Chapter 80: Spending the Rest of Our Lives Together
As they chatted, a shadow fell from the doorway. Shen Zhiyi looked up and saw several figures squeezing in. Without saying a word, she went to various corners of the room.
Seeing this, Zhao Daya took a clean rag from the counter and walked over, cautiously sizing up the person nearby. The person's fierce aura made her afraid to speak for a moment.
Then two pale-faced scholars walked in. The one in the lead was wearing a brocade robe made of a material that I had never seen in the county town before. He was probably a rich young master from out of town.
Shen Zhiyi had already made up her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man in black behind her. Although he was dressed as a scholar, his figure looked familiar. However, his face was very ordinary and pale, which was a waste of his beautiful figure.
"I heard you sell vegetable seeds here, would you like to take a look?" the leading man in brocade robes asked with a smile. It was an ordinary smile, but it carried an air of authority that left no room for argument.
“Young Master, your manner is not that of a servant,” Shen Zhiyi commented earnestly.
The scholar in black robes, who entered a few steps later, tapped lightly on the counter, seemingly wanting to speak without any expression, but ultimately fell silent for some unknown reason.
Shen Zhiyi watched them speaking in riddles and found it all rather strange.
Just as she was about to withdraw her hand from the counter, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the scholar in black touched her hand. Chen Zhiyi immediately withdrew her hand, deftly picked up the wooden stick under the counter with her other hand, and shouted, "Hey, where did this lecher come from!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Daya reacted accordingly, throwing the rag directly at the pale-faced scholar.
Seeing this, the scholar in black reacted quickly and grabbed the flying rag. He subconsciously looked at the other scholar beside him and saw that the other looked like he was watching a show. His intention to expose him was temporarily dispelled when the wooden stick hit him.
Shen Zhiyi and Zhao Daya had long since developed a tacit understanding. The rag was just a means to cover their vision; the wooden stick was what they were really going to use to hit them. They had beaten countless such lecherous men.
She thought she swung the stick with great force, but it was easily blocked by her opponent. Moreover, the way he dodged was exactly the same as Lu Jingbai, who had taught her self-defense and evasion techniques.
Not only do they look alike, but they even dodge in the same way. There's no such thing as a person like that in the world!
"Lord Lu?" Shen Zhiyi asked in surprise, but this person looked completely different from Lu Jingbai.
Seeing that his identity had been exposed, the scholar in black robes no longer concealed it. He turned his head and removed the human skin mask. His temples were still flushed red, which only added to the beauty of his face.
"Isn't it supposed to be half a month before you can return?" Shen Zhiyi reached out and pulled Lu Jingbai up. Remembering that he was the one who hit her with a wooden stick, she quickly threw the stick on the ground as if to sever ties, and then gave him an innocent smile.
"Jingbai, Jingbai, I didn't expect the girl you admire to react this way," the man in brocade teased, then said gently, "Please forgive me, Miss Chen, I am a good friend of Jingbai's."
Seeing that the man in brocade robes had no intention of introducing himself, Shen Zhiyi didn't ask any further questions. She politely bowed to him and asked naturally, "Didn't Xuan Yan come back with you? Da Ya was talking about him earlier."
“In the back.” Lu Jingbai replied simply, seemingly with some reservations.
“Da Ya will definitely be very happy. You all go ahead and do your business. My shop can’t be left unattended,” Shen Zhiyi said, picking up the wooden stick from the ground and walking into the house, deliberately avoiding the man in brocade robes blocking the doorway.
Lu Jingbai dusted himself off and walked towards the man in brocade robes with a slightly helpless air. He said with a hint of restraint, "Young Master Chen, we've seen everything here. Shouldn't we be leaving now?"
This "Young Master Chen" is none other than the current Crown Prince. The entire court was shocked when Lu Jingbai used all his achievements in his memorial to exchange for the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree. The current emperor was also impressed by this "extraordinary woman" and specially sent the Crown Prince incognito to visit her.
This is the obvious reason, and also the reason why Lu Jingbai knows it.
As for what happens in private, that's not something a subject should inquire about.
Young Master Chen nodded reservedly, without any intention of greeting others, and walked out.
As he left, those still inside also quickly departed, exuding an air of mystery and sophistication.
The sun was shining brightly in Xiaba Village. Young Master Chen led his men silently to Aunt Deng's house in the village. As if by some premonition, Aunt Deng had called Deng Ashun, who was usually at home, to take his wife back to his father-in-law's house.
The courtyard gate was unlocked, and Young Master Chen pushed it open and entered.
Seeing this, Lu Jingbai had no intention of continuing to follow and stood outside the door waiting.
This self-awareness also allowed him to avoid the issue of taking sides many times.
When Young Master Chen saw the cramped courtyard, he was somewhat incredulous. As he walked into the inner room, he saw Aunt Deng, dressed like an old woman from the countryside. Her small face was covered with wrinkles, and she looked terribly old. She had lost all the charm he had seen before.
Even so, he could still recognize the old friend at a glance.
"Aunt Rong, what happened to you?" Young Master Chen asked in shock.
"That little prince has grown up, and I must be getting old too," Aunt Deng said gently, without any intention of bowing.
“If Father Emperor knew you were still alive, he would be very happy. Please come back to the palace with me,” Young Master Chen said gently, probing.
Aunt Deng shook her head, her eyes flashing with a sharp edge for the first time: "Rong Jin from the harem is long dead. Even if you want to welcome her, all you'll find is a skeleton. All that's left here is Widow Deng."
"Then Deng Ashun..." Young Master Chen hesitated before speaking.
"He's just a child we picked up on the roadside," Aunt Deng said helplessly.
She and her sister were once known as the two most beautiful women in the country, and were sent to the current emperor's harem. Her sister became empress, and she became a concubine, both enjoying great favor. However, later, amidst the chaos of war, although she accompanied the emperor, she was ultimately pushed off the carriage by her beloved while being pursued by rebels. Had she not encountered a group of refugees fleeing famine, she probably would not have survived.
Later, as they traveled to various places, they eventually hid their identities and settled down in Xiaba Village.
Then my sister found me again and brought me many things for my use. Although I returned most of them, there were some that I couldn't return, so I kept them as keepsakes. This left clues. Now that she's come knocking on my door, I was prepared, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
Fortunately, the person who came was the Crown Prince.
"I'm begging her to let me live out my days here," Aunt Deng said, a few tears welling up in her eyes.
Young Master Chen was stunned for a moment. Indeed, he couldn't see any resemblance to Aunt Rong in this person. Even if he brought her back to the palace, she would only become a burden. Even if his father was nostalgic, he probably wouldn't want to see Aunt Rong like this.
Weighing the pros and cons in an instant, Young Master Chen reverted to his gentle and refined demeanor and said, "In that case, I apologize for disturbing you."
Young Master Chen's departure was like a pebble falling into the vast ocean of history, without causing any ripples.
On the third day of the tenth month of the twenty-sixth year of Jingshun, the palace servants who delivered the imperial edict arrived in the remote and impoverished Pixian County. The first imperial edict was to bestow a marriage upon Lu Jingbai and Shen Zhiyi. The second imperial edict was to confer upon Shen Zhiyi the title of a seventh-rank lady. Although it was the lowest title of imperial consort, it was still a woman who received a real salary.
Even though the people of Pixian didn't know what a Lady of Imperial Decree was, they all knew that Shen Zhiyi was the wife of the county magistrate. Some families were happy, while others regretted it. They secretly increased the value of the gifts they sent, with a hint of trying to curry favor.
Since it was an imperial marriage, all expenses were covered by the imperial court. The expenses were not high according to the standards for a seventh-rank official, but the whole county was mobilized for it, making it extremely lively.
The official betrothal gifts consisted of three sets, with Lu Jingbai adding three more sets privately. Then, strong men from Xiaba Village carried loads on their shoulders, with large "囍" (double happiness) characters pasted on red paper inside the baskets. Finally, the beneficiary villagers carried loads on their shoulders, one after another, creating the scene of a ten-mile-long red bridal procession.
Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, Shen Zhiyi was unaware of the scene outside, but she could hear the lively congratulatory voices.
Zheng San was the first among all the men who spontaneously carried the wedding basket, shouting loudly, "Today the girl is getting married, from now on her life will only be peaceful and happy!"
"They are a loving couple, and they'll grow old together," someone added.
Then it turned into singing, all of it a blessing for them. Lu Jingbai, riding ahead, was drawn in by the unique singing and couldn't help but sing out: "Red silk welcomes the beauty, her name will be remembered for three lifetimes, I will write with her side by side..."
Today is Shen Zhiyi's wedding day, and also the day she has heard Lu Jingbai recite the most poems. However, none of them are as easy to remember and catchy as this one. Just listening to it, you can feel the other person's happy mood.
It was as if they had secretly pledged their love to each other eight hundred years ago, and only then were they able to be united in this life.
First bow to Heaven and Earth.
Second bow to the parents.
The husband and wife bow to each other.
With the red veil in front of her, she couldn't see the expressions of the crowd, but when Grandma Qin reached out and placed her hand in Lu Jingbai's, she inexplicably felt tears welling up in her eyes. She felt the reality of getting married, and the voices of the aunties around her made her waiting in the bridal chamber less boring.
All my worries turned into joy when I saw the person who lifted the red veil in front of me.
Now that I have seen my husband, how could I not be happy?
They drank the nuptial wine intimately, the wedding candles crackling, and Shen Zhiyi finally showed the shyness of a bride, softly calling out, "Husband."
"Yes." Lu Jingbai responded enthusiastically, gently kissing Shen Zhiyi.
Haunting dreams, lingering affections, it is also a wild and unrestrained indulgence.
After getting married, life was actually no different from before Shen Zhiyi got married. The only difference was that every day when she finished her work at the yamen, a handsome man would ride up on horseback, facing the light, and even the sweat on his temples had a crystal-clear beauty.
"Lord Lu has come to pick up Madam Shen again," Zhao Daya teased with a smile, making Sun Sanni and Tang Huaya beside her laugh.
Now they have all married:
Sun Sanni had been married to a promising young man from the neighboring village for three months. She remembered that day when Ge Ermazi got drunk and cried, muttering that his young heart had shattered into pieces. Fortunately, Ge Ermazi's doll business with Aunt Zhao was doing well, which somewhat mitigated the damage to his heart.
Tang Huaya could never forget the scholar who helped her retrieve her money pouch. After learning that he was the one who pruned the tomato bonsai, she wished she could come to Jigong Mountain every day. Eventually, the persistent man won over the woman and she won the heart of this newly promoted scholar.
On the contrary, Zhao Daya and Xuan Yan's marriage was ranked last among everyone else. Despite having rich dating experience, they had the shortest marriage time.
--over--
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