Chapter 47: Zong Anji's wedding. Let you live a good life. ...
The house suddenly became lively, and everyone gathered around Zong Xiao.
This time he was gone for another five days, which was longer than Qiu Xuan had expected. Plus, it was snowing in the mountains, so the whole family was very worried.
No one in the village has gone down the mountain in the past few days. It is not an exaggeration to say that the mountain is blocked due to heavy snow.
Zong Xiao sat at the table, drinking hot tea. After his throat had soothed, he responded to everyone's questions one by one.
"Second uncle, how did you get back? It was snowing so heavily, could you still see the road?" Huaixue sat opposite Zong Xiao, her eyes full of curiosity.
This was exactly what the clan mother and the others wanted to ask. With such heavy snow, they originally wanted to go down the mountain to buy some food, but they couldn't go any further halfway and had to turn back.
Zong Xiao had warmed up, and he explained softly, "The road is indeed difficult to walk on, but the part from the foot of the mountain up is okay. I know the road well, so even if it's covered in snow, I can still walk on it."
The clan mother looked at his snow-covered boots and trouser legs with a look of heartache. "It just so happens that I made you some clothes and cotton shoes. Wear them soon. Don't go out for the next few days. You should rest well at home."
Zong Xiao responded, "I understand, mother."
"Second brother, why did you take so long this time? Didn't you sell those fox furs when you were in town?" Zong Anji only knew that he was going to sell fox furs and knew nothing else.
Zong Xiao was afraid that his family would worry, so no one in the family knew about the white fox fur incident except Qiu Xuan.
When asked now, he still didn't say it.
"The price in town is low, so my brother and I thought of going to the provincial capital to see if we can sell more. Well, it's because of the snow that we were delayed and came back late." Zong Xiao said as he took out his purse and put it on the table.
All the fox furs were sold that day. It was winter, and the price in the city was high, so he made a profit of nine taels of silver from those furs.
However, their food, drink and accommodation all cost money, and plus the money he secretly stuffed into Fushun's backpack before leaving, there were only five taels left in his wallet.
"It's worth your trip, brother. We can finally have a good New Year this year. Brother, don't go into the mountains again." Although Zong Anji envied his brother's hunting skills, he also knew that it was a very dangerous job. It depended on one's life to make money. He didn't have that ability, so he didn't think about it.
Zong Xiao also thought so. He had been going back and forth for half a month on that matter. Now that the matter was resolved, he just needed to stay at home. They would go down the mountain to set up a stall after the New Year.
Zong Xiao looked at Zong Anji and asked, "If today is not a good day, can you change the date of your wedding?"
"No." Zong Anji shook his head. "We're going to pick up the bride the day after tomorrow. The snow shouldn't last that long. I'll go clear the path in advance then."
Zong Anji had just visited the Liu family the other day. They said that the schedule would remain the same and he should travel slowly. The two villages were not far from each other so nothing should happen. He also brought back some dowry with him.
Zong Xiao saw his eager look and knew that he was thinking about getting married soon.
But it’s good to be married, because there will be someone to control his temper.
They chatted for a while longer, and as it was getting darker, Zong's mother grabbed Zong Anji's ear and took him back home, so that he wouldn't be a nuisance here.
For a moment, they were the only two people left in the room.
Zong Xiao finally had time to talk to Qiu Yun about something that only the two of them knew.
"It's done." He raised the corners of his mouth and said happily, "Those people shouldn't come."
Qiu Xuan's gaze fell on his forehead, which was already somewhat scabbed. It should have been broken, but how could it be broken?
Qiu Xuan was not stupid. She guessed it right away. It was kowtow, the way you kowtow when asking for help.
"Does it hurt?" Qiu Xuan raised her finger and pointed at his forehead and asked bluntly.
Zong Xiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt, it's just a rub, it's no big deal."
Perhaps because he had been cared for all these days, Zong Xiao felt that their relationship was closer than before.
"How could it not hurt?" Qiu Xuan didn't believe him. She continued, "Tell me honestly how this happened."
Zong Xiao realized that he couldn't hide it from her, so he had to tell her the whole story from beginning to end.
"This is what happened. The Prince of Pingyang took the fox fur and also gave me a jade pendant." Seeing her frowning in thought, Zong Xiao reached out and pulled her to his side, letting her sit down.
"The magistrate accepted the jade pendant and went to the brothel." Zong Xiao secretly followed and took a look that day. He explained why every time someone reported the matter to the police, nothing came of it. It turned out that the officials and businessmen had colluded with each other for a long time.
After listening to what Zong Xiao said, Qiu Xuan's face still looked unhappy.
She knew it would be difficult, but she didn't expect it to be so difficult.
The Prince of Pingyang said that he could not help but gave the jade pendant. The magistrate went to warn the people in the brothel with only the jade pendant. But what if those people became even more harmful after the warning?
Qiu Xuan once again felt the helplessness of the people.
They had already come this far, but they were still helpless against the thieves.
"Now that we have heard that, let's live a down-to-earth life." Zong Xiao rummaged through the backpack for a long time, and finally took out a bag of snacks from a cloth bag.
He picked up a piece and held it to Qiu Xuan's lips, coaxing her, "Don't think about that. Come and try this jujube paste cake."
Zong Xiao originally wanted to buy some pastries from there and bring them back when he was in the provincial capital, but he was in a hurry and it was not on his way, so he had to go back to Yuanxiang Town to buy them.
Fortunately, the most prosperous shop in the town was still open that day. Zong Xiao saw that the jujube paste cake had the best shape, so he bought some more.
The pastry melts in your mouth, and the sweet aroma of the date paste instantly comes to your mouth.
Qiu Xuan hadn't eaten anything stuffed with date paste for a long time, and she had long forgotten what it tasted like. But now she felt that this bite was the best, very sweet and fragrant.
"There are still a lot of things in the backpack. I'll pack them up and send some to Mom and the others later." Zong Xiao bought things in two batches. At a time like this, there was no need to divide them so clearly among the family.
Qiu Xuan sat on a stool, eating jujube paste cake while watching Zong Xiao squatting on the ground packing things.
Her heart trembled, as if something was beginning to change.
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In the blink of an eye, it was Zong Anji's wedding day.
Last night, the two brothers stayed up all night and used shovels to clear the road between the two villages.
Fortunately, God was kind and it didn't snow at night, so the mule cart was driving very steadily on the road early in the morning.
The brothers of the Zong family drove a mule cart to pick up the bride, and the other people in the courtyard were not idle either.
Aunt Feng came specially to prepare the banquet. Her cooking skills were praised by people from all over the village. Today, when they heard that she was the chef, all the villagers who could come came.
The main family split up, and a wall divided the yard into two halves. There was no way that small half of the yard could accommodate so many tables, so in the end they had to set up more tables in the open space outside the yard.
Qiu Xuan followed the clan mother and helped greet the visitors. Although most of them were unfamiliar, there were some who looked familiar.
"Auntie, please bring your child to sit here. This is sheltered from the wind and the child won't be blown by the wind." Qiu Xuan led the old and the child to the table under the eaves.
Unexpectedly, when the woman at the same table saw them sitting down, she turned her face away and said, "What annoyance! You old thing have soiled a table full of delicious food." Qiu Xuan had not left yet and just happened to hear this.
She frowned and looked over, but she didn't expect the woman to glare at her, still saying harshly, "People are always different. This banquet is much better than the last one. Only a banquet like this can show that the in-laws value it."
The other person next to the woman quickly tugged at her clothes, telling her to stop talking.
It's a happy day for the Zong family, and saying such things is just deliberately provoking trouble.
Qiu Xuan glanced at her, noted her seat, turned around and went to the kitchen.
She is not someone who will swallow her anger. Besides, she doesn't even know who this person is, so why should she endure her anger?
"Mom, whose daughter-in-law is that person in our village sitting under the eaves, next to the wall?" Qiu Xuan came to her grandmother and asked directly in front of everyone in the room.
"Oh, look, I forgot to introduce you." The clan mother took Qiu Xuan in her arms and walked over to the woman next to Aunt Feng. She introduced, "This is your Aunt Cui. The girl you just asked about is her third daughter-in-law."
"Hello, Aunt Cui." Qiu Xuan greeted her obediently, then said something shocking, "I don't know how I offended Aunt Cui's daughter-in-law. She just said in front of all those old people that my mother-in-law looks down on me."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the kitchen looked over and Aunt Cui was stunned on the spot.
It's fine to say this kind of thing in private, but it's very rare for someone to say it to their face and then be directly complained about by them.
Aunt Cui felt ashamed. She looked at her grandmother embarrassedly and then left the kitchen.
Qiu Xuan leaned against the door and looked, only to see Aunt Cui come to her daughter-in-law, raise her hand and twist her arm, and say something unknown. Aunt Cui's daughter-in-law's eyes turned red, and she got up and left.
Qiu Xuan felt very happy when she saw her looking at her with resentment. If she let such a person eat at her table, she would feel uncomfortable all day.
Everyone in the kitchen glanced at each other. No one expected Qiu Yun to have such a temper. They thought she was an obedient and well-behaved person, but they didn't expect that. You really can't underestimate people.
On the wedding side, Zong Anji led a mule cart to the Liu family courtyard.
I saw that the two eldest brothers of the Liu family had already blocked the door and would not let anyone in without a red envelope.
Fortunately, Zong Anji had made preparations. He put a penny and a piece of candy in a red envelope. Everyone wanted to have fun, and everyone guarding the door got one.
This was considered to give the Liu family enough face. Liu the Butcher nodded with satisfaction, and asked everyone not to make things difficult for Zong Anji and to make way for him early.
It was the first time for Zong Xiao to accompany a bride to a wedding. He had not expected the scene to be like this. He thought back to the day when he brought Qiu Xuan home with a borrowed mule and without even a piece of wedding candy.
He pursed his lips, feeling a little regretful.
Liu the butcher was considered a wealthy family in their village, so naturally he gave more dowry than other families when marrying off his daughter.
A batch had been sent to the Zong family a few days ago. Zong Anji thought that the remaining ones today could be transported by a mule cart, but who would have thought that so many could not even fit on one cart.
Finally, the eldest brother of the Liu family personally delivered it again.
The dowry of two mule carts was unique in the village. The people watching the excitement were talking to each other, and some even started bragging in front of everyone, saying that it would be better for their families to take out the betrothal gifts that day. It was just silver, look, so much dowry was worth a lot of silver.
Zong Anji glared at the person who said this. He wanted to marry Liu Yueyang that day, but he never thought about her dowry.
"Let's go back early and not miss the auspicious time." Zong Xiao was afraid that someone would cause trouble, so he quickly whipped the mule and drove home.
The mule cart was running on the smooth road, and the bride sitting on it didn't feel any shaking at all.
In front of the Zong family courtyard, the people waiting outside saw the mule cart coming in and immediately started beating gongs and drums, and the sound of firecrackers rang out continuously, making the scene very lively.
Zong Anji didn't let anyone get off the ground, but directly carried the bride into the house.
"Oh my God, is this all the Liu family's dowry?"
"Oh my god, why are there so many?"
When the people sitting outside the yard waiting for the banquet saw the two mule carts carrying the dowry, their necks straightened up and their reactions were exactly the same as those people just now.
When Liu Zhong, who was escorting the bride, saw this, his face lit up. This was exactly the kind of ceremony the Liu family wanted when marrying off their daughter.
When the people in the yard heard the noise outside, they all stood up and looked outside. Everyone was surprised to see this scene.
Even the clan mother didn't expect that the dowry would be so large. In addition to bedding, they even included several boxes of tooth powder that they had never used.
It was really unsafe to leave so many things outside the yard, so the clan mother asked a few acquaintances to help carry all the dowry items into the bridal chamber.
Seeing that there were so many things, Qiu Xuan also stepped forward to help. She walked in front of Zong Xiao, carrying two food boxes.
"Tsk tsk, look at how different it is for a man like him to marry a girl from a wealthy family. Think about his second son back then, did his second son's wife have any dowry?"
"Keep your voice down. It would be embarrassing if someone heard you. I heard that Erlang's wife brought a wooden box of things as a dowry."
"How can there be so many? Just a few old clothes."
"Erlang is also a pitiful person. He separated from his family right after getting married. The third brother married such a rich wife. His life will definitely get better and better in the future. How can Erlang compare to the third brother?"
"Well, that means Erlang's wife is also pitiful. The Zong family didn't give her such a grand ceremony back then."
There are many people coming to the banquet today, and most of those who said this have bad relations with the clan.
Qiu Xuan listened but didn't take it to heart at all.
But she didn't take it to heart, but someone else did.
That night, after sending away the people who came to help, Qiu Xuan and Zong Xiao returned to their own homes.
The two of them were tired after a day of work, and Qiu Xuan just wanted to wash up briefly and go to bed.
Unexpectedly, Zong Xiao asked to take a bath in the tub.
It was the first time Qiu Xuan had heard him say this, so she didn't think much about it. She helped him pour the hot water into the bucket and went back to the house alone.
I don’t know how long it was, but just when Qiu Xuan thought she was asleep, the door creaked open from the outside, and a gust of cold wind took the opportunity to rush in.
Qiu Xuan felt a little cold. She pulled the quilt upwards and said drowsily, "I put the hot water bottle in your quilt. Remember to add some hot water to it so it doesn't get cold."
Zong Xiao quickly closed the door, and the darkness in the room completely obscured his drunken eyes.
Zong Xiao tiptoed to the edge of the kang. Today, for the first time in his life, he wanted to get closer to Qiu Yun and talk to her.
As he thought about it, he moved the quilt next to Qiu Xuan, so that the two of them were only separated by a pillow.
"A'er." His Adam's apple rolled, and he murmured softly in a deep voice, and his hand couldn't help but reach out.
Qiu Xuan only felt a pair of arms suddenly placed on her quilt, and then she was pulled into someone's arms.
She shuddered with fear and opened her eyes in panic.
"What's wrong?" It was the first time Qiu Xuan was so close to Zong Xiao, so close that she could hear his breathing.
Zong Xiao stared at her intently. Thinking of what those people had said during the day, he felt very guilty: "I should have stood up and criticized them during the day."
Qiu Xuan was completely confused and had no idea what he was talking about.
"I was just thinking that today was my younger brother's wedding day, and I didn't want to cause any embarrassment. Ah-ju, it's all my fault."
Qiu Xuan listened for a long time before she understood what he was muttering. It turned out that he was affected by the gossip of those people.
"I don't take it to heart, really. Besides, seeing the scene today, how could the villagers not be envious? It's normal for them to say a few jealous words." Qiu Yun explained to him seriously, and took the opportunity to struggle, but unfortunately she failed to break free.
"A'an, I was wrong on the wedding day. I should have married you in a grand ceremony." Zong Xiao blocked a lot of wine for Zong Anji today, but he didn't show any redness on his face even when he drank too much, so at first glance you couldn't tell that he was drunk.
Zong Xiao continued, "I will go hunting more often in the mountains and work harder to make money. I will make up for what I missed out on before."
"You." Qiu Xuan finally realized something was wrong, but it was too late.
The next moment, Zong Xiao lifted up his quilt and rolled Qiu Xuan and her quilt into his arms.
His eyes were blurry, his breath was panting, and he whispered softly: "A'er, I will definitely let you live a good life in the future, and I won't let you live worse than others."
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