This shout drew everyone’s attention in the courtyard.
The aunties who were busy with their chores instinctively stopped what they were doing, while the villagers gathered at the courtyard gate craned their necks, peering inside to catch the excitement.
The next moment, Su He slowly stepped out of the room.
The first thing everyone saw was her neat, crisp red dress. Though she wore no gold or silver jewelry to ground her look, she didn’t seem cheap or plain at all. Instead, that splash of red made her entire presence look clear and bright. In particular, the tiny red flower tucked into her hair looked like an effortless stroke of a brush, catching everyone’s eye instantly.
Then, the crowd finally got a clear look at the bride’s soft, radiant face. Praise immediately erupted throughout the courtyard.
“Oh my, this bride is truly beautiful!”
“This outfit looks so festive and bright!”
“You can tell at a glance she’s a steady person who knows how to run a household!”
“Exactly, she looks so warm and approachable!”
Standing to the side, Wang Guixiang had been feeling anxious, worried that her new daughter-in-law might face gossip. At this moment, her heart completely settled. She couldn’t help but straighten her back, her face beaming with pride. Frankly speaking, her new daughter-in-law was truly a credit to the family!
On the other side, Xiao Zheng stood by the door, freezing slightly. It wasn’t his first time seeing Su He, but at this moment, he still doted. It wasn’t an overwhelming shock of beauty, but rather a profound sense of comfort and ease. As he watched her walk out, the nervousness in his heart melted away, replaced by a strange, deep peace.
“Let’s go,” Xiao Zheng said softly. His voice sounded even steadier than before, with a subtle touch of tenderness hidden in his eyes.
Su He looked up at him, her lips curving into a gentle smile as she nodded. “Alright.”
Just as they stepped out of the courtyard gate, Xiao Jun was already waiting outside, looking ecstatic. “Sister-in-law! Get on the cart!”
Only then did Su He notice an ox-cart parked at the entrance. The wooden boards had been wiped spotlessly clean, the axles were freshly greased, and a large red cloth flower was tied to the ox’s head. The red fabric fluttered gently in the morning breeze, looking exceptionally festive.
“This is…?” Su He blinked, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes as she instinctively looked at Xiao Zheng.
This man was remarkably good at keeping secrets. He hadn’t dropped a single hint beforehand, just like when he bought the small gifts and made the wooden chest. He always quietly finished things before presenting them to her. He really was a remarkably good man.
“Borrowed it! The loop around the village is a long walk,” Xiao Zheng said, looking slightly self-conscious as the tips of his ears turned red.
He didn’t say much else, but Su He understood instantly. No matter how simple the wedding had to be, he didn’t want to slight her or let her get worn out today. A subtle warmth expanded in her chest, making her eyes sting slightly.
“It’s wonderful,” she replied softly, giving him a bright, brilliant smile.
“Get on, get on!” the neighbors began to cheer, and the children swarmed around them with shouts of joy.
“I’m coming along to watch the fun too!”
“Oh wow! The bride is riding an ox-cart!”
The children ran ahead, chattering and playing, while the women and aunties followed behind, talking and laughing. Within moments, a small crowd had gathered.
Su He nimbly climbed onto the ox-cart and settled herself. The hem of her red dress spread out slowly, making the splash of red look even more striking on the cart, like a vibrant rose.
Xiao Zheng walked beside the cart, keeping one hand steadily on the wooden frame and holding the reins with the other. His steps were deliberate and solid, as if terrified the cart might jolt her.
“Move out!” someone yelled at the top of their lungs. Xiao Zheng gave the reins a gentle flick, and the ox-cart slowly rolled forward.
The village path wasn’t wide, but it instantly grew lively because of the wedding procession. Along the way, people poked their heads out of every house, and some put down their chores entirely to crowd by their doorways and watch.
“The Xiaos are bringing home a bride!”
“Oh, they even have an ox-cart! That lad Xiao Zheng really knows how to dote on his wife!”
“This is quite a turnout! It’s way more lively than expected!”
The ox-cart rolled forward slowly, making its way around the village according to local custom. Along the way, the crowd of onlookers grew larger and the atmosphere heated up. Cheers, teasing, and laughter mingled together into an exceptionally festive scene.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village.
Inside the Shen family courtyard, the atmosphere was completely different, filled with an indescribable awkwardness and chaos.
There were also neighbors helping out here, but everything seemed disorganized as people scrambled around in confusion. The pots and pans were borrowed from neighbors, and the ingredients were scraped together from various sources. Because no one had coordinated or assigned tasks beforehand, people arrived at the Shen house only to find they were missing one thing after another. A few of them spun around in circles, completely lost as they tried to prep the food.
Most of the helpers had only come out of obligation and lacked the close, harmonious bond found at the Xiao house. To make matters worse, Liu Cuihua kept barking out blind directions, leaving everyone dizzy and overwhelmed.
Liu Cuihua stood by the stove with a tense face, her eyes locked onto the helpers. Barking out frantic orders, she couldn’t help but look toward the gate repeatedly, her voice thick with irritation.
“Why isn’t everyone here yet? What’s taking so long?”
“Make the fire hotter! We need a roaring flame!”
“Careful now, that pot is borrowed, don’t drop it!”
The Shens were poor, and this wedding was stretching their resources to the limit. Liu Cuihua was terrified that a single mistake would make them the laughingstock of the village. But that was exactly how things went—the more frantic you were, the easier it was to make mistakes.
Inside the house, Su Lan had already changed into her clothes. It was still that same old peach-pink dress, hardly a proper wedding gown. However, she had deliberately caked on several times her usual amount of powder to make her face look stark white and spotless. She had plucked her eyebrows thin and arched, and painted her lips a bright, vibrant red for a festive look.
Yet as she looked into the bronze mirror over and over, she still felt she wasn’t eye-catching enough. No matter how dissatisfied she felt, she was helpless. Aside from the two boxes of powder and rouge she bought yesterday, she had no extra jewelry or cosmetics to refine her look.
She had always believed she was prettier than Su He. Even if the Shen family’s conditions were worse, she felt she could still outshine Su He based on her looks alone.
Just then, someone shouted from outside.
“The Xiaos have hit the road! She’s even riding in an ox-cart, it’s quite a grand turnout!”
Hearing this, Su Lan’s hand froze instantly, and her comb clattered onto the table with a sharp snap.
In the mirror, she slowly raised her head. The forced composure she had been clinging to instantly cracked. A flash of humiliation and resentment crossed her eyes, but before she could even vent her anger, Shen Feng walked in to urge her along.
“Hurry up, stop dawdling. It’s time to head out.”
Su Lan whipped her head around, her eyes full of resentment as she stared at him. Mindful of the people outside, she kept her voice low.
“Go? Go how? Look at Xiao Zheng—he even got an ox-cart for Su He. Why didn’t you prepare one?”
As she spoke, her eyes rimmed with red from grievance, and she continued her bitter complaints. “Look at me. I don’t even have a proper wedding dress, I’m wearing your sister’s old clothes! Now I don’t even have an ox-cart to ride in. I have absolutely nothing, how am I supposed to step out like this?”
Shen Feng’s face darkened. He was already furious inside, and knowing the villagers were waiting outside, his tone grew impatient. “Are you seriously making a scene at a time like this? Our family’s situation is what it is. It’s already good enough that we could throw this wedding at all, what more do you want? Move it, don’t make us a laughingstock in front of the neighbors!”
Su Lan bit her lip, the grievance and resentment in her eyes deepening, but she had no choice. It was just her luck that the Shens were this poor!
Highly reluctant, she stood up, shot him a resentful glare, and followed him out of the courtyard gate.
There was no ox-cart, no lively cheering, and only a handful of villagers trailing behind. The procession looked incredibly bleak. Su Lan wore the old peach-pink dress, and the heavy makeup on her face had smudged slightly from the recent argument, making her look rather ridiculous instead.
The two couples, one coming from the east and one from the west, walked slowly along the village path. Without realizing it, they ran straight into each other right under the old pagoda tree in the center of the village.
Instantly, both sides came to a halt, and the lively noise suddenly died down.