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墨書 Inktalez
On the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month, the sun shone brightly, lifting everyone's spirits immensely. Li Zhoule donned the dress she had made herself and applied the modern makeup that Hanno had taught her. As she stepped out, all the women were left in awe.
"Sister Zhou Le, are you a fairy?" Ju exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she circled around Li Zhoule in admiration.
Biyue and Hancui touched Li Zhoule's bridal gift and praised, "The dress is so beautiful! Zhou Le, your skills are getting better and better. Can you teach us how to make it?"
Li Zhoule smiled, "Biyue, I can teach you, but Hancui, you’re already married. Why would you want to learn to make wedding dresses?"
Hancui rolled her eyes, unfazed by Li Zhoule's teasing. "Even if I can't make a wedding dress, I can make other clothes. If you modify the style of this wedding dress for other outfits, it would look great."
The other sisters were intrigued by Hancui's words and gathered around Li Zhoule to ask her about making clothes. Aunt Manchong and Man Jin squeezed into the group, pushing the young women away. "Go on, go on! What day is it today? How can we have the bride working? You can ask after the ceremony."
The sisters stuck out their tongues and obediently stepped back. Guangdan Aunt walked in with a smile. "The groom has arrived at the door; hurry up and cover the bride's headgear. It's time to head out."
Soon, laughter erupted from outside as Li Yishu teased the groom. The village children had split into two groups: one helping Li Yishu trouble the groom and the other led by Wen Ziyu assisting Wen Zixia in overcoming challenges. The two groups were causing quite a ruckus and nearly got into a fight before Elder Brother Li intervened.
"Wow, Brother Li is so impressive!" Ju said, her eyes shining with admiration.
Biyue echoed her sentiment, sighing, "It's a pity that Elder Brother Li isn't someone we ordinary village girls could match."
Li Zhoule smiled softly to herself; only Sister Han was worthy of her outstanding older brother.
Wen Zixia cupped his hands in salute to his brother-in-law and thanked him for his assistance before quickly leading two young men into the courtyard and arriving at the window outside Li Zhoule's room. "Zhou Le, I'm here to take you."
Li Zhoule felt both shy and delighted; her face was as red as a ripe apple—beautiful and sweet—but unfortunately hidden beneath her head covering, no one could see her charm at that moment.
Biyue composed herself from her earlier disappointment and walked to the window with a smile. "Groom, you're our village's great talent; you must showcase your skills."
Wen Zixia chuckled wryly. "Go ahead and give me a topic."
Hancui walked over to the window, grinning as she said, "It's simple. Just compose an eighteen-line poem for us. If we are satisfied, we will give you the bride."
Wen Zixia wiped the sweat from his brow. "Can we make it a little less?"
Eighteen? Poetry was not his strong suit; he had only prepared one or two lines.
Hancui pretended to think for a moment before smiling, "Alright, let's settle for five or six."
Wen Zixia protested, "That's too many! I can't do it."
Jiu shouted, "You're a great talent; how could you possibly not be able to do it? Hmph! Are you refusing to take the bride?"
The other women joined in, creating an atmosphere that suggested they wouldn't let him go without a poem.
With no other choice, Wen Zixia recited the two poems he had prepared.
"Tonight the Weaver Girl descends to the mortal realm,
Before the mirror, she leisurely applies her makeup;
With peach blossoms blooming in abundance,
There’s no need for powder to mar her beauty."
"The two hearts have long known each other,
Yet they feign delay due to barriers;
As worries turn into longing for the moon hare,
When love comes, there's no need for painted brows."
The two bridal poems earned him thunderous applause, but the women in the room were still unsatisfied. "Only two? That's not enough!"
Wen Zixia was drenched in sweat and truly couldn't think of anything more. He looked around for help.
The others shrugged helplessly; none of them had studied literature and certainly couldn't compose poetry.
Li Yishu ran over to her older brother and handed him a note. "I asked Sister Han; she wrote some lines and sent them over."
Wen Zixia unfolded the note and saw that the two bridal poems written on it were far better than his own. He sighed with relief and read them aloud:
"In the past, I traveled to Jade Capital, where the first immortal granted a promise. Today, I am fortunate to attend the gathering at Qin Jin, where I will teach the Phoenix to descend from the makeup tower early."
"The Northern Manor welcomes the dust from Southern County; do not delay the fragrant intentions any longer. Although we speak of parting time, let us not be urged by the human world. The smoke trees hang low, connecting with the apricot blossoms, while colorful children carry the Heavenly Harmony Cup. The flute music is not that of celestial tunes; it competes to draw Qin E down from the Phoenix Platform."
"Wonderful!" The crowd applauded in delight.
Wen Zixia asked, "Ladies and sisters, may I take the bride out now?"
Biyue wanted to tease Wen Zixia further, but her mother interjected, "That's enough; do not delay the auspicious time for the wedding ceremony."
Reluctantly, Biyue and her sisters gave up on teasing the groom, opening the door for him to carry the bride outside. In their village, there were no bridal sedan chairs; brides either walked to their husband's home or rode on a donkey. Elder Brother Li's current status was not ordinary; he would never allow his sister to walk on her own. He had already hired four bearers in town and had refurbished a sedan chair with red satin. He even offered his horse for the groom to ride, but since the groom could not ride, Elder Brother Li taught him how.
From the room to the sedan chair, the bride's biological brother was responsible for carrying her over. Elder Brother Li had already reached the doorway, turning his back and offering his broad shoulders to his sister. Li Zhoule felt particularly safe resting against that sturdy back; her anxiety about marrying faded away.
"Big Brother, will I still be your sister after I get married?"
"Of course."
"Thank you, Big Brother!"
The Wen Family and Li Family were not far apart, so the procession took a special route around the village before finally bringing the bride into Wen Family. To prepare for the wedding, Wen Family had done some renovations and purchased many items, nearly exhausting all the silver they had earned recently. However, they felt it was worth it; after all, this silver was earned thanks to the Li siblings' blessings. Once Li Zhoule entered Wen Family's door, they would only gain more benefits.
"First bow to heaven and earth..."
Elder Brother Li sat in a high position to accept the newcomers' bows, feeling a myriad of emotions: Father and Mother, can you see? My sister is getting married; with Wen Zixia by her side, she will surely live happily in the future. You can rest easy now.
He felt a part of his burden lifted. Elder Brother Li felt much lighter; once Porcelain Jar could live on her own, he could leave this world with peace of mind and reunite with Hanno.
The ancient custom of celebrating in the bridal chamber was no less lively than modern times; there were many young people in the village who made it even more boisterous. They came up with all sorts of tricks and pranks that left the newlyweds begging for mercy. It was still Elder Brother Li who found it too chaotic and stepped in to restore order so that the groom and bride could enjoy their wedding night peacefully.
As soon as Elder Brother Li and Li Yishu arrived, they could see Li Zhoule, whose happy expression brought great satisfaction to the two brothers. Elder Brother Li's return to the capital was just around the corner, and regardless of whether it was a newlywed or not, Li Zhoule was determined to help him pack his bags. Most families in the village were bustling about just like Li Zhoule. However, this busyness was not like the painful days when family members were taken away to serve in the military; instead, it was filled with reluctance and joy, for their loved ones were not going off to die but to take up official positions. How could they not be happy?
...
Hanno was also busy preparing things. Li Wei Feng planned to take the Porcelain Jar back to the capital, but Li Zhoule and Li Yishu would temporarily stay in the village—Li Zhoule would naturally follow her husband, while Li Yishu decided to participate in the provincial examination before heading to the capital with Wen Zixia. Everything Hanno prepared was meant for the two siblings. They were no longer short on money; the profits from Soap and Soap Opera had turned them into invisible tycoons of Aoyama Village. Hanno had bought a variety of modern snacks: chocolates, instant noodles, sausages, and various candies... It seemed that there were rumors about the cleanliness of Master Kang's ingredients, so to avoid any potential poisoning for ancient people, Hanno purchased instant noodles from a reputable noodle shop. He sent over a hundred lighters for the Li siblings; they still needed to trade lighters with Wei An Pawnshop every month! Several barrels of cooking oil were delivered as well, ensuring they wouldn’t need to buy oil again. There were all kinds of fruits, many of which Li Siblings and Wen Family Brothers had never tasted before. They buried the fruit pits in their yard, hoping that seedlings would sprout next year.
“Mom, what are these two sacks?” Hanno opened the door and nearly tripped over two sacks at the entrance. Upon opening them, he found they were filled with rice.
“Why did you buy so much rice?” And it wasn’t even from the market; had she been tricked by a rice vendor?
“It wasn’t me who bought it; it was your Seventh Cousin who sent it over.” Mom Han came out from the kitchen. “Just in time for you to help me move these two sacks onto the balcony.”
Previously, all the heavy lifting at home was done by Han Dad, but after Hanno returned home, she took over that responsibility. At first, Han Dad and Mom Han didn’t want her to do it; in their eyes, Hanno was still their delicate daughter who hadn’t endured much hardship and had been pampered before leaving home. They worried she might struggle even with twenty-pound loads. However, Hanno’s actions proved to them that their little girl had grown into a strong woman after years away.
“Seventh Cousin sent this? Why did he give us so much rice?” Hanno asked curiously as she effortlessly lifted two hundred-pound sacks of rice and walked into the kitchen.
“He couldn’t sell it anymore, so he gave it away. Not just us; he sent some to your second aunt and other relatives too.” Mom Han followed her daughter inside and couldn’t help but comment on how effortlessly she handled it. “Nono, how come your strength has increased?”
Of course! This young lady has now become a master with inner strength.
“Maybe it's because I'm eating well, sleeping well, and exercising more,” Hanno chuckled playfully at Mom Han. “I just checked; this rice is quite good—better than what we’ve been eating lately. How could it not sell?”
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