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墨書 Inktalez
“Xia Muxin, don’t get too complacent. The moment I am named on the Golden List will be the day your entire family falls.”
Everything has its limits, and just like now with Feng Liulang, in just a few months, a person's original intentions can change completely. Initially, he believed the fortune teller on the street who claimed that Xia Muxin was his destined partner and benefactor. He fell out with his family for her sake, becoming the laughingstock of the villagers, and his grades plummeted. No matter how much he disregarded her reputation and mingled with those men, she ended up looking down on him instead, even saying hurtful things and taking actions that wounded him deeply.
He had been negative, despondent, and even desperate at times. Watching Xia Muxin use underhanded tactics against the Zhou and Wang families finally made him realize something. He decided to try again, and as a result, his grades soared; he ranked at the top in every exam. In that moment, he understood that all those superstitions were merely a guise for people to swindle money and affection.
Now, he was determined to succeed in the upcoming imperial examination in the capital after the New Year. Therefore, he would reclaim all the humiliation he had endured from Xia Muxin...
Xia Muxin did not make things difficult for other villagers; she simply found the Zhou and Wang families and the Feng family quite displeasing. She hadn’t expected Shen Muhan to act in such a way. After today, these families would no longer dare to cause trouble.
The villagers were still shaken, their hearts racing with fear. Those men in black were terrifying. However, at that moment, they also understood that Xia Muxin was only targeting a few families and had shown mercy by not throwing Zhou Cailian out.
“Muxin, it’s not that Aunties and Uncles don’t believe you; it’s just that seeing such a golden snake is something we’ve never encountered in our lives. Besides, we’ve been poor for so long—how could we not join in the excitement?”
Old Xu’s slightly trembling voice came from the crowd. Xia Muxin turned to look at him. In just a few months, his back had become more hunched, wrinkles had multiplied, and he looked utterly worn out—pale and emaciated as if suffering from severe malnutrition. Over these months, she hadn’t paid much attention to others; aside from helping with some construction work where a few people were more familiar with her situation, she only learned bits and pieces from casual conversations. But Old Xu...
After a pause, she spoke slowly:
“I understand everyone’s thoughts at this moment. However, this is truly just a pet snake. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. If you wish to worship it, I have no objections; however, please build a temple for this snake first and then worship it slowly. If your wishes aren’t fulfilled later on, then please bear the consequences yourselves and don’t blame my Golden Python for it. My family still needs to live here; we cannot afford such extravagant offerings.”
“To be honest with everyone, this Golden Python was discovered when I was forced by the Wang family into a situation where I almost got swallowed by it after falling off a cliff. It was summer then; there was plenty of Spicy Leaf Grass around. When it bit me, I grabbed whatever I could find and ended up grabbing two handfuls of Spicy Leaf Grass and rubbed it into its eyes—that’s how I saved my life. But this is a sentient snake; as they say, you don’t know someone until you fight them. Not long after that encounter in the mountains, it seemed to hold a grudge against me for using Spicy Leaf Grass against it. We ended up fighting fiercely until I managed to injure it with a Feathered Arrow; that’s when we reached an understanding, and I began keeping it as a pet.”
Xia Muxin cleverly turned the situation around and even produced the Feathered Arrow to show everyone, though she had plucked its feathers.
Finally, everyone began to disperse slowly; whether or not they built a temple was their own business.
Once everyone left, Summer Forest helped Aunt Xia into the house while others went about their tasks. Only Xia Muxin remained alone with the Feathered Arrow in hand, lost in thought.
A large hand suddenly reached out from behind her, effortlessly snatching the Feathered Arrow away. Xia Muxin turned around to see Shen Muhan gazing intently at the Feathered Arrow, and after a moment, he asked, "What about the feathers on it?"
Xia Muxin hesitated, initially wanting to say that it had been changed to a pen tip, but then felt something was off. She looked at him in confusion and asked, "How did you know there were feathers on it?"
At her words, Shen Muhan's gaze locked onto her, his eyes filled with tenderness. After a long pause, he said, "This Feathered Arrow was won from Mu Qing in a bet. Didn't you notice the inscriptions on it?"
Hearing this, Xia Muxin rushed into the room and retrieved the feather pen she had modified, placing it in the light for a closer inspection. Upon examining it, she indeed found faint markings. To her, they resembled more of a pattern than actual letters; they were so cryptic that she couldn't make sense of them at all. Finally, she handed the pen back to Shen Muhan and said, "What language is this? It looks like some kind of scribble; I can't recognize any of it."
Shen Muhan took the pen from her hand and studied it quietly for a moment before gently uttering four words: "Faithful to the original intention."
Xia Muxin was taken aback. People often compared swans and mandarin ducks in terms of loyalty; most would think mandarin ducks were more devoted because they pair up for life and are inseparable, even being called "birds of fidelity." However, this is not entirely true. Mandarin ducks do not stay with just one partner for life; after mating, they frequently change partners and do not harm themselves or commit suicide for each other.
In contrast, swans always come in pairs. When one dies, the other becomes despondent and may even refuse to eat or die from heartbreak.
Of course, these are conclusions drawn by modern people. Could there have been similar legends in ancient times?
Just as she was about to ask, Shen Muhan continued, "When Mu Qing was ten years old, he was injured and encountered a little girl. She was only five or six years old but bravely bandaged his wounds and hid him in a secret cave, managing to evade enemy pursuit. When he woke up, the girl was gone; all he knew was that her nickname was Zhou Zhou and she had a red birthmark on her neck. After returning home, Mu Qing searched for her whereabouts until he led troops into battle. On one occasion when he was trapped, I went to rescue him and happened upon an Otherworldly Race flower-viewing festival. The festival included guessing riddles and couplets as well as martial arts competitions. The most interesting event was the Arrow Seizing Competition. We both found it intriguing and made a bet: whoever could retrieve the Feathered Arrow first would give it to their beloved as a token of affection. If that girl accepted it, it would prove that she truly cared for him and wouldn't reject the Feathered Arrow because of his background."
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped. Xia Muxin, who was listening intently, pouted in displeasure at Shen Muhan's abrupt pause. Little did she know that Shen Muhan pulled her close with a mischievous smile and said,
"Muxin, do you think all of this is destined by fate? That was the first time I used this Feathered Arrow, and I watched you take it away right before my eyes."
At his words, Xia Muxin became furious and glared at him.
"Destined love token? I think you don't take this Feathered Arrow seriously at all; otherwise, why would you bring it out to shoot Game Meat?"
Um...
A hint of embarrassment crossed Shen Muhan's face, but he couldn't admit that he had been aware of her every move and had completely fallen for her at that moment.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Xia Muxin. She leaned closer to Shen Muhan and noticed the flicker in his gaze. With a smile, she teased him,
"Uncle, you wouldn't have secretly had a crush on me all along, would you?"
However, Uncle Shen's skin was thicker than Xia Muxin had imagined. He looked at her calmly and said with a slight smirk,
"What if I did? Is there anyone in this world more outstanding and suitable for you than me?"
Though he asked this question, Xia Muxin knew that if she answered yes, he would surely drag her through the window for an intense lesson in intimacy and then beat up any man she mentioned until they were unrecognizable.
Looking into his obsidian-like eyes, Xia Muxin bit her lip mechanically, staring at him in a daze. She shook her head one moment and nodded the next until she was unsure whether to nod or shake her head at all.
Finally, Shen Muhan grew angry and squeezed out three words through clenched teeth:
"Xia Muxin..."
Xia Muxin shivered; it was bad news when he called her by both name and surname. She quickly tried to escape, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun Uncle Shen's grasp. In the end, she found herself being lifted through the window into her room and thoroughly overwhelmed by him.
Xia Muxin's cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen as if they had been bitten by something. At that moment, she glared at Shen Muhan with tear-filled eyes, helpless and angry.
"Uncle, has Mu Qing found that girl named Zhou Zhou? Also, why are there these four characters here? Were they engraved before?"
Shen Muhan lifted his gaze from the stubborn little woman in front of him, then straightened her disheveled clothes, tying the red strings of her bodice. He guided her to sit at the head of the bed and continued speaking.
"Later, I won and discovered that this was the Otherworldly Race's century-old Arrow Seizing Competition. In previous years, the prize was not the Feathered Arrow but ordinary arrows, which also came with generous rewards. After winning this arrow, I learned that it was a symbol of loyalty passed down from their ancestors. The ancestors of this Otherworldly Race adored swans and regarded them as the most devoted couples in their country. It is said that there is a unique type of swan in their land, each feather inscribed with such characters. A hundred years ago, a man won a Feathered Arrow that symbolized a lifetime partnership. That man indeed found his true love and lived a happy life together. And this time..."
After listening, Xia Muxin fell into deep thought. Could it be true that such strange things existed in this world? The Little Dragon Girl raised bees in the valley and inscribed "I wait at the valley bottom" on their wings, while every feather of this swan bore words. It seemed almost supernatural; she felt someone was playing tricks.
"Uncle, do you really believe in such empty legends?"
She paused for a moment before asking with curiosity.
Shen Muhan did not believe in ghosts or gods and was quite dismissive of such notions.
"I didn't believe at first, but now I do."
A faint smile curved at the corners of Shen Muhan's lips as he picked up a pen resting on the bedside.
They say that those in love are fools; it seems even someone as wise as Shen Muhan is no exception...
"What about Mu Qing? Is he still searching for that girl?"
In some mysterious way, every encounter is a special fate bestowed by heaven. Surely, ten-year-old Mu Qing must have already fallen for her back then. Unable to find his beloved, he chose to escape from his family's relentless matchmaking and simply went far away.
"Yes, he's looking for her. She should be around fifteen or sixteen now, just the right age for marriage."
"..."
In the blink of an eye, the wedding day of Summer Forest and Ermiao had arrived.
During this time, the Wang family and the Zhou family finally behaved themselves. Not only did they refrain from causing trouble, but they also avoided Xia Muxin whenever they saw her. Songzi spent his days joyfully riding on Python Brother, exploring the area while the villagers gradually accepted that Python Brother was merely a pet snake.
Old Xu even came to apologize in person. It was then that Xia Muxin learned that Old Xu's eldest son had fallen gravely ill and had been taken to town to see a doctor. However, due to their financial situation, they couldn't afford the medicine after consulting the doctor and had brought him back home to wait for death. Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin sent them some silver, bringing joy to the family, but they were also worried about how they would repay such a large sum. In the end, Xia Muxin agreed to let them repay her with four acres of Fava Beans next year.
Upon hearing this, the family was overjoyed.
Old Xu had several sons who were all capable workers. Four acres of Fava Beans was a trivial matter for them. Moreover, by the time they planted the Fava Beans, the fields would still be empty. Once the Fava Beans were harvested, they could plant rice again. The entire family nearly knelt down in gratitude.
This news quickly spread throughout the village, and everyone praised Xia Muxin. Seizing the opportunity, she encouraged everyone to plant Fava Beans in their fields after the New Year, as she needed a lot of them.
She even promised to pay them at the market price offered in Town.
There were at least a thousand acres of farmland in the village; aside from what the Wang family occupied, there were still over a hundred acres available. Planting a hundred acres of Fava Beans would yield quite a bit. However, everyone believed in Xia Muxin; working with her would undoubtedly be profitable...
In these past few days, Xia Muxin was busy from dawn till dusk and fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed each night.
Shen Muhan had tried several times to drag her upstairs to rest. He felt heartbroken seeing her work so hard, but she firmly insisted that she only had one biological brother in this life and that he would only marry once. Therefore, it had to be grand and significant; Ermiao must marry with value. She went on about how once women married, they belonged to their husband's family and how feudalistic this era was—once married off, daughters were like spilled water. Finally, Shen Muhan could no longer listen and resorted to more direct means to silence her.
This girl had been coming up with increasingly absurd arguments lately, nearly devaluing men entirely.
Early this morning, Xia Muxin got out of bed and took out a menu she had prepared over the past few days for Ming Yi and others to go into town and buy supplies. Fortunately, the snow had completely melted, and everything on her list consisted of fresh ingredients. There was no need for chickens or ducks since Shen Muhan had already ordered Ming Peng and others to prepare those items before Xia Tieshu's wedding.
His actions were primarily motivated by concern for Xia Muxin because she was working herself too hard.
According to local customs, breakfast was served at the bride's family home. The two families lived close together, and the betrothal gifts followed village traditions. Xia Muxin added an extra five taels of silver specifically for Yang Dadong and his wife. Besides silver, there were also more bolts of fabric and embroidered shoes than usual, which moved Yang Dadong and his wife to tears.
The couple didn't hold back either; they pooled their savings together to prepare a splendid dowry for Ermiao. The banquet was also set to be far better than typical weddings.
Xia Tieshu was a child of few words. At this moment, after an excited speech from Elder Xu, he held one end of a large red flower and blushed as he walked towards the high seats occupied by his in-laws. Following closely behind him was Yang Ermiao, her face equally flushed beneath a red veil. Both were dressed in bright red Cotton Jackets. When they reached Yang Dadong and his wife, they knelt down before them.
Next came the tea ceremony. Aunt Yang's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at the two children, who were honest and shy. Yet their hearts had never wavered, even though the path they walked seemed thorny. Fortunately, they had finally cleared the clouds and seen the light.
Ermiao marrying into the Xia Family was a blessing she had earned in her previous life. Her parents were overjoyed, truly delighted...
As the complex rituals concluded, everyone began to have breakfast. There weren't many guests for a wedding; most were neighbors from the same village, just a few tables of them. After breakfast, a joyful elder began to recite blessings, and once finished, several unmarried young girls helped Ermiao into the bridal sedan chair.
This sedan chair had been temporarily arranged by Shen Muhan; it was exquisite yet not extravagant, perfectly suited for a rural wedding.
Along the way, children surrounded the chair singing local songs and asking for candy. Xia Muxin happily followed behind the sedan chair, holding a basket and continuously handing out sweets to the children.
Shen Muhan disliked such lively gatherings and chose not to join them.
The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, accompanied by the crackling of firecrackers.
As they reached an intersection, they happened to cross paths with Zhou family's sedan chair.
If it weren't for seeing this chair, everyone would have forgotten that today was also the wedding day of Feng Liulang and Zhou Cailian.
- End of Chapter -
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