Surrounded by dense forest, the cold wind occasionally swept through, making people shiver. The sun had already set in the west, and the sky was dimly darkening. The road on the mountain was extremely bumpy. Yu Huishui, holding his book, sat unsteadily on the horse’s back, having to clamp his legs tightly around the horse’s belly to prevent himself from falling off.
The bandits followed behind, and as a “hostage,” Yu Huishui didn’t dare to look back. He could only focus his gaze on the child leading his horse. He didn’t recognize the sheepskin jacket and noticed that the child leading the horse was dressed thinly, wearing only a small jacket in this icy and snowy weather. He wondered if the child was also brought up the mountain to do hard labor.
The more he thought about it, the more sympathetic he felt. Seeing no one around, he directly called out to the child, “Hey, kid, are you cold?”
The child turned his head woodenly, his round face expressionless, and made a few “ah ah” sounds at him, revealing that he was mute.
Riding a big black horse behind them, Zang Liujiang was furious. How could his future wife be talking to the mute kid they picked up, who couldn’t even speak? This wouldn’t do!
Thinking this, Zang Liujiang dismounted, pushed the mute kid aside, and grabbed the reins himself, fiercely ordering, “Go! Go lead the big black horse!”
Then, Zang Liujiang lightly dusted off the reins, his face inscrutable, “Do you even know how to lead a horse? Let me do it.”
The mute kid, used to the boss’s antics, waddled back to lead the big black horse.
Having taken the reins, Zang Liujiang felt a bit awkward. He didn’t dare to look directly at Yu Huishui, glancing around instead, lowering his head to look at Yu Huishui’s dangling feet. Those feet weren’t bound, quite large, and looked blessed.
If they were two men, there wouldn’t be any need for one to be responsible for the other, right?
Zang Liujiang nodded to himself, thinking that this fair-skinned person was probably a girl.
Well, well, men and women being responsible for each other just meant getting married. Zang Liujiang was a man of his word, and having said it, he would do it. He began to ponder the matter of getting married.
Meeting for the first time and already going home to get married, wasn’t this what they called love at first sight?
Zang Liujiang, not yet twenty, was experiencing his first awakening of love and really didn’t know what to talk about with his love at first sight.
With nothing to say, Zang Liujiang scratched his nose and then his head, “Ah… you didn’t bind your feet, that’s good.”
Yu Huishui’s eyebrows shot up, his face full of confusion. He suspected he had heard wrong and repeated, “Bind my feet?”
With a response, Zang Liujiang continued to find something to say, “Miss, what’s your name? How old are you this year?”
Yu Huishui gasped, his back stiffening, “Miss…?”
Zang Liujiang gathered his courage and continued, “Since I’ve seen your body, and you’ve hinted for me to be responsible, you must have thought it through to come with me. There’s no time like the present, let’s get married tonight!”
Yu Huishui was shocked, “Get married!?”
At this point, he finally realized that this wasn’t about the bandits kidnapping someone for ransom! They had mistaken him for a girl and brought him back to be a bride!
After a moment of shock, anger surged in Yu Huishui’s heart, like a rabbit whose tail had been pulled, he suddenly shouted.
“Nonsense!!” Yu Huishui slapped the horse’s back, cursing, “Blind dog eyes! Who are you calling a girl…?”
The slap was too sudden, and the chestnut horse was startled, raising its front hooves and neighing, ready to bolt. Zang Liujiang, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed the reins tightly, pressing the horse’s head to prevent it from running off, but the violent jolt still made Yu Huishui unsteady.
Holding his book with both hands and having nothing to grab onto, he was thrown off the horse, his book flying, and he himself was flung, hitting his head on a crooked pine tree by the roadside with a loud thud.
Two birds in the tree crown were startled, squawking and flapping away.
The bandits were in an uproar. The boss had just gotten his hands on someone, and they had already fallen off the horse. What kind of show was this today?
Yu Huishui, eyes blurred, watched the figures moving in front of him, burning with anger. He felt a dull pain in his chest, and eventually, his vision went black as he fainted.
Zang Liujiang was so scared his soul almost flew away. He immediately rushed forward, holding Yu Huishui’s body and shouting loudly, “Prepare the horses! Prepare the horses! Everyone, hurry back!”
When Yu Huishui opened his eyes again, there were two girls standing in front of him. They stood on either side, looking about seventeen or eighteen, tugging at his clothes.
Yu Huishui’s expression went from dazed to shocked, then to embarrassed and angry. He jumped up, scrambling onto the bed, clutching his clothes tightly, “You, you two girls, what are you doing taking off my clothes!”
The two girls were also startled, not expecting this rich young lady to be wilder than them, as nimble as a boy.
“Sister Cuicui…”
The slightly shorter girl had two small braids tied with red ribbons, looking festive. She was timid, unsure how to respond, and quickly reached out to pull the other’s sleeve.
“This rich young lady has quite a temper, it’s scary.”
The girl called Cuicui was pretty, her actions and demeanor showing the straightforwardness of a mountain person, but she was impatient. She rolled her eyes and pointed to the embroidered red wedding dress on the bed, saying irritably, “Since you’re awake, put it on yourself. No one on the mountain will serve you, missy!”
With that, Cuicui stormed out with Wang Jia Meimei, muttering as she went, “Just because she’s fairer than me, why did the boss fancy her?”
With no one else in the room, Yu Huishui cautiously got off the bed, examining the bedroom.
The room was decorated festively, likely using the bandit leader’s bedroom as the bridal chamber. White walls and black beams, with red double happiness characters symmetrically pasted, and large red silk flowers tied with silk on the beams, red everywhere, full of joy.
Yu Huishui glanced back at the bed, dark wooden boards covered with several thick mattresses, topped with a bright red wedding quilt, rustling, with a layer of auspicious peanuts and longans underneath.
Yu Huishui stood there stiffly, his mind racing through the events before he fainted, anxiously touching his chest, confirming he wasn’t dreaming in the middle of the night.
“Is this for a wedding?”
The door creaked open, and an old woman in a red jacket swept in like the wind. It seemed the two girls had gone out to report, bringing in someone more formidable.
“What’s going on!!”
Her hair was white and neatly slicked back, her face full of wrinkles, with bright, shrewd eyes. She clutched a handkerchief, her voice loud as she rushed over, dragging Yu Huishui to the table like a chick.
“Why hasn’t the bride changed clothes yet! If you don’t get out soon, you’ll miss the auspicious time!”
As she spoke, she undid Yu Huishui’s clothes, letting them slip to his shoulders.
The old woman seemed to see something rare, chuckling, “Oh my! You’re not even wearing a dudou! No matter how flat you are, you should wear a dudou!”
Yu Huishui turned his back to her, so scared his hair almost stood on end.
He wanted to say, “I’m a man, why would I wear a dudou,” but he couldn’t bring himself to say such things in front of an old woman.
“Alright, alright, don’t wear it then!”
The old woman mischievously tied the wedding dress’s belt, pinching his butt as she did, “After all, it’ll all come off!”
Yu Huishui felt uncomfortable from head to toe, like he was naked in a pile of straw, itchy and uneasy.
He cleared his throat, sincerely saying to the old woman, “Auntie, I’m a man, this is all a misunderstanding, really.”
The old woman paused, then looked disdainful, covering his head with a veil as she replied, “Oh, then show me that thing, and I’ll believe you.”
Yu Huishui stared at her, such vulgar words were rare to hear.
No matter what, Yu Huishui couldn’t show his body to an old woman. Just as he was about to argue further, a sea of red covered him, the veil firmly draped over his face. The old woman shouted joyfully, and several women with the scent of rouge rushed in from outside, pulling and pushing him out.
“Misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding!”
The noise around him grew louder, a hot stream of cheering, toasting, and cursing, almost lifting the roof. Yu Huishui was anxious, but his protests were drowned out by the noise, no one heard him.
He couldn’t see the road, only letting the people behind him push him forward. Then, a pair of rough hands took his, the palms hot like charcoal, slightly sweaty, and a man’s voice came through the veil, muffled, “Wife, it’s time for the ceremony.”
In the mountains, there weren’t so many formalities, no grand sedan chair or betrothal ceremony, just a group of people happily sending the bride to Zang Liujiang.
The neighbors and villagers all knew Zang Liujiang had found his sweetheart, love at first sight, mutual affection, and they were getting married as soon as they met.
Some were so moved they shed tears, praising the bride for being a person of character, daring to love and hate.
Yu Huishui, the person of character, was sweating profusely. Zang Liujiang was strong, pulling him to kneel, but Yu Huishui stubbornly refused to bend his knees.
He knew that if he went through with the ceremony and entered the bridal chamber, it would be over. Once in the bridal chamber, when the truth came out, the bandit leader would be furious and might tear him apart and feed him to the dogs.
But if he didn’t…
There were already drunken murmurs around, sensing something was off, some were getting suspicious.
Enough! Enough!
Yu Huishui’s palms were sweaty, he clenched his hands, and with a thud, knelt down. The veil covered his face, he didn’t see Zang Liujiang’s delighted face, foolishly flushed with the redness of drunkenness, full of tender affection.
“First bow to heaven and earth!”
It was the loud voice of the old woman from before. She was busy tonight, organizing the bride’s entrance and now hosting the ceremony. With a shout, Yu Huishui bent over, knocking his head on the ground.
“Second bow to the parents!”
The person beside him turned him in a direction, and he knocked his head again.
“Husband and wife bow to each other!”
The surrounding noise exploded like firecrackers, peanuts and dried fruits scattered everywhere, wine cups clinking incessantly. The two faced each other, the person holding his hand didn’t let go, gripping tightly, bowing and knocking heads, a loud thud.
“Send to the bridal chamber!”
The old woman shouted joyfully, and Yu Huishui felt the world spinning, his feet leaving the ground as he was lifted. The veil lifted, revealing half his face.
He looked up, seeing a face flushed red in the candlelight, with well-defined features, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes. On the left ear, a large hoop, whether gold or copper, hung, shining brightly in the candlelight.
A handsome young man, looking at him with eyes full of tender affection.
Thump, thump, thump!
Perhaps the air was too hot, Yu Huishui suddenly felt his heart pounding like thunder. Perhaps the noise was too loud, he felt his ears ringing.
Zang Liujiang saw the person in his arms staring at him blankly, smiling as he adjusted the veil, covering the face well, “Wife…”
He leaned in, kissing through the veil, whispering, “It’s time for the bridal chamber.”
Bridal chamber? What bridal chamber?
Thoughts swirling, Yu Huishui suddenly raised his hand, slapping his forehead with a crisp, loud sound.
They say lust leads to trouble, and it’s absolutely true. He was dazed just from looking at the bandit leader, not even that handsome, it must be the alcohol fumes in the hall clouding his mind.
Yu Huishui’s slap not only startled Zang Liujiang but also the group of villagers and bandits preparing to tease the bridal chamber, stopping in their tracks.
Before Zang Liujiang could ask anything, everyone watched in shock as the new bride in the boss’s arms suddenly tore off his red veil!