Tao Hua had struggled to survive alongside her mother, who had married three times, until she reached the age of sixteen. Then, Auntie Wang from the same village came to her door to propose a marriage.
The man was named Wei Dahu. His family consisted only of a lame father. There was no mother-in-law to discipline her, and no younger siblings to cause a ruckus; she would be the mistress of the house the moment she stepped through the door.
With two mud rooms and a few acres of poor land, their meals were simple fare, and their clothes were made of coarse cloth for all four seasons.
Wearing a red bridal veil and accompanied by the festive sounds of the suona, Tao Hua stepped through the gates of the Wei family home.
On the Wedding Night:
Wei Dahu looked at Tao Hua under the candlelight, a flush rising on his dark face. His large, rough hands, capable of killing a tiger with a single punch, scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he grinned foolishly.
“Hehe, wife.”
Tao Hua stared at the towering, nine-foot man before her, dumbfounded.
The family was so poor, yet this… this Wei Dahu managed to grow so sturdy and tall?!
After the wedding, Wei Dahu took Tao Hua up the mountains to hunt, catch fish, pick fruit, gather chestnuts, forage for mushrooms, catch bamboo rats, and dig for wild vegetables.
In the summer, they hid in the sun-blocking forest, drinking clear, sweet mountain spring water. During the freezing winter months, they wrapped themselves in thick animal skins and huddled at home to pass the winter. By the end of the year, the food they had stored was enough for a family of three to have a prosperous and happy New Year.
With enough to eat and drink and no worries, they could even have a baby during the slack farming season. Everyone said Tao Hua would suffer by marrying Wei Dahu, but who knew she had actually fallen into a nest of blessings?
Reading Guide:
A warm farming/slice-of-life novel. No imperial court drama or small business ventures, just the trivial daily routines between relatives and neighbors. The background is a slightly chaotic era. Slow-paced.
This story is entirely fictional. The plots involving hunting wild animals are all made up. Everyone has a responsibility to protect wild animals; we are law-abiding citizens.