◎The Wedding Night◎
Night fell, and the sky was filled with stars. Clusters of torches lit up the darkness, their flames like a slowly parading fire dragon, illuminating the pitch-black night.
Villagers who had been drinking wine walked home in twos and threes, holding torches.
The men carried their sleeping children on their backs as they walked ahead, while the young wives huddled close to their husbands. Hearing the roars of beasts echoing from the deep mountains, their faces turned pale with fear, and they tightly gripped their torches.
The guests who had been drinking gradually dispersed, and the Wei household, which had been bustling all day, returned to quiet.
Old Man Wei had already retired to his room at some point. Wei Dahu had been forced to drink a lot of wine, yet he showed no signs of drunkenness. He picked up the stools that had fallen to the ground and arranged them neatly, then went to the kitchen to fetch a basin of hot water. With joyful steps, he pushed open the door to his own room.
Tao Hua sat at the head of the bed, listening as footsteps approached from afar and finally stopped at the door.
Then the door was pushed open, and someone entered the room.
She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her delicate face beneath the bridal veil already flushed crimson. From the wedding procession to the ceremony, Tao Hua hadn’t felt particularly nervous—it was like chopping firewood on the mountain. Though it was her first time getting married, she thought it was just a matter of following the steps in order. What was the big deal?
Getting married was simply moving from one home to another.
But as the guests in the courtyard gradually dispersed, it felt as if the courage in her heart had suddenly been punctured, deflating instantly. She knew what would happen next and couldn’t help but imagine what the man she had married looked like, what kind of temperament he had, and whether he would be easy to get along with in the future…
Under the bridal veil, Tao Hua’s mind was a tangled mess. Wei Dahu, however, had no such complicated thoughts. He placed the hot water on the table and reached out to lift the veil, only to find his palms sweaty. He quickly withdrew his hand and wiped them on his clothes a few times.
When he reached out again, Wei Dahu, acting like an Er Lengzi, spoke up to inform his wife: “Um, I’m going to lift the veil now.”
The deep voice suddenly sounded right in front of her, startling Tao Hua. Her hands instinctively tightened their grip. “Y-you can just lift it!”
Wei Dahu chuckled softly. Tao Hua realized her voice had been rather loud and was instantly too embarrassed to know what to do.
As if sensing her embarrassment and annoyance, Wei Dahu hesitated no longer and directly reached out to lift the red bridal veil.
Wei Dahu had no illusions about what his bride would look like, but the moment he saw Tao Hua, only one thought crossed his mind: his father had truly arranged a wonderful marriage for him!
Such a fair-skinned wife!
Tao Hua heard no sound for a long time, and her nervousness gradually turned into unease. Could it be that her appearance didn’t meet his expectations? Did he not like her?
Her heart, which had been pounding with nervousness, slowly calmed down. Tao Hua felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment, along with a touch of fear. If her future husband didn’t like her, life would likely be difficult…
Thinking this, she mustered her courage and looked up, wanting to see the expression on his face. But as soon as she lifted her eyelashes, she met a face full of masculine vigor.
And on this face was a blush that made her heart skip a beat.
“You…”
“Hehe.” Wei Dahu stared at her face without blinking, his large hands scratching the back of his head as he grinned foolishly. How could she be so fair-skinned? How could his wife be so beautiful and so fair?
Seeing him like this, he didn’t seem displeased with her. Tao Hua’s anxious heart settled, though she felt a bit shy under his direct gaze. Just as she was about to say something, she belatedly sensed something amiss. Her eyes fixed on him…
Was it that the house beams were too low, or was this man a bit too tall… huh?
Wei Dahu noticed her glancing at the roof, then at him, and immediately understood what she was pondering. Embarrassment washed over him, fearing she might dislike his height, so he quickly changed the subject: “Wife, I’ve fetched hot water for you. Are you hungry? I’ll get you something to eat.” With that, he turned toward the kitchen.
“No need!” Tao Hua quickly called out to stop him.
Wei Dahu turned back. Worried he might misunderstand, Tao Hua explained, “I-I’m not hungry. Sanhua brought me plenty of food.”
“Oh.” Wei Dahu stood still, and Tao Hua looked at him, both feeling somewhat awkward.
Tao Hua was used to being independent at home and disliked acting coy. Though nervous facing her still-unfamiliar husband, she tried to suppress her inner fluster. She walked to the table, washed her face with the hot water, hesitated for a moment, then wrung out a cloth and handed it to Wei Dahu, saying softly, “Wipe your face too. You’ve had a long day.”
Wei Dahu unceremoniously took the cloth and scrubbed his face roughly. “Not tired at all. How could marrying a wife make me tired? I’m full of energy.”
This man, really. Tao Hua couldn’t help but glance at him, feeling she might have misjudged him. He looked quiet, yet his words were so unrestrained.
Her heart, tense all day, suddenly relaxed at this moment.
Tao Hua didn’t know how to describe this feeling—perhaps it was like everything settling into place, better than she had imagined. She found she didn’t dislike this man.
After washing their faces, while the water was still warm, they washed their feet one after the other.
Wei Dahu carried the foot-washing water outside to pour it out, while Tao Hua sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the door. Her eyes lowered, her fingers slowly undoing her clothes, one layer after another…
When Wei Dahu entered the room, the faint candlelight flickered in the dim interior, and pale moonlight streamed in through the window. Tao Hua lay sideways on the bed, covered by a thin quilt that revealed her entire snow-white back.
Wei Dahu quickly turned around and quietly bolted the door.
Hearing the movement behind her, Tao Hua’s tightly closed eyes trembled slightly. She felt the thin quilt being lifted, and an undeniable presence pressed against her back, making her shiver all over.
That patch of white in the darkness was like precious fine flour, kneaded with water into dough, then folded and shaped in countless ways by an inexperienced cook, turned over and over, tirelessly.
…
The next day.
Before dawn had fully broken, Tao Hua woke early. Despite her discomfort, the habits ingrained since childhood compelled her to force herself out of bed.
While dressing, she noticed the blue and purple marks on her body, her face flushing with embarrassment. Thankfully, Wei Dahu knew his strength would leave marks and hadn’t pressed where clothes couldn’t cover, or she truly wouldn’t have been able to face anyone today.
Her mother had secretly taught her about the things to do on the wedding night, saying it wouldn’t hurt, that it was just like that, and would be over quickly.
But everything that happened last night was completely opposite to what her mother had said!
It was clearly very painful. Wei Dahu was still exerting himself even as she fell asleep, and it was nothing like “just that.”
Tao Hua's face was flushed and burning hot. She quickly patted her cheeks, enduring the discomfort as she took a few steps. She walked awkwardly around the room for quite a while before finally getting used to it.
Wei Dahu was chopping bamboo in the yard. Seeing her up, he tossed aside the knife in his hand, stood up, brushed off the wood shavings, and walked over. "It's still early. Why not sleep a little longer?"
Tao Hua pushed away his outstretched hand that wanted to support her and glared. "What are you doing?"
Faced with his wife's cold stare, Wei Dahu chuckled happily. Since she didn't want his help, he didn't insist. Instead, he went straight to the main room, pulled out a stool, and brought it to the yard. "Sit. I'll fetch you some water to wash your face."
Tao Hua quickly glanced around, feeling too embarrassed to sit. But Wei Dahu had already brought out a basin of warm water from the kitchen.
Tao Hua peeked at her father-in-law's room—the door was still closed, as if he was still resting. She couldn't help but sigh in relief. Good, good, she had woken up earlier than him.
"I'll throw a couple of logs into the stove. There's plenty of leftover food from yesterday. Is it alright if we make do with that for breakfast?" Wei Dahu went into the inner room to fetch a clean towel. As Tao Hua reached out to take it, she heard him say.
What man busied himself with cooking? After washing her face, Tao Hua was about to get up and head to the kitchen when Wei Dahu pressed down on her shoulder. He smiled and said, "No need for you. I can handle heating up some dishes. You should rest more today."
Pressed down by him, Tao Hua couldn't move an inch—just like last night. With just a little effort from him, she couldn't budge at all. She could only watch helplessly as he went around to the back of the house, gathered a bundle of firewood, and headed to the kitchen.
Sitting in the yard, Tao Hua breathed in the fresh morning air and gazed at the distant mountains shrouded in thick fog. Everything before her eyes was entirely unfamiliar, yet her heart felt no confusion at all—strangely at peace.
This was to be her home from now on.
The wedding feast had ended, leaving a mess behind.
A few tables and chairs were scattered in the yard, and a large stack of unwashed bowls and chopsticks lay piled in the corner. In the village, when a household didn't have enough tables, chairs, or utensils for a feast, it was customary for guests to bring their own. After yesterday's feast, everyone had taken back their own belongings. The tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks currently in the yard had been borrowed from her two uncles' homes.
Tao Hua rolled up her sleeves, ready to start cleaning, when she noticed the side room door opening out of the corner of her eye.
She quickly straightened up. As soon as Old Man Wei stepped out, she called out, "Father, you're awake."
Old Man Wei nodded at her. "Up already."
For so many years, it had been just him and his son at home. Old Man Wei still felt a bit unaccustomed to the change, but as the only elder in the household, he said, "Farming families don't have too many rules. Now that you've married into our family, we're all one household from now on. If you're short of anything or need anything, just tell Dahu directly."
Tao Hua nodded meekly. "Yes."
Old Man Wei then went to the kitchen to fetch water to wash his face. Realizing this, Tao Hua hurried forward to help, but Old Man Wei waved her off repeatedly, saying he could manage on his own. "My leg may be lame, but my hands are still working fine."
Seeing Tao Hua standing there looking uneasy, Wei Dahu lifted the steamer lid, waved away the steam that rushed toward his face, and with his bare hands, took out a bowl of steamed egg from the pot. He said to Tao Hua, "Don't worry about Father. He doesn't need anyone to wait on him. Hurry up, wash your hands, scoop some rice, and come eat. This steamed egg custard is specially made for you."
Tao Hua stood there, feeling a bit flustered. "Why make steamed egg? I don't need to eat steamed egg…"
"Why wouldn't you need to eat it?" Wei Dahu turned to look at her.
Tao Hua met his gaze and saw confusion in his eyes. It wasn't the kind of feigned ignorance meant to provoke a response, but genuine bewilderment at her statement, "I don't need to eat steamed eggs."
"Eggs are precious. We can save them to sell for money. Besides, I… I haven't done anything…" Why would I deserve to eat steamed eggs? Tao Hua thought to herself.
Wei Dahu suddenly pinched her cheek with his free hand. Tao Hua nearly jumped in surprise, glaring at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing!"
"I'm not doing anything. I just think you're silly, and I wanted to pinch you," Wei Dahu said with a grin, looking at her. "Silly Tao Hua, from now on, if you want to eat steamed eggs, just steam them. You don't need to have done something to deserve them. Our family doesn't save eggs either. If you really want to save them, go ahead, but not to sell—save them to eat."
With that, he carried the steamed eggs to the main room.