Chapter 35

With a creak, the wooden door issued a warning.
Huang Manjing brought some breakfast into the room and saw the young man sitting at the table with his back to the door.
Her brow furrowed: “You’re up. Why didn’t you answer when your mother called you?”
Tao Yu quickly pulled down his pant legs, tidied his clothes, and then turned around: “I was tidying up the ointment and medicinal wine, I didn’t hear you.”
Huang Manjing placed the breakfast on the table: “Once you start fiddling with your bottles and jars, your ears are plugged.”
“Come have some porridge, and the steamed buns just came out of the steamer.”
Tao Yu responded, acting as if nothing was wrong, enduring the pain in his knees as he walked to the table and sat down.
He stirred the white porridge with a spoon to let it cool and coughed dryly: “Mother, you go be busy. I’ll eat and bring the dishes out myself.”
“It’s fine.”
Huang Manjing looked at her son eating the steamed bun and sighed slightly: “None of you children are easy to worry about. Your third aunt’s eldest cousin, he’s already past his twentieth birthday this year. The other day he went to the Zheng family to propose, but they refused, thinking it was a loss of face. He’s been arguing about leaving the village to try his luck elsewhere.”
“In this cold winter, people are rushing to the countryside to be reunited with their families for the New Year. He’s good, he’s still thinking of running off.”
“Cousin is leaving?!”
Tao Yu’s eyes widened, and he looked at his mother in disbelief.
“If not him, who else would leave? What are you saying?”
Tao Yu pursed his lips, his mouth still slightly agape in surprise. He rubbed his legs awkwardly.
This whole situation made him feel like a joke.
Huang Manjing looked at her son’s strange expression and asked: “What’s wrong?”
Tao Yu quickly shook his head: “No, nothing. Cousin has always been strong-willed, and he inherited his third aunt’s restless nature, so it’s understandable he’d make a fuss.”
Huang Manjing said helplessly: “Your father ate breakfast in a hurry and has already gone to your third aunt’s house to persuade him.”
Tao Yu said: “Cousin doesn’t even want to farm diligently, so how can he do other things well? Father is also going to persuade him when there’s already discord between our family and third aunt’s family.”
“Do you think I want your father to go?”
“When you were little, Yuan Fei liked to come here to play with you. That brat said you looked cute, and that he couldn’t help but want to kiss your face if he wasn’t careful. Your father slapped him and yelled for him to go back and cry to your third aunt.”
“Your third aunt, being petty, was angry for many days and forbade Yuan Fei from coming over again. Later, she shamelessly came to your father and said that since the two children played well, it would be better to arrange a marriage.”
Huang Manjing said angrily: “Clearly knowing that your father doesn’t like the idea of marrying relatives, and she was rejected, she went to your eldest uncle to cry and complain. She said your father looked down on their family, and after they arranged a marriage with the You family, she became even more aggressive, always speaking sarcastically whenever she saw them.”
Tao Yu secretly glanced behind him, his face flushing. He quickly tugged at his mother’s sleeve: “Why is Mother bringing up these old matters?”
Huang Manjing said: “Their family isn’t embarrassed, but you are.”
“Your third aunt came crying earlier, saying that even if he didn’t recognize her as his sister, as the village head, she begged him to help persuade him. Ai, it’s all such troublesome matters. They probably want your father to use his connections to find him a job.”
Tao Yu said: “Just let Father persuade him a couple of words. It’s the slack season now, and jobs aren’t that easy to find. Besides, cousin Yuan Fei doesn’t have any special skills, and he can’t do manual labor. Even if we use connections, they might not want him.”
“I’ve already told your father.”
Tao Yu coughed again: “Then I’ll eat. Mother, you can go out first.”
Huang Manjing was very annoyed, but she didn’t find it strange that Tao Yu was pushing her to leave today.
“Then eat more. It’s raining outside, so don’t go anywhere today.”
“Mm.”
Tao Yu closed the door and leaned against the door panel, listening for footsteps to move away. Only then did he hurry to his bedside.
He pulled back the curtain and looked at Huo Shu, who was sitting on the bed with a thoughtful expression. He guiltily tugged at the corner of the blanket: “Aren’t you getting down yet?”
“You’re quite adept at hiding people.”
Huo Shu said abruptly: “You’ve hidden people before, haven’t you?”
Tao Yu’s ears burned. Embarrassed and angry, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at Huo Shu, who sat on his bed as if rooted to the spot.
“Always talking nonsense!”
Huo Shu caught the pillow and stared at Tao Yu: “You’ve always been attractive since you were little.”
Tao Yu felt uneasy under Huo Shu’s cold gaze, as if he had truly wronged him.
But on second thought, he hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should he feel guilty?
“I, I am attractive.”
Tao Yu blushed and argued: “If I weren’t attractive, I wouldn’t have attracted a great Buddha like you.”
Saying this, Tao Yu gritted his teeth and muttered: “It’s not like I was attracted by your looks. It’s no different from them.”
Huo Shu’s eyebrows furrowed at his words. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Tao Yu’s wrist. With a gentle pull, the young man by the bed fell into his arms.
“My attraction wasn’t based on your looks, but rather surprise at how frail a person like you could exist.”
“You!”
Tao Yu was pressed against Huo Shu, his heart pounding like a drum, his face flushed as if ripe.
Not only had he never been so close to another man, but it was also in his own bed.
But hearing his explanation made him even more annoyed. He wanted to prove himself and push Huo Shu away, but he found himself completely powerless against him.
He said indignantly: “So you think I’m easy to control and can be manipulated, right?”
Seeing that the person was truly unhappy, Huo Shu loosened his grip.
“In terms of strength, any young man or woman is the same to me.”
“You are very good, very smart.”
Huo Shu said: “Don’t be angry. I speak poorly and my words are not well-chosen, but it’s not attraction by looks.”
Tao Yu looked at the person so close to him, his face burning red, his heart racing erratically.
Huo Shu’s thin lips, high brow bone, and nose bridge made him look particularly aggressive. Moreover, as he was born in the northern region, his skin had a somewhat weathered look, making him seem sharper and harder to approach.
Those fierce eyes with three whites, which had frightened him when he first saw them, also showed rare gentleness and tenderness, especially when he was coaxing him.
Tao Yu felt that Huo Shu wouldn’t say many soft words, but even without flowery language, he could still coax him.
Perhaps it was the lack of ostentation that made it easier to see his sincerity.
He braced himself and climbed off Huo Shu: “I, I understand.”
After speaking, he ran back to the side with a red face to continue eating, hiding his nervousness.
Huo Shu followed him off the bed and looked around Tao Yu’s room.
“What are you looking for?”
“To see what else is needed for the place I’ll be living in.”
Tao Yu put down the steamed bun in his hand: “You, you’re going to live here?”
“After we get married, where else would I live?”
“I mean, after we get married, shouldn’t we live…”
Tao Yu was a bit embarrassed to speak, lowering his voice: “At your place?”
“The Zhao family’s conditions are much poorer. If you suddenly go there, you won’t be used to it. It’s drafty and cold there, and you already have a cold constitution, so you’ll easily catch a chill.”
Huo Shu raised his eyebrows: “Living here will also save me the cost of renovation. You know I don’t have much money.”
This made it sound as if he were very spoiled.
Tao Yu muttered: “I’m not that delicate. As long as there’s a house to sleep in, that’s, that’s fine.”
After speaking, he went to the wardrobe and rummaged around. After a moment, he came back with a box.
He pushed the box towards Huo Shu: “Um, I haven’t saved much money either. Please take it to use for now, just in case of an emergency.”
Tao Yu explained stutteringly: “My father values face. He doesn’t insist on grandeur anymore, just thorough etiquette.”
Huo Shu looked at the box on the table, then at the slightly flustered Tao Yu, feeling both helpless and a surge of other emotions.
“Are you an idiot? Giving money to someone to marry you.”
He pushed the box back without touching it: “I was joking, you actually believed it.”
“According to the village head, he wants to expedite the wedding. However, if the Zhao family’s house needs to be renovated, it will definitely be after the New Year. Moreover, I promised the village head earlier that you could live at home.”
Tao Yu knew that his parents only had him as a child, so it was natural for them to be reluctant. However, if they got married and he still lived at home: “Then won’t you become a live-in son-in-law?”
Huo Shu said: “I don’t care about these things.”
The clan concept in the northern regions was not as strong as in the south. Life and death were paramount, and everything else was external.
Tao Yu bit his lip, feeling that Huo Shu was really compromising too much for him: “Then, then we’ll see what parents think.”
He then seemed to realize something: “When did you talk to my father about this?”
“Some time ago, the village head didn’t agree. But now he has agreed.”
Tao Yu blinked. He really had made up his mind long ago.
Fortunately, he hadn’t let him know until now, but if he had gotten his parents’ approval, everything else would be easy.
“You really don’t want this money?”
Tao Yu asked again, not sure.
“If I didn’t even have the money for the betrothal gifts, I wouldn’t have come to propose so shamelessly.”
Huo Shu couldn’t help but rub Tao Yu’s head: “Don’t worry.”
Tao Yu nodded.
As soon as Huo Shu left, Tao Yu was completely immersed in the anticipation and joy of the upcoming marriage.
After rolling on the bed twice, he quickly went to find the almanac. He hadn’t had the courage to ask Huo Shu when he would come to propose.
He looked through the almanac for auspicious days for offering betrothal gifts and asking for auspicious omens. His family had tacitly agreed to the marriage. Although there were fewer steps to test the waters, preparing the betrothal gifts and dowry would still be a lot of work.
His father wanted to finalize things before the New Year. In the cold winter, a joyous occasion was needed to liven things up. Since the decision was made, he also wanted to hurry.
He found several good days in the next three to five days, which reassured him. He closed the almanac and crawled out of the room, waiting for his father to return and discuss this matter with him.
As it was nearing noon, Ji Yangzong, wearing a bamboo hat and a straw cloak, walked into the yard from the drizzly weather with a long, unhappy face.
Upon reaching the courtyard, he removed his hat and cloak, shaking off the rain.
Tao Yu, who was warming himself by the stove in the kitchen, heard the movement and rushed out: “Dad, you’re back!”
Ji Yangzong saw that the son who had been sulking with him for most of the day was happy again, and his expression softened slightly: “Mm.”
Seeing his father’s displeased expression, Tao Yu didn’t rush to talk about the marriage. He first asked: “What about cousin Yuan Fei? Was he persuaded?”
Speaking of this, Ji Yangzong became angry: “It would be better if he died outside, so the whole family wouldn’t have such fanciful dreams.”
“I shouldn’t have listened to third sister crying.”
Huang Manjing asked: “What’s wrong? Did they ask you to find him a job?”
“If they only asked for a job, I could still say Yuan Fei is motivated.”
Ji Yangzong cursed: “Third sister meant that she wants to find a wife for Yuan Fei. She said he’s restless because he’s not married yet, and once he’s married and has a family, he’ll settle down.”
“He was just rejected by the Zheng family when he went to propose, and third sister still has the nerve to set her sights on Little Taozi. She said that since neither of them is engaged yet, and they’re of age, it would be suitable to get them together. She even said that they have fate after all the twists and turns.”
Huang Manjing’s anger flared upon hearing this: “Yuan Fei was rejected by the Zheng family when he proposed, and they still don’t know that Yuan Fei is unreliable? They rejected her before, and now she’s thinking of it again!”
Ji Yangzong said with a dark face: “Eldest brother was also there, so I didn’t retort directly or agree to her words. For now, I don’t care what happens to their Yuan Fei. He’s a grown man, he shouldn’t always rely on his parents and clan.”
Tao Yu didn’t feel happy hearing this either. He feared that the fuss about leaving for distant lands was false, and the real intention was to find a marriage.
If they couldn’t achieve their goals outside, they would turn their attention to their maternal relatives. It was truly outrageous.
“I absolutely will not marry cousin. Dad, just say I’m already engaged.”
Ji Yangzong said: “Say you’re engaged to whom? Your third aunt is the most difficult to deal with. If you say no directly, it’s better. If you try to deceive her, who knows what kind of trouble will ensue.”
“Just, just say I’m engaged to Huo Shu.”
After saying this, Tao Yu ran back into the room with a red face.
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing were both stunned, then they looked at each other and smiled: “This child.”
—
After Huo Shu returned, he told Huang Manjing about his intention to marry. Yuan Huiru was so happy, as if it were New Year, seeing that Huo Shu had actually secured the Ji family without anyone knowing.
“Good news, great news! Godmother will hire a matchmaker for you and prepare things!”
Although Huo Shu also wanted to finalize things quickly, he clarified things with Yuan Huiru in advance.
“It’s just that I promised the village head that Tao Yu would live at home after marriage.”
Yuan Huiru was taken aback: “You mean you’re going to be a live-in son-in-law?”
“We’ll go through the marriage rituals, but if he’s used to living at home, he can stay at home.”
Yuan Huiru immediately smiled again: “As long as you don’t mind, Godmother has nothing to say.”
“You are still young, and the important thing is to settle down. Everything else is secondary. Besides, you are all in the village, and the two families are close. It doesn’t matter where you live in the future. I’m fine. The village head’s family only has one child, so his request is normal. As long as it suits your wishes, that’s fine.”
Huo Shu pondered for a moment and said: “In the future, there will still be family reunions.”
Yuan Huiru didn’t quite understand Huo Shu’s words, being completely immersed in the good news. She agreed: “Yes.”
Since both sides had tacitly agreed to the marriage, they could start making arrangements.
However, specialization requires specialized people to handle specialized matters.
In the afternoon, Yuan Huiru braved the rain to ask for a matchmaker. Knowing that the Ji family valued appearances, she specifically invited the most reputable matchmaker in the village.
Qiu Fulaing of the Qin family.
Also, with the recent bandit unrest, there weren’t many families getting married in the village, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to invite Qiu Fulaing.
Upon hearing that the matchmaking was for the village head’s son, Qiu Fulaing was also very happy. He tidied up and explained the rules of proposing to the mother and son who invited him.
“Although the wedding rituals are complicated, they can be broadly categorized into three letters and six rituals.”
“The three letters are the betrothal letter, the gift letter, and the welcoming letter issued during the engagement. The six rituals are Nàcǎi, Wènmíng, Nàjí, Nàzhēng, Qǐngqī, and Qīnyíng.”
First, the man hires a matchmaker to propose to the woman’s family. If the woman’s family is willing, the man brings a live goose as a gift to formally propose.
After the proposal, the matchmaker is asked to inquire about the woman’s birthdate and time, and to match it with the man’s. If they are compatible, the woman is informed, and then Nàjí is performed. Then, a live goose and gifts are sent to finalize the engagement.
After the engagement, the man sends the betrothal gifts and informs the woman of the auspicious date for the wedding, allowing the woman to choose one.
Finally, the wedding ceremony is held on the chosen auspicious day.
However, many families are rejected at the first step of Nàcǎi when proposing through a matchmaker, so there is no follow-up.
Qiu Fulaing patiently explained the entire process and then inquired: “I wonder if the village head knows your intentions.”
“He knows. Both sides have already tacitly agreed to this marriage, so it’s just a formality.”
Yuan Huiru said somewhat smugly.
Qiu Fulaing was surprised. Although the marriage between the Ji family and the You family had been called off, it had caused quite a stir, and the Ji family’s son had also been disgraced.
But no matter what, it was the fault of choosing the wrong person. As long as people were reasonable, they could still be associated with them.
Given the conditions of the Zhao family, and as an adopted son from outside the region, to have successfully arranged a marriage with the village head’s only son, it was likely that no one would believe it if it were said aloud.
However, seeing Yuan Huiru’s satisfied demeanor, it didn’t seem fake. Moreover, since he was helping them with matchmaking, there was no need to deceive him.
Qiu Fulaing was surprised but also very happy, as the money for hiring a matchmaker and proposing was far less than the “joy money” for a marriage.
Money aside, if they could arrange a marriage with the village head’s family, it would also bring him prestige when arranging marriages for others in the future, giving him more to talk about, which was nothing to complain about.
“Good, good! It’s been quite some time since we’ve had such good news in our village! Since that’s the case, it’ll be easy. During Nàcǎi and Wènmíng, we can prepare the list of betrothal gifts in advance and select a few auspicious dates, and then everything will be quick.”
The more the matchmaker spoke, the happier she became. She took out the almanac she carried with her, and Yuan Huiru quickly leaned in, and the two of them discussed choosing a date.
Huo Shu frowned. It was the first time he had seriously understood the etiquette of marriage; it was truly cumbersome and complicated. However, thinking of the person he was going to marry, he had no complaints about putting in the effort.
“Are there any specific requirements for the betrothal gifts?”
“Oh, right, right.”
Qiu Fulaing hadn’t expected Huo Shu to suddenly speak up after they had been discussing for so long.
They had discussed for so long, and he hadn’t said a word, making her think he was not satisfied with the marriage.
This made her find it quite strange. Huo Shu didn’t seem like someone who would concern himself with trivial matters, but surprisingly, he was quite attentive.
Seeing this, she began to understand why the village head had agreed to this marriage.
She quickly fumbled for a slightly wrinkled piece of paper: “These are the usual items. Just get them as listed.”
Huo Shu unfolded the paper and glanced at it.
He saw many items listed, a jumble of everything.
Besides the main betrothal gift, there were also things like dried seafood, three kinds of meat, wedding cakes, coconuts, four types of preserved fruits, four kinds of sweets, and so on.
“Most of these items carry auspicious meanings. For example, wine symbolizes deep affection, and red dates and dried longan go without saying.”
Qiu Fulaing offered a few pointers: “Being able to prepare all these items above would be very respectable.”
For farming families, they lived frugally, and matchmakers understood this, so they were considerate of the groom.
Huo Shu said: “I will go shopping first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Then when do you want to go to the Ji family for Nàcǎi? Since the village head has already agreed to the marriage, you can bring the wild goose along during Nàcǎi.”
“The day after tomorrow.”
Qiu Fulaing was delighted by his eagerness. The sooner things were done, the more comfortable both parties would be.
“I see brother Huo is a straightforward person. Alright, we’ll go to the Ji family first thing the day after tomorrow.”
Yuan Huiru smiled and said: “It will be troublesome for Qiu Fulaing then.”
Two days later, while Huo Shu was busy, Tao Yu was also not idle.
“Your dowry has long been prepared. Mother has already embroidered things like pillows and quilts. We still need to get basins, combs, and mirrors, but those are minor matters. Just ask your father to go to the city. The main items have been prepared early, so there’s no need to rush.”
Speaking of this, Huang Manjing asked again: “Do you have the embroidered items to return when they send the betrothal gifts?”
Tao Yu nodded: “Can the old ones be used?”
“They’ll do.”
Huang Manjing carefully calculated the missing items and became anxious again: “I don’t know if Xi Fu can finish in time. According to your father, if the banquet is to be held before the New Year, then time will be tight. If not, we’ll have to measure the sizes and send them to the fabric shops in the city.”
“It would have been good to make a set for you earlier, but you grow taller every year, so it’s hard to keep the right size.”
Tao Yu watched as his mother seemed more worried than he was about his wedding.
His mind was now only on when Huo Shu would come to propose. He hadn’t seen him since they met a few days ago.
He knew Huo Shu must be busy with wedding preparations, but he really missed him. He hadn’t felt this way when he couldn’t see him for three to five days, but now that they had opened up, he missed him terribly even if they didn’t see each other for half a day.
Thinking of this, his earlobes began to turn red. He didn’t realize he was so clingy.
If Huo Shu found out later that his principles were like this, he didn’t know if he would find him annoying.
“I’m talking to you, did you hear me?”
Huang Manjing looked at her son, who was resting his cheek on his hand, lost in thought. She couldn’t help but reach out and pinch his cheek.
“Ah?”
“Mother is asking if you’ve truly thought it through. Once this is settled, there’s no turning back.”
Tao Yu pursed his lips: “I’ve thought it through.”
Huang Manjing sighed: “Seeing you so foolishly happy, are you really that delighted? You weren’t like this when you were going to marry Yuan Erlang.”
Tao Yu became a little embarrassed at her words and mumbled: “Father said I would still live at home after marriage, so of course, I’m happy.”
Hearing this, Huang Manjing’s face also broke into a smile: “It’s quite something that he’s willing to do this for you. I suppose he won’t treat you badly after marriage.”
“Mm.”
Tao Yu responded dreamily. As soon as he finished speaking, his sharp ears heard Da Niu from outside shouting that someone had arrived.
Tao Yu stood up, his eyes shining as he looked at his mother: “Is it him?”