Fan Changyu was probably the first bride to have to get up early on her own wedding day to butcher a pig and prepare braised dishes.
The offal and pork head meat left over from the pig she had previously butchered and sold were also made into braised food. With two pigs combined, she finally had enough braised meat to fill two large basins.
The aunties who came to help all said it smelled delicious.
It was almost noon before Aunt Zhao hurried her back to her room to change into her wedding attire and do her hair and makeup.
It was only after asking Aunt Zhao that she learned there were two types of matrimonial traditions for a man marrying into his wife's family. One was for the groom to be carried to the bride's home in a bridal sedan, a custom known as "carrying the groom's head."
The other was much like a normal wedding: the groom would stay at the bride's home the day before, while the bride would depart from her maternal grandmother's house and be carried back to her own home in a bridal sedan amidst the clamor of gongs and drums, which was considered a way to preserve the groom's dignity.
Fan Changyu used neither method. For one, she no longer had the money to rent a bridal sedan. For another, the groom was right next door. He could come downstairs and proceed directly to the wedding ceremony, so why waste the effort?
The hired Matron of Good Fortune went to the bridal chamber to make the bed, then came to help her comb her hair.
"First comb, to the end; second comb, white hair to your brows; third comb, a house full of children and grandchildren..."
Sitting before the dressing table, Fan Changyu listened to the Matron of Good Fortune recite the "Ten Combs" and to the clamor of voices outside. For a fleeting moment, she had the illusion that she was truly getting married.
The guests outside were mostly discussing today's groom. However, Aunt Zhao was tight-lipped, refusing to reveal the slightest detail no matter how the women pried.
A group of women sat together cracking melon seeds, inevitably speculating in private. "Don't you think the way the old Zhao couple is helping Fan Changyu hide him away means the groom must be hideously ugly and unfit to be seen?"
"I heard the groom injured his leg and can't walk properly!"
Someone immediately gasped, "Doesn't that make him a cripple?"
The person next to her nudged the speaker with an elbow, signaling for her to be quiet, before lowering her voice. "The Fan Family is taking in a live-in son-in-law, after all. If he were a perfectly able-bodied man, would he really agree to marry into his wife's family?"
The group couldn't help but sigh. Someone else brought up Song Yan. "It looks like the Fan Family and the Song family have truly fallen out. Everyone in the entire alley is here today, except for the Song family."
"Hah, if you ask me, it's better that the Song family isn't here for the wedding feast. Song Yan is the most handsome young man in all the surrounding villages. If he came, he'd make the groom look completely worthless. That would be embarrassing for the Fan Family!"
The crowd chattered away. When the auspicious hour arrived, they all swarmed to the gate of the Zhao Family's home, waiting to see the groom.
In contrast, when Fan Changyu, the bride, emerged with a red cloth covering her head, she was completely ignored.
The heavens were truly uncooperative today. Snow had begun to fall in the afternoon, and by now, a thin layer of white already covered the courtyard walls. The ground, however, had not yet accumulated any snow due to the constant foot traffic, leaving only a swathe of wetness.
The firecrackers hanging at the gate of the Zhao Family's home crackled and popped. The crowd, craning their necks to peer inside, saw a pair of crutches extend from the open doorway and sighed in their hearts, as expected.
The man Fan Changyu was marrying into her family was indeed a cripple.
As the crutches moved, the groom stepped one foot out of the door, and the hem of an ochre-red robe appeared in everyone's line of sight.
Snowflakes drifted down like catkins, melting the instant they landed on the fabric, leaving only a faint, almost invisible wet mark.
The noisy guests outside the gate inexplicably held their breath.
After the groom's other foot crossed the threshold, his entire person finally emerged from the shadows of the house. Specks of snow landed in his ink-black hair, which was tied up with a red ribbon. And the face between that black hair and red robe was handsome and refined, his complexion seeming even fairer than the falling snow. The glance he swept over the crowd was cold and distant.
The guests who saw his face clearly all sucked in a sharp breath.
In all their years, they had never seen such a handsome young man. Forget Song Yan, even the lead actor of the opera troupe couldn't hold a candle to this groom.
With sword-like brows, star-like eyes, and a face like jade, he was truly the picture of perfection.
After a dead silence, the crowd erupted again, far livelier than before.
"This groom is so handsome!"
"I knew it! A girl as good-looking as Changyu couldn't possibly find a husband who's lacking!"
"Who was it that said the groom was a hideous cripple? Is this face any worse than Song Yan's?"
Xie Zheng, leaning on his crutches, passed through the clamoring crowd with a blank expression. He frowned imperceptibly, as if finding this group of chattering women far too noisy.
He turned a corner and entered the Fan Family's gate. The people still cracking melon seeds and chatting in the courtyard couldn't help but stand up to watch the spectacle when they saw him. Amidst the noisy chatter, the most common comments were praises of his appearance.
Even the few women helping in the back kitchen, upon hearing that the groom was exceptionally handsome, couldn't resist coming out for a look.
Xie Zheng suppressed the impatience in his brow as he was stared at all the way to the main hall for the wedding ceremony.
He glanced casually toward the eaves ahead and saw Fan Changyu, dressed in wedding attire of the same color as his. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she had lifted a corner of her head covering from behind the crowd to peek out. His gaze had already swept past her, but it suddenly snapped back, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He knew she wasn't bad-looking, but this was the first time he had seen her with makeup on.
Half-hidden by the red silk, her almond eyes looked this way, a smile shimmering within them. A light blush was applied to her cheeks. Although the application technique was a bit clumsy, it couldn't hide her beauty. Her lips, colored with rouge, were not as pale as usual, making her snowy cheeks stand out. A single glance was enough to find her dazzlingly beautiful.
Her gaze met his. After a moment's stun, she seemed to realize this was her own wedding and, like a thief with a guilty conscience, quickly lowered the head covering and stood properly.
She was clearly a natural beauty, but her actions... were always so peculiar.
The impatience that had been vexing Xie Zheng from the guests' clamor suddenly lessened a little.
This wedding wasn't entirely tedious and complicated after all.
He entered the main hall on his crutches. The Matron of Good Fortune handed one end of a red silk ribbon, tied with a floral ball, to him, and the other to Fan Changyu.
The elder presiding over the ceremony announced in a loud voice, "The auspicious hour has arrived! The new couple will now perform the wedding ceremony!"
"First, bow to Heaven and Earth—"
Fan Changyu couldn't see under her head covering. Aunt Zhao helped her turn to face outward before she bowed to Heaven and Earth along with Xie Zheng.
"Second, bow to the elders—"
Both her and Xie Zheng's parents had passed away, so only memorial tablets were placed in the seats of honor. The two bowed to the tablets.
"Husband and wife, bow to each other—"
As Fan Changyu bowed her head for this part, a gust of wind blew in, nearly blowing the wedding kerchief off her head. She subconsciously reached up to grab it, but a large hand beat her to it, pressing the kerchief back onto her head.
She could imagine with her toes that this scene must not have been very graceful.
Laughter had already broken out among the guests. "Look at the groom, he can't bear to let everyone see his bride!"
The wedding kerchief blocked Fan Changyu's vision, so she couldn't see the expression on Xie Zheng's face at that moment. However, she herself felt quite embarrassed by the teasing and could only hope he wouldn't mind.
"The ceremony is complete—escort them to the bridal chamber!"
With this shout, she and Xie Zheng were finally led by the red ribbon into the prepared bridal chamber.
It was called a bridal chamber, but it was very simple. It was merely that the doors and windows were decorated with red paper cutouts of the character for "joy," and the bed was made with festively colored sheets and quilts.
After saying a string of auspicious phrases, the Matron of Good Fortune had Xie Zheng lift the covering from Fan Changyu's head.
Her vision suddenly brightened, and the figures in the room became clear. Outside, after being caught peeking from under a corner of her head covering, Fan Changyu had quickly lowered it and hadn't gotten a very good look.
Now, with him just a step away, Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng dressed in red and once again marveled that clothes really did make the man.
If he were to walk down the street in this outfit today, he would probably mesmerize quite a few young ladies.
The Matron of Good Fortune smiled. "Look, what a beautiful bride. A truly heaven-made match with the groom!"
The women beside her covered their mouths and giggled.
Fan Changyu awkwardly curved her lips to match.
Xie Zheng's expression remained faint, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.
The Matron of Good Fortune led the women in the room to pick up peanuts and red dates from a plate and sprinkle them over the couple's heads, chanting, "May you have a noble son soon."
These things actually hurt a little when they hit. Fan Changyu spoke up at the right moment, "Thank you, aunties, but my husband is injured. Sprinkling fruits is just for good luck, so let's stop here for today."
As soon as she said this, someone couldn't help but tease, "Look at that, our girl Changyu is already protecting her husband!"
Fan Changyu brazenly let them tease her. After seeing the roomful of people out, she asked Xie Zheng, "You weren't hurt, were you?"
Xie Zheng looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I was not."
Fan Changyu was relieved. She added, "I still have to go out and see the guests. You rest here. If you get hungry, have some of the pastries on the table to tide you over."
These were words a groom should be saying to his bride. Coming from Fan Changyu's mouth now, they sounded strange no matter how one heard them.
After a moment of silence, Xie Zheng gave a slight nod.
Having endured for so long with his injuries, his expression indeed carried an unmistakable weariness.
Fan Changyu went out to entertain the guests. Since she had no elders in her family and it was a marriage where the groom moved in, almost no one tried to make her drink during the feast. Everyone ate a lively meal, and seeing that it was getting late, they began to take their leave one after another.
After the feast ended and Fan Changyu was clearing the tables and benches, she discovered a brocade box on a table by the door, placed there by an unknown person.
She asked Aunt Zhao, who was helping her clean up, "Auntie, whose gift is this?"
Aunt Zhao was also a bit puzzled. "The gift registry was finished before the feast started. I didn't see this box just now. I wonder who sent it later. Why didn't they say anything?"
Fan Changyu opened the box. When she saw that it contained a pair of clay dolls, her face instantly turned cold.
She flung the box into the pile of trash Aunt Zhao had just swept up, and the clay dolls shattered on impact.
Seeing Fan Changyu's reaction and recognizing the broken male and female clay dolls, Aunt Zhao's expression changed on the spot. She spat fiercely in the direction of the Song family's home. "That heartless wretch! When you were in trouble, he distanced himself faster than anyone. And now on your wedding day, he sends this to disgust you?"
Fan Changyu said, "Don't be angry, Auntie. Why bother with someone so insignificant."
Her anger wasn't because the clay dolls had stirred up any bad memories, but simply because she found it disgusting.
She had given him those clay dolls the year Song Yan's father passed away, seeing how depressed he was. How old was she then? Only seven or eight.
Over the years, Fan Changyu knew her parents had treated Song Yan well. But after her parents died, he was the one who rushed to their door to break off the engagement. When she was being harassed by Fan Da and the people from the gambling den, he was the one who shut his doors and refused to see her.
And now, on her wedding day, he sends a pair of clay dolls like this. What was he trying to say?
Because of this bit of unpleasantness, Fan Changyu's face remained expressionless all the way through her family's dinner that evening.
Xie Zheng's injuries made it inconvenient for him to move, so she brought his food to the room. "You're injured, so I picked out some lighter dishes for you."
Xie Zheng had noticed her strange expression the moment she entered, but he didn't ask about it. He only half-lowered his eyes and thanked her faintly.
By the time everything was cleaned up, it was almost the hour of Hai. Aunt Zhao was about to carry the sleeping Changning next door, but Fan Changyu said it wasn't necessary. "After my parents passed away, Ning Niang has always slept with me. Otherwise, she has nightmares and cries incessantly."
Aunt Zhao said, "On a normal day, that would be fine. But on the wedding night, no matter what, the young couple must sleep in the same room. Otherwise, it's bad luck."
Without giving Fan Changyu any room to argue, she carried Changning out of the house.
The courtyard, which had been bustling during the day, was now eerily quiet.
Festive red lanterns hung high under the eaves, casting a dim yellow halo in the vast, snowy night.
Fan Changyu sat on the steps by the door, hugging her knees. She stared blankly at the large snowflakes falling in the night sky for a while before getting up and going inside.
Since it was a fake marriage, Fan Changyu naturally had no intention of actually sleeping in the same room with him.
However, all the family's quilts were stored in the bridal chamber. That room was originally her own. After her parents passed away, Changning was too scared to sleep alone, so she had squeezed in with her. Now that it had been converted into a bridal chamber, the bed in the adjacent room hadn't been made yet.
Because it was the room she had lived in for over a decade, she habitually pushed the door open and walked right in. Only then did she realize that Xie Zheng was changing his clothes. He had already taken off his outer robe and, with his back to her, had his inner shirt half-off, one part hanging on his arm and the other draped to his waist.
It was a beautiful body. Between the gauze bandages, the exposed muscles showed a handsome honey color under the light of the wedding candles, and their sculpted shape was very distinct.
Because of her sudden entrance, he turned his head slightly. On his jade-like face, his cold expression at this moment seemed inexplicably ascetic and alluring.
Fan Changyu stared dumbly for several seconds, until he frowned in displeasure, pulled the half-removed inner shirt back on, and asked her, "Is something wrong?"
She snapped back to her senses, realizing she was acting like a hooligan lusting after a virtuous maiden's beauty. Her face burned, and she quickly turned around. "Sorry, I'm not used to it yet, I forgot to knock. I just came in to get a quilt."
"Take what you need," came the voice from behind her, cool and clear.
Fan Changyu tried her best to keep her eyes straight ahead as she took two quilts from the cabinet. Holding them in her arms, she walked out without daring to turn her head. Only after she had rounded the corner of the wall did she take several deep, relieved breaths.
How utterly mortifying! She hoped he wouldn't misunderstand her again.
Xie Zheng's hearing was exceptional; he naturally heard her sigh of relief.
There was no fluctuation of emotion in his eyes. After hearing her footsteps recede, he unwrapped his bandages and continued to apply medicine to the more severe lacerations.
This was the trauma medicine delivered by the Gyrfalcon, a priceless remedy with extremely potent effects.
The moment the powder touched the wounds, the pain caused his entire body to tense up. The veins on his arms bulged, a fine sweat broke out on his forehead, and he clenched his jaw so tightly that the faint taste of blood spread in his mouth.
To avoid getting blood on the bed, he sat on a wooden stool in the room, his hands clenched into tight fists resting on his knees. Beads of sweat, stained with blood, rolled down his straight back. It looked less like he was treating his wounds and more like he was being tortured.
Despite experiencing such inhuman pain, when a bead of sweat fell from his eyelid, he didn't even blink. His eyes, reflecting the candlelight, were dark and gloomy.
This body full of injuries and this skin-flaying pain—he would, in the end, return it all.
The footsteps outside suddenly returned. Xie Zheng lifted a pair of eyes, the ferocity not yet concealed, and looked toward the door.
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