Cheng Duo walked halfway and found a quiet and deserted mountain forest to put the box back into his storage space. Then he continued on his way with a half-empty back basket.
Upon returning to the village, he first went to the blacksmith Niu Tie to pick up the large iron pot and arrows he had previously customized because it was still early in the day. He could only go back to his own house for now.
The weather was already very hot, and the sun hung overhead like a furnace. Cheng Duo was sweating profusely and the first thing he did when he got home was to boil water for a bath.
Coming out of the shower feeling refreshed, Cheng Duo was pleasantly surprised to find that Yong Ge had actually come. He was in the kitchen preparing food for him.
"Why did you come?"
"I was worried and came to check the vegetable field…" Yong Ge awkwardly made up an excuse. In fact, he had come once yesterday and didn't see Cheng Duo. He couldn't sleep well last night when he returned.
"Just checking the vegetable field? I thought you came to see me." Cheng Duo raised an eyebrow, and a deep black gaze slowly filled with a smile.
Don't think he didn't notice. When he came back, the vegetable field was wet, obviously someone had watered it before.
"Y-yes, I also came to see you."
"Missed me?" Cheng Duo approached with water vapor clinging to his body. Seeing that Yong Ge was too shy to answer, he didn't mind. He planted a kiss on Yong Ge's face and said, "I missed you."
Yong Ge's face turned hot from the partially exposed chest and the hot breath. He shyly glanced at Cheng Duo and hesitantly said, "Missed you too."
After speaking, he quickly escaped back to the kitchen.
Cheng Duo burst into laughter, casually tossing his dirty clothes into a wooden basin before following Yong Ge into the kitchen.
The weather was so hot for cooking, and he couldn't bear to leave his wife alone in the kitchen. Relationships needed cultivation. You do your thing, I'll do mine. Even the best relationship would fade if taken for granted.
In fact, Cheng Duo's kitchen was not big, and he couldn't stay by the stove all the time. So he casually flicked the firewood a few times and went to watch Yong Ge cutting the meat. "What are you making?"
"How about a cold dish?" The weather was too hot, and Yong Ge was afraid Cheng Duo wouldn't have an appetite, so he decided to make a cold dish. Cheng Duo had vinegar, so he added a little soy sauce, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and the chili sauce he made himself. It should go well with rice.
"Okay." Cheng Duo was tall and leaned his chin on Yong Ge's shoulder as he watched him cut the meat. His hands were wrapped around the other's waist. It wasn't that he wanted to do anything, he just liked the feeling of being together.
Yong Ge felt a bit helpless. Cheng Duo not only blocked his light but being so close in this weather made them both hot… But he couldn't bear to ask Cheng Duo to step aside.
Yong Ge lowered his head and couldn't help but smile.
Yong Ge's knife skills were good. The cooked pork belly was thinly sliced, with alternating layers of red and white, and the translucent meat slices slightly curled up, neatly arranged in a bowl. Cheng Duo stole a piece and even though he only added ginger and a little salt, the pork itself was fragrant, with the added aroma of the big pot and firewood. It tasted great like this.
Yong Ge saw Cheng Duo stealing a bite and couldn't help but ask, "Is it delicious? Is it cooked well enough?"
"It's enough." Cheng Duo nodded and stole another piece. The answer to whether it was delicious was self-evident.
Yong Ge knew that Cheng Duo might be hungry and asked, "Did you have any snacks on the way back?"
"It's too hot, I couldn't eat."
Yong Ge felt sorry for him and unconsciously increased the speed of cooking. He knew that Cheng Duo still had buns and steamed buns in his storage space, so he didn't make anything else. He just steamed them for a while and also blanched some eggplant and stir-fried cabbage. He also made cabbage soup using the meat broth, which made a perfect meal with three dishes and a soup.
At this time, the sun was still high in the sky, but they were already having dinner.
During the meal, Yong Ge hesitated for a moment and asked Cheng Duo, "Any news about my father?"
"No, I went to Xiling Camp to look for Wei Ling, but the guards said he wasn't there." Cheng Duo didn't know about the others either. He couldn't just barge in and search by himself.
He thought that Wei Ling might have gone with Li Wang or was out on business like Meng Ji. He couldn't inquire about either of these options, so he decided to return first.
It's not that Cheng Duo didn't want to personally go and look, but the Yu Fang Mountain area was very large. If he went there, he wouldn't be able to return in a short period of time. Besides, he wasn't originally from this village. If he left for one or two months, what would happen to his house and land?
The most important thing was Yong Ge. Cheng Duo didn't feel at ease leaving him alone in the village.
"Yong Ge, your father must have been delayed by something. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
"Mmm." Yong Ge nodded and could only continue to wait, hoping that his father would send someone back with a message.
To shift the focus, Cheng Duo talked about his plan to build a brick and tile workshop and showed Yong Ge the metgod he had bought.
But Yong Ge couldn't read and looked a bit embarrassed holding the paper. "I, I can't read…"
Cheng Duo held his hand and said, "It's okay. This time I went to twenty-li slope and bought several copybooks. We can learn together when we have free time. I'll teach you."
Yong Ge was worried that he wouldn't be able to learn, but seeing Cheng Duo's enthusiastic expression, he didn't want to dampen his spirits. He could only nod and say, "Then I'll learn slowly. Don't get angry with me."
Seeing Yong Ge's furrowed brows, Cheng Duo smiled and said, "We're not in a hurry. Take your time learning."
Yong Ge felt relieved.
After finishing the meal, Cheng Duo took advantage of Yong Ge washing the dishes and washed his dirty clothes. He then started to work on the arrowheads.
These iron arrowheads were thin on both sides and thick in the middle. They needed to be embedded into the wooden arrow shaft from the hollow part at the back and then attached with feathers. After that, they were polished to have a sharp edge.
Yong Ge finished washing the dishes and saw Cheng Duo working on them. He squatted nearby with interest and after a while, asked, "Can I try?"
"Sure." Cheng Duo readily handed over the task of embedding the arrowheads and attaching the feathers to Yong Ge while he focused on sharpening them.
Cheng Duo had great strength. He poured water onto the whetstone and quickly sharpened the arrowheads. Before long, the arrowheads revealed sharp edges.
After making five or six of them, Cheng Duo took out the bow he had made earlier and let Yong Ge try its feel.
The courtyard of the farmhouse was spacious enough, and Cheng Duo didn't ask him to go outside. He simply took a bundle of straw with a knife inserted in it and hung it at the other end of the courtyard wall for Yong Ge to practice.
"Be careful not to hurt yourself."
"Mmm." Yong Ge held the new bow excitedly. Not only did he like it, but Cheng Duo had also personally made it. He would definitely take good care of it.
Cheng Duo noticed that Yong Ge wasn't very accurate at first. Every time the arrow hit the mud wall, he would have an expression of pain. However, after a while, he adapted to the feel of the new bow, and his accuracy improved significantly.
Of course, the straw bundle was an inanimate object, and the distance in the courtyard was not far. If it were a more complex forest terrain, his accuracy would certainly decrease.
But Yong Ge was already very satisfied. He tirelessly pulled the bowstring and aimed. Whenever he hit the straw bundle, he would jump up happily like a child.
Well, he was still young.
Cheng Duo smiled and shook his head, continuing with his work. After practicing for a while, Yong Ge also came to help. The two of them cooperated with each other and finally finished making all the arrowheads before it got dark.
It was already dark, and Yong Ge had to go home.
The people in the village went to sleep early. Cheng Duo and Yong Ge walked back to the village along the small path, one after the other. Yong Ge's heart was beating fast, feeling as if they were engaging in some forbidden love affair. The barking of a dog in someone's yard would make him turn his head in alarm.
But unfortunately, no one came out to discover their "illicit affair."
Cheng Duo entered Yong Ge's house and first asked him to light the oil lamp. Then he took out everything he had bought for Yong Ge: in addition to the large iron pot, there were leather armguards, belts, an arrow quiver, clothes, shoes, and some groceries such as pig pancreas, salted vegetables, kerosene, bowls, and plates from the general store.
Yong Ge was dumbfounded. "Are all these for me?"
There were too many, how much money did Cheng Duo spend!
"These clothes and shoes are expensive, they're even made of silk. Why did you buy these? I can't wear them!" Yong Ge felt sorry and asked with no hope, "Can these things be returned?"
"Why return them? I bought them for you to use." Cheng Duo smiled.
"I don't need so much…" Yong Ge hesitated in his words.
Cheng Duo knew what he was thinking and casually took out a fifty-two taels silver ingot. "What do you think this is?"
Yong Ge's eyes widened, and he stammered, "W-where did you get so much silver? Last time Wei Gongzi gave fifty-two taels, didn't you already buy land with it?"
He couldn't even earn this much by selling wolf pelts!
"I sold two cans of fruit we ate. Here are fifty-two taels for you. Keep it as your pocket money." Cheng Duo originally wanted to show off the money he earned to his wife and make him happy, but Yong Ge was clearly already shocked. After thinking about it, he decided to talk about it later.
They had only been dating for less than a month. Yong Ge still didn't have a sense of security. What if he thought Cheng Duo had money and wanted to change the relationship? Cheng Duo couldn't leave a pile of money with Yong Ge. It would be better to surprise him when they got married.
Cheng Duo had thought it through, but on the night they got married, when he revealed his wealth, it might not be a pleasant surprise for Yong Ge but rather a shock…
"I-I don't want it!" Yong Ge quickly refused.
"This fifty-two taels is only a part, the majority is still with me… Yong Ge, if you distance yourself from me like this, refusing even a bit of pocket money, aren't you afraid that I'll misunderstand?"
Is this just a bit? Whose pocket money is fifty-two taels? Moreover, they hadn't even gotten married yet! Yong Ge couldn't help but laugh and cry.
But he was also afraid of upsetting Cheng Duo, so he hesitantly accepted the money. "Don't overthink it. Can't I keep it?"
Then he held the silver and looked around, realizing that there was no place in his own home to hide it, as his two older brothers had already searched everywhere.
Yong Ge looked at Cheng Duo with a bitter face. "I have nowhere to hide this silver either. If my brothers come back and find this big lump of silver, I definitely won't be able to keep it. Besides, you gave me fifty-two taels, what can I spend it on?"
"Or maybe you can keep it at your place. You can hold onto it for me, and when I need it, I'll come to you?" Cheng Duo had bought him so many things, and he lacked nothing. It would be difficult for him to spend the silver.
He returned the silver to Cheng Duo and then stuffed the clothes and shoes back to him. "I can't accept these clothes and shoes either. They're too eye-catching. You take them back for now."
Cheng Duo chuckled. Yong Ge had actually learned to turn the tables on him and used his own tactics against him.
But it made sense. Cheng Duo helplessly took back the clothes and brought back the silver ingot, exchanging it for a pile of small silver coins and a few copper coins. "Is this pile okay?"
This stack of silver coins included the leftovers from his purchases and the ones he had snatched from the group of bandits. Those bandits were surprisingly wealthy, and this stack amounted to over ten taels.
Yong Ge reluctantly nodded. "I'll use them sparingly."
"No need to be thrifty. When you run out, just come to me." Cheng Duo was feeling quite generous at the moment and pretended not to notice Yong Ge's slightly wrinkled forehead as he chuckled to himself.
He picked up the pair of leather armguards, the belt, and the quiver and handed them to Yong Ge. "Put on these in a few days. I'll take you hunting in the mountains."
"Really?" Yong Ge's doubts vanished when he heard this.
"Can I deceive you? Practice your archery at home for a few more days, and when you're ready, I'll take you."
"Mmm."
Yong Ge took it to heart and spent several consecutive days practicing archery in the hills behind his house. During that time, Sha Yang secretly came to find him once and was scared away by his archery skills.
Because Yong Ge didn't listen to what Sha Yang had to say, he had no idea that his marriage had already been arranged by Li Man Cang and Wu Gui Hua.
A few more days passed, and Cheng Duo indeed fulfilled his promise to take Yong Ge up the mountain. The two of them met at the agreed location, and Cheng Duo chuckled as he looked at Yong Ge, who was sweating profusely with a leather armguard, belt, and quiver in hand, looking somewhat disheveled.
He quickly jumped down from a tree and greeted him, "You're here?"
"Mmm."
"My fault, I forgot to teach you how to put them on."
Yong Ge felt embarrassed at first, but when he heard Cheng Duo's words, he suddenly relaxed, "I'm just clumsy. I couldn't figure it out for a long time."
Cheng Duo pulled him under the shade of a tree and wiped the sweat off his face. "This leather armguard has a hidden button design. You haven't seen it before, so it's normal that you don't know. Let me show you."
He took hold of Yong Ge's hand, helping him tuck his sleeves into the armguard, fastening the belt, and strapping on the quiver. Even though he was still dressed in rough linen clothes, due to his handsome face, he looked like a dashing young man.
Yong Ge moved his arms and legs and felt that his movements had become much more agile. He also noticed that Cheng Duo was dressed in the same attire, and amidst his excitement, he felt a sense of sweetness.
"Feeling hot?" Cheng Duo asked.
"It's bearable."
"Endure a bit for now; it will be cooler once we enter the mountains. There are many mosquitoes in the mountains, as well as thorns and poisonous vines. Wearing the armguard will provide some safety."
Yong Ge's eyes curved into a smile. "I know you're doing this for my sake."
For some reason, seeing Cheng Duo's fierce and ruthless appearance when he fought, and now hearing his gentle and meticulous instructions, Yong Ge's heart felt a little fuzzy. He couldn't help but think that Cheng Duo looked incredibly handsome like this.
Cheng Duo noticed Yong Ge's blushing cheeks but assumed that he was just overly excited about his first hunting experience. He took out his own iron spear from his storage space and turned to walk up the mountain. "Let's go. I'll take you to hunt some wild chickens."
Considering it was Yong Ge's first hunting experience, Cheng Duo chose an easier target for him. However, despite Cheng Duo finding the prey and positioning themselves, Yong Ge still let several wild chickens slip away. Either the arrows hit the trees or got blocked by thorns and bushes. The morning went by without any success.
In the end, Cheng Duo was afraid that Yong Ge would be discouraged, so when Yong Ge was focused on aiming, Cheng Duo quickly threw a stone with his iron spear. The stone hit the neck of a wild chicken, causing it to stop flapping its wings, just in time for Yong Ge to shoot an arrow through it.
"You got it."
Cheng Duo pretended to be surprised as he quickly went forward and restrained the still struggling wild chicken. He turned around and smiled, "This is your first catch. How do you want to cook it?"
He had a pot and seasonings in his storage space, and finding a place with water would allow them to start a fire.
Yong Ge was overjoyed. He carefully retrieved his arrow and then held up the wings of the wild chicken. "Let's stew the whole thing. Do we still have the dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and chestnuts in your storage space? We can put them together and stew them, then dip the mantou in the soup."
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Yong Ge had caught his first prey and then cooked a satisfying meal for Cheng Duo. His confidence soared, and he wanted to continue hunting after they finished eating. However, Cheng Duo stopped him, saying, "You're tired, rest for a bit."
He packed everything up, laid out a dustproof mat, and even brought out a thin blanket. "Lie down and take a nap?"
Yong Ge didn't know what to say. Were they here to hunt or to have fun in the woods? However, he was indeed a bit tired, and when he saw Cheng Duo patting the soft mat, he blushed and sat down…
The two of them spent the whole day playing in the woods. Since Cheng Duo was indulgent, they didn't catch many animals, but they gathered quite a few wild vegetables and delicacies from the mountains.
Cheng Duo packed most of the vegetables in a basket for Yong Ge to bring back home.
The next day, Yong Ge spread an old mat in the courtyard and arranged the wild vegetables and mushrooms they had gathered on it, letting them dry under the sun.
Because there were a bunch of chickens freely roaming in the yard, Yong Ge was worried they would peck at the food. So he sat under the eaves, holding his cheeks, looking a bit drowsy.
He had spent the whole day running around on the mountain yesterday and came back quite late. Today, he got up early again to process and dry the vegetables.
By mid-morning, the sun was blazing, and Yong Ge's eyes felt a bit blurry. He was dozing off when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the yard. Thinking it was Sha Yang coming to bother him again, he was about to go back inside to get his bow and arrows… But when he pushed open the courtyard door, it wasn't Sha Yang as he had expected, but Yu Ge.
"The sun is so scorching, why did you come?" Yong Ge quickly brought out a small stool, inviting Yu Ge to sit while he went to the kitchen to pour him some water.
Since they had bought the chicks together, their relationship had progressed rapidly. Aunt Qian also wanted the two brothers to interact more, so Yu Ge often came over under the pretense of delivering things. Like today, Yu Ge brought a small bamboo basket of fried fish.
The fish were about the length of a finger, around four or five of them, pan-fried until golden brown. These things were considered precious in the countryside, not to mention that they were fried with oil. Yong Ge didn't dare to accept them and quickly declined, "You should take these fried fish back; they are too valuable."
Yu Ge spoke softly, "What valuable? They were caught by a few of my brothers themselves; they're not worth much. Besides, I dare not take them back. My aunt would scold me. Don't go and mention it in front of him."
Because they had spent some time together, Yu Ge had become more cheerful and talkative in front of Yong Ge.
"You know I wouldn't dare…" Yong Ge couldn't refuse and had to accept them. Whenever he went to Aunt Qian , the other party would just stuff him with even more things and express gratitude endlessly.
To be honest, Yong Ge hadn't done much, and it was usually Yu Ge who came to him more. They would just chat, and sometimes Yu Ge would help him with chores.
Yong Ge accepted the fried fish, and in his heart, he tried to figure out what gift he should give in return. Aunt Qian was polite, and he couldn't take advantage of her.
Yong Ge put the fried fish in a cool spot in the kitchen and came back with the bamboo basket. As he sat down again, he heard Yu Ge suddenly say, "Have you heard? Your eldest uncle's wife has arranged another marriage for Feng Ge. The groom is said to be the cousin from the Hong family, who owns a pork stall. Hong thought it wouldn't be appropriate, so he introduced him to a well-off distant relative."
"Is that so?" Yong Ge hadn't been moving around the village much lately and hadn't heard any news.
"My aunt said your eldest aunt likes to show off whenever she meets people, afraid that others won't know that her son, Feng Ge, is going to become a young madam…" Yu Ge pursed his lips, not saying the rest. He knew his aunt was furious, cursing that Wu Guihua had probably found another swindler. Why would a respectable family like theirs take a liking to Feng Ge, whose reputation was ruined?
To be honest, it made him feel uncomfortable too. Feng Ge and he both had their reputations tarnished, yet Feng Ge quickly found a good marriage, while he was left without anyone interested in him. Recently, Yu Ge often thought that even if he married a widower, he didn't want to burden a whole family.
Yu Ge sighed, "Why do brothers have to get married? I heard that the brothers in the capital can take wives. I don't know if it's true or not."
"You want to take a wife?" Yong Ge was surprised. It was the first time he heard that brothers could marry! It seemed like all the brothers in their village were only getting married, but with brothers taking wives, how would they support their families?
It's not surprising that Yong Ge was shocked. In the village, farming was the main occupation, and men were relied upon for their physical labor. Besides, due to the competition for water and food in the countryside, they would even fight over a single wild vegetable. The strength of the brothers was simply not useful.
Who would respect a family without any sons to establish their lineage? Some malicious people would even specifically bully them…
"No, I don't like women." Yu Ge lowered his head. He didn't want to be talked about. Hearing that the brothers in the capital could marry, he just wished he could establish his own household. It wasn't because he liked women.
Yong Ge understood Yu Ge very well, "Those are just rumors, probably not true. Sooner or later, you'll find someone you like. Look at me…"
"What about you?" Yu Ge perked up when he heard that. It seemed like his previous dejection was just an act.
Yong Ge realized he had slipped up and quickly tried to salvage the situation, "I-I mean, I used to look unattractive…"
"Yong Ge, don't try to hide it from me. You went out with someone yesterday, didn't you? I came here twice in the morning and afternoon, but you weren't home." Yu Ge pondered for a moment, furrowing his brows as he made a guess, "Could it be Sha Yang?"
"Of course not! I told you I'm annoyed with him!" Why was Yu Ge asking about this?
"As long as it's not him." Yu Ge sighed in relief. "I saw Sha Yang and his father going out some days ago. They came back with a lot of things, like red cloth or something. It seemed like they were going to have a celebration."
For some reason, Yong Ge had a bad feeling. Sha Yang had come to bother him just four or five days ago, and now they were having a celebration so soon. Whom was he going to marry?
Moreover, why was everyone getting married one by one? Now was not the right time for marriages at all. In their village, people only held weddings during the wheat harvest and before the new year. Who would choose to have a wedding in the scorching heat?
This ominous feeling reached its peak on the day of Feng Ge's wedding when Li Man Cang and Wu Guihua came to invite Yong Ge to attend.
Yong Ge remained vigilant, "My father said it before he left. He wants to sever ties with you. Without his permission, I dare not associate with your family. My father will be angry."
Wu Guihua had obviously come prepared, "Yong Ge, are you still holding a grudge? What happened before was Aunt's fault. Aunt apologizes to you, alright? Aunt is begging you. Feng Ge's wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Your father and your elder brothers are not here. If you don't come, who else will? Your family can't have no one show up, right?"
Li Man Cang also said, "What Second Brother said before was just out of anger. Otherwise, you should go this time and show some face for Feng Ge in front of the in-laws. We won't ask anything else of you."
"Yeah, today we're celebrating in our family, and the courtyard is full of people. Could it be that we would embarrass you in front of everyone?" Wu Guihua was about to kneel down in front of Yong Ge as she spoke. "Aunt-in-law is kneeling for you. If you want to hit or scold, after today, I'll comply with whatever you want…"
The more Wu Guihua and Li Man Cang acted submissive, the more suspicious Yong Ge felt about their intentions.
It was true that he belonged to the second household, but whether he appeared or not wasn't really that important! They could easily make up an excuse saying he went out with his father, who was also not at home.
Even though the villagers might gossip, hadn't they talked about it less when his father made the announcement? Would his appearance really be enough to silence the villagers?
Moreover, the wedding procession was coming, and they would quickly leave with the bride. He didn't have time to chat with the villagers.
Furthermore, Wu Guihua was always a competitive person, and yet she was kneeling before him… Yong Ge felt a chill running down his spine. Without hesitation, he decided to retreat to the courtyard and close the door.
But to his surprise, Li Man Cang and Wu Guihua exchanged a glance and, seeing their plan fail, they both pounced on him without giving him any time to react.
Wu Guihua still had a damp cloth in her hand. Yong Ge couldn't defend himself against four hands with just his fists, and soon he was smothered and passed out.
Wu Guihua complained, "I said we should have just grabbed him directly instead of wasting our time begging him!"
"But it was Feng Ge who said that people need to see him enter, and the idea of a forced marriage is more convincing and believable!" Li Man Cang frowned. "Stop the nonsense and go get the basket from the grass hut."
Fortunately, they had prepared for both possibilities, so now they weren't afraid of directly subduing the person.
On their way back, the two of them, sneaking around, encountered a villager who was working in the fields.
The person asked, "Man Cang, aren't you and your wife celebrating today? Where did you go so early in the morning?"
Wu Guihua looked flustered, but Li Man Cang held her back and replied, "We… we went to buy groceries."
The villager glanced at the full load on Li Man Cang's back, which seemed heavy, but didn't think much of it. After exchanging a few auspicious words, the villager left.
The two of them were afraid and even forgot to say the customary words of inviting the villager to the wedding banquet.
"What… what do we do now?"
"Go home and don't panic." Li Man Cang tried to remain calm.
The two of them returned home through the back door and carried Yong Ge into the woodshed along the way. Feng Ge came in to change his clothes and complained, "Didn't we agree to coax him over with kind words?"
Wu Guihua wasn't happy either. "I almost kneeled down in front of that brat, but he's unyielding. What can I do?"
"Let it go, let it go. Feng Ge, hurry up and change his clothes." Li Man Cang quickly stopped them. Time was running out, and if they kept arguing, they would attract attention.
But as luck would have it, Li Changsheng thought of something and couldn't find anyone. When he pushed open the door and entered, he saw the scene in the woodshed. "Dad, Mom, what are you doing?!"
Author's Note:
The act of carrying someone in a bamboo basket did happen in real life. It was mentioned in a certain major case, although the people being carried were not alive.
Wu Guihua quickly covered her eldest son's mouth and scolded him, "Changsheng, you want to die? Why are you shouting so loudly, afraid that people outside won't hear?"
As she scolded him, she forcefully dragged Li Changsheng inside, and Li Mancang cooperatively closed the door, positioning himself behind it. With this arrangement, even if there were gaps in the firewood room door, people outside wouldn't be able to see inside.
"Mother, why is Yong Ge here? And why is he still unconscious?" Li Changsheng asked, his voice already tense. He might be simple-minded, but he wasn't foolish. While they were talking, Yong Ge lay on the wheat straw without any movement, clearly not sleeping.
He then looked at the set of wedding clothes that Feng Ge had just taken out of the bundle and compared them to what he was wearing. He was shocked and asked, "Feng Ge, why do you still have a set of wedding clothes? What… what are you planning to do?"
Unable to hide it any longer, Wu Guihua forcefully patted her eldest son's head from behind, saying, "What else can he do? Let Yong Ge marry that idiot in his place!"
"Mother, how can you do such a thing?" Li Changsheng couldn't believe it.
"Why not? Your father is Yong Ge's uncle. Since your second uncle isn't here, as an elder, he can arrange a marriage for Yong Ge!" Feng Ge, at this moment, had become stubborn. Speaking of it, he had no sense of guilt and spoke righteously.
"But… but Second Uncle…"
"Your second uncle might not come back. Finding a marriage proposal from the Hong family is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Yong Ge won't lose out if she marries into the Hong family." Wu Guihua shamelessly stated.
"But the marriage proposal from the Hong family was arranged for Feng Ge!"
With time running out, Wu Guihua didn't want to argue with him anymore and said directly, " Changsheng, can you bear to let your younger brother marry that fool? Isn't it better this way? If Yong Ge marries into the Hong family, he won't have to work hard from dawn till dusk anymore, and he'll have enough to eat. The Hong family has many sons, and your useless cousin won't dare to come and cause trouble when he returns. It's better than marrying into our village and suffering."
"Changsheng, I knew you wouldn't let us down," Wu Guihua said happily when she saw her eldest son's expression loosening. Li Mancang also patted his son with relief and asked him to follow him outside.
At this time, it was still early, and even though some relatives of the Li family had arrived, they were all helping in the kitchen. After Wu Guihua went out, she used the excuse of distributing candy to lure the running children to the front yard.
Handing out candy not only attracted children but also attracted people of all ages. From three-year-old children to sixty-year-old elderly, everyone followed when they heard there was candy to be had.
As Wu Guihua handed out candy, she grinned and grimaced. She had really splurged today. In a little while, when the welcoming party arrived, she would have to find a way to conceal it. Fortunately, the Hong family provided a generous betrothal gift; otherwise, with their current assets, Feng Ge's plan wouldn't have worked at all!
Feng Ge quickly changed Yong Ge into the wedding clothes and applied some simple makeup. Then Li Changsheng carried him into the newlywed room and hid him there.
During this time, a woman came out of the kitchen to pick onions in the backyard and saw the two brothers in that state. She asked curiously, "Changsheng, why are you carrying your younger brother out at this time?"
Li Changsheng froze, and Feng Ge, hiding in the firewood room, became anxious, afraid that his brother wouldn't be able to come up with a coherent answer.
"We… we…"
The woman, experienced in the ways of the world, didn't wait for Li Changsheng to come up with a response and asked herself, "Is it because Feng Ge needs to use the outhouse and doesn't want to dirty his new shoes? That's right, you shouldn't walk on the ground after putting on new shoes; it's unlucky."
"Yes, yes," Li Changsheng nodded vaguely, and quickly ran away carrying his cousin on his back.
"Changsheng, why is he in such a panic?" The woman, recalling her original purpose for coming out, slapped her forehead. "Oh, look at my memory. I need to hurry and pick onions in the field…"
After the woman left, Feng Ge emerged from the firewood room and stealthily returned to the newlywed room.
First, they hid Yong Ge, and then Feng Ge appeared in front of everyone. When the time was right, Wu Guihua came in from outside and announced that the welcoming party had arrived.
At that moment, the people, eager to join the commotion and compete for the scattered copper coins thrown by the welcoming party, had all rushed to see the spectacle.
On the other side, the Sha family also had mixed feelings when they saw the welcoming party. But who let Wu Guihua say that the two cousins had a good relationship and wanted to do it all in one day? Besides, it would save them some money to do it all in one day.
Wu Guihua's thoughts were understandable. She was only Yong Ge's uncle's wife, not his biological mother, and it was already good enough that she was willing to help with the marriage. Their family had been in a hurry, and no matter how unhappy Sha Yang's mother was about it, what could she do when her only son was enchanted by that little demon? They could only wait for the him to marry into their family and then deal with him. Otherwise, once the daughter-in-law had settled in, what position would she have in this family?
The Hong family, being far away, set off with the welcoming party before dawn and arrived at the auspicious hour. When Li Changsheng carried the person out, the matchmaker and Wu Guihua supported him on either side. The matchmaker felt that the arm under her hand was soft and she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Instinctively, she looked up at Wu Guihua and saw her secretly passing a small piece of broken silver to her, stuffing it into her arms.
The silver weighed about one or two taels, and the matchmaker's eyes widened. Without much hesitation, she quickly accepted it. She had thought so, how could Wu Guihua be so kind-hearted? It turned out that this was her plan!
The matchmaker wasn't afraid that Wu Guihua would turn the tables on her. The betrothal letter stated Yong Ge's name, and it wasn't her concern if they decided to change the person themselves!
At the same time, the matchmaker was also puzzled. Wasn't the marriage proposal for Feng Ge supposed to be good? The Hong family was a wealthy household, and the groom in the welcoming party seemed perfectly fine. Why did they end up wanting to switch people?
The matchmaker didn't know that the two elder brothers of the Hong family were holding the groom on both sides, preventing him from speaking and running around. At the same time, the people in the welcoming party tried their best to cover up the situation. They didn't want the Hong family's reputation to be tarnished by bringing their bride to another village. Since they shared the same surname, it wouldn't be pleasant to be gossiped about.
The youngest of the Hong family could only hold on for a short while before he couldn't help but struggle and cry. His older brother quickly warned him, "Do you remember what Mother told you when she left? If you make a fuss outside, there won't be any walnut pastries you like when we get home."
The youngest of the Hong family was chubby but still had a childlike temperament. After hearing that, he said, "I won't make a fuss, Big Brother. I want to eat walnut pastries."
"You can eat them when we get home. Be obedient, and you'll get them when we get home." Hong's fourth brother also comforted him in a low voice.
"I want to eat them now…" Hong baobei struggled a bit, and his voice grew louder.
(T/N: baobei is an endearment term meaning baby)
Hong's fourth brother quickly covered his mouth. "If you cry, you won't get anything. Big Brother and I will eat all of your walnut pastries and won't leave any for you!"
Tears welled up in Hong baobei's eyes, but he saw that his two brothers wouldn't budge. Unlike his mother, they wouldn't give in when he cried. Moreover, he couldn't win against his two brothers no matter what. All he could do was endure the grievance and say, "I'll be obedient, don't take my walnut pastries…"
"Be obedient and wipe away your tears."
To be on the safe side, the Hong family had invited many relatives. With everyone's cover, they successfully completed the welcoming ceremony.
To make the welcoming party more visually appealing, the Hong family had prepared a donkey cart and adorned the entrance with bright red fabric. Therefore, Yong Ge lay motionless in the cart, completely unbeknownst to the Hong family.
During the process, Hong baobei repeatedly insisted on seeing his husband-to-be but was prevented by his older brothers.
On the other side, the Sha family also received Feng Ge during the second auspicious hour.
The relatives of the Li family who hadn't received the news were bewildered when they saw Li Changsheng carrying out the second groom. "Why is there another one?"
"Didn't Feng Ge already leave with the welcoming party?"
"This is Yong Ge. Since his father isn't here, Yong Ge was in a hurry to leave, so he pleaded with me to take charge. Since we're already taking care of Feng Ge's wedding, we might as well do them together."
Wu Guihua's ability to turn the tables was truly unmatched. The way she said it made it seem like Yong Ge couldn't wait anymore and didn't care about his own father.
But her explanation wasn't entirely wrong. After all, Yong Ge was not young anymore, and Sha Yang's conditions were indeed good. It could be understood that Yong Ge wanted to get married earlier. It's just that Wu Guihua spoke out so casually at this moment, indicating that she had been dissatisfied for a long time. No wonder she didn't reveal a single word before.
You see, when the first son's family marries their son, they don't want the second son's family to share half the glory. They wouldn't be willing to help promote it!
Feng Ge, with the veil covering him, was tense all over and didn't dare to say a word. He also had to imitate Yong Ge, pretending to be in a state of being drugged, with weak hands and feet.
As luck would have it, Cheng Duo was considering that Yong Ge had been tired from running in the mountains yesterday and planned to let him rest, so he didn't intend to go look for him.
He felt annoyed when he heard the noise of drums and gongs in the village because it would make it even more difficult for him to go find Yong Ge at night. The villagers loved spectacles, and there might even be a bridal chamber commotion. Who knows when things would calm down…
On the other side, Aunt Qian returned from watching the spectacle and said with a little displeasure, "Why is Yong Ge like this? It's one thing not to tell us about getting married, but asking Wu Guihua for help! Has he forgotten how Wu Guihua stole things from their house?"
"What do you mean Yong Ge getting married? Who is he marrying?" Yu Ge almost didn't react.
"Isn't it that Sha Yang who is always around him!"
"It's impossible. I went to see Yong Ge yesterday, and he was annoyed with Sha Yang. How could he suddenly turn around and get married?" Yu Ge's mind was sharp, and he could tell. Yong Ge must have liked someone else. When he asked, Yong Ge's ears turned red, but he refused to tell him.
That person couldn't possibly be Sha Yang. Yong Ge genuinely didn't like Sha Yang, and they were about to get married. He didn't need to put on a show in front of himself.
"How can that be impossible? I saw it with my own eyes. Could it still be fake?"
"It's definitely not. I, I'm going to go and see!" Yu Ge's mind was in turmoil, and he ran out after saying that. He first went to Li Mancang's house and hid outside, looking around for a while. He saw that the welcoming party had already gone to the Sha family. He hesitated for a while and didn't have the courage to go over.
After thinking for a while, he could only go to Yong Ge's house first to see what was going on.
When he arrived at Yong Ge's house, he happened to meet Shanzi who was also looking for someone. "Shanzi… are you also looking for Yong Ge?"
"Yes." Shanzi frowned. "I heard that Yong Ge got married, so I secretly went to the Sha family to ask what was going on. He didn't say anything and even pushed my hand away…"
That was one thing, but then the matchmaker, seeing him talking to Yong Ge, came over nervously and took him away.
Shanzi felt uncomfortable at first, but the more he thought about it after leaving, the more something felt wrong. But he was afraid of saying anything that would ruin Yong Ge's good fortune, so he came here to see what was going on.
The two of them pushed the gate of Yong Ge's house and found that it was only slightly closed, not locked.
They entered and followed the traces into the kitchen, where they saw that the rice had been washed but hadn't been cooked yet.
Although Shanzi was surprised that Yong Ge could afford such good rice, what was more important now was that Yong Ge had washed the rice but didn't put it in the pot to cook, even though he was in such a hurry. Wasn't he afraid of burning down his own house?
Yu Ge's eyelid twitched, and he turned to Shanzi. "What should we do? Should we tell third uncle…"
But Li Mancang was always Yong Ge's uncle, and if he had forcibly arranged a marriage for Yong Ge, the betrothal gifts would have already been exchanged, and even Third uncle wouldn't be able to do anything, right?
Shanzi hesitated for a moment. "I know someone we can go and try to find."
Unlike Yu Ge, Shanzi didn't think that person was Yong Ge. He was very familiar with Yong Ge, and he wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't recognize someone even if they flew onto a branch. Moreover, upon careful recollection, that hand didn't seem to have the familiar calluses…
Yong Ge had mysteriously disappeared for a few days before, and Cheng Duo was also not at home. He always felt that these two were together.
In addition, Yong Ge had been very happy since he returned. Not only did he eat well himself, but when he came to borrow grain last time, Yong Ge also gave him some dried vegetables and smoked wild boar meat, saying it was for his younger siblings to nourish their bodies.
And there was this rice and this brand new iron pot. There was no way Yong Ge could have taken them from Wu Guihua's hands. Such a generous person, he had only seen one…
"Who?"
"That newcomer in our village, a hunter."
When Yu Ge and Shanzi arrived at Cheng Duo's house, Cheng Duo was carrying hunting tools, preparing to go up the mountain. Fortunately, the two arrived just in time and bumped into him.
"Are you here to find me?" Cheng Duo saw the two approaching but remaining silent, so he had to ask proactively.
Yu Ge was facing Cheng Duo directly for the first time and was so frightened that his face turned pale. He instinctively shrunk behind Shanzi.
Shanzi was also a bit unsure because he didn't know if Cheng Duo would be willing to get involved in "other people's business." After hesitating for a moment, he mustered up the courage and explained the strange situation of Yong Ge getting married today for no apparent reason and his peculiar behavior at the Sha family.
He thought that even if Cheng Duo was willing to help, it would just be a casual favor. But he didn't expect Cheng Duo's expression to change drastically after hearing it. "What did you say? Yong Ge is the one getting married today?!"
What a joke! Yong Ge was with him just yesterday!
Cheng Duo immediately put aside his hunting plans, using it as an excuse to return to his courtyard to retrieve his weapon. In reality, he took out the iron spear from his storage space and held it in his hand with an intimidating aura. He stomped down the steps with determination, saying, "Let's go."
Shanzi and Yu Ge exchanged glances, and somehow, they felt like they had found support. They almost jogged behind Cheng Duo.
Cheng Duo stormed into the Sha family's house, where the front courtyard was filled with guests. But when they saw him charging in with a fierce momentum, no one dared to stop him.
Cheng Duo smoothly made his way to the entrance of the bridal chamber. Shanzi, Yu Ge, and even the guests who were spectating at the Sha family followed curiously.
Whispering broke out among the crowd: "What's happening?"
"Why does the hunter have a murderous expression? What did the Sha family do to provoke him?" Sha San was Sha Yang's father, and coincidentally, Sha Er was Sha Yang's second uncle.
Uncle Sha, thinking about his somewhat friendly relationship with Cheng Duo, quickly stepped forward to block the entrance of the bridal chamber. He kindly advised, "Brother Cheng, what are you doing? Today is a joyful day for my nephew Sha Yang. If you're here to congratulate, we welcome you…"
"Uncle Sha, excuse me." Cheng Duo didn't want to waste time with him, so he apologized and directly grabbed Uncle Sha, moving him aside. Then, with long strides, he entered the bridal chamber and headed straight for the person sitting on the bed with a covered head – Feng Ge.
Feng Ge, hearing the commotion outside, quickly pretended to be unconscious and leaned against the bedside table, feigning ignorance.
"What are you doing, hunter?!" "Don't touch my husband!" The Sha family rushed to stop Cheng Duo, alarmed and angry at his attempt to lift the cover.
Cheng Duo had already recognized that the person under the covered head was not Yong Ge. The body shape was different – broader shoulders than their Yong Ge, a less slender waist, and even shorter legs…
Knowing the rules of lifting the cover in ancient customs, Cheng Duo, even with the tip of his iron spear touching the edge of the cover, withdrew it. He pointed the spear at Sha Yang and said, "Come and lift the cover."
"Why… why should I?" Sha Yang was startled. Intimidated by Cheng Duo's aura and with the sharp iron spearhead close to his neck, his legs unconsciously began to tremble.
Sha Yang's mother stepped forward to shield her son. "Exactly, why should he?! The auspicious time hasn't arrived yet; the cover cannot be lifted!"
"Stop the nonsense. If I tell you to lift it, you lift it!" Cheng Duo grabbed Sha Yang as if catching a chick and forcefully pulled him out. He shoved him in front of the "unconscious" bridegroom and sternly shouted, "Hurry up and lift it!"
Normally, Sha Yang would act willfully and unreasonably because he had someone to back him up. But now, with no one daring to help him and Cheng Duo's angry face, the strength of his grip was astonishing.
Sha Yang's arm trembled, and he quickly lifted the cover.
"What's the meaning of this, hunter? We didn't invite you, how dare you come in and cause trouble—" Sha Yang's mother was accusing, but she suddenly recognized the person lying on the bed and exclaimed in shock, "It's Feng Ge? How could it be Feng Ge? We clearly arranged for Yong Ge!"
Hearing Sha Yang's mother's words, the guests who were unable to squeeze into the room to spectate burst into an uproar: "What? Sha Yang is marrying Feng Ge?"
"Isn't it supposed to be Yong Ge?"
Sha Yang was also bewildered and quickly grabbed Feng Ge's shoulder, shaking him vigorously, trying to wake him up. "Why is it you? Where is my Yong Ge?!"
Cheng Duo, already filled with anger, became even more furious upon hearing this. He swung his staff, hitting Sha Yang's buttocks, and pushed him away. Then, he pointed the iron spear at Feng Ge, menacingly saying, "Still pretending, huh? The eyes of someone who just woke up from unconsciousness wouldn't move around like you do! If you don't open your eyes, I'll poke a hole in your shoulder!"
Feng Ge froze for a moment, hesitating whether to wake up or not. However, in the next second, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. In pain, he opened his eyes and said, "I… I'm awake. I really did faint just now, I wasn't pretending…"
"Tsk, someone who wakes up from fainting doesn't ask what happened and immediately denies pretending. You're lying!" Cheng Duo sneered, not wanting to waste any more words. "Where is Yong Ge?"
With the sharp iron spear pointed at him and his wedding attire already stained with a few spots of blood, Feng Ge's face turned pale. He stuttered, "He… he snatched my marriage and went to the Hong family…"
"Well, what a thief calling others thieves! Weren't you unconscious? How do you know that Yong Ge snatched your marriage? This was probably pre arranged by your family!" Cheng Duo coldly laughed, put away his iron spear, and turned to leave. He still had to chase after Yong Ge and didn't have time to argue with them.
If anything happened to Yong Ge, he would make them understand the consequences of plotting against him!
"No, I guess it's like this…" In a state of panic, Feng Ge accidentally let slip, but Cheng Duo saw through it and his racing heart stopped. He quickly tried to remedy the situation.
Their plan was indeed as he had said, but when spoken from his mouth, it seemed very deliberate.
They had planned that as long as he got through tonight's wedding night without arousing suspicion and pretended to wake up and recognize Sha Yang tomorrow, everything would be fine… Why did this hunter named Cheng Duo have to meddle in their affairs?! He and Sha Yang had only gone through the ceremonial betrothal and hadn't even had the wedding night!
What should he do…
"Sha Yang…" Feng Ge looked at Sha Yang with a sense of grievance, but to his surprise, Sha Yang had already disappeared.
"You explain it clearly to me! What exactly is going on?" Sha Yang's mother accidentally let her son slip away and could only grab onto Feng Ge's collar to interrogate him.
"I don't know, I really don't know…" Feng Ge, who had now regained his senses, understood the situation. Besides pitifully saying that he didn't know, he refused to say anything else. When Sha Yang's mother pressed him with urgency, he would cry. After all, Sha Yang's mother wasn't like Cheng Duo, who would threaten or harm him. She only came over to pinch his arm, which Feng Ge dared to dodge.
Sha Yang's sisters also cornered the matchmaker and demanded an explanation.
The matchmaker was at a loss and could only desperately explain that she had indeed informed Sha Yang that it was Yong Ge. She had the wedding invitation as proof. Why there was a substitution, she didn't know either…
On the other side, Sha Yang chased after Cheng Duo out the door. His father, Uncle Sha, and the young men from the Sha family and relatives also followed. However, they couldn't keep up with Cheng Duo's fast pace, and in an instant, he vanished from their sight.
Yu Ge was physically weak and didn't dare to leave the village. As for Shanzi, he considered following but decided against it. Instead, he turned around and took Yu Ge to report to Li San Ye's house and seek assistance.
Shanzi was clever. Before the Li family could turn the tables on them, he explained how they noticed something was amiss, their encounter with Cheng Duo, and the events at the Sha family, embellishing the details…
》》》
The bridal procession from the Hong family wasn't moving quickly. Firstly, the groom was in the donkey cart, and in challenging sections of the road, the young men from the Hong family had to assist in carrying it. Secondly, Hong baobei was making a fuss. He would complain about the sun being too hot one moment and then about walking too far and his feet hurting the next. Despite Hong DaGe and Hong SiGe trying to coax him along the way, their progress was slow.
(T/N: DaGe refers to Big brother and SiGe- fourth brother. Here Ge signifies brother as one must have heard in chinese dramas where people refer to their brother as gege… Da and Si are the position of the brothers.)
Just as the Hong family's procession came to a halt for a rest, Hong baobei started fussing for the third time to see the groom, and finally, Hong DaGe and Hong SiGe realized something was amiss.
It had been an hour since the groom had been in the donkey cart on such a hot day. They suggested that he come out for some fresh air, and if he remained silent, it could be explained as shyness. But to not even drink water, how could a normal person bear it?
Hong baobei continued to clamor to see the groom, and Hong DaGe and Hong SiGe exchanged glances before finally taking their younger brother to the cart. They lifted the curtain, and the groom, Yong Ge, had already pushed back the cover due to the stuffiness.
At the moment, he had his eyes half-closed, his mind hazy. He had attempted several times to prop himself up but failed, only ending up with beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
So the Hong brothers lifted the curtain, and what they saw was Yong Ge lying in the cart, dressed in red garments. His handsome face was pale, and his dark, wet hair was clinging to his forehead. He was forcefully opening his beautiful eyes to look at them.
His nose was straight, and his lips were rosy. Even in this side profile, he didn't appear disheveled but rather enchanting…
Hong DaGe and Hong SiGe were stunned on the spot, and the young men from the Hong family who were secretly peeking behind them were also stunned.
Only Hong baobei, with his foolishness, said, "You, are you my groom? You're so handsome!"
As he spoke, he reached out to touch Yong Ge's hand, and Yong Ge widened his eyes, wanting to lift his hand to push him away. But he was helpless and weak all over, unable to muster any strength.
Most of the young men from the Hong family who followed the bridal procession were unmarried. Seeing that the foolish Hong baobei had married a celestial-like groom, they couldn't help but feel envious. Seeing Hong baobei publicly touching his new groom, for some reason, they started to cheer loudly, "Oh, touching the new groom~~"
At a critical moment, Cheng Duo arrived just in time, pushing aside the crowd and grabbing Hong baobei's hand to separate them.
"Who are you?" Hong DaGe promptly caught his younger brother and frowned as he asked.
Yong Ge's eyes lit up when he saw Cheng Duo, and his tense body unconsciously relaxed. When Cheng Duo reached out to support him, he leaned comfortably into his arms.
"Cheng… Duo…" Yong Ge struggled to move his lips, his voice faint like a mosquito.
His nose felt a little sour. He knew Cheng Duo would come for him!
"Are you okay?" Seeing that Yong Ge was safe and sound, Cheng Duo also breathed a sigh of relief.
Yong Ge shook his head with difficulty and smiled faintly at Cheng Duo. However, when he noticed the red wedding garments on himself, he soon furrowed his brow in regret. He had only wanted to wear wedding clothes once in his life, and it was supposed to be with Cheng Duo!
"You, you, you, how dare you hold my groom? My mother said that only I can hold my groom!" Hong baobei became angry and without thinking, he rushed forward to separate the two.
Cheng Duo directly grabbed him by the collar and tossed him aside, saying, "Who said he's your groom? Yong Ge is clearly mine!"
Because he was annoyed, Cheng Duo threw the obstructing person to the ground. It was the first time Hong baobei had been hit like this and he started crying loudly while lying on the ground!
"Wahh! Big brother, fourth brother, he, he hit me!"
Cheng Duo: "…"
Hong DaGe: "How could you hit someone…"
"Well, this guy is a scoundrel. Not only did he steal someone else's betrothed, but he also hit someone. He looks down on our Hong family!" Hong SiGe angrily said. The young men from the Hong family, full of youthful vigour, saw Hong baobei being beaten and all rallied together, brandishing fists and holding wooden poles, ready to teach Cheng Duo a lesson.
"Scoundrel deserves to die!"
"This groom is probably not clean either. They deceived us with this marriage!"
"Beat him to death!"
Hong DaGe: "Wait, let's clear things up first!"
Unfortunately, no one paid attention to him. Led by Hong SiGe, the young men from the Hong family had already rushed forward.
Cheng Duo kicked Hong SiGe and another person away and turned to support Yong Ge against the cart's wall. "Yong Ge, wait here for me."
"No…" With so many people against him, Yong Ge was afraid that Cheng Duo would be at a disadvantage. He reached out to try to grab him but failed due to his lack of strength.
In the blink of an eye, Cheng Duo was already wielding his iron spear, and the Hong family members were crying out for mercy.
Yong Ge: "…"
Hong DaGe: "Stop, let's talk!"
Cheng Duo did indeed want to have a good talk, but these people came up and called him a "scoundrel," and even said that Yong Ge was unclean. They were the ones who were unclean!
He decided to give them a beating first and then have a good talk!
At this moment, Sha Yang and his son, Uncle Sha, along with their relatives, rushed over and saw the scene of the Hong family members lying all over the ground, a scene of sorrow and desolation.
Sha family members: "Hiss–"
Hong DaGe stood aside, watching his younger brother and the other Hong family members lying on the ground in an instant. He didn't know whether to be grateful that he didn't go up and get beaten or to blush for staying out of the matter…
It was quite awkward.
But apart from embarrassing himself, it seemed like he didn't have any other use by going up there. The man in front of him was like an unstoppable killing star, his iron spear whirling with a fierce wind, producing a heavy thud when it struck flesh, making people's teeth ache.
In fact, besides Hong DaGe, the Hong family members on the ground felt pain all over their bodies!
"DaGe…" Hong SiGe sat up, nursing his sore buttocks, and called out to his older brother in a pitiful voice. Then he saw his youngest foolish brother quickly get up and dive into their older brother's arms. "Wow, DaGe, he's so fierce! He hit SiGe! He even hit Hong Bao…"
As he continued speaking, he glanced up and saw Cheng Duo looking at him. He became frightened and dared not say anything further, trembling as he hid his chubby face behind Hong DaGe.
"This…," Hong DaGe spoke up.
"I am Cheng Duo." Cheng Duo gestured with his chin towards Hong Bao and his gaze turned slightly cold. "It seems your younger brother is mentally disabled. And you still allowed him to marry?! What were you thinking?!"
Cheng Duo was a modern person and fundamentally disagreed with the practice of marrying off the mentally disabled in ancient times, especially when it was his Yong Ge who almost married this foolish man!
Upon hearing Cheng Duo's tone, which seemed to imply that they had deceived in the marriage, Hong DaGe immediately explained, "Before the betrothal between our two families, we had met each other. Li Changfeng voluntarily chose to marry my younger brother; we did not force him!"
(T/N: Li Changfeng is the full name of Feng Ge.)
"That's right, you arranged the marriage with Feng Ge, and the person sitting in the carriage is Yong Ge. Yong Ge is the fiancé arranged for me by our family," Sha Yang couldn't help but interject.
Cheng Duo gave him a cold glance. "Shut up. Yong Ge will not marry you! Whoever promised you the marriage, you go find them. Yong Ge's father is still alive, and Li Mancang, a separated uncle, has no authority to meddle in his marriage!"
"Well, what's it to do with you then?" Sha Yang mustered up the courage, wanting to approach Yong Ge who was weakly leaning against the back of the carriage, but he was afraid of the large iron spear in Cheng Duo's hand.
That thing hurts too much when it hits someone. He had a premonition that if he dared to get close, Cheng Duo would definitely beat him without any discussion!
"Yong Ge's father had already promised Yong Ge to me before he left. Do you think it's none of my business?" Cheng Duo made a startling statement, then ignored the others and walked straight towards Yong Ge.
Taking advantage of the moment when he turned around, Cheng Duo took a water pouch out of the space, pretending to take it out of his garment. "Here, Yong Ge, have some water. You've been drugged, and drinking water will help you recover your strength."
Upon hearing this, Yong Ge quickly opened his mouth for Cheng Duo to feed him water. Cheng Duo tilted the water pouch slightly to prevent him from choking, but even so, the weakened Yong Ge still choked, "Cough, cough, cough–"
"Slow down." Cheng Duo patted his back and wiped away the water stains on his cheek.
"Um…" Yong Ge was extremely embarrassed. Cheng Duo actually admitted their relationship in front of so many people and even fed him water. It was hard for him not to blush!
However, Cheng Duo didn't mind at all, and Yong Ge pretended to be calm, lowering his gaze and drinking from the water pouch.
The natural intimacy between the two of them couldn't exist without spending a long time together.
The people from the Sha family were dumbfounded! Although they still doubted Cheng Duo's words, it was obvious that Yong Ge was completely defenseless towards him. Could it be that he really wanted to be with Cheng Duo?
That's what Sha Yang thought, and he couldn't help but ask unwillingly.
Cheng Duo said, "I want to marry Yong Ge, naturally I won't let him suffer. And now, your concern shouldn't be about me and Yong Ge, right? Yong Ge is the victim, and he never agreed to marry any of you."
Sha Yang's heart sank halfway. "But… but Uncle Li Mancang agreed…"
"If Li Mancang agreed, you go find him. By the way, you've already married Feng Ge from their family, right?" Cheng Duo coldly looked at Sha Yang, then turned to the Hong family members on the other side. He said to Hong DaGe, "It seems you know that Yong Ge is not Feng Ge."
Cheng Duo spoke in an affirmative tone because before they fought, it was clear that Hong DaGe wanted to say something, but Hong SiGe and the others didn't give him a chance.
Hong DaGe felt awkward and said, "Yes, when the Li family came to visit, I accompanied Hong Bao to meet their son, and it's not the person in the carriage…"
At that time, he immediately noticed something was wrong, but Yong Ge was just too handsome. He was momentarily surprised, and with the crowd cheering, he didn't have the chance to say anything.
Of course, whether it was truly no chance or he wanted to let the mistake slide, only he knew.
Just as Hong DaGe finished speaking, Hong Bao tugged at his clothes from behind. "I want this person in the carriage to be my husband. This one looks good!"
Cheng Duo's face darkened at the words. Hong DaGe realized that something was amiss and quickly furrowed his brow to intervene, "Nonsense! The fiancé arranged by the betrothal letter is the one it is, it can't be changed at will!"
Sha Yang's spirits lifted, "That's right! The fiancé specified in the betrothal letter cannot be changed. Yong Ge and I exchanged betrothal letters!"
He looked at Yong Ge with hope in his eyes. By now, Yong Ge had regained some strength and could at least speak. He mercilessly told Sha Yang, "As Cheng Ge has already said, my marriage to him was approved by my father. What others have promised has nothing to do with me. And Li Mancang and Wu Guihua drugged me and forced me to marry, I hate them."
Speaking in front of so many people, Yong Ge's face flushed slightly after he finished speaking. He lowered his gaze and blinked his eyes.
Fortunately, Cheng Duo didn't let him feel embarrassed for too long. He quickly lifted Yong Ge up and carried him on his back. He wanted to leave, and the others didn't dare to stop him, so they could only watch Cheng Duo take Yong Ge away.
The Sha family and their relatives looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Seeing the pitiful state of the Hong family members on the ground, they didn't dare to stop them either!
Sha Yang's father's face turned dark. "Let's go back and discuss this!"
After witnessing the real Yong Ge who had been drugged and then seeing Feng Ge's poor attempt to cover it up, he had no more doubts. They had all been deceived!
He would go back and settle accounts with Li Mancang and Wu Guihua!
With two sides of this farce gone in an instant, Hong DaGe also didn't dare to delay. He sent the lightly injured people home to inform their parents, while leading the others to chase after them.
Hong SiGe hobbled beside Hong DaGe and said with a bitter face, "Big brother, why didn't you say it earlier…"
If his elder brother had spoken up earlier and admitted the mistake, how could they have gone around calling him a "cheating husband," and they wouldn't have been beaten by that dark-faced man.
Hong DaGe's mouth twitched. "I did want to say it, but you all acted too quickly!"
Hong SiGe and the others: "…"
In fact, if it weren't for Cheng Duo being so formidable, they could have simply taken the wrong person back home. After all, in ancient times, there were cases where someone fell for a girl from another family on the roadside and forcibly took her home. In the end, it depended on whose family had more labor force and whose fists were stronger, which determined who had the upper hand.
But they never expected to encounter someone like Cheng Duo, who didn't play by the rules. Their group of more than twenty people couldn't win against him alone. Even if they felt wronged and wanted to reason, it would only be embarrassing to say it out loud!
However, as a result, the Hong family members also grew to hate the main culprits, Li Mancang and his family. If their son didn't want to marry, then don't marry. This marriage was something they brought upon themselves, and they hadn't forced anyone!
Cheng Duo carried Yong Ge on his back and quickly returned to Yang'er Village. Coincidentally, Li San Ye had instructed Shanzi to wait for them at the village entrance. Seeing Cheng Duo not bringing Yong Ge back home but heading to the Sha family instead, Li San Ye was aware of the situation.
By this time, Sha Yang's mother had already led the Sha family members to confront Li Mancang and Wu Guihua. Both sides were in a sorry state and lacked the energy to continue. They could only stand in the courtyard and engage in a verbal battle.
Wu Guihua kept repeating the same sentence, "My Feng Ge has already gone through the betrothal ceremony with Sha Yang, entered the bridal chamber, and lifted the veil. He is Sha Yang's husband!"
"I spit on that! We don't want your shameless Feng Ge!" Sha Yang's mother cursed, but when she saw Cheng Duo entering with Yong Ge on his back, she was dumbfounded.
How could it be a hunter who brought Yong Ge back, where was Sha Yang? Where was the head of the family? Could they just stand there and watch!
An even more shocking scene unfolded before everyone's eyes. Cheng Duo placed Yong Ge on the small chair that Yu Ge had vacated and fetched a basin of cold water. He moistened a handkerchief and used it to wipe Yong Ge's face and hands.
During the process, Yu Ge wanted to take over, but he was refused.
Although Yong Ge's ears were red, he didn't shy away. It was evident that their relationship was deep.
"Cheng Duo, what are you…" Li San Ye, as the village head, stepped forward and asked the question on everyone's mind.
So Cheng Duo explained the previous arranged marriage again, and because Li San Ye knew some inside information, he also explained, "Actually, the marriage arranged by my parents for me has been invalidated. My friend with the surname Wei came by and informed me about it."
Li San Ye remained calm. Of course, he knew what Li Wang had said before leaving. If Yong Ge had been promised to Cheng Duo, how could he have not mentioned it at all!
Li San Ye's cloudy old eyes looked at Yong Ge, who nervously met his gaze, pleading.
He knew what to do now. He clenched his fist and cleared his throat, "Since that's the case, are you willing to marry Yong Ge with proper customs?"
"Of course!"
"San Ye…" Sha Yang's mother couldn't believe it, but since the head of the family and her son hadn't returned, she didn't know if she should fight for it, so she hesitated.
While cursing Cheng Duo in his mind for lying without batting an eye, Li San Ye also had to cover up for them, "Ahem, didn't you hear? Yong Ge's father personally arranged his marriage, and when Li Wang left, he specially came to ask me to take care of it. I am also aware of this matter… The engagement with Li Mancang cannot count."
Just as Sha Yang entered the house and heard Li San Ye say these words, his face turned ashen. He had suspected that Cheng Duo was lying, but now that Li San Ye confirmed it, and Yong Ge didn't want to marry him either, what else could he argue about…
Sha Yang walked into the house with a wooden expression, "Then I won't acknowledge that Li Changfeng, a stand-in. They deceived us!"
"Sha Yang, I didn't… I really don't know what happened!" Feng Ge was truly panicked this time. He hastily grabbed his mother's sleeve and tugged hard.
Wu Guihua chimed in, "It was obviously Yong Ge's greed for the Hong family's wealth that led him to steal my Feng Ge's engagement!'
Shanzi couldn't help but interject, "You're talking nonsense! Yong Ge has such a good marriage arrangement with Cheng Ge, why would he still want to marry into the Hong family? And when I went into the bridal chamber to find Yong Ge, he even pushed my hand away. He was perfectly fine at that time!"
"I didn't! Don't falsely accuse me—"
"Whether you did or not, we'll find out by having a doctor check your pulse." Cheng Duo interrupted. He didn't actually know if the ancient doctors could detect the presence of drugs, but he had to say it to intimidate them. Moreover, "Whoever bought the drugs can be found out by taking Li Mancang and Yong Ge to the pharmacy in twenty li slope and asking around. We're bound to find out!"
Cheng Duo squinted his eyes and stared at Wu Guihua and the others. "If we go to twenty li slope, this matter won't be easily resolved. Deceiving a marriage and substituting a bride, drugging and snatching someone else's fiancé. At the very least, it could lead to exile or doing labor to repair the city walls…"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a good idea. "San Ye, I think there's no need to ask anymore. Let's go to twenty li slope directly tomorrow. The person in charge there will surely discern right from wrong…"
Even if they couldn't, he could spend some money to make them more enlightened!
"This…" Li San Ye didn't nod this time. They didn't want to involve the authorities in village matters unless someone died. Moreover, it was easy to go in but difficult to come out. He didn't want to drag the whole village's reputation into it.
Li San Ye looked hesitant, but Li Changfeng misunderstood. After hearing the words "pharmacy" and Cheng Duo's description of the outcome, he was already terrified. He desperately clung to his mother, "Mother, please say something!'
His grip on Wu Guihua's clothes was almost tearing them apart. Understanding Li Changfeng's intention, she looked at him incredulously. Li Changfeng lowered his eyes in guilt, but his grip on Wu Guihua's clothes remained, making his intention clear…
"Mother, please help me. I will repay you in the future! And my brother, when I have a stable footing, I will support him too…" Li Changfeng was anxious, tugging at Wu Guihua's clothes and urging her.
Wu Guihua thought of her husband and eldest son, and she saw one with a dejected look, his face full of despair, and the other crouched on the ground with his head in his hands, bloodstains from being beaten still visible on Li Changsheng's face…
At the other end of the entrance, the Hong family had caught up and entered led by Hong DaGe.
Wu Guihua's spirit seemed to vanish in an instant. Trembling, she opened her mouth, "I… I won't go to twenty li slope! I admit it, I bought the drugs, and it was my idea. My husband and Changsheng didn't know anything about it. I just didn't like Yong Ge and wanted to marry him off to a fool!"
Cheng Duo was speechless. "What a joke! Wu Shi, do you think by admitting this, the ungrateful wolf will be grateful to you? Besides, who drugged and took Yong Ge away, and who put him on the donkey cart? Did you think everyone was blind?"
The author has something to say:
I know everyone is anxious, once the issue is resolved, they will get married…
