flying wing to wing. Accordingly, the wedding dresses with auspicious meanings are naturally different styles.”
Jiang Sijin noticed that Su Zhenzhen was looking at her with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her lips, and then she realized that she had inadvertently said something inappropriate.
“Continue, why did you stop?” Su Zhenzhen looked at the self-righteous girl in front of her with amusement. “I’m still waiting for Your Highness to explain the profoundness of the Jiang family dynasty to me.”
Jiang Sijin's face turned pale and then red, but she eventually managed to adjust her mindset using her strong mental fortitude.
"Hey, what's there to say?" Jiang Sijin gestured to Su Zhenzhen's figure with her hands. "I think you should just choose a pattern with dragons and phoenixes. Hensheng is a true dragon emperor, so a wedding dress embroidered with phoenixes would suit you perfectly."
Su Zhenzhen coldly watched Jiang Sijin circling around her, "Then I'll trouble you to do this, Your Highness."
Jiang Sijin withdrew her hand somewhat awkwardly, "Then you can rest assured and prepare to be the most beautiful bride."
After saying that, Jiang Sijin strode away.
Su Zhenzhen didn't argue with her anymore and went straight back to the coffin shop.
Unfortunately, Hensheng wasn't there.
Where is this kid running off to? Doesn't he know there's a big bad wolf in the city eyeing this little white rabbit?
Old Bai led his men to plant vegetables, Li Da helped cut down trees and make charcoal, and Huo Jiajun and his men planned to build a weapons workshop in Shanxian County, where there happened to be an iron mine in the mountains near Shanxian County.
As for why, even with iron ore, Yamagata could have fallen into such a state of poverty?
It was all because of the battle to defend the mountain county back then, which resulted in the deaths of far too many people.
Local folklore says that the mountain county is filled with resentment, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and birds have disappeared.
Moreover, the mountain roads around the county are rugged, making mining difficult. Furthermore, the private sale of salt and iron is prohibited, and they cannot be directly exchanged for food and drink. How could an ordinary family afford to open a weapons workshop?
As for those nobles and wealthy families, they already possess boundless wealth in their own residences, so there's no need for them to risk their lives in Shanxian County.
Su Zhenzhen thought about it and realized that everyone else had something to do, and it seemed that she was the only one with nothing to do.
Shouldn't I find something to do myself? Like digging up graves, maybe I can find some achievements to show for it.
That evening, Li Da and Old Man Bai returned to the coffin shop, but Hen Sheng was still nowhere to be seen.
Su Zhenzhen was getting anxious. "Where could he go so late?"
Turning to look at Old Man Bai and Li Da, he asked, "Did you see Hensheng when you went out today?"
Li Da shook his head directly.
Old Bai rubbed his head and recalled, "I think he mentioned something last night, that he was going somewhere, but I was too tired at the time and didn't hear clearly."
Su Zhenzhen felt a little relieved. It seemed that Hensheng's trip was well-prepared and planned. As long as it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, he should know to avoid the direction of the county government.
Just then, the door to the coffin shop was pushed open from the outside.
Hensheng walked in, weathered and worn. His already beautiful face, combined with his disheveled appearance, added a touch of brokenness and poignant beauty, creating an indescribable charm.
Her delicate hands, which had never touched a drop of water before, had developed a thin layer of calluses after practicing martial arts. Now, she was holding a wild goose in her hand, whose wingspan was about an arm's length.
Su Zhenzhen was truly astonished. In ancient times, wild geese were used to carry letters to express the affection between husband and wife.
Wild geese are also a symbol of unwavering loyalty. When a man and a woman are engaged, the man will often shoot down a wild goose and send it to the woman's family along with the betrothal gifts.
"What is this?" Su Zhenzhen was a little skeptical of what she was seeing.
Hensheng handed over the goose, saying, "Time is short, and the betrothal gifts may not be complete, but this goose is a must. Zhenzhen, a woman's marriage may only happen once in her life, and I don't want you to have any regrets."
The light in Hensheng's eyes was so sincere that Su Zhenzhen was a little embarrassed to look him in the eye for a moment.
The barrage of comments in my mind was incredibly intense.
[Female lead, what are you doing? Look into his eyes! Let us also see the deep affection in those eyes.]
Sister, look him in the eyes and tell him you haven't fallen for him. Sister, do you dare? I refuse to believe that such a handsome boy, confessing his feelings to you so earnestly, wouldn't move you at all.
[Yes, sister, and he only said "maybe." Who knows the significance of that "maybe"? It means he's open to replacing you with someone else!]
Su Zhenzhen never expected that such a simple dodging action of hers could be interpreted in so many ways by the people in the live stream.
What was even more unexpected was that she kept asking her to confess her feelings to Hensheng back, calling him "sister" over and over again.
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